I believe there was a Facebook thread that was doing this a while ago but in honor of my recent 26th birthday(on August 29, dad. If you're reading this!) I am going to share 26 things about myself that most people might not know.
1. I won a talent competition by playing "Amazing Grace" on the piano, now I can barely play the first five notes. "Amazing Grace" is still and probably will always be one of my favorite songs.
2. I can do the Pee Wee Herman laugh. You know, the weird, creepy pedophile guy, yeah. This talent I only whip out when forced. Funny story, my old roommate's(now) husband and I could both do it so at random times we would start laughing and it would creep my roommate out. We thought we were HILARIOUS!!!!!
3. I secretly wish I were still in college. I miss it greatly!
4. I want to pack up and move to Maine. I think it is beautiful out there.
5. I enjoy being THAT girl. ( aka Ugg and TNF wearing, SBUX drinking, BBY carrying, eternal sorority girl at heart.) I don't believe my personality fits it though.
6. I'm the jumpiest person you'll ever meet, which my roommates are finding out recently.
7. I hate putting labels on myself but here are some that, for the most part, apply: Follower of Christ, Artist, Writer, Friend, Daughter, Sister, Roommate, Niece, Vegan, Vegetarian, Runner, Boxer, Baker, and the list can go on forever. Thus the hating of labels.
8. I want to tell people that my sister and I are twins. It would be a better explanation of our parallel behaviors.
9. My mom used to sing "How Great Thou Art" in church when I was little and every time we sing it at the DTC, I cry but I still love that song.
10. I could sit and listen to someone play the piano or guitar for HOURS, and I'm not exaggerating. I love listening to those two instruments.
11. I have a wicked extensive memory. It freaks people out sometimes but I really enjoy remembering memories in such vivid detail.
12. I absolutely LOVE all of my friends in Des Moines, the old, the new and all the in between. I couldn't ask for a better group of friend to surround myself with, and I know I don't tell them that enough so if you read this, you're most likely in that group and I love you!!!
13. I make weird noises/faces at my computer, because I can.
14. Sometimes I'll start talking in a southern/Boston/Jersey/ghetto voice and think nothing of it. Certain things can be emphasized better in an accent, in my opinion!
15. I really dislike bugs but I feel like its childish for me to scream when I see a bug.
16. I'm incredibly emotionally attached to my car, long story.
17. I really enjoy playing with kid's toys. I'm a child at heart.
18. When I think about my "Dream House" the only thing that I can picture is the kitchen.
19. I actually enjoy economics, thanks to Dr. Coggins(even after I failed one of his classes)
20. I find most people greatly intimidating when I first meet them.
21. I'm painfully shy.
22. I love everything about Iowa, weather and all.
23. I'm painfully awkward.
24. I absolutely love how smells evoke my memory.
25. I love watching sports, I dislike playing them. I prefer individual sports/activities.
26. Just because I don't like eating meat, doesn't mean I don't like cooking it.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I love to be creative!!!
Ok so my last post was about my menu for the next couple of weeks, well it's only been a couple of days but I am a very impatient person and I had to make quite a few of the recipes/concoctions ASAP.
The Pumpkin Chocolate Tirimisu was amazing but I think I will stick with using lady fingers instead of vanilla wafers. I tried to take a short cup but really, I shouldn't have. I've been told I need to write down my recipes so here's to the best of my ability what i did:
Pumpkin Chocolate Tirimisu
1 package pumpkin pudding- instant
1 package chocolate pudding- instant
1 container of Tirimisu flavored mascarpone cheese
2 sleeves of ladyfingers( I'm adjusting because what i made I wasn't thrilled with 100%, probably 98%)
2-4 TBSP instant coffee/espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1. Make each pudding as directed on box. When the chocolate has been chilled mix in the mascarpone cheese.
2. disolve coffee into a half cup of water, add vanilla and cinnamon.
3. dunk ladyfingers into coffee mixture halfway coating them, lay them in the bowl/pan/whatever you have to hold your tirimisu
4. layer half chocolate pudding mixture over ladyfingers
5. Another layer of ladyfingers
6. layer half pumpkin pudding
7. repeat steps 3-6 until all your pudding is left! I end the top with pudding but it's not rocket science here.
