ah, family

one of the best sounds ever is a belly laugh from one of my nieces or nephews.

happy holidays!

i'm off to minnesota tomorrow...and i can't wait! i'm gonna try to take a break from the iphone and laptop, but i'm sure i'll be around. i'm addicted, afterall.  no less, it's gonna be great to have some time with the fam and i'm gonna do my best to focus on them.

have a very merry christmas... and start 2008 with a bang!

(tucker says "Merry Christmas!")

humph. she beat me to it.

i got gifts for my bosses last night and decided to wait until friday to bring them in...'cause i spent more than i usually do on a boss and didn't want either of them to feel like they should go out tonight to get me something big(ger).  ridiculous, but this is the way my mind works.

boss 1 dropped off her gift this morning.  blew my whole plan...and i felt a little silly for not having anything to give to her (my own issue; i realize it's not a big deal).  guess she just has to wait until tomorrow to get her very cool gift...and i guess i should take the time to actually wrap it.

misunderstanding

i thought she said "friend's color," but really she said, "french color." and then i didn't pay attention until she had done a whole hand...and then i ended up with this.

i'm sure it's going to be the new trend.

skol vikings!

i'm officially back on the bandwagon.  it was scary, it was ugly...but we beat the Bears!

and that was a pretty interception at the end.  i admit, i whooped and hollered when i saw it.

cut & paste from Karin’s blog:

seriously, i'm stealing this from The Talking Muffin...but she summarized it so well that i can't even attempt to rewrite it from my perspective.  oh, what a day:

Damn. Saturday was a blast. I got to hang out with my awesome friend, Kristie. We were going to have a mellow shopping/drinking day at Union Square, but boy did it turn into an amusing party.

I'm at work and therefore can't post a long blog, but here are some of the highlights:

1) Watching a procession of drunk santas bar hopping down the street at Union Square.

2) Drunk santas humping leg...or at least attempting to.

3) Observing old, drunk santas hitting on much younger, somewhat slutty "Mrs. Claus" wannabes. Train wrecks waiting to happen...

4) Trying to save 23 year old Ohio boys from getting themselves killed. 23 year old boys not listening. Watching fights break out. 23 year old boys getting kicked out of bar, getting chased by the cops and losing shoes while running down the street.

5) Trying to make friends at some tiki bar but without much success. A nice girl gave me an octopus pin that was really cute. (See pin on sweater lapel on main profile pic.) I was in "make friends" mode and said, "Oh you're really cool! We should exchange contact info." Her response: "Uhhhh. No that's okay." She apparently thought I was a lesbian hitting on her! Yeah...even if I was a lesbian...she's not really my type.

6) Kristie's name that night = Ronnie. Love it!

7) And then Kristie's friend, Brian, dropped us off at our parking lot but it was the wrong one. We had to hop back into the car to find the correct one.

8) Once we found the parking lot and paid, I remarked, "Oh there's my car." Then I second guessed myself, which Kristie validated. We agreed it wasn't my car even though the license plate had a "4" and an "H" in it, which mine does. Besides, I said, "My car is the more square version. This one's rounder." The attendant spent several minutes frantically searching for my car. Another attendant even said, "It's coming. Don't worry. And by the way, how old are you and where do you live?" ACK! I'm married for God's sake! Stop hitting on me! Anyway, they finally said, "Hey! Your car's right here on the 1st floor. Why didn't you say anything?" My response, "Hey Kristie agreed with  me, and I thought I had the more square version!" Anyway, this fiasco epitomized the Kristie/Karin adventure. We'll laugh about it for years.

9) We stopped at Denny's on the way home. It ain't as tasty as it used to be...Although the grease hit the spot.

That pretty much sums up our day. Can't wait until next year...rather, next spring! Berkeley...here we come!!!

laundry

every time i hang at the laundromat, i dream that josh hartnett will come in to wash his clothes, too. (think 40 days, 40 nights)

also, i completely appreciate the fact that i can get four loads of laundry done in two hours.  dang, i have a lot of clothes.

props to the roommate!

for the past couple weeks i've been pretty focused on school (or talked about it a lot)...spare time is not easy to find.  to help, roommate baked at least three dozen cookies for the work cookie exchange that is this morning, and she picked up two toys for the Giving Tree.  she's good people.

thanks, roommie!

last fall semester EVER

i'm done with my last fall semester of school EVER!!! the test was rough, i'm hoping (once again) that i passed...but it's over. i'm homework-free for over a month!

You Are Somewhat Mature

You definitely act like an adult sometimes, but a big part of you is still a kid at heart. While your immature side is definitely fun, you're going to have to grow up sooner or later.

Are You Immature?

in case you haven’t heard…

...i'm a quitter.

youtube video here

study music

iTunes, "Alternative Genre" smart playlist.

it's easy listening and not distracting.

sore loser

i don't wanna talk about, or hear about, the game that happened tonight.  i'm a bad loser.

i'll pay up on my bets, but i don't wanna talk about why i'm doing it.  grrr.

Thursday, December 13

...the end of the six months of training...the 911 challenge ...and willlo celebrates a birthday...

the first prediction i've received:
ghouly: Serge will finish, or get really really close....
ghouly: Yak will probably get about 7 down maybe...
ghouly: and you will be right there with him...perhaps 6.....
ghouly: soooo, that's the spread....
me: what kind of money is in on this?
me: if there's money, it's extra encouragement
me: and, to be honest, i'm scared sh*tless
me: no pun intended

(sorry i swore, but seriously...watch the youtube videos)

any other predictions?

wagers

i don't generally bet a whole lot...i'm not that fun at casinos...but when my MN teams come to town, it seems i earn all sorts of things.

so far i've got an indian buffet coming my way from yasuda, serg has to wear a football shirt to the game tonight with a fun sign...and i'm sure the Wild will earn me a few more things tonight.  go MN!

(bethel lost pretty miserably last saturday...that's all i have to say about that)

Go Vikes!

yup, i completely jumped back on the Vikings' bandwagon today...but we had second row seats at the endline, saw a touchdown within the first couple minutes, had to have been on tv and got this great pic with the mascot (who tried to run away from me). what an awesome, awesome day!

i was told the Vikes have a chance at playoffs. huh. go figure.

roommate's mom (my CA mom) hooked us up with the tickets. we had free tailgating prior to the game, too...

