Wednesday Musings

• Well, the fall semester of classes came out and it looks like none of my remaining classes conflict with each other, so I'll get to graduate again. So I got that going. One step closer to being ordained!
• My favorite work event of the whole year is Friday. I was in school with a male baton twirler that was the best in the world. Yes, he was the marching band feature twirler, but he was a manly man, so don't rip that.... Anyway, super active on campus, probably woudl have been homecoming king at NU, and in all the top honoraries. Anyway, he also did motivational speaking, and was killed by a fatigued driver on teh way to a speech on graduation day his senior year. Anyway, I'm on a small group that came up with the idea to build a memorial fountain on campus in his memory and it will be right outside the alumni center. Anyway, a big fundraising dinner for that on Friday that will put us over the top and we will break ground! Anyway, not the biggest impact I've had at work, but the first thing that was kindof my idea that will be built in granite on campus and be there a while. It's a very cool feeling. It will be even cooler when its done next fall.
• I wish NU had a basketball team. Looks liek Wisconsin is doing OK.
• So how easy is it to get wisconsin football tickets? I hang with 8 guys that do a college football tour each year where we invade a city and just hang out on campus for 3 days -- well this year, the group picked the Iowa-Wisconsin game. How hard is it to get tickets without paying way too much?
• So I've been sick and I lost a little bit of weight, but I'm bummed. I basically lost a month of strength I had built up working out htis winter. Sad.
• Crazy week in the markets. I don't even know what to say. I;ve been warning about the asian markets for a long time, and they finally crashed yesterday, takign the world economy down with it.
  

P.S. (pre-script, not post-script)

I have two über exams this week (Monday night and Wednesday morning) that I've been busy studying for, but after them I'll write a whopping awesome post. Until then, I wanted to tell all I accepted a pharmacy internship at Walmart on the east side of Madison for this summer. And so far, I haven't sucked at this semester so I'm going to try to keep that up. =)

So maybe you could just sit there and anticipate my next post, yes?

I have a spring in my step today

because it's a glorious 47 degrees outdoors. Yesterday I went on a 45-minute walk OUTSIDE. The streets were slushy and wet, but the trails were dry. Then I washed my car for the first time since Christmas. The weather is supposed to stay nice until Saturday, when we're supposed to get a thunderstorm, ice, and snow in the same day. I can't wait. Thundersnow happens only once or twice a year. It's creepy, like something out a sci-fi movie where the world is about to end, but awesome.

I also went to Joann's Fabrics yesterday and stocked up on card-making supplies. I bought a huge stack of assorted bright cardstock for 50% off, some inexpensive polka dot and striped accent paper, bubble alphabet stickers, and some random doodads. Oh, and I splurged on a circle cutter, which is more difficult to use than I anticipated. I've mutilated some of my beautiful cardstock already. Maybe I need to buy the special rubberized mat to put underneath the cutter rather than relying on cardboard?

I went to one of my high school friend's weddings on Saturday. At the reception, I sat with some twins who were a year behind me in school. They have six kids between them, which is mindboggling. When did everyone become such grown-ups?

I hadn't intended on writing Monday Musings, but that's what it turned into. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

To-do list

So, I get my MBA finished off in December and I've been trying to decide how I want to stay busy. I've assembled an entire list of certifications and whatnot that I want to get in the next year. It's going to get a bit busy.

• I want to get notarized. I mean, how cool will it be to verify other people's identity and stuff? Plus, you get to learn all the juicy stuff in documents you are required to review.
• I want to learn the guitar. I know some of the basics, but I want to learn how to play guitar and record some nice little acoustic numbers I've been playing with.
• I want to get ordained. Yup, you can get ordained on the internet now. Cole and I are going to do this together. We've talked about it and think it is a swell idea.
  
• I want to get a real estate license. I mean seriously, all it takes is passing a couple tests, and I'm good at cramming, and I can list my friends houses when they sell, only charge like 1% and clean up. Plus, sell our own home when it's time to upgrade.
• PBA certification -- so I can be an official bowling instructor and run tourneys. This is another Cole and I plan to do together.
• I want to get scuba certified and pass a Class 3 and Class 4 whitewater rafting pass. Is there good whitewater rafting in Wisconsin? If so, perhaps we can knock that one out if we come visit.

I'm sure I will add more to it. But this is a pretty good, diverse list for starters.

Suggestions are welcome.

The dog days of winter

I've decided that February is a lot like August. In August, we're sick and tired of summer & breaking into a sweat the moment we walk outdoors. We can't stop thinking about the crisp, cool days of autumn. In February, we're so sick and tired of winter and the cold & ice that we feel borderline homicidal and CAN'T WAIT until the trees start blooming and the grass turns green again. Nothing makes me appreciate a season more than living through the suckiness of another.

This year I discovered that polarfleece sweatpants make winter much more bearable. Andy is in love with his Wigwam wool socks. Nevertheless, the J.Crew spring catalog still has me daydreaming about flip flops and cute skirts. It looks like yellow is going to be the hot color of 2007. Normally I avoid yellow because I think it makes me look pale & sickly, but this winter muckiness makes me want to give it another try. Maybe yellow accessories would be a good compromise?

Here's a photo to remind everyone of better days to come ...

[sigh]

Why is it so unbelievably expensive to buy healthy groceries?!? I just spent over $80! It'll probably last two weeks, and I tend to feed Mary and Paul at times, but STILL. It's all fresh produce, some salmon (I realize that one's a splurge), and a little dairy. EEK. Rightfully, I'll lose weight from all this tasty health stuff and then need less food and spend less money. So this is really an investment.

P.S. Check out my "gifts" on facebook. What's with that?

When New Surprises Come From Old Friends

Tonight after work I got together at my apartment with my friend, Chase. For those who need a little reminder he is my friend that is in the seminary to become a priest. We decided to watch Shrek 2 and eat some health Pizza Hut pizza (just kidding). Anyway, after the movie was over I was flipping through channels. My favorite show was on, which happens to be "Sex and the City." It also happened that the only other thing on TV was really lame. I asked with caution if it was okay to watch the show and he replied, "Of course it's okay. It's your favorite right?" How nice!

I was nervous at first. I mean these women constantly talk about one night stands, and it just so happened that the first episode included some pot smoking by the ladies. But, none of this phased Chase a bit. In fact, he just asked me questions about their style, such as my thoughts on Samantha's oversided sunglasses (of which I don't like) and on women's tatics in dating. I know this will sound weird, but in a way, Chase is like the gay guy that you can talk about everything with because deep down, you know he'll never want to get in your pants!

Abs of steel, no longer

I can handle that I've started using eye cream to keep the wrinklies away. I didn't even freak out when the 16-year-old at American Eagle told me they no longer stock my favorite pair of jeans because they're selling only uber-low-cut styles these days. But I've been VERY disappointed to learn in the past year or so that I can no longer pig out on junk food like I used to. Not because of the weight thing, but because my body feels like total crap (literally and figuratively) when I do. I ate too many Hershey's Kissables & conversation hearts last night, and I woke up with a pounding headache that still hasn't gone away. It's like an alcohol-free hangover. ugh.