GROSS!

Okay - this originally was going to be a cry for help. SOMETHING IS EATING MY PLANTS! More than frustrating, they're eating my tomato blooms! My lamb's ear! My sage! The horror! Here are some pics from the crime scene:

Now, in case you haven't noticed I've been a little preoccupied with such things as finishing my master's degree, and I've been a very bad Garden Mommy. But I'm back, and I'm ready to fight.

I've had some thoughts - maybe it's birds or worse, RATS snapping off my beautiful tomato flowers and dragging them off into the Great Beyond, so as a precautionary measure I encouraged my husband to pee on my plants. Hey, don't be ooged out, your grandparents did it. I also found out from the neighbor that rats are particularly bad around here and he's a sweet old wise man who has lived here awhile. No better place to get your gardening information.

I've had a sneaking suspicion that slugs were my nocturnal nemesis (nemeses?) because I saw their iridescent trails on the pavers a few weeks ago. 

Well, tonight the hubs and I were enjoying some Maredsous on the back porch after dinner and I thought "hey! My sweet sister over at thegerminatrix.com said that slugs were raging alcoholics..." so, I opened a less fancy beer and got out some plastic lids, poured about a half cm of beer in there and went inside. 

Folks, gratification has never been so swift. When the hubs went out 30 minutes later to let the dog out before bed, he exclaimed, "Dude, you are catching a sh*t ton of slugs with your beer." Thinking he was joking, I went outside and was giddy (and SUPER grossed out) at the sight of this:

Say it with me now: EEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!

But much in the way that popping that pimple feels sooooo good, I'm glad to finally figure out what's going on. Folks, they were literally CRAWLING OUT OF THE LAMB'S EAR. Poor thing. I'll be sure and take pics of the dead slugs in the morning.

Aren't you excited.

Five Years Later...

Friday morning as I was getting ready for my defense and exam, I was stopped in my tracks by memories. I distinctly remember Mr. Richter's Business of Music class where I at once decided that a profession in the music industry was not my thing, and sometime during the semester wrote a paper and gave a presentation on music therapy. I found it the other day. It's terrible. I also remember actually giving the presentation, back when I was terrified of speaking in public.

More importantly, I remember telling my boyfriend Kyle about music therapy, and him saying "I think this would be a really good thing for you to do." See, because it was the Spring of my Junior year in college, and I was starting to freak out because I didn't know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

The original idea had actually been there all along. I was to go to music school first for performance, then med school. I had always been fascinated with how music effected the brain/body because of my own experiences using the piano as my own punching bag to deal with my mom being sick and my parents' divorce. I was actually a dual music/premed major for awhile. Then I took chemistry *shudder.* I think if I had the maturity and the drive I have now, I could have done it, but I just wasn't ready.

So, halfway through that paper/presentation I was doing, I got two really important phone calls. First from Kyle. "Did you know that the national conference for the American Music Therapy Association is in Austin this year?"

Huh? Tell me that isn't Providence.

The next call was one I had with my sister. "Hey, Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, you're going to the conference." I didn't even know what that meant, but I was really grateful and really excited. At that point I even had to go against an organization I had just joined in order to attend the conference. The decisions I now had to make were dealing with the rest of my life, way past the scope of band sorority business, and it was a huge paradigm shift for me. It no longer mattered that that was the beginning of the end of some friendships, that people would probably think I was crazy for changing my concentration to ethnomusicology when I originally HATED music history. I had finally FINALLY found my niche. Besides that, I had learned that I was fascinated by world music history, and filled my schedule with as many ethno classes as I could get my hands on. My mediocre grades also drastically improved over those last three semesters. What a difference finding my way made.

I cannot even tell you the...sigh of relief, the overwhelming, giddy sense of peace that I got when I walked through the doors of that conference. There was a band singing praise songs and so many presentations on music's effect on everything from Autism to learning and memory in the brain that I often found myself going to two presentations during the same hour. I was enchanted. Also super enchanting was the spreadsheet that Kyle made for me. I still have it. It's an exhaustive list of every music therapy school in the country, their audition requirements, tuition and fees, and length of music therapy equivalency programs. I think that was actually one of the first times that I thought, "I am going to marry this guy."

So yeah, all that came rushing back as I drove to Denton and set up my computer, prepared my notes, and started answering questions about my thesis and the last four years of my education.

The choice to become a therapist is not an easy one. It means developing a sense of self that others are often allowed to ignore. One has to constantly be in check with oneself...am I getting enough sleep? Am I responding therapeutically to every situation? Is there a reason there could be some kind of counter-transference here? Sometimes I feel like I am a pitcher and if I'm not careful I will pour too much of myself out and have nothing left. I'm not saying any of that like "Oh I'm so self-aware it's amazing." I actually describe myself as painfully self-aware because I tend to really overdo it.

I think all that said it really means that graduate school, especially as means for a therapy ends (any kind, OT/PT/Neuropsych) is a meat grinder. A fun one without any real homework. One with mirrors in a fun house that constantly reflect you back to yourself and then asks, "what are you going to do with this? how are you going to help others with the gifts you've been given?"

The whole process on Friday was nerve wracking. I didn't sleep soundly for three days, couldn't eat the day before, and had to pull out all my reinforcements including my power panties, the clinical strength antipersperant/deoderant and even yes, the belting and tucking in of a button-down shirt. The thesis defense was actually a breeze. Relatively speaking, I guess. The rest of it was really cool and tough at the same time - the whole purpose of a defense/exam is to make sure you have the vocabulary to hold your own as a Master of Arts in Music and also as a music therapist with a higher than entry level degree. So, we basically just had a big conversation on topics from score analysis to Debussy (why does my life always come back to Debussy? That's a whole other blog post.) and Ravel, symbolism, impressionism, exoticism, behavioral and cognitive behavioral techniques in the psychiatric setting...everything.

Apparently I held my own.

By the way, after a national and regional presentation, I am no longer terrified of speaking in public. I have learned to play the guitar, to improvise (sort of), to conduct research, to do what I've always wanted to do: use music and help people.

omg done.

I have something more poignant to say, I promise, but that is going to have to wait 'cos I haven't really slept in 3 days and when I got home I was like yep. shower, then nap.

This is so surreal...it's like...okay...now what? I mean, I know now what - I do assessments next week and get rolling on the best career of my life but it's still kind of...wow.

and counting...

For your listening/learning pleasure

It's Almost Here...

Friday, May 8th I'll be doing my thesis defense and oral exam to complete my master's degree in music therapy. Here's an idea of what's going to take place so you can understand the sheer panic in my voice if you make the mistake of calling me in the next 10 days:

Section 1 - thesis

45 minutes of a formal presentation of my thesis. Just learned that today - I have to do a powerpoint presentation. 

Committee Makes Recommendations, Christina hastily jots them down.

Section 2 - oral exam

45 minutes of reviewing everything I've ever learned ever in:

Music History

Music Theory

Music Therapy

Bibliography (or, how to use a library)

The music theory & history stuff is all rolled up into a nice little ball of Armageddon where I will be "asked to identify scores of music - period (out of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic), possible composer, compositional techniques and style characteristics appropriate to that period...should be able to look at the music and tell which musical style period it belongs to and name a possible composer from that period along with other composers who used this style. Study the style characteristics from each of the major periods again in all the major areas - harmony, texture, instrumentation, dynamics, tonality vs. atonality or multitonality, compositional techniques, forms, etc."

That comes straight from my study guide and yes it continues but it makes me queasy to think about. The other sections will be a breeze. I'm just nervous about that first part.

Okay, gotta get back to studying. See you on the 9th!

ACL FEST!

So, the lineup is out today and LOTS of people are complaining that the big acts aren't big enough but the smaller acts are good blah blah blah. Newsflash people: if you want to go to Lolla or Bonnaroo or Coachella, you'll be paying at least $100 more, and yes, the acts will be bigger. For what Austin is offering, I think it's a good deal. Also, let's not forget where it started, in 2002, when the lineup included tons and tons of local acts like Bob Schneider, Grupo Fantasma, South Austin Jug Band, Patty Griffin, and Ryan Adams.

