One heck of a fantastic weekend!

I spent the weekend with my friend, Marie. It was not your average weekend in Hawai'i! Well...actually, I suppose it kind of was a pretty average weekend. It was not a touristy experience though. We saw Jack and Jill (not recommended), ate good food, ate more good food, ate papaya picked from a tree in her garden, and today we really crammed it all in. Started around 8am with a 12 mile hike. We were covered in mud, and I have a very sore bum from the tumble I took, but it was worth it for the view at the summit! This isn't the summit view, but it's my favorite picture of the day. A single wild orchid along the trail with the mountains and ocean in the back. Gorgeous! And...since BlogPress is still waiting for iTunes update approval, I'm pretty limited to the number of pictures I can post.

Tenting

Now this is one of those things you just can't believe unless you've gotten to see it with your own eyes. Tenting. Because bugs are a bit of a problem in the Hawai'i climate, they have to do some serious extermination. Basically, an entire house is covered with tarps. They are even clipped to the ground some way. Then, the insecticide is pumped into the inside. Not really sure how long the whole process takes, but just getting an entire house tarped in the winds has to take some time. The house I'm staying in was tented before my adviser moved in. I would assume that between tenants would be the ideal time. Not sure how more permanent folks handle it. Crazy, right?

This image brought to you by my graduate experience...

Aloha! Sadly, my typical blog app has a bug. The best I can do is to email a post and hope for the best. The picture is of the view from Nu'uanu Pali Lookout which is one of the Hawai'i State Park. At this historical point, King Kamehaeha and his warriors defeated the O'ahu armies. He basically forced them all over the cliff to their deaths. This victory of sorts united the Hawaiian Islands in 1795. The rest of the story is here: http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/pali_lookout.htm

New Adventure

The blogging hiatus was a necessary evil. Things have been pretty cRazY. Just a few things to fill you in...

• I've worn a different pair of earrings every day since October 3. 
• I had my first big interview. 
• I haven't heard whether I will get the position or not, because our lovely Congress hasn't agreed on a national research budget yet. So annoying.
• I went to a great conference in Baltimore where I tried clam chowder and lobster pot pie for the first time.
• Our department head was inducted into the Institute of Medicine. Pretty big stuff!
• Baxter and I both got hair cuts.
• I managed to get an abstract in for the Experimental Biology conference.
• I had a nervous break down that lead to a great night with friends at our favorite pub.
• I knit a gorgeous sweater  for mom in 3 weeks. Knitting speed directly correlated with stress level. 
• My niece called me Auntie for the first time! She held out for just shy of 4 whole years. 
• Today I will see my entire family for said niece's birthday. Four is pretty big, you know!
• Tomorrow I will spend a whoppin' 10 hours on an airplane. Hawaii or bust!

Yup, leaving for Hawaii tomorrow, and I will be there for a month. Time to put the pedal to the metal and get this dissertation done. Finishing a dissertation is never fun, but I'm pretty sure Oahu will be a wee bit more scenic than my office. We used to have a window picture frame with a beach scene behind it, but we don't even have that much scenery down here anymore. I'll try to be better about keeping you all posted on any adventures I have while I'm there.

Leavenworth, WA...was that a week ago already?

There's nothing much better than autumn! Who doesn't get excited about pumpkin lattes, caramel apple cider, pumpkin patch, pumpkin bars, boots, scarves, and leaves? Mostly, I get excited about leaves! I got to enjoy the beginning of fall out in the Wenatchee National Forest. Sooooo inspiring! Some times, a girl just needs peace and quiet, a time to think, and time to remember just how beautiful the world really is. Here are a few pictures from the trip. The pops of red stood out to me more than anything.























And did I mention how cute Leavenworth is? Here's the owner of our hotel giving the daily alphorn concert on the balcony. Not the worst excuse to get to breakfast!

A few travel mishaps...

Some days my life seems nearly (but not quite) as hectic as Annie trying to go grocery shopping. In stead of kids; I have deadlines, random meetings, split social personalities, etc. Mom says I'm well on my way to being a nutty professor. I usually just fake a big smile and hope no one notices all my goofs! Here are just a few things I've done in the last year that could have been really bad.

Last winter I was running late to the airport (pretty typical). When I got back from wherever it was I was going, I realized the window in my car was gone! Immediately, I thought the worst..."Oh no! Someone broke into my car!" Then, I quickly realized there was no broken glass. I just didn't roll my window back up after getting my parking ticket. My seat was a little wet with snow, but no major hard done.

