tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73194525577805657492024-02-20T14:49:28.544-05:00Donut DazeAs you go through life,
Whatever the goal,
Keep your eye on the donut,
Not on the hole...
A daily documentation of my life in one sentence or less.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-36861088263306669012012-07-23T14:44:00.000-04:002012-07-23T14:44:04.571-04:00July 23, 2012Here is an update on some big news that has occured in the past week:<br />
<br />
- I had an interview for a potential job last week.<br />
<br />
- I worked at a volleyball camp all of last week, working long hours with the longest day being 15 hours.<br />
<br />
- At a midnight showing of "Dark Knight Rises" on Friday, there was a massive shooting that has killed 12 people and injured many others. What drives people to do such cruel things, what pushes them over the edge, will always remain a mystery to me. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I can't imagine how awful this must be. I also think about the suspect's family and what a strange and terrible situation they are now placed in as a result of this. And the suspect was a bright individual with his whole life ahead of him...only a year younger than I am. What makes screwing up your life (and everyone else's) "worth it"?Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-63607127777174824402012-07-13T11:40:00.004-04:002012-07-13T11:40:34.011-04:00Could be worse...Had a little diet slip up yesterday during lunch, and our water isn't working, but it could be a whole lot worse.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-43740907453272185402012-07-10T13:52:00.002-04:002012-07-10T13:52:55.494-04:00Day 1Today is the first day of a 30 day "healthy food only" diet, with the only exceptions being ice cream and a wedding we are attending in a few weeks.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-27109659480165767262012-07-09T15:33:00.001-04:002012-07-09T15:33:54.565-04:00Turning a New LeafAs I have found myself increasingly busy, and less able to keep this blog updated, I have seriously considered discontinuing the blog. However, I think it is important to me to document the events of my life, significant and insignificant, so that at a later date I can reflect upon them. I think it would also be neat to one day have my children read parts or all of my blog and see what life was like for me growing up, both the important milestones and the day to day occurances. I got an idea from Pinterest, of all places, to do a daily documentation in one sentence or less. They suggested to write it on an index card, and then to start over the next year using the same index cards, so you can see what you did a year ago on that exact day. Then as the years go by, you can look back at what you did 10 years ago on that day. I thought the idea was interesting and fitting for me as I generally don't have a lot of time to blog. I am going to start doing one sentence posts and include at least one picture as well. On the occassion that something particularly big or important happens, I will actually do a full length blog post, but for now, I will stick to one sentence a day...starting tomorrow.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-53189289377629970672012-03-29T11:43:00.000-04:002012-03-29T11:43:39.353-04:00North Carolina in PicturesI haven't had a lot of time to blog recently, so I think the best way to catch you all up is to post a bunch of pictures I've taken over the past couple of months. There is a lot of beautiful here in North Carolina.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="320" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/427143_10101546783480425_12427623_69424692_1424672395_n.jpg" style="height: 520px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 390px;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Neck Deer Blind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="720" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/419393_10101546798475375_12427623_69424715_80223613_n.jpg" style="height: 455px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 606px;" width="960" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asheville, NC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="720" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/534054_10101628506531775_12427623_69800146_1415734874_n.jpg" style="height: 455px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 606px;" width="960" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preserve near our house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="720" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546236_10101628514820165_12427623_69800191_1749385474_n.jpg" style="height: 455px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 606px;" width="960" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got just a tad bit of rain last week</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center">
<img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="720" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/399059_10101628515009785_12427623_69800192_1044417721_n.jpg" style="height: 455px; width: 606px;" width="960" /></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="960" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555664_10101636454279425_12427623_69840040_1528682261_n.jpg" style="height: 520px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 390px;" width="720" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of my birthday present from my hubby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="960" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/544576_10101636456704565_12427623_69840047_1613377564_n.jpg" style="height: 520px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 390px;" width="720" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From my coworkers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="720" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/385573_10101628520209365_12427623_69800212_1804022707_n.jpg" style="height: 455px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 606px;" width="960" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Turkeys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-53809105464395145962012-02-14T09:25:00.004-05:002012-02-14T09:25:56.171-05:00Ten for Tuesday: Love!!Happy Valentine's Day!!<br />
<br />
Here are ten things I am loving right now...<br />
<br />
1. My hubby, Benny<br />
2. My puppy, Stanley<br />
3. All of my wonderful family and friends (I am so blessed)<br />
4. Desserts (duh!)<br />
5. North Carolina winters<br />
6. Basketball coaches canceling 6AM practice (mmm...sleeping in...)<br />
7. P90X (yup, we're still "bringing it")<br />
8. Pre-season triathlon training<br />
9. All other foods that aren't dessert, but more specifically bacon and cheese<br />
