tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66990532024-03-07T03:52:42.064-06:00Kristen's BlogWarning: Contents Under PressureKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comBlogger273125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-15467557521245872952011-11-16T15:54:00.001-06:002011-11-16T15:56:18.270-06:00I like <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinteres</a>t. Check me out there. <br />
<br />
-KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-18600045480198734502011-04-13T14:11:00.000-05:002011-04-13T14:11:21.513-05:00NirvanaMy cat's name is Nirvana. He is a boy, though the name is, at best, gender neutral. Though he belongs to both me and my husband, he really is my cat. We spend the most time together. He answers to me when I call. He learned cool tricks from me. He is at least mostly my cat.<br />
<br />
He likes spending time laying on the back of the couch, almost as if he were sitting on my shoulder. When I lean my head back, I can rest it on his body and feel him breathe as he sleeps. When I reach my hand up to stroke his face, his paws flex and kneed in the air while he purrs for just a moment before dropping back into whatever dream he might be dreaming.<br />
<br />
On days like today, I can't express how much it means to have him here with me. I can't be alone while I have my cat. I'm so glad Nirvana found me. Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-67599024035465005022011-04-11T13:19:00.002-05:002011-04-11T13:19:50.314-05:00Poetry DayWe Were Never Meant to Survive<br />
by Audre Lourde<br />
<br />
For those of us who live at the shoreline<br />
standing upon the constant edges of decision<br />
crucial and alone.<br />
<br />
For those of us who were<br />
imprinted with fear like a faint<br />
line in the center of our<br />
foreheads learning to be afraid<br />
with our mother's milk.<br />
<br />
For by this weapon,<br />
this illusion of some safety to<br />
be found- <br />
the heavy-footed hoped to silence us.<br />
<br />
For all of us<br />
this instant and this triumph-<br />
we were never meant to survive.<br />
<br />
And when the sun rises we are<br />
afraid<br />
it might not remain.<br />
<br />
When the sun set sets we are afraid<br />
our words will not be heard<br />
nor welcomed.<br />
<br />
But when we are silent<br />
we are still afraid.<br />
<br />
So it is better to<br />
speak remembering<br />
We were never<br />
meant to survive.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-69832974820255283052010-06-14T16:44:00.000-05:002010-06-14T16:44:04.133-05:00It's JuneIt's June. About time for me to consider a career change.<br />
<br />
I've had my own law firm for just under a year. It has been a very interesting time. I really enjoy making my own hours, taking my own vacation, and not dealing with very, very nasty office politics (and bad bosses). However, I am not enamored of paperwork, finances, and filing. In short, I like being my own lawyer, but not my own secretary. Unfortunately, I have not be profitable enough in my short time out of the box to afford to purchase a secretary, and so I must complete secretarial tasks for the time being.<br />
<br />
I am currently experiencing a slow period in my practice. Slow, meaning I have nothing on my court calendar for a week and a half. This has happened before, but generally only when I go on vacation and keep my calendar clear. What I *should* do is use the time to catch up on closing cases. It is my least favorite task to complete as a lawyer. It is dry, time-consuming, and I can't bill for it. What I find myself doing, instead, is contemplating a change in careers.<br />
<br />
As a contract attorney for the public defender's office, I am paid about $40 per billed hour. That means for each case I bill between $100 and $600, though sometimes more and sometimes less. I am not working near full-time. I a few private clients because I am new in the area and have not developed a reputation. I am also a young woman, and that works against me. When people think of a good criminal defense attorney, they think of a grizzled man in his prime. They think of Jack Hogue. It will probably take years to build up a private client base.<br />
<br />
As a result, I'm bored. I want more work.<br />
<br />
Of course, there aren't jobs. There just aren't. The most numerous job postings on the UW Law School list are "Volunteer Opportunities," which is a joke. There are some jobs for litigation attorneys in Milwaukee, which is too far to drive and for which I'm not quite qualified. There are also some postings for experienced patent attorneys and experienced trust and estate attorneys. Three years ago there were more positions for attorneys with three years of experience. Now that I have three years, those positions seem to have dried up. Economy be damned.<br />
<br />
I'm wondering if it is possible to carve out a career in law. Am I going about it the right way? What kind of life am I making for myself? Do I care enough to invest years in solo practice just to start to make a reasonable salary? <br />
<br />
The answer to the last question is probably not. I made a crucial mistake. I went to law school looking for answers. I thought law school would open up a world of possibilities for me. It really hasn't. It did saddle me with a debt that, if I continue to pay on schedule, I will pay off when my unborn children complete college.<br />
<br />
Law school is not a recipe for success, any more than a good cup of coffee (although coffee *is* magic). It will not guarantee a good job. It will not even guarantee a job. It does not bring prestige, membership into secret clubs (except the kinds that cost money and don't do anything for you). A law degree is not the same as happiness.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I'm not the only one who thinks so, and the magic of the internet helps me see that.<br />
<br />
So, it's June, and I'm thinking of changing careers to something that makes me feel more employable.<br />
