Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Going private!
I've heard way too many creepy stories about people's blogs and random people accessing them. So I'm going private.
If you read my blog, leave a comment, and I can send you an invite.
EDIT: If you could leave your email address too, that'd be great. Sorry, Annie-- I don't have yours!
If you read my blog, leave a comment, and I can send you an invite.
EDIT: If you could leave your email address too, that'd be great. Sorry, Annie-- I don't have yours!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Soupy oatmeal makes my heart smile.
Friday mornings are the best. I can sleep in as late as I want (today, I slept in until EIGHT O'CLOCK!), and when I wake up, I can take the dogs to the park if I want (and I did). I can take my time walking there, too, enjoying the perfect hoodie weather and the crisp, clear scent of autumn, because it's Friday. I have absolutely NOTHING scheduled on Fridays. Of course, I do have things to get done today (process recording, response paper for diversity, clean the institute), but I don't have any particular time that they have to get done.
And it is delightful.
The schedule of classes for next semester has been posted, and of course, I immediately looked at when the classes I want are happening. After learning my lesson this semester (it IS better to go for the classes you want as opposed to the schedule you want), I realized that my Fridays off are going to be short-lived. Fortunately, though, my classes will all happen in the morning. So Tuesday/Thursday, I'll be on campus until 3:00 at the latest (one of the days, I'll be done by 11), which means two days a week, I'll have an entire afternoon to spend time with my dogs. This semester has been hard on them-- most days, they're just locked up. They get some respite when one of us has time to take them to the park for a half hour, but other than that, they just stay cooped up. This gives them more time to be dogs more often, which makes me extremely happy. As Bobby looks at his schedule and makes plans for when he'll graduate, I feel extremely peaceful, knowing that eventually, we'll be in a house with a yard, where the dogs can play outside whenever they want without concerns about neighbors yelling at us for not having our dogs on leash.
My classmates are amazing. Most of my classes are amazing, and the one that isn't, I have a bunch of friends who also think it's less than amazing, so we have gripe-fests together, which is also delightful. It's so nice to be around so many people that think like me. It's empowering, and I missed it so much when I was in classes at BYU (not that they weren't kind people, we just didn't work on the same wavelength for the most part).
The animals have fleas. And that sucks. But it's causing me to look forward to a freeze, which as someone who does not particularly enjoy cold weather, this is working for me. Bobby has been wonderful in dealing with my anxiety regarding the infestation. He combs them, bathes them, vacuums, and he bought Chuck a little catnip toy when we discovered the fleas had relocated, even though he swears he doesn't care for our cat. I often reflect on my dating days, when I was looking for the "perfect" guy. My husband isn't perfect (thank goodness), but he's perfect for me. I feel extremely blessed to be able to spend my life with my best friend.
And I'm in love with this. I wish I could find the whole song.
And it is delightful.
The schedule of classes for next semester has been posted, and of course, I immediately looked at when the classes I want are happening. After learning my lesson this semester (it IS better to go for the classes you want as opposed to the schedule you want), I realized that my Fridays off are going to be short-lived. Fortunately, though, my classes will all happen in the morning. So Tuesday/Thursday, I'll be on campus until 3:00 at the latest (one of the days, I'll be done by 11), which means two days a week, I'll have an entire afternoon to spend time with my dogs. This semester has been hard on them-- most days, they're just locked up. They get some respite when one of us has time to take them to the park for a half hour, but other than that, they just stay cooped up. This gives them more time to be dogs more often, which makes me extremely happy. As Bobby looks at his schedule and makes plans for when he'll graduate, I feel extremely peaceful, knowing that eventually, we'll be in a house with a yard, where the dogs can play outside whenever they want without concerns about neighbors yelling at us for not having our dogs on leash.
My classmates are amazing. Most of my classes are amazing, and the one that isn't, I have a bunch of friends who also think it's less than amazing, so we have gripe-fests together, which is also delightful. It's so nice to be around so many people that think like me. It's empowering, and I missed it so much when I was in classes at BYU (not that they weren't kind people, we just didn't work on the same wavelength for the most part).
The animals have fleas. And that sucks. But it's causing me to look forward to a freeze, which as someone who does not particularly enjoy cold weather, this is working for me. Bobby has been wonderful in dealing with my anxiety regarding the infestation. He combs them, bathes them, vacuums, and he bought Chuck a little catnip toy when we discovered the fleas had relocated, even though he swears he doesn't care for our cat. I often reflect on my dating days, when I was looking for the "perfect" guy. My husband isn't perfect (thank goodness), but he's perfect for me. I feel extremely blessed to be able to spend my life with my best friend.
And I'm in love with this. I wish I could find the whole song.
Friday, September 18, 2009
In love with the weather
It's so nice when a happy place involves just stepping outside. Simply breathing in the air with the hint of autumn singing softly in the gentle breeze reminds me of Halloween costumes, pumpkin hunting, and crunchy leaves. Never mind the upcoming papers and projects whose due dates are haunting the spaces on the calendar of weeks to come. Instead, laying in the grass beneath a giant tree on campus allows for easily achieved mindfulness and calming meditation, and nothing can bring me down.
In the past couple of weeks, I have begun seeing my very first clients. I did my very first therapy session, where someone came into my office and trusted me with her problems. A couple of clients trusted me enough to tell me they had thoughts of suicide or hurting others, which was a terrifying responsibility (in case you're wondering, these clients never present the way they do in the training videos). I have an amazing supervisor, and fantastic clinicians nearby to help me through these scary times. It was an accident (or so I thought) that I ended up at Valeo, but it's exactly where I need to be to learn everything I can in my internship.
Inside my desk is a post-it I made after I saw my first client. I'd said a prayer prior to the session, and my nerves were so rattled after doing the risk assessment that it was all I could do to not crawl under my desk and cry. I took out the post it, and a felt tip marker, and I wrote
I deserve to be loved.
I deserve to be happy.
He died for all of my pain.
He died for all of my insecurities.
He can replace all of my doubts with faith.
Through Him, I can and will do this.
In a week of seeing clients, I've had two risk assessments. The other interns have had zero. I consider myself lucky-- what an advantage to have that out of the way. I also have a relationship with Christ. What an advantage in everything I do. What a blessing it is to be doing what I'm doing, and to have His help when I do it.
And the crisp autumn air on top of it all. I am blessed.
In the past couple of weeks, I have begun seeing my very first clients. I did my very first therapy session, where someone came into my office and trusted me with her problems. A couple of clients trusted me enough to tell me they had thoughts of suicide or hurting others, which was a terrifying responsibility (in case you're wondering, these clients never present the way they do in the training videos). I have an amazing supervisor, and fantastic clinicians nearby to help me through these scary times. It was an accident (or so I thought) that I ended up at Valeo, but it's exactly where I need to be to learn everything I can in my internship.
Inside my desk is a post-it I made after I saw my first client. I'd said a prayer prior to the session, and my nerves were so rattled after doing the risk assessment that it was all I could do to not crawl under my desk and cry. I took out the post it, and a felt tip marker, and I wrote
I deserve to be loved.
I deserve to be happy.
He died for all of my pain.
He died for all of my insecurities.
He can replace all of my doubts with faith.
Through Him, I can and will do this.
In a week of seeing clients, I've had two risk assessments. The other interns have had zero. I consider myself lucky-- what an advantage to have that out of the way. I also have a relationship with Christ. What an advantage in everything I do. What a blessing it is to be doing what I'm doing, and to have His help when I do it.
And the crisp autumn air on top of it all. I am blessed.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
New Year. New Me.
This week alone has shown me why my friends in the past completing their graduate programs disappeared when the school year started. Thursday was the first day of KU classes, and Thursday also happens to be my only day on campus (three classes that consist of me sitting at a desk from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Already, the stack of reading is as tall as I am, which should be okay, since I don't have class until Thursday. Incidentally, I am also enrolled in a fourth class, which consists of acting as intern at an agency in Topeka for 24 hours a week. So while I don't have class until Thursday, I'm playing psychotherapist for eight hours a day, Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday. No biggie, eh? I'll just take my homework with me and work on it during the down time.
Here's my schedule for my internship:
Office 208
MONDAY
(8-5)
8-9—INDIV APPT
9-10— INTAKE APPT
10-11—GRP SUP PREP
11-1—INTERN GRP SUP W/DONNA
1-2—LUNCH
2-3—INDIV APPT
3-4—INDIV APPT
4-5—ADMIN
TUESDAY
(10-8)
10-11—INDIV APPT
11-12—RELATIONSHIP GRP (330)
12-1—LUNCH
1-2—INDIV APPT
2-3—INDIV APPT
3-4—ADMIN
4-5—INDIV SUP W/DONNA
5-6—INDIV APPT
6-7—INDIV APPT
7-8—ADMIN
WEDNESDAY
(8-4)
8-9—INDIV APPT
9-10—ADMIN
10-11—PROCOVERY GRP (2401)
11-12—LUNCH
12-1:30—DBT GRP (330)
1:30-2—TEAM SUP MTG
2-3—INDIV APPT
3-4—ADMIN
So you may notice two things. One, not a lot of down time. Two? My own freaking office! I'm not sure why that always excites me, since I always had my own office in my BSW level positions (both during my internship and at the women's shelter), but for some reason, it makes me feel like I'm kind of important. It's also a little terrifying, because it would be nice to have another individual there to jump in when they realize I'm completely warping the client on an emotional and cognitive level (good practice for parenthood).
So... getting reading done? Should be interesting. Fortunately I have a system set up where I'm forced to do a bulk of the reading Thursday evening/Friday morning. Finances are tight right now (which should surprise you, what with the both of us in school, and grad school being almost unbelievably expensive), so when I looked at the list of text books I needed, I almost cried. Now, I'm not one to purchase textbooks, but I really want to do well in my grad program. I want to get a 4.0 so when it comes time to apply for a doctorate program, I'll have no problems getting a nice, cushy monetary package offered. I also want to participate a ton in my classes, so my professors will all be willing to offer nice, cushy recommendation letters on my behalf when job hunting season starts. I also kind of want to be competent when people put their emotional well being in my hands. I managed then to make arrangements with fellow students/professor (one of my professors, I can already tell, is fantastic/super hero material) to borrow the text book Thursday evening and return it Friday. My arrangement with the student is that in exchange for allowing me to borrow the books, I'll give her a digital copy of my outline. That makes it so I can't just bring the book home Thursday, decide to be lazy and not read, and then just return it Friday. No siree. I have to read it, outline it, and send it on its way. Accountability and scheduling works well for me. It makes me get things done. I'm very task-oriented, so this should help me be successful in this semester.
I have to make sure other parts of my life don't suffer as a result. My goal is to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to take my dogs running before I have to be out of the house by 7 (to get to my internship by 8 in Topeka, or to get to Twente to print off the articles that need to be read for my classes for the following week). My body's going to have to get retrained into that schedule, which means no naps (I was utterly exhausted yesterday after getting up at 6, and ended up crashing for an hour and a half in the evening. It felt absolutely glorious at the time, but then I didn't fall asleep until long after midnight). I can do this!
So, Blog, you may be neglected over the next several weeks. I only take time to write now because I know it's going to be a while before I can update. Being a grad student gives you super powers... it gives you the ability to disappear. *POOF*
Here's my schedule for my internship:
Office 208
MONDAY
(8-5)
8-9—INDIV APPT
9-10— INTAKE APPT
10-11—GRP SUP PREP
11-1—INTERN GRP SUP W/DONNA
1-2—LUNCH
2-3—INDIV APPT
3-4—INDIV APPT
4-5—ADMIN
TUESDAY
(10-8)
10-11—INDIV APPT
11-12—RELATIONSHIP GRP (330)
12-1—LUNCH
1-2—INDIV APPT
2-3—INDIV APPT
3-4—ADMIN
4-5—INDIV SUP W/DONNA
5-6—INDIV APPT
6-7—INDIV APPT
7-8—ADMIN
WEDNESDAY
(8-4)
8-9—INDIV APPT
9-10—ADMIN
10-11—PROCOVERY GRP (2401)
11-12—LUNCH
12-1:30—DBT GRP (330)
1:30-2—TEAM SUP MTG
2-3—INDIV APPT
3-4—ADMIN
So you may notice two things. One, not a lot of down time. Two? My own freaking office! I'm not sure why that always excites me, since I always had my own office in my BSW level positions (both during my internship and at the women's shelter), but for some reason, it makes me feel like I'm kind of important. It's also a little terrifying, because it would be nice to have another individual there to jump in when they realize I'm completely warping the client on an emotional and cognitive level (good practice for parenthood).
So... getting reading done? Should be interesting. Fortunately I have a system set up where I'm forced to do a bulk of the reading Thursday evening/Friday morning. Finances are tight right now (which should surprise you, what with the both of us in school, and grad school being almost unbelievably expensive), so when I looked at the list of text books I needed, I almost cried. Now, I'm not one to purchase textbooks, but I really want to do well in my grad program. I want to get a 4.0 so when it comes time to apply for a doctorate program, I'll have no problems getting a nice, cushy monetary package offered. I also want to participate a ton in my classes, so my professors will all be willing to offer nice, cushy recommendation letters on my behalf when job hunting season starts. I also kind of want to be competent when people put their emotional well being in my hands. I managed then to make arrangements with fellow students/professor (one of my professors, I can already tell, is fantastic/super hero material) to borrow the text book Thursday evening and return it Friday. My arrangement with the student is that in exchange for allowing me to borrow the books, I'll give her a digital copy of my outline. That makes it so I can't just bring the book home Thursday, decide to be lazy and not read, and then just return it Friday. No siree. I have to read it, outline it, and send it on its way. Accountability and scheduling works well for me. It makes me get things done. I'm very task-oriented, so this should help me be successful in this semester.
I have to make sure other parts of my life don't suffer as a result. My goal is to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to take my dogs running before I have to be out of the house by 7 (to get to my internship by 8 in Topeka, or to get to Twente to print off the articles that need to be read for my classes for the following week). My body's going to have to get retrained into that schedule, which means no naps (I was utterly exhausted yesterday after getting up at 6, and ended up crashing for an hour and a half in the evening. It felt absolutely glorious at the time, but then I didn't fall asleep until long after midnight). I can do this!
So, Blog, you may be neglected over the next several weeks. I only take time to write now because I know it's going to be a while before I can update. Being a grad student gives you super powers... it gives you the ability to disappear. *POOF*
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I ate old beans.
School starts in a week (well, technically, five days). I'm ready to pee my pants in anticipation. It's a little bittersweet, because it is a short program and it means that after this Thursday, I only have one more first day of the semester (and I'm a geeky kid who really enjoys school), but on the other hand, I really like school! So Thursday is a very exciting day for me.
A week from Monday also marks the first day of my practicum at Valeo in Topeka, which I'm pretty excited about. At first, I had no idea how I was going to jump into a clinical setting and be able to actually do psychotherapy, but after looking over the orientation materials, I'm feeling a little more calm about the whole thing. I can tell that I'm getting back into the love I have for my field (my BSW level position burned me out a bit) because I went to the library the other day and left with my arms full of books that were all sorts of social work-y and documentaries to match. I've already read through An Unquiet Mind and encourage anyone and everyone to pick it up. It really humanizes mental illness, bipolar disorder in particular. It's also incredibly well written, so I managed to finish it in a couple days.
I'm a little in love with my Blackberry. It's having some technical issues (or I'm having some technical issues-- jury's still out), but for the most part, it's amazing. And orange. Which I also love. Right now, I have Pandora going on my phone, which is delightful since I have a bandwidth cap on my home internet, but unlimited data on my phone (three cheers for having a husband who works for Sprint), so I get to listen to all the Owl City radio station I want. Delightful. I also spent much of my morning in my sick bed (see the title of this blog) watching Grey's Anatomy on Sprint TV. uhMAYzing. PS: If you didn't know, Season 5 comes out September 15th, which gives me just over a week to re-watch the season before Season 6 premiers on the 24th. In case you were wondering, yes-- it is VERY important to re-watch the previous season. Never mind that I'll be in graduate school with a 24 hour a week practicum with a 1.5 hour commute three days a week and working part time on top of it all. My goal this semester is to not procrastinate at all... let's see how well that pans out.
On that note, I'm really glad we opted to get rid of the nutrition class. On our first day at church here, Bobby and I saw that some sort of program was needed. We had really high hopes for the exercise group and the nutrition class, and in the beginning, there was a lot of excitement. Then it faded to the point where no one was interested at all. It was the epitome of "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it eat its fruits and veggies." I find it fascinating how our culture has evolved to the point where the people who eat right and exercise are "fanatics," and it's considered politically incorrect to call someone's extra weight or obesity a problem, and even suggesting they change their lifestyle so they can become healthier is insulting. Maybe when Bobby goes through his graduate program, he'll learn techniques for approaching individuals in such a way that they find less aggressive and more genuine, which is actually how he feels. I guess the bright side of people not being ready/willing to change is that I now have 5 extra hours a week where I'm not preparing and giving a class. That means more time for class, and more time for keeping up with my homework.
