"Hockey is figure skating in a war zone."

One of the best things about this time of the year is that it's hockey season! Last night I went to the Sabres game with my dad. Boy was it a good game to go to! We won- which there haven't been many times to see that happen this year, unfortunately. It was great spending the night with my dad and catching up. I love the game and it is something that my dad and I have always been able to talk about and bond over.

(That's my future husband- #28...)


I LOVE Hockey. The End.

Winter Wonderland

Sunday night was by far one of the most enjoyable times I have had in a long time. Good old fashion fun is what I like to call it.

Ashley, Mark, and I started out the night at the Carousel where they needed to purchase a last minute gift. After we were done doing that, Ashley and I revisited childhood and rode on the carousel that I have passed many times wanting to ride it and never did.

It was so nice and refreshing to be a 'kid' again. Without a care in the world we watched the other kids on the ride smile and wave to their parents. It was a great escape from reality even if it only lasted a few minutes. Riding on the carousel was a reminder of how easy it can be to get cut up in the hussle of keeping up with life, but what's really important is taking a step back and being thankful for the life that you live. I'm going to make it a goal of mine to continue to remember the kid in me, and from time to time stop worrying about what others are thinking and do what I want...for me! Why not take a ride on the carousel?!

Our next stop was Lights on the Lake. Ever since Ashley said something about this wonderful tradition in Syracuse I wanted to go. It was GREAT! What was even better was the fact that as we were driving through the trail we tuned into a radio station that wasn't playing all the new, contemporary Christmas music but rather the "old stuff." It made us think of movies like Home Alone and A Christmas Story. It was so much fun just looking at the light displays and hanging out with my friends...the old fashion way!


And then on our way home we stopped in Homer because Ashley had heard there was an outdoor ice skating rink that she wanted to check out. My eyes lit up when she said this. For the longest time it has been my dream to ice skate outside. There's something about the serenity and peacefulness of it. Just thinking about it makes me warm inside. When we pulled over and got out, as ridiculous as this is, it brought tears to my eyes. I honestly can't tell you why I have wanted to do it for so long, but I have and the fact that we found somewhere that we could made all my wishes for the holidays come true! We didn't get to skate Sunday night, but we did 'skate' around in our boots for a while. Unfortunately, I got rid of my ice skates last year :-( but this gives me a reason to buy some new ones!



Sunday night was perfect. I loved revisiting my childhood and doing all the things I love during the holiday season.

Happy Holidays to all of my family and friends- go out and do something that will make you feel the way all of these activities make me feel. That''s what it's all about...

LCD, HDTV, 1080 p, 60hz,120 hz, 46", 32" ?!?!?!?!

Buying a tv has been on my list of things to do for a while now. So, one night while Janelle and I were in the Ithaca Mall I decided to do something crazy and buy one! 2 hours after setting foot in Best Buy I was a proud new owner of a new LG 32" tv. Here it is...nicely placed, for now anyway. I'm still trying to find an appropriate home for it in my living room...

It was stressful selecting one of the million different types of tvs in Best Buy. Our salesman was really helpful and we had him laughing most of the time we spent on the hunt for the perfect tv. I had intended to buy a tv that was a little bigger, but the deal was right and so I went for it! I am very happy with my 'big girl purchase."

The next electronic on the list to be replaced is my computer...I sure hope it doesn't take 2 hours to make that purchase too!

reunited and it feels so good...

I traveled to Rochester for a wedding reception a few weekends ago for none other than Mr. Andy Wells. Andy is a friend from high school that married the beautiful Ms. Claire in November under the hot sun in the Caribbean. They wanted to celebrate with family and friends that did not make it down for the ceremony, so off to Rochester I went to celebrate their happiness.

The night was perfect and I got to see some old friends from school. It was like a mini high school reunion only we were missing quite a few of the other 'crew members.' Seeing one of my good friends from high school get married was at first scary. To think we are at that age is unbelievable to me. But eventually the idea wasn't so bizarre to me. Andy and Claire are perfect for each other. When I met Claire many months ago I instantly loved her. She's a great person and compliments Andy very well. Cheers to their happiness!

As I said, I got to see some other old friends. One, Mr. Andy White, who I dated for three days in middle school :-p is also getting married soon (2012.) He just recently proposed to his girlfriend who he met in college. Knowing how happy my friends are is really a blessing. John will be Andy's best man in the wedding and I will be one of the readers.

Below is a picture of us.



Andy (who we were there to celebrate) is next to me, and then the other Andy and our good friend Marc.

I wonder who will be next?!...

it might have to come to this...

OCD on steroids

I rarely watch television, but when I do I can almost guarantee that you will find me tuned into HGTV or The Food Network. The Food Network inspires a lot of the different recipes I try (along with Rachel Ray's cookbook) and HGTV makes me a) want to buy a house b) rearrange and decorate all.the.time. And that is where I got this idea...

This weekend I decided I wanted to tackle my office and give it a little life. As it stands right now, I'm not done purchasing things for my apartment so I can't justify buying things for my office just yet. That doesn't mean I can't spruce it up a bit. Today was the day to make that happen and although not a lot changed, it still feels a little more like an "amber space" rather than just my work space. I spend A LOT of time in there so it may as well be comfortable for me :)

I had envisioned doing something entirely different to the space, but the furniture I have to work with didn't really allow me to play around much. Here are some before and after shots...
I didn't have time to really 'clean up' before taking the before shots, but for those of you wondering what all the lamps on the window sill are for we had to confiscate them over break because they aren't allowed in the building so naturally I get stuck housing them.

Not only did I get to rearrange a bit, but I got to clean too! As you can see, I pulled one of the storage shelves out from behind my desk and put it...

Here. I think it makes it a little more inviting. I got rid of a love seat that I had in there and replaced it with a chair. Because I have the table and four chairs (as seen in the other picture) it was just too cluttered so I downsized.

I wanted to move my desk- that was what I set out to do. But when we got it situated it just didn't look right so this is what we ended up with. I'm sure it'll stay this way for a while...or at least until I get the itch to change it again.

But wait there's more! After messing with my office all day I decided it was a good time to get my closet in order too! So, after lining up my boots and color coding my shirts, the end product was something that may classify me as a bit obsessive...



Good thing this apartment comes with two closets and I was able to store my summer clothes/dresses/shoes in the other one :-p

Sigh. I am a self proclaimed neat freak. Take it or leave it..."it's just the way the good Lord made me" as my dad would say. I'm proud of my OCD moments and this world wouldn't survive without people like me :)

So go clean off that coffee table...you know you want to. And while you're at it organize that junk drawer. You'll feel better after doing it...I promise :)

Enrique Iglesias Ft. Ludacris - Tonight Lyrics

'Remember Me'

highly recommend this movie...