<br />
~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-20922757012187645722010-04-09T20:32:00.001-05:002010-04-09T20:32:44.148-05:00Sunday Morning HaikuSunny office chair<br />Rays of sunlight warming my<br />Cool wintery skinKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-29349428901626538662010-03-20T21:17:00.000-05:002010-03-20T21:17:42.216-05:00District 9District 9 just arrived from Netflix. I'm kinda excited. I don't suppose it will be nearly as good as I think it will be. Movies that look good rarely are. Then again, I think it was up for some sort of award, an Academy perhaps? I don't think it won. Hard to say.<br />
<br />
I have generally poor taste in movies. I also like bad movies. I particularly like bad sci-fi movies. This could be either a bad sci-fi movie, in which case I'll like it, or a good movie. I also like good movies. I just can't find them as easily.<br />
<br />
Thus, I will go watch District 9. Possibly with a hedgehog tucked under one arm. Then at least the time isn't a total loss.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-75196153412638080452008-12-21T23:13:00.002-06:002008-12-21T23:19:52.828-06:00Sleep InsanityI've been slowly going insane about my mattress. It isn't flat. It curves down towards the center. I KNOW it does. But how can it, it's less than five years old. Is it all in my head? Is it the way I sleep on it? Or perhaps how Mike sleeps on it? Or a combination? Is it the bed frame or the box spring or something like that? Somehow it can't just be the mattress, because mattresses don't just die after less than five years. Especially when I notice it and Mike doesn't.<br /><br />But really. It is all saggy.<br /><br />It's getting worse, though. I convinced Mike to try flipping the mattress, even though the pillow top would be down. That was a disaster. We tried removing the box spring. Also not quite right, but at least the sag is less noticeable.<br /><br />I just need a new mattress, I finally decided. Today in my research, I looked to see what kind of mattress we have. A Spring Air something-or-other. I looked up different kinds of mattresses, especially the latex kind, which I find especially appealing for their longevity. I don't want any more saggy problems for a while, you see. In the midst of my research I came across a compilation of owner reviews of mattresses. Curious, I looked up owner reviews of Spring Air mattresses.<br /><br />Spring Air has the lowest owner reviews of any inner spring mattress. Due, in large part, to premature sagging.<br /><br />At least I know I'm not crazy.<br /><br />~KZBKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-31976007008012928462008-09-11T10:09:00.003-05:002008-09-11T12:53:08.643-05:00Employed At Last!On Monday, September 15, 2008, I will begin my job as an Assistant State Public Defender in Walworth County. After just about one year of being without a full-time paying legal work, I will begin my first job as an attorney proper.<br /><br />And a criminal defense attorney no less. :) Hells yes.<br /><br />I'm psyched. The only bad part is that I'll be commuting an hour and fifteen minutes each way every day. Quite a drive. I think, however, that the job will prove more than worthwhile. It is a small office, which will allow me a lot of experience working different kinds of cases. I will also have a very interesting boss who will offer me direct training in everything I need to know. The work environment is supportive, which is important in a stressful job!<br /><br />You can be sure that I will be writing more about this job as it goes. Nothing that violates the rights of my clients for privacy, but interesting things no less, I'm sure!<br /><br />Yay! I'm going to be a real lawyer!<br />~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-46319077311743292802008-08-06T14:03:00.003-05:002008-08-06T14:08:29.595-05:00Oh, Favre...This whole Favre thing just breaks my heart. It's like a romance gone bad. I found this comment on an ESPN.com website and thought it was a good summary:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"we can all relate to how farve feels. it's like if you brake up with your girlfriend, realize you made a mistake, and try to reconcile a couple of weeks later, ony to find out she's moved on with some guy you know. then she tells you she doesnt want you dating any of her hot friends, like the one in minnesota. but you are more than welcome to date the ugly friend in new york, or the "almost" cute one in tampa bay. by they way the one in tampa is a bit of a tramp who has five boyfriends already."</span><br /><br />Oh, yeah, watch out for that hot Minnesotan friend! I love it. :)<br /><br />I felt bad, but you know, it's time to move on. Cauterize the wound and move on.<br /><sigh><br />~Kristen</sigh>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-22279158088597803442008-07-15T15:02:00.008-05:002008-12-08T17:31:43.667-06:00Fishing in FloridaI'm currently on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Captiva</span> Island in Florida. It's very rainy today, but yesterday was the perfect day to go fishing with Jimmy's fishing charter through the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.sanibelcaptivafishing.com"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Santiva</span> Salt Water Fishing Team</a>. My dad, brother Chad, his fiancee Amanda and I went with Captain Jimmy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Burnsed</span> on a four hour fishing charter in the Pine Island Sound. Very cool.<br /><br />Dad and Chad had gone fishing with Captain Jimmy for years. I was never interested. In the last few years, however, I've been fishing with my husband and his family up at Big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">McKenzy</span> lake. The prospect of going salt water fishing was interesting, and I thought it might be a good opportunity to see some neat wildlife besides. Amanda had never been down here to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Captiva</span>, and had never, ever been fishing before. She came along because I did, and it seemed like the thing to do.