3-2-1 Huskissons!

Progress Report

2012-01-29T12:07:00.001-06:00

Alternate titles for this blog post include "How I became the person with the most annoying list of off-limit foods in the Inland Northwest," "You know things are really bad when you type 'blog toast' instead of 'blog post,'" and my personal favorite, "Will Jesus mind if I eat ALL the communion wafers?"

So, I have been gluten free (mostly) for two months now. I say mostly because I'm a little bit mellow about it. If a product does not have anything gluten-y in its list of ingredients, but comes with a disclaimer that it was packaged in a facility that also processes wheat, I will eat it. If I am making gravy with flour for Travis and I need to tell if it tastes good, I will sample a tiny bit (it was REALLY good). I've been known to use a little bit of soy sauce here and there. And I definitely partake in the regular old communion wafers at church. So I think I am 99.42% gluten free, approximately.

The following is my progress report of the experience so far, compete with letter grades and teacher comments.

Side effects: C-. There are far worse side effects out there (also, did you know that if you take prescription Lastisse to grow your eyelashes your eyes might turn brown and stay that way? Not bad, per se, but definitely strange), but all-the-time nausea is bad enough to pull a solid C-. I've been feeling a lot better for the last few weeks, but for almost six weeks I felt pretty nauseated every day, especially between waking up and 2 p.m. (No baby on the way, sorry), and I still feel nauseated some mornings. People on the internet call this gluten withdrawal, though by "people" I mean bloggers and the types that frequent food-allergy message boards, and not actual health professionals. Throughout this entire process, actually, I have been keeping it classy by following the suggestions of people on the internet rather than my doctor. But did you know that 0% of the dozen or so doctors I have been to have suggested I go gluten free? I have become one of those people who say things like "I know my own body best" and ignore their doctors' advice.
Substitute foods: B-. I have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the substitute foods available, especially since I tried some of my friend Amy's gluten free pasta about 5 years ago and I am fairly certain it tasted like soggy cardboard. But at the time I had something to compare it to, and now the gluten-free version is my only choice, so I think it's pretty good! A few of my favorites are Bob's Red Mill pizza dough mix (Travis says I shouldn't call it pizza when it's wheatless and cheeseless, but it's really delicious!), Lundberg Brown Rice penne, and Udi's hamburger buns. These foods are really pricey, though, which brought the grade down to a B, and I have had no success with cookies, so the grade dropped to a B-. My saving grace in this category has surprisingly been WinCo Foods (if you are not familiar with WinCo, it's like a combination of the WalMart food section, Cash&Carry, and Grocery Outlet, but less fancy and with a lower-income clientele). WinCo has a lot of gluten-free products, and they are much cheaper than they are anywhere else. The only downside is that they are spread out throughout the store so you have to know where to look, but it's been a fun treasure-hunting experience.
Cravings: C. I am finding myself more addicted to wheat than I thought possible, but I am also discovering that I have pretty well-developed self control after years of migraine diets and working with headaches. That said, this has been hard. Travis brought home some Krispy Kreme donuts in December and I called him a jerk (and meant it) for the first time in our marriage. In retrospect, he was not being a jerk, but he was over-estimating my ability to handle having Krispy Kreme donuts in the house and not eat them (he's actually been a really good sport through this whole thing). After two months I still feel hungry almost all the time, no matter how much I eat, and have cried actual tears more than once when I was really hungry and couldn't find something to just throw together. Pre-gluten-free, my average snack was 4-6 pieces of toast (don't judge). There was nothing cheaper and more delicious! I still think about bread several times a day, and wonder how it's doing, and if it misses me.
Results: A. The ONLY reason I have kept this up so long is that it has been so ridiculously effective. It could be a fluke, but I have had 8 real headaches in just over two months. That's less than 1 headache a week. (I define a real headache as something pretty painful that sticks around, since I still get the occasional 30-second cluster headache or very dull background headache, but these barely register in comparison with the "big bads"). For the last 2.5 years, I'd say my average was 4-5 bad headache days a week, with months on end of 6-7 headache days a week. Nothing else I have tried (there's a list here) has ever come close to making such a huge change, especially in such a short amount of time. I have been keeping a pretty detailed health log in case my brain is just playing tricks on me, and sometimes I go back and count my 8 headaches to make sure it's really just 8. It is! There are some things I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to do as a person with bad headaches 5/7 of the time, but those things feel very possible for someone with bad headaches only 1/7 of the time! I might just take up water skiing.

Me and my gluten-free hamburger bun on a date at Five Guys. Travis chaperoned.

Cumulative GPA: 2.6 (B- average). My gluten-free diet would probably not make it into Whitworth, but it would do just fine at a larger state school. I bet there are even schools out there with water skiing classes.

Maps!

2011-12-29T13:18:00.000-06:00

Last night Travis and I started mapping out our route for a drive from Texas to Washington coming up in a few days. Travis mentioned that he's pretty tired of the same old paths (specifically, he would be happy never to drive across Wyoming again), and would like to try something new. We have pretty much exhausted any path that goes through Colorado or Utah, and have visited Arches National Park, Garden of the Gods, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. Right now the "north to Mt. Rushmore, then west through Montana" route is a front-runner, though it has one enormous flaw: dogs have to stay in the car at Mt. Rushmore. Apparently the good people who maintain Mt. Rushmore are not big fans of dogs. As a meticulous poo-picker-uper I resent having to leave Sasquatch in the car at National Parks, but we are still considering this path because a) We are all about exploring new parts of America's heartland, b) This route conveniently avoids all but a corner of Wyoming, c) It only adds a few hours to the trip, and d) I would be able to check four new states off of my "states visited" map.
Currently, I have visited 14 states (I count a visit as any time you go somewhere and actually leave the airport). I am working with a prospective student whose parents have scheduled a family trip to Antarctica so that she will have visited all seven continents by the time she leaves for college. You can see how I might feel a little poorly-traveled. (I'm pretty sure I just made up "poorly-traveled," but I think it works nicely, don't you?)
If we take the Mt. Rushmore route, I will be able to add Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. America's heartland is waiting with the promise of adventure (and lots and lots of fields)!
Here is the "states visited" map of someone who has seen a lot of wheatfields:

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Letters about things I don't understand

2011-12-28T18:29:00.002-06:00

There are A LOT of things I don't understand. Big things, like God's grace and the government scandal in Pakistan, but also little things like the Kia hamsters (what demographic are you meant to appeal to???). I have also been trying out the idea of writing letters to companies like a crotchety old man or Ted L. Nancy. Today I have decided to combine the two and write letters about things I don't understand. This has been a really fun exercise for me, and I highly recommend it!

Dear Wii Sports,
There is no such thing as a Double-Pro in the real world. Also, you cannot be successful at tennis by simply waving your raquet at the right time. You have to run toward the ball and put the raquet in the right place. This is actually, I believe, the hardest part of tennis.
Sincerely,
Person who has only played the Wii once, and failed

Dear facebook friends,
I don't understand it when you start a status update with "That awkward moment when . . ." I mean, I get the convention, but I don't know WHY you do it. And 9 times out of 10, the thing you are describing isn't really awkward, it's something else, like ironic or embarrasing or funny or even awesome. Example: "That awkward moment when you start dancing in the grocery store and everyone stares" is a really strange thing to write or say. I would much rather write something like, "Today Travis and I had a dance party in the grocery store. Travis mostly danced by standing completely still and looking horrified, but I knew he was having a Gene Kelly moment on the inside."
Sincerely,
Someone who comes up with new ways to tell stories just for fun

Dear people who won't drop out of the presidential election, even though it is clear you are not going to win,
I've never unsuccessfully run for president, but I'm pretty sure it's expensive (for the people who support you) and a big time waster (especially if you already have a job that you should be doing, like getting us out of this economic crisis), and that the longer you stay in the race before you drop out the longer people get to make fun of your presidential run on the internet. Are you trying to win some kind of bet? Make yourself so visible that you will have a shot at the Vice Presidential nod or a Fox News commentator gig? Because, like I said before, you pretty much all have day jobs, and it might be worth returning to them.
Sincerely,
Person who really doesn't like to see people put themselves in bad situations

Dear Sasquatch,
I don't get it. How can you be so awesome all the time? You are the best dog.
Sincerely,
Someone who tries not to write 100% of her blog posts about her dog, but ends up around 97%

Reading Log (sort of)

2011-12-18T21:44:00.001-06:00

I really wish the library kept track of the books I've read this year. Maybe they do? I'm going to ask next time I go in. In the meantime, here are some great books I have read recently! I am just picking out the very best ones for you, though I'm not going to suggest that you have the same taste in books as me (unless you really like sweet stories about likeable people written for 14-year-olds).

Note: ECRT (Esther Could Read This) means I think this book is appropriate for my 12-year-old niece Esther. The rest might be considered PG13, so don't read them yet, okay, E?

Book that made me laugh so hard I cried:

Bossypants by Tina Fey (I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Tina herself, and includes clips from SNL)
Runner-up: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Book I would recommend to any boy (and most girls) between the ages of 13 and 31:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Book that made me want pump my fist and yell, "girl power!":

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (ECRT)

Book that successfully parodied Beauty Pageants, Sarah Palin, LOST, and Kim Jong-il, and still tugged at my heartstrings:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Book with a fascinating (and likeable) protagonist:

Marcelo and the Real World by Francisco Stork

Book that transported me to a distant land, young adult fiction category:

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson (ECRT)
Runner-up: Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell (ECRT)

Book that transported me to a distant land, nonfiction:

Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost

Book that I would have loved at any age:

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (ECRT)

Book that made me feel like an awkward teenager again:

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

Correlation

2011-12-04T13:00:00.000-06:00

I have been gluten-free for 9 days now. Days 2-5 I had some sort of stomach bug, which transitioned into a bad cold (persisting even still) on Day 6.
I have two things to say about this:
1) I really don't mind being sick. Or, at least, I don't mind being sick right now, with little illnesses that are sure to pass. I have a job that I can do when I'm coughing or feeling nauseated, and I can take a sick day when I need to. Sick days are glorious, and you have my permission to remind me of this if I ever complain about taking them. Someone is paying you to stay home and rest. There are so many people who have no option of taking sick days. I know this because I spent several months doing four shows a day with mono.
2) My body is clearly defenseless against the outside world without wheat. It is very very rare for me to get any kind of bug that is going around, and there isn't even something going around! (Travis has a bad cold, too, but he probably got it from me. Sorry Travis!) The only logical explanation is that, all this time, the huge amounts of toast I ate every day were forming some sort of barrier against getting sick. It makes perfect sense (to a person that knows little to nothing about infection).
Correlation equals causation, right?

Here we go!

2011-11-27T23:23:00.002-06:00

When you get a lot of headaches, you hear about a lot of different cures and preventative measures. It's only natural for people to want to help, and I appreciate any and all advice that comes my way. (Okay, I appreciate almost any advice; if you tell me to take an Excedrin for my migraines, I might have to chuck 30 different failed prescription pill bottles at you.)
But trying out all those different cures is time consuming, expensive, and sometimes more exhausting than the headaches themselves. I have tried:

just about every headache medication on the market, plus a bunch not indicated for headaches, both prescription and over-the-counter
avoiding medication for months to rule out rebound headaches
chiropractic adjustments
seeing a nutritionist
herbal supplements (lots)
acupuncture
cupping
getting reading glasses
more exercise
less exercise
more water (seriously- I drink enough water)
a high-protein, low fat diet
more salt
a diet that restricts anything dried, fermented, or aged
more sleep
less sleep
regular sleep
less reading
regular meals
vitamins
magnesium spray
avoiding all scented chemicals
keeping track of everything I eat and do
blood tests, brain scans, etc.
less work
moving to a different climate
IV infusions of the stongest headache medicines available

I am currently on day 3 of the latest attempt: going gluten-free. This is something I have been avoiding for years because I am possibly the world's biggest fan of bread, but it's gotten to the point that I can no longer tell someone my head hurts without them asking if I've tried going gluten free. So I'm trying it for a month. I am not confident, however, that it will work, since I have a very impressive track record when it comes to testing negative for things and being resistant to any and all cures (my favorite neurologist in Texas called my headaches "intractable," which in layman's terms means "I'm totally stumped").

Here is my experience so far:

Day 1: Shopped for super expensive gluten-free food. Mom and I were sad to find out that the gluten-free store where my parents live is going out of business, but pleasantly surprised that everything was half off! It was the day after Thanksgiving, so the leftover rolls sitting in front of me on the dinner table were a huge temptation (have I mentioned I'm a little into bread?), but I didn't feel too deprived, especially once mom made gluten-free gravy. Thanks mom!
Day 2: Felt very sick and headachy, but this had nothing to do with the gluten-free diet (though I considered making up an elaborate story about how it was clear my body needed wheat flour to survive). Went to my brother and sister-in-law's house for dinner, where I could eat just about everything! Meat and veggies seem to be a theme with my family, which is a very very good thing. I decided I didn't know when I would be able to eat so much good food again, so I ate until I looked four months pregnant (according to my family).
Day 3: On the drive home from the Westside of Washington, we stopped into McDonald's for lunch. I walked up to the counter and confidently ordered the Chicken Selects. Then I realized my error, and said, "wait, no, nevermind, I can't have those . . . I don't need anything." The poor girl at the counter was super confused. A quick glance at the menu made it clear that McDonald's was out (part of my existing migraine diet forbids salad dressing, and I am NOT paying $4 for a plastic container of dry lettuce at a fast food restaurant, thank you very much). For dinner I made gluten-free shell pasta, which was so al dente it was nearly crunchy, even though I followed the instructions on the box. Maybe I under-cooked it? Over-cooked it? Maybe people who can't have wheat like to feel like they are working for their pasta? Who knows.

And now I can't even focus because there is a loaf of wheat bread in the fridge and it will definitely go bad in the next few days if no one eats it and there is no way Travis is going to eat an entire loaf of wheat bread and isn't wastefulness a sin?
I think I may have met my match with this whole "no bread" thing.

Complaining

2011-11-16T13:15:00.001-06:00

Truth: I love facebook. I am not great at staying in touch with people, and my friends are scattered all over the country, so it's really helpful. However, sometimes facebook is reduced to a forum for complaining. I'm guilty of it. And it's not normally legitimate complaining either (I do believe that if, say, someone hits your grandmother with a car, you are justified in venting about that person on the internet). Most of the complaints on facebook are riduculous, because what they really accomplish is revealing just how grateful we should be.

Case in point: "I am so so so sick and I am stuck in bed all day watching movies and sipping tea."
Why this is a lame complaint: If your lifestyle/financial situation allows you to stay home and rest when you are sick, you should be praising the Lord! Many people have small children they need to chase around the house when they are sick, or jobs they need to go to no matter how sick they are, or both. Also, there are people you know, people who are reading your posts on facebook (or whose loved ones might be reading your posts on facebook), with the kind of illnesses that cannot be cured by rest and tea.

I am very aware of the "complaining about something I am actually very lucky to have" problem every time I am tempted to write anything negative about traveling all the time (which reveals I have a job), missing my husband (which reveals I have a husband), or the roads in Spokane (which reveals that I have a car). My old litmus test for complaints used to be, "Is this a serious problem?" Now I am modifying this to include, "Am I hurting or offending or seriously annoying someone by complaining about something for which I should be very grateful?" Most likely I will never be able to think of anything to write ever again.

Bullet points (travel edition)!

2011-11-15T21:29:00.000-06:00

Here is something I never considered before working in Higher Education: skipping your mature, intelligent, and motivated elementary-school child forward a grade or two may seem like a great idea. In a few years, though, that child will be 15 or 16, and they will be applying to colleges, and possibly moving into dorms where they are surrounded by 18-22 year-olds, and the whole thing creates a bit of a dilemma for colleges. Even if a 16-year-old feels ready to move out on their own and far away from their family, should they? And even if they are really mature, is it a good idea to throw them into the stressful college environment? And which 18-year old do you pick to room with the super-young freshman?
I believe that hotel restaurants should not have the word "bunion" in their names. Someone at this Holiday Inn disagrees with me.
I have mentioned before that people point out how young I look at every single high school I visit. That's approximately 2 staff members at approximately 4 high schools a day for approximately 9 weeks of travel. I am pretty used to this now and have several prepared responses that I rotate through so as not to sound too rehearsed. In the last few weeks, however, I've gotten a few comments that have thrown me for a bit of a loop. Keep in mind that these comments have all come from complete strangers within the first 10 seconds or so of meeting me. They include:

"You look like you should be in a fairy tale" (???)
"You're adorable!" (This one was paired with her shaking my hand, then squeezing it, then holding on to it for a looong time while she gave me directions to the career center)
"One day some nice guy will come along and appreciate how young you look" (Hmm . . . I wonder what Travis will think)

I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but I felt really relieved when I pulled up to a gas station today and realized that I was in California, which meant I could pump my own gas! I can't recollect ever being in the car with an Oregonian while they pulled up to the pump and let the attendant pump their gas, and hence I am constantly worried about doing something wrong. Plus, as discussed in past blog posts, sometimes you are in a hurry and just want to pump your own gas instead of waiting for the one stressed-out, super busy attendant.
Here is a little family of bottled waters I received today:

Clearly I looked less thirsty when I was at Foothill High School than I did at Shasta High and the hotel check-in counter

Bust a move

2011-11-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

The Huskissons have moved. That marks five times in less than three years, if you count the five weeks we lived with our friends last year (which I do, because it still meant putting everything in one place, then moving it all to another place, even though it was mostly still in boxes the second time around. Okay, maybe we'll call it a .5?).

My parents say that all newlyweds do this and it is absolutely to be expected, though they did no such thing. As far as I can tell, my parents have moved four times in almost 33 years of marriage. Or I should say that they have moved themselves four times, since my parents have helped friends and children move dozens of times. They are moving experts, and without them, Travis and I would not have made this move with our sanity in tact. Travis is actually really good at packing, lifting, finding places for things, etc., but in my list of skills moving rates somewhere down between "levitating" (totally impossible without a miracle) and "petting rats" (so terrifying tears pour out of my eyes). Also, there was the issue of timing. We decided one Friday that we would be moving. We had to do the actual move the following weekend, then be completely out of our old house and turn it over clean the weekend after that. During that two week period:

I was home for less than four days. In the time I was home, I needed to spend at least eight hours in the office getting ready for my trips.
The Rangers were in the World Series. This is no big deal, unless you are born and raised in Texas, live and breathe sports, consider the Rangers your favorite team of all time, and have supported them through over 25 years of generally not being very good. I really really wanted Travis to be able to watch all of the games.
Travis had three huge tests, one in biology, one in chemistry, and one in physics, in a two-day period.

