Almost Done

I have a couple draft blog posts, about being on the Graduate Admissions Committee and Bacon Day at work. They'll probably stay as drafts for awhile...

The last couple weeks have been crazy with school. I have a final on Thursday that I should be studying for right now. This class is super important to me and I want to do well in it.

Once that is done, my time will be filled with baking goodies, wrapping presents, visiting friends, and relaxing.

Pros and Cons

There are some things I love about Facebook. I like connecting with my family--aunts, uncles, cousins, sister, brother, mom and dad; it's like an online reunion sometimes. And since I have a pretty large extended family, and we live all over, it's nice to be able to know what's going on with them, seeing their kids grow, where their careers take them, and the general goings on in their lives.

And obviously, we all know Facebook is pretty handy when stalking that person you like. Is there a person of the opposite sex in their profile pic, are they listed as "Single" or "In a Relationship"? Do you both love Parks and Rec and The Shawshank Redemption? Handy....and also less handy when you learn a whole lot about them without ever having a real conversation with them. It makes the whole getting-to-know-you-phase sort of moot.

I also hate how it allows me to compare myself with tons of people that I would generally know very little about. They've traveled more than me. They have a better job than me. They have 3 kids and I'm still single. They went to that concert I wanted to go to. But the thing is, that's just their "online" life; real life is much more fun.

And comparing never got anyone anywhere.

My Nieces and Nephews

These are my nieces and nephews. I love them, even though they can't seem to make a normal face for a picture (mainly the boys!).

48 HRS and the Stolen Car

I love my car. Scratch that, I LOVE my car. I don't know if I ever shared the entire story about how I got it, but I know for sure that I was meant to have this car and that divine intervention was involved. So when I walked outside to head to church Sunday afternoon and saw it not sitting there, I was pretty devastated. After doing a mental check that I had left it there the night before, I went inside to call the police. I made it through that phone call, and the subsequent returned call of an officer, before I cried for about 5 minutes. Then I sat on my couch just staring at nothing, feeling numb and trying to comprehend.

It's not that my car is new and fancy and beautiful. But it is my car. It's paid for and it gets me around as I need. I was sad for the loss of the freedom that it gives me.

I scrambled around to get a bike from my sister to use the next day. And when the back tire was having an issue making it unrideable, I was bummed for most of the day. This morning I had a bike, took it on the bus, and rode from Primary Children's Hospital to my work in Research Park. It was sort of fun and exhilarating, if not a little tiring and sweat-inducing. But I kinda felt cool all day at work knowing that I had rode my bike!

Don't get me wrong though, I was still hoping my car would be found. Because even though I think public transportation is awesome, and I want to ride a bike more, it is sort of inconvenient and it is super cold outside. And when the call came that my car had been found, almost 48 hrs exactly after I called it in missing, I was overjoyed.

My car was found over on the west side, with the back tire propped up on the curb. It looked to be fully intact as my coworker and I drove up to it. Everything essential was there. It was stolen for its stereo (really?!! the thing's gotta be worth like $200 max!), which had my favorite Avett Brothers cd in it, and ended up taking an umbrella and my work ID card with it. Not too shabby.

I LOVE my car and I'm very grateful that she came back to me in one piece.

Halloween 2011

Tonight I made the trek out to West Valley to go with my brother as he took Ivy, Elliett and Mo trick-or-treating. It's been a long time since I actually went door-to-door on Halloween, and it was pretty fun. I love the idea of all the neighbors giving out candy to the kids who knock on their doors and say "Trick or Treat!!"

It was an eventful night, as the kids got chocolate, doritos, popcorn, and more than a few scares. Mo was scared by a spider that moved when a front door was opened, and also by a house that had just a single red light at their front doorstep. And poor Ivy was scared so much she cried when she went into a Haunted House in one of her neighbor's garage/backyard. Good things Elliett and Mo didn't go, too!

Here are my cute nephews and nieces:

Josh and George

Mo (who refused to look at the camera), Elliett and Ivy.

Making Excuses

Saturday morning I participated in the SoJo 5k. When I signed up a month ago it was a way to lose a little weight before heading to Portland. Also because I need motivation for running and a race that I'm registered for is a good way to get that motivation. And for the first week I was awesome at it, full of motivation and running three times that week.

But then it came to a screeching halt. I started taking a new medication that gave me crazy intense headaches, making running a near impossibility. By the time it all got figured out, two weeks had passed and I had only ran twice. Then I was in Portland the days leading up to the race....

So I showed up to the race not quite ready. But ya know what, I got a time within seconds of the time of my last 5k a year and a half ago. Even though I knew I gave it my all while in the moment, I can only imagine how much better I could be if I actually was ready for it.

Portland

This past week was Fall Break, and I always try to get out of town during the week. Partly to save my sanity from work/school stress, and because I really love experiencing new cities. I had a voucher from my delayed flight in Chicago this past March and debated on where I would use it. Portland was the winner over Seattle and Em and boarded a flight Tuesday morning headed to PDX.

We shopped, taking advantage of their no-sales tax. Em didn't pack an umbrella (!!) and we had to buy one for her. I was on the hunt for skinny jeans to go with my new boots. We went to the movie theater kitty-corner from our hotel to see The Ides of March (I know some people think that seeing a movie while on vacation is stupid and silly, but for me movie-going is an experience that I really love, just as much as someone who would travel to see a pro sports team/eat at a restaurant/visit a museum/check out a famous burial site) and we loved it.

Then it was to Astoria to check out the house from The Goonies. Em and I LOVE The Goonies, so it was pretty awesome.

Thursday we did a bike tour around the river. It was like 20 miles or something. We rented cruisers and cruised along the riverfront. Oh, and Em fell off her bike. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants! She lost her balance or something, and I watched as she slowly fell to the ground. Best. Moment. Of. The. Vacation. We'd start laughing whenever we thought about it.

And then it was relaxing in our hotel (which was super awesome!), more shopping, including Powell's Bookstore. We had a good time and it was nice to get away, but I don't think Portland is a place for tourists. I'm sure it's a cool place to live and all, but there's not much to do if your visiting.