53 million minutes of me

the Shack

2009-07-15T12:06:00.001-04:00

The Shack by William P. Young

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
the Shack is a book that i had heard a lot about but hadn't had a chance to pick up. went to the beach with my folks last week and mom brought it along for us to read. finished reading it today and i think this is a book a lot of people need to read. the main character in the book, Mack, is a father of 4 children, one of whom is abducted on a camping trip before school starts. the police never find her but are led to believe that she was murdered based on evidence found in a shack in the woods. following the abduction, mack is a changed man with a constant Great Sadness hanging over him. four years later, Mack receives a letter in his mailbox that takes him on a journey back to the shack. here he faces a black woman, a middle-eastern carpenter, and a sparkly young woman in conversations and experiences where he learns a lot about what God is to him. the journey is an amazing one and this book can take misperceptions about God and turn them around.

i believe you can't take the book word for word as definite ways to imagine god, but i do believe the experiences told in the story are great explanations of how god works, at least how i've experienced him.

read this book, it's a great story and it's one you will learn so much from.

View all my reviews >>

we set a date! :)

2009-07-15T11:50:00.005-04:00

we're getting married!

saturday, july 10th, 2010.

yipee!

the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-07-14T08:41:00.002-04:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a good but not great book. Written in letter form, it tells the story of Juliet, a writer from London just after World War II. She reeives a letter from a reader in Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands (located in the English Channel) who is looking for books. The Channel Islands were occupied during the war and a relationship forms between Juliet and the people from Guernsey who continue to write to her. All of this occurs as Juliet ponders her next book topic through letters with her publisher, Sidney. When she finally decides that she wants to go to Guernsey to meet the people whom she is falling in love with, she's in the midst of a love battle with a man who wants to marry her. The story continues with Juliet finding out and researching about the people of Guernsey. A good book that has love, mystery, and tragedy all wrapped together. Easy to read, but not a knock your socks off book.

View all my reviews >>

first they killed my father

2009-06-14T08:44:00.000-04:00

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First They Killed My Father is an honest, harsh, but redeeming story of Loung Ung and her family in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge invasion in the 70s. Loung's story is heroic and gripping. This memoir is definitely worth reading.

View all my reviews >>

the glass castle

2009-06-10T22:14:00.001-04:00

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Glass Castle is a memoir about Jeannette Walls' crazy, mixed-up, confusing, and disenfranchised family. It's a story about Jeannette's relationship with her father, Rex, who is a very intelligent man, but also an alcoholic full of unfulfilled promises. Jeannette's relationship with her dad is one that is hopeful and always believing until she grows up and realizes that his "Glass Castle" dream isn't going to happen.

Jeannette's story is almost unbelievable, but her storytelling ability is so strong and so captivating that I just couldn't put this book down.

I think everyone should read this book. It's an excellent memoir.

View all my reviews.

sarah's key

2009-05-10T20:26:00.003-04:00

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sarah's Key is a double-perspective WWII story about a much-neglected event within Paris in 1942. it's interesting that the vel d'hiv (the velodrome was an arena in Paris used for sporting events) is often overlooked when one speaks of the Holocaust. the main character, Sarah and her present-day counterpart, Julia Jarmond, are both telling the story from their perspectives in 1942 and 2005, respectively.

i enjoyed the relationship that Julia establishes with the history of Sarah and the apartment and the key, but at times it seems a big manic. i was happy to see that Betrand's father wasn't as crude and cocky as he seemed or as Betrand.

in the end, the book had some strong points and an alluring story that made you want to find out more.

View all my reviews.

the Friday Night Knitting Club

2009-04-20T13:18:00.002-04:00

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Friday Night Knitting Club is definitely not a work of literary genius, but it provides you with such a warm, happiness that it's definitely worth the read. Dakota, James, and Georgia are such an important rekindled family...Anita is a woman I would want to spend time with, and Walker and Daughter is a shop where I'd want to visit, even if I didn't knit. The stories for other characters, like Darwin, K.C., and Lucie could be more developed...but the overall story was very engaging...very warm...very snuggly. I wish it would've ended differently, but I'm still very happy I read the book.

View all my reviews.

the Bell Jar

2009-03-24T10:37:00.001-04:00

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I think The Bell Jar is a very interesting novel. It plagues me in a way because it is a somewhat autobiographical account of what was going on in Sylvia Plath's life. I feel sad that the answer to her desparation was to attempt suicide and then eventually kill herself. She was an excellent writer. Just wish she was still alive today so we could've enjoyed more of her writing.

View all my reviews.

the Last Lecture

2009-03-14T10:19:00.001-04:00

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved reading this book. My mom had followed his last year of life because my parents live outside of Pittsburgh, so he was in the news often. I remember her calling me to tell me that Randy had died, and I was like, "Who?" She went on to explain that he was a professor at CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) and that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Nonetheless, it wasn't until I went to Jersey with Gregg to celebrate at his brother Don and sister-in-law, Rose's home, that I found out about this book, The Last Lecture. Rose read the book and passed it on to me, and then book club selected it to read for February.

I wasn't sure what the book would be like, and was hoping that it wouldn't be too sad, so when I read it, I had minimal hopes.

Much to my amazement, the book is an excellent read. It's not something that's going to give you divine points about life that you've never heard before. It's more about how Randy Pausch says the things we've all heard in our lives from our parents and from those wiser than us.

I recommend this book. It's a great passer-on.

View all my reviews.

The Jungle

2009-03-03T08:22:00.000-05:00

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have wanted to read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair for a LONG time. I remember back in the 90s when my older sister read it in high school and she talked about how gross it was.

Anyway, when my book club decided that everyone was to pick an American classic to read for the month of January, I knew I would finally have the chance.

This book isn't really about the disgusting meat-packing industry's unbelievable conditions. It's more about the life of a man, Jurgis Rudkus, who is a Lithuanian immigrant to Chicago, or Packingtown, as he calls it.

The story is more about the Rudkus family's struggle to survive in a capitalist society that was ruled by just a few on top.

If you've never read this book, it's definitely a book worth reading. You'll become attached to Jurgis' attempts to make it when everything is against him.

View all my reviews.

The Ring.

2009-01-27T22:05:00.003-05:00

I said, "Yes!"

2009-01-27T19:23:00.001-05:00

the nutcracker collection begins

2009-01-15T19:32:00.007-05:00

without further ado...i present to you, my beginnings of a nutcracker collection...

with fair hopes of becoming just like my friend sarah (see bottomest photo)

the photo below is just a small sampling of the amazing nutcracker collection my friend sarah possesses. i want to be like her someday and have the coolest collection. for now, i'll just be satisfied that my collection increased 500% this year (from 1 to 6!)

sicko

2009-01-05T00:33:00.005-05:00

i did everything you see in the prior post up to and including Christmas and took care of Gregg and then...

I GOT SICK!

Surprise surpise. So while i've been nursing myself and my sick boyfriend back to health, i've totally neglected my blogging duty. here's to getting back on the blog-wagon this 2009 and reviving my writing...err...typing fingers.

If i don't say so myself, my fingers are looking especially divine because while i was sick, i did manage to hunker down, watch some movies, and give myself a good nail-filing manicure, complete with the color of the above cough syrup polish. yay!

I've been disgustingly busy...