I saw all of these obstacles, as I am apt to do (apparently my first reaction to hearing any plan or idea is to immediately share at least 5 reasons why it won't work. Not the best quality in a spouse), and felt like it was impossible. But God is bigger than our problems, and brought some big-time helpers in my parents and our friend Brad. There were some minor snafus:

torrential downpour just as we were moving all of the nicest furniture across town in the bed of my dad's pickup
our lovely puppy bounding about the parking lot with such enthusiasm that she injured the arm of my father in the middle of all the lifting
the guy coming to set up our television and telling us that we can't actually use our old service in our new apartment so we would have no television for a few weeks, which was a particular problem since it was the MIDDLE OF THE WORLD SERIES

and some solutions:

apparently a hair dryer is all it takes to keep a very wet suede couch from getting ruined (and boy are we lucky we paid extra for the special "stain coat" when we bought that couch)
my dad is capable of using what he calls "physics" to lift things with one arm
there is a clubhouse with a tv at the apartment complex, and Travis was able to watch at least part of 6 games there

Mostly it just went really well, and the clean-up the next weekend, sans parents, was a dream. We left that house in beautiful condition after about 7 hours of cleaning and celebrated by curling up in front of the fireplace in our apartment (which works without sending billows of smoke across the living room, a la the fireplace at our old house!) and watching a movie (because we do not currently have television). The whole experience made me marvel at the way God carries us through the little things that we think are big things (like moving to an apartment 15 minutes away to save money), the medium-sized things (like having terrible headaches all the time or not being able to pay the bills) and the actual big things. He is always with us.

My double life

2011-11-01T21:00:00.005-05:00

This afternoon I am taking a break from reviewing applications to blog. I am traveling again this week (just a few more weeks to go!), and I have been thinking a lot about how strange it is to travel around by yourself all the time. Here a few things that are different about my life on the road:

When I travel, I am much more diligent about safety. I refuse to ride the elevator with men I do not know. If I do end up in that situation, I get off the elevator and go the wrong way on purpose, or stop to check my phone, or do something else so that said strange man/men will not see where my room is. If I am walking across a dark parking lot I will take off my laptop bag and carry it in my hand, because I have actually thought about using it for self defense/ditching it and running if necessary. I also drive very very cautiously, which I try to do all the time, but is much harder to do when you are on your regular paths at home.
When I travel I notice that it is very easy to become selfish. I always tend toward selfisness, but at home there is a dog to be cared for, a husband to feed, and co-workers to get to know and empathize with. On the road I interact with people, but rarely anyone I actually know. Even when I do see people, my interactions with them are brief. Admissions counselors actually spend the large part of their time alone, driving, eating, staying in hotels, and working on computers in coffee shops. I can do this all on my own time without regard to anyone else's feelings, and that is something you don't experience when you have parents and siblings and roommates and husbands and dogs around you all the time. (I should point out that the closest I have ever come to living alone was 4 months renting a room in Seattle before I got married . . . I lived with a woman and her son and 2 other renters, but didn't know any of them well, and I was never there. You have probably lived alone before and think I am a total wimp for feeling like it's strange. That is valid.) I provide all of that background in order to say that I often end up acting selfishly and thinking self-centered thoughts when I am traveling. I say strange things to baristas and high school counselors. I am cold and detached with grocery store check-out clerks. This past week I have been remembering to pray more for the people I interact with, and it has really been helping. I have especially been praying before I go into high schools and talk with staff and students, and I love the way God reminds me to empathize and care and ask questions about their lives. It's only a few hours a day, but it makes a big difference!
When I travel my diet is completely different. One of the perks of traveling for work is that food is paid for. I am hugely grateful for this because I usually have no place to prepare meals, and prepared food is way more expensive than raw ingredients. I am also grateful because I loooove food, and on the road I have a chance to buy and eat things I only dream of the rest of the year: Red Robin teriyaki chicken burgers (I have had 3 this fall), Whole Food soups (my lunch almost every day), all kinds of Chinese/Korean/Thai take-out (Travis is not a big fan, so I don't make much of these foods at home), and wildly delicious Odwalla juices. As you may expect, this altered diet makes my stomach feel totally strange all the time. It is also worth it. I have been able to go almost two months so far without anything that strictly qualifies as fast food (unless you include things like Chipotle burritos, which I do not, since I can't have any of the ingredients that make a burrito unhealthy), but that does not mean my body is happy with my choices.
When I travel, I talk to Travis about 15 minutes a day. This is a huge change from when I am home, and we spend a lot of evening and weekend time together. I shared this with a friend who thought it was strange we talked so little, but there is really not much to say after a few weeks. Most of my days are similar and uneventful (this is a very good thing!), and it only takes a few minutes to tell the occasional funny story about a student at a college fair. Travis is in school full-time and ridiculously busy with studying. Our marriage is healthy and happy as ever, and I love our time together on the weekends, but we have both always been comfortable spending time doing our own things. I love this about us, and I know that it has been God's gift during this season of being apart so much. I do believe that we were designed by God for each other, and that we were designed as a married couple to handle the unique challenges of my job.

Okay, time to go grab dinner, then back to my hotel to review applications. I love my job, but I am looking forward to being home soon!

Opinions and theories!

2011-11-01T20:19:00.005-05:00

My experience indicates that it is entirely possible for students to graduate from many (most?) high schools in the United States without the ability to write well. Furthermore, it is possible for a student to graduate high school at the top of his/her class, with a 4.0 GPA, even, and write a truly un-readable college application essay.
I'm never sure how much "insider information" I can/should share about the college admissions process now that I am in the know. It's fairly fascinating (to me . . . you might be bored out of your mind already), but it's also a subject that requires sensitivity. The college search process, the way schools select students, and the ways students and parents react to rejection from colleges are all deeply personal. Over the past year I've fallen into a pattern of being candid with family and close friends, but fairly discreet on the internet. (This, I think, is a good philosophy when it comes to sharing just about anything.)
But I'm guessing you already know that there are all sorts of problems facing high school graduates today, so hopefully I am not crossing a line in corroborating that story with personal experience.
I will say that I have no concrete idea why students struggle to write well, but that I do not blame their teachers. The teachers I know work hard and care about their students deeply, but have huge numbers of students to work with and little to no time for grading and providing feedback. Teachers are amazing, intelligent people who would give anything to help their students realize that they are also amazing and intelligent.
I do have a few vague theories why students struggle to write well, though. They are (in no particular order):

Students in high school, middle school, and even elementary school (and, if The Nanny Diaries is to be believed, Park Avenue pre-schools) are wildly over-committed. They are expected to be part of clubs and teams and scouts and classes and lessons and youth groups and volunteer organizations, and to do all of this while keeping up their grades. I posit that you can have a worthwhile youth without being involved in ten different organizations, and I can say from experience that you do not need all of these to be admitted to college. I tell students that I am looking for a few meaningful extra-curricular activities that they wish to continue in college. Some students list a dozen clubs and teams in the activities section of their college applications without checking "I plan to continue in college" for a single one. This leads me to believe that they are not actually happy participating in a dozen extracurricular activities, but that they feel they must. I'll admit that I'm impressed when a student is class president, captain of the soccer team, an Eagle Scout, on the youth worship team at their church, takes violin lessons, and works at McDonalds (and I see this level of extra-curricular acheivement quite frequently). But I also wonder when they sleep, and I don't wonder when I see that their writing has suffered. I feel like giving them a hug, a free pass to quit a few things (if they want), and a talk about how they are worthwhile without all that. Some students are genuinely interested in all of their extra-curricular activities: Travis played 6 sports growing up, and loved every minute, and I always begged my parents to let me take more dance classes. But regardless, over-committed students are sleep deprived and have little time for school. And honestly, even though I was in Student Government and dancing and involved in my church, many of my friends were doing much more. I am really glad that I had parents that told me that school was my job. They are the only reason I spent my extra time on homework and sleep, and not on things like National Honor Society (you do NOT need this to get into a good college).
The internet/texting/instant messaging, etc. have made it okay to write without regard for grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. As my middle school band teacher always said (and yes, I quit band when I had too much going on), "Practice makes permanent, not perfect." If you spend 3 hours a day writing sentences with no punctuation, your punctuation is guaranteed to be a complete mess when it actually counts. It's like practicing a piece of music in the wrong key for a month, then going into a concert and expecting to play it perfectly in the correct key.
Students are forced to read terrible books in school, hence they don't think they love reading, hence they don't read for pleasure, hence they don't have a lot of examples to draw on when they are writing. A friend of mine from college is having her high school students read the Hunger Games trilogy for English class. I will never read those books because I have no tolerance for violence anymore, but I am absolutely in support of her plan. Get those students reading books they actually like! The books I was asked to read in high school, with a few exceptions (Les Miserable! Huck Finn!), were depressing and a little (to a lot) dry. Give 100 high school students The Winter of Our Discontent as an example of the most worthwile books of all time and I guarantee that most of them will come to the conclusion that there must not be anything good out there. I do believe that my love of reading has made me a fairly intuitive writer. I know I am not some sort of writing savant (the truly terrible book I wrote in the third grade about Santa Claus is evidence of this), but I don't have to think much about subject-verb agreement and sentence fragments today because I have read hundreds and hundreds of well-written books. And I know there are lots of good books out there for teens because those are the books I still gravitate toward today (they tend to contain less sexual content and violence, and are fairly easy to read).
Students think proofreading/editing is boring but necessary. Proofreading is actually kind of fun! Years and years of dance have made me value a good critique when it is given respectfully (and when I have actually asked for it). Most students know the value of critique and polishing when it comes to everything but their schoolwork. I'm not sure how this mindset can be extended to writing in schools, but maybe it should involve candy? What I do know is that proofreading is vastly under-utilized on college applications and application essays. I'm fairly convinced that many students finish up their essays and never want to think about them again, so they don't.
Maybe it has always been the case that the majority of people are not strong writers (How long have we been a mostly-literate society, anyway? 110 years? Not that long.), but it is only now that we expect them to be. We expect everyone to be brilliant at everything, and the reality is that is just not how we are made. If our ability to succeed in college, the work force, and life was determined by our ability to throw and catch a football, I might be the subject of a blog about how America's youth are failing to measure up. Maybe it is not students or education that are broken, but our expectations?

Those are my theories. They are probably all wrong. I will say this, though: I think that standardized tests (the SAT and ACT) get a bad rep as biased and completely useless. While I am proud to work for one of the few colleges that allows students to choose whether or not they would like to submit test scores as part of their application, I still believe that SAT and ACT scores correlate fairly well to writing ability. This may not be the case for subtle differences (a student with average SAT scores may be a stronger writer than a student with slightly above-average scores who has been able to afford a prep class). But sometimes a student will have a near-perfect GPA and their writing sample will be full of grammatical errors, poorly constructed, and carelessly proofread. This student might be able to eke out a strong GPA because of grade inflation, the relative strength of other students at their high school, help from parents, etc. But they will never have a near-perfect SAT score. Conversely, a hardworking student with a B-average from a competetive high school who writes well will often have strong test scores. Without test scores and/or writing samples, the first student would have an advantage in the college application process, when the second student may be working part-time and taking tough classes. There are many exceptions to this rule, but I would like to put myself out there as someone who thinks that tests have merit.
Despite my skepticism, I still want to admit every student I come across, even the ones that struggle with writing (English many not be their first language!) and the ones with low test scores (they could have ADHD and it's just not reasonable to expect them to focus that long!). At the end of the day, the actual person behind each application is much more important than whatever opinions I have about writing in American high schools and standardized tests. I am grateful to have a job that reminds me of this every day.

In which I use my iPhone for something other than looking up directions

2011-08-28T19:51:00.002-05:00

When it comes to my iPhone, I operate on a very basic level. I know how to use the 10 apps I use for travel and work, and that's about it. Recently we needed to connect my phone to a computer to do an update (something I apparently should have been doing frequently, though I'd never heard of the concept), and my computer wasn't around. Travis was worried that hooking the phone up to his computer would clear the phone's memory, since it wasn't the computer the phone had been hooked up to before. I guaranteed Travis that I had never once connected my phone to any computer, so the point was moot. Ten minutes later Travis came into the room to tell me that the updates worked, but that everything was wiped from my phone, just as he had feared. I took the phone and scrolled through my apps, my contacts, my pictures, expecting to find everything gone. It turns out, though, that the phone was intact . . . I just had so little on it in the first place that Travis thought it had been returned to factory settings. (The words "these are ALL the apps you have?!" come to mind).

Anyway, I recently resolved to take make more use of my iPhone (since I really do need it for work, so down-grading is not an option). I wanted to avoid games (I have this slightly irrational fear of living my life in a virtual world and missing the beauty of reality), and anything that requires money (I also have a slightly irrational fear of spending money on anything, unless it's food).

I decided to download Instagram, a free app that lets you do quick little edits to the pictures you've taken on your phone. Turns out it is awesome. Many of the mediocre pictures I've taken this year were actually hidden gems, just waiting to be mined with hip filters and a blurred background. I love picking out a photo and then trying all the filters to see which one will look best.

Results:

This is how Sassy wakes me up if I try to snooze (there is usually licking involved)

Karaoke at Noree's Bachelorette party a few weeks ago

Our niece Mia at the beach last month. I'm pretty sure that's Bowser on her shirt. Way to show the hipsters how it's done, Mia.

My dad with a pig at Greenbluff last weekend!

Part one of the Marco Polo series, a tribute to Noree on her wedding day

This one is wedding-themed!

Flowers from another wedding of two of our good friends. Travis was in this one! (And by "one" I mean wedding, not photo).

Travis did a little putting practice last night, so I took a picture of my feet.

Then I realized that the putting green was beautiful, so I took a photo of that too!

I'm pretty sure this was on the side of the road in Indianola. Is it a poppy?

This is our nephew Ethan from the same day at the beach.

For about a month this summer, the tree in our yard was filled with thousands of these flowers, and they weighed it down so much that the branches touched the ground.

Our niece Angelina at the beach.

Sasquatch on our last big road trip to Colorado. She is a road trip pro!

The same flowers from the tree in our yard. This is edited from the same photo as above.

Travis on our way back to Indianola from a Rangers/Mariners game. We went to two in one weekend in July, and the Rangers won both games (which is probably why Travis is agreeing to have his picture taken).

We went to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs (before wedding #3 of 5 this summer). Mom and dad, you would love it!

The view from Red Bud Isle, an amazing off-leash dog park/island oasis in Austin. We took Sasquatch swimming there on our last Austin trip in March.

Fresh snow on our garage. Please note Travis shoveling the driveway. Also, that tree is the very same tree with the pink flowers from the photos above!

This swing hangs from the other tree in our backyard. The tree has actually grown around the chain, the seat is too small for almost anyone, and it swings crooked. This is a swing with character.

Library card workout

2011-05-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

I may have a little bit of an obsessive personality. That is to say, when I decide I love something, I really love it. Examples:

I have a favorite restaurant in every city, and one thing I order at each one. There is no reason to go anywhere else, or try anything new.
I started dancing in April or May of my freshman year of high school. A year later I was dancing 3 or 4 hours a day after school, auditioning for summer dance intensives, and planning my life as a dancer.
I knew Travis was my husband the day after our first date.
How many times have I blogged about Sasquatch?

I like to think that I'm pretty good at choosing my favorite things. You might accuse me of being boring, but not unhealthy. I currently go to Jazzercise five days a week, which might cause me to start singing Shakira in the grocery store, but is probably not on anyone's list of harmful activities. On that note, my big kick since moving back to Spokane is going to the library. The public library a few blocks from my work has a very respectable Books on CD section, which initially drew me in. During travel season, I went through about 2 books a week. But now I've discovered book books. I say "discovered," because, though I have always loved to read, I haven't been much of a reader the past few years.

I fell victim to the "required reading" curse in college, and had trouble finding the will to read for pleasure again afterword.
When I did read for fun during or after college, I often tried to read the books friends recommended, so as to learn and grow. I worked really hard at pushing my way through books like The Count of Monte Cristo and Blue Like Jazz. These might be your favorite books, and I feel terrible for saying this, but I did not enjoy reading them, even if I was learning and growing.
Then there was the headache fog, in which reading became painful, if not impossible.

But after listening to all those books on CD this fall, I was hooked. I borrowed a few more from the library after travel season ended before I realized that my car doesn't have a CD player, and it was weird to sit around my house in the evenings listening to books (via headphones) on my computer. So I went back and swapped the CDs for books. Turns out, reading is no longer compulsory, and as long as I don't have one of the very worst headaches, a book can be a good distraction.

And it's fun! I am resolving not to feel guilty for:

quitting a book 50 pages in if it has no likeable characters, or
skipping a section if it's boring, or
reading books from the section marked TEEN.

I am also only reading books recommended to me that actually sound interesting to me (and still sound interesting after I've read the plot synopsis on wikipedia).

I have read a lot of delightful books this year, most of which are not close to being revered as classics or "modern classics" or "the classics of the future." Every time I break my resolve and read a book because I feel like I should, or stick with one that "everyone loves," it saps a little bit of reading pleasure (How oh how is it that E.M. Forster thought the joyless Howard's End was his best novel, and not the way-less-annoying A Room With a View?). That is why it is important to remain firm. (And by remain firm, I mean read whatever you want).

And that is why I have to make so many darn trips to the library, since I only end up reading about one in five of the many books I bring home. Good thing there two large library systems at my disposal (city and county), that I am a member of both, and that one has a branch near my work and one has a branch near our home. Good thing I have a puppy that likes to nuzzle my knees while I sit on our big red couch for hours on end. And good thing it is Travis, and not me, who has to spend all his free time reading biology textbooks!

Bullet Points!

2011-05-22T13:32:00.001-05:00

Things I did for the first time this week:

Travel to a work conference
Sing karaoke (Love is a Battlefield, in case you were wondering)
Almost faint during a Jazzercise class

Things I learned from these experiences (respectively):

LOTS of things about:

helping undocumented students attend college
iPhone apps that can help me with my work travel
ethical practices in higher education admissions
awesome things happening at other colleges in the Northwest, and
mummies

Knowing the words and/or melody to a song are not prerequisites for singing it in front of 50 strangers. Awesome dance moves, however, are crucial. Check, check, and check.
I am in terrible shape/have low blood pressure/have a subconscious aversion to "On the Floor" by JLo (which my conscious self enjoys quite a bit)/need to go to the doctor

Things I did this week, but not for the first time (along with an approximate number of times I have done each of these things before)

Had dinner at Red Robin with my sister Lisa (10-20)
Drove across the state of Washington, round trip (40-50)
Stopped at three different gas stations in Ellensburg so as to acquire the perfect assortment of travel snacks (at least 5)
Spent a meal surrounded by awesome niece and nephews (not enough)
Spent a meal with my parents (way more frequently in the past 9 months than in the preceding 2 years!)
Made s'mores in the drizzling rain (I grew up in the Northwest, so pretty much every time I have ever made s'mores)
Pulled several totally disgusting items out of my dog's mouth (feels infinite)

In other news:

I am really enjoying our new church here, and hoping to attend a membership class next month
Travis and I can't quite agree on how much to feed our puppy, now that she is really not a puppy anymore and definitely not growing up anymore (though she will most certainly continue to grow out, according to Travis, if we keep feeding her at the current rate)
I have had several realizations lately, one of which is that my mom was my age when my parents adopted my oldest brother. He was 14. They also had two toddlers.
Today at church a woman asked me where I got my hair, and I said "my mom." She then instructed me to tell my mom "thank you," for giving me such lovely hair. So this is me telling you "thank you," mom!
My headaches have been very mild the last month (maybe 2 bad ones a week), so I am, once again, cautiously optimistic. At the very least, I am grateful for the peace and rest these little headache reprieves provide. I was planning on signing up for a workshop on living with chronic conditions this summer, but it's hard to know right now if I'll need it. Here's hoping I won't!
That said, we all know that I tend to blog less when I am headaching more, and blog more when I am headaching less, so here's hoping for some consistency in the coming months!