8. Chill for a couple hours so the ladyfingers have time to soak up some good flavor. AND ENJOY!!!!!
Orange Tofu with Soba noodles was/is AMAZING. I just got done having some leftovers for lunch and it just got better when it was reheated. This one is pretty simple, well for me it is. I do have some tricks that I learned too.
Orange Tofu with veggies and Soba noodles
Soba Noodles- I only used a couple handfulls no the entire package, cooked per the package directions
Veggies- I used some red peppers(amazing) and portobello mushrooms( that i cooked last night for portobello burgers, wasn't thrilled with them so I threw them in) any veggies will work. I think next time I'm going to go heavier on the veggies, my pan just wasn't big enough this time.
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into whatever size your little heart desires. Mine was cubes.
Orange sauce- the gem of it all!
1- 4 oz jar of orange marmalade(mine was homemade but I suppose you could buy it too)
zest and juice of 1 orange- it gives it a fresh punch of orange(that was what was missing last time I made it)
2 TBSP Siracha Chili sauce, less or more to taste
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp fresh garlic
salt and pepper to taste
- mix all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
1. cook soba noodles by the directions on the package, set aside
2. In a DRY and VERY HOT nonstick skillet place tofu, you are correct when you ask, no oil?. The trick: tofu, no matter how much you pat it dry, it's still very wet and therefore take a long time to get a good crispy coat on it with oil straight off, it more or less steams itself BUT with a dry panit takes the water out and starts the browning sooner, then you add about 2 TBSP of oil when the tofu starts to brown. The oil will continue to help it brown without burning it.
3. When tofu is sufficiently browned and gorgeous, add veggies and cook until desired texture of veggies has not quite been achieved.
4. Add sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes or until you can tell that the sauce has reduced a bit and all the veggies have gotten to the correct doneness for you!
5. Spoon over Soba noodles and enter into homemade-chinese-vegan-take-out heaven!
As mentioned previously, the portobello burgers weren't all that great for me, but they made a great addition to my orange tofu! There you have it, if my camera worked, there would be pictures. There should be picutres, I actually dislike reading blog posts without pictures, oh well! Hopefully soon a camera is in my future!
The Pumpkin Chocolate Tirimisu was amazing but I think I will stick with using lady fingers instead of vanilla wafers. I tried to take a short cup but really, I shouldn't have. I've been told I need to write down my recipes so here's to the best of my ability what i did:
Pumpkin Chocolate Tirimisu
1 package pumpkin pudding- instant
1 package chocolate pudding- instant
1 container of Tirimisu flavored mascarpone cheese
2 sleeves of ladyfingers( I'm adjusting because what i made I wasn't thrilled with 100%, probably 98%)
2-4 TBSP instant coffee/espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1. Make each pudding as directed on box. When the chocolate has been chilled mix in the mascarpone cheese.
2. disolve coffee into a half cup of water, add vanilla and cinnamon.
3. dunk ladyfingers into coffee mixture halfway coating them, lay them in the bowl/pan/whatever you have to hold your tirimisu
4. layer half chocolate pudding mixture over ladyfingers
5. Another layer of ladyfingers
6. layer half pumpkin pudding
7. repeat steps 3-6 until all your pudding is left! I end the top with pudding but it's not rocket science here.
8. Chill for a couple hours so the ladyfingers have time to soak up some good flavor. AND ENJOY!!!!!
Orange Tofu with Soba noodles was/is AMAZING. I just got done having some leftovers for lunch and it just got better when it was reheated. This one is pretty simple, well for me it is. I do have some tricks that I learned too.
Orange Tofu with veggies and Soba noodles
Soba Noodles- I only used a couple handfulls no the entire package, cooked per the package directions
Veggies- I used some red peppers(amazing) and portobello mushrooms( that i cooked last night for portobello burgers, wasn't thrilled with them so I threw them in) any veggies will work. I think next time I'm going to go heavier on the veggies, my pan just wasn't big enough this time.
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into whatever size your little heart desires. Mine was cubes.
Orange sauce- the gem of it all!
