Anna Goes Bananas

Summer and Fall update

2011-11-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

Just a few things I've been up to this summer and fall. Picking fruit, planting in my garden and coaching volleyball, including a trip to San Antonio! Things are winding down into Winter now which means coaching 12U club volleyball and decorating for Christmas!

Coach Player Tournament

2011-02-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a first for me and 4 of my 12U players. We all played in a tournament together at the White Sands Beach facility in Hillsboro. We were the youngest and (besides me) shortest team out there. The girls thought it was really cool to play and dive (and dive and dive) in the sand. I was a little concerned that some of them weren't going to last the day and get what to do but by the end of our 3rd game they were diving and moving toward the ball more than they ever have before!

We didn't win any games (we came REALLY close once...25-27) but they had a blast and we all came out virtually unscathed.

Well, ALMOST unscathed. I maaaaaay have broken my toe. Yup, there's my toe. All black and blue (and yellow and green and purple). It's quite sore...and I can tell you this picture does not quite portray the array of colors that my toe has turned in the last 24 hours.

But, we had a blast. I had a lot of fun and thanks to my girls' wonderful parents I have pictures to prove it. I will definitely do this again.

Ellen and I waiting for a ball to be served. I knew I had a lot of fun yesterday; I guess the smile on my face proves it!

Katelin, the youngest player on my team, learning how to dive for a ball. She was my NECTAR setter all day. Did I mention she's only a 3rd grader?

Here's the whole crew between pool play games. I'm not sure if Isabella could smile any bigger. That girl has so much energy! We all had so much fun, definitely going to plan for another one of these soon...minus the toe injury!

Whale Push Ups

2011-02-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

Another day...another push up.

We have been doing A LOT of push ups in practice lately. Whether it's not calling the ball, or walking when we need to hustle or whatever. Lots of push ups.

Today, one of my players had had it...

Me: Ok, 5 push ups!

Player: I hate push ups

Me: Me too!

Player: Why can't we do WHALE push ups? (Then she proceeds to lift her arms and legs above her head keeping her stomach on the floor).

Me: (laughing a lot) Ummm, if I did those I'd break myself. Thanks.

Whale push ups? Seriously? Who is her PE teacher anyway?

The Latest Noodle

2011-02-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

I can always say that "it's been a while" since I've posted since it's always a while between posts. So, I'm going to skip that line this time.

Instead I am going to try to write more often, and be ok if there aren't pictures to go along with my posts.

My 12U team that I coach with my good friend Carly has kept me sane the last month or so when bargaining and state tests would drive anyone insane. I have kids as young as 9 on my teams and they always make me giggle out loud every practice. No matter how terrible my day is when I spend time with those guys it always make my day.

At our last practice we had a very special interaction occur that went a little something like this:

Me: We need a word to say anytime you guys mess up and have to run and touch the end line

A random player: Noodle
(others at this point shouting in agreement) "Yeah noodle!"
Me: Um ok, "noodle" it is (I looked at Carly and just shrugged...of course they would pick a word like that)
(A little while later)
The game carries on with either Carly or I shouting "NOODLE!" anytime the game required it. Until one point I apparently took it too far...

Carly to me: I can't believe you just noodled them for that.
Yup, noodle is now a verb.

What's Happening?!

2010-11-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

A LOT HAS BEEN HAPPENING! At my mom's this summer my niece (sort of) and I put up cedar planks on my mom's shed. The two windows have are new (nice job Carlos!) and then Carlos went back and "fixed" all my mess-ups! In the end I think it turned out great!

Yep, the fun didn't stop at my mom's shed...no I didn't build the pergola but I stained it! ALL FOUR SIDES OF THE 2x2's! It was 9 hrs just that day. In the end it was my sister holding a flashlight while Tramaine and I were brushing like crazy to get it done since it was super dark out!

Tramaine, Dawn and I enjoying bbq'ed oysters! I ate so many that day I still can't stand the idea of eating them!

Later that weekend I got to make my own glass bowl. This is where I added the color.

After I added the yellow and red, I then added the turquoise...all the colors in my kitchen. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be but I really like how it turned out.

That blob turned into the biggest bowl that the glass maker said he ever had made in his kiln. I felt pretty cool.

My glass blowing buddy...you should have seen some of the random stuff he's made. Some is a bit xxx...weird!

My bff the otter was eating a snacky while we watched him...he was very cute.

He was soo close!

Horrid picture of me...not too shabby of Tramaine. Don't worry, that's just a SHARK behind us!

ROAR!

Backyard and Garden

2010-08-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

The great backyard has even changed since I took this picture but this is just an idea of what we've been doing this summer...lots of staining!

My garden is coming right along. I can't keep up with this gigantic rhubarb plant I have growing! Its leaves are bigger than all 4 of the cats combined!

My herb garden has grown out of control this year too...luckily I can use almost all of them! Its great to make fresh pesto, use the yummy rosemary on grilled potatoes and cut up chives in my sour cream to top those potatoes once they come off the grill! All in all its been a lot of fun to learn to do. I didn't think I had much of a green thumb but these raised beds are making me look good!!

Bike Ride

2010-05-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

It started out as a small little ride on a sunny afternoon. No hills, just a quick little jaunt out to Lawrence Gallery...uh, at least that's what I thought it was going to be. Then we hit Muddy Valley Road, and that's when the hills came in and they never ended! At the half way point we decided to stretch (definitely needed) and took some stellar pics with the ol' camera phone. It was a pretty ride, complete with bugs, very little traffic, and of course LLAMAS!

(Trying to pose without showing off our double chins)

(TINA! Come get your DINNER!)

We had a lot of fun despite it being a little more hilly than I had thought. Definitely won't be able to ride that far for a while (darn knees) but it was totally worth it. Here's to many more bike rides and even more laughs my bff Er-ca!

10K

2010-04-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that I didn't think I could do it, I just didn't think I wanted to do it. Paige convinced me that running a race would be fun. She was running her first 5k. I didn't really feel like waking up that early to run a 5k, so I convinced Erica to go with me and we set off on our first 10k experience.

To make things clear, I have never ran further than about 4 miles...ever. A 10k is 6.1. I am not much for training for things. So, did I run weeks before? Not really. Did I make sure I could last a full 6.1 miles at a slower pace? Nope. Did I rest a lot prior to the race day so my legs were fresh? Not even close. I played in a volleyball tournament the day before I ran. We played 5 matches, won the whole shootin' match, and in 3 out of 5 matches we only have 6 players. Needless to say, my legs (and my shoulders and my everything) were very tired and sore.

But, despite all those things going against me, I did it! We all did! We made it across the finish line in "record" time. Ha! Maybe not record time, but we all finished.

Some of the advice they give to prepare for races I wish I would have taken: know your race route.
Knowing where I was going and how long I had a certain points would have been helpful. Also, knowing how flippin' steep the Steel Bridge actually is would have been the most helpful. That part just about killed me, especially since I didn't realize I had to go back OVER the bridge at the very end. I thought that we were finishing on the OTHER side of the river so I kinda started to run a little too hard right at the end, only to realize I had a bit more race ahead. Oops. But, it was great. We all got roses, water, and free food (yes!) at the end.

That's me, the runner. The picture is small because its from the race photographer's website and he charges $10 for a 4x6. What?!

Paige did awesome, she finished well and wants to do another (she's a runner now, he he he). If I do another I want to up the stakes a little and do a 1/2 marathon. Erica is with me on this one too. I'm so glad too! I haven't quite convinced her that we should do a full marathon but I have a feeling she'll do one with me eventually. I gotta say, I never picked myself to do these sorts of things but they are almost "fun." I definitely prefer volleyball, beach, or tennis tournaments over these races but it does give me a sense of accomplishment when I am done, which I like. I am a very competitive person (duh) so I like the races because it gives me something to focus on while I'm out there.

So, here's to the next race! Not sure when, or how long at this point. But I know there will be more in my future!

20 Pounds!

2010-03-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

My sister has officially lost 20lbs. It is an amazing feat since she has done it the right way; through diet and exercise. So, I was curious. What other things weigh 20lbs? Here is what I discovered:

Blitz the cat; he actually weighs 23lbs...but pretty close.

A car tire weighs 20lbs...imagine that!

A karaoke machine; all that sound...so many pounds.

A sack of potatoes! Yes, even something so yummy weighs 20lbs!

Way to go sister! Here is to the next 20lbs! Imagine all the things that weigh 40lb...

Pretty Much Famous

2010-02-16T16:26:00.001-08:00

You can't really see it but behind us is the Olympic flame. The news crew asked us to take some pictures in front of it and they would film us doing that. It was a little quirky but we did what we were told. Any director would be proud to have us around!

Lynden and I riding the sky train on our way to the Olympic flame in downtown Vancouver!

Erica, Lynden and I are pretty much famous. I contacted Stephanie Strickland when I heard that she was looking for locals up here celebrating the Olympics. She met her in front of the Olympic flame this morning. She asked us to get "super close" for the interview...apparently Erica felt the need to wrap her arms around me in the process. The questions were typical...our answers are goofy I'm sure. But it was a fun experience! Check us out tonight on Ch. 8 at either 5pm or 6pm!

This was the best picture we got of flames. They we HUGE and really neat to see. It was too bad that there were so many gates around it because it was hard to get a good picture.

Fun in downtown BC.

We went for the gold!

I was always destined to Alpine Ski!

Good form (my calves were totally cramping in this one!)

I jumped over Lynden to get this picture taken. Behind me around 2,010 lanterns drawn by children of Taiwan and Vancouver. At night they are all lit up.

Yes, that is a Japanese Olympian. No, I don't know what sport he does. No, I don't know who he is either. But, he is a great jump roper which is what I saw him perform on the street right before we snagged this picture. Whatever he's doing he's doing it tomorrow. Hopefully the 40 times around the jump rope won't ruin his training too much. :)

Tomorrow we head home! GO USA!

Whistler...and Women's Luge!

2010-02-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we headed to Whistler! Erica and I had no clue what to expect, we didn't even know where we were going! We wound our way to Squamish and then took the bus up to Whistler. The Olympic spirit was much more alive up there than it was in Richmond where we were yesterday. The people were all dressed up and cheering as they wound their way through the village.

We were about ready to either head home or get something to eat when we noticed huge line of people waiting to get on the Gondola. As we people watched and wondered what was going on we saw a guy holding up two tickets. I approached him and he said they were for sale...so we jumped at the chance! It was to see Women's single luge. This was taken just outside the security entrance (which is similar to going through the airport!)

Women's Luge always needs more cowbell! Thanks Marilyn! Mine was definitely dwarfed by some of the others around!

The Swiss really know how to get people's attention, they paraded down the middle of the street with their cowbells that were bigger than my head!

The games started at 17:00 (5pm). To the left of this is picture is Thunderbird corner...aka the corner where the Georgian Luger was sadly killed. Everywhere we have been the flags are at half mass in honor of him.

