Kirstin's Soapbox

1 month Post Surgery

2010-11-13T15:05:00.002-05:00

I'm now 1 month post-op and healing nicely. My nose is looking great and I'm looking forward to seeing my doc for a post-op appt this week. The swelling has gone away for the most part except in the morning and when I exercise. I'm a little concerned about the tip being crooked, though it isn't noticable unless you look at it from underneath (like pic 2). I have a new haircut to go with my new nose and I'm feeling good about the change.

Pics taken after work today

2010-10-29T21:09:00.002-04:00

I took this pic after work today so you could see that the nose is a little less swollen later in the day.

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - 2 weeks

2010-10-28T01:03:00.005-04:00

It's been 2 weeks since my surgery and recovery is going well! I spend a lot of time looking in the mirror thinking "who is that person?". The change is very obvious to me, though most people can't tell a difference unless I point it out. I wake up each morning with a swollen nose, but the swelling decreases throughout the day. The general swelling overall improves every day. The end of my nose is the most swollen and is still really numb. It could take up to a year to regain total feeling and for the swelling to go down. I took these pics right before leaving for work, so my nose is pretty swollen. I'll throw in a "before" shot so you can see the difference.

My new nose!!

2010-10-21T21:33:00.003-04:00

This morning I went in for my post-op to get the cast off my nose and the splints out of my nose. The doc pulled two massive (2 inch long) plastic splints out of my nose to my great relief; I could finally breathe through my nose for the first time in 8 days!! My nose is still really swollen and will settle over the next few months. The doc told me to keep an eye on my nose to make sure it stays straight. If I see that it's off line, I'm supposed to push hard on the cartilage to line it back up. Yeah, ouch. I love the look of the new nose! I had two people tell me at different times today that my new nose makes me look younger. I took these photos right after my appointment this morning.

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 8

2010-10-20T23:25:00.002-04:00

Back to the grind this morning after a late night at the theatre. I made it to 2pm before I had to leave from exhaustion. Most of my co-workers were surprised to see me without a pair of shiners. The big reveal of my new nose happens tomorrow morning. I am so excited!

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 7

2010-10-19T18:08:00.003-04:00

Today I'm feeling mostly human except for my nose. Mom and I went shopping for a couple hours yesterday so I feel a little more prepared to head back to the working world tomorrow. I'm SO excited to get my cast off on Thursday and see what's underneath. My only fear is damaging my nose once it's off. I accidentally bumped my nose last night with my hand and it was really painful. I'm still having a hard time tasting food and the congestion continues. I really hope once the doc removes my splints and cleans out my nose the congestion will go away. Tonight we're headed to see In the Heights, I'm so excited to see it!

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 6

2010-10-18T15:20:00.003-04:00

Today I'm feeling fine. I took a nice shower this morning and did my hair for the first time. The swelling in my face is minimal except for the nose itself. I'm not in any pain, just really tired all the time. Sleep at night is interrupted by dry mouth caused from sleeping with my mouth open and breathing through my mouth all day. I still can't taste food very well, although I can sense sweet, salty and sour.

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 5

2010-10-17T12:50:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I ventured out to a hazelnut farm and out to the salon. Moving around made me SO tired. I'm feeling even more human today, starting out the day with a good breakfast. There isn't a lot of pain, just pressure around my nose and never-ending congestion. It's frustrating to not be able to taste food. I made world peace cookies last night and couldn't even smell them baking.

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 4

2010-10-16T14:38:00.002-04:00

I slept most of the night and feel better this morning. I ate breakfast and felt OK afterwards, so I'm switching back to real food. Feeling better after a bath this morning and planning to get my hair washed at a salon. It will be the first time leaving my house since surgery.

Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 3

2010-10-16T14:31:00.003-04:00

Last night was the WORST! I woke up at 4:30 in the morning feeling really nauseous and threw up. My stomach didn't feel better and I was awake until the morning when I threw up again. Every time I threw up it caused a lot of pressure on my nose. I stopped taking pain killers because of the nausea so I'm pretty miserable. I finally got ahold of the ENT nurse in the morning to get a prescription for anti-nausea meds. Thankfully they work, but she puts me on a clear liquid diet for the day to make sure I don't throw up and damage my nose. Most of the day was pretty awful. I didn't take my pain meds and was hungry from lack of real food. The swelling has moved down from my eyes and into my cheeks.

Septorhinoplasty Journey - Day 2

2010-10-16T14:27:00.002-04:00

Today I am definitely more swollen. I was up many times during the night to ice my face. I'm eating regularly and feel OK. The congestion is really annoying and my teeth are a little sore. I spend most of the day resting and icing.

My Septorhinoplasty Journey - Surgery Day

2010-10-16T14:17:00.004-04:00

I had a lot of anxiety going into this procedure. We arrived at the surgery center at 6am and by 7:30 I was being wheeled back to the OR. I had a good experience with the nursing staff and the MDs. Day 1 of recovery I wore a nose sling to catch the dripping blood and took my my meds. I spent a large part of the day icing my eyes. Before pictures and surgery pics below.

Viva Mexico!

2009-02-28T19:14:00.006-05:00

Halloween Party Pics for Stace

2008-09-20T17:00:00.004-04:00

Oregon

2008-09-14T14:05:00.003-04:00

Why I love Oregon:

The beautiful coast

Mount Hood

The Roses

The Waterfalls

Beach Parties

The Hiking

So I'm a little behind...let's catch up

2007-10-25T22:46:00.000-04:00

Here we are waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The wedding in the DR was GORGEOUS! The ceremony took place on a stage set right above the water during sunset.

Willie came down to the DR to escort us ladies to the wedding. He even danced on stage with us!

Here is the gorgeous dining area. Really, the wedding was just amazing. Great live band with awesome dancing. Enrique's wonderful family who was so hospitable. Aaahhh...now I want to go back!

The Dominican Temple

2007-07-06T18:31:00.001-04:00

The Dominican Temple was beautiful. During our visit there was a meringue concert blasting from a block away. It was great!

I LOVE this picture

More Dominican Goodness

2007-07-05T21:05:00.000-04:00

Enrique picked up Charity and I and his dad took us on a tour of the city

We stopped for iced lemonade and yummy empanadas. One of the types of empanadas was made out of "shellfish". It is supposed to be an aphrodisiac. I just thought it was mighty tasty!

After our city tour, Enrique took us on a drive out to the Carribean. There seemed to be no rules on the roads in the DR which made for a wild ride!

