Monday, July 31, 2006

i got it!!! my word…

my one word to describe myself:
Random

pictures

i have a new rule: when i go out, i'm the one with the camera. friends need not take pics, as i'll capture the event.
(otherwise, i end up in pictures and that's sometimes not ok)

Bethel professor gone wild

i love it. i've always respected Greg Boyd.
NY Times article

ah, monday

superfun weekends like this past one make monday's worth it to me. if i can jam as much as i did into one weekend, i'm ok with working for five more days...especially knowing that i'm off to minnesota on friday. wooooo!

i feel weird saying that monday's are worth it...but it feels true.

Friday, July 28, 2006

mientkiewicz bat

you can laugh, but i now sleep with my dougy mientkiewicz bat right next to my bed. if any more burglars come near my house, they're gettin' it. it's heavy, too.

to make my friday better

i just got notice that i only need 14 classes to graduate with my MBA, rather than 16! that means i could be done in 2 1/2 more years...10 more classes...life is good for me!

good stuff

i feel pretty dang good for not sleeping much. i mean, it's friday, i've got a super fun weekend planned, and i leave for minnesota in a week. woooooooo!

tonite is The OC nite, trying to catch up before the season starts
tomorrow i'm helping build a house with habitat for humanity
sunday i get to coach in the morning, then hit the grand prix in the afternoon
i'll rest somewhere in there, too.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

sleep

sleep has escaped me for days now...it's not cool. my body is exhausted, yet my mind won't stop going a million miles a minute. i'm thinking about work, break-ins, friends, family, break-ins, work, relationships, break-ins, who i am, etc. it doesn't slow down.

i don't suppose a three hour time change helps at all. maybe my body still thinks it's 11pm. however, that was bedtime in miami. i was not the party animal at south beach.

i know i'm whiney, but i'm just not used to this. sleeping and eating are the two things i can do no matter what...if i can't do one of them, i know something is seriously wrong. grrrrrrr.

home!

even if we were just broken in to, it's great to be home. all my stuff, my car, my life...i love it.

it all seems to be a bit of a blur...mostly because i didn't sleep well the past couple nites. we got a lot of work done, and had some fun, too. teaching someone who doesn't know much english is very difficult...and tiring. last nite we had dinner at a great restaurant on Biscayne Bay called the Rusty Pelican. 'twas quite tasty.

i'm pretty scattered - lack of sleep will do that. i think i'll try this again later.

for now i'm waiting for papa john's to bring me my pizza so i can go take a nap on my hammock.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

construction workers

construction workers actually still yell out cat calls...at least in miami.
we walked to lunch, passing by a construction site, and heard "have a good lunch...SEXY." *whistle*

amazing. for some reason, i'd thought we were beyond that.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

language

it sucks to be the only one within a city that can only speak one language.

i feel so self-centered and american. everyone around me is speaking spanish, or portuguese, or something i don't understand.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Twins

the Twinkies are on quite the roll...YAY!
i heart Liriano.

now to find tickets for august 13...with ma " pa...and whoever. :-)

land of the beautiful

i finally got to miami yesterday morning around 8:30. i caught a cab to my hotel, took a shower " got started on my day. at the front desk's suggestion, i took the train " bus to South Beach...and it was quite easy. goal #1 was to stretch out on the beach " sleep a little...so i did. then i jumped into the Atlantic ocean...then i slept a little...jumped in...slept...you get the point. all the while, i was lookin' for the beautiful people of south beach - unfortunately, i think i was in tourist zone. :-) i continued on to peruse some shops " caught the bus/train back to my hotel. i should mention that i hadn't let my suit dry, so my tank top was wet and my shorts made me look like i'd peed. i didn't exactly fit in with the beautiful people of miami.

i probably shoulda gone out last nite, but i crashed in my hotel room around 8:00. it was a rough weekend for sleep, and i needed to catch up.

now it's off to work! yay for being in miami!

