Distracted

When I woke up this morning I realized that I didn't have any milk and I didn't want anything but cereal for breakfast. I put on some shorts and walked across the street to the gas station to buy a little container to hold me over until I made it to the grocery (which I did this evening). I poured myself a bowl of cereal when I got home, but the milk wasn't very cold - which I don't like. I like my milk cold cold. So I put it in the freezer so it would cool quicker and I could eat another bowl of cereal.

I came home this afternoon and wanted a glass of milk and when I looked in the fridge I couldn't find it. I know I'm a little distracted and I have a bit going on in my head now that school/work is really getting started, but I could have sworn I got some this morning! Then it hit me...yeah...milk in the freezer.

Ice cream?

Look How Time Flies

It appears at one point in time I had a blog that I actually wrote regularly. Hm, what a concept. Needless to say, it was all downhill once I moved to DC for the summer. I had a lovely time and wish I could have stayed just a couple weeks longer. Things started looking up after the bleak arrival and mishap with my leasing company. Everyone I met ended up being much nicer and much more helpful than that bunch.

Super fast update on life from May-August:

• Had a great time at Advocates for Youth (www.advocatesforyouth.org). An amazing organization made up of amazing individuals, so passionate about what they do. Glad I was able to be there for as long as I was.
• Had a great personal trainer while I was in DC at a very cool gym (www.vidafitness.com). Totally kicked my butt, but felt great.
• Made a short trip to NYC while I was in DC. Saw Wicked, ate delicious food from a stand on the corner of the road at midnight, went shopping, walked through Central Park. Great getaway.
• Moved from DC back to Bloomington. Flew out the next day to a family reunion in Utah. Nothing like spending time with relatives. Always fun, always good food and good entertainment.
• Went back to Bloomington for a few days. Packed my apartment. Drove back to Dallas.
• Drove to NC with Leigh and her dog - picked another one up on the way. Good times. My best friend literally lives on the side of a mountain in a log cabin. So perfect.
• Flew back to Dallas. Spent a couple days home. Went to Houston to see John's new house. Saw all the siblings down there. Spent some time together.
• Back to Dallas. Spent some time with friends and family before driving back to Bloomington.
• Moved into my shoebox apartment in Bloomington that I love. Reunion with all my friends here. So great to be back.

My summer was literally all over the place. I traveled nearly every weekend from May-July. From July 15-Aug 15, I didn't spend more than 3 nights in a row in the same bed (and not in a questionable, dirty sort of way - just a traveling, all over the place sort of way). That's the best description of how the time just got away from me. I am looking forward to having a more "permanent" home for the next 9 months.

Now it's "Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing!"

Welcome to Washington D.C.

Well I thought time was flying before - little did I know! I moved to D.C. last week and it's been crazy. Definitely a different world in these parts. Big city, fast paced, lots of people, not a lot of room, crazy drivers, metro - the whole nine yards. It's hard to believe that this time last week I was in Bloomington packing. That seems like forever ago. I left on Tuesday to drive to D.C. Brad flew in that afternoon and I picked him up in Indianapolis to make the trip with me. We had a wonderful road trip - very laid back - we stopped at random things along the way, just because we could (Wright Brothers Birthplace/Museum, Rose Garden, Arboretum, Visitor's Centers for all the states we drove through). We split the distance over 2 days, which was much more manageable and made for a nice drive. The weather was beautiful, we had fun stops, sat outside to eat, listened to great music, had a great trip. We made it in to D.C. at 4:45 PM and navigated rush hour traffic to get to the building to pick up my apartment keys before 5:00 PM. Here's a glimpse at the next 24 hours:

• The women at the desk can't find my keys. Another woman comes out and tells me they've been sent out (to where? No idea). Anyway - they are going to have them couriered back to the office, I can wait here. I go downstairs and park the car (PS - Parking in the city is ridiculous). Brad & I both go back up to the office.
• Less than 5 minutes later the leasing manager calls the desk of the office and asks to speak to me. Turns out they can't get the keys until tomorrow. Tells me to get a hotel and they'll reimburse me. She'll call me in the morning to get the keys.
• We google Hilton (yes, the verb, to google), find a hotel, make a reservation. (SIDEBAR: My Blackberry and his iPhone were both crucial to surviving the weekend - GPS, Google, great stuff).
• Get to the hotel we booked only to find it is under $140M of renovation and the place is a disaster - detoured entrance, half of it shut down. Unfortunately our room was not one of the ones that had already been remodeled. Quality.
• Next morning - get up, have breakfast. 10:00 AM - I call the office, no answer. 11:00 AM - I call, they'll meet me at the apartment in 45 minutes.
• We find the apartment, find a metered parking spot (PS - Did I mention that parking in the city is ridiculous?), wait for her to show up.
• 15 minutes after she's supposed to be there (and she's not) I call the office to get her cell. Call her cell - she's 2 blocks away and will be there in 5 minutes.
• 15 minutes later she's still not there - call her cell again - no answer. Shock. All the while Brad keeps going back and forth to add money to the meter.
• 15 minutes later she shows up. Lovely. She tries all the keys in her little bag, none of them work. She says she has to go back to the office and she'll be back in 15 minutes. I ask - really 15 minutes? or what?
• She actually got back exactly 15 minutes later! Turns out although my address is 1723, I enter through the door that says 1725 - which has a magnetic lock. It's a good 5 minutes before she understands that it isn't opened with a key. Finally get in.
• She doesn't have a mailbox key - she'll have to get it to me later. She'll send me information about the Internet. She'll make sure someone comes to check the lock on the door that's falling apart. Right. I'll hold my breath for it.

So that was that. Welcome to Washington D.C. We got moved in, got my apartment put together in no time at all (it's not that big). It's obscene that they can charge what they do for an apartment that is furnished entirely by IKEA products. I guess it really is location, location, location! I'm close to where I will work though and my car is parked in a garage a block away so everything turned out great with that. We spent the past few days getting stuff for my apartment, visiting the White House (getting shooed away by the cops only to see the Presidential helicopter fly over 30 minutes later), seeing the Washington Monument, Lincoln, a couple Smithsonian museums, US Botanical Gardens and even the D.C. Temple. Witnessed the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally this afternoon - must have been hundreds of thousands of motorcycles around the Capitol (see website for more information - pretty neat). Good times. All in all a wonderful trip that went WAY too fast! A day off tomorrow then work on Tuesday. Here goes nothing!

Slow Down Everyone, You're Moving Too Fast

The past few weeks have been flying by! School finally ended (thank goodness!) and a couple days later I was back in Dallas with my family. I am so grateful for the time I got to spend at home and the people I was able to see. A dear friend of our family passed away the day I flew in and fortunately I was able to be there for the funeral. It was bittersweet knowing he will be greatly missed by all who knew him, but knowing that he is in a far better place without the pain and suffering he was experiencing. Definitely a time of serious reflection and gratitude for the life I have. I promised myself to try to not be so concerned with what is coming next that I miss what I'm actually experiencing at that moment. I tend to always be looking ahead, which is a good thing, but I think some times it keeps me from "living in the moment". The week at home went by too quickly and before I knew it I was on a plane heading back to Indiana. I wish I could have lived in that moment a little longer! Being there makes me realize how much I miss my family and friends and the people in my life that really make it wonderful. Thanks to each and every one of you who shared your time with me while I was there - it made all the difference. Too bad I have to be in Bloomington until next May instead of December!

I woke up this morning with that "where am I?" feeling. It took a second to realize that I was in my apartment, not my room back home. I have approximately a day and a half to get my entire apartment packed up - with boxes going to DC, boxes going to back to Dallas at the end of the summer and boxes staying in Bloomington for next year. I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed and wish the clock would tick just a few seconds slower. I'll leave on Tuesday to drive halfway to DC, make an overnight stop in Ohio and finish the trip on Wednesday. I have the rest of the week to get everything together before starting my internship next Tuesday. I'm looking forward to the time I'll get to spend in DC and the work I'll be able to do. I think it will be a great experience. Any suggestions of "must see" or "must do" while I'm there are greatly appreciated!

Success!

