Speaking of Aurora...

Last night, I was on the road for exactly four and a half hours...which, if you ask me, is way too many. But the most amazing part of the horrible drive was the faint hues of the Aurora Borealis...the Northern Lights.

Now, I have never, up until this point, seen the Northern Lights, so it took me a while to figure out what I was even seeing. At first I thought it was the moon shining ridiculously brightly over a long horizon of clouds. But that seemed strange since it was more like the entire north eastern horizon was glowing. And as I precariously drove down Highway 81 toward Platteville, I noticed that the glow was changing, growing, moving. Then it hit me...and my foot hit the brakes.

After nearly causing a few accidents, I pulled off the road to a gravel road, parked and got out. There I stood, in the middle of nowhere just staring at the sky. What a sight it was. It wasn't that bright or clear, but still...amazing.

So, if you're in a clear area tonight, be sure to look up that the north eastern sky and maybe you too can experience the wonder.

Subway Gets Ugly

This week, I have experienced the worst Subway ever. Seriously. Last night, I went to said Subway to get some dinner circa 9:00 pm. I entered to the sight of a very wide-like butt sticking up just over the cash register and a muffled voice saying, "Um...hi." (She was apparently picking up something off the floor...or possibly licking the floor...not really sure.)

I thought to myself, "Sweet. This is the local moron stop. Service should be great."
"We...um...don't have any bread."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, out of bread."
"Like for a few minutes?"
"Well, it could be at least an hour...possibly all night."

Wow. Can someone please explain how a sub shop, whose livelihood seems to be dependent on the amount of bread they sell, runs out of that one primary and essencial product? But, giving them the benefit of the doubt (perhaps it was a managerial oversight or an incredibly good sales night) I decided to go back tonight. I made a fairly major mistake however. I asked a few questions. Apparently, that was against the rules at this Subway.

I first asked if they perhaps carried any parmesan-oregano bread. Most Subways have stopped carrying this bread, but sometimes I ask just to be sure.

"Um...do you mean the Italian herb and cheese?"
"No, but that will work fine. Do you carry spinach?"
"Subway doesn't do spinach."

Ok, so at this point, I'm still doing alright. I mean, I am feeling a bit sorry for the person on the other side of the counter who was not the brightest crayon in the box. But I'm still pretty satisfied, that is, until the lady wouldn't put the peppercorn-garlic sauce on my sub. One little spit of a squirt, and then it was "This is all we have of this sauce," followed by a blank stare.

That was about all I could handle. I quickly finished my order and got the heck out of there. Could someone please notify management? Seriously.

Favorite Part

My favorite part of today: getting my chin cracked open with a remote control...thanks Megan.

Ok, so it wasn't my favorite part, but it did really happen...and it really did hurt. And all over a Simpson's episode.

The Norovirus Made Me Do It

So, this morning, I was driving from Eau Claire to Bloomer, about a 35 minute drive. On my way, I'm listening to I-94, the all holiday radio station. The DJ began the news with the following story:

"The town of Bloomer continues to battle its epidemic of the norovirus. Bloomer Hospital is currently admitting new patients, but the assisted living facility will only be admitting patients with the norovirus symptoms which include vomiting, diareah, and high fever...."

Sweet. Bloomer...where I'm going. A terrible virus in epidemic proportions which is keeping kids out of school and knocking out the old person population quicker than usual....and I'm headed into the hot zone: the K-12 school building.

So far, I feel darn good...I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.

Another Slow Day

It has taken some getting used to, but the Northwoods of Wisconsin are treating me pretty well. I enjoy the scenery as well as the nice folks I meet, but there's one thing that I haven't gotten used to just yet: the very few students I see. Now, some of my slow day ended up being circumstantial and very much out of my control (i.e. one school had a teacher pass away last week). I'm sure, too, that distance plays a big part. Platteville is at least three hours from the Wausau area...but that logic seems silly as ALL my schools are at least three hours from Platteville....hmm.

Today I tried to keep myself incredibly busy. I visited five schools between the hours of 8:00 and 2:00, but guess how many students I saw...Four. Four students in five schools. Icing on the cake - I saw three students at one school. You do the math there.

So now with just enough postcards to put off until tomorrow, no good magazine in my handbag, and no book to enjoy on this trip, I sit in a Green Mill eating my bread and herb butter, telling you all about my slow day. However, the great part about tonight is the Green Mill serves an incredible smoked chicken and spinach ravioli in a garlic cream sauce. This makes my belly happy....and my keyboard slightly greasy...but shhh...don't tell the boss. :)

Fa La La La La La...

It's that time of year again! And I must confess that I'm excited....and a little confused. Excited because it sure is Thanksgiving time (which also means it's also almost Christmas time), and confused because how the heck did the whole year disappear already?!? You know, you always hear it from those older and wiser that as you get older, time goes faster. I guess I never really believed it to be true. I mean, don't you remember summer break in elementary school lasting what seemed like years. I few days into break we were already bored. But now, summer? What summer? Did summer happen? I can't recall.

And now, here I am, in mid-November, working my first real job, complete with college degree and all, and all I wish is for time to just slow down a little. At this point in my life, young as it still is, I find myself looking back thinking, "I never thought I'd..." Let's recap. Mom and Dad, don't get too weepy over all the reminiscing.

In elementary school, I never thought I'd be anything but a teacher. I was going to teach any and all grades...I could never really narrow it down to my favorite age group. Little did I know that high school and my ego would change my mind down the road.

In high school, I never thought that I would fail engineering in college. I was the best in high school. I was the best at drafting, at tech. classes, at math and science. I thought I was the stuff and destined to be an amazing engineer, making loads of money. Let's face it, communications and public relations weren't even on my radar.

And one more: I never thought I'd be attending my 23rd family Thanksgiving without that special someone to enjoy it with. As long as I can remember, even the past year or so, I had a sort of "target date" to be happily married: 23. Silly, I know. Plenty of time, I know. But it's just the thought that lingered my whole life that a girl was supposed to be married at 23. Maybe by next year...

And a bonus: I never thought that despite all of the "never thoughts" that have taken place throughout life, that I would be as happy and content as I am. So here's a toast to "never thoughts" of the past and those that are yet to come.

That all being said, enjoy your holiday season. Enjoy your family. And take a little time to be thankful for all the "never thoughts" that make life so beautiful.

I Think My Foot is Broken

This week has been one of the slowest weeks so far in my road travels. Yesterday was extremely difficult to deal with. I met with three students...total. Out of four schools? Yeah, that's pretty bad. But, one for the books: I did talk with a student on the phone for about 20 minutes in a guidance office because the kid was home sick from school. Neat.

And the most unfortunate accident of the week occurred today at my last school. I somehow dropped my wheelie briefcase, stuffed full of intro. books, info. cards, all the heavy stuff (not emptied so much due to my extremely slow week) onto my left foot...directly on that bone that sticks up a little higher than all the rest. I actually had to sit back in the car for a few minutes while I dried the tears from my eyes and regained composure to be able to meet with students. And for the record, it really hurt.

On a happier note, I have so far successfully gone through two and a half days without eating at a McDonald's once. This is a record for me on the road this semester. I made four lovely meals on Saturday and froze them solid so as not to die from salmonella or ecoli. And that has made a lot of difference. And I've even worked out once! I know, exciting. But due to the recent foot injury, there will be no treadmill or elliptical for me tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

Bye Bye, Bad Habit

Ok, so pretty much my whole life, at least since I've had teeth, I've been a nail biter. And I'd have to say that it has not been much fun. More times than I care to recall, I've been caught in the act, and even complete strangers feel the need to point it out...as if that is some sort of motivation to stop doing it...yeah.