This spring, I had to be at the airport around 5am. I don't even remember where I was going. It was still dark out, so I had to turn the dome light on to make sure I got all my crap. When I got back, my battery was dead. Turns out, the Indianapolis airport offers a free jump start service. The guy said they have to jump about 10 cars a day. Considering the number of cars in those lots, that's not really too bad!

Most recently, I left my keys on the trolly. I had to wait 45 minutes, and learned that there are 3 trollies on route. Later that same night, I lost my car in a parking garage. For real. I've never lost my car in a parking lot or a parking garage. First time...and it had to be the day I left my keys on the trolly.

So back to the airport jump start. I didn't have any cash, but I did have an empty Starbucks gift car. I gave the guy the card and told him I'd add money to it right then and there. That is exactly what I did...added $10 to the card. On the iPhone app, the smallest amount you can add is $10. Kind of a big tip, but it was 11pm and I didn't really care. Since it was a registered card, I could track to see if he ever used it. It's been months...nearly 3 months...and he never used it. I pretty much gave up tracking the card. It crossed my mind that after 6 months, I could transfer the money to one of my other cards. That would be so wrong though. So very very wrong. Not sure why I decided to check last night, but I did. He used the card! Woohoo! I'm so glad someone is finally enjoying that card and I'm still grateful for that jump start.

There's a lot to catch up on. In the last week or so I basically fell off the blog band wagon. Trust me...a lot has happened since then! You should really read Annie's blog about grocery shopping. It's hilarious. If you're a mom, you can probably relate even better. Show Annie some blog love for me!

Frenzy...

I really do have a lot to write about, but there's just no time. Maybe this weekend I can get caught up on posting. In the mean time...

Purse dump

Big hand bags rock, but can get loaded down so easily. Especially since mine is my "personal item" when I fly and my school bag during the week. All kinds of stuff ends up in there. My purse seemed crazy heavy lately, so I dumped everything out to see what was going on and this is what I found...

The following items don't need to be there:

3 koozies (2 were free last night at Central Market)
snacks from my flight 2 weeks ago
random jewelry
vegetable erasers
tickets from the Red's game we went to about 2 months ago
blister block
giant thing of Blink eye drops
Purdue window decals
3 dimes that can go in the change jar
stitch markers for my knitting
random post-it notes and receipts that can go in the trash

That should lighten the load! Big purses are great, but geesh...way too much stuff piles up in there. I should probably purse dump a little more often!

Oh perspective.

I don't know what's going on, but everyone is kind of feeling meh around these parts. Not sure if it's the crazy weather, allergies, or what. I don't feel like blogging. I don't feel like doing much of anything. I think my instincts are telling me it's time to prepare for hibernation. Alas no. I have a to do list a mile long! Signing up for the Addison Oktoberfest 5K to support Wipe Out Kids' Cancer makes me want to quit complaining.


Here are some alarming stats from the WOKC website

• About 46 kids are diagnosed with cancer every day.
• 1/330 kids will develop cancer by age 20. 

Should be an interesting experience. Right in line with my tradition of signing up for 5Ks when I'm not in good shape! Haven't been in good shape for a 5K yet. No point starting now. If I could break 30 minutes, that would be awesome. Let's not get too agressive though, right?

Little Lucy is one of many kids dealing with cancer. She's not in Dallas, she's at St. Jude's right now. You might want to check out the blog her mom keeps. Lucy is just about done with chemo and has been doing great considering all she's going through! I've been following her blog for a while now and it's always a good reminder to keep life in perspective, and say "I love you" one more time. Go Lucy Go!

Bucket List

I have a post about me and Marilyn Monroe, but I can't find the perfect words for what I want to say. That left me in the learch today. Thank goodness for a $500 Bucket List Giveaway hosted by J. Money over at Budgets are Sexy! He's giving away $500 to one lucky reader/contest entery to put towards your bucket through a contest sponsored by Life Insurance Finder. You get 5 entries for blogging about it, so it was perfect timing!

My bucket list for the near future includes the following:

1. Vacation in Hawaii. Not exactly a fair thing to put on the list, because it's actually happening very soon! So if I win the contest, the money will go towards this trip!

2. Spend a long weekend in New York City in the winter. Scarves, hot chocolate, ice skating...perfect!

3. Go to a monster truck show or demolition derby. Pretty sure this needs to be in summer so I can wear ripped up jeans, a wife beater, and cowboy boots.

4. I really want to go to India.

5. I also really want to go to China with my friend, Maggie.

6. I want to visit my friends in Thailand, and take naps on the beach.

7. Celebrate St. Paddy's day in all Top 10 Cities. Chicago and Boston...check!

I could probably think of more things, but those tare the big ones that came to mind. Maybe I should start a more formal bucket list. Not right now though...too many other things to get done!

