Home Improvement

We're re-doing the bathroom. It has been an entire weekend of scraping, taping, painting, washing, shopping, and more painting. We ran into a few different "issues" that made it all more difficult that we'd imagined, but that's par for the course, right? We're almost done, but I don't quite have finished pictures yet. These are the "before"s and "During".

First, we took out the glass shower door, revealing an enormous amount of epoxy (moldy epoxy, at that) because the previous owners put the door too far over on the lip of the bathtub. Then, we put four plus layers of white paint on the ceiling to try to cover up the horrid dark blue (why? why? why?) that was there. It took a LOT of white paint. After that, we scraped more epoxy. Then, we installed a new shower curtain rod, one of the hotel types that are curved- we now have an enormous shower. Next, we taped up the walls and started in on the new blue to go over the turquoise and tropical fish on the walls. While the first layer of that dried, we scraped more epoxy. Then we screwed in some new lightbulbs- the previous ones were see-through and therefore cast really weird shadows on the wall (and burnt out your eyeballs if you looked directly at them). Now we have lovely opaque ones. Next, we painted another layer of the lovely dark periwinkle that we chose for the walls. Bye, bye tropical fish!! Finally, we yanked off the painter's tape.

&^%$#!!!!

The painter's tape unfortunately took the paint off too. So... rewind from "finally", had to put the tape back up and paint again. It was really, really infuriating and the resulting job isn't as pretty and precise as it could have been... but... ah, hell its an old bathroom, right?

April Fool

I've been crazy busy with school work, academic advising, registration, and more school work. When I've got free time I run, bike, or swim. And that's been about that. Fortunately, I get to look forward to spending Easter weekend in Milwaukee with Grandma and less homework for the following week. There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

Spring cleaning had to fit in somewhere. Tom's been working supremely hard on the basement, so I committed to "dealing with" our pantry. It was begining to look a little too much like my mother's with only about 1/10th of the space of my mother's pantry so something had to happen. I wish I'd taken a before picture, but when you look at the photo of the two shelves, the top one is the one that got attention (and new hardware) and the bottom one is still au natural and waiting for appropriate shelving. Made a lot of new space *and* found 2 extra granola bars, to boot!! :)





News:
Hung out with Tina N. and her fiance Doug on Friday night.
Ben is coming for dinner and to use the guest room this Tuesday.
Registered for
-7 credits for Spring Term (May/June)
-9 credits Summer Term (July/Aug)
-12 will be 15 for Fall (Sept-Dec.) YIKES!!!
Still hoping to be student teaching next winter, but have no idea if I can survive the fall course load, even if Tom sticks to his promise to deal with the online Law class for me. (wink, wink).
Basement is getting better, planning to rip out the backyard and "fix it" somehow.
Next up: Garden & a dog!

Happy 3-2-1 Day!

Its a new holiday, one Hallmark has no rights to! 3-2-1 Day. One year ago, Tom & I got engaged in Nagoya, Japan. Above is a photo of Hikone castle, outside of which he'd planned to propose. It was as grey and chilly as it is here today and I didn't have the faintest idea he had a plan.

And what a year. In the last 365 days, I've been to Tibet, left my preschool job in Tokyo and my friends & life (& favorite foods!) in Japan, moved in with my parents for 6 months, and gone back to school. I worked at Starbucks. ;) I went on a whirlwind road trip from Seattle with Brook and my friend Tomoko, through Portland, Bandon (to see Uncle Bill), Northern California, San Francisco (seeing Jaclyn and Melissa and the Schmidt crew minus Scott), to Los Angeles (to see Scott, Angela, and Bob Barker) and then to Colorado to meet up with the rest of our family to say goodbye to my grandfather on a hike in the mountains. Tom finally moved back, started his new job, and together we purchased our first house and began slowly moving our stuff to Michigan. I ran a marathon. (what was I thinking??). We had Thanksgiving with more gathered family than I had previously ever met. We got married and celebrated with all of our family and most of our friends (including some from both our Japanese families) at the most incredible, joy-filled, rocking party I've ever been to. We went to Mexico (and breathed). Tom went home. I took finals. I moved from one home to my home. My grandpa died. We drove to Milwaukee for a chance to be thankful for him, being together as family again, and for having had the wedding as our last happy moment together. Somehow, Christmas came, 2007 appeared, Tom & I went running at DisneyWorld, and I started school again, at another new school, full time for the first time in 6 years. We dog-sat for a few weeks, Jaclyn got married, Tom ran a marathon. And its the end of March again!