We walked up the steap hill where the athletes got off their luge and ended their race. We were cheering next to a group of people holding an Italian flag, this athlete smiled and waved at us (I think she thought we were apart of the Italian group, either way, we smiled and waved back!). Today we are headed to BC Place to see the Olympic torch and possibly get interviewed by Ch. 8 news! More to come on this fun day! Also, Happy Birthday to Kathy (Lynden's Oma), she turns a young 60 today!

The O-Zone

2010-02-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Today we spent the day at the O-Zone (Olympic Zone) in Richmond. We saw a lot more than I anticipated of the Olympic scene. I guess its safe to say there's more to the Olympics than the actual sport, who knew? This was a random statue we saw on our way to the O-Zone.

Before we got to the O-Zone we happened upon a fountain full of cranberries. Curious, we stopped and asked what it was all about. Apparently there is a huge population of cranberry farmers in the Vancouver area and they wanted people to know that there is more the Vancouver than just the Olympics.

Erica, Lynden and I enjoying the sea of cranberries.

This is our view from atop of the ferris wheel. Those Olympic rings are filled with about ohhh 13 million cranberries (give or take a few). On the other side of the field was giant maple leaf filled with floating cranberries with the Olympic flame in the middle.

Unfortunately there are no pictures of me in the bobsled simulator because at that point the camera and I parted ways. It went to the ice skating rink and I stayed to try my hand at winning the gold. (Everyone who tried took home the gold but it was still a cool deal all the same). There are also no pictures of the Chinese dragons that danced their way through the crowd to celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year today because at that point we were all so hungry that the largest dancing dragon in North America really wasn't important enough to photograph...oops.

Tomorrow we are headed to Whistler...no tickets to an event yet. Tomorrow is a new day though!

Not Very Good At This

2010-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

I wish I was better about blogging but I'm just not. I'm glad its the weekend (just like most people who read this) and I'm looking forward to relaxing...again. I've found that now that I'm in my home that I love I never want to leave it. On the weekends I love to get up early, clean up the messes we've created from the week and then just chill out. If the weather is nice I get a good run in, if its not then I'm just as happy to hit the treadmill (which is soooo awesome!) in the garage. Either way, I'm close to home and very happy. The kitties love it when I'm home too, they entertain me at every moment...Sugar especially. He was born to make me laugh.

In other news...I'd like to give a shout out to my sister who has made it a goal to take better care of herself in an attempt to lose 39lbs by her 39th birthday. I want her to succeed. I want her to be healthy and happy. Your siblings are the ones who stay with you the longest in your life and I want to have a sister that lives forever. I am doing my best to encourage her every way I can because I never want her to stop taking care of herself. I know she can do it. I don't want to her to get discouraged when she doesn't lose and I don't want her to stop just because she doesn't lose one week. Keep up the great work Paigie! I love you!

Hello Old Friend!

2009-12-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

I've missed you Christmas break. I have been waiting your arrival for weeks! And now, you are finally here. I hope our time together is cherished and filled with laughs, hugs, and lots of sleep.

Welcome to 2 weeks of pure bliss. I love being a teacher!

I love pie

2009-11-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

I really do. And, since I have moved I have become quite the cook. My mom came over a few weekends ago to show me how to make pie crusts and its been all down hill since then. I have made a chocolate banana cream, dutch apple, and pumpkin with caramel pecan topping. All were enjoyed by family and friends which is the only reason to make them in the first place.
The chocolate banana cream up close and personal. Thanks to Marylin for providing the whip cream dispenser that made it practically perfect (in every way).

Me with my super yummy pie! (We didn't want to put whip cream on all of it since we weren't planning on eating it all at once :)

Seriously?

2009-10-26T20:03:00.001-07:00

Has it really been a month since I posted last? Where has the time gone? Most of the things I wrote about have already happened. I've moved Sugar and Honey and all(most all) of my belongings to my new home. The kitties are adjusting really well but I haven't got quite used to the new commute. Who knew moving 10 minutes would make everywhere you need to go take 10-12 minutes longer?

I celebrated my 30th birthday with many of my closest friends and family. My sister (who I know will read this) tried to make yummy cupcakes but failed to see how disgusting strawberry icing actually is...especially on cherry chip cupcakes. BUT, she and Aunt Vickie did an amazing job frosting and decorating all 50+ cupcakes, wow!
The alumni game was a success also, there were about 10 of us there, and I actually wasn't the oldest one playing! It was really nice to see a bunch of alumni from the past few years, and get to play against the girls that I coach everyday...and beat 'em a few games too. :)
Since then I really don't know what I've been doing other than unpacking, coaching, working out, teaching, and trying to become more of a cook.
Yesterday my mom came over to help me make chicken pesto lasagna. This coming weekend she is going to help me make pie crusts (she is the BEST at making those). Who knows, maybe by Christmas I'll have learned how to cook an entire meal from her and can have everyone over for dinner...oh wait, that means I'd have to have a dining room table and more than 4 plates. Baby steps...even though I'm 30 I still have a long way to go to being a grown up!

Check it Out

2009-09-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been a month since I was in Mexico. So much has happened in that month and there is even more on its way in the coming weeks!
Since I was in Mexico I have:
-started working out again...and two times a week before school!
-been to LA for a volleyball tournament (we went 1-3...yuck)
-walked the Hollywood walk of fame, that was cool!
-seen my oldest and best friend for a fabulous night and great morning of catching up and talking talking talking!
-started packing for my big move into a house! (4 kitties+1 new roomie Tramaine= Fun!)
-learning to work with 6th graders for the first time in my teaching career, so far so good!

In the coming weeks I will...
-finally be home on the weekends!
-move Sugar, Honey and all my crap into our new home.
-celebrate my (ahem) 30th birthday
-play in the alumni game on my (ahem) birthday with some of my former team mates and players
- spend more time at home and with mi familia
- plan a housewarming party!
- (hopefully) plan my next trip to Mexico!!!

Home From Mexico!

2009-08-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Being back home from Mexico is a little more bitter sweet than I imagined. On our 2nd to last day I thought I was very ready for the journey home...but as I was headed to the airport and having said goodbye to all my new friends (Carlos included!) I got a little sad...ok a lot sad (I cried). Looking back at all my pictures I definitely didn't take enough! I really need to get better at that...and get a better camera!

One of the things I miss the most about Mexico are all the colors. Every building is brightly painted in oranges, yellows, and blues. The sky is a beautiful blue everyday and all the flowers that are in bloom made the walk I took everyday with Carlos very enjoyable.

I'll definitely miss the shopping too! The things you can buy for $5 down there! Holy cow! I am so amazed at the things I bought while I was there and how little I actually spent. It's just crazy. Almost everything made it home too...except one of my hand-blown glass pitchers...dang airport people! I also had a bracelet broken and a pair of earrings is MIA. Otherwise all my wonderful purchases made it home and are hung up in my apartment!

I'd love to continue to work on my Spanish. I feel like I've lost most of it already and I've only been home a few days! I am really glad I was able to have that experience and hopefully can do it again (maybe in December???) Who knows!

On our way to Tonala Miguel (shown in the black shirt) took us to a bakery where he knew they made awesome cinnamon rolls. He was right! They were the perfect breakfast to help jump start us on our HUGE shopping trip to Tonala...imagine Saturday Market on steroids (x10) then add puppies, turtles, fish and birds...oh and don't forget the blind man screaming for one peso for food. Not enough pesos (or room in my luggage) for all the things I wanted to buy there...but I sure tried!

Paige, Carlos (aka: not my brother-in-law) and I at a little shop in downtown Ajijic that had just opened that day. We were their first customers. I bought one of the strings of jaras (sp?) on the wall. Carlos just sat there looking cute.

In Mexico...3's of Me

2009-08-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

No pictures for this blog entry. Erica went home today and that means the camera did too. I spent the morning helping Luz put the kitchen back together. It feels sooo good to have a nice clean place to prepare meals and such and to actually have the refrigerator in the kitchen! My sister arrives tomorrow evening and I can't wait! Tonight I am spending alone in Mexico. I hope to fall asleep quickly and wake up to a beautiful morning. And, since I am along in Mexico (and a little bored) I decided to do one of those things where you write 3 things about yourself...

Three names I go by:
1. Anna
2. Miss Gradek
3. My seeestor

Three jobs I have had in my life
1. Science Teacher
2. Waitress
3. Volleyball Coach

Three places I have been (this year)
1. Ajijic, Mexico
2. Vancouver BC, Canada
3. Three Forks, Montana

People who text me regularly
1. Tramaine
2. Erica
3. My Seeestor!

Three of my favorite foods
1. Pasta
2. Mexican
3. Chocolate

Three Things I am looking forward to
1. Volleyball season
2. Laying by the pool tomorrow
3. Having my seeestor arrive tomorrow!

Three places I have lived
1. Amity, OR
2. Beaverton, OR
3. San Diego, CA

Three favorite drinks (all of which I've had today!)
1. Coffee!!!
2. Mango y Fresca
3. Ice Water

Three TV shows that I watch
1. 24
2. Days
3. Unwrapped

Three favorite Movies
1. Drop Dead Gorgeous
2. Hercules (Honey, you mean HUNK-ules!)
3. Steel Magnolias

Three autos I have owned
1. Volvo
2. Honda Accord
3. Nissan Altima

Mas Mexico

2009-08-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Who knew a simple trip to Bancomer (Mexican bank) could be so beautiful? It really helps that Erica is a great photographer and can capture really simple things and make them look amazing. Carlos was the crowd favorite from all the stray dogs that needed to check him out along the way. At first it was a little unnerving to have every kind of dog, big or small, approach him but he took it like a champ and none of them were aggressive. Today brings us one day closer to having all the construction finished. Its nice to have them here because they're able to help me translate if needed...like today with the gas man!

My sun burn from yesterday has faded into a tan over night so laying out by the pool (again) will still be a part of my routine. Had a great dinner at Nueva Pasada with Erica and Carlos. I love that you can take a dog almost everywhere you go! Tomorrow is the local market that we've been looking forward to all week! We've got pesos in our pockets, Carlos by our side, and some wheelin' and dealin' to do!

Mexico Baby!

2009-08-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our second day has come to a close and it wasn't much different from the first. Some of the pictures in this collage our still from first day because we took over 60 pictures. Luz (the housekeeper) and I got curious because of all the loud music that was being played next door so we climbed some ladders to check it out. Little did we know the people were right behind the wall! Luckily they didn't see us! We also enjoyed our first of many trips to the grocery store. Its a bit rustic but it has almost everything we need...including coconut milk for our banana pancakes! Yummy! Carlos goes everywhere with us and as you can see he is in almost every picture with me. Don't worry Sugar and Honey, there's no way you're being replaced!

Our first guests have come and gone and our second arrived about an hour later. We have enjoyed the peace and quiet this evening with a late dip in the pool (that feels more like a hot tub right now!). Tomorrow will be much of the same only a little noisier as the construction workers will be back to (hopefully) finish the remodel that should have been done Friday. Perhaps they're on the same schedule as Erica and me!