Accidental exhibitionists

2011-01-24T22:45:00.001-06:00

Time for an embarrassing story! We mostly love our rental house. It is old-fashioned but updated in a very South-Hill (that's a nice area of Spokane that we don't live in) way. It has a big back yard with its own Whomping Willow, a driveway that connects directly to the street and not the alley (very rare in our neighborhood) and space, space, and more space. Enough space, actually, that Travis is setting up and trying out a little indoor golf area in the basement as I write. We don't have a net, so it involves a blanket and weights and a little patch of fake grass.
The house also has quirks. Quirks can be innocuous, like the sloped floor in the basement that means the furniture has to point one way and not the other, or the door that is sometimes stuck and sometimes too loose. And the window in the shower. The BIG window in the shower, on the side of the house facing the main street. Luckily, it contains thickly frosted glass, and when we moved in we checked very carefully and made sure you couldn't see through it.
HOWEVER.
We only checked during the daytime. Last night we were telling some friends about the window in the shower, and we simultaneously realized that we had never checked it when it was dark out. Rookie mistake! I take all my showers after 9 pm or before 6:30 am! I have taken more than 50 showers in front of that window when it is dark out! So last night we checked, and sure enough, it was very easy to see through the frosted glass. I couldn't see Travis' facial features, but I could definitely see the color of his clothes. I can only posit, based on this evidence, that it would be simple for a random passerby (or our across the street neighbors, whose living room window faces our bathroom window) to deduce that the person on the other side of that window was not wearing any clothes. This would be really hilarious if it weren't horrifying. I'm shocked that no one has called the police, or set up video cameras in the trees!
Travis is awesome, and jumped into action. Now we have a beautiful and very opaque shade covering the window. But is it opaque enough to rid us of our (possible) reputation as the neighborhood nudies? Only time will tell.

First time donor

2011-01-19T17:12:00.000-06:00

It's rare that I have philosophical discussions. I don't like having them, because it's really hard work. Plus, sometimes you make a blanket statement that comes back to bite you later. Recently I broke the "ban" and Travis and I talked about something I was reading for class. I felt like the author was saying that you should look at the results of a decision and decide whether it was a mistake. This didn't feel quite right to me, because sometimes you make the best decision you possibly can at the time, and the outcome is still awful. I wouldn't categorize that as a mistake, something you have to feel terrible about and regret. I think you should be able to say "I did the best I could" and that's that.
However . . .
Yesterday I maybe proved myself wrong. It may have been a mistake to give blood. I felt great about it at the time, especially since I was checking something off my mental "things I've always wanted to try" list. I felt healthy, weighed plenty, and recently tested negative for anemia. I feel like someone who meets all of these qualifications and is not afraid of needles should give it a go. So I did. The experience was satisfying: doing good while sitting in a comfy chair, reading Time magazine! (Did you know that Weight Watchers has changed their point system so that fruits and vegetables are free now, and that Hilary Clinton joked that she should have a jacket that says "Apology Tour," since all she's been able to do since the whole wikileaks fiasco is travel the world apologizing to foreign governments? And that Glenn Beck says he is all for civility in public discourse?) Afterward they gave me juice and a Little Debbie cupcake, and I got to sit and chat with a sweet little lady named Pat, whose job it was to make sure I drank my juice and ate my cupcake without passing out. Then I walked across campus, feeling pretty good, did a little more work, and went home (Travis picked me up). At home, I feel a little nauseated, so I sat down for an hour or so. Then I got up to make dinner. Then I laid down on the floor, which I realize in retrospect was sort of fainting, and when I couldn't get up I called Travis. Well first I tried to get Sasquatch, who was licking my face, to go get Travis for me, but she seemed content right where she was. If I'd been completely with it at the time, I would have made a hilarious "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" joke. Alas. Finally Travis heard me and came, and there was more falling and fainting before I blacked out completely. I woke up and Travis was touching my face. He had moved me so I was laying on my side, and I vaguely recognized that someone on the phone was telling him to do this. I also vaguely recognized that I was all the way across the house. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed since Travis first came upstairs, but turns out there was time for him to go bring the car around and call the fire department.

Upside: the people from the fire department were really nice. From the floor, I could hearing them telling Travis he was lucky I had an easy-to-remember birthday.
Downside: my blood pressure was lower than I thought it was possible for blood pressure to be. Everyone made fun of me for trying to give blood.

Then we went to urgent care (I was, luckily, able to convince everyone that I did not need an expensive ambulance or hospital visit).

Upside: The people at urgent care were also really nice! From my wheelchair, I could hear them telling Travis I looked like a ghost. They gave me a blanket when the IV fluid made me all cold.
Downside: These people also made fun of me for trying to give blood.

So, to recap: I gave blood, and met lots of nice people, but the general consensus by all these nice people (who were all medical experts, btw) was that it was a terrible mistake for me to give blood. So, even though I was well-intentioned and well-informed and did the best I could at the time, maybe I was wrong to give blood. I guess my first-time donor sticker will forever sit alone in the far corners of my purse, with no "second-time" donor sticker to keep it company. Also, maybe I should have taken the other "first time donor" sticker, the one that also said "handle with care . . ."

Do not read this while eating.

2010-12-19T14:38:00.001-06:00

Consider yourself warned: this story contains multiple references to things that, before I became a dog owner, would have made me throw up a little in my mouth.

Travis comes home today from a four-day trip to Montana. I already wrote about what happened on days 1 and 2. But Sasquatch likes to keep the surprises coming the whole time Travis is gone.

Yesterday was day 3. Sasquatch pooped on the bed. Luckily she pooped on the little protective blanket she is required to sleep on if she sleeps on the bed. This is still problematic, though, because gross. Also, how is it that I can sleep through that? Did she try to wake me up to no avail? I have often said that sleeping is my spiritual gift. I'm mostly joking about it being my actual spiritual gift, but I'm absolutely positive that my ability to sleep anywhere and anytime, and to receive rest and peace in the process, was a very purposeful gift from a very compassionate God. Every once and a while, however, my ability to sleep through things borders on ridiculous. Freshman year of college my amazing roommate Chelsea was the medic in our dorm. That meant that people came banging on our door at all hours of the night when they needed to be taken to urgent care. One morning Chelsea was exhausted; she had been up all night at the hospital with a student who had apparently come into our dorm room after midnight, screaming because he had broken something (an arm?). Chelsea has her own amazing gift. She bolts right up whenever she hears the slightest sound. I, on the other hand, had no idea any of it had happened.
And two nights ago, at some point while I was sleeping, Sasquatch pooped. The upside was that it was pretty clear that 1)Sassy had in fact eaten all of those hairties, the extension cord, and the electrical plug, and 2)it had all passed through her system quite nicely.
Today was day 4. I am trying to be a good dog-owner while Travis is gone, so I took Sasquatch on a walk. We got all dressed (me in 37 layers, Sasquatch in her jaunty matching collar, harness, and leash), and headed out. We paused in the yard briefly so that I could determine our route. In the time it took for me to reason through the following:

The usual zigzag through alleys, or something more adventurous? (More adventurous)
Should we try crossing a main road? (No, definitely not.)
Okay, let's go South.

Sasquatch found a piece of another dog's poo buried in the snow in our front yard. And ate it. Well she was mostly just holding it in her mouth, so I told her very sternly to "drop it." I used the voice that carries all of the weight of my dog-watching mantra (I am stern. I am tough. My middle name is discipline, and dogs do not act out when they are left alone with me). She did not drop it. I tried shaking her head, but she held on tight. So I did what you would do (so no judging). I pulled it out of her mouth. Then I realized that my beautiful little mitten was covered in poo, and had an internal moment pretty similar to the one I had upon waking up the day before. My mittens are currently in the washer on the "hand-washables- intermittent agitation" setting, and if they are ruined I blame YOU, puppy. Luckily I was given warm winter gloves by my boss only yesterday, so we set off again after a very stern talking to (from me) and a very apologetic leg cuddle (from Sassers).

All in all, it was a good walk. And the positive consequence of Travis' time away is that I always end up a little tougher, a little more ready for whatever life has to throw at me, and a little more thankful for the gift of sleep.

sixth sense

2010-12-17T22:00:00.001-06:00

Let's just be clear: Sasquatch knows when Travis is gone. I mean that he can be gone for 2 hours at Starbucks, and she is a perfect angel while he's away. But 2 hours into Travis being gone for a week and she eats an electrical outlet, or vomits all over the floor, or shreds a towel. She knows.
Travis left yesterday morning for a friend's wedding in Montana. We set up a large pen (tested the previous day), and when I checked on Sasquatch at noon she was fine and dandy. Five hours later, I came home to find:

dog greeting me at front door
pen cast aside
green Sharpie on the floor, chewed up
extension cord that led to lamp and heater unplugged, chewed into two pieces

Today, the pen was smaller. Reinforced. Ready. She escaped, unplugged the heater, and ate the plug. Only the little metal piece were left. The house is cold. She destroyed the heater.

Now we are in the basement by the wall heater, and beside me on the couch is a large pile of socks, baseball caps, ski goggles, etc. that I have pried out from between Sassy's teeth in the last hour.

I am stern. I am tough. My middle name is discipline, and dogs do not act out when they are left alone with me. (Repeat 2x)

Numbers

2010-11-21T02:24:00.001-06:00

Sasquatch weighs 66 pounds today.
I have given out almost 800 business cards since August.
Travis and I will celebrate 2 years of marraige on Tuesday.
I get to spend the next 10 months at home with my family.
The same airline lost my bag 3 times this travel season.
Forecasted temperature this Monday: Low 10, High 23.
And time continues to march on!

UPDATE: Tuesday's forecast is Low 5, High 19. We Huskissons don't stand a chance!

Post-travel expectations

2010-11-20T20:07:00.000-06:00

Home at last. This week has been all about laundry, catching up in the office, and getting into a routine again with Travis and Sasquatch. Oh, and the FIRST SNOW. I am excited about snow like Travis was excited about the Rangers going to the World Series. Our first snow did not last, but unlike Austin, Spokane will inevitably have snow that sticks, and lots of it. I love when the world is all covered with white, clean and beautiful. We're currently in that brief time of year when the ground is covered with pine needles, the trees are bare, and Spokane really needs the snow to look clean and beautiful. So, snow, if you're listening, come again soon, and come to stay!
We are also eagerly awaiting another arrival this week: my dear friend Chelsea and her husband David are expecting a baby on Thanksgiving! I'm not sure why, but I got into the habit of praying for Chelsea and baby Jack-Jack during take-offs and landings this travel season, and now that I'm home that habit has just stuck. Chelsea and David are going to be amazing parents; come meet them soon Baby Jackson!
Other things eagerly awaited:

Thanksgiving with our Indianola family next week.
An awesome job for my awesome husband
The last Harry Potter movie. I know, I know, but part 1 ended RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the book. Try as they might, The Deathly Hallows Part 1 does not work on as a stand-alone. I am ready to see the second half!

Did I mention I'm not great at patience?
Speaking of two of those three things: mom and dad, is my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at your house?

Living in Potter-land

2010-11-20T18:58:00.000-06:00

On Thursday night we went to my seventh midnight Harry Potter premiere. At this point, going at midnight was more about maintaining the streak than anything else since 1) my schedule has changed since college, and it no longer feels natural or fun to stay up until 3:30 am, and 2) I have gained just enough patience in the last few years to wait 18 more hours to see a movie after work the next day. And let's add to the list of reasons why the midnight showing was probably not necessary both 3) Travis really wasn't stoked about staying up for it and 4) the theater was bound (and proved) to be full of high-schoolers and people dressed as house-elves. Actually the house-elf costumes were pretty clever, but you get my drift. With all these reasons against the plan, it was sheer stubbornness that made it happen, (and the fact that Travis found out two of our friends were going as well; Travis loves any time spent with friends).
Turns out it was really fun (for me at least- have I mentioned Travis hasn't read the book?), and it proved to be much easier than I anticipated to get up at 6:30 the next morning for work. It helps that my job isn't really tiring, I guess, at least it isn't tiring when I'm not traveling. On a related note, did you know it was possible to have a job that wasn't exhausting? I certainly didn't. Every job I've had up until this point required much more standing and running around than it did sitting in front of a computer, and the examples I've had from my parents have only served to reinforce the idea that work is hard. Work is work, and you come home tired. But now I know that there are millions of people who sit all day. These are the people, I imagine, who have the energy to go out late at night on a Thursday dressed up as a Slytherin, or on a Friday to go clubbing. (I don't think there's a proper way to convey the way clubbing sounds in my mental voice. Give a nice big pause before it, then a shudder, and I think you'll have an approximate).
Back to topic. The reason I was thinking about Harry Potter this afternoon is because Sasquatch and I were spending some time out in our yard, and I realized that we have a little (and by little I mean big) reminder of the Harry Potter in our back yard. Travis and I have our own Whomping Willow.

First off, let it be said that our tree is not a willow, and it does not (that I'm aware of) come to life and club people into running for the hills. But there is potential there. Were there to be a magical enchantment on this tree, I think it would perform admirably well at scaring away the neighbors and any rogue flying cars. It has knots, gnarled branches, and even a few hundred inch-long thorns.
When Travis and I first moved in, we tried to convince ourselves that the tree was mostly not on our property. It wasn't that we thought about it; it was just instinct to try and shirk the monstrosity off on the neighbors. There is a sweet little swing hanging from one side, but it's like a wolf that, instead of taking the time to put on sheep's clothing, just put on the sheep's sock and called it good.
See for yourself, in these really dark and terrible iPhone photos:

Whomping Willow!

Knots and gnarls


Branches covered in thorns!

So there you have it, magic in our backyard! Or you could see it as just a really ugly tree, but I'm a glass-so-full-it's-brimming-over type optimist.

Blessing . . . in DISGUISE!

2010-11-14T01:38:00.001-06:00

First thing's first: I hope you read "In disguise!" in your best internal melodrama voice.
Second: here's a story.
Two weeks ago flew home to Spokane from Portland on a certain airline (name withheld to protect its identity). It was a direct flight. I had checked two bags: a work bag, and a bag with all my clothes from the last week. When I arrived in Spokane, my work bag had arrived, but not my clothes. I was stressed and nervous, since it was Friday night and I was leaving on Sunday for another trip, and didn't know if I would have time to do my laundry before I had to leave again. My bag was delivered by 10am the next morning, I had plenty of time to do laundry and re-pack, and all my worry was for naught.
One week later (this past Sunday), I was headed to Portland on another direct flight, once again on same unnamed airline. Again, I checked two bags, and again a bag was lost, but this time it was my work bag. I was glad to have my clothes, being that I was in Portland for the week and didn't have anything else to scrounge up, and that I had high schools to visit starting at 8:00 the next morning. I was stressed, though, to be missing my work bag, which included the materials I had intended to give the school counselors, my computer, and the binder with driving directions for the next week as well as the itinerary I had spent so much time typing up. After an hour or so on my aunt and uncle's computer (at which point my aunt informed me that my travel schedule could be found easily by typing my name into google- helpful to me and scary to her), I had a make-shift itinerary, as well as directions, and lo and behold, my bag arrived in the morning before I had even left for my first visit!
So tonight, when the same unnamed airline lost my bag for the third time in two weeks, I was resolved not to be stressed. The attendant at the lost baggage counter remembered me with a sympathetic smile (I am lucky to have thanked him in person last week after my bag was found the first time, for I made myself a useful friend before I knew I would be needing his help again so soon!), and guess what, ya'll? This is the blessing part of the story. When certain unnamed airline loses a bag, they give you a voucher for some miles. A few days ago I was looking at my mileage statement and lamenting that it would take at least another travel season before I had earned anything worth using toward a flight to Texas, and Travis and I have been recently disappointed that we couldn't afford to go on our own. One lost bag worth of miles wouldn't have really made a dent in the trip. Two wouldn't have done it either. But three lost bags? I don't think you can have three lost bags in two weeks without some sort of divine intervention, and three lost bags, along with the miles I've earned, is a big step toward a ticket to Texas.
In conclusion, tonight has a been a good night. I am home with my little family (for just over 24 hours), I have realized that some mountains really are molehills, and I have been given a miraculous and entirely unexpected way to help my little family visit our bigger family in Texas.
Also, if you are a representative from unnamed airline, I am happy for you to lose my bag again. It's time to work toward Travis' ticket!

Business (cards)

2010-10-26T19:56:00.001-05:00

There are some great things about having business cards. They help people see that my name is not, in fact, "Teeny." (You have no idea . . .) They make me feel grown-up and professional. It is fun to hand things out. Business cards allow people to feel like they can ask me questions later, and don't have to figure out all their questions right away.
However, there is a big drawback to business cards. People have my email address. They use it. I am drowning in email, and not the spam kind you can immediately delete. Every day, I receive heaps of emails that need to be responded to thoughtfully, and often require fact-checking, database-checking, checking with our all-knowing front-desk manager, etc. Responding to these emails is enjoyable, and I learn a lot from all those various kinds of checking. But there are just not enough hours in the day.
I do love my job, though. I was thinking today about my favorite part, and I think it's actually the high school visits, as long as they have an acceptable number of students. Zero students is a little sad. 54 students who have just been handed their yearbook hall-of-fame ballot and are filling it out while I talk is scary, not to mention bad for my self-esteem. In-between seems to be good, and I especially love talking to a student one-on-one.
Okay, back to the emails. Chances are, if you're reading this, I miss you!

Compare and Contrast, part 2

2010-10-17T00:32:00.003-05:00

Things Sasquatch and I have in common:

Ginger hair
Greenish eyes
Reckless enthusiasm (stoked about everything)
Love for Travis
Love of the outdoors
Enjoy snuggling/physical contact
Emit large amounts of body heat
Don't like to be alone
Love naps
Very flexible (physically)
Very stubborn
Love food
No personal space boundaries
Small enough Travis can pick us up/big enough that it's awkward

Ways in which I am not like my dog:

Different species
Sasquatch likes to lick things
I have a job
And . . . that's about it

Infestation!

2010-10-17T00:22:00.003-05:00

Well, the word infestation might be hyperbole. Infestation is when there are literally hundreds of crickets in your store, and you spend weeks taking them off the clothes and floor (and dodging when they fall from the ceiling) and throwing them outside. True Capezio story.
This is nothing like that.
However, we do have a problem. There are yellow jackets in our house. How many have we found? At least a dozen, probably closer to twenty. Four at once in the corner window. And today, the first sting. Through my clothes, in the kitchen. Maybe he didn't want pasta for dinner?
Yellow jackets are scary, because 1)their stings are super painful (even three hours later!), 2)they do not die when they sting, and 3) they like to crawl around on the floor, where unsuspecting puppies might lick them up. Travis has been using yellow-jacket spray, and on Tuesday the management company is sending someone out to do a treatment on our house. In the mean time, I am treading with caution. Do you think yellow jackets prefer chicken for dinner?

