matt made this great mix that i am listening to right now, you guys need to get into it. some new(er) tunes for you to research/buy/burn when you come to visit: palomar, elefant, aqueduct, razorlight, elliott smith, reeve oliver, q and not u, hippos, fall out boy, mates of state, and the new starflyer album....
we had an impromptu weekend extender (that's now what we call friday night activities now that we're older and it's harder to go out on friday night) on friday with some friends. they all came over to our house for an appetizer and then we walked to downtown ocean beach and ate dinner at bravo's, a mexican place. then we went to pacific shores for an after dinner drink and walked back home. it ended up being such a fun time!
yesterday matt and i did a little research for our future wood floor buying experience. it's sort of a long process, actually. i was hoping to have them put in before our guests come in the middle of march, but it looks like the earliest will be late march/early april. then matt went out and bought a rotisserie chicken, bread, and cheese from the grocery store and we stuffed ourselves!!! we blobbed around, rented the last episodes of sex and the city--and it had such a great final episode, we're sad that it's over!
today we went for a hike back in sunset cliffs natural park and everything is green and lush and beautiful. the place where we had mom and dad edwards' 30th anniversary celebration is overgrown with green plants and yellow flowers, as is the entire park. we hiked down the cliffs to the beach and tidepools and explored and found sea plants and creatures. now we're getting ready to go to a superbowl party. i don't care about the actual game, but there will be guacamole, i've been told, so that's the main draw. also, someone is making a chart where we can "buy" boxes and something or other about the last 2 numbers of the score of each quarter--either way, i plan on winning some money from this deal!!!!
have fun this afternoon, everybody!
yeah, the sun always shines around you...
-the queers
Thursday, February 03, 2005
i love thursdays.
this is because 1. friday is tomorrow and 2. because my kids go home at 12:20 and i get my afternoon to myself.
yay!
i've been discouraged about my job but had a good talk with my dad the other night, who gave me encouragement and ideas for future endeavors. it's so good to have a father on earth who knows me, i mean really knows me, and my strengths and weaknesses and interests and giftings; so that when he gives me advice, it is actually helpful and i know i can trust it because he knows me. thanks dad! i love you!
today i went to lunch with the resource specialist from my school. we picked up sandwiches and then ate them on sunset cliffs as we enjoyed the 74 degree day and the beautiful blue ocean. we ended up staying for over an hour because we didn't have kids to get back to, and we deserved it, gosh darn it! it was so refreshing and wonderful and an answer to prayers, really. it was windy and warm and perfect!
if you have read matt's blog, you know that we scored tickets to the U2 concert, (after our own unsuccessful hours of trying) through one matt's coworkers! yay!!! U2 is one of three bands on my list of things to do/see in my lifetime (the other 2 concerts are beastie boys and travoltas, in case you were wondering). but U2 is the very first album i ever got (mare-insert cheesy sigh) so i've loved them since 5th grade and can NOT wait to see them live!!!!! and the show is on april 2, a saturday, so that makes it even better--we can totally enjoy it and not stress out about having to work the next day!
some other good shows coming up here soon:
mates of state
pinback
ambulance ltd/autolux (with mare and justin)
decemberists OR ash-they're playing the same night at different venues (it's a toss up, i've seen ash and they give such an excellent show, but i'd like to see the decemberists, because i hear their influence in justin's music) either way, these shows are also going on when mare and justin are here as well!
i made 3 cute bowls in pottery class this week. all i have to do now is glaze and fire them--hopefully they come out okay---and then i'll be giving some fun gifts that i can actually be sort of proud of and that you don't have to pretend aren't ugly. i've been on the potter's wheel and it is so relaxing, yet concentration-requiring--i am actually getting the hang of it, but there really is a science to it! one false move and the whole thing can collapse (which happened to me twice on tuesday-ha! so funny to see a big misshapen blobby spinning around in circles!).
i need to get started on my adventure scrapbook! so many things to record and remember. thank goodness i've had some good travel journaling! EXAMPLE: as some of you know, mary and i are doing a 100k bike ride in santa cruz this may. and i remembered that matt and i camped at a great campground (with an ocean view) near santa cruz a couple of summers ago on our vacation up the coast. it turns out that the campground is only 4 miles away from where the race starts! so mare and i decided to do that, since it will be our last event for awhile. so i looked up in my travel journal to see what i had written about it and it turns out i actually recorded the exact campsite (#27-ha!) where we stayed, just in case we would ever stay there again. so it pays to be specific in the journaling is all i'm trying to say...
stay where you are
i'm right behind you
i'm always looking
i may not be the one, that's true
but i'm trying, dontcha know?
-ambulance ltd
this is because 1. friday is tomorrow and 2. because my kids go home at 12:20 and i get my afternoon to myself.
yay!
i've been discouraged about my job but had a good talk with my dad the other night, who gave me encouragement and ideas for future endeavors. it's so good to have a father on earth who knows me, i mean really knows me, and my strengths and weaknesses and interests and giftings; so that when he gives me advice, it is actually helpful and i know i can trust it because he knows me. thanks dad! i love you!
today i went to lunch with the resource specialist from my school. we picked up sandwiches and then ate them on sunset cliffs as we enjoyed the 74 degree day and the beautiful blue ocean. we ended up staying for over an hour because we didn't have kids to get back to, and we deserved it, gosh darn it! it was so refreshing and wonderful and an answer to prayers, really. it was windy and warm and perfect!
if you have read matt's blog, you know that we scored tickets to the U2 concert, (after our own unsuccessful hours of trying) through one matt's coworkers! yay!!! U2 is one of three bands on my list of things to do/see in my lifetime (the other 2 concerts are beastie boys and travoltas, in case you were wondering). but U2 is the very first album i ever got (mare-insert cheesy sigh) so i've loved them since 5th grade and can NOT wait to see them live!!!!! and the show is on april 2, a saturday, so that makes it even better--we can totally enjoy it and not stress out about having to work the next day!
some other good shows coming up here soon:
mates of state
pinback
ambulance ltd/autolux (with mare and justin)
decemberists OR ash-they're playing the same night at different venues (it's a toss up, i've seen ash and they give such an excellent show, but i'd like to see the decemberists, because i hear their influence in justin's music) either way, these shows are also going on when mare and justin are here as well!
i made 3 cute bowls in pottery class this week. all i have to do now is glaze and fire them--hopefully they come out okay---and then i'll be giving some fun gifts that i can actually be sort of proud of and that you don't have to pretend aren't ugly. i've been on the potter's wheel and it is so relaxing, yet concentration-requiring--i am actually getting the hang of it, but there really is a science to it! one false move and the whole thing can collapse (which happened to me twice on tuesday-ha! so funny to see a big misshapen blobby spinning around in circles!).
i need to get started on my adventure scrapbook! so many things to record and remember. thank goodness i've had some good travel journaling! EXAMPLE: as some of you know, mary and i are doing a 100k bike ride in santa cruz this may. and i remembered that matt and i camped at a great campground (with an ocean view) near santa cruz a couple of summers ago on our vacation up the coast. it turns out that the campground is only 4 miles away from where the race starts! so mare and i decided to do that, since it will be our last event for awhile. so i looked up in my travel journal to see what i had written about it and it turns out i actually recorded the exact campsite (#27-ha!) where we stayed, just in case we would ever stay there again. so it pays to be specific in the journaling is all i'm trying to say...
stay where you are
i'm right behind you
i'm always looking
i may not be the one, that's true
but i'm trying, dontcha know?
-ambulance ltd
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
welp, i'm finally blogging!
let's see, a lot has happened since i last blogged:
first of all, we went to seattle, which we loved. some highlights included:
-pike's place market (you know, the famous one where they throw the fish and all). it was actually a pretty large market with several floors of shops, stands, and restaurants. i bought a great necklace there in the shape of a swirl-yay!
-the cavs game--so much fun. plus, we had VIP seats so that meant we were able to go in this VIP room during halftime and get free drinks, soft pretzels, sandwiches, etc. so fun!!! plus, we were sitting next to two other cavs fans and we were the only 4 yelling in the arena some times. and matt was so excited and i love to see him like that.
-the ferry ride to bainbridge island. it was sort of misty out and it had been raining so matt and i had the entire upper (outdoor) deck to ourselves. we could see the mountains and the islands through the mist and it was such a smooth ride. it was actually pretty surreal and very romantic.
-our anniversary dinner at a restaurant called "serafina's", which was beautiful and everything about it was perfect!
