Cindy and her Turtle Life

Interesting things I have seen in japan

2010-10-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

Low-tech toilet. I honestly have been avoiding using these types of toilets. I was 29 years old before I ever used a lawnmower so I am betting I could avoid this style toilet for 3 years...

Each city has several different styled man hole covers. This is just one.

Engrish

Sometimes we feel like superstars. especially when Japanese people want to throw their children in our laps for pictures. I have never used a peace sign in my life for a pic until I moved here. I think they expect it. Its pretty fun though.

This was my kind of restroom. It showed where the western style toilets were located as well as which ones were available for use. CHING!

A man unabashedly dressed as a rose. Loved it!

A three-story car dealership. This is actually very near where we live.

haha

A very neat trash pile after a festival

A vending machine on basically every corner in this country. I miss coffee stands though...

Field Trip!

2010-10-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

During our initiation week, we were required to go on a "field trip" to somewhere in Japan. We were to take the train, call to the base while off base, make it back in one piece, and then tell about our experience.

Our "teachers" in our initiation class gave us a few ideas of places to go in the local area. I was very interested in going to Kamakurra, Japan to see the Great Buddha and various shrines in the area. Fortunately, Evan was interested in this trip as well.

Navigating the train is not difficult for anyone except for me apparently. I caused us to miss two different trains and ended up extending the time of our trip by about 40 minutes. But in my own defense, I was still learning.

The trip took roughly an hour, and required 2 transfers. We got to see a beautiful view of the ocean on the way there.

First we stopped by the Great Buddha, a large bronze statue of the Buddha. It was damaged in the 15th century by a tsunami, but has survived. It has been reinforced in some places, especially the head. You can see the reinforcement inside the buddha which we were allowed to see inside for 500 yen. (about $5)

There are also many Buddist and Shinto shrines in Kamakura. The main, most popular one was Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. We were also able to see this one on our trip. This is now a shinto shrine but was also a Buddist temple in the past. It is the main tourist attraction in the area. The entrance also leads straight down to the main street in town and all the way to the ocean.

Evan cleansing his hands outside the temple. I love the little Japanese girl staring at him.

If my pictures look foggy - its from the humidity. It was the hottest summer on record in this region of Japan - Ever.

2 weeks later...

2010-08-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

So I had envisioned having a ton of extra time to blog, but we have been BUSY!

Right now we have housing set up to move into on the 24th. I am very happy about this because I am sick of my pets being in the kennel. They are at a nearby army base. I am worried about my Oliver pup. I travel an hour each day just to go to his kennel and walk him. I hired an army kid to walk him in the afternoons. He is so dirty, his ear is infected, and his behavior is all wonky. He has started marking and getting really aggressive at the front of other dog's cages. I can't wait to get him out, give him a bath, and start some training all over again. Only 5 more days.

"Geez mom, its HOT here in japan!"

This is a sign at the army base's dog park. Why is "pets" in paranthesis?

Playing at the dog park

I have started the job search and actually may end up with numerous odd jobs for awhile. There is a very part-time PT job, a yoga certification to become a substitute yoga instructor, and I am dabbling with the idea of becoming crossfit certified in october in okinawa. (I haven't talked to Evan about this one yet shhhh) Also Id like to teach a dance class on sundays. I am also going to apply for a fitness director position opening up soon. So I'm not sure what I will end up doing, but I am sure I will keep myself busy.

We got a car! A Mitsubishi pajero, which is actually a decent sized SUV. I have never driven a car this large, and it is so wierd driving on the opposite side of the street. My driving off base has been limited to the army base to see Oliver and company. Each time I drive, someone tries to kill me or themselves, but other than that its not too bad! The gas and brake pedals are not switched thank goodness. I do tend to turn on the wipers for the blinker however, because that is switched! Our driving class was quick and painless, but only taught us the road signs. Here in Japan, Americans are considered to be "professional drivers". Someone told us (so I am not sure how accurate this is) that most japanese people rely on public transit until they are older and can afford a car. So just because you see a 40 year old driving, he may have only been driving for 2 years. Still, being considered a professional driver is a bit wierd, and if there is any accident, regardless of who actually caused it, we are considered at fault. Since we are all Mario Andretti caliber drivers apparantly!

I fondly refer to it as the "Mack Truck"

The sticker on the front signifies that I am a new driver. I figure its my first year driving in japan so I apply. It is normally ment to be used by actual new drivers though!

We have gone on a couple "field trips" that I will blog about seperately. Evan went to Misawa Japan for work and will miss the big move into the new place.

The Transition

2010-07-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

So after a whirlwind of activity the last few weeks, let me catch you up on the trip! The last couple weeks at home were crazy. Mom and Freddy came up to take my car back down to florida and thus has officially become my moms car. I will miss it so much. That car was perfect. I made the two of them WORK for that car. My brother helped us move furniture and fixed my toilet. My mom helped run around with the pets and vet visits and dealing with overnighting USDA documents for them. I was a stress ball to say the least, and mom handled me quite well!

We made sure to hit up all our favorite restaurants before we left and took mom to the oyster bar on chuckanut drive for her birthday dinner. I also made SURE I had some RedRobin before I left as well. How I will miss those burgers and garlic fries...sigh

My neighbor helped Evan get Oliver's crate to the airport the night they left. I was SO worried our crate would not be considered large enough, or that something would be amiss in our paperwork. I was actually working myself up into a minipanic attack about it in the car before we got to the airport. BUT it turned out everything went very smoothly. The guys at the desk did not even LOOK at the paperwork at all, barely looked at the dog and said "your good to go!" So off the boys flew that night

I then had 2 days to make some final goodbye prep to our house, which, after dropping our price (ouch), we did finally rent. Apparantly our new renter has a better credit score than us and is a computer game software engineer. What a perfect person to rent our house (I hope).

My trip with sweetpea went smooth as well, although her water dish had fallen off the front of the crate, so who knows how long she went without water. I got a one way 10 hour flight (fortune!) but also the non--reclining seat in front of the emergency exit (misfortune). I brought three books to read and did not crack a single book cover. I dozed, watched tv, and ate in 30 minute increments the entire flight. Our plane left at 4:30am but we had to be at the airport by 11:30pm. After boarding the flight, one passenger was unaccounted for, and they had to find the bag he checked and remove it before we could leave, which delayed us 30-40 minutes. As soon as I heard we would be delayed I put my new hot pink neck pillow on and CRASHED. I do not remember the taxiing out, the takeoff or anything until abotu 40 min into the flight. My flight buddy was pretty nice, and enlisted marine leaving his wife and baby in the states for 2 years while he is in okinawa. yuck.

