Adventures of a Young Teacher...

82 days to go... or not

2012-02-06T16:22:00.001-05:00

So I'm feeling extremely discouraged. I haven't gone running since Thursday, the date of my last post. I was planning on going Saturday, but that morning as I was loading groceries into my car, I pulled the same muscle in my back that I hurt the previous week while on the treadmill. This time it was much worse though. I barely made it home and up the stairs to our apartment - I was in so much pain I was in tears. The rest of the day (and Sunday and today) was spent on the sofa with Advil and a heating pad. It's been frustrating. I'm not one to sit around and do nothing. I like to be active and getting things done. Laying on the sofa all day has been torture. It's hard to find a position in which I don't feel any pain. I feel like I need to be out running but I also know I need to take care of myself. My husband has been doing a great job of taking car of me and our place - doing the laundry and all the dishes, putting meals together, and keeping me company - which makes me feel bad because I have a hard time being waited upon.I'm not sure what is going to happen with the race at this point. It all comes down to time. I have until March 1st to change my event registration to the 5K instead of the half. I don't want to do that, but I also don't want to hurt myself even more. I'm not sure I can build up my endurance enough to run 13.1 miles between now and April 29th. The soonest I would start running again would be the later half of this week, maybe even Saturday. If you believe in God and the power of prayer, please pray for healing in my back and that I could run this race if it be His will. Thanks.

86 days to go

2012-02-02T20:59:00.002-05:00

After a five day hiatus, and much consulting with my running friends, I was back in business today. I was hesitant to start after Saturday's back pain, but everything was fine. I meant to focus more on strength training the past few days since I wasn't training, but slacked off and only did this last night. That's okay. Sometimes a body just needs to rest.I think I'm going to continue running four times a week and slowly add more miles. Next week I'm planning on running an average of 3-3.5 miles per run except for the long weekend run. I'm still deciding how long I'll make that one.Run time: 3 miles in 34 minutesTotal time: 3.6 miles in 43 minutes.

91 days to go

2012-01-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

Bad news... this morning I planned on running 7 miles, but at 5.5 miles in, a muscle in my back started giving me trouble and forced me to slow down and eventually stop. The funny thing is that I felt really good up to that point. I kept up a 5.5 pace for over 45 minutes, breathing was easy and not labored, and I maintained an even stride. I was really enjoying my run up to that point.

I ran 6.6 miles (in 80 minutes) today, but probably should have stopped by 6. I had my mind set on a 7 mile goal, though, and once I get my mind set to do something it's difficult to not do it. (Especially, when I know I have friends and family reading up on my training - I want to prove I can do this!) It didn't help that my husband and I spent the rest of the day walking around at the Philadelphia Auto Show. My pedometer tallied up 5 more miles as a result and my legs are beyond worn out.

I think I may be pushing myself to go too far too quickly. Only last week I started adding a fourth run to my weekly schedule. On top of the extra run, I ran almost 7 miles last Saturday (my farthest run yet). I ran this past Thursday too and covered 5 miles in 60 minutes. I need to be smarter not only about eating right, but also about how often and how hard I run. I've read in a few sources that runners aren't supposed to increase their weekly mileage by 1-2 miles. Here I am increasing my mileage these past two weeks by probably 5 or 6 miles. Needless to say, this week I will be taking it easy. Hopefully that pulling muscle in my back was a once and done incident. Please keep me in your prayers as I train!

94 days to go

2012-01-25T20:48:00.002-05:00

I had every intention to run at least 4 miles today. A friend and I were going to run outside this afternoon, but something came up and she had to back out at the last minute. I decided to run outside anyway since I already had my gear with me. Now, I am NOT a cold weather person and despise having to run when it's chilly outside. I think the high was something like 44 degrees today. That translates to "cold" in my book. Everything under 50 degrees is cold! Anyway, I went to a local park and ran the blacktop trail they have there. It looked like it was marked as being a one mile loop. I ran around three times and felt pretty good. My legs felt strong, I had a lot of energy, and I was moving at a good pace. I expected running outside to be a lot harder since I have only been training on the treadmill and the last time I ran outside was early December. The sun was beginning to set at that point, so I decided to call it quits for the day. When I got back to my car I checked my cell phone. I had set it on to the timer mode before I started. It had only been 25 minutes! Either I ran a lot better than I thought, or the trail at the park was very off. I doubt I ran faster than a 6 mph pace (AKA 10 minute mile) so I'm guessing that I ran between 2.25 and 2.5 miles which kinda bums me out. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.