I'm Going to Mexico!

2009-08-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Ajijic and almost finished enjoying our first day at La Paloma. Last night was a bit much with all the rain, thunderstorms, and not to mention Don scaring us with reminders to lock every door while we're here because of robbers! Needless to say it took me a while to fall asleep. I did wake up promptly at 4am when I knew Don was leaving and brought Carlos (Don and Diane's dog and my new trusty sidekick) into bed with me...literally. Erica said she looked over at one point and saw us spooning. I'm not sure who appreciated the security more, me or Carlos! Did I mention there were MASSIVE thunderstorms? There is no proof because Erica was too scared to walk out there and take pictures, and I don't blame her!

This morning I woke up early (7:45am...5:45am PST) to let the gardener, Luz who cleans, and the carpenters in to work on the remodel of the manager's quarters. Erica and I also picked our first bounty of avocados and can't WAIT for them to ripen! The picture top middle is of me on the roof getting some good ones.

The rest of the morning was spent getting situated with our new surroundings, grocery shopping, and of course, laying by the pool. Erica is on official pool cleaning duty. Tonight we're staying in for dinner but going out for dessert and limonadas...Carlos will be our date, he goes everywhere we go!

Stay tuned for more...

All My Bags Are Packed...

2009-07-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm ready to go...TO MEXICO!!

Honey giving me the "you're leaving us again?" look

Sugar and Honey, however, are not ready to see me go. They have been laying in my suitcases (empty and full) not letting me get more than 3 feet from them at all times and anytime I leave I hear ALL about it when I return.

Sugar isn't looking at me, he's looking at the cords behind the TV to see which he'll eat while I'm gone.

Sugar is taking it the best, although he will let me know he's upset when he throws up on the floor and eats some really important/expensive cord while I'm gone. That's his way of showing me to not take vacations with out him!

The essentials: sunglasses, passport, and my cowboy hat. That's all I need....

...and a FEW other things stuffed into this (almost) full suitcase. Don't worry, there's an extra duffle bag stuffed in there for the Mexican goodies I plan to bring home! So long McMinnville, I hope you are in one piece when I return from 15 beautiful days in Mexico. If you'd like to see where I'm staying; here is the website! Many thanks to my sister who is taking Erica and I to the airport at 3am (for our 6am flight...who planned that?! Oh, that's right...me (oops!)) Thanks to Tramaine for taking care of Sugar and Honey while I'm off on my adventure. No 100 degree days while I'm gone please! See ya'll when I return! Paige and Beflany: I'll see you on the 7th! Adios!

Team Camp and New Car

2009-07-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Its been while since I've posted and that's because I've been SUUUUPER busy...well, I was super busy and then the last few days I've just layed around doing nothing. :0)

Last week I was at Team Camp coaching 12 hour days. I definitely have the energy to last that long, just not the voice. That was gone by the end of day 2, yikes. Then came the bruises. I haven't played indoor volleyball for a while and at this camp there is no easing your way into things. Let's just say I came back with more bruises than a 6 day old banana. But, despite all the physical pain I endured it was a lot of fun. It's really great to connect with people who share a love for volleyball and coaching as much as I do. I just don't get that all that much in my circle of friends and it's really nice to be around that (more like submerged in it!) every once in a while.

For those who didn't know, I've been looking for a new car. I have been on a hunt for about a month or so and I knew what I wanted, I just needed to find it in my price range. I stopped at a dealership on my way home from Bend just to check things out and I ended up buying a car! It's a Mazda CX-7 and depsite what Tramaine says, it's red. It has the two main things I was looking for, Navigation and leather and it was a crossover. I totally love it but it'll take me a while to get used to. I was very used to my other car so figuring out all how to work all the bells and whistles will take me a while, but I think I can do it. For those who want to see a picture; it's coming. In the meantime, here is one I found online.

Home Again, Home Again

2009-07-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Erica and I (and Lynden) made the trek home from Canada. We decided to leave early in the morning and ended up leaving a little earlier than planned. We were on the road at around 5:45am. We made great time and only stopped twice along the way (once for Starbucks for me and once for gas) and ended up pulling in Erica's driveway at 11:45.

At the time I thought it was a great idea to get home so early...then the lethargy set in. I didn't move from the couch for the rest of the day. I watched some movies (Bride Wars is really cute by the way and its been eons since I've seen Cruel Intentions) and a little Dog the Bounty Hunter (hey bra!).

My one adventure out was to get some hairball ointment for Sugar since he decided to throw up about 12 times. I was about to take him to the ER vet in Tualatin because he was not looking good but luckily I calmed down enough and called Peggy Owens and she advised me on some ointment. He took right to it and has only thrown up once since then (I know you were all dying to know!) and we all slept peacefully last night. And, after all my complaining about everyone going to bed so early while I was in Canada, there I was last night: In bed before 9:30. Karma.

My Ode to Sugar (aka: Suge Knight)

Kits Beach

2009-07-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Our final day in Canada was by far my favorite. We spent most of the day at Kits Beach near downtown Vancouver. Its a very happening place on a hot Saturday afternoon. People of all walks of life are strolling, rollerblading, sunbathing...you name it. Its a great beach that overlooks the bay that was just as busy as the boardwalk. There were probably close to 100 small sailboats racing out on the water, along the shore a group was doing sea kayaking, and right down the beach from where we were folks were playing volleyball. I ended up getting in a few pick up games which was fun (and definitely made me realize that it's been a WHILE since I played sand!) Erica and Lynden had a great time throwing the Frisbee around and people watching (Erica's favorite).
Once the sand got too hot to play on we headed to the pool. It was HUGE! Hopefully the picture in this collage does it justice but to give you an idea of its length...it is almost 3 times as long as an Olympic size pool! The water is like saline solution, very clean but no harsh chemicals to burn your eyes (or ruin your nails in my case). When we got there Erica asked me if I was going to swim a lap and I didn't think I could because I thought it was too salty...nope! I did pretty well for a girl who hasn't worked out in a while! I ended up swimming a little over a lap and it felt great. The water was the perfect temperature, the air was nice and warm (about 85) and the people watching was the best (I think that's what Erica is doing in the center picture on the collage).
We ended up heading home at around 4:00 and had a wonderful dinner with Kathy and her family and friends. Fresh salmon just caught yesterday over caesar salad and key lime pie for dessert! Perfect summer meal...oh so good! We ended our evening painting our toenails; Lynden was especially patient and really excited to get a "dark" color AND have mommy and Anna's toes match hers!
Happy 4th of July everyone! Canada was very fun but I'm ready to head back to the States!

Photo Shoot at the Park

2009-07-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Erica, Lynden, Kathy and I had our pictures taken today by Kathy's good friend Suzanne. She was very patient with all of Lynden's desires...one of them being playing Frisbee. We had fun tramping through the park but had to leave early because we were being attacked by mosquitoes. That's when we headed to the playground. It got hot early today so Lynden headed straight to the fountain after playing on the swings. I couldn't help but join in and we had a lot of fun running through the sprinklers as they sprung up all over the cement area.
After that (and some much deserved pool time) Erica and I took the sky train to downtown Vancouver. I've definitely done my fair share of shopping on this trip and our trip to downtown was no exception. We walked up and down Robson Street and stopped when something caught our eye...which happened a lot. We had dinner at Cactus Club Cafe (which was yummy!) and then walked around some more and then both of us felt ready to go home. We were done with the down town scene...lots of people, noise, commotion. We were ready to get back to a much quieter simpler place...like Oma's!
Once we were back we both nursed our newly acquired mosquito bites from today and tired feet with a soak in some magnesium salt and a much deserved foot massage. All in all it was a fun day, and once again all are in bed before 9:30 and here I sit...awake. :-)

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

2009-07-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

These are the pictures we took while we were on the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. Erica was not a fan of being on it because it swayed back and forth and she had to keep reminding Lynden to hold onto on of the ropes. I was a bad example because I was never really holding onto the ropes while we were walking across. My favorite picture in this collage is of Erica and Lynden and the line of tourists behind her and if you look closely some of the people are actually smiling for our picture.. The pictures of Lynden and I were taken just moments before that one Thanks random tourists!

Fun at Lynn Canyon Park

2009-07-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today was another exciting day in Canada, eh? In the morning we got up and drove to Lynn Canyon Park. It is home to a long suspension bridge. There were a bunch of trails around it that led many different places. We chose one that led down to a creek that fed into the big waterfall that the suspension bridge went over. Lynden and I had a blast jumping up and down and running all around. It was so peaceful I was able to bust out some of my favorite yoga poses (ha!). We made our way back home, got lost, and then luckily used the GPS on my phone and Erica's sense of "oh yea, I know that street let's go this way" direction to eventually steer us back home to "Oma." We finished the afternoon playing, reading, and lounging by the pool (because that's what we do best). Kathy taught me to play cribbage and I kicked her booty the first time around. My guess is there will be a few more rounds played before I leave here...that is if they can stay up past 9:30!

Fun by the Pool!

2009-07-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day collage

2009-07-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, these Canadian flags are held on by duct tape.

To those unaware, July 1st is Canada's birthday. When Erica and I planned our trip up here we knew it would be over the 4th of July but I wasn't aware that we would be here for Canada's version too!

We got up early this morning because like I said in my last post EVERYONE WAS ASLEEP BY 9:30...so there we all were 7:30am bright and early (earlier than I would like!). We spent the morning making fruit salad and a yummy drink I got from my friend Courtney with watermelon and strawberries in it! The American version calls for Squirt but apparently Canadians have never heard of it nor do they sell it in their grocery stores...so we had to settle for Fresca (which I bought the sugar free kind...gross) or Canada Dry (which they have EVERYWHERE).

After that we headed to the pool for the Co-op's version of Canada Day. Good times were had by all in and by the pool. Those geriatrics really know how to throw a good party! Between the 3-legged dog that I wanted to take home, the old senile Vet who became my best friend, and the burgers that I swear were made out of goat, we had a ball. Lynden LOVED the pool...I LOVED the pool and I in between raffle drawings and listening to the CCR blaring on their make-shift speakers I was able to do some reading.

After showers to remove the day's sunscreen and such Erica and I hit the mall that's within walking distance and had a BLAST at H&M (my new favorite store...cute clothes on the cheap). Oregon REALLY needs one of these! Total bummer is that the malls around here close at 6pm Saturday-Wednesday (and no, it wasn't because of the holiday for those of you thinking that) , then Thursday and Fridays they're open until 9pm...weird Canadians!

Tomorrow we're off to cross a suspension bridge! Should be fun!

Canada Eh? Part One

2009-06-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

At the park feeding the ducks, the large leafy area in the background is where a beaver family lives...saw one take out a duck while we were there...ahh, nature...