Once we arrived in Japan, there was a 2 hour trip to the base kennel, and another 30 mins to our base. Oliver was doing well at the kennel, but I couldnt stand the idea of him being cooped in the kennel all day and since its difficult for me to get to the kennel I decided to get a dog walker. We are on a totally different base, will be in classes all day everyday next week, oh and have no car. So I hired a sweet 14 year old girl (through her mom) to walk Oliver 2x a day for $10 a day! CHEAP! There is even a dog park on the base they will take him to as well. I met the girl today and handed her $80 to get started and she seemed amazed to be holding that much money in her hands at one time. They thought he was very sweet as well (who wouldnt I mean cmon?) so I am happy with the situation so far.

Housing is still on hold - not sure where that is going yet, but we should figure it out sometime next week.

Our room is super sweet. Its small, but is a good use of space. The sink in the bathroom is HUGE. I mean I know americans are bigger than japanese people, but the sink is a little overkill.

I'll post a pic of our 'command center' which has both laptops, two phones, tv, dvd, cameras etc.

More later - sorry about the lack of pics but it will get better! We go on our first off base adventure tonight with a couple from the command who also have no kids, but a dog at home to worry about - perfect for us. Hopefully they like us and we can keep them ;)

Olympic Weight Lifting

2010-07-09T10:51:00.001-07:00

One of my endeavors in my fitness life is to learn olympic weightlifting. I do not necessarily want to be GREAT at Oly lifts, but I do want to be competent with my form so I can use these lifts in my workouts. Yesterday I worked on clean and jerk for the first time. I'm not very strong yet, but I am slowly getting the hang of the technique. My wrists are sore!

Here are some of my goals:
1. Clean and Jerk Bodyweight
2. Snatch Bodyweight
3. Double Bodyweight Deadlift

The art of Racing in the rain

2010-07-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

I read this entire book cover to cover on the plane from Washington to RI, laughing and crying the entire way. The lady on the last plane sitting next to me kept looking over at me since I had tears rolling down my cheeks! (the lady at the bookstore warned me) I LOVED this book. Highly recommended. I know if they make a movie of it - it would never do the book justice.

Link to amazons site to buy this book: HERE

Check out this great youtube video with a book intro

My trip to Rhode Island in sentence fragments

2010-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

-Love the pic above because I look in shape...zooming out helped
-Rhode Island airport has the coolest hand dryers in the bathroom
-Saw a condom walking down the walking tram by itself in the Charlotte airport
-Cool restroom attendant in Charlotte "First class in the back, you pick your own seats and pour your own trouble"
-Rhode island is the unofficial breeding ground to a bajillion rabbits
-Downtown newport was cool, overpriced, slightly dirty, amazing views, and has the most amazing restaurant and beer choices
-Went on a mystery train ride - ate amazing ribs on the train
-Cried over "The art of racing in the rain" my entire plane ride to RI
-I now want to name my next dog Enzo
-Made it to day 2 before I completely gave up on my diet
-Got in one good workout the first day there
-Tweaked my shoulder the second day canoeing at Amys house
-Two hour drive to Amys included a 30 minute epic quest for a public bathroom
-Ate amazing Grilled pizza at amys. So much for gluten free. Screw it
-Said my goodbyes to Amys dog Doobie who is dying from cancer poor thing
-Ate smores and homemade blueberry pie. nom nom nom
-Lusted after Amys house right on the lake
-Now understands Evans money sucking vampire antics after blowing around $250 on a night on the town in Newport
-Got very very drunk for the first time in a long time, didnt piss off Evans new friends, and didnt throw up! Go me!
-Beautiful fireworks from the Newport base
-Pet about 5 other dogs on my trip - dont tell Oliver
-Listened to Crossfit Radio on my ipod
-Pissed off that my Pink CD didnt upload to my ipod
-BBQ at Evans friend's Friend's house Paul - he made me feel better about bringing pets to Japan
-Envious of Pauls ONE ACRE Yard! Told him repeatedly that he needs a dog for that yard
-Tried not to worry about selling the car or renting the house with partial success
-Learned the symbolic meaning of a pineapple on someones front step
-Walked the cliff walk with my cute Hubby
-Saw amazing artwork I couldn't afford
-Old carrier in the harbor below. It was beautiful

Photoshoot

2010-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

So even though the photog asked me not to share too many of theses as they are not touched up - I cant help but share because this one looks sooo cool. It was taken with an infared camera

Its official...

2010-06-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

We are on the rental market - along with a what feels like a gazillion other people in burlington. Im keeping my fingers crossed we get it rented by the time we leave. The house is spotless and besides that, there is not much I can do about it now. I love our place. Its not perfect, but hopefully someone else will like it too...

Who has two thumbs and is an Orthopaedic Certified Therapist? This girl!

2010-06-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

I PASSED!!!! I am utterly amazed. (I just realized what a strange word 'utterly' is) My time spent studying for this exam was wrought with stress. I had several big things going on that were completely distracting me during my study process. I was going to write a blog about my studying, but I didn't have the time, or the energy to do so. I remember telling Evan that I didn't think I would pass and maybe I should not take it this year. He, being the amazing hubby he is, told me to take it anyway and that at least I would get the expensive experience of sitting for the test, even if I didn't pass.

Well...The first part of the exam was EASY. I breezed through it without a problem. Oh I forgot to mention I was horribly sick and had laryngitis during the test as well. The SECOND half was a different story. It completely rocked my world, and I was convinced I bombed it horribly.

Fast forward a few months and I get my letter yesterday. As I was opening the letter I was already grumbling to myself 'sorry loser-try again next year' BUT then I read "Congratulations!..." I could not believe it! I'm Still in shock! This is a BIG accomplishment for me! Its a big accomplishment for anyone, but considering I was under so much self inflicted stress, and horribly sick, I am super duper happy!

