New Banner Picture

The new banner pic was taken in May when Carter stayed with us for the weekend.  It was also our 2nd Brother-Sister weekend, probably one he'll never forget because of David Copperfield's magic show we went to see.   Carter loved it!  I enjoyed the show too, but Carter had a look of amazement only a kid could have... he just soaked up every detail without trying to figure out the hidden secrets behind the magic. 

Carter and I on the top balcony of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia (David Copperfield show)

Back to School... Once Again

Yep, it's that time of year to sharpen pencils and put on the thinking caps.  I officially began my last semester of graduate school this week.  I have spent 19 years of my life as a student!  Well, 20 years if I include preschool... but who's counting?  Being a student has been a very rewarding experience for me.  And I'm good at it.  I think that's why I like it so much; in fact, I have trouble being content when I'm not enrolled in a course or two.  I did take one semester off between undergraduate and graduate school, during which time I thought I was going to go completely bonkers!  I had a lot of free time on my hands, which I used wisely for the most part, but I felt like a fish out of water. I'm very excited to earn my Masters in Library Science degree, but I know I'm not entirely done being a student.  There's more to come, there's more to be done...

Community Events Rock!

Tom and I enjoy a "Movie Under the Stars" last Thursday evening.  The weather last week was absolutely beautiful, so we thought we would take advantage of it and enjoy Ratatouille.  We arrived with our dinner and a blanket, spotted a spot on the lawn with a clear view and enjoyed the feature.  We did notice that we were the only couple without kids, which didn't feel strange at all for us, but maybe I'll borrow Carter next time. 

Catching Up

My last week was sort of hectic.  I had a lot to do in preparation for the upcoming semester, which begins on Monday (too soon!).  Also, the week seemed a little busier then usual because my coworker was on vacation and the amount of work seemed to be endless in every way.  But as the week wrapped up, I was looking forward to celebrating my friend Jamie's last days of being single.  She's getting married next weekend!  My new banner picture shows us (L to R: Melody, Melissa, Jamie, Esther, Megan) before going out and hitting up the town of Manayunk.  We had a great time, but I've been paying for it all day... *sigh*

Jamie displaying her "kiss the bride to be" badge

Differences

When I'm in the locker room at the gym, I often over hear conversations between women about the weather, a class they enjoyed or not, how they are frustrated about gaining a pound or two, or how it is harder to stay in shape as you age. But the conversation I over heard yesterday made me think about what people value in their lives and how everyone is truly different. Two ladies were discussing how important going tanning is to them. And how their credit card bills are sky high, but they can't look pale. And how they go to the beach all summer long to try and lay out both Saturday and Sunday, and if they don't get to, they are disappointed. Oh, and how they get upset if they are invited to family events because it interrupts their beach time. Also, they were talking about how upset they are because they only go to the gym 3-4 times a week instead of 7! This struck me as really strange and VERY superficial. I was disgusted by this and thought they live very bland lives if their main concerns are their tans. I guess this really struck me as strange because of their ages. They look like they are both in their late 30s/early 40s. I would expect to hear conversations like this from teenage girls, not grown women.

Here is a background of what kind or gym I belong to, or rather, the people that utilize it: The gym I belong to is located in Princeton, NJ, in a business complex off of a main highway. The complex contains a handful of corporate businesses and a few upscale stores including a fitness/spa facility. The complex was designed to look and feel like a ritzy village. The gym I belong to is located in the complex and is by far the nicest fitness facility I've ever belonged to or seen for that matter. When I joined, I recieved the corporate discount and I thought it would be nice to go workout while waiting for the traffice to die down. So, it isn't hard to imagine that the female members are of middle to upper class status. Some are stay-at-home mothers who bring their children with them to the gym. They drop them off at the children's center and then go workout in their color coordinated sweat/gym suits. Some of the mothers even make play dates out of it, eating lunch outside on the patio afterwards while their kids are occupied running around or flirt with the temptation of getting wet by the fountain. If I eat my lunch outside, I usally observe this little social group and make mental notes about their behavior as if I was conducting a sociological study. Other than the mom gym members, there are female members who work and high school girls who come in with friends, and older ladies who love to use the gym around lunch time. So, by this description, you can tell that the members are privelged in some ways and that they all value one thing - good health or trying to stay in shape. I over hear a lot of conversations in the locker room, which usually helps me formulate a picture of what people are like, or what they value, or how they regard themselves in life.

