Probably not good driving weather yet...

This message (especially the picture) does not encourage me to drive today!

I think I will enjoy a day with the students building snowmen!

Friday Fill-in

1. I know I will make the best out of missing the girls' weekend with my friends.
2. I hope February is not the longest month.
3. You can't help but hope for the best in every situation.
4. Teaching five classes, living in the dorm, coaching two sports; bring it on!
5. Where have you looked for pants that fit 4'11'' women well?
6. My bed is now available to sleep after a long day.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to enjoying the snow, tomorrow my plans include building a snowman and Sunday, I want to ski!

Let it snow!

I ended up stuck on dorm duty for our Long Weekend due to colleagues not being able to make it in... so, no weekend with my college friends, oh well!

Let it snow!

I want to make a huge snowman tomorrow! Stay tuned for a picture... hopefully!

The Power of a Doppelganger

Before this week, I had no idea what a doppelganger was. Everyone was putting pictures of famous people who looked like them on as their profile photo. I thought... must be another Facebook thing like the bra color was last week... So, my friend helped me find a picture using this website. Interestingly enough, I have been receiving (and ignoring) quite a few random friend requests. I wonder what the trend will be on Facebook next week...

In the middle of winter...

... it is nice to receive this in the mail:
My travel documents for Costa Rica! Hooray! I am going for 10 days over my Spring Break in March. I can't wait-- both coasts, volcanoes, rain forest, hot springs, resorts, and many other fun activities! This package definitely made the day go by faster!

Has anyone been to Costa Rica? Travel tips? Thanks!

Something else to add to the "I'm a grown up" list

I have relied on YouTube for "how to" videos since the website began. I was laughing to myself thinking about how my searches have changed...

Summer 2004
How to tap a keg

How to make a toga

to

Winter 2010
How to make a diaper cake

By the way, does anyone have any suggestions? I have a few baby showers coming up and thought that this project would be so simple, but I think it looks complicated. Thanks!

New England Ben and Jerry's love!

The Ben and Jerry's ice cream was 2 for $5 in my supermarket-- time to treat myself. As a New England girl, I am a huge fan of this limited edition flavor...



YUMMY!

Fill-in

1. If I weren't a boarding school faculty member I'd love to be a travel writer.

2. When I'm super upset I like to work out or call my mom.

3. My favorite thing about myself is that I never give up.

4. If I found a $100 in the pocket of last winter's coat I'd spend it on my getaway with college friends next weekend.

5. Even though some people might consider this a flaw, I love my height. I will never be taller than any guy!

6. I love the way I feel right after a good workout.

7. I love my hair most when it's away from my face.

2009--Did I do it?

- Finish the Master's degree
NO
My thesis advisor never got back to me, so I am taking three courses instead. I took one in Summer 2009 and god-willing will finish the last two this summer.
- Continue to stay in shape and eat healthy meals
YES
I am currently at my lowest weight since freshman year of high school. I am not sure how I lost weight through the holidays... but I am not complaining. I have taken a ton of Les Mills classes and have made some great friends from the gym. I need to learn how to cook more meals, does eating healthy at the school dining hall count?
- Develop my relationship with Consultant Boy
MAJOR NO
Wow, I realize this is one of my most failed goals for 2009. On a positive note, I have clarified more of what I want in a relationship and am glad for going through that process.
- Learn how to minimize stress/ people pleasing
MAYBE
I think anyone working in this type of economy would not accomplish this goal. I do get stressed out still, but I am not as much of a perfectionist as I used to be. However, I am majorly focused on impressing my superiors at school. I have let go of pleasing my colleagues--a liberating feeling.
- Slowly start to update things in my life- for example, I just bought a new sheet set/ duvet/ comforter because the one I had was a $30 bed in bag from Filenes...
YES
My update has not been buying MORE stuff. I have actually sorted my things so I do not have all my clothes since high school and things I do not need.
- Take some trips- Tahoe is on the radar for March and somewhere in the summer...
YES
I went to San Francisco and Tahoe to visit my sister. I also went to CT/ Maine frequently this summer. Labor Day Weekend was in Cape May for a wedding. In November, I went to Gettysburg to see the Cyclorama and go camping.

