monday monday

I had another decidedly un-crafty weekend. I am in need of some quick crafts to knock out while watch TV or before bed.  I am still not done with a baby blanket that I've been working on. The bias tape is all that's left and that is always my least favorite part.

One thing I starred today was from One Pearl Button's blog today - originally from Jewish Mom . I want to take these cut paper flowers and etch them onto mirrors from downstairs. I've been dying to do this project but don't have a)mirrors b)templates c)time. I'll put it in the someday file.

In other news, spring has disappeared, to be replaced with more cold weather, drizzly rain, and cloudy skies. I have some very cute spring dresses that I need to wear. Spring come back, stat!

Also, I filled out my census form. I guess I didn't realize how rinky dink the form is. I expected questions on whether I was employed, my income, etc. Nope. Just how old are you, what race are you, bada bing bada boom. That's it.

Time to head downstairs and do some Insanity and wait for my Anthro dress to arrive.

row for water

Imagine being by yourself for two and a half months.  Rowing a boat. In the ocean. Again, by yourself.  Crazy, right?  A young woman named Katie Spotz is doing just that, and she's set to finish her journey this weekend in Guyana.  I've been following Katie's blog Row For Water and on Twitter @KatieSpotz and I cannot comprehend rowing upwards of 60 miles a day, by yourself, every day for two months.  I am just amazed at her positivity and presence of mind during all of her blog updates, and I look forward to them every day.

Katie is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, from Dakar, Senegal to Guyana to raise awareness for the need for clean drinking water across the globe.  It's an even more important message after the Haitian earthquakes, and some of the money she's raised has already made a difference there.  She hit her goal of $60,000 today, and a generous donor is matching the next $5,000 of donations made before she hits land.  According to Blue Planet Run, the foundation Katie is raising money for, $30 can provide a lifetime of drinking water for one person.  That's my water bill for one month!

Again, I am just floored by the strength, endurance, and tenacity of people to endure extreme challenges like this, especially someone so young and focused. Great job, Katie Spotz!

welcome back, spring!

After a very, very long winter (though we had no snowpocalypse/snowmageddon/snowicanes), spring has finally come back! It started to warm up a wee bit last week- freezing, then above freezing, then 40 degrees during the day. Then over the weekend BAM! Full-on springtime feel good weather.

I went for a run last night in shorts- SHORTS! I have already put away the puffy coat for the season, although I did keep out my parka just in case. I removed the snowflake wreath on the front door, to replace it with a (fake) forsythia wreath.  I have taken the flannel sheets off the bed and it was glorious to sleep last night.

Next up: taking the plastic off the windows and clearing out the garden for planting.  I also need to re-order some roses to plant this April.

happy adoptiversary!

It is hard to believe that I adopted Nellie a year ago today. I had been wanting a second dog, but my mom kept trying to tell me the one I had was more than enough. She was right, but I didn't listen! My friend and I drove up to Anderson ACC and picked out a dog I had seen on Petfinder- Frannie. I knew the shelter was overbooked and needed the room, so obviously I was coming home with a dog no matter what. Frannie seemed quiet and was quite a bit smaller than Bristow, so I figured, why not.



As soon as I got her home, I renamed her Nellie, after...well, nothing in particular. It just seemed like an appropriate name for such a little (she's 45 pounds, not really that little) dog. Nell is a wee bit high-strung- she runs in circles constantly, completing miles of laps around the house. But she is a cuddler! Bristow will only sit next to you on the couch if he has no choice. Nell stares at you with her big brown eyes until you scoot over to give her some room.



At least Nell and Briz get along like gangbusters- they constantly wail on each other and thankfully also wear each other out.

Happy Adoptiversary, Nell!

goal!

I've had a post about goals kicking around in my head for a few weeks now. I had originally intended to write about setting mini-goals for myself each week, other longer term goals, and what not. But then some work stuff went to crap, and it kind of became a non-priority.

One of the goals I had intended to write about (and thus achieve) was to see every movie nominated for a Best Picture* Oscar this year. Somehow, this has been an unspoken goal every year for as long as I've watched the Oscars, and I have not yet been able fulfill it. I'm not sure what I was thinking, especially since this year there are TEN nominated films. When I made the goal. I had seen one: Up. Since I made the goal, I have seen three: Inglourious Basterds and Up In The Air. I rented District 9 from Redbox, but then we had a snowstorm and I had to help dig my neighbors out of their driveway, and by the time that was done it was time to watch The Bachelor.

I've been dying to see An Education, because the screenplay is written by one of my all-time favorite authors, Nick Hornby. But it left the theaters before I could see it, along with A Serious Man, The Hurt Locker, and Precious. The Blind Side was playing until recently, though I didn't really care to see it in the first place. And then there's Avatar. No, I haven't seen it. Yes, I am the last one left on this planet (and every other planet, including Pandora) not to have seen this film. But it's three hours long, costs $15 to see in IMAX, and I have many other exciting activities (like dodgeball) to fill my free time. I am clearly not going to achieve that goal before Sunday, when the Oscars are on ABC.

My other mini-goal was to give up chocolate last week when I was in Florida. That lasted approximately one hour after I arrived at my grandfather's. I did manage to run three days in a row to offset that chocolate, however.

Besides chocolate, movie-watching, and other small goals (success on giving up soda for the past four days!), I'm trying to think about other longer-term goals. I've been working on taking some technology courses to update my skills. However, my job may be moving to a new state. What is a more important goal- having a job, or staying put to finish a program that will take 2+ years?


*Originally I wrote "every movie nominated for an Oscar this year," and that would be a LOT more than ten.