Ah, 2002. The first year of the festival, my cousin invited me to be his date, but I couldn't go because of a Symphony Band "tour" in Houston. I haven't ever had the funds to go, and am therefore excited beyond belief about this year. Wish Carlos was going to be there though.

frustrated!

I have since last week been trying to schedule my thesis committee meeting, hoping that I could do it either at the end of next week or the week after. It's Monday and the committee hasn't yet agreed on a date and when I try to be clear with one member, things get all jacked up. ARGH. The good news is that my thesis is now OUT of my hands Hallelujah and Amen and all I have to do is now study study study. 

I can't wait for this to be over.

I'm not saying I'm going totally vegan...

*I was going to post this as a comment to a friend's blog but it got too long. The gist of it was that her daughter won't drink milk. So here you go, Kel :) *

So, I read a book called The China Study, and it talks a LOT about how the protein in milk, casein (and lots of animal products) is implicated by the way of lots of scientific studies in childhood diabetes, autoimmune disease, cancer, high blood pressure, lots of stuff. I don't want to start a riot or anything, so anyone who's curious is going to have to check out the book, but I would like to have some conversation about it if anyone has read it, is vegetarian, or vegan...I'm always interested as to why people make the switch.

Because there are lots of compelling scientific studies and reports...like how the highest milk consuming societies also have the highest instance of osteoperosis and hip fractures...I have since tossed our milk (to the dismay of my hubs, who woke to make cereal and had no milk...oops) and have started playing with milk alternatives like almond and hemp...I just bought the hemp chocolate milk and it's super delicious and has lots of good Omega-3 and Omega-6.

The question that plagues me is what I'll do when I have children. I've never really understood the concept of drinking another animal's milk. In nature, no other animal does it, and in lots of Eastern cuisine, no milk is used. You don't order Pho with cheese, right?

So then what about the calcium bonanza we are inundated with? The whole Got Milk? campaign and such? What about calcium and bone strength? Where the heck am I going to get it? Well, as mentioned above, studies I've read point to milk & milk products being a detriment in bone health (I know, it sounds sooo weird) and that human bodies tend to react negatively to it. I know I was allergic when I was a kid, so what's to say that even though I'm not outwardly intolerant like, I don't break out in hives, that my intestines aren't hating me? Part of me thinks about Fast Food Nation and my experiences with my mom battling tobacco companies, because I tend to not trust the dairy council when they're putting so much money into marketing. Of course they're going to say that milk is good for you. Just like the orange growers saying there's sooooo much vitamin C in orange juice. Well, there is, but you don't hear as much about how much more vitamin C is in bell peppers.

Good news though! You get a lot of calcium in leafy green veggies - I googled "calcium in vegetables" and found this site, and look at all the delicious veggies! Broccoli! Kale! OKRA!

Like I said, I'm just going off of what I've read in a couple books and studies, and I'm still trying to figure it out, and I don't want to be some crazy activist, especially if I don't have the information to back it up. Any thoughts out there?

Hooray!

I think I've found a magazine to fill the Domino-mag-shaped hole in my heart: Do It Yourself Magazine! I LOVED Domino, but this mag is the one thing that I wanted more of in D. 

It's April 20th. Makes me think of this song:

Sneak Peak...

I'm working on a couple hand painted children's tables for a garage sale...

This is the before shot...

The blue table I think will have an underwater theme:

Not sure for the red yet. Both will be alphabet tables.

If I Were A Flower...

I'm pretty sure I'd be an Impatiens, because my picture is NOWHERE near the word "patient" in the dictionary.

I couldn't stand that my garden was bare while North Texas endured flip-floppy weather, and suddenly I found myself yet again at North Haven, picking out glorious herbs and a couple tomatoes. Because of the sunlight situation in the back garden, I've decided to focus my efforts back there on having a rock n roll kitchen herb garden, maybe some lettuces in the spring and fall. I feel like I'm even pushing it with two tomato plants in the sunniest spaces. 

My darling husband has pointed out that there is a huge sunny spot behind our garage that could be cultivated and used for some veggies. I've just got to get a handle on the herb garden first. I'm toying with the idea of just letting it go, letting the herbs go to seed, having things go a little crazy, see what happens. 

Last month I guess I planted a bunch of Nasturium and some Vioala's because I thought that the sunlight situation in the garden would be the same in the spring as it is in the fall.  Oh of course not.  But, one of my Nasturium made it and even flowered! The Violas were quite literally toast in a few short weeks. This Nasty seemed to have found the optimal mix of sun and shade. It's still doing lovely, and is now neighbors with some Lamb's Ear.

and SPEAKING of gardening, a HUGE shout out to my sweet cousin/sister The Germinatrix , seen here on the Bonnie Hunt Show recently (search for Ivette Soler). She's the proud owner of a wonderful gardening blog/community and you should totally check her out.

where my first paycheck is going...

Austin City Limits Music Festival

I can has jobs now?

Okay, I promised to write about the conference, but this past Thursday I met with my employer/supervisor and she BAM handed over like 13 referrals! I am so excited - I have about a month to get all my thesis junk finished, and then I'm off and running. Well, sort of - I actually have an assessment that needs to be done this week. It is so very refreshing to hear "I am so excited about music therapy! My son/daughter loves guitar/piano/percussion and I think it'll really help them out of their shell."

I think I wrote about this before but a friend asked what I would do if I wasn't doing music therapy. 

I mean, there are a lot of things I could do...I'm interested and pretty good at a lot of things...I could be a chef or photographer or stay at home momma or...ha, I just noticed that none of those really ally with the "conventional" way of thinking about jobs. I hope that I can be the same parent to my kid that my parents were to me in that they really gave me the best parts of them, and that ultimately led to me pursuing my dream, to use music and help people. From my mom I learned to accept people as they are, no matter what. Seriously, friends, she called me one night and was all, "I had dinner with someone who maybe I think you would know? Neville? I think? Was his last name? He was such a nice man..." Seriously. Rich or poor, famous or no, everyone has an equal footing.  We have an amazing family. Maybe I'll start writing about them more.  From my dad I got this crazy obstinate nature...my advisor even noticed it lately when I was having a conversation with her about the government doing a half-assed job with our education system. My idea is that if they're going to be in charge, then do it well. Tell the schools, "Second language learning? This is how everyone is going to do it." and then FUND the crap out of it, and if it doesn't work, then they'll tell you what to do. But don't just say you're in charge and then suck at it. Her response was, "That's really surprising coming from you. You don't let anyone tell you what to do." 

I'm going to pretend she means that as a compliment.

I'm also smiling, thinking of what my grandpa's face looks like up in Heaven, upon hearing that.

:) Anyway, I digress.

I couldn't do what Kyle does...too many things to remember. I could do a lot of things, but this...THIS is what my heart finds joy in. Part of the reason I am so looking forward to starting work is not that I finally get to indulge my shoe fetish but that in speaking with one mother of an individual with special needs, I get to go into their house and change lives with music! She spoke of a time that she played piano duets with her son and now he struggles with attention because he's deteriorated. 

Can you imagine? The possibilities that music therapy has to offer.

It is almost an overwhelming responsibility.

glorious tailspin

Dear Life/God,

Hey there, things are going great here, and you're certainly keeping me busy. Between finishing my thesis, starting my new job, presenting at the Creative Arts & Research Symposium that I have to make my poster for, and writing two articles for two newsletters, wow. I thought maybe once I was done with school my life would slow down, but it doesn't look like it will. That's okay, I kind of like it like this :) Thanks for the music therapy advocacy curveball - I just got into it and now my boss is all "hey let's do some advocacy stuff"...when things are coming from more than one source, I don't call that coincidence, I call that a not so subtle shove in the right direction.

