I'm still in shock!
My birthday is tomorrow, so a few business school friends came to visit for the weekend in order to celebrate. Yesterday, the man and I had a doubleheader for soccer. The friends came just before halftime of the second game, camera in hand, to take a couple photos. After the game, I was convinced to walk to the middle of the field in order to snap a handful of photos of the man and me. I was tired, hot, sweaty and slightly confused. Next thing I knew, he was down on one knee, asking me to marry him. In shook, shaking a little, I said yes and gave him a kiss! The fans on the sideline started clapping and cheering (I didn't know any of them as most of my team had left). A perfect venue and time for a woman who defines a lot of herself based on the 20+ years of experience I've had on the pitch. There have been great moments and ones where injury has kept on the sideline. Regardless, soccer is still one of my favorite past times and over the last couple of years, I have shared the experience with my better half.
I never went to business school thinking I'd meet the love of my life. On the contrary, I was going to be focused - head down and studying as hard as I could in order to be successful in the future. While I was focused on my studies, I also met an incredible man and I couldn't be happier to soon call him my husband. Wow! As I write that, it even feels weird.
I keep staring at my hand. It makes me smile and feel different all at the same time. They say the engagement period is one of the happiest. I'm excited and yet know there will be plenty of questions and planning on the horizon. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the bliss of this moment.
Showing posts with label Pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pictures. Show all posts
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Duke MBA Games
Football toss through a hula hoop
Cornhole
Crabwalk relay
Izzy Dizzy Bat Relay
Tug of War
Business Suit Relay (including 3-legged wheelbarrow race)
Business Suit Swim
5K
These are just some events that 15 schools including Darden participated in at Duke's MBA Games last weekend to raise money for the Special Olympics of North Carolina. Each team had a Special Olympian competing with them in various events. Duke also had two people dressed as superman/woman floating around all weekend. The day concluded with these two people belly flopping into the swimming pool in their superman/woman outfits. Duke did a great job balancing Special Olympic sports with pure business school sports. My only complaint is that the organizers did not pencil in a nap.
The 5K kicked off at 7a and my team decided to leave around 4:00p before the final event. It was a gorgeous day in Durham, though being out in the sun all day is tiring. I wish I could say we were more competitive than we were. Unfortunately, bigger and stronger helped in a number of these events. Izzy Dizzy bat was the funniest event as people went all over the place after spinning around, forehead to the bat, 10 times. I couldn't even balance enough to stand on both feet until someone finally kept me from falling over. Another member of our team ran completely diagonally, fell over and almost took out a video camera on his way back to the cone. Priceless! One of the hardest events was the business suit swim. Duke provided business suits. The relay was a team of 4, first person put on the suit and then had to do a lap in the pool (to the far side and back), once they returned to the starting side, they had to take off the wet suit and give it to the next member of the team. Turns out business suits provide a lot of drag, making it VERY hard to swim. Great fun and good laughs!
It was a great weekend, but I've been scrabbling to catch up ever since. Luckily, my world calms down tomorrow and I start golf lessons with members of NAWMBA on Thursday. Darden is competing in a large rugby tournament this weekend and I'm struggling to decide whether or not to go cheer them on... hmm.
Cornhole
Crabwalk relay
Izzy Dizzy Bat Relay
Tug of War
Business Suit Relay (including 3-legged wheelbarrow race)
Business Suit Swim
5K
These are just some events that 15 schools including Darden participated in at Duke's MBA Games last weekend to raise money for the Special Olympics of North Carolina. Each team had a Special Olympian competing with them in various events. Duke also had two people dressed as superman/woman floating around all weekend. The day concluded with these two people belly flopping into the swimming pool in their superman/woman outfits. Duke did a great job balancing Special Olympic sports with pure business school sports. My only complaint is that the organizers did not pencil in a nap.
The 5K kicked off at 7a and my team decided to leave around 4:00p before the final event. It was a gorgeous day in Durham, though being out in the sun all day is tiring. I wish I could say we were more competitive than we were. Unfortunately, bigger and stronger helped in a number of these events. Izzy Dizzy bat was the funniest event as people went all over the place after spinning around, forehead to the bat, 10 times. I couldn't even balance enough to stand on both feet until someone finally kept me from falling over. Another member of our team ran completely diagonally, fell over and almost took out a video camera on his way back to the cone. Priceless! One of the hardest events was the business suit swim. Duke provided business suits. The relay was a team of 4, first person put on the suit and then had to do a lap in the pool (to the far side and back), once they returned to the starting side, they had to take off the wet suit and give it to the next member of the team. Turns out business suits provide a lot of drag, making it VERY hard to swim. Great fun and good laughs!
