Thursday, December 29, 2005

Christmas, the other half

The other half of my Christmas was just as great as the first. The only negative: my time at home was too short.

On Saturday, my family and I trekked to George, IA. We spent time with my grandparents and my aunt, uncle, and cousin from Minneapolis (who I had spend Wed with...yay for lots of time with them!). Right after we arrived, one of my Dad's cousin's and his wife and daughter came to see my Dad and my aunt, and it was nice to see them. We used to gather with my dad's cousins a lot but haven't for ages. After lunch and opening gifts, we headed to church for the early Christmas Eve service. Then we drove around a bit looking at Christmas lights, went home and ate some soup, and opened gifts. Usually after gift opening, we watch a good movie, and Mark and I had rented Batman Begins. However, I had felt queasy all night and was exhausted (the flu?) and Mark had been out too late the two previous nights, so we both went to bed before the movie was over. Who would've thought my Dad would have been the only person to make it through the movie? He's usually asleep within 5 minutes of it beginning! :)

On Sunday, I woke up feeling a little better, not fully. We eased in to the day and got things ready for my Mom's family to arrive that afternoon. Then, we spent Christmas day with them, opening presents, eating snacks non-stop, opening presents, and playing games. I was reminded of our RD Retreat my last year at Whitworth because my cousins played a rousing game of Settlers of Kattan, which we had played at the retreat. I told them the story of how we all ganged up on Alan and played the "don't let Alan win" version. :) I also played a game of Risk with my younger cousins, for which they made up the rules from their memory so we didn't have to read the directions. It didn't really work and we quit early, but it was still fun.

On Monday, my brother and I packed up our stuff and left for Minneapolis. We got in early enough to head to his apartment for a bit, and I'm glad we did because on the way out, we ran in to our cousin Karmin who lives in the same building (which in itself is such a coincidence). It was good to see her briefly. Then we headed to the airport and I began the trip home. I read almost all of my book Stitch 'n Bitch, which I had gotten the day before. An hour in the airport and a 3.5 hour plane ride makes for lots of reading time!

Now I'm back at work, wishing I was still on the school schedule/still on vacation. We rented about 6 or 7 apartments yesterday, which may be a record. This week has been busy with walk-in's looking for housing ASAP since PSU starts classes start in a little over a week. Tomorrow, Brad and Nicole come back to P-Town to start our New Year's festivities. I think this could be a shorter holiday weekend than others since Bill & Joy don't get back to town until the 31st. Oh, well, it's about quality, not quantity, right? :)

Happy New Year to everyone!

Friday, December 23, 2005

Christmas Holiday, first half

This has been a wonderful Christmas holiday so far.

I discovered that airplane stress decreases a bit when there is no connecting flight. My goal in life is now to only fly direct flights, no lay-overs. That means I need to move to a hub like Minneapolis or Chicago or something. I'll work on that in the next 10 years.

On Wednesday, my bro picked me up at the airport early early in the cold morning in Mpls. I crashed at his place all morning and then my aunt Lori picked me up that afternoon after work. We drove around so she could show me "her world" (the hospital she works at) and then we picked up my cousin Olivia at the bus stop and when to their house. I haven't been to their house since high school, I think, and it was great to be in their cozy home. They had just remodeled and nearly doubled the size of the house, so it was fun to see the work. We chatted, Olivia and I colored, I talked to my uncle Tim about my job, and we just relaxed. Then my brother came over with his girlfriend, Danielle, who I finally got to meet. She is way cute and sweet and I like her lots and told Mark he better hang on to her. :) The only sad part of the night was that my cousin Karmin wasn't able to come over because she had to work late, and we had hoped to see each other.

Thursday I packed my stuff up and Mark and I headed out of town when he got off work mid-morning. We made a stop at IKEA so I could check out their desks to see if I'll be aable to fit one in my car next time I drive to Seattle. We also bought cheap wrapping paper and napkins (50 cents each!!!). When we got home early in the eve, we had some dinner with the parentals, and mark went out with friends while I watched Must Love Dogs with my parents.

Today, I wrapped all my gifts (it took me like an hour and a half) all morning. This afternoon, we (me, my mom and bro) went to my cousin Kristin's house because I won't get to see my dad's fam this Christmas. It was good to see her and her husband Dana and their three kids, and my aunt Jean the Bean (ok, not really her name, just afun rhyme we say with her name) also came over. We chatted. Then when we got home, my dadd's bro Randy and his wife, who just moved to Denver, stopped by to wrap gifts and see us. Which was nice because it meant I DID get to see some of my dad's family while I was here! :) Tonight I went to dinner with my good friend Tami Renner and then we went to see the movie The Family Stone. Definitely recommend it...it's a good Christmas movie.

Now I'm gonna relax a bit with the parentals and get ready for the busy Christmas stuff the next two days!

Monday, December 19, 2005

Portland weather and going home

First off, I have learned my lesson. Portland dramatizes storms. Granted, my apartment complex was covered in ice yesterday, and granted, there was slush for the last leg of my commute from the Couch/Burnside exit to the Goose Hollow building today, but man, oh man, I cannot believe that a million places and all schools closed over a day before they knew if the temps would warm up. It was rainy when I got up at 5:45 and the ice had melted mostly. But people didn't make it in to work and were afraid to drive. I even had to go feed an effing cat today because someone who was cat sitting couldn't make it in from Gresham. It was NOT THAT ICY. Ugh. I don't like cats, either, so I was NOT HAPPY when it nearly ran out of the apartment. But that whole cat thing is another story in itself.

I declared this week "holiday celebration" at work, even though my dred-locked co-worker Tim hates Christmas because of the commercialism. I jsut wanted an excuse to bake this weekend, so I brought stuff in to work. It was actually busy this afternoon because a ton of people are moving in before winter term. Oh, well. ONE DAY UNTIL I LEAVE FOR HOME!! Woohoo! It is going to be weird to work a full day, finish packing after work, and then get a ride to the aeropuerto at 10pm. It'll be good for me to be nearly-sedated so I don't stress too much. But on Wednesday at 6am, if there are no flight probelms (please, please, please!), I'll be hugging my bro and getting ready to crash on his couch for a few hours!

Hope you all have a blessed Christmas. I'll blog more from the homeland if there's anything to share!

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Ice Storm 2005

We have an ice storm here in P-town. I think it's going to rain more tonight. It's the big news here today. So I hunkered down and finished knitting a Christmas scarf (red and white stripes). I don't think I will get a snow/ice day tomorrow even though lots of stuff is closed. Since we're an apartment complex, we never close, so I have to try to get in to work. Ugh! It's gonna be a long commute! But hopefully it'll be a cozy snow-day mood when I finally get there (pray that I make it in one piece!).

KATU 2 - Portland, Oregon

Friday, December 16, 2005

Work Motivation: for those without

I found this article waiting for me on my homepage last night. Good timing. I had already decided I need to be sure to have a good attitude and not complain with my co-worker and instead appreciate the job I have and the people I'm around. Good reminder. Thanks, God. :)

RELEVANT MAGAZINE

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

thoughts on this week

in one week, i will be flying the red-eye to minneapolis. i hate flying, but i like the thought of being home and spending some time with the bro in minneapolis.

last night i made chex mix. i brought half to work and will bring half of it home. i have so much cereal i think i'll make another batch for work/home. get ready, family. we'll be eating lots of chex!

i finished (i think) my christmas shopping this weekend. that feels good. dad's are hard to shop for. so are brothers. but i figured it out and all is well.

last week i decided i don't LOVE my job. i don't hate it, but i have realized i am basically just another leasing agent (the person who sells, i mean, rents apartments and does the apt administrative work) and don't get to spend a lot of time doing programming and working with the RMs, except reminding them to do things and talking to them if they forget (which is a lot). that's not the most fun. tonight i did talk to a girl whose roommate isn't paying the rent, which is stressing her out because they are both on the lease and will both go to court if they don't pay. that i can do, and i enjoy. tomorrow i have to talk to a woman about her dirty dog. it is smelly and people have complained a ton and she is very odd and her dog is some sort of ADA requirement for her to have it, but she is not keeping it clean. that will be a less-than-fun conversation. so, the community development stuff i am doing right now isn't the stuff i'm good at. i do enjoy leasing apartments, though. and i'm good at that and the customer service. but it's tiring, stressful, and not what i want to do with my life. but there's a reason i'm here at this time and place and i like the people i work with, so i am making the most of it. :)

ok, gotta get some sleep!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Another view


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's another pic of my couches and my cute, tiny apartment.

Couches


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Check out my new couch and love seat. It only took 6 weeks to get them, but now they're here! I happen to have the smallest living room in the northwest, but they fit and make for a cozy sitting area. I love 'em. This is the view from my kitchen, and there is no artwork because I was waiting for the couches to come in so I could decide what to hang. :)

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Tree Lighting


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a pic of the tree we went to see get lit in Pioneer Square, downtown Portland.

We *heart* Gwen


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here are the shirts from Day-After-Thanksgiving-Craft-Day. Good times!

