Say what?!

The other day I was in for my annual ladies Dr. appt. There was a form I had to fill out about what kind of meds I take, medical history, if I'm planning on having a baby soon, etc. Of course I checked the "no" box for planning on having a baby. Then when I finally was in the actual appointment she asked me about the baby thing. I said "oh, we want to start next May or something." I said it very casually. She said very adamantly, "Oh, you're planning a baby then!"

She then proceeded to tell me everything that I must do to "get ready" (prepare my body) to have a baby. I then had a very surreal experience. I floated out of my body and kind of just looked down on me from above. She handed me all sorts of things about planning a baby. She even told me what pre-natal vitamins to get. This was all too weird for me. I'm not even married yet! I couldn't wait to tell Jim!

After I left, it really dawned on me. We are trying for a baby in less than a year away. And I smiled. I can't wait to start a family with Jim. And when I told Jim he said I think we should try sooner! Go figure!

two more weeks two more weeks two more weeks

I keep chanting that little diddy to myself. First it was 8 more weeks 8 more weeks 8 more weeks and it has progressively shrunken over the weeks. What this diddy means to me is that in two more weeks I will be done with "classroom" school forever. I'm at the point of no return in which I DETEST SCHOOL WITH A PASSION. I'm glad it happened my last quarter and not my first quarter or else I would have never survived. I am taking three classes this quarter and I hate hate hate one of them (the worst I've ever had in my grad. school experience including the teacher), like one of them but find it tedious but at least the teacher is nice, and love love love one of them including my favorite teacher (Law & Ethics I love you). My teachers know there is something wrong with me this quarter. I go to class with literally a grimace on my face and make annoying noises under my breath and roll my eyes a lot, it's as if I was in high school again. I'm just so done. Unfortunately, all my classes have seemed to save all the assignments for the very very end and packed a lot in at the very end so I find myself with a gazillion papers and presentations. I can handle the papers but what I hate more than ever is group presentations. Here at Seattle U, and I rarely criticize it, they tend to do a lot of this and it is something I consistently rate them on. My advisor told me that if you are sick of school then you are ready for internship. Oh yes, bring it on and NOW please. I start in three weeks. It's about f-r-e-a-k-i-n' time already.

It's real

It was a good mail day today. I received a check in the mail from some random thing, I received Better Homes and Garden Magazine and lastly Jim and I received our first wedding gift. There was this giant box from Target and I tried to remember what I had ordered but low and behold I had not ordered anything. It was a wedding gift! I opened the box up and in it was a beautifully wrapped package from some old friends of the family. Now I don't know what to do with it. Do we open it now? Do we wait until the wedding? And if I open it now when do I send the thank you card? I know what Martha would say but what do you say? Do we open it? What I do know is that this wedding is really happening and SOON!

Gotta love this kids creativity

I saw this on fail blog and thought it was so awesome!

Book Stamps and Senator Kennedy

I love reading. I love libraries. I love staying up late in my bed reading with my head lamp on. I am currently taking a literacy class and just read a chapter that made me want to jump out of my chair and write this blog. I've always been an avid reader. I loved the babysitter club series growing up and Amelia Bedelia before that.

I was amazed to read that the average middle income family has about 199 children books at home and the average middle income school holds about 392 in each individual classroom. Compare that to lower income families where there are just 2.6 children books in the average home and 54 children books in the average classroom. Contrast that with the lowest income home with just .4 books for kids at home and just 47 books in the classroom. This is absolutely ridiculous! I found this hard to swallow! I can't imagine not having books in the home. Heck, Jim and I's favorite date nights are going to half price books or Barnes and Knoble.

I then remembered legislation that Senator Kennedy was working on. He had introduced federal legislation that would have provided children from low-income families with books stamps to exchange for books at book fairs and bookstores. This effort, which was modeled after the federal Food Stamp program, unfortunately was not funded. Can you imagine allowing children from low SES backgrounds to be able to "purchase" books. What an incredibly awesome idea! I'm going to see where this legislation is at and see if I can't support it in some way.

Kids not only need to read a lot, but they also need lots of books they can read accurately, fluently, and with comprehension right at their fingertips! They also need access to books that entice them, attract them to reading be it Junie B. Jones to Captain Underpants to Harry Potter to the Twilight series!

