Saturday, November 29, 2008

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Rambles while wandering around Fall

Now that it is dark by 430 everyday, I have plenty of time to email everyone. Don’t even get me started about the whole time change thing.

I truly love this time of year. It is by far my favorite. I have forgotten how vibrant the trees in the Midwest are. I really missed the Maple trees. When I was little (in Nebraska) playing in the leaves was always a blast and we never had a shortage of them. Besides the excellent scenery, you also have the best weather. I like how it is warm but the air is crisp. Makes for great football and local festival weather. Then you have all the great food found at the festivals and orchards. You would think that I would be sick of cider but I enjoy going to the orchard to pick up fresh apples and newly pressed cider. Don’t forget the corn-mazes and bonfires too.

Now when you look around all you see are the signs that fall is over. Santa is at the mall, dark when you go/return from work, you are stuck running at the gym instead of the trails, and that brown grass and trees. Sigh…. Things will be kinda blah till the first snowfall. And thanks to climate change, I may have to migrate north to see the white stuff.

Other news….. My nephew is a month old and the two older siblings are doing well and adjusting. My mom and dad went to visit for Halloween. I don’t know who enjoyed it more, the kids or grandparents. My parents survived some construction at the house. No more chimney and hello new wall with fab window. Only sad part is now the kids won’t have a chimney to hang stockings (by kids I include myself,my bro, and wife lol) Dad will have to rig something up.

Work is going well. I like all the tech stuff in a warped way. Don’t worry, I haven’t turned into one of those odd/hide in the dark tech people. I took the semester off to adjust to new job and the fact I had transfer because the school I was at lost their accreditation in MO, but will be back in Jan.

Roomie is leaving for Hawaii in the Spring. Now her ‘days are limited’. I think that is to just get her way. LOL But on the upside, I will have a new place to visit. Her family has offered and it would be rude not to take advantage of it. 

Christmas plans are still up in the air. Was going to head to Vegas for New Years or Chicago for xmas. Everyone around is changing plans so I am going to wait and see what happens. I think I will aim for Prez Day vacation to go on a holiday. Hopefully the airlines will agree with me.

FYI—as of today gas is only 1.82 gallon. Gotta love it!! What will I do with all my extra gas money!?!?!?!

Let me know how you are and I will post new pics soon!!
Take care and go enjoy some Wassail.
Lisa

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Random Pics


At Springfield Cardinal Baseball Game.




In KC at Art Museum and then Rho's 'cousins'


Bday Fondue Party


SpringBreak 08 Fishing Trip

Sept Update

Hope you are enjoying your pre-fall activities!!

The last four days been really nice fall rainy weather. But the last few days I have been sick. Don't know if it is a nice cold or allergies. Hopefully this weekend I get over it. I figured since I am stuck inside, might as well catch up on some emails.

Work has been really busy, but in a different way then I was used to before. End of September and October I have a bunch of state reporting I have to do... plus the regular stuff. I rarely see anyone... mostly just phone calls and emails from people needing help.

Labor weekend was really nice. My sis-in-law is doing really great.... she is due mid-October but I don't think she will last that long. They are having a boy... Nathaniel

We shopped with the kids, biked/played in the park, & did some exploring in the towns near by on the Mississippi. On the way home we stopped at this huge Amish colony... bought some cool stuff. Seriously good cheese, breads, and summer sausage.

I haven't up North for awhile and forgot about how Northerners act... sometimes in peculiar ways.

But the cops were extremely thick. Saw over 12 in an hour. Actually got pulled over. But I was going faster earlier in the day. The officer said the windows of my mom's car was too dark...whatever. They gave me a warning and no my good looks didn't get me out of the ticket--- i was still in my PJ's. :)

Will post pics ASAP.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

crazy fans




Euro 2008... another reason to watch soccer

EuroCup is my fav event. Yes the world cup is great but I like the smaller eurocup.

1. The fans... chants, crying, anger, and joy.... thousands of them become one big family
2. excuse for straight men to dress up and put makeup on.
3. why is it that the italians always have sweaty long hair and facial hair... dutch are bald... the french look like someone kicked their dog...etc...
4. my only non-food french word i know.... henry... 'on-ree'

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Fondue

Fondue nite!!

