.

Food, Glorious Food!

2012-02-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

If you've never had my mom's food, you are missing out. Seriously. It should be a crime. EVERYBODY who has had my mom's food, raves about it. Raves. And rightly so.

So, as I sat here at my computer this Sunday evening I began to daydream about my mom's food, and how I wished it would suddenly appear on my desk. And I couldn't help but compile a mental list of what foods I would request if they could magically appear.

So, here are my top 10 favorite foods and top 10 favorite desserts my mom cooks...there have to be two lists. And let me tell you, both of these lists were H.A.R.D. to make. They could have quickly turned into lists of the top 1,000 foods (but alas, this post has to be quick due to the fact that I need to finish prepping a lecture on the brainstem).

Foods (in no particular order):

Artisan Bread (Mom makes about 15 different kinds: 9-Grain, Sourdough, Focaccia, Cranberry Walnut...ALL of them do the trick).
Handmade Bagels (I've attempted to learn how to make these...see pictures below).
ANYTHING that comes out of the garden (this is narrow enough, right?).
Brick Oven Pizza
Mushroom Pierogi Soup (Typically only made once a year for Christmas Eve Dinner...so delicious!)
Polish Cabbage Rolls
Vegetable Stir-Fry
Borscht Soup with Pierogi's
Sweet Potato Waffles
Townhouse Cheese Soup

Desserts (again, in no particular order):

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Layered Torte
Pumpkin pie (no crust)
Fruit Pizza
Montessori Cookies (Since these cookies were typically only made for Montessori school events when we were little kids, they picked up this name...they are the most delicious, moist, cake-y, vanilla-y sugar cookies)
Snickerdoodles
Apple Strudel
Cherry Almond Scones
Pecan Tartlets
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Custard Eclairs

So, there you have it...my two lists of foods and desserts that have, in part, made my childhood/early adulthood so delightfully delectable. And, if "Eating Momma-Kroska's Cookin'" isn't on YOUR bucket list...it's not a good list.

Stomach Ache Anyone?

2012-02-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

Laughing is medicine. It freshens your soul, lightens your load and gosh darnit, it makes you feel good! I had a long laugh this morning when I saw these pictures on MSNBC's Animal Tracks...so long in fact, my stomach ached after. The good kind of ache.

Seriously...captions should read (for first photo):
"Baby round tailed ground squirrel refuses to help dig family burrow due to extreme fatigue onset by big head."

For the second photo:
"Well, stop eating candy and I wouldn't have to do this."

August 14th...Mark Your Calendar.

2012-02-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

These are made from paper. PAPER!

The coolest thing I can do with paper is buy it on a roll and wipe my behind with it. Or maybe it's making a handmade birthday card. Whatever. It doesn't come close to the amazing things, anatomical things, this artist (Lisa Nilsson) is doing with paper.

But this is for sure...I know what I'll be asking for for my next 12 birthdays, and 8 Christmas's...I figure it will take about that long to collect the whole series, figuring I get one per holiday.

Maybe I can start counting August 14th as a holiday...as far as I know it hasn't been claimed by any nation or special interest group as a major holiday. So, today is the day that I officially declare it PhD Student's Day. Honor it by giving that special PhD student in your life a gift. Go ahead. No need to wait.

Cherry Tragedy

2012-01-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

There once was a girl. A girl who loved her fruit snacks, but not just any fruit snacks. Cherry Fruity Snacks from Sam's Club. Oh, how they tasted wonderful. Then one dark, dreary afternoon the girl opened a pack, so very hungry for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, and what did she find? STRAWBERRY Fruity Snacks in her CHERRY Fruity Snack pack. Imposters! Oh, the sadness. This was a fluke she thought. But alas, it was not.

Another afternoon...another dark, grey afternoon. The girl opened a different pack of Cherry Fruity Snacks and what did she find? STRAWBERRY...AGAIN! Oh, the tears. The tears. The girl did not like Strawberry Fruity Snacks, no she did not. How could this happen twice, the weak (from low blood sugar) girl thought?!?!

Yet another afternoon...another dark, tornado-y, stormy afternoon. The girl decided that the third time had to be the charm, and nervously opened a Cherry Fruity Snack Pack after an all-too-small lunch...stomach still grumbling. OH THE TRAGEDY, OH THE TRAGEDY...STRAWBERRY HAD STRUCK AGAIN..Cherry was nowhere to be seen!

This had to stop the girl thought. There must be others in this world suffering like she was. Teased with the promise of Cherry, only to find an ugly imposter.

The girl eagerly took out her computer, found the Fruity Snack Pack's manufacturer online, and proceeded to write them a very concerned, yet polite email. The company NEEDED to know how the girl had suffered.

Fast-forward a week. A long, long week. It was a sunny, warm afternoon. The girl felt a little better about having alerted the proper authorities about the occurrences. And the good feelings kept on coming when the girl opened her mailbox and found the following note, with the shown gift certificate:

Oh, how the world began to seem right again!

I cannot wait to go buy more Fruity Snacks...ones that are sure to be packaged correctly...errrr....I mean "the girl" will.

Future Dream House

2012-01-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

My future dream house will have floors like this.
It will.
It makes me feel powerful just looking at it.

(Glass floor supported entirely by the combined effort of 180,000 little plastic people.)

Mind Games and Stalking

2012-01-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's all about the minds games. Mind games to ensure one keeps studying. "Okay Erin, study for another hour and then you can take a 10 minute break." "Read one more journal article, then you can go and peruse the BBC and read something awesome." "Knock out one more chapter in this book, then it's time for a run."

"(Fill in the blank), then I get to:

...have a Fruity snack pack."
...call the family in Minnesota."
...start an iMessage chat session."
...watch YouTube dog videos."
...go on a walk with the Ammon."
...throw a fit."

You get the point.

Another way to battle that pesky little voice in your head that tells you NOT to be productive, is to vary your daily study routine. This week...changing my typical study location was just the mind game I needed. I chose to study in the main library on campus (a bit of a walk from the medical school), but the brief walk would wake me up, and the view of downtown could not be beat.

I had sunlight galore (even though in the pic above it was a bit cloudy), and I had a straight line view of the skyscraper Ammon works in. I must have emailed him 3 times in one afternoon, making sure he knew that I was stalking him. That's just what I do.

I'd Like To Tell You...

2012-01-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

I'd like to tell you that for the past six months this blog has been eerily quiet due to the fact that I've been on an international, jungle explorin', snake wrangling, whale watchin' adventure with the Mister. But I won't, because people would start asking for pictures, and that type of photoshoppin' takes time. (And...the whole international trip story would be a lie).

What I will tell you is that school, visits from loved ones, school, trips to the great white north (Minnesota), and more school has taken up my time as of late. Add a dash of blogging laziness into the mix and I've the perfect recipe to forgetting that I even had a blog...that is until my lovely momma reminded me that I had one. And when your momma requests a blog post, that's what she'll get...(her and my other 2 readers).

So, take a trip back in history with me. The year was 2011, Obama was president, Duke the family dog still farted in his sleep, and Erin, the third-born, was still addicted to raspberries. It was also when my sister Maryanna came to visit Ammon and I in Indianapolis over Thanksgiving. What a trip it was...seriously.

We explored the city:

We ran a Thanksgiving Day 5K run:

We became cave explorers at Mammoth Caves in Kentucky:

We ate cupcakes and frozen yogurt:

We explored the Indianapolis Art Museum grounds...and had a contest to see whose pupils could get the smallest (I won...I mean look at my pupils in the next photo...its a wonder I could still see):

We got all dressed up for Thanksgiving Day:

We did impressions...errrr...I did impressions:

We played games...traditional board games, and the occasional piggy back ride around the house:

And we laughed...which was the best part of all.

There's Something about Being 3rd and 5th Born...

2011-06-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

Third born = Me.

Fifth born = Courtney.

3rd Born x 5th Born = Dragon tears, all the colors of the rainbow.

(Flight of the Conchords reference. Just google Albi the Racist Dragon...you'll get the reference. Or if you're too lazy--I was simply trying to convey the impression that when you put a third born sibling as quirky as I am, together in a room with a fifth born sibling, who's as awesome as Courtney...good times start a rollin'.)

Yup, you guessed it. Courtney came to visit her elderly sister in Indiana a while back. And, oh was it fun.

Hikes.

Skeleton encounters.

Kings Island with Friends.

Zoo adventures.

Bowling (I think I broke 70...that college bowling class really paid off).

Canal biking.

And what would a vacation be without high flying acrobatics? NOTHING. So, of course we went on a high flying acrobatic adventure. (Psssssssst....watch the movie, its Oscar material.)

Courtney is phenomenal. And the fact that she likes me enough to hang out with me, makes me want to buy a BFF heart shaped necklace for the two of us.

I get the "B", she can have the "FF".

P.S. On a totally unrelated topic, I found this picture when going through some old photos...

Yes. That is me.

NOT a long lost twin brother of mine.

Dear Mom,

Was saving the $5 really worth this?

No.

Yup, I'm that Pretty.

2011-06-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

This beautiful lady had a birthday on June 10th.

And while the Momma tries her darnedest to avoid the spotlight...her 51 years on this earth surely deserve it.

Her beauty alone takes your breath away.

Her choice in boyfriends is Grade A...

Her tenderness, and patience in putting up with these 5 monkeys...and the 3 peanuts she gave birth to...is really far too generous.

Especially with this one, isn't she pretty?

At least she didn't start out that way...

Happy Birthday Mom.

Love, Your slightly crazy 3rd born.

Food and Mail

2011-04-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie. Life right now is really intense. Intense. In about a month, this school year will be over, and it's hard to believe that I will soon be done with the first year of my PhD.

So, when I get colored pictures like this one in the mail from my sweet little niece Anika:

Or I get home from school in the late evening hours, exhausted, and find that dinner is waiting for me on the stove...I just smile.

I take a breath which seems to enter a lot easier into my tired body, I feel my worries subside and relish in the fact that I am so blessed to be an aunt, and grateful to be in love with my best friend.

I'm buying stock in Kleenex.

2011-03-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

I needed a bit of a laugh this afternoon. After an intense week at school, my body is revolting from the sudden increase in stress after a nice relaxing spring break. It also doesn't seem to like the gigantic decrease in the amount of sleep I'm able to get...result? I'm getting sick. Boo hoo me, right?

So, when I found these pics whilst mindlessly surfing the internet, blowing my nose (a LOT), and falling asleep in my desk chair this afternoon--it gave me the little burst of energy I needed to start some homework. Some might consider them a bit rude...(one does say 'shut up', and that's a word that will get you grounded in my parents house if you're caught saying it...even if you are an adult).

Oh well...maybe I too would think they were a bit rude, if only I weren't so sleep deprived. But, today they are hilarious. And they make me giggle. They just do.

What is he Thinking?

2011-03-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

1. "That date went well...Dina's such a clever girl."

2. "Short arms suck."

3. "Bull s___ the California King fits anybody!"

4. "I'm still hungry...I thought Little Foot would've had more meat on him."

5. "All this top-of-the-food-chain business is overrated, it makes my knees hurt."

6. "That lamp better not be on a clapper."

7. "Mmmmm...1,000 thread count."

8. "Did I remember to lock the front door?"

What do YOU think he's thinking?

Panda's Can't Be Hoodwinked

2011-02-24T12:28:00.001-08:00

I realize that there is a small possibility I may post too many things about animals on my blog...but I firmly believe animals have the ability to lessen life's stresses, and as I approach my second round of exams this semester, I could use all the stress relief I can get.

Anyway, while surfing MSNBC today at lunch I came across the following photo, to which I immediately started laughing and began humming "One of these things is not like the other"...

Well, the more I looked at this photo, the more I laughed, and let's just say that Hummus cannot double as a laptop screen cleaner.

The caption that was posted with the photo read,

"Researchers dressed in panda costumes put a panda cub into a basket before transferring it to a new living environment at the Hetaoping Research and Conservation Center. The 6-month-old cub is being transferred to a bigger living environment with a higher altitude and a more complicated terrain, which marks the beginning of the second phrase of its training to reintroduce it to the wild. Researchers wear panda costumes to ensure that the cub's environment is devoid of human influence, according to local media."

Yeah right. Don't tell me for one minute that anyone was fooled by this, panda included. Perhaps the fact that the "Pandas" were six feet tall, walked standing upright, and had opposable thumbs were the first red flags. The situation probably continued to head south when the man in panda suit #1 started talking...human talking:

"Dude, does your suit itch as much as mine?"

Dude in panda suit #2, "Yeah man...oh shoot...you hear that? My phone is ringing and its under my tail puff."

Kudos for trying.

You've Done It Again

2011-01-18T17:30:00.001-08:00

Once again MSNBC Animal Tracks...you've done it...

Inspired me to brush my teeth twice a day.

To donate money to "Help that Anteater Grow Some Hair!" Fund.

Smile at Lambs who think they're humans.

Giggle at Foxes, who KNOW they are being naughty.

And finally, marvel at the universality of love.

(This picture is NOT from Animal Tracks...it was taken a couple days after my sister Megan gave birth to her daughter Anika.)

I Don't Like Being Hissed At

2011-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

I have graciously been given an office space of my own at school. As a PhD student I recognize that having a place where I can dump my stuff when running off to class, a spacious desk to spread out my books, and the luxury of occasionally leaning back in my chair and taking a mid-day nap in private is pretty awesome. The fact that my office used to be a storage closet doesn’t bother me a bit. Yeah, it would be nice to have a window, but I figure taking Vitamin D and eating foods that rhyme with ‘sun’ is good enough.

However, this morning when I opened my office door, I was not greeted by the sight of my cozy chair, but rather a cockroach who ran straight for me. My breath caught in my throat, and faster than the cockroach’s little legs were beatin’ against the tile floor, I had a vision…not a vision of something beautiful or grand, but of how my lovely little nook had suddenly become the dwelling place of vermin, overgrown with cobwebs and scores of baby rats being birthed in my trash can.

I realize that cockroaches are not uncommon in old buildings, and that I shouldn’t have been that surprised, but you know what they say…first, it’s a cockroach, then comes Ebola. You can never be too safe. So, smash went my foot…game over. Exoskeletal creatures are not welcome here.