Preparations

So things are well underway in the land of wedding planning bliss. Bliss probably isn't the exact word I would use here...maybe something more along the lines of "chaos personified" works better. Once the invites go out I will be feeling much better. BUt to get that done there have been many little pieces to them. I have been scouring the ads of late using every coupon I could possible convince the cashiers to use. Next on my list for invites are custom made stamps and ordering of the other half of the pictures. Breathe. However they are slotted to be sent out on the day I move into Jim and my new place. So packing, moving, taking three tough classes, working out with a trainer, and planning a wedding have been a little taxing as of late. Plus this hot weather makes me want not to do anything at all. My body has been waking up (read-WIDE AWAKE) at about 5am or so, so I'm going on about roughly 4-5 hours of sleep a night which my body isn't handling well (read-summer cold/horrid sore throat). Plus a horrible sun burn was blessed upon my body when I procrastinated homework and went to the lake with family for two hours. Really that was my fault though, due to me not applying sun screen.

Nightmare Wedding

This morning I awoke from a terrible nightmare about my wedding. The wedding was thrown together. Mom was running late and her and I both had to go pick up and move all this furniture and cookware. It was like a hurricane had hit the location and we were piecing together the building along with trying to cook. It looked familiarly like an lds church gym. Then I hadn't told anyone where to sit, had no wedding favors to give, and hadn't even done the guest book. It was a nightmare. Then for entertainment we decided to put on a play for everyone, a bizarre one at that which had aliens and dragons and the "dragon slayer" aka Coach from the reality TV show Survivor as one of the main characters. There was also talk in the play of ovaries. It was horrid. Then as we moved to the reception my mom and me were locked in a turquoise yucky bathroom (looked very much like my sister's bathroom in her basement apartment in the U-district) fighting the entire time and I kept thinking, i'm supposed to be happy. Oh and did I mention there was no Jim anywhere to be seen.

98 days and totally counting!

I just looked at my wedding counter on my blog and it informed me that I have 98 days until I get married. WOW. It has slowly crept up on us. We still have tons to do. I feel we haven't even scratched the surface in the way of what all needs to get done. I have all the ideas just now need to start implementing them!

What I'm Coveting Now...

Toledo Stool
I've wanted this King Louis Ghost Chair FOREVER. FOREVER. At least the price has gone waaaay down.


This one can come with a variety of different fabrics to choose from

FIFA WORLD CUP FEVER

I've got the fever. I find myself watching every game saying out loud "oh, he's hot," "Oh, he's hotter." So maybe I'm watching it for the wrong reasons but seriously it doesn't get any hotter!

Birthday Trivia

Since it is my birthday today I thought I would throw out a little trivia for you all. Personally I did not look all this up but my radio station wishing me a happy birthday did! Did you know...

Here is a little birthday trivia for you...


* More people celebrate their birthdays in August than in any other month. The two other months in which birthday rates are high is July and September.

* Close to two billion Birthday Cards are sent each year in the U.S. alone, accounting for nearly 58 percent of all cards sent.

* The world's largest birthday cake was created in 1989 it weighed 128,238 pounds, 8 oz. and used 16,209 pounds of icing.

* The most common birth date is October 5 and the least common is May 22 in U.S.A.

* Paul McCartney's Birth Certificate was auctioned in March 1997, for US $84,146. It is believed to be the world's most expensive Birth Certificate.

My first Meme

1. What's on your nightstand? my sleep machine, The Book of Mormon, Cartea Lui Mormon, a book on Shakespeare by Bill Bryson, and a watercolor that my practically grandma painted who has since past away.

2. If you could eat only one thing for lunch for the rest of your life, what would it be? grilled cheese sandwich and macaroni and cheese

3. What is your middle name? Ann. The End.

4. If you could win a shopping spree in any store, which store would you choose? Target. Need I say more?

5. What word or phrase do you use most frequently? I really have no idea the answer to this. It used to be "I'm not going to lie," but it has since changed.

6. What's the last thing you purchased? The book letters to Juliet and a swimsuit and cover up.

7. If you could have a different career, what would it be? Photographer or Interior Designer

8. When you get too stressed out, what do you do to relax and calm down? I'm working very hard on this one. I teach students to take Dragon Breaths and lately I have taken some of my own advice. Do you know 132 toxins are released into our body when we are stressed so we need to do something to have it go somewhere and release it from our body. I'm working harder on this one ie: exercise. Usually Jim calms me down in a matter of minutes or he lets me cry it out too.