Today I embarked on a journey to Canada with my good friend Erica and her daughter Lynden. We made record time until we hit the border. The trip itself is about 6.5 hours and we made it last 8 thanks to a wrong turn at the duty free. Erica was supposed to buy her mother in law (who we are staying with) some duty free items but we missed the turn on the US side and decided to go to the Canada side only to discover you can't do that (live and learn), so then we had to return our newly purchased duty free items or get to sit at the US border just to turn around and sit at the Canada border again (after have just crossed the Canada border moments earlier). So, we returned them and that's when all h-e-double hockey sticks broke loose in the car. Lynden had fallen asleep about 30 minutes earlier and woke up to her mother running away from the car (to return the duty free stuff) and got scared. Needless to say, we spent the next 45 minutes calming her down and convincing her that going home was not an option. I tried to make things all better by playing some music and chose (only Erica will find it as hilarious as me...and only my sister will know the song...) "It's Alright to Cry" from the Free to Be You and Me soundtrack. It didn't help Lynden in any way but it sent Erica and I into lip biting hysterics with tears rolling down our face.

Once we landed at Camp Oma's (Lynden's version of Grandma) we played around and then went to a park and fed some ducks. Very sweet little guys! All 8 were huddled together for their picture!

We actually got to see a beaver and Lynden attempted to feed a chipmunk, very cute.

We then came back and built a fort and ate stovetop popcorn with parm. cheese...yummy!

Now everyone is asleep except Lynden and I (perhaps it's because I fed her sour patch kids and pop right before bed...oops!)

Shorty Was A Pimp

2009-06-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

This is the best I can do for all of you wondering what Tramaine looks like dressed as a pimp. His part in the show was to showcase Jeff in middle and high school and he did that with a little bit of flare and a lot of cheetah fur (fake of course). I wish there was video of it all because he got into full character on this one and it was perfect.
As the song by Too Short, "Shorty was a Pimp" started up Tramaine came out from behind the curtain. The audience (myself included) was in hysterics. You can't see them very well, but he is wearing cheetah printed platforms that match the rest of his outfit. It is classic.

Part of Tramaine's act was a slide show that didn't make the final cut but in making it he came across this picture back in the day. Two of a kind right here! We had lots of fun in Montana and whoever gets married after these two will have some big shoes to fill! It's kinda how you feel for Vancouver BC having to follow China in the Olympics, no way anyone can top that!

The Merger Part Two...with pictures

2009-06-27T11:09:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why these first few pictures are so small and the rest are larger but hopefully you can see what length Jeff's friends will go to make his wedding so memorable and unique! The Merger was set at the Emerson Cultural Center which is an old school house that has been turned into a museum/events center. The ceremony took place in the auditorium and the reception was in the old gym. After the participants in the first act marched in to the Olympic music each one had their moment to shine. Suzy's friends that spoke on her behalf were tame in comparison to what Jeff's friends did but they were all funny. Jeff's were just over the top. His first friend came out of the audience to the music from The Price is Right and even had the name tag! It was classic and quite funny!
After a few others came out the final act was a combination of Jeff and Suzy's friends doing a skit of how they met. This is Jeff's friend, Ned, who was imitating Jeff...and for those that don't know him he has Jeff down to a T! The dog was amazing, she stayed in that wagon as she got pulled down the aisle to the stage and just stayed there. It made me want a dog! Then I think about Allison and Mocha and I am quickly glad to just have two kitties!
After the first act there was a half hour intermission with popcorn and beer. (Of course there was!) What wedding doesn't have an intermission? When we all came back the bride was sitting in a chair in the middle of the stage and the groom came out and lip sank "Your Song" by Elton John (but it was the Moulin Rouge version with Ewan McGregor) while family and friends came out and brought her wild flowers and kissed her on the cheek. One guy came out on roller skates, another was a group from his baseball team, and these three guys all picked her up and carried her around! The best part was when while she was seated he jumped over the top of her...and didn't even rip his pants!
This was taken at the after-Merger reception. (F00d was served before the Merger...thank goodness too because it was a 3 hour performance!) I am wearing Tramaine's Stetson that they all got for being a part of the Merger...along with Nike soccer shoes...random! And yes, that is some bling left over from the pimp outfit that has yet to be seen.
This was taken right when we got there. It was a raining and cold(er) day in Bozeman. Tramaine in a cowboy hat? Only Jeff can get him to wear that! The mother of the groom took close to 4,000 pictures from the weekend so when I get those from her I will post some more (and hopefully larger) pictures!

The Merger Part One

2009-06-23T09:48:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a long weekend in Bozeman, MT (and Three Forks too) witnessing the most amazing/unique wedding I've ever been to. Tramaine was in the production that will forever be called "The Merger" and let's just say there was no end of what he will do for his friends. When we arrived I knew we were in for an exciting weekend because the groom does not have a stop button. He's constantly going going going and is always thinking of creative things to do/wear/be. (I must add that I did take my camera this weekend but the P.O.S. didn't work so I am going to have to steal pics from others folks in order to show ya'll how it all went down.)

Day One: Montana Games

When we arrived our first stop was the 200 acre farm in Three Forks where the bride and groom live. They bought their land and then moved a house onto it. Yes, MOVED A HOUSE. I wish I had access to all the pictures because it is quite an amazing feat. We spent the evening hanging watching the groom's version of a bachelor party unfold. It has been named the "Montana Games." It included (in this order):
1. Whiffle Ball
2. Badminton
3. Clay Pigeon shooting on top of a cliff
4. Fishing in the pond
5. Canoe races
6. Tecmo Bowl Tournament (Nintendo '91 version)
7. Ping Pong Tournament
8. Boggle

No one knows who won, but I'm pretty sure it was the groom because he was constantly changing the rules of the games as they went! I may have forgotten a few but let's just say after the hike up the large bluff behind their house to shoot, and the canoe races most of the guys were pooped. I was able to scoot out and have dinner with the groom's family that weren't participating in the Montana Games in Logan, MT (a town of about 10 people) and had some amazing prime rib...yummy!

Day Two: Rehearsal and Tree Planting

The dress rehearsal for the Merger was more like that of a large production than anything because as I found out, there was an act one and act two to this whole thing. Act one was all the bride and groom's friends speaking about the two and act two was the actual exchanging of vows (and a whole lot more that I became aware of). Needless to say it lasted about 2 hours and at the end they realized they were going to need another run through the day of the wedding in order to make sure it all went as planned. (While they were rehearsing I was shopping in downtown Bozeman...cute stuff!) At this point Tramaine and I were a little doubtful about how it was all going to work because there were so many missing pieces to this giant puzzle and we thought, no way this puppy is even going to get off the ground let alone fly!
The rest of the day was spent at Three Forks hanging out and planting trees that the bride and groom received as wedding gifts because that's what they requested as gifts...then we all got to help them plant them! That was quite a task in itself, it involved drunk tractor drivers, drunk people with shovels and a lot of laughs and sweating. In the end we were all tired and sun burnt but ready to see how this whole thing was going to play out. The overall consensus from the wedding party at this point was "how in the h$%% is this going to even work?"

School's Out!

2009-06-17T17:01:00.001-07:00

Sunriver 09

2009-06-10T19:45:00.001-07:00

Had a great time in Sunriver. Thanks to Tramaine and his willingness to give to the Mac Club, me and a couple of friends from college ended up at this sweet house in Sunriver. It had it all...plus these cool Benny the Beaver cruiser bikes that we rode to the store in the morning to get coffee and lottery tickets. Tramaine won $64 on his...guess he takes after his mom afterall! (Another story there)

A picture from the upper deck looking down at the hot tub. This place was massive for just 4 people. It said it slept 10 but I guess he didn't have 10 friend he wanted to invite. More room for us!

T calculating his golf score at Aspen Lake. Probably the nicest course I've ever played at. Way fun and thanks to his buddy Jaret for getting us on pro bono!

Cruisin' on the cruisers. Brandon got us lost on the way back, good thing I had my coffee!

Are You?

2009-05-28T20:43:00.001-07:00

Taken at Eagle Crest over Memorial Day Weekend, I shot 100...my best ever.

I'm ready for summer...anyone with me?

Its Been a While

2009-03-25T22:15:00.001-07:00

I guess I've been busy because it's been a while since I've posted! There have been a few times where I was going to sit down and write but then I either got distracted or really didn't feel like I had anything especially important to write about. Now that its spring break I feel like I have more time to reflect and write about all the crazy things I've been doing...
In teaching I have been staying busy despite the fact that I have a student teacher. She teaches 3 of my classes and even though I don't teach those periods I find I run out of time at the end of each day! How does that happen? I've still been able to fill my days with lots of things and most of them haven't been being social with other teachers (despite what you all may think!)
I've also been busy with recruiting for Linfield. So far I have one girl committed for next Fall! That made me feel really good because I put a lot of TLC into that one! It's a very rewarding feeling when someone decides where they want to spend the next 4 years of their life based a lot on what you have to say. It's a really neat thing and something I need to keep in mind when I think about making calls next year. It's definitely NOT a highlight of being a college coach, I actually LOATHE most of the process until now. I really like it all in the fall when the incoming freshman come in and you realize that they were your recruit and they are starting!
Other than that, tennis started as well. Erica and I are in full swing (no pun intended) with our squad. We kept 16 girls this year (down from last year's 19) and we ended up cutting 6. One we kept as a manager and she is awesome. Lynden LOVES her which is great because as a JV manager there's not a lot to do during practice so it's great that she can be there to help take care of Lynden when we need her. Our team should be pretty good this year, since this is the first year we made cuts (side note: that was one of the hardest things I've had to do) our team is really competitive and really focused. I am super pumped about this season and really looking forward to a great season with these girls. Our first match is Monday so wish us luck! We'll be wearing our new t-shirts I helped design, although they didn't quite come out how I planned but in the end I think the girls will like them.
On top of all that I'm also helping out at Kame, a local Japanese food restaurant and I totally love it. Mieko is a dear family friend and has me help out whenever they need me and it's great. I love it there, I always know half the people dining and LOVE LOVE LOVE all the food plus it's such a change from anything else that I do that it really keeps me on my toes. By the end of my day, especially the days when I would go from teaching to coaching to Kame, I'm tired. But, its a good tired.
I'm still finding time to play volleyball and snowboard as well as golf when the weather is decent. Life is busy but good right now and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Top 10 Linfield Memories 1997-2000

2009-02-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

#10. Late Night Dillon! We would have covert missions to sneak bagels out of that place.
#9. The dreaded road trip to Tacoma where our van broke down at the Tootle River rest stop and we had to reschedule our match. I loathe that rest stop now.
#8. Being a 70's runner my freshman year for Halloween and "running" to a party on 5th street. It was a long run!
#7. Missing the van to Pacific with Kara because we were busy watching the end of the football game...oops.
#6. Playing matches Friday nights with the ENTIRE football team watching from the catwalk before their meetings. It was always a packed house...until they had to go to their meetings.
#5. Spending Jan Term of my junior year living at the Melrose House...it was eventually called "Camp Bird" (long story there)
#4. Our match against CS Hayward when they were ranked 9th in the nation and we beat them in game 5 16-14. It was (even though I hate the word) EPIC.
#3. Going to Hawai'i during Jan term of my senior year and having the infamous drive to Waimalu Elementary being extremely hung-over with the rest of my compadres and having to pull over so Jason could ummm...you know...
#2. Realizing on that same trip that Amy (Anderson) Fast was not actually a total (female dog) and actually a lot like me and really cool. (Don't worry, she thought the same thing about me). In fact, we were so cool we took it upon ourselves to find the MTV Real World House. After a liter of rum and coke and being inspired by an inspirational speaker and then dumping the contents of my backpack on the McDonalds counter so I could get a dime I really think we found it.
#1. Linda and Dillon...need I say more?