Online Dating

I was "single and loving it" until about December. With my busy boarding school lifestyle, I have met two of my last three boyfriends online. I met Consultant Boy on Chemistry.com and Mr. Fix-it on Match.com. My match subscription is still active, so I have been working away at searching/ contacting guys of interest. I like the search feature... I have searched things such as preppy, skiing, teacher, hiking, and even grammar! I would love to find a guy who values all five qualities! However, I am being contacted by guys who are unemployed, cannot drive because of DUIs, have kids by multiple women, too young (sorry I can't be a cougar at 27 with a 19 year old!), or openly admit to needing a green card. Needless to say, this most recent online dating search experience has been frustrating. Do you all have experience with the online dating world? Advice, please?

LL Bean signature line

I was online chatting with a customer service rep from LL Bean about my dear sweatshirt. The zipper pull came off and, of course, they sent me a new one right away and I sent the old one back to them. I did not have to live without it even for a day. I also got other good news from LL Bean...
1) The skirt I have been looking at is available by phone order. I think I will order the regular size because the reviews say it is very short.

2) I told her how much I love that skirt and how I want to see LL Bean make more clothes like that skirt. She said that in March LL Bean is coming out with an uber preppy line called "LL Bean Signature" and if I like preppy... I will LOVE their new line... I can't wait for March!

Most cozy sweatshirt ever!

You guys all know I am much more a cable-knit sweater and oxford shirt girl than one who wears sweatshirts; however, I could not get this sweatshirt out of my mind since I went to the LL Bean store. I ordered it on Monday and it came on Thursday. It is so soft and perfect for the mid-fall weather in PA.


Oh, my absence, SCHOOL... it has been crazy, but in a good way. The field hockey season is almost over and I am teaching fifth graders and sixth graders for the first time. There is less dorm commitment this year, which is a positive change, even though I feel out of the loop sometimes.

I will post more regularly...promise...keep me to it!

Summer movies

Hangover... a must see because it is SO funny! I went with my neighbor and laughed harder than I had in a long time.

Proposal... this movie was creative and funny, certainly a good chick flick! I loved the Alaska scenery and the message that everything will work out. I left the theater feeling very uplifted.

Up... I saw this movie with my Dad on Father's Day. The movie had amazing animation and had a good message, too.

I am going to see My Sister's Keeper today. I really liked the book; however, I heard the movie has a different message/ ending. We shall see...

Can you tell movies are $4 in Maine and it has been raining? I never see this many movies in the theater in an entire year!

Another great Maine day

Thanks for all your comments on my gift card post. I cannot believe that Mr. Fix-it would expect me to return the gifts. I am happy others concur with this opinion. However, like many things, it was a product of his upbringing. His parents ingrained those types of values in him fairly deeply, which made things difficult to have a serious relationship.

So, here I sit at a lovely little cafe in Maine relaxing and catching up on e-mails/ life. My brother, sister, and some friends were in town for a few days without parents. We had great days of sitting by the lake, swimming, and kayaking. At night, we cooked big communal dinners, drank wine, and enjoyed time together as it is so rare with me living in PA, sister in San Francisco, and brother in NY.

Gift card etiquette... two opposite stories...

Last month, I celebrated my 27th birthday. I was dating Mr. Fix-it and his sister and parents both gave me $20 gift cards. I wrote nice thank you notes and then Mr. Fix-it and I broke up about a week later because we were just too different and the relationship was going nowhere. I saw Mr. Fix-it the other day and he was surprised I did not return the gift cards. Should I have returned the gift cards?

My friends moved up to Maine and I offered to put the stuff that did not fit in the moving truck into my car. I saw them on Friday and we had a lovely day together. They got their stuff and fed me an amazing lunch and dinner. I returned to my parent's house in Maine and saw $50 LL Bean gift card in my e-mail box. This gesture is overly generous. I am going to send a thank you note, but should I also do something like donate money to the new school they are at in their name or should I just appreciate the gesture and order some cool, preppy gear from LL Bean in the fall?

Thanks for your feedback!