Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, all!


This weekend was amazing.  I finally had a much needed break from school and was able to act my age.  Here's a little summary of my fall events:

Mount Unpleasant can be pleasant sometimes.

Pumpkins were carved, seeds were roasted.

Zombie run: post-apocalypse photo-op.

Nick's family and I were able to sneak a nice walk in after the run before we spent some much needed time with his grandparents.  These are all from their backyard out on the p.  I missed the fall colors back home this year, or so I thought.  I finally had time to relax, breathe, and appreciate the little details; the colors of fall are hidden all around us, not just in the trees.

This little guy somehow made it through our mitten hurricane!

I love my home.

Finally, a night out with friends and the boy

Also this weekend, I made some serious progress on my bag!  To my dismay, however, I bought some necessary supplies from JoAnn's and the very next day my coupons came in the mail.  But anyway, I hand-sewed the liner, blocked, and then stitched the liner in this weekend.  I am beyond happy with the results!  I love what blocking can do!  My advisor/professor is a wonderwoman (makes everything from scratch: yogurt and cheese from her goats, lotion/tinctures from the herbs in her garden, spins yarn sheered from her own sheep...) and she is going to help me attach the strap.

All I need is a sweet button!

I hate to admit it, but I'm hibernating from the trick-or-treat-ers.  I've got hotel, flight, and conference confirmations to print/label/organize into my little travel folder; packing lists to make; professional outfits to arrange...  Ahh!! I don't feel ready!  I may be a big girl, but traveling alone has given me more anxiety than classes.  I just need to make some lists, organize, and I'll be fine.

Hopefully I can update soon after the conference!  Until then!

monday madness.

I'm coming up for air!

Mondays I am on campus for, ready for this, 11 hours.  8am advanced nutrition, 12pm nutrition education, 2pm quantity purchasing (lame), SDA meetings at 5:30, with some study time in-between.  Did I mention that four of those hours are spent in the same room, two classes back-to-back?

The past 6 days I have been a gestational diabetic.  Before you freak out, I'm not actually pregnant.  For our 570 class we have to role play for a project to teach us empathy.  If you are diabetic, I applaud you for your (hopefully) great glucose control on top of your daily routines!  We are required to check out a glucometer, follow a strict diet typical of a gestational diabetic, and monitor our blood glucose 5 times a day.  This entails pricking my finger when I wake up, before I eat lunch, after, before I eat dinner, and after, all while eating three sensible, low-sugar, moderately low-carb meals and a snack every 2-3 hours.  Don't even think about that cider you just bought. This sounds all wonderful, eating a lot, but wow, I have to eat a lot.  I HAVE gained weight, along with irritability.  I am being graded on my adherence to the diet which means those donuts we bought at Papa's Pumpkin Patch, off limits.  Boo diabetes.  Did I mention NO WINE?!?

But, alas, my last day is tomorrow and I can go back to eating my way.  I learned that I have amazing internal regulation.  I have forced myself to eat when I'm not hungry, a big no-no in most situations, just to avoid losing points on this project.  My body so does not want three bid meals with snacks.  I like my prolonged breakfast in the morning, small lunch, snacks mid-afternoon... you get the idea.  I'm proud of my body!  I may tend to binge a little at night if we buy too many tempting snack foods, but I'm otherwise great at listening to what my body needs.  Thank you, FNS 577!

I decided to sneak home before my meeting tonight; I'm in charge of fund-raising for FNCE and I need to go approve the artwork for the t-shirts I created.  I have a lot of work to get done this and next week, but after that it should be smooth sailing!  10 days until Boston!  193 days until graduation!  AND I'm officially registered as a zombie for the race this weekend, which I convinced my favorite professor and his wife to participate in!  Nothing like meeting the proff at your favorite bar, right?

Here is a cool link, just to stir some envy.

Other note-worthy things: visited a pumpkin patch with a good friend, carved, and baked pumpkin seeds, devoured pumpkin donuts and cider (finally!)... not much else, unless you want the gory details of my studies.

I think I see some sunshine peaking out... I'm off for a quick bike ride to clear my head then back to the grind!

sundays are for...

reflection.

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this." 

