Per aspera ad astra

Per usual, part II of my Colorado wedding blog was postponed, but here we go! Early the next morning after the rehearsal dinner (which, if you’ll recall, featured enough food to feed most of Colorado), the lucky (though yawning) bridesmaids headed into Boulder to meet the bride and get our hair done. Fortunately, Erinn’s mom and sister were prepared with mimosas and bagels (and Nicole hit up Starbucks for good measure).

Kate and I were the first to finish and felt the urge to enjoy the beautiful day (and perhaps burn off some of those delicious bagels), so we went for a walk through the quaint and charming (and expensive) Boulder neighborhood.

Which, naturally, resulted in a good deal of “You did WHAT?!” from our hairdressers when we returned. Still worth it! Meanwhile, Erinn was becoming even more stunning.

A quick limo ride over to the church in Denver and we were greeted by our bouquets. Erinn’s matched our dresses…

And the bridesmaids’ bunches were pretty. So perfect!

Erinn’s mom and sister helped her climb in to her hefty dress (someone might have been crushed if they’d tried to lift it over her head). Equally challenging- staving off tears long enough to make it down the aisle.

Erinn, now firmly secure in her dress and veil, begins the photo-taking process before the start of the ceremony.

Annnnd, they’re off! Kostas and his ageless mom walk in. (The rest of the photos of the couples walking down  are blurry, so I’ve left them out!).

Someone had mentioned earlier that it was a good thing Erinn/Kostas’s “first moment” was before the ceremony to allow them to get some initial shock out of the way. This didn’t, however, prevent them both from bawling the entire time Erinn walked down the aisle.

An hour of part-Greek, part-English, all-symbolism later, Kostas and Erinn Pagratis were officially wed!

And I managed to avoid stumbling down the aisle! Small steps…

Now that all that mumbo-jumbo was taken care of, it was time to get down to real business– more photos! [As you admire Erinn's dress's train, keep in mind that no fewer than three bridesmaids would find themselves under that dress at some point in the evening].

As we all rode in a (bigger) limo back to Boulder, Kostas kept leaning out the window yelling “I’m freaking married!” Adorable.

The best thing we didn’t realize about our bridesmaid’s dress was that in every Myspace-style photo, we’d appear topless, if not totally nude.

Nicole and Effie (Kostas’ far-too-tan-and-Greek-pretty sister) were a little more modest. [and unique- the other bridesmaids were two Amandas, a Kate and a Katy]

The beginning of the day had been beautiful, and the weather held out just long enough for some mountain photos before it began to pour. I sacrificed the mountains in my own photo to minimize the highway view (the photographer was on the ground for his shots).

Kostas probably should have thought of this earlier…

Finally, the reception hall at Folsom Field! The next series of would-be photos are missing, probably due to the fact that we were all too busy eating delicious Greek food (including lamb, bleu cheese mashed potatoes and meditteranean-stuffed chicken breast). Oh well, at least I got a tableshot?

Having stuffed ourselves (again), we proceeded to dance, enjoy some libations, and take hundreds of photos. Despite the fact that there were over 100 people at the wedding, there were still plenty shots taken at arm-length.

And plenty of shots of Brandon & I being a little nauseating,

And then the crying starts. Toasts from several of Kostas/Erinn’s friends and family (who were all both phenomenally emotional and good at public speaking), the first dance, and the head table was losing it.

Erinn’s dad explained in his toast that he wrote and performed the song that he and Erinn would be dancing to (he recorded it for the DJ)- and the bridesmaids fell apart. Again.

Fortunately, there were some people able to take our minds off of anything sappy.

Warning: severe cute ahead.

Though they are very sweet and loving and caring and blahblahblah, Erinn and Kostas do know how to get down- never fear.

And of course we all had some fun when Michael Jackson came on (even Piell looks Thrilled).

Modesty is key for Katy, Kate, Cara, and Britta.

And of course the bride is nothing if not blushing.

I stole Erinn away from the photog and her husband to snag a mommy-baby (KDX-style) shot [one-armed, of course].

And my pledge sister Kate and I got down- we’ve got back.

The wedding and reception went off without a hitch (besides the obvious) until shortly before the end when Piell got a little too exuberant in dancing to Journey. She twisted her knee, but fortunately we had one dapper Greek groomsman (and Brandon, I guess) for her to lean on out to the car. [she's since had surgery and is on crutches until New Years. but she hasn't stopped believing!]

All in all, one of the best weddings I’ve been to. This didn’t make the subsequent drive back through Nebraska any easier, but seeing Kostas and Erinn’s happiness and love for each other was entirely worth it.

I’ve been slacking on my updates, so be prepared for a slew of photo-jammed blog posts today. A few weeks ago, one of my sorority sisters (and, incidentally, closest friends) decided to throw in the towel tie the knot. I was naturally excited for her, but was also excited to cross another state off my list (I’ve got 35/50 now!). What I didn’t take into account was that to get to the beautiful state of Colorado, I’d need to drive through a state I’d hoped never to visit again.

