Friday, December 16, 2011

The Sweetest Time of Year



Hello. My name is Ashley Howe, and I am a sweet-a-holic. Its true. I've known it for a long time. At times I've fought it, tried to be good, cut refined sugar out of my diet, but at long last, I cave, and the cravings begin again. The holidays are a death sentence to sweet-a-holics. Its bad enough to fight cravings the rest of the year, but when gathering, party, and celebration are all accompanied by sweets, lots of them, its bad news. Cravings get stronger, we get weaker, oh yeah, and if we don't exercise, Fatter! ha!

Needless to say, working in a kitchen is no help for my addiction, especially in the last couple months. The previous 2 months have been building up to today, the participant holiday party. As this is my first year at BPI, I didn't really know what to expect. Did we really need all the sweets we were preparing? I didn't know, but I was sure it was going to be too much. Day after day we made and froze cookie dough. We made cakes and breads. Fudge and dips. Everything you can imagine having at a holiday party, we made it. And....sampled it. A lot. After all, the cook has to make sure it passes the taste test. Right?

I spent the better part of my day today just baking cookies. Its safe to say I baked over 20 batches of cookies, not including the angel food cakes I made, and all of the other treats we put out. And do you know what the result was? The thought of sugar actually makes me sick! I literally came home, exhausted, and when the image of that overflowing dessert/food table entered my mind, I almost gagged. How can we consider it a "happy" holiday when we aid ourselves and others in entering a sugary coma. Am I being dramatic? Probably. But seriously, it is almost disgusting how much sugar goes into common holiday treats such as cookies, brownies, cakes, and especially....fudge. Ick. Fudge should be taken right off the menu. Seriously.

It was like my weakness got a reality check.

Will sugar always temp me? More at some times than others. My resolution, however, is to be aware of how much sugar goes into the food that I make. I want to make a conscious effort to cut back on the refined sugar, and implement healthier ways to cook and sweeten recipes. The choice is yours. But for me, I know that if I don't get my addiction in check soon, I'll be a Type 2 diabetic later on for sure.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Battle of Humanity

Adam and I started watching a new TV show tonight: "Once Upon a Time." I am not usually interested in shows that involve some sort of fantasy, especially those with a despicably evil character, but the plot of this show intrigued me. It is about the characters of the snow white fairy tale. By the effect of a terrible curse, these characters are taken from their world (unperfect as it was), and placed in ours, devoid of the memory of their previous existence, and forever kept from "happily ever after." The only hope of changing their fate is through the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who, upon her 28th birthday, is supposed to be able to change the fate of all involved. There are a lot more details than that, but the basic plot is of good versus evil. Which will win out in the end?

One of my favorite Christian authors, John Eldredge, uses this theme as an analogy for the plot of humanity. Why is it that we often long for, think of, and dream of the fairy tale "happily ever after?" Why do we watch movies, read books, and dream for that time and place where things are right for once, without the influence of evil, the destruction, pain, and sadness? Because we were created for something better. We were designed to live a life where everything is perfect, as its meant to be. There are no barriers between us and God, us and each other, and evil has no influence or say.

The biggest difference I can see from our typical superhero movies and this show to reality, is that the fate of good versus evil is not left in human hands. We don't have to sit on the edge of our seats, waiting for the human characters to get all the pieces together, fight evil, and overcome all that isn't right. Its already been done. The battle was fought. For you and me. Jesus died so that you could know the war is already won, and the King is on your side. How incredibly amazing is that?

What a blessing, what a comfort it is to know that our eternal fate is not dependent on a bunch of futile human beings. The only thing we have to do is let go of faith in our own strength, and place it in Someone greater. Someone capable getting us through the darkness of this world, to the place He has prepared for us. A place where evil is destroyed forever, and true love reigns supreme. Thats a place where I want to be. Do you?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Most Embarrassing Moments....


Have you ever sat down and thought about your most embarrassing moments? I had one the other day. Mom and I were out shopping, and we happened to stop to get a bite to eat. We had already ordered, gotten our food, and sat down, so I decided to go use the bathroom and wash up. I came back, and we enjoyed our meal. As I was eating, I started to realize that one of the persons directly across the room from us looked an awful lot like someone I went to school with at Grace Christian. I hadn't seen this person in years, so it was a little hard to say, but I had recently seen pictures of that person on another friend's facebook, so I was pretty sure about it. I thought about going over to ask what his name was, but since the girlfriend was there, I didn't figure I'd be that audacious. I decided to take the cowardly route and send a message on facebook later that night. We got up to throw our waste in the trash, when Mom quickly hurried up behind, and started yanking something out of the back of my pants. I whipped around, alarmed and annoyed, only to see toilet paper hanging off her hand! My eyes widened, and I quilled a shriek, and asked if there was more. There was. Another 5 seconds finished the job. We walked out of there, I mortified, Mom apologetic. I'm sure this classmate lookalike witness the whole ordeal, though I wasn't about to look that direction. 

Feeling like an idiot, I vowed not to make any contact. Who knows, maybe he didn't recognize me anyway. Hope....not likely. 

What is your most embarrassing moment? Feel free to share!  

Friday, September 23, 2011

The garage begins

So much has been going on lately that a few things have fallen through the cracks, blogging and house cleaning included.

About 2 weeks ago, work on our garage (3 rooms downstairs, which at one point were a garage) commenced. The project has been looming over our heads since we moved in, but kept being put off by lack of time and effort. In my desire to not do the work alone, I kept waiting and asking for Adam's help in starting the project, but as he has been insanely busy lately with motorcycle business, repairing our own vehicles, and the car show, I decided the only way I was going to get my car in the garage this winter was if I started the project myself.

So that has taken the majority of my time the last couple weeks. I owe a huge thanks to my mom, Gail, and her friend Wanda for assisting in the moving/ripping and tearing process. We first had to clean the space out enough to work in it. Next we had to remove all the old wood paneling, trim, and take out several walls that blocked off the space that will be garage. Its amazing what women with motivation, hammers, and crow bars can do! Adam's grandpa came in the middle us working the first day and high-tailed it out of there as fast as he could. (He can't stand to see "good" wood thrown away. And by "good" I mean full of nails, and dings. Oh well. No more clutter in our basement!). Reduction in junk/clutter was made possible by 2 trips to the dump, costing $20 and $98! Oh well. Would have cost more for a dumpster.

We have gotten the majority of the clearing done. Adam's grandpa came over to remove some wiring for us, which Adam helped with, and Dad will be coming soon to take out the old heat so we can install a single blower unit for that space. After that we'll be able to take the last of the paneling and the last partition out to complete the shape of the garage. Adam can then work on the door part, and Mom and I can begin fixing the aesthetics, taping, binning, painting, etc. Finally, we have to have the majority of this all done before the end of October, at which time a few musicians from a group called Mosaic will be staying with us, as they are performing a concert at church. More about that in a later post.

