My Grandma's Dresser

One of the things I've been wanting to do for a LONG time is refinish my grandma's old dresser. It's number 66 on my 101 in 1,001 list. It was one of the only things that has been passed down to me from my mom's side of the family, so I treasure it. Even if it's a beat up old dresser. The varnish that was on it had gotten old and bubbly, I guess, the way that varnish gets when it's old. There are lots of dents and dings on its sides, water stains on the top. Anyway, in April, Dave and I finally got started on this project. It's finally done. Well, almost. It still needs some new knobs. But it's back in Gracie's bedroom...and I'm really excited about how it turned out...so I wanted to post some pics quickly.

Before! (FYI. Gracie liked to hide in the dresser, but we didn't force her to be there. I just thought it was funny, so I took the pic. Good thing I took it....because it is the only before pic of the whole dresser! It's a really old pic from our first apartment.)

Ok. I guess you can see Dave really did most of this himself. Who am I kidding? lol.

After! The finished dresser!

And Otis and Cooper trying to steal Gracie's room. Cooper's licking his chops. They're so cute!

The big spring break trip

Many weeks ago, Dave and I went to Lake City, Minn., for our spring break trip. This year, our spring break budget was limited, so an overnight road trip was all we got. And unfortunately, the "spring" weather hadn't quite made it's way to Minnesota yet. It was rainy with snow flurries. Fun, huh?

Lake City is like one of many small, vacation destination towns in Minnesota where it triples in size during the tourist season. Well, a Sunday in early March isn't exactly tourist season. So many of the gift shops weren't open. But I can see why this would be a fun place to visit in the summer. It's situated on Lake Pepin, which is a big lake in the Mississippi River. (I don't really understand how you get lakes within rivers -- since it's all one body of water, my simple mind would think that Lake Pepin is really still the Mississippi River -- but I won't get into a geography debate here.) Lake City is famous because it's the birthplace of waterskiing. It's also the town that my father-in-law grew up.

Here's his old house

Dave and I thought Pappy would appreciate the big Obama poster that's still hanging in the window four months after the election. ;)

Here are my grandparents-in-laws. We searched through town to find the cemetery, where we searched a little more to find their grave. After a phone call (or two), we finally found them! It was my first time visiting their gravestone.

Those are Dave's feet -- not mine.

Lake Pepin is also famous for all the bald eagles the live there. Here's a real geography lesson for you. There is a river that flows into the Mississippi just south of Lake Pepin. The heavy current that occurs causes the water to be open all winter long (it doesn't freeze over with ice), and therefore the eagles can stay in the area all winter and don't have to fly south to a place with water. Dave and I drove down to Wabasha (where Grumpy Old Men was filmed) to visit the National Eagle Center. This place was awesome and one of the highlights of our trip! (yes, we're dorks.) We got to get our photo taken with a real bald eagle and we learned a ton about eagles, so I'm going to dedicate a future blog post to the National Eagle Center. (Yes, I know you can't wait to read all about it! But it'll be worth the wait.)

That's a real eagle. It's not a parrot, and has super-strong talons...so they don't go on the shoulder.

The other highlight of our trip was the b&b we stayed in, The Frog and Bear Bed & Breakfast, specifically. It was such a cool old house filled with antiques and frogs and bears everywhere. My sister, Stevie, would love all the bears! We were the only guests, so we had this big house to ourselves. I dream of living in a big old house someday -- with a big front porch for my rocking chair -- so this was like living the dream (except it was a little cold to be sitting out on the front porch). The innkeepers where spectacular and so hospitable. The actually live in the basement, although we didn't see them at all. They took care of the details, which made us feel like we were special guests. When we came back from dinner they left us a bottle of wine and chocolate truffles right outside the door to our room. Which we consumed while watching "Three Men and a Baby" -- they had a bunch of movies to choose from downstairs and that's the one we choose. haha.

@ The Frog & Bear

But of course, the highlight of the b&b was the breakfast! We awoke to a five course breakfast in the dining room with a fire in the fireplace. And it was all served to us course by course. Fresh juice and tea. Delicious popovers with homemade jams. Fresh fruit with whipped cream. Waffles. Wild rice sausage. And a sundae!!! For breakfast!