But the cockroach got me thinking….first, of how I need to wash my shoe when I get home, and second, of how over Christmas break my sister Elena came to visit and we took a day to visit the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Oh how I l-o-v-e that place.

While the aquarium did have cockroaches on display…they were in cages…fine. As long as they didn’t hiss. Ewe.

Some of my favorite things that day were:

1. Watching the dolphin show with Fritz.

2. Coming inches away from beautiful snakes and poisonous frogs.

3. Eating at Shaw’s Seafood restaurant on the Magnificent Mile.

4. Watching the new baby beluga play with its mother.

5. Petting a penguin.

6. And grabbing some hot chocolate from Hershey’s Chocolate Shop

While reminiscing has been fun, please excuse me while I go eat some buns covered with gum, while thinking of the sun in my vermin free nook.

Erin is not a Mouse

2010-12-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even an Erin. Erin had just finished her first semester as a PhD student, and was relishing every moment of her Christmas vacation.

And although its been a vacation, I’ve been working very hard…days filled with: sleeping in, reading, going on walks in the snow, re-hydrating the freeze-dried raspberries I got as a gift from my mother-in-law (best gift e-v-e-r), and helping to increase the stock value of Redbox. So, at the end of the day, when my eyelids get heavy, and my TV quota has been reached…I try to find time to relax. While relaxing the other evening, I was going through some Thanksgiving photos. This year Ammon and I were able to fly out to Utah for our short break, to do three important things:

1. Visit family

2. Play Trivial Pursuit Bet You Know It

3. Buy and Eat cupcakes

While visiting family was the focus of our trip out west…

Playing games and eating cupcakes quickly became necessary ‘musts’. The cupcakes cost a pretty penny, but as soon as their creamy goodness hit my mouth, their delectable flavors evoked visions of dancing desserts, singing voices, and shooting stars…and suddenly $3.00/cupcake seemed like a steal. Out of the German Chocolate, Vanilla Cheesecake, Red Velvet, and Cherry Vanilla flavors that we bought, Cherry Vanilla was my favorite. Perhaps it was the cherry on top, or the vanilla flavored cake…I may never know.

We accidently stumbled upon Trivial Pursuit Bet You Know It, while roaming the isles of Kmart—this is the most enjoyable version I’ve come across yet. It allows you to bet your points either for or against a player—depending on if you think they will answer their question right or wrong.
For example: Once during the game I bet all of my points like a gamblin’ junkie that Ammon would get his question right—why bet ALL of my points? Well, the subject of his upcoming question was “Star Wars”…and if an entire childhood of Jedi role-playing, Millennium Falcon Lego building, and light saber fighting didn’t prepare him for this moment—I don’t know what would have. Let’s just say, I bet wisely.

So, in between all the work I’ll be doing during my vacation…I plan to schedule some extra time for Trivial Pursuit, and cupcake baking. And with Mama Kroska’s recipes in my arsenal, I know I won’t be disappointed.

Throw Pillow Revolution

2010-11-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

Typically, I find I can’t control the fact that my lip begins to curl up when I read those sayings found stitched on throw pillows. Statements found under a row of dancing rabbits declaring, “Don’t worry about a little gray hare!” Or a feathery banner stitched above a picture of a fat cat announcing “Cats are angels with tails!” Sure, cat…show me the evidence.

If the throw pillow industry really wanted to appeal to the lip curling generation, they’d consider endorsing pillows with pictures and sayings that really entertain. You know, stitching something more along the lines of the humor one would find in a Gary Larson cartoon. Where under some perfectly cross-stitched T-Rex dinosaurs, smoking cigarettes in a dark alley cave, reads the statement “The real reason dinosaurs became extinct.” Now, THAT would be a throw pillow I would stitch, buy, even bury my head in when taking a nap….

Sorry dancing rabbits…check with my 80-year-old neighbor.

About a month ago, my Dad went on an exotic vacation…Destination: Indianapolis. Happily, Ammon and I kidnapped him for the weekend in order for the three of us to celebrate his 60^th birthday together. Now, while the sandy beaches, tropical sunshine, and pina coladas were in short supply…adventure was not. We ended up exploring Turkey Run State Park—an outdoor heaven of hiking trails, steep rock walls, and suspension bridges. After a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s lunch at the local Whole Paycheck…errr… Whole Foods store, we were on our way.

So, in honor of my recent throw pillow rant, some of the following photos will have a short statement placed below them…a statement I consider worthy to be cross-stitched under such an image. Please enjoy…oh, and feel free to take any of these sayings and sew them onto your own pillow…Christmas IS, just around the corner.

“Suspension bridges…if you were born in 1937, and are big and red…every 10 year old girl has a photo of you on her wall. Thank you Full House.”

“3 Peas in a pod…Hopefully one doesn’t turn out to be a raisin.”

“Holes in a rock…don’t stick your finger in one…a baby bird might be calling it his home.”

“27 years old…who knew a face could still come up with new expressions...wolf!”

“Bees…they can make yummy honey…AND jab little needles into human flesh.”

“If a tree falls in an empty forest, will anyone be there to hear it fall? David Kroska will…then he’ll go after the Beaver that did it.”

So, if you had the opportunity to cross-stitch something on a pillow, what would it be? If you need inspiration, consider taking an exotic vacation…it worked for me!

Could it Be...Is it You?

2010-10-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

There are a few guilty pleasures I enjoy in life...probably enjoy a bit too much. Oh well.

Every week I look forward to, and take a good chunk of time enjoying, the MSNBC Animal Tracks Slideshow. Each week's slideshow is nothing but A-W-E-S-O-M-E photos of animals. Here are some of my recent faves...

Caution...the following photos will likely make you want to buy an exotic pet. Don't. They belong somewhere better than your "rainforest reconstruction" landscape recently built inside your brother's old fish tank.

Anyway, this morning I received a somewhat urgent email from Ammon telling me to go to MSNBC's homepage, specifically the email read..."Go to Slide 2 on the photo slide show link below."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39727893/ns/health-animal_tracks_slide_show/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1

As soon as I saw that it was the Animal Tracks slideshow for the week, I knew it was going to be good. And this is what I saw...

I shrieked...with pride.

I know that smile anywhere!

I know this seal.

I mean, I-KNOW-THIS-VERY-SEAL-IN-THIS-VERY-PICTURE! Remember THIS photo from when I lived in Japan?

Yup, this is the same seal, the one I would frequently visit at the Sea World in Kamogawa. The one that gave me his digits, smiled for me, and gave me a picture to bring back to the states worth a thousand words.

My love for Japan, MSNBC Animal Tracks, and smiling seals has reached a new level.

It's nice to see you looking so good ole' friend. I know it might be hard, but...please don't forget me when your international modeling career really starts to take off.

A Short Red Bus

2010-10-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

The 10th grade...I was 14 years old, had a crush on a boy named "M", and thought I looked awesome with dark pink blush all over my face...I didn't. One other thing about the 10th grade. Everyone was getting their driver's license. But since I didn't turn 16 until I was nearly a senior, I rode the bus. A bus with a cockroach as its mascot. A cockroach. Unfortunately for me, riding the school bus was on the social top-ten list of "un-cool things to do"...yet...I had no other choice but to be a frequent patron of the long yellow wagon.

I quietly swore to myself day after day, that "As soon as I got my license and had a car to drive, I would no longer ride the school bus". Funny how things turn out. I am now 27 years old, am married, have a BA, a Masters, am working on my PhD, HAVE a car, and still ride the bus to school. But now, willingly. Granted, it is no longer yellow, but red instead, doesn't have a bus driver who knows to wake me up at my stop, and lacks a cockroach as it's mascot...but it's more convenient than driving most days, and I often find myself entertained by the v-e-r-y colorful people who ride it with me.

The other day while I was waiting for my red school bus, I began to daydream, and thinking about quirks. I think quirks are funny. I have quirks, and they make me the strange brew of Erin that I am today. I like quirks. Here are a few of mine:

1. I must put chapstick on before bed.

2. I like trying on masks...but this quirk makes me gag a little when I think about it, thanks to all the other hot mouth breathers out there that try the masks on before I do.

3. I always burp once, only once, after eating an apple. Can't help it

4. I am obsessed with going to the zoo. But since my husband likes the zoo even more than I do, it works out quite nicely.

5. I often tie, re-tie, then re-tie again my shoes before a run. My laces MUST be just right. Too tight, I feel like throwing a fit. Too loose, I feel like I'll face on my face.

6. I carry white-out with me to every class, and have it nearby when studying. I hate having scribbles and/or mistakes on my notes. It makes me distracted, and itchy when I look at a big fat mistake scribbled over with pen.

7. Modern Family, and 30 Rock make me belly laugh...full-out, eyes-watering, lift your spirits belly laughter.

8. I think cat leashes are stupid.

9. While watching: Cracklin' fires, rain falling, babies sleeping, jelly bean making, and rippling waves, I typically fall into a trance.

10. I yell, I mean y-e-l-l at the TV while watching college football...and FOX "news".

11. I like doughnuts, more than any one person should. And if I could, I would return in my next life as a small rodent living in a bakery, with a secret little house in the back corner wall...having access to all the doughnuts I could ever want...without the consequences of artery hardening.

And if Ammon decided to join me in my desired bakery-dwelling afterlife...I think we could be as happy as two rats in a sewer drain.

What are your quirks?

Rules and Lessons

2010-08-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

So, this past week was the last week that Ammon and I had together before I started my crazy life as a PhD student. We jumped right on the "lets do something fun before life gets busy again" bandwagon, and decided to go to the zoo. (**Disclaimer: Previous statement about bandwagon was mostly a lie...Ammon's summer was VERY busy with preparations for the Bar Exam...I mostly watched Shark shows).

We bought a family membership in order to stalk our favorite animals in a financially responsible manner, laid some ground rules for proper zoo behavior, and even learned some valuable zoological lessons...all before 5pm:

1. RULE: Ammon is to use ONLY 2 fingers to touch the nurse sharks in the petting pool. He is NOT allowed to grab said sharks.

(Rule broken).

2. LESSON: Erin asked Ammon "Wait, is that mouse dead!?!" To which Ammon answered "Apparently Fievel went TOO far west."

3. RULE: When comparing eyelash lengths with an eyelash viper...Kroska eyelashes will ALWAYS win (thanks Dad).

4. LESSON: Don't be surprised when your Polar Bear forgets to wipe.

5. RULE: Eagle nests should never exceed 2.5 tons.

6. LESSON: Children are not unlike Meerkats. They both fall asleep in ridiculous positions, after which people giggle at them and take pictures.

Herky Called...He's Moving On

2010-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

When Ammon and I graduated in May, it marked a momentous occasion...Ammon graduated with his JD (Law degree) and Masters in Health Administration, and me, myself, and I graduated with my Masters in Environmental Health. (3 references there to the personage Erin, only 1 degree...mmmm.)

(The Von Trapp Children)

(Ammon and My Dad)

(Graduate School Ceremony)

(Getting ready to watch Ammon's Law School Graduation)

Many of our family members flew/drove/hitchhiked in from all over the country in order to share in the occasion...and let's be honest...to eat my mom's food she made for our graduation picnic party. Insert stomach grumbling here. States included Utah, Washington, Texas, Minnesota, and Nevada...no internationals however...we told our good friend P. McCartney to save the money, and just send a card. Still waiting on that one...I'm sure he's just busy, being summer and all.

(Uncle Richard and I)

(The three brothers)

Ammon's Law School graduation FAR outweighed the graduate school's graduation...not only in quality, but laughter, wit, and entertainment. The speakers were delightful, the ceremony well thought out, the facility air conditioned, and the graduation class smaller...which pleased everyone involved, because it meant that there was a shorter list of names read and people being hooded.

(Elena, I and Courtney)

As for the graduate school's graduation, which we both walked in the day after, it ended up being momentous, but a bit less enjoyable. The air conditioning broke that morning in the building the ceremony was held in, and with thousands of people all jammed into an auditorium for 4 hours, this meant 3 things: nasty, hot, smelly-ness. But we had family cheering us on, and the promise of good food later that night which helped immensely...and for the sake of being honest...maybe a bribe or two that Ammon used to keep me from throwing a fit.

(The graduation picnic)

(The Kroska Kids)

(Uncle Richard, Orion, Ammon, Joel, Momma April)

(Me and nephew Bryce)

The day after graduation, Ammon jetted out to Indianapolis for his Bar review class which began a day later, and I started collecting boxes, and going through closets...beginning the arduous process of packing up our Iowa Apartment for the move which would come at the end of June. But before we left, we said one final goodbye to Iowa City, a city which had been our home for the past 4 years, and one which we have grown to love. Insert tear. The only thing that made the move a bit easier, was after the University's mascot Herky, posted on Facebook that he had found 2 new nest-mates.

Goodbye old friend.

Bite Face

2010-07-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

I could start out by saying something I've read on other blogs countless of times before..."Oh, I've been such a bad blogger", "I've been so lazy!", "I'm so sorry faithful blog fans!" But alas, I will not. First, I believe these are somewhat feckless statements, seeing that I don't think I've been lazy, and I'm not really that sorry. Nope. I've been busy watching programs on Discovery Channel about sharks named Bite Face. Sweet.

Second, both Ammon and I have been busy with a few of life's details like graduating from law school and graduate school...

Celebrating my mom's 50th birthday...

Packing up our Iowa apartment, moving to Indianapolis...

Setting up our new digs (more pictures to come on this front, due to the fact that I am STILL unpacking boxes...I find running or going on bike rides around the city more fun)...

Getting ready to start a PhD program, and the big kahuna...Ammon studying for the Indiana Bar exam. Boo.

So, to my 3 confirmed blog readers...when Shark Week begins on August 1st I'll likely be spending most of my time trying to locate a handsome lad named Bite Face, after which, I promise I'll consider bloggin' about it.

I Wish You Were Still a Toothless Cobra

2010-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a little story. It all begins with my sweet, oh so innocent looking, nephew Bryce. When Bryce was just a little tyke, and first started to laugh, he surprised us all with the trademark sounds he would make. The best way to describe it, is to say that he sounded like a hissing snake, who occasionally spit--and since he lacked teeth at the time, Ammon aptly named him the "toothless cobra". The name stuck. Until this past weekend.