For anyone who might read this blog wondering how I studied, (It is independent study for this exam) I took 3 classes of level one NAIOMT basic, upper extremity, and lower extremity. I also bought, read, and studied current concepts in orthopaedic physical therapy offered through the APTA. If I did have to repeat this test I would study the same way, except I would study some more in-depth material on statistical testing, and knowing how to set up my own study, stats and all. In light of my results, I would have also added in additional reading in surgical repairs.

Three!!

2010-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Whoohoo I have THREE followers now! (I guess four total since I know my hubby reads too) You four are amazing!

2010-06-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

So today my big accomplishment was cleaning the carpets. Before we show the house to prospective renters I want it to sparkle and smell purty! It felt like it took me forever! But Im so happy with the way it turned out. My house finally no longer smells like wet dog. Happy sigh

I went shopping for some parting gifts for my co-workers in downtown Mt. Vernon. I kept the ladies there working at wrapping each individual gift and made them late leaving work! they seemed slightly annoyed, but it was only 5 minutes and I was spening money right? I also got some beautiful blown glass wine stoppers for me and Evan. They will remind me of the northwest whenever we use them.

Next was crossfit - I had trouble with motivation today but once I got there I did good. 5 rounds of 12 pullups, 200m run, 15 wallball (I wimped out with a 10lb ball), and 9 burpees. Great workout!

I cooked a new meal today. I tried making faux - rice with cauliflower. It turned out ok. I couldn't get all the chicken broth to steam out - but thats what slotted spoons are for in my opinion! Next time - less broth! Then I topped it with chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes and a ginger sauce - yum yum!!!

Reading through my above post makes me sound very boring! Thats ok because I am very boring ;)

The next stage

2010-06-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay so I guess we have officially entered stage 2 of our move. Basically Evan is on the east coast going to a one month school before Japan, and I am not working, but prepping the house and myself to move. Evan did alot with his month of prep; so now its my turn at the helm for a while. He will come back in mid July and we will then have two weeks to finalize everything and get out of dodge!

Right now we have our plane tickets set. The flight is a night flight so theoretically we would sleep through most of the flight. Evan is taking the pup with him on his flight and I will follow with sweetpea on my flight a couple days later. We could not fly all three pets on one flight so we had to split into two flights. I am so happy Ev is taking Oliver with him; because I would be a neurotic mess worrying about him the entire flight. I wont be as worried about sweetpea.

I drove Evan to the airport this morning and I was hit with so much nostalgia for W state. I am so sad to leave. Im sure I will love Japan too but... Today I saw Mt Rainier with clear skys, tons of yellow wildflowers, mists and rain clouds hovering over the tips of mountains, and two new baby buffalo that were born right around the corner from my house. I'll be impressed if I ever live in another place as beautiful as the northwest.

Rosetta Stone

2010-06-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished my first lesson with rosetta stone to get my japanese prepped. I must say I am quite horrible! Especially at pronunciation. There are questions that have you repeat simple pronunciations. If you get the pronunciation "close enough" you get a satisfying "BLING" and move onto the next question. If not you get a "boink" noise. If you had been listening into my lesson, it went something like this:

Roseatta: Something unitelligible in Japanese
Me: konechi oin FU**!
Rosetta: BOINK
Me: I know!
Roseatta: BOINK
Me: (huge sigh) Koneeechi oun...
Rosetta: BOINK
ME: FU**!
Rosetta: BOINK
ME: I KNOW DAMMIT!
Rosetta: BOINK
ME: (sigh)
Rosetta: BOINK
ME: Koneechi unou...
Rosetta: BOINK

and so on and so forth until 5 minutes later I get a BLING!!! for only getting part of it right...its like it finally felt sorry for me or tired of saying "BOINK"

Done with work!

2010-06-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hello my amazing two followers!
Tomorrow will be my final day at work. It is totally bittersweet. I will completely miss my crazy, funny, wonderful, smart and flawed co-workers! I will NOT miss the tons of paperwork! Im so happy that I will now have the time to work out everyday and to continue planning our move. I have alot of home organization to do, visits from family and my own trip to Rhode Island. Evan and I are now trying to decide what to keep, see, store, ship early, ship late etc. I met a patient who lived there in the early nineties and the only advice he had to give was "be ready for EXTREME culture shock" Really? He just made me so nervous about it. What is EXTREME? Do people try to gnaw my arm off without warning? He was not helpful at all. Good thing work is ending because Im starting to get nervous and nostalgic for washingotn state already. One cool thing is that Evan and I have been clothes shopping lately, since people have told us its hard to shop in our own sizes. I LOVE clothes shopping when Im not hunting for something specific!
More later!!!

Happy One year Birthday Oliver pup!

2010-05-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

And congrats on making doggie of the month!!!!

Back again...

2010-05-01T15:34:00.001-07:00

I have trouble blogging regularly. I seem to be pretty active for awhile and then I slack off again. Im going to try my best to get back into it as we are starting a new adventure!!! We are moving to Japan in 3 months!!! So Im going to blog about this experience along the way, just to keep track of it in my mind and well as keep my 1 follower updated! It should be an interesting read in about 6 months.

HAHAHA Take that!

2009-08-07T21:02:00.001-07:00

1 vacuum + 1 bottle of ADVANCED natures miracle carpet cleaner + 1 blacklight = massive smelly puppy pee carpet attack! I'm determined to NOT let my house turn into a dog pee smelling house! NO NO NO!

Crossfit

2009-08-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Several months ago a neighbor told us about crossfit. It is a local 'gym' thats not really a gym. Evan and I had been going to a different local gym and getting little results unless we were paying extra for a trainer to work us out. Not that we didnt know what to do, or how to do it, we just didnt have that personal motivation to drive us into being there. We needed someone to push us and tell us what to do. Personally my brain is so fried after work that the last thing I want to do is THINK. About anything. I dont want to make one other DECISION that day. One day our neighbor effusivly told us about trying crossfit, how there were all types of people there old to young, doing push ups and squats, making him look like the most out of shape person alive! My neighbor is a very young athletic build man as well! Oh and he told us about the world record holder for situps owns the place!! So of course our interest was peaked so a few weeks later we checked it out.
Evan tried it the day before me so then it was my turn.

