The Agenda

How I map my ideas

What I hear a lot of in this program is the phrase "research agenda." So much of our identity as students, scholars, and professors is tied to our research. I can't think of a time I haven't introduced myself first by name, then by what program I belong to, then by research interests, in that order. Describing my research interests can be tricky sometimes, because before I came to MSU, I knew very little about Higher Education. What I brought to the program was my experience as an adult learner, and my professional experience as a nonprofit practitioner. I also brought some hunches about teaching and learning, and a small but meaningful project on curriculum development.

This semester, as mentioned previously, I have the opportunity to work on three different projects. I have been thinking hard about how I can tether my "research agenda" to these three projects, and I think I've figured out how. I can do this by asking questions about "how this applies to this." For example, I am faced with a project that is focused on undergrads, and all of the data I need to use is from first and second year undergraduate students, but I don't really have an interest in undergrads. Right now, I don't think they are part of my research agenda. Ugh. Yet I realized yesterday, that all I have to do is ask "what can be learned from [insert my interest here] to help me understand younger students?" Easy, right? Why I didn't think of this sooner, I'm not sure. But I think it's going to work. I know this is a bit vague, and it is to me as well, but I'm getting better at staying connected to my research agenda while incorporating many other areas of research. I'm getting better at articulating what I'm interested in and absorbing new ideas, while still remaining focused on where I want to go. It's a balancing act for sure, but I'm confident it will make my introductions much easier.

Faux Fur Eyelash

Snow flurries today. And of course, today was the day I planned to walk to campus. I had a meeting with one of my professors to talk through a concept for a paper. In this class, I have a writing partner, and she and I will be writing a paper together, with the aim to have it presented and/or published. I'm not sure that it will be (of course, that would be awesome!) but one of the purposes for this assignment is to write with the intention and on the caliber that it can be. So Meg, my writing partner and I, have been tossing around some ideas and needed to work through them with our prof. And of course, he blew our minds by suggesting a direction for our paper, but I'll save that for another blog post once we get it sorted out.

Knowing that I had this meeting this afternoon, I thought, "Hey, it's gonna be warm, (around 30 degrees) so I should walk." Then, I looked outside when I was about to leave, and it was snowing. At first I rolled my eyes, but I decided to commit to the walk anyway because I have really good boots and leg-warmers. During my walk, much to my delight, I discovered the wonders of the faux-fur trim on my down coat. This trim acts as a kind of giant eyelash. It's pretty amazing. It kept all the snow from blowing into my face, thereby catching it instead in the fake acrylic fur. I do have the option of removing it, because it snaps on and off. But really, after today, why would I ever take it off?

Playing Pretend

Marathon Class Tuesdays: Three down, twelve to go. I came to an agreement with myself Tuesday afternoon, that I would allow for pouting until the end of the week about not feeling motivated, then I would have to change my attitude. However, that afternoon, I decided to just try enjoying my two classes instead of pouting, because like many things I do, I can't even procrastinate on changing my attitude, I need to start on it now even though the deadline isn't until Saturday night. But the other reason for working on my attitude sooner is because attending 6 hours of classes all at once while not enjoying them really puts me in a terrible mood. I feel resentful, and frustrated, and tired, and well, unmotivated. I start to teeter on apathy, and when I begin to feel apathetic, then it's Game Over. So I thought, "how about just pretending that I am enjoying these classes? And pretending that I like my professors? Maybe I will find that I actually do?"

This playing pretend is not some slight of hand trick that I use on myself. Instead, by "pretending," I can put myself into a role that I might not otherwise consider. It involves opening up my mind enough to take in the world from a different perspective, and allow my personal opinions and feelings to take a back-seat for a little while. As I mentioned before, I was getting too wound-up and too focused on my reactions in class, therefore unable to listen to how I was responding.

So, there. I pretended that I liked my classes Tuesday night. And by the end of the evening, I found I didn't have to pretend anymore. I let myself just listen, absorb, and learn. I also found that I didn't have to pretend to like my professors because over the course of three hours apiece, I came to see that they're actually pretty interesting and full of knowledge and dare I say, quite personable.