2008-12-21T00:21:00.000-05:00

so i haven't posted in about a week, and even then, i was only copying/pasting my goodreads The Book Thief review...so i feel kinda guilty because i know all of my many followers are waiting anxiously to hear what i've been up to.

i have a whole slew (sp?) of photos i want to post, too, but i left my camera at a friend's house and am trying to pick it up from another friend's house sometime soon...but you'll understand why i haven't after i explain the following...

so last sunday i finished reading The Book Thief and before that i was posting about Christmas decorating. since then, in a somewhat chronological order, i've been:

Tuesday, 12.09.08: Wake Up @ 5:30 and Run, Riverside Runners Woke up early and ran with Kelly at the YMCA. Treadmills suck, but we ran 5 miles in 45 minutes. Decent.
Wednesday, 12.10.08: Gold's Gym Health Fair for Riverside Runners This included set up and tear down of a table that held a bazillion shoes that i brought from the store, some other products (sox, SuperFeet, goggles, free keychains) as well as conversing with gym members about their feet, and measuring and checking lower leg mechanics. It was fun to be there, but traffic for the Health Fair wasn't particularly high (possible location problem--in a room where none of the gym-goers really go regularly?). i informed several folks about footwear and what we do at Riverside Runners, so that was good for us. Hopefully some of them show up at the store and we get some business.
Thursday, 12.11.08: Wake Up @ 5:30 and Run, Riverside Runners Woke up early and ran with Kel again. Good run, sprinted at the finish...5 miles, 45 minutes. Worked at the store after Jeff called to tell me that he was locked out. Turned out to be a busy day. Had plans after work to go to Sarah's and hang out for one last time with Emily still in town. Gregg had a work party at Perky's in Altavista. Went to Sarah's and then to La Caretta for dinner, came back and watched The Holiday and fell asleep on the floor. Loved spending time with my 2nd family here in L-burg. Sarah even gave me a lovely nutcracker ornament complete with a turquoise glitter suit!

Friday, 12.12.08: Day Off, Run with Joel, Bunko Christmas Party Spent the day lazing in bed and baking, then Joel came over around 3:30 and we ran from my house to Huntingwood Apartments and back (7.5 miles). Cleaned up and rocked the Bunko Christmas party with Gregg...had lots of fun and WORE OUT the karaoke machine.

Saturday, 12.13.08: Riverside Runners, AREVA Christmas Party Worked from 12-6:15 (learned how to close the store for the 1st time) and then went home and cleaned up for the Areva Christmas Party at Cattle Annie's. Met up with Todd and Tracey, Jimmy and Ashley, and some others. Had a good time...photos to come.

Sunday, 12.14.08: Church & Food Donation, Lasagna, Run, Eat Woke up and went to Holy Cross with our Jessie Tree food donation. Saw Sarah and Ryan after the service (we had to sit in the front row!) then went home, ate lunch, and made 2 lasagnas for dinner. Went out to Timberlake for a run with Stacey and Gregg. Came home, sat by the fire, watched football, and ate lasagna with Stacey and Gregg.

Monday, 12.15.08: Riverside Runners and Baking Worked from 11-4, came home, relaxed, baked, and worked on newsletter for Christmas cards.

Tuesday, 12.16.08: Riverside Runners and Sick Man Worked from 11-4, came home and found Gregg home with the sickness. Tried to take care of him and finish newsletter and do some baking. Worked on Gregg's mom and David's Christmas present: a Snapfish photo album.
Wednesday, 12.17.08: Babysit, Riverside Runners, Sick Man, Book Club Christmas Babysat Ella in the morning...she cried for a steady 3o minutes and told me she didn't love me and wanted her mommy. Ed woke up and had to help with the rescue efforts, but she finally calmed down. Got her dressed and was on my way to meet Meghan at Kindermusik when she called...met her at the BP instead and then worked from 11-4, got new Asics socks at the store (LOVE THEM!), met Patterson for the first time, and came home to still Sick Man. He was running a 102 fever still. Feel sad because he's sick. Made Buffalo Chicken Dip and got ready for the Book Club Party. Got gas cause I was on empty. Went to Jody's for the party, spilled dip en route to the party, cussed before I went in her house with 1/8 of dip left on my car seat. Party was excellent, dip was a hit, rest of the food was delish. We enjoyed a Grinch's Christmas Martini and shared Christmas memories. Very worthwhile.
Thursday, 12.18.08: Library, Riverside Runners, Sick Man Ran to the library because my books on hold were about to be returned to their libraries, made it just in time to see Ella and my sister (by chance!) pulling in as well. Picked up my books, got to work in the nick of time, then worked from 11-4. Came home and worked on Christmas cards and baking and took care of still 102 fever man. He won't go to the doctor.
Friday, 12.19.08: Day Off, Worked for VMFA, Baked, Christmas Cards, Store, Etc. Didn't work at RR, but worked online for VMFA (it's nice to be in bed and do that). Baked cookies, made a bazillion Christmas cards (of which I'm pretty proud) and took care of STILL Sick Man. Went to Walgreens and Food Lion for important baking needs. Looked for paraffin wax but couldn't find it. Called Kroger when I got home and they said they had it. Good news.
Saturday, 12.20.08: Jingle Bell Fun Run, Riverside Runners, Post Office, Kroger, Bank, Baking, Sick Man, Dinner, Etc. Woke up early and helped set up a little for Fun Run. Met Stacey there and ran with her for a 4.75 mile run. Worked the rest of the day til 4, then rushed off to the post office to mail the 80 cards I made yesterday. Postage on 59 of them was $0.63 and 28 of them was $0.83. Remind me not to use things with lumps on next year's cards. $55 is too much for sending Christmas cards. Stopped at Kroger to pick up paraffin and Andes mints, then deposited checks in the bank. Came home to sick man (getting better man) and made dinner, finished my buckeye cookies (that's what the paraffin was for) and finished up baking other stuff. Finally sat down to blog...and we're back to being caught up...

Understand why I haven't posted?
I'm also:

Reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Interested in the Chicago Stockyards at the turn of the century
Wondering about other uses for paraffin wax
Hoping that the cards make it through the mail before Christmas Eve
Stretching my Achilles tendon
Wishing for a Christmas wish
Dreading the laundry
Cleaning up the kitchen
Making about 5 more types of cookies
Knitting a scarf
Shopping for friends/family

Photos will be up soon!!!!!!!!!

the Book Thief

2008-12-14T23:08:00.001-05:00

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Liesel Meminger is a very strong character. Her relationships with Rosa, Hans, Rudy, and Max are very likable and interesting. Definitely a good story and great for Nazi Germany interests.

View all my reviews.

the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rules #3, 4, 5, 6, & 7

2008-12-09T08:24:00.007-05:00

as i continue through the Christmas Decoration Saga, you'll get to enjoy some of the most important features of a properly decorated Christmas. in this post, i'd like to share:

Rule #3: Ornaments Mustn't Rest on the Branch Below

Rule #4: Rough Ones in the Back

Rule #5: Tinsel No-No's

Rule #6: Properly "Lit" Ornaments

Rule #7: Stars are for the End

To be able to properly finish your Christmas decorating, make sure to follow along.

Rule #3: Ornaments Mustn't Rest on the Branch Below
I think it's very important to place ornaments on the tree and make sure each individual ornament has a happy home. Ornaments should not be placed so that they rest on branches below. If the ornament hangs really far down when you hang it, so much so that it rests on the branch below, then you need to find a stronger branch above to hold that heavy ornament.
Rule #4: Rough Ones in the Back
If you owe it to certain ornaments to make it on the tree, even if they aren't in the best condition or aren't the most beautiful, the back of the tree is the perfect place. Now, all trees have a side to them that's near a wall, unless of course, your tree is in the center of the room, and the wall side of the tree still needs ornaments too. Rough ones can easily be hung in the back of the tree with no questions asked.
Rule #5: Tinsel No-Nos
Sorry to those of you who use tinsel on the tree, but according to my decoration saga, this substance should absolutely NOT be used on a Christmas tree. It's just a no-no. It's unruly, clingy, messy, and annoying. It doesn't look good. It's a waste. Don't use it. Pretty simple.
Rule #6: Properly "Lit" Ornaments
Ornaments with a special ambience, clear glass, and transparent ornaments should be placed so that light comes through them. This is easy to do with the help of strategically placed Christmas lights. Just make sure they are hung so that a light shines behind them. Pretty easy.
Rule #7: Stars are for the End
Prior to this year, I was never taught the "put your star on the tree last rule." I don't think my mom and dad ever followed this rule, as far as I know, and they just put the tree topper on when it was convenient, be it in the beginning, middle, or end of decorating the tree. I saw the movies where the star was the crowning touch of the tree, added only at the very end when everything else was finished. I guess I just never had anyone to enforce the rule. This year, when I was about to put the star on the tree while we were decorating, Gregg stopped me and said, "No!" I wasn't sure why, I thought I had done something wrong, but it turned out that he just wanted me to wait until the end. Now that I've been introduced properly to the rule, it will become a tradition for years to come. We'll top the tree at the very end of the tree-decorating. You should too.