I finished the Indy Mini Marathon on Saturday! Woohoo! All things considered*, I don't think I did that bad. [All things considered includes: the longest run I had was 8 miles - 3 or 4 weeks before the race, I only ran a total of an hour in the 2 weeks leading up to the race, my finals are this week and I've had no time to dedicate to training, my pre-race dinner the night before was 2 pieces of bread, a salad and some fried German food, and the morning of the race I forgot any and all energy boosters (powergel and these cool new electrolyte strips, similar to Listerine strips). I set out only with the intention to finish, regardless of time, but again, all things considered, for my first race, my 2:45:27 (12:38 pace) was good enough for me!

About the race:
What a spectacle - the largest mini-marathon in the nation! Between the mini-marathon, the 5K, and the wheelchair race, there were over 50,000 participants. People, people everywhere! I can't imagine everything that goes into making such an event (For a glimpse: http://www.500festival.com/marathon/FunFacts.asp). Actually running it was amazing. I was proud of myself for the accomplishment, but even within the first 3 miles (and definitely through all 13.1) I was truly inspired. Mile 2 of the race was along the same street as Mile 10/11 to finish the race - so not only did we get to see the Kenyan's who had started about an hour before and were finishing (literally...the 1st place male finished in 1:03. Less than 5:00 pace, no big deal), but I also saw one of the wheelchair participants. From what I could tell, the man had no legs but was racing with his all. Amazing. I saw an apparent father-son pair, with the father leading his blind son along the route. An old man (70+), nearly completely hunched over, being held on either side by family, helping him walk the distance. There was a group of firemen, dressed in full gear, masks and all, but running shoes instead of boots, walking their way. Plenty of cute old men and women, couples, young kids with their parents, groups of friends. What an amazing thing to see. People were racing for a variety of reasons. People living along the route literally came out and sat on their porch with their cowbells to cheer. There was entertainment all the way - singers, bands, preachers, posters, families, friends. There was also entertainment among the runners - one shirt: "Heavily medicated for your protection", funny hats (Dog ears: "We run for rescued dogs", candle sticks like a birthday cake, tiaras) - the whole 9 yards. It was truly incredible. Additionally, it was very patriotic, with soldiers overseas providing the countdown to start.

It was a great experience, regardless of the fact I was literally waddling back to the hotel afterward. I am so grateful Brad was able to be there to support and to spend the weekend. We had a fun time seeing Indianapolis, relaxing, shopping and eating at local restaurants (lots of good food!). All in all I would say the weekend was a success!

Hard to Please

Friday and Saturday were beautiful here in Bloomington - sunny, 75 degrees with a light breeze. As I spoke with friends I coveted people who live in places where that weather is the standard. I quickly realized however that if Friday and Saturday are any indication of my normal behavior under given conditions, I would never make it. All I want to do is play outside! I have a "To Do" list the length of the Great Wall of China and what did I do Friday? I cancelled two meetings, went to lunch with Chris, then took a lovely drive to the outlet mall an hour away and shopped for 3 hours - all the while promising myself to be productive "tomorrow".

Saturday rolls around - the forecast was rain, but lo and behold, it turns out 75 and sunny again! So what do I do? Well of course I call Lindsay, we decide to go walking in the park for an hour, then treat ourselves to Sonic Happy Hour (she hadn't ever been to Sonic). It's still sunny and the middle of the afternoon when we finish our drinks, so we just drive around with the windows down, trying to get a hold of other friends to convince them to come play with us. We end up laying in the grass on campus chatting it up. Finally the clouds start to come, so we give up and go home, but plan to meet again later to go out that night - I mean, we don't have anything else to do, right?? It's just grad school. Again, all the while promising myself to be productive "later".

Sunday morning Chris sends me a BBM and asks what the weather is going to be like. I tell him I'm praying for rain all week because otherwise I am never going to get ANYTHING done! I'm a complete sucker for good weather. Sunday comes and goes - Monday morning, my alarm goes off at 7:00 AM and I can hear the rain on the window and see clouds in the sky. What's that they say in Go Fish, "Got what I wanted"!?! So what do I do? Snooze my alarm (approximately 4 times), roll over and sleep longer - wishing it wasn't bad weather because all I want to do is stay in bed! I guess I really am hard to please - here I thought the bad weather would force me to stay inside and work. Not so much.

