Between my last season of rowing, graduating from college, buying a house, getting married, starting my first post-college job, Gearry business-deal-gone-bad and him starting a new (and better) job, the craziness of the holidays and Hillary’s wedding, 2007 was… well, tiring!
Here’s to hoping 2008 will move at a slightly slower pace… glacial, if I have my choice. I know life is always a little crazy, but 2008 doesn’t really hold any major changes (God-forbid!) or milestones, as far as I can see. Lots of the same ‘ol, same ‘ol, and that’s OK with me… I’m ready for a break! I will probably be sleeping most of the month of January, so forgive me if I fail at any attempt to be social. Trust me: a non-sleepy Stacey is a much friendlier Stacey.
Hillary’s wedding went really well. I don’t have any pictures, of course, but hopefully will get some posted once I steal them from other people. It was an exhausting weekend, but well worth it. The ceremony went off without any problems, the reception at Brookside Country Club was great, and the after-party Hillary’s parents hosted at their house was a lot of fun. Chris and Hillary headed off to the Caribbean very early the next morning; they sent a picture of themselves on their cruise ship just a couple hours after Gearry and I made it back to Indiana!
I was so glad to get to spend 3 days with Gearry, something that doesn’t happen too often. Gearry was a great usher, doing pretty much anything anyone asked of him with a smile on his face. He was a huge help, and – despite the crazy running around – the wedding weekend was a good getaway for the two of us. We may take a small 3-4 day vacation in March, but our next “big” vacation (somewhere warm & beachy with a few of our couple-friends) won’t be until the end of August or beginning of September, so little weekend getaways like this are nice.
Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year’s celebration. I don’t really celebrate when it comes to New Year’s, because I am never with Gearry, and it’s just not the same. I guess I need a New Year’s kiss to be happy ;) Gearry has worked all but one New Year’s Eve the 7 years we’ve been together… on the few that he may have been available I was in Tampa, training with the rowing team (which is where they are now… all warm and stuff… lucky). This year I was in bed by 10 pm… I figured 2008 would still come in without me, and I was right!
I started my new flex-schedule this week, which is going to take some getting used to, but is also very nice. Four 10-hour days, Monday-Thursday, instead of five 8-hour days, Monday-Friday. It makes for some loooooong weekdays, but it is definitely worth it. I am already so so so excited that this Friday I will be able to spend the entire day with Gearry! We’re declaring it a “robe day”: Spending the entire day in our robes, watching movies, eating, napping, just being incredibly lazy and not even answering the phone. Yes, I see many happy Fridays in our future.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
A Very Merry Young-Caudell Christmas
Christmas has already come and gone... incredible!
Going on a severe lack of sleep over the last few days, I don't think I am going to force myself to sit here and write down every detail of the holiday. But I will say that it was wonderful getting to spend time with all of my family, and I'm sad that it is already over with. Gearry had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas, so I didn't get to see him nearly as much as I wanted to, but we tried to make the best of our limited time together. It was the first time I didn't wake up in my parents' house on Christmas morning, but waking up in my own house with Gearry was a pretty cool feeling.
I hosted Hillary's bachelorette party in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, and it turned out great. I think everyone had a great time... I know I did, despite being very nervous about how everything would turn out. There were about 9 girls, including Hillary and me, and we started the night at O'Shaugnessy's Public House, a great restaurant where I actually asked Hillary to be my Maid of Honor a couple years ago! After dinner we headed back to the hotel where I'd booked a room for all of us and enjoyed some games, cake and beverages, and Hillary opened her gifts. Around 11:00, we finally headed out for the night, hitting up Mynt Ultralounge, where I had arranged for a little VIP service. We had a roped off section where we could sit and chill and some champagne waiting for us upon arrival. We went to the club for Hillary's birthday back in October and she loved it, so I knew it'd be a hit. We all crawled into bed relatively early -- we were asleep before 2:00 -- the sign of a crazy but good night.
