Happy Halloween from Bella and Diego

They totally hate me for doing this. I only got two pictures of Bella because she must have an aversion to lions.

Get this thing off me!

My Nightlife

Feed Cat

Posted Oct 23, 2007

Feed Cat

A Wonderful October Afternoon

Check out the pictures from our wonderful fall day!

A day at the orchard! Walking along the apple trees

Gnawing on some uncooked corn - gross!

This must be the guy way to pick pumpkins

Pumpkin in the air!

Of course I had to try it too

My perfect little pumpkin

Our happy finds!

John and his new bff
Indiana vista

Honeybees!

Carmel apples

Preparing his masterpiece
All smiles
His "nice" pumpkin...looks like a monster to me!

Smiling faces...I realize John's looks good and mine, well, not so much

Pumpkin kisses!

Happy Birthday, Tasha!

Happy Birthday to one of my best friends. Love you, Tash!

Fast times on fast skates

Tonight I had a good laugh. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. I was in tears and it was great. I was catching up with my friend Tasha on the phone and told her that while I was out in Colorado Tiffany said, "Remember that one time when Tasha went rollerblading?" After Tiffany said that, we both laughed and I told myself that I will have to remind Tasha of the hilarious event that happened years ago.

I think this story is a whole lot funnier if you actually know Tasha, but if you don't, bear with me and I think you will still laugh. Tiffany and I were on our bikes and Tasha was on rollerblades - for the second time - and had no idea how to use her brakes. She warned us before we set out for our ride that she was scared to use her brakes when she was going fast, so we told her we would take it easy and try to avoid hills. Before we set out, she also told us that she had some "really fast skates" which made Tiffany and I laugh because we hadn't heard of anything like that before, but Tasha kept a serious face while explaining her "fast skates." We continued to laugh (Tasha was not an experienced rollerblader or anything so I think that made it even more funny) and decided to hit the streets for some fun.

We leisurely rode through Bloomington residential streets at a nice and easy pace. I'm sure Tasha talked about her "fast skates" as she nervously rode close to our bikes. Our relaxed ride was about to turn into a fiasco-on-wheels within minutes and we had no idea as we made our way down a street that was starting to turn into a hill. Oops! But it wasn't really a big hill, I thought to myself. Tiffany was ahead of me on her bike and Tasha was behind me skating along. We started to pick up some serious speed and this small hill started to become a danger for Tasha. I heard her start to scream and I turned around. Her eyes were full of panic and totally focused on me. I knew exactly what she was thinking and that was something I wanted no part of. She wanted to grab onto me to stop herself as she was flying uncontrollably down this hill. I thought about my own tender knees, elbows, and face and wanted to keep them that way. She saw I was looking at her and she said in a pretend calm voice, "Whitney, don't freak out, but I am going you grab you." Right then, I instinctively pulled my bike away (yeah, maybe I am a bad friend, but I think you would have done the same thing) and suddenly Tasha became a quick blur that whizzed past me. Whew! I was in the clear, but Tasha was still in some danger. I watched her as she gained more speed down the hill, panicking trying find some force that would stop her. She was going way too fast by this time to apply her brakes. A tree branch hung over the street and I saw Tasha grab for it. I thought this would definitely help her slow down and gain some control, but the tree was like me and wanted no part of it. Her hands slid down the entire branch with lightening speed and her gripped fists stripped the branch of all of its leaves and soon she ran out of branch. She was really in a pickle now!

The branch did not slow her down what-so-ever and she was still going full speed down the hill. We were approaching an intersection and Tasha needed to stop before the STOP sign! We were all a little on edge because we didn't want to see her fly through the intersection just to keep on going - or worse! So Tasha knew she had to think fast. Her first two attempts - me and the branch - failed. She decided the only thing that would stop her would be a large rock garden. Well, the rock garden wasn't really part of the plan, but she knew she had to throw her body to the ground to stop before the intersection and the last patch of grass she saw before the stop sign was in someone's yard - in a rock garden. Suddenly, without showing any indication to either me or Tiffany, Tasha threw herself down to the ground and I saw flying boulders. She went from lightening speed to a total stop. She found herself in a rock (large ones!) garden with her arms, legs, and fast skates twisted in every direction. Tiffany and I approached with our bikes not knowing how we would find Tasha, but luckily she was laughing hysterically and we started to do the same.

I think Tasha and I almost laughed just as hard tonight. That phone call made my night.

