Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Back Blogged - Spring Break
Because of my new job and therefore lack of vacation time, the Kubatski family wasn't able to plan a long spring break. Instead, I took two days off work and we made our way to French Lick, Indiana where we spent a few days with some friends at an indoor water park. Mia didn't join us for this part of the week but we did have a lot of fun. The boys LOVED the water slides and we even spent some time exploring French Lick. No, we didn't make it to the casino but there is always next time. Enjoy the photos and check out the video of Nicklas! 
Back Blogged - Pinewood Derby
If you'll recall, last year's Pinewood Derby didn't go very well for Nicklas. I'm pleased to say he did much better this year and won several heats. He was excited about his victories and I think he and the Polack (and the vocational arts teacher at the high school) enjoyed working on the Derby car together.
I love the guitar shaped car!
Way to go Nicklas!
I love the guitar shaped car!
Way to go Nicklas!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Random Thought Friday
1. I'm not even going to pretend that I'm doing this weeks RTT on time. Often, I forget on Thursday and push one out early Friday morning but mark the post date as a Thursday, hoping no one will know.
2. I'm also not going to pretend that anyone really cares what day RTT comes out. They don't. But they do care about RTT. I get called out by people if I neglect to post.
3. I got a new camera! This is good except that I have to install the software to download the photos. Boo...
4. Last Sunday, the Polack and I went to King's Island (an amusement park). We chaperoned the senior trip and it was tons of fun. Rain was predicted for the entire day however it held off until about 2:30 and even then, many of the rides were still running. And since it was so early in the amusement park season, we hardly waited more than 10 minutes for any ride. And the best part is that the students were awesome and when we decided to leave a few hours early, everyone made it back to the buses on time.
5. I'm really, really, really, really trying not to stress out about all the external things going on in my life right now. Summer is coming and we still haven't sold our house. Once school is out, the plan was that the Polack and the boys would move to Bloomington so we could all be together. But with a house payment in Lafayette, it really doesn't make sense. We can't buy anything until our house sells so I thought maybe we would sublet an apartment for the summer. But it seems so silly to pay rent when we have a perfectly good house to live in. But not being with my family during the week is REALLY wearing on me and I keep trying to tell myself that this situation is only temporary. But with the lack of progress with the situation is sure doesn't FEEL temporary. Oy. *deep breath*
6. Mia wants to go garage saling tomorrow. I'm not thrilled with the idea but it's an item on her "things to do while in America" list so I must help her achieve it. Only for Mia...
7. The birds are chirping, the sky is blue and its supposed to be 80 today. Yeah, spring!
8. I feel so bad for Nicklas. He had a big project at school and spent hours working on it. And then he got a D+. We contacted his teacher for an explanation and although we don't agree with his grading rubric, it's not something we're going to fight. We're still very proud of Nicklas and let him know that we know his grade doesn't really reflect his efforts.
9. Baseball season has started for Nicklas but unfortunately, all his games are during the week. I've made a vow to myself that I'm going to make several trips back to Lafayette to see him. And yesterday, I listened to the game via phone so at least I got to hear his hit.
10. I really hate being away from family but at least professionally, things are going really well for me. And for that, I'm thankful.
2. I'm also not going to pretend that anyone really cares what day RTT comes out. They don't. But they do care about RTT. I get called out by people if I neglect to post.
3. I got a new camera! This is good except that I have to install the software to download the photos. Boo...
4. Last Sunday, the Polack and I went to King's Island (an amusement park). We chaperoned the senior trip and it was tons of fun. Rain was predicted for the entire day however it held off until about 2:30 and even then, many of the rides were still running. And since it was so early in the amusement park season, we hardly waited more than 10 minutes for any ride. And the best part is that the students were awesome and when we decided to leave a few hours early, everyone made it back to the buses on time.
5. I'm really, really, really, really trying not to stress out about all the external things going on in my life right now. Summer is coming and we still haven't sold our house. Once school is out, the plan was that the Polack and the boys would move to Bloomington so we could all be together. But with a house payment in Lafayette, it really doesn't make sense. We can't buy anything until our house sells so I thought maybe we would sublet an apartment for the summer. But it seems so silly to pay rent when we have a perfectly good house to live in. But not being with my family during the week is REALLY wearing on me and I keep trying to tell myself that this situation is only temporary. But with the lack of progress with the situation is sure doesn't FEEL temporary. Oy. *deep breath*
6. Mia wants to go garage saling tomorrow. I'm not thrilled with the idea but it's an item on her "things to do while in America" list so I must help her achieve it. Only for Mia...
7. The birds are chirping, the sky is blue and its supposed to be 80 today. Yeah, spring!
8. I feel so bad for Nicklas. He had a big project at school and spent hours working on it. And then he got a D+. We contacted his teacher for an explanation and although we don't agree with his grading rubric, it's not something we're going to fight. We're still very proud of Nicklas and let him know that we know his grade doesn't really reflect his efforts.
9. Baseball season has started for Nicklas but unfortunately, all his games are during the week. I've made a vow to myself that I'm going to make several trips back to Lafayette to see him. And yesterday, I listened to the game via phone so at least I got to hear his hit.
10. I really hate being away from family but at least professionally, things are going really well for me. And for that, I'm thankful.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
So the good news is that I love my job and I'm really happy about where I'm at professionally. The bad news is that I no longer have the time to devote to blogging or facebooking like I used to. I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep this up. I've gone from blogging nearly every day to blogging maybe once a week. I don't have many fans out there but I'm sorry to those loyal followers that I do have.
Anyway, on with the show....
1. I've lost my lead in the Prediction League. Boo!
2. Today at work, we had a spring picnic AND a cake walk. I won! Yay for Cake Walks!
3. Last weekend was super busy - soccer games, a cookout, a visit to Purdue's Spring Fest, and a birthday party. My camera is broken so I took pictures with my iPhone. They aren't the best so I'm debating on whether I should post them.
4. At Spring Fest, Mia ate a chocolate covered cricket. I couldn't believe it! I was very proud of her. I ate one too as well as a brownie with worms in it. Luckily, my piece of brownie was missing the key ingredient. Mia also had her first elephant ear. It didn't have any insects in it!
5. Tonight is the Scholarship Honors Dinner for the School I work for. Somehow, I was elected to read the names of the students as they walk across the stage. I'm not happy about this and tried to pawn the job off on someone else but was told there needed to be a female on stage to balance the other two men. I hate public speaking!
6. Nicklas told me that he really misses having me home during the week. I hate that we're not together as much but as much as it sucks, I know the job change was the best thing for me and eventually we'll all be together again.
7. I don't what it is with Blogger lately. I can't paste text, I can't see my photos (only the html) and there are fewer formatting options. Boo to Blogger!
8. I've tried a few new Bloomington restaurants - Lennie's, Sweet Grass, Scholar's Inn, Upland. Yay for me but bad for the budget!
9. About once a year, I get a blister on my lip that usually pops up when I'm stressed out. Of course I got one yesterday. I don't know if it's because I'm stressed about the whole reading-the-names-as-the-students-walk-across-the-stage thing or if it's just general stress from trying to sell a house and being apart from my family. Perhaps it's a combination of everything?
10. This week is prom. I can't wait to see Mia's dress (she's having it made). The Polack and I are chaperoning and we're also chaperoning the senior trip to Kings Island on Sunday. I haven't been there since I was in high school. That's a shout out to my friend, Christy. Remember yelling Farfegnugen when we rode all the rides? Good times!
Anyway, on with the show....
1. I've lost my lead in the Prediction League. Boo!
2. Today at work, we had a spring picnic AND a cake walk. I won! Yay for Cake Walks!
3. Last weekend was super busy - soccer games, a cookout, a visit to Purdue's Spring Fest, and a birthday party. My camera is broken so I took pictures with my iPhone. They aren't the best so I'm debating on whether I should post them.
4. At Spring Fest, Mia ate a chocolate covered cricket. I couldn't believe it! I was very proud of her. I ate one too as well as a brownie with worms in it. Luckily, my piece of brownie was missing the key ingredient. Mia also had her first elephant ear. It didn't have any insects in it!
5. Tonight is the Scholarship Honors Dinner for the School I work for. Somehow, I was elected to read the names of the students as they walk across the stage. I'm not happy about this and tried to pawn the job off on someone else but was told there needed to be a female on stage to balance the other two men. I hate public speaking!
6. Nicklas told me that he really misses having me home during the week. I hate that we're not together as much but as much as it sucks, I know the job change was the best thing for me and eventually we'll all be together again.
7. I don't what it is with Blogger lately. I can't paste text, I can't see my photos (only the html) and there are fewer formatting options. Boo to Blogger!
8. I've tried a few new Bloomington restaurants - Lennie's, Sweet Grass, Scholar's Inn, Upland. Yay for me but bad for the budget!
9. About once a year, I get a blister on my lip that usually pops up when I'm stressed out. Of course I got one yesterday. I don't know if it's because I'm stressed about the whole reading-the-names-as-the-students-walk-across-the-stage thing or if it's just general stress from trying to sell a house and being apart from my family. Perhaps it's a combination of everything?
