Snack Time

Roadtrip!

2010-06-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hi bloggers!! Nice to see you!!

I took a mini-vacation of wonderfulness for the last 4 days, and as a result, not only had time to blog (well, get stuff ready for blogs!), but I got to spend some awesome time with my dad (and husband, who's post is coming later).

Certain members of the Smith family really like to drive. A lot. Dad and I drive ridiculous distances to do things easily done at home or around town, just because we like it. Some other family members like to sleep while we drive, but we still like having them come along :)

So on Monday, day 3 of my "4 days of no working!," Dad and I decided to take a drive to Sisters (about 2 1/2 hours away) to have lunch at one of our favorite pizza places. But what fun is a 2 1/2 hour drive when you can take fun backroads and make it a 3 1/2 hour drive?? :)

Our handy transportation:

Isn't she pretty? I assume she's a she... Dad, want to weight in on this? I'm not sure she even has a name....

We started off out of Eugene and took the backroads south, down to Fall Creek reservoir and Highway 58, then headed east until we got to the turnoff for Westfir. From there is was another hour back north through some gorgeous mountains and canyons.

The North Fork of the Willamette River:

Unfortunately, this lovely road spelled disaster for our adventures, since shortly after we left 58 and headed up the mountains the car started making sounds that can be compared only to a really angry squirrel being ran over. In fact, before we realized where the sound was coming from I thought "Wow, you can REALLY hear the wildlife out here!" Oops.

As a result, we cut our drive a little short (no one wants to get stranded in the mountains). We ended up having lunch at a restaurant about an hour out of town called Takoda's and then hit Tokatee golf course for 9 holes (no, I don't golf. Yes, I am an awesome cart driver.)

My shadow, driving the cart, in a shadowy, mysterious way:

Golf!!! Specifically, golf that I'm pretty sure Dad didn't know was documented until this moment:

All in all, it was a great day, and even if we had to come home early, that just means we get to schedule another trip once the little car is healthy again!! :)

Wanna help some babies?

2010-02-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

Do you like babies? Do you like healthy babies? Did you know that 1 out of every 8 babies born in the US is born prematurely? Thanks to organizations like the March of Dimes, we're working to make sure all babies will be born on time and healthy. I am the team captain of First Tech's Lane County team, and we're trying to raise $4500 for this year's March of Dimes March for Babies. If you would like to contribute to this wonderful cause, just click on my widget (yep, I have a widget :) ) on the right side of the page, or contact me any way you know how.

Thanks so much for your support, this is a great organization!!!!

2009- A year long book review

2010-02-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

I look at this list, and it seems so short. My stack of "to read" books is longer than this I think... but none the less, here they are.... originally, there were long reviews, but that's when I started this back in December. So we're going with stars. Who doesn't love stars?

The Wordy Shipmates- Sarah Vowell
***
...I love Sarah, I really do. But this one wasn't my favorite. If you love Puritans, and learning funny historical details, and molasses, then this might be the book for you. Yep. Molasses. There was a flood....

The Partly Cloudy Patriot- Sarah Vowell
*****
...This is more my kind of Sarah :) A collection of short essays about being an American and what it means to her. Still witty, still entertainingly educational, no molasses.

American Nightingale- Bob Welch
*****
...If I felt it was appropriate, I would give this book more stars, but really, where would it end? This book is amazing. AMAZING. It's the story of Frances Slanger, a Jewish nurse during WWII who took part in the invasion of Normandy. Words don't do this book justice, and fun fact: It was written by Bob Welch, a local Eugene writer, and who doesn't love supporting local things? I saw him getting burgers last night, I should have said something....

Water for Elephants- Sara Gruen
*****
...This book made me want to join the circus. And stow away on a boxcar. Seriously. Read it.

Wicked- Gregory Maguire
****
...This was a re-read, because Sean and I went and saw the musical in Portland. It's a darker take on the background to the story of The Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz, and it's really really good. Check out the play too, if you're into that, it's excellent, and 'Defying Gravity' is awesome.

Drood- Dan Simmons
***
...I bought this book solely for it's cover. If you're a fan of Dickens, you may really like this, it's based on the last few years of his life and the weird turn his life takes when he is in a mysterious train crash. It was a good book, but I think it would have been a great book if it had ended a few hundred pages sooner.

The Venetian Betrayal- Steve Berry
****
...Steve is my favorite "mass produced" author... I read his books any time I need dramatic hours of light reading, and he does not disappoint in this one. Lots of good historical background, and I love any main character named Cotton :)

Take the Canoli- Sarah Vowell
****
...Have you noticed how much I like her? Sadly for me, this was the last book of hers I had to read (my all time favorite, 'Assassination Vacation', I read in 2008). Just as great as the others. Have I mentioned you should read her?

World Without End- Ken Follett
***
...Have you read 'Pillars of the Earth'? If the answer is no, shame on you. It's on my top 5 greatest books of all time list. Do it. This is the sequel, and it was good, though not as good as the original, in my humble opinion. Took me a while to get through, and was kinda predictable, but still a good story.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Safran Foer
*****
...Again, this books deserves every star you can give it. Told by a boy who's father is killed in the World Trade Center, this is most definitely on my top 5 greatest books of all time list. Creatively written, amazing heartbreaking, and yet inspiring, there is no way this book won't make you cry. I don't care if you never look at any other book on this list, read this one. Please.

Pebble in the Water- Bob Welch
****
...This book is the story of Bob writing 'American Nightingale' and the process he went through during research and publication. This gave me a HUGE appreciation for the book, and made me love it even more. It even made me cry. If you are a military history buff at all, read these.

A Long Way Gone- Memoirs of a Boy Solider- Ishmael Beah
****
...The memoir of a child who grew up during the unrest in Sierra Leone and his life as a boy solider. It's sad and gritty, but quite inspiring and eye opening. I really really enjoyed this.

Jurassic Park- Michael Crichton
****
...Husband was so appalled when I told him I had never read these books. So Thanksgiving weekend, I snuggled up on the couch, and away I went. This book is great, much better than the movie, which is awesome in its own right. I haven't read Lost World yet, but I LOVE Crichton as an author, so I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Congo- Michael Crichton
****
...This book makes me want to have a gorilla. Sean said I couldn't have a gorilla. Rude. This book increased my curiosity about inner Africa even more (after reading A Long Way Gone). Now I want to be an explorer from a century ago.... An explorer with a pet gorilla who knows sign language.

Ghostwalk- Elizabeth Stott
***
...I wasn't thrilled with this book, but it got better towards the end. I hated the way it was told, didn't particularly care for the voice, but the plot itself had potential, and ended up not disappointing. Care about Alchemy? This book may be for you.

Tunnel Vision- Keith Lowe
****
...Did you know I love the Subway? As in public transportation, not the sandwiches. But let's not kid ourselves, I love the sandwiches too :) Anyhow, I LOVE THE SUBWAY. If I could take trains everywhere, I would. End of story. This book is about a man who makes a bet on the eve of his wedding, putting his honeymoon and the chances of him showing up for the ceremony on the line, and the only way to win the bet is to ride the entire London Underground in 19 hours. It's a great story, lots of cool subway references, and it will really make you appreciate the one you love.

The Lost Symbol- Dan Brown
***
...I can't do half stars, so this one gets rounded up, because I'm a nice person. I dig Dan Brown, I do. The Da Vinci Code books were good, I personally loved Digital Fortress more than any of the others, but The Lost Symbol kinda let me down. Started out great, fizzled at the end, but hey, it got me through the Swine Flu, so it can't be all bad, right?

Animal Farm- George Orwell
***
...At 9pm New Years Eve, I decided that I needed to read one more book for the year, and thus, Animal Farm, and it's short but well done story, was taken off the stack. Since I heart Communism, I found this interesting on lots of levels. And honestly, it made me sad for the animals. Dear Animals: I'm sorry you lived on a farm with mean pigs. I was sad when your well fell down. Thanks for giving me a dorky, but fitting, way to end my 2009. You're awesome.

And that, my friends, was my literary year. 2010 has a lot to live up to, but there's plenty of options waiting for me!!! Happy Reading!!

Birthday Boy!

2010-01-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Sean, I love you!! I especially love when you make this face... like I'm doing something you don't like, but you know I'll do anyway... like posting this picture on the internet... :)

Rose Bowl 2010

2010-01-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it may not have been the best game ever, but it's been an awesome season, we're still Pac-10 champs, and it's always fun to have a football party with the fam! Here's to another great season in 2010!!

I pledge....

2009-12-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

* to finish recapping my "25 things to do before I turn 26" list

*to show you guys some of the awesome stuff we've done this year (a 2009 recap is an excellent way to finally catch up on everything I've meant to blog about!)

*to finish my "26 things to do before I turn 27" list and share it with you all

...the time for blog neglection is over!!!!!!

Thanksgiving, by the numbers:

2009-11-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

So, one of my goals over my 5, yes 5, day Thanksgiving weekend was to update this blog!!! I have been such a slacker, but things in the Nack world are just completely crazy right now. So, I have promised myself that December will be different, and here I am, starting out:

A Nack Thanksgiving, by the numbers:

Days off: Steph 5/Sean 4
Books read cover to cover: 2/1
Team Nackalista visits: 2
Delicious dinners at the best BBQ place in town: 1
Football games watched: 6+ (I've really lost track)
Pieces of plastic fruit the cat stole out of the centerpiece and used as a soccer ball: 5
Trips to Old Navy: 3
Trips to gun stores: 2
Hours that we didn't have to do anything remotely responsible: not nearly enough, but it was great while it lasted!

Happy beginning to the holiday season!!!

Happy Veterans Day!

2009-11-11T15:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Veterans Day to my husband, who I am so very very proud of!!!

Thanks to everyone who has served and is currently serving!

Back to the Birthday....

2009-09-04T20:45:00.001-07:00

Well...

I know that I promised I would blog the day after my birthday... and then it didn't happen. But then today, this happened:

drawings....

and candy in a cute pink box....

and flowers....

and RAINBOW CHIP CUPCAKES!!!!!!

So as you can see, thanks to Stella and Trey, today is my birthday! And that means I can blog tomorrow :)

Trey and Stella, I love you!!
aren't they cute???

Today I party, tomorrow I type.....

2009-08-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

.... hello friends! Stay tuned tomorrow to see how The List turned out and get a last minute recap of the big 2-5, but today, today I celebrate the day of my birth!!

See you soon, and Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!! Thanks for sharing your day with me!

# 20

2009-08-20T20:47:00.001-07:00

FANCY FRIDAYS!!!!

Fancy Fridays were born after I got tired of "Casual Friday." Casual Friday used to be awesome, because you could wear more comfortable clothes (khakis, polos, etc). But often, I found that "Casual Friday" would end up feeling like "Frumpy Friday," and it was easy to justify not trying as hard to look professional. So, to combat that, Fancy Fridays were born!!

My fabulous ladies Courtney and Melinda have joined me in our Fancy Friday festivities, and let me tell you, it makes a difference! :)

Yay for feeling fancy, not frumpy!!

Once upon a time....

2009-08-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

... we rescued a tiny stray kitten, after it had cried outside our window for three days.. But we already had a Loki, and husband can only love one cat at a time, so off she went to live with CJ, Scott, and baby Abby. Her name is now Toby (really, we're not sure she's a she!), and she loves her farmhouse and her new dog Maddox! But I still miss her sometimes....

Growing as people....

2009-08-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

I made my best friends try Key Lime Pie at our joint B-day dinner last week
good thing they have me, who hasn't had key lime pie???

Introducing CJ...

and Amanda...

...I don't think they're fans....

But know why they did it (other than because they love me)???

because for them, I tried crab.....

.....and it was awful.....
Love you ladies, next time let's just stick to the cheesy biscuits!!!

Happy Birthday!!