Once again, I'm terrible about remembering to take before pictures. I really should have as that space looked atrocious before. But I'll definitely post some pics from now on.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Chef for a few days

Out of all of the things I dreamt I'd be doing as an adult, I never thought that running a kitchen would be one of them. No, your right, I don't run the kitchen, yet. But for a few days last week, I was one of 2 people in charge while my boss took off for a few days. She let me know well in advance that she'd be gone, and took special effort to make sure I was comfortable with the menu she planned for those days. We did as much prep as possible before she left. It was a crazy week last week. Her leaving just happened to coincide with the drama at work upstarted by hurricane Irene. Since Bennington's water supply was cut off along with route 9 on Woodford MT., the whole town was on conservation. This meant not using the dishwasher much, using paper plates, and unfortunately, boiling water too. Even though the water was not stated as contaminated, the big boss was concerned that it might be. Lots of boiling ensued.

On Wednesday, we had a particularly exciting event. Someone got word from a Green Mt. Express driver that town water was being shut off in 20 minutes. (The time of this news was 5 minutes before we were to serve lunch). 5 women came running into the kitchen in panic, shouting, "They're shutting the water off in 20 minutes! Fill every container you can find with water to flush toilets." As an adult day facility, BPI has its many bathrooms in use constantly, so flushing toilets was a must.

Serving lunch was set aside, as we joined the panic to hog water. 15 minutes later we were told that the information was bad. Our water was not being shut off. Thus, we didn't need to fill all the containers. Annoyed and stressed, we looked around at the trash cans, buckets, tupperware's, and many other containers around us now full of water. So much for conserving!

This also happened to be the day before Maggie planned to leave, so I was absorbing as much as I could of everything she told me, feeling more and more bogged down by the cares of the week. I went home that night and typed out a detailed list of everything I had to do the next day, by time and importance.

Thanks to a lot of prayer and good planning on Maggie's part and mine, Su (the other kitchen help) and I managed quite well. We also had Rich to help us, so that was good too. Things went very smoothly, and we didn't hear any complaints. ;)

For only working at BPI a little less than 2 months, I've gained a great deal of knowledge about what food service does, and how a dietitian would serve in that role. I'm working in a different capacity, but am still learning a great deal. The work can be stressful at times, but all in all, it is enjoyable, and I love the people I work with. Its a great place, and a great organization. Its a good feeling to be serving people and the community in general. I'm happy I stuck with nutrition, as this is just the beginning of what I hope will be an exciting career. :)

Monday, August 29, 2011

Calm Before the Storm

Its hard for anybody in VT to talk about anything right now besides the incredible damage from Irene. The pictures, the videos, they all tell a tragic story of what mother-nature is capable of. VT is not often of mother-nature's war-path, other than blizzards in the winter. We rarely see tornadoes and hurricanes, and only occasionally feel earthquakes (an event happened recently). But this time watching the news, the flooding wasn't in some distant area. It was right here. At home.

I'm sure most of you have been briefed by facebook media on the damage, so I decided not to spend this post reiterating what you've already heard. Instead, I'll talk about the small amount of peace we had before the storm. It started on Friday.


It had been a long week. Thursday and Friday at work were spent preparing for and working on the picnic at Willow Park. Not your usual picnic. More or less it meant a lot of extra work for the staff, but the weather was nice, and the participants enjoyed themselves. I even got an hour and half of overtime, purely from have more work to do than time to do it.

The moral of the story: I was exhausted. By the time we put the kayaks in the water, loaded up the gear and set off, I was more than ready to be at the campsite, tent set up, and dinner cooking. Several miles of paddling later found me more exhausted, and slightly cranky. We did eventually reach the campsite, however. After scoping it out to make sure no other travelers had claimed it first, we hauled the kayaks onto the island, and lugged out stuff up the trail and to the site. Utilizing amazing boyscout skills, Adam got a fire going, and I set up the tent. By the time this was done, the sun was down, and dinner was left to be made in the dark. Luckily, we had flashlights, and baked beans and hotdogs aren't especially hard to prepare. An hour so later we had full bellies, topped of with smores, and sat down to enjoy the night sounds by the lake.

The stars blazed across the night sky, and loons echoed their melancholy sound to us. The lapping of the water was rhythmic and soothing. The stresses of the week began to ebb away with the water, and we sat for minutes in pure silence and wonder over God's creation.

Morning found us awaked by the loons and other nature noises. Cozy in our tent and sleeping bags, we got out to look at our surroundings and get breakfast going. A few steps out revealed that we slept on the Eagle's island. Whoosh, whoosh, and an interesting call and he was gone. Not a bad start to the morning.


Pre-made pancakes turned out to be a great idea. After adding water, and putting them in the pan, we were eating like a King and Queen in minutes, complete with butter and maple syrup. :) There was even an extra for the chipmunk.

Adam rolling up on of our many dry bags

After packing up the important stuff (tent, and sleeping bags) and loading it into the kayaks, we set out for a morning of exploring and fishing. We found a neat cove, complete with a walking bridge for the trail along side the lake. 


Adam got his fishing pole set up, and happily floated around attracting the fish. 


We then headed up to the north end of the lake. We went all the way to the farthest point up the stream we could paddle, and hopped out on a point which happened to be growing some tasty berries. 


Some parts of the lake were extremely calm, while others remained choppy. It amazed us how the waves could change in an instant with increase of wind. 




We made it back to the site a little after 1:00. I was famished after all the paddling, and whipped up mashed potatoes, green beans, and yes, another smore. :) After a little rest, we decided we better pack up and start making our way towards the south end, as we were getting picked up around 7:00. 


Chacos are now my paddling shoe of choice. Wet or dry, walking or hiking on the islands, they work great. 


The close we got to the south end, the later it got, the more it clouded and the winds picked up. 


Thankfully, we made it to shore before the storm. In fact, it started raining only 10 minutes after we started driving in the truck. God definitely was looking out for us. It turned out to be a wonderful trip. We're really glad that we did it now, as the roads are closed to that lake now, and we have no idea when we'll be able to get there again. 


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Latest Endeavors

A lot has gone on in the past couple of weeks. There have been many things I wanted to write about, but when push came to shove, my time usually ended up spent elsewhere, on the many other projects I've been doing lately.

One of the biggest changes in our lives the past couple of weeks was the acquisition of 2 kayaks. We had out pastor and his wife over to our house one night, and they talked about their upcoming canoe trip to the Boundary Waters. Hearing their stories brought up a desire we long ago had to rent kayaks and check out the nearby lakes. After some thought, we decided we didn't want to just rent, we wanted to buy. I was already convinced I didn't enjoy canoeing, mostly because Adam and I both wanted to steer. So buying 2 kayaks was a good alternative. After doing a lot of research, we settled on a type sold from Dick's Sporting Goods, which happened to be on sale. What we thought would be easy, turned out to be a little more difficult. After calling 8 stores, we finally found 1 that had 2 of the same boat in the store. We quickly headed to Hadley Mass to buy our precious new toys.

