First 5K

I'm signed up for my very first 5K.  It's the 2011 Dave Ryan's 5K & 10K for Special Olympics Minnesota.  If you are interested in running (or walking) it with me and a lady in my office, sign up and let me know!

With the $25 regristration fee (it's $30 the day of the race) you get a t-shirt.  There are other awards and prizes as well, I think, but I'm not 100% sure.

It's going to be a good time -- consider signing up!

I've been a bad lemon tree mommy

I've been horrible.  I've neglected my lemon tree.  My lemon tree = my baby.  I can't believe I've let it get this bad! 

Look at all of those yellow leaves!

A bunch of leaves have fallen off within the past couple days (see the lush looking tree when I first got it here).  It has gotten really bad in the last 72 hours.  The leaves are yellow because the tree is lacking nitrogen.  I found that out after doing some research.  At first, I thought it was because the soil was too wet, which can also cause leaves to be yellow.  After letting the soil dry out for about a week, last night a couple leaves that fell off had brown spots which means it needs to be watered.  Clearly, it wasn't over watering causing the leaves to turn yellow. 

I then found out it was a lack of nitrogen.  Apparently citrus trees need fertilizer with a 30-10-10 ratio of nitrogen-phosphate-potassium.  After work tonight I went and picked up Miracle Gro Miracid.  After re-potting the lemon tree into some fresh dry soil I applied the Miracid.  I'm supposed to feed the tree with it every two weeks, which means every other week I'll be using a solution of the Miracid to water the tree. 

On a happier note, the tree has a bunch of new leaf growth.  I'm happy about that!

You can see the new growth above by the yellow leaf that is going to fall off within the next 24 hours.  By the way, this is an amazing picture with the depth of field from the blinds.  I love it!

Not to toot my own horn here, but how awesome is that picture?!  I really think I should be photographing plants for my career.  Obviously, I'm pretty good at it.  :)  I'm also very modest.

Other good news -- the little lemons haven't fallen off and they've doubled in size since I got the tree.

At least the lemons are still doing okay.  I guess that is what matters.  I will try to be a better lemon tree mommy.  Why is it that I can grow any other plant just fine with no issues?  I can forget to water it, neglect it and nothing happens.  The plant just wilts a little but perks right up after being watered.  Why is it the the plant I care most about I am having issues with? 

I will keep repeating, "I will try to be a better lemon tree mommy.  I will try to be a better lemon tree mommy..."

C25K: W2D1

I so didn't want to get out of bed this morning.  I was desperately looking for an excuse not to get up at 5:45, but I knew I would be mad at myself if I didn't go.  And now I'm glad I went.

Week 2 workouts consist of:

• Brisk 5-minute warm-up walk
• alternate 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes
• 5-minute cool down walk

I was jogging on the eastern edge of Como Park when I heard sirens in the distance.  Suddenly I heard a bunch of howling and remembered that the wolves at Como Zoo are on the eastern edge of the park.  Usually at the zoo Sean and I have only ever seen one or two wolves.  I heard at least four different howls.  Then, I remembered how Frankie used to howl whenever there were sirens around, or when I would play a particular song on the piano really loud.  I chuckled to myself and kept jogging.

I'm glad I went, but I'm tired.  Have a good day.

C25K: W1D3

Well, I got up at 5:45 this morning and worked out.  I thought it was going to be cooler out since it rained last night, but I was mistaken.  It was humid and miserable.

Good news though, I ran everything I was supposed to run!  I am very happy about that.  Thursday morning I'll start week 2, which is exactly like week 1.  So, I'll have three more days of doing the same run/walk I've been doing. 

Now, it's time to shower and get ready for work -- I need it I'm very sweaty.  Happy Tuesday!

Pampered Chef schtuff.

As most of you already know, I had a Pampered Chef party at the beginning of July.  Below is a picture of all the loot I got for (mostly) free.

The benefits of hosting a party is pretty evident, you could get a table full of stuff!

I know, I got a lot of spatulas and spoons, but in my defense we needed new spatulas.  Listed are the things I got:

• splatter screen
• 1 and 2 quart microwave bowl
• measure-all cup
• 1 cup prep bowl set
• manual food processor (which I LOVE)
• food chopper
• liquid measuring cups
• dry measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• bread knife
• 2 quart collapsible bowl
• handy scraper
• garlic press
• large and medium scoops
• bamboo spatulas
• mega scraper, master scraper, micro scraper (red spatulas)
• bamboo spoons
• 5 piece spatula set

I've been making fresh salsa with the manual food processor which Sean and I have really enjoyed.  I haven't used my food chopper yet, but I'm excited to do so.

This isn't related to anything in particular, but I was transferring pictures from my camera to my computer this evening.  My parents, Sean, and I toured the Summit Brewery in the end of June.  This is a picture of my parents which I think describes them perfectly.

My mom looking normal and smiley and my dad smirking about something -- two of the best people I know.

Tonight I did some Wii Fit ab strength training exercises, but my lower back has been hurting all day and doing the ab exercises was just making the pain worse, so I decided to stop.  Tomorrow, I'm getting up to do the Couch to 5K: Week 1 Day 3 workout.  I'm getting up at 5:45 to workout before work when it's not insanely hot out.  Also, today was weigh day.  I weigh myself on Wii Fit tonight and it keeps track of my weight and BMI.  I haven't decided about posting the weight yet, still thinking it over.  Good news though, I'm down 3 pounds from when I weighed myself on Friday.  That is even after a big dinner tonight.  What did YOU do today?

C25K: W1D2

As I explained in my previous post, I've started the Couch to 5K running program.  (You can read more information about the program and the app I use on my iPod by clicking the link.)  Since it is the end of July and in the middle of the summer, I want to do the workouts in the morning or later at night when it is cooler outside.  The app on my iPod allows you to make a playlist for the 30 minute session and then makes a ringing noise for each switch to walking from running.  It also lets you know when the workout is half over.

This morning I went at 9 for the week 1 day 2 workout.  The workout consists of:

• 5 minute walking warm-up
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 90 seconds walking
• 60 seconds running
• 5 minute walking cool down

Obviously, I don't run very well, that is definitely clear.  To accomplish my goal of becoming a runner I want to start by doing a 5K.  This morning I jogged a lot more than I did on Friday.  I am very happy about that and proud of myself for that.  I successfully ran (slowly) six out of the eight 60 second increments from start to finish.  The other two 60 second increments I started walking and then about five seconds later, the bell to start walking sounded.  I wish I would have kept going those last five seconds.

