happy happy summer!

It is summer vacation, and tomorrow is the longest day of the year!  This is the first time in a while that I've had a whole summer free, and I'm really excited about the upcoming 7 weeks or so.  I have already had a lot of time to run, read, and just generally relax, and checking off stuff on my fun to-do list will be lovely.  Life is oh-so-good.  

I haven't posted here in quite a bit, but I compiled a list of some of the songs I have been listening to on repeat.  Some are on the radio, others a little more off the beaten path, but in my opinion they are all great for windows down, music blasting summer days.  Check them out!
Love Runs Out by One Republic
Problem by Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
Fancy by Iggy Azalea (trying to memorize all the words)
Come Get it Bae by Pharrell Williams
On Our Way by The Royal Concept
Scare Away the Dark by Passenger (featured in the super cute Middlebury video I watched the other day)

And here is a video from Sunflower Farm in Maine that has over 2 million views in the last few weeks.  Only 35 seconds but cute: The Running of the Goats.  I recently started watching How I Met Your Mother (I know, I know, several years late), but I'm enjoying it so far and trying really hard to avoid finding out how the show ends.  I am also reading Game of Thrones, and am thinking about maybe starting to watch the show.  I like the book more than I was expecting, so I'll have to give it a try sometime soon. 

Things that I'm looking forward to:
-family vacation in Alaska (hi Robin, see ya soon)!
-running the Clam Fest 5 miler in July...just about halfway through my training plan, but feeling better every day
-getting some new running shoes soon (pictures to follow)
-a visit from Tiffany and Elise next weekend
-the beach, eating seafood, enjoying Maine

As always, if you're interested in receiving a letter, send me your address!  I love having summer pen pals, and I am definitely up for some vacation postcards! 

Enjoy the beginning of summer!  Sending you happy vibes from Maine!

easter!!

On this Easter Sunday, a list of things I'm thankful for:
-I got to run outside along the lake on a beautiful afternoon.  The lake has thawed, the bike path is clear of snow, and running outside is no longer crazy.  It's wonderful.  I also just started using Strava to map my runs and it's kind of my new favorite thing.  I feel much more motivated to run/run fast when I know that my GPS is tracking me. 
-I have finished two books recently and am working my way through the giant pile next to my bed.  If you're looking for a good book that will probably make you cry, check out Tell the Wolves I'm Home.  It was a powerful and sad read.  But very well-written and interesting.  Yay for reading for fun!
-I've been listening to this song a lot recently and just found out that Fitz and the Tantrums are coming to Higher Ground in June - anyone want to go??  Here's The Walker.  Frank Turner is also coming in May, so I'm thinking about going to see him too.  And the Avett Brothers are playing in August!  So much good music in Burlington!
-I like Phillip Phillips, so here's his latest, Raging Fire.
-I took a picture of the crazy icicles that had formed on our oars last week (after a chilly April snowstorm), and it was chosen as the picture of the day on row2k!  Here's the link, check it out :)
http://row2k.com/potd/4-19-2014/Oar-cicles/2458/#.U1MGaFea9eQ
-Lent is over, so I got to eat candy today!
-Family, friends, friendly strangers, all the people who brighten my days.  

It's April!

I can't believe that April is already here.  Partly, that's because there is still a fair amount of snow on the ground, and Lake Champlain is still almost completely covered in ice.  And, I think that time has been going by pretty fast lately.  That being said, I'm excited for spring, and the warmer weather and longer days it brings.  Here is a list of notable things going on in my life.  

-I got back from Florida a week ago.  It was a fun trip - I saw lots of amazing birds, a very large alligator, cool trees...basically, just a lot of different wildlife.  The weather was excellent, and I'm now very tan, which is always a plus.  It has been hard adjusting to the cold back in Vermont, but today it was above 50, and my run outside felt warm and spring-like. 

-I found a fabulous blue maxi dress at T.J.Maxx today.  It's comfortable but also looks nice, and I can't wait for it to be warm out so I can wear it!  Also, it has pockets, which is clutch.  Here's a pic. 

-Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's is Tuesday!!  One of the best days of the year :)

-I'm starting to get excited for the summer in Maine.  A partial list of things I'm looking forward to/want to try and accomplish: go to the beach as much as possible, hike Mount Katahdin (not sure if this will happen, but it would be really cool!), run the Clam Fest 5 mile road race, eat lots of seafood, etc.  Maine in the summer is my favorite thing in the world, and I can't wait to enjoy every minute of it. 

I need to go do my dishes, so that is all the sunnyside material I have for now, but I hope that the second week of April brings more literal and figurative sunshine.  Peace!!

3/9/14 - or Catherine turns 23.5

I want to start off this sunnyside post by acknowledging the scary and sobering disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines Flight.  I can't believe that a large passenger plane can literally just vanish.   While a happy ending is seeming less and less likely, I do hope that authorities are able to piece together what happened soon and give answers to the families of those on board.  I also hope that whatever happened will help make flying a little bit safer.  It's sad that horrible events are often what leads to big changes, but hopefully something good can come of this. 

On a less sad note, it was spring ahead day today, which meant an hour less of sleep but also meant that sunset wasn't until 6:51!  It will be nice to have some more light in the evenings. 

It has been a good week, full of lots of sleeping.  I was exhausted all week, and as a result I slept 9+ hours every night.  I think maybe I was on the verge of getting sick, but sleeping kept it away.  It also prepared me well for spring ahead :)

The Josh Ritter concert last Sunday was great.  He played a mix of new and old music, and it was a very different concert than when I saw him 4+ years ago - much quieter, and more intimate.  He is a really fun performer, because he is almost constantly smiling and high energy.  It was a long way to drive for just the weekend, but worth it!

This is one of the cutest and happiest things I've seen in awhile.  I love Lennon and Maisy on Nashville, and they have the best YouTube videos.  Here's their newest one, a cover of That's What's Up by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. 

 

Here are a couple of pictures from my weekend.  I made this delicious lentil-vegetable stew for the second time.  The recipe seems to have disappeared from where I found it online, but basically it's lentils, sweet potatoes, onion, spinach, and a delicious mix of spices - curry powder, cinnamon, garlic, and ginger.  If you want the recipe let me know and I can send it to you.  Highly recommended!  I also spent some time this weekend searching for a bathing suit for our upcoming spring break crew trip to DeLand, Florida.  Unfortunately, March is a very poor time to shop for swimming apparel in Vermont.  Apparently it is still too wintery for most people to be considering swimming.  I did end up ordering one online from Boden, so I'm hoping it fits/I like it.  We shall see!  So the picture is of these pretty hideous spandex I found at JC Penney...covered in french fries, pizza, onion rings, hot dogs, etc.  I was almost tempted to buy them but they're just a little too weird.  For your viewing pleasure. 

And a thought to leave you with, from the song Pumpin Blood that I posted last time: "You're a catalyst to your happiness you know."  A good mantra to live by - you're only going to be happy if you decide to be.  Have a good week!

"march"-ing ahead

I'm pretty good at being optimistic and seeing the sunny side of life and just generally rolling with the punches - hence the name of this blog.  Even so, I have days where I feel sad or overly tired or just a little down, and on those days, I turn to music.  This post is in honor of some of the songs I have been listening to a lot recently (both new and not-so-new).  I enjoy a pretty wide range of music and musical styles, so playlists that I make are often a bit eclectic - but here it goes:

happy songs for spring 2014
Hang With Me by Robyn
Pumpin Blood by NONONO
Mmm Yeah by Austin Mahone
What I Wouldn't Do by Serena Ryder
The Heart by NEEDTOBREATHE
Move by Little Mix
Chocolate by The 1975

I'm also really looking forward to seeing Josh Ritter play at Bates tonight!  I'll have to give a review of the concert afterwards. 

And I wrote about it before, but I got my Stitch Fix last week!  I think I had slightly unrealistically high expectations, plus it arrived at a time when I was trying to not spend money, so I was a little disappointed.  But I ended up keeping a bright pink, kind of slinky shirt that I think would look nice dressed down or dressed up.  It'll be a good addition to my "fancier/grown-up" clothing collection that I'm trying to expand. 

Finally, a few things I'm excited about: Chili Fest in Middlebury next weekend, a pile of good books to read, Florida sunshine ( >3 weeks away!)...I'm sure there are more, but that's plenty of happiness for now!  Peace, and have a fabulous first week of March!

olympics in the air!