That’s right- it’s Nebraska. Endless hours of unbelievably deserted flatland and (lucky us!) grey skies. Brandon’s not afraid to show how he really feels.

Fortunately, on the way out to Colorado, we had this to look forward to.

As well as the lovely bride-to-be herself, Erinn. Double perk: she greeted us with homemade mac n’ cheese and Cosmopolitans.  The day after we arrived, we plunged straight into bachelorette party fun.

Erinn’s sister Katy was the MOH and did a fantastic job arranging things for the party. Exhibit A: In college, our sorority invented the Mr. Brightside drink (a mix of Malibu, pineapple juice and cream soda). Katy duplicated the drink in shot form.

One shot down and we’re ready to hit the town of Boulder. I opted to bring the sparkle.

We started with dinner (and margaritas- ole!) at Rio Grande, where Piell, Kate and I made the wise choice of Mahi-Mahi tacos with mango salsa. Ohm nom nom.

The off for a pub crawl on Pearl Street! Starting (and spending a lot time) with the Walrus.

Though Erinn was obviously the queen of the evening (see the crown?), I think we all looked pretty smashing.

Crawling on, Piell and Kate play the reenactment game.

Boulder, CO 2009:

Mt Vernon, IA 2005:

And throw in a little Dr. Horrible “plus, there are kids in that park, so…”

And then we walked into a mountain. Or, you know, this really tall guy.

Speaking of reenactments, my family can attest to the fact that when I was young I would reenact the “Part of Your World” scene from Little Mermaid where Ariel thrusts herself up on this giant rock (though typically my version involved the end of our living room couch). That whole ‘birds of a feather flock together’ thing must apply to sorority sisters, because, well…

The final bar we visited (Juanita’s) had stopped serving food, so we couldn’t sing for our supper. Listening to the video of our karaoke experience though, this was probably a good thing.

And the theme song of the week was born.

Mahi-mahi tacos aside, this was both Erinn’s wedding week and the (unofficial) Week of Eating. Kate munches on some M&Ms (while we get pedicures for our bridesmaids’ gift)…

Followed by delicious wraps, fruit, brie, and munches at Erinn’s mom’s loft…

and Erinn’s dress/veil- which are about to devour me.

Friday night, it was time to eat even more at the rehearsal dinner. But first, we had to take care of business and rehearse!

Here’s a teaser shot of the church, the Assumption of the Theotokos cathedral in Denver.

Alright, back to Denver to eat! The rehearsal dinner was at the Med in Boulder (Trying to remember the name, I Googled “Mediterranean Restaurant Boulder” and promptly felt like a jerk). I took a few cute photos before we all gorged ourselves beyond reason.

Mwah!

A few hours of tapas, olive bread, salmon, and wine later, we thought we were done. Then the waiters brought out… the dessert tray. Yeah, I may have snuck in a creme brulee on top of everything else I’d eaten already.

The adorable couple gave mild tear-inducing speeches and were otherwise totally in love and ready for the next day’s adventure. Next up, dum-dum-deh-dum, Greek-style!

Happy birthday to me! (and you too, Scott Bakula) In honor of my 24 years, here’s a few highlights from last year and 24 aspirations for the year ahead.

> Went skydiving for the first time!
> Visited two new countries (Peru, Ireland) and Russia again.
>  Hit up a few new states. New York in December to see Katya; Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas on the road trip to the Texas wedding.
> Celebrated two years of hanging out with a pretty cool guy.
> Ran my first 5K and feel great about my body.

To-Do:
1. Finish my masters program and get my EdM.
2. Watch all (24) seasons of Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager)
3. Visit at least one new country (Turkey is currently on my schedule for my last grad school class).
4. Run another 5K (and maybe a 10K?)
5. Visit at least one new state (besides Colorado, which I will get to in less than two weeks )
6. Gain beginner level (how are you? i like puppies) fluency in another language.
7. Read 24 fiction and 24 nonfiction books.
8. Make enough money to be able to support my (admittedly occasionally sweet) lifestyle without a PT job.
9. Have 5% of my yearly income in savings (between school payments old and new, car payments, and not having a summer income, I’d say this is a high-end hope as is)
10. Go to an NFL and an NBA game.
11. Maintain the weight loss I’ve achieved since May.
12. Watch Season 8 of 24!
13. Get to Russia again in 2010. (I’ve been at least once a year since 2005- can’t slack now!)
14. Make it to the end of Year 3 with LB.
15. Beat Super Mario Galaxy.
16. Take a different friend out for dinner/drinks/coffee once a month.
17. See every movie nominated for Best Picture in the Academy Awards (preferably before the show).
18. Go to California. Last year, I hit up NYC and earned some ‘real American’ credibility. I’ve gotta get out to LA to do the same. Plus, I’ve got friends there now to visit
19. Write in my journal or blog at least once a week.
20. See at least one friend from far away (Russia, Korea, etc)
21. Prepare an ethnically-inspired meal once a month (pelmeni, sushi, curry, etc.)
22. Listen to an album by someone I’m not familiar with once every two weeks.
23. Have a Skype date in Russian at least monthly.
24. Make it to 25!

