Joy to the Wordl!

2011-04-13T10:38:00.002-05:00

So Long, Farewell I think this blog is done. It was fun while it lasted. And I think I'll start blogging again sometime, perhaps a journal of writing this summer, or something. But this blog and I are breaking up. It's been real.

2011-03-20T18:45:00.002-05:00

Processing

This week has been...a lot. Horrible. Tragic. Never-ending. Exhausting. Just plain sad.

On Monday, the chair of my department--my boss, my friend, a wonderful man--was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He and his family are still making decisions, but it looks like surgery in Ann Arbor in a week, with chemo and radiation to follow.

On Thursday, another faculty member--my office next-door neighbor, my friend, a wonderful woman--was admitted to the hospital with pregnancy complications. She had an emergency c-section, delivered a beautiful baby boy named Solomon, and died on Saturday morning.

It's the type of emotional blow that leaves you physically aching.

I've cried. A lot. I've talked. A lot. And yet, I'm not sure I'll ever be done processing her death.

But tomorrow, I'll wake up. I'll go to work. I'll walk past her office and miss her desperately.

And the next day, I'll do it again. And again. And again.

Life goes on. Even when it doesn't.

2011-03-08T08:34:00.003-05:00

Poor Me/Snap Out of It!

Lots of things on my mind today, from the house to my mom, from work to class, from California to South Africa, from bad to good.

It really tempts me to have a big pity party for myself. And sometimes I think we should. We celebrate life's accomplishments and good moments. Why not party through life's terrible moments? Maybe it would make us feel better!

Or not.

Here are the posts I was tempted to use on Facebook today, but managed to pull myself back slightly:

Sarah Baar...
...is tired of her mom being sick.
...ended her day cutting a ring off her mom's poor, swollen hand, and started a new day by bleeding from her nose in the shower.
...can't stop having dreams about work, class, family, and tv show characters. Makes for interesting self-analysis, but piss-poor sleeping.
...can't decide whether to power through today or go home and cry.
...is no good when her head is in the clouds. Dark, stormy clouds.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

I'm pretty sure at this point, I need someone to slap me across the face and tell me to snap out of it. There are lots of good things in my life right now.

For example:

Sarah Baar...
...finished painting two closets last night! The most difficult closets in the house are now brilliantly white and clean! Progress!
...has such great, loving, wonderful family members. Love.
...loves her job so much. Not only does she work with wonderful people, but she gets to take a free class each semester!
...has four novels under her belt and has a goal of having a publishable draft ready by the end of the year.
...has made it through 10,238 days and she's pretty sure she can make it through one more.

So. Onward.

2011-03-04T10:37:00.002-05:00

New Shoes and A Change?

My mom got me a pair of shoes I wanted for my birthday. But when I put them on, I just wasn't sure.

See, I have this guilt complex. I probably have two dozen pairs of shoes. So why should I add another pair?

The answer: because I'm shallow and they're cute:

On my feet:

On my desk (hey, they're clean):

As you can see, the posts for this blog have become. Well. Dull.

I can't seem to snap out of this unintelligible funk I've been in lately. I'll blame it on the paint fumes, but perhaps I just need a change of scenery. I'm thinking about starting over with the blog. Just scrapping this one and starting fresh. Maybe I'd even ask some web-savvy person to help me.

What do you think?

2011-02-28T10:10:00.002-05:00

One More, Plus, Some Time Off

We got two coats of paint on the master bedroom this week/weekend. Here's a before and after:

Before and After

What we did: removed 3 kinds of wallpaper, spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling, and painted 2 coats on the walls of Behr's "Dusty Olive."

It turned out really well. As we started painting, I was worried it was going to be too evergreen, but the color dried to a nice green with blue/grey undertones.

Sunday, I drove out to the house, but I just didn't have it in me. I putzed around for a while, cleaned a few things, thought about painting a third coat on the kitchen, and ended up outside, hacking the last of the ice off the driveway from the freezing rain the weekend before.

Then I headed back to the condo, edited a manuscript for a while, and watched a movie with the husband.

We're feeling close to being ready to move in, and we have a couple people lined up who would like to rent the condo, so just pray that everything goes smoothly over the next month or so, especially since my husband has started working a few hours at his summer job, and therefore is even more busy!

And, my evenings are so busy, I won't be at the house again this week until Thursday. Eek. Well, it will get done eventually, one way or the other. Wish us luck as we start the final push! :-)

2011-02-18T09:15:00.002-05:00

More Before and Afters

Things are moving along at the house. We still need to paint the kitchen, 2nd bath, and master bedroom before I'll really feel like we can "relax" a little.

But here are a few more "before and afters."

Family room

Before and After In the family room, we painted two coats on the ceiling, spackled holes and sanded, put two coats of the same grey on the walls as is in the living room (Sherwin Williams "Morris Room Grey"), and painted the beadboard white. We still need to replace that gorgeous green carpet, so please ignore its hideousness.

Entry

Before and After

Again, please ignore the ugly green carpet on the stairs. In the entry, we

removed wallpaper, spackled holes and sanded, primed the walls, and put two coats of Behr's "Havana Cream" on the walls, and painted two coats on the ceiling. It's quite reactive to light, sometimes looking straight-up cream, and sometimes more heavily the yellow I really wanted. You can see in the "after" picture of the front door just how different the shade can be. It's quite light on the wall closest to me, but above the door, it looks more yellow. Overall, a nice, calm color that I'm pleased with.

2011-02-07T10:20:00.002-05:00

Before and Afters
and
I Got Hacked

My dad and sister called this morning to let me know my email got hacked. Which meant my Facebook account got hacked as well. Which meant that by 8:15 this morning, I was a great big ball of sunshine [read sarcasm].

I'm hoping both Gmail and Facebook can restore my accounts, or at least shut them down so the hacker claiming to be me can stop sending emails that I'm stuck in London and I need money. Never even been to London, folks.

On a cheerier note, we now have two rooms in our house finished. Here are a couple before and after pictures.

Dining room:

Before and After Living Room:

Before and After

The dining room was a major pain because we had to remove two chair rails, two kinds of wallpaper, repair the wall where the chair rail had been affixed, sand, spackle, spackle, sand, prime, etc. (The blue in the dining room is much bluer in real life.)

The living room was "easier" because we only had to prime the walls and put two coats of white on the trim (which was previously cream) before we painted the walls. There was some spackling and sanding, but not to the extent of the dining room.

Voila. Two rooms done. Lots to go.

2011-02-01T12:06:00.002-05:00

February 1, Again

Last year on this day, I posted why I hate February.

This year, I'm heading into February on a decidedly more positive note. I still hate all of those things about February. And it looks like tonight and tomorrow will be blizzardy. But this year, I'm going to try to think of things that are good about February.

1. I don't have to remove any more wallpaper. Most of the walls in our house are prepped and ready to be painted. Not that we don't have a thousand other things to do, so the painting probably won't go as quickly as I think it will, but we're close.

2. I'm writing a novel this month! It's my fourth, but this time I'm taking a class on novel writing, so I have structure, a general plan, and 18 people to cheer me on as we go through this together. And my main character works in a bakery, so I get to write about baked goods all the time. Yum.

3. It's my birthday in a couple weeks. I'm not a real fan of big celebrations, but we've been working on the house so much lately, Kent and I haven't had a "date night" that doesn't include painting or sanding in over a month. My birthday is a great excuse for us to go out.

4. Okay, I couldn't come up with a fourth, but at least I tried.

Hope you all have a lovely start to your February!

2011-01-30T09:43:00.002-05:00

The List

We've had the house for one month now. And sometimes, when you're working on a project this big (cosmetically changing every single room in a house), it's nice to remind yourself of what you've already done. Otherwise, it feels like you're just going nowhere. So here's my list:

Master bath: ripped out linoleum, ripped out gross shower door, took down giant mirror, removed wallpaper, spackled, sanded, primed, fixed finish in skylights, painted 2 coats on the ceiling.
Master bedroom: removed 3 kids of wall paper, spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling.
Hallway: spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling.
Bed 1: removed three kinds of wallpaper, ripped out damaged built-in desk.
Bed 2: removed two kinds of wallpaper, spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling.
Bed 3: nothing. (Hey, we can't get to everything!) :-)
Bath 2: removed wall paper, spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling, re-caulked around the tub.
Entry: removed two kinds of wallpaper, spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling.
Dining room: removed two kids of wallpaper, two chair rails, spackled, sanded, primed, painted 2 coats on the ceiling.
Living room: primed walls, painted 2 coats of white on trim, painted 2 coats on the ceiling, spackled.
Family room: removed an inch of carpet around the perimeter of the room, painted one coat of white on beadboard and chair rail, spackled.
Kitchen: painted one coat on the ceiling, spackled.

Well, I think "that's it." At least, as far as the home improvements go. We also cleaned a few of the rooms (bathrooms, kitchen) before we even started any of these projects so we'd have a relatively clean place to work. Not to mention we removed all the hardware in all of these rooms. I'm not really looking forward to putting all of those back. So if you stop by in 6 months and there's still not a light switch plate in the dining room, you know I've just given up.

2011-01-21T09:07:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap

All I have to say is that everyone needs a Happy Box.

I laughed so hard.

2011-01-18T09:34:00.002-05:00

And the Winner Is...

Neither!

Ha. Such as it is with trying to decorate a house. Kent and I went in circles with these paint colors and we still haven't decided.

Last night, we had the colors narrowed down to these three:

So we went and got samples of all three. We really like the brown (Calico Hill), which looks fairly different in real life and the yellow (Lemon Balm), which is actually much brighter than this image shows.

But Kent vetoed the blue.

No big deal. He just didn't like it very much. It was quite a bit more turquoise-y in real life and while I thought it was beautiful and vibrant and rich, it really didn't float his boat. He suggested red for the dining room (which we have in our condo dining room), but I just can't get on board with red and yellow. So that leaves us with this.

Green? A different blue? I'm just not sure. But I'll keep you posted. Since I'm sure you're dying to know.

2011-01-07T09:25:00.002-05:00

All About the House

Apologies now. I'm sorry that this blog will be consumed with house updates. But that's kinda my life right now. So if paint colors bore you to death, you might want to skip reading this blog for a while. :-)

I'm trying to decide on color options for the house. I'd like our entryway and kitchen to be yellow because I think it's happy and inviting. I've always wanted a proper entryway and I'm geeked that this house has one.

I'd also like to do a neutral for the living spaces on the first floor because right now, we have green furniture. But eventually, we'll probably put the green downstairs in the basement and get new furniture for upstairs. And I have no idea what color furniture we would want.

And blue for the dining room? Just for a little splash of color?

So the three colors I would rock on the main floor: Blue, yellow, tan. In that order (if you're looking at the house from the front, left to right). :-)

Here are my two blue/yellow/tan combo ideas (well, okay, they're Lindsay's, but I'm taking credit for them):

Option 1: Tan here is "Macadamia"Option 2: Tan here is "Blonde"
P.S. Our trim is oak. Natural color.

And for our bedroom, I thought maybe green. (Left to Right: Laurel Leaf, Balsam, Apple Green.)

So, vote please. Do you like "Macadamia" or "Blonde" better? And what's your favorite green?

2011-01-06T09:22:00.002-05:00

Big Fat (But Not As Fat) Cheater

In November, I posted about the KWIC challenge at work. And about how I "cheated."

Well, it worked.

I weighed in at 174 before Thanksgiving, which is about 4 pounds heavy for me. This morning I weighed in at 168. Woo hoo!

But I'm counting this as a 2-pound weight loss, not a 6-pound weight loss, because I cheated. But losing 2 pounds is better than gaining 2 pounds!

Plus, it motivates me to lose the 8 more pounds I'd like to lose to be at a more healthy weight. Here are my goals:

1. Cut back on sugar.
2. Be consistent in my breakfast and lunch eating.
3. Try to not eat late at night.

I'm getting plenty of exercise at the house right now. If you want a new "fad" workout, it's called removing wallpaper. Up and down and up and down! Move that steamer! Peel that wallpaper! Sweat it out!

I think I just embarrassed myself. Oh, well. Not the first time for this blog.

2011-01-05T10:34:00.002-05:00

Oh, my.

There are so many things that subject line could be referring to.

Oh, my, I haven't posted here since December 15.

Oh, my, we bought a house that is a HUGE project!

Oh, my, it's 2011 already.

Oh, my, I need to weigh in for my work holiday weight challenge and my mom brought Oreo truffles over to the new house.

Oh, my, my friend Megan had twins (!) last month and they're so cute, not to mention my friend Aletha is about ten weeks from bringing her little baby into the world.

Life. Oh, my.

2010-12-15T08:18:00.005-05:00

Post 500: We're Moving!

