Random Ramblings

After the Dust Settled...

2011-12-04T09:04:00.001-07:00

Well, the quarter ended, and contrary to what I believed at times, I got everything done on time. The morning after I finished my Stats final, we drove to Utah for Thanksgiving and just got back a week ago. I feel like it's taken until now to decompress, get caught up on everything, and feel normal again. It also helped that I found out I passed the language proficiency exam (21/30 which is exactly what I needed to pass...phew!), and I aced my classes (A in Stats? Yes, please).

It's crazy to think that other than interning part time for a few more weeks, I am completely done with my masters degree. It's been such a great experience, and I feel that I have grown so much while here. Moving on to a new chapter in life is always a little scary, but I'm also really excited for what's to come. I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a great year.

The End Is In Sight...

2011-11-17T17:37:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday I attended my last class at DU. Today I finished and printed off my last term paper for grad school. Tomorrow I will turn it in and study for my Statistics final on Saturday. After that, I will be completely done with classes at DU. I will just have to finish up my internship in January and possibly take an online Spanish class if it turns out I failed the language proficiency exam, and then I will be officially finished. It seems so crazy that it's already time to start seriously job hunting. What happened to the last two years?

Midterm Time

2011-10-17T15:52:00.001-06:00

Bright and early Saturday morning, I took my Statistics midterm. I was pretty nervous about it since it was worth 50% of our grade and only 30 questions long. It was, however, nice to walk into a class, sit down, fill out some bubbles on a scantron sheet, and be finished. No justifying, defending, or explaining. Just filling out bubbles and knowing there is a right and a wrong answer for each. It's been a long time since I've had a test like that. Almost every class I've had in both the undergraduate and graduate level have required papers instead of tests, and although I love writing and am fairly good at it, it was nice to actually take a test.

Taking my Stats test marked the halfway point in this quarter. That leaves one 3 page paper, one 10 page paper, one 25 page paper, one 3 hour group presentation, one language proficiency exam, and one final test left this quarter. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to fit all of that as well as my internship into the next five weeks and still do well on all of it, but somehow, it always seems to work out.

It's crazy to think that after this quarter, I'm done. No more tests, papers, or classes. Just the job hunt that follows. Ugh, that sounds even worse. :)

2 Down, 28 to Go...

2011-09-13T13:47:00.004-06:00

(Source)

Not my real paper chain

A few weeks ago, I registered for an extra class. This means that not only will I be really busy with three classes, Spanish lessons, an internship, and taking the language proficiency exam, but also that this is my last real quarter with classes. In the winter I will be getting internship credits, but my internship will already be completed.

Today after class, I realized that I will only be sitting in a classroom 28 more times before I graduate. In order to commemorate this, I made a paper chain with 28 links. Every time I get home from a class, I will remove a link. I'm having a hard time believing that I am this close to finishing, and even though I am nervous about trying to find a job once I'm done, I have a feeling that I am going to love my classes and that this will be one of the best quarters yet.

Peruvian Promise

2011-08-24T12:25:00.004-06:00

Hey everybody!

There's only a week left in the Global Giving Campaign, and we are in 5th place for having the most donors! The top three spots get an extra scholarship, so we'd love to get a few more donors to help us move up a little bit.

Thanks to all of you that have already donated, and for those of you who haven't, if you could click on the link below and donate, even $1, I would highly appreciate it!

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/peruvian-promise-girls-leadership-peru/

Peruvian Hearts

2011-08-02T10:41:00.004-06:00

Visiting The Hogar, the orphanage Peruvian Hearts funds, in June

As most of you already know, I am interning with Peruvian Hearts, a great organization that funds an orphanage in Peru and is starting Peruvian Promise, an empowerment program for girls. We were selected by Global Giving to have the chance at earning a permanent spot on their web site, but first we have to raise $4,000 by 50 individual donors this month! I was hoping all of you may be able to go to the link below and donate, even if it's just $5 (you can pick the amount at the bottom).

Peruvian Hearts is such a great organization that does such great work, and I would be forever grateful if you could help us out!

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/peruvian-promise-girls-leadership-peru/

Summer Time

2011-07-26T10:32:00.014-06:00

After returning from South America, I was worried the rest of summer would be anticlimactic. However, it's only been two weeks and I've already found plenty of things to be excited about.

Aerial Dance Classes

Source

I'm starting aerial dance classes this week at Miraas Aerial. My Human Rights and the Role of Women professor from last quarter also teaches here, and I'm excited to try something new and different.

New Running Shoes

Source

I wore my old running shoes every single day for 5 weeks in Peru. It was time to replace them. I got to test these out running around Estes Park Lake the other day, and they are fantastic.

Interning for Peruvian Hearts

I've started my internship for Peruvian Hearts and absolutely love it. I was able to visit the orphanage they fund while in Peru, and it ended up being one of my very favorite parts of the trip. I was extra excited to learn that they are starting an empowerment program for girls, and I can't wait to see how it goes!

Babysitting my Nephews and Niece

Who wouldn't want to babysit these kids while their parents get some time away?

Hiking and Camping

I am so excited to go camping and hiking a whole bunch before I have a Saturday morning Stats class in the Fall.

Farewell to Spring Quarter

2011-05-26T17:20:00.017-06:00

I have been so uninspired lately as far as blogging goes. Maybe now that the quarter has finished, I will be able to relax a little bit and get some inspiration back.

I turned in my last final paper and attended my last class of the quarter today. In all honestly, I felt a little sad. My two classes (Human Rights and the Role of Women & Theories of Non-Violence 2) were some of the best classes I've taken. That leaves me with only three more classes and an internship until I graduate (hopefully in March!). Luckily, I'm pretty excited about the classes I have lined up and the possible internships I've been interviewing for.

I leave next week for five weeks in South America and am looking forward to the change in scenery and culture. I think it will be a much needed break and an incredible experience.

Well, trip planning and internship interview preparing await, so I'm off.

Three Weeks

2011-05-10T21:03:00.005-06:00

3 weeks

2 presentations

2 final papers

2 house guests

1 final exam

1 doctor appointment

1 internship interview (hopefully!)

And then?

5 weeks in Peru.

Now if only I can make it until then.

Week Seven

2011-02-16T22:00:00.014-07:00

It is week seven which means a few things:

1) The dreaded registration for Winter Quarter. Registration always seems stressful, especially since I mostly need International classes and they are really difficult to get into. As always, things will most likely change up until the first week of classes, but as of now I am planning on taking Theories of Non-Violence II and Human Rights and the Role of Women. I'm really excited for both classes. Before I started this program, I never thought I would be taking so many gender classes, but I think after my first class here (Culture, Gender, and Global Communications) I was hooked (thanks Margie!). I'm still interested in taking human rights courses and working with refugees when I graduate, but I'm definitely interested in gender issues as well.

2) Three and a half weeks left until the end of the quarter. Both of my classes have had weekly papers, and I am happy that this is my last week of those. That leaves me a few weeks to finish up my final papers. For Gender and Health, I am writing a paper about HIV/AIDS in Kenya and how exposure and treatment are different for men and women. For International and Intercultural Comm, I am writing about how cultural differences led to the the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007/2008. I'm pretty excited about both...now I just need to start researching and writing!

3) Six weeks of Spanish lessons. They are getting increasingly more difficult, but my tutor, Mariela, makes it enjoyable and easy to understand. Learning Spanish seems like such a daunting task, but she makes me feel like it's not impossible.

It's hard to believe that in May I will be registering for my last quarter of classes at DU, and in a year, I will be finishing up my internship and getting ready to graduate! I'm excited to get to that point, but I'm also really excited for what is to come before then.

