Flashback Friday: The Bahamas

With another winter storm on it's way (at the risk of being punched, I really don't mind that much), I thought I would remind myself of warmer times.  Oh, the Caribbean, how I missed you so.

Cake wrecks

Confession:  I have utilized making fun of professional cake decorators as part of my way to engage students in the classroom and to keep them engaged throughout the week on Blackboard.  If you haven't ever witnessed the hilarity, click here:  http://www.cakewrecks.com.

So, when I attempted to bake,  I had a few of my own cake wrecks recently.  Here are a few of my failures.

What it was supposed to look like:

What it actually looked like:

And this was a box kit.

Here was a Valentine's cake I had made for work and my class.

What it was supposed to look like:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/100557004154036335/

This is what it actually looked like:

I think this may be penance for making fun of other bakers.

Flashback Friday x2

Things have been chugging along, and I have not posted two Flashback Fridays.  So, here is double the fun.

My high school crew

Teleferico, Quito 2007

The great melt off

The snow is starting to melt and the 30 plus degree temps feel so warm, I wore a fleece in lieu of a jacket today.  I think everyone is ready for these but me.  Sure, it may have been the snowiest winter on record and there may have been more than a few days with subzero temperatures, but these cold temperatures focus me.  The gym has been shut down more than a few times this winter, causing me to get creative with my exercises.  My bike trainer has gotten some good use especially while reading or studying.  I am forced to stay inside and read for my class instead of wanting to frolic about outside.  And I am motivated to work, because there is no substitution for being outside when it's warm.  I crave it, kind of itch for it.  I actually put on a really warm turtleneck the other day hoping that it would be warm enough.  The polar vortex has passed and I changed (it may have been on the way to work).  I have a pair of snow boots I hope to fully wear out by the end of the season and I wouldn't mind wearing out my coat.

1234.  Wearing things out=lots of use.
1235.  Getting good use of my boots.
1236.  Having a warm winter coat.
1237.  Walking in my parents' house the other day to a roaring fire in the fireplace and dinner on the table.  It felt like I just walked into a picture perfect scene in a movie.
1238.  Having enough firewood.
1239.  Having a working fireplace.
1240.  That I no longer do home based appts.

Of course there are so many things that are good about the snow melting.

1241.  Parking spaces finally being freed up.
1242. A 3.4 mile run today outside=small victories on a lot of fronts
1243.  Being able to run in one pair of tights
1244.  Not returning the very nice running tights my mom had bought my for Christmas.

1245.  Watching the melted snow trickle down the roves in a steady stream of glistening water.
1246.  Not having to wear a sweater to work.

I was just telling my sister the other day that I am blown away about how, despite our advances in technology and science, we are still unable to combat these storms.  We can't stop them from happening.  Snow piles up where it pleases, squeezes into nooks and crannies and stops entire cities from functioning.  I am amazed how big and powerful it can be and that I have a personal relationship with someone who can orchestrate all these storms and yet works His way into the nooks and crannies of my own life, until I am saturated and overflowing with love and kindness and goodness that I have to give to others.  Because without my cracks being filled, I would be nowhere near that person.

Cat pics

I have several pictures of other people's animals on my phone.  I thought I would share a few.

This may make me the crazy cat lady.  Frankly, I don't care.

St. Val

I spent my Valentine's with my parents.  Not because I wasn't asked.  But it is better to have no Valentine than a wrong Valentine.  So I spent it with the people who gave me life.  Plus, my sister came home from Chicago.  It was a day full of sweet moments and sentiments.  I am one lucky gal.
1215.  I had an amazing Valentine's Day with people I love.
1216.  Apple pies from a coworker.
1217.  Sweet text messages from my family.
1218. Chocolates (and a gift card) from my mom.

1219.  Snowglobe snow.
1220.  Good snow boots.
1221.  Sparkly icicles.
1222.  A family trip to the Y.  My sister said it was the "highlight of [her] morning."
1223.  An open treadmill at the Y.
1224.  Another yoga class at the Y...this is getting easier.
1225.  Recovery pancake breakfast.
1226.  Highlander Grogg coffee.
1227.  A new washer that sings.

1228.  Netflix with my sister.

1229.  My mom retrieving my coat from the Y.

1230.  Knockoff pasta e fagoili.

1231.  Salted caramel brownies.

1232.  Our own Olympic commentary.

1233.  Getting up to 25 degrees this weekend.  It feels almost warm!

Sparkles in the snow

I got health insurance today.  (Deep breath.)  This has been a long time coming.  After a few bold career moves to improve my resume, I gave up all employment benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance.  I have to admit:  I didn't understand where my panicked moments were coming from, but they suddenly seemed to have vanished.  At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I seriously almost cried after I hit submit.  (P.S.  How do people do this for years?)