1- 4 oz jar of orange marmalade(mine was homemade but I suppose you could buy it too)
zest and juice of 1 orange- it gives it a fresh punch of orange(that was what was missing last time I made it)
2 TBSP Siracha Chili sauce, less or more to taste
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp fresh garlic
salt and pepper to taste
- mix all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
1. cook soba noodles by the directions on the package, set aside
2. In a DRY and VERY HOT nonstick skillet place tofu, you are correct when you ask, no oil?. The trick: tofu, no matter how much you pat it dry, it's still very wet and therefore take a long time to get a good crispy coat on it with oil straight off, it more or less steams itself BUT with a dry panit takes the water out and starts the browning sooner, then you add about 2 TBSP of oil when the tofu starts to brown. The oil will continue to help it brown without burning it.
3. When tofu is sufficiently browned and gorgeous, add veggies and cook until desired texture of veggies has not quite been achieved.
4. Add sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes or until you can tell that the sauce has reduced a bit and all the veggies have gotten to the correct doneness for you!
5. Spoon over Soba noodles and enter into homemade-chinese-vegan-take-out heaven!
As mentioned previously, the portobello burgers weren't all that great for me, but they made a great addition to my orange tofu! There you have it, if my camera worked, there would be pictures. There should be picutres, I actually dislike reading blog posts without pictures, oh well! Hopefully soon a camera is in my future!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Adventurous Cooking
So today was payday and I was making my grocery list out as to what I needed to buy for the next couple weeks and trying to decide exactly what would be on the menu. I think my menu would definitely be considered adventurous because there are many things that I will be making for the first time and let's jus say, it's going to be interesting. I made pumpkin and black bean dip for my friends a couple weeks ago and it went over very well!!! A little scepticism at first but all in all, it was great! So, wanna know what I'll be cooking the next couple of days? Here goes:
1.Spinach Quinoa salad with cherries and almonds
2. Portobello burgers(Hopefully as good as the ones in the Sub at Truman)
3. twice baked sweat potatoes(vegan style)
4. Pumpkin Chocolate Tirimisu ( I combined a couple desserts that I've concocted before and we'll see how this one turns out, and its for a suprise party! I really hope they don't read this blog!)
5. spicy orange tofu with soba noodles and veggies
How does that sound? Good to me! In other news, running has been put on hold INDEFINITELY. This is not a word I like in regards to my running. My foot had been bothering me so I went to the doctor and the nurse, the xray tec, and the doctor all told me to find another sport! This will be the third time I've had problems with my foot, twice broken and then this time. SO, eventhough I feel totally worthless while doing anything but running right now, I have continued my training in the form of cross training(aka riding a bike, lifting weights, etc) Hopefully I can give my food enough of a rest to heal while still getting into shape so I can run even better when the time comes! I am definitely not giving up on running, not to be super cliche but, you don't give up on something that you love! The doctor's diagnosis isn't set in stone, I have to see one more and then we'll make a plan from there.
Funny story: Last night at bible study we were told that it is our bible study's duty to bring pies to the annual Hog Roast that our church hold every year and it was suggested to just go buy them, GASP!!!!!! My mom and Grandpa and Grandma Goodwin would roll over in thier grave and my dad/Nae/Aunt would probably plot my demise if they knew I bought a pie. Ok, a little dramatic but you get the point. My grandpa Goodwin and my mom were the ones who taught me to make pie and I dearly love making them SO I was not going to allow anyone to buy any. I feel very blessed that my friends trust me to make them and I think they're going to come help me too which is exciting! I'm super excited to get to make 5 pies! So the lineup here is:
1. Pumpkin
2. Apple
3. Rhubarb Creme
4. Chocolate Silk
5. Key Lime
6. Pumpkin Pecan(made my the lovely Jes)
the Hog Roast is on the 17th at the DTC, all should come! So, baking will be taking place a couple days before and again, I'm super stoked about getting to do this. I really love baking things that I know others will greatly enjoy, or at least I hope they will!
1.Spinach Quinoa salad with cherries and almonds
2. Portobello burgers(Hopefully as good as the ones in the Sub at Truman)
3. twice baked sweat potatoes(vegan style)
4. Pumpkin Chocolate Tirimisu ( I combined a couple desserts that I've concocted before and we'll see how this one turns out, and its for a suprise party! I really hope they don't read this blog!)
