turned around

In just 25 hours (including seven hours in the car and seven hours sleeping) I stopped in Northfield for a backyard BBQ; continued on to to St. Paul to stayed up late laughing and catching up with Allisa and Delip; woke up early with Thelma and Allisa to met Amanda, Matt, Paige, and Luke at Nina's for an almond croissant and cappuccino; got my hair cut on Grand Avenue; met back up with Matt, Amanda, and Paige for an impromptu photo shoot; chatted about life with Paige in her downtown loft; picked up a strawberry shake at Snuffy's and a delicious margarita pizza at Punch; got back in my car and turned around.

took two

I started working on my Alaskan scrapbook, from the trip I took two years ago...I have stuffed it away for that long...not because I didn't like the trip or the photos but because I am a PROCRASTINATOR and PERFECTIONIST.

Feels good though, to start something you have been thinking about for a long time.

name my

To Marissa who just commented on my last post - thank you for still visiting my blog even though I hadn't posted in over 20 days,

To Paige who just left me the sweetest message earlier tonight - you made me laugh and smile and miss you even more - downtown St. Paul is always exciting Paige,

To Meghan who left me a voice mail last week - it made my day when I listened to it and I know that we will eventually catch up one of these days,

To Chanda who just commented on my blog from the other side of the world - of course we will play Apples to Apples and of course I will make you yummy pizza, I miss your sweet voice Chanda but can hear it with everything you write,

To Wendy who sent me an e-mail the other day - I think of you often and can't wait to see you in Kato this summer,

To Trisha who also sent me an e-mail the other day - it was the best update ever, thanks for getting me caught up with what is going on with your life and family,

To Bridget who I used to see everyday...with seven, no six, pumps of vanilla in her coffee - I can't wait to reconnect with you when I get back to St. Paul,

To Cheryl for always visiting my blog and making a comment - we still need to meet for coffee one of these days...maybe even invite Marissa if she is in town!

To Katie who is the most lovable, laughable, likeable, and beautiful lady I know - you amaze me with your spirit and I miss you everyday,

To Amanda - I feel so lucky that we are going to share such an amazing life experience together! Thailand here we come!

Beautiful, lovely, brilliant friends...words can't express my appreciation and admiration. There was a time when I couldn't name my friends...sometimes life takes my breath away and my eyes well up with tears and I know that it's because of how much I love you all.

pink

I love PINK; watch this.

enough chairs

I had a party last night for some of the students I have worked with for the past seven months.

I invited them over to my apartment for treats and games, a little fun away from work and a kick off for finals week.

I made pizza, my mom's famous bean/chip dip, and cookies.

I bought Apples to Apples at Target the night before because it is the best game ever. I even bought Dr. Pepper, Dubble Bubble, Blow Pops and Reese's Pieces.

I prepared all day for the party.

They ate the food I made and loved the game I bought! They told me they would have played all night but they had finals to study for and papers to write.

It was a great feeling to have people over to my place...even if my studio apartment doesn't have enough chairs and I had to get my camping chair from my trunk so they could all have a place to sit!

cheesy puffs

It has been too long since my last post.

All I can say is that even though I have been keeping too busy with work I have started to make better use of the time I have outside of work...balance, it is all about balance.

Oh, and today is Jake's 25th birthday! We are currently both obsessed with Natural Cheetos! They are wonderfully delicious cheesy puffs of air!

kato

This is a random post because I can make random posts if I want to because this is my blog. These boys in the photo are my friends and Jakes friends too so we all are friends because we are all from Kato. From left to right here is a little history.

Matt O. and I played hand-bells for our church growing up. He was a swimmer in high school with Jake and they both look good in a speedo but Matt O. drums Jake does not, Matt O. is a really good drummer. Shawn Gruenhagen and I lived real close to one another in Kato and we both went to Jefferson Elementary. We used to bike to each others house to hang out when we were young. His family plays hoot and hollar and I love that game. Then we have Jake. Jake is my man and I really like him I started liking him my last year of high school because I saw his paintings in Mr. Halsteads art class I kept asking Mr. Halstead, who is this Jake Ingman kid? Well now I know and I am happy. Genter is next. He and Jake were roommates in college which might have tainted their relationship a little but all is back to normal. I will never forget the first time I met Genter, he explained to me what torque was...I still don't get it but thanks either way. Genter plays video games enough said. And then there is Joel we were in school together first through twelfth. I have a photo of him from the last day of second grade in Mrs. Pattersons class, Joel is an amazing artist and I have a painting of his from our senior year of high school. We grew up together.

I love everyone is this photo.

covering it

It is 12:30 am and I should be sleeping because I am trying to get in a normal sleeping routine. But instead I made rice, beans, grilled some peppers, and made myself a flying burrito.

These past months, weeks, days have been a blur. I almost feel that I have lost control...in the sense that I can't seem to make the changes in my life a reality. I want to say, do, feel, be so many different things but I can't seem to begin the process of really changing my...life, routine, behaviors.

(I thought about putting my TV in storage...or at least covering it with a sheet).

I know what I need to do. I know that all it takes is the decision to change. The will to do and be better. Why is it so easy to be so messy, lazy and tired?

This is sorta depressing. I need to sleep.

out of the corner

We all do it, we all want that perfect self-portrait, where we look serious but still sexy.

Good thing for digital cameras because we know instantly if the shot will work.

...work for that photo you post on your blog or send to all your friends.

You should see my iPhoto library.

I have definitely taken some practice shots.

I am not embarrassed of this fact!



This is more than a self portrait because I didn't know that out of the corner of my eye my friends were being silly.

But my slight smile tells you that I can hear them laughing!

pilot butte

Just watching the sunset over the mountains in Bend, Oregon after a hike up Pilot Butte.