<br /><br />First thing we did when we got out to our first spot was to throw a bunch of minnows out into the water. It didn't take long for a bunch of black-tip sharks to show up. Holy cow, sharks! They weren't real big, only two or so feet, but that was a little scary! Nothing as scary as when I started HOOKING the sharks! I was reeling it in, and I could SEE the shark on my line! I started screaming right away, because there was NO WAY I was pulling it into the boat without someone there to catch it, because I don't care if it's only a little black tip shark, it is a SHARK with TEETH.<br /><br />Well, I waited too long for help pulling it up into the boat, and it snapped the line and took off. Three hooks later, and sharks were dancing out of the water and Amanda and I were being called the shark-catchers. To be fair, Amanda hooked the first shark, but I don't know the story of what she was thinking quite as well!<br /><br />After 5 lost hooks, Jimmy put some heavier line on the end of my pole and I actually managed to pull in a black tip. It was probably the smallest of the bunch (which is why it didn't take my hook, I'm thinking). Scary as heck! He asked if I wanted to hold it, and I said HELL NO! But I still got a good picture with it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee7_ObG1uoUHaDr9Igjwa6D6L7O2zAQmMQqf0HlbnsEnr1laLEssPm6U_xsVuUGPinkMrrtsIabP54andPZKbmO3HgxPMigtiPo2MeCpjOoqC3jzLjf1NOF_O8oLIPobLPkhOZg/s1600-h/KristenSharkShrunk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee7_ObG1uoUHaDr9Igjwa6D6L7O2zAQmMQqf0HlbnsEnr1laLEssPm6U_xsVuUGPinkMrrtsIabP54andPZKbmO3HgxPMigtiPo2MeCpjOoqC3jzLjf1NOF_O8oLIPobLPkhOZg/s320/KristenSharkShrunk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223334246757943714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's a shark! It could take your finger off without a thought! And I caught it!<br /><br />Amanda also caught a shark before we decided we wanted to go somewhere with fewer sharks and more eating fish. We headed over to a really shallow area, about 3 feet deep. It was an oyster bar, teeming with neat sea life! We saw a dolphin, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">leatherback</span> turtle, a bull-head shark, some spoon-bills flying over head, an osprey, and all sorts of neat stuff.<br /><br />The fishing was darn good, too. We used chopped up lady fish for bait (I caught two of these) and threw them in over the sandy parts of the oyster bars. Chad caught a really nice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">redfish</span> that we ate for dinner last night. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mmmm</span>. My favorite is super-fresh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">redfish</span>! We had it cooked at the Lazy Flamingo. It was amazing!<br /><br />We had some other great fishing adventures as well. Dad's big catch of the day wasn't a fish at all. We had stopped by North <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Captiva</span> (a very private island only <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">accessible</span> by boat and very, very expensive) and were fishing with more minnows, and had attracted quite a number of gulls and shore-birds. Well, one of them made a dive for dad's minnow and got caught in his line. Like the good person he is, he reeled in the gull to untangle it rather than just cut the line and leave it to be tangled and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">maimed</span>. When it got to the boat, however, it was in no mood to be saved, thrashing and snapping at my brother when he tried to grab it. I shouted at my brother to move, ripped off my hat and took off my cover-up shirt and threw it over the bird's head to calm it down, then gently picked it up so that we could untangle the line. The bird was perfectly still and calm while dad unwound the line from its legs. Then I uncovered the bird, and with one parting snap at my fingers, it flew off. That kept the birds away for about 15 minutes. After that, we shouted at the birds to ward them off.<br /><br />There was a really neat bird fishing under the boat with us for a while, too. It was an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">anhinga (or a cormorant, we can't decide)</span>, a bird that swims faster than fish to catch them under water. It would surface by the back of the boat while I fished and look at me as if to thank me for attracting all the yummy fish! Chad saw it underwater and thought it was a shark! The best was when I caught a fish (barely bigger than my bait) threw it back in the water, and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">anhinga</span> came and gobbled it up. :) Glad it didn't go to waste!<br /><br />The best fish we caught that day was at that clam bar I was talking about (didn't want to spoil the fun by giving it all away right away), and it was caught by Amanda. The dolphin was circling around us, seeing what we were up to. It started hanging out by where we were throwing our hooks, and that made us nervous. All of a sudden Amanda's hook was hit hard, the dolphin took off, and everything went nuts. We all pulled in our lines so we could focus on helping her. Something was running fast on her line. Jimmy told her to start reeling in anytime the fish stopped running, and to follow it around the boat if it moved. Amanda couldn't see anything, because she wasn't wearing her glasses, but we assured her that there was something on the end of her line. We could see the size of the thing when it got closer. It was a monster. See for yourself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklEVBiNMzH0fwgIsZ2t0Zbq0yMoeSqXtbPQM5MrjX8N4w0rIytDbG3Zh1mLupqI_jooRLJourKYOtlMqHSuePmzzwYdf2q5diGq5x7Z07WpN82pkSY_dxBAlCZ0obS_OVjbzXfg/s1600-h/AmandasSnookShrunk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklEVBiNMzH0fwgIsZ2t0Zbq0yMoeSqXtbPQM5MrjX8N4w0rIytDbG3Zh1mLupqI_jooRLJourKYOtlMqHSuePmzzwYdf2q5diGq5x7Z07WpN82pkSY_dxBAlCZ0obS_OVjbzXfg/s320/AmandasSnookShrunk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223334245926025282" border="0" /></a>It was a 42 inch long, 21 lb <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">snook</span> that Jimmy guessed was about 16 years old. It was huge! She couldn't even hold it by herself! He said it was the biggest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">snook</span> he had ever helped anyone catch. Remember, this was the first time Amanda had ever been fishing.