Avocados and Asparagus

Amazing Grace

2009-03-14T12:05:00.003-06:00

Wow this is a powerful rendition of such a great hymn!

Boo - they disabled the embedded version. See it here
on You Tube

Christmas

2008-12-26T18:26:00.004-06:00

Christmas this year was definitely WHITE - in fact we had loads of snow. It caused a bit of hassel getting downtown on December 23rd for the Nutcracker. But it was still really a fun event. Here is me, mom, Laura, Katie, and Allison.

Now here we all are with a few of the performers. One of the funniest parts of the show was that the clown came down into the audience and was in the row right in front of us. He was danving around and then jumped down in an empty seat and BROKE the seat. I think he was a bit startled but then played it off really well. We all got a kick out of that.

I ran over that evening to see my good friend Sarah from High School who was in town from Indy. Always nice to catch up.

Christmas Eve was spent with the Richards family and our whole family. As always it is such a blessing to be with them. We had a few songs performed by the talented kids and then also sang Christmas carols for quite a while. And talking, eating, and gift exchanges also filled the day.Christmas Day my parents, Allison, and I enjoyed a nice brunch with relaxed conversation and the traditional Belgium waffles with ICE CREAM! Yum. Then we headed over to Laura's house to spend the afternoon and evening with them. By the time we remembered to take this pictures the kids were pretty ready to crash. After they were in bed the adults played GOLF - the card game - super fun!

Then today I was able to see my old neighbor Monique who moved away about 5 years ago. Her husband's family is from this area so it is nice to see them when they come in town. This was the first time I got to meet Emmett - finally! She is such an encouragement to me especially while I am job hunting and trusting the Lord to provide the right opportunity.

Milwaukee Wave Game

2008-12-17T16:01:00.002-06:00

I joined Laura, Katie, and David for the indoor soccer game field trip. It was really fun and made me want to play soccer again. David who is usually very loud was quiet as a mouse and was a bit overwhelmed with the loud cheering. Katie enjoyed the game and socializing with her little friends. Laura said "She is growing her bangs out to be like Aunt Sarah" :-)

Pre-Trib Meeting In Dallas

2008-12-11T11:12:00.000-06:00

The annual Pre-Trib meeting was again a very encouraging and intellectually stimulating time. The ladies of course also really like the socializing and those of us who stay at Kathleen's have a fun slumber party too.
In the picture: Janice, Jenna Dee, Connie V, Kathleen, Connie W, Me, Vicki, Stephanie, Mom (holding Stephanie's baby Micah).

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:58:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving this year with my family and the Weavers. Clockwise starting with me - Me, Katie, Mike, David, Laura, Stephanie, Annastasia, Dorian, Dad, Mom, Allison, Aleythia.

Scrapbooking with Tara and Rebecca

2008-11-08T13:01:00.000-06:00

A last minute but fun weekend scrapbooking. I was pretty excited to finish my college album (only 10 years late) but I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Flowers for my Birthday

2008-11-07T13:04:00.000-06:00

Kim and Autumn

2008-11-05T12:17:00.000-06:00

My friend Kim and her New baby! What a great lunch date meeting her.

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The Car Dilemma

2008-10-23T16:29:00.003-06:00

This post has been in my draft folder since July 24th! I am procrastinating on writing a blog about the car I am procrastinating to buy - seriously that is just ridiculous.

My current car is a 1999 VW Passat and that is honestly the only car I have EVER owned. So this whole car buying thing is quite overwhelming. I am not even sure I NEED a new car since I drive less than 10,000 miles per year. I really don't like driving all that much but if I have to drive I like the car to stick firm to the road . . .

I discovered that when I test drove the Toyota Camry. The car was nice but I HATED the suspension that wags around corners! Even the SE (sport suspension) was not good. And since I can't even buy a manual its off the list.

Honda Accord - I am a slacker I haven't gotten around to test driving this.
Subaru Impreza. I promised my cousin Colleen (who sold her VW Passat to get this) that I would test drive it. And I suppose I will - at least it doesn't have the hole in the hood like the Legacy - I am not sure I could stand that.

I have LOVED my car for the past 9 years so to be fair I need to test drive the new Passat. Who knows maybe I'll be boring and get the same car! But probably not t
I test drove the 2008 Audi A4 and it was nice. The salesman was trying to prove that the awesome 4 wheel drive and all that stuff was worth so much more money . . . blah blah. But it appears they are all sold out and the 2009 will jump in price by $10,000 - that is steep.

The MINI! It is a fun car to drive! But alas I think I would get sick of only being able to buy 1 bag of groceries per trip.

So far my favorite is the Acura TSX. It is a great size and fun to drive. The problem is that I can't find any used ones for any less than $2000 off the sticker price of BRAND NEW one. How is that possible????
Help - what should I do??

A Visit to the United Arab Emirates

2008-10-11T08:50:00.019-06:00

Well I am still here but I figured while Amy was making dinner and Brad was playing with Ally I would just go ahead and start this update from the United Arab EmiratesWe found some Crocks that fit Kaitlyn . . . but she only needs one.Here is the adorable Kellogg family in Dubai. Brad is holding Kaitlyn (nicknamed KK by her sister - hmmm she takes after her mother Amy KK!) and Amy is holding Aleksa (called Ally most of the time)This might just be my favorite picture of the trip so far. Ally is a really good eater and pasta is her favorite food. I almost could not eat my own lunch because she was just so cute eating this! (Mitch this is at Madinat Jumeira where you and Jeremiah stayed).This is me skiing - so crazy that there is such a thing as indoor skiing - I was laughing pretty hard when I saw the exit sign at the top of the slope.I was painting with Ally and told her to go wash out her things in the sink. At first I couldn't find her but then realized she has her own special "sink" in UAE.This is me in front of the Emerates Palace (a 7 star hotel) in Abu Dhabi. Amy thought she lost me and I thought she was ignoring me but really it was just a delay in text messaging - phew I am safe.Me and Amy in front of the building where she and Brad lived in Abu Dhabi.Kaitlyn is SOOO CUTE. I love holding her and stealing her from her parents but then I feel bad that I am hogging her - but I can't help it.Ally and I were playing in this indoor Chucky-Cheese-type thing in one of the many malls (seriously there are more malls here than anywhere else in the world).This is me in Bastika - a Cultural Understanding area of Dubai that has been re-created to help visitors learn about the area. It was fun to wander around.Brad and KaitlynAlly and I had popcorn/movie night (while Brad and Amy went to youth group at church).A trip to Oman! This was very fun today. Here is Amy and Kaitlyn.Brad and Ally swimming - the water was cold but felt great.Me climbing through rock.Another cute Kellogg family picture.Ally putting Brad down for a nap . . . some things never change.

Ally's train track

2008-10-06T01:50:00.000-06:00

Ally and I like to play with blocks and train tracks!
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My massage controls

2008-10-01T19:51:00.000-06:00

I am so excited I got upgraded to business class for my international flight! These are the controls for my massage chair!
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Wine Tasting at Kelly's

2008-07-19T14:13:00.001-06:00

My friend Kelly is an amazing hostess - she threw such a fun wine tasting party! I now have a nice list of wines that I like but wouldn't have known otherwise. And she didn't even mind when we dumped out the ones we didn't like. Her guests all got along really well so that was nice. I especially enjoyed talking to her sister Stacie.

Linnea in WI!

2008-07-18T14:09:00.003-06:00

I love it that Linnea's parents have a lake house in South Central WI. Not only is a beautiful location it is also really nice to be able to see Linnea and her whole family for their yearly summer reunion.

It was so nice to see Corinne, Sophia, Theo, Mason, Clark, the parents and spend time out on the water. But my FAVORITE ever is catching up with Linnea. Her "And THEN . . ." stories are awesome. And I will say it is encouraging to also hang out with a single female - so refreshing after my case of Elijahitis.

