Just call me...CAMERA GIRL!!!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

2011-08-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Awesome

1. I made Blackberry and Ginger Glaze for the first time ever and it turned out really well.

2. I found the squirt bottle. I can now squirt Peanut when she makes that awful noise, as if she's being slowly crushed...but she's not.

3. I went to the movies and saw The Help. While it WAS sad I lived. There was also kissing. Boo. I also got compared to a 3 year old:) Something about covering my eyes and plugging my ears.

Awkward

1. My toe hurts. all the time.

2. It's been warmer than usual out here which makes running harder than usual.

3. I'm beginning to think that I'm jinxed in regards to electronic things. I've somehow changed my lap markers on my Garmin and I have no idea how I did that.

4. I feel super old today because I was out late to see that movie. I could sleep all day I think.

Blackerberries...

2011-08-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Blackberries are finally getting ripe, and I'm finally getting a chance to pick them:)

Of course that led to the travesty of that dumb bird spitting bits onto the dress I'm sewing.

I got all but one of the spots out but I think I can finagle a way to hide the offending bit.

Last night I made a Ginger Blackberry glaze that turned out wonderfully and I'm looking forward to trying more recipes.

boo!

2011-08-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

The other day I googled how to sew French Seams. Which turned out to be super easy!
The only dificult part was that most patterns don't assume you're going to be using french seams and they don't write their instructions for that.

We'll I sewed a new baby blessing dress using the French Seams and it looks great! I still needed to add the sleaves but hadn't decided on what kind of sleaves I wanted on it. I thought I would put lace as cute little cap sleaves but the only fabric store in town (Joanne's) sucks. They had a grand total of 3 kinds of lace that was in an antique white color but really just looked beige.

When I came home from that shopping trip I put the dress on the table...next to Fred's cage.

No, he didn't chew on it. Instead he decided to throw bits of blackberry that didn't meet with his approval.

Now it has little blackberry stains.

I'm mad at him and at myself for even leaving it anyway near him. I'm not sure I can get the spots out and that ruins the entire dress.

Sometimes I hate my pets.

2011-08-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

When I was REALLY little, probably 3ish (based on the fact that we were living in Utah in the house that used to be a business) I got into trouble- I don't remember what I did. I DO remember that Mom yelled at me and I got sent to my room. I was crushed and cried myself to sleep.

I was woken up by a monkey telling me it was sorry and kissing my face.

Awkward & Awesome THursday (As stolen from Amy)

2011-08-11T23:19:00.001-07:00

Awkward

1. Running through the airport with a back pack and a carry on only to have the close the doors right in front of you

2. Having to spend the night in the airport.

3. Pouring sweat from sprinting through the airport only to miss my fight anyway...I might be a bit bitter.

4. My in-laws key board. Seriously I keep making mistakes because the keys feel so different.

5. Messaging everyone telling them I had no idea when I was getting in to CLT. It was at midnight the day after left if anyone cares.

6.Not figuring out WHY this post won't publish.

Awesome
1. Finally getting on the flight from Atlanta! I was SO over this trip!

2. The fact that I am JUST BARELY short enough to sleep on my tray on the airplane. I'd still rather trade a few torso inches for longer legs.

3. Getting to talk to my brother for as long as he could stay awake. We normally talk twice a week but during his summer vacation our schedules just haven't let us.

4. Buying a flat of raspberries from the farmers market.

5. Feeding Jason a Nastertion flower- and watching his face! I actually like them, they taste very similar to a radish...but like a flower.

6. Being fed garden fresh sweat peas from Amy's garden...her garden is so much better than mine. My Papa would cry himself to sleep if he were alive to see my pathetic patch.

7. Getting to play Quibbler at Amy's house! Sure I lost, but I really like that game. At least I wasn't last *cough* Jason *cough*

8. FINALLY updating my blog:)

F.F.F.T

2011-07-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way to NC after spending the week somewhere in upper Michigan for my cousins wedding.

The only thing I hate is that I get really used to everyone being around and then when it's time for them or us to leave it takes me by surprise.

Blegh.

I really enjoyed spending time with everyone and Brian looked really happy to be marrying Katie.

Uncle John looked a little tired after three weddings in the last 18 months :)

won't this be fun!

2011-06-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was outside doing some yard work, because, well our yard looks awful.
We have a TON of dandelions which seem to be the only type of plant I'm capable of growing successfully.

It seemed a waste to just chuck a fully edible plant in the garbage (particularly since it's probably the only edible thing coming from my garden this year) so I got a basket for the plants I pulled up. I planned on having them all sorted, cleaned and hidden before Jason got home so he wouldn't know what I was up to but I failed. I was still sorting them when he and Kacey our neighbor got home.
He asked me what I was doing...I answered with this question "Do you think knowing the answer to that will make you happy or not happy?"
He insisted on me telling him, that I plan on feeding him weeds...I don't think it made him happy.

My plan is to find a good spinach recipe and replace the spinach with dandelion leaves. I thought it might be a good idea to make some with spinach as well, so we can accurately tell if the replacement was good or bad or if it was just a nasty recipe.
Our neighbor Kacey has stated that while is willing to eat the spinach option he has no interest in dandelion anything.

I think this makes him an excellent test subject.

A free trip to paris

2011-06-09T01:24:00.000-07:00

I read a blog called Grosgrain that told me about another blog Oh Happy Day that is doing a give away.

An Awesome give away.

I want it.

It would be pretty awesome to go to Paris...Even if there are a bunch of street beggers and maybe a little dirty.

On the upside I'll be able to gorge on Angelinas hot chocolate if I win:) AND I'd get a new stamp in my passport.

Blessing Dress

2011-06-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Full Length View

Middle Design View

Side design view

Now this dress will have to layers to the skirt. The top layer will have a smaller but similar design on it as well as the scalloped hem. The bottom skirt is finished and will look like the photo.

My question IS...Should I add tucks like you can see in the following photo?

What you're looking at are the horizontal pleat looking things. I'm wondering if I should add them to at least the top skirt if not the bottom skirt as well.

Thoughts?

2011-06-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

I didn't manage to ruin the baby dress I've spent HOURS and HOURS working on.

I was so afraid that I was going to cut into the embroidery threads that work as a binding so that the fabric doesn't unravel.

I put off cutting off the extra fabric because I was petrified of ruining the whole thing with less than a month until I need to ship off the whole thing to John and Pam.

I guess I should post photo or something...maybe.

I can't sleep...ever.

2011-05-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a good nights sleep in almost two weeks.

My friend Amy says it's because of p90x...she might be right. OR my insomnia is back and poking me just for fun.

I can GET to sleep O.K, I just can't STAY asleep.

If Jason moves even slightly, I wake up.
If Grace snores, I wake up.
If Jason breaths on me, I wake up.
I wake up every morning around 6am for no reason, SURE I've overslept for something. (On this matter i blame the constantly overcast sky, it's impossible to tell the time, based on how bright it is outside.)

I can't seem to get a decent nap in, because I either can't fall completely asleep, or after 20 minutes I wake up again...for no reason.

I also have to be careful with napping because it can mean that I can't get to sleep that night either...blegh. I think I'm going to break open the prescription sleeping pills I forgot I had. I don't use them not because they don't work, because they REALLY do...and I can't use them if I want to be at all alert for the entire next day.

Eh?

2011-05-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

I really suck at this blogging thing...I AM really good at whining when other people don't update regularly- I guess we all have our talents.

I guess the biggest thing on my horizon is Brian's wedding. and the week after...and the week after that!

The tickets are just SO expensive and then the week after in MI is directly over Club Oly Running's Fall Marathon Training. After a week hanging out with maybe Justin and Angie, and Brian and Katie (at least for a few days) We drive 14 HOURS to NC.

I think I might die. On the upside I do still have those sleeping pills, which are super strong. On the down side I think I'm supposed to help entertain Emmeline for at least a portion of that hellaious drive. If I fall asleep, she'll probably barf on me as my punishment.

It might still be worth it.

Then another week in NC which honestly shouldn't be too bad, unless we're all so sick of each other by then that we aren't on speaking terms. Isabella is getting baptized and I really want to be there for that!

I can't figure out how to get enough support for my 10K program AND Marathon Training Program that I'm supposed to help with while I'm out of town for the first 2.3 weeks of the program!

Blerg.

Also, after today's Marathon Training Meeting I have really lost a lot of enthusiasm for this project. It's like they figured out all the fun exciting parts and decided they just can't do that.

It sounds like they're planning on limiting the program to 50 people! which is retarded because last year there were 40 odd registered people but I NEVER saw more than 20 at any of the long runs. The way I figure it, is there will be a certain amount of drop outs, or people who just miss different long runs and we should have a field that figures that into the number of people.

It's not like they want to offer one on one coaching or anything. All they're talking about is sticking water out on the course, which we have to do no matter the number of people who sign up.

They don't want to be "too successful"

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?
(Other than they kind of suck and are totally lame)

THe bigger question is of course, "How can I do everything I want to do this summer?"

EW!

2011-04-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

I did a google search on how to weave baskets and stumbled on this atrocity.

Can you even say EW loud enough to cover the ickiness of this rug?

Hoarding

2011-04-19T10:57:00.001-07:00

As many of you know I enjoy unraveling old sweaters and using the yarn to make something new.

It's pretty awesome because I can get my little mitts on really high quality yarn for around a dollar for almost 900 yards! I'd like to say it was all my idea but really I googled it.

I've made several baby blankets, sweaters, hats, and scarfs out of this yarn and I still have tons of skeins left over. Over Christmas Jason's sister requested crochet supplies and since he had drawn her name I worked it out so we could get her the book she requested and the complete hook set she wanted while staying wtihin the budget! of course if you give someone all that, you should really include some yarn so they can make something right away:)

I went down to my stash and stared...I had plans for the cream 100% cotton yarn...and I really liked the angora yarn...it wasn't really cold enough in NC to send her sheep wool yarn...Actually the truth was I liked ALL my yarn!