The more we thought about kayaking, the more we realized how much fun it would be to camp with the kayaks. It just so happened that Dick's was having a sale on camping supplies when we went down, so we were able to pick up a lot of the things we needed for a lot cheaper than expected.

So far we've taken them out twice on Somerset Reservoir. Both days were gorgeous, and we had a blast. We've seen a loon, 2 bald eagles, a group of geese, a beaver, several chipmunks, and lots of fish. We are planning out first camping trip this weekend, weather pending. Our last outing was happily shared with friends.


It was a gorgeous day spent on the water, although Joe could tell you that the sun was a bit too strong. 


Its only the beginning of what we hope to be a long-running hobby, and might I add, a great way to spend time with my hubby. 


Thursday, August 4, 2011

Updated Comment Setup

Many people have told me that they were unable to comment on my posts. I thought this odd since many blog I read allow anonymous users to comment. Upon looking at my settings, I realized my blog did not allow this, so the settings have since been changed! Comment away people! Because this girl LOVEs comments! :D

A Little Change


This past Sunday I made a little change to my look. I got my ears pierced. I had been thinking about it for a little while now, and the opportunity presented itself to go with mom to the mall, so I did it. The majority of my friends and family are open-minded enough to accept such a change in me, or have their ears pierced themselves, but let me tell you, I know plenty of people who would make an issue out of this "little" change.

Honestly, piercing my ears was just never something I wanted to do before now. To be completely honest, there were so many battles to fight over necklaces and other jewelry with certain people in our church growing up, that I never wanted to add that extra element of drama to my life.

I decided to write a post about this for a few reasons.
1) People are going to see my ears sooner or later, so why not blog about it.
2) I want to explain the way I feel about them, and how I've grown as a person.

I have to say that I've grown a lot spiritually in the past year. Growing up in the Bennington church did a number on my opinion of myself, as well as my understanding of God's opinion about me. I used to be that having my own opinions and ideas about religion were unacceptable, because it didn't coincide with tradition. I've now learned to embrace my walk with God, with all of my questionings, lack of understanding, and need for growth. I used to be so concerned with what other people thought about me, that it kept me from being me. I've realized this is unhealthy and not what God wants for me. I also learned that judging others is simply unacceptable, because in so doing I condemn myself. Don't get me wrong. I'm not perfect. I struggle with this daily, but it is something I give to God each day to change in my life.

With these understandings, I finally feel comfortable being me. And let me just say people, I like to wear jewelry. I always have. My great grandmother used to have an old jewelry box for grandkids to play dress up with. I have a lot of fond memories of doing that at her house. From when I was a child, I had my little stash of necklaces, anklets, and rings I'd collected on various vacations and other outings; all cheap and without value to everyone except me. The problem was, I was not allowed to wear them unless we were far away from Bennington. Hypocritical? I think so. I hated it, but I understand the desire to not "make waves," so I complied. As I got older, I wavered back and forth about what that meant in my life, and how I should deal with it. In the past few years, I have become acutely aware of the hypocrisy in my life; being one person in church, and another outside. I just can't stand that anymore. Its not what I want. Its not what God wants. And you want to know something else? God accepts me and loves me for who I am. Jewelry and all.

I love to dress nicely for special occasions, and coordinate my outfits so that they compliment each other. Just ask my family. To me, jewelry is just part of the outfit. It compliments it. I realize that many Adventists don't see jewelry the same way, and thats fine. Just don't tell me how to think. That is none of your business. How anyone feels about dress is between them and God. He is the one we should look to as our model. Not each other.

The reason for this long rendering of sentiments? I want this out there, so people know how I feel. I also want people who have felt condemnation from other Adventists over such issues to embrace freedom before God, as He is our judge, not our fellow neighbor. Let God create you to be the person He made you to be, without the fear of condemnation of others. Besides, if they judge you, they have their own battles with God.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

No Pain, No Gain?

Many people say, "No pain, no gain," when it comes to exercise. In a lot of senses this is true. But is it always true? The answer is a big No! About a month ago, I was running up a hill, while one of my feet landed on a large rock. I wasn't expecting it, so when I leaped off the rock to go forward, I felt pain shooting through my foot. I was annoyed at myself. I should have been paying more attention. But I didn't worry too much about it, and figured it would go away before morning.

I didn't go away by morning. In fact, a dull to aching pain continued with me for the next couple weeks. The pain mostly resided in the upper half of that foot. Interestingly, though, it usually started out sore, and eased away as I ran. (The pain magically reappeared after I was home). I've fallen in love with running these past several months, and I wasn't about to let a little pain keep me from tearing up the dirt with my fivefingers. Sunday's run, however, was different.

I had taken a couple days off, due to increasing pain in that foot. I figured the break had done it good, and set out Sunday afternoon for a long run. The pain seemed to be greater than usual when I began, but I set my worries aside, assuming it would subside as usual. I chose to do a loop involving a big hill, 1 mile of up. The motion of going up must have done that foot in, because by the time I had made it a mile past the hill my foot was aching in pain. I contemplated if I could make it home with the pain the way it was, and concluded that it was ridiculous and impossible. I slowed to a walk. A little ways of walking later, I tried to run again to see if it was better. I almost yelled out in pain. Clearly, I was walking home.

Now I was angry at myself for not bringing my phone. It was a hot day, and the last leg of my loop involved a mile down route 7. Running that part doesn't take very long, but walking was another story. Despite my hopes of one of relatives happening by to pick me up, I winced the whole way home, feeling like an idiot. My naiveté again got the best of my as I hoped the pain would go away after a good nights sleep. I didn't, and so I succumbed to the notion that its going to be a while before its safe for me to run again. After a few days of taking it easy with no exercise, I got back out there today, this time wheels.

I have a practically brand new mountain bike, that I've had for several years now. I really haven't used it that much. After going on it a couple of days last year, I had pretty much decided that I didn't enjoy biking, as it killed my legs. Running all year so far, though, has redefined the strength in my legs. I decided I'd give it a try, since it wouldn't put nearly as much strain on my foot. I discovered it didn't bother my foot, wasn't nearly as hot as running in the afternoon, and was actually pretty fun. I love to cover distance on my runs, which is a lot more doable on a bike. I only did a 5 mile loop to start, but I think I'll quickly be adding to that total. My legs handled the hills pretty well, so I'm looking forward to getting better at a sport I have previously only done for leisure.