96 Days to go

2012-01-23T22:02:00.000-05:00

It's been a long day. Maybe my body hasn't fully recovered from Saturday's run, but I'm tired. I started receiving an email from runner Bart Yasso describing a weekly training plan to prepare me for the race. The last couple of months I've been trying to run three times a week. Now that the race is getting closer and I want to make sure I'm thoroughly prepared, I am upping my number of runs to four times a week. This is going to make my life even more crazy, but in the end I think it will be worth it.

Today I ran 4.3 miles in 52 minutes, including the warm up and cool down.

On a side note, my copy of The Complete Book of Women's Running finally arrived today! I wanted to do nothing but read it this evening, but unfortunately it got put on the back burner as some school work was necessary.

98 Days to go

2012-01-21T15:45:00.001-05:00

Big day today! I trudged through the snow to the gym and ran/walked (mostly ran) 6.9 miles in 85 minutes – a new distance record for me! I ate breakfast this morning, but after I got home from my late morning run I started feeling sick to my stomach. I big green salad with tuna, beans, pasta, and cheese fixed all that. My legs feel super tired, but other than that I feel pretty good. ☺ I’ve been more self-conscious of what I’m eating recently. I’ve always been pretty good at eating a healthy diet, but I’m making an extra effort to eat more fruits and vegetables along with drinking more water.We haven’t checked the mail yet today, but I’m hoping there’s a package from Amazon when we go out later tonight!On a side note, I can't figure out why my posts are not in paragraphs. They are when I write them, but for some reason they disappear when I post. Sorry!

100 days to go...

2012-01-19T19:51:00.001-05:00

Cross-training took place today! I rode a stationary bike instead of running. I rode a total of 11 miles in the interval training mode (slow, fast, slow, etc.) over 40 minutes. Saturday I'm planning to do my weekly long run with a total of 6.5 miles as my goal, which I haven't run since the end of December. My Runner's World book hasn't come in the mail yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will arrive before Sunday. It would be nice to get some reading in while I have some down time over the weekend.

102 Days to go

2012-01-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

Last night I spent time viewing the website for the St. Luke's 2012 Half Marathon and to be honest it was a little intimidating. I've gone running in the area before, but my runs were only 1-2 loops around the lake and that was all. The half-marathon involves 2 loops around the lake, plus like 9 more miles through another park and along a river. Sometimes I have to take a step back and think, "13 miles... do I really want to put myself through that?" but then my competitive spirit comes out and tells me to go for it. And so the training continues. In 102 days is my race. Today I focused on speed work - running at a quicker pace than usual - and did better than I expected. Here are today's numbers:Run length: 46 minutes (including the warm up and cool down)Mileage: 4 miles

My Latest Adventure

2012-01-15T17:44:00.001-05:00

It's been almost two years since I last posted in this blog, which was originally intended for me to keep in touch with friends and family while I was away at school - my big adventure at the time (hence, the title of the blog). Since then, I've graduated, landed a fantastic job, met a wonderful man, and got married. My adventure is no longer grad school (or planning a wedding - man, was THAT an exhausting adventure and I didn't have had time to blog anyway). Instead, my adventure has recently become something else... and because I don't have anyone around to keep me accountable, I've decided to re-use this old blog - hoping that YOU will keep me accountable and inspired. So, here goes...In October, a dear friend of mine encouraged me to run a half-marathon with her. Now, I never ran track or played sports in high school (unless you consider marching band a sport). However, I do think I have athletic ability and a competitive nature. (Just ask my husband or watch me play Frisbee or Dutch Blitz!) Also, running a half marathon is on my bucket list of things I want to do before I die (along with visiting every national park in the contiguous United States, but maybe that'll be my next big adventure.) So, anyway, running this half-marathon in April is my latest adventure and I'm inviting you to come along for the ride and listen to my experiences, joys, and frustrations. Since getting married this past summer and moving away, I don't know anyone well enough in my area to be my running buddy. I began running 2-3 times in the fall, but now that I'm only 4 months out from the "big day", I need to start stepping up my game plan. Yesterday I ordered "Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running" to help me educate myself as to how to go about training in a healthy and safe way - not just the running, but for eating the right foods, and injury prevention and such. Today was Day 1 of my serious training, though I wasn't very tough on myself after a very lax Christmas vacation immediately followed by a nasty cold. But here's my first report:Exercise: Running/walkingTime: 55 minutes, but walked half the time. Calories: 360Like I mentioned, I'm encouraging you (maybe asking or begging would be the correct terminology) to join me in this big adventure. Comments and encouragements are welcome!