Snow Shoeing...

2011-01-18T20:57:00.004-07:00

...a winter escape that keeps me sane.

Week 3 of Winter Quarter

2011-01-18T20:41:00.005-07:00

One of my unofficial resolutions this year (I never took the time to actually make any solid ones) was to update my blog more...as it is now the 18th of January, you can see how that is going. :)

Since yesterday was a holiday, today was the beginning of Week 3 for this quarter...that means that I am already 1/5 of the way through, and at the end of this week, I will nearly be 1/3 of the way finished. I’m not sure I will ever get used to 10-week quarters.

After adding and dropping classes a lot the first week of the quarter (due to scheduling issues, incorrect class descriptions, and classes I just didn’t want to take), I ended up with Foundations in International and Intercultural Communication (the second of my required courses) and Gender and Health. Though I never really thought about taking Gender and Health I’m pretty excited about it. So far it seems interesting and will fit in nicely with my human rights concentration.

In addition, I am taking private Spanish lessons six hours a week. Spanish stresses me out much more than either of my “real” classes, but I really like my tutor and feel like she’ll get me to the point where I can pass the proficiency test (hopefully by the summer!). I’m also hoping to be able to speak a little bit for my trip to Peru this summer.

Overall, I feel really great about this quarter. Not only do I have classes I love, but the end of this quarter will mark the halfway point through my program. I’m excited to finish the schooling part of my life, but am also really excited for the classes and internship to come. Now, I’m off to write two papers...oh the joys of grad school. :)

The Obligatory End-of-Year Post

2011-01-01T22:38:00.004-07:00

As I spent New Year's Eve driving for 10 hours on crappy Wyoming roads and ended up getting stranded in Cheyenne, I started to reflect on what a crazy year 2010 has been. If someone would have asked me in November 2009 what 2010 would hold, I never could have guessed where it would take me. It involved many unexpected (and sometimes frightening) things including:

Quitting my job
Moving to Denver
Starting graduate school
Gaining a niece and a nephew
Traveling to a new city (Mexico City)
Visiting one of my favorite places (New York) to see one of my favorite people
Discovering a new favorite place (Estes Park)
Getting a dog
Making some great new friends
Starting to learn a new language
Discovering that I’m capable of much more than I ever thought

I can’t wait to see what surprises 2011 has in store!

Sixteen Days

2010-11-07T20:56:00.003-07:00

I have sixteen days left this quarter. At this point I’m starting to freak out a little bit. I feel like I have so much to do and so little time. I just keep telling myself that no matter what, I will get through the next two weeks and then I will have six weeks off.

Here is my to-do list for the next sixteen days:

❏ Endless amounts of reading (as usual).

❏ A strategic public relations campaign for the Community of Sudanese and American Women/Men.

❏ A 20-page research paper about how the media perpetuates Islamophobia.

❏ Three essay finals, none of which I’ve been given the topics yet.

I keep trying to remind myself to breathe, stay calm, and be productive. In sixteen days, it'll all be over!

Time

2010-10-18T23:54:00.005-06:00

Geeze it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything real on here. In my defense, I have been pretty busy with school, and I have two classes that require us to write or comment on a class blog every week, so I’ve just let this one slide. I assume this will continue to happen off and on for the next year and a half.

I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. Last week was midterms. For those of you who don’t know, DU is on a quarter system which means that each quarter is only 10 weeks long. I feel like the first half of the quarter is spent getting into the groove of the new classes, and then all of a sudden it’s time to start preparing for final projects and papers.

It’s amazing how each day and even week can feel like they are slowly dragging by when months and years seem to fly by. I get discouraged by the thought that I still have a year and a half left in school, when really, after this quarter, only five months of that time will be regular, full-time school. The rest will be filled with Spanish lessons, summer trips (Peru!), and an internship (I’m thinking maybe Cambodia).

Part of me wants time to speed up so I can finally be done with the schooling part of my life, but another part of me wants it all to slow down so I can enjoy summer breaks and not having to work 9-5.

I suppose the trick to it all is to just try and enjoy it day by day (although that’s sometimes difficult on days like today with an 11-hour day of classes and two midterm assignments due :)) as well as year by year.

How quickly does time seem to pass for you? Is it true that it goes faster and faster the older we get, or is it based on what we are doing in life?

Initiated Ordinance 300

2010-10-16T18:03:00.003-06:00

I thought it was pretty funny when I saw the following on the City and County of Denver Ballot Questions.

Initiated Ordinance 300

Shall the voters for the city and county of Denver adopt an initiated ordinance to require the creation of an extraterrestrial affairs commission to help ensure the health, safety, and cultural awareness of Denver residents and visitors in relation to potential encounters or interactions with extraterrestrial intelligent beings or their vehicles, and fund such commission from grants, gifts, and donations.

I feel so much safer in Denver knowing that they will protect me from extraterrestrial intelligent beings and their vehicles. :)

What the Next Year and a Half of My Life Will Look Like...

2010-09-13T20:22:00.005-06:00

...and what my past 6 months has been.

Spring 2010	Culture, Gender and Global Communication
Autumn 2010	Intro to Human Rights
Autumn 2010	Communication Campaigns
Autumn 2010	International Communication
Winter 2011	International & Intercultural PR
Winter 2011	Humanitarian Aid in Complex Emergencies
Winter 2011	Foundations in Intl. & Intercultural Comm.
Spring 2011	Humanitarian Law in Armed Conflicts
Autumn 2011	Statistical Methods 1
Autumn 2011	Human Rights and the Intl. Refugee System
Autumn 2011	Genocide
Winter 2012	INTERNSHIP

Meet ____________

2010-08-28T20:29:00.002-06:00

Meet my new dog. He is a three-year-old Siberian Husky. He came from the Denver Animal Shelter (pretty much the pound) which is a sad, sad place. As of yet, he seems pretty mellow and well-behaved.

He came with the name Red, but Nic and I think he needs a new one. Any ideas?

Mexico City Pics

2010-08-15T12:53:00.002-06:00

Since I had such a hard time getting my Flickr photo album on my blog, I posted pictures from Mexico City to facebook instead. You can access it here. I have a ton of photos, so I just picked a few to post.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

2010-07-19T11:33:00.006-06:00

I'm having a horrible time trying to get my pictures (with descriptions) from Mexico City up on my blog for some reason, so for now, I'll share a recipe. I got it from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook Eat Well, Lose Weight.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

5 to 6 slices whole wheat cinnamon-swirl bread or cinnamon-raisin bread

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

3 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 5 1/2 oz can apricot nectar or peach nectar (2/3 cup)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 325. Cut enough of the bread into cubes to make 4 cups. Place bread cubes in a shallow baking pan. Bake about 10 minutes or until bread is dry, stirring once. Cool on a wire rack.

2. Lightly coat six 6-ounce souffle dishes or custard cups with nonstick cooking spray. Divide bread crumbs among the prepared dishes. In a medium bowl combine milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg; beat with a rotary beater or wire whisk. Pour milk mixture evenly over bread cubes. Press lightly with the back of a spoon to thoroughly moisten bread.

3. Place souffle dishes in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Place baking pan on oven rack. Carefully pour hot tap water into the baking pan around dishes to a depth of 1 inch.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near centers comes out clean. Transfer dishes to a wire rack. Let stand for 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan gradually stir apricot nectar into cornstarch until combined. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

6. If desired, remove puddings from souffle dishes. Spoon sauce over warm puddings. Makes 6 servings.

Make Ahead Directions: Prepare as above though step 2. Place souffle dishes in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill overnight in the refrigerator. Uncover, add hot tap water to pan. Continue with steps 4 through 6.

