Back to School!

Seems like school just started, but I'm already 1/2 way through the first spring mini. Very exciting, as this is my second to last semester! I'm taking six 1.5 credit courses this semester:

Management and Corporate Responsibility
Strategic and Crisis Communication
Managerial Control Systems
Business Ethics
Money, Capital Markets & Economic Growth
Marketing Research I

I'm particularly looking forward to ethics and corporate responsibility (I think I'm a closet philosopher).

At any rate, when you wonder why my blog updates get behind, this is why!

Aloha Nui Loa!

I had another wonderful visit to Maui for the holidays. Emily and her family are so gracious to allow me to smother them during one of the busiest times of the year. I always have so much fun spending quality time with Chloe and Bailey, talking story with Brad, and dodging Emily's daggers as I try to help her in the kitchen. It's a nice recharge that helps me get through the rest of the year isolated from family.

Little Whirling Dervish

That Crazy Dog

The other day, I started the shower and walked into the other room for a minute. When I came back, I pulled back the curtain to find this.

I guess Hoku wanted to clean up, too.

And with that, I'm off to Hawaii. Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Baltimore

In November, my coworker, Janet, and I got selected to go to Baltimore for a Society of Women Engineers conference. The conference was packed with women who managed to make "man" a three syllable word.

"Why is it whenever I suggest something, it's not a good idea. But if a maaa-aaa-aan says it, it's a great idea?"

So the women's power thing wasn't my thing, but the sessions were interesting and I got to tour the Army's materials research lab. As it turns out Baltimore is a really neat city. We stayed at the Hilton Baltimore in the inner harbor overlooking in the Orioles baseball stadium. Janet and I used one day to go touring. We went antiques browsing in Fell's Point, rode a water taxi around the harbor, and toured the 150 year old USS Constellation. Also, a 100 year old Norwegian ship, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, pulled into port during the week while we were there.


It was a beautiful ship and fun to watch the crew work the deck in their white uniforms.

Pevely Flea Market

Inspired by my recent trip to the Irvine Swamp Meet, Kathleen and I went to the Pevely Flea Market. Pevely is a little town about 35 minutes Southwest of St Louis. The flea market is hosted at the former drive-in theater in town. One part flea market, one part back country fair, we found all sorts of strange treasures. The only ones I brought home, however were a piece of an old plowing yoke to hang on the wall ($1) and a deck of cards featuring the Budweiser beer wagon (also $1).

We took the long way home and ended up in Kimmswick, MO, a cute little town with a main street of craft shops and pastries. It was a fun Sunday outing!

Happy Halloween!

Do you know what gophers can do to a golf course?

Great Un-Expectations

A couple of weekends ago, Kathleen (an ND alum friend) and I planned to do some shoe shopping and follow it up with a girly movie. Friday, however, had other plans for us.

Armed with stackable coupons (oooh!), we trolled the aisles at DSW. Our disappointment over not finding anything quite cute enough was interrupted by a surprise phone call. It was our friend and fellow ND alum, Kiki. Kiki's brother plays for the St. Louis Blues hockey team and Kiki had a spare pair of tickets to that night's game. Kathleen and I quickly changed our plans and headed downtown.

It was a good decision. Arriving in our seats, we thought nothing of the army of police officers and men in suits. That was, until, someone said "There's Sarah Palin!" Palin had dropped the puck to start the game, and as it turned out, our seats were just ten yards or so in front of the box she and her family were sitting in. Here she is in her adorable Chanel jacket and trademark bouffant. Unfortunately, I only had my camera phone.


Distracted by the excitement of our Sarah Palin sighting, Kathleen and I failed to notice the young man sitting next to us in a suit. After the first period, the man disappeared for a while. The people behind us took the opportunity to inform us of our ignorance. "Don't you know who that is? That's David Perron!" We had been sitting next to the Blues newest star player. He had gotten into a fight with the coach prior to the game and wasn't allowed to play that day. The place he had disappeared to was the locker room. When he came back, I stealthily took this picture.



As if that wasn't excitement enough for my first hockey game, the game itself turned out to be an entertaining one. Although the Blues lost, Kiki's normally well-behaved brother got into the fight of the game. I was a little scandalized. Once a fight starts, the refs are instructed not to interfere until someone falls down. They just stand back and watch as these guys are swinging. Very strange, but also exciting.

It was an unexpectedly fantastic Friday night.