Life Rocks in CNY

Spring!

2010-04-01T13:05:00.001-07:00

Hey all- Sorry I have been negligent on updating this blog. Most of my communication has been shifted toward facebook. Sorry about that. So what have I been up to? Well, I've decided to stay in Syracuse for a 4th yr. Some days I'm psyched about this, others I just miss home. I have made plans to propel me towards a potential move back to the NW. On June 5th I will be in WA to take an exam I need for a teaching certification program I am planning to apply for in January 2011. I'm not a fan of standardized exams but have to concede this time around.

Softball season beings in 2 weeks. I'm frustrated that for the first 3 wks of the season I will be in class or in staff meeting and unable to play 2 of 3 nights. Class? Yes, I am taking a class this semester; the first since grad school graduation. It's taken this long to motivate myself to study again. Since, I did not get enough biology in undergrad I am re-taking general bio (this is me being sarcastic. I was a bio major in undergrad!) . I'm taking the class to review so I can potentially teach biology. Some of my classmates are not happy I'm ruining the curve!

The weather is getting nicer by the week and the trees are ready to bloom any day. It's going to be in the 80's this weekend and a hike is in the plans.

I found a another place to volunteer. It is a transitional home for employed women who have found themselves homeless. I'm hoping to share my craft, cooking and mural painting skills with the women and children. One afternoon a week I still try to make it to the after school program. I just did an Easter basket project with them earlier this week. The kids are great, smarter than most give them credit for and they just want attention. Sorry no pictures! I could post some of my bio class plant project. I will spare you though. I'm growing basil on my window sill. I figured if I had to grow something, it might as well be something I can use. I see some fresh pesto in my distant future.

Well, got to go for now.

Boracay (Bore-a-cai)

2010-01-05T20:59:00.001-08:00

I reacently realized that I had never been to a tropical paradise until I went to Boracay. It's a tiny island south of Manila. To get to the island was an adventure. Cab, airplane, 1.5 hr bus ride, 15 minute boat ride and a 15 minute van ride. The airport in Kalibo was TINY!! We deboarded on to the tar mack and walked into the TINY baggage claim area. It's the smallest international airport I've ever seen. I spent 4 days lounging on the beach, swimming in the waters, playing in the sand, eating amazing seafood and dabbling in scuba diving. I treated myself to the scuba lessons for my birthday. No pics of that but it was amazing to see the reefs. Below are pics of the adventure. Also checkout http://www.ouryuppielife.blogspot.com/ for more pictures.

Water baby

2009-12-26T02:48:00.000-08:00

My niece Bella is a water baby. She was very excited about our dip in the pool today. She would not stop kicking her legs. Below is a video of her excitement. We were all elated she loves the water since we are taking a beach trip to an island near the Philippines in about a week.

Swimming in December!!!!

2009-12-26T02:36:00.000-08:00

It was in the mid 80's today in Manila and the sun was out after a few cloudy days. Today we all hit the park and the pool. It was great to get out and enjoy the sunshine. I LOVED the warm weather as I thought about the freezing temps back in central New York. Below are a few of my favorite pics from our December dip in the pool. My little niece Bella LOVED the water and Addie was her general boisterous self.

Giving is better than recieving

2009-12-22T20:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had a chance to accompany my sister and Cora (my sister's nanny) to her village in Cavite Philippines. We drove 1.5 hrs outside the city to a more rural area. Our mission: To bring Christmas to the children of her neighborhood. A few days prior we put together bags with small toys and color books to give the children. The expereince was truly humbling. I was in awe at how happy people can be with what little they have. Makes me remember that I have everything to be thankful for. For pictures and a more complete narration of the event see my sisters blog at http://ouryuppielife.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-at-sunny-brook.html.

I made it!

2009-12-21T01:17:00.000-08:00

I survived the flight! 15.5 hrs f/ Detriot to Hong Kong was an eternity. I spent all of 40 minutes in Hong Kong before I boarded for Manila. I was a bit disappointed I could not browse the airport and there were some very interesting stores. I arrived in Manila to the smiling face of my brother in law and a sea of people waiting to get ther bags. Mine did not arrive. It was still in Hong Kong. I did not care much as I really just wanted a shower. My first day was blur. I was quite tried. I hit the hay the same time as my 2.5 yr old niece and then awoke at 4:30a. One good thing was that my luggage showed up. Today was good. We went to the doctor for the baby and then did some grocery shopping. There were some very interesting things. I took some pictures. Just remember 45 pesos = $1.

Seaweed, softshell crab and grilled shrimp flavored pringles! Yum!? Cheese flavored ice cream?? We were not brave enough to pay to try it. Red eggs?? Not sure which bird these were laid by. Eggs are stored on the shelf, not in a refrigerated cooler. Here is my sis posing with the eggs. Actually many things are canned/highly processed, especially meats since many Filippinos do not have refrigerators.

My big sis and I.
My sis and adorable nieces Bella and Addie.

4 days...

2009-12-14T12:43:00.001-08:00

until the adventure of a life time. My bags have been packed for 2 weeks now. I dusted off the old short, T-shirts and bathing suit and they are all ready to see the warm Filippino sun. It's supposed to be 26 degrees in Syracuse tomorrow, needless to say I'm itching to leave. My carry on is all packed with books, art stuff, mucnhies and my new i-od (an early x-mas present from mom and dad). You'd think I had a child to entertain or something. Nope just a twenty something with a short attention span. Maybe my crocheting will fit too! I bought myself a comfy flying outfit, one of those velvety pants and zip jacket combos. It's super comfy and wont be too sweltering when I arrive. Now I've travelled a lot within the US and Canada but this is my first trip overseas. The logistics are a bit more complicated, for instance if I get delayed after getting on my flight in Chicago I have absolutely no way to notify Sara and Justin. They will just have to look at my flight on line. Welp! That's enoughfor now. I will keep you updated as the adventure get's underway.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2009-10-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was home sick, with a cold, yesterday and bored out of my mind. After painting a cactus with a sombrero on it (I know cinco de Mayo is 7 months away) I decided to make broccoli cheese soup like you can get at panera. I had previously bought some of the ingredients in anticipation of making it someday when I had time. The recipe was simple and the soup tasted oh so yummy! Here is the recipe from http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/1833/Panera-Bread-Broccoli-Cheese-S79119.shtml

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half-and-half

2 cupschicken stock or bouillon

1/2 pound fresh broccoli

1 cup carrots, julienned

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Directions:
Saute onion in olive oil. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree ( I omitted this step as I like chunks in my soup. Plus it would have taken forever in my mini food processor). Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.
This recipe from CDKitchen for Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup serves/makes 4

Fall in the Northeast.

2009-10-06T06:23:00.001-07:00

This past week a took a couple of days off work and made it a 4 day weekend. I got lucky and had at least one nice day where the sun peaked throughthe clouds. Last Friday, in the rain and wind, I ventured out to Tinker falls. The "hike" to view the falls was very short and easy. The difficult part came when I decided to ascend the steep embankment in order to walk behind the falls. With the damp soil footing was tricky but my destination was attained. Not wanting to descend just yet, I pulled out out my trusty waterfall hiking book and read that part of very long trail was accessible at the top of the falls. After a short slippery climb upwards, I found myself deciphering a series of blue trail markers on the Finger Lakes Trail. Another 45 minutes of hiking (mostly uphill) had me sweating in my rain jacket. The rain picked up and I turned back. Before heading back to my apartment I stopped by a local farm and picked up two pumpkins, some pumpkin butter and some awesome heath bar fudge. Next, I had lunch at Panera as I LOVE thier broccoli cheese soup. After a filling lunch I stopped by the Marshalls for some retail therapy. I don't usually buy myself things but today I found some shoes, a winter jacket and a new pair of workout pants. Whoo Hoo! Saturday the sun was out. I headed to a few local parks to see the leaves. They were beautiful.