Jason saw me sitting there and asked what I was doing, so I told him I was trying to pick the yarn to give Jessica but that I wanted to keep it all.
He said I didn't have to give her any but I could tell he thought I shouldn't have so much:)
In the end I decided to give her some pink 100% Cashmere yarn. I think she liked it-I don't know for sure, she never said. She didn't send it back though:)

In the interim though I have set up a shop on www.etsy.com and I've listed my yarn. I've actually sold about 10 skeins so it's pretty cool:)

hmm

2011-04-15T02:07:00.001-07:00

I can't sleep so I'm checking everyone's blogs...

And looking at some older photos of people the thought occurred to me...

What's it like looking like your getting older? For example if I look at photos of my sister and brother in law they look different in their wedding photos than they do now. The look really young and it's clear that years have gone by and they've lost some of their baby face.

The truth is I look pretty much the same now as I did at 18 years old. My hair is a different length and color but other than that (and my horrible fashion choices) I have to check the date on the photo to know how old I was. I look the same.

It's weird and I think gives me a stilted view of the passage of time.
It must also be hard on all the normal folk who have to see themselves get older while I stay beautiful and young off the life forces of those around me bwhahahah!

yup it would be.

2011-04-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

I"m tempted to write something inflammatory just to see if anyone actually reads this. You know do a controlled experiment to see how long it took anyone to respond to a statement like..."I'm pregnant".

By calling it a controlled experiment it gives it more value than pointing out that doing something like posting "I'm pregnant" is completely infantile and one of the stupidest "pranks" out there.

Just blame it on science.

ew...or awesome?

2011-04-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

When I get bored I google "repurposed" and look at what other people are making. I was bored today.
But wait! I found this gem:)

It's a Bear Skin Rug made out of teddy bear husks...for some reason it just disturbes me.

what's up...

2011-04-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I've cleaned up my project room, much to Jason's disbelief! The house we are renting is 1800 sqf with three bedrooms, so we both get our own room for what ever we want. What he wants is a bunch of geek stuff on the walls and what I want is my sewing machine, Serger, egg stuff, art stuff, photo restoration stuff and regular computer stuff set up at the same time.

So, it's been rather cluttered to say the lest.

It's kind of surprising (not really) to see how many future projects I have going right now. Sewing seems to be my new focus...and yarn.

I made a yarn shop on Etsy.com and listed some of the up cycled yarn I've been producing. I've even sold a couple of skeins.

I'm almost done with the dress portion of the blessing dress and will be starting the embroidery the beginning of next week.

whats up

2011-03-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

So it's no secret that Jason has been having a hard time with his boss. His boss is pretty bi-polar and has under valued Jason's contributions to the company and expresses those feelings by screaming at Jason and calling him names in private and in front of other employees.

He's just precious.

So jason turned in his notice and is now looking for a new job. We hope to be able to stay in Olympia but who knows. Right?

All this has put summer plans in question. There are a lot of un answered questions about what's going to happen so it's hard to commit to anything. I was looking at goign out to NC for Isabella's babtism as well as Michigan for Brian's wedding but we might nto have the finaces, or I might be working and therefore not have the vacation time available.
Everything is just kind of up in the air right now. I hate "up in the air".
Oh, and I can't sleep.
yay.

Blessing Dress

2011-03-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

After deciding to sew a dress that is past my skill the first order of business was googling a bunch of photos of other dresses that were past my skill level.

you know, for insperation.

Clearly.

I did find several that I liked and wish I had the time and skill to create but as the old saying goes "if wishes were horses beggers would ride".

Any Who...
I've bought a christening dress patter for sizing but am pretty sure I can modify it as I deem fit. or not, really there are only two options here. Either it will work or it won't so no pressure.

Here are a few of the photo examples of what I'm thinking of.

Clearly this is something I have the skill to reproduce:)

more stuff

2011-03-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

I went to the library the other day and got a bunch of new books out...I've decided that I want to make a baby blessing dress and decorate it with the Hardanger embroidery technique.

No I don't know how to do it...YET!
But don't worry I checked out books, so no problem right?

One problem I faced was who would the luck recipient be? I mean I know people are just lining up to receive the random stuff I make, right? Everyone seems to be knocked up these days so I shouldn't have a shortage of kidoodles to choose from...you'd think.

Blessing/Christening gowns are such a personal item. A lot of families have something traditional already picked out OR the Mother of one of the pre-parents will often gift a special outfit. I figure Jessica will have her mother sew the outfit. Jason's friends David and Marisol are having twin girls but I suspect that Marisol will have particular plans for dressing up her new dolls. I can't get one done in time for Skye, plus I'm betting Aunt Brenda will make one. I haven't heard what the plan is/was for Becca's latest. For all I know she's already gotten the munchkin blessed. Sarah already has her outfit (plus I want to do a dress not a suit and she has a boy) Katherine also has a boy and I bet some kind of traditional outfit that is in the family.

But as luck would have it Jason has another friend who is expecting! John and Pam, and apparently they haven't picked anything out and don't' expect to be gifted by a family member!

So now that the big question has been answered (for those who couldn't keep up..."who would I give it too?") All I have left to do is sew a baby dress and embellish it using a technique I've never done or tried before!

Easy Peasy!

Worms!

2011-03-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to compost...because I'm cool like that:)
First I needed a container...Then I drilled holes all over for ventilation ('cause worms gotta breath too!) plus there is a drainage issue.

Then I needed worms. According to Google, special compost worms (red worms) not just ordinary worms.

Turns out a guy down my street sells them.

And they like to cuddle:)

When they cuddle they make worm eggs! I never knew worms had eggs, so I asked the guy to show me one...Tada!

What to do...

2011-03-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

I long while ago I bought an ostrich egg and when it came it was all wonky.

Like I can use this for a pysanki egg!

Ew.

Instead I decided to cut it up and make hair combs with the shell :)

Here is my first effort. I think I've decided it's not going to be a hair comb but possibly a necklace pendant instead (attached at the wings).

My question is should I cut out eyelets within the wings? Or...should I paint the wings (as my original plan) or would it look like I colored them in?

It feels like more needs to be happening but when I add more it looks too busy. Karen suggested just attaching it "as is" to a chain and wearing it with a solid top.
Any suggestions?

Mixed...

2011-02-19T00:26:00.000-08:00

Sarah had her baby today. A little boy named Lawson. 8lbs 11oz.

For some reason I feel sad...I don't know why.

I got to talk to Sarah for a few minutes before another wave of family came to visit and meet Lawson. She was tired but happy and she and the baby are doing great.

But I'm still sad when I read updates about the new arrival.

Sleepy Time

2011-01-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

Back a while we decided Grace needed a bed. The thing is she is a big dog and the comercial beds for dogs her size are expensive. Well at least they are more expensive than I want to pay for a bed a stinky dog will sleep in :) I decided that I should just make one using some old pillows we had and a flat sheet I bought on the .99 day at Value Village. I wanted to make one that looked super cool with the bed part surrounded by edging of pillows. Unforunately I didn't have enough pillows for all that so I was reduced to making her a mattress with a large slipcover. Not what I wanted but she still likes is. She was kind of confused when I asked her to lay down on it for the first time so I could take her photo- which explains the weird look on her face :)
Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

What's for dinner?

2011-01-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

I was looking at photography sites and stumbled across this little nugget.
I'm not really sure what they were going for here but I think they missed their mark.

I am an Ice princess!

2011-01-02T01:09:00.001-08:00

That was rude...I didn't mean in THAT way!

Anywho...
I've been taking ice skating classes this past year and have really enjoyed the experience. I started because we lived within a reasonable distance from a rink and I wanted to learn some tricks.

Like jumping.

It turned out that I actually knew very little about ice skating and what I had taught myself, I was doing wrong. Go figure.

I started in the Alpha mixed age class, which ment I was learning along side kids 12 and under, who were showing me up on every skill. yay.

But I managed to pass Alpha and Beta in one class period (6 weeks).
Forward Stroking (6)
Forward Crossovers – Right Foot over Left (5)
Forward Crossovers – Left Foot over Right (5)
One-Foot Snowplow Stop
Backward Stroking (6)
Backward Crossovers – Right Foot over Left (5)
Backward Crossovers – Left Foot over Right (5)
T-Stop – Right Foot Outside Edge
T-Stop – Left Foot Outside Edge

I enjoyed it so much that I signed up for the next class (Gamma) and struggled through those awful mohawks. I had other skills to learn but for some reason the Mohawks were the hardest.
Right Forward Outside 3-Turn (One Foot Turn)
Left Forward Outside 3-Turn (One Foot Turn)
Right Forward Inside Open Mohawk Combination
Left Forward Inside Open Mohawk Combination
Hockey Stop

Delta was very similar to Gamma but was easier for some reason. I blame the Mohawks.
Right Forward Inside 3-Turn (One Foot Turn)
Left Forward Inside 3-Turn (One Foot Turn)
Forward Edges – Forward Outside Edges and Forward Inside Edges
Shoot-the- Duck or Lunge (choice of one)
Bunny Hop

I have a great Lunge by the way :)

I have since passed Freestyle 1 class which consisted of the following skills
Forward Inside Pivot
Two-Foot Spin
Forward Arabesque
Backward Edges – Backward Outside Edges and Backward Inside Edges
One-Half Flip
Waltz Jump
(In case you think the One-Half Flip has anything to do with an actual flip...it doesn't)

I am now working on my skills for Freestyle 2 and I think I'm doing pretty well in everything but my spin. For some reason I'm having trouble with the technique of getting far enough forward on my blade to be nice and solid and far enough back on my blade to not eat ice by catching my toe pick. NO, so far I haven't fallen...yet.
Ballet Jump
One-Half Toe Walley
One-Half Lutz
One-Foot Spin
Two Forward Arabesques (On either foot – and on either outside or inside edge)
Dance Step Sequence

Pike Place Market

2010-12-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

Jason had a friend in town and this past weekend we went to the famous Pike Place Market. It is such a fun place, with tons of stuff to see, and eat.

upcycling has it's costs...

2010-12-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

I take sweaters apart.