Start Christmas shopping. Check.

Phew. I am tired from all of the shopping I have done this weekend! Yesterday I ventured out to START my Christmas shopping. Little did I know by the end of today I would be done! In the past two days I have managed to purchase and wrap gifts for everyone on my list (minus two- still deciding what to get them.) The fact that I had in mind what I was getting basically everyone really helped me bang out the shopping in two days. Don't get me wrong, I love shopping and I am okay with taking the time to make sure I get what I want to get, but for some reason this year it was really simple. The hardest decision I had to make was what color wrapping paper I wanted this year. As you can see below, I went with a red/gold theme....

So there they are, all lined up and ready to go home with me once winter break arrives. Usually I go all out with ribbon and what not, but this year I kept it simple. I knew I would be pretty pressed for time in the next few weeks so it certainly is a relief to have it done. Don't you worry though- while wrapping I watched a Christmas movie AND listened to Christmas music :-p Bring on Christmas.

This will happen at my wedding!

my grown up christmas list

After much thought, I have finally come up with my 'grown up' Christmas list. I don't usually make a list, and honestly I don't expect to get most of the things I list, but for my own sake I wanted to make one because if nothing else I will have a list to go off of when I want to splurge on something nice for myself at a later date! So here it is...the list. dun dun dunnnn

1. Best Buy gift card ( I want a new TV and a new computer)
2. New pots and pans (preferably stainless steel...but anything will work better than what I have now...)
3. New cookie sheets!
4. New knife set (CUTCO, CUTCO!)
5. North Face (black or white please)
6. Viva La Juicy perfume

Honestly, that is all I can think of that I have wanted or want to have in the near future. I need socks and underwear (obvi, who doesn't at Christmas time? or at least it seems everyone does because it's inevitable that they will be in our stockings whether we need them or not :-p) I really don't want a lot. I just like to spend time with my family and friends. Oh and I like snow and sledding and ice skating. So maybe that should be another list...things I want to DO Christmas list...

1. go ice skating outside
2. go sledding
3. build a snowman (with my dad)
4. drink hot cocoa
5. go caroling (even though I can't sing..)
6. watch Christmas movies
7. drive around town to see every one's Christmas lights (most likely I will criticize the houses with colored lights even though it's all in good cheer because I really don't like colored lights...and those blow up things...I will want to pop all of them, but I won't because it's Christmas time) I like the traditional look of nice, white lights and wreaths
8. go to Lights on the Lake!
9. pick out our Christmas tree
10. be.with.my.family.

So there you have it...it's the most wonderful time of the year and for me, it's about the second list of things that makes it the most wonderful time of the year.

tis the season...

Way back when I started this blog I thought it would be funny to call it "the typing makes me look busy" because I was working in the office over the summer and very rarely did I feel 'busy.' However, when you actually have a full time job it's a lot harder to keep on things, like a blog, because at the end of the day all you want to do is sit on the couch for at least 5 minutes to collect your thoughts or at the end of the day, you barely have time to eat dinner before bed. Or at least that's how I have felt lately. I like being busy, don't get me wrong, but lately I have not found enough time to breath. I can already see what my New Year's resolutions are going to consist of...

But why wait until New Year's when I can start now...start giving myself the time back that I deserve at the end of the day. I'm not promising anything when it comes to my blog...sometimes I just don't have any stories to share or if I do they are work related and who really wants to read those? I know I can be funny from time to time...but if that's all my life has come to, work, then I need to do something about it! So starting tonight...which I have done tonight, btw, I'm doing at least one thing for me and only me. For instance, I LOVE Christmas...everything about it. But most of all, I like to decorate. So, last night I purchased a Christmas tree for my apartment and tonight I put the finishing touches on that and also the big 'window' I have between my kitchen and living area. Here are some pictures of the finished project...


I was kind of bummed because I wanted to put the tree in front of the big window I have in my living room, but it wouldn't fit/wasn't stable. So I had to stick it in the corner...which is okay, but not perfect. I'm not sure where all the gifts I buy are going to go, but we'll cross that bridge when it gets here. For now, I am going to sit and admire my work...it took me forever to get the lights around the window!

Do something for you tonight! It sure felt good to do something for me...

If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it

I've spontaneously traveled to NYC on my own, my sister got married, I survived my first week on duty as a Hall Director, and today I was told what type of personality I have thanks to the fabulous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. While these things were all exciting and I have many stories I could share about them, I think I'm going to tell you a story that shows just how capable we really are of some things when we put our minds to it.

I will be attending the NEACURH conference this weekend in Oneonta. As exciting as that is, it gets better. At this conference I will have to perform a 20 second segment of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" music video in front of many, many people. Fortunately I am not alone in this, nonetheless it certainly has me biting my nails. For those of you that know me, I love to dance. However, my 'dancing' is not what you would call good, club dancing. Bumping and grinding certainly has never been my style and booty popping is sure to dislocate all sorts of things if I ever attempted it. So what I do is a little different- it's fun...it's comical, but most of all it usually ends up in some form of the fist pump, shopping cart, or car wash. I dance for fun. Believe me, if my dancing moves landed me a man or even a free drink I would for sure question that guy's sanity. I mean, I guess if he was a goofball like me it'd be alright, but for the most part if you see me dancing I guarentee you will be questioning whether I'm worried about what I look like or not. The answer- I'm not. I just like to have fun. Plain and simple.

Now, I tell you all of this because to my surprise, at 'rehearsal' tonight, I didn't do terrible. I mean sure tomorrow night could be a little bit different when there are a bunch of people staring at me in my little black tank top and black shorts, but I handled my business tonight and I'm proud to say I didn't hurt anyone or anything in the process of learning the moves. This has not sparked some kind of interest in seeing how else I can bend my body and what moves I can do, but it certainly has made me realize that if I put my mind to something I really can do it! At one point, I was teaching everyone part of the dance...which should never happen, but it did! It was a lot of fun and even though it could all go terribly wrong tomorrow, I'm just glad I was able to say I learned part of the dance.

Myers-Briggs tells me I'm an extravert and there's no doubt about that, but we will find out just how 'out there' I am tomorrow when I will be on stage pretending to be Beyonce or as some may know her, Sasha Fierce.

I will leave you with the music video to remind you just how out of control it is and you can be the judge of how well I will be doing tomorrow night..

Ego

Interpret as you wish, but I think this song stands for A LOT of different things and I listened to it a few times today when I was frustrated with some things.

What's it mean to you?!