Tuesday the Wild come to town and i can't wait for another CA obliteration by MN teams.

eating

i really do want to be healthier.  mainly, i need to eat better 'cause i'm fairly active (though i'll start running more now, too).

anyway, it's really hard to find time to eat right.  i'm already late and i haven't eaten lunch, yet, so i'll probably hit a fast food joint.  it's just the easiest way to eat.  and fairly cheap.  ugh.

sorry, heart.  i'll get better at this.

man, i’m not very smart

Your IQ Is 115

Your Logical Intelligence is Below AverageYour Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Above Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

i never claimed to be logical...and i can claim that work is distracting me...but i feel like i should retake this to get a higher score...

matching vs clashing

this morning roommate helped me choose my socks, as she happened to be in my doorway as i was looking.  i'm wearin' a pink sweater and brown pants.  i had the choice of maroon socks, or some maroon/pink argyle ones.  she, of course, wanted the argyle...but i put the maroon ones on and made a comment about having to "sorta match."

this bugged me all day.  i've been saying i want to wear socks that don't match...then i came out with this comment.

tonight at church i realized that it was because the argyle socks seriously clashed with my sweater.  i can't handle clashing.  it's very different from not matching.

phew.  i feel better now.

gooooooooo Bethel!

apparently my alma mater's football team is rockin' D3...nicely done.  if you're in alliance, oh, you should go to the game on saturday and wear blue.

i should probably admit that i only went to half a football game while i attended Bethel...and haven't really been back since...it was that whole transferring in sophomore year, spending a semester abroad junior year, that did me in.  i didn't get the true Bethel experience (maybe that's ok?).  :-)

30

vegas

America’s 10 Best Outdoor Towns

On Page 3 of this list, Ely, MN

linked from MSN.  MSN knows all.

funny at the dr

this sign is up in my dr's office. my favorite part is,

"if you're on the phone during a medical visit, it's difficult to listen to and communicate with your physician..."

.

.

fun friday gone slightly awry

i woke up feelin' pretty good about it being friday...played some fun music, danced a little, sang a little...got to work a little late...am blogging now...it's all good.

but then my doctor called 'cause my blood pressure was high enough yesterday that they want to monitor it.  i gotta admit, it freaks me out a little.  i know i'm old, but...i'm too young for this crap.  and i hate being forced to do much of anything - especially eat right and exercise.

maybe i'll run for the next couple of weeks, eat a little better and fake 'em out when i go back in.  maybe it's the amount of homework i need to do within the next couple of weeks, which will be done by then so i'll be ok.  maybe it's travel.  maybe it's my recently overactive asthma.  it can't be that i'm that unhealthy...yeesh.

getting old is rough some times.

patience is not my strength

from a daily techy news email i get:

"Now, it's a given that at some point Apple was going to address one of the biggest complaints about the iPhone -- that it uses AT&T's sluggish EDGE network, rather than a faster 3G connection. The sticking point, according to the company, was that the available 3G chips sucked too much power. Still, in September, Jobs himself made vague comments about a 3G iPhone "later next year." But by making such a firm and public declaration right in the heart of the holiday shopping season, Stephenson may have trod heavily on one of Jobs' most sensitive spots (see "You have to understand, Mr. Jobs is very sensitive about premature elaboration"). As Dwight Silverman puts it, "The first rule of new product development is: You don't talk about new product development, because it kills sales of existing products," citing the suicidal marketing move known as the Osborne Effect. Larry Dignan adds, "Perhaps the average iPhone craving bear won't wait for the 3G version, but some percentage of prospective buyers will. ... Jobs can't be too happy this morning, especially if the 3G iPhone continues to be the buzz and it won't be ready soon, as in for Macworld in January. If not, iPhone sales could be dragged down as customers wait for the second coming."

if you can wait, wait.  i love my iPhone...but the slow internet does get to me once in a while.  sorry, Mr Jobs.

 (i forgot to mention that roommate & i saw all four TMNT and Splinter this past week in the NYC Subway...request pics, if you'd like)

the perfect vacation

it was awesome. the perfect amount of fun, laid-back-ness, food, entertainment, walking, subway-ing, taxi-ing, east coast friend time, etc. really, i'm quite pleased with how it all worked out.

in brief: landed at 6pm, picked up at 8pm, a homecooked hot dish for dinner, up at 9, NYC by 12, Battery Park, Times Square, italian, Altar Boyz, chocolate, sleep, out the door by noon, central park, The Met, lunch with lauraorange, The Met, mexican dinner, Rumours, curb, sleep, out the door by 11, Brooklyn, shopping on 5th Ave, the perfect purse, the cutest dress, crappy dinner at a singing diner, Philly boys, Times Square, sleep, out the door by 10am, connecticut with cousin Michelle & fam, home-made spaghetti, Rock Band, sleep, back in NYC by noon, stroll through the city, Central Park, taxi to JFK, home by 1am.

thanks, roommate...you're a quality travel partner. and thanks to East Coast Friends for making time for me.

thanks and hunter

i have a lot to be thankful for.  on top of my life being pretty awesome, i had a great flight to NYC today...quite a few laughs...a great dinner...and more laughs.  i'm excited to see the sights and be on vacation.

rough news - torii hunter's going to the Angels.  i'd say it's quite likely i'll be in anaheim some time this summer to see a game.  i can't believe he's leaving the Twins...

more thoughts on the $2 lunch

when i asked the guy behind the counter what a dish was, he started with, "it's supposed to be..."

i passed on that item.  he wasn't offended, 'cause he didn't cook it.

adventures in cooking - november

i got home a little late...and had to immediately start cooking.

the initial idea was that everyone would bring a nonperishable food item for me to incorporate into the meal...we almost did it.  i had frozen chicken breasts in the freezer and a bunch of other random items in the cupboards.  speedracer brought over some rice.  roommate picked out some taco seasoning, tapatio and mint chocolate cookies to add to the meal.

i fired up the foreman grills to make chicken.
i started up the rice (not 10minute easy rice).
i had black beans and corn cooking on the stove (not together).
i pulled some chimichangas out of the freezer at the last minute, as the chicken was taking forever.

we had some interesting taco-tapatio-seasoned rice, white rice, black beans, corn and a chimichanga. eventually we had a little chicken that was quite dry on the outside, but yummy on the inside.
we called it a success and pictures will be posted.

it was a true adventure. i had no idea what i'd be cooking besides the chicken.

change

i have some serious ADD when it comes to blogs and purses.  i need a new blog look every few months...and purses never last longer than a couple months.  i'm sure there are other areas in my life that are impacted by ADD, but these are most prevalent today.

can't wait to be in NYC, shopping for a Prado.  yup, a prado.  my dream purse.

(i hope this doesn't offend anyone who actually has ADD...i guess i actually might...i dunno...)

fl

after loudly declaring that my 355 ml can equals 12 full ounces, i was made fun of.  apparently, 'fl' means fluid, not full.

learn somethin' new every day.

settlers of catan

i thought you should know that i played my first game last night.  of course, i just partnered up with someone for the first go-around, but i feel ready to take on the world!

i shoulda been a firefighter

Your Dominant Intelligence is Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

You are naturally athletic and coordinated, good at making your mind and body work together. Sports are fun and easy for you, especially those requiring good hand - eye coordination. There's also a good chance you're a great dancer, or good at expressing yourself through body language. You learn best by doing, and you feel like you've always got to be moving (even if it's just your hands). You would make a good athlete, physical education teaches, dancer, actor, firefighter, or artisan.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

bon jovi says “broken,” i say “messy”

It's ok, to be a little broken
Everybody's broken, in this life
It's ok, to feel a little broken
Everybody's broken, your alright
It's just life

new study buddy

turns out that Noodles (Tucker) will stay up with me as late as i need him to...

intimidated by numbers

i just can't get over it.  turns out that supply chain management has a bunch of formulas and numbers involved...and it scares the crap out of me.  my brain pretty much freezes at the sight.