5. spicy orange tofu with soba noodles and veggies
How does that sound? Good to me! In other news, running has been put on hold INDEFINITELY. This is not a word I like in regards to my running. My foot had been bothering me so I went to the doctor and the nurse, the xray tec, and the doctor all told me to find another sport! This will be the third time I've had problems with my foot, twice broken and then this time. SO, eventhough I feel totally worthless while doing anything but running right now, I have continued my training in the form of cross training(aka riding a bike, lifting weights, etc) Hopefully I can give my food enough of a rest to heal while still getting into shape so I can run even better when the time comes! I am definitely not giving up on running, not to be super cliche but, you don't give up on something that you love! The doctor's diagnosis isn't set in stone, I have to see one more and then we'll make a plan from there.
Funny story: Last night at bible study we were told that it is our bible study's duty to bring pies to the annual Hog Roast that our church hold every year and it was suggested to just go buy them, GASP!!!!!! My mom and Grandpa and Grandma Goodwin would roll over in thier grave and my dad/Nae/Aunt would probably plot my demise if they knew I bought a pie. Ok, a little dramatic but you get the point. My grandpa Goodwin and my mom were the ones who taught me to make pie and I dearly love making them SO I was not going to allow anyone to buy any. I feel very blessed that my friends trust me to make them and I think they're going to come help me too which is exciting! I'm super excited to get to make 5 pies! So the lineup here is:
1. Pumpkin
2. Apple
3. Rhubarb Creme
4. Chocolate Silk
5. Key Lime
6. Pumpkin Pecan(made my the lovely Jes)
the Hog Roast is on the 17th at the DTC, all should come! So, baking will be taking place a couple days before and again, I'm super stoked about getting to do this. I really love baking things that I know others will greatly enjoy, or at least I hope they will!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Training Update
Two posts in one day, brace yourselves!!!!! I just had to put this update in here, why, because it's just that good. SO after a quite disappointing week of training last week, where I was extremely lazy and ran once, I was on fire to get back out there and put my nose to the grindstone. On Saturday night, our house hosted people to come over and hang out after church. I was the only roommate there so I stayed awake until everyone left, around 12:30am. I was pretty exhausted but I was determined to get my lazy butt out of bed Sunday morning and run, and that I did! 6am rolled around and I was up and ready to go. I had decided to drive to Waukee because they have a fabulous running trail that runs the entire legnth of the town and actually goes into Clive as well. I was down for a 7 mile run! I have a tracking device that hooks into my iPod so I know how far I run when I'm not on a treadmill or a track, I started it up and off I went. I had been running for about a half an hour and I checked my distance because it usually will tell you every mile you go and it hadn't said anything yet. I hit the button and it said, " 0.09 miles completed". I don't think I could crawl that slow!!! So I reset it and started running again but that didn't help. Then I tried to guestimate my distance by time(time I run on a treadmill and time I run on a road are tw VERY different thing, I foolishly went off of my treadmill time.). I get to where I think it's 3.5 miles and I decide to turn around and finish that last half of my 7 miles. I think I got a little less than halfway back and I was spent. I hadn't taken anything with me to drink( big mistake as it was getting really hot really qick. I think the high was in the 90s that day) and the sun was now beating down on my back. My stubbornness told me to keep going and my common sense kicked in(thank goodness, it showed up. It rarely does. ) and told me to call Meg and ask her to come get me. I didn't know how far I was from my car or how far I had actually gone but I knew I was starting to cramp up and needed fluids fast. I called her, but kept walking so I wouldn't freak out, hyperventilate and get sick! I ran across the street so she didn't have to stop and pick me up in the middle of traffic on a busy street, I look down to unlace my shoes and let my feet get some air and noticed that my Nike Air Max 360's( the cushioning system in them is basically a big air bag throughout the entire underneath side of the shoe) were totally flat. I had a literal flat tire of a shoe! I had somehow punctured the airbag and was running on flat shoes! So needless to say I had to replace my shoes, my tracking device, and I was a little exhausted after my run. I drove the legnth of what I ran and I think I did get my 7 miles in. I had run over 4 miles away from my car and Meg picked me up a little over a mile away from my car, I honestly don't think I would have made it back. I actually thought about running into a a gas station I had passed and try and barter to get something to drink, but alas my moral compass won out! This week I tried running in another pair of old running shoes while I research new ones and my foot instantly started hurting, SO I gave in and ordered new ones and I had them second day aired and they aren't here yet! I might have to put off my 5 mile run until Friday. Postpone, not put off. Anyway, crazy hectic run aside, I'm trying to remember that it is about the journey of getting there and its about hard work, perserverance, and overcoming obstacles and not about the smooth sailing and easy way of getting there!