Culinary Queen

I love to cook. But ever since I started this job I have found myself eating out more than eating in. I decided I needed to put a stop to that and get back into cooking. The hardest part about it is the fact that I cook for one ESPECIALLY because I like to cook new, different recipes. I do alright, but most of the time I end up throwing away the leftovers. I decided that starting this week I have not only limited myself to only eating out twice a week, but that I will prepare my weekly menu over the weekend and shop accordingly. I've wasted I don't know how much money on food going to waste and it's about time I stop doing that! Below I have included a few of the new dishes I have tried thus far. But before that, I would like to just one more time point out the fact that I finally made a batch of cookies from scratch- something I have been trying to do forever! Ta-daaaa...


Last night I tried a new meatball recipe. I've made a version of Florentine Meatballs before, but since I have converted to using ground turkey for nearly everything, I wanted to try a new recipe. It was a really great, different dinner and I will definitely keep the recipe in my book. The ones I made were pretty big; I would recommend making more, smaller ones so you can freeze them and have them another day. Below is a picture and the recipe website in case you want to try them.

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=891

Tonight I tried something really different for me. The recipe is titled "roasted potatoes, green beans and chicken" and sounds harmless. However, the medley is marinated in a dijon/thyme mixture that was surprisingly good. I have had this recipe for a while so I wanted to see if it was worth keeping. It was good. Not great, but good. I'm not a big dijon fan so that's where I got hung up. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, so if you want it let me know- it's in my recipe book (I probably got it out of a magazine.) Nonetheless, here's a picture of the dish...



Lastly, this weekend in the kitchen was rounded out with me preparing tabouleh for my lunches this week. Tabouleh is a Mediterranean dish that is DELICIOUS! I love it! Minus the tomatoes because I can't eat them (yes, you'll see them in the dish, but I pick around them) tabouleh is one of my favorite appetizers and even meals. It's very light and the way you eat it is by putting it on some pita or in a pita pocket. So, so good! I have included the recipe I used below so you can dabble if you wish (I highly recommend trying it!!!) So good, so healthy. the end.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/tabouleh-recipe/index.html Note: I did not follow this recipe exactly (I usually don't) but it gives you a general idea of what should go in it and you can add/subtract amounts from there.

I hope I have inspired you to at least consider exploring the chef in you. Cooking is so therapeutic and it definitely helps you stay on track if you are trying to watch what you eat.

Here's to a great start to a healthy week...Cheers!

Pitbull - Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor) ft. T-Pain

home sweet home?

Now that I've been in my apartment for more than 2 months, I've decided it was a good time to tell you about my apartment! First of all, I'm spoiled. Because Fitz was recently renovated I made out pretty well when it comes to my living space. But I've had a really difficult time committing to new art, decorations, color schemes, the whole nine yards because now that I'm an 'adult' I find it a lot harder to commit knowing that I probably won't be moving anytime soon. (when I was in school, each apartment had it's own theme)The worst part about it is I have permission to paint my walls, well SUNY Cortland will paint my walls, but I can't figure out what colors I want. My bedroom is pretty much complete when it comes to decorating- one wall is still pretty bare, but it's almost there...and the bathroom is done (not much ya can do there when they tile the walls!) The place that needs some serious work is my living room. The walls are basically bare and white because I want to buy a new tv before committing to wall art. I'm thinking somewhere between a 32" and 42" tv (if those are even sizes for tvs). Soooo until then, I will have to deal. Even so, I thought I would share with everyone a few pictures of my new place since I've done it for every other apartment/place I have lived! Enjoy!!!




Slowly we are getting there- it is certainly a work in progress though.

workin' hard? or hardly workin'?

What an exciting few days it has been. As Janelle says, "it's like we get two weekends this week." She's kind of right- but not really.

Wednesday morning we left to travel north to Albany for a SUNYHA meeting. (you don't need to know what that stands for, you just need to know that clearly the most important people involved in the SUNY system were there because I was invited :-p kidding, kidding---it's a meeting of the masterminds behind the Res. Life programs in the SUNY system and I tagged along..with Janelle and Ashley..because we are new) Anyway, it was a great, first outside of SUNY Cortland 'professional experience' and I will share a few of the highlights with you as I sit here to reflect.

I received the agenda earlier in the week and took a peak at it, but really I just opened it long enough for it to print out and then be tucked away in my fabulous padfolio. On the ride up, we were filled on what to expect. It seemed pretty straightforward to me and it was..both days were. But the thing I took away from the meeting that was perhaps most beneficial for me was presented in the first meeting. On Wednesday we had a 3 hour session on assessment (basically assessing the success of ANYTHING by using different tools to measure them, etc--I won't get all technical) BUT the reason I bring this up is because when I worked at Ithaca College I worked on a project that was assessment based and I learned A LOT. It was great to see how some institutions rely on the data collected in this somewhat complex process. What was even better was how the emphasis related to what I had researched and learned about at various graduate programs I visited and/or interviewed with, specifically UCONN. The conversation was long- the activity was a tad over my head, but what I got out of it was the realization that I really want to pursue my Master's in Higher Ed./Student Affairs. I've played with the idea of taking some time off and then continuing my education here at Cortland and receiving my Master's in Community Health. But even though the taking some time off part of that will remain true, I know that my passion lies in getting my Master's in Higher Ed. so when the time is right I feel that is what is in my best interest. Now the question is whether I will pursue it at the institutions I have already researched and/or interviewed at, or look into some other programs. One of the most sought after attributes in applicants for these programs is experience. So once I get some experience, I am going to see what school has the program that is right for me. Only time will tell...

That's all fun and incredibly interesting for my dedicated followers to read, but the next story will be even better I promise!

After getting through the meeting on Wednesday we all went back to the hotel to check into our rooms. Being newbies and all, we didn't realize the benefits of taking advantage of what the state of New York had to offer in terms of accommodations and Janelle, Ashley, and I roomed together. We had the option to ride solo, but we took one for the team because we know times are tough right now :-p I think we make pretty good roommates- but I already have trouble sleeping in hotels so I didn't get much sleep. Anyway, after taking some time to relax we all went out to dinner. I hate to take the credit for finding one of the best restaurants in the world, but I had a great idea of finding a hibachi style restaurant so we could relax, have fun, and eat some good food! Janelle was in charge of finding restaurants- I simply made a suggestion when we were googling and guess where we ended up.... HERE---> http://www.hanaalbany.com/#/home
For those of you that are not familiar with these restaurants, basically you have a sushi bar, a restaurant menu with different choices (still mostly Asian cuisine) and then, THEN there's the hibachi grill creations! AKA you sit in front of a grill and watch the Japanese chef make your meal in front of you...this is what mine looked like when all was said and done...



It's basically lo mein noodles, veggies, chicken, and filet mignon cooked on an open grill right.in.front.of.your.eyes. I chose this combination but believeeeeee me, there are many to choose from! Here's a picture of the grill and the chef...and my noodles!