I buy them for a dollar at the thrift store, unravel them, wind them into a ball, unwind the ball onto a Niddy Noddy, calculate how many yards I have and then re-wind the yarn into a ball.

It drives Jason crazy.

I want to be sure everyone knows that I actually use the yarn for projects. One of which is frustrating me greatly.

I have a quantity of Cream 100% cotton yarn in Worsted weight that I have decided would make a beautifully unpractical baby blanket.

I picked this pattern, which I think is really classic and began.

Everything was going great, until I got 1/4 through and spread the blanket out to bask in my awesomness again...

This is what I saw:

Do you see the problem?

I had to take the whole thing apart and start over. I just about cried.

It's what I do

2010-11-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

For the last year or so I've been frequenting Value Village (a local thrift shop) on their "dollar days" and buying sweaters in various fibers. I read online that this is a great way to upcycle out of date sweaters while gaining access to some otherwise expensive yarn.

It turned out to be true.

I've been collected a huge stash of 100% cotton yarn in various weights and deconstructing them, then making some new and awesome out of the reclaimed yarn.

last year I made A LOT of hats. I actually was able to play around with adding colors to my patters and figuring out patterns by trolling the internet for photos of things I liked. I have discovered by revisiting crochet, that there aren't very many stylish patterns out there. Knitting seems to have a corner market on pattern makers.

Anywho.

I had reclaiimed some Aqua 100% Cotton yarn and decided to make Sarah's impending addition a baby blanket. It was pretty simple...so of course I managed to screw it up. I knew less than half way through the project I had dropped stitches but had already taken out rows, and rows and just didn't want to do it again, so I kept going.

So I spent hours, days, weeks, finishing the blanket only to lay it out and realise that I had screwed it up pretty badly and couln't possibly give it to ANYONE let alone Sarah. I had to take it all apart and start from stratch.

It was awful.

I have since finished the blanket but only have the "take 1" photo, so here it is.

It's done!...almost

2010-10-25T21:47:00.001-07:00

Well folks, here it is, in it's almost completely finished glory!

I still need to tack down the batting, but since I hate tied quilts i have decided that I will be doing a decorative basting stich in some as of yet undecided awesome color.
I'm kind of procrastinating this because I know pushing the needle through the fabric layers will make my fingers hurt.

Foiled!

2010-09-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ten whole years ago I started a project...

I took blue jeans and cut them up into large squares in order to make a jean quilt. I saw one and thought it was cool...turns out I didn't think it was cool enough to finish, since I packed it up and moved it around with me for 9 years.

Last year while I was in St.Louis, I took the squares and cut them into thin rectangles about the size of bricks...lots of them. I got them all sewed up into the topper of the quilt. I only needed the batting and a backer.

I'm cheap, so I didn't want to pay for the amount of batting that the quilt required, plus I like ro re-use. It makes projects just a bit cooler if I can use something that had seemingly met the end of it's useful life span. I wanted to get a quilt from freecycle.com but for some reason it doesn't seem to be active in Olympia.

I was "forced" to buy an ugly quilt from Goodwill. Mrs. Heilpern once gave me the tip that flat sheets make really good quilt backers due to the fact that most fabric comes 45 inches wide and most quilts are much wider.
So I bought a flat sheet as well...I wanted it free but apparently this project is meant to give me character.

I layed the topper out and layed the quilt out on top of it, then layed the sheet over that and realised that the sheet was wrinkly and that I really should have ironed it. I decided to ignore that and go a head and pin the edges which ended just like you'd think it would.

Today I took all apart and ironed the sheet.

After laying the whole shebang out again, I am faced with the choice of cutting 6 inches off the topper (which took me super long to sew!) or finding a section of batting that is 3' X 6". I'm really wanting to find the batting instead of cutting off the end...

Am I adorable?

2010-08-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is what I asked Jason tonight as we were walking out of Barnes and Nobles.

He claims I am in fact adorable.

Since I don't really consider myself "adorable" I asked him what made me adorable.

He said, body language, facial expressions, phrases, sayings...

I asked who else in his life he would list as "adorable", and he had trouble coming up with someone. He did decide that Isabella could join the club, and I agree- she really is very adorable.

Of course all this didn't actually help me figure out what makes a person adorable or not, but at least I now know that I can add another accomplishment to my list of many :)

Grace....

2010-08-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Grace with me to my Club Oly run. Afterwards as I was going through our whole routine of coming inside (she has to sit before I open the door, wait for me to enter first and then sit again inside for me to take her leash off) she kept standing up and pulling on the leash as I was trying to take it off of her.

I could figure out why but suspected that it was because Jason was in the living room and since she loves him more than me, she wanted to go show him just how much. Imagine my surprise when we finally managed to get through the sitting and such and she took off in the opposite direction as Jason. It turns out that she wanted to check and make sure Spock hadn't played or touched or whatever she thinks he's going to do, with her soup bone.

That bone is her most treasured possession. She carries it around the apt and makes sure Spock doesn't get near it. Unlike her food bowl I never have seen him show the least interest in the bone so I"m thinking her paranoia is unfounded.

It does surprise me that a dog would remember exactly where she put an object hours ago...and want to check on it.

In other news I'm thinking of seeing what it would take to get Grace in a Therapy Dog program. The kind where the dog visits old people and children in hospitals.

I'm on my way...

2010-08-18T23:47:00.001-07:00

Because I figured making my dress for Emily's wedding turned out so well I went out and bought a new pattern for a new dress. I was really looking for new fabric for the old pattern with some adjustments in mind, but was unable to find fabric that I liked.

I have since bought two bolts of fabric, neither I'm really IN LOVE with but both sholdn't be ugly. I even cut the apttern out of it's tissue paper today. Tomorrow I plan on cutting the pattern out of one of the fabrics. There are some adjustments to the pattern I would like to make and have decided that practicing on the cheaper of the two fabrics is probably a good idea.

On this project I will be attempting "Inverted Pleats"! It is a feat I have never attempted before and have never even seen done.

So, it should be a good show.

In other news today I figured out why all I've wanted to eat were frozen pot pies.

hmmm

2010-08-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today I watched the documentary No Impact Man.

The premis is a family in New York lives for one year with out creating a carbon imact. They implemented this change in phases and it included living without electricity and toilet paper. (they used re-useable rags).

In the Seattle area the "Earth Friendly" crowd is big. Lots of signage dedicated to recycling and the like. Loads of bikers and I actually see people walking to the store and using re-usable bags.

I've thought about getting a bike of Craigslist in order to use it for my local errends. I kind of hate biking though...it makes my butt hurt. Which would probalby change if I actually biked. Most of my trips are under 5 miles so it just seems like a waste to continue using the car for all these little trips (even though I try and combine them).

I don't know...I've been feeling kind of disconected between my consumerism and environmental efforts.
I think that reduction is probably has the best return vs. effort plus it kind of takes care ot the whole "living outside your means" issue that people have. I try and recycle (Jason doesn't seem to think it's worth the effort, or he's just not used to recycling due to a different upbringing) He also HATES to not use the dishwasher. I find using it for two people kind of lazy and a waste of water. But if I want him to clean the kitchen then I need to be OK with the fact that I KNOW he will be using that dishwasher. I also see so much waste that I feel like what I do is such a drop in the bucket it's hard to think it makes a difference.

Brushed them off...

2010-08-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Jason and I went downtown and tried out the local wall climbing facility The Rock Warehouse. I haven't been climbing in years really, so I was kind of nervous that I would suck bolts. One of the things about climbing is it's a lot of planning and it's also a lot easier to climb if your grasping muscles are even slight developed.

I started out by picking a route that was ranked a level that I USED to be able to do (5.10) but it turns out I might need to practice up a bit. I did end the day on a 5.8 that turned out to not be as hard as I thought it was going to be. Jason hadn't thought I could do it and so I had to prove him wrong.

Which I did.

We both enjoyed it so much we will be going back.

Turns out I'm boring.

2010-08-13T21:31:00.001-07:00

Blogging really illastrates how dull a life can be.

My "big" news is that I passed my Gamma 1 test and into the Delta 1 class in my ice skating class.
I was worried because I knew before starting that I would miss 3 classes due to Emily's wedding and my subsiquent visit to NC. Then when I got home I managed to mis-read the website and missed the fourth class as well. (I thought it was at 10:30 but in reality class was 9:30am). In order to pass my class and not be left behind by the 12 year old I started taking individual classes to supliment my ice time. I took lessons from my first session teacher (whom I'm hopping to get for next session). I really like her as a teacher, she is really enthusiastic and makes me feel like I'm awesome even though I know she teaches better students.

I am planning on continuing my lessons during the break between sessions and HOPE to be able to pass off Delta 1 & 2 at the frist class so I can start Freestyle 1 where I will learn the cool stuff.

photo books/ scrapbooking

2010-08-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

I've been getting these emails for free photobooks, which on the surface is awesome. But under it all I kind of dislike them. The paper is flimsy, they're limited to about 20 pages, and you can't add to them afterwards.

They just seem so...generic. The kind of album you won't ever look at again.
The thing is, I kind of hate scrapbooking as well. But what I hate even more is knowing there are photos just sitting in a box never getting looked at. What's the point of taking photos if you never look at them?! Or worse moldering in the box- waiting for everyone to forget the names and places of those pictured.

what to do...

Still in PHX

2010-07-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

Dad dropped me off in Charlotte last Wensday in order for me to head home...
I have been in route to Seattle for the last three days.

Why?

Well Melissa and I asked ourselves that same question when the flights were consistantly over sold with an insane number of "Non-Revs" (This is short for the term "non-revue" which is what employees, family, retiree's and buddy pass passangers are. The airline doesn't earn any money for that seat when they fly).

We're talking 50 non-revs listed everyday on the first flight out. For both Seattle and Portland.

So we googled events in Seattle...There is an anual food tasting convention that bosts over 400,000 attendees.
This is what seems to be prompting the clot of people blocking my way from getting home.
We thought the non-revs would still try to get there today but were sure they would give up by Sunday which is the last day of this wretched convention.

no such luck.

First flight out (usually the golden flight of non-revs) has 20 empty seats and 50! non-revs. Portland has 47.