2009-07-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

To my Loki.... you're my favorite cat!! :)

RnR Seattle 2009

2009-07-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well friends, here we are at the end of another race! A few weeks ago, mom, dad, Sean and I headed to Seattle for the 2009 Inaugural Rock and Roll Marathon. It was an awesome trip, which will get it's own post, but right now we'll get down to the important part, the race!!

37000 runners. 13.1 (or 26.2) miles. 2 major hills. A million slightly less major hills.
3 awesome people cheering me on. 2 ice packs for 2 swollen knees. One medal!

We started out the race weekend at the Health and Fitness Expo, held at the Qwest Center in downtown Seattle, which is also the finish line:

Talk about a HUGE expo!!! Loved it though, going through all the merchandise and all the race info was so much fun! It's always so motivating to go to those!!

After a fabulous night in Seattle (that's another post... someday!) and scouting parking spots for the next day it was off to bed so we could get up SUPER early for the race.

Here is my fabulous cheering squad!!! And thanks for the rockin poster Dad!!

Before the race:

This was the biggest race EVER, and getting 37000 people ready for a race of this size seems SO crazy, but the Rock and Roll Franchise did an amazing job! You never felt like it was that big and they handled everything excellently! There was a "wave start," meaning that you lined up in corrals based on your estimated finish time, and each corral waited their turn to start. It must have taken an hour for everyone to start, but it was still great!! Here they are waiting for me:

And we're off!!!

with my new race friend Jared...

ready for a chat break!!

I'm so attractive when I chat!

Love him!!

Finally eying the finish line!!

Done!!!

Here's the recovery area (my favorite part!!)

This race was brutal and really took a lot out of me. Tons of hills, a mile and a half in a freeway tunnel, not enough hill training, it all added up to a pretty miserable experience and there were definitely times I wanted to quit. But I made it through the heat and the tears and the sweat and the blisters for this:

idea for photo stolen from the super talented Marianne Walker

Thank you so much to my parents and Sean for continuing to travel around and cheering me on no matter what!! I love you guys and definitely would not have finished without you (and the thought of that finishers shirt I bought the day before!). You guys are the best!!!

The best is yet to come....

2009-07-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Ok Jen, I know this isn't an awesome post, but I have 3 minutes until my bedtime, so it's all the post you guys are gonna get :) I promise, there are many things in the works here at S.Nack Time, here's a little preview for you:

*Travels far and wide
*My husband immortalized for all time
*Many new glasses!
*An explanation on why we collect glasses!
*An underground house!
*Home improvements
*The RnR Seattle Half Marathon (no, it didn't kill me!)
*Things I think are lamespice (yep, I said it)
and many, many more....

Until then, I leave you with a pic of my fancy new hair, and one completely competent level.

See you soon with my 100th post!! :)

Steph

Also...

2009-06-21T17:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day! Love, your favorite Loki cat :)

Happy Father's Day!!!

2009-06-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Daddy, who has ALWAYS been there for me, most of my great successes in life (and finishes in races!) are due to him. I love you!

Your little girl :)

Eugene Marathon 2009

2009-05-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, a few weeks later, finally getting around to posting about the marathon. Sorry it's taken so long, things have been crazy and overwhelming in the Nack house as of late. Hopefully things will be slowing down soon and we'll be back to our usual happy selves. :)

The marathon (half, but whatever) didn't go as well as I would like. It started out great, a little rainy, which I think is great cause it cools me off, and tons of people cheering us on. I made great time my first 6 miles or so and was right on track of making my goal time.

Around mile 10, I pulled a muscle in my right thigh, which was extremely painful. This is the leg that usually gives me trouble, but not that muscle. At that point, it was walking time. Walking time makes me sad :( But it was good because I got to spend some time with my crazy/wonderful boss who ran it even with pnuemonia!! I did finish, and I'm really proud of how the first half of the race went, so we're just gonna take the happiness from the first part and roll with it into our next race:

Here are some pictures for your general enjoyment:

Before the race

Mile 2 or 3 maybe...

Water please! Mile 8

Looking like I'm dying at the finish!!

After the race :) Thanks for the flowers Mom and Dad!!

I'll try and be better about posting, and keeping you updated on my training for Seattle, but that's all for now!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-10T11:16:00.001-07:00

My mom, my friend, and often my partner in crime! I love you Mom, Happy Mother's Day!

Baby Duck

Happy May Day!

2009-05-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

So Thursday night (April 30th) we were sitting here on the couch when i get a text from my super fabulous best friend Trey. Our conversation goes something like this:

T: Are you still up? (it's 1130)
S: Yeah, why, what's up? (this late, it must be an emergency)
T: I'm over by your house
S: ok....
T: As in, I'm in your driveway

So I run outside, and there she is, with a handful of paper flowers that she had made with her super cute 2 (almost 3!) year old, Stella. It was a May Day Surprise!!! She had intended on leaving them in our planters and letting us find them in the morning, but then she saw our light on and didn't want Sean to hear her and think she was a burglar (and shoot her!) :)

Here's a glimpse of her handiwork!

Thanks Trey, you're the best!!!

Adios, au revoir, go away

2009-04-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Peace out April. You were a sucky month, and we're glad you're leaving. HELLO May, welcome welcome! Bring your sun and your flowers and your lack of doom. That'd be swell.

Thanx :)

Crafty Easter Deliciousness

2009-04-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I have really fallen behind on my postings, Easter WAS a week ago after all, but it's been a long tough week and I'm just now getting around to having some me time :) Besides, this super fun and EASY treat can be made anytime! I just rolled out the rice krispies on a cookie sheet, used an egg shaped cookie cutter, dipped the egg shapes in self-hardening chocolate, added some fancy-dancy sprinkles and we were good to go! I love having other people's kids to spoil with stuff like this, and highly recommend it as an easy, tasty treat! Try with flowers, hearts, whatever you'd like!

Updates and changes...

2009-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

So I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted anything about running, and that's cause lots, and yet not a lot, has been happening. As we all know, training got interrupted for a while thanks to sickness and such... well, the cruise definitely didn't help that. I was able to get one good long run in before we left, and planned on running while on the boat. Well, sea sickness, a tiny gym with 3 treadmills for 1600 people, and a flooded running track (yep, flooded. storms are awesome) all combined to make for lousy running conditions. In fact, no running occurred while aboard "The Awkward Ship," which did not make me a happy Stephi.

SO. Fast forward to a week or so ago, April 4th. My first time back with the running group in 6 weeks, an anticipated run of 9 miles, and the hopes of running the full still in my head. I got there early to check in with my coach Jill, and we talked about how I still wanted to go a few more weeks before deciding that the full was the way to go, or dropping down to the half. Last year, you had until the day before the race to make up your mind, so I knew that I had a while. Off on my run I went, and it was grand. Great weather, good pace, strong legs, I was feeling great. I got to the 2 mile check in point, and Jill says to me "Um, so I just learned something." She had been talking to our other coach about me waiting a few more weeks to decide if I was going to stay with the full or drop down, and she let Jill know that the Marathon committee had decided that the deadline for people switching races was April 10th. Um, wait one second. That was FRIDAY. A full week before my endurance testing, goal crystalizing, ability confirming 22 mile run. How was I going to make an informed decision? I was devastated. I knew (know) that I have the ability to finish a full marathon, but after the gap in training, was I going to finish in a way I was proud of? Can you be proud of a marathon if you walk a large part of it because your body isn't ready? Would I be proud of my finish if I barely made it? My stubbornness would take me across the finish line, I knew that, but would my heart be in it?

With those questions and the sudden loss of a weekof confidence building running weighting on my mind I quickly lost all the awesomeness my run had possessed. I just wanted to go home and cry. I did cry a bit on those trails, not sure what to do. I walked another mile, gave up on the run completely, and turned around, resigned to running the half and being heartbroken about it.

I got back to where Jill was waiting, and she was surprised to see me so quickly. I told her my decision, and she thought it was the right thing to do. She knew how hard it was for me, and she knew I could have done it, but she wanted me to be proud of myself, and she knew I wouldn't be if my finish at the marathon was mediocre, or worse. Instead, she gave me a plan.

So ladies and gentleman, bloggy friends and family, here it is:

I am going to run the Eugene Half Marathon. I am going to run it well, because I will be more prepared, and am able to more easily train for a race of that length. I will enjoy my experience, instead of dreading it, because I know where I stand, I know what I can do, and I will easily be able to measure myself against my performance last year. And when all that is said and done, the race ran, the celebration celebrated, I will continue on, to this:

The Inaugural Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in Seattle, June 27th. I have registered, hotels are booked, I AM IN. We have made the Half Marathon simply a stepping stone on a path to still achieving my goal, albeit in a different setting, but it's a Full, it's the Rock N Roll, and I am excited! So keep an eye out for our newest graphic addition, as I update you on my progress, and finally become a marathoner!

#14

2009-04-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

At work, we have a competition known as the Ei3 program (don't ask me what it means, I don't remember). You are ranked individually, and as a branch, based on your completion of your annual goals. Every month we get an update of where we stand, and then at the end of the year the winners get prizes and a big dinner, etc. Well, back in February we found out that my branch (woot N Delta!!) was one of two finalists for Branch of the Year, along with our Pioneer branch (way to go Lane County!!). What did that mean for us? It meant a party!!! We went on a swanky dinner cruise in Portland aboard the Crystal Dolphin, where there was food and dinner and music and an all around good time. And, fantastically enough, it was a chance for me to accomplish something on The List: #14, find an occasion to wear my little black dress. So here you have it, me looking about as fancy as I get :)

On the charter bus ride to Portland

Melinda and I are on a boat! :)

I'm hoping to get more pictures soon, and if so I will post them, but in the meantime, here's a little hint of a great evening, and one more thing I've checked off :)

Sean-Sean Calling To The Far-away Towers

2009-04-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

here's the haps, the capers, the deal, folks; i'm a wee bit bored, and i find i need fulfillment, some sort of enjoyable task to take my mind off the everyday...in short, i need a hobby. i've tried a few, and they're just not quite what i'm looking for, for a variety of reasons, which i'll get to in a second. for those of you who don't know me that well i kind of run the gamut of the American male; i'm a little nerdy (comic books and video games), a little literate (reading really is fun!), a little rebellious (far too long to list, but on an unrelated note did anyone catch my music reference?), and a little adrenaline-rush-style-"ain't-got-time-to-bleed" crazy (on sunday, my father-in-law wasn't surprised that i want to wrestle a bear). i want something physical, a little or a lot daring, and relatively inexpensive. here are some things i already do or am already planning on doing:

Motorcycles:

this is currently my favorite. i'm getting ready to sell my car ('03 eclipse, anyone?), and if i decide to go this route i'm going to get whatever bike i can for the money that i get, or maybe a little higher but no more than $2k over. i don't want to have to make payments, or at least make them for too long. fortunately, i can get a lot of bike for between $4-5k; unfortunately, i have a hard time justifying spending that amount of money, but my real issue is that even if i do it will amount to more of a mode of transportation for me than an enjoyment activity. not that it won't be fun, it just becomes...not mundane, but...in this case i think that familiarity might breed boredom if it's something i do everyday.

Videogaming:

i already do this quite a bit already, not that i think it's a bad thing, i'm just looking to...diversify. this time without my tv (imagine "VIZIOOOOO!" to the tune of "KHAAAAAAANNN!") has pointed out that i really don't have much else that isn't reading or loving my wife.

Exercise:

...would be swell if i wasn't already doing it, at a minimum, twice a day. also, more of a work thing for me. besides, did you see that picture? my muscles cast their own shadows. (and for the record, he's better looking than me, but more importantly i can so take that guy. he's wearing capris.)

