2011: When did we hit another decade?

About a month ago I realized I would have alot of free time in December because classes would end. So I thought, hmmm, maybe I can finish up any resolutions from 2010 and have something to blog about. But I flipped back to my blog in January, and I did not write about any resolutions. I have a vague feeling that I did resolve to do something this year, but I can't quite remember what it was.... darn Alzheimer's. Or perhaps I was channeling Calvin last year....

So my resolution this year is to write down my goals so that I remember what they are :)

In class we learned that behavioral changes are best done with small, easily achievable goals, so unlike traditional resolutions, which try to change every aspect of your life, I am keeping it simple.

1. My husband and I joined a gym before Thanksgiving, and it has been pretty easy to find time to go without any school or work to fill the days. So my goal is to continue to attend the gym at least three days a week. I also found this cool website which allows you to track more specific fitness goals, and they have 'feats' you can accomplish. You can also be motivated by your friends on the website. A couple of friends and I have a competition going for the first three months of the new year, so I think that will also help keep me on track with this goal.

2. Last semester I took snack foods to class. Sometimes it would be peanut butter crackers, or crackers and tuna, or junk like m&ms. Most of the time I forgot a beverage, so I would buy a soda from the vending machine. So my goal is to bring my water bottle to drink water during class, and to bring at least one veggie to snack on, like carrot sticks.


Happy New Year!

2010: The Year of the Tiger

So not quite all of the pictures line up in the right month, but you get the idea. It was quite an adventurous year. I have enjoyed the holidays, to relax and spend time with family and friends.

For more pictures and descriptions, I also tried a snapfish album.

Jeans

Remember when I told you I was working on home movies, and I teased you about the jeans I used to wear in 1993? Well, from the clamor of all of the comments, I could tell you wanted proof.

This SNL skit is what I think I looked like in 1993.



And this is what I really looked like in 1993.


I finally submitted to the trends this year and bought one pair of straight leg jeans. I just hope I get a better sound track than Boys 2 Men "In the Still of the Night"

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

My favorite christmas music comes from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It is a combination of rock and christmas, which is fantastic. Their concerts are amazing light shows and fantastic music. TSO always play with a live orchestra, and my favorite member of the band is the one who plays the electric violin.





The Wizards of Winter was the first one I found online a couple of years ago with an amazing house light show.


Christmas Eve in Sarajevo is probably their most famous song, and someone has created a great light show.


Christmas Canon is a personal favorite, I used to play that song on the violin all the time. My sisters and I would love to do this version in church some day. This video gives you an idea of what their concerts are like.


A Mad Russian Christmas is a Nutcracker song redone.


Queen of the Winter Night has an amazing soloist live in person singing.... She truly has an amazing voice to do all of those ah's. I can tell you, on the violin they are tough, I really don't know how you make a voice sound similar.


On the more traditional side, we have the TSO interpretation of Come all Ye Faithful.


And we will round it out with a TSO classic: This Christmas Day

Snow Day

Growing up in Maryland, we would usually get a couple of snow days. We would get all bundled up in layers of socks, snow pants, coats, hats, gloves and scarves. You know, the kind of clothes that force you to waddle out of the house.



Then there would be sledding, snow fort building, stock piling of snow balls for the impending war.... Go to minute 4:14 for a classic snowball fight.



Then we would come home, soaking wet, and lay our gloves and scarves over the heat vents to dry. Mom would have hot chocolate ready for us, with marshmallows. She would also bake cinnamon rolls. We would get warmed up, and maybe when we were tired of the snow we would watch movies.














There were two very large snowfalls that I can remember. One happened when we were living in Maryland. My brother's best friend was sleeping over, and got stuck at our house for days. My finals were delayed for a week or two, which was fantastic.

The second one happened when I was in college. The snowfall in 2000 was so deep that the University shut down for almost a week. After a couple of days in our apartment, we were bored with the movies we had, so my roommate decided to drive to Blockbuster. We returned victorious, with a stack of movies. Next thing we know, there are knocks at our door. Our neighbors wanted to trade brownies for the opportunity to watch a movie :) It was a pretty good deal.

That belongs in a museum. So do you.

You know this routine. Two older people sit down and start talking about the old days. Back in the old days, we didn't have cars. Back in the old days, we had to walk up hill both ways to get to school. Back in the old days.... It highlights the changes across generations. Here is my version.

I got my first cell phone when I was 17, which was a big deal.




In case the sound from the old VHS tape (yes.... back in the old days movies weren't recorded on your cell phone and automatically put on youtube) doesn't come through, I got 15 free minutes a month. Yes, that is a two digit number.... less than 20. This phone was only good for one thing... making very short phone calls.

Contrast that with my sister, who got her first cell phone at the age of 16, which was a big deal. But for slightly different reasons. She got unlimited texting, free mobile to mobile, free nights and weekends, and hundreds of minutes a month. She can fit her phone in the pocket of her skinny jeans. The idea of roaming is almost obsolete. Her phone can take pictures, and also comes in her favorite color: red.



Back in the old days, the best time to reach us was at home, with a phone attached to the wall.

Dream a little dream for me

I woke up this morning and had the weirdest feeling. I could have sworn I had done something so awesome, it would be blog worthy.... but then I realized I had just dreamed it.

I am sure you are clamoring to know what I have been up to with my free time.

The house is on the market, so Tim and I are maintaining a high level of cleanliness. Most days we operate at Def-Con Mom level, beds made, no spit in the sink, no dirty dishes. But on days we have a showing, we amp it up to Def-Con Grandma level. Unfortunately, one showing gave me 5 minutes notice when I wasn't home, so they saw the house at the Mom level. Their comments said the house showed beautifully. Perhaps Tim is right, my Def-Con Grandma level is too neurotic :)


I have had a couple of study sessions to prepare for my exams, which are now over. I am glad I have friends in class to study with. It makes it easier to handle the stress of finals.


Tim and I joined a gym, and I have been going to some classes and swimming in the pool. What cracks me up about the gym classes are the parts of the routines I can't do. Apparently I have no core strength at all, so the one teacher came over and was trying to show me how to do the exercise, and then finally gave up and said, uh... do this until you have enough strength to do it the real way.


I have also been working on converting home movies to DVDs. What, you thought I finished that project? Oh no.... just 1991 and 1992. There is still years worth of cute footage of my sisters to get onto DVDs :) Can I just say that 1993 was a really bad year for me and jeans? Who said that acid wash almost-white jeans with a high waist, folded hem to make them tighter, with a tucked in turtle neck and socks above the boots was a good look? Seriously..... this is why I have nightmares about wearing "straight-leg" jeans now!

My mom invited me to hang out with her and my sister. We made Christmas cookies and decorated. It was awesome. Especially the cookie dough. I wish I had gotten a picture of our cookies, one gingerbread man had just gotten out of the "pen" in an orange jumpsuit.


Then I hung out with a friend and her daughters. She was making some cake balls for a church activity. Apparently these are the rage, but it seems like alot of work for something that only imitates a delicious chocolate bon-bon.



Also, we have been trying several new recipes with our farm produce. Unfortunately, with the snow this past weekend and the record low temperatures, we will be postponing this week's delivery. So it looks like next week's meals will be Bertolli.


So... who wants to come out and play next week?