tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33809006609006151432024-03-13T03:31:05.054-07:00Story Time with Cortney: Student/Worker/ Human Extraordinaire!... because my life is important enough to be documented in post sized portions.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.comBlogger304125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-34607560665293330242012-09-29T12:20:00.000-07:002012-09-29T12:20:07.202-07:00Safe in AlbaniaMore has happened in my life the past few months than I care to share with the internet. But, I have come out of it on the other side and I'm moving forward with my new life and new job in Tirana, Albania.<br />
<br />
I decided to make a fresh start with a new blog, <a href="http://whereexactlyisalbania.blogspot.com/">which you can find here</a>.<br />
<br />
Here's to new beginnings, and being grateful for the chance to have them.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-27606948762276299082012-06-01T20:26:00.000-07:002012-06-01T20:26:53.219-07:00Cue That Ole Timey Rocky Music<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ku5zuXUY_gY/T8mGtAtc3PI/AAAAAAAAC_8/CcmJnnjCe9E/s1600/IMAG0838-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ku5zuXUY_gY/T8mGtAtc3PI/AAAAAAAAC_8/CcmJnnjCe9E/s400/IMAG0838-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted to post some pictures of the festivities I mentioned, but unfortunately every single one had my last name or a student's last name. So, enjoy this picture of me cuddling a student's pet wallaby the last week of school. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
As of last Friday, I finished my internship. I also cried the entire week prior, and was showered in love and hugs and sweet cards and letters and surprise going away parties from students. I have diligently saved all of said cards and letters and will be scanning them and saving them forever and ever amen.<br />
<br />
To say that my last week was a roller coaster of emotion would be an understatement. On the one hand, yes, it was incredibly stressful and I was ready to not work so hard for free- absolutely. I was also over the moon to know that this process, which started in January of 2011, was finally finished. On the other hand, and both feet, and all 20 toes and fingers, I was really sad to leave the students. I adore them, no doubt. The growth I have seen in them this year has been amazing and I'm so proud of everything they've accomplished.<br />
<br />
I had put off a pretty tedious and vital task until the Saturday after my last day. I had to upload virtually all of my grad school assignments from the past year to a website aligned with Colorado's educational standards so that the CDE could verify that I had demonstrated competency in each standard. Thankfully Bobby helped me with the organizing and uploading and it only took us 2 hours. It's all been signed off on so now the final step is for me to submit my official "Hey, Colorado? I've done all this work to become a teacher, can you take a look at it and give me a license?" request. I've already ordered my transcripts for that purpose, and I submitted my leave of absence form to my college for the fall. Let's get real- I need a break and I'm not interested in starting another grad class in the same month that I move to Albania, start a new job, and begin the process of figuring out my day to day work life.<br />
<br />
This past week I've been tying up loose ends, crossing off things on my seemingly interminable to-do list, and making plans for my upcoming road trip. Tomorrow morning we're getting up early to hike <a href="http://www.coloradohikingtrails.net/wiki/Horsetooth_Rock">Horsetooth</a>, so for now I'm cutting this reunion off short. Bobby has booked our ridiculous No Plane-ia to Albania trek, but that's another topic for another post. I'm also still trying to figure out what I'm going to do for a blogging space as we travel around. A part of me is considering starting a new blog altogether, but I'm loathe to leave this one behind, so I may just take it into more of a travel blog direction. Fair warning, a huge portion of traveling and teaching will be paying off student loan debt, so there will be more personal finance things thrown into the mix, too. I'm also just still so leery of blogging after stumbling onto some pretty intense snark sites that a part of me is afraid to ramp up the blogging again. I think people who blog sometimes think that everyone blogs, or knows about it, but in reality it's still a relatively small sub-culture and far flung spaces of the internet can collide in really harsh ways...<br />
<br />
Whoa, sorry. That was a weirdo ramble upon which to end this post. Here's another picture of that wallaby.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cOIwrEhDw8g/T8mHclInWfI/AAAAAAAADAE/VV_Ed_0GxHY/s1600/IMAG0831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cOIwrEhDw8g/T8mHclInWfI/AAAAAAAADAE/VV_Ed_0GxHY/s400/IMAG0831.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm cute and have nothing to do with internet snark sites</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-23404947968402210102012-04-28T21:05:00.004-07:002012-04-28T21:05:43.366-07:00So. Hey, guys.Wow, I left for about two months and Blogger got a facelift! The new editing interface is nice- clean, uncluttered, Mac-ish. I see what you're doing there, Blogger ol' gal.<br />
<br />
Let's see. I've so far survived my second and last semester of student teaching, and I have (consults calendar) exactly 4 weeks left of my year long internship, counting from this coming Monday. Even better, my full time grad school experience ends this coming Monday, so I get to enjoy these last 4 weeks with my students without stressing about my own homework as I hassle them for theirs. Bonus.<br />
<br />
Speaking of students- next year I'll be enjoying teaching students in....<br />
<br />
<br />
Tirana, Albania!<br />
<br />
At the beginning of March I stumbled across a posting for a position in Albania, and after researching the country and the school (rave reviews from all former employees on international teacher's boards) I applied. It was about a month long process full of detailed e-mails with a kind and incredibly helpful director, and at the end of it I had a Skype interview. Within 30 minutes, I was offered the job. This was the first weekend of my Spring Break, so it was a nice cherry on top of the much-needed break. We're leaving Colorado August 1st and I don't have to be in Albania until the last week of August, so we have some... interesting travel plans in the works. More on that later.<br />
<br />
This weekend I'm wrapping up the grad classes, planning my To Kill a Mockingbird final unit, and getting ready to cry my eyes out when I attend graduation for the kids I've worked with all year. Bobby is selling half of our possessions on Craigslist already, and I have a 5 week long solo road trip planned out for my Farewell, Family Summer Tour.<br />
<br />
A huge part of the reason I've been so absent, though, is that there have been some rough times health wise in my family, and my Great Granny passed away in early March. She was sick for a while before, so we were able to go down and say our goodbyes, but it was truly awful and I'm still dealing with it. I still don't think it will fully sink in until I come home from Texas this summer and I'm not able to stop halfway to spend the night and share some time with her in Hillsboro, Kansas. I'll go into more details at a later time, but right now it's still fresh and I'm still dealing with it.<br />
<br />
Who can say when I'll check back in- it might not be until after May 25th, when school is over. Right now I have a good balance of work, school, and life and I don't know where blogging fits in. There has been some drama around blogging recently that has definitely made me skittish of even blogging here on my piddly little personal blog, and I'm still trying to figure out if I want to move forward with an idea for when we're living overseas. We'll see. For now I just wanted to drop in and say hi.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-11543660451564056312012-02-05T09:59:00.000-08:002012-02-05T09:59:53.614-08:00So Far, So Good<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUC3B4dZA78/Ty7DNyX-I8I/AAAAAAAAC_o/ZtIKUb71Kd4/s1600/IMAG0574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUC3B4dZA78/Ty7DNyX-I8I/AAAAAAAAC_o/ZtIKUb71Kd4/s400/IMAG0574.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I read this book in January, and I loved it. I can't wait to see the movie- I had no idea they were making it until I saw this ad in a theater. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> This semester has been better than last in every single area of my life. I'm doing a much better job of maintaining a good work/life balance, I'm able to work out thanks to not having a broken foot, I know what to expect and I'm comfortable at my school/with my students, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel to keep me going- what's up, May 27th!!<br />
<br />
I figured I'd recap how January went in terms of my<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2012/01/oh-right.html"> 3 Main Goals</a>. The above pretty much covers One and Two, so I guess I'll go into a little more detail about Three. In January, I lost 6 pounds towards my goal of 18 pounds. I didn't count calories or obsess over anything, I just went back to eating mindfully and working out. Speaking of the latter- holy shit I was out of shape! It reminded me of how I work out primarily to be a fit, healthy, strong person, not just to "be skinny, yay!" Being able to tackle a hike, or go on a long bike ride, or do a hard yoga class, or go snowshoeing without feeling as though my heart is going to hummingbird out of my chest and explode in front of my face- that is why I work out. I love lifting weights and seeing myself get stronger each week. I look forward to the random crazy poses in yoga that challenge my flexibility, balance, and strength. I truly enjoy a brutal interval workout in spinning that makes me question whether or not my legs can even keep moving, and then they do. I think that Goal Three has probably been the foundation for making Goal One and Two so much more doable: I have more energy and I'm in a better mood, and (totally obvious observation alert) what do you know, that makes life in general a lot easier. As to the GoodReads 52 books in 2012 goal, I'm about 2 books ahead right now, and I'm finding, as I did last year, that having this goal is great for curtailing mindless internet surfing.<br />
<br />
January pretty much zipped right before me before I could blink, and it's strange to think that I have only 4 more months left before I am a certified teacher with only 4 classes left towards my second master's degree! Our lease is up the end of May, and we're not sure yet if we're staying in Colorado through the summer until I find a job overseas in Aug/Sept, or if we're going to spend the summer bouncing around the U.S., road tripping and visiting friends before I take up said overseas job. I'm hoping for the latter, but that depends on job situations out of our control. For now I'm just enjoying teaching, getting myself back into shape, and having dedicated free time to spend with Bobby and our friends, actually having a life outside of school/work.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-19979391416311766792012-01-22T17:45:00.000-08:002012-01-22T17:45:21.630-08:00Snowshoeing and Sunrises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FccBeH2FcjE/Txy7GrFZOkI/AAAAAAAAC-w/Umh18xG-VJ0/s1600/IMAG0612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FccBeH2FcjE/Txy7GrFZOkI/AAAAAAAAC-w/Umh18xG-VJ0/s400/IMAG0612.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bCvnw8-Jtrk/Txy7HKsbIII/AAAAAAAAC-4/k7oauYFipbY/s1600/IMAG0614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bCvnw8-Jtrk/Txy7HKsbIII/AAAAAAAAC-4/k7oauYFipbY/s400/IMAG0614.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlAG6WzKRs0/Txy7HxfU7rI/AAAAAAAAC_A/t3gtMF2WQM4/s1600/IMAG0615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlAG6WzKRs0/Txy7HxfU7rI/AAAAAAAAC_A/t3gtMF2WQM4/s400/IMAG0615.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lq3dwSNTLAc/Txy7Ia9Bj-I/AAAAAAAAC_I/5DQMpDlGEu8/s1600/IMAG0621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lq3dwSNTLAc/Txy7Ia9Bj-I/AAAAAAAAC_I/5DQMpDlGEu8/s400/IMAG0621.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gyMJDxl7IqA/Txy7IxHMIEI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/RbJn0-6hEoQ/s1600/IMAG0622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gyMJDxl7IqA/Txy7IxHMIEI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/RbJn0-6hEoQ/s400/IMAG0622.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P5aSby3zMkQ/Txy7Je52PRI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/wvMp9eBPSuY/s1600/IMAG0627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P5aSby3zMkQ/Txy7Je52PRI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/wvMp9eBPSuY/s400/IMAG0627.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MD7AhOF14ng/Txy7J_jBkxI/AAAAAAAAC_g/79efYUURpVQ/s1600/IMAG0630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MD7AhOF14ng/Txy7J_jBkxI/AAAAAAAAC_g/79efYUURpVQ/s400/IMAG0630.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>Just a collection of cell phone pictures from my mornings on the way to school and our weekend snowshoeing trip. No editing or fancy filters, kind of grainy, but I like 'em. <br />
<br />
School is going well, teaching is great, and I've been reading a lot lately. All in all, life is good.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-20093889710278003422012-01-19T13:24:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:24:00.193-08:00Oh, Right...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RVjxD4nP-ds/TxiIAX6ORUI/AAAAAAAAC-o/PEfaFFA5yMA/s1600/IMAG0614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RVjxD4nP-ds/TxiIAX6ORUI/AAAAAAAAC-o/PEfaFFA5yMA/s640/IMAG0614.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A perk of leaving my house at 7 a.m.- sunrise as captured on my cell phone, no filters/editing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I suppose I never did the follow-up post to my <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-goals-in-review.html">2011goals in review</a> post. I know we're almost an entire month into 2012, but I figure I'll get these goals nailed down for posterity, so I can either revel in victory or toil under shame, depending upon how they work out.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned, I think a huge issue last year was my glaring oversight in not making pre-grad school and during-grad school goals. This led me to decide that I would make a set of goals that were specific to January 1st- May 31st. That encompasses my entire second semester of grad school, plus all of my student teaching, plus the end of our lease here in Colorado. What happens come June 1st is truly completely up in the air. A lot depends upon where Bobby is working by then, where I might be working, where family members are in the U.S. and where we might be visiting them, etc. There is a possibility we may go month to month and stay in Colorado through August, maybe not. Basically, the only logical thing is to plan from January to May because that is the only thing I'm sure of at the moment. I'm also taking into consideration how much of a brutal, stressful time suck grad school+ student teaching is (something I had no idea about last January) which led to a significant paring down of any goals. In fact, I only have 3, as follows, in no particular order:<br />
<br />