This was a nice resort right on the water. People were hanging out eating and swimming. So beautiful

Our first dip in Carribean water! It was so warm and clear.

Dominican Republic!!

2007-07-05T20:46:00.001-04:00

The day after Thanksgiving, Charity and I flew down to the Dominican Republic to attend Melissa and Enrique's second wedding bash. The first night was spent trying to navigate our way through the country in broken Spanish to find our hotel. The next morning we wandered around the colonial area of Santo Domingo. Our first stop was the home of Christopher Columbus' brother.

The ceilings were so ornate

The oldest church in the Americas

Thanksgiving 06'

2007-07-05T20:25:00.000-04:00

We marvel at the wonder of such a large and delicious meal

MMmmmm....so good!

Calvin's preferred movie-watching seating

Jill and Sophie cozy up to watch a movie. Notice Jill is in her pajamas. None of us ever changed into formal holiday clothes. Pajamas all day!

Sophie finishes her holiday with a little dessert :)

Stacey's Farewell

2007-04-28T14:37:00.000-04:00

Our good friend Stacey decided to kick the 70 hour work week habit and join the regular work force by taking a job in DC. We were happy that she found an awesome new job, but sad to see her go.

Being Silly

Jill taking the opportunity to check out the junk in my trunk (aka my "lovely lady hump")

We ate good food cooked by Melissa and Enrique

Mark showed up in his shiny new chick magnet--red hot.

Catching up

2007-04-28T14:21:00.000-04:00

In October, Jill, Autumn, Ben and I went to Minnehaha falls, then over to a corn maze. Ben and I found chucking corn at unsuspecting friends to be more fun than actually finding clues in the maze. We also splattered pumpkins using a pumpkin slingshot.

Halloween was spent down in Rochester. Ben and Adam decided to make homemade ninja turtle costumes. Here are the boys working on their shells.

Here is Charity as Marsha Brady, Ben as a Ninja Turtle, Me as a pouffy sparkly witch, Adam as a Ninja Turtle and Jill as Peter Pan. This was a very fun night. Turned out to be a little scary for some though :)

Melissa and Enrique's Wedding

2007-01-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

Our friends Melissa and Enrique met on a chilly night in downtown Minneapolis dancing at Tiburon. Melissa disappeared for much of the night and Charity and I later found out that she had been chatting at the bar with the handsome Enrique who she had been dancing with earlier. These two were made for each other. You could tell just by the way they danced that they belonged together. A year and a half later, they were married on September 9th in the St. Paul Temple.

Adam flew in from Boston to attend the wedding. It was so good to see him and dance with him at the reception.

The reception was held at Fhima's in downtown St. Paul. The food, company and dancing were great. Enrique's dad mentioned the expectation of 5 grandbabies in his toast to the newlyweds.

Apple Picking!

2006-12-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

I took a day off of work to enjoy a beautiful fall day in Minnesota. Stacey and I were on a quest, once again, to find the perfect orchard. We're still looking, but we have a good time trying to find it.

Calvin had more fun playing under the tree than actually picking the apples

Look at all the pretty gourds

Sophie finds a keeper

Jill's Clue Party

2006-12-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Jill's birthday was a great excuse to get our friends together in costume and play "Clue" for the night. Here Jill (Ms. White) is getting cozy on the couch with Mr. Green and Colonol Mustard.

Autumn chose to be a dead "Mr. Boddy". Her bloody exterior was a little too real thanks to a great blood recipe that included corn syrup, red food dye and chocolate syrup. Erin played the role of Yvette

Happy Birthday Jill!!

Party time before the old ball and chain...

2006-12-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

Melissa and Enrique celebrated their last few days as singletons at our apartment and dancing at Babalu's. I made flan for the Latin Lover and creme brulee for the girlies.

Mark is a handsome devil, eh?

The "Latin Lover" and me

Stacey and I....look at all the love

Jill's Non-Party Birthday Celebration

2006-11-01T22:20:00.000-05:00

Jill's birthday fell on General Conference weekend, so we had to postpone her party. But, we couldn't go without a little celebrating on her big day. Our Rochester friends came up for the weekend and we dragged them over to our new favorite feeding hole--the Global Market. Jill scarfs down fish tacos above.

Adam loves some fried catfish

Roomie close-up

Later while the guys were gone, Jill and Charity experimented with Jill's new do. The end result was a mohawk of sorts. I like to call it "lesbian hair"

No birthday would be complete without a some cake with a little lesbian hair on the side. Let's hope Jill got her wish!

MHA Kickoff Fish Lake

2006-10-10T22:58:00.000-04:00

To kick off the start of the MHA program, the class of 2008 took a trip up to Fish Lake to bond. It turned out to be more of a frat party of sorts, but I had fun getting to know my classmates.

My crazy professor Vern took me fishing out on the lake. I've decided that lake fishing is kinda lame. It takes no skill to cast out in any direction and wait for the fish to bite. The two fish I caught were small perch. It seemed like that was all that we caught except for the small mouth bass in the picture

These are two of the mormon guys in the program. They can be easily identified by their cute wives and babies.

Adam's Last Dinner Group (sob!)

2006-10-07T00:48:00.000-04:00

Before Adam abandoned us for Boston, we had one last dinner group in his honor. Eden was kind enough to be a guest chef and teach us how to make a few Ethiopian dishes.

He likes it. It's so great to live in a city where I can buy injera bread at my local grocery sore. Yay for St. Paul!

We all miss Adam very much!!

Island Park Family Reunion

2006-10-06T23:51:00.000-04:00

Once again, Island Park proves to be good times all around. I have a great family. Here we are all dressed up for the annual family picture. Matt returned from his mission just 1 day before we went up for the week.

Jason, Amber, Pheobe and I went on a hike in search of huckleberries. After finding many green berries we thought our searching was in vain but then we hit the motherload on one hillside. Picking the bag of berries in my hand took about an hour. The berries have to be picked one at a time and are sparse on the bush. We picked enough berries to make huckleberry pancakes and huckleberry syrup for breakfast the next morning....yum!

Dad cleaned up once again on the golf course. I managed to have a few moments of genius on the links, but they were few and far between.

Dad and I went canoeing down Henry's Fork in search of a few good fishing holes...

And we found one. I caught a good sized rainbow out of this hole on my first cast.