10. This week is prom. I can't wait to see Mia's dress (she's having it made). The Polack and I are chaperoning and we're also chaperoning the senior trip to Kings Island on Sunday. I haven't been there since I was in high school. That's a shout out to my friend, Christy. Remember yelling Farfegnugen when we rode all the rides? Good times!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
20 Years Ago...
Today is the 20th anniversary of the passing of Ryan White. I can't believe it's been 20 years. I was in elementary school when I first heard Ryan White's story. The AIDS epidemic was ramping up and there was so much confusion, fear, and bias surrounding the disease. I was young but I knew this thing was a big deal. And I truly felt for Ryan White. The deplorable way he and his family were treated angered me. I remember feeling ashamed of living in Indiana because of the prejudice he experienced. I figured everyone around the country would lump all Indiana residents into the intolerance, bias category. He was a peer - only a few years older than me - and he was told he wasn't allowed to attend school. It seemed impossible that anyone would deny him this right.
I never would have thought that 20 years after his death, I'd somehow be involved with honoring his legacy through my role at IU. I feel honored and blessed to help continue his message of tolerance, awareness, and strength. Tomorrow is the event we've planned and as a result, we've also established a scholarship to continue his work. When we first began planning this event in partnership with Ryan's mother, Jeanne White Ginder, we wondered how much interest it would generate. Judging by the media attention we've received, people still remember his story and still care about his message. Our press releases have been picked up by the the AP, there was a blurb in USA Today, and NPR interviewed Jeanne (who has also had interviews with a few Indianapolis television stations). Tomorrow is going to be a big deal. I'm bringing my Kleenex.
Random Thought Thursday
Oh my gosh, I just realized it's Thursday! And I haven't even begun to think about my RTT post. And even though it's early enough, I have a day full of meetings. In fact, this one of two short breaks I have. I should be prepping for my meetings but can't seem to get motivated. So I guess this is as good a time as any to whip out a RTT...
1. My trash in my office only gets emptied once a week. So the remains of my Lean Cuisine from Tuesday is stinking up the place. Ick. I think I'm going to have to empty my own trash.
2. I need to visit the ladies room but I'm being lazy and postponing the inevitable.
3. The trees are blooming in Bloomington and it's so beautiful!
4. I just realized the irony in saying blooming in Bloomington....
5. I want to create a list of things to accomplish/do/achieve in my lifetime. This is called a bucket list, right? I've never seen the movie but I'm guessing that's what the term means. However, I haven't given any thought as to what to put on my list. Suggestions?
6. In two minutes, I have a web-based training I'm supposed to participate in. This means I'll be distracted by emails (and blogging) and probably won't pay attention. I'm such a bad student.
7. Our house selling activities aren't going well. There haven't been any serious bites. I know we're coming out of a slow real estate period so I'm really trying not to freak out. But I am. Of course.
8. Summer is quickly approaching which is nice to know but oh so bittersweet because it means that Mia will be returning to Norway. I can't even think about it yet. Her graduation ceremony is Memorial Day weekend and I think we're having her open house the following weekend. So I've got a party to plan which is good because it will distract me from thinking about her leaving.
9. Speaking of Mia, the other day we were talking about her plans after she graduates from Norwegian high school (spring of 2011). She's always said that she plans to travel but our recent conversation, she said she's thinking about college. I was so surprised and asked what happened to the travel plans. She commented that she's feeling pressure to go to school but that's what everyone's telling her she should do. I had to point out that she's getting pressure from American's because college right after high school is a very AMERICAN tradition. But that doesn't mean it's right for her. She loves to travel and experience new cultures and if that's what she wants to do before going to college she ABSOLUTELY should. She's young and has plenty of time for college and she should take advantage of the opportunity to do so. She seemed to really think that through and I was feeling pretty proud of myself until she mentioned that she was thinking about applying to IU. The Polack and I would be THRILLED if she came to IU but I feel like the longer she's back in Norway, the less likely she'll return to Indiana.
10. Okay, I'm not paying attention to my training when I should be so I'm signing off for now. Aloha!
1. My trash in my office only gets emptied once a week. So the remains of my Lean Cuisine from Tuesday is stinking up the place. Ick. I think I'm going to have to empty my own trash.
2. I need to visit the ladies room but I'm being lazy and postponing the inevitable.
3. The trees are blooming in Bloomington and it's so beautiful!
4. I just realized the irony in saying blooming in Bloomington....
5. I want to create a list of things to accomplish/do/achieve in my lifetime. This is called a bucket list, right? I've never seen the movie but I'm guessing that's what the term means. However, I haven't given any thought as to what to put on my list. Suggestions?
6. In two minutes, I have a web-based training I'm supposed to participate in. This means I'll be distracted by emails (and blogging) and probably won't pay attention. I'm such a bad student.
7. Our house selling activities aren't going well. There haven't been any serious bites. I know we're coming out of a slow real estate period so I'm really trying not to freak out. But I am. Of course.
8. Summer is quickly approaching which is nice to know but oh so bittersweet because it means that Mia will be returning to Norway. I can't even think about it yet. Her graduation ceremony is Memorial Day weekend and I think we're having her open house the following weekend. So I've got a party to plan which is good because it will distract me from thinking about her leaving.
9. Speaking of Mia, the other day we were talking about her plans after she graduates from Norwegian high school (spring of 2011). She's always said that she plans to travel but our recent conversation, she said she's thinking about college. I was so surprised and asked what happened to the travel plans. She commented that she's feeling pressure to go to school but that's what everyone's telling her she should do. I had to point out that she's getting pressure from American's because college right after high school is a very AMERICAN tradition. But that doesn't mean it's right for her. She loves to travel and experience new cultures and if that's what she wants to do before going to college she ABSOLUTELY should. She's young and has plenty of time for college and she should take advantage of the opportunity to do so. She seemed to really think that through and I was feeling pretty proud of myself until she mentioned that she was thinking about applying to IU. The Polack and I would be THRILLED if she came to IU but I feel like the longer she's back in Norway, the less likely she'll return to Indiana.
10. Okay, I'm not paying attention to my training when I should be so I'm signing off for now. Aloha!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Culver's
Another BackBlogged photo shoot.... This is from a recent visit (circa late February?) to Culver's...
Saturday, April 3, 2010
In B-town
Two of our favorite places in Bloomington....
1) MOTHER BEAR'S! They have the BEST pizza around. (Although it's a bit pricey!) Seeger loves to sraw on the menu's.
He likes the pizza too!
2) OLIVER WINERY! It's just a pretty setting and the boys love the waterfall. They can't wait to come back this summer and have picnic by the pond. Incidentally, this is where the Polack and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner.
BackBlogged.... These photo's were taken during a visit by the Polack and the boys, during President's Day weekend....
1) MOTHER BEAR'S! They have the BEST pizza around. (Although it's a bit pricey!) Seeger loves to sraw on the menu's.
He likes the pizza too!
2) OLIVER WINERY! It's just a pretty setting and the boys love the waterfall. They can't wait to come back this summer and have picnic by the pond. Incidentally, this is where the Polack and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner.
BackBlogged.... These photo's were taken during a visit by the Polack and the boys, during President's Day weekend....
Friday, April 2, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
I'm a day late with my random thoughts but you don't care, right?
1. The Polack and I went to see Ingrid Michaelson at the Bluebird in Bloomington last night. I've been looking forward to this concert for A LONG TIME and it was a much needed distraction from all the other stuff going on in our lives. And it was a BLAST. I'm love with Ingrid. She's so cool. And she has a sense of humor. As her band started playing the music to The Way I Am, she proceeded to break out and sing Ice Ice Baby. And not just the beginning BUT THE WHOLE SONG. How cool is that?
2. And because Ingrid deserves more than one random thought... she's also cool because at the end of her show, she sang Toxic. Yeah, as in Britney Spears and the whole band played the song and then dropped their instruments and did a choreographed dance complete with bows and goodbyes to the crowd and EVERY ONE LOVED IT. Including me. Too bad the Polack missed it because he was in the bathroom.
3. In other news related to our time at the Bluebird, the Polack ran into a friend from college which we were all whoa because we certainly didn't expect to see anyone we knew but it was cool and quickly became even cooler because he was hanging out with two girls that WERE AWESOME and so much fun and promised to be my new best friends since they know I'm all alone during the week with nothing to do. They like to take advantage of living in Bloomington and all the fun stuff there is to do and promised to let me tag along on their adventures so I'm excited about this but also wondering if it really happen.
4. The two girls were younger than me so I'm also wondering why I always seem to hang out with those inbetweeners - girls that aren't married or they're just married or they've just had babies -- when I'm a little further in life. Am I trying to hold on to my youth or should I just forget about age? I should point out that one just turned 30 and I'm only five years older. But when I told her my age, she said, "You don't look that old" which means A) she thinks 35 is old and B) now if I ever do see her again, I'm going to be worried about "not looking that old" all the time which will take some effort in terms of make-up and attire.
5. It's 80 degrees today. BEAUTIFUL!
6. The Polack and the boys are on spring break so we've been having fun in between the days I'm working. We went to French Lick for a few days and spent some time at the indoor water park. I have pictures. I'll post them soon - I promise!
7. The Polack is making fun of the fact that I never post pictures or tell stories on my blog anymore. He suggested I just change the name of the blog to Random Thought Thursday.