Softball Championships

2009-08-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a very long time since I have played in multiple "championship" games for softball. This summer I am getting my fix. My co-ed team secured the championship last night. My Monday women's team is playing for 1st place next week and my intramural team at work won the league about 3 weeks ago. Yes, that's three teams (4 actually- I played on another women's team that lost in the first round of playoffs last week). The summer has been great for softball. Not too hot and not too cold, just like when I played during the NW summers. Many people know I would be just as happy if my teams were not in the championship. I just love to play. Here are a few pictures that were snapped by a spectator/fan and my cousin Isaac. The one that looks like I'm swinging without a bat is cool. I must have swung faster than the camera could register. I laugh at the one of me running off of second base. I look like a speed demon. (That's a joke. I've never been known for my running speed).

NYC with Isaac

2009-08-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

I've lived in New York State for two years now and I just recently got a decent look at New York City. I thank my cousin Isaac for traveling in from New Zealand to spend some time in the states. His first stop was New York City and I could not wait to join him, reconnect and see the sights. Day 1 was spent at the Natural History museum checking out the amazing displays. It was pouring rain so everyone in the city was taking shelter in the museum. Dinosaur bones, cool rocks and a huge gray whale all delighted the senses. The rain let up and we walked the streets and central park. Due to jet lag we turned in early that night after a dinner of red vines and rootbeer. Day 2 included the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. The designs were fascinating. I wish I had lived during Wright's peak years and had the means to have him design me a house. His uncanny ability to integrate the landscape into his designs is right up my alley. Many designs on display were never built.One was this cool under ground aquarium with spherical tanks. Soo Cool! After the museum we hit Central park again and saw all the famous sights you see in movies. I looked at a sight then tried to recollect the movie it was from. After walking for miles we craved some ethic food. We found ourselves Ethiopian food near Washington square park and NYU. It was FANTASTIC. Day 3 was the Statue of Liberty and Elis Island. We rode the ferry out to the island, took many pictures, saw the museum and climbed the pedestal (near Liberty's feet). Next was Elis Island were we learned about the immigration process that occurred. It was good to learn about this bit of our history. Included are pictures from our adventures. Being sneaky I snapped some pictures of Isaac taking pictures since it was very difficult to get him to pose. Also, I let him borrow my Powells t-shirt that he insisted on wearing two days in a row:)

After NYC Isaac and I headed back to Syracuse. He endured one of my softball games and we got some really great quality hang out time. It was so great to catch up. It's amazing how much we have in common and how easy it is to spend time together. Over the rest of the week we discovered he's far better at pool (he wome 4 games in a row), I'm better at darts, he can annihilate me at mini golf (he was 2 under, I 15 over), yet I can actually bowl over a 100 ;) Needless to say, we had a great time engaging in some friendly competition. We watched The Goonies ate good food and hit the local music store. Monday morning I dropped him at the airport before work. I was sad to say goodbye. The apartment was too quiet after he left. I am planning a trip to New Zealand but I just have to figure out which US winter I will be able to get away. Isaac- Thanks for a great week. I miss you. Hope to see you soon.

Hiking with Dad

2009-05-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

While visiting home this summer I wanted to be sure that I went hiking at least once. Today was my niece's 2nd birthday and my dad was off work. Since the party festivities were not occurring until the evening my dad and I took off on a 5 mile hike. We did the Angels Rest Hike in the gorge. The trail was about 4.6 miles long and 1880 ft in elevation. As you can see from the pictures we were a long way up. My dad and I only get to hike once in a while but it always seems to fall on the hottest day that year has seen so far. We were glad that we hit the trail early this morning as the late afternoon temps topped 87 degrees. That's hot for Oregon and Washington. Included are a few pictures of our hike. The far right edge of the last picture is where we were hiking too. The view was beautiful.

WASHINGTON

2009-05-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

I've been home for vacation for 11 days now and it just seems like yesterday that I got here. Life with a new born and a two year old is quite different than my single life. It's never a dull day rolling in the grass, bug hunting, playing on the swings, doing sidewalk chalk, making pine cone bird feeders, going for walks and just being silly. I will definately have to adjust to a more adult venacular once I leave. Words like toot, boo boo, bum, Mr.Soapy, burfday party, lovie, and pee pee do not really fit into adult conversation. I've loved every mintue visiting my sisters, neices and my parents. My sister, admist breast feeding, has managed to keep her blog more updated than mine. She's a rock star Mommy in more ways than one. I've tried to pitch in where I can. Mostly keeping my very active and curious 2 yr old neice busy playing outside. I've rediscovered all the things that kept me fascinated as a kid. Today my sister Em and I showed my niece how much fun laying in the grass on flower petals can be.

Adventures: Sea to City

2009-04-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

The University is currently displaying art done by faculty and staff. I was excited to submit a project that I created from years of cool pictures. I was very proud of the work located above and even entertained the thought of how greatl it would be if my submission were picked to be displayed at the local museum. Good thing I did not get my hopes up too much. Though I'm still proud of my submission entitled "Adventures: Sea to City, I realize that was a bit out of my league. My amateur photography abilities were apparent compared to the other amazing submissions. Well, I wont be the next national geographic photo winner but my projects sure do look nice on my walls. Below, I have also included a second conglomerate of photos that I printed for my wall but did not submit.

An interesting creation

2009-04-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of an interesting creation I made. It is like half wind chime, half sun catcher that makes no sound. I used drift wood pieces, shells and little stain glass drops I got from Saturday Market years ago. After a day of experimentation here is what the final product looked like. It is currently hanging from the door of a kitchen cabinet.

Green Belt

2009-04-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend I tested for my green belt in Karate. At the dojo I belong to green belt is the 5th belt of the 10 needed to get to the black belt rank. If you have never experienced a karate type test they are kind of crazy. This test took 5 hours. It would have been longer if it had not been for the final four of the NCAA tournament. To begin the test you start a regular class. After stretches, warm ups and techniques you begin your calisthenics. Jump rope for 5 min x3, 25 sit-ups x3, 25 push ups x3, 25 up downs x3. Each consecutive belt has more repetitions. Then we did bag work, sparring and our katas. Overall it was a good test. After, I was invited to go to dinner with a few people from class and I treated myself to a seafood feast at red lobster. I had shrimp, crab legs and lobster. Expensive, but oh so good after a long day of physical exertion. Other than a sore butt and calves I fared pretty well. Here is a picture of me after the test.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARA!!

2009-03-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

My previous blog was dedicated to adventures that Em and I recently had. This blog is dedicated to Sara, the bestest big sister EVER!!!! Sara, on your 29th birthday I wanted to let you know that Em and I could not have asked for a better friend, role model and woman to be our big sis. Since Jan 4th 1983, when you became a big sis you have paved the way on mischief, dating, driving, graduations, college, etc. You fought with mom and dad and asserted your independence and in return (maybe not entirely intentionally) made things easier for Em and I. You struck out and did your own thing on the East coast during college (Justin's sure glad you did! ;) teaching me that it is alright to make bold choices and do scary things in life. Why else do you think I would have sold books door to door in New Jersey, gone to grad school in the middle of nowhere or moved all the way out to Syracuse, NY? You taught me that there is a whole big world out there to be explored. Oh! the memories of you have created as a big sister... Remember how gullible I used to be?... how you and Talina convinced me you were running away to marry one of the older Shultz boy... convincing me to go to the bathroom outside and then telling on me when I accidentally got pee on my shorts... the bucket, the hole we dug and what was buried in the hole? Remember the laughter?... twirling in the yard so long that we'd fall to the grass dizzy and disoriented... playing under the rhodies and sucking the nectar from the ends of the flowers only later in life to find the milk of the flowers was poisonous...slip and slide wedgies...green boogers softball games and my liberal umpiring for the pitcher wannabe... riding bikes and learning to drive at the church... pumpkin gut fights... sitting on the floor, legs in the air rocking back and forth to spur flatulence...and hitting tennis balls in the yard with the goal of trying to hit a car! Our childhood memories are precious, but those we have created in adulthood are just as good... watching you marry the man of your dreams in a tropical paradise... crashing on your couch during numerous breaks... Syracuse to Arlington drives where you would wait up past your bed time for me to arrive...meeting my god daughter and niece, and for the first time in my life feeling a deep connection with a child... seeing you be the most amazing mother and wife. Sara, I hope you know how much I love you. Happy Birthday!

