I don't feel like being introspective!

I can't find the inspiration to write about 2007, so I am just going to skip it and launch straight into 2008!

What's going on? Well....a lot!

First, we have been saddened by the passing of Martine's grandmother in Norway. Martine flew out on Tuesday for the funeral and will return on Monday. It is quiet around the house and the animals are confused.

Belle was spayed this week. She was pretty stoned when she came home Tuesday night, but she is bouncing back quickly. We had a cat chase attempt yesterday, but I put a halt to that fairly quickly. She is such a pretty girl.

Classes started last night and I am so jazzed about my first class. Qualitative Research Methods. I get to go observe someplace public for at least an hour four times throughout the semester. We can pretty much choose any place we want, but it can't be observing kids and we can't observe our own employees. I went round and round about where I wanted to go. This morning I decided. I will do my observations at the Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester during their blues performances. Specifically, I will be studying the behaviors of those in the blues culture. How jealous are you, Dad? :)

And finally....I am on countdown to the big departure day for the Mayercraft Carrier. That's right. The Mayercraft Carrier. I will be going on a cruise with John Mayer and 12 other musicians at the beginning of January to the Bahamas! John is playing two headlining shows and one on the Lido deck. The other artists are interspersed throughout the cruise in the nightclubs on board. How rockin' is that going to be?

I have also started running again. Doing pretty good but class last night threw off my entire schedule. Argh.

Okay. Back to work. Yuck.

Please check back soon

I am working on a "Remembering 2007" post. Please keep checking back because I will be posting again. Be patient! It was another rough year.

Especially for you, Katie...

Katie has asked that I please update my blog. She says that while the picture of John Mayer is nice, it is time for him to go. Personally, this hurts me a little, but I think I am going to be okay.

So, anyway....back to the award. Here is the short story. The presenter forgot me. That's it. She just forgot me. She was reading through all of the honorees. My name came up on the screen and she either skipped me or just missed me. So there it was. The ceremony is over. Someone comes up and whispers in her ear that there was one more. That would be me. She comes to mic, says that she has another one and then all she can say is "Doesn't she look lovely?" Are you kidding me?!?!? That's it? Did she read what my peer nomination even said? In any case, here I am looking lovely with my oh-so-special award.
I have also moved into high gear with my school work. I have two papers due next week, which is not terrible, but with working full-time, having a puppy, and an exchange student I am a little overloaded. I guess this is what I signed up for, though.

Back to the lit review... Can you believe I am having trouble finding information on theories behind school violence?

The Big Apple.....kind of...

I was away this week for the 21st Century Community Learning Center statewide conference in Tarrytown. Essentially, I was about 45 minutes by train to New York City and we took advantage of being so close. Tuesday was a travel day so we made our way from Waterloo to Tarrytown and attended the conference during the day. We were done at 4:45 so we traveled into the city and wandered around Times Square (I got a new Swatch!), Chinatown, Little Italy, and just Manhattan in general. Dinner was a bowl of soup from the famed Soup Nazi place followed by a street pretzel and finsihed by a fruit tart in Little Italy. We did check out a few knock off bags, but the quality of knock offs seem to be getting worse. Yuck.

Wednesday morning we sat through a couple of speakers and then hit the train to the city. Behind the library in Bryant Park is a bunch of outdoor shops they call the Winter Festival. There was jewelry, dog boutique (for little yappers), lamps, hats and mittons...just an assortment of handmade things in general. Good stuff. I did have some success finding Christmas elves here and finished up some shopping. That was good!

We had to be back to the hotel by 4:30 to get ready for the "formal" dinner that was happening. I was being given an award for excellence in after school programming and was an "honoree."

More to come...

It is a happy day, indeed....

John Mayer is a beautiful man. I am happy to say that today he released a new single called "Say" along with live recordings of some of his songs from Continuum. You can listen to Say on his blog. Scroll down until you see the big black box that says "Say", sit back, relax, and let your ears go on a beautiful acoustic journey. I didn't think I would ever say that an artist debunked the Indigo Girls as my all time favorite, but I think Johnny has done it. Love his stuff. Listen. Buy. Enjoy.