<br /><br />The funny thing about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">snook</span> is that you can only keep <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">snook</span> between 28 and 30 or so inches because of the way they breed. They only mature after 6 years and are supposed to be fantastic eating, so they're over-fished. This is the farthest north you can even find them. So, we had to put this beautiful fish back, but will never, ever forget the excitement of catching it, and the look on Amanda's face!<br /><br />That was seriously the biggest fish any of us had ever seen in person.<br /><br />The birds would line up on the dock when we returned from our fishing <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">expedition</span>. They knew that if we were successful, they would get the fish guts. It was so amazing. There was a snowy egret that landed on the boat before it even docket to start picking minnows out of the live well. Then the pelicans arrived to wait under the fish-gutting table for scraps, just like doggies in a row. Just hilarious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruiqxWTXwmzjQcxjB70VcD1SEP7_yMRZDt2ihDlFEBvSZTZAXz8dq-w6SlLW3H1_S_fkdQFYUnkJntykW8XR5L3MYpZk4dgQP-xJU0z7B5FXyMSxOlufmqUyBoqGTUS_I2GtH2Q/s1600-h/SnowyEgretatLiveWellShrunk.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruiqxWTXwmzjQcxjB70VcD1SEP7_yMRZDt2ihDlFEBvSZTZAXz8dq-w6SlLW3H1_S_fkdQFYUnkJntykW8XR5L3MYpZk4dgQP-xJU0z7B5FXyMSxOlufmqUyBoqGTUS_I2GtH2Q/s320/SnowyEgretatLiveWellShrunk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223343456853695282" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And that is my tale of fishing. Today, it is raining and I am resting. Tonight my family is having dinner with Bonnie and Gene, Mike's Aunt and Uncle, who are staying at their timeshare on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Sanibel</span> Island. It should be really nice.<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!<br />~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-70948347481349868662008-03-21T12:45:00.002-05:002008-03-21T12:54:04.567-05:00CorrectionPlease don't take my last post to mean that I want you to vote for Hillary. Until the democratic supporter is decided, I'm behind Obama.<br /><br />Obama will probably be on of my favorite people even if he's not the nominee. <a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hisownwords">His speech</a> was so important. Yes, it was during an election and a reaction to a somewhat negative situation. No, that's not ideal. But this is when the man has the stage, this is his opportunity to make his words heard, and I admire him for them just the same. <br /><br />I think I should write more about his speech and what it meant to me. In order to do so, however, I'm going to have to get into a lot of things about my past, my experience as a Chapter 220 student in integrated schools, my struggle with race, and how his speech brought that all together. That's going to take a while. To be honest, I have to finish up a job application right now, so I shouldn't take the time. <br /><br />But I did want to clarify my current support for Mr. Obama, my conviction that he is a fabulous orator, and that his speech should be heard by all, not just in snipits on Fox News. <br /><br />And how sickening it was, after listening to his speech, to hear the news outlets wondering what "black people would think of his speech." I wonder if they listened at all.<br /><br />~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-4037238581175523512008-03-17T21:51:00.002-05:002008-03-17T21:57:10.125-05:00Gender and Politics<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/weekinreview/16zern.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1">This is a great article</a> about "Post feminism" and gender issues in politics these days. This really captures how I feel, particularly about the gender issue in regards to Hillary Clinton. I didn't vote for her, but I deeply understand the huge support she has from older women, and why her candidacy is important. In some ways, I wish she weren't the wife of a former president, or didn't have some of the connections she does.<span style="font-style:italic;"> It is important that this nation have a woman president</span> just for the sake of having a woman president. That is not something that I say lightly, but it is true. <br /><br />Until people stop laughing when a man shouts "iron my shirts" at a female candidate just as they would if a white man shouted that at a black candidate, the blinders to gender and sex inequities will still be firmly in place. I am not satisfied to live in a nation where the most powerful people are old men and the pretty young women who destroy their careers.<br /><br />~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-36925197386245280852008-03-01T01:20:00.002-06:002008-03-01T01:25:21.304-06:00Yuck! Plastic Living In the Oceans!!You have to take a look at <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html" target="new">this story.</a> Why isn't it getting any press here in the states? Why don't we know that there is now so much plastic trash in our oceans that we cannot hope to clean it up? <br /><br />I'm just flabbergasted. Here we talk about maybe cutting back on plastic bag uses, and no one even thinks to bring this up? This is one of the ways in which our over-use of petroleum and petroleum-based products has impacted the earth, and not a way that we normally would think of.