The biggest news of this week is that I bought a TV and am able to watch the Olympics!!  I didn't realize that you could still get "over the air" stations, but with an antenna, I have 8+ different channels.  It has been great so far.  However, I am already pretty addicted, so I'm trying to make some guidelines for myself, like: turn town the volume if it's an event I'm not ALL that invested in; read (or do dishes) during commercial breaks or previously mentioned events; and go to bed after the end of primetime coverage (11/11:30pm).  Yes, I'm a little obsessed, but it's the best 2+ weeks of television for 2 years!  Might as well enjoy it while I can.  

This was the iTunes song of the week last week, and I actually like it a lot.  I've also been hearing it quite a bit on the radio.  I'm not sure if that's because of the iTunes special, or it's popular on its own.  Anyway, here's a link to Riptide by Vance Joy.  Disclaimer: the music video is really weird and disturbing, but I still like the song. 

If you were somehow unaware, it is Valentine's Day this week.  I have had plans for the last few months actually - hot date at the dentist's office!  So if you're feeling bad for yourself because you're alone on Valentine's Day and not receiving any flowers or chocolate or lovin', just remember that it could be worse :)

Finally, if you haven't seen this performance yet, please watch.  Jason Brown is perhaps my favorite Olympic athlete, and his long program is outta this world.  This is the video from US Nationals in January, but he's skating this routine in Sochi as well.  He is just so much fun to watch, and definitely sunnyside material.  Enjoy!

hi there february, let's do this.

Pretty VT views on a Saturday snowshoe

Thanks for helping make January 2014 keep on the sunny side's second most popular month ever!  Now we're on to February - inching closer to springtime and summer.  Even though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, I couldn't see mine today in Vermont, so I'm going to believe that winter is coming to a close. 

Here are two interesting articles I read in the NYTimes recently.  The first is about sloths and how they have adapted to survive their very unique lifestyle.  And the second is about obesity, specifically understanding when in life obesity begins, and how body weight changes over time.  Check them out.

Last week, I talked about making my lentil dish.  It was ok, not one of my favorites.  But I made a yummy turkey pot pie last night.  So here are some food pictures, as well as a few other photos from my week. 

The lentils.  Not bad, but not my fave.

Yummy and cozy turkey pot pie

 

 

boots!

 

 

Friday Outfit, wearing a Lopi sweater my mom knit back in the day!

Lastly, a couple songs.  From This Valley by The Civil Wars and I Will Remain by Matthew & The Atlas.  Also, I'm pretty sure I've already written about Songza on my blog, but just to reiterate - it's amazing!  "Handclapping & Footstomping" is one of my favorite playlists, but there are many, many great ones.  If you don't use it, give it a try and you'll be hooked.  

Now, I'm off to watch some Sherlock (new to the show, but enjoying it so far).  Happy beginning of February!!

sunday afternoon thoughts

I have been listening to Josh Ritter a lot lately, specifically his 2013 album "The Beast in its Tracks", to prepare for seeing him live in March!  He is playing at Bates, and I think it will be an awesome small concert.  I saw him a few years ago, at UVM actually, where he played in one of the Davis Center ballrooms, and it was a great show - we stood in the second row and it felt intimate and energetic and just excellent.  Here are two of my favorite songs from the album. 
-A Certain Light
-New Lover
His songs have amazing lyrics.  He's a gem. 

This is my first weekend in Burlington in 6 weeks!  Crazy!  Luckily it was nice out yesterday (and by nice I mean the actual temperature was above 20), so I went for run and then did a Jillian ab workout.  It was cold again today, but I did some abs.  It feels good to be getting in an exercise routine again, though I am quite sore.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger though, right?

I also bought a pair of Frye boots today!  I have been wanting to get some for awhile, and I found my size in one of the styles I was eying on sale on Church Street today.  So I splurged, and I am happy I did.  I think they'll replace Dansko's as better "going out" shoes, not that I do very much going out. 

The new year has included lots of delicious salads for me, with fresh fruits and goat cheese crumble and candied nuts.  Today, though, I am going to branch out a little and make a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (great cookbook), Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions.  I'll write about how it was later, but I have had good luck with his other recipes so I'm optimistic. 