Now that we've covered all the ground for the Christmas Decorating Saga, go out there and make sure you do your very best decorating if you haven't already.

You'll be sure to have
a gorgeous tree.

the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rule #2: Ornament Collectors

2008-12-09T00:00:00.005-05:00

if you haven't yet read the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rule #1, then please do so before reading any further.

the extravagance of decorating for a new, exciting Christmas season comes with several rules. we've covered the major steps about lighting the Christmas tree with Rule #1 (click above) and can now move on to some other important details.

once the tree is lit, it's usually a good idea to stand back and check your work with the rest of the lights off. if satisfied with your lighting performance, you can begin to look at the ornament possiblities.

now, many people, young and old alike, are probably the kind of ornament collector i am:
Type D: Preferential and Non-Preference Multi-Collector.

There are about 4 different types of ornament collectors in the world:
Type A: Preferential Ornament Only Collector
Type B: Non-Preference Ornament Collector
Type C: Multi-Tree Preferential Ornament Collector
Type D: Preferential and Non-Preference Multi-Collector

Type A ornament collectors buy and collect ornaments that go with only one type of Christmas tree with one theme.

Type B ornament collectors will buy and collect any and all ornaments that do or do not go with any type of Christmas tree theme.

Type C ornament collectors buy and collect ornaments that go with two or more types of Christmas trees with different themes.

Type D ornament collectors are a collaboration of having both ornaments for a theme as well as collecting ornaments for trees without a theme.

I am a Type D ornament collector. I've recently started my own Nutcracker ornament collection so that I too can have a nutcracker tree like Sarah. I also cashed on the jackpot of my Gram's vintage Christmas ornaments last year and am planning on starting a "Vintage Christmas Tree" every year. But, along with 2 "theme" trees, I also have a plethora of ornaments that i've collected that have no rhyme or reason and are just part of the main tree in the living room.

Figure out which type of ornament collector you are so that you make sure not to buy ornaments that don't go with your plan if you're a Type A or Type C collector.

Stay tuned.

the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rule #1

2008-12-08T09:39:00.005-05:00

when Gregg and i got our tree yesterday, it was easy enough. we got a 7.5 foot Fraser fir from Lowe's for $29.99. i'm all about deals and coupons right now (since i'm trying to pay off my debt with 2 small jobs) so a coupon for Lowe's added to the savings. we ended up with a tree for $19.99 using a coupon for $10 off a $25+ purchase.

so, we brought the tree home, Gregg planted it firmly in the tree stand, and we put it in the living room.

i asked him if he'd put the lights on the tree while i decorated other things.

this is where Rule #1: Lighting the Tree comes into the picture.

Gregg, without any proper coaching, was un-complainingly stringing the lights from the top of the tree and in a sort of "wrapping" way, just circling them around the tree.

in no way was i trying to be a scrooge, but there's no way you can just string lights on a tree by wrapping them around by walking around the tree in circles.

so here it is:

Rule #1: Lighting the Tree If your hands aren't sticky and sappy after having lit the tree, you've not done it properly.

Why you ask? WELL, to properly light a tree, you must:

Unpack the strands of lights.
Plug them in.
Check for burnt-out bulbs.
Meticulously, (starting at the top), intertwine the light strands with the branches by wrapping and looping so that the strands are hidden to the best of your ability.
Keep connecting light strands until you get to the bottom of the tree.
Plug the final strand into a switch (either a foot switch or hand switch) and...voila!
*If your hands aren't sticky from the sap from touching all those branches, then you mustn't have done it correctly.

Your tree will be a lit masterpiece.

Stay tuned for more Decorating Rules, to be continued...

hot coffee and cream

2008-12-08T09:35:00.001-05:00

it goes without saying that i am an official coffee drinker now. it's funny how a year of life really changes you.

prior to december 1st, 2007, i had never liked or drank a full cup of coffee-type product. i had your typical flavored cappuccinos before, but i always drank hot chai tea.

i never liked the taste of plain black coffee, and even just the taste of coffee once it was doctored was gross to me.

but then, Gregg broke me. he brought me a vanilla latte from Starbucks, and I've been hooked ever since. for awhile, i drank my coffee with vanilla caramel coffee-mate. but then switched to milk and sugar. when i realized that i think i was adding too much sugar to my coffee, i recently switched back to coffee-mate. now, with the holiday flavors arriving, i've picked up a few new favorites. if you're a coffee drinker and you haven't tried Peppermint Mocha or Caramel Apple Coffee-Mate, i suggest getting over to Kroger, buying a 16-oz. for $1.99 (on special) and using a coupon from the "Sign Up for Savings" area on the website for $1.00 off! That means you'll get 16 oz. for 99c plus tax!

It's a Blog-A-Versary

2008-12-06T22:02:00.008-05:00

A list~100 things...

in honor of one year of blogging...

which may be more blog-concentrated in my last 3 months, but who cares!?

I love hot coffee in bed.
I never drank coffee until I met Gregg.
Gregg brought me a vanilla latte from Starbux last year on December 1st, 2007 before the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5K.

That's how I started drinking coffee. But before that, it was definitely skinny chai tea lattes for me.

Chai tea reminds me of my friend, Laura, who inspires me to be a better blogger and to copy her 100 Things list from her blog-a-versary.

The reason chai reminds me of Laura is because she used to live in the basement of this old lady's? house and I went there once and she made me chai and gave me a hand-crocheted scarf, which I still wear.

Her crocheting skills inspired me to learn how to knit...which I did...in 2005 on a snow day from one of my student's parents, Kay Collie.

Now I love to knit but I rarely get out my knitting bag. I have it next to the bed right now because I need to get started on some knitting Christmas presents. I have one scarf started. UGH.

I love Christmas! I'm so glad it's Christmas time right now! My favorite thing is a glass full of glass ornaments:
I love getting a real live tree and dragging needles through the house.

I love when you put the lights on the tree and it dazzles at night.

I can't wait to have the tree in the same room as the fireplace. That's pretty cozy.

I love to bake. My stack of recipes just for Christmas cookies is getting pretty high.

I love reading good books,

making delightful home-made Christmas cards,

and finishing a pile of ironing.

I'm a big fan of souvenirs from other countries, like this teapot from London and this globe from the Dominican Republic:

I love mental math. If you can do the math in your head, I'm all for it!

My favorite number is 49 because 7 x 7 = 49.

When I taught math to 2nd graders, I loved using things like buttons, keys, and bread tags (AKA: Junk Boxes) to count, sort, group, add, and subtract.

I want to own my own book store someday. It might be kind of like the book store in the movie You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan was the book shop owner. She dressed up like characters and read stories to children. That's what I want to do.

I would love to have a section of the book store devoted to book clubs where groups could meet, read, and chat about their books.

I would like this because I am a member of 2 book clubs and we like to find good places to meet: such as The Good Cherry in Forest, VA.

I would also have an area in the book store where there was a small stage and curtain and a big throne-like chair where I would have Story Hour and little performances (maybe poetry readings from a poetry workshop for kids, etc...).

If you've never seen the movie You've Got Mail, you should. Meg Ryan's character, Kathleen Kelly, has the shop I want: "Shop Around the Corner."

I'm currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

After I finish this, my next readings are to finish The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger,

and to read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch,

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls,

reread Great Expectations by Charles Dickens,

and Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema.

I'd like to finish all of those before February.