I remember walking in the front doors, looking around, and realizing that this was certainly not a typical 'gym'. First of all NO MACHINES - anywhere except for a couple row machines. Rhonda, one of the owners, greeted me very nicely and guided us to the blue mats where crossfitters do the 'warmup' "Everyone who come in starts with this warm up, so you will learn this today". Twenty minutes later, after stetches, pushups, situps, dips, squates, backextensions, and pullups (yes pullups) I had done a harder workout that I would have ever done on my own. Oh and did I say that was the warmup? Rhonda was great too, guiding us through the activities, and correcting my form as needed. She was also constantly scoping the room, correcting other people's forms, starting stopwatches for other people and getting others started on their workouts. The entire time she was happy and greeting everyone who came in the door by name. HI JIM! HI ANNA! HOW ARE YOU? WERE YOU SORE AFTER 'CINDY'?

Then we got to start the real workout. Another 30 mins later I was sold. I had gotton an amazing workout. I didnt have to think so much, I just had to 'DO' and do it with intensity. The workouts are already set, written on the board, waiting for me when I come in. If I can't physically perform some of the activities, they modify it for me. I could do maybe 2 pushups when I started and now I can do about 20 before I fatigue. AND I can take a quick break and keep going. Its amazing, Im amazed at myself, and at what Skip and Rhonda offer at their box (not gym) here in Mt Vernon.

I Heart Crossfit. Here are some links where you can learn about and be a part of this wonderful community:

Mt Baker Crossfit (where Ev and I go)

Skip Chase - one of the owners of mt baker crossfit

What is crossfit?

The Main Crossfit site

The OCS Turtle Run

2009-08-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

A new blog dedicated to my Orthopaedic board experience:
http://theocsturtlerun.blogspot.com/ Enjoy if you like ;)

not so boring anymore

2009-08-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

About 2 months ago my life felt so incredibly stagnant. Last year I had this master plan to be glowingly pregnant and wrapped up in baby plans. Well... mother nature came along and screwed up those plans royaly. So I found myself in this VOID. Whats next? What do I do with myself? Where am I going?

I do tend toward the dramatic, especially at times when Im unsure what the future holds. Im sure I drove Evan crazy. So in the wake of my funk I have picked up some new things in my life and have let some others drop away a little bit. Mainly dancing. Its taking up too much of my time and money. So I decided to not participate in the next showcase. Im still taking lessons here and there, but with less haste and intensity. Its kinda nice actually. Im learning to lead more as well.

What have I filled the void with?
Im so glad you asked.

1. The PUPPY! Oliver - who is so cute and precious and an incredible amount of work and time. I had lofty plans to turn him into a rehab dog, but right now I just have to get the thing potty-trained! Once that happens Ill focus bacck into the rehab-dog thing ;)

2. I am taking my Orthopaedic Board Exams next year. Im paying for it and its very expensive (over $1000) so it is a very big commitment. It is going to take alot of my spare time to study. In prep I am continuing to take NAIOMT course is manual phisical therapy and taking those tests as well. The first is next month! eeeek!

3. CROSSFIT! (mt baker crossfit) Taking my body to another level. I have never worked out this hard before in my life and I love the program and how it works - its perfect for me! More on crossfit later...

4. Getting the house together to potentially ahve to sell next year. orders are up in a year and who knows where we will be? (I already have some ideas ;) So we may be getting hardwood floors and tiling installed soon.

5. Seeing the big dogs. After some very poor results in our initial fertility testing, we are moving on to a reproductive endocrinologist. Those are the docs who specialize in Invetrofertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination. Our first appointment is soon, and I hope he can help us. I really want us to be mommy and daddy. I think we would be great.

Oliver has arrived!!!

2009-07-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Last month, fed up with the baby-making game, I asked Evan if we could get a dog. I needed something to mother again, and the cats were old news. ;) Although I still love them to pieces! So over memorial day weekend I obsessivly began looking for our next pet, and first family dog.

One of my patients mentioned a poodle to me as a potential breed. I have always wanted a bulldog - but they are soooooooo expensive! around $2500 or more from a reputable breeder. So Evan basically gave me the big N.O. on a bulldog, which was probably a good thing, as my desire for a dog had outwieghed any logical financial reasoning at that point. At first I was like 'hell no' on the idea of a standard poodle, but my patient brought his in - and the dog was totally cool. Very calm, laid back, and listened well to his owner. Evan was actually down to get a poodle amazingly - I always thought of them as girly dogs that no man would ever consider!

Then the very next night we went to a 'navy' party and one of evans co-worker mentioned that he has a GOLDENDOODLE - a mix between a golden retriever and a standard poodle. So I looked this breed up, and it has rave reviews! In fact I could not find anyone who said anything bad about these dogs. So... the next day - you know I totally took Evan to a breeder I found in our area - and thats where we found our boy, Oliver.

He is growing like a weed, and is very laid back and well behaved. He totally has the puppy-monster thing going on, chewing, nipping, and peeing in the house, but he is generally awesome! He is very much satisfying my mommy-needs as he is quite a handful! I have aspirations of him being trained as a rehab-dog, and hanging in the clinics with me wherever I go. We will see how he turns out ;)

Here is a progression of his size already - as compared to his 'lovey'

AT 7 WEEKS :

AT 8 WEEKS:

AT 9 WEEKS:

Another showcase down

2009-07-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

Pics from the last showcase; I dont have mine and Evans yet. My viennesse waltz made the pro show and I was ecstatic getting to perform it three times. I danced with my professional teacher and partner Nathan Simler of U and Me Dance out of Bellingham Washington. I have always LOVED the song so much.

You can see more pics at my Flickr page. They were taken by a gentlemen named Pete Eaton

Return from a Respite

2009-03-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

So Evan was bugging me to blog again the other day and I have to admit I have been lazy in that department. I'm not sure why; but perhaps I was blogging to frequently for me before and got kinda burned out. But I figure I could at least handle a monthly update. Alot has happened in the oh I guess 4 months or so I havent been blogging.

My last blog was an announcement about the last showcase at u and me dance. It went well, but not as well as I was hoping. We added a lift onto the end which I think was just too advanced for me and it stressed me out. I was going to lessons all the time trying to get this stinkin lift down and it still didnt turn out all that great. Oh well. I thought the actual 'dancing' part was great.

So we are working on our next showcase- one Ive been wanting to do for a long time - the viennese waltz! I have a great song I love and have wanted to dance to for a long time. So far Im loving the choreography Nathan is coming up with. Its challanging for me as I have never worked on the waltz, but its still do-able.