Student Teaching: Part 1

2010-02-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

It felt so good to get back into the school environment this week! My first week of student teaching went well, even though I didn't get to actually teach much. I get along great with my cooperating teacher and she is extremely knowledgeable. I'm finding that the more I learn about running a school library, the more I don't know. Coming from an elementary background, I'm unfamiliar with a lot of the authors and books that the students are asking for. I'm not too worried, though, because I figure the longer I work as a librarian, the more I'll learn. I'm hoping to take on more teaching responsibility next week!

Snowed Out

2010-02-14T11:01:00.004-05:00

Last Friday I left Pittsburgh to spend a weekend with my sister's family in Kentucky. Because the forecast was calling for a major snowstorm to hit Pittsburgh by 7am, I left my apartment in the wee hours of the morning. I figured with the snow coming, it would definitely be good time to be out of town and around other people. I didn't want to be stranded in my small apartment by myself for days!

The visit was great! I got to spend quality time with my sister, her husband, and their 9-month old son. We spent a lot of time cooking, eating, and watching movies. While everyone was gone during the day, I spent time on my school work and doing some housekeeping for them.

I planned to drive back to Pittsburgh Monday morning. However, I was working on a project for which I had to make 80 hardcopies of an informational sheet. I knew that it was supposed to start snowing again in Pittsburgh by 8am the next day and wasn't sure if I'd make it to the copiers on time before the class started at 6pm. What if the copiers were closed? Thankfully, my sister graciously offered me the use of her copier. However, after everything was said and done, my belongings were packed, and my car de-snowed it was 6pm - meaning I would not get back to the 'burgh before 1am. Less than five minutes after saying my good-byes, my phone rang. It was an automated message from the University stating that it would be closed on Tuesday. I had to listen to the message a second time to make sure I heard it correctly - I was in shock! That would never have happened at my undergrad university! A phone call from a friend immediately afterward confirmed my hearing concerns. I turned around and went back to my sister's place, not in the least disappointed to spend a couple more days with my nephew!

Turns out that the University closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. In addition to that, both of my Thursday classes met online rather than in person, so I stayed the entire week in Kentucky. I just returned last night and the roads still look pretty bad. I'm sooooo glad I wasn't here for the worst of it!

Back in the Swing of Things

2010-01-23T13:09:00.004-05:00

Christmas break at home was great - I loved seeing family and catching up with friends! I'm back at school and into the swing of the my third and LAST semester. This year is flying by. For as scary as moving to a new city and not knowing anyone was, it was definitely worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had the choice!

What makes this semester even better than the previous two is that I'm doing my student teaching in a middle school library! I don't start until mid-February, but I've met my cooperating teacher-librarian and she seems like an amazing educator with a lot of knowledge to share. I can't wait to be back in a school!

I'll still be taking three other courses on top of student teaching, all of which I'm enjoying so far. Things will be busy, but worth every minute of it!

Momentary Sabbatical

2009-11-18T17:45:00.003-05:00

I know, I know! I've been slacking in blogging this semester and I blame my demanding classes. Thankfully, it looks like my coursework will lighten up slightly between now and the end of the term. I'm enjoying Pittsburgh more than I did over the summer and have met a lot of great people in the last few months, but don't fret hometown friends - I have no desire to move here permanently!

So what have I been doing lately? Besides studying, sleeping, and eating? Well, my birthday was last month and some friends from school treated me to a chicken stir-fry dinner (my favorite) and a chocolate fondue dessert at The Melting Pot. That same night we rode the Dusquesne Incline (my second time). Another night I invited people over for chili and a movie. Also, I get together with a wonderful group of girls every couple weeks for a Bible study. I'm back in the habit of running, though I wasn't too committed this week.