Bike Ride with Erin and Eric

2008-07-12T14:07:00.004-06:00

After all the storms cleared up from Friday night Erin, Eric and I headed out for a nice laid back bike ride along the path that traces the south side of Pewaukee and Nashota Lakes. Very nice!
Okay, so maybe it wasn't that laid back. Erin had to be a little dramatic after we got back!

DTW

2008-07-11T16:58:00.000-06:00

So today it dawned on me that although I've been through the Detroit airport many times, I had never actually left it ... Until today. Super weird.

I'm not sure I'm a fan of Detroit. One of our taxi drivers was a little wacko and I am pretty sure I would not have ridden anywhere with him if my co-workers weren't with me.

I am glad to be going home!

My Mosaic!

2008-07-09T18:05:00.003-06:00

This was an idea from Christian's Blog.

1. My Wild Arts Bridge/Mon Pont des Arts!!! :))), 2. Avacado, 3. Brookfield_Academy_Holiday_program_2003_003, 4. ♫ YO Yo yo, there's no place like a green penthouse... so i told the genie i wanted to be well hung. ^o^ ♫ nah... wildlife from singapore♫, 5. The Pianist, 6. llibreria - bookstore - Amsterdam - HDR, 7. Sunset Wine3　　ice cream float:), 8. For you / Para vosotras (Sant Jordi), 9. Épave*, 10. Giza, 11. Golden Fortress, 12. The Birth of Color

1. What is your first name? Sarah

2. What is your favorite food? avacados

3. What high school did you go to? Brookfield Academy

4. What is your favorite color? green

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Jim Brickman (piano player)

6. Something you collect? books

7. Favorite dessert? ice cream

8. Favorite flowers? rose (hey it's my middle name)

9. What do you love most in life? learning new things

10. One Word to describe you. intense

11. Dream vacation? Egypt

12. Your favorite holiday. Passover

Here's how you do it:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions above into Flickr Search.

b. Pick an image you like of the ones that pop up.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.(make sure your mosaic is 3 columns, 4 rows)

d. Right click on your mosaic and save it to photobucket, or your favorite hosting place.e. Share it on your blog! The mosaic maker gives you the html to put under the mosaic on your blog so all of the links will show up.

4th of July in Tennessee

2008-07-09T17:08:00.002-06:00

I spent the 4th of July just outside Nashville, TN at a Bible Conference. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some great new people.

Here is Lyndsey who I stayed with (Mike, Laura, and the kids too).

Here is my whole family that was there. (Me, Dad, Katie, Mom, Mike, David, and Laura)

A visit from Derek

2008-06-28T17:19:00.001-06:00

Jen brought her 6 month old home to WI for a visit and I made the list of vistors! It was so fun to see her as a mom and know that her life changed from being single and 32 to being married and with a baby in 2 years - there is hope for me! I am not giving up! (more on Mike and Jen on their blog)

My tomatoes are growing!

2008-06-26T06:22:00.001-06:00

I am so excited! This very plant had to be rescued during the storms we had a few weeks ago. I didn't know if it would make it. But here it is! And its my first "garden" so that makes it special too.
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My plant is growing!

2008-06-19T08:51:00.000-06:00

Here is one of my latest clippings and it is the first one to show a little shoot! I am so excited!
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Katie Loves Dogs

2008-06-14T19:06:00.005-06:00

FLASHBACK to March 2004 in the Punta Cana airport on our way home from a nice family vacation. My niece Katie, who was only 1 1/2, stops the bomb sniffing dog . . . not only pets it . . . not only hugs it . . . but also tries to take it by the lease and lead it home with us.

So here we are now in 2008 and it was only a few months after her very serious question to me "Aunt Sarah, do you have any friends with dogs . . . that need help walking them?" And my friend Erin has been WAITING ever so patiently to have Katie come visit her adorable Cavalier named Daisy. So Saturday was the big day. After all the rain and flooding we've had in Wisconsin we were all thankful for a sunny warm day.Yes so here is Katie walking Daisy. She is a fantastic dog walker and was very good at stopping before crossing any streets as well as keeping Daisy's feet from being tangled by the leash.Me, Erin, Daisy, and Katie. Katie thought it was very funny that Daisy licked her feet. She called them doggy beauty treatments. Katie and Daisy (who was so good with Katie too!)

Blog Neglect

2008-06-12T19:46:00.009-06:00

Okay, so it has been FOREVER since I have updated my blog. Life has been busy and mostly because I was coaching a high school lacrosse team. The girls were so quick at picking up the sport and the team had good cohesive chemistry. It was the first year and yet my JV team was the conference champions! So cool.And work has been busy because my co-worker and friend Rebecca is getting married and moving to Germany so I am supporting her Advanced Neurology software project. It has been interesting to say the least. Here we are making cookies on her birthday - she had just flown in from out of town so it was a spontaneous dinner turned into baking and talking all night.

So here is a picture of the MRI scan I volunteered for. This is a fusion of a 3D anatomical scan and the Diffusion Tensor Image (DTI) that was used for 3D fiber tracking. This particular structure is the Corpus Callosum which connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

For all this Neuro stuff I had a one day trip to Chicago where the AANS (American Association of Neuro Surgeons) meeting was taking place. I took the opportunity to get together with my cousin Kerry Gill for dinner. It was so fun to see her and hear first had about her engagement story and all the upcoming wedding plans.

And then over Memorial Day my mom and I spent a long weekend in West Palm Beach, FL with our family friend Mary Allen. She has cancer and is recovering a bit from being in the hospital. It was great to see her and help her cook, clean, grocery shop, and just in general encourage her to keep her eyes on the Lord during this trial.

The following weekend My mom, sister Laura, and I drove to Indianapolis for Kerry's bridal shower. Here is a picture of all the cousins - Madeline, Kathleen, Kerry (with Madeline's daughter Maya), Amy, me, and Laura.

And here is a picture of all the aunts - Aunt Carol, mom, Aunt Mary Joyce, Aunt Patty.

I also got the chance to see my friend Sarah and her new baby Archie! So cute! And Mike and Sarah love being parents so that is exciting.

It was also super exciting to see Lisa for a quick visit when she came down from Duluth. This is a picture of Heather, Mandi, Lisa, and me.Her puppy Dudas also came down and we figured out that his eyes look like light bulbs when you use a flas at night!

And my Bible study group just finished the book of Romans which was such a huge accomplishment given that it was 119 lessons! So of course we went out to dinner to celebrate. It is always fun to be with Kelly, Kim (baby on the way!), and Erin. So basically that is what has been going on these past 6 weeks . . .

Brown Shoes

2008-04-27T14:42:00.000-06:00

I just don't like shopping for shoes. In fact I hate it when my very-out-of-style shoes wear out and I have to buy new ones. So after re-soling my old brown shoes twice I figured that it was time to buy new ones. A few of my friends and I went shopping and I found a pair. I got them but was hesitant about them so the box sat in my bedroom untouched . . .

. . . then Katie came over. My niece is a shoe lover and at 5 probably has better taste in shoes than me. So she sees the shoe box and proceeds to open it. The next thing I hear is a gasping sigh and then "OH AUNT SARAH THESE ARE BEAUTIFUL!" She puts them on and goes to my full length mirror where she admires herself in them.

She is all excited and I can just see the gears turning in her head as she gleams from ear to ear. She then says "Aunt Sarah, could you save these for my 8th birthday." At which point I am laughing in histarics and trying to figure out if she said 8 because she thinks she'll be old enough to wear heels by then or if she figures 3 years is such a long time to wait that surely that is a considerable sacrifice.

