Day One Hundred and Twenty: Towering Above the Mist

Apparently the more time I spend it Topeka, the more I become aware of the "cool" things that actually exist here. While I think it is actually more likely that my eyes are being opened to picture possibilities rather than the town growing in awesomeness, I'll let the Topeka Townies think otherwise. This sign identifying to everyone who enters downtown Topeka that we are in Jayhawk territory has intrigued me since I started working here. Lately, because Eastern Kansas has seen so much rain, the mornings have been dark and the sign is illuminated when I roll into Topeka around 8:30. I attempted to put the sign on "film" one time before, but I was too far away and the picture just didn't work. Today, however, I made sure to get a little closer and focus in on the sign. The result is what you see here.

I wasn't able to find any history of the sign through a quick google search, but while that remains a mystery, the sign alludes to another element of Kansas history: the evolution of the Jayhawk. The Jayhawk most often seen today looks like this:

The Jayhawk memorialized in the Jayhawk Tower sign is actually the 1923 version of the bird, seen here.

Since there aren't any birds that look quite like the Jayhawk, you probably surmised that the bird is fictional. Its origin is rooted in the historic struggles of Kansas settlers, and the term was probably coined in about 1848. The name combines two birds: the blue jay- a noisy, quarrelsome thing known to rob other nests, and the sparrrow hawk-- a stealthy hunter.

Durring the Civil War, the Jayhawk's ruffian image gave way to patriotic symbol. The Kansas Governor at that time raised a regiment called the Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawks. By the war's end, Jayhawks were synoymous with the impassioned people who made Kansas a Free State. In 1886, the bird appeared in a cheer- the famous Rock Chalk Chant*** (and arguably the best cheer that has ever been created).

The University of Kansas incorporates the evolution of their mascot in a lot of the items they produce for purchase. Nearly every Kansan knows the old versions of the bird as well the new one. Many of you who know me know I love tradition (family traditions, the tradition of the Catholic church) and I think this tradition is one of the best of the college tradtions in the country. I am ever so proud to be a Jayhawk. Here is how the Jayhawk has evolved over the years.

The Jayhawk does and will continue to tower above the mist in Topeka, and in the hearts of Americans everywhere. ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!

***All historical information and pictures are available on the KU website. If you want to more about the evolution of the bird from one generation to the next, click here.

Day One Hundred and Nineteen: Old Time Feelin'

Pete really did much of the heavy lifting for this picture: he found the site, told me about it, and then help me decide what part of the scene to capture.  I merely snapped the shot and fine tuned it.  This isn't quite how I was hoping it would turn out, but I wasn't able to make it work exactly like I was thinking.  But nevertheless, I think that this picture has a very old time feel and is the essence of summer. If only it we were experiencing the summer sun instead of the spring rain.

Day One Hundred and Eighteen: Kansas Day! - Spring Edition

Originally, I promised to take a picture each of the Kansas State Capitol each month.  I also originally promised to take that picture from the same spot.  But, the reality of the situation hit: the scenery around the Capitol really doesn't change enough to merit a picture every 30-ish days.  And the more pictures I take, the more I develop an eye for what makes a good picture. Looking back on my first picture in this series, I now realize there are many more eye picturesque spots in which I can capture the building.  I found one of those this morning on my walk to the office.  Happy Kansas Day -- Spring Edition!

Day One Hundred and Seventeen: Gonna Find Her

Rumors swirled around Lawrence this afternoon that country star Taylor Swift was both in town and on the KU Campus.  Apparently her best friend goes to school here, and in a moment in between shows, Taylor stopped by to say hello and get a glimpse of what college is like.  A friend of mine is a HUGE Taylor Swift fan. And I mean HUGE.  I mentioned the Taylor Swift sightings to them, and they employed Pete and I to embark upon a quick search of Mass Street to see if we could find Taylor or wind of where she was.