Next week I only have one class Tuesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so I'm heading down to Kentucky to visit family this weekend. I'm especially looking forward to this as I'll get to see my baby nephew and I haven't been down there since he was born. I'll come back to Pittsburgh for my class, and then head home for Thanksgiving! I'm so relieved to be at this point in the semester!

Thank you to those of you who regularly check up on me through this blog, especially Mrs. R from home - my mom tells me you have been waiting to find out what's going on out here :o) I'll try to do a better job with this blog in the future.

Center of the World

2009-09-21T18:33:00.004-04:00

This Thursday and Friday Pittsburgh is hosting the G20 summit, which means things could get interesting. Several protests, both legal and illegal, are scheduled throughout the week. Downtown will be closed and a lot of bus routes have been altered. Safety has become a concern for the city and several of the area universities will be closed those days, but not Pitt. However, my professors have cancelled on campus classes, but will still post lectures on the University's portal system. That means a long week with no scheduled places for me to go! I plan to go to a Bible study, do some running, and visit a coffee shop or two this week to get me out of my apartment and away from these books!

End of One Life, Beginning of Another

2009-09-07T22:09:00.005-04:00

Before I went home for Labor Day, in fact before I even moved to Pittsburgh, I was considering purchasing a new computer. My old laptop, affectionately nicknamed "Grandma," was nearing the 5 year mark and I didn't really trust her to get me through this year. This past weekend, I was pretty sure that this was the weekend that Grandma would be retired. My thoughts were confirmed Friday night.

I was sitting at the kitchen table with mom and doing some school work on my computer. Out of the blue, my cursor would not move where I commanded it to. I could move it around just fine with the touch pad, but when I clicked on the button to signal where I wanted it to be - nothing. In a flurry of concern I did what anyone else would probably do - turn the computer off manually and reboot. Again, the cursor remained in exactly the same place blinking at me. I tried clicking on other windows and applications with no luck.

With concern, I showed the problem to my dad. He started playing around and I noticed that the cursor would move whenever my dad gave it a commanding click. What in the world? I thought. He looked at me and just told me I needed to click the button harder. Oh... right. I returned to the kitchen table and began pounding away with the clicking button. I couldn't just press it harder to make it work, I had to pound the thing. It seemed rather comedic. Had anyone who walked into the room that moment, they would have thought I was very was writing an email in a fit of rage from the loud clicks that filled the air.

Grandma was still operable, but after Friday's incident, I didn't dare to trust her to carry me through eight more months of graduate work. I had been researching computers for a few months already, so I had a good idea as to what I wanted. Sunday afternoon my dad and I walked into the Apple store at the mall and about an hour later I officially became a Mac.

Return of the Librarian

2009-08-30T21:54:00.002-04:00

I'm back to blogging (after a brief vacation)! I spent most of August back in good old Allentown. My three-week-long summer was wonderful. I got to spend some much needed time with much loved family and friends! My summer consisted mostly of hanging out and playing games with friends, catching a few movies with the family, getting back into the running routine (which I've seemed to have lost upon returning to Pittsburgh last week), baking, and spending time at the beach. This down time was well spent, if I do say so myself!

I drove back to Pittsburgh last Wednesday for orientation. Classes start this week and I'm really looking forward to this semster. There are a lot of newbies to my program, so I think this semester will be a lot easier to meet people. A friend who was in my program with me this summer made the comment when she saw me the other day, "You seem so refreshed and relaxed! So this is what you're like when you're not stressed." Made me laugh, but also made me think how I should not let myself get bogged down with everything I have to do. I think a lot of it had to do with the lack of fellowship I had over the summer.

Keep visiting as I'll post regular updates! Thanks for following my journey so far. Good luck to my BCS family as they begin school this week!

Star Gazing

2009-07-27T22:56:00.002-04:00

Friday night I went with a group of people to a star gazing party. It was hosted by the Pittsburgh Astronomy club out in the country, north of the city. There was a small visitors' center there which housed at least two massive telescopes, one pointed towards a distant galaxy and the other at a binary star. I was pretty impressed and felt pretty small looking at such a big sky. We caught a glimpse of the international space station make a trek above us and a Soviet satellite following it. I taught 5-8th grade science two years ago (though I was trained in elementary education) and covered stars with the students. It was neat to be able to take what I learned from teaching that year and apply it to what I observed at the party.