Baseball
i do love me some baseball. i have it on my iphone, so i can listen to my beloved Sox (for those who are curious about the inconsistencies, i capitalize those words that merit capitalization) everywhere i go. other than that, and occasionally boxing, i couldn't give a wick about professional sports.

those three are what i have going now, just to give you an idea of what i have going on. here are the actual candidates:

1: Practical Shooting Competitions
These are tournaments wherein a person has to shoot on the move through simulated tactical environments, scoring for time and accuracy. this appeals to me for obvious reasons, both personal and professional, but the downside is having to hang out with other gun enthusiasts. the gun culture is ridiculously macho, so much so that even a decorated combat vet ("like myself," he says, buffing his purple heart) doesn't really fit in because i'm a big scary lefty liberal. even being a firm second amendment democrat doesn't carry enough weight with these people. i walked into a gun store a couple months ago and a employee asked if i was "ready for the revolution" against obama. i don't really have the patience for that kind of thing. another downside is money; shooting is expensive, and putting together some good firearms would take a lot of time and probably necessitate my getting a job (horror of horrors, i know). on the other hand, there's the incredible amount of awesomeness inherent to getting to run around with a gun again.

2: Orienteering
orienteering is a sport wherein one uses a compass and map to navigate from one point to another. this isn't something i'm terribly good at; i can generally get you from A to B, but get me in some dense woods and i'm thoroughly screwed. so this would be good practice, be outdoorsy, and is inexpensive, requiring naught but map and compass. the downside: there are only so many orienteering courses here in oregon, and most of those are near portland or bend (a ways away). also, land navigation for me in the army was a special kind of torture, so there are negative connotations in my brain.

(i included that particular image of a portugese wind rose, renaissance forebear to the modern day compass rose, because that also happens to be the rockin' cool tattoo on my left shoulder, for those who may never get to see it, that i got in honor of my wifey).

3: Surfing
i've alwaysalwaysalways wanted to do this. growing up in california i was unable to swim (long story) and always had to watch while my friends and virtually everyone else got to hop on a board, and now that i'm learning to swim i'm anxious to get out there, and stephanie could teach me. but: oregon's water is cold. real cold. and given travel time to go to new places (both a good and bad thing), this could get real expensive, real quick.

4: Triathlon
maybe i don't tell her enough, but stephanie's marathon stuff is inspiring to me. sure she doesn't come in first, but she's out there doing it, and the real victory, as teddy put it, "belongs to those in the arena." she makes me consider doing triathlons, which sound fun and would probably fit in with my special kind of masochism, but at the same time i A) can barely swim, B) have horrible knees that probably shouldn't run that far, and C) hate bikes. hate bikes. so as cool as it sounds, it just doesn't seem like a good fit. and i'd have to buy a fancy-dancy bike (which i double-hate) and shave my body. not that i have that much to shave (you should meet my friend brandon), but even so.

there're probably other things, but i can't think of them just now. and so i turn to you, dear people that i can't really claim to know: i've discussed these and other options with people i actually do know, and have come to no good conclusions. having talked my poor friends to death, i'm hoping that you folks might think of something that i haven't. please leave your questions/comments/testimonials/suggestions/snarkiness in the comments area.

stay classy...internet.
sean

#24 and #16

2009-04-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Our Anniversary Cruise
(fulfilling #24 and #16 on The List)

For our 1st anniversary, Sean and I took a week long cruise on board the Norwegian Majesty. We sailed from Charleston, SC to the Bahamas, Florida, and then back.

Welcome aboard "The Awkward Ship"

You know how Carnival is "The Fun Ship?" Well, they mean it! We took a cruise on a Carnival boat for our honeymoon, and had a blast. Norwegian?? They're The Awkward Ship.
Anything to do with this boat was awkward. To start with, the Embarkation was crazy. Typically you pull up to a terminal, like an airport, drop off your luggage, go through security, get your room keys, and head to the boat. But Charleston has apparently never heard of such a thing. You get in your car (if you're lucky it's a taxi, don't drive your own car) and drive to the port, where you will sit in a line that is AT LEAST 6 blocks long, through the run down industrial part of town. At least in taxi's you have an express line, if you have your car you wait in an even longer line to get into the parking lot. But really, the whole thing is a parking lot. A run down, dusty, abandoned "bodies are probably stashed here" type lot. They don't let you out of the car until they see your passport and luggage tags, then you toss your bags into some unmarked cart, walk across the dusty open lot to a bus, and they drive you the 100 yards to the warehouse where you will go through security. It was SO weird.
The awkwardness didn't stop there:
We had a room with a window, which was neat, but the furniture was set up in such a way that you had to climb across the bed to get in and out of the room... awkward. This is the view out of our window though, I think we're still in Charleston?? Maybe not...
Norwegian believes in "Freestyle Cruising" which means you can eat in any of the dining rooms whenever you want, and can have your own table, no eating with strangers
necessary! We decided to try it out our first night, and the dining room was really
formal, even though it was the "casual dining room." The waiter got upset when we
only wanted one appetizer and no dessert and kept bringing it up over and over. Awkward.
Most of our experiences on the boat fell under the "awkward" category. The staff was unfriendly, the food wasn't all that great, and (through no fault of the cruise line) we hit storms, which made me sea sick (yay!) and it was just all around weird. Needless to say, we won't be cruising on Norwegian again.

Off The Boat

Although the mode of transportation wasn't all that enjoyable, the travel part of the cruise was amazing. Anytime we weren't on the boat was a great time!! Now, what you've all been waiting for: PICTURES!!!

Great Stirrup Cay
This island is owned by Norwegian. We spent the day snorkeling, hanging out with a couple we met, getting sunburned, and mocking some over confident college kids.

Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau was amazing!! It is the capital city of the Bahamian Islands. We took a tour of the city, visited two old British forts, went to a Pirate Museum, and then wandered around the city.

Ft Charlotte

Nassau Harbor

Grand Bahama Island
On Grand Bahama, we spent the day at Lucayan National Park. We toured some underground caves and then went to the beach before heading to a local place for lunch, where Sean tried conch for lunch (yep, like a conch shell. It's the muscle inside).

Ben's Cave

Mangrove swamps between the caves and the beach

The most beautiful beach in the whole world!!

Cape Canaveral, Florida
Our last day in ports was spent in Florida, where we got the chance to visit Sean's grandparents. I had never met them, so it was great to be able to spend the day with them! They are wonderful people and we had a great time. We went down to the beach, went shopping, hung out on the Cocoa Beach pier, and pretty much just spent the day getting to know each other better. We had lunch on the beach, and dinner at this restaurant down by our cruise ship terminal (because this was a normal port, not Charleston! lol)

All in all, it was a good vacation, but we were happy to get home (even though we spent 18 hours in airports and planes on the way home, and we all know how I feel about THAT!).

Happy Anniversary to us!!

#25

2009-04-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

Meet our Lemon Tree!! I've named her about a million times, but nothing's stuck, so if you have a suggestion, let me know :) Right now she lives on the kitchen counter, but once we've passed "the first full moon in April" (ominous, right???) she can live outside and start producing fruit! I'm really excited, if everything goes well I'll probably get a lime tree too :)

365 days ago....

2009-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

...at this moment, our vows had just ended, the tears were being dried, the reception tent was flooding... wait. That happened BEFORE the ceremony :) 3 times. But regardless of the rain, and snow, and hail, and lightning, it was an amazing night, full of laughter and tears, family and friends, good times and most of all, love. Awwww.

It's been a great year, I can't believe how quickly it's flown by. Sean is an amazing husband and I can't wait to see what else our marriage has in store for us.

*stay tuned to see how we celebrated*

Just checkin in

2009-03-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hiya bloggy friends!

We're currently out in the Atlantic somewhere on the last night of our cruise :) Hope everyone's having a great week, we'll be back Sunday with bunches of pictures and stories to share. Talk to you soon!

Steph and Sean

My day...

2009-03-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day. St Patricks Day always is, never for good reason. This year it fell on a Tuesday, also known as "the slowest day in banking." So I sat at my desk, kinda bored, knowing my vacation starts in two days, with not a lot to do. Enough that I didn't go insane, but it was a toss up sometimes :)

After work, it was off to my St Patricks Day tradition: the cemetery. Yep, that's right. The cemetery. Not exactly the norm. 6 years ago one of my high school best friends, Mary, died of a brain tumor on St Patricks Day. Every year since then, Traci and I have gone to the cemetary to see our friend. A few years ago, our old boss at the Pretzelmaker (remember those days???) passed away on the 18th, so she was added into our tradition, along with her husband who passed before her. On the way to the cemetary, we passed a terrible accident. It was kind of surreal, wondering if the people in the cars were ok and considering where we were headed.

I finally got home from my day after 7. Considering how much we have to do around the house to get ready to leave Friday, the LAST thing I wanted to do was go to the gym. Husband agreed, but at the same time, we knew we needed to go. Neither one of us wanted to be the one to make the "no go" call, so off we went. Since the last yoga class had already started, I decided I would do my training run for the day on the treadmill. Now, here's the thing. I don't typically run on a treadmill, in fact I think this is probably the 3rd time I have since deciding I wanted to be "a runner." I went for about half an hour, and I honestly really enjoyed it. But right at the half hour mark, my knees began to REALLY hurt. Specifically, the tendons and muscles directly above and below my knee joint. I've ran MUCH farther than I ran today with no knee problems in the past, so I'm wondering if it's fair to blame the treadmill? Teresa, Kim, Jess, anyone else who is a closet runner: any thoughts? Do you have treadmill experience? Are you an indoor running pro? It seems odd to me that the concrete is easier on my knees than the treadmill.....

Now I'm off to accomplish a few things around the house before bed. Thanks to my fabulous husband for making dinner (brinner really, it was delicious!) so that I could blog! Tomorrow is just as busy, but not nearly as draining... is this week over yet????

Gettin back in the game

2009-03-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hello friends :)

I'm trying to get caught up on everything that has fallen by the wayside in the last few weeks, including blogging!! Yay!! As much as I loved your well wishes and requests for more posts, I'm fully aware that a girl will eventually lose her audience if she doesn't give them what they want! Below you will find two posts catching you up on a few of the happenings around here, and I promise, in the next few days there will be more to come!

I've missed you guys!! :)

Weeks 8-11

2009-03-16T22:23:00.001-07:00

Have sucked. As we all know, I got completely knocked on my rear by the evil sickness trifecta: Bronchitis, Tonsillitis, and a sinus infection. My "run" for Week 8 turned into a 45 minute walk that mostly involved me trying to not be sick on the side of the road. I should have known then that something terrible was looming in my future, but alas, I tried to continue on. All that week I felt sick, but the doctor (and myself) only thought I had an ear infection. Still, they told me not to run as long as I had a fever, so I missed my 15 mile run for Week 9. Two days later I was back in the doctors office because I could barely talk, couldn't sleep, and was all around miserable. This time it was all business: bed rest, antibiotics, and NO RUNNING as long as I had a fever and cough (turns out being in the freezing cold all the time is bad for bronchitis). Therefore, the 10 miles for Week 10 DIDN'T happen. Last week I started feeling better, and actually got some training runs in during the week. The highlight came on Thursday, when I had had a terrible day at work and so I took to the trails of the Amazon Pathway and the South Eugene track. The blue sky, sun (SUN!!), and gentle breeze took over my grumpy spirit and I cranked up my iPod, lay down on a park bench, and rocked out to Journey, while mentally pretending I was in an 80s rock video a la Aerosmith... awesome day :) I was really looking forward to my 14-17 miles on Saturday (even though I was slated to run a 4 mile hill loop that is infamous around here. Eugenians: Spyglass. Enough said). However, due to having a full schedule Friday night after work, I never remembered to take my phone off of silent, and so when my alarm went of Saturday morning, I slept right through it. For HOURS. And there went Week 11......