I'm going to be doing the Couch to 5K workouts every other day and then will be doing Wii Fit on the days I don't do the C25K.  Sean says I should include a rest day one day throughout the week.  I haven't decided what day I'm going to make a rest day yet.

So far, the lifestyle change has been going really well.  I'm going to be weighing myself on the 1st and 15th of each month.  Tomorrow is the first of the month so tomorrow will be weigh day.  I will keep you all posted.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Couch to 5K: Week 1 Day 1

Well, I did the Couch to 5K: Week 1 Day 1 workout.  I can't say I successfully completed today's but I can say that I jogged as much as I could.  I am proud of myself because it is a start and it is more than I jogged yesterday.

Now, I'm going to reward myself with a dip in the pool (which I have yet to use at this apartment) and it will be glorious.  Also, the usual noisy upstairs neighbors are playing ridiculously loud music which was playing when I left for the walk/jog and is still playing.  Joy.

Minnesota is warm.

I walked from my apartment, around Como Lake, and then back.  After mapping it, it's 3.35 miles.  I know it isn't very much, but it's a start.  Summer in Minnesota is warm, too warm, which means Kali is sweaty.  I would like a lovely 75 degrees everyday, not this 85 feels like 95 degrees with 49% humidity junk.  I think the heat would be tolerable without the humidity.

Also noted on the walk, the monarch butterflies are back.  I saw quite a few of them.  One day (probably soon) there will be butterflies everywhere outside.  It happens only one or two days out of the summer.  I'm excited to see that.  Another random comment which Sean will enjoy: as people on the biking trail went past me I would always look to see what kind of bike they have and then I notice the person.  I guess that's what I get for living with a cyclist.

Time for a cool shower.  Have a good night everyone.

Slight terrifying, strangely invorgotating.

I'm about to do something scary and great at the same time.  It may seem small and insignificant to you, but to me, it is a huge deal.  And the thought of doing it has already been a huge confidence booster.

Instead of saying I'm going on a diet and exercising more, I prefer to say that I am making a lifestyle change.  Because that is what it is.  Diet and exercise will only ever work in the long run if it is a lifestyle change.  I'm taking charge of my life and I'm taking control and I'm incredibly proud of myself at this moment for taking the first step. 

I feel like the best way for this to work is to have a way I am accountable to others.  Hence, this blog post.  Along with all of my other blog posts about apartment gardening, family and friends, and weird/quirky/random things I blog about I will be blogging about my lifestyle change. 

I found the inspiration (and courage to blog about it) through Ben Does Life.  I've read many of his posts from the beginning of his getting healthy journey (okay, many as in starting at the beginning and almost up to date -- I'm not creepy, I promise) and I have found it so admirable.  I found out about Ben Does Life a few days ago through a link on another blog.  It has shown me that I too, can do this.  I want to make myself the happiest person I can be.  This lifestyle change is going to be a selfish thing I do for myself and my health. 

I still am debating about posting my current weight and doing bi-monthly weigh-ins.  That is the part that terrifies me the most about this whole thing.  I know in order for this lifestyle change to work, I need to be completely honest with both myself and you -- whoever you are.  But that doesn't make it any easier for me to post that number.

What I want from you is support.  I want you to be my friend and not judge me too much, please.  These blog posts and you are the motivation for me to keep this going.  I know I can do it.

I haven't decided how much I'm going to post or how frequently.  I hope to at least a few times a week.  I'm keeping track of my caloric intake with a handy little app called Lose It! on my iPod.  I've used it for about two years, and I love it.  By used it, I mean I've had it on my iPod and have successfully used it for a few days at a time, but this time I know is going to be different.  It's going to be different because I have a different attitude going into this lifestyle change than I have had in the past.  And also, I'm downright sick of being overweight.

Some long term goals:
-eventually start running (right now it's at a walk/fast walk/very slow jog)
-figure out what my goal weight is (Wii Fit says a female of my 5'9" height should weight 148.6 pounds)
-along the way fit into my favorite jeans that I haven't worn in well over a year
-be happier (in general, I am a pretty happy person already but I want to increase that happiness)
-make my shoe size go down (I've read that in some cases people that lose a lot of weight also go down in shoe size and my feet are huge, so that would just be an added bonus)
-get healthy

That's all for right now.  I will be adding to this list as time goes on.  Sorry for the long post with no pictures.  If you made it to the end of reading this, thank you for supporting me already.  I truly appreciate it.

Coincidence...?

Warning, completely random.
My nose has been a lot runnier since my appendectomy.  I know, weird, but not a gross/sickness type of runny, just runnier with normal nose stuff.  Is this normal?  Could the anesthesia mess with my body that much?  Or am I just noticing this change now and chalking it up to nothing?

Weird...?

Blogging victory?

Well well, it seems that I am declaring a winner in the little blogging war my mother challenged me to.  And I think the winner should be me.  Clearly, I've been posting more. 

Just saying. 

Please welcome the newbies...

The new succulents I found at Ikea and then arranged into a pot and a new lemon tree.  Below you can see the succulents:

There's aloe and two other plants I can't remember the names of.  These plants are pretty low-maintenance, so caring for them should be easy.  Ikea has a pretty good selection of succulents, but they were picked over last week.  I spent a while searching for the three best looking plants. 

Lemon tree!

Sean and I were at Home Depot last week getting some paint for some unfinished picture frames I want to hang up in the dining room/kitchen.  A lot of people were wanting paint that evening so as we were waiting we were walking around the store.  I had found the cactus, palm, and citrus potting soil I needed for the lemon tree.  I was planning on ordering one online but wanted to have the soil prior to ordering it.  I, of course, wanted to look at the various plants outside.  As were were going down an aisle I saw mandarin and kumquat trees.  At the end of the aisle Sean found a bunch of Meyer lemon trees. 

We then chose the best looking tree there that already a few blossoms on it.  Also, some baby fruit.

By the way, I'm nerding out because I think this photo has some great depth of field.  Sean didn't seem too impressed.

This tree is much more developed than the last tree.  It would have cost me more in shipping to buy a tree online than at Home Depot.  As Sean can tell you, I got really excited walking around Home Depot carrying the tree around. 