tomorrow night's test is gonna be rough.  no matter how many times i go through these practice problems...

again, i was gonna be a math teacher...i made it through Calc III...this shouldn't be that hard.

purple pharma

purple is all over the logos and branding of pharma companies.  i can't help but notice.

and today is the day i stroll around and try to grab trinkets from everyone.  trade for a pen?

scientists vs software peeps

i'm at a job fair recruiting scientists for new company.  really, it's not much different than recruiting software engineers for old company.  i throw around a bunch of words that i don't understand, try to sound as smart as possible and file resumes away.  science words are a bit bigger and more complicated, but that's about the only difference.  very similar personalities, too.

i was hoping this would be a great way to learn more about new company and i was totally right.  though we don't have many applicants, i've got the spiel down.

and i'm in san diego for the first time ever.  i LOVE it.  awesome weather, beautiful scenery, sweet suite...

coaching bio

i have a bio online!

click on "coaches" and find me.  hilarious!

noodles malone

(pronounced ma-low-ney) 

this past weekend Roommate left me with her cat...just me and Noodles...chillin' at the apartment.  i have never been a huge fan of cats - mostly because i thought i was deathly allergic to them - but we agreed to give Noodles a test run and see how it went. 

we've made it almost 3 months, and it's all good.  my allergies haven't gone insane and Noodles seems happy...as does Roommate.  yahoo!

to make it even better, Noodles & i bonded this past weekend.  friday and saturday were a little rough with some whining and hiding...but sunday i was watchin' tv in the living room and Noodles snuggled right up to me.  i have a picture on my iphone.  he even drooled (i was reminded later that that's a good thing). 

so i like a cat.  i live with him and his real name is Tucker.

life is rough

not really at all.  i've got it made, and i realize that.

but every once in a while i go through a "li'l" somethin' that sends my mind reelin'...and self-eval begins.  it's been about three weeks of pretty serious introspection, followed by revelations (i call them), which means i gotta deal with 'em.  it's really good...and it's gotta mean i'm growing & learning...but sheesh.  it's a lot of work.  dealing with something new almost every day is tough....guess i'm not used to thinking.  :-)

if i weren't so dang complicated....

i promise i'm a-ok...just thought i'd put this out there.

banana flavor

i just had a banana laffy taffy and confirmed that i hate banana flavor stuff.  i like bananas...hate banana flavored stuff.

and i really hate it when they add it to awesome strawberry flavor.

easiest tryout ever

and i bet i just jinxed myself.

but i had tryouts for my team this past weekend and it went awesome!  i only had 20 girls try out, but there was a lot of talent within those 20...and then they all committed to be on my team.  well, 4 of them said they were 80% sure they would play for me...the rest were 100% committed.  that's craziness!!!  usually i get 2-3 and have to fight for the rest.  thank goodness, though, 'cause i just don't have the energy to put into it right now.

unfortunately, my club pulled some crappy crap with another coach...and, really, all of us...so i'm pretty disappointed in them.  (if i get fired 'cause i blogged about them, it's ok with me...but i don't think i will)

from my iPhone

yup, i've given in and got the coolest new toy out there. It's fantastic!

Good thing roommate bought guitar hero 3 or my bank would be really mad at me.

aw, darn

There's a 12% Chance You've Been Abducted By Aliens

There's virtually no chance you've been abducted by aliens. But there's always hope for the future!

What Are the Chances that You've Been Abducted by Aliens?

pumpkin carving contest

new company has a pumpkin carving contest every year.  this year, i was in charge and created new categories, which included "Most Traditional."   peeps get really into this competition.  i'd told my department that i'd create something for us...but ran out of time, so dizzle & i whipped something up quick (pictured).

peeps voted, we won the "Most Traditional" category without question, i got a gift card.

lesson learned:  when put in charge, create a category you know you can win

kleenex

the costco pack of kleenex has been in my trunk for a few days now...and i'd prefer it be in the apartment.  however, i told brooke yesterday that if Pitter gets the sniffles, she's got it covered.  i'm not normal, but i love my car.

(this may be an effort to make up for the number of times i've talked about getting a new car while driving her around...she's listening and i need to be more careful)

gambling can be fun

i spent last weekend in tahoe...at a seedy casino...with great friends. it was tons of fun. and i only lost about $40. i spent about an hour at the blackjack table and it was fantastically great! earlier in the weekend i turned a couple pennies into $50 at a slot machine. (actually yak did, but i was sitting in the chair)

i'm not a true gambler.  i can't do more than $40 for a few hours or it's not worth it.  and i'm ok with this.

yay, tahoe! can't wait for ghouly's bday and some skiing!

names

i feel guilty every time i pass someone in the hall at new job and they say, "hi kristie!"  i only know a few actual names of people...but i met 180 while they just met 1!  it's not fair!

perhaps i'll print out our employee pictures and start memorizing.

socks!

i've decided to try to wear socks that don't match my outfit as often as possible. i've had this idea for a while...i've practiced it a few times...but with the new job, it's just easy to do. i've been lookin' all "professional" every day, so it's nice to throw in a splash of personality that isn't obvious. and fun socks still rule (apparently i've been collecting them for 2 1/2 years).

yesterday i wore pink argyle with my silver & black outfit. who knows what i'll come up with today.

happy friday!

gym dilemma

do i rejoin the gym that a few of my friends belong to, even though it doesn't have a convenient location? it's $5/month.

or do i join the gym that's right next to work in hopes that i get there before work some days?  it's wicked, wicked nice...but $50/month.  if i knew i'd actually go, this wouldn't be a question...can anyone see into the future?

fast!

this is our new tivo remote...flames!  it's awesome!

and this is the gun i run with...i figure it may protect me a little some day.

happy birthday, yak!

yay, bowling!
yay, video games!
yay, drinks!

(it was fun...i didn't post this...mybad...tahoe, here we come!)

technoviking!

he's great...these are funny videos and yak wants to move to germany.

Firsts…

1. Who was your first prom date?
** Jarrod...um...um...can't remember his last name...Conder
2. Do you still talk to your first love?
**Nope.  I keep in touch with his mom, though.
3. What was your first alcoholic drink?
** Sex on the Beach...21st bday
4. What was your first job?
** clerk at a country knick-knack shop
5. What was your first car?
** ahhh, my red Ford Tempo.  it was an eighty-somethin'
6. Who was the first person you texted today?
** Robyn...going to santa cruz?
7. Who is the first person you thought of this morning?
**Pitter Patter...wait, that's my car.
8. Who was your first grade teacher?
** Ms Hautala
9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
** Ocean City, Maryland.
10. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
** i don't think i ever did
11. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them?
** Shannon, I think.  She's still awesome!
12. Where was your first sleep over ?
** no idea - some girl scout's house, i'm sure
13. Who was the first person you talked to this morning?
** PFunk
14. Whose wedding were you in the first time?
** sister Jacque...i was 12
15. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
** i try to run, but usually just hit snooze 10 times
16. What was the first concert you ever went to?
** Johnny Cash
17. First tattoo or piercing?
** ear piercing...i think i was 12
18. First foreign country you went to?
** hahahaha...Canada.  it was 15 miles by water. Wait...is that foreign?
19. Who was your first kiss?
** Jimmy Herberg.  i was 12 and i was trying to make Mike Johnson jealous.
20. first detention?
** i don't think so...have you seen my halo?
21. What is the first non-cheap gift you ever recieved from a bf/g?
** Johnny bought me a bracelet my senior year of HS.
22. Who was the first person to break your heart?
** Ryan Stafne
23. Who was your first roommate?
** Jennifer Peters.  She's classic...and has disappeared.
24. Who will be the first to repost this?
** sandra?
25. Who was the first guy you talked to today?
** PFunk (yay!)
26. Who was the first girl you talked to today?
** Brooke (at midnight...yay!)\

this was stolen from myspace

the real reason i left…

old company sent a card to all employees about educating the community on online safey.  in the bullet on blogging, it says: 

"Never disclose private information or post photos that can be traced back to you. Consider that the information you put on your blog will be viewable to potential shools, employers, even people you might date."
 