Unitasker and multitasker, sitting in a tree

2010-10-14T00:31:00.001-05:00

I have been on the road for 4 weeks now (with at least one day home each weekend- I'm not that hard core). I have been reduced to bullet points:

I love when technology is unintentionally sarcastic: "You beat your high score by a whopping one point!"
This has been a week of revelations for me. I realized something about Travis on Monday: he is a uni-tasker! That's the opposite of a multi-tasker, and a term introduced to me by the author of My Life as an Experiment (I did not read this book, but merely flipped through it in the airport bookstore. College taught me to glean a lot from skimming). This explains a thousand things about my marriage all at once. I could fill an entire blog (not an entry- a blog) with things Travis' uni-tasking explains. It is strange that this wouldn't be obvious, but Travis' brain is wired in a different way than mine. He is wired to be extremely hard-working and focused, and is incapable of giving up an unfinished task and turning to another without great distress. This is why Travis is a better driver than me, more observant, and quicker at getting things done. It is also the reason why he doesn't love it when I talk during movies, try to discuss our marriage while he's fixing things, or suggest that he take a nap and come back to a project later. I am the source of so much stress! And this is just the tip of the iceberg that is "the ways I unintentionally stress out my long-suffering husband."
You may have noticed that the Rangers won their first post-season series. Ever. This is an occasion for great joy in our home. Travis has all sorts of traditions about watching the games, most of which have to do with wearing Rangers clothes. The rules seem a little amorphous, but the gist is:

Travis must wear a Rangers shirt, preferably a fresh clean one (I suppose this second part has more to do with hygiene than superstition, which makes me really glad I married Travis and not one of those "superstition over hygiene" guys).
It is very very bad luck for me to take the Rangers hat off Travis's head during the game and put it on my head. (See bullet point above about ways I stress out Travis.)
It is, however, fine for Sasquatch to wear the hat . . .
. . . but only if Travis is the one that puts it on her head.

Lots of restaurants have delicious take-out, but some can make you feel sick the next day. I've had good luck with Mongolian BBQ's taste-wise, but not stomach-wise. Regular BBQ is usually fine on the stomach, but much more unpredictable in taste. I have the second best BBQ of my life at Baldy's BBQ in Bend, OR last week (the best is Salt Lick BBQ, or Travis' brisket slow-cooked with Salt Lick sauce). Tonight I had good-but-not-life-changing BBQ from Best Little Roadhouse in Salem, OR. But it might have been better if they'd had pork ribs. I always try baby-back ribs thinking I love them (years of Chili's commercial indoctrination is hard for my subconscious to ignore), but turns out I don't. What I love are pork ribs. Pork ribs in Salt Lick BBQ sauce . . .
I always stay up too late if I start blogging! It's not as if you can afford to come into work groggy when the first thing you do is talk to a group of high schoolers at 8 am. On Tuesday I was tired and drove past the high school in the fog, and was late! Time to go to sleep.

Findings

2010-10-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

Oh my. Did you know you can look and see what people searched for when they first found your blog? I didn't, but now I do. Here are the results:

six flags

men's dance belt

nabisco crackers

donny sibbett indianola

huskissons.blogspot.com

wheat thins box

funny happy birthday coworker

guadalupe peak trip report

jeannie huskisson austin dance

lord of the rings wiki

Wow. One of those made me cry, and several made me laugh. And men's dance belts?! It's pretty disturbing to me that someone could be searching for dance belts and find my blog. Maybe I need to remove that post.

Displaced

2010-10-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

Sassy and I have discovered a new element in our relationship: competition. We have great love and respect for one another, but lately I've noticed that we clash on one major issue: we both think we are Travis' main girl. We both have every right to feel this way. I am married to Travis, so obviously I would feel entitled. And Sasquatch puts in the hours. Four to six days a week, Sassy is the one sleeping curled up next to Travis on the bed, the one perched next to him on the couch while he watches the Rangers game, and the one he pours his heart out to in his daily tear-filled emotional outburst (that was a joke for people who know Travis). But seriously, for all she does while I am gone, Sasquatch deserves a medal. And instead, she gets displaced. One to three times a week, I come home and take her spot on the bed, and on the couch, and I can just see the bewilderment on her open little face. "What did I do? Where do I sit?" her expressive eyebrows say. So we try to fit her, but then I get bumped off the bed, the couch.

Last night I was complaining about it, and Travis said "A dog is man's best friend."

"I thought I was your best friend!" I protested.

"That's the saying," Travis replied. "It doesn't say woman is man's best friend. It says dog is man's best friend."

So there you go: I think we have our victor. And for some reason, it only makes me smile.

Yes, I watch the Rangers games.

Travis with his main girl

Things to avoid in the future

2010-10-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

A list:
1) Highway 242 through the Willamette National Forest and Mackenzie Pass. 1.5 hours of nausea and stress, with some beautiful moments but mostly roads so windy I couldn't look anywhere else.
2) Booking high school visits at 8 am. High schoolers don't seem to enjoy being at school at this hour, and they sure don't want to schlep it over to the library and talk about 4 more years of school.
3) Booking high school visits at 2 pm. See above.
4) Trying to get gas in Eugene, OR in a time crunch. Make that anywhere in Oregon. It is infuriating to me to not be able to pump my own gas, which I am capable of doing very quickly, and without waiting for the attendant to come outside/finish up with 4 other cars first. I know I am a total insensitive jerk for saying this, and it offends my leftist politics, but sometimes catching a flight home feels more important than job creation.
5) Rushing through airport security before checking to see if there is food on the other side (vending machines do not count, since it is a huge hassle to purchase anything with cash/without a receipt when traveling on business), when you haven't eaten a meal since 6:30 am and your next stop is at 8 pm.

At least I like learning.

Complimentary bottled water provided

2010-10-06T15:32:00.001-05:00

I've finished two weeks in Montana, and am half-way through my first week in Oregon. So far Oregon is proving far more eventful! Travel stories:

Today a high school senior bowed to me. It was a serious bow, too. Awesome, but also super awkward, because I had no idea what to do back! I kind of tilted my head.
At Monday's fair in Roseburg I was interviewed by one of the news shows in Eugene. I stayed in Medford that night, so I have no idea if it even aired. Then today, I was taped talking to a student by a local Medford station! The other reps were teasing me about all the air time. I think it's because my table is always on the very edge of the room (it's usually alphabetical), and so there aren't too many people around and you can get the whole fair in the background.
There is bottled water at every fair. Often they come up and put more on your table when you're too busy talking to a student to protest. I brought home 8 empty water bottles to recycle from 4 days in Montana. My car is full of them now, but I'm flying home so I hope my next hotel recycles!
Best conversation with a student so far:

Sophomore boy (surrounded by friends): Where is Whitworth?

Me: It’s in Spokane, Washington. Have you heard of it?
SB: No.
Me: Well it’s the second largest city in Washington. (points it out on the map)

SB: What’s the largest?

Me: Seattle

SB (Getting quicker now): What’s the third largest?

Me: Tacoma

SB (really fast): Fouth?

Me (super flustered): Um, Bellevue?*

SB (almost yelling now): Quick! What’s your favorite movie?!

Me: Wayne’s World.

SB and all of his friends, with blank stares on their faces: What’s Wayne’s World?

After which I felt really old, and told them I was disappointed, and they should watch it. *Turns out it's Vancouver, which you probably would have known, but I am terrible at geography.

Had a fender bender yesterday. Very frustrating, but the police were helpful and understanding, and both cars were fine. I called Travis first because it's just instinct for me to call Travis right away, but he reminded me that I need to tell my work, not him!
I am getting used to staying in a different hotel every night of the week. Strange. Also strange is that Travis and I are getting into a routine of only seeing each other on the weekends. He admitted last night that it will be weird to have me home all the time again. It's true, actually; I've never really lived in our new home with Travis, so I'm sure it will be different for him to have me there, carving out space and making messes and interfering with his established patterns.
Biggest lifesaver on the road: books on CD. I drove 1300 miles my first week in Montana, 900 my second, and I'm getting up there this week already. But I've never once felt drowsy or spacey, because the books always keep me awake and focused. But they're not loud enough to be distracting. So far I've "read" a modern romantic comedy (skipped the inappropriate parts; I am every bit as embarrassed hearing about people's fictional intimate moments as I would be spying on someone's real ones), a very long work of historical fiction about the royal family in 15th century England, and am working on a Michael Crichton thriller. Next is another historical fiction, this one about the formation of the modern Middle East in the 1920s-40s. (Skipped the rest of the thriller and moved on to this. It's terrific! Has made me laugh out loud and cry already, plus the main character has a sweet and loving dog.) Sometimes I get so hooked that I want to keep listening when I get to my hotel, but I've made a rule that I can only listen on the road. That way I actually look forward to the drives.
Biggest headache on the road: non-smoking rooms that smell like smoke. I've never thought of myself as allergic to cigarette smoke, but aside from the moderate annoyance of smelling gross all the time, some of these rooms are giving me bad headaches. One was so bad that I thought I had a full-on migraine, but then I went for a walk and within 15 minutes in the fresh air my head was fine. I am getting savvy about requesting rooms far away from the smoking rooms, and about looking for hotels that are 100% non-smoking. Next year that's going to be a major factor in booking my hotels. Also, how do you get the smell of stale smoke out of your favorite pillow?!
I've seen some really beautiful places. I pulled over at a park in Montana one day and put my feet in Flathead Lake. I've driven through many mountain ranges and alongside rivers. I haven't taken nearly enough pictures. I'll admit that I'm less-inclined to stop and be touristy than I would be if I were with family or friends.
I still, after 2.5 weeks of travel, haven't braved eating in a sit-down restaurant alone. Most sit-downs do take-out, though you can tell that they sometimes resent it (maybe because of the lost tips?). So lots of take-out, and lots of putting together meals at the grocery store. I'm super tired of continental breakfasts and complimentary college fair food (read: bagels, muffins, cookies), and getting a little tired of the kind of food you can easily carry out (Chinese, pizza). It may be that I get desperate soon, suck up my pride, and eat by myself at an actual table. I did this once in Italy because my confident European professor told us she did it all the time, and that it was a liberating experience that every young woman should enjoy from time to time. About 30 minutes into my meal (I was only doing the eat alone thing half-way, because I was reading a book), my professor showed up at the same restaurant! She came over and said hi, then told me that she was going to go sit by herself so as not to rob me of the experience. The Italians just looked sorry for me, though I did enjoy reading and eating at the same time, as I often do. The only book I have with me right now, though, is called Heal Your Headache, and talks all about the myriad foods I shouldn't be eating, many of which would, I'm sure, show up in just about any dish I could order at a restaurant. Not sure how to proceed . . .

Oops! Time to go to the next high school visit, then drive the 4 hours to Bend! Chances are, if you're reading this, I miss you!

music video extravaganza

2010-09-22T23:08:00.000-05:00

WARNING: This post is going to contain lots of links to YouTube music videos. In other words, my dad is going to love it.
When it comes to music videos, OK Go can do no wrong. Fun. Choreography. High concept. High concept, fun choreography! This is what I'm all about, people. I wish you could see my "little girls with push brooms as tired, bluesy workers" dance. I wish I could see it too, actually, since I taught it in Texas and then moved to Washington two days later.
Ok, it's go time (see what I did there?!):

I smiled and laughed straight through this one tonight (and missed Sasquatch like crazy)

They are (almost) all rescue dogs, which makes it even more awesome!
And now a few favorites from the past. I had hoped to embed these, but embedding has been disabled on most of them, so I am linking instead. But if you have some extra time and want to be massively entertained, you should click at least one link. I recommend the second one, if you have to choose.

The video that started it all, "A Million Ways"
My second favorite (to the puppies, seen above) also has embedding disabled. But it features treadmills! I wish I came up with this. Every choreographer wishes they did. Or at least I imagine they do.
They actually made two videos for the next song, "This Too Shall Pass," but I prefer the Rube Goldberg version to the marching band version (which is still pretty great, and you actually can embed, so here goes)

Also, I'm in Montana. I have had a great week, but I can't wait to go home and see my little family tomorrow! Maybe Travis and I will get Sasquatch to do some tricks while we play hipster music in the background.

Rescues

2010-09-18T10:38:00.000-05:00

Waking up pain free (or nearly pain free) after a really terrible migraine is one of my favorite feelings in the whole world. Excuse me if I'm being simple and talking about things I don't really understand, but to me it is like being released from prison. I always know the pain will be over eventually, but never when, and it can start to feel like forever. I had maybe the worst migraine of my life a month ago, and was in awe of the sheer length of it. How was it that I was able to be in so much pain for so long without passing out like people do in movies? Every minute I thought "this is the worst it can possibly get," and then it of course did get worse, and this lasted for hours (7, maybe). Finally I found myself waking up, which meant that I had fallen asleep. Falling asleep is always the goal with a really bad migraine. I have never just gradually lifted out of a migraine without falling asleep. But falling asleep doesn't always mean it's gone.
It's usually a pretty big improvement, though, and last month I woke up feeling like I could fly. I was so grateful I cried, and laughed, and whispered "thank you" out loud a dozen times in the dark. The thing about this whole falling-asleep recovery method is that it commands thankfulness. I know I'm being rescued, because the cure happens while I'm unconscious. And it happens that way every single time. This morning I woke up from a bad migraine (but soooo different from last month's big bad), and I imagined that, while I slept, I had been carried (in a white dress, nonetheless; I can't help if my post-pain musings are cheesy) into freedom. I felt so happy I could dance around the room, and that was saying a lot since Travis' terrible alarm had woken me up after only 4 hours of sleep.
I know that God does not cause my migraines. There are a lot of things about the nature of God I may not understand, but I have a pretty good idea about how he rolls when it comes to people in pain. I also know that it is in my character to feel impatient about things, but God has used all these rescues to make me into a person who is just really grateful. It's hard not to be grateful when you get rescued all the time.

p.s. Sasquatch is grateful, too, for her huge birthday treat. She has been working on that thing all night, and of course has no interest in her breakfast now. Happy birthday Sasquatch!

The move

2010-09-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

Bullet points!

Tomorrow we move into our very own rental house. I really hope it's as great as I remembered, especially since Travis hasn't seen the inside. Ever. I am very used to trusting him to make big decisions for us, but I am scared of being the one that makes the big decisions without him. If he dislikes it, we're stuck there for a year. I am 92% sure, however, that it will still be great when we get there.
Moving into our ow house means we will move out of Katie and Phil's. I can't even express how grateful we are for their generosity in hosting us this past month (actually more like 6 weeks for me), and how much fun we've had! There is a lot to be said for having someone to share the cooking and dish duties with, not to mention built-in friends. Sasquatch has become very attached. Good thing we're only moving down the street!
My dad is coming (and bringing our niece Angelina!) to help us move. He is also bringing one of his beautiful picnic tables. I am stoked! We have never had a place for a picnic table before, or a yard, or a fireplace.
I hope the previous owners leave their firewood for us . . .
Also need a lawn mower.
Being a grown-up is a lot of work!

YES.

2010-08-30T21:29:00.000-05:00

I love Youtube videos of ridiculously talented youngsters. And now that I'm not quite a youngster anymore, I don't even feel that twinge of jealousy you get when someone your age is really really amazing at something. Case in point: LeBron James is pretty much my age. Jerk.
But this girl is 11, so I just think she's awesome.

Plans

2010-08-29T22:58:00.001-05:00

When I graduated from Whitworth, I sort of hoped I'd never have to write another paper. I am actually willing to admit that a large part of the reason why I studied theatre and math was the relative low number or writing assignments. I procrastinate on writing papers because they terrify me, and then I always spend at least twice as long as everyone else on them.
So I'm a little bit nervous about grad school.
The biggest perk to my new job (aside from being an awesome job working with awesome people at an awesome place) is that I can go to school for free. We really feel like I should take advantage of the opportunity, since it's a pretty amazing one. And Whitworth offers a program that relates to higher ed, a M.Ed. in Administrative Leadership. If I take the GRE like yesterday and apply really soon I could even start in the Spring.
But I doubt that anyone will let me choreograph or graph equations for credit in my masters program. It will be three years of getting home from work, reading, and writing papers. Good thing I am married to Mr. Responsibility, or I'd probably never do it. Also, the incentive for going right away is that, after four years at my job, I will have earned free grad school for Travis too (if he decides to go into education, business, or theology). Ideally, I will finish before Travis starts.
Good thing God is bigger than my inability to start a paper.

Along for the ride

2010-08-29T22:44:00.000-05:00

Travis takes fun very seriously.

I love being Travis' wife. He is the best event planner, and is always coming up with new ideas for things to do. I tend to fall asleep when I have down time, but Travis is all about leaving the house, going to new places, and not taking naps just because you can.
Also, I now have weekends off. Evenings and weekends, actually, whenever I'm not traveling. I haven't been home much on evenings and weekends since we got married. This weekend, Travis and I went peach-picking in Greenbluff, took Sassy on a walk/run/hike on the hill behind Holmberg park, went to church (we are looking for a church home here- I really like First Pres), explored Manito park, and went grocery shopping together. I didn't even take a nap today, because I wasn't bored or tired. I feel like maybe a little bit of Travis' energy is finally rubbing off on me. Actually, I feel like I've always been energetic, but I've been using it up working 60 hour weeks. This new change of pace is delightful.
However, still can't keep up with Sasquatch:


Yeah she's at the top of that hill.

Template

2010-08-22T19:12:00.000-05:00

Because I blog a lot, my blog template is very important to me. I really love mine (the dandelions in the corner are just like the ones on our wedding invitations/the beautiful mirror our friend made us for our wedding), but I am finding that it is super common and popular, and therefore maybe not worth sticking with in the long run. What I really want is a custom template with actual pictures of actual places (and maybe dogs) I love. I have no idea how to do this. When I look online for blogger templates, all the designs I like have been downloaded hundreds, often thousands of times. Still searching . . .

Something new

2010-08-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

Thoughts on my first two weeks at new job:

Having my own desk is great! I love to organize the files and keep my purse and lunch in the drawer. I have created a color-coded and alphabetized system for all the papers/maps/letters that randomly show up on my desk, and every time I file something it's a little victory.
I have never had a sedentary job before. Past jobs have included: ropes course instructor, camp counselor, Curves trainer, dance instructor, touring actor, and shoe fitter. Up and down and all around, basically. But now I go to work and sit at my desk, then go to meetings and sit, then go back to my desk and sit some more. I treasure the infrequent opportunities to run an errand (which is why I take paperwork everywhere instead of using inter-campus mail, and why everyone in HR and payroll knows me), and even the hour a day I'm on my feet giving a presentation. Also, there is food in the office every day, and it's never healthy food. I have been thinking about joining a gym so I can take aerobics classes, but it's hard to justify when we know that soon I'll be out of town, and it'll continue until Thanksgiving. Travis has suggested I try running, since it's free and you can do it any time. I'm tempted to try it, until I run around the yard with Sasquatch for 3 minutes and remember that would be a terrible, terrible idea.
I want to know how to do everything right now. It was a point of pride at Capezio that I knew I could answer just about any question we came across in the store, from shipping and receiving to ballroom shoes. It feels good to be competent and capable. It is humbling to be the one with a lot to learn, and I am often afraid of over-stepping my bounds and saying something wrong to a student or parent. It's a fine line to project confidence when needed, and be willing to ask for help when needed too.
It's so nice to be able to eat lunch outside every day. In Texas I would not have done this in August, unless I had time to shower and change afterward. I usually eat at the picnic tables in front of the auditorium, but I'm not sure what I'll do when campus is full of students in a few weeks. I'm thinking of bringing a picnic blanket and keeping it in my desk drawer so I can sit on the grass behind the little house where I work.
I can't wait for everyone to come back to campus! Most professors working and travel off campus during the summer, so I have only seen a few of the professors I was close with. And campus is just so full of life when it's over-run with students. Fall was always my favorite time of year there, so I'm bummed I'll be gone for much of it, but excited for the times when I will be there. And I'm looking forward to becoming an accomplished traveler, a la George Clooney in Up in the Air. I'm going to learn to put on my belt so fast, just like he does.