Monday and Tuesday flew by in a rush of Christmas festivities, and now I'm already thinking about this weekend, the big wedding! Gearry and I leave for Ohio tomorrow... I am working 12-hour shift today so that I can get out of here early tomorrow, and tonight is going to be filled with laundry, packing and -- hopefully -- a nice, long run to relax a bit. Lots and lots of stuff to do! I'm excited for Hillary and Chris, though, and excited that Gearry and I actually get to spend three days together, even though it's going to involve quite a bit of running around. I'm happy to do it, though. Hillary has been such a good friend... she deserves the best!
Ahhhhh, crazy crazy crazy! I will update next week when I get back from Ohio and things are all settled once again. If I don't make it before New Year's, have a very happy end of 2007 and an even happier beginning of 2008!
Going on a severe lack of sleep over the last few days, I don't think I am going to force myself to sit here and write down every detail of the holiday. But I will say that it was wonderful getting to spend time with all of my family, and I'm sad that it is already over with. Gearry had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas, so I didn't get to see him nearly as much as I wanted to, but we tried to make the best of our limited time together. It was the first time I didn't wake up in my parents' house on Christmas morning, but waking up in my own house with Gearry was a pretty cool feeling.
I hosted Hillary's bachelorette party in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, and it turned out great. I think everyone had a great time... I know I did, despite being very nervous about how everything would turn out. There were about 9 girls, including Hillary and me, and we started the night at O'Shaugnessy's Public House, a great restaurant where I actually asked Hillary to be my Maid of Honor a couple years ago! After dinner we headed back to the hotel where I'd booked a room for all of us and enjoyed some games, cake and beverages, and Hillary opened her gifts. Around 11:00, we finally headed out for the night, hitting up Mynt Ultralounge, where I had arranged for a little VIP service. We had a roped off section where we could sit and chill and some champagne waiting for us upon arrival. We went to the club for Hillary's birthday back in October and she loved it, so I knew it'd be a hit. We all crawled into bed relatively early -- we were asleep before 2:00 -- the sign of a crazy but good night.
Monday and Tuesday flew by in a rush of Christmas festivities, and now I'm already thinking about this weekend, the big wedding! Gearry and I leave for Ohio tomorrow... I am working 12-hour shift today so that I can get out of here early tomorrow, and tonight is going to be filled with laundry, packing and -- hopefully -- a nice, long run to relax a bit. Lots and lots of stuff to do! I'm excited for Hillary and Chris, though, and excited that Gearry and I actually get to spend three days together, even though it's going to involve quite a bit of running around. I'm happy to do it, though. Hillary has been such a good friend... she deserves the best!
Ahhhhh, crazy crazy crazy! I will update next week when I get back from Ohio and things are all settled once again. If I don't make it before New Year's, have a very happy end of 2007 and an even happier beginning of 2008!
Friday, December 21, 2007
7 Great Medical Myths Revealed
I found this interesting article on MSNBC and thought I'd share, since these are myths that seemed to get passed around a lot (I thought at least 4 of them were true)...
LONDON - Reading in dim light won’t damage your eyes, you don’t need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won’t make the hair grow back faster.
These well-worn theories are among seven “medical myths” exposed in a paper published on Friday in the British Medical Journal, which traditionally carries light-hearted features in its Christmas edition.
Two U.S. researchers took seven common beliefs and searched the archives for evidence to support them.
Despite frequent mentions in the popular press of the need to drink eight glasses of water, they found no scientific basis for the claim.
The complete lack of evidence has been recorded in a study published the American Journal of Psychology, they said.
The other six “myths” are:
Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight
The majority of eye experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it may make you squint, blink more and have trouble focusing, the researchers said.
Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser
It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say. But stubble lacks the finer taper of unshaven hair, giving the impression of coarseness.
Eating turkey makes you drowsy
It does contain an amino acid called tryptophan that is involved in sleep and mood control. But turkey has no more of the acid than chicken or minced beef. Eating lots of food and drink at Christmas are probably the real cause of sleepiness.
We use only 10 percent of our brains
This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.
Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death
This idea may stem from ghoulish novels. The researchers said the skin dries out and retracts after death, giving the appearance of longer hair or nails.
Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals
Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.
The research was conducted by Aaron Carroll, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, and Rachel Vreeman, fellow in children’s health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine.
LONDON - Reading in dim light won’t damage your eyes, you don’t need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won’t make the hair grow back faster.