I am feeling good again this week and hope to keep up my training schedule all week long. We leave on the cruise Saturday, so I'm hoping to get my long run in Friday morning and if I have time I'll post before I leave. Yay for getting to run again!

Our latest addition....

2009-03-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Houdini, our lovely Escape (pronounced Es-caw-pay by all the cool kids!). We absolutely LOVE her :) This is the first time I've really purchased a car because I wanted to own it, not because I inherited someone else's. Sean's getting used to driving something bigger than our Eclipse, I'm learning that the brake pedal is NOT the clutch in an automatic (whiplash anyone?) and everyone's happy about having their own door to climb into :) Here's to many great adventures!

sick, and tired...

2009-02-27T19:50:00.001-08:00

...I have so many things to catch up on, it's kinda overwhelming! Hopefully by the end of this weekend I'll be all caught up! There are things from The List to tell you about, running updates, and general goodness :)

Right now though, there is an ear infection, upper respiratory infection, comfy couch, fabulous husband, and delicious looking pizza waiting for me!!

Be back soon!

Watching the Congressional Address...

2009-02-24T18:49:00.000-08:00

... and I love President Obama. We are so lucky to have a president who wants Americans to better themselves, to better their communities, to read to their children, to be responsible for the growth and strength of this country. I dearly hope that the things he strives to do happen, because we will all be better for it!!!

Valentines

2009-02-15T22:21:00.001-08:00

This is what was waiting for me when I came home from my 13 miler Saturday! Thank you for a wonderful Valentine's Day babe, I love you!

It's gone :(

2009-02-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

It's true. It's gone. No longer can I stare at it, and enjoy it's color and beauty. No welcoming smell when I walk into the house. No shelter for the cat when it's time to go to bed, and she doesn't want to go. No temporary home for spiders and ghosts. What is missing, you say? This beauty:

I know, I know. It's February. Years have come and gone, other holidays celebrated, and my tree was still up. I liked it! We didn't turn the lights on, so there wasn't a fire hazard, it was just a pretty tree. But now it is gone. :( In it's honor, here are some Christmas pictures I never got around to posting:

My super cute Christmas wrap

And my super cute husband, hunting our cat with his new Captain America Shield

Only 10 more months until I get a new one!!

Week 7

2009-02-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

also known as "back, by Jessica's request :)"

Week 7 might have made me a bad friend. I've been sick, not training all that consistently, and my partner Theresa has been in the same boat. Yet Saturday was the day that I decided "screw ability, I'm gonna run with the full marathoners!" You know what that means? Get up at 53o in the morning, brave the rain/snow mix, and go 13 miles. Yep. We basically did a half marathon yesterday, and I may have killed Theresa in the process. She has a knee issue, and it DID NOT like 13 miles. Not at all. We ended up walking a lot, she was having sharp pains the whole time. It took FOREVER. But we did the full 13, though there were many threats of calling various people for rides and miles 8-10 were filled with a completely random and entertaining case of the giggles on Theresa's part. I think it was her brain shutting down from the pain. It was awesome, and we were kinda crazy. Those miles were done on campus, and it's quite possible that passerby thought we were just returning home from a LONG Friday night!

I took this week as a challenge, a review point in my training. Can I make it? If I make it, how will I feel? It was the determining factor between 13.1 and 26.2 on May 3rd. And you know what? I feel good. Really really good. I did not feel good at mile 12. I wanted to die. I wanted to sit down and never get up again. But within an hour or two of being home, I felt like a normal, though sore, person. I remember how I felt after my first half marathon, and I hobbled around for 3 days after. I wore heels to dinner last night, that's how good I felt. And what that tells me, is that I can do this. If I am CONSISTENT in my training, get my miles in, and stay focused, I really think I can do it. It may not be pretty, and it WON'T be fast, but I think I can do it. My recovery time was literally hours. That tells me I could have gone harder, longer, faster. I sound like my husband, but it's true... I think I can do this.

Theresa is gonna kill me.

Weekend Goodness

2009-02-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

This visit actually happened a week and a half ago, but I've been busy and am just now getting around to posting. Our super fancy friends the Kalista's came up from Medford to hang out, see a play, and plan our Boston/NYC trip we're taking this fall :) Yay!! We love Grandy (yep, Grace + Randy... they're THAT fancy. Hollywood fancy.) and we always have a rockin good time.

Our evening started out with the play, Around the World in Eighty Days, starring Sean's friend Steve-o. It was at the UO, and it was fabulous! Then off to Bel Ami for drinks and dessert, and home to indulge in this:

This. Game. Is. Awesome. Loved it! It's all about strategy and building cities and gaining land, and we played until 3 in the morning. I'm jealous that they get to own it. Good thing we know them!

The next day we headed to The Vintage for some delicious crepes. Their variety of crepes is REALLY impressive, and they're huge.

I like how they write the name of your crepe in sour cream on the top :)

Unfortunately, our good times breakfast resulted in this:
Behold, Grace and her very first parking ticket. Oops. not sure how 4 of us missed that meter, but we felt really bad. Sorry Grace.

Frowns turned to smiles though as Grace and I began planning!!!!!!!! We're both huge planners and a week's worth of vacation gives plenty to plan about! We set up the laptops, got out our spreadsheets, and away we went!!

it's not the most flattering of pictures.... :)

Schedules were made, rooms were booked, prices were checked, and our trip is going to be AWESOME. Sadly, they had to leave shortly after we were done, but we had a great weekend and can't wait till we see them again in April, if not before!

We love you guys!

Week 6

2009-02-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Week 6 definitely didn't go as planned, but it was good in its own right. I was supposed to have a 12 mile run, followed immediately by a 3 hour drive to Medford. Run + car - time to stretch = Stephanie hobbling around like a crazy person. I was NOT looking forward to it. Turns out, it wasn't an issue. My running partner sent me a text around 5 that morning letting me know she couldn't make it, and I wasn't going to head out at 6 in the morning to go run 12 miles through a park full of questionable people by myself in the dark. No thanks. Instead I ended up meeting up with the rest of the training group (Theresa and I start earlier since everyone is faster) and doing the 6 mile run with some girls doing the half marathon. It was a really great run, we did some good strides (sprint) workouts, and I got to know them better. AND I was totally fine to go sit in the car without my muscles seizing. Hoorah! All in all, a good training day!
Tomorrow I start my goal of training twice a day, one small run in the mornings and then a regular training run after work. Hopefully that'll help me get a few more miles in during the week.

13 miles this weekend... Happy Valentine's Day to me?

The Boys of Summer :)

2009-02-06T21:29:00.000-08:00

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Point of Authority/99 Problems
(jay Z/ Linkin Park)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Angry Young Man
(Billy Joel)

interesting... not exactly a man.....

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL
Nobody Drinks Alone
(Keith Urban)

Um....

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Faithfully
(Journey)

For sure!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Figured You Out
(Nickelback)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Long December
(Counting Crows)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Just the Way You Are
(Billy Joel)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Girl at the Rock Show
(Blink 182)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Walk Away
(Kelly Clarkson)

No, please don't!

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
She's My Kind of Rain
(Tim McGraw)

I don't know about that one...

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth
(Fall Out Boy)

Hahaha! I'm intimidating!!

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
6th Avenue Heartache
(Wallflowers)

That's depressing... and was not played at our wedding....

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
(Fall Out Boy)

um... yeah.... Though I totally qualify for the "6 Degrees of Patrick Stump"

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Best I Ever Had
(Vertical Horizon)

I heart them. :) Yay for Vertical Horizon, listening to them is a definite hobby.

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
New Strings
(Miranda Lambert)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
You Wanted More
(Tonic)

Hahaha, but you got me :) Just kidding ;)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Let It Be
(The Beatles)

That's cause there isn't a song name with a list long enough.... :)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Of All The Gin Joints in All the World...
(Fall Out Boy)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Tessie
(Dropkick Murphys)

YAY FOR TESSIE!!! I have no idea how that correlates to my friends though!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Love Me for Me
(Ashlee Simpson)

Yep. Just admitted it. LOVE this song.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
If You're Gone
(Matchbox Twenty)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
The Boys of Summer
(The Ataris)

Week 5

2009-01-31T17:38:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are wondering how Week 5 went, it didn't. Steph = sick. Boo. I'm not very good at being sick, or taking the time to really rest and allow myself to get over something. So I've been trying to still run in the freezing temperatures, while working and doing all my regular stuff, none of which is conducive to GETTING BETTER.
Now, I'm not gonna lie, having Grace and Randy in town (pics to come!) was a helpful catalyst in the decision to stay home, but really, it's probably what I needed. A day to lounge around, stay warm, rest, sleep (unless we're playing Carcassone till 3 in the morning!) and recharge my batteries, so I can hit the pavement fresh and ready to go on Monday. And honestly, I've felt like garbage all day today, so I don't even feel guilty. Maybe I should, but my alternating chills and fever are talking me out of it.

How it stands right now...

2009-01-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

Stephanie:

49%

Sean:
59%

Sean thinks the test is faulty... I think we have work to do!

To Clarify

2009-01-29T16:32:00.001-08:00

listen: there's been a lot of discussion around here about "i don't wanna be a cannibal" or "i'm 20% cannibal and i don't know why," and i just want to make sure everyone understands, in all this confusion, all this hubbub, i just want you to know one thing:

i would totally eat a person.

thank you for your time.

sean.

Told you so

2009-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

for more information, click here

For Kim, who needs something besides a term paper to read:

2009-01-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

...also, this is just one more thing in an amazingly coincidental list of things, that we have in common :)

Sean:
Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		95%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		85%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		85%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		70%
River (Stowaway)		70%
Inara Serra (Companion)		45%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		45%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		45%
Alliance		45%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		40%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		30%

Dependable and trustworthy.
You love your significant other and
you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Steph:
Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		80%
Alliance		80%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		75%
Inara Serra (Companion)		65%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		65%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		60%
River (Stowaway)		60%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		50%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		50%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		30%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		25%

Dependable and trustworthy.
You love your significant other and
you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Sean is not that happy we're the same... I'm not that happy that we both have cannibalistic tendancies... Sean says he's a cannibal in a good way... I'm not convinced.

Woot!!!

2009-01-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

What does it take to get me on a plane?

7 nights of cruising goodness. All you can eat food, 24 hours a day. Whole days that are dedicated to laying in the sun or being in the pool. Beaches. The ocean. Plenty of time to read good books. Fabulous times with my fabulous husband. And lastly, perhaps most importantly, the thought of spending 7 grey, cloudy, rainy, Oregon March days, in the Bahamas.

THAT'S what it takes to get me on a plane! :)

Yay for celebrating anniversaries! :)

Oh the irony....

2009-01-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

Awesome: Getting pedicures with your mom, especially when it has taken over a year to get said pedicures done. A day off during the week, a leg massage, hours to chat, and awesome Russian named nail polish. Lovely day :)

Not Awesome: Super cute pedicure girl does such a good job that my feet are all soft and smooth and girly, and all of my running calluses are gone. My feet hurt, for the first time in a long time.

Can't my feet be pretty AND tough????

Week 4

2009-01-25T08:13:00.001-08:00

It is Week 4, right? This week was long, and hard, and the days all seem to blur together... I had a really bad week of training (read: none, 10 hour work days and being sick will do that to you), and boy did it show yesterday. Theresa and I both played the "should I pretend I slept through my alarm?" game, but toughed it out and showed up, dark and early at 630. That was the high point of our morning (that and my fantastic new shoes). She had an abundance of knee pain, I just felt groggy and sluggish, and the course was one of our least favorites. We made it through just under 6 miles, it took forever, and there was very little actual running done. Gross.
On the up side, I know everyone has bad days (weeks?), and it just makes me want to train harder this week. About 5 miles into our misery yesterday I decided I am definitely going to register to run the Full Marathon. I've been debating it, and been running more of a half marathon training schedule, but somewhere in the awfulness of yesterday I decided I could do it. Not sure where THAT inspiration came from, but none the less, next week I will write a $75 dollar check, and become Stephanie Nack, Full Marathon participant. Gross. But awesome :)

Hail to the Chief

2009-01-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

On a larger, happier note than my previous post, today was an amazing day for me, and I hope, for our country. I took the day off so that Sean and I could celebrate the inauguration together at home. I made "Red White and Blue" french toast (with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream), and we cuddled up on the couch together and watched the swearing in of the man we've so ardently supported throughout the last few years.

