12.30.2006

somehow, saddam's execution fills me with more chills than relief. have we done more harm than good?

apparently, this is what *they* want for christmas:

the national zoo animals have asked both santa and John Q. Public for some toys for enrichment. they ask for kongs, so do you think they'd want any hand-me-downs from Toby? he needs to learn how to share...

12.29.2006

all i want for new year's is... a new butt.

the tradition of stealing posts from kim continues, so after some thought (not much), here is my set of fitness goals for 2007:


Joanna's Fitness Goals for 2007
  1. Fitness accomplishment - i plan on doing the catfish sprint triathlon in harrisburg in august. it's different, it's challenging, and i need something that will put me to the test again. i need something to get me back into the game. this should do it!
  2. Diet - nothing earth-shattering here. i just want to be a little more thoughtful about what/when i eat, and i'd like to spend more time in the kitchen. yeah, that's right. i'd like to make some more interesting meals and try a bunch of new things..
  3. Weight Loss - not such a huge deal for me, but i would like to drop to ~130-135. that would *feel* really good. i'm not worrying that i have to fit into a size 4 though. that's dumb. and i don't have the money to buy new clothes at a smaller size. and i like my curves. and so does chris. :)
  4. Running - enjoy it again. i must have a love/hate thing going with the sport. i think it's because i get so injured and/or burn out every single season. hopefully that'll change because, starting tomorrow, larry at brick bodies is going to help me figure out what the hell is going on with my body (super-tight hams, crunchy hips, etc, etc)
  5. Workouts - i'm going to try to get the necessary training for the tri. the nice thing about that is that it's essentially cross-training, so it'll help prevent both boredom and injury. also, once the gym's permanent site opens, i'm going to try a boxing or dance class, once a week. should be interesting.
  6. Weights and Muscle Tone - the issue here is finding a workout that works. my upper-body is fine, and the tone is great; it's the lower-body that's giving me trouble. my chronically tight hams generally cause other problems when i try to compensate, and i'm not sure how to create a lifting workout that will help rather than hurt. but, that's what larry is here for, so hopefully the leg problems will eventually be a thing of the past.
so we'll see how this goes. i'm anxious to get this started, and i think that this will be good for me in so many other areas as well.

but, i have to go. i have a dog who needs to pee.

12.24.2006

all i want for christmas is

so here i am in PA on Christmas Eve, ready to celebrate and love and be happy with my family. very nice. for some reason though, don't ask me why, all the crappy things of this year have been on my mind. at the forefront, and calling this crappy is an understatement, is losing my grandpa beatty. the fact that he isn't physically here this Christmas has hit me pretty hard, more than just a few times in the past weeks. i'm generally able to get myself to relax after a short cry, so that's good, but i realized today in church that, at times, i'm still angry about it. as much as i know that this is the way things go, blah blah blah, i still hate it that he's not here. he should be here. he's supposed to be here. that's not a very compassionate view, considering how sick and worn out his body was. in fact, it's pretty damn selfish. but, it's how i feel.

that's not to say that this year hasn't been without blessings. i think that if i hadn't been blessed with this teaching job in such a loving Christian community, getting through the grieving process would be much more difficult. the job in and of itself is a huge gift as well. as much as i grouse and get frustrated and exhausted, i love the work, and i love the kids. i'm so happy, and i love being in the classroom, this time in front of the desks instead of behind one. my niece clara also celebrated her first birthday, and i can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a lovely little girl in the family. and, to double that fun, a few months ago i found out that geoff & mia are expecting another baby girl in february. that makes two nephews and two nieces for me, and i can't get over the pure joy that these kids bring. it's something that is totally unasked for, and yet they constantly bring smiles and laughter.

and so does chris. this past year... dare i believe it's been more than a year? ~15 months, give or take a few weeks?! we never really had a "start" date anyway... but i digress. it's hard to explain the impact he's had. this past Easter was the first time i realized what kind of trouble i was in. and by trouble, i mean how deeply i could possibly love him. i didn't feel that way quite yet, and i wasn't going to dare to breathe the "L" word at all, but it occurred to me that i was sliding, and sliding fast. what put me over the top was the way he engaged his niece and nephew. i can't explain it. you had to have been there. but it was a beautiful thing to see. we worked so hard together to get through some rough spots, and we put in some major sweat to help each other move. we went to the beach with my family, spent a weekend with his family, and then did thanksgiving with the newells in atlanta.

he's in raleigh for Christmas with the flakes, and i miss him a lot right now. i hope i wasn't too maudlin about it, but i told him that i wanted so much for us to have a Christmas together. it didn't need to be on the 25th, but it would be nice just to have a morning, any morning, where we would have a lazy breakfast and exchange little tiny things together. to me, it's more about being with him on Christmas than having stuff from him on Christmas. i don't know if we'll have that when we each return to our respective homes.

all the same, i hope it happens someday. that is all i want for Christmas.