My notes: I had a really hard time finding wheat cinnamon bread, so I just got Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl. I also used bigger souffle dishes that I use for chicken pot pies since that's what I had (the recipe ended up making 2 of them), and I had to cook them for around an hour. I guess you could also try to up the temperature if you are using bigger dishes.

Letter to Summer (Break)

2010-05-27T13:19:00.006-06:00

Dear Summer,

I have such fond memories of you when I was growing up. Three months free to do whatever I wanted before school started up again. So many days were spent swimming at the pool or Burraston ponds, hiking around the mountains in my backyard, or just hanging out with friends.

Oh, how I’ve missed you these last six years! Working 40+ hours a week and spending all my time indoors, not even being able to enjoy you! Well, Summer, since this is the first time in a long time that I get to be with you, I intend to make the best of it. I’m planning to fill the time with trips (Mexico City, Canada, Utah), lots of hikes, lots of house guests, photography classes, and private Spanish lessons.

Summer, I realize my time with you is short. I also realize what is waiting for me on the other end of you (Intro to Human Rights, International Communications, and Strategic Management - Communication Campaigns along with more Spanish lessons), but I know that I will most likely only get to enjoy you twice before I return to work, so I promise not to take you for granted.

I am so close to joining you, Summer. I only have a short Spanish interview and a take-home final left to finish up. And then...it’s just you and me for the next 15 weeks!

Love Always,

Cassi

Meet Ellie

2010-05-02T20:32:00.007-06:00

This is Ellie. She is coming to visit in July. I am excited to meet her and have a feeling that I might have to talk her into staying here to live with me. She is seriously the cutest dog I have ever seen.

Ellie, I can't wait for you to visit!

(Oh yeah, and it will be nice to see Danette again, too :))

Homework...

2010-04-26T16:18:00.006-06:00

I am currently writing two papers. One on the dominant patriarchal paradigm and one on feminism.

Nic is afraid I am going to hate men by the time I finish this Culture, Gender, and Global Communications class. LOL

Trip to Estes Park

2010-04-25T12:56:00.016-06:00

We decided to take a short road trip up to Estes Park yesterday to get out of the house.

Estes Park is a beautiful little town up in the mountains. It's sort of like a smaller Park City.

It is also home of the Stanley Hotel (which was Stephen King's inspiration for The Shining). They have ghost tours and play The Shining 24/7 on TV. I am determined to stay here sometime before I move away!

We drove through the national park which was beautiful!

We saw lots of local wildlife.

We took a longer way home through Glen Haven, Drake, and Loveland. We loved driving through the small towns and the beautiful canyons. One of the best finds on our trip was the Colorado Cherry Company. They had all sorts of jams, honeys, salsas, etc.

Overall it was a great day, and we can't wait to go back to Estes Park!

The Wild Animal Sanctuary

2010-04-21T14:46:00.010-06:00

While Ben was here we decided to visit the Wild Animal Sanctuary. It is the largest and oldest sanctuary in the US that is dedicated to carnivores. In other words, they rescue carnivores that are being kept illegally (in homes, for backyard circuses, etc.) and bring them here to live out their lives. They told us that there are more tigers in captivity in Texas than there are tigers in the wild.

We saw some big cats in Africa, but these tigers are HUGE!!!

This is a video of the tiger cages. They put them in one of these by themselves when they first arrive. After awhile, if they've learned to play nice, they can move in with another tiger, and when they are ready, they place them in a large environment.

Whoever said cats don't like water didn't know this tiger!

Sleepy Lion

They have lions, tigers, bears, wolves, cougars, leopards, servals, and a camel. As Nic pointed out, camels aren't carnivores, but she was going to be euthanized, so they saved her anyway.

Nic and Ben loved these masks!

This sanctuary is a really cool place and we can't wait to go back again!

Death by Chocolate

2010-04-19T21:46:00.007-06:00

Nic's little brother Ben has been in town this weekend, and we were all feeling like dessert. I told Ben to look through my 500 Cookies book (thanks Courtney!) and pick something.

This is what he picked. The recipe calls it "layered birthday cookie", but we call it "death by chocolate." Our goal was to put some pounds on Ben while he was visiting, and I think we succeeded. Here's the recipe:

Layered Birthday Cookie

For the Cookie:

1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter

2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

6 tbsp. Dutch process cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

For the Topping:

1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup (9 oz) cream cheese (we only used 8 oz since that's a package size)

1 cup (8 oz) melted bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup (3 oz) M&Ms

1/2 cup (3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two 11-in springform pans with parchment (we used two 9 inch cake pans and just used Pam instead of parchment).

Beat the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Sift the flour, Dutch process cocoa powder and baking soda and stir into the batter. Divide the dough in two, and press into the prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then transfer to a wire rack.

To prepare the topping, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together, then beat in the cream cheese and melted chocolate. Spread the topping over the cooled cookies, place one on top of the other, decorate, and top with chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Another option is to omit the cocoa powder, use whipped cream (2 cups heavy cream whipped with 2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbs confectioners' sugar) instead of topping, and decorate with fresh fruit.

The Reporter

2010-04-15T20:56:00.003-06:00

Last night Nic and I attended a documentary called The Reporter. It was about New York Times op-ed columnist, Nicholas Kristof (winner of two Pulitzer Prizes). He is known for bringing human rights abuses in Asia and Africa, such as human trafficking and the Darfur conflict to light. He writes about all the things the rest of the media should be covering, but doesn't. If you get the chance, I would highly recommend watching the film. In the meantime, check out his blog.

What are YOU saving for?

2010-04-02T14:54:00.007-06:00

AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo

A text from my friend Lucy in Kenya:

"starting frm Dec at least i've save 35 thousand (bob) am happy cauze i've bought a cow 4 my Dad..so that we will b selling the milk"

Oh, how different life is over there!

2 Weeks Down, Only 8 to Go!

2010-04-02T10:33:00.004-06:00

Well, I made it through the first two weeks of classes. I can't believe how quickly time goes when you're on the quarter system and only have 10 weeks for each class. I ended up with only two classes, but they seem to be keeping me adequately busy, so that's good. I hope to start volunteering at the African Community Center soon to help keep me busy (plus, I want to do an internship with them next year).

After two weeks, I still don't love my Spanish class, but it's pretty much a necessary evil, so I will stick it out. :) I absolutely LOVE my Culture, Gender, and Global Communications class. According to the syllabus, it explores the ways in which culture, gender, and communication intersect and shape a variety of issues from an international and intercultural perspective. We pretty much sit around for four hours and watch videos, listen to guest speakers, and have discussions.

On a completely unrelated note, Nic and I made eggplant parmigiana last night and it was fantastic! We like to try a new recipe every week, so Danette gave me a book called 500 Casseroles, which is where this recipe came from:

Eggplant Parmigiana

2 tbs butter, melted

1/2 cup Parmesan, plus 2 tbs

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2/3 cup evaporated milk (one of the little cans)

2 medium sized eggplants, cut into 1/4 inch slices (we just used one bigger eggplant and got 6 slices out of it)

8 oz plain tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Pour melted butter into an 8-inch square casserole (we used a 9x13 casserole with 3 tbs butter). In a small bowl, combine 2 tbs grated parmesan, flour, salt, and pepper. Pour 1/3 cup evaporated milk into a shallow dish. Dip each eggplant slice in the milk, coating both sides. Then roll each cutlet in the flour mixture. Place the eggplant in a single layer in casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk with 1/2 cup parmesan. Remove eggplant from oven. Pour tomato sauce around the eggplant, then spread the milk and parmesan mixture over each slice. Return to oven for another 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

You can also replace the eggplant with 4 chicken breasts if you'd rather do that. It takes awhile because it has to cook for so long, but otherwise, it's really easy and yummy!