Comment from Anonymous Friend:  Basically, XXXX is telling you that you break all the rules... and you should take your blog down. Is that the real reason you left the company?

inspiration is lacking, but McD’s saves the day

new job is impeding my ability to blog.  rough.

this almost feels like heresy, but the other night i had a dissatisfying meal at McD's.  i thought i liked chicken nuggets again, so i ordered some up.  you see, when i was but a child, i got sick off of the golden nugget and was traumatized for "life".  i didn't eat them for years and years...but got over it a while back.  however, after that meal, i'm back to hating them - even though they're "all white meat."  they were crunchy and dry and nasty.  never again, i say.

the hot fudge sundae was AWESOME, however.  McD's remains my fav fast food chain.

sitting still

i had class from 9-6 both saturday and sunday this past weekend.  i did ok saturday, but around 3pm on sunday i thought i might pass out from antsy-ness (made up a word).  that is just a LONG time to sit still...especially for me.

so i went for an 8.5 mile run last night to wear myself out.  it worked.  and i'm back on track to run a half marathon on nov 11.  you can still donate cash to Team Fox...here.

another personality deal

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have high extroversion. You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends. You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation. Enthusiastic and fun, you're the first to say "let's go!" Conscientiousness: You have high conscientiousness. Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life. Most things in your life are organized and planned well. But you borderline on being a total perfectionist. Agreeableness: You have high agreeableness. You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly. Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone. You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

update on school

i realized tonight that i haven't blogged about school, yet, this semester...

my professor is a really happy man...the class is supply chain management...which isn't interesting...but he's a happy man, so i want to learn from him.   he laughs at himself all the time and i love it.

i also realized that when i only have a few things to do, i don't do anything.  i haven't been busy at work,  i only have one class going on right now, and there's nothing else i really need to be responsible for...so i don't do anything.  it's rough.  i'm behind.  however, as soon as new job starts, i'm pretty sure i'll get right back on track.  this happened when i served tables, too - i took care of everything on busy nights...but i slacked with my customers on slow nights.  kinda funny.

a powerful machine

i got my macbook today!!!  new job doesn't give me a laptop, so i took the plunge and joined the cool kids who carry macs around.  yay!

i'll keep you posted on how much i love it.

update:  ghouly tried out MacWord and typed "OH MAN, THIS IS THE COOLEST PAPER EVER ON A COMPUTER SCREEN!! AND THE KEYBOARD FEELS LIKYE FLUFFY CLOUDS!!WOW IT REALLY DOES!!!!!"

Happy Int’l Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Arrrrrrrrgh!

i swapped my DS on accident!

my 10 year old nephew and i accidently swapped DS's this past weekend.  whoops!

on the flight home i decided to play some DS and was surprised to see my name was now "rovert," not "kristie."  humph.

hope he's ok with that!

foggy

i'm livin' life a bit dazed. i got back from a whirlwind weekend at my bro's wedding (which was fantastic!), had a great night at kickball last night and am back at work today. it's my last week, so i'm wrapping things up, packing my cube and giving away cool stuff that's been sitting on my desk (anyone want a fake palm tree?).

life is good.

ooh! it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day tomorrow!

terry ryan resigns???

huh.  what will the Twins do?

i guess this means the season is over...except for a few fun games.  Go Twins!

Timmy’s Getting Married!

Li'l bro's getting married on Saturday in Ely, MN. Here's to a great day and a blessed, lifelong marriage! I can't wait to see everyone!

(this pic is a couple years old, but the best i have of the fam)

giving notice

it makes me a little sad, but giving notice was one of the most satisfying things i've done this year.  the company has treated me quite well for a long time...but things have changed and it's time to move on.  a great opportunity was presented to me...fell into my lap...so smooth i can't believe it...all God, really.

so i gave notice on monday.  got the typical response of "so sad for us, but so happy for you" from my boss.  generic.  whateve'.

i love change.  i'm going into the biotech world...helping a tiny company make life better for others...including those with MS & parkinson's.  close to my heart.

i honestly am in awe of how great my life is right now.  because of that, happy vibes are comin' at you!

influencing the roommate

dizzle: uhh....i can't wait for more kickball
dizzle: what have i become?
dizzle: :)
kristie: an athlete!

permagrin

when life is so freaking fantastic you can't do anything but smile, it's called permagrin.

good stuff.

two of my life mottos

1 - hang with the happy people, piss on the rest

2 - it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission

pirate name!

Your Pirate Name Is...

Captain Flirty Fran

What's Your Pirate Name?

comcast rules!

just for signing up for internet, phone & cable, we got a Nintendo DS!  dizzle already has one, so it's all mine.  so fun!  i love my new toy.

everyone should have one, i've decided. 
(this does mean i need to continue carrying my giant purse so it can go with me everywhere, though)

labor day weekend…end of the best summer ever?

Friday - Bri came to visit Dizzle and we went to SaddleRack for Girls' Night.  There was electric sliding, '80s dancing, a cage, a mechanical bull and diet coke.  Good times.



Saturday - We hit the San Jose Giants game and I got to go play a game on the field!  Sean was approached to go play, but handed the paper over to me...fantastic!  I crawled around on the ground searching for dollar bills....and got 26 out of 50 of them.  Yay!



Sunday - We had a bbq in Santa Cruz and played a bunch of guitar hero.  There was also a massive water balloon fight.



