Sunday, December 14, 2008
It's Snowing!!
Not only on the mountain, but here in Portland too! I have lived in the Northwest for 3 previous winters and I have only seen snow in the valley 3 times and it was gone by later that day if it even stuck at all. So it was quite a surprise to wake up to a sprinkling of white. It's just enough to cover the streets and most of the grass, though you can still see the tips of the grass outside. It looks pretty though. AND, it has snowed enough this weekend that the ski resorts are OPEN for business!!! Too bad, we'll be spending the next two weekends back east where skiing will not be possible, but we have made reservations for New Years to stay down in Bend, OR and ski Mt. Bachelor for 2 days. CAN'T WAIT. I only got to ski 1 1/2 days last season and it's now been over a year since I donned my skis. I'm SO looking forward to it. There aren't many things better than jumping off the lift into a steep, fast run and making some sweet turns through untracked snow.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Christmas is Coming...
Two weeks to go! It's just crazy. I'm not even sure it FEELS like Christmas this year. 2008 has been a BIG year for me. It's hard to believe it's all coming to an end soon.
We spent Thanksgiving in Richland, WA with James' Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle. It was a quiet dinner but we had fun. We actually drove up to Richland (3.5 hrs away) on Wednesday evening and spent the night. I had to work on Friday so that's why we headed up Wednesday to avoid having to drive 7 hours in one day. I haven't really done much for Thanksgiving in years past since being away from family so it was nice to spend time with my new family.
The weekend after Thanksgiving we headed out to get our Christmas tree. We're flying home for the holidays on the 20th so we wanted to get our tree early so we could enjoy it. A friend I work with who is a PT also happens to own a tree farm where you can cut your own tree. James and I headed out in search of a perfect tree. It was hard to find one we LOVED but we found a nice one and after it was up in our house and decorated, it looks GREAT. Our first married tree.
Here's some pics
Hanging our first ornament, a "Two Become One" Ornament
James hanging the angel on top of the tree:
Beautiful Tree!
We're still trying to get all our Christmas shopping done before we head back east on the 20th. It's quickly approaching. We will be splitting time between Detroit and Ann Arbor-ish area from the 20th until EARLY on the 25th then heading to Cleveland until the 29th before going BACK to Detroit and flying home to Portland on the 30th. Whirlwind but we're looking forward to seeing everyone. We have 2 beautiful nieces to smother with some lovin' and just can't wait to see our families. It is hard to be so far away from them. We LOVE it here, and really can't decide on anywhere else we would rather live as Portland is just perfect for us. But it doesn't make it any easier to be far from family, especially this time of year.
We'll be spending New Years on the slopes, God willing, if the snow comes as expected. Probably won't have time to post much over the next few weeks, so Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy and safe New Year! I hope 2009 brings everyone love, health, and more happiness than your hearts can hold.
We spent Thanksgiving in Richland, WA with James' Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle. It was a quiet dinner but we had fun. We actually drove up to Richland (3.5 hrs away) on Wednesday evening and spent the night. I had to work on Friday so that's why we headed up Wednesday to avoid having to drive 7 hours in one day. I haven't really done much for Thanksgiving in years past since being away from family so it was nice to spend time with my new family.
The weekend after Thanksgiving we headed out to get our Christmas tree. We're flying home for the holidays on the 20th so we wanted to get our tree early so we could enjoy it. A friend I work with who is a PT also happens to own a tree farm where you can cut your own tree. James and I headed out in search of a perfect tree. It was hard to find one we LOVED but we found a nice one and after it was up in our house and decorated, it looks GREAT. Our first married tree.
Here's some pics
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| From ChristmasTree08 |
Hanging our first ornament, a "Two Become One" Ornament
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| From ChristmasTree08 |
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| From ChristmasTree08 |
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| From ChristmasTree08 |
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| From ChristmasTree08 |
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| From ChristmasTree08 |
We're still trying to get all our Christmas shopping done before we head back east on the 20th. It's quickly approaching. We will be splitting time between Detroit and Ann Arbor-ish area from the 20th until EARLY on the 25th then heading to Cleveland until the 29th before going BACK to Detroit and flying home to Portland on the 30th. Whirlwind but we're looking forward to seeing everyone. We have 2 beautiful nieces to smother with some lovin' and just can't wait to see our families. It is hard to be so far away from them. We LOVE it here, and really can't decide on anywhere else we would rather live as Portland is just perfect for us. But it doesn't make it any easier to be far from family, especially this time of year.
We'll be spending New Years on the slopes, God willing, if the snow comes as expected. Probably won't have time to post much over the next few weeks, so Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy and safe New Year! I hope 2009 brings everyone love, health, and more happiness than your hearts can hold.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Welcome Addison!!
My niece has finally arrived!!!
Addison Naomi Christ was born Wednesday December 3, 2008 at 2:59 PM to my brother Jason and sister in law Jaime. She was 7 lbs. 11 oz and 20 inches long with lots of dark hair...more in fact than my brother currently has on his head. hmmmm....
She was born via C-section due to some distress during labor but she's healthy and doing great. The new mom is holding up well and they are both ecstatic. James and I can't wait to meet Addison in just a few short weeks. For now here's a pic, taken soon after birth....
If you'd like to see other pics of this little cutie, check out my brother's web album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jasonthedce/AddisonNaomi#
Congratulations, Jason and Jaime!!
Addison Naomi Christ was born Wednesday December 3, 2008 at 2:59 PM to my brother Jason and sister in law Jaime. She was 7 lbs. 11 oz and 20 inches long with lots of dark hair...more in fact than my brother currently has on his head. hmmmm....
She was born via C-section due to some distress during labor but she's healthy and doing great. The new mom is holding up well and they are both ecstatic. James and I can't wait to meet Addison in just a few short weeks. For now here's a pic, taken soon after birth....
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| From random pics |
If you'd like to see other pics of this little cutie, check out my brother's web album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jasonthedce/AddisonNaomi#
Congratulations, Jason and Jaime!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A girl named Darla
Let me tell you a story.
It's about a girl, well a woman, named Darla. Smart, tall, thin, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. This woman would have all the attention of the men we encountered....
I first "met" Darla freshman year of college. We were fellow PT majors though these were the years before we would have every class together. We had our own circle of friends. Darla was dating Doug. Doug and I were friends. He would spend hours on IM with me asking my female perspective on what he should do when their relationship was on the rocks. I didn't know Darla well then so I couldn't speak for her so I just offered up what advice I could to Doug.
Junior year started and Darla and I bonded over a cadaver in anatomy lab. Yep, that's right, we became friends as we performed a human dissection in the name of science. By this time, D&D had ended their relationship and I realized my budding friendship with Darla was something special and Doug and I had drifted apart. He wasn't that great a friend anyway.
Over the next three years, Darla and I had every class together. Countless hours sitting at the plinths in the PT lab on the ground floor of Rangos, many weekends in the library studying our life work, and LOTS of trips to the Strip District to hit up Tequila Willie's or Bar Pittsburgh. We became the best of friends in a time in our life filled with stress but also excitement.
I remember the day Darla was in an accident on campus. She messed her back up pretty bad and would later need surgery. Yet through it all, she hardly ever complained and always had a smile on her face. I'm so thankful the surgery was successful and she's able to practice as a PT today.
Graduation was exciting, but so sad. I was leaving Pittsburgh, leaving some of the most amazing friends I had ever met. Time and distance has a way of ending friendships. Lord knows I've learned that first hand over the years. Through it all, even if we went months without connecting, whenever D called it was as if we'd never been apart.
In 2007, I asked Darla to be a bridesmaid in my wedding and on July 4, 2008 she stood by my side as I married my soulmate. My wedding wouldn't have been complete without her. This weekend, I have the honor of returning the favor. I will don the dress, walk down the aisle, and witness one of my best friends marry the love of her life. I'm honored to stand by her side.
Darla, as your special day approaches, I celebrate our 9+ years of friendship. The ups, the downs, the laughter, the tears. I love you like a sister and know I'm always here for you. I wish you many lifetimes of happiness with Matt. You deserve it and I couldn't be happier for you. Enjoy every second of your day. It will go by quickly. Take a moment to breathe, take in the scene: a room filled with people that love you and Matt. Dance. Eat your dinner. Make sure someone saves you a piece of cake. :)
I love you D. I am so happy and so excited to stand by your side as you marry your love. I pray that 50 years from now, the 4 of us will be rocking it on an anniversary cruise somewhere, walkers in tow if need be.
It's about a girl, well a woman, named Darla. Smart, tall, thin, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. This woman would have all the attention of the men we encountered....
I first "met" Darla freshman year of college. We were fellow PT majors though these were the years before we would have every class together. We had our own circle of friends. Darla was dating Doug. Doug and I were friends. He would spend hours on IM with me asking my female perspective on what he should do when their relationship was on the rocks. I didn't know Darla well then so I couldn't speak for her so I just offered up what advice I could to Doug.
Junior year started and Darla and I bonded over a cadaver in anatomy lab. Yep, that's right, we became friends as we performed a human dissection in the name of science. By this time, D&D had ended their relationship and I realized my budding friendship with Darla was something special and Doug and I had drifted apart. He wasn't that great a friend anyway.
Over the next three years, Darla and I had every class together. Countless hours sitting at the plinths in the PT lab on the ground floor of Rangos, many weekends in the library studying our life work, and LOTS of trips to the Strip District to hit up Tequila Willie's or Bar Pittsburgh. We became the best of friends in a time in our life filled with stress but also excitement.
I remember the day Darla was in an accident on campus. She messed her back up pretty bad and would later need surgery. Yet through it all, she hardly ever complained and always had a smile on her face. I'm so thankful the surgery was successful and she's able to practice as a PT today.