The moral of this story: Listen to your body. Pain that goes away after a day or two is probably nothing to worry about. But consistent pain means there is something more going on. There is more to gain sometimes from avoiding excess pain.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Biker Chic

After talking on the phone with a friend last night, about the things that have gone on in my life recently, it occurred to me that I left out a very interesting piece of new information from my life. Ladies and gentlemen, I now have my........motorcycle permit! I've been a biker girl for a while now, riding with Adam on our Harley or the various dirt bikes he's had over the years. He's been working on me for quite some time to get my permit, and for a long time I just wasn't interested, save for my experience with the 2 little dirt bikes I had a few years ago. The dirt bike Adam currently has, a Yamaha TW 200, happens to be the perfect size for me. Adam finally convinced me to try it out. Since I still had a good idea of how to ride from my own dirt-biking days, I hopped on, realized it really was my size, and rode it around the yard. I was sold. I'd forgotten how much fun it was to ride. The main reason I sold my last dirt bike was because I couldn't ride it even on the dirt roads without a permit, so there just didn't seem to be a point to it.

So I took the plunge; spent a morning reading through the online DMV motorcycle manual, and went in to take the test. For a Suma Cum Laude Bachelor's graduate, you wouldn't have known it that day. For a 25 question test, I had to get 20 right to pass, and thats what I got. I blame it on lack of understanding the questions. Oh well.

So far I've ridden a few times since getting my permit. I quickly realized my biggest challenges were starting smoothly and being comfortable leaning and weaving. I worked on that last night. Adam hopped on his Dad's TW, I on his, and off we went. He had me practice weaving around our pear trees. He originally wanted me to weave around the blueberry bushes, but since he could barely do it, I didn't feel too bad that I couldn't. I was happy to find that I felt a lot more comfortable by the end of the practice session. We then rode around the block, passing neighbors who looked on in wonder. It was a good ride. I think I'm slowly breaking Adam's fear that I'll be a poky motorcycle rider like I am on the snowmobile. I made it over 40 on the backroads. I'd say thats about as fast as I'll venture on dirt though. All in all it was a good experience. The best part about it is getting to ride with Adam. Its fun to be in control of my own bike, the leans, the speed. I'm still cautious, but am getting more comfortable.

The permit either has to be renewed or I have to take the skill test within 120 days. My goal is to practice enough so that I can take the skill test by my birthday, since I have to renew my license then anyway. I was planning on riding after Adam got home, but I think the rain is going to prevent that. There's always tomorrow..... Until more from this biker chic.... :)

Friday, July 22, 2011

Recovered Photos

So I was cleaning out one of our closets, when I came across my old camera. Since I no longer use, it I decided to donate it to our local swap shop. Inside the case, however, I found 3 old SD cards. When my hardrive crashed in 2009, I lost everything on my computer. All of the photos from our dating years. It was heartbreaking. (I just bought my own external hard drive, btw, so that I can give Tim's back). Here's what I found....


At a PTA banquet Adam came up for my senior year


My high school graduation



Bailey Island, Maine


One of my all-time favorite photos of us. I have it framed in our room.


I sent this picture to Adam as an apple card when he was at school, and I at PTA




And why did I ever stop taking pictures in black and white???? Thats my man!


Those beautiful days of dating when Adam didn't mind photo shoots 





I think I should blow this one up as a poster and put it on my side of the room. :D

Life Gets Busy Sometimes

I really do want to be better about keeping my blog active with what is going on in my life. I guess its easier to let things get going to fast during the summer, because there's simply so much going on. With starting my new job, I actually do have more time, because I'm only working part time, which means I get out at 2:00. This is great in a lot of ways, because it allows me time to run (when its not swelteryly hot as it has been lately), grocery shop, clean house, and do many other things that need doing. Surprisingly, though, I just haven't spent much of that time on the ipad or computer lately. I guess I've been embracing summer and being active doing other things. The blueberry bushes around here are loaded, so I have been picking at Gail's quite a bit. Right now I think we have around 12 or 15 quarts in the freezer. Yay for blueberry muffins and pancakes this winter! Our garden is picking up as well, so before long I'll be spending all of my free time at Gail's in the hot kitchen, canning away our food for the winter. With all of the stuff we canned last year, we are down to only a few jars left of each type: greens, beans, tomatoes, stew/soup, and applesauce. We're going to attempt brine pickles again this year, this time a simple recipe. Just salt, dill, and garlic. We're attempting to rise to the glory of a local pickler (Joneski's), not sure about the spelling on that. They have the best brine pickles, and probably the only ones, I've ever had. One of the great things about working in a kitchen is that I can take home any of the big jars/jugs we use. So I've been stocking up.

As for the new job, its been going really well. I am working hard at learning peoples' names, and I have the hang of my duties pretty well. I still learn new things here and there, but the gist of what I do is in my head. The people I work with are really great, as is the environment, with the exception of the temperature in the kitchen. There's a long running debate on whether they installed air ducts in the kitchen or not, since the building was renovated only 2 years ago. Maggie (the cook/my supervisor) says there are ducts, but they only accounted for the square feet of the room, instead of what is in it (ie ovens, range, refrigerators blowing out heat, dishwasher, and sweaty cooks!). I'll keep the plumbing group that services BPI unnamed, as I know Dad and I would have taken this into consideration if we were doing the job. ;) Not that we do air conditioning. I'm just saying....

On a different note, I've been suffering a little of the "boonie location loneliness" syndrome. It comes from living in a small town, away from many of the friends I've grown to care about through the years. Not only do I live far away from a lot of my friends, I'm also a terrible communicator. I guess I can't be too bad, though, because most of my friends are too! ha! I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite in expecting people to call me on occasion when I rarely pick up the phone to do the same. Selfishness I suppose, or sitting on my pity pot feeling like everyone else has a best girlfriend but me. Thats why I reiterated my feelings about my Mom on her birthday card last night. She's always been my best girlfriend. No matter who came, went, and moved away in my life, she has always been there. Always listened. Always cared. Always been available to hang out, something thats just not possible with many of my friends. And you know what, because she's my Mom, I actually do pick up the phone to call her, a lot actually. She's one of the few people I get over my phone phobia for. And yes, it is a phobia to some extent, because i'd much rather be on the computer than phone. Its easier, especially for an introvert like me. But you know what? Sometimes Facebook doesn't cut it. Its nice to talk to someone. Hear their voice, stories, and know that they care. I guess I just get lonely sometimes, feeling like we'll never be close to friends our age we can call and hang out with whenever. Especially couples our age.... I just got wind of a potential plan of one of our friends to move back to where their parents live after finishing school. I was naively hoping we could lure them into moving here, which would have been really awesome in a lot of ways. Shopping girlfriends meet motorcycle guy friends. :) If you guys read my blog, you know who you are... I can't judge though. I know I'd do the same thing. Wait, we did! To be honest, family has always been most important in both Adam and my life. Family always came before friends. Maybe because we're only children. Maybe just because of our relationships with them. But to some it all up, I'd rather be close and have great relationships with my family than live close to all of the friends in the world. So now I get off my pitt pot. :) I guess this has gotten long enough. I'll follow this post up with some old pictures i found. :) Peace out all.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

New Job and Anniversary

Its been a lot longer than I was planning on for an update, but thats how things go in summertime when things are busy. I finished off a nice leisurely week with family on Sunday, something I was really happy to have before starting my new job. Uncle Jerry was up from Florida, so we got to do a lot of family get togethers, including seeing my grandmother home from the Bennington Health and Rehab, after a partial hip replacement and 2 weeks of recover. She did amazingly well, and is now at home. Grampy had handrails put on their front steps to make it easier for her to get up and down, and her bed was moved into the dining room, until they decide for sure what she wants to do in the long term.