May the last week of January be fun and productive and not too too cold! 

this is the new year

We are now well into 2014!  The new year has been busy but also fun, and I'm excited about what all is in store for the upcoming 11 months.  Here are some highlights from my first few weeks.
-I purchased a grown up wallet.  It will be especially nice to not hand over folded and crumpled bills.  Also, it's metallic, which is pretty amazing.  Real world, get ready.
-I signed up for Stitch Fix.  I think it has recently become a lot more popular, so my "fix" won't be coming until the end of February, but I'm still excited.  Here's the premise: You fill out an online style profile, which is a lot of fun and includes your sizes, what types of styles you like, what items you would prefer, etc.  Then, a stylist reviews this and sends you 5 items in the mail on your scheduled date.  This costs $20, but if you decide you want to keep/purchase at least one of the items, the $20 is applied to the cost.  Then, you send back whatever you don't want (shipping is free!).  You can get fixes as frequently or infrequently as you want...I signed up for one but opted out of the once a month option.  I'll check back in with my thoughts about what I receive, but in the meantime I'm eagerly awaiting my first shipment!  Also, here's the link if you're interested, because if you sign up then I get a credit :)  https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3404025
-I have a pretty great pink crop top sweatshirt from H&M.  Basically one of the best articles of clothing I've ever owned.  I think it's also the first crop top I've owned, other than shirts that I accidentally shrank, and my life has certainly changed just a bit.
-I saw Dallas Buyer's Club last weekend.  I'd highly recommend it - very interesting and great acting.
-This is a sort of negative highlight, but the high temperature today was -2 in Burlington!  So cold!  The forecasted low for tonight is -18.  It's the kind of cold that makes your legs hurt when you walk outside, but it also makes me feel pretty intense. Almost like living in the Arctic. 
-I've gotten to see a lot of good friends in the last few weeks, which has been awesome. 
-And finally, here are a few fun, happy songs for your Wednesday night:
Life is Better With You by Michael Franti
The Wire by Haim
Happy by Pharrell Williams (from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, watched it twice over vacation!)

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime

We are halfway through December!  I love this time of year, and I can't wait to be home in just a few days.  And, the recent snowstorm has made everything that much more festive.  The subzero temperatures and arctic windchills, not so much.  But it's winter, and even though I complain about the cold and the snow, I do love my seasons. 

Since my last blog post:
-I finished Season 4 of The Good Wife.  I have really enjoyed the show (thanks Robin!).  Watching shows about lawyers makes me positive I would never want to be one, but very glad that there are lots of people out there with the skills and confidence to defend me in court if I ever need it. 
-I finished knitting my cowl!  It's cozy and warm, and the first cowl/infinity scarf I have owned.  Now I need to find a new knitting project for vacation.  I'm thinking about starting a sweater, which would be an exciting endeavor for the next few months.  I'll post later when I make a decision!
-Watched Love Actually (finally!), and of course it was the best.  That movie will never get old.  On a related note, I have been getting in the holiday spirit with music.  Some of my favorites are probably also some of yours: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Springsteen version), O Holy Night (Josh Groban version), You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch (from the animated version), etc.  However, I doubt that many of you are familiar with the great album "Christmas in Maine."  I have listened to this CD/cassette more times than I can count, and I'd encourage you to check it out.  Here is a link to The Maine Christmas Song.  It covers my love for Maine and Christmas in one great track.  What more could you want?
-Last but not least, we're having a cookie swap at work tomorrow, and these melting snow-people are my masterpiece.  I found a lot of websites/mom blogs out there with recipes for them.  I improvised a bit, but I think they turned out well - cute and very chocolatey! 

And to leave you on a happy note, 2 of my favorite scenes from Elf:

could it be? a sunnyside post?

Posting on this blog right now is a daunting task.  How am I supposed to account for months and months of sunnyside-ness in a single entry?  I have been away too long, and even though I have lots of stuff I could post, how do I choose?  Which happy songs or cool videos or random thoughts should have the honor of appearing in this post, my first since March?  Well, I have no answers, so I guess I will just have to pick a few, and try and share the sunnyside a bit more frequently.  Life is slightly less busy than normal right now, and there is much to be sunny about, so I shall do my best!