I would also like to do a lot of other things before February, such as: make Christmas cards and send them, visit a lot of schools for my job, and bake a lot of Christmas cookies.

I think goodreads.com is a great site for cataloging the books you read and reminding yourself why you liked them.

I'm also a huge fan of runnersworld.com's Training Log feature and I find it pretty convenient to map out each run I complete and log it in my training log.

Which brings me to the point that I REALLY love running. I wouldn't have met Gregg if it weren't for running.

I have personally best-ed myself in almost every race I ran this year. My current fastest 5K time is 25:09. I ran that at the Flemington, NJ Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving last week. You can see the results here! (PS: Look for Gregg Cavaliere and you'll see his amazing time, too!)

My boyfriend, Gregg, was a 5-time All-American for Lynchburg College in cross country, indoor and oudoor track. That makes me very proud. He was/is really fast! He's also in the Lynchburg College Hall of Fame.

He also has a lot of all-time track records at Lynchburg College. Can you tell I'm proud of him?

I want to do a marathon (26.2 miles) and maybe an Ironman (2.4 mile swim, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles) someday.

If I do either or both, I will feel very proud of myself. (Not that I don't feel proud of what I've done already.)

Pride, humility, joy, and love: feelings I like to have.

Too much pride, sadness, guilt, and pain: feelings I don't like to have.

Google, filibuster, sprinkles, and l'ananas: words I love.

I speak some French. Je parle le francais, un peu.

Je voudrais aller a France...peut-etre a Paris et le sud de la France a la plage de la mer Mediterranee. Peut-etre.

Translation for #46: use Google Translate.

I would also like to visit: Egypt, the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Poland, England, Sweden, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Turks & Caicos, Alaska, and Mexico.

I lose my 2nd toenail on my right foot when I run long races.

It hasn't grown back the same since I first lost it.

I love ice water and white wine. Not together.

My favorite white wine ever is any kind of Gewurtztraminer.

I love reading about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. It's SOO interesting. Books like Number the Stars, All But My Life, and The Diary of Anne Frank are some of my favorites.

I used to count calories on everything and throw up sometimes. I don't do that anymore.

I'm usually pretty happy in my body these days. That's a big step from my college years.

Gregg always points out that I, too, am a huge proponent of efficient movement around the house. If I'm moving through the house, I probably have something to move with me. Laundry, dishes, etc.

I have a shoe problem. It's very convincing when you look in my closet or if you refer to another blog of mine, Shoes: My Stomping Grounds.

I once sewed my own patchwork quilt. I want to learn how to quilt for real, and I want to make a t-shirt quilt for Gregg.

I like the following names: Kyria, Persephone, Carrington, Easton, Tellulah, Tucker, Alden, Aiden, Asia, Madison, Zoe, Noah, Jakob, Eva, Thomas, Eden, Harry, and Marisol.

I don't think Gregg likes any of them.

I love coupons...online kind or paper kind...whatever you've got, I want it. Especially coupon CODES!

I am convinced that learning the dance from the video below would make me feel happy everyday. When I needed it, I'd just start doing this dance. Beyonce must be a happy gal.

I met a guy at the running store today who is a senior at E.C. Glass. He runs track, but his first obsession is dance. He can do the whole Beyonce Single Ladies dance. Wow.

I don't have cable. We get like 3 major channels. You won't get those channels with an antenna anymore unless you order the converter box before February.

You can apply for a coupon for the converter box here.

My favorite subscription: National Geographic.

My favorite country: USA.

My favorite famous American: Susan B. Anthony.

She and I share a birthday and she's got her own dollar coin. How cool is that?! Plus, she helped pave the way for my suffrage. Sweet, huh? Don't know what I'm talking about? Read about her here.

I am a huge fan of Wikipedia. I know everything isn't accurate, but I still love it.

I'd love to write several books. One will be My 492 Prince Charmings about the dating story of my life.

Another book will be a biography of a man named Tommy Harris. He is a very famous guy in Lynchburg.

I would also like to write several children's books. One of them would be about Belize, a country I visited twice in college.

Another children's book I'd write would be about Christmas and traditions.

Which reminds me, I really want Elf on the Shelf (the book and the toy) for my Christmas traditions collection.

I also have a list of other things I want someday: a decanter, a candle snuffer, a really nice nativity, my own nutcracker tree like Sarah's, and a vintage ornament tree.

I also want to marry Gregg. So I kinda want a ring. Like this, or this, or this. I also like this, this, and this.

I feel very happy about wearing Smartwool socks. They are warm and snuggly.

I also really like socks made by the sock guy and gizmo. I really want the "flying pig" and "pinky" pairs from the sock guy.

I have a recent sock obsession. It might be from working at Riverside Runners.

I also have a shoe obsession. Oh wait, I already told you about that. My new aspect of obsession de la shoes is with running shoes. I just got a pair of Nike Vomeros...and I love them. But I also want a pair of Nike Lunar Racers, and a new pair of Asics Nimbus, another Mizuno Wave Creation 9, and a pair of track spikes. I never really liked these shoes that much before. WOAH!

I would love to have a dog someday. If I did, I'd own a pug, a mastiff, or a boxer.
I've never had a pet in my life.
My little sister had 2 goldfish, but she fed them Oreo crumbs, and they died.
She also had a hermit crab named Sandy, but like all hermit crabs, she died too.
My parents have a kitten named Joy now. It is anything but joyful. I call her Lucy (short for Lucifer) because she spits at people and hisses.
I am ultra-emotional.
That explains why I sometimes cry with just a change in the tone of one's voice.
Though I do try to hold back, it never works.
I'm also a big fan of jewelry.
I like loud, silly rings in bright colors that my mom rolls her eyes at.
My mom rolls her eyes/sighs at me a lot.
But that doesn't mean we aren't close and that she isn't really important to me.
Because she is.
She's very inspirational.
I hope that I can be a mom like her someday.
Then I'll know I've given something to this world.
If only I could work on getting that ring I wanted.
So that then Gregg and I can get married.
And then we can have our own little miracles to teach, love, and enjoy.

Shoes: My Stomping Grounds

2008-12-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

I read somewhere that there are 6 main reasons why women buy shoes:

The shoe matches an outfit we have in our closet.

We buy the shoe to potentially match a future clothing purchase.

We bought it because it was cute.

We bought it becase it made us feel sexy and powerful when we put it on.

We bought it on sale.

We bought it off the clearance rack and can't take it back.

Now, I'd like to personally link a shoe to each of these reasons and talk about how each said shoe has changed my life (or wardrobe).

1. This is a shoe I bought because it would definitely match something I already had in my closet. It matched one green shirt that I bought and that justified me getting the shoe as well. I haven't worn it that much, but it's still cool to pull it out every once in awhile:

2. This is a definite example of a shoe bought to potentially match something in my closet someday. Now, for what it's worth, this shoe has had proud moments at TJES and as the unforgettable Amy Winehouse shoe:

3. I bought this shoe because it was so cute. It went well with a pair of black Bermudas and a cute black sundress this summer. Also pairs nicely with jeans:

4. I definitely bought this shoe because it made me feel powerful and sexy when I put it on. I had no idea what I would wear this shoe with...but I knew I had to have it. It was gorgeous! Now, after over a year of wear, this shoe probably should be retired (it's old) but it's just so fun to wear with jeans that I can't come to grips with parting with it:

5. I bought this shoe on sale and thought it was cool, but once again didn't know what I'd wear it with. After I wore it this summer, my sister told me she looked at the same shoe and asked if she could borrow it. Guess it was worth it:

6. And the last shoe, bought off the clearance rack (for $16.97, down from $68.00!), was not returnable. It's a Chinese Laundry shoe, and I wanted a t-strap sandal all summer. Was it worth it? YES! I wore this a ton:

My ode to shoes. There are plenty more in the closet. Hope you enjoyed just 6 pairs!

gals on the run

2008-12-03T22:21:00.001-05:00

Saturday, November 22nd, Sarah, Emily (her sis), and I

ran the Girls on the Run 5K celebration run with a bunch of 3rd-5th grade girls from Lynchburg and the surrounding areas.