What a year! What a change in lifestyle! I miss my life of last year, but in the same way I miss being at St. Olaf. I love my new life and I love that it is (excuse the metaphor) a puzzle that I get to put together with Tom. I had to figure Chicago and Japan out all on my own (and loved doing so) but now I'm ready to ask for help, to be supported, and to be there for someone else. It feels really good to be a team and to have my best friend *here* E-ver-y Day. I'm so, so thankful we finally reached the point where we could both be flexible enough to figure out how to connect our crazy lives! And it has been a lot of fun.

This next year? I don't know if it could possibly be as dramatic as the last, and I think that's a good thing. I'm looking forward to finishing my first full time semester and completing all the "hoop jumping" required to get my teaching certificate. Tom is still creating a fulfilling position for himself at work. We'll face our first major health procedure at the end of May as we hope to get Tom's esophagus issues fixed for good. We'll run more, we'll travel more, and we will continue to politely disagree on who will be The Next American Idol (I tell ya, if he votes for Sanjaya one more time it might be separate beds...). I just can't believe how fast the time goes and it amazes me how much our lives have changed.

What a great trip!

What I'm Learning

I just wrote an e-mail and figured Ben might not be the only one wondering what I'm doing at school these days. So here you go.

So, you asked about my coursework. Currently I am taking 3 Education program classes and 2 Geography classes. The Ed. classes are:
1) Educational Psychology: The text seems good but the teacher is a joke and I will literally be able to get an A without reading the text. This is the class in which we're watching Harry Wong instead of being taught. I am actually learning a bit on my own from the text, the research project (how one variable, mine is socioeconomic status, affects student academic achievement), and yes, even from Harry Wong.

2) Education for Exceptional Learners (aka "Special Education"): I wasn't looking forward to this class at all, but that's because I didn't realize the extent to which "special ed" has changed from when we were in school. I had no idea I was going to have to teach these kids in the general ed. classroom. Now that I know I'll probably have to, I am wide eyed and highlighting. I like the text a lot, the teacher is a weak teacher but has real life experience as an itinerant hearing-loss specialist and is a woman, an African-American, and has her Ph.D. I think the class is by far the most valuable of what I"m taking this semester as a lot of what we're learning, regardless whether they're validated practices for kids with Autism or kids with low vision, it all seems to be generally applicable to the student population: i.e. be organized, be clear, have high expectations, don't make assumptions, and teach at a billion different levels.

3) I'm taking the first of three required and sequential pre-student teaching "Field Experience" practicums. They're all only a credit and require no classroom meetings. We have online discussions and then we have to visit schools. This semester will be the easiest as we only had one half day required- we all met at a inner city elementary school to have a tour, meet the Michigan Teacher of the Year (who normaly is a teacher at that school... my section of this practicum just got lucky since our professor worked at the school before she retired), and observe class. It was my first chance to get into an poor, urban, and black school. I don't know if it is PC to describe it that way, but it was. And it is also a high achieving, improving, succeeding school, which was really cool to see. The next two practicums require 25 and 30 hours respectively on our own. Looks like I'll be doing mine at another (less successful by far) very low income, very diverse (98% black, 2% Hispanic) high school- by choice. I'm scared shitless and also really, really excited to LEARN how to work at an urban school. When you said you wanted to teach in an inner city school I thought you were crazy. I don't know if I can do it because I am *such* a sheltered white girl.... but I don't really *want* to be that sheltered white girl. Its a real handicap, in my opinion, and I'd like to see if I can work my way out of it. As an inner city teacher is quoted in the research that is currently sitting right next to me says (of COURSE I'm blabbing on because I am supposed to be writing a paper) "Its really easy to teach in schools where parents have already done all the work for you beforehand". Yeah. Anyway... I'm going to give it my best shot.