10. The "Love Songs" station on Pandora (right now, "Faithfully" by Journey is playing *le sigh* )<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="300" src="http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/406878_10101272032917755_12427623_68452267_1297155276_n.jpg" style="height: 455px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 606px;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE this picture!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-5936515355905744352012-02-12T21:21:00.001-05:002012-02-12T21:21:44.935-05:00Sunday Morning ComicsGrowing up, I always looked forward to Sunday mornings. I would always try to be the first one up so I could be the first one to read the Sunday morning comics. I thought it would be fun to have a Sunday morning comics themed series of blog posts. There won't always be illustrations (but I'll try to do as many as I can to make it entertaining), but they'll always be short, light-hearted and funny stories.<br />
<br />
Earlier this week, we had the Family Feud on the TV in the athletic training room. I was working with one of my male student-athletes who was doing rehab. He also happens to be from a non-English speaking country.<br />
<br />
The question on the game show was "Name something that starts with 'doggie' ". <br />
<br />
He blurts out "doggie style" which initiated a bunch of laughter and joking reprimands like "You can't talk like that in here" and "We know what's on your mind right now."<br />
<br />
His response: "I'm sorry. I don't know much English. That's the only 'doggie' I know."<br />
<br />
Well, at least he's learning the important parts of English...Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-53036825802192863672012-02-12T21:21:00.000-05:002012-02-12T21:21:05.984-05:00New BlogHey all,<br />
<br />
I've been working hard on a new blog. My dream for it is to some day be a place where I can showcase my hats that I will make for my (hopefully) millinery business. It is also a place where I can merge all of my creative outlets into one giant outlet. Those outlets also include fashion and acting. Maybe one day when I actually have a house to call my own (or maybe even a house that I live in for more than a year or two at a time), I'll also post pictures of some of my renovations, DIY projects or new additions to the house.<br />
<br />
Right now, it is just a couple reviews of Red Carpet attire from recent awards shows, but in the near future, I hope to add pictures of outfits that I have put together, pictures of other people wearing outfits they have put together, stories about attempts to become an actress, and of course, hats!!!<br />
<br />
I want to get a digital SLR camera for my blog to help to blog look nicer (and just to take nicer pictures for my own personal enjoyment). Does anybody have any suggestions for quality, but still relatively cheap cameras?<br />
<br />
Anyways, without further ado: actfashmillinery.wordpress.comRachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-69621720026573721852012-02-01T10:02:00.002-05:002012-02-01T10:02:46.110-05:00Cruise Body Check InSo there's not much to say here, because I'm still being my glutonous self. After having an amazing first week of the year, losing 3.5 pounds, I'm only down a total of 2.6 pounds for the month. Granted, its better than nothing, but its not the 4 pounds I was looking for. Good thing I gave myself some wiggle room time-wise. I figured I might have a week or two that wouldn't go as well as planned...or a whole month. <br />
<br />
We are in the middle of week 3 of P90X. Its going well so far. I feel stronger and I have found out I actually do have muscles hiding in there some where and they are coming out (or at least I like to believe they are starting to show their face around here). The workouts are getting easier and I'm not constantly sore anymore like I was for the first 10 days. The only workout that still kills me is the plyometrics one, but more from the "My hip flexors are on fire and I've only done 2 exercises" stand point than the "I'm completely exhausted after only 2 exercises" stand point that it was when we first did the workout. <br />
<br />
Last week, I also started an off-season triathlon training plan to start prepping for some in-season training. The only problem I have with it is that even though the workouts are only about an hour long, I just have no time for anything. I'm lucky if I have time to eat, let alone workout. I definitely don't have any time for some of the fun hobbies that I want to start doing to destress. Just ask Ben. I've basically been a hot mess for the past month. Only 5 1/2 more weeks of basketball!! And only 12 more days until my next day off (its been 16 since my last day off, in case you lost count)!!!Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-13694142462068018122012-01-24T10:10:00.002-05:002012-01-24T10:10:30.596-05:00Ten For Tuesday: Wisconsin Fun FactsHey guys! Happy Tuesday! I have been really busy at work recently (seems to be a recurring theme), so I haven't had much of a chance to blog. Believe me, you aren't missing much. I am also starting a new blog for my creative endeavors (acting, fashion, and millinery), so I don't have to bore you with the gruesome details here. I am still keeping this blog to talk about triathlons, running, and my life in general. Once I get the layout of the new blog just how I like it (I already have blog posts about the Golden Globes!), I'll post a link here. Hopefully, that doesn't leave you hanging too much.<br />
<br />
I grew up in Wisconsin, so today's Ten For is Wisconsin Fun Facts from 50states.com.<br />
<br />
1. Wisconsin's Door County has five state parks and 250 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan. These figures represent more than any other county in the country.<br />
<br />
2. Devil's Lake was established in 1911. The facility has become one of Wisconsin's oldest and most famous state parks. It leads the state parks in attendance.<br />
----> I went camping here with my dad once when I was younger.<br />
<br />
3. In 1882 the first hydroelectric plant in the United States was built on the Fox River.<br />
<br />
4. Wausau is the ginseng capital of the world.<br />
<br />
5. The American Birkebeiner, a 52K cross-country ski race between Cable and Hayward, is the largest on the North American continent.<br />
<br />
6. Mount Horeb is the Troll Capital of the World and home to the Mustard Museum.<br />
<br />
7. Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells is the nation's largest water-themed park.<br />
----> I've only been here once or twice or a ton of times.<br />
<br />
8. The nation's first kindergarten was established in Watertown in 1856. Its first students were local German-speaking youngsters.<br />