Over the past few months, the toothless cobra decided to grow some fangs. And fangs, he grew. However, it was only over this past weekend, that he decided to use them...in all the wrong places, and in all the wrong ways.

Last Sunday, when Megan began to nurse him, like any other nursing session, lets just say that there was tooth clampage...repetitive tooth clampage on some very sensitive milk dispensing parts. That was the day the "toothless cobra" graduated to the next stage of his young babyhood...into "resident Mongoose-hood". And seeing how in real life the Mongoose is known for its ability to shred things with its teeth, well...you get the picture.

Unfortunately, it was after the clampage incident, that Bryce perhaps did the worst thing possible...he met up with his newfound friends and decided to have a good ole' fashion gloat session.

I think you may have a dry mouth for a few days, my "Little Mongoose".

Moral of the Story

2010-04-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

There are few things in life that get better than this...

Bryce: "This is the worst Easter ever!"
Duke: "At least your ears are green. Have you looked at mine? They're pink. With sparkles. What will my girlfriends think?"
Bryce: "At least you're not being carried around in a grocery sac."
Duke: "At least the camera doesn't make you look a sea lion-dog hybrid!"

Bryce: "Ok. You win."

Holidays are Unfair

2010-04-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Clicking through all of the Easter Facebook photos posted today, I have come to one conclusion: Holidays are unfair to pets.

I am constantly coming across photos where helpless creatures are made to wear santa suits, prance around in cupid costumes, and like today's theme, sport ridiculous bunny ears...here's hoping you had a better Easter than Duke the Dog.

Hot Tub Time Machine

2010-03-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

If I had a hot tub time machine here is a list of some (definitely NOT all) of the things that I would do:

1. Get to know my Great Grandpa Hilton (I've been told I have his eyes)

2. Meet a Brontosaurus

3. Re-live my trip to New Zealand with my dad

4. Tell Amelia Earhart that she shouldn't get on that plane

5. Watch Krakatau erupt (preferably from a safe distance)

6. Scream like a little girl while at a Beatles concert

7. Go to a Jazz club, dance the Charleston, and meet a Flapper

8. Listen to Billie Holiday, LIVE.

9. See the view which Edmund Hillary saw the morning of May 29th, 1953

10. Find a way to make sure that Nikola Tesla receives the credit he deserves

11. Own a horse and buggy. Use horse and buggy to go places. Have a stable hand to take care of said horse and buggy.

12. Attend the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and watch Jesse Owens win gold in the 100 meters

13. Invent the gummy bear.

14. Sit down and have tea with the Dalai Lama

(Technically I wouldn't have to go back in time for this one)

15. Ask if I could assist Andreas Vesalius with his work

16. Watch the Great Sphinx of Giza being built

17. Throw a party for Johannes Gutenberg

18. Look over the shoulder of Leonardo da Vinci while he paints the Mona Lisa

19. Ride a Woolly Mammoth

20. And finally...

Ask my dad if I could meet his twin sister.

Meet Mr. Bones

2010-03-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a good weekend.

Some very important news came my way on Friday afternoon. I've been accepted to the Indiana University School of Medicine PhD Anatomy Program...insert a very deep breath of relief here, and for good measure, some jumping up and down screaming episodes.

I will begin this coming August, and have a projected finish of May, 2015 .

Let the dance begin.

Thai Food with a Friend.

2010-03-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Iowa City, is it's great variety of restaurants. Having lived here for nearly 4 years, Ammon and I are still able to find and try amazing new food. From the Red Avocado, which serves only vegetarian/local/organic food, to Mesa Pizza, which serves the most amazing grilled eggplant or macaroni and cheese pizza, even Atlas, which serves delectable grilled polenta, portobello stuffed burritos...the choices are nearly endless.

This last weekend when Ammon and I needed a quick break from studying, we decided to try a new restaurant, and because we were both in the mood for Thai food, off we went to Thai Flavors.

We started off sharing some wonderful veggie rolls, and a plate of grilled Tofu.

I went on to get the mighty tasty Pad Thai, while Ammon was a bit more adventurous and ordered the grilled duck with veggies. We both decided that the food was definitely worth going back for. So here's to trying new restaurants, and grabbing Thai food with a friend...guaranteed to make your whole week better.

Dear Neighbor

2010-03-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Neighbor Across the Way,

When you live in an apartment complex, please be considerate of the fact that your balcony is the only thing I see when I look out my window, because this is what I see...

This is all I have seen since NOVEMBER...LAST NOVEMBER...NOVEMBER 2009.

Please know that I am not a Scrooge...I love Christmas as much as the next person...but this is March, and I am of the firm belief that all Santa and Santa-related products should no longer be waving at me when I sit in my living room eating breakfast.

Sincerely,

Your-Proper-Time-and-Place-Santa-Loving-Friend

I'm a Celebrity and Own 3 Rats

2010-02-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to meet a celebrity? Rub elbows with someone famous? Boast about shaking hands with some sweaty rock star?

Yes, yes, and yes (sans sweat).

Well, recently I made the discovery that for years I've been in the presence of a celebrity. Having done some research, I discovered the 10 components necessary to attain said celebrity status:

1. Have a cool hyphenated hybrid last name
2. Look good in a lab coat

3. Know how to attend to the needs of your pet petri dish

4. Be a PA student at Touro University

5. Have a rad nickname (ie: Bugsie)

6. Must NOT have an allergy to latex gloves

7. Like the idea of having your photo on the Internet

8. Look gorgeous under fluorescent lights

9. Lack fear of the microorganisms that have the ability to jump out of the aforementioned pet petri dish

10. Have the name of Alyssa Kroska-Wilhelm.

So, here's to my celebrity sister Alyssa...featured on Touro University's PA Program website.

I think the photo works because everyday I now have to fight the urge to buy a white lab coat, 3 rats with red eyes, a monkey if I can afford it, lab space and some petri dishes of my own.

Scooter-Fillmore Labs Inc., here I come!

Graphs are Great

2010-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Growing up, we were N-E-V-E-R allowed to watch The Simpsons. It ranked up there with Full House, Married with Children, and Saved By the Bell...the trifecta of filth. It wasn't until I went to college that I began to partake in The Simpsons goodness. I very quickly realized, that like Full House, the show really wasn't the bane of humanity, and in actuality, was very cleverly hilarious.

Well, this morning I had an experience in which one particular episode came raging to the forefront of my mind. I was tutoring a student in one of the classes I TA, and I could see her frustration growing as a particular concept kept failing to make sense in her mind. On the verge of tears, she huffed and puffed and said, "I just don't get it! You make it sound so simple, but I just don't get it! I might as well quit now."

No, no I said. Let's try again. "Why?!?" she exclaimed. "I don't care about my grade in this class, I really hate school--the only reason why I'm here is to make my dad happy." (Lets see how far that gets you in life). Surprisingly, she went on "At least I know how to party, I know how to have fun, and I DON'T have to be smart for that." End of conversation. At this point I realized continuing to teach her about muscle innervation would be useless.

As she walked out the door, I couldn't help but laugh as I remembered The Simpsons episode where Lisa remarked that "As intelligence goes up, happiness goes down. See, I made a graph. I make lots of graphs."

I think, student X would appreciate this graph. On the other hand, we'll see how her happiness ranks after she takes the next exam.

The Perfect Formula

2010-02-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I'm in the midst of my last semester before I finish my masters, you can imagine that things are pretty busy. Weekends are my chance to get ahead for the upcoming week, and get caught up from the week before. Even though our house becomes scattered with books, and papers, the weekend is a welcome change of venue from our normal school routine.

This got me thinking as to why I love the weekends so much, and what exactly it is that makes the perfect Saturday study session. So here it is: the perfect formula to ensure that your Saturday study session is productive AND enjoyable.

1. Don't set the alarm. Due to the fact that you have been waking up at 5 am the entire week, you body wakes you up naturally at around 6 am, and by 7:30 am you'll feel like you've slept for ages.

2. Eat breakfast next to your honey, while watching the rest of the movie you fell asleep during the night before.

3. Pull out your books/study materials, and get some studying done while still in your pj's.

4. Go workout (this absolutely increases productivity), and if possible, use the time to re-listen to your class lectures from the week before.

5. The rest of the day...study, study, study...but make sure to throw some fantastic blueberries into the mix, and you'll be guaranteed a good result.

The Windy City

2010-01-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Is there anything better than a date night with your best friend? Yup...an extended date night that turns into a date weekend. Destination? Chicago.

Our favorite place in the windy city is Shedd Aquarium. Naturally we spent hours watching otters, gawking over beluga whales, touching starfish, and laughing at the silliness of waddling penguins.

Shedd recently remodeled their large aquarium, and now puts on a show called Fantasea...a mystical, slightly psychedelic experience that included some top rate animal acts.

We topped the evening off with a stroll down the Magnificent Mile--which included stops at the Hershey's store, a gourmet popcorn shop, and a delightful pizza joint.

So, here's to date weekends with your best friend...needed, refreshing, amazing.

Please Pass the Bacon

2010-01-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

Well, seeing as Christmas was nearly a month ago, I figured it was high-time for a bit o' reflection. Leaving our stressful semester behind, Ammon and I headed north for the holidays--we found respite in the welcoming arms of family, plates of delicious food, and hours of frolicking in the 2 feet of fresh snow.

Luckily, before the snow really started to fall, we were invited to eat lunch at my nephew Ty's school. He attends a Spanish immersion school a few days a week, and thought our quick visit to his stompin' grounds was "Better than a new Bionicle!" That's a relief...now I can return that Bionicle costume I rented to earn the title of 'Best Aunt'.

Ty brought a cold lunch (full of delicious, and nutritious goodies), while Ammon, my mom and I passed on the hot lunch--happily. I felt that the deep fried fish, french fries, ice-cream cup, and chocolate milk didn't contain enough saturated fat...so I opted for the spinach, tomato on wheat sandwich awaiting me at Megan's house.

A few days later, once the cookies had been eaten, the mice were no longer creeping through the house, and one worker's comp claim had been filed on behalf of an incompetent reindeer...the Mount Vesuvius of presents had been born. Stockings full of delicious treats, and ironically enough...socks, greeted everyone as they appeared in their Christmas morning attire.

My shirt had been specifically bought for Christmas morning...and was kept a surprise until then. Let me first give a brief history of Elena and her love of magical creatures. Elena has an imagination that could rival Walt Disney's. Always with her head in a book, traveling to worlds afar, Elena relishes her time spent dancing among words. As Elena has said on more than one occasion, while rubbing her crystal ball..."If only, if only...I wish I had a dragon!" (I reserve the right to paraphrase). Long story short, it's a bit of a tradition to lovingly tease Elena about her passion for pretend creatures. Unicorns included. Thus the A-W-E-S-O-M-E shirt I sported all Christmas day.

Graciously, I pointed out to Elena (more than once) where Unicorn bacon comes from-- it was surprisingly identical to where it would be found on a pig...who knew?

Follow That Blog!

2010-01-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't mistype my blog title.

If you're thinking I was about to write a lovely short story on how giant yellow birds shouldn't be bird-napped, stuck in a cage, and made to sing at a circus...you are wrong.

I never had any intentions of writing something on that awful Sesame Street movie "Follow That Bird"...I still have nightmares about one day being painted blue

I am going to make my blog PRIVATE.

So, those of you gracious enough to follow my ramblings, and desire for that to continue, send me your email address...so I can "invite" you to have access to Fillmoropolis in the future.

Thanks!

And remember to stay away from blue paint...and circus folk...at least for now.

Guilty Confessions on a Tuesday

2009-12-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

1. I have always been seriously jealous of my sister Alyssa's handwriting. Every letter is beautiful, elegant, and full of sweeping loops...it looks more like a picture than like letters. My letters look like cat vomit.
2. I have spent $25 in one week on raspberries. This will happen again.
3. I love snowstorms. The more snow, the better. To me, there is little else which makes me feel as wonderful as a fresh blanket of white. Even when there are places to go, things to do, I find myself cheering for the snow, and not for the appointment one needs to get to.

4. People who complain about homework bother me. My philosophy...if you've decided to go to school, and are privileged enough to be there...stop whining in my ear about how "I have to read how many pages?!?" "They expect me to know all of this?!?" "This sucks...I'm learning way more than I need to for the test!" Zip it.
5. The smell of kettle popcorn with parmesan on top makes Ammon gag....I still make it.
6. When I was a teenager, there was a period when I hated practicing my flute. My mom would make me practice, under the threat of losing privileges. I was rotten. I would play my flute for 10 minutes into a tape recorder, put the tape on replay and read a book for the next 35 minutes.
7. Five snacks I CANNOT live without:
Gummy Candy (worms, bears, I like them all)
Cold Spring Bakery Doughnuts (Cue heavenly voices singing "alleluia"...)
Pre-popped White Cheddar Popcorn
Dots
Cookies (Those little pink Lofthouse devils speak to me)
8. I often take baths just to warm up. No cleaning involved...just defrosting.
9. When somebody walks by me and blows out a puff of cigarette smoke (which inevitably enters my mouth) I usually make pretend choking noises.
10. This morning I spilled my ENTIRE bowl of Cheerios (milk included) over my freshly dressed self, our leather love seat, and a blanket that was nearby...I swore.
11. I think some babies are just plain ugly. Being little does not guarantee cuteness.
12. I firmly believe everybody should use reusable bags. It makes me upset when grocery stores don't charge .05¢ per bag.
13. I will, and have, put on 3 sweaters, 2 pairs of socks, and 2 pairs of pants to keep warm in our house. I do this, rather than turning the heat up. Conservation is preservation, right?
14. I buy pre-made ice in a bag every week. I hate the taste of most homemade ice--it tastes like plastic meat.
15. Even though I'm a vegetarian, and have been for quite some time...every once in a while when I smell Kung Pao Chicken...my knees get weak and I start salivating.

16. I think fish are stupid pets.
17. I often call up my sister Clara, pretend to be the Jonas Brother's mother, and invite her to a concert.

