Just when you think you can guess something about someone, they go and turn you all topsy-turvy.
Case and point: my brother has long had a fascination and adoration for Asian women (and Asian people in general), so when he told us that he was going to move to Japan after graduation to teach, we all figured he'd be there indefinitely and probably wind up just living there and maybe even getting married there. Yesterday, he informs me that he's only staying there for one year. In fact, he's already working on a contract to go back to Colombia after his stint in Japan.
This leaves Todd and me in quite the predicament. We've been dying to go to Japan for a while (Todd's been wanting to go for about 28 years now) and we figured, what better time to go than while Daniel is there? We'd have a place to stay and a tour guide, which is really the most intelligent thing to do when traveling in Asia...they're famous for their scammers and pick-pocketers.
So now, we have to figure out how to get to Japan in March 2009, during my spring break from school. Seriously, if anyone wins the lottery, we'll only need to borrow like $5,000....
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
"If the minimum wasn't acceptable it wouldn't be called the minimum."
It's true, isn't it?!? At least, it should be.
June cannot end quickly enough, frankly. This has been the busiest month since...October 2007. At least during October, there was a good reason to be this busy. This month? Not really a good reason. We just are.
Definitely looking forward to some down time.
Things I'm looking forward to in July:
1. Leo and Suki experiencing the Greeley Independence Stampede Parade for the first time.
2. Going to the Dragonboat Festival for the first time.
3. Getting our lawn back in "appropriate" condition.
4. Seeing my brother, sister and grandma all the same weekend for the first time since October.
Daniel is coming home on July 14 from his long stint as a teacher in Colombia (and his brief gig as an actor on a crappy Spanish-language soap opera) and we're having a couple of graduation parties for him. One at the parents house and one at our house. Good times. I'm unclear as to the duplicity of the grad party, but whatever. I suppose when you graduate with honors from university you get to do pretty much whatever you want for at least a couple months afterwards...hey, it's what I'm going to do!
The last couple weeks have just been sort of a logistical nightmare and I'm looking forward to it ending.
I just put the deposit down on our Alaska cruise for next August. Oh man. That will be so amazing!
In news that will excite many, and probably mostly Jill, I'm coming to grips with my nutso-crazy-bonkers timeline. I'm discovering that I try to do too much at once and don't really give myself the chance to breathe. So I'm forgoing the timeline previously issued by me and allowing myself some time to chill out. Granted, the chill out time won't come for another couple years when I'm done with school, but it will come. And the chill out time isn't reserved specifically for me. Todd is going to need it too. We've got some challenging times ahead of us when school for me gets into full swing. It's already presented it's many challenges and while we're not exactly getting used to it, we're coming to terms with it.
So timelines be damned! We're going to enjoy life and do with it what we please for the time being!
June cannot end quickly enough, frankly. This has been the busiest month since...October 2007. At least during October, there was a good reason to be this busy. This month? Not really a good reason. We just are.
Definitely looking forward to some down time.
Things I'm looking forward to in July:
1. Leo and Suki experiencing the Greeley Independence Stampede Parade for the first time.
2. Going to the Dragonboat Festival for the first time.
3. Getting our lawn back in "appropriate" condition.
4. Seeing my brother, sister and grandma all the same weekend for the first time since October.
Daniel is coming home on July 14 from his long stint as a teacher in Colombia (and his brief gig as an actor on a crappy Spanish-language soap opera) and we're having a couple of graduation parties for him. One at the parents house and one at our house. Good times. I'm unclear as to the duplicity of the grad party, but whatever. I suppose when you graduate with honors from university you get to do pretty much whatever you want for at least a couple months afterwards...hey, it's what I'm going to do!
The last couple weeks have just been sort of a logistical nightmare and I'm looking forward to it ending.
I just put the deposit down on our Alaska cruise for next August. Oh man. That will be so amazing!
In news that will excite many, and probably mostly Jill, I'm coming to grips with my nutso-crazy-bonkers timeline. I'm discovering that I try to do too much at once and don't really give myself the chance to breathe. So I'm forgoing the timeline previously issued by me and allowing myself some time to chill out. Granted, the chill out time won't come for another couple years when I'm done with school, but it will come. And the chill out time isn't reserved specifically for me. Todd is going to need it too. We've got some challenging times ahead of us when school for me gets into full swing. It's already presented it's many challenges and while we're not exactly getting used to it, we're coming to terms with it.
So timelines be damned! We're going to enjoy life and do with it what we please for the time being!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
No one even knows what it means anymore....
There's a group in South Carolina that's getting all bent out of shape about a specialty license plate there. Before I go too much further, I should note that this is NOT intended to be a blog with religious slants at all. I save that for the blogs when I get to hammer on Focus on the Family. More on that later.