These well-worn theories are among seven “medical myths” exposed in a paper published on Friday in the British Medical Journal, which traditionally carries light-hearted features in its Christmas edition.
Two U.S. researchers took seven common beliefs and searched the archives for evidence to support them.
Despite frequent mentions in the popular press of the need to drink eight glasses of water, they found no scientific basis for the claim.
The complete lack of evidence has been recorded in a study published the American Journal of Psychology, they said.
The other six “myths” are:
Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight
The majority of eye experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage, but it may make you squint, blink more and have trouble focusing, the researchers said.
Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser
It has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair regrowth, studies say. But stubble lacks the finer taper of unshaven hair, giving the impression of coarseness.
Eating turkey makes you drowsy
It does contain an amino acid called tryptophan that is involved in sleep and mood control. But turkey has no more of the acid than chicken or minced beef. Eating lots of food and drink at Christmas are probably the real cause of sleepiness.
We use only 10 percent of our brains
This myth arose as early as 1907 but imaging shows no area of the brain is silent or completely inactive.
Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death
This idea may stem from ghoulish novels. The researchers said the skin dries out and retracts after death, giving the appearance of longer hair or nails.
Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals
Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.
The research was conducted by Aaron Carroll, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, and Rachel Vreeman, fellow in children’s health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The Holidays Are in Full Swing
It doesn't matter how old I am... I love the holidays! Despite the stress and hustle and bustle (all of which I try to eliminate as much as possible) there are great times to be had.Last Tuesday, Bailey and I spent the evening at Carly & Parman's apartment making gingerbread cookies! We set out to make gingerbread people, but I had some issues locating our gingerbread person cookie cutter, so we ended up settling for Christmas trees. They turned out great! We enjoyed some pizza while the dough was chilling, then had a good time cutting, baking and decorating with frosting and sprinkles. I took the cookies to work the next day to share with my department and they got rave reviews! I'm not the world's greatest baker, so I'll credit Carly & Parman with the success. Bailey loved the cookies, too, but that's not surprising. I shared a few little bits with him, which is how I got him to sit so attentively for this picture:
On Thursday, Gearry and I set out to start and finish all of our holiday shopping. Yeah, yeah, I know, kinda last minute. But it was a success, mostly, as we didn't have all that much to purchase this year. We have a couple more things to pick up later this week. After shopping we went out to dinner, capping off a pretty fun date night.On Friday, Gearry and I attended my office Christmas party at the new-ish Hilton in downtown Bloomington. I love the people in my department... most of them are around my age, so we make work as fun as possible. We talked about the party all day at work, like it was prom or something. "What are you wearing?" "How are you doing your hair?" "What time are you guys going to get there?" Fortunately, it didn't disappoint. It's hard to fail with the 3 D's... dinner, dancing, and lots of drinks! Afterwards a few of us headed over to Nick's, one of our favorite bars, for a nightcap and conversation, and I ran into some rowing friends. Just a great night.
This week should be pretty uneventful, until the weekend. Hillary's bachelorette party that I've been planning for a couple months now is this Saturday, Dec. 22nd. I have to volunteer on Saturday morning, but as soon as I can I'll be on the road to Ohio. It's so hard to plan something from this much of a distance, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out! I'm not sure if Hillary reads this blog or not, so I won't share any details, just in case. But I'll provide a full update upon my return!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Happy Day on the Horizon
Tomorrow is Thursday, which is quickly becoming my only truly happy day of the week, as I actually get to spend some time with Gearry! I’m going to come into work as earlier as possible so that I can leave as early as possible, so that I can maximize Stacey & Gearry date night! We’re planning on enjoying some jazz and grub at Jazz at the Station, since they’ve been begging Gearry to come in and eat since he left. I got to stop in and check the place out a couple weeks ago while Gearry picked up his last check, and it was gorgeous. It’s located in an old train station (hence the name) and still has the beautiful old hardwood floors and detailing. Low light, live jazz, very romantic.