Graduation was exciting, but so sad. I was leaving Pittsburgh, leaving some of the most amazing friends I had ever met. Time and distance has a way of ending friendships. Lord knows I've learned that first hand over the years. Through it all, even if we went months without connecting, whenever D called it was as if we'd never been apart.
In 2007, I asked Darla to be a bridesmaid in my wedding and on July 4, 2008 she stood by my side as I married my soulmate. My wedding wouldn't have been complete without her. This weekend, I have the honor of returning the favor. I will don the dress, walk down the aisle, and witness one of my best friends marry the love of her life. I'm honored to stand by her side.
Darla, as your special day approaches, I celebrate our 9+ years of friendship. The ups, the downs, the laughter, the tears. I love you like a sister and know I'm always here for you. I wish you many lifetimes of happiness with Matt. You deserve it and I couldn't be happier for you. Enjoy every second of your day. It will go by quickly. Take a moment to breathe, take in the scene: a room filled with people that love you and Matt. Dance. Eat your dinner. Make sure someone saves you a piece of cake. :)
I love you D. I am so happy and so excited to stand by your side as you marry your love. I pray that 50 years from now, the 4 of us will be rocking it on an anniversary cruise somewhere, walkers in tow if need be.
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| From random pics |
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Time has Come...
for CHANGE. I'm so proud to be an American today. And I feel incredible excitement for where this country is going to go under our new President. It has been a historic ride and I've really enjoyed it these past few weeks. Yeah, we've all been bothered by the excessive political ads but this election more than any other in recent memory has been so historical, ground-breaking, downright exciting. Even 100 years ago, I would not have been able to even cast my vote for someone who could really affect my life. We've come a long way and I'm so thankful for all those women who fought for that right so that I may have this feeling today.
I'm looking forward to the next four years with Barack Obama. Now is the time to join his team. No matter your choice, the decision has been made. Let's give this guy the chance he deserves. I think he will bring greatness back to this country.
Well done, America. Well done.
I'm looking forward to the next four years with Barack Obama. Now is the time to join his team. No matter your choice, the decision has been made. Let's give this guy the chance he deserves. I think he will bring greatness back to this country.
Well done, America. Well done.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Public Service Announcement
Election Day is TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2008. PLEASE PLEASE exercise your right to vote and cast your ballot on Tuesday. This presidential campaign has been LONG but very interesting. I sent my absentee ballot in today. I'll give you a second to guess who I voted for.
Team Obama 2008.
Team Obama 2008.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Sick...
I'm sick. ewwwww.
I've been SO tired all week long just knowing I was getting sick. Sure enough about 3 PM on Friday afternoon it hit me at work. Headache, runny nose, congestion. Not fun. And it is supposed to be nice and SUNNY this weekend, probably the last Portland will see before the rain comes. :(
I am going to tough it up to make it out tonight to watch the Warren Miller Film downtown. Who is Warren Miller you ask? well check out http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/
This man is insane and the man who made me fall in love...with skiing! :) His films come out this time each year to pump you up for the upcoming ski/board season and it is always an awesome event. People cheering and screaming at the death defying crazy skills of the athletes on the film.
LOTS of dayquil needed today though to get ready for that!!
I've been SO tired all week long just knowing I was getting sick. Sure enough about 3 PM on Friday afternoon it hit me at work. Headache, runny nose, congestion. Not fun. And it is supposed to be nice and SUNNY this weekend, probably the last Portland will see before the rain comes. :(
I am going to tough it up to make it out tonight to watch the Warren Miller Film downtown. Who is Warren Miller you ask? well check out http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/
This man is insane and the man who made me fall in love...with skiing! :) His films come out this time each year to pump you up for the upcoming ski/board season and it is always an awesome event. People cheering and screaming at the death defying crazy skills of the athletes on the film.
LOTS of dayquil needed today though to get ready for that!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Many of you have been asking to see pics of our new home here in Portland. Here we go!!
Our Home Sweet Home
Our Backyard
Kitchen
Living Room/Dining Room
Guest Room/Office
Master Bedroom
The house is just a rental but we are loving it. It also has a full basement with LOTS of storage. We signed a lease through March 2009 though have the option to extend. It's located in a GREAT neighborhood in Northeast Portland with convenient access to freeways, the airport, grocery stores, and tons of adorable restaurants and cafes. It sure beats living in an apartment! We'd love to eventually buy in this area, though I'm sure it will remain out of our price range but we'll see. We may have to look in Southeast Portland which is a little more affordable for us to buy. We really want to stay within Portland city limits and close in to downtown if we're able.
Right now, this house is perfect and we're finally feeling settled. We've got an extra bedroom so anyone is welcome to come visit!!
Our Home Sweet Home
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| From Home Sweet Home |
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| From Home Sweet Home |
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| From Home Sweet Home |
Our Backyard
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| From Home Sweet Home |
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| From Home Sweet Home |
Kitchen
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| From Home Sweet Home |
Living Room/Dining Room
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| From Home Sweet Home |
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| From Home Sweet Home |
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| From Home Sweet Home |
Guest Room/Office
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| From Home Sweet Home |
Master Bedroom
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| From Home Sweet Home |
The house is just a rental but we are loving it. It also has a full basement with LOTS of storage. We signed a lease through March 2009 though have the option to extend. It's located in a GREAT neighborhood in Northeast Portland with convenient access to freeways, the airport, grocery stores, and tons of adorable restaurants and cafes. It sure beats living in an apartment! We'd love to eventually buy in this area, though I'm sure it will remain out of our price range but we'll see. We may have to look in Southeast Portland which is a little more affordable for us to buy. We really want to stay within Portland city limits and close in to downtown if we're able.
Right now, this house is perfect and we're finally feeling settled. We've got an extra bedroom so anyone is welcome to come visit!!
Friday, September 26, 2008
I've been tagged!!
I was recently tagged by a fellow blogger and cyber friend Colleen over at The Non-Smoker. Colleen and I "met" in cyberland soon after I got engaged. She had a little over 5 months until her wedding but I had a well over a year to go. We've never met but I think she and all my cyber friends were a major part in helping me to plan my wedding. Go check out her blog. She is successfully kicking the nasty habit of smoking so leave her some love. I hope one day to finally meet you Colleen and share some good beer together (maybe Christmas Ale?)
Okay, so here's the rules:
7 Random Facts about me:
1. I stress out about EVERYTHING. It's horrible and I really need to stop. I hate delegating something to someone else to do for fear that it won't get done. I stress about work, cleaning, money, the future. I think it's a disease really.
2. I despise the snoooze alarm. Seriously, why would you want to be awakened every 9 minutes for an hour when you could just set the alarm an hour later and sleep in perfect harmony? In my life, I think I have pushed the snooze button ONCE.
3. My third toe is longer than my second. Look at your hand. See how the third finger is longer than the second? Now look at your feet. Not so much huh? Ohhhh, but mine is....
4. I could watch hours on end of Life in the ER and Trading Spaces on TLC, but I force myself to stay away from that channel. The stuff ER docs see never ceases to amaze me. Talk about never having a boring day at work! And who doesn't like to dream about decorating their home in an eccentric or untraditional way?
5. I am the proud aunt of an adorable little girl named Lily and a sweet young man Cameron and will be a new aunt again in November, but the thought of having children scares the hell.out.of.me. Someday I'm sure that thought will change, but the thought of giving up 18 years of complete independence when you have a child is overwhelming and stressful (refer to random fact #1)
6. I think red wine and chocolate, especially dark chocolate is the best food combination ever. Hands Down.
7. I have a severe diversion to food if I don't like the way it looks. Some food may be amazing but if you tell me it's raw, some kind of delicacy. or it has eyes staring back at me, I won't eat it. I also don't like to mix my food. Every portion of my dinner gets a little place all to it's own on my plate.
My Tagees:
Jaime at Jaime's Journal
Jason at Intersections
Adrienne at The First Year Married
Ann at My Life of Craziness
Ang at Bring The Rain though I doubt she'll ever see this since she gets a zillion comments.
Greg at Light Your World (he'll probably never see this either)
Julian at Julian at Large (and he won't let me leave a comment so I'll have to track him down in this world somehow...I think he's in Turkey now??)
Okay, so here's the rules:
7 Random Facts about me:
1. I stress out about EVERYTHING. It's horrible and I really need to stop. I hate delegating something to someone else to do for fear that it won't get done. I stress about work, cleaning, money, the future. I think it's a disease really.
2. I despise the snoooze alarm. Seriously, why would you want to be awakened every 9 minutes for an hour when you could just set the alarm an hour later and sleep in perfect harmony? In my life, I think I have pushed the snooze button ONCE.
3. My third toe is longer than my second. Look at your hand. See how the third finger is longer than the second? Now look at your feet. Not so much huh? Ohhhh, but mine is....
4. I could watch hours on end of Life in the ER and Trading Spaces on TLC, but I force myself to stay away from that channel. The stuff ER docs see never ceases to amaze me. Talk about never having a boring day at work! And who doesn't like to dream about decorating their home in an eccentric or untraditional way?
5. I am the proud aunt of an adorable little girl named Lily and a sweet young man Cameron and will be a new aunt again in November, but the thought of having children scares the hell.out.of.me. Someday I'm sure that thought will change, but the thought of giving up 18 years of complete independence when you have a child is overwhelming and stressful (refer to random fact #1)
6. I think red wine and chocolate, especially dark chocolate is the best food combination ever. Hands Down.
7. I have a severe diversion to food if I don't like the way it looks. Some food may be amazing but if you tell me it's raw, some kind of delicacy. or it has eyes staring back at me, I won't eat it. I also don't like to mix my food. Every portion of my dinner gets a little place all to it's own on my plate.
