Car in shop = biking!

I took the car in for a tune up today in Ballard and thought...cool...I'll be able to load my bike and use it to get back home and around town for the day! So in I go at 7:15am drop off the car get all my snazzy bike gear on...the guy at the counter was like, "oh, I'd offer you a shuttle, but it's obvious you don't need one." I felt like a true seattlite (sp?). Anyway, biked home, rested; biked to the gym, did pilates; biked to edmonds waterfront, had a snack; biked home through woodway and shorline, died on the hills! It was such a scenic ride on the way home, but kind of like a rollercoaster...

I was so tired of biking I had to have one of my roommates drop me off at my car because I didn't want to get back on my bike!

Micro Lab

My journey to nursing has me in a classroom this summer at UW sitting in Microbiology lectures and working in Microbiology lab. The first lab assignment was to collect microorganisms from various places - your skin, bathtub, sink, etc. and then incubate them at room temp on TSY medium (a growth medium). So I got to work. I split my petri (reminds me of land before time) dish into 8 different sections and started inoculating...my ear, fingerpad, fingerpad after purell, shower, tolietseat, cell phone, and computer keyboard...one was left blank because I ran out of sterile swabs.

A week later I checked in on my work and found some interesting results...

• Purell doesn't work...MO's grew ferociously...although there was a little less diversity than the original fingerpad sample.


• My ear was freakishly clean - only one little colony (I think it was a stray from the air)


• The colonies from the shower were (not surprisingly) the same color as the pinkish gunk that builds up between cleanings.


• The sample with the largest growth, fuzziest growth and most diverse growth was....wait for it....the computer keyboard! SICK! but I do use my computer everyday, multiple times a day...and think about all the places your fingerpads touch...it was disgusting. Let's just say my next project is to research ways to sterilize/clean my computer and cell phone (it wasn't any prettier!)

I wish I would have taken a picture in lab...next time I'll bring my camera so you can all be enlightened in regards to the microscopic world!

man of iron

2009 Coeur d'Alene Ironman

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.


I can only imagine the determination it takes to train for and complete an Ironman. The race consists of three legs: 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Yeah, that's right a full marathon after all that other stuff. I was a spectator at this year's Ironman in Coeur d'Alene supporting a good friend that trained all year for this one 11 hour day. So much relentless work goes into hundreds of days of preparation for one single day's performance. What if you had a stomachache? bowel issues? a cold? an injury? I don't think it would matter. The athlete's determination would endure and he would complete the race regardless of any obstacles.


From the sidelines I was overwhelmed by the energy, the athleticism, the diversity...it was one of the most inspiring days of my life. If I was crazy (like four of my friends) I would have signed up and paid the $600 entry fee the next day for the 2010 race. Luckily, I have some of my mom's head on my shoulders and knew better (at least for now). But I did walk away from the experience with a renewed and energy and joy towards life and training for my small "Olympic" distance tri in July. Watching people of all shapes, sizes, and ages battle through the day with perseverance and endurance makes you realize that anything is possible when you put in the work to prepare...there is a reward - the finish line.

There are so many races in life...and so many finish lines to cross. All I need is determination.

A lot of waiting for 30 seconds of cheering Brian on 10x

Brian "airplanes" in to finish strong in 10 hours and 55 minutes

fulfilled dream

Recently, I confessed my dream of sailing to a friend (who I knew could make it happen). Sure enough last night I went out on his parents tall ship, the Amazing Grace to race around Lake Union with a phenomenal group of people. I'll admit...I didn't pay much attention to the mechanics of sailing, but I enjoyed the company and view. My job consisted of moving from one side of the boat to the other in order to help the Captain get his job done! Next time I'll have to go out on the smaller boat to get more hands-on experience. Another friend who I found out is a very talented photographer captured the moments so perfectly...

p.s. you can find more pics on facebook - album duck dodge

going green

My roommate Malia is currently in graduate school and one of her assigments was to write an article for a news source about her experience with environmental justice. Her article, Confessions of a Girl Going Green, was published in the online magazine, Relevant, and so I thought I would share it with you all! It is a good reminder that we are stewards of the earth and everything in it. God doesn't want us to be merely consumers, but he wants us to consciously care for what he has given us. Malia talks about simple ways that she has tried to reduce her own waste, making not only an environmental impact, but also encouraging others to do the same in the process. I'm so proud of her and the way she is challenging her family, friends and the community to live intentionally!

shower

This weekend Malia had her first shower over on the Peninsula with some family and friends. The house was in Seabeck on the water and the backyard was beautiful! They even have their own chickens that lay eggs everyday! so fun...

cupcakes from scratch with fresh eggs

Malia and bridesmaids

I can't believe Malia is tying the knot so soon! It was endearing to watch Peter via video talking about his love for maila and how excited he is to see her walk down the aisle...there is a lot of love between those two!