-the Experience Music Project, basically a pop music museum with really great artifacts like handwritten lyrics from the beatles on hotel stationary, part of jimi hendrix's guitar that he burned and smashed at woodstock, etc.
we also had some amusing moments:
-on the plane ride there, one of the flight attendants told the people in front of us that her brother used to play guitar for air supply. and she was still pretty excited about it. of course we snickered to each other!
-once we were on the bus and a man with some mental health issues got on and started talking loudly about how he had lost everything just yesterday and now he was heading to church and maybe we don't believe him but he really was heading to church and would the good people on the bus be willing to help him out? and he started scanning the bus and looked straight at matt (who was just growing a beard), pointed, and said, "i know YOU can't help me", and looked for another person to ask. so AMAZING!!!! we really didn't get solicited by the homeless while we were there for that very reason--matt looked like an unsavory character himself!!!!
so we had such a fun time and would love to go back someday!
but now we're home and as matt said, we've had some great weather and have been enjoying the outdoors. we have also been taking some great bike rides together, which has been fun. it's great to finally have an athletic activity that we are both interested in and pretty evenly matched!
also, i started my second pottery class and i've been attempting to throw some pots/bowls/anything on the wheel. needless to say, it is extremely difficult but very therapeutic when successful. and the items look better than making them purely by hand. we'll see if i get a couple decent items from this class.
oh yeah, we're looking for a new car and you would not believe these car salesmen--the things they say are so ridiculous. this one dude raved on and on about how great our credit was and when i told him that we were waiting for our tax return so we could have a bigger downpayment, he tried to convince me to post date a check for 6 weeks later. when i refused, he asked why i didn't feel comfortable with that!!! i had to remind him that we had good credit for a good reason--we don't write checks for money we don't have!!!!! duh!
welp, i know i should probably say more after not blogging for so long but i'm tired.
so i'm outie.
let's see, a lot has happened since i last blogged:
first of all, we went to seattle, which we loved. some highlights included:
-pike's place market (you know, the famous one where they throw the fish and all). it was actually a pretty large market with several floors of shops, stands, and restaurants. i bought a great necklace there in the shape of a swirl-yay!
-the cavs game--so much fun. plus, we had VIP seats so that meant we were able to go in this VIP room during halftime and get free drinks, soft pretzels, sandwiches, etc. so fun!!! plus, we were sitting next to two other cavs fans and we were the only 4 yelling in the arena some times. and matt was so excited and i love to see him like that.
-the ferry ride to bainbridge island. it was sort of misty out and it had been raining so matt and i had the entire upper (outdoor) deck to ourselves. we could see the mountains and the islands through the mist and it was such a smooth ride. it was actually pretty surreal and very romantic.
-our anniversary dinner at a restaurant called "serafina's", which was beautiful and everything about it was perfect!
-the Experience Music Project, basically a pop music museum with really great artifacts like handwritten lyrics from the beatles on hotel stationary, part of jimi hendrix's guitar that he burned and smashed at woodstock, etc.
we also had some amusing moments:
-on the plane ride there, one of the flight attendants told the people in front of us that her brother used to play guitar for air supply. and she was still pretty excited about it. of course we snickered to each other!
-once we were on the bus and a man with some mental health issues got on and started talking loudly about how he had lost everything just yesterday and now he was heading to church and maybe we don't believe him but he really was heading to church and would the good people on the bus be willing to help him out? and he started scanning the bus and looked straight at matt (who was just growing a beard), pointed, and said, "i know YOU can't help me", and looked for another person to ask. so AMAZING!!!! we really didn't get solicited by the homeless while we were there for that very reason--matt looked like an unsavory character himself!!!!
so we had such a fun time and would love to go back someday!
but now we're home and as matt said, we've had some great weather and have been enjoying the outdoors. we have also been taking some great bike rides together, which has been fun. it's great to finally have an athletic activity that we are both interested in and pretty evenly matched!
also, i started my second pottery class and i've been attempting to throw some pots/bowls/anything on the wheel. needless to say, it is extremely difficult but very therapeutic when successful. and the items look better than making them purely by hand. we'll see if i get a couple decent items from this class.
oh yeah, we're looking for a new car and you would not believe these car salesmen--the things they say are so ridiculous. this one dude raved on and on about how great our credit was and when i told him that we were waiting for our tax return so we could have a bigger downpayment, he tried to convince me to post date a check for 6 weeks later. when i refused, he asked why i didn't feel comfortable with that!!! i had to remind him that we had good credit for a good reason--we don't write checks for money we don't have!!!!! duh!
welp, i know i should probably say more after not blogging for so long but i'm tired.
so i'm outie.
Friday, January 14, 2005
happy belated birthday ryan!!!!!
well, if you read matt's blog you know that we're heading to seattle this weekend. yay! i'm so excited!!! our friend eddie used to live in seattle and he put together a numbered list of places he and his wife loved to go to--and even included a map with correponding numbers and exact locations! we'll probably plan our little itinerary on the plane ride up there. (we have our tickets on alaska airlines, since we'll be using that airline in the future...:) some things we're going to do for sure are go to pike's place market (where they throw the fish), the space needle, the EMP (experience music project)-our friends gave matt tickets for his birthday, and, of course, the cleveland cavs vs. the seattle supersonics game on sunday night. look for us on tv if you get the game--we have floor seats across from the cavs bench (approximately)!
justin, i was so freaked out by your twin peaks blog. seriously scary.
welp, just wanted to get a quick blog in before work so i must be going.
have a great weekend everyone!
well, if you read matt's blog you know that we're heading to seattle this weekend. yay! i'm so excited!!! our friend eddie used to live in seattle and he put together a numbered list of places he and his wife loved to go to--and even included a map with correponding numbers and exact locations! we'll probably plan our little itinerary on the plane ride up there. (we have our tickets on alaska airlines, since we'll be using that airline in the future...:) some things we're going to do for sure are go to pike's place market (where they throw the fish), the space needle, the EMP (experience music project)-our friends gave matt tickets for his birthday, and, of course, the cleveland cavs vs. the seattle supersonics game on sunday night. look for us on tv if you get the game--we have floor seats across from the cavs bench (approximately)!
justin, i was so freaked out by your twin peaks blog. seriously scary.
welp, just wanted to get a quick blog in before work so i must be going.
have a great weekend everyone!
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
ouch.
i'm sore.
that's what i get for being a fat lazy pig and not running for a few weeks. and then doing a hardcore fast workout so i can determine my maximum heart rate so i can start using my heart monitor so i can start training more effectively. i think i figured out that my max heart rate is 198 during running. apparently, my max heart rate during biking and swimming will be lower. i'll keep you all posted, i know you're dying to know.
well, a new year's resolution i have is to do as many athletic events as i can this year. and be healthy and injury-free while i do so. on the list for this spring/summer:
1. march-marchmadness trail running 5k race (san diego, by myself?)
2. april- 30 mile (50k) bike race with mary in alpine, CA
3. may- metric century (100k/62 miles) bike ride (santa cruz with mary)
4. july- firecracker 5000 (5k) (hilton head island with ryan)
this week has been surprisingly good, for my first week back.
i decided i have no complaints about life.
that's a great place to be, in my brain and in my life, i also decided.
matt and i started watching "supersize me", thanks to mary's (and justin's?) suggestion. wow. it is SICK. everyone on earth needs to watch that movie!!! matt and i are feeling so convicted about our eating habits now. on my list of things to accomplish in my lifetime (before even watching this documentary): eat healthy 90% of the time. supersize just knocked this item up a few priority notches, i must say.
justin, i could have watched your shorts all night. i was so disappointed when they ended. especially the evening portion. it actually made me feel cold and reminded me of the smell of the winter air and the feeling of tightness in the lungs. but it was peaceful and reminded me of late nights in college when i loved bowling green.
more, please!
welp, i'm tired so i'm going to lay down.
rydogg, be expecting something in the mail soon!
i'm sore.
that's what i get for being a fat lazy pig and not running for a few weeks. and then doing a hardcore fast workout so i can determine my maximum heart rate so i can start using my heart monitor so i can start training more effectively. i think i figured out that my max heart rate is 198 during running. apparently, my max heart rate during biking and swimming will be lower. i'll keep you all posted, i know you're dying to know.
well, a new year's resolution i have is to do as many athletic events as i can this year. and be healthy and injury-free while i do so. on the list for this spring/summer:
1. march-marchmadness trail running 5k race (san diego, by myself?)
