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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Back from Spain...whew!

That trip was such a whirlwind! There was some drama and a few difficulties to endure, but overall, our trip was amazing. My favorite part was horseback riding in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The scenery was breathtaking! We drove from Barcelona (Northeast Spain) 8 hours south to Galera and Granada (Southern Spain), and along the way we saw castles on hills, mandarin orange groves, almond groves, olive groves, the Mediterranean Sea, many traffic circles and crazy road signs. The drive was entirely surreal.

I will share many more details as I get pictures uploaded, but for now, the most important thing is that Mike & I got engaged! It was incredibly romantic - we were sipping wine and watching the sun set between the mountains outside of our "cave house" that we rented. We're both really excited. More to come soon...

2 comments:

cmonster said...

oh WOW!!!! what an incredible post!!! CONGRATULATIONS!! I am so excited for you kar :). and in SPAIN!!! You MUST post pics soon--I can't wait to see.

Kate McCann said...

Congratulations! I guess now I'm officially the old maid of the roommates....

101 in 1,001

And here is my list...

For my relationship:

  1. Go to 15 live music events with Mike (15/15) Dark Star Orchestra (x2), Widespread Panic (x3), Railroad Earth, North Mississippi All-Stars, Wishbone, Toots & the Maytals, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Monte Montgomery, The Gourds, Charlie Mars, Bob Schneider
  2. Go to church with Mike at least ten times (10/10)
  3. Take Mike to NYC to see Conan O’Brien
  4. Cook a nice meal for Mike at least 250 times (250/250)
  5. Have Mike teach me 5 songs on the guitar (0/5)
  6. Take Mike back to Albuquerque
  7. Get a couple’s massage (completed 12/7/09)
  8. Take Mike skiing
  9. Take Mike to a Cowboys game (completed 12/20/08)
  10. Make him a fabulous breakfast in bed (completed 1/5/09)
  11. Take Mike to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and hike to the Devils Bathtub

For my health:

  1. Lose 10 lbs
  2. Complete the 100 push-ups program
  3. Run in 5 different 5 Ks (0/5)
  4. Post food and exercise on SparkPeople.com at least once a week (16/144)
  5. Go to the dentist (completed 9/21/09)
  6. Lift weights at least 400 times (400/400)
  7. Take a dance class
  8. Eat vegetarian for 1 week
  9. Complete the couch to 5K program
  10. Go for 1 month with only 4 alcoholic beverages
  11. Keep a food journal for 1 week (completed 2/9/10)

For my puppies:

  1. Take Conan & Rory out at to a park or lake at least 300 times (200/300)
  2. Teach Conan & Rory 5 new tricks (1/5) "high-five"
  3. Teach Rory not to pull on the leash
  4. Make them homemade treats on their birthday
  5. Give them a bath at least once a month (20/30)
  6. Hike with the dogs all the way around Lake Georgetown (28 miles is a LONG way!)
  7. Finish reading my dog psychology book

For my career:

  1. Complete Substitute Teacher Training (completed 9/9/08)
  2. Substitute teach in one 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade class (completed 11/6/08)
  3. Obtain my Teaching Certificate
  4. Obtain a full-time teaching position
  5. Study for and pass the GRE
  6. Enroll in my graduate program
  7. Become a volunteer at the Georgetown Public Library

For my stomach:

  1. Learn to make at least 5 different hummus recipes (5/5) (completed 8/31/09)
  2. Perfect my black bean burger recipe
  3. Use all of my Restaurant.com certificates
  4. Try 10 new restaurants in the Austin area (10/10) Flying Saucer, McCormick & Schmicks, Cisco's, Red Brick Pizza, Maria Maria, Jaspers, Flemmings, Peche, 360 Primo, Quatros, Mako (completed 10/19/09)
  5. Visit 3 local farmers’ markets (1/3) Georgetown
  6. Learn to make 5 types of sushi (0/5)
  7. Go to Walburg and eat a famous Walburger

For my house:

  1. Learn to clean the house at least twice a month or find someone inexpensive to do the job
  2. Finish decorating the dining room
  3. Redecorate the master bedroom (completed 6/30/09)
  4. Replace the siding on the house
  5. Replace the carpet in the master bedroom
  6. Decorate Mike’s music room (completed 5/1/09)

For my wallet:

  1. Replenish my savings back to $10,000
  2. Transfer my IRA into a better account (completed 4/16/10)
  3. Create a new budget
  4. Have 10 "NO SPEND DAYS" per month (330/330)
  5. Add $10 to my savings account for every item on the list completed (5/101)
  6. Go for three months on a $75 restaurant budget (3/3)

For my family & friends:

  1. Send birthday and holiday cards on time at least 20 times (21/20) (completed 10/29/09)
  2. Mail out 10 cards just to say “Hi” (0/10)
  3. Call Gamma at least once a month (30/30)
  4. Email colsta at least once a month (30/30) (Completed 2/17/10)
  5. Make a calendar book with all of mine and Mike's family members' birthdays
  6. Go on another vacation with Mom & Kelli (completed 3/19/10)
  7. Plan (and attend) another girls weekend
  8. Visit Terrie & Ryan in Florida

For my planet:

  1. Plant 2 more trees in our yard (2/2) (completed 6/4/09)
  2. Donate 101 material items to Goodwill (completed 10/17/08)
  3. Replant flower garden in the front yard using my own organic compost (completed 3/6/09)
  4. Take reusable bags to the grocery store at least 10 times (8/10)
  5. Put socket sealers into all of my electric sockets
  6. Buy 2 new Energy Star appliances (0/2)
  7. Buy solar panels for the house
  8. Grow 3 new kinds of vegetables in the garden each summer

Just because I need to:

  1. Buy a new car
  2. Get a new insurance policy (completed 2/6/09)
  3. Buy an external hard drive and back-up both computers (completed 9/14/08)
  4. Reorganize every closet in the house (2/6) linen closet, towel closet
  5. Buy a new mattress (completed 10/15/08)
  6. Learn how to use the handgun (completed 1/18/10)
  7. Clean my car inside and out 5 times (5/5)
  8. Clean the refrigerator and pantry every other month (10/15)

Just for fun:

  1. Get certified to Scuba dive
  2. Stay at a Bed & Breakfast
  3. Read at least 30 new books (20/30)
  4. Watch the Academy Awards Best Picture winners from the last 69 years (31/69)
  5. Go to the top 100 bars in Austin that I have not yet been to (1/35)
  6. Go back into Airman’s Cave and find the Sculpture Room
  7. Use my passport 5 times (5/5) Spain, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Gernmany
  8. Tie-dye something
  9. Go ice skating
  10. Read the Twilight book series (Completed 12/5/08)
  11. See a movie at a drive-in theater
  12. Go to a Georgetown High School football game
  13. Attend a performance at the Palace Theater (The Producers, completed 10/18/08)
  14. Visit the Austin Museum of Art
  15. Visit 5 of the USA’s top 41 wonders (3/5) Alaskan Cruise, Mount Rushmore, Las Vegas Strip
  16. Ride a train
  17. Apply for a game show
  18. Go camping at least 8 times (4/8) Inks Lake, Krause Springs, Colorado Bend State Park, Inks Lake,
  19. Visit 3 wineries in Texas (0/3)

For Celebration:

  1. Create a new list of 101 things to do when this list is completed
  2. Reward myself with a nice dinner out when my list is completed
  3. Use a portion of my list savings to buy something beautiful and timeless for myself