But the big announcement is that EVAN is doing a showcase with me! Its going to be a samba to a song HE picked. I love it and Lecie has given us some very cute choreography. Tickets will go on sale soon and the show is in May.

Our very very good friends John and Jess gave birth to their second baby - a boy named Lucan Brando. He is adorable.

Our quest for baby is still ongoing; but be sure I will update if we have any news - mainly because there is no way in hell I could keep that a secret!

2008-11-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

So showcase is coming up again! Im only doing 1 dance this time - the west coast swing with nathan. If you would like to come again either contact me or the studio directly to get tickets. There is a slim chance that i may not make one of the shows since Evan is coming home that week (most likley - the navy can change the dates) and I am not missing his homecoming for anything. But I did get him tickets to be there - so hopfully he will be!!! Info below:

The U & Me Dance Showcase “Rhythm in Motion” is coming soon! Featuring 25+ performances in Cha Cha, Swing, Tango, Theatre Arts and more! Come see your resident Dance Stars strut their stuff and fly through the air with . A great show for your children, friends, family, neighbors and generally anyone who enjoys a good performance.

This year includes student shows Friday Evening and a Saturday Matinee. There will also be a Professional Show featuring Dance Professionals from Seattle, Vancouver and of course, U & Me’s own fantastic instructors – Mary Simler Evans, Joel Simler and Seattle Star Ball Show Dance Champions Nathan Simler and Lecie McNees!

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 10th! Purchase before Thanksgiving and save!

Friday Evening Show: December 5th at 8pm – Reserved seating starting at $12
Saturday Matinee Show: December 6th at 2pm – General Admission – starting at $8
Saturday Pro Show: December 6th at 8pm – Reserved seating starting at $15

Do you look too young?

2008-09-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I have complained that I look younger than my age. One time, when I was 23, married, and getting my masters degree, I was carded buying a rated R movie at Walmart (supertroopers - yep - supertroopers). I am consistently carded to buy any kind of alcohol. Whenever I sit down at a bar, I automatically grab my I.D. out, as I watch the bartender approach with that usual suspicious look in their eye. This is aggravating for me now, as I work a professional job, and occasionally I am asked if I am an intern. I know you don't feel bad for me. I know. I'm sure when I'm 'older' I will appreciate this more, but now - not so much. Well one of my sites that I watch through GOOGLEREADER led me to this nice site - with tips on how to long older. Enjoy!

Hello Rebound!!!

2008-09-10T19:51:00.001-07:00

Apparently there is a rumor that Jen Anniston is dating Gerard Butler! Well in my opinion he is the most gorgeous man alive and she could have worse rebound guys! GO JEN!

Hello Ladezzzz

2008-08-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

My name is Ben - and I'm your dream come true...

Bedroom/office

2008-08-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

OKay so this room is still a work in progress but it has come sooooooo far!

The stuff on the couch is a cd collection that still needs work!

I put the mirror up on the wall! Im so handy...

Litter Box

2008-08-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

My fat cat, "The Sweetpea", is very particular about the litter box. She will not use it if it has a lid on it. I think its because she's big, and feels like she can't move in the litter box. However, I like to have a lid - because it helps keep the litter mess to a minimum. I also must admit that I prefer to empty the box every other day. So last night I decided I just need a bigger box. Thinking that a bigger box = more space for the sweets = more litter = easy every other day cleanup. So I went online looking for a bigger box. Instead, I saw some ideas for homemade boxes. EUREKA! So today I made my first homemade litter box which is essentially a 20 gal plastic container with a hole cut out of the side with box cutters. I'm also planning on switching to a wheat versus a clay litter. Im hoping this will also cut down on the smell and tracking. I'll let ya know how it goes! Check out the pics...

Here is a pic of the old box with the cover next to the new box...

2008-08-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

I took my first argentine tango private lesson today with MARY. It was great. Mary is a great teacher and keeps things moving along quite nicely. Of course I struggled with those key technique points which make A Tango different from my strength in rhythm dancing. After a couple years of "settle into your hips" - to cut that out felt almost impossible. I plan on taking some more lessons in this over time but Im sure it will be slow going. I Loved it though!

Tupperware

2008-08-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Junk Drawer

2008-08-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

The beauty of this one is I finally found the cats nail clippers... they were not too thrilled though!

OKAY Here is an update - I used old check boxes as containers so its a little better!

Laundry Room

2008-08-23T14:34:00.001-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

YAY ME - I learned how to fold a fitted sheet properly - finally - after 27 years

Declutter!!!

2008-08-23T14:25:00.001-07:00

Hello again! I have been MIA lately, but Im getting back online to show of my latest de-cluttering efforts while Evan is deployed. Hopefully, with my new furniture, and my decluttering he will still recognize his house when he comes home! My decluttering was inspired by a fellow blogger, the Organizing Queen, who is hosted an August Decluttering challange! I don't know if Ill be able to do enough to qualify - but Im giving it my best shot!!!! Enjoy!!!

FOUR

2008-07-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Evan and I have now been married for FOUR years! YAY! Here are some pics of us through the ages ;)...

OMG SERIOUSLY?!?!

2008-07-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Im am so excited about THIS. YEAH! My favorite book series is coming to TV! YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

popped!!!

2008-07-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

I am IN LOVE with these potato chips and cannot stop eating them...Im just sayin...

I especially love the salt and pepper flavor. And they are better for you than regular chips as well as the diet detective can tell you here. However, they are probably not as good for me personally since I have NO SELF CONTROL when it comes to these chips! It has nothing to do with emotional eating I swear! They are just DANG GOOD!

Confessions of an emotional eater

2008-07-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

I just read an interesting article post about emotional overeating and how to stop. While reading it, I realized that I have been kidding myself when Ive denied being an emotional eater myself. This is because I think of emotional eating as overeating when you are depressed or sad as a comfort mechanism. Which, in my own defense, is usually how it is described in most articles I've read regarding emotional eating.