Heather and Ross took a trip down the same branch of Henry's Fork, but their trip had a little more excitement than ours. Coming around a bend in the river, they heard some splashing in the water. Looking downstream they saw a moose that was going NUTS in the water. It was a crazy moose! Heather and Ross started backpaddling, but the moose heard them, jumped up on the bank, and started to chase them down. After backpaddling as hard as they could, they succumed to the current and paddled down the river past the huge crazy beast. They were lucky to survive the encounter.

It was great to hang out with the family up where the air is thin. I miss the mountains so much.

Memorial Day Backpacking Trip

2006-10-04T22:53:00.000-04:00

We hiked for 3 days on the Superior Trail up North on the shore of Lake Superior. The weather was PERFECT! Good times, not too many mosquitos(save the night at the beaver pond), lots of bad singing, getting to know my friends in a wilderness setting: all in all a sucessful trip.

Our fancy Sunday dinner consisted of the heaviest things in our pack: beany weanie in a pita (I abstained), kipper snacks on crackers, cheese, fruit snacks, vienna sausages. The sad thing is that we ate this in the church parking lot, not on the trail. There probably was a McD's a couple of blocks away. :)

Soaking tired feet...

Bluebells were everywhere

Catching Up in Picture Form

2006-08-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

Marla, Alicia and I sprinted (ok...jogged) through a 10k in Eden Prairie. It was a beautiful course around a chain of lakes. Here is Marla and I in our 10K glory.

Tacky Prom

2006-06-11T00:47:00.000-04:00

Don't you love the bows down the back of the dress? I made a corsage to wear out of pink carnations, a paper plate, and duct tape. It was fabulous.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2006-06-11T00:41:00.000-04:00

My trip to Utah happend to occur over the weekend of Mom's birthday. Her birthday fell on Mother's day once again. To celebrate, we had a family picnic in the park. It was great to see Jason and Amber and their kids and to play with Jacob and Pheobe. Grandma also came down, so it turned into a family reunion of sorts. I have a great family!

Moonshine Wash

2006-06-11T00:32:00.000-04:00

I took a trip to Salt Lake to see my friend Alicia and play with my family. Heather and I hiked a slot canyon which was a really cool experience. It was a hot day in southern Utah, but inside the slot it was nice and cool.

Knock 'em Down

2006-06-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

Bryant Lake Bowl. Fun times. Yet again, proof that I am not meant to be a professional bowler.

Update

2006-04-28T16:40:00.000-04:00

We're finally settled into our new apartment in St. Paul. Making the transition to sharing a room once again has been easy. My roommates are great! We live right next to the Mississippi. Along the curvy Mississippi there is a fantastic bikepath. It is smooth and wide: perfect for rollerblading. One of my favorite houses in the Twin Cities is along this path. It is a beautiful stone colonial...drool. :)

I had my first serious fender-bender last week. Glancing down during stop-and-go traffic was my fatal mistake. I rear-ended another Subaru, and my car took the brunt of damage as her Forester sat higher than my Legacy. The car is in the shop and I hopefully I will get it back soon.

Part I of the fiber study is complete. Now I have 2 weeks off before trying another type of fiber or a placebo. The first fiber supplement didn't really have any effect on my other than a loss of appetite. Unfortunately, I still had cravings, so I'm not sure I ate much less.

Today I had my interview for the MHA program. It was odd to see my classmates in the office and realize that I'm not really a part of their clan yet. The interview went well, other than my very "thorough" description of myself. I rambled on and on about school and my past jobs. Oh well. The interviewers were impressed with the email, phone call, and letter my undergrad program director sent on my behalf. Thank you Dr. Friedman!

Easter Cutie

2006-04-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

I love this shot of Calvin on Easter. He was so excited to find eggs in the garden. He repeated over and over, "yay, oh yeah!". So cute.

I was lucky enough to partake in 2 Easter dinners this year. I had a lamb dinner at Stace and Brye's and a ham dinner with my friends. My contribution to dinner this year was lemon meringue pie and a strawberry-pastry creme tart. I botched the first batch of pastry creme (texture wasn't right) so my roomie made crepes and we had fresh strawberries and pastry creme in crepes to enjoy. I've decided I could eat this every day. YUM.

I am a Medical Prostitute

2006-04-12T11:41:00.000-04:00

I'm selling my body for research. I just started participating in a study at the U. It's a fiber study that will last 6 months. For 5 two week terms, I am eating a cup of applesauce twice a day with some kind of fiber mixed in. I'm still trying to convince myself that commercially sold applesauce is my favorite food-yum! Adding cinnamon has seemed to help. At the end of the 2 weeks, I keep a food journal for 3 days and give a blood sample. Sounds easy right? Well, here's the catch. I also have to give fecal (yes, that is poop) samples for 4 days. LOL. I picked up my collection kit on Monday and am now armed with a collection device that fits over the porcelain throne, many collection bags, and a cooler marked "biohazard". Why would I subject myself to this humiliation? Money, of course. By the time the study ends, I will collect $1,000. For a grand, I will happily make applesauce my new bread of life.

Fun in Fargo

2006-04-11T22:50:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I headed north to the happenin' city of Fargo. Highlights of the trip included cruisin' down main street with my homies Charity, Erin and Bradley. I wanted to post some of the fun things we saw during our adventures. My favorite business was "Generic Auto Rentals". So...you go there to rent generic cars as opposed to name brand? :)

Max the Wise

2006-04-06T19:53:00.000-04:00

I interviewed my niece last month to get some dating advice. So far, telling the boys the truth about the princesses hasn't worked. I decided to turn to my 6 year old nephew Max for some further advice:

K: How old should a girl be when she gets married?
M: 24

K: How does a girl get a boy to notice her?
M: She puts on a dress that's sparkley

K: How many dates should people go on before they kiss?
M: 2

K: What is a fun date?
M: Going to a restaurant

K: How should a girl let a guy know that she likes him?
M: She twirls like a princess

K: Where is a good place to meet nice guys?
M: At the temple, when a girl is driving (she looks out the window and sees a nice guy)

K: What should you do if you like a boy but he doesn't like you?
M: You should sneak up behind him and push him and say "you should like me or I'll push you again!"

K: What should you do if a boy likes you but you don't like him?
M: Tell him he can't see you anymore and run into the house

K: What should a boy bring a girl on a date?
M: A chocolate kiss

K: What is the best kind of kiss?
M: A smooch

K: What should you do if a date becomes boring?
M: Just slip away and find a better date

K: Where will I meet my husband?
M: At church

K: How will I know it's him?
M: He has a nice smile

K: What do you think my husband will look like and do?
M: He will be handsome, nice, basketball or football player, yellow hair, hazel eyes, tall, kiss

K: What is his name?
M: Jordan

K: Where will we be married?
M: The temple in Utah

K: How many kids will we have?
M: 5

:)

Run Kirstin, Run!