But back in September, I had a set of acrylics done. And for those of you not familiar with the subject of cosmetology (yeah, like I am really an expert...), acrylic nails are really bad for your real nails, really bad. And I had nearly no nails left once I removed those fake guys. I bought myself some nail growth polish in hopes that it would help the poor little guys grow a little bit, and funny thing, the stuff actually is kind of working. All my nails have white tips and a few of them are even clicking on the keyboard right now. (That doesn't happen very often.)

I think I can now understand why some girls freak out over a broken nail. I have become pretty attached to the little guys. If I broke one down real short, I think I might shed a tear over it. Here's hoping for nails that keep on growing...maybe even to the point where I'd have to cut them. (That has never happened before.)

Ok, after writing this, I'm sure that it was possibly the worst blog entry ever. Neat. But hey, Dad, at least you won't have to point out when I'm biting my nails over Thanksgiving...I don't think I will be. :) Feel free to leave congratulatory comments on my newly broken bad habit below.

The Gassy, the Witch, and the Pickup Lines

(A.K.A. Adventures in the Big Apple)

I would like to chalk this week up to being the strangest most random week of travels yet. A few schools really surprised me with a huge number of students, and some were pretty typical with one or two students...or none.

First of all, there is nothing like meeting with that weird kid...you know the type...one on one. It wouldn't have been so bad, I mean, I've dealt with the weird kids before, but this kid topped the cake. We had just introduced ourselves when the stinkin' kid broke wind. I didn't hear it at all; it was very sneaky but very stinky! Now normally I would make a big deal about it if it was a friend, but I had to hold my breath and bite my tongue until the moment passed. I was embarrassed for him, and I may have even blushed, but we survived the moment.

Another great moment of the week. I was at a very small school that reminded me of where I went to high school, and I was sitting in the guidance counselor's outer office (no guidance secretary for this school) when a young lady walks in to talk to me. She starts out the conversation with, "You guys have some engineering stuff and your school, right?" Never a good sign. She went on to say that she had some family that attended Platteville, and she's like to start there. After all, "Michigan Tech is just a little bit better than Platteville...you know." Um...right. The guidance counselor walked through the office and mentioned that we probably had scholarship opportunities. To which she replied, "Oh yeah, I'm real poor, and you need to give me a scholarship." Nice. That's all I've got to say about that. Nice.

Chillin' in line at McDonald's at around 9:00 in the morning, waiting to order breakfast, can be an interesting start to a day I came to find out this week. I was staring at the menu blankly, already knowing what I was going to order, when I construction worker came up to me and said, "Why hello. How are you doing today?" I said politely, "Fine, thank you." To which he came back with, "No, you're supposed to say flawless...Let's try again. How are you doing today?" Wow. I didn't know stuff like that really happened. I kind of figured that that was just the sort of thing that you saw on movies and stuff.

And to complete my random week, in a moment of desperation, needing an early morning jolt, I tried a cup of coffee. Turns out, I don't mind coffee at all. Weird. Didn't see that one coming.

The Big 2-3

That's right, folks. It's my birthday. And a birthday first for this kid: today I had 300 people singing Happy Birthday at the Pioneer Preview. A little bit random, but a whole lot of fun. Heidi kindly suggested it, and the whole crowd played along. Thanks Preview people!

Leave a birthday comment to brighten my day above the gloomy weather today! :)

Round-Abouts and Other Confusions in Green Bay

Can someone explain the purpose of a round-about? I mean really. You know what I'm talking about right? Those ridiculous substitutes for corners or four-way stops that require you to circle your way precariously around to the right on a very tight curve while simultaneously trying to avoid all the other cars coming in from three other entrances, exiting at random all at incredibly high speeds.

Now, what exactly is the point to all this? Is it faster than a four-way stop? I think not. Everyone still has to yield to that person on their left entering the circle while keeping a mindful eye on that car to your right that may slip in before you do. Is it safer than a four-way stop? Absolutely not! Everyone at least comes to a stop at a four-way stop! Round-abouts? No stopping required, occasionally it's a good idea, but definitely not required. Are they more cost effective than the stop? I don't see how. They require so much more pavement (the big circle is probably the equivalent of an extra city block).

In my opinion these crazy round-abouts are just ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

You know what else is ridiculous? Today, Green Bay got its fair share of snow sprinkles throughout the day, but the sun refused to give up. Every time that it snowed today, it was also sunny. I thought it quite strange.

Oh, and for the record, Green Bay-not so scary. I thought that it would be a little more big-city-ish. But so far, I've found it to be very nice.

Pot-a-wat-o-what?

(A.K.A. Happenings and Mishappenings in Door County)

Yesterday I took a trip to Potawatomi State Park here in Door County. Lucky for me, the rain held off, and it wasn't too cold for a good hike in the woods. I found a good spot to park on the farthest end of the park near a trail head where I was sure I would find no other human soul. I took a moment to bundle up in my favorite sweatshirt, a vest, and a stocking hat, ready to find an adventure. With park map in hand, I took off down the trail, not knowing exactly what to expect. I gave a quick call to Mom just to let her know I was ok, and I took off, confident that this would be a great hike.

I walked only about twenty minutes through some very thick timber when the path opened up right to the lake. Before I could even see it, I could hear the waves lapping up on the rocky shore. I broke a few park rules and left the well-worn trail to experience the shoreline a little closer. White-washed rocks, all square and flat were scattered for as far as the eye could see in both directions down the water's edge. I could have sat there all day...if I would have had all day that is. It was already nearly 5:00, and I wanted to get some more hiking in before it got dark. Fearing that I would get lost (which seems pretty difficult on a shoreline...you really only have two directions to go), I jumped back on the trail and walked a little longer. When the trail veered away from the shore, I decided to turn around and follow that beautiful rocky shore right back to where I had come from. The sound of the water was just too relaxing to walk away from.

Back into the thick timber, I walked slowly, satisfied with my adventure. I was deep in a daydream when I heard a twig snap. Jolted back to reality, I glanced around, worried suddenly that I could possibly be in some sort of danger. Instead I found a small and very pretty deer about ten feet from me in the path. There she stood, checking me out as much as I was checking her out. Then a second and a third poked their heads from around their trees to check me out, too. They all munched away, with one mindful eye on me and my every move. Finally, not wanting to disturb them, I hunched down to a squat and just watched. I watched until finally the deer got bored with me and walked on to better munching grounds.

And how better to end my day at Potawatomi than to climb a 75-year-old 100-foot wooden tower to view the lake and the treetops from above. God must love looking down at his creation all the time. Something so beautiful is hard to take your eyes off of.

Today was fantastic as well. Already feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, I decided to take off again for a new and exciting destination. This time however, the actual destination was unknown. It was the journey I was after. The cloudy skies had held back all day, not allowing a single drop to fall, but at about 2:30, just as I was leaving my last school, I saw one, then another, then a downpour of all the days saved-up drops...just trying to ruin my adventure. And they could have. All those little rain drops could have chased me right back to my hotel room where I would have hermitted until dawn. But I decided that there was adventure to be had, rain or not, I was off.

I took off north of Sturgeon Bay wanting to peek at as many nooks and crannies of Door County as were physically possible before dark. Heading up the east side of the peninsula, I followed a scenic route or two before I hit a double whammy of parks. Whitefish Dunes State Park and Cave Point County Park. These parks shared an entrance road except for one crucial difference: state parks cost money to enter and county parks are free. Carefully navigating by the road signs, I made sure to only enter this unknown territory of the county park. It turned out to be one main parking lot with a few picnic tables and an information kiosk. The rain was still coming down pretty good, but I couldn't really see beyond the picnic area, and I was curious to find out what the attraction of the park could be.

