When in Nemo...

February 26th was a cold but sunny day when people from all across the state (and a couple from Colorado and Nebraska) swarmed into town of Nemo, SD. This little town, an hour and a half from Rapid City, and any other sign of life, is home to South Dakota's only outhouse race.

I hadn't planned on going to Nemo. It was known around these parts for being one of the more "rumpus" outings that the TfA teachers put together, and I've never been a really party hard kind of gal. But  a deep chat with Scott Faris, who came to talk to my studio productions class, convinced me that if I was going to make 2011 the year of living more bravely, I would have to step outside of what made me comfortable or sounded like "my kind of thing" and seek some experiences that were foreign to me. 

I talked to Shanna and Christine, who both assured me that they were going and I wouldn't be the only sober person running around. Christine even offered to give me a lift up, and Amy said she'd bring me back. So approximately 24 hours before the actual event, I decided to go.

What was it like?

Teams build an outhouse out of any material they want. They used skis, children's bicycles, wagons, and a few were built entirely from scratch. Every team picks a theme and they both decorate their outhouse and also dress up in costumes from that theme. Almost all of the themes are either bathroom or beer related. Some were pretty gross, others were cute or hilarious. 

The "Not-TfA" team chose Harry Squatter, and had a theme of which JK Rowlings would have been proud.

 While others had traditional wooden outhouses...       or fiesta themes....

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We had lots of people dressed as wizards and even a few specific HP Characters...

 Sometimes the Dumbledoors have to conference. Other times they coach the runners

 

The contest involves two parts. The first involves winning the hearts of the crowd- Harry Squatter came ready for this. We bedecked anyone who'd let us in burgandy and gold beads, arm badges, and patches on their backs. There were events for the children, and we may have recruited some of our biggest supporters from the shovel race and snow man contest. 

The second part of the contest is the actual race. Each team pushes, pulls, or drags their outhouse around a track that's covered in ice and snow, involves four corners, and one scary hill. 

 

Each team is timed and only one can win.

 The Harry Squatters ran like the wind....

 And were victorious!

 All in all, a fantastic weekend with some great people!

1. Cook a curry dish that does not suck- this is being held up entirely by the fact that I have no idea how to approach this, and because my first attempt blew up in my face, and tasted like feet, I’m a little gun-shy.

2.    Do the couch to 5k again- I was really cranking on this for about 2 weeks. Then I started to develop really terrible pains in my arches and heels with my toes almost always going around mile 2. Everyone I talked to said it was a shoe problem. So I’m going to talk to a specialty running store this weekend.

3. Read 6 books that are “just for fun” (1/6) - I read the Hunger Games, a book recommended to me by a multitude of my students. I have to admit it was one of the most engaging books I’ve read in a long time- though the only way I can describe it is “imagine if the book Brave New World somehow mated with the less smutty parts of Twilight and the movie Gladiator.” I read those 275 pages in 48 hours, though it helped that my students were testing.  I tried to start the second in that same series and it just isn’t taking as quickly. I find it really repetitive.

4. Learn to make my own pie crust – that isn’t tough or chewy - I’m really hoping to achieve this one when the summer fruit starts coming out, maybe even at home this summer so I’ll have a review panel around.
  
5.    Cook pad thai - I managed to find rice noodles but every recipe I can find calls for fish sauce and coconut milk. Neither of which I can lay hands on currently.
  
6.    Knit 5 items to donate (0/5) - No progress
  
7.    Try a new bread recipe- Last week we had a snow day and I made two loaves of bread. I used the recipe found on the internet. It was really easy, and really tasty. I baked cheese into the crust of the second loaf.
   
8.    Host a dinner party with at least 5 attendees- I think this is slated for this summer.  

9.    Lose 10 lbs- I’ve gained 2 lbs. Winter is rough.
    
10.    Go to bed before 11 for three weeks straight- I can usually get like 5 or 6 days in a row, then a weekend comes, and breaks the streak.
    
11.    Learn to eat pomegranate - If I could find a pomegranate, I would.
   
12.    Give up soda for a month- My record so far is three weeks, but it hasn’t fully taken yet.
 
13.    knit something that requires colorwork
    
14.    bake a lava cake
   
15.    Find 15 new recipes to mix in to “the usual rotation” (1/15)- I added a really tasty “Baked Potato Soup”. I used this recipe but lightened it up with every trick in the book- halving the butter, excluding the sour cream except the dollop on top, using turkey bacon, halving the cheese, and using skim milk.
   
16.    add 100 new squares to my sock blanket (7/100)
   
17.    Watch all 100 of the American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies of all time (2/100)
   
18.    Send 20 letters (0/20)  - I’m sucking it up on this one.
   
19.    Complete my "facebook 5" surprise projects (.5/5)
   
20.    Use mouthwash every night for 3 weeks straight - like everything else, I get on the wagon for about 5 days, then weekend comes and shoves me right back off.   

