My dad

In celebration of my dad recently turning the big 5-0, I have complied the following list in his honor...

An incomplete list of things I learned from my father...

1. You should vacuum like a painter--in straight lines.

2. When driving, you must keep both feet on the floor and ready.

3. Nothing good happens between a dating or engaged couple after midnight.

4. Don't spend more money than you have.

5. (When working to demonstrate my "rights" as a young teenager, I learned that) Children don't have rights, they have privileges. 

6. Serving someone practically is another way to say "I love you"

7. Snacking is pointless if you are eating enough at each meal 

8. Integrity counts even if it goes unrecognized.

9. Family vacations are important and should be made a priority.

10. If you can't find friends to be with, there is always someone who will hang out with you at home.

11. Learning how to be on a team is an important life lesson.

12. Sandals should only be worn if it is over 70 degrees. 

13. When it can be prevented, food should never go to waste. 

14. Encouraging your spouse in whatever he/she wants to do is great use of your time and will bless your marriage significantly. 

15. Always eat a sandwich before you go to a potluck... you never know what will be served and you don't want to be hungry. 

16. Playing along never hurt anyone.

This is just the beginning of what I have learned from the old man.

 He's a good egg and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of his gene pool. 

Happy Birthday, Bri. 

I like these people

My incredible husband and I

My thin mother and charming youngest sister, Madeline

My kind sister, Leah and the birthday boy (my dad)  

My fun brother and his lovely soon-to-be wife (who I adore... but more on that later)

I like these people.

What I learned about myself at Pilates:

1. I will do anything if it is considered the "advance way" or if it will earn me "2 extra bonus points" and while you may think these points don't exist, I know exactly how many I have!

2. I don't have a "core". I don't even know what a "core" is or where you can get one.

3. I like work-out accessories and I know who has the best "mat" in the class.

4. I don't have a "core".

5. I have no sense of balance and while my Pilates-mate can balance on one toe, while reaching to the sky, lifting her back leg AND thinking thoughts of serenity, I simply fall over. 

6. I don't have a "core".

7. I am freakishly flexible. I don't know why or if it has something to do with my gnome-like extremities, but it is bizarre. 

8. I don't have a "core".

9. I am more likely to work out if I belong to a class.

10. I LOVE Pilates!

Yuck!

I was grocery shopping this morning and all of a sudden had a craving for a sandwich I ate ALL THE TIME during college. I think I invented this sandwich, having no recollection of eating it on other occasions. I loved this sandwich in college. I would crave it, make it with care, and on a good day, make an extra for one of my roommates.

So after finding the ingredients at the store, I anticipated my reunion with the sandwich all morning! I was so excited for lunch. At the first sign of hunger, I carefully made the sandwich exactly how I had perfected the recipe over the years. My excitement and hunger grew. 

I sat down, took a bite of the sandwich and savored the familiar taste. I slowly took a few more bites, continuing to enjoy my creation. 

And then much to my surprise, I had a very unfamiliar feeling. 

I wanted to throw up! I looked at the sandwich and wondered how I ever enjoyed this collision of tastes, textures, and colors between two pieces of bread. I was disgusted. 

Amazing what you think is delicious in college on a work-study budget. 

Any one else have a "in college, I used to eat..." story? 

Intake Turns to Overflow

When I am tired, I go into "intake" mode. I read books, watch new movies, listen to talk radio, read the newspaper, sit in silence... absorbing as much as I can. I find this practice to be incredibly refreshing for me. This is how I recover. (Note: the frequency of school days off in the spring, also helps in this recovery!) 

While the length of this process may vary in nature, the end is incredibly abrupt. It does not  transition or wean, but rather stops unannounced and shifts into "overflow". Overflow is exactly what it sounds like: when all that I have absorbed, received and taken in... simply comes out. 

The following posts (and those to come later this week) are signs of my overflow. 

I hope you enjoy them.

Tired

It's been awhile.

Too much has happened in the last two weeks. Things I never expected, planned or prepared for. And I am now sitting, wrestling actually with the residue and as a result, I am tired. My brain, my emotions, my body needs rest. It feels good to say that, good to claim, that yes, life has for a bit worn me out. 

...

On the upside, I feel an anticipation for good things to come. I don't know much of what the next few months will look like, but I will say that growing deep somewhere beyond my fatigue is an excitement. 

And that alone is refreshing.

I am off to read, to fall asleep in my favor position--in the pages of a book.

More to come this week!

Online Shopping

I hate to shop.

Point blank... I hate it, unless I am shopping for school supplies, which is the one addendum to my distaste. I despise every aspect of the shopping experience from finding a parking spot, to the broken-record music, to cheery sales people asking me if I want to save 10%, to being stalked as I return to my glory-holding parking spot. I don't think its fun, a way to spend time with others, pleasant or relaxing. I will admit that at times, I will have a moment of insanity in which I think I feel the urge to shop. I have come to realize that this feeling lasts about an hour and if I choose to partake in the activity, I will need a two hour nap to recover.  Over the years, I have learned to compensate for my disdain by befriending (and marrying) people who love to shop and then forcing them to come with me. Many have fallen victim to my persuasion and have later learned to not shop with me unless I am well fed, well rested and have some sort of "reward" to look forward to at the end of the excursion. 

I would like to announce, however, that I have found a way to overcome my hatred, move beyond that which has forced me to impulse buy for the sake to getting out of a store and now enjoy purchasing... ONLINE SHOPPING!

While many have been using their mouse to browse for years, it is only since I have come to terms with my long standing hatred, that I have enjoyed the speed, annoyance free process of online shopping! The process makes sense: select store or distributer, select large category in which desired item may be found, narrow search down by choosing between various detailed items, peruse items, select one, check out, insert credit card number WITHOUT HAVING TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO SAVE 10% and expect your purchase within a week! Incredible the amount of steps one can go through while experiencing of the comfort of their couch, the refreshing taste of a diet coke and whatever music he/she wants to listen to.

As an expression of my new found freedom and love for online shopping, I have listed my most favorite, frequently visited places to shop:  

• Overstock.com-- LOTS to look at, some good, some bad. You can't beat their $2.95 for shipping!
• Target.com--Classic, easy and I spend less online than I do standing in line deciding if I need a bottle of Purel for my keychain. Watch the shipping costs, though, as they can be a bit much. I have found stuff I like and then just gone to a store to pick it up (this saved me $60 on our new TV stand)!
• Ikea.com-- Interesting choice, I know, but this helps me decide if Craigslist purchases are worth it. Only problem, not all items are available online. It also saves us city people at trek out to the middle of no where!
• Crate and Barrel Outlet-- Some really good finds. Easy to look at. 
• Amazon.com--I think their prices for used books are great, especially for their used children's books. They often have books that are out of print as well!
• Etsy.com ---For those that claim online shopping misses out on good finds and individualized purchases!

And that is just the beginning of the list! 

Happy Shopping!