a new adventure

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new adventure. I will be heading out to SUNY Fredonia for the New York State Summer School of the Arts, where I will be both the supply coordinator and a teacher's assistant. It's been about six months since I've even stepped into a classroom, and even longer since I've stepped in one that has high school students in it. Apparently student teaching wore me out, burned me even, so I'm ready for the embers of my teaching passion to burn brightly again. I have no doubt that God has opened this opportunity up for me because I've been so wishy washy about my current job. I love working with kids and teenagers, that I know without a doubt, even ones with disabilities. So it's not so much the people I serve every day, but it's the part time work that I'm doing. To be able to work full time for the first time in a really long time would be both a relief on the finances, and fulfilling as someone who actually likes keeping busy with life.

Tomorrow I go. I invest. I create. Challenges will come, but nothing can swing it's hand at me. I will, however, miss my friends and boyfriend, but I would not pass this opportunity up for anything. Bye Rochester, see ya when I get back!

a boyfriend and a nine-year-old

So in my previous post I wrote an entry about one of my favorite nine-year-olds T. Today he was back at my work house, and I love it every time he's there. I was in charge of getting him up this morning, and he again was inquiring about why I didn't have a boyfriend. The last time I saw him, this was the reality of my life, and today I had the pleasure of telling him I had a boyfriend. I wish you all could see his face, it was priceless. His eyes got huge, his face broke with the largest grin, and he gave me the biggest hug. Then he asked me if I had taken his advice?! lol This was the greatest question I could have gotten this morning. I told him of course I did, though really I didn't do much of anything. My glasses stayed on, and I didn't met him in a bar, but boy am I glad he's my guy.

Dating advice from a nine-year-old

Over the last few months that I have worked at my job, I have had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite nine-year-olds ever! I shall call him Tee for the sake of confidentiality. It all began a while ago, the dating advice from Tee. I couldn't help but laugh, and therefore I hope you will join in the laugh with me. The first time he gave me advice, I believe one of the other staff had been questioned whether or not she had a boyfriend. When she answered that she did, he was satisfied with that and proceeded to ask me whether I had one. I had to admit, I did not and that I was ok with that. He looked at me with a very serious look on his face and said, " Yeah, that makes sense." In my curiosity of why that would make sense to a nine-year-old, I had to ask him why. His response was classic, "Because boys don't date girls that wear glasses. Also they don't date girls that wear glasses and braces." How could I not laugh, and smile and give him a huge hug. This kid was brilliant.

It was a few weeks later, when he came to stay at the house that I got my second dose of advice. We were getting him ready for the day, and he said to me, "I still don't understand why you don't have a boyfriend." In which I replied, " Well, I'm ok with not having one." He said, "But you need one." Of course I had to ask him why again, because I knew something profound was going to come out of his mouth. His response, "You need a boyfriend so you can have someone take care of you." What an insightful kid, and though I agreed with him... I again just smiled and hugged him and said, "Thanks for the advice."

The last time I saw him, he brought up my singleness one last time. This time with what I think was the best advice. He told me that I should be out at the bars having my friends asking boys if they like me, and hooking me up with them. :D I mean, who is this kid?? My guess is that his mom is a single mom, and he learns some of these things from her. He is one of the guests that comes to our house, that I may say that he really is my favorite. If I could adopt him, I would. Don't knock kids, because they really do bring insight and joy to life!

Some time of reminiscing

Alright friends, it's time to pull out those flannels, grow your hair long, and enjoy some Excellent Adventures. It's been fun these last couple of weeks reminiscing with my friends John, Levi, and Dana about their favorite 90's bands. In the spirit of reminiscing I've been looking up some of my favorite bands from the 90's with the help Top 100 lists. Honestly as I look through, I realized that a lot of what I loved wasn't really Top 100, yet I managed to enjoy it any way! :D Below I will list some of my favorite bands of the 90's and a few of the songs that Rock my face off!