The tree came in a plastic pot.  I had a pretty terra cotta pot that I bought for the first lemon tree, but we all know how that turned out.  After letting the tree's soil dry out for a few days I replanted the tree into the terra cotta pot on Sunday.  So far, so good.  The Miracle Grow cactus, palm, and citrus potting soil has worked pretty well.  It is supposed to improve drainage because of the materials in it.  I'm thinking about re-potting the succulents since I planted those prior to getting this soil.  Another project for another time I guess.

Almost there!

What looked like this on June 18th when I posted the picture the first time...

...now looks like this!

Those first four tomatoes are turning yellow, which is a good thing.  The sunbold tomatoes are ripe when they are a yellow/orange. 

Who's excited?

Summer.

It is July.  July means the middle of summer.  Since I'm not in school anymore, summer doesn't seem like that big of a deal anymore. 

I remember as a kid, the last day of school was the greatest day of the year.  It was almost comparable to Christmas, only warmer.  That last day of school meant summer vacation was here.  And summer vacation seemed like nothing but an endless possibility.  Pre-teenage years, it usually meant a lot of time was spent at the swimming pool and with neighborhood friends.  Once I had a summer job, summer vacation didn't matter as much, but it still meant a vacation from school.

Then, in college, summer vacations marked another year of my undergrad completed.  Also, summer was a time for working in order to pay bills during college.  Those summers seemed to fly by just as fast as college did.

Now, summer seems almost non-existent.  Working full-time means my schedule doesn't change at all.  The days that turn into weeks that turn into months seem to fly by.  It feels like it was just January and 2011 had just started.  Now look, it's July -- the 11th of July to be exact.  And soon, it will be January again.  (That's a horrible thought, I don't want to even think about snow.)

Where has all of the time gone? 

Out of control.

The apartment garden is out of control.  And by out of control, I mean, out of control.

I just did some major pruning on the tomato plants.  Well, I cut the sucker shoots that come up right near the bottom of the plant/top of the soil.  The biggest tomato plant has been trimmed back since a new shoot took over the top after cutting it a few weeks ago.  The biggest tomato plant (the sunbold) isn't the tallest anymore.  Shocker, I know!

The peach tree is getting huge too.  I don't know what I am going to when I can't fit it in the window anymore.  I don't have room in my apartment for a full sized peach tree.  I think I need someone to house it for me until I have a house someday to keep it at.  Anyone want to babysit a peach tree?

The untold beauty of a marigold

That is a beautiful flower that just opened its bloom.  It is a quiet, understated beauty.  I never really liked marigolds.  I know what you're thinking, "Then why did you plant some?"  Well, marigolds are a natural bug/pest repellent.  I was going to plant them around my community garden plot to keep unwanted intruders at bay.  And we all know how the community garden didn't pan out, so now I have marigolds blooming.  Once the bloom opens and looks like the above picture, it starts to look like...

...this.  Slightly lighter color, layering petals on top of petals.  I'm starting to change my mind about marigolds.  I have started to enjoy their simple elegance.  It really is great seeing plants grow from a tiny seed I've planted.  I think it's truly amazing.  I can't wait for the marigolds to continue to develop even more.

Happy blooming!

I have...

...baby tomatoes!  Four of them to be exact, with plenty of other blossoms on the way.

Just look at the tiny little tomatoes.  They get bigger every day.  These blooms are from the largest tomato plant in the pot, it's huge.  According to the labels Travis put on the planter, it is a Sunbold tomato plant.  Like I said, it is huge.

This picture isn't very good, but you can tell all four tomato plants have gotten big.  They're even taller now.  The tallest one is about 3/4 the way up to the top of the window.  The day it reaches the top of the window I'm going to be worried, or thrilled.  All four of the tomato plants are well over the top of the wire support, with the shortest one about 12 inches taller than the wire.

Here's the rest of the "jungle" as Sean calls it.  I can't imagine what people think when they see all of these plants in the window, but I don't really care.  I like the plants there, they make me happy.  I like planting a seed and watching how it sprouts and then what it grows into.  For example, the marigolds I planted that were tiny in a previous post now are quite bushy.  The flowers began to bloom a couple days ago.

I'm happy I got my green thumb from my father.  I usually let him know when something exciting has happened with my plants.  Tomorrow for Father's Day I'm headed to Sleepy Eye to go fishing with my dad.  Hopefully, we don't get rained out.  I know there's a chance of storms here this afternoon so hopefully it happens today and not tomorrow.  Have a good day and weekend!

I think I outdid myself

I made delicious cake yesterday.  And by delicious, I'm talking about dark chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow filling, and chocolate frosting.  I got the recipe for it here.  I used a different chocolate frosting because I'm not a fan of malt powder. 

I mean, just look at it!  It look wonderful, minus my horrible frosting skills.  I'm slowly getting better, at least I hope.

I think I should have divided the two layers so there were four layers instead of two.  That is the only thing I would change.  Although the frosting was good, it was a little too runny.  Also, I think it is a little grainy so I need to do some more frosting experimentation.  I think my State Fair preparation is coming along quite nice!

Bakers delight

Did I mention I am entering some baked goods into the Minnesota State Fair?  If not -- I am entering baked goods for State Fair competition!  Currently, I have registered four entries, but I can submit up to 25 entries.  I can't imagine how people manage to transport all of their entries safely, but I'm sure some people do enter their maximum 25 entries. 

Right now, here's the list:

• Chocolate Cake
• Spice Cake
• Banana Bread
• Salted Nut Roll Bars

The cakes have to be layerd 8-inch round cakes.  I am going to begin to do a little testing of the cakes.  I have a pretty solid spice cake recipe that I've gotten rave reviews on at work.  The plan tonight is to bake a test cake tonight.  I will let you know how it goes.  The salted nut roll bars and banana bread are recipes handed down from my mother, so I know I can't go wrong there. 

I know the State Fair isn't until August, but I keep thinking I need to practice some recipes.  Also, I have a new frosting recipe I want to test out.  I will post pictures of the finished product!

Memorial Day Weekend

 Over the long weekend, I spent time at my parents house for the 2nd Annual Lingen Jam.  I didn't win any of the yard games we played.  I lost at badminton, ladder golf, and croquet.  Pre-festivitie, Becky and my mom were canning jam to give out as door prizes.  I was trying to occupy Charlie during that time.  