Confession Time: Motivation

This is the third week of the spring semester, and I feel, well, totally unmotivated. I've been thinking about this a lot and think I know why. I may have become more subjective since the new semester started. When I was a brand new student everything was new, and so it was exciting. Now that my brain has been filled with the "wisdom" (or gossip) of further-along students and I've also had more interactions with professors, I find that I come to class with an already formed idea of what should or what will go on. This isn't helpful. I've been reflecting on this a lot and have come to realize that I'm spending more energy battling my perspective against my professors perspective or teaching style (yes, two of my three classes are frustrating for me right now). Hence, I'm not allowing time for learning, and for investing in the ideas that I want to pursue. My hope is that by the end of this week I'll have put this stuff behind me. It's distracting, and it makes me less able to learn because I'm focused on how I feel about people, or how they feel about me, which can be an endless cycle. Put simply, I'm having trouble "liking" my professors right now, and sooner or later I'm going to have to come to terms with the fact that it doesn't matter if I "like" them because I will learn from them. And they certainly have a wealth of knowledge that I'd love to learn from.

A Night for Play

Spartans almost scoring,
and Rob and I super happy to be at a hockey game

When Kevin is out of town (like now) I find that I work through the evening because, well, sometimes I have nothing else to do. (I mean, before it's Murder She Wrote time). My brain might keep picking up ideas so I keep working on things, tinkering, and puttering around with paper proposals. Yesterday, however, I had to keep a schedule for myself because I went to a hockey game. I grew up watching the Portland Winterhawks, so going to a hockey game here in Michigan was very exciting. I haven't been to one in years. There are two others in my cohort who also like hockey, so we all went out to dinner then to the game. Fortunately, despite MSU having a losing record, we won! And we beat the most hated university in the midwest, Ohio State. Nice job Spartans!

Video Game Music and Rainy Day Cafe

The other day I was chatting with several of my cohort-mates and the topic moved to studying styles. I am not entirely sure I have a studying style, but I do find that I get the most work done while seated at my dining room table. However, something very interesting came up, and it was video game music. I'm not much of a video game player, unless you count that spell in middle school when we had a Nintendo and it was Super Mario Bros ALL DAY LONG. So apparently, there is a trend of listening to video game music while studying, because the entire genre was composed to increase engagement (or something like that). Another suggestion was put forth by a classmate, called Rainy Day Cafe. "It's just a site with the sound of a cafe, and rain, and you can adjust the levels of each." All of this kind of blew my mind. Listening to video game music, and a site that only has cafe sounds? I decided to give it a try. So this morning, while reading, I listened to the cafe (no rain sounds because that actually puts me to sleep). The occasional clink of silverware on a plate, and the low murmur of voices was first weird, then really great. I had my own little cafe this morning and I pounded through 100 pages of reading. Next, I had to start work on a paper. So I decided to go for video game music. There are several different ones, I found one that is not too loud or, for lack of a better way to put it, makes me feel like I'm winning. It's called Fez, and again, totally worked. Maybe I'm just playing tricks on myself, but I have to say, I felt that the little boost of video game music did indeed do something to my psyche. In the words of Super Mario Bros, 1-Up!

I Got It! It's Education!

Since dropping my quantitative statistics class, I am faced with three courses that require me to write long papers on research topics. Don't get me wrong, this is kind of exciting to me. But I wanted to be strategic about this, and not have to start from the beginning. And by start from the beginning, I mean check out a gazillion books from the library and download articles so I can read about something quickly enough to write coherently about it. This is just the nature of the program. However, now that I have one semester under my belt, I have done a lot of reading that, well, I wouldn't just want to go to waste!

Unfortunately, I am the type of person that has too many interests. I know many people suffer from this, and I am trying to wrangle it so that I don't have to start over every time I begin a new class. One of the skills I am learning is developing questions to link the areas of knowledge together. That way, I may only have to backfill the things I don't know, while also using the things I do. It's rather difficult, however, because my brain sometimes goes into extreme web-making mode, and when I write my ideas down and look for the threads that link them, oftentimes after an hour all I'm left with is "What links these ideas together is .... (drumroll) Education."

Wrong Assignment!

Last night I was polishing up an assignment and getting ready to turn it in online. It was a short assignment, but also much more personal than I am used to. This semester, one of my classes is all about students. I admit, I'm not that interested in students. And by students, I mean undergraduates. I am definitely interested in teaching, learning, how students learn, curriculum, access to higher ed, etc. But I correlate the word "students" with ooey-gooey student development, and somehow this really turns me off. So, our assignment was to write a This I Believe statement. If you are unfamiliar with this, it is from an  NPR program. Most of the weekend I contemplated this assignment. I wanted to put some care into it because it was so different than writing assignments I had been given in the past. I figured we had to do this to tap into our ooey-gooey student self. (I will also add that most people know when you work with students because of the overuse of the word "amazing") Another peculiar thing about this assignment is that we posted it to a thread online for our class. So, I finished it, 500-600 words, went to the site, and posted it. Then as I read through everyone else's posts, (because you can't read any of them until you yourself post) I thought, "Why is everyone talking about students in postsecondary education?!?" So I looked back at the syllabus. And then re-read it more closely, and the instructions were there:

Write a This I Believe statement... about students in postsecondary education.