In other news, I would like to report that I have been running consistently every other day. I was under 11 minute miles yesterday, so I am counting that as a success. I am actually looking forward to it again, which is a good sign.

Belle had her last set of puppy shots last Friday. She is now a hefty 35 pounds of boundless, happy to be alive energy. She is beautiful and the vet says she is nice and healthy. The night before we went to the vet I pulled a tick off her. I am guessing she picked it up in Gettysburg, but I can't imagine that I would not have found it before last Thursday? Not sure. In any case, the tick took a trip to the state health department and hopefully tests will come back negative for Lyme's Disease.

Speaking of disease... Martine had her first trip to the docter's office today. They expected her to know what to do, how to behave, etc. She didn't know what was happening when they put the blood pressure cuff on her...had no idea what it was. She made a great face when they were looking in her ears and throat, too. She got two prescriptions and took no time saying "I am not taking these things." Whatever works. if she hasn't been to a doctor in her seventeen years for an antibiotic, why start now. We Americans sure are good at overmedicating!

Birthday girl

So here it is. My 33rd birthday. I was so excited to turn 33 because it was a nice symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing number. Now it's here and I don't like it all that much.

I have realized that life is not really passing me by, but maybe I am passing it by? I am so busy, so focused on my education and continuing to grow my brain that somewhere along the way I forgot to have a family. I am not saying that I regret doing that, but at the same time I do wonder where my life is going...what I will be doing. I have Belle and Scout and Nala, but I really enjoy having Martine around (at least today I do) and spending time with someone who is temporarily my "daughter." I have really questioned whether I wanted children and I think that I do. I am certainly in absolutely no hurry, but I think that I would be at least a decent mom and I really enjoy that connection.

I got up later than I usually do this morning and realized that no one was upstairs. Martine had requested to go to school early this morning so I wondered where she was. I made my way downstairs to let Belle out and noticed that the kitchen door was closed and Belle was not in her crate. That was a little weird. I opened the door and Belle nearly bowled me over (it is good to be loved!), while Martine was standing at the counter pulling apart bacon and Amy was making eggs and has browns.

Martine had actually asked Amy if she could make breakfast for me for my birthday. I would have been very happy with Cream of Wheat (there's some nostalgia that goes along with that) and Amy said that she had suggested that but Martine wanted to make eggs, hasbrowns, bacon, and toast because it is what she makes her parents for their birthdays each year. I was incredibly touched by this gesture and will always be grateful to Amy for helping Martine to accomplish this.

Tonight we are off to dinner at the Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester and will probably follow that up with ice cream from Maggie Moos for dessert.

Speaking of Maggie Moo, she was in my dream last night along with my Mom Mom. I think I was having a hard time with having "seen" both of them last night and should feel reassured they are still with me, but I miss each of them every day. I know how proud my grandmother would be for who I have become and what I have done with myself. She was such a positive force in my life for helping me to believe I could do it and to hold those expectations high.

Thank you for always. Here's to another year behind me and many more ahead!

Back on the wagon?

I know it is waaaaaay to early to early to say that I am back on the wagon, but I just may be. I pounded out three miles today non-stop. No walk breaks, just a steady run. It was not fast, but it was a legit three miles and I will take it. Martine has written "running" on every day of our calendar for the week, so I guess she is up for it, too. Whatever works!!

This weekend was fantastic. I was in Wellsville for the Jim Donavan concert and to spend time with Katie and Erica. The Stevens' met Belle and she romped with the girls. Too funny.

Today Martine and I went to the Rochester Science Museum to see the "Our Bodies" exhibit. Basically, it is plasticized bodies (real ones) that are on display. It is pretty incredible, but really creepy at the same time.

That's about it for now. I am tired and tomorrow is my birthday. YIKES! Better go rest up!