9. What's the most recent thing you bookmarked on the internet? The Han Dynasty Discovery. I was looking for a type of relic that the Chinese keep in their graves to keep them company, I want one for my house.

10. What are you most looking forward to during the next two months? MONTANA with the Little Truckers. I leave for the airport in T minus 2 hours if their flights arrive on time.

Letters to Juliet-The Book

Juliet. She’s one-half of the world’s most famous couple, whose enduring legend draws millions of visitors to Verona every year. But that’s only part of the story. Since the 1930s, Juliet has received an untold number of letters from writers all over the world. Most of the missives talk of love, of course—love found and love lost, love sought and love remembered. They may be written by teenagers in the throes of a first crush or struggling with parental censure. They may be from adults celebrating a hard-won love or wrestling with commitment. They come by the truckload, in almost every imaginable language—composed on ornate stationery, scrawled on loose-leaf, or scribbled on whatever scraps were handy. Frequently addressed simply, “Juliet, Verona,” all of these letters reach their destination and, amazingly enough, all of them receive an answer.

Letters to Juliet is the story of these letters and the volunteers who have been answering them for more than 70 years—volunteers who first acted privately, and who are now sanctioned by the city of Verona to answer thousands of letters each year as part of the Juliet Club. Complete with selected letters, this romantic and poetic book also contains the history behind Shakespeare’s tale and the monuments that fuel the legend. Utterly unique and magical, Letters to Juliet is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt the pangs of love. (this review taken off of Amazon.com)

I have been to fair Verona and have seen the detailed scribbles of love lost and found. The greatest love story ever told? I'm not sure about that because as we all know they both end up dead over a miscommunication. But I would say, as Bridget Jones would say, the top ten at least!

What I'm Coveting Now x 2

I'm sorry if the title of this annoys you or is seems um what's the word...sacreligous. I just want a lot of things and it is a way for me to remember what I want! That being said here are the latest items that has inspired me! How is it I could find something I wanted to own everyday of the year!

fly free necklace found at http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/ I also love their family tree necklace!

the perfect inspiration for living everyday to the fullest.

Second
The book Letter to Juliet-I saw the movie-enjoyed it what with beautiful vistas of Italy. I just never knew the story before! I have been to Verona and didn't even know they did that with the letters (I won't spoil the movie for you)!

Pop's Sicles

I've probably said this before but I love popsicles. Especially the red, white, and blue "rocket pops." The other day I recently saw an ice-cream truck driving around a neighborhood waiting for kids to get out of school blasting the song "pop goes the weasel." I had to immediately stop my car and get me a popsicle. Maybe I'm wanting summer to be here sooner rather than later, or maybe I am really deficient in Vitamin D at the moment (where are you sunshine?). Either way, I crave popsicles year round.

So here are some interesting facts about the lovely low-fat treat.

1. In 1905, 11 yr. old Frank Epperson left a cup filled with powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick on his San Francisco porch. That night temperatures froze and a summetime staple was born.

2. Two billion popsicles are sold every year.

3. 1923-Originally it was called the "Epsicle," but his children called it Pop's 'sicle. The name officially changes and two years later he partners with Joe Lowe Company, which then distributed the treats around the country.


4. 1939-The brand introduces Popsicle Pete, the boy mascot, for the next five decades. Yeah he's a bit creepy, not going to lie.


5. 1986-The company retires its two-stick variety (first sold during the Great Depression for a nickel) on the advice of moms, who deem it too messy. Remember having to use the corner of the counter to "break" the popsicle in half?

6. 2010-Plants are in Nevada, Maryland, and Missouri. I would love to tour a plant!

7. Cherry is the most popular flavor!


What is your favorite flavor? I love banana, cherry, and orange!

Hope

Lately I have been studying about hope as I've been feeling hopeless regarding certain issues in my life and hopeful about others. I came across this post card on postsecret and I liked it. It's about hope.