Sunday, November 27, 2005

the holiday weekend

this has been a wonderful holiday weekend, and i am sad it is ending. it was full of lots of fun. here's a long summary:

WEDNESDAY: Met Brad, Joy, Nicole, and 2 Whitworth students for dinner at Henry's Tavern before they all went to the Gwen Stefani concert. Then, I drove home and packed a million bags (ok, not really that many) and drove to the Stahleys to hang with Bill for the night. We watched Harry Potter (the first one). I spent the night at their house with Brad and Nic, too.

THURSDAY: Coffee and conversation in the morning, and then we started the task of cooking our Thanksgiving food. I took off briefly to go and rent two movies. We ate at 3:30 and then played "the Name Game". We watched Home for the Holidays, a 90's movie, and went to bed early.

FRIDAY: Coffee and conversation in the morning, then we went to tax-fee Oregon and shopped at Best Buy and Michaels. I oddly did not buy anything at Michaels, though I did buy the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack at BBuy. Then we drove to a parking area and took the Max Line (public transportation) and headed into downtown for the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Pioneer Square. We shopped first, though, and I got some cute yellow/brown boots. We also went to happy hour at Macaroni Grill before the festivities. Then we hung out in the rain to see the tree get lit. After that, we went home, put on sweats, and watched a great new British (I think) movie called Millions. I would HIGHLY recommend it. It's about the importance of giving away money.

SATURDAY: Coffee and conversation to start the day (as usual). Then we put on some sweats and went to tax-free Oregon and shopped a bit. We all bought shoes at Shoe Pavillion. I bought two pair I have been wanting for ages: Crocs in butter and Converse in kelly green. Then we went to Ross and I bought a cute carry-on bag for Christmas that's bigger than my backpack, and then we went to Target, where I invested in The Game of Life and 90's Trivial Pursuit. After shopping, we went home and showered and Nicole, Joy, and Brad made t-shirts that said "Gwen Loves Brad", "Gwen is my mentor" and "Gwen is my O.C. Sista". They were their Thanksgiving craft, and were in honor of their concert the other night. After craft time, we went to see Harry Potter. Which, by the way, was good but hadd lots of gaps. The book is WAY better. But it was funny and dark and so fun. For me. Then we went home and had dinner and played 90's Trivial Pursuit. And discovered that it was missing pieces, so I have to take it back. Oh, well. :)

TODAY: We had breakfast and then Bill had to go to church and Brad had to drive home because he had to work. Ugh. Nicole and Joy and I went to Costco to order some holiday Christmas cards and then we went to 23rd to hang out a bit instead of going to church (yes, we're going to hell because of it). Then we dropped Nicole off for her ride back to Spokane, and Joy and I headed back to her place. I came back to my apartment and unpacked and then put up some Christmas decorations. i'm excited that it's the holiday! I listened to my cute roommate from college and her family on their Christmas CD while I decorated. And now I'm winding down and getting ready to get some sleep before a full week of work.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Saturday

When I was talking to my friend Denise today, I realized I don't lead a very exciting life. Thus, nothing to blog. But for those of you who wonder how I spend my free time now that I am in P-town, here's a little peek into a Saturday. Today, I was quite busy running around, since most of my unpacking is done. I ran a bunch of errands that included getting a haircut at the mall (which, by the way, took only about 15 minutes....how does that happen? And it's not even a bad cut!), buying black goucho pants that may or may not be tacky but will definitely be comfortable when I'm working, drinking a cup of coffee while reading my mail, purchasing plug-in air fresheners at Bath & Body Works to try to rid my apartment of carpet smell, talking to friends on the phone, buying about 10 new pair of socks for work, balancing my checkbook, washing dishes, and doing some online Christmas browsing. Now I'm going to make some dinner and watch a movie before I read some Harry Potter. I know, I know. I lead a VERY exciting life. :) I like it, though, so whatev.

In Defense of Harry Potter

RELEVANT MAGAZINE

Friday, November 11, 2005

3-day weekend! Yay!

I'm going to make something with this lopsided pumpkin that got left at my apartment.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

try it again

Let's see if blogger.com is being mac-unfriendly. here's a post from work.

Yesterday I got CPR/First Aid certified with my Resident Managers. It was exciting. I also got a plane ticket home for Christmas (thanks to my parents for getting it with their ff miles). I will be taking my first direct flight (PDX to Minneapolis) and will also be taking my first "red eye" flight. Should be exciting, though I still hate flying.

Today I had my first flu shot. CHNW was giving them for free, so I went and got one. Mainly because the HR person told my boss to bring me over, and also because the place it was happening was the same place as a meeting I had 30 minutes later. It didn't hurt too much, but we'll see if I get the flu this weekend in reaction. :)

Now I'm at work killing time until my RM meeting at 8. It's a 3-day weekend, so it's like being at work late on a Friday. But I like them, so that makes up for it. :) I think I'm going to go to Subway, now, and get some dinner then head to our admin building to the lounge where the meeting is and read some Harry Potter 4 (gotta finish before I see the movie!).

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Newness

I start my new job tomorrow. I am not sure what to expect, what with it being a new position and all. I am excited and nervous, especially about the commute. I'm leaving at 7am to be safe.

Yeah, speaking of, I am going to now be an early-to-bed person. I will begin my wind-down at 9pm so that I can be sleeping by 10pm, because I will have to wake up at 5:45 or 6. What? Who am I? It used to be that 10pm was when I got started!

OK, gotta enjoy my last bits of free time tonight!

Monday, October 10, 2005

I HAVE A JOB!!

Yep, this morning I accepted a job with Housing Northwest. I start on Monday the 17th. It is a new position, and I will be working with a couple of other people in a high-rise apartment complex in downtown-ish Portland. My colleagues' main focus will be leasing all of the apartments and I'll do a little of that but will focus more on community building with the residents and doing some residence-life-like programming. I will also be supervising Resident Managers, who are students who work in the building. It is a similar gig to being an RD but different in that we lease apartments to students who attend several Portland colleges, so our relationship with them is more landlord-tenant, and also I will be living off-site! Yay! I will be living in Vancouver, about a 45 minute commute during rush hour. But the apartment was the best deal I found of the safer/good quality places, so I'll do the commute. I am going to check into riding the Max (the public light-rail) to see if that would shorten my commute and save money.

If you want, you can check out Housing Northwest's website. I'll be doing the "Student Housing in Portland" part.
Housing Northwest

Monday, October 03, 2005

affair at the jupiter hotel

This is a website for a cool art event we went to this weekend. It is in an area of Portland that was featured in Budget Living magazine a few issues ago. I'd recommend going next year if you're in the area!
affair at the jupiter hotel

And here is a link to an article about the event:
It Doesn't Get Any Artsier Than This!

Monday, September 19, 2005

what is up

The title of this blog should be read like Chandler in an episode of Friends: "hey, man, what is up?" all dry and monotone. :)

As my brother would say, Anywho, there's nothing really exciting happening in my life right now. I have applied for about 10 jobs since I've moved. About 5 of them were with Wells Fargo. I've only gotten a closure response on one (which was a "no", but it was one I wasn't really qualified for that I applied for anyway) and several others haven't closed yet so I hope to hear in October if they're on the ball. The good news is that I have about 4 or 5 more jobs I think I'll apply for this week, and the other good news is that there are actually a lot of higher ed openings that have some potential. A few of them are part-time, but part time can get me the specific experience I need in advising or disabilities coordination or whatever. The sad thing is that I have done both of these jobs before, but since my job title was "Student Services Associate", I don't think they understand I've really got the experience...even though I say it in my cover letter and resume. Ugh!

So my financial advice is for everyone to listen to the pro's who say "have enough money saved to pay for 6 months of your bills". It is so very true. Unemployment doesn't go away fast.

Last week, I discovered a HobbyLobby-like store called "Craft Warehouse" thanks to Joy. And they were having a great sale, and I got about $90 worth of yarn for $9. Yes, NINE DOLLARS. For 8 rolls of yarn. It was fun frilly stuff, too, not the cheap stuff. So that gives me more projects to work on during my sabbatical days. I have been learning to knit socks like my friend Lara, who inspired me. I am thinking of trying a sweater next, which will be hard but fun.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Goonies!

I found Goonies at Best Buy, where you can find pretty much every movie ever made, and it wasn't too pricey, so I bought it. We watched it last night while eating nachos. And, well, I must clarify something that I mis-typed on a previous blog. I don't think there's much of Cannon Beach in the movie at all. I think it's just at the beginning, they show haystack rock when they line it up in the stone thing to see where the x is on the map. But that's all, I think. Not that it matters, but I don't like acting like I know everything and then being wrong. :)

Man, that is a cheesy cheesy movie. We were giggling so hard at all the motivational speeches by Sean Astin. Like when they're at the bottom of the wishing well: "This is our time down here. Our time." Sheesh. Funny. Still, I'll watch it over and over and over.

Peace out.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Spammers

I wish the spam commenters would stay away from my blog. I get all excited that there's a comment on one of my posts, and then it's spam. Guess I shouldn't get so excited about comments. :)

To them I say, "I'm takin' the dog, dumbass."

Oregon Sunset 2


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Originally uploaded by schmann.

