Monday, Monday

Well all of that grading didn’t happen as I had planned, but plenty of other things did. I had a lovely time doing some cleaning and reorganizing in our room. The big thing that had been niggling me was my jewelry; it has always kind of languished here and there, in boxes, in piles, in boxes, and so not pretty and organized. I had been meaning to do something about it all and had kind of thought I would go the jewelry hanger option, where you buy something specifically made to hang my jewelry on, but I didn’t particularly love that idea. Instead, I went with the corkboard route. I used one that had been housing just a few random pictures and cards. I sifted through my various boxes and put pieces I don’t wear into my goodwill bag and arranged the rest on the board. Earrings I just pushed in and everything else is hanging on a pin. I love it! This way I can see everything I have and instead of wearing just the two or three things that I always do, I can rotate through things; yay!

On Saturday night we went to that polenta feed that I had mentioned. The food was yummy and my cousin Gretchen brought luck- she won two club level tickets to the SF Giants! On Sunday I did that cleaning/organizing and some laundry and lounged around, then ran 3 miles in the reinstatement of my fitness. I was going quite well from early February but kind of fell off the wagon with the crummy weather that arrived almost two weeks ago and yesterday was a good start. I followed up with 5 more today and though I wanted to go to yoga, still felt really good after the run.

I gave into these cookies from a coworker’s daughters and they arrived in my cubicle this morning to tease me! I left them at work for the night since I had planned on making sugar cookie-Nutella sandwiches and those plus Samoas, Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos…oh my…would be just too much sweetness in one night; though is that possible?! I already made the dough and will probably just whip them up ASAP, so stay tuned for pictures of only the finished product.

Also, my dad and I ventured down the block to an estate sale where I picked up a lovely addition to my apron and vintage cookbook collections, pictures to follow soon. I’ve never been a person to have collections, but just as I write this I realize that these are two things that I’ve been collecting here and there in the past few years…those and old pyrex! Well, maybe I am more of a “coleccionsta” than I had thought!

Anyway, we’re gonna have a late dinner and I need to finish those cookies (the dough is chilling in the fridge) so bon nuit!

 

PS

Did y’all watch the academies last night? I am so not a fan of Anne Hathaway, which I’m sure is some sin or something, but oh well, I stand firm, but James Franco was dreamy! I’m so glad that “The King’s Speech” won Best Picture; it as such an uplifting and warm film and Colin Firth is cute-as-a-button. Happy Monday Night again!

Before the wipe-out

 
Ok, I found another video from last summer; not all readers (if there are any at all, that is ;)) can appreciate this but if you're tall and blond and from Nebraska, then this is for you!

 

Digging

Here’s something funny I came across from last summer…I hope the video works. We were hanging out in the back yard and we have this old bottom half of a wine barrel as a planter that had nothing in it. Guinness found something though! Please ignore my ugly voice and that bizarre clicking in the background(how is it that a teacher who blabs all day doesn't really like to hear her own voice?! My poor students!)...maybe just leave off the volume! Happy Saturday!

One more thing!

My dear Dad surprised me at work today, right before heading to my last class- I think it’s obvious how taken aback I was by the look on my face! It's a good thing he was ready for a picture so that I can remember. It’s so funny when two worlds (work + family) collide randomly. It was a nice break in the middle of my day; thanks Dad =)

Musings

This was my weekend last weekend and unfortunately it’s shaping up to be this weekend as well ;/ Oh well, such is the life of a teacher…

I’ve been keeping busy with grading piles like this one and trying to run (though not wanting to since it’s not sunny and beautiful out) and making lunch at night and laundry and dishes and some wedding planning and yeah, that might be it. I was thinking today about how nice it is to write out things at the end of the day and that I miss blogging so regularly but honestly, the school year and its schedule and flow just zap the life out of me; I can’t even imagine how people with kids do it!

M and I are on a plan to be ready for a half marathon in early May, but I’ve been quite naughty about giving into the warm couch after school instead of going out to run; and we live in the Bay Area- I obviously need to remember those cold Minnesota college days a bit more and realize that our weather ain’t no thang. The race is this and looks beautiful and fun. I think we’re going to do the Bay to Breakers later in May as well. I did it once in high school before I really liked running the way I do now and have wanted to do it for quite a while as a grown up. Plus, there are constantly rumors that it’s the last year and it’s getting too rowdy and etc. so I’d like to do it if there’s any truth to the rumors.