I debated with myself in the nice warm dry car for a bit before the curiosity was just too much to stand. Bundled up with that lovable hooded sweatshirt, hood up, I headed for the kiosk. I read for a bit, but for the life of me, I just couldn't figure out what the heck it was trying to tell me. There were diagrams and glacier talk that I just didn't get. Finally, before reading the whole thing, I took off to just over the small ridge when the most wonderful sound hit my ears. Water...not just water...but pounding waves, crashing up against...well, something.

Over the ridge there was, well, a cliff. But when I looked down, all I saw was water flowing under where I was. I walked around on the rocky ledge until the crashing was much louder when I could finally see what was beneath me. It was a beautiful cave...a whole shoreline of cave-like structures, all crashing and roaring. Oh, how I would have loved to climb down to the base of a few of the caves, put my feet in the cool water, and be engulfed in the majesty of the whole thing-the sounds, the smells, the feel of the waves. I could have chosen a smooth rock and perched there for hours just listening, maybe singing along with the waves' heavenly song. But after just a few minutes of taking in the grandeur, I had also taken on much water. My beloved sweatshirt was several pounds heavier than it had started, my hands a little colder than I would have liked.

Throughout the drive, I took many detours so I could remain as close to the lake as I could. I spent more time driving 15 miles an hour than any other speed, which couldn't have made me happier. Around every bend I found waterfront homes with their own personal beaches. Some of the homes were small and nearly worn out with pure love. Others were massive and regal, like mansions. But my favorites were the ones you couldn't even see. The timber was so thick in some spots that all you could see was a well-worn opening in the trees that wound around into the shadows. No pavement, no gravel, just a worn dirt path. Now, if the driveway takes your breath away, can you imagine what wonders the home at the end must contain?

After several hours of awe and admiration of many neighborhoods and timberlines, I decided I still had time to head north, but the farther north, the heavier the rains and the darker the skies. So, after making it as far as the shining little town of Ephraim, I headed straight back to Sturgeon Bay with no pit stops, detours, or park hopping.

This week has done more for my soul than I ever could have imagined. I began this week with feelings of loneliness and sheer exhaustion, and I will end it with a renewed sense of accomplishment and energy, knowing I'm in the right place, the place God that has put me for reasons that I don't have to understand. Who knew that all of that could have come out of little ol' Door County?

New Idea

Being the lonesome traveler that I am, I (with much credit due to my mom) came up with an idea that I think I will implement within the next few weeks...hopefully.

I think I'm going to organize a twenty-somethings group for us non-married folks that provides activities and events on weekends for people to do with other people. There is so much stuff that can be done for free or relatively cheap around the area that would be much more fun with other people. Even dinner...that would be more fun with others. Adventures of all kinds await groups of young folks like myself....I think I will find them. :) What do you think? Think it sounds like something to pursue? Express yourself in the comments so I know how you feel!

On a completely unrelated note, I am near Door County this week...and it sure is raining. The forecast calls for rain all week which completely blows my plans of a little work and a lot of Door County play. It's too bad really. I was in the mood for some state park hiking, cute shop shopping, and all that comes with the tourist spot that is Door County. And on another completely unrelated topic: Manitowoc has some of the most confusing intersections known to man. How do people find there way around this town anyway? I mean, seriously. I have a GPS system telling me my every move, and I still took like thirty wrong turns today. There is something seriously messed up about that.

Kohler?

I went to the town of Kohler, Wisconsin this week. Have you ever been to this town? I have to say that I was thoroughly creeped out. I mean seriously.

This town is like a movie set. I drove around with the extra time that I had before my school visit, and it quickly became a game to try to find an ugly house...an ugly car...an ugly person. But I lost at my own game. There were none. The town was so beautiful that it was almost disgusting. All of the shops and markets and the downtown were all of these beautiful brick building, new-looking with old-style charm. Many of the buildings had leafy vines crawling gracefully up the sides, and they were just starting to show the colors of fall. What a town.

My first thought was that if I ever made a whole lot of money, I would move there and boast of this most beautiful town. But I found myself, as I was playing my little ugly search game, saying out loud over and over, "What is this place?" And then I realized that the feeling I had was not an awe of its amazingness, but rather an overwhelming weirded out feeling, as if in the presence of some sort of strange cult.

So, in short, I do not feel like I will ever move to Kohler, Wisconsin, but I may go there again to gawk.

Oh Monday

Man, I love driving all the way across the state on a Sunday night to visit a high school at 8:00 am with no students (not to mention three schools with only one or two students). Man, what a productive day.

On happier notes, I get to see my most recently married friend Bridget Thomas (still takes me a second to get her name right) tonight. I get to see her apartment and get a meal. What a deal! :)

And possibly the scariest then funniest moment so far on this trip: My GPS unit was stolen out of my car...OK, well that's what I thought anyway. Actually, the suction cup fell off the front window because it got so darn cold last night. But when I walked up to my car and opened the door, it sure did seem like it was stolen. I first peed a little in my pants, then I shed a quick tear. But then I recovered and stuck the darn thing back on the window.

PS. My hotel this week is very nice. It's got a water park (of sorts), free breakfast, and a Citgo in the parking lot. Who doesn't need one of those?

She-man and the Nipple

For those of you who have small children in the room that can read, this post may not be completely appropriate. (As if the title wasn't enough of a giveaway for that...)

The best story I've got about my week of WEF's had to have been toward the end of the week. The WEF setting was pretty normal as far as WEF's go. I was at a table with some cosmetology school across the aisle from me. With only about five minutes to go before the close of the WEF, three students cruised their way over to the cosmetology school.

I clearly had a stunned look on my face as I caught a glimpse of the sight in front of me. The person next to me, out of the blue, said, "Yeah, I can't figure it out either." I blushed about ten shades of red when I realized that I had been caught staring. But truly, neither of us had a clue what we were looking at. Was it a man dressed convincingly as a woman? Or was it possibly a very masculine looking woman?

The representative at the cosmetology school table did a very good job holding herself together. I will give her props on that. She gave her usual talk, handed them their information, and sent them on their way. The students only got a few steps away when the rep quickly covered her mouth with both hands and turned away from her table. Curious as I was, I went up to her to inquire about the situation that had just unfolded. Before I even had a chance to ask about the she-man, she blurted out, "Definitely a man, but that's not all!" She went on to share that as she was talking to the students, one of them repeatedly pulled down her shirt to cover her midrif, but instead, she revealed much more disgusting and taboo body parts...her nipples. Um...nipples? You don't even see them on a beach or on TV...but at a college fair? Wow.

And so goes the tale of She-man and the Nipple.

My Dream Man Must've Gotten Confused

Day One of WEF's (Wisconsin Education Fairs), was a good one. I had exceptional luck with both the morning fair and the evening fair. Many people were complaining about a really slow night this evening, but I had a good hand full of students and parents stop by. I was excited by it. And the Assistant Admission Advisor from Ripon commented that I was doing really well at my table. That was good news for me since it's really the only feedback I've had on the road.

This morning, I was pretty convinced that I had met a possible dream man, and the coincidents that followed made me even more convinced. I spotted him from across the gym, a real looker. I mean, I really couldn't take my eyes off him. We didn't get a chance to meet then, but I saw him again at the evening WEF, and I was sure I wanted to meet him.

