I shared the first half of my pictures from Fat Mum Slim's #photoadayMay challenge earlier this month. Now that the month is over, it's time for round two:
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Photo a Day: May (Round 2)
I shared the first half of my pictures from Fat Mum Slim's #photoadayMay challenge earlier this month. Now that the month is over, it's time for round two:
Housekeeping.
Happy almost-weekend everyone! I wanted to take this opportunity to do a little housekeeping on the blog, namely to share my latest Book Chat link-up, introduce my new Twitter account and promote a giveaway.
First, my weekly Book Chat link-up with Sweet Green Tangerine. Today's topic is Favorite Female of Fiction, so I'm reusing this old post from my 30-Day Book Challenge. I also wanted to share the adorable button Jessica made for this week's Book Chat. Click on it to check out the other posts in the link-up:
First, my weekly Book Chat link-up with Sweet Green Tangerine. Today's topic is Favorite Female of Fiction, so I'm reusing this old post from my 30-Day Book Challenge. I also wanted to share the adorable button Jessica made for this week's Book Chat. Click on it to check out the other posts in the link-up:
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Historic Santa Fe Plaza.
I promised you pictures of my "tourist" excursion to the Plaza on Memorial Day, and here they are. As I've said before, I don't mind if you pin my photographs as long as you link them back to this specific post and not my blog home page. Thanks. :)
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Travel Tuesday: Week 14
Hello, and welcome to another edition of Travel Tuesday! This week's topic: What's the funniest thing that even happened to you while traveling? This can either be an actually funny story, or something that was terrible at the time but is funny when you look back now. (Thanks to Jessica at Sweet Green Tangerine for the topic idea!) As always, you are free to write about anything travel-related; don't feel obligated to answer my prompt. And, of course, don't forget to link up below!
I'll have to admit, I had to text my sister last night to ask if she could remember any funny stories from our family vacations because I was completely blank. Luckily, she had a good one for me. My mom was a central part of this story, so I wanted to ask her permission first, but of course she's living the expat life in Switzerland right now, so by the time this all happened she was already in bed. This afternoon, she told me it was fine to identify her in the story as long as I made it sound funny. Well, I promise to try:
It was Thanksgiving 2001, only a few short months after 9/11. My mom, brother and I were flying to Pennsylvania to meet my sister and dad for Thanksgiving with some of our extended family. Of course, security was very strict around this time, and rightly so ... or at least we thought. Another family on our flight did not agree.
My mom and I had been randomly selected to have our carry-on baggage searched at the gate, along with several other passengers. In front of us in line was an older redheaded woman and her 20-something, platinum-blonde daughter. (Of course I remember their hair colors; is that something that is ingrained as important information in all young girls?) The daughter was whining about how she didn't want the gate attendant to touch her underwear, and the mom was going on and on to anyone who would listen about how ridiculous the whole thing was, and how violated her daughter felt. Unfortunately, she then decided my mother was the right audience for her very loud and very abrasive venting session. After a while, my mom said very politely, "Well, at least it's better than the alternative." The other woman looked at her with something between horror and indignation and answered, "Oh no! I certainly don't think so." Even at 11 years old, I was thinking, "Hmm, so you'd rather get blown to bits than have a TSA agent touch your tighty-whities?"
Anyway, you would think this woman would have realized my mother was not sympathetic to her point of view, but that wasn't the case. She continued to complain about the indecency of it all, and how traumatized her poor daughter was about the whole thing. (Mind you, I'm pretty sure this daughter was at least college-aged, though my young age could have made her seem older.) My mom finally smiled and said, "Your daughter must lead a very small life."
Well, that was it. The woman started yelling at her, telling her "well if that's what you think, you can just get out of line, no one wants you here..." and the dad turned around to glare at us as well. I'm sure my brother had no idea what was going on—he was only 8 and was probably distracted by something shiny on the floor—but I remember looking away uncomfortably and seeing a man sitting in the waiting area. He smiled, looked at us, and said, "Thank you." We didn't get out of line; the lady got the hint and stopped complaining, and no one punched us (which the dad appeared to be contemplating). And Mom, I don't know if you saw or heard that other man, but I'm pretty sure every other person at that gate was grateful to you for getting that woman to finally shut up.
