Smile :)

My GoogleReader is full of STUFF. I won't say junk, as I generally take the time to read almost every article that pops up, but it is FULL. I have some humorous daily cartoons, news from the places I call or have ever called home, some family that I follow, friends from all of my worlds, and then a number of student affairs bloggers. Becca, who I follow on Twitter, posted (in the midst of the busy season) 20 things that make her smile, and it inspired me.

What makes you smile?

Ellie, my 4-year-old lab puppy

A freshly lit candle

Waterfalls

A good cup of coffee

The changing of the leaves

Ripe tomatoes

The lake (any lake will do, really)

Chicago's skyline, day or night

My mother

The first snowfall of the season

Daffodils

A full cookie jar

Completing a good book

The mountains

Spiced Apple Cider

Laughter, especially from babies or small children

The smell of the Sound

Wearing jeans and a hoodie

A fire in the fireplace

That smell that comes with the change of seasons

Waking up early enough to walk across the street and see the sunrise over the lake <3

II'd love to hear what makes you smile...please share :)

Menu!

Brandon and I normally do the grocery shopping on Sunday, and get enough to last us about 2 weeks. This week Brandon had a football draft, and we had company for dinner. I also have today off, so I'm treating it as my Sunday. Woke up (earlier than I would have liked), lounged around after a long walk with the dog, drank my coffee, and now I'm getting ready for my grocery shopping trip (by myself, since Brandon works today). This week, I re-read some starred recipes from my Google Reader, and solicited input from some friends. Interested in what we'll be making? Read on:

1. Carbonara (from our favorite issue of Food Network magazine, the Italian issue)
2. Pot Pie (from Food Network magazine)
3. Chicken Chimichangs (from www.blog-chef.net)
4. Stuffed Green Peppers (from www.blog-chef.net)
5. Tomato Chicken Towers (from www.betterthanabox.org)
6. Chicken Pesto Sandwiches (from www.betterthanabox.org)
7. Tomato Goat Cheese Polenta (from Kate, a friend from high school)
8. Aloo Gobi (from my uncle Kirk)
9. Vegetarian Korma (from a good friend, Jenelle)
10. Fancy Chicken Salad (from www.simplyrecipes.com)
11. Cherry Tomato Orzo Salad (from www.simplyrecipes.com)
12. Potato Roast (from www.smittenkitchen.com)
13. Chicken Muamba (from a colleague, Lynne)
14. Teriyaki Steak (modified version of a suggestion from a coworker, Erin)
15. Pasta Italiana (from a colleague, Tanya)

I'm super excited about new recipes - we'll see how Brandon reacts to many of the no meat meals :) Thanks for the suggestions, friends! Now - off to the grocery store!

#52in52

So, in January, I decided to tackle #52in52, reading 52 books in 52 weeks. Many people said WOAH that's a lot of books. I, however, am almost done, and I still have 18 weeks. I'm on my last 6 books - here's what I've read, in the order (mostly) I read it:
1. Tell Them Who I am (Elliot Liebow)
2. The Postcard Killers (James Patterson)
3. Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout)
4. Night (Elie Wiesel)
5. The Accidental Mother (Rowan Coleman)
6. The Prophet of Yonwood (Jeanne DuPrau)
7. Lock and Key (Sarah Dessen)
8. The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears (Dinaw Mengestu)
9. Life, the Universe and Everything (Douglas Adams)
10. Along for the Ride (Sarah Dessen)
11. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Douglas Adams)
12. The Quickie (James Patterson)
13. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
14. The Devil in the White City (Erik Larson)
15. Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
16. Her (Cherry Muhanji)
17. So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish (Douglas Adams)
18. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)
19. Mostly Harmless (Douglas Adams)
20. The Bone Collector (Jeffrey Deaver)
21. Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson)
22. The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)
23. Generosity (Richard Powers)
24. A Vintage Affair (Isabel Wolff)
25. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)
26. Generation Kill (Evan Wright)
27. The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)
28. How Full Is Your Bucket? (Tom Rath)
29. Resistance (Owen Sheers)
30. A Father's Affair (Karel Glastra Van Loon)
31. Bloody Jack (L.A. Meyer)
32. Quarterlife Crisis (Alexandra Robbins)
33. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barberry)
34. The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls)
35. The Things That Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say about the Stages of Life (Edward Mendelson)
36. Rising Sun (Michael Crichton)
37. Atonement (Ian McEwan)
38. The Stone Monkey (Jeffrey Deaver)
39. Approaching the Qur'an (Michael Anthony Sells)
40. The Coffin Dance (Jeffrey Deaver)
41. Altar of Eden (James Rollins)
42. The House on Mango Street (Sandra Cisneros)
43. BoneMan's Daughter (Ted Dekker)
44. Three Cups of Deceit (Jon Krakauer)
45. Without Remore (Tom Clancy)
46. Three Weeks with My Brother (Nicholas Sparks)