2. april- 30 mile (50k) bike race with mary in alpine, CA
3. may- metric century (100k/62 miles) bike ride (santa cruz with mary)
4. july- firecracker 5000 (5k) (hilton head island with ryan)
this week has been surprisingly good, for my first week back.
i decided i have no complaints about life.
that's a great place to be, in my brain and in my life, i also decided.
matt and i started watching "supersize me", thanks to mary's (and justin's?) suggestion. wow. it is SICK. everyone on earth needs to watch that movie!!! matt and i are feeling so convicted about our eating habits now. on my list of things to accomplish in my lifetime (before even watching this documentary): eat healthy 90% of the time. supersize just knocked this item up a few priority notches, i must say.
justin, i could have watched your shorts all night. i was so disappointed when they ended. especially the evening portion. it actually made me feel cold and reminded me of the smell of the winter air and the feeling of tightness in the lungs. but it was peaceful and reminded me of late nights in college when i loved bowling green.
more, please!
welp, i'm tired so i'm going to lay down.
rydogg, be expecting something in the mail soon!
Monday, January 03, 2005
so this is the new year
and i don't feel any different
the clanking of crystal
explosions off in the distance
-death cab
it's true. i don't feel any different. still happy and content with everything (will there be changes with my job at some point? maybe, but i've changed my attitude and it's just change. i don't have to make up an excuse to change what i'm doing.) so maybe i do feel different (like mikey). i sure havent' felt like blogging lately, but here i am.
it's our 7th wedding anniversary!!!
wow.
we're definitely where we hoped to be in 7 years.
sort of surprised that there are no kids here yet--ha! but fine and content with that.
but happy that we've grown and changed together.
GOD IS SO GOOD is the only thing i can say.
are we where you thought we'd be 7 years ago???? or didn't you think about our future? probably not. except for maybe parents...
anyhoo, i made a fantastic dinner (if i do say so myself!) of steak, homemade mashed potatoes, asparagus, and bread with cheese. we have cake that i will eat for dessert at some point.
speaking of cake, we're having a party for matt's 30th this saturday. our usual friends are coming + some others + some peeps from LA. i'm making tortilla soup, sangria, and fruit pizza. yum!!!
we just got a call from aunt deedee and uncle bob tonight saying they're coming to visit the 3rd week of march! yay! and then i have spring break the 4th week (mare, do we still have plans? i hope you'll come for an sd run--or are we doing our own bike/camping tour? yes!!! so fun!!!), then kevin and emily come out the last week--hooray! so fun to have family and friends who are able to come to our home and stay awhile. so it looks like march is already booked--let this be a lesson to the rest of you: you'd better get your reservations in early!!!!
quick note about christmas/new years:
such a wonderful, quality time with family and friends. too short, of course. but a ton of laughing, great food, fun games, white christmas, fantastic chats, good workout at the ymca, and fun martinis from dad good. we love you all and loved being with you this christmas. we miss you all already. thankfully some of you already have plans to come out and see us!!!! :)
happy new year, everyone.
and i don't feel any different
the clanking of crystal
explosions off in the distance
-death cab
it's true. i don't feel any different. still happy and content with everything (will there be changes with my job at some point? maybe, but i've changed my attitude and it's just change. i don't have to make up an excuse to change what i'm doing.) so maybe i do feel different (like mikey). i sure havent' felt like blogging lately, but here i am.
it's our 7th wedding anniversary!!!
wow.
we're definitely where we hoped to be in 7 years.
sort of surprised that there are no kids here yet--ha! but fine and content with that.
but happy that we've grown and changed together.
GOD IS SO GOOD is the only thing i can say.
are we where you thought we'd be 7 years ago???? or didn't you think about our future? probably not. except for maybe parents...
anyhoo, i made a fantastic dinner (if i do say so myself!) of steak, homemade mashed potatoes, asparagus, and bread with cheese. we have cake that i will eat for dessert at some point.
speaking of cake, we're having a party for matt's 30th this saturday. our usual friends are coming + some others + some peeps from LA. i'm making tortilla soup, sangria, and fruit pizza. yum!!!
we just got a call from aunt deedee and uncle bob tonight saying they're coming to visit the 3rd week of march! yay! and then i have spring break the 4th week (mare, do we still have plans? i hope you'll come for an sd run--or are we doing our own bike/camping tour? yes!!! so fun!!!), then kevin and emily come out the last week--hooray! so fun to have family and friends who are able to come to our home and stay awhile. so it looks like march is already booked--let this be a lesson to the rest of you: you'd better get your reservations in early!!!!
quick note about christmas/new years:
such a wonderful, quality time with family and friends. too short, of course. but a ton of laughing, great food, fun games, white christmas, fantastic chats, good workout at the ymca, and fun martinis from dad good. we love you all and loved being with you this christmas. we miss you all already. thankfully some of you already have plans to come out and see us!!!! :)
happy new year, everyone.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
tomorrow is christmas eve!
it seems like it came so soon, yet not so soon.
that remark reminds me of a chef on the food network, some pretty girl with a giant head who cooks italian food. everything is "sweet but not sweet" or "tart but not tart". ha! i can't stop watching the food network when i'm off work and it makes me want to both cook and EAT!
i've been out of control eating since thanksgiving, yet i stopped exercising. finally, i started again on monday and hopefully i'll continue through christmas break with dad and ryan good (and anyone else!) at the YMCA and then with mom edwards (maybe pilates? :) in bg and then a great run with heidi in boardman, OH. did i mention that she ran the New York City marathon last month? a-ma-zing.
anyhoo, it feels good to get back into the swing of things. i'm just randomly training, but sort of on the same track as i was training for the triathlon, just because it seemed so healthy for my body. mare and i will be completing a half century (50 mile) bike race and/or adventure race this spring, so good to get some conditioning in now...
tomorrow we head out for ohio. pray for safe travels and no delays and no illness this christmas.
dad edwards, i liked your picture diary. they were so fun--especially the picture of matt with sweet hannah! i wonder what is happening with the possible new edwards home?
matt and i had fun the other night making a christmas mix--it ended up being 4.6 hours and we played it at our recent christmas party. i'm bringing it home for christmas so we can all be festive at home. speaking of which, it is most definitely going to be a white christmas. and for that, i am pumped!!! especially if i can go sledding or have a snowball fight! yes!!!
welp, i'm going to get going now.
merry christmas to all and to all a good night!!!
can't wait to see you all!
it seems like it came so soon, yet not so soon.
that remark reminds me of a chef on the food network, some pretty girl with a giant head who cooks italian food. everything is "sweet but not sweet" or "tart but not tart". ha! i can't stop watching the food network when i'm off work and it makes me want to both cook and EAT!
i've been out of control eating since thanksgiving, yet i stopped exercising. finally, i started again on monday and hopefully i'll continue through christmas break with dad and ryan good (and anyone else!) at the YMCA and then with mom edwards (maybe pilates? :) in bg and then a great run with heidi in boardman, OH. did i mention that she ran the New York City marathon last month? a-ma-zing.
anyhoo, it feels good to get back into the swing of things. i'm just randomly training, but sort of on the same track as i was training for the triathlon, just because it seemed so healthy for my body. mare and i will be completing a half century (50 mile) bike race and/or adventure race this spring, so good to get some conditioning in now...
tomorrow we head out for ohio. pray for safe travels and no delays and no illness this christmas.
dad edwards, i liked your picture diary. they were so fun--especially the picture of matt with sweet hannah! i wonder what is happening with the possible new edwards home?
matt and i had fun the other night making a christmas mix--it ended up being 4.6 hours and we played it at our recent christmas party. i'm bringing it home for christmas so we can all be festive at home. speaking of which, it is most definitely going to be a white christmas. and for that, i am pumped!!! especially if i can go sledding or have a snowball fight! yes!!!
welp, i'm going to get going now.
merry christmas to all and to all a good night!!!
can't wait to see you all!