My Tagees:
Jaime at Jaime's Journal
Jason at Intersections
Adrienne at The First Year Married
Ann at My Life of Craziness
Ang at Bring The Rain though I doubt she'll ever see this since she gets a zillion comments.
Greg at Light Your World (he'll probably never see this either)
Julian at Julian at Large (and he won't let me leave a comment so I'll have to track him down in this world somehow...I think he's in Turkey now??)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
OK Ok I'll post something!
Sorry fellow blog readers for the loooonnnnggg delay in posts! This crazy ride I call life has been insane. Since my last post, I turned in my 30 day notice at my job (read the last post to find out how much I hated the job) and was forced to find a new job FAST. I still wanted a "traveling" position even though I intend to stay in Portland now that we are happily married. It was looking a little hairy but I managed to find a new job. I start Monday! Yep, tomorrow. On top of looking for a new job, because I lived in corporate housing, if I wasn't working for that company, we had to move out of the apartment. James and I planned to do that anyways when the contract was up and wanted to find a house to rent. This would enable us to take our housing stipend from my company but not have our housing "attached" or dependent on a particular job. If I left that company and went elsewhere we wouldn't have to pick up and move again. So after FINALLY getting settled in to our tiny apartment, it was time to start packing up again and look for a place to live!! We spent countless hours on craigslist looking at housing ads and went and visited a few. We found a cute house in a great neighborhood in Northeast Portland and we moved "in" Sept 13. Well, we got the keys that day anyways! We spent all of last week trying to finish packing, and moving everything over. Plus, try to finish up all my loose ends at my old job. FUN.
Oh yeah, the other thing about finding a place of our own? We need furniture. I've been living in corporate housing for 4 1/2 years now. Basically I show up, there's furniture there, I move my clothes in, and I'm settled. Well we rented a storage POD from Ohio to bring our stuff out here in. It contains our bed, some end tables and night stands, lamps, a dresser, and a lot of our wedding presents. Said pod was supposed to be delivered after a LONG delay (don't get me started on that) this past Friday, our first night to sleep in our new house. It was perfect: we'd have a bed to sleep in! Except the company screwed up the delivery date AGAIN and we won't have the pod until NEXT weekend. So we spent the first night on an air mattress which was not fun because the pump wasn't charged and our extra pump wasn't doing the trick. Luckily, I had some fellow co-workers and traveling therapists who were moving out of their apartment and had gotten a queen size bed on craigslist. We took it off their hands for a guest bed for our 2nd bedroom and it's now become our bed until our POD finally gets here. We also hit up some garage and estate sales and managed to score a coffee table, 2 bookcases, an entertainment center and a dresser to go along with the free futon and free desk we already found on craigslist. We topped it off with a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond and IKEA to find a few home touches and it's ALMOST starting to feel like HOME.
So please forgive me for the long delay. I promise to be a better blogger in the future.
Oh yeah, the other thing about finding a place of our own? We need furniture. I've been living in corporate housing for 4 1/2 years now. Basically I show up, there's furniture there, I move my clothes in, and I'm settled. Well we rented a storage POD from Ohio to bring our stuff out here in. It contains our bed, some end tables and night stands, lamps, a dresser, and a lot of our wedding presents. Said pod was supposed to be delivered after a LONG delay (don't get me started on that) this past Friday, our first night to sleep in our new house. It was perfect: we'd have a bed to sleep in! Except the company screwed up the delivery date AGAIN and we won't have the pod until NEXT weekend. So we spent the first night on an air mattress which was not fun because the pump wasn't charged and our extra pump wasn't doing the trick. Luckily, I had some fellow co-workers and traveling therapists who were moving out of their apartment and had gotten a queen size bed on craigslist. We took it off their hands for a guest bed for our 2nd bedroom and it's now become our bed until our POD finally gets here. We also hit up some garage and estate sales and managed to score a coffee table, 2 bookcases, an entertainment center and a dresser to go along with the free futon and free desk we already found on craigslist. We topped it off with a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond and IKEA to find a few home touches and it's ALMOST starting to feel like HOME.
So please forgive me for the long delay. I promise to be a better blogger in the future.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Busy Busy Busy
Life has been CRAZY lately. I finally have time to update a little....
We moved into our new apartment August 1. It's very conveniently located right near the heart of downtown. We are even within the "fareless" zone for the public transportation meaning we can ride the bus and MAX line for FREE into downtown!! Woo hoo!! Now as for our apartment...it's nice and would probably be great for just one person but it is just too small for the two of us. The kitchen is TINY and we had a really hard time trying to fit all our kitchen stuff (our new nice stuff from the wedding) into the cabinet space. It's a two bedroom which we requested but the bedrooms are SMALL. I mean tiny. We couldn't even fit all our bedroom furniture into our room! So our dresser sits in the other bedroom. Good thing we got the two bedroom or that dresser would be in our living room!! The living room/dining area is quite large but I just can't figure out why they couldn't make the bedroom larger!! It will do for now. The good news is that it's only until November. My company got us this place while I am on contract with them so we'll be moving out when my contract is up. We'd really like to buy, but I think we will look for a house to rent until we can save a little more money for a down payment. We'll see...I'm kind of getting the itch to go house hunting!!
My job started on Monday. I am working in home health for this assignment. I enjoyed home health when I did it in Olympia back in early 2007. This job I think will be a different story. I have never seen a company so disorganized. There is no leadership or guidance. I was told I'd be oriented by this guy J. One of the managers said, "You'll like J. He's really good. You'll learn alot, and you have 3 months experience with home health." So I drive out to meet J. And J. is great as a therapist, but he's been doing home health for all of 8 weeks. He happens to be a traveler as well. In 4.5 years of traveling, I've never been oriented by another traveler. I couldn't believe it. You'd think they would have someone who really knows the ropes to orient people. Nope. On Thursday I was in the office and one PT asked me if I was ready to see repeat visits for patients. I think she was a little shocked when I said no. I told her that until this job can get me the materials I need to do my job (ie, my computer, my clinical bag filled with the necessary things, an employee phone list, and my name tag) I'm not going to do my job. This is my license on the line and I'm not walking into someone's house until they provide with the tools they are required to to do my job properly. So needless to say, it's going to be a long 3 months.
In good news, as of 8/8/08, I am now officially DONE paying off my student loans. Thanks to my work as a traveling PT, I have been able to stay way ahead of my payment schedule. I had them consolidated over 20 years, and PAID OFF in less than 6!! I am so excited to be completely debt-free and really start to save now!!
That's it for now....more to come when I have time.
We moved into our new apartment August 1. It's very conveniently located right near the heart of downtown. We are even within the "fareless" zone for the public transportation meaning we can ride the bus and MAX line for FREE into downtown!! Woo hoo!! Now as for our apartment...it's nice and would probably be great for just one person but it is just too small for the two of us. The kitchen is TINY and we had a really hard time trying to fit all our kitchen stuff (our new nice stuff from the wedding) into the cabinet space. It's a two bedroom which we requested but the bedrooms are SMALL. I mean tiny. We couldn't even fit all our bedroom furniture into our room! So our dresser sits in the other bedroom. Good thing we got the two bedroom or that dresser would be in our living room!! The living room/dining area is quite large but I just can't figure out why they couldn't make the bedroom larger!! It will do for now. The good news is that it's only until November. My company got us this place while I am on contract with them so we'll be moving out when my contract is up. We'd really like to buy, but I think we will look for a house to rent until we can save a little more money for a down payment. We'll see...I'm kind of getting the itch to go house hunting!!
My job started on Monday. I am working in home health for this assignment. I enjoyed home health when I did it in Olympia back in early 2007. This job I think will be a different story. I have never seen a company so disorganized. There is no leadership or guidance. I was told I'd be oriented by this guy J. One of the managers said, "You'll like J. He's really good. You'll learn alot, and you have 3 months experience with home health." So I drive out to meet J. And J. is great as a therapist, but he's been doing home health for all of 8 weeks. He happens to be a traveler as well. In 4.5 years of traveling, I've never been oriented by another traveler. I couldn't believe it. You'd think they would have someone who really knows the ropes to orient people. Nope. On Thursday I was in the office and one PT asked me if I was ready to see repeat visits for patients. I think she was a little shocked when I said no. I told her that until this job can get me the materials I need to do my job (ie, my computer, my clinical bag filled with the necessary things, an employee phone list, and my name tag) I'm not going to do my job. This is my license on the line and I'm not walking into someone's house until they provide with the tools they are required to to do my job properly. So needless to say, it's going to be a long 3 months.
In good news, as of 8/8/08, I am now officially DONE paying off my student loans. Thanks to my work as a traveling PT, I have been able to stay way ahead of my payment schedule. I had them consolidated over 20 years, and PAID OFF in less than 6!! I am so excited to be completely debt-free and really start to save now!!
That's it for now....more to come when I have time.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
My Niece Lily!
My niece Lily Anne was born on July 30 to proud parents Bridget and Jeff. The little Princess weighed in at 6 lbs 7.2 oz. Mother and baby are doing well. Congratulations Jeff and Bridget! She's beautiful and James and I can't wait to meet her!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Eight Years Ago Today....
My big brother, Jason, married my incredible sister-in-law Jaime! Congratulations you guys! I can't believe it's been eight years already but it feels as though Jaime has been a part of our family forever. I love you both!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fiji
James and I spent 10 of the most beautiful wonderful days of our lives honeymooning in Fiji. We left the evening after the wedding for a 5 hour direct flight to LA and then a 10 hour overnight flight from LA to Nadi, Fiji on the main island. We managed to get seats upstairs on the 747 near the cockpit area so it was as crowded and we were able to spread out. After dinner and some wine, we settled in for the long flight. After arriving in Fiji, we had some time to kill while waiting for our next flight to Taveuni aboard a SMALL plane. It was disheartening to hear that our flight was delayed due to "operational issues"...not what you want to hear. We managed to get a flight out that put us only a little behind schedule. We walked out on the tarmac and boarded our tiny plane that held about 15 people or so. The "flight attendant" doubled as the co-pilot as well. It was about an hour flight to Taveuni and it was remarkably smooth minus the last 10 minutes as we descended in the rain. Upon arrival in Taveuni, we were greeted by staff from our resort (hereafter known as Qamea) and taken on an adventurous van ride through the jungle to reach the boat dock. It was so beautiful and green but I was expecting to see dinosaurs around every bend as I felt like it was from a scene in Jurassic Park! We made it to the boat dock and it was a 15 minute boat ride to our island and resort.