We marched up and down the entirety of downtown in record time, and then headed to the popular underage hangout -- the Hawk -- as Ms. Swift is only 19(ish).  (Pete and I waited in the car and created the art work you see above our the friends's car window.)  Unbeknownst to us, this friend received a message later in the evening, after our search had concluded, telling them Taylor was at the popular restaurant, Jefferson's, from 9 - 10 p.m. last night.  We walked by the window of Jefferson's at 9:20 and didn't see anything.  Needless to say, my friend is pretty disappointed.  Hopefully they'll stumble across her sometime today and the world will look brighter again. And, if anyone has any signed Taylor Swift memorabilia they're willing to give away, I know someone who is willing taker. 

Day One Hundred and Sixteen: O-R-E-O *Ding!*

Cream Oreos. Lemon Meringue Oreos. Strawberry Milkshake Oreos.  Fudge Oreos. Double Stuffed Oreos. Chocolate Cream Oreos. Mint Oreos. Spring Oreos. Christmas Oroes. Halloween Oreos. Oreo Ice Cream. Oreo Pudding. Oreo dessert. Imitation Oreos. Oreos and milk. Oreo McFlury. Oreo Blizzard. Oreo Fudge Rings.  Oreo Wafer Stix.  Golden Oreos. Golden Chocolate Cream Oreos. Mini Oreos. Big Stuffed Oreos.  Double Delight Oreos. White Fudge Oreos.  Milk Chocolate Oreos.  100 Calorie Pack Oreos.  Reduced Fat Oreos.  Sugar Free Oreos.  Oreo Cakesters.  Banana Spilt Cream Oreos. Oreo Handi-Snacks. 

"Milk's favorite cookie" was developed in 1912 and originally made to target the British market to spice up the "biscuit" world. (Ironically, when I was over there, Oreos were fairly difficult to find.  Wiki, however, says that a major grocery chain started carrying them in May 2008 and Kraft foods is now distributing Oreos all over the UK.)  The sandwich cookie has held a variety of official names -- "Oreo Biscuit", "Oreo Cream Sandwich", "Oreo Chocolate Sandwich" -- but none of the names or varieties have taken away from the goodness that is the Oreo cookie.

There is one question that always looms around the Oreo: what is the proper way to consume the delicious cookie?  I haven't found the manual, but I can tell you how I do it: twist off the top, eat that side, lick off the cream, eat the bottom cookie. How do you eat your Oreos?

Special Edition: Springtime in Topeka

Erica requested that I take a picture of the purple trees that are in bloom everywhere right now.  When I left the office, those purple trees (and yes, that is the scientific name...) were staring me in the face. The picture turned out so nice that I have to share it with you!  I guess it proves that not everything in Topeka is blech. :)

NOW SHOWING!

My New Orleans posts are finally ready!  Enjoy!

Day One Hundred and Twelve: The Road to Glory

Day One Hundred and Eleven: The Man at the Cafe du Monde

Day One Hundred and Ten: Sweet Street Music

Day One Hundred and Fifteen: (almost) Lemon Drops

We had our first big thunderstorm of the season last night...tornado sirens and all.  Fortunately, there wasn't actually a tornado (in our area), but the alarms were sounded as a precaution.  Pete and I were at the grocery store when the sirens first reared their ugly head and started to freak everyone one.  Since we're both from the midwest and know that, a lot of times, the fear is unwarranted, we casually strolled through the grocery store, picking up this lemon to enjoy in the Boulevard Wheat I had at my house while sitting and watching the storm.

I have to admit that I was a little more freaked out than Pete, especially when he was outside trying to snap pictures of the lightning and the story came in of how a motorcyclist was just struck and killed by the electrical storm.  But overall, the clouds moving in from the west and circling around in the sky provided a good show....that I mostly watched from inside.

What does this have to do with the lemon pictured above?  This is the lemon I placed in my Boulevard Wheat that fixed itself in this fun position.  There really isn't a whole lot more to it than that. :)  But the commentary is much more interesting if I talk about the storm.

The Lawrence area is supposed to be hit with more storms...some of potentially the same magnitude...over the next couple days.  Hopefully I can get some pictures of those dubious clouds to share.

Day One Hundred and Fourteen: Two Faced

Today was one of those days with a plethora of photo options.  But this kitty cat who prowls my neighborhood was waiting for me when I arrived home and beat out everyone else.  He turned his head to me for one split second and I snapped this picture.  I wonder if a cat like this was the inspiration for the Two Face character from the Batman comic....