Love,

Christina

March Music Therapy Madness

Typing the title made me realize that I already kind of used that title and I thought I'd give an update on the eye-makeup sitch. I ended up getting a quad of Stila eyeshadows and have been using it for a few days and I am HOOKED. I've wanted some Stila eyeshadow since I went to Spain and my friend Becky let me borrow some - I've always thought it was so pretty! Well, not only is it very pretty, but it wears incredibly well :)

This week went something like this:

Tuesday - Drove down to SA, had dinner with grandma, hung out with brother, spent the night in NB

Wednesday - Made a huge mess in my mom's kitchen making homemade power bars, drove to Austin, made dinner for The Great Kate and Ev, then went to the Saucer with friends to play darts.

Thursday - 7:30am continuing education course at the Capitol (!!!), lunch at Guero's, mall for new jeans, stopped by the state hospital to say hi to folks I worked with, went home to shower/change, dinner at conference, Ballet Austin performance, Swing/Shim-Sham/Contra Dancing at the Women's Federation or "The Fed" 'til 12:30am.

Friday - Music therapy conference 8:30am, lunch at Home Slice, conference 'til 5ish, dinner at Casa de Luz, met with friends at Shady Grove, played Rock Band with the boys 'til 2:30am. It was sort of accidental, that game sucks you in.

Saturday - More conference 8:30am - 5pm, dinner at Maudie's, 2 hour nap, Copa downtown for Rattletree and Salsa dancing, then Lucky Lounge to say hi to a bartender girl friend of mine, Logan's, Rain, Whataburger, home at 3:30am. I couldn't sleep so I caught up on Grey's.

Sunday - Woke up around 9, coffee and good conversation with The Great Kate on her back porch overlooking Austin, breakfast with dear friends, then hit the road.

I am so ready for a nap. Lots of cool things happened at the conference, I will blog extensively on that later :)

:) :) :)

I am going to Austin tomorrow for a conference, the first time I've been back since leaving in December (driving through this past weekend doesn't in any way shape or form count, even though we DID stop for Thundercloud). I'm so excited! I'm going in early to hang with my grandmother in SA and get some yummy vegan energy bars made with my mom, then the conference starts bright and early on Thursday morning and runs 'til Saturday.

I love South Texas, especially in the Springtime :)

Robert Rodriguez Cooking School

I'm making this tonight (he drops the F-bomb once or twice, just warning you, but Johnny Depp is in the segment, and you should still watch 'cos the recipe is magical.)

someone get me a big. margarita.

'cos I passed.

So, for now it's Christina S., MT-BC. Now all I have to get is that M.A. part :)

tomorrow really IS the first day of the rest of my life.

So, this'll be quick so I can get back to reviewing, but tomorrow from 9am - 12pm I'm taking my music therapy certification board exam. Yes, it's three hours. Yes, every time I think about it I want to throw up.

It was in the Spring of my Junior year, 5 years ago, when I (re)discovered music therapy and decided to shift my entire life path in pursuit of another degree. I could've transferred, could've gotten a second bachelor's degree, but you know me. Never one for the path of least resistance.

Being less than 12 hours away from an exam that holds my professional life in its hands is giving me a weird, tingly feeling. It's really totally crazy to be so close to something I've wanted so badly not just these last 5 years but really over my entire life. All I've ever wanted to do is play music and help people. Even when music was thrown in my face as a "blowoff major" and all the times I was discouraged in studio class playing soul-crushing symphony excerpts for auditions to orchestras I would never even think about wanting to be a part of and blundering through undergrad, trying to find something that suited me.

I'll never forget that semester that I decided after writing a paper, skipping a TBS meeting that ultimately got me thrown out of it to attend my very first national music therapy conference...I walked into my advisor's office and, looking at my grades (which had previously been so subpar I'd had to repeat theory. Yeah.) said, "you kicked ASS this semester!" The 4.0 was a result in me finally finding what I wanted to do. That was when I decided to concentrate on ethnomusicology, because I had unexpectedly and dorkily fell in love with the role music and culture play with each other.

So you can understand that it's really, really strange feeling for me to be nominated for a graduate research award for original scholarship for my thesis, which researches bilingual music therapy, which I had a blast researching and buying Latin American songbooks off Amazon for. I also got to integrate my love of neuroscience into the project, and found neurological rationale for teaching students, especially special needs early second language learners in their native language AND in English.

It's strange to read the recommendation letters for the job I pretty much had been hoping to find and found me. I guess I'm finally the student I had always wanted to be...I've run with a bunch of smarty pantses and I feel like I can hold my own now.

Anyway, enough procrastinating. I'm going to go get a good night's sleep and hopefully next time I blog I'll be MT-BC! :)

Livestrong Challenge Video

before pressing play, go grab yourself a tissue.

General Malaise

I just had an interesting conversation with a girlfriend of mine. A statement she made was something along the lines of, "It's not that I'm not a happy person, I just haven't been happy for awhile." Another friend who was with us said, "I just feel like I really haven't been myself for the last three years." I could identify with that...with a general sense of heaviness...maybe mild depression but nothing really debilitating, just...blegh.

We came to the conclusion that probably most of America is feeling like that with the economic downturn. It makes me wonder if there's been a recent rise in individuals seeking mental health resources in the way of psychologists and counselors. We all also happen to be in our twenties and realizing that we're in a transitional point in our lives. It means taking better care of ourselves, protecting those bedtimes, being conscious about what we choose to put in our bodies, taking time for ourselves to think or to pray, drinking less alcohol, mindfulness about routine and chores around the house and how we want to live. I should also mention that 2 of the 3 of us in the conversation have been pursuing graduate school (master's and doctoral degrees) the last few years and that stress adds up. It's a tough place to be because as a nation and a generation we are beginning to rethink how we've done things and sometimes that involve realizing that those things don't really do it for us any more. The next step is the most important I think - figuring out what exactly does make us happy and pursuing those like crazy.

"When i was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11

March Makeup Madness

After my second eye infection in as many months, I decided to toss every single bit of makeup that could possibly come near my eyes...concealer, shadow, liners, everything. I figure since I have to rebuild my stash, I should do it with grownup makeup. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm so silly.

You know? I say something about not blogging and then something wacky will happen to me the next day and it gets me thinking that maybe blogging about this whole thesis process would be better for my sanity because having to store all these ideas for when I come BACK to my blog would be taking precious space in my brain. I think actually NOT writing would make me far more crazy than getting my thoughts out here.

That being said, last week I basically paid a statistician to make me cry. My sample size of my thesis groups were tiny (yes, I knew that) and she was very blunt about the fact that one of my tests couldn't be used. I was quite low for a couple days, doubting whether my research was worth anything at all.

But today I got a little ray of sunshine in the way of my graduate ESL professor. Taking that class was probably the single best idea I've had scholastically, 'cos I learned all kinds of things about second language acquisition theory and practice. I have been nominated for a graduate research award and have to get all kinds of stuff together for it, 3 letters of support, a curriculum vitae, and a narrative about why my research is important to the field...all this while getting ready for orals, for CBMT, and writing pretty much all day.

Anyway, what I needed was a letter of support from the ESL prof and though I was on a short timeline (the app is due Monday of next week) I thought that actually going in to see her and catch up would be much better than an Email saying "hey I know I haven't seen you in over 6 months could you do me this huge favor?" I know, the debutante in me will never die. It definitely paid off because she agreed to have the letter to me by this Thursday and really seemed to have appreciated that I took the more courteous route.