I'm really excited about this semester. I have a really good feeling for what's to come.
A week from Monday also marks the first day of my practicum at Valeo in Topeka, which I'm pretty excited about. At first, I had no idea how I was going to jump into a clinical setting and be able to actually do psychotherapy, but after looking over the orientation materials, I'm feeling a little more calm about the whole thing. I can tell that I'm getting back into the love I have for my field (my BSW level position burned me out a bit) because I went to the library the other day and left with my arms full of books that were all sorts of social work-y and documentaries to match. I've already read through An Unquiet Mind and encourage anyone and everyone to pick it up. It really humanizes mental illness, bipolar disorder in particular. It's also incredibly well written, so I managed to finish it in a couple days.
I'm a little in love with my Blackberry. It's having some technical issues (or I'm having some technical issues-- jury's still out), but for the most part, it's amazing. And orange. Which I also love. Right now, I have Pandora going on my phone, which is delightful since I have a bandwidth cap on my home internet, but unlimited data on my phone (three cheers for having a husband who works for Sprint), so I get to listen to all the Owl City radio station I want. Delightful. I also spent much of my morning in my sick bed (see the title of this blog) watching Grey's Anatomy on Sprint TV. uhMAYzing. PS: If you didn't know, Season 5 comes out September 15th, which gives me just over a week to re-watch the season before Season 6 premiers on the 24th. In case you were wondering, yes-- it is VERY important to re-watch the previous season. Never mind that I'll be in graduate school with a 24 hour a week practicum with a 1.5 hour commute three days a week and working part time on top of it all. My goal this semester is to not procrastinate at all... let's see how well that pans out.
On that note, I'm really glad we opted to get rid of the nutrition class. On our first day at church here, Bobby and I saw that some sort of program was needed. We had really high hopes for the exercise group and the nutrition class, and in the beginning, there was a lot of excitement. Then it faded to the point where no one was interested at all. It was the epitome of "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it eat its fruits and veggies." I find it fascinating how our culture has evolved to the point where the people who eat right and exercise are "fanatics," and it's considered politically incorrect to call someone's extra weight or obesity a problem, and even suggesting they change their lifestyle so they can become healthier is insulting. Maybe when Bobby goes through his graduate program, he'll learn techniques for approaching individuals in such a way that they find less aggressive and more genuine, which is actually how he feels. I guess the bright side of people not being ready/willing to change is that I now have 5 extra hours a week where I'm not preparing and giving a class. That means more time for class, and more time for keeping up with my homework.
I'm really excited about this semester. I have a really good feeling for what's to come.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Accidentally Vegan
I've discovered that for the most part, I've become an accidental vegan. It's interesting that with all of the information about nutrition (especially saturated fats), my food choices have really been limited to plant based foods. Bobby also read about the benefits of choosing foods that have only 10% of their calories that come from fat, and since making that a goal, animal products aren't really an option. I did have cottage cheese yesterday, but for the most part, it's all plants. I've heard horror stories about vegans not getting enough protein, but I'm not really sure how that happens-- lentils and legumes are chalk full of protein, as well as soy products. Hmm. I think there are just a lot of misconceptions about nutrition across the board.
iTunes has been doing a fantastic thing lately where included in their free download section is a workout video. I've acquired a yoga video (10 minutes to do at night before bed as sort of a wind down), and yesterday found a 10 minute full body workout. Of course, the recommendation is at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise (I'm not sure the yoga is enough for me to consider "moderate" simply because it doesn't get my heart rate up), but with the benefits of exercise being greater if done first thing in the morning, having the 10 minute video means I can get a little bit in before I do everything else, and then exercise later. Lovely.
So I found this video, and for the most part, I like it. The bits about how childhood obesity is often a result of poor lifestyle choices made by the parents really resonates with me (mostly because my mom was an emotional eater, and I learned that a bad day is made better by downing a couple Butterfingers), and is one of the reasons why I was really excited about the nutrition class. I'm big on parenting (between being a social worker and a product of a parental unit in dire need of emotional intervention), and I recognize how lifestyle choices really influence what happens to a child. If there are cookies and ice cream in your home, why shouldn't the child snack on them? If they don't grow up seeing Mom and Dad making exercise a priority, why would the child? If there aren't fruits and vegetables available to ensure everyone gets their 5-9 servings a day, how can you expect the kid to learn the importance of such? Childhood obesity not only has physical implications (stress on joints, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, etc), but the emotional component is HUGE (no pun intended). Everyone feels awkward and uncomfortable in their own skin anyway when they're in junior high-- imagine adding the handicap of being overweight (which, in spite of shows like "More to Love"'s best efforts to thwart, being overweight is scientifically proven to be unhealthy and leads to chronic disease... not that anyone who is overweight is unlovable, but it is an indication of an underlying problem where the individual is not taking care of him or herself, which could be a result of ignorance, emotional issues, physical problems, etc).
Anyway. Alarm bells went off when the little girl said "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels," because that's a huge mantra in the eating disorder community. Adopting that idea can lead to serious trouble. People need to eat in order to live, so perhaps she could say instead, "Eat to live, don't live to eat." Food shouldn't be a crutch or have so many emotions tied to it. It should taste good, but it should also benefit you for longer than just that moment it's on your taste buds. If what you're eating is doing more harm than good, stop putting it in your mouth. People enjoy smoking, but it's killing them. The same can be said about doughnuts.
iTunes has been doing a fantastic thing lately where included in their free download section is a workout video. I've acquired a yoga video (10 minutes to do at night before bed as sort of a wind down), and yesterday found a 10 minute full body workout. Of course, the recommendation is at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise (I'm not sure the yoga is enough for me to consider "moderate" simply because it doesn't get my heart rate up), but with the benefits of exercise being greater if done first thing in the morning, having the 10 minute video means I can get a little bit in before I do everything else, and then exercise later. Lovely.
So I found this video, and for the most part, I like it. The bits about how childhood obesity is often a result of poor lifestyle choices made by the parents really resonates with me (mostly because my mom was an emotional eater, and I learned that a bad day is made better by downing a couple Butterfingers), and is one of the reasons why I was really excited about the nutrition class. I'm big on parenting (between being a social worker and a product of a parental unit in dire need of emotional intervention), and I recognize how lifestyle choices really influence what happens to a child. If there are cookies and ice cream in your home, why shouldn't the child snack on them? If they don't grow up seeing Mom and Dad making exercise a priority, why would the child? If there aren't fruits and vegetables available to ensure everyone gets their 5-9 servings a day, how can you expect the kid to learn the importance of such? Childhood obesity not only has physical implications (stress on joints, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, etc), but the emotional component is HUGE (no pun intended). Everyone feels awkward and uncomfortable in their own skin anyway when they're in junior high-- imagine adding the handicap of being overweight (which, in spite of shows like "More to Love"'s best efforts to thwart, being overweight is scientifically proven to be unhealthy and leads to chronic disease... not that anyone who is overweight is unlovable, but it is an indication of an underlying problem where the individual is not taking care of him or herself, which could be a result of ignorance, emotional issues, physical problems, etc).
Anyway. Alarm bells went off when the little girl said "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels," because that's a huge mantra in the eating disorder community. Adopting that idea can lead to serious trouble. People need to eat in order to live, so perhaps she could say instead, "Eat to live, don't live to eat." Food shouldn't be a crutch or have so many emotions tied to it. It should taste good, but it should also benefit you for longer than just that moment it's on your taste buds. If what you're eating is doing more harm than good, stop putting it in your mouth. People enjoy smoking, but it's killing them. The same can be said about doughnuts.
Monday, August 3, 2009
I think I broke my toe.
I'm a planner. I have a planner, and I am a planner. I like knowing what is going to happen before it happens, and I spend far too much time daydreaming about those things and what they will look like, what I'll be doing, how I'll feel, and all the wonderful things that will happen when those things happen. It makes it difficult for me to be present, but it also makes me very capable of organizing things.
Until recently, I was feeling a little anxious (see: a LOT anxious). We had vague plans for our future, but nothing was really concrete. Fortunately, I rediscovered my financial love affair with Dave Ramsey, and listening to his podcasts have brought some of that planning back into my life. We've been budgeting and financial planning like fiends as of late, and it has been absolutely delightful. Planning, planning, planning.
Then last night, after battling a brief bout of insomnia, Bobby decided to explore what graduate programs the University of Utah had to offer. After hunting around a little bit, we discovered something uhMAYzing. Have you ever sat and said, "Man, I wish there were a career that did this, this, and this, so I could do what I love and get paid for it." The University of Utah HAS THAT PROGRAM. I'm a little in love with it, and I'm not even going into it. I'm getting extremely prematurely excited, but I'm a planner. And this definite possibility makes me very, very happy. It would also mean we could move back to Utah in a couple years, which would be fantastic.
It'd be kind of fun to go to the beach for a while.
Until recently, I was feeling a little anxious (see: a LOT anxious). We had vague plans for our future, but nothing was really concrete. Fortunately, I rediscovered my financial love affair with Dave Ramsey, and listening to his podcasts have brought some of that planning back into my life. We've been budgeting and financial planning like fiends as of late, and it has been absolutely delightful. Planning, planning, planning.
Then last night, after battling a brief bout of insomnia, Bobby decided to explore what graduate programs the University of Utah had to offer. After hunting around a little bit, we discovered something uhMAYzing. Have you ever sat and said, "Man, I wish there were a career that did this, this, and this, so I could do what I love and get paid for it." The University of Utah HAS THAT PROGRAM. I'm a little in love with it, and I'm not even going into it. I'm getting extremely prematurely excited, but I'm a planner. And this definite possibility makes me very, very happy. It would also mean we could move back to Utah in a couple years, which would be fantastic.
It'd be kind of fun to go to the beach for a while.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Bike riding at night and Communism...
Good in theory, but in application? Not so great.
Bobby got off work yesterday at 5 pm, which is the earliest he's gotten off work at his new job. He was excited because it meant he could go on a group ride, but sadly, there was no group ride scheduled. So shortly after he left for work, I get a phone call.
"How about we bike to Olathe and back?"
I wanted to argue that it would be dark, but we have bike lights, so I agreed. A good long bike ride would be good for me.
It was 32 miles there, so I anticipated it taking just over an hour and a half to get there. I failed to consider the head wind, the hills, and the fact that there were only two of us. It took just over two hours, so we got to Bobby's mom's around 8. My legs felt a little fried, and I was a little concerned about making the ride back.
Bobby's mom wasn't home, but we raided her fridge anyway. Well, Bobby raided her fridge... he kept telling me to eat, but I wasn't hungry. At all. I managed to force down my Clif bar, and part of a banana, and a few bites of a veggie burger. All I really wanted was liquids, so I felt I got enough from a couple glasses of orange juice.
At about 8:30, we left to make the trip back. Less than a mile into the "back" part of our "out 'n back" I stopped and threw up. I could tell this was going to be a fun ride.
Not long into our second leg, we turned on our lights (our very powerful, very expensive lights) as the sun was falling behind the horizon line. It wasn't quite pitch black yet when my light flickered a couple times. I assumed it was because I hit something in the road that just shook the wiring between the light and the battery. After traveling a few more yards, my light went out. Completely.
Uhh...
Bobby played with the wires a bit, checking to see if it just shook loose, and nothing happened. Being the chivalrous human being he is, my husband gave me his battery pack so I would have light. Ten minutes later, the sun had completely set, and we were under the cover of night with just one light. If that one went out, we'd be done.
Since I had the only light, I rode in front, meaning I wouldn't have the benefit of drafting behind Bobby. My body was feeling a little ragged from the miles already ridden, and we weren't completely confident about how to get home. Given my complete lack of sense of direction, I was feeling extremely unsure about our travel, and with how exhausted I felt, I didn't want to waste any miles in the wrong direction.
Bobby was feeling a little gutsy, and started riding to the side where there wasn't much light. I hit something in the road that caused my handlebars to swivel a little, and the light hit the opposite side of the road. Five feet in front of Bobby was a deer.
"OH CRAP!"
I'm really surprised Bobby didn't go down.
In case you were wondering, back country roads are really terrifying at night. I was really regretting all those times I watched "Children of the Corn" in my youth. My only comfort was in knowing we had prayed before we left, and my energy came from knowing I was the one with the light, and the faster I rode the sooner we'd get home.
Then I saw a freaking snake in the road.
Not just in the road. The light was pointed down to the road right in front of my front wheel, simply because I'm more interested in what I'm about to hit than what's in the road a few yards ahead. What kept me calm was that in the next second, I wasn't going to hit anything that would kill me. So when I saw the snake, it took a second to register that it was a snake, and then to register that it was in my path of travel. So my only response? Swerving and screaming. Loudly.
I wonder what the people in that little country house we were riding by thought?
Bobby's really good at comforting me. "It was only a bull snake. Want to go back and catch it so we can take it home?"
One of the things our friends at the bike shop in Utah always said was "butt hurt." If someone was bothered by something, they were "butt hurt." I thought it was silly. How are they related? I found out last night. I was butt hurt. And very irritable. Fortunately, we saw lights up ahead, and since we'd already passed Eudora, we knew it was Lawrence. FINALLY!
We got to Mass street, and then turned onto 9th. It was the quickest way home with the steepest hills. I totally granny-geared it all the way up, and with the encouraging cat calls by a car full of drunk men, I made it.
Once we rolled up to our apartment, my Garmin said 63.7 miles. Not the longest ride I've ever done, but the longest I've done in a while. Not bad for someone whose only been back on the bike for a couple weeks.
PS: Snakes = the devil.
Bobby got off work yesterday at 5 pm, which is the earliest he's gotten off work at his new job. He was excited because it meant he could go on a group ride, but sadly, there was no group ride scheduled. So shortly after he left for work, I get a phone call.
"How about we bike to Olathe and back?"
I wanted to argue that it would be dark, but we have bike lights, so I agreed. A good long bike ride would be good for me.
It was 32 miles there, so I anticipated it taking just over an hour and a half to get there. I failed to consider the head wind, the hills, and the fact that there were only two of us. It took just over two hours, so we got to Bobby's mom's around 8. My legs felt a little fried, and I was a little concerned about making the ride back.
Bobby's mom wasn't home, but we raided her fridge anyway. Well, Bobby raided her fridge... he kept telling me to eat, but I wasn't hungry. At all. I managed to force down my Clif bar, and part of a banana, and a few bites of a veggie burger. All I really wanted was liquids, so I felt I got enough from a couple glasses of orange juice.
At about 8:30, we left to make the trip back. Less than a mile into the "back" part of our "out 'n back" I stopped and threw up. I could tell this was going to be a fun ride.
Not long into our second leg, we turned on our lights (our very powerful, very expensive lights) as the sun was falling behind the horizon line. It wasn't quite pitch black yet when my light flickered a couple times. I assumed it was because I hit something in the road that just shook the wiring between the light and the battery. After traveling a few more yards, my light went out. Completely.
Uhh...
Bobby played with the wires a bit, checking to see if it just shook loose, and nothing happened. Being the chivalrous human being he is, my husband gave me his battery pack so I would have light. Ten minutes later, the sun had completely set, and we were under the cover of night with just one light. If that one went out, we'd be done.
Since I had the only light, I rode in front, meaning I wouldn't have the benefit of drafting behind Bobby. My body was feeling a little ragged from the miles already ridden, and we weren't completely confident about how to get home. Given my complete lack of sense of direction, I was feeling extremely unsure about our travel, and with how exhausted I felt, I didn't want to waste any miles in the wrong direction.
Bobby was feeling a little gutsy, and started riding to the side where there wasn't much light. I hit something in the road that caused my handlebars to swivel a little, and the light hit the opposite side of the road. Five feet in front of Bobby was a deer.
"OH CRAP!"
I'm really surprised Bobby didn't go down.
In case you were wondering, back country roads are really terrifying at night. I was really regretting all those times I watched "Children of the Corn" in my youth. My only comfort was in knowing we had prayed before we left, and my energy came from knowing I was the one with the light, and the faster I rode the sooner we'd get home.
Then I saw a freaking snake in the road.
Not just in the road. The light was pointed down to the road right in front of my front wheel, simply because I'm more interested in what I'm about to hit than what's in the road a few yards ahead. What kept me calm was that in the next second, I wasn't going to hit anything that would kill me. So when I saw the snake, it took a second to register that it was a snake, and then to register that it was in my path of travel. So my only response? Swerving and screaming. Loudly.