Happy Friday!

Day One Hundred and Thirteen: Starburst

There isn't a whole lot to say about this picture.  It's the sweet lamp outside of the Jayhawk Bookstore on top of Naismith Hill at KU.  Pete noticed it as we drove home from RCIA last night, and when it was 10:30 and I still didn't have a picture, we went back.  The angle of the shot was kind of accidental, but I think it makes it much more interesting.  The shadows bouncing off of the building are little more exciting at this skewed perspective, and the frame seems a little more full.

I recommend you check out Pete's post for today. It's particularly wonderful and he was able to use a type of photography -- macro photography -- that neither of us have really used up until this point.  

Finally, I know you all are waiting for my pictures from the Big Easy.  They all aren't quite ready to go yet (except for Wednesday's...check it out!), but I don't want to fall behind, so I'm going to go ahead and post my updates and will link you back to the NOLA posts when they are finally ready (hopefully this weekend).

Day One Hundred and Twelve: The Road to Glory

Initially, my post for today was going to be a distorted picture of Kansas City from the sky.  It's a sweet picture that is very "modern artsy" and could really looks like a painting.  But when previewing my New Orleans pictures to a couple of people, Erica and Pete independently identified this picture as one of their favorites, I decided that I couldn't argue with genius and changed my mind.  In tweaking this photo for publishing, it became one of my favorites, too.

The church you see here is the St. Louis Cathedral.  It's located in the French Quarter off of Jackson Square, not far from the banks of the Mississippi River.  The Cathedral was built on the site of three previous churches, and was expanded and largely rebuilt in 1850; little of the original 1789 structure remains.  The church is often used as the backdrop for newscasts and political speeches featuring the city.  It is one of the few churches in the US that fronts a major public square, and represents the French Catholic origins of New Orleans.  I was fortunate enough to get to attend mass in this historic place where saints and future saints have trod; hopefully some of their influence will rub off on me.

We all remember Katrina and the devastation it wreaked upon New Orleans in 2005.  I wasn't fortunate enough to visit the town before the disaster, but I'm told that the French Quarter sustained significantly less damage than other areas of the city.  While the Cathedral did have some damage, it fared much better than other parts of the city.  This statute (according to wiki), did sustain some damage, but was restored to it's full glory in the recovery period since that awful September.  (One note: I snapped this picture of when I was in NOLA for just one night in October.)

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in New Orleans.  Despite what my approximately 200 photos will lead you to believe, I actually did attend the conference for which I was sent there, and didn't get to see much outside of the French Quarter.  But I hope to return again someday in the near future and let the good times roll once again.

Day One Hundred and Eleven: The Man at the Cafe de Monde

I was able to wander around New Orleans for a while today. While exploring, I snapped a ridiculous number of photos of the town, the music, the sights, and the people.  This picture -- quite possibly my favorite of all the photos I've taken in this project thus far -- sticks out as the quintessential picture of New Orleans and the South.

The location is the Cafe du Monde, located next to the Mississippi River and across from Jackson Square.  Cafe du Monde is a landmark in New Orleans.  It has two specialties -- coffee with chickory and beignets (basically a funnel cake with powdered sugar served in donut sized portions) -- and essentially serves only these two items.  They do serve a few varieties on these two staples, and their cafe au lait -- a drink that is half coffee, half milk -- draws people in from miles around.  The original Cafe du Monde opened in 1862, and is open to provide caffeine and fried sugary goodness fixes to anyone who may want it 24-hours a day (closing only for Christmas and "the occasional hurricane passes too close to New Orleans".)

The gentleman here is an employee of Cafe du Monde.  I'm not sure if he was taking a break or on-duty (there were random employees just sitting outside who looked like they were positioned there).  But something about him being in the shadowed part of the picture, smoking a cigarette, while the tourists are in the bright part of the picture, and the clear line between shadow and light takes me to what I think 1950s New Orleans would have be like.  Fortunately, I didn't see a lot of that happening today, but that doesn't mean it's not there as this picture, taken in 2009, clearly illustrates.