Hanging With Em and Friends

2009-03-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

I flew to Washington for a conference but got to spend the weekend with Em and my good friends Mike and Lindsay and their daughter Amie. A big THANK YOU to Mike and Lindsay for letting me crash with them the weekend before my conference. It was so great to just catch up and do everyday things with them. Also, a big thanks for the transportation from the airport and to the city. Original plans for the week called for Em to spend some sister time with me on Wednesday in Seattle. Em got a job though, (way to go Em!) so we altered plans and spent part of Saturday at Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma. This is one of our favorite parks. In undergrad Em and I would take off to walk on the beach or look at the beautiful gardens. It was a bit cold and breezy but Em and I hit Owen beach and found the mother load of cool Puget Sound rocks. Em, the ever prepared beach goer, scrounged two ziploc bags from her car and before long they were filled. We walked forever on the beach and stopped for a few photo opps. Thanks to the auto function on my camera Em and I got some great pics. We laughed so hard we almost peed during one photo opp. I must have been channeling a kung fu master when I thought I could jump and pull myself up on to a tree limb that was chest high. As you can see from the picture, I over estimated my vertical leap and was not able to mount the limb before the timer on the camera elapsed. Em tried to assist but it was to no avail. The result is a great picture of my rump. After 2 hrs of walking, Em and I thought we would warm up with a peanut butter milkshake from our favorite little place The Antique Sandwhich Shop. The peanut butter milkshakes are divine!! They are larger enough for two and are made with this great organic peanut butter. The weekend flew by and I soon had to depart for the conference. Included are a few pics of my weekend.

Seattle!!!

2009-03-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

Most of this past week I was at a conference in Seattle. The trip was so great I was a bit bummed when I had to return. Seattle has such a great vibe. Most of you know I'm not much of a city person but I LOVE Seattle, it has to be my favorite city (Portland's a very close second). The food, the people and the scenery never cease to amaze. After a great opening speaker, I chowed down at the opening reception on salmon, local cheese, apples, shrimp shooters, and a variety of other NW palate pleasers. I knew I was back in the NW when even a conference center cooking for 3000 can cook salmon perfectly. It was moist and flaky with no strong seasoning, not dry and slathered with spices and sauce like I occasionally get in NY. Stuffing myself was a great start to a great week. The weather was clear but COLD. A little wind and 33-40 degrees is no deterrent for this girl. Daily, I walked the 8 blocks from my hotel to the conference center. I enjoyed the pedestrian commute as I walked with chai tea in one hand and a 8" maple bar in another. The first morning my coworker was a bit embarassed as I shrieked at the sight of maple bars at the doughnut shop. It's crazy but you cannot get doughnuts with maple frosting on them on the east coast. I've asked but no one has ever heard of maple frosting!? I splurged and had one each morning ;) At the conference I enjoyed the featured speakers, sessions and volunteering. It was all the usual student affairs conference stuff. What made it extra great was the ability to walk 7 blocks to Pike Place Market to grab lunch and dinner. I enjoyed a piping hot plate of shrimp phad thai, a spinach/cheese/egg piroshky and borch soup and Pan African chicken w/ apricots, dates, almonds in coconut sauce with rice for each of my lunches. All meals were from Pike Place or from very close to Pike Place. My goal was to not eat at chain resturants. I almost achieved this goal. The only road blocks were the unfortunate sandwhich purchased from Starbucks and the allure of cheesecake from the Cheesescake Factory. A bonus to the fantastic food was the ability to eat while watching the ships and ferries traverese the beautiful Puget Sound. The snowcapped Olympic mountians were gorgeous and the last day the Mt. Rainier was out. I tried to get pictures but my camera was insufficent. Miraculously, despite eating all this fantastic food I actually think I lost weight on this trip. This may have something to do with all of the walking I did. The trips to and from the hotel, lunches, an afternoon sightseeing, returning to the conference center for socials, Wednesday post conference adventures etc were all done on foot. I LOVED walking this city. The hills got the heart pumping and there was a beautiful sight around every corner. See the pictures included to enjoy the city as I did.

Spring Spree

2009-03-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

March has arrived and I have officially caught the spring bug. I know I am a bit early as spring will not arrive to Central New York until the end of April/ beginning of May. My March spring bug most likely stems from childhood when when I'd spend the month drenched during outdoor softball practices. It may sound crazy but I miss those days. This weekend I wandered into the Dick's sporting goods and found myself updating my softball attire and gear. It was about time as the soccer cleats I've worn to play softball are 7 years old and my lucky socks have been good to me for 3 seasons. Along with cleats (a bargain at $25) and socks, I also picked up a new 12" ball and a 11" for my womens league. I can't wait to hit the field in April!!! Since I was on a roll Saturday I figured I should spring up my hairdo. Sunday I hit the Supercuts (Don't laugh, they do a pretty good job) to cut 4" off my do. I have included a picture so you can see. Despite a cold neck I'm happy with the look. Errands at the Target resulted in a new pair of sun glasses, multivitamins, ear plugs and a i-pod wall charger. The sun glasses were much needed as I left my $5 pair on the outfield fence last softball season. Shopping for sunglasses is HARD! It was almost impossible to find a pair that weren't those huge movie star type glasses. I can't dive for fly balls in the outfield with movie star glasses!!! I think I finally found a pair that will do. I can use them to drive and also in all my outdoor adventures. As per doctors reccomendation, I picked up a multivitamin. Now I just have to remember to take them each day. A trip to the electronics section resulted in a new I-pod all charger. It's kind if cool as it includes a USB charger as well. This will give me an extra USB charger in case I misplace mine again (Mom! It was in my car!).

Puppy Playtime

2009-02-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

My niece LOVES puppies. This became very apparent when I saw them in January. This of course inspired an idea for a new toy. There is something about Addie that makes my creative side blossom. Lucky for her, considering she is the recipient of many of my creative outbursts. The latest is Puppy Playtime. All it took was a trip to the craft store, one birdhouse easily turned dog house and a few realistic dog figurines and wallah a new toy. I took my wood saw to the hole and the bird house and after some detail work with my trusty dremel drill I had a cool dog house/toy packaging. Thanks to 6 hrs one Saturday, lots of paint, one high temp mini glue gun, a bit of felt, a few quick uses of the sewing machine, the sacrifice of one new and one old contact lens carrying case, a bit of sand, a few juice bottle caps, some aluminum foil, some random wood pieces, cardboard and pipe cleaners I was DONE. Unfortunately, my pictures do not do the project justice. I just cannot seem to capture in pictures the essence of the end product. I was quite proud of the outcome and could not wait until May to have Addie enjoy it. Good thing Valentines day was sooner. I am excited to say that Addie loved it. I was itching to share this project with everyone but in order to not spoil the surprise I had to wait until the box arrived to the Philippines. Sara said that she will share pictures of Addie playing with it on her blog. Watch out Melissa and Doug!! I wonder if they have any openings for toy designers?

Valentines day on the Slopes

2009-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

I am proud to say that I can officially call myself and intermediate skier. This past Saturday (Valentines Day) night I gradutated from the easy green ski run to the intermediate blue square hill. My first two runs down the new hill were in the presence of the ski intstructor that gives free lessons to anyone in our SU group. Myself and a student asked if we could try a different hill. The instructor agreed that we were ready. I did great and I am now confident that I can ski with my colleagues that have been waiting for me to catch up. Ironically, it was during the one trip I took down the easy hill that I fell. It was a pretty fall too, arms and legs splayed in the air. Needless to say I was sore the next day. Next step- Ski on a real mountian with longer ski runs. Do I hear an NW ski trip in my future? Maybe! OH! I also got another tip on my purple belt during my Saturday karate class . One more kata to learn and I can test for my green belt. Overall it was a good though untraditional Valentines day for this single girl!

"Cold enough to...

2009-01-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

freeze the balls off a bronze statue." Yes, I know this is an interesting (even crude) statement to put on a blog, but it is something i have heard my dad say repeatedly throughout my life. I have never thought I'd see the day when this statement could come close to being true. It's COLD, COLD, COLD in Syracuse. Not as cold as the upper mid west but still cold enough that a 75 yard walk will leave you not able to feel your cheeks or nose. I avoided going out today until I had to drop something off at my other buildings. I bundled up and practically ran down the stairs of the parking garage. It's so cold I don't even want to leave to drive to karate class!!! Anyway! I kind of wish I could find some warm weather before this May. Love you all and stay warm!