BUT believe it or not, I still haven't gotten to the best part of the story. So, brace yourself because here it comes....I tried 5 different foods in one sitting! For those of you that don't know me very well, I do.not. like seafood. I am on the hunt to find some that I like, but I NEVER eat it. Oh, but first- I ordered something, just to order it, because I wanted to try something new that didn't have a scary name and that I thought I would enjoy so I ordered chicken tempura. Here's a picture ...



To me, they tasted like chicken fingers, so even though I was satisfied with the fact that I liked them, it wasn't really something "new" just something familiar with a new name. Moving on... after I finished my appetizer someone said I should try one of their sushi delicacies. YUCK! I kindly denied the offer until I saw the little orange fish eggs resting on top of one of the rice filled seaweed rolls. I was curious. VERY CURIOUS. and even though I swore it just could not happen..I could not like RAW seafood because I don't even like cooked seafood I went out on a limb and tried a fork full (aka the tip of the fork- but enough for me to taste them) The verdict: tasteless!!!!!! The only draw to those little lifeless things is the pop they make in your mouth when you bite them. Disgusting? Kinda. Interesting? Absolutely! I am still questioning whether I will have minnows in my belly, but I am glad I stepped out and tried them because they weren't nearly as scary as I thought they would be. Here's me trying the fish eggs- not the most flattering shot, but a keeper nonetheless...



So that was number 2. Number 3- lobster. Two words can sum up that experience...NEVER AGAIN! I do not like lobster. Okay, that was easy. Number 4- scallops. After experiencing the lobster's nasty after taste, I was hesitant to explore anymore under the sea creatures. But peer pressure got the best of me and the scallop was next in line. After convincing Janelle that she didn't need to feed it to me because everyone was watching and would probably ask questions, I grabbed the fork boldly and took a bite. A little better than the lobster, but certainly not something I would order on my own. Fail. To round out the samples, I bit into a juicy little shrimp. I've had shrimp. I can tolerate it. So it wasn't a NEW food per say, rather something to explore once more before turning to my usual excuse of not liking seafood because even though I don't prefer shrimp, I can eat it if I have to.

Honestly, I had THE BEST time eating at this restaurant. Our waitress was awesome, the chefs (is there a plural name for a chef?) were awesome, and the food was unbelievable. We were there almost 3 hours just enjoying good company and having fun. The meeting was a great experience, but enjoying the company of some colleagues outside of the office was by far one of the best parts that I will take away from my first profession adventure. I look forward to many more opportunities like this one. So, whether you're workin' hard, or hardly workin' just remember to have fun along the way!

life's too short...

Never has my sister's story inspired me more than it has these past few days. Since graduating with her Master's in May, she has moved to France, moved back to the U.S., moved to France again all because her fiance lives there. My sister is probably one of the most driven people I know- but never did I imagine that one day the passion she has for living life to the fullest would lead her to a life in France. The journey certainly has tested my sister and Fabien's desire to be together- through Visa applications, not speaking the language, not being able to work, moving in with his parents, and patiently waiting for a light at the end of the tunnel, my sister and Fabien have remained loyal to each other and loyal to their goal to be together forever. Sigh. How romantic. But the story gets worse before it gets better...

Yesterday I found out that Fabien was in a car accident that totaled their car. Thankfully my sister was not in the passenger seat (the other vehicle hit him on the right side) where she was supposed to be that day because they had gone to a wedding. Because my sister was uncomfortable and not feeling herself, Fabien took her home early and went back- his second trip was the trip that could have ended a lot worse. He was not hurt. Talk about believing in fate... It is amazing to me that with so many bad omens they still remain as strong and dedicated to one another as they do. The reality that my sister and I are an ocean apart became much clearer yesterday when I found out this had happened...questions that are too frightening to know the answer to come to my mind, but yet I am still 'okay' knowing she's in good hands with him. They have a love story like no other and I'm glad I've been along for the ride. As I plan their wedding for next summer I think about the uniqueness of their relationship and realize the happiness my sister experiences even in times like these.

So, just remember...life's too short to be anything but happy.

Updated! 101 things in 1001 days

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Note:

I have identified my progress by citing individual accomplishments in black and dated and/or by including a tally track (#out of#)

My List:

"So we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change."

1. Tie a note to a balloon and let it go
2. Throw a surprise party for someone
3. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
4. Leave a 100% tip
5. Buy 5, "I saw this and thought of you" gifts, just because (0/5)
6. Adopt a child for Christmas
7. Attend 5 community events (0/5)
8. Donate $2 for every item not finished in 1oo1 days
9. Make a birthday cake for someone
10. Host a dinner party

"I'm bringing sexy back..."

1. Go 2 weeks without eating out (0/14)
   
2. Get a professional massage
3. Exercise 3x/wk.
4. Get a bra fitting!
5. No fast food for 1 month
6. Get a mani./pedi. (7/15/2010)
7. Buy myself something from Tiffany's
8. Run a 5K
9. Run a 10K
10. Get a tattoo
11. Lose 10 lbs. (0/10)
12. Find the perfect "little black dress"
13. Complete the 200 crunch challenge
14. Buy myself flowers 10 times (0/10)
15. Take a multivitamin everyday (67/1001)

"Life is a highway, I wanna ride it ALL.NIGHT.LONG."

1. Learn how to drive stick shift
   
2. Parallel park 5 times (0/5)
3. Buy a new car (7/17/2010)
4. Get a passport (7/15/2010)
5. Go on a cruise
6. Go on a roadtrip with no predetermined destination
7. Visit 5 new states (0/5)
8. Learn how to change a tire

"We are family, get up everybody and sing!"

1. Find out how I'm related to Laura Ingalls Wilder
   
2. Mail my grandparents a letter/card 1/month (7/10/10)
   
3. Go to bingo with G-pa and G-ma Ingalls
4. Go to the casino with G-pa and G-ma Roulo
5. Take my dad to a Sabres game
6. Surprise my mom by mailing her flowers (9/28/2010)
   
7. Girls day/night with my mom and sister
8. Go golfing/driving range with my dad (7/16/2010)

"Money, money, money...must be funny. In a rich man's world."

1. Start a savings account ($5 for every item checked off)
   
2. Buy an iPod
3. Start a vacation fund with loose change
4. Buy a new computer
5. Buy a bike
6. Replace all of my makeup

"Hey now, you're an All-Star, get your game on, go play."

1. Get my Master's degree
   
2. Read the news (CNN.com) for 1 month (started: 6/28/2010- 7/28/2010)
   
3. Read 5 books- I don't read, don't judge me. (1/5)
4. Start a blog- 1 post/week
5. No facebook for 1 week

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard..."