I can't really say what else it is about this picture that I love so much, but I'm sure that you can find your own.  Hopefully I'll be able to capture some other quality pictures like this as the project continues along.

Day One Hundred and Ten: Sweet Street Music

3:30 p.m.: Arrive in New Orleans

4:30 p.m.: Finally get to the hotel

5:00 p.m.: Take to the streets and explore (while taking lots of pictures) before dinner 

WELCOME TO NEW ORLEANS!

Day One Hundred and Nine: Jayhawk on Parade

When trolling about Lawrence, it is likely you will stumble upon at least one of the larger than life fiberglass Jayhawk spread out throughout town. 25 of theses guys came to town in 2003 as part of the "Jayhawks on Parade". Each hawk was sponsored by local businesses, and all are decorated uniquely. This guy stands in front of Douglas County Bank in South Lawrence. He's the first of the Jayhawks (of this sort) I've capture, but I certainly hope he's not the last. Watch out for my own version of "Jayhawks on Parade..." :)

Day One Hundred and Eight: Charbroiled Goodness

grill1   [gril] Show IPA
–noun
1. a grated utensil for broiling meat, fish, vegetables, etc., over a fire; gridiron.

-verb

1. to broil on a gridiron or other apparatus over or before a fire.

2. to subject to severe and persistent cross-examination or questioning.

3. a cooking and social event usually performed by Americans during spring, summer, and fall, best observed with a tasty beverage enhanced by hops

-adjective

1. The smell of heaven

2. The essence of summer

Day One Hundred and Seven: She Thinks this Tractor's Sexy

My guess is that little Claire doesn't actually know the song "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy", or even what the word sexy means. But I am pretty sure that Claire, much like the rest of us, are ready for the warm weather to be and stay here.

Day One Hundred and Six: Dying to be Cracked

Since about 1969, my family has been cracking eggs on Easter Sunday.  No one really knows the origins of this tradition (although there are rumors that it come from the Polish side of our heritage), but it's still going strong today.

Essentially what happens is you take two hard boiled eggs, name them (the two years I've won the competition, my eggs have been named "Cowabunga" and "Law Chick"), dye them, put them into a NCAA Basketball-esqe type bracket, and then crack them together.  There is a specific way the participants must crack the eggs together: one person holds the egg still and the other "hits". Don't ask me to explain it, but somehow (most likely due to the laws of physics) only one egg cracks.  The winner then advances to the next round of the tournament.

Just like the NCAA tournament, there are four brackets, but rather than "north", "west", etc., ours are usually "Easter", "Bunny", "Resurrection", and "Chocolate".  When the champions of each bracket have been determined, we bring out the "Final Four" sign and play the tape (yes, cassette tape) of my Grandpa talking over the music to "The Impossible Dream" about the dream and ultimate goal of being the year's egg champion.  When that feat is achieved, the winner receives a medal, their name and the name of their egg on the traveling trophy, and, (because we charge about $1/ person to enter the contest and accept donations) usually a nice chunk of change.

Because we aren't always able to make it Sioux City for Easter, the Friedman Family often creates their own mini-tournament.  A variety of close family friends have been able to partake in the time treasured event. When I moved to Kansas a couple of years ago, I wasn't able to head home for Easter (and thus not able to partake in the competition), so I brought the tradition to St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center.  The contest was very well received:  there were a good number of participants, everyone appeared to have fun, and the contest (and buildup to it) even spurred a dance.  Things just didn't come together last year and the contest didn't happen.  But today, the St. Lawrence Annual Egg Cracking Contest made its third appearance.  Andrew Schaeperkoetter won this year (I don't know his egg's name), but both names will grace the St. Lawrence Egg Cracking Contest plaque. 

Hopefully the contest -- both in my family and at the St. Lawrence Center -- will be around for years and years to come.

Day One Hundred and Five: Tax Day!

Nearly every person in the United States over the age of 15 knows what April 15 means: you better make sure you file your taxes.  It always surprises me how many people wait until the very last minute to file.  (That's probably the result of an extremely organized mother who always taught me to get things done much before the due date.)  Many hate this day; for a portion of the population, it means you must give the government even more of your hard earned money.  

