Adios 2010

2010 is over! Well, not over quite yet, over in about 13 hours. I thought I would write a little blog reflecting over the past year, the highs and the lows and everything in between.

Currently I am in Casper where it is 1 degree outside. That's right, 1 degree. And with the wind chills it is probably more like -10 or so. We have about 8 inches of snow on the ground. And it's COLD. I don't know if I can emphasize that any more. However, at this time last year in 2009 I never would have imagined I would be spending the next Christmas in Casper Wyoming. How things change. Also, I have spent several weeks here now, and I have realized that I DO like Casper. It's great that there is never really any traffic, getting across town in 10 minutes is quite nice. Also, people are generally friendlier, and I am learning that it's not scary to wave at people or say hi as you walk down the street (or at least acknowlege their presence, which doesn't really happen where I am from...) The scenery is beautiful... earlier in my time here when it wasn't so cold I spent lots and lots of time running with Faulkner. We did some runs near sunrise and sunset, and their "mountain" (which I am learning to appreciate as a real mountain...) is gorgeous. Plus they have a river, and big open skies, there's something about it that is beautiful. I don't think I would have said that 4 or 5 months ago, but the more time I spent here the more I like it. It's nice being able to go running and not have to worry about dodging in and out of traffic/cars, worry about safety (I have never once felt unsafe running by myself here, cannot say the same at home), and something about the higher altitude makes it easier to run farther. Although fighting the wind definitely stinks sometimes. All in all, God is good, I had no idea Mom moving here was ever in his plan, but i've gotta say-- that God knows what he's doing sometimes, and we have to trust in him more!

Also, 2010 was my last full year as a graduate student at UW! I graduate in June of 2011, so just 2 more quarters to go. In 2010 I finished my practicum at Nativity House and started my new practicum at Peace Community Center. I had both good and very frustrating academic experiences: good= finally getting to start my capstone, and frustrating=research sequence and military sw class. Summer quarter is always tough, and I am thrilled to say after doing Summer 2010 classes that is (*hopefully*) my last summer quarter EVER.

2011 should be an exciting year. Finishing up my final practicum (how am I POSSIBLY going to get all those hours done...?), two more quarters of classwork, finishing my capstone, graduation in June. Then after that things are a little more muddy. Find a job (yes). Doing what/where (who knows). Maybe having health insurance (yes, please). Stay in Tacoma, move somewhere else (only time will tell). I will turn 25 in 2011. That's a quarter of a century. I don't know about that.

I am not one to make New Years Resolutions, in fact I usually shy far far away from them. I feel like they are just asking for failure, and then you feel like crap when you don't do them. However, a year from now, looking back on 2011, here are some things I would like to have accomplished:

• run a 10K (but maybe start with a 5K?)
• have a job with health insurance... and maybe some other benefits?
• be able to put money in savings
• at least one road trip to Spokane to visit friendies!

That's all for now. Last blog of 2010. I hope you all have a wonderful start to the New Year.

books for christmas?!

This video makes me laugh (and cry a little). What is our world coming to?! My future children better never have this reaction to getting books for christmas.

Enjoy!

flashback to middle school

The last few weeks NBC has been airing "The Sing-Off", featuring some amazing accapella groups. Last night was the finale, and of course Nick Lachey was the host (he is NOT a good host... he needs to work on his reading abilities..,) However, he performed with the four top groups and did this song and it made me SOOO happy! Not because it is a genius piece of music, but because there is still something about the former 98-Degrees member slash Jessica Simpson's ex-husband that makes a girl smile! I haven't been feeling much in the Christmas spirit as of yet, but this helped a little...

I think for my generation of females, our love of "boy-bands" will never leave us. It reminds us of middle school dances, KC & Jo Jo, Backstreet Boys, N'SYNC, 98 Degrees, awkward slow dancing with tall boys, and that flutter in your heart you got when you saw Justin Timberlake or Lance Bass (before he came out of the closet...). I have a feeling our kids will tease us about this when that time comes.... :-)

creative uses for a starbucks cup, part 2

In November I wrote a post detailing how we used a Starbucks cup as a funnel for radiator fluid. Well, this post is the sequel!

I am back in Wyoming, now to celebrate Christmas, and last night Mom brought home the ingredients for me to make this brocolli-bacon rigatoni that she loves that I make. We couldn't find a can or glass jar to drain the bacon fat, so we grabbed my Starbucks cup out of the trash (yes i said trash, you can't recycle here in Wyoming), and we poured the bacon fat into the Starbucks cup.