Sunday night found me reading through the pages of Bennington Project Independence's handbook, and filling out the necessary paperwork. Monday was the big day. I wasn't quite sure what to wear, but figured that jeans and a plane t-shirt were probably ok for being in the kitchen. I was right, and also found out that I get to continue making use of my hat collection, because it was either that or a hair net. Easy decision. Today it was a green Harley Davidson hat, to complement my watermelon-colored shirt. :) Yes, I enjoy fun colors.

I have to say I've learned a lot in the past couple days. Yesterday was busy, but that isn't going to change. A lot of instructions. A lot to remember. I wear an apron, hat, prep food, cleanup, serve food, do dishes, and put them away after. For the second day, I've learned to do all that fairly well. I'm still learning where all of the dishes and utensils go, but have a pretty good handle on that also. One of the things I do each day is prepare the specialty meals for people. A few participants are on partial ground diets, a few others on full grounds, and one is on a puree. There are also several diabetics, a few vegetarians, and a few that don't eat dairy. It makes for challenging planning. Right now I follow orders from the cook as to what to make for these patients, but as time goes on, she'll want more advice from me, and help with the planning. This is right up my nutrition alley. One of the interesting things I learned yesterday was that Maggie (my supervisor/the cook) told me she hired me because she wants someone to be able to take over for her so she can retire. She states she is too old to do this anymore. Thats an interesting prospect. Ashley: Cook/Nutrition Coordinator. Thats not to say that I want to do that for the rest of my life, but I'm going to need to work for several years before I can afford to go on, finish the classes I need to get my degree CADE accredited, and do the RD internship. Thats one of my big goals, but since it will require me doing school full time, money needs to be saved ahead of time.

I was happy to hear today that I am doing very well so far, including being quick, efficient, and having a good memory. Learning all of the names of staff and participants will take a while, but I'm trying. I was also given a key "faab," (not sure if that is how to spell it), to access the kitchen door without entering the passcode every time. It truly is an amazing facility. I guess it should be since its only 2 years old, but it was also designed really well. The lights turn on when they sense someone is in the room, and turnoff likewise. They recycle, have a garden, and are otherwise very "green." The staff is extremely nice/pleasant, and I'm doing my best to learn my job and do it well. All in all its been a great experience the past 2 days.

All of these positives do not lessen my sadness over missing my Dad and getting to work with him. Being able to see my parents every day is something I was able to take advantage of, but now I truly realize how blessed I was. I will forever treasure those years of working for Dad, as it allowed me precious time, good experience, and wonderful memories that I won't forget. We still have our Wednesday nights with them, but it won't stop me from missing them during the day. I love you Daddy!

For now thats all.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Answered Prayers and Updates

I realize its been a couple of weeks since I have been on here. Most of the big news has made it on Facebook, so none of this will probably be "new," but more detailed anyway.

My last post regarded the attitude I took towards the waiting period for my fate with school: trusting God that He knew what was best for me and that it would work out according to His will, not mine. Waiting ensued for another week, but I have to say I was much less stressed during that week than I had been in the previouis 2. Other things filled my time, including packing for a weekend at camp meeting, which we had planned as a bike trip (thats another part of the story). I was getting last minute things ready to put in the saddle bags Friday, when I got a call from Kaplan. I answered, and was told that the course substitution form had been accepted, and that I was done...a graduated student! Praise the Lord! Thats allI could say the rest of the night! I was prepared to accept a positive or a negative decision, and make the best of it, an God rewarded me with a huge blessing! Amazing.

The weekend continued as we made our way up Woodford mountain on the Harley, only to ride into mist that turned into rain. As we were only 45 minutes into our trip, we decided it best to turn around and opt for the car. Boy were we glad we did. It rained the whole way to Maine. We arrived at 10:35, 2 minutes earlier than the time I predicted we'd arrive (Adam was speeding because we made a bet between who would be right on that account). Saturday was a fun day. We went to church in the youth part, getting to visit with old friends and our Pastor, who was helping to lead out. In the afternoon we spent some time on Bailey Island and then Popum Beach (sorry to the Mainer's if I spelled that wrong). Saturday evening entailed a trip to Beans and a very late meal at a pizza place, Antonia's. My wrap was delicious! All in all, very traditional for us, and uneventful....until we got back to our hotel.

We opted for a hotel this year, as it was cheaper than having my parents haul the camper up for just one weekend. Night #1 was fine. Night #2, on the other had, was a different story. We got back from the excursions of the day to find water all over our bathroom floor. Looking up, we saw it was coming from the fan. I went out and talked to the guy at the front desk who informed me that the room just above us had a toilet overflow. Yuck. I promptly threw away our toothbrushes, put my now wet clothes in a bag, and Dad and I cleaned up the floor. The guy at the desk offered to do it, but since Dad and I deal with much worse things on a regular basis, it wasn't a big deal. He assured us the leak had stopped and all would be fine. We got new towels and went to bed, looking forward to showering in the morning and forgetting the whole thing.

2:30a.m.: Drip. Drip. Drip. What was that? Am I dreaming? Nope. A trip to the bathroom proved my fear. Water was again dripping from the vent. Worse yet, I had to pee. I went back to bed, trying to sleep, but still having to pee. I became evident that I wasn't going to be able to sleep again without going in that wet bathroom. So, I got suited up, and went it, trying to lean far enough away to avoid the drips. I then went to bed, put a pillow over my head, and tried to sleep.

5:00a.m.: Drip drip. Drip drip. Oh no. Now what? Water was also coming out of the sprinkler head in the room itself. The floor was soaked, and I was pissed. That was it for me. No more sleeping. Adam woke up too, and I started packing. My parents were leaving early anyway, so I figured I'd catch them on our way out. We did, and made out way to the front desk together. We explained the situation. The guy was apologetic, but said he couldn't do anything for us in a monetary way, but that another person would call us the next day. This part of the scenario is an ongoing battle. Rather than compensate us for a whole nigth, during which I got little sleep, could not take a shower, and had to throw away toothbrushes and bag nasty wet clothes, they only wanted to give us $25 back. Out of $100! Are you kidding me?! Adam flipped, resulting in a $50 offer. The saga continues today when Adam pulls out the big guns with the operations manager. I'll post the results after that conversation.