Scaredy cat

2010-08-22T18:39:00.001-05:00

It's open knowledge that I have never been much of an animal person, never really liked dogs, and never wanted to own one. Now that I have a dog, and I am completely in love with her, I don't feel guilty about this. But I do feel worried sometimes that I'll mess her up, since I have no idea what I'm doing.
And now it's official: Sasquatch, 11 months old, is afraid of just about everything. Here is a partial list:

machinery noises
riding in trucks
people walking up to her
people just standing there
wind/rain/lightning
fireworks
stairs

We have no idea what we did to make her such a scaredy cat. She is well-trained and pleasant in every other way. But Travis will walk in the house, and the first 10 seconds are sheer panic until she remembers that "oh, that's the person I try to climb in bed with every night." The fur on her back sticks straight up, her tail goes between her legs, she runs backward, and worst of all she barks. The most grievous instance of "scared Sasquatch behaves badly" was last month when my mom flew to Austin to drive north with me. The night before we left, Sasquatch wouldn't go anywhere near my mom without completely losing it. Because my mom is super scary.
And today I have been trying to get her to play with me outside, but she refuses to do anything but sit by the door, I assume because it's windy. I try to be brave. I even spent an entire summer doing one thing that scared me every day. But I feel like this wimpy dog must be picking up on some fear in me and projecting it to the world. At least if I were a dog, I would be afraid of actual scary things, like:

aggressive dogs who like to bite
eating sharp and/or poisonous things
getting hit by a car
getting lost.

If only she were afraid of these things. Well, at least she's beautiful.

Good/Bad/Ugly

2010-08-16T20:05:00.002-05:00

I had a hip hop student the past two years who would always start her turn at share time with "I have good news and bad news: which do you want first?" I always picked the bad news first, because it's better to end things on a lighter note, but usually they were both just plain old news and one wasn't particularly worse than the other. An example: "The bad news is that my brother's birthday is next week. The good news is that we are learning about African animals in school." Oh did I mention she's six?
By the end of the year, a half dozen students followed this model for their share time, which was funny but took up a lot of time in which we could have been learning the two break dancing stalls I can do. Now, it's my turn.
We'll start with the bad news first:
I had a monster migraine today. I'm sure I've had migraines this bad before, but it's hard to imagine when you're in the middle of it. How is is possible that my brain didn't just completely shut down from the pain? Aren't you supposed to go into shock or something? Maybe my body doesn't have the usual self-preservation mechanisms. Anyway, it was about 6 hours before I started feeling any relief, and there's absolutely nothing good I can say about those six hours, so I won't try. Needless to say I went home sick from work, which was double lame because 1) I really wanted to be there and 2) I had to drive home in pain. I am now trying to eat some soda crackers- my first food since a whole day spent vomiting, and they seem to be settling okay. I am also trying not to over analyze the last 24 hours, because there's really nothing I ate that I don't eat on a regular basis, I got enough sleep, and a person could go crazy trying to figure out what they did wrong all the time. I finally fell asleep around 2 pm and woke up feeling a lot better (and extremely grateful for relief) around 3 pm.
Good news!
After all of that, I was able to make an appointment to view the red corner house that became my dream home this weekend. It was a little nerve-wracking viewing it alone, but now that I've seen the inside I know Travis is going to love it. There is so much storage! A 2-car garage! A fenced yard for Sasquatch! A fully finished basement with 3rd bedroom! A dishwasher! Tomorrow I am going to call about the logistics of Travis applying without actually being here yet, and hopefully we'll be able to get our application in before anyone else does.
Ugly:
Please pray for the moving van that Travis is currently driving across the country, and for the fearless passengers. Travis and Sasquatch are beautiful, but the trip itself is a beast and made all the more difficult by truck/trailer/dog. I can't wait to have them here as soon as Thursday night!

Good call

Airplane dog

2010-08-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

My new job is awesome. Living in our Phil and Katie's basement is awesome. Seeing good friends is awesome. But being away from Travis and Sasquatch? Not awesome. We have been apart for 13 days (totally not counting), and it will be another 4 days until they arrive. Because you know what? It takes a long time to drive from Austin to Spokane! It took my mom and I four days with some extensive sightseeing stops on the third day. But Travis is driving up in a 26-foot truck with a trailer on the back, so I think even without the sightseeing, they are going to take longer than we did. I wonder if this would be faster . . .

I am trying not to have too much anxiety or guilt about Travis making the trip alone, since we are commanded not to worry, and if anyone on the planet can handle a crazy solo trip like this (plus dog) it's Travis.

And now, for a photo montage of the daring duo (in the exact order in which the pictures were taken):

Travel Notes: Day 2

2010-08-13T23:17:00.000-05:00

WHAT ARE YOU?!

Day 2: Trinidad, CO to Rock Springs, WY. Sunny and 95 in Denver, black skies and lightning storms in Wyoming. iPod wouldn't turn on for hours, which was sad, because it was cool and stormy so we had the windows up anyway (oh, by the way, no AC). But then Travis (via phone) helped me fix it, and we listened to the rest of Prince Caspian and part of Dawn Treader.

I also spent much of the afternoon puzzling over the miles and miles of fences along I-80 in Wyoming. They were just fence sections, so they couldn't keep anything out, but someone obviously went to a lot of trouble to put them up and maintain them. Our best theory at the time, based on the signs we read at a rest stop, was something about keeping some ground exposed during the winter so the lovely wildlife could forage for food. We were way off. These are snow drift fences, meant to save money and time clearing snow from the roads. But I bet the lovely wildlife enjoy the fences as well.

Wild cows?

Travel Notes: Day 1

2010-08-09T00:03:00.002-05:00

Day 1: Austin, TX to Trinidad, CO. Long, hot (102 degrees, no AC), sometimes beautiful (New Mexico grasslands, I'm talking to you). Listened to The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, and half of Prince Caspian. Liked the kids and the badgers, disliked insincere-ringmaster Aslan. Mom and I made full use of a spray bottle with attached fan, as well as a cooler full of ice. We tried putting towels in the cooler of ice, but this didn't actually make them as cold as you'd think. See more pictures of our trip here!

Texas does not have a lot of rest stops. Instead they have picnic areas, which really means "you can pull over but you can't go to the bathroom here." But some of the rest stops that do have bathrooms also have little museums and are super beautiful and air-conditioned.

Tree full of turkey vultures. These guys are huge and like raw meat. Good thing I took that awesome accidental scenic route an hour out of the way!

Texas is huge! But mom is still smiling, which is a credit to her character and ingenuity in road trip cool-down methods.

Young Me/ Now Me

2010-08-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Here's a great blog where they post pictures of people recreating old pictures of themselves. It's even better than it sounds. Case in point:

I had wanted to take a photo of my son standing on my hand just the way I had stood on my dad’s hand as a baby. My wife snapped the photo and we were amazed at how much I resembled my dad in pose in that 40 year time warp. I will note that although my dad was holding me up in the air outside along the side of a road, I was holding my son, Warren, over a soft bed!

Zedonk!

2010-08-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Look at this sweet baby:

Awesomely, this zedonk is named Pippi Longstocking

Zebra dad, donkey mom. Apparently, zedonkeys can't breed, which is just so sad. Here is another picture:

I don't know this little guy's name. Who else famously wore striped leggings? The Cat in the Hat?

Another installment of

2010-08-02T00:04:00.000-05:00

Yikes/Yipee!
Here we go:

Yipee! I am done teaching. Done choreographing. Done at the studio, and done with everything job-related in Austin. Two of the four dances went very well, and the other two were, let's be honest, a bit of a mess. I really try to choreograph dances that will challenge the dancers even in the spring, when they will be performing them at competitions and in recital. But teaching a dance that is, by design, too hard now, all in two hours, can be a disaster for the poor dancers. You should have seen their poor glazed-over expressions. Still, this falls into the Yipee category because they are taught and done, and another teacher will be able to figure out which parts are too hard and tone them down.

Yikes! Travis went to his family's house to change my transmission fluid, and I stayed behind because my head was hurting again. It's been off and on. Yesterday was pretty bad, and it reminded me of all those teaching days from this past year when I would get a migraine right as I started teaching, then have to deal with the music and wrangle the students and keep a smile on my face for the next 5 hours. I really do think that the music is part of what triggers it, or at least doesn't help once it starts.

Yipee! This is a little yipee because I will not be teaching in Spokane, and even though I will miss it, it may be a change that my head needs.

Yikes! But yesterday, I did have to teach, and then was head-achy through our family party, Danielle's birthday party, and our goodbye reception at church this morning

Yipee! All of which were really wonderful! To my surprise, I didn't full-on cry once, though there were moments it was close. It was especially close this morning at church when some of our friends and students got up to share memories of Travis and me. They even made a circle around us and prayed for us (and okay I guess I cried a little bit, but you would too). I loved hearing students, staff, and parents express that they would miss Travis' big heart and passion for the kids. Travis even gave an awesome little goodbye talk about how important the youth are in the church, how much God values them, and how much they can do if they are willing. I am so lucky to be married to this guy, and already so eager to come back and visit.

Yikes! Watched The Brothers Bloom instead of packing.

Yipee! It was good.

Goodnight from the Huskissons!

p.s. Sasquatch is a noisy dreamer. She grunts and especially hiccups, and it is the sweetest thing in the world.

Learning is NOT always fun

2010-07-30T13:50:00.001-05:00

New things I've learned this week:

Dogs can have allergies
Allergies can cause eye and ear infections
Dogs can also need root canals
All of the above are expensive to treat, if you don't have health insurance
Guess who doesn't have health insurance? Dogs. Specifically, my dog.

AND in the time is took me to write this, Sasquatch took off with both kitchen towels. Good times in puppy land.

Remember when you looked like this, puppy?

Currently choreographing

2010-07-30T01:00:00.000-05:00

17 Years by Ratatat

modern duet with 9 crates the dancers stack and push and move around. It's very industrial but playful.

Home by Marc Brousssard

four little girls in workman jumpsuits with push-brooms. bluesy jazz. Man is it hard to find jumpsuits in children's sizes that don't say "correctional facility" on the back.

Game On by Pitbull

latin/pumped-up-for-the-game jazz. I'm trying to trick this out so my girls can win at competition, but it goes against my very nature.

Good Vibrations Glee Cast Version

this is supposed to be an old-school hip-hop duet for an 8 and 9-year old. I am praying for inspiration like my mom said to do.

All are in progress (okay, Good Vibrations has not been started), all due by 9am Saturday morning. I am feeling overwhelmed, but excited that I am four dances away from being done with work in Austin and starting my new job at Whitworth!

Losing it

2010-07-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

Terrible headache last night. I have two kinds of really bad headaches: those during which I keep my cool, and those that turn me into a weepy mess. Over the course of the past year, with near-constant migraines, I got better and better at keeping my cool. Migraines that would have had me sobbing in the dark five years ago, skipping class even though I knew I'd lose 4% of my grade, were now my companion all the time, and I couldn't just lie in the dark all the time. So with God's energy (because I had none), I dress-rehearsed shows, fit pointe shoes, taught dance to dozens of 5-year-olds, and led my d goup, and most of the time I did these things without falling apart. I found it was helpful to 1) cut out any unnecessary activity, even if I really loved it (goodbye dance company, blogging) and 2) be really honest with the people around me that I was in pain. Poor Travis had to hear it every day, but at least I wasn't keeping it to myself and then pouring it out in tears once a week.
About 3 months ago, all this changed. I finished the slow process of going off all my preventative medications (under the guidance of my favorite neurologist), cut out a few foods that were against my migraine diet but I'd been sneaking anyway (goodbye, pickles, you gave flavor to everything . . .), and received a huge gift from God: less migraines. Far less. Over the course of the past 3 months, I've had maybe 10 headaches that I'd describe as real migraines. I've observed that some of them have been more severe and lasted longer than this past year- they fit the traditional model for my headaches up until this year, though, and the frequency fits too. I'm really optimistic that I'm back to being a 4 migraine a month kind of girl (down from 20-25). There has been lots of praising God in our household, and I feel like myself again.
However, when I do get a migraine now, or three in a row like I've had the last three days, it's very easy for me to lose my cool. I forget the peace that God offers me and skip straight to being terrified that the constant pain is back. The pain is mixed with anxiousness and regret and uncertainty, and it makes it a lot harder to fall asleep (if I'm in the position to do so) or go about my day (if I have to).
This morning I woke up almost pain free (I took medicine, of course- my headaches take a long time go away on their own), with a very sore neck, but relaxed eyes, which is a good sign that it won't be back soon. Migraine sleep isn't very refreshing, but I do feel refreshed by the clarity the morning brings. Wherever I go, even if it's back into migraine-shadow, God is with me.

Travis quotes

2010-07-27T22:23:00.000-05:00

After the Rangers game tonight, I turned on Make It or Break It, the cheesiest/best/only show about gymnastics.
Travis: I hate this show
Me: You hate this show?
Travis: Yes. This show makes me hate people.
Me: Does it make you hate me?
Travis: No . . . but I wish there was another character on this show . . . who was an assassin.

Big mistakes

2010-07-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

1) Say Yes to the Dress is a tv show is about a bridal store. They always talk about how it's very important to pin down a budget with a bride, and only let her try on dresses within her budget. Otherwise, she might try on and fall in love with something that's completely out of her price range, and then be heartbroken and unhappy in any other dress. I've just committed the choreography equivalent of this error. I have been trying for weeks to find the perfect song for a latin jazz dance I'm setting on my girls on Saturday. NOTHING is right. Not enough pop, not enough latin, not enough to dance to, not appropriate for 12-year-olds . . . And I finally fell in love with a song. However, upon translation I realize that it is about a hotel-room tryst, and way into the realm of inappropriate for 12-year-olds. On the one hand, they might not translate it. On the other hand, there is an English-language version that lays it out pretty clearly. Give a girl a break, Shakira!
2) I was about to go pick up props for my dances, then go to the studio and choreograph. There is SO MUCH to be done. But I walk outside and it starts storming. Texas-style. Which means there is no going anywhere unless you absolutely have to. So I decided that I need to at least do something else productive. The house needs to be mostly cleaned and packed by next Monday. The logical place to start was un-folded laundry. So I pulled it all out. All of the unfolded laundry in the house. And you know what? It won't even fit on our couch. We're looking at HOURS of laundry folding here, with more in the washer and dryer.

It's go time.

Also, if you know of a song that sounds exactly like "Lo Hecho Esta Hecho"/ "Did It Again," but isn't that song, let me know . . .

Compare and Contrast, part 1

2010-07-26T10:12:00.001-05:00

Washington

Now that we are saying goodbye to Texas, I am thinking a lot about it, about what I love here, and about how Washington will be different. I remember feeling some culture shock when we first moved here two years ago. It was slight, because Austin is basically Portland in the middle of Texas. But it was definitely there. Here are some things I've noticed that are not the same in Washington (at least the parts I've lived in) and Texas (the part I've lived in):

TREES

There are big, beautiful trees in Austin. Mostly oak, cedar, walnut, pecan, and mesquite. Many of them flower in spring and early summer, turning the city a dozen shades of pink. Then many of them change colors in fall, and look barren in winter and early spring. During migration periods, they are so full of tropical-sounding birds that you can barely see the tree behind the birds, and parking under a tree is hazardous. They give everyone allergies, even a girl from the forest who's never had allergies in her life, and especially her poor husband.

In Washington, the trees make Texas trees look like shrubs. Their branches stretch out toward the ground rather than twisting up to the sun, and they are tangled with underbrush that grows so thick you can't walk between them. They are mostly evergreens and maple, and they keep the landscape green even in the middle of winter. They make up actual forests, and cast everything in shade.

GEOGRAPHY
Texas is flat. We live in the heart of the Texas hill country, and there are definitely hills. Many of them are even called mountains. Mount Bonnell, in west-central Austin, is a quaint 780 feet above sea level. The highest peak in Austin is the flat plateau where we live and I work, at 1100 feet. There is a real mountain in West Texas, but it looks more like something out of a John Wayne movie than a winter wonderland. This is, after all West Texas, the actual Wild West.

Guadalupe Peak, TX

Washington, on the other hand, is like God took a lump of play dough, started to flatten it out with all the different play utensils he could find, and then got distracted and left it a big, lumpy mess. There are gorges and two mountain ranges and huge bodies of water that twist their way around the land. The mountains don't rival Colorado, say, but the difference is that you can go from the ocean to a snow-covered mountain in just a few hours.


Mt. Rainier, WA

LOTR Commentary, Part 2 (this movie is HOW long?!)

2010-07-25T20:55:00.011-05:00

It's dark out now. Watching the Return of the King without Travis here is looking like a worse and worse idea. Did I mention I scare easily? And I totally forgot about the whole paths of the dead thing, which I did not remember at all when I was reading the books. So: Sasquatch and I have closed all the blinds and checked the locks. Luckily she is a pro barker with a fierce protective streak.
Commentary continued:
That Gollum is such a jerk! He threw away the lembas, and convinced Frodo that Sam is his enemy! Not in the book. The steward of Gondor is a jerk too, telling Faromir he preferred his brother. That is in the book.
On the other hand, Theoden, king of Rohan, is great. I liked him in the book, and in the movie. I love how Legolas and Gimli ride together on a horse. I bet that when Tolkien was writing the books, and he decided to have them ride everywhere together, he had no idea how cute it would look on film.
Sometimes I like to think about this: if the people I know were living in New Zealand when the LOTR movies were filmed, what would they be cast as? Travis could be a human. I would probably be a hobbit. And Sasquatch would be an oliphant, obviously.

See the resemblance?
Actually, she could be Shadowfax, Gandalf's horse, because Shadowfax is fast, loyal, and beautiful.
Gandalf just knocked out Lord Denethor, the steward of Gondor, because he was being chicken. It was awesome!
Halfway there! I just switched to disk 2, and went to put disc 1 in its Netflix return envelope to send back. The only problem: there's a huge bite taken out of the middle. I wonder who did that?
If we are only now getting to the giant spider, then what did Frodo and Sam do for all of the second movie? Fall down a lot? That's probably it. It's getting close now. Time to turn the volume down. It's the best way I know to make an intense scene a little less scary.
Sam found the lembas bread! Now he just has to find/rescue Frodo. Not a big deal.
Sam is fighting Shelob, the spider. I have given up sitting on the big couch, which Sasquatch is not aloud to sit on, and gone to sit next to her on the smaller couch (which is fair game for puppies when covered by the green blankets).
Here comes the king of the Nazgul. He fights with a mace. Time to defeat him, Eowyn and Charlie from LOST. Eowyn just said "I am no man." After the King of the Nazgul was all "No man can kill me." In the words of my sistas, the Spice Girls, GIRL POWER.
If someone ever says to me, "I hold your oath fulfilled. Go. Be at peace," I will know that something big just went down, even if I'm having short-term memory loss.
Mordor looks way scarier in the movie than I pictured it when I was reading. I guess that's the benefit of not watching scary things: my brain doesn't go there automatically. I was picturing West Texas, maybe, with a few less cacti (though definitely still cacti), and a few more orcs.
Now my favorite thing from the books is going to happen. Sweet Eowyn and even sweeter Faromir are going to fall in love. I hope she doesn't stay angsty too long. They are going to be so happy together! Also, the music that plays around Eowyn reminds me of Riverdance.
Sam's big speech! "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" Don't you just want to chant "RUDY. RUDY?"
And then a bunch of eagles randomly show up. I forgot about the talking Eagles. I hope they at least don't talk in the movie. WHAT?! They just rescued Frodo and Sam. Those Eagles are HUGE. Unnecessary, Peter Jackson.
And now everything's peachy. Even the lighting is peachy. Thank you for keeping me and Sassy company during the scary parts, blog. I don't think we'll need you for all ten endings.