Why I LOVE August, September and October!
A general theme that has been flitting through my mind lately is how much I love the three months of August, September, and October. There are just so many reasons why and I think i need to write them down!
1. August is my birthday Month, I'm not huge on birthdays because mine falls in a really bad time(harvest, Labor Day, school starting, etc.) so birthday celebrations were kind of a second thought growing up. Don't take that like I'm mad about that, I'm totally not. My dad still doesn't quite know the exact date of my birthday which I find increasingly hilarious as the years go by. I was messing with his new Blackberry a week ago and I noticed he had a "Birthday Reminder" set for August 28. My birthday has always been on the 29th, so much hysterical laughing ensued as I once again pointed out exactly when my birthday was. When I was seven he had to have a nose job(due to multiple crushings from football and being a boy, I'm sure) on my birthday and his response to me when I asked if he could have had it on a different date and NOT my birthday he said, " I thought that date sounded familiar?". He gets teased about this a lot, especially in August. I think he lets me have this, seeing as though he can remember years of things to tease me about. I rarely have snappy combacks, so he lets me have this!!!
2. August is when school starts, I would LOVE to go back to school if only to be able to buy new school supplies, get my schedule, and get excited to see who is in my class. Walking through campus on the first day of class was a total rush for me, I loved it. I also loved Freshman Move In Day, it's like one of my most favorite holidays. The best part is the moms. My mom got to lovingly watch me move into my dorm from the heights of Heaven, and there are no tears there and if she got overly motherly and embarassing, I didn't have to endure it. Some kids weren't as lucky as I!!!!!! There are the hysterical crying mothers, the obsessive and anal mothers, the hippie earthchild, everything will all work out mothers, and many other types. It was like Christmas just waiting to see who would be the next one to come into the Bookstore where I worked 10 hour days the entire Freshman week, and I love every minute of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3. September is pretty much just sandwiched in between my two favorite months, and you can't leave it out! September is my mom's birthday month. Her birthday is September 11, which is, as every American knows, an epic day in our history. It makes me cry everytime I think about that day, the scared, the brave, the nervous, and everyone in between. I think it's good to remember what happened to our country, to remember that we're not invincible but that we are strong and we will fight back. My mom was like that and I would like to think that I am as well. Not that I don't think about all of the people who have/will give thier lives for our country, its different to actually know what you were doing and where you were when that happened. I remember my dad telling me what he was doing and where he was when I think Kennedy was shot. He was on a ladder painting the side of a barn and he heard it on the radio. I was in study hall first period, it was a Tuesday, and I was going around collecting attendance and I walked into Mr. Witz's room and he asked us if we knew what happened. He had his TV on and I went back to study hall and asked to turn the TV on in there, the spanish teacher(Ms. Holub) said no. ( she was kinda mean) but then Mr. Witz came into our class and said we weren't lying and we needed to turn it on. We turned on the TV right as the live news showed the second plane hitting and the first tower crumbling to the ground. I actually know waht I was wearing too, but I'll save you those details.
4. September also is the start of cooler weather, which in my opinion, makes football games that much better. Sitting in the stands on a cool night in your fave sweatshirt watching football, it's the little pleasures in life! I love high school football on Friday nights and I dearly miss it! Someone once told me that I'd miss High school( I was not a fan of it, eventhough I hung out withe the popular crowd and got all A's. I was only there to get thing done and move on!) and he was half right. While I don't miss high school totally, I miss football on Friday nights.
5. September is when Starbucks comes out with thier Pumpkin Spice latte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE MOST FANTASTIC DRINK STARBUCKS HAS EVER MADE!!!!! If you know me, you know my obsession with all things orange(colored and flavored actually) and all things Pumpkin. I always have a stash of pumpkin puree and Jello's pumpkin pudding in my cabinet. I stock up on both year round! I will put Pumpkin on a shingle and eat it and enjoy it!!!!! At this current moment I have plans ot take pumpkin and black bean dip with fallafel chips to Bible Study on Monday night. Yes it is an obsession and no I don't plan on backing down anytime soon! and this is a perfect segway into.......