8. Mia got her report card and there are two F's on it but it's because her teacher hasn't put any grades in for the whole nine weeks. (She has the same teacher for two classes.) That's crap - how lazy can he be to not put in grades before the end of the nine weeks.
9. Did anyone get punk'd for April Fools? I thought of a couple I could try but never got around to it.
10. I bought Breaking Away at WalMart for $6 which is awesome because I've been waiting to play this movie for Mia and Nicklas. I can't wait until we have a free evening to watch it!
1. The Polack and I went to see Ingrid Michaelson at the Bluebird in Bloomington last night. I've been looking forward to this concert for A LONG TIME and it was a much needed distraction from all the other stuff going on in our lives. And it was a BLAST. I'm love with Ingrid. She's so cool. And she has a sense of humor. As her band started playing the music to The Way I Am, she proceeded to break out and sing Ice Ice Baby. And not just the beginning BUT THE WHOLE SONG. How cool is that?
2. And because Ingrid deserves more than one random thought... she's also cool because at the end of her show, she sang Toxic. Yeah, as in Britney Spears and the whole band played the song and then dropped their instruments and did a choreographed dance complete with bows and goodbyes to the crowd and EVERY ONE LOVED IT. Including me. Too bad the Polack missed it because he was in the bathroom.
3. In other news related to our time at the Bluebird, the Polack ran into a friend from college which we were all whoa because we certainly didn't expect to see anyone we knew but it was cool and quickly became even cooler because he was hanging out with two girls that WERE AWESOME and so much fun and promised to be my new best friends since they know I'm all alone during the week with nothing to do. They like to take advantage of living in Bloomington and all the fun stuff there is to do and promised to let me tag along on their adventures so I'm excited about this but also wondering if it really happen.
4. The two girls were younger than me so I'm also wondering why I always seem to hang out with those inbetweeners - girls that aren't married or they're just married or they've just had babies -- when I'm a little further in life. Am I trying to hold on to my youth or should I just forget about age? I should point out that one just turned 30 and I'm only five years older. But when I told her my age, she said, "You don't look that old" which means A) she thinks 35 is old and B) now if I ever do see her again, I'm going to be worried about "not looking that old" all the time which will take some effort in terms of make-up and attire.
5. It's 80 degrees today. BEAUTIFUL!
6. The Polack and the boys are on spring break so we've been having fun in between the days I'm working. We went to French Lick for a few days and spent some time at the indoor water park. I have pictures. I'll post them soon - I promise!
7. The Polack is making fun of the fact that I never post pictures or tell stories on my blog anymore. He suggested I just change the name of the blog to Random Thought Thursday.
8. Mia got her report card and there are two F's on it but it's because her teacher hasn't put any grades in for the whole nine weeks. (She has the same teacher for two classes.) That's crap - how lazy can he be to not put in grades before the end of the nine weeks.
9. Did anyone get punk'd for April Fools? I thought of a couple I could try but never got around to it.
10. I bought Breaking Away at WalMart for $6 which is awesome because I've been waiting to play this movie for Mia and Nicklas. I can't wait until we have a free evening to watch it!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
I'm feeling mighty blog guilty lately. I haven't been posting pictures or stories about Mia and the kids. Shoot, I still haven't finished posting Facebook pictures from the holiday's, much less taking the time to write a substantive post on the blog. The grandma's are probably having a fit about this and Mia's mom is probably wondering what's going on. My apologies to all - I'll get back on track one of these days but for now, you'll have to make due with my regular RTT's....
1. I was sick as a dog yesterday. As in I-can-barely-make-it-to-the-bathroom-sick-and-my-god-I-really-want-my-mommy-because-I'm-going-to-die sick. Luckily it passed fairly quickly but I'm still a little queasy today. I tried to blame the swordfish I had for dinner the night before but it turns out the Polack is the same kind of sick today so it probably was viral.
2. Next week is spring break. Before the quit the job/move to Bloomington/start new job/sell the old house/buy a new house plan, we had planned on going somewhere fun. But that's not practical for our current situation (since I have no vacation time and we're trying to save money to cover us in the event we have two house payments) so instead of Florida or California or someplace fun, we're spending a few short days at the indoor water park in French Lick, Indiana. It will be fun but man, I really want a real vacation.
3. Mia still doesn't know what she's doing for spring break. She had several options - Florida, Chicago, Texas, California, in addition to all the exchange organization trips - but waited so long that none are feasible anymore. I'm quite the planner so this has been bothering me because I want her to experience all she can while living here BUT I have to tell myself that at 17, she's old enough to make her own plans and I should stay out of it. But staying out of it means she's now missed out so I'm a bit bummed. She might be stuck with us in French Lick.
4. Since all I've had to eat in the past 48 hours is some toast and a cup of soup, I'm seriously thinking about stopping at Jiffy Treet on the way home for a cyclone. YUM... That thought just made me smile.
5. Purdue students have organized another Human's vs. Zombie's event. I'm so bummed I'm missing it!!
6. I'm waaaa-aaaayyyyy too addicted to Words with Friends on my iPhone. As in I have at least 10 games going on right now.
7. The Polack and I finally finished watching Mad Men. And even though we didn't like it, I still want to watch the remaining seasons. I totally want to know what happens to Peggy's baby even thought I lost every shred of respect I had for that show when I watched that scene. Seriously? How could she not know she was pregnant?! This is an AMC, not MTV, show right?
8. We're having an open house this weekend which means I will spend all day Saturday FREAKING out. The Polack knows this but also understands there's not anything he can do to prevent it. Poor guy - I must apologize to him in advance.
9. I really do think it would be cool if Purdue won the NCAA Tournament, as predicted by Alex Hermann.
10. I attended a Yo-Yo Ma concert the other night. I feel totally guilty about being bored and not appreciating it.
1. I was sick as a dog yesterday. As in I-can-barely-make-it-to-the-bathroom-sick-and-my-god-I-really-want-my-mommy-because-I'm-going-to-die sick. Luckily it passed fairly quickly but I'm still a little queasy today. I tried to blame the swordfish I had for dinner the night before but it turns out the Polack is the same kind of sick today so it probably was viral.
2. Next week is spring break. Before the quit the job/move to Bloomington/start new job/sell the old house/buy a new house plan, we had planned on going somewhere fun. But that's not practical for our current situation (since I have no vacation time and we're trying to save money to cover us in the event we have two house payments) so instead of Florida or California or someplace fun, we're spending a few short days at the indoor water park in French Lick, Indiana. It will be fun but man, I really want a real vacation.
3. Mia still doesn't know what she's doing for spring break. She had several options - Florida, Chicago, Texas, California, in addition to all the exchange organization trips - but waited so long that none are feasible anymore. I'm quite the planner so this has been bothering me because I want her to experience all she can while living here BUT I have to tell myself that at 17, she's old enough to make her own plans and I should stay out of it. But staying out of it means she's now missed out so I'm a bit bummed. She might be stuck with us in French Lick.
4. Since all I've had to eat in the past 48 hours is some toast and a cup of soup, I'm seriously thinking about stopping at Jiffy Treet on the way home for a cyclone. YUM... That thought just made me smile.
5. Purdue students have organized another Human's vs. Zombie's event. I'm so bummed I'm missing it!!
6. I'm waaaa-aaaayyyyy too addicted to Words with Friends on my iPhone. As in I have at least 10 games going on right now.
7. The Polack and I finally finished watching Mad Men. And even though we didn't like it, I still want to watch the remaining seasons. I totally want to know what happens to Peggy's baby even thought I lost every shred of respect I had for that show when I watched that scene. Seriously? How could she not know she was pregnant?! This is an AMC, not MTV, show right?
8. We're having an open house this weekend which means I will spend all day Saturday FREAKING out. The Polack knows this but also understands there's not anything he can do to prevent it. Poor guy - I must apologize to him in advance.
9. I really do think it would be cool if Purdue won the NCAA Tournament, as predicted by Alex Hermann.
10. I attended a Yo-Yo Ma concert the other night. I feel totally guilty about being bored and not appreciating it.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood here so I hope it's as beautiful in your neck of the woods. The Polack has finally* made it to the bar to start the Madness. I hope he knows I'm thinking of him and cheering for a great 36 hours of basketball.
*I say finally because he day started the day by dropping Seeger off at school only to receive a phone call 10 minutes later from the nurse who said Seeger vomited all over the place and could he come pick him up? So he picks him up, Seeger acts fine, says he's hungry so the Polack takes him to breakfast where Seeger proceeds to eat peanut butter toast and vomit all over the table. Poor Polack! Poor Seeger!
Anywho, the show must go on...
1. I *almost* went to work today with my pants unzipped. Whew, so glad I caught that! (Which is actually surprising that I did notice because Uncle Bill doesn't own a full length mirror which means I can never check out my outfit to see if it truly looks as good as I hope.)
2. I'm slowly getting over my Lock n Roll iPhone addiction but it's quickly been replaced by Words With Friends. At least it's not Bejeweled. (Why do I always have some sort of gaming obsession?? Seriously, when I was in 8th grade I spent 48 hours straight beating the Legend of Zelda on the original Nintendo.)
3. The Polack and I have started watching season 1 of Mad Men. SO DISAPPOINTING. We both heard such great things about this show and neither of us really likes it. We're on episode 7 and I'm just starting to see some depth in one or two characters. I hope it gets better. because right now, I don't really like anyone.