1. Pearl Jam: what do I not like of their earlier stuff... Alive, Black, Jeremy and Even Flow...

2. Smashing Pumpkins: even though Dana thinks that Gish is their best, my favorites come from Siamese Dream... Silverfuck, Mayonnaise, Cherub Rock

3. The Cranberries: Dolores O'Riordan rocked it out, and inspired my 3 year stint of a shaved head... Linger, War Child, and Zombie

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Under the Bridge, Give it away, and Areoplane

5. Blind Melon: Tones of Home, Change, and No Rain

6. Gin Blossoms: Allison Road, Until I Fall Away, Hey Jealousy

7. Bush: Machinehead, Glycerine, Comedown

8. Metallica: Enter Sandman (one of the best), Until it Sleeps, Hero of the Day

9. Alanis Morissette: Mary Jane, Head over Feet, You Oughta Know

10. Collective Soul: December, The World I Know, Gel

11. Live: Iris, All Over You, Shit Towne... basically loved the entire Throwing Copper CD

12. Toad the Wet Sprocket: Come Back Down, Walk on the Ocean, Hold Her Down

13. Duran Duran: Ordinary world, & Come Undone

14. Green Day: Welcome to Paradise, When I Come Around, Basket Case

15. Beastie boys: Sabotage, Intergalactic, Brass Monkey

16. Nirvana: Smells like Teen Spirit, Heart-Shaped box, Pennyroyal tea

17. Soundgarden: Black hole sun, Fell on Black Days, Spoonman

18. Stone Temple Pilots: Vaseline, Interstate Love Song, Plush

19. Alice in Chains: I Stay Away, No Excuses, Man in the Box

20.Weezer: Sweater Song, Say it Ain't So, Buddy Holly

There are so many more bands, and more songs from each of the artists mentioned above. If you want more inspiration and reminiscing for yourself check out Top 100 Alternative Songs of the 90's! I hope this bring back good memories of skateboards, flannels, and long locks.

A picture montage for my guy friends

This is a tribute to my guys friends! The pictures are in no particular order, as they are all very important to me, and thanks for all your support! Love you guys!
Stephen: playing music is one of his many passions









Dana: a great drummer but more importantly a great husband and father!



Levi: a superb worship leader!










John: He keeps me on my toes when it comes to thought and philosophy










Saurabh: Someone I miss greatly, COME BACK!!!











James: A great man, though he drives me nuts sometimes! :D











Shayne: a new friend, but a whole lot of funny











Jake: incredibly smart, and occasionally tells a good joke! ;D











Ryan: a musical talent you can't miss!











Josh: Always thinking on life, and often has good insight.











Adam: Has a very caring heart!











Ben: A visionary and a great leader!











Mark: a gifted photographer and obviously a goof (sorry Mark this was all I had of you)










Jay: a gift to my roommate, and extremely funny. TOTES!

Spring is on it's way!!

As I walked by the front of my house the crocuses where peeking out of the ground. I was on my way to the park for the first time since winter blew its ugly head into Rochester. It made me realize that I need to get my bike fixed. Right before the end of the Summer I was on an amazing bike ride, on the Canal Trail, with my friend Katie. We headed out around the Pittsford area for what we anticipated to be a long and successful ride, about 3 miles into it my back tire popped and came off it's rim. I am still pretty amateur with the bike excursions, so I did not have a replacement tube, and at the time I did not have the finances to get it fixed. So it's been sitting in the basement of my house, locked to a pipe, calling out to me... fix me... ride me! To me there is always a silver lining in the bad things that happen. In this instance I had my iPhone with me and was able to take some pictures of really awesome things. Below are a few examples of the images I took. Enjoy! I hope to also begin taking some new pictures as Spring roles in.

Katie and her bike

I'd love to curl up with a book HERE!

A sweet barn

The coolest mushroom ever!