So THEN . . . a little while later everyone was at my parents house for Passover and I had to head to the train station right from there. I had on nice jeans and the black heels that go with my black suit that I was planning to wear the next day for work in Chicago. Katie comes up to me with her eyes on my shoes and tells me. "Aunt Sarah, your brown shoes would look better with that outfit than those black ones."

Honestly, I am now taking fashion advice from a 5 year old!

Lost Underwear

2008-04-07T08:32:00.008-06:00

On Saturday I was on my way to Chicago and was very much enjoying our warm spring weather (it was 68!!!) My sun roof was open and the sunshine was warm on my hair. I sort of heard this odd sound but thought to myself . . . well that is just the wind and I am LOVING it!

But then at a red light I heard more of a grinding sound. Oh boy, this can't be good.

Then I see some passenger in a truck looking down at my front wheel. I thought OH NO I can't have a flat tire! It now had become a grinding sound and I could just imagine sparks flying and my engine falling out of my car (yes I am hypochondriac when it comes to cars). Grinding is never a good thing when it comes to cars.

I pulled over, thankfully at a gas station and proceeded to check all my tires. All of them were fine.

As I looked in the wheel well I saw that something wasn't quite right. It was pulled a littled forward. So then I looked father UNDER my car and saw that something was hanging down. I got someone to help me and he actually laid down on the pavement and said that the bottom engine covering not only came detatched but was also torn in two.

Yes so here it is! My car lost its underwear. It's getting a new one put on today - phew. I wouldn't want it to be too breezy under there.
Okay, Happy Monday.

More about Asparagus

2008-03-26T09:13:00.003-06:00

Well I figured I better at least try to find out a little bit more about my blog mascot. So yes I discovered the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board. There is much to read there that is quite fascinating about one of my favorite vegetables but here are two that you might want to know yourself.

1) It is one of the healthiest vegetables and contains a very high amount of folic acid (you may have heard about this vitamin as crucial for pregnancy).

2) Urine smells funny after eating asparagus becuase one of the important amino acids (protein building block) in asparagus contains sulfer. As your body digests this amino acid the sulfer is released.

Asparagus!

2008-03-24T16:21:00.001-06:00

Loved this ad.

Same or Different?

2008-03-12T08:28:00.004-06:00

Take a glance - tell me what you think?

Leap Day Sleep Over

2008-02-29T22:43:00.002-06:00

Okay, these kids are a hoot! Mike (my brother-in-law) was out of town so Laura, Katie, and David came over for a sleep over. I think this extra long and cold winter in WI is motivating us all to be extra creative for indoor fun.
They had so much fun playing with legos, jumping on my bean bags, throwing things off my loft, playing with a mini soccer ball that has a wrist strap, reading books (Mouse Tales being the favorite)
Amy - NOTE the footie pjs. Yes they are here. Mini ones but they are standing on the toilet so the owner can reach the sink. When I look at this picture I just laugh my head off.
Bed time stories. That book is Mouse Tales and it was my favorite. One mouse wants to go visit his mother so he drives and drives and drives until his car falls apart. But at the side of the road some one is selling roller skates so he skates and skates and skates until the wheels fall off but at the side of the road . . . boots, tennis shoes, and feet. Yes feet - the mouse buys new feet. It is a very silly and fun book. Highly recommended.

The day they left my house my sister asked the kids if they had fun and David promptly shouted YEEEEEES but Katie pouted and said no. Laura asked why. Katie's reply "It wasn't long enough - I wanted to stay a whole week."

Today (3/6/08) I got this thank you note in the mail from Katie who is 5. I love how kids write. And maybe I am just extra emotional from how rough work is right now but I was totally tearing up when I read this. It is my first official letter in the mail with all words and not colored (although I like that too).

Dinner with Amy

2008-02-27T09:05:00.000-06:00

Amy was in Janesville, WI for work and we had the chance to meet up for dinner. When we looked at a map to see what was half way between us it is a town called Mukwonago. (I think she called it Muk-a-wok). Since that is nearly unpronounceable I figured we just couldn't go there. So we met in East Troy, WI which is just the next town over. It was so fun to catch up with her face-to-face. And hopefully you can check out her blog to see the same picture.

GCC Engineer To-Be

2008-02-24T08:57:00.000-06:00

I was baby-sittying Katie and David at my condo since I had so much to do! Katie was helping me dust and asked "What is this?" So I showed her my cap from graduation and told her that the orange tassle was for engineers. She's practicing here for when she graduates.
One of the highlights for them was when we built a FORT where they could play and then to settle down we watched Cinderella.

Going South

2008-02-22T18:34:00.001-06:00

Well, I did have a fantastic time in the British Virgin Islands. They are a beautiful place and the water is so blue it looks fake
This is me and Kathleen on a set of rocks we enjoyed at Long Bay Beach, Tortola
This is me doing my Romans Bibles Study on the beach.
Me stearing the sail boat and Kathleen watching.
This is a sea turtle that we saw snorkeling.
And this is a picture of me at the Baths of Virgin Gorda.
This is a rooster on the beach. They were loud! And it was kind of disconcerting to see wild chickens running around.

When I returned from vacation I came back to a job that had completely gone south. Yes. Corporate America is not a fun place for me right now. I ready to be DONE! I am not happy about where my company is headed and my own position getting drastically changed is quite discouraging. We'll see what happens.

No Footie pj's

2008-02-15T09:51:00.001-06:00

Footie PJs

2008-02-10T19:44:00.000-06:00

It is very cold here. I am considering hibernation. I am a wimp.

Chocolate and Bones

2008-02-06T15:27:00.000-06:00

I am afraid to share this information with my mostly female audience but I thought it was important especially since many of you may be getting Chocolates for Valentines Day. There is a study that show that high intakes of Chocolate are related to decreased bone density. You can read about it here. I found the article interesting since my nutrition studies have also pointed out that craving chocolate usually means that you have a magnesium deficiency. And while everyone seems to know that Calcium is needed for strong bones not as many people know that you have to have Calcium and Magnesium in a 2:1 ratio for proper bone health. So this is just a tidbit of information that my medical imaging job and nutritional focused mindset just couldn't keep to myself!

Green Lipped Muscles

2008-01-31T23:09:00.001-06:00

I am in LA and I am colder than when I am I WI despite the fact that they closed schools the other day due to the cold (it was -4 degrees with a wind chill of -35 or something crazy.). Anyway the air conditioning at this meeting is just insane. But that isn't the only thing insane. My crazy seafood risotto had "green lipped muscles" - I didn't know muscles had lips! It was very tasty but I am convinced it was the asparagus and spinach. Would any of you have guessed that I liked asparagus?

Wisconsin Winter - Brrrrr

2008-01-22T07:40:00.000-06:00

We are not experiencing anything close to a heat wave in WI. This weekend in was below zero Ferenheit! (I am starting to get used to all my European co-workers saying below zero and assuming Celcius . . . which is actually 31 F - MUCH different!) Oh and this morning we have 6 inches of fresh snow. It is pretty I will admit that and I am thankful that my condo gets plowed and I don't have to shovel. But I realized that I don't even own a shovel.

Yes here is a picture of my dashboard and notice temperature. That IS indeed a negative sign!

My garage windows actually look really pretty with all the crystalized ice and then the sun shining through. That is the nice thing about WI winters - at least it is sunny.

I didn't even stay home to hibernate! It was my friend Kim's birthday and her husband pulled off a successful surprise party for her.
I hope you all are staying warm!