<br />
9. The original Barbie is from Willows. Barbie's full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts.<br />
<br />
10. The first Ringling Brothers Circus was staged in Baraboo in 1884.<br />
<br />
A few more because I had a hard time picking just ten...<br />
<br />
Two Rivers is the home of the ice cream sundae.<br />
<br />
The Republican Party was founded in Ripon in 1854.<br />
<br />
The Hamburger hall of fame is located in Seymour.<br />
<br />
The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward is shaped like a Muskie. <br />
<br />
Mercer is the Loon Capital of the World.<br />
<br />
With an average of 2,500 performers, Milwaukee's Summerfest is the nation's largest music festival.<br />
<br />
Eagle River is known as the Snowmobile Capital of the World.<br />
<br />
Sturgeon Bay is the Shipbuilding Capital of the Great Lakes.<br />
<br />
Sheboygan is the Bratwurst Capital of the World.<br />
<br />
The falls in Niagara has the same geological feature as Niagara Falls, New York. (I don't get this one. They're both waterfalls?)<br />
<br />
Green Bay is the Toilet Paper Capital of the World. <br />
<br />Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-61603146407982952932012-01-17T11:33:00.000-05:002012-01-17T11:35:47.287-05:00P90XLast semester, one of my co-workers and I were weight training during lunch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This semester, we decided to mix it up a little bit and do P90X every day (Monday through Friday) instead. She had done a few workouts before, but I had never even seen a workout, let alone actually done one...until yesterday.<br />
<br />
Our first day consisted of chest and back. Who would have thought that the only chest/back exercise is push-ups, with many different variations of course. Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit. <br />
<br />
For those of you who don't know how P90X works, it is a serious of one hour(ish) workouts that are supposed to be performed daily for 90 days. For yesterday's workout, there were 12 different chest and back exercises (6 of which were different variations of the push-up). You would set a goal for number of reps and then you would try to achieve that goal (hopefully, and then some) within the alotted 40(ish) seconds. You go through all 12 exercises and then do them a second time around, but in a slightly different order to create muscle confusion. This is to help prevent muscles from adapting and plateauing at a certain level of performance. <br />
<br />
I can hardly do one push-up, let alone many push-ups over and over again. I set a goal of 12 reps for each exercise and achieved and surpassed that goal every time except for on two exercises, the diamond push-ups and the decline push-ups. I was pretty ecstatic...<br />
<br />
...until today when I realized I couldn't lift my arms above my head...or even above my waist for that matter. I couldn't even wipe my butt after a nice corn-inflicted poo. Ok, maybe that was a little TMI. Oh, and we still have a workout today already. No off days. On tap is plyometrics, which I'm hoping is more lower body than upper body. Pretty sure I couldn't do a plyo version of a push-up without face planting.<br />
<br />
Have any of you done P90X or Insanity? What are your thoughts? Did you like it? Did you survive all 90 days? What were the results?Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-31991196547270038922012-01-13T11:01:00.001-05:002012-01-13T11:01:34.559-05:00Famous Friday: Golden Globes PreviewI'm not going to sugar coat it, I actually think the E! commercial for the Golden Globes Red Carpet Event has a really catchy tune.<br />
<br />
Retarded, right?<br />
<br />
Anyways, I'm ready to kick off this awards season, except for one minute detail. I won't be attending. I KNOW, RIGHT?!?! I miss my yearly interviews with Giuliana (we're practically besties now) and seeing all my friends and co-workers all spiffed up.<br />
<br />
Le sigh.<br />
<br />
I know. My husband-ager failed me again. He said he's "still working on it" and is "still learning" how to be a husband-ager. If he keeps this up, he'll be demoted to just "husband" or "the homeless guy who sleeps on my front porch". <br />
<br />
I kid of course. <br />
<br />
To get you all hyped for the Golden Globes like I am, here's flashback to <a href="http://rachellerae.blogspot.com/2011/01/famous-friday-golden-globes.html" target="_blank">last year's recap</a>! Remember to watch Sunday night!!Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-67539788756920802382012-01-11T09:28:00.000-05:002012-01-11T09:28:09.374-05:00Cleanse Diet: The Results!!I apologize for being absent for the past month or so from blogging. I have been under a lot of stress recently, both from my parent's divorce and work. I have also been crazy busy with work, keeping the house clean, taking care of Stanley, traveling, etc. and just haven't had a whole lot of time. Now that work is starting to be on a regular schedule again, I hope to be able to blog a little more frequently. <br />
<br />
Although, I'm not going to make any promises.<br />
<br />
Today (if it stops raining) is the first day of tennis practice (the other sport I provide care for). I have a nice two month overlap between basketball and tennis. I don't think it will be too bad as I only have to cover home tennis matches (no practices or away matches), and I will be getting help covering those from my co-workers. Regardless, I think my level of business is going to get worse before it gets better.<br />
<br />
Also, you are probably wondering about my one week cleanse. I didn't get a chance to weigh in on Day 7, but on Day 6 I had lost 3.5lbs. Don't worry. Despite the fact that I was sick all weekend and hardly ate anything, I still managed to gain back 2.5lbs. Losing weight is a silly thing. <br />
<br />
The cleanse wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. <br />
<br />
The easiest goal for me was drinking 64oz. of water a day. I didn't feel like it was any more than I usually drink. I think for me the problem is that I exercise a lot for distance running and triathlons, but I still only drink 64oz. of water those days. I need to work on drinking an increased amount on work out days instead of maintaining the 64oz. a day that I drink on the average off day. <br />
<br />
The hardest goal was surprisingly limiting my caffeine intake. I typically have a 16oz. thermos of coffee in the morning and a Diet Coke with dinner, so in comparison to other people (or in comparison to my college self), its not that much, but the withdrawal symptoms are still brutal. Plus, its just a habit to throw together a cup of coffee with my quick and easy Keurig in the morning. I was kinda expecting it to be more difficult to give up sweets knowing my sweet tooth. I honestly didn't think about sweets that much until they were standing right in front of me. It was hard going into the kitchen wanting a snack without a thought of what I felt like eating and then seeing the left over Christmas cookies. <br />