What I'm Coveting Now

Has anyone heard of Ballard Designs? I've loved a lot of their stuff for years. We are talking since high school when I ordered little eiffel tower pushpins from there. So low and behold a catalog came to me in the mail the other day and I found a lost friend in Ballard Designs. Only available through their website or catalog. So I found this gem. And since I lived in London it seemed fitting. For those who love Paris, they also have one with street names from Paris. I wish they had brown and white but I'll take it nonetheless!

The Wedding Dress has Arrived

Woo-Hoo! It was supposed to arrive in July but it is here early! And I must say I need to lose some weight and quick. Funny story-I tried on the balero jacket today and I knew it was going to be snug but um...i got stuck...for about 35 minutes cuz I was by myself. And the balero jacket is short in the back and I couldn't reach it to pull on it. It was a funny, sad, and a hectic event. So um, Weight Watchers is back on track again. I've lost another 2 pounds...How do I lose fat in my arms the quickest?

What I'm Coveting Now

Let's face it folks I have been oogling this for years. I am so not kidding here. I. AM. IN.LOVE.WITH.THIS.SERIES. I think it is actually real. In fact the other day I referred to President Bartlet as if he was real. I'm pathetic.

What I'm Coveting Now: 2

Can't you just see my "French Market Caddy" filled with wood, delicate rolls of wrapping paper or simply baguettes? I can. Hence the coveting. It can be found on wisteria.com. Love it!

What I'm Coveting Now: Part 1

I have decided that each week I will discuss an item I have been eyeing but in no way can afford as of yet. This gem came to me while reading my aunt's copy of "Country Living" and though I'm not a country girl (nor is my aunt) we also love looking at it and you can always find something that will work with your own personal style in the magazine. This is called the Edison Lamp from michelevarian.com. I'm obsessed and find myself looking at it constantly. The lightbulbs can be ordered from destinationlighting.com for $14.95 (though the lamp comes with its own too). Yeah, I want it. It will just have to go in my book of wants for now.

1000 Awesome Things

There is a blog called "1000 Awesome Things," ( http://1000awesomethings.com/ ) and now he has published a book called "The book of Awesome." I just happened upon it today and love it. For all those optimists out there this is for you. It is recognizing those little things that you love. For instance here are some things i find awesome

1. The smell that comes from opening a new can of tennis balls
2. A white bowl filled with cherries
3. Listening to Car Talk on NPR on a Saturday morning, preferably washing my car at the same time
4. Bubble Wrap
5. Salmon Run
6. Jim's Smile
7. Reading my book with my headlamp into the wee hours of the morning, knowing I can sleep in
8. The sound and smell of rain or newly cut grass
9. Organizing my purse
10. School supplies

Some of these seem universal and some of these are very personal. What do you find awesome?

My life in boxes

It's pretty sad when you can sum up your entire life in 20 boxes. This picture represents my life from the age of 0 to the age of 24. My other 12 boxes are in Seattle that represent my life from the age of 25-present day. And now they all sit in a storage unit waiting to get married and start a home of our own. Mostly the boxes consisted of books, holiday decorations, and memorabilia, but mostly books. Jim was shocked.

Happy

This picture was taken at the Chicago Art Museum while I was visiting Chicago. It is a relic from the Chinese...or maybe some other Asian country (I can't remember).I believe it was to bring a person who had died good luck, not necessarily good luck but something like that. It was buried with the person to keep them company mostly. I just fell in love with it and want one of my own but since I don't even know what it is called I'm not sure how to track it down. But i love it and everyday I see it on my phone and smile. Doesn't he look so happy!

Can love grow?

People may want to gag at this entry but let me just say first things first, I have the best fiancee. So the other day he told me that he was going to get me a bouquet of tulips as they are my favorite but instead he thought that would mean more to me if I he took me to the tulip festival an hour North of Seattle! He melted me right then and there on the phone.

Green Lake

The other day my friend called me up to say that she was ditching work for the rest of the day after a dentist appointment because it was sunny and 75 degrees. My previous work engagement had literally just been canceled. And so we decided to head to Green Lake for a nice 2.6 mile walk around the lake. Green Lake is one of those places that I automatically relax and just smile all the time. Towards the end we looked out at the lake and saw these turtles soaking up the sun as well! Who knew there were turtles in Green Lake! We then went to a great Mexican restaurant called Aqua Verde and enjoyed chips, salsa, and pineapple juice on the deck. Oh I love Sunny days in Seattle, even though at this moment in time the wind is blowing like 50 miles an hour and it is rainy and cloudy, nothing can take away that glorious day!