The main Lawrence post office didn't stay open later 

than normal to facilitate sending the 1040s to the feds and the Docking Building in Topkea.  But they did try and ease the tension of having to send away your money just before the deadline by bringing in the Alfred Packer Band...a self-proclaimed hillbilly band who played classics from both the 18 and 1990s.  I ventured down there to take in the band and see the sights and sounds of Tax Day.

Despite a number of "tea parties" happening around the country today, there wasn't much to-do at the post office this evening; just people patiently waiting for the automated stamp and package machine while crying on the inside about having to send their money away.  But then again, I didn't stick around for the effects of the Roadkill Stew to fully take hold. 

Day One Hundred and Four: ...in a galaxy far, far away...

Galaxies far, far away, and years long gone felt a bit closer at KU today (and yesterday).  NASA brought their traveling exhibit "Driven to Explore", made up of a semi-trailer and inflatable dome awning, to campus.  The main draw of the event was to "feel" a 3.75 billion year old moonrock brought back to Earth by Captain Ron Evans, KU's first astronaut.  When Pete and I stopped by, crowds were gathering, lines were forming, and children were bustling about all anxious to feel this piece of history.

But, much like me, I suspect that many left feeling a bit disappointed.  The little black shiny thing which the finger of this 8 year-old is touching is the moonrock. It's size, rather than about the size of my wrist as I expected, is really about the size of a piece of chewing gum.  And while the pictures lining the traveling exhibit show pourus and rough looking rocks, the one on display is very, very smooth.  The more accurate description of the event should be more like "touch a rock from outer space whose texture isn't accurate because thousands upon thousands of people have touched it, and it's so small, you'll only really touch a finger to it."

Okay, so I'm a skeptic.  Still, it is cool that it is one of seven moonrocks in the world people can touch.  And it is cool that it was brought back by a KU alum. And it is cool that I've now touched something that is actually older than dirt.  

At one time I thought that being an astronaut would be really cool, but then I realized that involved more math than I ever wanted or needed to know.  But some of the training stuff still looks cool....  It looks like a trip to the Hutchinson Cosmosphere is in order this summer!

Day One Hundred and Three: A Rose by Any Other Name

Ahh Chinese Checkers. The six-point star, 121 indentation, and 60 multi-colored peg (or marble) game certainly creates a fun pattern for your eyes to explore, but Chinese Checkers isn't actually derivative of checkers, nor did it actually originate in China.

What we know today as Chinese Checkers is actually a spin-off of a game called Halma. Halma was developed by a thoracic surgeon at Harvard, George Howard Monks, between 1883 and 1884. Monks based his version of Halma off of a British game called Hoppity. Monks had help from Dr. Thomas Hill, a mathematician, in developing the game and it was he who named it "Halma", which is Greek for "Jump". Apparently Halma is the only "19th Century internationally-known classic game to have originated in the U.S."

"Stern-Halma" was the original name of the game we know today as Chinese Checkers. Stern-Halma, "stern" meaning "star" in English, was first patented in Germany by the Ravensburger game company in 1892. The excitement expaned to England in 1909 and made it to the US in the 1920s. The name Chinese Checkers came about through when Pessman Games used it in a marketing scheme in the 1928s.

Frankly, the game has almost nothing to do with the Chinese and was mostly introduced to Chinese-speaking regions by the Japanese. But, this particular board is probably more than Chinese than most other copies of the game in the US; Pete's dad (hi Paul!) got it for him in China when he ventured there a couple years ago. Pete and I have yet to play Chinese Checkers (and with the modest size and instability of the pegs we're unlikely to do so with two, always hungry dogs around), but not being a huge fan of Checkers, I'm not in any hurry to do so. Then again...if it's nothing like Checkers...I may have to give it a try.


** Thanks to this website for providing the history of Chinese Checkers!

Day One Hundred and Two: Happy Easter!

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and Majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

Day One Hundred and One: Messages from Beyond?

This weekend we're celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. During these high holy days, the voice of God frequently manifests itself clearly in songs, sights, smells, and smiles. I'm not quite sure what exactly was going on in this cemetery yesterday, but maybe God wasn't the only one trying to communicate with us from above this weekend.