1. <b>Work/Life- specifically Work/Relationship- balance:</b> A lot of the particulars of this goal are personal to my, well, personal relationships, but let's just say that last semester was a big stressful wad of no social life and little to no fun/going out. This isn't good for me, or the people who <strike>put up with</strike> love me. Therefore, I set up my weekly schedule so that I do absolutely no lesson planning/homework on Friday night after school, all day Saturday, and Saturday night. This gives me two nights a week of guilt free, I'm not worrying about homework freedom. It also averts the problem of letting fear of finishing a project interfere with needed downtime, <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/11/way-we-think-things-will-go-vs-reality.html">which I wrote about at length</a>. Plus, it gives Bobby and I a guaranteed date night, or time for hanging out with friends, or making random day trips to Boulder/Denver, etc. And I get to stay out late/sleep in, because homework/lesson planning are not even options.<br />
<br />
2. <b>Graduate School and Student teaching</b>: My goals here are simple and straightforward: successfully complete my student teaching (with all the reviews and lesson planning and grading and after school work and professional development that entails) and end the semester with another 4.0 in all of my grad classes. Come May I will have 27 hours towards my graduate degree and have all of the necessary training for my certification. I've kicked ass for the first half of this journey, and I want to finish strong.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Health and Fitness:</b> Return to my former level of fitness and lose the 18 pounds I gained while on crutches. I know a lot of people think it's terrible to focus on a scale, but facts are facts: before breaking my foot, I was incredibly active and ate whatever I wanted, in moderation. After breaking my foot, I wasn't active at all, and I turned to food for entertainment/stress relief. There were several times when I wasn't hungry at all, was physically full, but was so bored and stressed that I would knock back dessert and sweet coffee and sodas because it was the only fun to be had when one is chained to a chair with a broken foot doing 5 hours of homework. I am not saying that everyone who gains 18 pounds does so because of inactivity and eating poorly, but for me, that is clearly the case. Further, only 1 pair of jeans fit, none of my professional slacks fit, and half of my button front shirts do not fit. Further still, in only two weeks of going back to my previous activity levels/eating habits, I have dropped 6 pounds. I'm not counting calories or obsessing, I'm just returning to my previous lifestyle of frequent, fun activity and eating mindfully. I went snowshoeing- one of my favorite activities- last week and was so out of shape that I had to stop after every single hill, no matter how moderate. This is not a feeling I enjoy, at all. I want to be fit again. I will be fit again. My specific goals in this arena are to do the following, weekly: 2 hours of cardio, 2 hours of yoga, and two sessions of weightlifting (full body, free weights). This schedule is necessary for my sanity in order to counteract all the time I am forced to sit for hours on end as I commute and lesson plan and do homework and grade papers.<br />
<br />
4. <b>Read 52 books in 2012:</b> This is the only yearlong goal I'm making, because I can do this wherever I am in the world. I love using Goodreads to keep up with this easily, and it definitely motivated me to turn off the internet and pick up a book instead.<br />
<br />
Really, 1-3 Jan-May goals all come back to this: organizing my time wisely. I'm trying to avoid the trap of feeling pressure to get homework done, not wanting to do it, forcing myself to sit at the computer, and then wasting 3 hours on the internet as I try to avoid said homework. If I can structure my weekly schedule more realistically/efficiently, I can easily have time for a social life and working out, and still be successful in school and student teaching. So far, it's going well. I think just keeping a laser focus on these three areas will keep me sane over the next few months, not to mention give me a lot of happiness and stress relief, too.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-76082797127940659722012-01-01T21:40:00.000-08:002012-01-01T21:40:33.956-08:00Happy New Year's!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LhODId7Km7o/TwE926vz2eI/AAAAAAAAC-g/GAzohq1P4j0/s1600/IMAG0610-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LhODId7Km7o/TwE926vz2eI/AAAAAAAAC-g/GAzohq1P4j0/s640/IMAG0610-1.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was <a href="http://www.martinellis.com/products/sparkling/spacran.shtml">Martinelli's Sparkling Apple-Cranberry</a>. I highly recommend it for all the perennial DD's like me out there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>New Year's Eve was really the perfect kind of laid back but still fun and social night- <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-eves-of-yesteryear.html">exactly what I look for</a> in a NYE experience. We picked up our friend, Matt, for a late dinner and then headed to a house party hosted by Bobby's co-workers. Lauren was one of those thoughtful hosts who made appetizers, put up pretty lights everywhere, and generally made sure we all had a good time. I only knew Bobby, Matt, and one of their co-workers, Christy, and it was fun to hang out with new people and talk to random strangers. We were up and out until 3 a.m. and unfortunately I woke up at 8:30 this morning, but if that's my only complaint I'm doing okay.<br />
<br />
We spent New Year's Day eating a late breakfast at Whole Foods before getting a much needed pile of groceries to replenish the pantry that has been barely used all fall and early winter. Laundry and house chores and a 3 hour nap followed while Bobby picked up snowshoes- <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-eve-part-ii-red-white-party.html">weird, this is a carbon copy of last year</a>. It's 10:30 p.m. right now and I feel so terribly sleepy and fuzzy headed/dizzy that I can't even imagine how crappy I'd feel without said nap. I just finished making <a href="http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2011/01/curried-roasted-pear-and-butternut.html#comment-form">this soup</a> on <a href="http://thatwifeblog.com/">Jenna's</a> recommendation, and I'm keeping myself awake by blogging while I wait for it to cool enough to food process- fascinating stuff, I know. Trust me, forming semi-coherent thoughts is about all I have right now, witty/interesting is a frill that requires more sleep. The first day of 2012 goals have gone well so far, but I'm much too tired to blog about that, so another time.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow morning it's back to the grind with a 6 a.m. wake up before heading to school to plan and prep all day. I'm actually, in a weird way, kind of looking forward to getting back into a routine of school and teaching, if only because I'm looking forward to May when I will finally be certified. I have a feeling the next 5 months are going to be stressful, rewarding, overwhelming, and busy. They'll probably also fly by, if last semester is any indication. <br />
<br />
Ok, off to food process and then drop from exhaustion. Merry fabulous 2012!Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-33223775965467632442011-12-30T16:11:00.000-08:002011-12-30T16:11:36.132-08:002011 Goals in Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dFjJ0G04rEE/Tv5RlD829OI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/2lIRwd2wNLI/s1600/P7106292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dFjJ0G04rEE/Tv5RlD829OI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/2lIRwd2wNLI/s640/P7106292.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, sometimes 2011 goal accomplishing felt this futile, I won't lie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Back in January, I posted my goals for the year with a <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-goals-or-this-post-may-come-back.html">lengthy musing on goals in general</a>. From January until May I did monthly reviews- all found under the<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/search/label/2011%20goals"> "2011 goals"</a> tag. Then June and July were packed with traveling and school prep and people visiting from out of town, so I didn't do the monthly reviews, although I kept up with the goals. Unfortunately, I <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/08/lowered-expectations-and-absences.html">broke my foot</a> right around the time I started school. <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/08/and-so-it-begins.html">The crutches</a>, naturally, killed any working out, and the school going and student teaching began to eat almost <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/10/regarding-happenings-of-last-month.html">every ounce</a> of <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/11/way-we-think-things-will-go-vs-reality.html">free time</a> I had. I was impressed with my progress from January to July, but so many things fell apart in August to December. I feel I should almost break the year into two parts- Before Broken Foot/Grad School/Student Teaching and After. Let's just say "Before" and "After" for brevity's sake, shall we? Without further ado, the review...</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Prtmdj_R0PU/Tv5RGhUdJzI/AAAAAAAAC-E/grVWlrqzX0o/s1600/019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Prtmdj_R0PU/Tv5RGhUdJzI/AAAAAAAAC-E/grVWlrqzX0o/s320/019.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one point, as evidenced by this crappy phone pic, things were going pretty well in this department.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Food and Fitness</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Do at least two cardio workouts a week + three additional workouts (any type including yoga)</span>: <b><i> </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Before</i></b>- I was rocking this goal. I was<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/07/weighty-matters.html"> lifting weights</a> again, doing yoga, <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/search/label/Bicycles">bicycling</a> up to 10 miles a day as a main form of transportation, and kicking ass at <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/search/label/C25K">C25K</a>. <i><b> </b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><b>After</b></i>- Well, clearly I did a whole lot of nothing when I was on the crutches for 8 weeks between August and October. I got off the crutches October 9th, but just walking made my foot sore for a good month after that, so I officially started working out again November 9th. I made sporadic starts and stops, but was honestly terrified of hurting myself again so I shied away from working out. I've been doing much better in December, working out on average about twice a week for the month. So far the foot isn't hurting at all, and I've done spinning, yoga, and today I lifted heavy weights again with no pain. I have very high hopes for 2012 in this area.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Get down to one soda and one coffee per week or less: <span style="color: black;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><i><b>Before</b></i>- I was probably averaging more like two each per week, which was still a huge positive change. <i><b>After</b></i>- Please. I was bored because I wasn't working out, exhausted from my new schedule, and turning to any kind of fun that could be had in the form of a beverage. Fail, miserable, miserable fail.</span></div><span style="color: red;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Give C25K another try (applies to cardio workout goal above)</span>:</div><div class="MsoNormal">See above- great Before, unable to do it even if I wanted to After and possibly not until February or March of next year. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hzWdJt97cF0/Tv5Qq90dBkI/AAAAAAAAC94/TVPkLSwP7lU/s1600/IMAG0726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hzWdJt97cF0/Tv5Qq90dBkI/AAAAAAAAC94/TVPkLSwP7lU/s640/IMAG0726.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did more than just contribute to other people's projects, I promise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Misc Goals and Projects</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">West Coast Swing lessons- aim for once a week, go at least twice a month;<span> </span>belly dancing lessons on Sundays:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">These stopped over summer when we were doing all of our traveling (you pay for them on a monthly basis and it would have been a waste) with full intentions of picking up again once school started. Again, broken foot/crutches made this impossible, and by the time November 9th rolled around we were into holiday travel season and had planned to be out of town for 1/4 of November and half of December. </span> </div><span style="color: red;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Finish rainbow quilt, blue crocheted baby blanket, and Kate’s quilt- work on similar projects at least twice a month</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">I finished the<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/blue-weekend.html"> blue baby blanket</a> and <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/kates-birthday-quilt.html">Kate's quilt</a>, but didn't touch the rainbow quilt. I also <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/muppet-tentacle-scarf.html">made a scarf</a> and did some other crafting here and there, but all of that stopped once school started. It just wasn't a priority to me anymore, and I willfully stopped doing it.</span> </div><span style="color: red;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Scan in journals/letters/cards; finish editing pictures & deleting unwanted pics; organizing files</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">I organized the journals/letters/cards in a major way. I threw away a good 75% of them when I went to Texas in April/May because many of them were just random birthday or Christmas cards with nothing more than a signature. I wanted to save and scan in cards with lengthy messages and personal notes in them, not just cute cards, you know? I did the same with letters, when I realize that many of the things I had saved were from when I was 18 years old, and the people and things that were important to me then just aren't anymore. In fact, when I cleaned out my hope chest I threw away all of my medals/trophies from high school, my scripts from One Act Play, etc. It felt good. I also threw away a lot of journals that were also more painful than anything, things I wouldn't want anyone else to read,<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-should-be-making-muffins.html"> things I barely wanted to read anymore</a>.</span> <span style="color: black;">Again, I realized it wasn't worth the time to scan them in. I did well on scanning in the things I did care about from January-July, but I haven't touched this project since August. I kicked ass at the second part of this goal- my pictures are 80% sorted and edited (cropping, lighting, not Photoshop or anything crazy) and organized. I'm very happy with my progress on this entire goal, in both parts. </span></div><span style="color: red;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Update blog at least twice a week/creative writing once a week</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><i><b>Before</b></i>- Yep.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><i><b>After</b></i>- Nope. </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jW9InOW_ZSA/Tv5Pe1iDBLI/AAAAAAAAC9s/R6qYuExVLps/s1600/093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jW9InOW_ZSA/Tv5Pe1iDBLI/AAAAAAAAC9s/R6qYuExVLps/s640/093.