But not far. :-)

Whew! I've been sitting on this one for what seems like forever, even though it's only been a few weeks.

Before Kent and I got married, we bought our condo. It was a great fit for us then, but even then we said we'd probably live there for 3-5 years and then purchase something bigger.

We've been looking for a while, but we're happy in our condo, so we weren't going to buy something unless we were really in love with it.

The Friday before Thanksgiving, we went to see this house. Soon to be OUR house. And we put an offer in a week later.

It's huge. I have no idea what we'll do with all the space, but I'm really excited about a few things we didn't have at the condo:

(1) A two-stall garage that's attached! No more digging Kent's car out of the snow or dragging groceries across the parking lot and up the stairs.

(2) LOTS of storage space. I'm hoping this doesn't mean that I'll turn into a pack rat, but it will be nice to get our Christmas decorations out without a 5-step process of pulling things out of our overstuffed closet and replacing them.

(3) A yard! I'm excited about having a yard to play in. I might even play catch with Kent sometimes now that we have a place to do it. (There might also be a dog coming this summer, but my sister told my niece that she could help me pick it out to stop said niece from crying about something else. Auntie Cupcake to the rescue again.) :-)

There are lots of other awesome perks about this house, like more room for my books, two fireplaces, a three-season room, a fire pit out back, space for guests, two great entry ways (front and back door), lots of built-ins, etc. Not to mention that I'm excited about painting new colors (but not taking down all that wallpaper) and deciding where everything goes. I love organizing!

Last night, Kent and I were talking about the house and he said, "I'm really going to miss this place. Aren't you going to miss it?" Yup. I'm going to miss it a lot. Our condo was our first home, the place we went after our wedding, the place we had fights and made up, the place where we entertained friends and family.

But now we're going to have a new home. And I can't wait to make new memories in our new home. And eventually entertain all our family and friends here.

Here are some pictures, most from the realtor's website; a couple from me.

Front Entry

Kitchen

Living Room
Dining Room
Three-season Room
Back Entry

*On another note, if you have (a) a steamer to take wallpaper off or (b) someone who wants to buy a gorgeous 2bd/2ba condo, please let me know. :-)

2010-12-03T10:49:00.003-05:00

Week 10: The Office Recap

I missed the episode last night, so I'm blogging as I'm watching. Let's begin.

Hand-foot high five? Excellent.

The motion sensor light thing cracked me up because we have that in the hallway at my office. Every 10 minutes, if someone hasn't been walking around, the lights go off. I even had the lights in my own office go off once...

I love it when Michael becomes aware of things.

"Where forks are irrelevant."

Uh oh. I might be an "actually". :-)

The showdown between Dwight and Pam in his office was AWESOME!

He LET her win?!? That sucks. Like, majorly. Dwight is still a jerk.

Overall, I thought this was a great episode. I'd give it an A-. Everyone was involved, it was right there in the office, and the idea of moving to a new location (that didn't exist) was great.

Did you like it?

2010-11-24T08:32:00.002-05:00

Cheating (Kinda, Sorta, Not Really)

This is my third holiday season at my current job. The first year, I signed up for their KWIC program (Keeping Weight In Check).

Essentially, you start with a pot of $500. Everyone who wants to join adds $10 to the pot. You weigh-in before Thanksgiving and after New Year's. If you have gained weight, you lose your money. If you have stayed the same or lost weight, you get your fair share of the pot.

Last year, I didn't do it. I was lazy, whatever. I just skipped it. But this year, I forced myself to do it again because I need some motivation to exercise and eat better.

Usually, I'm around 170 lbs. Just above a healthy BMI. And this morning, when I hopped on the scale, I was right around that. So I showered, dressed in my heaviest jeans and put two layers on top. Then I chugged as much water as I could in the car before I got out, kept my fleece on and my car keys in my pocket as I stepped on the scale. 174.

Normally, I'd see 174 or 5 and think, Okay, I have to cut out the sweets for a while, I don't want to venture into 180 territory again (where I've been a few times before and let me tell you, the pants were tight).

But today, I thought, YES! I can beat 174 when I come back to weigh-in in January. Lol. Oh, what a different perspective can do.

2010-11-19T08:45:00.002-05:00

Week 9: The Office Recap

This week's MVP? Jim.

Jim is never so entertaining as when he has nothing to do. :-) I was not a big fan of co-manager Jim, probably because he was actually working. I'm so glad he had some fun this episode with Meredith and Creed and of course, with Gabe. (Whose nudity in the gym speech was awesome.)

However, I thought he would use Jo's audio book as a way to tell Gabe to reverse the commission cap and give Jim the money. Also, why didn't Jim and Pam just count all of Jim's extra sales as Pam's sales? Duh.

I also loved Stanley's talking head about living in the decommissioned lighthouse. Hilarious. The actor totally sold it.

And while I thought Michael and Pam did a great job with the WUPHF (or whatever the heck the initials are) storyline, Ryan is still the second most annoying character in that office for me and I really hated seeing and hearing him so much. I know. I'm a jerk.

So what did you think? What were your favorite moments?

Oh, and the hay thing? Weird. But I loved the advancement of the Angela/Dwight storyline.

2010-11-17T09:24:00.001-05:00

Post 496...Soon to be 500

I started this blog in January of 2006. A young newlywed, finding her way in the corporate world, the wifely world, the adult world.

Now it's nearly 2011. It's been five years, and I've written nearly 500 posts. What should I do to celebrate?

See my 100th post, my 200th, 300th, and 400th. I've become less and less creative with each milestone.

2010-11-12T09:05:00.003-05:00

Week 8: The Office Recap

MVP of the night? Cece! (Please start calling her Cecelia; such a pretty name!) I loved Cece because she brought the best trio together last night. I always, always love it when Dwight, Jim, and Pam have scenes together. They're so awesome. And Pam? I remember the concussion, too. It was a magical time.

Andy just gets more and more pitiful. Someone put him out of his misery, please.

Darryl continues to be a star for me.

Michael. Oh, Michael. He was in his full-out childish form last night, but then ended up being a father figure to Erin. When they started the "go to your room" fight, my husband was like, "what the--" But I totally got it. Erin, foster child that she was, really just needs a father figure. And Michael, weirdo childless man that he is, really just wants children. Hence their weird relationship. I hope it gets weirder.

What did you think, Office fans? I'd give this one a B- if I were into the grading thing. Or in the words of Dwight, "Good, not great."

2010-11-11T08:28:00.002-05:00

Give Blood, Save a Life

I donated blood for the first time when I was seventeen years old. I was the co-coordinator for our high school's blood drive.

10 years later, I've donated 21 pints of blood. And I look forward to donating more. I'm almost to my 3-gallon mark and I couldn't be more proud. (Even though it really creeps me out to think of 3 gallons of my own blood. Ew.)

Every time someone donates blood, they have the opportunity to save up to three lives. And it's so easy. The Red Cross lets you search for blood drives by your location, so you can find drives close to you. And you can make an appointment so there's barely a wait time at all. I was down to give blood and back up in my office in 45 minutes flat yesterday. And it really doesn't hurt all that much. Just a little poke and you're good to go.

I know a lot of people can't donate because of health issues, but I really encourage you to go out and find a blood drive and donate. It really makes you feel good (and you get free cookies!).

Red Cross Website

2010-11-05T08:46:00.002-05:00

Week 7: The Office Recap

Since I'm supposed to be writing 2,000 words a day for my novel, I thought I'd procrastinate by doing the shortest ever recap:

Meh.

I thought Jim losing the baby and Pam giving him the look was very Jim-and-Pam. I thought Michael trying to go to Mexico for three months, then getting off the bus was very Michael. And I thought Erin was my favorite this week. What did you think?

2010-11-01T07:23:00.002-05:00

NaNoWriMo 2010

For the third time, I will be writing an entire novel in the month of November. Yes, I am a little bit insane.

This year I seriously considered not doing it. I have a lot (more) going on this year. My mom is still sick and needs a bit more help than last year. I'm doing some freelance editing this year. My sister is in town the first week of the month. We're going to be out of town the second weekend of the month. Oh, and I'm still committed to walk 10,000 steps every day for my Walktober (which incidentally goes through November too).

But I want to do it. I really, really want to do NaNo.

Lots of the other busy things I do are for me. But they're also for other people. I spend time with my sister because I like to be around her and I miss her when she's not here. But I also do it for her, because I know she likes to spend time with me and misses me when I'm not there. I help my mom because I want to feel like I'm able to help her when she needs it. It makes me feel good. But it's also for her, because she can't do some things herself.

NaNo is just for me. It's selfish, I know. It takes me away from my friends and family sometimes ("Sorry, I can't stop by for coffee now, I need to write another thousand words before I can go to bed.", etc.). It sometimes stresses me out, making me a bit more difficult to deal with. But it's mine. All mine.

So I'm doing it this year. And you can't stop me. Nothing can.

2010-10-29T07:22:00.003-05:00

Week 6: The Office Recap

I missed the episode last night, so I'm watching it online and blogging as I watch. Good luck.

That was the best opening we've had in a long time. Excellent.

"A ream of paper. I thought you were going to hit me."

"Does anyone remember what [Pam's] dad smells like?"

"If you're gonna do your job well here, you're going to have to learn to be embarrassed." "Let me put my shoes on."

Who is Andy supposed to be? Ah. He just told me.

Lol. "Happy Halloween, jerk!"

"Hell, I can even sleep on a fence."

Erin's version of bobbing for apples was startlingly funny.

Jim and Pam harassing Danny was pretty funny.

Oh, man. Jim is whipped. And all three of them are big fat dorks.

And I'm kind of surprised the Jonkers didn't think of it first.

2010-10-25T12:37:00.001-05:00

God Is Bigger than the Boogie Man

God is bigger than the boogie man.
He's bigger than Godzilla and the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man,
And he's watching out for you and me.

2010-10-22T07:57:00.003-05:00

Week 5: The Office Recap

Let me first say that my friend Allison is a big fan of 30 Rock, which I've never watched regularly, so I watched last night. Hilarious.

On to The Office.

Jim might have been my favorite character last night. His panicky phone call to Michael was great. And I can't believe that he went along with the fake office set-up of the rival salesman. And the talking head with Pam was cute. But I kind of wonder when in the world Pam dated this other salesman guy. 4 years ago? Wasn't she in engagement year 3 with Roy by then?

Speaking of the fake office, how creepy is that? I really don't want to know what else Dwight might do with that. And Meredith was painful to watch. Though I do think it's funny that they kept sending more people in. I was hoping for one more after Ryan.

Poor Andy. Nothing says desperate like paying a coworker to be in a band with you. But when Darryl said they were just jammin' and Andy got all excited, I did too. Maybe there is hope for Andy yet. After he slammed the pizza on the wall the other episode, I was worried that he'd be headed for more anger management and just be back to square one with that kid. Well, we can only hope that his band impresses Erin and she dumps Gabe for Andy. :-)

Anything I missed? What did you like? What did you not like? Has The Office lost its sparkle for you? I thought these last two episode were good, but I haven't laughed out-loud at The Office in a while...

2010-10-20T08:19:00.003-05:00

"Martha Stewart" Weekend

Most of the time, I'm pretty average. I don't do fancy things. I fall back on the same 5 recipes over and over again. I "clean" every "once in a while" and I wrap presents (all presents) in leftover Christmas wrap.

But once in a blue moon, I get the urge to be a domestic goddess. And I go nutso. This weekend was one of those times.

Not only was I working over the weekend (freelance editing), but I walked at least 10,000 steps each day for my Walktober group, cleaned the bathroom and bedroom, washed and dried and folded ALL of our sheets and blankets, made white chicken chili, baked an apple crisp with apples picked by my own two hands, and made bread bowls. What?

I was so proud of myself, I took a picture. (Oh, and also because I'm a dork.)

Last night? I picked up a pizza.

2010-10-17T10:15:00.002-05:00

A Good and A Bad, A Happy and A Sad

Good/Happy
Every day this month I've thanked God for the beautiful weather. As West Michiganders, we really couldn't have asked for anything better. The temperatures have been mild (50s/60s), the sun has been shining, and the leaves have been turning.

I signed up for a fitness challenge at my work called Walktober (word nerd alert). Basically it's a program to keep you moving 5 days a week or more by asking you to track your steps/minutes walked (you choose).

I've been spending lots of time outside so far this month, logging my steps and enjoying the scenery. My walks have taken me through the historic district downtown, around Dunton Park, along Window on the Waterfront, through Riley Trails, and around my pond (many, many times). It's a blessing to force myself to reserve time every day to be outside and enjoy God's creation.

Bad/Sad
My mom fell on Tuesday. She didn't tell me about it until Friday, when she asked me to take her to the doctor to get a splint on her left wrist. Apparently, the fall caused a hairline fracture in one of the bones in her wrist (the tri-quadsomethingorother--shaped like a triangle).