Anyway, many states offer, for an excessive additional fee, the option of having a specialty plate (not to be confused with vanity plates). In Colorado, we have a few that are pretty awesome, two in particular. One has a columbine in the center and says "Protect Life" and the other is orange and blue and has the Broncos logo in the center. Wicked awesome, if you ask me. I've thought about getting either the breast cancer one or the columbine one. Just haven't done it as of yet. Whatever. So when someone buys one of these plates, I take it to be a personal expression of something that matters to them. One of my girl friends has the columbine one...she was a student at Columbine when that all went down. So it means something to her. Another of my friends has the Broncos one because he's a die-hard fan. Personal expression, right?
So what's the big deal with having a license plate with a cross in the center than says "I Believe"? I personally would NEVER get that license plate or put an ichthus or any other religious paraphenalia on my car. Why? Because I have road rage and would not be a good example on the road. Most people I see with that kind of crap on their car are some of the worst drivers imaginable. That alone intesifies my road rage, which I try desperately to keep under sontrol.
The point is, this group in SC is getting all bent about the separation of church and state because license plates are a state issued item.
I think special interest groups like this are going to be the death of me.
It's like Chandra says: "Whine Bitch Moan Rinse Repeat...it must be on [their] shampoo bottle in the morning!"
It's so true. Some people just seem to have nothing better to do that bitch and moan about the most inane things.
I can understand getting a little ruffled about having the 10 Commandments at the courthouse. That's a place where American law reigns supremely. Separation of church and state makes sense there. But before we get too much further into this, let's remember what separation of church and state was originally intended to do. It was designed so that no singular state could govern the religion/faith of the people in that state. The point of the pilgramage to the Americas was the get AWAY from that kind of sovereign domination. So it actually has very little to do with keeping the Bible out of the courthouses. The point really becomes that there should be NO religion singled out as the dominant religion of the States. So with that said, the 10 Commandments can't really be placed anywhere that's government sanctioned. And neither can any other religious doctrine. Rules are rules folks!
Reminder: The United States was NOT, in fact, founded on religious principles. It wasn't even founded wholly by Christian men. The whole POINT of the United States is to be able to practice whatever religion you want, wherever you want. And by God, we stand by that right!
Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for religious education. Frankly, I think it should be taught more widely. It's important for people to understand the world beyond them. It's especially important, I think, to know and understand that some religions have been around w-a-y longer than others. There's something to be learned from everything. So yeah, I think religion should be taught as an academic classes before university. Really, I do. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism...the "Big Five" in my estimation. You'd cover a lot of ground.
But c'mon. Is a license plate worth getting this bent out of shape over?!
Anyway, many states offer, for an excessive additional fee, the option of having a specialty plate (not to be confused with vanity plates). In Colorado, we have a few that are pretty awesome, two in particular. One has a columbine in the center and says "Protect Life" and the other is orange and blue and has the Broncos logo in the center. Wicked awesome, if you ask me. I've thought about getting either the breast cancer one or the columbine one. Just haven't done it as of yet. Whatever. So when someone buys one of these plates, I take it to be a personal expression of something that matters to them. One of my girl friends has the columbine one...she was a student at Columbine when that all went down. So it means something to her. Another of my friends has the Broncos one because he's a die-hard fan. Personal expression, right?
So what's the big deal with having a license plate with a cross in the center than says "I Believe"? I personally would NEVER get that license plate or put an ichthus or any other religious paraphenalia on my car. Why? Because I have road rage and would not be a good example on the road. Most people I see with that kind of crap on their car are some of the worst drivers imaginable. That alone intesifies my road rage, which I try desperately to keep under sontrol.
The point is, this group in SC is getting all bent about the separation of church and state because license plates are a state issued item.
I think special interest groups like this are going to be the death of me.
It's like Chandra says: "Whine Bitch Moan Rinse Repeat...it must be on [their] shampoo bottle in the morning!"
It's so true. Some people just seem to have nothing better to do that bitch and moan about the most inane things.
I can understand getting a little ruffled about having the 10 Commandments at the courthouse. That's a place where American law reigns supremely. Separation of church and state makes sense there. But before we get too much further into this, let's remember what separation of church and state was originally intended to do. It was designed so that no singular state could govern the religion/faith of the people in that state. The point of the pilgramage to the Americas was the get AWAY from that kind of sovereign domination. So it actually has very little to do with keeping the Bible out of the courthouses. The point really becomes that there should be NO religion singled out as the dominant religion of the States. So with that said, the 10 Commandments can't really be placed anywhere that's government sanctioned. And neither can any other religious doctrine. Rules are rules folks!
Reminder: The United States was NOT, in fact, founded on religious principles. It wasn't even founded wholly by Christian men. The whole POINT of the United States is to be able to practice whatever religion you want, wherever you want. And by God, we stand by that right!
Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for religious education. Frankly, I think it should be taught more widely. It's important for people to understand the world beyond them. It's especially important, I think, to know and understand that some religions have been around w-a-y longer than others. There's something to be learned from everything. So yeah, I think religion should be taught as an academic classes before university. Really, I do. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism...the "Big Five" in my estimation. You'd cover a lot of ground.
But c'mon. Is a license plate worth getting this bent out of shape over?!
Well, I'm a wanderer, yes, a wanderer
Reasons I know I like to travel too much:
I'm actually considering taking Todd and me to Cozumel (one of our honeymoon cruise stops) for our one-year anniversary. Trust me. I know this is total madness. Sort of. I mean, it's only about $1500 for the entire thing...hotel, flight, ground trans and the whole thing is all-inclusive. So it's really not a bum deal. And I just keep thinking that it won't be long before we can't travel that much anymore. I'm also thinking of taking us for a long weekend in Toronto since we both absolutely love it there. And then there's the possibility of Vancouver, somewhere Todd hasn't ever been before. I'm getting carried away here. We have Boston coming up in August and then next August we're going to to Alaska. So it's not like we're at a loss for traveling. Seriously.
But I just love doing it so much! Sigh. And I especially love traveling with Todd. We make a good team for this kind of stuff.
I should probably stop.
I'm actually considering taking Todd and me to Cozumel (one of our honeymoon cruise stops) for our one-year anniversary. Trust me. I know this is total madness. Sort of. I mean, it's only about $1500 for the entire thing...hotel, flight, ground trans and the whole thing is all-inclusive. So it's really not a bum deal. And I just keep thinking that it won't be long before we can't travel that much anymore. I'm also thinking of taking us for a long weekend in Toronto since we both absolutely love it there. And then there's the possibility of Vancouver, somewhere Todd hasn't ever been before. I'm getting carried away here. We have Boston coming up in August and then next August we're going to to Alaska. So it's not like we're at a loss for traveling. Seriously.
But I just love doing it so much! Sigh. And I especially love traveling with Todd. We make a good team for this kind of stuff.
I should probably stop.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, bloody Sunday!!!!!
Today, for whatever reason, I feel exceptionally smart. I feel like I'm good at my job.
I'm doing a training session in a couple days on a portion of our database at the office that is a necessary component that virtually NO ONE in the office knows how to use....Hey Cart! Wait up! I've still got the horse back here!
Seriously. It's our way around here, which can be very amusing at times.
I've definitely kicked some serious ass at work lately and thankfully, it's been relatively noticed, which is good.
Last week was easily the worst week that I've had at my job in the 2+ years that I've been here. Chandra and Heather knew I was having a BS week so when I came back from lunch one day, they'd bought me a pink pony balloon, a really funny card and my favorite chocolate. The fact of the matter here is that I have great friends...and it's even better that I work with them. It makes the hard days easier and the easy days just that much more fun. Like the days that we spend our lunch hour at the farmer's market up the hill (where we wound up buying cute clothes last time and not the veggies we'd intended to buy. HA!)...
Todd and I are both really in need of a l-o-n-g vacation. It's weird to say that since we went to Vegas in May and SLC in June. It's really just that we need some very substantial time away from both our jobs. They're getting increasingly more stressful, what with Todd's team members getting laid off and me getting more and more HUGE accounts. Boston really can't come soon enough. Even July 4th is going to be a welcome break, even if only three total days. June has really just been a bear of a month for us. We haven't had a single free weekend, which is kind of weird at this point in our lives. Ever since we got married, we've made a point of taking one weekend day just to have fun together (and with the weirdos) and June just hasn't allowed for that. It really is like everything decided it had to happen this month. Fortunately, we've enjoyed every bit of it, from the carpet-pulling-up and priming/painting at Megan & Paul's new house to dance lessons & competitions, to marathons (not ours, but Laura's...running is not possible for either of us, which is unfortunate), to BBQs and random get-togethers. It's all been really enjoyable...but we're ready for some down time.
C'mon AUGUST!!!!!!!!!!
I'm doing a training session in a couple days on a portion of our database at the office that is a necessary component that virtually NO ONE in the office knows how to use....Hey Cart! Wait up! I've still got the horse back here!
Seriously. It's our way around here, which can be very amusing at times.
I've definitely kicked some serious ass at work lately and thankfully, it's been relatively noticed, which is good.
Last week was easily the worst week that I've had at my job in the 2+ years that I've been here. Chandra and Heather knew I was having a BS week so when I came back from lunch one day, they'd bought me a pink pony balloon, a really funny card and my favorite chocolate. The fact of the matter here is that I have great friends...and it's even better that I work with them. It makes the hard days easier and the easy days just that much more fun. Like the days that we spend our lunch hour at the farmer's market up the hill (where we wound up buying cute clothes last time and not the veggies we'd intended to buy. HA!)...