21.    Blog at least 24 times. (3/24)
   
22.    Visit a state I've never been to before. - I’m torn about where this should be, and very open to suggestions. We’ve decided officially that in order to “count a state” I have to have stayed there and seen at least part of the community. So staying over-night on the way down to mission trips doesn’t count, but spending the night in Orange City, IA does.
   
23.    Deep clean the flat at least 6 times- this should include mopping and washing the covers on the furniture (1/6) - Yay snow days! check out my tupperware cupboard.
   

 or my linen closet..

24.    Save up for a DSLR camera. ($300/$800)






So that's how things are in the end of February!

A look back at the baked goods of February

 Drew's Birthday Cake- Drew is the Spanish teacher at the High School. Last year we celebrated his 16th birthday, so it only made sense that this year we do the big 1-7

 I tried my hand at different flavors of truffles- the above are vanilla almond with pink food coloring for the holiday. They were coated in dark chocolate.

 These ones were double fudge they're coated in red candy drops and drizzled with dark chocolate.

 And here they are mixed together... cute hey?

 I also tried my hand cut out cookies with royal icing- they were shiny but not neat.

And that's a look back at all of the goodies of February.

Every year...

Every year there's a rotation of mood that happens mid February.


When September rolls around- I feel like this:

By the time February hits, this is more the case-

I'm in the low point. It'll get better- it always does.

My legs are going to fall off

Today, I did the first step of the couch-to-5k. Then, I walked an additional mile for funzies. My legs feel like they're going to fall off.

In other news, I read my first non-school book of 2011. It was the Hunger Games, a book recommended to me by a multitude of my students. I have to admit it was one of the most engaging books I've read in a long time- though the only way I can describe it is "imagine if the book Brave New World somehow mated with the less smutty parts of Twilight and the movie Gladiator." I read those 275 pages in 48 hours, though it helped that my students were testing.

I cast on one of my Facebook Five's gift, but I can't tell you who it's for, or what it is. So instead, let me show you some pictures.  


Right before Christmas break, I got this package from Alicia...

 This is what I found when I opened it...

 Here's her card explaining that she got me 24 gifts, for my 24th birthday.

 Here are said gifts...

Each was individually wrapped and while some were things like glue and batteries, which went with other gifts, all of them were exceptionally amazing.

Highlight include:
- Batman stickers - I use them on my student's tests
- A build your own dinosaur kit
- A nightlight that becomes a flashlight
-Almost 2 lbs of red sour patch kids
-Vitamins
- Petosky stone earrings shaped like Michigan

And finally, my favorite gift, because even after living here a year... I'm still a little afraid of my basement, she got me a dinosaur flashlight that roars when you push his tail.  I use it to go down stairs and it warns the gremlins that I'm coming. It was honestly one of the best gift opening experiences of my life.

A New way to do resolutions

So, I’ve been reading message boards last week, and have realized that this is the time of the year where we try to reset ourselves. In this week we make promises to ourselves and others- to lose weight, get out of debt, and just generally be better people. But I’ve been reading for my professional development that this mindset goes directly against human nature, and this is why so many resolutions fail. We don’t generally do well with long term commitments to something. As people, we like to see success that we can measure- we like small wins. So here’s what I’m proposing, that for the next year, I want to live a little more bravely. I don’t think I’m going to do anything huge, but I think I’m going to be a little more adventurous one little nugget at a time. I want to try new things. Maybe even do something things that have scared me in the past.  Here is my "so far" list:  

1. Cook a curry dish that does not suck
2. Do the couch to 5k again
3. Read 6 books that are “just for fun” (1/6)
4. Learn to make my own pie crust – that isn’t tough or chewy
5. Cook pad thai
6. Knit 5 items to donate (0/5)
7. Try a new bread recipe
8. Host a dinner party with at least 5 attendees
9. Lose 10 lbs
10. Go to bed before 11 for three weeks straight
11. Learn to eat pomegranate
12. Give up soda for a month
13. knit something that requires colorwork
14. bake a lava cake
15. Find 15 new recipes to mix in to “the usual rotation” (0/15)
16. add 100 new squares to my sock blanket (5/100)
17. Watch all 100 of the American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies of all time (1/100)
18. Send 20 letters (0/20)
19. Complete my "facebook 5" surprise projects
20. Use mouthwash every night for 3 weeks straight
21. Blog at least 24 times. (3/24)
22. Visit a state I've never been to before. 
23. Deep clean the flat at least 6 times- this should include mopping and washing the covers on the furniture (1/6)
24. Save up for a DSLR camera. ($300/$800)

I don't have time to write. I'll turn 24 in 4 days. I'll be home in Michigan in 10. Most days, I wish this man wasn't so right. But if he has to be right- I want people to know it.