Day One Hundred: Puddle Jumping

I don't always venture out of the office during my lunch hour, but today I needed to run a few errands (including exchange the five and one dollar bills Lucy decided to munch on over night). It's been a rainy April thus far, and to walk around town, I had to jump a few puddles. The wind caught sent a neat ripple through this puddle while reflecting (what I think is) the Westar Energy building. This puddle intersected one of the brick walkways spanning Kansas Avenue and completed my somewhat abstract picture of the day.

Day Ninety-Nine: Iron Works

One of the most notable sites in all the world is the Eiffel Tower. (I bet you recognized this close frame shot almost instantaneously). The iron structure that graces the banks of the Seine River in Paris has been idolized and memorialized in hundreds of thousands of ways since it was finished for the 1889 World's Fair, commemorating 100 years since the French Revolution. I was lucky enough to climb nearly all of the 710 steps during my stint in Europe in Fall 2007.

Any one of my friends who has spent a substantial amount of time with me since I've returned from my semester abroad knows that I'm mildly obsessed with Europe, particularly London. Fortunately for me, American interior decorators have joined in my obsession, and in the past couple years have offered a variety of representations of the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and other world landmarks at cheap prices to make your home a little more worldly. Of course, I jumped on part of that bandwagon.

Truthfully, I liked Paris, but it didn't quite live up to its hype. It was nice, but when you're with a friend (my dear friend Rhonda), and not a significant other, the city of love (and all the people smooching on nearly every corner) doesn't seem quite as lovely. But, the Eiffel tower is quite lovely, and this representation of it, especially at 11:30 p.m. on a night where I have yet to take a picture, is also quite nice. I'm certainly willing to give Paris another shot, but maybe I'll venture there with Pete this time. :)

P.S.  I passed the Iowa Bar!!! WOO HOO! :)

Day Ninety-Eight: Men at Work

This is how my picture of the day came about today:

Scene: Emily's living room. Time: 7:45 p.m.  

The phone rings.

Pete: Hey! Do you have your picture for today yet?

Me: No, I don't.

Pete: Well, if you want, I have a photo opportunity for you.  But you'd have to leave right now.

Me: What is it?

Pete: Some guys are tearing down a house. But I bet they're only working until sunset.

I hung out of the phone, packed my dinner up in some tupperware, put Lucy on her leash, rushed out the door.

I didn't ask these guys what exactly they were doing (other than the obvious), or why they were doing it, but they were very open to having their picture taken.  Pete and I appeared on the scene at just the right time: they had a lot torn up, had a lot to go, and were bringing down the roof.

I originally fixed-up this picture (to the left) to use as my picture for the day, but as I continued to look through what I snapped, I found I was unable to tear myself away from the silhouette at the top; I just love it.  But, this shot caught the men at work hard at work, dust flying and the roof about to tumble and captured the scene too well to let it go.

As they were tearing the house down, I found myself wondering who had lived there, what memories had been made in the living room or kitchen, why the house fell into disarray, what is going up there, and if some part of Lawrence history had just been lost.  I pondered who ordered the destruction of the house that was probably a home at some point, whose eyes were wet in seeing the structure fall to the ground, and who was smiling and looking forward to what was to come.  

We left shortly after the roof came down and as the sun was about to rest its head for the evening.  I'm not sure how long the men worked or how far they got in tearing the house down.  I never really asked or had any of my questions answered.  So until the day it comes up in conversation again, I'll have some fun day dreaming about what has been and what is to come.

Day Ninety-Seven: Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200

Rarely in life is it absolutely, 100% clear that we are supposed to do or not do something. Most of the time I end up him-hawing around, weighing the pros and cons of things (often making a list and assigning points to the different elements to consider....I am my father's daughter) hoping to come to a "clear" conclusion. And even if numbers come out one way, my gut tells me the other and I realize I should have listened to that feeling inside all along. Sheesh.



But one decision Pete and I often consider is taking the dogs to the dog park. But right now, there is no question: the road to the park is temporarily closed. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Ahhh. Sometimes clarity is refreshing.