In the pic above, you can see Taveuni in the upper right hand corner area. Our island, Qamea, is the little island just to the right of Taveuni. We were greeted by a lovely lady named Lusia who briefed us on the ins and outs of Qamea and handed us a much needed welcome cocktail and some breakfast. We were then shown to our bures, the Fijian word for their thatched hut dwellings. Ours was called "Belo" which means "Heron". Our Bure:
It rained for the first 2 days we were there which was not the greatest but hey, what can you do? We spent the first day getting our couple's massage included in our honeymoon package then sleeping. Since it was raining, I didn't feel so bad sleeping the day away!
By the third day, the sun had returned and we ventured on an excursion over on Taveuni to the Buoma National Heritage Park to see some amazing waterfalls. We even got to climb up the ledge behind one of the waterfalls, and jump into the water beneath the falls. It was COLD but so fun!! And the hike offered some amazing views of the rain forest and the plantations on Taveuni as we hiked higher in altitude.
I think the highlight of the trip for me was the village tour. We took a boat to the village of Waibulu and were greeted by some of the most precious children I've ever seen screaming "Bula" which means hello. We were given a tour of the village and were invited into one woman's home to see what a Fijian home looks like. It was very simple but efficient. We also were greeted with food they prepared for us including fried tapioca, fried bananas, and the best lemongrass tea you will ever have. Some members of the village and our favorite guide and staff member, Percy, sang for us...even the chief of the village joined in! We also got to partake in some kava drinking. Kava is known as the Fiji "wine" though it is not alcoholic in nature. It is known to act as a sedative and is said to have some psychoactive properties. It is made by drying the root of the kava plant then crushing it into a powder and mixing it with water. It tastes and looks like muddy water, but it numbs your lips and tongue immediately. After our Kava, we headed over to the village of Naiviivi to see the kids at school. We were invited into one classroom where the children serenaded us with several songs including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Hokey Pokey. Hearing them sing was the highlight of the trip. They were so adorable I wish there was some way I could bring them all home with me! Their songs literally made my heart melt. Here's a little video of one of the songs:
We also got to return to Naiviivi a few days later for a Catholic Mass in Fijian. That was an interesting experience. The Catholic Priest only comes to Qamea one Sunday a month and it happened to be the Sunday we were there. It was cool to see the Fijian people worship and to see their eyes light up when we placed a Fijian 10 dollar bill in the collection plate. I know it will go a long way for those wonderful people and their ministry.
Qamea offered free snorkeling right off the beach as well as a daily guided tour by boat as well as free ocean kayaking. James and I spent most days doing some great snorkeling and we even saw a shark!! The shark was encountered (thankfully, not a close encounter) while snorkeling off of Honeymoon Beach which is a private beach that Qamea can take a couple too for a few hours to enjoy some complete alone time and a picnic lunch. It was great with some amazing snorkeling. The coral and the fish we saw on each adventure were just amazing! We also went on a guided ocean kayak tour through the mangroves (a type of tree) the grows along the route to the village. It was a lot of fun and we managed to not capsize!
We were also fortunate enough to experience some Fijian culture right at our resort. We had the pleasure of witnessing 2 kava ceremonies in full traditional Fijian dress and all as well as a knock your socks off Meke performance. A Meke is the traditional dance of the indigenous people of the Fiji islands which is a combination of dance and repetitive rhythmic chanting telling the stories of everyday life, or of ancient gods or of battles won. Here's a portion of the video of part of the meke:
The food was amazing for every meal and the evening were spent before dinner socializing with the other couples there and drinking and enjoying yummy appetizers. Kava flowed abundantly at night as well. We also had to pleasure of having a private dinner on the beach 3 times while we were there. Very romantic. They also had demonstrations during the day like how to make a basket from a coconut leaf and how to de-husk a coconut. Both very cool. Percy, our favorite staff member, would climb the tree by literally walking up the side of the tree. Amazing. James and I also played many games of a life-sized chess board...I even beat him once! He's never been beat by a girl before!
The rest of the honeymoon was spent just relaxing, enjoying the beautiful surroundings, and savoring the start of our life as husband and wife. It was very sad to leave but hopefully we'll be back. As we left, we were given a Fijian Lei and a flower to throw in the water as we leave the island. Fijian Legend says that if you throw the flower in the water as you leave and it comes back to shore, you will return someday. At this point I am starting to cry as the entire staff of the resort is singing a Isa Lei, a Fijian farewell. We boarded our boat and threw our flowers in the sea...and both of them made their way back to shore!! Hopefully, the Legend will hold true for us.
If you care to see most of our honeymoon pics, click the albums below.
In the pic above, you can see Taveuni in the upper right hand corner area. Our island, Qamea, is the little island just to the right of Taveuni. We were greeted by a lovely lady named Lusia who briefed us on the ins and outs of Qamea and handed us a much needed welcome cocktail and some breakfast. We were then shown to our bures, the Fijian word for their thatched hut dwellings. Ours was called "Belo" which means "Heron". Our Bure:
It rained for the first 2 days we were there which was not the greatest but hey, what can you do? We spent the first day getting our couple's massage included in our honeymoon package then sleeping. Since it was raining, I didn't feel so bad sleeping the day away!
By the third day, the sun had returned and we ventured on an excursion over on Taveuni to the Buoma National Heritage Park to see some amazing waterfalls. We even got to climb up the ledge behind one of the waterfalls, and jump into the water beneath the falls. It was COLD but so fun!! And the hike offered some amazing views of the rain forest and the plantations on Taveuni as we hiked higher in altitude.
I think the highlight of the trip for me was the village tour. We took a boat to the village of Waibulu and were greeted by some of the most precious children I've ever seen screaming "Bula" which means hello. We were given a tour of the village and were invited into one woman's home to see what a Fijian home looks like. It was very simple but efficient. We also were greeted with food they prepared for us including fried tapioca, fried bananas, and the best lemongrass tea you will ever have. Some members of the village and our favorite guide and staff member, Percy, sang for us...even the chief of the village joined in! We also got to partake in some kava drinking. Kava is known as the Fiji "wine" though it is not alcoholic in nature. It is known to act as a sedative and is said to have some psychoactive properties. It is made by drying the root of the kava plant then crushing it into a powder and mixing it with water. It tastes and looks like muddy water, but it numbs your lips and tongue immediately. After our Kava, we headed over to the village of Naiviivi to see the kids at school. We were invited into one classroom where the children serenaded us with several songs including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Hokey Pokey. Hearing them sing was the highlight of the trip. They were so adorable I wish there was some way I could bring them all home with me! Their songs literally made my heart melt. Here's a little video of one of the songs:
We also got to return to Naiviivi a few days later for a Catholic Mass in Fijian. That was an interesting experience. The Catholic Priest only comes to Qamea one Sunday a month and it happened to be the Sunday we were there. It was cool to see the Fijian people worship and to see their eyes light up when we placed a Fijian 10 dollar bill in the collection plate. I know it will go a long way for those wonderful people and their ministry.
Qamea offered free snorkeling right off the beach as well as a daily guided tour by boat as well as free ocean kayaking. James and I spent most days doing some great snorkeling and we even saw a shark!! The shark was encountered (thankfully, not a close encounter) while snorkeling off of Honeymoon Beach which is a private beach that Qamea can take a couple too for a few hours to enjoy some complete alone time and a picnic lunch. It was great with some amazing snorkeling. The coral and the fish we saw on each adventure were just amazing! We also went on a guided ocean kayak tour through the mangroves (a type of tree) the grows along the route to the village. It was a lot of fun and we managed to not capsize!
We were also fortunate enough to experience some Fijian culture right at our resort. We had the pleasure of witnessing 2 kava ceremonies in full traditional Fijian dress and all as well as a knock your socks off Meke performance. A Meke is the traditional dance of the indigenous people of the Fiji islands which is a combination of dance and repetitive rhythmic chanting telling the stories of everyday life, or of ancient gods or of battles won. Here's a portion of the video of part of the meke:
The food was amazing for every meal and the evening were spent before dinner socializing with the other couples there and drinking and enjoying yummy appetizers. Kava flowed abundantly at night as well. We also had to pleasure of having a private dinner on the beach 3 times while we were there. Very romantic. They also had demonstrations during the day like how to make a basket from a coconut leaf and how to de-husk a coconut. Both very cool. Percy, our favorite staff member, would climb the tree by literally walking up the side of the tree. Amazing. James and I also played many games of a life-sized chess board...I even beat him once! He's never been beat by a girl before!
The rest of the honeymoon was spent just relaxing, enjoying the beautiful surroundings, and savoring the start of our life as husband and wife. It was very sad to leave but hopefully we'll be back. As we left, we were given a Fijian Lei and a flower to throw in the water as we leave the island. Fijian Legend says that if you throw the flower in the water as you leave and it comes back to shore, you will return someday. At this point I am starting to cry as the entire staff of the resort is singing a Isa Lei, a Fijian farewell. We boarded our boat and threw our flowers in the sea...and both of them made their way back to shore!! Hopefully, the Legend will hold true for us.
If you care to see most of our honeymoon pics, click the albums below.