Our stomachs were full for the rest of the day. We left Lake City in the late morning and walked around Red Wing for a little while (another small town with lots of antique stores...and famous for its shoes and pottery). Then we missed our dogs a lot, so we picked them up (Otis was at my sister's and Cooper was at my parents') and just relaxed with them at home with everyone taking a nap on the couch.

Visiting a bed & breakfast was #98 on my list of 101 in 1,001. We had a fun time and it's something I definitely want to do again.

Thankful Thursday...

I've seen a lot of other bloggers dedicate a weekly post to expressing their gratitude for things in their lives. I've done it once or twice. But I'm going to try and do it weekly now too.

This week I'm thankful for alone time with my husband. I'm guessing that once we have kids, we'll be wishing (sometimes) for the days where we could just come home and veg in front of the TV, cuddle and then go get some Dairy Queen. Besides two dogs that sometimes whine for our attention, our weeknights are usually quiet. We get to make dinner. Discuss how our days went. Gossip about people's Facebook statuses. Figure out weekend plans. Watch TV. Play Mariokart. Chill and relax. Chillax. And when summer comes, we add in bike rides and walks with the dogs into the mix.

Our evenings are generally the highlight of my days. And I'm thankful for this time that we have together.

Speaking of alone time with my husband, we figured out what we're going to do during his spring break. We're going to spend a night at a Bed and Breakfast in Lake City and hang out with frogs and bears. I've never spent the night at a B&B before, so I'm looking forward to it. And I'm looking forward to visiting Lake City and explore the town where Dave's dad grew up.

New Recipe, Week 5

This last week, I only made one new recipe. Cabbage Roll Casserole.

A friend at work was talking about making cabbage rolls. That's something my Grandma makes, but I haven't had in years. So I thought I'd try making them. But when I was searching for a recipe, I came across this casserole recipe, which sounded so much easier. Being lazy, I opted for the easy recipe.

And it tasted just like cabbage rolls. The leftovers were even better that the original night.

As far as the recipe goes, I followed some of the other users comments. I added some spices like paprika and garlic. I also just cooked it all in a pot in the stove, since that was faster.

I forgot to ask Dave how many jalapenos he gives this....so I'll have to update this later.

I gave it 3 jalapenos.

Here's the links for my weekly new recipe post: New recipe, week 4 New recipe, week 3, New recipe, week 2, New recipe, week 1

I can cross this to-do in my 101 in 1,001 list now!!!! I've made at least one new recipe every week for the last month. woo woo.

Networking...

If there is one thing that I hate doing....it's networking with people I don't know. To me networking reminds me of junior high dances -- especially during slow songs -- when I would awkwardly wait on the sidelines praying someone would come around and ask me to dance, and I would slowly become disappointed as the first verse would slip into the chorus and my chances of getting asked to dance would dwindle to nothing, and then I would find myself wishing I could be anywhere but standing alone surrounded by happily dancing couples. And even though I knew no one was going to ask me to dance, I would still get disappointed every time. Every. Time. (Perhaps I need a therapist?)

Back to this post's topic....

Luckily for me, I had the challenge opportunity to do some networking at this morning's MIMA event.

But when you're in a room filled with people you don't know...what are you going to do?

Option a) Stand in the corner all by yourself picking at a plate of fruit

or

Option b) Put your pride on the line and go introduce yourself to someone who *could be* waiting for you on the sidelines and hope that this person is 1) not a vendor and 2) able to carry on a decent conversation for a couple of minutes.

Despite my shyness and distaste for talking to people I don't know, I figureed Option B is the better way to go.

My first attempt was a foul ball. The two ladies I spoke with were not vendors, but not really interested in carrying on a decent conversation.

My second attempt was a triple. I met a nice lady who was not a vendor and was able to converse. And she even introduced me to a couple of other people. And she even invited me to join her for another networking session for a different professional group.

So I got through my morning and did a decent job. Networking doesn't have to be hard -- if you don't get too caught up on the fact that you're in a room and don't know a single soul. Thinking about this whole notion of networking, got me recalling that somewhere I made a goal to get more comfortable with meeting people. And wouldn't you know? It's right there on my list of 101 in 1,001. I seriously don't think I'll ever be fully comfortable with meeting new people and be able to cross it off my list, but hey, I'm making an effort.