The End.

Growth of All Kinds

2009-11-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

The past week and a half have been filled with fun, food, and family...just as one might expect around Thanksgiving. However, before the Thanksgiving festivities began, I made a quick trip up to Minnesota to help my Dad with one of his many projects--this time I was helping

him with the LIFE Program. This program is truly unique, it is a program my Dad designed, implemented and currently teaches. It is a holistic approach to living a truly healthy life...exercise, diet, nutritional knowledge, the WHOLE shebang...literally.

However, amid helping my Dad, I found plenty of time during the weekend to hang out with the family where I noticed a theme emerge...growth...of all kinds. Let me explain.

Our family dog Duke, aka the 9th Kroska child, is growing older each day. However, he has perfected the art of progressively growing younger in maturity with each belly rub, squirrel chasing episode and every chase around the kitchen.
My brother Andrew has officially become the tallest Kroska kid. Surpassing my sister Megan, who has held the height record for a number of years now, the nickname Sasquatch may have to replace his well known nickname of 'Buzz'. Oh, and lest I forget, Andrew has grown into a fierce arm wrestler, and even though he easily beats me, he is not the family champion as of yet. Thanks to Clara, my younger sister, who's biceps contain the strength of a small heard of wild cheetahs, Andrew will have to wait for another day before claiming the title of champion.
I happily went with my siblings to the movie New Moon...mainly for the popcorn, but also for sheer entertainment. Entertainment NOT from the actual movie...but from the crowd. Ridiculous teen screams of sheer delight, grown women weeping, people dressed up as vampires, and a sing-along I apparently missed the memo for. Growing a bit deaf from all the hysterics...the popcorn turned out to be worth it.
My mom is the best cook. I challenge you to prove me wrong. You will fail.
As usual, she outdid herself by cooking her homemade cinnamon rolls...Delicious!
My hips thank you mom. As I sat there watching the rolls grow before entering the oven, I couldn't help but think of how blissfully happy I would be if everything tasted like a cinnamon roll...well, not my raspberries.
My nephew Ty, just started school...and rides the bus all by himself. And, although he is definitely growing older, I couldn't help but giggle as he stood waiting for the bus--seeing that his backpack took up half of his surface area...making him look so little.
My other nephew Bryce is nearly 5 months now...and simply put, is a riot. Always giggling, smiling, or trying to gum your face, he is growing like a weed. I adore his efforts in trying to sit up...success will soon be yours little buddy!

Growth...gotta love it.

Ramblings on a Wednesday Evening

2009-11-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

I just finished a midterm exam.

It turned out to be pretty low on the list of things that I like to call fun.

Necessary, yes. Fun, no.

Hurrying to catch the 7:30 p.m. bus, Ammon and I both looked worn out.

Maybe it was the bags under our eyes, the growling of our hungry stomachs, or the fact that we had be goin' goin' goin' since 5:30 a.m.

I knew what we needed...a trip to Chick-fil-A.

Being a vegetarian, I passed on the chicken sandwich, but delightfully choose an Ice-Dream instead (frozen milk/soft-serve deliciousness).

After which, a trip to Target naturally followed--ending in the all too wonderful impulse buy of the new John Mayer album.

So seraphic.

Driving home, head swaying to the beat of Assassin, my head wondered to thoughts of a warm bath.

Once thoroughly soaked, wrinkled, pruned, and bathed...to my laptop I went. It was time for some mindless surfing. News, Blogs, Photos, Facebook--fabulous.

One thing led to another, and I found myself playing in photo-booth, being a complete idiot, and adding all types of 'effects' to all types of pictures.

Simply put...life is blue-ribbon awesome when you've finally seen yourself as an old school comic book character.

Classy Act

2009-11-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

One do-it-yourself haircut...check.

Matching sweater set on loan from Grandpa...check.

Unidentified crusties clumped in hair...check.

Best school picture of Ammon...ever...check.

Gagging on a Weed

2009-10-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my sister Alyssa left her desert homeland (Vegas) and made the trip home to MN for a quick visit. As you might imagine, I could'nt miss the promise of nearly all the Kroska siblings together for a couple days (Courtney is suffering studying abroad in England for the semester), so I cleared my schedule and made the drive up.

I think I slept a total of 6 hours the whole weekend--a combination of sleeping in the only availiable bed, which was next to my 5 year old nephew (who turns out has a form of "thrash and convulse your body around, while needing to burrow tunnels all over the bed while you sleep" syndrome), and sharing late night movies/DQ ice-cream cake with delightful sisters.

It made me think back to many of the stories there are from growing up in a large family with many siblings. Due to a matter of numerical certainty...8 kids + 2 parents = a lot of things go unnoticed (especially those things which siblings WANT to go unnoticed).

When I was about 6, Alyssa and Megan were probably 7 and 9. Mom and Dad had sent us outside to help clear some brush. I came scampering outside, happy little lark was I, to find my sisters down the hill next to a pile of what looked like weeds.

Erin: Hey guys, what are you doing?

Megan/Alyssa: OH...we made a discovery!

Erin: What?

Megan/Alyssa: We found this weed that tastes just like candy! We've already eaten a bunch...you should try it!

Erin: Ok, thats sounds awesome.

It wasn't. The weed was not candy. It promply began to make my mouth burn, my eyes water and sent me up the hill gagging all the way back to the house crying.

The End.

No consequencs for the perpetrators.

Another classic: When Elena was young, she had a serious love affair with Disney characters...especially Chip and Dale (the cartoons, not the male dancers). I remember in E-V-E-R-Y prayer for nearly 2 years she would recite from the stone tablets written on her heart "And PLEASE bless me that I can go to Disney World to shake Chip and Dales hand". This was her life goal. Nothing else mattered. Well, when mom was strategically absent I would (along with other siblings that shall remain unnamed) tease Elena that...

Me/Other Unnamed Siblings: "Didn't you hear the news? They just announced that the Big Bad Wolf ate some of Snow White Dwarfs, AND Chip and Dale"

Elena: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (she screamed while running away in an instant fit of tears)

Me/Other Unnamed Siblings: "That was funny...lets do it again tomorrow!"

Yes yes...I and other unnamed siblings are still doing penance for this stunt. Once again...no parental interference...at least for the first few times.

The moral of the story: whether it was 15 years ago or 5 days ago, I know that every time I get together with my siblings I'll leave with at least one fantastic story--parental intervention present or not.

Psychotropic Love

2009-10-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

On the way home last night Ammon reminded me that we needed toilet paper. "I'll run in and get it, you just relax," Ammon said. "Deal!," I replied, turning the heat up on my frosty toes, nodding my head to the reggae music in the background.

Fast forward 15 minutes...I begin to think, "This is taking Ammon forever to get toilet paper...what is he up to?"

Cue Ammon, exiting the grocery store, striding with a spring in his step, and a grin on his face. What was he holding? This...

Explanation: "I wanted to buy you something psychotropic," Ammon chirps, amid his laughter. "I thought it would be an appropriate good luck gesture for taking the PCAT tomorrow."

Success.

Love that man.

I Must Be 3 Again

2009-10-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were really young, and Halloween rolled around? Your parents would ask, "What do you want to be?" To which one might respond as a very small child "Superman, concrete, a princess, maybe a turkey sandwich!" You didn't always understand what objects would make good costumes-and inevitably in the end your mom would convince you that a clown would be the best, and most fun thing to dress up as--which of course had nothing to do with the fact that the basement dress-up chest had 4 clown costumes in it.

Well, Ammon and I have spent the last 2 months discussing what to dress up as for Halloween, but with no success. We haven't had any luck with agreeing upon a theme, or a rockin' idea. However, that all changed today when I went to the mailbox.

Gathering the mail, I came across a letter from my sister Maryanna--clearly she and Clara have Halloween costume planning potential.

Need a Computer Background?

2009-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

The other night while Ammon and I were studying at the library, we inevitably reached that "I have to take a break" moment around 10:30 p.m. So, I figured why not do a little photo shoot, compliments of apple Photo Booth? Out came the ridiculous faces and crazy photo tweaking, fueled by too much caffeine and too little sleep.

However, all results were not lost to the "these photos will never be shown to ANYONE" file. Ammon came up with this awesome idea for the background on his laptop (for which I was the obvious willing participant).

This is his new, spiffy computer background...simply hilarious.

It Wasn't On Purpose

2009-09-25T13:23:00.001-07:00

This past week, was a rough week. Thanks to synchronicity of scheduling, I ended up having two midterm exams in one day--one at 8:30 am, and one at 5:30 pm...it made for a very long Wednesday. Come test day, I felt really prepared and ready to take the exams--the only problem was, was that I felt pretty exhausted. So, after my first exam in the morning, I decided to go home, before my exam that night, and take an hour nap in order to refresh my mind.

I texted Ammon, who was still on campus in class, and told him what I was going to do. "Have a good nap!" he texted me as I trotted home, smiling to myself as I thought of the glorious pillows that awaited my tired head.

Off to dreamland I went...(only after I set 3 alarms to make sure I woke up in time to catch a bus to get back up to campus). Of course, as soon as I feel asleep, I began having crazy dreams which involved a lot of me running around after other students in my class, trying to get them to tell me how you can cross breed a raspberry with a blueberry (nothing at all to do with what materials were actually on my test later that night). Anyway...I woke up an hour later, feeling much refreshed, despite my dreams, and proceeded to get ready to head back up to campus for my second exam.

Well, I decided I didn't need my whole backpack--so I left my backpack at home and brought another, smaller bag instead (something I rarely ever do).

I also didn't feel like making the bed before I left...so I left it as it was after I woke up.

Little did I think ahead to when Ammon would get home, and to what these seemingly minor decisions would mean to him.

Let me reconstruct...Ammon gets home from school at 5:25 pm (mind you my test began at 5:30)--he immediately sees my backpack left on the table..."Erin!" he yells, thinking I was still asleep. No answer. He runs to the kitchen window...he sees that our car is still in the parking lot. "ERIN!!" He yells again. Running into the bedroom, thinking I had somehow overslept, he sees the body pillow which I had slept with, curled up into a perfect curved body shape. Thinking it was me, still sleeping like a baby, he runs over "E-R-I-N!!!!!! Wake up!!!" and begins to shake the body pillow.

There is no Erin still sleeping in the bed. Just a pillow, left perfectly to look like a sleeping body. She is already up on campus, having took the bus-leaving the car at home, carrying with her a different bag other than her backpack, and happy as a lark because she had just taken a wonderful nap and didn't make the bed afterwards. Poor, Ammon...it wasn't on purpose.

A Little Thing I Like to Call...

2009-09-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

Time Travel.

Little Squirt

2009-09-01T17:04:00.001-07:00

In true Ammon fashion, Ammon gave his birthday present to me, and it wasn't because he didn't like his gift. Let me explain. Ammon l-o-v-e-s to get me things that I want...especially those little extras...extras that you save up for, ask to get for a birthday, or wait until Christmas morning to see if Santa brought. Those fun little extras that are just that--fun--and Ammon has A LOT of fun buying them for me.

When he opened up one of his birthday gifts a while back and found a nice hunk of dough inside, he promptly asked me on a date for the next evening. So, the next night, while on our way to dinner, he said "Oh, do you mind an extra stop, I really wanted to check some stuff out at Scheels?" "Nope, not a problem" I said, as I thought...if that store were a food it would be raspberries. I love it...it is the runner's/outdoor activity lover's gear-paradise.

Put simply, if I had piles of cash to blow, I would go to Scheels ( or REI for that matter) and spend my piles of cash on nice running clothes, new shoes, all the North Face gear I could fit into my closet, a new set of golf clubs (his and hers), new biking gear, a 2 person kayak, and I'd probably throw a treadmill in there. Yeah, I know...materialistic, right? Oh well...what can I say, I like my gear.

Anyway, back to the "I really want to check some stuff out at Scheels" story Ammon was feeding me. So we go in, and he heads straight back to the running stuff. Now, I know Ammon pretty well, and I know that he isn't a runner, but I am--then it clicked, I should have saw it coming, the sneaky little squirt. He proceeded to buy me, with his birthday money and a smile of proportions thought impossible, my Nike+ SportBand.

The band is a watch/timer/distance tracker/calories burned counter, and much more. You slip a little sensor into your shoe and it records all the data while you run in the watch around your wrist--slick. It's a no frills, hardy little piece of equipment that allows me to download all of my running data into an online running program to monitor progress/goals/etc. Nice.

Driving home, the little stinker was nothing but giggles and smiles...love that guy.

Ammon took my lunch box...

2009-08-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

Back to school. Again. No yellow busses, no Jonas Brothers backpack, no pink Barbie lunch box (Ammon took mine), but let me assure you, school is back in full swing...the puffy bags under my eyes tell the truth.

Thankfully, before the summer came to an end, Ammon and I made our separate ways up to Minnesota (me driving in from Iowa, Ammon driving in from Indy) to visit my family and have a bit of fun and R&R. If you've ever been to my parents house you know its a perfect place for this...2 lakes, a ridiculously fun dog to run around with, 2 gardens blooming with vegetables galore, one mom with inhuman cooking abilities, and plenty of family members to talk late into the night with.

We both had a blast meeting our new nephew Bryce, who is now nearly 2 months old, and has a face that has proven to be endlessly entertaining. Whenever he sits in his Bumbo, we just laugh, because he gets this "don't disturb me...I'm in deep thought" look. Bumbo chair = Thinking seat = Recurrent thoughts that include: how can I make Anika stop petting my head like a puppy?

Discovering that Anika and Ty have graduated to the next level of fierce little energy balls, we couldn't help but indulge their love of anything that had to do with swimming, running, playing chase, swinging and eating food (a true Kroska trait). I feel Ty said it all when he announced "I love my new brother Bryce so much (insert short pause here and quizzical look on small boy face)....I love him even more than I love CHIPS!"

After giving Ty underdog after underdog on the swing-set, Ammon convinced Ty that it should be his turn and that "Yeah Ty, you're strong enough...you should push me for a while"...consensus...Ty needs a few more bowls of Wheaties.