Amanda, a new friend also on the road for the first time from Loras, made sure to help me out. (Oh, and Stacie, if you are reading this, Amanda would be the slightly inappropriately dressed recruiter with the pipes...and yes, she was in gymnastics.) She ran up to him after the evening fair and invited him to join us for pizza. He joined us in my hotel room where I found out some interesting facts. He went to and works for Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. This would be a Reformed Christian denomination school (and I was raised Reformed), he new the Folkerts family (a family that I grew up with at church)...and there were a few other interesting things that we related to each other nicely.

I was nearly swimming in crush-ness by the middle of our pizza dinner when I received the crushing blow. He had a girlfriend...a girlfriend?!? Of five years. And she's in med. school. How can I compete with that? Ugh. So, Mr. Clint, somewhere along the line, you must have gotten confused and met up with the wrong girl who happens to be a genius and is probably beautiful. When clearly it should have been me that you are about to marry.

Someday my dream man will come along. Or maybe Clint will break up with his girlfriend.

Someday.

Wrapping Up Week One

Week One is almost over. And I must say, it's been thankfully pretty uneventful. I went to schools, did my thing, and talked to some pretty cool kids and a few nice guidance counselors, too. I laid around a lot in the hotel, took really long hot showers, sat down at the bar, and did some things that I didn't even think I would do. For instance, I went out to a nice restaurant by myself, and although it wasn't my favorite thing to do in the world, having my mom on the phone with me the whole time helped. :) I drove through treacherous Milwaukee several times...once to go to a mall.

I am, admittedly, a little behind on my postcards to students, but I have a feeling once the novelty of being in hotels and out to eat wears off, I'll be a workaholic. But this week, I decided to just be a pamperaholic. Ok, not really, but I did get myself a set of acrylic nails tonight...and at the price they come, I treated that hour of nail filing and shaping like a full body massage. I took all the pampering out of it I could. The moment was only slightly disturbed by the nail lady talking to me...mainly asking what I did, if I was single...if I was single...why did she have to keep bringing that up? Oh well. I shrugged it off, and closed my eyes, and dreamed of being on my honeymoon in the Bahamas.

The week started off with air conditioning and sun glasses but it's wrapping up with the hotel room's heat on and me wrapped up in my covers. This weekend will leave no rest for the weary as I have Bridget's wedding in Muscoda all weekend, then it's back on the road on Monday morning with a marathon of WEF's until next Friday. Meh. I'll sleep when I'm dead. :)

More to do...

The lesson I have learned today was for sure to bring more along to do on these trips. There are a couple of schools that have like an hour or so between visits, and I found myself driving around or chilling at a local park.

And I tried starting some postcards for students...but all of them sounded stupid and fake...so I stopped.

And now it's almost 4:00, and I'm done for the day, back in my hotel room, thinking about what to do next. Any suggestions for how to fill my time? Feel free to add comments...I need all the help I can get.

Otherwise, I survived the day with no major mishaps. I answered most of the questions that were thrown at me with no major hesitation. And, if I do say so myself...I looked pretty darn good doing it.

Initial Jitters in Port Washington

This is not exactly how I thought I would feel on my first trip out. I honestly thought I would be very excited and ready...fully prepared and knowledgeable about UWP. But it's just not at all true. Now, it's not that I'm not excited because I am. What a great job to have. All I need to do is go out there and express my love for my alma mater to all those cute little high school kids. But there's just an eerie feeling about the whole thing.

I just drove three hours in the pouring rain to a city I've never seen before, checked into a hotel...alone, went to the hotel restaurant...alone. Granted, I'm sure any new job is kind of like this, you feel like you've been thrown into something that you know nothing about, no matter how much training you received. But this is a little extreme, don't you think? I'm out in the middle of the proverbial nowhere with no one's cubical to run to if I get stuck. I'm just wingin' it for now, I guess.

It's a little bit weird for me to feel this squeamish. Usually I'm ready for everything, willing to try almost anything once. But I feel like so far, this is a little out of my league. There are so many things that I am forced very quickly to do for the first time: stay at a hotel alone, eat out alone, travel under my own navigation...

I'm sure by the end of tomorrow, I'll be singing a completely different tune, but for tonight, I just had to get some of my initial jitters out. So wish me luck for tomorrow! And, don't worry, I'll let you know how it goes.

P.S. Tonight I ate at a bar called The Rusty Anchor...doesn't get any better than that, does it?

A Evening in La Crosse

Welcome to the first addition of Tales From the Road! I'm sure this is the first of many more to come. I hope you enjoy my rendition of events from my travels...which may or may not be 100% factual.

Getting to Aquinas High School was definitely a journey to remember. It was my first night on the road as an admission advisor for UWP, and I'd have to say honestly that it was the actual act of being on the road that was the most exciting part of the night.

Stacie and I went together as sort of a practice run for me...well, both of us, as she had only done one other fair before. It was nice to have a travel buddy, but it would have been even more nice to have a camera and a travel buddy.

The night started out passing three strange and slightly creepy animal statues on the path. The first was a giant mouse holding cheese in Fennimore that Stacie lovingly referred to as a giant rat. Then we noted shortly after a very large bird statue, and in the town that came shortly after, there was a happily roaring lion. Stacie promptly encouraged me to stick my head in its mouth. I thought about it but decided that it would only be worth it in conjunction with a photo op. with all three creepy animals.

A friendly detour met us as we neared La Crosse. At this point we were both starving, a little cranky, and only slightly stir-crazy from being in the car on an exceptionally curvy road for two hours. A detour was not on either of our top-ten list of want-to-do's. And as we passed through what ended up being quite possibly the strangest detour (that went in a complete circle in a small town) I made a split-second decision to take a different road...off the detour. County K. Now, I would highly doubt that this road was worse that the actual detour, but it was pretty darn curvy...the kind of curvy road that has big boulders jutting out of the massive hills on either side...the kind of curvy road that max's out the speedometer at about 40. We were less than thrilled.

But, alas, finally we arrived at our destination. Ok, so we were on the wrong side of the building, asking small children for directions to the main door, and just barely in time for dinner, but we were there. And we got pasta. So all was well...until..."the mom."

A very seemingly nice mom came up to our table to ask us a few questions. She had a son that was a senior that had just sent in his application. She had so many questions that she wasn't even letting us answer her questions before moving on the next, obviously life-or-death question. Forty minutes later, the guy from one table over walked up to me and commented, "She sure gave you an ear-full," to which I just nodded as I was very sick of talking by then.

All in all, four pseudo-interested students filled out information cards for us and asked us a few general questions, but that was all the actual fair action that the two of us got. Way to go us.

The ride home proved to be a little more exciting than the ride up...well, until Stacie fell asleep on me. Then I was pretty much on my own. We, again, decided to veer off the well-trod path of the marked detour to pass through such exciting towns such as Romance and Bud. We actually missed Bud, but that's neither here nor there. Passing through Romance, Stacie took the time to convince me that we were for sure going to die by the hand of a masked murderer that was about to jump over the guard rail and into our car. A dense fog and lack of cell phone service, as well as an unidentified lurching of the car during acceleration, solidified the senario and guaranteed our impending doom. I'm happy to report that we missed the murderer by just seconds and escaped unharmed....and the rest is history.

The Tall Single Telemarketer?

This week has been full of unexpected...well, let's just say unexpected-ness.

At work, I've been reduced to a telemarketer calling 30 or more schools a day trying to schedule all my visits (that would be 169 of them this semester alone). I decided this week that I wanted to make sure that I got all my schools scheduled before I left for full-time travel. I'm over half way there, but there are only a few days left in the week. And I have a presentation to watch, a meeting to go to, and a fair to leave early for...which puts time at a premium. I've even gone so far as to give up my lunch hours to keep calling schools. Perhaps I'm a freak. But the truth of the matter is that I actually like getting my schools scheduled and talking with guidance counselors. It's a lot of fun!