I panicked. I had just posted something kind of personal, thinking everyone else did as well. And yes, some people did, but it was still about students. So I quickly figured out how to delete my post. Then after my panic, I grew extremely frustrated because I realized, I had to do this over again. I ended up burping something out and finally posting it. It's not my best work. But I didn't want my other thoughtful This I Believe document to go to waste. So I'm posting here.

I am not averse to being the last one to leave the dinner table. When everyone else has finished their meal, and I am still working through the sides or the main dish, it’s okay with me to be there alone. This is in part because as a child, I was such a slow eater that the rest of my family would be off in the living room already, watching Jeopardy, while I was left at the dinner table. My mom would have the entire kitchen cleaned after dinner, and then turn around and look at me, saying only with her eyes, “It’s time to finish up now.” So I’d bring my dish over to the sink, rinse it, and put it in the dishwasher for her. Then I’d wipe the table. I remember always loving this experience, of being not only the last to finish my dinner, but the only one still sitting at the dinner table. Yet however much I loved it, I wasn’t able to articulate why, because it seemed too simple. And I have learned that in fact, it is quite simple. I believe in eating slowly. I believe in the conversations that can happen over a lunch or dinner, and the community that comes from sharing a meal. And then, when everyone else has gone, and I am still eating, there is a quiet solitary meditation that can occur. This happened quite a bit while I was an undergrad. Having spent most of my life being such a slow eater, it was normal for me to be left at the table when everyone else had already finished. So as an undergrad, I remember my nightly dinners with my peers in the cafeteria very distinctly. We would go through the ritual of swiping our student cards, grabbing a tray, pretending not to like the food (even though I absolutely loved the eggplant parmesan) and then finding a big circular table to sit at. We would laugh, make fun of one another, gossip, complain, and sometimes even cry. And usually, quite suddenly, everyone would jump up and clear their trays because they were done. And I would still be there, making my way through my egg-parm. It became a kind of running joke, that I would be only half finished when everyone else was ready to move on. For a spell, I began to scarf down my dinner with the rest of them because I realized it might be bizarre to eat so slowly and be left behind in the eating commons. But I realized quickly that I actually wanted to be left at the table alone. Because when I was left, I got to experience the aftermath of the entire dinner service of thousands of undergrads. After the bustle of melamine dishes and trays and plastic 20oz cups and bent forks, I could literally digest the moments of my day. Alone. And this digestion, I have found, only really happens after the transition of sharing a meal with people, and then being alone. It is there that I can listen to the last tendrils of our conversation, the last moments of laughter, and the last coming together of community for the day. This moment is my vespers, and it only happens when I eat slowly.

What We Are Built to Do

Since beginning my school program in August, I have been reminded a lot about a conversation I had years and years ago as an undergrad with a favorite professor of mine. He used the phrase, "what you are built do to" to describe how we find what our calling is. I don't necessarily believe in the idea of a singular "calling" but I do think there is something to learning what we are built to do. I should also stress that for many years I searched for what I was built to do, but secretly was looking for my calling. That is to say, I was looking for that thing that would give me joy, where I would feel complete and filled, and never have to be on the hunt for something ever again. Of course, this never happened.

Now, almost 17 years after I had that initial conversation, I am beginning to understand what "we are built to do" means for me. I have learned that I am built to think, to tinker, to create, to write, and to read. At some point in the future, I am likely to be built to teach. I also am built to be afraid of things, and then overcome them, like applying to a doctoral program and now being a student. I can't say that being a student gives me complete joy. I find it frustrating, annoying, and hectic. I also find that it makes me question whether or not I made the right decision about doing this. However, this is when I realize I am built to do this: to grapple with what I fear (failure) and say "okay, well, do it anyway."

