where did january (and half of february) go!?

2009 has been flying by! It must be because I've been having so much fun. Who would've thought? In San Antonio!?

It started when my lovely sister Chloe came to visit! We headed to Austin for some good times and Esther's Follies. We, unfortunately, saw Illinois lose but had a good/awkward time meeting some fellow Illini fans. We checked out some great art galleries and I got some great new art tiles. All in all, a great time.

Volleyball is still going strong. I am getting better and it's fun. Our team has won some and has lost some, but it's been fun all along. I am particularly loving the post-game happy hours. It's been great getting to know my teammates better!

I've marked a few things off my Texas To-Do list this past month. One thing was checking out the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. I went with a free ticket to see Pat Green and ended up getting the show of a lifetime when my friends and I realized it was Extreme Bull Night. Bull-riding galore! It was scary. I remember thinking that my job has it's moments of unnerving... I am SO glad I am not a rodeo clown!

Another thing checked off my list was to see the Institute of Texan Cultures. It just so happened that I made this a reality by convincing the second grade team that they needed to take a field trip there. Voila! Erin's Texas To-Do is one item less! We had SUCH a fun time. The kids were so great... and being with the kids was a wonderful way to experience the museum...

Let's see... let's see... oh! I applied to a program called the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program through the National Parks. I had some great feedback from a ranger at the Grand Tetons... which is my first choice, so I'm hopeful. I've got an interview scheduled next Wednesday, so cross your fingers for me!

In other application news, my "appeal" for Kansas Licensure (to get a KS teaching certificate) has been recommended and will be going to the State Board of Education for final approval at their March meeting! Now I just need to get a teaching job in Kansas. BUT... if it ends up that I stay in SA, I think that will be okay, too. Only time will tell.

Well, I need to get going and packing for my Austin trip this weekend. 1/2 marathon in T-2 days. Yikes!

Oh! One more thing! I am officially done with my ninth grad school class... only three to go! I have my principal exam on March 14th (and my friend Tina's wedding that night!)... the end is near! I can't wait to be done!

nyc recap

I had THE BEST time in New York. Chris was such a great host, taking me on a whirlwind day-in-the-life. It was definitely a fun weekend, but one that would be good to have just once a year. There would be no way I could keep up those kind of shenanigans year round. Highlights include techno on the subway, NYE in Brooklyn, gay dance clubs, walking home to the sun rising, drunk brunch, New Year's Day in the office, Christmas trees and luggage, yummy sushi and bowling at Lucky Strike. And really, just hanging out with my buddy. Six years is too long.

ou in ny

Thanks to my dear old dad, I am spending New Years in NYC visiting my old Ohio U buddy Chris. He and Jeff are so nice to be hosting me as well as Jeff's Atlanta buddies.
So I arrived bright and early in the morning - I took a Continental Express flight and it was turbulant... but at least it got me here on time. Chris and I then decided to explore the "City's Best Grilled Cheese" at Resto. It was darn good, even if I did ask a million and two questions of our very cute waiter. Then we were off to explore the city and walk off the cheesy goodness. Out of all the neighborhoods, I liked the West Village the best. We ate a cupcake from Billy's Bakery which was unlike me to have a dessert, but how could I pass it up? We walked until it was dark, then headed back for some Jeopardy and drinking. And Wii playing. And more drinking. Then Jeff's friends arrived and we were off again! To B Bar, where I have never seen more men in a women's bathroom! It was great fun, and the night was topped off with 4a.m. burgers at a diner close by. Pictures are on their way!

thanksgiving to christmas and everything in between

Many of y'all have been wondering when I will be updating this... so, as I sit in Jersey City watching Jeopardy with my buddy Chris, I decided the time is now. Here goes: (by the way, I am totally impressed with Chris's Jeopardy skills)

Thanksgiving time was fun. Chloe took about a thousand pictures of Isis and I for our Christmas card.


Mom let me make some Thanksgiving dishes. I decided to make a Paula Dean recipe and give Sweet Potato Balls a go. They were very time intensive but very festive. Overall, I liked the standard SP recipe better, but it was fun to give it a try.




I had a fantastic reunion with my old buddies at Bobby Baker's Lounge in Waldo. This was the third year we've met there. Bobby remembered us and bought us a round of Hot Nuts. Yum. It was so great to catch up with the girls. It's sad we're down to just once a year. Hopefully next Thanksgiving I'll have a place in Waldo and we can have a sleep-over!


Family Scrabble is always a great time... so is Quiddler.

A trip to the Plaza was great. We went to the downtown cathedral... I hadn't been there in a while and the renovations are so pretty. Also, we stopped in Anthropologie... I'd never been there before and I LOVED IT. If I could vomit up a style for my future house, it would look like the home section of that store.





Chloe did my hair. She was really impressed with her work. I asked if she would like me to return the favor and she politely declined. Review the picture. Can you see why she wouldn't have wanted the same lovely style for herself!?

Back to Texas where I started playing volleyball with fellow teachers. We play against other elementary schools and so far it's been super fun. We practice once a week and have a game once a week.

Now it's almost Christmas time. The 3 weeks between holidays went QUICK! There were parties, and shopping for presents... and finishing up my class. I only have 4 classes to go until I have my Masters. Wah-hoo!

