Technology Discoveries of the Week

1.  Podcast Discovery - iTunes Celebrity Playlist - I love reading celebrity playlists on iTunes, but the podcast of this feature takes it up a notch.  It basically consists of this:  A celebrity makes a playlist and explains why they picked each song after playing a short clip.  I have been reminded of some tunes I had forgotten, but also found some new music!  I enjoyed listening to The Fray's playlist this week - they introduced me to some Peter Gabriel songs I hadn't heard.

2.  App Discovery - Skygazer - When I look at the sky, I think all stars are either Orion's Belt or the Big Dipper.  Those times are about to change!  I downloaded Skygazer for my iPhone & it is amazing!  It uses your location from the GPS and the compass to show you a picture of what stars should be in front of your eyes & what the names of the constellations are.  Orion would actually be in my vision right now if the sun weren't out.  I am very excited about this app!

3.  Post Discovery - Old Fashioned Floats - The Kitchn website posted an amazing article yesterday about different types of ice cream floats to make!  And after reading the post, I am dying to have a float party.  I must make a Purple Cow soon...... Be sure to read the comments section - people had a lot of delicious ideas to contribute!

Becoming an Organic Farmer

Rowdy's new career aspiration is to be an organic farmer.  Since he has never planted anything edible, we thought it might be a good idea to start experimenting with vegetable gardening before he leaves the law office forever.  We live in the trees and have no space in the ground to plant, so we are attempting container gardening on our porch!  We have a successful herb garden out there that Rowdy's mom put together for us last summer.  We started squash, tomatoes, cilantro, and strawberries from their seeds and I am happy to report that everything has come up except the strawberries (I think I missed the season).  All 3 successful plants showed signs of growth after in 10-12 days.  We are going to plant beans and eggplant this weekend - they are supposed to be easy!  I had no idea I would enjoy this so much, but I look forward to checking on my plants and nurturing them each day.

 Our little helper

Gaye Gaye also bought us a super book  - Easy Container Combos: Vegetables and Flowers.  The woman who wrote it tried over a thousand ways to plant vegetables and flowers & gives wonderful basic instructions with pictures.  I still have a lot of questions, but this has been a great starting point!  I don't know if we will save money or even produce plants that are superior to anything we can buy, but I love working with my hands outdoors in a productive way.  More updates to follow...

Our squash at 3 weeks.... the bottom 2 are the failed strawberries. 

I Miss Cassette Tapes

On my way home from work recently, I heard two beats of a song I probably haven't listened to in 20 years.  Yet, I found myself belting out every lyric (even the back up singers echos) to Out of the Blue by Debbie Gibson.  And when it was over, I waited in my head for Foolish Beat to be the 2nd track on the tape (didn't that song totally sound like Wham's Careless Whisper?).  I love my iPod and even CDs, but I love the bonding cassette tapes provide.  You knew the order of the whole tape, how much space was between each song, and the lyrics to even the worst quality songs artists could put out.  And your friends knew them the same way too.  The iPod has caused me to be so lazy about my music - I really listen to the same set of songs over and over because I don't want to push through and get used to something new. 

Anyway, here are the 3 tapes I probably know in my sleep (I did not include any soundtracks in the list - maybe for another day?):

1.  Paula Abdul - Forever Your Girl - I am not an American Idol person, but I loved some Paula back in the day.  The Way That You Love Me is my personal fav, but Straight Up was amazing too.

2.  JJ Fad - Supersonic - "We are the home chicks that are rockin' your world" - I remember staying up until 5 am playing the original Mario Brothers on mute and listening to this over and over.  I just got a sick slumber party feeling thinking about that. 

3.  Bangles - Different Light - I made my mom wake me up to this by pushing play on Monday mornings because I wanted to hear..... Manic Monday.  I do love a theme.  I was extremely outraged that year because U2's, With or Without You beat out Walk Like an Egyptian for the #1 song of the year.  And Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel had beat it out for the #1 video.  What a wasted New Year's Eve of countdowns... Oddly enough, I now listen to Peter Gabriel and U2 on a very regular basis... and hardly ever pick the Bangles.... hmmmmm. 

Honorable Mention:  Belinda Carlisle, Belinda; Bryan Adams, Reckless; and Madonna, True Blue

What cassettes do you miss??

Biographies

My last round of reading included two enjoyable biographies - I recommend both highly for different reasons.  Jumping Through Fires by David Nassar is a story of an Iranian/Alabamian's journey into Christianity.  I love reading people's stories, but this one was particularly touching to me because it involved teenagers reaching out to others.