What a beautiful bride! truly!

invite

After my last day of school (today) I went and bought some fancy paper to use to make Malia's shower invites. The wedding colors are a kelly green and black...so I found invites with a green design on the top and bottom - not too girly or fancy. I also branched out and used two fonts I haven't really worked with before firenze and gigi. They are super simple, but I think they turned out pretty cute and the gigi font kind of looks like a neater version of Malia's signature. :)


and yes...I'm still in denial it was my last day of school.

dreams

June 4, 2009

This morning in devos, Lorene talked about dreams, and specifically encouraging our students toward their dreams. I'll admit, I kind of got stuck on myself with this one...dreams...have I really fearlessly followed my dreams? no. What about that dream to be a doctor? to hike the wonderland trail? to learn to sail? to open a bakery? I mean, I guess I can't be too negative. There is a lot I have accomplished and followed through on in my 26 years.

So, right now, where is my heart, my passion, my dream? Part of me is invested in finishing out the school year loving my students, part is in training for my triathlon, part in pursuing nursing. But, I don't feel like my heart is caught...I want something to grab hold of my heart, my desires, my time and energy. Not take all of it (that's what happened with teaching). I need time to share with friends and family.

Wait...maybe that's the problem. The one thing that should catch me, grab me, inspire and motivate is my love for my God and Savior - is that too vague? When I think passion, I want my desire to seek and love God to be at the top, but I also want a passion for the world...what is it?

change

At least once a year I change the layout of my bedroom. My mom can attest to this...as a child I was constantly wanting to move my bed and furniture and of course couldn't do it myself. The upside of all of this shuffling around is that junk gets thrown out and dust bunnies vacuumed. So, today was that day of the year. I'm blaming it on long days and iced coffee after dinner...I had just enough motivation and energy to flip my bed around swap my dresser and keyboard and throw a bit of junk out in the freshly emptied garbage can...and boy does it feel good! I'm not so satisfied with the placement of the keyboard, but my coat rack is a bit of an obstacle. Next I am going to add some new picture frames. I put up two today - a double picture frame with a sunset on the farm and picture of the barn, the other a view of the beach and a handful of shells. The coffee buzz isn't gone maybe I'll study some vocab for the GRE...

alki

Today rach and I loaded up the bikes and drove to the start of the elliot bay trail where we got on our bikes and headed for alki. We rode through Myrtle Edwards Park and through downtown over the West Seattle Bridge and onto Harbor Ave. It was a beautiful ride...we both almost ran into posts in the road because we were enjoying the view. Once we got to alki we stopped and had a cranberry turkey sandwich at Alki Bakery (not as good as Specialty's) and the service wasn't that great. The ride back seemed to go by so much faster...I didn't want it to end. What a treat to live in Seattle on sunny days like these.

flare

happy Fancy Free Flare!

compliments of sarah and whole foods!

dreams...

Graduation day...a time to remember the past and look ahead to the future. I attended my final graduation as a faculty member of SCS and I was sick as a dog, but that didn't stop me from being in that moment of change...reminiscing about friends, adventures, successes and then dreaming about the life to come outside of our parents grasp.

As I listened to the valedictory addresses, Mr. Johnson's commencement speech and the senior bios I was struck by the community that is created at SCS by the parents, students, and faculty. A community where we are working together towards transparency and love. A community where we stand by one another in triumphs and trials. A community where we encourage one another through words and selfless actions. A community where the hope of Christ is being manifested through genuine relationships.

When I take the time to reflect and take in my surroundings as a member of this school community the above characteristics are overwhelmingly apparent. However, most of my days teaching there is no obvious time for reflection, for clarifying my role, for appreciating the individuals - staff, parents, students for their diverse gifts and talents.

But now I take the time, and now I am encouraged by the way the Christian faith is taught and lived out amongst this community. It encourages me and gives me hope for our youth today - that they will continue to build and create this community as they leave the walls of SC and venture out into the lives God has called them to lead.

It is always surprising...those moments when God meets you where you are.

lemony goodness

drizzled with a lemon glaze

Thursday night Rach came over and we made lemon ricotta cookies (again, from Giada's Kitchen) and unsuccessfully attempted to make kettle corn. The cookbook describes the cookies texture/consistency as that of the tops of muffins - that caught my attention because I love to eat just the tops of muffins! And I was interested in how the whole-milk ricotta cheese would taste and how it would change the texture. The cookies also have a lemon glaze drizzled over the top, but I didn't make that until the next day...and to be honest they taste just as good with or without it.

key ingredient - fresh lemon

The cookies have a stick of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 2 eggs, 15oz of ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, baking powder, salt...and the glaze is powdered sugar with lemon juice and zest.

They are light, cakey and stinkin' good! (but of course you know I'm obsessed with lemon!)
I'm excited for my next baking adventures - Malia photocopied some bar recipes fromt the July edition of Gourmet. Get excited!

highlights of today

90 degree weather

starting antibiotics

ferry rides

new DMB album

afternoon nap

dinner with parents

baking lemon cookies

summer storm

sleeping with the window open

summer sky