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| Honeymoon |
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| Honeymoon Snorkel |
The Big Day
July 4, 2008. The day finally arrived. The day I get to marry my best friend.
The rehearsal went well the day before despite lots of rain that day, but it all managed to clear up prior to the start of our outdoor rehearsal dinner. It was great getting to see close family and friends as they made their way into town for the big day. The only major hangup with the rehearsal was that one of our groomsmen who was flying in from LA had his flight canceled and it was pretty stressful to see if he'd even make it in in time for the ceremony the next day. Thankfully, he managed to get a flight and arrived late the night before the wedding.
After the rehearsal, I headed back to the hotel and spent some quality time with some old college friends, catching up and drinking wine. Fun times. It amazes me how much I miss these girls. They are truly amazing women and I'm so lucky to call them my friends. The next morning it was off to the hair salon for us ladies to get our hair done where I found out there was a little incident involving two of the groomsmen ending up in a fistfight with one of them getting a black eye, a car window being kicked out, a near accident on the freeway, and a speeding ticket for a bridesmaid who rushed out to pick up the groom and the beaten up groomsmen. Wonderful news to hear the day of your wedding.
After getting ready and heading out for some pictures, we arrived at the church to find it locked. The person who was supposed to let us in never showed. Thank God for my mom's friend who lives 5 minutes away and happens to have a key. Lois, you saved the day!! While waiting (and waiting) for the groom to arrive, the ladies were entertained with a puppet show in the youth room put on by two of my bridesmaids. HYSTERICAL. The groom finally arrived (albeit a little late) and the ceremony was set to start, except the rings had been forgotten!! So after a little delay, and a quick run back to the hotel by my new sister in law and James' mom's boyfriend, we were back on track.
The ladies filed down the hall and waited for their cues. I stood at the top of the stairs looking at these 6 beautiful ladies who pledged to stand by my side and witness our vows. Three that would become my new sisters-in-law and three that are sisters in every way but blood. I felt so honored. My maid of honor and best friend, Megan, turned to me with a tear in her eye, and all I could tell her was to hold it together...I was NOT going to cry! :)
The music started and the parents made their way in followed by the lovely bridesmaids. Then it was my turn. My mom escorted me down the aisle to a version of "Bless the Broken Road". The doors opened up and all I could see was James waiting at the end of the aisle. The look on his face is one I will always remember. It was a look of pure love, admiration, respect, wonder. I knew in those few moments that I'd waited my whole life to marry this man. It took almost 29 years to find him and come to this day, but the waiting had been worth it.
The ceremony went off without a hitch and we received rave reviews about how beautiful it was. We had written our own mutual vows that somehow we both managed to make it through without crying but we did! And even got a laugh out of the crowd!! The best part of the day was hearing the prounouncement of us as husband and wife. I don't think anyone could be happier than I was at that moment! After some time to take some great pics, we headed out to the reception to party! It was great to look around the room and realize that it is filled with people who love us and are here to celebrate us and our love for each other. It's really an amazing feeling. We had a blast dancing the night away, and catching up with family and friends, many of whom had traveled from far away to celebrate with us. We had a first dance choreographed that only a handful of people knew of and we certainly surprised the crowd. It was a big hit. Here's part of it on a video taken by our amazing wedding coordinator.
Overall, the wedding was seriously the best day of our lives. To finally know that there would be no more tearful goodbyes at the airport as one of us had to return home, but knowing that home would be together for the rest of our lives. We had an amazing day, surrounded by family and friends, and in the end, I gained a partner in everything, a comrade in adventure, an accomplice in trouble, an ally in conflict. I married my best friend, my soulmate, my happy thought. I can't wait for the wonderful ride that awaits us in our marriage.
The rehearsal went well the day before despite lots of rain that day, but it all managed to clear up prior to the start of our outdoor rehearsal dinner. It was great getting to see close family and friends as they made their way into town for the big day. The only major hangup with the rehearsal was that one of our groomsmen who was flying in from LA had his flight canceled and it was pretty stressful to see if he'd even make it in in time for the ceremony the next day. Thankfully, he managed to get a flight and arrived late the night before the wedding.
After the rehearsal, I headed back to the hotel and spent some quality time with some old college friends, catching up and drinking wine. Fun times. It amazes me how much I miss these girls. They are truly amazing women and I'm so lucky to call them my friends. The next morning it was off to the hair salon for us ladies to get our hair done where I found out there was a little incident involving two of the groomsmen ending up in a fistfight with one of them getting a black eye, a car window being kicked out, a near accident on the freeway, and a speeding ticket for a bridesmaid who rushed out to pick up the groom and the beaten up groomsmen. Wonderful news to hear the day of your wedding.
After getting ready and heading out for some pictures, we arrived at the church to find it locked. The person who was supposed to let us in never showed. Thank God for my mom's friend who lives 5 minutes away and happens to have a key. Lois, you saved the day!! While waiting (and waiting) for the groom to arrive, the ladies were entertained with a puppet show in the youth room put on by two of my bridesmaids. HYSTERICAL. The groom finally arrived (albeit a little late) and the ceremony was set to start, except the rings had been forgotten!! So after a little delay, and a quick run back to the hotel by my new sister in law and James' mom's boyfriend, we were back on track.
The ladies filed down the hall and waited for their cues. I stood at the top of the stairs looking at these 6 beautiful ladies who pledged to stand by my side and witness our vows. Three that would become my new sisters-in-law and three that are sisters in every way but blood. I felt so honored. My maid of honor and best friend, Megan, turned to me with a tear in her eye, and all I could tell her was to hold it together...I was NOT going to cry! :)
The music started and the parents made their way in followed by the lovely bridesmaids. Then it was my turn. My mom escorted me down the aisle to a version of "Bless the Broken Road". The doors opened up and all I could see was James waiting at the end of the aisle. The look on his face is one I will always remember. It was a look of pure love, admiration, respect, wonder. I knew in those few moments that I'd waited my whole life to marry this man. It took almost 29 years to find him and come to this day, but the waiting had been worth it.
The ceremony went off without a hitch and we received rave reviews about how beautiful it was. We had written our own mutual vows that somehow we both managed to make it through without crying but we did! And even got a laugh out of the crowd!! The best part of the day was hearing the prounouncement of us as husband and wife. I don't think anyone could be happier than I was at that moment! After some time to take some great pics, we headed out to the reception to party! It was great to look around the room and realize that it is filled with people who love us and are here to celebrate us and our love for each other. It's really an amazing feeling. We had a blast dancing the night away, and catching up with family and friends, many of whom had traveled from far away to celebrate with us. We had a first dance choreographed that only a handful of people knew of and we certainly surprised the crowd. It was a big hit. Here's part of it on a video taken by our amazing wedding coordinator.
Overall, the wedding was seriously the best day of our lives. To finally know that there would be no more tearful goodbyes at the airport as one of us had to return home, but knowing that home would be together for the rest of our lives. We had an amazing day, surrounded by family and friends, and in the end, I gained a partner in everything, a comrade in adventure, an accomplice in trouble, an ally in conflict. I married my best friend, my soulmate, my happy thought. I can't wait for the wonderful ride that awaits us in our marriage.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
"What will your new last name be?"
Drum roll please......dadadadadadadadadadadadada....
Christ.
Yep that's right. This girl ain't changing her name. The next question is always , "Why not?"
And I think, why SHOULDN'T I keep my name?
It's the name given to me almost 29 years to the day when I was born.
It's the name I have used professionally all over the country for the past 6 years. Changing it throws a wrench in my networking capabilities.
It has fewer letters than Dickson, and comes earlier in the alphabet so I'm always first. he he he.
I literally happen to be J Christ. How cool is that? Save for my mom, my brother, and my sister in law, not many people can claim that title.
I'm lazy. Changing it involves too much paperwork. I hate paperwork. DMV, SSA, multiple PT licenses, bank accounts, credit cards, 401k. It makes my head spin thinking about it.
I happen to be very independent and the thought of giving up my name to take someone else's seems so demoralizing. I mean why did the name change take place in the first place? As a sign of ownership. Yes ladies, we were once "owned" by our fathers. And given to a man to marry, not necessarily for love, forced to assume his last name. Now I know that in our society, this is no longer the norm, but the feminist side of me always remembers the history of it.
So when you ask me, "What will your new last name be?" Don't be shocked when I answer, "Christ." It's who I am. It's not for you or anyone to judge why I made this decision. I don't think it really warrants an explanation but I've tried to give you one here. A common last name does not make a family...remember that.
Sincerely,
The VERY soon to be MRS. Judi Christ
Christ.
Yep that's right. This girl ain't changing her name. The next question is always , "Why not?"
And I think, why SHOULDN'T I keep my name?
It's the name given to me almost 29 years to the day when I was born.
It's the name I have used professionally all over the country for the past 6 years. Changing it throws a wrench in my networking capabilities.
It has fewer letters than Dickson, and comes earlier in the alphabet so I'm always first. he he he.
I literally happen to be J Christ. How cool is that? Save for my mom, my brother, and my sister in law, not many people can claim that title.
I'm lazy. Changing it involves too much paperwork. I hate paperwork. DMV, SSA, multiple PT licenses, bank accounts, credit cards, 401k. It makes my head spin thinking about it.
I happen to be very independent and the thought of giving up my name to take someone else's seems so demoralizing. I mean why did the name change take place in the first place? As a sign of ownership. Yes ladies, we were once "owned" by our fathers. And given to a man to marry, not necessarily for love, forced to assume his last name. Now I know that in our society, this is no longer the norm, but the feminist side of me always remembers the history of it.
So when you ask me, "What will your new last name be?" Don't be shocked when I answer, "Christ." It's who I am. It's not for you or anyone to judge why I made this decision. I don't think it really warrants an explanation but I've tried to give you one here. A common last name does not make a family...remember that.