Girls on the Run is a program for girls in 3rd through 5th grades that encourages girls to run (obviously) and make healthy choices. It also helps girls with peer pressure choices and talking about "tough" issues, like using drugs, smoking, and drinking as well as body image, eating disorders, and being a friend.

The celebration 5K is a "race" but isn't timed and recorded. There's a clock at the start so you know your time when you finish, but it's non-competitive and is more about promoting the girls' and their big accomplishment of finishing a 5K!

As a teacher at one of the GOTR schools (Thomas Jefferson Elementary), Sarah wanted to support some of her former students and cheer on the TJES group. I went with her since I knew a lot of the girls, too, since I also taught at TJES. Since I'm not teaching there anymore, it's always fun to see the kids from school and get huge hugs from them when they come running up to say hello! Sarah's sister, Emily, went with us, and we all ran the race, had a great time chatting, and felt better that morning for having done it.

So here's to the GOTR of Greater Lynchburg! The run was a huge success!

the turkey cupcake

2008-11-26T22:32:00.005-05:00

with inspiration from my friend Kelly, Gregg's nieces, Jackie, Maddie, and I made turkey cupcakes this afternoon. they were very fun and a big hit! can't wait to serve them tomorrow!

we used the idea from Kelly along with some inspiration from the web...

and we're proud to say that they're just beautiful!

yellow cake mix, chocolate icing, chocolate sprinkles,
candy corn, and some pasty bags did the trick!

moloka'i

2008-11-26T21:45:00.001-05:00

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
when I started reading Moloka'i, I honestly wasn't that interested. I didn't catch the cover with a lot of intrigue, and unfortunately, I do judge books by their covers.

anyway, book club decided to read it, and i finally finished (late, as usual) today. i loved this book.

Moloka'i, a Hawaiian island, was home to a leper colony in the late 1800s and into the 1900s, where many people were exiled to live with "leprousy" which was actually something later to be called Hansen's Disease.

the main character, Rachel Kalama, is torn from her family and sent to live at Kalaupapa on Molokai'i.

the book is the story of her loneliness, her love, her hope, and her life. it's a great book because it shows how much a person adapts to their surroundings when they have to.

View all my reviews.

i'm kind of obsessed with cakes

2008-11-26T21:24:00.004-05:00

some photos from El's 2nd birthday in September...the caterpillar cake I made for her birthday:

if i ever doubted my betty crocker talents

2008-11-26T20:38:00.007-05:00

so, i had an official welcome into the Cavaliere family with an invite to Gregg's brother and sister-in-laws' house in Hillsborough for Thanksgiving. for one of only 2 times out of 26, i'd be spending Thanksgiving away from my family in Greensburg, PA...

SO...with that, i started asking some questions about Gregg's two nieces, Maddie and Jackie. since Jackie's 12th birthday was coming up (it was this past Sunday, Nov. 23rd), we recieved an email from Rose, Gregg's sister-in-law about Jackie's latest interest: robots!

SO, we had the idea to make a robot cake for Jackie's birthday and bring it with us to New Jersey. and that's what I did...I make a robot cake. I'm kind of proud of how it turned out.

making the cake involved making a yellow and chocolate box cake, using a 9x13 pan for the yellow cake, and then a 9" sqaure, a small 4" round, and a dome cake out of the chocolate cake.

after baking, i used the chocolate dome cake for the head, a portion of the 9x13 yellow for his chest/body, the 9" square for his legs, pieces of the rest of the yellow for his arms and feet, and the small 4" circle cut in half for his shoulders.

the gray icing, (mixed white icing with Wilson food coloring paste, NOT food coloring...because it's less liquidy and therefore affects the icing's viscosity less) was made from adding red, green, blue, a little pink, and then a little more green...

the rivets on the edge of the robot are chocolate chips turned upside down.

the buttons and eyebrows are M&Ms...the mouth and outlining is just black gel icing.

the cake was a huge accomplishment:

and this is Jackie's reaction to the cake...we had a lot of fun!

V-O-T-E! again! click here or on the apple below!

2008-11-21T09:44:00.003-05:00

my friend, Laura, is on target to try to win for the best "New Homeschool Blog 2008" and I'd like to give her at least a few more votes. If you could, (even though you don't know her), just click on the apple above or on my title link, and go to "10 Million Miles" to vote for Laura, that would be awesome! :) I would forever love you! And it's a chance to vote again if you did or didn't particularly feel like your vote mattered earlier this month!

friends through THICK and thin

2008-11-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

I love this group...a shot from last night's bunko...this group includes people who:

I've taught with.

I run with.

are Ohio State fans.

are Penn State fans.

are in a book club with me.

I've babysat for.

share the love of blogging with me.

are still teachers.

are pharmacists.

hash with me.

have gorgeous children!

play Bunko!

spreading myself beyond the PSU lines...

2008-11-21T08:21:00.004-05:00

so, i've NEVER, in my entire life, been a fan or patron of the Ohio State Buckeyes. i grew up in a small town, Jeannette, Pennsylvania, until i was 4, where we had a buckeye tree growing in our yard. my only real influence of buckeyes was with that tree, collecting them in a small plastic swimming pool and playing with them. they weren't edible nuts (though a relative of the chestnut) but they were kind of fun to play with because they were hard, made a cool noise when knocked together, and were especially fun to run your hands through if you had a huge pile of them. but i digress...

the OSU Buckeyes have always been an enemy of mine, consider the following facts:

I am a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University.
PSU and OSU are both in the Big Ten.
OSU usually beats PSU in the season. They didn't this year.
I am from Pennsylvania and have some family and friends from Ohio...forming a natural rivalry.
A lot of Ohio State fans I know, have always been a little negative toward my boyfriend, JoePa.

However, with all of this against me ever doing anything positive in the light of the Buckeyes, i've turned over a new leaf. i present to you:

YES! You are seeing what your eyes are telling you. I did bake a cake and make it into an Ohio State "O." if it weren't for the cold, hard fact that a friend from Bunko, Carrie, was a HUGE Ohio State fan, this never would've happened. however, carrie, who has been a part of this group since it started (3+ years), is moving to Ohio in January and we're all very sad to see her go. last night, at her last bunko, we gave her a little sayonara with a "Virginia-themed" gift and an Ohio State cake. Carrie, we will miss you...and you've seen another side of me that may NEVER happen again...but should be cherished in all of it's Ohio State glory.

Hope you enjoyed the other side of my leaf. I will be returning to my usual buckeye inspiration (the nut) for the rest of time.

a PLIABLE question...

2008-11-20T23:31:00.001-05:00

interestingly enough, ears were the topic of a short conversation at bunko last night...in a rather amusing context, jodi asked everyone sitting at our table if their ears were soft or hard at the tops. we all immediately took our ears and attempted to bend them because jodi continued by telling us that her boyfriend made fun of her ears because they were rather rigid and his were more of the floppy type.

if you've never really thought about this, i urge you to reach up to your own ears now and notice if they're floppy and pliable at the tops, or if they're more of the rigid, hard-to-bend types. it's an interesting question and something to experiment with when you're around your husband, wife, children, boyfriend or girlfriend.

funny...we talk about the most random things. did you hear that?

be my guest b&b

2008-11-18T23:32:00.001-05:00

If you've ever wanted a peacock mirror, this is the place to see one! After spending one of two nights here at the Be My Guest B&B, I've decided that Bertie and I would be great friends...if not for anything else but a love of sparkly, be-dazzled, jewel-toting peacocks, jewelry boxes, and knick-knacks. I LOVE this mirror and REALLY wish I could have one of my own.