The shades got pulled off immediately after being put on.

 He was given a wooden spoon and canning ring for distraction.

 Then, the shades got put back on and this time stayed on.

And then he was trying to hit me with the wooden spoon.  Or maybe he was just trying to give it to me, I'm unsure.

Anyway, fun was had by all.  I hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Community Garden Disbanded

Very sad news indeed.  As a group, the community garden organization I have been working have decided as of last night it isn't worth the trouble anymore of trying to organize the garden, at least for this year anyway.  We were told by the district council we've been working with that an extensive soil test (that takes 10 days to get the result of) needed to be done first before the empty lot can be prepped for a community garden.  We were told a soil test was going to be done about 2 months ago. 

Once the soil test results were received, then public works was going to do site preparation.  The empty lot is sloped by natural water erosion, so just removing the sod, plopping a bunch of black dirt in the lowest areas and leveling out the lot would not have been a good idea.  Everything would just naturally erode.  Instead, the gardeners' design plan was to build on top of the grass and work with the natural slope of the land.  The district council didn't really understand that and also wouldn't communicate exactly what public works was going to do for site prep. 

As a group, we decided we just couldn't go forward without knowing what exactly is going to be done.  Also, the fact that it has taken a very long time for the soil test to be completed was concerning because then how long would the site preparation take?  It was all just very unclear, and we decided we just couldn't go on with the project at that specific location.

So now, I am looking for a new place to plant my seedlings.  I think it is a little late in the year for hunting down a place to plant.  Maybe I'll just have to grow a bean plant inside this year.  I wonder how well that will work...  Until then, my green thumb will just have to be patient.

Apartment Gardening.

While being optimistic about having a community garden plot, I've begun planting seedlings.  My favorite thing to grow seems to be yellow bush wax beans because once they sprout, it seems they get instantly huge.  I have already given away a couple bean plants and plan to give away a few more.  Sadly, I don't have any pictures of those -- in this next batch of bean seedlings I'll be sure to take some pictures.

While reading Real Simple magazine, every month they have a feature called "Five new uses for..." and in April's issue it was "Five new uses for eggshells."  One of the five new uses for eggshells is as a seedling starter.  So, I thought I would give it a go.

 

This is what I started my seeds in -- biodegradable containers that can be planted directly into the ground.  Well, I was thinking the seedlings need to be thinned out soon.  So, I transplanted some of the marigold seedlings into eggshells.

We'll see how this goes.  I'm hoping it works well.  According to the Real Simple article, the eggshells can be planted directly into the soil and the eggshell will decompose and nourish the soil as well.  Right now, the marigold seedlings I transplanted are looking a little droopy.  I gave them some more water so hopefully they'll perk right up in no time.  Maybe we'll get some humidity and then the plants will really take off!  Last week when the weather was pretty humid for a couple of days it seemed like all of the plants really shot up.

The planter Travis gave to me with four types of cherry tomatoes, two types of oregano, parsley, and cilantro are doing well.  Except for the cilantro which I've managed to kill.  I'm not very upset about it though because I think cilantro tastes like feet/body odor.  Sean is the one who wanted the cilantro.  Gross.

This is a random plant I picked up at Ikea.  I can't remember the name of it right now, but it definitely likes its new home in a full-sun window!

The only plant that is not doing very well is the lemon tree.  It looks in pretty rough shape.  I'm still holding out hope, but I have a feeling that hope is going to be crushed real quick.

As you can see, I've been busy with my apartment gardening.  Right now I have some more bean seeds folded in between a wet paper towel to kick start the germination process, they'll be ready to plant tomorrow afternoon.  I will post pictures of the bean seedlings once they sprout.  Have a good night!

Check this out.

Frank Warren, who runs PostSecret, tweeted about this Web site, The Burning House.  People can submit a picture and explanation of the things they would take with them if their house were burning down.  It is quite fascinating.  Check it out!  (Also, check out PostSecret because that is just as fascinating.)

Zoo Fun.

Last weekend Sean and I walked over to Como Zoo and Conservatory for a little mid-morning fun.  The most exciting things we saw were the sleeping kitties and the giraffes. 

If you look closely (or if you click on the picture to make it larger) you will see a sleeping tiger all curled up.  The tiger kind of looks like Captain does when she sleeps, but I think if you were to wake the tiger, it would be a little more upset than Captain is when she is woken up.

No trip to the zoo is complete without seeing the giraffes.  They really are just so beautiful.  I wish I had one for a pet.  Maybe I could pretend the giraffes at Como Zoo are my pets?

Someday...

Someday I want a puppy like this.  Just look how adorable he is!

New Recipe.

Yesterday at my parents house my mom made caramel rolls for breakfast.  Well, my mom, dad, and I made them up the night before and my mom put them in the oven yesterday to bake.  Somehow, the conversation with Sean about the visit to my parents the caramel rolls came up.  Sean jokingly said something like, "Where's mine?" 

And then today I came across this recipe for cinnamon rolls.  Cinnamon rolls are much better than caramel rolls in my opinion so I decided to test out this recipe after work tonight.  It was kind of time consuming.  There is two rounds of letting the dough rise that take an hour a piece.  I think the time was worth the investment.

This was taken right after I frosted them and the frosting was just in the process of melting.  They look lovely and taste just as great. 

Happy Monday!

Think Spring.

I've been told I will have a community garden plot this spring.  I'm slightly skeptical because I don't know if the city of Saint Paul has begun work taking out the grass and bringing black dirt in.  I will find out tonight if work has started yet on my way to the garden meeting. 

I'm still pretty skeptical about it though.  Now as a group we are deciding on a design for the garden.  I really wish we could just get the dirt down, stake out plots, and just go to gardening town.  But, that isn't happening yet and I am starting to get frustrated with it.  If I hadn't of paid for my plot already I would just say, "No thanks," but it's too late for that.  Maybe for next year I will look into finding a plot elsewhere. 

I've been told spring planting goal start date is June 5.  That seems awfully late to me.  Maybe I've just gotten used to hearing about Travis's garden and how early things have been planted there.  (He is a little eager, but I don't blame him -- warm weather makes me want to go out planting too.)

I know, I know.  I'm frustrated with it and shouldn't complain about it.  I know Sean is sick of listening to me complain about not being able to garden.  Maybe in the time spent not gardeing I should figure out what I want to plant.  So far I have yellow bush wax beans, yellow onions, carrots, and marigolds started in a seed starter kit.  (I plan on posting pictures later.) 