And that's it! At the time it was uncomfortable, and there was a 30-second window where I was afraid I was going to see my mother get assaulted, but today it is a very funny story to tell. And whenever I overhear someone complaining loudly (and obnoxiously) in a public place, I like to turn to my mother and say, "She must lead a very small life." And we both crack up.
So, Mom, what do you think? Is my 11-year-old memory accurate?
Next week's topic is pretty easy and casts a wide net of possibilities: Share an old trip. This can be anything: A domestic or international trip. A long or short trip. A trip you took last year or a trip you took when you were 9. You can share pictures, tell us a story or two, or do both. Have fun with it!
I'll have to admit, I had to text my sister last night to ask if she could remember any funny stories from our family vacations because I was completely blank. Luckily, she had a good one for me. My mom was a central part of this story, so I wanted to ask her permission first, but of course she's living the expat life in Switzerland right now, so by the time this all happened she was already in bed. This afternoon, she told me it was fine to identify her in the story as long as I made it sound funny. Well, I promise to try:
It was Thanksgiving 2001, only a few short months after 9/11. My mom, brother and I were flying to Pennsylvania to meet my sister and dad for Thanksgiving with some of our extended family. Of course, security was very strict around this time, and rightly so ... or at least we thought. Another family on our flight did not agree.
My mom and I had been randomly selected to have our carry-on baggage searched at the gate, along with several other passengers. In front of us in line was an older redheaded woman and her 20-something, platinum-blonde daughter. (Of course I remember their hair colors; is that something that is ingrained as important information in all young girls?) The daughter was whining about how she didn't want the gate attendant to touch her underwear, and the mom was going on and on to anyone who would listen about how ridiculous the whole thing was, and how violated her daughter felt. Unfortunately, she then decided my mother was the right audience for her very loud and very abrasive venting session. After a while, my mom said very politely, "Well, at least it's better than the alternative." The other woman looked at her with something between horror and indignation and answered, "Oh no! I certainly don't think so." Even at 11 years old, I was thinking, "Hmm, so you'd rather get blown to bits than have a TSA agent touch your tighty-whities?"
Anyway, you would think this woman would have realized my mother was not sympathetic to her point of view, but that wasn't the case. She continued to complain about the indecency of it all, and how traumatized her poor daughter was about the whole thing. (Mind you, I'm pretty sure this daughter was at least college-aged, though my young age could have made her seem older.) My mom finally smiled and said, "Your daughter must lead a very small life."
Well, that was it. The woman started yelling at her, telling her "well if that's what you think, you can just get out of line, no one wants you here..." and the dad turned around to glare at us as well. I'm sure my brother had no idea what was going on—he was only 8 and was probably distracted by something shiny on the floor—but I remember looking away uncomfortably and seeing a man sitting in the waiting area. He smiled, looked at us, and said, "Thank you." We didn't get out of line; the lady got the hint and stopped complaining, and no one punched us (which the dad appeared to be contemplating). And Mom, I don't know if you saw or heard that other man, but I'm pretty sure every other person at that gate was grateful to you for getting that woman to finally shut up.
And that's it! At the time it was uncomfortable, and there was a 30-second window where I was afraid I was going to see my mother get assaulted, but today it is a very funny story to tell. And whenever I overhear someone complaining loudly (and obnoxiously) in a public place, I like to turn to my mother and say, "She must lead a very small life." And we both crack up.
So, Mom, what do you think? Is my 11-year-old memory accurate?
Next week's topic is pretty easy and casts a wide net of possibilities: Share an old trip. This can be anything: A domestic or international trip. A long or short trip. A trip you took last year or a trip you took when you were 9. You can share pictures, tell us a story or two, or do both. Have fun with it!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Three-day weekend minutia.