The house, built in 1919, was bought by Bill & Bertie in 1982. Located on the corner of Kensington and Sheppard, just 2 blocks from the VMFA, the Be My Guest Bed and Breakfast is just gorgeous! I'm enamored mostly by the bathroom in my room...a suite...because it's purple and green, has a gorgeous glass tile floor (eggplant and celery), a shower with multiple heads...(great after this morning's run), and of course, the peacock mirror.

Breakfast was served this morning by Bill...a homemade Belgian waffle with berries, chocolate chips, and yummy syrup. Fruit was delish, coffee yummy...

Had a great stay...you should visit too!

my new job (click here!) or read below!

2008-11-17T16:16:00.001-05:00

VMFA ART ON THE SPOT STATEWIDE

Art on the Spot programs are free SOL based programs for elementary classrooms. Since 2004 these programs have served over 30,000 students in the metro Richmond area. Thanks to a generous gift from The Council of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, VMFA is excited to offer Art on the Spot classroom visits to students across the Virginia November 2008 through June 2009.

Let VMFA educators come to your school with VMFA Art on the Spot. These 60 minute multi-sensory and SOL-related art experiences, include art history lessons, hands-on activities, and video clips. This year's Art on the Spot lessons are recommended for grades 1, 3, and 4.

City/Country Grade 1Take an imaginary trip through the country and the city to explore how lifestyles change from the past to the present. Learn about American artists, George Henry Durrie and Faith Ringgold, and use real fabric to make your own story quilt about your family.

Get Earthy! Greece and Rome Grade 3Be an archaeologist! Discover the worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. Explore the Olympics, pottery, and a mysterious artifact.

The Voice of Freedom Grade 4 Investigate art that illustrates Americans efforts to gain independence, end slavery, and give women the right to vote. Become the voice of these paintings and help describe what freedom meant to the artists and their subjects.

Scheduling Please schedule your FREE educational visit at least three weeks in advance by phoning Jennifer Foley, Paul Mellon Collection Educator, at 804.204.2673, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm.
Please have the following information ready when you call:
Art on the Spot program topic
Number of students - Maximum of 32 students per group
Date(s) and time(s)
Alternate date(s) and time(s)
School name, address, and phone number
Name of contact person or teacher and their home/cell phone and e-mail

lazy sundays

2008-11-17T15:49:00.004-05:00

if you can't identify with the need for a lazy long Sunday, then i invite you to hear about my sunday...for which I'm not exactly proud to say that i didn't do anything i needed to, but everything i wanted to...

woke up at 10am

laid in bed until noon

went to Cracker Barrel (Gregg's ONLY FAVORITE breakfast restau)

stopped at the Royal Chevrolet car lot to look for a white VW Jetta Wolfberg edition...didn't find it until we visited the lot on 221 (formerly Jim Martin Pontiac)

went to Hollywood Video to rent American Gangster and Smart People

stopped at CVS to pick up the Sunday paper and snacks (typically, Strawberry Twizzlers for Gregg and Nacho Cheese Doritos for me)

went home and watched NFL all afternoon, including the nearly-upset Steelers' victory! (DID YOU SEE THAT polamalu TOUCHDOWN at 0:00?)

put American Gangster on the big screen and was lost for the next 3 hours

except for when we paused the movie and made (ie: opened up cans and heated in the microwave) soup for dinner

put a load of laundry in the washer
read some of Moloka'i
went to bed

Yup, that's really what my Sunday was like. I didn't go to church, I barely cleaned up laundry or made meals...but it felt so good! And now I'm rested and ready to go to Richmond tonight and learn all about my new job as a VMFA Art on the Spot Educator!

did you know...?

2008-11-14T14:07:00.002-05:00

i'm reading the book, MOLOKA'I by Alan Brennert, a novel about a girl who is torn from her family and exiled to life on Moloka'i in a leprosy settlement...if you've never heard about the settlement and what was happening on this small island of Hawaii, then it's worth doing a little research about...especially because it only ended 40 years ago in 1969. pretty crazy.

a cruddy (couple of) day(s)

2008-11-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

it's not that i try to be in a crummy mood when a few days of serious rain and clouds come along...but sometimes even when i try my hardest, rainy days always get me down.

it doesn't help that i'm low on money, still feeling the effects of taking a few months off from teaching and only starting a new part-time job 4 weeks ago and about to start another job next week...but finances can really get ya down, too.

it probably has to do with having a really fabulous weekend last weekend and knowing that i have a not-so-fabulous weekend coming up...

it might have to do with the fact that the front right wheel on my car was bent in 3 places when they looked at it at the garage...that i had to rotate my newer front tires to the back and then get rid of the rear tires (they were REALLY bad) and get new ones...which thankfully, only ended up meaning i had to buy one tire because my full-size, never-been-used Michelin spare was more than adequate and meant that i only had to buy one more Michelin to put on the front (to the tune of $129.00)...

it might have to do with the fact that i've wanted to get 2 people gifts in the past 3 months and i can't afford it.

it might have to do with the fact that it's embarrassing to even talk about...

whatever the reason for my glum mood, karen carpenter says it all when she sings Rainy Days and Mondays in the video above.

so you begin the healing process by writing, curling up with a good book, or grabbing a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar and eating the entire thing yourself.

OBX half-marathon

2008-11-13T09:46:00.003-05:00

When Kelly Perdieu told me about the OBX Half-Marathon back in September...she mentioned that she really wanted to go and that she probably would be staying with some friends who have done it every year. Since I didn't want to impose and I didn't really have the money, I didn't really pursue the idea of running it. After I started working for Riverside Runners in mid-October, I once again had the idea pop into my head when a fellow runner, Tommy Harris, mentioned that he was going to the OBX to run the full marathon and he was looking for someone to be his driver (aka: take him to the start, 26 miles away from his house). I thought it would be so much fun, so I asked Gregg if he'd be interested in going (being our driver) and told him we'd have a place to stay. I was running in the mornings with Kelly (semi-training, but not really running that much), so I decided to step it up in preparation for the race. I confirmed with Tommy that we'd be coming along, that we'd stay with him at his house, and that Jeff had approved me to be gone that weekend from work. I started running more, ran a PR in the I Am Woman 5k, at 25:36. In no way did I think the OBX Half was going to be some GREAT race for me, but I knew it would be fun. Tommy, Gregg, and I left on Nov. 7th, a Friday afternoon, stopped for spaghetti in Chesapeake on the way down, and then settled in. Saturday, we went to the Race EXPO, picked up our packets, bought fun Gizmo socks, and drove the courses. Saturday night, we talked about our goals for the race...mine being that I beat my previous half-marathon time of 2:08:53 by 4-5 minutes (goal: 2:04:00). Tommy and Gregg both agreed that they thought I could break 2 hours, but I wasn't too sure, knew that I was feeling ultra-nervous, and was a bit sore in my right Achilles.the morning of the race, after visiting the bathroom and porta-john plenty of times, i took off. tommy had prepared my feet with moleskin, vaseline, and his favorite treatment, Bigeloil, and i felt really good. Gregg missed the start of the half because he was dropping Tommy off for the marathon start, so i took off and hoped to see Gregg somewhere along the course. if it weren't for him popping up every few miles, i probably wouldn't have done as well...gregg would come out of nowhere, cheer for me, take some pictures and then move on ahead and meet me again. i felt so good the first half of the race...running around 57 minutes for the first 6.9 miles. the 2nd half, a 10K, was a similar time, around 59 minutes, which put me at 1:56:57 for my finish. i knew that i slowed down a bit in the 2nd half, but i wasn't sure by how much, and i wasn't pushing super hard until the last 5K and then really the last mile. when i saw the finish line and saw that i was under 2 hours, i started to cry! i was so happy, so proud, so excited that i had beat my own goal and fulfilled what both Tommy & Gregg had said in the beginning. running this race was like a new step for me...breaking records...running a better pace than ever in a long distance race...and just feeling so good about myself. :) i'm sure there's more running records to come!

summer race series

2008-11-13T09:21:00.001-05:00

last year at this time, gregg and i had only met a few times:

mid-September 2007: ended up at the E.C. Glass parking lot at the same time after running on the 10-miler course on a Thursday night...in preparation for the 10-miler...he introduced himself and asked if i wanted to meet him and some others at the Corner Cafe for a drink (me: "what's the corner cafe, and who is this old guy i'm talking to?")

