Split Pea Soup = Green + Delicious

Split Pea Soup may be about the grossest looking food EVER, but MAN, is it yummy. I've been eating a lot of soup lately, which means it's getting cold in Ohio. Also, my Uggs had their inaugural wearing Tuesday night, which means 1. it's winter 2. it's almost Halloween. I don't care how ugly they are, they keep my feet warm and I don't have to wear socks (less laundry... yay!) Socks are the limiting factor in my wardrobe, so the longer I can hold off wearing socks, the better. I should probably just buy more. That's going on the wish list... right after a new pair of Uggs.

In other news... Halloween is soon! Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday... candy + costumes + candy = PERFECT. (Running a close second is Thanksgiving, which is also very soon!) I have the best costume ever this year... I'll post pictures on Saturday =]

Another favorite fall activity of mine occurred last weekend... I went down to Hocking Hills with the fam. We took a picnic (bread and brownies - the best lunch) and went hiking. It was so nice! We're going apple picking this weekend, which I am SUPER looking forward to. I still have to plan out my strategy for the inevitable Apple War with Brother.

Shout out to Brother and his soccer team! They're ranked #2 in the state! Great work guys =]

The Network

Dad always told me that it's not what you know, it's who you know.  I always blew that off... I remember thinking to myself "pssh, that's not true.  People can automatically tell how awesome I am as soon as they meet me.  Or, at the very least, I look good on paper"  Very self-centered, I know, but I'm working on that this year.

I am just now realizing how important networking is.  The more people you know, the better.  For example, I have just recently assumed the post of Media Liason for the Ohio State Solar Decathlon Team, which I thought was going to be pretty simple... I thought I'd just contact the Lantern and see if they'd write a few articles about us, and maybe move on to the Dispatch when we got closer to the competition.  Ok, well... it started out that way.  I have a commitment from the Lantern for ongoing articles about SolarDec, but then I started talking about what I was doing at work.  (I work in Arts Administration and Communications, for those of you that don't know)  That day, I came home with a list of 50+ contacts of people that are just itching to write about Solar Decathlon!  I couldn't believe my good luck.  And neither could my team... luckily it was more than enough to impress them and actually get them to take me seriously.  I have stories started with the Plain Dealer, Dayton Daily News, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Dispatch, and almost every Engineering publication coming out of Cleveland (thanks to my AWESOME cousin!)

Anyways... I learned my lesson, Daddy... it's not what you know, it's who you know.

Quick plug for Solar Decathlon!  Our groundbreaking ceremony is coming soon (Autumn Quarter... date TBA)  We have a lot of Outreach events planned for this year, so keep your eyes out!  solardecathlon.osu.edu, or look us up on Facebook!

p.s. I FINALLY got new headphones!  Yay!  (Still haven't gotten paid... but Brother coughed up his)

For I too am a steward, did you not know?

Today was the Green Building Expo in Columbus.  I went, and it was a lot of fun!  I went to see a speaker from the Bio-Mimicry Guild in the morning, and she talked about how our buildings need to be emulating nature if we want to achieve any sort of long-term sustainability.  She gave some examples of other life forms that have survived on the earth for 3 billion years without using electricity or fossil fuels for energy.

The first talk seemed a bit far-fetched for me... I think the Bio-Mimicry Guild works on an extreme end of the spectrum, while regular LEED projects (even LEED Platinum) work more in the middle in terms of energy efficiency.

Anyway, I know not all of you have the same passion for sustainability that I do, so I won't bore you with any more details.

In other news, Brother signed on for another season with the Vanguard Nationals Team, which we are all VERY excited about.  AND.... FINALLY, he has started filling out college applications!  Yayyyy!  I'm so proud of him =]

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist comes out tomorrow!

Back by Popular Demand

Yeah, I know, it's kind of hard to believe, but people actually read this thing! I was really surprised when I got to school and I had a bunch of people come up to me and say "Oh my gosh, I love your blog... how come you aren't writing anymore?" So, here I am, and thank you everyone for your kind words =]

Also back by popular demand (my own), my weekly trek up High Street for church on Sunday mornings. I've got to say, I love our bus system. Sure, it's not perfect, but it gets me where I want to go (mostly) when I want to go (usually). Actually, I'm late for church almost every Sunday, but luckily, they're flexible (i.e. I sneak in the back and no one cares)

My problem with the bus system is all the nasty looks I get when I ride the bus. Yeah, I'll admit... I roll up in there with my $60 haircut wearing my North Face and ridiculously expensive jeans, toting my Dolce & Gabbana and rocking out to my iPod while texting on my BRAND NEW $600 phone (I love it). So I kind of understand. But I can't afford gas, either, people! There are limits to my extravagance.

Speaking of that, I'm broke. Probably from the afformentioned items, now that I think about it. It's been really hard these past couple weeks, though. For the first time in my life, I cannot spend ANY money. I have a wishlist going of everything that I'm going to buy when I get paid (which they just screwed up... it was supposed to be last Friday, but now I have to wait ANOTHER two weeks). Toothpaste is the first item listed. Yeah, it's not looking too good. Headphones are #2... mine are held together with electrical tape, and I live in constant fear of being electrocuted at any second.

I'll keep you posted

Sitting in the Stands is Hard

I really need to start checking myself at Brother's sports games.  Yep, I'm one of those fans that is cheering and yelling (almost) constantly and gets really into the game.  Recently, I have been noticing that I really need to start thinking about what's coming out of my mouth before I scream at the top of my lungs.

Today, when Brother missed a shot on goal, I found myself yelling "Bifrickish!"  Seriously.  I got some looks for that one.  On Saturday I cursed a squirrel's great-grandmother.  I think the exact phrase was "darn you to hell you mother of a really old squirrel"... but you get the idea.

Luckily, I'm not a swearer, so I don't have to worry about that around all the young fans at the soccer games, but they think I'm crazy anyway.  One of the other kids' moms has to have a lollipop in her mouth at all times just so she doesn't inadvertently spit out a swear word.  ...Although, she has spit out her lollipop before.  That's not good either.

The Return

I.Love.Mountains.  Ok, so it snowed a bit on vacation, but who doesn't love a little snow in August?  That's what North Face is for.

The best things about my vacation were my fam and the mountains, but second best was probably some much-needed inspiration.  I'm FINALLY ready to start painting again.  It has definitely been over a year since I even thought about picking up a paintbrush.  That's what I call a dry spell.  Results pending.

Can we talk about plane neighbors?  I loathe sitting next to people I don't know on an airplane.  There is always an awkward elbow battle for the shared arm rest (which I MUST have.) and I always feel crowded by strangers.  The worst is when they want to talk to you about stuff you really shouldn't tell strangers.  "Where are you from?"  "Oh, you go to Ohio State?  Do you live on campus?"  What makes people want to know these kinds of things?  And of course it is extremely rude to tell them to back off and leave me to my book.

Dinner Conversation

A conversation at dinner last night:

Uncle: (to son) You better reuse that cup. Don't get a new one dirty. Barack Obama would not approve.

Cousin: Yeah, well Barack isn't Santa.

Uncle: Good point. You're always the level-headed one of the family. Keep your priorities straight.