I wonder what the people in that little country house we were riding by thought?
Bobby's really good at comforting me. "It was only a bull snake. Want to go back and catch it so we can take it home?"
One of the things our friends at the bike shop in Utah always said was "butt hurt." If someone was bothered by something, they were "butt hurt." I thought it was silly. How are they related? I found out last night. I was butt hurt. And very irritable. Fortunately, we saw lights up ahead, and since we'd already passed Eudora, we knew it was Lawrence. FINALLY!
We got to Mass street, and then turned onto 9th. It was the quickest way home with the steepest hills. I totally granny-geared it all the way up, and with the encouraging cat calls by a car full of drunk men, I made it.
Once we rolled up to our apartment, my Garmin said 63.7 miles. Not the longest ride I've ever done, but the longest I've done in a while. Not bad for someone whose only been back on the bike for a couple weeks.
PS: Snakes = the devil.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
As my clever husband said,
"I knew their food could kill you if you ate it... but not if you made it."
Oh em geez.
I thought this was great, until they brought up anorexia/bulimia. Uhm, lifestyle vs. mental illness? Not really an equal playing field.
Something to think about, though.
Something to think about, though.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Hi. My name is Katie, and I am struggling.
As a social worker, I should be used to the idea of people being afraid of change. I know all of the sayings-- old habits die hard. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Blah de freaking blah. So why is it that I'm working on a power point for nutrition class tonight, and I'm completely and utterly discouraged in the process? Because maybe two people will show up. Which would be leaps and bounds in improvement over how many have shown up for exercise group. I can't really complain about that one, because I haven't been going (and I'm supposed to lead it), but after a week of dragging my sleepy body to the church building at 6:30 a.m. to find that I was the only one to do so, I don't feel motivated to set my alarm anymore.
The reason I knew I couldn't become a teacher was because I have great difficulty separating my ability from my expectation of others. Bobby would come home from his Chronic Disease Prevention class every day and tell me the things he learned, and almost immediately, our pantry and our fridge were cleared out and replaced with good things. We started eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every single day, and the information about the benefits of daily exercise far outweighed my desire to sit and watch t.v. when I got home from work. So when others get the same information and file it in an "I don't really care" folder, I get frustrated. And want to kick things. Knowing that probably should have been my red flag that leading a nutrition class and exercise group would be a bad idea.
Last night was my first experience on the Bambinos Ride, which I was told would be 20 miles at 17 mph, no one gets dropped. It turned into a 20 mph ride for 24 miles, which was fine, because it was SO fun. I was a little worried at the beginning, simply because the pace seemed a little slow for me. I was getting bored, but it allowed me to talk to the people riding next to me, which was fun. On the way back, though, the pace increased quite a bit, and it was SO much fun. I can't believe I waited so long to do group rides. Riding 24 miles with other people (see: drafting) is a LOT more fun than riding 24 miles by myself.
Le sigh. Back to the nutrition power point. Someday it'll mean something to someone, right?
The reason I knew I couldn't become a teacher was because I have great difficulty separating my ability from my expectation of others. Bobby would come home from his Chronic Disease Prevention class every day and tell me the things he learned, and almost immediately, our pantry and our fridge were cleared out and replaced with good things. We started eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every single day, and the information about the benefits of daily exercise far outweighed my desire to sit and watch t.v. when I got home from work. So when others get the same information and file it in an "I don't really care" folder, I get frustrated. And want to kick things. Knowing that probably should have been my red flag that leading a nutrition class and exercise group would be a bad idea.
Last night was my first experience on the Bambinos Ride, which I was told would be 20 miles at 17 mph, no one gets dropped. It turned into a 20 mph ride for 24 miles, which was fine, because it was SO fun. I was a little worried at the beginning, simply because the pace seemed a little slow for me. I was getting bored, but it allowed me to talk to the people riding next to me, which was fun. On the way back, though, the pace increased quite a bit, and it was SO much fun. I can't believe I waited so long to do group rides. Riding 24 miles with other people (see: drafting) is a LOT more fun than riding 24 miles by myself.
Le sigh. Back to the nutrition power point. Someday it'll mean something to someone, right?
Monday, July 6, 2009
A new understanding.
In an effort to be more physically active, I've taken to riding my bike places more than before. Rather than driving to campus, I ride my bike, and carry it up to the third floor to put in the same room as me, because my bike is far too pretty (and impossible to replace given our current financial position in life) to lock up on a bike rack. In my experience, I have discovered something that is quite bothersome.
Lawrence differs than Provo in that cyclists are allowed on the sidewalks. At first, I found it strange that a cyclist would even want to ride on the sidewalk, but discovered quickly its appeal. While all the entrances into Lawrence city limits have signs indicating the community is bike friendly, many motorists failed to receive the memo. This is especially upsetting since I learned that bike laws became mandatory testing materials in order to obtain a driver's license. Riding on 6th or Iowa becomes a request to die young, apparently.
Riding on the sidewalk has brought to light something I think I would not have noticed otherwise. Many sections of sidewalk look like they've fallen victim to various earthquakes, and the transition from sidewalk to cross walk seems like a blatant afterthought for many construction workers. Perhaps it's the humidity that creates such violent cracks and holes, but I've not seen any effort made to repair sidewalks. On a bike, this can be terrifying, especially for those of us who have had bloody bike accidents, and any lip or inconsistency in the pavement can cause a spike in anxiety. However, what I find extremely alarming is considering the individuals in wheelchairs who are doing their part to lighten their carbon footprint, and then are punished unnecessarily for their mode of transportation. My observations of the sidewalks around Lawrence are not hyperbolic in order to complain about something-- I genuinely think it would be nearly impossible for someone in a wheelchair to get from point A to point B in Lawrence through using the sidewalks. Several transitions from sidewalk to crosswalk are so uneven that many appear to require a ramp in order to successfully roll over the large lump of concrete and tar.
In addition to individuals using wheelchairs, I would imagine parents pushing strollers have experienced extreme difficulty in attempting to enjoy an evening stroll. I thought it odd that I didn't see nearly as many jogging strollers out here as I did in Utah, and initially wrote it off as a cultural difference. Now, I see that such physical activity could be deemed hazardous, both to the expensive stroller being pushed and the precious cargo inside.
These complaints worsened when I rode my bike downtown to watch the fireworks, and I discovered that thousands of dollars were spent on blowing things up. Pretty lights and loud noises to be enjoyed by a community over a few hours, when such money could be spent to repair the roads for the members of the community to enjoy every day of the year. I guess tradition and morale trump safety.
If you think I'm overreacting, this guy died from hitting a pothole on his bike. He wasn't on the sidewalk, but still-- even the roads aren't getting repaired.
On a slightly related note, I'm in love with the new Nike commercial. I'm told I won't like Lance as much when I read his second book, but right now, I'm kind of in love with him, mostly for what he's doing for cancer. Love, love, love. All around.
Lawrence differs than Provo in that cyclists are allowed on the sidewalks. At first, I found it strange that a cyclist would even want to ride on the sidewalk, but discovered quickly its appeal. While all the entrances into Lawrence city limits have signs indicating the community is bike friendly, many motorists failed to receive the memo. This is especially upsetting since I learned that bike laws became mandatory testing materials in order to obtain a driver's license. Riding on 6th or Iowa becomes a request to die young, apparently.
Riding on the sidewalk has brought to light something I think I would not have noticed otherwise. Many sections of sidewalk look like they've fallen victim to various earthquakes, and the transition from sidewalk to cross walk seems like a blatant afterthought for many construction workers. Perhaps it's the humidity that creates such violent cracks and holes, but I've not seen any effort made to repair sidewalks. On a bike, this can be terrifying, especially for those of us who have had bloody bike accidents, and any lip or inconsistency in the pavement can cause a spike in anxiety. However, what I find extremely alarming is considering the individuals in wheelchairs who are doing their part to lighten their carbon footprint, and then are punished unnecessarily for their mode of transportation. My observations of the sidewalks around Lawrence are not hyperbolic in order to complain about something-- I genuinely think it would be nearly impossible for someone in a wheelchair to get from point A to point B in Lawrence through using the sidewalks. Several transitions from sidewalk to crosswalk are so uneven that many appear to require a ramp in order to successfully roll over the large lump of concrete and tar.
In addition to individuals using wheelchairs, I would imagine parents pushing strollers have experienced extreme difficulty in attempting to enjoy an evening stroll. I thought it odd that I didn't see nearly as many jogging strollers out here as I did in Utah, and initially wrote it off as a cultural difference. Now, I see that such physical activity could be deemed hazardous, both to the expensive stroller being pushed and the precious cargo inside.
These complaints worsened when I rode my bike downtown to watch the fireworks, and I discovered that thousands of dollars were spent on blowing things up. Pretty lights and loud noises to be enjoyed by a community over a few hours, when such money could be spent to repair the roads for the members of the community to enjoy every day of the year. I guess tradition and morale trump safety.
If you think I'm overreacting, this guy died from hitting a pothole on his bike. He wasn't on the sidewalk, but still-- even the roads aren't getting repaired.
On a slightly related note, I'm in love with the new Nike commercial. I'm told I won't like Lance as much when I read his second book, but right now, I'm kind of in love with him, mostly for what he's doing for cancer. Love, love, love. All around.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sharing is caring.
In one week, I will be completely done with my summer courses, ready to take on a month and a half of minimal responsibilities. As of now, that includes working (very) part time and learning how to sew. I'm REALLY excited about the latter, as it ties in very nicely with the Brigman goal of becoming as self sufficient as possible. Because we are not in a position to have a massive garden, chickens, and a dairy cow, I can use this time to focus on other skills, such as baking from scratch (we've been making our own bread for a few weeks now), and now sewing. We want to do the cloth diaper thing, and they're really expensive upfront (but actually are a lot cheaper than disposable diapers in the long run), so I want to get started now on making some. Not that that's an announcement or anything, so don't panic/get excited.
Having more time means I'll be able to train more for triathlons and the like. The triathlon last Saturday went splendidly. The weather was ideal (cloud coverage, little humidity), so it didn't feel miserable simply existing outside. My goal was to get the tri done in an hour, and I ended up getting 1:04:32, which qualified me as fourth in my age group. Not terrible since I was bed ridden two days prior with an illness, but it does motivate me to work a lot harder for the next one. I also discovered that having a panic attack in the open swim really takes a toll on your time. Apparently I do not do well with swimming in a large group of people. Synchronized swimming is not for me. I was fine as soon as there was a gap between the group of people in front of me and the group of people behind me, but at the start and then when I caught up with the front group, my breathing became very erratic and I was convinced I was going to drown. Not really conducive to obtaining a competitive time. The bike and run were fun though.
Speaking of running, we had two additional people at running group this morning. I cannot tell you how excited that made me! Typically, it's the Buhlers and the Brigmans (or "Brigmen" as I think we should refer to ourselves in the plural as), and if we're lucky, the Trunnells are there (they actually are there more often than not). How exciting it was to have two more today (Virginia and Lee). I just feel so much better about life when I'm exercising consistently, and there is an immense feeling of accomplishment when, at the end of the day, your body is just so pleasantly tired. You just know you've done something good for yourself, and it's exhilarating. Others have expressed interest in the nutrition class who have been unable to come due to scheduling conflicts, which is great! I'm glad we're able to send out the powerpoints to everyone so they can get some of the benefits of the class (Bobby does such a great job elaborating on them, though, that going to the class is really the ideal situation for learning the most).
A dear friend from Utah called yesterday, and I got to talk to him for a bit. It made me miss Utah a ton. It was really hard adjusting spiritually, but every other component was fantastic. It was a dream to have the mountains in our backyard (almost literally), and the weather was amazing. I really took for granted that I did not get a single mosquito bite while we lived in Utah (I've had dozens already since being back in Kansas). We also made some really great friends, and it was really nice for Bobby to have people he could talk about cycling with all the time. We've been really fortunate to have such great friends in Kansas already, and our ward is amazing. Those factors almost make up for the humidity. Almost. I look forward to the fall when I can run outside consistently again.
In other news, I'm currently reading It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong (with Sally Jenkins... which I didn't realize until a couple chapters in, and said to Bobby, "Wow, Lance is a pretty good writer" and the "With Sally Jenkins" in the smaller font), and I'm now a little in love with Lance Armstrong. I didn't really care for him, just with the impressions I've gotten with the media (because I'm a sucker for the tabloids), but he's very human. And I'm pretty sure the next time anyone asks me who I would meet if I could meet anyone in the world, my answer will be his mom. Well, there might be a few people ahead of her on that list, but she's definitely on the list. What a fantastic woman. And what a fantastic son for recognizing the magnitude of her influence in his life. I hope to be like her with my kids.
And... super awesome video!
Having more time means I'll be able to train more for triathlons and the like. The triathlon last Saturday went splendidly. The weather was ideal (cloud coverage, little humidity), so it didn't feel miserable simply existing outside. My goal was to get the tri done in an hour, and I ended up getting 1:04:32, which qualified me as fourth in my age group. Not terrible since I was bed ridden two days prior with an illness, but it does motivate me to work a lot harder for the next one. I also discovered that having a panic attack in the open swim really takes a toll on your time. Apparently I do not do well with swimming in a large group of people. Synchronized swimming is not for me. I was fine as soon as there was a gap between the group of people in front of me and the group of people behind me, but at the start and then when I caught up with the front group, my breathing became very erratic and I was convinced I was going to drown. Not really conducive to obtaining a competitive time. The bike and run were fun though.
Speaking of running, we had two additional people at running group this morning. I cannot tell you how excited that made me! Typically, it's the Buhlers and the Brigmans (or "Brigmen" as I think we should refer to ourselves in the plural as), and if we're lucky, the Trunnells are there (they actually are there more often than not). How exciting it was to have two more today (Virginia and Lee). I just feel so much better about life when I'm exercising consistently, and there is an immense feeling of accomplishment when, at the end of the day, your body is just so pleasantly tired. You just know you've done something good for yourself, and it's exhilarating. Others have expressed interest in the nutrition class who have been unable to come due to scheduling conflicts, which is great! I'm glad we're able to send out the powerpoints to everyone so they can get some of the benefits of the class (Bobby does such a great job elaborating on them, though, that going to the class is really the ideal situation for learning the most).
A dear friend from Utah called yesterday, and I got to talk to him for a bit. It made me miss Utah a ton. It was really hard adjusting spiritually, but every other component was fantastic. It was a dream to have the mountains in our backyard (almost literally), and the weather was amazing. I really took for granted that I did not get a single mosquito bite while we lived in Utah (I've had dozens already since being back in Kansas). We also made some really great friends, and it was really nice for Bobby to have people he could talk about cycling with all the time. We've been really fortunate to have such great friends in Kansas already, and our ward is amazing. Those factors almost make up for the humidity. Almost. I look forward to the fall when I can run outside consistently again.
In other news, I'm currently reading It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong (with Sally Jenkins... which I didn't realize until a couple chapters in, and said to Bobby, "Wow, Lance is a pretty good writer" and the "With Sally Jenkins" in the smaller font), and I'm now a little in love with Lance Armstrong. I didn't really care for him, just with the impressions I've gotten with the media (because I'm a sucker for the tabloids), but he's very human. And I'm pretty sure the next time anyone asks me who I would meet if I could meet anyone in the world, my answer will be his mom. Well, there might be a few people ahead of her on that list, but she's definitely on the list. What a fantastic woman. And what a fantastic son for recognizing the magnitude of her influence in his life. I hope to be like her with my kids.
And... super awesome video!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Procrastination at its finest.
I'm in the process of writing my final paper for one of my summer classes (it's almost done, I swear!) when I got a handy little email in my inbox. It's a daily email I get regarding some pretty sweet deals online, and this one in particular tickled my fancy. Head on over to this sweet website to get 70% off New Balance stuff. That's shoes and apparel, people. So if your excuse to not come to running group has been that you just don't have the gear for it, order away! The deal is good all weekend.
Seriously. Having the right gear makes a difference.
On a quasi related note, my body developed ebola (which is my generic term for all illnesses I acquire) yesterday, and while I feel like I'm over the hump, my nasal cavity is secreting more mucous than I thought humanly possible. Seriously, I feel like I've filled my TP (if you get the soft kind, you don't need to buy tissues!) with at least ten pounds of snot. Ugh. Let's hope I can get enough out of my system to rock the triathlon tomorrow!
Seriously. Having the right gear makes a difference.