My grandmother is making bread pudding and there’s cinnamon in it so the whole house smells like Ikea (from their cinnamon buns) which reminds me that it’s been well over a year since my last visit and that it’s high time for another. M detests the Swedish superstore but my dear aunty loves it, so maybe in a few weeks we shall sojourn.

As it’s been alluded to, M and I are indeed tying the knot. It will happen in September and I’m getting more and more excited about the blessed day. I ordered the STDs (save-the-dates) yesterday and have actually had my dress since November. The months ahead will bring us quite a bit of planning, I fear, but this is a once in a lifetime experience and there’s no one else I’d rather share it with than my sweetie so I’m going to enjoy every minute up until…forever!

Love day was lovely. I wore a hot pink sweater and we ordered pizza (a big treat!) and watched the first night of Watson’s Jeopardy run which was kind of a disappointment. The first two days just had too many interruptions about how amazing Watson is and how he was made, etc., instead of good old Jeopardy questions. The third day was better though I certainly finished those episodes with a wary feeling of technology and a fear of machines being too smart.

We ate at my school’s annual crab feed since the last time I posted and it was dee-lish with melted butter on top. Per usual, we did not win the raffle, but much fun was had by all. Tomorrow night is another feed at a one of the Catholic Churches, but this time it’s polenta and it’s a smaller event so here’s to crossing those fingers for the raffle (we did win our tv here last year, but that was a TOTAL anomaly)! 

Late in January I completed another year of my life. It was a pretty and sunny day and we celebrated by having lunch at Gayle's (gorgonzola blue cheese mac & cheese: MAJOR YUM) and then my good ole (not in age, though) pops gave into my requests for his famous dry rub smoked ribs and it was SOOOO good. The evening was topped off with a purple princess cake from Gayle's and it was just a nice way to kick off a new and very special (cue wedding march) year. By the way, for those of you who think that a princess cake is something involved with Disney, please read here and here and know that it is actually European in lineage and yummy and great and has nothing to do with Ariel (not that she's my favorite princess or anything like that), though I have nothing against the Disney girls.

Prinsesstårta!

M and our friend E and I went on a neat hike to Alamere Falls in Bolinas to visit their waterfalls and then M took me on a different hike to see different waterfalls to celebrate my special day. More on that later. There is a nap to take and a Friday evening to enjoy.

Happy weekend!

Maui-wow-ee

M and I decided that we, as grown-ups, would get ourselves a little vay-cay and so we planned, schemed, looked forward to and schlepped ourselves to beautiful Maui the week prior to la navidad. Thanks to a wonderful recommendation we stayed at the Mauian hotel on Napili Bay and it was just fabulous. We had a cute little kitchen in our unit, our room was a strenuous 20 or so paces from the sand, the water was blessedly waaaaaaaaarm, we ran almost every day, relaxed everyday, cooked most meals but also enjoyed some yummy yummy yum yum ones in local restaurants, most deliciously here, caught up on some reading, snorkeled a bit, experienced some BODACIOUS people watching and overall had a lovely time.

It was kind of weird having a big vacation in the middle of the school year and right before Christmas but so nice at the same time since it was such a difference from our day-to-day and we're both quite grateful for the time we had together in the warm Maui sun. Here are some pictures of those wonderful days and look forward to more blog posts catching me up until now!



  
Early morning flight to paradise...view of the shuffleboard courts from our room.
  
Our little abode and lanai =)
  

  

  
The above are views at our hotel.
 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

     
These are for you Dad!
  

  

   All of the above are scenes from the resort next to ours. There was a coastal trail that goes out for about a mile and a half that we would run/walk and it included a very lunar-at-some-point volcanic patch which I loved...so pretty and fun!    Bathing Beauties!
Mike made a friend (or the other way around?) on the shuffleboard courts.

Mai Tais at the resort next door...and flowers in our hair! 
  

  

  
The biggest Banyon tree in...somewhere, I can't remember. It's in old town Lanai and it's so super cool because Banyon trees actually drop down roots from their branches and that's what all those "tree trunks" are!
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
We caved into being tourists and did it up luau style, as seen above. There was an entire roast pig that was buried in a sand pit that was unveiled for everyone and I made a plumeria hair clip and we got leis and it was fun fun fun. The Polynesian dancing was my favorite part, that and sitting traditional style on the ground.
  
Our first day celebration shave ice (these are a bit out of order I guess).

Our Maui pet. M was none too pleased, rather displeased actually, when this friend tried to join us. He and a couple of furry friends live in the neighborhood and just get to hang out at the beach with tourists all day.
 Maholo Maui for our great vacation!