dirty martini

Tonight I helped my friend from the theater, Robin, celebrate her birthday over martinis at Coco... the Chocolate Lounge Bistro. It was pretty girlie, and a little overpriced... but overall fun. Robin really got into the chocolate theme with a chocolate ice-cream type martini and a white chocolate salad. It sounded so UNappealing to me, but Robin really liked it and that's what matters. My dirty martini was de-lish, I especially liked the olives! After, we went to the movies and saw Mama Mia. It was the hokey-est movie I have ever seen. I like ABBA and so the music was good... the scenery was great and the acting was decent, especially that Streep lady. She's talented.

spirited away

It was very difficult to get motivated to come back to Texas. My initial plan was to leave Friday but that didn't happen. Then I thought Saturday would be the day. Nope. By Sunday I was left with no choice... I HAD to drive back, or else I would not make it to my STAR Autism training.
I watched the movie "Spirited Away" with a new friend. I had never really seen 'anime' before and didn't know what to expect. Although I was sleepy, I stayed awake for this entire movie. All of you close friends know how big a feat this is for me... and so that should tell you something about the movie. Watching it, I was struck with how much realism there is in our Western animations. This film really had fantasy that I had not experienced before. While the plot was a little thick, and I kept thinking there was meaning behind much of the action, I walked away enjoying it very much. I would definitely like to watch it again... I think I would get a lot more out of it the second time around.

In other news, I am attending a two-day training on teaching Autistic students. The course is called "STAR" or Teaching Based on Autism Research. The training is appealing to me on a research-based/scientific level. Also, it is making me feel more comfortable with the possibilities of working with Autistic students in the future. It's one of those great programs where you walk away learning something new and actually have new tools for putting what you've learned into practice. I find with education there are so many different things you can specialize in... and learn a lot about... it's hard to think of picking just one to focus on. I remember when I got done taking my "English as a Second Language (ESL)" certification I felt the same way. I never knew then that there was so much to learn about teaching ESL properly. With Autism, I knew I had a lot to learn... Our schools and our teachers definitely wear many hats in order to best serve our diverse student population!

NPR is continuing to keep me in the know. Have y'all checked out www.cuil.com yet? It's pretty rad. I like it that there are little icons next to all of the searches. However, sometimes the site has a hard time taking on broad searches. Oh, to backup... cuil is a rival google search engine. Check it out. What do you think? I like that cuil is Irish for "knowledge". I definitely feel like I get a lot of information these days from browsing around the internet. Cuil (pronounced "cool") is just that, cool, because when you search, it will provide a menu for related searches. For example, I typed in Autism and - voila!- it will show you a 'browse by category' box with links to further sites on Autism Researchers, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, People on the Autistic Spectrum and more. Anyway, I don't think I am switching to it as my primary search tool yet, but it is rather awesome.

for you, daddy dearest and mama-dahlin'

Last night I hung out with an old friend and some new friends at Charlie Hooper's in Brookside. I hadn't actually SEEN my friend Katie since the days of Cerner, although we've managed to stay in touch through emails. She's a great woman and had super nice friends. It was import night, so I enjoyed some de-lish Oatmeal Stouts. I also enjoyed a heated game of Shuffleboard. Now, I didn't know this, but maybe you did... There's shuffleboard like the elderly play and then there's shuffleboard like you find at the bars. Distinction? One is played on the ground and the other is played on a 22-foot table. It's real name is Table Shuffleboard. It was a pretty heated game. I'll be honest... I'm kind of competitive. So much so that I told my opponent that if he knocked my puck off the table I would knock him out for real. I was just kidding but it might, MIGHT, have been the intimidation factor that Patty and I needed to win! :)

So, my mom and dad are out and about cruising the world, and I am watching their great dog Phoebe for them while they are gone. Phoebe is good for Isis because she helps Isis to break out of her scared-dog-persona and become, well, a real dog. When Isis comes to KC, she loves wrestling around the yard with her Phoebe-friend. That aside, this trip, something miraculous has happened. I already alluded to it in one post, but for those of you non-believers, here it is for your very eyes. Isis... chasing a ball. Now, this video was taken after about half an hour of playing in the hot afternoon sun, so there was less enthusiasm than I was hoping for once I thought to capture the fun on video. But it is still pretty exciting, don't you think!? Also... mom and dad, don't you think it was so nice of Phoebe to let Isis get the ball (you KNOW she wanted it!!). You have such a giving dog! Love you guys; hope you're having fun!