Oregon Sunset 1


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Originally uploaded by schmann.

Haystack Rock


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a pic of Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, OR, at sunset. It was pretty foggy, in and out, all that day, and you can see some of the fog on the ocean. It's a beautiful place.

I still haven't watched Goonies since that trip. I can't find it anywhere. Hmm...

Me & Aden


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a pic of me & Aden, Dayna's middle child, before the wedding. He left for Germany the next morning and is there until December. "Hellooooo" to Aden & Evan in Germany!!

Dayna's Wedding


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a long-awaited pic of Brad, Nicole, Dayna, and Ann before Dayna and Jim's wedding in August. It was a WONDERFUL wedding.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Moving, Part III

I'm moving to Vancouver in about an hour. I may not have internet right away if you don't hear from me via electronics.

I'm excited and nervous. Yikes! I'm stopping in Pasco to see Jillian Smith, who just moved there because she got a job. Yay for people getting jobs! So I will have dinner with her and then get to Vancouver between 9 and 10.

OK, gotta pack my car!

Monday, August 29, 2005

shoe addict

I have had no income since May 31, but I still have found the money to buy 5 pair of shoes this summer. Sad.

The first pair was for Dayna and Jim's wedding and it doesn't count because you have to have new shoes for a good friend's wedding. So it was necessary. But after that, my reasoning gets sketchy. When I was in Portland before our trip to Cannon Beach, Joy and I ran errands for two days and I found some "must haves". The first was a pair of black dress shoes that I can wear for a new job, for which I will likely need to dress up. And they were only $15. And then I found a pair of white/red Puma mules for under $30 and, honestly, my pumas-in-every-color-but-only-if-they're-less-than-$30 goal cannot go on hold because you never know when you'll find a good deal on PUmas. They're expensive. Plus, I saw them 2 weeks before and didn't buy them (good discipline) but then couldn't stop thinking about them and wishing i had purchased them. that's a sign i had to do it.

so, the last two pair, well, i bought them yesterday. i was at shopko and meandered into the payless section and i found two pair of ballet slipper-like shoes that were so great for dressing up for a new job, and they were buy-one-get-one-half-off, so i got two pair of shoes for $30.

in total, i think i spent about $95 on all these shoes, and i'm thinking that's a lot of shoes for that money. especially considering carrie bradshaw spends $400 on ONE pair of shoes. i realize carrie bradshaw is not real, but still...

Friday, August 26, 2005

ephiphany

i had a job-search-related epiphany recently. i am applying for lower level jobs with companies. i live in spokane. these companies are in portland. they are not going to fly me in for an interview, but if they express interest in me, they may have to (or i could ask). so why not just consider a local applicant who is just as qualified instead?

yeah, so i'm going to get a p.o. box next week and contact a few of the places i have applied to let them know 1) i'm still interested and 2) that i have an address update so they know they won't have to fly me in and maybe then they'll consider me.

we'll see if it works.

hey, if anyone knows a cheap dial-up internet provider, let me know. i think earthlink is the most mac-friendly and only 9.95 a month, but anyone know if they're good?

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

desparate

So, I am so desparate for a job that I just responded to a posting on craigslist for a contract knitter. If this is legit, I'd get yarn and a pattern and have two weeks to create the item, on a paid-per-item basis.

A little dinero is better than no dinero, and at least I won't be bored, right?

P.S. The house was vibrating again today. Maybe I'm mad (as in insane).
P.P.S. Aden, I had a generra at the Rocket today in honor of you!

Monday, August 22, 2005

earthquake!!

The house is vibrating right now, rattling a bit. It is weird. I wonder if someone is using a jackhammer nearby. Or maybe it's just one of the Jack-in-the-Box customers in the drivethrough...maybe their bass is thumping so loud that I can't hear it but can just feel it. That'd be great science to study.

Gotta go...

Sunday, August 21, 2005

pray first

In church tonight, the pastor was speaking about the church's mission statement. The first value they hold is prayer. He said something interesting. He pointed out that often people say "there's nothing left to do but pray" and said that we should be praying first, not as a last resort. It struck me. Why don't we pray first? Hmm...

Saturday, August 20, 2005

today

I am now 31. I feel old. Ancient. I realize it's not that old, but it feels old. I'm now "over 30". I am thinking 38 may be my "scary age" (like Miranda mentioned in an episode of Sex and the City I saw recently). I must do something with my life by 38, that's all there is to it.

So, yeah, I think I'll be living in Vancouver, WA, around September 1, and then maybe Portland shortly after that. I'm working on the details, but that's what I'm thinking/hoping. I'm also looking at getting back into the banking world if they'll have me. Not necessarily forever, just for now. Portland is not perfection or heaven or a dream come true, but I being there may nourish my creative soul. I need that. And I want some Imago Dei for my spirit.

Peace out.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Update on life...my thoughts today

So, for the last two days, I have been seriously considering why I am not just moving to Portland. So I think I'm gonna do it. Just do it and stop waiting around. I need to work out some details like where I would live because I have my resume in for a sweet job in Seattle-ish for a Career Counseling gig and if that happens, I don't want to be tied in to an apartment lease. But I think I just need to do it. Move. Get whatever job I can. Even if it's two part-timers or temping for now.

I kind of want to do it soon, too, because I feel like I need to cut myself from Whitworth, which I'm not doing by living on here (since all the peeps I'm staying with are Whitworth peeps). So I think I want to go away before the students arrive. I'm kind of feeling like I'm suffocating as the students gradually return, though it's nothing to do with the students because I love them all TO DEATH. It's just me not letting go of this place that I love, and I think it's keeping me from taking the next step in life. I'm the "forever Senior" that Zan and I used to talk about in college. :)

So, I may go to Bend for a little bit to hang more with Brad and craft with him and Sundi and then move on to Vancouver to seriously look for a job. Or maybe I'll just go right to Vancouver. I haven't talked with all of the people who would be housing me yet, so I need to do that this weekend to see what my options are and if/when there's room for me.

So that's what I'm thinking today. And so I have been aggressively looking for jobs this evening.

I'll try to blog a bit more to keep you posted on what happens.

Monday, August 08, 2005

another vacation

tomorrow i leave for another week of vacation. i am first going to vancouver, wa. i will stay with bill and joy but i am mainly going to see my brother, who will be working there for like 48 hours. hopefully i'll get to take him someplace cool in the evenings, like mcmenemans or something.

marky-mark leaves thursday afternoon, so i'll hang with bill and/or joy and then brad comes up thursday night and then we all pile our stuff in brad's car and drive to the airport to pick up nicole and then we'll drive to the coast to cannon beach. for those of you who have seen goonies, the movie, the ocean stuff is at haystack rock, wich is in c.b. yeah, so we're hanging at the ocean (my favorite place) for the weekend. then i think i'm going to bend for a couple of days to hang with brad and then i'll come back to spokane.

as soon as i get to a computer with a u.s.b. connector that is easy to plug in to, i'll post a couple of pics from dayna and jim's wedding. it was wonderful.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

newness

I have been trying to figure out how to post links on my blog and finally figured it out! It was easier to change my template, so I have a new color scheme. Enjoy!

If I know you and you have a blog, let me know the address and I'll add it to my blog links.

Fun times!

Monday, August 01, 2005

moved

I moved again. For a lot of reasons, including temperature and cable TV, I moved over to my friend Nicole's house. I was going to move there when students started coming back to campus, so I decided to do it a couple of weeks early. I'm still at the same address and my cell phone number.

No news on the job front. Just keep looking for more options. I'm even considering new places to go. We'll see what happens.

This weekend is Dayna and Jim's wedding. Yay!

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Vacation

I have been vacationing in Bend, OR, for almost a week. I am visiting Brad and his world, getting away from Spokane for a bit. Since I still don't have a job, I figured I may as well do my job search from another spot for a bit.

Every day has been grand but Saturday was especially exciting. We went to a "Parade of Homes" type thing where they have a bunch of open houses around the city with the purpose of selling the homes or at least getting you to use the contractor or interior designer. We saw some nice houses. There is a neighborhood that is full of brand new homes but they are all architecturally build to look like homes from the first half of the 20th century with front porches and stuff. Funny.

Later that day, we went to what I called the "Christian Festival". It was a youth gathering of sorts with skateboarding dudes and speakers and stuff. We went to see Stephen Baldwin speak (we caught the end of his exciting talk) and then I wanted badly to see Tait (Michael Tait's, as in DC talk, band). It was great to see them. It was at an outdoor "amphitheater" (which was just a stage and a lawn) which meant we were able to get up pretty close to experience the concert.

What else. We went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is so very funny. And I had dinner with some of Brad's friends from here and around. And now I'm using the school's computer to look for jobs and update my blog.

Tomorrow I head back to Spokane and hopefully will get back in time for a friend's bachelorette party and then a going away party Thursday for a former student. So much to do!