Planning for Christmas

Whoa! Seems like lots of bloggers are posting about Christmas already. I agree that it is a good idea to plan ahead. Christmas is on my mind because a) September is the month I start putting money aside for presents, and b) I got matched for the Christmas knitting swap I signed up for!

I am hoping that my trip to Hawaii will make Christmas shopping easier than usual. I have a few ideas already for a few people. It's all very exciting when you have something you really want to give. Our family really enjoys the present part of things. I could be wrong, but I think everyone in my family loves giving and getting presents.

From what I can tell, people have great Christmas spending plans. Here are a few I've seen.

1. Simply put aside a little money each month so that when it gets close to Christmas you don't break the bank all at once. This tends to be my method.

2. Save all your credit card cash back bonuses to buy gift cards to shop with. Great idea! I know a few people who do this. I don't spend enough to earn enough to really do this. My cash back bonus trends to supplement my Starbucks, Gap, and Banana Republic habits.

3. Use Swagbucks to earn Amazon.com gift cards to shop with. Good idea, but again...I don't earn enough swag bucks to make this happen. I have used Amazon gift cards that I've earned from Swagbucks to buy birthday presents on occasion.

4. Handmade gifts. Now please don't fool yourself. Most handmade gifts cost some money. Especially if it's knit! Some handmade gifts are pretty inexpensive and completely awesome! I wouldn't shy away from giving stuff like scrubs (hint hint to my sister! Could be a tradition!), soaps, etc.

So what are your gifting traditions? Do you have some great homemade gift ideas to share? If you do, I will try to post a list with links!


ETA:
The most I’ve spent this last week was on more plane tickets.
2. Today I am thankful a great morning! I went for a run, then a walk with my dog, spent the morning working in my favorite coffee shop, then had lunch with friends!
3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was go to Germanfest. Way fun!
4. I will consider this week a success if I turn in my seminar outline.
5. My favorite game to play is  catch phrase or canasta. Haven't played either in a long time though.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

September objectives

I actually made some goals/ objectives for this month. Not sure how many will get done, but a girl can dream!

1. Knitting: the main goal is to start mom's sweater. She keeps buying yarn to make herself a sweater, but never actually knits it. I offered to knit one for her. All I need is for her to give me the yarn and the pattern. I'm trying to finish all my unfinished objects (UFOs), but that will take time. Last night we did a little pattern searching and I think we agreed on brown yarn for the sweater pictured below.

2. School: I'm giving a 45 minute seminar in October. By the end of September, I have to turn in an outline. My outline is already done. My actual objective is to have a draft of all the slides by the end of the month.

3. Exercise: I'm going to run a 10k when I'm in Hawaii, so this workout thing needs to happen. My objective is to workout for 30 minutes 4 days a week. Hopefully it will be closer to 5 days a week!

4. Fashion: Silly, I know. I really want to start wearing my cowboy boots more often. I really love them, but it always seems bold to wear them around here. I will wear them once a week for the month of September. Fun! Already wore them yesterday. They're great for fall!

5. Baxter: Poor Baxter. Sometimes he gets jipped, because my schedule is nuts. I will walk him 4 days a week (hopefully more), give him a bath 2 weeks before going to the groomer. Last night I finished getting all his tangles out. So far he's gotten a walk 3 days this week, plus a trip to the river!

6. Organization: This may be wishful thinking, but I'm hoping to figure out a way to organize my yarn stash. Last night I started making a list of yarn and the project it's meant for. A lot of the yarn doesn't have a project assigned yet. Some of it just needs to turn into pretty gifts for friends and family.

That's pretty good. Not sure I can manage much more than that this month.

Americana

It's finally starting to feel like fall! I don't want to wish away summer and sunshine, but I'm happy with temperatures in the 70's and 80's. I love how Labor Day welcomes in fall. This past weekend was full of Americana. We went to the University of Texas vs. Rice football came. That was quite the experience! Got my picture taken with a giant longhorn named Oreo while giving my best "hook 'em!" hand signal thing. I felt like such a poser, but it was fun! The rest of the weekend was spent cooking for friends and then a minor league baseball game. So fun! Doesn't get much better! The only problem with the carnitas recipe we tried was all the chili powder. During the browning process, the chili got in the air and burned my nose and throat. I'm still coughing. It's bad. Flavor was amazing in the end though. Bummer that I forgot to take pictures. 