Now there is a cute little Starbucks cup on the counter full of bacon fat. Awesome.

In other news:

• In the Denver airport, the restrooms have signs on them that say "tornado shelter". how reassuring.
• Raspberry vodka, oj, sprite, and grenadine= a little slice of heaven. Maybe I should consider a second career as a bartender?
• Faulkner and I ran 2.5 miles today AND went to the dog park. We're both going to sleep well tonight.
• "The Sing Off" finale is today. Great show, but Nick Lachey is a horrible tv host...

The End!

a hilarious and slightly shocking conversation

Yesterday after church I went downstairs to fellowship, and had this lovely conversation with an elderly gentleman in my church. This story should be prefaced with the fact that it was Tracy's graduation over the weekend, so at fellowship they were doing a little party to celebrate her graduation. We'll call him "M".

"M": Hi dear. So are you in high school yet?

Me: (confused). Actually I am 24 and I am in graduate school. I am Tracy's older sister (said politely, trying to clarify).

M: (looks very confused). Oh my, I thought you were younger. (Long pause.....) But... you aren't married? (said shockingly).

Me: (trying not to say something rude). No, I am not.

M: Shame on you. You know, you have to watch out for your biological clock.

Me: (Had no idea how to respond to this...) Ummmm, ok.

M: Wow, I had no idea you were Tracy's older sister. My oh my.

**M walks away to get his coffee and cake, Jessica is left confused, startled, and speechless.**

End Scene.

SERIOUSLY?!?! Did that really just happen? I had no idea to what even to think at that moment. Up until now, I had known M as a very amiable polite man! He's 87, his wife of 60-something years recently passed away. I guess I have to chalk it up to a generational difference. My pastor thinks that M might be trying to set me up with one of his many eligible grandsons. Who knows...

This encounter got me thinking-- there is no way at this time in history that me being 24 and unmarried and childless is this horrible horrendous thing! Yes, I went to a small private Christian university where many of my friends got marrried shortly after college and are continuing to get married now. Some are even starting to have kids. And when M and his wife were married, shortly after WWII, it was a completely different situation. She was 17 and he had recently returned from the war. People were getting married left and right. And their marriages, for the most part, have lasted 50, 60, 70 years, which is definitely admirable!

The 21st Century is an entirely different climate for women and marriage! I am not angry or upset at M, mostly just suprised (especially since he has apparently thought I was 15 for the last year or so that I have known him, haha!). It's things like this, and clash/discussion between generations of people, that gets me thinking.

Now I should probably end this post because while I have been sitting here the last 15 minutes or so my biological clock has been ticking away and I have been doing nothing about it. :-) (SARCASM, for those of you who weren't sure...)

likes and dislikes

things i like:

• cold satsuma oranges fresh out of the fridge
• "hello cupcake" gingerbread cupcakes with maple icing
• alec baldwin on 30 Rock
• the feeling you get after a good run, even if the run itself sucks
• fog in the mornings

things i dislike:

• people who smoke outside my open apartment building door
• having cold hands
• alec baldwin as a human being
• when people stand awkwardly close to you in line at the grocery store
• obnoxious cell phone ringtones

creative uses for a starbucks cup

Currently I am in Wyoming for Thanksgiving, I got here yesterday. Today a guy who goes to my mom's church came to check her car radiator, because it's supposed to get into below-zero temps at night and he didn't want her car to get destroyed! He asked if I could help him, of course I said yes. The coolant that was in her car wasn't the right temperature rating for Wyoming (because how many people in the world have to have engine coolant that is rated into the negative 30/40 degrees?!?!), so we flushed and filled her radiator. After it had flushed, we realized we didn't have a funnel to pour the new fluid through.

So because I am super creative, I got my tall-sized Starbucks cup from this morning's pumpkin spice americano, cut a hole in the bottom, and we used that as a funnel. And because we had to do 50/50 coolant/water, we used my mom's used iced passion tea lemonade cup to measure the coolant and water. As we were doing this all I could think to myself is, "wow, I wish i had a video camera to record this and send it to Starbucks." I guarantee that has to be one of the top 10 creative uses for a Starbucks cup ever!! Maybe I could have gotten a free cup of coffee or something?! And to top it off, after we were done Jay said, "well you are pretty good, for a girl."

Haaaha, totally made my day. I have to thank Tim Verellen, who helped me fix my car many-a-time when I was in high school, and who taught me how to flush a radiator!

What a day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?