Mmm... Gelato!

I absolutely love gelato. It's sweet, creamy, and smooth without being heavy. There are two shops in Philadelphia that serve gelato - sometimes Tom and I will have gelato for lunch if it's really hot. Anyway, I haven't found a gelato shop or store that sells it in the Princeton area until today! I was just reading the NJ Monthly and they review restaraunts/specialty food shops in the back sections of each issue. This month Blackwell's Organic Gelato and Sorbet was reviewed... and it made me want some gelato. They have a website and an online buying feature :)

http://www.blackwellsorganic.com/Home.html

www.gelatobymail.com

Getting Things Done and having Fun

I have been working on accomplishing quite a lot during my small break from grad school. Accomplishments so far: Tom and added new pieces of furniture that we needed for storage, I have organized my files, sorted through my clothing for donating/discarding, and I have gone through my memorabilia boxes full of all sorts of things from the past. I began, and am almost done, scrapebooking those items, which consists of concert and movie tickets, name tags, brochures from trips, odds and ends from college, etc. I really thought hard about what I wanted to keep and would want to look at over the years to come. I am sure all of these items will bring back great memories as they did this weekend. I will post pictures of my scrapebook project soon. I feel that this project has helped me simplify the amount of things I hold on to and make me feel less like a pack rat.

Before this week is over, I wan to begin a knitting project to carry into the fall semester and finish reading the book I starting reading in July!

Interior Additions

Tom and I have added some new pieces of furniture in our flat.  We bought two sideboard cupboards with doors and stacked one on top of the other.  This gives us a lot of storage space that we need for our odds and ends.  We also bought an entry way table with four square-shaped pull-out bins. This piece is great because we use it for our mail, keys, phones, wallets, and outside accessories.  My mom was on my case for quite awhile about doing something with these spaces, which I assured her I would and I did!  I'm going to concentrate on our wall art next... more to come!  Stay tuned! :)

new bedside light

Dolphin Kick

I've been surfing the Internet pretty much the majority of the night.  I came across this story on npr.org about the science of the dolphin kick that the Olympic swimmer, MP, uses as a technique to go faster under water.  It's amazing and very hard, as I know from experience.  I tried it the other day in the pool at the gym.  Lets just say I didn't feel like a dolphin at all, more like a sinking rock.  MP's talent for swimming is amazing! 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93575235

random pics

Mom's homemade pizza

some more

the family cat with many names - he looks stoned

Here's a Diet to Try...

Read this!  This is an article documenting some of the foods/meals Michael Phelps consumes when training and competing.  All 12000 calories worth!  Whoah!  Only an Olympian can eat like this... and he's still ripped! 

Michael Phelps' 12,000 Calorie-a-Day Diet Not for Everyone

Thursday, August 14, 2008

By Jessica Ryen Doyle

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 AP

Think about what you ate this morning.

Maybe it was a bagel, or a bowl of cereal to go along with that cup of coffee.

Now compare that to what Olympic gold medalist and swimming sensation Michael Phelps eats in the morning, and you might feel a little malnourished:

— three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayo
— one five-egg omelets
— a bowl of grits
— three slices of French toast with powdered sugar
— three chocolate chip pancakes
— two cups of coffee

Altogether, Phelps consumes 12,000 calories a day while in training. Compared to the 2,500-3,000 calories a day the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends for men depending on age and activity level, Phelps diet seems outrageous.

But it is, in fact, a completely normal diet for an Olympic athlete like Phelps, said Tanya Zuckerbrot, a nutritionist and author of “The F-Factor.”