6. OCTOBER IS THE BEST MONTH EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really love October, to me, it's the perfect month out of the entire year. Most people think about Halloween when they think October and while most assumptions would be that this was my fave holliday because I love October, you could not be more wrong. I like Halloween, don't get me wrong, but the reason why I love October is because the quintessential October/Fall color is orange and I LOVE ORANGE. I have since I was really little, I actually have always wanted and orange VW Bug convertible. I wanted one since before I knew what cars were, to be honest. I remember seeing one while my mom and I were driving, and I was still in a booster seat, and I just fell in love. It's the cutest/best colored/ perfect care there is and someday, probably not someday soon, I will have one!!(hopefully)
7. I love pumpkins! A. I love orange B. I love decorating with pumpkins because they are just so cute and C. I love cooking with pumpkins. I absolutely love making a pumpkin pie from scratch, from baking the pumpkin, making the crust and putting it all together into a fantastic final delacacy! I love to cook, but ask me to make something with pumpkin and this girl will enter into Heaven on Earth!!!!!!!!!!!!! My eyes light up and I get more excited than a kid in a candy store!!!
8. I love when the leaves change, seriously, is there anything more beautiful than a walk through Truman State University's campus on a cool but sunny October afternoon?????? If you haven't been there, trust me, there is nothing better! I can still picture it and I absolutely love it. Note to self: visit more often! ( I haven't been back since graduation 3 years ago!)
9. Living in a seriously dense farming community fall brings harvest time, seeing tractors in the feild, the smell of dirt getting shaken up by the machinery, and the final sigh of relief when all the crops are out of the feild by the first snow! I also love when they pull the semi trucks onto the unloading docks at Pioneer. And when they have to lift them high in the sky to get every last kernel of corn out. I think it's thrilling when you catch that rare time when you see a semi sitting at a near 90 degree angle in the sky and then they start bouncing it on the lift to get all of the grain out. I haven't but I really have always wanted to see one of the trucks fall off, sad I know but seriously you can't tell me that you all haven't wondered if one has!!!! ( if you know what I'm talking about)
and now lets just round off my number of loves to 10!!!!!
10. I love running when it's cold, it is the most pure, wonderful, simple, fantastic pleasure that I get. I wake up early, when its still dark out, put on my sweats and running shoes, drive to a nice running trail that has a good mix of urban sights and open nothingness, and start running while you watch the world wake up. You single handedly get to witness the breaking of one of God's creations. And its like a little secret you have with God, because there's no one else around except for you and Him and His beautiful creations to marvel at. AND On October 24, 2010 I will be (prayerfully and hopefully) finishing my first half marathon. I think it's a perfect addition to my favorite month! I'm so excited!
1. August is my birthday Month, I'm not huge on birthdays because mine falls in a really bad time(harvest, Labor Day, school starting, etc.) so birthday celebrations were kind of a second thought growing up. Don't take that like I'm mad about that, I'm totally not. My dad still doesn't quite know the exact date of my birthday which I find increasingly hilarious as the years go by. I was messing with his new Blackberry a week ago and I noticed he had a "Birthday Reminder" set for August 28. My birthday has always been on the 29th, so much hysterical laughing ensued as I once again pointed out exactly when my birthday was. When I was seven he had to have a nose job(due to multiple crushings from football and being a boy, I'm sure) on my birthday and his response to me when I asked if he could have had it on a different date and NOT my birthday he said, " I thought that date sounded familiar?". He gets teased about this a lot, especially in August. I think he lets me have this, seeing as though he can remember years of things to tease me about. I rarely have snappy combacks, so he lets me have this!!!