I was happy to take her over to the doctor's office, only a block and a half away. They got us in right away and the doctor put the splint on and gave instructions. Mom will go for a follow-up with an orthopedic doctor next week just as a precaution. Her cancer makes everything extra-special, but not in a good way.

Mom posted an update about the fall on her Care Pages account today. It surprised me since she often tries to keep bad news from friends and family. She was very upbeat in her post, as always, and at the end, she joked about the fall, recounting how her wig had gone flying as she hit the floor. She said it wasn't funny at the time, but now it's hilarious.

I cried. I guess it hasn't gotten to the "hilarious" part for me yet. But all I could picture was my short little mother, falling to the ground, wig flying, oxygen tank skidding along the ground. And I cried. Because as much as you can try to find the positive in life, some things just suck. And it's not funny. It's not funny at all.

2010-10-15T07:37:00.002-05:00

Week 4: The Office Recap

This week's MVP? Michael. Steve Carell does such an amazing job at making Michael the biggest idiot you've ever met and yet still making you sympathize with him. From the fake mustache to the first call with Holly to his visit with Jan to the voicemail he finally left for Holly, I was actually interested in what was happening to him.

I mean, it was ridiculous. And I still laugh that no one told him that a cold sore is not herpes. But he was honestly trying to learn something about himself. Why and how aren't really relevant to me.

The other half of the episode? Painful! Someone please put Andy out of his misery. And Erin is so sweet. All of her reactions this episode were so enthusiastic. She and Andy really deserve each other. Will someone please, please transfer Gabe?

Jan is still super, super creepy. "Assy"? You canNOT call your child that. Not ever. Never.

What did I miss, people? Anything you really liked? Hated?

2010-10-08T07:32:00.002-05:00

Week 3: The Office Recap

Oy! I missed the first two weeks. I used the excuse that I wasn't feeling very inspired by the show. And I have to admit, I wasn't. But I had a few requests to recap again and honestly, I liked this episode much more than the first two.

Here we go!

1. What's with all the musical intros? Though I did love the shot where Dwight had his own knife, in case the crazy people with the barber blades came at him.

2. Andy! He is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. Here's why. (a) His clothes. No one does awkward J Crew like Andy. (b) His unrequited love for Erin. He's the new Jim. (c) His love for musical theatre.

3. I did appreciate Michael in this episode. There was one line (that I can't remember for the life of me and I'm too lazy to watch the episode again) where he says something completely insightful about himself, but it's totally muttered and a throwaway line.

4. Darryl. Dude, if you miss the Overture, how are you going to understand the musical themes? Awesome.

So what did you all think? What did I miss that you loved? Oh, Dwight and Angela. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder with these two. Can't wait to see what happens.

2010-10-05T09:14:00.002-05:00

Too...Many...Books!

Is that really possible? No.

I'm taking a class this semester on Literature for Children and Adolescents. Some great reads thus far, including but not limited to: The Tale of Despereaux, Homeless Bird, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Giver, and Eragon.

Eragon is not amazing, I have to admit. It does borrow heavily from fantasy classics, but as we all know, there's nothing new under the sun. But it totally sucks you in. Once you read Eragon, you have to read Eldest, and once you read Eldest, you HAVE to read Brisingr.

However. I finished Eldest at 6:44 pm on Saturday night. The library closes at 6:00 pm on Saturdays, and isn't open at all on Sundays. What to do? Oh, I suppose I could read one of the other 50 books I have at home that I want to read.

So I picked up The Girl Who Played with Fire, the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and was immediately invested. However, I hadn't yet finished it when I walked to the library on Monday to pick up Brisingr. Should I finish The Girl Who Played with Fire or move on to Brisingr to finish the currently trilogy? I decided to finish The Girl Who Played with Fire and now I'm screwed again. The ending of The Girl Who Played with Fire is so intense, such a cliffhanger, I'm desperate to read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (the third in that trilogy). Except I don't have that book, I have Brisingr.

AAARRGGHH!

My bibliophilic brain bursts.

2010-09-25T14:10:00.002-05:00

2:21:01

Today, I ran my first half-marathon. It was...a long run. 13.1 miles, to be exact. And I don't particularly like running. But I like to have a goal, so I'm "forced" to exercise.

It went pretty well. I figured I'd be running at least 11-minute miles, and with the wind today and the additional distance (the farthest I'd run in my training was 11 miles), I expected to be done somewhere around 2 hours, 25 minutes and 2 hours, 35 minutes. I finished in 2 hours, 21 minutes, so I'm pretty happy! Oh, and I'm happy to be done.

A week ago, I ran the course (minus the leg down to the State Park and back) as a training run (the previously mentioned 11-mile run) and I'm glad I did. It was nice to be familiar with the course without being bored by it. However, it was pretty windy today. Winds 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

Guess when the wind gusted to 25 mph? Yup. When we were running through the State Park parking lot. So not only was I ducking my head against the strong wind after running 8 miles and still had to run another 5 miles, but I was also being whipped by stinging sand. Not fun. The worst part of the run, for sure.

Around 9 miles, I started to really get tired. Kent saw me at about the 9.5-mile mark (as well as the 3-mile mark and the 6.5-mile mark--what a sweetie) and that was the first time I gave him a thumbs-down sign. He encouraged me to try to lengthen my stride instead of shuffling along, but it was hard to get my legs to do what I wanted them to do at that point.

When I finished, I was exhausted. A little light-headed, and very, very proud of myself. I had so many people cheering for me, at the race (thanks mom, Travis, Allison, Lina, Adam, and Rachel) and at home (everyone else I know) and I appreciate the support so much.

Kent was a rock star today. He drove me to the start, told me not to be nervous, saw me 4 times throughout the course, and put up with my stinkiness on the ride home. When we got home, he rubbed lotion on my feet and massaged my calves for me. Then he went to work for the rest of the day! I couldn't have done it without his continuous support and patience, as I continually said "I don't want to run today" during my training.

Will I do it again? Maybe not. I didn't feel so hot after; I was slightly light-headed, had a headache, slightly sick to my stomach, and of course sore pretty much all over. But now I know I can do it and I'm so proud that I did.

2010-09-10T08:25:00.003-05:00

A Long Time

Oh, my. I haven't written anything in a long time. Mostly because I've been busy out of my mind. Partly because many of the posts I've composed in my head are whiny and annoying and full of self-pity.

But today, there are so many things for which to be thankful. My parents, though often dealing with health issues, are in my life and I get to see them regularly. My sister is meeting me for lunch today. I woke curled up in warm blankets with the windows open to the chilly fall air, next to my sleeping husband.

And I leave this afternoon for a fun-filled Fife Lake weekend with friends. Happiness.

2010-08-17T07:43:00.002-05:00

The Beach

To me, there's nothing better. I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, only a stone's throw away from the beauty of the water. I'm spoiled. I know that. But I don't care.

When I go to the beach, I go for renewal. Yes, I go for sun and sand and water, but I go because when I leave, I have a peace that doesn't come any other way than spending hours just sitting and reading, strolling the space where the water meets the shore, floating along in the fresh water.

2010-08-12T11:53:00.002-05:00

When Did I Become An Adult?

I.
A good friend came to visit last month. As she and my mom and I ate lunch, the topic evolved to popular teens in the media these days. It made me feel a bit old, the fact that I was influenced by a teenage Tiffani Amber Thiessan and not a teenage Miley Cyrus, but it also made me glad how my family and friends allowed me to not get carried away by what the media often portrays young women (or perhaps still girls) should be like, look like.

Many young stars today take somewhat scandalous roles, or dress more provocatively and say, "I just want people to realize I'm not a kid anymore." At one point in our conversation, I said, "Becoming an adult means buying your first business suit and signing up for a 401k, not dressing like a prostitute."

II.
The other day I went to work, took my mom grocery shopping (because she just can't do it by herself anymore), and called my dad to see what time I should come over the next day to mow his lawn and help with yard work.

We found out two weeks ago that my dad would have to have triple-bypass surgery. Sooner rather than later, obviously. He's scheduled for surgery August 25 and has to take it easy until then. So I've been helping out with a few of the more strenuous items on his to-do list.

Today, I realized his heart might not make it to surgery, or through surgery, or much longer after that. Funny. After all the time I spend coping with my mother's terminal illness, I somehow neglected to realize that my father is getting old, that death can come for him just as easily as for my mother, or for me.

**

See, in my mind, I'm an adult. I have been for a long time now. I'm 27 years old. I work, earn medical benefits, pay bills, and grocery shop. I do all the things an adult does.

But then I start to deal with the tough stuff. The realizing that not only am I an adult for myself, but that I need to be an adult for other people. That I have become a care-provider as opposed to a care-receiver. And that's not to say that I haven't cared for people in the past. But it feels different. The thing that makes me feel old the most is seeing the people around me get old.

2010-07-26T09:53:00.002-05:00

Moments in Time

We all have those historically monumental moments we will forever remember. For my generation, it was the attacks on September 11, 2001. For my parent's generation, everyone remembers when JFK was shot.

But there are personally monumental moments we will forever remember as well. Some good, some bad.

Today, five years ago, it was good. Really, really good.

I have quite a large family, 5 of us girls in all, which means 10 (with our spouses); 9 nieces and nephews, and 2 great-nieces; and that's just my dad's side of the family.

While all my family members are special to me, my sister Kate is different (ha--if you only knew). We are only 18 months apart. We went through it all together. We still go through it all together. And five years ago today, she gave birth to her first child, a girl, named Dineo Julia.

I will always remember this day. For me, it started at about 2:30 in the morning, when my sister reluctantly called from South Africa (she felt bad waking me up, though it was 8:30 am their time) to tell me they were headed for the hospital.

Oh, man. I pretended to go back to sleep, but really I just kind of laid there in bed, waiting, trying to resist the urge to call the hospital every five minutes for updates.

I went to work. I should have just stayed home, because I was useless. I just stared at my phone for hours. I took it to meetings with me. And when it rang, I grabbed my stuff, ran out of a conference room, and hijacked my boss's office, which actually had walls, so I could hear the news about my new niece or nephew without 5 coworkers in cubicles listening in.

After lots of hard labor, and an emergency c-section, my mom called to tell me it was a girl. I cried. Hard. For a long time.

I knew what it was like to have nieces and nephew (I already had 5 at this point). And in fact, I got another niece just two days later from my sister, Amy. But for some reason, it was different this time.

And no, I have no idea why I am feeling so sentimental today. Perhaps I can blame it on getting older (I am so much mushier now than I was 10 years ago). But perhaps it's just that in a busy time of life, it's nice to just slow down and celebrate the everyday miracles.

2010-07-19T08:23:00.002-05:00

"Busyness"

Every day seems to be busy and yet I feel as though I do nothing. Sometimes I feel guilty about that. Sometimes not.

Here are some things I have been doing:

- I finished my second triathlon, coming in 12 minutes *slower* than last year. I keep trying to remind myself that not many people would even attempt a triathlon, so I should be proud of doing it in general and not worry too much about my time.

- Our good friend Cindy came and stayed two nights with my mom. We went out to eat a couple times, talked, reminisced, and laughed quite a bit. It was good to see an old friend.

- This week, I have another manuscript to edit. I'm doing a little freelance work and I'm loving it. There's still lots to learn, but I'm getting there, thanks to my fantastic editorial mentor, Andy.

- Also this week, some of Kent's extended family will be in town. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and the like. It's always a good time and I'm looking forward to seeing family we only get to see once or twice a year.

- Saturday, I went to the beach with my sister Tori. It was possibly the best beach day ever. It was hot, but with a good breeze. There were waves for playing, but not vicious waves for being bowled over. Water temperature was great and the company even better. I could go back and do that at least twice a week.

- Oh, and I do occasionally cook and clean and shop for groceries, etc. Though I haven't been cooking much because Kent is often at work and/or we have people in town/friends to go out with, etc.

Life is good.

2010-07-08T23:05:00.003-05:00

I Have a Blog?

Apparently, I've forgotten. This has turned into the summer of laziness for me. I spend my days working, reading, training for my triathlon, and traveling to California and Colorado (apparently I need to go to Connecticut this summer to finish off my summer of C-states).

Overall, I feel like I haven't accomplished much. But I'm happy. :-)

2010-06-14T11:24:00.002-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things...
I love fresh fruit in general, but I get super excited about strawberry season. Maybe because it's the earliest of fresh fruit here in Michigan, maybe it's because of the beautiful bright redness of them, maybe it's because I could eat strawberry shortcake for every meal of the day and be quite happy.

This year, I went and picked strawberries. It was a first for me. We've always been big apple and blueberry pickers, but strawberries, no. Don't know why.