Other happy news: I am finally finally finally getting a road bike! After talking about it all summer and sadly realizing I needed to funnel my money into other things (like, uh, bills?) at the time, it never happened, and I was pretty bummed since I had been keying myself up for a sprint triathlon. But now that Gearry is working and things are back on track, I decided to start looking for a nice entry-level bike. I told pretty much everyone I saw, in case someone knew about a gently-used one I could look into. Low and behold, all that yakking to everyone served me well, because I found out my friend Carly was interested in selling her OCR 3, since she never rode it much. It has low mileage and she took good care of it, so I’m pumped! I’m looking forward to picking it up next week, although it kind of stinks that it is December and I can’t do a ton of riding for the next couple months (although I have lots of warm spandex and under-armour, so don’t be surprised if you see be spinning around in the frigidness!). But at least I’ll be ready for next season and hopefully spend some of the weekends taking on some sprint tri’s!
And, Kath, since I know you are reading this as you take a well-deserved break from your horrendous graduate school applications, may I remind you once again that I am having dinner with Afra tonight? Okay, just wanted to make sure you hadn’t forgotten. Thanks. (I love you, Kath!)
Other happy news: I am finally finally finally getting a road bike! After talking about it all summer and sadly realizing I needed to funnel my money into other things (like, uh, bills?) at the time, it never happened, and I was pretty bummed since I had been keying myself up for a sprint triathlon. But now that Gearry is working and things are back on track, I decided to start looking for a nice entry-level bike. I told pretty much everyone I saw, in case someone knew about a gently-used one I could look into. Low and behold, all that yakking to everyone served me well, because I found out my friend Carly was interested in selling her OCR 3, since she never rode it much. It has low mileage and she took good care of it, so I’m pumped! I’m looking forward to picking it up next week, although it kind of stinks that it is December and I can’t do a ton of riding for the next couple months (although I have lots of warm spandex and under-armour, so don’t be surprised if you see be spinning around in the frigidness!). But at least I’ll be ready for next season and hopefully spend some of the weekends taking on some sprint tri’s!
And, Kath, since I know you are reading this as you take a well-deserved break from your horrendous graduate school applications, may I remind you once again that I am having dinner with Afra tonight? Okay, just wanted to make sure you hadn’t forgotten. Thanks. (I love you, Kath!)
Monday, December 3, 2007
Gotta Love Those Dave & Rae Fridays
Friday was definitely one of my favorite days of 2007 (minus that whole wedding/honeymoon thing… heh heh). Stebby came in from Ohio, along with her friend Colleen (not the same Colleen from IU that I usually talk about), for a night out in B-Town and some Dave & Rae! If you haven’t heard me talk about Dave & Rae before: #1 That is surprising, and #2 They are pretty much the greatest cover band ever. Yeah, cover band, but still. They do a little bit of everything from Journey to Vanilla Ice to Oasis to John Mellencamp, and they definitely made for a lot of crazy nights during my years at IU (or at least the years I was old enough to get into the bars!). Over time, Stebby’s antics have managed to gain us VIP status, so it is always a good time when Stebby gets invited up on stage to dance or sing, or when we all hang out with the band. They are definitely not world famous, by any means (maybe famous in B-Town? maybe not), but we get excited like little groupies because we have so many great college (and now beyond) memories attached to their performances. And Gearry got to go with us thanks to his new schedule! My friends are big Gearry fans… what can I say?
So, Friday was excellent. There are so many pictures, but I never have them. We used Stebby’s camera, so if I can ever force her into posting them, I’ll put a few up. After hitting up the fabulous Carly & Parman residence for some homemade lasagna, garlic bread and salad, our group migrated over to the Bluebird and had a blast at Dave & Rae, crawling into bed at some outrageous hour in the morning. Unfortunately, I had to be up at 7:30 on Saturday to volunteer. Yuck. I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed and make it to the animal shelter on time. I psyched myself up with the thought of a nap in the afternoon, only to realize I didn’t have time since I had to meet a group of co-workers at 1:00 to go to another co-worker’s holiday open house/craft bazaar. It all worked out, though, because we had a good time, and I made it home by 6:00 p.m., and found the bed shortly thereafter. I’m pretty sure it was the second night that week that I was in bed by 6:30 p.m. Sad, but true.