2. August is when school starts, I would LOVE to go back to school if only to be able to buy new school supplies, get my schedule, and get excited to see who is in my class. Walking through campus on the first day of class was a total rush for me, I loved it. I also loved Freshman Move In Day, it's like one of my most favorite holidays. The best part is the moms. My mom got to lovingly watch me move into my dorm from the heights of Heaven, and there are no tears there and if she got overly motherly and embarassing, I didn't have to endure it. Some kids weren't as lucky as I!!!!!! There are the hysterical crying mothers, the obsessive and anal mothers, the hippie earthchild, everything will all work out mothers, and many other types. It was like Christmas just waiting to see who would be the next one to come into the Bookstore where I worked 10 hour days the entire Freshman week, and I love every minute of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3. September is pretty much just sandwiched in between my two favorite months, and you can't leave it out! September is my mom's birthday month. Her birthday is September 11, which is, as every American knows, an epic day in our history. It makes me cry everytime I think about that day, the scared, the brave, the nervous, and everyone in between. I think it's good to remember what happened to our country, to remember that we're not invincible but that we are strong and we will fight back. My mom was like that and I would like to think that I am as well. Not that I don't think about all of the people who have/will give thier lives for our country, its different to actually know what you were doing and where you were when that happened. I remember my dad telling me what he was doing and where he was when I think Kennedy was shot. He was on a ladder painting the side of a barn and he heard it on the radio. I was in study hall first period, it was a Tuesday, and I was going around collecting attendance and I walked into Mr. Witz's room and he asked us if we knew what happened. He had his TV on and I went back to study hall and asked to turn the TV on in there, the spanish teacher(Ms. Holub) said no. ( she was kinda mean) but then Mr. Witz came into our class and said we weren't lying and we needed to turn it on. We turned on the TV right as the live news showed the second plane hitting and the first tower crumbling to the ground. I actually know waht I was wearing too, but I'll save you those details.
4. September also is the start of cooler weather, which in my opinion, makes football games that much better. Sitting in the stands on a cool night in your fave sweatshirt watching football, it's the little pleasures in life! I love high school football on Friday nights and I dearly miss it! Someone once told me that I'd miss High school( I was not a fan of it, eventhough I hung out withe the popular crowd and got all A's. I was only there to get thing done and move on!) and he was half right. While I don't miss high school totally, I miss football on Friday nights.
5. September is when Starbucks comes out with thier Pumpkin Spice latte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE MOST FANTASTIC DRINK STARBUCKS HAS EVER MADE!!!!! If you know me, you know my obsession with all things orange(colored and flavored actually) and all things Pumpkin. I always have a stash of pumpkin puree and Jello's pumpkin pudding in my cabinet. I stock up on both year round! I will put Pumpkin on a shingle and eat it and enjoy it!!!!! At this current moment I have plans ot take pumpkin and black bean dip with fallafel chips to Bible Study on Monday night. Yes it is an obsession and no I don't plan on backing down anytime soon! and this is a perfect segway into.......
6. OCTOBER IS THE BEST MONTH EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really love October, to me, it's the perfect month out of the entire year. Most people think about Halloween when they think October and while most assumptions would be that this was my fave holliday because I love October, you could not be more wrong. I like Halloween, don't get me wrong, but the reason why I love October is because the quintessential October/Fall color is orange and I LOVE ORANGE. I have since I was really little, I actually have always wanted and orange VW Bug convertible. I wanted one since before I knew what cars were, to be honest. I remember seeing one while my mom and I were driving, and I was still in a booster seat, and I just fell in love. It's the cutest/best colored/ perfect care there is and someday, probably not someday soon, I will have one!!(hopefully)
7. I love pumpkins! A. I love orange B. I love decorating with pumpkins because they are just so cute and C. I love cooking with pumpkins. I absolutely love making a pumpkin pie from scratch, from baking the pumpkin, making the crust and putting it all together into a fantastic final delacacy! I love to cook, but ask me to make something with pumpkin and this girl will enter into Heaven on Earth!!!!!!!!!!!!! My eyes light up and I get more excited than a kid in a candy store!!!
8. I love when the leaves change, seriously, is there anything more beautiful than a walk through Truman State University's campus on a cool but sunny October afternoon?????? If you haven't been there, trust me, there is nothing better! I can still picture it and I absolutely love it. Note to self: visit more often! ( I haven't been back since graduation 3 years ago!)
9. Living in a seriously dense farming community fall brings harvest time, seeing tractors in the feild, the smell of dirt getting shaken up by the machinery, and the final sigh of relief when all the crops are out of the feild by the first snow! I also love when they pull the semi trucks onto the unloading docks at Pioneer. And when they have to lift them high in the sky to get every last kernel of corn out. I think it's thrilling when you catch that rare time when you see a semi sitting at a near 90 degree angle in the sky and then they start bouncing it on the lift to get all of the grain out. I haven't but I really have always wanted to see one of the trucks fall off, sad I know but seriously you can't tell me that you all haven't wondered if one has!!!! ( if you know what I'm talking about)
and now lets just round off my number of loves to 10!!!!!