4. In #1, I almost put that my "fly" was unzipped but really, I think that's such a crazy expression that I wouldn't allow myself to type it.
5. I'm not going to lie... it sorta freaks me out when people refer to something I've written about in my blog. I guess I figure only my mom and in-laws and maybe a few friends read it so when someone I'm not as close to says something about it, I'm always caught off guard.
6. Did I mention it's gorgeous outside? It really, really is! They've started planting pansies around campus - my fav-o-rite flower. Pansies. What a funny word to say. PAN-SIES.
7. Apparently there was an altercation at the high school I graduated from that led to one boy being admitted to Intensive Care at the hospital. So now everyone is talking about the bullying problem that exists at DHS (and always has) and parents are all up in arms. Which I understand. But leading the pack of ticked off parents is someone I graduated with who was one of the biggest bullies in our class. So this whole thing seems a bit ironic to me.
8. My cousin Andy just bought a motorcycle in New Orleans and has spent the past several days driving it home to Michigan. He stopped at Uncle Bill's just in time for dinner last night and spent the evening with us. Uncle Bill really enjoyed playing host and prepared a really yummy meal. I was excited to have a social activity on a week night.
9. Speaking of social activities, I'm on the hunt to try out all the Bloomington area restaurants and bars. I've been meeting a friend for drinks every so often so that takes care of the bar portion. Next, I'm making a list of restaurants to try during the lunch hour. Everyone at work is on board to I'm going to pick a new place every two weeks for us to try.
10. Now that I've gotten a plan to check out all the dining/drinking establishments, I need to do something socially active. I'd like to find someplace to volunteer at or possibly join a board of something. It's my next project.
*I say finally because he day started the day by dropping Seeger off at school only to receive a phone call 10 minutes later from the nurse who said Seeger vomited all over the place and could he come pick him up? So he picks him up, Seeger acts fine, says he's hungry so the Polack takes him to breakfast where Seeger proceeds to eat peanut butter toast and vomit all over the table. Poor Polack! Poor Seeger!
Anywho, the show must go on...
1. I *almost* went to work today with my pants unzipped. Whew, so glad I caught that! (Which is actually surprising that I did notice because Uncle Bill doesn't own a full length mirror which means I can never check out my outfit to see if it truly looks as good as I hope.)
2. I'm slowly getting over my Lock n Roll iPhone addiction but it's quickly been replaced by Words With Friends. At least it's not Bejeweled. (Why do I always have some sort of gaming obsession?? Seriously, when I was in 8th grade I spent 48 hours straight beating the Legend of Zelda on the original Nintendo.)
3. The Polack and I have started watching season 1 of Mad Men. SO DISAPPOINTING. We both heard such great things about this show and neither of us really likes it. We're on episode 7 and I'm just starting to see some depth in one or two characters. I hope it gets better. because right now, I don't really like anyone.
4. In #1, I almost put that my "fly" was unzipped but really, I think that's such a crazy expression that I wouldn't allow myself to type it.
5. I'm not going to lie... it sorta freaks me out when people refer to something I've written about in my blog. I guess I figure only my mom and in-laws and maybe a few friends read it so when someone I'm not as close to says something about it, I'm always caught off guard.
6. Did I mention it's gorgeous outside? It really, really is! They've started planting pansies around campus - my fav-o-rite flower. Pansies. What a funny word to say. PAN-SIES.
7. Apparently there was an altercation at the high school I graduated from that led to one boy being admitted to Intensive Care at the hospital. So now everyone is talking about the bullying problem that exists at DHS (and always has) and parents are all up in arms. Which I understand. But leading the pack of ticked off parents is someone I graduated with who was one of the biggest bullies in our class. So this whole thing seems a bit ironic to me.
8. My cousin Andy just bought a motorcycle in New Orleans and has spent the past several days driving it home to Michigan. He stopped at Uncle Bill's just in time for dinner last night and spent the evening with us. Uncle Bill really enjoyed playing host and prepared a really yummy meal. I was excited to have a social activity on a week night.
9. Speaking of social activities, I'm on the hunt to try out all the Bloomington area restaurants and bars. I've been meeting a friend for drinks every so often so that takes care of the bar portion. Next, I'm making a list of restaurants to try during the lunch hour. Everyone at work is on board to I'm going to pick a new place every two weeks for us to try.
10. Now that I've gotten a plan to check out all the dining/drinking establishments, I need to do something socially active. I'd like to find someplace to volunteer at or possibly join a board of something. It's my next project.
Friday, March 12, 2010
New 'do
I've got bangs now.
I'm not really liking them.
Changing my hair is the only time I ever feel regret about something.
I'm not really liking them.
Changing my hair is the only time I ever feel regret about something.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
You mean I can't make up my own words?
So I totally wanted to use this word in my current game of Scrabble against curlygirl75...
It's an adjective to describe an annoying person a la Dwight Schrute. As in, "Man, I can't stand that guy. He's so shrutey."
This plan had two problems. #1 - it's not really word. #2 - if it were a word, it should have a C in it. Details, details...
And some of my favorite Dwuight Schrute quotes:
"Security in this office park is a joke. Last year I came to work with my spud-gun in a duffle bag. I sat at my desk all day with a rifle that shoots potatoes at 60 pounds per square inch. Can you imagine if I was deranged?"
"Reject a woman, and she will never let it go. One of the many defects of their kind. Also, weak arms."
"And I did not become a Lackawanna County volunteer sheriff’s deputy to make friends. And by the way, I haven’t."
"Once I’m officially Regional Manager, my first order of business will be to demote Jim Halpert. So I will need a new number two. My ideal choice? Jack Bauer. But he is unavailable. Fictional. And overqualified."
"When my mother was pregnant with me, they did an ultrasound and found she was having twins. When they did another ultrasound a few weeks later, they discovered, that I had resorbed the other fetus. Do I regret this? No, I believe his tissue has made me stronger. I now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby."
"I don’t care what Jim says, that is not Benjamin Franklin. I am 99% sure."
It's an adjective to describe an annoying person a la Dwight Schrute. As in, "Man, I can't stand that guy. He's so shrutey."
This plan had two problems. #1 - it's not really word. #2 - if it were a word, it should have a C in it. Details, details...
And some of my favorite Dwuight Schrute quotes:
"Security in this office park is a joke. Last year I came to work with my spud-gun in a duffle bag. I sat at my desk all day with a rifle that shoots potatoes at 60 pounds per square inch. Can you imagine if I was deranged?"
"Reject a woman, and she will never let it go. One of the many defects of their kind. Also, weak arms."
"And I did not become a Lackawanna County volunteer sheriff’s deputy to make friends. And by the way, I haven’t."
"Once I’m officially Regional Manager, my first order of business will be to demote Jim Halpert. So I will need a new number two. My ideal choice? Jack Bauer. But he is unavailable. Fictional. And overqualified."
"When my mother was pregnant with me, they did an ultrasound and found she was having twins. When they did another ultrasound a few weeks later, they discovered, that I had resorbed the other fetus. Do I regret this? No, I believe his tissue has made me stronger. I now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby."
"I don’t care what Jim says, that is not Benjamin Franklin. I am 99% sure."
Random Thought Thursday
Let the wild random begin!
1. I'm not feeling particularly witty today so I'm worried about this RTT being a dud. What? You mean I'm not usually witty?
2. I keep meaning to call the school systems in the area to find out about their gifted programs. People here are so focused on which elementary school area I want to get a house in. On one hand, I feel the pressure but on the other hand, I don't really care that much. Oh great, I feel like a bad mom, yet AGAIN.
3. Oh my gosh, I just saw an episode of The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Rumer Willis is on it. She's such a terrible actor. Not that the skill level of the rest of the actors on that show will upstage her. Most are just as bad.
4. Mia is Seeger's new favorite. He always chooses her over the rest of us. I least I have a shot at winning him back once Mia leaves in June!
5. It's almost Pinewood Derby time. Nicklas and the Polack are taking it seriously this year. They've bought new wheels, gotten lube, and have purchased weights. Of course Nicklas is paining his car red and white.
6. As much as I love Bloomington, I do feel a bit lonely during the week nights. I'm anxious to integrate myself into the community, meet people, and become an active citizen. But since I don't officially live in Bloomington yet and my kids and spouse aren't around to make it easier to do activities and meet people, it will be awhile before it happens. In Lafayette, I can go anywhere and I usually run in to someone I know. It will be awhile before that happens in Bloomington and it makes me a bit sad.
7. That said, I am getting to know some folks in Uncle Bill's community. I dragged him to a poker tournament that one of his friends hosts each month. Uncle Bill hosts his own poker night each Thursday (that I've somehow managed to infiltrate despite being the only female) but he never goes to this monthly game. It's good for us to get out of the forest and do something social. This month's tournament had 15 people and despite placing 4th (just outside the money - of course) because of a bad beat on the river, I had fun. I think he did too.
8. I'm cat/house sitting for a co-worker so I'm staying in Bloomington the next few days. I think this explains the community minded feelings of isolation. Plus I miss my friends in Lafayette who have accepted the fact that I've moved and they aren't mourning my departure (how rude!).