Our trip home was otherwise uneventful until we came into Bennington, and got a call from my parents saying that Mum (Dad's mom) had fallen and broken her hip. We altered our course for the hospital. A surgery and several days later finds Mum with a partial hip replacement, and slowing getting back to her normal self. Therapy starts more today and in days following, but she is finally started to get her sense of self back, which I'm happy to see. Mom has been there every day, helping and offering company, as has Ginny. Family comes in every night to be with her. If there's one thing that illnesses do for us is show us how much we are loved. There is always a silver lining.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Learning To Trust

Considering how irregular I've been lately, this is quite unusual to be on here again in the same day, but I had a break through this afternoon and evening that relates to my previous post. If you haven't read the previous post, I suggest you do before going on, as it will add perspective.

All week long I've been struggling with my feelings over the situation with Kaplan. I've been angry, frustrated, scared, upset, and overwhelmed. I also feel helpless to a degree, because if they choose not to accept the course substitution and tell me I have to take the class, they can withhold my diploma if I don't do it. And unfortunately, as many family members have pointed out, I don't have a written record of how my degree plan started out, a real loss. Amidst this feeling of helplessness, there was also stubbornness. I didn't want to let go, which is why it has been eating at me for the past couple of weeks.

All week long, God has been nudging me. Sometimes quietly, sometimes with more force, trying to get me to let it all go and leave it in His hands, trusting that He will work things out for the best. The trouble is, I was so scared that He would allow it to work out a way I didn't think I'd like, as if I knew better what was best for me, even though I can't see into the future. Seem silly? Look at your own walk with God. I know you know what I'm talking about.

This afternoon I had some time to bake at home. As per my habit, I turned on the tunes to one of the Christian stations I have on Pandora. Song after song, God was getting to me. Poking, prodding, reminding me that He has my best at heart. That He loves me too much to steer me wrong; that if I would let it all go to God and trust Him, I would be at peace, and the situation would work out. I had been asking Him this week to help me trust Him, as I knew I wasn't yet ready. He answered that prayer. I finally broke in the middle of making strawberry rhubarb pie. I laid it all down, and let His peace come in, and it was wonderful for my soul. I was rewarded even more through the agape supper at church tonight. It amazes me sometimes how I can seemingly forget God during the course of my day, week, until something strikes me and I remember. God must have known that would happen to us humans, because He kept saying, "Remember, remember, remember." And still we forget. I forget.

I guess I just wanted to share this, because unlike what we see on the outside, the character we see at church or in the grocery store, we're all fighting battles on the inside. I have my own battles with God, struggles to stay on track, and a journey that keeps taking turns, some that I don't expect. But that is what makes each of us who we are, and God is just ecstatic to be a part of our lives, if we will just let Him. Invite Him in tonight. He's waiting with a smile and outstretched arms.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fate in the Balance

I've been holding off yet again on writing this post pending the outcome of a situation I am having with Kaplan, so that I could disclose the story with my fate. So far no luck in reaching kaplan's office, as they appear to be closed, which is odd for a Friday. At any rate, I am still overwhelmed and irritated with this whole situation, so for the sake of my own sanity, it's time to share.

On friday of our vacation, I received an email from my academic advisor, stating my need go contact him to register for the upcoming term. This was news to me, as I was quite sure I was done, and had widely celebrated my being "done with Kaplan," including making my last payment, with friends and family. I logged onto my online campus, took a look at my degree plan, and found a 2 credit class for career development that had never been there before. My first reaction was anger, followed by panic. I called the advising department, explained the situation, and was told that an audit form would be submitted for the registrar's office to check my degree plan again. I was to hear back the following week. I called at the beginning of the week after I got back from vacation. They said that the class was required for my degree plan. I told the advisor this was boloney since the class had not been on my degree plan until a week ago. She agreed with the strangeness, and since the class was very similar to the one I just finished for professionalism in healthcare, submitted a substitution form for that class. I am currently awaiting the outcome.

Let me just say that I am extremely upset. As my blog followers know, this is not the first problem I have had with Kaplan. It is the tip of the iceberg, and I am more than frustrated. I worked my tail off for what I thought was my last term at Kaplan, putting in more hours than I ever have before, only to be rewarded with, not a diploma, but more excuses and more frustration. I don't mean to be negative, but I am so sick of this. My degree program requires 180 credits, and I have completed 182. That in itself should tell them something, since the reason for that was a change in a required class from 4 credits to 6. I wish I had something to fight with, but the bottom line is, they can withhold my diploma if I refuse to take this class.

I end this ranting and raving with more solicitations for prayers, as it is out of my control. I beg of God to have mercy, but at this point i am just overwhelmed.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, June 10, 2011

Life of Leisure

I've been putting off this post until i could find an app i really like for blogginig on the ipad. So far no luck. I'm giving up for now, as all of the ones with decent reviews cost money and still don't do everything i need them to. So I'm currently funtioning the old-fashioned way: using Safari. Aside from that, I've been enjoying this new thing called lesisure. Its amazing. I come home from work, and wonder of wonders, i don't have any school to do. :) I've rediscovered my love for fun projects, seen by Gail and my creation of unique herb pots which are sitting near my sunny wiindow. I also now have time to work outside. The garden is now planted, and i impatiently await the time when i can pick my ingredients for dinner instead of buy them. I have also been enjoying using my new toy, previously mentioned. Typing on it is a learning experience, which i am getting better at (working on it also held this post off until now).

In a previous post i revealed my happiness to have spending money again. I realize my need to reign this desire in, but before i do, i bought some much need, cooler summer bedding.





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A short interlude preceded the rest of this post as i discovered that Safari wasn't going to let me put pictures in. So i broke down and bought the blogging app with the best reviews. So far so good.

Well i guess that about wraps it up for now. I'll try not to be such a stranger on here now that i have an app to use. :)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Reasons For and Against Living in Florida



Being down here again has reminded me of a couple of things that I really like about here, and wish were different at home. One of the simplest things: clear and vast choices of radio stations. This feature is practically non-existant at home. The stations are never clear all the time, mostly because we live in the boonies, are there are no longer any choices for my favorite: contemporary christian. I love listening to the radio down here, because it fools be into thinking its XM, even though its only local. Another plus: pave roads without frost heaves and cracks. This is the first expanse of time I've been able to run on paved roads. It is quite different from what I'm used to. I want to actually say its less work, whether thats good or bad. My muscles probably get a better work out at home. Another plus: incredible selection of restaurants and places to shop, just down the road. Our family LOVES to eat, so close proximity to such places is both wonderful and dangerous, but I must also add, delicious! I've had more fish this week than I've had in the past couple of months. :) Oh, and my vegan diet has been the victim of a few delectable desserts, which I've paid for in gastrointestinal discomfort (could have been avoided if I remembered to keep Lactaid in my purse). Another plus: clean vehicles. I have next to no incentive to wash my car during certain times of the year due to living on dirt roads. It would be pointless. One more plus before I move on to the opposing side: cool indoors and hot outdoors. Yeah, most people complain about this, but at least when its hot, you can go inside where its cool. We don't have air conditioning at our house, so when its hot, its just plain hot.