It was a great weekend, but I've been scrabbling to catch up ever since. Luckily, my world calms down tomorrow and I start golf lessons with members of NAWMBA on Thursday. Darden is competing in a large rugby tournament this weekend and I'm struggling to decide whether or not to go cheer them on... hmm.
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| From Collages |
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| From Collages |
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| From Collages |
Friday, March 12, 2010
Amazing Day in Stockholm
I just finished the $12 blueberries I purchased at Saluhall this afternoon. Likely pricey, though I'd argue they're some of the best blueberries I've ever had. There again, I don't recall the last day I had blueberries.
After yesterday's productive 15 hour day and my crazy busy week of schoolwork, I decided to take the afternoon off. I definitely got up later than I anticipated, but managed to have the usual Panini sandwich for lunch. There, I ran into two people from Darden who are here on the Sweden GBE for spring break. Small world!
Since I've been in Sweden, I hadn't done any shopping or really much wandering around since the first couple of weekends. There's at least four H&M stores within a block of each other. I've seen at least three Zara stores scattered around. And there are many boutiques and department stores in Central Stockholm. So I figured, today was the day! I was actually going to purchase a souvenir, so that I'm not only declaring schoolbooks (and some clothes I purchased in London).
I grabbed my camera "just in case." It's been an absolutely beautiful week in Stockholm, which contrasts to this Barcelona GBE. As I walk around, Stockholm looks different. Previously frozen canals are now mostly running water with random chunks of ice. There are more people here too. I notice handfuls of tourists. And generally, people are walking around, enjoying the sun.
H&M was a bust. I scored two tops at Zara. I purchased a "very Swedish" necklace by Sno of Sweden. And capped off my multi-hour and multi-mile adventure with delicious hot chocolate and treats for later by Chokladfabriken. Amazing is the only way I know how to explain the day. Check out the photos below! Also, I finally updated this post with photos.
After yesterday's productive 15 hour day and my crazy busy week of schoolwork, I decided to take the afternoon off. I definitely got up later than I anticipated, but managed to have the usual Panini sandwich for lunch. There, I ran into two people from Darden who are here on the Sweden GBE for spring break. Small world!
Since I've been in Sweden, I hadn't done any shopping or really much wandering around since the first couple of weekends. There's at least four H&M stores within a block of each other. I've seen at least three Zara stores scattered around. And there are many boutiques and department stores in Central Stockholm. So I figured, today was the day! I was actually going to purchase a souvenir, so that I'm not only declaring schoolbooks (and some clothes I purchased in London).
I grabbed my camera "just in case." It's been an absolutely beautiful week in Stockholm, which contrasts to this Barcelona GBE. As I walk around, Stockholm looks different. Previously frozen canals are now mostly running water with random chunks of ice. There are more people here too. I notice handfuls of tourists. And generally, people are walking around, enjoying the sun.
H&M was a bust. I scored two tops at Zara. I purchased a "very Swedish" necklace by Sno of Sweden. And capped off my multi-hour and multi-mile adventure with delicious hot chocolate and treats for later by Chokladfabriken. Amazing is the only way I know how to explain the day. Check out the photos below! Also, I finally updated this post with photos.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Swedish Lappland
The adventure started on Thursday night. Between the bus and two trains, it took roughly 18 hours to get to Kiruna, Sweden. We arrived, three hours later than anticipated. We were picked up by an LKAB bus that took us to the iron ore mine that is effectively the reason for Kiruna’s existence. We went over 500 meters down into the ground to a showroom that describes much of who LKAB is and why this mine in particular exists. Very cool and a great way to start off our trip. Even crazier is the fact that the town of Kiruna will be moved soon as there's a little cracking several hundred meters below the surface that no one knows what will happen if LKAB continues to drill further down.
After 18 hours of traveling which of course included a couple adult beverages on the train, everyone was beyond starving. We stopped in an area that I’d equate to a small American strip mall that had more restaurants than shops. A handful of the 40 exchange students decided on pizza for lunch. Turns out, ordering pizza to go infers that you receive a discounted price and thus are not allowed to eat it inside the restaurant. So we took the pizza to the bus and ate it there. It definitely hit the spot!