Oh, and FYI, I'm down to checking my e-mail only once a day, usually, so if you don't hear from me as much, it's because I am trying to stop my addiction to the internet.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

nothing major

there was a short thunderstorm this afternoon. it was nice. i like them here because there's no threat of a tornado and the power doesn't go off as easily as in sioux falls. i like the dark blue skies and the smell of rain and the sound of the rain falling hard and the small bursts of thunder. it was a pleasant bit of time to have a thunderstorm.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Urban Family/Friends

So, I've been watching a TON of Friends lately. In my free time (which I have a lot of) I'm working through the seasons DVD by DVD. I am addicted. I discovered two things in watching it:
1. I haven't seen every episode like I thought. That makes watching exciting. :)
2. My Urban Family is TOTALLY Friends! OK, maybe we aren't EXACTLY the characters, but we're totally them. How fun! Although we're a lot more interesting, of course, and much better looking.

Look at me posting a million times in the last week.

Friday, July 08, 2005

The Shop and the Westside Rule the World

Today I went with a friend to a new coffee shop on the South Hill (interpretation: south spokane, which is located on a huge hill and is a place that is in many ways a different city altogether....not to be confused with that place called Spokane Valley that decided it WAS a different place altogether and had to become it's own city....but I digress). So the coffee place is called "The Shop" and it is in an old garage (yeah, an "i'm gonna get my oil changed" garage) and it is R-A-D rad. Lots of character. I guess they show movies in the parking lot sometimes (maybe on the weekends) but I found it to be a great place to sit and sip coffee I shouldn't be spending money on while I worked on my tan.

On another note, I love temporarily living in Mac Hall. The view from the living room (where I am right now) is great, and the windows are huge so I have a great view. I don't miss my parking lot view from Warren Hall in the least. Here, I feel like I am living in a house on the South Hill (for you spokane-sters) or in McKennan Park (for you Sioux Falls-ians). The landscaping is great, the green grass is calming, and a breeze is flowing nicely. People at Whitworth talk a lot of crap and make assumptions about any residence hall that isn't the one they live in, and they especially talk crap about Mac and Ballard because they're not co-ed buildings. If they only knew what great places they were....though maybe it's good to keep it a secret....hmm. Anyway, I must say I enjoy living with my Westside friends. Ahh..the Westside Mocktail Party....good memories.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

so bored

I'm bored. Officially. Job search stuff is going s.....l......o.....w, as is expected in higher ed job searches. I had lunch today with a former resident I had lost touch with. That was fun. And I think there may be a thunder storm coming tonight, which will be exciting. But other than that, I'm bored with a capital B.

I'll try to do something exciting in the next few days so I have something fun to blog. :)

Thursday, June 30, 2005

Done

Well, I am moved out of my aparment. It has been a long 2 weeks of moving, but now it's done and I'm staying in my friend Kelli's apartment in beautiful McMillan Hall. I have been anticipating this change for so long that it's good that it's here. I think I'm going to make tomorrow "me" day so I can 1) relax and NOT MOVE ANYTHING and 2) reflect a bit on my time at Whitworth. It was a good 4 years.

I had some wonderful friends and some students help with the move and I really am so thankful for their help. I learned during this move that I do not like to ask for help. And I like to do things myself....partly so I don't have to ask for help, but also because I want to be capable of doing anything and everything.

I decided to give some online thanks to my helpers (even though you may not read my blog...hehe) until I get time to write thank you notes: Thanks first to Chelsea, who bought my armoire in May. It would have been the worst beast for us to move (and it was for her friends...thanks guys for moving it out of my apartment!). Thanks Nicole for helping me take those carloads Monday and for helping me play tetris with my storage unit. :) I appreciate you taking your free evening to help me out (and for making sure I asked for help! :) ). Thanks to Colin, Aden, Ryan, Tyler, and Angela for helping with the nasty task of moving my furniture and heavy big stuff. You guys (and gal) have great muscles and I am so thankful for your help. I could NOT have moved that stuff on my own, and thanks Colin for bringing your truck to save me money so I didn't have to get a U-Haul. And Denise, thanks for helping me make my last storage run and for helping me lug all my crap into the Mac apartment. Who knew I needed that much stuff to live on! Thanks for shifting our plans today so I could get that done. Oh, and I should also thank Alan and Dick for getting me an extra two weeks in Warren. So helpful. Although I was hoping to have a job and new aparment to move into....

OK, I'm off to bed in my "new home". Tomorrow Sandy and Nicole Miller come to town and I get to play with them!!! I'm so excited! Yay!

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

The big moving day


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
So, I SHOULD be disassembling my twin bed and packing up my TV right now instead of blogging, but I had to log on to print some resumes before I pack my printer and decided I should blog my news of the day. I broke my cell phone! Sadness. Yeah, not just the half of the flip that was loose since I dropped it in March. Nope, the whole thing broke today when it fell when I was moving a shelf. Ahhh! So I went to Best Buy and bought a cute new phone I've had my eye on. I'm trying out a new style with a keypad that slides up and down....hopefully it'll be good. Here's a pic of the old phone and the new one.

OK, now I REALLY must finish printing my resume and get my bed and TV ready for 5pm move time. Pray that the rain clears up so my nice wood furniture doesn't get ruined.

Ironman!


KeatsIronman
Originally uploaded by schmann.
This is a picture of my friend Keats crossing the finish line at the Ironman Couer d'Alene (a pretty major triathalon). He did an amazing job and finished in 10 hours 42 minutes, in the top 200 of 2000 participants. And this is his first Ironman!!

I didn't go to see him because of all the packing I had to do, but I think I will have to go next year. Even if there are 30,000 people there. I hate crowds.

Yay, Keats!

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Progress

The last two days have been filled with completed and started tasks. Very exciting.

I started yesterday by getting a storage unit. The guy told me he was so convinced I could fit my belongings, if carefully packed, into a 10x5 unit that he'd help me pack it if it wouldn't all fit. It saved me $25 a month to get that size, so I did it. So far I've been pleased.

Yesterday afternoon, I went downtown to Auntie's Bookstore to "sell" back some books I don't want. Good for me getting rid of about 15 books. I realize that doesn't even put a dent in my books, but better to sell than move them! They took most of them, and with the $27.75 credit I got from them, I bought the new Anne Lamott book everyone's been talking about. I can't wait to start it.....after I finish rereading "Searching for God Knows What", which I don't think I grasped so I'm rereading it.

After Auntie's, I went to the used bookstore next to my favorite coffee shop to get rid of the rest of the books. I got about $17 credit there and only had to donate 2 books. Yay! Then, I had to get some coffee at the Rocket, of course, to celebrate my accomplishment. :)

Today, I made two trips to my storage unit with carloads of stuff. It is filling up nicely...I think I'll take a picture and post it so you can see how my jigsaw puzzle skills are coming in nicely with this packing.

Now I'm going out for a bit with Michelle, former student and now friend.

Here's to emptying my apartment!! Cheers!

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Apartment Hunting

So, my friend Jillian and I went looking for Spokane apartments for ourselves today. Neither of us has a job but we both wanted to know what was available in case we end up living here. I learned that rent has gone up a TON since I last rented. In 1997, my roommates and I had a nearly new 3 bedroom, 2 bath, with washer/dryer for only $755 a month. A similar 1 bedroom is around $650 a month. I realize I don't live in SF anymore, but I think Spokane and SF have similar cost of living. Ahh!! I may have to find a roommate or else live in a 1 bedroom, which is FINE, but I have 2 beds, so I'd have to get storage for my extra bed. Small problem. And I wanted to have extra space for guests, which I wouldn't have in a 1 bedroom. I guess now isn't about what I WANT but what I can AFFORD. And maybe my salary will be enough for me to get a 2 bedroom. Or maybe the place I move will have more options....who says I'll for sure be in Spokane!

On the flip side, it feels good to have an idea of where I could live if I'm here. I also have made some good major progress on my packing. I have now packed all of my books (about 11 boxes worth...and that's after I sorted out what I'm selling to Auntie's and the ones I'll work on reading this summer). I also have replaced all of the knobs on my kitchen cabinets to the original gold ones. My next step is to tackle more of my kitchen so those drawers and cabinets get emptied (I'm about halfway but have exactly 38 cabinets in there to empty...which I know because I had to put back 38 knobs).

No news on jobs. Last week, I got a rejection letter from WSU Vancouver for the Student Involvement Coordinator. I didn't really want the job or feel qualified, so I think that's ok, though it would have been nice to work only 5 minutes from Bill and Joy! My friend Dayna said she used to hang her rejections on her door, so I have hung the letter on my fridge and will add any others I may receive. :)

OK, off to do a little more packing or reading. That's pretty much what I do every day!

Monday, June 13, 2005

graduation 2!


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
My friend Aden graduated from Mt. Spokane HS on Friday. Yay! Here's a pic of us after the ceremony.

Saturday, June 11, 2005

The Rose City


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Well, I just got back from Portland/Vancouver on Thursday. I had such a good time! I love that area! We went to the Rose Gardens on Saturday. This flower was my favorite. It wasn't called "Pollack" (as in Jackson, the artist), but Joy and I thought it should have been.