New Recipe, Week 4

This week I made a couple of new recipes. Good ones!!! I'm almost done with the challenge of making at least one new recipe every week for a month from my 101 in 1,001 list.

Sunday night, I used a recipe that I got at a wedding shower. At one of my showers, each guest gave me a favorite recipe and this is the first time I tried any of them!!! This one turned out good, so I might have to try the others. Since I can't link to the recipe card, here it is for you (my source is my former next-door neighbor Sheila). I modified it some, so here's my version.

Chicken Wings Pacifica.
2 lbs chicken wings
1 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp dry mustard
1 cup water

1. Combine all the ingredients (except the chicken) in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
2. Put chicken into a crockpot. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken.
3. Cook on low for 4 hours, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

I made this with a fried rice recipe I modified. I got the recipe off of allrecipes.com, but there are a bunch and I didn't save the particular one I used. And it wasn't the best fried rice I ever made, so I don't even want to bother finding the recipe. :)

The chicken, on the other hand, was awesome. Dave gave it 5 jalapenos. I gave it 4.5 jalapenos. The rice: Dave gave it 2 jalapenos (b/c I put peas in it. Minus the peas, he says it was 4). I gave it 3 jalapenos.

Later in the week, I made chicken stroganoff. (I used chicken. The recipe says turkey.) I really liked this recipe. It was a lighter version of beef stroganoff. I loved having the carrots in addition to the mushrooms. My only complaint was that the sauce didn't get very thick. Next time, I'll have to use a little more corn starch.

Dave and I both gave the recipe 4 jalapenos.

To see the other recipes I've been making, please visit these posts: New recipe, week 3, New recipe, week 2, New recipe, week 1

New Recipe, Week 3

This was a busy week for me. Actually only made dinner twice this week. I was rather unmotivated to do any cooking, but managed to make a new recipe one night.

Last Monday, I made Velveeta Broccoli Chicken and Potatoes. I had to make a couple of modifications. First, I had the Southwestern or Mexican Velveeta, not regular in my fridge. It's basically queso dip, but in your standard Velveeta form (a block). Second I used regular potatoes (red ones). They needed to be used and I didn't have hash browns in my freezer. My modifications worked well! I had to modify the cooking instructions too, since fresh potatoes take longer to cook than hash browns. It all turned out well. Imagine a baked potato with cheese sauce, broccoli and chicken chunks. That's basically what this was...with just a little kick from my spiced-up Velveeta. This recipe was easy to make and it was all done in one pan! I like easy clean up!

Dave gave it 4 jalapenos. I gave it 4 jalapenos too.

New recipe, Week 2

This week I made three new recipes. All different. All yummy.

Going back to last Sunday when I made a meal in my crock-pot. Slow Cooker Winter Vegetable Stew. Being able to utilize some vegetables I've never used on my own -- like parsnips and leaks -- made this recipe intriguing to me. Dave and I thought this was a good stew recipe. I thought that it lacked some flavor (next time I'll add minced garlic and paprika), although it tasted better when I brought it for lunch the following day. Since I knew a vegetable stew wouldn't be enough of a meal for my husband, I just bought one of those Lloyd's BBQ pork tubs and heated that in the microwave to have in addition.

Dave rated this 4 jalapenos. I rated it 3.5 jalapenos (see, I don't always rate things higher :))

Wednesday night I made Emeril's Beef and Broccoli. My friend Nicki recommended this one to me. There were some differences with what I made than the recipe -- I substituted 2 Tbsp of rice vinegar and 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar for the 4 Tbsp of Chinese black vinegar. I also used regular honey. I also only made "one batch"....meaning used 1/2 the beef and 1/2 the broccoli (but I still used the same amount of sauce). Also just used frozen broccoli, since I had it stocked in my freezer. I like Asian food, so I keep things like rice vinegar and hoison sauce in my cupboard. lol. This was my favorite meal of the week. The sauce was so authentic tasting. It was really fast and easy to make too. Dave said it was the best stir fry I've made.

Dave rated this 4.5 jalapenos. I rated it 5 jalapenos.