There are lots of little things going on this week, but nothing major. Tonight I have to run up to Greenwood after work to pick up my bridesmaids dress for Hillary’s wedding, but I’m literally driving there, picking it up, and driving right back, no pit stops, no shopping. I’m on a savings and investing mission ;)
Gearry is doing great. He loves his new job. He’s a good leader, despite his quiet nature, so I think he’s settling in nicely. I’m happy for him, except that I never see him (our schedules are pretty much opposite of each other), so this is taking some getting used to. I’m at work when he leaves for work, and I’m in bed when he gets home from work. This doesn’t really have anything to do with the drive (which he has already mastered, thanks to a shortcut, down to 41 miles and 50 minutes), but just with the fact that our normal routines totally butt heads. I look forward to our Thursday and Friday evenings together, but it’s not nearly enough. I am considering working a flex schedule Monday-Thursday, so that I have Fridays off to be with him. But that means working until 6 p.m., Monday-Thursday, rather than my current 7:30-3:30 or 8:00-4:00. Gotta weigh out the options…
Josh is entering his “dead week” at Purdue, with no classes this week so that he can prepare for finals next week. (Wow, I am so glad not to have that anymore!) I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he has a productive week of studying and nails all of his exams!
So, Friday was excellent. There are so many pictures, but I never have them. We used Stebby’s camera, so if I can ever force her into posting them, I’ll put a few up. After hitting up the fabulous Carly & Parman residence for some homemade lasagna, garlic bread and salad, our group migrated over to the Bluebird and had a blast at Dave & Rae, crawling into bed at some outrageous hour in the morning. Unfortunately, I had to be up at 7:30 on Saturday to volunteer. Yuck. I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed and make it to the animal shelter on time. I psyched myself up with the thought of a nap in the afternoon, only to realize I didn’t have time since I had to meet a group of co-workers at 1:00 to go to another co-worker’s holiday open house/craft bazaar. It all worked out, though, because we had a good time, and I made it home by 6:00 p.m., and found the bed shortly thereafter. I’m pretty sure it was the second night that week that I was in bed by 6:30 p.m. Sad, but true.
There are lots of little things going on this week, but nothing major. Tonight I have to run up to Greenwood after work to pick up my bridesmaids dress for Hillary’s wedding, but I’m literally driving there, picking it up, and driving right back, no pit stops, no shopping. I’m on a savings and investing mission ;)
Gearry is doing great. He loves his new job. He’s a good leader, despite his quiet nature, so I think he’s settling in nicely. I’m happy for him, except that I never see him (our schedules are pretty much opposite of each other), so this is taking some getting used to. I’m at work when he leaves for work, and I’m in bed when he gets home from work. This doesn’t really have anything to do with the drive (which he has already mastered, thanks to a shortcut, down to 41 miles and 50 minutes), but just with the fact that our normal routines totally butt heads. I look forward to our Thursday and Friday evenings together, but it’s not nearly enough. I am considering working a flex schedule Monday-Thursday, so that I have Fridays off to be with him. But that means working until 6 p.m., Monday-Thursday, rather than my current 7:30-3:30 or 8:00-4:00. Gotta weigh out the options…
Josh is entering his “dead week” at Purdue, with no classes this week so that he can prepare for finals next week. (Wow, I am so glad not to have that anymore!) I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he has a productive week of studying and nails all of his exams!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
I am Cursed!
I make teams lose. That's all there is to it.
The men's soccer team lost to Bradley in the second round of the NCAA tournament last night. They made it through regulation, two overtimes and into penalty kicks... and our LAST penalty kick was high. That was one silent crowd. We lost to BRADLEY?! We're a powerhouse, Bradley is kind of an... underdog? That wasn't supposed to happen. But, when I'm in the crowd, it always seems to.
No national championship this year :(
The men's soccer team lost to Bradley in the second round of the NCAA tournament last night. They made it through regulation, two overtimes and into penalty kicks... and our LAST penalty kick was high. That was one silent crowd. We lost to BRADLEY?! We're a powerhouse, Bradley is kind of an... underdog? That wasn't supposed to happen. But, when I'm in the crowd, it always seems to.
No national championship this year :(
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
If at First You Are Frozen and Miserable... Try, Try Again!
