Catching up again

Well, Day 19 & 20 were tough for me to think of, but I finally think I got it figured out!


Day 19 — A talent of yours
Ever since the age of 7 or 8 I have loved the water.  We went on a trip to California and went swimming at the pool of a condo of one of my Dad's friends.  There was a boy there swimming, probably a little bit older than me along with his grandfather, who was sitting poolside.  The grandfather had thrown quarters in the pool and said whoever could swim to the bottom and pick them up the quarters could keep them.  Well, I took this as a challenge!  I can't remember how many I was able to pick up or even if I picked up any.  But it was a definite turning point with water for me.  As before I had struggled with swimming and water.  I even went on to be on the Fridley swim team from 7th-12th grade.  My favorite events were the 200yd and 500yd swims (considered distance for high school).  I never won state or anything like that, but my husband has told me that the only time I seem graceful is when I'm swimming (for me that's a talent!).

Day 20 — A hobby of yours
I have several hobbies, right now I am training for a 5K in April (after that is over I will start training for a triathlon in August).  I also enjoy scrap  booking and beading.

Day 21 — Something you know you do differently than most people
I get lots of comments on this next one; everyone sees how I write and will make the comment, "oh you're a lefty!"  I am not actually a lefty, I am a right handed person who's handwriting appears to be that of a lefty.  I recall the struggle I had when first learning to write how I wasn't holding my pencil properly and how I was slanting the paper too much.  Even to this day I don't write "properly".  I eventually learned that no one really cares how you hold a pen or pencil or how the page is slanted as long as it is legible.  If I don't slant my paper my words would practically be laying on their sides!  I don't know if it's a flexibility issue in my wrist or what, but I've become rather fond of my writing style and it's a little unique thing about me! My handwriting style is quite unique (I've heard it described on more than one occasion as "European") almost everyone who knows me can recognize it as mine right away.

Day 22 — A website
This one is too easy!  I am not sure if my husband or I found it first, but we both really enjoy http://theoatmeal.com/ I got Cory The Oatmeal book for his birthday this year.  I have spent many hours reading the cartoons and laughing at this site, I love it!


Hopefully I will stay inspired and post daily from now on!

Day 18 — A time when you felt passionate and alive

Well, this one is easy!  Lately it's been Saturday mornings after Zumba and Sunday afternoons after a run (or really any time after a good workout).  Before I started getting back into fitness I felt lost and that I didn't have a purpose other than going to work and being a couch bum with Cory.  All we really did was eat and watch television.  After our wake-up call to lose weight things have really turned around.  I go to Zumba 3 times a week and try to run at least  3 times a week to train for a 5k in April.  In August I plan to compete in my first triathlon.  We also now try to go on a hike every time we go to the valley (the Phoenix area).  I finally realized that fitness and being fit can be a hobby, a fun one at that, and one that gets you in shape.  I am really glad that I found fitness again!

Day 17 — An art piece

This one is kind of vague, do they mean one I like, one that I did?  I would like to post one that I did myself, but I can't find my portfolio of artwork so I will go for one that I like.  For some reason I've always had an attraction to, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch. 

 

I even did a Styrofoam etch of it in my printmaking class in  high school (which I would have posted if I could have found it!). I enjoy art and making art, however as I am O.K. at it I am not great at it and being a  perfectionist kind of hinders my desire to do much art.  I know I shouldn't let that stop me, but I struggle with it.

Day 16 — A song that makes you cry

It's St. Patrick's Day and my birthday!  What a wonderful day, I enjoy that my birthday is on a fun holiday such as St. Patrick's Day, I think the only better holiday birthday might be 4th of July!  

Also, I realized I never blogged about our honeymoon, we went on our 1st anniversary to Miami, FL.  It was a big culture shock to Cory and I, but we had a ton of fun.  The new blog background is a picture I took of the buildings lit up at night on Ocean Drive.  The photos of Cory and I with the alligators were taken at Gator Park just outside of the Everglades.  We had so much fun taking little side trips out of Miami, so our rental car was so worth it!

So, as I wait to go to my birthday massage I' will do my next post, a song that makes you cry. That song is, "Butterfly Kisses"

More than a little behind!

Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently

So, I was waiting for Cory to send me this picture, because I didn't have any recent pictures of myself and he just sent it to me last night. The picture was taken on Valentine's Day this year.

Day 12 — A song that was played at your wedding

My best friend and her sisters sang "The Chapel of Love" and it nearly made me cry!

Day 13 — A guilty pleasure

Reading/buying People and US magazines (I don't buy those bogus tabloid mags)

Day 14 — A vacation you would like to take

I'd love to go to Russia.

Day 15 — A person you admire

My Dad!

Well, I'm finally caught up and hopefully I don't get this far behind again!


P.S. I hope you enjoy the new layout!

Day 9 & 10

I know I missed yesterday, I realized it, but I was too tired! I'm tired today too, especially after moving to our new building at work I packed soo many boxes and carried them up stairs many times! Anyhow, on to the blog, these next two are kind of fun and thankfully related.

Day 9- A photo you took

I had another photo in mind, but I don't know where it went, so I will have to choose a different one. This was taken in September 2006 when my family went to go meet my new cousin in Seattle, WA. It was taken at the Japanese Garden there. I took several pictures that I liked a lot, but this was my favorite of the day.

Day 10- A photo of you taken over 10 years ago

This MIGHT be cheating, but this June will mark 10 years since I graduated high school, this picture was taken with my best friend at our all night senior party.

Day 8 — A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life

I am going to cheat a bit and just say who this letter would be to, as I'm not feeling the greatest today.