I had my last day at my old job last night and went out for a celebratory drink with my coworkers. I ate a ton of food. Dinner, a sugary drink, and an entire brownie sundae BY MYSELF (hell no I don't share my sweets). Then after reading this article today, I have concluded that yes I AM an emotional over eater, BUT I overeat when I am HAPPY - not when I'm depressed. I overeat when I'm out with friends...I'm usually having fun and happy. I overeat at parties. I overeat on vacation. etc. I do not overeat when I'm sad - actually I eat very little, but what I do eat is not so healthy - ya know like chips and beer for dinner :( .And that's it. AND I tend to be very inactive when I'm sad as well. I also eat sweets a lot at night because I feel like it defines me as a southerner. "a true southerner eats a sweet with every meal y'all" That isn't a sad feeling to me - that's a proud, happy feeling.

SOOO... I guess this has opened my eyes a little. As I am trying to lose fat and gain muscles currently, hopefully this realization will help me over the next few months in my endeavor to become a hott wife for when Evan comes home!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

Yep here I am - up WAAAYYYY too late at night doing what? Talking to you! Or am I talking to myself? Or to the computer? Maybe all three. I know I know Im DEEP.

So the fourth of July was pretty cool. I hung out with John and Jess and all of their out-of-towner friends for the night. I ate a gazillion of Jess's stuffed mushrooms, which I can NEVER get enough of when Im over there. I actually got to hang a lil with Zoe their baby girl who seems to always be in bed already when I come over (do I work until that late at night? (UHM YES YES I do) And I got my first Zoe MUAH kiss which was pretty cool since I have a knack for making most children cry. No fireworks though since Burlington had their fireworks the week before apparently during its berry dairy day. Probably better in the long run since I would have missed Evan terribly. I love to watch the fireworks each year. I have always found that watching them with Evan is incredibly romantic and makes me feel safe and loved and part of a family. So to watch them when he is away is complete and utter torture for me.

Today I had some friends from work over to have my Chicken Parmesan, which is the only thing I can make decently. Of course tonight it didnt seem to turn out quite right. It was too spicy and the sauce was kinda runny. I dont know - I was disappointed. Dawn and Carolyn said it was good, but I wasnt convinced since they didnt eat all of it. sigh - maybe next time. I always want to be a better cook, but I dont really find it interesting to learn about cooking. That doesnt really go together.

This week is my final week at my second job. It hasnt really been a good fit for me these past two months, and my old boss has offered for me to come back full time. Im very happy about that! I will have a slightly different schedule than before and will be working wed evening instead of morning. Im actually looking forward to the new schedule! BUT I still have to get through two more days at the other place before I start that. I feel kinda bad leaving some of my new co-workers, but I will be soooooo much happier going back 'home' to Evergreen!

driving

2008-06-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

I am SOOOO happy that KOMO 4 news has been talking extensively about how it is ILLEGAL to drive in the left hand lane without being in the process of passing. This has been such a pet peeve of ev and mine since moving the the northwest. Obviously this was a noticeable thing in Florida but WHOA. When we moved here 2 years ago it was amazing how much people do that up here. Also, noone seems to drive the speed limit, but slightly below the speed limit. I dont understand it. Of course you may think this is a dumb way for the state to get money out of us...but no its a way to enforce correct driving habits. Be happy you dont have to retake your driving test every 5 years. Alot of people need it!

getting off my butt

2008-06-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

so Ev has been gone about 1 month now and I am finally coming outta my funk. The first week he was gone was showcase so I was very busy that week taking care of dance stuff. The showcase went great. My rumba was voted into the pro show. If you see the blog below I have some video posted!!! I was very intimidated however during the pro show as ANOTHER student rumba was voted in and it was amazing. Then they wanted my baby rumba to FOLLOW them. It freaked me out...but I made it through.

The week following that I was a COMPLETE bum. Im serious. No working out, no cleaning the house, no studying - completely BUM.

The week after that I started to clean house...

The week after I started working out too...

Currently I am also starting to 're-do' rooms in the house....Im dangerous now baby

Showcase!!!

2008-06-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

Heres what Ive been working on FOREVER...finally coming to fruition...

I think this is awesome...

2008-06-05T19:31:00.001-07:00

The Obama pound

There is just something so cute and refreshing about this moment. A marriage doesn't have to be all passion and kisses in my opinion. Friendship is soooo important and it really shows to me when they do the bump.

On the road again...

2008-05-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

So I am officially 'in charge' and 'on my own' for the next 6 months. Ev left this morning.

Indiana Jones day

2008-05-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

So before Ev leaves for 6 months we are trying to get in as many of the movies he wants to see as we can. Today we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was great! I was really happy that it stayed pretty true to the old movies. Harrison Ford is still incredibly handsome. Interestingly enough, about 20 minutes before the end of the movie...the fire alarm went off. JEEZ! So we all shuffled outside into the surprisingly hot outdoors while they checked out the theater. Im sure some stupid kid hit the alarm, or thought they could get away from smoking pot in the bathroom. I have never left a building for a true fire alarm. I guess that should be a great thing, but Im starting to find it annoying. Anyway, we did get to go back inside to see the rest of the movie. Then we still had not had enough INDIE! We then came home and watched the first Indiana Jones movie and grilled out. It was a great day and I totally have the I.J. theme song stuck in my head. dun dun dun duuuuun! dun da duuunnn... ;)

Its the small things in life...

2008-05-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

I get this crazy sense of accomplishment and elation when I can successfully open the clothes dryer door, throw in an extra garment, and successfully close the door quick enough to where the dryer never stops running. happy sigh.

Tulip fest

2008-05-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

We went to tulip fest this year. It was beautiful. The weather was beautiful. Such a great day.

How do I feel about Chiropractors...

2008-05-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well Im going to channel Italy for this answer. I have a mixed opinion about chiropractic care. Obviously being a Physical Therapist (which is a PROFESSION by the way - not a random group of treatments...NOT just exercising a person) I think and have seen quality chiropractics help people quite a bit and have worked in conjunction with several. Ive also personally seen and heard horror stories about discal damage and fractures caused by adjustments. IMO you are taking quite a bit of risk when you place you body in the hands of a 'non-quality' Chiro. Much more risk than standard care provided by a physical therapist. Here is a nice site which runs down reason NOT to become a chiropractor, with a link to US news and world report labeling chiropractor as 'the most overrated career'. If your going to see a chiropractor, be wary of being put on a long term plan (unnecessary), and research them beforehand. If your ever uncomfortable with a treatment (it hurts; im getting worse-not better) SPEAK UP or change healthcare professionals. That goes for Physical therapy care as well. ;)

Glow Stick madness...