GO HOME, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THERE IN TIME FOR THAT STUPID CONVENTION!

A new dress

2010-07-15T23:03:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty glad I bought a new dress pattern while at Mary Joe's in Gastonia, because after three weeks of wearing the same thing I'm ready for a change.

Unfortunately I didn't find any fabric I wanted to make the dress out of. It's true- I was in one of the larges fabric warehouses in the Carolina's and couldn't find once piece of fabric I wanted to make a dress out of.

Insane!

Now I have to try and find some fabric in Seattle...we shall see how that goes.

The dress is going to be made from a Vintage Vogue pattern from 1957. I think I will look good in it and that it is with in my skill set. I'll post a photo of the pattern as soon as I get home and find my card reader.

I'm thinking something in a nice Kelley green print of some kind.
This dress is for Justin's wedding and the wedding party color is pale yellow so I think I'll stand out while blending nicely.

Hobbies

2010-06-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

I've picked up crochet again or I guess at all since all I made when I first learned it was how to crochet doll slippers.

The thing is, is yarn (not that nasty polyester stuff) is expensive particularly if you need more than one skein. I was trolling the Internet and saw a page talking about "upcycling" yarn. What you do is go to thrift stores and buy sweaters made from the type of yarn you desire.
Last year I bought a couple of angora sweaters and made hats from them.

Since sweaters are a bit harder to find, I've been collecting a ridiculous number of 100% cotton sweaters in all sorts of spring colors. I have yellow, pink, blue, aqua, light gray, red, and white sweaters just waiting for me to sit down and unravel them.

It's actually relaxing and very mobile so I can do it when I'm waiting for something else.

The only problem was I didn't know how much yardage I reclaimed from a sweater- which can be a problem when you're trying to plan the next project.

Enter the "Niddy Noddy"! It's a stick think that I wind the yarn around while counting how many "laps" it makes over the Niddy Noddy. Knowing how tall the Niddy Noddy is and how many "laps" the yarn took lets me calculate how many yards I have in each color.

I'm a little excited

2010-06-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will see me going to a private ice skating lesson!

I've signed up for the next session of ice skating lessons but due to my summer plans I will be missing 3 f 8 weeks of class. I thought I would suplement the lessons by getting some one on one instruction. This way I can try and work in some practice time and not be as behind when I get back.

I really like ice skating...I don't fall nearly as much on skates as I do just walking around and it's kind of like dancing but cooler :)

It's offical I'm awsome!

2010-06-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Since I heard that Emily was getting married I started looking for a dress to wear. It's true I could have worn one of the ones hanging in the closet but I wanted a new one :)

So I looked and looked...and looked.

Do you know how hard it is to find a dress that will cover garments with out having to add even more layers through jackets, cami's for the summer that isn't ugly?

Two words...Very Hard.

I've been feeling very positive to the more vintage looks from the late 50's but I haven't been able to find a dress that wasn't way too expensive or already sold.

Soooo....I decided to make my own.

It's true I haven't sewn anything to wear in years...and that the only other time I've sewn a dress was when I was 14 years old for 4-H. If I recall I did the zipper wrong and Mom yelled at me.

It turns out through an over abundance of optimism and my trademark refusal to recognise my limitations I successfully completed my dress!

Behold!

I feel good I feel great, I feel wonderful!

2010-06-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

I might have bitten off a rather large chunch here...

Jason and I have some friends from Knoxville, who don't actually live in knoxville anymore and we have decided to enter into a competition!

Don and Ashley, Jason and I, are commpeting against eachother on which team can be the best at doing p90x!

I love some friendly competition- so much so I might not have added up all my other activities...

Right now I'm getting started on my marathon training, I'm continuing my ice skating and I'm doing p90x.

none of them are currently taking up much time but after already running and then doing plyometrics last night I was feeling some muscle fatigue

Tolmie State Park

2010-06-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today I arranged to do some TFCD photography and Jason and I went to meet them at Tolmie State Park...The place was packed! We had to wait for about 5 minutes before they would let us in the parking lot to try and park. We went to the Beach access because that's where we had arranged to meet and saw...fields of children, as far as the eye can see. Oh, and the smell coming off the water-just lovely. The smell of brine and something else...that might have died. In fact I did find a rather large (5-6 inches across not counting the legs) dead crab.

It was kind of sad the way the kids played in the kind of scummy water (the tide was out) like it was the best thing ever. And the way whole families would bring out a picnic to make a day of it. Poor, Poor people. They live in a constant state of drizzle overcast weather that when a day comes by where the sun shines they think that a weirdly smelling beach full of nasty looking seaweed is loads of fun.

It smelled kind of like Salt Lake City. Phew!

We actually had a really fun time, what with the beautiful weather and the fact that there were sand dollars just lying on the beach begging to be gathered! I was kind of surprised to see them since the beach was a pebble beach and the sand dollars were unbroken.
So in the face of this bounty we did what anyone in our place would do. We called our brother in law Jim and bragged about what we found. Years ago he found a sand dollar while at Sunset and was soooo happy about it. He has since wanted to find more but with no luck. (There is a story that goes with this story but I can't tell it because there is an off chance he might read this post.)
So I filled my grubby little paws with sand dollars and we took a photo and sent it to them...for some reason they haven't responded yet. Hmmm.

Grace had a blast once the beach cleared enough for us to let her off her leash. She ran and ran and ran! She also drank salt water and barfed twice, luckily we weren't in the car at the time.

I also managed to catch a tiny baby crab and get a photo of me pretending to eat it- but it, along with the one of me holding the sand dollars on Jason's iphone so who knows when I'll get a copy of them to share.
Sigh.

It was a good day today - I even got a nap!

update

2010-06-05T23:02:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you've all been waiting with abated breath...I tested into Gamma 1 in ice skating! I even got patches that show I've passed the Alpha level and the Beta level.

I definatly want to continue the lessons but will be absent for the first three classes...the frist week I'll be in Michigan and the second two I will be in NC.

I'm going to see if I can attent some of the other classes to make up for the missed ones.

I'm also looking into taking a few individual lessons to bridge the gap and skills covered.

2010-05-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

I took my pracitce test for Ice skating today...I will be testing into Gamma 1
Squee! that much closer to learning the cool stuff!

The instructor showed us the skills we will be working on in Gamma

the Mohawk

3 Turn

Hockey stop

For a second I was wanting to lean them before the test so I could be even closer to the "cool stuff"!

I'm pretty sure that's a pipe dream but I still might give it a try.

I have to figure out how to work the summer session...the first three weeks I am out of state. I might see if they will let me go to another class for the first week and double up towards the end of the session...they can only say "no" right?

I love ice skating!

2010-05-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

Six weeks ago I signed up for some iceskating lessons, because, well I wanted to learn some tricks :) It turned out that even though I thought I was pretty solid on the ice, I needed to learn some more foundation skills before they would let me move ahead.

So far I have learned these skills:

Forward stroking (I already knew this one)
Forward crossovers
backward crossovers (I did not know these and have been feeling like I was going to pitch forward onto my face at any second)
Snowplow stop
right side stop
left side stop
Right T-stop
Left T-stop

I'm hopping to be able to test into the Gamma 1 level- which in addition to learning the following skills, it would also get me that much closer to learning TRICKS!

Beg. Fwd Outside 3- turn
Right
Left
Beg inside mohawk
R foot
L foot
Hockey stop

Other than the "Hockey stop" I don't think I know what these skill are :)

baby steps

2010-05-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

last night our friend Eve came over with her dog Zerg to hang out and to help Grace work on her bratty behaviour problems.

Zerg is a submissive Pit Bull, who is adorable! She has the brightest eyes and most friendly manner to just about everyone she meets. I've never seen her not be friendly to person or dog- she does like people better than dogs though, she just doesn't seem to have a use for other dogs.

In any case Grace finds her offensive.
Not all the time but if we are in the apt. Zerg is dirt.

We've been working on re-assigning leadership rolls since for some reason Grace has decided that she needs to protect me particularly but sometimes Jason as well. If she isn't protecting me for me then she thinks I'm hers and she's not willing to share.

Unacceptable either way.

last night was actually a really good night. Grace wasn't a total brat the entire visit, although she was the best when she was laying down in the "relax" position.
Which was easier to acheive than it has been in the past.

So...win?

I have it in my damp little palm...

2010-04-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

I finally have it!

My Garmin Forerunner 305!
I can now know what my pace is at any given momment of running! As well as my heart rate and how far I've gone! It's amazing!!

I momment of thanks to Jason for entering into a bet he was destined to lose...if only because I make a point of not betting on anything less than a sure thing :)

I've been nursing a ingured IT band and have gotten a bit impatiant with "resting" it- so I think I will be joining my local running group tonight for their weekly 5 mile run.

It will be my first outing with my new toy :)

2010-04-26T13:03:00.001-07:00

It might come as a shock to all of you (i.e. matt, my only reader) that I think I might be a closet hoarder...pun unintended.

I've been feeling a bit anxious lately. There isn't really any reason for the axiousness- although it might connected to the fact that I haven't been able to work out, which has been my stress relief.

The hoarding part comes from realising that I want to go out and get stuff...doesn't matter what kind, garage saleing would be awsome. Getting to go searching for treasure is always relaxing, and then I could arrange it in a little nest for myself.

I can just see it now...80 years old and my house would be full of cats and piles of "stuff".

The neighborhood crazy.

Part 2

2010-04-22T23:53:00.001-07:00

Needless to say Friday night did not go as planned. Previously Jason had said I could use his Iphone with it's application that tracked your distance, pace, as well as played your play list. It will even audibly tell you what your pace is every half mile, which I thought would be very useful in my goal to complete a four hour marathon.

Pacing is my weakest link.

I seriously have no idea what speed I'm running at- it could be 8:30 or 9:30 and it feels the same to me.

He had asked for my play list several times but I hadn't given it to him figuring we could do that Friday night...which didn't happen.

That left me asking random strangers who were wearing a garmin what pace they were running at...which for the first 6 miles was 8:30-too FAST!