2006-04-03T17:35:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I am the running Nazi. Let's premise this with the fact that I am not a runner. I did xc in high school, but I was never any good, and only did it to train for skiing. My friend Melissa is training for the San Diego Marathon in spring. In an attempt to be a supportive friend and get back in shape, I have run with her 3 times in the last month. These are the only times that I have run since last fall.

This Saturday morning, after moving Friday night, Melissa and I ran around Lake Calhoun, then Lake Harriet, then Lake Calhoun again, then part of Lake Harriet for a total of 12 miles. That's 20K! I don't think I've ever run that far in my life, and yet I did it without any training. I made a goal to run the whole distance without walking. Because Melissa was running with me, she unfortunately had to adopt the same goal. Poor thing kept getting side cramps, but I wouldn't let her walk. Yes, I am a Nazi. At about Mile 5, my breathing regulated and I went into auto pilot. Interestingly enough, my super-athlete friend (she rocks at bball and soccer) was breathing at about twice my rate during the run. I think it's because my body has been conditioned for endurance sports. It recognized the abuse was coming and calmed itself down. My legs were protesting by about mile 8, but running is all about mind over matter, right? At the end of the run my legs felt like lead...but it also felt really good.

It was a surprise to see how well I could adapt to the long run when I had a friend to run with. I'm going to keep the running up and see how I'm doing in a few weeks. If I'm still standing (which was questionable Sunday morning--my poor knees), I might consider a trip to San Diego. I'm nuts...

Moving Up, Moving Out

2006-03-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

This Friday I made the move from Minneapolis to St. Paul. When I arrived in MN, I only brought what I could fit in my car. Now, I have furniture and things. Nothing like hauling heavy items down 2 flights of stairs and up over a patio rail to prompt a personal inventory of my stuff. Luckily, my new apartment is small and there is not a lot of room for storage, meaning I am going to be taking some trips to Goodwill.

Dang squirrels. I threw a large vase into the dumpster on Saturday that made a big BOOM. As it landed, a squirrel jumped out flying 5 feet in the air(literally) straight at me. I screamed so loud, the neighbors must have thought I was getting attacked. I must attract the critters, because on my walk into work today a squirrel jumped out of a garbage can I was walking by and caused me to fly to the other side of the sidewalk.

Shiver Me Timbers

2006-03-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

Max had his 6th birthday party yesterday. He had a pirate theme complete with treasure chests, pirate hats, Peter Pan, messages in a bottle, and a humongous pirate ship cake. I thought this cake was a recipe for disaster once I started in on it. Luckily, it was "smooth sailing" all the way and it turned out looking and tasting great. Every time a kid was dropped off for the party, Max would immediately drag them into the kitchen yelling, "Look at my pirate cake!".

All Dressed Up

2006-03-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

The theme of our Relief Society birthday party this year was "All About Us". It was a fun excuse to pull out the old homecoming dress and get all gussied up. I supervised the dinner which was served by the Elders Quorom. It was a great evening enjoyed by all.

We had another memorable dinner group experience this week. It started off with a little trick or treating at the neighbors for much-needed garlic, and ended with a bang (literally). An explosion occurred while pureeing red curry sweet potato soup in the blender. It ended up on the walls, counter and all over Adam's front. Lol.

A Balancing Act

2006-03-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

What do 6 single LDS people do on a Friday night in the Big City? We have balance ball contests, of course. The object of the game is to stay on top of the ball as long as you can without letting any limbs touch the ground. I am proud to report that I was the biggest loser, only putting in over a minute on the ball. I had more fun photographing the dismounts anyways.

Winter Finally Arrives

2006-03-13T12:22:00.000-05:00

Mother nature gave us a taste of spring last week. She teased us with temperatures in the 50s, birds chirping, and pooping geese returning to the lakes. Today, she let us know that she's in charge by dumping over 1/2 foot of snow in the Metro. The roads were so bad this morning that half of the office didn't even attempt to come in to work today. I de-snowed my car and made it in with only one pit stop to help push a stranded van off the side of the road. In the process of pushing the van out of the snow, I fell 2 times leaving me soaked from the knees down. Even if the snow is a little belated, we're happy to have it. Everything is blanketed in white--it's gorgeous. Yes, I realize I tend to blog about the snow a lot. Not much else gets me so excited. :)

A Night in Paris

2006-03-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Stacey! Stacey was our 4th birthday party in 8 weeks. The "girls" turned 24, 25, 26 and 27 respectively this year. Cool, huh?

For Stacey's birthday bash, we had a girls-only pajama party in Paris. We strung white lights, lit a ton of candles and hung up Paris art. Then we pigged out on French food and watched Sabrina. Stacey wanted yummy desserts for her party, and that's just what she got. We started with a family-sized portion of tiramisu, moved on to crepes with fresh cream and berries, took a breather before having creme brulee (I got to use my torch for the first time-so cool!) and finished with chocolate molten cakes. Here's the recipe: Molten Chocolate Cakes

We had a great time and all went home very full and very happy.

Words of Wisdom

2006-03-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

When I need some good advice or insights into life, I go to a trustworthy source--my 4 year old niece Sophie. Last night I decided to ask for some dating advice. Here's how things went down:

K: Sophie, What does a woman need to do to get a boyfriend?
S: Hmmm...maybe you just need to walk around the river and find one

K: What do you have to do to make him fall in love with you?
S: I think you just tell him, something..the truth
K: The truth about what?
S: The truth about the princesses

K: What is love?
S: My Mom says love means to eat

K: How do you know a boy likes you?
S: Maybe he likes to play computers, Shoots and Ladders, and Cootie

K: What should you do if a boy doesn't like you?
S: Then you go home and take a nap
K: Why a nap?
S: Because when you're tired of the boyfriend, you just go home and take a nap

K: What does a girl need to do to get a boy to notice her?
S: She just brings a game from her friend's house and brings it to her boyfriend's house

K: Where is the best place to kiss a boy?
S: At a restaurant

K: What should you do if your boyfriend breaks up with you?
S: Maybe you should get some of these band-aids (Sponge Bob)

K: How many dates should you go on before you kiss a boy?
S: 59

K: What is the best kind of date?
S: Going to my preschool

K: What should a woman look for in a good guy?
S: A fireman, looks like a bear, rude

K: What is the name of my future husband?
S: Scott
M: Brady! (Max wanted to contribute to this question)

K: When am I going to get married?
S: 2015 minutes

K: Where am I going to get married?
S: Maybe at the temple.