God is good at Physics and Fashion

2008-01-17T19:44:00.000-06:00

My friend Roxanne and I were talking the other day. She was sharing her woes of writing her thesis for her masters in engineering and I was sharing my woes of not finding Tall Pants. And she assured me that "God is good at Physics and Fashion"

Well, if you read my earlier blog about the clothing exchange you will be happy to know that I have acquired the difficult Tall Pants. And you all know that I LOVE Physicis. I am kind of a science nerd and may sort of have a bias but this book was SOOOO GOOD! It is not historical fiction even. I have ventured into the territory of reading a Biography. But it reads just like a novel. Your library should have it - you should go get it and read it!
So seriously, I am sure you know that Galileo was put on trial because he held the view that the Earth moved around the Sun and not the other way around. Well, there is a verse in Joshua where it says that the Sun stood still. I really do appreciate the desire to hold the Bible as the standard above observable science and of course the Bible isn't trying to teach science. But God knows everything and is never wrong. Galileo also discovered that there are "sun spots" and we now know that the Sun rotates and that the spots are actually magnetic fields on the Sun. So as the Sun rotates the changing magnetic field draws the Earth around itself. If the Earth would stop going around the Sun then the magnetic field would have made the day SHORTER for Joshua and his fighting army. But if the Sun stopped rotating then the earth would rotate slower and the day would be longer - allowing Joshua's army to win the battle. Isn't that SOOO COOL!

I just think that is so exciting when we discover that God really knows what He's talking about in the Bible even if we humans think science is more accurate. Okay, enough of my nerdy physics for everyone. Just read the book. It is more about Galileo's life than science so don't be scared off by my crazy explanation.

Any by all means if you see any Tall Pants - please let me know!

Go Packers!

2008-01-14T20:10:00.000-06:00

Seriously, I DO root for the Packers. Even if I am not crazy enough to sit in a stadium in the FREEZING cold. But I do watch the whole game. Well I guess I am stretching it to say I watch the whole game. I watch the highlights - which in my book is the whole game when it comes to football. I mean who needs to watch a bunch of people stand around when you can see a fully condensed version including all the best action from the best angles (or all angles). It sure saves a lot of time too.

But seriously it is exciting for Wisconsin and everyone is happy that we play the Giants in Green Bay instead of the Cowboys in Dallas. So root for the Packers!

Clothing Swap

2008-01-13T19:33:00.001-06:00

I somehow have gotten to a point where I am trying to get rid of all my clothes. I suppose I still have some from quite a long time ago and I am so ready for summer clothes- is winter almost over! So I've been purging my closet and brought a bunch to a consignment shop. Two of my friends asked me if I wanted to go shopping on Saturday and I turned them both down. However, my friend Tara invited me to a clothing swap. 13 of us got together and everyone brought a bunch of clothes they wanted to get rid of. We went through them as a group and litterally swapped clothes. It was a nice way to get rid of stuff and "shop" without spending money. I highly recommend it to all of you out there!

Hard Boiled Eggs

2008-01-11T19:07:00.000-06:00

While most of my friends are posting fancy caserole recipe ideas to their blogs I am somehow stuck in a cooking rut where I can't even manage to make hard boiled eggs! Yes ladies this is what my crazy life has come to. Actually it all started at 3:45am this past Wednesday when I woke up for my 1 day trip to Tulsa, OK. Try flying from Milwaukee to Tulsa - there are no simple ways to do that! But alas it was a great customer visit and I even made it home by 1am and got to sleep in my own bed - WOHOOO. I didn't think it at all unreasonable to go in to the office late morning the next day. And although my new manager is typically quite reasonable about these things she has gotten really wacky over the upcoming Sales Meeting. She was sending me emails saying "COME SEE ME AS SOON AS YOU GET IN" at 9am when I had informed her at 1am that I had just completed a 21 hour work day and was sleeping in. Well after rushing in to the office still half asleep I find that there was nothing urgent or pressing - Grrrr. She just thought it would be a good idea for me to prepare a second presentation for the Sales Meeting. And despite the fact that I will not actually be presenting that information she thought it was still a good idea. So I stayed at the office until nearly 8pm trying to finish up. I skipped dinner and went to bed instead. The next morning after going to the gym I realize that it is VERY important for me to eat - skipping meals is not a good way to keep your brain working. So I scrub some sweet potatoes to put in my crock pot (yes just plain potatoes!) and then was in the middle of making hard boiled eggs to put on my salad for lunch when I get a phone call. YOU'RE LATE! I had completely forgotten about a meeting that morning and was late - my half cooked eggs & boiling water together with the hot pan went into the fridge. I had no lunch to bring to work and had not eaten breakfast yet. You can imagine what a wreck I was in when I got to the office. Ahhhh. And our Sales Meeting isn't even for another 2 weeks!

My other recent kitchen catastrophe actually turned into some kind of science experiment. I would joke about finding the cure for some disease but I got too freaked seeing the movie "I am Legend". Some co-workers made me go and I was absolutely terrified. These were supposed to be apricot bars and I apparently forgot that I even made them because they were tucked away in my pantry for who knows how long. I absolutely panicked when I found them. If anyone wants the recipe just let me know.

Honestly, usually I am pretty good in the kitchen - I am not sure what happened. I need to go to cooking therapy I think.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T19:31:00.000-06:00

Christmas this year was quite busy with redecorating my parents kitchen and running from place to place seeing everyone. Not to mention taking care of both my neighbor's cat and my friend's two kittens. My niece and nephew really enjoyed playing with the kittens and were so sad when it was time to leave. Katie has volunteered to help walk all my friends dogs too.
My family usually spends Christmas Eve with the Richards family. And of course we always have fun! Here in this picture is Carissa, Abel, Dad, Ernie, Karen, Levi, Allison (my sister), Danika and then in front Ralph, me, and Mom.

David, Katie, Laura (my sister), and Mike

Dad and Ernie on Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T18:38:00.000-06:00

We are all relaxing and talking and playing with my blackberry and instant blogging.

Dutch Merry Christmas

2007-12-19T12:49:00.000-06:00

One of my co-workers from the Netherlands is quite talented in both guitar and video editing. Each year at Christmas he records a new one. I wanted to share his from this year since it was so fun!

Eltjo's Merry Christmas Video

Enjoy.

Oprah's Favorite Things - SHAKLEE

2007-12-14T22:29:00.000-06:00

Many of you know that I never really watch TV let alone Oprah however I was supper excited to find out that my long time beloved Shaklee products have been discovered and were on the Oprah's favorite things this year.

(note: clicking on the picture brings you to my personal Shaklee website - Enjoy!)

And here is the video clip from the original show that first introduced Oprah's audience to Shaklee.

RSNA

2007-11-29T19:22:00.000-06:00

The biggest trade show in Medical Imaging is called RSNA since it is organized through the Radiological Society of North America. Every year it starts the Sunday after Thanksgiving and is held in Chicago at the McCormick Center. It is a busy week and we all have tons going on. It is also fun since we get to see a lot of our co-workers who happen to all be gathered in the same place. This is a video from Philips since Invivo is too small to have made such a thing. I thought it was kind of fun as a video instead of pictures. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T23:03:00.000-06:00

I again hosted the Thanksgiving dinner this year with a bit smaller crowd than usual. Starting with me and going clockwise you see: Mom, Dad, Mike, Linda, Ralph, and Allison. Ralph is a sweet older gentleman that is close friends with our family. His daughter Linda and her husband Mike joined us since they were in town visiting Ralph. We had a very nice time chatting and watching the Packers WIN! There was certainly a lot to be Thankful for. My older sister Laura and her family joined us after dessert and my favorite thing is when my niece and nephew were sad to leave since they were having so much fun at my house :-)

Violent Oppression of Women

2007-11-02T20:24:00.000-06:00

Friends, I urge you to take a few minutes to watch this video. I was crying at the end of it. But I am glad I saw it, it just makes me so sad to know what goes on.

I am also adding a link to a presentation that gives facts about What Really Happened in the Middle East. Very interesting!