kosher subway

I'm not gonna lie. The last two days have not been very productive or exciting. Kansas turned into San Antonio the second the work week began and I no longer had someone (i.e. my dad) to pal around with during the day. Part of me wonders if teaching is really the right profession for me. Don't get me wrong, I dig kids and I like my job... but summers off just don't necessarily jive with me. All of you year-round-workers must think I'm crazy... but really, I like to work! More than that, I like to have something to do, and people to interact with, during the day. Maybe it would be different if I had a pocket full of teachers to play with during the summer months... but since I don't, believe me... it's not all it's cracked up to be. That being said, I spent some time updating my resume today... for a KC teaching job. I figure teaching is the most likely way I am going to be able to move away from Texas, which I would like to do pronto.
So, beyond the thrill of resumes, cover letters, and figuring out how to obtain a teaching license in the Sunflower State, I have continued my boxing regime. Tonight I was delighted to introduce the wonder that is boxing to my friend Seth. He seemed to enjoy it. I think his favorite part was all of the cute girls... so much so that he bought a membership. :) We both had to awkwardly participate in some weird partner routine. It basically involved sitting on each others' feet, then grabbing on to each others' legs and, in my case, cheering "up Up UP!" while Seth tried his best to stand straight up from a laying down position. Then I had to do it. We both agreed that we're awesome because we were able to actually stand up... even though we weren't the most graceful.
After the class and Seth giving his next year to boxing, we went to a Kosher Subway. Yep, you heard right. Kosher. Subway. It was great and fun although there was no cheese to be seen. And I love cheese.
Okay, that's all for me. I'm sleepy and I've got another round of boxing in a few short hours.

oldies but goodies

I spent Friday night with one of my dearest friends. Holly, who I've known for forever, is moving to KC before her wedding this October. I hung out with she and Reggie on Wednesday and, although I love Reggie, I was excited to get some alone time with my girl. We spent some time looking at her new house and meeting her new neighbors, cruising around my 2009 neighborhood (it's becoming a favorite hobby and also, I feel, good for positive visualization!) and ended up at Bobby Baker's Lounge in Waldo. It's a total dive, but that's my favorite kind of place. We had fun catching up and sharing war stories of our social service jobs. Amazingly, after a night of many, many drinks our tab came out to just $15 a piece! There's nothing better than that!

Saturday was a lovely day. It started with a 9:30 spinning class with my friend Kim. Okay, first - she goes to the most gigantic gym I have ever seen in my life. It was like a small city, I swear to you. Second - I'd never been spinning before and I LOVED it! They had these screens and you pedaled along watching a "Coach Cam". Yesterday we cycled around the pacific northwest which is one of my favorite areas of the country. Anyway, it was kind of fun to be sitting in suburban Kansas City and make-believe I was somewhere else. After spinning, Kim and I chewed the fat at Starbucks. The Starbucks we went to was like, infested with spiders. They were everywhere! It was a beautiful day though and really, they're just spiders, so we toughed it out. :) Oh my gosh! Isis has become a real dog! After Kim time I went home and played outside with the dogs. Isis started chasing after the tennis balls and even brought them to me. I was one proud mama!

The family pottery was ready Saturday, too. And this is the end result. Cute, huh!?
Anyway, back to Kim. That night we went to Barley's Brewhaus on 119th. It was close by and delicious. They had so many great beers. Our waiter tried to get me to drink some banana beer but it was gross. The initial flavor was tasty... and then there was way too much banana-y aftertaste. Kim and I probably could have talked all night about everything and nothing. I love that girl. So, overall it was a great night.

a week (or so) in the life

I thought I would be blogging every day. Well, it's hard to do when you're so busy having fun! The past week has been a whirlwind. I will give a little snapshot of the fun...


My mom gave a little tour of BVNW, my old school. They're doing a lot of upgrades including, but not limited to, a new broadcast technology wing and a separate workout room for teachers. Must be nice.



I got to catch up with my old Naismith neighbor, Seth. One night we palled around Town Center and another summer evening was spent getting some ice cream!


Chloe and her boyfriend (aka 'friend') Wyatt came to town. You won't see any pictures of my beautiful sister here because she wants veto power over any photo used of her and I just don't have time to keep switching things up. Anyway, they got to town and we took a family trip to Paint, Glaze, and Fire for some ceramic painting fun. Ithought it might be a little nerdy, but it turned out to be a REALLY good time!