I haven't decided what else I want to plant.  Hmm....

Rainy days.

It's April in Minnesota, and you know what that means.  The weather is all over the place.  While walking to and from work today it was snowing.  (Snowing more in the morning, but flurries are enough to make me angry at the end of April.)  Along with the snow has been the rain.  Oh joy.  I can't remember what I despise more -- rain or snow.  I think I hate both of them equally.  Scratch that, I definitely dislike the rain more.  It like the snow the first few snowfalls, and then after that, it is just annoying.  But this flip-flopping weather is getting old real fast.  Apparently Friday it is supposed to be in the 60s and sunny.  Thank goodness, I was beginning to think the sky is permanently grey.

Lemon tree update.  All the leaves the tree came with have fallen off.  There were three of them, but slowly they have shriveled up and died.  On the bright side, there are new shoots coming out of the main stem.  There is one stem that is about to open up (I hope).

Well, I made some banana bread and I better go check on it.  Enjoy the last few days of April!  I hope it is sunnier for you than it is for me.

Oh no, just why!

Oh no!  Lemon tree only has one leaf left.  :(  On the bright side, close up there are new shoots coming out of the main stem that will eventually produce leaves.  So far, this one is looking okay.  Hopefully it doesn't fall off!

Moved! Internet is back!

Sean and I have moved!  (Finally...)  Thank you so incredibly much for my parents and brother coming to help move all of our crap.  It really is appreciated and we are SO thankful! 

An update on the garden.  The garden group is working out the political kinks with the planning council.  It is a lot of jumping through hoops and is annoying.  All I want is my plot to garden.  I don't really care about anything else. 

I need to take a picture of my lemon tree.  It was touch and go there over the weekend.  I over watered it a bit and the leaves started getting yellow splotches.  I also gave it too much natural sunlight right away.  For the past couple weeks it has been sitting in the kitchen sink with a grow light, but now with south facing windows the lemon tree can get some natural sunlight.  Well, I didn't acclimate it first and just kind of threw it in the window.  Luckily, it has been cloudy for the past few days so there has been time for the tree to adjust to the new light.  Bad news is one of the three leaves fell off yesterday.  Good news is, the leaves have really perked up today and the yellow splotches are going away.  I'll keep you all posted.

Time to finish watching Glee now and go to sleep.  Pictures to come soon. 

Keys!

We get keys for the new apartment tomorrow!!!  Let the moving commence.  :)

I will take and post pictures from the weekend.  I'm getting excited. 

Garden update.

Well, it looks like the community garden is for sure happening this summer.  St. Paul's Public Works are supposed to start taking out the grass, fill and making the lot somewhat level, and dumping black dirt for garden use next week.  This week they're doing a soil test so we know what kind of things we'll be working with.  After the city does their work, we can then start designing the layout of the whole lot.  Our plots are going to be 5 feet by 8 feet, roughly.  I'm getting excited about the garden. 

It will be a nice stress reliever/hobby during the summer.  Also, it will be nice to have a reason to be outside a lot.  After the long and snow abundant winter we've had, I can't wait to get outside.  Speaking of that, moving day is coming up quickly.  This is the last week I will be driving to work.  It will be a short walk to work and I'm excited about the exercise and the saving of the money with gas prices going up. 

Well, I suppose, I'm getting tired.  I know it's only 9:30, but after all I am 86 at heart and should have gone to sleep a while ago. 

Weekend coming to a close.

Now that the weekend is winding down, I have a little time for some blogging.  Let's see how I did on my to-do list I blogged on Friday.

Sean and I did do a lot of packing on Saturday.  The last things to pack are things we use every day and will be packed on Friday or Saturday.  Meals were planned out and any kitchenware needed to those meals were left unpacked.  (By the way, no microwave meals are in order as of right now.)  Laundry was completed early yesterday afternoon.  I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom a few hours ago.  There's too many boxes and other stuff everywhere else to vacuum.  It was warm all weekend so windows were wide open.  It rained last night so this morning it was kind of humid which made everything sticky.  Lemon tree picture was posted, check!  I still haven't named my lemon tree.  Naming something is a process for me.  My laptop's name came about because it was doing weird things and the name Boris just stuck, so I may wait on that task for now.

Overall, I think I accomplished everything that was necessary.  Now, on to a busy week at work (hopefully) and moving weekend will be here before I know it!

P.S. I also watched the Masters tournament while all of these tasks were being completed.  The Masters is my one sporting event I watch almost religiously.  Rory McIlory who I was rooting for the win started today leading by four shots and 11 under par, but ended the day with being only four under par.  He had a tough couple holes and never bounced back from them.  There's always next year.

Lemon tree!

Well, as you can see, I have a baby lemon tree!  If you look closely, right below the leaves is lighter green growth.  That wasn't there when I got my tree seedling which means the tree is growing!  I would hope so since I fertilized it, have a grow light, and give it some tender loving care.  I still haven't named the tree yet though.  Something will come to me.  Currently it is sitting in the sink with the light clamped to the bottom lip of a cupboard.  Obviously, it will be couple years before lemons will be produced, but this is a start.  At the new apartment it will be able to sit in a window.  It needs at least 8 hours of light from a south facing window and currently only have east facing windows.  All three windows in the new place face south.  I will post more pictures as times goes on and my tree gets bigger. 

TGIF!

Thank goodness it's Friday!  It seems like it has been an especially long week.  Or maybe, I am just imagining it, but I think the weeks just seem to fly by. 

Plan for the weekend:

• Packing.  A lot of packing.  My plan is to pack pretty much everything but the essentials. 
• Plan out meals for next week so I know exactly what kitchen stuff I can pack.  Sean and I will probably be eating microwave meals all next week. (Joking hopefully...)
• Do laundry, a necessary evil.
• Clean the apartment.  Not a deep clean like we have to do once everything is moved and at the new place, but a weekly cleaning to make deep cleaning not so horrible.
• Enjoy the spring weather by having the window and balcony door open and getting some fresh air in the apartment.
• Post a picture of my lemon tree here. 
• Name my lemon tree.  Sean suggested Leon the lemon tree.  I'm still debating.  If you know me at all, you know I name everything important.  For example:
• Gary is my car
• Melvin the moose and Raffy the giraffe, very important stuffed animals.
• Earl my iPod.
• Boris my laptop.
• I'm blanking on other names other things, but I know I have them.