My iTunes and Me

2009-02-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here's how it works:
1. Open your library
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

What's my mood like right now?
Blessed, Elton John

How's tomorrow going to be for you?
Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Elton John

What kind of person am I?
Photograph, Def Leopard

Am I loved?
Flake, Jack Johnson (Sad)

How can I achieve my highest potential?
Count On Me, Jefferson Starship

What should I do with my life?
O Holy Night, Bing Crosby

Is everything really going to be alright in the end?
It Ain't Personal, R Kelly and Jay-Z

What is my best quality?
Tahiti, Tahiti, Nā Waiho'olu'u O Ke Ānuenue (Huh?)

How does my social life look?
All Eyes On Me, 2Pac

What's the meaning of life?
I Want to Be Inside Your Heaven, Carrie Underwood

What do people think of me?
Ode To Joy, Trans Siberian Orchestra

How crazy am I?
Its Not Over, Chris Daughtry

Where will I be a year from now?
No One, Alicia Keys

What is my fondest wish?
Everytime, Britney Spears

How did my best friend and I meet?
Sunshine and Summertime

What will I dream about tonight?
Crazy, Aerosmith

What should I be working on right now?
Easy Silence, Dixie Chicks (So true!)

What's my mom up to currently?
Momma Don't Get Dressed Up for Nothing, Brooks and Dunn (weird!)

What did I do last weekend?
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2

Describe me.
I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman, Britney Spears (Now, that's funny)

What does my iPod say about me?
Rock the Boat, Aaliyah

What's In a Name?

2009-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

1.YOUR REAL NAME:

Anna Louise Gradek

2.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)

Ann Edward

3.NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad, or mother’s mother and father’s mother if you’re a female)

Ramona Sophia

4.STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)

Graan

5.DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)

Red Kitty

6.SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)

Louise Amity

7.SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)

The Pink Coffee

8.FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)

Anek

9.STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip

10.SKANK NAME: (1st pet's name, street you grew up on)

Kiki Starr (Quarry)

11.GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of first name plus 'izzle')

Annizzle

12.YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)

Black Sugar

13. STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, and fav candy:

Gucci 2 Tootsi Roll

A Playlist for my Seeestor!

2009-01-25T09:42:00.001-08:00

I am always amazed when I hear a great new song and I turn to Paige and say, do you know this song? Her response every time is: "Is it from the 70's? If it isn't I won't know it. I only listen to music from the 70's."
Well dear seeestor of mine...here is a playlist I made especially for you. There are a few others on there NOT from the 70's that I know she loves...but they aren't too far off the beaten path!

Snowcat Snowboarding and Prayers

2009-01-24T14:10:00.001-08:00

MLK was a great weekend! I coached my niece in a tournament in Eugene and was able to snowboard for two days at Timberline! My good friend Steve took me and my friend Dorianna up to the mountain early Sunday morning. I haven't boarded since my one time in city park so I was a bit nervous about it. But, it turned out to be a lot of fun! I only fell a few times but I had one bad fall that made me think...hmmm, butt pads will be my my next investment! Dorianna didn't have as much success as I did. She ended up falling HARD on her tailbone and was done for the weekend. Poor Dorianna! I will spare you her picture in the ski patrol since it's her 2nd in two years! That's a whole other story.

While Dorianna was resting at the cabin on Monday, Steve and I made a trek up on the snow cat all the way to the top of Palmer (the actual lift wasn't going because it was too windy). I snapped this picture from the top of the mountain. To the left is where the groomed trail started. It was a bit scary at first (there were large chunks of blue ice everywhere!) but once I got started it was a really fun ride! This is how close we were to the summit of Mt. Hood. The only way to snowboard up there is to take a helicopter. Not really on my agenda (the snow cat was nerve racking enough!) but it would be fun to watch someone do that! The day was gorgeous and surprisingly warm. There was some inverse weather happening that day and it was 50 degrees on the mountain. The snow had a sugary texture to it.

Another view of the top from inside the snow cat. Very bumpy ride!

My friend, Steve, and I inside the snow cat. It was nice to be inside the cab. We had to wait about 45 minutes to take the ride so we were a little chilly so the nice warm cab was great.

It was a fun weekend but I definetly paid the price because by that afternoon I could tell I was getting sick. Sure enough Tuesday morning I was down for the count, one prescription and two sub days later I am feeling much better. It was all worth it though!

On another note a good friend of mine, Devon Johnson has a prayer request. Please read her latest blog entry and keep her friend Mandie in your prayers.

TAG...I'm it...dang it.

2009-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here I am, doing something I only do on a rare occasion...respond to a forward. It's time for me to tell 10 things you may not have known about me...

1. I have a collection of Christmas village pieces that I started collecting when I was about 11 or 12. The first piece was a church and a group of carolers. Now I have over 100 pieces and it takes me over 2 hours to put it up and take it down. This year I decorated for Christmas over Veteran's Day weekend so I could have it up for a while. :-)

2. I have matching scars on my hands from two separate occasions. And I have no idea how I got either of them.

3. I used to hunt and catch the wild cats in the barn on our farm when I was little (could be where the bizarre scars came from). I am really good. Even as an adult I still have my hunting instincts. I was able to catch Tramaine's cat, Blitz with ease...with a little help of course :)

4. I have the largest tongue in my family. It is a fun freak show trick that my family makes me do.

5. I love wearing granny panties. I hate thongs, they just don't fit right. Sorry to ruin any fantasy for any male reading this.

6. I used to despise capri's. I used to think that they were my nemesis. Now I love them and have more capri's in my closet than long pants. Darn 36" inseam.

7. I brush my teeth and pee in the shower...sometimes at the same time.

8. I cross my feet while I sleep. I think it must be something I did in the womb because I have always done it.

9. I have no idea how I get most of my bruises because I bruise so easily. And my bruises always last longer than they should.

10. I swallow my gum...every time.

There they are...10 ten random facts about yours truly.

Jack is Back!

2009-01-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

I have waited many months for this moment...the Season Opener of 24!!!!! Jack is back! Oh yes! It has finally arrived! 2 hours last night and 2 hours tonight! Hooray!

It reminds me of how CJ and Cole sing Back in Black by ACDC...to them its "Jack is Back." Cracks me up every time they sing it! The other one they have changed the lyrics on is "Drift Away." They sing it as "Give me the Beach Boys and free my soul." I giggle to myself everytime I hear those songs. Enjoy them on my blog...and think of two little boys in the back seat of a car singing their hearts out to these two classics.

2009 already?

2009-01-01T23:18:00.000-08:00

Once again I jump on the blogging bandwagon on the 2008 reflection...mine requires a little bit of help...aka my wall calendar. Anything significant (that is also planned ahead) is written on my calendar. I have been known to forget things because they aren't written on this calendar...just ask Tramaine. Every year for Christmas my sister gives me a calendar and I am so thankful this year that it wasn't Picasso (I had him for 2007 and 2008). Instead, I received one of my most favorite cartoons...Peanuts with Love. As for the reflection...
Lots of firsts for me this year and a few seconds as well!

I learned to snowboard! I LOVE IT! My friend Steve is a very patient teacher...that always helps!
I coached my niece's club volleyball team. I have to admit that I had tears in my eyes of pure joy when I watched her attempt to serve during a match for the first time.
I recruited for our Linfield volleyball program and one of the girls I recruited came! I know that sounds hokey but I didn't realize how much more invested in our program I became until I started that process. It is such a HUGE learning curve for me...this year I've been much better about it!
I moved out of my mom's house and into an apartment downtown...that has been an adjustment! Not the moving out (I've done that many times!) but living downtown! Who knew you could loathe Thursday market! It's such a pain to find parking when the market is happening outside your window. It was pretty cool during Turkey Trauma to have a mechanical bull in my front yard though!
I went and saw The Boss...front row! My amazing friend Kendra had invited me to go see him but at the last minute couldn't go so she GAVE me her ticket and I took my brother-in-law. It was such an amazing gift that I have never forgotten and one day I will be able to repay her!
I taught private volleyball and tennis lessons during the summer for extra money. I had a BLAST doing that and I hopefully inspired a few girls to come out this Spring for tennis!
I also golfed A LOT (thanks Tramaine for having a membership to Michelbook!) and I shot my lowest score of a 47 on 9...it happened to be on a day when Tramaine shot a 49 so I did technically beat him that day...the only day that summer...and I just so happen to have the score card on my refridgerator...still :0).
My good friend Erica and I had a few firsts together this summer as well...I won a tennis tournament together in blistering 100 degree weather and we participated in the Luna Triathlon where I finished 10th overall.
I started my 5th year of teaching at Patton, my 2nd year of coaching JV girls tennis at the high school (5th overall in the program), and my 3rd year at Linfield.
At the end of the summer I was blessed with the best part about the entire year and that was to welcome my new baby nephew into the world. He is so sweet and beautiful that I am sometimes amazed. He can make your worst day seem 100 miles away when you hold him. He is truely the best part about this year for me especially since I got to witness his birth. My sister had strength that morning I never knew she had and I hope when I have children someday that I make it look that easy.

This year flew by and in some ways I am thankful but in others I wish I could make time stand still. I LOVED all the snow we had and made sure to take it all in the best I could...snowboarding in city park with my niece and nephews was a highlight *Paige posted pictures if you haven't seen them already. I look forward to 2009 as a year of new horizons and possibilities and I hope that I top all the fun things I accomplished this year in this next one. But, most of all I hope to continue to surround myself in the loving relationships that I have been blessed with in this life and not take any of them for granted. Thank you 2008, you were a lot of fun! 2009- buckle up, cuz this could be a wild one!

Leavenworth, WA part two

2008-12-31T10:16:00.001-08:00

Part of the reason I made the trek to Carl and Sia's wedding was because Tramaine was a groomsman. Otherwise I'm not sure I would have gone! The weather was TERRIBLEb getting there! We ended up going over 2 passes to get there and there were some really sticky situations along out 7.5 hr drive. I had to post this picture because it shows typical Tramaine. He's using a macheti to chip the ice off of his car in SHORTS! It's 14 degrees outside by the way!

