"When you know, you know! You know?"

or an alternative title to this post could be "And she said yes!"

 

After  my morning coffee MacPro asked me to find an activity to occupy my time with inside the house and informed me that I shouldn't go outside or on the porch.  Although the directions were odd, I found something to watch on Netflix in bed.  After about an hour, through the sounds of cardboard and the smell of paint and came and asked me to go on for a canoe ride.  I thought it was an odd time of day for a boat ride, but am always up for an adventure.  Upon arriving on the dock I found that he turned the canoe into a gondola!

He instructed me to relax and that he was going to paddle.  Once getting situated in the boat, he started to paddle and sing "O sole mio" (he looked up all of the words on wikipedia).  All good Gondolieres sing!  He paddled us around, we watched a loon family, and then he asked the big question!  I said yes (of course!), and the rest is history!  Well actually, then we went to play mini golf and eat ice cream.  

It was a memorable day, and the whole thing makes for a great story! 

(FYI: No official plans as of yet.  Maybe something small on the dock)

MacPro and his homemade gondola

MacPro singing O sole mio

SJ in the gondola

The view from the boat, perfect day on the lake

Loon

SJ and the new ring!

Mission accomplished!

Skyping with MacPro's Mom and Sister

What day is complete without a little mini golf?

And ice cream!

Enjoy ~SJ

The Shamrockettes Swim

Last summer my amazing (and crazy) cousins started a little tradition of swimming the length of the Pond. We estimate it to be somewhere around 2 miles from Honey Run Beach to The Outlet. The Swim is a whole weekend of events. Friday night they arrive, we have a carbohydrate loading dinner, make mixed cd's for the boat, and visualize a successful swim. Saturday we try to get out and swimming before noon. And on Sunday we have brunch with our mothers and Grandmother.

Mi Prima brought along her new guy and his canoe, so we could have two boats in the water. The two boats made it safer for the swimmers since we could protect them from other boats better. The second boat even allowed me to swim a portion of the pond. MacPro has came along in one of the boats and was in charge of snacks and photos. He peeled bananas and passed them down to the swimmers along with their water bottle.

And their off!

MacPro and SJ

Mrs. Incredible in the groove!

Look Ma - No Hands!

Mi Prima's Guy, great addition!

SJ giving Mi Prima a little advice "There's plenty of time"

I'd like to add, she didn't hold onto the boat once!

SJ joining the swim

Mi Prima in the groove

The Shamrockettes at the end!

With good tunes and plenty of bananas the cousins made did the swim in under two hours, shaving over 20 minutes off their time from last year!

Enjoy ~SJ

Expanding

It's summer so that means time to relax and get some projects done.  There is no summer school for SJ this summer (beyond excited, you can understand if you have ever had the pleasures of summer school).  The summer so far has been living up to expectations.  My online classes are going wonderfully, learning lots of wonderful new stuff, "meeting" new people, and create wonderful new products.  I have a new blog dedicated to talking about the world of educational technology.  It even has its own domain (huge thank you to MacPro!), you can find it at http://edtechu.org/  I have been working on creating a website all about me (professionally) in hopes of spreading my word and name.  Did a photo shoot last week (again, huge thank you MacPro!) for the pic of me on the new website.  Done tons of reading both professionally and personally, bought a new camera, and have even enjoyed my dock! Overall I would give summer '10 an A+ so far!

Enjoy ~SJ

What have I been up to?

Well my dedicated blog reader(s) (I know there are a few of you still out there, at least The Mother still reads.... right? Leave a comment if you came by, please!), I have been busy. When I rattle the question "busy doing what" around in my head nothing crazy like shark tank diving (must put on to do list). It has been a just kind of normal busy. MacPro and I (ok, mostly MacPro) has been working in the yard. There are big doings around the Shamrock - new retaining wall in the front, grass being planted, porch being built, more grass, and a firebrick pizza oven (I know, you just gasped, I heard it).

School has been crazy. I am organizing fantasy baseball for all of my math students and the staff. I know, crazy since I a) don't know a lot about baseball and 2) have never even played fantasy baseball. If that weren't enough I'm also planning an RSU-wide math fact bee, it's just like a spelling bee only with math facts.

The last thing that has been occupying my time is my course work. Besides The Never Ending Paper (it needs all capitals, it is that epic), I am also taking a course on the evolution of educational technology, and getting ready to go to my second residency. A residency is some quality face-to-face time with professors, other students, and faculty members that makes up for all of the online learning. The one I went to last year and Dallas was wonderful, so I look forward to my four days in Nashua, NH.

Enjoy ~SJ

March 6, 2010

After a wonderful adventure "Down South" for sushi (yes, MacPro and I drove over 50 miles one way for some raw fish!), I decided on the way home to get the motorcycle out. The temperature was over 50 for most of the day, and I saw a lot of other bikes on the road. Here is a little video of the first ride......



Enjoy ~SJ

Getting To Know Me

Thanks to Katie and Rach for this one.....