<br /><br />We should probably be discussing this.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-4343020460126431252008-02-13T20:51:00.002-06:002008-02-13T21:34:14.511-06:00Ben is Famous!Well, more famous. <a href="http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/272052" target="new">An entry from his blog </a> got picked up and published in The Capital Times this week here in Madison. It's not like he's never been published. I don't keep track of the number of times any more. What I was particularly impressed with was the honesty and frankness of his writing, as though he were writing only for himself, and that it was still picked up by a newspaper as something worth putting in print. *I* think it is worth putting in print, but I'm generally surprised when traditional sources print something worth reading. Overall, the Capital Times is a progressive paper, but hey, it's still print and therefore suspect. <br /><br />So, go read the blog. It's about how the Capital Times is going to go "online only." Very hip, and probably because of corporate reasons. It's a cool article. Read and enjoy with your hip latte and beret, you progressive non-conformist you.<br /><br />~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-40884523673683301352008-02-04T22:42:00.000-06:002008-02-04T23:03:58.800-06:00Pig Brain Allergies Anyone?(for all of you like my husband, please not that the blog title is also a link to an article)<br /><br />I went to get my allergies tested today. Oh boy. First, they had me not take any antihistamines for five days. They asked me to do that as though it was no big deal. It was kinda a big deal. Let me put it to you this way: I remember mom having to open up the capsules of my allergy medicine into applesauce so I could eat it, because I wasn't old enough to swallow pills yet, and I learned the difference between left and right by having to remember which arm I had to have my allergy shot in from week to week. No big deal.<br /><br />I've not felt so great for five days, let me tell you.<br /><br />I got lots of scratches. That was fun. It's really not a big deal. It's fun to watch the hives grow and meld together. The worse part was the <span style="font-weight:bold;">14</span> needles they had to shoot under my skin to do further testing when I didn't react enough to the scratches. Just great.<br /><br />What was interesting was my *new* allergies. Yes! I have *brand* *new* *allergies*!! I've always been allergic to those old things like all trees, all grasses, most molds, animals with fur, and "remarkably" allergic to dust mites. Blah blah blah.<br /><br />I am *now* the proud new owner of allergies to cherries, peanuts, almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds! Oh, and cows. I'm also allergic to cows. I didn't actually know that before.<br /><br />But that brings up all sorts of questions. They didn't test me for many foods, and my doctor said he doesn't trust the reliability of the fruit and vegetable antigens that they did test me for. Even so, the only symptoms I had of the nut allergies were headaches. Could there be a connection between my headaches and allergies? That makes me want to do further testing to see if any other sensitivities come up that I can avoid to make these headaches less terrible.<br /><br />Then again, perhaps I just think they're terrible because I have been miserable for the past 5 days without my antihistamines. Ugh.<br /><br />Right, the article. All this talk of allergies made me wonder what allergies can really do to us. We don't have a cure for allergies or asthma or eczema. We don't really fully understand the human auto-immune system. This article is a very, very strange example of that. Involving pig brains. And Minnesota. What's not to love?<br /><br />~KristenKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-56539598968362933212008-01-13T15:50:00.000-06:002008-01-13T16:08:26.094-06:00<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx1BOdAkHWmenxoXhwfAtJSfMiO9uA2GUA6_P2M95pNNiUv5fTAoNgZ-liOj-3SEKxAgHYJH0uFBw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />These are some wind chimes at a cool store in Door County. They were from all over the world, tuned very precisely, and hung outside in a gazebo. When the wind blew softly, it made them ring in a beautiful, brain-massaging way. I would make my very own wind chime gazebo some day if I could. I think some of the chimes were $1200, though. It would be a very expensive endeavor. I'd have to own a lot of land, too, so as not to annoy any neighbors. <br /><br />I hope you can get a feel for the really cool experience of standing in this gazebo up in Door County. It is located at the Blue Dolphin in Fish Creek. (I think)Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-80209141142769387122008-01-08T16:25:00.000-06:002008-01-08T16:29:44.438-06:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Free Rice!</span><br /><br />It's a <a href="http://www.freerice.com" target="new">new game</a> that everyone's playing! And yes, there will be free rice! Only not for you, for people who *really* need it! <br /><br />For you, a lesson in one of three things:<br /><br />1. How poor your vocabulary really is<br />2. How lucky you can guess for how long<br />3. How long it will take you to to realize that cheating feels better when it is feeding the hungry.<br /><br />Or, perhaps all three?<br /><br />Seriously, it's worth playing. :) Better than freecell!Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-72307851097404068822008-01-08T14:17:00.000-06:002008-01-08T14:40:14.635-06:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">What will it take?<br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN07651650" target="new">Today another ranking listed the US last in preventable deaths in the 19 leading industrial nations.</a> The authors say that doesn't mean that the US has bad health care, it's just bad for those who don't have it.