Home Game is written by Michael Lewis (author of the Blind Side and husband of former MTV News Reporter, Tabitha Soren) about being a young father.  I laughed my way through it because I can see so much of Rowdy and myself going through the same trials as new parents.  I particularly enjoyed  reading his thoughts about the question, "How's Dad?", to men when their wife is in labor.  No one cares about the dad - even if they are hungry (or in our case - happen to be wearing uncomfortable shoes).  After watching the Blind Side this week & reading Home Game, I am looking forward to more of Michael Lewis!

Birmingham Golden Birthday

I love Golden Birthdays!  If you are not familiar with the term, it is when you turn an age the same number as your birth date.  I had mine on my 22nd b'day because I was born on the 22nd.  Aunt Sally had hers last week, so we decided to road trip to Birmingham to help her celebrate!  Here are some great things about B'ham:

1.  Turkoyz - This is my favorite jewelry shop ever!  It is located in Brookwood Mall and has simple, but unique pieces for everyday wear.  It is always a hard choice to decide what to get because I usually want about 15 different things.  Here are the cool bird earrings I picked up!

2.  Birmingham Botanical Gardens - I cannot believe this was the 1st time I was able to go here!  Sally talks about this spot often, but I had no idea it was awesome!  We went on the most gorgeous day ever, which probably helped a lot - but I think this place would be amazing any day.  They have several different natural terrians, lots of places to throw out a blanket, paths to stroll or run, a vegetable & herb garden, indoor jungle and desert rooms, and it was free.  I ran out of my favorite type of journal this week and was able to pick up a flowery patterned set at their gift shop - bonus!  Fantastic place.


3.  Ousler's Sandwiches - We had an amazing box lunch at Sally's birthday party at her work.  I wanted a second one.  This place makes chicken salad sandwiches on white bread and deviled eggs that were fab.  Perfect for an antique store golden birthday party.

4.  Aunt Sally - She's our favorite part of Birmingham!  We can't wait to go back and visit her again!

Will I Sleep Tonight?

Here we are on the eve of another Sweet 16 game.  I have listened to entirely too much sports talk radio & am so excited about the big match up with Ohio State - I can barely stand it.  I wish I had ordered that perfect TN basketball shirt I have had my eye on.   Oh well!

This has been a season of drama and excitement in Knoxville from Negedu's heart trouble, the dismissal of Tyler Smith, the Lane Kiffin incident, and suspensions to BIG WINS over Kansas and Kentucky - both #1s.  It may have boosted my love for the basketball Vols to a new level.  Maybe even over football (which I thought would be impossible).  I love that I know each player, I get to watch 2 games a week, and each game doesn't consume a great portion of the day.  This is easy for me to say this year - we'll see if my love is still strong when both teams are excelling.

I thank the seniors Wayne, JP, and Bobby - you made the winter A LOT more fun for me.  The Sneed Family will miss you greatly in 2011.  I love this team and hope they can win it all - which I think they can if Wayne stays out of foul trouble.  

In the words of the great Tony Basilio, "Why not us?  Why not now?"  Please enjoy Wooley's (aka Swiperboy) rap about the Sweet 16 here.  Insert your name at any point to be a Baller Vol.

Running

 

BHS Girls Track 1993

When I am in a running phase - there is nothing like it. My phase started yesterday! I think early spring does it to me. It reminds me of getting ready for track season at BHS - one of my favorite parts of high school. Putting on GOOD running socks and a great pair of shoes... The anticipation of what laid ahead of you at 2:45 in the afternoon was always a little nerve racking - Would the bus be waiting for us to head to Percy Warner Park for an practice of torture? or Would we have a light afternoon of hand-offs and starting blocks? I loved the lazy pace of warm ups, stretching on the football field, and the satisfaction of a good run all done before dinner. Track meets were always a mix of feeling like you were going to throw up and happy exhaustion. They were always satisfying after a good time... The only 3 things I would eat between lunch and finishing my leg of the 4 x 400 would be bananas, Pringles, and grape Gatorade - no Power Bars for this girl! Eye of the Tiger and Gonna Fly Now would be played on my Walkman over and over until my races began - what an iPod could have done for me in those days.

My favorite place to run was McGavock High School in Nashville - it usually meant running under the lights (!!), a big race, warmer weather, and a fast time because it was so late in the season. I think about warming up on the back stretch of that track, hearing the voice of the same starter dramatically call us to our marks, seeing my teammates cheer me on at the 100 mark, hearing Coach Sieganthaler's whistle around the 250 (I could recognize that whistle anywhere), seeing my Dad cheer at the 300, and then feeling the energy deplete as I moved in slow motion towards the glorious finish line. 

I haven't run in 3 years until this week - I am aiming for a 5K at the end of March. Even though I run A LOT slower than I used to - it still feels good to put on a pair of GOOD socks and running shoes.