LOTR, amateur style

2010-07-25T18:59:00.009-05:00

Success. I finally read the Lord of the Rings books. It took me months, and not a small amount of moaning and complaining to Travis about over 1,000 pages of:

unnecessary poetry/songs
an over-abundance of landscape descriptions
foreboding, foreboding, and more foreboding
creepy Gollum
Frodo fainting/falling down

I have of course seen the movies, though not for a long time, and I was surprised that I did not remember a lot of things that happened in them. I told several people this, and they unfailingly responded, "well, there's a lot in the books that didn't happen in the movies." But when I told them that I didn't remember about the giant spider, or the battle at Minas Tirith, or Frodo getting captured, they agreed that those were major plot points, definitely covered in the movies.
Mostly I don't remember anything about the Return of the King, so I netflixed it. And, because thorough is my middle name, I ordered the extended version. What was I thinking? Over 4 hours of hobbits falling down and foreboding? The two discs have been sitting on our table for a week now, taunting me.
But I guess since I'm procrastinating, and Travis is at a Rangers game with our friend Andrew (hopefully watching them beat the Angels), now is my chance. Sasquatch is keeping me company, because neither of us like battles, and I don't guarantee that we'll finish it, but we're making an effort. I am going to blog while watching, because I am not good at only doing one thing at a time, especially when that one thing is not dancing.
I will give commentary for a little bit:
So far, everything is out of order, which makes sense because the books cover one entire storyline at a time (and audiences can only handle so much fainting Frodo at once), but it's jarring. Also, everyone is standing around drinking and celebrating after Helm's Deep, which did not happen. Make haste, people! You are going to be late to the battle at Minis Tirith!
Also, Frodo and Sam are still with Gollum. Does that mean that they haven't got to the spider yet? I was hoping to miss it, since it's supposed to be in the second book.
Ah, yes. Gollum is talking about it now. They are going to the spider. That wouldn't be scary to me, obviously, but I'm pretty sure Sasquatch would have nightmares, so we'll have the remote at ready.
Man is that Andy Sirkus (Gollum) is a terrific actor!
Also also, have you read There and Back Again? It's Sean Astin (Sam)'s account of the filming of the movies. Of course I read this years ago, long before reading the books; I may be the kind of person that real fans can't stand. Okay, Gandalf just said, "Run, Shadowfax. Show us the meaning of haste." Awesome.
Sasquatch is very impatient with this movie. She would rather try to eat my mukluks/Travis' frisbees, and every sock in the house.
I am having fun watching this movie after seeing my best friend Amy's pictures of her LOTR location tour in New Zealand. I would be having even more fun if Amy were in the movie. Why can't you have been there 10 years earlier, Bern? You are perfect Hobbit height!
The king of the Nazgul just left Minis Morgul, guys. Orcs are approaching Osgiliath by boat. It's about to get real heavy. Time for a snack.
Ha! I couldn't remember the name of Osgiliath, so I looked it up on the Lord of the Rings wiki (like wikipedia but just for LOTR), and guess what? The tagline is "One Wiki to Rule Them All."

Now and then

2010-07-25T15:44:00.004-05:00

I am officially done with my 9-5 (or really 9-7:30, since it's retail) job. I have one more week in Austin, and it will be jam-packed with goodbyes, packing, cleaning, and choreography. Especially choreography. This coming weekend I have 4 dances to teach my dance students, my last thing to do in Austin before I can head up to Spokane and start work! I am excited (about Whitworth), and relieved (to be done at my current job), and stressed out (about all the work that needs to be done by Saturday) all at once.
You know what this reminds me of? College. In college, there is always something you have to do, something you've just finished, and something you are about to start. I think I was much better at dealing with it then than I am now. I have been non-stop busy for the last year and a half, but now when I have any amount of time to myself, I have much more trouble
Free time, then and now:
Then: 20 minute nap, make a huge amount of penne pasta with marinara, go straight to work. Now: take 2 hour nap, make a huge amount of bow-tie pasta with marinara, play with Sasquatch, come in after 5 minutes because it's hot, write a blog, read for a while, try to clean my house, try to play with Sasquatch again, take Sasquatch's frisbee away from her because she's eating it again . . .
You know what was always a good incentive for me? Grades. Maybe I should ask Travis to make me a report card.

Obviously

2010-07-23T23:27:00.006-05:00

Travis: Seal Island. I want to go there someday.
Jeannie: Where is it?
Travis: Off the coast of Madagascar, I think. Or South Africa.
Jeannie: You can see seals on the Oregon coast. You want to go all the way to South Africa?
Travis: I don't want to go to see seals. I want to go to see great whites eat the seals.

Actual pictures from Seal Island:

Do you want to talk about my dog?!

2010-07-21T16:39:00.004-05:00

Lately I've been feeling like I've run out of words. My freshman year of college, my roommate Chelsea would sometimes be in the middle of a story, and then just peter off into "words, words words . . ." And that would be it. She was, and is, hilarious. But also practical, because sometimes you're tired and just lose the desire to finish your sentence. And when those times come, it's nice to have a little transition phrase at your disposal.
For example,
"We saw Inception last night. Travis and I can't figure out how everybody can have a dream together in the first place. But what I really can't stop thinking about is . . . words words words."
This is useful for when your brain is tired, because you're up all night thinking about the movie Inception.
or
"The AC went out at work and words words words."
I like that last one because then I don't have to talk about the heat again, because all I do in Texas is talk about the heat.
or
"Sasquatch had a vet appointment today, her last one in words words words"
Good for avoiding talk about moving when you don't want to be weepy. Also good for diverting the conversation from talk about your dog when you realize that you are talking about your dog AGAIN, and you have become that person that talks about their pet all the time.

Also, while I was at the vet today I overheard one of the vet techs calling in a prescription for insulin to the pharmacy. Insulin for a dog. Really? Can dogs get type 2 diabetes? Because Sasquatch really likes to lick the dough crumbs off the floor when I'm baking, and words words words.

Did that just happen?

2010-07-19T20:52:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had a cluster headache? This is what it feels like: you're sitting on the couch, eating lunch (because your dining table is covered with stuff), or you're driving home from work, or you're pulling a pair of tap shoes to try on a little girl. And then it feels like you're being stabbed in the eye, and you can't breathe. You don't take any medicine, because you know that in less than a minute it'll be over (in my case). And then it is. It fades away just gradually enough that you wonder if maybe it wasn't really that bad, and start to question your ability to accurately judge pain.
Repeat 2-5 times.
I prefer cluster headaches to migraines because they are much shorter and don't affect your vision, but they really make me feel like I'm losing it sometimes. I only started getting cluster headaches about a year ago, so I think someday I'll be able to have them without wondering if I'm really having them, or if it's all in my head (which it IS, in a way. Confusing).
Also confusing (and awesome). My friend Devin's dog Indy plays dead when Devin says Avada Kedavra. How did that dog get so smart? Sasquatch is my sweet darling, but I don't think she'll ever be able to do that. Travis thinks that instead we should teach her to backflip when she hears the SportsCenter theme music.

Puppet remix

2010-07-18T22:49:00.005-05:00

This is not the first time I've posted a video of Travis with a puppet.

Taken at the visitor center at the Hoh Rainforest. Also featured at that visitor center:

Close-up:

Where's Waldo?

2010-07-18T21:43:00.008-05:00

Last month we went to La Push, WA with my parents. It was, in the words of my dad, amaaaaaaazing. Find us on this log!

My dad has managed to barter his way into a bunch more nights at the cabins where we stayed. Who knew you could trade picnic tables and boomstick ends for hotel rooms? My dad, that's who. We can't wait to go back again!

All grown up

2010-07-18T16:22:00.008-05:00

Yesterday Sasquatch was 10 months old. Here is a video of her looking super dignified and grown up.

I am pleased to announce that Sasquatch has, as forseen by everyone but me, mellowed out and turned into a normal dog. She still destroys her beds (I think she's destroyed 4, or maybe 5), drinks the grossest water she can find, and barks at strangers (a new development, actually, and very embarrassing). But she also comes when called, lies down for more than 30 seconds at a time, and can be near people without chewing on them. Vast improvements if you knew the psycho-puppy of 6 months ago. In fact, while playing with her new friend Shadle last week, Sasquatch sat patiently while Shadle went all puppy-crazy on her. It was a thing of beauty.

Observations on TLC shows

2010-07-16T20:17:00.004-05:00

When Travis goes golfing, I watch TLC.

How many shows are there about cakes? What is the demand for all this supply?
Commercials for cupcake shows should be illegal. They make me frenzied with cupcake hunger, and I can't forget it because every 5 minutes . . . there's another cupcake promo!
Things learned from Say Yes to the Dress: DON'T take anyone to your wedding dress appointment that doesn't have the exact same taste as you. Don't take your fiance. Don't take his mom (unless you're really close and there is NO potential awkwardness). Don't, for the love of all that is good and beautiful, take your father. Also, you might be really close with your dad, but he's probably not your best friend. And you'll learn that when you take him to your wedding dress appointment.
Customer on Say Yes to the Dress just now: "I'm an obnoxious person, and I'd like an obnoxious dress." Really?!
The Duggars have a lot of money. If you don't have a lot of money, don't have 19 kids. Also, I love the Duggars! I can't wait for all those teenage daughters to fall in love and and have their own wedding specials.
I truly believe that I could use a What Not to Wear make-over. I am clueless when it comes to looking my age. Help me, Stacy, Clinton, Carmandy, and especially you, Nick Arrogio. You have free reign with my hair, and I know you wouldn't even dream of touching it with hair dye.
Toddlers and Tiaras is not as bad as Travis thinks it is (though Little Miss Perfect is even better). There is always at least one redeemable character, usually a sweet dad.

Travis is back from golfing. I was watching sports the whole time. You know nothing.

p.s. Apparently the cupcake ladies make "pupcakes" too. Sasquatch and I both want cupcakes now.

Details

2010-07-16T19:32:00.002-05:00

Who: Travis, Sasquatch, me
What: Moving
When: I'll be driving up (road trip with my mom! Here's hoping we don't both get heat stroke in my AC-free car) the first week of August. Travis and Sasquatch will follow soon afterward at an as-yet-to-be-determined date. '
Where: Spokane, WA. It feels like so long since we've lived there, maybe because we got married and it's hard to imagine not being married to Travis. But really it's only been 2 years. We are still hunting for a place to start out, most likely an apartment somewhere north-ish.
WHY?! This is the best part, ya'll: I got a job at Whitworth (where we went to school). An amazing dream job working with a really cool group of people, doing something I'm really excited about, at my favorite place on earth. And Travis is coming along for the ride because he is the best, most supportive husband (prayers for him to find an awesome job would be greatly appreciated). I'll be working in the Admissions department, which means lots of travel, new experiences, and a start to what will hopefully be a career in higher ed. I am beyond stoked and grateful and really ready to start. Not ready to leave Austin, but ready to start. Sasquatch is ready for the snow. Here we come!

Getting started. Again.

2010-07-16T18:39:00.004-05:00

It has been many months since I blogged. I started this blog as a way to keep my far-away family and friends updated after we moved away to Texas. I took a long break from blogging because of my migraines (more on that soon), and I am starting up again because 1) My head is doing great (again, more soon), and 2) We will once again be moving very far away from many of our dear family and friends, this time to Washington.
There are 0 things about moving at which I am any good. Not packing, unpacking, driving long distances, cleaning, getting things organized, or saying goodbyes. I am actually a monumental failure at 4 of those 6 things. Travis is a bit of a rolling stone. He loves change, and new places, and gets restless and ready for the next adventure quite easily. I am more of a homebody, and while I love trying new things, I also love going back to my same home and my same bed afterward. And I stick to people like superglue.
Here is a brief (hopefully) and partial list of things I will miss about our life here in Austin:

the perfect location of our apartment (2 movie theaters, dozens of restaurants, 4 grocery stores, and a Michaels within walking distance)
easy access to the best bbq in the country (don't argue unless you've been to the Salt Lick)
all the creeks and trails, especially the creeks that you can walk down the middle of with your puppy, even in the winter
the lack of spiders
the great burrito places, and especially the Freebirds frequent burrito card
my dance students, and the beautiful dance studio with very bouncy floors where I teach
the going-on-9th grade girls in my d-group at church
the fellow youth leaders at Covenant who welcomed us into their group on our 2nd day here (seriously) and have made us feel welcome ever since
Covenant itself, its pastors and staff, and everyone there
chik-fil-A lemonade (maybe I should just make a separate list for food and drink . . .
Schlitterbahn and 2 Six Flags parks
our beautiful, huge, and ridiculously affordable apartment
doing pointe fittings at Capezio
Borealis, and everyone in it
the way the birds sound all tropical, and the humidity feels all tropical, and sometimes you walk out of the grocery store and think "am I in Hawaii?"
cheap gas (the flipside: dairy is more expensive here, which Travis says is because "we EAT our cows in Texas"
a city that all the best musicians come to, including Regina Spektor (who never plays in the Northwest)
being able to jump on the highway to get anywhere
Alamo Drafthouse
the super cheap and delicious produce specials at Sprouts
the weather October-February
the prepared foods section at the Whole Foods flagship
and most of all our amazing Texas family

Overheard

2009-10-25T22:40:00.003-05:00

My parents are in town, so this will be quick, but it had to go up now.

Today we all went to my brother-in-law Stephen's high school choir concert. And by all, I mean 17 of us. Travis has a big family. The concert was called Cabaret, and it was a selection of songs from musicals. Each song was performed by some combination of McCallum's 5 choirs, though about half were solos. There were lots of beautiful numbers, especially the pieces from Big River. (Seriously, check it out.) About halfway through the show, Stephen had his first solo, Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. As the spotlight came up, a little old lady behind us commented (just a little too loudly) to her friend, "Now that's a tall drink of water."

Made my week.

I am going to tell that story to everyone, and it will never get old.

Needless to say, Travis and I spent the next 5 minutes trying really hard not to burst out in laughter. But we were still able to appreciate that Stephen totally rocked it, giving everyone chills and even hitting the really high note at the end. My brother-in-law is super talented.

And, apparently, easy on the eyes.

Travis quotes: golf edition

2009-10-23T08:19:00.002-05:00

My parents are coming into town tomorrow! I am counting down the hours. And now, some wisdom from Travis (from memory, since I still haven't found my notebook!):

Me: What would you do if you ever hit a hole in one?

Travis: . . . I'd probably quit.

Me (after a particularly frustrating day): I'm not used to feeling angry!

Travis: You should play golf. Then you'd be used to it.

Okay, time to go put ballet shoes on 3-year-olds (me) and golf (Travis). But wouldn't it be awesome if it were the other way around?

Lost

2009-10-22T08:25:00.004-05:00

Once again, my habit of disorganization has me searching for something I had no business losing in the first place. This time, my notebook.

I have never kept a journal. The mere thought of journaling, saving my embarrassing reactions and cliched insights for someone to possibly find (and worse, for me to find later) makes me shudder. Other people's journaling doesn't make me feel this way, because I know that other people are good at writing journals which are not embarrassing or cliched. Me, not so much. The fact that I am writing this while blogging is not lost on me- but since I blog about the kinds of things I tell my friends, and not the kinds of things one would tend to write in a journal, I am comfortable with this mild personal inconsistency (side note: a close friend once told me that I was a very inconsistent person. Turns out she was pretty much exactly right).

But I always keep a notebook. I have a collection that is probably more than a dozen, less than twenty, starting with my first summer working at Island Lake Camp when I was 17. In my notebooks are lists, schedules, outlines for bible studies, sermon notes, and lots of choreography. Most of them wouldn't be embarrassing if found by another person, just boring and mostly unreadable (unless you like reading choreography, in which case: awesome!)

The notebook that I am currently searching for was my 3rd to last, but holds something very dear to me, something that I do not want to lose: my collection of Travis quotes. Travis is hilariously, makes-me-laugh-so-hard-I-cry-on-a-regular-basis funny, but he is most often funny in a quiet, almost unintentional, and mostly-for-himself-kind of way.

A few months ago I realized it was essential I start documenting Travis' best one-liners, mostly because it would make a really good blog someday. I kept them in a finished notebook with a few pages left (since my current notebook goes everywhere with me) and left it on the desk here at home.

But alas, missing! I am very distraught. And now it is time to go to work and I can't even try to write them from memory, as I intended. I will try to get to it tonight after rehearsal. In the meantime, I leave you with this:

After seeing a promo for the tv series The Real Housewives of Atlanta,

Travis: A thousand years ago those people would not have existed. They would have been weeded out. . . probably by lions.

I love visuals

2009-10-20T13:49:00.003-05:00

I found this really cool graphic today that sums up a lot of the key differences between a liberal and conservative political ideology. They should use it in Core 350. Click the link above to see a bigger readable version.

Lists are scary!

2009-10-18T23:27:00.003-05:00

I'm not great at moderation. I blog three times a day, or not at all for 2 months (sorry mom!). When I find a song I love, I listen to it 100 times in a row before moving on to something else. And I can't start a Red Robin Teriyaki Chicken burger without finishing it off, as well as all of the steak fries on my plate and everybody else's plate, and usually a mile-high mud pie too.

I am praying that this will be my season of learning to balance all of the pieces of my life with out getting to absorbed in any, or letting anything fall by the wayside completely. I would like to continue working full-time at Capezio, teaching at ADC, dancing with Borealis, and leading a d-group at church. I would also like to make time for God's word, for prayer, for calling and writing family and friends, for blogging, for spending time with friends in Austin, for cooking and eating actual dinners with Travis, for keeping my apartment organized, for getting enough sleep (this is doctor mandated- apparently I'm giving myself migraines by sleeping 6 hours a night), preparing lesson plans, baking, dates, meetings, and the church drama team. It feels really overwhelming, but I guess I don't know anybody who doesn't feel daunted by all the things they want to accomplish. The solution, it seems, would be to cut out anything that is not these things. No extra choreographing, crafts, watching tv, or naps. No down time.

I am really looking forward to my parents coming to visit this weekend. My dad always says that surfing is a good substitute for sleep. To me, seeing my parents is a good substitute for a weeklong vacation. In college, they always seemed to come visit at just the right times, the times I was in the middle of some big show or working too many hours and needed some rest but couldn't get it. Instead, I would get the world's best hugs, a lot of prayer, and breakfast at Rosauer's.

Mom: do you think Rosauer's Family Restaurant would consider opening a branch in Texas?