In other news... Brandon and I had a candid conversation about us. We were both feeling something similar, and that was that it just wasn't working. We came to the realization that we are very different people. Ok, so we probably knew that when we started, but there was an initial attraction. It was a good and fun three months together. But now it's movin' on time. No worries though. We ended on good terms, still friends and all that. This, I guess wasn't all that unexpected. The past week or so it's kind of been lingering in the air....known to both of us, not really wanting to be touched by either of us...you know.

But that's about it. Life will be getting more exciting coming up very soon though. Be looking here for stories from the road as I start traveling! I bet there'll be some great tales to regale from those sweet and innocent high school kids. So stay tuned!

Thoughts on the Lia Sophia Followers

I got invited to a Lia Sophia gathering tonight at Stacie, a friendly coworker's home. And after I got the invite, I then got a sneak peek into what the night may hold. I thought that Lia Sophia was just a nice home sales based jewelry business, but in all actuality, it is some sort of addicting, blood-sucking cult disguised as stay-at-home-moms and get-togethers with snacks and friends. You should see how these women in my office drool over a LS catalog or people's collections that they've purchased. It's crazy. At first, I have to say that I was captivated by their reactions and a little frightened. But it got worse very quickly.

I got my very own catalog, and as suddenly as I had judged their craziness and addiction, I was paging through the book again and again until I swore I had seen every piece in there. And then I was circling things, calculating the value of the deals I could receive if I bought just one more piece... I had, in one giant swoop gone from critic to one of them! I could hardly believe it myself.

However, I don't think that I will achieve the level of spending power that some of the women in the office have attained. Deb was going through pointing to all of the items that were on her most recent order...it had to have been hundreds of dollars for a few pieces of albeit gorgeous jewelry. Hopefully I can fend off the ever powerful urges to buy, buy, buy...as long as I keep the fact in mind that I do need to be able to eat this month.

Oh Lia Sophia...what a power you possess.

And What Day is It?

With training complete and the real work under way, I've found myself buried in schools and phone messages, and guidance counselors. And it's really only day one of calling schools. I feel like it's been weeks! I'm not sure how my lovely co-workers do it every day. I feel like I'm going crazy. Today, all day, I called schools to schedule my visits, and guess how many I got complete... 18. Not very many at all considering I have over 175 stops to make this semester.

But regardless of how many schools I have to call, re-call, leave messages with, or whatever...I still have to say that so far my job is going well, and I really like it. And I'm quite sure that I will enjoy being out on the road...at least for the first couple of weeks.

It's awfully strange seeing students back on campus every day. I only worked a week or so before they all returned, but it's weird. I see people I know, and most of them are confused why I'm on campus at all. I feel strangely removed from the campus life even though I'm pretty darn involved for a staff member. Things like move-in and orientation have passed me by, and fighting through the crowds for that 12:00 PSC lunch seems not quite as natural as it once did. Transitioning from student to staff in one giant sweep has been a little bit strange, but overall not too out of reach. Convocation yesterday (possibly the most boring experience of my life) reminded me that I was for sure an adult living in an adult world.

Megan, my roommate, moved back in this weekend. And at first I wasn't all that excited about it. (Sorry Meg if you're reading this.) But it had been three nice months of coming home from work and doing whatever I wanted, eating what and when I wanted, and most importantly, being naked when and where I wanted. And now, that's all gone. But I did discover last night that it isn't so bad. I mean, it's pretty nice to have someone to talk to at night and watch TV with and whatnot.

So, life in my own little world is pretty happy and healthy lately. Here's to a continuing streak of this!

Training and Being the Big Kid

If I had to sum up the past few weeks at work, there would only be a few words that would come to mind: a lot of fun, a lot of sitting around. It's a strange combination of expressions, but so far, pretty accurate. (Note the time of this post is 8:36 am...)

Sure, I have been through a great deal of training that has shared a lot of information that is actually useful to my position. And as it turns out, there is a lot to know before I go out on the road. Today and tomorrow I will be in an especially weird spot. It's too early to call schools, as most either have just started classes, or will not start classes until next week. But, in all honesty, that's about all I have to do for now. Once I begin calling schools, life will get crazy, and I'll be lucky if my phone will ever stop ringing, but for now....silence.

Now, about being the big kid... I still have to say that my transition from student to professional is not near complete, but each day brings me a little closer. Last night, I went with the rest of the women of the office to Provost, Carol Sue's house for a women's social with desserts, junk food, and like 50 bottles of wine. The whole point: to mingle with other women of the university...my accomplishment for the night: mingling with the other admission advisors and just saying hello to all my old professors. But I have to say that I did feel like a big kid...and that's a good feeling.

New Job!

Yesterday I began a very new adventure in the story of my life. I started my new job at UWP Prospective Student Services. You are now reading the blog of an Associate Admission Advisor and Territorial Manager...(longest title ever?) I wasn't sure how the adventure would begin, but it quickly turned into a typical university day.

I began by sitting at my desk for a half an hour staring at a black computer screen. Everyone was busy starting their own day, so I just patiently waited for someone to tell me what I should do. But I did take the initiative to turn on my computer and attempt to log in. And I failed. Someone had locked my computer with an administrator password, so I couldn't log in...thus the black screen. Then I sat in a group meeting with our office and met everyone officially. And the group is a very enjoyable one that I think I will hang out with a lot.

After the meeting going over what we would need to train on, I then sat around for a while until the Student Affairs Division meeting. This meeting was one that I had heard of as an RA. It was one of those meetings that the Resident Directors always were forced to dress up a little more and attend. So, naturally, when I saw all the Housing Staff at the meeting, I suddenly felt like I was breaking some rule by being there. It was just a strange way to transition from student to professional.

After the awkward meeting and lunch, I decided to accomplish something, so I went around to what seemed like 50 some offices around campus to get paperwork taken care of. This took quite the effort and the run around all over campus. But I got my new ID, driving authorization, and credit card papers all almost taken care of. I hope to finish that stuff by the end of tomorrow.

While I was taking care of that stuff, I got side tracked by Stacie, the Marketing Manager, in our office, to help with the whole tv spot. I showed them the cool park and bridge behind campus, and I got some disk golfers to be in a shot, too. I felt powerful. :)

Today was super boring having to go through campus new staff orientation. I kind of wanted to poke my eyes out several times. Most of the information was for teaching staff and faculty...not non-teaching staff like myself. But lunch was a crazy experience. The chancellor decided to plop down at my table and chat for the lunch hour. I told him that I used to be a student there (bad chancellor for forgetting me), and that I lived across the street from him. It was cool.

So that was the first two days. Both had their ups and downs, but I think I'm really going to like this job, and if I do say so myself, I think I'll be pretty good at it. :)

So, how was your day?

A Quick Update

Ok, so it's been a while since my last post. A lot has happened in a few short days.

As you know, I went to Illinois for a few days a week ago, and it was so fun. But that has already been discussed. Following that trip, I went to visit my parents for a few days. My mom and I went on a shopping spree, and this also has been discussed. Continuing the marathon of travels, I went to see Brandon at his place in Jordan, Minnesota. What a weekend. It was a lot of fun.