-I recently finished a great book, The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown.  It tells the story of the Men's 8+ from the University of Washington who took the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.  I had heard a bunch of positive reviews, and I'm so glad I read it.  Having seen parts of the rowing and coaching side of the sport, the book is especially relevant and interesting, and the poetic descriptions of rowing make me miss the feeling of rowing as part of an 8.  It is always great to be reading for pleasure, and I hope to do a lot of it this winter.  Suggestions are welcome!
-It has been chilly recently, which I am honestly not super thrilled about, but it does mean that it's now acceptable knitting weather!  And also that I can watch Love Actually, Elf, and all my other holiday favorites.  There was some snow and ice in Burlington last night, which made for nasty roads, but I am starting to get in the winter spirit.  Slowly but surely.
-Thanksgiving is this week.  It's one of my favorite holidays, and is a great time to relax and reflect.  Of course, I also love all the wonderful food.  Pies of all sorts, stuffing, veggies...lots of favorites.  I am mentally and physically preparing myself for the end of the week!  And also, taking time to remember all the amazing things in my life I am thankful for. 
-It is almost grapefruit season.  Which, if I remember correctly, was one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.  I love grapefruits.   And I can't wait to eat lots and lots of them this winter. 
-Probably the most exciting thing is that I definitely will be attending med school this fall!  If you're reading this, chances are you already knew, but sometimes I have to remind myself that it's actually happening.  I feel so fortunate to know already, and it takes a lot of pressure off.  I also have loved having a break from school these last 18 months or so, and I know I'll be ready come next August.

And finally, some of my favorite new(ish) music:
-Unconditionally by Katy Perry.  She's not always my favorite, but for some reason I really like this song.
-Timber by Pitbull/Ke$ha.  If you've talked to me recently, chances are I've raved about this song.
-Basically all the music from the Nashville soundtrack.  I like the show a lot, and the music is great.  Check it out.  

Well I always say it, but hopefully this will be the first of more frequent posts to come.  Here's to a happy Thanksgiving!  Safe travels and warm wishes!  And I posted this on facebook, but I have awesome stamps and would love to send letters if you're interested!  Peace and love. 

Happy March!!

I can't believe it's MARCH!  While I'm pretty done with winter (February post-college was pretty depressing), I'm not quite feeling ready for spring...but I guess I'd better get ready fast!  I'm crossing my fingers that Georgia is warm this year, because I could use some sunshine time :)  Gotta start getting that watch tan back into top form. 

Last week, I finally took the plunge and got my Vermont license.  It was sad to give up my Maine one, and even though I've been living here for 6 months (shhh), this made it all feel a lot more real.  I also got to play at the hospital, which was a lot of fun.  I played in the lobby, which is a rather hectic environment, but it was great to see people pause and appreciate the music.  I'm looking forward to playing next week!

I went to August First Bakery this morning.  I've been trying out baguettes from the Burlington area, and this was a great one!  I think I'll have to start incorporating bakery trips into my Saturday routine.  There are few foods better than freshly baked bread.  I also stopped by Lake Champlain Chocolates and got to sample their new Organic Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate bar...pretty delicious!  I love living so close to the factory store, because they always have a couple different chocolates to try.  I also bought some discounted Valentine's Day chocolate squares - gotta satisfy my sweet tooth!

And now for some vidos:

 

I think this song is beautiful, and I look forward to seeing more music from him in the future.  Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips

 

This song came out over the summer in the UK, but has only recently made it to the radios in the US.  I like it a lot...very sunny side.  Wings by Little Mix. 

 

If you haven't seen this yet, watch it!  I Knew You Were A Goat When You Walked In by Taylor Swift (with a special goat guest). 

That's about all for now.  May the month of March bring lots of literal and metaphorical sunshine!

It's a pretty quiet weekend here in Burlington, but it is nice to have some downtime after the craziness of this past week.  And, I went on a run and did an ab workout today!!  I've finally recovered (mostly) from my soreness after doing chiefs on Tuesday, and it felt good to be out and active this afternoon.  Originally, I wanted to try and run a marathon this spring, but I decided I don't really have time now to be training that much.  So I think I'll just see where I am this summer and maybe try and run a couple road races then.  