The girls and I went to fondue for my bday. We went for dinner and ended up staying there for 4 hours. The we walked around downtown and hit a coffeeshop for tea and Hot Choc before going home. It was funny cause we actual made it home by 1 am and all of us were beat. The next day we met up for brunch. It was a great 48 hours. Kim got me this cool fruit bouquet. Rho treated us to dinner and gave me a great bracelet from hawaii and other treats. That along with the flowers and other treats... my day was nice. Except for the aging thing!! lol

yipee

I have had a busy week. Last week I was applying for jobs and accidently emailed the wrong person about a position. however he saw my resume and offered me a summer position as a Grad Assistant. He actually hired me without letting HR know he was looking for someone....lol So I start there tomorrow. Could last a week or a month. But it will a nice bit of cash.

Secondly... I was called into an interview for a job that I didnt apply for. They saw my resume and thought i would be a good fit for a job at the district. This position is handling SIS for the entire district. I was the last interview at 3pm and they called me at 8am with a job offer. The money is the best I have seen in the area. They actual start me out at the 7yr rate versus other districts who start you at the bottom. it is a 10.5 month but the yearly pay is actually more then I was making in Utah and with a shorter contract. So yipee for me!!! So I start... pending the board signing off on it at the end of July.

Since things happen in threes... i am either getting my hair cut or playing the lotto while my good luck is running!!!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Its my bday

Another year... yipee!! It was raining today so it was pretty low key. On the high side I found a new market that holds all of my foreign food fetishes..... choc bisquits check.....italian orange soda.... check.... Indian curry and breads..... check.... scottish shortbread check..... gelato check. I would go on and on but you get the point. So even though it was rain soaked I was able to see a lil ray of sunshine in this market. Now I have to add more minutes to my workout to justify the added treats! LOL

My roomate just returned from hawaii bearing gifts and treats. Thank goodness. I have been kinda bored and have been cleaning too much. Summer is here and I am so excited. I have posted all the activities on the calendar and have got all the hiking trails mapped out. We even made our 'to do' list. They include: canoeing, hiking, lake, watch soccer, art fest downtown, keep herb garden alive, etc.. We also mapped out some day trips so we don't get travel-antsy .Our pool is open so that will be some added fun... plus we can watch all the eye candy walk by. lol

House sitting in the Wilds

You would think that a weekend of housesitting would be easy as pie. A few cats a dog and flowers to tend to. But alas the animals decided to gang up against me. Here is quick recap:
1. giant snapper turtle gets on porch then attacks Lisa as she tried to take him to field on shovel. Neighbor saw Lisa being a shrieking girly girl and came to help

2. can decides to bring bird into house for dinner. Except for baby bird is still alive and scawking

3. around midnite animals going crazy. Go to find out why and see that enormous toad is hopping around the house. Trap it in den and cat helps me get it out. Dog was afraid of it and ran away.

4. attempted to make croissants from scratch... one batch did not rise but were flakey other batch was large but not flakey

5. my painting project went well, even though the cat kept wanting to 'help'

6. garden... no problem. And my portable herb garden is still alive!!

I should have charged more.... oh wait I did it for free... lol

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Monday, March 31, 2008

Flooding and tornado


Tornado



Raindrops keep falling on my head

It is one of those Mondays that you just want to curl up with a good book and some hot tea/cocoa while watching the rain. But I am here at work and have prep first period. So rather then doing something productive like my paper that is due this week, I rather email you all. lol

Well it is raining yet again today. So that means flooding in some areas since we are not dried out from the last rains. Lucky for us Easter was dry-ish. So my niece and nephew were able to get outside a bit. I took the two kids on a nature hike in the woods... it was their first ever. Loads of fun but my nephew likes to boulder.... freaked me out since he is only 6 and i couldn't figure out how the heck he could get up so fast.

They also helped me drop off my recycles at the nice center here in town. A retired teacher came up to us and I thought.. oh what did we do wrong. But she went up to the kids and told them how proud she was of them for helping me. I guess she overheard the kids helping me divide everything properly. My niece is the anal one.... and she is good at this type of thing.

I will post some pics ASAP.