My top favorites were:
1. Sarah's Key
2. Along for the Ride
3. Three Weeks with My Brother
4. The Glass Castle

I have a lot of books that I own in one way or another that I still haven't read. By a lot...I mean over 180 e-books, and exactly 79 hard/paperback books. I've had lots of suggestions, so I'm excited to see the next 6 books (at least) and to keep updating through the year. What's your favorite book that you've read this year?

The 10 rules of owning a dog

Are you thinking about getting a dog? Do you currently own a dog, live in a big city, and just need a laugh this morning? Then, by all means, read on.

I've lived in the city for over a year now (which also means I've been an #sapro for over a year now!), and I've had my dog for almost 4 years. I'm by no means the dog whisperer (if I was, would my dog eat video game cases and Big Red gum? Probably not,) but I have quite a wealth of experience on dogs. Half of this stems from walking the dog, the other from living with the dog... This is what I've learned, from that experience:

1. As a dog owner, you are not allowed to introduce yourself to other dog owners, only your dog. (ex: This is Ellie.)
2. After you've introduced your dog, you have to talk about the dog in third person (ex: Ellie did this last night.)
3. When someone says "Oh, your dog is SO SO cute," the appropriate follow-up response is "Thank you, yours is SO adorable." If, like me, you fail to recognize the adorable-ness of their dog, an awkward silence will ensue, leaving the two humans to stare at each others feet while the dogs make out.
4. ALWAYS REMEMBER: People who don't own dogs, but walk at 6:00 in the morning like you do, know more about dogs than you do. If you don't remember this, you may end up in an argument about how to train your dog on the corner of Estes & Sheridan at 6:30, and risk being late for work.
5. When you walk your dog, you will always have to explain something. (ex: I have a Gentle Leader and everyone thinks its a muzzle. Nope, my 40 pound dog just can pull my arm out of it's socket and at 6:00 in the morning, I'm not interested in that.)
6. You have to be willing to get up at ALL hours of the night for your dog; if you are not willing to do this, other dog owners will probably judge you. (ex: Ellie gets up at 3 am - so do humans. Ellie has a lot of energy, so humans get up at 5:45 to walk her, hoping she'll stop eating afore mentioned video games and Big Red gum.)
7. You will spend more money on your dog than you will spend on yourself. Dog toys, especially for a dog who can destroy anything, are more expensive than some toys for children, and you probably need to buy them 10x as often.
8. Your dog will most likely end up taking over your life, especially if you don't have children. (Ex: I can't come to your wedding because I can't find a) friends to stay with b) a dog-friendly hotel or c) anyone to dog-sit. Note: this excuse does not work with children.)
9. MYTH BUSTER: Getting a dog is NOT comparable to having a child, for many reasons. a) You don't give birth to it. b) Feeding it is a LOT easier. c) You can't leave a child at home, all alone, all day. and d) You have to care for it for the rest of it's life - there never comes a point where the dog can feed itself, take itself out, or clean up after itself.
10. You should love your dog, unconditionally, no matter what. If you aren't prepared for that, maybe now is NOT the best time to get a dog. I still love my dog, regardless of what she has eaten, and the countless times she has injured herself (even by just walking)...and I'm still (4 years later) trying to figure out how to make her stop chewing everything in sight.