I know not everyone feels the same way, and I totally respect that. But I hope that this new administration brings change that everyone benefits from and gets behind. A younger administration, with goals that look to the future, to bettering our lives and our planet, with emphasis on being better people, and being better citizens. There are lots of things about our world that need to change, and I hope everyone sees that if we are all willing to do our part, great things will be achieved.

Here's to change, to hope, and to being responsible for the changes we wish to see in the world.

Happy Inauguration Day!

"It's everywhere! It's in my raccoon wounds!"

2009-01-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

I hate flying. Hate it. H.A.T.E. it. On my list of fears (and believe you me, that is one EXTENSIVE list), flying is number 1. Numero uno. The baddest of the bad.
I freak out. Hyperventilate. Cry. Worry. Any other thing you can think of that makes a rather intelligent girl look like someone coming apart at the seams, add it to the list. I'm the definition of it on an airplane.

Husband and I are hoping to take a cruise for our anniversary in March. This will involve us flying across the country. I understand this. I try and prepare myself, to be an adult, so that I can enjoy planning my trip. So I get online today, to check flight prices, and I literally start shaking and breathing crazy just looking at seating charts. This is RIDICULOUS!!! I know all about the statistics, how flying is safer than driving (I would drive ANYWHERE, regardless of how far, so that I didn't have to fly) and even safer than taking a bath, but really? I just can't reconcile it. I CONSTANTLY worry. In fact, when I went to google a picture for this post, the first few pictures were "pictures of airplanes with problems!" Thanks a lot! That's making me feel SO MUCH better!

In case you are wondering, I have flown before. Many times, and never with a serious incident, though I feel admitting that to the internet has now jinxed my flying future. I try not to let it interfere with my life (like never traveling because I won't get on a plane) but I just don't know what to do.... I'd really love to get over this.

Anyone have any helpful ideas to deal with flying fears??? Please gift me with your wisdom!

And on a closing, completely unrelated note, raccoons fighting each other make the CREEPIEST noises!!! My front yard is an awesome place to be right now.....

Look at the fun we had!

2009-01-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlights of our fantastic weekend in Portland:

This guy:

We saw him on our way up I-5. Don't worry dude, if I was on a road trip, and could only pack one thing, I'd bring Scrabble too :)

The Hotel DeLuxe:
Located downtown, it was beautiful, with old Hollywood glamor, beautiful decor, and THE most comfortable beds ever! Like a cloud!!!

Getting ready for dinner and Movin Out:

Dinner at Rock Bottom:
A Portland tradition, it's our favorite!

The spoils from a trip to Powell's:
Yep, that's 14 books between us. INSANE, we know. We're ridiculous in that store. But don't worry Mom, I'm reading my Christmas books first. As soon as this post is over, Bob Welch and I have a date on the couch :)

The only thing I couldn't get a picture of was the sales guy at the record store across from Powell's. If his life goal isn't "be a highly paid Napoleon Dynamite impersonator," he should seriously consider it. It was AWESOME, but I didn't feel right blatantly taking his picture.... ah, the missed opportunities...

#7

2009-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

While in Portland this weekend, Sean and I saw Movin Out at the Keller Auditorium. Not only did we enjoy a fantastic performance, but we crossed #7 off The List. Rock on Broadway Across America, rock on.

For those who are unfamiliar, Movin Out is a musical set in the 60s and based on the music of Billy Joel, whom we love! I was surprised to find that it was in fact a ballet. There was no dialogue between the performers at all, each scene was a song and it moved quickly from one to the next. The songs were performed by a "Piano Man" sitting in the catwalks above the stage, and his lively band. It was really well choreographed, and the dancers were wonderful, I was really impressed! Highly recommended to any Billy Joel fan!

Week 3

2009-01-17T09:40:00.001-08:00

Week 3 went SO well!!! Theresa and I had a 10 minute conversation last night over text about HOW BADLY we did not want to run this morning. For those of you who are residing outside of our lovely Willamette Valley, the fog hasn't lifted in 5 days, the temperatures haven't been over 40, and that. just. sucks. But we got up, and we did it!! We went farther, walked less, and got done faster, than we ever have! And that was along the river, in 25 degree weather!!! I'm really proud of how well we did today, especially after a poor week of training!

And now, it's the beginning of a 4 day weekend, and the husband and I are off to have some fun, do some shopping, and cross something else off the list :) Have a great weekend, see you soon!

Can I Get A Zombie Survival Plan, Medium-Sized, Heavy On The Crazy? Thanks.

2009-01-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

due to kind of a...non-vote situation (i gave options A or B and people chose C...i replied to your comments in the previous post, by the by), i'll try to find a happy medium.

naturally there are plenty of variables in the situation (where's stephanie, where's sean, is this a major or minor outbreak, is sean wearing pants, etc.), but let's skip to the part where stephanie and i are in the same place and are gathering supplies, most of which i have already because i am a prepared-panda.

ideal kit for a quick egress of the infected AO would be: assault pack or light ruck for both stephanie and i, containing: 1 US Army issue poncho and at least 5 bungie cords (field-expedient shelter), 1 US Army issue poncho liner (best blanket ever!), 1 Army issue entrenching tool, 1 first aid kit w/ tourniquet, 3 days worth of non-perishable food, 3 packets of water purification tablets, 2 liters of water, toiletries.

clothing: ideally, you want things that are light but bite-proof-ish. your ideal tactic with the undead (while you're on the move) is to run away, as your superior speed and agility can get you out of non-horde situations; you want to find a balance between bite resistance and mobility. i think that a pair of BDU pants are a good compromise, and a lightweight leather motorcycle jacket would serve you for protecting your arms, but i'd only wear that while i'm clearing an area, not all the time as you'll just get warm. and smelly.

weapons, one of the following for each party member except the shotgun(this discussion of what's best could go on for a long time, so i'll just give my picks and you can judge me later): 1 assault rifle (5.56mm), 1 handgun (9mm), 1 machete (melee), 1 shotgun (12ga: not really for use as a weapon, per se, but with 12 gauge sabot rounds you never have to worry about locked doors). ideally, you'd have a tactical FLC for carrying your magazines; i'd recommend 7 mags (210 rds) of 5.56mm, 3 mags (about 45 rds) of 9mm. for those of you who are unfamiliar with the FLC, this is Army issue:another great thing with that type of system is that you can add more pouches for compasses, maps, etc, all of which i did not list on the ruck kit because they'd be here, on my FLC. details like what type of sight i'd use, gps's, batteries, etc., i'm going to leave out because y'all wanted a medium-sized list. but i have thought about it.

vehicles: adaptability is key, so for this situation i would choose an "enduro"-style motorcycle, which is kind of a large dirt bike. these bikes are a great choice due to high mobility, long range, and their inherent all-terrain capability. they are noisy and you are exposed to enemy fire (as bandits will be just as if not more dangerous than the walking dead, fyi), but the benefits you get from speed and the ability to move through any type of terrain (let's say there's a truck blocking the road; a normal car might not be able to squeeze around or under the vehicle, or might get stuck in a field, where your enduro bike will be just fine) makes them perfect. there's a great documentary that ewan mcgregor made where he and his buddy ride these types of bike around the world, and you wouldn't believe what they pull off on them; i recommend it. if you can't picture what i'm talking about, here's a, um, picture:
the plan: let's assume that this is a full-on apocalypse, in which case nowhere is completely safe. you've got zombies to contend with, and even worse, people. scared, desperate people. ergo, you would ideally prefer to avoid said people, and the best place to do that is on the open ocean. "but sean," you say, "there're problems with your plan: A) you can't swim, B) there's that first thing which i think you should be more concerned about, C) you don't know how to sail, D) both A and C are making this look like a really bad idea, and finally E) even if you could swim and knew how to sail, are you just going to sail forever?"

A: touche, B: we already talked about this, C: i know how to motor, and they make motor boats...we'll get back to that, D: no, because i have a destination.

stephanie and i will drive down the coast, avoiding major highways, until we reach southern california, which by that time will be a hellhole. sorry, you're right: more of a hellhole. but i think most of the aforementioned desperate, scared, etc., will head for catalina. where will stephanie and i be going? the just-barely-offshore oil derricks! this solves problem C as we can just motor or even row on out there, the derricks should have a significant amount of water and food (last at least a month...we'll get back to that), and we can just motor on back to the mainland if we need more. what if those scared desperates are already on the oil derrick? well there're quite a few (i've got them google-earthed and lat-long'ed, don't think i don't) and i don't think that many people will have that particular great idea. and if they do? i've got 600-some rounds of ammo and a sense of fair play that says that there's room for two more.

now, this is a temporary solution. after about a month, maybe two, it'll be time to head inland/mountainous, probably california as it doesn't snow too much and the soil's good (oh yeah, i've taken aridity into account...pretty sure aridity's a word. if not, it is now) to build a cabin and make a new life. fish, hunt, declare the Republic of Sean, etc.

who's comin' with me?

stephanie: us.

sean: yes. right. us. maybe the kitten. (if she's not a zombie already. but as soon as stephanie, or cranky, isn't looking, she's a zombie.)

The Sean Speaks: A Very Special Post

2009-01-11T13:59:00.000-08:00

as a first-time poster on this, our blog, i feel i should say a few things:

1) hello.

2) i don't love kittens, and especially that one. She will someday be a source of nutrition; that is the extent of my care for her, wondering how delicious she might be.

3) for the grammar nazis, i share your obsession, but i will warn you that i don't capitalize. it's elitist.

stephanie says that some of you have expressed interest in my level of zombie-related preparedness. now you may not be aware of just how much of a pandora's box you are thinking about opening, so let's do this: cast your vote in the comments on how detailed an answer you might like, either long (pros and cons of weapons, vehicles, kit, routes, alternates, etc) or short (condensed version of the above).

i'll also be happy to answer any zombie-related questions. remember: a prepared family is a live family.

p.s.: my tattoos are pretty sweet.

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

This handsome man, my wonderful husband, turned 25 yesterday!

In his honor, I present 25 things I love about Sean:

1. His amazing blue eyes
2. He gives me foot rubs almost every day
3. He cuddles my cat when he thinks I'm not looking, cause he "doesn't like" her
4. He would do anything to protect me
5. He kills the spiders
6. His smile when he laughs
7. He bought me a new camera to be "more supportive" of blogging
8. He has an amazing dedication to his country and family
9. His tattoos
10. His Captain America belt buckle that he wears EVERY day
11. He's highly intelligent, and we have great conversations
12. He loves politics as much as I do
13. He's an amazing writer
14. He puts up with my crazines
15. He goes to yoga with me
16. He teaches me about things he likes so we can enjoy them together
17. He thinks a Zombie Apocalypse is a real and imminent thing, and we have a family emergency plan for it
18. He takes me on dates to the bookstore
19. He makes sure I know how important I am multiple times a day
20. He lets me drive more than he'd like
21. He watches football with me, even though he hates it
22. He sings me made up songs
23. We have our own language, that is probably confusing to anyone who hears us
24. He always tries to give thoughtful, personal gifts
25. He's the very best friend a girl could wish for :)

I love you babe, Happy Birthday!