She gave me the BEST little pep talk...getting all excited about my ideas for future research and totally supporting my research because it's multidisciplinary, and really what the fields of ESL and music therapy needs. She even went so far as quoting Emily Dickinson who, when asked if she like to write said, "I like to have written." Meaning she likes to have it done. The prof also quoted her husband who said, "Just shut up and write." Which is SO what I needed to hear. The other really big thing that we discussed was that in her class I learned about the validity of alternative or authentic assessments, which are basically non-standardized tests used in the classroom by the teachers to gauge student progress. Suck it, statistician. Just because my research is a pilot study doesn't make it unworthy of stats. I could go on and on about doing research in music therapy and why most people in, say, psychology, look down their nose at it. Music therapy is such an individualized process that a lot of times the most significant (and by that I mean meaningful) research comes in the form of qualitative or case studies, anyway.

/rant.

Kyle also said the other night, "look - people a lot less smarter than you have published theses. It doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be done."

Send me all your writing vibes, I needs 'em.

ps: IT'S RAINING!

pps: MY NASTURIUM IS BLOOMING!!!

Just a Little FYI

So, the blog posts are going to be rather sporadic between now and May - I've GOT to get my thesis written. This blog is not the only place I write - I wake up every morning and get my wandering thoughts in a journal to clear my head. This blog, see, is just another place to write, and I need to be focusing all my writing prowess into that dang paper so I can graduate. And get a puppy.

See you then :)

Favorite Movie Genre

So, I just went to see Slumdog Millionaire and I really hate that I saw it AFTER the Academy Awards because now I'm going to look like a bandwagoner when really we were going to see it before the Awards and just never got around to it because oh my gosh, that movie rocks my face off. It's really simple, really well done, maybe a little predictable, but whatever IT'S A LOVE STORY.

And that got me thinking about movies, and more specifically about what John Eldredge says in Wild at Heart about why we like the books and movies that we like.

So here's a rundown of my all time favorite movies:
Dogfight
Enchanted (I actually bought the DVD before seeing it)
Metropolis
The Fifth Element
The Professional
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
Paris, je'taime

...and what do they all have in common (besides, as I just learned, Luc Besson) action! adventure, and LOVE! I am a complete sucker for a good love story. Kyle likes the dramas like the Wrestler (blegh) or House of Sand and Fog (bring your razor blades and your warm bath) but I like the stories that may not overtly be about love, may have some explosions, but at the end really were all about love. 

And I asked Kyle why he thought that I would like the movie so much and he said, "Because he fights for the girl?" and I could just nod my head, else re-release the flood of tears that I had to hold back in the theater so I wouldn't be that girl.

Oh but I AM that girl. That girl also got real pissed at the Bachelor this past week - all that junk about him "following his heart" - come on. There are ways to follow your heart that don't involve being totally classless and destroying a girl on national television. If you watched, did you notice what made her the angriest? That he didn't fight for her.

Gah, I am such a girl. A girl who has been broken and put back together by One who loves unconditionally, is loved madly by the hubs, and who can appreciate a good old fashioned love story once in awhile. Especially if it involves ass-kicking girls and gratuitous explosions. And maybe a little Bruce Willis.

Livestrong Manifesto

What is Easy, What is Not

Easy: writing down a Bible verse, thinking "wow this totally applies to my life right now!"

Not Easy: Dealing with something out of left field the very next day (scholastically related - not a huge deal, just, disappointing) and relying on that Bible verse to get you through.

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

Why Tri?

I think to myself that I must be crazy, wanting to do these two triathlons this year...crazy to be bit by the bug of any sort of sport really.  I'm an expert procrastinator, and until recently, found myself an excellent excuse maker. But you know what? You can't BS a triathlon. You can't. I learned that the hard way last year - if you don't get out on the road or in the pool/river, if you don't eat right, if you don't get enough rest, it's going to be much harder on you than if you had actually been consistent, gotten the right nutrients, rest up. 

The same can go for anything in life, in business, in graduate school, becoming a great musician. Triathlons make me a better person. PLUS I get to raise money for a worthy organization. Everybody wins. :)

ahhhh :)

I just got back from swimming, and a funny thing happened. I swim in a pool that's 25 yards. Now, I recently found out that a mile is about 1760 yards. So, divide that by 25 and I'd have to swim 70.4 laps, or 35.2 up-and-back. Um, can you say daunting?! I'd been swimming twice before that, and did about .6, .7 miles each time - swimming 100 yards, then resting for one minute, then continuing. At that rate, it would take me forever to get to 71 laps.

So today, I did something different - I hopped in the pool, and then just started swimming. I would switch from free to breast stroke on the 5s and 0s, just to mix things up a little bit and catch my breath. I realized that because swimming is different running for me in that I am a way stronger swimmer, I would have to pay more attention to my body. That's the benefit of having a tri under my belt already, I know that I need to train consistently (because last year I sooooo didn't) and I need to listen, listen, listen to my body. So, I just started at good old #71 and counted all the way down to #1, trying to go at a pace where I wouldn't have to stop. I did it in about 49 minutes.

I'm so not a type A person...I don't play games to win, I play them to play. In fact, if I'm playing with people who enjoy winning (coughcoughKYLEcough) I'll do things just to thwart them. I have to find the joy and the happiness in everything I do. It's why I garden, why I hate cleaning unless I know it'll make the hubs happy, why I play the piano, why I study to become a music therapist. 

In doing this training business, I've learned that it is far more important to listen to my body than to pay attention to what my pace is. If I get on the road or in the pool consistently, I'll be a faster runner/biker/swimmer. The point is not how quickly I can get to the end, it's how much fun I'm having getting there.

Fun Fact of the Day: Did you know that I live like 3 miles from where Lance Armstrong used to work? Yup, the Richardson Bike Mart is just down the road from me.

sleepwalking dog

...and even more stuff...

Here's some links you might want if you want to get involved: Lance Armstrong Foundation

The Austin Triathlon - you too can sign up for this adventure and be a part of Team Livestrong. 

Hey, there's also other races that are supported/being supported by the LAF - see if there's one that you can be involved in!

Go ahead, pick a fight - and join in the Livestrong Challenge! There are 5k walk/runs and 10, 40, 70, and 100 mile bike races in Seattle, San Jose, Philadelphia, and Austin going on this year. If donating or walking/cycling isn't for you, you could even volunteer for any of the above races.

hi there :)

I just sent out an Email and set up a facebook group to support my fundraising efforts for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Team Livestrong's involvement in the Austin Triathlon this coming September - if you've made it here because of one of those avenues, welcome to the party! Glad you're here supporting me and/or laughing with me 'cos this training stuff is not easy, but it's definitely worth it.

I've got a couple gadgets on here that will lead you to some cool places - you can see how much money I've raised and donate by clicking on the little thermometer looking thing on the right.

I also did a triathlon last summer - at the very bottom right of this page if you click on triathlon, you can read about all things triathlon related. Just interested in the running portion? Click on "running." Swimming? You get the picture.

Again, so glad you made your way here - I love reading your comments so please feel free to leave some love :)

Switchfoot

This song just came on - chorus lyrics are: This is your life, are you who you want to be?

Whenever I hear this song I think to myself, "yes?" and wait for the assault of reasoning from my inner Critic and then resign myself to "no." 

But today for some reason (I say that like I haven't been praying and working really hard at all the things I want to resolve) my soul relishes in the fact that my heart says "YES!" and means it.

:)

Signs of Life

They're everywhere, but some are subtle. This is our affectionately termed "Sideshow Bob" fern. It turned all dry and crumbly about mid-December. Look what I found popping up a couple days ago:

The next picture is from the front of our house - they just look like a bunch of sticks...


...but this summer you better believe I'll be loving the blooms of the crepe myrtles and making blackberry pie :)

North Haven Gardens

I LOVE my local gardening store, North Haven Gardens! They've got everything I need for my garden and everyone who works there is amazingly knowledgeable on everything from bulbs to tomatoes to fairy gardens and compost. I wanted to show y'all their website, which is really good about posting when to plant what. If y'all are looking to get started in a garden, I'd recommend you find your local awesome garden shop and talk to someone :)

and SPEAKING of seasonal veggies, I just found this link on the Real Simple website - it not only shows you what fruit and veg are in season, but how to cook it!  Some of y'all have asked me about incorporating more veggies in your meals, and I think this is an awesome tool to get you started.

all kinds of fun things happening in the garden

All better!