Highland Park Diner

Over the last few postings I've been doing a some reviews of some of my favorite local places to eat. If you visit Rochester, you cannot miss Highland Park Diner. There are options for all different kinds of taste buds. If breakfast is your thing, then you have to try one of their many offerings of omelets, including my favorite: Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, it is a combo of veggies wrapped in fluffy eggs and slathered in roasted red pepper pesto, served with your choice of home fries, grits or fruit and toast. For diner coffee, they do a pretty good job as well for a great pick me up. On the lunch or dinner front my recommendation would be the Highland Burger. A delicious 1/4lb beef patty topped with a slice of Canadian bacon, provolone cheese, and a special sauce served on a warm bun, a side of lettuce, tomato and curly fries. To really make your experience authentic you must try one of their shakes. They have your traditional shake flavors such as chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, but they also take pride in their unique flavors such as Nutella, Peanut Butter, and Bailey's Irish Cream. Not only do they give you a glass full of shake, but also the metal cup they mix it in with lots of left over. For a decent cost you can enjoy a meal by yourself, or with a friend. Below are a few pictures I've taken in my many times there.

The inside of the building

Jake enjoying a few shakes :D

The Tuscany Omelet

ENJOY!

A visit from Boston

My best friend, Stephani, and her boyfriend (now my friend) Trevor, came in on Wednesday to visit me from Boston. Well, South Hamilton to be exact. I first met Steph four years ago when on a retreat to Buena Vista, Colorado. From that point on, I had a feeling that she and I would be friends for a very long time. Here we are four, though we joke it feels more like five, years later and we are still enjoying each others' company. Trevor met Steph last September, then just a couple months later they started dating. This weekend is the official "meet one of my besties" kind, but in person. I first met Trevor compliments of Gchat through Gmail, in which Steph introduced me to him. He is one great fellow.

Since he likes good food, as well as good beer, I have been doing what I can to introduce him to some local Rochester places, including Han Noodle Bar , which is what we had for lunch today. One of my favorite places to go for tacos is a place called Dorado on Park Ave. Not only do they have great fish tacos, they have super delicious margaritas, often made with fresh fruit, daily. That day's choices consisted of pineapple, strawberry, or mango. A bit on the pricey side, but definitely worth it. Another food experience that is a must in Rochester is garbage plates, which normally I would take them to Nick Tahou's but since we didn't want to drive that far in the awesome winter weather, I took them to Mark's Texas Hots instead. Below is an image of them with their garbage plates, Trevor definitely left satisfied. They also went on an excursion to Buffalo to the Anchor Bar, and Canada for Niagara Falls.



Overall it's been a really great time!

Han Noodle Bar

Every once in a while I think about how fun it would be to go to different restaurants and write reviews of their food. I love food, there's no getting around that. Lately I have been craving Chinese food, and per the suggestion of my buddy Stephen, I went to Han Noodle Bar off of Monroe and Oxford. When you walk into this place, you will be seated by the waitress at any one of the tables in its minimalistic style interior. As I looked over the menu that was handed me, I realized that I was familiar with some of the listings, and there was also plenty I was not as familiar with. My first experience there was with my friend Meg, where we both got something we were familiar with. They have excellent crab rangoon, egg drop soup, and entrees such as LoMein and General Tao's Chicken. On my second visit, I went with Stephen. As promised to the owner that when I came back I would try something different from the menu I went with a roast pork broth noodle bowl. This consisted of broth, rice noodles, bok choy, topped with pieces of roast pork. Stephen got the same thing only with mushrooms instead of pork, and ordered us some jasmine tea and egg rolls. When you order tea they serve it in a large tea pot, so that you can enjoy tea throughout the meal. I recommend going to Han and trying anything from the menu, it was well worth it and the cost is very reasonable. Meg and I ate for about $25: crab rangoon, egg drop soup, LoMein, and General Tao's. Stephen and I at for about $20 which included: Crab rangoon, egg rolls, jasmine tea, and two broth bowls. Not too shabby. Below are some images I took of the food that we ate.


Chopsticks & tea are essential to enjoying a good meal.


Egg Rolls that were amazing and fresh!


Broth Bowl with Roast Pork

A Great Celebration!