<br /><br />Well, right! There are too many people without health care, and more and more people without it every day. I am just not sure what it will take for people in power to understand that we simply cannot ethically allow this to be a country where the "haves" have the right to health and the "have nots" don't. We allow all people access to roads, police and fire protection, school and libraries. How can we believe that access to a doctor is any less important?<br /><br />This has nothing to do with universal INSURANCE coverage. What is this health insurance anyway. I've seen these plans to mandate that everyone buy insurance. You can't squeeze blood from a turnip. The people I used to work with weren't uninsured because they were lazy, I assure you.<br /><br />This must be a paradigm shift. Or perhaps it is a question of entitlement. Or fear that if EVERYONE had access to health care, perhaps there would be none left for those who can now afford to pay for it. Maybe it is just such difficulty pointing the finger at the party to blame for the state of things that no one seems to be able to accomplish anything at all. Of course, that isn't to say that we don't know who is to blame. We do know some of the offenders. But they're big players in politics, and politics doesn't like offending big players, even if they're also big offenders. <br /><br />So, maybe it's a question of who we love more, the people or the players. Who do we think deserve to be happier. Are we satisfied with being last? What are we willing to do, if anything, to change that?<br /><br />I bet nothing changes. But then again, I'd love to be proven wrong.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-82553449392510847912007-11-02T16:18:00.000-05:002007-11-02T16:32:07.407-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">This is what my husband does!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kravlor.com/files/pictures/onioniter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.kravlor.com/files/pictures/onioniter.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/scientists_ask_congress_to_fund_50">At least according to The Onion...</a> It's sort-of how I think of things in a very general way, too. I like to call the device he works on, which is named Pegasus and is a spherical torus device, the Science Machine. I *know* it's not, and even know some of the reasons that it is technically incorrect to say that it "makes science." It just seems so much more approachable when you put it that way, you know?<br /><br />Mike wrote a more succinct note about it in <a href="http://www.kravlor.com/">his blog.</a> I'm just glad it's important enough to write about in The Onion.<br /><br />In other good news, the doctor said I can take muscle relaxants to help me survive the difficult transition to being able to do Yoga without giving myself terrible migraines. The idea is that, in the long term, Yoga is really, really good for me, even if in the short term it puts me in bed for two days with a migraine that makes me sicker than I've ever been. It still seems sort of against the whole idea of yoga, to have to take muscle relaxants...<br /><br /><shrug>~Kristen<br /></shrug>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-47086725852788108372007-11-01T13:37:00.001-05:002008-12-08T17:31:44.568-06:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBCc3zH5pArcgWcIW6vVRhl-nBPyWOgS48ZxCuh0wB5R3_oHFB8O8LgOMViEuKnPGfNQdAEjleqynVlluJVAVPXsr98S23di9z5qba9K2Q2Wgc2zeBRPm1Tx4_1HLkcoqerVETQ/s1600-h/11.1.07+053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBCc3zH5pArcgWcIW6vVRhl-nBPyWOgS48ZxCuh0wB5R3_oHFB8O8LgOMViEuKnPGfNQdAEjleqynVlluJVAVPXsr98S23di9z5qba9K2Q2Wgc2zeBRPm1Tx4_1HLkcoqerVETQ/s320/11.1.07+053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127944734710366322" border="0" /></a><br />These are pictures of our pumpkins this year. Mike's is a happy pumpkin. Mine is a hedgehog!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW5iTTDCr9ybrZaSOkBWVAA2mRO2KqLzACQYv8mu_cvsupWjGsvPJQc3KJJmRb-P1itzVG4nHYhcKrxs9Z7ervIg5IZJkBi6txZ8kASV7v219FNTWilBm8YAeLPYW6F96luFS_Q/s1600-h/11.1.07+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW5iTTDCr9ybrZaSOkBWVAA2mRO2KqLzACQYv8mu_cvsupWjGsvPJQc3KJJmRb-P1itzVG4nHYhcKrxs9Z7ervIg5IZJkBi6txZ8kASV7v219FNTWilBm8YAeLPYW6F96luFS_Q/s320/11.1.07+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127944790544941218" border="0" /></a><br />This is the farm where we picked our pumpkins. It was in the middle of just about nowhere to the West of Middleton. It was such a perfect day for pumpkin picking!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdBwniy5hi_IDAYck2-2rhCPVzhy9nF6S-hkDq5ChWXshRfpmby3qxlRTdKulwizj4y5rr6z6RI07N0Ly8Hl-t9trI-UIxFMcgVGeKnRgPTEeJFhenGjLaM7HG7edMtS3o_sGww/s1600-h/11.1.07+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdBwniy5hi_IDAYck2-2rhCPVzhy9nF6S-hkDq5ChWXshRfpmby3qxlRTdKulwizj4y5rr6z6RI07N0Ly8Hl-t9trI-UIxFMcgVGeKnRgPTEeJFhenGjLaM7HG7edMtS3o_sGww/s320/11.1.07+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127944743300300930" border="0" /></a>The leaves in Madison are beautiful colors, and the sky has been clear and blue, so walks have been highly enjoyable.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvJAS6jQegrIJ8JG5jsX98GQNt5Cz8by3jRs1dn0TEjeMnEDlq2kIMtlQC_8W6s62l3Vq2A8c0Qn6_1LBjlTvdzUX7tEMdXEi_kKZTCrTumy2sADFYVQp3yBRKlfCkhgIeV6B1w/s1600-h/11.1.07+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvJAS6jQegrIJ8JG5jsX98GQNt5Cz8by3jRs1dn0TEjeMnEDlq2kIMtlQC_8W6s62l3Vq2A8c0Qn6_1LBjlTvdzUX7tEMdXEi_kKZTCrTumy2sADFYVQp3yBRKlfCkhgIeV6B1w/s320/11.1.07+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127944781955006610" border="0" /></a>This is my mom on some of the stones crossing a small stream near our house in one of the preserves. She had already fallen into one at this point. Don't tell her I told you that.