This won't be a long post, just letting y'all know that I'm feeling a lot less like death today :) 

As soon as it warms up I'm going to go on an easy jog - this and last week I was to jog 30 minutes 4x a week. I am excited 'cos next week I start concentrating on going miles instead of minutes. I'm also headed to the doctor today to get some thyroid tests done. I'm the kind of person who used to get ooged out by having to get blood drawn, and then I started my music therapy program where I had to get poked for all kinds of random vaccines. Now I'm used to it, but I have to watch the nurse intently or else I get woozy.

I'm just one stomach flu away from my ideal weight.

I wish.

So last night, K made the most amazing Mediterranean feast for me, my sis, and my niece. Strangely, I conked out for 45 minutes after the fam left, and then started feeling like tossing my cookies would be imminent. NOT a fun feeling. Mind you, I hate throwing up so much that I will do dang near everything to keep from doing it. So, the Hubs tucked me into bed and I prayed that I would not be LATER praying to the porcelain.

12:50am - I woke up, trotted into the bathroom and tossed every single cookie I had. Seeing as some barf had made it onto the ends of my pajama pants, I took a shower, then crawled, defeated, back into bed.

3:00am - Woke up AGAIN, thinking of spinach, and barfed.

Now, any of you reading out there who are prone to taking the smallest sniffle as pregnancy signs, please don't freak out. This week I hung out with a kid who definitely had a stomach bug, and then I went to my friend's kindergarten class, where 7(?) kids had been out the last week for stomach flu. I have spent most of my time these past few months alone, in my office, procrastinating on writing my thesis. You do the math.

This morning, I slept 'til 11 and have spent most of my time on the couch, re-reading the February issue of Domino, may she rest in peace, and watching Walk the Line. Hubs fetched me some goodies like vitamin water, crackers, ginger tea, bananas, and chicken and stars! soup but all I've been able to handle is vitamin water, tea, and just now I'm trying my luck on a banana.

Sigh. This is what you get when you say, "Gosh, it's been so long since I've been sick..."

shout out

BIG MEGA THANKS to Daina and Joanna for donating to the Lance Armstrong Foundation :) You ladies are amazing...I'm working on proper thank you notes, so as soon as I get those designed, I'll thank you properly but for now this will have to do! Thank you so much for supporting me and supporting the cause!

love,
christina

Passion & Purity

I apologize for the anger-ball-ness of the previous post. I had just had one of those experiences that make one regret putting so much time and effort into a friendship. I hate to make this blanket statement, but guys can be so blind to the fact that although they may need to make proclamations, said proclamations can be rather hurtful to a girl.  Things like, "You were there for when I needed you for certain things like cheering me on or someone to talk to but I don't need those things any more," or a more distant version, "I just don't have a place for you in my life any more." Somehow, guys (exes, to be specific) seem to think that instead of just gracefully letting a relationship go, they have to say these things that they think is the right thing to do, to do right by their soon-to-be wife/fiancee, but it is hurtful to hear. Be a gentleman, for goodness' sake, and just let the emotional and physical distance do its work. We are smart ladies, we don't need it to be spelled out for us. And besides, spelling it out in that way will ensure that you will get something thrown at you.

I don't know how I came by Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot in my early teens, but it is one of few books I have read and re-read throughout the years. It speaks of virginity and restraint that one must uphold in a dating relationship and yeah I know I'm married and all now, but I also think that Elisabeth and Jim's courtship and marriage story is a beautiful, romantic one. Seriously, if you can get your hands on anything written by either Elisabeth or Jim Elliot, you will not be disappointed. Even now, her words and the Word in it continue to be relevant.

Anyway, I read a passage today that really spoke to me...Elisabeth received a letter from a woman who had met an amazing guy who "had walked into her life, given her every reason to believe he was crazy about her, then drifted off into someone else's life. He had the chutzpah to come back from time to time to tell her how his new girl was "filling voids" in his life which no one else had ever filled. (What rubbish, I thought, what ails a man who would do such a thing? WHat ails the woman who will listen?)" then then Elisabeth includes verbatim the letter from the woman and is as follows, "The Lord has brought about growth in me through knowing him, something I cannot regret, though there have been times when I wished I'd never met him. I have to give him to the Lord regularly...I've told the Lord I want to be an obedient servant, and He shot back, 'And are you willing to face grief and pain or whatever it takes for Me to make you that?' Even though I felt unable, I said, 'what choice do I have? I know too much to drop the ball now. There's no turning back.' I'd belying if I said I wasn't afraid. But He has brought me this far and already my joy is unspeakable."

Even now, typing those words, different things stand out to me. I am admittedly not very good at letting things go, especially in the areas of past hurt relationships. It hurts me deeply to hear others put those relationships in a box so that they may move on, when I have a hard time cramming all that very real emotional into a box. Or in some cases, burning that box. Relationships that were not only romantic but even family relationships, friendships. I am learning though that there is a difference between letting one's habits be formed and continued because of those relationships or learning from them, and giving them over to God. It's not easy, and if anyone out there has figured it out or has walked a similar path, how have you triumphed over it?

Family Secret

If you know me, you know my mom's been sick for a long time. The fact that she's alive is really honestly a daily blessing. Part of her recovery came when she visited a health clinic for 3 weeks, where she worked on her physical and mental well-being. When she returned, she had this zen-ness about her that was enviable. That and she was vegan. And skinny. It was amazing. 

So one night we went out to dinner in Austin at Casa de Luz with my brother and my cousin and we sat down in this little outdoor pagoda and she told us a story.

When she was at the health clinic, she had the opportunity to be treated by the most educated, talented doctors with the most state-of-the-art equipment. One such doctor was a therapist, a graduate of Harvard. During a session, she talked about her life, her joys, her despairs, about relationships that had really pissed her off and things that had not gone her way. When she was done, she sat back, and the doctor looked at her with his hands crossed and said, "Do you know what I do when things get to be too much?" My mother leaned in, hanging on his every word. "I take my hands like this, and I pretend like I'm drawing a bubble around it and then I flick it and say..." She leaned closer.

And Mr. Harvard Educated said, "F*#@ it."

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.

Saving Thyme...

So there we were, making homemade Pho when suddenly Kyle said, "Op...the sprinkler's on....you'd better go save your thyme..." What ensued was me dropping my cell phone, scrambling into the yard in my socks and pjs, and rescuing a plant while getting sprayed in the face with a sprinkler. See, I thought that the sprinkler I dumped dirt onto had a cap on it. Not the case in the least bit.

Is It Spring Yet?

Above are my starting seeds for basil, jalepeños, two kinds of tomatoes, green peppers, lettuce, spinach, and poblano peppers.
I decided to try more with flowers this year - and I cannot help but repurpose stuff. This clementine box was about to get tossed, so I put rocks on the bottom and filled it up with soil and compost, then added flower seeds! Bachelor buttons, marigolds (good for pest repellant),  and multlicolored cosmos. I have never been particularly successful with flowers, but I am committed to being persistent with them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Team Livestrong 2009!

SO EXCITED!!!

I have been accepted to be part of Team Livestrong 2009 for the Austin Triathlon! This means a lot to me because waaaay back at the beginning of last year I said that I wanted to get fit and do races to raise money for cancer research and now I finally get to realize that dream! 

Why cancer? Well, everyone knows that cancer sucks, but it strikes really close to home for me. In college, I was entertainment chair for UT's chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, which put on a Relay for Life event at the tower. It was all-night fun and insanity and we loved every minute of it. During a CAC meeting, the president of the organization asked us each to get up and say why we wanted to be a part of this. I was caught off-guard and am usually scared stiff at moments like this, but then I started listing off the people I knew who had had cancer:

My mom - thyroid, when I was born. My dad - skin cancer from spending countless summers in the Texas sun. My paternal grandmother - did not get the care she needed for colon and lung cancer because she was in a Eastern religious cult in California. My maternal grandfather - I watched as the ravages of pancreatic cancer took him away. My friends Chris and Joanna who got the cancer diagnosis the very same summer.