Good gifts

2009-08-23T22:37:00.008-05:00

Look mom! I'm wearing the skirt you sent me! I wear it all the time, because it perfect for me, and also perfect for a summer in which you have 63 days over 100 degrees. That's right. 63 days. Thank you mom!
Also, tonight we once again played Rummikub, which was a bridal shower gift from my lifelong friend (we met when I was a few months, and she a few days, old!) Julie Rose, as well as her mom Shirley Parrott (my mom's college roommate, and my 2nd grade teacher). Julie and her husband James apparently play a hardcore version of Rummikub where everyone plays at once (a la Speed Scrabble), but so far we're addicted to the plain old original.
Joe and I had the idea to play a card game at the same time as Rummikub. We started with something simple, Go Fish. Unfortunately, I lost both games at the same time. But here is Joe looking forlorn (or trying to), and Will Ferrell accidentally showing up on the tv in the background! (Naturally, we had the baseball game on mute while we played)
We are so happy to have Trey back from camp! It's also nice to have Sunday nights free- we normally all go to the 6:30 pm contemporary service at church, but today was the soft launch of the new morning contemporary service, which meant we could go to church once for middle school group and church and not have to go back later!
Travis is only pretending to be grumpy. He really loooves it when I take so many pictures.
When Joe and I started playing Go Fish during slow turns, Trey and Travis started exploring iphone apps. At one point Travis tried to use the iphone as a coaster (it didn't work very well- too tippy), and we wondered if there is an app for that. Probably.

What We're Told

2009-08-23T18:48:00.007-05:00

This weekend I performed in my 4th (I think?) show with Borealis. We entered two pieces in 10 Minutes Max, which is sort of like a film festival for dance. It was at the Carver Museum in the East End, which is a beautiful building with a perfect-sized theatre.The first piece we entered was Awaiting Fate, a piece Danielle choreographed by Danielle about the Salem witch trials. It is breathtaking, and I always love watching Danielle, Bethany, and Katelyn (in jackets, below) perform it. Wakelyn and I joined them for our other piece, We Do What We're Told, also known as "the piece that makes small children cry, according to Travis." Danielle stenciled all sorts of commands on our shirts. The back of mine says "pay attention."We discovered that my arms were longest, so I took a lot of these pictures with everyone's cameras.
It's always nice to be done with a show! Now we just have to rehearse like mad for the next 2 months to have a full-length show ready for Oct. 9-10. Terrifying. . . Just like this picture:

(End of) summer reading

2009-08-21T00:15:00.003-05:00

I don't read much for pleasure, and since I'm not in college anymore, I pretty much don't read much. I love reading, but I get too obsessed with novels (and I am too sensitive- much of what is out there makes me feel sick), and a lot of non-fiction doesn't hold my interest. The genre I like best is autobiographies, because they are like talking to a person, and I love talking to people and hearing their stories. Especially if those stories are exciting.
But I do get around to a book or two a month, and my current plans are The PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb and For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. PAPA prayer was recommended by my mom, who is always reading great books and giving them to people she cares about. If my mom thinks a book will be good, she will order several copies. Apparently this book describes what the publisher calls "a revolutionary conversational approach to talking with and enjoying God." Doesn't that sound great? I am all about having a radical relationship with God, learning to trust Him in radical ways and hoping in the extreme promises He has for me.
I heard about the other book on a blog I like, Simple Mom. I am not a mom, and I don't really practice simple living. In fact, I can't say I live up to anything near the way this woman lives. Making meal plans 8 weeks in advance? Writing a family mission statement with my husband? Those things are not likely to ever happen in my household. But I like dreaming of it. I guess it's my version of escapist fiction- a world in which, instead of getting home from rehearsal at 10:30pm and making a Stouffers Skillet meal to eat with my husband in front of the tv while he watches sports, I stay at home all day pressing linens while meat for the next 3 meals marinates in the perfectly organized fridge.

Anyway, I was reading the product description of this book from amazon.com, and my reactions (roughly) are in blue:
What's going on in there? Ever been totally confused by something your man has said or done? Always. Every day. Right now. Why is he watching SportsCenter recap the game we just watched?
Want to understand his secret desires and fears, his daily battles that you know nothing about? YES! Where can I sign up?
The premise sounds intriguing: the author interviewed lots of men in preparation for writing a novel with a male protagonist, and in the process came away with another book about the inner workings of men. I'm sure it won't be perfect. The first review of the book on Amazon was by a man who bought the book for his wife, and read it first. His reaction was mixed: he agreed (mostly) with the author's assessment of men's fears and desires, but he also felt that her solution for women was to become possibly too submissive to their husbands.
But I really want to know what Travis is thinking. All the time. And he almost never tells me.
Well he probably feels like all we ever do is talk about our feelings. But I still don't understand. For example, sportscenter: why watch the highlights after you've already seen them?

Good times, courtesy of tv

2009-08-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

Sometimes commercials make Travis and me laugh out loud.

Wow.

2009-08-18T23:37:00.002-05:00

The tableau that ends "Fool's Paradise," by Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company in NYC. I wish there was dance like that in my living room every evening.

Summer reading

2009-08-18T23:23:00.004-05:00

We have a really smart president. I was excited to real this editorial by him in the NY Times this weekend. Here is the link to the original, but I've also pasted it below. (Also: even if you don't have time to read it, at least scroll down to the very end. You know how at the end of an editorial it will say something about the author like "William Mathers is a professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Michigan?" Well check out this one.)

By

BARACK OBAMA

Published: August 15, 2009

OUR nation is now engaged in a great debate about the future of health care in America. And over the past few weeks, much of the media attention has been focused on the loudest voices. What we haven’t heard are the voices of the millions upon millions of Americans who quietly struggle every day with a system that often works better for the health-insurance companies than it does for them.

President Obama speaking at a town-hall-style meeting in Grand Junction, Colo., on Saturday.

These are people like Lori Hitchcock, whom I met in New Hampshire last week. Lori is currently self-employed and trying to start a business, but because she has hepatitis C, she cannot find an insurance company that will cover her. Another woman testified that an insurance company would not cover illnesses related to her internal organs because of an accident she had when she was 5 years old. A man lost his health coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because the insurance company discovered that he had gallstones, which he hadn’t known about when he applied for his policy. Because his treatment was delayed, he died.

I hear more and more stories like these every single day, and it is why we are acting so urgently to pass health-insurance reform this year. I don’t have to explain to the nearly 46 million Americans who don’t have health insurance how important this is. But it’s just as important for Americans who do have health insurance.

There are four main ways the reform we’re proposing will provide more stability and security to every American.

First, if you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of high-quality, affordable coverage for yourself and your family — coverage that will stay with you whether you move, change your job or lose your job.

Second, reform will finally bring skyrocketing health care costs under control, which will mean real savings for families, businesses and our government. We’ll cut hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and inefficiency in federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid and in unwarranted subsidies to insurance companies that do nothing to improve care and everything to improve their profits.

Third, by making Medicare more efficient, we’ll be able to ensure that more tax dollars go directly to caring for seniors instead of enriching insurance companies. This will not only help provide today’s seniors with the benefits they’ve been promised; it will also ensure the long-term health of Medicare for tomorrow’s seniors. And our reforms will also reduce the amount our seniors pay for their prescription drugs.

Lastly, reform will provide every American with some basic consumer protections that will finally hold insurance companies accountable. A 2007 national survey actually shows that insurance companies discriminated against more than 12 million Americans in the previous three years because they had a pre-existing illness or condition. The companies either refused to cover the person, refused to cover a specific illness or condition or charged a higher premium.

We will put an end to these practices. Our reform will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of your medical history. Nor will they be allowed to drop your coverage if you get sick. They will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. And we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because they get sick.

Most important, we will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups, preventive care and screening tests like mammograms and colonoscopies. There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer on the front end. It makes sense, it saves lives and it can also save money.

This is what reform is about. If you don’t have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options once we pass reform. If you have health insurance, we will make sure that no insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care you need. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. You will not be waiting in any lines. This is not about putting the government in charge of your health insurance. I don’t believe anyone should be in charge of your health care decisions but you and your doctor — not government bureaucrats, not insurance companies.

The long and vigorous debate about health care that’s been taking place over the past few months is a good thing. It’s what America’s all about.

But let’s make sure that we talk with one another, and not over one another. We are bound to disagree, but let’s disagree over issues that are real, and not wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that anyone has actually proposed. This is a complicated and critical issue, and it deserves a serious debate.

Despite what we’ve seen on television, I believe that serious debate is taking place at kitchen tables all across America. In the past few years, I’ve received countless letters and questions about health care. Some people are in favor of reform, and others have concerns. But almost everyone understands that something must be done. Almost everyone knows that we must start holding insurance companies accountable and give Americans a greater sense of stability and security when it comes to their health care.

I am confident that when all is said and done, we can forge the consensus we need to achieve this goal. We are already closer to achieving health-insurance reform than we have ever been. We have the American Nurses Association and the American Medical Association on board, because our nation’s nurses and doctors know firsthand how badly we need reform. We have broad agreement in Congress on about 80 percent of what we’re trying to do. And we have an agreement from the drug companies to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. The AARP supports this policy, and agrees with us that reform must happen this year.

In the coming weeks, the cynics and the naysayers will continue to exploit fear and concerns for political gain. But for all the scare tactics out there, what’s truly scary — truly risky — is the prospect of doing nothing. If we maintain the status quo, we will continue to see 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance every day. Premiums will continue to skyrocket. Our deficit will continue to grow. And insurance companies will continue to profit by discriminating against sick people.

That is not a future I want for my children, or for yours. And that is not a future I want for the United States of America.

In the end, this isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives and livelihoods. This is about people’s businesses. This is about America’s future, and whether we will be able to look back years from now and say that this was the moment when we made the changes we needed, and gave our children a better life. I believe we can, and I believe we will.

Barack Obama is the president of the United States.

Bithday parties and PS 22!

2009-08-18T22:08:00.015-05:00

On Sunday we went to Richard and Daniel's family birthday party! Richard and Daniel are our brothers. They are twins. They are awesome. They are 8! It is fun to be in the kind of family where you can have twin brothers that are almost the same age as your twin nieces.
The birthday boys (Daniel on the left, Richard on the right) with their new gloves. They are playing coach pitch, I think, this fall. Travis has already been giving lots of pointers.
Have I told Travis' family calls him Bubba? It is one of the 10,000 adorable and wonderful things about this family, and about Travis.
Crystal, Stephen, and I watched videos of the PS 22 chorus online. They are an elementary school choir from NYC, and they sing pop songs and classic rock. My favorite is their version of Don't Stop Believin'. Did I already share this? Well, here it is:

Okay and one more:

Now back to the party.
Richard shows off their new scooter-skateboards. I am totally a fan, because they are wider than a scooter, with bigger wheels than a skateboard, and a handlebar. My kind of ride.
Mad skillz!
Several grown men and teenage boys spend a significant portion of time trying to hit a ball out of a tree. It was fun to watch, because they were so into it. And they succeeded!
Did you know: Travis' brother Stephen can be seen (so I've heard) as an extra in the new movie Bandslam! He was also up for the part of Miley's love interest in the Hannah Montana movie. I think he's pretty great. And you should have seen Stephen and Travis at the party: Travis was in the front yard with a baseball glove, Stephen in the backyard with a tennis racket, and they were sending a tennis ball back and forth over the house. At one point is hit (and possibly broke) the neighbor's gutter. Jury is out on whether the gutter was already broken . . .
Sometimes I think I look more like Travis' family than he does! Also, Crystal: did district 9 totally scare you? I bet you were fine. I'm a total wimp :)
Baskin Robins ice cream cake! With a hot wheels launcher on it! This cake was awesome.
Travis is too focused on cake to look at the camera.
Getting stoked
I wish I got better pictures of this. I have never done a very good job of capturing the "blowing out the candles moment" at birtyhday parties. I 50% blame how it's always a little dark, and 50% blame myself for getting way too into singing to be amply prepared.
I try not to make this a blog full of just pictures of Travis, but you'll have to forgive me. I am a newlywed, and I just think he's so great!
And now, a video:

Confession

2009-08-18T21:49:00.005-05:00

In most ways, I think I am a pretty good wife. I really love my husband, and pray for him, and communicate with him, and rub his head when it's sore.
But I am terrible at housework. Terrible. The kitchen is always clean, but I am about a month behind on folding laundry, filing mail, and cleaning the closet. Not to mention taking things to goodwill, and especially taking the recycling somewhere where it can be recycled (instead of the laundry room, where it currently takes up the entire space between the washer and dryer. Ironically, the recycling is housed in my reusable shopping bags, so now I keep having to get plastic shopping bags at the grocery store).
And Travis is so patient with me, but he already takes care of so many things, and I know he really needs me to at least keep these few things under control. This is how he feels about the pile of laundry on our couch (now moved to chair in bedroom): And maybe a little bit like this:At least I make good cookies :)

Remember that movie?

2009-08-18T00:29:00.003-05:00

It is officially too hot to sleep in Texas. In February, when it started getting hot (and I don't mean warm. Hot.) we gave up on our so-thick-and-luxurious-that-you-could-lay-under-it-real-flat-and-no-one-would-be-able-to-tell-you-were-there comforter and bought a wimpy thin one at Target. And about a month ago we gave up on that one and started sleeping under the thin brown soft blanket that is usually reserved for being cozy on the couch. Maybe tomorrow night I'll try just a sheet, a la the Dominican Republic (all there is on almost any bed you'll find is a set of sheets. I don't think I ever quite got used to it). And now I am about to give up on sleeping. Our AC is working overtime here on the 3rd floor, and it's really not fair to it (or our budget) to push it any further.
Travis seems to be sleeping just fine. He really likes to fall asleep to SportsCenter, so the last few nights I have just stayed up and let him, and then gone in afterward and turned the TV off. I have never in my life fallen asleep while watching TV. I was always the one at sleepovers who realized, halfway through the movie, that they were the only one still awake. Even when the move was really exciting, like Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken*. That girl and her horse jumped off of platforms into pools, even after she was blind.

*This movie was really shown at my 8th birthday party.
p.s. My world has just been rocked. Guess who starred in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken? Gabrielle Anwar, star of the best show on television, Burn Notice! Must netflix that move asap. The world is bigger and smaller and more beautiful than I thought.

More from John Tesh

2009-08-17T21:49:00.004-05:00

Tonight I was listening to John Tesh (again), and he told me (and lots of other people) this (paraphrased):
There is a new iphone application where you can keep track of the things you are grateful for. Every day you add 5 things, and you can rate them on a star system. The creator of the ap got the idea after her husband passed away, and she figured that keeping track of the good things in her life might help. Turns out there is research that actually supports this: keeping a "gratefulness journal" corresponds with people feeling happier.
Which got me thinking. Two summers ago, I felt like I couldn't go back to Whitworth for my senior year. I felt especially like I couldn't do a senior project, couldn't throw myself into hundreds of hours of work on any one thing when life was shattered around me and I could barely stay in the lane driving. But God (and my mom) gave me an idea that I felt like I could do: create a bunch of dances about things for which I was thankful. It just felt more meaningful to be grateful for some things than mad about others. I found this quote a few months later, and put it in the program of my senior project, Thanksgiving:
"One act of thanksgiving made when things go wrong is worth a thousand when things go well."

- St. John of the Cross

That idea got me back to school, got me through senior year. Several hours a day for almost 9 months I spent thinking about the things for which I was grateful. My life was wrapped around the best things in my life: the time I had with my family, the way my friends could make me laugh till I cried, the hope I had for a future in which things would inexplicably and impossibly work out okay.
That idea, to make a "gratefulness journal" in dance (which is my language, way more than English is my language), was the gift of light in the darkness for almost a year. The woman who made that iphone ap must have felt similarly grateful for her idea, so grateful that she wanted to share it with as many people as possible (and maybe make some money of it, too). I don't ever ever ever want to write a book about grieving, but I do want there to be some way for people to know that it could help to keep track of the things they are thankful for. And if you can get totally absorbed in those things, all the better. So I'm glad John Tesh said that tonight. Well done.
p.s. I linked to the video of my senior project a while ago. It's not quite the same thing as it was in person, but I am thankful for it nonetheless. It is here.

This is NOT a blog about . . .

2009-08-17T21:17:00.003-05:00

For the next month, I will try to refrain from writing much about work at the store, because it will invariably sound like this:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
That is to say, it's been a little busy. There is no time to think or use the restroom or panic, only ballet shoes, jazz shoes, and tap shoes. And the occasional ballroom shoe.

So, other things:
Today we Austin Dance Company teachers and staff had our headshots taken! They were done by Brenda Ladd in her home studio, which is beautiful. There is a little kitchen. If I ever get to build a dance studio at my home, remind me that I want a little kitchen. We each did individual shots, then a few group pictures, which were really fun. At one point Brenda opened the door behind her while she was taking pictures. And outside in the backyard were chickens! Little guys. So cute. So of course I yelled "there are chickens here!" and before I knew it, click: a picture of everyone perfectly and serenely posed around Carissa, me looking like a wild woman with my huge mouth all the way open, mid "chickens!"
Also present at the photo shoot were Carissa's adorable daughters, newborn Finley and 2-year-old Charlotte. Charlotte spent most of the evening playing with a bag of un-inflated balloons. She counted them for us: "One, two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven."
Oh, and we discovered that, rather than "one-two-three" click, dance teachers respond well to "five-six-seven-eight" click when being photographed.
After the photo session, I found my way to Waterloo Records downtown. This (finding the place without getting terribly lost) is really an achievement for me, since I never go downtown. I've had a gift certificate to Waterloo since March, but haven't had a single day when I've been anywhere nearby to stop in. But tonight I was already down South, and Travis was at frisbee anyway, so I went and browsed around and tried to find something to buy with my gift certificate that wouldn't make the record store salespeople scoff/snicker/cry. Because a lot of my music purchases are geared toward the 5-year-old dance class set, I usually go for things like "Disney's Super Sweet Summer Party Collection Volume 18!" It took at least an hour, but I came away with the new albums from Matt&Kim and Beirut. Neither of them contain songs called "Get up and Dance," "Butterfly Rock," or "Mickey's Hula," so I think I'm good. Maybe I should sell my song name ideas . . . I really think my students would love a song called "Butterfly Rock!" (If, of course, it lived up to the title)
Yesterday we went to Richard and Daniel's family party for their 8th birthday, which was on Saturday. Pictures to follow.
Okay, one story about work: today I was in the backroom, frantically rummaging around for shoes that would fit a customer with very wide feet, and I told Danielle I had just been on the phone with a customer who told me that her toes were numb from a pair of our ballroom shoes. My thought was that, yeah, that happens. You dance, you sacrifice your feet. They will get deformed and probably permanently damaged and you should sort of be proud of that. Danielle's response, however, was a little shorter: "I hate people . . ."
I kept waiting for the "who ____," but it never came. Just "I hate people." Awesome.
p.s. I love people, and I probably really love you!

For my gardeners

2009-08-14T21:54:00.004-05:00

Victoria cruziana

Did you know about these water plants? They are called victoria or "giant water platter," and I find them stunning! The above photo is from Longwood Gardens (link is to their blog) in Pennsylvania, home to beautiful massive pools full of both genus (es?) of victoria, as well as a hybrid of the two:Victoria x Longwood Hybrid

Victoria amazonica

At Longwood gardens they are so serious about victoria that they are writing a book about them, and that they dye the water in their pools black so that the leaves and flowers will stand out.
Mom and Lisa: shouldn't we go to Longwood Gardens? Shouldn't we build a pool and fill it will victorias? Shouldn't we do this now?