Thirty minutes later, the group arrived at the original Ice Hotel. It was different than I expected as I assumed the hotel would be in the middle of nowhere. Our guided tour highlighted why the hotel started, the fact that their church (which only really exists for 5 months out of the year) is the fourth most popular in Sweden, and the hotel is different every single year. Traditional rooms are rather boring, but the art suites is where indivudal artists apply to create something new. Unfortunately, the hotel had a power outage, so none of the suites were lit up. Instead, the best way to decipher the “art” was to take a picture. I’ll admit, I’m happy I saw it, but I definitely didn’t need to stay the night. Brrr…
We arrived at our hotel just in time for dinner – another 2 hours on the bus from the Ice Hotel. The food was absolutely amazing – every day – all meals! That night, we were given one piece ski suits, warm gloves and warm shoes. After dinner, a number of us went outside to the snow covered (approx 2 feet) lake and played in the snow. Saturday was busy – including making the base for Sunday’s snow sculptures, dog sledding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. I did not partake in the last event, however, everyone who did said it was a blast!! Sunday morning started with half of us going to a reindeer farm to feed, lasso and drive a reindeer sled. Overall, an incredible trip! Though I didn’t complete nearly as much homework as I anticipated. Will hopefully post pictures later.
After 18 hours of traveling which of course included a couple adult beverages on the train, everyone was beyond starving. We stopped in an area that I’d equate to a small American strip mall that had more restaurants than shops. A handful of the 40 exchange students decided on pizza for lunch. Turns out, ordering pizza to go infers that you receive a discounted price and thus are not allowed to eat it inside the restaurant. So we took the pizza to the bus and ate it there. It definitely hit the spot!
Thirty minutes later, the group arrived at the original Ice Hotel. It was different than I expected as I assumed the hotel would be in the middle of nowhere. Our guided tour highlighted why the hotel started, the fact that their church (which only really exists for 5 months out of the year) is the fourth most popular in Sweden, and the hotel is different every single year. Traditional rooms are rather boring, but the art suites is where indivudal artists apply to create something new. Unfortunately, the hotel had a power outage, so none of the suites were lit up. Instead, the best way to decipher the “art” was to take a picture. I’ll admit, I’m happy I saw it, but I definitely didn’t need to stay the night. Brrr…
We arrived at our hotel just in time for dinner – another 2 hours on the bus from the Ice Hotel. The food was absolutely amazing – every day – all meals! That night, we were given one piece ski suits, warm gloves and warm shoes. After dinner, a number of us went outside to the snow covered (approx 2 feet) lake and played in the snow. Saturday was busy – including making the base for Sunday’s snow sculptures, dog sledding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. I did not partake in the last event, however, everyone who did said it was a blast!! Sunday morning started with half of us going to a reindeer farm to feed, lasso and drive a reindeer sled. Overall, an incredible trip! Though I didn’t complete nearly as much homework as I anticipated. Will hopefully post pictures later.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Paris
Last weekend, I spent the last of my planned weekend adventures in Paris with my parents, grandmother and a family friend. I've been to Paris a couple of a times though I haven't quite seen the sites that most tourists have. You could likely say that I've become a better tourist over the years and that traveling with other "good tourists" has made me better.
To this day, I'm still surprised how all the Parisians stay thin. The decadence of the food is stunning. I think I definitely had dessert nightly as well as another course or two with it. I've decided, I'm a fan of small portions as I'd prefer to taste a little of everything than get a large portion of one item. The most decadent of all was Valentine's dinner with the family, which was a six course meal, prix fixe. The appetizers included gnocchi and lobster salad. The main courses were line-fished seabass and veal medallions wrapped in ham. Dessert was a chocolate cake-type dessert, a lemon tasting dessert and a coffee/chocolate cracker dessert. Finally, the restaurant gave us chocolate truffles, which I asked to take home. I was STUFFED! The food was fantastic and my goal now is to learn how to make crepes from the French exchange student on my floor!
Even though it was quite cold in Paris (similar temperature to Stockholm), we still did a lot of walking. My dad and I wandered around two floors of the Louvre for close to three hours. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysee. While religious art is a staple of the Louvre, I much preferred the Musee d'Orsay, which is the impressionist museum. Great photos and an excellent Van Gogh exhibit. The last day, my mom, dad and I went to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, which is very fun if you like to see artists working right in front of you.
It was a wonderful trip and I still love Paris! I'm happy not to be packing for this weekend though. I desperately need to do my laundry, which is on today's agenda. Also, I'm swearing off sweets for a while and will be in the gym daily.
Below is a collage of photos from Rome, London and Paris:
To this day, I'm still surprised how all the Parisians stay thin. The decadence of the food is stunning. I think I definitely had dessert nightly as well as another course or two with it. I've decided, I'm a fan of small portions as I'd prefer to taste a little of everything than get a large portion of one item. The most decadent of all was Valentine's dinner with the family, which was a six course meal, prix fixe. The appetizers included gnocchi and lobster salad. The main courses were line-fished seabass and veal medallions wrapped in ham. Dessert was a chocolate cake-type dessert, a lemon tasting dessert and a coffee/chocolate cracker dessert. Finally, the restaurant gave us chocolate truffles, which I asked to take home. I was STUFFED! The food was fantastic and my goal now is to learn how to make crepes from the French exchange student on my floor!