My sister and her husband do bike rides supporting AIDS research, and while I've always been interested in the thought of racing for a cause, nothing resonated so deeply with me as the fight against cancer. Just this morning during my run I thought of my grandmother cheering me on as I am finally overcoming my hatred of running so I can do things like this because seriously folks, as much as I have a deep joy when it comes to swimming and biking, I HATE running. I have to work very, very hard at it to not hate every second of life while doing it. However, when I start slowing my pace and thinking that I can't go on I know it sounds cheesy but I think about everything that the people who've dealt with cancer have been through and it keeps my feet hitting the ground.

So anyway, in thinking about the races I want to do this year, I wanted to do the Danskin again and then do another one. Friends had done the Austin Triathlon last year, so when perusing the site, I found this link, and was totally inspired so I applied and was accepted!!! Hooray!  I am excited because this is the first year they have added triathlons to their list of supported races! I have to turn in my acceptance and I have to raise about $1000, so there will be updates soon regarding all that business. I hope you'll keep reading as I start this great adventure!

Love!

Christina

eating healthy in the recession

on a friend's blog I found this article.

I can only speak from what I know, so here goes. Buying veggies that are in season, seeking out farmers markets, and cutting down on meat consumption saves you a LOT of money. I actually wish I had become more veggie loving when I was in college because I would have saved a TON of money. 

I thought the most interesting part of that article was in the last sentence, "today we aren't necessarily cutting back on the quantity we eat, but the quality." I think that's a shame, really. I do know that we as Americans just flat out eat way too much and people are unwilling to give up things that are bad for them just because they love them. For example, I read in Vegetarian Times about vegetarians who don't eat enough veggies. It happens. So, a good fix is that if you love pasta, and you're going to cook 2 cups of it, why not substitute 1 cup of it with say, zucchini? You're still getting the same amount of food, less calories, and it's a way healthier option.

Workout update

Well, this week started the run 25 minutes, walk 5 minutes segment of my Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer book. I've been looking forward to this week for a few days, especially in the middle of my third day of run 20 minutes/walk 5 minutes REPEAT workout last week. I've also been to Yoga 10 out of the last 14 days (I just cannot pry myself away from my house/husband on the weekends. Maybe next weekend.) so I feel great. I pulled on my troublesome jeans last night and they even fit a little different...not so much looser but just...different. 

The Danskin info finally came out and it's in Austin on June 7th! That means I'll be triathaloning in 117 days! I need to also decide if I want to do another sprint or do an olympic this year. I think really even though I said I would oly this year, I would like to do two sprints and then do an olympic next year. As this is only my second year and I haven't started the bike or swim training yet (pending new tires and a place to swim) I think I would like to take it easy, train solidly for two sprint tris.

Spring Fever

After months of the weather being dreary and chilly, we saw 70-75F this weekend, and I swear, it feels like I've just woken up from a very long nap.

I have been a busy little bee!  First, check out my sweet little workspace in the office :)

Next we go out into the garden...I expanded it so now it's about 7' x 7'. It only took shoveling out the grass (ugh), 1 trip to the garden center, 2 trips to Home Depot Richardson and 1 trip to Home Depot Plano, 20 pavers, 7 bags of topsoil, 5 bags of compost and 2 bags of Humax. Right now I've got Nasturium and Violas (pictured below), which are both edible flowers. I planted them in the shadier section of the garden, hopefully they'll be happier there. I also started seeds for spinach and lettuce for the cooler parts. The sunny spots are reserved for the green peppers, poblanos, jalepeños, cherry tomatoes and Brandywine tomatoes that I started seeds for today. 

Running Playlist

Zingy - Aksent

Single Ladies - Beyonce

Forever - Chris Brown

Shake Some Action - Cracker

I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness

Tambourine - Eve

Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Faith - George Michael

You and I Both - Jason Mraz

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

The Dynamo of Volition - Jason Mraz

Leavin' - Jesse McCartney

Cold Hard Bitch - Jet

Gonna Get What You Need - Jet

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Praise Chorus - Jimmy Eat World

Love Lockdown - Kanye

Somebody Told Me - The Killers

All These Things That I've Done - The Killers

Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall

Change - Lightning Seeds

Push - Madonna

Sunday Morning - Maroon 5

Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson

The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson

Here It Goes Again - Ok Go

You're So Damn Hot - Ok Go

Can't Stop - Ozomatli

Take On Me - Reel Big Fish

Creator - Santogold

Overdrivin' the Mic - South Austin Jug Band

Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder

We Are Young - Supergrass

Live Your Life - T.I. & Rihanna

That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings

True Story.

From this site. Wildly appropriate. 

Did I just say that? Darn you, Carnochan.

Blooming late sucks.

I don't know what it was, I woke up yesterday morning thinking about everyone I know, how they worked so hard to get where they are in life - my mom from government housing in Laredo to the first to graduate from UT in our family, my dad from a farm in Memphis constantly reinventing himself as a businessman, my siblings all pursuing their dreams and taking decades to get there, everything. So, I decided to quit blaming my work ethic on anything else and decided to see what would happen if I got back to working hard to get where I want to be. After being in school for so long, it's been tough for me to find that inner oomph to get me going, but at least I know it's in there, and I need to foster it.

In talking to my sweet friend Alina the other day, we came up with a good analogy, since I'm training for the triathlons and doing this crazy 60 day yoga challenge where you go every day...more on that later. We compared it to spending daily time in the Word and how sometimes it's awesome and you feel refreshed and sometimes it feels more like a chore, but that doesn't mean you don't go back to it every single day, just as in running and yoga you know that the daily diligence is leading to something much greater. Same goes for working hard for something you want. I would be ungrateful if I didn't put all of my heart and soul into finishing my degree and finding a job because I am blessed to be pursuing my dream job.  So yeah. Go team.

It doesn't feel like lazy...

I fear I am in a blocked state right now. K is bewildered when he comes home and asks "what did you do all day?" and I mutter something about yoga, running, and cleaning the office. I don't sit around watching tv all day, and today was the first day in a while I've napped.  I have no idea what's going on or how to combat it. I feel like I have this huge list of things to do and don't know where to start. Maybe I could actually physically make the list in no particular order and then DO them in the order I put them down because right now on the list things like Apply For Graduation are right next to Finish Obama Hope Cross-Stitch For My Brother.

Sigh. Anyone ever been there?

Bikram Yoga 60 Day Challenge

At the studio where I practice/work they're doing a studio-wide 60-day challenge, which basically means you sign up to do 60 straight days of yoga to see what happens. I am on day 4 and seem to have taken a couple steps back - the last two days have been more difficult than ever. However, one of the big things about the postures in Bikram is keeping your standing leg locked. I have come a VERY long way in this respect...in a lot of the postures I just stand there with my leg locked and count, then relax, then go after it again. I didn't realize just how out of shape I was until I started doing this practice! ugh!

In other news, the "ice storm" of '09 started out kind of lame - all day on Wednesday the news was on this 24/7 coverage of people clomping around in puddles saying, "Nope, no ice yet." Funny stuff.  That night though, the temperatures finally dropped and there was ice all over the place!  Kyle even got to stay home from work. We worked a little bit on the office, hung up some guitars, and I got to work on learning the mandolin :)

In also made some potato leek soup in honor of our last dinner in Colorado because it was just so cold out and suuuuper tasty!  Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup butter

2 leeks, sliced

salt & pepper

1 quart chicken (or vegetable) broth

1 Tbs cornstarch

4 c potatoes, diced * I used red potatoes and left the skins on 

2 c milk

okay so I cheated, the original recipe called for 1 cup of butter and 2 cups of heavy cream. Substitute in and out as you please :)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook leeks with salt and pepper until tender *here's where I added a little bit of garlic* stir frequently, for about 15 minutes

Stir cornstarch into broth and pour broth into the pot. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add milk/cream, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving. *and if you're adventurous, add a dash of cayenne pepper ;)

This was a really great recipe on a cold, icy day! We ate it with yummy garlic bread :)

25 Random Things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note/post with 25 random things, facts, opinions, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 (ha! let's say, 5) people to be tagged. 