If you haven't seen this yet, check it out - Jimmy Fallon and Michelle Obama present the Evolution of Mom Dancing. 

Some musical inspiration:

When I saw Mumford & Sons in August, there were a number of other bands that played over the course of the day, including Dawes.  I hadn't heard their music before the show, but I love their song "When My Time Comes."  I'm bummed that they'll be coming to Burlington when I am in Georgia, but I'll have to see them another time.   

I've also started playing my flute more in preparation for playing a little at Fletcher Allen Hospital!  I'm excited to have the chance to play because I haven't really gotten to since this summer.  I know it sounds cheesy and might be hard to understand if you don't play an instrument, but I really do think that sometimes, music is the best way to convey our emotions and express deep feelings. 

Off to make dinner...here's a pictures of sleeping sea otters holding hands so they don't lose each other (aka the cutest thing ever.)  Happy rest of the weekend!

(from http://cuteotters.com/archives/170-Even-More-Otters-Holding-Hands.html)

Long Weekend

One of the nice things about being out in the real world is having holidays off, since Midd never really seemed to go by the normal holiday schedule everyone else follows.  It has been a most relaxing weekend so far, and it's not over yet!  I love being able to check lots of little things off my to-do list. 





Today was a culinary adventure...I made my first soup, a minestrone!  Homemade soup is one of my favorite meals, and I decided to finally be brave and try it.  It was a long process, starting with soaking the beans last night, but it turned out great.  I think soup is the best winter dinner.  It's so cozy and delicious.  I'm excited that I have a ton of leftovers for this week and beyond. 











And another food picture from today, my delicious lunch of greek yogurt, strawberries (that were on major sale since it's post Valentine's!!) and chocolate chips.  Yummy :)









In non-food news: I watched Definitely, Maybe and the latest episode of Glee (Valentine's version).  Both were very cute, and made me hopeful about the state of romance.  I still can't get over that the main character's name in Definitely, Maybe is Will Hayes - it was so weird to hear it over and over throughout the movie. 

And finally, some musical picks.  Maroon 5 usually isn't my favorite band, but I really like this song, and this version of it is pretty cool, especially the didgeridoo!  And secondly, in homage to the flute, here's a cool group called Project Trio that my mom told me about.  They were recently featured on NPR, and they play some pretty awesome chamber music.  Here's a link to their version of music from the Nutcracker. 

Well, that's it for now.  Happy President's Day!

a midweek list

-Downton Abbey is the best thing ever.  I'm sad that the season is ending on Sunday, but I could always just rewatch all three seasons - kind of like how I periodically reread all seven Harry Potter books (and let's be real, who doesn't?).  Also Dan Stevens is gorgeous, though I might just be falling for his blue blue eyes. 

-I really enjoy this video.  It's strange but also perfect, and I definitely have some great inspiration for tomorrow!

-MAKE THESE.  They are the bomb, I just made some for myself for Valentine's Day.  They've been one of my go-to desserts over the past few months.  So start baking, you won't be disappointed.
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-chip-salted-caramel-cookie-bars/

so much gooey, chocolatey caramel goodness

-I didn't get to see the State of the Union Address last night, but I did read the manuscript/watch the last five minutes.  What a moving appeal to our elected officials.  I'm hopeful that the next four years will bring some important and necessary changes that will benefit all Americans. 

-The Grammy's!!  I was especially happy that Babel won album of the year.  And even though I think Call Me Maybe best describes the past year, I was also happy for fun.'s two awards.  I can't believe I got to see Mumford and Sons and fun. live this past year.  How cool.  Also, Taylor Swift?  What was up with that?  I enjoy your music, but the rabbits were pretty...special. 

-I was cleaning my bench space in the lab today and did a little artwork.  Happy Galentine's/Valentine's Day world!!  Love, Catherine

False Alarm

Well, after a (very) brief foray into the world of Tumblr, I've returned back to the original sunnyside.  Tumblr seems a little too similar to Twitter and Instagram, and for now I'd like to keep all those parts of my social-networking life separate.  There are just way too many options for online sharing!  Anyways, I guess I realized that I'd rather use my blog, when I use it, as a place to share slightly longer musings on happy and exciting life events, or my way of spinning things to see the sunny side. 