Our one last brouhaha before we drove back to Iowa together, was a lovely trip with my dad and the triplets to the Minnesota arboretum. The Minnesota arboretum features 1,137 acres of beautiful public gardens which are designed to inspire ideas for visitors' own backyards. With 32 display and specialty gardens, 48 plant collections and more than 5,000 plant species and varieties, the Arboretum is one of the premier horticultural field laboratories and public display areas in the country. We walked/played/monkeyed around for hours among the trees, flowers, and forests, truly feeling sad when we needed to leave.

So, while I wait for my new pink Barbie lunch box to arrive in the mail, I bury myself once again in my school books--relishing those moments in which Ammon and I spent an eventful, busy summer that was filled with family, food, driving, vacation homes, hard work and fun...lovely.

Crying Polar Bear

2009-08-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling lately that as the summer approaches its end, it would only be appropriate if I were to confess the true extent of my carbon footprint over these past few months. Put aside the fact that I use cloth grocery bags, take lukewarm showers, wash my clothes in cold water, and buy organic locally grown foods when possible...I haven't been what one would call very earth friendly this summer.
Why? Well, seeing as my best friend/hubby/vacation home inhabitant, (aka Ammon) has been working in Indianapolis for the summer, and I've been working/doing research for my professors in Iowa City, it has been a season of driving. A season of many trips to the gas pump. A season of commuting back and forth.

Final stats for the summer...in case you were curious...or want to send me a postcard with a picture of a baby polar bear on it, shedding a single tear with the caption reading "Erin, if only you had used one less tank of gas, I would've had one more glacier to play on."

368 Miles (Iowa City, IA to Indianapolis, IN)
+ 368 Miles (Indianapolis to Iowa City, IA)
+ 380 Miles (Iowa City to St. Joseph, MN)
+ 380 Miles (St. Joseph back to Iowa City with my extra passenger Clara)
+ 380 Miles (Iowa City back YET AGAIN to St. Joseph, MN...to return my extra passenger Clara)
+ 665 Miles (St. Joseph, MN to our vacation home in Indianapolis, IN...to be with my Ammon)
+ 368 Miles (Indianapolis to Iowa City)
+736 Miles (Roundtrip from Iowa City to Indy and Back)
+736 Miles (Roundtrip from Iowa City to Indy and Back)
+736 Miles (Roundtrip from Iowa City to Indy and Back)
--------------------------------------------------------
= 5,117...number of miles driven in the last 3 months
1...number trips this would equal if driving from Minnesota to Anchorage, Alaska and back
7...number of books I've listened to while driving
1...number of baby polar bear dreams I've destroyed

However, it has been more than a season of driving, its been a season of falling in love with books on tape (well, technically books on my iphone). A season of getting to know the city of Indianapolis. A season full of making living in two states work. A season filled with adventures.

Just last weekend Ammon and I were able to go and see Dave Matthews together in concert. Despite the heavy hovering cloud of pot smoke lingering above our heads, the concert couldn't have been more enjoyable. Great company, wonderful weather for an outdoor concert, a grassy hill which served as our seat, and delicious rocky road cookies to munch on...all while listening to amazing music.

We have also said so long, farewell, aufedersein, to our car. Having been our car ever since we started dating, our Pontiac has many memories associated with it...however it has become somewhat finicky in its old age, and a we found a new car...a wonderful little Honda Civic...which will happily take its place.

So, as the summer comes to an end, and the long hours I've spent in the car become a distant memory, I apologize to mother earth for my many trips to the gas pump, and promise to plant a tree as penance...just as soon as I write to the Polar Bear I've recently adopted and tell him that he shouldn't demand such a large playground.

Keep Your Things Safe It Will

2009-07-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

As the fall slowly approaches, and store aisles start to fill with cart blocking bins of Hannah Montana notebooks, Jonas Brothers erasers, and (gag me now) High School Musical, sequel 43 lunch boxes, we all know that back to school shopping is right around the corner.

This year, knowing that Ammon could use another backpack for school, I've been on the lookout for a good one. Unfortunately, his height works against him in this case...when you're almost 6' 9'' most standard backpacks take on the appearance of a child's preschool bag.

But, when I came across this little gem I knew I was done with back to school shopping. It's not only practical (fitting up to 4 books), but A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Ammon has already agreed to wear it on his first day back to school this fall, which is extremely appropriate since the law school's nickname is the Death Star.

Deep Breath

2009-07-08T17:30:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I am an avid runner. 2 years ago, I couldn't run a mile. Now I run 10 without tiring.

I crave my daily runs. It's a time during the day like no other. My head clears. I am recharged. I feel calm. I breath hard. I breath deep. It's those deep breaths that energize my core. Deep breaths that keep me going one more mile. Deep breaths that turn a gray sidewalk into something beautiful.

So when I came across this article in the New York Times today, it instantly piked my interest, and took my breath away. It was inspiring. Inspiring to run farther. Inspiring to work harder. Inspiring to remove the limitations placed on ourselves by...ourselves.

Sasquatch Sighting

2009-07-06T17:06:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the world Bryce Allen Farquhar!

Weighing in at a hefty 9 lbs. even, and measuring 22 inches long, you have proudly joined the ranks of past babies born from the pool of infamous Kroska genes, which once phenotypically expressed, mirror the characteristics of the Sasquatch...

However, don't be too proud yet...even with your best efforts Bryce, I regret to inform you that you failed to break the past Kroska birth records:

Erin: 10 lbs. 7 oz.

Elena: 10 lbs. 9 oz.

Courtney: 11 lbs. 8 oz....24 inches long (STILL the longest baby my dad has ever seen in his 30+ Years of medical practice...sorry mom)

Triplets...9 weeks premature, still weighing in at...

Andrew: 5 lbs. 2 oz.

Clara: 3 lbs. 11 oz.

Maryanna: 4 lbs. 1/2 oz.

All I know is that when Ammon and I have kids, I've already resigned all hope that our children will be under the 10 lb./2 foot mark. I have however kept a tight grasp on the dream that they won't come out, already able to walk...a girl can dream right?

2,500 Miles...and Counting

2009-07-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

368 Miles (Iowa City, IA to Indianapolis, IN)
+ 368 Miles (Indianapolis to Iowa City, IA)
+ 380 Miles (Iowa City to St. Joseph, MN)
+ 380 Miles (St. Joseph back to Iowa City with my extra passenger Clara)
+ 380 Miles (Iowa City back YET AGAIN to St. Joseph, MN...to return my extra passenger Clara)
+ 665 Miles (St. Joseph, MN to our vacation home in Indianapolis, IN...to be with my Ammon)
--------------------------------------------------------
= 2,541...number of miles driven in the last 2 weeks

0...number of working air conditioners in the car that I'm driving this summer

39...number of hours I've spent in the car, watching mile post after mile post pass by

4...number of books I've listened to while driving

Finally being in the same town again with my best friend...priceless.

After a whirlwind couple of weeks, seemingly driving in circles around the midwest...I've made it back to our vacation home in Indianapolis, and more importantly, back to the same state as Ammon (at least for the next week) until I have to drive another 368 miles to get back to Iowa for work.

However, before coming back to Indy, I was lucky enough to be able to kidnap my little sister Clara from MN, to come back to Iowa with me. We had a fun, albeit blazin' hot week together--daily highs consistently broke 100 degrees with humidity hovering above 90%.

Rollerblading, felt more like swimming through the air

The well air conditioned movie theatre became our fast friend

And, after giving Clara a mock tour of the University of Iowa campus, we were so drenched with sweat that we had to go home and change clothes...nothin' like needing to change your outfit 3 times in one day.

After our week together, we drove back up to MN, timing our arrival to coincide with the birth of my sister Megan's third child. Well, Bryce was NOT ready to make his grand appearance as the doctors had planned, refusing to leave the comforts of his penthouse waterbed suite.

However, as I type this, Megan is currently in the hospital being induced to start labor...and if all goes well Bryce will be born today, a July 4th baby! The best part is, as Megan puts it, will be that Bryce will have a parade and fireworks every year on his birthday for free...what more could a kid want?

Anyway, yesterday Ammon and I had an amazing day here in Indy. We both slept in (something we figured out that Ammon has not done since February), and after we lazily rolled out of bed, we decided that we would go to Dave and Busters (an adult arcade, with games like Shuffleboard, Pool, Dance Dance Revolution, and a whole myriad of other entertainment). Even though the one here in Indy is somewhat small, and less impressive than the one we used to visit in Houston...it was a blast watching Ammon whacking moles

and me setting a new record on Dance Dance Revolution.

To cap off the night, we saw Transformers and shared a bucket of the most delicious carmel popcorn either of us have ever had...I want to go back to that theatre right now, not to see another movie, but just to get more popcorn...I think i'll suggest we head over to the theater after the parade and fireworks going on downtown tonight, because yeah, it was that good.

Our Vacation Home

2009-06-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Ammon and I spent a wonderful, all too quick, weekend together at what we have aptly named our "vacation home" in Indianapolis. We figure that since we've payed rent in two places each summer (due to out of state, and out of country jobs) for the past three years, that it would be appropriate to make writing out 2 rent checks each month less painful by fantasizing that the second check is going towards our "vacation home".
When I woke up on Saturday morning, I was greeted by a smiley Ammon who asked with wide grin on his face "Hey, do you want to go to the Zoo today?", to which I replied an obvious "Yes!". So, like two excited kids on a field trip, without a care in the world, we spent the entire day--from opening to closing--at the Indianapolis Zoo.

One of my favorite exhibits were the adorable Meerkats. Seriously, I think the little guy on the left has the potential to edge out that one mystical animal, which everyone knows has selfishly occupied the zenith of critter cuteness for all too long...the baby seal.

VS.

I think the battle would be close...maybe.

After the Meerkats, I found myself immersed in the mesmerizing world of the polar bear. It was phenomenal watching the silent strokes of the giant white paws, scooping the water with quite grace and power.

And for those of you who have always been curious..."I wonder if Ammon could beat a Walrus in a street fight"...the answer is no. As the following picture confirms, Ammon is NOT bigger than a Walrus, and thus the probability of him walking away with two working legs is not likely.

The Grand Canyon

2009-05-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life you come across names, titles, or phrases that just strike you as impeccably fitting. Like 'Bluebird'--the bird is blue and, well, a bird...fitting. 'Sticky honey'--show me honey that isn't sticky...fitting. 'Make-believe'--you make stuff up and then decide to believe it...fitting. Well, more than bluebird, sticky honey, or make-believe, there is one name that is perfect--'Grand Canyon'. Grand is a word meaning "large and impressive in size, scope or extent; MAGNIFICENT", this adjective perfectly explains the overwhelming feelings you experience while looking over the Grand Canyon's edge...it literally takes your breath away.

Yup...that black speck above is me.

This past weekend, Alyssa and I drove to the Grand Canyon, for a 2 day holiday extravaganza. Filled with breathtaking views of deep crevasses, stunning snapshots of stratified red rock layers, and mesmerizing scenes of the Colorado River's frothing brown waters, the Grand Canyon was brilliant. This was my second trip to the Canyon, I had been to the Canyon once before with my dad when I was about 12; however, this trip was Alyssa's first time to the Canyon, and proved to be endlessly entertaining as I was able to watch her mouth gape open time and time again as she experienced her surroundings.

The second day we were at the Grand Canyon was the highlight of our trip--we rode down to the bottom of the Canyon on a MULE! Yup, steep switchback after steep narrow switchback we sat upon a slightly ripe smelling mule, down to the bottom of the rocky canyon. In one word it was exhilarating. Awesome, and moving, you experience countless emotions as you ride down the canyon, literally inches away from cliff edges, where one mule step in the wrong direction would rather quickly result in an unwanted flying tour of the bottom of the canyon--the Canyon becomes a tangibly real, breathlessly colossal natural wonder when you traverse its depths.

Meet RS, my mule.

He was sure footed, smelled like a true barn animal, and had a very active gastrointestinal track.

Meet ZugZug, Alyssa's mule.

She was sweet, liked to paw at rocks when standing still, and had a proclivity to excessively foam at the mouth.

The tour company uses mules, rather than horses, because mules are much more sure footed, can better endure the Canyons harsh conditions and withstand more wear and tear.

The ride took about 9 hours, which included a half-hour break at the bottom for lunch. It was amazing to feel the weather change as we rode deeper and deeper into the canyon. When we started out on the top of the Canyon in the morning, it was 45 degrees, and by the time we reached the bottom it was 98 degrees--amazing what a few thousand feet of elevation can do. By about hour 7 of the ride we were well on our way back up the Canyon, and my backside was screaming that it had had about enough...by hour 9, my rear region had gone mostly numb, my back was getting charlie horses, my knees were cramping up, and I had doubts whether or not I would be able to stand once I got off the mule. Well, once we finally arrived back to the top of the Canyon, stand I did, however both Alyssa and I temporarily hobbled around the rest of the day...walking as if there was still a saddle between our legs.

What an incredible adventure we had with RS and ZugZug...and even though both Alyssa and I ended up smelling like barn animals ourselves, our newly acquired scent of mule butt surprisingly became a badge of honor, representing our daring Canyon escapades...at least until we found the nearest shower.

Fondue is the New Velcro

2009-05-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

I think everyone would agree, albeit not publicly for fear of being associated with a child who may or may not have yet to master the art of using the toilet, that Velcro is awesome. If I could wear Velcro shoes everyday, I calculate I could save at least 25 hours a year not having to tie my shoes; if I could replace Velcro with all my zippers and buttons, I calculate I could save at least another 20 hours a year not fiddling with buttoning; and if I could figure out how to get Ziploc to make plastic baggies with Velcro, then I could save at least 100 hours a year NOT trying to get the little yellow line, lined up with the little blue line and then making sure that the new line I see is green.
Well, last night I experienced what can only be describe as the 21st centuries' new Velcro...Fondue. Fondue, like Velcro, simply makes life better. It enhances the taste of anything it covers, shortens the time it takes to eat (all your food is already cut up in little bite size pieces...no need for cutting or really even chewing), and Fondue takes the dessert experience to a whole new level of "Dipping everything in chocolate induces hallucinatory images of myself, dressed in lederhosen, running off to the Swiss Alps to become a chocolatier in a snowy mountain top cottage."