Living Large

2009-07-21T22:35:00.001-04:00

After over 2 months of living in the 'Burgh, I finally got tired of staring at empty walls and decided to invest in some wall decorations. My dad kindly bestowed a hammer and some nails upon me when I moved out here, so I had the necessary tools to do the job. Unfortunately, I don't think I've ever hung anything on a wall in my life and definitely not without being under someone else's supervision. Needless to say I was a little nervous about my project. I bought three small plaques to hang in my kitchen and and a clock to hang in my living room. I'm please to announce that there were no trips to the emergency room and the apartment looks pretty good so far. I'm keeping an eye out for something bigger to hang over the sofa. On top of all this wall decoration excitement, I just received an unexpected call from my landlord today informing me that my kitchen countertops are going to be replaced tomorrow - no more burn marks and coffee stains! I love all the renovation my apartment is receiving!

Battle Wound

2009-07-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

For those who don't know, I am an Ultimate Frisbee fanatic. Back home I played with a group every Sunday, so since my move to Pittsburgh I've been looking for another group. What a challenge! I found a Frisbee league, but I don't want to pay to play and I don't take the sport that seriously. It's just something I play because I enjoy running around and being physically challenged. I finally struck gold two weeks ago I was studying at Schenley Park. A group of people were playing my sport not too far away, so before I left I asked if I could possibly join them. This past Sunday was my first time sporting my sneakers on a Frisbee field since early spring, and it felt so good. Of course, no game of Frisbee is complete without some kind of slight injury, you know, to keep things exciting. (Plus, my dad thinks the emergency room would be an excellent place for me to meet a nice, single doctor. Oh dad.) So, being the newbie, I was thrown the Frisbee and fumbled it in my fingertips. It bounced off my hands and into my left eye! Ouch! Though my eye stung and kept watering, I was fine except for a slight bruise in the outer corner of my eye. It was hardly visible the next day, which kind of upset me. I think it would be cool to respond, "Oh this? It's just from playing Frisbee," when people asked me about how I got injured. There's always next Sunday...

A Taste of Sweetness

2009-07-12T23:45:00.000-04:00

My parents came for a spur of the moment trip this weekend! The goal was really for my mom to visit my grandpa in his nursing home an hour or so away, but they stayed with me Saturday night. We went down to Murry street for dinner. I have to admit that I felt somewhat guilty not inviting them to share in my corn chowder that I made the previous night, but I couldn't stand the thought of eating potatoes again. Instead, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity for non-potato restaurant food and apologized later. I think they would have taken me out regardless, not because my cooking is bad, but because they want to treat me and get me out of my apartment. Sunday morning we went out for breakfast and they left soon after. It was a short visit, but it was so sweet to get a taste of home!

Sack of Potatoes

2009-07-10T19:23:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I saw a 5 lb. bag of white potatoes while grocery shopping. I guess I was thinking, "Oh potatoes! I like potatoes. You can do a lot with potatoes. Potatoes are filling, but more importantly, potatoes are CHEAP!" So, needless to say, I bought the potatoes. Over the last couple of weeks, I've made baked potatoes, potato fries, and potato omelets. I still had six potatoes left in my pantry this morning and they were in dire need of use. So tonight I decided to make corn chowder, in which potatoes are a main ingredient. (I bought several ears of corn, cooked them, and then cut the kernals off the cob - Hello! It's cheaper than buying canned corn! They needed to be used too.) So now my potatoes and corn are used, which makes me happy. However, there's a gianormous pot of corn chowder sitting on my stove. I estimate two weeks to finish it off. What's the moral of this story? No single person living by herself should ever have need or reason to purchase a 5 lb. bag of potatoes no matter how cheap it is! It's nearly impossible to eat them all without getting sick of them!

Exploring Oakland

2009-07-08T21:26:00.000-04:00

Part of the reason why I enjoy my Multicultural class is because we go on a field trip every Tuesday. Yesterday our trip involved touring the American Indian and Dinosaur exhibits at the Carnegie Museum, eating a fantastic Syrian lunch at Schenley Plaza while being serenaded by a live musician, exploring the Pennsylvania Room of the Carnegie Library, and taking a walking historic tour of the Oakland area. Later on, after my night class, a friend also introduced me to the Pittsburgh institution of Dave and Andy's ice cream through a black raspberry cookies and cream waffle cone experience. Though very tasty, the Penn State Creamery still ranks higher on my list. You can't beat the starting point of Ben & Jerry's!