9. Sheesh, this post is getting pathetic - certainly not the intent.
10. We'll end on a positive note - the Polack and I are going to the prom this year!
1. I'm not feeling particularly witty today so I'm worried about this RTT being a dud. What? You mean I'm not usually witty?
2. I keep meaning to call the school systems in the area to find out about their gifted programs. People here are so focused on which elementary school area I want to get a house in. On one hand, I feel the pressure but on the other hand, I don't really care that much. Oh great, I feel like a bad mom, yet AGAIN.
3. Oh my gosh, I just saw an episode of The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Rumer Willis is on it. She's such a terrible actor. Not that the skill level of the rest of the actors on that show will upstage her. Most are just as bad.
4. Mia is Seeger's new favorite. He always chooses her over the rest of us. I least I have a shot at winning him back once Mia leaves in June!
5. It's almost Pinewood Derby time. Nicklas and the Polack are taking it seriously this year. They've bought new wheels, gotten lube, and have purchased weights. Of course Nicklas is paining his car red and white.
6. As much as I love Bloomington, I do feel a bit lonely during the week nights. I'm anxious to integrate myself into the community, meet people, and become an active citizen. But since I don't officially live in Bloomington yet and my kids and spouse aren't around to make it easier to do activities and meet people, it will be awhile before it happens. In Lafayette, I can go anywhere and I usually run in to someone I know. It will be awhile before that happens in Bloomington and it makes me a bit sad.
7. That said, I am getting to know some folks in Uncle Bill's community. I dragged him to a poker tournament that one of his friends hosts each month. Uncle Bill hosts his own poker night each Thursday (that I've somehow managed to infiltrate despite being the only female) but he never goes to this monthly game. It's good for us to get out of the forest and do something social. This month's tournament had 15 people and despite placing 4th (just outside the money - of course) because of a bad beat on the river, I had fun. I think he did too.
8. I'm cat/house sitting for a co-worker so I'm staying in Bloomington the next few days. I think this explains the community minded feelings of isolation. Plus I miss my friends in Lafayette who have accepted the fact that I've moved and they aren't mourning my departure (how rude!).
9. Sheesh, this post is getting pathetic - certainly not the intent.
10. We'll end on a positive note - the Polack and I are going to the prom this year!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sleep Cycle
I'm obsessed with my new Sleep Cycle app. You put it on your bed, next to your pillow at night and it monitors your sleep cycle. It then wakes you up - up to a half hour before your alarm - during your lightest sleep cycle. So the idea is that you're more refreshed and ready to get up instead of waking at a scheduled time when your body might be in that precious deep sleep. I love that it graphs out your sleep cycle from the night. As you can see from the photo, yep, I was pretty much awake at 5:45. I kept wondering when the alarm was going to go off so I stayed awake for a bit before finally going back to sleep.
I'm very entertained by the fact that almost all my charts show instant deep sleep. I'm the type of person who falls asleep the minute my head hits the pillow. My mom is SO jealous.
Just for kicks and because this is app is SO AWESOME, here are a few more screen shots. You can identify one problem in looking at these. In both cases, I was in deep sleep the entire 30 minutes before my alarm when off. So I didn't get to wake up feeling "refreshed" as promised. No worries though, I still love that I get the cool charts!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
And another thing...
I was feeling a little guilty in that last post about admitting that I take the kids to the park and make them fend for themselves. I DON'T play with them but instead spend time reading or playing on my phone. I actually wondered if I should admit this in such a public forum but chose to because I wanted to keep it real. (And I hate censoring myself!)
Then I read this post which makes me feel so much better about myself. I wonder what others think - are my actions helpful to my child or am I just looking for excuses to validate my behavior?
Then I read this post which makes me feel so much better about myself. I wonder what others think - are my actions helpful to my child or am I just looking for excuses to validate my behavior?
I've been enlightened....
So I'm sitting here at work and I should be finishing up a project for my dean. But I just took a break to catch up on some blog reading (there isn't much of that going on lately) when I came across a link to a TIME article on overparenting. I don't recall which blog had this posted so I'm linking to the article itself.
I've always understood the concept of overparenting and I've long been against helicopter parents. I've worked in higher education long enough that I have many stories in which perfectly smart parents appear stupid in their actions. (This is my own opinion of course.) At Purdue alone, I learned of a parent who called a professor arguing the grade his daughter received on a paper (that the parent admitting to writing himself). Then there was the mom who was upset with the dining hall at a dorm for not giving her the semester's menu for lunches. When the dining hall explained that menus are only made two or three weeks out, she became irrate because she had to prepare her son for his meal time by circling all the food he was supposed to eat. She wanted to do the entire semester gosh darn it. Finally, I myself experienced helicoptor parenting when I witnessed a mom WALKING HER DAUGHTER to each of her classes the first day of the semester. The daughter looked like a lamb being led to slaughter. Many of you maight think that's not a big deal but really, if an 18 year old can't find her own classes, how is she going to survive once her mom leaves? Don't answer that - I'm sure she'll have several phone conversations a day getting advice and suggestions for how to deal with every minute detail of her life.
I myself have been accused of, shall we say, relaxed parenting. I don't keep as close an eye on my kids as others think I should. There was the neighbor who always made sure she stayed outside when Nicklas was out playing. (Mind you, I was inside, happily sewing away on a quilt or something.) And when he wanted to walk around the block himself at age 6 and gasp, I allowed him to. She decided that she would go ahead and walk with him. Another time, I was letting the kids run around the bleachers at a baseball game and an older gentleman informed me that they were going to get hurt and that they needed to sit by me at all times. My reaction? Let them get hurt - at least they're up and being active and playing. (And no, they weren't bothering him. He had been watching them from the other side of the stadium.)
Some people will say I'm naive but I don't believe in banning my kids from talking to strangers. I'm a social person. I want my kids to be social. I want them to be comfortable talking to all types of people. Of course, I warn them about accepting gifts, or getting into cars but I'm not going to whisk them away from someone who is just trying to make conversation. I set parameters at the park - they must stay within certain areas. And then I bury my head in a book. I don't always know where they are but if I find out they've left the boundaries I've established, they will have to suffer the consequences. I know there are parents that don't let their eyes leave their child. And while maybe I should be up and actually playing with them at the park, well sometimes, I just don't feel like it. Besides, they need to learn to play on their own and not count on me to entertain them.
More than once, I've let the boys hang out in the toy section of the store while I did my shopping. And at least twice, I've come to get them and found a store employee staying with them, waiting for a parent to show up. At the high school football and basketball games, we let Nicklas run around. He's been doing it since second grade but I have a friend that wouldn't allow her son to do this until he was in sixth grade. Maybe she was afraid he'd get hurt. Or hear profane language from the high schoolers. Or wander off. And I suppose that could happen. But I guess I feel the trade off is worth it for Nicklas. He gets to explore. And be responsible for himself. And learn new things. That's more important to me than keeping him safe and sound and tucked up next to me at all times.
You might think I'm right or wrong but this is the way I've chosen to parent my children. The Polack is a little more protective which is probably good because it balances my - what did I call it? - my relaxed parenting. Although I can promise you that he'll be there with me, pushing them out the car door when it's time to drop them off at campus their freshman year.
I'm off now to finish my project but then I'm going to google free-range parenting and celebrate that there are others out there that don't think I'm too horrible of a person. This isn't my most eloquent writing and I know I'm not doing the best job at making my point. But obviously, the article hit home with me.
And for the record, I think there are definitely nine-year-olds out there that can ride the NYC subway on their own.
I've always understood the concept of overparenting and I've long been against helicopter parents. I've worked in higher education long enough that I have many stories in which perfectly smart parents appear stupid in their actions. (This is my own opinion of course.) At Purdue alone, I learned of a parent who called a professor arguing the grade his daughter received on a paper (that the parent admitting to writing himself). Then there was the mom who was upset with the dining hall at a dorm for not giving her the semester's menu for lunches. When the dining hall explained that menus are only made two or three weeks out, she became irrate because she had to prepare her son for his meal time by circling all the food he was supposed to eat. She wanted to do the entire semester gosh darn it. Finally, I myself experienced helicoptor parenting when I witnessed a mom WALKING HER DAUGHTER to each of her classes the first day of the semester. The daughter looked like a lamb being led to slaughter. Many of you maight think that's not a big deal but really, if an 18 year old can't find her own classes, how is she going to survive once her mom leaves? Don't answer that - I'm sure she'll have several phone conversations a day getting advice and suggestions for how to deal with every minute detail of her life.
I myself have been accused of, shall we say, relaxed parenting. I don't keep as close an eye on my kids as others think I should. There was the neighbor who always made sure she stayed outside when Nicklas was out playing. (Mind you, I was inside, happily sewing away on a quilt or something.) And when he wanted to walk around the block himself at age 6 and gasp, I allowed him to. She decided that she would go ahead and walk with him. Another time, I was letting the kids run around the bleachers at a baseball game and an older gentleman informed me that they were going to get hurt and that they needed to sit by me at all times. My reaction? Let them get hurt - at least they're up and being active and playing. (And no, they weren't bothering him. He had been watching them from the other side of the stadium.)