At the end of February, I'll be coming up on 6 months in Burlington!!  Kind of hard to believe...time has absolutely flown by since this fall.  I still feel like I have a lot more of this city to experience, mostly involving nightlife.  But I don't feel too bad about that.  At Middlebury, it was always a task to get motivated enough to go out on cold nights, and when you're not living a five minute walk away from your end destination and don't have friends urging you to get ready, it's even harder to get excited about going outside.  This will be my first Vermont summer though (I know, looking ahead quite a bit), so there is definitely still lots of time for exploration.

Well, this week is Valentine's Day.  And honestly, between the Super Bowl last week and February 14th, I'll be pretty excited for March...sorry if I sound scrouge-like.  I just am not a huge football fan (but gotta love Beyoncé).  However, I do love love.  I love romantic comedies, cute "how I met him/her" stories, small thoughtful gestures.  And really, I've been pretty ok with being single these past few months.  But when every ad in the newspaper or commercial on TV is Valentine's themed and when everything is pink and red and decorated with hearts, it's a little hard to grin and bear the solitude.  I think being alone, and even being lonely, can be good for you.  It makes you think - about what you want out of life, out of relationships, out of the activities you do in your spare time.  Mostly, it gives you the opportunity to do what makes you happy.  And I think I have also had the chance to realize who matters to me most in my life and solidify and enjoy amazing friendships.  So, this Thursday, I'll be sending my love out to my friends and family who have make my life better every day and who help me see the positive side of things even when it's hard.  Here's to a year full of happiness and love and kindness and beauty. 

And now, for some more uplifting little gems.  Some of these are repeats from my Tumblr, but there are worth repeating because they're just that good:

Great Commercials:
-slinky on an escalator, can't help but giggle at that laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUbW2A-e2Q
-Pampers beautiful mornings, these babies are just too much: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdE2W91hxT4
-Kaley Cuoco and one of my theme songs - who doesn't wish they were a little bit taller?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i34jMCPmLFo

Songs I've Been Enjoying:
-Ke$ha, one of my favorites, and an overall awesome video for C'mon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8A4QVop3-8
-I recently watched Pitch Perfect for the first time.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching.  The music is great and it was just a really fun movie.  Here are two of my favorites: Cups (the original, by Lulu and the Lampshades, although Anna Kendrick (Mainer!!) is also great), such great harmonies and I used to (ok, confession, still do) love doing the cup thing.  And the Bella's final performance mash up, but really, you should just watch the movie. 

Well, that's enough for now, and I promise to be back sooner than last time!  PEACE.

the sunny side returns

It has been far too long, and my life has been (generally) far too sunny to excuse my extended absence from my blog.  The main reason is that it took about a month and a half for me to get my own internet service in my apartment, so my online activities were rather limited.  In that time, I did get hooked on Big Bang Theory (love still having Midd borrowing privileges), and am all caught up!  Mostly, though, I was too busy with work at the lab and coaching to do a lot of other stuff.  Some random bullet points to sum up my life:

-I got a smartphone!  My old phone was 2+ years old and gradually stopped working, so now I am the proud owner of a Droid Incredible.  I love being able to take really good pictures with my phone, and having internet access - 4G nonetheless - has also been pretty wonderful so far.  I'm trying not to become too obsessed with it, but all the stuff you can do with a new phone is amazing.  Also, I have previously been rather anti-Instagram, but it's actually kind of fun...

-First season of crew coaching down!  Being a coach was simultaneously: thrilling, exhausting, frustrating, fun, etc.  It's so cool to see the transformation from complete beginner to somewhat competent, and watching my boats compete at the Head of the Fish a couple weeks ago was wonderful.  I'm so much more nervous for races as a coach then I was as a rower, but I'm still excited for the spring.  That being said, I'm also looking forward to a little more free time over the winter.

-Recently discovered: Songza, a cool app that I downloaded to my phone, but also a website.  It's sort of like Pandora, but it has a feature that suggests themes for stations based on the day of the week and the time of day.  I've been enjoying it so far...always on the lookout for good lab music options. 