Moral of the story...I am glad I live nowhere near a Melting Pot in Iowa. I know that if I were to have any future encounters with gooey chocolate marshmallows dripping in chocolate graham sauce, or bits of rich brownie that melt on my tongue before I can chew them, or tangy red-ripe strawberries that beg to be drizzled in liquid happiness that I would have NO self control to resist...Fondue is truly food's new Velcro.

Pot is NOT Chocolate

2009-05-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning--early this morning--wide awake at 3:45 am (Vegas time) because my body was telling me that I was still on Indianapolis time which meant it was 6:45 am to my brain....urghhhh. So much for sleeping in on my vacation. I begrudgingly rolled out of bed, angry I could not force myself to fall back to sleep and turned on my computer to do some work.

Finally, 7:30 rolled around and I felt it was a decent enough time to exit the bedroom, and make my way to the kitchen for breakfast. After a delicious bowl of cereal, I slowly got ready for my daily run. I was extra excited this morning for my run because I had found what looked like to be a nice route around Alyssa's neighborhood, and have a seriously love for that first run I take in a new area...you know, that run where you are still somewhat unsure of where you are, where you are going, and what you will exactly see around the next corner. It keeps things interesting.

After a 7 mile run...I was EXHAUSTED. Running in a desert, with desert sun, and desert air really takes it out of you, really. I came back to Matt and Alyssa's apartment, one big sweat ball, immediately grabbed some water and convinced Matt (because Alyssa was at school) to go jump in the pool with me. Ahhhh, the sweet feeling of cold water rushing over hot, sweaty skin...glorious.

Well, Alyssa got home from school about 2 hours later and really wanted to go on a run, with a running buddy...I couldn't resist. So, there we went...Alyssa on her first run of the day, and me on my second.

Although I was a bit tired, Alyssa showed me a fantastic running trail through a really nice neighborhood (which I plan on using tomorrow), and we both had a good laugh and were greatly entertained by the three posh looking 13 year old boys who were pretending to "eat candy" near the edge of the trail and were really smoking pot...really, pot doesn't smell like chocolate...you weren't fooling anyone.

NASCAR is Calling

2009-05-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Last week Ammon and I finally finished up with the semester—after nearly a month of back-to-back finals, papers, presentations, and those dreaded group projects, we had finished. After all the madness was said and done, we had one day to relax (which we took full advantage of by ordering eggplant pizza, and seeing Star Trek) before we had to pack and move Ammon out to Indiana for his summer job.
So, one day after finals finished, we packed up the car and made the drive out to Indianapolis. Why Indy? Well, Ammon has decided to drive for NASCAR (something about his height being advantageous for better aerodynamics), and since he wanted to compete in this weekend’s Indy 500, no better time than now to move! Oh…and he’ll probably be squeezing in some work on the side for a law firm that hired him for the summer.
Unfortunately, since I have 2 ongoing research jobs with different professors back in Iowa (they refused to move to Indy for the summer--selfish I know), and I lack any qualifications to work at the law firm, I will be in Iowa City for most of the summer. However, together we have figured out a nice schedule where the longest we have to go without seeing each other (either Ammon flying into Iowa, or me flying into Indianapolis) is 2 weeks—so definitely doable.
So, since I have a couple of weeks before my work back in Iowa starts getting really busy again, I was able to spend the past 5 days in Indy with Ammon, helping get things set up in our apartment there, exploring the city with him, and simply enjoying each other’s company sans homework.
The city is truly picturesque…it has beautiful architecture, is chalked full of museums, zoos and libraries, has amazing running trails which twist and coil around rivers and charming parks, and has a fantastic downtown vibe.

>.

I decided a few months ago that before my summer work started up full swing, that I wanted to visit my sister Alyssa in Vegas. So, after spending the last wonderful few days with Ammon in Indy, I packed my bags today and flew out of Indianapolis to cross the country (and 2 time zones) to Sin City. The adventure continues…

"Errrrriinnnnn!"

2009-05-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

What can I say...I like bread guts. Its not that I don't enjoy a good chewy/crunchy bread crust, trust me I do. However, (as Ammon has surprisingly found out on multiple occasions) I find myself at times wanting nothing other than the chewy, warm, d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s guts of the bread...so I abandon my rational brain which is yelling "don't gut out the bread", and dive right in, enjoying every bite.

The only thing that makes it better is that I am guaranteed a giggly "Errrrriinnnnn!" as Ammon gets the bread out later to make a sandwich, and discovers I have left my mark. The mark of the Erin.

4 Years

2009-04-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Classy Lady

2009-04-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

I always laughed when I was younger and my mom would tell us kids, "I'm just going to rest my eyes for a minute". We all knew what this really meant. Each time the "I need to rest my eyes" line surfaced, my mom would soon fall into a session of deep sleep for what was always more than a few minutes.
So today, while at school, feeling utterly exhausted I decided to pull a "I'm just going to rest my eyes" session while in one of the University's computer labs. So I put my head down, and what do you know I feel asleep. Low and behold more than 20 minutes have gone when I was gently tapped on the shoulder by one of my students that was passing by, asking if I was alright. Who knows what contorted shape my face had taken while laying on top of the computer mouse, I imagine it was something like that student from Ferris Buellers Day Off.

Mortifyingly, my waking was not what I would call gracious...their curteous tap on my shoulder was quickly followed with a loud yelp by me, product of being startled as I woke...nice. It was especially cool that the computer lab which I had fallen asleep in was super quite, and when I yelped awake EVERYBODY turned and stared.
Undoubtedly, it has been posted about on facebook. I'm so classy.
Green Tea you're just not doing it today...Dr. Pepper, here I come.

You can call me Veronica

2009-04-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, another birthday has come and gone...do I feel any older today than I did yesterday? No. Do I feel any wiser today than I did yesterday? No. Do I feel like Veronica Salt from Willy Wonka today, more than I did yesterday? Yes, a little.
No, I didn't fall into a trash compactor while being weighed...but I was spoiled. Spoiled to the Veronica Salt level.

Ammon and I went to a movie of my choice, ate a delicious dinner (again of my choice), shared a Chocolate Moose Cake, and later in the evening I opened up a pile of presents, and spent the rest of the night cuddling with my hubby...I couldn't have asked for more.

However, while opening up my small mountain of presents I must admit that I felt a bit guilty for receiving so much loot, and that it would only be appropriate to start yelling once I realized I didn't get a magical goose for my birthday...."But Ammmmonnnnn! I want a golden egg NOW!"
Well...I withheld from yelling, decided to reserve my golden egg laying goose dreams for next year, and instead began to think up how I could get my hands on some Chinese monkeys to start my own tea-picking company...i'll let you know how it goes.

Note to Self

2009-04-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those moments when you ask yourself..."what was I thinking?" This morning as I was cleaning off my desk, packing my bag for school, and gathering the mountain of graded papers that were ready to be handed back to my students, a little yellow post-it fell to the ground.

What the heck is "blue gurg wash?!?!?" I've even given it the whole day in order to remember what it was I was supposed to remember by the all helpful clue of "blue gurg wash". The only thing I can logically guess it might have been...was mouthwash...but we really only use the mouthwash flavor that is green in color...so strike that idea.
So, if any of you have ideas as to what "blue gurg wash" is...don't be shy, share your knowledge...who knows, it might be important.

Spring is in the Air

2009-04-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love Spring. Spring is when you feel like whistling even when your shoe is full of slush. Even though this time of year is marked by weather that is temperamental, and frequently shifts one day from being beautiful, to the next where it is rainy and snowy, convincing you that winter must be returning...I find simple enjoyment in waking up each morning, wondering what new signs of spring have sprung. I came across these beautiful flowers while on campus yesterday, and while I was taking a picture of them with my iPhone, one of my students I teach, walked by and quietly giggled.

"What are you doing Erin" she asked?
"Just taking a picture," I said.
"Oh, I've never even noticed those flowers...cool," was her response.

So, as the old adage goes, take a moment while Spring is still in the air to "smell the roses"...or at least look at their distant purple cousins.

Is There ANYTHING Cuter Than a "Swirley"?

2009-04-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

The best part about checking the mail is that little glimmer of hope you have, as your open your mailbox, that it won't be filled with bills, and that you might just find among the pile of tree-wasting junk mail a letter from someone you love. Yesterday, was a good day at my mailbox. I went to check the mail last night around midnight, and having had an extremely long day I found myself clinging to that glimmer of hope that the day would end with some good quality mail.
As the mailbox door squeaked open, and pile of penny ads fell to the ground, I saw a tiny green envelope. It wasn't just any, little green envelope...it was a hand written birthday card from my nephew Ty, wishing me an early happy birthday.

As I opened up the sweet little card, I literally melted on the spot. Not only was it written with his budding penmanship skills, I got FOUR quality hand-drawn pictures.

Needless to say, the card has been looked at no less than 10 times within the last day, is sitting on display in my kitchen window, and brings a ridiculously HUGE grin on my face each time I look at it. Thanks Megan for helping your darling boy with addressing the envelope, and deciphering (with helpful labels) what each picture was...and thank you Ty for making my week--you are such a darling!

A Lecture, A Bookstore, and Sweet Potato Waffles

2009-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my dad made the trek down from MN to visit Ammon and I. One of the reasons why my dad chose this particular weekend, was because he, Ammon and I all wanted to listen to the distinguished lecturer who was coming to the University to speak. Paul Krugman (Professor of Economics at Princeton, distinguished author, New York Times columnist, and the 2008 Nobel Prize winner for Economics) was giving a lecture on the current economic crises, and we all were eager to listen.

The lecture was not only enlightening, but entertaining...bringing clarification (as much as possible) to a situation that is beyond complex.

Once the lecture had finished, my dad, Ammon and I went to peruse a local bookstore (one of our favorite things to do), and my dad so generously bought me a couple cookbooks to add to my collection--f.y.i., they have fantastic recipes in them!

After the bookstore, we all went to eat at one of our favorite pizza places that just opened up here in Iowa City. It's called Mesa Pizza, and I must say that they have the best pizza I have EVER eaten in my entire life. Their combinations and flavors are unique, delicious, and have many healthy options. My four favorite types are:

1. Grilled Eggplant pizza, with goat cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil
2. Black bean, avocado, rice, and tomato pizza
3. Tomato, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, with pesto sauce pizza
4. Vegan--a whole slew of exotic vegetables, no cheese, with extra delicious red sauce

Afterwards, we all came back to our apartment to talk, relax and watch a movie... as expected, soon after the movie started, my dad fell asleep, Ammon nodded off on my shoulder, and I ended up finishing the movie by myself.

The next morning, before my dad had to leave we all pitched in and made some delicious sweet potato waffles (mouth wateringly good). However, the best part was what went on top of the waffles--my dad had brought with him some real maple syrup, made from the trees on our land in MN....D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

I could not have asked for a more enjoyable weekend...good lecture, great food, awesome maple syrup, and even better company, and the best part...there wasn't any type of homework involved for nearly 15 hours!

Pole Dancing Monkey

2009-04-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

As I was walking through the University of Iowa Hospital today (on my way to class) I caught something out of the side of my eye. Perhaps the individual responsible for designing window displays should have taken proper precautions to ensure that none of the props were pole dancing.

Poor little monkey...destined to dance at such a young age...never had a chance.

Jedi Squirrels

2009-03-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Alright, here is my confession--I have not seen ALL of the Star Wars movies. Hold those gasps in...I know "They will change your life", "Darth Vader is the ultimate villan", "You mean you never wanted cinnamon buns as hair acessories?" "Wait...what did you idolize then as a child?!".....I have heard it all. It doesn't help that since Ammon spent a good portion of his young childhood eating, breathing, sleeping anything Jedi or Star Wars related, he is my biggest motivator to watch the movies--(oh, and the fact that I want to name our future dog Ton-Ton).

But, in all honesty, I have full intentions of watching the series eventually, however I'm currently a bit on the busy side with a little thing called graduate school.

Well, in order for the next part of this story to make sense, you must realize that one of Ammon's favorite animals (next to anything marine) are squirrels. April (his mom) has pictoral proof that from a very young age squirrels would just come up to Ammon, and he would start conversations with them...not much has changed.

As I was googling pictures of squirrels today (something I probably do a few times a month, in order to send Ammon a picture text) I saw something that made me laugh until my stomach hurt. I came across a picture that brought the whole "lets search for funny squirrel pictures and send them to Ammon game" to a new level of WHAT WAS THAT PERSON SNIFFING WHEN THEY PUT THIS PHOTO TOGETHER?

So, whether you are a squirrel fan, a Star Wars fan, like playing with lightsabers, or just want to name your future dog Ton-Ton....enjoy, I know I did.

Death of Lil' Green

2009-03-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ode to Lil' Green

We first met on April 18th, 2005

My then fiance Ammon, said you were mine

A birthday gift, quite unexpected

Wrapped in old newspaper, you looked somewhat neglected

I charged you right up, eager to hear your trendy groove

Little did I know, that for years you'd motivate me to move

My little green side-kick, through thick and thin

Watching your tiny gray apple, always made me grin

On walks, on runs, on my bike and in my car

Always pumping out the tunes, you have truly traveled far

In the end it was rough, you had put in your time

So frail, and finicky--not worth a dime

I had to hit you so often, even though I felt it wrong

We both knew it was the only way you agreed to turn on

So, with broken buttons and trouble turing on

Go with peace Lil' Green to the apple graveyard beyond

And rest assured with the knowledge that your cousin is doing a swell of a job!

Skiing? No. Dragon Punch? Yes.

2009-03-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

This past week Ammon and I had spring break--our first spring break in our collegiate career in which we were able to take some time off and go somewhere. As we decided where we would go we thought...somewhere warmer than Iowa? Somewhere foreign? Somewhere snowy? How about all three!?! So, we took advantage of great airfare prices and flew out to unseasonably warm, in certain ways foreign, and partially snowy Utah to visit family.

The only catch with the great airfare prices we found was that we had to fly out of Chicago (nearly a 4 hour drive from our home here in Iowa). However, this long commute turned out to be a fantastic excuse to arrive a day early and play in the city of Chicago. And seeing as Chicago is filled with amazing museums, great restaurants, and endless places of entertainment...it was an easy decision.