:) I think i'm going to take a walk around the river after work today...

Arrivederci, Turin

2006-02-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

I finally was able to catch an Olympic XC ski race on Sunday night. The mens 50K race was AWESOME. All through the race I was wincing as I felt the athletes pain. I kept trying to explain to my friends how grueling this race is for the athletes. The Star Tribune put it nicely today: "The men's 50K Winter Olympics ski race is the Boston Marathon, world heavyweight boxing championship and root-canal surgery rolled into one." Amen. I've skied 50K over the course of a day, but over a 2 hour period--no way. We were rooting for the Italians as the race came into the final meters. It was a photo finish, one that created a national hero in Italy. Seeing Giorgio Di Centa receive his gold medal at the closing ceremony was the perfect ending for the games.

I'm Famous!

2006-02-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

Look--they named a run after me. Imagine that. I carved a mean trail down this run. Ok..so I pretty much "groomed" the mountain. But I made it down alive without falling!

Being Productive

2006-02-21T20:09:00.000-05:00

I tied 44 figure eight knots on my scarf fringe in Relief Society on Sunday. Yes, I am a dork and I can't keep my hands still. I'm trying to decide if the knots add to the scarf or not. Perhaps it will attract the hot rock climbing guys to me? Perhaps not. I'll keep dreaming and wearing my scarf. Let me know if you think I should go back to plain old fringe.

Hospitals vs Commercial Flights

2006-02-20T22:48:00.000-05:00

My mother wanted me to post these stats following a conversation with her about them after class tonight:

Chance of dying on a commercial airline flight: 1 in 8 million

Chance of dying from a preventable medical error in the hospital: 1 in 500

Chance of having a preventable adverse event in the hospital(and surviving): 1 in 30

Chance of receiving the wrong medication in the hospital: 1 in 10 medications administered

Scary isn't it? Makes you never want to be admitted to a hospital. If doctors and nurses died when their patients die from errors (like pilots die when they crash a plane), our quality of healthcare would be a lot higher. 500 patients don't die at the same time when an error is made like they do in a crash. They die quietly, without creating a call for higher standards for safety. Thankfully, there are people working on these problems. I'm glad that I'm in a class where the professor has put such a high emphasis on learning how to create safe processes and prevent errors in healthcare. Luckily, I'm able to apply these lessons to my job right now. Hopefully, one day I will be able to apply them on a larger scale.

Brrrr...

2006-02-17T09:31:00.000-05:00

Current Temperature: -7
Feels like Temperature: -31

Today is a wooly sweater day. I wore my big poofy down jacket to survive the walk across campus. I'm contemplating going outside to throw hot water up in the air. Supposedly it vaporizes at these temperatures.

Going outside to test theory...

Results: We tossed up about 1/2 cup of hot water. About half vaporized while the other half fell to the ground as heavy slush. Very cool nonetheless. :)

VD doesn't have to have a negative connotation :)

2006-02-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

It worked! Valentines day was a joy this year. Why? Because I spent my time spreading love rather than waiting for it to come to me. I know it wasn't a novel idea, but it was a good wake up call.

Happy Valentines Day!

2006-02-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

I thought these were hilarious...enjoy!

THESE ARE ENTRIES TO A WASHINGTON POST COMPETITION ASKING FOR A RHYME WITH THE MOST ROMANTIC FIRST LINE ....BUT THE LEAST ROMANTIC SECOND LINE:

(1) Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss
But I only slept with you, because I was pissed.

(2) I thought that I could love no other
Until, that is, I met your brother.

(3) Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's
empty and so is your head.

(4) Of loving beauty you float with grace
If only you could hide your face.

(5) Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.

(6) I want to feel your sweet embrace
But don't take that paper bag off of your face.

(7) I love your smile, your face, and your eyes -
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

(8) My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife:
Marrying you screwed up my life.

(9) I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming.

(10) My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way?

(11) My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe "go to hell".

(12) What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, one part lime.

I Love You!

2006-02-13T18:27:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Valentines day. When I was a kid, Valentines day was a lot of fun. I always made homemade valentines out of doilies, construction paper, and heart shaped chocolates. We'd create our "mail-boxes" in class out of paper sacks or shoe boxes, then we'd run around the room delivering our paper and candy treasures. The candy intake was like Halloween without all the work. Sugar-highs were expected as we decorated sugarcookies with pink frosting and sprinkles. How fun were those days! Wouldn't it be great if I could view this holiday in that fashion instead of seeing it as I now do: as Singles Awareness day?

I would like to change my mind on the holiday. So after class tonight, I'm going home to make cookies to bring into work for my co-workers tomorrow. I will also bring another fellow single friend flowers tomorrow. And I will try to share as much love possible thereby hopefully changing my outlook.

To all my family and friends: I love you and wish you a happy Valentines day. Here's a virtual hug and kiss. Wish I could bring you all cookies too.

Cumpleanos Feliz a Melissa!

2006-02-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

Last night we took a trip to the Dominican Republic for Melissa's birthday. We cooked up black beans and rice, a waldorf-like salad, and pork chops. For dessert, I made a dulce de leche cheesecake. It was yummy enough to spark an unanticipated proposal. But, I had to turn Willie down because he doesn't know how to dance. What good is a Latin man that doesn't know how to dance? Enrique says there is plenty...but wouldn't really elaborate :)

There was salsa and merengue music on to try to inspire some Latin dancing from our non-dancing friends. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few of the guys attempting some of the footwork and shaking their booties. Hopefully we can keep up their interest in the dance and give them a few more lessons. I saw a lot of untapped dancing potential out there last night.

Do you hear the people sing?

2006-02-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Ahhh...Les Mis. The girlies headed over to the Ordway last night to take in this masterpiece on its final tour. The man who played Jean Valjean was incredible! I immediately teared up when he started in on "Bring him home".

On that note, what is with this getting emotional thing? I never used to cry at the movies, play, or symphony. Now it's difficult not to. I must get it from dad :)

Pleasure and Pain

2006-02-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate my birthday than to be surrounded with my friends and communing with nature.