On the flip side, there's traffic. At home we hardly know what this is. There's the endless increase of expenses from living down here: high electric bills, higher prices for food, etc, (the gas is currently cheaper though). Despite the wonderful entertainment of the nearby theme parks, there is a limited selection of outdoor activities, which is something I love about home, especially the close proximity, like outside our front door. Change of seasons; I love the cooler weather of fall, the colors, and even the snow, for a little bit anyway; Christmas just isn't the same without it. And even though Mom and I usually have to drive to Albany or nearby to get to the stores we like, its probably a good things, because it keeps me from spending money too often. I'm sure there are probably other downsides too, but they aren't coming to mind at the moment. I guess its easier to see the positives while on vacation than if we were living here. I do love where we living, but I am equally happy to vacation somewhere different from home. :)

What is your opinion? Is Florida a great place to live? What problems or benefits have you found, and where would your dream place be to live? 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Loving Vacationland



This is a little later than I expected to put an update on here, but I guess that is expected while on vacation, because I don't have to do anything. Isn't that wonderful? It really is for me. The last real vacation we took was our honeymoon, and that seems like forever ago. Its so nice to wake up just because we got enough sleep, not because the alarm is dictating its time to get up. I didn't realize how totally worn down my body had become over the last couple of months. I had seriously given up sleeping in at all, due to getting up early Sabbath for Sabbath School and playing for church at St. Peter's on Sundays. Sunday night we slept the best we have in a long time, at least I did (since Adam sleeps well no matter what), and didn't wake up until after 9 on Monday morning. It was wonderful to just take the time slow, soaking up all of the new surroundings, time with family and my new toy.....the iPad!!!!

I've wanted an iPad since before any of my family members wanted one, with the exception of maybe Andy, who is probably the biggest techi person in the family. As soon as Apple introduced them last year, I was in love, and convinced that I had to have one. Unfortunately, our slim budget created by my schooling wouldn't allow for such indulgences. Thus, it became part of my graduation present. It was shipped just in time to be waiting for me upon arrival at Uncle Jerry's house. Let me just say, its awesome! The only problem is that Adam thinks its about as awesome as I do, which means I may have to save for another one in the future, so that I can have complete access to mine. ;)

On other notes, we had an excellent time at Epcot yesterday. It was Adam's first Disney experience, and he really enjoyed it. I have a feeling he'll enjoy MGM even more, since Rockin' Roller Coaster awaits him there. ;) For now, this is all I will update. I was hoping to test out my iPad typing skills, but since I haven't found a great app for blogger yet, I am confined to the old Macbook for this pastime, which is why its taken me so long to put this up. I hope you all are having a great week, because I know I am!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Ready Set.....Checkin!

Here I sit on the couch this morning, chai tea in hand, and boarding passes printed. Anybody who's every flown Southwest before knows the routine. I suppose its the price you pay for a non-stop flight, with 2 free checkin bags, because the actual $$s were very reasonable. 24-hours pre-flight marks the beginning of checkin. Many people in the Albany and surrounding areas have been sitting up since before 7:00, with their coffees or other beverages, on their computer ready to hit that orange "Check In" button. Whats the big deal? Well, there are (I think), three levels of boarding, A, B, and C. Each level has somewhere around 50 people or so. The place in line you have for boarding depends on which letter and number you get. Why does it matter? Well, when traveling with more than just yourself, its nice to know that you're boarding before the aircraft is full and left with only random seats here and there. The good news for us is that my parents decided to be cool and pay for early bird checkin, which means, they will likely be boarding before us, and can "save" seats. Technically that defeats the purpose of the whole Checkin process, but thats ok. :) Even still, doing it the slow, old-fashioned way didn't fair too bad by us, A40 and A42. Which means that tomorrow morning at this time we will be in the air, heading away from Albany, and towards that big sunny state of Florida. All those wonderful things I've been longing for.....Here I Come!

Friday, May 27, 2011

So Ready For Vacation



I thanked God this morning for the much needed week off after school before leaving for vacation. I guess I had adjusted to the amount of stress I was dealing with by focusing my mind only on what was in my top priorities. I have been noticing things all week in the house and yard that have needed doing, but haven't been done in a long time. Last night I cleaned off the computer room desk (it was horrendous). I also noticed that my not-much-beloved task of dusting was long overdue, so I did that a little too. Cleaning, lawn mowing, and the majority of the packing are all done. The more I walked around the house, the more things I remembered I needed to pack. I guess thats the advantage of starting to a pack a week ahead: you have all that time to remember the things you forgot!

In every respect, I am more than ready for vacation. Warm weather, rest, relaxation, family, and fun are all top priorities next week, and I am super excited! Also, I have a long-desired graduation present awaiting my when we get to my Uncle's house. I'll post picks when I get down there. :) I have my cameral cord, so I'm going to try to keep this updated with an interesting feed from the sunny state. :)


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Transition from Traditional to Original Running



To the left is a picture of the normal heal landing associated with traditional sneakers.

Below is a picture of the midfoot landing common to barefoot running, and shoes that copy barefeet.




As promised in my last post, I'll share the process I went through to transition from the traditional style of running to barefoot running. When I bought my fivefingers, the lady gave me specific instructions that I not go out and run 5 miles or anything crazy like that. I have to admit that doing that had crossed my mind, so I quickly tossed it out. She suggested I take it slow, walking around in them first, and then slowly building up my running capacity. I walked around the house briefly after buying them, but did not have much time to walk in them until our usual Tuesday night at Adam's parents. Gail and I have a regular tradition in the spring to take an evening walk on Tuesday's, which is usually around 3 or 4 miles. So that was my first experience with the komodo sport. I was amazed by the way my feet could actually feel what was under me. This might sound silly, but most people don't notice the stones under their feet on a dirt road with regular sneakers on. By the time I got back, I was excited and anxious at the same time to try them out running. Despite the advice to take about a week of walking first, I started running the next day. I only went a little ways, trying to figure out if I was supposed to change my form to midfoot landing, or if the shoe did that for me on its own. The first couple of days I wasn't sure. It was a combination, I think.