Week 2

2009-01-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

Our week 2 training session went a lot better this week (though the thought of "You paid for this, you have to go" was the only thing that got me out of bed and into the sub freezing morning). We started off intending to run intervals (run x number of minutes, walk y number of minutes, repeat) and though there was more walking than we would have liked, there was less walking than last week and we were able to add another mile. Hoorah!
The best thing about it is that I don't feel like I want to die this week, which is a DEFINITE plus. I'm only a little sore, and have felt pretty energized throughout the day. In fact, I kinda wish I hadn't taken that nap I just woke up from, I'm afraid I'll be sluggish from here on out.
I was pretty good about keeping to my training schedule last week, I ran two days and cross trained one, not counting today. There should have been another running day, but like everything else, that got side tracked by our broken plumbing (more on that later). This week should be good, so I'm really hopeful about next week's run!

All in all, it's a great day to be a runner! Thanks Jill :)

1 down, 17 to go

2009-01-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first day of my marathon training group. It's held through the Eugene Running Company, and it may be just the thing to hold me accountable. Why, you ask?

-Theresa is doing it with me, and I can't make her get up at 7 on a Saturday, and then not show up
-A few of my lovely co-workers are also in it, and I don't want to come up with reasons on Monday about why I wasn't there
-I paid good money for it, and that'll make me feel bad...
-I have to do my daily training runs, so I don't look ridiculous on Saturdays with a group of 50+ marathoners....

That being said, it was brutal. It was as though I had never done a serious run before. Wake up late? Check. Didn't put your running clothes out the night before, so you can't find your pants in the dark? Check. Didn't wake up early enough to properly hydrate and eat something? Check. Think it won't be that cold out and wear short sleeves, then run a few miles in the falling snow? Check. Get lost on the relatively easily defined course? Check. Still ache and have trouble walking 33 hours after going only 5 miles? Check.

There are 17 weeks between me and the marathon... 26.2 miles.... still not sure that's gonna happen... the half will happen, I guarantee it. But 26.2? That's a lot....

Opinions needed....

2009-01-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

ok, so here's the deal...

we all know (and if you don't you should check this out) that I'm attempting to read our entire first bookcase by the end of August. This is difficult for multiple reasons:

a. we own a trillion books, at least 100 of which live in this bookcase
b. we keep buying more books, which I want to read RIGHT NOW, which makes me want to file them on the 1st bookcase, where there is no more room
c. some (many) of these books are Sean's, and while I salute my husband's taste in literature, I have absolutely NO desire to read large, fat, presumably technical, books about the military

so now I have a dilemma. It seems to me that the only way to get through this is to read every book, starting at the top of the case, and going down. That way I am forced to read every book, and when I can see a book I want a few books away, I'll have incentive to keep reading a more boring book.

sean thinks I should read the books that I want, in any order I want, so long as they come from that bookcase. That way I'll enjoy it, and he doesn't think I'll finish anyway (thanks for the support babe!) so at least I'll get to read what I want first. But I think if I do that I will put off reading all of his books that I don't want to, and will create a miserable end to that project for myself.

so bloggy friends, I need some help! I know many of you are avid readers, which do you think will work best? I just finished one of my new Christmas books, so I want to get started on the project soon. I may read the rest of my Christmas books (there are two more) before I start, so I have time to devise a plan.

anxiously awaiting your words of wisdom,

steph :)

2008: A restrospective....

2009-01-02T19:34:00.001-08:00

Oh what a year, 2008.....

As I look back on the previous year, so many things happened. Fun, little things, and bigger, monumental things.

We got married:

and finally got to begin the life we've talked about for so long. It seems weird being a newlywed to someone I've known for almost a decade, but I love every minute of it. He's an amazing husband, and I'm VERY lucky!

I also turned

This was a big one. Add it to everything else that happened this year, and 25 was a turning point. I've always felt older, always had a lot of responsibilies, but now things I never cared about as much seem to matter more. Things like cooking, and exercise, decorating and classy, timeless things. Wanting to be a better wife, a good friend, daughter, and woman. I owe a lot of these things to these two ladies:

I came across these blogs on the blog of a friend of mine, and they have changed my life. CJane and Nie Nie are classy, loving, amazing women, who share their lives with the world, and give so much, without realizing it. Nie Nie and her husband were in a terrible plane crash back in August, and while following their recovery I have gained two tremendous role models. While we will probably never meet, I owe so much to them. I hope this new year brings them all of the goodness that they deserve, and all of the happiness that viewing thier lives has brough me. For amazing inspiration, and a whole lot of laughs, read their blogs. It will change you, for the better.

In November, we saw another type of change.

Barack Obama was elected president, and we were thrilled. We spent a large portion of the year watching Obama, learning about him, going to see him (twice!), and hoping for the type of change that he says he we will bring. If he can do what he says he wants to do, this country will become a much better place, and I'm very excited to see it.

To top off our year of growing, learning, and loving, we bought this lovely place:

With all the excitement the house has given us (yay homeowners!), and the challenges (we're haunted! and our plumbing doesn't work!), this is likely to be our biggest adventure yet!

So here's to a happy 2009, may it be filled with new experiences, friends, places, and stories!

We be bowlin'

2008-12-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

Today. 5 o'clock. Cowboys beware.

GO DUCKS!!!!

#4

2008-12-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, so they weren't out by the 15th, but I did get Christmas cards out! Not everyone I intended to receive one did, but putting the picture up on the blog counts for something, right? Christmas wishes to the masses? I promise, next year I'll start earlier :)

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Love, Sean and Steph

Man o man.....

2008-12-20T14:28:00.001-08:00

This.

Thing.

Is.

AWESOME

Christmas came a few days early at our house, due to many ridiculous attempts to purchase this wonder of technology and my amazing ability to tell secrets while complaining..... But boy o boy was it worth it!

Tagged by Erica

2008-12-15T22:22:00.001-08:00

This is the 8th picture in my 8th photo folder.... you'll recognize it as a slightly blurry baby elephant and it's mama who live at the Portland Zoo :)

I would tag some people, but I'm bad at remembering who's already been tagged! So I tag everybody! Post your pic and tell us what's goin on!

Something's missing....

2008-12-14T08:19:00.001-08:00

For the last few days, all we've been hearing is how we're getting this CRAZY storm this weekend. A snow, ice, stay in your homes kind of storm. You know what I've got? A really wet yard and some really cold air.... Rude.

I LOVE SNOW! I want it to come now! Stop saying you'll come, and just do it already!

8:57 update... Rumor has it what I see falling outside my window is in fact a whole mess of greatly wished for snowflakes... until it accumulates on the ground I will not be convinced.

11:41 update... currently sitting at 39 degrees with clear blue skies... I'm trying not to be sad

4:34 update... I have grey skies, green grass, and a bunch of pictures of Salem and Portland COVERED in snow... this is not fair... but forecasts still call for the white stuff... we'll see!

11:21 pm update...

HOORAY!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2008-12-13T21:01:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2008

Now if only it would snow! It's supposed to, I can see it in the hills!

Portland never fails to entertain :)

2008-12-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, Zoo Lights was just one fabulous part of our weekend!

Saturday we headed up to Portland, got checked into the hotel, and made our way to the MAX station to head to the Zoo! At the train station, we saw this:

Now, you may think to yourself, "How fabulous is that? A group of festive men and women handing out candy to kids, really getting into the holiday spirit!"

Uh huh.

They had spirit alright. Liquid spirit! And how do I know this scandalous bit of information? Because as we were driving to the Park and Ride, I got lost. I ended up a few blocks away, where we first encounter these jolly men (and women). And we think "Wow, I wish we had taken a picture of that giant group of Santa's!" Then we turn around, figure out how to get across the freeway, and we see the origin of this giant group.

THEY WERE ALL LEAVING A STRIP CLUB!

Inappropriate! Santa would NOT approve! Then we see them at the train station, and while they ARE in fact handing out candy to kids, I don't think I trust that candy. At all. There were more Santa's on the MAX, we saw 40 or 50 in all, headed down to a Holiday Brew Fest downtown. I'm cool with group fun, and rock on you choice making adults, but you have just tarnished Santa forever!!!!!!

In the morning we headed to McMinnville to go to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum where Sean took some amazing pictures (more later!) and then found this super cool brewery for lunch/dinner.

We love breweries. Sean always has a sampler, so he can try all the different varieties:

We also always take home a pint glass, we have a display of glasses from almost every brewery we've been to, all over the country. We have a glass from all the local places here, our favorite breweries from when we lived in NY, one from our honeymoon, Boston, etc.... it's our own little glassware travel log! You can see them in this picture of Loki, I'm too tired to go take one now :)

All in all, a pretty good weekend! A new favorite restaurant, planes, Christmas lights, and some crazy Santas!

#8

2008-12-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, Sean and I went to Zoo Lights! I love Christmas lights, they are one of my top 5 favorite things (1.husband (and Loki) 2.mashed potatoes 3.shoes 4.Christmas lights 5.lightning storms)!

The Zoo had most of the exhibits closed, so we didn't see a ton of animals, but we did get to see the baby elephant and some dirty sheep and goats.

The lights were amazing, especially the ones on the train and in "Africa"! We ended up not getting ride the train, it was at least an hour wait! If you're gonna be heading up, I recommend getting there at 5, when they open, and heading to the train right away!

For your viewing pleasure:

Addicting.....

2008-12-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

For all you decorators out there, or anyone who loves black and white as much as I do, this will keep you occupied for hours:

http://www.blackandwhitedelight.com/

Oh man.... I'm hooked!

In case you were missing me....

2008-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend I am off to Portland, where I will, in no particular order:

*Accomplish AT LEAST one thing on The List

*Love on my husband

*See planes, trains, AND automobiles

*Have important educational related meetings

*Giggle like a kid, and possibly embarrass Sean by dancing in public

*Enjoy myself IMMENSELY!

I'll be back Sunday night, with a mound of pictures and words to entertain you with. Have a lovely weekend!

I'll miss you too :)

This makes me happy

2008-12-05T22:56:00.001-08:00

I love them!

A tour of the casa (a.k.a. For Grace)

2008-12-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our home!

When you walk into the door, this is what you will see:

Turn to your right, and you enter the living room:

The view from the couch:

We have a million books...

Now, continue past the fireplace....

Turn right from the hallway, and enter the guest bedroom (currently a work in progress!):

This room is also known as "the room that holds Stephanie's wardrobe." This is my closet for all of my shoes (husband is building me shelves!), the one next to it holds the clothes!

Leave this room, continue down the hall, and on the left you shall find:

The Really Old Retro Bathroom!

I promise, we have removed the plaid... but the counters are purple and the floors are blue. The walls are peach. It's LOVELY! Look for updates next summer!

Continue down the hall, and to the right you will find our bedroom:

We have a giant bedroom set, and it takes up pretty much the whole room! But it's still nice... note Sean's Batman Easter Basket. It holds spare change when it's on hiatus from it's springtime duty :)

Now, head back down the hall towards the living room, and on your left you will find the dining room (of Thanksgiving fame):

That leads the way into our small, but fantastic kitchen:

This was before we put our stuff away... it's cuter now :)

And now, to the back yard!

The patio and shed (aka future home of my hot tub):

The planter boxes where I will learn to garden:

And our (rather blurry) apple tree:

And THAT, friends, is our house!

Disclaimer: We also have an office, but it's full of half empty boxes, and no one wants to put pictures of their messy house on their blog. So you'll have to check it out on your next visit :)

Why my co-workers refuse to visit my snazzy new house....

2008-12-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

So, we're haunted.

It's true. You may think "yeah right, that's crazy talk," but I tell you what. Things are happening.

I have decided that I'm gonna start documenting the "incidents," so that we can keep all of our events straight. Also so that you know what to tell the authorites if we ever go missing.

So far....