1. I just muted The Bachelor so I could think seriously about this.

2. I am at once grateful and terrified that I get to do the things I love most in this world: make music and help people.

3. I have started my own personal journey of a "spiritual renaissance." Newsflash: it's a lot harder to be in the Christian crowd when a) not all your friends go with you to youth group on Wednesday nights and b) some things done by the "Christian" community at large are really, hideously, embarrassing.

4. I wonder sometimes how American society has become this place where we are always judging and psychoanalyzing each other, even in close personal relationships, instead of just letting each other be. 

5. It literally breaks my heart when I hear of friends who make poor choices and then have to deal with those consequences. 

6. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, almost to a "wow - she's crazy." point.

7. I also believe that Quantum Physics explains a lot of spiritual stuff.  See? Crazy.

8. About every other week, the quote "I'm really glad you found music therapy because in undergrad there wasn't really anything you were really...you know...good at..." resonates in my brain. Outcomes are varied and often include self loathing and determination.

9. K and I have started talking about having kids, now that I'm nearly done with the degree and paying off my student loans is looking like it might happen one day.

10. and some days, it scares the crap out of me.

11. and then there are the days like yesterday when Random Kid randomly started yammering to me on the airplane about how he's really excited about going to see his mommy and the plane goed up and downed and do you want to get off the plane now?

12. I think people who talk to kids like they're kids sound ridiculous. How are they supposed to learn to talk and reason verbally? I've gotten the most respect and response from kids when you speak to them as adults.

13. Also, I think that when you expect adult things like saying yes and no m'am and not screaming just because your tv show is getting turned off if you do you're going straight to bed no argument, and eating at the dinner table with the family, you're doing much better by your children than 90% of this country.

14. I am blessed with the most insanely normal group of people to call family for in-laws.

15. I am also blessed with an incredibly eclectic, loving, funny, spiritual, random, mixed-up bag of tricks for a family that I seriously must have done some fabulous things in a past life to end up with.

16. I want to lose at least 30 pounds this year because I refuse to put my body through whatever having a baby and ending up at like 200 pounds would do to it.

17. I know patience is a virtue, but I can make impatience look kind of cute, so often I go with that.

18. I think Dave Matthews is one of the smartest people alive. Who else could come up with such wise sayings as, "tomorrow is no place to place your better days." or get away with the entire lyrics of the album "Crash" ?

19. My mom got debilitatingly sick when I was 9 and let me tell you - growing up that early ain't no picnic, but it certainly made me who I am today, which is, you know, fine, but somedays I wish it would have been different.

20. I only recently started self-identifying as "American." After traveling and living in different countries, I realized that we aren't as great as we say we are. It's getting better though.

21. I learned to crochet when I was a kid so, good luck - it takes a really long time to get good at it, which is probably why knitting pisses me off so much because I have only been doing that for a couple years.

22. It's not so much that I have crappy taste in music but that I have a broad appreciation for music, some of which includes a passion for, say, Kanye West.

23. I would drop everything for the opportunity to be a professional dancer like, in movies or on Broadway shows.

24. I think Kyle is going to be the coolest dad ever.

25. I need to eat a little tiny something sweet after dinner to feel really done with my day. Sometimes it's a piece of fruit, or dark chocolate, or better yet, both of those with a glass of wine.

So here you go - Suzy, Jackie, Kelli (if you haven't already done this), Daina (ha! you already did it!), Lyssa, and Megan

um, okay. weird.

So today, we decided to go skiiing after a morning of hanging out and playing a game, just me, Kyle, and Daniel. The rest of the folks went snow toobing, or, as I like to say, snoobing.

Serendipitously, my best friend Haley is ALSO in Breck, so we decided to go meet her on another mountain, Peak 8. So, we went over there, hung out in the warming hut and came out all pumped to ski and MY SKIS WERE MISSING. RAWR.

We hung out for probably an hour, and I said LOTS of prayers to St. Anthony and God, begged Jesus to work this out. A couple showed up, complaining that someone had also stolen THEIR Rossignol skis, and ended up taking some skis that fit them. Haley went to meet her friend and boyfriend, and ended up taking the gondola down to a happy hour. So, Daniel left, to go meet up with Kyle and about a half hour after THAT, Haley left with her friend Melissa and we were all going to meet up for a happy hour in town.

On the bus to our car, Haley calls me and says, "hey you're not going to believe this but...my friend Melissa has your skis." My name was on the skis. Duh.

Dude. Seriously.

Kyle would also like me to mention that he made it down a green slope his second day on a snowboard and didn't totally eat it. More later - I love vacation!!! Thanks for all the prayers! Altitude sickness has completely subsided, and hey, we found the skis :)

8 Things About Me

I think I was tagged? Before trips I cannot sleep out of anticipation, so...here you go.

8 TV Shows I Watch:
1. True Beauty
2. Battlestar Galactica
3. Ugly Betty
4. Grey's (sometimes)
5. Big Bang Theory
6. How I Met Your Mother
7.
8.

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Best Thai
2. Dream Cafe
3. Casa de Luz
4. Kenichi
5. Pirhana
6. The Spanish Tapas bar near us I forgot the name
7. Panera (but only in St. Louis, where everyone calls it "Bread Company")
8. Imo's Pizza (speaking of St. Louis)

8 Things That Happened To Me Today:
1. Watched the coolest inauguration ever
2. Ate yummy fajitas
3. Crocheted a hat, then realized it was too big (yes, even for my head)
4. Bought a camera case out in Podunk, Tx
5. Applied for reduced tuition
6. Got into gamelan ensemble without having to sign up in the class, which is rad.
7. Worked on the Shepard Fairey Obama Hope poster cross-stitch
8. Packed for Breck!

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. 60 day yoga challenge
2. Sunday migas or waffles
3. Cooking with Kyle
4. Planting my Spring/Summer garden
5. Redoing the master bath
6. Toobing in the Summer
7. Danskin Triathlon
8. Seeing family

8 Things I Wish For:
1. My favorite people to live in Dallas
2. Better discipline
3. A clean office
4. Being better at that whole slow to speak quick to listen thing
5. Healthy babies one day (not any time soon don't anyone freak out)
6. A job
7. Better lives for the kids I worked with in Austin and at grief camp
8. My thesis to write itself

Playlist

As per Runner's World magazine, I added some tunes to my iPod that, quite frankly, made my run yesterday awesome:

Where Are We Runnin'? - Lenny Kravitz

Live Your Life - TI & Rihanna

Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

Faith - George Michael

Faith was toward the beginning of my run and I was cracking up the whole time. It's really hard not to picture George Michael strutting and singing to you while you're getting all hot and sweaty. Toward the end of my run times (15 minutes! w00t!) I have to play songs to motivate me and gosh darn if that crazy therapeutic music doesn't work. First was Live Your Life, which was really, really surprisingly inspiring the last 3 or so minutes when I feel like dying. Oh and of course there's Ozomatli's Can't Stop, which I sometimes play in a loop if I get to the end of the song and have more running to do. The lyrics, "Can't stop now - got to keep moving - we've got faith in what love can do - shake it shake it shake shake it..." just get me going :)

Flipping thrilled :)

So, we're getting a new president in a couple days, which re

minds me of a dream I had recently. I was on a cargo plane with a bunch of people, Will Smith, and the current president. I told my friend Ollie that wow Will Smith was really good looking in person, then I turned to Bush Jr. and said, "So, you glad this thing's going to be over soon?" and he said, "psshshhYEAAAHH" in a relieved sort of way. It cracked me up the next morning. I am really glad Obama won by a landslide, and like I said before, I don't think he poots rainbows and butterflies, and I know there is a crazy huge list of things for him to tackle, but I do know that this is the first time I voted and cared about the candidates, am going to actually watch the inauguration and pay attention to the speech. I am deeply hoping that the cynicism that many McCain voters had will subside because I am tired of the 2 or 3 in my life coming up with really random crap about Obama to get really. ticked. off. about.  Like the Email that my dad sent me AFTER the vote about how Obama doesn't take care of his dad's 3rd or 4th wife's poor kid in Africa. A friend recently likened politics to football games, about how people get so involved in rooting for the team and they have their lifelong commitments to this team or that one and get really, deeply hurt when their team loses. Like Texas/OU weekend, you know? Anyway, I hope that this president will bring people together if for no other reason than he is now your president, my president.