Tomorrow I'll post about my September goals. I'm already working on one which is to wear my cowboy boots more often! Wearing them today!

Firefox Personality Quiz

I took the Firefox personality quiz this morning so that I could webify myself. You can use this link to see all the explanations for the random stuff, but here are the highlights...

Knitting Needles

Ancient symbol of self-reliance, the Knitting Needle stands for your expressive individuality in the face of commercialism. With your own hands you create that which you desire, and make it purely your own.

Do they know I'm a knitter?!? And are knitting needles really an ancient symbol of self-reliance? I'll take it!

Puppet

Everything's better with a monkey in it. Monkeys are fun, smart, and optimistic. You got this crafty monkey because it reflects your own delightful optimism and playfulness. Or maybe you like bananas?

I'll give them the optimism and playful part, and I do like monkeys. In fact, I was born in the year of the monkey.

Energy Bar

Energy, nutrition, health — those are the things you value. It's good that you also like chocolate, otherwise you'd be too boring to be anointed with the EnergyBar — a sophisticated melange of sporting intentions wrapped in a candy-like execution.

 Another creepy one. Do they know I'm into nutrition?

Action Figure

A significant cultural heroic icon looms large in your inner nerd psyche. Embrace it. (We really don't want to get into the whole trademark thing, OK?)

They called me a nerd!

 

Birkenstocks need repair

My beloved Birks are shot. I bought them at the Birkenstock store in Dublin before this style was even popular. That was back in 2006, I think. Maybe 2007. The sole is wearing off and they don't look quite as nice anymore. For about $70 I could get a new pair. For $60 I can get them resoled at Resole America. I'm not trying to be cheap by saving $10. I just can't part with these shoes! They've been so many places with me. Here are a handful of pictures that brought back happy memories of my Euro days. In each picture, I either know I was wearing my Birks or you can see me wearing them. These pictures are in no particular order because Blogger isn't cooperating.

It was really warm for Oktobefest that year, so I was in my Birks the whole weekend. That was before I had a dirndl!

Wore them to Neuschwanstein Castle.

Wore them to the Paris Opera House when Mom and I went to the ballet.

Also wore them when Mom and I went to see Money's Garden in Giverny.

I bought my Birks right before my 2nd trip to Paris. We spent a lot of time wandering through little neighborhoods. Brand new Birks are not so comfortable, but the scenery was just lovely!

Obviously had them on while I was spacing out in Portugal. I think I got my hair cut that day too. Always risky getting your hair cut by someone who you can't communicate with very well! It turned out fine if I remember correctly!

So those are a few happy travel memories that don't even include all the more recent travels with these shoes. Hard to believe I've had them for at least 4 years. I can't possible through them away! So they are off to the Birkenstock hospital for a little face lift. In a 8-10 business days we'll be reunited and making more happy memories together.

Too much sleep...

I wish I was drinking a beautiful latte!

I'm standing at the bus stop as I write. I did not get too much sleep last night, but I did oversleep. I still have sheet marks on my arms and my face. My hair is embracing the messy look. I'm the poster child for over sleeping. In undergrad, I'd probably have thrown on the closest pair of dirty jeans before running out the door.  At least now I find clean clothes, wash my face and put on some make up. Maybe after an hour or so and a cup of coffee it won't seem like a bad morning.

Speaking of undergrads, I'm having trouble embracing their fresh burst of energy this year. Usually I love the beginning of the school year. The undergrads always seem glad to be back, they are cheerful, the have at least a little bit of motivation...I usually find it is contagious. Not so much this year. The undergrads are still all those things, but I'm not catching the bug. Mostly I'm just jealous of all the energy I can't seem to catch! Sigh...maybe I just need that coffee sooner than later. I'm not addicted. I'm just a nicer person after I've had it.

Yes, coffee is probably my best shot at a good day.

Weekly Money Check-Up

I don't think I did a weekly money check-up last week. I actually really like the concept that MyPrettyPennies has going. It's a good reminder to look back over my finances and have a little accountability without having to divulge too much information. So here goes...

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on a plane ticket.
2. Today I am thankful for cooler weather. I don't want to wish away summer, but I'm looking forward to fall!
3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was spend time with my sister and my nephews.
4. I will consider this week a success if I get the ball rolling on my literature review.
5. The thing I will miss most when summer is over pool time. I've really enjoyed spending time at the pool this summer.

I am a knitter!