Colorado Chronicles

I returned from Colorado late last week and I had a wonderful time. I went out to visit one of my best friends, Tiffany. She picked me up from the airport in the pouring rain and I was so excited to see her and be in Colorado. We recovered from the monsoon and hit up a "cowboy bar" that night. I have never been to a "cowboy bar" and I doubt many of my readers have either...but I will try to explain it as well as I can. Imagine cheesy dance moves, serious faces, cowboy boots, women wearing clothes that were too tight for their bodies, lots of country music, and a mechanical bull...and me. I didn't really fit in too well, but it was an entertaining night!

The monsoon continued to pour on us all day on Sunday. I went to church with Tiffany and then we had a bunch of people over for a delicious lunch. We ventured out later in the day for some shopping, milkshakes, and run to PetSmart - where I fell in love with a kitty named Sweetness.

On Monday, Tiffany and I drove up to Boulder to spend the day with my college and fellow camp counselor friend, Kat. We stopped by Red Rocks on our way and took in the sights. I would love to attend a concert there and it was so neat to learn about all of the bands that have performed there. We soon made our way to Kat's apartment, in the heart of Boulder, and she showed us all the sights to see. We drove up to the mountains and touched snow, hiked to Boulder Falls, shopped on Pearl Street, and checked out a local eatery and brewery. I even got an animal skin thrown on me by this eccentric park guide. I was not happy about that, but I fell in love with Boulder and hope to go back again!

Tuesday was a day full of beer! Tiffany and I drove up to Fort Collins to check out the New Belgium Brewing Company. We learned all about how green the brewery is and I tried a few types of wheat beer - my favorite. As you taste beer, they offer you free postcards to write on and they mail them our for free! That night Tiffany took me out for Salsa dancing. Wow - that was an experience. My advice for you - wear comfy shoes!

Wednesday was my last day and our activities were winding down. Tiffany showed me where all the prairie dogs run around. I was tickled pink by their cuteness. Tiff wasn't so impressed with them. Maybe she wasn't so impressed with the fact that she didn't see me get so excited about anything else in Colorado until then...but whatever. :) I can't help it that I am easily amused. We headed to LoDo (Lower Downtown) and explored the city.

I was sad to leave, but happy to have such wonderful memories in Colorado. Thanks for the great time, Tiff!

I hope you enjoy the pictures from my latest adventure!

Homecoming

Although it was homecoming this weekend at IU, my post isn't about football. It is about a different type of homecoming. My new roomates have arrived - my kitties! I drove home on Friday night, had dinner with dad, and reunited with my cats. I scooped them up on Saturday and drove them down to Bloomington. If any of you know about Diego, then you know he does not travel well. He lived up to his reputation and I will just leave it at that. After the drive, I was happy to have them here. Bella has adjusted quite well and seems pretty comfortable. Diego gets really insecure with change and he is following me around purring, meowing, pacing, crying, and is basically in a panicked state. I really hope he calms down. When I took him to St. Louis he never became his normal lethargic self. Last night, he wanted to sleep on my head all night and wanted reassurance as I was trying to sleep.

John and I had some friends come down last night and we went to the Upland Brewing Company. I never knew they had good food there. We enjoyed some yummy dinner and local beer. Upland Wheat Ale is one of my favorites beers, so it is nice to go right where it is brewed!

Today John and I walked to a local park and played some frisbee golf. We really enjoyed the fall air and couldn't keep our eyes off the changing trees. We then made a trip to the grocery store - it is nice to actually have some food, besides Cheerios, in my apartment. We then headed to Oliver Winery and enjoyed some tasty wine. We decided on Camelot Mead, a nice white wine made with pure honey (which the bees loved us for). John and I really enjoy the unique flavor. While at the store we picked up some brie, crackers, and apples and made a little make-shift picnic for ourselves at the winery. The leaves are unbelievable right now. Large trees of every color create a canopy around the lake and provide shade for the winos.

I hope everyone got a chance to enjoying the changing season this weekend.

A quick update

Hello everyone and thank you for well wishes as a start my new job. Things have been pretty crazy for me lately. I moved into my new apartment on late on Sunday and started my new job on Monday. My new home, Bloomington (voted best place to live by National Geographic, CNN, Men's Journal, etc) actually isn't really new to me, but I am learning a new side to the city. It is strange not to be a student here anymore, but I am happy with my new apartment and being back in Bloomington. Adjusting to all that is new has been quite exhausting. New town, new job, new home, new life. This week has been such a blur as I started my new job. I am trying to pick up everything and it is exhausting to put out 100% effort, absorb everything that is going on, and trying to pick it up and have it all make sense. I have no idea if that sentence even makes sense at this time of day, but I am too tired to check. Basically I have been useless when I arrive home from work. I just sit and stare at all the boxes. Funny I was in this same position last week...