Also, on a less global front, this weekend is over, which means I get my Techie of the Year (no, not kidding) hubs back. Also, stoked because I went to a flea market yesterday and found the cutest little desk :) 

In terms of working out and such, I am coming to realize that with the lack of metabolism my family has so graciously blessed me with, losing weight is HARD freaking WORK. Daily work. I found encouragement in something I was reading about fad diets and research shows that the slower weight takes to get off, the better chance you have it'll stay off. That had better be true.

Pray.

    When I read stories like this it makes me think of how smart God is, using the internets to get people together and everything.

sigh...

Happy Birthday, grandpa Brandon - miss you.

what's with today, today?

bleeeeeeeeegh.

That's how today has been. I woke up sore and exhausted - I've worked out 13 out of the last 16 days this year, and I think this morning my body had totally just had it. So, I cleaned up from the little 26-year bday party and sat around watching tv. You know it's serious when that happens. I found out that I actually kind of like the West Wing, and I caught up on the ABC show True Beauty...seriously, anything executively produced by Ashton Kutcher and/or Tyra Banks, I'll watch it. Those shows are my weakness.

I was bummed because I was supposed to do a run workout today but could NOT for the life of me get the motivation to do it. So, I ate a leftover cupcake and some tasty black bean stir-fry with kale and hopefully will feel better tomorrow. I think it might have something to do with the pizza, sangria, and beer from last night making me feel all icky.

I'm really excited about a few things coming up this week: first, school is starting back up, which means I'll have some accountability for getting my thesis rolling...I finally got bored enough with trying to get the house back together that I printed out some paperwork and lined up almost all my data. Second, we're going to Colorado on Wednesday! It's the first ski trip for K and the first time since my senior year in high school to hit the slopes and I am so thrilled! I LOVE skiing and I'm really glad I learned how to when I was younger because that whole uhhhh-let's-think-about-this-flinging-ourselves-down-a-mountain-thing is pretty much lost on me. I also love hot chocolate and chili when there's SNOW on the ground! And MOUNTAINS! Can you tell I'm excited? Third, and this kind of goes along with #2 but with my Xmas and Bday money I'm going to get a new tiny camera so I can take it on the mountain, and pretty much take it everywhere with me. We have a bulkier camera that I like using for artsy fartsy stuff but I've been craving a slim point-and-shoot to throw in my purse for everyday stuff.

Finally, the yoga studio I frequent has started a work-for-trade program where basically I go with two other people once a week and clean, and then get free unlimited yoga. Considering the sessions are $20 a pop and I am as of yet gainfully unemployed I am beyond thrilled that this is going to work out. Speaking of working out, tomorrow is my run 10 minutes/walk 5 minutes x2 and then next week the run bumps up. The book I'm reading puts the end of the training around the beginning of June, and by then I should technically be ready to run a marathon, which I'm not going to do, but it'll be fantastic cross training endurance-wise for the triathalons.

I realize the post is just a wee bit tangental - I've got a little bit of cabin fever and am just excited about connecting with the outside world.

diet and excercise? what a concept.

Besides eating, sleeping, cooking, and working out, things have been quiet around here because I've been busy busy busy organizing my house.  

The biggest thing I guess is I've been really paying attention to what I eat and how much of it and what I do (good things!) or do not (coffee! sodas! excess sweets!) put in my body and you know what? I saw 170lbs this morning, which is exciting because I was at 175 on the 1st. It's probably all water weight but my goal is to be comfortably and consistently under 170 by the end of the month. Also, I went for my 5 min jog/5 min walk x3 yesterday (for 30 minutes) and I felt AWESOME. My legs felt really really good and strong. I'll be a runner...one day...

Ha!

Resolution update: I have not touched my beloved guitar, piano OR mandolin yet this year, mostly because since getting back from New Year travels, I've been organizing the house and getting it together like crazy. Our living room has been cleaned and de-Christmasified, and the kitchen is on its way to actually working. Much thanks to mom and grandma who for Christmas not only gave me and K our very own china (from my mom's marriage to my dad) but places to store them.

keeping up with the stockses

I forgot to post this in my last entry, but I post my workouts at a place called Daily Mile, which is a sort of social networking/workout log site where people can meet others who are biking/running/swimming in their area and may be doing the same races. So, if you're wanting to join up in this crazy triathlon adventure (ahem, Kelli) then have a look at DM.

Resolution update: I've been drinking only water (except for the occasional glass of wine and a cranberry mimosa yesterday yummm) and walked my 30 minutes almost every day except Saturday...it was a travel day from Arkansas and I made up for it by walking 45 minutes yesterday.  Thinking about joining the YMCA because they have a pool.

first two days of triathlon training :)

I have to admit that doing the Danskin (.75k (1/2 mile) swim, 20k (12 miles) bike, 5k (3.1 miles) run) last year was ridiculously empowering and made me want more. The Great Kate and I did that one, and she went on to do another sprint distance in August (the Austin tri? I don't remember the name...) and started throwing around the idea of an olympic (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) this year. The thought makes me kind of nauseous. At any rate, I got to thinking that if an olympic is on the map, then I could train for the olympic tri and do the Danskin as kind of a warmup.

So, I've started walking, and am giving myself 6 months to really focus on running. In terms of the bike, friends of ours just moved out into the boonies so there are lots of good biking roads near their house to take advantage of. I also live a mile from Whole Foods and 3 miles from Sprouts and a bikram studio, so on good days, I'll bike instead of drive. And then there's the swimming, probably the only one of the three that I really, REALLY enjoy. Now at least I've done a race and know what to expect (panic!) in the first few minutes of the swim and I can tweak my form so I turn all the way over to breathe so that I don't swallow so much water.

I'm interested in getting into adventure races, too - like Urban Dare or Muddy Buddy
both of which I would need partners for (hint, hint).

resolving, and such.

So, I've spent a lot of thinking and journaling over the resolutions bit and so far I have themes and some of the specifics worked out...

Health: 1) Quitting sodas cold turkey. A quote from Skinny Bitch said something along the lines of "there is nothing in sodas that is good for you, so quit drinking them." 2) Walking at least 30 minutes every day. 3) Cutting WAAAY back on alcohol. Like, one drink when drinking is happening. I don't tolerate it well, it screws up my sleep, makes me terrifically uncool and makes me fat. No thank you. 4) Vegetarianism is back in full swing but with modifications...less cheese, and a switch over to wheatless stuff. My aunt is a nutritionist and thinks there's a metabolic trend in our family to not process it well. Doesn't hurt to give restraint (and quinoa) a try.

Ha! I've typed God, Jesus, and Spirituality for the next heading and erased them all, because I don't know what to say and I don't want to sound like an idiot. I know that I want to find a church, find some good cozy real community, be more intentional about spending time in prayer, reading the Bible. I know that the faith I had in HS and in college leaned a lot on the beliefs of others, and a lot has happened to shape my views. They're still in the process. Bear with me.

Professionally: 1) Practice piano and guitar every day.

There's more...later.