Fireworks on the 4th

2009-07-06T15:56:00.001-04:00

A friend's dad works for a local fireworks company and she invited me to her dad's 4th of July show. Before it got dark, he showed me what the fireworks look like and how they're set up before being lit. They're pretty much little bags of gunpowder stuffed down into a tube. It looked pretty complicated with all the filament and not a job I would ever desire to have.

We sat maybe 75 yards of where the fireworks were being shot off and they looked like they were exploding straight above our heads! During the finale, I couldn't decide if I should watch the fireworks or the fireworks crew - both looked equally exciting. The ground looked like a huge ball of fire as so many fireworks were set off at the same time!

Fresh Air? I Think Not!

2009-07-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

I've shared my first gripe about Pittsburgh when I began this post - the driving! Now, I'm sharing the second - the air quality. Running on 5th Avenue made sense to me, because for part of it there are only a few side streets until you get closer to the universities. However, I failed to realize that running along this main drag meant that I'd be breathing in car or bus exhaust - yuck! My whole point in running is to reduce stress and make myself stronger and healthier, not increase the chance of having lung cancer. Blah! I'm choosing the side streets next time or maybe the Bellefield gym though I'd much rather be outside.

Sporting the Sneakers

2009-06-29T23:13:00.001-04:00

Last summer I was super diligent in running 2-3 times per week. I always tend to slack off during the school year, but now that it's summer I want to get back on a running schedule. I've gone for a few rigorous walks through Shadyside and Oakland, but yesterday I kicked off my summer running season with a strenous, exhausting long-distance run. Okay, I ran like 2 miles, but it sure felt like it was a long distance.

Laundry

2009-06-28T16:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was laundry day. Being the thrifty person that I am, I had the wonderful idea of air-drying my laundry rather than pay $1.50 per load to use the dryer in my building. I not not currently have a drying rack, so instead I carefully laid out my clothes on my recliner, in my bathroom, over my pull-out sofa, around the floor, and even on my desk. The only place left to work was at my bed. This was not especially good as I felt fidgety all day with the need to move around. Plus I couldn't stand to see how messy my apartment was with so much laundry all over the place. In the end, my laundry kicked me out and I ended up going to a coffee shop in the afternoon. I came home for dinner (Its' cheaper to eat at home than out - I told you I was thrifty...) and then headed out again to another coffee shop to continue the work and support my caffeine habit. It was inconvenient, yet it wasn't so miserable that I would say I'll never do it again. Maybe I should consider my visits home around my laundry needs.

Creative Kitchen

2009-06-24T20:11:00.001-04:00

Today I discovered that it's difficult to make a quality cake when you have no mixing bowls, whisks, or mixer. I mixed my ingredients in a pot and stirred the batter with a spoon. I should have taken the opportunity to knock on my neighbor's door and introduce myself and ask to borrow these items, but didn't think of it until it was too late. This is the lumpiest cake ever, good, but lumpy. I think I need to plan a trip to Walmart.

Grandma

2009-06-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

My grandmother passed away on Friday. She's been fighting Alzheimer's for years, so in a way, this truly is a blessing. She was an extremely creative and diligent woman. She loved arts and crafts. She was always baking cinnamon rolls or some other treat in our kitchen within 15 minutes of arriving. She also loved music and singing. Growing up, she even played guitar and sang on a radio show with her sisters. To honor her, one of my cousins and I are singing "Amazing Grace" and "I Can Only Imagine" at her funeral. I sure she'll be smiling down from heaven as she sees her grandchildren carrying on her love for music.

Tornado? Earthquake? Tsunami?

2009-06-17T21:26:00.001-04:00

I just survived the most violent thunderstorm of my life. Torrents of rain, thrashing winds, massive lightning, booming thunder, penny-sized hail... Some company would have been much appreciated! I was tempted to knock on my neighbor's door, but I've not yet met him or her. My candle (in case the power went out) and book just didn't cut it.