Thursday night I found a recipe that allowed me to use the winter vegetables that were still in my fridge after making the stew Sunday night. Oven-roasted Roots. It's similar to a recipe that my sister, Becky, makes, so I hoped it'd be as good. I made it with parsnips, carrots, leeks and potatoes. I served this as a side-dish -- with hamburgers being the main course. Although, I was way more excited about the vegetables (I usually am). I think this time, Dave may have been more excited about the vegetables too. He took all the leftovers with him to have as his lunch. I love the flavor of balsamic vinegar, and it gives the vegetables great flavor. Call us weird, but Dave and I love parsnips now. But I must say, that Becky's oven-roasted root vegetable recipe is better.

Dave rated this 4 jalapenos. I rated it 4 jalapenos.

New Recipe, Week 1

This week I made a lot of new recipes, so I figure it'd be as good as any time to do #34 on my 101 in 1,001 list -- Try 1 new recipe every week for a month. Here's my re-cap from week 1.

Last night Dave and I (yes, we cook together) made Tilapia with Cucumber Salad. This dish was phenomenal! It tasted like something you'd eat on a tropical island vacation, which was quite enjoyable knowing that it was below zero outside. The dressing for the cucumber salad had a sweet and spicy bite thanks to the honey, ginger and rice vinegar. We served the salad on top of the fish (as it was pictured online), and the dressing drizzled down into the fish, complementing it perfectly. On the side, we served couscous to give us a well-balanced meal. And probably the best part was that this meal was super easy to make!

Dave rated this 4.5 jalapenos. I gave it 5 jalapenos.

Last Wednesday I made Sassy Sloppy Joes. Usually I just make Sloppy Joes by adding a can of sloppy joe mix to ground beef, but since I didn't have it in my cupboard I opted for this new recipe. I loved the addition of the chili sauce to give this meal some bite (probably added a little more than was necessary though. :) I didn't have any green pepper, so I just added onion and celery, and it still turned out fine. I consider Sloppy Joes one of those regular ole' home cooked meals, and that's exactly what this recipe was. It wasn't anything necessarily extravagant or special, but it fit the bill just right for a quick and yummy Wednesday night dinner.

Dave rated this 3.5 jalapenos. I gave it 4.

Last Sunday I made Turkey Chili. This chili recipe called for beer. I'd never put beer in my chili and I thought it sounded good, so I gave it a try. Yes, yes, it is good! I didn't have a can of tomato puree, so I just left it out....so my chili was a little runnier and it had a more broth-like consistency. On Sundays, I like to make meals that simmer for a while since I'm usually home most of the day after church. This is a great recipe to add to my Sunday recipe list. And there was plenty of leftovers so we could both bring some to work for lunch (that never happens!)

Dave rated this 3.5 jalapenos. I gave it 4.

A Baby Shower for the Luckiest Baby!

On Saturday, Melissa and I had a baby shower for one of our dearest friends, Erin. I was so honored to help co-host the shower. And hosting a shower for a friend is on my list of 101 in 1,001 (and I promise Erin wasn't even pregnant when I created my list). We still have to wait until February for Baby Luckey to get here, but since Erin lives in Chicago, we had her shower this past weekend since we knew she was going to be home for a quick weekend visit. Baby Luckey is definitely going to be the best dressed baby boy ever! He got the cutest clothes and baby stuff. Now all I have to do is be patient for almost four months until he gets here and I can hold him. I can't wait!!!

I didn't really do a good job taking pics, but I got a few.

Abby (Melissa's niece) was helping Erin open all the presents. Abby also thought the baby was inside Erin, because she swallowed it. Abby also thought the baby was going to be born at the party (b/c how can you have a party for someone who's not here). Abby was all ready to share her toys with the baby. Too cute!!!

One of many cute outfits.


Erin's mom is smelling the melted chocolate in the diaper...one of a few shower games we played.

Me and Erin! She looks great! It's hard to believe there's a baby in her belly!

These guys weren't at the shower. But they were looking cute tonight, so I took a pic!