It was nice! A little rough on the back and knees, but when I pick by myself, I like to pop my iPod earbuds in and chill. Listen to some soothing music, enjoy the sunshine and the richness of the earth and sky.

I picked quite a few the other day, but I'd really like to go again on Wednesday. I like to eat them fresh, freeze some for smoothies, and this year, I'm going to try freezer jam too. Yum, yum, yum!

2010-06-10T10:55:00.002-05:00

Big + Little = Life

Busy, busy, busy, and yet not. Life has been a big ball of everything lately. Here's what's been going on lately.

Big: The husband and I went to CA to take care of my niece and nephew for the week while their parents went to Hawaii for their 10-year anniversary. Woah, mama. I am 100% confident in my decision not to have children. And if, by some Godly joke, I had them, I'm 100% confident I could never stay home with them full-time. My sister is in line for sainthood (she stays home with 3).

Little: I accidentally injured myself via a razor blade that I didn't know was broken. I look like a puma played with my left leg. It stung like crazy for about three days, now it's fading into scars.

Big: While we were in CA, my mom spent some time in the hospital. She was having chest pains, so they kept her overnight for observation. All tests came back normal, but in the same week, they also increased her pain meds because the pain from the cancer is just getting much worse. It was hard to be gone.

Little: I'm planning to go pick strawberries for the first time in my life (to my memory). I'm excited to try freezer jam, which I've also never done. And of course, lots of freezing them whole for smoothies and turning fresh berries into shortcakes, etc.

Big: The weather the past two days has been HEAVEN. Seriously. 70s and sunny, with a bit of a breeze. Doesn't get much better than that in West Michigan.

Little: I'm part-time at work and have had a lot of "free time" this week. As in, there are things I could have been doing (like dusting the bedroom and cleaning in general) but instead, I've been reading a lot. Oops. :-)

2010-05-27T11:31:00.003-05:00

Hazardous to Your Health

Exercise. It's hazardous to your health. Okay, maybe not. But this morning it felt like it.

My run was essentially a cross between this and this. (Except with running instead of biking.)

2010-05-25T09:28:00.002-05:00

I'm a Secretary

Okay, I'm much more than that. My official title is Office Manager, and I assure you, I manage a lot of things. But sometimes, I'm just a secretary. And that's okay.

Except when adults think it's okay to write illegibly when they know someone is going to be compiling their answers. Come on! Cut a girl some slack!

I've put the worst examples below so you can guess what they say. Granted, I had contextual clues, and without them, I'm not sure I would have known what in the world they were saying. But just try to guess what these words are. If you guess them all right, I'll give you a prize.

Word One:Word Two:

Word Three:

Word Four:

2010-05-15T18:31:00.002-05:00

Some Random Thoughts, Continued

- I'm working part-time hours during the summer (the standard for my job) and this year, I didn't get a second job. Last summer, I worked at a golf course, serving tables, tending bar, and driving the beverage cart. Not my favorite thing. This year, I'm doing some freelance work for a friend of mine and trying to fill my time. Therefore...

- I'm going to try to do one random chore a week. There are the standard chores, like cleaning, cooking, grocery buying, etc. But those random chores that never get done are going to get done! This week? I dis-assembled all our wedding decorations. Yes, our wedding was 4.5 years ago. I'm going to try to sell the ornaments to someone who will use them. We'll see what happens next week.

- I just checked my blog to make sure I haven't said all this already.

- I deep-cleaned a lot today and I almost posted on Facebook "...is a clean, clean, clean, clean, cleaning machine. Watch me scrub down! Watch me scrub down!" Then I thought, Sarah, don't do that, that's lame. So I didn't post it to Facebook. But then I posted it here. Oh, well. You all already know what a freak show I am.

- In addition to my one random chore each week, I'm going to try to spend more time with my parents, make play dates with friends, but also, go to the beach and relax! Summer, get here already, will ya?

- In less than 2 weeks, the husband and I will be in California to take care of my niece and nephew for a week while my sister and her husband go to Hawaii for to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. I'm so, so excited and so, so nervous. I have a feeling it will be great birth control. :-)

-What else? I guess that's it. Now I'm about to negate my hard work at the gym today by eating way too much pizza.

-Oh, and for about the first 4 hours I was awake this morning, I thought it was Sunday. Oops.

2010-05-14T06:12:00.002-05:00

The Office Friday Recap

My husband was happy to hear I mentioned last week that he thought Michael would love being "the other man." He was right.

This week's MVP? Andy's tie. Did you see that thing? Totally awesome.

But actually, the thing I found most hilarious and awkward was Dwight and Angela's review of the contract and the final verdict that the contract should hold. I was surprised, however, at Angela's offer. Do you think she's going to pick the five days over the course of the next five months that she's most likely to get pregnant?

Michael and Andy were pretty fun this week too, especially their conversation in Michael's office before they go to the baseball game. Just so you know? I am always Beyonce.

Ryan and Meredith are the creepiest characters I know.

More Oscar, please!

Hm. Anything else I missed? It's a little early to be thinking, but my husband had to get up and go to work, so I'm awake.

Happy Friday, everyone!

2010-05-13T08:29:00.002-05:00

Random Thoughts

- I hate it when I send someone an email with two questions and they only answer one. Did they give up reading my email halfway through? (Which was only two lines anyway: question one, question two.) Or did they think my second question wasn't important enough for an answer? Or did they just forget? (In the two seconds they took to answer the first question...)

- This rain/thunderstorm is perfect for me today. (a) I'm at work this morning, so I love hearing the thunder in my window-to-the-outside-world-less office. (2) I got tons done on my day off yesterday, so I don't feel too guilty about going home this afternoon and taking a nap. And (c) I love getting email updates from my dad on how much rain is in his rain gauge.

- Sometimes I wish I had a great talent. Or rather, that I was a little bit better than average. Most of the time, I'm pretty happy being average. But every once in a while, I'd love for someone to say, "Oh, man, my friend Sarah is the best _______." And I know, I have good qualities. You could probably fill that blank with something like "friend" or "reader" or something like that. But I was thinking more along the lines of "bee keeper" or something else unique that doesn't include the risk of being stung multiple times.

- I really need to start writing again. I keep using the excuse "Oh, I'll just wait until NaNoWriMo and write an entire novel instead of starting to write now and only getting ten pages into a book before my full-time job starts again. Any ideas on how to discipline myself to write daily?

- It's been almost two years since I quit my old job. And most of the time, I don't miss it. But sometimes, I really miss the people. Especially people like Becky (she's the best).

2010-05-07T07:06:00.002-05:00

The Office Friday Recap!

In other news, the end of Tulip Time is near. Praise the Lord.

This week's MVP on The Office?

PAM!

Obviously. I'm so glad Jenna Fisher finally got some screen time after the maternity leave for Pam. And this episode was great. Starting out with the Morse code prank with Pam, all the way to the dive to the floor when Donna looked up at the window, Pam was spot-on. Pam hasn't had to "deal" with Michael much now that she's not the receptionist, and I loved the scene where she shows Michael the photos, then distracts him with a picture of Cece. And I'm with Pam. I can't stand heart jewelry (except this pendant you got me, of course!). Lol.

The subplot with Darryl and Andy was pretty good too. Mostly because of Andy's outfit. For some reason, our VCR only plays back in black and white. (Oh, maybe because it's older than me and about 15 years out of date as far as electronics goes.) So when Kent watched the episode when he got back from work, I had to explain what Andy was wearing. Cause it was so great.

At the end of the episode, Kent said "I think Michael is going to love being a mistress." I sort of agree, but oddly enough Michael has morals. I'm just not sure which way they'll swing on this one. :-)

Anything you loved or hated?

2010-05-03T07:28:00.001-05:00

A Few of My LEAST Favorite Things

This Monday is different. This Monday is the beginning of my LEAST favorite week in Holland, Michigan.

It's Tulip Time.

When I graduated college, I took a May term poetry class. It was my only creative writing class, oddly enough, and I'm certainly not a poet, but I enjoyed it.

I handed this poem in and got feedback from my professor that was quite positive. He said it was powerful, etc. Then I told him that it was about Tulip Time tourists and he laughed. A lot.

So for your reading pleasure (?), here is my Tulip Time poem:

Did you think that I would forget

the boiling hate I feel for you?
One year apart seems like seconds
when your invading presence
disturbs
the cool pools of my soul.
You’re everywhere – I cannot spend
a day,
an hour,
a minute
without remembering
how you have taken over my home
without
my
permission.
Are you filled with such self-importance
that you would consider yourself
welcome here after the last
time?

2010-04-30T06:52:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday!

Let me first say that I think this was one of my favorite episodes in a while.

1. Kevin. He was cracking me up last night! When he crossed his arms and looked at Oscar, I thought it was funny. But then I laughed out loud when he simply said, "Like this?" And this irate outburst about the M&Ms? SO funny!

2. What other minor character do I love? Erin. She and Dwight actually make quite the pair as far as comedy goes. "I would be so happy FOR them." I have a feeling she'd be so happy for me, too.

3. Jim and Pam were pretty cute this episode. I might be getting a little sick of their double talking heads, though. I mean, yeah, they're married now, but does that mean they have to do the interviews together all the time? I think it's funnier when they do separate talking heads, then cut them together so you see them talking about the same thing, ya know?

4. Michael! I loved how awkward he was. I loved his PowerPoint presentation. When the word "SEX" flashed on the screen for half a second at the end, I laughed. Then I played that section about a dozen times for my husband when he got home. I mean, it seemed to work for Michael. Oh, and "I have your baguette!" Did anyone else notice he only got the name of the barrette wrong once? :-)

The whole Dwight/Darryl/Kelly/Ryan thing was so-so for me. I love Dwight being diabolical. And his talking head about wanting to be a puppet master was superb. But Kelly and Ryan are really just creeping me out. I like Kelly/Erin much better than Kelly/Ryan. Oh, well.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent episode? What did you think? Any lines that just cracked you up?

2010-04-26T14:49:00.003-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things: Learning

Working at a small college has its perks. One of them is that you are allowed to take a class per semester for free. FREE!

So of course, I've taken advantage. It's just for fun for me, a glorified book club thus far. I've taken The Great American Novel and Jane Austen: Her Works and Her World. Both fantastic.

Now I'm trying to decide what to take this fall. Help, please?

Click here to take survey

2010-04-23T07:15:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday: Happy Secretary's Day!

Timely episode, since Secretary's Day, aka Administrative Professional's Day, was on Wednesday. However, I bet there were a lot of office workers who thought, "Crap. Did I miss it?" Yes, you did. But don't worry, your secretaries will continue to send your faxes for you.

So. On to the show.

Yay! Pam's back! I love the advice she gave Erin and Erin's response. I was kinda surprised they didn't do any "anxiety over leaving Cecelia" stuff with Pam, but that's okay with me. The breast pump bit was gross. Gross! I don't know what was worse, Dwight's offer or Meredith's line.

Poor Erin. Just when the cutest couple award was in the bag for Erin and Andy, she finds out Andy was engaged to Angela. And they slept together! (Though if I remember correctly, I think they only slept together once.) The cake in the face was delicious, but I was really bummed we didn't get to hear Andy's song.

Honestly, though, I have no idea why Erin was so upset. She's way better than Angela. I hope she figures that out soon. Maybe she can go into her hair room and think about it for a while. (Love, love, loved that! Could totally picture two of my friends doing that as a joke. They both have names starting with A and are sisters. Eh hem.)

In the mean time, I'm glad that Erin and Michael made up. I have no idea why he was so weird over lunch. I don't think he has a crush on her, do you? Please, no. I don't think I could handle that story line.

And finally, the cookie monster! I appreciate Kevin more and more through this whole series. That bit held the whole episode together! The episode was "Secretary's Day," but it should have been "Cookie Monster." So, so great.

So what did you think?

2010-04-19T11:55:00.002-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things (And a Funny Story)
Saturday was full of a few of my favorite things.

1. My dad! He turns 75 this Friday and we had lots of family in town for the weekend, so we decided to surprise him with a party on Saturday night. He was surprised. And we had fun.

2. Family. We're scattered all over the place, but two of my half-sisters came into town (along with a cuter-than-cute niece) and we had fun catching up and spending time together.

3. Ice cream! You should all know by now that I love ice cream. And I made an ice cream cake for the party (that's it above, with the chocolate chips and the "75" candles).

Which leads to my funny story. I've never made an ice cream cake before, but it seems pretty easy. Just shape ice cream into a cake. Boom. You're done.

So I put mint chocolate chip ice cream in one cake pan and vanilla in the other cake pan. In order to keep the ice cream from sticking to the bottom, I put a circle of wax paper in each pan. Then I flipped one "cake" over, put crushed grasshopper cookies in between, and then flipped the second half on top. I frosted the whole thing with whip cream and put the chocolate chips on for decoration.