October 2007: went to the Corner Cafe for the first time because the hash ended there, and saw him with a friend, Jeff, who owns the running store. talked to jeff, acknowledged gregg, but didn't think anything of it.

November 13, 2007: went to the Lynchburg Road Runners meeting to accept my award for 3rd place in my age group for the Lynchburg Summer Race Series. gregg was there for the free pizza and asked me after if i wanted to get a drink. once again, i rejected him...("who is this guy??")

November 18, 2007: ended another hash at the Corner Cafe and gregg happened to be there (i didn't know this at the time, but he was an owner of the CC, so it made sense that he was there all the time). when everyone was getting rides back to Food Lion where we started our run, most of the cars were full. i had started talking to gregg at the counter, and he offered a ride back to Food Lion. I accepted, and on the way, in his new BMW convertible, we started chatting and he asked for my number. my phone was broken at the time, so i gave him my number, but told him i wouldn't have my new phone until Thanksgiving (this was true) because I had it shipped to my parents' house. nonetheless, i told him to call me sometime after the holiday...(again, i wasn't that interested, but i did like his car).

November 29, 2007: gregg got in touch with me the week after Thanksgiving, asked me to meet up with him and some friends at mudpuppy's on a Thursday night. i was baking Christmas cookies, so i told him i'd come if i finished in time without it being too late. something inside me prodded me to go once i pulled out the last batch from the oven, and since it was close, i decided to go with my gut. i met gregg (his friends had already left) and we started talking...and it was like instant connection. gregg says now that even if we hadn't had a romantic connection, he still would've wanted to at least be friends cause he thought i was so cool. we talked for a long time, but i had school the next day, so i had to go home.

December 1, 2007: the night before (Nov. 30th), i was having people over from school for Game Night, so i didn't get to hang out with gregg...(ironically, i think he had a date with some chick, or dinner or something, so it's funny how it all worked out), but on Saturday, December 1st, there was the annual Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic. gregg and i talked about riding together, if i could be up early enough to catch a ride with him. it turns out, i woke up, and gregg picked me up...and he brought me a vanilla latte from Starbux...i was instantly wooed. we ran the race (gregg was 4th overall!) and then waited in the Bedford Middle School gym for a LOOOOONG time for the results. if the results hadn't been so screwed up, gregg and i wouldn't have had all that time to talk and hang out...it was destiny. we stopped at subway on the way home (he bought me lunch) and then vowed to hang out later if we could...he stopped by later that afternoon and i was baking banana bread, then asked if i wanted to hang out that evening. no longer even wanting to go, i told him that i had dinner plans (here's another ironic part of the story: anisa, a teacher from my school, had been wanting to set me up on a date with this guy from the hammersley dealer because she was dating one of his co-workers. i had agreed to go to dinner with her to meet this guy that night...so i just told gregg i was having dinner with a single friend...partly true). the blind date dinner was awful, i had NO interest in the guy she set me up with, and i wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible...i ended up calling gregg when i got home at 10 and asked him if he wanted to watch a movie. i ended up telling him about the blind date because i felt guilty and because i wanted him to know how much i was thinking about hanging out with him instead of dinner with the blind date guy.

December 2007-present: gregg and i hit it off (obviously) and we've been together ever since. two nights ago, we had that same Lynchburg Summer Race Series Awards meeting, and this time, instead of 3rd in my age group, i won 1st. it made me very nostalgic to receive this award because now i have this amazing boyfriend who has helped me become a better runner and who supports me in so many ways...and who was there when i received the award last year but wasn't a part of my life then as he is now. so this blog is dedicated not only to my 1st place award, but to the amazing past year of my life...

amy winehouse

2008-11-12T23:01:00.001-05:00

i celebrated Halloween evening with several of my friends...a former teaching partner, Sarah, her husband, Ryan, her sister, Emily, and another couple, Jimmy & Ashley. Sarah, Emily, and Ryan went as Three's Company, Jimmy as Hannah Montana and Ashley as Billy Ray Cyrus...and then there's me...as Amy Winehouse.

don't ask me what caused my costume to transpire...maybe it's the weird obsession i have with seeing her sickly photos...

maybe it's the way her raspy English voice sounds in her song, Rehab.

maybe it's her crazy tattoos and the fact that i really wish i had a crazy tattoo...

maybe it's because i finally purchased a pair of much-wanted skinny jeans in order to create my character's costume...

but whatever it was, it was fun to be amy for one night. actually it was so much fun that i dressed as her the next night, too.

CHANGE (a list): so much happens in a year...

2008-11-12T11:38:00.000-05:00

A year + a week ago, this picture was taken with friends at a Halloween (obviously) party. If you would've told me that I'd be where I am now on that day, I wouldn't have believed you.

There are several reasons why I feel like so much has happened this past year. I'll make a list...because I know several bloggers who have made lists before, and I always love to read lists.

My List of Changes for 2008 (or Things You Didn't Know About Me)

I have a tres serieux boyfriend, Gregg. I NEVER thought I'd fall in love like this, and now I know how amazing it can be to have someone love you so much!

I am no longer a teacher, at least not in the institutional sense.
I have run nine 5K races, a 1-miler, a 5-miler, and a 10K this year.
I have also run two Deep Hollow Half Marathon trail races, a Lynchburg Half Marathon, and my first Outer Banks Half Marathon this year.

I am the aunt of a 2 year old named Ella, whom I babysit almost every week.

I live in Lynchburg, Virginia...a formerly very conservative area in Virginia.

I am a big fan of Bunko.
I've become closer friends with a girl I never would've thought I would.
I work at Riverside Runners.
I am the membership contact for the Lynchburg Road Runners.
I just accepted a job with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for which I will be an Art on the Spot Educator.
I travelled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in March.
I went to Bethany Beach, Delaware with my whole family in July.
I helped welcome several friends' babies into the world: Alexis' twins, Bailey and Cooper; Carrie's Evey, Kylie's Beckett, Nell's Ashley, and Amy's Callie.
I celebrated Ella's 2nd birthday and made her a caterpillar cake!
I finished the Angel's Race Sprint Triathlon for the 2nd year and bettered my time by 13 minutes, with a personal record of 1:46:07.
I saw one of my very best friends, Rachel, marry her love, Brad, in September.

These are just a few things that have changed my life or have changed about me in the past year. Change has been the most positive thing in my life in a year.

hope you didn't waste your vote

2008-11-05T11:48:00.001-05:00

Profound.

Election Day

2008-11-04T19:01:00.002-05:00

If you're a fan of Duran Duran...then you might like my new favorite music video. Appropriate for this historical Election Day, 2008!

Take the time to appreciate the hair, clothes, make-up, and semi-goth seeping out of this video!

V-O-T-E!

2008-11-04T18:20:00.004-05:00

If you haven't already gone out and committed to your civic duty to vote, you've got 4 minutes left here in Virginia...and if you already did, then hopefully you're proudly wearing your "I VOTED!" sticker like me! And if you're a coffee drinker, you shouldn't forget your Starbucks opportunity for a free "I voted!" coffee!

4th of 4th

2008-11-03T23:35:00.002-05:00

if you've never been tagged to play a blog game...here's your chance. :) i was hit by my friend june to post the 4th photo from my 4th folder of photos. here it is. it's Ella...from February. she was a lot smaller then...my how children grow!
and to those who i'm supposed to say "TAG!" to...i don't know anyone! :)

run...run...run for the kites...