Two hours later than usual, I get to campus, park in the pay lot that's centrally located so I don't have to walk in the rain, go to class, then have lunch with Hannah. As we both walk to our cars, we declare our intentions to go home and get stuff done! As we encourage each other to "do it!" we part ways and I'm homeward bound (2:00 PM).

[Time passes]

All the sudden, I realize my computer clock says 4:00 PM - WHAT?? I have accomplished nothing - wait, that's a lie. I chatted with friends, had a nice talk with my mom, responded to some emails and looked up places to play tennis in DC. That counts, right? Of course when I realized that it was 4:00, I got to work immediately, right? No way - I wrote a blog about wasting time. Love it.

Sunny weather = no work
Rainy weather = no work

I've deduced that it doesn't matter what the weather is like outside, I'm just over it. Let the countdown begin. Summer can't come soon enough.

Equivalence Points and Sour Milk

It's been a while since I've updated anything on here and I had an interesting thought pattern this week that I thought I would share. While I was at home over Spring Break (which was lovely, yes, thanks for asking) I listened to someone tell a story about how she was out driving in the pouring rain, but when she turned the corner it was completely dry. She was describing this picture and I thought about the times that I've experienced similar situations. It always reminds me of a cartoon depiction of a rain cloud directly over the head of an individual character. There has to be a line somewhere. Rain doesn't fall everywhere - there is some line, where you can be standing in the rain, take one step to the left, and be out of the rain. Right? Right. Anyway, I was sitting in class thinking about this concept and thinking about the fact that the milk in my refrigerator was about to go bad and I needed to get more. The date on the carton said "Sell by 3/20/09" and by this point it was probably "3/25/09" and it was still good. So naturally, I translate the concept of the rain to my potentially souring milk.

I remember in my chemistry classes doing a titration (ahhh!) that illustrated this very same concept. For example, you have a clear solution in a beaker (when was the last time I said/typed that word?!?) - you titrate another solution into the beaker, literally adding...drop...by...drop. Fun, right? About as exciting as watching paint dry. Good thing I switched majors. But no, I did love it. Anyway, I digress. So you add this stuff, drop...by...drop, and at some point (also known as the equivalence point) the solution turns pink -for a whole lot of reasons you don't want to hear about. Regardless, there is a line, a point at which a clear solution, just one drop later, becomes pink.

Back to the milk, so there has to be a moment in time when the milk sours, right? Right. So I'm thinking there is a point when the milk is still good...and at some given "equivalence point" (borrowing from my chemistry background) the milk would turn from good to bad. The real thought I had was how weird would it be if that moment just so happened to occur in the middle of your milk drinking?!? I mean, what if I came home, poured myself a glass of milk, had a sip, opened the refrigerator to put the carton away, then had another sip and the milk was SOUR! That would be crazy, right?!?! I think so too. Well, it could have happened I suppose, but after this incredibly enlightening thought process, when I got out of class, I went to the store, bought a new gallon of milk and threw the other one out. I guess I'll never know the equivalence point of sour milk. How will I live?

P.S. - It's entirely possible that there is a gradient of souring milk that occurs as opposed to an absolute point. Given that I am not a dairier (or a derriere for that matter), I wouldn't know. Anyone with greater knowledge than I, feel free to correct me. There was that ONE time I was wrong before...I guess it could happen again :)

Kid Therapy

After somewhat of a rough morning - sleeping in later than usually, not feeling too well - I got to campus with enough time to get some things done. As I was walking across campus in the cold I noticed how different campus is in the morning versus the afternoon. Much quieter, music ringing from the red clocks placed periodically among the buildings. All the sudden I hear shrilling screams...of excitement. I notice there are about 7 little boys and girls running around on the grass by the building of my first class. They were all bundled up - the little girls had on their striped leggings with boots and pink hats, layered away. I watched them as I was walking - the boys were chasing the girls (some things never change...) and it seemed like the tree was "base". All 3 girls huddled on this tree, everything was quiet. Then, one of them would spontaneous take off running, yelling and flailing her arms as she ran in circles. I think I started laughing out loud.