That said (assuming you don't need the lowdown on the Geography courses), what advice can you give me?? I will start this next practicum in the last week of April or the beginning of May. What's a scared little white girl to do? :) I'm only partially kidding, btw.

Loaded Questions

I found another meme blog that seemed interesting. Here are the loaded questions (#3) from One Day at a Time:

Hypotheticals: If you could ask the president of the country one question, what would it be?

Want to go for a jog?

Anything Goes: Fill in the blank: ______ stole the cookies from the cookie jar.

Oh, definitely "I". You can't let me know where the jar is... that's the strategy.

No-Brainers: What do you consider to be the most dangerous creature on Earth?

Spiders or other venomous bugs. They're poisonous and tiny and just creep up on you when you aren't even paying attention.

Personals: What have you tried in life, and simply were not good at?

Basketball. Volleyball. Basically any organized team sport that required hand-eye coordination is a no go.

Feel free to distract my limited academic focus with your own answers by adding them in the comments section. Nothing much going on here, although I did meet my new hero, Laura Sophiea over the weekend. What an inspiration!

And, here's another wedding picture... I've been awful slow at dealing with them, but I will, I swear! Who-hoo, us!!

Watch me go!

My photo from the 5k is up!! I can't manage to bookmark it, so you have to go to MarathonFoto, search for the MardiGras Marathon (2007), and type in my last name (the new one) and bib number 5157. I really love that they managed to get the Boudreaux Butt Paste Banner in the photo... they were a major sponsor and now when I wear my t-shirt or look at this photo I can remember them fondly. Excellent!!

Racin' in N'Orleans

Hi gang, Just in from New Orleans! Tom and I headed down there (flying through Chi-town *just* before the storm shut the place down) Saturday evening as he was running the marathon (his first in 13 years) and I was running the 5k and support crew.

PRE-RACE: Turns out there is a major medical conference in town this week and we got stuck waiting in line with all of them for a shuttle. Didn't get into the hotel 'till late. Tom discovered his Garmin batteries were dead & I decided I was hungry so we wandered into our fairly sketch-o-rific neighborhood (north on Canal Street) to find both. Found a Walgreens and stocked up on H20, granola bars, batteries, and gummy Curious Georges. After all that it was after 9 so we decided to order in... Dominos it is. Crashed on a full stomach.

RACE DAY: Alarm went off at 5am and we crawled out and got gear ready. Since we had arrived late we still had to go pick up our packets (which woulda freaked ME out big time had I been doing a marathon... but my man's from Hawaii and totally a *no problem* type). So- out the door to the Superdome in the pitch black. They were still just setting up the start/finish line when we got there. We got our bright purple mardigras race t-shirts (cotton short sleeve for me/high-tech long sleeve but one size too small for him and the half-marathoners). Tom realized he didn't have his knee band so we decided to go back to the hotel since there was still an hour till the marathon/half marathon start. Ran back from the hotel and stretched, people watched near the start. It was chilly but nothing like WINTER like where we'd come from. Tom was having issues getting hooked up with a satelite for his Garmin and was lucky the start was a bit late. And then at a little after 7am they were off!! Between the race t-shirts and the substantial TNT presence it was quite the sea of purple!!

A little before 7:15 we 5k-ers lined up (the whole time the marathon & half marathoners were still starting the race which was a little odd...). I stood next to and chatted with another woman whose husband was in the marathon. She mentioned she wanted her husband to do Goofy and I broke it to her that it was full... etc. etc. Then we were off!!

