A Roommate's Influence

Since moving out of my mom's house at the age of eighteen, I've had sixteen roommates (not including summer projects). While anyone can tell you that living with a roommate can be a great learning and growth experience, what I've noticed is that many of the things I think, do, or like I do so because of a roommate's influence. I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and see just what kind of an impact they've had on me. Because of roommates, I:

• know how to stretch my pants before I put them in the dryer so they don't shrink
• think being a vegetarian is a good thing
• know how to fold fitted sheets
• believe that Democrats and Republicans can actually live together and get along (and Christians and atheists for that matter ;-)
• have seen every episode of Buffy & Angel more than once and can sing along to the musical episode
• own all available seasons of Friends & Bones and know that getting a random quote via text can brighten my day
• value getting up a little earlier to read my Bible and pray
• realize that "eye, pirate, snake" can also mean I.R.S. 
• am aware that one way to conserve water is to follow the motto "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down."
• am still watching Smallville in its 10th and final season
• wrap my sandwich in a paper towel before I put it in a sandwich bag so that I always have a napkin
• can play scales on the piano
• know that I love bulgogi and Chapagetti but not kimchi (I also know that kimchi is SUPPOSED to smell and should not get thrown out just because it stinks)
• can find my pulse on my wrist (seriously could not do this before)
• can tolerate watching Project Runway. No wait, I still can't do that
• am hooked on Grey's Anatomy
• know what the Millennium Falcon is
• believe Arrested Development should have had more than three seasons
• can't eat a candy cane without evaluating whether or not the curved part really does taste different
• think every trip to Disneyland should include as many silly hat pictures as possible

These are just a sampling of the infinite ways that I am different because of all my wonderful roommates. Thank you all for making me such a TV junkie! Really though, I am so thankful for each and every one of you who have put up with my idiosyncrasies and chore charts and helped make me who I am today. I dedicate this post to you.

Jackie, Jenna, Leah, Tracey, Krista, Beth, Katie, Melissa, Tania, Celia, Laura, Dustin, Mark, and Sharn - I love you all! 

A city where anything can happen

According to Jay-Z, "In New York, concrete jungles where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can't do." There is a certain magic to New York City that gives one a sense that anything can happen. I feel blessed to have spent two years living there and grateful for wonderful friends who let my husband and me crash on their couches now when we come to visit.

On Labor Day, Michael and I were looking for something to do and discovered that much of New York City shuts down for the holiday. We didn't let that stop us though. Our friend Celia suggested a visit to MoMA PS1, and fortunately the museum was actually open, so Michael, Celia, Laura, and I headed out. As soon as we arrived, our olfactory senses were overwhelmed by a strong scent of baking bread. It smelled like a delicious combination of french bread and cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven. Walking through the museum, we would occasionally be in a room with open windows or a stairwell, and the smell would just waft in suddenly. Mmm... We wondered where the source could possibly be and how we could get our fill of this tasty treat. Was it the museum café? At the end of our tour, we checked the café to no avail. On our way out, Laura plucked up the courage to ask a museum security guard if he knew the source of the smell. In response, he vaguely motioned to a direction behind us. We headed the way he pointed and tried to follow our noses, but canines we are not. As we approached a gas station, we lost the trail (go figure). Again Laura, ever the brave and undaunted one, asked for help. The woman working in the gas station booth, sitting in her tiny cube behind bullet-proof glass, was only too happy to help. She knew exactly what we were looking for, and she came out from her place of safety to point out the exact building where the bread was baking, telling us that she stops for bread there every morning. Hooray! We could almost taste victory. 

We crossed the street and began circling what looked like a large brick warehouse with a sign indicating it as the home of International Delights. That sounded good, right? However, there did not seem to be any kind of store front or public entrance. How did that woman buy her bread here? Undismayed, we decided to ring a bell outside the only door that seemed like an entrance. A surprised man opened the door and looked at us questioningly. We tried to ask him about the bakery, if there was a place where we could buy bread. He did not speak very much English but offered the word "manager," which we quickly jumped at for surely a manager could help us. We followed the man up a flight of stairs and through a set of double doors into a large space where people wearing hairnets were pushing baker's racks. We definitely found the source of the smell, but how were we supposed to buy bread? This was clearly a factory not a retail bakery. Our foreign friend returned and told us the manager was busy. We tried asking again where we could buy the bread. The man motioned for us to wait a moment, walked away, and returned with a box. He handed it to us, but when we tried to pay, he replied, "No money, no money." As we walked back down the stairs we thanked him profusely. Once outside, we peeked in the box and found a dozen freshly baked, delicious smelling banana nut muffins. Score!

Laura, Celia, and Michael showing off our International Delights (Queens)

Other highlights from our New York City weekend getaway:

Washington Square Park, which was under construction when I left last May (Manhattan)

Michael, Celia, and Laura enjoying the "art" at MoMA PS1 (Queens)

Playing frisbee in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)

Visiting The High Line, a newly built park in Chelsea (Manhattan)

A busy barista

I have so much to share from the last week and a half.