Even though it was quite cold in Paris (similar temperature to Stockholm), we still did a lot of walking. My dad and I wandered around two floors of the Louvre for close to three hours. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysee. While religious art is a staple of the Louvre, I much preferred the Musee d'Orsay, which is the impressionist museum. Great photos and an excellent Van Gogh exhibit. The last day, my mom, dad and I went to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, which is very fun if you like to see artists working right in front of you.
It was a wonderful trip and I still love Paris! I'm happy not to be packing for this weekend though. I desperately need to do my laundry, which is on today's agenda. Also, I'm swearing off sweets for a while and will be in the gym daily.
Below is a collage of photos from Rome, London and Paris:
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| From Collages |
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Summer Montage
Someone at Clear Admit made a comment that she would have liked to see more pictures of Atlanta. While, I have minimal pictures of Atlanta itself, I do have a plethora of pictures from the summer, so this is my summer in photos!
Monday, June 16, 2008
St Thomas, USVI
St Thomas, one word: INCREDIBLE! I spent 7 days on the beach, attended a beautiful wedding of two people who are completely in love, took a boat trip to BVI and shared laughter and smiles with a handful of good friends. Absolutely a perfect trip and to think, I almost missed it all! Enjoy some scenic pictures below...
Darden: My welcome packet arrived while I was away and it all seems so soon. I look at the calendar and wonder where the last 4 weeks went and how quick the next month will go. A list of required and recommended reading was also posted during the week away. I suppose I should finish my last pre-matriculation module and get to the reading. I also need to decide on pre-term classes.
My roommate and I officially receive our apartment this Saturday, though the keys won't be picked up until 4th of July weekend when she moves out there. Starting to feel the shock that I'm actually leaving SF, IMO, one of the greatest cities in the world. Today, I also received an email from a fellow class of 2010 Dardenite who apparently followed my blog through their journey. I'm still in aw over the small world, and internet, for that matter.
Computer: I think I've decided on the Dell D630. The specs are basically the same between that and the T61, but as my dad put it, if you can't decide, buy American! I know it's a silly reason, though it seems logical.
Forte Foundation: Attending the conference next week and trying to figure out what I do with my suit when I head to Germany. I think I may bring a Tyvek envelope with me and mail it home. Thursday night is set aside for dinner and drinks with other attendees, but I'm contemplating missing it and going on a CU Alumni boat trip with a college friend. Maybe that defeats the purpose of my trip. However, there are many forms of networking.
Soccer: Two games this week and after a week of fried food and drinking, I definitely need the exercise. I thought 2 weeks ago would be my last game, but it seems I've squeezed in a few more and this will definitely be it. It makes me a bit sad as soccer is definitely a part of me I don't want to lose over the next two years. Pick up games will definitely be planned at the beginning of the school year.
Pending Trips: San Diego is in the works for this weekend, though I need to connect with a friend to determine logistics. Funny enough, I've never been to SD and have spent the majority of my life in SF.
Class of 2011: I'm so happy to see so many active members of the next class. Sometimes I read my posts from the beginning and it makes me realize how far I've come. I hope you feel the same.
Blog: I finally added an email address to the About Me section of the this blog. It occurred to me that I don't make it easy for people to message me and occasionally, people do have questions.
Darden: My welcome packet arrived while I was away and it all seems so soon. I look at the calendar and wonder where the last 4 weeks went and how quick the next month will go. A list of required and recommended reading was also posted during the week away. I suppose I should finish my last pre-matriculation module and get to the reading. I also need to decide on pre-term classes.
My roommate and I officially receive our apartment this Saturday, though the keys won't be picked up until 4th of July weekend when she moves out there. Starting to feel the shock that I'm actually leaving SF, IMO, one of the greatest cities in the world. Today, I also received an email from a fellow class of 2010 Dardenite who apparently followed my blog through their journey. I'm still in aw over the small world, and internet, for that matter.
Computer: I think I've decided on the Dell D630. The specs are basically the same between that and the T61, but as my dad put it, if you can't decide, buy American! I know it's a silly reason, though it seems logical.
Forte Foundation: Attending the conference next week and trying to figure out what I do with my suit when I head to Germany. I think I may bring a Tyvek envelope with me and mail it home. Thursday night is set aside for dinner and drinks with other attendees, but I'm contemplating missing it and going on a CU Alumni boat trip with a college friend. Maybe that defeats the purpose of my trip. However, there are many forms of networking.
Soccer: Two games this week and after a week of fried food and drinking, I definitely need the exercise. I thought 2 weeks ago would be my last game, but it seems I've squeezed in a few more and this will definitely be it. It makes me a bit sad as soccer is definitely a part of me I don't want to lose over the next two years. Pick up games will definitely be planned at the beginning of the school year.