Sunday afternoon I headed to campus with my friends Carly and Parman to take in Round 3 of the NCAA women’s soccer championship. It was the first time IU’s women had ever made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the tournament. Unfortunately, it was also the stopping point of a very successful season, as they were defeated by Duke, 2-0. Perhaps even more unfortunately, it was absolutely freezing, growing colder as the minutes passed by. And the rain that had started as a simple nuisance became a downpour, soaking us to the point of misery. Yet we hung in there, at least until 10 minutes left to go. With the Hoosiers down by 2 and our teeth chattering, we hated to bail but our shivering bodies demanded it. We stopped for a tasty dinner at Siam House, complete with hot (well, lukewarm) green tea, but I still didn’t warm up until over an hour later when I got home and stood under the hot shower water for about 20 minutes.
This evening we are going to try again, heading over to Armstrong Stadium to cheer on our men’s soccer team in Round 2 of their NCAA championship tournament. It is still quite chilly today, but it is forecasted to be dry, which makes an incredible world of difference. You better believe I will be there, complete with gloves, hat, wool socks, and scarf. In addition to my other clothes, of course ;) Mom is joining Carly, Parman and me, so it should be a fun evening. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Hoosiers, who have won many NCAA Championships, the latest in both 2003 and 2004, I believe. GO HOOSIERS!
This evening we are going to try again, heading over to Armstrong Stadium to cheer on our men’s soccer team in Round 2 of their NCAA championship tournament. It is still quite chilly today, but it is forecasted to be dry, which makes an incredible world of difference. You better believe I will be there, complete with gloves, hat, wool socks, and scarf. In addition to my other clothes, of course ;) Mom is joining Carly, Parman and me, so it should be a fun evening. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Hoosiers, who have won many NCAA Championships, the latest in both 2003 and 2004, I believe. GO HOOSIERS!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I am so...
... sleepy. It's been a long weekend. A great one, but a long one.
... content. Again, the great weekend thing. Lots of time with my favorites, and no work stress.
... a little sad. IU women's soccer lost to Duke today in the third round of the NCAA tournament, and the men's basketball team got whooped on by Xavier last night. Come on, Hoosiers.
... grateful. For many things, but chiefly among them that I am sitting here warm and dry (after a very very very cold and wet time at the IU women's soccer game) with Bailey cuddled up next to me, watching Grossman make a fool of himself -- as usual -- as the Bears take on the Broncos.
... proud. Of Gearry. He loves his new job. I can't believe the level of responsibility he has. He's the right guy for the position. He's amazing, and I know he's going to keep on kicking butt.
... content. Again, the great weekend thing. Lots of time with my favorites, and no work stress.
... a little sad. IU women's soccer lost to Duke today in the third round of the NCAA tournament, and the men's basketball team got whooped on by Xavier last night. Come on, Hoosiers.
... grateful. For many things, but chiefly among them that I am sitting here warm and dry (after a very very very cold and wet time at the IU women's soccer game) with Bailey cuddled up next to me, watching Grossman make a fool of himself -- as usual -- as the Bears take on the Broncos.
... proud. Of Gearry. He loves his new job. I can't believe the level of responsibility he has. He's the right guy for the position. He's amazing, and I know he's going to keep on kicking butt.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
What a Holiday Weekend!
I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I could drone on and on about this weekend, because it was basically fabulous, but I'll try to keep the update to a minimum. Try is the key word here.
Wednesday - I got off work around 3:00 on Wednesday, not to return until this coming Monday. Excellent! I miss all those mini-vacations you get with school! I packed up my stuff and Bailey and I headed down to Mitchell. It was nice spending some q-time with Mom, Dad & Josh. Mom took Bailey for a walk around Spring Mill while Josh and I ran trails. I was wearing longsleeved underarmour and long running tights, and Josh was running in shorts and no shirt. Go figure. Josh took me on some killer trails... I run a lot, but running steep, curvy and slick trails is totally different than road running. It was a good workout, and we didn't get shot by any deer hunters, which was my biggest fear, so I guess it was good experience all-in-all. Gearry got off of work pretty late and I met him at his parents' house, where we spent the night. It was the first time Gearry and I have ever spent the night together in his parents' house, so we got a kick out of it. We're dorks, what can I say. We are perpetual little kids.
Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving! Gearry had to work, not untypical for someone in his profession, so we hung out with his parents in the morning, stopped by his grandparents' to say hello, and then headed out to Cheryl & Larry's, where my family was having Thanksgiving dinner. Gearry had about five minutes to grab some turkey & mash before heading out to work. Dinner was great; it's always fun catching up with everyone. Jerry & Karen's daughters, Kaylee and Kylee, are so cute and always entertaining. They are Josh's number one fans, hands down, so it was funny to watch them hanging all over him all afternoon. They are definitely smitten.
Post-dinner, we headed home and I think I slept for at least 2 or 3 hours on the couch. And I don't even eat turkey, which is the thing that is supposed to make you sleepiest! I did eat roughly a ton of rolls, corn and mashed potatoes, so it's no wonder my body was begging for sleep! Bailey and I finally packed up later in the evening and headed back to the lake, after making a pit stop at the Caudells' and hanging out for a bit. Gearry's nieces were there, and they got a big kick out of Bailey. He loved all the attention, as usual.
Friday - Gearry and I slept in! As of late, this NEVER seems to happen, at least not together. Our schedules are just so different. And on my days to sleep in, I seem to do silly things, like sign up to volunteer bright and early at 8:30 a.m. Nevertheless, Bailey was strangely cooperative (he must have been tired from all the action the day before) and we actually made it until 11:30. It was amazing and much-needed. We took Bailey for a walk around the Pointe, went for a run, and then got ready to go out for the evening. We had dinner and drinks and watched some football at Scotty's Brewhouse (loving it as Arkansas beat LSU), walked over to the square to catch some of the downtown Bloomington holiday lighting ceremony (so pretty... why didn't I take pictures??!) and then parked ourselves at Coaches to watch the IU men's b-ball game vs. Illinois. It was late and we were pretty pooped by that time, so we only stayed for the first half. IU was playing pretty badly, so I am glad to say we did come out with the win in the end. Something just seemed off... but hopefully they'll get it back together! They are definitely one of the best teams we've had in years. I like how all the good teams seem to skip my time in college.
Saturday - Happy Thanksgiving again! Today we celebrated T-Day on Mom's side of the family, at Aunt Sharon & Uncle Steve's in Heltonville. I had to volunteer at the shelter this morning, so upon my return I got ready in a hurry and we headed over to the Nolan homestead. There are a lot of ways to get there through the country from here, and Gearry thought it would be a good idea to try a different one. Needless to say, roughly 40 minutes later we finally found our way there, after seeing some very interesting southern Indiana scenery and a whole lot of cows. The afternoon was so much fun! I looooove my family, what can I say? And I thought it was really nice that they put together a special salad (with no bacon), stuffing (with veggie stock) and green beans (no bacon grease) just for me. I don't ever expect anyone to cater to me, because pretty much everyone else eats meat and I don't want anyone to go out of their way, but it was so nice of them. The meal was great, the company was great, and being with Gearry was great, since he rarely has a Saturday off and very rarely gets to go to any family events. When we got home we spent a little time with Bailey and then promptly passed out for a wonderful three hour nap. Now we're just hanging out until it's time to once again head back to bed. Wonderful laziness!
Alright, so that was my weekend, even though it is not quite over yet. Tomorrow Gearry has to head back to work :( But the time with him these last couple days was awesome, so that is OK. Plus, he loves his new job (who wouldn't love running an outfit of West Baden's caliber?) and is probably ready to get back in there.
I'm meeting my friends Carly & Parman in the afternoon to go to the IU women's soccer game at Armstrong Stadium and cheer on our Hoosiers... they have made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and IU is the lucky host.