I've been wanting a second job since subbing can be irregular, so I applied around town and found one at Target. I went in for an interview on Wednesday, March 3rd, was hired that day, and went to orientation on Thursday. I trained as a cashier on Friday night and spent the rest of the week training at Starbucks, which is where I will mostly be working. That's right, I'm finally a barista ;) It's been a whirlwind of a week since then as I still took several sub jobs, tried to keep up with marathon training, and prepared for out-of-town guests who came this weekend.

I knew I needed to be flexible this week. On Monday, I subbed and then worked at Starbucks until 9:30pm, but I was committed to fitting in a run, so I went out for 2 miles when I got home that night. I decided to go for 4 miles on Tuesday to make up for it, and since I only subbed and was free that afternoon, it worked out well. On Wednesday, I had the morning free, so I went for the scheduled 4 mile run and then worked a 4-9:30 shift at Starbucks. I was pretty tired and sore (especially since I haven't gotten around to getting those new shoes I need), but I was happy with myself for staying dedicated. I worked both jobs on Thursday, but on Friday I only subbed in the morning. Since I knew my friends would be arriving on Friday evening, I moved my long run up a day. I spent some time in the afternoon shopping and cleaning the house in preparation. By the time I got out for my run, I was worried that I wouldn't be back before my friends arrived, so I cut it a little short, not by too much though (7.3 miles instead of 8). It was really tough only having the one rest day, but I survived and learned that flexibility and mental will power will be key to getting through this program. Positive self-talk is SO important to accomplishing anything in life. It's like that poster I see in so many classrooms: Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.

My training schedule was supposed to be
Monday 4 miles
Tuesday 2 miles
Wednesday 4 miles
Thursday off
Friday off
Saturday 8 miles

My actual runs
Monday 2 miles
Tuesday 4 miles
Wednesday 4 miles
Thursday off
Friday 7.3 miles
Saturday off

With all my running out of the way, I was free to enjoy the weekend. Four of my old roommates from New York drove out to visit Michael and me. We took them to Columbus' famous Schmidt's Sausage Haus in the German Village for dinner Friday night. We had good food and a great time. We ordered three of their acclaimed cream puffs to go, as we couldn't pass them up but were too stuffed to eat them then. On Saturday morning we went to the North Market to walk around and ate breakfast at Taste from Belgium (mmm, yummy waffles!). Since it was a gloomy, rainy day, Michael and I decided to take our guests to the Franklin Park Conservatory as we heard it was a good rainy day activity. In addition to the beautiful plants and indoor landscaping, they have a great collection of Chihuly artwork throughout the conservatory, and we really enjoyed the outing.

I unfortunately had to work a six hour closing shift Saturday night, so Michael played host alone. They went to see Alice in Wonderland, ate an Irish meal in downtown Dublin, and enjoyed Jeni's ice cream for dessert. I don't know how it happened or who decided it would be a good idea, but after only four training shifts under my belt, I was left alone from 5:30 to close on a busy Saturday night. I don't think I messed up anybody's drinks, and I think I cleaned everything the way I was supposed to before I left, which is the most they can probably expect from me at this point.

Sunday morning, we just took a walk down to the Olentangy river (about a mile from our house) with Polo, and then finally enjoyed those cream puffs before everyone piled back in the car to drive back to the city. Despite the fact that the week may seem hectic, I loved it. I really like the new job and was thrilled to spend some time with great friends.

Sunday Night In

We've been having really laid back weekends lately. On Saturday, we had some friends and their dog over in the afternoon. The pups ran around the backyard tiring each other out, the boys watched the Indiana basketball game, and the girls chatted in the kitchen, oh so stereotypically. Then the four of us played, but didn't finish, Trivial Pursuit. Michael and I actually went out for dinner that night, which we haven't done in nearly a month. We had a two for one coupon for Spagheddie's, which is a much cozier place than expected. The food was so-so, but it was a good deal :) After our typical Sunday routine of church followed by grocery shopping, I took Polo for a nice five mile jog. I have to take advantage of as many sunny days in the 20's and 30's as I can before the weather turns bad again. I baked oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries, and then Michael and I watched the Grammy Awards while playing another round of Trivial Pursuit. Polo tried to join Michael's team but was of little help in answering any questions.

Circleville Pumpkin Show

I really enjoy a good festival or fair, and Ohio seems to be full of them. Circleville, OH (population about 14,000) is home to the largest pumpkin festival in the U.S., so of course we went to check it out last Saturday. After being tempted by the largest pumpkin pie I've ever seen,we went to see this year's winner for biggest pumpkin (1,635lbs) and the traditional pumpkin tree.