I have some BIG news! I got my BIG bed delivered today and I couldn't be more excited about it. It is one of the biggest purchases I have made, so I hope I love it. I ate Cheerios for dinner tonight because I couldn't think about spending money on dinner.

Things won't settle down for me for a while. I go to Colorado on Saturday to visit my bff, Tiffany. I can't wait for my Colorado adventure, but honestly I have been too busy to even allow myself to daydream about it. I will be sure to update about it when things settle down.

I better get going. I need to spend some time with my new best friends...

"There is no reason to fear the wind if your stack of hay is well tied"

For the first time we had our property plowed and then made into hay. It was interesting to watch the process. I took some pictures because all the hay piles were quite a sight!






*Please ignore the tacky IU sticker....compliments of John.

Sleepless in Snackville

At least my cat is awake. And wanting to play with the cursor on the computer screen. I can't even see what I am typing. Isn't he so helpful. I have been suffering from sleepless nights for months now and as I watch late night tv the Lunesta commercials taunt me. They really know when to market that stuff. I have to do like 90% of my moving tasks tomorrow and I feel like I haven't slept enough. I considered taking some sleep medicine around 5am, but then I had fears of not being able to wake up until 2pm and have none of my stuff packed. (That typing class in high school is really coming in handy right now, as my cat takes up the entire screen of the computer.) One good thing about not being able to sleep is that your cats are always really happy to see you are awake, but I think that is the only positive that comes out of sleeplessness. Okay, my cat just deserted me so I think it is time to give sleep another try.

Excerpt from Kyleigh's Daily Meditation Book

It has been four months since my mother's passing. Kyleigh emailed this excerpt out to my family and I thought I would share the thought for today...

I sit on the rich, moist earth, green earth, and draw my knees to my chest.
All is not lost. The birds have simply moved on. They give me the
courage to do the same.

At this time of year in some parts of our country, we begin to see the birds
fly south for a long season. How do they know? How will they know to come
back? The answers are out of our hands. The processes of life go on,
irrespective of our knowledge or ignorance. How reassuring that we don't
need to know, that the Creator who set the globes of the solar system
spinning does know. And the birds do come back. Can we extend the same
trust to our experiences of loss and renewal? Can we watch birds go, secure
in the expectation of their return? Can we say goodbye to our loved
ones--not in the expectation that they will come flying back in the spring,
but that, in ways we cannot know, they will continue to be present to us,
continue to love us, as we continue to love them?

Moving Stress

You probably sensed my excitement about moving in my previous entry, but now that excitement has changed to stress. Everywhere I look, I see something that I need to pack. I got some boxes today and I really wish that they would fill themselves. I think I should be working on my moving checklist instead of blogging about working on my checklist. Ugh.

I tested out mattresses yesterday when I was shopping around for a new bed. It is a bit awkward testing out the beds because the sales people tell you to lay on the bed in your sleeping positions, but it is a bit strange when you are in a store with people staring at you. I had no idea beds were so expensive. The sales guy said, "There isn't anything else that you spend more time with." He got me there and now I feel a little more comfortable making a big purchase. Those sales guys really know how to get ya.

I feel like you always realize how much crap you have when it comes time to moving. I almost want to throw away everything and start over. I feel like all of this stuff is weighing me down. I feel if I don't want to deal with it, then it probably isn't worth having...but if I stick that philosophy you will find me and my cats sitting on the corner asking for spare change and kitty treats. Just the thought of that motivates me to pack at least once box.

Movin' on up

I am going to try to write more often now. I do have some exciting news! I got a job in Bloomington and will start in less than a week. Ahh! The whole process was really quick and I happily accepted a position in account service with a marketing and advertising firm. My mind keeps swirling with to-do lists (none of which I have written) and my packing list (which I have yet to write). I am off to a great start, right?

I maybe found an apartment to move into. It is really difficult to move to a college town and try to find an open apartment at this time of year. I am going down to Bloomington tomorrow to check some things out and hopefully I will have a better idea of h0w much my life is about to change in the next week.

I've told my kitties that we are moving back to Bloomington. Bella seems happy about it, but I worry about Diego. While we were in St. Louis he cried and howled in the bathtub every night. He isn't good with change.

Another exciting venture I have on the horizon is my trip out to Denver to visit Tiffany. I haven't been out to visit her yet and I am really excited to explore Colorado with her.

So those are the exciting things happening with me. Lots of change. I am excited about all of this, but a bit apprehensive at the same time. I have found comfort in spending time with my dad, being at home, and trying to adjust to life after my mom's passing. Going through a big change like this might be hard with everything new and diving into a new job. But I will continue to put one foot in front of the other and hopefully I can fall into a routine that feels somewhat normal - or a new normal.