One thing I have noted about being here is that my role as a student is also very self-centered. I don't have much of a life apart from school, even though I am trying to balance this a little more. I am sometimes forgetful, and neglectful. I usually only want to talk about the things I want to talk about or nothing at all, because my whole life is reading and writing. You could say that I don't know how to talk about anything else. In this way, I lean quite heavily on my partner. And in my self-absorption and leaning on, I learned something late last year. That I am not the only one doing what I am built to do.

Giant teeth being made
at the museum

In early December, I met Kevin at his place of work because we were headed out to a holiday event. I walked inside the museum, and then found my way to the shop. He showed me around because I'd never been there before. He showed me all of the interactive displays they were building, and the projects he was working on. Then he had to run out to do something and I was there in the shop by myself, just looking around. And it dawned on me, that he was in his space, like I was in mine. This was where he did the things he loved to do. He was doing what he is built to do. I had never truly seen it in this way, or how much this kind of work means to him. And I cannot say how thankful I am for it.

The Shop

Should Have Thought of This Last Week

I should have thought to get organized last week before classes started but I was on a Murder She Wrote bender, so I didn't give myself the time to get my act together. Now that it has begun, I'm trying to figure out the best way to get things done. Last semester I tried something I've never done before. I took all of my notes on my computer. I use an application called Evernote, and I share my notes with my reading group and they share theirs. I found, however, that sometimes I wasn't retaining what I felt I should be, and it also took an extremely long time to read something and take notes on it. Part of that I admit is that I am a very slow reader, but the other part is that I had to keep shifting to my laptop to type. This semester I'm going to go back to writing all of my notes in a spiral notebook. I know, you're thinking, "that's so organic." Anyway, since I'm in a reading group, I'll still use Evernote, and just type them up for everyone in summary, which I've heard is an excellent way to retain! Summarizing! Now I just need to learn how to read a little faster.

A Well Rounded Meal Without Vegetables

Hey look!
I already own this book!

At 7:04pm on Tuesday night, my anxieties about this semester moved me to act. I couldn't take it anymore, and after conferring with a classmate, I dropped my quant class and enrolled in another class. I kept thinking, "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why not just take a required course? Who knows if you'll ever need to run multiple regressions?" Now, imagine me saying this in the voice of Bones, from Star Trek, "For Godsake Emiko! You're a first year PhD student studying higher education, not an agricultural statistician!" I am taking a methods class, which will require me to do more reading and writing. It is also a required course, so I can knock another one of those out of the way. Even better? It uses a book I already own, so no need to spend more money on text books. But you know what is completely priceless? Being able to sleep at night and not have nightmares about statistics. Who needs academic vegetables anyway?

Round Two: A Long Post on Beginning My Second Semester

This morning is quiet, like most mornings here in Lansing. The snow is shoveled to the side of streets and sidewalks, and every so often I hear the crunch of a passerby walking to the bus stop, or a car silently slushing through the snow on my street. In about an hour, the neighborhood will fully wake up with cars skiing down Francis Avenue, the garbage trucks picking up trash because it's Tuesday, garbage day, and even birds starting to sing a winter song. I'm relishing this last morning of my break between semesters. I am also anxious for the next semester to begin. I may have mentioned before that the second semester of this program is by far the most stressful. This knowledge gets passed down to first years from those students who are further along in the program. The further along students are also extremely encouraging, and remind us first years to take care of ourselves "even though I didn't, you should really try to carve out time for yourself." I've heard this multiple times, and I will try to do so, though I can't promise anything.

My books for this semester

This semester, I continue my long Tuesday classes. Back to back classes that go from 3pm to 10pm with an hour between for dinner. That means today, I start the semester off with a bang. A few of my other cohort-mates who are taking a third class started yesterday. I have my third class on Thursdays this semester. It is a class that has been causing me a lot of anguish: statistical methods part two. This is actually a class I don't have to take. You see, I've already completed my required course in statistics. However, with the encouragement of my advisor, I am taking the next class in the sequence. My advisor and I decided that taking this class would be good for me, "like eating vegetables." I may not want to, but it will mean that I can run serious statistical analysis in the event that I ever do research that requires me to do so. Yet I am so full of fear about this class, especially knowing that my other two required classes are likely going to lay waste to me. I'm not particularly good at statistics. Although I have a baseline of intellect to get me through my academic career and other pursuits, many of my achievements have not come easily. In other words, over the years I have found that how I learn and understand is through hard work because I am not a natural intellect. I'm a natural thinker, which means I have to puzzle over things for quite some time in order to understand.