<br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-80726256701369502102007-11-01T12:58:00.000-05:002007-11-01T13:30:06.866-05:00My Life's Purpose<br /><br />So, I realized the other day that I know exactly why I'm here and what I'm supposed to be doing. It doesn't seem to be that big of a deal, really, but I guess a lot of people struggle with it for a lot of their lives. I feel moved to share what I've figured out.<br /><br />I don't think I'm here to *do* anything specific, like take a bullet for an innocent bystander in the year 2030 or something dramatic like that. I am here on a journey. My journey will be full of lessons taught by the circumstances and people in my life. Some lessons are simple, like treat everyone like a sister (that's the latest from my two hedgehogs) to see beyond anger to the suffering that causes it (from my own painful experiences). My lessons seem to be pointing me towards learning how to be a more compassionate, giving, balanced, understanding and patient person, but I don't know that there is an ultimate goal. It's a process. I try to look for the teachers that come into my life, no matter what size or shape they may take.<br /><br />My purpose here is to help. That is what is clear. That might mean helping people who are suffering or helping them find justice or helping animals, I'm not sure. It may mean helping the people in my life find happiness. I am sure that I don't need to know more than the next step at any given time, and all I have to do to find the next step is to follow what is life-giving to me. Right now that means hedgehogs, long walks, music, light exercise that doesn't give me migraines, and good, healthy food. It also means looking for jobs that will not only pay money but also make me feel like I am following the right path, the path of helping. It's about doing the right things along the way, not about having a final destination planned.<br /><br />There are definitely times I feel lost. That's normal. But when the fog lifts, there I am on my path. Maybe I'm a few feet off the trail, but I can find it again. And when I'm on it, I can tell. Things are just <span style="font-style: italic;">good.</span> My migraines are a good indication of when I'm drifting off the path. They're really bad when I'm feeling lost, or going in the wrong direction. They are a sign that is very hard to ignore, for better or worse!<br /><br />So there you have it. My life's purpose as I see it. Notice I didn't mention God. I don't like talking about God's role in my life. I haven't figured that out yet. I sort-of figure that by the time I figure that out, I will either be meeting or not meeting Him/Her, and won't have to puzzle it out for myself anymore. I follow what is life-giving, and believe what I feel. I know there is something more than myself, but there's so much baggage when we use the word God... Oh, my endless struggle with Christianity. I swear.<br /><br />~KristenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-57263612373009376982007-10-31T10:25:00.000-05:002007-10-31T10:30:24.912-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/254205">Big Business Profits Make Technology Suck</a><br /></span>I find that really irritating. Don't you?<br /><br />The title isn't very concise. I don't like that we have worse and higher priced cell phone, internet, cable and other technology services because we let big corporations dictate how they are to be regulated in order for them to generously provide these really expensive upgrades to our grateful citizens. Bleh. We'd be better off doing it with government contractors, having them build up the infrastructure and then leasing it out to the corporations, even though that would be totally inefficient and painful.<br /><br />The article was good.<br />~KristenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-13378807916206198302007-10-29T09:05:00.000-05:002007-10-29T09:39:43.142-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">The status on my internal holy war<br /><br /></span>I read a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=267bf647811d3d07&ex=1193803200">very interesting article</a> this morning as I was contemplating my most recent emotional frustration with organized Christian religion. It was a very patient discussion of the recent shift in Evangelical viewpoints and particularly their political bent. No, they're not tree-hugging lefties now, but the wild, lock-step Republican scaries have seemingly retired to their corners to nurse their wounded pride after the failure of their perfect, God-sent president.<br /><br />Like I said, it was patient, and much more forgiving that I just was. I'm not patient or forgiving in general. When all the scary lock-stepping and Republicanism was going on, I was very tempted to move to a different country and pretend to have been born there. Call me young and rash, because I probably am. I do not yet have the years to recognize when the country is going through a phase. To me, it appeared that it might have been the end of the free world as I knew it.<br /><br />In any case, it was a very interesting article about the internal struggle of the Evangelical church. It almost made me feel sad for them having to re-evaluate their stance and actions over the past 8 years. Almost. It made me more ashamed for them.<br /><br />What I thought was most interesting was its discussion on the values espoused by the Evangelical church during the previous two elections, specifically anti abortion and gay marriage, why they have historically been so important to the Evangelical church, and why movements to a more balanced view of Christian values is so difficult for some to comprehend. The article suggested that the focus on gay marriage and abortion is largely a working-class issue, and that as the church has become more established, it is now looking to more middle-class issues.<br /><br />I just don't think that's it. I like to be more generous than that. Even though there are many working-class people who prefer simple, unthinking morals and religion, I would hope that there are some that consider the wider implications of Christianity and morality and social policy. I really, really hesitate to tie social awareness to household income or profession. I think it has more to do with whether people have the internet, if they read papers from large cities, whether they know people who are different from themselves. It's more a small-mindedness versus an open-mindedness to me.