2008-05-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

My friend Jim is my long distance dance partner in crime from Pensacola Florida. I miss dancing with him! But he will be coming up in august to go to a conference - so we will be getting our dance on again soon...and I will probably take him to my studio where the other followers will attempt to steal him again...

This is a link to my friend Jim's website where he has proposed an intellectually stimulating question..."Can you blend glowsticks?" Well, check out his site to find out HERE

Dad

2008-04-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

My birth father, Roy McPherson, passed away from a heart attack on sunday night. Some of you know he had been having heart problems, and I saw him about 6 weeks ago during his last scare in the hospital. Unfortunately, he could not be saved again. My parents divorced when I was very young, so he was not a big part of my life, but he was always there, always in touch, always wanting me to be happy. Some part of me regrets not knowing him better, having more memories of him and I together, but I know thats just the way life turned out. He was a good person, and seemed to give too much of himself, but then again thats what made him who he was. Ive decided not to go to his funeral and I feel okay about that decision. I know my dad would have understood.

BodyBugg

2008-04-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Evan is having a new fun time with a cool gadget we got him called The BodyBugg. Its this arm strap he wears which calculates exactly how many calories he has burned in the day, minutes of activity, steps walked, etc. He uses a computer program and enters in his caloric intake for the day as well. From this info he knows not only if he is eating the correct balance of food, but the correct amount in relation to his activity. They use this tool on the biggest loser. He has used it for 1 week and has already lost 2 lbs. (I know it doesn't seem like a lot so far, but 2 lbs was his goal and he met it for the week) I personally think the BodyBugg is SUPER COOL! I really want one for myself but we will be waiting on me. They cost around $300. So far I think its a great investment. We will keep you updated on his weight loss using the BodyBugg!

Haircut!!!

2008-04-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

New haircut - generally when I say 'make it look cute' they always cut it like this - which works. Im sporting bangs now and will prolly be growing them back out. Finally however, someone got the color right. I will be returning. To those of you up in my neck of the woods: Hairstylist Molly at Experience Salon. Thanks for the recommendation Jess!

I Heart Jennifer Aniston

2008-04-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Lively debate about who is better for owen wilson...hilarious. Im voting for Jen. Of course I think Jen could do better than owen ;) See I watch the news sometimes...what??

Owen Wilson's War

Tonights nemesis: Turkey Bacon

2008-04-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

So Evan and I are trying to cut some of the FAT out of our diet so I decided to get turkey bacon versus traditional pork bacon this week. For dinner tonight we had 'breakfast for dinner'. I attempted to cook turkey bacon BUT the trick is - turkey bacon looks absolutely NO DIFFERENT cooked versus uncooked. Long story short - I ended up having to tell Ev to pretend it was turkey jerky...it tastes much better when you pretend ;)

Beagle puppy???

2008-04-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

So our friends found a stud for their beagle and plan on breeding her during her next heat!!! Im so excited - I hope it all goes down without a hitch and we have a baby puppy soon... In honor of my excitement....

Gotta new job! A good and a bad thing...

2008-04-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Soooo over the last few months the number of patients coming to my clinic has dwindled drastically. This is mainly because a Physician owned physical therapy clinic (POPTS) opened up right across the street at a medical center that we used to draw a large client base. (I have known about the POPTS problem since school, but to face a possible lay off due to them really brings home how much of a problem they are) Now they are referring their patients away from us and to their own PT clinic. According to some patients, they are not informed that they have a CHOICE of which clinic to go to. Which they do, and their doctors should be informing them of this fact. The MDs clinic makes more money if you go to his PT..see a conflict of interest here? Do patients feel they HAVE to go to the MDs PT clinic? Well, patients have told us that they do... even to the point where in one case a patient informed us the MD threw a chart on the floor in anger when the patient wanted to go somewhere else and wouldn't take NO as an answer (bravo them). This is all he said she said...but the result is that I found myself in a position where I needed to look for another (additional) job.

And I think I may have found a nice one down in stanwood (about 20min south of me now). I start in late april. It practices with a slightly different paradigm, but in a way which should fit my credentials quite nicely. I will be part time at my old clinic and my new clinic = full time. M-Th and I have fri-sun off - not too shabby. I'm nervous about the new job too. When I started my first job right out of school, I knew there were no expectations...I was a BABY. But now after more than a year in the clinic, I'm scared I will not live up to expectations. I still have sooo much to learn and still struggle with deciding HOW to learn. Im very goal-oriented and without goals, I tend to drift and get lazy. So now Im trying to decide the next step in my career. A doctorate? An orthopaedic specialization? Pursuing a CEU certification? Im not sure, but maybe the people in the new clinic will help me figure it out...we will see...

Another blog about my pets...

2008-03-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

These videos truly exemplify our lives with our cat. She is so dead-on it makes me laugh my butt off. The first video is much better than the 2nd I think but they are both hilarious if you have ever owned a cat.

Hemingway Cats

2008-03-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

So as you may know our beautiful cat Sweetpea is Hemingway cat. I have been surprised by how many people in the northwest have never heard of this kind of cat. But then again I am from Florida, where they are much more abundant. You can read more about hemingway cats and their origination from the hemingway home and museum website here. It is a great description of the beginnings of Hemingway cats and describes some other cats they have there in key west. Fun to peruse...and you may learn the answers to some future trivia questions!

I REALLY want a dog...

2008-03-08T17:51:00.001-08:00

Lately I have been really wanted to get a dog. Ideally I would LOVE to get a puppy from some friends of ours that are planning to eventually breed their Beagle. Now traditionally I have always disliked beagles. Mainly because they are hyper and so damn noisy! But our friends beagle, Foxy is so pretty and well behaved. I would be so happy to have a puppy of hers. However, breeding for her hasn't happened yet, and I don't know when they plan on breeding her. Meanwhile I'm still wanting a puppy so bad. Ive looked into Bulldog puppies, which truthfully would be the ideal breed for us (yes i know - medical issues...I get it - but you could say that about any pure-bred dog). But OMG they are so expensive up her - around $2500! I wish I could find a nicely bred bully around here for $1000 or less. Now there is also the option to adopt. Evan loves mutts. I think mutts are great too...but hard to find without 'baggage'. Plus a puppy is nice because I can raise them around our cats. Also most of the puppies Ive seen online to adopt are either labs or pitts - not what I want. I think right now Ill keep waiting in hopes for foxy beagle puppies...but I dont know how long Ill last!!!!