Todd and I are both really in need of a l-o-n-g vacation. It's weird to say that since we went to Vegas in May and SLC in June. It's really just that we need some very substantial time away from both our jobs. They're getting increasingly more stressful, what with Todd's team members getting laid off and me getting more and more HUGE accounts. Boston really can't come soon enough. Even July 4th is going to be a welcome break, even if only three total days. June has really just been a bear of a month for us. We haven't had a single free weekend, which is kind of weird at this point in our lives. Ever since we got married, we've made a point of taking one weekend day just to have fun together (and with the weirdos) and June just hasn't allowed for that. It really is like everything decided it had to happen this month. Fortunately, we've enjoyed every bit of it, from the carpet-pulling-up and priming/painting at Megan & Paul's new house to dance lessons & competitions, to marathons (not ours, but Laura's...running is not possible for either of us, which is unfortunate), to BBQs and random get-togethers. It's all been really enjoyable...but we're ready for some down time.
C'mon AUGUST!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
It had to happen sooner or later
But damn. I want my long hair back. Crap. It's going to take a while to get it back where I want it and there's always the inevitable "awkward" stage of the hair-growing saga. I don't regret cutting my hair, not in the least. But I'm over the short hair. I miss being able to "do" my hair. I'm good at "doing" my hair. I can really only do one thing with this style. So I'm on a mission to grow it back out. Woot!
In other news, I went to a farmer's market with Chandra and Heather at lunch yesterday. I love summer! Tons of amazing food stuffs to buy, which I'll be doing next week. I want to buy nothing but fresh veggies during the summer for Todd to grill up (what could possibly be a better way to prepare veggies?!). But I didn't buy any food yesterday. Instead, I bought a $240 skirt.
Now that you're all done gasping, I can inform you that I love playing with semantics. I bought a $240 skirt. But I did not PAY for a $240 skirt...I love consignment! Got the thing for $30...totally a steal! Highway robbery! I should just buy all my clothes at consignment stores from now on. Especially since, at this particular one, there is a GORGEOUS pink tapestry coat that is a must have...NWT it's about $400...if I can stave off potential buyers for another month, it'll only be $60 and MINE IT WILL BE!!
In other news, I went to a farmer's market with Chandra and Heather at lunch yesterday. I love summer! Tons of amazing food stuffs to buy, which I'll be doing next week. I want to buy nothing but fresh veggies during the summer for Todd to grill up (what could possibly be a better way to prepare veggies?!). But I didn't buy any food yesterday. Instead, I bought a $240 skirt.
Now that you're all done gasping, I can inform you that I love playing with semantics. I bought a $240 skirt. But I did not PAY for a $240 skirt...I love consignment! Got the thing for $30...totally a steal! Highway robbery! I should just buy all my clothes at consignment stores from now on. Especially since, at this particular one, there is a GORGEOUS pink tapestry coat that is a must have...NWT it's about $400...if I can stave off potential buyers for another month, it'll only be $60 and MINE IT WILL BE!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Just a little insight into me...
I "have" to write about Canada for my writing class this summer. So far, I've had to do a few poems, some scenes and a couple "grammar B" exercises. Here are the poems...Todd wrote the last one for me (he's so good at this game)...question the work at will.
I love Canada.
_________________________________________________________________
I love Canada.
_________________________________________________________________
City by the Sea
Ships come and go
carrying delicate freight
Memories ebb and flow but
whose memories are they?
Cappuccinos and white rhinos
Bridges and winding streets
Rushing gold brings rails of steel
Making its way up from somewhere below
Ocean sounds like storytellers
awakening to bring tales to life
Lost in currents, weary travelers
come from far and wide
To find new chances,
Daring adventures,
Love.
The Other Side of
So very rarely something reaches out
Finds a place in your heart
Making it easy to believe in….
Everything.
Sapphire waters
Her evergreen subjects bowing,
Bending in her breath.
Whispers of forever finding ways
Through young hearts
Into curious minds wondering
What might be next.
The deepest blues like her eyes
Holding mysteries of
What came before and
What lies ahead
Into the azure below
Foretell the stories of what is
Yet to come…
Little Brother
New York City
just a few miles away
With the sights, smells and sounds
The same feeling of downtown
The PM stirs the melting pot
but Customs remains a chore
Bring your passport and cash
Have some late-night dessert
after your choice of ethnic repast
Hockey lives here, a legitimate son
And you might spy an RCMP
guarding the city’s tallest spear
While the golden maple leaves sway
in the wind of spring.
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