-On occasion, when I walk down our hallway, when I get to a certain spot near the bathroom door, I hear the door from the kitchen to the garage slam. That door is dead bolted. This has happened approx. 6 times.

-Sean was sitting on the couch one day, listening to music, and distinctly heard a voice say "Hey" but he was the only one home. He checked. With his handgun.

-Sean was in the shower and saw a shadow pass across the shower curtain, and then something tugged on the curtain. He called me at work to tell me we were officially haunted.

-That night, we were talking in the living room, and I saw someone walk behind my reflection in the window. Sean was standing in front of me, and was not in the reflection.

-I walked into our guest bedroom, and was overwhelmed by the smell of cigarette smoke. We don't smoke, and the room has never smelled like smoke, before or since, with the exception of that one time.

-Last week, I was getting ready for work, and Sean asked me if I was humming. Nope, I don't hum. But apparently someone who lives in our house does....

-The night before Thanksgiving, I painted our hallway and dining room (pictures to come!). I rinsed the paint roller in the bathroom sink and left it there to dry over night. The next morning we get up, make breakfast, walk past the bathroom many many times, no issues. 10 minutes later I go to take a shower, and the paint roller has been rolled up the side of the sink (leaving a distinct paint trail), there is no paint anywhere on the counter, but then the roller has gone across the bathroom floor and into our (hardwood) hallway. There is paint EVERYWHERE, and it was semi-dry. That was super awesome.

-Finally, last night. We are sitting in our living room, watching TV, when we both turn towards the Christmas tree because there is a black... cloud? Orb? floating towards, and then through, the middle of the tree. The ornaments were swaying, as though someone had bumped them, except it was only the ornaments in the spot the "cloud" went through. The rest of the ornaments were not moving at all.

So... here we are. Apparently we're sharing our home with someone else.... Awesome. They're not even paying rent.

Stay tuned for updates!

A Nack Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T22:00:00.001-08:00

This year, with it being our first Thanksgiving in the new house, I wanted to go all out and make Thanksgiving dinner. Sean's not a huge fan of turkey, and I hadn't used the new stove yet, but we decided we were gonna go for it!

Tada! Thanksgiving Dinner!

I used a brine recipe I got from my boss, the turkey was delicious, and so easy to do! It was small, perfect for just Sean and I (and our ghost, but that's another post....). Add some stuffing, mashed potatoes (which were terrible), corn, and rolls, and we had a small but wonderful dinner together.

Our meal was finished off with some delicious pies (thanks Dad and Becky!), and my parents, Jace Face, and my aunt and uncle came over. Good times!

All in all, our Thanksgiving experiment turned out really well, but we've decided from here on out, since Sean still isn't a turkey lover (though he did say it was the best he's had), we will be having Thanksgiving Tacos. Or steaks. Probably Tacos :) We also want to start a Nack family tradition of going somewhere to help volunteer on Thanksgiving Day. Excellent idea babe!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I feel so blessed to have been able to spend today with Sean and my family. It has been a crazy year, but I have so much to be thankful for and they mean the world to me!

And now, without further ado, CHRISTMAS!!! :) Hoorah!

Twilight, aka The Shiny Vampire Movie

2008-11-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, Twilight...

I asked Sean to go with me, because he teases me mercilessly about my young adult "shiny vampire" books. :) I told him I would be more open to criticism once he had a knowledge base, so he was a trooper and went.

All in all, it wasn't a bad movie. Glowing review, right? But that's how I felt about the book when I read it. Not bad, not amazing, just not bad. I didn't really get what all the fuss was about. I firmly believe all the excellent stuff is to come, and I LOVE the series now.

I appreciate that the movie stayed so true to the book, though it seemed to have a really brisk pace and I felt like a lot of the backstory was left undeveloped. But the acting was great, the casting was RIGHT ON, and I love Edward a little more now. Still Team Jacob all the way, but Edward won me over.

I'm definitely excited for the next one, I think it will be a lot easier to be excited as the plot thickens! And even though he was trying to hide his hysterics half the time, even Sean didn't hate it. He was disappointed the "shiny" turned more into "sparkly" though...... :)

25 Things To Do Before I Turn 26

2008-11-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, The List:
Items in red have been accomplished, click on the number to see a recap!

1. Plant tulips along the front of our house
2. Make my running schedule habit
3. Spend an evening out with my brother
4. Get Christmas cards out before Dec 15th!
5. Plant strawberries in our planter boxes
6. Read Jane Austin
7. See a Broadway Across America show in Portland
8. Go to Zoo Lights
9. Get our recipe book organized
10. Run the Eugene Marathon
11. Read our entire 1st bookcase
12. Become one of the top 10 loan officers in the CU
13. Organize the photos on our computer
14. Find an occasion to wear my little black dress
15. Get a new stamp in my passport
16. Go to the beach
17. Attend Yoga 3 times in one week
18. Take a day off, all for me
19. Start working on my bachelors
20. Establish Fancy Fridays
21. Learn one new recipe a month
22. Go to the airport and watch planes
23. Do my wedding memory book
24. Take a vacation with Sean
25. Buy a lemon tree

Theft for the sake of advancing one's self....

2008-11-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my habit of stalking blogs of people I have not talked to in forever (and people I've never met), I have found some lovely direction in my life. Thanks to Amanda Hornibrook, whom I have met and love tons, even if we haven't talked in 7 years, for "shamelessly copying" the List Idea from Andrea, whom I have never met, so that it may also inspire me.

Andrea is a super fantastic photographer/mother/person who lives in Portland, and every year on her birthday she writes a list of things she hopes to accomplish before her next birthday. Big things, little things, fun things, all of those little things you always mean to do and never get around to because life gets in the way. I've decided I don't want life to get away anymore. CJ and I always talk about how hectic things are, how we never have time for the fun little things in life, and I don't want to look back in a year and think "Wow, I wish I had made it to the beach once this year." How can I be so busy that I can't make that happen ONCE in 365 days??? It doesn't make sense to me, and I don't want my life to be that hectic.

So I am composing my own list. I love the list, it makes me happy, it gives me purpose, and it's somewhere to be accountable to myself for the things I want to do. I've never been one for goals, and I've realized that's because I have always been too busy to try and achieve them! But I'm not going to be too busy for myself anymore! Stay tuned for THE LIST, it's sure to be exciting!

Thwarted...

2008-11-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

So there I was, up early and ready to start my day. I had my list of errands to run (Jerry's, get the oil changed, etc) and then I was on my way north to visit my best friend and her fabulous baby girl. A few hours of fun girl time, and then I was to be off again, this time even further north to pick up my husband, do some fabulous shopping (HELLO Nike employee store!) and then back home....

What a great day it was going to be.....

Instead, I got up later than expected. Not good. But still ok, Oil Can Henry's and Jerry's both open at 8, and I can be there and done by 9, still on the road at a decent hour...

Oh wait. The car is out of gas.

Awesome. Head to the gas station. No worries, this only adds 5 minutes to the trip. Pull up at the Oil Can Henry's. Hello Oil Can Henry's man. What is that you're saying? You open at 9? Your website says 8. It's 9? Ok...

So I sit in the car and wait for them to open... can't just let the engine run without oil.

So now I'm waiting until 9, which means I won't be done until 915 ,and I still haven't been to Jerry's. So I decide to go to Jerry's tomorrow, not as productive as I would have liked, but that baby is waiting for me to come love her!

I say thank you to the Oil man, drive away, and realize I am starving. I will not make it an hour and a half up the freeway without sustinance. Hello Starbucks drive thru. One venti hot chocolate and a blueberry scone later, I am on my way again.

Hello giant fog bank that makes everyone go 30 miles an hour on I5. You're awesome. I will never get to CJ....

Oh look! People are driving the speed limit! I can accelerate! Well... I'm trying to accelerate... it's not working... why is my car going 40.. now 30... now 25... on I5? So I pull over. On I5. In a giant fog bank. In a grey car. This feels safe...

And now the car won't move at all... it's as if I have no clutch... this has happened before. On a high, narrow bridge, over the middle of a Great Lake, at the Canada/US border. We were stranded in Michigan for four days. With a foreign made car. In the US car capitol of the world. It took a while to find a mechanic who could fix a Mitsubishi....

So, after calling my dad to rescue me (Thanks again daddy!), and the tow truck guy to pick me up, I call CJ to tell her that I will not in fact be coming to see her. Because the universe hates me. And apparently my car. If I had known the car was going to die anyway, I wouldn't have worried about the oil change, and slept in a little bit more...

So now I will try and salvage the day, thanks to a loaner car from mom. I will pick up husband, and we will think about the fun we would have had shopping...

Did I mention my cell battery is about to die, and my charger is at work, and I have to go drive two hours up the freeway, again, with MY luck?

Today. Is. Awesome.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T19:04:00.001-08:00

Today is Veterans Day. It's my husband's day, and the day for many more of you out there, those of you who have served, and those of you who are still serving.

I can't begin to describe how proud I am of Sean. Duty and honor are a huge part of who he is, and his commitment to his country is both inspiring and humbling. After everything he has been through: the deployment, the stop-loss, and then his injuries from an IED exposion, he still wants to be out there, fighting the fight and serving his country. I am proud of his patriotism, and am grateful that he will pass that on to our children someday.

I want to say Thank You to him, and to the rest of our troops, who do what they do so that others don't have to. Especially in my thoughts are our 10th mountain friends: Jakey Hayes, Dan Steciak, Brandon and Tara Schneider, Eric Carr, and all the rest of you guys who are getting ready to go again soon. We love you and we miss you.

Lastly, because it is my husband's day, and it will make him smile, I give you Sean, gunner extraordinaire :

Alphabetical Ambition

2008-11-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

I love reading. It's my favorite thing to do, but it seems like I never have enough time. So lately I've been reading on my lunch breaks at work and at night, and I am so much happier! It's nice to have some relaxing time. Last night Sean and I were unpacking all of our books (and that's A LOT of books) and I decided that I want to read all of them. The ones I've read, the ones I haven't, every book we own.

This. Is. Crazy.

We have a million books. It will probably take me years to read all of them. But I'm going to do it. I'm going to finish reading "The Echelon Vendetta," lent to me by my boss, because it's a library book. And I'm going to finish reading Pillars of the Earth, cause I promised to lend it to someone when I'm done. But once those are over, bring on the bookcases! :) This is gonna get out of control!

Location, location, location....

2008-11-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this from my couch, in my fantastic new living room! I'm exhausted, and sick, but we have some rooms painted and a lot of stuff moved. A super huge THANK YOU to my mom, dad and brother for their help this weekend, and a shout out to my fabulous husband, who is working WAY harder than I am! The heavy stuff is for boys :)

Pictures soon!

KEYS!

2008-11-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

In just a few short hours, we'll have the keys to our new home! The seller has moved out, it's empty and ready to be ours! I can't wait!

Did you know?

2008-11-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

That in 2 hours and 40 minutes we will be signing the papers for our new house?

I did.

And that in 2 hours and 40 minutes the first polls close, kicking off our election party and an amazingly historical night for this country?

I can't wait.

Happy Election Day to everyone!

Allies, Axes, and a Gargoyle Cat

2008-11-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, Sean and I decided to take advantage of our plan-less evening and break out our favorite board game: Axis and Allies. For those of you who haven't had the chance to engage in this fantastic endeavor (or those of you who aren't crazy history buffs like us) it's a lot like Risk, only you play on a world map during WWII and compete for total world domination. Because there are two of us, we divide it up between the Axis (Husband, who stands at the helm of Nazi Germany and The Empire of Japan) and Allies ( yours truly, the fearless leader of the US, Britain, and the USSR!). When set up, our battle looks like this:

We played till 1 am, and sadly, the Germans were the winner. :( None the less, I LOVE THIS GAME!