 

- Henry David Thoreau

NSFW

This is how I feel (sorry, but this week calls for profanity):

It seems I need a pick-me-up this week so here is a compilation of what is keeping me going.

 Two good ways to use the t-shirt yarn I made: One, Two

Boston:  FNCE is right around the corner

http://squid37.blogspot.com/

Color

And this dog: come on, he's hilarious.

Here's to a better week.

thinking of better times...

It's been madness here.  I am at a loss for words to describe the stress, anxiety, exhaustion... you get the idea.  This week is hell (which had a hellish week build-up just to prepare).

So.  Here are some photos of happier, free-er times.  I went home end of september-ish and I got a new bike!  Woo!!  Holy-moly, about time.  Killer deal too.  Yesterday I got my police registration in the mail. :)

My dad also got a new set of wheels.  He updated his Wrangler with an additional  3" lift and snazzy new black rims.  I need a boost to get it, it's hilarious and awesome at the same time.

 

That's all for now - lame post, I know, but MAN, have I stressed enough how busy I am?  I'm pretty sure I can only talk about metabolic pathyways until Friday.

I'll post if I survive.

'tis the season for...

Good music.

Music has seasons.  The summer was nice, love you chill wave, but now it's time to revert back to something a bit more solid.

These past few weeks Grizzly Bear has come out, Modest Mouse, and when I think fall soundtrack I think Nick Drake.


I started knitting a hat with more yarn from my stash.  A fun tri-colored cord and then a simple gray wool from Clayton, NY.   Here come the memories!

An impromptu family reunion of the fella's was held a couple summer's ago in Clayton, NY.  First time meeting his brother and grandparents!  His mom and I went to a fiber arts museum and their shop had some great local yearn.  I picked up two skeins, one of which - the gray wool - was a first sheering from an alpaca down the road!

The Thousand Island region is absolutely gorgeous - we plan to buy one of the islands someday.  I've been eyeing this place.   The geological history is amazing; I was fascinated by the landscape!

 

Along the St. Lawrence Seaway, there is the Boldt Castle.  A wealthy man (proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria New York, among many other hotels) and his family spent summers here in the late 1800's.  The large, prominent structure in the front of the photo below was built for the children - completely wooden interior, built like a big tree house with a bowling alley in the basement.  After his wife's death, the place sat for 73 years.  In 1977, the state of New York bought the island for ONE DOLLAR.  All tourism proceeds go towards restoration of this massive castle.  The place was beautiful, but touristy. 

Boldt Castle

The "power house"

Most rooms were under renovation

Best Coffee in Clayton!

That was a fun trip down memory lane!  I love buying yarn when I travel, stow it away for a while and when it's time to use it, memories flood back.

Happy knitting/cooking/etc.

rainy saturday morning

Happy October!  Before you start reading, head over to Gorilla vs Bear and begin the playlist, starting with Diplo's remix of Deerhunter's new track, Helicopter.  Perfect and hypnotic for that cup-o-joe and catching up on this week's happenings around the blog world.

I stumbled upon a cookbook Ikea helped publish, “Hembakat är Bäst,” (Homemade is Best), found on NOTCOT.  Oh. My. Goodness.  They had some fun with this one.  Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

 

I need this book.  Please, and thank you.

My stumblings brought me to this gem as well.  Yay, bananas and art work!  I love seeing creativity and food mingling, get voting!

 I'm torn between 5 (K and muscle/nerve regulation... clever), 7 (banana phone, anyone?), and 8 (just plain awesome.

 I couldn't help but notice a striking resemblance between this shirt and #2:

Between school and work, and more school, I've forgotten about my FNCE countdown!  In 34 days and 2 hours, I will be on a plane headed non-stop to Boston MA for the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo!  Not only is this my first trip to Boston, but my first (hopefully not the last) opportunity to attend the American Dietetic Association's largest get-together.  I'm extremely excited to be surrounded by professionals of the nutrition trade and pick the brains of company's, like sponsor's Coke and the Corn Refiner's Association of America.  Not to mention all the free swag!!!  As I said, I've never been to Boston.  Any suggestions?

As I type, my family is on their way down for the football game, so I better do that shower thing and try to get some studying done.

You better be checkin' the changing leaves, it only comes once a year.