Mike's Birthday

2007-10-30T18:47:00.001-06:00

David and Katie were pretty excited about the presents! Oh and I was also informed that my 3 year old nephew had his first basketball lesson today!

Portland, OR and my short blonde friends

2007-10-28T19:08:00.001-06:00

It was great to get the chance to spend a long weekend out on the West Coast. Bridget and Jen both moved out this way last year and so finally I was able to make a visit. And I admit that it was so much more relaxing than any of my work trips. I am so thankful that I could spend time out here with them and away from work. So refreshing.

Jen and I ventured to the Stash Tea store and I introduced her to my favorite Licorish Tea.
Jen's husband Mike and Bridget both joined us for dinner and we had a hilarious conversation telling bad dating stories. Jen and Bridget also talked a little bit about what it was like to move to Portland.

Bridget and I went to the Japanese gardens which were so beautiful. And this Bridge is on the cover of the book Heaven that I tell everyone to read. Randy Alcorn, the author, is also from Portland.Bridget and I made a fantastic chicken dinner and ate it in her adorable kitchen. While meandering through the city we stopped at the world's largest book store - Powell's - and it was pretty overwhelming. And since they didn't have my Gillian Bradshaw books I wasn't very impressed. There were some funny signs that we saw. This one warns bicycle riders about the tracks. And of course people in Oregon can not spell "Milwaukee" as you can see in this sign. At least the Oregon City, WI is spelled the right way!
The most ridiculous thing ever was on the way from Jen and Mike's house back to Bridget's apartment we had to go over the river. So we got off the highway, merged onto a one way street that was separated by a median. The two different sides of traffic (going the same way) had different traffic lights! Then we went under the bridge that we wanted to be on, and only 2 seconds later made a U-turn to go back under that very same bridge . . . at this point it would have seemed like we were lost but no the actual way to go is make a sharp right turn up a very steep hill through a neighborhood. Not only are there no signs to tell you to go this way but it litterally feels like the highway has completely disappeared. However, after making another turn and passing a few more houses you come to an entrance ramp. This again unmarked is finally the way onto the bridge. And of course Bridget had been explaining this silly path the whole time we were driving and I was laughing so hard "I bout fell out" (Linnea that was for you). For those of you who are curious - that is the Ross Island Bridge. And my friend Bridget is quite well acquainted with her new city - she was not lost, nor did she need a map. Impressive.

Vending machine for pencils

2007-10-28T13:27:00.001-06:00

I may have missed out since I went to a private middle school. However I was excited to see such a funny little box on the wall at Bridget's church (it meets in a school)

Laughing planet

2007-10-27T20:42:00.000-06:00

Eating in Portland is great! They have the best restaurants with organic natural yummy food. This one was particularly funny also.

The tragedy of the smashed ring

2007-10-26T15:23:00.001-06:00

The summer of 2002 Bridget and I had a floss-a-thon contest. Even though I won she only missed one day out of the 2 months so I still got her half of her prize - a silver ring. She loved the ring and wore it every day for 5 years until just a few weeks ago when I was abruptly woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call. Bridget was crying and laughing at the same time as she was telling me how her ring rolled out of her lap into a busy intersection. (due to dry hands from her profession as a dental hygenist she was putting lotion on and that is how the ring was in her lap) She watched in sheer horror as a car ran over her beloved ring. She screamed out "NO!" and ran out for an attempted rescue only to find her mangled ring, meanwhile insensative motorists honked and yelled. I tried to console her with a small gift as you can see in the picture.

Finally! Purpose of Appendix

2007-10-23T11:43:00.000-06:00

About 10 years ago I had to have my appendix out and following a relatively simple surgery and quick recovery I immediately started to have other GI track issues. Not to get into the gory details or anything but I was shocked that none of the physicians could actually pin point the problem. I had an upper-GI barium floroscopy scan, a colonoscopy, and a number of emergency room visits with NOTHING. When a family friend told my mother I should take a probiotic (Shaklee Optiflora) that is when everything got better. So I got to thinking . . . hmmm so now I don't have an appendix, and now I need to supply my body with good bacteria to keep it working well. So for the past 10 years I've been telling everyone that I think the appendix was designed to be a safe haven for your body to produce good bacteria. And low and behold the scientific community has made a huge discovery! Surgeons and immunologists from Duke University Medical School believe your appendix produces and protects the good bacteria in your gut. (Scientific Article) I am thankful that they have made this important discovery.

Mob Soccer

2007-10-13T20:29:00.000-06:00

Since Katie wanted to play soccer like her Aunt Sarah I have tried to go to the games when I am home. It is so cute! All the little players go running after the ball like a little mob. Katie is the little brunette in yellow, she has a purple hair tie. She is also the one kicking the ball in the video.
Here she is during a kick off.

Politics

2007-10-13T10:22:00.000-06:00

I am certainly not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to politics. However I did find this little quiz to be very helpful in seeing who your views line up with. I do hope you enjoy it! I also liked the summary of where all the candidates stand on key issues - helpful for people like me.

Bachelorette Blues

2007-10-11T17:49:00.000-06:00

Ho Hum . . . I am single and nearly 32 and I think my entire life is falling apart.

1) I have ceased to fold laundry and have resorted to washing it dumping it in my spare room and just wandering in there for clothing selections.

2) I do not open mail anymore but just put it in a pile on my dining room table and stare at it like it should go away on its own.

3) Due to mail on the table I no longer eat there . . . not to mention that my peace lily is rebelling against my travel schedule and is beginning to look completely sick and instead of stare it while I eat I have decided to ignore it. Yes I am giving the silent treatment to a plant! I know it is pathetic.

4) Speaking of eating . . . when I buy milk I usually buy one pint size skim milk and it often goes bad before I can use it all! Honestly, most of my friends buy multiple GALLON size milk cartons weekly!

5) Dishes do not get put away either - I have decided that the left half of my sink is a perfectly good holding spot for the few items that a single person needs to cook with . . . that is if I even bother to cook. What is wrong with just eating raw broccoli off the stalk?

6) I have entirely forgotten how to brush my hair, blow dry it too, in fact I am not sure I even look in the mirror. Why bother - my computer screen at work doesn't mind.

7) Friday and Saturday evenings only have plans when I am traveling . . . traveling for work that is. I have absolutely no friends that are not dating someone or married. My weekend plans are so pathetic that if I am traveling for work I am wishing I was home . . . and then when I am actually home I think the distraction of work is exactly what I need to forget about how pathetic I am.

8) Fashion Amnesia is becoming a chronic disease. I often stare into my closet and think that there is nothing I could possibly wear - and then I remember that I have nearly no sense of fashion anyway (that part of your brain is deprogrammed in engineering school). The only thing I really like to wear are my yoga pants (TALL size - God Bless JCrew) which are faded and probably about 5 years old.

So here comes another weekend of absolutely no plans besides sitting home by myself. I hate being by myself - I am a middle child and never liked being alone. So call me if you are bored! I can assure you that I will be doing absolutely nothing important.

Dutch People Bike To Work

2007-10-04T02:46:00.000-06:00

It is very common for Dutch people to ride bikes EVERYWHERE. So I decided that I should attempt such a thing. Eindhoven is the town where my hotel is and Best is the town where the Philips office is. My coworker, Clemens, was so kind to be my escort so I didn't get lost (I probably would have otherwise) and of course I informed him that he had to be my photographer too. Biking takes about 40 minutes, a taxi takes about 35 minutes, walking+train+bus takes 25 (+5-15 waiting time).

Movies in Eindhoven

2007-10-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

Beer and Popcorn . . . you gotta love the Dutch for watching movies in the original language. :) My coworker and I went to see Borne Ultimatum. I only had a hard time when they spoke Russian and then subtitles were in Dutch and not English.