I cut the cake and served it up and 2 minutes later, someone said "Am I eating paper?"

Sure enough, I remembered to take the wax paper off the vanilla layer, but not the mint chocolate chip layer. I served my guests wax paper cake.

Ah, well. At least it was family and it was an easy fix. Everyone just peeled a layer of wax paper from between the ice cream and the whip cream and everything was fine. :-)

2010-04-09T09:39:00.002-05:00

No The Office

What is the problem with primetime tv? It seems like networks are testing audiences to see how irregular they can be with their scheduling before we freak out.

However, I am a fan of the show Bones and I loved last night's episode.

And I'm not too concerned about no episode of The Office because I, along with three of my closest friends, are headed up to Fife Lake for the weekend! I will miss my hubby, of course, but I'm so excited to spend time with friends I don't see often enough. On the agenda? Eating, Mexican Train Dominoes, Napping (?), Laughing, Eating, Talking, Talking, Talking. Sounds about perfect.

Hope you all have lovely plans for the weekend as well!

2010-04-05T10:58:00.002-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things: Sunrises

I love a good sunset. But I LOVE a sunrise. There's something about being up before the sun, wandering down to a beach or a great vista to watch the world wake up. I've been fortunate this year to see some great sunrises in and around Holland, but there have been two sunrises that have rocked my world.

The first was in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Kent and I had arrived the night before around 10:00 at night, after a 16-hour drive. But for some reason (God?) I was wide awake at 6:00 am the next morning. So I thought, I'm going to watch the sun rise.

The second was in Pompano Beach, Florida. I was fortunate enough to go on a Spring Break mission trip with 11 fantastic students from Hope College. Since I'm old, I went to bed early one night, before the decision was made to go watch the sunrise the next morning. Lo and behold, Lindsay knocked on my door early one morning and said, "We're going to watch the sun rise. Do you want to come?" Absolutely.

(The first photo is mine; the second was taken by the lovely Jillian Conner.)

2010-03-29T09:22:00.003-05:00

The Office Recap Monday

I'm lazy, so I'm totally skipping a recap of the episode from two weeks ago. Except to say that I actually really loved Michael's solution.

So. On to last week's episode, entitled Happy Hour.

Overall, I thought this episode was okay. I mean, Michael was pretty funny. But I have to give it up to Stanley (those were some painful push-ups to watch) and Darryl. I loved the little Japanese man's story at the end. Darryl also gets the funniest line: "You can be gay with Matt, just be straight with me."

Kevin. Oh, Kevin.

And finally, which one is creepier? Flirty Dwight or Date Mike?

2010-03-18T14:28:00.001-05:00

Holla Atcha Later

I'm out for the next week or so, folks. But if someone would like to be my guest blogger for the next two episodes of The Office, please either post one in the comments here or email me (sjbaar (at) gmail (dot) com) and I'll post them when I get back!

2010-03-12T07:55:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday: Double Edition!

I can't believe I missed the baby episode last week, but in a choice between going on vacation for a week and sitting in front of the tv for an hour, I chose the vacation. Good choice.

However, now you get two recaps for the price of one! First up: the baby.

The Birth Episode:

I thought it was pretty fantastic. I actually took notes because I knew I was going to have to write up two episodes. I've decided to just give you my notes (which include favorite quotes and observations). Here you go:

"Sometimes I wake up cradling a gourd." Me too, Dwight. Me too.

"Bear my child."

I loved all the mispronunciations.

Evolution of dance in silence? Awesomely awful.

"Nobody touch Pam's nipples!"

Sometimes I forget how dorky Jim is, until he reminds us that he rarely uses the word "frazzled."

Jim, Michael, and Kevin all holding Pam's hand. Who better to give a triple pep-talk?

"Hospitals provide dictionaries. Bring a thesaurus."

"Don't make this difficult, Dwight."

Aw. I love the name Cecelia.

Oh, my. Dwight in Pam and Jim's house!

"She's too strong."

I loved Jim's "pushing the milk out" movement.

"You read the fax."

Anything I missed that you loved? Welcome to the world, Cecelia Marie. I'm sure it will be full of awesomely awkward moments.

This week's episode:

Mega desk! Who wouldn't love to have mega desk? Mostly because (a) it seems like a fort and (b) it reminds me of Recyclops.

It was nice to have Jim and Dwight back as nemesis, but I'm a little bummed we didn't get more of the baby contract with Dwight and Angela. Something to look forward to, I guess.

I love that Darryl came up with a brilliant idea and now has an office upstairs. We don't get to see him enough lately.

Aw. Andy and Erin are so cute! But I feel like there could have been a better plot than the foster brother thing. Hm. We'll see.

Also, I really wish Michael would have just gone to Tallahassee. But I can still hope.

I guess this episode just underwhelmed me a bit because I had just watched the baby episode (and perhaps was still a little tired from post-vacationness), but maybe I'll be a little more enthusiastic next week.

Peace out, my Dunder Mifflinites!

2010-03-01T12:38:00.002-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things

Allison: I hope your first day back is simply fantastic.

Where can you find me during 90% of my free time in the winter? Sitting in this chair.

My husband and I bought this chair when we first bought our condo, both of us fighting over who was going to get to use it more. When we bought a matching love seat for our couch and chair, this chair got moved to a "reading nook" corner of our living space.

I now use the chair more. As in, I am the only one to use this chair. As in, some days, you can't tell where my butt ends and where the cushion begins.

It's the most comfortable chair in the world. I spend hours and hours reading here. Currently, Mansfield Park is sitting on the armrest. But don't be surprised if there's a different book there tomorrow. Because if you didn't already know, I read quite a bit.

So anyway, there you go. My favorite chair. My favorite reading spot. What's yours?

2010-02-26T13:01:00.002-05:00

I Don't Want To Get Left Behind

No, I'm not worried about the rapture. I know where I'm going. But I feel as though my life has hit a bit of a stasis. Where nothing really moves. What's new? Not much. No new jobs. No new house. No new friends. No new big things.

Just same old, same old.

And I'm not saying I'm unhappy. I really love my life. And I have a lot of wonderful things in it, like dinner out with friends, movie nights, vacations, fun stuff! Really fun stuff!

But sometimes I'm worried that somehow, I'll get left behind. By whom? I don't know. I have a hard time with change, but never want to stop changing...

2010-02-22T09:46:00.004-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things: BBC and Elizabeth Gaskell!

Megan Hoeksema, thank you, thank you, thank you. My friend Megan knows that I am a fan of all things Jane Austen. So she did me the awesome favor of introducing me to Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell, and the fantastic BBC adaptations of three of her novels.

I now own all three of these DVDs and I watch them more often than I should. It's nice to have noise in the background while I'm cleaning or writing or crocheting, and these movies fit the bill. Though I always have to stop and watch intently the moment Roger Hamley comes and stands in the rain. Or when Mr. Thornton and Miss Hale arrive at the train station. Or any time Miss Pole comes on the screen (Imelda Staunton, I love you.).

So there's my next edition of some of my favorite things. If you'd like to borrow any of these, let me know. They're long, but totally worth it.

2010-02-15T12:03:00.002-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things

Today I'm going to make a "commitment" that I'll never keep. There are certain things in my life that I love (there are LOTS of people I love, but certain things). So I'd like to share some of them. Let's see if I can do a few of my favorite things every Monday. Anyone want to place a bet on how long that will last? I'm guessing a week.

First up is my favorite sweatshirt in the whole wide world. Here it is:

My sister went to Northwestern, and for a little while, I thought I might go there too. But I figure, why go there when I already had the best sweatshirt possible from there?

Now, my sister went to Northwestern from 1990-1994, and we're guessing that she gave this sweatshirt to me when I went to visit. In 1993.

Yes, this sweatshirt is 17 years old. And it's still my favorite.

Why? There's no one reason. There are lots of reasons. (1) It's from my sister, whom I love. (2) After 17 years, it still retains this softness that has never been beat. (3) The size, shape, feel, etc. makes me feel a little bit like I'm back in the 90s. And come on. Who didn't love the 90s? (4) I mostly wear it on the weekends, so when I put it on, I think comfort, relaxation, and curling up with a good book.

Ta. Da. My favorite sweatshirt. Aren't you glad you know?

2010-02-12T08:28:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday!

How about a little Bossa Nova?

Yes, yes, YES! This week's episode didn't *exactly* rock my socks off, but my shoes were definitely off and my socks were slouching considerably.

1. Good job casting Kathy Bates. She is awesome as the new owner of Sabre/Dunder Mifflin. And I love that she brought the dogs with her.

2. Excellent ensemble work! Oscar is obviously the one to tell Michael about the commission, Kelly is obviously the one to misunderstand Andy's valentine, and Phyllis is obviously the one to stink. Oh. My. Gosh. If I send you an email, is it okay to break wind?

3. Dwight. Oh, Dwight. I sincerely hope that you begin a Ryan Howard Diabolical Plan. And in all honesty, I thought that the last scene, when Dwight and Ryan got in the elevator, that it would close and then open to reveal Ryan in his Saw-like scenario in Dwight's barn. How awesome would that have been?

4. Jim and Pam! I loved seeing them as a unit, yet more back to their normal roles. When Pam grinned at Jim being called "a tall drink of sun tea," I grinned too. And finally, FINALLY we get the old Jim back. Putting Dwight's tie in his coffee was just subtle/evil enough. And I love that the last line is Dwight yelling "Michael!"

5. Erin. I can't wait for her and Andy to have a date (by the way, I saw on Entertainment Weekly that The Date will be on March 11). But she was brilliant. From the ants on a log to the spinning the chair to the Bossa Nova. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Yay! What did you think?

P.S. I just checked NBC's site and we don't get another new episode until March 4 (because of the Olympics), but it's called "The Delivery." Can't wait!

2010-02-09T15:12:00.002-05:00

Pride and Prejudice Favorite Quotes
These could probably all be from Mr. Bennet, who, face it, is the funniest character in this book (not the silliest or the most witty, just the funniest).

Volume 1:

"Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how."

"'My dear, do not give way to such gloomy thoughts. Let us hope for better things. Let us flatter ourselves that I may be the survivor.'"

Volume 2:

"'In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.'"

Volume 3:

"Her heart did whisper, that he had done it for her."

"'It taught me to hope,' said he, 'as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before.'"

2010-02-08T13:05:00.002-05:00

Petoskey, Projects, and Parties!

This weekend I had the chance to go to Petoskey to visit my bro-in-law Drew and his girlfriend Jen. They are always super nice to invite us up whenever we feel like a visit, so I finally took them up on their offer.

I also totally abused the invitation and asked Jen to help me with some sewing projects. She's an excellent seamstress and helped me design and make this table runner:
Plus some fun things for my sister Kate's kids. I had a great time crafting up these projects and spending time with Jen, who is infinitely patient with helping me and being nice. :-)

I also got the chance to meet a bunch of their friends during Progressive Birthday Party Saturday. A bunch of folks started out the day with Birthday Breakfast at one house, then Birthday Lunch at another, and finally Birthday Dinner at Drew and Jen's. I ate way too much and had a great time.

Sunday I got home just in time to head over to another friend's house for a Superbowl party! It was great to catch up with friends, see everyone (and their babies) and hang out for a while. I didn't watch a ton of the game, but what I did watch was very fun.

2010-02-05T11:54:00.003-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

Here we go!

First, a shout-out to Allison and Ashleigh, who both made the comment that Erin throwing Michael the scissors (twice) was fantastic. I agree. And I love Erin. She's like Pam 2.0 for me these days.

Speaking of Pam. The Pam/Jim stuff has been a little disappointing for me lately. I think they're going to be super fun parents. But they're getting a little too "grown up" for me. Where are the Dwight pranks? Where are the Jim and Pam in sombreros laughing at the hole Andy punched in the wall? Though I did giggle at "infantry."

I did find the Michael story pretty funny. He was typical Michael, freaking out about change, demanding to speak to someone higher up on the food chain, then going to David Wallace for advice. (By the way, I love, love, love unemployed David Wallace. Suck it!) But he's losing his pizazz to me. The only ridiculous thing that happened with the new guy coming in was Dwight and his hot dogs (what?).

Here are my two requests for further episodes:

1. Bring back the ridiculous situational comedy! Sexual Harassment Day! Diwali! And Pretzel Day!!!!

2. Please give me some more ensemble stuff. Where were the rest of the Sabre/Dunder Mifflinites this week?

Overall grade: B-

2010-02-01T14:40:00.002-05:00

February. Ugh.

February is possibly my least-favorite month. Mostly because I'm a big Grinch. But I have my reasons (whether or not they are valid could be debated).