Granted, I know there are plenty of people that don't like kids and don't like their screaming - but it wasn't bad screaming, it was laughing and playing screaming. After watching them for the one minute it took me to walk past, my day was already better. I couldn't help but smile as I saw them run around and play together. It certainly made me miss my little brother. I suppose the old adage "Laughter is contagious" is absolutely true. I'm convinced we could all benefit from a little Kid Therapy every so often - just watching them play or even better, getting down and dirty and playing with them. I'm looking forward to my Kid Therapy in 2 weeks.

Memories & Feelings

My memory has never been very commendable. In fact, more often than not I am incapable of randomly recounting details of even my most profound, "memorable" experiences...especially if they were more than a year ago. However, with a little prompting, I find that I can actually remember quite a lot, most specifically feelings. The absolute details about what happened and who was wearing what and what we did, well, that's a lost cause; on the contrary, feelings seem to surface with the smallest ounce of proposition. I've been feeling very nostalgic lately and I would actually venture to say that I miss home. Sidebar: Those who know me know that for me to say anything about "missing" anyone or anything, that's kind of a big deal. Anyway...I have been feeling that way lately and spent some time reading through old cards and emails. I was borderline overwhelmed (maybe I was just whelmed - 10 Things I Hate About You - Anyone? Anyone? Get it?). Anyway - It was very surprising to me that reading these things took me back to through the same feelings that I felt during those times. I'm not normally one to hold on to things and if I do, I don't go through them often, except to throw them away. It was a refreshing change to read through things from family, friends, people who are in my life and will be forever, and some people who are no longer a part of it. Regardless of my current relationship with the sender of a card or letter, I was able to (or forced to...however you want to see it) relive all of the emotions surrounding a given time and/or situation. For plenty of the cards I read, I could never tell you the circumstances surrounding them, what someone said or what someone did, but I most certainly remember how I feel during that time and as a result of their correspondence.

The point of all this - I was reminded of a quote, goes something like this: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

It's true. At least for me.

New Week Resolutions

It varies year to year whether or not I make resolutions. Sometimes I'm in the mood, sometimes I'm over it. This year I only made one resolution. New Year's Resolutions are hard! I admire the self control of people who can say they are doing (or not doing) any specific thing for an entire year - regardless if it is related to diet, exercise, or anything else for that matter. Do you know how long that is? It's a pretty long time. Although there are moments when time seems to fly by, usually by the time I get to December, I can't even remember January. That being said, I've decided that instead of New Year's Resolutions I am making New Week Resolutions. This past week my New Week Resolution was to only have one sweet a day - that may be a bowl of ice cream or it may be a bite sized candy bar - but it can only be one. You better believe I couldn't do that for a whole year, but I've managed the week. Besides, next week I can have all the sweets I want. I'm all about more timely gratification for my efforts and this is a great way to get it without nearly as much torture. Also, I'll get to make so many different resolutions so I feel like I'll be accomplishing much more.

It's All Relative, Part II

Last week with our sunny and 50 degree temperatures, 50 degrees was feeling pretty nice.

Yesterday with cloud cover, rain and anywhere from 6-36mph wind, 50 degrees still felt pretty darn cold.

I guess it really is all relative.

It's All Relative

Today is a sunny, beautiful 50 degree day. The past couple days have been similar. It's been great to see an influx of people outside running, playing sports, walking, and driving with their windows down. This has reaffirmed to me the idea of acclimation to new a new climate. I wore flip flops yesterday and loved every minute of. It is all relative. I'm convinced that for me, 50 is the new 70.

Story of the Day

A little picture story for you all:

The snow was lovely and I thought I would share the best part of my day. This is what my car looked like when I decided to brave the weather to do some grocery shopping:


After I started wiping the car off, I was able to see just how much snow had accumulated:

With some digging, clearing, and rocking between drive and reverse, I got out:

So I drove to Wal-Mart, bought way too much food that I didn't need and that isn't anywhere close to good for me, and made my way back home. There are four stoplights between my house and Wal-Mart. One of them happened to be red on my way home (the third of four), so naturally, I stopped at it. As I did, all of the snow accumulation from the top of my car (remember that picture?) came crashing down and completely covered my windshield. Not just a light cover, not 'put your wipers on and push it off', but completely covered. Besides, my wipers were frozen anyway, so that wasn't even an option. So I put on the hazards long enough to jump out of the car and wipe off a corner for me to see out of for the way home:

Hysterical. I seriously love this place.