On a quasi related note, my body developed ebola (which is my generic term for all illnesses I acquire) yesterday, and while I feel like I'm over the hump, my nasal cavity is secreting more mucous than I thought humanly possible. Seriously, I feel like I've filled my TP (if you get the soft kind, you don't need to buy tissues!) with at least ten pounds of snot. Ugh. Let's hope I can get enough out of my system to rock the triathlon tomorrow!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Slimey vegan balogna
If birthdays are indicative of how the year to come will be, 23 is going to be a fantastic age.
Yesterday started with a fabulous run with my new Garmin Forerunner 305. How I love this little contraption! After having it for a few days, I've learned so much about where I stand as a runner. It's great because it pushes me to go faster because I'm accountable when we pull up the data from the run.
Bobby was dying of some disease, but he still managed to pull it together to take me to Deanna Rose Farmstead. For you Lawrencians who have not experienced Deanna Rose, it's a fantastic date place! It's in Overland Park, it's free admission, and for just a few dollars, you can feed ducks, goats, horses, and -- the best part of all-- bottle feed baby goats! Bobby made fun of me because it's technically "Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead" but it's one of my favorite places on Earth. Sad? Maybe. Or maybe I just take pleasure in the adorable.
We went to the bike shop from there so Bobby could get something for the triathlon this weekend, and it was lovely. I'm a little sad there isn't a Scott dealer around, but the bikes they did have are beautiful. Cervelo and Orbea make some good looking frames.
Then Plato's Closet. Plato's is one of those stores that is really hit or miss, and I thought being in Utah would provide me some advantage in finding some good stuff. Everyone there (for the most part) wears modest clothing, so finding something for me should be easy. Wrong. However, at the Plato's in Overland Park, I was able to find THE most adorable dress (which just so happens to look fabulous on me), and it was brand new! Not that I'm anti previously worn clothing (I actually prefer it), but it was just such a find.
Have I ever mentioned how fantastic my family is? We went to Bobby's mom's, and Bobby immediately went to take a nap (his disease was winning), and Bobby's mom and I just talked for a while. It's nice having someone to do that with. She made me a cake and put it on a green cutting board (!) that was part of my present. It was delightful.
And to end a wonderful day, we had some rockin friends over who gave me the best card ever (it's definitely fridge worthy), and concluded the night with some pineapple and good conversation.
Twas a good day.
23 is going to be a good year.
Yesterday started with a fabulous run with my new Garmin Forerunner 305. How I love this little contraption! After having it for a few days, I've learned so much about where I stand as a runner. It's great because it pushes me to go faster because I'm accountable when we pull up the data from the run.
Bobby was dying of some disease, but he still managed to pull it together to take me to Deanna Rose Farmstead. For you Lawrencians who have not experienced Deanna Rose, it's a fantastic date place! It's in Overland Park, it's free admission, and for just a few dollars, you can feed ducks, goats, horses, and -- the best part of all-- bottle feed baby goats! Bobby made fun of me because it's technically "Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead" but it's one of my favorite places on Earth. Sad? Maybe. Or maybe I just take pleasure in the adorable.
We went to the bike shop from there so Bobby could get something for the triathlon this weekend, and it was lovely. I'm a little sad there isn't a Scott dealer around, but the bikes they did have are beautiful. Cervelo and Orbea make some good looking frames.
Then Plato's Closet. Plato's is one of those stores that is really hit or miss, and I thought being in Utah would provide me some advantage in finding some good stuff. Everyone there (for the most part) wears modest clothing, so finding something for me should be easy. Wrong. However, at the Plato's in Overland Park, I was able to find THE most adorable dress (which just so happens to look fabulous on me), and it was brand new! Not that I'm anti previously worn clothing (I actually prefer it), but it was just such a find.
Have I ever mentioned how fantastic my family is? We went to Bobby's mom's, and Bobby immediately went to take a nap (his disease was winning), and Bobby's mom and I just talked for a while. It's nice having someone to do that with. She made me a cake and put it on a green cutting board (!) that was part of my present. It was delightful.
And to end a wonderful day, we had some rockin friends over who gave me the best card ever (it's definitely fridge worthy), and concluded the night with some pineapple and good conversation.
Twas a good day.
23 is going to be a good year.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Iceburg Lettuce and Sia
Today has been one of those fabulously productive days that make me really proud of myself, and the day isn't anywhere close to being over. So while my curry cooks, I'll blog my happiness for my digital posterity.
I woke this morning shocked to see how lit our apartment was. My alarm was set for 5:45, and it's never that light out. Of course, it wasn't 5:45... it was 7:13. See, I've been trying to get Garmin on a potty schedule to deter accidents, so I've been setting my alarm for every 2 hours during the day to make sure to take him out. Well, my last potty alarm was set for just after 10 p.m., so when I went to set my alarm to wake up, I forgot to change the PM to AM, and missed running group. I was devastated! I felt like I let everyone down-- until I found out after a couple phone calls that they went running anyway. How awesome is that? I'm quite excited for my little running group.
Well, having missed the opportunity to do the interval training, I decided to just run a 5k and see how quickly I could do it. I've been holding a steady 25 minutes, and wanted to see how much I could cut off that. I wasn't hoping for much, because I haven't been training hard this week, so I was extremely pleased when I clocked in at 24:32. Not a huge chunk off, but not bad for being as lazy as I've been this week.
Yesterday I got on my bike for the first time in a long time. I'd forgotten how nice it is to be on the bike! It's not so hot in the busier parts of town (downtown, Iowa, 6th) but back into neighborhoods and such, it was so nice. I'm definitely going to have to incorporate some cross training in so I don't get burned out. Which is why, after I ran and got ready for the day, I decided to ride my bike to campus instead of drive. I'm out of gas, and I HATE getting gas, so it seemed like an excellent alternative to me. While on campus, I got a ton of work done for my boss, and got a bunch of paperwork turned in to get my loan taken care of and get my paycheck (always a good thing).
And that brings me to now. Written down, it doesn't seem like much, but I feel really great right now. Maybe it's the endorphin high from the exercise I did today. Either way, I'll keep it.
I woke this morning shocked to see how lit our apartment was. My alarm was set for 5:45, and it's never that light out. Of course, it wasn't 5:45... it was 7:13. See, I've been trying to get Garmin on a potty schedule to deter accidents, so I've been setting my alarm for every 2 hours during the day to make sure to take him out. Well, my last potty alarm was set for just after 10 p.m., so when I went to set my alarm to wake up, I forgot to change the PM to AM, and missed running group. I was devastated! I felt like I let everyone down-- until I found out after a couple phone calls that they went running anyway. How awesome is that? I'm quite excited for my little running group.
Well, having missed the opportunity to do the interval training, I decided to just run a 5k and see how quickly I could do it. I've been holding a steady 25 minutes, and wanted to see how much I could cut off that. I wasn't hoping for much, because I haven't been training hard this week, so I was extremely pleased when I clocked in at 24:32. Not a huge chunk off, but not bad for being as lazy as I've been this week.
Yesterday I got on my bike for the first time in a long time. I'd forgotten how nice it is to be on the bike! It's not so hot in the busier parts of town (downtown, Iowa, 6th) but back into neighborhoods and such, it was so nice. I'm definitely going to have to incorporate some cross training in so I don't get burned out. Which is why, after I ran and got ready for the day, I decided to ride my bike to campus instead of drive. I'm out of gas, and I HATE getting gas, so it seemed like an excellent alternative to me. While on campus, I got a ton of work done for my boss, and got a bunch of paperwork turned in to get my loan taken care of and get my paycheck (always a good thing).
And that brings me to now. Written down, it doesn't seem like much, but I feel really great right now. Maybe it's the endorphin high from the exercise I did today. Either way, I'll keep it.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Rainy days are my favorite.
As a lover of the outdoors, I have found that rainy days in Kansas are the best. When it's getting this humid/hot out, it's really hard to enjoy being outside (unless it's 6:30 in the morning), and I've seriously contemplated becoming nocturnal simply so I could enjoy the outdoors again. However, recalling everything I learned at the DV shelter (also home to the Rape Crisis Center) deterred me, so instead, I'll just be grateful for rainy days.
On this rainy day, however, I spent much of it inside, squeezing out a literature review for my boss. It's interesting how much easier it is to write when you're just shooting the breeze on your blog than when you're writing for someone else, and the pressure of maintaining their reputation is breathing down your neck. Three cheers for experience!
Yesterday was Day 1 of the Jogging/Walking Group for the Lawrence University Ward, and I think it was pretty successful. I'm really glad people are excited about it, and given that I really have no experience leading such a group, enthusiasm from everyone else is pretty essential. I'm so excited to help people reach their goal of running a 5k by the end of the summer (well, running in a 5k race, because the training will require we run several 5k's). It's such a great feeling to accomplish something physically when at any point in your life you never thought you could. What a high. It's addictive.
Yesterday, I went to Valeo in Topeka to interview for my internship position. Other than the commute, I'm not sure I could ask for a better internship. It's not paid, but I'll take working on my own dime over having to deal with office politics. The environment there is extremely supportive, and my supervisor told me point blank that she isn't there to make me a great social worker, but she will make me a great psychotherapist, if I'm willing to do the work. I am, I am! They had a few gals who had done their internship there and are now employees, and they said it's by far the best internship KU has a relationship with. They even compared it to the agency I was hoping to work with, and said the other agency just doesn't offer the range of experience this one does. I'm really excited to start.
Last Sunday, we spent the day at the Trunnells' while they were at a wedding. Babysitting their dog was really easy, because she slept most of the time, so I was able to finally sit down and make up goals for myself. Ashley's been a really good influence on me in that sense. It feels good to have direction. Part of my stress is feeling like I don't have a plan for what's to come. It also calms my nerves whenever we're gone with the dogs for a long time, and we come home to find Chuck depressed-- I just remind myself that in three years, he'll have a feline companion (because yes, that's included in my goals-- as if that's a surprise to anyone that knows me).
We made bread today! And I'll only say two things: 1)Never forget to include the salt in the recipe and 2)Good grief, I'm excited to have the KitchenAid (I say that like I did the mixing, when really I sat there and watched Bobby mix everything by hand). How many days until Christmas?
On this rainy day, however, I spent much of it inside, squeezing out a literature review for my boss. It's interesting how much easier it is to write when you're just shooting the breeze on your blog than when you're writing for someone else, and the pressure of maintaining their reputation is breathing down your neck. Three cheers for experience!
Yesterday was Day 1 of the Jogging/Walking Group for the Lawrence University Ward, and I think it was pretty successful. I'm really glad people are excited about it, and given that I really have no experience leading such a group, enthusiasm from everyone else is pretty essential. I'm so excited to help people reach their goal of running a 5k by the end of the summer (well, running in a 5k race, because the training will require we run several 5k's). It's such a great feeling to accomplish something physically when at any point in your life you never thought you could. What a high. It's addictive.
Yesterday, I went to Valeo in Topeka to interview for my internship position. Other than the commute, I'm not sure I could ask for a better internship. It's not paid, but I'll take working on my own dime over having to deal with office politics. The environment there is extremely supportive, and my supervisor told me point blank that she isn't there to make me a great social worker, but she will make me a great psychotherapist, if I'm willing to do the work. I am, I am! They had a few gals who had done their internship there and are now employees, and they said it's by far the best internship KU has a relationship with. They even compared it to the agency I was hoping to work with, and said the other agency just doesn't offer the range of experience this one does. I'm really excited to start.
Last Sunday, we spent the day at the Trunnells' while they were at a wedding. Babysitting their dog was really easy, because she slept most of the time, so I was able to finally sit down and make up goals for myself. Ashley's been a really good influence on me in that sense. It feels good to have direction. Part of my stress is feeling like I don't have a plan for what's to come. It also calms my nerves whenever we're gone with the dogs for a long time, and we come home to find Chuck depressed-- I just remind myself that in three years, he'll have a feline companion (because yes, that's included in my goals-- as if that's a surprise to anyone that knows me).
We made bread today! And I'll only say two things: 1)Never forget to include the salt in the recipe and 2)Good grief, I'm excited to have the KitchenAid (I say that like I did the mixing, when really I sat there and watched Bobby mix everything by hand). How many days until Christmas?
Friday, May 29, 2009
I should probably be a little embarassed.
But I'm not.
You see, a few days ago, the MIL called to ask us a very serious question regarding a very important matter: would Bobby and I be willing to combine our Christmas gift this year and receive... wait for it...
a KITCHENAID MIXER?!
A little background: Once upon a time, I worked at Linens 'n Things. It was actually a really fun job, because I worked in the kitchen/housewares section, and I spent most of my shift walking up and down the aisles, planning out which gadgets I would have someday, and imagined beautiful place settings with shiny food processors. I don't really consider myself very girly, but I do get excited about kitchen stuff. Up, high on a shelf, were the KitchenAid mixers. I would gaze at them longingly, knowing full well that it would be a long, long time before I could have one.
Well, that long time ends NOW (or this December, at least). Come this Christmas, Bobby and I will be proud owners of a beautiful KitchenAid mixer in green apple. I am SO excited!
You know, I would say "it's the little things in life," but to me, this is a really, really big thing. I didn't really get all that excited about graduating college, but acquiring this beautiful piece of machinery makes me feel like I've arrived.
This is when you thank me for taking two giant steps back for feminism. I apologize.
So today marked the second of 6 days of my Mental Health and Psychopathology class. My brain feels extremely mushy. Fortunately, I enjoy reading the DSM-IV-TR (as exhausting as it may be), so the homework isn't so bad. I was a little concerned about my social welfare (no pun intended) after a not so great impression of my first day, but it's improved dramatically. I've had more social work experience than a lot of people my age, so I have to be careful to not come off as a know-it-all (because I certainly don't know it all).
In pet news (because I KNOW you care), Garmin has really put on weight since we increased his food, and on a negative note, I'm kind of mad at the shelter he was in. We've only increased his food over the past two weeks, and he's already looking fantastic (not fat-- but he actually has muscle and you can't see his ribs), so they were feeding him way too little. I really thought he was sick for a while, but he looks amazing now, and he has so much energy. Thank goodness, because I love the little bugger.
Peli has had to adjust as a result. She used to be able to push Garmin around, but now he's got a good ten pounds on her, so she gets beat up a lot. She's used to being the alpha dog, so she's compensating with being extremely affectionate with us.
Chuck is Chuck. He hasn't jumped out of any windows lately, so we're pleased.
I'll be so glad when allergy season is over. It'll be nice having a husband again, rather than a congested heap of unconscious on the floor.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ode to Pearl Izumi
Dearest Pearl Izumi,
Not so long ago, I was a foolish lass who didn't know any better. In those days, when I felt the urge to go running, I would put on an old pair of soccer shorts and a cotton t-shirt. When time came to train for a triathlon, my husband cut up a t-shirt to make a tank top (later declared a "skank top") to wear when training. Cotton was the only fabric I knew, and for such reason, it fulfilled my every need.
With the upcoming triathlon, we purchased a triathlon top and shorts from you, and I was extremely grateful for how light the clothing felt. I hardly noticed it on my body, and after working hard, I noticed there were no sleeves to weigh my arms down, and sweat could quickly leave my overheating body. I caught a glimpse of my silhouette on the pavement, and was pleased to look like a legitimate runner.
A while later, I purchased my first real pair of running shoes, picked out with the assistance of a running shop employee who assisted me in finding a pair that would fit my paddle feet properly and correct my form. After a few jogs in the new footwear, I was able to purchase a couple running tops. Sadly, they did not have the built in bra like the tri top, but I was so grateful to have something to wear every other day for my run, rather than progressively disgusting each day with the sweat accumulation in the tri top. How wonderful to feel so graceful and cool.Then, sadly, we left our Pearl Izumi running top AND shorts at my mother in law's house after a round of laundry. Unable to make the drive back for another week, I felt lost without my running companions. That's okay, I thought, I lived so long running in a cut up t-shirt and soccer shorts, I can do it again.
Oh, Pearl Izumi, I strayed from the goodness of your clothing, and I swear to never do it again! Running in the Kansas humidity in shorts without a liner was a mistake deemed cruel and unusual! The cotton clinging to my sweaty flesh made the heat deplorable, unbearable, and my training was considerably hindered. Forgive me, Pearl Izumi, for I attempted the miles of running without your help, and I have been humbled. Never again will I lace up my shoes without the cooling assurance of your slick fabric against my skin. I run so I can be healthy-- I wear you so I can run.
Thank you for being so awesome.
Your devoted wearer,
Katie Brigman
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Holy crazy town.
It's been a while.