 Monday - We went fishing on the pier in Capitola!  I caught my first ocean fish!

project completed

the Best Summer Ever has been documented in a giant frame.

more about me

i think the person i like to laugh at the most is myself.  is that normal?  i see ridiculous pictures of me, i laugh.  ridiculous movies of me, i laugh.  i do something stupid, i laugh.  i fall, i laugh.  i even crack myself up sometimes.

i'm gonna track this...do i laugh at others more than myself?  or do i think i'm the funniest person ever?  it can't be option 2, 'cause usually i'm laughing over something ridiculous i did/said.

in search of cucumber seeds

if you know where to find seeds for these, let me know:
"At ten to twelve pounds per fruit, Thompson & Morgan's aptly named Zeppelin cucumber is one of the largest cukes you're likely to grow"

bummer in the morning

i forgot my coffee in my car and it's a long way from my desk.

i made a good pot, too.  it's taken some time to learn brooke's coffee maker...and i don't have it perfected, yet...but this morning's stuff was tasty.  tasty enough that i may actually get up and go get it.

now this is funny…

y4kk3r: they need to make bigger pickles

me: ooooooh, i'd be so happy

y4kk3r: they just dont make pickles like they used to...you know how they have pumpkins that are huge?  they need to make pickles the same way

me: i love this idea. maybe we should try to grow some. on our patio

y4kk3r: totally!!!

me: done and done. i'll get the seeds

y4kk3r: can you imagine??  eating pickles the size of a football or something??  that would be awesome!

me: wow, i just went to the happiest place on earth in my head.  speechless, breathless, starin' at my monitor with my mouth hangin' open

y4kk3r: dude... i can't believe no one has made this yet....

me: we're gonna be rich!

y4kk3r: we will sell them with our deboned wing steaks

me: the perfect compliment!!!

y4kk3r: !!

drei Jahre mit Kalifornien

felt like speaking german right there.  it means 3 YEARS WITH CALIFORNIA!

amazing, really.  i still get asked about how long i've been in california, so i definitely keep track...but, it feels like forever and i almost forget anniversaries.  (thanks for reminding me this morning, bdizzle!)  i catch myself talking about minnesota a lot...i think it's a midwestern thing - the roots are deep...and anyone who meets me somehow finds out i grew up there...but california is home. 

i've grown a ton in the past three years...as anyone should do from 26 - 29...but i think my growth was accelerated a bit.  knowing only one person and my coworkers was rough...however, after just three years i was able to invite 90 people to a party at the new apartment (with dizzle's help).  90.  that's insane, in my book.  and people are really what i'm all about, so the more i know, the better.

i've become a stronger person.  i certainly have my insecurities, but overall, i know who i am and am pretty dang comfortable with it.  i can do a lot of things and try a lot of things i may not have a few years ago.  (maturity?  weird)  though i may have ~90 people to invite to a party, i've gotten MUCH better about knowing which friendships are worth investing time in.  and i can let go of some.  that sounds harsh, but i think it's one of the biggest lessons i've learned in the past year.

anyway, i'm kinda rambling.  it's been a good three years.  i love this life.  i love my MN friends & family.  frequent flier miles, cell phones and email are still my favorite things.  and living near the ocean is freaking amazing.

http://hegman.com/weblog/?p=663 – 2 year
http://hegman.com/weblog/?p=306 – 1 year
http://hegman.com/weblog/?p=152 – 6 month

August 29, 2004

i made it!

Filed under: Uncategorized — kristie @ 9:05 am

Wow! I’m in Cali. This is overwhelmingly weird. I’m majorly bummin’, but really excited to see what comes at me. So far, I have found people as friendly as in Minnesota. I’ve tested several strangers by talking to them, and they responded nicely. A relief.

another great weekend…

...during the greatest summer ever!

friday night - softball doubleheader, followed up by karaoke for esperanza's last day
saturday - garage sale (made only $40, but the crap is gone), followed up by the Beastie Boys!!!
sunday - coaching, followed up by our Craigslist Party at the new apt. people were to bring us items from craigslist.com

the Beastie Boys put on a wicked great show! i don't know their music all that well, but i definitely knew a few songs and dug them all. plus, we got there early enough to stand near the front of the stage, right in the middle. nothin' like a concert where you can see facial expressions. i highly recommend a Beasties show if you get the opportunity.

the Craigslist Party was also a hit - we got a great pic of Elvis for our living room, a cool chinese foot massager thing, a bowl of gummy bears and lots of wine. the bbq was out of this world, as well! thanks, serg " yak!

monday's almost over...that's craziness. hopefully i'll catch up on sleep before the next super fun weekend.

Things to Make You Happy

(an email from Stephanie)

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Trombone Guy
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d7TMPOYkrn8

Clogger Guy
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&b=0&vid=637923&gid=133486

Robot Guy
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&b=2&vid=634233&gid=133486

Evolution of Dance
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

my all-time favorite ever:
http://svt.se/hogafflahage/hogafflaHage_site/Kor/hestekor.swf

random entry

- the start of class is a bummer...but it means my favorite tv shows will come back on soon
- looks like we're going to have a kickball team this fall...that's exciting
- i can get anti-infection medicine over the phone from my health care provider
- working from home rules...i've gotten more done today than if i were at the office
- i get to buy a new notebook for class tonite...which means another fun Target run
- i have a lot to do before the craigslist party on sunday and am not sure when it's going to get done
- haven't gone grocery shopping since we moved in to the new place
- wing eatin' smack-talk picked up again yesterday...i feel i've set myself up for victory
- golf is going to happen this coming weekend...and the ocean
- i'm also having a garage sale saturday morning...drop stuff off or come buy something
- the sky is really blue today

i’m not myself

i don't know what's wrong...i think the best summer ever has been too good and i need a break.  so i'm workin' on slowin' down for a bit...just a bit.

i forfeited at wings last night before i even tasted one.  rough.  i never give up that easily.
i left the shuffleboard game while down by a few points.  i understand the team i was on "won" in the end, thankfully.  still, abnormal move on my part.

at least i worked on my Jump Around dance moves.

dude’s amazing

go Johan!  he pitched an amazing game today...17 strike-outs.  love it.

that's about all i can say about the Twins for now.

i actually was!

You Should Have Been Born Under:

You've got a ton of energy - and need plenty of room to roam. You tend to follow your whims, and it's hard for you to stick to one thing. Specific jobs, loves, and friends are always changing and never a part of your life for long. Very intuitive, you tend to know what people are thinking before they say a word. You are most compatible with a Dog or Tiger.

What Year Should You Have Been Born Under?

uhhhhh…new talent showcase

we tried out Rooster T Feather's (comedy club) new talent showcase last night.  we'd met a dude at The Peacock Lounge, "The Cock," a couple times and he told us about his show...so we went to support him.  there were 10 comics...and about 2 of them were funny.  rough night.  dude was only so-so.

no less, i completely respect every single one of the comics.  stand-up has gotta be tough.  especially when the audience doesn't really laugh.  yuck.  i can't imagine my pity laughs made them feel any better, either...

i think that was a once in a lifetime experience.
________________________
fortunately, this hasn't impacted the hilariosity of me & my friends today.  i've cracked myself up several times over and my friends keep hittin' me with goo' ones, too.  laughter is so fantastic!  or fabulous...your call on the terminology used...

deception

my new roommate failed to tell me she's a Packers fan.  now we're almost all settled in, and i freaking live with a Packers fan.  oy vey.

highway drivin’

with the new place, i'm on highways almost all the time.  it's a pretty huge adjustment from all the back roads i'm used to driving.  fortunately, i'm usually going against the traffic flow, so it all works out to my benefit.  plus, i can now race to work if i'm running late...very few stop lights hinder my progress.  rock on!

this also means Pitter's gas mileage is beginning to skyrocket.  and gas is currently under $3/gallon.  wooooooooo!

an order

lercher: you will not lose at wings tonight

that lady

i've become that lady that gets excited whenever she's carded.

they always warned me that i'd be thankful i looked young for my age...it sucks a little when it hits.

campy got married!

it was a beautiful wedding for a very sweet couple.  beautiful day, great people, yummy food, cool dragons, fun dancing...i (white girl) even stood in the front 'cause i sorta knew the electric slide.  brandy totally led the way, but i gave it my all.

congrats, campy & peggy!!!