Saturday, July 22, 2006

down with robbers

so our house was broken into again last nite...WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING! it's so not ok. apparently, they searched every window until they found one that i hadn't tightened the lock on enough. dangit! anyway, this time was a bit more scary...it was definitely the same people that broke in two months ago 'cause they knew where my alcohol was " took it all. they also opened my roommate's bedroom door to grab her laptop, so they must have been scoping the place out earlier in the night to know where it was. they went through roommate 2's bedroom 'cause she's on vacation, but didn't come near me (praise God!).

roommate1 woke me up when she realized what'd happened, and i called 911. the cops came right over, and actually caught some guy on the corner with one of sarah's purses. they couldn't find the rest of the stuff, however. i asked the cop to punch the guy in the face, and he said he'd do what he could.

ironically, the airline called me as i was about to head out the door to tell me my flight was cancelled and i was bumped to the 8:25 tonite. it's unfortunate, as i'm missing out on a nite in miami...but now i can make sure my house is secure " roommate1 is comfortable enough to stay alone. i'm sad for her.

why is my life always drama?!?!?!?!?

Friday, July 21, 2006

for anyone who knows my high school nickname, this is funny:







What Is Your Animal Personality?

reasons to suck up

remember Ecommerce, my summer class? remember that i enjoyed it? remember that i was a little stressed before the final, but ordered an Ipod as my reward anyway? well, it's all good...

on monday i checked my grade, and was given an A-. i'm content with that A-, but was a little curious, as my friend that got grades a little worse than me also got an A-. i blew it off " was happy for both of us.

let's go back to the final exam - i never blogged about the little note i wrote at the end of the exam to say thanks to the professor...it was a great class...i got a lot out of it...blah, blah, blah...and i'm not just saying this to get an A. (I wrote all that) i really wasn't trying to suck up, but wanted him to know that the class was worth my time.

well, this morning i got this email:

Thank you for the nice note on your exam. I have gone back and looked
at all the grades and considered participation in the class and I will
be raising your grade to an A. I hope that is good news and I wish you
a good summer and continued success in the program.

Best Regards, Professor

Thursday, July 20, 2006

so you think you can dance

i confess, i'm addicted. i sit here and watch filled with pure envy. i couldn't dream of making my body do any of it, really. very fun.

i think my current favorite is donyelle.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

the Chicks are coming to town!

I didn't even think to look at their tour schedule until this morning...and I suddenly have tickets!!! Woooo!

Now I just need two more friends to fill my seats...

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

hometown fan

i went to the Giants game with jeff, season ticket holder, last nite and had an awesome time. i wore orange " was excited to be a hometown fan. i'm often cheering for whoever's come to town to play the hometown team, so it was exciting to cheer with the crowd (and the organ). every time the trumpet charge song came on, i got to bellar out my "CHARGE!!!" 'twas great.

unfortunately, the Giants lost to the Brewers 1-10, which made it a bit difficult to not switch to being a midwest fan. i even have the Brewers to thank for a couple 6-packs of beer this season, but i stayed true to the orange.

other stories that go with the nite:
- it was Spare the Air day, so caltrain was free
- i was a slob " wore ketchup, mustard and nacho cheese for much of the nite
- my magic orange shirt hid the ketchup " mustard somehow
- a couple sucked face right in front of us
- the inning i went to get nachos, the Brewers scored 5 runs (i left jeff drownin' in his sorrow alone)
- i commented on the dude who hit a home run's stance, which was quite wide, just before he hit a home run
- i professed my desire to one day be the organ player, old balldude, sand raker (apparently, i'm a behind the scenes kinda gal)
- i told jeff my worst date ever was with one of his best friends (oops)
- jeff got 4 phone calls " i got zero. he's married with a kid. it's not right.
- my suspicions that SF season ticket holders are dull were confirmed...no one cheered or clapped with me
- caltrain took forever to get home
- lastly, i have to kill all of jeff's friends before he'll take me to a game with him again. apparently they still get first dibs...even though i'm this much fun.

drinks before preparing to go out

4thforweb.JPG
if i have a couple drinks before i get ready to go out, i do things like this. i make my hair big, i put on bright lipstick and lots of eye liner. oh, and then i wear my "a LOSER is trying to hook up with me" t-shirt. yet, some dudes (like this one) still talk to me. weird.