Not a horribly long while, but I am constantly reminding myself what day it is and how much time has passed. SO MUCH has happened in a short amount of time that it feels like it should be June. Oh, well-- I have a dog sleeping at my feet and another sleeping on a huge pile of blankets, so all is well in the world.
Garmin has adjusted nicely to his new family. We've learned that he's a people dog, meaning he whines incessantly when he can hear us outside the apartment door getting ready to come in. He's house trained, though he's had a couple of accidents (he gets scared and piddles). He wants nothing more than to be friends with Chuck, and Chuck is starting to be okay with that.
After acquiring internet today, I feel so connected with the real world. I was able to adjust my fall enrollment so that all of my classes fall on Thursday, making it so I only have to commute to Topeka three days a week as opposed to the original four (or three with one EXTREMELY long day). For this I am grateful. I am also extremely grateful for an apartment that allows two dogs and a cat, and that it's in one of the complexes on Lawrence's Cheapest Places To Live list. Granted, we don't have much storage, but there's plenty of open space for the dogs to wrestle and for Chuck to get extremely anxious.
I had concerns about being in Kansas, what with it not having Utah's outdoor-oriented atmosphere, but in the short week we've been here, Bobby and I have been hiking, biking, running, and going to parks almost every day (usually a couple of those a day). Amid all the activity, Bobby was able to find a job at Urban Outfitters, which is pretty rockin, as it means eventually I may be able to afford the clothing there (after some money gets saved up again, of course). We're starting to recognize some of the poor student panic, which is always exciting. We've made it through before, and we'll make it again.
Speaking of jobs, I was able to get on as a research assistant for one of the doctoral candidates in KU's social work program. I'm really excited about it because he's working on stuff that I'm really interested in. It's a temporary position now, but it could possibly become regular (unlikely, but possible) so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. It's a pretty sweet gig-- I can work whenever I want, so class schedule won't interfere. It also means I'm going to try to find another job, at least for the time being, so if any of the Kansas folk hear of anything, I'm wide open to ideas. Hopefully I'll get a call from at least one of the places I've submitted an application to, which would be grand.
The humidity is driving me a little crazy, but I'll readjust. It makes me feel sort of lame for joking about how easy training is going to be once we returned to Kansas, what with the lower elevation and all. You don't really notice how easy it is to breathe when the sweat refuses to evaporate off your flesh. Thank goodness my hair is so short now that it won't curl.
Peli's trying to eat the trash. I'm assuming that's her signal for me to give her dinner.
Not a horribly long while, but I am constantly reminding myself what day it is and how much time has passed. SO MUCH has happened in a short amount of time that it feels like it should be June. Oh, well-- I have a dog sleeping at my feet and another sleeping on a huge pile of blankets, so all is well in the world.
Garmin has adjusted nicely to his new family. We've learned that he's a people dog, meaning he whines incessantly when he can hear us outside the apartment door getting ready to come in. He's house trained, though he's had a couple of accidents (he gets scared and piddles). He wants nothing more than to be friends with Chuck, and Chuck is starting to be okay with that.
After acquiring internet today, I feel so connected with the real world. I was able to adjust my fall enrollment so that all of my classes fall on Thursday, making it so I only have to commute to Topeka three days a week as opposed to the original four (or three with one EXTREMELY long day). For this I am grateful. I am also extremely grateful for an apartment that allows two dogs and a cat, and that it's in one of the complexes on Lawrence's Cheapest Places To Live list. Granted, we don't have much storage, but there's plenty of open space for the dogs to wrestle and for Chuck to get extremely anxious.
I had concerns about being in Kansas, what with it not having Utah's outdoor-oriented atmosphere, but in the short week we've been here, Bobby and I have been hiking, biking, running, and going to parks almost every day (usually a couple of those a day). Amid all the activity, Bobby was able to find a job at Urban Outfitters, which is pretty rockin, as it means eventually I may be able to afford the clothing there (after some money gets saved up again, of course). We're starting to recognize some of the poor student panic, which is always exciting. We've made it through before, and we'll make it again.
Speaking of jobs, I was able to get on as a research assistant for one of the doctoral candidates in KU's social work program. I'm really excited about it because he's working on stuff that I'm really interested in. It's a temporary position now, but it could possibly become regular (unlikely, but possible) so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. It's a pretty sweet gig-- I can work whenever I want, so class schedule won't interfere. It also means I'm going to try to find another job, at least for the time being, so if any of the Kansas folk hear of anything, I'm wide open to ideas. Hopefully I'll get a call from at least one of the places I've submitted an application to, which would be grand.
The humidity is driving me a little crazy, but I'll readjust. It makes me feel sort of lame for joking about how easy training is going to be once we returned to Kansas, what with the lower elevation and all. You don't really notice how easy it is to breathe when the sweat refuses to evaporate off your flesh. Thank goodness my hair is so short now that it won't curl.
Peli's trying to eat the trash. I'm assuming that's her signal for me to give her dinner.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Garmin's first day.
Yesterday, we awoke to a very rainy Saturday morning. I was pleased, because it meant we would spend the entire day inside packing (Bobby is easily distracted by outdoor adventures). I prompted Bobby to make the trailer reservation, and shortly thereafter we had the call telling us to pick our trailer up in Pleasant Grove. On our way out, Bobby asked, "Want to stop by the animal shelter while we're out here?" Of course, he wasn't really asking for permission. He was asking just so I would get excited.
At the trailer rental place, the poor guy working was left stranded by the U-Haul folks who are usually there, and he was left to figure out how to process our reservation after having only been shown how to do it once before. Three tries later, we had a trailer, and we went to the animal shelter at around 11:00 (the time is important for later in the story, I promise).
Immediately after walking in, we saw an adorable pair of kittens that couldn't have been older than three weeks old. They looked like bobble heads with teeny, tiny paws. We went into the first dog room, and were only mildly impressed with the selection (apparently it was Rat Terrier day at the shelter). The stray section was locked, so we walked out and asked the lady at the front desk if we could see the strays. She said it would be five to ten minutes. At this point, it was about 11:25.
So into the cat room we went. They didn't have any kittens in there, which was surprising to me (it's kitten season), but there was this weird Siamese with inside out ears (apparently it's a genetic trait some cats have). It was also a little cross eyed, and I fell in love.
Bobby hates cats, though, so I didn't push it.
A lady came out and said she could take us in to see the strays. She said the dogs in pens 1-16 were up for adoption. I took that to mean there would be 16 dogs to see, but it actually ended up being about 7. Many of the cages were empty, which is a good thing (more space means fewer euthanasia). I wasn't particularly interested in any of the dogs, because there weren't any females (I have an irrational fear of dog penis). However, there was one dog that didn't bark once. Upon closer inspection, we could tell he was a pit bull/heeler mix, just like our little Peli. He was very interested in receiving affection through the chain link door, so we asked to play with him. The lady came over and said, "Oh, I LOVE this dog!" and took him out. She tried to get the leash on him as he ran out of the gate, but he was too fast. Bobby got down on the ground and said, "Hey, come here!" and the dog ran into his lap.
Moments later, we were in the "Get Acquainted" room with an extremely excited dog. He was jumping into our laps, desperate for some much needed attention. Of course, there was the dog penis, so I wasn't warming up to him as quickly as Bobby. The little boy fell in love with Bobby very soon, though, and would not leave his lap. Bobby then started saying things that I would never have expected.
"You know, we were planning on getting a second dog anyway..."
"Look at how sweet he is!"
And then finally...
"Why don't we adopt him?"
Usually I'm the one making impulsive adoption requests. This time, I was the one being paranoid/rational.
"We're moving on Tuesday. He still has balls."
"Your mom will KILL us if we have a second dog."
"He HAS A PENIS."
However, his likeness to Peli did soften my heart, as did his sweet temperament and his lack of barking. He's larger than Peli, and brindle, making the pit bull show more and thus make me feel safer running by myself if I had him with me. He wasn't shy with strangers AT ALL (a very nice change to Peli's typical reaction to new people), which meant he could eventually be a therapy dog.
I looked at Bobby, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay. Go tell them we're adopting him."
Bobby ran out like a giddy child on Christmas day to tell the people at the front desk the good news. We're adopting a dog! We're going to save a canine life from the perils of shelter living! No longer would he be an option for euthanasia-- he's going to a home where he'll sleep in a bed with people and get training and have a big sister to play with all the time. We're pretty ideal pet parents, if I do say so myself.
Bobby returned to the "Get Acquainted" room looking absolutely crestfallen. "They don't do adoptions after 11:30." A quick look at the clock said it was 11:45.
I was about to get all up on my soap box. These people work at an animal shelter, which should mean they want animals to get adopted. They want their lives to be saved, and here they have a fantastic couple that wants to adopt an adult stray, and they're turning us away? Really?
"Go explain the situation." Bobby returned to tell them we'd be moving out of state in a couple days, and we really cannot come back on Monday to get him, simply because that does not give our other dog enough time to get used to him before spending two days in a car. The gal behind the desk said she'd make a call, but she didn't think she could do anything about the policy.
Thankfully, the gal who originally took us to the stray room appeared from a back office and, after hearing our situation, said, "Let's do it!"
While filling out the paperwork, we learned that he was only technically a stray. His previous owners had him as an indoor and outdoor dog, and his pen outside did not have a lock on it. He got out constantly (the owners said the neighbors kept letting him out, but they refused to put a lock on his pen), and was picked up by the animal control officer five times previously. The last time, they contacted the owners, and they relinquished him to the shelter. Two months later, we showed up and took him home.
Come Monday, he'll be de-balled (yay!). Since arriving in the Brigman abode, he and Peli have had a non-stop play date, which is amazing (Peli has been skittish around dogs since she was attacked at the dog park a couple months ago). Chuck hasn't quite adjusted yet, but Garmin hasn't reacted aggressively when he's seen the cat, which is also great. He's a huge snuggle bum and is getting used to being allowed on the furniture (we're assuming he wasn't allowed before, because he really hesitated before jumping up on the couch, and opted to sleep on the floor next to the bed). He's so stinking adorable, and I'm even getting used to the dog penis.
He's not a black lab, he's not a girl, and his name isn't Pini ("Garmin" is the name of our favorite cycling team), but he's a big lover, he adores Peli, AND he's house trained (BONUS!). Really, the most important thing to me was rescuing a dog from the shelter, and we were able to do just that.
Plus, he's the same mix as Peli. In case you were wondering, the heeler/pit bull mix is superior to any of the designer breeds out there.
At the trailer rental place, the poor guy working was left stranded by the U-Haul folks who are usually there, and he was left to figure out how to process our reservation after having only been shown how to do it once before. Three tries later, we had a trailer, and we went to the animal shelter at around 11:00 (the time is important for later in the story, I promise).
Immediately after walking in, we saw an adorable pair of kittens that couldn't have been older than three weeks old. They looked like bobble heads with teeny, tiny paws. We went into the first dog room, and were only mildly impressed with the selection (apparently it was Rat Terrier day at the shelter). The stray section was locked, so we walked out and asked the lady at the front desk if we could see the strays. She said it would be five to ten minutes. At this point, it was about 11:25.
So into the cat room we went. They didn't have any kittens in there, which was surprising to me (it's kitten season), but there was this weird Siamese with inside out ears (apparently it's a genetic trait some cats have). It was also a little cross eyed, and I fell in love.
Bobby hates cats, though, so I didn't push it.
A lady came out and said she could take us in to see the strays. She said the dogs in pens 1-16 were up for adoption. I took that to mean there would be 16 dogs to see, but it actually ended up being about 7. Many of the cages were empty, which is a good thing (more space means fewer euthanasia). I wasn't particularly interested in any of the dogs, because there weren't any females (I have an irrational fear of dog penis). However, there was one dog that didn't bark once. Upon closer inspection, we could tell he was a pit bull/heeler mix, just like our little Peli. He was very interested in receiving affection through the chain link door, so we asked to play with him. The lady came over and said, "Oh, I LOVE this dog!" and took him out. She tried to get the leash on him as he ran out of the gate, but he was too fast. Bobby got down on the ground and said, "Hey, come here!" and the dog ran into his lap.
Moments later, we were in the "Get Acquainted" room with an extremely excited dog. He was jumping into our laps, desperate for some much needed attention. Of course, there was the dog penis, so I wasn't warming up to him as quickly as Bobby. The little boy fell in love with Bobby very soon, though, and would not leave his lap. Bobby then started saying things that I would never have expected.
"You know, we were planning on getting a second dog anyway..."
"Look at how sweet he is!"
And then finally...
"Why don't we adopt him?"
Usually I'm the one making impulsive adoption requests. This time, I was the one being paranoid/rational.
"We're moving on Tuesday. He still has balls."
"Your mom will KILL us if we have a second dog."
"He HAS A PENIS."
However, his likeness to Peli did soften my heart, as did his sweet temperament and his lack of barking. He's larger than Peli, and brindle, making the pit bull show more and thus make me feel safer running by myself if I had him with me. He wasn't shy with strangers AT ALL (a very nice change to Peli's typical reaction to new people), which meant he could eventually be a therapy dog.
I looked at Bobby, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay. Go tell them we're adopting him."
Bobby ran out like a giddy child on Christmas day to tell the people at the front desk the good news. We're adopting a dog! We're going to save a canine life from the perils of shelter living! No longer would he be an option for euthanasia-- he's going to a home where he'll sleep in a bed with people and get training and have a big sister to play with all the time. We're pretty ideal pet parents, if I do say so myself.
Bobby returned to the "Get Acquainted" room looking absolutely crestfallen. "They don't do adoptions after 11:30." A quick look at the clock said it was 11:45.
I was about to get all up on my soap box. These people work at an animal shelter, which should mean they want animals to get adopted. They want their lives to be saved, and here they have a fantastic couple that wants to adopt an adult stray, and they're turning us away? Really?
"Go explain the situation." Bobby returned to tell them we'd be moving out of state in a couple days, and we really cannot come back on Monday to get him, simply because that does not give our other dog enough time to get used to him before spending two days in a car. The gal behind the desk said she'd make a call, but she didn't think she could do anything about the policy.
Thankfully, the gal who originally took us to the stray room appeared from a back office and, after hearing our situation, said, "Let's do it!"
While filling out the paperwork, we learned that he was only technically a stray. His previous owners had him as an indoor and outdoor dog, and his pen outside did not have a lock on it. He got out constantly (the owners said the neighbors kept letting him out, but they refused to put a lock on his pen), and was picked up by the animal control officer five times previously. The last time, they contacted the owners, and they relinquished him to the shelter. Two months later, we showed up and took him home.
Come Monday, he'll be de-balled (yay!). Since arriving in the Brigman abode, he and Peli have had a non-stop play date, which is amazing (Peli has been skittish around dogs since she was attacked at the dog park a couple months ago). Chuck hasn't quite adjusted yet, but Garmin hasn't reacted aggressively when he's seen the cat, which is also great. He's a huge snuggle bum and is getting used to being allowed on the furniture (we're assuming he wasn't allowed before, because he really hesitated before jumping up on the couch, and opted to sleep on the floor next to the bed). He's so stinking adorable, and I'm even getting used to the dog penis.
He's not a black lab, he's not a girl, and his name isn't Pini ("Garmin" is the name of our favorite cycling team), but he's a big lover, he adores Peli, AND he's house trained (BONUS!). Really, the most important thing to me was rescuing a dog from the shelter, and we were able to do just that.
Plus, he's the same mix as Peli. In case you were wondering, the heeler/pit bull mix is superior to any of the designer breeds out there.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Final Stretch
My intent is to document our experience last night for memory's sake, as I so desperately want to cling to the laughter and comfort that embodied the bbq our friends threw, but it must wait for a moment, because there is something else that so desperately needs our attention:
Oakley sunglasses.
Not just any Oakley sunglasses, though. We're talking about the Women's Radar Path.
I've had these for a couple weeks now, but haven't had time to get out on my bike. I wore them running, and loved them, but couldn't fully appreciate them without the 17 mph breeze created when cycling. This weekend was my chance, however, with the beautiful 65 degree weather and virtually no responsiblities (well, Bobby had finals this week, but that would only count if he actually studied). I put them on and was feeling pretty good about myself, because these actually fit my face, and they're bright pink.
There was a slight problem, however, when I got on the bike and started going. In spite of the protection, I found myself squinting. A lot. After a couple miles of this contortion, my face was tired. Why the heck was I squinting? So I consciously forced myself to open my eyes, and I almost cried from happiness. My glasses were so light that I didn't notice any weight difference between wearing glasses and not wearing glasses. They fit my face so perfectly that they did not shift or fall, allowing me to focus completely on the road and my surroundings rather than worrying about a frame falling in my line of sight or having to push them up the bridge of my nose.