“Look at his picture, he’s completely ripped,” Zuckerbrot told FOXNews.com. “He is clearly burning that many calories — if he wasn’t, he would look chubby.”

Zuckerbrot said Phelps probably doesn’t eat that many calories during his off-training season as his high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet would be dangerous to his health.

“It’s interesting, if he wasn’t eating that many calories, he wouldn’t be winning, because he wouldn’t have the energy,” Zuckerbrot said. “The carbs is what the body uses for energy. You have to give the body glucose to fuel it. That’s why people on the Atkins diet (an all-protein diet) can’t work-out.”

For lunch, Phelps drinks 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks, one pound of pasta with tomato sauce and two large ham and cheese sandwiches (with mayo) on white bread.

For dinner, Phelps’ meal consists of six to eight slices of pizza, another pound of pasta with tomato sauce, and 1,000 calories of energy drinks.

These meals are important, Zuckerbrot said, because the breads and pasta are made up of refined carbohydrates, which digests quickly and give him instant energy.

Zuckerbrot said she would not recommend Phelps’ diet to the average person who hopes to have a high intensity work out at the gym for an hour, but then sit at their desk all day.

“This is a diet created for an Olympic performer,” she said. “Clearly with 11 medals under his belt, it’s working.”

Wednesday Evening Chore Complete!

After 6 hours of sorting through paperwork, files, and other nonsense, I finally consolidated the important paperwork and shredded/rubbished the rest.  It feels so good to have organized files. Now it's on to more fun projects.  I could have made it a two day process but I just wanted to be done with it.  I'm up late, which I'm sure I'll regret tomorrow.

the aftermath - 4 bags of trash!

files after

files before

Weekend Funtivities

Happy Birthday Thomas!!!

Last weekend Tom and I went to my parent's house to spend the weekend. As usual, we enjoyed a yummy cookout with smoked chicken and pork. Tom is our braai master! Lets just say it is his favorite past time and it shows! The men enjoyed a "man day" on Saturday, which consisted frolicking in the yard, socially drinking, playing poker, and managing the smoking activity.

While we were there, we also took the opportunity to celebrate Tom's birthday (which is today!). Per his request, I attempted and, I guess, successfully made him a poppyseed cake. He used to have one every year for his birthday when he was growing up. Anyway, I made it using a castle-shaped cake form. I've discovered that boys really enjoy their birthday cakes in the shape of a castle at any age!

a true "man day"

"man day" evidence = braaing

batter - the best part of the cake-making process (in my opinion)

Sisters

Ivy and Mike

and again... with bunny ears

and hail from a wicked storm!

Lobster Anyone?

I heard a segment on "All Things Considered" yesterday about a group of Lobstermen in Maine who have started an online business to sell lobster. The name of the business is "Catch a Piece of Maine." The fouders are brothers and their parents insisted they go to college... which seems like it paid off. They studied business and put their knowlege to good use. The lobster market is feeling the pain from a weak economy and growing seafood industry from abroad. In order to bypass the wholesale market, these lobstermen formed a group and created an online business. Thus, taking out the middle man. From the broadcast, it sounds like the business is doing well. They have also done a good job of personalizing their site for customers. You can view a video of the men and select which Lobstermen you want to catch your dinner.

Tom and I love lobster and are always looking for fresh lobster at the farmer's market in Philly. We never end up buying any because they are always soooo expensive and we question their freshness. But now we can order them directly from Maine!!

"In Tough times, Lobstermen Use Web to Net Profits"

Check out their website: http://www.catchapieceofmaine.com/

Done Done and Done!

After hours of working on three assignments all due the same day, I am FINALLY done!! It feels so good to be done and not have my course work linger over me as a constant worry. I have to be careful and not get swept up with all of this free time I'm going to have after work, as it will sadly come to an end on the 25th of August when my fall semester begins. I tend to begin elaborate projects when I get a taste of freedom after a course ends. I end up bitterly putting my projects aside to go back to studying. I think I'll handle some odds and ends around the apartment the next two weeks so I feel like I've accomplished something!