I am slightly afraid of what this semester will bring. I'm afraid of failing, of being overwhelmed, of not understanding what I'm supposed to be learning, and of the breakdown that I'm sure will come when I question why I am doing this and what is this God forsaken land the locals call Michigan?!? Between these swells of fear I am also motivated because I really want to make it through this semester. I have never wanted this much to be successful at something, and by "this" I mean my entire scholastic pursuit. My emotional, physical, and spiritual investment in this is coupled with these feelings of fear. Maybe therein lies the moments of trusting the process, tucked neatly between my perseverance and my fears.

Snow Boot Update

I have finally figured out the perfect combination for walking in the snow. Late last week I got my new snow boots in the mail, and much to my delight they fit perfectly. With thick wool socks, my toes can still wiggle, and they also fit snuggly under my jeans. They have a nice sturdy sole and are waterproof, so all that gross slush won't be able to sog up my socks. The other element of my winter footwear is a pair of leg warmers. Yep, I'm rocking the leg warmers. The leg warmers serve two purposes. One, to keep my lower legs warm, and two, to prevent gross slush from splashing onto my pants. On really bad days, I'll put on a pair of gaiters under the leg warmers. For now, I think I'm set! The ultimate way to hoof it in the snow.

Seeing the Seasons

One of the nice things about living in the Midwest is experiencing true seasons. I never really got that in Seattle. It was mostly just rain, and then days with some rain, and then summertime is here! Michigan lets seasons move into one another with more distinction. Although I haven't experienced summer completely, or spring for that matter, I did see the tail end of summer move into fall, and now winter. (And I am already looking forward to when spring starts to make her transition.) Yesterday we went for an exploratory walk at Burchfield Park, a place we had been before. This time of year there are groomed cross-country ski trails and we had thought about skiing but decided instead to just walk around. Michigan may make a cross-country skier out of me yet, we shall see. Here's a comparison photo of the river in the fall, just as the leaves are starting to change, and then again on our winter walk yesterday. Almost completely frozen!

So Many to Choose From

I have been trying to brave the cold this week by walking to coffee houses, waiting for the bus, walking quickly to the hardware store, and then accidentally getting off the bus at the wrong stop and having to walk the vast mall parking lot over snow drifts. I've been keeping mostly cozy, but for yesterday I made a note to self: No matter how short the distance (say, 5 blocks) wear thermal underwear. While at the grocery store the other day, I decided to stay inside just a tad bit longer and peruse the magazines. As I sauntered down the aisle, I caught the latest headlines about movie stars, how to get in shape fast, and home decorating. Then I came to the hunting, or guns and ammo, or what one might call the "live free or die" section. I have never seen a guns and ammo magazine section this large before in a grocery store. I mean, it's huge. Two levels, and probably about 7 feet wide. It also includes magazines about how to live off the grid, hunting with a bow, and uh, preparing for doomsday. Mixed in are some weird body building magazines, I think. Or just large bumpy men with guns and scantily clad women. I admit, I was mesmerized. There were so many to choose from.

The Only Thing Bad is the Music

Looking down the bar at Strange Matter Coffee

Although there are plenty of coffee houses in Lansing, few of them have decent coffee. I am by no means a coffee snob. I just like my coffee strong without an after taste. I do, however, prefer a nice good cup of drip. I don't need espresso, or any other kind of foamy drink, just straight coffee with a splash of milk. Clean and simple. Unfortunately, the local chain here has really bad coffee. I mean, really bad. It's actually kind of gross, so I won't name any names. And it has aforementioned after taste. I've tried it three times thinking it was just a fluke. But it's not. It's bad. The other thing about coffee houses is that most of the ones in East Lansing are swarming with undergrads pretending to study. And I just can't do it. There is one not too far from campus that is actually pretty decent, has a nice atmosphere, and the baristas are nice. But it is packed to the rafters with sweatpants and Uggs.