Wednesday - I got off work around 3:00 on Wednesday, not to return until this coming Monday. Excellent! I miss all those mini-vacations you get with school! I packed up my stuff and Bailey and I headed down to Mitchell. It was nice spending some q-time with Mom, Dad & Josh. Mom took Bailey for a walk around Spring Mill while Josh and I ran trails. I was wearing longsleeved underarmour and long running tights, and Josh was running in shorts and no shirt. Go figure. Josh took me on some killer trails... I run a lot, but running steep, curvy and slick trails is totally different than road running. It was a good workout, and we didn't get shot by any deer hunters, which was my biggest fear, so I guess it was good experience all-in-all. Gearry got off of work pretty late and I met him at his parents' house, where we spent the night. It was the first time Gearry and I have ever spent the night together in his parents' house, so we got a kick out of it. We're dorks, what can I say. We are perpetual little kids.
Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving! Gearry had to work, not untypical for someone in his profession, so we hung out with his parents in the morning, stopped by his grandparents' to say hello, and then headed out to Cheryl & Larry's, where my family was having Thanksgiving dinner. Gearry had about five minutes to grab some turkey & mash before heading out to work. Dinner was great; it's always fun catching up with everyone. Jerry & Karen's daughters, Kaylee and Kylee, are so cute and always entertaining. They are Josh's number one fans, hands down, so it was funny to watch them hanging all over him all afternoon. They are definitely smitten.
Post-dinner, we headed home and I think I slept for at least 2 or 3 hours on the couch. And I don't even eat turkey, which is the thing that is supposed to make you sleepiest! I did eat roughly a ton of rolls, corn and mashed potatoes, so it's no wonder my body was begging for sleep! Bailey and I finally packed up later in the evening and headed back to the lake, after making a pit stop at the Caudells' and hanging out for a bit. Gearry's nieces were there, and they got a big kick out of Bailey. He loved all the attention, as usual.
Friday - Gearry and I slept in! As of late, this NEVER seems to happen, at least not together. Our schedules are just so different. And on my days to sleep in, I seem to do silly things, like sign up to volunteer bright and early at 8:30 a.m. Nevertheless, Bailey was strangely cooperative (he must have been tired from all the action the day before) and we actually made it until 11:30. It was amazing and much-needed. We took Bailey for a walk around the Pointe, went for a run, and then got ready to go out for the evening. We had dinner and drinks and watched some football at Scotty's Brewhouse (loving it as Arkansas beat LSU), walked over to the square to catch some of the downtown Bloomington holiday lighting ceremony (so pretty... why didn't I take pictures??!) and then parked ourselves at Coaches to watch the IU men's b-ball game vs. Illinois. It was late and we were pretty pooped by that time, so we only stayed for the first half. IU was playing pretty badly, so I am glad to say we did come out with the win in the end. Something just seemed off... but hopefully they'll get it back together! They are definitely one of the best teams we've had in years. I like how all the good teams seem to skip my time in college.
Saturday - Happy Thanksgiving again! Today we celebrated T-Day on Mom's side of the family, at Aunt Sharon & Uncle Steve's in Heltonville. I had to volunteer at the shelter this morning, so upon my return I got ready in a hurry and we headed over to the Nolan homestead. There are a lot of ways to get there through the country from here, and Gearry thought it would be a good idea to try a different one. Needless to say, roughly 40 minutes later we finally found our way there, after seeing some very interesting southern Indiana scenery and a whole lot of cows. The afternoon was so much fun! I looooove my family, what can I say? And I thought it was really nice that they put together a special salad (with no bacon), stuffing (with veggie stock) and green beans (no bacon grease) just for me. I don't ever expect anyone to cater to me, because pretty much everyone else eats meat and I don't want anyone to go out of their way, but it was so nice of them. The meal was great, the company was great, and being with Gearry was great, since he rarely has a Saturday off and very rarely gets to go to any family events. When we got home we spent a little time with Bailey and then promptly passed out for a wonderful three hour nap. Now we're just hanging out until it's time to once again head back to bed. Wonderful laziness!
Alright, so that was my weekend, even though it is not quite over yet. Tomorrow Gearry has to head back to work :( But the time with him these last couple days was awesome, so that is OK. Plus, he loves his new job (who wouldn't love running an outfit of West Baden's caliber?) and is probably ready to get back in there.
I'm meeting my friends Carly & Parman in the afternoon to go to the IU women's soccer game at Armstrong Stadium and cheer on our Hoosiers... they have made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and IU is the lucky host.
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