Some people will say I'm naive but I don't believe in banning my kids from talking to strangers. I'm a social person. I want my kids to be social. I want them to be comfortable talking to all types of people. Of course, I warn them about accepting gifts, or getting into cars but I'm not going to whisk them away from someone who is just trying to make conversation. I set parameters at the park - they must stay within certain areas. And then I bury my head in a book. I don't always know where they are but if I find out they've left the boundaries I've established, they will have to suffer the consequences. I know there are parents that don't let their eyes leave their child. And while maybe I should be up and actually playing with them at the park, well sometimes, I just don't feel like it. Besides, they need to learn to play on their own and not count on me to entertain them.
More than once, I've let the boys hang out in the toy section of the store while I did my shopping. And at least twice, I've come to get them and found a store employee staying with them, waiting for a parent to show up. At the high school football and basketball games, we let Nicklas run around. He's been doing it since second grade but I have a friend that wouldn't allow her son to do this until he was in sixth grade. Maybe she was afraid he'd get hurt. Or hear profane language from the high schoolers. Or wander off. And I suppose that could happen. But I guess I feel the trade off is worth it for Nicklas. He gets to explore. And be responsible for himself. And learn new things. That's more important to me than keeping him safe and sound and tucked up next to me at all times.
You might think I'm right or wrong but this is the way I've chosen to parent my children. The Polack is a little more protective which is probably good because it balances my - what did I call it? - my relaxed parenting. Although I can promise you that he'll be there with me, pushing them out the car door when it's time to drop them off at campus their freshman year.
I'm off now to finish my project but then I'm going to google free-range parenting and celebrate that there are others out there that don't think I'm too horrible of a person. This isn't my most eloquent writing and I know I'm not doing the best job at making my point. But obviously, the article hit home with me.
And for the record, I think there are definitely nine-year-olds out there that can ride the NYC subway on their own.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
RTT
Time for the brain dump....
1. Sorry for the lack posting this week. I haven't had anything exciting to say. Well, that's not true. There are plenty of funny stories I could go in to related to my new job but work posts are off limits. Too dangerous. Which is unfortunate because I work with some pretty interesting characters.
2. I will say one thing about my job - the faculty research is much more entertaining to me now than when I was working in engineering at Purdue. Engineering research is way over my head. But the latest news release coming out of my school is all about research our faculty have done which finds that there is no consensus on what the definition of "had sex" means. This created a 20 minute conversation during the staff meeting yesterday with everyone discussing their own definition of "had sex".
3. Have you heard Kesha's Blah Blah Blah song? I'm liking it.
3.5 It's beautiful outside today. Whoopie!!
4. There are less than 13 weeks left until school is out for the kids. I have no idea what happens in our life then if we haven't sold our house. Do they move to Bloomington? Do they stay in Lafayette? Does the Polack find a job or wait? So many questions.
5. Did you know that Sugar and J.T. from Survivor are dating? Oh, and Sugar was on Gilmore Girls for four episodes. I had no idea!
6. Uncle Bill hinted there might be some peanut M&M's stashed somewhere in his house. Why would he be so cruel? I didn't need to know that!!
7. I made a casual comment today that I really wanted some M&M's. My co-worker - because she's so sweet - went and bought me some. Nice, right? And as much as I appreciated the gesture, I was still bummed because they were plain and not peanut M&M's.
8. Mia is returning to Norway on June 12. BOOOO!!!!
8.5 I wish we could get another exchange student but considering I don't know where we'll be living or what our income will look like next year, it's probably not going to happen.
9. My brother Jake sent me a facebook message yesterday that said "Blog?" I have no idea what that meant. Jake, what are you asking me?!
10. I'm not much of a concert goer but there are several upcoming that I'd like to see. The Polack and I are going to see Ingrid Michaelson. We also want to see Tom Petty and Train but I don't think it's happening. We have a trip to Vegas planned and some other activities to finance.
VEGAS BABY, VEGAS!!
1. Sorry for the lack posting this week. I haven't had anything exciting to say. Well, that's not true. There are plenty of funny stories I could go in to related to my new job but work posts are off limits. Too dangerous. Which is unfortunate because I work with some pretty interesting characters.
2. I will say one thing about my job - the faculty research is much more entertaining to me now than when I was working in engineering at Purdue. Engineering research is way over my head. But the latest news release coming out of my school is all about research our faculty have done which finds that there is no consensus on what the definition of "had sex" means. This created a 20 minute conversation during the staff meeting yesterday with everyone discussing their own definition of "had sex".
3. Have you heard Kesha's Blah Blah Blah song? I'm liking it.
3.5 It's beautiful outside today. Whoopie!!
4. There are less than 13 weeks left until school is out for the kids. I have no idea what happens in our life then if we haven't sold our house. Do they move to Bloomington? Do they stay in Lafayette? Does the Polack find a job or wait? So many questions.
5. Did you know that Sugar and J.T. from Survivor are dating? Oh, and Sugar was on Gilmore Girls for four episodes. I had no idea!
6. Uncle Bill hinted there might be some peanut M&M's stashed somewhere in his house. Why would he be so cruel? I didn't need to know that!!
7. I made a casual comment today that I really wanted some M&M's. My co-worker - because she's so sweet - went and bought me some. Nice, right? And as much as I appreciated the gesture, I was still bummed because they were plain and not peanut M&M's.
8. Mia is returning to Norway on June 12. BOOOO!!!!
8.5 I wish we could get another exchange student but considering I don't know where we'll be living or what our income will look like next year, it's probably not going to happen.
9. My brother Jake sent me a facebook message yesterday that said "Blog?" I have no idea what that meant. Jake, what are you asking me?!
10. I'm not much of a concert goer but there are several upcoming that I'd like to see. The Polack and I are going to see Ingrid Michaelson. We also want to see Tom Petty and Train but I don't think it's happening. We have a trip to Vegas planned and some other activities to finance.
VEGAS BABY, VEGAS!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Random Thoughts
1. If I'm ever mad or upset and I'm driving in my car, I belt out the song Take A Bow. But I should point out that I'm not singing the Rihanna version but instead, I'm singing the Lea Michele version. As in Lea Michele from Glee. (I'm not proud but I will defend Lea - that girl can sing.)
2. Has anyone ever heard of Kim Iverson? A few years ago, she started working in Lafayette as the morning dj, complimenting the male dj who had been on staff for awhile. They were revamping the morning show and I was actually impressed with her. This says a lot because Lafayette isn't necessarily the hot spot of dj'ing. Most radio personalities are hoping to move up to bigger and better markets. I guess Kim was no exception because soon after her arrival to Lafayette, she announced she was leaving for a new opportunity. It seemed like she'd only been in Lafayette for a few months so I remember wondering what her new gig was. I eventually forgot about her and suffered through several other dj's during my morning commute. Recently though I heard Kim again. She is now has a nationally syndicated talk/music show that plays on week day evenings. It's only on nine stations but I think the show is great and I hope to see it get picked up on more markets.
3. I can't get Kesha out of my head!
4. I have to get gas today. I hate that chore. Before my job change, I filled up my gas tank every two or three weeks. Now I'm filling it up every four or five days.
The last time I got gas, I was cleaning out some trash and came across a McDonald's Monopoly piece for an order of free french fries. I'm so bummed that I missed out on free food.
5. My best random thoughts happen when I'm driving. I think something and then I'm like, "I have to remember that on Thursday." Then Thursday comes around and I'm staring at my computer with nothing clever to write about. Sometimes I email them to myself but that isn't very safe when I'm driving. One week I started recording them on my iPhone's voice memo. Hey, I think they still might be there.
6. Okay, the first one on my iPhone's voice memo... When I was four, my parents were building a new house and we'd often visit the construction site to check on things. I would usually get bored so I started playing with the staple strips for the staple gun. I would set them up around the room and pretend they were train tracks. Then one day I had to go to the bathroom but of course there wasn't a bathroom built yet so my dad told me to hold it. Of course I peed myself right by the staple strip box and he got mad at me. Like it was my fault! I can still picture the wood floor (only plywood, the carpet wasn't installed yet) with a big wet spot on it.
7. Another time when I was little - probably about 6 - my dad asked me to go fishing with him one evening at the Lake. We were out on the boat and he was having the best night - catching several bass. Well I had to go to the bathroom really badly but since he was doing so well, he didn't want to take me home so he asked me to hold it. Of course, I peed my pants. I didn't get in trouble that time though.
8. Second voice memo from the iPhone... I hate Monday evenings when I return to Uncle Bill's house and I carry my bags in and I take off my work clothes to put on comfy clothes and they're always SO COLD. They've been sitting in my car all day and they are FREEZING. Brrrr.... I hate that.
9. Voice memo 3 is about the fact that I need to read the Catcher in the Rye. But I have no idea why I said this. Hmm... Intriguing...
10. I bet random thought #2 is the longest random thought I've ever published. And I'm guessing this is the longest RTT ever. I'm making history, people!
2. Has anyone ever heard of Kim Iverson? A few years ago, she started working in Lafayette as the morning dj, complimenting the male dj who had been on staff for awhile. They were revamping the morning show and I was actually impressed with her. This says a lot because Lafayette isn't necessarily the hot spot of dj'ing. Most radio personalities are hoping to move up to bigger and better markets. I guess Kim was no exception because soon after her arrival to Lafayette, she announced she was leaving for a new opportunity. It seemed like she'd only been in Lafayette for a few months so I remember wondering what her new gig was. I eventually forgot about her and suffered through several other dj's during my morning commute. Recently though I heard Kim again. She is now has a nationally syndicated talk/music show that plays on week day evenings. It's only on nine stations but I think the show is great and I hope to see it get picked up on more markets.