My dog is a chewer, and very accident-prone, yes, but...isn't she cute?

New year!

My friend Tanya posted this week about her list of things she does to get prepared for the school year, and it got me thinking. I already had the mani-pedi last week (and I'll get another one either pre- or post- homecoming), I got the hair cut:

I've set goals (both personal and work related) for the academic year, and I've got that one resolution (one that I have Ryan to thank,) but what am I missing?

...and then I realized that it's time to update my iPod. I try and update my iPod with the seasons. Of course, around holiday time I'll upload my holiday music, but this year I'm looking for suggestions. What songs get you going on that 19th-work-day-in-a-row? What is that ONE go to song for you on that tough Monday morning, or Friday afternoon? Let me know - I'll be updating this weekend in preparation for the first day of classes (one week from today!)

Feel free to also share what you do to prepare for your new academic year.

#brandonbirthdayextravaganza - The Last Day!

We woke up bright and early Sunday morning (what is it with these early mornings?) and headed to BRUNCH. I love the brunch place we went to. Brandon and I are not huge breakfast eaters, but we devour our food at this place. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the place, or the food, but you MUST check it out. It's called Dodo and is located sort of in the meat packing district (at least, that's what it feels like.) Regardless...Delicious.

We then headed to the Chicago History Museum. Brandon's dad is a big history buff, and we knew he'd love it, PLUS we got in for free, and you can't beat that.

I love the stupid photos that museums let you take. I loved this section of the exhibit.

Brandon and his Dad were tired - time to hitch a ride...in a swan?

Like father, like son.

After the museum, we headed home and Jan & Steve had to head back to Grand Rapids. We'll get to see them this upcoming weekend when we head back to Michigan for two days.

As for work, the craziness has started, so if I don't blog from now until October, you'll know why...

8/15 - 8/16 Orientation

8/17 - 8/21 Welcome Week

8/22 First Day of Class

8/24 Student Involvement Fair

8/27 Finance Board Special Hearing

9/10 Fresh in the Ciity (a Big Band performance)

9/17 Finance Board Hearing

9/19 - 9/24 Homecoming

9/25 First of our Red Wings Season Tickets games!

9/28 My birthday

10/2 SGA Retreat

I hope you enjoy the end of your August, and if it's your busy season, get ready - it'll be fun!

#brandonbirthdayextravaganza - Saturday!

Even though he had the present, and his birthday had passed, the celebration continued! We got up BRIGHT and early on Saturday and headed to the Chicago Architectural River Tour. We'd never done it, but heard it was fantastic - and we loved it! A few of my favorite photos...

 I love rounded/curved windows like this!

 Bridges fascinate me.

Ivy-covered buildings will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart.

I love waterfalls.

Following the boat tour, we headed down Michigan Avenue in search of breakfast. We grabbed breakfast and then introduced Brandon's parents to one of our favorite stores...

The LEGO store! The scene right now is the Chicago skyline which is SO cool. Of course, I couldn't let Brandon out of there without a birthday picture...

Following this, we headed up to Andersonville. We visited the Galleria and a number of other artsy stores, and then headed to meet R&Z up at the Evanston Arts Fair. We didn't get any art, but Brandon did eat the eyes off a Spongebob Squarepants Ice Cream...they were bubble gum. Oops?

Since we were in Evanston, we headed up to the Bahai Temple - the only one in North America - which is beautiful. if you've not visited, you should. It's breathtaking, and it's an educational moment, too.

That night, we went to the Grand Lux Cafe for dinner. We only had to wait 40 minutes (I remember the day when waiting 20 minutes in Kalamazoo for dinner seemed like an eternity; for Chicago, 40 minutes is nothing!), and we had delicious food!

Check back once more (tomorrow) for the final installment on the #brandonbirthdeayextravaganza. Who knows - September may see the #ryanandalexbirthdaybash...only Ziena will tell!