<br />
What I took away from this is that I am most definitely a grazer (I had a pretty good idea about this already). I feel like I would be pretty successful with dieting if I had a food plan. Its easy for me to say no to something if I know it strays away from "The Plan". But when diets leave food choices up to the dieter (like say Weight Watchers), its harder for me to say no to bad foods, essentially screwing myself over when I've eaten a day's worth of calories for breakfast. <br />
<br />
The best part about this diet is that I didn't have to count calories. Keeping tracking of caloric intake/output can getting confusing and stressful. There are plenty of other things on my mind that the last thing I want to think about is "So, did I eat that granola bar this morning or yesterday morning?" or "Exactly how many calories are in an apple anyways?" I think this diet work despite not counting calories for two reasons. When I made eating a certain number of fruits and veggies and drinking a certain amount of water a priority, I felt more full sooner. I didn't have as much room in my stomach for more calorie dense foods. Second, I typically have a pretty unhealthy diet (I'm a triathlete, I can eat whatever I want, right?). When I replace bad food with good food, my body will naturally respond positively and will gravitate towards a healthier weight. Ben and I have discussed in the past what a healthy weight for me should be. He keeps telling me that the weight I was meant to be is the weight my body wants to be. With my unhealthy diet, my body likes 130lbs. With the healthy diet, my weight plummeted 3.5lbs. in 6 days. Just think where it could be if I ate healthy all the time! Not that 130lbs. is unhealthy for my height (BMI = 22.3), but if eating unhealthy maintains my weight at 130lbs., maybe it isn't healthy for me. <br />
<br />
I have 14.5 weeks left until the cruise...and 11lbs. left to go!Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-81364700654638587082012-01-03T12:36:00.001-05:002012-01-10T16:28:08.253-05:00Ten for Tuesday: Kourtney KardashianI don't watch a lot of TV due to how much I work, but when I never miss an episode of the Kardashian saga. I know, smutty reality TV, but its a huge guilty pleasure of mine. Of all of the Kardashians, I feel like I have the most in common with Kourtney. Here are ten similarities:<br />
<br />
1. We are the oldest sibling (if you don't include her step-brother).<br />
2. We are both short and small.<br />
3. Our significant other's mother's name is Bonnie<br />
4. We both have only one brother (again, if you don't count her step-brothers)<br />
5. We both have a college degree<br />
6. We both lived with our significant other before getting married (still waiting on Kourtney...lol)<br />
7. Our biological parents are divorced and did so when we were in our early 20's<br />
8. We are both indecisive, especially when it comes to eating.<br />
9. We love steel cut oatmeal.<br />
10. We went to private, Christian high schools.<br />
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Source: Kardashian shows on E! and <a href="http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com/2010/10/25-things-you-dont-know-about-me/kourtney-kardashian-us-101810/" target="_blank">here</a>.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-43017850289382294962011-12-31T21:27:00.001-05:002011-12-31T21:27:32.587-05:00Jump Starting 2012It feels like just yesterday that I was writing a "Year in Review: 2010" post, so when I feel less lazy and less like "I just did this, why do I have to this again?", I may (or may not) write one.<br />
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In the mean time, my hubby and I are going on a cruise with some friends of ours in late April. Prior to our wedding, I lost 18 pounds in preparation. Over the past two years since then, I have put back on nine of those pounds. I think this mostly has to do with that fact that I feel like I can eat whatever I want because I do triathlons. I want to get into "cruise body" shape and I have 16 weeks to do it, which is a ton of time. My goal is to lose 12 pounds in those 16 weeks. Why 12? Because I'll probably put back on 2-3 pounds during the course of the cruise, so I'll be right back at wedding weight when all is said and done.<br />
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To kick start my weight loss, I am going nuts on food and alcohol today as my farewell to eating bad, then I'm starting with a one week cleanse tomorrow. Its a "cleanse" that I came up with on my own to hopefully jumpstart my weight loss. Here are the goals of my one week cleanse:<br />
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1. No alcohol.<br />
2. Limited caffeine (one tea a day)<br />
3. No sweets.<br />
4. No fried or greasy foods.<br />
5. No red meat<br />
6. 64 ounces of water a day<br />
7. 5 servings of fruits and veggies (total, not of each) a day (this will be the hardest as we currently don't have either one in the house and we don't usually have much of either, but that's what grocery shopping is for)<br />
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Even if I really struggle with any one (or 7) of these goals, its only for a week. It will also make it easy to sustain a less strict diet once I'm done with the cleanse. If I can do this for one week, I can follow the Weight Watchers plan for the remaining 15 weeks without much problem (I hope).Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-36607181932840778262011-12-29T22:51:00.002-05:002011-12-29T22:51:34.846-05:00Christmas 2011Phew...being out of town for 10 days really throws a wrench in all of my blogging. I have been playing catch up on everything else like laundry, cleaning, e-mail, etc. since then and I am just now settling in to write this post.<div>
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To be honest, Christmas was a <strike>little</strike> LOT more awkward than I thought it was going to be. Ben and I are both still stressed and upset about it. Ben in particular because he has experienced a lot of this before with his own divorce, so it dredged up a lot of bad memories. In between the awkward moments, spontaneous blow-ups, and back-handed or rude comments, we did have a good time in Florida. Everybody received a lot of really nice presents. I got most of what I asked for and a few other nice things that I didn't ask for, but equally appreciated. On Christmas Eve, we went for a 20 mile bike ride with my parents (my brother and his baby lung slept in). We also went on a couple of walks (had to enjoy the lovely weather), one with my brother and one with everybody. I think my brother in particular needed the one on two walk with us to vent some of his own emotions and thoughts on the divorce. He is typically a very introverted person and rarely discusses his feelings, so we knew he was having a particularly bad time with the divorce considering how animated he was when talking about the divorce. Most of the rest of our time there was spent doing last minute Christmas shopping and trying to relax.</div>