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner theater performance at my placement high school</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Career and Finances</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Continue to volunteer with SSI and VE & complete Community Based Development Certificate:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Done and done! I actually finished the 4th and final class towards the certificate this semester, which meant at one point I was taking 4 classes 0_o I'm excited to continue working with both of these organizations, I really believe in their work. Bobby and I were able to go to the fall gala for VE, and it was really moving and reminded me of why I work for free :)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Begin Teacher Certification program and internship in August:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Check! I currently have a 4.0 and things are going really well. As they should, considering how much work I've put into it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Try to find a part time job that works around current internships:</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was offered one job at the beginning of September that I turned down- teaching English online- because while the pay was good for a part time job- $15 an hour- there was a lot of extra unpaid work. Basically, you didn't get paid unless you were teaching, so all prep work/grading/e-mails were unpaid. It worked out to less than $8 an hour, plus I would have had to get up at 5 a.m. four days a week (including Saturday) in order to do it. I then successfully applied to a local call center around the end of September. However, by that point I was knee deep into the reality of my student teaching/volunteering/full time grad school and my 50-60 hour weeks left not room for this. Bobby and I agreed that a part time job would be an unnecessary additional stress, and that I should focus on my internship. Thankfully I paid off all my debt two years ago except student loans, and those are deferred and interest free in school.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYSPOXRdy48/Tv5O-tUOCOI/AAAAAAAAC9g/qHFz_00rDlY/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYSPOXRdy48/Tv5O-tUOCOI/AAAAAAAAC9g/qHFz_00rDlY/s640/017.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Personal Improvement</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Read one book a week/52 books in a year:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Accomplished! Click the widget on my sidebar or <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/80120">go here</a> to check out my books. I'm really glad I made reading a top priority this year. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">Regular Spanish study- Rosetta Stone, books, Spanish Word of the Day- at least 3 times a week:</div><div class="MsoNormal">I should have taken this off of my list after the first two months of failure. With everything else I had going on, I just couldn't bring myself to make this a priority. I threw myself into reading and researching everything I could get my hands on about education/teaching from June until now, so any spare education time was spent on supporting my current endeavors in grad school/student teaching.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">No more than one hour of internet during weekdays:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nope. From January to August I probably averaged about two hours- for everything, from FB to blogs to news to whatever- but once I started school I would spend hours researching and looking for lesson plan ideas. I would also turn to internet for entertainment/winding down when my foot was broken. I think this needs to get better in 2012. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itthCbjCqTc/Tv5OSfBTl-I/AAAAAAAAC9E/LdbVqTJMC0E/s1600/196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itthCbjCqTc/Tv5OSfBTl-I/AAAAAAAAC9E/LdbVqTJMC0E/s640/196.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Nat'l Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Travel To-Do</u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Montana and Yellowstone Nat’l Park</span>: Check. We turned this into a 12 day long, 3,000 mile road trip that included Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, and Utah. I never blogged about it, but it was amazing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Badlands</span>: Check</div><div class="MsoNormal">Go to at least one hot springs location: Nope.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Travel to Denver and Boulder at least twice each for events or day trips:</span> Check. We more than accomplished this and it was nice to do some local exploring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">See a concert at Red Rocks:</span> Nope. We had tickets to see Death Cab for Cutie, and it was two weeks after I broke my foot. It's a hike to get out there, and my foot was newly broken and sore, so Bobby went with a co-worker.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Travel to Texas at end of HP contract for an extended amount of time</span>: Check. We also threw in the Thanksgiving trip as a bonus.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8n8xE2tjoUI/Tv5Ok20XEAI/AAAAAAAAC9U/tYfCqfXfjfA/s1600/137_137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8n8xE2tjoUI/Tv5Ok20XEAI/AAAAAAAAC9U/tYfCqfXfjfA/s640/137_137.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet old pic of the 3 of us- I'm rocking the hell out of that side pony and yellow dress.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><b><u>Family</u></b> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Call all grandparents and parents at least once a month/ Send more mail (specifically to Great Granny monthly):</span> Accomplished. We also started a tradition of sending postcards to the kids in our family/grandparents/parents from all the places we travel. It began in Peru/Ecuador, and just kept going. My cousin's son and Bobby's niece and nephews really look forward to getting mail. I'm actually about to write a postcard to my Great Granny right now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All in all, even with the derail that was "After" I feel pretty good about this year. The only place where I really feel like I failed miserably was regarding the Spanish study. I think I should have divided my year, preemptively, into Before School Starts and After School Starts. This would have been more reasonable. As a result, that's exactly what I'm doing for 2012 goals. I have goals for January- May, that take into account that beating that is full time graduate school and student teaching. Bobby and I hung out at a coffee shop and talked about our respective goals day before yesterday. I have 3 main areas of focus, with very specific goals, to keep it simple and sweet during next semester but still get the important things done. They'll probably go up on New Year's Day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have to say, all the self-reflection about goal setting and accomplishing things is making me feel even worse about the fact that I have severely procrastinated on a few important things for the start of next semester. Maybe my productive procrastination, in the form of writing this insanely long post, did serve a purpose after all other than contribute to my eventual carpal tunnel syndrome? We'll see. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-57453978827380097172011-12-29T17:47:00.000-08:002011-12-29T17:48:35.891-08:00Great Sand Dunes National ParkOn the drive back from our <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/12/lets-talk-about-thanksgiving-since-its.html">Thanksgiving trip to Texas</a>, we decided to hit up <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm">Great Sand Dunes National Park</a>. They're the tallest sand dunes in North America, and they're at 8,000 feet elevation. As a bonus, it had snowed the night before. It was gorgeous, and totally surreal to see huge sand dunes ringed by snow capped mountains. We didn't have as much time there as we would have wanted, but since we have to go back to the general area for Royal Gorge sometime, we decided that we'd also re-visit the park. The dunes, for your viewing pleasure...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FfSp6Yt95xs/Tv0U6RM5g2I/AAAAAAAAC5k/fPnm1MmUjoo/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FfSp6Yt95xs/Tv0U6RM5g2I/AAAAAAAAC5k/fPnm1MmUjoo/s640/003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jz5BrT6s2Sk/Tv0URwGT5JI/AAAAAAAAC5U/cigoKz-_OoE/s1600/IMAG0416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jz5BrT6s2Sk/Tv0URwGT5JI/AAAAAAAAC5U/cigoKz-_OoE/s640/IMAG0416.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xybWJxb_Is/Tv0VRZEZfEI/AAAAAAAAC5w/t9cywf9s0tc/s1600/003+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xybWJxb_Is/Tv0VRZEZfEI/AAAAAAAAC5w/t9cywf9s0tc/s640/003+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uS_13jpirX0/Tv0VTkNH6RI/AAAAAAAAC54/mcyhUPfAihE/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uS_13jpirX0/Tv0VTkNH6RI/AAAAAAAAC54/mcyhUPfAihE/s640/007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AbJQpFNe-gU/Tv0VWuD1NEI/AAAAAAAAC6A/pVEllIMOshY/s1600/008+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AbJQpFNe-gU/Tv0VWuD1NEI/AAAAAAAAC6A/pVEllIMOshY/s640/008+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P4cBx04o_Js/Tv0VZvtz_DI/AAAAAAAAC6I/p0s6vHtUqT0/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P4cBx04o_Js/Tv0VZvtz_DI/AAAAAAAAC6I/p0s6vHtUqT0/s640/008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--rNDPyBGZA0/Tv0VdsvcRXI/AAAAAAAAC6U/g9phiNi5x-w/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--rNDPyBGZA0/Tv0VdsvcRXI/AAAAAAAAC6U/g9phiNi5x-w/s640/009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdLckoZhB5U/Tv0Vg2cOozI/AAAAAAAAC6c/fGgJQG9blNw/s1600/010+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdLckoZhB5U/Tv0Vg2cOozI/AAAAAAAAC6c/fGgJQG9blNw/s640/010+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gLtmioIDSQ8/Tv0VlaqMInI/AAAAAAAAC6k/rDwxFEsO3-M/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gLtmioIDSQ8/Tv0VlaqMInI/AAAAAAAAC6k/rDwxFEsO3-M/s640/011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nbRXXJAN-Y/Tv0WYU2apuI/AAAAAAAAC60/4DqBRpTs9K8/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nbRXXJAN-Y/Tv0WYU2apuI/AAAAAAAAC60/4DqBRpTs9K8/s640/015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIohZs895Bg/Tv0WbJH20HI/AAAAAAAAC68/5GQranR9PZ0/s1600/018+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIohZs895Bg/Tv0WbJH20HI/AAAAAAAAC68/5GQranR9PZ0/s640/018+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MMno5s-L58/Tv0Wd6gUdQI/AAAAAAAAC7E/zahWWXGDvIQ/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MMno5s-L58/Tv0Wd6gUdQI/AAAAAAAAC7E/zahWWXGDvIQ/s640/018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-38Q9whDkLIg/Tv0Wg9gjUJI/AAAAAAAAC7U/tqHQwiikKU0/s1600/019+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-38Q9whDkLIg/Tv0Wg9gjUJI/AAAAAAAAC7U/tqHQwiikKU0/s640/019+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UY450ukLDs/Tv0WsVZx52I/AAAAAAAAC7w/BYVeK7rCTV0/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UY450ukLDs/Tv0WsVZx52I/AAAAAAAAC7w/BYVeK7rCTV0/s640/026.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-gZ9qKAuJo/Tv0WwV0aRPI/AAAAAAAAC74/kGn5Y17-FfI/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-gZ9qKAuJo/Tv0WwV0aRPI/AAAAAAAAC74/kGn5Y17-FfI/s640/027.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rt9zhXnSfLg/Tv0W02NwhgI/AAAAAAAAC8E/1fTmnwurMVU/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rt9zhXnSfLg/Tv0W02NwhgI/AAAAAAAAC8E/1fTmnwurMVU/s640/033.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kCmJ6CaUPg/Tv0W2P1qz7I/AAAAAAAAC8M/fWI3oIhEw2I/s1600/IMAG0423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kCmJ6CaUPg/Tv0W2P1qz7I/AAAAAAAAC8M/fWI3oIhEw2I/s640/IMAG0423.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hseboekDIfg/Tv0W3iJb49I/AAAAAAAAC8U/9uoyNhIKg0E/s1600/IMAG0436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hseboekDIfg/Tv0W3iJb49I/AAAAAAAAC8U/9uoyNhIKg0E/s640/IMAG0436.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J6S7CYYaf6Y/Tv0W48fXI6I/AAAAAAAAC8c/giSvFOZDCyo/s1600/IMAG0437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J6S7CYYaf6Y/Tv0W48fXI6I/AAAAAAAAC8c/giSvFOZDCyo/s640/IMAG0437.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oeba5RACGW0/Tv0W6q0VnjI/AAAAAAAAC8k/ZWothOPNnUs/s1600/IMAG0441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oeba5RACGW0/Tv0W6q0VnjI/AAAAAAAAC8k/ZWothOPNnUs/s640/IMAG0441.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F7VqGsXpZYw/Tv0W8TmBY3I/AAAAAAAAC8s/OAlBsbI_eJA/s1600/IMAG0443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F7VqGsXpZYw/Tv0W8TmBY3I/AAAAAAAAC8s/OAlBsbI_eJA/s640/IMAG0443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f0pvJk5mAMs/Tv0W9kZ_yGI/AAAAAAAAC80/RZwDtKY2AcE/s1600/IMAG0444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f0pvJk5mAMs/Tv0W9kZ_yGI/AAAAAAAAC80/RZwDtKY2AcE/s640/IMAG0444.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
If you're ever in the area, please check it out. It's definitely worth driving a bit out of your way (two hours round trip for us added on) to experience it.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-84663842060676207832011-12-26T21:03:00.000-08:002011-12-26T21:03:37.638-08:00And So This (Was) Christmas<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oq3g03JsfOY/TvlOPhrdIpI/AAAAAAAACyk/3NgiuPCd10A/s1600/IMAG0468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oq3g03JsfOY/TvlOPhrdIpI/AAAAAAAACyk/3NgiuPCd10A/s640/IMAG0468.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last week of school before Christmas break- I actually had time to go out! A pre-Christmas miracle. Also, we look photo-shopped and insane.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YaVYQi4fiaw/TvlOQOLUZqI/AAAAAAAACys/uQv_X5SNHKg/s1600/IMAG0470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YaVYQi4fiaw/TvlOQOLUZqI/AAAAAAAACys/uQv_X5SNHKg/s640/IMAG0470.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festive downtown</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUPxifE6JVQ/TvlOQg3HTrI/AAAAAAAACy0/VuqoAYVSwmE/s1600/IMAG0472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUPxifE6JVQ/TvlOQg3HTrI/AAAAAAAACy0/VuqoAYVSwmE/s640/IMAG0472.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r6WiaJjYia8/TvlOQ0LnoYI/AAAAAAAACy8/lpBn-z-FJuQ/s1600/IMAG0492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r6WiaJjYia8/TvlOQ0LnoYI/AAAAAAAACy8/lpBn-z-FJuQ/s640/IMAG0492.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree, inside, before (we suspect) it <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-plagues-hurray.html">tried to kill me.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAdhtBJz-pU/TvlOSVbXgbI/AAAAAAAACzU/cG76rRvu_AY/s1600/IMAG0502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAdhtBJz-pU/TvlOSVbXgbI/AAAAAAAACzU/cG76rRvu_AY/s640/IMAG0502.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobby came home from Texas bearing stocking gifts</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sTruZvZWRqU/TvlOS2z4CWI/AAAAAAAACzc/5Hw2uUkOkqQ/s1600/IMAG0526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sTruZvZWRqU/TvlOS2z4CWI/AAAAAAAACzc/5Hw2uUkOkqQ/s640/IMAG0526.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We checked out the lights display at the park on the way home from the hive-free haven of our friends' house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QAiu1O2YkY/TvlOTa2uhtI/AAAAAAAACzk/Ua6Wza1vepw/s1600/IMAG0534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QAiu1O2YkY/TvlOTa2uhtI/AAAAAAAACzk/Ua6Wza1vepw/s640/IMAG0534.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry Lemon Baked French Toast on Christmas morning- I managed to take the most unappetizing picture of it ever. Recipe<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/baked-french-toast-with-blueberries-recipe/index.html"> here</a> if you're interested.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RxQ9O79kDqk/TvlOUKy2m8I/AAAAAAAACzs/G-von_QQdEY/s1600/IMAG0536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RxQ9O79kDqk/TvlOUKy2m8I/AAAAAAAACzs/G-von_QQdEY/s640/IMAG0536.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Christmas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-src2tkqf_0E/TvlOVnNPQQI/AAAAAAAACz4/sqe6QANGNQQ/s1600/IMAG0540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-src2tkqf_0E/TvlOVnNPQQI/AAAAAAAACz4/sqe6QANGNQQ/s640/IMAG0540.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hot tub in our new place wasn't up to par, so we drove over to our old apartment and used their facilities.