Upon hearing about a coffee house from one of my classmates that is about five blocks away from my house (yes, you might be thinking "why didn't she just look on the internet for a place?" I can't answer that. Sometimes I live in a cave) I decided to try it. My only hesitation; it is a pour-over joint. This partly makes my teeth cringe, because I just don't care that much about artisan coffee. I will emphasize again, I'm happy with a strong cup of drip with a splash of milk. It's what makes me love Dunkin' Donuts. Just give me a 16 ounce cup of coffee, one cream. I mean geeze, I'm not embarrassed to admit that even when I lived in Seattle I went to Starbucks almost every day for a tall Pike. So, I decided to try this place anyway, and put my feelings about one-hand-crafted-cup-of-coffee made with love from only the best beans that takes about 7 minutes to create, aside. I admit, it was good! And the atmosphere is great! And there is something kind of special about receiving a cup of coffee on a little tray in a beaker with a mug and a small shot of cream on the side. I savored it and read my book while seated at the bar. The one bad thing about this place? Their music station was set to bad music from the late 90's, a la Hootie and the Blowfish. I'm not sure I can forgive this, but I will try.

Walking with a Wicked Wind Chill

On Monday I decided to try a practice walk to campus in the snow. I wanted to see what kind of clothing and footwear I would need to walk the 2.5 miles, mostly concerned about footwear. It has been snowing in Lansing, and all around Michigan, and although I haven't completely accepted that this is my new winter life, I am trying to find ways to cope. (I asked Kevin, in all seriousness, "when will this snow go away?" thinking that you know, snow usually melts in 24 hours because that's the way it is on the West Coast. He replied, "Probably around March or April." I sighed.) I admit, it's awfully strange to ask myself questions like, "Is 7 degrees with a wind chill of -11 too cold to walk?" or "When does walking in this weather become too dangerous?" or "Where are my sunglasses?" You know, because the sun is out too, and wow it's bright. So on with thick wool socks, my trusty pair of hiking boots, and gaiters to protect the slush and salt from staining my jeans.

This was a good first step (ha, no pun intended) for my test walk, although I learned some things. I really need something completely waterproof around my feet. So in my search for perfect boots for Michigan winters, I discovered a whole new world of winter footwear. There are big heavy waterproof everything-proof boots, but even though they are quite fashionable, they are just too heavy. (I bought a pair like this in November and they had to be returned - novice!) Next up, I tried to order LL Bean boots. Unfortunately, they are made to order and will be available to ship in... May. MAY, when all the snow is gone. So I searched some more, and found some boots that I hope will work. Yes, they look as if I might be going on an expedition every time I step outside the house, and yes, they aren't really that fashionable, but I will be able to walk miles in these with toasty toes. Or at least that is the description online. Throw on some gaiters and leg-warmers and I'm good to go. I'll give another footwear update once they arrive!

Some photos of campus - empty and serene.

What Freezing Temperatures Do

There have only been two winter seasons in my life that I have wintered in an area that gets a lot snow. Both of those times were in Spokane, WA, and both were during big transitions in my life. Now that I'm in Michigan, it seems like I have found a pattern. Big changes and transitions in life mean that I move to a place where winter can be harsh. I wish I had chosen a more tropical climate, however maybe there is some lesson here about hardening my exterior to change, while trying to keep my insides warm and adaptable. One physical lesson I have learned since the average temperature in Lansing is now a cool 7 degrees, is that car door locks freeze. I didn't consider this until yesterday, when we discovered that the driver's side door is frozen shut. Fortunately the passenger side opened. Unfortunately, it means crawling over the seats to start the car, then crawling back over to sweep snow off while the car warms. (Then of course, crawling back over again to drive away). This morning, the lock still frozen, we attempted to try to unfreeze it by heating up the key with a lighter, in hopes that the hot key would melt the frozen lock mechanisms. Then we tried to use a heat gun, only to discover that holding it too close starts to melt the plastic door handle area. Oops. You might be asking, "Why don't you just go buy some de-icer for the lock?" Well, we tried. Couldn't find it. We only have something that keeps it from freezing, but FIRST we have to get it unfrozen. Blerg.

Trader Joe's Brother

About a month ago, I received a grocery flyer in the mail for a store called Aldi. As I flipped through it, it seemed promising. There were a lot of different kinds of foods, like gourmet jars of pickles, as well as regular things, all at pretty good prices. Since coming to Lansing, I've had to adjust where I grocery shop, and say goodbye to certain favorite snacks because they aren't available here (Carmen's tortilla chips and Toby's Jalapeno Tofu Pate, sigh). Anyway, I thought, "Hm, this is an interesting store, but could be weird" then recycled the flyer and forgot about it. Until yesterday, when Kevin asked, "Have you heard of the grocery store Aldi?" and I responded that yes, I had, but didn't really understand it. I thought maybe it was a kind of Grocery Outlet place with dented cans of green beans on sale or something. Apparently, there was a little article online in a blog that we read that talked about the fabulousness of this grocery store. And the even more surprising read was that this store is actually run by the brother of Trader Joe's, and is a kind of European miniature version of TJ's. But with less glam. It basically feels like a German grocery store, where it got its roots. We decided to check it out. There are a few things that make this place kind of awesome: plugging a quarter into the grocery carts to use one, then getting it returned when you lock the cart back up, a seated checker who throws your groceries back into your cart so you can push them over to a long counter when you bag them yourself, an assortment of some odd yet enticing condiments, no music so I don't walk out of the store with a Phil Collins song in my head, and everything is shelved in boxes. Seriously. This place is awesome and I'm so glad we finally found it.