1. Go green! with my shopping bags (6/27/2010)
   
2. Have dinner by candlelight
3. Start an herb garden
4. Try 5 new foods (0/5)
5. Have a picnic
6. Cook one new recipe/week (6/143)
7. Go on a wine tour
8. Find some sort of seafood I like
9. Eat at 10 restaurants I've never been to (1/10)
10. Make ice cream from scratch
11. Bake 1/month
    
12. Try vegetarian for 1 month

"It's my life and it's now or never- I ain't gonna live forever."

1. Answer the "50 questions that will free your mind": http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/ (7/1/2010)
   
2. Complete the 365 day photo challenge: http://content.photojojo.com/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/
3. Learn how to iron
4. Go horseback riding (9/18/2010)
   
5. Learn how to water ski
6. Go skiing
7. Go to an amusement park
8. Watch 26 movies I have never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet (1/26) ABCDEFGrown UpsHIJKarate KidLMNOPQRSTUVWXYes ManZ
9. Go fishing (August)
   
10. Sleep under the stars
11. Go to 3 concerts (0/3)
12. Color an entire coloring book
13. Finish an entire crossword puzzle book
14. Go ice skating...outside
15. Go camping
16. Fly a kite
17. Go to a comedy club
18. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day (7/16/2010)
19. Build a snowman
20. Go to the zoo
21. See a drive-in movie (7/2/2010)
22. Go to a Broadway show
23. Make a scrapbook for each undergrad. year (0/4)
24. Complete a 26 things photo project
25. Complete a 1000 piece puzzle
26. Pick pumpkins for Halloween
27. Send a secret to PostSecret
28. Jump in a pile of leaves
29. Climb a tree
30. Change a baby's diaper
31. Lay in the grass and find shapes in the clouds (July)
    
32. Learn how to sew
33. Go to a haunted house
34. Dance in the rain
35. Attend a midnight movie premiere
36. Print all of the pictures I want off of facebook and put them in photo albums

"And it's a great day to be alive, I know the sun's still shining when I close my eyes.."

1. Inspire someone to make a 101 goals in 1001 days list (6/25/2010)

http://www.dayzeroproject.com/about/

you're amazing just the way you are, part 2

To answer your question, yes it is possible to have a part 2 to the previous Bruno Mars shout out. This time, however I am going to further prove how great it is to be so positive and optimistic about not only yourself and what you're doing, but what you can do for others! Here's why...

When I was in Target this morning before meeting my BFF (yeah I said it) Johnny C. for breakfast, a little old lady came up to me as I was scanning the sweater racks. She said, "Excuse me but I just wanted to let you know that you are the cutest thing." My heart melted. I'm not really sure what 'the cutest thing' means, but she was probably in her 70s and hearing her say that was so great. I'm pretty sure I got a little kick in my step for the rest of the day just because she said it. But that's not even the best part...after she said it I thought to myself, "how hard would it be to compliment a complete stranger like that?" So I have challenged myself to compliment at least 1 stranger a week for the next month. I'll keep you posted...

Shortly after this I met Johnny C. (who I have not seen since he moved to NYC) for breakfast. We hugged, said I missed you, all that jazz but when we sat down he looked at me and said, "You look really good." As you can imagine, I was smiling ear to ear and told him what had happened earlier. What a great day, right??

The lesson I have learned since my previous post about being "amazing just the way you are" is that it is okay to compliment someone if you want to compliment them. Today was a great day for me because regardless of how I was feeling about myself, I knew that someone else took the time to compliment me because they wanted to, not because they had to. It was such a great boost in my self esteem and I apparently need to wear this outfit more often :-p because even though I wasn't looking for it, people made my day just by saying what they were thinking. How often can you say you do that?

...so again, remember "You're amazing just the way you are."

you know you're a hall director when...

There's a saying around the Residence Life and Housing office that begins with "You know you're a hall director when..." because there are things we do and experience that no other could imagine. Some of those things are not to be discussed outside the office, others I feel need to be shared with the outside world because they sum up my professional life in a nutshell. So here we go; a glimpse into the world of a hall director...

1. We are reminded to promote safe sex in our buildings by picking up garbage bags full of condoms to be distributed in the residence halls. I had the privilege of carrying my bag across campus to my building at the beginning of the semester through clusters of students waiting at the bus stop. Not once did I stop to think about how absurd that might seem to the students I passed because I knew it was 'part of my job' to get that bag to my building! Students first- that's what we professionals in Student Affairs believe!

2. We handle situations ranging from students peeing on cop cars to vomit in the bathrooms to roommates fighting over who stole hairspray out of the shower caddy. At lunchtime, we have to censor our 'work related stories' because they are often too graphic to share while eating. Sometimes when we get caught up in storytelling we realize just how ridiculous our conversation is to an outsider. Imagine if your job required you to brainstorm strategies on how to get students to stop dumping Ramen noodles in the bathroom sinks- our job gets out of control on the ridiculous scale realllll f.a.s.t.

3. As advisors and supervisors we are required to fill our special forms to buy program materials, food, etc. I for one love shopping, however it is somewhat embarrassing to shop for big groups of students. It can send the wrong message to the cute stock boy in the grocery store when you walk by with a cart full of chips, cookies, dips, candy, etc. It certainly throws up a red flag in my opinion--if I saw that, I would be sure to worry about the individual's health! (I made up the cute stock boy part of it- stock boys are usually in high school but I thought it added a little dramatic effect to the story) ANYWAY below is a picture of my recent trip to TOPS...

As you can see, the amount of junk food is a little excessive. The cashier definitely thought I just broke up with my boyfriend.

This is only a glimpse into the world of a hall director. We live a life of uncertainty. Every morning when we step into our office we never know what to expect for the day. It's exciting. It's tiring. It's challenging. But most of all, it's fun. I love my job. And I love having stories that begin with "You know you're a hall director when..."

Go shorty, it's your birthday...

This past Thursday marked Janelle's 22nd birthday. She got some gifts, but so did I- miss Angeline came to visit! Anddddd with that came a more tangible gift for me; a copy of the new Train CD! I've liked the past few hits from the album and wanted to see what else they had on the new CD. So, I decided to start this post by sharing one of my favorite songs on the album with you- it's called Parachute. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2botW18oJo

Okay, on with some fun stories from Janelle's birthday extravaganza. We started the weekend on Thursday with a home cooked meal from yours truly. Now when I asked Janelle what she wanted she said the 'potato things' that I make. Every time she comes for dinner she wonders if I am making them, so I'm beginning to think I should write my recipe down and start makin' some money because they are apparently that good. After telling her we needed something to go with them, she came up with turkey burgers (the recipe I borrowed from Darci :-p) and some asparagus. The meal was p.r.e.t.t.y. good if I do say so myself. To cap it off I tried my hand at making some apple crisp. It was good- but needs a little work. I need to find a good recipe for starters; I googled easy apple crisp and the result was okay, but there's gotta better. We also did gifts. Ang got her a 'grown up' gift for her apartment...a big ol' mirror that she can take with her wherever life takes her next. I decided to buy her first Vera Bradley accessory- a new wallet. She always talks about one of my bag's pattern so I got it for her knowing she liked it and that it wasn't too overwhelming for a first timer :-p Let's see if she catches the bug like I did...