This letter would be to my advisor in College, Dr. Kent Robertson.  I took many classes with him and he had such a passion for the topic of community development and planning. He pushed me to be the person who I am today, someone who is not afraid to speak up or deliver presentations in front of audiences. Kent passed away February 24, 2007 so I never was able to tell him the great news that I took the job of Community Development Specialist in Show Low, AZ. I like to think that he does know and is looking down on me with pride.

Day 7- Five Things you could not possibly live without

First things first, It's Cory's birthday today, happy birthday Cory!

So, 5 things I could not possibly live without. I am guessing that they don't mean things that keep you alive, so I won't count food, water, or shelter.

The following are items that if I don't have I feel naked and un-prepared for the day:

1. Strawberry flavored ChapStick (I buy the 3 pack so I always have one at work, on my night stand, and in my purse).

2. Sunglasses (living in AZ this is a must).

3. A hair-tie (I don't like putting my hair up first thing in the AM, but by the afternoon I need it off my neck, also if it's a windy day it helps control the mess).

4. My ipod Touch (I could live with out a phone, I CAN'T live without the internet).

5. Zumba (it makes working out fun, I look forward to Zumba on Tuesday and Thursdays all day long, plus it helps me lose weight and look great!)

Day 6- A Moment you wish you could relive

This one is easy, our wedding day!

I know we both had so much fun and not a single thing went wrong.

Day 5- A Favorite Quote

"I regret not the things I've done, but those I did not do." Lucas, in Empire Records

I think this is a good quote to live by, I've always liked it!

Day 4- A Favorite Television Show

I used to watch TV ALL the time, but after losing about 40lbs I have less and less interest sitting around on my rear end, inside. As I type this I am thinking about how I want to do Zumba, go for a 2 mile run and maybe even a bike ride today! It also helps that both Cory and I refuse to pay for cable television, we do have Netflix streaming, but that way we can choose what we want to watch when and there are no commercials. I think I am going to cheat a bit and choose two shows one that I enjoy and one that Cory and I enjoy watching together.

My absolute favorite TV show is Amazing race, every Sunday I watch it on TV and I HATE when it's not on.

My favorite TV show to watch with Cory is Sons of Anarchy, it's done by the same guy who did The Shield, a television show in which I 100% hate, I refuse to even LISTEN to that show. However, I really like the family centered feeling of Sons of Anarchy and I love Katey Sagal's character Gemma. I also enjoy sitting down with my husband watching something that we BOTH enjoy!

That's all for now :-).

Day 3- A Favorite Book

Day three and so far so good on the blog!

I used to enjoy reading much more before I went to college and then I had to read so much boring stuff that I didn't read for almost 2 years after I graduated college.

I really enjoy books in series so Harry Potter, Twilight, The Dark is Rising Sequence, I think it's because I read so fast I'm always let down after I'm done reading a book. It's like that was so good, but now it's over!

Anyhow my favorite book is whichever Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich that I'm currently reading. I have the entire series including the between the numbers books, however I'm only on book number eleven right now so, I still have 5 more number books (make that 6 June 21st) and 3 more between the number books to read. I just love the books they have absolutely everything!

Day 2- A Favorite Movie

This topic is a little easier as Cory and I try to go see movies regularly, but lately there just haven't been any movies in the theater that we've wanted to see. We usually go to the matinées because they're a lot cheaper.

I remember going to the movies when I was younger with my grandparents and my grandmother had what she called her "Movie Purse". She'd wait till the lights went down and would start handing out the loot all while warning us to be quiet about it, entire cans of pop, chips, candy, you name it and enough for everyone to have plenty. I swear that thing was bottomless!

Anyhow, back to the post at hand! Right now my favorite movie is Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland I saw it in the theater at the Cine Capri (which is supposedly the largest theater in AZ), alone while I was waiting for Cory's red eye flight to come in from MN. I had an absolute blast all by myself and loved every minute of the movie. It's such an awesome girl power movie and I loved Tim Burton's take on the story and how he gave it a plot. I never really liked the traditional Alice in Wonderland growing up, but I love this one!

A Goal- Day 1

Well, I just realized that it's been OVER a year since I did anything on this blog! A friend of mine was doing this 30 day thing, where every day you post something. So... I decided that's what I'll do for the month of March and hopefully it gets me back into the blog again!

Day 1 — A favorite song
Day 2 — A favorite movie
Day 3 — A favorite book
Day 4 — A favorite television program
Day 5 — A favorite quote
Day 6 — A moment you wish you could relive
Day 7 — 5 things you could not possibly live without
Day 8 — A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life
Day 9 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — A song that you want played at your wedding (or was played)
Day 13 — A guilty pleasure
Day 14 — A vacation you would like to take
Day 15 — A person you admire
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry
Day 17 — An art piece
Day 18 — A time when you felt passionate and alive
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — Something you know you do differently than most people
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A way in which you want to be remembered
Day 24 — A movie no one would expect you to love
Day 25 — A recipe
Day 26 — A childhood memory
Day 27 — A physical feature you love
Day 28 — A scar you have, and its story
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — A motto or philosophy

Day 1- A Favorite Song:

I'm not much of a music person, not really sure why, but I never really have been into it. I remember my Mom & Dad taking us to Orchestra Hall in St. Paul EVERY Sunday for what seemed like forever and I HATED it! I realized that they were just trying to share their passion for music with me, but it didn't quite stick.

So a favorite song, I'm the type of person that can leave one CD in for months and just listen to it on repeat.

Right now my favorite song is Talking to God by Hurt.