Not only did I look hot, but these glasses were actually doing everything they were supposed to. If they could reproduce, I would have their babies.
Speaking of looking hot, I already have a well established cycling tan. I was sporting a capped sleeve top yesterday, and a client said, "Nice farmer's tan." I think it was meant to be snarky, but I took it as a compliment.
So on to last night. First, Bobby left me to go on a bike ride and said he would meet me there, and I ended up very lost in Springville, having never gone to Rob's on my own before. My GPS was of no service to me, as Rob's address doesn't exist in the world of Garmin (blast!). After finally making it there, we chatted, laughed, made awkward jokes, and just had a really good time. Rob and Kelli made some veggie kabobs for me, which made a fabulous addition to my homemade black bean burgers (which, Rob said, actually tasted like real hamburgers). Peli enjoyed a hotdog and a half, the half being a gift from Elise (Rob's daughter) where Elise almost lost all of her fingers. Kelli told some funny stories about waiting for Rob while he served in Guatamala, and I talked with Sarah about her wedding plans. Kelli let me try on her new running tops to see if they fit. Thank you, Pearl Izumi, for making me a small! We're ordering Kelli some replacement XS tops. The whole night was just a comforting setting, and ended with Sarah and Marty giving me a ride home while Bobby went running with Rob and Chris. It was bittersweet-- such a fun evening, but I know we're leaving in a couple weeks. Why did I have to really start liking Utah when it was so close to time to leave? It's so much easier to deal with the crazies when you have your group of friends that you can turn to. I'm really kicking myself for not seeing all the good Utah had to offer sooner. It's really a lesson Heavenly Father has taught me, and I am going to look for the good in every situation, circumstance, and environment. It's not worth spending any time feeling sad about something when there's an abundance of good surrounding it.
So on that note, I'm still excited about Kansas. I'm excited to do some triathlons and bike races this summer, and perhaps even a half marathon (I'm really starting to enjoy running again). I'm looking forward to having a garage and counter space and time to spend with my husband. I'm really excited about my brother's wedding and being so close to family.
The beautiful thing about being an adult means that we don't have to be away from any place for long.
And something to think about.
Oakley sunglasses.
Not just any Oakley sunglasses, though. We're talking about the Women's Radar Path.
I've had these for a couple weeks now, but haven't had time to get out on my bike. I wore them running, and loved them, but couldn't fully appreciate them without the 17 mph breeze created when cycling. This weekend was my chance, however, with the beautiful 65 degree weather and virtually no responsiblities (well, Bobby had finals this week, but that would only count if he actually studied). I put them on and was feeling pretty good about myself, because these actually fit my face, and they're bright pink.
There was a slight problem, however, when I got on the bike and started going. In spite of the protection, I found myself squinting. A lot. After a couple miles of this contortion, my face was tired. Why the heck was I squinting? So I consciously forced myself to open my eyes, and I almost cried from happiness. My glasses were so light that I didn't notice any weight difference between wearing glasses and not wearing glasses. They fit my face so perfectly that they did not shift or fall, allowing me to focus completely on the road and my surroundings rather than worrying about a frame falling in my line of sight or having to push them up the bridge of my nose.
Not only did I look hot, but these glasses were actually doing everything they were supposed to. If they could reproduce, I would have their babies.
Speaking of looking hot, I already have a well established cycling tan. I was sporting a capped sleeve top yesterday, and a client said, "Nice farmer's tan." I think it was meant to be snarky, but I took it as a compliment.
So on to last night. First, Bobby left me to go on a bike ride and said he would meet me there, and I ended up very lost in Springville, having never gone to Rob's on my own before. My GPS was of no service to me, as Rob's address doesn't exist in the world of Garmin (blast!). After finally making it there, we chatted, laughed, made awkward jokes, and just had a really good time. Rob and Kelli made some veggie kabobs for me, which made a fabulous addition to my homemade black bean burgers (which, Rob said, actually tasted like real hamburgers). Peli enjoyed a hotdog and a half, the half being a gift from Elise (Rob's daughter) where Elise almost lost all of her fingers. Kelli told some funny stories about waiting for Rob while he served in Guatamala, and I talked with Sarah about her wedding plans. Kelli let me try on her new running tops to see if they fit. Thank you, Pearl Izumi, for making me a small! We're ordering Kelli some replacement XS tops. The whole night was just a comforting setting, and ended with Sarah and Marty giving me a ride home while Bobby went running with Rob and Chris. It was bittersweet-- such a fun evening, but I know we're leaving in a couple weeks. Why did I have to really start liking Utah when it was so close to time to leave? It's so much easier to deal with the crazies when you have your group of friends that you can turn to. I'm really kicking myself for not seeing all the good Utah had to offer sooner. It's really a lesson Heavenly Father has taught me, and I am going to look for the good in every situation, circumstance, and environment. It's not worth spending any time feeling sad about something when there's an abundance of good surrounding it.
So on that note, I'm still excited about Kansas. I'm excited to do some triathlons and bike races this summer, and perhaps even a half marathon (I'm really starting to enjoy running again). I'm looking forward to having a garage and counter space and time to spend with my husband. I'm really excited about my brother's wedding and being so close to family.
The beautiful thing about being an adult means that we don't have to be away from any place for long.
And something to think about.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Garage sales are your friend.
We had a garage sale today with the intent of having another on the 2nd, but this one was so successful that we don't have to have another. Rock! Of course, our landlords ended up buying most of our stuff to put back into our apartment for the next tenants, but that's certainly okay by me.
Peli has a weird growth on her foot that she didn't seem to notice until we took her to the vet. Because her doctor had to poke and prod to try to figure out what it was, she also figured out it was there, and has since taken to trying to chew it off. She's part pit bull, and thus has a very high pain tolerance (one of the reasons they are the preferred breed for fighting), so it's okay by her that she chews it right off and has a gaping wound in her foot. We've wrapped it in gauze and prewrap and tape, but she just chews that off as well. Sadly for her, we had to get a cone to make her leave it alone, and when it's on, she refuses to move. It'd be comical if I didn't love her so much and I hate to see her uncomfortable.
Work yesterday was an absolute nightmare. I woke up Friday morning thinking, "Man, I only have two weeks left. That's so sad!" and before the morning was over, as I cried in my office, I thought, "I still have two weeks left of this?!?" It was the craptastic day from Hades, and while the events would make a very excellent blog entry, I've fulfilled my need for processing (thanks to amazing coworkers, froyo, and a dance party in Kim's office) and confidentiality means I share nothing. I can say yesterday showed me why many social workers opt to get their concealed carry permit. It wasn't actually that bad, it just felt that bad for a little while yesterday, and I almost had Bobby come sit in my office with me just to feel safe. Here's to the next two weeks going more smoothly.
My application for a research position was sent in a few days ago for a social work professor at KU, and I received an email today to schedule an interview. As wonderful as it would be to have a few days off between the move and school starting, I'd feel kind of lame not working. It's nice having a purpose and doing something with my time, and it will certainly help out with the old debt problem. Dave Ramsey would not be pleased with our recent bike purchases, but it isn't certain that Bobby will be working at a bike shop in Lawrence (we're hoping!), so we have to stock up on a few things. Some people have food storage-- we have bike storage. That's almost as important, right?
I mentioned before that Chuck was being extra affectionate. Whatever the reason was, somehow its magnified itself, and Chuck cannot get enough attention. No complaints or anything-- I am loving it! I just hope it lasts after he's in a car for a couple days, which is pretty much his worst nightmare. Ah, well. I'll savor the next two weeks (TWO WEEKS!) just in case.
Peli has a weird growth on her foot that she didn't seem to notice until we took her to the vet. Because her doctor had to poke and prod to try to figure out what it was, she also figured out it was there, and has since taken to trying to chew it off. She's part pit bull, and thus has a very high pain tolerance (one of the reasons they are the preferred breed for fighting), so it's okay by her that she chews it right off and has a gaping wound in her foot. We've wrapped it in gauze and prewrap and tape, but she just chews that off as well. Sadly for her, we had to get a cone to make her leave it alone, and when it's on, she refuses to move. It'd be comical if I didn't love her so much and I hate to see her uncomfortable.
Work yesterday was an absolute nightmare. I woke up Friday morning thinking, "Man, I only have two weeks left. That's so sad!" and before the morning was over, as I cried in my office, I thought, "I still have two weeks left of this?!?" It was the craptastic day from Hades, and while the events would make a very excellent blog entry, I've fulfilled my need for processing (thanks to amazing coworkers, froyo, and a dance party in Kim's office) and confidentiality means I share nothing. I can say yesterday showed me why many social workers opt to get their concealed carry permit. It wasn't actually that bad, it just felt that bad for a little while yesterday, and I almost had Bobby come sit in my office with me just to feel safe. Here's to the next two weeks going more smoothly.
My application for a research position was sent in a few days ago for a social work professor at KU, and I received an email today to schedule an interview. As wonderful as it would be to have a few days off between the move and school starting, I'd feel kind of lame not working. It's nice having a purpose and doing something with my time, and it will certainly help out with the old debt problem. Dave Ramsey would not be pleased with our recent bike purchases, but it isn't certain that Bobby will be working at a bike shop in Lawrence (we're hoping!), so we have to stock up on a few things. Some people have food storage-- we have bike storage. That's almost as important, right?
I mentioned before that Chuck was being extra affectionate. Whatever the reason was, somehow its magnified itself, and Chuck cannot get enough attention. No complaints or anything-- I am loving it! I just hope it lasts after he's in a car for a couple days, which is pretty much his worst nightmare. Ah, well. I'll savor the next two weeks (TWO WEEKS!) just in case.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
From CAWS, an animal rescue.
Declawing! What You Need To Know
Declawing is akin to cutting off half the cat's toes. When the end digit, including the claw is removed, the sensory and motor nerves are cut, damaged and destroyed. They do not repair themselves or grow back for many months. Following the surgery there is a wooden lack of feeling, then a tingling sensation during the long convalescence while the cat must walk on the stub end of the second digit. Remember that during all this time the cat may not "rest" his feet as we would after a similar operation but must continue to scratch in his litter box, walk and attempt to jump as usual regardless of his pain. Most veterinarians in other countries refuse to do the operation.
Besides the physical mutilation, consider what declawing may do to the cat's emotions, the personality changes that may occur. Knowing he has not the means to defend himself, some cats follow the precept of the best defense is a good offense, and will bite at the least provocation (and it may truly be the least provocation.) Often times cats become "biters" when they can no longer rely on their security of their claws. Others become depressed and lose the loving personality that made you choose him to start with. Many cats also experience litter box problems.
If you really love your cat, you will want him to lead a long, happy life, giving and receiving love and affection. If you really love him, and care about him, don't declaw him. There are many alternatives such as nail trimming, training and soft paws claw covers. If you feel you must have a cat that is declawed due to outstanding circumstances please adopt a cat who has already been through this procedure rather than subjecting another one to it. CAWS has several cats who are already declawed. Please visit http://www.caws.org.
Declawing is akin to cutting off half the cat's toes. When the end digit, including the claw is removed, the sensory and motor nerves are cut, damaged and destroyed. They do not repair themselves or grow back for many months. Following the surgery there is a wooden lack of feeling, then a tingling sensation during the long convalescence while the cat must walk on the stub end of the second digit. Remember that during all this time the cat may not "rest" his feet as we would after a similar operation but must continue to scratch in his litter box, walk and attempt to jump as usual regardless of his pain. Most veterinarians in other countries refuse to do the operation.
Besides the physical mutilation, consider what declawing may do to the cat's emotions, the personality changes that may occur. Knowing he has not the means to defend himself, some cats follow the precept of the best defense is a good offense, and will bite at the least provocation (and it may truly be the least provocation.) Often times cats become "biters" when they can no longer rely on their security of their claws. Others become depressed and lose the loving personality that made you choose him to start with. Many cats also experience litter box problems.
If you really love your cat, you will want him to lead a long, happy life, giving and receiving love and affection. If you really love him, and care about him, don't declaw him. There are many alternatives such as nail trimming, training and soft paws claw covers. If you feel you must have a cat that is declawed due to outstanding circumstances please adopt a cat who has already been through this procedure rather than subjecting another one to it. CAWS has several cats who are already declawed. Please visit http://www.caws.org.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Best. Sunday. Ever.
Sunday morning started with general conference, and I absolutely ADORED President Monson's talk. It was like it was catered just for me, and I love it when I walk away from a session feeling that way. Really, they're all catered to me, but this one struck a chord so strongly that I could feel my heart actually smiling. My daily prayers have consisted of asking for help in seeing the good in all things, and it's genuinely improved my attitude. I feel so much less stressed, which is good.
After the session concluded (and I had two loads of laundry folded-- because I'm a rockstar), we went over to Mapleton to spend some time with Chris, Linda, and their kids. They live on a fabulous piece of property with goats, chickens, and a cat. Chickens, in case you were wondering, are probably the most entertaining birds on the planet. They also lay an egg every 25 hours, and when you have 25 hens, that's a lot of eggs. We left with two dozen, and since they're free range, the eggs are so delicious. Two of the goats also gave birth in the past week, so I got to play with a very precious baby goat, and pretend to play with a very shy 4 day old goat (she wasn't feeling very social). They have the perfect setup-- a giant garden for fruits and vegetables, a few fruit trees, chickens for eggs, and then very friendly goats to play with. Who needs cable when you have that in your back yard? I wasn't even tempted to spend any time inside-- we went in quickly to grab a bite to eat, and then I was outside again, playing with their adorable little girls (who are SO stinking smart!) and feeling very centered in their very localized petting zoo. Our goal is to have a similar set up once we're done with school, hopefully in Colorado (we've grown quite fond of mountains) with chickens (just for eggs) and a cow (just for milk) and goats and sheep. Then our food won't have all the hormones and our animals will be treated humanely. It'll be a lot of work, but it'll be so much fun! And how nice will it be to feel so self sufficient?
When we returned home, I was sunburned and exhausted, but we went for a run anyway. Peli had been cooped up in the house all day and needed some mountain time. As we were running along the Shoreline trail, we saw some deer. A LOT of deer. We stopped to watch them, and Peli was completely oblivious, until one of them kicked a rock down the mountain. That immediately got Peli's attention, and OFF she went! Up the mountain, chasing what I'm sure she thought were dogs waiting to play. She made it pretty high up the mountain, but they ran off before she could get too close. The sudden sprint almost completely vertical made her very tired for the rest of the run, but when we went on the same run last night, she kept darting up the mountain to find deer. When she finally did, she was already worn out enough to not go all the way up to where they were, but she was so excited. I love that she would make such a terrible hunting dog.
28 days until we move to Kansas. I'm still extremely excited about graduate school, but I'm not as excited about leaving Utah anymore. The culture is still crazy, but we've found some really good friends, and like I said before, we're very fond of the mountains. We were laughing with Chris and Linda about how it "only" took us 2 years to find people we clicked with, and they said it was the same for them. Maybe it just takes that long to find a group of people when you're getting old like us. Of course, we were trying for the first year and a half to make friends with people our age, and we ended up becoming such good friends with people well into their 30s. Ah, well. We'll know better next time.
To work! 19 days left of that. I really hope the girl they hired to replace me is so stinking awesome that my coworkers are glad I left. I've grown quite fond of them as well, so I'd like to leave them with at least that. Let's just hope my training skills are effective.
Now really... to work!
After the session concluded (and I had two loads of laundry folded-- because I'm a rockstar), we went over to Mapleton to spend some time with Chris, Linda, and their kids. They live on a fabulous piece of property with goats, chickens, and a cat. Chickens, in case you were wondering, are probably the most entertaining birds on the planet. They also lay an egg every 25 hours, and when you have 25 hens, that's a lot of eggs. We left with two dozen, and since they're free range, the eggs are so delicious. Two of the goats also gave birth in the past week, so I got to play with a very precious baby goat, and pretend to play with a very shy 4 day old goat (she wasn't feeling very social). They have the perfect setup-- a giant garden for fruits and vegetables, a few fruit trees, chickens for eggs, and then very friendly goats to play with. Who needs cable when you have that in your back yard? I wasn't even tempted to spend any time inside-- we went in quickly to grab a bite to eat, and then I was outside again, playing with their adorable little girls (who are SO stinking smart!) and feeling very centered in their very localized petting zoo. Our goal is to have a similar set up once we're done with school, hopefully in Colorado (we've grown quite fond of mountains) with chickens (just for eggs) and a cow (just for milk) and goats and sheep. Then our food won't have all the hormones and our animals will be treated humanely. It'll be a lot of work, but it'll be so much fun! And how nice will it be to feel so self sufficient?