We went to the Mall of America and shopped til we dropped (literally). I found a pair of shoes that I had been searching for for weeks, and of course, I bought them on the spot. I think there's something to impulse buying. I get a lot of fun stuff on impulse. :) We also went to the zoo. The last time I had been to a zoo, I was probably eight, so that was cool. I liked the fish and sharks and stuff the best. Brandon also gave me the grand tour of his area, and Jordan is a super nice community. I liked it a lot.

Somewhere along the marathon route, I managed to squeeze in a hair cut and a dentist appointment. Good news - no cavities for the 22nd year in a row! :) It has been a great week or two, but it sure did add a lot of milage to my car and my life.

Tomorrow I start my new job training (at 7:45 am) and I am so excited! I think it's going to be fantastic. And Friday my parents and Brandon will be in town which means dining out and hanging out. Saturday, Brandon and I are going to my friend Bridget's cookout for the day, and Sunday is church.

So, as usual, life does not slow down for this crazy kid. It just keeps plowing forward at breakneck speed, but you know I wouldn't have it any other way. Wish me luck on my job, and good luck to everyone starting classes this week and next!

Shopping Spree!

Oh wow. Today was a blast. I got to hang out with my best friend (a.k.a. Mom) and go shopping all day long. We were gone from 10:30 in the morning until almost 6:00 at night looking for everything under the sun that would work for office attire. And boy did we hit the jackpot! Well, almost.

We went everywhere within reasonable driving distance, and that included two separate malls, a few shoe stores outside the mall, and a Wal-Mart. I got tons of layery shirts (my favorite wardrobe essential), a few pairs of pants, and some new Victoria's Secret grear. Then I came home and finished up my day with some online shopping (as if real-life shopping had not been exhausting enough). I ordered some pants from my favorite store (the Gap) and some shoes from my Steve Madden.

Overall it was an exciting day. I feel mostly geared up for a new job with a real office (ok, desk space, but it's a start!) and real tasks to do. I'm ready to hit the road, stylishly, and bring some cool kids to the UWP. Yay for me and my mom! :)

I hope your day was as cool as mine was, but I bet it wasn't!

We Won!

I would just like to post an announcement that the Community Evangelical Free Church's women's volleyball team won their first match of the season tonight! (Ok, so we played a team that only had four players...So what!) We won! Yay for us! I was excited. :) That is all. Have a good night.

On Our Way (Part II)

And now the trip is almost over. We've given our hugs, said our goodbyes, kissed the baby, and it's almost time for sleep. How would I rate this experience? Overall, I would say it was very positive. I mean, let's face it, I do love babies. But this trip has given my a lot to think about.

The thought weighing on my mind right now is the undeniable urge to be a mother. Now, I fully understand that there are most likely many life events that I must yet go through before motherhood takes place, but I can still not ignore the fact that I love babies like I love my own kidneys. (Not sure why this was the first thing that came to my mind that I loved, but just go with it.) I love holding them, smelling them, comforting them, everything about them. And although I am sure that I do not know it all, I feel that I would still be a good mother. And I want it now. It's strange to have this so strong at this point in my life when so much else is going on. There's a new job on the horizon (beginning in the next few weeks), a new boyfriend to try to figure out (and figure out how to let him figure me out), and a fairly new life developing myself as an adult.

There are many other thoughts swamping my mind tonight as well, many of which will remain in my mind and prayers and not on this page. There are just a lot of "what if''s", "what now's", and "what when's" to think about. Knowing that there is really nothing that I can adequately control in life (at least not well), I have to daily (or more realistically, hourly) give all these worries and swamping thoughts up to the One who has the plan. I mean, what else can I do? Is dwelling on or fretting over all my tomorrows going to make them any better? Any more like I want them? I surely doubt it.

So, for tonight, I place my head on this hotel pillow, and talk to God (since we all know there hasn't been a lot of sleeping taking place for me lately) I will be asking a lot of questions, all of the thoughts stuck in my head. But more importantly, I will be listening, listening to what God has probably been trying to tell me all along about life and plan and purpose, timing and love and matters of the heart. And maybe that's what's been missing lately in my life anyway, my ability to even try to listen to God. Even when I feel that I have surrendered all my worries (and even when I have surrendered it all) I still often fail to really stop and listen. "Sure God, here's my life. I'm giving it to You, but don't expect me to put in any real effort. That may just be too tough." Well, it's time to straighten up, listen up, and maybe God will wise me up. That's the hope for tonight anyway.

On Our Way

Well, here I am, sitting in a hotel room with Brandon and his family...one hotel room...all of us. Now, I don't find this completely strange, but if the roles were reversed and this was my family and Brandon sitting in the room...well I just can't even visualize it. Is that strange?

But we're here in Decatur, Illinois (or somewhere close at least), and I can't wait to see that new beautiful baby and hold her. I love babies. There's something about little babies that just warms my heart and soul. It makes me want to be mom every time.

Tonight was great though. Lots of good time in the hot tub and the pool. Lots of good times in the vehicle, too. I expect the rest of the trip to be very good. I love this family.

Anyway, this entry, I must admit, is one of my most dull, but perhaps there will be a part two that will be much more interesting...like how my day went with the cute baby. :)

Wind Through My...Helmet

Today was the first day that I got to test ride my brand new bike. And I must say, it felt pretty darn good. Ok, so I can't lie. Most of it felt good. The climbing of the massive hill located on County B on your way to the M...no so good. In fact, it was down right painful. But hey, beauty has a price...ok, so I'm not even in it for any sort of beautification. I just want to be in shape, you know, feel good. But the road to being in shape is paved with lactic acid (which for those of you who failed biology, that's what makes your over-used muscles feel sore). But enough about the pavement. Let's set some goals!

I feel the desire to participate in Platteville's next summer Parks and Rec Triathlon. Weird, since I have not always been known as the physically ambitious type and especially not the running type. But I've got the drive, so goals are next.

During the winter, due to the Midwest's tendancy to be snowed upon, I figure there will not be much biking done. But I will get a PAC membership and go to the pool several times a week and lift in the weight room several times a week. While I'm on the road with my job, I will hopefully have hotels with pools in which I will swim. Once spring comes, it's all about the bike and the run and the outdoor swim.

Now, don't get me wrong, this does sound like a lot of work, but I have already decided that I am not doing this to say I am the best or the fastest or the coolest person you've ever seen. I want to do it for FUN. That's right all you crazy people out there. Working out can be fun. Being in shape, also fun. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Anybody want to join me?

On a completely related note - I will be doing some triathlon traveling the next few days. Let me elaborate. I will be leaving on a family fun trip to Illinois to see a beautiful baby, followed closely (and I do mean like 20 hours later) by a trip to visit my parents, followed immediately by a trip to see my boyfriend in his natural habitat. Talk about your triathlon! But it should be super fun, and then it's reality check time as I start my real-life job two days after my return. Woo! Life is sure crazy. Don't blink, you might miss it!

Lyrics to ponder tonight...Jennifer Knapp "In the Name"

All these years, too many ahead to think clear
Some say where's my crystal ball.
Some men play the lottery,
Makin' bets against the governments economy.
They say I'd rather be rich than be alive at all.

When men in miry circumstances fall,
It won't be hard to tell where they placed their resolve.

Some trust in chariots,
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
To each his own won't lead you home and prob'ly never will.
I won't trust in the things I do.
Cuz they will not stand and they won't come through.
So I'll trust in the name of the Lord my God...
Oh, I'll trust in the name.

Picket fences may build our defense
In domestic wars of leisure suits.
That's ok, it doesn't bother me.
You can hold onto your philosophy of
What's mine is mine, what's yours is yours,
But whats the truth?

When the walls do crumble and they fall,
It won't be hard to tell where we place our resolve.