We decided that we would take the day and go to the Shedd Aquarium, and if we had time head over to the Museum of Art. So off to the Shedd Aquarium we went.

After we took a "behind the scenes tour" of the aquarium, traversed tunnels of sharks, went frog watching

measured ourselves next to giant fish sculptures

the day was almost over and we were ready for some classic Chicago style pizza....mmmm!

The next day, we flew out of Chicago...sad to leave the museums, but excited to see family. After a long layover, and another in-person confirmation that Ammon is WAY too tall to sit in standard airplane seats, we arrived in mountainous Utah.

Our trip was filled with family dinners, matinee movies, great food, long runs in the mountains, and late nights laughing with both of Ammon's brothers (Joel and Orion) who were also in town for the week.

Towards the end of the week we had all originally planned to go skiing for a day, however a few of our group were recovering from back injuries, so we changed plans and decided to go bowling and to the arcade. Even though everyone in our group would legally be considered 'adults'...I assure you that the moment we stepped inside the arcade, each one of us reverted back the happenin' age of 13.

One of the most hilarious arcade games, that literally left us laughing on the ground was a little beauty called Dragon Punch. The point of the game was simple...put your money in, pull the punching bag down to eye level, and punch it as hard as you can. The harder you punch, the more points you get. Ammon, Joel and Orion put on their Dragon Punch game faces, quickly turned the game into a fierce competition, and unsurprisingly (because the game was designed for a scrawny teenage) raked in record game highs.

After all said and done, our trip to Utah was a blast, and as expected went by way too fast.

2 airplane tickets...a few hundred dollars. Behind the scenes tour at Shedd Aquarium...$14. 2 bowling games at FatCats...$20. Three grown brothers playing Dragon Punch...PRICELESS.

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

2009-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

"It's not easy being green..." sings the little sad frog.

Today, after I got done with classes, I found myself waiting at the bus stop for my luxurious big-wheeler to pull up to taxi me home. Typically, as I wait, I usually find that my mind wonders to my "to do" lists and I rarely notice what other people are doing around me...NOT today. Today I had a somewhat infuriating experience. Here is how the story goes...

It was a Monday afternoon, and as Erin waited at the corner bus stop for her bus, she was lost in thought, deeply contemplating how, and in what order, she was going to tackle her seemingly endless list of things to do. Her attention was suddenly drawn back to sidewalk she was standing on, as the bus screeched to a stop in front of her. Waiting patiently as the other bus patrons exited the bus, before she made her move to get on, Erin noticed a woman getting off the bus. Even though Erin wished she could just ignore this woman, get on her bus, and make her way home...it was not to happen.

The woman got off the bus, talking on her cellphone at decibels only dogs should be able to hear, and proceeded to take her empty soda cup, three cheeseburger wrappers, AND the cigarette carton she just emptied by poppin' a cigarette in her mouth, and threw them ALL on the ground.

WHAT THE...?!?!?! Was the first thing Erin thought, with a wave of sheer anger and annoyance that followed.

"EXCUSE ME!" Erin reflexively, and questioningly shot towards the woman.

"What you want #$*%@" was the response Erin received.

"You seemed to drop on the ground ALL...five...items of trash you were holding as you exited the bus."

"I didn't drop no $%*&@$* trash, I threw that there ya #$*%& , now shut up #$&#* -- can't you #$&%*^# see I on my #@&%*$# phone!" the litterbug elegantly responded.

Erin stood, with her mouth slightly ajar, head cocked sideways...wondering if there was ANYTHING she could say which could reason with this piece of work, or which could make any sense to the logic this woman so clearly lacked--she knew there wasn't.

So instead, Erin pictured happier and easier times in the past when she had helped mother earth.

Calm, Erin bent over and picked up the pile of trash...walked in front of the woman to the trash can she was now smoking next to...put her trash in it and said "Hey...good news! Now you know where the trash can is, and how to put trash in it. Have a great one!"

Erin walked off to catch her bus....smiling the whole way while listening to the fading noise of expletives shouted into a cell phone about how some "#&$*%#@ white chic, tree huggin' mother $&#*@# , thinks I have to put my #*$&#@ trash where she says!"

Sometimes it really isn't easy being green...

Are you Kidding Me?

2009-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Really?!?! REALLY?!?!

Mmmm, nothing says good health like avoiding pesticides but inhaling Hydrogen Cyanide and Arsenic.

E.O. Wilson

2009-02-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

My 8th grade biology teacher impressed upon me something which I have never forgotten, and pleasurably learn over and over again in many different ways as I traverse through life--She said, "So much of our planet is undiscovered, unknown and unexplored...never forget you are part of a system which is intricately complex, fascinating, marvelous."

Last night I was able to attend a lecture hosted by the University which was given by E.O. Wilson, the world famous Harvard biologist, researcher, theorist, naturalist, and 2 time Pulitzer Prize winning author. Ever since I fell in love with Biology in the 8th grade, I have always wanted to hear this great mind lecture.

E.O. Wilson is in the center wearing the Gray Suit

(I couldn't get any closer to the stage)

Calling bacteria the "Black Hole" of biodiversity (due to their magnificent numbers and the little amount we know about them), E.O. Wilson stressed the importance of saving our planets' organisms, preserving our delicate living ecosystems, and didn't hesitate for a moment when he giddily threw his arms in the air exclaiming, almost pleading, that biodiversity is EVERYWHERE and if we but take a moment to see it, we will begin to appreciate it and will want to preserve it.

One of the examples he gave, which I just loved, was that if you examine a 1 gram sample of soil you will find nearly 1 Million specimens of living bacteria, and of those million you will find nearly 6,000 different species of bacteria living in that same soil sample which are adapted to a specific niche within their ecosystem...AMAZING!

Nevertheless, Wilson also stressed the sobering reality that "Our magnificent inherited world is disappearing", and "With more research and discovery we realize it is far richer than we could've thought."

Currently, there are 1.8 Million organisms on Earth which are known, and have been named by scientists. However, estimates by some of the greatest minds alive surmise that in reality there are probably 18 Million+ living organisms that currently exist and are unknown.

As E.O. Wilson gave one final thought which resonated throughout the lecture hall, I was truly saddened that his lecture was coming to an end, but felt refreshed by what he said next..."Remember, a society is defined by not only what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy." So, let us refuse to destroy our Earth and the biodiversity which my 8th grade teacher so aptly called intricately complex, fascinating, and marvelous!

This Shirt is Itchy

2009-02-06T08:25:00.001-08:00

Last night I was sitting down with Ammon relaxing, talking and eating dinner. I had gotten home a few hours earlier, and had changed into some yoga pants and a comfy t-shirt (incidentally the same t-shirt I had worn the night before to sleep in). As I was sitting next to Ammon, he noticed that I was squirming every few minutes to scratch my chest and upper arm, and he asked if I was okay. "I think so...my chest and arm just really itch..come to think of it, they did all last night when I was wearing this same t-shirt."

As Ammon was about to say something else, I reached down my shirt to itch some more, and immediately felt something that was not supposed to be there. Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat...my rabbit was making his debut...but instead of pulling a fluffy white bunny out of a hat...I pulled a crumpled ball of laundry sheets out of my t-shirt...all I could think of was that stupid smiling bear on the Snuggle box laughing at me. You might ask how I didn't notice the laundry sheets inside my shirt for a nearly a day, and during that time failed to inspect the cause of my itchy skin more closely... I don't know.

Needless to say, we both had a good laugh, my itchiness is now gone, my skin is no longer irritated, and the Snuggle bear is no longer laughing.

Simply Amazing...

2009-02-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

As I was doing research this weekend, I came across a few pictures which simply took my breath away. The following image is part of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) project, which captures a one-million-second exposure centered on a tiny region in the constellation Fornax. The image captures cosmic light with a sensitivity ten BILLION times greater than the human eye! Revealing light sources as dim as a firefly seen from the distance of the moon.

The HUDF portrays galaxies as they were 700 million years after the big bang, or about 13 billion years ago. It is also possible that the image seen above shows even younger galaxies that date from 500 million years after the big bang.

Astronomers think that the tiny reddish spots in the picture may represent the farthest and earliest galaxies in the field. And if you were wondering...One of the reasons why these primeval galaxies seem closer together than galaxies are on average today, is because they collided more often, which resulted in the tearing of some apart and building up of others in episodes of massive violence...The Ultimate Star Wars!

The rest of the pictures were also taken by the Hubble. I find it impossible to look at these pictures and not find myself wondering in awe at the vast expanse we have aptly named "Space".

27 Not so Secret Secrets...

2009-01-27T07:16:00.000-08:00

Before you get excited that this post contains the 27 secrets of how to lose weight in all the right places, or the 27 methods on how to travel the world on $27, or the 27 facts which prove that the movie Jurassic Park is real, and that dinosaurs have really made a comeback...well it's not...this post is better than all of that.

This post contains 27-fun-to-write-about, not-so-secret things which I love about my sister Alyssa. Why, you ask? Well, today is my sister Alyssa's 27th birthday! So Happy Birthday Bugsie, and enjoy!

1. Alyssa brushes her teeth no less than 3x a day...she is obsessed with good dental hygiene and has the beautiful perfect teeth to prove it!

2. Alyssa is currently working her tail off in PA School day after day after day

3. Alyssa and I used to disobey my mom by secretly watching episodes of Full House in our basement

4. Alyssa is a social butterfly who makes friends easier than any person I know

5. Alyssa is a wonderful photographer

6. Alyssa hates eating seafood ANYTHING...too bad my parent's New Years celebration each year is called "Seafood Feast Night" and includes lobsters, king crab, and shrimp galore

7. Alyssa is a meticulously organized person

8. Alyssa is a great conversationalist...we talk to each other nearly everyday on the phone-sometimes, if we are lucky, more than once a day

10. Alyssa tells a great story--she includes vivid details, and descriptions which bring the story to life

11. Alyssa is a genuinely happy person, and has a zest for life which truly energizes you

12. Alyssa could eat mushrooms on pretty much everything--eating them plain, in soup, or on pizza are probably her favorites

13. Alyssa is a natural born runner--both a gifted sprinter and a competent distance runner--I have always marveled at her innate ability to run

14. When we were young, Alyssa used to make me use a laminated "room pass" (which she made herself) in order to gain access to her room

15. As pre-teens Alyssa and I had an obsession with making paper dolls, and would have my mom laminate them and all of their accessories...I was always secretly jealous of how beautiful Alyssa made their faces, especially their eyes...I thought all of mine looked deformed and nasty next to her posh 90210 dolls

16. Alyssa and I never call each other by our real names...its always Bugsie, and Scooter respectively

17. I remember feeling on top of the world when Alyssa (then, and still, the much "cooler" chic in school) would give me a big toothy grin and wave hello as we would pass in the halls of our High School

18. Alyssa loves the movie Forest Gump...she has cried more than once watching it

19. Alyssa does not function well at all when she is hungry...maybe its a Kroska gene

20. Alyssa, like my sister Courtney and my dad, frequently falls asleep with her mouth WIDE open...I think she unhinges her jaw

21. If you're ever in need of a purse/faux flower arrangement/photo album/candle or scrapbooking supplies...Alyssa is your gal! She has a most impressive and immaculately kept collection of all aforementioned items.

22. Alyssa has an innately generous soul--giving is one of her natural abilities

23. I always feel stronger when I am around Alyssa--she makes a person feel confident/capable/and more importantly, supported

24. Alyssa has the most beautiful handwriting...it is calligraphy quality

25. Alyssa and Matt compliment each other perfectly...and through it all, they constantly make each other laugh :)

26. Alyssa is reliable and trustworthy

27. And last but not least...Alyssa is a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a friend...and to those who have the privilege of knowing her, a distinct, remarkable, and wonderfully unforgettable woman!

Love you Bugsie...Happy Birthday.

Goose Bumps Galore

2009-01-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

You know those moments where you're chilled to the bone, and can't shake those goose bumps that have erupted to an enormous size all over your body? Well, this morning I had one of those moments.

In order to try to rid myself of my deep seeded shivers I: Took an extra long hot shower, put on 2 pairs of socks, pulled on an extra sweatshirt, ate hot oatmeal (vs. the usual cold cereal), and wrapped up in a blanket. But, alas the shivers were winning the battle...and as I sat slipping into an ice-box like state, I made one last ditch effort to warm up.

I made a steaming cup of delicious organic green tea...mmm. I'm finally starting to feel my toes again...just in time to head outside and catch the bus for school!

Sunday Mouse-capades

2009-01-25T11:33:00.000-08:00

While Ammon was busily typing away on his computer...

Ammon: "Hey Erin, do you want to see something?"

Erin: "Sure!"

Ammon: "Okay, I'll send the link to you so you can see it on your computer."

Erin: "Okay."

Ammon: "Did you receive the link?" (Amidst giggling)

Erin: "Oh...my...gosh!"

Ammon: "He, he, he, he!"

Erin: "Are you serious?!?! That has got to be the creepiest thing I have ever seen!"

Ammon: "I know!" (Some more giggling)

Erin: "Urgh...my stomach is turning."

Moral of the story...Fievel should have moved farther West.

So Many Faces...Which One Should I Wear?

2009-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

My niece Anika definitely has the drama queen gene. Always sensitive to the words/pictures/people around her, it is quite normal to hear her asking, while reading a book or walking through a crowded venue, "Why does that man have such sad eyebrows?" or "That girl sure looks like she is happy!"

As she has grown, she has blossomed into a lively, energetic, cuddly, tenderhearted, little darling that has a different face for every occasion, and every emotion. In an effort to capture some of these 'faces' the other night while I was giving her a bath, I asked her a myriad of questions in order to provoke some of her classic facial expressions, in hopes of capturing them on film...just see for yourself.

Seriously...how can you resist those bright baby blues?!?

I Made You a Sweet Potato...