Snowboarding for the first time was quite the adventure. Surprisingly, I had the hardest time on the flatter portions of the trail. I fell so many times on the catwalks and getting off the lift. Going down the black diamond, piece of cake-didn't fall once. The funniest part of the day was taking off my board to get a photo-op near a sign above the black diamond run. I had to dive (literally) to save my board from going down the run without me. By the end of the day, my butt, wrists, hips, neck, and arms felt like they had taken a beating with a baseball bat. But it was worth it. The views of Lake Superior from the mountain were amazing. The snow was great, the company was better, and I can now check snowboarding off the list of things to do before I die.

Last night, I headed over to the girl's place for a birthday dinner with the girlfriends. When I arrived, I was sent directly to the bedroom where a mob of people tackled me yelling "surprise! puppy pile! the heavies!" It was totally unexpected, and completely wonderful. It was so great to have all the people I love there to celebrate my birthday with me. We ate Thai food(my favorite)and a gigantic chocolate cake with strawberries. After dinner, I had fun flinging little cupids from my new cupid catapult gun at the boys.

Happy Birthday to me..

2006-02-02T13:23:00.000-05:00

I'm officially entering the "mid-twenties" tomorrow. To celebrate, I'm hitting the snow and spending a weekend up North. My friend Stacey was nice enough to let me borrow her snowboard so I can get bruised and battered on my special day. Snowboarding is something I have always wanted to try, but I've never taken the opportunity until now. I'm preparing myself for a very painful experience. Luckily, the lodge has a hottub, which I'm sure I will take advantage of.

Goals for next year:
1. Travel Internationally at least once (Madhu! I would really like an excuse to visit India :))
2. Continue with my grad studies
3. Try ice fishing
4. Learn to speak Spanish more fluently
5. Salvage the US healthcare system (or lack of), since our Prez doesn't seem to think the 45+ million uninsured in our country are a priority right now.
6. Fight world hunger one cake at a time
7. Find my own Dr. McDreamy

Maybe I should have stayed in bed

2006-01-30T09:27:00.000-05:00

This Sunday I left my apartment armed for the day with my RS binder, scriptures, heels, purse, and pineapple in hand. We received about 1 inch of slushy snow the night before, so I carefully made my way to my car. Suddenly, "whoosh!", my feet slid out from underneath me and I ended up in a cartoon-like pose with my legs up in the air and my butt on the ground. The contents of my arms flew and everything landed in the snow. I recovered, brushed myself off, and started de-slushifying my things. After determining that my nylons were run-free, I loaded up my car and headed down the road to the girl's place for breakfast. All of a sudden I heard a "clunk, clunk, clunk", coming from the roof of my car. I dismissed it as a chunk of ice and continued down the road. Suddenly a louder "clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk" came from the roof. Glancing behind me, I discovered the source of the noise-- my black heels were in the middle of the road, 100 yards back. I must have left them on the roof of my car when I loaded it up. I quickly did a U-turn and pulled up next to the median across from my shoes. When I picked them up off the ground, they were completely full of road slush. After shaking them off, I got back in the car and braced myself for the next adventure of the day.

Getting princessed up

2006-01-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

Days spent with the niece and nephews often include a session of "lets make Kirstin look beautiful". Sophie seems to think that there is always room for improvement in my looks. Why wear one bracelet, when you can wear 12? My favorite is when she gets out the brush and starts doing my hair. This past weekend she put 9 bows in my hair of various colors. She had also just received play makeup for her birthday, which I definitely needed. She put "eyestick", as she called it, on both of my eyes. One bright pink, the other a fine shade of light blue. Then she put lipstick on me...equally on my lips and on the rest of my face. I was then pronounced "beautiful" and ready to face the world.

Sophie had a princess (surprise, surprise) birthday party on Saturday. I made a cake in the shape of a castle. Covered in candy, it was a 4 year old's dream cake. I thought it looked like a warped gingerbread house.

To my one true love...

2006-01-23T17:05:00.000-05:00

I enjoy you at work and in my bed,
my love is constant till I'm dead.

Unwinding with you after a hard day,
makes my troubles fade away.

You warm me up when the day is cold,
sometimes you're gentle, sometimes you're bold.

You smell so good, I can't resist,
there's too many good times to list.

You fill me will such happiness and glee,
I love you, my daily cup of tea!

Is Ignorance Bliss?

2006-01-23T10:10:00.000-05:00

I have always refuted the notion that ignorance is bliss. There is so much to learn, and so much to gain, from learning new things. In the never-ending pursuit for understanding, one must be proactive in improving one’s mind. But can this pursuit have negative results? Is the anger, sadness, and frustration that often accompany learning new things, worth it? One must wonder if a life tuned out from the news, gossip, and classroom could make one happier. Indeed, what you don’t know cannot hurt you, right? My personal mindset sometimes contradicts itself. People who have no idea what is going on tend to both annoy me and make me a bit envious. Maybe it is the responsibility and accountability that comes with knowledge that turns me off to it from time to time. Thomas Gray: “Where ignorance is bliss, / ‘Tis folly to be wise.”

Got some dim sum

2006-01-19T10:14:00.000-05:00

There is little in life better than good food and good friends. Last night we attempted to make Dim Sum at Stacey and Melissa's. 12 people standing around handling raw meat and "sealing the deal" with egg yolk. Good times.

After dinner, we watched an episode from the TV series Firefly. I'm having a hard time really getting into this show. It's set 500 years in the future, but people dress like pioneers and speak random Chinese. Honestly, I think my girlfriends wouldn't be so into it if the Captain and doctor weren't so hot.

Ice Ice Baby

2006-01-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

I'm driving to work today thinking "Man, traffic is light today, the snow must have scared people off the road". I get to the office and realize I'm an hour early. Whoops. That explained why my roomie was still sound asleep when I took off this morning.

We finally got some snow yesterday. It made for some interesting driving conditions last night. I did a graceful 180 while taking a turn around Lake of the Isles. Luckily, no one was behind me and I was able to turn myself around before anyone saw. Other cars had the same problem with the snow; it was like urban ice-capades on wheels.

Yesterday I had the day off for MLK (one of the benefits of working for the University). I met up with Stace and the kids to play at an indoor playground. Why didn't they have fun stuff that when I was a kid? I remember this time of year we'd be throwing ice chunks at each other, that was all the fun we had. Later we went to a FABULOUS bakery for a late lunch. This place puts my desserts to shame. I would love to take a class to learn how to make the little pieces of edible art they produce. If you're looking for a good place to eat in the Twin Cities, hit up Patrick's French Bakery in Edina-YUM.