Some trust in chariots,
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
To each his own won't lead you home and prob'ly never will.
I won't trust in the things I do.
Cuz they will not stand and they won't come through.
So I'll trust in the name of the Lord my God...
Oh, I'll trust in the name.

Someone Who Gets Me

After a phenomenal chat on the phone with my certain someone, I have come to the conclusion that it is really nice to have someone who gets me, really gets me. Every word that we said seemed to hold a shared sentiment by the other. It was comforting.

You know what else is comforting? Having Someone that gets you all the time, no matter what mood or events surround me. I could be in the deepest depths or on top of the highest mountain, and there is Someone who is standing by my side. God never is baffled by my actions or worried about my reactions. After all, He wrote the book of my life before I ever existed, did He not?

God, thank You so much for always getting me, for understanding my ups and downs, my strange behaviors, and my ever-changing attitudes. Thank You for never bailing on me, even if I may bail on You every now and then. I am not perfect, far from it in fact, but You are. So I don't have to doubt Your power or Your love. It'll always be there. You will always be there. Please don't ever let that thought leave my mind. Maybe then I would be more faithful, more grateful, more trusting of You. You are my God and my Creator. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. I love You more than words can express.

Ahh, Normal

I just wanted to make a quick note that today I feel increadibly normal. And I can't tell you how wonderful that is. My spirits are high, life is good, and I'm ready for the day ahead. The past few days have really done a number on me, but it has been for the best. My heart has been searching, and again I've found what I'm looking for.

Here's Proverbs 3:5-7 as found in The Message translation:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!

What a Walk

Yesterday after work, I had the sudden urge to go for a run. Now, if you know me at all, you're thinking, "Well, that's weird," because Lindsey does not run. But it was undeniable, so I suited up, found my tennies, loaded up my mp3 player, and headed out. But I decided that walking was a much better idea.

It was a beautiful night. The sun was peeking in and out of the clouds, the breeze was nice and cool. I walked through campus first as it was my comfort zone for so long. I walked through Memorial Park behind campus, then found the Roundtree Branch Trail. I had heard a rumor that this trail went something like all the way to Mineral Point. And although I had no intention of walking to Mineral Point last night, I did feel like it would be an adventure to see where it led me.

So, I walked and walked and walked. And twice I found myself without a trail, totally at a loss for when I had actually gotten off the trail. And then I was in the Domino's employee parking lot...and the trail stopped cold. First of all, I already felt like an idiot for walking through the giant parking lot past all the employees on their smoke breaks. But to walk past them again when I finally realize the trail was gone was almost too much for me to bear. So I finished my walk in a state of fury.

So, if anyone has an official map of the trail that goes to Mineral Point, or even if you know where I can go to start the trail (um, that doesn't require me to risk my life by walking on any roads), please let me know. I'd love to explore it.

Nothing Like a 2x4 to the Face

It's Sunday afternoon, and I have just recently been smacked in the face with a 2x4...again. This happens every now and then when I lose sight of what's really important in life or get overwhelmed with the details of it all. This weekend, I spent some time with my good friend Bri, and we had some really good heart-to-heart talks recently. Last night's topic of interest was the complexity of life and our ablility to worry about it every waking second of the day (and for me, all of the want-to-be-sleeping moments of the night).

It was wonderful just to have someone to share my thoughts, worries, and feelings with. But that wasn't really the moment of 2x4 impact. That took place this morning as the sermon centered around life's path. Pastor went on about how we get so caught up in making sure that we are on the right path and knowing what the path is that we completely forget to include God in it all. And what a realization that was. And it's so frustrating! I have had this moment over and over throughout life - hundreds of times. This I-can't-believe-I-forgot-God moment that makes me think I have everything under control. Why in the world does it keep coming back to this? I mean, I know that God is better off in control and that I should trust Him for every moment and move that I make. I know it. I believe it!

But here I sit again today, in my kitchen, feeling nothing but misery for falling again. Will I ever learn? Will I ever truly realize the power and care of the God that created me? At this point in my life, it seems unlikely, but oh how I long for the moment when it doesn't just click for one decision or one life-crisis, but the moment when I can live it...forever.

In my frustrations I go back to a Jennifer Knapp song. This song reminds me that I will never be perfect, never have the ability to ever be 100% faithful to anything, but there's a God out there who is faithful, who will never leave us or lead us astray. A God who is Faithful to Me:

All the chisels I've dulled carving idols of stone
that have crumbled like sand 'neath the waves
I've recklessly built all my dreams in the sand,
just to watch them all wash away

Through another day, another trial
Another chance to reconcile
To One who sees past all I've seen,
and reaching out my weary hand,
I pray that you'd understand,
You're the only one who's faithful to me.

All the pennies I've wasted in my wishing well
I have thrown like stones to the sea.
I have cast my lots, dropped my guard, searched aimlessly,
for a faith to be faithful to me.

Through another day, another trial,
Another chance to reconcile
To One who sees past all I've seen,
and reaching out my weary hand,
I pray that you'd understand,
You're the only one who's faithful to me.
You're the only one who's faithful to me.

Not a Mom

So, today I babysat for three kids (4, 2, and 6ish months). And I quickly decided one thing - I am not a mom...not yet anyway. It's not like it was even hard to babysit all of them because it wasn't, but I think you have to build up to a comfort level with three kids. You know, like have one, get used to her, have another get used to the two of them, have another... It was a rather uneventful day with the three of them, and I definitely can't wait to be a mom (but triplets are out of the question).

In other news...I am in dire need of a run to the post office. And for the record, I think that the US Postal Service would make a lot more money if they were a 24 hour a day service. I'd love to go to the post office now (8:20 pm on a Saturday), but clearly, they are closed.

And in entertainment...I am now going to spend some much needed R&R time with my good friend Brini. And Brandon got lost in an art festival in Minneapolis today...after showing up an hour an a half early for a party...Well, at least it was entertaining to me. :)

Up and Down Day

Today was a great day...most of it.

I woke up late, even later than usual. It was like 9:15. I thought I set my alarm for 8:00, but it turns out, not so much. But it's ok. I feel rested, and that gave me a happy start to my day.

I began by cleaning up some junk around my place, and that only led to my OCD raging out of control. First I organized the bathroom cabinet...to the best of my ability. Then I moved on to the upstairs. This was, for reasons I can't explain and don't understand, completely out of control. There was clothes everywhere, the bed was unmade, the closet and dresser were overflowing with unfolded and sometimes inside-out clothes. I looked at the whole sight with disbelief. How could this have happened? Me...Miss OCD herself let things get out of control. So, after I got over the initial shock and bewilderment, I got straight to work. All the drawers were emptied into coordinated piles, separated by type of clothing, of course. Then they were all neatly folded, and put back into the drawers. Oh, and I pulled out about a garbage bag full of stuff that would obviously not fit me or I would never wear again to give away to GoodWill. Then I moved on to the closet and repeated the whole process until all the clothing was neatly stored away where it belonged.

Several hours later I came back downstairs and looked for another project. The kitchen definitely had potential to be another OCD project, and as it turned out, it sure was. So I started on one wall and emptied the cupboards, cleaned them out, and put stuff that made more sense inside. The most gratifying project of all in the kitchen was the tupperware cupboard. Man, there's a lot of junk in there. After sorting them all into piles according to size, shape, and style, I put them back, and, of course, I lined them up with their coordinating lids to make it the most convenient for future storage opportunities.