How to stay awake

2007-10-01T03:42:00.001-06:00

Well this is one way to not fall asleep in your dinner when you have jet lag.

Actually one of my coworkers met me when I arrived in the Netherlands and then we walked around and then went to dinner at this little bookstore where all the dishes are named after book titles (Dutch titles of which I can't read). So apparently I ordered an appetizer that is the response you give after some says they love you. My entre was called "drowned man floating by"

A Visit to Lisa in Duluth

2007-09-25T02:17:00.000-06:00

My friend Lisa got married last July and moved to Duluth, MN. I wanted to get in a visit before it got so cold up there in the Northern most parts of Civilization.

She used to tell me that she was a terrible cook but has completely proven herself to be a fabulous cook - she made me a fantastic Salmon dinner as well as a very nice Chicken dinner. But of course it is tradition to have pizza and cookie dough so we managed to squeeze that in too.

New Noses - well long ago we had a similar picture but with glass eyeball marbles. This type of thing is tradition.

And surprisingly we had a beautiful day "on the beach" - well we at least walked along the water front of Lake Superior. It was 81 that day!

Wine and Harvest Festival

2007-09-17T19:30:00.001-06:00

Here we all are at the Cedarburg Wine and Harvest Festival. Sarah, Kelly & Josh, Kim & John, Erin & Eric. The dogs in respective order (Chloe, Mason, and Daisy)

Yum wine tasting! Erin, Sarah, Kelly, and Kim with the famous carmel apples from Amy's

Colleen's Baby Shower

2007-09-08T11:17:00.000-06:00

I am super excited for my cousin Colleen (Browne) Temple who is expecting a baby. She is going to make an excellent mother I think. And being a nurse, she will also keep her husband's nerves from getting the best of him. This Colleen and her sister Mary at the shower.

This is my Mom, my Aunt Mary Joyce, and my Aunt Patty who also all came to the shower.

My Uncle Dave, Aunt Carol, Wen, and my cousin Mark. This is part of Colleen's family. We all went out to brunch Sunday morning. That weekend was my first time meeting Wen, Mark's girlfriend and she is so fun and nice that we are all hoping to get together in Chicago some weekend.

I also met Mary's daughter Caroline for the first time. She and I share grandma Gill's middle name of Rose. Here Sue (my mom's cousin), Aunt Carol, Mom, me, and Caroline are in Caroline's room where she was so excited to show us her big girl bed. She wanted us to know that her new baby cousin (Colleen's baby) was going to sleep in her crib. She was a hoot and very fun to interact with.

Cookies with the Calzadas

2007-09-07T11:12:00.000-06:00

Whenever I have visited Susan and JC we always end up cooking amazing dinners! So I have a vision of their life of always eating gormet meals. So this time we had broiled salmon with a cucumber dill mustard sauce. So yummy. And of course we couldn't forget about dessert! So here is a picture of our homemade chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. Yum. And of course Joshua is such a happy baby and came to his FourSquare Aunt Sarah with no qualms about it.

Beach Day

2007-09-03T21:49:00.000-06:00

We have a tradition to get our family and the Richards family together for a day at the beach. The David and Katie loved the water. Her favorite thing ever was having me pull her around on my boogie board. Katie didn't really spend any time dry and David preferred playing in the sand. They both really enjoyed playing with Levi and Able and helping bury them in the sand after the yearly tradition of burying my brother-in-law Mike. Our picnic was a complete feast as usual.

Katie Under the Table

2007-09-02T21:44:00.000-06:00

We have a birthday tradition in our family where you aren't supposed to talk while you eat your own birthday cake. If you do then the penalty is eating the rest of it under the table! So this year as we celebrated my niece Katie turning 5 we decided she was old enough to play this game too! I was impressed that she made it a quarter of the way through her cake before she said anything! Pretty amazing for such a talkative girl.

She got binoculars, which David liked right off the bat, and an old fashioned alarm clock, which she is very excited to learn how to tell time with!

The clock tower

2007-08-13T11:20:00.001-06:00

I learned today that Big Ben is a bell but we all think of this clock when we hear that. Anyway the times are different because the clock is getting cleaned. It is 5:30 not noon. Apparnently this is quite rare to get to see.

Dinner with Lara in London

2007-08-10T21:56:00.000-06:00

During my business trip in London not only did I get to see a few sites but I also was able to meet up with Lara (Amanda Zibner's sister, Amanda is a friend of mine from college) and her husband Gernot. Their friend Ciprian (Cip "Chip" for short) also joined us for dinner. We had a fantastic time talking and laughing and just enjoying a nice dinner in London.

Tower bridge in London

2007-08-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

Amy and Kevin's Wedding

2007-08-04T21:15:00.000-06:00

Amy and Kevin coming out of the church into a sea of bubbles.
The 4square girls: Susan, Amy, Sarah, Kristin, Linnea, Christina, Heather, and in front our beautiful bride Amy, and matron of honor Amanda. Oh yeah, and Kevin on the floor is now officially part of 4square.
This is Amy dancing to Thriller. Quite funny if you ask me.

My New Dog Friends

2007-08-02T08:46:00.000-06:00

Sunday afternoon Erin and Kelly and I got together for lunch and games and puppy play group. This is me holding Daisy (Erin's puppy), she is one of the softest dogs ever. Chloe is perched on the couch where Mason is not allowed to go and she likes to be in charge.
Mason likes treats and even though he is just a puppy he is very well behaved and laid back. He has a crush on Daisy we think.

Lunchbox

2007-08-01T11:39:00.001-06:00

I needed to take a picture of something with my phone so I could try "mobile blogging"

Aunt Carol, Peg and Sue's Visit

2007-07-16T21:44:00.000-06:00

It was a lot of fun to have Aunt Carol, Peg and Sue (my mom's cousins) come to WI for a visit. I hosted dinner although having just come in from out of town got quite a bit of help from my mom on the food part.

Eyes

2007-07-15T21:47:00.000-06:00

Okay I thought these eyes were unique enough to take a picture . . .

. . . and then within the same week met a second person with the same eyes. Not related either.
So maybe I am the only one who thinks they are really that weird! Oh well.

Salzburg - Osteoarthritis Imaging Workshop

2007-07-15T21:40:00.000-06:00

Ahh - Salzburg at sunset. Nice view. This is such a beautiful city I think you should all put it on your list of a place to visit someday.

These are my new Osteoarthritis friends: Kent, Jonathan, Ana, Katheryn, me, Ty. We are at an authentic beer garden in Ainring, Germany just across the border from Salzburg.
Hiking in the Alps. Ahhhh dangerous cliffs! (ha ha ha)
Yep nice view all around.
More nice friends: Ari, me, Kent, ?, Neal, Matt, Walter
And for the last evening there we went to Hanger 7 - owned by the Red Bull guy. He collects airplanes and fast cars. He turned this hanger into a restaurant/bar/museum. Super fun.

4th of July

2007-07-04T21:33:00.000-06:00

Katie and David rode in a little train, Mike walked along side and Laura and I were able to be spectators!
After swimming and boating we roasted marshmellows over a bonfire at Mike's cousin Sheila's Lake house.
David was not fond of the loudness of the fireworks but I think he enjoyed seeing them.

Small World

2007-06-29T15:28:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I can hardly believe that I have been able to see Linnea Wildenradt, Aryn Lentz, Angie Smith, Amy McHenry, and Janice John all in these past two weeks! I suppose it makes it worth the choas of traveling ALL over for work. I guess I need to be super thankful that God knows I needed these extra special little visits to keep me going in the craziness of a traveling career.

However, I also think that it is an incredibly small world and here are three very good reasons.