Day Ninety-Six: 101 (+199) Dalmatians

I live very near a Holiday Inn that hosts a lot of conventions.  Most of the time you don't know what sort of convention is happening inside. Sometimes, the type of vehicles (usually RVs) and other pieces of miscellaneous property stationed next to those vehicles will allow you to proffer a guess.  This week, the wire cages with cute little spotted dogs inside them next to the fleet of RVs leave no question: the Dalmatian Club of  America is hosting its annual conference in Lawrence, Kansas.  

I stopped in the Holiday Inn parking lot last night to take what I thought was going to be my picture of the day, but ended up meeting this guy, Teddy, instead.  Teddy's owner said that there were more than 300 purebred Dalmatian wagging their tails at the conference this year.  He and Teddy were just outside for a short break, and then headed back inside for more paw licking fun.

I hope Lucy doesn't get jealous when I say that Teddy is quite adorable. :)  Don't worry Luc, you've still got my heart. :)

Day Ninety-Five: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year- Addendum

Most Catholics know the song "The King of Glory", a song commonly sung around this time of year.

You know...
The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices...

In an attempt to lighten the mood slightly during this trying week, I offer you Stephen Colbert's version of the song.  Click and laugh. :) (Thanks to Pete for enlightening me to this little treasure.)

Day Ninety-Five: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This week, Catholics (including many other Christian traditions) celebrate an emotional roller coaster of a week: Holy Week.  In a period of seven days, we praise Jesus as King, welcoming him into the city of Jerusalem; receive from Him the gift of the Eucharist; deny and condemn Him; scourge Him; crucify Him; mourn his death; and wake on Sunday morning* to find that He has conquered sin and death and won for us the gift of eternal life.

I know the number of hours spent in a pew this week make some people cringe, but for me, it's one of the best times of the year.  Holy Thursday mass-- the mass where Jesus institutes the Eucharist saying that THIS IS my body-- is my favorite mass of the whole year. Plus, the gift of eternal life...with God...hmm...how much better can it get!?

Yesterday was the day where welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, or more commonly known as Palm Sunday.  This is one of the few days of the liturgical year where the church gives out "party favors", or palms.  We receive these palms again at the beginning of Lent next year -- in another form-- and is other "party favor" given by the church: Ashes on Ash Wednesday.  These palms lead us to the cross, and from the cross, that eternal salvation.

This Lent has been a very fruitful Lent for me, but I'm quite anxious for it to be over.  Before it ends, we must  navigate the waters of this most blessed seven days.  This week will be long and arduous; only by entering fully into the sufferings of Christ can we really understand what he has done and gained for us.** But the reward at the end, or the gift that I hope is at the end for me, is better than any other gift I will ever receive.  Here's to the goodness of the Lord!

*The celebration of Easter actually commences with the Easter Vigil on Saturday night.
** If you're looking for an excellent way to fully experience Easter, check out 'The Passion of the Christ".

Day Ninety-Four: Rock Chalk Chasing a Championship

The KU men's basketball ended their post-season run a week ago in a disheartening loss to Michigan State.  Although not nearly as exciting as the possibility of winning another NCAA championship, the KU women had quite a post-season run in which they landed in the finals of the Women's NIT (National Invitation Tournament).  Unlike the NCAA championship that has a set location for the finals, the championship NIT game is held at one of the schools that is vying for the title. For the first time in history, Allen Fieldhouse hosted a championship game.  The record setting crown of 16,131 fans- both a KU Women's and Big 12 Women's Basketball attendance record- cheered on the Lady Jays in hopes of clinching at least one KU basketball post-season title.

Spirits were high. The crowd was excited.  The band tooted their horns and the cheerleaders yelled and screamed.  Big and Baby Jay danced and cheered.  At moments, a victory seemed so close.  And at other moments, and when the buzzer rang, victory once again slipped through our fingers.

The Lady Jays had quite a season and, just like the men's team, exceeded most expectations.  Hopefully this trip to the not-so-big dance will rase the expectations and excitement surrounding the Lady Jays for years to come.

Day Ninety-Three: Take Me Home Country Road

There are a plethora of shopping opportunities in Lawrence in unique and trendy shops, but surprisingly enough, there are no photography stores (which I know about at least).  Thus you must ignore the cry in your bones to avoid the city that is Topeka, Kansas, and venture there to find the newest and best the photography world has to offer.