Highlights of the trip:
*the rose gardens
*dinner with Michelle and Erin on 23rd
*church at Imago Dei
*seeing Star Wars 3
*lunch with Nicole at Cup and Saucer on Hawthorne
*spending time with Tami Renner, a friend from high school and college
*riding the light rail into downtown
*good conversations about meaningful things
*going to Wednesday night youth group with Bill and Joy

Thursday, June 02, 2005

update

Just a brief update. I got the "ok" to stay in my apartment for a little longer, so instead of June 15th, I now won't need to move out until June 30. Yay! I would love to have a job and apartment by then but realize I may not, so I have a sort-of back-up plan for after that and if it doesn't work to be in Spokane, I'll head to Oregon. The good thing is that I don't need to rush through my packing--the original plan meant I needed to get most of my packing done yesterday and today because I'm gone for a week and then come back to a very busy weekend the 9-11th.

If I sent you an e-mail update on my info, you can modify it to show that my current apartment phone number will be in tact until the 30th. It's a better way to reach me than my cell phone because I don't always answer my cell during "anytime" minutes since I don't have a ton of minutes...I've got to sign up for a better plan now that it may be my only phone.

Well, I must do some packing. I am leaving for Vancouver bright and early tomorrow morning. Nicole and I are going to see Bill and Joy (and hopefully Brad) for the weekend and then she is heading to ACSD and I'm going to stay in Vancouver for most of the week to spend a little time with my friend Tami Renner, who is going to be there. Fun times! A bunch of the Whitworth crew will be at ACSD so I hope to get to hang with them next week for an afternoon.

Off to pack!

Sunday, May 29, 2005

everything zen

so, two days ago, i realized my bamboo is dying. ahh! i can't keep a plant alive at all because i forget to water them. this bamboo lived for two years. i've forgotten to water it before, but for some reason, it is choosing to die now. i wonder if it knows it would have to travel with me and didn't want to. or maybe the feng shui in my bedroom has gotten messed up because of the mess in my apartment from moving.

whatever the case, i'm going to try to save the bamboo, but if i can't, at least the timing is good.

i guess i can buy more at IKEA with the great gift card i got from my fabulous RAs! :) i can't wait to have an apartment so i can buy buy buy from my favorite store!

happy memorial day weekend!

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Article: Bush's Calvin College surprise

Interesting article about the Pres, who was commencement speaker at Calvin College in GR, MI.

SojoMail

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

macs

Check this out. My friend Alan has been trying to show it to me for months, and I laughed my butt off when I watched it. The only link I could find that worked makes the picture teeny tiny, but what the guy says is more important than seeing the video.

My favorite line is about Norton. "You idiot!" I still love using a Mac. You would too if you made the change!

macs

Monday, May 16, 2005

graduation!

It has been a few weeks since I've posted. Sorry about that...it has been busy!

Today was graduation day and it was touching to see so many students I knew graduate. I felt like I was "woohoo"ing nonstop. Several of my leaders from the past few years graduated (yay for Mary, Katie, Amie, Jenika, Heather, Meghan, J.D., Heather, Jayleen, Margie, Abby, Scott, Dave (Otis), Emily, Meg, Serena, Angela, Kenna, Erin, Diana, and Jeff). This was also the graduating year for students who came in as freshmen when I was in my first year as an RD. It has always been my goal to be at a school long enough to see a class go through all four years. It was wonderful!! I got to talk with a few of these students who I haven't talked with in a little while....so great!

The exciting news of the day (besides the above) is that my friend Denise, who graduated today, got an award. Denise is my friend who I go to the Gonzaga art gallery with and then we drink tea and talk about things that matter to us, like Fair Trade coffee, animal rights, environmental issues, being anti-Walmart, and feminism. She got an award they give out to one senior, the Servant Leader Award. It was given to two people this year, but both were very deserving. Denise got it because, in my opinion, she will make a significant impact on this world and she has already had a huge impact on the campus. So I was VERY excited to hear her get the award.

Well, tomorrow the RAs will be closing down the building and we're making brunch at 9:30, so I need to get some sleep. It will be a pretty busy day with a bunch of time devoted to closure as a team. Should be emotionally draining but also valuable.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Central America and Fair Trade

I went to a presentation today that was done by the 24 Whitworth students who just returned from our every-3-years Central America Study Tour. Some of my former residents were part of the trip, as was one of the RAs I hired for Warren for next year. This trip is an amazing and life-changing experience for the students who go each time. They spend time in several countries, including 3 or 4 weeks in Honduras in a home-stay on their own (apart from the rest of the group). They experienced poverty and different cultures and it was so wonderful and moving to hear about the experience.

While in Central America, if I heard them correctly, some of the students worked on farms harvesting beans for coffee, and they definitely became more aware of who the farmers are who pick the beans for the coffee we drink. They also learned about Fair Trade Coffee, an issue that I have been passionate about since I first learned about it in September. In Central America, farmers are not paid a living wage for the coffee beans they harvest, and so they live in poverty while we sip our $3 lattes, oblivious or apathetic that our coffee was harvested by farmers living in poverty. If we only realized that by a little effort on our part, we could help to provide a living wage for the farmers. You see, by intentionally buying Fair Trade Coffee (coffee with a "Fair Trade" label), you are buying coffee that a farmer was paid a living wage for (read the link below for a more accurate description of Fair Trade Coffee).

Unfortunately, Starbucks does not brew Fair Trade Coffee in its stores. A friend told me it does at least sell Fair Trade Coffee beans. Starbucks makes so much money, one would think they could afford to spend a little extra cash for Fair Trade Coffee. It is unfortunate that a company with so much influence on the industry isn't doing this. I believe that they will someday...it just takes us asking for change. Starbucks is a great organization and treats its employees very well from what I can tell, so I am hopeful that they are moving toward brewing only Fair Trade Coffee.

In the meantime, I think instead of boycotting Starbucks, I will ask them to brew me some Fair Trade Coffee when I'm in their store.

Here's a really long article (but interesting) if you'd like to read more about Fair Trade Coffee. I'm thankful for the students today and them sharing their experiences.

Starbucks Facts--Fair Trade Coffee Facts -Starbucks Fair Trade Campaign - Organic Consumers Association-Genetically Engineered free foods, supporting Fair Trade.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

today

Today was a good day, and I just felt the need to blog that since yesterday was a little melancholy.

I had coffee with the other RDs, a couple of one-on-ones with RAs that I like (which isn't tough since I like them all!! :) ), and I even took a nap. Then I went shopping with Brad (who is in town for a wedding), Aden, and Evan. Then I finally got to go to Blended Family Dinner at Dayna's. I haven't been there since like March. I have really missed it. It is such a place of belonging and I love it and it was so good to be there. We laughed so hard while playing Taboo. It's funny what you say under pressure.

Tomorrow may be a good day, too! I don't have any scheduled meetings until noon. Then at 1, my friend Denise and I are going to Gonzaga to look at art. I love spending time with Denise. She is one of the reasons I care about the world and the environment and feminism.

After we look at art (and probably sip some tea), it will be time to set-up for the Warren End of the Year BBQ! Yay! Always a fun event. It rained on us last year and we got soaked and it was a blast....I kind of hope it rains again! Ok, maybe not.

Now I'm going to relax a bit before I go to bed.

Update

I haven't blogged for a while, so here's a little update on my life.

This last weekend, Nicole and I went to Bend to see Brad and celebrate her birthday. We rode down with Keats and April (StewVille RDs) and it was a good time. I was a little melancholy because it's the first real break I've had since February. Sure, I've had a day or two on the weekends, but nothing rejuvenating. So I was definitely just soaking up the fact that I was getting away.

It was a good time away. We went to see The Interpreter (SEE IT...SO GOOD), went to McMenniman's Pub, drove to COCC so Nicole could see Brad's office and the view of the mountains, and shopped. Saturday afternoon, the Dahlvigs came up from Eugene. We spent the last 2 new years eve's with Chris and Jolyn (who was the StewVille RD before I came to Whitworth) and they brought their 2 cute kids. So we chatted and played with kids and it was good. And we went to April's parents house on Saturday night for dessert, and that was fun.

Now I'm back and have a little free time...I had TWO NIGHTS to work on paperwork and getting caught up on my life. I have been working on some resumes and applications to send out for jobs. I'm starting to get depressed about this job search. I don't like it. I think the fact that I'm naming my feelings is good....I just need to keep myself from getting too down. It's just really hard to look for a job. There is one job at U of Oregon doing Career Counseling that I'm most excited about and most qualified for, so I am hopeful that I'll get an interview. I'll just keep plugging away and sending out resumes!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Saturday, April 23, 2005

fearless leaders


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a picture of Renee, Scott and Ben. The three of them were in charge of the booth and did a great job with it. You may not be able to tell, but Scott and Ben are hopped up on sugar in this picture....scary!

more pie


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a picture of Lisa getting "pied". We had a great board to stand in to keep us from getting too messy, though some of us got "pied" while we were just standing at our booth. :)

Pie in the face


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Today was Springfest, an annual day when there are tons of booths selling things, bands playing, and we have "Mr. Whitworth" competition (which I'm skipping out on as I blog this).

The Warren leadership team decided to do "pie a student leader" for our booth. It was great fun, even if it was a bit messy. I'd recommend using ONLY whipped topping and no chocolate syrup--the syrup is harder to clean off.