Five Days of Family and Friends

2009-01-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

It's frigid in Syracuse right now but I do not really notice the bitter winds. Why? I'm still warmed by the five days of friends and family I had this past week. From Friday night to Wednesday afternoon I was in Maryland/D.C visiting my sister, brother in law and niece who were in the country from the Philippines. Since MD and DC are within driving I could not pass up the opportunity to see them all. Friday afternoon I arrived at Addie's bed time. I went to say hi before she fell asleep. She met me with a toothy grin and said "mama" an understandable response since I look a bit like my sister. Actually I think the fact that I look a bit like Sara kind of freaked Addie out. All week she was a bit confused by the resemblance. I enjoyed every minute I spent with them and was sad to have the days fly by quick. The frigid temps were interesting for them considering they left 85 degrees in Syracuse. The sweatshirt I brought Justin was worn often. Thanks to Kris and Kevin and Joe and Elyse who allowed me to crash on their couches in order to see them. Here are a few pics of the adventures. Addie is a bit more hard to photograph now that she NEVER sits still long enough for anything. We even had to chase her around to put her shoes or diaper on. It made for many laughs. She is also talking a lot more. She says, ish (fish), mommy, daddy, puppy, no, please, thank you, bubby (lovie) and many more. I miss you all already and cannot wait to see you in May.

Happy new year and the Gorgeous Coast

2009-01-03T23:03:00.001-08:00

We rang in 2009 with a Party at my cousin Greg's house. It was great to see everyone again and to say hi to Chris and Jen who had finally arrived from Boston. It was a good night and good times. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I was unable to snap pictures. The next morning amid the usual NW downpour my mom and I headed off to the Oregon coast. Thursday when we arrived we attempted a beach walk. About 20 minutes in we were drenched to our underwear and in need of a cup of hot cocoa. After drying off we headed to Depoe Bay for some salt water taffy and shopping. On our second day we awoke to a surprise. THE SUN. It was out and shining. We immediately decided to extend our stay. We headed off to Gleneden Beach for some beach combing. We were about 3/4 way back to the car when mom got attacked by a sneaker wave and was instantanousely drenched from about the waist down. After assuring her the cell phone and camera had survived we laughed about the ordeal until we got back to the car. I saved her from the humiliation of a picture but it was pretty humorous. After the "ordeal" Mom dried off and headed to the antique mall and I headed back down to the beach. I hit the sand at the D river public access. Usually bustling with tourists in the summer I had never walked the beach at this access before. The sun was shining and it was glorious. Though the rocks were scarce I could not get over the gorgeous view in JANUARY!! After about 2 hrs of walking I picked mom up from the mall and we headed back to the same spot to watch the sun set. It had been ages since I had watched the sun set at the coast. I have not been in the NW during the summer for a long time and the winter and spring months are hit and miss when it comes to getting a clear day. I reveled in the sunshine and remebered why the Oregon coast is one of my all time favorite places. The morning of the day we were leaving we also awoke to sunshine. Wanting to get one last hurrah in we headed to another favorite and a great beach combing area Fogerty Creek Park. We hit the sand a low tide and found a modest selection of our favorite goods, agates, fossils, red rocks, cool drift wood. Of course we filled our buckets to the brim. Not only was the beachcombing great the weather was better than the day before. With no wind and no clouds I actually got too warm and had to remove my hat, scraf, gloves and open the front of my coat. I think I even got sunburnt (OK! who am I kidding!). Here are a multitude of pictures from a great weekend.

Outdoor Fun?

2009-01-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

After being cooped up inside for so long due to the snow I was itching to see one of my NW favorites, Multnomah Falls. The falls is beautiful and the trek to the top gets the heart pumping. For those who make it to the top a gem of a hiking trail is waiting. The trail that follows the falls feeder stream is one of my favorites. It parallels a bubbling stream with great foliage and beautiful rocks. Few get up there so it is a great way to escape. I was hoping to stretch my legs a bit and explore. During this trip the falls was again beautiful but I was a little ambitious in thinking I was going to hit the top trail. The winter snow we had had not quite receeded enough for my adventures to take place. Plus, it was raining so hard that you felt like you were in a freezing shower. I only got to the lower bridge. Even the trek to the lower bridge was perilous. I took some pics of the trail to show mom and dad who chose not to come to the bridge. My Dad shot some pictures of me from below. I'm the little lime green dot on the right side of the bridge. It's foggy due to all the spray comming off the falls. We also hit the Vista House on the way back. We hit it during one of the only sun breaks of the week. The Gorge looked great with a bit of snow still left on the ground.

Powells and Portland Winterhawks

2009-01-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

The day after the Christmas festivities at our house I was itching to use my Powells gift card and replenish my supply of books. I blissfully got lost in Powells for two hours and had loaded an entire basket full of literary delights. After narrowing it down I came away with two Nicholas Sparks books (The Gaurdian and The Rescue), two more Kathy Reichs novels, and loads of others that caught my eye. I also found a dollar rack and swiped a few super bargains. I decided to only use part of my gift card so I could save some for on line Powells browsing later in the year. Powells a Portland icon needs to be discovered by any hard core book lover. Online is good but nothing can beat browsing the miles (in sure it is actually miles) of shelves. After Powells we took Mom back home and Dad and I headed off to McMenamin's Tavern and Pool for food and a brew before the Winterhawks hockey game that night. The game, a gift to may dad for Christmas ended up being quite a nail biter. We topped of a great day with milkshakes from Steakburger on the way home!!

A belated Christmas Morning

2009-01-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

In order to ensure the safety of everyone Christmas morning at our house was delayed until Dec 27th. This allowed for naps all around on Christmas day and an extra day to get everything preped. As usual with my mom's side of the family there was tons of food, gifts and much catcing up. There were also quilts from Aunt Mary given to those who had not yet recieved them. It was so great to get to talk with everyone and to see my cousins getting so grown up. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

A White Christmas

2009-01-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Never in my life have I seen seen a white Christmas. This year, not only did we have snow on the ground, it actually was actively snowing on Christmas morning. I took a bit of video to prove it.

The Christmas Eve that happened

2009-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve with the Hockert's is one family tradition that doesn't let a little white stuff get in the way. Thanks to the quadruple chained SUV shuttle service provided by Mike we made it to my cousin Cindy's to celebrate the night. Everyone dearly missed Chris and Jen who's flight got cancelled due to the nasty weather and Emily and Sara, Justin and Addie. We drank adult beverages and ate pickled salmon (A Hockert favorite and an acquired taste) for appetizers, then gorged ourselves on Prime rib at dinner and we shared highlights of 2008 ( a favorite tradition of mine). "Santa" then came and gave all the kids/young people treats and then we all enjoyed watching the kids open gifts. It was truly a great night. Included are a few pictures that capture the essence of the night.

The Wild West

2009-01-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

Updates for those who have been asking!!! You probably already know about the wild winter weather happening in the West becuase it was all over the national news. Those who live on the east coast, midwest or any place that actually expereinces winter is probably saying "so what, deal already". Well, for the NW the "Arctic Blast" caused the states of Orgeon and Washington to come to a standstill for about a week. I coasted into town by the skin of my chinny chin chin Arrivng a whole 12 hrs before the snow started to fall. Let's just say my break started in an unusual way. 8 inches fell the first day. The 1/4 inch ice and then another 5 inches on top of that. I may not have been able to attend karate class these last two weeks, but a week worth of shoveling our drive way is almost a better work out. Those who know where I live know how long the drive way is. YES, I actually shoveled the whole thing myself. Let's just say I was getting a bit stir crazy. Included are some beautiful picks of the old house blanketed in white. The pics are from when the 1st 8 inches fell.