I felt pretty good up til mile 8 at which point my knee started giving me trouble but when I hit the half way mark I was right on my goal with a time of 2:02.

Yeah...it all went to crap after that.

Marathon Day...sort of.

2010-04-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

I guess it actually started the night before...

I was staying with Lissa Wilkinson Taylor in Salt Lake City, we were going to be to running the race together, but she wussed out and only registered for the Half Marathon.

Anyway, she has two dogs, "Moose" who is a German short haired pointer, and Harley who is one of the ugliest boxers I've ever laid eyes on. Mark, Lissa's husband adopted her about six years ago and was told she was at least four years old at the time. Harley isn't fond of other dogs, but has gotten used to Moose.

Jason and I brought Grace along for the ride (14 hours!) and on the first day Lissa and I introduced the dogs. I thought it would be a better idea to let one dog out at a time and so we let Grace and Moose meet each other. It went just fine, other than Moose being a total submissive pushover and Grace being a bossy little tattle tale. After such a rousing success we decided to let Harley out, and were rewarded with tolerance...at first. It was hate at second sight.
They ended up in a growling, snapping, slapping fight- nothing landed but it was clear they were not going to be friends. So we put Harley back in her kennel and after about 30 minutes Moose as well.
Lissa is trying to sell her house and had a showing that day so Grace went to Grandma Pats for the afternoon to ensure no one let her out of the back yard on accident. that evening as I was walking back to the house Lissa greeted me at the front door announcing that...wait for it...Harley had died.

No freaking joke- the dog that had been fine the night before and even that afternoon was now dead in the back yard and Mark was digging a grave for her that very moment.
Mark was really nice and didn't blame me or my dog but I'm pretty sure that Grace gave Harley a heart attack. It was really awkward and upsetting, and Mark was really upset because he had, had Harley before he even met Lissa.

My Bum Marathon...

2010-04-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from SLC and running my marathon.

I trained for 3 months and was faithfull to all my runs, only missing some once I ingured myself by tripping over Grace about three weeks ago. I initially thought I strained my left hamstring and so I lowered my mileage and also favored the leg during the running I was allowed.

Which put more strain on my right knee. (I think I actually hurt my knee when I stumbled and the extra responsibility I gave it while trying to heal my hamstring progressed the ingury.)

I really wanted to try for a four hour marathon and felt that based on my performance during training it was a completely reasonable. I was comfortably running 18 miles at a 10 minute pace and "according to my reading" that is what I should be doing during training to run a faster pace on race day. I only needed to pick up my pace by about 45 seconds per mile to meet my goal.

Running a four hour marathon is actually pretty average but the idea that I could do that with what was actually pretty laxadaisy training has made me think that if I spent a little time and effort I could expect to run even a 3:40 marathon. This is what I need to run in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon...and I kind of want to do that.

It's down to the wire and the insanity is setting in...

2010-04-13T02:15:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that I leave for SLC on Thursday, and that I'll be running the marathon THIS saturday!

SO my hamstring healed up beatuifuly...just in time for my knee to develope an excusiating pain.

Yay.

I have been resting it since last Wensday and decided to take a short run with Grace today.

I have to say I was hopping for better results. But hey, it's not like I don't have plenty of time to rest it up before July right? I figure I'll aspercream it to death and run with my brace on. I wanted to try for a sup 4 hour marathon but I've decided to not stress and if I feel I can do it then that's what I'll go for but if my knee isn't doing well then I'll just take it easy.

It kind of sucks though since I've done all this training and I really feel that if my knee was in good shape I could do it. If I could do a four hour marathon with the kind of no stress training that I've done then I of course would want to see if I could shave a mere 20 more minutes off my time and go for Boston...the Holy Grail of marathons (at least with the average runner).

A woman runner qualifing for the Boston has to complete a certified marathon in no more than 3 hours and 40 minutes which means running 26.2 miles with an average pace of 8:38 per mile.

Well I can say that I've run 15 miles at a 9 something pace and I haven't done any speed training or interval training or any of the other bells and whistle type of stuff to get better times...so what is to keep me from trying it?

Wouldn't it be cool if I did do it and got to run the Boston Marathon?!

2010-04-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

So last Wensday Grace tried to kill me...I thought I had escaped without injury.

Turns out not so much.

Thursday I was scheduled to run 7 miles, which I did.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Resentfully.

It turns out that I strained my hamstring muscle two weeks before my marathon. The very first race I've ever actually trained for.

More proof that life isn't fair.

I called Dad who told me that everything I had done so far was pretty much the oposite of what I was supposed to do to help it heal.
Why am I not suprised?

On the upside it seems to be healing pretty quickly or has figured out how to transfer the pain to my other leg in the knee area. Which is what is hurting right now. Yeah, I'm talking about THAT knee. I refuse to acknowledge it and will be running the marathon this 17th in snowy SLC.

My Pets...

2010-04-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

When I think of the rousing non-sucess I'm having in my pets lately I can not imagine my being responsible for a real live human. If I were responsible for raising one, it would probably turn out never potty trained and one of those types of kids that give Homeschooling a bad name.

Grace: She actually is potty trained but probably only because I didn't have anything to do with the process. Props for me, I haven't untrained her.

Yay.

She has turned out to be a dominant dog that is possessive with her toys. Surprisingly not really with her food. or bed.
She is showing clear signs that she thinks Jason is just a bit more "her" human than mine.

That's a problem.

She also continues to push Spock around (he doesn't seem to mind too much)as well as Zerg who does seem to have reached her limit.
The toy/bone possessiveness really reared it's head yesterday when the cable guy came in and Grace picked her bone up from the living room and took it to the bedroom and sat on it. Because it was Sooooo....clear the guy wanted it.

Spock: Well, he's fine actually, potty trained isn't destructive, he's just fat. he does resent us limiting how much food he has access to and has taken to eating Grace's food if she leaves any behind.
He also takes up a 1/4 of my side of the bed each night- a 17 lb cat can really spread out!

Fred: He's actually doing pretty good, which means I'm due for a skin breaking bite any day now. Actually I'm thinking of trying to teach him some tricks.

Peanut: Blegh. He screams non-stop anytime Jason is in the room. Jason is ready to give him away, which leaves me in a weird place of feeling that we aren't giving Peanut something he needs and it's turned him into a scream pile of feathers. He has also started biting Jason (probably due to Jason deciding to implement "Time Out" with Peanut.) Peanut does this weird pacing and stabbing routine on his perch that reminds me of kennel pacing. I don't know. All I know is he doesn't scream nearly as much when Jason isn't home. I'm thinking of trying to teach Peanut some tricks to re-direct his energies. Call it Birdie Exercise.

Problem: Peanut kind of freaks me out and shows a strong inclination towards biting...me. She might hate me...unless I am eating and she wants some of my food- then she smashes herself against the side of the cage closest to me and begs for a bite. She doesn't even "step up" for me and instead makes her eyes dialate and undialate like one of those dinosaurs off of "Jurassic Park".
Please let me stick my hand in the cage of an animal that does THAT.

running

2010-03-31T23:12:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that Grace's assassination attempt failed.

Today I took Grace with me to the Running Meetup that I enjoy on Wednesdays and even though it had rain and hailed earlier that day prompting me to over dress it was sun shiny by 6pm.

We were running along the roadside when we headed over a bridge and Grace got nervous of how close the cars were. There is a delicate balance between runner and dog that relies on the participants knowing where the other is at ALL TIMES.

Well Grace decided that the cars were to close to her and that she should move to my other side which seems Innocent enough...
Instead she changed sides to close and my foot hit her which caused me to pitch forward tripping over my own feet almost causing me to stumble into the very car she had been trying to avoid.

It's a weird feeling to know exactly how much getting hit by a car hurts...If I had hit the car it would have hurt but mostly just messed my shoulder up.

I can not tell you how annoyed I would have been if I had hit my knee and screwed it up three weeks before my marathon...the first race I have ever actually trained for.

Unspeakably annoyed.

just stuff

2010-03-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

I swear I'm trying to get better at regularly updating my blog.
Baby steps...

My marathon training is going really well, better than I could expect really. Dispite my kidney stones aborted excape efforts I have only missed one training run which was a three mile run the day after my hospital visit. I had briefly thought about at least walking the distance just to log the miles, but ultimately I decided I would sit on the couch or sleep the day away.

My longest run was my 18 mile run last week and due to my miscalculation in my training it will have to be my longest. I was supposed to do a 20 mile run this comming weekend but I started my 12 week program 11 weeks from my race day. I sent my training program to Dad to look at because my taper run fell on my race day. (tapering is important) He told me to just cut out the 20 mile run and do two weeks of 15 miles.
On Wednesdays I've been running with a local running group and it's been really enjoyable. I run faster when I run with others due to my inability to pace myself- most of my runs are ran at a 10 minute per mile pace but with others I can do a much faster pace. Plus it's just nice to be with people who don't think I'm some kind of weird freak for enjoying running. It might come as a bit of a suprise to all of you (Matt) that I don't make friends very easily and my interests don't seem to be very mainstream.
I was talking to Lissa Wilkinson who will be running a 1/2 marathon while I run the full and I'm wondering if I have sold myself short on my desired pace on race day. I was thinking a 10 minute pace which would put my running time at 4:30, but I read this book "Four Months to a Four Hour Marathon" and it seems pretty possible for me to do a four hour marathon.
I don't want to suck the fun out of the event in the pursuit though.
Desisions, desisions.

2010-03-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to ignore my earlier decision to not go to those "get to know each other" get together put on by the relief society because they leave me depressed and feeling isolated.

My ward has implemented a new thingy that once a month women get together for a pot luck lunch and complete service projects and coordinate service needs in the ward. I really only went to this one because the service project was crocheting Grannie squares together and I thought there was a chance that I might meet someone who liked to crochet.

I didn't.

But I did finish two lap quilts for a nursing home.

There was this old lady who apparently amused herself by crocheting giant Grannie squares but never put them all the way together to make the lap quilts. She passed a way and her family didn't want them so they sat in the rec room at the nursing home for a while until a ward member saw them while visiting their loved one. this ward member though "I know some people who would LOVE to finish them" and volunteered the relief society to take the squares off the nursing homes hands.