It looks like I have a very busy weekend ahead of me!  Have a good day!

Arrival!

My lemon tree (seedling) has arrived!  I will post a picture tomorrow. 

Lemon tree - check.
Grow light - check.
Fertilizer - check.

I think I'm set.  I'll keep you posted on the lemon tree status.

P.S. My mother hasn't blogged in a few days.  Victory.

Captain.

Check out the video of Captain and Sean playing.  Captain was intrigued by the tube that my mom's curtain fabric came on over the weekend.  Sean was blowing air out of his mouth, kind of like the noise when you blow a raspberry.  Anyway, Captain freaks out and it's hilarious.  Check it, yo.

Plant killer.

I am a plant killer.  My lovely little seedlings I had uploaded a picture of a few posts ago have died.  I don't know what happened to them either.  I noticed last night the newest sprout had shriveled up and now today, the tallest and first sprout has also shriveled up as well.  Oh dear.  I am a plant killer.  Maybe I over watered it, I don't know.  Oh well, I guess I will just have to plant something else. 

I'm watching the movie Amelia, it's pretty interesting.  I'm going to get back to the movie, nothing too exciting happening right now.  Tomorrow, I pack more boxes.

End of the weekend.

Sunday nights are definitely my least favorite part of the week.  It is probably because that means I have to go to work tomorrow.  Oh well, it's a part of life.

The weekend in Sleepy Eye was pretty fun.  Sean and I went on a couple leisurely bike rides through town.  I helped make cookies and curtains with my mom.  Both turned out wonderfully.  We were sent home with a bunch of boxes.  I need to get packing!  Moving day is in two weeks.  Oh, I can't wait.

I hope you have a good week everyone!

Sleepy Eye.

Well, Sean and I were going to wait until this morning to head to Sleepy Eye to see my parents, but last night I get a phone call hearing my mother say, "Why are you not at my house right now?" Meanwhile, I was just leaving St. Paul to head home, so I definitely wasn't on the way to their house. After quickly throwing together our laundry and overnight bag, Sean and I were on our way.

My mom told me I'm not supposed to blog while I'm here and my father wasn't supposed to let me blog, but alas, here I am. My dad made pancakes so I better go. Have a good weekend everyone! Spring is right around the corner.

Test run.

I tried some new hair dye tonight. Target had the new Clairol foam hair color. It is the same usual dark brown/almost black color. I liked it, but it definitely was stronger smelling that the Clairol Natural Instincts I usually use. I enjoyed the convenience of the foam, but I don't know if the stronger smell is worth it. The color did turn out nice though, and I feel like it used less hair color to cover all of my hair.

This weekend Sean and I are headed to Sleepy Eye. My mom has a bunch of boxes we can use for packing and I need to pick them up. Also, my car is in need of an oil change that Sean and my father are going to do. I'm looking forward to seeing the parents, and of course Captain. I can't wait to pick her up and squeeze her. :)

Well, it's the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. It's dramatic, so I'm going to go back to watching it. Have a good night!

I've caught it...

...and by it I mean the Lingen gardening bug! I have gotten in contact with a group that is forming a community garden a couple miles away from the new apartment. There is one main person who is organizing everything and she definitely needs help with the organizing. It seems like everyone else involved want a plot or live nearby, but do not actually want to do that work to get the garden off the ground. I emailed the organizer this morning and told her I didn't have much else going on and would love to help out. I'm getting excited! It's looking like within the next month we'll have the garden up and running (if everything gets done). When I told my dad this on the phone last night he said, "You better call your brother."

I need to figure out what I want to grow... The plots are probably going to be 5 feet by 10 feet. I'm thinking some tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini. And of course some flowers (marigolds) around the edge to keep bugs away. If you have any growing ideas, let me know.

Also, check out my mother's blog post, that is slightly hilarious to me, especially the vodka comment. Ha.

Newborn baby giraffe

Sean emailed me a link to a Web site and this video was on it while I was at work today. How freaking adorable is this?! It totally made my day.

Have a good week!

I noticed this afternoon my flowers I posted a picture of yesterday have had another seed sprout. I think I planted them about three or four weeks ago and the seed packet had said germination was 15-21 days. I was worried nothing was going to sprout, but thankfully little tiny green sprouts have broken through. It makes me think of spring. :)

I ordered a dwarf lemon tree online after reading about how to successfully grow dwarf citrus trees indoors in Martha Stewart Living. It should arrive in two to three weeks. I can't wait. My older brother Travis was talking about his interest in a dwarf fruit tree, but there just isn't enough room in Trav and Becky's house, especially with Charlie learning how to move around. Travis, I will keep you updated as to how well the tree does. Apparently it is supposed to bear fruit in 12-18 months. Maybe you will be able to get a tree depending on my success with it...?

Have a good week everyone!

We're Moving!

The lease has been signed. We move in to the new apartment April 15th. I am so excited! I just cleaned out my portion of the closet to prepare it for packing and moving. We're moving into a 2-bedroom apartment with plenty of room for visitors.

I'll be walking to work so we're going to save $40-$50 a week on gas because I'll be walking to work. The leasing agent told me about a shortcut to get over a set of train tracks to get to work.




Here's a picture of some impatients I planted. There are two small sprouts (the second one is kind of hard to see) I will post more pictures as they get bigger.

Moving.

Sean and I are signing the lease for the new apartment tomorrow morning. We're moving to St. Paul with moving day set for Sunday, April 17th. If you want to help with the move, please let me know. We can use all of the help we can get.

I started packing a few weeks ago, but need to do more this weekend. In addition to my plea for help with moving, if anyone knows of a good place to get good sized moving boxes, let me know. I've been hoarding all the boxes from work for months and have pretty much exhausted that box supply.

Well, I'm getting sleepy. I'm going to finish my Friday nightcap and go to sleep. Sleep tight!

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb?

I don't know if I believe the phrase, "March is in like a lion, out like a lamb" -- mostly because it snowed about 3-4 inches here yesterday. It had rained the day before so the drive into work was real fun. With it nearing the end of March, it seems like March may be going in like a lion as well as going out like a lion. I guess time will tell.