One Year on Creekside

After living in a one room carriage house for 3.5 years, Rowdy and I relocated to our house on Creekside a year ago today. What an exciting time we have had! This has been such a blessing to live here during this time of being homebound. We have seen all sorts of creatures - from foxes, to turtles, some kind of crazy noise making crane, hawks, neighborhood dogs, beautiful birds (cardinals & hummingbirds are my favs), Cypress Cat, raccoons, deer, armadillo, and possum. Nights are incredible out here too. There is a full moon tonight and it is gorgeous - we sit in the living room with all the lights off on these kind of nights and call it "The Planetarium". The stars are amazing and endless on the moonless evenings. The porches have been a major plus for me - we had not had a place to "knock the paste off" the face and legs since we have been married. I could sit out there all day - too bad it has rained the majority of the last year....

This week we will recount some memories:

1. Youth Group Parties - We have had 2 really fun youth group shindigs "The Un-Prom" (for those of us too young or too old for Prom) - where we saw Phillip climb over the railing and Emily school everyone in darts - the Christmas Party - where we had the "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" Shooting Gallery, Let Santa Sit on Your Lap, The Moth Christmas Storytelling Hour, and Silent Night charades. Good times.

2. Waking Up in Dollywood - We decided to move VERY quickly (like 3 days) and with the help of our friends and my mom we got it all done in about one day. We all went to bed exhausted and woke up the next morning to find a surprise SNOW. Because of all of the trees - it really looked like we were in Gatlinburg- it was a magical morning! Rowdy woke Mom and I up pronouncing that we were in Dollywood.

3. Hammock - Rowdy was not very patient trying to feel for Wilson when I was pregnant. But, if we sat in the hammock together he felt lots of kicking and moving! So, we decided we were going to let the baby pick his/her name. We thought Wilson had picked out a girl's name for himself...but apparently he was just kicking to let us know he was a boy...

The Pool

It takes a lot for me to get motivated to put a bathing suit on my pasty self in February... but I did it ... twice. Wilson & I have been a little bored with our surroundings, so I got inspired to take him to our indoor pool at the Y. And I wanted to buy him a little bathing suit. They are beyond adorable. The first time, we all three went and he showed ZERO expression - nothing. And this baby smiles at everything. So, I tried again by myself last Saturday, and we hit the jackpot!! Here's why it was so great:

1. W is way into playing by himself - he likes for me to be there, but he doesn't want to play with me very much. This was a great way for us to interact in a play setting instead of something functional. And he let me hold him tightly the whole time... I am getting less snuggling these days.

2. He LOVED watching the other children (and flirting with the lifeguards)- I hadn't pictured that - but he sat in my arms for 15 minutes and just laughed, smiled, and looked. They also have a lot of things that shoot water in the kids section of our pool - he liked seeing all of that action too!

3. Balls/Floats - He loved swimming together to capture a ball and then holding it for a little while before he let go again. They also had a fabulous float he could sit up in while I toted him around to various parts of the pool. He enjoyed traveling around and seemed to kick a lot under the water. The big surprise is that he did not splash his hands at all. Maybe next time?

This was an awesome way to break up the winter blahs and get us out of the house doing something active! We will go back soon! I'll try to post a picture sometime when I can manage a baby, camera, and water....

Ford County

Now that Wilson is actually "sleeping like a baby" - I get to read again - woo hoo! Due to the vast amount of sickness in the household in January - I had February Resolutions instead of New Year's ones. This year I am trying to read a spiritual book in between my normal books in my everyday reading.

I read Stepping Heavenward first by Elizabeth Prentiss - it's a fictional book that portrays a journal of a Christian woman in the 1800s and how her spiritual life changes from her 16th birthday until her 40s. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to women with children especially.

My second book of the year was Ford County by John Grisham. I started reading Grisham in high school and read everything he writes. I love the fun lawyer/mystery/thriller books, but tolerate the rest. I understand that he wants to write something else - I just don't enjoy it as much. Ford County was no different. The short stories concept about a county is Mississippi is neat, but I was not attached to any of the characters & found most of the stories too dark for my taste. If I had to pick one, I guess Casino was my favorite. I'll just wait for the next lawyering book I guess....

Flight of the Conchords, Season 1

I have watched so much television in the past 8 months. Does it have to do with the fact that have an eight month old? Definitely. Between feeding someone who eats a lot, being too tired to do much else, and being more homebound these days.... tv has become a big past time in our home. Especially with me.