Since I love all of my school family, and it would be too expensive to get everyone an individual gift, I decided to make Turtle Pretzels. This turned out to be quite an endeavor. It took 4 days in fact.
Day 1: Unwrap 200 carmels.
Day 2: Roll 104 carmels and wrap them around pretzel nuggets.
Day 3: Roll remaining 96 carmels with a rolling pin and wrap them around nuggets.
Day 4: Dip carmel/pretzle nuggets in melted chocolate and roll in almonds.
Phew! Luckily, I had the help of my neighbor buddy Stephen come over and help days 2-4. He was a life-saver to say the least. He and I had a great time and enjoyed delivering the goodies to our aparment building.


Alright - Jeapordy is over. Time to play the Wii. I'll update more later. Resolution for 2009: stay more on top of blogging!

Whad'ya Know?

"Not much, you?"
Those of you that know me know I am a bit of an NPR junkie. I can't help it. In my days without television in Western Colorado, NPR became a staple for me. Nowadays, NPR is still as great for me as it was then. I LOVE waking up with Morning Edition... I'm happy when I catch The Diane Rehm Show (Friday she had Maya Angelou on and it was magical)... and I love weekends when I catch up on my most favorite programs when I'm out and about doing errands. Today I gave myself a present and went to see a live broadcast of Michael Feldman's Whad'ya Know at the Lourie Auditorium. Usually the show is broadcasted from Madison, WI but sometimes they hit the road and I was lucky that they came to San Antonio. The broadcast was a fun time... I didn't get picked for either of the quizzes, but that's okay. I mean, that was a one in a million shot anyway. I enjoyed the guest band The Krayolas... everyone in the audience was star-struck when Spur Bonner came by... and it was fun to see the owner of one of my favorite restaurants, (and site of this year's CVE Christmas Party) La Hacienda de los Barrios, cook up some delicious dishes! All in all, a great time.

jeans, scramble, and the austin half

Overall, the week has been going well! I registered for the Austin half marathon and am looking forward to getting back into a running regimen. Well, looking forward might be an exaggeration... but I am excited to have a running goal for my future.
Another reason this week has been great is because, by administrative decree, we have been allowed to wear jeans all week long! I don't know why this makes me so happy, but it does, and who's going to argue with happiness?
Another thing to add to the happy list is some very addictive, fun game on Facebook called Scramble. I love it. It is the perfect mini-break from homework, homework, homework.

lost maples

Today really made me happy. First, I spent HOURS completing my homework yesterday so that today would be free and clear of any responsibilities. I originally thought I would wake up bright and early and get a head start on the day... but when the alarm went off at 5a.m. I just couldn't make myself get out from under my cozy covers. So I slept in and Isis and I set off on our adventure around 8. Not too shabby!
What was supposed to be a 2 hour drive to Lost Maples State Natural Area turned into about a 3 hour drive because... well... I was behind the wheel. I didn't mind too much because 1) I filled up on $1.93 gas before I set out... the cheapest it's been in SO long and 2) the getting-lost part of the drive was very scenic and enjoyable... except for the smelly skunks. Isis and I ended up in Utopia, actually. Uh... I'm not sure why that place was EVER named Utopia. To me it just looked like a dusty, small town. Come to think of it, most of the little towns we drove through today, and the landscape surrounding them, really reminded me of Western Colorado. If only there had been a railroad going through, I may have really been confused. I digress...
Lost Maples has been on my "Texas To-Do" list since I've heard about it. According to locals, the best time to go is in the fall when the colors are at their best. Their website even posts weekly pictures of the changing colors! I had high expectations of this fall foliage wonderland. I was a little let down. I think the pictures that are posted on the website are of the only trees in Lost Maples that actually change colors. There really weren't too many. BUT... the park itself was absolutely stunning. The Texas Hill Country is really pretty and the trail Isis and I went on (East Trail) had great scenic overlooks... not to mention the pretty river/creek/stream that went alongside it for part of the way. Isis had fun walking across the water when the trail called for it and met lots of other doggies on the way.

The East Trail was full of surprises. One was a GIANT hill that seemed to go up up up for forever. So basically the trail started under tree-cover, but by the time we made it to the top of the hill it appeared like we were in a barren desert... complete with lots of cactus. Silly me forgot sunscreen (well... forgot may not be the right word. I didn't think I'd need it!) and found myself in the wide open Texas country for about an hour. Needless to say, I got a little sun. Nothing bad though, so don't worry mom. Another surprise was that there were so many people out and about on the trail. That's always nice for me when I'm going solo with Isis... she's really not much of a protector! I met some nice people from Dallas and Arkansas and even some San Antonians!

The drive home was much less eventful. I found my way out just fine... Isis was disgustingly dirty so my first priority when I got home was to give her a much-needed bath. When I grow up, it is a dream of mine to have a mud-room... or something similar. Some neutral place where I can hose her off without creating extra bathroom cleaning for me. Oh! I listened to NPR (what else) on the way home. Emmylou Harris, one of my faves, was on A Prairie Home Companion, so that gave me company on the drive back. I am SO SO SO looking forward to next Saturday when I am going to see Michael Feldman's Waddya Know before I drive home to KC.