In N Out

it's actually 357 steps from In N Out to the middle of the apartment driveway...528 to the front door.

and that's the average human stride.

wine tasting

after disliking three different wines she'd tasted, RachelH suggested that the gum in her mouth *might* be throwing off the taste.  the look of horror on the pourer's face completely made my day...all she could say was, "oh, dear," as she ran to get a kleenex.

Rachels & Mike - it was so great to hang out!  you brought wine tasting to a whole new level of fun...sorry you didn't enjoy the wine so much.

what a week…

1.  reverse 6's volleyball...such a blast!  man, all that jumping wore me out.
2. lots o' wings " The Simpsons!
3. Barry's 757th home run
4. PBR at a swanky bar in San Francisco
5. a li'l wine tasting in Napa
6. great softball game
7. i need some rest...but tonite i get to babysit! yay, kids!

competitiveness

um, i've gotten all competitive again.  i'd thought i'd gotten this problem under control...but the 911 challenge has put me over the edge.  perhaps it's just the idea of a "challenge" that brings it outta me...i dunno.  but i sure do all i can to win at almost everything now.

yak finally out-ate me last night.  i tried really hard to tie him, but i just couldn't do it.  even with an awesome coach cheering me on...i just couldn't do it.

fortunately, this doesn't apply to team sports.  i can still lose with my teams and be ok with it.

The Simpsons

since i'm going to see the movie tonite, here's a pretty fun site.  you can become a Simpsons' character! (i've always wanted to wear a barrel)

myspace & country music?

brad paisley's got a song out about bein' cooler online than in real life.  it's called "online."  i don't agree with the fact that country music is now talkin' about bein' online...it just doesn't fit...country is supposed to be old school.

i don't think my reasoning makes sense...but i really didn't appreciate the song.  here are the lyrics.

maybe it's because i was just in minnesota, listening to a bunch of great old school country songs.  huh.

insecurities

lately i'm struggling with insecurity and how it hinders us all...it's ridiculous!  it stops us from taking a risk...stops us from trying something new...stops us from doing what we're capable of.

if only we knew who we actually were and what we could do...if we could sometimes see how others see us...i really think we'd all do so much more.  or not do things we shouldn't be doing. 

of course this mainly applies to me...but it's clear as day in a few people around me, too.  ugh.

357 steps

from the new apartment door to In N Out burger.  just one bonus of the new place...

(i didn't actually count...just guesstimating)

purple church

the choir wore purple today...it made my day

people are so nice

since the bridge collapsed on wednesday, i've had both close friends and random acquaintances check in to make sure no one i knew was hurt.  i've gotten a lot of "i've been thinking about you..." which is really sweet.  thanks for caring, everyone!

i realize that i advertise the fact that i grew up in minnesota (as does my accent), so it's not a total surprise...but it's a good feelin'.  people care.

jones soda

You Are Pecan Pie Soda

Sweet, but totally nuts

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

customer service

the Oracle Arena has amazing customer service...jenna & i went to see Martina McBride tonite.  on our way up to Oakland, we decided we wanted some ice cream at the concert.  after perusing the two food booths that were near, we asked if there was ice cream anywhere.  the chick pointed us down a hallway and said there *might* be some available in section 106.  on our way through the empty hallway, we ran into two employees.  i quickly asked if they knew of ice cream and one of them jumped on his walkie-talkie (radio) to ask around...there was 3-5 minutes of discussion over the walkie-talkie with the final conclusion that no ice cream was being sold.  however, some super great guy volunteered to go down to the freezer to get some and bring it up to the concessions booth for us.  we scored ice cream...for cheap.

another highlight of this quest for ice cream was the younger dude in dreads who walked by to make fun of the two guys trying to find us a treat via the walkie-talkie.  he was funny.

dang, can Martina sing.  she puts on an AMAZING show.  i appreciate the humility she displayed throughout her show...she loves to sing and is awesome at it.

minneapolis bridge

man, i hope everyone i know is ok...that sucks, peeps.  let me know if there's anything i can do from CA!

MN Summer 07

ain't they the cutest?!?!?
Trev, Jax, Emma, Ash, Morgie, AJ

cal-i-for-nia (it’s better if you sing that)

i'm comin' home tonite!  wooooooooooopoop!

it's been a super great trip, of course...quality time with great friends and my family.  i sure am blessed. 

i plan to spend my last day o' fun on the golf course and shopping...with a quick stop at jimmy john's, my trip is complete.

CA, see you soon!  it's time for me to pack & move to mountain view.  :-)

GSPs on GT!

yup, i scored 'em

for those who travel

happy hour everywhere

disappointment

i missed another earthquake.  old boss just came in my office to say she'd read the article on CNN and knew i'd be bummed.  all the good stuff happens when i'm gone...including '80's karaoke.

it's pretty great to see these fabulous people, though, too.  i still have an extra ticket for the Twins tonight...anyone interested?!?!?

my life is insane

last week i was in mexico city; last night i was out in sunnyvale, ca celebrating birthdays and new jobs; this morning i'm working in roseville, mn.

airplanes are my favorite.

i’m moving!

in late august....with a cool new roommie...to a wicked fun 'hood up the peninsula.  just because - no real reason.

(djg pointed out how ridiculous i was for actually posting the address, so i had to take it down.  man, i hate it when i don't think)

wooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bar name

sorry if this offends anyone...

i have a bar name.  if a random guy talks to me at the bar and i don't really like him, i use it.  it's stolen from a MN friend, but she said it was ok.  to these guys, i go by "roni."  it's short for "veronica."  and usually my profession is an undercover cop.

anyway, i decided that a summer goal would be to get a guy to call my cell phone and ask for roni.  yesterday, i met success.  after answering with my usual "hi, this is kristie," i told him that roni wasn't available, but he could call back after 5:30.  he never called back.  perhaps he's smarter than i thought.

girls are mean.

Twins!

got my broom out over the weekend...and it came in handy. 

Twins sweep the A's in a series of four games!  pay up, yak!

july’s adventure in cooking

i figured it was only right to make some enchiladas after becoming a little bit mexican...and it turned out to be a great idea!

i got the recipe from esperanza, so i figured it'd be excellent.  spanish rice, beans & chicken enchiladas were on the menu...6-8 peeps were coming over to enjoy it.  espi was on call until she got here around 7...but brooke & i had to call around 5:30 'cause i'd purchased minute rice instead of regular rice...espi confirmed that that would just not work.  after she told her husband about it, he told her she could come right on over to help out.  thank goodness!!!

we only had one mishap while cooking - once we started the rice, the cover was suctioned onto the pan.  it took some time & effort, but we got it off and the rice was tasty.

i LOVED the mess i got to make with the enchiladas...pour a bunch of sauce, rub it on the tortilla, grab some chicken & cheese, throw it all together, roll it up...i was disaster!  so fun!

meanwhile, my car was having issues so you'll see some "workin' on the car" shots in the pictures link above.  yes, i cook AND fix cars.  and later on i built a fire for us to enjoy some outdoor time. 