12.17.2006

a very nickish christmas VI

so this may have been version 6.0 of *a very nickish christmas,* but it was my first time. in that spirit of newbie-ness, i'd like to share the pictures that nick mason (not our host nick fry) took. unfortunately, i have yet to find a picture of the turducken...

nick and beth

mariano and jesserika and truffer

ready for the book exchangelet's paint the 90's!
the most popular book from the exchange
gettin my learn on...

apparently we all need a little schoolin in that department...brendan is down for the count...

abby and me
duff, our canine host

12.15.2006

and we lost...

so we lost our game today. we played maryvale prep, and we lost 15-11. our girls worked SO hard but we watched it slip away in the 4th quarter. it was painful to lose by only 4, especially after taking some hits and falls. i think that we have a lot of potential; of the 8 who haven't played before, there are easily 4 who are really coming through big-time. the other 4 are progressing and learning quite a lot. so i'll still say what i said on wednesday:

GO COUGARS!!!

:)

12.13.2006

go cougars!

my girls won! and by won, i mean tied! you have no idea. first of all, of our 11 girls, only 3 have ever played organized ball before. second, the 05-06 team didn't win a thing, not even tie. so, only two games into 06-07, we're already better than last year!!! those girls worked so hard and kicked some ass on defense. we held glenelg scoreless in the 4th quarter and ended the game 22-22! and the best part? as tay took a fast break up the court to tie the game in the last few seconds, our gym erupted! screaming from the parents, friends, teachers, clergy (!), and even a bunch of high school kids just exploded all over the place. it was amazing. i am so proud of them.

:)

other than that, this has been a crazy month. i just want to curl up and sleep for another month. just so you know.

12.10.2006

survey from kim

1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING? no. no comment regarding current relationship.

2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP? ~3 years

3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?
BLACK IBANEZ ELECTRIC GTAR w/AMP!!! i love my boyfriend. :)

4. EVER DROPPED YOUR CELL PHONE? so much so that i put the leather sleeve (?) around it so that it doesn't crack again.

5. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT? this morning--kim got my lazy ass out of the apt, and we ran 4 miles together, WITH toby. :)

6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON? underwear.

7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE? pasta

8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? two things--eyes and overall build

9. ONE FAVORITE SONG? hmmmm... "40," U2

10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Owings Mills, although i'm in College Park ALL the time

11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED? Cedar Crest

12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER? Verizon.

13. FAVORITE MALL STORE? Victoria's Secret

14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD? C2. i'd like to say that i hated that job, although without, i would not have met courtney (an awesome friend) or chris.

15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE? yes, but they're not fuzzy, nor do they hang from my rear-view mirror.

16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE? no

17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED? greg and leann's in november 2005

18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY? i have no idea. i bet i'd have a bunch of brand new best friends really fast though....

19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND? i hate to be cheesy, but i can really say that chris is my best friend, so that would be yesterday morning

20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT? noodles. that counts as fast food, right? well, if not, i go with sonic, even though there aren't any up here.

21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD? "i love you," circa 1999. draw your own conclusions.

Question 22? There is no Question 22. Question 22 is a figment of your imagination.

23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS? hasn't happened in a while, but at my place. i love cooking for friends.

24. CAN YOU COOK? yes

25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE? 2000 silver grand am

26. BEST KISSER? what does this mean? does this mean just from boyfriends? from random hookups that never led anywhere? imagined kisses with famous men? i guess if i had to say from experience, i can't remember. that's right, steve 1, steve 2, and derek, i have to be honest and say that i can't remember. but with chris, oh god. he sure knows how to seduce me if he wants to...

;)

27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED? yesterday

28. MOST DISLIKED FOODS? octopus, eggplant

29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF? i can be tremendously loving to people and thoroughly passionate about things.

30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF? i'm a perfectionist and tend to burn myself out.

Question 31 currently under investigation by the Bush Administration

32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB? at reznick, the 13 hour shift during tax season

33. FAVORITE MOVIE? hmm... toss-up between 'amelie,' 'big fish,' and 'the spanish prisoner'

34. CAN YOU SING? yup

35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED? one of ainsley's shows awhile ago

36. LAST KISS? chris, yesterday

37. LAST MOVIE RENTED? i have no idea

38. ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT? a sweet pair of shoes

39. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT? costa del sol, spain

Questions 40, 41, and 42 have moved to to upstate Oregon to start a free trade womyn's collective.

43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER? laptop

44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN? don't really have one.

45. DO YOU SMOKE? nope. i'd never even seen or been around or smelled marijuana until last thanksgiving (2005). i'm so sheltered.

46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES? depends on the air temperature, the season, whatever sheets and blankets are on my bed, and if there's another occupant in the bed.

47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT? technically, it'd have to be toby, but he only stays in the bed until he thinks i'm asleep, and then he jumps off.

48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK? not in my experience.

49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE? three times. the two speeding tickets sucked, but i was able to charm my way out of a ticket for expired stickers on my plates.