When we returned home, I was sunburned and exhausted, but we went for a run anyway. Peli had been cooped up in the house all day and needed some mountain time. As we were running along the Shoreline trail, we saw some deer. A LOT of deer. We stopped to watch them, and Peli was completely oblivious, until one of them kicked a rock down the mountain. That immediately got Peli's attention, and OFF she went! Up the mountain, chasing what I'm sure she thought were dogs waiting to play. She made it pretty high up the mountain, but they ran off before she could get too close. The sudden sprint almost completely vertical made her very tired for the rest of the run, but when we went on the same run last night, she kept darting up the mountain to find deer. When she finally did, she was already worn out enough to not go all the way up to where they were, but she was so excited. I love that she would make such a terrible hunting dog.
28 days until we move to Kansas. I'm still extremely excited about graduate school, but I'm not as excited about leaving Utah anymore. The culture is still crazy, but we've found some really good friends, and like I said before, we're very fond of the mountains. We were laughing with Chris and Linda about how it "only" took us 2 years to find people we clicked with, and they said it was the same for them. Maybe it just takes that long to find a group of people when you're getting old like us. Of course, we were trying for the first year and a half to make friends with people our age, and we ended up becoming such good friends with people well into their 30s. Ah, well. We'll know better next time.
To work! 19 days left of that. I really hope the girl they hired to replace me is so stinking awesome that my coworkers are glad I left. I've grown quite fond of them as well, so I'd like to leave them with at least that. Let's just hope my training skills are effective.
Now really... to work!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
OCD at its finest.
Is it sick that I get a high from writing my class schedule in my planner? And that it makes me giddy to apply for jobs and such for when we return to Kansas?
Yes. It does.
I'm okay with that.
My first class as a Master's student is May 28th and ends June 13th. 3 credit hours completed in 6 days of class. I figure it can't be much worse than being at work for that time as far as my attention span goes, so it should be grand. My other class meets every Monday in June, and the first and last Tuesdays in June. By the end of my birthday month, I'll have 6 credits toward my graduate degree.
It makes my heart cry that it's snowing outside.
This would've been the ideal week for Kathleen to visit, because I have no desire to be outside on my bike. Last week was perfect riding weather, but I strapped myself to the trainer and did intervals so I wouldn't be riding as long. Ah, well. Another week of being on the trainer won't kill me.
We had a small dog staying with us for a weekend because a client couldn't hold on to him and he therefore risked being put to sleep. I think Chuck has noticed that we have had several animals come into our home that were temporary, and he's now worried that his status as a permanent family member isn't so secure. As a result, he's been a lot more affectionate. I won't complain.
40 days until we move back to Kansas. ROCK.
Yes. It does.
I'm okay with that.
My first class as a Master's student is May 28th and ends June 13th. 3 credit hours completed in 6 days of class. I figure it can't be much worse than being at work for that time as far as my attention span goes, so it should be grand. My other class meets every Monday in June, and the first and last Tuesdays in June. By the end of my birthday month, I'll have 6 credits toward my graduate degree.
It makes my heart cry that it's snowing outside.
This would've been the ideal week for Kathleen to visit, because I have no desire to be outside on my bike. Last week was perfect riding weather, but I strapped myself to the trainer and did intervals so I wouldn't be riding as long. Ah, well. Another week of being on the trainer won't kill me.
We had a small dog staying with us for a weekend because a client couldn't hold on to him and he therefore risked being put to sleep. I think Chuck has noticed that we have had several animals come into our home that were temporary, and he's now worried that his status as a permanent family member isn't so secure. As a result, he's been a lot more affectionate. I won't complain.
40 days until we move back to Kansas. ROCK.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I might throw up.
Tonight marks the first of what will become many, many visits between Kathleena and myself since we've been married folk. I didn't realize until Bobby asked me last night if Kathleen had visited before (silly Bobby and his silly memory), and I said no. Then I thought about it-- I haven't visited her either! We saw each other in Kansas over Christmas, but we hadn't visited one another in our living quarters since going from KS's to KB's. Craziness. So she will be here, and I am SO excited! No work for a few days (except Thursday-- silly group) and spending far too much time with my other me. Bobby may end up poking his eyes out by the end of her trip.
Last night was all sorts of crazy. I can't really go into details because it was with my job (and being a social worker is kind of like being a CIA agent), but how glorious it was to come home to a wonderful husband who made me dinner and wanted to go hiking with our dog. The hike may have gone better if Peli hadn't found something dead to roll in (why does she ALWAYS find the one dead thing in a five mile radius to roll in?), but she needed a bath anyway.
So how many folks watched the Big Love episode? I didn't, because I'm poor and don't have HBO (and having HBO may try to take away from my biking/hiking time, which no thanks), but I did find it on Youtube (everything is on youtube). I watched it out of curiousity, and because I wrote my article on it this week and thought it'd be good if I checked whether or not I had a reason to write the things I wrote. And... I did. I didn't write anything controversial or anything, but I did write that I pretty much had to choose between my family and the things I experienced in the temple, and as a result, my parents don't really speak to me anymore. Those things were so sacred to me that I lost my dad to experience them, and as a hardcore daddy's girl, it wasn't easy. But those experiences were special to me, so it was worth it. It was worth losing that much. So Tom Hanks (yes, the actor) and his grudge against Prop 8 decided to "cast pearls before swine" (not that I consider the public to be swine, per say [depending on the day], but they're not prepared to see/hear the things the episode showed). It made me sick to my stomach to watch it-- kind of like a car wreck-- but I must say, that ex-member consultant they got has an amazing memory. I've been going to the temple for a couple years now and I still need help. It won't hurt the church, of course, but it does make me sad that human decency and respect were the cost of getting a few more viewers this week.
And now my PSA since it's humping season: protect your dog/cat's carnal treasure. Get them spayed or neutered. If you have a dog and want to take them to the shelter, it's going to get put to sleep, simply because it's make-like-a-bunny time and puppies and kittens are everywhere. There's no room. And if you do adopt an animal, you've contracted with that animal that you will care for it and give it the best life possible until it dies. That's not until you kill it, but until it dies. You don't get to put an animal to sleep simply because you can't care for it but you don't want it to go to someone else. Geez.
It's been a week.
Last night was all sorts of crazy. I can't really go into details because it was with my job (and being a social worker is kind of like being a CIA agent), but how glorious it was to come home to a wonderful husband who made me dinner and wanted to go hiking with our dog. The hike may have gone better if Peli hadn't found something dead to roll in (why does she ALWAYS find the one dead thing in a five mile radius to roll in?), but she needed a bath anyway.
So how many folks watched the Big Love episode? I didn't, because I'm poor and don't have HBO (and having HBO may try to take away from my biking/hiking time, which no thanks), but I did find it on Youtube (everything is on youtube). I watched it out of curiousity, and because I wrote my article on it this week and thought it'd be good if I checked whether or not I had a reason to write the things I wrote. And... I did. I didn't write anything controversial or anything, but I did write that I pretty much had to choose between my family and the things I experienced in the temple, and as a result, my parents don't really speak to me anymore. Those things were so sacred to me that I lost my dad to experience them, and as a hardcore daddy's girl, it wasn't easy. But those experiences were special to me, so it was worth it. It was worth losing that much. So Tom Hanks (yes, the actor) and his grudge against Prop 8 decided to "cast pearls before swine" (not that I consider the public to be swine, per say [depending on the day], but they're not prepared to see/hear the things the episode showed). It made me sick to my stomach to watch it-- kind of like a car wreck-- but I must say, that ex-member consultant they got has an amazing memory. I've been going to the temple for a couple years now and I still need help. It won't hurt the church, of course, but it does make me sad that human decency and respect were the cost of getting a few more viewers this week.
And now my PSA since it's humping season: protect your dog/cat's carnal treasure. Get them spayed or neutered. If you have a dog and want to take them to the shelter, it's going to get put to sleep, simply because it's make-like-a-bunny time and puppies and kittens are everywhere. There's no room. And if you do adopt an animal, you've contracted with that animal that you will care for it and give it the best life possible until it dies. That's not until you kill it, but until it dies. You don't get to put an animal to sleep simply because you can't care for it but you don't want it to go to someone else. Geez.
It's been a week.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
58 days and counting
Seriously counting. I like to make lists and get all OCD with things that I'm excited about. How many paychecks do I have until we move to Kansas? Calculate how much goes to rent, insurance, bills, etc-- add up money from my newspaper articles and Bobby's bike shop pay check-- minus the bike stuff we're getting. Consider possible amount being added from TWO garage sales we'll be having come end of April. Sell sell sell! It's all I can do to now get boxes now and pack everything up. It wouldn't be so bad living out of boxes for a couple months, would it?
54 days until my last day at work. I have a lot to do between now and then-- organize the files, write a manual for my job, rewrite the volunteer training manual, figure out a system for tracking statistics for the new employee-- all in addition to my normal every day stuff.
9 days until Kathleen comes to Utah. YAY! It's not going to be fiscally exciting (zoom in on my empty wallet), but it'll be good to have time off of work and just chill with my best friend. I see lots of temple hopping in our immediate future. I saw her just this past Christmas, but hot dang, I could go for some Kathleena time on a daily basis (and according to my phone bill, I usually end up doing just that).
I've skipped a few articles that I've written as far as posting a link here goes, but someone left a comment on my article that seems especially potent. It might sound familiar (it's a post I put here last summer with some modifications), but it's something to pay attention to-- watch for cyclists. Seriously. We could die. http://www.tmi2day.com/2009/03/05/resist-the-temptation-ape-man/
54 days until my last day at work. I have a lot to do between now and then-- organize the files, write a manual for my job, rewrite the volunteer training manual, figure out a system for tracking statistics for the new employee-- all in addition to my normal every day stuff.
9 days until Kathleen comes to Utah. YAY! It's not going to be fiscally exciting (zoom in on my empty wallet), but it'll be good to have time off of work and just chill with my best friend. I see lots of temple hopping in our immediate future. I saw her just this past Christmas, but hot dang, I could go for some Kathleena time on a daily basis (and according to my phone bill, I usually end up doing just that).
I've skipped a few articles that I've written as far as posting a link here goes, but someone left a comment on my article that seems especially potent. It might sound familiar (it's a post I put here last summer with some modifications), but it's something to pay attention to-- watch for cyclists. Seriously. We could die. http://www.tmi2day.com/2009/03/05/resist-the-temptation-ape-man/
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Blessed Belly Butterflies
Life has been a little too good lately (the kind of too good that makes me wonder if something horrible is lurking around the corner). I've got all of my paperwork sent in to KU to get me all squared away for my practicum, which makes me positively giddy with anticipation. Where will I go? What will I end up doing? It's like Christmas with the added bonus of no awkward familial obligations.
Utah had a very unseasonably warm day yesterday, and because I'm the lucky kid that gets to go into work on Saturday, I could take off early and go on a bike ride. Bike rides= love. Well, for the most part. We watched all the stages of the Tour of California and it made me want to go pro. Not because I'd get to ride all the time or that I'd get paid the big bucks to wear spandex on a daily basis, but because they clear the ENTIRE ROAD for the races. No cars (except support vehicles) to worry about hitting you, so gone are the visions of slipping on some gravel and a nonobservant vehicle running over your road rashed body. It's like holistic prozac. Of course, there were plenty of wrecks that caused several broken bones and concussions, but I think I could deal with that if I knew I wouldn't have a car running over me. I wish police officers would spend some time road cycling so they'd have sympathy for us and start enforcing the three feet law on all occasions instead of just the ones involving someone getting hit by a car. This is a fantastic list of things you can do when you're driving to make sure people like me don't die.
Oh, and Mr./Ms. UPS person? You kind of defeat the purpose of having a bike lane when you park in it. Jerk.
So I saw this video and it inspired me to get into weight lifting seriously. With Bobby in athletic training classes, I decided to take advantage of his knowledge and have him design a training plan for me. For the first couple of weeks, in addition to bike riding, I'm doing some light resistance training. So light, in fact, I'm using just me and the occasional resistance band. Push-ups, sit ups, squat jumps. I understood the need to build a base, like I do with cycling, but I thought the first couple of weeks were going to be dull and minimally beneficial. I was so wrong! Squat jumps are the DEVIL. I only did three sets of ten reps, and my bum is so sore. Three sets of fifteen reps push ups (regular, not modified) is kicking my trash on a daily basis. Bob and Jillian would be so proud.
The relief society presidency from our new ward came to visit me yesterday, and our snow boards were at the top of the stairs, our bikes at the bottom, our trainer in our living room, and pictures of us surfing and the like around the apartment. They said they were tired just looking at everything. I sleep SO MUCH BETTER when I'm physically active though. Which is fantastic, because that's usually when my anxiety gets bad.
Speaking of which, I slept very well last night, but I also had a nightmare that happened the night before, and I think it's trying to tell me something. I had a dream that three individuals were trying to kill me. Those three individiuals?
The Jonas Brothers.
And off to work!
Utah had a very unseasonably warm day yesterday, and because I'm the lucky kid that gets to go into work on Saturday, I could take off early and go on a bike ride. Bike rides= love. Well, for the most part. We watched all the stages of the Tour of California and it made me want to go pro. Not because I'd get to ride all the time or that I'd get paid the big bucks to wear spandex on a daily basis, but because they clear the ENTIRE ROAD for the races. No cars (except support vehicles) to worry about hitting you, so gone are the visions of slipping on some gravel and a nonobservant vehicle running over your road rashed body. It's like holistic prozac. Of course, there were plenty of wrecks that caused several broken bones and concussions, but I think I could deal with that if I knew I wouldn't have a car running over me. I wish police officers would spend some time road cycling so they'd have sympathy for us and start enforcing the three feet law on all occasions instead of just the ones involving someone getting hit by a car. This is a fantastic list of things you can do when you're driving to make sure people like me don't die.
Oh, and Mr./Ms. UPS person? You kind of defeat the purpose of having a bike lane when you park in it. Jerk.
So I saw this video and it inspired me to get into weight lifting seriously. With Bobby in athletic training classes, I decided to take advantage of his knowledge and have him design a training plan for me. For the first couple of weeks, in addition to bike riding, I'm doing some light resistance training. So light, in fact, I'm using just me and the occasional resistance band. Push-ups, sit ups, squat jumps. I understood the need to build a base, like I do with cycling, but I thought the first couple of weeks were going to be dull and minimally beneficial. I was so wrong! Squat jumps are the DEVIL. I only did three sets of ten reps, and my bum is so sore. Three sets of fifteen reps push ups (regular, not modified) is kicking my trash on a daily basis. Bob and Jillian would be so proud.
The relief society presidency from our new ward came to visit me yesterday, and our snow boards were at the top of the stairs, our bikes at the bottom, our trainer in our living room, and pictures of us surfing and the like around the apartment. They said they were tired just looking at everything. I sleep SO MUCH BETTER when I'm physically active though. Which is fantastic, because that's usually when my anxiety gets bad.
Speaking of which, I slept very well last night, but I also had a nightmare that happened the night before, and I think it's trying to tell me something. I had a dream that three individuals were trying to kill me. Those three individiuals?
The Jonas Brothers.
And off to work!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A night (or three) in Vegas
Las Vegas has always had an appeal to me. Anywhere you can go and potentially see a trans-vestite/gender/sexual is fantastic in my book. Ever seen "To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything"? It's quite possibly one of my favorite movies of all time (Patrick Swayze, bless his cancer-ridden-heart, makes a beautiful woman).
So when a three-day-weekend arose, and we found out Bobby's mom and step-dad would be coming out, we decided to make the drive south to gambling haven.
It was slightly atypical.
Friday night, our arrival, consisted of dropping off our belongings at a complete stranger's home. Bobby's friend Joe's mission buddy's parents were housing us for the first night until Bobby's mom's cousin would allow us to sleep on her floor (long story). We then headed out the door ("we" being Bobby, Joe, Bobby and Joe's friend Brock, and myself) to hit the strip and meet up with another mission buddy of Joe's, and his wife. Turns out the new buddy and his wife are vying for a position on the Olympic Speedwalking Team for 2012. We went from New York, New York (for those of who you are familiar with the strip) to the Bellagio going at about a 5.5 mph pace. The intent was to go to the front of the Bellagio and look at the pretty flowers, but we instead went in the wrong way and could not access the front. We made it out of the back of the Bellagio, and went at about a 6 mph pace until we were back at New York, New York, while I asked myself the entire time when we were actually going to go into some store/casino/hotel to look around. Never happened. By the time we made it back to New York, New York, we were sweating profusely and could scarcely breathe. Thank you, speed walking champs.
So we went back to where we were staying and crashed.