Sunday, December 19, 2004
yay! i'm on christmas break now!
hooray!
for my last day of school, i had one of the best quotes from a first grader yet!
me: (reading the grinch and noticing a little boy picking his nose) he had to stop christmas from coming, but HOW? erik, if you need a tissue, there is one on the table.
erik: (takes a tissue, quickly wipes his nose and throws the tissue in the trash)
me: good job~ then he had an idea. the grinch had a wonderful, awful idea... erik, stop picking your nose.
erik: (smiles and giggles) aw, but i like to pick my nose.
me: i know, but you can't pick your nose at school. it's gross.
erik: i pick my nose at home...(pauses) a LOT (he adds with a grin).
me: (trying not to laugh)
erik: but my mom always catches me.
me: okay, hold on just a second, boys. (i turn to my desk to write down this gem and when i look up, there he is, lips and surrounding areas covered in red gunk) erik, what is on your face?
erik: what? it's lipstick.
it was actually chapstick, and he looked like a clown. it just added to the whole experience, i must say.
matt and i had a really fun party here friday night. we had 3 other couples over for a christmas party and i made a ton of food-chili, cheesy potatoes, roasted vegetables with orzo pasta, stuffed mushrooms, bread and cheese, mozzarella/basil/tomato skewers, and a few other random things. we made grasshoppers to drink and our friend brought this warm cranberry wine drink and we all sat by the tree and exchanged gifts and laughed and talked all night. my friend marni brought me back this amazing ring from australia that is a swirl. i love it, but it is too big, so i have to get it sized. which i will investigate tomorrow, my first monday of christmas break!
matt gave me my christmas gift, a pink hawaiian print roxy suitcase, which i've been wanting forever! and a cute little matching train case/makeup bag thing. and also a cordouroy purse and a dvd "the nightmare before christmas". yay!
i also gave him his birthday present a little early, but he'll have to tell you about that!
so we're heading over to our friends house (marni and eddie) to get our dog fix (with their silly dog, rocco). plus, eddie brought matt a cuban cigar back from australia, so the boys want to smoke those. and i think we're going to watch a christmas movie. so i must be going!
hooray!
for my last day of school, i had one of the best quotes from a first grader yet!
me: (reading the grinch and noticing a little boy picking his nose) he had to stop christmas from coming, but HOW? erik, if you need a tissue, there is one on the table.
erik: (takes a tissue, quickly wipes his nose and throws the tissue in the trash)
me: good job~ then he had an idea. the grinch had a wonderful, awful idea... erik, stop picking your nose.
erik: (smiles and giggles) aw, but i like to pick my nose.
me: i know, but you can't pick your nose at school. it's gross.
erik: i pick my nose at home...(pauses) a LOT (he adds with a grin).
me: (trying not to laugh)
erik: but my mom always catches me.
me: okay, hold on just a second, boys. (i turn to my desk to write down this gem and when i look up, there he is, lips and surrounding areas covered in red gunk) erik, what is on your face?
erik: what? it's lipstick.
it was actually chapstick, and he looked like a clown. it just added to the whole experience, i must say.
matt and i had a really fun party here friday night. we had 3 other couples over for a christmas party and i made a ton of food-chili, cheesy potatoes, roasted vegetables with orzo pasta, stuffed mushrooms, bread and cheese, mozzarella/basil/tomato skewers, and a few other random things. we made grasshoppers to drink and our friend brought this warm cranberry wine drink and we all sat by the tree and exchanged gifts and laughed and talked all night. my friend marni brought me back this amazing ring from australia that is a swirl. i love it, but it is too big, so i have to get it sized. which i will investigate tomorrow, my first monday of christmas break!
matt gave me my christmas gift, a pink hawaiian print roxy suitcase, which i've been wanting forever! and a cute little matching train case/makeup bag thing. and also a cordouroy purse and a dvd "the nightmare before christmas". yay!
i also gave him his birthday present a little early, but he'll have to tell you about that!
so we're heading over to our friends house (marni and eddie) to get our dog fix (with their silly dog, rocco). plus, eddie brought matt a cuban cigar back from australia, so the boys want to smoke those. and i think we're going to watch a christmas movie. so i must be going!
Saturday, December 11, 2004
justin, i meant to say that i loved your videoblogs! except for the drainage pads.
last night matt and i went to my work party. it was held at this beautiful home (parents of one of the teachers) near old town. they even had a gas firepit outside in their beautifully landscaped front yard. i also got a job offer (from the wife of one of the teachers) to do speech therapy at a nursing home. i don't feel confident in my skills with adults, but i was assured that i would get some more training. just a few weekend/evening hours--and i may take it after the holidays. or i may not. we shall see... i introduced matt to everyone, of course. and at least 5 teachers made the joke that "there will be a quiz at the end of the night". hardeeharhar. teacher humor. it was fun to be outside of work and not talking about work, though. i get in my head and i'm overwhelmed at work, so there's really no time for chatting. so it was nice.
then we came home, drank a little champagne, i got sushi, and we rented "boomtown", a tv show that should have never been cancelled.
yesterday the surf was super high--6-10 foot waves, so i went to watch it on my lunch break-so amazing. i never get tired of it! i haven't checked the surf report yet today, but if it has died down, we're going surfing today. it's going to be 70 degrees again.
i had a dream that i was giving hannah a bath last night. she was fat and bald and splashy, just like she is in real life! yay!
music i'm listening to: sarah mclachlan, sufjan stevens, new U2, new jimmy eat world (michelle-i'll burn it for you, you'll be into it--it's like the clarity album).
5 more days of school until christmas break!
23 more days until our 7 year anniversary!
28 more days until matt is 30 years old!
last night matt and i went to my work party. it was held at this beautiful home (parents of one of the teachers) near old town. they even had a gas firepit outside in their beautifully landscaped front yard. i also got a job offer (from the wife of one of the teachers) to do speech therapy at a nursing home. i don't feel confident in my skills with adults, but i was assured that i would get some more training. just a few weekend/evening hours--and i may take it after the holidays. or i may not. we shall see... i introduced matt to everyone, of course. and at least 5 teachers made the joke that "there will be a quiz at the end of the night". hardeeharhar. teacher humor. it was fun to be outside of work and not talking about work, though. i get in my head and i'm overwhelmed at work, so there's really no time for chatting. so it was nice.
then we came home, drank a little champagne, i got sushi, and we rented "boomtown", a tv show that should have never been cancelled.
yesterday the surf was super high--6-10 foot waves, so i went to watch it on my lunch break-so amazing. i never get tired of it! i haven't checked the surf report yet today, but if it has died down, we're going surfing today. it's going to be 70 degrees again.
i had a dream that i was giving hannah a bath last night. she was fat and bald and splashy, just like she is in real life! yay!
music i'm listening to: sarah mclachlan, sufjan stevens, new U2, new jimmy eat world (michelle-i'll burn it for you, you'll be into it--it's like the clarity album).
5 more days of school until christmas break!
23 more days until our 7 year anniversary!
28 more days until matt is 30 years old!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
surprisingly, i actually remember most of those songs from 1990, dad edwards. not that they were quite my style, but i do remember them from top 40 radio and mtv. and even just seeing the titles made the memories rush back.
and i remember that christmas 15 years ago (on a side note--do you remember saying, "i wonder if we were ever in the same place at the same time before we knew each other?"). but 15 years ago, i was celebrating christmas with my family and the edwards family was celebrating--little did i know that i would become part of your family.
at christmastime 15 years ago, my family had just moved to cincinnati and i was absolutely devastated and lonely. i wrote out my christmas list, as i did every year, but at the top of the list i wrote "friends". i can only now imagine how heartbreaking that must have been for my parents to see. my mom did have a good sense of humor about it, though, and gave me a stress ball shaped like a face with ears that stuck out and the box read, "your new best friend". ha!
it was our second christmas without my dad's father, grandpa good.
i do remember getting the "flood" album from they might be giants for christmas that year. and the sundays old one.
it was a rough christmas, complete with my teen angst. :)
little did i know the lord was breaking my heart in order to get in and start healing it and drawing me near.
only at christmas time-
sufjan stevens
and i remember that christmas 15 years ago (on a side note--do you remember saying, "i wonder if we were ever in the same place at the same time before we knew each other?"). but 15 years ago, i was celebrating christmas with my family and the edwards family was celebrating--little did i know that i would become part of your family.
at christmastime 15 years ago, my family had just moved to cincinnati and i was absolutely devastated and lonely. i wrote out my christmas list, as i did every year, but at the top of the list i wrote "friends". i can only now imagine how heartbreaking that must have been for my parents to see. my mom did have a good sense of humor about it, though, and gave me a stress ball shaped like a face with ears that stuck out and the box read, "your new best friend". ha!
it was our second christmas without my dad's father, grandpa good.
i do remember getting the "flood" album from they might be giants for christmas that year. and the sundays old one.
it was a rough christmas, complete with my teen angst. :)
little did i know the lord was breaking my heart in order to get in and start healing it and drawing me near.
only at christmas time-
sufjan stevens
Sunday, December 05, 2004
i know a swiss cake roll has no nutritional value.
and i'm aware that it probably is not actual food at all--just chemicals and synthetic flavored matter--but i'm eating one right now and it brings back great memories of my grandma good. so there!