A new hide-a-bed sofa

This is a special post for all people who like to visit the Minnesota Balows. We got a new hide-a-bed couch, which coincidently I added to my 101 in 1,001 list! Our next door neighbor moved a couple of weeks ago, and she sold us a virtually brand new couch and chair and foot stool. We had a couple of guys test out the hide-a-bed last weekend at the bachelor party. The said it was pretty comfortable. This bed has something special that makes if comfy -- it's part regular mattress, part air mattress. And it's beautiful...makes our loft look so much better...especially with the new blinds and desk...it's a whole new room now. This couch (and me) are looking forward to guests staying at our house!

Cooper says, "Good morning!"

Check, Check

Tonight, I got to cross off two items on my 101 in 1,001 list!

60. Get a new desk in the loft.
61. Get new blinds for the loft.

So that's what we spent part of the weekend doing. Other memorable moments:

• Helping Jordan and Melissa move into their townhouse.
• Going to the Lifetime Fitness pool with Melissa, Leanna and Abby Lynn Kampf.
• Going to lunch at Friday's with my mom, Rachel and Becky and then going to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
• Hanging out at home with Dave.

We had a good weekend relaxing and hanging out at home. It was nice having with both Dave and I having three consecutive days off with Dave. Back to work tomorrow!

weekend get-a-way

This last weekend, my friend Michelle invited me and Krissy to her family cabin for her birthday weekend. It was my first time ever at her cabin, so I was really excited to finally visit. Not to mention, I got to spend the weekend with two of my longest-lasting friends on this planet. We weren't the only people at the cabin. Also enjoying Michelle's birthday at the cabin was her parents; her sister, Mindy, who came from Las Vegas; her brother, Scott, who flew from Seattle; Scott's daughter, Kate; her aunt and uncle from New Jersey; and of course her daughter, Julia, the cutest 4-year-old in the world.

The weekend was a blast. We had some awesome weather, and I got to do some of my favorite 'up-north' activities -- reading and relaxing on the dock; having a campfire with s'mores; playing games (volleyball, Apples-to-Apples, Cranium); and shopping in small town gift shops. I worked on catching a fish (I still haven't succeeded!). And best of all, I finally succeeded at water skiing! Ok...it only lasted for about 30 seconds....but it was long enough for me to fully stand and to yell "I did it!" at the top of my lungs before falling backwards and having water go in places where it's not supposed to go. lol. (sorry if TMI). But it made Julia laugh. And now I can check off #74 'learn to water ski' off my 101 in 1,001 list! Krissy got a pic as proof, and hopefully she'll email it to me so I can post it. But she's still up-north at her family's cabin...so we're going to have to wait.

Here's some other pics of the weekend.

Mindy and Michelle

A tired and hungry Julia waits for her food.

The world famous muskee in Hayward, Wis. (This is as close as I got, b/c I didn't want to pay to go inside the Muskee Museum. lol.)

She's so cute!

Anthony brings Katie and Mary to MN!!!

Forewarning: This blog post will probably end up being way too long, especially since you will probably get Katie's perspective on her blog. But in any event, here's my recollection of how the events occurred from Saturday, August 2 - Tuesday, August 5.

And before I begin, I just must say that I am lucky. I know some people who don't particularly get along with their in-laws and don't look forward for their visits....but I am not one of those people. I love Dave's family and am always excited for their visits (or my visits to their house). And of course, I love my own family too. I just think I'm very blessed to be part of such great families that love and cherish one another.

Ok. Here's my tale of Anthony bringing Katie and Mary to MN.

On Saturday morning, Dave and I had the Derby Days 5K. It is the annual 5K at Canterbury Downs where you get to start through the starting gates for the horses (see photos from last year). I ran with my friends Nicki and Donna, and they each had some friends too. Dave ended up working the water table. It was a hot morning for a run!

As soon as we were done with the 5K, Dave and I took off to River Falls for the Duane Family Reunion. The last name Duane is Dave's grandma's maiden name, and she's the only one remaining of that generation. So basically the reunion was Dave's mom's first-cousins and all their families. I think about 70 people were there. Lots of family that I never met, but of course there was family that I have seen many times in the last 5 years since my first 'encounter' at Anthony's baptism. Anyway, it was my first official family reunion. And I officially became part of the Duane family as I was presented with the official Duane family reunion button (I understand that buttons or t-shirts are standard for family reunions as I've seen my best friend Krissy plan the Kelly family reunion in years past). Anyway, we spent the majority of the day at the Country Inn and Suites hanging out with family. Then we went to mass and dinner at the local supper club. Then we went back to the hotel to say our goodbyes.