Meg turned 23 about a week ago, and on her day of birth we celebrated! The day started off with a coffee date at Boulder with her and Jackie. When we got to Boulder I ordered Meg and I a sugar-free vanilla chai with soy milk and a shot of espresso. As I type this out I realized how much I've become the very thing I got annoyed with being a barista. The extra long orders that make me sound spoiled, but let's be honest I am. ha ha ha! No, not really! I just happen to have worked in the coffee business for so long, that I know what I really like. Seriously, if you haven't tried a dirty chai, you have to!

I really enjoy spending time with Jackie and Meg. WE had a chance to catch up, joke around, and just enjoy each others' presence.

After we left, Meg and I went on to make some delicious s'more bars, and just relaxed at my house. Our day ended together as we had a game night at Ben's and just continued to enjoy the company of friends.

Engagement!

About a month ago I had the opportunity and pleasure of taking some engagement pictures for friends of mine. I love taking pictures of people, especially those in love. As most people in Rochester know, winter equals lots of snow but this particular day was sunny and wonderful for taking pictures! Nate and Janelle are super fun people, and willing and open to any suggestions to places in which to take their engagement shots. We started at Mt. Hope Cemetery. For those of you outside Rochester, you may be thinking it's kind of morbid to take a couple to a cemetery for their engagement photos, but it's actually a very beautiful place with old church buildings. We then headed to Boulder Coffee Co. to warm up our bodies and try some casual, relaxed pics. We then ventured over to the Highland Diner for some vintage style pics, and finally ended up by my house in which Nate decided to make some snow angels. Below you will find a few of my favorites from the time I spent with them. Enjoy with me in celebrating their engagement.


Mt. Hope Cemetery


Mt. Hope Cemetery


Boulder Coffee Co.


Highland Park Diner


Snow toss!

Weekends

My weeks have been pretty laid back this last month and a half as I have worked on finding a job. I start up my job next week, which I'm really looking forward to, but for now it's been good. What I have really loved, however, has been my weekends. Maybe it's the fact that before I came back from Christmas in KC, my weekends consisted of homework and that's about it. Social life wasn't even in my vocabulary during student teaching, so I feel like I've finally got some life back. Over the last few weekends I have had some great moments with some great people. I wrote about one of those moments the other day, the lazy Saturday. Below I'm going to post some photos of my favorite moments from the last couple of weekends.


Celebrated James Birthday


Out with Katie to our Secret Place


Community time at Ben's


Valentine's Day Outlet


Late night meal at Mark's Texas Hots


UFC Fight Night with the fellas


Super Bowl Party!

Getting tea

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours at Starry Nites Cafe enjoying a cup of tea. If you go to coffee houses and cafes regularly I think you would understand what I'm about to say. Whether it's going only or with a friend, they have this atmosphere that requires deep thought. I have a habit of pulling out my journal and writing a few thoughts down when sitting in a cafe, which is what I started out doing. Then it called to me, the City magazine's crossword puzzle. Now before you make any assumptions about crossword puzzles, influenced by your success or failure at them, I actually approached this one with anticipation. If you were sitting in Starry Nites with me, you may have noticed that I used a pen when filling out the crossword. This is not, however, an indicator on how good I am, but rather from the fact that I almost never have a pencil on me. The filling began and as I filled in section by section, I was feeling incredibly confident. Then it happened, the one thing I dread about crossword puzzles, the clue I think I know the answer to ends up being something completely different and I have to rewrite letters over the ones I had written before. As you can see by the picture below that this then sent me on a spree of missed clues and rewrites. Overall it was a great time, regardless of my inability to actually complete the thing. I love getting tea, a good book or conversation, or just trying to conquer a crossword puzzle.