I am grateful that:

1195.  I have not have a major reason to see the doctor for the last five and a half months.
1196.  That I have had a Health Savings Account to float me between insurances.
1197.  That I can still utilize my glasses.
1198.  Finding out that the contacts on hold at the optometrist were already paid in full.
1199.  Having affordable health insurance (this isn't Obamacare, so that isn't a bridge I wanted to cross).
1200.  How this has made me acutely aware of the need of health insurance.

My parents' washer broke this week.  They just go a new one today that sings when it is done.  High efficiency, high fluent.  As weird as it sounds, I am grateful that this all happened.  I have more than enough clothes to go a week and a half without washing them (1201), it causes me to avoid thinking about what I just wore (1202--this apparently seems to be a thing I forget frequently nowadays.  I probably would wear the same clothes everyday if it wasn't for the hamper), and this gave me time to focus on things other than laundry (1203).  The last one may sound funny, until you realize that I seriously don't have a great capability of balancing several things at once and enjoyed not having to put laundry on the list of things I should be doing right this second.  I am also very happy that my parent's washer and dryer lasted as long as it did (1204), they had their old ones taken away for $10, they got their new ones on sale (1205), and that they had the means to replace them quickly (1206).  My dad was able to have a job that was flexible enough to let him off in the middle of the day (1207), and they hooked up the new equipment for practically nothing (1208).  I am grateful that we no longer have to use a washboard for our clothes (1209) and for high efficiency units (1210).

I am grateful for snow crystals (1211) and a slow recovery (1212).  Again, I think that my injury has been well timed in needing balance in my life with other sports (1213).  I am forced to swim and do yoga and stretch lots, which has been a good way to make me feel a little less scattered (1214).

While sometimes things seem so bad, there is a silver lining to it all.

Summer Reflections

I didn't really get a chance to share my pictures from the summer.  I thought I would take a break from my snow pictures to reflect on warmer times.  To finally express how grateful I am that I had the opportunity to see the west, experience an odd phenomenon of wildfires and sunsets behind the backdrop of the mountains, to stand on top of the Grand Canyon, to experience the vastness of earth moving and the power of flowing water, something that flows into my bathroom, washes my hands, and appears so innocuous, has cut through rocks, one paper thin layer at a time.  Persistence pays off. I got to experience American ingenuity, the Hoover Dam.  Engineering wonders at its finest.  Water's wonder is everywhere.  Hearing the sound crashing on the rocks, experiencing how unsafe, how vast, how amazing this could be.  I drank it all in.

This trip taught me so much about the world, my God, and myself.  I discovered who I was and what I wanted in a way that has defined that last several months of my life.

Flashback Friday--Parent Appreciation Dinner 2000

This is how we spent one of our Valentine's Days.  We love you Mom and Dad.

I had a sassy, uncensored middle age friend who told me that she had gotten into an argument with a man on Facebook about his snow rants.  She said "you know, that isn't going to change anything.  You get stuck in a snow pile, be thankful you can get out of your car.  There are some people on the side of the road whose cars turn over and they never make it out.  Be thankful that we were able to get out, to see each other today."  Perspective.

I could whine or I could make my list.  I realized that this is the times when gratitude is tested the most.

1195.  Free pop with a gas fill up.   It doesn't even matter if I drank it all.
1196.  A dad who fixes dinner.
1197.  And accommodates to my pseudo-vegetarianism.
1198. Finding a lost earring.
1199.  Watching people at the Y get healthier.
1200.  The counters at the Y have never fallen.  (Random, but true.)
1201.  That there are plenty of mirrors in the morning to get ready.
1202. Shower shoes.
1203.  The spinner at the Y that gets out excess water off my swimsuit.
1204.  That my swimsuit has not fallen apart yet.
1205.  Goggles that don't fog up.
1206.  Or leak.
1207.  A couple of swim caps.
1208.  Hair that isn't too long to tuck up into my swim cap.
1209.  The capability to take people off my Facebook newsfeed.
1210.  Having pipe cleaners and pompoms to give away to poor snowed in families.
1211.  The wheel.  Think about it.  Where would we be without it?
1212.  The invention of tires with traction.
1213.  Dependable axles.
1214.  A car that has heat.
1215.  Heated seats.
1216.  Working windshield wipers.
1217.  Working car windows.
1218.  Snow shovels.

1219.  Salt.
1220. My parents' snow blower.
1221.  A dad who is willing to blow out the driveway before work.
1222.  The fact that I made it out okay after a morning of getting stuck in the driveway.
1223.  Having kitty litter, a snow shovel, and car mats handy to get me out of the drive.
1224.  The kindness of a random stranger who was on my street at just the right time.
1225.  Making it to work okay.
1226.  Being alive for another day to tell the story.