WARNING the following has the most ANNOYING music...put it on mute and enjoy bulldog puppy goodness...

Thank you campaign

2008-02-27T17:52:00.001-08:00

What you want me VOLUNTEER to fight for my country? Forget that - show me the money

2008-02-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

The army is hard up...
and apparently they want privates more than junior officers?

Not that I'm complaining about monetary incentives for the BS people in the military put up with, but obviously its a sad day when the military is slowly becoming a non-volunteer military. (like my grammer?) Anyway Im proud that Evan came from the volunteer days; and still stickin with his commitment.

Check out the article:

http://www.slate.com/id/2184482/?from=rss

Top 10 Dance movies of all time

2008-02-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Kinda cute...I dont think I would include 'bring it on' though....not exactly dancing in my book.

http://movies.msn.com/movies/galleryfeature/dancemovies?GT1=7701&photoidx=1

Ouch thats gotta hurt...

2008-02-10T19:39:00.001-08:00

My nephew was hit by a car this weekend. I think the resulting injuries were a very banged up face, scratched cornea, mullllllltiple stitches, a broken hip and a broken knee (yep on the same side)My Mom says he's okay but will have a nice recovery ahead of him. Heres the artcle... JUST IN. I think the commentary below the article is humorous.

How are them goals kid?

2008-02-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Since I wrote goals and shared them ;) I figured I should check in with how they are doing so far this month..

Dance - yep still taking lessons. Rumba and Swing are half choreographed, havent touched mambo yet. Bolero and Chacha are mostly done. Just need to remember them now.... Ive been working with Lecie on my chacha routine for the next showcase. Envision 'wikked lil grrrls' and school girl outfits OOOOO!!!

Work - it looks like th tDPT(doctorate) will have to wait until next year. I missed the deadline for this year and it would be pushing it money-wise as well. So I think I will concentrate on alot of manual therapy and myofascial continuing eds this year. Also maybe try up to level two NAIOMT certification. Thats a certification through the north american institute of orthopaedic manual therpy. Im hands on baby! Also it looks like my employer will be literally MOVING in July. We will have a new home somewhere here in burlington or mt vernon. Moving that clinic will be awesome but a nightmare all at the same time. Ill keep ya updated.

Home - The coffee table has to wait :( Evan put his foot down on that one. The light fixture IS changed!! Go Ev and Nate for doing that today as a matter of fact. Oh and I havent touched the spare bedroom....slacking on that goal.

Diet/exercise - I DID try a yoga class here. I didnt like it. I havent done yoga in months and it didnt even slightly wind me. I guess I just enjoy getting my ass kicked in yoga and LOVE hot yoga; which this was niether. So Jess and I may try a Bikram yoga class together soon... Have I found my ab diet books? No - I think my mom has them. Although I might find them if i ever start cleaning out the spare room.

Yes We Can

2008-02-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

Regardless of political affiliations...this is an amazing video about change and hope. Thanks to Jim for bringing it to my attention...

Theres never been anything false about hope...

You NEED a website people!

2008-02-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer in the fact that - if you care about your business, you will have a website to help promote it. I obviously use the internet quite a bit and I think many people of my generation use it frequently as well. Now that my generation has become an economic force I believe businesses should cater to the fact that we use the internet! For instance, if I see an advertisement for a business, I immediately look for its website to learn more about it, its pricing, etc to make sure its the business I want to use before I waste time going there - or shoot even calling. I was extremely annoyed yesterday when of course I saw a beautiful ad in the paper for a certain business and it had no website. As a matter of fact, of this certain type of business, NONE had a website. However, if one HAD one I would use that business solely for the fact that I see that they care enough to spend some time promoting themselves on the internet. I have actually chosen businesses with websites over other quite a few times. I don't understand WHY they wont chose to do this - when it is so easy. It doesn't have to be fancy - it can even be in a blog form for all i care (which is very easy to do). I even used a salon/spa who promoted themselves on MYSPACE over going to some others in my area. So c'mon people - YOU NEED A WEBSITE. Get on board; my internet junkie generation is starting to make some big money - and i believe businesses with internet promotion will get it....

Too Cold to Exercise?

2008-01-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, Yes as a matter of fact - it IS too damn cold! Actually I ran across this article in the New York Times today... "Too Cold to Exercise?" that mainly talks about different myths about cold weather and exercise. (I spend way too much time on the internet when Evan is out of town) Funny to learn that more people get injured in a warm environment vs a cold one. Also the cold air doesn't actually hurt your lungs at all; what irritates our lungs is DRY air. Anyway its an interesting article to check out if you have time. Will it make me actually go outside to exercise? That would be a resounding NO - I still think its too dang cold; and besides I have an elliptical runner in my house. But I might bug Evan to go running though ;)

Let it Snow!!!

2008-01-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

Especially on mondays when I have the day off and can snuggle on my couch with my fat cat! Last night and this morning it snowed again. It is so beautiful! This is one thing I am loving about the northwest. I love that it snows, but not too much. Not enough for life to come to a halt. But it is enough to look at it, take a deep breath, and enjoy the quiet cold air that always comes with the snow.

I received coaching from Valentina

2008-01-27T10:31:00.001-08:00

So last week I had a 45 min lesson with Valentina Weise whom you will see starting next week on PBS Ballroom challenge. We worked on my bolero routine sorta. After watching my routine with Nathan, she pretty much went right into the basic bolero stuff and showed me a little stuff at the end regarding the choreography. This lesson was an ego hit for sure. I was thinking to myself - 'geez do I even know how to bolero at all?' But she gave me some great stuff to work on. Looking forward to starting work on it again next week.

Here is a vid of valentina from last year so you can see who i worked with:

Welcome!

2008-01-26T23:37:00.000-08:00

To my blog! Im morphing from a totally myspace user into a true blogger. Im looking forward to using this blog to just write about my random stuff - be it great or small. Myspace I tend to use on updating people on my life status - but I dont torture them with totally random thoughts as I intend on doing here :) Im looking forward on learning all about it! Join me for the ride will ya?