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First, serious Christmas pictures...</div>
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But we all know we can't be completely serious for an entire five days...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lil bro, Alexander, and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander's face is hilar!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander and Dad</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fam (minus lil sis, Laurel) at Gulf off Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really says "Big Bend Seagrasses"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneaking up on him Christmas morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSmUDFhyphenhyphen0ktikh6ZTFxn7-GPTNCoRy2S1Ar4XT38Q6CyIjRLtAA6PQlYmjgIs-mvb72Rnb0ZbcbU8c8hLbtyo-tM9ojWAT3kJlePsCqIzinRBfQvJMpcktjNfzbJW-YA6FLvbXZ7dXcPV/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSmUDFhyphenhyphen0ktikh6ZTFxn7-GPTNCoRy2S1Ar4XT38Q6CyIjRLtAA6PQlYmjgIs-mvb72Rnb0ZbcbU8c8hLbtyo-tM9ojWAT3kJlePsCqIzinRBfQvJMpcktjNfzbJW-YA6FLvbXZ7dXcPV/s320/109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurel!!</td></tr>
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Before going to my parents house, the basketball team had a tournament at Stetson. The coaches felt that the team has put in a lot of work, both on and off the court and hasn't been able to do anything fun and extravagent as a team in a while (last time was a tournament in Hawaii a couple of years ago), so they decided to take the team to Disney World while we were in Florida. I had been to Disney World once before, but I was 8 years old when I last went. It was probably more exciting to watch the girls who were experiencing Disney for the first time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staff and student manager</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65MRPAY6zAXUlmnNRmrGgiMLui8Z7N4RjHhP5zoXIGDxiLTYKblprrdLzvPLmnkKlzxSh1Ltef9_5Ij_GxjlOfcwqkdDUNVVfA5vo0XP5Ged3-0feOZi6DCbQHfTVUTdwDOZKUD1LsaPc/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65MRPAY6zAXUlmnNRmrGgiMLui8Z7N4RjHhP5zoXIGDxiLTYKblprrdLzvPLmnkKlzxSh1Ltef9_5Ij_GxjlOfcwqkdDUNVVfA5vo0XP5Ged3-0feOZi6DCbQHfTVUTdwDOZKUD1LsaPc/s320/048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camel in Its a Small World</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Md18sg_o8PeusS1VbrQW3k6duBjjD3wjZ9IROoGgSpCBTvvjR4dSNJN27p7O8rQA_K9Hs8WbqoNZMnkWQuc2jDpDdQB1txooltliLEDUv2FJ_p11Jv_tRI-aPZaAdomaBPlMv4LzsM6y/s1600/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Md18sg_o8PeusS1VbrQW3k6duBjjD3wjZ9IROoGgSpCBTvvjR4dSNJN27p7O8rQA_K9Hs8WbqoNZMnkWQuc2jDpDdQB1txooltliLEDUv2FJ_p11Jv_tRI-aPZaAdomaBPlMv4LzsM6y/s320/060.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campbell at Haunted Mansion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another camel!</td></tr>
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P.S. I still think Disney World is over-priced. Other than taking my future kids once for the experience or for other free trips, I don't think its worth the $85 / day price tag. Ouch! I was definitely grateful for the chance to experience it as an adult and form new memories.</div>Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-50166814750037613392011-12-07T10:01:00.001-05:002011-12-07T11:47:16.183-05:00What I Hate About ChristmasThis morning on the radio, they were having listeners call in and discuss the one thing that they hate about Christmas, but would never tell their friends or family. Of course in my alway optimistic form, I thought to myself, "There's nothing about Christmas that I hate, and there's definitely nothing that I hate that I would never tell my friends or family about". But the more I thought about it, there is something about Christmas I don't like and it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas itself.<br />
<br />
I don't like that my job offers me little time off around the holidays. A big part of that is the sports I have worked with have all included a winter sport (hockey and basketball). Even if their game schedule doesn't conflict with Christmas, they usually practice as much as possible around Christmas. Personally, I have learned to accept it. To me, it is worth it to do a job that I love, but I know I have friends and family members that don't see it that way. <br />
<br />
They all want to see me for Christmas, but there isn't enough time, and unfortunately (or fortunately) there is only one of me. I wish I was able to see everyone, but its just not feasible. The people-pleaser side of me gets so stressed this time of year, because regardless of whose family we visit, I always feel like I'm disappointing the other family. To avoid having to choose one family over the other last year, Ben and I just stayed in Boston for Christmas and did our own thing. This year, I decided to go to my parents for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons is the divorce. My parents are still going to celebrate Christmas together this year, and not knowing whether that will happen ever again led my to celebrate with them this year. It also just worked better with my schedule. The basketball team is participating in a tournament in Stetson right before Christmas. Stetson isn't that far from my family, so I am just staying in Florida after the tournament and Ben will meet me down there.<br />
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I am still sad that I don't get to see Ben's family at all for these holidays, but hopefully, my schedule will permit it next year.<br />
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At the same time, I shouldn't let all of this get me down so much. My friends and family need to be equally understanding and respectful of me and my job. Sure, I chose this job and this lifestyle, but I love it. Those serving our country overseas chose that job, and their families need to be supportive of them, even if they can't make it home for Christmas every year. Sometimes, I don't feel like I always get that kind of support. And even if they do support me fully, I don't always feel like they understand it completely. Almost every year its the same thing, "So why aren't you going to be here for such and such a holiday/birthday/family event again? Why can't you just take off?" <br />