A sign with my name on it...only cool to me.

After the wedding we went out downtown to hang out with everyone from the wedding. Once that place closed down (at like midnight) we walked around in the huge snowflakes. They were so pretty. I felt like Lucy in Charlie Brown Christmas because I could catch them on my tongue. And, even though she says December flakes aren't very good, I really liked them!

While everyone in the wedding was taking pictures and getting ready I went and shopped downtown. Lots of cars and people and Bavarian-ness going on down there!

A picture with no snowflakes in it! Surprising! I am the queen of holding the camera away from me at just the perfect distance. As you can see from the bundling it was COLD! I forgot my winter jacket (DUMB!) so I bought my first Northface fleecey thing and wore it under my warm winter vests. It was the best. I loved the visit to Leavenworth and had the drive over not been so terrible I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more. The whole time we were there the drive home was on the back of our minds. Needless to say we took a different route home which only required going over one pass and that was soooo much better. Plus all the snow on the westside of Oregon and Washington was pretty much gone so that made the driving conditions a lot better.

Leavenworth, WA part one

2008-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

The treacherous trip to Leavenworth, WA started the day after Christmas. A college friend, Carl was marrying the love of his life so of course I had to be there to witness it all! It snowed about 8 or 9 inches the first night we were there. The plants and trees are ready for this kind of snow. We drove through an orchard and there wasn't a single branch or twig on the ground...you do that here and you see more orchard on the ground than you do on the remaining trees!

I've flipped this image but apparently it didn't stick when I went to put it on my blog. This is taken in the Leavenworth town square. It took a few tries to take the pictures because snowflakes kept getting in the way...they were HUGE! Some were as big as a golf ball!

A few of us Patton folks made it to the wedding. I met Sipprell's husband...who we have all thought was a figment of her imagination until now! Sia looked beautiful and Carl looked nervous but then was able to relax and have a great time once the ceremony was over!

There is a city ordinance in Leavenworth that everything has to look a certain way...so even my precious Starbucks (which we went to EVERYDAY we were there!) was Bavarian-ed. The girl at the front desk was wearing a traditional Bavarian dress. It was all very festive.

When we first got into town this is what we saw. Lots of snow coming down and a beautifully lit downtown area. You can't see it in this picture but off to the left there are about 40-50 kids sledding down this little hill. No wonder it was named America's Christmas Town a few years back!

Snow Days Pictures...jumping on the blog bandwagon with these!

2008-12-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you get too much snow! My friend Tramaine lost the HUGE pine tree in his front yard. Luckily no one was hurt and he didn't do any other damage to anything around it...besides losing his entire front yard for the time being!

This is one of the reasons he lost his tree...check out all that snow! There was more later too!

This is downtown McMinnville two days before Christmas. The last day I "shopped" downtown. Beautiful!

The beautiful downtown tree COVERED in snow, Christmas lights, and ornaments. I love that picture!

This was taken on the 1st day we got snow. Sugar was FASCINATED with the snow flakes. He was running around trying to chase down all the snow flakes. It lost it's novelty by the 3rd day but it was fun while it lasted! You can see the bread I've left out on my windowsill for the birds, it took them a few days to find it but once they did, it was GONE!

My Seeeestor!

2008-12-18T17:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday my seeeeestor and I went out to breakfast at Crescent Cafe...her first but not mine :-). We enjoyed a delicious meal and had a great time together. You can't tell by the picture but outside it was dumping huge snowflakes that were very pretty. We walked around downtown for a while (a very routine thing for my sister) and did some Christmas shopping (supporting the local economy). All and all it was a lot of fun and I hope we get to do it again soon.

4 snow days have left me with a lot of downtime but I'm still left with a lot of projects because I have been soooo lazy! :) I love this time of year. I get giddy every time I see the snow. I won't drive in it (had a bad episode having to get towed up west 2nd)...but I LOVE IT!

BRING IT ON SNOWFLAKES! Give me the whole week off! I dare you!

Baking Day 2008

2008-12-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is a typical Sugar antics. He was watching Lynden ever so closely as she was playing the magnets on my fridge...she was making a crossword puzzle I believe. Sugar loves to play gargoyle while I work in the kitchen...today he chose to "gargoyle" Lynden. Close enough to keep an eye on her but far enough away that she couldn't touch him. Witty little guy.
This was the first kind of cookie I made...Sugar. And as you can see by the counter tops I am not the world's cleanest baker. I am still cleaning white dust off of every surface in my kitchen.
Erica took this great picture of my tree! I absolutely love it! Too bad it doesn't look like that anymore since the next day I came home to it on the ground and all the ornaments everywhere. Glad it's a planted tree so I not only got to pick up all the ornaments but half the dirt that was in my carpet as well!
Erica and I exchanged gifts today since we both knew we'd have the time. I'm pointing to the letters on this cute little sled ornament that they got me because Lynden wanted to keep it for herself. I was trying to point out that it was my name on the sled so I would need to keep it on my tree. I don't think she got the point.
This was right before our lunch break and we are both on our 3rd type of cookie that we made that day. Judging by all these pictures make up would have been a great idea but I guess that's hindsite. Oh well, it was great fun. I was exhausted at the end of the day but the cookies turned out really good and so far I know that I'll be doing gingerbread cookies for sure next year...those have been a hit!

Dryers and Weighers

2008-12-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a fun day of baking cookies with my good friend Erica. We got a little delirious after a while but that only made it that much more fun. Erica is my friend who loves traditions and our cookie making is one of them. Her daughter Lynden is usually a part of the festivities in some way, this year she was busy keeping Sugar and Honey occupied (really they were running from her but she thought it was fun). This year we made 8 different types of cookies: spritz, sugar, gingerbread, rice krispy yummies (that's the name I gave them), white chocolate cranberry, lemon melt-aways, peanut butter blossoms, and peanut butter chocolate cups. It didn't seem like a lot until we were all done and realized how many cookies we had to decorate and frost!
Erica makes the same kind each year and I think this year she really perfected the recipes! I try to make some the same and some different. I've never made gingerbread men before so that was one of my new ones. Erica has made sugar cookies in the past but I haven't so that was a "new" one for me. The other two I make each year. That stinkin' cookie press gives me grief each year I use it. I TOTALLY love it when it works but it takes me forever to figure out how it goes together because I only use it once a year.
We started the cookies at around 8:30 and I had to stop to get ready for work at 3:45. We took a small but very necessary break at around 1:00 when Tramaine brought us lunch (thank you Tramaine!) and then it was back to work. I did get a new stove which served us very well, I only over cooked one batch of Spritz cookies but otherwise everything came out fabulous. Two funny conversations occured during our delirious baking:

Me: how much is 6oz?
Erica: like 3/4 a cup, do you not have a weigher?
Me: (giving Erica that huh? look) You mean a scale?
Erica: (laughing hysterically) Yeah, or weigher...same thing.
Me: Yeah, same thing (laughing hysterically)

I ended up using a cup because it was for my rice krispy yummies so the more chocolate and butterscotch the better!

2nd conversation:
Me: I need to move these cookies off the dryer
Erica: (just looked at me and laughed)
Me: (catching what I just said) Yeah, cuz when you take cookies out of the oven they need to DRY first. Sheesh, that one will go on the blog for sure.

All in all, it was a great day spent with one of my best friends. I have been so busy this fall that we haven't really hung out all that often. In fact, she's even been dreaming that we aren't friends anymore. How horrible is that?! She said the twist of the knife in her dream was when I said I didn't want to coach tennis with her anymore. So, I am going to set the record straight right now. Erica, I will always want to coach tennis with you. You are my buffer, and I know I couldn't have coached all 19 of those girls last year without you! On another note, Erica took a bunch of pictures and when I get them from her I will post them. I am still trying to get her to BLOG but she just won't...yet. I will turn her over to the dark side of blogging before too long!

Photobooth Fun...part two

2008-12-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

"Auntie Anna, you look like a boy"- Taylor (my niece)

I was thinking this in my head...glad I'm not the only one who noticed. Darn that photobooth. But, I had to post it.

My niece and nephew became pretty good at this after a while...Taylor likes this one because her hair is "so long!"
CJ again with those scary "Precious Moments" eyes. Paige's mouth...never seen it so big. Taylor and I look like we just smelled what came out of CJ's @$$ earlier.

Franken-CJ.

Paige said she looks like a character from The Incredibles. At this moment we are both laughing so hard tears are streaming down our face...I think she is still holding Zac at this point who is sound asleep. Good times.

Fun with Photobooth...part one

2008-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

When we were done decorating my mom's tree today I had my laptop out and my family and I had a great time playing with Photobooth...here are some of the results. Needless to say that I was CRYING from laughter. I can't use Picassa on a Mac so I will have to do at least 2 posts to get all the pictures included. Zac is tired during this whole thing he didn't even BUDGE when we took his picture. We couldn't distort his face though...it's just too cute!

CJ with his "Precious Moments" eyes...hilarious.

My brother even joined in the fun.

You can't quite see the tears streaming down my face in this one...but my sister and I had fun with it.

"Bulge" doesn't do much for my "big tongue" phenomenon. :)

The Battle Has Been Lost!

2008-11-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

"The battle has been lost!"- Taylor as head of the witch's army
"That was Taylor!"- CJ
"Finally she's on stage!"- me in my head

Last night I went to see the production of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by students at PMS. The last time I attended a middle school play I was in it. The play was done very well for a bunch of 6th-8th graders. In fact, I remember the compliments people made to me about the play I was in and those things make sense.
"Wow, you projected your voice really well."
"You were speaking very clearly and slowly enough for us all to understand you!"
"Good job."
I think I said those three things over and over to each student I came across and they beamed. In my head I had other thoughts, but I'm trying to keep this a positive post :)
My niece was in the play...at the very end. Hence the line, "the battle has been lost." She looked awesome. She had her face all painted and walked like a true henchman. She spoke very clearly and used a gruff voice and all. The only thing that would have made it better is if she was in the first scene...instead of the last. :-)
I also should mention that CJ, Cole and Xander did a fabulous job watching the play too. I can't believe how well behaved those 3 were through out the whole thing. I'm pretty sure they were captivated because at one point CJ turned to Cole and said "That was in the movie!"
Paige took pictures which I'm sure she will post sooner or later. Her mommy brain is in full effect right now so who knows ;)

OOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUU

2008-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

OREGON STATE! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Huh! (That's the sound effect after OSU get's a first down...it's funny) The day started out really warm and sunny. Then when the sun went behind the stadium it got chilly! But, that didn't matter because it was a great game full of great hits, controversial calls, and plenty TD's. This picture is the view from our seats, a sea of orange and black. I went with three of my guy friends; did some tailgating before hand with the academic advisor for the football team. What a fun job!

Tramaine and I enjoying the game...he's holding up the #1 finger...no idea why. At this point it was still sunny but getting chilly!