Sunday was even busier. Over the course of the day, we had a summer BBQ at our house with more than 40 people stopping by (completing #82 of 101 in 1,001). We spent the morning cleaning, preparing food, setting up tables, etc. Then spent the rest of the day hosting the event. My nieces got to see their ring boy Anthony. Anthony loved playing the Twist Game with them (aka Twister), and Anthony learned the difference between left and right and apparently learned how to read. After lunch was served, some of the cousins went swimming at the pool. When we got back to the house, Katie and I interrupted Anthony assisting Amanda with taking off the wet swim suit (oh, to be 5 years old and be full of innocence), but it was quite amusing to me and Katie. Anyway, it was another great day hanging out with friends and family.

Monday we spent the entire day at Valleyfair. The highlight was talking Dave into going down the speed slide at the waterpark. And Megan, Dave, Katie and I almost capsized the raft on slide in the waterpark that has the raft for 4. I thought we were going to die. I just closed my eyes as we went round the turns and feeling the raft go airborne with Katie directly above me screaming for her life. Anthony was very proud that he got to go on Thunder Canyon, which was the ride that he was growing tall enough so that he could ride. His favorite ride was the Flume. I think Dave's favorite was the foam ball factory. Katie and Mary loved the Wave. Megan and I loved the extreme swing. Anthony got his cotton candy. We all had an awesome time, although we were exhausted by the time we left.

We decided to 'relax' on the last day of the trip. That meant we spent a couple of hours at Murphy's Landing. Followed by a lunch at McDonald's and a visit to see Dave at work. Then we drove to Minneapolis, so Katie could take some pics of my nieces. We also drove by Lake Calhoun, because Mary and Katie (and T) had never seen it (which is hard for me to believe that they lived in MN and never went to that lake). Then we went home and got Dave and went to my parents' neighborhood to do some pics of me and Dave (completing #53 of 101 in 1,001). And me in my wedding dress. The area where we took the pics was pretty secluded and due to the shortage of time, I just changed into my dress right on the path. So of course it was also National Night Out...and all the kids were at the park. So out of the woods I came, (and according to the girls at the park), I was a princess that magically appeared. It was so funny, because they were just awestruck and came up to me just to look and to tell me I was beautiful and then they wanted photos with me. It was hilarious! We got a lot of awesome photos that I can't wait to see! Our photo session wrapped up as the sun went down...so then we went to Dairy Queen for dinner (I changed out of the dress at my parents'). I think we made it home around 10 or so....just in time for Anthony to take charge of getting Mary and Katie packed and tucked in for the 2-3 hours of sleep they got before heading to the airport to go home.

All-in-all, we had a great, great time. Although with having Katie and Mary taking pics the whole time, I didn't snap one photo. Maybe Katie will post the picture version of the trip, since I just wrote enough for the both of us. Can't wait to hang out with the in-laws again!!!

Tuesday, July 29 -- A very good day

Today was an excellent day. Here's why:

• I woke up in my comfy bed surrounded my boys. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by my family that love me. So nice and comforting.
• I indulged myself with a Caribou this morning.
• Then I bought gas and it was only $3.54 per gallon.
• I got a couple of compliments on my new hair coloring (I am sure I'll have pics soon enough.)
• Mary, Katie and Anthony are one their way to Minnesota!!!! Hooray!
• Stevie got to feel an earthquake (thankfully, she's all right...and the earthquake that I felt in Washington in 2001 was bigger...lol. I'm so competitive.)
• Found out the my friend Michelle got the weekend off work for the weekend by her birthday so we definitely get to go to her cabin.
• My team at work got to enjoy a nice lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.
• But what I am truly so excited about is that I accepted a new job today! I don't want to indulge too much, because my blog is public. But I am very excited for a new opportunity and I now get to check another item done on my 101 in 1,001 list. If you want to know more, send me an email!
• Update --- And Dave captured the giant bull snake that lurked around the neighborhood.Yes, today was a very extraordinary day. Hooray! Hooray!