<br />
Well, answer me this, why can't ER doctors and nurses just take off? Don't you go around thinking about having a heart attack on Christmas! Why can't airline pilots just take off? You don't <em>really </em>need to see those relatives on the other side of the country around the holidays, do you? And those service men and women? Christmas should be the last time we're thinking about world peace and safety. Sure, what I do is sports-related and that's really unimportant compared to some of these things, but think of the outcry if the NFL decided not to have games on Thanksgiving or if the NCAA didn't have bowl games on New Year's or if the NBA didn't start their belated season on Christmas Day? <br />
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I feel blessed that I even get time off at all. Thank you to all of you out there who don't get much or any time off. Thank you for making our holidays better and brighter.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-39132058752462712742011-12-05T15:50:00.001-05:002011-12-06T19:44:40.818-05:00Ten For Tuesday: Christmas ListNow that Christmas shopping season is well under way, and Christmas itself is within sniffing distance, today's topic is ten things that are on my Christmas list this year. Feel free to help my family out with the gift giving!<br />
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1. Giftcards (can't go wrong with money)<br />
2. Make-up / Make-up brushes<br />
3. Clothes<br />
4. Coffee, particularly K-cups for my Keurig<br />
5. 2011 Hallmark NHL ornament<br />
6. Loose leaf tea<br />
7. Nail polish<br />
8. Robe<br />
9. Money for books for my Nook<br />
10. Supplies for my new hobby, hopefully, will turn into business<br />
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And I would be remiss if I didn't ask for a Red Rider BB gun, especially considering my new living situation, but I guess I will just have to be remiss...at least until my birthday.Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-43454778275250067582011-12-05T15:25:00.001-05:002011-12-05T19:54:51.457-05:00Redneck Christmas20 days until Christmas!!!!<br />
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There has not been a lot going around these here parts other some some Christmas prep. While Ben was out of town Thanksgiving weekend, I did some much needed house cleaning and put up most of the Christmas decorations. Needless to say, our house was in worse shape this weekend than last, so we did some more cleaning and put up the (real) Christmas tree. I told Ben that if our new place allowed for it, I would really like to get a live Christmas tree this year. It took more convincing than I had hoped (really? who doesn't like real Christmas trees?), but we got a nice little 7 footer turned 6 footer because our ceiling is really low. Stanley, fortunately, doesn't really care for the tree, so he stays away from it for the most part. I can't tell if he doesn't like the smell, the needles, or the sap...or a little of all three. Either way, I don't have to worry about waking up to the tree on the ground (I hope). I'll post pictures on that once we are done decorating it. <br />
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We have yet to fix the outdoor lights. I attempted to put them up myself to surprise Ben when he got home, but it didn't go too well. I wanted to put up our newly purchased icicle lights along the front roof of the house. The little plastic doo dads that I bought at Walmart to hang the lights with didn't work. The fell off under the weight of the lights, so I just wrapped the strand around the porch railing. We have two porch railings and the light strand was too long for one, but would obviously block the doorway if I jumped them from one railing to the next, so I doubled them over. So there is an excessively large number of lights on one half of our porch. We hope to fix that soon, but the alternative would be to leave them and fit in more with the local rednecks. <br />
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Speaking of rednecks, we didn't have any Scotch tape, so I improvised...<br />
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Bonus Pics:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX54sEI55uYXf84Gg2x9mhgLnrI3ZXplHkZKky_h2xNO31LUf_BZrNQL7-V_68sCqSc4q4yKBgfcajXLjJiluVUyJn8PudXPhrXJA4ye6IaxxepRQjPRcJVXvp8ynuKVt2EknOybP1E5c/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX54sEI55uYXf84Gg2x9mhgLnrI3ZXplHkZKky_h2xNO31LUf_BZrNQL7-V_68sCqSc4q4yKBgfcajXLjJiluVUyJn8PudXPhrXJA4ye6IaxxepRQjPRcJVXvp8ynuKVt2EknOybP1E5c/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the mice I caught last week</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley sleeping</td></tr>
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<br />Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-43410985539527391902011-11-30T12:57:00.001-05:002011-11-30T13:10:13.159-05:00Monthly Training RecapI definitely did not do as well as I had planned on accomplishing some things this month as far as fitness, healthy eating and training are concerned.<br />
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Goal #1 - Workout everyday. I think I failed at this two days in. Now that the basketball season is in full swing, there are some days where I legitimately have no time for anything other than work and sleep. For December, my goal is to workout 5 days a week.<br />
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Goal #2 - Put any kind of distance into swimming, biking and running. Here is how I did:<br />
Swim - 1100yd<br />
Bike - 8.5mi (all on the stationary bike)<br />
Run - 21.35mi<br />
Not as much as I had hoped, but its a start. I have lots of room for improvement in December.<br />
As far as non-triathlon related workouts, I put in 1 hours and 30 minutes of cross-training and 1 hour and 50 minutes of strength training.<br />
My goal for December:<br />
Swim 5000yd<br />
Bike 40mi<br />
Run 36mi <br />
Strength 2hr 30min<br />
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Goal #3 - Lose 3.5lbs. Actual weight loss: 2.6lbs. Not bad considering Thanksgiving, and I guess the team eats McDonald's for pre-game meals on the road? Anyways, I digress. I also did not workout anywhere near as much as I wanted. I think if I work a little bit harder on both parts, I think 3.5lbs is realistic for December.<br />
<br />Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-27562651595141553922011-11-30T11:15:00.001-05:002011-11-30T11:37:12.124-05:00Ten For Tuesday: Late Again!I don't have any ideas for a blog post for today, so I'm rewinding back to yesterday. I have done a lot of traveling in my day, and I was curious to know what are the 10 biggest cities that I have been to. Using worldatlas.com and mongabay.com as my sources for population, here are the 10 biggest cities (by population) that I have been to in order of greatest population to smallest.<br />