2009-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

One night while I was still up in MN, my Dad and I left in quite a rush in order to drive Matt and Alyssa to the airport on time. Well, long story short...my Mom had made delicious brick oven pizzas as a farewell meal for everybody right before we left, and after the pizzas were done my Dad and I stuck a couple of sweet potatoes in the oven. The oven was nearly 600 Degrees, so the potatoes were going to be done pretty fast, which was good because we were rushing out the door.

Unfortunately, both my Dad and I forgot about our lovely sweet potatoes until we got back from the airport...nearly 6 HOURS later. Needless to say, they were done...very done. So, if you want the recipe for Astronaut Sweet Potatoes and crave that delicious texture and 'styrofoamy-ness' of space food, just ask.

Home for the Holidays...

2009-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

This year Ammon and I were able to, albeit after a few weather delays, drive up to Minnesota and spend the Holidays with my family. The house was constantly bustling with people, the table always overflowing with delicious food (compliments of my mom), and the board game Qwirkle seemed to become a daily competition.

Christmas was fantastic, with my favorite part simply being around my family...it always recharges my batteries.

As usual, my parents were their amazingly generous selves

Even though we didn't treat 'Santa' perfectly last year (see picture below), he found it in his heart to forgive us and treat us to wonderful stocking treats and beautiful gifts.

Some of my favorite moments of the day were when my nephew Ty opened up his Darth Vador costume

When Duke ecstatically tore his new toy to shreds in less than 5 minutes after getting it,

And the joy I had while making Christmas breakfast for everyone.

Minnesota received beautiful snow over the Holidays, which made conditions for sledding absolutely perfect; and although I nearly broke my thumb during one of our sledding games...it was totally worth it to play in the fresh powder.

Mother Nature Has Other Plans...

2008-12-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ammon and I have reached a crossroads…a glorious, but frustrating crossroads. Here it is—we are now officially done with finals and are in the process of trying to get up to Minnesota for Christmas. Sounds straightforward, right? Just a little drive north, in a warm cozy car…an easy task in comparison with our past 2 weeks which have been filled with multiple exams, late nights, early mornings, living on campus, and at times just barely surviving with the aid of a friend I like to call Dr. Pepper.

We have now attempted to leave Iowa for two days…going on a third, which honestly, doesn’t look good either.

The first day…Iowa blocked our exodus. An ice storm covered almost everything in the eastern half of the state with ¾ inches of ice, and then dumped a foot of snow on top of the ice-rink which was now our backyard.

The second day…Minnesota blocked our exodus. A winter blizzard dumped nearly a foot of snow across the state, followed by winds which created blizzard like conditions…not favorable for driving.

The third day…well, we will check the weather reports in the morning…but it seems that the blizzard like winds may stick around for one more day. At this rate, if we make it up to Minnesota by New Years I will thank Mother Nature for FINALLY cooperating and immediately go outside and play in the beautiful snow.

Vegas Part III—The Strip

2008-12-08T17:07:00.000-08:00

While I was studying this evening--studying more than I ever wanted to know about Globin Synthesis Abnormalities--I thought to myself… “Do I really want to study another slide about Thalassemias, or do I want to post about the day Alyssa and I spent on the Las Vegas strip over Thanksgiving?” I’ll leave it up to you to determine which one I chose.

Here are some of the highlights…
The Bodies Exhibit
1. It was my second time seeing the exhibit, and still worth every penny…amazing!

The M&M Museum

1. We explored 4 floors of M&M glory
2. Experienced our first 3-D M&M movie
3. We were given access to WAY too many M&M’s…this was a magical room where I discovered self control simply ceased to exist.

New York, New York
1. We screamed our hearts out when we rode on the roller coaster—it wrapped all around the outside of the hotel, overlooking the Strip.

Pairs
1. Saw the Eiffel Tower (well, its slightly uglier step brother)
2. Ate the most delicious desserts…if only I could have fit one more on my plate…

The Bellagio
1. We watched the light/water show…and loved it!

2. Saw a beautiful blown glass ceiling

3. I witnessed the most phenomenal, and worthwhile engineering feet of the whole trip…a GIANT CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN…all I can say is that it was a good thing it was behind a thick glass barrier…I would make no promises otherwise.

Oh, and I can’t forget… the caramel apples on crack

And the gelato…I got half pineapple, half cherry… it was out of this world, YUM!

A fun little questionnaire...

2008-12-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

Ammon’s aunt sent this survey to me via email…and I had so much fun reading her responses I couldn’t resist answering the questions myself, and adding a few extras...thanks Colleen!

1. Were you named after anyone?
A little girl my mom babysat when she was a teenager.
2. When was the last time you cried?
When I recently saw Alyssa for the first time in nearly 7 months.
3. Do you like your handwriting?
Do I like chicken scratch?...NO.
4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
Practically a vegetarian…how about red pepper hummus spread.
5. Do you have kids?
Nope.
6. If you were another person would you be friends with you?
Definitely.
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Sarcasm…whatever do you mean?
8. Do you still have your tonsils?
Yup…even though when I was younger I had Strep Throat 7 times in one year.
9. Would you bungee jump?
Maybe.
10. What is your favorite cereal?
MMM…that’s a hard one…this week it is Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats.
11. Do you think you are strong?
Sure…I’ve worked really hard reach a point where I can say that I consider myself strong, but more importantly healthy.
12. What is your favorite ice-cream?
I am a soft-serve frozen yogurt gal all the way!
13. What is the first thing you notice about people.
Their eyes.
14. Red or pink?
Red.
15. What is the least favorite thing about yourself?
I can mentally “beat myself up” for my perceived shortcomings.
16. Who do you miss the most?
Brad.
17. What color shoes are you wearing?
Black boots…it is pouring snow outside.
18. What was the last thing you ate?
A deliciously crunchy pear!
19. What are you listening to right now?
Dreamgirl…by Dave Matthews.
20. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Rainforest green.
21. Favorite smells?
Ammon’s hair when he wakes up in the morning. Cinnamon. Stargazer Lilly’s. My mom’s mushroom soup. The root cellar at my parent's house. Pink grapefruit bodywash. Christmas trees (the real ones).
22. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Clara Kroska.
23. Favorite sports to watch?
FOOTBALL!
24. Hair color?
Blonde…but is has been getting darker.
25. Eye color?
Blue.
26. Favorite food?
Mmmm…ANYTHING my mom has cooked. Fresh veggies from the garden. Black bean burgers. Cereal. Greek salad. Elaine's Greek pasta salad.
27. Last movie you watched?
Four Christmas’s in the theatre…wait for it to go to video.
28. What color shirt are you wearing?
Green turtleneck...it's itchy.
29. Summer or Winter?
BOTH! Lets add Fall to that mix as well.
30. Favorite Dessert?
My mom’s pumpkin pie. My mom’s chocolate raspberry torte. My mom’s fresh fruit tartlets. My mom’s apple strudel. Mmmm…I see a theme emerging.
31. What book are you reading right now?
Textbooks…finals start in a week.
32. What did you watch on TV last night?
HOUSE.
33. Favorite sound?
Ammon’s laugh.
34. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
Beatles…for sure! Who else can sing about a walrus and still sound amazing?!?
35. What is the farthest you have been from home?
Japan, New Zealand...next stop...???
36. What are the 3 "most played songs" in your iTunes?
1. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (John Mayer) 2. Manhattan (Kings of Leon) 3. Belief (John Mayer)
37. What time did you go to bed last night?
1:15 am...I've found that school isn't considerate of your sleep needs.
38. Who do you look most like in your family?
My sister Alyssa...we used to tell people we were twins.
39. Do you write in cursive or print?
Cursive...when I learned how to write in cursive, I found it so much prettier and FASTER...I havn't gone back since.
40. What are you doing later today?
I'm headed off to Human Pathology...here I come Renal System!

Vegas Continued

2008-12-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Vegas was an absolute blast…the only downfall was the universe’s broken time-space continuum which made the week go by WAY too fast.

Not only did I avoid, albeit for only a few days, the snowstorms which hit Iowa this past week, but I was able to cook a Thanksgiving feast which turned out to be quite delicious. I tried out a fantastic apple turnover recipe, which gave the pumpkin pie a run for its money. And at Alyssa’s request, I made sure to cook extra amounts of the “three best things ever at Thanksgiving”…green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and stuffing.

The morning of the big meal, Alyssa and I went on a long hike around Lake Mead in order to work up a good appetite, enjoy the beautiful desert…and I’ll just be honest…to justify the 2 pieces of pie I would be eating later.

Our hike was filled with cacti, beautiful mountains, interpretive poses, and much to my disappointment, a total lack of any desert animals….unless you count biting ants.

All I can say is that I love Vegas in November…and I learned five important things:

1. One should NOT wear flip flops in Vegas…why?…Black Widows sunbathe on public sidewalks

2. Vegas has fantastic Greek pizza

3. Alyssa’s stable animals were on the move all week long…who knew clay figurines could teleport?
4. I wish Iowa had a Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt shop…Yum raised to the tenth

5. Bugsie (aka Alyssa) is the best buddy a sister could hope for!

Vegas—Day I

2008-11-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

I’ve decided that Lady Luck is on my side. Having been in Vegas a whopping 20 hours, I have already won thousands at the blackjack table, been offered my own magic show at the Bellagio, did a street performance of CATS, and personally dined with David Copperfield.
Alright, so that stuff really hasn’t, and probably won’t, happen during my trip to Vegas…however, my first day here was filled with good food, lots of laughter, beautiful weather and great company.

We ate lunch at this salad/bread/soup buffet called Sweet Tomatoes…yum, yum, yum. Since vegetables, soup and bread are three of my favorite food groups, I was in heaven—and with unlimited fresh strawberry lemonade…lets just say that Alyssa and Matt were forced to make me leave.

After lunch, Matt and I dropped Alyssa back off at school, went shopping for running shoes, played a quick game of Madden Football on the PlayStation 2, and planned where we would all go for dinner. And the decision was unanimous…Café Rio!

Again…yum, yum, yum.

Once back at the apartment, I decided to start a little game with Alyssa called “Hide her stable animals around the apartment so that when she reaches for a spoon, instead she’ll get a goat.” So far, the game has been a success…we’ll see what happens when she finds the yak I put under her pillow.

6 Unspectacular Quirks

2008-11-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

1. Before I go to bed, the last thing I HAVE to do prior to falling asleep is to put on a fresh layer of chapstick…and by chapstick, I do not mean Vaseline--first of all that stuff smells, it’s ridiculously hard to get off your finger once you’ve applied it, and that nasty petroleum jelly literally makes me gag when I put it anywhere near my mouth. I guess chapstick is important to me because I hate the feeling of waking up, yawning, and gasping as my lip cracks open because it’s so dry. Sufficient moisturization is the way I roll. 2. I LOVE cereal. Love it. I don’t have any problems eating it three times a day, can’t resist it when it has fresh fruit on it, and am considering a future career as a cereal box designer. My top ten favorites are MultiGrain Cherrios, Basic Four, Shredded Wheat, Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats, Wheaties, Grape Nut Flakes, Grape Nut O’s (which are nearly impossible to find), Reese’s Puffs, HoneyNut Cherrios, and Oatmeal Crisp Crunchy Almond.
3. When it snows, I find that I immediately drop everything, race to the nearest window and just stare. I love watching snow fall. Maybe it’s the blanket of white it leaves behind, or the calming silence it seems to bring to the earth…snow refreshes me.
4. Tom and Jerry, and Chip and Dale are my two favorite cartoons. I still get excited when I can catch an episode on TV. What can I say…the stunts which a cat, a mouse, and 2 chipmunks can pull are endlessly entertaining and the kid in me loves it. As my nephew Ty would say…”Erin, can we watch another episode of Chip and Diff?”
5. I am currently learning French. I have always wanted to learn it, and have thought of it as such a beautiful and romantic language, that when spoken, feels like silk on your ears. Although I am far from fluent, I’m making progress!
6. I have never needed, or have had to wear glasses and/or contacts. Technically, I have perfect vision…which is genetically somewhat strange since every single one of my seven siblings has corrective eye wear, as do both my parents and all of my grandparents. My dad tells me that I must have inherited my good eyes from his Grandpa Hilton, my great grandpa, because he had perfect vision for nearly his entire life.

Escaping the Cold...

2008-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, trivia time. Where can a gal go to escape the impinging cold that seems to be overtaking Iowa City?

How about New York City? Even IF it’s as cold as Iowa City…it has Broadway, mouth watering pizza, Coney dogs, Ellis Island, museums galore and the oh so GLORIOUS chance to appear on television waving like a fool on the TODAY Show.

Alright…so pizza and instantly fading national fame is not your thing? That’s cool. Then how about Paris? The weather is mild this time of year, you can visit the Louvre, see the Palace of

Versailles, and the cuisine is so delicious it invokes fantasies of living in a giant croissant house with artisan bread doors, cheese carpets, pastry pillows, and chocolate crepe drapes.

Fine…cheese carpets are not your idea of ‘fun’ when chore-day rolls around? How about hiking in a beautiful desert somewhere…feeling the sun on your face, the crunching of rocks beneath your feet, sincerely enjoying the brilliant colors of the cacti which surround you?

Desert scorpions not your thing? Ok, ok…well how about combining New York, Paris, AND the Desert…what do you get…LAS VEGAS BABY!!

Yup, you guessed it—I am making my fist trip to Las Vegas next week to visit my sister Alyssa, and her husband Matt, who are living out there for school. Don’t worry…I’ll keep you posted on my world travels far from Iowa City.

Undoubtedly I will see Meredith Vierra, make fun of Al Roker’s weatherman skills, eat a Coney dog, see the Eiffel Tower, and pet a horned desert lizard…all without leaving the comforts of sin city.

I Crown Fritz...The Banana King

2008-11-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

First, let me make something clear, and perhaps throw out a friendly warning...the following video has a high likelihood of offending unicorn advocates, upsetting those who study vortexes, and has a high probability of making you want to eat a banana. Second, I realize this video may only make a few select people really laugh...namely my sisters, especially Courtney and Fritz (Elena). So why must I post this video?

Well, for those of you who REALLY know Elena, Courtney and I...just imagine the following as you watch the video...

Elena is Charlie (the gray unicorn)
Courtney and Erin are the other two unicorns...enjoy.