*For those who may be a little concerned, I do see the potential danger of driving with the majority of my windshield covered. Fear not, I wasn't that far from home. I would have pulled over and completely scraped it off, but there isn't anywhere to pull over on the road that leads to my apartment. Besides, it was great experience!*

Snow Day!

School was cancelled today (at least until noon) because of "icy roads creating hazardous travel conditions". Lucky me, I was up as early as I usually am and so up I am regardless! I took a few pictures this morning to send to my family, who I hear is experiencing some of that horrible Texas ice. I talked to my little brother yesterday and he said any snow I wanted to send that way would be fine by him, so here it is:

Our back porch and neighbor's grill

Our front landing

Covered cars (including mine on the left)

Yesterday we had 3-4" and our Winter Storm Warning from weather.com said 5-7" accumulated last night. We have another 1-3" slated for the next 24 hours. Good times! I think it's interesting to think about the acclimation that takes place over time when you move to a new area, especially with a new climate. I still have pictures on my camera from the first "real" snow we had in the Fall and it's almost comical, compared to what it is like outside right now. I look at those pictures now and would maybe call that a little frost, but you better believe it was SNOW! when it happened (see Time to Get an Ice Scraper and First "Real" Snow). Good thing acclimation occurs or I would be miserable. Who knows, maybe I'll make the best of it with sledding and snow angels.

P.S.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Thank you weather.com! What would we do without you? I would have never been able to deduce the complexity of a Winter Storm Warning without that very technical definition. I guess the at least 8" of snow outside covering any paved surface could have been a good clue.

The Little Dash and Wind Chill

So I woke up this morning to my first (-) in front of the numbers on my Weather Channel desktop gadget. What a joy it was! There was a literal double take when I looked, turned around, looked again and probably gasped out loud. I probably said something like "Are you serious?" This was followed by placing my hand on my window and confirming, yes, they are serious. I've determined that I should definitely get a remote starter on my car so on days like this it can warm up while I am still warm inside my house. This would be superior to getting in the cold car and having it warm up just as I am pulling into a parking spot on campus.

This morning I just decided to start my car about 5 minutes before I was ready to leave and thus accomplish the same goal, without the $$$ investment. So...those who know me know that the last thing I do to get ready in the morning is get dressed. This means that this morning when when I went out to start my car I had on my towel wrap, my big coat, and moccasins. Classy for sure! Moving right along, I walked out and thought to myself - it doesn't seem that cold...besides, I don't even have anything covering my legs. My windshield didn't even have any ice on it. I started my car and ran back inside (being careful not to slip on my steps, which did have a nice icy layer). I left my house (dressed, of course), with a positive attitude that at least the sun was out today!

Let me tell you - it's all relative. It wasn't that cold when I ran out to start my car, even if I was only wearing a bath robe and a jacket. It's a totally different story to hike across campus for 10 minutes in the bitter cold. I hope everyone in my life will still love me if I don't have a nose, because I'm pretty sure it's gonna freeze off one of these days. I've been telling all my cold weather friends that I have finally learned the true meaning of "wind chill". Granted, I always understood the concept and the fact that it's colder when the wind blows, yeah, yeah. But seriously feeling the difference between -5 and -15. Geez. That difference is TOTALLY different than the difference between 90 and 100. There's a vast divide between -5 and -15. With 90 and 100, hot is hot. Cold is not cold. Even freaking cold is not freaking cold. It's obscenely cold. The good news is that today I've decided to go to a Deep Water Exercise class. You better believe I'll take the extra 5-10 minutes after we're finished to blow dry my hair instead of letting it freeze (literally) on the top of my head as I walk back to my car.

Oh how I love the Midwest! What a joy it is to be back here experiencing the cold. Try not to be jealous. Thanks.