3. I can't get Kesha out of my head!
4. I have to get gas today. I hate that chore. Before my job change, I filled up my gas tank every two or three weeks. Now I'm filling it up every four or five days.
The last time I got gas, I was cleaning out some trash and came across a McDonald's Monopoly piece for an order of free french fries. I'm so bummed that I missed out on free food.
5. My best random thoughts happen when I'm driving. I think something and then I'm like, "I have to remember that on Thursday." Then Thursday comes around and I'm staring at my computer with nothing clever to write about. Sometimes I email them to myself but that isn't very safe when I'm driving. One week I started recording them on my iPhone's voice memo. Hey, I think they still might be there.
6. Okay, the first one on my iPhone's voice memo... When I was four, my parents were building a new house and we'd often visit the construction site to check on things. I would usually get bored so I started playing with the staple strips for the staple gun. I would set them up around the room and pretend they were train tracks. Then one day I had to go to the bathroom but of course there wasn't a bathroom built yet so my dad told me to hold it. Of course I peed myself right by the staple strip box and he got mad at me. Like it was my fault! I can still picture the wood floor (only plywood, the carpet wasn't installed yet) with a big wet spot on it.
7. Another time when I was little - probably about 6 - my dad asked me to go fishing with him one evening at the Lake. We were out on the boat and he was having the best night - catching several bass. Well I had to go to the bathroom really badly but since he was doing so well, he didn't want to take me home so he asked me to hold it. Of course, I peed my pants. I didn't get in trouble that time though.
8. Second voice memo from the iPhone... I hate Monday evenings when I return to Uncle Bill's house and I carry my bags in and I take off my work clothes to put on comfy clothes and they're always SO COLD. They've been sitting in my car all day and they are FREEZING. Brrrr.... I hate that.
9. Voice memo 3 is about the fact that I need to read the Catcher in the Rye. But I have no idea why I said this. Hmm... Intriguing...
10. I bet random thought #2 is the longest random thought I've ever published. And I'm guessing this is the longest RTT ever. I'm making history, people!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wintery Winery
Apparently, I'm all about the alliteration lately.
The family joined me in Bloomington recently which warranted a visit to Oliver Winery. I've never visited in the winter but it's still very pretty. We walked away without any wine - a first for us.
The family joined me in Bloomington recently which warranted a visit to Oliver Winery. I've never visited in the winter but it's still very pretty. We walked away without any wine - a first for us.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Well look-ie there....
There is a new leader for the Prediction League and it's yours truly. I predict (get it, predict, ha!) that my lead will last about five days. I'm doing terrible in the Olympics!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Letter to Steve
Nicklas recently had a project for school in which he had to do a report on a famous Hoosier. He chose Steve Alford. After doing all the research and working on his five sided cube of Steve's impact on the state, Nicklas realized he couldn't find any information on Steve's siblings. So we decided to send him the following email:
To: 'LoboBB@unm.edu'
Subject: 3rd grade report
My name is Nicklas. I’m a 3rd grader at Edgelea School in Lafayette, Indiana. Even though everyone in my class are Purdue fans, I’m an IU fan and I’m a big fan of yours. I’m doing a project on you and was excited to find your email address on the Official Athletics Website of the University of New Mexico.
I have a question for my report. How hard is it to be a basketball player? It would be great if you could write back to me. Also for my report, I need to know how many siblings you have.
My report is due Tuesday. Thank you for the 1987 title.
Nicklas
He received the following reply:
Nicklas,
thanks so much for your nice email. it was really good to
hear from you and I am grateful that you are a fan of mine. we
are having a very good year this season so it has been a lot of
fun. I also appreciate you spreading some hoosier love in a
boiler town.
as for your questions, I have one brother and his name is sean. the other question was on how difficult it is to be a basketball
player. nicklas, like anything else in life, it is what you put into
it that ends up defining how you do and the meaning of what you
do. as a player, i loved the game so much, so I worked at it very
hard each and every day. there was literally never a day that
went by that i didn’t do something with basketball to improve my
skill.
again, thanks so much for writing to me. i hope your project turns out well. i hope your teacher is a hoosier or you might
of hurt your grade in choosing me. nicklas, my best to you and
your family.
God's Blessings,
Steve Alford
Head Coach
University of New Mexico
To: 'LoboBB@unm.edu'
Subject: 3rd grade report
My name is Nicklas. I’m a 3rd grader at Edgelea School in Lafayette, Indiana. Even though everyone in my class are Purdue fans, I’m an IU fan and I’m a big fan of yours. I’m doing a project on you and was excited to find your email address on the Official Athletics Website of the University of New Mexico.
I have a question for my report. How hard is it to be a basketball player? It would be great if you could write back to me. Also for my report, I need to know how many siblings you have.
My report is due Tuesday. Thank you for the 1987 title.
Nicklas
He received the following reply:
Nicklas,
thanks so much for your nice email. it was really good to
hear from you and I am grateful that you are a fan of mine. we
are having a very good year this season so it has been a lot of
fun. I also appreciate you spreading some hoosier love in a
boiler town.
as for your questions, I have one brother and his name is sean. the other question was on how difficult it is to be a basketball
player. nicklas, like anything else in life, it is what you put into
it that ends up defining how you do and the meaning of what you
do. as a player, i loved the game so much, so I worked at it very
hard each and every day. there was literally never a day that
went by that i didn’t do something with basketball to improve my
skill.
again, thanks so much for writing to me. i hope your project turns out well. i hope your teacher is a hoosier or you might
of hurt your grade in choosing me. nicklas, my best to you and
your family.
God's Blessings,
Steve Alford
Head Coach
University of New Mexico
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
Come on and RTT; yeah, you and me!
- Things that bug me about realtor's.... when they don't return phone calls or emails, when they show you houses that don't contain the specifications you're looking for, and when they assume your husband is calling the shots (and not that its a team effort.
- Yesterdays shoes were missing one heel cap. The other one was still on but only because I super glued it to the shoe.
- Tonight is poker night at Uncle Bill's. I still haven't decided if I'm going to play - it would require going to an ATM to get money and then changing my bills into a bunch of quarters. Curling up in bed w/ Sookie Stackhouse sounds much more appealing right now.
- I'm really into the Olympics this year but I haven't gotten to watch any of it. Uncle Bill's t.v. only visits the History Channel and the Discovery Channel.
- The reason I'm digging the Olympics is due to the Prediction League. I'm actually near the head of the pack so each pick I make counts. If you visit the link, you'll see that Kubatski III is the leader. Kubatski III is Nicklas. Yeah, my nine year old son is kicking some butt. Go Nicklas!! For the NBA All-Star post, he was correct for each pick and earned 10 whole points.
- I seem to be struggling with sitting still for long periods of time. During auditorium events or any kind of long meeting, I get really fidgety and restless. My legs start to hurt and I can't sit still. This is always been a problem for me but especially so as I'm growing older. Anyone else have this problem?
- I just googled restless leg syndrome thinking that might be my issue. But I don't have the problem when I'm lying down to sleep so I'm not sure that's the culprit.
- My new health insurance is super cheap with a high deductible - chosen because my family is generally very healthy. But now I hate thinking about going to the doctor because I know I'm going to have to pay out of pocket.
- Hm. What should I have for lunch today? There is stale bread for a sandwich or a cup of blah soup. Decisions, decisions...
- Tomorrow is Friday - yippee!!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Icicles
In my neck of the woods, it seems like the snow will never end. But boy it sure it pretty...
This is the view off the front porch of Uncle Bill's house. I'm not usually home before dark to enjoy it so I had to capture the moment.
This is the view off the front porch of Uncle Bill's house. I'm not usually home before dark to enjoy it so I had to capture the moment.Friday, February 12, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
Hmmmm.... let's see.... random thoughts of mine include:
- My office is FREEZING right now. I should - and I do - appreciate the window. But woo boy is it hard to type when my fingers are so cold.
- I do have a space heater but it's only effective at warming the parts of my body that are directly in front of it. So my legs and feet are very toasty right now.
- I love working on a college campus and I really hate staff who complain about the students - as if they aren't the reason we all have jobs. So I make it a point to never complain. Even when they use the restroom as a locker room and they wait until the 11th hour to complete their scholarship application process and then come crying to me when they don't have enough time to gather all the information needed. Nope, I never complain.
- I'm supposed to do some quilting this weekend with a group of quilter friends. But I'm just not in to it. I have several commissioned pieces and I'm not at all excited about doing them. Is it the fact that I have less creative freedom with commissioned quilts, am I outgrowing my love of quilting, or am I in some weird funk right now?
- I love Diet Pepsi.
- All my shoes currently have their heel caps attached. It's a good day.
- I'm really trying to stick with Weight Watchers this week but I did eat Chick-fil-A for lunch. Other than that though, I've been good.
- I'm bummed I didn't get to watch Survivor. It's become a family ritual that I look forward to.
- I started the Sookie Stackhouse series. What is it about vampire stories that make them so attractive?