The good news is this project is a lot prettier and easier than the school bags my ward in Knoxville was volunteered to complete.

Just sitting here...

2010-03-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

Jason and I are just sitting on the couch minding our own business when Spock decided to take this opportunity for a little excersize...or something.

We really aren't sure what the heck he's doing back there- it sounds vaugely like he's running around in circles but there are also enough crashing noises to convince us that there is more to the situation than we think.

Grace just got up from her nap and has volunteered to go check the situation out for us.

Seriously though, it sounds like he is running around ricochieting off the walls and doors.

And not in a "how cute the cat is having fun way". It sounds like he is hitting the walls at full speed with 20 pounds of cat who couldn't stop in time!

Emerald City Comic Con

2010-03-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went in to get my kidney stone zapped, which I was a little nervous about due to the fact that the Dr. kept telling me how bad I was going to feel afterward. This was concerning due to the fact that I'm training for the SLC marathon on April 17th and have weekly "long" runs scheduled each Saturday. This past Saturday was no exception with a 16 mile run scheduled.

in an effort to keep myself from pushing to far to fast and because I wanted to see Wil Wheaton MORE than I wanted to run 16 miles, Jason and I bought tickets to a local Comic Con.

This was my first experience attending a Con, and although Jason told me it was nothing as awesome as Dragon Con, I had fun. We got there early to stand in line for a Panel put on my Wil Wheaton, followed by Leonard Nimoy (Jason actually thought his name was NemROY) and then some guy named Steve who Jason explained drew the Marvel comics. Wil Wheaton puts on a great panel by reading from his two most recent books and then doing a Q & A session.

After that we went to go get my books signed, which was when Jason decided that he knew how to read a map better than I did and proceeded to orient it wrong and go to the wrong end of the exhibition hall, while getting pissy when I pointed out that we were on the wrong end. While I might have brought this on myself through years of wandering around without finding my destination, I would like to take this opportunity to state that I can actually read a map and am good at it as well. When I wander around it's because I didn't bother reading the map or just plain didn't want to go to where I was supposed to be heading. Or I didn't want to drive and so tricked everyone else into taking their turn while I napped.

In the end we found his table and I go to meet Wil Wheaton act like a colossal nerd, while weirding Wil Wheaton out and getting his autograph.
He has a really pretty autograph by the way.
I even got a photo with him- which I later found out was out of focus!
FOILED!
Jason tacked Wil Wheaton down in his D&D campaign and during their break explained to Wil that he messed up my photograph and could we pretty please get another?

Wil Wheaton was really nice and the whole day was loads of fun- minus that horribly crowded exhibit hall.
We also got to attend Aron Douglas? panel. He's the guy who played the Chief on Battle star Galactica- something Jason kept having to remind me of, since I haven't watch more than one or two episodes of the show.

he and Wil Wheaton are friends and both actors are really funny, although I thought Wil Wheaton was funnier, while Jason though Arron Douglas was :)

I suppose it's time.

2010-03-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

I feel grumpy today. It might have something to do with the fact that my kidney is sore, or the fact that Peanut screamed through out my nap today. Or it might have something to do with the fact that the sun is gone and it's over cast again.

Who knows. It might have to do with the fact that I haven't even come close to finishing with Dr's. and this kidney and I am already OVER IT.

Tomorrow I need to get an X-ray, then go to the Urologist for an office apt. Then on Friday at an undisclosed time I am supposed to go back to the hospital and get zapped in order to break up the kidney stone. Of course then I have to expel the gravely bits of kidney stone, but that's why they will be leaving the stint in for another week for the swelling to go down and everything to work it's self out.

Then I have to go BACK to the hospital and they will take the stint out. So far I've been peeing blood for about a week, when it's all said and done probably about two weeks- just in time for my period.

Yay.

Things might be looking up

2010-03-05T22:57:00.001-08:00

When I first moved to Olympia I checked out Meetup.com in an effort to locate people with similar interests. For different reasons I haven't attended the meetups that matched my interests up till now. I was supposed to participate in a Speed work out on Tuesday but I've been experiencing some pain in my calf and since I had already ran 8 miles I decided to skip that meetup and instead attend the Wed 5 miles meetup.

I was a little nervous because only one other person had RSVP'd to attend and I wasn't sure where exactly we were supposed to be meeting but Grace and I loaded up in the car and headed over to Marathon Park in Olympia and hopped for the best.

It turns out that another running group meets at the same time and often in the same place and so there was about 10 of us that ended up running together. It was a really good experience and everyone was really friendly. Tomorrow (Sat) I will be going to another meetup that is scheduled on the Wester Chahalis Trail which is convienently located across the street from my apt.

They are only running 5 miles and I'm scheduled to run 11. Plus I want to play Wow with Matt at 11am and they are meeting at 10am, so what I'm going to do is go out earlier and run 6 miles ending at the meeting place and then run the 5 with the group and then hop home and log into WoW. How's that for multi-tasking ?

Punk!

2010-03-02T21:03:00.001-08:00

Today I was scheduled to run 8 miles on my little training chart, which only posed a problem due to the fact that the point on the trail that I would need to turn around at doesn't have any mile markers.

Not a problem! I actually remembered to buy new batteries for my Garmin 101, put them in the unit and take the unit with me. I did however forget to turn on my heart monitor until I passed the first mile marker...oh, well.

It was a gorgeous day. Grace had an upset stomach due to her eating some of my pysanki eggs earlier but it all came out O.K.

We headed out, and about two miles into the run came across a friendly Beagle. I asked if it was Ok for Grace to sniff the dog, which it was and she proceeded to WIG OUT! The leashes got alll sorts of twisted, which was a problem because I make a loop and put it around my waist when I run. I ended up having to take her collar off in order to untangle the leashes, at which point she was perfectly fine.

Over reacting Diva.

6 miles into the run the sky opened up and poured on us, but it was a rain with big fat drops that were refreashing and felt like they were just washing everything clean. It was nice.

I think I have shin splints by the way.

2010-03-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

I'm training for the SLC marathon by following this training program, which has been a positive experience. I'm interested to see how I do in the marathon since I'm actually training for this one. I didn't really prepare for the Myrtle Beach marathon but I was pretty happy with how I did in it.

Meaning I finished it and could walk at the end :)

I have started to cross train by doing the P90X work out DVDs and it's been a positive experience.

I remember the one race I beat Dad in and how I felt afterwards, which was really good and the only difference I did was adding weight and resistance training.
I only added it so I would climb better but it certainly improved my running as well.

It would make me happy!

2010-02-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight Jason and I were watching "Burn Notice" which is a YV show about a former spy who is trying to get his job back. When I first watched the show the main character's speach pattern really annoyed me but I do enjoy the co-star who plays "Sam" and so will watch it with Jason occationaly.

Anyway...

Tonight the show featured Michael using a disposable camera that he made into a stun gun. He used it agaisnt his assailent while restraining him in a full body hold. My comment was that it seemed like Michael would feel the effects of the stun gun too, since he was in contact with the victim and he would be grounded and connect the circut. I thought that one theory would be that since it was just one little camera the gun would have enough juice in it to effect the target if applied to sensitive areas, and although Michael would feel the effects it wouldn't be severe enough to incompasitate him. Or that it was just another lie Hollywood tries to feed us.

I proposed that we make our own camera stun gun and try it out.
I would play Michael's role and Jason could be the assailent :)

Jason didn't seem to think this would be fun for him and declined :)

My dog might be a bully...

2010-02-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

I've been suspecting this for a while now but tonight it made clear...my dog is a bully.

There have been a few instances at the dog park when I get out a treat in reward for her actually bringing the ball back that another dog smells the treaty goodness and comes over to see if any extras are being given out and she has snapped at them and physicaaly moved between them and me.

I of course did not give her the treat for such unmannerly behaviour.

A couple of weeks ago I let her play with a young pit bull named King (he was a real sweety) and she got jealous that I was petting him as well as her. She was giving sharp barks and pushing him away from me when I went to pet him.

I put her back on the leash and continued to interact with King.

Tonight a friend came over with her young pit bull named "Zerg" and Grace was just a brat! If Zerg wanted to chew on one of the FIVE bones lying around grace wanted it- even if she already had one. If Zerg tried to great either Jason or I or really anyone but his owner she barked at him and gave short corrective growls. In other words she was acting piggish. I have Zerg one of the bones because those bones are mine and I just let Grace use them (how's that for echoing Dad). if it continued I would run them both through some of the commands they knew and that seemed to helpredirect her.

I'm not used to thinking my beautiful smart otherwise well behaved dog is a bully but I really think she is. She even tried to take Zergs stick away from her when she doesn't even LIKE sticks!

I emailed my friend Danny who trains dog for suggestions, because I don't want to be the one with the bully dog! I want to be the one with the beautiful well behaved dog!

Does this look like a bully to you?!

I saw the sun today...for a little while :)

2010-02-16T01:07:00.000-08:00

It was my rest day in my marathon training program so naturally it was sunny outside.
I decided that since I wasn't going to take Grace running I should take her to the dog park and we had a lovely couple of hours. I thre the ball she chased it down- looked at it and ran back to me with out it...she also really enjoys going up to a dog, touching it with her nose and then taking off running so that they can chase her.

She LOVES to be chased. it actually reminds me of Isabella at a play ground going up to kinds and trying to start a game of tag- sooner or later someone chases her.

I also picked up some more coin collection folders and spent a lovely bit of time going though my coins and checking the dates and putting them in their little slots.
I love the look and feel of the silver coins. They're heavier than the current alloy coins and i really like to handle the liberty dimes dad gave me. I love the art work on them, and the liberty half dollar.
By going through my collection I realised that I had a real Silver dollar! which for some reason is really cool to me :)
I also have more of the presidential dollars that have been comming out than I thought I did. While I was picking up my folders I saw one that is for upcomming quaters that will feature state parks...I'm a little excited to see the designs although it also feels like the U.S mint is bleeding the State Quarter theme to death.
Oh well, at least there will be pretty pictures on them :)

I try- i do

2010-02-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

The hard thing about church social functions is that:

1. I rarely actually want to participate in the activity, due to disinterest in the subject matter or the fact that my social energy is quite low.