So Much For My Last Free Weekend Before School

2010-03-20T17:09:00.005-06:00

I ended up getting into an additional class (I think the professor, who also happens to be my advisor, took pity on the lack of open classes and let me into her class):

Culture, Gender, and Global Communications T 4-7:50

I was pretty excited to get into this class, bringing my credit total up to 13 for this quarter, but knew that it would add a lot more work onto my load. I figured I could just take the weekend to relax and gear up for classes Monday morning. That idea was short lived as I received an e-mail from the professor this afternoon with over 50 pages in PDFs to read before class.

Graduate School, my dear friend, I have a feeling we are going to have a very strong love/hate relationship for the next two years. Here's hoping there's far more love than hate!

What the Next 10 Weeks of My Life Will Look Like:

2010-03-15T20:58:00.003-06:00

Beginning Spanish M-Th 11-11:50

Human Rights in the Global World M, W 12-1:50

Not quite the heavy load I had planned (9 credits instead of 18), but since I’m a new student, I was the last to register and almost everything else was already full. I’m hoping to use my extra time to study Spanish and skip a few classes for an earlier graduation date.

I have a lot to do before classes start next Monday (insurance, books, student id, etc), but I’m definitely ready to begin this new adventure!

Greetings From My New Home

2010-03-10T18:39:00.006-07:00

The somewhat gloomy view from my window today

(if you squint you can see downtown Denver in the fog)

The last week has been a whirlwind of craziness. I spent last Wednesday training my replacement at work, Thursday running errands and packing, Friday loading everything into the U-Haul and spending the evening with my family, Saturday cleaning, Sunday driving 12 hours to Denver, Monday moving in, and yesterday I had some appointments at school. Today I was finally able to relax a little bit (between trips to Walmart and the grocery store).

I'm working on getting settled in my new place, but I love it so far. Where else can you get free hot chocolate, cookies, personal training, yoga classes, car washes, etc? Oh, and to top it off, this was waiting for me when I moved in:

I think I'm definitely spoiled.

I register for classes on Monday, and they start a week after that. I'm getting pretty anxious to begin school as I really have nothing to do until then (except for all of the unpacking of course :)). I won't know which classes I will be taking until I register (and see what's still available), but I'm getting really excited about the possibilities.

I still find it hard to believe I live in Denver and am not just on some sort of vacation! It's just crazy to think that a few months ago, I applied to the IIC program at DU, thinking I didn't have a chance to get in, and now here I am, about to start a program that's more perfect for me than I ever could have imagined. Here's to going after your dreams, no matter how unattainable they may seem!

This...

2010-02-28T15:02:00.003-07:00

...is the chaos I currently call my life. I can't wait to move to Denver, unpack, and actually have space again!

Thanks Financial Aid!

2010-01-23T16:28:00.004-07:00

I am the proud new owner of a MacBook Pro! I've wanted one for years, but decided that since I'm heading back to grad school, now was the perfect time to get one. Now I have two months to figure out how to use it before school starts!

Reason For My Blogging Absence

2009-12-16T17:23:00.010-07:00

Remember this post about giving up a great opportunity for the chance to follow my dreams? Well, it seems that I made the right decision!

I was just accepted into grad school at the University of Denver and will be moving to Denver in March! I will be getting my M.A. in International and Intercultural Communications with an emphasis in human rights. I couldn't have found a more perfect program since it's a hybrid between their communications school and their international school.

I'm slightly overwhelmed with everything I have to do before I go, but I'm very excited to see where 2010 will take me!

Who's on First?

2009-12-03T11:40:00.005-07:00

Me: Hi Danette, I have a question. I’m reading this book, and it says it’s a novel, but then it has a preface by the guy it’s about, and he says it’s a true story. Aren’t novels fiction?

Danette: Yes, that’s weird. Let me look it up. What’s the title?

Me: What is the what?

Danette: What is the title?

Me: What is the what?

Danette: The title!

Me: What is the what?

Danette: THE TITLE! What is it?!?!

Me: The title is What is the What?!

I Am Still Here

2009-09-20T16:02:00.008-06:00

Sorry for my absence. I have been in LeaderLuncheon Land which means I've been working insane hours for the past couple of months. The luncheon was Friday, and it went pretty well, so I'm just starting to recover. For now, I'll leave you with a few pics...

A few weeks ago, Nic and I hiked to the top of Granduer Peak during the full moon. This was the view of the city (although night pictures never turn out nearly as amazing as the view is).

Last weekend we took the tram to the top of Snowbird....

...the view was beautiful...

...and then we ran/walked down the mountain. I'm going to be sad when winter comes and we can't hike anymore...I guess that's what snowshoes are for!

I just got this new phone, which I am totally and completely in LOVE with! The best part is that I got it for FREE! T-Mobile rocks.

Today...

2009-08-13T10:57:00.005-06:00

...I gave up the opportunity for more money, good experience, and a great career...to have a slight chance at following my dreams.

Here's hoping it was the right choice. :)

Sister's Weekend

2009-08-10T12:26:00.009-06:00

The Science Museum of Minnesota had a huge Titanic exhibit that I really wanted to see, so over the 24th Nic and I flew out. I've spent quite a bit of time in Minnesota over the years visiting Danette. This time, Robyn and Dejan decided to drive down so we could all spend the weekend together. I hadn't seen either sister in a year, and we hadn't all been together for two, so it was great to spend some quality time together, especially since I spend hours on the phone with both of them each week! Hopefully the boys didn't get too bored. :)

PS the Science Museum of Minnesota ROCKS! I could go again every time I visit and never get bored!

Robyn and Danette

Nic examining my eyes at the science museum

Cute Robyn and Dejan taking a break from bowling

This is what I will look like in nine years :)

Danette showing off her bowling skills

The Illusion of Safety

2009-07-27T09:19:00.003-06:00

I flew to Minnesota this weekend to hang out with my sisters (more on that in a future post). On the way back, I was stopped at airport security because I had accidentally left a partially filled water bottle in my backpack. Oops!

I wouldn't have been as annoyed about this if I hadn't gotten through security on the way to Minnesota with mace in my carry on. This means that the last two times I have flown, I have carried mace on the plane (accidentally both times). Within the last few years, Nic has also accidentally carried his leatherman knife on a plane.

I understand the necessity of security at airports. I understand why they want us to go through metal detectors and X-Ray our bags. However, I don't understand why they have all these "security measures" (take off your shoes, no water through security, etc) when they can't even catch mace or a knife.

Maybe TSA should start thinking of security measures that are actually efficient and effective instead of just an illusion of safety.

It's Never a Good Thing...

2009-07-10T15:24:00.007-06:00

Might have to get used to this look for a little while.

...when the optometrist looks into your eyes and tells you that your contact looks like a petri dish….a petri dish that’s been growing bacteria for weeks.

It seems I didn’t make it back from Africa completely bacteria-free.

Luckily (and hopefully!) all it will take is a few days in glasses, a new set of contacts, a new contact case, and some allergy drops (because apparently, my eyes don't like whatever bacteria stowed away in my contact case).

This does nothing to help my irrational fear of optometrists.

Utah Couple Survives African Slums, Safari, and Streets Only to be Attacked by the Orange Tabby From Hell in Salt Lake City

2009-06-19T22:23:00.004-06:00

Yeah, looks cute, huh? It is cute...and sweet...at first....

After a nice long hike, we arrived at my house. I was inside, and Nic ran out to his car. I heard him saying "Hey! Hey!" sort of angrily. When he came into the house, I asked what was going on. He said that an orange tabby had attacked him. I was skeptical. There are a lot of cats around here, and I have never once been attacked. Once his leg started bleeding, I realized he was telling the truth.