<br />
Note: This is actually visiting, not just flying/driving through.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
1. New York City</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="New York City Skyline" border="0" height="256" src="http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/new-york/nyc/images/s/new-york-city-skyline.jpg" usemap="#Map" width="320" /></div>
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2. London, UK</div>
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<img height="240" id="il_fi" src="http://www.vacation-travel-destinations.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/london-england.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
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3. Paris, France</div>
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<img height="236" id="il_fi" src="http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//thumb/6/63/ParisView.jpg/400px-ParisView.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
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4. Chicago</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="230" id="il_fi" src="http://www.richard-seaman.com/USA/Cities/Chicago/Landmarks/ChicagoSkyline1.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
5. Toronto, Canada</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="250" id="il_fi" src="http://jamericanmuslimah.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/toronto.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
6. Washington DC</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="228" id="il_fi" src="http://www.kaplaninternational.com/Images/02%20-%20washington-dc-skyline_tcm7-14527.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
7. Detroit</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://www.cricketbread.com/images/trash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haha! Just kidding...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="240" id="il_fi" src="http://www.leadersinstituteteambuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/detroit-michigan.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
8. Minneapolis</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Minneapolis Minnesota" border="0" height="256" src="http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/minnesota/images/s/minneapolis.jpg" usemap="#Map" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
9. Kiev, Ukraine</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" border="0" closure_uid_cm1r01="8" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631095126908155746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtL-no_0q1hUXnNm_XSyA5hIkUPW4l4tSXik5BoexcVbNBDdSTWqajEXAnthzRBKLjq2zfatwIbfjq4j6jkNhCbBd7eyxKx7JV4NVpX2TJtrYZtykryJILjruO5_Lt4iyZoV1gfQiDbYX/s400/kiev-ukraine-pictures-1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 338px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
10. St. Louis</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="225" id="il_fi" src="http://www.storagelocations.com/cityimages/stlouis.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Bonus Point Question: What do all these cities have in common? </div>
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Hint: I picked out very specific pictures to help you with the answer.</div>Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-79872786455101594262011-11-24T15:46:00.001-05:002011-11-24T15:56:59.028-05:00Odd ThanksgivingsPeople tend to give thanks for obvious things, but here is a list of things I have forgotten to be thankful for that are a little less obvious:<br />
<br />
1. Thankful that we lost the National Championship game. Could have been worse. We could have lost earlier.<br />
<br />
2. Thankful that Game 6 of the World Series was a nightmare. How else would we remember the amazing run that was this year's St. Louis Cardinals?<br />
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3. Thankful that I didn't finish Rev3 Cedar Point. The biggest success was making it to the starting point and actually having the courage to do the race.<br />
<br />
4. Thankful that I had to wait so long and go through so many job applications and interviews before finally getting a job. I love it here and I love my co-workers and my teams. Only thing that could make this any better would be if it were a hockey job.<br />
<br />
5. Thankful that I'm not spending Thanksgiving with my family. Makes me appreciate the little time that I do get to spend with them so much more.<br />
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6. Thankful that my parents are getting a divorce, and not under hostile terms. At least I still have a good relationship with both of my parents and they are both alive and well.<br />
<br />
7. Thankful that I get a flat tire in almost every triathlon that I do. I have gotten really good at changing flats under pressure.<br />
<br />
8. Thankful that I have had to work with an under-staffed staff. It is giving me a lot more experience than I would get normally. Plus, its another bragging point or "challenge" that I can talk about in future interviews.<br />
<br />
9. Thankful for this 6 hour bus ride. Two posts in one day, say what?!Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-91331704369604215372011-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:002011-11-24T15:39:50.208-05:00Random PhotosI'm preparing this post now (Monday) for your viewing pleasure as you're near passing out from mass amounts of Turkey. Instead of making you read on a holiday, I'll just post a bunch of random photos I have taken recently.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0icmmMwBi8oi0vcg0w3AKTfRyHPgUhqXGs2gX3Mh-8mdrFasUo8Mix2XzsG6pP75xhcjl-7YskjXRtjOOv_M5xhbFg23TI5yagx-MsFbPHvDAhRpWCi8X2GQ1U-jKe7u0hR8-Ac1jnOgR/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0icmmMwBi8oi0vcg0w3AKTfRyHPgUhqXGs2gX3Mh-8mdrFasUo8Mix2XzsG6pP75xhcjl-7YskjXRtjOOv_M5xhbFg23TI5yagx-MsFbPHvDAhRpWCi8X2GQ1U-jKe7u0hR8-Ac1jnOgR/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptyfM1YchNWyRh0XFjGpr1Sb0Hl89i8fYGUWKagk5OgNo-7l0AS7dCUfLzEW1Sx1phuOpgg24kV5ehcgfD1r4rOZxozAPNlNVueqyYVbHEjZ_vKIe4dHUDa3uEmCd6kHvM7WcTaHH4zLs/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptyfM1YchNWyRh0XFjGpr1Sb0Hl89i8fYGUWKagk5OgNo-7l0AS7dCUfLzEW1Sx1phuOpgg24kV5ehcgfD1r4rOZxozAPNlNVueqyYVbHEjZ_vKIe4dHUDa3uEmCd6kHvM7WcTaHH4zLs/s320/005.