-I am starting to knit a pair of socks, which I have done a few times, but with a pattern where you knit both at the same time!  I usually don't have too much of a problem with finishing knitting projects, but I think this is a cool idea.  I'm so excited it's knitting season once again!

-One last thing.  I just started reading "The Art of Happiness," a book co-written by the Dalai Lama and a psychiatrist, and I can tell it's going to be just the boost of happiness I need.  I'm only 15 pages in, but it's definitely already helping me realize my problems are pretty insignificant and that life is way too precious to dwell on the bad stuff.  So, here's to living each day like it's the last, taking the time to tell people how much they mean to me, and embracing the present.  Because, after all, you only live once, YOLO.  Live, love, laugh.

September Begins

Today, I came home after a long day in the lab, slightly flustered from my bike home and from rushing to get ready to drive down to Midd.  I opened my mailbox to find a package, which I had sent, saying I needed more postage (even though I had gone to the post office to get it weighed).  It was after 5, but I drove by the post office to see what the hours were.  There happened to be a postman there, picking up mail to put in his truck.  I went inside to use the self pay machines, since the window wasn't open, and, after reweighing the package, got the same $1.10.  During the weighing process, the postman came in and asked me about my shirt - Beach to Beacon - wondering where Cape Elizabeth was in Maine.  We chatted for a minute, then he went back outside.  After getting the exact same weight, I went out, frustrated, and asked the postman for advice.  He offered to take my package to the office downtown, have it weighed, and said if it needed a couple more cents he would make sure it got sent.  I wrote out this whole story because this friendly postman made my day, and made an annoyance less annoying.  It's great to happen upon genuinely nice people.

Other news: I had a fun weekend home in Maine for the long weekend.  It was nice to have a couple days to hang out.  The drive back was long because of all the Labor Day traffic, but I discovered how great listening to NPR is.  So much news!  I got a good 90 minutes in before the news started looping.  I think this will make up a good chunk of my commuting listening this fall.  I'm feeling more settled, as my cupboards gradually become less depressingly empty and I unpack most of my stuff.  I was down at Midd today, and it was surreal to see the incoming freshmen moving in.  That day seems like more than four years ago, but at the same time, I really can't believe I won't be a student this fall.

And finally, here are some great songs.
Settle Down by No Doubt
Pound the Alarm by Nicki Minaj (disclaimer: kind of crazy music video)

REAL WORLD

It's here - life after college!  I moved up to Burlington on Tuesday, and so far have: completed two days of work, become a bike commuter, cooked myself some decent dinners, unpacked most of my stuff, and assembled a bed.

WOAH also just realized I moved from zipcode 04105 to 05401!!  How cool!

So life as a Vermonter has been good, though seeing all the UVM students darting around campus makes me wish (sort of) that I too was going to be a college student this fall.  One big JTerm would be ideal.

Here are a few random thoughts that have been on my mind lately, in no particular order:

The NYTimes has been on a sort of anti-men streak lately...here are links to 2 articles.  The first is an editorial on how men, biologically, aren't really very necessary for reproduction.  And the second is an interesting piece on the role of men in today's economy (entitled "Who Wears the Pants in This Economy", very witty).

So excited for the new Mumford and Sons and Avett Brothers albums to come out!  Should be some great new tunes for my long commutes to Middlebury this fall :)  I am also planning to join the Burlington Public Library so I can get some books on tape.  Any suggestions are welcome!

And finally, a collection of pictures from my first couple days of "adult" life.

Dinner #1: Angel hair, tomato sauce, salad.  Basic but delicious.  Oh, and Mike's Hard, move-in day was a long one.

Dinner #2: More homemade.  Tofu, carrot, pepper, onion, garlic, soy sauce stir-fry with jasmine rice.  A pretty solid first stir-fry effort.  I had leftovers of this for dinner #3.  

According to the instruction manual, you can only assemble this bed if you have friends.  Discrimination!

I already posted this on Facebook, but despite the haters, I made my bed all by myself!  From a pile of wood/screws to a masterpiece.  Now I just need to get myself a mattress!

That's the end for now.  Check back in for more of my adventures.  Can't wait to be back out on Dunmore, driving the launch!