That being said, Rowdy and I finished Season One of The Flight of the Conchords last night. This show is about 2 guys from New Zealand who are trying to make their band big in NYC. The supporting cast of their superfan, Mel, and band manager, Murray, really help round out the show. It's a light, silly show that I have a feeling people either love or hate. We laughed our heads off the first few episodes.... got used to the routine in the middle... and then they may have sucked us back in to Season 2 with the final episode. Here are my top 3 episodes:

1. "Sally" - The Conchords are introduced to us in this episode and give 3 amazing songs to the audience - "I'm Not Crying" being my personal favorite:

I'm not crying
It's just been raining
on my face
And if you think you see some tear tracks down my cheeks
Please. Pleasee, don't tell my mates
I'm not crying
No, I'm not crying
And if I am crying
It's not because of you
It's because I'm thinking about a friend of mine who you don't know who is dying
That's right, dying
These aren't tears of sadness because you're leaving me
I've just been cutting onions
I'm making a lasagna
For one

2. "Mugged" - We are introduced to the rapping alter egos of The Conchords - The Rhymenoceros & Hiphopopotamus. My favorite song is in the episode and I sang it for days following.

Other rappers dis me
Say my rhymes are sissy.
Why? Why? Why?
What?
Why exactly?
What? Why?
Be more constructive with your feedback, please. Why?
Why?

Why, because I rap about reality?
Like me and my grandma drinking a cup of tea?
There ain't no party like my nanna's tea party.
Hey! Ho!

3. "The Third Conchord" - We decided we liked this show, but were done with it - UNTIL the season finale left us wanting more. The band picks up a new member, splits into 2 bands, switches members, and we see our supporting cast leave The Conchords. What is going to happen? Arf. Arf.

Things I Learned from My Dad

Today is my Dad's 64th birthday, so I thought I would honor him by letting you know about some knowledge he has passed on to me...

1. "Just check it out" - I was convinced that when I went to college that I would want to go to a small private Christian school. So, when Dad brought up the possibility of visiting his alma mater, UT - I was not interested. In fact, it was probably the last place I wanted to attend or visit. But, he talked me into going with him on a day trip to Knoxville to just check it out, and I instantly fell in love. It ended up being the perfect place for me to learn a lot about scholastic matters as well as life matters. So, in the end - just check stuff out - you never know. I love being a Vol.

2. "Girls, you are going to learn a lot more than just about the Grand Canyon." - My friend, Kristy, and I decided to see the Grand Canyon following our sophomore year of college. This was our first big trip where we were doing all the arrangements and had no one to meet us at the other end. That was the quote Dad left us with as we started our journey - and we referred to it often on our trip. Sometimes life is just about learning how to do things more than the actual goal. Because we learned a lot. A whole lot. And close to none of it had to do with the Grand Canyon.

3. "Scholars in the days of old didn't go to school to get a major - they went to school to study Greek, Latin, the classics - to learn. Nicole - go to school - take classes you want to take - to learn. Nicole - go to school - the Vols are going to up for a national championship." - This is what was said to me when I freaked out about picking a major and wanted to take a semester off. I went to school - to learn - and took Photojournalism, Historical Controversies, Private and Commercial Recreation, and another interesting class that has slipped my mind. I guess the lesson here is to take the opportunities you are given. I enjoyed the semester, found a major, and got to see Peyton lead us to a SEC championship.

Thanks Dad!

Ok, Ok, I'll just start doing this....

My friend, Casie, and I decided to start blogs recently. I think Julie & Julia may have had something to do with it. We were trying to come up with a theme, but just decided to start and see what we like to write about. You can check hers out at here. I am personally a little nervous about this because I am not a great writer, but being more homebound these days - I need an outlet. So, after procrastinating for a week and a half.... here is my first post...

I had no idea what to name this thing... so I came up with "From the Ewok Village" for 3 reasons:

1) I love ewoks. My personal ewok, Princess Kneesa, will turn 26 on February 22nd. We have been through a lot together. Maybe I will tell the story of how she came to be mine on her birthday.



2) I live in the trees these days, just like the ewok village.



3) Ewoks are awesome - they fight the evil forces, they share with others (like Princess Leia), they capture all sorts of large creatures despite their small stature, and they can throw one heck of a party. I think this exchange from "How I Met Your Mother" says it best:

Ted Mosby: I just met the perfect woman. She's funny, she's beautiful, she loves "Star Wars"...
Marshall Eriksen: Woah woah woah, what's her take on Ewoks?
Ted Mosby: Loves them!
Marshall Eriksen: Oh, good. I don't know why people are so cynical about Ewoks, the Rebellion would have failed without the Ewoks.
Ted Mosby: And get this: She's a marine biologist, she spent a year in Antarctica studying penguins.
Marshall Eriksen: Oh, penguins are cool. Kinda like black-and-white Ewoks. I approve.

I love penguins too - so this quote is awesome in my book.



I am also looking to discuss things in threes. My SS teacher, Jay Benson, gave us some fact about learning best in 3s. Our minds are always looking for more with two points and throw out one if we have four points. So three it is.

Feel free to encourage me in this endeavor by following the blog or responding/commenting...