Today was one of those days for Pete.  So, after school, he ventured over to the State Capitol to swing by and pick me up. We visited Wolfe's camera, and then made our way back to Lawrence.  But we didn't take the usual corridor of I-70. Instead, we traversed the winding back roads of Highway 40.  In the process, we stumbled upon some delicious scenes ripe for picture taking at sunset.  

This road led to a little housing "complex" (for lack of a better word) about halfway between Topeka and Lawrence.  I'm sure the people who live down this lane enjoy the sparse amount of traffic that comes because of the "No Outlet" sign. It's their country road, taking them home. 

Day Ninety-Two: Getting the Boot

The first couple months I had Lucy, she was a better puppy than I could have ever imagined.  Although we had to work a bit on her piddling in the house, she generally didn't chew things, didn't bark, stayed very nicely in her kennel while I was at work, and was just overall a great dog.  Sure we lost a shoe or two, but she was selective in what she chewed up...only older shoes that neither Jennifer or I would readily choose to wear.

Now in my third month of dog ownership, Lucy has definitely moved from that lovable, docile infant to a reckless toddler.  She has taken to carrying her food and water bowls around the house (spilling all the water if the bowl happens to be full), reverted to going the bathroom in the house when she feels like it, and chewing anything and everything she can get her little paws on.  This usually happens when Jennfier and I, showing a bit of trust in Lucy, leave her out while we're not home.  Pete has been skeptical of my decision to leave Lucy out still so early in her short life.  When we've walked into my house multiple times in the past couple weeks to find Lucy has destroyed something, I immediately realize I should have listened to my wise dog-owning boyfriend.

I often slip on my wellies, my cute white polka-dot rubber rain boots, to take Lucy out to go potty.  Because I used them so often, they sat near the door, ready to use at any moment, and they had gone largely unnoticed by Lucy.  That is, until my terrible toddler dog suddenly decided that they looked tasty and somehow tore the left boot apart.  What you see here is what remains of my beloved wellies.

Lucy has been relegated back to the kennel while Jennifer and I are not at home, and will remain there until it appears her tendency to chew buttons and rubber and bowls and toilet paper and flip flops and get into the trash has largely passed. Despite her oral fixation stage, I still adore my dog and wouldn't trade her for a million dollars. :)

Day Ninety-One: Heart to heart

Over the past couple months, I've been experiencing some symptoms that ultimately resulted in a trip to the cardiologist.  Although the doctor (who went to Simpson College, a rival of Wartburg) was pretty sure that my symptoms were not a result of something being wrong with my heart, he ran several tests just to make sure.  I had an x-ray and some blood work done on Monday (during which I ended up passing out...literally), and today, I had a stress echocardiogram.

A stress echo starts with an ultrasound of your heart at a resting heart rate.  They then hook you up to a bunch of monitors and put you on a treadmill.  Every 3 minutes, the treadmill goes faster and inclines a bit higher.  After that, they rush you back to the table so they can get another ultrasound of your heart now working hard.

I've never really had the stomach to really get involved in the medical field (see the first paragraph where I note how I passed out), I've always 

been fascinated by the human body.  I started talking to the ultrasound operator  and ended up getting this picture of my heart.  In the bottom left hand square, you can clearly see the four chambers of my heart.  The upper right hand square is one of my arteries...completely clear and healthy.  

I didn't actually take this picture, but in talking with Pete, he helped me realize that it was just too cool NOT to be my picture of the day.  But, before that conversation, I had snapped the shot on the left: a stuffed person doll (the girls at the 'bama house affectionately call "faith) who has run into the wall on a unicycle.  It's weird. It's creepy.  It's downright funny.  A shout out to Kristen, Lauren, Shereen, Colleen, Becca, Christina, Kelsey, and the other girls of that always welcoming house.

As you probably guessed by the simply fact that I posted the picture, everything is just fine.  I'm left with a pretty sweet bruise from passing out from a needle in my arm, but if that's the only problem I have, I'll take it. And that's no April Foolin'.