Pending Trips: San Diego is in the works for this weekend, though I need to connect with a friend to determine logistics. Funny enough, I've never been to SD and have spent the majority of my life in SF.
Class of 2011: I'm so happy to see so many active members of the next class. Sometimes I read my posts from the beginning and it makes me realize how far I've come. I hope you feel the same.
Blog: I finally added an email address to the About Me section of the this blog. It occurred to me that I don't make it easy for people to message me and occasionally, people do have questions.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Homecoming 2007
The mountain towers the football stadium and places itself in the bright blue sky. The cheers blaze - "shoulder to shoulder, we will fight, fight, fight fight fight!". It's the true treasure of college football. The big game - CU, an unranked opponent of number 3, OU. The endzone is packed with fans in red. They were all convinced that OU would come out on top. With a 24-7 lead at half, I was almost convinced as well. But not a moment too soon did CU start one of the best offensive/defensive drives I've witnessed from the sideline. It was breathtaking. The boys in black and gold put their heart into this game and came up on top - victorious - in one of the best games since CU trampled Nebraska in 2001.
The city was fully alive. We walked to Pearl to grab pizza at Old Chicago. Everyone was out in full force and celebrating. I'm not sure any of them went home between the game and the evening of debauchery.
It's days like that, that remind me why I fell in love with Boulder. Strangers are never strangers for long and friends are plentiful. It's your quintessential college town nestled at the base of the Flatiron mountains. The perfect weather begs you to walk to your destination instead of drive. I wish I had time to stay longer, but I don't think my body or liver would have liked it.
The city was fully alive. We walked to Pearl to grab pizza at Old Chicago. Everyone was out in full force and celebrating. I'm not sure any of them went home between the game and the evening of debauchery.
It's days like that, that remind me why I fell in love with Boulder. Strangers are never strangers for long and friends are plentiful. It's your quintessential college town nestled at the base of the Flatiron mountains. The perfect weather begs you to walk to your destination instead of drive. I wish I had time to stay longer, but I don't think my body or liver would have liked it.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Mendo/Ft Bragg
30+ Friends
3+ Houses
2 Full Days of Soccer
Hot Tubs
Nice Weather
Beer
Liquor
Baked Goods
One Word: EXHAUSTED
Mendocino for Labor Day weekend was a treat. I played 6 games of soccer in 2 days and didn't sleep much between late night chauffeuring and partying. The late group that I drove left later than anticipated. When Jenna, Eva, and I finally arrived at our house, it was pitch black. We walked around one side and finally found the front door. There was a map and a note. With no flashlights to lead the way we went exploring like school girls in a haunted house. We tried to be quite, but couldn't help but to burst out laughing. We finally decided to crash in the "living room" off the kitchen. It wasn't bad except that the house awoke at 7:30 am for the first set of games.
Coffee grinder in full swing, Jenna looked at me probably with the same though I had, please make it stop. We were up 30 minutes later and out the door shortly after that as we got a call to help the first team, Bridezilla. By the time we got to the field, the rest of the players had shown, they were moving slow because of their hard partying the night prior.
The first game I played was rather rough. We weren't as warm as we should have been and we definitely weren't playing like a team. We started to flow in the second game and outplayed the opposing team in every aspect of the word, however they had scored a fluke goal and even with 30 shots on frame, nothing hit the back of the net. We cruised to a 3-0 victory over the final team on Saturday.
Saturday afternoon was met happily with a nap. The girls that were not playing in the tourney made a lovely dinner. Ten of us sat at the table, cocktails in hand, making toasts to great friends and a fun weekend.
A group of us visited the other house on Saturday night to watch some beer Olympics. I was impressed by the organization, although I don't think many events were completed. I was in the hot tub for a short spell before it was time to head home. The morning cracked early again with the alarm blaring at 7:30 am. Our first kick off was 8:30 am. We won the first game with flying colors, as did Bridezilla, meaning they were our next match. My team played well. We shifted the field nicely and played to feet. We had a 4-1 victory. The highlight for me was stopping Slover on the line about 4 times. Classic when you have all your friends watching. :)
I was a bit productive in the late afternoon - updating my resume and such. The view from our house with some chill music made the day simply perfect. The weather was warm and the sky was clear - couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
The big party was initially supposed to be at the other house, but due to some technical difficulties with the HOA, we had it at our house. It worked well. Two kegs, a full entertainment system, hot tub, and karaoke machine made it easy to party until 6 am. People drifted in and out. Keg stands were done. Twelve plus people jumped in the hot tub after 3 am. It was good times with good friends. I finally hit the pillow at 7 am after helping Nate cart people back to the other house. 10 am was a bit earlier to wake to people cleaning, but I didn't have a choice given the location of the bed I was sleeping in.