1. It's gross in Michigan in February. It's either (a) bitter cold and disgusting or (b) barely above freezing and disgusting. There's rarely any truly gorgeous snow anymore and no chance of a real thaw. Just slush. Awesome.

2. Valentine's Day. My husband and I don't really celebrate because (here we go with the letters again) (a) I do think it's a little bit of a commercial "buy flowers and candy and expensive dinners" holiday and (b) because my birthday is only four days later. So it takes away from the "excitement" of my birthday a little. Which leads to reason number 3...

3. My birthday. I haven't really been a big fan of the birthday since my cat died on my birthday when I was in 8th grade. That was followed by the year after, when all I could think about was my cat dying the year before, and then the surprise 16th birthday party that I hated (sorry, mom). Plus, my options for birthday celebrations are all indoors because of Reasons to Hate February #1. And I was always jealous of my August-born sister who got to do fun outdoorsy things for her birthday.

4. February is the last month of basketball season for my husband, the coach. Which means, excluding the holidays, I haven't seen him on a Monday through Friday night since November. I can handle a few months of missing him, eating dinner by myself, etc., but by February I'm about ready for him to be home a little more. Well, home a little more when I am also home.

So. There's your big ball of sunshine for February 1. Let's just be thankful it's the shortest month and move on, shall we?

2010-01-27T14:54:00.002-05:00

I'm Just...Particular

When the husband and I bought our condo, we had in mind to stay there for 3-5 years. It was a good investment to buy as opposed to rent (or so we thought 5 years ago, before the market spiraled into a crash), but we knew we didn't want to live there forever.

Lately, we've been looking online at houses, coveting the space, the yards, the garages. We still haven't found our perfect house, but in the meantime, we need to list our condo for sale.

I feel like I know a bit about listing your house (though not as much as my brilliant friend Leslie), so I spent a weekend trying to clean up and organize a bit before photos were taken for the realtor's website and the possibility of potential buyers walking through my home became a reality.

For example, I organized our closets. Now, they weren't terrible to begin with because it's just the two of us and we're pretty neat. But I made our linen closet look like this:

I'll spare you pictures of the other closets, but suffice it to say they're all organized (though this one might be the prettiest).

Another order of business was to coach my husband on the last-minute things to do before the realtor arrived to take pictures. I would be at work, so my husband was in charge of making the bed and tying the drapes back to show the windows and make the space look bigger.

Now, my husband is a classy guy. He is often as particular about things as I am, but not about how to tie the drapes back. His idea of tying the drapes back looks like this:

I had something a little different in mind. So I showed him. I tried in my nicest way to assure him that I'm not crazy, just...particular. They should look like this:

Thankfully, my husband can be a very patient man and he got through the demonstration with only the smallest hint of sighing and eye-rolling. But come on! Don't they look infinitely better that way? :-)

2010-01-22T07:53:00.001-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

I waited six weeks...for that?

Oh, and next week? It's a rerun.

2010-01-20T09:16:00.006-05:00

Jane Austen, Jane Austen, I'm a Dork

One of the benefits of being on staff at my college is that you can take one class per semester for free! Since a master's degree isn't offered, I decided to just take classes that would interest me, be fun, and allow me to read. Lots.

Last semester, I took The Great American Novel. This semester, I'm taking Jane Austen and Her World. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

**Here's the part where I'm a dork. My middle name is Jane. I've always been a little "meh" about my middle name. It's all so plain Jane. But I realized, when I started this course, that my middle name is Jane Austen's name! So I told my husband and he said "You just figured this out?" Um, yeah.**

I didn't start reading Austen until I had graduated from college. I read through all six novels quite quickly. But this semester, I get the chance to read through them more slowly, enjoy their literary greatness, and laugh. A lot. Jane Austen is funny!

So I've decided that I will post my favorite lines from each book here on my blog. Purely for my own pleasure (and Megan's).

We're reading the Norton Critical Editions (in chronological order of when they were originally published), which split the books into volumes. Sense and Sensibility is first and has three volumes, so you get three quotes, one from each volume (this limits me without forcing me to pick just one favorite quote per book). Good? Good.

Whoops! I lied. I can't narrow it down to one per volume. I narrowed it down to two per volume.

S&S, Volume 1:

"It would be an excellent match, for he was rich and she was handsome."

"'Mr. Palmer does not hear me,' said she, laughing, 'he never does sometimes. It is so ridiculous!'"

S&S, Volume 2:

"Because they neither flattered herself nor her children, she could not believe them good-natured; and because they were fond of reading, she fancied them satirical; perhaps without exactly knowing what it was to be satirical; but that did not signify."

"Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition."

S&S, Volume 3:

"'Do you compare your conduct with his?' / 'No. I compare it with what it ought to have been; I compare it with yours.'"

"Marianne gave a violent start, fixed her eyes upon Elinor, saw her turning pale, and fell back in her chair in hysterics."

2010-01-15T14:05:00.002-05:00

Muffin Man

My husband's going to hate this post. But it totally made my day yesterday.

Wednesday night, my husband and I made oatmeal applesauce muffins together. It was a new recipe, and fun to bake with my other half. When they had cooled a bit, I tried one and asked Kent if he wanted one too. He said, "Nah, I'll have it for breakfast." So I packed them up in a large container, having to place them carefully so they wouldn't smush.

The next day, he picked me up for lunch so we could talk to our realtor (talking about listing our condo) and in the course of conversation I asked him if he liked the muffins. He said, "Yeah, I did. We can definitely make those again."

After work that same day, I got home and thought I'd have a muffin to stave off hunger before dinner. When I opened the container, I thought, Hm. This looks exactly like it did last night. Did Kent really eat one? So of course, I counted. And of course, he hadn't eaten one.

And of course, when he got home, I said, "I can't remember if you said you liked the muffins or not. Should I keep the recipe?" And he was all, "Yeah, I said I did." To which I gleefully crowed, "You didn't even eat one!!!!"

He tried to continue the lie, but had a hard time because we were both laughing.

I don't really know why I thought it was so funny, but I loved that I caught him in such a silly little lie. I asked him why he didn't just say "Oh, I didn't try one this morning." And he goes "I don't know. I panicked." Over a muffin. :-)

2010-01-11T10:35:00.002-05:00

Emotional Exhaustion

Yesterday, I dropped my sister off at the airport for her long trip home to South Africa. It was hard. Really, really hard.

Not only will I miss my sister, but I will worry more about my mom, worry about my sister, worry about myself. I've turned into my mother in this way. The consummate worrier.

When I got home, I tried to go back to sleep. It didn't really work. My husband woke up and asked me how I was. I said, "Tired and sad. And tired of being sad."

I really do try to find some good in everything. But right now, I'm too tired. Emotionally exhausted.

2009-12-29T20:33:00.004-05:00

BA

Hello, my name is Sarah, and I'm a bookaholic.

Hi, Sarah.

My addiction started at a young age. Picture books, Dr. Seuss, anything I could get my hands on. Then I graduated to chapter books and things really got bad.

Currently, I have a bit of a problem. Five days ago, I had two books sitting on my nightstand. Before I knew it, my nightstand had turned into this:

See, Christmas came and I got a new book from my in-laws, plus the complete Sherlock Holmes from my wonderful enabler husband. Then I went to the library to return some items and pick up a book a friend recommended and accidentally came home with four books (none of which were the recommendation; it's on hold for me along with one other...). Then after dinner with my dad tonight, I went home with two more books.

Oops.

Good thing I'm on vacation.

2009-12-23T12:44:00.002-05:00

Watch and Learn

A couple weeks ago, a faculty member in my department lost his wife to cancer. It all happened quite quickly and was a shock. Through it all, this faculty member has been the picture of grace and contentment. I've watched him walk through our hallways, stopping to accept a hug or a kind word, always giving thanks for the warm thoughts and prayers offered.

I attended the funeral, though I didn't know his wife well, I felt that it was important to be there and support his family just in presence. One of the liturgies chosen for the service was from Psalm 103:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits--
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases...

I stop there because that's where I had to stop, tears welling up in my eyes as I thought of my mother and the cancer eating away at her body. And I realized then that the disease our Lord heals is the worst of all cancers, attacking the soul instead of the body, but that our sin has already been healed.

I mourn for my friend, but I am also grateful to him. His strength and dependence on the Lord during this difficult time in his life is beautiful to watch, and I'm thankful to him for the lessons he is able to pass along to me, whether he's aware of them or not.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

2009-12-18T09:27:00.002-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things

A Christmas tree is a big tradition in our family. We always had a real tree at my mom's house. We would go out together, the day after Thanksgiving, and cut down a tree (ah hem, I would cut down the tree).

Then we would spend hours putting lights on and decorating, Christmas music blaring.

When Kent and I got married, we switched to a fake tree. It's really more sensible, plus, we live in a condo on the second floor, so it would be even more of a pain to drag a real tree through the common area, up the stairs, etc.

But I still love my ornaments. When I moved out, my mom gave me a big box of ornaments and I love seeing them every year as we decorate our tree.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Homemade ornament circa 1987. This is from Sunday school at Fellowship church, and has always been a favorite of mine. Check out the collar, the black Mary Janes, and the pink and turquoise plaid!

My sister gave me this ornament when we were in college, I think. This is Bob the tomato from Veggie Tales. Kate and I have a fond place in our hearts for Veggie Tales, and this always makes me think of my sister, dancing to Celine Dion Christmas music, and her just being a general awesome sister and pain in the patootie.

This is a new favorite for me. My friend Megan (one of the Fab 5) gave this to me this year. It's a clear ornament with some favorite lines from one of our favorite books. Megan and I watch BBC miniseries together and Cranford is one of our favorites. Hence, the Cranford ornament. Brilliant!

Do you have favorite ornaments? Anyone else have a green felt ornament from Fellowship? :-)

2009-12-15T08:39:00.004-05:00

Oh, So THIS is What It Feels Like.

My entire life I've had curly hair. It's a blessing and a curse. A blessing because most of my friends paid big bucks for people to perm their hair or make it curly for up-dos. A curse because it's always frizzy and I can't do things that most people do. Like run my hands through my hair. Or use a brush without fear that it will get stuck and the handle will break off when I try to wrench it out of my hair.

For my sister-in-law's wedding, I wanted to maybe try a straight up-do. I thought it might be fun to try something different for a change. So last night, my friends Leslie and Aletha straightened my hair for me as a practice run.

Here's Aletha not wanting her picture taken, me in my bridesmaid dress with straight hair, and Leslie really excited.

Here's a close-up I took later that night (ugh, my eyes look so tired).

I think it looks a little dry, and the ends obviously need a trim. But the weirdest thing? I BRUSHED my hair this morning. And I can run my fingers through my hair. It feels soft and smooth and not curly.

Weird.

2009-12-11T08:44:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

Merry Christmas, Dunder Mifflin!

Last night's episode was good, not great. Any Christmas episode has great moments (like the gift exchange), but I think I could have done without the "will we all lose our jobs" drama.

The Office promised to be recession-relevant, so it makes sense. Lots of families right now worry about losing a job, especially around our consumer-driven Christmas. But I could have gotten on board with a Christmas-only episode.

Why? All the best parts had to do with Christmas!

1. Dwight and the "Rock Center" tree lighting. "I don't know, maybe I'm just depressed." Followed by the "exuberant" declaration that the tree reveal was a success.

2. The gift exchange. Kelly getting an Edward Cullen poster, Toby getting a kite. And of course, Dwight and his nut-cracker. Lol. How perfect! I was so proud of Michael.

Oh! I almost forgot about Andy's twelve days of Christmas. This guy has got it BAD for Erin, and I really do hope it works out. Andy rockin' out to the twelve drummers drumming was awesome.

3. The warehouse workers. We rarely see them anymore, so the party was a great opportunity to see them again (plus newcomer Matt).

4. Karaoke. I can't tell you how much I love it when The Office does karaoke. Cracks me up every time.

5. Phyllis as Santa, Michael as Santa/Jesus. Nuff said.

Well, what did y'all think? Did you like the Christmas episode this year? Did it stack up to Christmases past?

2009-12-07T08:37:00.002-05:00

Christmas-filled Weekend!

I had a long list of things to do this weekend. It was awesome. I love lists (I am my father's daughter).

Friday, I stopped by to see my friends Allison and Travis and their two-week old baby, Lina (adorable). Then I went to Target and Meijer to get groceries.

Saturday, Kent and I put up our Christmas tree, then had dinner with friend. It was great to catch up, play games, laugh, and eat. :-)

Here's our beautiful tree:

And one of my favorite ornaments:

Then on Sunday, my mom came over and helped Kent and I make and decorate lots and lots of Christmas cookies. Some to eat, some to take to a party I'm going to on Tuesday.

I crossed lots of things off my list, but mostly, I enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit and getting things accomplished!