Monday, July 17, 2006

dixie chicks

i got my new ipod " finally got to listen to the new Dixie Chicks album. it's awesome, i must say.

i totally dig Taking the Long Way...seems they've always got at least one song on an album that immediately becomes my theme song.

my friends from high school
married their high school boyfriends
moved into houses in the same zip codes
where their parents live

but i, i could never follow
no i, i could never follow

golf

i had the best golf game of my life on saturday morning. as long as i don't count my short game, of course. i drove a couple balls almost 200 yards, which is the furthest i've ever hit a golf ball by far, and got well out of the tee box every time. 'twas superduper fun.

and this is why the game is addicting. the good swings keep ya coming back.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Marlins

apparently the Marlins are playing while I'm in Miami...the question is...can i go to an MLB game by myself? i do have a goal to see every stadium at least once in my life...

“shy” people

yesterday i gave new hire orientation. it was a fun class - pretty chatty, but not obnoxious (for the most part).

one new senior director was overly chatty, however. he had a lot to say about many things, and i had to learn to cut him off...i was annoyed, so i assumed the class was, too. anyway, at the end of the day he came to chat with me some more (of course). he explained that he truly is a very shy man, but has had to learn to speak up. he's very uncomfortable when he does it, but has learned that it needs to happen in order to survive (and continue growing in his career...i mean, he's a sr manager).

i decided that several people who are very shy in the early years - when other kids are mean - overcompensate in the adult years.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

final

in an hour " a half, i'll be starting my ebusiness final. i've really enjoyed the class " feel like i've learned a lot...mostly because the professor is quality...but i fear that i haven't learned many specifics that i might need for this final. i've just got the general idea down.

it's going to be essay " multiple choice. hopefully it'll all just make sense in my head and come flowing out of me in brilliant sentences. otherwise, i'm just gonna put what i learned in my own words instead of using all this techy jargon.

OLAP, ETL, data mining, business intelligence, value chains, SWOT, etc...

oh, yeah, and i *heart* wikipedia.org

my ipod left Shanghai today...it'll be here next tuesday...the perfect reward for taking summer school.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

eyes

i have hit the point where i have to wear glasses to see my monitor clearly. sad, just sad.

i need more carrots in my diet.

Monday, July 10, 2006

mom gets me

my mom sent me a "happy summer" package and i'm totally emotional because it exemplifies the fact that she's starting to get me. i'm really proud of her, and totally touched by her gift.

i got an Old Navy 4th of July t-shirt (the standard for every family member), some awesome glow in the dark socks, great family pictures and a fun card. it is the first time my mom's sent me a non-gushy card. don't get me wrong - i love the gushy cards, but i generally like to give fun, wacky cards that show off my sense of humor. one year i gave her a funny card " learned that i would never do it again - she now gets gushy cards at every opportunity i have. she always sends me gushy cards...except for today.

anyway, i'm proud of my mama. i feel like she's accepted the fact that i'm not your typical northern minnesota girl. i didn't get some flowery somethin' with 'minnesota' scribed across the front, or a supersappy card that makes me want to feel emotional. i got gifts that were perfect for me.

of course, northern minnesota will always be a part of me, and i love my family...but i want to experience everything else this world has to offer, too. this explains why i always end up at chinese tournaments. :-)

go mom. i love you!
(i didn't do justice for the hugeness of this gift and what it means to me, but i tried)

revelation #497

i love to work, but don't live to work.

(ideally, i love my job, but don't live for it...there's too much more to life than just living to work...yet i spend a majority of my time working, so i best enjoy it)

Sunday, July 9, 2006

asian volleyball

i was part of the women's team that won the NCCAF volleyball tourney today.
NCCAF - northern california chinese athletic federation.

yes, i was the only white girl on the team. yes, they all speak mainly chinese so i can understand very little. yes, i'm one of the tallest...and we kicked a**! and, oh yeah, the directors of this tourney are also the directors of the club i coach for - therefore i played against some of the girls i've coached at open gyms. nice. every error counted, let me tell ya.

for three years they tried to win this tourney...always coming in second...today we took first!

i'm exhausted. and i can't seem to get enough water in my system. go chinese volleyball!