Here I am with Peter and Ben. We were covered in the goo for a good hour, but we loved it!

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Godspell

I just returned from seeing the Whitworth theater department's production of Godspell. I went Friday and loved it so much, so I went again. It was soooooo good! I think it may be my new favorite musical. Not that I had a favorite musical before or anything...

My friend/former RA Philip played John the Baptist/Judas and I was so proud (beaming, really). He has an AMAZING voice and I love seeing him "in his element." A couple of my current and former residents were in the musical, too (7 of the 12 cast members, actually), and it was good to see them perform one last time (since i'm leaving and all...). I like them all.

I'd just highly recommend seeing Godspell if you ever have a chance.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Listening Party


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
We had a fun activity on Prime Time tonight! One of my former RAs, Susan Bill, is helping publicize the band The Afters in the Spokane area, so she asked us if we'd be interested in having a listening party. My RAs thought it would be great, so we did it!

The band gave us sweet free gear (stickers, posters, demo CDs) and bought us a bunch of pizza, and we listened to their new CD during the party. They are a great band and I am a new fan. Check out some of their songs at http://www.buzzplant.com/theafters/index_groundforce.html and their website www.theafters.com

Here are Michael and Chelsea sporting their free gear and, well, being silly as usual.

Friday, April 15, 2005

My Team!


Res. Life
Originally uploaded by schmann.
I got a copy of the yearbook photo of the Residence Life team and thought I'd post it since it's a pretty great pic of us. These are the people I spend a lot of time with each day. They are all so great. I am sure going to miss them after I leave! :(

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Adventures 5


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
The last night of Flat Colin's adventures, he learned to play the guitar and frisbee. These are two of the most popular past-times on the Whitworth campus, so I decided he had to experience them to fully experience Whitworth. :)

Here, Jeff is showing Flat Colin how to play the guitar.

Adventures 4


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
I decided that I wanted Flat Colin to experience the great fun it is to go to college and live in a residence hall! So, Flat Colin went with me to our lounge to "Prime Time" two nights while he was here. Prime Time is an activity in the residence halls that happens every night from 8 to 11pm. It is set up so that there is something going on in the living room of our home each night so students have someone to talk with and something to do every night.

Here, Jessica watches as Elizabeth teaches Flat Colin how to knit.

Adventures 3


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
I took Flat Colin on a Sunday afternoon adventure to see Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. The park is wonderful and one of the great features is the Bloomsday Runners sculpture. Bloomsday is an annual half-marathon that occurs on the first Sunday in May and it is a HUGE deal here. If you don't run or walk in the race, you can join the huge crowds as a spectator and cheer on the participants.

This sculpture is a salute to the big day. Flat Colin climbed onto one of the runners to get his picture taken...can you find him?

Adventures 2


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
Flat Colin came to visit during the busy time of the year: RA Hiring. Every spring, all of the RDs and our boss work together to hire the 47 RAs who will work in the residence halls for the following year. Flat Colin came to our first big decision-making meeting and helped to take notes on the white board. Here he is sitting next to my friend and fellow RD Tim in the conference room!

Adventures with Flat Colin part 1


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Originally uploaded by schmann.
I have just completed a week long adventure in Spokane and at Whitworth with Flat Colin.

The first adventure I took him on was to lunch in the Whitworth College dining hall with my leadership team. We go to lunch together every Tuesday after our team meeting, so we took Colin along with us!

Here is Flat Colin with Ellie and Chelsea!

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

"Flat Colin"

I received an exciting envelope in the mail today! It was my cousin Colin, who had flattened himself into "Flat Colin" much like Stanley in the book "Flat Stanley". Colin also had written me a letter asking me to take him on some adventures in Spokane. I am excited to show "Flat Colin" the sights of Spokane and take some pictures. I have asked some of my students if they will help and they invited him to lunch with us tomorrow to begin his Spokane adventures. I am thinking about driving him downtown to Riverfront Park to show him some of the sights there, including the sculpture of the Bloomsday Runners.

I just may post some of our adventures on this blog for you all to see!

Monday, April 04, 2005

keepin' it clean

I just thought you all would be happy to know that my apartment is quite clean. It was nearly spotless when my friends came to visit, and I have successfully kept my kitchen table, countertop, and other surfaces that make good "catch-alls" free of clutter. All it takes is putting things away throughout the day!

Yay for keeping up with a new year's resolution. And, actually, it's the first one I've made!

This week is exciting...full of RA interviews!

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

So Fun!

I have just had two great and fun-filled days with my friends Tammy, Lara, and Amy. They flew from Sioux Falls and Cedar Rapids to Seattle and then drove to Spokane to spend two days here. It has been so great! And so fun to have people living in my little apartment with me!

Monday, they arrived in the afternoon and after showing them my home (which took less than 5 minutes), we got in the car for a tour of Spokane. Since it was cold and rainy, I also took them on a driving tour of the Whitworth Campus. I drove them past the Milk Bottle (a diner with a front shaped like a milk bottle) and my favorite coffee shop (The Rocket on Garland). Then I drove them through downtown, past Riverfront Park and the Bloomsday Runner sculpture, and then we went up the steepest hill in Spokane so they could see a bit of the South Hill and the view from High Drive. Then we went to the Steamplant Grill for dinner (we even went into the smokestack, which was full of suction and very scary). Oh, and then we went to REI and looked around. I don't fit in very well in REI. It's like being in a foreign country.

Tuesday, I took them to the HUB to show them the place I spend most of my days. They got to meet a couple of the other RDs (because, well, most of us are there most of our days). And I showed them all of the facilities...the RD office, my mailbox, the student mailboxed, the espresso stand, the smoothie bar, and then.....we had lunch in the dining hall, which is always fun for visitors. Then I drove them to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where we spent the day. We went to shops and looked at the antique stores for lunchboxes (no luck, boohoo), and we bought candy at the penny candy store, and we had coffee at the cute coffee shop, and we had happy hour at the Coeur a'Alene Brewing Co., and then, in the cold wind, we walked the pier onto the lake. It was cold but pretty. Then we drove back to Spokane and had pizza and then hung out for the rest of the night.

Today we had an early lunch, got some froyo from the new "sweet treats" section of our smoothie bar, and then we went to take pictures on campus. While it was snowing. It was a fun adventure.

And now they are on their way back to Seattle to hang out with John and Marissa for a bit. I am sad they had to leave but I guess it's good since I do have a ton of e-mails to get through, students to meet with, and RAs to hire (we start Thursday night). It was a good compact 2 days of friend time. Yay! Thanks for coming to visit! It made my spring! :)

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Weekend Festivities

This has been a productive weekend so far. I got all of my meetings moved yesterday so that I actually get a 3-day weekend, so I took it really easy yesterday. Mainly because I have just gotten a cold (cross your fingers that it's not the flu again!) so I wanted to try to get rid of it before Monday.

Today, I took a bunch of boxes to Goodwill and then have devoted a large part of the day to finishing my resume. I even purchased more paper and envelopes. I'm sending it out to a couple of schools and we'll see what happens. The job openings are picking up, so I'm hoping I can find a good fit!

Tomorrow is devoted to cleaning my apartment so it is ready for my guests who arrive Monday. It is mostly clean because of all my hard work during Spring Break, but now I need to clean out all the dust that I've missed in 4 years; otherwise they may die from allergies. :)

I'm getting excited to have visitors!!

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Post-Spring Break Shock!

Wow. I cannot handle going from a schedule of "hmmm.....let's see.....what do I want to do today" to "11am meeting, 12pm meeting, tour of my apartment with RD candidate, 3pm meeting, meeting meeting meeting every hour of the day until midnight". It's a little like syllabus shock!

Yeah, we have RD candidates on campus this week: 8-10 hours of my week. And we have 2nd year RA interviews: 4 hours of my week. Do I even have 14 hours free in a normal week? I doubt it!

Needless to say, my poor RAs and Senator have their one-on-ones with me cut to 30 minutes so that I can stay sane.

On a lighter note, in one week, I will be hanging with my friends from the midwest. woohoo!!

Thursday, March 17, 2005

TurboTax

Might I recommend TurboTax to all of you for ease of filing your taxes? I have used it for the past 3 years and it has made life so much easier--no more "if the number you entered is greater, go to line 15, if the number you entered is less, go to the next line." That's too confusing. I am very glad I got it this year because I had to file a 8880 for the money I've started contributing to my retirement. I know, it's sad that I waited until this year to start contributing, but at least I've done it. Yeah, so anyway, all I had to do was enter the numbers that TurboTax asked me for.

I am going to review this tomorrow and send it off in the mail. I get a refund for once, and it's going directly to my savings account for the anticipated unemployment funding I'll need starting in June. If only I could get the actual unemployment money....silly unwritten "rule" that we can only stay in this job for 4 years that means I resign and they don't fire me.....grrr......

Bono Launches Socially Conscious Clothing

Yay for Bono continuing to try to make a positive dent in this world!

FOXNews.com - Foxlife - Bono Launches Socially Conscious Clothing

Man, I have GOT to do my taxes. I am enjoying this spring break thing so much that I'm having a tough time doing the stuff I don't want to like my taxes and finishing my resume. Tomorrow. I must.