The last highlight was Jenna, Eva, and I returning 2 half full kegs in the middle of the labor day parade. They stopped traffic to let the three of us cross the street, kegs in hand. Jenna had the middle, Eva and I had the sides. No idea what people were thinking.
We made it back and I was luckily still awake. Great weekend. Now if only I could find time to catch up on sleep.
3+ Houses
2 Full Days of Soccer
Hot Tubs
Nice Weather
Beer
Liquor
Baked Goods
One Word: EXHAUSTED
Mendocino for Labor Day weekend was a treat. I played 6 games of soccer in 2 days and didn't sleep much between late night chauffeuring and partying. The late group that I drove left later than anticipated. When Jenna, Eva, and I finally arrived at our house, it was pitch black. We walked around one side and finally found the front door. There was a map and a note. With no flashlights to lead the way we went exploring like school girls in a haunted house. We tried to be quite, but couldn't help but to burst out laughing. We finally decided to crash in the "living room" off the kitchen. It wasn't bad except that the house awoke at 7:30 am for the first set of games.
Coffee grinder in full swing, Jenna looked at me probably with the same though I had, please make it stop. We were up 30 minutes later and out the door shortly after that as we got a call to help the first team, Bridezilla. By the time we got to the field, the rest of the players had shown, they were moving slow because of their hard partying the night prior.
The first game I played was rather rough. We weren't as warm as we should have been and we definitely weren't playing like a team. We started to flow in the second game and outplayed the opposing team in every aspect of the word, however they had scored a fluke goal and even with 30 shots on frame, nothing hit the back of the net. We cruised to a 3-0 victory over the final team on Saturday.
Saturday afternoon was met happily with a nap. The girls that were not playing in the tourney made a lovely dinner. Ten of us sat at the table, cocktails in hand, making toasts to great friends and a fun weekend.
A group of us visited the other house on Saturday night to watch some beer Olympics. I was impressed by the organization, although I don't think many events were completed. I was in the hot tub for a short spell before it was time to head home. The morning cracked early again with the alarm blaring at 7:30 am. Our first kick off was 8:30 am. We won the first game with flying colors, as did Bridezilla, meaning they were our next match. My team played well. We shifted the field nicely and played to feet. We had a 4-1 victory. The highlight for me was stopping Slover on the line about 4 times. Classic when you have all your friends watching. :)
I was a bit productive in the late afternoon - updating my resume and such. The view from our house with some chill music made the day simply perfect. The weather was warm and the sky was clear - couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
The big party was initially supposed to be at the other house, but due to some technical difficulties with the HOA, we had it at our house. It worked well. Two kegs, a full entertainment system, hot tub, and karaoke machine made it easy to party until 6 am. People drifted in and out. Keg stands were done. Twelve plus people jumped in the hot tub after 3 am. It was good times with good friends. I finally hit the pillow at 7 am after helping Nate cart people back to the other house. 10 am was a bit earlier to wake to people cleaning, but I didn't have a choice given the location of the bed I was sleeping in.
The last highlight was Jenna, Eva, and I returning 2 half full kegs in the middle of the labor day parade. They stopped traffic to let the three of us cross the street, kegs in hand. Jenna had the middle, Eva and I had the sides. No idea what people were thinking.
We made it back and I was luckily still awake. Great weekend. Now if only I could find time to catch up on sleep.
Monday, August 27, 2007
The Exchange
My French is mildly conversational at best. My favorite phrases quickly became, je ne comprends pas and Parlez-Anglais? Apparently the French like the way I walk. In two nights, I was told that I walk fantastically. I'm not sure what that means, but I presume it's a good thing.
At times, I felt emerged in the culture. Perhaps to the point that no one knew that I couldn't speak fluent French. It's hard to converse because you realize how many holes there are in your vocabulary as well as how many verbs you can't conjugate. I loved just watching and listening to conversations, which I probably understood half.
Time had no meaning for me in Paris. Very little was planned and I didn't have to be anywhere. Clubs don't open until Midnight and I didn't stay long enough to know when they close. My mornings were filled with sleep and my afternoons with Boulangeries, Cafes, walking and shopping. It's a world that was fun to be into, but hopefully next time for a longer spell.
At times, I felt emerged in the culture. Perhaps to the point that no one knew that I couldn't speak fluent French. It's hard to converse because you realize how many holes there are in your vocabulary as well as how many verbs you can't conjugate. I loved just watching and listening to conversations, which I probably understood half.