2. I make friends slowly.

3. I usually come away feel lonely and kind of isolated.

I already know how to make bread, pizza (which I don't even like eating), jam and many other canned goods. and if I DID want to learn I would rather share that experience by asking my mother or one of my current friends to teach me how. That way I would have a lovely memory, probably some laughs and I would be with someone I like, rather than someone I don't really know and have little in common with.

I have a total of 5 friends that are not related to me ( I classify a "friend" as someone I would call up to grab something to eat or see a movie with little notice). I have had these friends for a minimum of 11 years (except one). If I have free time I would rather spend it talking to or hanging out with them, instead of sitting in a room making akward conversation with someone who is just as disintersted by my input as I am of their's.

I feel kind of stupid and lame trying to relate to these women talking about their children by telling stories about my nieces or worse my pets. I KNOW parenting is different than being an aunt or pet owner, it's just that's all I have to bring to the conversation! The only kids I want to hear about being "so tender hearted" they have trouble playing competative sports are ones I'm related to (or close enough anyway).
I'm fine sitting and crocheting while people talk around me other than the self inflicted sense of being anti-social by not participating in the conversation.
I feel akward and YOUNG in these situations- feelings I don't particularly enjoy and don't see why I inflict them on myself in the name of social acceptance that I honestly am fine without. I just feel I SHOULD care- and it has been hinted that it might be bad for my character to "distance myself from society".

The truth is my hobbies are:
running
animals
my nieces
crocheting (with re-purposed yarn)
photography
archiving- this does not include boring geneology, I like living history, with stories to go with the photos, tapes and letters.

so apparently my futer BFF needs to be an old person who likes to run.

2010-02-11T17:12:00.001-08:00

I went to Enrichment night last night in an effort to foster new relationships with the women in my ward. I was hopping that I might meet someone near my age, or with similar interests as myself that I might not have come across at church.

I didn't.

My ward seems to be consist of over weight middle age to older women who do not talk about anything but old people stuff and their childrens Pee Wee leagues.

I came home depressed.

plus I think I might have offended one of them but can't seem to care enough to check- it's not like we're going to be friends or anything.

marathon training

2010-02-09T16:13:00.001-08:00

I started my frist real week of training for the SLC marathon. Last Wed I picked out my training program but since it was designed Mon- Sun it was a short week.

It was cold when Grace and I started our run, but the sun did come out for the last half which was really nice. I also met a nice older couple from Austria with a pomeranian and another lady with two pugs who were really nice and who loved Grace.

When the husband arrived for a minute it looked like Papa shuffling towards me. He was the same height and had that same bow legged shuffle/walk that Papa had when he got going:)

My legs aren't as sore this week as they were last week- man I felt stiff and in pain! But this week I listened to the training program and actually took my rest day- seems to have paid off.

2010-02-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

The thing that depresses me about exersise is that it never ends. It's not like you work at it until you reach your goal and then the job's done.

Nope. Once you reach your fitness goal you have to keep going to maintain it.
I like running (more jogging actually) I really do, but to maintain a regular schedule...it's just boring.

I enjoy training for races and getting the new T-shirt but they aren't really fun if you're doing them alone. Getting up early and standing around in a big crowd just kind of sucks alone.

Lissa and I are supposed to be doing the SLC marathon (she's doing the 1/2) so there is that, but all those runs in between...blergh.

I need to find new music or something interesting to listen to while running. There are certain songs I can't listen to now because I ran to them for so long I associate running with them and my heart rate increases just hearing them.

I went to Hawaii !

2010-01-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

it's an update!

2010-01-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

One of the things I enjoy about downtown Olympia are the many beautiful wall murals that cover the sides and backs of buildings.

This photo is of the Fish Tale Ales building.
I just really love the colorful Octopus that encompases the whole wall. Apprently the waters near the piers are full of these animals and for every pound of food they eat they gain half a pound fo mass.
Let the nightmares ensue.

P90X Journal

2009-12-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

After hearing raves about a workout program called P90X I decided to participate in the program...because I'm vain and want to look hot.

Day One -Shoulders & Back
ouch.

It started with a nice standard warm-up and moved on to...
All of these have a 1 minute time limit.

Push-ups Goal Actual
(survival) (I forgot to count)

wide front Pull-ups (5) (30)

Military Push-ups (12) (17)

Reverse Chin-Ups (20) (20)

Wide Fly Push-up (20) (20)

Close Grip over hand Pull-up (10) (20)

Decline Push-up (10) (10) These are super hard and feel safer with a spotter :)

Heavy Pants (?) (15)

Diamond Push-up (?) (10) HARD

Lawnmowers Left & Right (20) (20)

Dive Bomber Push-up (?) (7) I couldn't breath wit this one!

Back Fly's (?) (17)

I thought we were finished but it turns out that you're supposed to do an ab workout three times a week. It's only 15 minutes long so I thought...sure why not?!
Every exersise is for 25 reps.

In & out It seemed fine...at first

Seated bicycle (this one was ok)

seated crunchy frog The name does not make this exersise more fun

Crossed leg/wide leg sit-up (these are OK)

fifer sissors each exersise got worse and worse

Hip rock and raise it didn't make me want to barf but...

Pulse up my abs gave out and refused to do more than hurt at
this point.

Roll ups HATE them.

obliques (I felt like a dying fish flopping around on the ground!

leg climbes (I could sort of struggle through this one by cheating a little)

masons this one was for 50 seconds for as fast as you could go...I waited until the clock said 30 seconds and only lasted 25 seconds. on the up-side I shamed jason into doing them :)

I felt good after the should and back disc and weak and gross after the abdisk, so I guess it's pretty clear where my weak points are. It suprised me because I thought my core was better off than my noodle arms.

2009-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

I decided to check out Mystery Google today.
I asked it "what should I do today" and it sent me to a page with a quiz about what animal I would be reincarnated as- the first question?

What is your age...I fell in the 31 to 40 age bracket.

I feel old.

This did not cheer me up.

The Urban Hunter

2009-12-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Our cat Spock has been put on a diet. He weighs in at 18.5 pounds but should weigh closer to 12-13 which makes him very fat. Jason doesn't like the idea of putting him on a diet because this cat is also a world class crier. He can make it sound like he is STARVING any time of day, and will run to his bowl anytime we go anywhere near the kitchen.

The last couple of days I've been hearing rustling noises comeing from the kitchen but after checking to make sure Spock wasn't trying to get on the counters didn't think much of it...until last night.

Last night I heard the same rustling noise and decided to check to see what has been so fasinating to Spock lately. And to check that he wasn't ruining something with whatever he was doing.

So I snuck over and saw that the door to the laundry nook was open...I crept over and peeked in and saw...Spock buried upto his shoulders in the cat food bag!

For the last several days he has been sneaking in to the nook and helping himself to his food, without anyone the wiser. I wish I had, had the camera ready when I went over but by the time I told Jason to come look and thought about taking a photo Spock was aware he had been spotted and was trying to look like he hadn't been doing anything and often sat in the dark among laundry soap.

2009-12-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

Jason and I went to the animal shelter again today...Jason saw a dog he liked, and when he cot it cat tested he found out that it LOVES cats, and children so much it wants to hug them and squeeze them until they don't move.

It wasn't really the dog I was looking for, although I saw one I liked a bit, it was black and had wispy long hair. He was a little older than we were looking for but had a comfortable vibe about him. Unfortunately he couldn't have cared less that Jason was in the room with him, so we are continuing our search.

The good news though was the first dog we saw at the shelter that we both liked so much has been adopted! We were both worried that it had been euthanized because it had been at the shelter for so long.

cue evil laugh

2009-12-12T02:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight Jason and I had a great time ice skating and playing Skip-Bo (Terra 2 for 2!)

I was sitting on Jason messing with Spock (Spock likes Jason more for some reason and so it's easier to catch him when he is relaxed and sitting on Jason).

I want to preface this story with normally I would be completely revolted myself but the fact that Jason is this grossed out has out weighed any thought of how gross this actually is from my mind.

Anyway, sitting on Jason... he was trying to be all romantic and convince me to forgo my bath and go to sleep. Something about the fact that it is almost three in the morning and neither one of us is at all tired. Not even Spock is tired, he is getting the only exercise he has had today by chasing his new jingle ball...and I think trying to get in the bathroom pantry?

So Jason was being all cuddly and relaxed which cleared the way for me to be completely gross (one of my many specialties).

I LICKED him! and my tongue got a little bit in his nose...which was thankfully completely clean which was awesome for me.

he was so completely grossed out by this he hid under the blankets and shrieked for five minutes. he also claims that this single act was so un-sexy and revolting that he doesn't want me anywhere near him.
(this statement might have something to do with my cackle that I was going to wait for him to go to sleep and do it all again :)

He said that if I ever do, do it again I will forfeit any calf or back massages for a month. I think he is serious and, well it seems to be a fair trade :)

2009-12-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

Today started out just fine, and has now gone down the tubes.

I miss Scottie and feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack.

2009-11-30T13:52:00.001-08:00

Why do I even wake up?

update

2009-11-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

When I first arrived in Olympia, WA I pretty much just threw my stuff in the spare bedroom and left it there with the door closed till...last night.

I promised Jason that I would get it organized since some friends are comming to visit in abou three weeks.

First I moved the bed in the bedroom to the middle of the room to make way for the half sanded dresser that was living in the spare bedroom until...last night.

Then I pushed piles around in grande Terra fashion until I got distracted by my box of photographs, which I took to the livingroom to make new piles.

(Jason got me a 12inch digital frame that I still need to load with photos) I found a good pile that I either want to load on the frame or get frame and display in some way.

2009-10-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

A while ago Jason bought a PS3 game console and has been trying to get me to play on it with him. The thing is I'm really bad at those types of games and have been beaten by Isabella on a regular basis, and when a 6 year old can beat you, you should just quit.