I survived!

My to do list for school is done and I am officially on spring break as of today! Yeah! I even got a 4.0. Am shocked about that but I am happy too. I didn't put my all into all the papers and things because sometimes you just can't even though it eats at me that I didn't do my best. Oh well. My sanity is somewhat in tact.

3rd time's a charm?!

This is a post to wish Jim good luck! He has been interviewing for a very lucrative job along with some great benefits (can you say free directTV and any sports tickets he wants!) This is kind of a dream job for him working at Fox Sports Northwest, right up his alley). He has made it past two rounds so far! The last round will be Friday in person and two hours long! I would die of stress but Jim doesn't even get nervous hence he has no gray hairs. So good luck honey! I love you!

Mr. Brown

This morning I just found out that my favorite teacher from high school passed away Friday morning. I'm shocked at how much this has affected me. He has been battling cancer for 9 long years, it was an up and down battle but finally it got him. He was not supposed to be my favorite teacher as he taught math and at that time I was not one of those great math students. I tried hard but concepts didn't just come to me. He worked with me all the time and was the funniest teacher too. He wouldn't put up with people's crap, especially when I came in late every morning due to it being first period. I may have been his favorite (though I'm sure Kelly, Whitney, and every other person at the school think that) but he still gave me detention once I had my three tardies. But it didn't matter. I knew he cared for me, a genuine care.

He was the teacher who always participated in everything. Me being on ASB I would go to him for support oh say for swimming in this huge puddle in the middle of winter if the ASB raised enough money, or to shave his head to support a teacher who had breast cancer in an assembly. He was the one who was there coordinating efforts my Senior year for homecoming princess. He lined up the corvettes we rode on. For being a math teacher, he was just involved and cool.

I think my favorite thing about him was his honesty. He didn't sugar coat things but he wasn't mean about it either. There was a time my Senior year when I was thinking of dropping math. He had a discussion with my mom on the phone in front of me. It was Spring of my Senior year I was almost done and I just didn't care about math. They ultimately decided it was my choice, and so I dropped it. But I remember thinking I wouldn't have him as a teacher and I seriously was saddened by this. I made sure to visit him each week in the "pit," (the basement) where they kept all the math teachers. I wold later become a prodigy of sorts (insert laughing here) in statistics and he found out about it through a professor of mine. Here I was T.A.ing as an undergraduate for graduate statistic classes. It was kind of ironic. I never did well in Algebra or geometry. But I know if I had had a teacher unlike him I would have not even passed basic algebra.

I was lucky to see him recently as I ran into him last summer at Costco while visiting my father. He was able to see my engagement ring and realize who I was marrying at which he said simply "good guy." He also was able to hear that I was going to be a school psychologist and he said "I'm proud of you Hayley, stick with it, you belong in the schools."

NO teacher has ever come close to being my favorite. When things ask for password protection questions I always choose the "who is your favorite teacher" question because I know without a doubt I won't ever forget.

The math department and his family has started a Chuck Brown Scholarship Fund. Anyone that new Chuck realizes that there is no better way to honor and remember him than through a scholarship in his name.Chuck always stressed to his students the importance of continuing their education beyond high school.

Make checks payable to: Selah School District- Chuck Brown Scholarship

Mail to: Selah School District # 119….105 West Bartlett…Selah,Wash. 98942

Services will be held on Saturday march 27th at 2:00.

*I will try to post a picture later

Assignments due

I thought I would journal this to remind myself in the future that I made it through grad school! This all has to be done by next Tuesday. Freaking out!

Case Study #1 (Tuesday)
Case Study #2 (Tuesday)
4 Practicum logs due (Tuesday)
Hours log signed by supervisor (Tuesday)
Supervisor review (Tuesday)
3 Counseling logs (Tuesday)
Woodcock Johnson-III, 3rd round grading (Wednesday)
Comprehensive Report Personality & Behavior (Thursday)
Comprehensive Report IQ (Monday)
Comprehensive Report Presentation (Monday)
WISC computer scored (Monday)
WISC evaluation Report (Monday
DAS II scored (Monday)
DAS II evaluation Report (Monday)
UNIT give (Monday
UNIT score (Monday)
UNIT evaluation Report (Monday)
K-ABC Test Review (MOnday)
Luncheon (Thursday)
SSIS computer scored (Tuesday)
Work-Wednesday 1-5pm

On top of which I need to study for FINALS!!!!

