I'll be gone 'til November.

Let me say the month of October has been all over the place but I'm ready to move on to a new month. October is one of my favorite months, don't get me wrong, but I grow antsy by the end of it. Oh right, so it's Halloween, huh? I guess Happy Halloween to you. The truth is, I haven't been into the Halloween vibes for many years. This year, however, I did not want to be the downer in my house. Everyone was pretty excited about this weekend so I made sure to enjoy the experience with some of my favorite people. This weekend we decided to host a football party for the MSU v. Iowa game. When I say party, I mean my roommates and a few girls from my major sat in our living room. I think three of us were into the game, but I didn't care. Unfortunately the game did not go in my favor but the company was ever so lovely. I've been studying all day long and am extremely exhausted so I have to keep this post short and sweet. Thank goodness for November. I'll have more words later. See ya soon!

 My sad attempt at making cute football cake lollipops. I told my boss I was making these this weekend. She said I'm a guy's dream woman. Watching football and baking goodies. 

...until I tell them teams I root for... ;-D

 This is my minestrone. It was delish on a crisp, fall day.

 No comment. 

We were all nerds for Halloween. Fighting over the recorder...

On that note, I'm off to watch a movie while I highlight my social psychology book. Don't say I don't know how to have a good time! Missing you all more than the average amount. 

           Best, 

                   Anne

We the people.

It's amazing how many people you meet in your life. When you don't realize it, you are meeting people constantly at the grocery store, school, on a walk, at a meeting, traveling, on the sidewalk, visiting friends, and any other setting you could possibly imagine. Curiosity overcame me and I Googled it. Google, oh wise one, said that the average person meets 100,000 people in their lifetime! Am I average? That's a rhetorical question, by the way. Imagine if I was in France! That's 200,000 kisses on all the cheeks! My goodness.

Every person I've met served a purpose and the people I meet in the future will also serve a purpose. I've landed where I am because of the people I've conversed with or the people that occupied my time. Some have impacted me greatly and others not as much, but that's not to say that they didn't affect me whatsoever. That's an unfair thing to say about someone. Consciously, I am aware of the people in my life at the moment. Subconsciously, I am aware of the people that have been in my life and people that will come into my life. It's not something to dwell on or hope for, rather something to recognize every once in awhile.

When I was younger I didn't have many cares in the world. I didn't even have Care Bears. Does that say something about me? I hope not. I preferred Lego's and Beanie Babies. Maybe that says something about me. Pish posh. It's all behind me, anyway. I made it through grade school and middle school with the same people. I had my group of friends but I never thought how life would be when I was in my twenties. Like I said, I didn't have a care in the world! I was just living my life taking it day by day. I wish I didn't have to take it day by day, though. My mushroom cut could have really grown faster!

Then it was time to meet more people. This made me nervous because I was heading into high school with a handful of people I hung out with from grade school. I was still eager and excited to meet new people. I had seen how my siblings' friendships had expanded in high school and everyone seemed so great. So this is where I added 100 or so new people in my life. I didn't make 100 friends but I met many people. Not only students, but teachers, coaches, parents, and siblings of friends.

Looking back on high school after being in college makes me realize I don't miss it that much. Many people cannot believe this but it doesn't imply that I don't miss one second from high school. Growing up has made me recognize a lot of aspects to high school that I wish had never happened, or could have been done differently. I won't go back for a homecoming game. I won't go to the five year reunion. I won't bring up high school if I can avoid it. I will remember the people I met (for better or for worse).

You know what's fascinating? How unique people are and every single person I've ever met has an individual characteristic that makes them special. I love this. Even when people can't clearly see something, I know it's there. Underneath the voice, the personality, the actions, lies an incomparable feature that defines a person.

College has helped me with the people count. Three schools in four years. Is that an advantage? Perhaps that's why I wanted to check out three schools. Getting behind on my people count! Sure, there are probably 100 people that I've introduced myself to and vice versa that I will never see or talk to again but just because I was with my roommate, for instance, who introduced us doesn't mean I shouldn't be polite! I must remain the classy girl from Crystal Lake. Okay, no one says that to me but I sure hope they are thinking it. ;-D Even still, I've broaden my acquaintance list and now I'm encouraged to network. How else do you find jobs these days? It's not a conventional way, that's for sure. "I met someone on a train that ate with another person that dated the man who runs Boeing." .....for example.....

I'll be honest, I just forgot my point. Okay, here we go. My point is, there are so many people in this world. I'm almost 22 and I've met about 22,000+ people thus far. Is that right? Sounds unreal. (I guessed I'd live to 90. TBD). Some of my best friends are people I met in grade school and grew closer to as we aged. I've learned how important it is to "make new friends but keep the old." We learn and grow so much from other human beings. Why stop?

             Best,
                     Anne

Anne's Best Friend.

