Ventures

Earlier today I said I wasn't sure if we would venture out today because of the weather.

Our first outing was shoveling part of the driveway and then a drive around the block to see what the roads were like.  I do not mind shoveling...when you only have to do it once every decade or so...I do not mind snow either...when you don't have to drive in it....and when it goes away as quickly as it comes...hint, hint little bit of snow that is lurking on the roads and in our yard.

Our second outing was to watch the Carolina Hurricanes versus Chicago Blackhawks.  A few posts ago I mentioned that the Canes were not having a great year.  At the time we were in last place in the league...we are now third from last with the Leafs and Oilers pulling up the rear.  The Blackhawks however are having an amazing year.  They are currently in third place in the entire league...we totally beat them...4-2...yep...third from last schooled the third place team tonight.  What was most fun is that despite the crappy roads...we drove about 35-40 mph out of safety because apparently they forget to plow I-40 today...especially Durham County...anywho...despite the crappy roads over 7000 fans showed up to support the Canes tonight...okay...there were a handful of Blackhawks fans too but still...over 7000 fans!  The best part was that our wonderful seatmates were there as well as some of our other friends. 

Tonight was my last live hockey game until March 4th.  It was a fun way to finish up prior to heading back to Singers for a few weeks.  And...the Winter Olympics are almost here...I just love the Olympics.  I'll be in Singapore for the first week of them so will be interested to see what, if any, coverage they receive.  I'm guessing that Singapore does not have any representation at the winter games.

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French toast day

Today actually turned into a french toast day.  All of the people that ran out to buy the bread, milk, and eggs are probably having a late breakfast this morning.  We don't have bread so instead had chorizo and eggs...far tastier anyway.

 
No grilling today...we got about 5 inches of snow overnight. 

The neighbor kids are out sledding down the driveway of the house across the street...as they should be.  Am not sure if we'll venture out today but we are certainly enjoying a quiet morning. 

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Random acts of kindness - update

Back in October I wrote a posting about my amazing artist friend Tina who broke a bowl and had the pieces made into pendants.  She was willing to send one to you if you made a donation to a local southern MI foodbank.  If you don't recall, here is a link to my October 7 blog post.  You can also read the entire story about how how the bowl lives on.

A couple of weeks ago I received a package and inside was one of those pendants.  I have to admit that even if it didn't have such a great story behind it I'd probably buy one just because it looks pretty.  I finally remembered to get myself a necklace for it and have proudly started wearing it.

I strongly suspect that the bowl was a Detroit Red Wings fan.  I know that Tina is a Wings fan so I am just making an assumption here, however, I do need to make it clear that the piece that she sent to me was screaming to become a Carolina Hurricanes fan...and it now officially is...Go CANES!

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Bread, milk, and eggs

So, when you see all of those things what is the first thing that comes to mind?  For me, two things come to mind.  First, I think about French toast.  Second, I think there is the threat of a snowstorm in NC. 

Everyone who lives in NC or even in the South will understand this phenomenon.  When there is the threat of ice or snow, basically any sort of winter weather, a lot of people flock to the grocery stores and buy them out of bread, milk, and eggs.  These seem to be the only things that everybody wants and the shelves are truly empty.  You cannot even buy English muffins or hamburger buns.  Coming from Michigan I don't fully understand this.  I appreciate the idea of making sure you are fully stocked when the threat of being stuck inside occurs, however, why these items?  Shortly after I experienced this the first time Alan joked with me that everybody must be making French toast...because what else can you make with bread, milk, and eggs? 

So, we are currently under a winter weather watch right now for Friday night into Saturday.  We may have freezing rain or we may have lots and lots of snow or we may have absolutely nothing.  The weather forecast is always up in the air when it comes to winter weather here.  It was in the low 60s today. 

I'll keep you posted on how this all sorts itself out...I suspect that regardless of the weather we will not be having French toast...

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Out and about

Today was my first real day of being out and about.  It was also the first sunny day we've had for a few days.  I was happy for both since I was getting a bit antsy being stuck at home. 

Our main outing today was a walk around the Yates Mill Park in Raleigh.  It was the perfect way to spend some time out in the sunshine as well as have a leisurely stroll around the lake.  We took our cameras along and got some decent pictures.

Apparently you can tour the mill during the warmer months which I think would be fun.  This is also probably an amazing spot in the middle of the autumn colors.  It didn't matter to us because we just had a nice time being outside for about an hour.

It is probably hard to see but Alan and I are both in the reflection of this window.

I took a bunch of pictures but the sun was in a tricky spot so I didn't get too many good ones.  I have lots to learn about aperture and other camera tricks to get around those sorts of issues.  For now, you can check out my Flickr stream to see the shots I thought were worthy enough to post.