It's been a really long time since I posted about knitting. Maybe a few years? Anyway, knitting is a favorite hobby of mine. Right now I'm all antsy, because I have a finished project that has to block. For you non-knitters, that means you get it wet, lay it out flat and pin it in the exact shape you want it to be and let it dry that way. It takes way more patience than I have most days. Thus, a lot of my projects are barely blocked. Here's a detail view of my most recent knit, the Holden Shawlette by Mindy Wilkes.

Can you see all those pins holding the points in place? I'm going to leave it to dry for at least 2 days. Even though I really want to take a hair drier to it and see how fast I can get it dry right now! This is a small triangle shawl that I will wear as a scarf. You know...kind of artsy, gangster style with the point in the front. According to Ravelry, I'm one of 1839 people who have knit or are knitting this little shawl. That alone should indicate that there are a lot of knitters out there! It's a free pattern to you Ravelry folks!

Here are a few other things I've knit in the last year. Just a few of a many!

A Choo Choo Train Blanket designed by Brownie Knits.

A Lace River Scarf designed by Veronik Avery.

My next project is going to be a super cute sweater with eggplant and chartreuse stripes! Here's the picture from the pattern. I'm thinking I won't wear it with that hat, I'll make make it a little longer, and I'll add some ribbing at the waist band. Fun! Should be a great sweater for fall. The more I look at the picture, the more I wonder why anyone would want to knit it. It looks dumber and dumber on the model every minute.

The cost of being cheap

Bottom line is I'm just too cheap to buy a parking pass for campus. I would buy a pass if I could park in one of the garages closer to my building. Not going to pay $150 for a pass that allows me to park in a lot 15 minutes away from my building though. It's a 30 minute walk from my house to my office. It's a 10-15 minute drive to the parking lots, plus a 15 minute walk from there to my building. So it doesn't even make sense to buy a parking pass.


I can take the bus for free. There's a bus that picks up fairly close to my house. Just a few blocks away actually. Thing is, that bus is NEVER on schedule. It's supposed to run every 15 minutes, but I've waiting way longer than 15 minutes before without seeing a bus. So, I have been walking to campus. I figure instead of waiting 15 min for the bus, I can just start walking. It's good for me to get a little extra activity in my day. On the days when I've needed to take the bus, it's usually because I'm wearing something that wouldn't be good for biking. White linen pants, for example. Foolishly, I've been walking in sandals that weren't meant for 30 minute walks in the heat of summer. That means blisters. Ugh.

Today I really needed to have my car on campus so I can run an errand this afternoon. That means I have to be on campus at the crack of dawn to get a coveted free street parking spot. If you arrive after 7:30am, you're doomed. Thankfully 7:25 was good enough today! Still, I don't see that happening too often!

What about biking? Well...I do that too. It's really the fastest. Takes about 15 minutes. Problem is, there are days like today when I need to be pretty dressed up. More than dressed up, I need to be NOT stinky! It's hard to be NOT stinky when biking in this heat! Next week I'll be back on my trusty bike and happy as a clam!

30 was the best year yet!

A lot has happened in the last year. So far as I can tell, each year is a little better than the last. I have yet to figure out why so many people freak out about being 30 years old. I have yet to figure out why people freak about any age. Seems to me that most struggles can't be predicted, so getting all worried about a horrible situation isn't needed. Overall, each year is better than the last; even with all the struggles involved! I'm not saying my 30th year of life was all happy meals and chocolate milk. There were certainly some down days, I didn't accomplish every goal I set out to accomplish, I still have laundry all over the bedroom floor, Baxter hasn't been on enough walks, etc. Do you think I love telling people I'm 30 and still living at home? Do you think I love being bombarded about being 30 and not married? People look at me like I'm a freak half the time! I'm really happy with life just the way it is, so quit pushing all your social pressures on me! Ha! Just kidding! Not to be overly optimistic, but I'd rather focus on the awesome things that happened in the last year. Here are some of my highlight from my 30th year of life.

Two days in Taiwan

Two weeks in Australia with my mom

Learning to ski in the Austrian Alps over New Years (and not breaking any bones, I might add)

Christmas in Amsterdam

I passed my preliminary exams

Two of my best friends got married and I was honored to be in their weddings

Went to Oktoberfest in Munich again and this time wore a dirndl. Way more fun when you're dressed up!

A certain someone moved back to the US

Paid off all credit card debt

Saved enough for a respectable emergency fund

Ran a half marathon

If you ask me, that's a pretty good list. That's only the big stuff! That doesn't even touch on all the little stuff that made it such a great year. Doesn't touch on the rough spots that helped me grow. Well...happy birthday to me! Can't wait to see what the year has in store. I encourage everyone to eat cake and have a great day!