The next day, everyone was a champ and went driving around Waldo with me, checking out my 2009 neighborhood. A visit down there wouldn't be complete without a stop at 75th Street Brewery where we shared a sampler of delicious brews.


After a quick family round of Par 3 golf, we headed to the Royals game. I swear, Kansas City is so much fun! The game was great, although hot Hot HOT! I got a souvenir weird sunburn patch on my knee... and we all got free visors! The Royals lost, but that's okay. The night ended with some Alhambra and family videos of Chloe and I as small children.



Apparently, critters are a problem in my parents' yard. My dad has set some trap and he and I went on an illegal adventure to let the little guy (opossum) go. The opossum was kind of gross. Not as cute as the ground squirrels and rabbits that have also been caught.

I hung out with my good Cerner friend Val this week, too. After a quick visit to my old desk at the Associate Center we were off to Parkville, MO. The day was hot, even at 5:30p.m. so we opted to do some wine tasting instead of walking around window shopping. We went to a cute place called Wines By Jennifer and had fun tasting and catching up. I bought a really great wine stopper made from the pod of an Australian Banksia tree. The seed holes are unusual and make me happy. Unfortunately after wining all of the shops were closed so we went straight to The Power Plant Brewery for some okay beer and okay food. We closed the Power Plant down and our reunion was over. It was great to see Val though. Oh! She taught me something new. There's an online community called Couch Surfers and she's trying it out while she's in Portland. It sounds awesome and fun so I signed myself up as a host. I wish my life had more traveling in it, but until it does, I will welcome anyone that wants to come crash in San Antonio!

One of the highlights of my week was getting to go to my favorite artist ever (Laura Nugent)'s studio. I bought my first piece of real art from her about 5 years ago at the Westport Art Fair. We've kind of stayed in touch. Visit her site... her work is absolutely beautiful and it makes me so happy. I am especially fond of all of her birds and trees.


In other news, I have been boxing everyday and loving it! I've made some friends boxing, too... and more people to know can never be a bad thing!

high speed chase, but not to a first home

I might be moving to Kansas City next year. I definitely know I'm getting out of Texas. My school has been good to me, but the town (and especially Universal City) has not really fit the grade. So I have a short list of places to go... and coming home is near the top. Today I went out and about with a realtor... I wanted to see the KC neighborhoods from a buying-a-house (which I hope to do next year!) perspective. So we drove all over and looked at some fun options. Will I live in Westport? The houses in my price range are as big/small as my 2-bedroom apartment. Will I live near Swope Park? One house was AWESOME but kind of far from anything I am familiar with... the other was artsy and cool, but came compete with a high speed chase right out the front door. My absolute favorite was a house in Waldo... right off of 75th street... my ideal location. next to 75th street brewery and thanksgiving night reunions at bobby bakers lounge. :) plus, waldo is close enough to state line that a commute to, say, the shawnee mission schools wouldn't be too far. AND waldo is smack dab in the middle of mom and dad and the fun downtown. we'll see. this isn't a sprint... it's a marathon... and since i'm a little familiar with those i know i'll be pacing myself and making slow and steady progress as the year goes on. before i leave kansas to head back to school i must, I MUST, get my resumes in to the local school districts. that's step one!

questionable environmentalism

It occurred to me as I was wheeling out the trashcan today that there is a big problem in Overland Park. You see, the trashcan I was taking to the curb was as large as the jumbo homes around me. The problem? The recycling containers were 1/6 the size of the trashcans. While it's great that an attempt at recycling is being made... some education needs to happen here. The recyclables should be greater than the trash. When I had a compost pile in my last apartment (ahh, the days of having a yard), I almost never had trash. Why? Because nearly everything can be recycled. It's true!

Today was my first boxing class and I LOVED it! Really! I almost felt like the 1 hour class was harder than running the entire marathon... we ran, did push-ups and ab workouts, medicine ball stuff and of course actual punching. My favorite was the 1-2-1 which, according to my instructor, is supposed to simulate jabbing someone in the nose, then a hit to the chin, and finally a hook to the jaw. Will I ever spar with someone in a ring? Probably not. But hitting a bag is just as fun. Class number two for me will be at 6am tomorrow. Can't wait!