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Hockey

Have I mentioned that I like hockey?  Just kidding...am clearly a Carolina Hurricanes fan...although, our beloved Canes are not doing so well this year.  We are currently #30 in the league.  For you non-NHL fans that means we are dead last in the league...clearly not our best year...but I still love them and enjoy going to the games.

My college team on the other hand is doing amazingly well.  They are currently ranked #8 in the country.  Oh...in case you don't know, Alan and I both went to Ferris State University.  It is in Big Rapids, MI and unless you are from Michigan have probably never heard of it.  Why am I blogging about this tonight?  Ferris is currently playing Michigan at UofM and it is televised and we are watching it.  We are currently down by 2 going into the 3rd period but we can still pull it off. Go BULLDOGS!  (BTW - Alan has on his brand new Bulldogs hockey jersey that he got as a gift from some alumni.)

Am curious how many people who read this blog have ever watched college hockey?  I guess for that matter, how many of you have been to a hockey game?  How many have been ice skating?

I still need to go ice skating at the rink in Singapore.  I even brought my ice skates along so that I could go...just need to put it at the top of the list when I get back. 

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My Riddup Get-up

This photo (and the frog slippers) have been approved by Fresnel.

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Simple post

• Hockey game last night.
• Slept in this morning...past 7am...extra thanks to the felines in our household.  Meow! Meow!
  
• Had a relaxing morning after the sleeping in bit.
• Played with pictures on the computer.
  
• Hung out at the coffee shop with some great people.
• Printed pictures to share with friends.
• Sat outside and ate a yummy lunch...you heard me...we sat outside!  Extra thanks to the 60 degree temps.
• Bought new socks...not exciting...but it was beyond time.  Something to note here is that I only ever wear socks in Singapore when I'm wearing running shoes.  Feels a little weird to be in socks again.
• Along with the new socks, bought new slippers.  They look like frogs...I know you are all jealous. 
  
• Went to a party for a short time.
• Started the laundry...I love doing laundry...have I mentioned this before?  Am sure I have but feel the need to say it again.  And...when it is cold outside there is a lot of layering which means extra loads of laundry.
• Did some work.
• Went to the grocery store.
• Did some more work...it is in fact Monday in Asia...how unlucky for all of them!
• Ate some tasty nachos that Alan made.
• Wrote a seriously boring blog post.
  

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Better late than never

I'm going to take you back a few years...actually...more than a few... 

When I was in grade school my mom entered this amazing afghan that she had crocheted into the Shiawassee County Fair.  It was an amazing afghan and she won the first place blue ribbon for it.  (I believe it was the one and only time she ever entered anything she made into a contest.)  I loved that afghan...am not sure why because there were others in the house...it was just my favorite.  When I graduated from high school my mom told me she'd crochet one just like it for me for graduation.

Time warp ahead a few years to after my college graduation...the promised afghan arrived.  It was exactly like the blue ribbon winning one from all of those years ago.  I have given my mother much grief for it taking so long for her to deliver on her promise but to be fair, it now doesn't matter.  I adore that afghan.  Almost every single night since I received it I have been wrapped up underneath it reading a book or watching television.  It brings me more comfort than a material object probably should but come on people...my mother made this thing...for me...just for me.

When I was planning the move to Singapore one of the very first things on the list of items to take with me was this afghan.  It made it safely and I have spent many nights in Singapore wrapped up underneath the same wonderful afghan.

I am now back in Durham for a bit...for a bit longer than initially planned and the afghan is folded quite nicely on the corner of my sofa in Singapore.  I don't trust it being sent through international mail for fear of it being lost...I've thought about the option...however, I just couldn't imagine not having it if it were to be lost.

Instead, I mentioned this to my mom.  I told her it'd be great for her to make me another afghan (didn't have to be the same pattern) just so I'd have something here.  Two days later a package arrived on the porch.  Inside is "the actual" blue ribbon winning afghan...the ORIGINAL...the one that started it all.

My mom rocks.  She totally rocks...in a way that maybe only me and my brothers and our spouses and my nephews really understand.  She is an amazing woman and I hope that everybody who reads this has or has had this relationship with their mother.

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Brr....

Most of the time when I talk about weather on here it is either because it is bloody hot or fiercely raining or slightly less than bloody hot...not today.  It is chilly here in NC...I just got back from a walk in the blustery 29 degree Fahrenheit weather.  I know...I know...all my midwestern family and friends are laughing at me that I consider 29 degrees cold...  Let's remember that I now live 1 degree off of the equator so when I thought my blood had thinned a little by moving to NC...it has completely thinned now!  However, to be fair to myself and my walking pal - we totally stuck it out and walked a good distance with only minor commentary when the wind snuck up on us a bit.