The one thing I was sure of after those first couple days was that my calves were killing me! Looking back, that just tells me that the process was in swing. Try standing on your tiptoes. Can you feel your calf muscles? Try running like that. Yeah. I'm not going to lie, it was strange at first. I went from a long stride to a shorter one, and to a completely different foot landing. It took several weeks before I felt really comfortable with the way I was running and how it felt. Part of it was training my brain as much as my feet. I will say that if you're running on a dirt road, you are going to feel the rocks. In general, its not bad. Right after they grade the road, not so much fun. The good part about this whole aspect, though, is that it teaches runners to be more aware of their environment and surroundings. If there's a big stone in the road, I either mentally prepare to land on it, or go around it. Either way, I'm not going to land on it unknowingly and sprain my ankle.

Its been a process. Its been a challenge. The verdict: I am extremely happy with my new running form, increased awareness, and tightened muscles! Yes, you do use different muscles when running this way. The effects are awesome :D

Monday, May 23, 2011

The Beginning of Freedom

Ending school and starting back up my blogging hobby required a change of scenery, and background. Some would accuse me, especially after considering my background choice, as being a shopping addict. That would be a relatively correct accusation. Paying my way through school the last 3 years has put quite a damper on that particular hobby. This is not to say that we weren't financially cared for. Adam's job does a good job of that. It just meant that those extra $$s that I used to have freedom to spend were sent in a different direction. So on and off, ok more on than off, I've been making a mental list of things that I'd really like to get once I finished school and had a little extra cash. As you can imagine, the list got longer and longer. It included new hiking shoes, possibly a new pair of Keens, or other shoes of choice, a new coach bag, and few other things. For those out there who make a hobby of looking for faults in others, you might call this a possession obsession, or love of money. I'm not gonna lie, I like to shop, and I like to buy things, but this particular buildup I justify as a reward for all of those months, days, hours, and minutes spent frying my brain on the computer. 

My recent freedom, or soon to be complete freedom from Kaplan's finance department has led to a rather giddy couple of shopping trips. The first was to invest in a new pair of running shoes. Those who followed my blog before the last interlude remember that I took up running a few months ago. The shoes I was using I've literally had since I was 14. They still have paint stains on them from my academy Guatemala trip, senior year. Needless to say, they are a little old and in need of replacement. Add to this the fact that my knee has been bothering me since I started running, I was quite ready to look for a new pair of shoes. 

My search started at one of the local stores in town. After trying on several pairs, and observing their limited selection, I went across the street to a different shoe store. There I found a wider selection. An add in a sports magazine opened my eyes to the concept of "barefoot" running. This concept seeks to go back to the way we were intended to run: without shoes. I'm usually game to try something new, so I asked to try a pair of Merrell Barefoot shoes on. I found that they were really comfortable. The lady then showed me another line of barefoot footwear, called fivefingers, by vibram. They are those funny shoes with cutouts for all of the toes. I was a little skeptical, but I tried a pair on. I was surprised by how comfortable they felt. I tried on a different pair and fell in love. This is what they look like. 


Yes, I know. They're funny looking. I get that. But I don't want to hear it until you try a pair on. It wasn't just the comfort I was sold on, though. The concept of barefoot running was also intriguing. These shoes get runners to land on their midfoot instead of the heal. This process strengthens the the foot muscles to be able to absorb the shock, so the heal and knee joints don't have to. This post has already become rather lengthy, so I'll save my experience with these shoes for later. :) 

As for my other shopping trips, I recently acquired the Merrell Barefoots that I originally tried on, more for walking than running, and a small coach purse, which was very reasonably on sale. :) With the shopping dragon fueled, I'm ready to enjoy our upcoming vacation. :) 

Enjoying the Freedom

Ending school and starting back up my blogging hobby required a change of scenery, and background. Some would accuse me, especially after considering my background choice, as being a shopping addict. That would be a relatively correct accusation. Paying my way through school the last 3 years has put quite a damper on that particular hobby. This is not to say that we weren't financially cared for. Adam's job does a good job of that. It just meant that those extra $$s that I used to have freedom to spend were sent in a different direction. So on and off, ok more on than off, I've been making a mental list of things that I'd really like to get once I finished school and had a little extra superfluous cash. As you can imagine, the list got longer and longer. It included new hiking shoes, possibly a new pair of Keens, or other shoes of choice, a new coach bag, and few other things. For those out there who make a hobby of looking for faults in others, you might call this a possession obsession, or love of money. I'm not gonna lie, I like to shop, and I like to buy things, but this particular buildup I justify as a reward for all of those months, days, hours, and minutes spent frying my brain on the computer.

My recent freedom, or soon to be complete freedom from Kaplan's finance department has led to a rather giddy couple of shopping trips. The first was to invest in a new pair of running shoes. Those who followed my blog before the last interlude remember that I took up running a few months ago. The shoes I was using I've literally had since I was 14. They still have paint stains on them from my academy Guatemala trip, senior year. Needless to say, they are a little old and in need of replacement. Add to this the fact that my knee has been bothering me since I started running, I was quite ready to look for a new pair of shoes.

My search started at one of the local stores in town. After trying on several pairs, and observing their limited selection, I went across the street to a different shoe store. There I found a wider selection. An add in a sports magazine opened my eyes to the concept of "barefoot" running. This concept seeks to go back to the way we were intended to run: without shoes. I'm usually game to try something new, so I asked to try a pair of Merrell barefoot shoes on. I found that they were really comfortable. The lady then showed me another line of barefoot footwear, called fivefingers, by vibram. They are those funny shoes with cutouts for all of the toes. I was a little skeptical, but I tried a pair on. I was surprised by how comfortable they felt. I tried on a different pair and fell in love. This is what they look like.


Yes, I know. They're funny looking. I get that. But I don't want to hear it until you try a pair on. It wasn't just the comfort I was sold on, though. The concept of barefoot running was also intriguing. These shoes get runners to land on their midfoot instead of the heal. 

Friday, May 20, 2011

End of One Chapter, Beginning of Another


Some people may not realize that I have been on a considerable absence from blogging for the past couple months, as I have not the foggiest idea how many people actually read my rambles. But for those of you interested in the events of my life, I just hit a mile stone: finishing college! That is not to say that there isn't more schooling in my future, but my first degree, a Bachelor's in Health Science - Nutrition, is complete. With the exception of a few discussion posts this weekend, I am a free women. I can hardly describe how liberating it feels. I spent my first couple of hours of freedom last night sitting on the couch watching a movie, something I have not had the leisure to do during the week in the a long time. I can now fully look forward to the rewards I have in store, a much needed vacation, and my long desired iPad. :D

This will be Adam and I's first real vacation since our honeymoon, so we are pretty thrilled about that. Even more exciting is the fact that we get to spend time with my family, something I absolutely love. Combine that with relaxation, hot weather, Disney, and outstanding food = an awesome vaca! Well worth the wait after a mind boggling last term of school.

I know I have a great deal more to say about things that have happened in the last couple of months, but for now, I'll leave it at being thrilled to be done, and ecstatic about getting away for a little while.....um, yeah, I guess I didn't really need to summarize, but its hard to get writing out of my head after spending a term writing several papers a week. ;)