here is my long-awaited christmas list, for those of you who care:
1. jean jacket from jcrew-size XS on sale for $49.99
http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod61481791&catId=cat64614
2. camelbak charm hydration system $34.99
color: sky blue
http://www.rockymountaintrail.com/detail.aspx?ID=9630
3. subscription to runner's world magazine $20.00
http://www.uSubscribe.com/order.cfm?tid=10257&plky=O19684>SE=GOOG>KW=Runner%27s+World+Magazine
4. gift certificates to express,gap, and target (for sweaters and board games)
5. book: Run Fast: How to Beat Your Best Time by Hal Higdon
http://www.halhigdon.com/books/bookorder.htm
that's it for now... peace out
and i'm aware that it probably is not actual food at all--just chemicals and synthetic flavored matter--but i'm eating one right now and it brings back great memories of my grandma good. so there!
here is my long-awaited christmas list, for those of you who care:
1. jean jacket from jcrew-size XS on sale for $49.99
http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod61481791&catId=cat64614
2. camelbak charm hydration system $34.99
color: sky blue
http://www.rockymountaintrail.com/detail.aspx?ID=9630
3. subscription to runner's world magazine $20.00
http://www.uSubscribe.com/order.cfm?tid=10257&plky=O19684>SE=GOOG>KW=Runner%27s+World+Magazine
4. gift certificates to express,gap, and target (for sweaters and board games)
5. book: Run Fast: How to Beat Your Best Time by Hal Higdon
http://www.halhigdon.com/books/bookorder.htm
that's it for now... peace out
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
i will finally write now.
happy thanksgiving everyone!!!
we had a great time with mom and dad edwards, justy, michael, mary, and casey (and silly bo!) at lake arrowhead. mary had found us a cabin with character and a magnificent view. matt and i woke up to a view of the lake surrounded by mountains. once i woke up early and it was just light out with the sun peeking over the edge and a full moon on the other side over the lake---so beautiful.
highlights of the trip:
-driving to the cabin and seeing palm trees on the hwy next to us and a snow-capped mountain in the near distance
-snowball fight with PERFECTLY packing snow!
-watching the sun set over the lake
-watching a funny and crazy skeleton movie with dad (which provided a plethora of jokes and references)
-playing balderdash with everyone (including the famous and active bocifus)
-hilarious knitting with mary and mom
-eating yum yum food all weekend
-reading a book while drinking hot chocolate in front of a crackley fire in the fireplace
-SNOWBOARDING!!! what??? how have i lived here for over 2 years and not experienced this sooner? snowboarding is what i anticipate to be a new addiction, due to the level of fun-ness and not-too-hard-ness. fun like surfing but easier than surfing. the more i try to compare the two, the less alike they are. therefore, i will not compare anymore. matt and mary were out of control good at it (matt flying past every person on the slopes, mare flying but by carving the slopes and having such quick control). mikey and i bonded on the bunny hill and then the bigger hill. YES!!! so fun!!! next time, justin must be present...
we had a great time with everyone--we love you all!
and now back to reality.
i just counted and realized i had a total of 3 days in the whole month of november where i did NOT have at least one IEP meeting. it's not just the actual meeting, it's all the paperwork involved before we even get to that point--argh-stress! december will be much the same, but 2 weeks off will be a nice reward at the end. speaking of which, we still need to get tickets home for christmas. we kept waiting for them to go down under $300, but that hasn't happened and it won't, i'm sure. oh well, matt is in charge of that job this year!
welp, i'm hungry so i'm out of here.
happy thanksgiving everyone!!!
we had a great time with mom and dad edwards, justy, michael, mary, and casey (and silly bo!) at lake arrowhead. mary had found us a cabin with character and a magnificent view. matt and i woke up to a view of the lake surrounded by mountains. once i woke up early and it was just light out with the sun peeking over the edge and a full moon on the other side over the lake---so beautiful.
highlights of the trip:
-driving to the cabin and seeing palm trees on the hwy next to us and a snow-capped mountain in the near distance
-snowball fight with PERFECTLY packing snow!
-watching the sun set over the lake
-watching a funny and crazy skeleton movie with dad (which provided a plethora of jokes and references)
-playing balderdash with everyone (including the famous and active bocifus)
-hilarious knitting with mary and mom
-eating yum yum food all weekend
-reading a book while drinking hot chocolate in front of a crackley fire in the fireplace
-SNOWBOARDING!!! what??? how have i lived here for over 2 years and not experienced this sooner? snowboarding is what i anticipate to be a new addiction, due to the level of fun-ness and not-too-hard-ness. fun like surfing but easier than surfing. the more i try to compare the two, the less alike they are. therefore, i will not compare anymore. matt and mary were out of control good at it (matt flying past every person on the slopes, mare flying but by carving the slopes and having such quick control). mikey and i bonded on the bunny hill and then the bigger hill. YES!!! so fun!!! next time, justin must be present...
we had a great time with everyone--we love you all!
and now back to reality.
i just counted and realized i had a total of 3 days in the whole month of november where i did NOT have at least one IEP meeting. it's not just the actual meeting, it's all the paperwork involved before we even get to that point--argh-stress! december will be much the same, but 2 weeks off will be a nice reward at the end. speaking of which, we still need to get tickets home for christmas. we kept waiting for them to go down under $300, but that hasn't happened and it won't, i'm sure. oh well, matt is in charge of that job this year!
welp, i'm hungry so i'm out of here.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
before i forget:
2 funny kid quotes... (haven't done one of these for awhile, have i? that's because i've been so busy/stressed that i haven't really enjoyed my job lately. but here we go now...)
first one:
i was seeing a group of 4 kids- 2 boys, 2 girl, and the boys are brothers (1st and 2nd grade). well one of the boys had to go to the bathroom, so of course i excused him. we went on with our activity until his brother said, "where's damian?" and i said, "in the bathroom" and he said, "what's taking so long? usually it only takes like 20 seconds." i said, "well, sometimes it takes people longer than 20 seconds." then he got a hilarious look on his face and said, "i know what he's doing! and it starts with the letter 'p'!" the girls started giggling and i was trying not to. and then he realized that both start with the letter 'p' so he revised his thought.... "well, it's the one that's not spelled with the 'ee' and it rhymes with 'oop"!
so hard not to laugh, but i managed!
next!
yesterday, we were making "speech turkeys" by tracing our hand and then adding giant paper feathers to the hands to make them into turkeys. we then were writing/drawing pictures of our targeted speech words on the feathers. fun, eh? well, my sweetie 1st graders were working so hard, cutting and gluing and practicing their sounds. one boy kept layering on many feathers, to the point where i had to tell him to move on or he wouldn't have time to draw. then i was praising all of them, saying "man! these are some of the best speech turkeys i have seen all day!" and the little boy said, "yes, and mine is the featheryest!!!" with a huge grin on his face.
yes, a new adjective+superlative is born.
matt took me out to dinner last night, since we didn't do anything on my birthday. we went to this cool restaurant in point loma, actually, called "old venice", italian, of course. they have a cool bar/waiting room attached, with white walls and white candles and a huge fireplace with big, white wingback chairs. it reminded us of a huge, old house. we ended up having to wait over an hour for a seat outside, but it was worth it. so beautiful and the food was great. yay!
t-minus-27 hours until the edwards family arrives!
lots of chores and errands to do before that happens, though.
oh yeah, i had such a fun time in boardman, ohio with my dear friend heidi. they say you're lucky if you find one lifelong friend in your life, and i have at least 4. one is from kindergarten, when i was 4 years old with my little pigtails. i was in the library with my class and me and this other little girl were going around the tables (not really running, just being spunky). and i said, "do you want to be my friend? and michelle cho said "yes". and then we shared our snack later. i had carrots, which she wanted. and she had oreos, which i wanted. then she was in my wedding, taking care of everything. and now she has a 4 year old of her own (and a two year old and one on the way).
the other three are from college: teri, kelly, and heidi.
teri i met my freshman year of college, maybe the first few weeks or so. i can't remember our first actual meeting, because everyone just hung out all the time, but i do remember her watching "rush limbaugh" (which i hated) and mtv's 120 minutes (which i loved) in our dorm lounge. then we started talking and slowly figured out that we wanted to know more about God. and we started going to a bible study (me mostly to argue with/question our leader, dyan) and we started on that journey together, asking each other questions, praying together, and then i accepted the lord a year later, and teri was with me. and we were baptized together later. we shared some of the most intimate times with the Lord together. and a million other things happened in between and since.
oh yeah, at that same bible study, we met our friend kelly, who i thought was pretty religious at first. also, she had a loud voice (LIKE I CAN TALK!) in our lounge (by the way, my dorm room was right off the lounge, so anything that went on there became my business). she tried to witness to me and answer questions at bible study and she was in spain when i gave my life to the lord. but she came home the next semester and we spent thousands more hours talking and laughing in both of our loud voices! and we lived together for several years (ter lived with us for a year, too) and if one of us went away for the weekend, we'd have to make up for all the talking we had missed and we'd stay up late sunday nights chatting.
i met heidi through matt and joel, actually, at the beginning of my sophmore year of college. they said, "you have to meet this cool girl" and when she and i met, we decided to have lunch the next day. ("i would never to that in real life!" heidi says now.) we ended up chatting for hours at that lunch the next day and were joined at the hip the rest of the year. we really only had 8 months together and she left BG the next year to go to chiropractic school in atlanta and i grieved. but here it is, 10 years later, and we're still getting together.
but i guess what i'm trying to say is that when the Lord connects you, really knits your soul to someone else's, it is forever sometimes. no matter how much time you spend together or how much time has passed or how much space divides you.
and then there is family, which justin covered in his most recent blog.
and i'll do that someday, too, but that is another blog...