There was a man who grew pumpkins in a steel mold that was created in 1903 for the specific purpose of making face shaped pumpkins. There are apparently only two in the world, and he has them both.
One of the day's highlights was the pumpkin pie eating contest. Michael was disappointed that it was only for kids under 16. The winner for the girls was the defending champion from 2008. Her whole family came from North Carolina for the festival, and her younger sister (or cousin?) came in second. No one felt badly for the girl from Michigan (go figure) even though she put her whole heart and face in it, literally.
Check out these HUGE pumpkins!!
Not at all pumpkin related, but the army and air force was recruiting at the festival. As I couldn't do a pull-up or even hold myself up for 30 seconds, they weren't interested in me.
If you're in Ohio next October, you should be sure to check out this classic.

Autumn time fun

I have always enjoyed autumn. In Arizona, it meant the end of 100 degree days and 90 degree nights. In New York, it meant the brilliant colors of the changing trees in Central Park. It means Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the build up to Christmas. This year I celebrated the beginning of fall by an apple-picking trip with some friends. We went to Lynd farm, about 40 minutes east of Columbus, and picked Jonathon and Cortland apples.


And because one of the best parts about autumn is the great food, I made a roast turkey breast with stuffing and mashed potatoes for dinner earlier this week. Last night, I used some of the leftover turkey and the apples I had picked to make a turkey pot pie and an deep-dish caramel apple pie.

Mmmm! Coming soon: pumpkin soup

Columbus Crew

This week I read Literacy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack. I picked it up from the library because the main character is a major bookworm, so I thought I could relate, but I really didn't like it. The characters were flat and/or underdeveloped and the plot just wasn't that interesting. I also read Stephen King's Misery though and loved it. Even though I typically prefer literary fiction over commercial fiction, I thought the book was better than just a suspenseful page-turner. It also had deeper, philosophical elements to it that I found intriguing. I'm also looking forward to renting the movie.

I had lunch with two of my new girlfriends on Friday at Mimi's, which was lovely. On Saturday Michael and I joined three other couples for a potluck dinner at one of their homes, and then we all went to a Columbus Crew (soccer) game. I had never been to a professional soccer game before and didn't think I would enjoy it, but I had a great time. Columbus doesn't save all its spirit for the Buckeyes, there was a great crowd cheering on the Crew to their 2-0 victory against FC Dallas.

our own Columbus crew after the game

4th of July in Dublin

Who knew little Dublin, OH would have so much going on for the 4th of July? Michael discovered that Boyz II Men would be here in concert with the Four Tops at Dublin-Coffman High School to celebrate July 4th. My very first concert that I remember going to was a Boyz II Men concert in Phoenix in (I believe) 1991 or 1992. They have had so many hits and were so popular that I had a hard time believing they would be coming to perform at a high school in this small suburb of Columbus. To top it all off, the concert was free! We were sure that the place would be packed, but we showed up about 30 minutes before they were to go on and found great seats in the bleachers. The stage was set up on the football field and people could buy tickets to sit at tables on the field, but everything else was fair game. We went with Matt (who is Mike's friend from IU and also got a job in Columbus) and his wife Kristen.

We were really impressed that after 20 years and being short one member of the original group, Boyz II Men was still quite good. We truly enjoyed the concert and felt rather nostalgic singing classics from our junior high and high school days. The Four Tops, who have replaced three of their original members, performed second, and though they are possibly a more classic Motown group, we all prefered Boyz II Men and thought they should have been the highlighted act instead of the openers. After both performances, there was a terrific fireworks display. Though it couldn't rival the New York fireworks on the East River that we watched last year, it was still a great show.

Dim Sum & The Other Boleyn Girl

This past Friday, for the Finer Things Club, a group of twelve of us went to Oriental Garden for Dim Sum. It was a crowded table but fun times. Waitresses came by with trays and carts of various dumplings and other tasty items, and we picked whatever looked good.

Celia and I enjoyed trying to pick up slippery items with slick plastic chop sticks. It was good practice.

Phoebe, Dustin, and Mark shared items on their side of the table and practiced the art of pouring tea for each other. It's customary in Chinese culture to pour tea for others. When someone pours tea for you, you should tap your first two fingers on the table to say "when" and as a way to say "thank you."

Rebecca brought her son, Deston. He was totally adorable playing with chopsticks.


Dustin posed with one of his favorite TV characters outside of a Bubble tea place we went to after lunch.

After Bubble tea, a few of us girls went to see The Other Boleyn Girl. I read the book recently and really enjoyed it. As I watched the movie, I felt disconnected, as if the movie I was seeing did not correspond to the book I read. Sure, they both told the story of Mary and Anne Boleyn and their relationships with King Henry VIII, but the stories felt different. The tone and focus of each was so different, that I had a hard time appreciating the film. The performances by Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman were good. I just don't think Peter Morgan wrote a very good screenplay. Granted, it is difficult taking over 700 pages of material and cutting it down for a 2 hour film, but I think the important part of writing a good screenplay is staying true to the characters and theme of the original book. I just don't think The Other Boleyn Girl did that. But, if you haven't read the book, you'll probably enjoy the movie much more.