Playing Tourist

2009-06-15T14:33:00.001-04:00

This weekend turned out to be the kickoff of my year long adventure of being a tourist in Pittsburgh. Friday night, a friend took me to the Arts Festival at Point Park, the place where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River. I was amazed at how beautiful everything looked. We also rode the Duquesne Incline cable cars that go up the South Hills. The view of Point Park and the city lights was breath-taking from the lookout platform at the top of the hills. Apparently, it's been ranked as the second most beautiful view in America by USA Weekend magazine. I was surprised at how much there could be seen from one place - Heinz Field, the Carnegie Science Center (and submarine), and lots of other prominent buildings I can't remember.

Weekend Back East

2009-06-11T23:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I returned to Pittsburgh after going on a retreat in the poconos and visiting home. The retreat was for young adults connected to my church back home. I loved getting away for a little bit, playing frisbee, and seeing old friends. It was also refreshing to be in country, to look up at the sky at night and actually be able to see stars.

I also went home because my 3rd graders that I taught this past year had their awards ceremony. I missed the seven little squirts, but didn't realize how much until I saw them again. I'm so proud of how hard they worked!

It was also wonderful to reconnect some with friends both on the retreat and at school. Homesickness is cured for the time being.

Driving Home - Part 2

2009-06-08T17:43:00.000-04:00

No worries this week - I made it home safe and sound. I'm pleased to report that no unexpected side trips presented themselves and I only had to pay $8.15 this week for tolls compared to about $12.50 last week. I think the route still needs some tweaking, but I have a year to work on that. It would be nice to find a park some place halfway through the trip to stop and stretch my legs. Rest stops just don't cut it.

Driving Home - Part 1

2009-05-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

In going home this weekend I tried to avoid as many toll roads as possible, because I am cheap in the sense that I hate spending money. It turned out to be not such a great idea because you when you look on a map, Maryland is not in between Pittsburgh and Allentown. When you see signs for Cumberland, they don't mean Cumberland, PA. Don't follow those signs! I ended up having to turn around and paying the cost of the trip on the most expensive route. So in the end I lost four bucks and an hour as I back-tracked my way to PA. Grrr.

I'm still determined to find a good route, so stay tuned to find out what happens when I make the trip again next week.

Pittsburgh Driving

2009-05-28T10:16:00.001-04:00

I've always been one of those cautious drivers that everyone else on the road hates because I drive too slow. Not so much anymore! At first I was afraid to drive here, but after trying it a few times, I've realized it's not so bad. You just have to be aggressive, you know, claim your territory.
I do have some grievances though. This crazy city is definitely morphing my right foot into a hunk of lead whenever I get behind the wheel. There's a stoplight every two blocks. What's up with that? What's with being able to park in the right lane on Fifth Avenue on Sundays? It can take 15 minutes to go 2 miles some days when traveling from my apartment to campus. I don't understand. Life was so much more simple in Allentown...

2009-05-25T16:40:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm moved, unpacked, settled, and have T.V. and internet, I'm beginning to feel the stress of the semester creeping in. I'm sure it's just a matter of finding a balance and knowing what to focus on, but I'm not there yet. Also, I'm beginning week three of living in Pittsburgh on my own. A little bit of homesickness is beginning to set in, but I'm so thankful for the many modes of communication we have available these days!

2009-05-22T19:39:00.000-04:00

Today came as a relief! I finally had television and internet installed - whoo-hoo! I had been listening to the radio a lot this past week, but I was getting antsy these last few days for some entertainment. I never realized how much I take television and internet for granted!

Move-In Day

2009-05-16T19:21:00.001-04:00

Yesterday my dad and uncle came to Pittsburgh, along with all my belongings in tow in a U-haul trailer. Despite how small my apartment is, it took forever to put carpet down and arrange all the furniture in an eye appealing fashion. In the afternoon we drove to my grandparents' nursing home and retrieved some of their furniture from when they were in an assisted living facility. That was a big help. I still have several boxes to still go through, but I'm happy the hard stuff is done!

Today I learned how to defrost a freezer using a paint scraper, a screwdriver, and a hot pan of water. Note: it helps to do this BEFORE you buy all your frozen/refrigerated food items.

My First Few Days in the 'Burgh

2009-05-13T11:50:00.001-04:00

I arrived in Pittsburgh Sunday night after spending the weekend in Kentucky with some family, including my newborn nephew. My apartment is not available until Thursday, so I've been living with friends of a friend. They have been extremely helpful in so many ways, but apart from them, I know no one in this big place! I feel excited and a little scared at the same time, but I know things will be fine once I get settled in and meet people.