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NG3SvK8Atp4/TvlOW76jm8I/AAAAAAAAC0I/DUMORkZozm0/s1600/IMAG0541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NG3SvK8Atp4/TvlOW76jm8I/AAAAAAAAC0I/DUMORkZozm0/s640/IMAG0541.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antici....pation</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MU7J97kjkok/TvlOXR3pW9I/AAAAAAAAC0Q/Dgexe7v8c8E/s1600/IMAG0542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MU7J97kjkok/TvlOXR3pW9I/AAAAAAAAC0Q/Dgexe7v8c8E/s640/IMAG0542.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h5lAAbgoRZs/TvlOXxOLiJI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/JEvbluCpugA/s1600/IMAG0543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h5lAAbgoRZs/TvlOXxOLiJI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/JEvbluCpugA/s640/IMAG0543.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas hot tub needs to be a permanent tradition. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lmKZLxm-gU0/TvlOYxdkgBI/AAAAAAAAC0s/cDndxb0j_v4/s1600/IMAG0554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lmKZLxm-gU0/TvlOYxdkgBI/AAAAAAAAC0s/cDndxb0j_v4/s640/IMAG0554.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I came home and cooked for about two hours. Poppy seed crusted butternut squash and pomegranates in kale salad with homemade dressing; roasted brussels sprouts; pan seared wild caught salmon; roasted fennel with red onions, oranges, and mint; Stove Top Stuffing out of a box (just to mix things up)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XFByUZJkC9A/TvlOZk6ySuI/AAAAAAAAC00/tZyW4c8G03E/s1600/IMAG0556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XFByUZJkC9A/TvlOZk6ySuI/AAAAAAAAC00/tZyW4c8G03E/s640/IMAG0556.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After dinner Bobby made a fire, so we could sort of enjoy the tree by the fire. I took a shower and curled up in my robe in front of it with all the lights off and candles lit while Bobby cleaned up after dinner. Then we stayed up talking for a few hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IE60lz9zN_E/TvlOZ9RrVAI/AAAAAAAAC08/wgu6eW0fai8/s1600/IMAG0558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IE60lz9zN_E/TvlOZ9RrVAI/AAAAAAAAC08/wgu6eW0fai8/s640/IMAG0558.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas 2011 was great, <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-plagues-hurray.html">hives and all.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-61900346363836511762011-12-26T20:43:00.000-08:002011-12-26T20:43:51.191-08:00Christmas Plagues, Hurray!I've been eagerly awaiting Christmas break for a good while now. I have an entire month off of my graduate program, and I have 17 days off of student teaching. Here's how I planned it out- I would leave school on Friday, December 16th, attend two Christmas parties, and then do some things for my teaching certification (I have to submit scads of paperwork and evidence, it's obnoxious). I figured I'd be disgustingly lazy on Saturday, sleeping in, screwing around on the internet, eating crappy food, reading books, squandering time like a champ. Sunday I would clean the house from top to bottom, do all my laundry, finish up my evidence submitting for school to the CDE, and then Mon/Tues/Wed I would do the semester planning, syllabus writing, lesson planning (a huge project). This would, theoretically, leave me with 10 straight days during which I had no worries, cares, responsibilities, or deadlines/projects looming over my head. <br />
<br />
So, everything went according to plan until Sunday night. I went to bed, happy and tired from a productive day, ready to wake up early and hit the library. Instead, I woke up at 4 a.m. itchy and fuzzy headed. There was a huge welt on my elbow, and on my knee. I thought I had been bitten by something. Bobby told me it looked liked hives (which I've never had). I went back to sleep, only to be awoken at 6 a.m. to lumpy, swollen hives all over both of my arms, my side, and my leg. Here's an idea, just picture this, you know, all over-<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r-yMUdbKAho/TvlImnJFRuI/AAAAAAAACyM/vt2rKAFVJbo/s1600/IMAG0509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r-yMUdbKAho/TvlImnJFRuI/AAAAAAAACyM/vt2rKAFVJbo/s400/IMAG0509.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this picture and sent it to my mom so she could tell me if I was going to die. I'm only kind of kidding.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We decided to head to Urgent Care, which opened at 7 a.m. By the time we got there, most of them had faded. I chalked it up to the cleaner I had used the day before during Winter Clean-a-thon 2011, the doctor gave me some steroid cream, and I went along my way. Later that night, they came back with a vengeance, this time all over my upper body, with huge dinner plate sized welts covering my stomach. I chugged Benadryl and conked out, sleeping from 6 to midnight and then from midnight until ten a.m. Vacation was off to a GREAT start, lemmetellya. Tuesday I spent the day at the library in order to stay out of the house. I came home, and promptly broke out in the worst hives yet covering my entire body and making me feel like my skin was going to burst it was so swollen, prompting Bobby to say "I didn't know it was possible for hives to look like that". It was gross. At this point we decided that I needed to leave the house and go to a friends' place. In the time it took us to drive 10 minutes, half the hives were gone, and by the time I had been at their house for half an hour, I was hive free. Clearly, our apartment was trying to kill me. <br />
<br />
Bobby spent about 7 hours re-cleaning the house from top to bottom to get rid of the cleaner, as well as buying new pillows/comforter/towels just in case it was some funky dust allergy. I came home to find our tree on the back porch, visible only through the safety of the sliding glass door.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a6NX8XH4NAg/TvlMQqVSYjI/AAAAAAAACyY/DAQOoSD3C60/s1600/IMAG0530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a6NX8XH4NAg/TvlMQqVSYjI/AAAAAAAACyY/DAQOoSD3C60/s400/IMAG0530.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banished, for crimes against my skin and immune system</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was hive free, but I had wasted 4 nights and 3 days high on Benadryl, getting little to nothing done because my brain was on a puffy cloud of medicine, sleeping up to 15 hours out of 24, and being woken up two or three times a night by the return of the hives when the medicine wore off. To say it sucked would be a bit of an understatement. I was www.Grinch-fest.com.org.edu.screwchristmas after the first day, once the "this is ridiculous but what can you do other than laugh?" roll with it optimism wore off. Since Wednesday afternoon of last week I've been hive free, but, just to make up for it, I've had one day of a crushing sinus headache that lasted all day, and today I've been in bed after puking my guts up randomly this morning and then having chills and nausea all day. I am falling apart here, people! I read some David Sedaris to make me feel better about not having to work as a Christmas elf, and yeah, it helped a tiny little bit, but not much. <br />
<br />
Good news is that the holiday weekend, including all day Friday, was great. Christmas Eve was spent with a good friend and Christmas Day proper was absolutely wonderful. So, I'm still grateful, if a bit bitter. It's like an 80/20 mix. I fully realize that having hives from a cleaning product and/or a totally unnecessary Christmas decoration in the form of a dead tree are pretty much standard first world problems, but hey, they're mine, and they tried to Grinch-snatch my Christmas vacation, so there it is.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-34089047270418273012011-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:002011-12-23T12:01:37.111-08:00Let's Talk About Thanksgiving, Since It's Almost ChristmasBobby and I spent Thanksgiving in Dallas with our families and friends. Every time I go back to Dallas I'm reminded of just how much history I have there. My father has lived there since my parents divorced when I was 8, so I spent lots of summers and weekends and holidays there. Then I went to undergrad and graduate school at UTD, picking up the big group of friends I've had for a decade now. Entire neighborhoods hold an emotional history several layers deep, I have more stories than I can even remember that revolve around UTD's campus, and the bars/clubs/concert venues around Deep Ellum all have their own cache of good/bad/ridiculous memories. I don't know if I'll ever live in Dallas again- something about it feels "done" to me, as though I've had my time there and it's finished- but I do enjoy visiting. The night before Thanksgiving almost all of "The Group" got together at Vickery Park. Everyone was sober, so there is really no excuse for these pictures other than the fact that we tend to act like idiots when we get together. In a good way.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_AZ4HlSSAU/TvTaBYlGweI/AAAAAAAACuc/q8cqxK1cwcY/s1600/305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_AZ4HlSSAU/TvTaBYlGweI/AAAAAAAACuc/q8cqxK1cwcY/s640/305.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> We tried to go to this place called Urban Crust in downtown Plano, but they kind of laughed when we said we needed a table for about 20, which was apparently a two hour wait. Luckily enough, Vickery Park was across the street and has a) nicer staff b) a huge room in the back that does not have to be rented out and c) delicious food. Sometimes the manufactured snootiness of Plano makes me chuckle. Dear Urban Crust- You're not that special, or that fancy, or that cool. Love, All of Us<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-llkVKytvHak/TvTaCeR_b6I/AAAAAAAACuk/O-3dN21khXE/s1600/306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-llkVKytvHak/TvTaCeR_b6I/AAAAAAAACuk/O-3dN21khXE/s640/306.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAnChKPly_8/TvTaD9vT_jI/AAAAAAAACus/zb8EPb1ZXuo/s1600/308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAnChKPly_8/TvTaD9vT_jI/AAAAAAAACus/zb8EPb1ZXuo/s640/308.JPG" width="360" /></a></div> They truly didn't try to match. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5JvQ_BnXywo/TvTaFUII5qI/AAAAAAAACu0/HUHFb9LORps/s1600/311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5JvQ_BnXywo/TvTaFUII5qI/AAAAAAAACu0/HUHFb9LORps/s640/311.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Typical.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aQgj2CxANRo/TvTaGalSCjI/AAAAAAAACu8/GGYXu0zsreM/s1600/314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aQgj2CxANRo/TvTaGalSCjI/AAAAAAAACu8/GGYXu0zsreM/s640/314.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_T_ujUumuBU/TvTaIWesw6I/AAAAAAAACvM/6wcgCtRjToM/s1600/318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_T_ujUumuBU/TvTaIWesw6I/AAAAAAAACvM/6wcgCtRjToM/s640/318.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E67JGVsZfZA/TvTaJkZtuCI/AAAAAAAACvU/VFxfJEfRBoU/s1600/319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E67JGVsZfZA/TvTaJkZtuCI/AAAAAAAACvU/VFxfJEfRBoU/s640/319.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This is about right...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wx7Bo-HJL0/TvTaK8aTH0I/AAAAAAAACvg/5NG7AIjjFWA/s1600/322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wx7Bo-HJL0/TvTaK8aTH0I/AAAAAAAACvg/5NG7AIjjFWA/s640/322.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> as is this. Again, we're all sober.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bj77q6lV8HA/TvTaNcT7MiI/AAAAAAAACvw/1IVTiBpueS0/s1600/332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bj77q6lV8HA/TvTaNcT7MiI/AAAAAAAACvw/1IVTiBpueS0/s640/332.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQb7k2_WUGE/TvTaOYO3_sI/AAAAAAAACv4/3874H3Xk5Xo/s1600/334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQb7k2_WUGE/TvTaOYO3_sI/AAAAAAAACv4/3874H3Xk5Xo/s640/334.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I told Brooke on FB that her shirt tastes like My Little Pony Lumberjacks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YJfDXTat4S0/TvTaPds-tuI/AAAAAAAACwE/TfdDBComN7Q/s1600/339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YJfDXTat4S0/TvTaPds-tuI/AAAAAAAACwE/TfdDBComN7Q/s640/339.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Love connection</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MsMffQHrDTY/TvTaQZt7o4I/AAAAAAAACwM/E45j_YSjp04/s1600/344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MsMffQHrDTY/TvTaQZt7o4I/AAAAAAAACwM/E45j_YSjp04/s640/344.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Staged. We're available for hire at your next get together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88AlovedvZM/TvTaSvuqLFI/AAAAAAAACwc/edZ8Y0-n3lU/s1600/352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88AlovedvZM/TvTaSvuqLFI/AAAAAAAACwc/edZ8Y0-n3lU/s640/352.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Security. This is what it looks like. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XHoKjRyMNo/TvTaUEs7JVI/AAAAAAAACwk/7dlDU9y90u8/s1600/354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XHoKjRyMNo/TvTaUEs7JVI/AAAAAAAACwk/7dlDU9y90u8/s640/354.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BVaa0HSKJ5Q/TvTaVNn9eeI/AAAAAAAACws/oYwXmNEg4Rw/s1600/355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BVaa0HSKJ5Q/TvTaVNn9eeI/AAAAAAAACws/oYwXmNEg4Rw/s640/355.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> We're good customers. Someone broke a glass, so Kate cleaned it up. We're thoughtful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UUTmDFT4pDY/TvTaWbbEUbI/AAAAAAAACw0/M3hB78XvNbI/s1600/357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UUTmDFT4pDY/TvTaWbbEUbI/AAAAAAAACw0/M3hB78XvNbI/s640/357.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Except for when we stand on the booths</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpmFGjiA5UM/TvTaX5hD28I/AAAAAAAACxA/QnpABASpK8M/s1600/359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpmFGjiA5UM/TvTaX5hD28I/AAAAAAAACxA/QnpABASpK8M/s640/359.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uEf7iPyc7HQ/TvTaZEhl2bI/AAAAAAAACxM/dnyaR2vWq0E/s1600/364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uEf7iPyc7HQ/TvTaZEhl2bI/AAAAAAAACxM/dnyaR2vWq0E/s640/364.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We don't really think planking is cool. We are mocking it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UxTDDYkdNH8/TvTaaYhgc_I/AAAAAAAACxU/W0TSTYhjflU/s1600/369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UxTDDYkdNH8/TvTaaYhgc_I/AAAAAAAACxU/W0TSTYhjflU/s640/369.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triple stack mockery</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> Jennifer is *not* impressed.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnvmvY6vqSU/TvTacBwOevI/AAAAAAAACxc/F7RLMToM48c/s1600/371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnvmvY6vqSU/TvTacBwOevI/AAAAAAAACxc/F7RLMToM48c/s640/371.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently owling was in for a while, too. Mocked.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXlC3h_vBWY/TvTadHNn5oI/AAAAAAAACxo/Eik26tuVcxs/s1600/384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXlC3h_vBWY/TvTadHNn5oI/AAAAAAAACxo/Eik26tuVcxs/s640/384.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">If there is one thing I never tire of making fun of, it is the hipster obsession with mustaches and "cute" (no, ladies, it's really not) scrunchy faces in pictures. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving Day proper kind of sucked due to some family drama, so I'll just leave it with the Pre-Thanksgiving Friendsgiving. Oh, and here's a picture of Bobby, Chris, and Brooke the next morning, running their own lil' Turkey Trot around the neighborhood:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Igsi6pwk1VA/TvTdzOISLpI/AAAAAAAACx4/qrq7Rcyjxbg/s1600/IMAG0377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Igsi6pwk1VA/TvTdzOISLpI/AAAAAAAACx4/qrq7Rcyjxbg/s640/IMAG0377.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> So committed!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMFs7rrW-K0/TvTdzyeQjJI/AAAAAAAACyA/84TapZgJMzA/s1600/IMAG0382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMFs7rrW-K0/TvTdzyeQjJI/AAAAAAAACyA/84TapZgJMzA/s640/IMAG0382.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Right after this picture was taken, Kate and I hopped in the car for our own run- to Starbucks. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-62718816295077628692011-11-29T15:10:00.000-08:002011-11-29T15:17:26.964-08:00The Way We Think Things Will Go vs. Reality<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYKclYPA7RM/TtVnzLoo4wI/AAAAAAAACuI/rewVkivkCFU/s1600/332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYKclYPA7RM/TtVnzLoo4wI/AAAAAAAACuI/rewVkivkCFU/s640/332.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting to hang out with all of these lovely people over Thanksgiving break in Texas was a welcome respite from everything I'm about to whinge about below...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I had the idea that I would chronicle this year of my teaching internship right here on my blog. I envisioned it being similar to my first year teaching in Japan. I would share funny stories, insights, frustrations, and put it all in post form so it would be there to review in the future when nostalgia hit.<br />