After that, I looked around to find yet another project, but I had none. But I did have an unignorable urge to buy organizational tools. So, I made a list, and flew to Wal-Mart (where, coincidentally I ran into Gail again...that would be two days in a row that we were both at Wal-Mart at the same time). I managed to spend way too much money, but I did buy some cool things that made me very happy. I bought eight, no, nine baskets, a new kitchen clock (which I think is very classy), and three square cork boards with black frames. Oh, I also got three kitchen canisters for sugar and such.

I got home and immediately implemented all of my new tools, and it was very satisfying. But then...the phone rang. Bri was calling, and I was very excited. We were going to hang out tonight and do girl things like binge on ice cream and watch teary romantic movies (or something), but her night became full...good grief for the parents wanting to go out to eat with their daughter anyway. And my high from the day of fulfilling my compulsions was suddenly gone. The idea of spending my Friday night alone was very sad. It made me wish for my family, my boyfriend, some friends...

But then Bri promised to spend tomorrow night with me. So, I guess all's well that ends well. So, for tonight, I'll hang out and watch some lame TV until I fall asleep. Sweet. (Oh, and I'll definitely call my boyfriend, who will undoubtedly cheer me up.)

Well, I'm sure no one actually spent the time to read all the way through this ridiculous memory walk through my day, but at least I feel better having shared my thoughts with...my keyboard...

A Thief I Am

Today was quite the exciting day. Not only did I get to nanny for a very fussy teething 14 month old, but I took a new road home, and broke into my boyfriend's parents' house. Yep, it was an exciting day.

Ok, so I can't deceive you for too long. Obviously, someone like me could not just break into a home without permission and just mess the place up. Actually, I ran into Brandon's parents and Wal-Mart today as they were buying pink paint, and I asked them for a copy of a photo. Gail told me just to stop by after work even though no one would be there. So I did. But I did take a photo that I didn't have permission to take...but I left a note and promised to bring it back. So, I feel that justifies it.

In comtemplating the rest of my life, I have come to the conclusion that time moves way too fast. And with each year, more forward motion takes place. You cover more ground in less time as you race to some unknown finish line somewhere. I mean think about it. In the past five years you've accomplished some high school and college. And sure, now you may have a job and such, but think about what the next five years holds in store. Wedding? Babies? A house? Who knows...maybe none of it. But all that stuff sure seems way more substantial than an education. What's life going to be like when we're forty or fifity? Will we even be able to hold on? That was just the thought plaguing my mind today.

Oh, and as a bonus to this post...a photo. Aren't we cute?

Fun with Bri and good stuff in life.

Tonight was a lot of fun. I went out for ice cream with my good friend Bri Otte. I love Bri. And for those of you keeping track, yes, she would be my boyfriend's sister. We have not had nearly enough time together lately, but tonight we brought back a tradition from last semester at the Culvers. We talked about lots of things that were very good to talk about. Things like boyfriends, family stuff, and the future that we really don't get a chance to talk to anyone else about. It was good for the soul...for both of our souls.

More good news - today I got all my thank yous done from my mission trips. Now all I need to do is the envelopes and actually send them....so I figure I'm actually about half done with them. :) But hey.

I had a great weekend with my family this past weekend. My mom and I shopped like crazy fools for fun stuff like jewelrey and purses, went out to lunch, and even treated ourselves to some Tropical Sno (that would be some super fance snow cones, for those of you not familiar with the craze of the TS). It was a lot of fun. And I gave a short and sweet presentation at my church about my trips. The old people loved it, and let's face it, that's why I really had to do it...for the old people...mission accomplished.

And that's it. That's all I've got.

Normal Day

Today was a normal day. And since returning from Ukraine, I thank God for those. I went and did a little nannying with a super cute baby, came home and cleaned, ate a little something, talked to Brandon... All very normal activities...all very good.

I did spend quite a fair amount of time on the phone with the electric company discussing a bill I never received and attempting to get my name on the bills. But apparently, you can only do that if you've had a previous address, and since I just got done being all studented and stuff, I didn't really have one. So I would have had to fill out a whole big application thingy, and it just seemed like a huge pain the in the butt. So I decided to leave it in whatever name was on it currently, and Aliant didn't seem to care. Good.

Katy and Chad had their baby, and I am so excited to go down and see them with Brandon. I love babies! I'm glad that she and mom are healthy and well, and as far as I know, Chad didn't pass out or anything, so that's good, too. I will be looking forward to all the wonderful details from Gail because, let's face it, Brandon's version of what Gail told him was just a little lack-luster. Men aren't really in tune with all of the details of events like this. And I can pretty much promise that Gail will have a slew of great stories to tell when she returns from Illinois.

Tomorrow I head to the parents' place for the weekend. I am required to give a presentation on my trips as a way to thank them for all the financial support they sent my way. I will not complain, though, because they did send me a butt load of money. It's just a slight challenge to give a presentation with the trip was mainly mediocre. Oh well. I'll put on my happiest face that I can muster, and tell everyone that all was fantastic and worthwhile.

I'm still working diligently on Brandon's surprise. I now have several people taunting him about what it could be. It should be a lot of fun! Brandon, if you're reading this (probably the only one reading this) well, ha ha. It will remain a mystery. Much like the electric company's misplaced bill.

A Date with a Mom

Today was a lot of fun. It was the kind of unexpected fun where you can look back on a day and think, "Man, that was a really great day." I spent the day with Brandon's mom. This, at first made me a little nervous. I was surprised that I actually asked her first of all, and I was even more surprised that she wanted to come along. But the most surprising of all was that she offered to drive, took me out for lunch, and then wouldn't except any gas or food money. She said that she was just glad to help. I thought that was pretty cute of her.

Gail and I talked about all sorts of interesting things on our excursion today. We discussed family, living far away, the ins and outs of dating her son, married life, the un-grumpy side of Brian. It was all very interesting. We also talked about teaching, other careers, fun in the summers, oh all kinds of stuff. I have decided that I love Gail...no, I love the entire Otte family. You all rock! :)

Then the most exciting thing happened this evening! Katy, Brandon's sister, who rocks, went into labor and will very soon be holding her new daughter, Ella. I, as the baby lover that I am, am very excited about this, and I hope to go visit them with Brandon very soon. I love babies. And I will most definitely win the poll for the date and time category...good thing. I need some candy around my apartment.

I spent the better part of my day (by better, I do mean bigger, because nothing beats an afternoon with Gail Otte...except maybe an afternoon with Brandon Otte) making a present for Brandon. My favorite thing about this perhaps is torturing him about what it might be or how cool its going to be. Ah, but he will find out soon enough. All he needs to remember is that I am awsome. A lesson well learned tonight, I think...right, Brandon? :)

Ok, well, enough excitement for my day. I'm worn out, and I'm very much looking forward to curling up with a good book and hitting the hay.

Blogging Victim

Ok, so I broke down. I fell victim to the blogging sensation. I'm not sure what possessed me to do it...perhaps I was jealous of a certain someone's blog (that being Brandon, my boyfriend) or maybe I was just bored. Maybe I just have a lot of thoughts that I'm sick of jotting down in a notebook, but that is not to say that my notebook jotting will cease. Some jots are just too private to share with the whole world.

I'm not going to guarantee that this blog will be interesting, or even worth reading, but it will be just another of my creative outlets to keep me balanced. Plus, I have a feeling that when I start my new job (August 23rd) that I will have a lot of free time sitting alone in a hotel room looking for something to do...lucky you, to get to read about my most boring times. :)

Well, if this first post is any indication of the quality of the posts to follow, I'm sure I have just guaranteed that it will not be read. But I suppose that's ok too. But hey, be on the lookout for fun things like song lyrics (Konken originals)...if I feel like it...and other fun and exciting surprises.