Excitement in the Air

2008-11-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night was electric. All day I had this tension in me knowing that history was underway. No matter the outcome of the election it was going to be big day for America. Of course I had my fingers crossed that the outcome would go my way! Other than being in Chicago, there was no other place I wanted to be when the results came than on a college campus. Students crowded into lounges and around big screen TVs. I was exciting that students wanted to share this day with each other rather than remain solitude like they usually do. I had the privilege of walking around to all the floors in my building to interact with residents during this time. As the projections came in and the electoral votes racked up the students when crazy. I've never seen a celebration like this on this campus. With the football team bombing it was great for students to have some thing to celebrate. As the results were solidified students raced to the quad to be together and celebrate a victory that many young people had a hand in. Below id my favorite news paper picture of the winner. For the first time in my life I can truly say that I am excitedt o see where our country is headed. My urge to relocate to Canada has diminished and I can say I am proud to be an American.

A Happy Halloween

2008-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last week was CRAZY! Haloween events dominated week. On Thursday the community council of my hall (ran by may fantastic ARD Cara) put on a Halloween carnival for a group of elementary schoolers. Before the carnival the kids trick or treated in two residence halls on campus. The community council and volunteers from other buildings in my areas did face painting, cake walk, pinata, gross out bags, and mummy wrap. The kids had a great time and it was fun to see them smile. I was pleased we could give the kids a Halloween expereince considering thier neighborhood is too dangerous to trick or treat in. Halloween morning my buildings and the buildings in my ara sponsored Otto the Orange, Syracuses mascot to lead the Halloween Parade at Delaware academy. The kids loved it. Attached are a few pictures of the kids with Otto at the parade. The picture above was of Otto and the Pre-K kids who were all dressed as Crayons. it was adorable!!!

Snow Advisory???

2008-10-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

OK! So I think the weather last fall lulled me into a false sense of security. We did not have a major snow storm until December. Welp! try two months earlier this year. Central NY is currently under their first lake effect snow advisory. The wet but wintery stuff is currently blowing about 25 miles per hour frosting the grass and everything in it's way. A few counties (not mine) are slated to get 6 inches tonight. I was going to venture out to karate class tonight but I think I'll cozy up with my ham and cheese hot pocket (dinner) and surfthechannel.com tv shows. I better find my snow boots before tomorrow morning as I have a 8am meeting at a local elementary school and who knows what the roads will be like. No worries Mom, I won't be driving. Don;t worry too much about the snow chances are next week it will be fifty and raining.

A super busy (and great) weekend-Part 2 The Wedding

2008-09-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Em and I headed to Salem, MA for Chris and Jen's wedding. What a blast it was. It was great to see family and be able to connect. We hung out, danced, drank and talked at the wedding and also before and after. We started the festivities with a fabulous rehearsal dinner at the Hawthorne hotel. It was yummy and a great way to start of the weekend and get to meet some of Jen's family. After the rehearsal dinner the Hockert bunch (Chris included) hit the bar in the hotel everyone was staying in (Em and I were at the Hawthorne). After a couple of drinks the stories began and the laughter never stopped. It was a riot to hear all of the quirks of peoples co-workers. Before it got to obscenely late we all headed off to get some rest before the big day. On Sunday Em and I got up early (if you can call 9:15am early) and headed to a historic home tour. The day was reminecent of a NW day, rainy and blowing. Only the 75 degree temp told us were were still in the NE. We toured two homes, one that was built in the 1760's and another built in the 1860's. It was so cool to be walking around in these pieces of history. After the homes we toured a replica for the trading ship the Friendship. One our trip around town Em and I discovered a liquor store with a name that we thought you all would appreciate. Look close at the sign above the door. Em and I had a good laugh over this one and could not resist taking a picture. Our tours ended at noon when we met family for lunch. I got to have my first lobster!!! Aunt Jan, Jill and Chris taught me how to get the yummy meat out of the shell. I almost drew blood doing so but the reward was amazing. Aunt Jan affectionately named my lobster Fred. After a fantastic lunch we went to get all gussied up for the wedding.The Wedding was so much FUN!!!Everything from the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the dinner, the cake, the toasts, the chair dance, to the celebration with family was perfect. It was so much fun to talk, dance and eat together. By the time the wedding was winding down, the Hockert's, Jen's immediate family and the wedding Party were left on the dance floor. The DJ even played one of my all time favorites "MmBop" by Hanson. We all danced and sung until our feet and lungs hurt. I was thoroughly impressed by the fancy dancing of my relatives. After a bit of clean up we did not feel that the night was over. The majority of the clan ended up at the bar at the Hawthorne where Em and I ( and the new couple) were staying. We met Chris and Jen there and were able to have one last celebration in their dress and tux.Monday morning we went to breakfast and then had the chance to see Jan and Chris's beautiful home. Em and I then hit the road before the Boston rush hour swallowed us. It was a fantastic trip and celebration. Congrats again to Chris and Jen. I am so happy for you. See you in a few months. Mazel Tov!!!

A super busy weekend-Part 1

2008-09-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Em was here this weekend!!! She came to visit and we had a blast. It was so great to be able to share my life here in central NY with family. On Thursday we went hiking at Watkins Glen. The pictures below do not do it justice but give you the gist. We did this trail and also the Robert Treman St. Prk trail I did two weeks ago. After our combined 7 miles for the day we were beat. We hit the Wendy's for dinner and headed back to watch a movie.

The cutest kid EVER

2008-09-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some super cute pics of my niece/god-daughter. I miss her and her mom and dad dearly but I know they are having many adventures in the Philippines. Addie, Sara, Justin and Lucy I miss you all tons!

Hiking in Ithaca New York-Robert Treaman State Park

2008-09-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

My second trip to Ithaca this past Labor Day weekend took me to Robert Treman State Park. The trail here was great for a day hike. It was 2.25 miles one way. It had a great place at the end to take my shoes off and eat my lunch right by the creek. The water was running far lower than than it was after the July rains but it was still a breath taking park. I do look forward to returning this spring once all the snow begins to melt.

Hiking in Ithaca New York-Buttermilk Falls State Park

2008-09-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

The town of Ithaca, NY sells t-shirts that say "Ithaca is Gorges." The pun is very true. The city itself is the prefect place for the eco-conscious person and also someone who can appreciate non chain establishments. My first venture to this town was last year for a friends of the library fundraiser. It was actually a huge book fair where all proceeds when to the library. My co-worker and I cleaned up and got to explore the down town area. After a turkey sandwhich with sprouts and organic wheat bread I knew I had to visit this place again. This past July after an unseasonably wet week I drove the hour down to Ithaca to hit the hiking trails. With my "200 Waterfalls of Central NY" book tucked under my arm I ventured to four different trails. Many of the "trails" where through the campus of Cornell University or the city streets of Ithaca. By the end of the day I was itching for something more remote. About 1/2 mile outside of Ithaca (it's not a huge city) was Buttermilk Falls state park and my first taste of the gorgeous gorges of Ithaca. The two pictures here are of my favorite feature of theButtermilk Falls trail. I snapped this picture on my second trip to this trail labor day weekend. The water was significantly lower than my first trip so I did not get many pics of the falls. Since Ithaca does have a lot of gorges and gorges tend to be deep it means that you have to go up to see the falls. When they say up the are not joking. I probably climbed 300 stairs to reach the main portion of this trail. Great cardio and not a bad leg work out either.

BB Hall of fame

2008-09-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

My summer was action packed. I worked a summer program for high school students which overlapped with my fall RA staff beginning training. Last weekend was labor day weekend and was my first weekend in about 5 weeks that I had off. Actually it was only the second weekend I had off since my last blog. Since the middle of June I had the opportunity to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and also some hiking in Ithaca, NY mid July and labor day weekend. The pictures here are of the BB hall of fame. I was fascinated with the antique baseball equipment and all things AAGPBL (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League). Yes, this is the league featured in "A league of their own" with Gena Davis. The first picture is of the very first patent for the catchers helmet. I thought my dad would get a kick out of this and also be thankful for the technology advances. I cannot imagine getting a foul ball off off one of those things!!! Ouch. The next pictures are of items from the AAGPBL.