Classes start today. In an effort to look smarter than I really am, I dug up my old marketing notes from a similar undergrad course and looked them over last night. We'll see if it pays off.

Only in MN

2006-01-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

We have a new candidate for Governor in MN, and this one's a winner. He firmly stands by his convictions, is strong in his stance against terrorism, and is completely psycho!! Check him out...just be careful not to be enticed into his satanic lair. SCARY.

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/178289.html

On a side note, we have a warlock (a male witch) in our family history. He was burned at the stake in Salem, MA. I've inherited some of his powers, so watch out or i'll hex you! Ooohh Ooohh, witchy woman....She got the moon in her eyes...

Happy Birthday Charity!

2006-01-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

I put together a surprise birthday party this weekend for my lovely friend Charity. It was so hard to keep her in the black. I came up with the excuse that we were meeting to go to a CD release party for our friend Logan. Unfortunately, she checked his website loganheftel.com, and saw that he was in Spokane. Whoops! Thanks to a little bit of genius on my friend Adam's part, we had Logan call her and explain that his website was inaccurate.

In the end, Charity was totally surprised. We held her birthday dinner at Nye's--a polish restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. They boast the "most dangerous polka band". Afterwards, we met for cake and 27 questions. I won't divulge any secrets revealed at the party except to say that she was grilled very hard and i'm glad it wasn't me on the hot seat!

Una botella....not una bota!

2006-01-06T14:32:00.000-05:00

I made it home! Mexico was fantastic. The food, culture, and scenery were amazing. It was also great to spend time with my parents, Heather, and Ross. A few highlights of the trip:

1: Monte Alban. The Zapotec archeological site was awesome. Climbing up the ruins and seeing the enormous size of the site was breathtaking. We had a local guide who definitely had an agenda, but also left us wanting to learn more.

2: Christmas Eve. We joined a posada parading down a street near our hotel. The people in the crowd (around 50) gave us candles and sparklers as they sang songs. We entered the courtyard of a home and a Christmas program ensued. After the program, the kids broke open 2 pinatas and bags of candy were handed out to everyone. A girl walked around with roasted peanuts, threw candy from the roof of the house, and handed out whistles. Feeling that we were intruding on their neighborhood party, we tried to slip out as food was given to each guest. Didn't happen--they stopped us and wouldn't let us go without eating. We left with a hot drink, a bun with mole negro and cheese, and some fruit. Everyone from the party then proceeded out to the street to the neighborhood church's Christmas float. In front of the float was a 12 piece mariachi band. We followed the float armed with candles, huge sparklers, and whistles through the town. The whole way, people would keep us armed with some type of fire. It was a pyro's dream come true. My poor fingers and toes were burnt so many times by the sparklers and from dripping wax. Once we were close to town, we met up with other bands and floats that headed to the center square called the zocolo. There were thousands of people setting off fireworks and having a great time. What a way to celebrate Christmas!

3: Snorkeling in Huatulco. Our hotel on the beach was in a great location. There were waves for body surfing and wakeboarding, a lagoon filled with beautiful birds, and beautiful clear water for snorkeling only a 1/4 mile hike away. We saw so many beautiful fish and I saw 2 eels.

4. Chile and lime. Everything in Mexico is made with Chile and lime. There's chile and lime microwave popcorn, chile and lime on corn with mayonesa and cheese (which Ross actually ate!), chile and lime fried grasshoppers...the possibilities are endless. It's useless to try to find chips without either chile or lime while in Mexico. Actually, you start to get a taste for it. "Where's the lime and chile to go with my rueben?!" I almost said that last night here in MN.

Go to Oaxaca. It is an amazing place.

Mexico doesn't want to let me go...

2006-01-03T16:31:00.000-05:00

I'm stuck in Mexico. Alright, so i'm leaving here in 2 hours, but I was almost stuck here indefinitely. After a LONG wait to get my boarding ticket printed for the second leg of my trip home, I was informed that I had missed my flight to Dallas. Ok...so get me on the next one. "There are no flights to Dallas today, all flights to the US are full for the next 2 days". What?? So put me on standby! "That isn't going to happen. You can pay $650 and get on the next flight on American." Are you kidding? I have to pay for your understaffed ticket lines? No way. Somehow, after 5 hours of running from counter to counter, shedding a few tears and being comforted by many kind strangers, I found a supervisor willing to get me a flight home tonight. Thank goodness. I will NEVER fly AeroMexico ever again. They sent me in so many circles, from one side of the airport to the other. I had to explain my situation so many times. Thanks to a well deserved first class upgrade I can vent on my blog from the lounge. I'm going to go steal all of their complimentary snacks. That will teach them.

I'm on a roll...

2005-12-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

Embarrassing moment #2 for the week. Got off on the wrong floor last night on my way to Melissa's apartment. I approached what I thought was her apartment, knocked on the door and walked right in. Started taking off my shoes, pizza in hand, when I noticed a nice couple eating dinner. Whoops. Apologized, red faced, and exited quickly.

Less than 24 hours until I leave...so much packing to do.

Tanning Beds are the DEVIL!!

2005-12-21T12:14:00.000-05:00

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch! So much for pre-trip planning to avoid a sunburn. My poor tummy is so red from "tanning" last night.

My brilliant brother Scott sent my nephew Max deer antlers for Christmas. That's right--antlers. He sawed them off a rotting carcass he found along the trail in Montana. "I cleaned off all the brains and blood. I even bleached them". Gross. Funny thing is, my nephew will probably think they are the coolest thing ever and my sister will have to somehow incorporate them into his nautical themed room. Haha.

Singing in the Grocery Store??

2005-12-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

Last night I received a call from Charity while perusing the produce at the grocery store. "Kirstin, Deeg has a hard final on the Old Testament and she has to memorize the books in order. Do you know the song that goes along with them?" Ummm...Thanks to my seminary teachers, I unfortunately did know the song. "You want me to sing it now? I'm in the grocery store!" "Yeah! And you have to sing it really loud because we're going to put you on speaker phone and record it" I must have belted (screeched) the books to the tune of Praise to the Man half a dozen times while walking up and down the aisles. As embarrassing as it was, it was also really funny and strangely liberating. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers...