When I was younger, I did not enjoy dogs. I didn't think about them as a best friend or a creature to cuddle when you wanted something warm and snuggly. I have good reasons for disliking dogs. The dog across the street was a Dalmatian (by the way, when was the last time you saw a Dalmatian? Seriously...it's been ages. Are they extinct?) and she decided to chase me while I was on my bike. I tried to get away but I fell on the ground and skinned my knee. Okay, that may be my only actual reason but most dogs I'd come in contact with were big and I was scared so that made them feel funny and therefore try to "attack" me. Attack probably meant befriend but I was young and naive, how should I know? So I did what any dog-fearing child would do...I took the hamster route. The fuzzy, soft factor was there and I could hold those creatures in the palm of my hand. Sounds good until they started to poop in my hand. Two hamsters later, I realized I wasn't a hamster person. I think I was, what you say, "growing up." My sister, Melissa, was a dog lover (and still is, but we are reflecting here). She wanted a dog her entire childhood and about 14 years ago, she got what she wanted. Our family was on our way out the door for vacation but we decided to stop and look at some dogs. Spoiler Alert: We didn't just look! Sam, a tiny, black, Peke-a-poo, became the newest member of our family. At this point in my life, I could accept a puppy. I was bigger than Sam. Sam was adorable. Therefore, it was all good. I loved telling people that he was a Peke-a-poo. "Half pekinese, half poodle. He doesn't shed and he will only weigh about 12 pounds. How AWESOME is that?!" That's usually how I bragged. When I think about it now, I don't remember what life was like without a dog. I'm nearly 22 and Sam has been our dog for 14 years. In the early stages, Sam had mad hops. Anytime we had meat on the counter, Sam decided he should see what it looked like and proceeded to launch his tiny body off the ground until he saw the counter top. He barked whenever we cut apples or opened the kitchen window. He barked at any sign of life he saw in front of our house. He chased any tennis ball at any time. He darted outside if the door was left open and we'd chase him down the block until we caught him while he was peeing. All of these actions may have seemed annoying at the time, but I loved the proof that Sam was adventurous and always interested. Do you know what wasn't annoying? Anytime someone in our family was injured, or sad, or crying, or in need of a couch buddy, he knew. He was always there. If we didn't see him, we'd trip over him. A simple accident, but it made us realize Sam was still down there living his life and just trying to enjoy our company as much as we enjoyed his company. We really did enjoy his company. I know I can speak for my family when I say that. Sure, everyone has their good and bad moments but Sam's good moments far outweigh his bad. Sam has been aging lately. Although, you wouldn't guess if you just saw him. Few gray hairs, and never had a dye job! Okay, I'm trying to bring humor to a very difficult and sad day. I knew before I left for this school year that I wouldn't be able to see Sammy again. I took a million pictures of him. I hugged him as much as possible. I told him everything would be okay. I explained that the hamsters didn't hold a candle to him. I prayed for him.  I cried to him.  I said I'd miss him so much. Then I was gone. Over a month later, we have to say goodbye to Sam forever. I hope his pain is gone and his aches disappear. While my pain and aches are still here, I know that Sammy will be someplace better. We'll be missing you, Sam. Always.

             Best,
                    Anne

Fall festivities---starts with F.

 Flowers. 

 Food. 

 Five K. 

 Freezing. 

 Fruit. 

 Farm animals. 

 Fetching. 

Friends. 

         Best,

                Anne

I didn't mean to...

I'm good at keeping secrets when I have to, but this secret can most certainly be shared. I can't believe I haven't already shared it with you! I mean, it has been a year...Alright, alright. I have the BEST pasta salad recipe. I mean it, okay? Well, it's obviously not my own. I would not toot my own horn in such an extravagant way. This recipe comes from the Food Network Magazine from last October's issue. The article itself was called Marathon Meals which is fabulous. Basically, restaurants in the big marathon cities shared some of their delish recipes to fuel those crazy runners. The recipe I love is from San Antonio at Papouli's Greek Grill. It's a Mediterranean Pasta Salad. You had me at Mediterranean. I can't wait until the next time I'm in San Antonio to try this place! Or...the first time. That's neither here nor there. Let's get to it!

You need tri-color pasta. I don't accept beige pasta. The recipe states that you can use bow ties or fusilli, but Trader Joe's has tri-color radiatore which looks so much more fun than your typical bow tie. How bout NO-tie. Moving on...

Mediterranean Pasta Salad: 

Kosher Salt

1 pound tricolor pasta

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2-3 teaspoons dijon mustard

Freshly ground pepper

2/3 to 3/4 cup EVOO

1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned

1/4 cup diced onion

2 large pickled pepperoncini

3 Tbsp. halved black olives

2 tsps. chopped fresh oregano

1 and 1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 and 1/2 Tbsp. grated romano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then rinse with cold water to cool. 

2. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, 1 tsp of salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in enough of the oil to make a smooth dressing; season with salt and pepper.

3. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, onion, pepperoncini, olives, and oregano in a bowl. Add the cooked pasta, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Add vinaigrette and both cheese. TOSS. Chill until ready to serve. Oh, the pasta needs to be chilled, too. Wah wah. 

*You can change this recipe to meet your hopes and desires. For me, I omit the olives. I hate olives. But, that's not to say you do as well! Add extra of anything or less of any ingredient. I just think you should try this though. It's so worth it. I could eat the entire 4-6 servings. I'm not exaggerating. 

Also, you don't have to run a marathon to eat it. I promise. 

         Best,
                  Anne

The Scholarship

Thanks to my network of bloggers and social media sites, I found a scholarship. It's a blogging scholarship! I realize the infinite amount of genius blogs out there, but where is the harm in applying? You're right. No harm at all. Thanks for the reassurance! Since I share my stories and experiences with you, I'll let you see my essay. It had to be 300 words or less (eek!) A number of questions were given to spark our interest while writing the essay. I chose this one....obviously:

Why did you start blogging? What does blogging mean to you? Why is blogging important to you?


Before I share this (and secretly blush from embarrassment because I do things like that), my brother John helped me with the funny part at the beginning. What would I do without him?


Here we go...


The past four years have been a whirlwind of decisions, transitions, and prepositions. Since you cannot end a sentence with a preposition, I suppose I’ll say the years have been the best learning experiece of my life. I started my college years in Iowa and soon realized that was not for me. After immense amounts of stress, frustration, and tears, I headed home for a year. I knew I needed to be somewhere else but any rapid decision could have affected me in a more negative way. It did not take long for me to admit I had to move to a place that could help me grow as a person and learn as a student. The lucky winner? Bellingham, Washington. Honestly, I turned out to be the lucky winner. The Pacific Northwest screams beauty and I made up my mind to document my new life. Moving away from nearly all of my family and friends was tough but I was full of pure excitement and anticipation toward my life ahead. A blog seemed like a convenient and enjoyable way to keep everyone updated, but allowed me to share my creative side. Saved by the Bellingham was created on August 12, 2009. As much as I love clever sayings and plays on words, the title is truly meaningful to me. A part of me was missing before this adventure out west. I found that missing piece in Bellingham. Over a year has passed and the blog prevails. I attempt to bring humor to each post, regardless of the situation. I have tracked my marathon training, the food I’ve eaten, the people I’ve met, the dear ones that I miss, and the loveliness of the state of Washington. This blog doesn’t have a clear subject but it is clearly full of everything I love in life.


I guess we'll see what happens!


Best,

Anne

What is popular is not always write, what is write is not always popular.

Please make yourselves comfortable. I have a story for you (and you, and you, and you, and you).

The other day I was sitting in one of my health classes. It's strongly geared toward writing skills at the moment and I have been reading article after article on good writing skills.  The articles have made me realize how terribly horrendous my papers have been in the past. My jaw has dropped numerous times while reading the tips of good writing because I do exactly what they say not to do...all the time. To be fair, I'm glad to discover what not to do before I go out in the real world and make those major mistakes. It's still, how do I say this, a buzz kill? Unfortunately, our class turned in papers summarizing the key points of the articles we read regarding writing. After exhausting the topic for one day, I would have preferred to sneak my paper back before she graded it so I could change, um, every word. Things did not go to plan. The next class, we were to receive the papers. Red, red, red, red, red, marks everywhere. Before my teacher handed them back she said she'd read a few examples of mistakes she found. Then I heard, "Anne, is it alright if I use yours as an example?" Gulp. "Well, sure." She read a sentence that I cannot even remember but it had big college words and health terminology. You know, where can you go wrong? I was explaining how a health educator could get hired and explained that it would help if he or she had "phenomenal writing skills." Yeah? So? Why not? She proceeded to ask the class if they knew what was wrong. "Anne, do you think you know what's wrong?" I knew what she wanted me to say. "You probably don't want me to use the word phenomenal." Bingo. I was not quite sure why it was so bad to have phenomenal writing skills but I waited for the pro to tell me. She is the expert! "It's not bad, Anne, but this is a great example where you need to ditch your creative writing skills and write in a more technical way." Ditch...my...creative writing skills? Sniffle sniffle...but...I mean....how?...never?...hmpf. In typical Anne fashion, my face went from pale to tomato red in 2.5 seconds. Don't worry about the tears I almost spilled. It's difficult because I write this blog here. Perhaps you've noticed? I assume you can call it creative writing. I've gotten used to writing how I talk. Yep, I talk creatively. Really, though, nearly every post I put up is something I would say, or a story I would share aloud. I know technical writing is the way to go. Believe me. I just would rather add some personal flare. From now on, I will be rereading my papers a million times. I am thankful we did this exercise early on in the year. I'm also thankful that I have this blog as an outlet. Storing my creative writing ideas in my mind can get pretty cluttered so I'll continue to release that here. Once again, Saved by the Bellingham. 

Have a phenomenal day. 

            Best, 

                  Anne