Friday I had a full load of work on my plate, so I didn't get done until late afternoon (same time Janelle's office hours ended.) After decompressing for a few, we headed to happy hour to catch up with Ang. We ran into a few people we knew, but for the most part we just sat and chatted for a few hours. We waited around to see what was for dinner (as we always do) and once we saw ziti we knew we were going to have to make a decision about where we were going to go. Luckily, Janelle's family likes to give gift certificates out like they're going out of style so she always has one for practically every restaurant. Long story short, Janelle treated us to dinner at Applebee's Friday night :-) Yay for Friday!...brace yourself, Saturday's festivities were the most exciting...

About 2 weeks ago I came up with an idea for Janelle's birthday. When we realized we would not be going out of town as we had originally planned, I wanted to find something different for us to do. So, as I was thinking of ideas I remembered passing a horseback riding place on my way back from apple picking a few weeks before. Janelle loves horses and used to ride. So, I looked into it and found the contact information. After confirming with Ang that it was a good idea and that she would be game, I made a reservation. I was really excited because we were going to surprise her with it. All went as planned and she was SOOO happy. It was a blast.

Now, I must say I have been on a horse one other time in my life and it was in Tennessee when I was on vacation with my family probably 8ish years ago. I tried masking my fear to the best of my ability, but when all was said and done they knew I was pretty nervous. It doesn't help that the first horse we saw was a huge work horse that was the size of my house.

After learning that when you get on the horse you are what's called 'mounted,' I was informed that my horse needed to be in the back of the group because Spirit (I can think of a few other names that are more appropriate for this horse) did not like when other horses were behind her and had a tendency to try to bite at them. So, if you can picture it- me on top of the horse, the horse whipping around to bite the one behind her...you can imagine the new found terror I had now that I was 'mounted' on this friendly horse. Thankfully, Spirit behaved..for the most part. I say that because my horse was the only horse, besides the horses the leaders were on, that liked to gallop to catch up to the group. Again, the first time that happened you can imagine the words and gestures coming from me. They say you're in charge of the horse...that is an absolute lie. I had no control whatsoever over Spirit. But we made out just fine and I can say that I enjoyed the experience.

For dinner we decided to go to Brix. It was the first time any of us had been there so we were pretty excited. There was a wait (go figure) so we slipped over to The Blue Frog to enjoy a glass of wine while we waited. I sampled a few and found one I really liked and clung to it for the night. Wine is something else. It makes you feel funny. I can't describe it, but after one glass my cheeks were rosy. When our table was ready we sat down to enjoy a GREAT meal. Other than the wait, the food was amazing. We ordered veggie fries (fried zucchini, asparagus, and sweet potatoes) for an appetizer, Janelle got pizza, and Ang and I both got pasta dishes. Mine was an Absolut white creamy sauce based dish and it was great. I didn't get to eat much of it because I filled up on everything else, but I will definitely go again. Be advised if you plan to eat there have the night free because it took quite a while for us to get our food. Other than that, two thumbs up.

It was a busy 3 days..especially after a busy work week, so I really needed to recuperate today. I ran some errands, but mostly cleaned my apartment and did laundry. I have a busy week ahead of me, so I needed to get the chores out of the way.

I'll leave you with one last thing that I learned at the ranch...the horses that look like spotted cows are called painted horses....to me there is no difference, but apparently because they are two different animals it's a big deal :-p

Have a good week!

home sweet home

Being 2 1/2 hours from home is convenient when it comes to needing a weekend away or a quick trip home just because. However, the past few times I have been home I've noticed a pattern in activities which is fine, but funny because I never really noticed it until now. These things include but are not limited to:

1. Getting off an exit before my exit to meet my parent's at the country club to have a drink and/or eat dinner. No matter the day or time I can always count on this pit stop. I've never realized how much time my parents spend there until I noticed this on my way home from the club last night. And usually when I'm there the old men are being inappropriate (or funny in their minds) so it's either awkward or really funny depending on the topic of conversation during that visit.

2. We usually end up doing something on Saturday (I come home Friday night and leave sometime Sunday) This weekend's planned activity was traveling to Letchworth to watch my sister run in a 5k. For the first time EVER after she was done racing and we were done eating our boxed lunch (which was a total FAIL becauseeeee they put mayo. on both the veggie wraps and the turkey wraps...yuck-o) I didn't want to stay and look at the falls because we have been there so many times. It was really a sad thing for me to blurt out, but I was ready to just be home for a few hours and didn't think it was necessary to walk around. But don't you worry soon we will be back in the car leaving once again to travel to my grandparent's house and then out to dinner for my parent's anniversary. It never fails, we always eat out at least one night out of the weekend <--which is a-okay in my mind!

3. I usually end up leaving with some kind of edible something. Last time I was home my mom was gracious enough to buy all of our favorite beer (my brother and sister were both home as well) so as you can imagine our fridge was stocked for what...I'm not too sure. So, my treat for that weekend was taking beer back to Cortland. My mom said as I was leaving, "usually moms send cookies, I send beer." This time, I already have a pile started in the fridge- feta cheese and parsley. By tomorrow when I leave I'm sure I'll have a bag full of things I 'need.'

I'm sure there are many other things to list, but as you can imagine a trip to the Ingalls residence is never shy of a few laughs. It's always nice to hop in the car and spend some time with my 'rents but don't be fooled, they are not strangers in Cortland either :-p

you're amazing just the way you are

Buckle up blog buddies, you could be in for a long ride through this post. A few new, interesting things have happened since my last post and they could lead me all over the place as I tell the different stories. So don't say I didn't warn you as you are scrolling down through and skimming stories to a what seems to be never ending amount of words....I'll say it now, I told you so.

Let's start with my new favorite song that I listen to at least 3 times a day.