Say Goodbye Carol Brady!

I swear that I'm not obsessed with the Brady Bunch. This is only my second post that references the classic television show. And yes, I meant to write classic television show. But it is much deserved. The reason for the Brady Bunch reference: I finally went to get a bonafide haircut. And not just a "trim to let it grow out because I am on austerity measures right now" but a real, true blue haircut. With each passing day that I didn't make an appointment with my hairdresser, my appearance began to look more and more like Carol Brady. And I'm not talking spunky Carol hair from the first few seasons. I'm talking groovy Carol. With the long flip in the back, some might call it a mullet. I referred to that area of my hair as a tiny untamed animal. Yes friends, my hair was all different lengths and layers doing whatever the heck it wanted to do. Even after I gooped it with product, the wispy ends just flew out in whichever way they wanted.

Some might say, "Oh, it wasn't that bad." But when I went to finally get it cut, even Kaylle my hairdresser commented, "wow, yeah, let's cut this stuff off." So I went from far-out to sasstastic in one hour! I sat down and said, "cut it off to the shortest layer!" We then hemmed and hawed about the bangs, and decided to go full-fringe. No more side-sweepies for me. And I can't even tell you how much time I've already saved by not constantly pinning my hair back or flipping it out of the way. All my hair cares have disappeared, so that now I can concentrate on crafting for one more week before the new semester begins. I think Carol would approve. Here's a salon magazine inspired photo of my new 'do.

...and, deep breath in

Over the years, I have often said, "I can barely touch my toes." It's just the way I'm built. I've never been very flexible, and my body proportions are not necessarily the best for, say, the sit and reach test that I had to do during junior high. (I still don't really know why we had to do that?) Anyway, this doesn't mean that I haven't completely given up on the art of lengthening my spine. Also over the years, I have tried doing yoga, although never completely got into it. Maybe it was because of the time of day that never fit my schedule, maybe because of the cost, or maybe because there was that one time, when I was 27, that I had a very terrible and embarrassing "intimate noise" escape my body while in a crouched position during the quiet meditative relaxing part of the class session. But it's a new year! So I'm going to try again. This time with the wonders of the internet, I have access to all sorts of online classes for free! That I can do at any time of day that suites me. It's going well so far, although I do often feel like a Cathy cartoon. ACK! I'm stuck in downward dog!! ACK! When is resting pose?! Maybe by the end of the month I'll be able to finally touch my toes without snapping a hamstring. Here's a little drawing I did that sums it up.

Knitting Into 2015

It's the first day of 2015, and I have a feeling it's going to be a good year. We went over to a friend's house last night to celebrate the New Year. She is a 4th year in the HALE program and will be graduating in May. (I find inspiration from her because she did her PhD in 4 years!) It was the perfect type of New Year celebration; relaxing, low-key, good company, with bacon-wrapped dates.

Today, I plan on continuing last night's theme of relaxing, and will likely do some knitting. I took up knitting again right after my fall semester finished because I needed a new hat. You see, I had two winter hats, one that was long enough to cover my ears but was too thin to actually keep my head warm, and a second that was lined with fleece, but too short to cover my ears. It was a dilemma. So I started shopping around for a new hat when I thought to myself, "Wait! I know how to knit!" So I refreshed my knitting skills and started to work. Yesterday I finally finished my hat, and have decided to call it my Bert Hat, because it kind of looks like Bert's head from Bert and Ernie. (I couldn't resist putting a pom-pom on it) Another great thing about starting up knitting again is discovering how many knitting needs I actually have. Apparently in some former life I was an avid knitter. Additionally, I found an old knitting book that I bought years ago and while flipping through the knitting book I found this gem of a pattern. I might just make some leg-warmers instead for winter walking.

Imagine me strutting campus with this awesome vest!