The bonus of the strangers' home was they are dog lovers. They had four little mixes, and one of them only had one eye, so I was in doggie heaven. I snuggled and got kisses and snuggled some more, making me miss my little girl a little bit less (just a little bit).
The next morning, Bobby went on a bike ride with Joe and Brock, and I went to the Las Vegas Temple.
Of course, I had decided on a whim to go, so I didn't have my recommend, and since I live in Happy Valley, my bishop didn't remember me by my name when they called him (I've only been in the ward for two months, and with new people all the time, it's hard for names to stick). I had to go into great detail about what I do and what Bobby does before the bishop remembered me. If you're ever in Vegas, definitely go to the temple. It's beautiful. The Celestial Room is probably my favorite of all I've seen.
Of course, later that evening when we met up Bobby's mom, step dad, Bobby's mom's cousin and her husband for dinner, I was informed that the part of town where the temple is happens to be where all the shootings happen. I'm glad I didn't know that prior to going.
After the temple, I went back to where we were staying to grab Bobby and go to one of my favorite places on earth: the animal shelter. It's very sad to go if you really think about it, so I choose to just focus on giving homeless pets some love. The NSPCA is a great facility for cats. They have several rooms filled with kitty condos, cat trees, and ledges that the cats can just roam freely in. No cages! I fell in love with two kitties- one with a squidgy eye infection, and the other one's inner eye lid was fused together on its right eye, so it had a permanent glazed over look. I like animals with deformed eyes. I think it's because that makes them special.
That evening was a lot of quality time with Bobby's mom, step dad, and Bobby's mom's cousin and her family. Lots of tongue biting ensued.
Bobby's mom's cousin has a dog who lives outside. We already know I'm anti outdoor pets, so I need not go into how I feel about the dog living outside. The dog's name is Sam, and she's a black lab heeler mix. She's 8 years old, but has all the energy of a puppy (heeler mixes tend to always be energetic). When Sunday rolled around, church didn't start until 2, so I spent a lot of time playing fetch in the back yard. Bobby and I ended up letting Sam in a bit more often than her usual allotted time (she sleeps inside the house), and it wasn't long before she knew who to follow. Why have a dog if you aren't going to give it constant loving? I tried to make up for it in the short time I was there.
Church was... weird. The lessons and talks were really good, the usual good churchiness, but there was a lot of big hair. Really big hair. I was very easily distracted by it, which is definitely all on me, but it certainly needs commenting on. Weird.
We went back to the strip Sunday night to walk around, and if you didn't already know, never look down when you're at the strip. There are lots of people who don't speak english handing out cards with pictures of naked women on them, which is very sad. As a result, there are lots of these cards on the ground, and it's hard to not feel sorry for the women in the pictures, and for the people handing them out trying to make some money.
We went to MGM, where I had to see the lions. I was told I must go see the lions, especially when I said we couldn't do anything that cost money. There was ONE lion, and it was sleeping. Some guy was petting it, which was pretty cool, but it was still slightly disappointing. We went back to the Bellagio to see the plants, and I was impressed. They made pandas out of leaves, and the baby panda was adorable. When we walked out, the fountains started going off, which was really impressive. When we went back to pick up Bobby's mom, we went through Paris, which was FANTASTIC. Seriously. I ached so badly to hop on a plane and go to the real Paris. The whole floor was transformed into a little Parisian village, with shops and food, et zut, je voudrais voyager a Paris maintenant! Mais non, je doit aller a KU pour trois semestre, et je n'ai pas l'argent pour mon voyage. En temps, je pense.
Monday morning meant quick shopping with Bobby's mom and my pleading to go home as soon as possible so we could get Peli. It was the longest I'd been away from her, and it was all I could do to not call my boss every three minutes to check in on her. We picked her up at 11 p.m. Monday night, just in time for her to pee on Ronda's couch. Fantastic.
My favorite parts of Vegas? The temple. And the animal shelter. Next time, I think I'll avoid travelling so far to get my fix.
So when a three-day-weekend arose, and we found out Bobby's mom and step-dad would be coming out, we decided to make the drive south to gambling haven.
It was slightly atypical.
Friday night, our arrival, consisted of dropping off our belongings at a complete stranger's home. Bobby's friend Joe's mission buddy's parents were housing us for the first night until Bobby's mom's cousin would allow us to sleep on her floor (long story). We then headed out the door ("we" being Bobby, Joe, Bobby and Joe's friend Brock, and myself) to hit the strip and meet up with another mission buddy of Joe's, and his wife. Turns out the new buddy and his wife are vying for a position on the Olympic Speedwalking Team for 2012. We went from New York, New York (for those of who you are familiar with the strip) to the Bellagio going at about a 5.5 mph pace. The intent was to go to the front of the Bellagio and look at the pretty flowers, but we instead went in the wrong way and could not access the front. We made it out of the back of the Bellagio, and went at about a 6 mph pace until we were back at New York, New York, while I asked myself the entire time when we were actually going to go into some store/casino/hotel to look around. Never happened. By the time we made it back to New York, New York, we were sweating profusely and could scarcely breathe. Thank you, speed walking champs.
So we went back to where we were staying and crashed.
The bonus of the strangers' home was they are dog lovers. They had four little mixes, and one of them only had one eye, so I was in doggie heaven. I snuggled and got kisses and snuggled some more, making me miss my little girl a little bit less (just a little bit).
The next morning, Bobby went on a bike ride with Joe and Brock, and I went to the Las Vegas Temple.
Of course, I had decided on a whim to go, so I didn't have my recommend, and since I live in Happy Valley, my bishop didn't remember me by my name when they called him (I've only been in the ward for two months, and with new people all the time, it's hard for names to stick). I had to go into great detail about what I do and what Bobby does before the bishop remembered me. If you're ever in Vegas, definitely go to the temple. It's beautiful. The Celestial Room is probably my favorite of all I've seen.
Of course, later that evening when we met up Bobby's mom, step dad, Bobby's mom's cousin and her husband for dinner, I was informed that the part of town where the temple is happens to be where all the shootings happen. I'm glad I didn't know that prior to going.
After the temple, I went back to where we were staying to grab Bobby and go to one of my favorite places on earth: the animal shelter. It's very sad to go if you really think about it, so I choose to just focus on giving homeless pets some love. The NSPCA is a great facility for cats. They have several rooms filled with kitty condos, cat trees, and ledges that the cats can just roam freely in. No cages! I fell in love with two kitties- one with a squidgy eye infection, and the other one's inner eye lid was fused together on its right eye, so it had a permanent glazed over look. I like animals with deformed eyes. I think it's because that makes them special.
That evening was a lot of quality time with Bobby's mom, step dad, and Bobby's mom's cousin and her family. Lots of tongue biting ensued.
Bobby's mom's cousin has a dog who lives outside. We already know I'm anti outdoor pets, so I need not go into how I feel about the dog living outside. The dog's name is Sam, and she's a black lab heeler mix. She's 8 years old, but has all the energy of a puppy (heeler mixes tend to always be energetic). When Sunday rolled around, church didn't start until 2, so I spent a lot of time playing fetch in the back yard. Bobby and I ended up letting Sam in a bit more often than her usual allotted time (she sleeps inside the house), and it wasn't long before she knew who to follow. Why have a dog if you aren't going to give it constant loving? I tried to make up for it in the short time I was there.
Church was... weird. The lessons and talks were really good, the usual good churchiness, but there was a lot of big hair. Really big hair. I was very easily distracted by it, which is definitely all on me, but it certainly needs commenting on. Weird.
We went back to the strip Sunday night to walk around, and if you didn't already know, never look down when you're at the strip. There are lots of people who don't speak english handing out cards with pictures of naked women on them, which is very sad. As a result, there are lots of these cards on the ground, and it's hard to not feel sorry for the women in the pictures, and for the people handing them out trying to make some money.
We went to MGM, where I had to see the lions. I was told I must go see the lions, especially when I said we couldn't do anything that cost money. There was ONE lion, and it was sleeping. Some guy was petting it, which was pretty cool, but it was still slightly disappointing. We went back to the Bellagio to see the plants, and I was impressed. They made pandas out of leaves, and the baby panda was adorable. When we walked out, the fountains started going off, which was really impressive. When we went back to pick up Bobby's mom, we went through Paris, which was FANTASTIC. Seriously. I ached so badly to hop on a plane and go to the real Paris. The whole floor was transformed into a little Parisian village, with shops and food, et zut, je voudrais voyager a Paris maintenant! Mais non, je doit aller a KU pour trois semestre, et je n'ai pas l'argent pour mon voyage. En temps, je pense.
Monday morning meant quick shopping with Bobby's mom and my pleading to go home as soon as possible so we could get Peli. It was the longest I'd been away from her, and it was all I could do to not call my boss every three minutes to check in on her. We picked her up at 11 p.m. Monday night, just in time for her to pee on Ronda's couch. Fantastic.
My favorite parts of Vegas? The temple. And the animal shelter. Next time, I think I'll avoid travelling so far to get my fix.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Is there any truth to this?
Defense asks for no Mormons on murder trial jury
February 11th, 2009 @ 10:10am
OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- An attorney for a man charged with aggravated murder have filed a motion to keep off the jury any members of the Mormon church who might believe that the only way for him to be forgiven by God is to be executed.
Sharon Sipes, a public defender for Riqo Perea, filed the motion in 2nd District Court. She says a belief among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that the only way to receive true forgiveness from God after committing a serious offense is to shed one's own blood.
Sipes says that although the church has indicated blood atonement isn't part of official doctrine, members widely believe it.
Perea, 21, is charged with two counts of aggravated murder in a gang-related 2007 shooting. Perea could face the death penalty.
------
Information from: Standard-Examiner
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Because no one told me. And I'm anti capital punishment. But tell me what you think/have heard.
My eyeballs hurt.
My latest addiction is www.babysteals.com. No, I'm not pregnant, but since we started on Dave Ramsey's plan, I'm always looking for good deal. Technically, we shouldn't be buying anything until our credit cards are paid off, but I feel deserving to treat myself now and again. And I'm a sucker for baby shoes (always have been).
I've been reading about Obama's stimulus plan, and say what you want about what it's going to do to the economy (good or bad), I'm really excited about it. Simply put, I'm going to feel a lot better about life when my credit card debt is gone. We'll still have student loans to pay off, but those are legitimate-- the church is actually okay with education debt. The credit card debt was just us being stupid. Some of it is medical bills, but I don't even consider that legitimate (darn my lack of grace).
Beautiful.
Yes, we're spending more money that we don't have. Yes, it could kill the economy even more. How? I don't know. I spent most of economics class knitting or sleeping. As a social worker, I have a lot of job security, so I'm not exactly concerned about it personally. It's very unfortunate for other people, but they should have had the foresight to go into the best field ever! Kidding. Kind of.
So last week, I got off of work early on Friday for my massive hours I put in on the previous Saturday for a grant that we thought was due, but wasn't (but three cheers for having all the data for it for when it is due!). We went to Dragon Dreams Boutique simply because it reminded me of a store I'd see on Mass Street in Lawrence. I'm not really into dragons, but I do like wind chimes and zen gardens and incense and soothing music. They had pretty fountains and jewelry made by a lady from South Africa, and I loved every bit of it (except for maybe the dragons). They even had a DOG in the store. I could have taken a nap there. Anyway, Bobby bought some nag champa and I got a goddess charm that I'm currently wearing around my neck. For everyone who buys something, you enter a drawing. Bobby started filling it out, but I snatched it from him because a)His handwriting is like a boy's and b)He never wins anything. Before we got married, I won pretty much any drawing I entered. So I filled out my information, and yesterday, I got a call telling me I'm a rockstar and I won a big basket full of organic soaps and stuff.
In other words, it's been a good week.
If you haven't already, look at my previous post and tell me about your Blackberry. I'm not kidding, folks! I need your input. I have no expertise on the matter with my flip phone with no features. Someday I'll catch up, but only out of necessity-- not by choice.
I've been reading about Obama's stimulus plan, and say what you want about what it's going to do to the economy (good or bad), I'm really excited about it. Simply put, I'm going to feel a lot better about life when my credit card debt is gone. We'll still have student loans to pay off, but those are legitimate-- the church is actually okay with education debt. The credit card debt was just us being stupid. Some of it is medical bills, but I don't even consider that legitimate (darn my lack of grace).
Beautiful.
Yes, we're spending more money that we don't have. Yes, it could kill the economy even more. How? I don't know. I spent most of economics class knitting or sleeping. As a social worker, I have a lot of job security, so I'm not exactly concerned about it personally. It's very unfortunate for other people, but they should have had the foresight to go into the best field ever! Kidding. Kind of.
So last week, I got off of work early on Friday for my massive hours I put in on the previous Saturday for a grant that we thought was due, but wasn't (but three cheers for having all the data for it for when it is due!). We went to Dragon Dreams Boutique simply because it reminded me of a store I'd see on Mass Street in Lawrence. I'm not really into dragons, but I do like wind chimes and zen gardens and incense and soothing music. They had pretty fountains and jewelry made by a lady from South Africa, and I loved every bit of it (except for maybe the dragons). They even had a DOG in the store. I could have taken a nap there. Anyway, Bobby bought some nag champa and I got a goddess charm that I'm currently wearing around my neck. For everyone who buys something, you enter a drawing. Bobby started filling it out, but I snatched it from him because a)His handwriting is like a boy's and b)He never wins anything. Before we got married, I won pretty much any drawing I entered. So I filled out my information, and yesterday, I got a call telling me I'm a rockstar and I won a big basket full of organic soaps and stuff.
In other words, it's been a good week.
If you haven't already, look at my previous post and tell me about your Blackberry. I'm not kidding, folks! I need your input. I have no expertise on the matter with my flip phone with no features. Someday I'll catch up, but only out of necessity-- not by choice.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Help.
So I'm writing an article, and I want it to be fantastic. To me, fantastic-ness requires diversity (hence my struggle in happy valley. Kidding! Kind of.), so I'm reaching out every where to get as large a sample size as possible. What important topic requires such outreach, you ask?
Blackberrys.
They're an addiction, and it's fantastic. My husband couldn't imagine surviving without access to his emails as soon as they are sent. He has forgotten what it's like to wait until you get home to check and see if you won whatever it was on eBay you were bidding for or what it's like to not get angry emails from in-laws when you're driving (grrrr).
So tell me your story. But first, tell me your
Name:
Profession (Student, job, stay at home mom, super hero to the stars):
Can I use your name if/when I quote you?:
Then on to the good stuff.
1. Which Blackberry do you have?
2. How is your life different since getting your Blackberry?
3. What happens if you leave the house and have forgotten your Blackberry?
4. What makes the Blackberry different than other cell phones you’ve had?
5. What is your favorite feature?
6. What is the most interesting thing you can tell me about your Blackberry (its name, an experience you’ve had with it, etc)?
7. Anything else you might add.
You can answer in a comment here, or you can email your response to me at kaitlin.stewart@gmail.com. I'm hoping for a smashing article (and it will be about Blackberry addiction, not about how you're a fool because you can't part with it-- it's a societal norm expose, not a you're-a-freak expose), and if you like, I'd be willing to email you any parts that include you in it when I send it in to my editor. I don't want to send out the whole thing, or people are less inclined to check out the paper :).
So if you're willing, I'll love you forever. And give you my kidney if you ever need it.
Thanks!
Blackberrys.
They're an addiction, and it's fantastic. My husband couldn't imagine surviving without access to his emails as soon as they are sent. He has forgotten what it's like to wait until you get home to check and see if you won whatever it was on eBay you were bidding for or what it's like to not get angry emails from in-laws when you're driving (grrrr).
So tell me your story. But first, tell me your
Name:
Profession (Student, job, stay at home mom, super hero to the stars):
Can I use your name if/when I quote you?:
Then on to the good stuff.
1. Which Blackberry do you have?
2. How is your life different since getting your Blackberry?
3. What happens if you leave the house and have forgotten your Blackberry?
4. What makes the Blackberry different than other cell phones you’ve had?
5. What is your favorite feature?
6. What is the most interesting thing you can tell me about your Blackberry (its name, an experience you’ve had with it, etc)?
7. Anything else you might add.
You can answer in a comment here, or you can email your response to me at kaitlin.stewart@gmail.com. I'm hoping for a smashing article (and it will be about Blackberry addiction, not about how you're a fool because you can't part with it-- it's a societal norm expose, not a you're-a-freak expose), and if you like, I'd be willing to email you any parts that include you in it when I send it in to my editor. I don't want to send out the whole thing, or people are less inclined to check out the paper :).
So if you're willing, I'll love you forever. And give you my kidney if you ever need it.
Thanks!
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