<br />
Of course, in reality, I've barely blogged at all these past few months. A lot of this can be chalked up to taking <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/10/regarding-happenings-of-last-month.html">3 grad classes while student teaching 30 hours a week and still volunteering</a>, while trying to find time to hang out with Bobby. At first, I attributed my lack of time to <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/08/and-so-it-begins.html">being on crutches</a>- it seemed a logical enough scapegoat. Then, once I was off the crutches and still stressed and tired and with no downtime to do frivolous things like blog, I decided it was because of all the homework I was doing, working ahead so that I'd have Thanksgiving week free of assignments- and yes, that was part of it.<br />
<br />
But mostly, I think I'm not managing my time very well. Not the majority of the time, but at least 25% of the time, I'll let my fear about not finishing a project/lesson plan/book in time get in the way of my being able to give myself some downtime. This happens, especially, when I'm procrastinating. 75% of the time, I can hit the library no problem, bang out 6 hours straight on Tues/Thurs, and then work all day Mon/Wed/Fri, and then do homework on Sat/Sun. And I'm productive, and it's good work, and I feel good about it. But then, say, 25% of the time- I just don't.wanna.do.it.dammit. And in those times, I don't just admit "you know what? I'm going to dick around on the internet for 4 hours instead of doing my homework because I'm just not feeling it today, so I should just put it away and go do something fun with Bobby, or blog, or work out, or go on a walk, and actually enjoy this time." No, what I do is live in denial about the fact that homework/lesson planning/reading that book on __________ just isn't going to happen, and instead I'll remain at the desk, frittering away my time. I'm not good about taking breaks, I guess is what it comes down to. Or I'm not good about building them in, maybe that's it. Either way, I have a tiny handful of assignments left in this semester, thanks to all my working ahead, and I'm currently sitting at a 4.0, so I know I'm doing something right. And my stress level has gone waaaaaaaaay down in the last few weeks. But now I'm feeling the crunch again, and I feel guilty about not "working all the time", which results in the stupid situation of not being able to let myself actively choose downtime, instead of just sneaking it in. <br />
<br />
The problem is, I do have a lot, a LOT of work to do. And yeah, I'm getting the majority of it done. But I need to come up with a different approach for next semester, or else I'm going to go insane. This coming week I am sorting scholarship applications for the non-profit, planning a lesson and teaching it on Friday, writing a behavioral plan tonight and interviewing a student tomorrow, doing two other assignments for my courses, completing step 4 of an application for an international job which includes photocopies of my whole life and passport photos in professional clothes for visa applications, grading 17 incredibly long essays + character diagrams + background analysis work for AP Literature, reading a book called "Teaching with Love and Logic" and taking detailed notes as part of a SMART goal for my teaching internship, plus my usual commitments of my teaching internship. I'm also getting back in the gym and hitting up spinning classes today, Thursday, and Saturday, as well as yoga on Thursday and Sunday (skipping the gym "because I'm busy" has been an excuse for too long this semester; I've been this busy the whole time, that's never going to change, but what <i>is</i> changing is my ability to fit into any of my professional clothing). <br />
<br />
All of the previous has to be done by Friday night, so I only have one day off from teaching (Thursday) and 4 evenings to work on all of it. This weekend the homework/lesson planning starts all over again with an equally packed schedule for next week. One good thing is that two classes will be FINISHED this Saturday, and my third grad class will be finished on Wed, December 7th when I reflect on the last lesson plan I have to submit for the semester. I really think this whole experience would be very different if I wasn't going to grad school full time *while* student teaching. Don't get me wrong- I love that I'm getting credit for my student teaching, and I love that I'm getting a master's degree out of the kind of education classes I have to take for certification either way. But it's intense, ya'll. F'real though.<br />
<br />
I'm really hoping to be able to blog more consistently, if only as a way to focus my thoughts. I promise they won't all be navel gazing bitch-fests about being busy like this one is. Honestly, I'm really enjoying so many things about this year, I'm just not enjoying my schoolwork. The teaching? It's great. My school, awesome. The kids? So, so cool. I love 'em. And all 3 of my mentor teachers are kind and helpful and intelligent and I am lucky to have them supervising me. I just need a break from all of this damn homework. Then I can be a tiny bit less crazy. <br />
<br />
Every little bit helps in that department, trust me.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-41766582404705184732011-10-26T20:27:00.000-07:002011-10-26T20:27:10.926-07:00Snow Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHSfdxSxHKQ/TqjPO_yZ1zI/AAAAAAAACt8/B_AcZRrlhSM/s1600/Lets+Eat+Grandma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHSfdxSxHKQ/TqjPO_yZ1zI/AAAAAAAACt8/B_AcZRrlhSM/s400/Lets+Eat+Grandma.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry, I still want to be an English teacher because things like this make my inner nerd happy. Unfortunately, I found this on a website with no source/link- if anyone knows where to credit this image, please tell me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Last weekend, I did about 15 hours of homework and 5 hours of grading. I had a bit of a surprise when I logged into my classes on Monday, Oct 17th and saw that I had a third graduate class- a second 8 weeks reading and vocabulary instruction course that I assumed was for next semester. No, not at all. When I clicked on it, lo and behold there was a "Welcome to the class!!" announcement, along with a first unit dated Oct 17th- Oct 30th. Mind you, I logged in the <i>evening</i> of Oct 17th, so that day was gone. By Oct 23rd, I needed to complete two (detailed) assignments with a lot of required reading. By Oct 30th, I needed to plan, implement, document, and reflect on two lessons. Did I mention I student teach three days a week, school was off Friday, and thus I had 4 days to do the pre-reading/assignment, consult with my mentor teacher, and plan and implement and document said lessons? Thankfully I shoehorned the first lesson into a larger lesson over a news article, and the second one flowed naturally from that. Even more propitiously, my mentor teacher was able to be flexible and give me time. So it all worked out, but it was a busy last weekend, one that had me up until 2 a.m. morning before last. I woke up at 6. On 4 hours of sleep, I taught two classes, assisted in another, used up one of my prep periods to observe another teacher, and frantically used my other prep period (Mondays are 45 minute periods) to get everything done for school.<br />
<br />
Tuesday (yesterday) I graded for about 5 hours and did homework for about 3. I went to bed exhausted and stressed out, but I was finally getting a bit ahead. It was set to snow all night- 6 inches- so I had to wake up early and leave early to prepare for an hour commute. I was feeling... insane. I mentioned to Bobby "maybe they'll cancel school??" he replied "not likely, Colorado is used to dealing with snow". I was hopeful, but realistic. He was right- in Texas, we freak out and go into lock down "OMG where are the cans of food and bottled water??" mode over an inch or two of ice. But Colorado has their snow shit together.<br />
<br />
This morning, however, was amazing. Everything was piled with snow, and right as I headed out of my neighborhood I got a call- school was, indeed, cancelled. I spent most of the day catching up at the kitchen table, but I will also admit that I spent a few hours reading in bed with the blinds thrown open, watching the snow fall.<br />
<br />
I need today off more than I realized. I have hours and hours of lesson planning and homework to do tomorrow, but I'm ready for it. I feel a million times better. I never had a snow day as a kid, and this one came at the perfect time. I don't mean to whinge or sound ungrateful- I know that taking 3 graduate classes and student teaching and volunteering and being busy with things I care about are all first world problems. But right now they're my problems and I'm getting nervous about them. I worked full time and went to school full time all through undergraduate AND my first master's degree. I was never, ever this stressed out. I don't know what it is. But I do feel like last weekend, getting a head a bit, and today, getting a break, are making things better.<br />
<br />
Or this might just be the beginning of a<a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/05/sneaky-hate-spiral.html"> sneaky hate spiral.</a>Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-49459311201300143082011-10-03T19:54:00.000-07:002011-10-03T19:54:22.579-07:00Regarding the Happenings of the Last Month- Month?!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7N13Gen-x4k/Top0azEVdOI/AAAAAAAACt0/kAi46j4vOIE/s1600/P7116319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7N13Gen-x4k/Top0azEVdOI/AAAAAAAACt0/kAi46j4vOIE/s400/P7116319.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An illustration of my thirst for knowledge. What mysteries lurk beneath the bell??</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I am totally immersed in school work, researching, and student teaching. I spend hours researching the most mundane things that are brought up in my graduate classes, simply out of curiosity. I'm reading at least a book a week- on top of school books- about education, lesson planning, child psychology, and anything else to do with kids and the teaching of said kids. Between my 3 full days a week at the school, plus commuting, the things I'm volunteering to do and the graduate classes and homework, plus the random obsessive researching, I'm pulling about 50-60 hours a week. That's before you add in the volunteering I'm still doing for the two non-profits I have worked with for over a year now.<br />
<br />
My school is awesome, and I really adore the kids. My mentor teachers are great. What's weird is how I can be so passionately excited one day, and then so exhausted and almost ready to pack it in the next. I've never had this experience before. On the days I'm exhausted and overwhelmed, it's not that I truly want to quit. It's that I am humbled by how much I have to learn, and I am sometimes paralyzed with fear that I'm not doing it right, or that I'm failing the kids, and sometimes the gravity of my potential impact on them (even as a random student teacher) really hits me and it freaks me out. After only a month there, they are fiercely loyal, and kind, and protective of me in such sweet and peculiar ways. We have inside jokes. I suggest books to them, they suggest books to me, and we wave to each other in the halls. I'm bone tired, and I feel like I've been there for a year instead of a month, but it's really incredibly satisfying. The happiness that it brings them when I do something as simple as check out a book for them that I think they'd like seems like more than I deserve. I'm reminded that, although so many people claim to not want to teach high school students because they're already "set in stone", they are truly still so impressionable, and young, and innocent, and can swing wildly from one future to another.<br />
<br />
Other than all that, I'm ready to get off of these damned crutches. One more week. And then I'll really be flying. In other school news, I start my final class towards my post graduate certificate in sustainable development. Me + school, together forever.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-22327273430327455652011-08-30T16:55:00.000-07:002011-08-30T17:05:14.187-07:00And So it Begins...For those of you who have been keeping up with my <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/04/well-that-was-4-weeks-of-wasted-time.html">months long</a> journey<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/04/victorious-yall.html"> to</a> alternative <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/08/on-road-again.html">certification</a>, I just wanted to give an update. Yesterday I started what will be a school-year long internship, 24 hours a week (minimum), which at this point looks like three full school days (Mon/Wed/Fri). I'm getting my certification in secondary English, while taking online classes towards a master's degree in education. It's a legit brick and mortar school here in Colorado, but they're kind and allow you to take the classes online so that you can do a post-bacc certification from anywhere in the world. Plus, a lot of post-bacc certification courses have you take random education classes, and it's nice that the education classes I am taking are going towards something instead of just a clap on the back and a check mark for completion.**<br />
<br />
Although I don't plan on saying anything bad about the program or the students or the school or any of that, I will still, for obvious reasons, not share the name of the school in which I am interning. The most I will say is that I purposefully chose a Title I school because of my convictions regarding education inequality in America. I would feel like a chump if I cried all over the pages of "Savage Inequalities", kept up with all the lawsuits against school districts in Texas and Colorado, and then blithely signed up to student teach at some high end fancy school attended by angel babies filled with SAT words, a fierce love for all things learning, and showered in $$$. I have more than one mentor teacher in the English department, which is neat because I get exposure to every grade level in high school, plus every class from AP English to intervention classes. I'm also assisting in the drama department, and this week we have auditions. It's nice to get thrown right into the mix of things. Classes are going well- my first week's assignments all came back A's- and I'm really enjoying the literature they are giving us. I'm also doing my nerd thang and supplementing all of this with random books on education from the library. Any suggestions for me?<br />
<br />