A Frog Story

A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack."Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday." Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager. Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral. The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed. Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office. She finds the manager and says, " There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral." She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?" The bank manager looks back at her and says..."It 's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan, His old man's a Rolling Stone." (You're singing it, aren't you? Yeah, I know you are........)

and i thought i was tall in CA

seriously.  i'm ginormous in mexico city.  people come up to my chest...maybe.  i just almost ran over the cleaning lady on my way to the bathroom because i didn't see her...she just giggled.

the other day i was behind a crowd with carlos (5'6"), watching some performers, and he couldn't see anything.  i could easily see over everyone's head.

ps  'ginormous' was added to the dictionary today

i love traveling!

i had the most excellent chicken mole tonite, as well as some tasty tequila.   my coworkers even joined me at dinner, adding to the fun...the people here are so friendly!  even those who don't speak english treat me well...we just smile, gesture and laugh.

however, driving is a totally different story...the peeps are freaking crazy!  lines on the street don't matter, stop lights don't mean much and it's totally ok to pull out into the middle of traffic.  this morning my taxi driver even looked down at his seat for a bit and came wicked close to hitting someone.  mom would have a heart attack.

i'm going to be sad when i leave.  i like mexico a lot.

microfinance.2

(cut & pasted) 

Your vote is the key.  The Members Project by American Express has matched Grameen Foundation with one of the top 50 world changing ideas.  American Express will provide up to $5 million to support the idea that is most compelling to its members. Your vote for Microcredit to Businesses in Developing Countries can unlock up to $5 million for poor families worldwide.

No cost.  No points.  Just Vote.  Only American Express card members can vote, but everyone can get the word out.

Grameen Foundation impacts 18 million men, women, and children.  Profits from the businesses they start with microfinance loans form the foundation for their journey out of poverty.

Vote for Microcredit to Businesses in Developing Countries by July 15 at midnight and help us make it to the next round.  Card members can vote in each of the three rounds to narrow down the top ideas.  We’ll keep you informed on how to keep Grameen Foundation in the running.

Thank you for your support.

if i try espanol

people think i actually speak it.  i'm now careful to start in english and maybe end with a "gracias."

unless, of course, i'm just givin' a good ol' "buenos dias!"

another interesting note - the reason mexicans say "gracias" all the time is rooted in slavery.  it's more of a "oh, thank you, kind sir" with a bow than a genuine "thank you."  tour guide carlos taught me that.

the simpsons!

according to JJ, this is in mountain view...awesome!
(i've decided to become a fan of the Simpsons)

auto-mac

i love mexico city...it's so full of life, culture, history...it's awesome.  i've been a bit too exhausted to truly enjoy it, but i've done my best for the past 24 hours.

carlos (friend of adub's) picked me up at the airport to discover that my luggage hadn't arrived with me, so we went on our merry way to begin my mexico city adventure.  since 4:30 yesterday afternoon, we:
- ate at La Mansion, an awesome Argentinian place
- walked the markets in Coyoacan
- drove through the city center to view the super old buildings, square, etc
- stopped at the Remedy Cantina to wash our cares away with tequila...
- had real huevos rancheros for breakfast
- stopped by some art building that i really should know the name of
- drove to the pyramids to walk around, climb up and inspect
- walked around the city center to view the cathedral, the ruins, the government building...and then shopped just a little at the markets
- ate dinner at a yummy italian place at the supermall
- got to my hotel, where my luggage was waiting
- and soon, i hope to crash

my favorite thing so far has been that the McDonald's drive through is called the "auto-mac"

tequila & maracas

i'm off to meHico early tomorrow morning!!!

i'm pretty excited...i've got a friend of a friend to show me the sites tomorrow and sunday...and monday i start working and stuff...i think it'll be great!

on the list of sites to see:  The Pyramids of Teotihuacán, Coyoacan, The “Zocalo” of the City Center. 

vacation?

brooke & i hope you come visit us in our city - we're in the middle gate. :)

happy independence day!

hope ya'll are enjoying some awesome weather, bbq's & friends! 

i'm trying not to whine, but i have to...this is the second 4th of july i'm sitting on my butt at my kitchen table writing a research paper.  poo on school.  i tried hard to get this done before today, but it just didn't happen...grrrr.

i'm thankful that i live in a country where i've got a great job that pays for more education...which should eventually pay off.  go USA!  and, holy crap, do i make wicked mac & cheese when it's the only thing in my house to cook.

wings

i was fully aware that my nose would run and eyes would water when i ate spicier wings...but i had no idea that my eyes would go bloodshot and get puffy, as well.  yeesh!

and we're only at traditional death.  the 911 challenge is lookin' to be ROUGH.

TRANSFORMERS!!!

i'm speechless.  go see it.

i will be standing in line at Best Buy to purchase it on DVD.  i think it tops my list of favorite movies of all time...below Top Gun, of course.

15 Things That It Took Me Over 50 Years To Learn

by Dave Barry 1.  Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night. 2.  If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "Meetings." 3.  There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." 4.  People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them. 5.  You should not confuse your career with your life. 6.  Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. 7.  Never lick a steak knife. 8.  The most destructive force in the universe is gossip. 9.  You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reasonwhy we observe daylight savings time. 10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment. 11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven. 12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers. 13. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.) 14. Your friends love you anyway. 15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

I strongly disagree with #11, but that's just me.

spelling my name

i would think that having IM or email would make it that much easier to spell my name...really...it's fully spelled out in both formats.

yet, i've become "kristin" to some..."kristy" to others...

world peace, or something

Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson and Symantec Partner
to Promote Internet Safety

 Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson and Symantec’s Internet Safety Advocate, Marian Merritt, Educate Parents and Kids Through Symantec’s Connected and Protected Child Safety Initiative

june’s adventure in cooking

i made spaghetti...like brandy showed me last month...with hamburger, some spices and some garlic.  it was pretty tasty, but i'm sure i'll get better at it.  and, as most pastas, it got better with time...the fourth meal was the best!

so i went to LA today

b-dizzle (i-brooke) and i tagged along with Espi today so she could audition for The Singing Bee.  she made it through round 2, which is very exciting...and now we await the call to say she's gonna be on the show.

it was a great day.  we ate breakfast at Denny's, checked out the Hollywood sign, drove down Rodeo Dr, did some shopping, read some homework at the coffee shop...and ended with dinner at the Schnitz.

i don't recommend driving to LA and back in one day, but now i know it's possible.  sorry we didn't get time to hang, djg.

b-dizzle

let it be known that brooke will be referred to as "b-dizzle" from here on out.

it needed to be documented.

golf skilz

dad's always said "drive for show, putt for dough."

i chose not to pay attention to this...until now.   i went to an easy par3 course and awesomely tee'd off 8 out of 9 holes.   and then i struggled...putting, pitching, chipping...it's all hard.  my potential score went from par to 10 on one hole.  ridiculous.  so now i get to work on the little stuff in golf.

last time dad was in town, i said, "if putting were more fun, i'd be better at it."

awesome words

yak & i have been discussing awesome words, so i thought i'd jot down a few of our favorites...feel free to comment with others:

flummoxed
flabbergasted
catawampus
cacophany
discombobulated
lollygagging

kind of a big deal…

this apparel rocks.  talk about a great gift idea!

mexico city!

i'm going to mexico city!!!  there are better places to go, but this is on the company.  we've got a new HR girl that needs to be trained in...july 8 -12.

so what do i do there?  suggestions?  contacts?  friends for me?

bacon

wendy's has a new burger.  the Baconater. nasssssssssssty.  please go directly to the emergency room after eating one.