Sincerely,
The VERY soon to be MRS. Judi Christ
5 days...
Until the wedding! Holy Crap! It is SO surreal to think these are my last few days as a single woman. Am I sad? No. I can't think of anything more exciting than walking down the aisle to James' waiting arms and finally becoming his wife.
Mom and I are in full swing of finishing up the wedding planning and getting the house ready for the rehearsal dinner. Thankfully, Friday was my last day of work until August 4th! Yep, I have the whole month of July off. What will I do with all my time off you ask?? Well, let's see.
July 1-3: Tidy up the last minute stuff.
July 4: Get married.
July 5-18: Honeymoon in FIJI.
July 19-20: Pack
July 21-26: Drive from Cleveland to Oregon with Mom to move all my stuff out there. (and celebrate my 29th birthday on July 23)
July 27: Say goodbye to Mom as she flies back to Cleveland
July 28-31: I think I might actually get to do nothing.
August 1-3: Move in to our new apartment
August 4: Start work.
I'm booked solid. :) But I can't wait.
Mom and I are in full swing of finishing up the wedding planning and getting the house ready for the rehearsal dinner. Thankfully, Friday was my last day of work until August 4th! Yep, I have the whole month of July off. What will I do with all my time off you ask?? Well, let's see.
July 1-3: Tidy up the last minute stuff.
July 4: Get married.
July 5-18: Honeymoon in FIJI.
July 19-20: Pack
July 21-26: Drive from Cleveland to Oregon with Mom to move all my stuff out there. (and celebrate my 29th birthday on July 23)
July 27: Say goodbye to Mom as she flies back to Cleveland
July 28-31: I think I might actually get to do nothing.
August 1-3: Move in to our new apartment
August 4: Start work.
I'm booked solid. :) But I can't wait.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
I can't believe it's June!
And I'm getting married NEXT MONTH. Where does the time go?? It's hard to believe that in 4 1/2 weeks I finally get to marry James and see him EVERY day (well except if he has to go out of town for work). It's all so surreal. I've been waiting for the day to come for almost 15 months now and it is fast approaching.
This past weekend I got some wedding stuff done. I've started the seating chart though I still have another week until my RSVP deadline so I won't be finalizing anything on that quite yet. I went and ordered my cake design and paid in full. Can't wait to see the final product! I met with the church to finally discuss the ceremony and I'm hoping to meet with the pastor that is marrying us this next week. James, my mom and I have been working on our wedding program quite a bit and have finally made some good progress. And last but not least, I've begun filling out the music list my DJ has asked for. It's all starting to come together but I know there is so much more to do! I have one more dress fitting scheduled then it will really feel real!
This past weekend I got some wedding stuff done. I've started the seating chart though I still have another week until my RSVP deadline so I won't be finalizing anything on that quite yet. I went and ordered my cake design and paid in full. Can't wait to see the final product! I met with the church to finally discuss the ceremony and I'm hoping to meet with the pastor that is marrying us this next week. James, my mom and I have been working on our wedding program quite a bit and have finally made some good progress. And last but not least, I've begun filling out the music list my DJ has asked for. It's all starting to come together but I know there is so much more to do! I have one more dress fitting scheduled then it will really feel real!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
So you wanna get married??
James was in town this weekend. We did lots of wedding stuff including buying all the booze (except the beer). Let me just say this, we are STOCKED, so those of you coming to the wedding, be prepared to drink yourselves silly. :) We also had our engagement pictures taken with our wedding photographers, Ted and Rachel Linczak. Can I just say how much I love working with them? They are two wonderful people with an amazing eye behind the lens. The engagement session really got me excited for the wedding day that is fast approaching. I took Monday off of work and James and I headed downtown to get our marriage license!! There was no line and within 15 minutes we had that little slip of paper in our hands. So I turned to James and said, "Well are you sure you don't want to get married right now? I mean we are at the courthouse!" He wisely talked me out of it, considering we have already sent out our invitations and have lots of RSVPs already. But for one fleeting moment, it felt like it would be SO good to just FINALLY get to marry him and leave the stress of wedding planning behind. But alas, I have to wait 44 more days. I.cant.wait.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
SCUBA survival
A while back I posted about my thoughts on possibly getting SCUBA certified. James and I both decided to go through with it. Unfortunately, we would have to take the classes separately but are able to take the open water dive certification together in June. I signed up for the e-learning class all done on a computer module with slideshows, videos, and quizzes. This past weekend I had to go to 2 days of in water training at a local pool.
My biggest fear was the whole attempt to breathe underwater with a regulator in my mouth. That actually didn't phase me as I am normally a mouth breather so the adjustment was nil. We started off with some basic skills on how to make yourself float, sink, hover in the water. We also had to do a 200 yard swim and tread water for 10 minutes. On Saturday we had one certified master diver and one who was training to be one instructing us. They were both great and there were only 2 of us in the class. I was doing great, until the moment came to attempt to clear the mask when water got into it. First of all, I wear contacts. Which means NO OPENING YOUR EYES underwater. The thought of filling my mask with water and keeping my eyes closed and then trying to clear it freaked me out and I clawed myself to the surface blindly on several occasions. I was finally able to do it with a different mask that had a purge valve which basically allowed me to position my head down rather than up. In order to clear the mask, you must exhale through your nose and lift the bottom of the mask slightly. Do you remember what I said earlier? Yep, I'm a mouth breather. Breathing through my nose is NOT NATURAL to me. Couple that with the fact that I'm trying to exhale through my nose and my mask is flooded with water it is definitely a scary experience. The next step of the skill involved completely taking off our mask and leaving it off for 60 seconds then replacing it and clearing the water. The other guy in my class went first and I was underwater watching him and with every second that ticked by, I became more and more anxious. I finally signaled to the master diver in training that I needed to get to the surface. I was SO anxious I could feel my voice waver and the tears start to form. He was great though, and walked me step by step through the mask clearing again but keeping my head just below the surface. The instructor that was to grade my skill then came up to the surface and told me she'd be right next to me the whole time. Again, the whole eyes closed thing just totally freaked me out. So down I went trembling, close to tears. I took the mask off, closed my eyes, held tight to my instructor's hand, and patiently counted the seconds off to get to the minute. She then tapped me on the shoulder, I replaced my mask, and exhaled. Nothing. Did it again. Nothing. I kept exhaling through my mouth! Starting to panic I took a deep breath and exhaled again....and this time I did it right! I was so proud of myself! It's definitely a skill I will need to practice...I just pray my mask never fills with water. :) I definitely had fun learning the skills and getting over my fears of the sport. I'm so thankful that James will be flying out here in June to complete the open water certification with me. If he's by my side, I know I can do it. And then it's off to Fiji in July to enjoy some of the best diving in the world.
My biggest fear was the whole attempt to breathe underwater with a regulator in my mouth. That actually didn't phase me as I am normally a mouth breather so the adjustment was nil. We started off with some basic skills on how to make yourself float, sink, hover in the water. We also had to do a 200 yard swim and tread water for 10 minutes. On Saturday we had one certified master diver and one who was training to be one instructing us. They were both great and there were only 2 of us in the class. I was doing great, until the moment came to attempt to clear the mask when water got into it. First of all, I wear contacts. Which means NO OPENING YOUR EYES underwater. The thought of filling my mask with water and keeping my eyes closed and then trying to clear it freaked me out and I clawed myself to the surface blindly on several occasions. I was finally able to do it with a different mask that had a purge valve which basically allowed me to position my head down rather than up. In order to clear the mask, you must exhale through your nose and lift the bottom of the mask slightly. Do you remember what I said earlier? Yep, I'm a mouth breather. Breathing through my nose is NOT NATURAL to me. Couple that with the fact that I'm trying to exhale through my nose and my mask is flooded with water it is definitely a scary experience. The next step of the skill involved completely taking off our mask and leaving it off for 60 seconds then replacing it and clearing the water. The other guy in my class went first and I was underwater watching him and with every second that ticked by, I became more and more anxious. I finally signaled to the master diver in training that I needed to get to the surface. I was SO anxious I could feel my voice waver and the tears start to form. He was great though, and walked me step by step through the mask clearing again but keeping my head just below the surface. The instructor that was to grade my skill then came up to the surface and told me she'd be right next to me the whole time. Again, the whole eyes closed thing just totally freaked me out. So down I went trembling, close to tears. I took the mask off, closed my eyes, held tight to my instructor's hand, and patiently counted the seconds off to get to the minute. She then tapped me on the shoulder, I replaced my mask, and exhaled. Nothing. Did it again. Nothing. I kept exhaling through my mouth! Starting to panic I took a deep breath and exhaled again....and this time I did it right! I was so proud of myself! It's definitely a skill I will need to practice...I just pray my mask never fills with water. :) I definitely had fun learning the skills and getting over my fears of the sport. I'm so thankful that James will be flying out here in June to complete the open water certification with me. If he's by my side, I know I can do it. And then it's off to Fiji in July to enjoy some of the best diving in the world.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Moving again.
Yep, hard to believe my job here in TN is OVER. Where does the time go? I'm heading back home to Cleveland for the next 3 months to work at the Cleveland Clinic. In fact 3 months from today is the wedding! I'm really looking forward to this next job. The clinic is an amazing place to work, one of the best in the country. I think I'm really going to like it.
So for all you Cleveland folks, hope to see you soon!
So for all you Cleveland folks, hope to see you soon!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Happy Birthday James!!
Today is James' 29th Birthday!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to James!
Happy Birthday to you!
I wish I could spend your last birthday of your 20's and your last as a "single guy" with you! Can't wait to get out to Portland for good and spend all our birthdays together!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to James!
Happy Birthday to you!