2 funny kid quotes... (haven't done one of these for awhile, have i? that's because i've been so busy/stressed that i haven't really enjoyed my job lately. but here we go now...)
first one:
i was seeing a group of 4 kids- 2 boys, 2 girl, and the boys are brothers (1st and 2nd grade). well one of the boys had to go to the bathroom, so of course i excused him. we went on with our activity until his brother said, "where's damian?" and i said, "in the bathroom" and he said, "what's taking so long? usually it only takes like 20 seconds." i said, "well, sometimes it takes people longer than 20 seconds." then he got a hilarious look on his face and said, "i know what he's doing! and it starts with the letter 'p'!" the girls started giggling and i was trying not to. and then he realized that both start with the letter 'p' so he revised his thought.... "well, it's the one that's not spelled with the 'ee' and it rhymes with 'oop"!
so hard not to laugh, but i managed!
next!
yesterday, we were making "speech turkeys" by tracing our hand and then adding giant paper feathers to the hands to make them into turkeys. we then were writing/drawing pictures of our targeted speech words on the feathers. fun, eh? well, my sweetie 1st graders were working so hard, cutting and gluing and practicing their sounds. one boy kept layering on many feathers, to the point where i had to tell him to move on or he wouldn't have time to draw. then i was praising all of them, saying "man! these are some of the best speech turkeys i have seen all day!" and the little boy said, "yes, and mine is the featheryest!!!" with a huge grin on his face.
yes, a new adjective+superlative is born.
matt took me out to dinner last night, since we didn't do anything on my birthday. we went to this cool restaurant in point loma, actually, called "old venice", italian, of course. they have a cool bar/waiting room attached, with white walls and white candles and a huge fireplace with big, white wingback chairs. it reminded us of a huge, old house. we ended up having to wait over an hour for a seat outside, but it was worth it. so beautiful and the food was great. yay!
t-minus-27 hours until the edwards family arrives!
lots of chores and errands to do before that happens, though.
oh yeah, i had such a fun time in boardman, ohio with my dear friend heidi. they say you're lucky if you find one lifelong friend in your life, and i have at least 4. one is from kindergarten, when i was 4 years old with my little pigtails. i was in the library with my class and me and this other little girl were going around the tables (not really running, just being spunky). and i said, "do you want to be my friend? and michelle cho said "yes". and then we shared our snack later. i had carrots, which she wanted. and she had oreos, which i wanted. then she was in my wedding, taking care of everything. and now she has a 4 year old of her own (and a two year old and one on the way).
the other three are from college: teri, kelly, and heidi.
teri i met my freshman year of college, maybe the first few weeks or so. i can't remember our first actual meeting, because everyone just hung out all the time, but i do remember her watching "rush limbaugh" (which i hated) and mtv's 120 minutes (which i loved) in our dorm lounge. then we started talking and slowly figured out that we wanted to know more about God. and we started going to a bible study (me mostly to argue with/question our leader, dyan) and we started on that journey together, asking each other questions, praying together, and then i accepted the lord a year later, and teri was with me. and we were baptized together later. we shared some of the most intimate times with the Lord together. and a million other things happened in between and since.
oh yeah, at that same bible study, we met our friend kelly, who i thought was pretty religious at first. also, she had a loud voice (LIKE I CAN TALK!) in our lounge (by the way, my dorm room was right off the lounge, so anything that went on there became my business). she tried to witness to me and answer questions at bible study and she was in spain when i gave my life to the lord. but she came home the next semester and we spent thousands more hours talking and laughing in both of our loud voices! and we lived together for several years (ter lived with us for a year, too) and if one of us went away for the weekend, we'd have to make up for all the talking we had missed and we'd stay up late sunday nights chatting.
i met heidi through matt and joel, actually, at the beginning of my sophmore year of college. they said, "you have to meet this cool girl" and when she and i met, we decided to have lunch the next day. ("i would never to that in real life!" heidi says now.) we ended up chatting for hours at that lunch the next day and were joined at the hip the rest of the year. we really only had 8 months together and she left BG the next year to go to chiropractic school in atlanta and i grieved. but here it is, 10 years later, and we're still getting together.
but i guess what i'm trying to say is that when the Lord connects you, really knits your soul to someone else's, it is forever sometimes. no matter how much time you spend together or how much time has passed or how much space divides you.
and then there is family, which justin covered in his most recent blog.
and i'll do that someday, too, but that is another blog...
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
outdoor ministry????
that's what i want to do!
(see mom edwards blog for reference)
seriously, i have been thinking about what i want to do for my next job. i'm sensing a change coming up in my life-- ph.d? teach college, outdoor education, mare! yes! fitness/nutrition--i've been getting so into it lately. on that note, i want to give a shout out to my brother rydogg, who has lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks--by eating BREAKFAST and regular snacks (healthier, of course, but regular---he says he hasn't been hungry yet). nice work! and to michelle: you can do it! i KNOW you can! plus, there's $200 at stake here... :)
but anyhoo. how can i become a paid world traveler? i just don't want to lose my summers off, this job is seriously wearing me out. a good portion of my day ends up turning into paperwork that is required by the state/federal government in order to cover my patoot so i don't get in trouble. enough of that venting. i do still love being a speech therapist. but what else might be out there for me? this is what i want to know...
welp, i need to start getting this house ready for our new influx of thanksgiving guests on sunday! :)
that's what i want to do!
(see mom edwards blog for reference)
seriously, i have been thinking about what i want to do for my next job. i'm sensing a change coming up in my life-- ph.d? teach college, outdoor education, mare! yes! fitness/nutrition--i've been getting so into it lately. on that note, i want to give a shout out to my brother rydogg, who has lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks--by eating BREAKFAST and regular snacks (healthier, of course, but regular---he says he hasn't been hungry yet). nice work! and to michelle: you can do it! i KNOW you can! plus, there's $200 at stake here... :)
but anyhoo. how can i become a paid world traveler? i just don't want to lose my summers off, this job is seriously wearing me out. a good portion of my day ends up turning into paperwork that is required by the state/federal government in order to cover my patoot so i don't get in trouble. enough of that venting. i do still love being a speech therapist. but what else might be out there for me? this is what i want to know...
welp, i need to start getting this house ready for our new influx of thanksgiving guests on sunday! :)
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
i'm up a little early so thought i'd blog...
mary gave a fun recap of the muddy buddy, so i'll try not to repeat too much...
kelly and spivey and matt came to cheer us on and support us, which was so nice!
just a little background. the race was held at joseph grant state park in san jose, which was beautifully surrounded by and in the mountains. it was for sure the most beautiful course in which i have competed. so the entire race was completed on a wide dirt trail (wide enough for a car to get through). runners on the right, bikers on the left. the atmosphere was so fun. some people had on costumes, wigs, etc. and had decorated their bikes in crazy ways. everybody was pretty rowdy, which made it nice and relaxed (not as competitive as triathlon or half marathon).
1 mile: mary biking, me running-- what was supposed to be a "gradual" uphill turned into ridiculousness within 60 seconds. all bikers were hopping off their bikes and walking them up the hill. nothing was heard but huffing and puffing along with some cuss words by angry/exhausted racers. so mare and i got to do at least a little bit of the race together in the beginning. it helped for sure. the hill flattened out after a while so i ran up ahead while mare hopped on the bike again and i yelled, "mare, it's downhill from here!" then i turned a corner and MORE uphill. it turned into a short downhill (where mare took off) and we came upon our first obstacle.