We did it!

Both Dave and I finished our races today. I can mark #3 and #43 completed on my 101 in 1,001 list (well, I edited #3 so I can mark it done. I did my best, even if the time didn't break my time record)!

I am very happy with my race. It wasn't a personal best, but it was my second best. Eight minutes faster than last year. I am very satisfied with that. I'm actually most proud that I kept a great attitude going the entire race. Last year ended up being really miserable. I cried. I didn't want to do it. I got really down on myself. There was one particular word I said in every sentence (starts with an F and ends with a K).

After the race, I was disappointed. I knew that I could have done better. I knew I could run faster. I knew I could have a better attitude. I think I decided right after the end of the race last year as I was sitting on a bench with Dave, giving Bobby the finger as he was taking our photo that I needed to do this race again. To prove to myself that I can. So I could be happy, proud of my hard work.

I did that this year.

This year I got on the bus that takes you to the start line all by myself (Dave had to get on a different bus to go to the marathon starting point). My cousin, Ginny, was looking out for me at the start so we started the run together. We ran the first half together. I felt great the whole time. We got to talk and it was fun to run with her....a great bonding experience. Her knee was bugging her though, so she slowed down and I kept going. The next couple of miles were good too. It was all pretty much great until I decided to walk through one of the water stops. My right knee started popping when I started running again. But unlike last year, this year I chose to stay positive despite the pain. And even though I had to slow down, I kept going, step by step. And as I crossed the finish line, I pumped my arms high in the air proud that I did it. Proud that I gave it my all. Proud that I did my 2nd best time. Proud that I ran with the right attitude.

Now that I am done and satisfied with the results. I think I could easily retire from 1/2 marathons. If I do, I'll go out on a good note. But if I decide to run again, I'll once again do it the way I did today.

Stay tuned...

---

Dave did it too! So really unfortunately for him he rolled his ankle on a crevice in the road right after the race began. But he and Bryan pushed on. I am really proud of Dave for staying in the race. Especially when I first saw him after the race....Trish was on one side, Andee was on the other...using them as crutches. But I also want to thank Bryan for staying with Dave the whole time. Bryan probably didn't get the time he wanted, but loyally stayed next to his friend's side and that means so much. Thank you!

Dave's taking a nap on the couch right now. He's got ice on his ankle for the third time since the end of the race. It's pretty swollen, a little bit bruised on the outside, and really tender. He'll probably have to go to the doctor next week.

Done and Done: #20 on 101 in 1,001

I finished reading one of the books on my list, Eat, Pray, Love. I have mixed emotions about the book. Like for example, even though it's a memoir, it's so unrealistic that people can just leave and travel around the world for a year. Granted, it would be an amazing opportunity to have. I liked that she found a spirituality that worked for her, and that spirituality helped her become a happier, more balanced person. I liked the short chapters, and I like that each chapter was a different story, so it was pretty easy to read at a slow pace (which is great during the semester). My favorite part about the book was some of the quotes I could pull out it. Some of the quotes were beautiful, some of them I could really relate to. I marked them up as I read the book. Here are some of my favorites:

"...God is not merely a blinding vision of glorious light, but He is, most of all,...the love that moves the sun and the other stars."

"Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment, you recognize yourself as a friend."

"When I realized that the only question at hand was, "How do I define pleasure?" and that I was truly in a country where people would permit me to explore the question freely, everything changed. Everything became...delicious."

"There is a reason they call God a presence -- because God is right here, right now. In the present is the only way to find Him, and now is the only time.

"At some point you have to stop because it [time] won't. You have to admit that you can't catch it. That you're not supposed to catch it. At some point...you gotta let go and sit still and let contentment to come to you."

"Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would note be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be. . . a prudent insurance policy."

"We have hands; we can stand on them if we want to. That's our privilege. That's the joy of a mortal body. And that's why God needs us. Because God loves to feel things through our hands."

"God dwells within you, as you."