1) Tuesday, June 19 - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

I was observing Orthopedic Surgeon Jay Parvizi. We were chatting in the lounge and he mentioned that he spent time at Mayo in Rochester, MN. I asked him if he knew Andy Sems - yes he did.

2) Sunday, June 24 - The Vile's house

I was speaking with George, Kevin's father after Amy's surprise shower. I mentioned how I made a customer visit to HUP (Hospital of University of PA) to meet the new people taking over a project after the young physician had tragically died in his sleep a few weeks ago. Apparently, the daughter of friends of theirs was his wife!

3) Monday, June 25 - Email

I got a follow up email from HUP regarding our project and Abe Voorhees is the scientist from Siemens who will be working with me on this project! We spent two years at Grove City in the engineering program. He transferred to another school and apparently not only finished in engineering but also went on for his PhD. His wife also had their first baby last week Monday otherwise I might have seen him in person while I was in Philly!

A Visit to Janice and Micah

2007-06-27T22:06:00.000-06:00

I just met Micah 6 months ago and she has grown up so much since then. She is so cute and such a sweet little girl. Here she is talking on the phone to her grandpa (Janice's dad).
Janice is a great hostess even 2 weeks from her due date! I loved her new condo and we had a nice walk around the neighborhood of Jamaica Plain.
Such a cute belly! I think she has a basketball in her shirt like Jill!
You know these Grove City College friends are keepers for sure! So wonderful even when we haven't seen each other for a long time. Honestly, seeing Janice really was a huge blessing. I had been traveling for work for 2 weeks and was SOOO READY to be home and for a home cooked meal so Janice did a wonderful job sustaining me for the time being.

Surprise for Amy McHenry

2007-06-24T14:51:00.000-06:00

So those of us who know Amy we know that in general she does not like surprises. However, it was quite fun to be part of a surprise bridal shower that Kevin's family decided to throw for her. I, of course, am in Philly for work and happened to mention this to Amy so that in case we could see each other then great! Kevin got word and passed my info on to his sister Sharon who figured out my train route and got me to the shower so I could join in all the fun. Amy did enjoy it after she got over her first 15 minutes of shock.
So yes with all the excitement and fun from the shower we forgot to take a picture of us all dressed up. Here we both are Monday morning for our early flights. No shower or makeup - just us.

Obligation to Tour Philly

2007-06-23T20:38:00.000-06:00

So here I am in Philly for work. Yes I flew in here on Monday, June 19 and fly out Monday June, 25. I had meetings at both Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Hospital of University of Pennsylvania. And this weekend I've been taking a Musculoskeletal Imaging Class. I am tired and my brain is getting close to capacity with all this information but before dinner tonight I decided that I should at least walk the 6 blocks to the historical part of town.

This is me in front of Independence Hall - I think this is where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

This is a fuzzy picture of the Liberty Bell. I took it through the window from quite far away. But if you don't get cross-eyed looking at it then you might see me in the lower right hand corner!
And here is Benjamin Franklin's Grave. Interesting.
Okay, so now I feel quite historically fulfilled for the day and get to go to bed. Phew.

Visiting Angie Smith in Mt. Wolf, PA

2007-06-20T19:31:00.000-06:00

Yes I continued my tour around the Harrisburg suburbs and Aryn and Angie agreed to meet half way so I could see both of them in my short little respit from work. Carter just turned 2 last week and is SO GOOD. He listens to Angie really well and kept asking if I could come everywhere his mom told him to go. It is so nice when kids warm up to you so fast. Charles is also an engineer so we were able to chat a bit about work. They have done some pretty neat stuff with their house like Charles made these amazing cement countertops! They look really nice and his engineering skills certainly came in handy. Angie is also quite a good cook - it was such A HUGE BLESSING to have dinner with them instead of having to eat out.

Here is a picture of Angie, Carter, Charles, and Rio sitting on their front steps.

And here is a picture of Angie and me.

Visiting Aryn Lentz in Camp Hill, PA

2007-06-20T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's been 5 years since I've seen Aryn but kindred spirits have no trouble with gaps in time. She still looks the same but her kids have been growing up and growing in number! Emmett is cute but getting to the cool stage at age 6. Anna is absolutely adorable at 3 and Ian drools a lot but is a very adorable 4 month old. I enjoyed seeing them and spending the day playing, and picnicing. We stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things for our picnic. I can't believe this is the only picture I have of little Ian. I think he was so fun to stare at that I forgot to take more pictures when I was holding him. This is our picnic at Beverly Park. Anna, me, Emmett, and Aryn. My favorite was having Hi-C Blast . . . definitely picked out by the kids. Anna is my new buddy and we both wore pink (her favorite color).
Me, Anna, and Emmett are in front of Owen's Garden. This was planted in rememberence of their older brother and it is a beautiful addition to Beverly Park which is just down the road from their house.

Linnea's visit to WI

2007-06-16T19:13:00.000-06:00

Tubing on the lake. Yes it is fun to pretend that we are young! We also both waterskied and that was fun too. Do you like that W for Wisconsin! This is at Linnea's parent's cabin in WI (it is just north of Madison).

I got to see Linnea's WHOLE family all at once. Considering her sister's family lives in Italy and Linnea lives in South Carolina I found it amazing. It was quite a priviledge to be able to crash their family vacation. In the back: Mason (Corinne's husband), Clark, Jim, and Theo. In the front: Sophia, Corinne, Gloria, Megan (Clark's girlfriend), and Linnea. Such a cute family. I figured I would post this picture for everyone to see since Linnea doesn't have a blog and I knew you'd all want to see it.
Sarah and Linnea. We talked until 11 and then I drove home for 2 hours. I just didn't want to leave - it was so great to see her and catch up.

Slumber Party

2007-06-02T18:39:00.000-06:00

This weekend my niece Katie and I had a sleepover! We played dress-up, built a fort, colored, read books, watched Cinderella, went swimming, made home made peanut butter, and Katie's favorite was painting our finger and toe nails (we match!!!).

Katie took her nap in my bed and tucked in her stuffed animals right next to her. She read an entire pile of books too.

ISMRM Berlin, Germany

2007-05-25T12:41:00.000-06:00

The ISMRM materials all featured this picture of the Brandenberger gate. It was all lit up at night and very nice to see.

This is me in front of the ICC (the conference center where the meeting was held. I also really enjoyed seeing remnants of the Berlin Wall, Charlie's Checkpoint, and especially the Holocost Memorial. Rachael and I are standing near the Berlin Wall - we went there the very day we arrived in the city. It was fun to sight see despite the jet lag. I think I might have fallen asleep at dinner . . . at least dozed off since the others asked me a question and I never heard them!

The Holocost Memorial was really impressive both in daylight and at night when it was lit up. I am glad that this city in Germany has chosen to remember the atrocity that was done to the 6 million Jews during WW2.

Charlie's Checkpoint was the one gate between East and West Berlin. There was a Russian Soldier that guarded the Eastern side and an American Soldier that guarded the Western side. The museum nearby showed the many ways that people tried to escape the communist side.

Katie's Dance Class

2007-05-16T12:34:00.000-06:00

My niece had a dance recital while I was out of town so I ended up going to her last class. It was so cute to see them practice.

Her class did a tap dance to "I've been working on the Railroad" and she was so excited that her brother David would like it since his favorite thing is trains.

Antwerp, Belgium

2007-04-29T13:19:00.000-06:00

Today John, Tom, and I decided to go to Antwerp. I am not sure if any of us had ever been to Belgium so it was a fun adventure. The city has some really nice architecture and the train station was no exception. Here is a picture of the three of us still inside. It looks a bit like Grand Central Station in NYC but smaller and with darker stone.

Keukenhof Flower Gardens

2007-04-28T13:26:00.000-06:00

Holland is quite famous for its tulips yet for only a few weeks out of the year the huge flower gardens are open with its impressive display of 7 million flowers! It was obviously hard to capture on film but here are a few of my favorite shots.