I figured we should find the owner and let them know they had a vengeful kitty. I went outside with bare ankles and feet (obviously not thinking) and saw a really cute, fat, probably pregnant orange cat out by Nic's car. I saw that it had a collar, so I called it over to try to see whose cat it was. It rubbed up against my leg and purred. I started to pet it as I thought Nic was crazy because this was the friendliest cat ever (and I know cats...we had bunches of them growing up).

All of a sudden, everything changed. The kitty came at me with teeth and claws bared, hissing. It got one good swipe at my ankle before retreating a little bit. It started to charge again, but I used my hand to block it's attempt at another attack, pushing it aside. I ran as fast as I could inside the house as it started to follow. We still have no idea whose cat it is, but we both have blood on our ankles from the crazy kitty.

Is the kitty pregnant? Maybe....

Is the spawn of satan inside its womb? Definitely!

Congrats, Nic!

2009-06-18T22:11:00.004-06:00

Nic just found out that he passed his PE exam*! He took it four days before we left for Africa, so things were a little hectic, but he pulled it off! I'm so proud of him and knew he could do it.

You can tell how smart he is from looking at the photo above...he can read! :)

*For those of you who don't know, the Professional Engineer exam is 8 hours long, and is necessary to become a certified professional chemical engineer along with 4 years of experience.

Photos

2009-06-08T18:58:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I've updated my photos. First are Kruger National Park, then Cape Town, then our safari in Maasai Mara, and then our time in Thika. We have a TON of photos, so I tried to just grab a good sampling.

Disclaimer: There are photos inlcuded which contain babboons mating, a lioness eating a wildabeast, and a lion eating a giraffe. Consider yourself warned. :)

Annalisa, I included multiple warthog pictures for you. I have many more. :)

Thanks to Dejan for letting me borrow his Flickr account since it has unlimited space.

Last Day Here!

2009-05-30T01:15:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it is our last full day in Africa! Five weeks has gone by so quickly!

Kruger was really cool, although we were pretty spoiled after our safari in Kenya. We were able to see some different animals close up, though, so that was cool. It was about eight hours of driving every day which was tiring, but it was still really cool. We went on a night tour, which was really cool. It was pitch black, and then we had five spotlights that we would shine around looking for animals. We ended up finding a lion who had just killed a wildebeast, and our driver got us really close, so that was neat. We also saw a HUGE owl and a hyena that was circling the truck.

On our way back to Johannesburg, we went through Blyde Canyone Reserve. It had a lot of beautiful rugged geological formations. It was absolutely gorgeous and had amazing views of a canyon. It made me miss the mountains back home since we haven't seen a whole lot of them here. We also stopped at God's Window which is supposed to be pretty cool, but we were so high up, that we were in a cloud and couldn't see anything but white.

Yesterday we met up with the Cannons (Nic's friend's parents who are presidents of the MTC here) and they took us to lunch and shopping. It was great to see them and spend time with them. They were great to show us some of the city because today we are going to try to drive in alone. We are hoping to make it to the Apartheid museum which we hear is really sobering, but great.

Well, I guess that's it for now. We are going to head out and enjoy our last day here. :)

Time Flies!

2009-05-23T01:32:00.003-06:00

I can't believe we are already flying out of Cape Town today! This trip is flying by! Cape Town has been a really interesting place. It's pretty much Euro-San Francisco, with slums everywhere right outside the city. It seems there's no middle class, just the extremely wealthy and the extremely poor (at least in the areas we've seen). Unemployment is almost 25%!

The first day here we took the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. We ended up hiking all around the top and then hiking down the mountain instead of taking the cable car. We figure we did about 6-7 miles, and we still look like old people while going up and down stairs because our calves are so sore (and it was three days ago!).

The next day we went down to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. It was a little difficult hiking around because we were so sore, but the views were amazing. We also saw some ostriches, penguins, and baboons, so that was fun. After that we drove up to wine country which was gorgeous! Unfortunately, the light was awful, so the pictures will never do it justice. We had a nice dinner at a little restaurant and then came back to Cape Town.

Yesterday we took a boat out to Robben Island and took a tour. Nic and I both agree that we need to read more about Nelson Mandela. Our tour guide was actually a prisoner there because he and some others set fire to a building (in an attempt to destroy some files having to to with apartheid...he didn't give specifics) when they were 18. The court called it sabotage, and he was sentenced to 7 years (he served 5 1/2). It was really cool to hear about it from someone who was actually there, even though he missed Mandela by about four years.

Well, I guess that's our Cape Town update! We are flying to Johannesburg today, and then heading to Kruger National Park tomorrow. We don't really think we'll have access to Internet, so it could be about a week before I am able to write again. I hope everyone is doing well!

Greetings from Cape Town!

2009-05-20T02:02:00.002-06:00

We are in Cape Town now, and it seems we will have no problem with fast Internet or downloading photos (although I'm not sure we'll have time to do it today).

We left Thika Monday afternoon and headed into Nairobi. We were dropped off at a house where other volunteers are staying, and then we took a bus into downtown Nairobi. It was weird to see so much diversity, especially so many white people. We went to the Nairobi Gallery to an exhibit called Kenya Burning. It was a photojournalism exhibit about the clashes last year after elections. We really wanted to see it because we had talked to people who had experienced it, and we had seen burnt out homes and IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps where victims are STILL living in tents because they were chased away from their homes. The exhibit was very graphic and hard to look at, but it was really moving. That night we went back to the house and met some of the other volunteers, including two guys from Kaysville...small world!

Tuesday morning, we caught a taxi at 5 am to the airport. We flew to Johannesburg, then Cape Town. I was pretty sick all day (worst cramps of my life), so it wasn't a fun flying day for me. Once we arrived in Cape Town, we got our rental car (VW Citi), and after a few wrong turns and an hour and a half, we found our hotel (The Fritz Hotel). We definitely miss Thika and Kenya as Cape Town is pretty much like San Francisco, rather than "Africa," but we must admit that it is nice to have a "real" shower, "real" bed, and fast internet. :)

Leaving Thika

2009-05-18T00:00:00.002-06:00

Our time in Thika has come to an end. Nic and I are very sad about it, and wish we could spend our remaining two weeks here instead of going to South Africa. We have made so many great friends and can't wait to come back again!

This week has flown by! Through Family Health Option Kenya, we were able to continue to visit different parts of Thika this week and learn about more issues/problems here in Kenya. Our last couple of days were spent setting up a food program for a primary school. We visited 4 or 5 schools, and they all had feeding programs except Kisiwa. The kids who go there are VERY poor, and probably don't get much of a chance to eat at home. Then they have to go to school and try to learn while still not being fed. All it took was a few bags of food to start the program up. They will charge a small fee (like 2-5 shillings) a day, and that money should be able to sustain the program. It's crazy that it took something so small to feed so many children indefinitely. We also were able to get a few bikes for FHOK. They travel so far every day (some days we walked over 20 km!), often without lunch or water, and they only have time to visit a few clients. We are hoping with the addition of bikes, they will be able to visit many more clients each day. We are really going to miss our friends at FHOK!

Last night, our family and friends all came over, and we roasted a goat (well, a quarter of one). Everyone is so surprised that we don't eat goat back at home, and I must say that it was really tasty. We might have to start a new movement. :)

We are off to Nairobi today, and South Africa tomorrow! We are hoping we have more internet access and can post some of our pictures, but we don't want to get our hopes up too high. :)

Back from Safari!