THE ARMY CRAWL: mare had put the bike down and completed the obstacle and started running by the time i arrived. i army crawled under a net that was on the ground (that hooked onto my helmet every foot i advanced :). then i found the bike sitting in the grass, hopped on, and started to pedal. ahhhh.... downhill flying. i started to feel guilty for having such a nice bike ride after what mary just endured! and then minor uphill crawling. and repeat that throughout the next 1.3 miles. i passed mare somewhere in there and yelled encouragement and she yelled back. on one of the super fast downhills i started laughing with glee. then i noticed some larger fist-sized rocks in the trail that i was about to run over as i was passing another biker. "ahhhhhh" i yelled. and whew! came out of it just fine. and just in time to see a man laid out at the bottom of the hill with his bike on the other side of the trail, wheel still spinning. yikes.
but then on to obstacle #2:
THE TRIANGLE ROPE WALL: i've seen enough of these adventure reality shows to know how to do this deal! i put down my bike, climbed up one side and down the other and i was off and running for 1.4 miles of mostly flatness and some rolling hills. i chugged away and then i heard mare yelling my name from about a quarter mile back. she came flying by on the bike as she yelled encouragement. after a while, i started to get tired and then i remembered that the "mystery obstacle" was up ahead.
THE INFLATABLE SLIDE WALL THING: picture a giant inflatable slide (at least 20 feet high, 12 or so feet wide) with a rope wall on one side. not too difficult to climb up and then when we arrived at the top-pure steepness! and then i screamed the whole way down! so fun!!! i picked up the bike that mary had left there and started pedaling for 1.4 more miles. after a while, i saw mare's red shirt bobbing up and down in the distance so i started yelling after her. not too long after i spotted her, i came to the easiest obstacle:
THE MONKEY BARS: there was nothing glamorous about this obstacle. it was just like the monkey bars everyone played on in elementary school. i was delirious, however, and started climbing the opposite way on them. that is, until a high-school aged volunteer informed me of the error of my ways. that being over, i set off running for the last 1.2 miles to our destination finish line! mare caught up with me when there was about a half mile left. she slowed down and pedaled with me for a minute and offered to stay with me. what a nice girl! but no, i wanted her to enjoy the rest of that bike ride and i knew she'd only be waiting for me for a couple of minutes at the transition area. i finally arrived to hear the screaming people and the mud pit was in sight! i heard kelly screaming my name, which helped incredibly ( i was about to collapse) and then i saw mare, who also screamed my name. we had finally made it to:
THE MUD PIT: which was FREEZING!!!! but we were laughing hilariously the whole time!!! i couldn't believe how slowly we moved through that mud!!! at one point i said to mare, "i can't move!" and she said, "just swim--SWIM!" and that did sort of work. the crowd was screaming and then booing. in our delirious confusion we thought they were booing at us and we got even lower in the mud. until we looked around and saw some girls trying to run/walk through the pit. some guys came from the cheering section and tackled them and made them get down and crawl. so fun!!!! covered in slimy mud, we finally made it out and were laughing so hard. matt and kelly and spivey were there to greet us. yay!
after getting food and chatting with those three for awhile, mare and i rinsed off. the rinse off area consisted of about 50 hoses hooked up to a giant pole. everybody was rinsing off and spraying each other and yelling--more rowdiness and fun. i wish i could have had a picture of that funniness!
oh, side note-- spivey won a bike rack in the raffle! $85 value, and he gave it to us, saying "trace, you're the star athlete--you deserve it" so fun to have a former BGSU football player respect you as an athlete!
anyways, the muddy buddy was one of the most fun things i have ever done in my life! i know mare agrees--mare, thanks for yet another excellent event! see you next year in san jose for round 2!!!!!
mary gave a fun recap of the muddy buddy, so i'll try not to repeat too much...
kelly and spivey and matt came to cheer us on and support us, which was so nice!
just a little background. the race was held at joseph grant state park in san jose, which was beautifully surrounded by and in the mountains. it was for sure the most beautiful course in which i have competed. so the entire race was completed on a wide dirt trail (wide enough for a car to get through). runners on the right, bikers on the left. the atmosphere was so fun. some people had on costumes, wigs, etc. and had decorated their bikes in crazy ways. everybody was pretty rowdy, which made it nice and relaxed (not as competitive as triathlon or half marathon).
1 mile: mary biking, me running-- what was supposed to be a "gradual" uphill turned into ridiculousness within 60 seconds. all bikers were hopping off their bikes and walking them up the hill. nothing was heard but huffing and puffing along with some cuss words by angry/exhausted racers. so mare and i got to do at least a little bit of the race together in the beginning. it helped for sure. the hill flattened out after a while so i ran up ahead while mare hopped on the bike again and i yelled, "mare, it's downhill from here!" then i turned a corner and MORE uphill. it turned into a short downhill (where mare took off) and we came upon our first obstacle.
THE ARMY CRAWL: mare had put the bike down and completed the obstacle and started running by the time i arrived. i army crawled under a net that was on the ground (that hooked onto my helmet every foot i advanced :). then i found the bike sitting in the grass, hopped on, and started to pedal. ahhhh.... downhill flying. i started to feel guilty for having such a nice bike ride after what mary just endured! and then minor uphill crawling. and repeat that throughout the next 1.3 miles. i passed mare somewhere in there and yelled encouragement and she yelled back. on one of the super fast downhills i started laughing with glee. then i noticed some larger fist-sized rocks in the trail that i was about to run over as i was passing another biker. "ahhhhhh" i yelled. and whew! came out of it just fine. and just in time to see a man laid out at the bottom of the hill with his bike on the other side of the trail, wheel still spinning. yikes.
but then on to obstacle #2:
THE TRIANGLE ROPE WALL: i've seen enough of these adventure reality shows to know how to do this deal! i put down my bike, climbed up one side and down the other and i was off and running for 1.4 miles of mostly flatness and some rolling hills. i chugged away and then i heard mare yelling my name from about a quarter mile back. she came flying by on the bike as she yelled encouragement. after a while, i started to get tired and then i remembered that the "mystery obstacle" was up ahead.
THE INFLATABLE SLIDE WALL THING: picture a giant inflatable slide (at least 20 feet high, 12 or so feet wide) with a rope wall on one side. not too difficult to climb up and then when we arrived at the top-pure steepness! and then i screamed the whole way down! so fun!!! i picked up the bike that mary had left there and started pedaling for 1.4 more miles. after a while, i saw mare's red shirt bobbing up and down in the distance so i started yelling after her. not too long after i spotted her, i came to the easiest obstacle:
THE MONKEY BARS: there was nothing glamorous about this obstacle. it was just like the monkey bars everyone played on in elementary school. i was delirious, however, and started climbing the opposite way on them. that is, until a high-school aged volunteer informed me of the error of my ways. that being over, i set off running for the last 1.2 miles to our destination finish line! mare caught up with me when there was about a half mile left. she slowed down and pedaled with me for a minute and offered to stay with me. what a nice girl! but no, i wanted her to enjoy the rest of that bike ride and i knew she'd only be waiting for me for a couple of minutes at the transition area. i finally arrived to hear the screaming people and the mud pit was in sight! i heard kelly screaming my name, which helped incredibly ( i was about to collapse) and then i saw mare, who also screamed my name. we had finally made it to:
THE MUD PIT: which was FREEZING!!!! but we were laughing hilariously the whole time!!! i couldn't believe how slowly we moved through that mud!!! at one point i said to mare, "i can't move!" and she said, "just swim--SWIM!" and that did sort of work. the crowd was screaming and then booing. in our delirious confusion we thought they were booing at us and we got even lower in the mud. until we looked around and saw some girls trying to run/walk through the pit. some guys came from the cheering section and tackled them and made them get down and crawl. so fun!!!! covered in slimy mud, we finally made it out and were laughing so hard. matt and kelly and spivey were there to greet us. yay!
after getting food and chatting with those three for awhile, mare and i rinsed off. the rinse off area consisted of about 50 hoses hooked up to a giant pole. everybody was rinsing off and spraying each other and yelling--more rowdiness and fun. i wish i could have had a picture of that funniness!
oh, side note-- spivey won a bike rack in the raffle! $85 value, and he gave it to us, saying "trace, you're the star athlete--you deserve it" so fun to have a former BGSU football player respect you as an athlete!
anyways, the muddy buddy was one of the most fun things i have ever done in my life! i know mare agrees--mare, thanks for yet another excellent event! see you next year in san jose for round 2!!!!!