They even have tulips!

Myths

2009-08-14T18:25:00.003-05:00

I just read a really great article from Newsweek. Here in Texas, I hear a lot of arguments against public health care, and while some of them seem legitimate, others seem pretty unfounded and ridiculous (death panels, really?). This article highlights 7 myths that have been used in arguments for and against Obama's Health Care Bill. I wish everyone (especially everyone in Texas) could read this article and get a better understanding of the bill. People might not beg their representatives to vote against the bill if they knew it wouldn't ban private insurance, wouldn't cut medicare, wouldn't give the government the ability to deny anyone health care, and especially wouldn't require physicians to counsel the elderly to end their lives early. Oh and hey, all those people who can't afford proper care right now? They would receive the right to life that the constitution promises.
Okay, I'm done. But read it! Or at least skim.

TGI almost dinnertime!

2009-08-14T17:37:00.004-05:00

Friday updates:

Despite the face he's making in this picture, Travis is feeling much better today. His mouth is doing a lot better and tension headache is gone. He might have a broken foot, but that has nothing to do with his tooth surgery. In fact, we have no idea how it happened!
When I was walking (more like trudging, what with all the dance bags and sore muscles and heat) up the stairs to our third floor apartment this evening, I heard a strange thumping noise. It sounded like it was coming from the roof. I walked in the apartment, and Travis was sitting on the couch, bouncing a tennis ball off the walls! We have pretty high vaulted ceilings in the living room, and now I know what they're good for!
Travis is making me dinner :) I don't know much about cooking meat, so bbq pork ribs "a la Travis" will be a special treat!
Today was the last day of the 2-week dance intensive I taught at ADC. I am tired and sore, but I think it went really well. This afternoon the families came to watch the dances their girls had learned, and I think they were impressed with how many pieces they'd learned in 2 weeks! Some of the pieces were just for fun (such as a hip hop combo Adele and I taught on Wednesday. Our 10-year-old ballerinas are so street, you don't even know), and others we'll continue to clean and prepare for competitions in the spring. Competitions aren't the focus at our studio- we'll only go to 2- but it's a fun way for the students to see their peers dance and get extra performance opportunities. So anyway, today's special topic, since we had a little performance at the end, was stage makeup. We went over the steps with the girls, and they all applied their own makeup (with mixed and sometimes hilarious results; keep in mind that some of these girls are 5). Miss Adele and I put on stage makeup as well. My students are always so shocked to see me in makeup! I wiped most of mine off in the car on the way home, but saved the eyes for a proper sink/soap/mirror makeup removal. Time to wash my face:

Travis is going to pick up the computer monitor he found on craigslist for $30. I am looking forward to having a computer that doesn't emit a high pitched (and I mean really high-pitched, and loud) buzzing every 10 minutes until you turn it off. I'm also looknig forward to added desk space; our current monitor is giant. Fun Fact: We found this computer (not the monitor, but the tower, which is in great shape) in the dumpster between the theatre and the music building on the Whitworth campus. We were walking around campus late at night last summer, and some tables next to the dumpster drew our attention. The tables were no good, but there, perched right on top (above more tables, and totally clean) was a perfectly good computer tower! It needed to be recycled. In our home. (We didn't have a home yet, and it we weren't even dating yet, but it was a few hours after this happened, so I knew we would have a home someday. Travis was just stoked about free stuff!)

Let's go to the movies . . . or not. They're scary.

2009-08-14T02:21:00.005-05:00

We just got back from seeing District 9. It's a very high quality movie, sure to win lots of awards. It was original and thought provoking and will probably discussed in college lectures about apartheid for the next 10 years (it's set in South Africa, so you can't help making the connections, and they're pretty obvious). The actors apparently improvised all the dialogue, and it felt natural and real.

That said, I don't recommend it unless you are way more tough than I am. You probably are, actually. I was surprised to find that I was the only person in the packed theater who was curled up next to the person next to them with their head buried in their neighbor's shoulder for half the movie (maybe more). I know I have always had a soft, sensitive heart, but how did everyone else get so tough? Travis earned 1000 wonderful points by patiently allowing me to find shelter in his armpit, asking how I was doing, and letting me know when it was okay to look again.

Ever since I was 4 or 5 I have repeated "flowers in a field" to myself to relax after a nightmare. Flowers in a field. Flowers in a field.

Update: just read this awesome review of the movie, which said what I was trying to say, but way more eloquently than I ever could have. I recommend the review, whether or not you plan on seeing the film.

Creation

2009-08-13T22:49:00.004-05:00

Once I have a song selected (as long as it's a really good song), the dance is usually already there, and all I have to do is get it onto the bodies of some dancers before I get distracted by the next thing. But the process of selecting music (and a "concept," but that goes hand in hand with the music), for me, is well reflected in this quote that my best friend Amy put on her facebook last week:
Writing is easy. You only need to stare at a piece of blank paper until your forehead bleeds.
I'll often start with an artist whose music I'd like to explore. After some time on itunes and youtube, I'll drift to pandora.com and find similar music by new artists. Then I have to listen to all their stuff too.
Then a word or color or image in a music video will capture my attention and take me in a new direction, and the process starts over again.
And again and again.
I usually throw in a good amount of Sufjan Stevens and Regina Spektor too, just to remind myself to have high standards (and, hey, some very well-known choreographers go back to the same musicians time and time again to make their dances. Don't hate.)
And this is made all the more complicated when guidelines are imposed by an outside source (i.e. the owner of ADC asking me to choreograph a duet for two of my students, and wanting it to be lyrical). Guidelines are very helpful at times, but when my inspiration leads me down a path that doesn't fit (Ooh! Masks! Opposite forces! A scarf!) and I have to reign myself in, said well of inspiration can seem to dry up.
Right now, I really am selecting music for a lyrical duet, and I really am interested in having them portray some sort of opposites. If you saw them dance, it would make so much sense. One dances like a volcano (much like me), and the other is meek but very precise. I am open to suggestions.
And now, time to turn off the music and go see District 9! I am stoked, and terrified.

Pros and Cons

2009-08-13T20:57:00.002-05:00

Today Travis had four teeth extracted, including a wisdom tooth. Intense tooth pain led to a dentist appointment yesterday morning, and the dentist recommended he have 3 teeth removed immediately. Turns out there was an infection, and today the oral surgeon decided to remove 4 teeth instead. (Travis called this yesterday. He told me "It's going to be four." Travis are you psychic? Can you tell me when I'm getting married?! Oh wait.) Now Travis is on four medications, and had to recover by staying home and watching the Rangers day game :) Another plus: an excuse to go to Jamba juice!
Anyway, prayers would be appreciated for Travis' recovery (an infection like this can be dangerous). The oral surgeon told Travis that they would need to wait at least 3 months before attempting to replace the teeth with implants, but we're hoping that it will be a possibility soon.
Right now Travis is in a lot of pain, but we're going to try distracting him by going to the midnight showing of District 9 tonight.
It was a hard decision. Cons: Staying up very late before work tomorrow, Travis just had oral surgery, it might be scary. Pros: This movie is supposed to be really good; midnight showings are fun because everyone is so stoked.
Ultimately fun won out.
And Travis just ate a piece of pizza! Yay Travis!

Tidbits

2009-08-10T22:33:00.004-05:00

I am completely enamored with miniature versions of normal things. I started cooing when I saw this little sunscreen in Travis' frisbee bag. Just look at it! Also, the SPF 50 is obviously mine.

Also featured is one of our new stools, courtesy of my friend and co-worker Jessica. I am all about going without things like bar stools for years and years and years, because, really, who needs bar stools? But when I hear that a friend is giving away perfectly good furniture, well then I realize that I really need bar stools.
Guess what? Travis has the most intense farmer's tan I've ever seen in my life. He always wears socks and shoes. Always. Proof:

Advice from John Tesh

2009-08-10T19:09:00.007-05:00

This time last year I was getting ready to fly to Austin to meet Travis' family and find a place to get married. We had know each other for a little less than 3 months.
On the Jon Tesh Radio Show yesterday (The radio here is terrible. My cd player is broken. Don't judge.), Mr. Tesh was saying that for the first few months of a relationship people show only the best sides of themselves, so it's wise not to make any big commitments in the first 3 months. From an objective, rational standpoint, I think that's pretty good advice.
But I obviously didn't live it. The day after our first date, Travis and I had a bbq for some of our friends. Travis was moving to Tacoma the next day to be an intern at Marine View Presbyterian church, and I was staying in Spokane for the summer to nanny. Right before our friends started showing up, Travis asked me if we should define our relationship. I said that we should just wait and see what happened. I was being smart and cautious and taking things slow, trusting that God would reveal to us if and when we should start dating. Then our friends came over, and I started bringing plates of meat to Travis at the grill outside, and back to our friends inside. On one of those trips through the kitchen, surrounded by friends and holding a plate of food, I looked at Travis and realized that he was my husband. Not that he could be or that I wanted him to be, but that he was. It couldn't have been more clear if there were a booming voice from heaven. It was everything I could do the next week and a half (about the amount of time it took for him to have the same realization) not to accidentally blurt out that I loved him. I would have married him right there in the middle of that messy kitchen.
All that is to say that advice is great, until a miracle happens in your kitchen and you're suddenly handing a plate of salmon to the person who'll tie your shoelaces when you're too old to bend over.

If he had been wearing this sombrero, maybe I would have realized even sooner.

Things I Love

2009-08-09T22:37:00.004-05:00

Burn Notice. Seriously the best show on television. Michael, Fiona, and Sam are former spies, who use their spy skills to help people. They are so nice, and come up with awesome plans even though they don't have fancy gadgets or government support. If they were real people, I would want to have them as friends. Unfortunately, it's on hiatus until "this winter." Fortunately, that gives you time to catch up.

The Bad Astronomy blog. This guy is a real astronomer, and he explains all sorts of real cool space and science stuff. There are lots of beautiful pictures, and I learn so much! I am trying to keep up with Travis, since he knows all about space.
Pandora Radio. If you haven't tried it yet, go to Pandora.com right now and type in the name of your favorite song or artist. It makes you a radio station of music similar to that, then you can further customize it by telling it which songs you do and don't like. You can pause or skip songs, and make as many stations as you like. It's a great way to discover new music to choreograph to, and it's how I've found some of my favorite songs and artists.
Teaching dance. My students never fail to entertain and intrigue me. And they work so hard. How many 6-year-olds do you know who will do an ab workout (of their own accord) while you step out to use the restroom?

Wedding memory

2009-08-09T14:05:00.003-05:00

Some pictures are worth more than 1000 words.

So. Much. Dancing.

2009-08-07T17:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not complaining, but my life this week has been full of dancing, dancing, and more dancing. Between teaching the dance intensive at ADC, choreographing the two competition pieces I'm teaching tomorrow, and rehearsing with Borealis, I think I've spent almost 12 hours every day in a leotard. And I don't know how, but my friend and co-worker Adele is doing all that and dancing with another company.
My favorite kid quote so far from camp happened when Adele was leading a discussion about our favorite styles of dance during snack. Everyone went around saying their favorite style of dance, the style of dance they are best at, and the style that is most difficult for them. After several girls said that tap was the hardest style, one of my students raised her hand and said "the hardest style of dance for me is Miss Jeannie's warm up!"
At which point the students who had already spoken all changed their answers to "Miss Jeannie's warm up."
Awesome.

Date night with the Mariners

2009-08-03T18:46:00.013-05:00

The night before the game. Travis is wearing his "Los Rangers de Texas" shirt and washing his Rangers hat.
Even a flat tire will not deter us from seeing the Mariners! (Okay some of us were more interested in the Rangers)
Even the air pumps in Texas are red, white, and blue. And they don't just sing the National Anthem at the game, but also "God Bless America" and "Deep in the Heart of Texas."
Sitting in the sun for the first 30 min or so of the game. Once the shade (and a light breeze) reached us, it was a lot more pleasant. After the overpowering heat of the afternoon at Six Flags, 91 degrees felt just right. We couldn't find me a Mariners shirt anywhere in Texas, though Travis made a valiant effort, going to I think every team store in Central Texas. Next time we're in Seattle I'm getting one, preferably with Ichiro on it.My picture of the Mariners pitchers on their way to the bullpen with their pink backpack.

No comment.
This is the "my team just won" half smile.
The "I'm willing to rise above circumstances and have a good evening even though the Mariners were robbed" smile.

Tradition! (Tradition)

2009-08-03T18:19:00.003-05:00

Please of please tell me that you love the songs from Fiddler on the Roof as much as I do.

Also, here is an adorable tradition we discovered last night at the Mariners/Rangers game: Rookie pitchers carry pink backpacks to the bullpen before the game!
The Mariners' pink backpack says "Cupcake." (We actually saw two Mariners pitchers wearing them last night!) The Rangers have a Snow White backpack. The Pirates have Hello Kitty. The Diamondbacks, My Little Pony.
You don't have to click on all the links. I have just been doing a lot of research, because the practice is so fascinating to me! And I have to tell you, because Travis is somehow not interested in what I consider to be one of the coolest things I've ever learned about a sport. Here are some more details: the wearer of the backpack is the pitcher with the least amount of service time with the team. He is also responsible for keeping the bag stocked with whatever items the pitching staff may need during the game (water, candy, gum, aspirin, etc.). Usually the bag is worn on the back, but sometimes it has to be moved across the field in other ways, like by being rolled on the ground.
I love baseball.

Lesson time

2009-08-01T23:36:00.003-05:00

It is no secret that:
a) I am (or at least was in college) a student of theatre, and acting especially
b) Keanu Reeves is my favorite actor
Therefore, this slideshow, compete with Keanu-meter, sort of made my day. I will for sure incorporate some of these expressions into my acting repertoire, if I ever find myself with the time to actually act again.
Please note: there are several captions on this slideshow that are not approproate for children. I apologize for linking to anything innappropriate, but you'll have to forgive me. It's Keanu.

Also, and speaking of lessons, tomorrow I am teaching middle school Sunday school. This summer we are doing a topical video series; basically, we show a few clips from a movie each week and talk about how that movie ties into God's message for us about a topic (past topics have included freedom, enemies, and faith). I will be using some clips from one of my favorite movies, Seconhand Lions, which, while it doesn't star Keanu, features the journey of several misfits to find community and family together. I love movies that feature the journey of several misfits to find community and family together almost as much as I dislike movies in which a band of misfits form a sports team which, while performing poorly at first, beats the odds to inspire the nation. I will be talking about real love, and the way God's picture of love (as shown in 1 Cor 13, naturally) differs from the images we often see around us. This movie shows both selfish and sacrificial love, so I'm hoping it will tie in well. Prayers around 9:30am central time would be greatly appreciated.

Also, speaking of love . . . we are going to ride roller coasters and see the Mariners play the Rangers tomorrow!!!

Untitled (because my head is THAT tired)

2009-08-01T18:27:00.004-05:00

In general, I am very healthy, and very grateful for my health. But today was one of those really hard days when I feel literally, physically weak and fragile. I wish I was one of those hearty people who can sign up for sleep studies for NASA because they fit the bill of "healthy, on no medications." Instead, I think I've spent at least a half year of my life (if you add it all up), probably more, lying in a dark silent room doing anything I can to manage the pain in my head and fall asleep.
Today, though, no such luck. My vision went out around 10:30, and I still had 8 hours of work ahead of me, with no one to fill in or cover my shift. The hour or so before the migraine when the middle of my vision is blurred out is always one of panic and terror. I took my medicine immediately, but the migraine still came on, and it was all sorts of awful and yucky. It is one thing to lie in bed and deal with pain, but another to deal with the pain while cheerfully helping a three year-old try on a dozen pairs of tap shoes. I am so so grateful to be home, and especially to be over the worst part of the pain.
All this is to say that I am willing, at this point, to try just about anything to decrease the frequency of my migraines. If there was a guaranteed cure that required moving to Oklahoma and eating only soybeans, I'd probably give it a whirl.
I have been getting 3-4 a week the last month or so, but until today I didn't realize how lucky I was that they have mostly come on right at the end of work or rehearsal. Right now, I feel very grateful for health, sunshine, a sound mind, people who provide comfort, and a relatively simple and stress-free job.
If only I had a team of people to do this today:
p.s. I have another apointment with my new doctor tuesday morning. I am hoping she'll have lots more ideas :)
p.p.s Look at the colors!

Adorable

2009-07-31T21:54:00.003-05:00

Things I think are sooo cute:

Um, did you see that turtle's birthday cake?
Travis (just don't tell him)
babies with lots of hair
babies with no hair
babies in general
this video (though you, along with 13 million of your friends, have probably already seen it)

More sharing

2009-07-31T00:30:00.002-05:00

I've pretty much given up on watching So You Think You Can Dance as a whole. The lighting is ridiculous and over-the-top, the judges scream and cry and mush and gush instead of giving actual constructive feedback, and the short format for each dance prevents any sort of build or stillness.
All that said, I still totally watch the dances the next day on rickey.org. Because the dancers are gooood, and I can learn a lot from watching them. And sometimes the choreography is original and awesome, or at least fun. Case in point:

Yay!
Also, here's one of my favorites. With very few exceptions, it's best when all the elements are simple.

bleeding 6r @ Yahoo! Video

Criminally negligent

2009-07-30T10:30:00.003-05:00

I often describe myself as spacey or unobservant, but sometimes that doesn't seem to cover it. Because sometimes, I do things that make Travis wide-eyed with shock and terror. Like leave the oven on all night (last night). Or run a stop sign because I don't realize it's there. Or run a red light because I don't realize it's there.
I'm not sure what to do about this. My instinct is to apologize profusely, then laugh about it later. But I feel like there should be some sort of program I can enroll myself in, like "12 steps to admitting that you are totally unaware of your surroundings and getting your act together."

At least I'm really good at balancing things on my head

Smile!

2009-07-30T00:06:00.003-05:00

And if that doesn't do the trick:

Olympic Gold

2009-07-29T23:29:00.012-05:00

Tonight at WAC Wednesday (Middle School youth group) was Messy Olympics. When I was a camper, and then a camp counselor for 3 years, I was always very careful never to participate in anything like this. But tonight I had no fear.
Okay, I didn't play octopus ultimate frisbee (you think I'm joking, but they played with a real dead octopus), but I did everything else. This was maybe due to the fact that Travis was in charge of planning the games (that's his job, can you believe it?) , so I was able to give him an idea of substances I was and wasn't willing to have dumped on me. Pudding, yes. Shaving cream, yes. Oatmeal, yes. Ranch dressing, no. Raw eggs, no.
Paige, one of our youth leaders, took pictures:

Before

After
The girls' team won this game by getting the most stuff to stick to my face!
Guess what's in this bowl . . .
That's right. This stuff. It smelled like oatmeal and maple syrup. But you'll have to ask Travis.
After the flour fight
9-Square! With sponges that you could throw at anyone to distract them . . .
Sponges full of things like tomato juice with fruit loops
Our friend Heather in the center square
After we all got hosed off (4 hours and a shower later, I am still finding bits of things in my hair). Good times!