2009-05-12T08:34:00.002-06:00

Hello, everyone! Well, we are back from safari. We have tons of great pictures and videos...too bad none of these Kenyan computer labs have USB ports...we're still hoping for South Africa.

The safari was really cool. We went to Maasai Mara for the first few days. Pretty much the only animals we didn't see were a crocodile and a leopard, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Our guide, Mike, was so great and really tried to make sure we saw everything we wanted to. In fact, we only missed a leopard by about 10 seconds, but we did see the antelope it had killed and dragged up a tree. We got really close to all sorts of animals, including lions. We even saw a lion eating a giraffe, so that was quite the experience. On our last night there, the Maasai people came to do some traditional dancing and teach us all about their culture. Cassi even did the marriage dance and got married to a Maasai man...sorry, Nic! :)

Lake Nukuru was more safara-ing. We saw thousands and thousands of flamingos which was absolutely amaznig. We also saw rhinos and many other animals. We really liked the baby babboons and wart hogs (note to Annalisa...they don't have pigs here, so I'll get you a wart hog something or other :)).

We pretty much spent 4 days in a van (and many times on VERY bumpy roads), but it was well worth it, and I can't wait to post pictures! We were all really excited to get "home" after our long weekend journey. It's odd to think that in a week, we will be in Cape Town, and won't be seeing our home or family again. We are definitely planning a return trip!

Anyway, I better go since Cyber is slow and I have some other things I need to do. I hope everyone is well!!!!

Mambo? Poa!

2009-05-11T08:44:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone, hope all is well in your big super rich, comfortable,
luxurious homes back in the states!

We toured the biggest slum in Thika yesterday, it's called Kiundutu
and is just a mile or so outside the town center. About 100,000 people
call this place "home" and the houses probably aren't fit for animals
back in the states. Pretty bad is an understatement. No water, no
electricity, no sewage, just stick and mud huts built from scraps that
go on and on. muddy streets with human waste all over... and kids,
soooo many kids, everywhere (oh yeah, we were told that this is the
cleanest slum in Kenya actually, wow!) People here live on like $1 a
day. So don't yall be complaining about life back in the states ok?
:-)

We've been learning about the local organizations that are working to
help the people and vulnerable children living in the communities in
these slums. Most of the effort is done by volunteers as the program
cannot afford to pay very many staff (they have 2 people).

We're heading back to Nairobi tomorrow morning (way too early though)
for a weekend safari through the Masai Mara and then Lake Nakuru.
Don't know if we'll have internet access for a few days... it's pretty
spotty right here in town.

Yall take care and we'll be in touch!

P.S. This was Nic's first official post on the blog...didn't he do a
good job? :)

P.P.S. Moms, we will try to call you on Mother's Day, but since we
haven't figured out exactly how to do that and may not even have
electricity or running water on safari, we may not be able to....so,
an early HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you!!!!! <3

Greetings from Thika!

2009-05-04T06:22:00.003-06:00

Hey, everyone! Sorry about the double post. The computers here are from the 1980s and the Internet isn't that reliable. :) That's also why we will not be posting any pictures until we make it to South Africa (hopefully).

We're still here in Thika. We start our volunteer project tomorrow, since there was a slight change with our placement. We will be out in the community working with AIDS victims in their homes. We will also be working with a community group that plays drums and puts on plays for kids teaching them about AIDS.

The water here in Thika is good, so despite all of the warnings from the states (and many of you), we are drinking it (well, we haven't convinced Katie to drink it yet) and haven't had any problems. Everyone can relax because we have an Aussie doctor living in the bunk below Nic. :)

Yesterday we fed some kids and took a walk around town. We saw Thika's "mansions" which are about the size of the average home in the States. We saw our first white couple, and found ourselves pointing and calling them wazungu. We started laughing because that's how everyone else reacts when they see us. :)

Tonight is our night to cook (we will do it once a week) "American food," so we are making tacos. They'll be slightly different since we are having a hard time finding all the correct ingredients, but it should be an experience for our family. :)

Other than that, it's hot and sweaty and the people are super friendly. :) I hope everyone is doing well, and we'll try to write again soon!

They are alive! Again!

2009-05-02T10:17:00.002-06:00

Danette here. Cassi sent me the following and asked me to post it. Most information seems similar to her previous post, but being the dutiful sister that I am, I will post it anyway. Can't get enough of Cassi and Nic, right? :) And now a few words (although many are repeated) from Cassi:

Okay, so I have now spent 30 minutes typing up a blog post three different times, but either it won't post or my Internet closes itself. I'm really sorry I can't give you more of an update...maybe in a few days.

We spent our first night in Kenya in a Nairobi slum. We weren't really able to go out, but had a great time getting to know some of the other volunteers. Friday we went to volunteer orientation and found out what our placements would be. We then did a bit of shopping, and were split into groups and were sent to our placement.

We are in Thika for the next two weeks (about an hour outside of Nairobi) doing our volunteer work (supposed to be HIV/AIDS at a hospital, but we may also work in a school for severely handicapped children). I am attempting to get used to all of the critters (mice, misquitos, spiders, and cockroaches), but we really did get a great house (we have a shower...some didn't have running water or electricity!!!) and host family (Ann and her daughters Maggie and Lucy). The girls took us to our first Kenyan club last night which was fun, too. We were quite the hot commodity since we were the only white people, and my favorite pickup line was "you are different...wanna dance?" LOL Luckily, I had Nic there to fend them all off. :)

We have only seen one other white person in this city of a million, and Nic and I are loving the diversity. Our favorite looks are from the little kids who don't quite know what to think (most of them haven't seen a white person outside of Nairobi), so they just stare. :)

Anyway, my time is up. :( Next time I will try to find a more reliable computer.

Hope everyone is doing well!

We are alive!

2009-05-02T09:12:00.003-06:00

Well, we are alive! I just spent 20 minutes typing up a post of everything going on, but this computer shut itself down. :(

Now I'm running out of Internet time. Here are some of the highlights:
-We spent our first night in a house in one of the Nairobi slums. We couldn't really go out, but enjoyed meeting a bunch of the other volunteers.
-Driving here is INSANE! No lanes painted on the roads, so it's just up to 3 or 4 lanes of traffic driving wherever they can fit.
-We were taken to our placement in Thika. We are staying with a great family and we are lucky enough to get a house with a shower (some didn't have electricity or running water).
-We are settling in, although I'm having to get used to lots of critters (mice, misquitos, spiders, and cockroaches). It'll be a great home for the next two weeks, though.
-Ann, our house mother is really great. Her daughters, Lucy and Maggie, are a lot of fun. They took us to our first Kenyan club last night, which was a lot of fun although we got a lot of looks because we are white. The best pickup line was a guy who walked up and said, "you are different...wanna dance?" LOL
-We have only seen one other white person in this city of a million people. We love the diversity, and all the looks from the locals are pretty good, too (most of them don't ever see white people unless they go into Nairobi, an hour away). :)
-We are planning to attend a Kenyan church tomorrow, which we hear is really cool.
-We start our volunteer work on Monday. We are supposed to be doing HIV/AIDS work in a hospital, but may switch over to working in a school for handicapped kids...we're thinking of trying to do half of each.

I sincerely apologize for how short this is, especially since I have no idea when the next chance I will get to write will be. We also had pictures ready to upload, but these computers don't have USB ports to do that with. Oh well, that's life in Kenya. :) Once we hit South Africa in a couple of weeks, it should be better. :) I hope everyone is well!

We Made It!

2009-04-29T12:01:00.003-06:00

Well, we made it to Johannesburg after only 26 hours of traveling. Tomorrow morning we will fly to Kenya. We would write more, but we've had about 4 hours of sleep in the past 50 hours, and it's time to go to bed (yay, a real bed instead of a plane seat).