Jean Petit State Park

2008-06-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago I headed down to Arkansas to see my good friend Tracy. We caught up and talked girl talk, saw "Sex in the City", hit the Sonic, went for walks, laid by the pool and played Scrabble. We also went on this great hike which was made even better by the torrential down pour the area received the night before. The water fall was fierce and at times made the stream cover the trail. The park that we hiked in was called Jean Petit State park. The surrounding area was beautiful and the smell of the pine trees reminded me of the Northwest. Tracy and I got a little too ambitious toward the end and ventured to check out the "rock caves" that were supposedly only 1/2 mile away. 1.5 miles later we had returned from this trip and were ready for the air conditioning in the car and cranberry limeades from Sonic. One night drove up to watch the sunset from the edge of a mountain. It was a very relaxing and serene night.

It was a great weekend and I was sad to see it end. I hope we can do it again soon.

Pop Art Addie

2008-06-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

I created this unique picture awhile ago. I could not post it since It was in the box that I sent to Sara and Justin via snail mail. After a month of waiting they finally recieved "The Adventures of Adelaide Rose" and a 24"x18" poster of the picture above. Sara nicknamed it Pop Art Addie. Basically I just took regular color pictures and using Microsoft Publisher (PowerPoint would work too) I made the pictures black and white. Then I used the transparency function on the pictures. Depending on where you click on the b&w photo different parts become transparent. I then put different colored boxes behind the pictures to have some color show through. Not every regular picture works because if the lighting is off then the contrast looks funny. Anyhoo. I can send you this picture via email if you would like to use it as a screen saver etc. Just let me know. It looks great with a black mat and a black frame. My mom and I have the 12"x18" version in a 16"x20" frame.

Addie's Closet

2008-06-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ok- so I seriously love making toys for my niece. If I could make real money doing this I'd totally quit my current job and go into business. I love thinking up new and creative ways to do things. My latest project was actually suggested by Sara. In one weekend I successfully turned two 12"x24" sheets of 3mm brich wood into a materpiece. I call it Addie's Closet. Essentially it is paper dolls on steriods. I may have given myself tendonitis in my left elbow but it was totally worth it. Yes, Dad I bought that C-clamp so I no longer have to hold the wood down when sawing, using just braun. I also found a new bit for my dremel tool. It is a bit that can cut through wood in any direction. I am excited to see how it works. Had I been smart enough to check Lowes before the weekend started I could have avoided a bit of pain. After a second trip to the craft store to pick up more white and yellow paint as well as more clear tacky glue I was set to go. Below are the pictures of the fininshed product. This one I am sending in the flat rate boxes so Addie should get it by next week. Oh! I set up my web cam to use with Skype ( this great internet phone service) so I actually got to SEE Sara, Justin and Lucy this morning (thier Monday night). Addie was asleep so I will have to call back later in order to see her. I showed Sara this project using the web cam hence the reason this post is going up before the toy is in their possession. Again all the pieces are wood either painted or covered in fabric.

A see you later rather than a goodbye

2008-05-10T17:01:00.001-07:00

I drove down to DC to see Sara, Justin and Addie during their final weekend in the US. It was an action packed weekend with friends and family comming by to say their farewells. I got into town and instantly got to spend some quality time with my niece. Sara and Justin were off to a goodbye party that their friends were throwing them so I got to baby sit. When they left, Addie crawled to the door of thier suite and stood herself up on it. Patting it she kept saying maamaaamaa. She totally knew that they had left. When bed time came around, I had my hands full. Sara failed to mention that this was the very first time that she would not be putting Addie to bed. Needless to say, Addie was not fooled by my resemblence to her mother. After about 30 minutes of her crying and me picking her up I decided to just leave her in her crib. Feeling super guilty I was glad that it only took her 20 minutes to cry herself to sleep. The weekend flew by with meals out and even some quality time walking Lucy. I will miss sharing the everyday things that we so often did. I tried to help out where I could and am proud to say that I conquered the dog carrier water contraption that I attached to the outside of Lucy's carrier. The quality time with everyone went by far too fast. After lots of hugs and tears I departed for my trip back from DC. Included are two pitcures. One is what happens when you leave Addie alone too long with her Aunt Megan!

A toy maker in another life

2008-05-10T16:35:00.001-07:00

I think I must have been a toy maker in another life. I just love spoiling my niece/god daughter with hand made toys. Below is that I am very proud of. The Adventures of Adelaide Rose is likely to become a series. Also if a little Forrest (or Henry) Elwood ever comes a long I'll have another character to create. I gave this to Addie for her first birthday. Sara opened it before they left and loved it. It was a tad big to fit in thier suitcases so I sent it to them last week. Addie may be a little young to completely enjoy it but Sara will surely save it for her. I found a wooden scrapbook cover at Micheals and then covered the inside with felt. The pieces are all wooden, mostly cut outs from Micheals that I made smaller with my little Dremel tool and saw. I painted and personalized all of the pieces as well as the cover. The Addie piece has the same number of teeth that Addie had that month, the air plane has thier last name as the air line, the house displays thier old address, and the Lucy piece even has a dog collar that says "L-U-C-Y". One tree is green and the other is pink to signify the cherry blossoms in DC. My favorite are Addie, Lucy (land side, lower left corner), the air plane and the house. Since Addie loves things with different textures many of the pieces have felt, corregated paper, buttons etc on them. Each play piece has velcro on the back so they will stick to the felt. On the back of the back cover I made a denim carrying case for all of the pieces. It is attached to the back with velcro so it can be removed for easy acess.

It's been too long

2008-05-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since my last post. I do not know why it's been so long. I guess I have just not been in the mood. Sara's new blog from Manila has inspired me to continue. I have so much to update you all on. My first Trip to NYC, a project I'd been working on and saying good bye.

I will start with NYC. I accompanied a group of students to the Big Apple. It was my first time in "the city" and it was a great day but it solidified the fact that I could never live in a large city. Seattle or Portland yes, New York City, No. Unlike D.C. NYC was dirty and very noisy. The subways were scary. The point of the trip was to have the students go and see "Bodies The Exhibition" but we also got to see the Empire state building, the brooklyn bridge and times square. It was a wirlwind trip 5am -2am. Below are some pictures. Sorry about the one with me in front of the Empire State building. At least my nose was sort of clean.

Spring????

2008-03-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

According to the calendar it's supposed to be spring. Well I guess central New York did not get the memo. It's 3 days until April 1st and I woke up to THIS!!!!! It did not even feel cold enough to snow! 4 inches! Guess I'd better wait a bit longer before dusting off the trusty bike rack.

You're pobably saying "Enough with the pictures of snow already!!!" Well, sorry, until it stops snowing here for this winter you will get to share it with me.

New Specs

2008-03-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

It had been about 4 years since my last trip to the optomitrist. Tired of squinting, I was in desperate need of some new contacts and glasses. I decided to be a bit adventerous and try out a new style of frame. Here is a picture of me in my new specs.

For the love of the game

2008-03-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

I was watching "A League of Thier Own" a few days ago and go to thinking about the spring and summer and how great it would be to toss the ball around and dive for balls in the outfield. Also how great it would be to be sore for a week after pretending I was 17 again while diving for those balls. Then in a moment of clarity I remembered way back last July when I sat watching a women's slow pitch team play after riding my bike at Onondaga Lake park. Curious as to how I could become involved I asked a random player how I could sign up. Being that the season was almost complete I just ended up giving my number to the woman. Later while at a training retreat in the "woods" she called me to come play. I was not able to, but whala, I had her number. I cannot believe that I still had the the 3x5 peice of paper I wrote her number on. There is nothing like one spot in each house/apartment where seeminly insignificant things are placed. I rumaged through reciepts from September and quickly called her. After a "Uhhh...you probably don't remember me" we got talking about teams. She gave me the email address of the guy who organizes a co-ed team. I emailed him and I think I may be able to play with them this summer. I haven't gotten final word but i am keeping my finger crossed. Every Wednesday for 15 weeks!! Whoo hooo. UhOh I need to practice!!! Anyone know where the batting cages are??? In my exitement I pulled out my gloves and cleats. My trusty yellow beat up ball was no where to be found. I had a mini kiniption searching for it but it was to no avail. Maybe it's in my car?

Spring Break! Whooo Hooo!