830 calories...51 grams of fat....1920 mg sodium....

(i first read about this on buck's blog)

modified golf

i have to suggest that we cut the long game of golf down to 14 holes.  i'm now good enough to enjoy the first 12 holes, can push it to 14...but after that, i lose focus. 

man, it was a beautiful day for a long game of golf, though.  now i just need to improve a lot...

gangsta

Your Rapper Name Is...

2 Skittles

What's Your Rapper Name?

handwriting analysis

so i took an online handwriting analysis test yesterday and it's pretty interesting...these can't be taken all that seriously, but...it's fun.  my favorite paragraph:


Kristie is moderately outgoing. Her emotions are stirred by sympathy and heart rendering stories. In fact, she can be kind, friendly, affectionate and considerate of others. She has the ability to put herself into the other person's shoes. Kristie will be somewhat moody, with highs and lows. Sometimes she will be happy, the next day she might be sad. She has the unique ability to get along equally well with what psychology calls introverts and extroverts. This is because she is in between. Psychology calls Kristie an ambivert. She understands the needs of both types. Although they get along, she will not tolerate anyone that is too "far out." She doesn't sway too far one way or the other. When convincing her to buy a product or an idea, a heart rendering story could mean a great deal to her. She puts herself in the same situation as the person in the story, yet she will not buy anything that seems overly impractical or illogical. Kristie is an expressive person. She outwardly shows her emotions. She may even show traces of tears when hearing a sad story. Kristie is a "middle-of-the-roader," politically as well as logically. She weighs both sides of an issue, sits on the fence, and then will decide when she finally has to. She basically doesn't relate to any far out ideas and usually won't go to the extreme on any issue.

quote of the day

I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.
  - Augusten Burroughs

(are you sensing a trend in my thinking lately???)  :-)

secrets of skinny chicks

secret #12:  have a cheat day once a week to eat what you want

as long as you make it a one-day-a-week indulgence, you can loosen the reins and eat what you want!  it's what you do the majority of the time - the other six days - that will dictate what your body looks like.  so go ahead, have a cheat day, but plan for it! (p 124)

this is really hard for me...once i cheat, it's all down hill.  but i gotta stop.  i gotta start eating better and stick to it 6 days a week.  i think my cheat day will be saturday.  i'll keep you posted on how that goes.

karaoke

ghouly said, thursday at the Claran

a new treat

the other day i strolled by some coworkers as they were putting hot sauce (tapatio) in their popcorn...so i tried some and it's FANTASTIC!  a healthier way to spice up your popcorn (which is ok in phase 2 of South Beach)

running shoe convert

for years i have been a huge supporter of Asics running shoes.  i didn't think there could be anything better...

and then came Mizuno.  i bought my second pair over the weekend, and they're just as much a taste of heaven to my feet as the first pair.  the fit and support can't be matched.  oh!  and they're at least $40 cheaper!

J Morneau

after seeing his "favorite things" basket for the auction, i decided that he should ask me to marry him. 
- Wild Team Signed Jersey
- AC/DC CD
- The Office DVD – Season 1
- 2 Free Jimmy John’s Subs

happy father’s day!

to all the fathers in my life, especially my own, i hope you have a fantastic day!!!

and kudos to my little brother who has raised his son to choose the MN Twins over Spongebob at a mere 2 years of age. 

i’m pretty gross

You Are 48% Gross

You're more than a little gross, but probably no more gross than the average person. Maybe it's time to drop some of those disgusting habits that could eventually embarrass you!

How Gross Are You?

dog hair

i just found a Murray hair in my keyboard at work...and it makes me a little uncomfortable.  i love the guy, but does he have to send pieces of himself with me everywhere???  this whole shedding thing is overrated.

The 911 Challenge

 Last night I watched a ridiculous college kid take on and conquer the 911 challenge.  You see, University Chicken makes some mean wings...and if you accept the challenge, you have to eat 12 of the hottest wings in the world within 10 minutes.  And then you get a t-shirt, your picture on the wall and a whole lotta pride.

Yak & I are planning to build up our tolerance and take the challenge in six months - December 12, 2007.  Save the date.

The 911 Challenge Rules are as follows:

1. Sign Waiver and admit you are an IDIOT for attempting the 911 Challenge.


2. Eat 12 911 Wings to the bone in 10 minutes or less.


3. Nothing else to eat or drink while taking the challenge.


4. No napkins allowed during the challenge.


5. Lick fingers clean after eating the last wing.


6. After licking fingers clean, wait 5 minutes before eating or drinking anything.


7. The Most Important Rule: Participants — wash hands very, very, very well before going to the bathroom or rubbing your eyes (think about it)!

stuck on dumb

yasuda just coined this phrase and i love it...we couldn't figure out how to find a silly report until someone pointed out to us that we were looking in the wrong place.  stuck on dumb.

i hate it when i forget to think outside my current box.

ending it kristie style

2007 Eclipse 14blue parted ways for the last time yesterday.  overall, we had a great season and they improved a ton...that's all i can ask for.   i surprised myself and went through a little "i'm gonna miss 'em" moment.  they're cute & make me laugh...even if they drive me nuts at times.

anyway, we had the Great America tourney this past weekend.  saturday is pool play, sunday is more pool play with the first place teams from each pool going on to tournament play.  our pool had somewhat of a three way tie - we beat a team that beat the team we lost to.  we had fewer points than the team we lost to, so i assumed we'd be in second place.  i waited twenty minutes for the tourney directors to figure it out and went up to see the other team's name on the bracket to go on...so i let the girls know we were done for the season and they could change to head to Great America (roller coasters).

on our way out the door, the tourney director caught me to let me know we were actually in first place and should be playing.  they'd calculated wrong the first time, and we'd actually won because we'd only played 5 games and they'd played 6.  CRAP!  i asked the girls what they wanted to do...two jerseys were already on the road with parents, they were in their teenybopper cute clothes, they were torn...i looked at the other coach, who was all set to play, and figured we should just leave & let them play it out.  they had flown all the way from hawaii, so it just seemed like a better option.  we could go to roller coasters & they could play some more volleyball...

a few girls on my team were disappointed with our decision, but got over it.  i was disappointed, but seein' the look on the other coach's face made it worth it...she was so happy to be playing more. 

so, even after four years of coaching, i struggle with reading the stupid tourney schedules.  i hate them.  (though this time the tourney director actually messed up first)

 update:  just found out that the Hawaiian team took first place.  it coulda been us.