- Now I must start watching True Blood. I'm hoping the Polack will want to watch with me. *hint hint*
Special message to CK - I would join SP but my internet time is pretty limited right now. I have enough trouble keeping up with the blog and facebook. On a separate note, how sad is that we are communicating with each via our blogs? Let me know the next time you're in IN!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Skyping with the family...
With me being gone most of the week, Skype has become a good friend of our family. The first snapshot is from this morning. The boys have a two hour delay so they called me when I got into work. The second photo is from a few nights ago, while they were eating dinner.
Monday, February 8, 2010
new iPhone - take three
So I've done it again.... I've shattered another iPhone. This is the second time in six months, just in case you're keeping track. We can't forget the roller coaster incident of 2009.
No roller coasters this time. Instead, I left it on top of the car and took off for work. I remembered the phone about halfway through my 40 minute drive. It was long gone. Uncle Bill found it about four miles away from the house. It was in the middle of the road, still in its case (which also contained my license and credit card.) Unfortunately, it had been run over so this is all that was left.
No roller coasters this time. Instead, I left it on top of the car and took off for work. I remembered the phone about halfway through my 40 minute drive. It was long gone. Uncle Bill found it about four miles away from the house. It was in the middle of the road, still in its case (which also contained my license and credit card.) Unfortunately, it had been run over so this is all that was left.
So I'm on iPhone number 3 and fear it's my last shot. Three strikes and I'm out and back to the blackberry. This one comes armed with the Otterbox. Let's hope it does the trick...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
- This is the first Thursday since December 17 that I've actually posted an RTT on a real Thursday. Don't call it a comeback yet! (Last week didn't count since I didn't write it until the weekend.)
- Everyone on facebook is posting their doppelganger photos. No one has ever told me I look like someone except once when I was in high school. I was at Pizza Hut (one of three sit down restaurants in my home town) and this random guy came up to me and told me I looked like Tonya Harding. I was NOT happy with this comment. He actually thought he was giving me a compliment. (This was post Nancy Kerrigan attack but pre boxing/terrible reality show Tonya.)
- Okay, so you all know I'm a dork so I feel okay in sharing this with you. One way I judge how "caught up" I am at work is through my outlook inbox. If I have an email that has some sort of task associated with it, I leave it in my inbox and won't file or delete it until the task is complete. Every day, my inbox has been growing and growing. UNTIL YESTERDAY. That's right, I got lots done and was able to file many emails away. When all my inbox emails fit on one screen and I don't have to scroll down, it's a good day. SELL-A-BRATE good times, come on!
- I have a girl crush on a fellow blogger. Her posts are always the first ones I read and they always make me laugh aloud. She's hilarious and I wish I could hang out with her for a weekend because she knows how to have a good time. I would share her blog with y'all but she's had some wacky people cyber stalk her so she's sensitive. It's too bad though because you're all missing out! Now I feel like I'm such a tease.
- The caps on the heels of my shoes almost ALWAYS fall off. Does anyone else have this problem? I'm getting tired of taking my heels to the shoe repair guy so he can put new caps on. Have I talked about this before? I feel like I have. Maybe I'm running out of random thoughts in my life....
- Tonight is the big Indiana vs. Purdue basketball game. A huge rivalry. I'm pretty sure my Hoosiers are going down. Hopefully I'm wrong!
- We're supposed to be getting a bunch of snow tomorrow. Just in time for my drive to Lafayette. Boo!
- I haven't had any Diet Pepsi or take out since Monday. Yay me!
- I'm playing matchmaker for a family member and a quilting friend. I'm not super comfortable with the role but I adore these two so much that I'm going to attempt to make it happen.
- I'm sad that Survivor is starting up again and I won't be home to watch it with The Polack and Nicklas. It's been a family bonding activity in the past.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Booby traps and Spongebob
Seeger has been building booby traps around the house. Can you tell how proud he is?
He's also into building things. I remember when Nicklas went through this phase and I just loved seeing him work his hands and mind to create something. For Seeger, it started with a set of Spongebob Legos that he received for Christmas. The Polack and I were impressed that he was able to follow the directions and build the Krusty Krab with such patience. As soon as he finished it, he wanted to use his gift cards to purchase other Spongebob Lego sets.
He's also been building with a set of Knex he received. He asked that I video the hot air balloon he built out of Knex for his Lego Spongebob characters.
He's also into building things. I remember when Nicklas went through this phase and I just loved seeing him work his hands and mind to create something. For Seeger, it started with a set of Spongebob Legos that he received for Christmas. The Polack and I were impressed that he was able to follow the directions and build the Krusty Krab with such patience. As soon as he finished it, he wanted to use his gift cards to purchase other Spongebob Lego sets. He's also been building with a set of Knex he received. He asked that I video the hot air balloon he built out of Knex for his Lego Spongebob characters.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Let's Go Red Wings...
For Christmas, Nicklas received a tickets to attend his first Detroit Red Wings. He was very excited to attend with his Papa and especially wear his brand new Nicklas Lindstrom jersey (note the spelling of Nicklas in both their names!)
Here is Nicklas in front of the Gordie Howe statue....
Getting ready to cheer the Red Wings....
Here is Nicklas in front of the Gordie Howe statue....
The boys in front of Lindstrom's photo....
Getting ready to cheer the Red Wings....
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Random Thought Thursday
Hear ye, hear ye, it's time for RTT!
- Tonight is senior night for Mia's swim season. I'm hoping to make to Lafayette in time to walk with her and The Polack.
- I always go back and forth in identifying where I live on this blog. Although it's easier to state the city, other times I feel as though I should remain semi-anonymous.
- What's the point of the encore in at a concert? Play your whole set list or don't but please don't make me sit there and wait for you to decide.
- Everyone keeps asking how the new job is going. In case you're wondering.... it's fab-u-lous. Okay, it's probably not really that fabulous BUT I'm back to doing what I love doing (and what I'm good at) and I work with a great group of people and I'm in Bloomington. No complaints from me!
- I'm slowly trying to introduce Mia to my favorite girlie movies. As in those that I bought in the late days ofVHS. In honor of our trip to NYC, we watched Working Girl. Last week she watched Picture Perfect. Next up is Object of My Affection and I'm hoping What's Love Got to Do With It. I also had Nicklas watch Hoosiers which he loved.
- Speaking of movies, I found out that staff at the IU Foundation (the fundraising unit at Indiana University) watch the move Breaking Away together once a year. What a great movie! Definitely on my list for Mia and the kids.
- Uncle Bill cleared the snow off my car again this week. What a sweetheart. I really want to fix him up with a nice single lady I know but he doesn't seem interested. I'll have to work on that.
- Speaking of Uncle Bill, he invited me to play poker with his friends last week. It was fun hanging out with the guys and they were very gracious to include me - even when I beat them.
- January is almost over and despite how busy I've been this month with the new job and commute and house project, I feel the weeks ticking away and Mia impending departure rapidly approach. It's too sad to think about.
- If all goes well the house will be listed on the market next week. Cross your fingers in hopes that our contractor will finally finish everything up soon!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Empire State of Mind...
And now part 2 of the photo upload extravaganza.... After Christmas, we drove to New York to visit relatives who live on Long Island. We had a great time visiting and especially enjoyed our day trips to the City.
Waiting for the train to Penn Station...
Cousin Andy (and his sister Molly) made the trip with us.
Hanging out on the train...
I snuck a photo of Mia looking uber urban...
Nicklas and his New York pizza...
Group shot at lunch...
It was SUPER crowded when we were in the City. It was the Sunday after Christmas and everyone and their brother was visiting. We made our way to Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree.
A famous marquee...
Visiting Central Park....
In the jewel of the city...
Any thoughts of going ice skating in Wollman Rink were quickly squashed when we saw the line going around the park...
The boys doing some rock climbing...
Since we couldn't ice skating, we took a carriage ride around the park....
Checking out the sights....
The next day, Seeger worked on building a city at Aunt Carolyn's. Cousin Andy offered his engineering expertise...
On the third day, the Polack and I took Mia in to the City for a grown up day. Here is Mia waiting on the Staten Island Ferry.
A glimpse of the Statue of Liberty!
Returning back to Manhattan and heading somewhere for dinner. After dinner we went to see West Side Story on Broadway.
One last shot in the City of Mia at Times Square.
She LOVED the trip.
Waiting for the train to Penn Station...
Cousin Andy (and his sister Molly) made the trip with us.
Hanging out on the train...
I snuck a photo of Mia looking uber urban...
Nicklas and his New York pizza...
Group shot at lunch...
It was SUPER crowded when we were in the City. It was the Sunday after Christmas and everyone and their brother was visiting. We made our way to Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree. 
A famous marquee...
Visiting Central Park....
In the jewel of the city...
Any thoughts of going ice skating in Wollman Rink were quickly squashed when we saw the line going around the park...
The boys doing some rock climbing...
Since we couldn't ice skating, we took a carriage ride around the park....
Checking out the sights....
The next day, Seeger worked on building a city at Aunt Carolyn's. Cousin Andy offered his engineering expertise...
On the third day, the Polack and I took Mia in to the City for a grown up day. Here is Mia waiting on the Staten Island Ferry.
A glimpse of the Statue of Liberty!
Returning back to Manhattan and heading somewhere for dinner. After dinner we went to see West Side Story on Broadway.
One last shot in the City of Mia at Times Square.She LOVED the trip.
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