When I first heard this song I thought it was the Jonas Brothers and right away I said no matter what I can't like it. And even after I found out it wasn't them I still thought it was a typo or that Bruno Mars was the Jonas Brothers and they just grew up and got a new band name. Nope! Completely different band with a singer that could be mistaken for one of them. BUTTT regardless, I fell in love with the song the first time I heard it- the words, the beat, everything about it. When I hear it I get happy. Ever since I started listening to it religiously I have either thought to myself or told someone around me that for some reason I can relate to it. No I don't have someone telling me I'm amazing and sure I have doubts about myself on days and that would be a nice pick-me-up but it's something about how positive and beautiful the song is! Forgive me if I'm making you sick to your stomach for being too sentimental, but for real I love this song because frankly I love how it makes me feel and that it reminds me to smile :-)

Alright, alright...enough about that. The next thing that branches off of my crazy obsession with that song is the fact that I have had some serious self reflection time these past few weeks. No I have not been meditating and saying "ohmm" with my legs crossed or participating in yoga (THATTTT experience is a story for another day.) Instead, I've just really been able to sit down and think about what I want for myself in the near future. I really wanted to challenge myself to think outside of my professional goals because for the most part I am extremely proud and happy with where I am with that. I wanted to focus more on me-- the me that I wake up to every morning. So that of course started with my physical appearance...

For starters, I have made it a new goal of mine to replace my make-up, clothes, shoes, and everything related to help reward myself for things such as my job and all of the work I have been doing and will be doing. That means that even though I was already a regular at the malls on the weekends, I will be turning my attention to not necessarily going shopping to go shopping, but to find new clothes that for once I am buying and not financial aid :-) Not only do I have to replace much of my wardrobe to build a professional wardrobe, but I want to do it for me. I've always liked to shop, but for some reason knowing that I earned that money that will buy me new sweaters and shoes is rewarding in itself. And if you are reading this and thinking I am absolutely ridiculous I ask you to not judge me and realize that I love shopping and I love dressing nicely, therefore this IS something that is important to me! In addition, I have been visiting the 'home' section of many stores to fill the walls and space in my new apartment. That is still a work in progress, but it will come together with time. I'm on the hunt for a new tv and a dining room table---I'm such an adult!

The next thing on my 'to do list' is to get back in shape! For those of you that know me, I've always stayed fairly active. However, the past 4 years have really taken a toll on me --- I'm not saying I don't love my bod, but it'd be nice to get back in shape to the point where I was maybe when I came to college? If not that, at least to a point that I feel comfortable with and can notice a difference with not only the way the jeans are fitting me around the waist, but also in the choices I make to continue to maintain what I will hopefully accomplish in this area. To clarify, I'm not saying I am unhappy and all of that, I'm just saying there is a certain level of fit that I am aiming to reach and a few cheers along the way wouldn't hurt :-p On that note here are some things I have/will try:

1. P90X- Janelle and I started that this week and long story short, it is a great workout but probably not ideal for me for a few reasons. The first, I broke my wrist twice and it never healed properly making it very difficult to do a lot of the exercising that require supporting my entire body with my arms, etc. So that was one down fall. The other is that Janelle and I tried to do it together but our schedules just don't line up enough for us to do it consistently. For me, I feel like I would need to do this program with someone simply because the videos are so boring! So, unfortunately it seems I may have to retire early (after 2 days of it :-p) and find something else that'll work for me...aka #2

2. Cortland just announced at the beginning of the semester that starting this year all faculty and staff can use the fitness facilities for free. Now I have never been much of a gym-er, but I'm going to try to get a routine down so when it comes to be the winter months I still have an option when the outside is ruled out. For now, I will explore that routine but also work in time outside running/walking as I have been doing here and there since the summer. I just haven't quite been able to find the one thing that keeps me motivated to get out there and do it....hopefully this public post will be a reminder of how badly I want to do this for myself and it'll give me a little boost! I will welcome any suggestions you have though....:-)

Finally (the not physical appearance part of the reflection) in all of the time I spent thinking about me (sounds so selfish!) I realized that I need to cut myself a break. The reason: I've really beaten myself up lately about my lack of dating or even effort to get to know new people. But when I think about it, I realize that just like everyone keeps telling me- timing is everything. I have no doubt that I'm ready to have fun and meet people and put myself out there, but when it's right it's right and that's not necessarily for me to decide. So, from here on out I'm going to do my best to remind myself to smile and let it be...

because like Bruno Mars says, "you're amazing just the way you are...."

perfect fit

About two weeks ago during training I assigned my staff a rather unsual task: take a piece of the staff 'puzzle board' I created and make it their own. I didn't have any expectations of them just that it was to be completed by the first staff meeting (which was tonight.) After going through some housekeeping items and few other important bits of information, we gathered around the table and revealed our puzzle piece designs.

I kind of made this activity up thinking it would be a cool way of showing all of our unique qualities and it allowed us to express ourselves in whatever way we wanted to in a) a short amount of time and b) in a limit amount of space. I think one of the most important parts of the role as a student staff member is to remember that uniqueness is not a bad thing. I really enjoyed coming up with a way of expressing some of the things that are important to me and I think my staff really enjoyed the activity too. Here are some pictures of the end product...

Caitlin forgot that we chose a certain side of the posterboard to decorate, therefore her piece did not fit. But it made room for a few laughs and added some more 'uniqueness' to the puzzle! :-)

This is my piece...

I wanted to not only include things that I really like/enjoy, but a few things that let my staff know a little bit about me without pouring it all out on the table. As you can see, my name is made out of road map stickers because I love to travel. I can't wait to have the opportunity to travel more than I do now. The background of my piece (even though it's hard to see) is made up of a pattern of two different paper designs: 1 is fall leaves and 1 is music notes. Fall is my favorite season. I'm already looking forward to the changing leaves and crisp air. And music is important to me not only because it's my outlet and all of those types of things, but music is something my whole family has in common and it has always meant something to me. When I was in high school I played the alto-sax in jazz band and it was mostly because my sister played when she was in school. I liked playing, but I liked knowing it was something we had in common more than anything. Scattered across my piece are hockey figures. I LOVE hockey. The game, the players, the music, and the beer and nachos. I love it all. I'm hoping I can get to a few more Sabres games this year...and I will of course be a regular at the C-State games. Hockey is something my dad and I really enjoy and therefore makes me feel closer to him. Finally, my piece is surrounded by soccer balls. In high school sports were my life. Soccer especially held a special place in my heart, again, because I was able to play with my sister and then continue to play through my high school career. I was an area all-star, the whole nine yards. But I decided to put soccer on there not because I love the game, but more to remind myself to follow my dreams. I wanted to play soccer at Cortland. I set myself up to play- and then talked myself out of it. To this day I wonder what it would have been like and so soccer not only remains one of my deepest passions, but it serves as a reminder to pursue my dreams no matter how scared I might be. My hope is to coach one day and through that I will continue to spread not only my passion for the game, but the message of never letting yourself or others stand in the way of your dreams.