Not much else this month.I am working on a presentation about environmental education in schools. It has been really fun and distracting me from my loads of other homework. I can't believe it is April. I hope the weather will have some sunny days soon. The garden is still too wet to plant anything.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 PASSIONS
America’s Greatest Love Stories

1 CASABLANCA 1942
2 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939
3 WEST SIDE STORY 1961
4 ROMAN HOLIDAY 1953
5 AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, AN 1957
6 WAY WE WERE, THE 1973
7 DOCTOR ZHIVAGO 1965
8 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
9 LOVE STORY 1970
10 CITY LIGHTS 1931
11 ANNIE HALL 1977
12 MY FAIR LADY 1964
13 OUT OF AFRICA 1985
14 AFRICAN QUEEN, THE 1951
15 WUTHERING HEIGHTS 1939
16 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN 1952
17 MOONSTRUCK 1987
18 VERTIGO 1958
19 GHOST 1990
20 FROM HERE TO ETERNITY 1953
21 PRETTY WOMAN 1990
22 ON GOLDEN POND 1981
23 NOW, VOYAGER 1942
24 KING KONG 1933
25 WHEN HARRY MET SALLY… 1989
26 LADY EVE, THE 1941
27 SOUND OF MUSIC, THE 1965
28 SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, THE 1940
29 OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, AN 1982
30 SWING TIME 1936
31 KING AND I, THE 1956
32 DARK VICTORY 1939
33 CAMILLE 1937
34 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 1991
35 GIGI 1958
36 RANDOM HARVEST 1942
37 TITANIC 1997
38 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 1934
39 AMERICAN IN PARIS, AN 1951
40 NINOTCHKA 1939
41 FUNNY GIRL 1968
42 ANNA KARENINA 1935
43 STAR IS BORN, A 1954
44 PHILADELPHIA STORY, THE 1940
45 SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE 1993
AFI is a trademark of the American Film Institute. Copyright 2005 American Film Institute. All Rights Reserved.
46 TO CATCH A THIEF 1955
47 SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS 1961
48 LAST TANGO IN PARIS 1972
49 POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, THE 1946
50 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE 1998
51 BRINGING UP BABY 1938
52 GRADUATE, THE 1967
53 PLACE IN THE SUN, A 1951
54 SABRINA 1954
55 REDS 1981
56 ENGLISH PATIENT, THE 1996
57 TWO FOR THE ROAD 1967
58 GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER 1967
59 PICNIC 1955
60 TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT 1944
61 BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S 1961
62 APARTMENT, THE 1960
63 SUNRISE 1927
64 MARTY 1955
65 BONNIE AND CLYDE 1967
66 MANHATTAN 1979
67 STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, A 1951
68 WHAT'S UP, DOC? 1972
69 HAROLD AND MAUDE 1971
70 SENSE AND SENSIBILITY 1995
71 WAY DOWN EAST 1920
72 ROXANNE 1987
73 GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, THE 1947
74 WOMAN OF THE YEAR 1942
75 AMERICAN PRESIDENT, THE 1995
76 QUIET MAN, THE 1952
77 AWFUL TRUTH, THE 1937
78 COMING HOME 1978
79 JEZEBEL 1939
80 SHEIK, THE 1921
81 GOODBYE GIRL, THE 1977
82 WITNESS 1985
83 MOROCCO 1930
84 DOUBLE INDEMNITY 1944
85 LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING 1955
86 NOTORIOUS 1946
87 UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING, THE 1988
88 PRINCESS BRIDE, THE 1987
89 WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? 1966
90 BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, THE 1995
91 WORKING GIRL 1988
92 PORGY AND BESS 1959
93 DIRTY DANCING 1987
94 BODY HEAT 1981
95 LADY AND THE TRAMP 1955
96 BAREFOOT IN THE PARK 1967
97 GREASE 1978
98 HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, THE 1939
99 PILLOW TALK 1959
100 JERRY MAGUIRE 1996
AFI.com
©2002 American Film Institute

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Vday count down

I love thee... let me count thy ways. Blah Blah Blah
In preparation for Valentines Day I have decided to spurge some very romantic moments. Don't take me wrong... i have had some special Vday moments but honestly I have had more not on Vday. Who needs the stress of overpriced flowers and cheap candies and crowded restaurants?!?!?! Singletons unite... lets take down cupid!! Enjoy and get it out of your system before the big day.

From Love actually. Someone sent me the last part as a lovely email one time.... ahhhhh



Learn how to kiss.... hollywood style



According to Bollywood


the expert.... jane austen




Lisa's Romantic Movies & Dreamy Men
Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Paul Newman, Hugh Grant, Mr. Darcy, Colin Firth, Robbie Williams, David Beckham, James Bond

Pride & Pred, Bridget Jones, Ever After, Any Jane Austen, Love Actually, Love & Lyrics, any on the top 100 list,

Saturday, January 12, 2008

BBC obsessions

Footballers wives




Dr WHO



Monarch of the Glen
Series intros.... and montage of LEXIE & Archie



Robin Hood

Wednesday, January 2, 2008