If you haven't already read my mother's blog post about challenging me to a blogging duel, you can check it out here. She (and Sean) gave me crap about not posting early last summer for a few months, but she posted on May 4, 2010, and just posted again today. Yes, I may have pestered her about blogging a little bit (okay, a lot) but she is not going to post as much as I do.

Good luck and it's on lady!

February thus far.

Hi, hello there. It's been an exciting couple of weeks. As you probably already know, I got my appendix out. My incisions from the surgery are now healing up nicely. My 23rd birthday was spent napping on the couch recovering from the surgery. Sean took me out to lunch, which was exciting. Let's see... what else is going on. It's warming up a little outside. The huge snow piles in the apartment parking lot are getting a lot smaller. Apparently, tomorrow, it's supposed to 45 degrees, woo! Sean and I are looking at a couple apartments this week in St. Paul. Both apartment buildings are close in the Como neighborhood -- conveniently close to work and a lot closer to everything else. I hope we like one of them and we're able to move when our lease is up at the end of April.

Just dropping a note to say hello. Happy Tuesday!

Weekend.

Sean and I are headed to Sleepy Eye this weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing my parents, and of course Captain.

LIfe this week.

Gary is fixed, yay! That was my big excitement today.

Also, I finished my ballband dishcloth. I'm happy with the way it turned out. Every time I knit something new, I am learning new things and new techniques. Sometimes, it is frustrating because I end up having to take a ton of stitches out and restart once again, but once I get the hang of it, then I am totally fine.


I made sourdough bread a couple days ago. About a week ago I mixed up the starter for it and it was time to bake the bread.

I have more of the starter in my refrigerator if anyone wants some. The bread was (and still is) delicious.

Happy (almost) Friday everyone!

Hand warmers.

The hand warmers I talked about in a previous post are now completed. I am happy with the way they turned out. Now, onto the next project!

Crappy end to 2010.

Well, 2010 has come to a close. It ended kind of crappy for me. Last Wednesday, December 29, 2010, started off great. I had a job interview at a newspaper located in Osseo, MN. (About 20 minutes north east of Minnetonka.) I thought the interview went well.

Then, Sean and I were headed to Mall of America to get out the apartment and walk around the mall for the afternoon. Then, I had a little car accident. A SUV merged in front of me and slammed on their brakes because of the beginning rush hour traffic. I wasn't able to stop in time and this is what happened to the front of Gary after hitting the SUV's hitch post. It doesn't look like much, but it's about $900 worth of damage.


I spent the remaining two days of vacation from work dealing with insurance related things. Oh well, that's life I guess.

On another note, before my job interview I was incredibly nervous. I discovered if I thought of something/someone that made me smile, my nerves calmed almost immediately. The first person that popped into my head that seemed to calm me down was Charlie.


I mean, how could you not smile thinking of that cute little face?

Knitting.

I've been knitting dishcloths. Well, I'm almost done with my second one I've ever made. I am actually really excited about it because I just recently taught myself how to purl.

I know, I taught myself how to knit two years ago. Recently, I learned I knit in what is known as the Continental style of knitting. I learned to knit this way because I knew how to crochet first, and then knit, so I held the yarn like I did when I crochet. I had always been intimated about learning to purl because I felt like I knitted backwards. I learned how to knit on About.com and that is where I learned about English and Continental knitting. Last weekend, I taught myself how to purl.

I wanted to make dishcloths, and not just boring, all knitted stitches. That is why I wanted to learn to purl. Now that I can, all I want to do is knit. I had lost my favorite set of knitting needles somewhere in the apartment (the ones I needed for the dishcloths) and ordered new ones from KnitPicks.com. A few days after I ordered the nice, fancy new needles I found my old ones. Oh well.

Along with the new needles, I ordered some wool yarn to make myself a pair of fingerless hand warmers. My hands get so cold at work. I can't wait until the yarn and needles arrive so I can get started on that project. I will post pictures when it is completed.

Tomorrow, Sean and I are headed to Winona to spend Christmas with the family. Then, we're headed to Sleepy Eye for a few days. It would be great if my knitting supplies came today so I will be able to start my project over the weekend.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Snow.

Well, it's snowing out. It's snowing a lot. It's snowed over 10 inches already today.

Due to the snow and being trapped inside, I've been cooking and baking. Lasagna has already been made for lunch. Banana bread is in the oven baking. I had enough bananas to make a double batch of banana bread, so there is still dough that needs to be baked. Most of the banana bread will go into the freezer and it can be taken out when we have people over or whenever we want it.

I'm thinking about making no bake cookies. Sean (who is sitting next to me on the couch) says I am not thinking, I'm going to. We were watching the Food Network this morning and someone was making hush puppies. I found a recipe that doesn't require a fryer and can be baked, so I'm thinking about giving that a go.

I hope everyone is enjoying the snow!

Applications.

I'm applying for two positions with the Star Tribune. Cross your fingers everyone!

Gift Idea.

Also, if anyone is looking for Christmas gift ideas for me, see below.

I am looking for serving and baking dishes. Well, I am looking for vintage Pyrex dishes. The dishes that are white on the inside and brightly colored on the outside. They also make ones that have ugly looking flowers which look straight out of the '70s. I do not really like those and would prefer solid, bright colors.

I was just searching on Ebay, which is why I thought of it. It seems like glassware isn't made that this anymore, which I think is very unfortunate.

Our Tree.

Sean and I put up our first Christmas tree this weekend. Here is the final product.


Obviously, it looks much better in person. Presents for our families current are huddled underneath. At least Captain isn't here to mess with it. The tree is just her size.

I spent some time today cleaning and organizing one of the closets. Now, it is time to clean out the refrigerator. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving!

Red Velvet Cake.

I made red velvet cake today.


It was time consuming to make, but definitely worth it.


Sorry I haven't blogged recently. Nothing new has really happened. Have a great short work week! I know I will.

On another note, Sean and I are very close to being done Christmas shopping. I'm proud of ourselves, it's not even Thanksgiving. They are also wrapped. :)

No Tricks. No Treats.

No trick or treaters on Halloween.

Sad.

I guess the candy will have to go uneaten, or I may take it to work because it will definitely get eaten there.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm looking forward to the trick-or-treaters from the apartment building that will be stopping by later today. I hope everyone has a great day!

Pumpkins, etc.

