Mandi's 21st Birthday

Most people spend their 21st at a bar or at least out having fun. Well mandi and I decided that since we didn't get to go thrift shopping together before, we would go on her birthday (Wed.) sound like fun huh? So we set out with our (what we thought then) good directions and our full tank of gas. We were going to two different thrift shops. One in Pearl River and one in White Plains... a little far we knew but for a 21st anything right? Well we got lost when our directions turned out to be wrong (but only at the last part), so we got directions from this church and when we got there it was kinda a bust except that we got these really cool classics. They had a GREAT book selection (we'll have to go when you come up sisters)! So then we were going to go to the one in White Plains. And again our directions weren't the best (but only at the end) and so we were lost and Mandi got out to ask directions and we found out that North Broadway was the other way so we turned around ( with some difficulty). And then we were looking for 39 N. Broadway and we saw signs for 12 N. Broadway and then 13 N. Broadway and so on till about 20 N. Broadway then the next one was 44 N. Broadway, don't ask me how but it was. So finally after asking directions from a very unhelpful traffic cop we found the place and Mandi couldn't find her wallet it must have fallen out when we stopped to ask directions so we went back and it was there, with all her money only her Subway card was missing (not really but we thought it would have been funny) So we go back to the Thrift Store and we find out that its only open on Tues from 10-4! AGHHH .. so we get back in the car and try to go home, after some more bad direction (these coming from the Birthday Girl) we were on our way home... laughing all the way.. Mandi and I are adventured out for now I think, but tomorrow is a new weekend, we were thinking maybe this time we'll tackle the city! it could be fun :)

The Events That Followed

So as afore mentioned I went to my roommates house this weekend for "Fall Break". We did a TON of stuff, like 'doing wood'. It rained a lot so we didn't do much wood but I got to fill the cart once and help unload it into the basement, it was an experiance to say the least and I decieded I will never heat my house with wood. We also played this game, Pit. It was totally fun and loud and I decieded I am going to have to get it so we can play sometime up here at school. it wasn't quite as loud untill Kelly came home and Kyle stopped by... they add to the fun! We also played scrabble with TJ and Megan. it was possiably the best game of scrabble that I have ever played (not that I play often) even though we own the game now. Megan's famous word that is still stuck in my head. IDODOLO- the cousin to the DODO bird. (no we didn't let her play it) We also ate dougnuts off a sting, there are pictures which you will never see cause I look totally stupid! Then on the way home we had sooo much fun. Well at first it wasn't. The plan was to go to a thrift shop on the way home so we left in plenty of time and got there but as we are walking toward the store Mandi realizes she still has her dad's keys in her pocket and we scrapped that and had to go home to take the keys back. So we decided with the little time we had extra we would stop at any random point on the road trip to take a crazy picture. (if my web-master would show me how to publish pic you could see them *Stasi*) We took ones with pigs and a campaign sign that says I LIKE MIKE FLANAGAN! (if you live in Greene vote for Mike for me, I love his signs!) and we took ones next to a rhinosarus and did I mention the real live pigs and the bicikle tied to a sign and Mandi climbing the tree in her bare feet (or trying to at least).. we had so much fun.. I'm sure I am forgetting something but such is life... and now I must return to it so I can study for this exam in Spanish! YEAH!