The only womp womp of all of this is my broken foot. Being in the classroom will be a lot better when I'm not clicking around on awkward crutches. Seriously, awkward like whoa. Thoughts on crutches, which I shared on FB, I shall now share here as well:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">For a person with excellent balance, good coordination, and a strong upper body, I'm not really sure why I'm such a flailing baby giraffe on my crutches...</span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">also, since I've never broken anything/had a cast/had crutches I have to say that my childhood jealousy of those with crutches was totally stupid. Crutches are not like arm pit stilts, contrary to my fantasies of their fun potential as a 9 year old...they're just awkward and hurt my hands.</span></span></b></h6></blockquote>Unrelated- our tomato plants are going crazy and tonight it's caprese salads for dinner- heirloom tomatoes and basil from our garden, plus balsamic vinegar from the farmers' market. I'm watching Bobby pick tomatoes from the dining room window, and afterwards we're off to the grocery store to see if they have their local goat cheese mozzarella in stock. If not, I can handle that being the biggest problem of my day.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
**<i>I am not knocking those who took that route, I'm just saying, either way I have to pay for those classes and do the work, so ending up with a degree for taking them makes me a happy cat.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-71407757987793204412011-08-25T15:57:00.000-07:002011-08-25T15:59:50.805-07:00DaredevilAnytime I tell people I broke my foot, they naturally ask me what I did. The problem is, there really is no accident story, no specific fateful incident that cracked my poor foot bone. I mean, do you want to know what I was doing the night before I woke up with my foot so swollen I couldn't move it without pain?<br />
<br />
I was learning to can peaches with our friends.<br />
<br />
I know, I know, I need to be more risk averse. But seriously, stress fractures are kind of a straw that broke the camel's back kind of thing- apparently that part of the bone just weakens and weakens until one day it flops onto its chaise lounge, puts its hand to its head, and says "I give up". And then it cracks. <br />
<br />
The good news is, canning peaches was fun and canning is not as scary as it seemed to be. I mean, botulism is pretty damned terrifying, don't get me wrong, but after doing some reading I've learned that fruits are acidic enough to make botulism risk virtually nil as long as they are processed correctly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VH9dsgKy_T4/TlbRqR0aM-I/AAAAAAAACtU/kREGixnle7U/s1600/IMAG0127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VH9dsgKy_T4/TlbRqR0aM-I/AAAAAAAACtU/kREGixnle7U/s640/IMAG0127.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking of processed, I thought it only right that the old timey-ness of this endeavor should be captured with a vintage filter. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WK3vzs7OIX4/TlbRrK11SvI/AAAAAAAACtY/sM6rEX358O4/s1600/IMAG0128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WK3vzs7OIX4/TlbRrK11SvI/AAAAAAAACtY/sM6rEX358O4/s640/IMAG0128.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> The key to not dying of botulism- the water bath.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bD-bOPmN4io/TlbRsWc5-eI/AAAAAAAACtc/GXp0ocGNbKU/s1600/IMAG0130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bD-bOPmN4io/TlbRsWc5-eI/AAAAAAAACtc/GXp0ocGNbKU/s640/IMAG0130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Off and on during the process, the boys played video games. Yes, they helped, but once all that was left to do was boil the jars they took to playing a terrifyingly weird Japanese video game.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-27OikUgkhd8/TlbRtLiXhpI/AAAAAAAACtg/tZDU3_a3BFw/s1600/IMAG0135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-27OikUgkhd8/TlbRtLiXhpI/AAAAAAAACtg/tZDU3_a3BFw/s640/IMAG0135.jpg" width="382" /></a></div> Willow, eating up the attention, blissfully unaware of how she is hindering Bobby's progress in rolling a giant sticky ball through an imaginary world.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-quzb5fEAzV8/TlbRt2SiuZI/AAAAAAAACtk/CUpeqaLKjd0/s1600/IMAG0138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-quzb5fEAzV8/TlbRt2SiuZI/AAAAAAAACtk/CUpeqaLKjd0/s640/IMAG0138.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> A little sugar water, some lemon juice, and local, organic peaches picked up at the farmers' market that morning. Purrrrrr-fect.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95RJ10FnCeY/TlbRuVgaSgI/AAAAAAAACto/8dggkfHwYO0/s1600/IMAG0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95RJ10FnCeY/TlbRuVgaSgI/AAAAAAAACto/8dggkfHwYO0/s640/IMAG0140.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> The finished product. I was super excited to can my own peaches after this, but then, you know, I woke up with broken foot extravaganza and I've only cooked one time since then.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KiGOqWKtwsk/TlbRvEnSbQI/AAAAAAAACts/S12c-W9IXk0/s1600/IMAG0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KiGOqWKtwsk/TlbRvEnSbQI/AAAAAAAACts/S12c-W9IXk0/s640/IMAG0141.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Paige and Matt have a huge backdoor garden, so they sent us home with a baggie of cherry tomatoes and some beets. All in all, between the farmers' market that morning, the canning, and the good night gifts of fruits and veggies from their garden, it was a most excellent way to celebrate, unbeknownst to me, my last day of mobility for 8 weeks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-41812915619014598992011-08-23T21:20:00.000-07:002011-08-23T21:20:26.923-07:00Lowered Expectations and Absences, Illustrated via Cupcakes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUaL0t4swrw/TlR6whHEbFI/AAAAAAAAAHg/_taaCbke9n0/s1600/memes-cookie-monster-cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUaL0t4swrw/TlR6whHEbFI/AAAAAAAAAHg/_taaCbke9n0/s640/memes-cookie-monster-cupcakes.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I might need to adopt this kind of attitude to stay sane through this injury...</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I've either been in bed with my foot propped up on a pillow, or sitting at the table with my foot propped up on a chair, for the last two weeks thanks to a stress fracture. I think stress fractures should be called "ninja injuries", or, to make it really roll off of the tongue, "ninjuries", because this thing came out of n.o.w.h.e.r.e. Seriously, I was strolling around the farmers' market on a beautiful Saturday, caressing heirloom tomatoes and shoving chard in my re-usable bags, after which we ate some lunch, came back to the apartment, and lazed around watching some shows on the computer. Nothing extraordinary, heck, I didn't even work out the week prior other than weight lifting- twice, instead of my usual three times.<br />
<br />
Yet somehow I woke up on the very next day to a throbbing in my right foot that hurt so badly I was whimpering and crying. Upon inspection, it was swollen to twice the size of the left foot, so much so that even the sheet rubbing against it caused pain. Lots of ice and ibuprofen got me through Sunday, and a doctor's appointment on Monday confirmed a stress fracture. I was pretty heartbroken about missing out on all of the hiking, camping, and biking to be had in the last month of summer/first part of fall when I was told that October 1st was when I would be back in commission. Now, I know that a broken foot has nothing to do with my hands, and my hands are all I need to blog- especially given the inordinate amount of time I have spent sitting/sprawling around- but honestly it just really bummed me out and I kind of spent the last two weeks pouting about how my summer was ruined. I had planned on doing <a href="http://warriordash.com/register2011_rockies.php">Warrior Dash</a> but had to stay home last weekend instead, and right now, as I type these words, Bobby is at <a href="http://www.redrocksonline.com/">Red Rocks</a> seeing Death Cab for Cutie with a girl from work because I just couldn't crutch my way up to row 42. So, yes, a bit of a bummer. But I'm shaking off the funk, looking on the bright side and all that jazz.<br />
<br />
Please, on my behalf, get out and hike and bike and walk around the neighborhood and swim and play in the park as much as you can. Know that someone is very jealous of you. That someone is me. Just to clarify. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-32657331533334119732011-08-09T15:42:00.000-07:002011-08-09T15:44:35.178-07:00Show Me the CountryI haven't been feeling very chatty lately, in terms of blog posting. Mostly because so much of what I'm feeling lately is anger, revolving around the debate about spending and the solutions to our problem. So many things are being said that appall me, that make me ashamed, that frustrate me, that make me want to scream I'm so angry. I'd rather not drag it all out here on my blog, but I think it's gotten to the point where I'm just going to throw it all out there, because it's making me nuts.<br />
<br />
First of all, I'm incredibly saddened that many people want to go so far as to get rid of public schools in the interest of a small government so that we'll have "more liberty". I suppose I'm starting to realize that <span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">utopia for a lot of people for some reason strongly resembles an unstable country in Africa. No social safety nets, no welfare of any kind, no public schools, very low taxes, and a government with little power that stays out of the citizen's business. I wonder if they consider that all of those things usually come with civil unrest, hordes of poor, desperate people, and the "luxury" of living in a walled compound with security guards to protect you if you happen to somehow find a way to be rich? Probably not.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">I'm sure that getting rid of public schools, eliminating all social safety nets, lowering taxes further, and eliminating Medicare and SS for the elderly are exactly what will "make our nation great" again. </span></span><span data-jsid="text">I'm wondering how awesome they think being rich will be if every time you leave your walled compound you're greeted with shanty towns, squalor, and a teeming mass of desperate poor people who might, at any moment, turn on your ass and storm the compound for some food and money. Or, how great of a business they'll be able to build without having access to an educated workforce. These people need to travel more. Or, I don't know, read a book. Hell, they could even read a history book of their own country and see how awesome it really was for people before America instituted safety nets. Just go back and study the Great Depression/Dust Bowl. Trust me, not ONE of those small government/get rid of public schools/abolish all government aid people would be saying "Oh, no, it's fine, Government, please don't help me! I shall starve to death in the streets, because I am so committed to my political ideology of small government". Yeah. Right.<br />
<br />
More than anything, I'd LOVE it if anyone arguing that the way to make America great is to get rid of all social safety nets, public schools, and Medicare/SS could give me just ONE example- JUST ONE- of a modern country that has 0 social safety nets and no public school and also has a healthy, vibrant economy, that is a global player in international economics, that has a stable society with a respected currency, and that has created a political and economic culture that allows people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to be successful. Just one. There are almost 200 countries in this world of ours, I would think that if the Ayn Rand based fantasies of a perfect country with 0 safety nets and a simultaneously thriving economy and stable society were possible in reality, at least one of those almost 200 countries would bear testimony to it. 'Cause I gotta be honest, ya'll, when I look at the countries that have 0 social safety nets, and no public school, and no Plan B for those who fall on hard times or are unfortunate enough to be born into them... well, those aren't the kind of places that I see anyone lining up to move to, or invest in, or start a business in, either. Those are usually the places people want to leave behind, places full of civil unrest and starvation and huge divides between the wealthy in walled compounds and the poor living in the streets or in shanty towns, or herded into refugee camps because their government isn't strong enough to protect them from roving bands of killers and rapists who are trying to wipe them out on a whim. But ok, sure, if that's the plan for making America great- just give me one example of it working out. I'm a facts and figures kinda gal, so I'll be waiting. I've posed this question several times over the last few weeks, and no one has given me one example. Because in <i>my</i> studies, all the countries that meet these Ayn Rand fueled fantasies are in shambles. </span><br />
<span data-jsid="text"> </span><br />
<span data-jsid="text">So, here's what I'm thinking- I'm thinking it's because that country simply doesn't exist. I'm thinking it's because people realize that everyone benefits by investing back in our society, by educating children, by having social safety nets so that when things get tough we don't have masses of hungry, desperate people roaming the streets, willing to take a chance with jail time if it means a bit of cash and some food. Here's a mental exercise- tell me, how awesome do you think our crime rate would be if, during these last several years of epic unemployment, we had no unemployment benefits, no food stamps, no TANF, no housing subsidies, etc. Think about that. Where would those people have gone? What would they have done? Just curled up and politely starved, homeless, in an out of the way corner of society? I'm thinking not. Trust me, I'd rather pay my money in taxes and invest it in our society than take my chances on the streets with double digit unemployment creating a substantial number of stressed out, hopeless people with no light at the end of the tunnel. Desperation is not the predominant emotion I want a significant sector of our society to have. <br />
<br />
While we're on the subject of paying now or paying later, and how I'd like to pay- I'd rather pay out some welfare, or pay more into schools, or give unemployment benefits, or give job training than pay for more police on the street to quell riots, or pay upwards of $30K a year to house and feed someone for several years in prison. So there's that, too. Pro-active is my mantra, not reactive. Especially because reactive usually costs way more than just helping out in the first damned place. And we usually all benefit from proactive, while reactive doesn't serve to accomplish anything more than a hasty tit for tat. </span><br />
<span data-jsid="text"><br />
</span><br />
<span data-jsid="text">Oh, but wait, back to my question- show me that country. This idyllic bastion of liberty where the government stays the hell out, doesn't meddle with things like educating all children, or regulating our food and drugs, and lets people get sick and die if they commit the infraction of losing a job, or being born poor, or falling ill. And if that country is so damned great, why isn't it an international player? Why haven't I heard of this utopia of liberty? And if such a country exists, why aren't all the people who want to model America after it calling it out by name and location, and pointing excitedly to its success to bolster their argument?</span><br />
<span data-jsid="text"><br />
</span><br />