And....

2009-04-27T23:07:00.003-06:00

...we're off!

(well, we will be at 4:45 tomorrow morning, but you didn't really think I'd wake up even earlier to blog, did you?)

kwa heri, baadaye!! [goodbye, later!]

2009-04-12T20:09:00.003-06:00

Downtown Nairobi, Kenya

Things have been so busy lately! Since I haven't had time to write, I figured I'd give a quick list of things that have been going on:

The countdown to Africa is on! We leave in a little over two weeks, and I can't believe it's almost here! I have been spending a lot of time getting things ready to go.
I got new contacts and glasses. This is noteworthy mainly because I have a huge irrational fear of optometrists. However, I found some glasses that I absolutely love, so that made it worth it...almost. :)
I received my last vaccination this week. I didn't even keep count of all the shots I received, but I'm hoping they'll prevent me from coming home diseased.
The YWCA had a ground-breaking and a 5K this week. That has kept me ridiculously busy at work this month, in addition to trying to get everything done for the 5 weeks I will be gone.
I saved a life by donating blood. While there, I discovered that the blood in my right finger shows a very low iron level, indicating anemia, but the blood in my left finger shows a very high iron level. Apparently, this is not something to be concerned about...
I've been thinking about continuing education options and trying to figure out if I really want to go back to school, what program I want to do, etc.
I've been spending a lot of time reading. It seems like my list of books to read keeps growing at an amazingly fast pace.
I've discovered some great things lately: The book The Middle of Everywhere (about refugees who are relocated to the US, more specifically Lincoln, Nebraska), the movie Seven Pounds (saddest movie I've seen in a long time, but very good), the movie Haunting in Connecticut (SCARY, and based on a true story, although I would like to research how much of it actually happened), and K'Naan's CD Troubador (he's a Somali refugee poet/rapper...very talented).

Well, those are some of the things that have been eating up my time lately. I am hoping to keep up on posting while we're in Africa, at least so people know we're still alive. :)

Lost Generation

2009-03-22T13:50:00.002-06:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted. I've been really busy putting on a big fundraiser for work, preparing for my trip to Africa (I can't believe it's only 5 weeks away), and learning how to embed videos into my blog.

Danette sent me this video, and I've watched it over and over again because I think it's so cretive as well as inspiring. Enjoy.

Happy Square Root Day, Everyone!

2009-03-03T19:56:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Square Root Day (3/3/09...3*3=9, get it?)! Apparently, this only comes around a few times in a century, so I figured it was a great day to celebrate! I hope you spent it well because it won't happen again until 4/4/2016, 5/5/2025, 6/6/2036, etc....

Although Nic says according to the Myans, the world is going to end in 2012, so this may be the last one. :)

Where Do These Salt Lake Men Come From?

2009-02-25T09:15:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, I was walking home and talking to my sister on the phone. Up ahead, a car was pulling out of a condo building’s parking lot in front of me to get to the street. The driver was probably in his early 30s and was dressed in a white shirt and tie. At a glance, he seemed like a decent, normal guy. As he pulled directly in front of me, he rolled down his window. He looked at me as if he needed directions or something, so I told my sister to hold on for a second. He then said, “oh baby, oh baby” and made gestures with his hands as if he were grabbing my chest. He drove off. I must admit that I was sort of in shock for a minute. Is this behavior acceptable? Does a nicely dressed man in his 30s who is responsible enough to have a nice car and a condo really think that’s appropriate behavior or that it will get him anywhere?

I’ve had a few other odd experiences with men on the street since living in Salt Lake. Once, a man in his 50s was walking behind me on the sidewalk. I scooted to the right to allow him to pass. As he walked by, he ran face first into a tree. As if this were not awkward enough, he turned around and said, "I turned around to check you out and the tree jumped out and hit me." I gave a nervous laugh and just slowed my walking so he would get ahead of me more quickly.

Then there was the time I was proposed to by a stranger on the street (also in his 50s). I simply said, “not today” and kept walking.

I think this has less to do with my looks than the fact that these guys are so desperate. Men, take this hint from me. You will not get girls by making lewd gestures or blatantly hitting on girls 30 years younger than you on the street. Try a nice social setting like church....or a bar...at least then the girls will (hopefully) be drunk enough to appreciate your pick-up tactics.

The Power of Chocolate

2009-02-17T14:31:00.005-07:00

“Hello, this is Cassi.”

“Hi (man who sounds like he is in his late 20s or early 30s). I was just wondering if you were going to have that chocolate event that you had last year.”

“Chocolate Carnivale? No, we actually decided not to hold it this year.”

“Really? That’s disappointing because there's this girl in California and the only way that she’ll come out to visit me is if I take her to that event.”

“Sorry, we decided to change the event. Instead of Chocolate Carnivale, we are going to have a Young Women’s Leadership Summit. It’s a half day event with speakers and –“

“But I can’t go to that.”

“Well, it is only for women, but it’s a completely different event. We won’t even have the chocolate.”

“Oh, dang it because the girl said she would only come out here if she could go to that event.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t have the looks or the money, so I have to do what I can to get the ladies.”

“Well, sorry I can’t help you out...”

“It’s okay. I have three ex-wives, so I’m used to rejection.”

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-02T11:10:00.003-07:00

I wrote 25 random things about me for facebook, so I figured I would post it here as well.

1. I’ve broken my left wrist three times.

2. My brother ran over my ankle with a car when I was in 5th grade….twice (I hopped out of the moving car and tripped. He ran over it, and thought he was still on it, so he backed back over it). Nobody at school believed me because it didn’t break.

3. I am terrified of going down (ladders, hills, etc)…and spiders.

4. I got my Bachelors degree in three years.

5. I would like to work for the UN someday.

6. I grew up with a lot of pets, and loved them, but I never want to have pets again.

7. Throughout the past few years, I have gained an incredible sense of smell (I get it from my mom). It drives me crazy because a lot of smells are overpowering and make me nauseous now.

8. In all honesty, I don’t really want a wedding…I would much rather elope.

9. I also don’t ever want diamonds.

10. I don’t own a TV and sort of hope I never do again.

11. I hate most vegetables, but force myself to eat them in the hopes that someday I will learn to like them.

12. I feel I’m a good public speaker and would love to give inspirational speeches for a living.

13. I am very goal oriented and have to have something to be working toward.

14. I typically get along with boys far better than girls.

15. I have a horrible memory.

16. I used to love cooking, but now that my kitchen is the size of a closet, I never do it anymore.

17. I keep waiting for the day when I’ll feel like I’m an adult (I’m 26).

18. I hate making decisions.

19. I have an unexplained hatred for U2.

20. I make my bed every morning, and then when it’s time for bed, I pull those blankets off and use other ones to sleep with. When I don’t make my bed in the morning, it drives me crazy all day long.

21. I love shoes (especially heels) and have way too many pairs.

22. I like sushi, but only if I cut it up into smaller pieces…otherwise it makes me gag.

23. I have never mastered the skill of using chopsticks even though I’ve tried countless times.

24. If I laugh too hard or too long, my jaw locks up.

25. It has taken me HOURS to come up with this list (although to my defense I am busy doing other things as well).

Which of These is Not Like the Others?

2009-01-27T08:58:00.005-07:00

Which of the following headlines from the Salt Lake Tribune is not like the others?

-Consumer confidence darkens further in January
-Corning cuts 3,500 jobs as 4Q profit slumps
-Utah officials expect annual count to find increase in homeless
-Millcreek planners weigh new rules for McMansions

It's ironic that in a time when many people are losing their jobs and homes, other people are fighting for their rights to build huge mansions. How did things get so out of balance?