Cats

Meet Simba! This is my friend Ben's cat. The other day I went to his house for the first time, and usually I ask people if they have animals. Not because I'm terrified or scared of them, but because I am allergic to them. He has two cats, and I had no idea. The problem with it all is that I happen to be a fan of cats. I want to pet them, hold them, and just love them but I can't. Luckily my roommate came to the rescue by bringing me some antihistamines so that I could enjoy the evening's events. Simba is a very large, very hairy cat, so it was a huge favor that Dani brought the drugs when she did. It ended up being a very fun evening where we hung out, ate pizza, and watched "Dan in Real Life". The night ended for me, after watching an intense game of Mafia, with the beginnings of an allergic reaction to the cats. So I sadly bid farewell to the gang and headed home to bed. The next morning I woke up with a puffy eye that was as red as cherries, and a stuffy nose. Overall it was worth it. I mean just look at him!



Muzzie is Ben's other cat, he's not camera ready so there aren't any good pics of him. I do find it interesting that cats tend to find the person in the room that can't pet them and then rub up against them, as kind of a taunt. Muzzie is trying to get the very last of whatever is in his fish bowl. It was a great and precious moment. The question is then, why do I love the things I can't even love on? Hopefully with heavy allergy meds, next time I'm over there I can enjoy them a bit longer. :D

A Lazy Saturday

I really enjoy a true day of laziness. It only happens every once and a while, but today was one of those days. It began with a great conversation with my best friend Stephani, who called me at eight this morning. Luckily for her I was already up. Ha ha ha. Since my roommate was still asleep in her room, and her boyfriend asleep on the couch, I had to find something to occupy my time doing something which ended up being the cleaning of my room. Once there was some movement happening by Danni and Jay, my day of doing a whole lot of nothing began. We sat around, drank coffee, talked, made and ate omelets, and spent some time at Spin Cafe reading. Currently we are watching Flyboys, but as you can read I'm doing this instead. Below I have placed a few of my favorite photos from the day. I hope you enjoy!


Jay enjoying a good book!


Danielle enjoying some sketching


A delicious cup of coffee


Coffee Coffee Coffee!!!

a weekend to remember

Last weekend was one of those I feel like I will remember for a while. There wasn't anything super special or fantastic to anyone looking in, but for me it was many moments of refreshment to the soul. Friday was an evening with friends at the Outlet where we talked, played games, told stories, and built different sculptures with Jenga blocks. Saturday night was spent with Meg and Josh. I made us stir fry. Then Danielle came home and we busted out a new game called Coaster toss. After awhile Jay came over, joined us for a round of coaster toss and then we played "what's yours like".

Now if you've never played this it's about time you get to it, but if you have then you'll understand how awesome it is. Basically it's a game where you get a noun, and one person has to guess what the noun is based on the clues given.

For example:
my word to guess: Disposal

Clues:
Some people put things in mine that they shouldn't
Mine is round
Mine is sticky

Jay's word to guess: ceiling

Clues:
I have trouble reaching mine
mine's leaky
My old one used to be bumpy, my new one is smooth

Danielle's word to guess: Soap

Clues:
I keep mine on a rope
Sometimes mine has hair on it
I put mine all over my body

You get the picture! It was pretty awesome. Sunday finished off with some Vietnamese food with Stephen, Ryan, Adam, John, Jay and Danielle. Went to a party for a couple of guys from my church, where we had pizza and cake and a major balloon fight. My weekend ended with a great time with old friends and new friends sharing life and God. I have realized how much of a quality time person I am. Thank you all for a great weekend!

Meg

I thought I'd take a moment to share about my friend Meg. Over the last few weeks we have had the pleasure of spending ample amount of time together. There is nothing better then having a friend that you can spend time doing something with or nothing with and both situations bring joy to the heart. We found out that we are both quality timers, meaning we feel love through spending quality time with others. It's been rejuvenating to the soul, especially during this time of joblessness. We've had many an afternoon just sitting and working on things individually, but some of my favorite days are the ones we have gone picture hunting. That's right... you heard me... picture hunting. Whether it's been out to Mt. Hope Cemetery for some snow covered tombstones and statues, to walking around Park Ave and cafes. Below are a few of my favorites from these excursions:


Mt. Hope Cemetery



Omelets at my house

There will be more to come in the future!