I haven't run a 5k in years and years and can't even remember what my PR. The first race I ever ran in 2000 was 33 and I know in Chicago at some point I ran 27 something. After the marathon last fall, ITBS recovery this winter, Disney in Januaray and now starting tri-training I needed a break, mentally. At the start I decided to JUST.RUN. So I did and it felt really good. I barely caught the first mile marker and looked down- 8:12:xx. Okay... I feel okay, and thought I just might be able to hang on. At the same time, I gave myself permission not to, if it wasn't going to happen. I just went with it. Didn't see any other mile markers which made that easier. The course was a lap around the dome, then down Poydras to a turn around, back to and past the dome, another turn around and then back to the finish in front of the dome. I started really huffing and I could totally feel that I was pushing but I decided to try to keep up the pace. I was hot and my shins hurt. I could see the stadium looming ahead for for-ever. Finally could see the final turn around. I passed this guy who'd started walking and cheered him on "you're almost there, man!!" but he didn't start running. There was this other tiny little lady in front of me with Lone Star running shorts and she started in with a walking break. I passed her, did the turn around and heard her start running. Determined not to let her pass me, I pushed it into what high gear I had left and took off. I was wearing my running skirt and was a tad worried about where it was going due to my longer than usual strides! And then I was at homestretch, with the bridge above and the photographer and there was no one else- JUST ME! And there was only 25:12 on the clock. So I booked it and flew in and finished!!

My final time was 25:15. I was *13th* in all the women... not age group... TOTAL!! When Tom told me that I freaked!! There were only 193 women total, but STILL!! totally excited. So back to the important race... I ran back to the hotel, showered in 5 seconds, got dressed, slapped a cap on and ran back to the dome to catch my man at the halfway point (he came in just under 2:01:xx. He looked good and I gave him some water and gummies. As he headed back around the Dome I walked to find a cab... that took forever too. Finally found one, got dropped off, and walked to mile 17. I only made it about 5 minutes before he did. It was in a lovely New Orleans neighborhood. Saw the man then sat down to wait for him to come back on the way back in. REALLY enjoyed cheering on the runners. It was a relatively small race (just over 1,000 marathoners) and not many spectators. It was starting to get warm and there were sparse water stops, so when Tom headed back past me I let him take my water bottle to fill up his. He looked hot and tired, but was still running strong. He passed and I headed out to find another taxi back to the dome.

Took a day and a half to get a taxi. I'd told Tom I might not make it before he finished, but I really wanted too and I got panicked when no one was stopping... and I didn't feel like walking the 4 miles back!!Finally, someone stopped and got me there, I ran the blocks through the stopped traffic and ran up to the finish chute about 60 seconds before he came hurtling through!!! He nailed, I mean nailed 4:00. I think officially 4:00:21. He was bummed because his hams had cramped up (was probably dehydrated after training in winter/running in summer) right after I'd left him. BUT he was happy to finihs strong.

POST-RACE: We headed back up to the upper Dome and were thrilled to find: red beans and rice, a serve yourself beer truck, subway, and fruit & bananas. Unfortunately the only water and gatorade was down at the finish line... so we were forced to tank up on beer. The medals were pretty hideous- Tom's is large with lime green enamel and mardi gras masks, mine is small with enameled mardi gras masks and both have the traditional purple, green, yellow neck bands. Okay, not terrible but the lime enamel is pretty grody. ANYWAY, this is getting long- it was a fun, fun day and the longer post race involved a lot (too much) delicious food- jambalaya, gumbo, fish, fish, fish, crayfish, crab, beignets, etc. etc. now *I* really need to run a marathon!!

Cheers for reading, we both recommend the race. jaclyn

Sneak Peak of Summer

This weekend I got a fabulous glimpse of what above freezing is like. At this moment I'm sitting on the floor in the airport in Sacramento, California where it is distinctly and enviably WAY over 32 degrees. It was more than a little lovely to run in a t-shirt (and my running skirt) yesterday- Out Side. Truly delicious. I know there are people (my husband, my uncle Art) who swear life would be better lived in a climate that didn't include winter (or even fall or spring), but I remain unconvinced for the exact reaction I had to this weather treat of California. Would I really be able to appreciate the soul warming, nasal drip busting, color-in-your cheeks producing climate contrast if I lived in summer 365 days a year? My answer is a no. I promise you I was the only one raving about the weather all weekend. All those spoiled Califonia-ites were just going through their Saturdays like every other Saturday... albeit a little gratefull the rain had stopped. But ME? I was absolutely thrilled, postively thanking God Above for the day and a couple halves that I could go outside without my lungs shrinking up in pain from inhaling the ice crystal air of Detroit.