The Starting Line-up

This past weekend was our fall break, if you can call it that. (we had Mon off until 6pm! o goody) So I went upstate to Mandi's. She lives in the middle of nowhere and they have a barn and a pond and they tap trees to make syrup and they heat their house with wood, that they chop and store themselves! they are really amazing people to me. I got to see her dad again, he is wonderful! like a little Larry Poston. and Emily, her sister who is such a doll, we stayed in her room even though she was sick... she's such a doll (agian) And I got to meet a whole slew of people from her other family. TJ her brother who is getting married and good thing otherwise I would try to steal him (still might) Really I'm just kidding cause I got to meet his fiance and she is soooo sweet and soooo pretty and has such a gentle spirit. they are so cute together! I hope I am that cute with my fiance when I get afianced! I went with Megan (TJ's fiance) to get her dress fitted and that was fun, it is gorgeous and Mandi and Emily got their bridesmaids dresses which looked wonderful on them. Also this past weekend I got to meed Mandi's step-mom, Donna, she's such a homemaker and loves haveing company which is evident by her hospitality toward me. She recently broke her ankle by falling down some stairs at work, so she was just getting up and about. I also got to meet Kelly, Mandi's stepsister who was so pretty and... I guess strong-willed would describe her best. And her brother Kyle, who looks a lot younger than he is I guess (I never really got an age on him) He is ... loud and has a great sence of humor. OH and unexpectedly I got to meet her cousins, or second cousins or something like that. Rebecca and Elis. They used to live in Colorado but then they decided they were having a mid-life-crisis together so they quit their jobs and roadtripped across the states to NY and are now bunking with Mandi's parents till they decide where they want to be. (a little crazy I think but to each his own). So that's it as far as family. I also got to meet Jenny and Tom who are good friends of Mandi's, they are sweet, Jenny is just like mandi (almost) and tom is a sweetheart, and good at small talk which we made a lot of as Mandi and Jenny caught up with eachother. I met Platta who is her swim coach from HS and loved him from the start! So that's it for the new people I met this weekend the next thing will be to tell you what we did now that you know the characters.

Just some news

To Take HUGE Test in Near Future
I will be taking my ATS-W the second of three certification tests this weekend (Sat at 1pm to be exact if you wanna pray for me) Much prayer is needed. I need to pass this to stay on track with the plans I am making regarding my student teaching and such. I will be taking my CST in the Spring. (updates: scores to follow in a few months)

Small Time Girl to Becomes Heavy Lifter
Rachel and Mandi and I have been going to the gym for the last two weeks (and loving it). We are going to begin lifting on Wed. mornings... if you would like to join us ever we leave Christie around 6:20am, give us a call.

Homesickness Epidemic has Reached Epic Proportions
I am beginning to feel homesick (something I've been fighting for the last few days) I am looking forward to coming home in Nov. for a while for Thanksgiving. (key words there: *A While*)

Trip to Green Is On
Hoping to have my picture taken in the beautiful town of Green by their tree and their founders statue (again I would like to post some pics of it all for you but my web coordinator hasn't set that up yet) (*staz*). But there will be verbal descriptions to follow. I love that I'm from Mars and Mandi is from Green. We make quite a pair.

Seperation Anxiety to be Felt Throughout the US
My roomate is leaving me to go live in seclusion as a monk for a semester in Mexico. Ok that's a little dramatic but it couldn't be worse. I am already missing her. Please pray that we both accept this new venture with great ease.

Who knew?

WHO KNEW:
1 that really out of shape people can run 2 miles three days in a row under 20 min. (Yeah for out of shape me!)
2 The craving for chocolate can become so bad that it goes in the opposite direction and you detest the sight or smell of the stuff (I hate boys)
3 Talking to your ex boyfriend(s) can be theropudic on a bad day
4 Who knows how to spell theropudic
5 Roommates can gett annoyed by you and not even tell you till life really sucks then all the sudden they get chatty
6 I love my roomate because she's beautiful
7 That I can only think of 7 who knews on this horrablly awful day

The New Me

I'm taking up coffee and early morning running, I'm becoming a new person! (the exclamation is not an expression of joy, even though that's what it always means when you see one, but grammatically it doesn't have to be about joy, it could just be about astonishment or revelation, that's what this one is about) I am becoming a new person, one who runs at 7am, and drinks coffee afterwards and one who is married to her work (not my school work though so it's really not as good a thing as you think it might be) and I'm becoming one of those people who updates their blog everyday (or close to it) becaue they have noone else to talk to except themselves, I dont think that's my problem, I just have words stuck inside of me that can't get out no matter how hard I try to get rid of them they only just change languages or grow bigger! (again astonishment) I don't know what to do except blow them onto this screen and out into the world, hopeing against all hope that they will eventually find a place to be and they will stay there and stop tomenting me.... I'm becoming a new person