<span data-jsid="text">All cards on the table- I'm a product of welfare. There you go. Despite two working parents, we qualified for every damn one of those "shameful" entitlement programs. And I worked, too, from 14 on, and then full time all through college while studying full time to keep my sholarship- and guess what? I <i>still </i>needed Pell Grants to get through. Yes, that's right, free money that I "didn't deserve". I shudder to think how my potential would have been utterly wasted if there were 0 social safety nets. I am of far greater<i> benefit</i> to my country as an educated person than I would have been if I was tossed by the wayside due to the circumstance of birth. And I have far more <i>pride</i> in my country when it chooses to be compassionate and considerate of the hard blows people receive in this life than when it tries to play detached, strategic economist with flesh and blood living beings. Especially when the predominant evidence for the validity of such a strategy hinges on a theoretical country that doesn't even exist in this world. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-17524712044128232932011-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:002011-08-01T16:07:02.899-07:00On the Road, Again<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLuTXLTLetI/TjcxPtXIDqI/AAAAAAAACtM/yKOijt5b4r4/s1600/378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLuTXLTLetI/TjcxPtXIDqI/AAAAAAAACtM/yKOijt5b4r4/s400/378.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friends in Canada, Bobby behind the camera. I can't lie, the last road trip was way more fun. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> Hello there! I'm typing this from a dorm room in Gunnison, CO. I'm here doing a 5 day/4 night orientation for graduate school. I arrived on Sunday, and I'm leaving late Thursday. It's a pretty intensive week, incredibly busy, so this will be the lone post until Friday when I'm back in my regular spot in Colorado. I don't have much time to explore the town, but I am keeping notes on local attractions, restaurants I've tried, and suggestions people have given me for when/if I come back for a visit. I can tell you this much for sure- HWY 285 is treacherous, and I'm only slightly joking. It's a two lane road that cuts through several mountain passes, oftentimes at at 6% or 7% grade. And the people driving it are insane. No, truly. I mean, that is the only logical reason I can give for passing someone on a blind curve on a 7% grade pass. Oh, but no worries- the crazy person saw the two school buses in time, I slammed on my brakes, he cut back in front of me, and he narrowly avoided killing tens of innocent school children, and possibly himself and hell, maybe even me while he was at it. Yes, that happened. No, not the best time on the road to say the least. But, the moral of the story is I did get here safe and sound, and I'm being stuffed full of learnin', which is, after all, the goal. I'll see you all when I head back North. Fingers crossed as I trek back along 285...Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-92212811359581831242011-07-28T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-28T13:39:47.923-07:00Weighty MattersI've extolled the virtues of my <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/03/c25k-day-1-week-1-five-finger-shoes-and.html">Vibrams five finger shoes</a>, and have waxed poetically about how much they've <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/04/c25k-week-4-wrap-up.html">helped me start running again</a>. I started a new experiment back on June 12th, but I wanted to wait to make sure it stuck. Well, it has more than stuck, and even after taking a break from July 4th to July 26th due to traveling and having friends in town, upon starting up again yesterday things are going just as well.<br />
<br />
I'm talking about lifting weights. Not just dumb bells, but being able to lift free weights again. On June 12th, Bobby and I started lifting weights together on Mon/Wed/Fri. We do three sets each of three exercises- squat, dead lift, bench press. Weight is added with each set, so that the reps are 10-8-6 (sometimes that last set is only two or three reps, just as many as you can squeak out). The first day I started off just lifting the bar- 45 lbs- for all exercises. This was too light for squats/dead lift, but a bit heavy for bench press (I was able to do a full 10 reps, but I was feeling it). Progressively over the weeks we added more weight each time, until, on the 4th of July, I had progressed to being able to easily bench press 65 pounds, I could push through a few reps at 75 pounds, and, more incredibly, I was able to squat <i>and</i> dead lift my body weight- 135 pounds! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWFDE2F8orA/TjHEhjQ2y6I/AAAAAAAACtI/1sxF0C3qnpI/s1600/266812_2223938724078_1416040201_32672254_5885622_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWFDE2F8orA/TjHEhjQ2y6I/AAAAAAAACtI/1sxF0C3qnpI/s400/266812_2223938724078_1416040201_32672254_5885622_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In spite of my bum hip/crap back, this actually happened</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the grand scheme of weight lifting, this is not some crazy impressive stuff. But in the grand scheme of my old creaky hip, this is incredible. The first few weeks, my left hip would just ache and ache in between sets of squats. Not in a painful, stop doing this way, but in a painful, "you're strengthening me and pulling me back into place and I've been effed up for a decade and this will take some coaxing" kind of way. It felt disconcerting, but I felt in my gut that it was not a "STOP" kind of a pain, but a "be careful, but keep it up" kind of pain. <br />
<br />
Yesterday was my first day of lifting since we left for vacation, and man I am feeling it today. But I was able to do even more reps at 135 pounds on dead lift, and I only lost 10 pounds on my squat. My bench press has slid back a bit too- I was at the point where I could press 75 pounds a few times, now 65 is feeling a bit tough- but I know it will all be coming back to me soon. And more than that, I'm excited to see where I'll be after a year of lifting. I have some lofty goals, but I think they're reasonable. And after only a few weeks of squats, I can't believe how much muscle I've gained. I'm not much bigger (girls can't bulk up like a dude, despite all the fear mongering around weight lifting) but my shape is already changing. I've also noticed that I'm stronger on my bike, and running is easier, too. All in all, I'm over the moon happy that I'm at a point where I can throw some weights around again.<br />
<br />
Since this is a fitness update kinda post, I figure I'll throw in a C25K update here at the end. Since coming back from the Texas road trip beginning of May, I've found it hard to get back into running. I averaged about twice a week from mid May to the end of June, and I made myself swallow my pride and start over with Week 3 to be damned sure I didn't tweak my back/hip or hurt my feet. A short road trip since then, then a long road trip, plus the focus on weight lifting has put C25K on the back burner. It's not turned off getting cold and crusting to the pot, it's just kind of simmering away in the background. I'm more than happy to continue to take C25K very slowly, because I think this is crucial to why my hip/back have been able to adjust to running, and why I have not screwed up my knees. I'm going to be at grad school orientation from Sunday, July 31st through Thursday, August 4th, so for now I'm focusing on getting back into the swing of weight lifting this week, and I'll start C25K up again next week. However, I know that all the biking and weight lifting I'm doing are also helping me to become a better runner. After the Texas road trip I came back and really fell in love with biking, and for two weeks all I did was bike, no running, but I was averaging 60+ miles a week. After that stint, I went for a run, and it felt so easy. Cross training for the win!<br />
<br />
I will definitely have to specifically focus on some running come next week though, because I'm registered to run <a href="http://warriordash.com/register2011_rockies.php">Warrior Dash on August 20th.</a> I'm excited and nervous, but who wouldn't be, if you're going to be jumping over fire, and crawling through mud under barbed wire? Seriously, check out that link and look at the course. It's equal parts funny and kind of ridiculous.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-5595012525958130112011-07-26T19:51:00.000-07:002011-07-26T19:52:14.797-07:00Son of a...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MacBBr7Eco4/Ti98qr1EKZI/AAAAAAAACtA/Lwfnw3UjWS0/s1600/IMAG0253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MacBBr7Eco4/Ti98qr1EKZI/AAAAAAAACtA/Lwfnw3UjWS0/s400/IMAG0253.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A sunny picnic in Yellowstone National Park. This picture is not relevant until the second half of the post.**</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table> I just realized, as I was organizing photos from our most recent road trip (the 3rd, and last, of the summer), that I have yet to blog about our 2nd road trip- mentioned<a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/05/memorial-day-weekend-camping-fest.html"> here</a>- when we traipsed back up to South Dakota for some Memorial Day weekend fun. Damn. The Texas road trip- spread out over 5 parts, I don't think any of you find Texas or me *that* interesting, haha- took up so much time that I was just road trip re-capped out. And then, of course, I realized that after the Galapagos re-caps wore me out, I was over it and didn't start the Peru re-caps until a few months after, but... damn, <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/06/peru-part-i-being-lazy-in-urubamba-or.html">now that's been a month ago</a>. I have so many posts in the can- my garden is all growin' and stuff, and it's a joke how big those tomato plants are since they avoided dying, I did some around the house craftiness, and there is a whole grip of news on the school/work/internship/life front. Per my <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/07/absentee-excuses.html">last post filled with excuses</a>, it's just been crazy town busy central around here. Today is the first day since the day before our trip, way back on July 7th, that I have gone grocery shopping, for example. I'm also just now caught up on laundry/cleaning and random rat killin' (errands/to-do/it's a down South slang kinda thing) that it wasn't until this evening that I finally felt like I was truly home after the trip.<br />
<br />
I'm about to reassess every area of my life- kind of like an activity/time de-cluttering project- in preparation for going back to school come August. Technically, I go to school this Sunday, to live on campus for 5 days, take a super intensive first course, and go through all my necessary orientation to start my masters program. So, yeah there's also that- it seems like I'm finally feeling a bit settled, and then it's off to southern Colorado for 5 days. I suppose the only reason I'm feeling stressed is because of the totally optional responsibility I have placed on my self of keeping up with my blog, but still, I feel behind because I'm, well, behind. About twice a year I'll go back and read through old posts and think "I am so glad I wrote that down. I totally forgot that happened until I re-read it just now". So I'm grateful to have a random online record of my life, if only so I can look back on it and feel a little reflected shine of nostalgia via my computer screen. I'm also grateful that I froze half of the<a href="http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2011/04/raw-brownie.html"> raw brownies I made</a>, because, while typing this rambling bit of navel gazing nonsense, I polished off a little guy smeared in all natural peanut butter and I was incredibly happy for how delicious it was.**<i>Relevance activated!</i><br />
<br />
I have a really good book waiting for me, so I'm not going to keep it waiting any longer. The windows are open, the hot spell is broken, and the fan is purring some old fashioned white noise into our bedroom. G'nite, kittens. See you on the flip side, whenever/wherever that might be appearing in the midst of this busy time.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-56352220053081598452011-07-24T09:21:00.000-07:002011-07-24T09:21:03.998-07:00Absentee Excuses<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9bF1zesEo2E/TixGNH9JHHI/AAAAAAAACs8/t60dVbRo2f8/s1600/IMAG0516-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9bF1zesEo2E/TixGNH9JHHI/AAAAAAAACs8/t60dVbRo2f8/s640/IMAG0516-1.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I been hangin' around (somewhere in Capitol Hill in Seattle)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table> I had the best of intentions to avert such a long silence on my blog, but things got hectic, and here's why. My last post was on Thursday, July 7th. I then spent all of that day and the next cooking, cleaning, laundering clothes, packing, and organizing because on Friday, July 8th, we hit the road for a 3,000 mile/12 day road trip. I thought I'd have more time than I did, but I didn't, so my plans to blog a lot on Friday afternoon before we left were tossed right out the window. But I'm back! Here's where we went:<br />
<br />
Summer Road Trip 2011<br />
<br />
<div>A night and a morning in Thermopolis, WY to check out Hot Springs State Park</div><div><br />
</div><div>2 days in Yellowstone:<br />
Madison Campground reservation first night </div><div>Mammoth Hot Springs Cabin Reservation second night</div><div><br />
</div><div>Yellowstone to Seattle, WA- with a long visit to Helena, Montana- to visit friends for 3 days and check out their new place</div><div><br />
</div><div>Amtrak to Vancouver to visit our Canadian friends for 2 days</div><div><br />
</div><div>Back to Seattle for one last night out on the town</div><div><br />
</div><div>Portland, OR for one day/night</div><div> </div><div>Portland to Salt Lake City (with a long stop in Hood River Oregon for lunch, and a stop in Boise, Idaho for dinner)to stay the night and visit my cousin before she leaves Utah for Texas</div><div><br />