Getting my rants in clearer view

It seems like everything was coming together really well, that some parts of my life was final coming together, but I have some issues, doors that continue to shut, uncertainty that continues to run through my veins.  I am not completely sure that I am headed in the right direction, that I am ready to begin a new chapter in a few months.  Another new chapter.  Life has been full of changes, sometimes making me a little unsure.

Then it started snowing.  Again.  Really, it isn't the snow that bothered me.  I was just thinking about how much I could get done with a snow day, how I could ride my bike trainer, could finish my grad school application, clean the house, et al.  But I felt something in my stomach.  Anger.  Frustration.  I couldn't figure it out.  Then I thought:  today I had computer issues and couldn't spend half my day doing work, I debated for half my afternoon on whether to hold my 6-9 class, asked my coworkers, thought of alternative assignments, debated on whether this reflected real world scenarios, and ultimately decided to have a shortened class.  To get a text message saying that campus was closing.  It was 4:45.  Ugh.  

Then I lost my debit card in the snow.  It was like finding a needle in a haystack.

I got a Valentine's invite that I'd rather not RSVP.  

I still have work to do because I debated for half the afternoon on my class.

My check engine light keeps coming on.  I spent three Mondays in a row at the car shop.  (That is how I spend my three day weekends.)

My Facebook news feed has blown up for a month with people complaining about the weather.  Pretty sure I know already.

My parents have a mouse in their house.  My mom saw it Sunday morning.  We have been on the lookout ever since.

I couldn't buy last minute things at the store because that is where I discovered I misplaced my debit card.

I thought I gave important papers to someone else.

The hospital wants my old insurance card.  The scanner doesn't work at my parents' and I couldn't find the paper at work to use theirs (see above).

I didn't get in the rest of my workout today because the snow apocalypse engulfed my city.

I still have plantar flaciitus, even with taking time off, doing yoga, rubbing a golf ball under my foot, swimming, and getting a $170 pair of shoes.  (Guilty confession.  I have never paid this much for a pair of shoes.  However, after an hour and a half trip to a speciality store to watch me run on a treadmill and a dozen pairs of the wrong shoes, finding ones that fit right seemed worth every penny.  Please God, let these be the ones.)

I missed the deadline to enroll for benefits with my company.  Partially because of procrastination, a lot because of technology.

I waited for half the day to have someone from IT call me back.  Apparently, I missed an e-mail from one guy asking me if everything was okay now.  Thanks dude.  The issue was getting into my e-mail.

I try hard and work, but somedays it still seems overwhelming.

So here is my gratitude list:

1160.  I am happy for mouse hunters.

1161.  And a phone call finding my debit card.

1162.  A fruitless shopping trip that led to a quick discovery of no debit card.

1163.  An option to put my debit card on temporary suspension.

1164.  Honest patrons and store owners.

1165.  That we aren't going to starve because I didn't get stuff from the store.

1166.  Not having class in the middle of this mess.

1167.  Having an alternative Blackboard assignment already lined up.

1168.  Flexibility in my syllabus to take a class and a half off.

1169.  Having another week to prepare a pretty hefty topic on racism and sexism.

1170.  Now being ahead of the game in studying for my class.

1171.  A campus who prioritized student safety over the obligation to meet for class.

1172.  Not having any accidents this winter so far.

1173.  Living in town with my parents.

1174.  Having a father who takes me on a commute to work. 

1175.  Having a really busy day at work.  Read:  productivity is good.

1176.  Having a boss who cares enough to travel from Bloomington to see me for a few minutes.

1177.  Making it to work safely and on time.

1178.  Getting in a quick morning swim.

1179.  Having time to connect with people.

1180.  Having free weights at home to do a workout if necessary.

1181.  Being able to be flexible, no matter what tomorrow holds.

1182.  That my mom got a hotel in Indy tonight.  (Because that would have been a nasty commute otherwise.)

1183.  Apple nachos.  This was such a hit at the Superbowl party that I didn't get a chance to set them down before 1/3 of them were gone. 

1184.  USPS:  we may be going into debt because of them, but man are they dedicated.

1185.  Fixing problems on my car that could have caused me to be stranded in the snow.

1186.  A telemarketer told me that I sounded really young on the phone.  I will take this as a compliment.

1187.  Facetiming with my sister last night.  Short, but sweet.

1188.  Having enough warm clothes to last me through the winter.

1189. Not having enough time to shop for anything other than running shoes yesterday.

1190.  Okay, so I bought two tri/running tops on clearance too.

1191.  Not getting a chance to spend more money at the store because of my misplaced debit card.

1192. Having a car repair shop nearby.

1193.  Thick lotion for chapped hands.

1194.  Crashing the boys' club at the Superbowl Sufferfest.

I realized that if I could emerge this winter, where the bottom fell out of the thermometer and snow piles created the Midwestern Mt. Everest, then I could be prepared for bigger and better things.  Seriously.  Winter has to end sometime.  Is the pettiness going to be worth it in the spring?