2008-03-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Spring break at SU was sooo early this year. The great part about this was that I was able to escape the cold and retreat to a milder climate for a bit. The Break began with my ceremonial 6 hour drive form Syracuse to D.C. I am now a pro and can even get back on the GW parkway with out ending up at Regan NAtional Airport! (It really is confusing if you do not do it often). Spring break was the second week in March. Saturday of that week was great! We headed off to a baby shower for my brother-in-law's sister Rachel. The party was so fun and the cake was adorable. It was also great to see everyone who I have had the chance to spend the last few Thanksgiving's with. Sunday was Addie's baptism. It was a very memorable event. My parents flew in from Washington state. My niece had all three sets of her grandparents present which was great to see. I am honored to serve as her god mother. I hope that I can work to instill good values and openness to new people and experiences. My niece is so precious. Everyday she is doing something new. At the beginning of the week she was hesitant to crawl into the dining room or kitchen. By the end of the week she was curious to explore the new sights. Her favorite was the necks of the wine bottles sticking out of the wine rack. She wanted to suck on them. I like to think that my auntie coazing was what made her want to explore the dining room. I'd stand in the room and call to Addie while looking around the corner. I tried to spend as much time as possible with her during the week. I'd help with baths and allow her to pull herself up on me. A cold hit me mid way through the week so I painstakingly kept my distance for a few days.

I met Sara for lunch on Tuesday and Friday. I rode the bus and Metro down to her office and them we hit the local sandwhich place. On Tuesday Sara took me to a very posh resturant that had the most fantastic flat breads. I cannot remember the name of it for the life of me. Tuesday After lunch I went to the new butterfly exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Tuesday was free admission day so I jumped at the chance. About 5 seconds into entering the exhibit I had a butterfly land on my hair. I also took pictures of others, one who's wings looked almost exactly like leaves. Wednesday I went shopping and took myself out to lunch at Panera. The only thing I bought that day was a brown and pink pair of Converse shoes. They are alot more comfortable than I thought they's be. Thursday I took a bit of a repreve from the city and went to check out Great Falls National Park that is about 11 miles outside of DC. I had not planned on hitting the hicking trails so I was a bit ill prepared. I had to make due with my hip bag and adiddas tennis shoes. Not my typical hiking garb but I still made for a great day. It was very interesting to also learn about the canal that was built to help the trading ships navigate the 75 ft drop of the falls. The remenants of the old canals were still there and it was pretty impressive the stone work and engineering it took to construct the canal. The best part of the week though was the normal times I spent with my sister, brother in law and niece. I will truly miss them when they leave.

Hitting the Slopes: Take 3

2008-03-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

Week three of my ski odessey was successful. It snowed all week and all saturday so the "powder" was great on the slopes. Actually the staff at Toggenburg said it was the best skiing of the season. I made it down the hill 6 times this week without falling. I fell more when I was standing still than when I was moving. For some reason I kept loosing my balance when I was inline for the lift or trying to get my ski's out of the binding. Here is me taking a self portrait with my groovy ski goggles on.

An adventure from September

2008-02-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Some of you know that in September I had my first opportunity to go white water rafting. It was a BLAST. The most difficult part of the day was getting into the wet suit at the beginning. The guides gave me one that was too small and my protruding backside did not want to fit. Once that issue was resolved the day was grand. We surfed the river for three hours and ended the day with a yummy river side BBQ. I cannot wait til next year when I get to go again. Perks of working with a learning community! Included are pictures of me in the boat.

The top one I am the rower front right. In the bottom picture I'm Left side middle.

A blast from the past! NKOTB

2008-02-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

So I'm "Hangin' Tough" and taking it "Step by Step" as I search for "The Right Stuff" to tell me "Where Do I Go From Here." WOW! They actually make a semi-coherent sentence! As I ventured out this morning to hit the local Wally Mart for Ra programming supplies I would never have thought I was going to have such a nostalgic day. While shoping for love song CD's for a sex ed program my staff is doing I came across something that caused flash backs to the late 80's early 90's. Images of my older sis and her best friend busting moves in our living room flickered in my mind. Hair brushes in hand they would be dancing and singing while the cassette player blared. For $5 I could not pass up the New Kids on the Block Super Hits CD! Once I got a chance I dragged the early 90's CD player from our RA resource room into my office and popped in the tunes. For the remainder of the afternoon I rocked out to the musical talents of Joey McIntyre (my favorite growing up), Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Donny Wahlberg and Danny Wood. Sometimes I wish I'd been old enough truly appreciate the 80's. It was such a great decade.

A long way from Spring

2008-02-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

You know you are a long way from spring when you are in central new york, it's February 26th and there is a lake effect snow storm in process. Over the next two days we are expecting a foot of snow. Here are two pictures I snapped out of my window. Thank goodness for my boots!

It may never look like this again!!

2008-02-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone has been asking me "What does your apartment look like?" I have to show you quick before it no longer looks like this . The first picture is of my living room. Note, the enormous concrete pillar inthe middle of the room. It holds the building up but blocks my wonderful view when I sit on the couch. The next is of my kitchen. Yea, for no more dirty dishes but what you cannot see are the three huge bins of cans, bottles, and boxes that are under the sink. They contain all of the recyclables I've had since moving in. The eco-friendly part of me waiting to take them to a recycle center to be sure they do not end up in the dumpster outside my building. Just have to find a recycle center and get them all there. I wonder how much I'll get back for deposit? Next picture is the hall and then my bathroom that is big enough to have a dance party in. Lastly, my bedroom. My bed was under the picture buy the dresser during the summer but once the weather turned frigid I swung the bed around to reap all the benefits of the bas eboard heaters. Welp, that's my crib.

Ski Trip- Take 2

2008-02-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Week two of my career as a skier was less successful that week one. Week one I mastered the bunny hill. Week two I was thrust on to the big hill as there are no imtermediate hills at this ski place. After falling 8 times on my first time down as wells as being the cause of a low speed three person crash (Basically, we all lost our balance when I ran into the back of one of the other SU people taking the lesson. Two of us lost skies in the encounter!) I made it down the hill ONCE. My first trip down the hill took me about an hour! It was very different going down the big hill than the little hill. I have to admit by the time I got the the bottom I was not liking skiing as much as I had last week and I was thankful to have all of my limbs. Bravely, I embarked on two more trips down the hill. I was proud of the fact that I only fell once on each trip down. I was wet and cold by the end of the night but a yummy hot cocoa at the ski restaruant lifted my spirits. This week I discovered that skiing also has a lot to do with whether or not you freak yourself out about how steep the hill is. Once I stopped thinking about it so much things started working. Sorry no pictures again. Maybe I'll snap a few next week as I look pretty sporty inthose cool hard plastic boots.

Hitting the slopes

2008-02-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had my first ski trip. It was so cool. The whole thime I kept thinking "why have I not done this before?" all those years living in the NW and I'd never gone. The evening started with me trying to get into ski boots. I never knew how hard it was to get into hard plastic boots that go up to your knees. I had to ask the guy handing out the rental skis to help me buckle them. When he handed me two skis and I looked at him and asked "How do I get these things on?" He responded by telling me that I should probably not miss the beginners lesson that began at 7pm. I bummed around the lodge while my friends snowboarded until my lesson began. Once I got the skis on it all just kind of clicked. I learned how to stop, which I though was essential, then went on the learn how to turn (important but secondary to stopping). The one time I fell was my first time using the t-bar lift. A pully sytem with t shaped bars that you grab on to and it drags you up to the top of the bunny hill. The first time I grabbed it I ended up face first in the snow. The 6 yr olds watching got a giggle out of it. Rolling on the ground I struggled to right myself and got up to try it again. Once I got the hang of it I was up and down the bunny hill so many times that the instructor I was with said I might be able to graduate to the big hill next week. I was psyched considering there were others who had been going for three weeks and still had not mastered the bunny hill. By the time I'd been on the bunny hill for 2 hours my chin was numb from the 20 degree weather and my nose would not stop running. I headed in to warm up. Over all it was a great Saturday night.