Monday, March 14, 2005

Loss

Sad news. Stan Grenz, a great scholar of our time, has passed away. Many of us have read his books for classes and gleaned great wisdom from his thinking. I even got to play with his kids when they lived next to our friends the Ohnstads.

I am sure he is basking in the presence of our Savior!

You can leave a note for his family on his website: Stanley J. Grenz Evangelical Theology

Saturday, March 12, 2005

IT'S SPRING BREAK!

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Napoleon Dynamite

Deb
You are Deb and you could drink whole milk if you
wanted.


Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Monday, March 07, 2005

RA Retreat


IMG_479
Originally uploaded by schmann.
Here's a pic from our RA Retreat last night. We were all dressed as someone famous. The Warren team likes to make a scene wherever we go.

We spent most of the night making a movie. It's pretty funny. Then, we watched Saved! and spent the night in the Chapel. Unfortunately, my reservation of the Chapel didn't make it as far as it needed to so a custodian came in at 4am to clean and discovered us sleeping!

The retreat was great fun....we laughed so much.

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Shoes!

Good news: I am making progress on getting rid of clutter. It helps to have a former student coming to stay with me tonight which means I had to get all my new sweaters off my bed.

I now have 5 boxes of items to donate to Goodwill when I have time (ha, what's that?). So I counted my shoe donation. I am donating approximately 20 pair of shoes. Twenty. 2-0. That's a lot of shoes that I don't really wear or want that have been taking up space in my life. But guess how many pair I still have in my closet. 40. Forty. 4-0. What? And I actually wear all of these shoes. There are the birkenstocks that I've had for ages but don't wear very often, the sneakers I wear twice a week, the sandals that are for beach days and sunbathing only, flip-flops for slipping on as I trek around the building, my black and white shoes that are just like Sandy's and the reason we are soul friends, my Puma collection that I have started...the list could go on.

What can I say? I need variety! Is that bad for me to have 40 shoes? I have a shoe addiction.

OK, I must go back to some cleaning before I head to the airport to pick up Karen. Woohoo!

Friday, February 25, 2005

Tomorrow's the Big Day!!

One of the shining lights in the "I wish spring would get here" season is the Academy Awards. I love the movies! Check out this link to the Oscars site. I'll be watching, hoping that Million Dollar Baby wins best picture.

OSCAR.com - 77th Annual Academy Awards - Sunday, February 27, 2005, 8e/5p

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Costco Woes

I used to like Costco, even though I have to pay $45 for a membership each year. It was great to be able to just pull my printer cartridges out of a box instead of asking the Staples worker to unlock the little case and get the cartridge for me. And how great that I could get a box of 30 Luna bars for $25....that's less than a dollar each.....good deal.

Yeah, well, today my like for Costco is waning. I DID save 10 cents per photo. But there were NO printer cartridges for an Epson 777. Every other Epson cartridge was there. Have they discontinued my product or was it just an off week when they didn't have them in stock? And what about the Luna Bars? They barely had Powerbars or Cliff bars on the shelf, and there were no Luna bars to be found.

I tell you, I may not renew my membership. I don't want to pay $45 for bulk groceries. Hmmm.....

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Biscotti

I had some biscotti on Friday when I went for coffee with my friend Denise and decided I wanted to learn how to make it. So, I looked on a great website called AllRecipes.com and found this. I have adapted the baking instructions a bit (my adaptation is in ALL CAPS so you still get the original recipe).

It's a good one!

-----------------------

Chocolate Nut Biscotti

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (4 ounce) package bittersweet chocolate bar with almond nougat, chopped (I JUST USED A 3.5 OZ DARK CHOCOLATE BAR)
1 cup chopped hazelnuts (I OMITTED THESE BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE NUTS IN DESSERT)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and lightly flour cookie sheet.
2. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
4. Divide dough into two equal parts. On floured surface, shape dough into two logs, 14 inches long, 1-1/2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. (INSTEAD, I SHAPED THE DOUGH INTO ONE LOG, ABOUT 8" X 11" AND 1 INCH THICK AND BAKED IT IN ONE SECTION)
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cutting board. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4 inch thick diagonal slices and return to cookie sheet, standing upright. (INSTEAD OF STANDING UPRIGHT, I JUST FLIPPED THEM ON THEIR SIDES SO THE CUT PART WAS EITHER ON THE PAN OR FACING UP IN THE AIR)
6. Bake 10 minutes more or until slightly dry. Cool completely on wire racks.

FOR BEST TASTE, DIP IN COFFEE OR COCOA. YOU COULD PROBABLY MELT DARK CHOCOLATE ON THE TOP, TOO, FOR ADDED CHOCOLATE TASTE.

IT MAKES ABOUT 14 TO 18 PIECES, DEPENDING HOW NARROW YOU CUT THEM.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Hotel Rwanda

A friend sent me this article about Hotel Rwanda. The author states that all Christians should see this movie. It's interesting.

SojoNet: Faith, Politics, and Culture

in 45-ish days

I just checked my hotmail because I haven't logged in for a few days and I got the best news of my life....aside from if I get a job in the next 6 months. :) My friends Tammy, Lara, and Amy are heading to the northwest right after Easter! Woohoo!! They're going to be in Spokane for a few days at the end of March. I am sooooooo excited!!! I need to start planning all the fabulous things we can do while they are here. Yay for good friends coming to see my Whitworth home!!!

Whew, I'm not going to be able to sleep now!

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Film Recommendations

It's February and you know what that means....no, silly, not Valentine's Day....THE OSCARS! Since the nominations came out a few weeks ago, I have made it my mission to try to see as many of the nominated films as possible.

Movies viewed in the past 5 days: 4
Movies viewed that are nominated for an Oscar: 3
Movies viewed that won an award at Sundance: 1

I would recommend all 4 movies I have seen in the past few days. Here's my brief take on them:

Million Dollar Baby. This is a Clint Eastwood film and in my opinion, Clint is an amazing director. He acts alongside Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, who are both amazing. The general plot is that Hilary's character seeks out Clint's character to train her as a boxer. Interesting, yes, but why is it nominated? Well, there's a lot more to it than just a boxing movie. This may be the best picture in my book, though I still need to see Aviator and Sideways. Oh, and I'm not a member of the Academy, so it doesn't really matter what I think.

Smoke Signals. This is an older movie but I've wanted to see it since a peer used it for movie clips in a seminary class. The movie is about a Couer d'Alene indian and his story, especially his relationship with his father. It's a good flick. And it was filmed just across the border in Cd'A, ID.

Ray. Good movie, good music, GREAT acting. I had no idea much about the life of Ray Charles...what a great story of personal drive and wrestling with demons and an honest portrayal of the sadness that can come with success if you don't sort out your emotional stuff in life. Jamie Foxx was A-MA-ZING.

Hotel Rwanda. Everyone must see this movie. Don Cheadle does an amazing acting job but the story is what is so important....we need to know more about the things that have happened and are occurring in this world. Genocide is horrible, and it is happening today....it didn't end with the holocaust. We live in our cushy homes in America and we have no idea how tough life is in other countries. One of the students I went to this movie with said it's interesting that America cares if genocide happens to whites but if you are black, America won't help out. And I guess she has a point--we hear about the holocaust a ton but how many people know about the genocide that happened in Rwanda? Or that's happening in Darfur. And what are we doing to help stop it? Anything? I am so glad they made this film, and I hope you all go to see it so that you can ask me what I'm doing to help make change in the world.

OK, I'll let you know what I think about the Aviator and Sideways if I see them. Finding Neverland is another film I'd recommend, but I saw it a while ago so it doesn't make it in this post. :)

Monday, January 31, 2005

The Recipe Book

The Recipe Book is a great little invention. I didn't invent it. It may have been the magazine Real Simple or my wise friend Joy Stahley, both of whom are cool. But the concept is simple, and you, too, could have your own recipe book. All you need is a 3-ring binder, some plastic pages and dividers, and a little creativity.

Take all of your recipes from your recipe box. If you're me, that means there are about 20 cards, and you've only used about 5 of them. Then, sort through ALL of your magazines (if you're me, that's 4 years worth) and cut out all of the recipes you've tried or you want to try. Sort the recipes into categories. I chose: Main Course, Sides, Desserts, Appetizer/Party, and Misc, but if you're a major cooker (get it, Lara?), you may want a lot more categories than that. Then, you put the recipes onto colored paper and slip the paper into the plastic pages. If you have recipe cards that are written on the front and back, skip the colored paper and slip them directly into a plastic page with several other front/back cards (in the same category, of course) and if you place them just so (I recommend taping them so they don't slip), you can see both sides of the card (because the plastic is clear, silly).

Then, put all the pages in the binder after the appropriate divider. As the finishing touch, make a cute cover page for the front of the binder. You scrapbookers could go wild on this project!

My advice would be to get a binder with pockets and dividers with pockets, too. Then you can slip recipes in the pockets when you get them but just assemble pages when you have time. And Real Simple recommends doing something with colored dots, but I didn't understand and I am not THAT organized.