So many more things could have gone on that puzzle piece to represent my life, but a little mystery never hurt anyone.

Until next time...

the new chapter...

Just Breathe. Never has that saying meant so much to me.

I have backspaced so many times trying to figure out where to start with this post. Do I talk about my job or is that boring? Do I talk about any updates in my life and if so what are they? Do I remember a funny story to share or are there too many? I felt that it was necessary to update my blog, but yet can't quite find the words to say. So we'll start here...

4 months ago I graduated from college. Since then, I have really turned over a new leaf and found this desire to dive into what seems to be a never ending pile of work that I have stacked so high on my desk that you can barely see me through my office door window. I say that because even though it seems overwhelming, I have never been more satisfied and happy with where I am in my life until now. Sure there are a few things missing from the 'master plan' but fortunately for me, I have already been forced to white-out some of those plans along the way. I'm not afraid to tweak the plan and I'm certainly willing to accept any other surprises thrown my way because 4 months ago I was under the impression that I would be starting graduate classes tomorrow and here I sit in my office that is bigger than my bedroom at home, typing on my office computer, and smiling at the fact that I am a professional staff member at SUNY Cortland. I have faith in God and whatever it is that is in store for me, but I will say it has been quite the ride getting to where I am today. As different as it may sound I wake up excited to go to my office every morning because I am so happy with my job and everything it is to me. I certainly don't want to fall into the trap of 'my work is my life' but I'm perfectly content knowing that I have found something I really enjoy doing for now and that is one of the best feelings in the world.

One thing that has been pulling at my heartstrings a tad, especially now that the students are back, is the fact that 4 months ago I was a student here. I'm more than ready to start this new chapter of my life, but I have found myself pulling out the photo albums and watching the videos of my friends from the best four years of my life that seem like just yesterday. I'm okay with it, but sometimes even a song will bring tears to my eyes as I remember all of the memories attached to it. To be able to have such a strong connection to those 4 years makes me that much more excited to see what is in my future. I'm ready for the next step in every area of my life...if only those areas were ready for me. For now, I will focus on what seems to be working- my job, but I certainly won't close the door on anything else that wants to come my way.

jai ho!

When I started out on this 101 things in 1001 days adventure I thought it would be a lot easier to stay on top of things. Unfortunately my new job has taken me on a whole new adventure that requires a lot of my free time, so things like my blog and 101 list have suffered. Hopefully after the month of August (which consists of 4 weeks of training, students returning, and the start to a new year) is over, I will have time to get back to doing things on my list and keeping up with my blog <---and if I don't get that time back, I will probably go insane! Training ended this past Friday (training for RHDs that is..) A sigh of relief came right around 4 pm as I left Cortland to return home for the weekend to see my sister! But, before we talk about that, lets back track to my 3 day, 2 night trip to Raquette Lake...





I have been to Raquette Lake 5 times counting this trip. Every time I hear the news about going I get really excited. Something about ropes courses and bonfires excites me more than just about anything. But this year was a little bit different. We had bonfires, but the ropes courses were not visited. I must say, I was a little sad at first, but the trip was not without it's perks. For starters, I went 'fishing'...

For those of you that have not memorized my 101 list, 'go fishing' is on there. My definition of going fishing consists of two things: cast the line and hold the pole in the water for at least a few minutes. Once I did that, I considered my fishing adventure complete and I could check it off my list. Lucky me, my new friend Sean decided that that was not enough....I had to put the worm on the hook too!!!! The picture below sums up my experience...



The next adventure at Raquette Lake was pedal boating. I love nature. I love hiking. And I love taking pictures of the beautiful mountains, water, and scenery. However, I have never been one to care much about canoeing, kayaking, and pedal boating. I prefer to go fast...I know speed boats are not as environmentally friendly, but lets be honest, is paddling your way to the middle of a lake, looking around, and then realizing you have to paddle all the way back to the dock all that it's cracked up to be? I understand the exercise part of it, but is it really enjoyable?!...I was able to snap some good photos and my legs got a good work out, but I still don't get what all the hype is about...below is a picture of Calvin after Sean swam out to us and then jumped from one boat to the other...their boat almost flooded and Calvin was almost 'man overboard.'

Funny looking tree we spotted on our way in...

After pedal boating we decided to play some horse shoes. Another activity I have realized is not my cup of tea. I found it to be quite boring actually. Maybe if I was good at it, I would have enjoyed it, but I found it annoying to throw a horse shoe back and forth trying to hit a metal stake in the ground. I wasn't TERRIBLE...I got us some points, but for the amount of work it takes to 'enjoy' the game, I think I'll choose another activity next time to enjoy before dinner.

The nights at Raquette Lake were of course enjoyable. We had a bonfire both nights. The first night it was insanely clear out, so some of us enjoyed scanning the sky for shooting stars and I of course used my wonderful skills acquired in Astronomy class to find other space wonders. I could stare at the sky for hours in awe of it's beauty. Janelle almost convinced me to sleep under the stars one of the nights (which is on my 101 list) but being in the Adirondacks and all scared the idea right out of me. I am already looking forward to a retreat planned in September with some students. I wonder what adventures I will go on then...

There, now that you are up to speed on that trip, I can round out this post with a quick glance into my weekend at home.

It was a short trip. I arrived home around 7:30 pm on Friday and my brother, sister, and dad didn't get home from the airport until about 9 pm. There's nothing like hearing my sister and dad yelling, "Berby we're home" from the driveway.

Saturday my mom, sister, and I went to the movies. We saw "Eat Pray Love." It was a great pick-me-up type movie. I'm a softy when it comes to movies. I always say it takes a lot to get me to cry about something in my life, but I tear up pretty easily when it comes to movies. I'm glad we saw it...in fact, I can't remember the last time the three of us had a girls day and went to a movie. After that we stopped at Perkins for peanut butter pie, but ended up grabbing dinner too. We brought the pie home and my sister and I almost simultaneously looked at each other and said "we're eating peanut butter pie while watching America's Next Top Model." Guess we weren't all made to be a size 0, but I'm okay with it :-p We both ended up in bed by 10 pm...the last full night of sleep I think I will get for the next 2 weeks.



I was sad to leave, but I know I'll see my sister again before she goes back. The plan for the two lovebirds now is to be married in France, October 30. They have had quite the interesting summer to say the least. I'm sad we can't be there, but hopefully when the time is right we will see Allison walk down the aisle in the dress we got her. For now, I'm happy knowing they are happy...all they want to do is be together and being from two different countries has really caused some problems!...

I think that about sums up the last week in the life of me. Wish me luck as I prepare to get the hall ready for the student staff to move in this week...and students next weekend....

Peace out.