1. What time did you get up this morning?
Around 7-ish, its vacation who looks at the clock when you get up?

2. How do you like your steak?
Nope, it has feet so I'm not eating it

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Harry Potter this summer (sad but true)

4. What is your favorite TV show?
The Office and 30 Rock

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I love where I live now, but more sun and warmer temperatures might be nice.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Coffee and wheat Chex

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Right now sushi

8. What foods do you dislike?
Mushrooms

9. What is your favorite place to Eat?
I have lots of favorites, The Bistro, Slates, my Mom's house.....

10. Favorite dressing?
Bleu cheese.

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Subaru Impreza WRX

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Jeans and a fleece vest

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Galapagos Islands

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 full, no other way.

15. Where would you want to retire?
That is a long ways away.

16. Favorite time of day?
That time of the day where you have all your work done and it is time for yourself. I also like sunny mornings.

17. Where were you born?
Farmington, Maine.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I don't really watch sports.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?*
20. Who do you think will tag you back first?*
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?*

22. Bird watcher?
Nope, but I do like to go to the aquarium and watch the penguins (I almost had a job in college as a penguin tank cleaner, but went for the after school outreach program instead.)

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning.

24. Do you have any pets?
Two cats Phoebe and Stanley, and a husky Sasha

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
I'm on vacation!

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
Dolphin Trainer

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Swimming with a sea turtle for the first time

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Cat.

29. Are you married?
Nope!

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.

31. Been in a car accident?
Not really

32. Any pet peeves?
Not pushing in chairs and straightening around the desks (can you tell I'm a teacher?)

33. Pizza?
Feta, peppers, garlic, and basil

34. Favorite Flower?
Tulips

35. Dessert?
Ice cream please!

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
No I don't like fast food, and it doesn't like me!

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Once

38. From whom did you get your last email?
My advisor giving me feedback on a paper

39. Which store would you choose to max out
your credit card?
I would have to have a credit card first, which I don't.....

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Today is spontaneous adventure day with Mi Prima!

41. Like your job?
I love it.

42. Broccoli?
Yup.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
When I was 9 my family rented a sailboat and we sailed around the Caribbean, that was wonderful!

44. Who was the last person you went to dinner with?
MacPro, on Saturday we went to Dunkin Doughnuts, for sushi, and then to Arby's (I had a potato).

45. What are you listening to right now?
The dish washer, the wind, and the wind chime.

46. What is your favorite color?
Red

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None.

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?*

49. What time did you finish this quiz?*

50. Coffee Drinker?
Yup, drinking some right now!

*Those questions are just not fun, I'm with Katie and not going to answer them!

Enjoy ~SJ

Three Blind Mice

I got Stanley a new package a those little realistic looking mice toys today while I was in the supermarket. I actually planned the purchase while driving to the store. I was feeling bad for him since these little mice toys are his favorite and his most recent one (and only one in the house) had gone missing. The supermarket had a package of a dozen of them for around $6 ($0.50 per mouse does now seem a little steep, but the pleasure they bring him and the laughs it brings MacPro and I are priceless). Earlier this evening MacPro brought the remains of these toy mice to me in the kitchen. Apparently I had forgotten to put them in the toy cabinet and had left the package sitting in the living room. Stanley, in his attempt to get them out of the cat-proof packaging decapitated at least three of these poor mice. The living room is a mess of little pieces of fake fur, eyes, and chalky insides!

"Three Blind Mice" - Original work by Stanley The Manly

Enjoy ~SJ

Welcome Back/Cooking Challenge 101

According to timeanddate.com it has been a mere 78 days or 2 months and 17 days since my last blog post. Just one year ago I was blogging my fingers to the bone trying to reach my 365 blog posts in 365 days. I would like to say that in my 78 day hiatious that I have traveled around the world, or accomplished major goals, or had any exciting news to report. Unfortunately it was SJ just getting lazy and not being creative to come up with new blog topics.

With the New Year comes New Year's resolutions. This years list is simple: 1) Blog more often and 2) Reduce my overall meat consumption be first not eating "anything that had feet" (that means seafood is in - crab and lobster don't really have "feet", right?). So far the no meat resolution has been going great!

The blogging on the other hand not so well, until last night. Last might MacPro and I watched Julie and Julia, the story and Julia Child and one inspired 30-year-old who challenged herself to cook all 524 of Julia's recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julie blogged this entire journey gathering fans as any good blog does along the way. This true story, turned book, turned into a wonderful movie that even MacPro found enjoyable!

I was so inspired by the movie that I decided to put my two New Year's resolutions together into one. No I will not be cooking all 524 of Julia Child's recipes, no I will not be trying a new recipe every day. My challenge is that I will try at least one new recipe a week attempting to broaden my cooking skills and nightly cooking variety.

I am all set to start the challenge this weekend. Recipe books have been consulted, two recipes have been selected, and the shopping list has been made. Tomorrow (I think) I'm off to the store to pick up a few necessary ingredients. Until then, what are your own personal challenges for the New Year?

Enjoy ~SJ

Mac vs PC

So blogosphere.... in case you don't keep up with me on Facebook I'm seeing a new guy. There has been weeks of debate over what his blog name will be. I will spare you the list and simply share that he will be known as MacPro. And in honor of MacPro I shall share one of my favorite Mac vs PC commercials since yes I'm a Mac Geek and enjoy watching them on the Apple website.