I.O.U.S.A.

2009-01-26T12:43:00.002-07:00

I, along with most people these days, am feeling the effects of the tight economy. Luckily, I still have a job and have been able to keep up my standard of living while also paying for my trip to Africa in May.

However, it’s hard to see things getting better any time soon. Today at work, someone mentioned the movie I.O.U.S.A. (we run social programs, so federal funding greatly impacts us), and I checked out the 30 minute version online. It’s really great in that it explains the national debt in an easily understood way. It's frightening, and I wish they would have offered some sort of opinion on potential solutions instead of just pointing out that we're all screwed, but overall, I thought it was really informative.

You can check it out here.

Reflecting on 2008

2009-01-02T10:41:00.008-07:00

As I was looking through my old resolutions yesterday and trying to decide what my new ones should be, I reflected on 2008 and all that happened. I can’t believe how quickly the last year passed and how much my life changed (new job, home, etc).

Some highlights from 2008:
• Traveled to Mexico
• Got a job at the YWCA
• Moved to Salt Lake City
• Got a new nephew
• Traveled to Boise for the first time
• Traveled to San Antonio for the first time
• Traveled to Pocatello a few times to spend time with family
• Traveled to Sand Hollow
• Hiked to the top of Grandeur
• Paid off my car
• Got a visit from Robyn and Dejan
• Read over 30 books
• Planned an event that 1,000 people attended
• Took the GRE
• Started learning Swahili
• Bought plane tickets to Africa

2009 is already shaping up to be a big year with the Africa trip and the possibility of me going back to school to take a few classes. I just hope it’s as great as 2008.

MIA

2008-12-18T11:32:00.001-07:00

Doesn’t this picture give you text anxiety? That’s exactly what it does to me. I will be taking the GRE on Saturday which is why I’ve been MIA. It was sort of a quick decision, so I’ve spent the past couple of weeks studying like crazy. It practically gives me a panic attack thinking about all of the math I haven’t even looked at in 10 years. Wish me luck, and I’ll hopefully rejoin the blogging world soon!

I Wanna go to San Antonio!

2008-11-20T10:17:00.003-07:00

Nicolas will be in San Antonio working on my birthday in a few weeks. Since it’s on a Monday, we decided to both fly out on Friday and hang out for the weekend. This has brought back a lot of memories from when I was a kid.

While growing up, I was obsessed with going to San Antonio. Neither my family nor I can recall what started my obsession where I would walk around the house and repeat, “I wanna go to San Antonio!” in a horrible imitation of a Texan accent over and over again. Did I mention this went on for YEARS?

The other thing that I used to accompany that phrase with was the fact that I was going to die in an alley in San Antonio before my 30th birthday. This fact has Nic slightly freaked out, and he’s now planning on taking his knife and possibly his nunchucks (that’s right...my boyfriend has nunchuck skills...I’m such a lucky lady) and avoiding any alleyways we may come across.

I believe, in typical youngest child fashion, I was going for attention and shock value, rather than actually believing that I would die in an alley in San Antonio. However, this has made me reflect on the things that I would like to accomplish in my life. This all culminated last night with a meeting I attended where we discussed how to meet our needs and reach for our wants in order to be happy. I’ve been thinking a lot about the reasons that I’m too afraid or too overwhelmed to go for the things I want. Some of them are quite small, and some of them are life-changing. I’ve realized that not only do I need to get over myself and make my dreams come true, but I also need to quit putting them off, thinking that I have a whole lifetime. After all, 30 looked a lot further away when I was turning 10.

Great Interview

2008-11-18T12:20:00.002-07:00

I just heard a great interview with Greg Mortsensen and thought I'd share. He wrote one of my favorite books, Three Cups of Tea. You can find information about it here. It's all about Greg's mission to promote peace in the middle east one school at a time. You can access the interview with Greg here, but a couple of my favorite quotes are:

"...if you fight terror, terrorism, it's based in fear. But if you wanna promote peace, it's based in hope."

"If we put one percent of the money that we put in the war on terror into education, it could have a profound difference."

He's such an inspiration to me because, as he put it, he was just a dirtbag from California who followed his heart or his intuition and has changed many lives because of it.

It gives me hope that any of us truly can make a difference.

African Children's Choir

2008-11-09T11:31:00.002-07:00

Nic and I went to see the African Children's Choir last night at Kingsbury Hall. It is a choir made up of children from Africa between the ages of 7 and 11, most of which have lost one or both parents. They are part of a program by Music for Life which educates a lot of kids in shcools across Africa. They pick a group each year to go on this trip. They tour all over the world singing to raise money to send more kids to school. It's such a great program and the kids did a phenomenal job. You can learn more and see videos here.

It really made Nic and me excited to go to Africa in May!

Proud to be an American

2008-11-06T10:27:00.001-07:00

Tagged

2008-10-29T12:49:00.006-06:00

Krystle tagged me with this random picture post.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to your pictures
2. Upload 4th picture in the 4th folder
3. Post (explain?)
4. Tag four friends

Below is a picture of the great ladies that I work with. This is from our big annual fundraiser, LeaderLuncheon. It was my first attempt to plan an event for 1,000 attendees, and it turned out pretty great!

I only know of 3 people who even read this blog besides Krystle (who tagged me), so I tag Amanda, Shari, Lisa, and anyone else. :)

P.S. Now that I have blog stalkers (Shari and Lisa, I'm talking to you), I guess I'll start posting once in awhile. :)

Have you Ever...

2008-10-16T13:32:00.002-06:00

(Just copy and paste this to your blog and bold the ones that you HAVE done.)

1. Started your own blog (although I NEVER post)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (haven't been to the top, but have been there)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (purchased plane tickets to go in 2009)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (does it count if I love to buy them and eat them?)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (does it count if you knew them before they were famous?)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (actually, I've never been close enough to touch it)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Eeeeeek!

2008-08-28T20:47:00.000-06:00

City Creek is my most fabulous place to run around Salt Lake City. I was bummed when I moved here because Davis and Weber County have so many more running trails that are in nature and not just on the streets or in parks. City Creek is great because you don’t (usually) have to deal with traffic, and it’s a great place to be in nature and think.

Nic and I were running up City Creek last night, enjoying each other’s company and the pain that always accompanies running straight uphill for miles. Right before mile 1 ½, I noticed that he was slowing down. All of a sudden he screeched to a halt and held out his arm, so I was clothes-lined.

As he tried to block my view and push be backwards, I looked down to see a HUGE (about as big as a softball) tarantula (I’ll call him Mr. T) slowly crossing the road RIGHT BELOW MY FEET. If you know me, you know I have an irrational fear of spiders. I trace it back to my brother’s pet tarantula. I’m pretty sure he used to tease and torture me with it, although I’ve blocked out those horrible memories. :)

My first instinct was to yell “Kill it! Kill it!” Nic just looked at me like I was crazy since it probably would have just laughed in our faces if we would have tried. Mr. T knew he had us. He knew we were intimidated. He took his dear sweet time crossing the road, while we watched in awe.

Nic has been to all sorts of crazy places, including the Amazon where he saw all sorts of large, hairy, disgusting spiders. However, he said Mr. T was the biggest one he’d ever seen in nature. I felt this somewhat validated my freak-out reaction.

As soon as Mr. T had finally crossed to the other side of the road, we continued up the canyon. From that point on, I jumped whenever I saw anything as small as an ant crossing in front of me. A cute little deer even got me to jump backwards and let out a yell. It may be awhile before I am able to return to City Creek again, at least without Nic there to save me from nature. I think I’ll stick to the city parks and streets for awhile.