A few of my favortie things about the Chicago trip in pictures!

Remembering Jim at every turn as Chicago is where we reconnected after ten years!


The friendliness of the midwest! Love those people!


Graduate Student of the Year & Scholarship!


"The bean"


Green River for St. Paddy's day! Well I almost made it there for this! PS-Top ten things I want to do with my life is to attend and be in Chicago for St. Patrick's day!


Cheese bar! Enough SAID!


Hancock lounge 96 floors up! Enjoyed a nice evening with a great friend and a great view!



One of my favorite restaurants from the East Coast, COSI and their signature salad. As well as a great sandwich shop from the East Coast. Potbelly! Great shakes and PB&J sandwiches!


L Train, easy to use and get around!


Free night at the Art Museum!




Magnificent Mile & Architecture


Chicago style deep dish Pizza!



Free luggage check from Alaska! Thanks perfect stranger who made our day!

Sick of it yet?

So I took a three day hiatus from the Olympics because I'm gearing up for a big trip on an airplane and cannot get sick, therefore I need my sleep, hence taking a break from the Olympics. And also I was getting overly stressed and kind of tired of it. That being said I didn't miss it too much as people kept me informed. But then last night I decided to watch and low and behold I got sucked back into it! Dang it!

Sometimes you gotta dance

So this is going to be a happy entry. This quarter has been really stressful and I feel like it is a real balancing act. That being said I have also been blessed this quarter with many things. Financially it was always going to be a tough quarter what with the amount of credits I'm taking so I was always worried about that. Also, I am presenting at a conference and that doesn't get paid for by anyone but me so that was another added stress. Looks good on a resume just expensive. Plus the wedding and so many other bills. So onto the good news.

Let me recall all the ways in a list as it is much more efficient. Here are the "good things" from the past month!

1. Highly paid Internship relieving financial worries for next year and got it way early relieving stress and am able to plan out my next year of life.

2. I did my tax return and found out I'm getting some money back but it never came and never came then i checked in on it and found out I'm getting almost double of what I thought, due to an error on my part!

3. There was some stress with my wedding dress. I found that they just started selling a beaded bolero jacket that goes with my dress only to find out that you had to buy the dress with it. But it was never offered when I bought it since it is a brand new item! I went to one store and they told me I couldn't get it separately at all and then I went to another store and they said since I just bought my dress I could just exchange my dress for the exact same one and pay the little bit of difference! So it all worked itself out or will be worked out in the next week!

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers was playing on the radio when I started my car up tonight after a very long class! Then I switched stations after that song was done and the other station was playing Red Hot Chili Peppers. Lovely.

5. I worked very hard on an assignment and it paid off receiving the highest grade in the class!

6. I found out today that a scholarship I applied to way back in December was accepted and I received it to help out with costs at the conference. I thank my professor for urging me to apply even though it was Christmas and we were going back and forth while he was in California. It was a lot of work! I thought that I didn't get it seemed how I hadn't heard anything. But today I heard and I got it! And it turns out is is a major award with a presentation and whole day devoted to it including a luncheon! Who knew!?

7. The Olympics!

I am kind of proud of myself and had to stop and think today over the stress of the quarter. It really could have been a much worse quarter. I've worked hard these past two years and it is finally paying off! Literally! haha I am thankful to the Lord for giving me things at the exact moment I needed them!

Olympics Update

First, has anyone else lost sleep because of the Olympics? I find myself tired every morning. Perhaps, it is because I'm up into the wee hours of the morning watching every last event. Also, I'm kind of sad that it isn't a live feed. Especially since I am on the West Coast and 2 hours from Vancouver. Jim just goes to the Internet and then taunts me with the results ALL night long via text.

Second, I love the commercials. Has anyone else found themselves balling? I really love the GO VISA commercials and the Proctor and Gamble ones about the Moms and kids. Gets me every time.

Third, lets talk about Evan Lysacek. I loved that he teared up last night after he was done. He was probably exhausted and proud and knew it paid off for him. I really felt for him, just overwhelmed with emotion. They said he is the hardest and most prepared of everyone and it showed. I was a proud American last night.