Time had no meaning for me in Paris. Very little was planned and I didn't have to be anywhere. Clubs don't open until Midnight and I didn't stay long enough to know when they close. My mornings were filled with sleep and my afternoons with Boulangeries, Cafes, walking and shopping. It's a world that was fun to be into, but hopefully next time for a longer spell.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Fast Paced Weekend
I never realize how busy life can be until I get that extra moment to myself. That moment where the world doesn't matter and I'm left alone to think. The weekend started off early with a late Thursday night. I try to not to deprive myself of sleep until at least Friday, but every so often, important things arise. Work on Friday wasn't bad, but I had every intention of returning to the comfort of my bed after I was done. Instead I ended up in San Francisco at Palomino for an afternoon cocktail with my mother and grandmother. After they left, I proceeded to hang out with a friend at the bar. Good times, but he was definitely polluted when I dropped him off at home. I returned to my humble abode at 10 pm. I washed up and quickly got into bed. The alarm was set for 6 am - a normal work day wake up, except that the next day was Saturday.
Friday night's rest was heavenly. I awoke a bit scattered seeing I had only slightly prepared for my river rafting trip. The group met in San Francisco around 7:30 am. We took a bus up to the drop in point of the South Fork of the American River. Our guide was partial owner of the rafting company and had 15 years of experience on the river. Not only was our group made up of athletic people, but our guide was definitely there to help us have a good time. Erika and I were at the front of the boat for the majority of the trip. I'll admit, it was fun to see what was coming and what was going on. The river was busy, but our guide had a knack for slowing down when we needed to put some distance between us and the other rafts. We witnessed a wrapped boat rescue mission by our guides. I was definitely glad that wasn't us.
Lunch was a mixture of fruit, sandwiches, and lemonade. The class III rapids were all after lunch. On some of them we got to ride bronco which is sitting at the front of the raft with your feet dangling over the side like a hood ornament. It was a good time! Jenna and I went first, but kept falling into the raft because it was hard to hold on. The last time I rode bronco I got sacrificed by my own boat mate. However, I did get him back. ;)
Pulling people into the raft was also entertaining. You pulled them up and over the side by the top of their life jackets. Needless to say, everyone always ended up on top of each other. But I promise there was nothing "naughty" about it. Overall it was a great day and the stop at Safeway was perfect. Nothing like Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream before a short siesta. And I am so proud, no sunburn! :D
My night wasn't over yet. I got in the car and touched base with Shauna who at the time told me I had 1 hour to get home, shower, eat and get dressed. I stole a few pieces of my brother's pizza and headed for the shower. My one hour was extended because Shauna and Amanda didn't know what to wear. I had never met Shauna's friend Amanda, until I realized that she was a girl that actually went to both my middle and high school. I knew her and her sister mainly by name. They were fantastic swimmers. Needless to say, I almost didn't recognize her. The three of us trekked back up to SF and went to Le Coloniel. It was another successful night of dancing. LOTS of fun! :)
My friend Rich had joined us for drinks, dancing, and Pizza O. I finally returned home around 3 am from a VERY long day. We pulled up to my house and some kid had lost control and ended up in our fence. Not exactly what I wanted. I grilled him briefly and once satisfied, drove up the drive. My brother said that the parents already knew, so I let it be.
Sunday was another decently early morning. I was out the door a little after 10 am for my 11 am soccer game. We lost that game, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. I had 40 minutes to get from SF to Palo Alto for another game. I arrived right at start time and played a solid game. It was fun to play midfield for once. I'm a solid defender, but forget that I have the speed to play mid. It was a good change of pace and a great work out. I took the long way home via a Costco detour to drop off rafting pictures. Overall it was a great weekend! I broke a bit towards the end of the night, but perhaps I was just tired.
Friday night's rest was heavenly. I awoke a bit scattered seeing I had only slightly prepared for my river rafting trip. The group met in San Francisco around 7:30 am. We took a bus up to the drop in point of the South Fork of the American River. Our guide was partial owner of the rafting company and had 15 years of experience on the river. Not only was our group made up of athletic people, but our guide was definitely there to help us have a good time. Erika and I were at the front of the boat for the majority of the trip. I'll admit, it was fun to see what was coming and what was going on. The river was busy, but our guide had a knack for slowing down when we needed to put some distance between us and the other rafts. We witnessed a wrapped boat rescue mission by our guides. I was definitely glad that wasn't us.