2008-10-07T23:53:00.002-04:00

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
oooooooooh...soooooooo good. I'm so glad i had just read Three Cups of Tea before this because it made it that much more enjoyable. i'm kind of obsessed with pakistan and afghanistan now, I really want to go there.

this book is sooooo sad, so emotional, but such a good story. what a novel!

"For you a thousand times over!"

View all my reviews.

and they said he'd never have another good season...

2008-10-04T22:25:00.006-04:00

not to say that #6 Penn State is a powerhouse now that they're up in the rankings, but as an '04 PSU grad myself, i think i have room to speak. graduating from penn state in 2004 gave me a few more rough football years than good ones. i faltered through the 5-7 2000 season. i was at the game in 2001 when PSU upset Ohio State and gave JoePa his 324th win, making him the winningest NCAA Division I coach. it wasn't the greatest of seasons...we were 5-6 overall, but at least Joe passed Bobby and the world was at peace. then my junior year, we were 9-3 and went to the Capital One Bowl...it was such a big deal for me since my 1st two years were so tough. and then...2003...we ended the season 3-9...and i was a senior and our nittany lions looked like nittany kittens that year. after that, everyone started to say JoePa needed to retire and his time in the limelight was over...he needed to finish while he was ahead...blah, blah, blah...

well, i always stood by Joe Paterno. Joe lived on McKee down the street from me my junior year when i lived on north allen street...right next to Sunset Park.

i used to pass him a lot up on Park Avenue...and during the 2002 season, i left him PSU cookies on his Brady Bunch style 70s home doorstep. i donno if Joe ever ate those cookies, but i still feel a special connection to him.

i've just always supported joe. when my Pitt alumni father dogged on him and the rough seasons, when fellow Penn Staters said, "Maybe he should retire," when the media said he was going to die on the football field...i supported him.

and now, it's 2008, and the Nittany Lions are 6-0. joepa may have coached from the press box yesterday afternoon, but his Lions are strong this year.

it may be just another year of college football...it may be that our almost-82-year-old Joe has had many years of success...but it doesn't mean that he's at the end of his journey.

Joe Paterno is my man...I just wish he was running for President. i'd vote JoePa!

STOP what you're doing and read this book

2008-10-01T15:02:00.004-04:00

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Three Cups of Tea isn't a work of literary genius...something you'd pick apart for AP Literature classes in high school or writing classes in college...it's not Poe, Steinbeck, Orwell, or Shakespeare...but the words that are weaved together in this book that retells the ten years of Greg Mortenson's life when he went on his biggest adventure, reaching a summit far higher than that of K2, are maybe more valuable than any of the best classic literature or informative non-fiction in the world. The strides that Mortenson took after chance brought him to the village of Korphe in Northern Pakistan are amazing.

Three Cups of Tea chronicles both the eccentricities that become Greg Mortenson in his life in the U.S. as well as the footsteps he took, lessons he learned, and lives he changed while in Pakistan and parts of Afgahanistan.

Three Cups is filled with suspense at times when he's captured by unknowns, sitting to drink tea with Taliban leaders, or just barely escaping death in a tunnel in Afghanistan.

Three Cups is filled with emotion at times when Mortenson is building this one-of-a-kind father-son relationship with Haji Ali, the leader of the village of Korphe, sharing the best friend relationship that was built in just six days with his future wife Tara, and recounting the power that Jahan, granddaughter of Haji Ali, has received through her education and how her empowerment has given her high hopes for the rest of her life.

Three Cups is a book so full that everyone should read it. It's not a literary work of art, it's a humanitarian work of art.

View all my reviews.

the number devil

2008-09-22T15:09:00.000-04:00

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've always loved math and numbers...so when my friend Sarah gave me this book to read, I was excited to see what it was all about. I loved it! So much fun to twist mathematics into a story with a creative edge when math seems so cut and dry and uncreative. I loved it!

If you've ever had a hard time with math concepts or don't understand certain things numbers can do, try this book, you won't be disappointed!

View all my reviews.

middlesex by jeffrey euginedes

2008-07-22T21:07:00.003-04:00

I recently finished reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and am so excited about the book, I'd like to share my review. If you're not a member of goodreads, you should check it out!

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am SO into this book...I know I'm reading it ultra-late and missed the book club discussion, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the first half. I remember someone saying that there are too many details at club...but that's the part that I like. I feel a part of Cal's life...his family...his creation...I really really like it.

LATER...as I got into the meat of this story, i was humbled by facts about a type of person I hardly knew existed. i was CONSTANTLY going through different historical sections finding out what actually happened...the history of the fire at Smyrna in 1922, the history of the battle between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus in 1974...the history of hermaphrodites in the US and all over the world...

many people who have reviewed this novel comment on not being able to get into it at the beginning or finding it too detailed or being disappointed with the ending...however...i can't help but think so much of the detail of the geneaology of Cal was so necessary for the story.

i retold the book as i read it on my own to my boyfriend. i was reliving what happened to calliope and then cal with very vivid details because i felt as if i had become part of his life. gregg told me tonight that he was disappointed with the ending because nothing pivotal happened and a small argument ensued. i very firmly believe that the end of the story was quite monumental. many readers had forgotten about desdemona, but i kept wondering what had happened to her. i was so excited when cal mentioned her concerning the funeral...and to hear des come around...blame herself, understand, and continue to care about cal...man, that was the clincher for me. i was sitting at red light, reading the last 3 pages...tears rolling down my cheeks. i think of all people, after cal had felt like such a "monster" and ran away...to have desdemona accept him...i think that was monumental.

this story was definitely one of my absolute favorites. i loved this book.

View all my reviews.

25 minutes

2007-11-29T11:24:00.000-05:00

When I began writing, there were only 25 minutes until lunch for my 2nd graders. I just spent 8 of those minutes trying to figure out how to save this graphic as an image on my computer rather than just clipart in Word. 8 minutes later, I've learned a new task!
Our 2nd graders were able to enjoy the sounds of Los Gatos, a Latin Band featuring Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Chilean rhythms at school today. The band was very interesting. They had many different instruments, including one of music teacher's favorites, a wooden frog percussion instrument that sounds like a frog when you run the mallet up the frog's back. That was my favorite part of the assembly: when they had 4 different-sized instruments and they played them in a little frog choir that made me feel like frogs were all around.

Anyway, the reason I even began this post in the first place was to comment on a song I heard in the car on the way to a run last evening. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a very interesting song. I did a little research and found out more from the ever-handy, always (ha!) reliable, Wikipedia. Here's what they said:

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a Christmas novelty song written by John Coctoasten and performed by Gayla Peevey (11 years old at the time) in 1953. According to legend, she was a regional child star of the Oklahoma City area. This 1953 hit was recorded as a fund-raiser to bring the city zoo a hippo. When released nationally by Columbia Records the song shot to the top of the charts, and the city zoo got a baby hippo named Matilda.

It is a Dr. Demento Christmas staple, and is currently available on Dr. Demento's The Greatest Novelty Records of All Time Vol. 6: Christmas. (Wikipedia)

Interesting how songs get started and then written...

Anyway, if you haven't heard it lately, you should check it out on iTunes. It's worth the 99¢. You can't get much better than the whiny, snot-nosed Gayla Peevey begging Mommy and Daddy for a vegetarian hippopotamus for Christmas.

Just a thought.

THE number one

2007-11-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

Recently, while talking to a friend about landmark times in our lives, anniversarial years such as Baby's First Christmas, the 21st Birthday, and the 50th Wedding Anniversary came to mind. My niece, Ella, was born last September, and from the very first minutes of her life, I saw how quickly love can form and grow.

Now, as I sit writing my First Anniversary Blog, I wonder:

"What's poignant enough for a First Blog?"

And then I realize, quickly, that the mere attempt at blogging is poignant enough. So--with a quick ending to my beginning of blogging minutes, I leave you with this, one of my most favoritest quotes:

"You are so much sunshine to the square inch." -Walt Whitman

Can I ever be considered that titillating such that someone will say the minutes in my life deserve Walt Whitman's quote?