Great weekend

2008-02-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I made it a long weekend. I drove down to DC to visit my sister, brother in law and niece. It was a great get-a-way. Sometimes I just need to remove myself from my work in order to remain motivated in what I do. The weekend began with my arriving from Syracuse in record time. 5 hours and 35 minutes including a refuel/bathroom stop and I was at the door step. My previous best was six hours flat. I admit it, I tend to drive a bit over the speed limit. I do it safely though so no worries. Plus, there are long stretches that have very little traffic. OK Enough about the boring drive. While in the DC area we hit the Old Navy and I enhanced my wardrobe with the asistance of my big sis. I tend to be at my most fashionable when I am with her. I got some basics and also an orange sweater and a bright blue one I've wanted for awhile. We hit the Natural History museum to introduce my niece to the bones, gems, and fossils. I love that place. She may have been a bit young but I think we have another history/science nut in the family. Either that or she will work in communications. With all of the "talking" Addie is doing now she is surely going to be a chatter box once her words become decipherable. (Is decipherable a word?) Any hoo the cutest pictures where of Addie with the huge geode and her with the tv's on the floor. The weekend was rounded off by a trip to Old Town Alexandria to find me a date outfit. No! I do not actually have a date yet. Sara just wants to be sure that when (not if) it happens I will look hot. Guess that is what sisters are for. Considering my wardrobe tends to be on the sparse side I think my cream courdaroy pants and salmon colored top will look great. We grabbed some chowder and crab cake sandwiches for lunch and then topped it off with a butterscotch sundae with homemade icecream. We shared one as to help perserve our girlish figures ;) There is a great toy store in this area and Sara could not resist buying Addie her first hair barrett. It was so cute because when we got home we tried it on. The barrett was hanging on to her head by a few strands of hair as she admired Lucy's (the dog's) ball. Addie sure has grown but she may it may be a bit before she grows into her feet. Just Kidding the picutre here is of her with my shoes on. Hopefully she will inherit her mothers more danity shoe size rather than her aunties huge size 10's. I snapped a few pics of Addie wearing my shoes before she bent over to suck on the soles and I had to take them off before she ingested too much crude off of the bottoms. During this short trip I tried to savor every moment I had with Sara, Justin and Addie knowing that our visits will soon become very limited. I even got a chance to read addie some stories before bed one night. This little one melts you heart.I can't wait to return in four weeks and celebrate Addie's christening and vow to be the best co-god mother I can be. Maybe by next month Addies rolling and 360 spin moves will have turned into full fledged crawling.

Lake Placid

2008-02-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend I took a trip to Lake Placid, NY home of the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics. I was lucky enough to chaperone this trip so it ended up being all expense paid. We began the day with a 4.5 hr bus ride. Then attempted a gondola ride which was canceled due to high winds. After a stop at Subway we headed to the ski jumps. We went to the top of the 120 m jump. It was 32 stories high and skiers can reach speeds of 80 miles per hour when sking. We rode to the top of the hill by ski lift and then took an elevator to the obeservation tower and stairs the rest of the way to the platform in which the skiers would start. I almost did not get many good pictures of this because I had a brain fart and forgot to check my camera batteries before I left that morning. The bus driver lent me the ones from his mag light until I was able to buy some. Our next stop was the museum where we saw artifacts from many olympic years. I also got to see the Herb Brooks memorial Arena. Ever seen the movie Miracle? There were many things about the 1908's Olympic team who beat the Soviet Union. PLus we watched Miracle on the bus ride home. There is something about hockey that I love. I'm not sure what. Maybe remnents from when I wanted to be like the kids on Mighty Ducks. Outside the museum was the outdoor speed skating track. There was a tournamnet going on. I have never seen 10 year olds whizzing around the track like that. Hey mom and Dad, At least I picked softball and not speed skating. Could you imagine standing outside in 15 degree weather to watch me skate around a track for 45 seconds? The picture of me as the goalie kind of reminds me of my catching days!

After the museum we went to ride the bobsled. Yes, we actually rode them. No we did not drive them ourselves. The guys from the US development team drove and played brake man. We were just along for the ride. 60 miles per hour down the track was like nothing I have felt before. It was totally awesome. After bobsledding we went to check out the town. There were many great stores. My big sis would be proud. I bought myself some things and realized when someone says i only have 1.5 hrs to shop I buy more. I do not have the time to talk myself out of buying things like I usually do. I got my little sis a birthday present and my niece a fun surprise. I also picked up a "Life is Good" long sleeved t-shirt and some super yummy chocolates from a candy shop. It was a long day but fun. I have some great pictures. Hope you enjoy.

Some events from the past

2008-01-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here are descriptions of a few things that have occured since last July. The picture of my little sis Em shows one of her favorite Christmas gifts. Em is just quirky enough to truly appreciate the humor of her big sis. Em had to have her gall bladder taken out over Thankgiving so I thought she might be lonely with out it and decided to make her a new one. The day after Christmas she was delighted to meet Mr. Gall B. Ladder, her new stuffed friend. I also got to go explore some of the local water falls in the Syracuse area before the school year started. I got another nature lover to snap this shot of me posing in front of the water fall. Though this fall was man made it was still pretty cool. The last picture is of the dome on SU's campus. I took this shot at the first football game I went to. They lost (no surprise there) but it was fun to watch my first Division 1 game.

Is it Friday yet?

2008-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday and I am already craving the weekend. When one of my two rest days is interupted I'm not as fresh and chipper on Monday morning as I would like. Why the interuption? A 3 day conference in Frazer, PA to learn about all things res hall curriculm. It was great to get so many ideas but my brain and butt hurt after 12 hr days sitting, listening, thinking and discussing. I felt like I was back in grad school in Theory 2. Plus, I never want to see another Mentos candy again. They had dishes of them on the tables and I swear had I drank a Coke I would have been spurting like the geysers the guys on Mythbusters created. The conference was a great opportunity to network and get to know my SU colleagues better. Plus, since it was all expense paid and we went out to eat I got some decent meals out of it. Outback Steakhouse the first night provided yummy pork chops. Friday night we found this place called Nectar. Let's just say we were out of our element at the posh suave french asian fusion resturant. We roll up in our rented mini van and were not sure what to do with the valet parking. Next we were taken off guard by coat check. Afraid of loosing the ticket and having to say goodbye to my 6 year old Columbia Sportswear jacket I opted to sit on my coat instead. After some pumpkin Lobster bisque soup and an amazing bowl of phad-thai with the biggest shrimp I've ever seen I was stuffed. All in all it was a good night.

The conference weekend was topped off on Saturday when we stopped by the Trader Joes on the way home. It was by chance that I noticed it right off the freeway on our way in. I got to play tour guide through the isles of trail mix and yummy goodies. We were disappointed that we could not partake in purchasing the $4 chuck due to the PA state law that alcohol cannot be bought in grocery stores. Poo on them. We also stopped by good old IKEA as we were headed out of town. I bought a throw pillow and a lamp I wanted to use by my bed. I was dissappointed that my lamp wattage was too low to read by. Guess I'll have to find another use for it. All in all it was great trip but I am wanting my down time. Wont get that til I go to DC in two weeks. This Saturday will be filled with a trip to Lake Placid with one of my learning community groups.

Uh! Never done this before!

2008-01-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

Umm... OK so I've been wanting to do this whole blog thing for a while but since the Facebook incident of winter 2007 (it's a long story) I've been anti Facebook, MySpace etc.. Any hoo I thought it was time to get over it and begin to let others know what my life in Central NY is like.

Here goes. I've been living in Central NY and working at Syracuse University since July 2007. It's more like the Northwest than Illinois. I am still doing the resident director thing though at times I wonder if I could be making a bigger difference in people's lives doing something outside of higher education. It's not that I dislike my job rather that I get restless and start questioning my purpose. Deep I know. Any hoo since no one has been able to visit me yet I thought I would provide you some pictures of where I live. The high rise is of one of the buildings I oversee. See the tall windows on the right side? I live in the first three. Sorry! no photos of my actual apartment. That would mean I would have to clean. If you know me, you know that I only do that when I really have to. The next time the place is spic and span (usually when laundry day comes) I will be sure to snap a few shots before it turns to chaos once again. The colorful pictures are of the summer sunsets I see from my windows. The view is great except for the parking garage in front. The snowy picture is of the typical CNY winter day. Truthfully the winter has not been as bad as people alluded to. There is so much I want to update you all on that there may be quite a few of these in the days to come.