Lunch was a mixture of fruit, sandwiches, and lemonade. The class III rapids were all after lunch. On some of them we got to ride bronco which is sitting at the front of the raft with your feet dangling over the side like a hood ornament. It was a good time! Jenna and I went first, but kept falling into the raft because it was hard to hold on. The last time I rode bronco I got sacrificed by my own boat mate. However, I did get him back. ;)
Pulling people into the raft was also entertaining. You pulled them up and over the side by the top of their life jackets. Needless to say, everyone always ended up on top of each other. But I promise there was nothing "naughty" about it. Overall it was a great day and the stop at Safeway was perfect. Nothing like Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream before a short siesta. And I am so proud, no sunburn! :D
My night wasn't over yet. I got in the car and touched base with Shauna who at the time told me I had 1 hour to get home, shower, eat and get dressed. I stole a few pieces of my brother's pizza and headed for the shower. My one hour was extended because Shauna and Amanda didn't know what to wear. I had never met Shauna's friend Amanda, until I realized that she was a girl that actually went to both my middle and high school. I knew her and her sister mainly by name. They were fantastic swimmers. Needless to say, I almost didn't recognize her. The three of us trekked back up to SF and went to Le Coloniel. It was another successful night of dancing. LOTS of fun! :)
My friend Rich had joined us for drinks, dancing, and Pizza O. I finally returned home around 3 am from a VERY long day. We pulled up to my house and some kid had lost control and ended up in our fence. Not exactly what I wanted. I grilled him briefly and once satisfied, drove up the drive. My brother said that the parents already knew, so I let it be.
Sunday was another decently early morning. I was out the door a little after 10 am for my 11 am soccer game. We lost that game, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. I had 40 minutes to get from SF to Palo Alto for another game. I arrived right at start time and played a solid game. It was fun to play midfield for once. I'm a solid defender, but forget that I have the speed to play mid. It was a good change of pace and a great work out. I took the long way home via a Costco detour to drop off rafting pictures. Overall it was a great weekend! I broke a bit towards the end of the night, but perhaps I was just tired.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Wow!
First off, what a weekend. The Santa Cruz tournament was definitely a great time. Even though I probably shouldn't have been playing, I played, and had a blast. The ankle held up well and I plan on doing some exercises for it tomorrow after my test. Unfortunately the U-dogs were quite tired and thus lost in the championship game. However, the game before, we won in style. With 5 minutes left, and a score of 6-2, we rallied and tied the game at 6s. The game was quickly followed by PKs. We started with 3 players from each side. Stu managed to get a hand, a leg, or some body part on all the shots, but some of them still manged to get in. Tied at the end of 3, we kept adding players to the rotation. At number 6, I was up first. I drilled it into the back of the net, the keeper didn't even move. I didn't realize so many people were watching, but was told that it was a nice shot. I'm sure with pressure mounting, the last girl from the other team placed the ball to tie it up. She was barely on frame, hit the post, and the ball popped out, giving us the win. I'm happy to say that Celtic didn't face the same circumstances and had a blowout in their championship game. I would have liked to win a t-shirt. ;) All in all there were about 4 teams consisting of various friends from the soccer world. I couldn't have asked for a better send off before my test.
That's the other thing I want to touch on, my test. I can't believe it's tomorrow. I'm not freaking out quite as I thought I would be, but I guess there's still time for that. I guess what's on my mind even more is the next step. I need to decide where in or out of the US that I want to go to school, but more importantly, I need to decide what it is that I want to do. Everyone keeps asking and unfortunately I don't have a solid answer to their question. I'm ready for something different and I've considered a couple different realms, but I haven't picked one yet. I realize that I need to figure that out soon, but for now, I'm hoping to focus on my test and my prize, a nice cold beer.
I haven't had a sip of alcohol in almost two months. It was a personal goal of mine and I've made it. I haven't been a hermit either. I've had more sober 5 am nights in the last month than I've had drunk ones in years. It's crazy and I have to thank my friends for being so understanding. I'm ready to let loose though!
Below are some of the fun pictures from Santa Cruz, you know I can't leave my camera at home! :)
That's the other thing I want to touch on, my test. I can't believe it's tomorrow. I'm not freaking out quite as I thought I would be, but I guess there's still time for that. I guess what's on my mind even more is the next step. I need to decide where in or out of the US that I want to go to school, but more importantly, I need to decide what it is that I want to do. Everyone keeps asking and unfortunately I don't have a solid answer to their question. I'm ready for something different and I've considered a couple different realms, but I haven't picked one yet. I realize that I need to figure that out soon, but for now, I'm hoping to focus on my test and my prize, a nice cold beer.
I haven't had a sip of alcohol in almost two months. It was a personal goal of mine and I've made it. I haven't been a hermit either. I've had more sober 5 am nights in the last month than I've had drunk ones in years. It's crazy and I have to thank my friends for being so understanding. I'm ready to let loose though!
Below are some of the fun pictures from Santa Cruz, you know I can't leave my camera at home! :)
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