Brother-Sister Weekend

Ivy and I instituted Brother-Sister weekends last year.  Our first one was in October 2007, then in May 2008, and our third taking place this weekend.  We had one crazy weekend, running here and running there, but we made the best out of it.  There is one park (not in Philly) that I take him to every time he visits.  It has a large wooden castle playground, tennis courts, skate ramps, and soccer field.  I love going there, mostly because I get to play too.

Carter drawing a picture for Tom

Upside down and loving it

Conversations with a 7 year old

Carter and I did all sorts of things today, including playing, drawing, grocery shopping, washing the car, reading, and talking.  Our conversations are really entertaining because of Carter's perspective. While we were waiting to see Tom, we watched a mother change and interact with her baby.  I thought this was extra adorable and mentioned that the baby was so cute and seeing the mother and daughter interact made me want a baby.  I really don't want a baby now but you get the point.  Carter then informed me that I will have a baby and that I just have to wait.  I asked, "what do I have to wait for?"  Carter then says, "you know... for your belly to... you know... get big and full."  He then made the international sign for pregnancy by clasping his hands together and moved them over his stomach region in the shape of a circle.  

Another notable conversation arose when we sat down for lunch at the dining room table. Carter has been fixated on a calendar that is hanging on the wall.  The calendar has a picture of a half-naked women for each month.  This calendar is Tom's and one that I have allowed to stay in its spot as I have not gotten around to redecorating the entry way of the apartment (on my list of things to do).  Anyway, as we were eating, Carter asked me who the calendar belongs to - me or Tom.  He then asked me where it was bought.  I told him Barnes & Noble.  His eyes lit up and said, "oh yeah?"  He then said, in a very innocent way and almost as if he was reminding himself to pick one up on his next trip to the store, "instead of my adventure calendar, I need to get a sexy girls calendar."  His tone and demeanor as he said this had me laughing so hard.

Mom, Carter, and I went to Ikea yesterday to take a gander at new displays and pick up some odds and ends.  Whenever we go to Ikea, we always make a point to eat their staple meal - meatballs/potatoes/gravy.  As we were sitting in a wooden booth by the window, Carter observed people entering and exiting the store.  He then commented on the different kinds of people he was seeing and said, "there are more African Americans here than at home."  My mother chimed in and started telling Carter that Philadelphia has a very diverse community with people from different races, nationalities, and, ultimately, color.  Children notice differences that shouldn't be ignored.  Carter than informed my mom, in a very authoritative way, that he knows about every thing because he learned it at school.  His confidence just amazes me sometimes.  I know he's only 7, but I often think about what I was like at his age, and I know I wasn't as confident about anything as he is. 

These moments are hard to translate as they truly happened, but it always reminds me to slow down and enjoy them.

Absolutely Classic...

Carter: "What is a cat-scan?"

Mom: "It's when the doctor's examine your head.  They lay you flat on a sliding table and slide you through a big donut...."

Carter: "Can you eat the donut?"

Hahahahaha... Carter's comment reflects not only a 7 year old's ability to comprehend such a procedure, but it also shows his true love for food.  

Crocs on the decline

I think I should have went to school for economics...  I guess it's never too late.  I love the economic and business segments I hear about popular products, decline/rise in sales, and what's happening behind the scenes in the business scene.

Anyway, the producers of Crocs noted a 90% decline in sales.  I think they may be in denial, but they are convinced it's not because of their signature style.  No, they are blaming the low sales on the economy.  

I don't know how I feel about them... I've really never had an opinion.  I know a lot of people who have them and love them.  I'm just not one of those people.  Maybe it's because I don't have a pair... how can you love something you don't have?

Now that I'm thinking about it, I've never been one to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to trends.  I don't like to wear labels and definitely don't like to conform to a certain image or style.  Although Crocs are not plastered with labels, their style is a label enough.  There!... after critically thinking about it, my true feelings have surfaced. 

Now on to other things...