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall Outfit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11L5NNfBVXRSMCf2cHgQUJNTJG4dOCdDIjm9gnEtTnSXGdQVi811XVgKh7wwgbPsXN98wlT3-nZup3KxNbGlLSbhGrf-R2D2wxzUIvhPkSNYc1PM7rbSh4yE3HFM5A4xd5scVoorEw2bZ/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11L5NNfBVXRSMCf2cHgQUJNTJG4dOCdDIjm9gnEtTnSXGdQVi811XVgKh7wwgbPsXN98wlT3-nZup3KxNbGlLSbhGrf-R2D2wxzUIvhPkSNYc1PM7rbSh4yE3HFM5A4xd5scVoorEw2bZ/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our backyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDc8NVTrJPsZC7HzkDRqL4zaKMQM2KDXaBtyhfUdt3siKjEXbPsQI1QEF5Z_VLWYOiOt6GUmd_4mcbXa5-sAs3znXiL7KwdqYJX9lNoyCH5det3NVbTblVwajvgrxyEJugVZowWfyqT5F2/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDc8NVTrJPsZC7HzkDRqL4zaKMQM2KDXaBtyhfUdt3siKjEXbPsQI1QEF5Z_VLWYOiOt6GUmd_4mcbXa5-sAs3znXiL7KwdqYJX9lNoyCH5det3NVbTblVwajvgrxyEJugVZowWfyqT5F2/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our backyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU6FrUBFWZdjhABguFKisyrC16lVFtzRJ8uai-sb4aROZz-PYYaxDncKE-_PNeqtqR4c48jmqW7pP_Eh4cfqv11ryrOodgD6mhzET5Ftg_UHA1aC5D-671jxubg-egQCc7TiOAczHFLNY/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU6FrUBFWZdjhABguFKisyrC16lVFtzRJ8uai-sb4aROZz-PYYaxDncKE-_PNeqtqR4c48jmqW7pP_Eh4cfqv11ryrOodgD6mhzET5Ftg_UHA1aC5D-671jxubg-egQCc7TiOAczHFLNY/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oV3nuucBZYo3fbwzV5Wv7xlj09ibKoQXb7vlNgRErQuyvu4_488pVC4xo615k_g3287HVRuAQ5RkQIzHFyM3jE0SQU5UtQYfHdpwAmAWPmhHXNfgOH-FQFOevi32nta-fvz5tpYLTkao/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oV3nuucBZYo3fbwzV5Wv7xlj09ibKoQXb7vlNgRErQuyvu4_488pVC4xo615k_g3287HVRuAQ5RkQIzHFyM3jE0SQU5UtQYfHdpwAmAWPmhHXNfgOH-FQFOevi32nta-fvz5tpYLTkao/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley's first bath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuNQDIBwsshNYIC5l_C59WpqoXoj2vLgH4bmzWVBQxKtyJSXj1yENZfzAS-KwNI90RpRI6EOxlPabI_0DwcXRRaUlLwXMn1AbyftnOfo1mNOLkp3MFhU9L4eb621PJLYPg7IfDnqMVJUD/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuNQDIBwsshNYIC5l_C59WpqoXoj2vLgH4bmzWVBQxKtyJSXj1yENZfzAS-KwNI90RpRI6EOxlPabI_0DwcXRRaUlLwXMn1AbyftnOfo1mNOLkp3MFhU9L4eb621PJLYPg7IfDnqMVJUD/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet doggy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oa76DrDCBS94Mggz2JoLzpbEo13TERJWfyZrayUb0XjfXvAYD8-W1X2D3nbd5eCjgBE3Txnib9GWplyGmXQxAm7MPd2P0okKWKgx8WfgtA-0PnJ2O_R9nmE78PiPK6lKTEntPKBb3yQB/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oa76DrDCBS94Mggz2JoLzpbEo13TERJWfyZrayUb0XjfXvAYD8-W1X2D3nbd5eCjgBE3Txnib9GWplyGmXQxAm7MPd2P0okKWKgx8WfgtA-0PnJ2O_R9nmE78PiPK6lKTEntPKBb3yQB/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AurX94c4jrLpwTuAMR40r4X6Axigf_Pk05kgCSSk7_GE1YwJXm4UhsDXnHuJk_IsjM_UR80fOi9AtDnvb-sE3lL_hWwZy0JtSU7m7ci0LGxeNDRm19KJ0cfKAKQajE3AbTa0ckcbAUNh/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AurX94c4jrLpwTuAMR40r4X6Axigf_Pk05kgCSSk7_GE1YwJXm4UhsDXnHuJk_IsjM_UR80fOi9AtDnvb-sE3lL_hWwZy0JtSU7m7ci0LGxeNDRm19KJ0cfKAKQajE3AbTa0ckcbAUNh/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbh9Mu8JJTWfhvpC1sAk_v3ff-NkMmiY4DJnM-rOa3eoEPfm0ZUDnJuLfMGfe13fRLDhbVBb_FdHRPf4KEP-xz8tFLMXCt5M7ySIieVgcKshN4gGh0-nAeAyqHCeqO3p8AjnC7S4fl9qNV/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbh9Mu8JJTWfhvpC1sAk_v3ff-NkMmiY4DJnM-rOa3eoEPfm0ZUDnJuLfMGfe13fRLDhbVBb_FdHRPf4KEP-xz8tFLMXCt5M7ySIieVgcKshN4gGh0-nAeAyqHCeqO3p8AjnC7S4fl9qNV/s320/020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlIuPArArcC9GLCm8bd8sWB8KQ2qX9TmxQSKACJ2MyF1Uqj354aOpf8ZIN4T3FiqzNviMyIgn-LP_oju2KdfGAHPOa4B8jy1ezpiD3ZowO61DxjFpeLQaquPjBCq4a5ZHMylKm-tL7wFo/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlIuPArArcC9GLCm8bd8sWB8KQ2qX9TmxQSKACJ2MyF1Uqj354aOpf8ZIN4T3FiqzNviMyIgn-LP_oju2KdfGAHPOa4B8jy1ezpiD3ZowO61DxjFpeLQaquPjBCq4a5ZHMylKm-tL7wFo/s320/021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsnlJwex2-jQnjgAjdaHKPXM-KUc5wah5CIGJVOS-PaU3R36ezVXo3gU37-I4zsrqso7vJcwdVATchBogqdWf99NuuqjpLstJ8ezKEw71Fme5oRpZ-5vVY20xqcVwLLzJM3VZoHN_iV4H/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsnlJwex2-jQnjgAjdaHKPXM-KUc5wah5CIGJVOS-PaU3R36ezVXo3gU37-I4zsrqso7vJcwdVATchBogqdWf99NuuqjpLstJ8ezKEw71Fme5oRpZ-5vVY20xqcVwLLzJM3VZoHN_iV4H/s320/022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-42261564364870024222011-11-22T05:00:00.000-05:002011-11-23T10:22:25.459-05:00Ten For Tuesday: Thanksgiving FoodsHope you are all having a great Thanksgiving week! This week for Ten for Tuesday is a list of ten foods that we traditionally have for Thanksgiving. What other foods do you have for Thanksgiving? Any odd or different food traditions?<br />
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1. Mashed Potatoes<br />
2. Rolls<br />
3. Corn<br />
4. Sweet Potato Souffle<br />
5. Cranberry sauce/jelly<br />
6. Stuffing<br />
7. Beans or peas<br />
8. Cheese and crackers<br />
9. Pie<br />
10. Turkey!!!Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7319452557780565749.post-24681546093306807132011-11-18T09:27:00.001-05:002011-11-18T10:00:22.413-05:00Updates37 more days until Christmas!!! Not that anyone is counting...<br />
<br />
...and I've already bought a few Christmas gifts for Stanley!!<br />
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Update on monthly goals: Well, my work out every day goal fell through rather early in the month, thanks to my crazy busy schedule. I've gotten better about it the past couple of days and, hopefully, I can keep it going through the remainder of the month. As of yesterday morning, I was down 1.4lbs. That would put me just shy of my goal for the month, but I haven't been eating as good as I had planned and, like I said earlier, I haven't worked out as much as I had planned either. Hopefully, correcting both of those for the rest of the month should at least get me close, even with Thanksgiving.<br />
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Update on my team: We had our first away game last night, and second official game of the season. We are now 2-0, winning both games pretty solidly. Keep it going, ladies!!<br />
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Update on personal life: If you haven't read it yet on <a href="http://www.becomingtimberman.com/" target="_blank">Ben's blog</a>, the bad news that I received a couple of weeks ago was that my parents are getting a divorce. It definitely came as a shock to me. On one hand, I'm glad that I have both of my parents and they're both healthy and well, but they always seemed so happy together and in love so it really came out of left field for me. We're still trying to decide what to do for Christmas. Go to Florida and possibly spend my last ever Christmas with both of my parents together? Or go to Michigan to Ben's parents' house where it will be less awkward?<br />
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Update on men's basketball: Eric Griffin (#21) had an <a href="http://youtu.be/ovql-7G87xI" target="_blank">average game</a> last night...Rachellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603566141346834640noreply@blogger.com1