The Olympics

So for those who don't know me very well I love the Olympics. I eat them up. And the event I most love is figure skating. Even in the non-olympic years if there is a free Saturday where I'm hanging out at the house and I flip through the channels I will inevitably stop if there is figure skating and then be enthralled in the event for the next five years forgetting everything.

So anyway, back to this years Olympics. I found myself watching the opening ceremony with my sister Tayler and my Aunt and Uncle. I was the last one standing by the end of the ceremony. Everyone had gone to bed. I was annoyed by all the technical difficulties, mostly the sound kept going in and out. Thanks NBC. I was impressed by the whales swimming through the event and by the moon!

Back to figure skating. Things that annoy me so far just two days in with regards to figure skating.
1. They don't tell you the music they are skating to, thus making you spend all your energy figuring out the composition rather than watching the skaters
2. Dick Button-I AM SO GLAD he isn't commentating this year, however they had him on a special and he still didn't make sense
3. They don't tell you what is required of the short program.
4. They don't put the flags when they are listing everyone in the place positions so you don't know which country is in the standings or which country was knocked off, etc. Super annoying!
5. They had flag glitches when they finally did at the very end, even more annoying!
6. THE SCORING! Super annoying. You don't get to see what judges voted which way. I know there was controversy at the 2002 Olympics game in Utah but there has got to be a better way. It makes it not as fun to watch. Very inconsistent Scott Hamilton commented last night. I agree with him!

Here are some past Dick Button quotes from Torino that I had kept for good laughs!

"What I wish she would do is tie her shoelaces and tuck them into her skates."

"Excessively arms flailing around."

"Put their skate over there heads, it’s just ugly and they been doing that for twenty years."

"Dreeeeeadfullllll!"
"You can't sing this to Torville and Deen. If you are going to sing the National Anthem then you better be as good as Whitney Houston and not Rosanne bar!"

"That was disastrous."

"Not a with-it performance in any way shape or form."

"She’s wild!"

"Her mature body is certainly not holding up for her"

"There was more choreography in that landing then there was in the rest of the program"

"Done to get more points but really was very unattractive"

"The edges were just jittery"

":She certainly is attractive on the ice, lovely costume, figure, just wish she could have more zing with her moves."

And there you have it. So glad he isn't commentating this year!

It is real

So today I received a letter from my future Intern site so now it has really sunk in! They told me that school starts on September 8th but I go back on August 25th with the rest of the faculty. This is funny because one of the reasons I wanted to practice psychology in the schools is because of having the summers off. Making a decent amount of money for only working 9 months out of the year! However, this next summer will be the worst for every intern because we are still in classes until August 17th! So I will get one week off before jumping into everything! I'm nervous and excited at the same time.

Lately I have been doubting my abilities as a psychologist and Jim pointed out that it is probably because as I inch closer to the end of my classes and have learned everything I need learn at the University level now it is just getting experience and life learning. Which is probably true. I hope I will be a great school psychologist; I certainly want to be!

Just another sunny day

Today was a beautiful day in the great city of Seattle. High was about 60 and as I left the movie theatre at 8pm it had only dropped a couple of degrees. Even while sitting in a restaurant the sun was blasting in my eyes and we had to ask the waitress to lower the blinds! I then made my way to Jim's house and we went and hung out in lower Queen Anne and walked the blocks and then made a stop at our favorite hang out, Easy Street Records. It literally felt like a spring evening if not summer for this area! I'm feeling sorry for all of you folks who are stuck on the East Coast. I have one thing to say to you. SUCKERS!

Internship?

Check! WOO-HOO! I have been spending all my waking days trying to secure an internship for next year. Of course I've been doing all of this with taking 10 credits (6 is full-time) along with 3 jobs and a practicum. So it's been a little hectic to say the least. However, I had about four interviews lined up for the next month or so. Last week was my first one in the Auburn school district and well my number one choice for many reasons. One of the reasons, though not the only reason, is that it pays well. It is the highest paid internship in the state! Well I rocked the interview and I literally fell in love with them. I wanted to be in their district so much. I had never wanted anything more with the exception of Jim. They were so friendly and the four of them and I talked and chatted like we were old friends. Granted I was nervous for the first couple of questions but then I eased up and felt confident that I knew what I was talking about. So I knew they had two positions open and I knew going in that they had said on paper I was the strongest candidate (I had a friend who was in an internship there, THANK YOU BRITTANY).