This is me in a canopy of whisteria. They smell so good!

This is a never ending row of various tulips. They were quite impressive.

Only in Holland

2007-04-27T13:38:00.000-06:00

These types of things just make me laugh!

Translation problem.

Warning signs

Someone really wearing wooden shoes!

And a vending machine restaurant! This just kills me! You can eat ultra fast food like this where you stick coins in to get the burger or sausage that has been sitting in its cubby for who knows how long. Or you can sit for hours on end to get a decent meal. Such a dicotomy of choices.

Wisconsin Spring

2007-04-13T22:01:00.000-06:00

I arrived back in Wisconsin after a short trip to Washington DC. I was so thankful to have missed the snow storm but it was so sad that the flowers were suffering.

Putting things in Perspective

2007-04-05T09:04:00.000-06:00

Most of my work related blog posts are from my business trips where I get to visit people and places that are far more exciting than just my routine and everyday life. This is actually where I work on a daily basis. I have a normal desk with a computer and phone.
However, the little office area where I work is being temporarily used to store the computers that are planned to go to our test sites. It kind of reminds me of working in a warehouse.
These are my co-workers Jen and Dan. Both are fun to work with.

My old life

2007-04-04T08:07:00.000-06:00

I guess it is kind of exciting to see the fruits of your labor even if they come about after you are already gone. One of the projects I used to work on at GE was mentioned in a prominant radiology newsletter called Aunt Minnie. I worked with that hospital too.

My ultimate project that I initiated but did not complete before I left was mentioned in a magazine called Health Imaging and IT. You will see a picture as well as an article of the project. It was actually the image of the year for the Society of Nuclear Medicine! Exciting.

Passover

2007-03-31T22:00:00.000-06:00

My favorite holiday! I love being able to celebrate this Jewish feast and have all the symbolism of Christ's death, burial, and resurection as God's true solution of redemption from bondage. My family enjoyed a nice evening with the Richards and we ate all the traditional foods like beet borsch soup, gefilte fish with horshradish, egg & onion with matzo, and many other yummy things that have no yeast!

English Poem

2007-03-08T21:25:00.001-06:00

This little poem came about as an exercise for multi-national translation personnel at the NATO headquarters in Paris. English wasn't so hard to learn, they found, but English pronunciation is a killer.

After trying the poem, native French interpreter said he'd prefer to spend six months at hard labor than reading six lines loud.

English is Tough Stuff

Dearest creature in creation
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I: Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar.
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamor
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and droll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangor.
Soul but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger, And then singer, ginger, linger, Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, knob, bosom, transom, oath.
Through the differences seem little,
We say actual, but also victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, Conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succor, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye.
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, brass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging.
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here, but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation - think of Psyche!
Is it paling, stout and spiky?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale, Islington and Isle of Wight, Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough -
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give it up!!!

Katie and David

2007-03-03T21:31:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday I took my niece and nephew to meet my neighbor Jean's dog and cat. David was a little afraid of Zoe the dog but Katie really enjoyed feeding her treats and petting her. They both seemed to like the cat Boggie.

I also took them to the Betty Brinn Children's museum and we had all kinds of hands on adventures.

My other neighbor Sarah and her son Hunter met us there. You can see we all enjoyed trying out the news casting - that is hard stuff!

The Curse of the Slow Resaurant

2007-02-15T16:21:00.000-06:00

Here is my team at dinner in Eindhoven, Holland.Enrico, Mark, Jan, Tom (our manager), Bernadette, Me, Dean

I've decided that if you want to eat in Europe either you get fast food (ie McDonalds) or you have to schedule 4 1/2 hours just to eat. Honestly, most nights we had dinner plans for 7pm and weren't done until after 11. Not to mention that you wreek of smoke after the ordeal too. Anyway, I am not trying to complain but more just state my gratitude for living in the United States. And I LOVE being home! I am glad to be home! I cried this morning when KLM told me I might not get to come home due to overbooking on their end. But I am here - YEAH!!!

The Amalfi Coast and Rome Highlights

2007-02-11T08:57:00.000-06:00

Okay, so here are a few highlights from my recent trip to Italy. It was so nice to be able to spend a few days traveling around after the conference was over. And of course it was fantastic to see my good friend Bridget and meet her fun roommate Caley!

This is from our boat ride around the Island of Capri. So fun! (Sarah, Bridget, Caley)

This is a view of Positano, a small town tucked away along the Amalfi Coast. The road was quite windy and I got car sick. However, we rode there with Greg and Marleena, a couple from our B&B, and they were so sweet and it all turned out okay.

Lemon groves are all over the Amalfi Coast so these fun aprons ended up to be a great souvineer. And the pictures to go with it are a fun memory. (Sarah, Marleena, Caley, Bridget)

Pompeii was absolutely amazing! Those three statues you might recognize :-)
This is just a fun self portrait of Caley, Sarah, and Bridget on the Spanish Steps. It is odd because they were funded by the French, designed by Italians, and called Spanish . . . but I guess that is because they are near the Spanish Embassy.

Caley, Sarah, and Bridget in front of the Trevi Fountain. It took us FOREVER to find this little treasure. Rome is confusing and we got turned around quite a bit but most times were able to find what we were looking for. This fountain on the other hand always seemed SO CLOSE and yet we almost didn't find it. But we did and we all through coins in to ensure that we will return to Rome one day.

Bridget, Caley, and Sarah in front of the Pantheon. It was raining and yes it rained right through the 9m hole in the dome! We all really liked this building and found it far more impressive than the Vatican. Honestly the Pantheon is literally 50 times older!!!

Sarah, Caley, and Bridget all visiting the Mamertime Prison where Paul wrote many of his letters. This was a site we couldn't locate on the map and was called something different in my book so we literally stumbled upon it one day! And whats left of it is quite small.

Bridget, Caley, Sarah in Piazza della Repubblica. So pretty at night huh?

Ahhhh - last but certainly not least. The Colesseum! Spectacular in design and custruction but also quite sad to know that so many Christian Martyrs died there while Roman citizens thirsted for blood as entertainment.

So overall the trip was a blast and we all got along great. We appreciated traveling in Winter to avoid crowds and were only soaked to the skin from rain 1 day. We missed out on seeing the Catacombs where the early Christian church met in hiding. I was sad but we also didn't want to get sick from being so cold and wet.

SPQR

2007-02-11T07:17:00.000-06:00

Okay so SPQR happens to stand for "Senatus Populus Que Romanus" which means "The Senate and People of Rome". I saw these all over Rome. And then in the Roman Forum where the center of politcal life took place we saw the Arch of Titus and it has the inscription on it! One of my favorite series is the SPQR series by John Maddox Robberts. It was great to be able to picture the actual places where these events were written about!

"What do you do anyway?"

2007-02-03T10:15:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know my job sounds weird and some people question how much I actually work if I am traveling all over the world. But I can assure you that it is hard work! Okay, so this is at the conference. We have a booth where I help answer questions. (It opens at 7am!)
And I sit in on lectures. I learn a lot but a lot is still a bit over my head! (Okay, so you try sitting in a dark room with jet lag. I HAVE to take notes.)And then we had a customer dinner last night and we didn't get back to the hotel until 1am!! Long day.

When in Rome

2007-02-02T10:13:00.000-06:00

Rome looks kind of like Peru to me . . . then again I haven't seen much other than my hotel and the view from the top of it.

Tonight we have an authentic Roman Dinner so that will be fun.

And I took a few pictures of what exactly I am doing here in Rome (the conference) but I can't get this hotel computer to get the pictures off my camera!! I'll figure it out someday.

Okay, gotta run! My toga needs draping :-)