That was my Sunday project as I watched a MST3K DVD I got for Christmas. Yay for me getting rid of clutter and getting organized.

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY 26TH BIRTHDAY, MARK! Hope you're partying it up with your friends in Omaha!

Thursday, January 27, 2005

baby steps

Today I started getting my resume ready to apply for jobs! Yay! It's just a start but something's better than nothing, right?

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

wipe out

So, I got sick. Yeah, the scratchy throat from Sunday night has turned into a serious hit of the influenza (or a cold and I'm just a wimp). Yeah, I felt like I got hit by a truck on Monday, yesterday I felt a bit better, and today I have just been wiped again. Mostly I cannot stop feeling like I need to sneeze and I have so much crap in me. Yuck! So much for a productive break, eh? I guess it comes at a good time--I don't really have anything I HAVE to do. So, yeah, I'm devoting the next few days to resting and getting rid of this gross bug. And, really, in the grand scheme of things, really not a big deal....just an inconvenience.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Resolutions 2

Well, I thought I should share how I am doing with my New Year's Resolutions. It's going okay, but I'm not perfect. My "organize my life and get rid of clutter" plan is going pretty well. I spent the weekend clearing out my old magazines (4 years worth...that feels good!) and hope to do some more purging of items in my living room during our break this week. I'm taking it one room at a time, with the worst room (my back bedroom) being the last room I'll tackle. The kitchen is going to be a bear, too.

Um, the e-mail clearing and washing dishes regularly resolution is going well, too. I just cleared out a bunch of old e-mails and I'm going to clear my kitchen sink after I post this.

As for the resolve to learn to cook, well, that is not going as well. I haven't even taken my pots and pans out of their boxes yet. However, this week is our Jan term break and I'll be eating in my apartment for 5 or 6 days so I am sure I'll cook lots. I even have a bunch of recipes to try that I tore out of my magazines!

Now I am going to bed because I have a scratchy throat and am appartently getting a cold that will hopefully be just a cold and nothing more. :)

Saturday, January 22, 2005

TGIF

Today was such a good day. It felt like spring here. It wasn't overly warm, but the sun was out, and we usually don't see the sun until April, so it was such a great day and didn't feel like January.

Tonight, I went Cosmic bowling with my friends Lesley-Anne, Jon, Kelli, and Tim. I got my first Turkey. I rarely get a strike, let alone three in a row, so that was exciting! Tim still beat me, but who cares! We went to Applebee's afterwards and it was a good time to laugh and relax. Then I stopped by the lounge on my way in to my apartment and ended up spending the last 2 hours there chatting with students. A large group of guys were playing Capture the Flag and the lounge was "jail" so a few of us were chatting with the guys who were in jail as they served their time. :)

Now I'm going to go to bed. I have a lot of cleaning to do this weekend and I need to start putting together my resume, too, so I better get some rest!

Happy weekend to all of you who are reading this!

Monday, January 17, 2005

Ice Day!

Whitworth cancelled day classes tomorrow for an Ice Day! How crazy. I guess they decided to cancel the classes because the roads and sidewalks are so icy. I'm not quite sure what the deal is here, but they tend to do no shoveling or plowing until after everything is packed down and it seems like a lot more work to clear the pathways. Driving from the freeway to Whitworth was really no big deal tonight, but walking from my car to my building was treacherous. Seriously...like 4" thick ice on the parking lot, with spots of water, all making it into a dangerous skating rink. Not good.

So, anyway, we get an ice day.

But I have a few meetings that I will still have because I do them in the building I live in and it's kind of pointless to cancel. So I get 1/2 an Ice Day--until 1pm.

I hope the ice melts soon--I hate walking/skating around in the winter!

So Much Better!

So, the last time I posted here, my life was pretty overwhelming. I have just returned from a weekend away to visit my friend Brad, which was EXACTLY what I needed (doctors should prescribe weekends away instead of pills). I am rested and have gotten some space between me and the stuff that was weighing on me last week.

The drive back was a little scary. About 3 hours from Spokane, I ran into an area of freezing rain and drove past a jack-knifed semi, which was pretty scary. Then about 1 hour from home I pulled over at an exit to clear ice from my wipers so I could actually see where I was going. Good thing I did (yay, God!) because when I stopped I realized the area was covered in black ice. So I started back up slowly and crept along as I approached some flashing lights where there were about 10 cars in the ditch, some of which had recently passed me. Had I not stopped, I think I could have been one of them because I would've been going a lot faster. :(

So, here are the great things I did during my weekend away:
*sleep until my body was ready to wake up
*have good conversation with Brad
*watch 2 lame movies and 2 good ones (I recommend Rabbit Proof Fence for a rental and Finding Neverland which is in theaters right now)
*sip coffee in front of the fireplace each morning
*explore downtown Bend (yay for the record store and the antique shop)
*shop at the Old Mill district (yay for Bath and Body Works sales!)
*see the college where Brad works (the cement walls and purple paint make it look like the USF residence halls!)
*watch the Golden Globes
*read some Harry Potter

And now I am trying to make the most of my final moments of the weekend.

Friday, January 14, 2005

looking ahead

This has been a rough week. Very emotionally draining. Work stuff is hard right now. It is a tough way to be affirmed that leaving Residence Life is the exact thing I need to do with my life, but I know from this week that I no longer want to be in this specific field in Student Life. Sorry to sound sad...it's just been a long night and I'm anticipating a long day tomorrow with potential negative parent interaction which is one of the worst things you can deal with as an RD.

On a lighter note (and thus the purpose of the title), it looks like I will hopefully be traveling to Bend, OR, this weekend to see Brad. Based on this week, the work I haven't gotten done, and the amount of snow we got last week, I am still saying "hopefully traveling". I need to get away, so I am hopeful. If I make it, I look forward to good sleep, quality conversation, shopping, knitting, coffee, and the Golden Globes, all the while making it "birthday weekend" for Brad one weekend early.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

thoughts from the weekend

I woke up this morning and in my head I said "It has GOT to stop snowing" the way Mrs. Peacock says "People have got to stop coming here" in Clue: The Movie. We have gotten about a foot of snow, most of which came Friday-Saturday. I had to shovel my car off yesterday there was so much of it. Thanks, Dad, for the collapsable shovel for my trunk! :) This is the kind of weather that makes me want to be cozy but I have had a pretty busy weekend and have had to be out-and-about in it. But I haven't been grumpy about it because I know there are good things about snow even if it slows us down a bit.

OK, enough complaining. I watched an AMAZING movie last night. I know, it's SO 1997, but if you haven't yet seen Life is Beautiful, you MUST. I can't stop thinking about it. It's a combo of a love story and a story of a family trying to survive the Jewish holocaust. It's a powerful portrayal of a father-son relationship and hope. WATCH IT.

Friday, January 07, 2005

The Snowy Day

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is my favorite childrens book. In it, Peter goes outside and explores the freshly fallen snow. He makes snow angels, listens to the crunching of the snow beneath his feet, and makes fun patterns with his footprints. It is written about days like the one we've been having in Spokane today. The snow started falling during my 1:45-2:45 one-on-one and it has been falling ever since. It's quite peaceful. I even drove around in it and the roads weren't TOO bad. Now, don't mistake me for someone who loves snow. I don't. BUT I can at least appreciate it as a gift from God today as it falls--it is bringing me peace and calm. And it will be great to watch it fall as I go to sleep. I think I will work on finding joy in this snowstorm like Peter does in the book...I'll savor the crunch of the snow and make patterns with my footprints. :)

Monday, January 03, 2005

New Year's Resolutions

I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions but this year begins a new tradition of setting them with others and making change. Here are my two resolutions which are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-sensitive):

1. Get rid of clutter in my life by:
a) filing my RD paperwork at least once a week and keeping it organized
b) washing dishes within 2 days of dirtying them (though I'm trying to wash them every night and succeeding thus far!)
c) sorting through everything I own in Clean Sweep fashion and throwing and donating things I don't absolutely need
d) keeping my inbox clear by sorting through it weekly and deleting and filing messages.

2. Learn to cook by cooking something fabulous once a week.

New Year's

Highlights of the trip to Vancouver, WA:
*great conversation with Sarah Larson for the entire 6 hour drive there.
*being with Bill and Joy, Brad, and Nicole
*seeing Bill and Joy's new house
*watching Napoleon Dynamite
*having our morning coffee and breakfast while we read the paper and ease in to the day (one of my favorite parts of these visits)
*going to 23rd in Portland to shop
*seeing Molly Roberts
*shopping at Buffalo Exchange and finding an actual, published thing called The Name Game
*going to Powell's (the largest bookstore you'll ever see)
*appetizers at Henry's while we talk about the things we love and the things we see each other loving
*dinner at Henry's with Chris and Jolyn Dalvig
*playing the Name Game
*coming up with a fourth round for the Name Game
*sleeping in
*morning coffee and breakfast #2
*setting new year's resolutions with Bill, Joy, Brad, and Nicole that we can hold each other accountable to
*good time with good friends

Lowlights:
*saying goodbye to good friends
*driving the last 2 hours on snowy roads with scared drivers.

Happy 2005 to everyone!