10. I love running when it's cold, it is the most pure, wonderful, simple, fantastic pleasure that I get. I wake up early, when its still dark out, put on my sweats and running shoes, drive to a nice running trail that has a good mix of urban sights and open nothingness, and start running while you watch the world wake up. You single handedly get to witness the breaking of one of God's creations. And its like a little secret you have with God, because there's no one else around except for you and Him and His beautiful creations to marvel at. AND On October 24, 2010 I will be (prayerfully and hopefully) finishing my first half marathon. I think it's a perfect addition to my favorite month! I'm so excited!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Training
Running was something that, along with the Lord's stregnth in me, saved my life after my mom died. I would run every morning to clear my head of all the emotions that my simple 16 year old mind just couldn't process. Through the years I lost the "need" for running but still loved it. Initially I didn't need an end goal for running, it was an ongoing goal of survival with really no clear end in sight. NOW I finally do have an end goal(13 miles of a goal in 11 weeks) and I feel the same way about running now that I did back then. Day 1 is done, after a few road bumps. 1. I tried to run outdoors yesterday afternoon, with a heat index of 112, degrees that is. I made it a little over a mile, I drove to my sister's apartment that she keeps at a cool 68 degrees and chugged some half frozen gatorade and cooled down. My body was still burning up when I left 4 hours later. 2. This morning I got to the air conditioned gym( I learned my lesson) late and was worried I wouldn't be ready for work ontime so I stopped at 3 miles. My goal was 4 but in the last 12 hours I did run 4 miles so I guess it's a semi-good first workout. I'm a little sore but I realized last night that I am going ot do everything I can to train and be ready, everything else I'm leaving it up to the Lord. My alarm went off at 4am this morning and I hopped out of bed, shut it off and went back to sleep until a little voice in my head said, " GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED NOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!". So I got up. I really am a morning person, I'm really trying to find that again! Some goals/things to remember for the half-marathon training/the race
1. FINISH, the ultimate goal. It makes me thing about crying of joy when I finally finish.
2. Be disciplined and dilligent in training, no excuses.
3. Don't get mad at myself if there are some road bumps during training.
4. Trust the Lord, another ultimate goal. He knows my heart and the want that I've had for the goal of running a half marathon. Let His will be done, not mine.
5. Have fun. Remember my love of running and mornings.
6. Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but its the middle that counts. - Sandara Bullock. It is a journey and I'm just at the beginning.
1. FINISH, the ultimate goal. It makes me thing about crying of joy when I finally finish.
2. Be disciplined and dilligent in training, no excuses.
3. Don't get mad at myself if there are some road bumps during training.
4. Trust the Lord, another ultimate goal. He knows my heart and the want that I've had for the goal of running a half marathon. Let His will be done, not mine.
5. Have fun. Remember my love of running and mornings.
6. Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but its the middle that counts. - Sandara Bullock. It is a journey and I'm just at the beginning.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Half Marathon
I'm going to sign up for a half Marathon. And I think my legs just went numb! I love running and have since high school but the furthest I've ever run was 8 miles(in the grander scheme of things, not far off of a half marathon) but that was about 5 years ago and it was after an entire summer and part of fall worth of training. The one I want to do is in OCTOBER a meer 11 weeks from now, YIKES. It's in Mason City( my dad and Nae could come cheer me on!!!!!) and it's small. It's colder up there in October so it would be optimal Meredith running weather but I'm serioulsy scared out of my mind and thinking about it makes me want to cry but this is a life goal of mine and I think this is the year/time to do it in. I know what I want out of life but sometimes I have a hard time getting down to the nitty gritty, doing hte work and getting it done. Again, this is where my squiggly line tendencies come out. I'm asking for prayers for safe training, peace as I try not to think about the magnitude of achiving a goal I've wanted for 10 years but I think I've been a little too scared to go after, and just general discipline. I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and start walking the walk of a runner! That sounded weird but I'm sure you all kno what I mean!
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