I just love that holiday weather can get me through an entire Michigan February. And I am undeniably happy to have another warm weather trip planned for next weekend. Because now the thought of heading back home where everyone is looking forward to the temperature climbing *just* above freezing tomorrow for the first time since January... is not a happy one at all.

:)

Sniffle

I have a fabulous cold, which is not surprising considering that
a) It is February.
b) It is currently 6 degrees F.
c) My husband had one.
d) I have a paper due on Monday
e) I'm flying to CA for a wedding this weekend.

Whopee!!! Oh well- colds happen. I skipped my morning pool workout since swimming makes my nose run on a normal day... whoulda known what would have happened this morning. I'm taking my workouts serviously these days as I've begun training for both my fourth Indianapolis Mini Marathon and my very first sprint triathlon. You can keep me accountable by checking my workout log on the Beginner Triathlete website.

So who else out there isn't embarassed to admit they watch American Idol? I got totally addicted last season when it was one of the only American TV shows we could watch in Tokyo. I got really annoyed with the audition shows this year (couldn't they have compiled that down into two shows or something?), but this week has been much more interesting. I felt really bad for that one girl, Bailey, who chose the "BFFs" and got totally screwed. I was doubly bummed when the last remaining "BFF" got into the top 24. I am not an Antonella fan. Boo! So far my two favorites are two of the women- Gina, the girl who got cut last season and is back, and Melissa (?), the girl who is a really shy back-up singer... she's amazing and really cute!! I also like Jordin, the 17 year old whose Dad is something famous (I don't rememer what).

How 'bout that for brainless chat on a Thursday morning? cheers!

Living

Here's a peak into our new home. Its still a mess and we have a long list of decorating/painting "To Dos", but it is incredibly cozy and warm, which is critical since we're now back in Winterland.

Happy Tuesday

My muse recommends that I continue writing. Since I've neglected my blog for so long, I am going to ignore the guilt that comes with re-starting a journal after life changing events. Besides, there's no one out there who doesn't realize I have quit my job, moved to Michigan, started grad school, run a marathon and gotten married since finishing my previous blog, right?

Okay, then I'm going to use the inspiration of my peer bloggers and start the writing juices flowing by using memes, and I'll go a day into the future and do a Tuesday meme so that someone can jump in and join me on the right day (or just because all the Monday memes sucked).

10 things you Worry about:
(I won't even pretend to put these in order)

1. The health of my family & friends
2. My own health (particularly athletic and mental)
3. Being a good wife/being a healthy couple
4. Schoolwork (that's why I'm doing this instead)
5. Future career (where, what, will they like me?)
6. Making money (now & in the future)
7. Eating well (more fruit & fewer granola bars!)
8. Waking up on time
9. Our house (cleaning & decorating & just getting the clothes off the floor).
10. What to wear every day (this is way down the list... but I do worry sometimes- now that I'm almost 30 I don't think I should be wearing overalls in public... at least not the ones I was wearing in college.)

New pictures

We had such a good time. I just got all our pictures in the mail and spent last night pouring through all 1200 of them!! Wow, we had such a wonderful night!!

Title My Car

I've got lots of options folks. I need to get a Michigan license plate for my little car to go with my shiny new driver's license. I'm really toying with personalizing the plates and I just checked... this is what's available.

1CHZHED
UMYAYA
OLE2000
OLEGIRL
RUNGIRL
JAX
JAXRIDE
1KAMPAI
KAMPA1

Or.. are there some other ideas out there. :)

and no, I'm not sure if the blog is back or not, but maybe it is... and maybe it isn't.