So this was last Thursday and they said I wold find out by tomorrow (Wednesday). Well they called me yesterday at 3pm after they had finished interviews and said simply "we want you." And then I made a fool of myself and said "yes, yes, yes." And they said "so that's a yes" and as Carren would say "um, yeah!" And then I found out today from my inside source that I was their top choice out of the two of us they hired! Even beter!

Jim of course supported me the entire time and he knew I had it but I didn't have faith in me that I needed. So now of course I don't have to go to any of my other interviews! WOOHOO! I could go for experience but it is way too much stress this quarter and for the love of pete I HAVE AN INTERSHIP! WOOHOO!

Things I'm just starting to notice about myself...

1. I will never go back to cloth seats again. I love my leather seats and they clean up so nicely, especially after spilling hot chocolate all over yourself because the stupid lady at starbucks didn't put the lid on tight.

2. I love ANY music that has a harmonica playing somewhere in it.

3. I get. overwhelmed. a lot. (actually this is not something I just noticed about myself I've always known this)

4. I am going to love love love being a school psychologist. My career path rocks.

5. I need to forgive people who don't post as often as I would like as I've been doing the same lately.

6. I rely on Jim way too much. I love that man.

Here we go again...

I am back in at Weight Watchers after taking a 3 week hiatus over the holidays. I've been back for two weeks and lost 2.5 pounds. I am determined this week to reach my 5% goal! I was so close before the holidays and now I'm back to where I was before the holidays. I'm frustrated at myself. So my goal this week is to lose 3.6 pounds and exercise five times a day for 10 minutes. Then next week I will have that 10 minutes to 20 minutes, etc. I am writing this here so I have more of an obligation! I am determined! 3.6 is a lot to lose so if it takes me two weeks that is okay.

SO here are my three goals for the week in relation to WW.
1. WOrk out ten minutes a day at least five days a week
2. Track everything I eat!
3. Drop 3.6 pounds for an ambitious goal or 2 pounds for a regular goal.

Seaside, OR

LOTS O'PICTURES AHEAD
Jim and I had the fortunate pleasure of visiting Seaside Oregon with our very good friends Charles and Diana (serious), though we call him Chuck. They invited us to one of their time shares for a relaxing five days leading up to Christmas. We are talking wearing sweats everyday, sleeping in, staying up late playing games, and eating anything we wanted. It was blissful to say the least. We so enjoyed their company so much so that we have declared this an annual thing. Jim learned the fine art of playing games and perhaps saw a little competitive spark in me, though not much, lets be honest here.

We visited the Tillamook Cheese factory, YUMMMMY. As you probably all know I am a cheese fanatic. I had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, perhaps my favorite meal of all time. What was the most fascinating part of it all, and I think we all agreed is the packaging process. We got mesmerized (20 minutes) starring at this machine that would ditch some of the packed cheese into this bin. We studied it and realized there must have been a weight limit and then some air would blow it off into the bin. I've included some pictures of this also. And I loved one of their adds "Only serve our cheese on special occasions. Like times when you eat."

We also went to Cannon Beach on a beautiful day. The cloudy skies parted for us and we had sunny weather. We also went to the goonies home and data's house (my favorite character). If you remember correctly the secret key from Goonies aligned up with the cannon beach rocks! Along, with the school where Kindergarten Cop was filmed. Nostalgia returned as I remember fond memories of my childhood vacationing there in Astoria. We also climbed a lot of stairs...I don't quite remember how many but tons to see this gorgeous 360 degree view of the coast and valley. Again, the fog cleared right as we reached the top.

Diana and Chuck were such fun travel buddies, mostly because we were all pretty low key. The pool outside was a toasty 96 and the hot tub a nice 103, who cares if it was 40 degrees outside we were in nice warm water, while the rain pelted us. Costco was on our way to Seaside so we stopped and stalked up there and bought our planned out meals. Everything was perfect. And what is even better the NO TAX in Oregon, oh how glorious! Compared to the 10% we pay over here in Wa! BOO. We also loved that we didn't have to pump our own gas. Also a bonus. Yeah to Oregon and yeah to beloved friends!