Christmas is Coming...

2008-11-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

And the goose is getting fat! And my apartment is getting over ran by CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS! I have been collecting Snow Village for over 15 years and let's just say I have a lot. It takes many hours to get it out, arrange it according to what part of the village it belongs (suburbs, farm, downtown, etc...) and what accessories go where! Last year I wasn't up for doing all of this so my 4 large boxes have sat in the attic for 2 years. When I looked through everything I was excited to find some pieces I'd forgotten I'd had. All that aside, most of the decorations made it out, but I just don't have enough space in my tiny apartment for them all. In this first picture I put the Double Bungalo on the coffee table and really hope Sugar and Honey don't pounce on it like they did one of my fall pieces.
Here is the downtown scene set up above the kitchen cabinets. Some are lit, I am still working on how to get them all lit...it looks really pretty though!
This last one is of Ashley and I at Multnomah Falls. We stopped here for a potty break on our way to Walla Walla this weekend for volleyball. It was raining and really wet, but the falls were so pretty! It has been a really long time since I've been here and I want to make it a point to come back!

...the kitties will play

2008-11-02T21:00:00.001-08:00

These two are too much sometimes. Every week I do my laundry and haul it in my cool IKEA bags. Well, if you don't know Honey she LOVES bags and every week she crawls in my IKEA bag to play. I caught Sugar in a rare moment of sitting still. He's posing here with his pumpkin that after this picture was taken he decided to chew on. I wasn't a happy camper...especially when it fell off the window sill, good thing the candle wasn't lit inside it!
Sugar and Honey were being their usual selves. After Honey dug into my bag (literally) her brother got a bit jealous and attempted to attack her. She dropped the hammer on him and as you can see in the last picture, she had him pinned. Sugar is a good 16oz heavier than Honey (it sounds like more when you put it in ounces :0)) so he should dominate...but instead he's being dominated.

Linfield Volleyball Fun!

2008-10-31T23:30:00.001-07:00

Tonight was Senior Night and our last home match of the season. Not too many tears but lots of cheers as we CRUSHED George Fox in 4. One of our freshman, Samantha, had her father bring leis for everyone on the team...they are beautiful! Thanks Sam!
One of the 3 Kelsey's on our team...this one is rightfully nicknamed "Hot Lava."
Step (not Steph) isn't a senior but I still had to get a pic with my favorite setter. :) She looks so much like her mom in this picture!
Here's most of the team with their leis from Samantha and her family. They are so pretty! I'm keeping mine in the fridge in hopes to make it last longer!
The practice on (or in this case right before) Halloween we have crazy dress up day. This year's was a little more costume-y that in years prior. I am wearing everything mismatched but as you can tell most of the girls are in costume! We have a few gymnasts, a couple of fairies, a firefighter, a pumpkin, a leopard, a baseball player, and a bunch of others in crazy clothes and costumes. I think I'm going to agree with Shane when he said this is his favorite practice of the year...glad to see the traditions we started my senior year are still going strong! And to think, our last weekend of the season is next weekend...wow! Where did the season go! It didn't seem that long ago when I was posting about not being able to go to Texas because of the hurricane and now it's Halloween and we're celebrating our seniors last home match...wow!

Ipo

2008-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

One year ago (and one day) my little guy got hit by a car. It was a really hard thing to discover because it was my worst nightmare coming true. I've never found myself so attached to a little 4 legged creature like I did Ipo. I still miss him and think about him all the time. Love you Ipsy-Peepsies.

Fall is Here!

2008-10-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Lomas' graced my apartment with their presence this evening and after the first few batches got burnt (we had many distractions between Zac and my Wii Fit) we were finally successful in making Claribel's Caramel Corn Recipe (revised because we couldn't find the original so we found an Amish one online...classic)
Paige and Carlos took the first batch home but according to Carlos he won't eat any because it was burnt...which leads to the next picture...
...of the OVEN FROM HELL! The oven on the right burns anything that enters it...but the one on the left works great...if you have midget baking wear (which, thanks to my mom, I DO!)
I took this picture to show the two extremely burnt fingers and the crime scene that it occurred. My sister was the dumper of the boiling hot caramel and I was the stir-er...there was some miscommunication and my fingers were the victims. I think it could have been better had the caramel not melted into my skin between my fingers. OUCH! It took over an hour for the pain to subside...hula-hooping on my Wii was difficult but it did help take my mind off of it!

The end result was a great time spent with my family and some really yummy caramel corn too!

Seaside 2008...a little late!

2008-10-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I play in the Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament every year in August. I just got the pictures from then so I'm a little late posting...about 2 months!

The conditions were brutal...lots of wind and even RAIN! The rain was the first I've seen since I started playing about 6 or 7 years ago! This picture doesn't do the weather justice! There were 34 women's teams in our division and it was double elimination.
This was taken after day one...where we went 4-1...good thing it's double elimination. All but one of our matches went 3 games...it was a long first day.
Day two...I told Shawn, my partner, that we needed to win 6 matches to win this thing...and she laughed at me. Oh ye of little faith! Little did she know that we would actually get there!
We played the team that put us in the loser's bracket the day before in the finals...and beat them...in 3 games of course!
Of the 11 matches Shawn and I played over the course of two days, all but 2 went 3 games. We had a lot of fun, I couldn't walk afterwards...and I had to hold back the tears after we won because I was so exhausted. The coolest part was when they had us go on the center stage and be announced as the winners of Women's A! Very cool.
PS: My hair could have looked better, but then again I hear the Flock of Seagulls look is on it's way back!

Summer Fun at the Toth Pool

2008-10-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from this summer that I just got off my camera! I meant to post these a long time ago! This first picture is not the greatest of CJ but its the best of three attempts of me! (Shield the eyes of the young ones if Paige's cleave is too intense...hee hee hee)

Mr. I-know-how-to-dive-Auntie-Anna showed me many many times his moves off the diving board. I had to show him a few myself but there is no evidence of those...I was very Olympic-esque if I do say so myself!

Check out the form!

The areal view of the wee baby Zac still inside my sister's tummy and a very anxious big brother enjoying the last few moments being an only child!

CJ being a total goof-ball. Not sure what he's attempting to do here, but I thought it was a cute picture all the same. :)

Team Picture!

2008-09-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wish I would always "suck it in!" in every picture I take! Why didn't I get a ball to hold in front of my gut!

Long Time No Blog

2008-09-28T00:44:00.001-07:00

It has been many moons since I have posted...well, about one moon to be exact. I have been waiting to blog so I could have pictures to go along with it but alas I can't seem to get them of my stinkin' camera. I really enjoy my new MacBook A LOT except that it's user friendly-ness doesn't come in handy when you are user-friendlier with a PC! But, I guess I can still blog with out pictures (even though it's not as fun!).

What's been happening:

Last week I was in Tacoma for the weekend for volleyball. We played PLU (lost in 3) and UPS (lost in 3). The losses are always disappointing considering both teams we HAD at one point or another. We will play them again on our own turf in the 2nd half of the season so hopefully then we can pull it together and beat them!

This weekend we played Lewis and Clark (won in 3) and Willamette (won in 3). Both matches we played really well and did a lot of great things so hopefully if we continue to play like that in future matches we should come out on top every time!

Today, my mom and sister and new nephew, Zac, spent the afternoon downtown. We shopped, ate, and shopped some more! It was a lot of fun and it was great to spend the day with my mom and my sister. Zac was a good little boy and let me hold him when I could pry him out of mimi's arms!

This Friday is the big 2-9 birthday and I'm sure I'll have something to write about. Until then I will enjoy my last days as a 28 year old and look forward to corn surprise and cherry chip cake!

The Trip that Never Was...

2008-09-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be leaving for Texas in the morning but our trip was cancelled! There is a hurricane blowing through the area we were supposed to be playing so they cancelled the tournament. Hurricane Ike gets to go to Texas instead of me! It's not fair! The good news is that we are safe and we are not stuck in Texas waiting out a hurricane. The bad news is that we miss out on playing in 4 matches and there's no way to make them up! Hopefully the season will go better than our preseason has. A weekend of down time won't hurt even though we are all sad we aren't eating Tex Mex right now!

In Between Lives...

2008-09-05T15:43:00.001-07:00

I have a few moments to blog...

Well, this week has been one that I wish wasn't so interesting! Besides being the 1st week of school I also had to have my 1st official sub! Why you might ask? Not because of volleyball (my other "life") but because I was sick! The first day of school I came down with what I know now as the stomach flu. I thought I was immune to all things "sick" at least for the 1st few weeks! But, no...I got it and got it baaad!

But, I have survived...barely. I have come to find out that I am not a person who does well when they are sick. I don't handle it well at all. It's not because I think I'm invincible and being sick is a sign of weakness (Paige) it's because I can't handle the fact that my stomach hurt so bad I didn't want to eat! I LOVE FOOD! And, when I can't get some it makes me sad! I am the type of person who will find an excuse to eat! Not because I'm hungry but because I'm looking for something to do! I love the idea of going out of town, not because the stores are great but because there will be a fun different (possibly new!) place to eat!

Now, rewind back to Tuesday...I couldn't even move by the time I got to school let alone eat! It was a depressing situation...one that only a mom's love to comfort...and she did. She brought me gatorade and 7up (because it has something in it to calm tummies) and then told me to go home...which I did.

By that evening I felt worse so she returned and took my temperature (100.5...I can't remember the last time I HAD a temperature!) and then rubbed my back...and only the way a mom can...felt so good!

I think the worst I felt was when I realized that it was the 1st day I had gone with out seeing Zachary, I was very saddened by that thought...which made my mood even worse.

In the end I slept most of it off between the couch and my bed. I've since eaten (thank you Jesus) and have most of my energy back. I won't say everything is back to normal but for the most part I feel great.

Well, off to my other life...volleyball...if you're wondering what my 1st one is, it's teaching. I usually don't have a break in between the two but today I left early to take my niece home from school so she wouldn't have to wait for the bus and get home after 4pm. I remember those days and don't envy her at all for having to ride the bus! But, that's a whole other blog!

I Heart My New Nephew

2008-08-30T16:13:00.001-07:00

I'm not quite sure I've told everyone in the world but I thought my blog would be another great place to tell people that I love my nephew Zac. He is the cutest little thing in the world and I haven't gone a day without holding, kissing, or making oogly faces at him. The weekends I am gone on trips for volleyball this year will be extra super hard on me!

This picture was taken Monday afternoon (the day he was born). I came back to be with him in between volleyball practices when my sister took this picture.
This is Zachary Robert's first photo (via cell phone of course!). Carlos was the first to hold him and this was taken minutes after he was born! He didn't even really cry after he was born so the delivery room became very quiet after Paige had him! I may be a bit biased but he is the cutest little newborn in the whole wide world!

T.A.G. (Totally Against Gunk like this)

2008-08-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

I must preface that I feel like this is a forward and I can't believe I'm actually blogging about this!