<br /><br />Let's face it: Gay marriage and abortion are an idiot's way to being good, moral Christians. They are knee-jerk issues. Binary. Yes-no. There is no sort-of, no shades of gray. They are like sports where you can choose a side and cheer for it. You can make cheeky slogans and bumper stickers. You can boil it down to over-simplified sermons. It's a very easy way to approach values. Besides, for most white, middle-aged married Evangelicals, it's easy not to be gay-married or have an abortion. Ta da! They're good Christians!<br /><br />What am I trying to say? Maybe that Evangelicals aren't changing their political and social stance because they're earning more money. Maybe it's because people are realizing that we're not living in the 1950's anymore. There isn't just one role for a man or a woman or a child. The USA can't just invade a country and win. Things are COMPLICATED. There are global implications of driving our cars, using household cleaners, and even eating hamburgers. It's hard to keep track of whether it's more ethical to eat vegetarian or eat organic or eat local. Gasoline is bad, but some say ethanol from corn produces just as much greenhouse gas in its production. You need to watch your budget, but you KNOW that shirt from Walmart was made in a sweatshop somewhere and that the employees at the store in your town aren't getting their breaks or healthcare. You like chicken, but you know what they do to them, and you know that's not ok, but organic meat is so expensive, and your husband doesn't like tofu. So where does Jesus stand on that?<br /><br />Abortion and gay marriage are way easier. And so is being a Republican.<br /><br />And how that relates to my internal holy war: <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> struggle with those issues. Methodist sermons tell you to love one another. UGH. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ok</span> already. I got that lesson a few years back. What about the chickens? And my car? And Walmart? How do I resolve the differences between what I know is ethically right and what is practical? I am frustrated that "my" religion doesn't place as high a value on the issues that I value most, such as animals, the environment, and social justice, in that order. Rules about what to do and not to do, and what is or isn't a sin when it comes to sex or material wealth or worship or reading the bible just doesn't interest me unless there is something about how to resolve the issues that are most important to *me*.<br /><br />Ah, yes, I search for my own personal, tree-and-squirrel-hugging, fair-trade-coffee-drinking Jesus, but only if he doesn't make me talk to him all the time. I'm not into clingy relationships.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-60807279079891696532007-10-21T21:55:00.001-05:002008-12-08T17:31:44.653-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz5ybTz1riLW1qkozhhstNqooTPhkeEdRVWv-1bUCHSGKL0PlOQEwxbHB4UI9t4hrzG-4P12UZspuOcRzIzJ-DOcoqWLblK3bFvnNiAWxyUUs8x170he5MBKAkUL2A1LWmEMleA/s1600-h/HarrietBiancaFall07+026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz5ybTz1riLW1qkozhhstNqooTPhkeEdRVWv-1bUCHSGKL0PlOQEwxbHB4UI9t4hrzG-4P12UZspuOcRzIzJ-DOcoqWLblK3bFvnNiAWxyUUs8x170he5MBKAkUL2A1LWmEMleA/s320/HarrietBiancaFall07+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123990320674095554" border="0" /></a><br />It's a really nice fall. So I took the hedgies out for some pictures. I have to say, they didn't like it. Maybe it's because they're albino. Maybe it's because they're nocturnal. Maybe it's because they're albino and nocturnal. Or maybe our grass smells funny. It's really hard to say. In any case, I did get some nice pictures with Mike's help (he was the hedgie wrangler). For a present to myself, I'm going to custom order tiles by Judy Peters of all my hedgies to use as coasters for the living room. She does great art, and I think it would be an artistic way to incorporate them into the house without plastering the walls with their photos and ribbons and things.<br /><br />In any case, it's fun to take the hedgehogs outside to see what they will do, for about 5 minutes before they get really scared and then I start feeling bad for them. It might be more fun for them to run around at night in the dark, but I imagine the trolls would get them then. While I have made peace with the fact that their life spans are very short, I have no wish to shorten it even further by troll abduction.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6699053.post-63434394292507401242007-10-14T15:33:00.000-05:002008-12-08T17:31:44.873-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB5d1qLvpS5Q5nvGTtwa01JyD12oXQi3B0vwDQVVrSGQMgWxGPW41_-ZlinuN2eoEK8yve0WlYQCkFC-9jinY9CedLzHkMJUThTOl6muvcZq17zKtMZ6B10KLIAZgbNh2yOgcvg/s1600-h/ShowBlogPhoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB5d1qLvpS5Q5nvGTtwa01JyD12oXQi3B0vwDQVVrSGQMgWxGPW41_-ZlinuN2eoEK8yve0WlYQCkFC-9jinY9CedLzHkMJUThTOl6muvcZq17zKtMZ6B10KLIAZgbNh2yOgcvg/s320/ShowBlogPhoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121293673917694386" border="0" /></a><br />Well, I'm out in Denver and finishing up a weekend full of fun and adventure! I'll have to post more later, because I'm currently exhausted, but I wanted to put up a picture and a brief "here's where I am" as though anyone is waiting on bated breath for such a thing. I'll be here for another night hanging out with people and resting up before traveling back tomorrow. Perhaps I'll have more time to write then while all the other folks head off and I wait for my flight to leave. Well, what can you do! For now, I go off to nap. It is an excellent thing to do.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14679951274155940855noreply@blogger.com