:)

50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST? pancakes b/c french toast is a lot easier to make poorly. for me to like the french toast, it must be made with uber-thick bread and exquisite confectioner's sugar. otherwise, no dice.

51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE? yes.

52. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS? omelette

53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY? no

54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? chris

55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST? chris

56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECIEVED? "where are you" from steve

The number 57 is a copyright of the Heinz Corporation and cannot be used without express written consent.

58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS? 4

59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? blue jeans and a blue top

60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC? "And I miss you when you're not around,/I'm getting ready to leave the ground..." ('City of Blinding Lights,' U2)

61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J? Strawberry Polaner's all-fruit. if you call it jelly again, i'll throttle you. i'm VERY picky about this.

62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL? yeah

63. CAN YOU SWIM? yeah

64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM? tin-roof sundae, although i haven't had that in quite a LONG time... mmmm....

65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS? is there a reason not to? although mapquest does suck.

66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF? i'm actually a blond. seriously. my stylist said that mine is the darkest blond that can still be considered blond. so there's your explanation for everything about me.

Question 67 was a redshirt who beamed down with Kirk, Bones, Spock, and Scotty. Never stood a chance.

68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY? yes. my favorite was the hween party kate and i had--superheroes and super-villains! i was catwoman. apparently, that was hot.

69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? late spring

70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID? today, at toby. sometimes, he's that something stupid

71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING? 6AM. and it's the weekend. i'm dumb.

72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER? the temperature b/c it strongly encourages the curling up in a blanket and drinking hot cocoa. it also encourages the curling up with someone. i love that.

73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET? this past august. thanks, chris.

The 74th question about Fight Club is "Do you talk about the 74th question about Fight Club?" And the answer is no. No you don't.

75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET? Lulu, a jet black cat who was a bad-ass.

76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED? am i allowed to be ambivalent?

77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND? well, since the weekend is over, i'll speculate on next weekend. supposedly, i'm going to
try to hit two christmas parties on saturday, and then hopefully i can grab some of the girls and have a gift-wrapping party here at the apartment.

78. BIRTHDATE 9 Nov 1979

79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE? asleep

Questions 80 through 84 concerned Scientology, and Xu'ulta (the Thetan who lives inside my body) said it was in my best interest not to respond.

85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP? yes

Question 86 has been eighty-sixed. Funny how that works out.

87. ARE YOU SMILING? no b/c i'm almost asleep, but i have to stay awake so i can pick chris up from the airport

89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW? my grandfather. it's the first christmas without him.

90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO? costa del sol, spain, with chris.

Question 91 got tired of waiting around to be answered. Stop thinking so hard and just put something down.

92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL? hells no!

93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH? um, no. 7th grade was a long time ago.

94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME? shaka khan

95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT? my hottest bikini is flourescent blue with hot green borders. i have another bikini top that's black & white floral with an all-black scoop bottom. again, kinda hot.

96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST? yes, although as a teacher, i have to be there at the START of august. :(

97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH? i don't think that driving for 15+ hours to atlanta qualifies as a vacation.....

98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE? no, but the one that i do want to do (i don't know if this qualifies as a cruise) is a weeklong sailing vacation that goes up and down the east coast. you learn all the stuff about sailing and have a gourmet chef and all that. usually, it has about five couples working together, with guidance from a small crew. i'd love that, and i know chris would too.

99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER? no, but i have a sister-in-law

100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS? technically yes, but really, no. figure that one out.

101. ARE YOU IN LOVE? no, but i do love someone, and he loves me. i think that "in love" is an indicator of infatuation than real love. but that's just me.

102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL? yes. way too many times for my taste.

103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW? duh.

104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING? a celtic cross necklace

105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY? take a nap before picking chris up at the airport

12.02.2006

the saturday let-down

in this case, i don't think it's a bad thing when i say let-down. the past three weeks have been incredibly hectic, and this is the first chance i've had to breath and relax in my recliner. it's such a nice break. i still have a lot to do this weekend, but that's okay with me. i'll get to it.

one of the best things for me has been my music. my piano is now here, so i can play all the time. i've also become a little bit more than obsessed with my guitar, and i think it's calling to me right now...it's longing for me to cradle it...

anyway, i'd been debating as to how (or even if) i wanted to decorate my apartment for christmas. as it turns out, my parents have given me a bunch of things to use, so i'm now excited and glad that i have the opportunity to set an atmosphere for the holidays. as soon as i pulled my nativity out of its box, i knew that i needed to decorate. anyhow, i have the tree (fake) set up. i just have to fluff the branches before i hang the lights and ornaments. i also need to figure out how i'm going to suspend the stockings (one for me and one for toby) from the tv cabinet, and i need to put together an advent wreath.

ultimately, when it comes to emotions around the holidays, it's always hard for me, but it ends up being worth it...since it's not really about me anyway.