So, despite my better judgement here I go...

20 years ago...

I was 8. I know I took tennis lessons with park and rec and also golf lessons with Bayou. My mom had her deli because I remember having to walk down there after tennis lessons. Besides that I have no idea because I was so young.

10 years ago...

I was getting ready to start my 2nd year of college. My best and oldest friend, Kerisa, and I were bailing and stacking hay. We were an all girl crew and were way better than any of the boys on our crew!

5 years ago...

I was starting my first year of teaching at Patton! Even though I wasn't endorsed I was teaching science (4 classes of 8th and 2 classes of 7th). I was also knee deep in coaching volleyball at the high school with my friend Jenifer Gubrud.

So far this year...

I've coached my niece in volleyball, finished my 4th year of teaching, learned to snowboard, played in my first tennis tournament (read 1st blog), played in my 1st golf tournament (Wildcat Open), did my first triathlon (read blog below), and won the A division at Seaside.

Yesterday...

I taught tennis and volleyball lessons, ate dinner with friends, and watched my addiction, 24 (I heart Jack Bauer).

Tomorrow...

I am going swimming with CJ and my seeeestor! And, hopefully accompanying my seeeestor to the hospital so we can all welcome Zac into the world!

In the next year...

I hope to keep playing all the sports I've learned and spend more time with the ones I love! And, also have a great teaching year because it can only go up from last year!

Tennis Tournament Pics

2008-08-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

It was over 100 degrees on the courts the weekend of this tournament. Every side switch Erica and I were in the shade drinking a ton of water. This was taking during warm ups. Apparently I like to point when I do anything in tennis...including serving.
I believe this ball was out...but who knows since I point at every ball I hit! :-)
The forehand volley. Decent form...including the "point" at the ball!
The backhand...those weren't very consistent that day...but it got the job done because we won!
Erica and I celebrating after we won the tournament! We're not much for hugging...but we did after we won this one! It was a hot day and a long match, so it was pretty cool that we pulled out the 1st place finish!

Tri Pics

2008-08-06T16:51:00.001-07:00

Erica and I before the race started. We are good at faking how nervous we are!
I just finished swimming 1/4 of a mile...that doesn't seem that far, but when you actually do it, it's pretty far!
(Dick didn't get any pictures of me biking or going through the finish line because I was so lightening quick!) **jk

This is after I just finished the whole Maryann and I was tired! I was top 20 in swimming, 5th in biking, and 56th in running (did I mention I'm not a runner?)
After I finished Dick and I waited for Erica to cross! She did awesome! We actually passed eachother 3 times...once on the bike, then when I was running and she was biking and then again when I was coming back in from the loop and she was going out!
With our wicked-cool medals after we finished. We both had a lot of fun with this and I never would have done it had Erica not convinced me! Thanks Erica! Next time we're doing the read-deal sprint tri!

Triathlon

2008-08-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

I did it! I completed a triathlon!

My friend Erica and I competed in the Luna Women's Triathlon at Blue Lake this morning. We signed up for the Tri-It which is a shorter swim, but it was still really hard.

My morning started with a 5am wake up. Dick and Erica picked me up at 5:30 and we were off to Troutdale for our adventure. Neither Erica nor I knew what to expect so we were both a little nervous. Once we parked and got our bikes and gear out we looked around at the other women racing and had an instant sigh of relief. They were all average women out to do something either for themselves or someone else and everyone was in great spirits!

We got all checked in and got our numbers written on our calfs (you can still see mine loud and proud!) Then we got set up in the transition area; the area where your stuff is to change from swim to bike and then bike to run.

At the point we headed down to the water I was still pretty nervous. I wore a sports bra and long spandex for the swim and was pretty comfortable. The water was surprisingly warm, in fact Erica's husband, Dick, said women were testing the water and taking off their wetsuits. Erica and I were in the first heat of the tri-its because of our age so entered the water and were off! The entire swim is only 1/4 mile and I finished in less than 10 minutes. There was a nasty current on the last stretch of the swim that threw me but I got out huffing and puffing and made it to the transition area running.

On the bike I was golden, you make a loop for the 12 mile section and on the way out I averaged between 18-19 mph and on the way back (with the slight wind at my back) I was averaging between 20-22 mph. I felt great going into the run, in fact looking back I feel like I could have pushed myself further because of how poorly I knew I would do on the run.

I made it back to the transition area, dismounted my bike and changed into my running shoes and I was off...S L O W L Y. I was so slow on the run! I got passed before I even made it out of the transition area! But, I knew that going into it so I tried to not let it get me down. Once I made the turn on the run loop (and got some Gatorade) I was a renewed woman! I finished the run strong and when Erica gets me a copy of the pictures I'll show what my face looked like!

At the end of this blog is a link to the website where it shows our results. I was SHOCKED to find out I finished 10th over all and 1st in my age division!

Thanks to everyone who called and wished me good luck and listened to me ramble about how hard the run was afterwards. I'm not sure if I'll do this again, but looking back it sure was fun! I've never done anything like this before and to be able to do it with one of my best friends (so cliche) made it really awesome. Thanks go especially to Erica's husband who drove us there at 5:30am and stood around the whole time and took pictures of us (looking so pretty!) during the race. I'll post pictures soon, until then here is the link to the our Luna Women's Triathlon.

http://www.racecenter.com/results/RCNW_results.htm

Once there click on "Tri It Novice Triathlon" and scroll down to find my name!

MEXICO! (Finally)

2008-07-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it took me a while (almost a month!) but I'm finally blogging about Mexico. I have been waiting to try out picasa to upload the pictures and make one of those cool collages but I have a Mac and Google hasn't made a picasa version for macs. So, here are some of the pictures with narrations below.

This is Kari and I on our first night there. (A little side note: I am really good a taking pictures this way...my arms are the perfect length) This picture was taken in front of the last picture on this blog. It's called "The Ridge" and it's the more exclusive part of Playa Grande where we stayed. You can only get up there if you have a special key (which we did!)

My brother, Kari, and I in a water taxi on our way to "The Office" which is a pretty cool place to eat...yummy food! (I have no idea why this font when blue and underlined...sorry.)

There is a putt putt golf course at Playa Grande and we played in flip flops and Troy played barefoot. I had a hole in one but I also had a 10 on one of these holes...it was a tough course...can't you tell by the look on my face?
Did I mention the spa at this place was amazing? The spa itself is two stories and this was on the 2nd story. The pool I'm sitting in is a saltwater whirlpool. You can sit in it forever and never get prunie...I tried...trust me.
We had dinner at this place called the Galeon. Kari was in this picture but somehow I cut her out and haven't been able to put her back (sorry Kari!). Troy didn't make it to dinner that night...he was having too much fun at the pool bar and never made it...oh well! Kari and I had a great time eating YUMMY food and awesome coffees!
This is the view of our resort. Putt putt is at the bottom and right above that is the saltwater whirlpool from before. This was the nicest vacation I've ever been on and it was so amazing to spend a week with my brother. He's going back again in November but that's peek time for volleyball (it's the same week as Nationals which we haven't been to in a while but could this year!) I'll try to post some more pictures sometime soon...

Ooooh 24!

2008-07-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

I've officially joined the "24" bandwagon. My friend Steve, who I blogged about earlier this week with the torn quad tendon, has the whole series (through Season 5) borrowed on dvd and I watched the 1st episode tonight. I am hooked! I don't know why I've waited so long to watch this show! I guess it's better to do it this way so now I can watch the episodes whenever I want (or whenever Steve gets done with a disc!). I did the same thing with Sex and the City...only that was because I didn't have HBO. I think I like watching shows like this, no commercials and pausing to figure out what is going on. I guess I figured out what I'm doing for the rest of my summer! 24 hours is a lot of TV and then multiply that by 5? Yikes, I'll be busy for a while!

My First Post with a Picture!

2008-07-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

When I first starting reading people's blogs I thought "how lame that they didn't post pictures, no one will read them if they don't post pictures to go along with them!" Well, I have a picture to go along with my blog today, it's when the kittens were younger but you can still see what they look like. Sugar (brother) is on the left and Honey (sister) is on the right.

So, my funny story for the day...about my kittens.

Honey has a fascination with bags of all sorts...it could be paper, plastic, my laundry bag with freshly washed clothes that she has to dig through...she has no favorite. So, today I had a Bella Casa bag and let her go to town. I was in the other room when I hear her start to rustle through the bag...all of a sudden it gets louder and louder until her brother runs through the living room with his tail puffed out wider than I've ever seen it. Followed close behind is his sister with a bag around her middle (I couldn't see her tail but judging by how fast she was moving she was scared). I wondered what they were running from but then I come to realize that Sugar is running from his sister who is running from the bag that's attached to her! I grab the bag but it only rips which scares them again. I finally got the bag off of Honey (which I had to hold her down and rip the handle apart to get it off of her middle) but Sugar wouldn't come near her. She tried to coax him but he just flared up and hissed at her like she was a freak. (Wouldn't you if your sister came at your wrapped in a bag?! I know I would!) I think they made up before I had to leave...but it made for quite an eventful evening in the Gradek household!

A Trip to the ER

2008-07-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

I planned to post something about my trip to Mexico last week but that didn't happen because I was in the ER most of the afternoon because my friend and teaching partner, Steve, tore his quadriceps muscle and ripped off part of his kneecap. You'd think there was some miraculous story about how it happened, like dodging a car or saving one of his boys...nope! He did it while walking down the stairs...poor Steve!

The worst is over for him, he goes into surgery this afternoon and then it's a 3 month recovery. Marilyn is the one who needs the positive prayers and thoughts right now since the rest of her summer is going to be spent taking care of her husband. Poor Marilyn!

Before all the ER craziness I did get to go golfing. I played the back nine of Michelbook and golfed a 51. I had a chance to birdie 18 but choked and got par, not bad for me! It would have been better than a 51 had I not blown up on hole 15 (I hit one into the woods and one into the water). It was quite an eventful day, hopefully today won't end up as crazy!

The First of Many...I hope!

2008-07-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am usually not one to jump on the ol' bandwagon but here I am...blogging. Never thought I would. I actually thought I would scrapbook before I did this. Oh well, I guess that's how it goes when you are on summer vacation!

Today my friend Erica and I played in a tennis tournament (it started yesterday) and we won! The whole Maryanne! It was pretty cool. We went three sets with our opponents and I can honestly say it's because of our mistakes. Had we not had so many I think we could have won in 2. Either way, we had a great time...even with all the drama (they thought we had made some bad line calls and then proceeded to make a few nasty comments just loud enough for us to hear). In the end it just fired Erica and I up more...even if one of our calls was bad (oops!).

Our final score was 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Not bad for my first tennis tournament! I can't believe with all the volleyball I've played in my life that I've never played in a tennis tournament! It was a lot of fun and a lot of heat (it was over 100 degrees on the courts both days we played!)

I will post pictures when Erica's husband sends them to me!