On another note, last week Alan and I went to Pittsboro, NC to play with our cameras (you can see some of the photos in my Flickr photo stream on the right side of the blog).  We went to the rail yard for New Hope Valley Railroad.  They have some amazing trains that they have restored.  They also have a rail cat that greeted us immediately upon our arrival.  He followed us around up until some people stopped to walk their dog.  The shot below is where the cat stopped after the dog tried to chase him...seemed appropriate...

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Resolutions

How many of you have resolutions this year?  I sometimes have one and sometimes don't.  Earlier today I was trying to recall some of my prior resolutions and couldn't...I guess that means I either did so well at changing my ways or I did so horribly that I blocked them out...who knows.

One resolution I should probably have is to try and blog more regularly when not in Singers...actually...when back in the US.  But I don't know if that is really so much a resolution as it is just something that I should just do...  I feel like a resolution should be something big and important...not that reporting my day-to-day activities aren't big and important...totally kidding here...


One thing I really should do...and this may become a mini-resolution...is to find something charitable to do when I return to Singapore.  I've been using the excuse of traveling so much as to why I haven't really done anything yet...and to be fair to myself it is kind of hard to do a lot when I haven't even been in Singapore longer than 3 consecutive weeks...  I'm not even sure what there is to do but I feel like I should give a little something back to the community/nation that is giving me such a great experience. 


Any suggestions?

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New Years Eve, Hockey, and Blue Moon

Tonight was New Years Eve.  It has not been a holiday that I have ever really celebrated too heavily. 

One of my fondest memories of NYE was when 3 families got together in a few adjoining hotel rooms.  We ate pizza and went swimming and played games and laughed a lot.  I was actually having an instant message conversation with one of the kids (man now) who was with me at that event. 

One of the other fond memories of NYE was again in a hotel room but this was now during my college years.  The group of 6 guys and 6 girls that hung out together ended up all staying together in a hotel room with two double beds....do the math...not a lot of prethought in that planning.  What made it even better was the supporting cast (the other drunk hotel guests) that we all randomly made friends with.  I believe there was some sort of Lola Falona character....Jen...if you are reading this blog I'm hoping you have my back....

New Years Eve these past few years means attending a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game.  We get to watch a hockey game (always better if they win) but even if they don't win it still means hanging out next to our good friends who have seats next to ours.  We enjoy it but I think we may be getting a little old now since the screeching and very drunk girls behind us were incredibly annoying.  The Canes lost but it was a good game to watch and I had fun hanging out with everybody...well...not the screeching girl...

Tonight was the second of the full moons that make up a blue moon.  The first was on December 2nd...I was in Singapore and it was rainy and cloudy so I didn't get to see the moon.  Now I am back in the States and the second of the full moons occurs tonight...alas...it was again rainy and foggy so no such luck in seeing it this time.  Does this mean that whatever good that was supposed to happen due to the blue moons didn't because I couldn't physically see them?  This is very distressing to me because these things only happen once in a blue moon and I fear I have lost some opportunities because I didn't see either of the moons.  Is there anyone out in my blogdom that knows more about this than I?

I wish everyone a happy 2010.
I wish everyone a short transition from writing 200910.
I wish everyone a speedy decision on whether to call it 'two thousand and ten' or 'twenty ten'.
I wish everyone a 2010 with less celebrity gossip...at least less of the annoying infidelity kind.
In 2010, I wish everyone less peas and more bacon and more chocolate covered pretzels.
In 2010, I wish everyone prosperity.
I wish everyone loads and loads and loads of laughter...and laundry...I love doing laundry.
In 2010, I wish myself some more interesting travels and experiences so that I may blog them all to share with you.
I wish everyone will try to rekindle the joy in traditional letter writing and mailing things via the post office.
In 2010, I wish everyone experiences more than one beautiful and amazingly colorful sunrise/sunset.
In 2010, I wish everyone the opportunity and courage to try something new...small or large...just try it.
I wish everyone love.

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Blog absence

So, I once again find myself starting my blog by talking about how I haven't been blogging lately.  Christmas was amazing.  Alan and I exchanged some fun gifts, we ate a delicious turkey dinner, and generally spent two days totally relaxing together.  I really enjoyed that time.  I was supposed to head back to Singapore on Sunday, 12/27 but since I am still blogging from NC I clearly did not get on that plane. 

You are probably wondering why I am sticking around a little longer?  You may also be wondering how much longer I'll be sticking around?   You may also be wondering why I have been so absent from the blog these past few weeks?  These are good questions but the answers are private and I'm not comfortable writing about them on my blog...at least not yet.  If you have questions feel free to email me and ask me...I'll respond to the questions but just know that you may or may not get an exact answer.  As I stated, right now this is private and I know that all of you will honor and respect that.

This is all seeming too dramatic....I'm not a drama queen (am I?)...it is really just my way of saying that you'll get more information but just not right now.

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