2009-12-04T07:58:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday OR Dwight's Diabolical Plan

Good Friday morning, blog readers. I am in a great mood this morning after working out with my friend Leslie last night, hopping in the tanning bed* for 8 minutes, and then watching The Office last night!

Last night's episode: I definitely enjoyed watching it. Michael's promise to those kids was so painful to watch. Hey Mr. Scott, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do, make our dreams come true! Ugh.

The only thing that saved Michael for me was the fact that he actually participated in these kids lives. I mean, he apparently has gone to concerts and sporting events for these kids over the last ten years. And maybe it's true. Maybe just the dream and the promise was enough to keep these kids hopeful for the future. Meh. It's a draw.

By the way, I am enjoying this new Michael/Erin relationship. I wonder if it eventually gets complicated when Andy and Erin finally go on a date. Will Michael suddenly develop feelings for our new receptionist?

Next. Dwight's Diabolical Plan. I'm so excited for this. I loved his little "By six o'clock, Jim will be fired" and "Five minutes ahead of schedule, so I'm right on schedule" lines. I actually believed it would work. I was almost a little disappointed when he listened to his pen recording and found out David Wallace still loves Jim. I'm hoping for a little fired/rehired action like when Dwight went to Staples.

And when Ryan came over at the end and joined forces with Dwight? I knew the closet office would come back to bite Jim.

Pam was super cute in this episode. Her pregnant belly is looking lovely and she was probably my favorite talking head after Andy accused her of going from two sales to four. "YUP." Awesome.

Favorite character of the night? Stanley. Both in his laughter/explanation of Michael's promise and in Dwight's impersonation of him on the phone to Wallace.

Overall, I enjoyed the episode and I'm hoping we get an awesome Christmas episode soon!

Happy Friday!

*I am actually not a big fan of the practice of tanning, but (a) I'm wearing a black dress for my sister-in-law's wedding in Jan and don't want to look like an Addams family member and (b) being surrounded by sunshine (even fake sunshine) in this depressing climate does feel amazing.

2009-11-30T13:46:00.002-05:00

Both

This morning started off great. After a four-day weekend, I was feeling refreshed, awake, and ready to take on the day of work and class.

This afternoon has me feeling less than great. There are just some discouraging things in life that seem to take over my brain when I'd prefer the fantastic things to take over.

My gut reaction is to complain. Which, I guess, is normal. But then I fight myself, and tell myself not to complain, but rather to think about the good things in my life. Well, I decided to do both.

Complain:
I'm so sick of my mom being sick. If it's not one thing, it's the other. Her life just seems to be getting less and less, but with no end in sight. And is that what I really want? For her life to end? Perhaps. Mostly I just don't want her to be sick anymore. You would think after 7 years (her first diagnosis was December 2002), or 2 years (her terminal diagnosis), I would come to terms with the fact that my mother is dying. Apparently not.

Good things:
I have a loving husband, and wonderful friends and family, so I don't have to go through this alone. (And even if I didn't have them, I would never be alone.) I got to spend time with family this weekend, laughing and celebrating the upcoming wedding of my sister-in-law, a truly joyous occasion. I have everything a girl could ask for and more. A warm house, good food and clean water. A job that makes all of that possible. Life is good.

Look at that. I am feeling a little bit better.

2009-11-23T09:11:00.002-05:00

Giving Thanks and Bragging

Yesterday, Kent and I hosted his family for early Thanksgiving. I had to take a picture of the sun rising over our pond/neighborhood. It was a gorgeous start to a wonderful day.

I am very thankful to have Kent's family in my life. We had a great time eating, talking, and laughing. And I made my best apple pie ever. I mean, it tasted great, but it was gorgeous. I took a picture. Kent made fun of me. But look at this thing!

So we gave thanks. I bragged about my pie. It was a great day.

2009-11-20T08:40:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

Overall, not my favorite episode. But my husband said the other day that it feels like they're building up to something big. Well, it better be good.

Michael took off to NYC with Oscar, Andy, and Dwight to attend the stockholders meeting. And here's where the original brilliance of the show comes through a little. See, the genius of The Office is that it's totally something that happens to you in your office, just worse. I can't tell you how many times I've worked in an office, been told that I won't get a raise that year, even for cost of living, and then watched as execs jet off to New York or LA or somewhere else for business meetings, spending hundreds of dollars to wine and dine associates while I sit in my cubicle, silently fuming.

Hence why I'm loving Oscar. He gets to say what everyone else is thinking. However, I was really disappointed that my "Dave" moment didn't happen. You know, the movie with Kevin Kline where he pretends to be the President and brings his buddy in to fix the country's budget crisis. But alas, Oscar didn't have the balls, despite Andy egging him on the entire time.

I was a little excited for Jim when he essentially locked Ryan in a closet. Because who hasn't wanted to lock Ryan in a closet? But I'm wondering what's going to come of all this co-manager stuff. Will people actually start to respect Jim? Will it mean that the office won't be as profitable as when Michael is sole manager?

And Recyclops was fun, but I'm a little disappointed that Dwight didn't keep up his hard-core environmental tips and try to start a compost bin in the break room or something.

So what did you think?

2009-11-19T16:33:00.003-05:00

NaNoWriMo 2009

My non-Office-related posting has been pretty slow lately. I blame NaNoWriMo.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the first time last year and I've done it again this year. It's right about this time (around the 30,000 word mark) that I start to think I'm stupid.

My plot is going nowhere, my characters aren't developing, it's just crap. (No, I'm not looking for someone to tell me "No, it's not, it's good!" It really is crap and I'm okay with that.) See, last year I was a bit under the delusion that I would come up with something that I could revise, rewrite a little, and then get published. Ha.

This year, I'm realizing that it will be many, many NaNoWriMos before I am ready to publish anything. I'm just doing this for the practice of it and the fun of it. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

2009-11-13T08:12:00.005-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

Yay! I still don't really have time this week, but I really missed it when I didn't post last week. I love talking about The Office. So here we go.

First, the title. This episode is called "Murder" and I can't help but call it Mukduk. The letter R is just way too menacing for me.

Question: How can you hold triads off until your clan comes?

Jim encouraging Dwight to fight himself was pretty funny, but I'm totally craving some real Jim pranks. (This fight also reminded me of a game my friend Eric told me about called "Head, Gut, Groin." It's essentially exactly what it sounds like. Don't ask.)

Best lines of the night:
"Your feelings journal? You told me to put it in the time capsule."
"Oh, my god, wouldn't that be hil-ar-ious? I'll catch you on the flipity flip."
"That rhymes."
"Tube City. You owe me one."
"Sandwich platter...Baby carrots."
"He lives on Sesame Street, dumb ass."
"Not my fault. I was exposed to Harry Potter."
"CALEB!"
"I have crossbows."

Best accent? Andy. Worst accent? Oscar. (Though no one was very good.) I was laughing so hard when Oscar tried to do a southern accent in his distress about accounting having to freeze all payments. Angela was cracking me up, too, with her Voodoo Mama Juju.

I do think Ryan's clothes are funny (it makes me think that his grandfather passed away and Ryan stole all his stuff). But where was Kelly? I barely noticed her. Maybe she's working on Subtle Sexuality's latest hit. And Creed's little cameo was obvious, but still pretty funny.

Do you think Pam's going to step in and help Erin and Andy out? Pam never really liked Erin, but I think Pam probably likens Erin and Andy to herself and Jim. Oh, and Pam joining the standoff in the conference room was pretty hilarious. I loved the look on her face as she backed out of the conference room and ran for the door.

Jim comparing his co-managership with Michael to being parents was awesome. I do declare.

Do you think Jim is going to tell Pam what David Wallace said?

What do you think will happen to Dunder Mifflin?

2009-11-07T22:52:00.002-05:00

The Realm of Insanity

The other day, my sister and I were chatting online. I always love chatting with my sister, online or in person. But since she's in South Africa and I'm here in Michigan, we are usually typing frantically to each other, trying to keep up with everything we want to say.

This conversation was particularly awesome. I was in a bit of a mood, which is obvious, but apparently I dragged my sister into it too. I copied our IM transcript just so I could share it with you all.

Enjoy.

Sarah: yesterday in class, my professor was talking about Henry Adams, who was “a descendant of, you know, the famous Adams family”
Sarah: and i snapped my fingers twice.
Sarah: SO funny
Kate: lol
Kate: classic
Sarah: they're creepy and they're spooky
Sarah: mysterious and kooky
Sarah: they're all together ooky
Sarah: the addams family
Kate: you really are a dork. twice my fingers typed fork instead of dork
Kate: you fork
Sarah: lol
Sarah: yikes. i've never been called a utensil before
Kate: you pancake flipper
Kate: you ladle
Sarah: lol
Sarah: i almost said ladle
Kate: you spatula
Sarah: it sounds kind of like an insult
Kate: you can opener
Sarah: slotted spoon!
Sarah: GRATER!
Kate: if anyone else read this...
Sarah: lol
Sarah: this is cracking me up.
Sarah: I'm posting this on my blog.
Kate: come on, all your readers already know you are crazy, but you don't have to drag me into your realm of insanity
Sarah: too late
Sarah: you've been visiting for so long, we've made you an official citizen of the realm.

Welcome, readers, to the realm. Come on in. The water's fine.

2009-11-06T10:41:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

Today is quite a busy day for me, so I'm afraid I won't be posting my typical blog on last night's episode of The Office.

Instead, I leave you with these two things:

1. I would love it if someone would like to fill in for me today. Just email me your thoughts on the episode and I'll post them on my blog. sjbaar@gmail.com

2. In regard to Dwight's continued attempts to sabotage Jim and this new co-managership, Kent said "I feel like this is building to something really, really good."

Hope so. :-)

2009-11-03T13:00:00.003-05:00

Miscellaneous

Oh, thank goodness. The sun is out in West Michigan today. I had lunch with my dad downtown and snapped this blue, blue, blue sky on my way back up to work. It's so nice to remember that the sky is something other than gray!

October 3, I went to the Hudsonville Ice Cream factory sale and brought home two 3-gallon tubs of ice cream. The first one bit the dust on Sunday. And yes, I took care of it mostly myself. Here's the evidence:

And now the sad, lonely 3-gallon tub whose demise is now being plotted by me.

And in completely unrelated news, I have been wearing sweatpants every single day for the last month.

2009-10-30T08:31:00.001-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

I did laugh out loud a few times during this episode, but overall it was so-so for me. On a scale from one to Gisele, it was about a 5.

The costume portion didn't last long enough for me. We barely got a glance at costumes! But Michael's costume was perfect.

I loved Andy and Pam's bit. The fake couple was pretty funny. I don't see enough of Andy, I think. I can't wait to see if he hooks up with Erin. That would be fun. Plus, Andy had some great lines: "Adam Sandler and Jelly sandwich"? Plus, he was never going to get that sale.

The koi pond puns were pretty good. I like the "They're mocking you with wordplay." And Michael's "I'm usually the face of the joke."

What did y'all think?

P.S. If you want a good time, you should go to nbc.com and watch Subtle Sexuality's video. Kelly, Erin, Ryan, and Andy? Yes, please.

2009-10-29T10:53:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Captain!

It's my husband's birthday today. This is one of my favorite pictures of him. It's from almost 4 years ago, on our wedding day. I love it because (a) he looks hot; (b) he has this half-smile on his face, like "I hate having my picture taken, so here's a half-hearted smile for you"; and (c) it's the day I got to marry my best friend.

P.S. My husband's not actually a ranked captain, but it's a funny joke about one of his nicknames. I might even tell you what it is if you ask.

P.P.S. Becky Pomp, of the fabulous Bee Tree Photography, took this photo and I'll always be grateful. Did I mention she was pregnant at the time and yet still running around, capturing beautiful photos? Yup, she was.

2009-10-23T07:25:00.003-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

Here we are again and here I am again: a little disappointed with my favorite tv show.

Last night's episode had a great premise. Michael is sleeping with Pam's mom. Ouch. I totally agree with Pam--she's not overreacting. If I had heard that news, I probably would have thrown up. And after they brought Michael rum from Puerto Rico! It's always kind of funny to me when people call Michael out too. That meeting? Way to go, Pam.

Other good thing? The mallard. I thought the whole thing was pretty funny, but mostly the part when Jim calls Andy into his office and blasts opera. But please tell me, what exactly is Dwight going to do with 8 hours of paper talk?

While I think this could have been a great episode, it fell kind of flat for me. I don't really have anything else that got me all excited, except...

The Facial Expressions. Everyone had great reactions last night. Here they are, in reverse favorite order:

5. Stanley reacting to Pam's "No More Meetings!"
4. Pam pouting outside behind the warehouse.
3. Michael's face when Pam's brain is slowly realizing what's going on.
2. Jim reacting to Michael's new love interest.
1. Creed reacting to the opera music.