My three-day weekend, according to my Instagram pictures:
Saturday highlights: I made my first trip to the Southside branch of the Santa Fe Public Library, which was the only one I hadn't yet visited. It is so nice: big, lots of windows, plenty of comfy seating, few visitors and a beautiful children's room. Unfortunately, it's also the farthest out of the way. Of course. I also visited a French cafe at the fashion outlets that a family friend had recommended. The food was too expensive for me ($12 for quiche? I don't think so), but I could afford a pastry and an iced vanilla latte. Yum! I also hit up a couple stores at the outlets to take advantage of the Memorial Day sales. My favorite purchase? A BCBG dress I thought was on sale for $29 but rang up as only $15. Score! Overall, I biked 18 miles to visit all these places. I thought I would be super-sore the next day, but I'm pleasantly still unaffected! Maybe I'm getting my cycling legs.
Sunday highlights: I spent the morning watching Law & Order and working on graduation presents (sorry I'm so late, Mizzou friends!), then I headed down to Albuquerque for a minor-league baseball game in the evening. The Isotopes won, 11-9, and there were fireworks after. I also got a pretty sweet picture with Homer Simpson:
Monday highlights: Today was reserved for more Law & Order (I'm on season two of the original show) and more graduation-present progress. I also biked down to the Plaza in the afternoon to take some pictures. I really haven't taken many real pictures with my camera in Santa Fe, and I figured a holiday was the perfect opportunity to blend in with all the camera-toting tourists. Check back Wednesday for those pictures; I don't want to make this post too long. :)
How was your Memorial Day weekend? Did you get to celebrate our soldiers with a day off from work today? And, of course, thank you to all the men and women who have served our country, whether in the military or otherwise!
Saturday highlights: I made my first trip to the Southside branch of the Santa Fe Public Library, which was the only one I hadn't yet visited. It is so nice: big, lots of windows, plenty of comfy seating, few visitors and a beautiful children's room. Unfortunately, it's also the farthest out of the way. Of course. I also visited a French cafe at the fashion outlets that a family friend had recommended. The food was too expensive for me ($12 for quiche? I don't think so), but I could afford a pastry and an iced vanilla latte. Yum! I also hit up a couple stores at the outlets to take advantage of the Memorial Day sales. My favorite purchase? A BCBG dress I thought was on sale for $29 but rang up as only $15. Score! Overall, I biked 18 miles to visit all these places. I thought I would be super-sore the next day, but I'm pleasantly still unaffected! Maybe I'm getting my cycling legs.
Sunday highlights: I spent the morning watching Law & Order and working on graduation presents (sorry I'm so late, Mizzou friends!), then I headed down to Albuquerque for a minor-league baseball game in the evening. The Isotopes won, 11-9, and there were fireworks after. I also got a pretty sweet picture with Homer Simpson:
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| I actually wasn't allowed to watch The Simpsons growing up, but now I've met Homer! :) |
Monday highlights: Today was reserved for more Law & Order (I'm on season two of the original show) and more graduation-present progress. I also biked down to the Plaza in the afternoon to take some pictures. I really haven't taken many real pictures with my camera in Santa Fe, and I figured a holiday was the perfect opportunity to blend in with all the camera-toting tourists. Check back Wednesday for those pictures; I don't want to make this post too long. :)
How was your Memorial Day weekend? Did you get to celebrate our soldiers with a day off from work today? And, of course, thank you to all the men and women who have served our country, whether in the military or otherwise!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Summer Book Challenge: Week 4
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| Photo via Alexandru Jigovan |
- Nova @ My Seryniti —80
- Heather @ A Cupcake Love Affair —75
- Sarah @ Books, Jeans, and Awesome — 70
- Cristina @ Bonjour, Je M'appelle Cristina — 70
- Momma Sunshine @ Cross-Stitching Diva —65
- Stacey @ Stacey's Daze — 60
- Jessica @ Sweet Green Tangerine —50
- Jen @ Grown in Southern Ground — 50
- Joslin @ Joslin as Mrs. Williams —45
- Erinn @ It's the Journey — 40
- Megan @ Semi-Charmed Kind of Life (host) — 40
- Amy @ Delightful Witticisms — 35
- Jessica @ Eternally Enlisted — 35
- Abby S. on Goodreads — 35
- Pinar @ Pinuccia's World of Books — 35
- Jenna @ Cannery Row Reads — 25
- Becky Ingle — 20
- Darlene @ Darlene's Book Nook — 20
- Hannah — 20
- Lindsay @ Lindsay in Progress —15
- Book Dragon @ Book Dragon's Lair — 15
- Amanda @ Amanda's Weekly Zen — 15
- Rebecca @ Garrulous and Bookish —15
- Sarah @ The Roaring Twenties — 10
- Katrina @ Elements of Fun — 10
- Patty @ Pitter from Patty — 10
- Jessica @ Random Thoughts — 5
- Erin J. on Goodreads — 5
- Amanda @ Words From My Heart — 0
- Amanda @ Down to Sanity — 0
- Kevin @ The Blog of the System — 0
- Tina @ Like Ordinary Life — 0
- Caroline @ Carenpants — 0
- Michelle @ The True Book Addict — 0
- Angie @ Angels are Kids and Furkids — 0
- Gabs @ Novel Ideas — 0
- Jennifer S. — 0
- Jo @ In Which We Start Anew — 0
- Laura Swan — 0
Happy birthday, blog!