</div><div>Home to Colorado</div><div> </div><div>While we were gone, our friends stayed in our place for a few days to apartment hunt for their upcoming move, which is one reason I wanted it to be clean. We got home on Wednesday at 1 a.m., Bobby went straight to work a few hours later, and I got to work cleaning/unpacking/doing laundry. Thursday afternoon, our friends Brooke and Chris stopped by on their way home from a family vacation in Wyoming, and they were here until yesterday morning- a second reason I wanted the place to be neat and tidy. Bobby and I napped like professionals yesterday, an unexpected gift since the aforementioned moving friends had originally asked for our help in moving them in Saturday afternoon. The plan was to say goodbye to Brooke and Chris and head straight over to Tyler and Amanda's. Turns out they got in a day early and unpacked everything. So we napped away the afternoon, met up with Jenny for some frozen yogurt, and crashed out relatively early. I wish I could say I continued catching up on sleep fest 2011 with a deliciously lazy sleeping in session, but nope, I woke up at 7:45 this morning without an alarm, just as I did yesterday.</div><div> </div><div>But don't worry, it's 10:12 and I'm typing this in my underwear with an unwashed face and unbrushed teeth. Bobby just woke up and I'm going to convince him to go to Snooze for brunch. In random updates, my plants are still not dead, and they grew 6 inches while I was gone. Oh, and I barfed 30 minutes into a 3-D midnight showing of Harry Potter 7 in Canada (sorry, neighbors to the North!) so we're having a re-do this afternoon with our friends Matt and Paige. I think first I need to put on some pants though. </div><div> </div>Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-8104297524520278972011-07-07T17:28:00.000-07:002011-07-07T17:28:37.860-07:004th of July Weekend, or, I Discovered the Filters on My Smart PhoneI cannot tell you how glad I am that Bobby and I did not spend 4th of July weekend in Santa Fe. We were crazy lazy, sleeping in and staying up late and I didn't cook one time. Thanks to all the local restaurants for feeding us. We played in the pool and local toy stores, read books, worked out a few times, rode our bikes a bit, and had an excellent 4th of July.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chSWvMuqRtI/ThZF-22hO4I/AAAAAAAACrk/xGQb4MboNpg/s1600/089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chSWvMuqRtI/ThZF-22hO4I/AAAAAAAACrk/xGQb4MboNpg/s640/089.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> These puppets were grossly over priced, and had the most condescending faces. At least Bobby's was funny.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oaw9yvTp3CA/ThZGCduDALI/AAAAAAAACro/NToBZmqz9Wg/s1600/090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oaw9yvTp3CA/ThZGCduDALI/AAAAAAAACro/NToBZmqz9Wg/s640/090.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Mine was kind of terrifying. Like he's muttering "Don't MAKE me do something I'll regret". Got it, bunny.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDquWHAQE0w/ThZGDDk8CmI/AAAAAAAACrs/MuKoIKh6ICk/s1600/091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDquWHAQE0w/ThZGDDk8CmI/AAAAAAAACrs/MuKoIKh6ICk/s640/091.jpg" width="382" /></a></div> Here's another reason I'll never have thousands of followers. I had never been to a frozen yogurt- sorry, fro-yo!- place, so we went last weekend. It was tasty, but I'm still not understanding the fro-yo obsession. Maybe it's the adorable over lapping hand hold that makes it crazy delicious? Or maybe it's pretending to kiss it while having your significant other take a picture of your fro-yo love? Who can say. Was it good? Sure. Is it deserving of more than one picture on any blog on the internet? I would say no, but that's just me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xnskC6Ueu2E/ThZGHyFLThI/AAAAAAAACr0/0A_ouk41tnc/s1600/112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xnskC6Ueu2E/ThZGHyFLThI/AAAAAAAACr0/0A_ouk41tnc/s640/112.jpg" width="382" /></a></div> On the 4th, we noticed that no one was at the pool. How did we get the place to ourselves on the 4th of July? Who can say, but we were happy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUvTdr3mUYY/ThZGISmwbkI/AAAAAAAACr4/MFGyDWaS-R0/s1600/114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUvTdr3mUYY/ThZGISmwbkI/AAAAAAAACr4/MFGyDWaS-R0/s640/114.jpg" width="282" /></a></div> Yeah America, let's go cowboy hats. The pool was deserted the entire time we were there, and after a few hours we decided to mosey into some dry clothes and grab some grub. We had already decided that parking 2 miles from City Park and schlepping ourselves + any creature comforts to a park filled with 4th of July celebrants was not on the agenda. Here's why (the following is slightly sarcastic and tongue in cheek, but mostly just brutal honesty). 4th of July revelers usually fall into two diametrically opposite camps- drunken assholes who are way too loud, too drunk, and wearing far too few items of clothing, or harried, stressed families dragging a bunch of kids out way past their respective bed times to watch fireworks that will either a) bore them to tears or b) scare them to tears. Now, of course, I'm being a bit hyperbolic and over simplistic. There are certainly many people, drinkers and families alike, who do not fall into one of those two groups. But those two groups tend to dominate the energy because they are mortal enemies. So the sloppy drunk college girls piss off the parents who really don't want to have to explain to their 4 year old those kind of age inappropriate things, and the parents piss of the sloppy drunk college girls for trying to ruin their good time. On top of all that, it's generally hot, crowded, and there is an unacceptable port a potty to person ratio. Then, when the fireworks are over, everyone willingly takes part in an ungodly traffic jam that rivals any Wednesday morning rush hour situation, and we all sit in our respective cars in bumper to bumper traffic, listening to terrible music from said sloppy drunk college girls, watching people get arrested, and trying in vain to just get home because we're hot and tired. Don't get me wrong, I love watching fireworks. I've also had excellent 4th of July experiences in parks, with strangers, despite all of the previous. But we weren't interested in looking on the sunny side of things while ignoring the bad, so we decided to just skip the potential bad altogether and have our own little celebration.<br />
<br />
We did drive around City Park, just to check out the situation, but it was already madness a full two hours before sunset. People were parking miles away, and it looked like a fireworks march to Mecca. This confirmed our plan to do our own thing. We changed course and drove out towards the reservoir. There's a convenience store at the base of the foothills that services the boaters and campers that are heading towards the reservoir, and it had a huge fireworks tent set up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5QVBEVvwRkU/ThZL6PAgTyI/AAAAAAAACr8/RlMUG1tIizc/s1600/IMAG0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5QVBEVvwRkU/ThZL6PAgTyI/AAAAAAAACr8/RlMUG1tIizc/s640/IMAG0011.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKuGKxp3ApA/ThZL7V_B1JI/AAAAAAAACsA/QS0DOPjCNkI/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKuGKxp3ApA/ThZL7V_B1JI/AAAAAAAACsA/QS0DOPjCNkI/s640/IMAG0012.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These took me way back. They were my favorite as a kiddo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SGngw8Iyzg/ThZL8jfAdsI/AAAAAAAACsE/mIc42i48T74/s1600/IMAG0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SGngw8Iyzg/ThZL8jfAdsI/AAAAAAAACsE/mIc42i48T74/s640/IMAG0013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We snagged the hen and a box of colored sparklers and then continued on our way up into the foothills. A lot of other people had the same idea, but even with cars lining the shoulder the hectic, packed feel of the City Park celebration was absent.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9dMyVkV_uc/ThZN6lQqIjI/AAAAAAAACs0/gXvCA-aiNb8/s1600/120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9dMyVkV_uc/ThZN6lQqIjI/AAAAAAAACs0/gXvCA-aiNb8/s640/120.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> After the sunset (which was beautiful in its own right) the horizon started lighting up with fireworks. From the hood of our car on the shoulder of the road we were able to see 3 or 4 shows at once.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w0l_A9NxC0g/ThZOJNGheiI/AAAAAAAACs4/9m0XND3zKQk/s1600/143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w0l_A9NxC0g/ThZOJNGheiI/AAAAAAAACs4/9m0XND3zKQk/s640/143.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent my time watching, not taking pictures, so this is the best one I got. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> We also played with our sparklers, which was nostalgic fun. I discovered the filters on my smart phone, that night which created some neat images. I put them all into overexposed black and white, and I really like the way it turned out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1J8_049xGU/ThZNgxE_FCI/AAAAAAAACsY/BHHO_E-RHFk/s1600/188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1J8_049xGU/ThZNgxE_FCI/AAAAAAAACsY/BHHO_E-RHFk/s640/188.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRO0OtU3YDU/ThZNi3VMj6I/AAAAAAAACsc/GTwAbzp1TNg/s1600/190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRO0OtU3YDU/ThZNi3VMj6I/AAAAAAAACsc/GTwAbzp1TNg/s640/190.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FmnnndWNWXg/ThZNu_2ioVI/AAAAAAAACsg/prnjNqjUitw/s1600/176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FmnnndWNWXg/ThZNu_2ioVI/AAAAAAAACsg/prnjNqjUitw/s640/176.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGHnF0HBP1M/ThZNvbtBxkI/AAAAAAAACsk/VwW5b-71RlE/s1600/178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGHnF0HBP1M/ThZNvbtBxkI/AAAAAAAACsk/VwW5b-71RlE/s640/178.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRV06n-WBDE/ThZNvyqAfAI/AAAAAAAACso/OO41aYqjK8g/s1600/180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRV06n-WBDE/ThZNvyqAfAI/AAAAAAAACso/OO41aYqjK8g/s640/180.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dx90CBpZ354/ThZNwgBkREI/AAAAAAAACss/2t5cPUtjj2E/s1600/182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dx90CBpZ354/ThZNwgBkREI/AAAAAAAACss/2t5cPUtjj2E/s640/182.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZVIW1lsr4A/ThZNxIJ-XVI/AAAAAAAACsw/PdS42RXV_l0/s1600/186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZVIW1lsr4A/ThZNxIJ-XVI/AAAAAAAACsw/PdS42RXV_l0/s640/186.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We left our shoulder side spot and headed back home right as a storm started up. The hen was shot off in the parking lot of our apartments, a fact I regretted a bit once I was reminded that it made a shriek (sorry neighbors!). The rest of the night was spent on the back porch, sitting by candle light and listening to the storm blow through the enormous aspens in the courtyard behind our apartment. We didn't plan one bit of it, and it couldn't have gone any better.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380900660900615143.post-38677358957986674012011-07-06T20:52:00.000-07:002011-07-06T20:55:49.355-07:00Movin' On<i>ETA: The captions turned out to be absurdly small, but there are some hyper links within them if you care to mosey around in my internet past. I'm also far too lazy and tired (see closing statement) to change anything about this post other than tacking on this very long and italicized disclaimer. Good night!</i><br />
<br />
Before <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/06/catching-up-with-technology-verdict-meh.html">stepping into the future with smart phones</a> I cleaned out the random, super old pictures on my phone that dated back to 2009. Here are a few in no particular order, chosen for no particular reason.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cLGqYeC73LE/ThUpWVcb-uI/AAAAAAAACpQ/W-VJsm_rEhA/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cLGqYeC73LE/ThUpWVcb-uI/AAAAAAAACpQ/W-VJsm_rEhA/s640/008.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010- Pig rocking chair picture taken for my good friend, Jess. She loooooves pigs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMMKCAoeKi8/ThUpXc4CfzI/AAAAAAAACpU/bEt5UPvZb2s/s1600/020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMMKCAoeKi8/ThUpXc4CfzI/AAAAAAAACpU/bEt5UPvZb2s/s640/020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011- Bathroom art at <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-love-this-company.html">New Belgium Brewery</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT7C_YvZoF0/ThUpYNI2a1I/AAAAAAAACpY/OfOvXwV-Aas/s1600/021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT7C_YvZoF0/ThUpYNI2a1I/AAAAAAAACpY/OfOvXwV-Aas/s640/021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010- A classy wall decoration- yours for a steal at the local thrift store!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-djn_FRyDI1I/ThUpY9781jI/AAAAAAAACpc/ykg-SThByIU/s1600/0110111155-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-djn_FRyDI1I/ThUpY9781jI/AAAAAAAACpc/ykg-SThByIU/s640/0110111155-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early 2010- It snowed A LOT in Texas that winter</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--9DOQ74sSeU/ThUpZa4ywwI/AAAAAAAACpg/3IpFsx2lLFE/s1600/0113102129-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--9DOQ74sSeU/ThUpZa4ywwI/AAAAAAAACpg/3IpFsx2lLFE/s640/0113102129-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- I get all my nutritional advice from gas pump placards at convenience stores. Solid.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cMneGJ1NbL0/ThUpaH3GEwI/AAAAAAAACpk/TyyY0zPMao0/s1600/0128101848-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cMneGJ1NbL0/ThUpaH3GEwI/AAAAAAAACpk/TyyY0zPMao0/s640/0128101848-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/01/kates-birthday-quilt.html">Kate</a> works at a nursery, and I told her about how my father used to do this with his construction boots. Officially creeped me out just as much at the age of 26 as it did at the age of 6.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8EEAzAZk_k/ThUpalWhnOI/AAAAAAAACpo/ru1t7wJkTt4/s1600/0129101809-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8EEAzAZk_k/ThUpalWhnOI/AAAAAAAACpo/ru1t7wJkTt4/s640/0129101809-02.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- Binkus, cat of wonders. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2mFVCpwuXf4/ThUpbDz9fCI/AAAAAAAACps/lPb7dRPjkOA/s1600/0210101319-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2mFVCpwuXf4/ThUpbDz9fCI/AAAAAAAACps/lPb7dRPjkOA/s640/0210101319-00.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas 2010- You know you're in a sketch store when they have anti-theft tags on the baskets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X_ixuL4GypQ/ThUpb3tCNDI/AAAAAAAACpw/-oSX4QJ9jG0/s1600/0213102332-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X_ixuL4GypQ/ThUpb3tCNDI/AAAAAAAACpw/-oSX4QJ9jG0/s640/0213102332-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010- A random bar in Brownwood, right before we moved up to Colorado</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t1xPZTcOLgk/ThUpcdIo6sI/AAAAAAAACp0/-WNw_2mZhEM/s1600/0514101743-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t1xPZTcOLgk/ThUpcdIo6sI/AAAAAAAACp0/-WNw_2mZhEM/s640/0514101743-01.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010- Also right before we moved up to Colorado- this child is now 14 months old. He was a few days old here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oTY6LSOVH1g/ThUpdGSArWI/AAAAAAAACp4/mhIbfDk4ga4/s1600/1016091302-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oTY6LSOVH1g/ThUpdGSArWI/AAAAAAAACp4/mhIbfDk4ga4/s640/1016091302-00.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- Front porch of Jess' apartment in Hollywood, <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2009/12/leaving-utah-oct-14th-lunch-in-las.html">where I lived while writing my thesis</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKolPnu8HkQ/ThUpdnAwcnI/AAAAAAAACp8/31IwzvU1vYs/s1600/1024091512-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKolPnu8HkQ/ThUpdnAwcnI/AAAAAAAACp8/31IwzvU1vYs/s640/1024091512-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- Halloween shopping. This sums up why I love Jess so much. We ended up going with <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-on-hollywood-blvd.html">these costumes.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-34jylqrL8kY/ThUpe5OHSrI/AAAAAAAACqA/1pzwZSa6pRA/s1600/1122091801-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-34jylqrL8kY/ThUpe5OHSrI/AAAAAAAACqA/1pzwZSa6pRA/s640/1122091801-00.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- Last night in Hollywood before returning home to Texas to <a href="http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2010/01/oh-yeah-i-graduated-here-are-some.html">walk for graduate school</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfQQZPffX2k/ThUpfxIfSTI/AAAAAAAACqE/_YeR9dMNL4Q/s1600/1209090931-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfQQZPffX2k/ThUpfxIfSTI/AAAAAAAACqE/_YeR9dMNL4Q/s640/1209090931-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010- Bobby and I pet sat the creepiest cat in the universe. This picture says it all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fGm8ntAFzTE/ThUpg32KMsI/AAAAAAAACqI/K8MEbhX-W-o/s1600/1224091538-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fGm8ntAFzTE/ThUpg32KMsI/AAAAAAAACqI/K8MEbhX-W-o/s640/1224091538-00.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2009- My contribution to a Christmas potluck. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jnBcpsPzl7w/ThUpiWYIN0I/AAAAAAAACqM/PifGM4gSN_8/s1600/1229091315-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jnBcpsPzl7w/ThUpiWYIN0I/AAAAAAAACqM/PifGM4gSN_8/s640/1229091315-00.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010- My <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VGtFfJQZyv8/TStLUCc-iJI/AAAAAAAABnE/afRR_5RibnQ/s1600/003.JPG">favorite gauntlets</a> and a sparkle doughnut.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I have a sore throat, so now it's bed time. Oh, sweet delicious bed time.Cortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225945218092447245noreply@blogger.com2