Friday, July 7, 2006

bachelorette in minneapolis

i need some suggestions on where to go with a bachelorette party in downtown minneapolis...where do we start, where do we dance, where do we end???

it ain't my bachelorette. :-)

Thursday, July 6, 2006

lessons on giving blood

i just learned something quite valuable. if you eat well " drink lots o' water before giving blood, even if it's within hours, the process goes much more smoothly.

the past couple times i've struggled with giving blood in one aspect, or another - not enough iron, tough veins to find, or slow blood flow. today, i was in " out in minutes...'twas awesome. just to make sure i was right, i asked the nurses if it was because i ate " drank, and they confirmed my suspicions.

people - eat " drink water before you give blood! making that needley process easier is well worth it.

miami

anyone want to meet me in miami the weekend of july 21 or july 28?

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

microfinance - my research paper

Every human deserves a chance to be successful in life, but many are never given the opportunity. For the past forty years, microfinance organizations have formed and grown, offering that chance to the world’s poorest. These organizations empower people to pull themselves out of poverty using their own skills and entrepreneurial intuition. Small loans, other financial services and support from microfinance institutions are given to start or build a self-supporting business. The loans are generally $25 - $300, and offer the chance to succeed.

The idea that the working poor can lift themselves out of poverty with dignity appeals to people of all political, social and economic backgrounds. Beyond offering success to those who didn’t know it was possible for them, microfinance organizations are becoming more and more profitable, enticing several other big businesses to get involved. As this industry develops, microfinancing organizations are beginning to offer savings accounts, insurance, money-transfer facilities and long-term housing loans. Along with these additional roles, the organizations are relying on technology to improve their business.

www.microplace.com - it'll be cool when it goes live

Happy 4th of July!!!

Hope ya'll enjoyed your fun " fireworks as much as I did this weekend! Yay, USA!

Monday, July 3, 2006

cheese

i am the cheesiest academic writer ever. the other day i used the term "worldwide phenomenon" in a paper...today i'm wanting to title my research paper "Microfinance: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow."

help me, people.

long, semi-lazy weekends

'tis good to have 4 days in a row off to chill. if i didn't have this research paper that's due wednesday hangin' over my head, it'd be much nicer...but it does give me some purpose for my weekend. otherwise, 'tis good to sleep in, relax " enjoy some down-time.

happy almost 4th! this afternoon we'll be washing cars in my backyard...it'll be awesome.

Saturday, July 1, 2006

my life

i really don't think i'm going through hell, by any stretch of the imagination...but i sure could feel a bit less apathetic about life. it's annoying...the heart takes time to heal. and apparently, my heart has chosen an apathetic route to continue moving on.

i know i'll get over it.

country song

Well, you know those times when you feel like
There's a sign there on your back.
Says: "I don't mind if you kick me;
"Seems like everybody has."
Things go from bad to worse:
You think they can't get worse than that an' then they do.

You step off the straight an' narrow,
An' you don't know where you are.
Use the needle of your compass,
To sew up your broken heart.
Ask directions from a genie,
In a bottle of Jim Beam an' she lies to you.

Well, that's when you learn the truth:
If you're goin' through hell,
Keep on goin'.
Don't slow down:
If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.

Well, I've been deep down in that darkness,
I been down to my last match.
Felt a hundred different demons,
Breathin' fire down my back.
An' I knew that if I stumbled,
I'd fall right into the trap that they were layin', yeah.

But the good news is there's angels,
Everywhere out on the street.
Holdin' out a hand,
To pull you back up on your feet:
The one's that you been draggin' for so long,
You're on your knees; you might as well be prayin'.

Guess what I'm sayin':
If you're goin' through hell,
Keep on goin'.
Don't slow down:
If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.

Yeah, if you're goin' through hell,
Keep on movin'.
Face that fire:
Walk right through it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Oooh.

Instrumental break.

If you're goin' through hell,
Keep on goin'.
Don't slow down:
If you're scared don't show it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.

Yeah, if you're goin' through hell,
Keep on movin'.
Face that fire:
Walk right through it.
You might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.

Yeah, you might get out,
'Fore the devil even knows you're there.
Yeah.
Ooh, ooh ooh.
Oh.


Rodney Atkins lyrics: If You're Goin' Through Hell lyrics.