Sugar Overload

2005-12-19T23:18:00.000-05:00

I survived sugar hell this weekend (barely). 20 sticks of butter and pounds upon pounds of sugar went into cookies and fudge. I successfully made 3 perfect pans of fudge (yay!), but burned about 3 pans of cookies (whoops!). As the day progressed, the role of quality control, which I took upon myself, was less and less desirable. By the time we reached the chocolate malt cookie sandwiches, I lamented having to take another bite. Making matters worse, Calvin decided that making gagging noises was the funniest thing ever. I was so close to hurling up all the sugar I injested that day. When all was said and done, 24 plates and 3 large trays of cookies were made.

Wax On, Wax Off

2005-12-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending an evening waxing skis with my good friend Adam Winston. Lacking the normal waxing bench and clamps, we made do with 2 chairs and a sense of humor. It definitely made for interesting waxing conditions. Three coats of wax later, his virgin skis were ready to hit the trails. It was so great to teach ski waxing again. I think Adam was impressed with the process, or maybe it was my skills (guys dig chicks with skills, right?).

Air temperature for my walk across campus this morning: 7 below zero! I'm seriously contemplating changing my ticket to Oaxaca to a one-way.

My Social Life is Coming to a Close...

2005-12-16T12:16:00.000-05:00

I will be a student again in one month. I'm so excited! Not because my social life will be coming to a close, but because I can join the ranks of those called "Grad Students". It sounds so cool. On Mondays, I will be taking a course called Management in Health Care Organizations. On Tuesdays, Marketing Health Services. The best part of all--the U is picking up the check!

On another note...Congrats to Heather for graduating today! Your time in grad school seemed so short. Maybe it's because your undergrad stay was so freakin' long :) Ouch! Gotta love the super-duper seniors. Love you!

Cooking Myself

2005-12-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

I did something last night I said I would never do. I went to a tanning salon. Essentially, I microwaved myself for 6 minutes. Because I am blessed (cursed?) with fair skin, I came away with a healthy light burn. I figure I will do 2 more sessions before I take off next week to Oaxaca. How do I justify my visit to the cancer-coffin? As my family is well aware, I tend to burn every time I'm exposed to the sun.

Exhibit A: Morning round of Golf with Dad at Island Park. The back of my legs and my chest were fried. This happened during a game of nine holes--imagine what 18 would have done!! Had to cover up red and painful legs for the remainder of the trip.

The visits to the salon are a preventive measure to fend away a nasty burn to my "haven't been exposed to the sun in a long time" body. I'm not advocating fake-baking as a good thing to do on a regular basis. In special circumstances..for medical reasons, it's OK. Time to baste myself in lotion--I'm done.

Recipe for Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake with a Chocolate Crust

2005-12-14T14:32:00.000-05:00

I made this recipe for the ward Christmas party. It looks so pretty when finished and is mighty tasty. I have had many requests for this recipe, so here you go...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107513

I found that the cheesecake needed an additional 10 minutes of cook time and I added an extra tsp of zest. Leave the cake in the oven (turned off) with the door slightly open after cooking to avoid cracks in the cheesecake for 1/2 hour.

Recipe for Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge

2005-12-14T13:22:00.000-05:00

I handed this treat out as a gift to my co-workers today. As always, it was very well received. This is an old-fashioned fudge recipe--No Fluff involved. YUM!!

4 cups sugar
2 cups evaporated milk

Boil to soft ball stage (may see caramel colored flecks)
Take off burner and add:

1 jar of peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Beat for 1 minute or until you hear it "snap"
Pour in buttered pan (quickly!)

The secret to this fudge is the timing. If you pull it off the heat too soon, it will remain soft and never set up. If you leave it too long, the fudge is hard and crumbly. Last year I made a batch that turned out hard as a rock. I tried to rely on a candy thermometer instead of using the cold water check, and it failed me. Live and learn...

Bring on the snow!!

2005-12-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

Days like today are a reminder of why i'm in Minneapolis instead of Seattle. Snow, glorious snow! The's nothing like waking up to a few inches of the fluffy stuff frosting the landscape and making everything look clean and fresh. Most dread a drive in the snow, I love it. The 4 wheel drive on my car kicks in and i'm flying. Tonight, i'm pulling out the skis and hitting the trails. I can't wait until the lake completely freezes up and I can ski out my back door. For now, Theodore Wirth is just down the road and the skiing is great.

Gotta Love the Weekends!

2005-12-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you need a day off to recover from your weekend? I just had one of those weekends. I went to a murder mystery party friday night. By sheer luck I guessed who the killer was--never trust a princess. As nice as the win was, it was bittersweet after being ROBBED of a win for best costume. Thanks to Stacey and Rachael, my costume was sweet. Saturday I had a date with my neice Sophie. I learned the hard way that you should never go to the Marshall Fields display on a Saturday. Sophie loved seeing Cinderella as her favorite thing in the world right now is princesses. Actually, that's what she told Santa she wanted for Christmas. Princesses and a teddy bear. So cute. The highlight of Saturday night was seeing my friend Alicia! She is in town for the weekend from Utah. I only had a few hours to try to convince her to move back to MN, but I think she pretty much took care of that herself. I miss that girl so much! Sunday night I watched my sister's kids while she sang in a fireside. Jill came up to me after the show and thanked me for the entertainment from our row. The highlight of the concert was when my nephew spit up goldfish crakers, started eating the wipe that I used to clean it up with, screamed when I tried to take it away, and then chucked my cell phone out into aisle followed by a book. The Monster Himself

Hollidazzle

2005-12-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

This week, the ladies went to the holidazzle parade in downtown MN. It is basically a short parade with lights attached to all the floats and people in the parade. My favorite part was yelling at this kid in the marching band. We happened to be standing next to his mother on the sidewalk. The mom said he was smiling and couldn't play his trombone after he passed us by. Of course not! What 16 year old boy wouldn't love to have a large group of hot ladies chanting his name??

My first posting!!

2005-12-09T12:05:00.000-05:00

Here we go....now have a place to write all my random thoughts. So cool for me, maybe not so interesting for you. Today is COLD here in MN. I love it when you get into the office and see that ice crystals have formed on your scarf near your mouth. Students here at the U are really funny about the cold. You'll see people bundled up with scarves, hats and gloves, and others who are happy to run around in their hoodies. The hoodie people are nuts, but what really gets me are the ones who sacrifice warmth for the sake of fashion. No one should be outside in 4 degree weather wearing high heels and nylons. I understand the desire to look good but i'd rather put on a hat and have hat head all day then risk frostbite. That said, welcome to my blog.