Tonight though, after days of turning him down I gave in and said i would play a game as long as it wasn't the Nazi Zombie game. My ademence that it not be that game caused him to ask if I was afraid of zombies- which would be "no". I just don't want to shoot them in a game.

he didn't have that many multi player games to choose from, in fact he only had three- Call of Duty, Ghost something or other, and Soulcaliber IV.

I chose Soulcaliber IV because I didn't like the other choices more and we started...

The first character I fought with got owned by Yoda...

The second character was some chick that looked like a character off of "Moon Sail" and said gay little phrases in the intro and sounded like she said "sorry" each time she hit the opponent- which was A LOT!

Jason got spanked! 9 times! my fingers hurt now :) He tried 3 different characters and the all lost horribly to me- because I'm that awsome :)

That and it really does pay to pick the cute characters.
it was a fun experience for me, you know winning and all :)

Annual Birthday Trip

2009-10-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

For the past several years melissa and I have planned and taken a birthday trip together since her birthday is only a couple of weeks from mine.

This year things got a little complicated with time off and money, so instead of the tropical vacations we had previously taken we were going to just hang low.

phegh! Turns out she has a friend in Mexico City who can pick us up from the airport and let us stay with them! Yay!

So it looks like Mexico City it is! I have no idea what a person does in Mexico City but we will find out!

and I win...again and again...and again.

2009-10-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

Because I'm having trouble sleeping and Jason is a Star Wars geek we started discussing who we would cast if there was ever a re-make of the original three movies...I will let you know who we decide later.

Right now I will let you know what bet Jason lost this time.

Was Boba Fett a clone of Jingo Fett?

Jason said no...

I said yes...

and according to Wikipedia I am correct!

Unfortunately I couldn't think of anything that I was wanted as a reward and closed the bet with nothing but bragging rights. I also stated that Boba Fett was the FIRST clone of Jinga Fett (which Jason didn't think was correct either) but before I could re-bet him wikipedia cheated me out of my win.

This bet was particularly sweet to me because years ago I entered a bet with his brother James about the movie Spider Man and lost dismally.
This is also coupled with the fact that I'm not sure I ever actually watched "Episode II" all the way through and suspect that I did my "get the gist while fast forwarding all parts that are either boring or potentially embarrassing/uncomfortable/awkward" thing, that I do that makes it unpleasant to watch movies with me.

Now all I wish is that I could have thought of something better than bragging rights.

2009-10-14T17:27:00.001-07:00

We couldn't find the Swing Dance studio but I did get a look at downtown Olympia...

Went running today- smoked Jason :)

Lissa and I are planning on a half marathon or marathon in the spring so I want to be in shape for that.

2009-10-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

It rained today...crazy for WA, I know.

I sat in the dark and yelled at the birds for screeching...

I went running.

I might go to a swing dance class.

I think I'm awsome

2009-10-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

One of my hobbies is archiving old family history stuff like photos, movies, and audio tapes.
One of the problems I've come across is, that the things are old -Yeah, I know crazy right? Well I was working on getting everything transferred and came across two tapes that had broken. The tape part has come disconnected to the wheelie things inside (yes, "wheelie things" is in fact the technical term).

So I searched my mind and remembered...

Hey! I remember when we were younger Matt would take our favorite tapes (that we may or may not have been playing nonstop) and would pop them open and change the insides when another tape!

Side note: when I gave him props for teaching me how to do this, he claims that he only did it to FIX the tapes we had already broken...by over playing.

Anywho...so I popped the tape open and CAREFULLY reattached the tape to the leader and reset the casing. You have to be careful to not let the tape unwind anymore than necessary or you'll be covered in tape with no hope of getting it back in that little cassette ever again.

I then hooked it up to my transfer set up and POOF! PRESTO! I had transferred the audio into digital format.

On Sundays

2009-10-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Sundays were times of rest, prayer and contemplation....In other words, boring to a child. We used to have a box that contained approved Sunday activities, and while I don't remember most of what was in it I do remember that if I had been really good and Dad was willing he would get out his coin collection.

He kept it in a black plastic box about the size of a shoe box and it contained coins from around the world as well as past U.S currency. His grandfather had started it during his travels and his father had added to it during World War II during his years in the service.

There were coins from India, Austrailia, England and many others - I loved it!

I was only allowed to look at the collection if Dad was willing to sit with me while I emptied out little bags, and carefully handled the paper money that, that little box contained. It was like a treasure chest, that I could sort through, looking for my favorites (an indian penny, the big silver Liberty dollars).
A few years ago Dad decided it was time to let us take our pick of the collection and I was able to bargin with Megan on what I wanted:)

This past summer I spent time with Matt and his family and Danielle discovered my collection. I really enjoyed hearing her ask "Aunt Tewa, can I look at your coins?" and going through them all telling her which countries they were from.

2009-09-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Well I've once again been foiled.
All I want is to get a race T-shirt from St. Louis and I've yet to be able to run in a race. oh, I've looked and planned (not to the point of pre-registering ming you) and without fail something comes up to keep me from actually running.

This time it's my brothers fault- oh, yes indeed! He seems to think that there needs to be an adult (stop sniggering! I am to!) in the house as he and Mary Ann go pick up the moving van that they are using to transport their livingroom set to her mothers.

I mean really!? It's like their on some kind of deadline :)

I am of course just joking - I'm happy to watch the girls for a bit while they get the van- plus Matt said he wants to run a race with me. I'll be looking up some more options and talking with him tomorrow.

You know it's all about the shirt.

2009-09-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

I was organizing the photos I've taken over the summer and came across this one:

This is momments after the little sweetpea convince her mother to carry her because she was "to tired" to walk.

2009-09-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

The idea of intraveinous anti depressents is an attractive one right now.

The last decade or so I've struggled with what my Dr. calls "situational depression" which is brought on by high levels of stress...which I have in droves. I am also getting more and more high strung as I get older- aren't I supposed to mellow with age?

One of the more effective ways I manage my stress/depression is regular running. Lately I've been more stressed than my body can handle in milage. I went last night and emotionally I could have gone probably twice as long as my leg could take me.

I've taken up figure drawing again which has helped by increasing the positive activities in my life- I think I haven't embarassed myself in class anyway.

I've been doing some with photography again- it's not really the direction I am interested in but at least it keep skills sharp.

I just feel over stimulated and overwhelmed. I just feel that it would be great to have something to take the edge off how raw I feel and be able to be compeletly alone with out the questions, explainations, expectations, or stimulation of other people.

Of course then I would miss out on stuff like this:
( i was giong to put a cute slide show here that featured cute momments I've had with my nieces and family- but the slideshow generator refuses to cooporate)

Texas here they come!

2009-09-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Megan and the girls are heading to TX this weekend for the big move. Josh has been there for about two weeks and is just as excited to see them as they are to see him. Isabella has been pointing out all the red headed men to me, telling me how much they look like her daddy. Tall, short, fat, skinny...if they have the hair, then they remind her of Josh:)

I do love these little girls so much- Katie was kind enough to take this photo of me and the girls. She even got it in focus for me:)

I sure am giong to miss them. Isabella gives the best Squeezles. Emmeline...well she's cute enough to over look the projectile vomiting :)

Because she's cute

2009-08-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is what is called "Fugly"

2009-08-27T22:44:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to work my way through the piles of unfinished projects and in doing so have picked up crochet again. As in other aspects of my life I have a tendency to want to create something that my skill set is just not quite good enough for...

My friend Lissa is pregnant with her second child, which will be a boy. Even though she has shot down all of my name suggestions, including "Nevin" (which is a good name people) I have decided to crochet a little baby jacket for the munchkin.

...My first attempt is, well...fugly. Really Fugly.
See for yourself:
This photo is of the unfinished sweater...it was pretty ugly so I took it apart and will be revisiting the pattern instructions as well as my technique on the stitches in an effort to create an un-fugly sweater for the child to wear.

UPDATE: It turns out I was doing the stitch completely wrong...which might have something to do with how badly the sweater was turning out.

Colorado was beautiful...

2009-08-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

I finally came through on my often stated desire to go visit Abby and see her semi new house.
The house is beautiful and they live in a really nice neighborhood. We went hiking at Grey Rock Mountain so I thought that others might enjoy some photos from the trip

I really should charge for this level of awesome photos...I guess I earned the gelatos that Abby treated me to.
The hike was beatiful and I did much better at the high altitude than I expected to. I really did have a great visit and would love to go back and spend some more time with Abby and Tadd...did I mention the absolutely yummy pesto he made? delicious!

I thought you were a squirrel

2009-08-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

The other day I thought I would go check on my very dissapointing tomato plants. They have developed soooooo slowly this year and haven't really produced any fruit.

I had seen that one tomato was getting ripe and decided to see if it was ready to be picked. I wasn't wearing my glasses as I walked out but I could see that half of my tomaot was missing! Apparently the squirrels out here really like to pick and drag off tomatoes to eat, so I thought that, that was what had happened.

Instead as I got close enough to see what was still sitting next to my poor tomato I found this:

As a bonus here is a photo of my sad little pumpkin:

Meet Me in St. Louis

2009-08-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

St. Louis has tons of meet-ups for people who want to meet other people who are interested in the same things.

When I arrived I signed up for a couple but didn't really attend anything other than a running one...which I then couldn't attend due to the unfortunate incident with the bike.

Last night I stepped out of my very narrow comfort zone and attended a figure drawing meet up organized by the St. Louis Aritist Guild. i got there about 15 minutes after the start time and the room was full...with one spot in the back.
So I tiptoed over trying to be as small and quite as possible while setting up my gear.

The thing is I've always associated art and drawing as something I "do"...last night I realised it has been 12 years minimum since I did figure drawing...and it showed.

It was a good thing that I was in the far corner in the back because I certainly didn't want anyone wandering by and seeing the calamity that was my effort to depict the poor model. But I was relived and pleased to see that going into the second 20 minute pose my technique and skill markedly improved. If/when I ever get around to it I might scan the sketches and post them.

I plan on attending the Long Pose tomorrow night as well.