Well, as promised here a picture of the pumpkins all light up. They look about a thousand times better with them glowing and it's all dark. I hope you are all ready for Halloween! I'm looking forward to trick-or-treaters in the apartment building on Sunday.

On another note, I realized how old I actually am. To be precise, I am 86, not 22. See below. That picture proves I am becoming an old lady. Tin foil on the drip pans on the stove. They are a pain to clean and with this, it will be A LOT easier. Sean probably is going to think I am nuts when he gets home from work and sees them, but oh well. Well, time to make dinner. Happy Thursday, almost TGIF!

Excitement!

Today at work I received my second computer monitor. I was, and still am, really excited about it. It had been getting quite annoying to have eight different programs and/or documents open, while not being able to use two at the same time. I usually need two documents open at once, so this is very, very exciting.

I know, I know. I lead a very sad life if I get excited about two computer monitors. Very sad life indeed.

It's cold outside. Well, windy and colder than it has been. I am very cold all of the time, so I have been especially frozen for the past 2 days.

Have a great rest of the work week everyone!

Pumpkin Carving.

Sean and I carved pumpkins last night. Can you guess which one he carved and which one I carved?

If you guessed Sean carved the one on the left, you would be correct, and I carved the one on the right. I'm not very good at pumpkin carving... Sean had to help me and dig out the inside. Maybe in a few days I will post pictures of them all light up. Happy Halloween everyone!

Visiting Family.

Sean and I went to Sleepy Eye to visit my parents the past two weekends. We had fun both weekends.

The first weekend Travis, Becky, and Charlie were also there. Seeing those three is always fun and exciting. It is cool to see how much Charlie has changed within a few weeks. He is growing so big now! And of course, he has gets cuter every time I see the little guy.

Last weekend, my mom and I went to two craft fairs while Sean and my dad went to an auction and hooked up the computer to the TV wirelessly. The craft fairs were interesting. I then had a dream about going to a craft fair. (Strange.)

Another strange thing that happened was Captain sat on the back of the couch, right behind Sean. She willingly sat there. She didn't hiss or growl at him either. Just sat there and occasionally stared at the back of his head. It was weird. She must be getting used to him being around. Apparently, as Sean says, they have an understanding. She doesn't mess with him and he doesn't mess with her. I like messing with her, because I know deep down she likes me. :)

Both weekends in a row, Sean and I only planned on staying until Saturday night, but ended up staying until Sunday morning to spend more time there. It doesn't take too long to drive back home either, so we made it back in time for Sean to work Sunday.

This weekend, Sean and I aren't going anywhere. We are staying inside the metro area. We've traveled somewhere for the past three weekends and are staying put this weekend, which will be nice.

Have a great week everyone!

I'm thinking...

I have been doing a little research and I'm thinking... I may want to go to photography school. Thoughts?

Being an adult sucks.

I say I have only been a "real adult" for five months. During college, I never really felt like an adult. Now that I am finished with school, I feel like I have officially grown up.

Well, I've noticed there is only one downfall of being an adult. And it is something no one tells you about growing up. When pay day rolls around, it is when I pay the month's bills. Then it feels like pay day was never there.

Getting older sucks sometimes.

Here's the view from the apartment's balcony. It is fall. During the summer it was like a solid wall of trees and nothing could be seen through it. Now, that is not the case. When the high school nearby has football games, it is all light up. I kind of miss not being able to see anything. It seemed much more private than it does now.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Body Builder Baby.

Last Saturday, Sean and I visited Travis and Becky in Winona. Which, of course, meant spending time with Charlie. He is the cutest baby and best little nephew I have. Well, he is the only nephew I have, but the best nonetheless, so far.

This Saturday, two days from now, Sean and I are going to visit my parents. Trav and Becky will be there as well. Also, various friends and family will be there to visit with Charlie and the proud parents. Two Saturdays seeing Charlie in a row is exciting.

On another note, the Minnesota Wild are playing their first home game tonight in St. Paul. In light of that, I took a picture of Melvin who is quite excited for the game.


Sorry for the horrible picture quality, I took it with my cell phone. Have a great night!

Minnesota Newspapers

Right now, my printer is busily humming away.

"What ever are you printing, Kali?" you may ask.

Well, let me tell you. While doing a little job perusing this evening, I came across the directory of newspapers in Minnesota on the Minnesota Newspaper Association's Web site. I am printing off the contact information for every newspaper in Minnesota. It is going to become my job searching guide. I plan on sending out resumes and work samples to every newspaper within a 25 mile radius of my apartment.

I intend on doing everything I can to get hired at a newspaper. It seems everyone in my major that graduated this past spring has been hired by newspapers. Well, maybe not everyone, but with every Facebook status I read detailing a new job, it sure seems like everyone. I am jealous of them.

If you hear about any newspaper or magazine in my area hiring, let me know.

Happy Tuesday!

I miss newspapers.

There. I said it. I miss newspapers. Well, more generally speaking, I miss journalism. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my new(ish) job, but lately I've been realizing how much I actually miss journalism.

I got a little burnt out from it at school. I have spent the past five months doing nothing journalism related and I'm starting to feel like writing news and feature stories is really what I want to do with my life. I have spent five months doing some "soul searching" and figuring out what I really want out of life, and now I have it figured out.

Now, it is time to begin the next step. That step is finding a job where my journalism skills are put to the test. There is one teeny tiny little problem with that. I love newspapers. Most newspapers are not hiring new employees. The proverbial "they" say newspapers are dying and I would be crazy to jump aboard a dying ship. I do not think I am crazy for wanting to write for a newspaper. I think I just need to find the right one, while also taking into consideration my location.

I live in the metro area, which is home to the two largest circulating newspapers in Minnesota. The Star Tribune and Pioneer Press are currently not hiring reporters. I would know, I check every single day to see if they are hiring, and I get disappointed every single day. I love where I live, I really do, but it also makes finding a newspaper job more difficult. Smaller daily and weekly newspapers are hiring. I could easily find one of those to work for. It is a matter of location. I am torn between my location and my passion.

I love newspapers and I know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life, I just have no idea how to go about this. Every news organization that I see hiring is looking for someone with anywhere from one to five years worth of experience, and I do not have that. Hopefully, something will come along soon.

On another note, fall is my favorite time of year and it is gorgeous outside. Happy fall everyone!

Charlie Pictures.

I love the new pictures of Charlie! See them here. Adorable!