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| Cupcake via Hummingbird Bakery |
Friday, May 25, 2012
Birthday cuteness, round two.
I know, I know. My sister and I are adorable. But we were even more adorable in 1992? (looks like Mom waited a while to label these photos). And again, look how Abby (right, giggling at the thought of being an only child again) delights in making me (left, seemingly attempting to strangle myself) suffer.
My dad e-mailed me this photo just a few minutes ago—I'm assuming because he saw my post earlier today—so you can thank him for the opportunity to be exposed to this cuteness. :) Happy birthday again, Abby! And happy weekend to all my lovely readers.
My sister, my friend.
Today is a very special day. Twenty-four years ago on May 25, my wonderful older sister was born! We are less than two years apart, so we have (almost) always been very close. The best thing about our relationship is that despite our age and the fact that we did so many of the same sports and activities in high school, we were never competitive. She was always very supportive of me and I of her. So here's to you, Abby. I love you! :)
I wish I had some pictures of us in our youth gallivanting about with our adorable blonde bowl cuts and Amish prairie dresses, but alas, the pictures I can glean from Facebook will have to do:
Edited to add: My dad saw this post and e-mailed me some pictures of us in our younger days; check them out here.
I wish I had some pictures of us in our youth gallivanting about with our adorable blonde bowl cuts and Amish prairie dresses, but alas, the pictures I can glean from Facebook will have to do:
Edited to add: My dad saw this post and e-mailed me some pictures of us in our younger days; check them out here.
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| She taught me how to read (many years before this picture was taken, obviously) ... |
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Just throw it in the bag.
Jessica over at Lovely Undergrad did a lovely post the other day on what's in her purse, and I thought that would be a fun and quick post to share with y'all. In fact, this is the picture I took the other day when I couldn't find my camera cord and so posted about my new image policy instead. This is what I took out of my purse after a regular weekday at the office:
Book of the moment: The Catcher in the Rye. I usually have two books in my purse just in case, but I had finished We Need to Talk About Kevin that day at lunch and already returned it to the library.
Bike commute essentials: Gloves for windy days (my hands sometimes get chilly in the morning) and sunglasses to protect my eyes from pesky bugs.
The necessities: My wallet, which my sister got me a few years ago for Christmas and I absolutely adore. In addition to the cute colors, it says "I love you" in several different languages. My keys and garage-door opener to get in and out of my apartment, a pack of gum and, of course, the ubiquitous chapstick.
My planner, Moleskin notebook and a nice pen.
For emergencies: Two Band-Aids in case I get blisters and a hair elastic for days I think I can wear my hair down and then realize: Who am I kidding? I hate having hair in my face.
And finally, I still have some Rwandan francs that I took out of my wallet but haven't exchanged yet. The bills are just hanging out in my purse's inside pocket.
What's in your bag? If you've ever done a post like this (or plan to do one), please leave your link in the comments so I can check it out!
Edited to add: I found a "what's in your bag" link-up on May 25 and decided to join in on the fun. Check out Glitter and Gloss to see the other entries!
Edited to add: I found a "what's in your bag" link-up on May 25 and decided to join in on the fun. Check out Glitter and Gloss to see the other entries!
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