I wish I could spend your last birthday of your 20's and your last as a "single guy" with you! Can't wait to get out to Portland for good and spend all our birthdays together!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
T-minus 100 days!
The Countdown is REALLY starting to pick up some speed! In now (less than) 100 days, James and I will finally be married! It seems like only a few months since we got engaged. Time does fly. I know I have a TON of stuff to do, yet have I done it? NOPE. My 3 months home in Cleveland are going to be "Busy, Busy, Busy" (in the words of that wicked man in Frosty the Snowman...what's his name??)
For those of you who don't know (which I doubt is anyone since I don't think random strangers are reading this blog...I'm not THAT interesting, but bear with me), James and I met when I was living in Puyallup, WA in 2005. We met through Yahoo Personals. I had just made my profile searchable again after having it made private for a few months while I was "seeing where it goes" with someone else. It obviously didn't work out and I turned to Yahoo again just to meet some new friends. I met a great guy named Chris who was in the Air Force and we became quite good friends while I lived there. I was saddened when I busted my phone last summer and couldn't retrieve my phone numbers and lost so many numbers of friends I've met along the way of my traveling world. And soon I met James. I told him on our first "date" that I was only interested in being friends for now. He seemed cool with that. We hung out quite a bit and I made the decision to ask him to my friend's wedding in Pittsburgh in December. Yes, I know. A trip across the country to meet some of my closest friends seemed like a sign of commitment but I wasn't there yet. I even sort of regretted having asked him but we already had plane tickets so...off we went. While there, two of my bestest friends from CLE came down to Pittsburgh for the night before the wedding and we all went to some club at Station Square. I distinctly remember the conversation with my best friend Megan after she had met James and saw our interactions. Her quote? "I can tell you're just not that into him." My response? "You're right!!" I decided that when I went home for Christmas I was going to give our whole "relationship" a few more weeks and if I was still feeling that way, that would be the breaking point. Well, after Christmas things were a whole lot different. I don't know why, but suddenly I was so excited to spend time with him. My heart would skip a beat and I remember the moment when I was struck over the head with Cupid's arrow and I realized I LOVED this man. I was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth thinking about the wine tasting weekend James and I were embarking on and I thought, "Wow, how lucky am I?" My world has been spinning ever since!!
About six weeks after that moment, I moved to the Bay area and James and I have been long distance ever since. I did do one other assignment in the NW where I got to see him quite a bit, but I'm SO looking forward to seeing him every day (well almost) for the rest of my life. We're currently in the midst of our longest separation since we became long distance (9 weeks) but we've been pretty good at meeting up every 5-6 weeks usually. It's not ideal, but it's nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Is it July 4th yet??
For those of you who don't know (which I doubt is anyone since I don't think random strangers are reading this blog...I'm not THAT interesting, but bear with me), James and I met when I was living in Puyallup, WA in 2005. We met through Yahoo Personals. I had just made my profile searchable again after having it made private for a few months while I was "seeing where it goes" with someone else. It obviously didn't work out and I turned to Yahoo again just to meet some new friends. I met a great guy named Chris who was in the Air Force and we became quite good friends while I lived there. I was saddened when I busted my phone last summer and couldn't retrieve my phone numbers and lost so many numbers of friends I've met along the way of my traveling world. And soon I met James. I told him on our first "date" that I was only interested in being friends for now. He seemed cool with that. We hung out quite a bit and I made the decision to ask him to my friend's wedding in Pittsburgh in December. Yes, I know. A trip across the country to meet some of my closest friends seemed like a sign of commitment but I wasn't there yet. I even sort of regretted having asked him but we already had plane tickets so...off we went. While there, two of my bestest friends from CLE came down to Pittsburgh for the night before the wedding and we all went to some club at Station Square. I distinctly remember the conversation with my best friend Megan after she had met James and saw our interactions. Her quote? "I can tell you're just not that into him." My response? "You're right!!" I decided that when I went home for Christmas I was going to give our whole "relationship" a few more weeks and if I was still feeling that way, that would be the breaking point. Well, after Christmas things were a whole lot different. I don't know why, but suddenly I was so excited to spend time with him. My heart would skip a beat and I remember the moment when I was struck over the head with Cupid's arrow and I realized I LOVED this man. I was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth thinking about the wine tasting weekend James and I were embarking on and I thought, "Wow, how lucky am I?" My world has been spinning ever since!!
About six weeks after that moment, I moved to the Bay area and James and I have been long distance ever since. I did do one other assignment in the NW where I got to see him quite a bit, but I'm SO looking forward to seeing him every day (well almost) for the rest of my life. We're currently in the midst of our longest separation since we became long distance (9 weeks) but we've been pretty good at meeting up every 5-6 weeks usually. It's not ideal, but it's nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Is it July 4th yet??
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
An update
I've been so busy lately! I went to Portland the weekend before Easter to see James. We managed to get all of our wedding invitations addressed as well as print out the inserts with the directions. Now all I have to do is hand write a few more that will move before we send them out and stuff and seal! We also went to dinner at The Melting Pot. YUM. It's a fondue restaurant for those of you who haven't been and I HIGHLY recommend...though it is pricey. Definitely only for a special occasion. We had a yummy spinach and artichoke cheese fondue for our appetizer and cooked some to.die.for treats in our main dish fondue some of which were: lobster tail, shrimp, chicken teriyaki, a yummy pork, and some other fine yummies. The best part: the Oreo Cookie Marshmallow Dream Dessert fondue. Nothing better than dipping strawberries, marshmallows, and brownie bite in warm dark chocolate with marshmallow and oreo crumbs. Pretty much HEAVEN.
I spent Easter weekend with my Aunt and Uncle in Atlanta. Pretty much did nothing, and it was great. Went to see my cousin Mikey's tennis match on Saturday. It was gorgeous...70ish and sunny. He lost and was bummed about it but I thought he did good. A much better job than I would have done. Then again I don't even know the rules of tennis and had to have my uncle explain it to me during the match. We had a fabulous steak dinner on Saturday and between my aunt, uncle, and me we polished off almost 3 bottles of wine! It was fun. Easter was pretty low key. My aunt put together an easter basket for me. So sweet! (and lots of sweets in it :)) She and I worked out at her gym which was good for me in my never-ending quest to get back in shape. I weighed in at my trainer's last week and I'm officially lighter than I've been in 8 years )though weighed in again today and back up over my plateau) and since August I've lost 18.5 pounds!! So excited about that!
I'm now down to 8 days at my job in Chattanooga. Where the hell does the time go? Seems like I just got here! I've LOVED my coworkers here. They are the best. A lot of them are near to my age which has been so nice. They even threw me a surprise bridal shower last week. SO FUN. I can't say enough about these women (and the 1 token male in the PT dept). I will truly miss them and their good ole southern hospitality. I've accepted a position to work at the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic starting April 8 and I'm so excited about that! What an opportunity to work at one of THE BEST hospitals in the country! If those 12 weeks fly by as much as these 12 weeks have, the wedding will be here! (100 days as of 3:30 PM on 3/26!!!) But who's counting? LOL.
I spent Easter weekend with my Aunt and Uncle in Atlanta. Pretty much did nothing, and it was great. Went to see my cousin Mikey's tennis match on Saturday. It was gorgeous...70ish and sunny. He lost and was bummed about it but I thought he did good. A much better job than I would have done. Then again I don't even know the rules of tennis and had to have my uncle explain it to me during the match. We had a fabulous steak dinner on Saturday and between my aunt, uncle, and me we polished off almost 3 bottles of wine! It was fun. Easter was pretty low key. My aunt put together an easter basket for me. So sweet! (and lots of sweets in it :)) She and I worked out at her gym which was good for me in my never-ending quest to get back in shape. I weighed in at my trainer's last week and I'm officially lighter than I've been in 8 years )though weighed in again today and back up over my plateau) and since August I've lost 18.5 pounds!! So excited about that!
I'm now down to 8 days at my job in Chattanooga. Where the hell does the time go? Seems like I just got here! I've LOVED my coworkers here. They are the best. A lot of them are near to my age which has been so nice. They even threw me a surprise bridal shower last week. SO FUN. I can't say enough about these women (and the 1 token male in the PT dept). I will truly miss them and their good ole southern hospitality. I've accepted a position to work at the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic starting April 8 and I'm so excited about that! What an opportunity to work at one of THE BEST hospitals in the country! If those 12 weeks fly by as much as these 12 weeks have, the wedding will be here! (100 days as of 3:30 PM on 3/26!!!) But who's counting? LOL.
Monday, March 10, 2008
One Year Ago...
One year ago today I was in Cannon Beach Oregon for the weekend with James. And he was proposing to me!!! It's hard to believe we've been engaged a year already! And less than 4 months until the wedding. Time is flying by and I'm getting to the point where I like to think about the fun DIY stuff to do leading up to the big day and I constantly dream about our honeymoon plans for Fiji. I'm mostly looking forward to seeing James every day, rather than every 6 weeks or so. This 2 year long distance thing is getting old.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Bummed Take 2
So I guess I need to update yet again. I woke up this morning about 5:45 to use the bathroom and thought I'd check the status of my mom's flight this AM. I blinked twice when I saw the "CANCELED" word again. I called her and sure enough she and my aunt were heading back to the car and driving back to Cleveland. Her flight was able to take off but it was full and no seat for them so they canceled their tickets. Thankfully, she gets a full refund but still. They braved horrible weather on Friday night to drive to Columbus, woke up EARLY on Saturday to go to the airport only to find out their flight was canceled, rebooked for Sunday and returned to my cousin's condo where they were snowed in all day. So then they get up EARLY again (after losing an hour of sleep thanks to the time change), go back to the airport and yep, canceled again. So at 6 AM they head for Cleveland, again in horrible weather, get stuck in the snow at the end of my aunt's street and have to be pushed out by some good samaritans and returned home to my mom's house. All that trouble, and no visit. :( I had planned to take them to the aquarium today here in Chattanooga. I went anyways, but it wasn't nearly as much fun. I did get to pet a few stingrays and even a shark though so that was cool!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Bummed
I've been looking forward to this weekend as my mom and my aunt were coming to Chattanooga to visit. They got tickets on the airline Skybus out of Columbus for a whopping round trip total of $55 each!