"Over the centuries, people have tried to hold on to that state of blissful perfection through all sorts of external means -- through drugs and sex and power and adrenaline and the accumulation of pretty things -- but it doesn't keep. We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, begging for pennies from every passerby, unaware that his fortune was under him the whole time. Your treasure -- your perfection is within you already."

"But it was pure, this love that I was feeling. It was godly. I looked around the darkened valley and I could see nothing that was not God. I felt so deeply, terribly happy."

"The Yogic scriptures say that God responds to the sacred prayers and efforts of human beings in any way whatsoever that mortals choose to worship -- just so long those prayers are sincere."

"People follow different paths, straight or crooked, depending on which they consider best, according or most appropriate -- and all reach You, just as rivers enter the ocean."

"The hub of calmness -- that's your heart. That's where God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that center and you'll always find peace."

On love...
"It's still two human beings trying to get along, so it's going to become complicated. And love is always complicated. But still humans must try to love each other. We must get our hearts broken sometimes. This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something."

Only 7 more days of washing dishes by hand...

Our dishwasher broke seven months ago. My dad came over and took a look at it. There wasn't anything obviously wrong that we could easily fix, so it's become a great storage spot for our dish drying rack.

Then today, I got the call. Dave found us a deal on a dishwasher. Our seven months of washing dishes by hand is only going to last seven more days. Next Thursday, our new dishwasher is going to be delivered and installed, and the old one is going to be taken away to the dishwasher graveyard.

This is definitely exciting news. For as I type, my hands are bitterly dry and irritated from another night of washing dishes.

And it's another item done on my 101 in 1,001 list! Woo woo!

Awesome!

Tonight was awesome. That's the best way to describe it. Awesome. Tonight Dave and I were the lucky beneficiaries of two company tickets to the MN Wild game. These weren't just any seats. They were on the glass. They came with a parking pass. They came with access to The Fishing Lodge. BTW...The Fishing Lodge is like this secret underground bar beneath the stadium seats. Inside The Fishing Lodge...free drinks. Who goes to a sporting event and gets free drinks?! Yes, Dave and I felt really, really lucky tonight. And don't ask me how much seats like this cost. Okay, ask me. They are $225 each. Each! And you can't buy single game tickets...if you want these, you have to buy season tickets...with a price tag of more than $9,000 each. Each! That just boggles my mind. To make the night worthwhile, the Wild won! It was a close game and went into overtime, which made our two hours of heaven last a little bit longer, so it was all good. I took a lot of photos tonight. Here's a few...

The Fishing Lodge...A view from the upper level...

Watching the game...

NHL All-Star, Marian Gaborik.

Having a great time at the game!

Face off. Can you see the puck??


Skoula celebrates the game winning goal!

Celebrating the win!

3 down, 198 to go...

As soon as I hit the "publish post" button, I'll be done with another item on my 101 in 1,001 list. I have successfully completed iten #4 - blog every day for a month. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it'd be...on some days I actually blogged more than once. Although tomorrow it might be nice to take a break from posting.

Here's some updates on some other things on my list...

• I'm ready Eat, Pray, Love. I love this book so far! Between reading for school and everything else, it's tough to find time to read...but the chapters are short, so you can easily just pick it up for a minute or two. In a way it's nice to savor reading a book and make it last a long time...cuz I tend to read fast once I'm into a book.
• I'm past the half-way point on losing 20 pounds. As of this morning, I've lost 11. Out of all the things I'm doing, this one definitely takes a lot of dedication. I haven't given in to the temptation at eating any doughnuts at our weekly meetings since the beginning of the year. And I can hardly ever not give into temptation as far as food is concerned. So building that ability is awesome! :)
• As long as we're on the food subject, I think I've broken my Caribou habit. I've only had it three times this year. One time was because it was bought for me. Only once did I have a mocha. Maybe if I can make it all the way through March, I'll mark this item complete.
• Cooper is doing really good on housebreaking. I keep thinking we're done and then some random accident happens. The most recent being the night after we got back from the kennel and he had diarrhea all over our bedroom floor.
• Lastly, I just won company tickets to Sunday's MN Wild game against the LA Kings. This was totally unexpected, because I didn't even think my company had season tickets anymore. The best part -- they are on the glass!! So I'll be able to mark that one done too. I'm definitely bringing my camera, so I will post photos.