I also love this cat:

That was her contribution to the game, other than trying to eat some British soliders stationed in Australia. She cracks me up. While we were setting up, she decided she needed to get on top of the closet in our living room and survey everything:

It was hysterical! She sat right at the corner, turning her head as we moved around... she completely reminds me of a gargoyle!

What a crazy Loki! :)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! Getting to dress up, watch scary movies and TV, CANDY, the ushering in of the holiday season... Halloween is awesome! This year I decided I was going to be Michael Phelps, complete with warm ups, swim caps, and a whole lotta medals!

This is me swimming :)

And showing off my bling :)

I loved it, we had some great costumes at work this year! I heard a rumor that our entire Mortgage department dressed as KFC employees, their manager dressed as the Colonel, and then all went there for lunch! I would have loved to see that!

After work, I made Sean a surprise "spooky" dinner! Thank you Sara for the great idea!

Mummy Hotdogs! Or as Sara says, "Halloweenies!"

Then it was a scary movie (The Reaping, totally creepy) and now we're catching up on our episodes of Supernatural! All of this scary Halloween fun, and not a single Trick or Treater! Oh well, more candy for me!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween :)

Reasons I loved today:

2008-10-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

1. My house smells lovely, because my husband came home with these yesterday:

2. The boots I've been waiting for FOREVER finally came today!

3. My homeboy Barack Obama was on the TV today, and he was amazing. This pic is from the second time I saw him in Eugene:

4. I found this darling, if not blurry, picture of two of my best friends Trey and Amanda, and their beautiful girls Kaitlyn and Stella, along with CJ's daughter Abby (she's the tiny one). I love them!

5. And finally, we took our first yoga class today and it was excellent! I loved it, but man, it's hard! We did this, although the Y is definitely not as amazing as the beach at sunset. But it was a good second choice :) Can't wait to go back!

Run Stephanie, Run!

2008-10-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I have a sign that says that. Those pirates are holding it. My parents made it for me at the last race I ran, the SeaFaire Half Marathon in Bellevue back in June. Three of my fabulous co-workers ran it too, and you can see that they also all have signs, although that pirate is really proud of himself for holding Pants's sign upside down. Whatever, silly pirate.

I was injured in that race, pulled/tore a groin muscle, and even though I finished (4 hours, tons of tears, and one almost give up later) I haven't been able to run since. That race means a lot to me, for a lot of different reasons. It was my second half marathon, one sponsored by my company and attended by me and my friends (and wonderful parents). It was a grand weekend, we had a great time. I felt a little more like a "runner," I had done the routine before: the large meal Saturday night, bringing carb loaded snacks with me on the route, setting up viewpoints for my "fans," etc... we all thought we were prepared.

What that race taught me was to prepare for anything, because running is just that kind of sport. It was the most poorly organized race I have ever seen (and having seen 3, I am a bonafide expert!). It was 90 degrees by the time we finished, at least a 3rd of the course was on open asphault, there were San Francisco sized hills no one knew about, no shade, they started late, they ran out of water, etc. I know they had no control over the weather, but when you know the day before that it's gonna be that hot, and there's a Safeway next to the finish line, GO BUY SOME WATER! If it weren't for the kind people who stood for hours in their front lawns, spraying us with their hoses and in many cases bringing out glasses and fruit for us, I think we all would have had heat stroke. If it hadn't been for my dad, who came to see me at mile 8, saw that I was injured (thanks a lot super crazy hill at mile 7), and walked the rest of the 5.1 miles with me, I wouldn't have finished at all. He helped me all the way through, offered to take me back to the hotel when I decided to quit at mile 12, and then walked the rest of the way with me when I realized the hotel and the finish line were an equal distance away, and I might as well finish the stupid thing. And so thanks to him, I did finish, even though they ran out of medals, and I didn't get one until about a month ago (they didn't "anticipate" so many people running... HELLO! People register for this thing!). But I did.

Two weeks later Dad and I tried to run the Coburg "Run in the Country" half marathon, but I only made it a block before I had to walk. 5 miles in, we quit. I was ok with that. And I haven't ran since. No Butte to Butte, no Portland Marathon. Until September, I wasn't able to walk more than 6 blocks without limping. Boston was the real test, and I made it through 4 days of hill walking with no problem.

That leads me to here. The Eugene Marathon is in May. I want to run. I ran the half this year, and I can't help but want to do it again. I loved it. It was emotional, and exciting, and hard, and mostly fun! Sean's friend Teresa and I have been talking about running a lot, she lives in San Diego and I want to go down there and run one with her. Sean has said he will get up and go with me, to help motivate me out of bed in the morning. My other fantastic Theresa (who is getting married to the fabulous Michael Mason next August) wants to train with me to help get into wedding shape. So now we will train. I will get up before sunrise, put on my shoes, and go. I am really excited, but really apprehensive. I know how much work this is, and yet have no idea how hard a full 26.2 is going to be. I'm excited for that feeling again, I'm not excited for cold mornings, running for hours on a Saturday, and not sleeping in. But I really want to do it, and that's why I'm telling you all about it. As I told my husband, apparently putting things on the internet makes me feel more accountable, because everyone will know, and wonder, and I don't want to have to explain to the whole giant internet why I wussed out.

So we'll see how it goes. I'll update you, to keep me honest, and I. will. run!

The Y is for YOGA!

2008-10-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

Sean and I went down to our local YMCA and signed up today, so that we can start taking Yoga classes! I am so excited! I've been wanting to take Yoga for a while now, but everywhere that offers classes has them on a pretty tight schedule, and they always start before I get off of work. Then my brilliant husband suggested checking at the Y, and lo and behold, not only do they have Yoga, they have it every night AFTER work, and you get to drop in whenever you want. So it's a WAY better deal, and it's not very expensive since Sean's a student. Woot for taking Yoga, and an even bigger Woot for us taking it together!

Weekend Update...

2008-10-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are, the end of another weekend... here's a glimpse into the fabulous weekend that was ours, maybe you'll understand why I'm sad for it to end....

*W. the movie. Excellent. It makes you think a little harder about this very controversial figure.
*Weekend of love in Portland!
*A 3 course, 3 1/2 hour dinner at Rock Bottom, all topped of with baseball on the big screen and making some new friends!
*The Red Sox winning to force Game 7 in the ACLS!
*Sitting next to the fire at Kells, singing along to the music and havin a grand ol' time.
*HOT TUB. I miss having a hot tub. My aching body LOVED it!
*Sleeping in
*Wandering around Powell's, buying all kinds of new and exciting books, and adding to the list of ones for next time.
*Snuggling on the couch with homework, new books, a warm heater and strawberries.

And so now here we are, but all is not lost. We still have quite a while left to relax, prepare for the week, and of course, GAME 7 stars in a little over an hour!! Go Sox!!!

:)

Dear House, I love you!

2008-10-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

I got to play in my house today! Well, really I got to go observe the electrical inspection, but since we talk about it all the time, and never get to be in it, it was so much fun! Going through all the rooms again was really different, there's a totally different mindset when you know it's gonna be yours, instead of just looking to see if it someday could be. The owner was there, and he's a really nice guy, but it was weird to talk about all the changes (upgrades!) we wanted to make. He asked me what we wanted to do, and I didn't want to seem too excited about changing things. "Well Mr Seller, we love your house, but we're gonna paint it and put in a new door here and take those silly baseboard heaters out, blah blah blah." I didn't want to offend him, because the house is lovely and completely liveable the way it is, I just can't wait to make it even better! But he liked the things I mentioned, so that was good.

Now comes the hard part, picking paint colors and WAITING!!!! 3 weeks seems like such a long time!!!

La casa es mi casa :)

2008-10-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it's time to give a house update, since the previous post brings it up.... We're all set to be homeowners!! Offers have been accepted, appraisals appraised, and inspections inspected. We should close sometime the first week in November and then the painting and moving begin!

Here is our cute little house:

It's a 3 bedroom, 1 bath super cute place, all hardwood, updated (but small) kitchen, and a HUGE backyard with raised vegetable beds and an apple tree. I can't wait to become a gardener! Sean's excited for the two car garage, it affords him lots of manly workspace and he already has quite a few projects planned. We're doing new paint, heating, and windows hopefully right away, everything that's there now is fine, we just want to upgrade. More long term plans include a hot tub (hoorah!), installing a sliding glass door in the office, a new bathroom counter, and possibly a brick bbq in the back, or new driveway in front. We're really excited! Once it's ours, I'll definitely post pictures!

Tagged

2008-10-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is for Sara :)

Four things I love about my husband! (Just four?)

1. He leaves me love notes in the lunches he makes for me!

2. The cute look he gets on his face when he's really concentrating on something

3. His smile

4. He gives me almost daily foot rubs!

(5. and he's dang hot!)

Four movies I would watch more than once:

1. Thirteen Days

2. Elf

3. The Italian Job

4. The American President

Four TV shows I watch:

1. The Office

2. Gilmore Girls

3. Bones

4. Smallville

Four Places I've Been:

1. Boston

2. New York City

3. Washington DC

4. Wrigley Field, Chicago

Four Places I'd like to go:

1. Russia

2. Australia

3. Back to Boston

4. Back to New York

Four people who email me regularly:

1. My twin human, the lovely CJ Brunner (she's the one in the Bride tank top)

2. Pants

3. Lil T

4. Our realtor

Four things I would like to eat:

1. Popcorn!!
2. Tacos

3. Chocolate cake with berry filling

4. I'm gonna go eat chocolate pudding and strawberries, that's close enough!

Four things I look forward to next year:

1. Moving into, decorating, and living in our house! Yes, that's really it!!

2. Paying off all of our debt! Except aforementioned house....

3. Going to Boston!

4. Every day with Sean!

Four people I tag:

1. Erica

2. Jessica

3. Leslie

4. Mel

Gotta be accountable...

2008-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

It's my day off, and if I don't write down my to-do list, it'll never get done. I figure if it's on the internet, then I'll REALLY have to get it done, cause I won't want to admit I was crazy lazy all day... :)

Here's my grand day:

*Finish laundry
*Put away laundry (getting BOTH aspects done is very important!)
*Clean up living room
*Clean bathroom
*Exchange sweater
*Organize house paperwork
*Call about inspections
*Lunch with Gillette
*Go through magazines and comics, read or recycle
*Clean litter box
*Make dinner
* Send reminder message about dinner tomorrow night

We'll see how it goes!

7:47 pm update... well, the items in red are done... oops... and we bought dinner.... double oops...
when this debate is over, I'll get to work! Maybe.... :)

Wednesday morning update: Well, I didn't get all of it done. I'm not sure I got half of it done! But oh well, it was a good day off, and there's always tomorrow!

AMAZING!!

2008-10-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering why my husband just jumped up in the air screaming, it's because our boys from Boston just won the ALDS AT HOME at FENWAY!!!!!! Division Champions, yes they are!!!

Now, on to the American League Championship Series!

It is ON!

YES!!!

2008-10-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

OFFER ACCEPTED!!!

Pending appraisal and inspections, we will soon be homeowners!! I am so excited!!!! :)

Stripes....

2008-10-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm wearing my new scarf today... it's teal and white, and it makes me feel fancy.

Happy Fancy Friday to everyone! :)

Updates....

2008-10-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

So... we're still house searching/wanting... the house we were going to make an offer on is still an option, but we want to look a little more before we decide what we're gonna do. We're both such impulse buyers, and this is DEFINITELY not an impulse purchase. Hopefully we'll know more in the next few days, cause I can't handle all of this stress, all of the time!

On a happy side note, our boys of Boston won their 1st ALDS game last night, woot to Jacoby and our new friend Jason Bay for being AMAZING! Game 2 is tomorrow night, and you know my house will be ALL OVER that TV! Go Red Sox, and good luck White Sox tonight! Get those Rays! :)

I love October....