Yet here I sit on Saturday morning by myself. Their flight out of Columbus was canceled due to the snow storm that hit Ohio. They did get rebooked on a flight on Sunday that gets here early in the AM but then I only have 24 hours with them. I'm just bummed. I had been looking forward to this weekend for the past month. Everyone at work has been great giving me ideas of places to take them and where to eat...and now we won't get to do hardly any of it! Grrr...I hate blizzards. (unless of course it's in the mountains dumping on my beloved ski resorts)
Yet here I sit on Saturday morning by myself. Their flight out of Columbus was canceled due to the snow storm that hit Ohio. They did get rebooked on a flight on Sunday that gets here early in the AM but then I only have 24 hours with them. I'm just bummed. I had been looking forward to this weekend for the past month. Everyone at work has been great giving me ideas of places to take them and where to eat...and now we won't get to do hardly any of it! Grrr...I hate blizzards. (unless of course it's in the mountains dumping on my beloved ski resorts)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Atlanta
I went down to Atlanta this weekend to see family and an old friend from college. I stayed at my aunt and uncle's Friday and went out for beer and wings with them when I got there. Saturday was spent just hanging out, discussing wedding plans, etc. The coolest thing was that I got to see all 3 of my cousins. Two of them have moved out and live about 45 minutes in opposite directions and apparently don't come home too often. They both made the trek over to see me because as my aunt says I'm their "favorite cousin". I just love seeing how these boys have grown into amazing young men. I used to spend time every summer down there and even did 2 clinicals in PT school down there spending weeks at a time. I remember them when they were so young, spending all their time at the pool and playing video games. Well the video games thing hasn't changed... :) I did get to try Guitar Hero on XBox for the first time...so fun. But I am SOOO not good at it. My cousin Mikey though is AMAZING. If he spent half as much time learning an actual guitar he'd be one helluva musician!
Saturday night I met a college friend and her fiance out for dinner. It was so good to see Jacie. I hadn't seen her since our friend Jenn's wedding a year and a half ago. I never met her fiance Jason before, but I think he's great. They make an amazing couple and I'm so excited to go to their wedding in May. They are getting married at this exclusive wedding resort in the mountains of North Georgia in front of a waterfall. ME = JEALOUS. It was fun to catch up with her about all our friends from Duquesne as well as discuss where our late 20-something lives are taking us. Sunday we went to a bridal show in Atlanta. Not really useful for me since I'm not getting married down there, but fun nonetheless. And free samples of food is always good in my book!
Now I'm desperately trying to catch up on sleep. It's only Tuesday and I'm exhausted. I'm planning on having a LAZY weekend come Friday night! :)
Saturday night I met a college friend and her fiance out for dinner. It was so good to see Jacie. I hadn't seen her since our friend Jenn's wedding a year and a half ago. I never met her fiance Jason before, but I think he's great. They make an amazing couple and I'm so excited to go to their wedding in May. They are getting married at this exclusive wedding resort in the mountains of North Georgia in front of a waterfall. ME = JEALOUS. It was fun to catch up with her about all our friends from Duquesne as well as discuss where our late 20-something lives are taking us. Sunday we went to a bridal show in Atlanta. Not really useful for me since I'm not getting married down there, but fun nonetheless. And free samples of food is always good in my book!
Now I'm desperately trying to catch up on sleep. It's only Tuesday and I'm exhausted. I'm planning on having a LAZY weekend come Friday night! :)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
My trainer
I had my first "real" session with my trainer today. On Tuesday we had gone over the whole fitness goals thing and took my weight and body measurements. He also is big into diet and wants me to do a 7 day calorie count. Let me tell you that has been a challenge. I'm scrutinizing EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth. I think I eat fairly healthy for breakfast and lunches and most of the time dinner, but I admit I love my carbs and have WAY to many of them sometimes. I also live in a constant state of dehydration. I'm really trying to drink more water, but it's hard to do at work when I'm on my feet walking around all day and it's against health standards to have a bottle of water on hand. Yesterday I managed to gulp down (4 1/2) 8 oz glasses of water. Which is about 4 glasses more than I usually have! :)
So today was the first intense workout with the trainer. Yeah, I got my ass kicked. But he was impressed I could do 10 REAL pushups before I had to switch to the girly kind. ;) We did circuits focusing on abs, arms, and legs with a period of intense cardio worked in between them. I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow...and the next day...and probably the one after that.
**Random website** This has NOTHING to do with the topic of this post but the following website makes me so happy.
http://cache.valleywag.com/assets/resources/screenclean.swf
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
I'm off to Atlanta this weekend to visit my aunt and uncle and my friend/sorority sister Jacie. It should be fun.
So today was the first intense workout with the trainer. Yeah, I got my ass kicked. But he was impressed I could do 10 REAL pushups before I had to switch to the girly kind. ;) We did circuits focusing on abs, arms, and legs with a period of intense cardio worked in between them. I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow...and the next day...and probably the one after that.
**Random website** This has NOTHING to do with the topic of this post but the following website makes me so happy.
http://cache.valleywag.com/assets/resources/screenclean.swf
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
I'm off to Atlanta this weekend to visit my aunt and uncle and my friend/sorority sister Jacie. It should be fun.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Gym
In my neverending endeavor to be in shape and fit for the wedding (only 4 1/2 months!!), I've joined a gym down here called "The Rush". (www.rush247.com) Let me tell you that 5 PM during the week makes that place look like a zoo!
Anyways, I'm just starting to get back into the workout thing again after successfully rehabbing my knee from my ski accident. I'm still hesitant to push my leg on the machines so I've steered clear of those but have started the cardio, core work, and arm strengthening again. And tomorrow, I start back up with a personal trainer, I had some great results with my trainer in Chicago and I'm hoping to pick up where he left off.
So while at the gym, I get to do one of my favorite things....PEOPLE WATCH. Today, I'm over by the "arm weight" section pumping some major iron (ha ha) and can't help but watch the young men there working out. Not because they are cute, but because they have NO IDEA what they are doing. I watched one guy working on his anterior deltoids (think: the muscle on the front/lateral part of your shoulder that helps you raise your arm up) with at least a 50 lb dumbell. Which would be impressive, had he been using just his delts to do this. This guy was using trunk extension, hamstrings, hip extension, and even his calf muscles to do each rep! And all I could think of was, "Judi, right now you are NOT a PT, do NOT say anything to him, keep you eye on your own workout". But it sure is hard to listen to the voices in my head sometimes. :)
Anyways, I'm just starting to get back into the workout thing again after successfully rehabbing my knee from my ski accident. I'm still hesitant to push my leg on the machines so I've steered clear of those but have started the cardio, core work, and arm strengthening again. And tomorrow, I start back up with a personal trainer, I had some great results with my trainer in Chicago and I'm hoping to pick up where he left off.
So while at the gym, I get to do one of my favorite things....PEOPLE WATCH. Today, I'm over by the "arm weight" section pumping some major iron (ha ha) and can't help but watch the young men there working out. Not because they are cute, but because they have NO IDEA what they are doing. I watched one guy working on his anterior deltoids (think: the muscle on the front/lateral part of your shoulder that helps you raise your arm up) with at least a 50 lb dumbell. Which would be impressive, had he been using just his delts to do this. This guy was using trunk extension, hamstrings, hip extension, and even his calf muscles to do each rep! And all I could think of was, "Judi, right now you are NOT a PT, do NOT say anything to him, keep you eye on your own workout". But it sure is hard to listen to the voices in my head sometimes. :)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
To SCUBA or not to SCUBA
I've been toying with the idea of becoming SCUBA certified. James and I are going to Fiji for our honeymoon in July, home to some of the best diving in the world. I'd hate to miss out. The trouble is I'd have to do the certification by myself as would James since we are on opposite sides of the country until July.
What does certification require?
- able to swim 200 yards (any stroke, no time limit)
- able to tread water for 10 minutes
- an etutorial session to learn the necessary background info and tips
- 2 afternoons in a pool learning the basic skills and safety measures of SCUBA
- a 2 day open water dive
I'm scared I'll panic underwater. And since I'm not a STRONG swimmer it frightens me. Looks like I'll be heading up to the gym to practice my strokes. The thought of missing out on something amazing in Fiji makes me really want to do it though.
I'm hoping to do this when I get back to Cleveland in April. Here's where I'm looking to go:
http://www.justaddwaterscuba.com/index.html
What does certification require?
- able to swim 200 yards (any stroke, no time limit)
- able to tread water for 10 minutes
- an etutorial session to learn the necessary background info and tips
- 2 afternoons in a pool learning the basic skills and safety measures of SCUBA
- a 2 day open water dive
I'm scared I'll panic underwater. And since I'm not a STRONG swimmer it frightens me. Looks like I'll be heading up to the gym to practice my strokes. The thought of missing out on something amazing in Fiji makes me really want to do it though.
I'm hoping to do this when I get back to Cleveland in April. Here's where I'm looking to go:
http://www.justaddwaterscuba.com/index.html
Welcome
The dash in between...that's what life is about. It's not when you were born or when you die that describes your life. Life is measured by that little dash in between those dates. All the memories, experiences, joys, sorrows, love and laughter and summed up in that little dash. This blog is my attempt to chronicle my dash...I hope you enjoy. Leave me some love.
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