I am a lucky girl! Mom and I hit up Kababesh Grill on 119th which made me so happy. I could eat Indian food every day and never get bored. Although the Matar Paneer (right) was different than what I am used to, it was still delicious. Mom's Benghan Bharta (left) was spicy and good... and I have leftovers of both to enjoy while the 'rents are away. Hooray!

get your box on!

it's official. today i signed up for a boxing gym! i am so excited. it was really amazing how it all worked out. i had told my parents that my next project (the last one being the marathon) would be to learn how to box. i don't know why boxing sounded appealing to me, but it did - and does! so today when i was doing errands with mom, what did she and i spot but the "Title Boxing Club"! I went in and signed up for 3 weeks... until i go back to san antonio and check out "Sniper" which I had searched for earlier in the day. what are the chances!?
as some of you know, i have entered a simultaneous gangsta rap/boy band phase of my life so i was thrilled to walk into my new boxing gym and hear eminem blasting at full volume. does he fall into either category? i'm not sure... but it sure was peppy with a lot of bad language, so maybe he falls into a little of both!

in other news, my mom cracked me up today when she was driving down the road and put her car into neutral over and over again in an attempt to save gas. does this really work? i don't know, but she seems to think it does... so if it makes mom happy- go with it.

alive and outside!

today was a great, busy day. i started out with a five mile run and then 18 holes of (par 3) golf with the parents. although my game wasn't as great as it usually is - it was a beautiful day to be outside. and, unlike in san antonio, i could be alive outside past 11a.m.!

the lunch date with neighbors was canceled so the 'rents and i went to see 'get smart' which was ridiculous and wonderful. i used to love maxwell smart and agent 99 when i was little.
dinner tonight was an act of teamwork with my dad grilling, i made the delicious pasta salad and my mom baked a 'cooking light' cake. i'm including the recipe for my 'tortellini-asparagus salad'. it's one of my staples and is tasty and easy!

mom and i took the dogs on a long walk after dinner and while they needed some cooling off, mom suggested that i needed a mopping off.
so far, kansas is great. i'm happy to be here!

Tortellini-Asparagus Salad
Better Homes and Gardens
Yields: 10 side-dish servings

Ingredients

• 2 9-ounce packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini*
• 1 pound fresh asparagus spears (about 16 spears) trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 4)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds, toasted

Directions

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven** cook tortellini according to package directions, adding asparagus and sweet pepper during the last minute of cooking; drain. Rinse tortellini and vegetables with cold water; drain again.
2. For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine lemon peel, lemon juice, oil, mustard, sugar, salt, and garlic. Cover and shake well.
3. In a very large bowl place tortellini and vegetables. Add dressing; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir in cheese, green onions, and nuts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

* I used a pound of frozen tortellini with no ill effects other than adjusting the cooking time accordingly.

** We don’t have one, so I used our pasta pot.

isis the naugty dog; daddy the hero

Isis is usually the best dog ever. Today she was not. Today she was royally naughty. I've thought before that Isis may be a descendant of Houdini... like the time when she escaped from her crate by imploding the sides, or the day after when she escaped from her crate again by slipping out the 1-inch (I kid you not) slit in the bottom. I thought those days of escape were over though, especially since I've had Isis for 3 1/2 years and her other "runs" were in the early days of our relationship. Today she proved to me that she still has a few tricks up her sleeve. While daddy-dearest and I were helping mom at the church the dogs were chilling on the screened-in porch. Both doors were locked, screen in tact, water bowl full. Mom and I came home after her wedding duties were over and headed to the porch to let the dogs in. Only one problem. Phoebe was the only dog out there. Isis was no where to be found. AND... both doors were STILL locked, the screens were STILL in tact, and the water bowl - well, it looked like it had been at the heart of a water fight. This leaves the question in all of our minds - WHERE IS ISIS!? Where could she have gone? I started calling for Isis and could hear her... but where was she? Then I realized she was UNDER the porch! How did she get there... not to mention, how was she going to get out!?

Well, apparently she slinked through a small crack in the door. By small, I mean maybe an inch wide. (Isis is bigger than that so I still don't see how it's really possible.) And to get her out took the skills and quick thinking by daddy who broke her free from the depths of the porch and then kindly washed her off for me so I wouldn't dirty my outfit. I'm a lucky girl.