What did you guys thing? Strong episode? Not so great?

2009-10-19T09:02:00.003-05:00

Apple-Sass Saturday

My friend Megan is the best. Because not only is she my friend, she invites me to be her family too. On Saturday, I got to tag along as an unofficial Gormley and join in on applesauce day!

Megan's cousin Kirsten's family owns an orchard, so she brings the apples, everybody brings jars, and they make TONS of applesauce. This year, I got to join in!

Lisa and Megan Lisa and Megan peeling apples for chunky sauce

Jake (highchair) and Kirsten cutting apples (Sara's in the background)

Applesauce!

Judy, Sara, and Angie (and lots and lots of applesauce)

The kiddos

Sara, Angie, and Kirsten brought (some) of their kids along and Megan and I spent the day teasing them by calling applesauce "apple-sass." It's amazing how a little mispronunciation can entertain 3 kids for so long.

I had such a great time. It was fun to make applesauce in a whole new way. I have made applesauce before, but it involved about 10 apples and one pot. The Gormleys way involves about 10 CRATES of apples, about 6 pots, two strainers, and a canner. I wish I had taken a picture of the strainers because it was just cool.

Welcome to the country, city mouse.

2009-10-16T07:15:00.002-05:00

The Office Recap Friday, by Sarah Braar

Yes! This week was one of my favorite episodes of The Office in a while. I thought the Michael Scott Paper Company storyline was good, but I really like the "classic" episodes that are just situational comedy.

This week's MVP? Michael! Favorite lines? "Come into the conference room and I will show you a finished sausage." And: "He also vaguely threatened me with testicular cancer."

Runner-up? Kevin. Lol. I love why he borrowed Jim's office and I love it that Jim's office is even better than Kevin's home. Then when he cancels Jim's card? Nice.

And poor, poor Oscar. "The Coalition for Reason is extremely weak."

"R is among the most menacing of sounds. That's why it's called murder and not mukduk."

I'm quite menacing.

What did y'all think? Favorite lines? Favorite characters this episode? I do miss Jim and Pam a little bit. I think Jim would have had a little bit of fun with this one. Maybe he can teach Oscar to relax and prank a little bit.

2009-10-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

My Pants Might Be A Little Tight

A couple weeks ago, Hudsonville Ice Cream had its first ever factory sale. The general public was invited to their warehouse to buy 3-gallon tubs (not for sale in stores), 1-gallon tubs (only sold in some flavors) and 1/2-gallon tubs. They were specially priced, so if you bought a 3-gallon tub, it came out to $2 per 1/2-gallon. This is a steal of a deal.

Since ice cream is my second favorite thing in the whole wide world, of course I went and bought some. The other day, I took a picture of my freezer for my sister.

This is what six gallons of ice cream looks like in a regular sized freezer:

And oh, man, is it good. I shoved the rest of our freezer stuff in the bottom section and the door and we slid these bad boys on the shelf (which I'm pretty sure is going to fall down under the weight).

I might have eaten (at least) one bowl of this stuff every single night since October 3. And I feel as though we haven't even made a dent in it. But there is a dent in my stomach where by pants button is straining.

More than you needed to know, I know. Too bad.

2009-10-12T10:08:00.002-05:00

My Advocate

Two years ago, when my mom was re-diagnosed with cancer, she named me as her medical advocate. That means that if she is ever in a state where she cannot make medical decisions for herself, I get to do it (with discussion with my sister, of course). But because I'm here, and not in South Africa, it's me.

The last couple days have been a bit frustrating, because my mom is being discharged from the hospital (probably today). I've been running around, feeling like I'm missing out on my life because I'm trying to be there for my mom (and yet, never really feeling like I'm being of any help).

Through it all, I'm so glad that I have an advocate. It's not signed legally in papers (actually, I can think of one, very important paper), and it's not necessarily for medical reasons.

My husband has been my best advocate.

On Friday, when I was upset with one of the medical personnel for being inconsiderate, he was ready to hunt her down and give her the what-for (luckily, I didn't tell him about this until he was safely in a seat belt in the car, unable to run this person down and bodily injure them). When I cry, he tells me "good job, let it out." When everyone else tells me I need to be there for my mom, he says, "You are there for your mom. Don't forget to take care of yourself."

He has offered countless ways of being there for me, including just leaving me alone when I need it. I am so thankful. So. Thankful.

2009-10-09T07:16:00.002-05:00

Here's to Waiting.

Viewers of The Office have been waiting for 5 seasons for Jim and Pam to be together. While we got our wish two seasons ago, it's still wonderful to see them get married. And with a baby on the way! (Sorry, MeeMaw.)

Here we go:

1. There must be some really talented female writers on this show. And John Krasinski is an acting dream. Because I don't think you can get much more perfect than Jim Halpert. Okay, he has his idiot moments. (Um, even I could have come up with a save for accidentally saying Pam can't drink.) But all in all, he is the sweetest thing ever. When he snipped his tie off, I actually gasped a little. And every single movement, glance, and voice-over for their wedding on the boat was priceless.

2. Pam. She was a dream. And when she reacted to Jim's toast at the rehearsal dinner, I thought that might be the moment I would cry. Until they cut to Andy crying, which cracked me up. And speaking of Andy, I totally would have aimed for every single pothole. Nice job, Pam. (I had no idea why they made Pam do it until Kent helpfully noted, "Everyone else is drunk." Oh, yeah.)

3. Michael was the perfect father of the groom. I even felt a little bit bad for him that he had to sleep next to the vending machine. But the whole Pam's mom thing was not a surprise. Doesn't he have a history of consoling divorcees?

4. Dwight. Ew, ew, ew! I would love to forget everything about Dwight for this episode, except the turtle scene and the kicking the poor girl in the face scene. Everything else was just EW!

5. Ensemble: Well done. Well done. Everyone played their part very well, being seen and heard but not necessarily taking the focus off the bride and groom. The dance down the aisle was superb (even though it was a YouTube ripoff). Kevin was as good as we thought he would be. Oscar is continually one of my favorites. And I love that Erin and Kelly are the new buddies.

All in all, I was very pleased. Congratulations Jim and Pam.

2009-10-06T16:27:00.002-05:00

Untitled

Having a close family member in the hospital is bizarre. My mom was admitted to Holland Hospital Wednesday night and transferred to GR on Sunday. Surgery was yesterday and she'll be here for at least 3 days. It's been almost a week and, well, my life feels weird.

Work is wonderfully accepting. But depending on how things go over the coming week, I wonder if I'll have to take some extended time off (i.e. Family Medical Leave). Plus, I am doing my best, but I hate that I'm not 100% when I'm on the job.

Sleep is mysterious. Last night, I "slept" for 9 hours. Yet I don't feel rested at all. All I think about is napping, but then I worry that if I nap, my nighttime sleep will be even worse.

Family and friends are wonderful. I've never had so many people do so many things for me. And I almost rarely feel more than the average amount of guilt for it. :-)

Mom is okay. I have no idea what will happen. I feel like we're truly at a point where she could either go home and be okay for an indefinite period of time or she could go straight to Hopsice and leave this earth before her 58th birthday. To feel both ways at once might actually be the definition of hell.

But I want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If nothing else, I just feel incredibly loved. And I love you back.

2009-10-02T07:51:00.004-05:00

The Office Recap Friday

The episode this week was just "meh" for me. Here's why:

1. Everything was "predictable." Each character really reacted exactly the way you'd expect. Except Jim was a little dumber than I expected. Seriously. Just giving raises to the sales team? Bad move, Big Tuna.

2. I'm a little bit annoyed that Jim gets the promotion storyline and Pam gets the...wedding crap storyline. Seriously. Can we get a little more gender bias going here? I understand that the promotion storyline works for Jim, but it still irks me. Pam can do a lot more than just check things off her wedding to-do list.

3. Dwight didn't do anything ridiculous. All his moves seemed calculated and well-planned. Getting the office all riled up against Jim? Seems to be working, but there's nothing particularly Dwight-y about the way he's doing it.

All-in-all, I would agree with a review I read online this morning. It just seems like they're doing some place-holding before the big wedding episode next week. Which, I am beyond geeked for. I already warned my husband that I would probably cry. :-)

Peace out, Dunder Mifflinites.

2009-09-28T08:22:00.002-05:00

Picking Apples? Check. Check!

As an avid fan of the tv show Friends, when I cross things off a list, I often hear Monica and Ross doing their "Check. Check!" (From the episode where they go to London.)

Yesterday I complained about not having a day off, and what I would do with such a day. God gave me a little break yesterday when Nicole told me to leave work a bit early. It was only an hour, but plenty of time for me to run down to Crane's and pick some apples.

With 500 other people.

It was super busy, but I picked what I wanted, checked out in the super-fast lane, and headed home. It was nice to be outside, enjoying the sunshine--and the apples. Now to check the other two items off my list.

2009-09-27T09:49:00.002-05:00

Day 7 of 13 (+?)

My biggest wish today? To have a full day to myself. What would I do?

1. Clean the house. Man, it needs a deep clean.
2. Pick apples. I haven't been yet this year and it's perfect weather.
3. Watch a movie. I mean, I have to do one lazy thing, right?

That's it. That's all I want right now. And I'm on day 7 of 13 (plus possibly more; the following week's schedule isn't out yet) of straight days of working. I had one and a half blessed weekends off and I'm back at it.

I should be grateful. There are many people out there who don't have one job, let alone two. But I'd be willing to give them my second job for one day off. Just one day.

2009-09-25T07:06:00.003-05:00

The Office Recap Friday!

This week's MVP? Dwight. I always love it when he's investigating something. And the fact that he was teamed up with Toby was actually delightful. A nice change of pace. (Though quiet, shy Toby surprised me with his outburst at Darryl's sister. Man! Can you say "pent-up rage?") And who can forget Dwight's "talking head" reaction to Michael's announcement? Priceless.

I think anyone who has planned a wedding felt Pam's pain a little bit. Though I have to say again, what's with the suits? We know, we know. Pam is a salesperson now.

Ryan continues to be the...well, no words I can think of are appropriate for this blog. So Ryan continues to be Ryan. Poor Kelly.

Finally, I truly did feel Jim's pain. I've worked in the corporate setting before. And I've been disappointed with the corporate setting before. The pain in his expression is spot on. I think this turn of events will be very interesting for Dunder Mifflin. Does it mean more road trips for Michael and Pam? :-)

And to end at the beginning: Poor Oscar. Poor, poor Oscar.

2009-09-21T07:48:00.002-05:00

Silver Lake 2009: An Ode to My Sanity

Every year I look forward to going up to Silver Lake with my girlfriends. Ever since Aletha took Leslie and I up to her family's cottage in 2005, I have found this home by the lake to be a magical place of laughter, food, sleep, and friendship.

This year the trip was especially important to me. The previous week, my sanity was hanging by a thread. My mom is not doing well. In one week, she had a high kidney function test, fluid drained from the lining of her lung, started a new chemo, and met with a doctor from Hospice to talk about palliative care. Right now, it feels like things are falling apart.

Which meant I was falling apart.

Silver Lake 2009 put me back together.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still struggling with stress and worry about my mom. I'm still working just a tad too much and I'm still not 100% myself. But I'm closer.

Aletha, Leslie, Megan, Lindsay, and I drove up to Silver Lake Friday night. We talked, talked, talked, and talked some more. We played Mexican Train Dominoes. We ate. We ate some more. We walked along the cute stores in Pentwater. We climbed the sandy dunes that make you feel you're in the middle of a strange desert. We slept. We laughed.

Thank you. Thank you, Aletha and the Goodales for having a lovely place to retreat. Thank you Leslie and Megan and Lindsay for being a little part of my sanity in a clearly crazy world.

2009-09-18T07:17:00.004-05:00

The Office Recap!

I know how many of you are excited for my recap of The Office to be back. Let's get started.

Overall impression? Good, not great. I wish they had done more with the interns. I think it would have been hilarious to see some of the other things Dwight had them do. Or to see Pam try to be nice to them, kind of like when it was bring your child to work day.

MVP of the week? Jim. I love it when he has to play straight man to Michael. He had to explain Parkour, he tried to stop Michael, and he hung up on Teri. He had a cute talking head with Pam. "Wait, there's not going to be a shotgun?...Free at last, free at last." And he had my favorite line of the night: "You're going to regret that when you find yourself between a moose and her cubs at night."

Second favorite? Michael. He was pretty classic. From the childish, "If someone doesn't tell me, I'm going to scream." To the gullible, "I shoulda known. Poopball?"

And mad props to Oscar for his candid conversation with Andy. Andy wondering if he's gay was cracking me up.

By the way, who's been saying there's another person inside of me, working me with controls?

Welcome back, Office. Welcome back.