Monday, November 08, 2004
hey, quick blog here---
michelle and i are going to be on the price is right tomorrow!!!!
set your VCRs--we're in the second row and one of the girls in the group next to us is the first one to "come on down!"
i'll write about muddy buddy later--trying to get ready for my trip this weds-sunday to go see heidi!
michelle and i are going to be on the price is right tomorrow!!!!
set your VCRs--we're in the second row and one of the girls in the group next to us is the first one to "come on down!"
i'll write about muddy buddy later--trying to get ready for my trip this weds-sunday to go see heidi!
Monday, November 01, 2004
another monday down...
stressful life situations here, especially at my school called barnard (where i am two days/week).
the principal, we think, maybe has some mental health issues going on...
i will describe:
okay, there have been so many problems between the teachers and this principal that we had a meeting set up with the union representative last wednesday. we had all known about the meeting for about three weeks and new and ridiculous things were being said by the principal each day. last wednesday my friends--the counselor, resource specialist, and nurse-- all witnessed the following altercation:
principal to secretary: arlene, i want you to go to the union meeting today and report back to me what the teachers are saying. (uh, by the way, TOTALLY illegal!!!)
secretary: (loudly) i'm not going to be your snitch!
principal: arlene, this really isn't the time or the place for this.
secretary: (even louder) no way! i'm not going to snitch on the teachers!!!
principal: this isn't the time or the place, arlene.
secretary: i'm not going to be your snitch! the teachers already feel like you talk down to them--that's why they're meeting with the union in the first place!
principal: that's it! i'm calling the police!
[WHAT??????]
[seriously, if you can't resolve a simple argument without calling the police, you have a huge problem]
so the principal dials the police and in the meantime the secretary calls her own union, who tells her to LEAVE the school. the police arrive as she is leaving and they escort her out.. the principal yells after her, "arlene, i want you to come back, just not today. you can come back tomorrow, just not today." the secretary yells, "whatever, mary!!!!" and leaves.
so this is the fun scene that i face every day now. if i disagree with my principal, do the police get summoned? and do i get escorted away in front of all my kids?
it is a very stressful place to go to. and the teachers (who are fantastic,by the way) are totally worn down and it's only november. and i'm finding out that we basically have a pretty powerless union, so that is sort of disheartening in addition to all of this.
so on a better note: the new pinback album is incredible.
and tomorrow is election day, so matt and i are doing our final research tonight. i love that he and i can vote for different people and it doesn't phase either of us. that's a perk of being not into politics, i must say.
matt and i refinanced our home on saturday! we were chatting about the particulars of 5-year fixed rates and so on and i said, "matt! we're talking about refinancing our home. we are GROWN UPS now!" such an odd feeling. in my head i am still only 22 years old. crazy that i'll be 29 in just a couple of weeks. and then 30 in a year. but like i was telling michelle yesterday, the closer i get to 30, the better i feel. you know (or maybe you don't): less insecure, more bold, less caring about what people think about me, more confident in who God made me, more realistic about ideals and expectations for life. yeah, i'm not crazy about the fine lines around my eyes, but they're worth it when i think about how much more settled i feel, mentally.
speaking of getting older, it's 8:00, is it too early for bed? :) but seriously, i'm so sleepy. must be the time change. so sad to see the sun setting at 5:15 today....
welp, i have three more days to get in shape for the muddy buddy!
so looking forward to that fun mud-slopping time!!!
bye bye everybody.
stressful life situations here, especially at my school called barnard (where i am two days/week).
the principal, we think, maybe has some mental health issues going on...
i will describe:
okay, there have been so many problems between the teachers and this principal that we had a meeting set up with the union representative last wednesday. we had all known about the meeting for about three weeks and new and ridiculous things were being said by the principal each day. last wednesday my friends--the counselor, resource specialist, and nurse-- all witnessed the following altercation:
principal to secretary: arlene, i want you to go to the union meeting today and report back to me what the teachers are saying. (uh, by the way, TOTALLY illegal!!!)
secretary: (loudly) i'm not going to be your snitch!
principal: arlene, this really isn't the time or the place for this.
secretary: (even louder) no way! i'm not going to snitch on the teachers!!!
principal: this isn't the time or the place, arlene.
secretary: i'm not going to be your snitch! the teachers already feel like you talk down to them--that's why they're meeting with the union in the first place!
principal: that's it! i'm calling the police!
[WHAT??????]
[seriously, if you can't resolve a simple argument without calling the police, you have a huge problem]
so the principal dials the police and in the meantime the secretary calls her own union, who tells her to LEAVE the school. the police arrive as she is leaving and they escort her out.. the principal yells after her, "arlene, i want you to come back, just not today. you can come back tomorrow, just not today." the secretary yells, "whatever, mary!!!!" and leaves.
so this is the fun scene that i face every day now. if i disagree with my principal, do the police get summoned? and do i get escorted away in front of all my kids?
it is a very stressful place to go to. and the teachers (who are fantastic,by the way) are totally worn down and it's only november. and i'm finding out that we basically have a pretty powerless union, so that is sort of disheartening in addition to all of this.
so on a better note: the new pinback album is incredible.
and tomorrow is election day, so matt and i are doing our final research tonight. i love that he and i can vote for different people and it doesn't phase either of us. that's a perk of being not into politics, i must say.
matt and i refinanced our home on saturday! we were chatting about the particulars of 5-year fixed rates and so on and i said, "matt! we're talking about refinancing our home. we are GROWN UPS now!" such an odd feeling. in my head i am still only 22 years old. crazy that i'll be 29 in just a couple of weeks. and then 30 in a year. but like i was telling michelle yesterday, the closer i get to 30, the better i feel. you know (or maybe you don't): less insecure, more bold, less caring about what people think about me, more confident in who God made me, more realistic about ideals and expectations for life. yeah, i'm not crazy about the fine lines around my eyes, but they're worth it when i think about how much more settled i feel, mentally.
speaking of getting older, it's 8:00, is it too early for bed? :) but seriously, i'm so sleepy. must be the time change. so sad to see the sun setting at 5:15 today....
welp, i have three more days to get in shape for the muddy buddy!
so looking forward to that fun mud-slopping time!!!
bye bye everybody.
Friday, October 29, 2004
my hair is getting pretty long. i think it is time for a haircut. and time to get all the blondie streaks out of it so it will stop looking so summery. maybe something darker or more red. we shall see....
it has been awhile since my last post, so i'll play catch up briefly. if you have read either matt's or mary's blogs, you will know that the muddy buddy was cancelled last sunday. mare and i found out as we were walking out of the hotel in the morning. NOOOOOO! first---disbelief??? then ANGER!!! and then sadness... then, finally, acceptance. they rescheduled it for saturday, nov. 5th (one day before heidi runs the new york city marathon!), so all is not lost. it actually works out better, since i had worked out only a total of 3 times in the 3 weeks leading up to the muddy buddy. now i've been able to get in a little more training, at least. AND we also were able to visit with kelly and spivey, who now live in san jose! so we'll stay with them on the 5th and matt will be able to come and visit this time, too!
mom edwards, i LOVE the gorillas that you made! if amani doesn't want them, i do!!!! such cutie guys with cute ears!!!
and yes yes to the hiking in lake arrowhead--can not wait! we'll bring/borrow some fun games for that thanksgiving celebration.
welp, matt and i are going to ortega's for dinner tonight.
(we're once again breaking our "no-visitors-until-thanksgiving" rule, and andy mccann is coming down for the weekend--he was lonely up in LA--what can we say?).
it's chow time--i must go!
it has been awhile since my last post, so i'll play catch up briefly. if you have read either matt's or mary's blogs, you will know that the muddy buddy was cancelled last sunday. mare and i found out as we were walking out of the hotel in the morning. NOOOOOO! first---disbelief??? then ANGER!!! and then sadness... then, finally, acceptance. they rescheduled it for saturday, nov. 5th (one day before heidi runs the new york city marathon!), so all is not lost. it actually works out better, since i had worked out only a total of 3 times in the 3 weeks leading up to the muddy buddy. now i've been able to get in a little more training, at least. AND we also were able to visit with kelly and spivey, who now live in san jose! so we'll stay with them on the 5th and matt will be able to come and visit this time, too!
mom edwards, i LOVE the gorillas that you made! if amani doesn't want them, i do!!!! such cutie guys with cute ears!!!
and yes yes to the hiking in lake arrowhead--can not wait! we'll bring/borrow some fun games for that thanksgiving celebration.
welp, matt and i are going to ortega's for dinner tonight.
(we're once again breaking our "no-visitors-until-thanksgiving" rule, and andy mccann is coming down for the weekend--he was lonely up in LA--what can we say?).
it's chow time--i must go!