Writer's Block

I've had a serious case of writer's block, which is my excuse for not blogging for over a week. I tried to sit down with my laptop several days last week but came up with nothing. I would stare at the blank screen and watch the cursor mock me with every flash.

It's kind of frustrating when I think about it - do I really not have anything to say? No, that's not it. I have plenty to say, but is it worth saying? Ah, that's the key. (That's not to say it hasn't stopped me from blogging something silly before, i.e. Pop Quiz, Letters For Today, Quotables... but after going a week without writing a single thing, I would like to think I could come up with some profound, interesting posting.

...fail.

Contributions on blog topics would be greatly appreciated.

Pop Quiz

1 Mt Dew + 1 Tall White Chocolate Mocha + 2 Krispy Kreme Donuts =

A. What I consumed this morning
B. Hardcore sugar/caffeine buzz
C. Major afternoon crash
D. How not to "make yourself"
E. All of the above

A Big 'n Little Outing

Last Thursday, I took 'Lil on an outing to Glazed Expressions. Neither one of us had ever been there before, so we both were excited to try out this new experience together.

The hardest part was picking out which piece of pottery to paint. They have hundreds of items to choose from - plates, bowls, mugs, vases, animals - you name it, they probably have it in some form. I finally decided on a cupcake piggy bank to give to Regan for Valentine's Day and 'Lil decided on the penguin. Then it was off to pick out our paint colors, and finally we sat down to get started.

It was such a fun evening to spend with my little. It was the perfect combination of being focused on an activity, but having great conversation as well.

'Lil is a talker and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love her stories she shares with me. She is always telling me about the three boys she crushes on, how her attitude (she'll be the first to tell you she can have a mouth on her) will get her into a little trouble at school, her friends and family, and how she works so hard on her school work. It seems every time we hang out, I learn a little more about her.

I'd like to think I'm not only a good role model for her to look up to and a friend she can rely on, but someone who is opening her up to new things, even if it's as small as going to paint pottery. Who knows where something that simple could lead - maybe she'll realize how much she loves art and she'll want to explore further into that area. These are the things I try to keep in mind when deciding on our next activity.

But as much as I'd like to think I'm making an impact and as much as I want to think I'm opening her eyes, the fact is, she's already had a huge impact on me and she has opened my eyes ten times more. The world she knows is much different from the world I knew at her age. Some of the cards she's been dealt in life, I have never given much thought to before. She teaches me something new every time I see her. And for that, I'll always be indebted to her. We're about 6 months into our big/little relationship and I can't wait to see where the next 6 months take us.

Here are a few pics from our outing:



Our works in progress



Ready to be fired!



Our final products:

Superbowl Prep

To help prepare you for Sunday's game:

Snow Day

No, my office is not closed today, but I saw this as I walked outside to help L attempt to get out of our driveway, after getting stuck this morning:





Yep, they came through and plowed, which I appreciate it, but, as you can see, there is a giant snow drift behind our garage, making it nearly impossible for me to get out.

Oh well, a snow day for me I guess! I just hope they come back through and push the snow back far enough for me to get out tomorrow.

The Interlude Dance

I love hearing/seeing people express their school spirit, so I was especially excited when JW passed along the video of UNI's "Interlude Dance".

The dance was created by two students and it has turned into a phenomenon, of sorts. Long story short, after first teaching RA's the dance, they decided to take it to the next level and asked the athletic marketing department if they could perform the dance at basketball games. And so, the "Interlude Dance" is now being performed during games and the McLeod Center is full of students "warming their hands by the fire", fist pumping, and doing the robot. Here you can see the students in action - it looks like so much fun!

You can read more about how the "Interlude Dance" got started here, if interested.

T-Shirt Time

In honor of Clinton's new claim to fame, I had to go out and buy this shirt from Raygun:


(You'll notice a much happier face than my glasses pic - just for those of you who were not fans of my "sour" face)

Thanks Stacy for emailing me about this today!