About sixty hours after arriving back from Russia  (spending a night in DC and Iowa), I arrived in possibly the most beautiful country I’ve visited so far- Peru. Three continents in three days? Not bad

I spent most of my time in Peru in Cusco, which is appropriately enough a sister city of Moscow and a relatively small (population 300K) town in the middle of the Andes. At over 10,000 feet, it’s literally and figuratively breath-taking.

In part due to the climate change (remember, south of the equator = winter in August) and what felt like non-stop travel, I spent most of the first day cooped up in my hostel room recovering from a bout with a cold. Sounds dreadful, but considering this was my view, I couldn’t complain (too much):

A succinct history of Cusco- the Incans founded it (as the capital of their empire); the Spanish found it and took over; the country declared its independence. Like most cities that have gone through colonialization, the surviving architecture is a mix of the ancient and the colonial power.

And like most Latin American cities/towns/villages, Cusco has its own Plaza de Armas (another Spanish influence) around which a large part of the city revolves. In the case of Cusco, this is the place you’ll most likely get accosted by a tour company, souvenir vendor, lady with a llama, or relentless children who won’t leave you alone until you buy one of their one sol (33 cent) finger puppets or postcards. It’s also a beautiful and incredibly clean (thanks to the high influx of tourists) part of the city.

As is the case with most places I visit for a short period of time, I wish I was able to stay longer and really experience local culture. As a tourist (particularly in such a tourist-driven town), I felt incredibly spoiled by the variety of foods, goods, and services available at reasonable prices (keep in mind, though, that prices are still much higher in Peru than in many South American countries). I could get a sandwich for under $3, bought a kick-ass purse for $8, and an hour-long taxi ride for around $5.

This is all well and good for me- a relatively well-to-do American- but it’s certainly not the locals’ lifestyle. Salaries vary based on occupation, of course, but even the highest-paid locals don’t make more than a couple thousand (US) per month. I’ve seen the disparity between tourists (and their ‘areas’ of town) in Egypt and Russia, but in Peru, I felt the gap constantly.

Back to the photo tour! To get a little more local flavor, my travel companions and I visited a local market (like a grocery store, the aisles are labeled- unlike a grocery store, um, there are dogs in the aisles).

Despite the fact that it was winter, fresh fruits and vegetables were readily available (thank you equator!).

Ignoring the constant calls from tour company vendors (”Amazon! Sacred Valley! Nazca!”), I opted to spend my vacation relaxing in Cusco. Walking around the city, I ran into some random bits of pretty architecture and took almost as many photos as I did at Machu Picchu

My travel buddies and I stumbled on the Manne Cafe in the San Blas neighborhood- if you find yourself in the area, it’s worth a stop. Excellent sandwiches and the best coffee we tried in town- plus a set of super comfortable couches.

We spent a lot of time in local cafes, each with its own particular style and flavor. Here’s a shot of a great tapas place- Cicciolina.

We weren’t terribly worried about compensating for the amount of delicious food (and coffee) with exercise- the stairs and hills in Cusco more than made up for our appetites.

There are two things you cannot avoid doing in Peru: visiting Machu Picchu and shopping. We opted to visit the market in Pisac, a smaller town outside of Cusco), where you can literally buy any Peruvian item your heart may desire. The Sunday market is reportedly packed with tourists (we opted to hit Machu Picchu instead as a result), but the crowds die down on Tuesday- and there was certainly no lack of vendors ready to bargain.

Of course, while shopping, you should be aware that you will be roped into buying a ridiculous hat…

while being accosted by women in traditional garb with llamas who are more than happy to for you to photograph them– for a sol. Of course, budget travelers opt to snag a photo from a moving taxi.

Volkswagon (classic) beetles are everywhere in Cusco- probably thanks to the fact that the streets are too narrow to accommodate many other types of car.

There are plenty of books out there on Peruvian cuisine, but I thought I’d focus on a traditional Peruvian drink- the pisco sour. While I feel obliged to mention that the drink contains pisco (a local liquor), lemon/lime juice, and… wait for it… egg whites, I also feel obligated to mention that, when done right, it is delicious.

Two last things any visitor to Cusco should be aware of. There are dogs everywhere- I’m used to the average pack of dogs in the Moscow metro stations, the Cusqueñan dogs ar in a class of their own. While it’s incredibly sad to see so many homeless dogs (animal shelters aren’t nearly as prevalent abroad as they are in the US), the animals themselves can be incredibly interesting-looking- and they pop up in the weirdest places.

And lastly, visitors who find themselves in Cusco may be under the initial impression that Peruvians are really accepting of- and proud of- gay rights. Truth is, Cusco’s city flag just happens to be a rainbow.

And that’s all she wrote!

I figured I’d start my first Peru post with the highlight of my experience: my trip to the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu.

My two travel companions and I set off from Cuzco on Saturday afternoon, taking a cab from our hostel to the train station at Ollantaytambo (mostly known as the starting point of the Inca Trail). The Peruvian government has a pretty strong monopoly on the ways to get to Machu Picchu- train or hike- so costs are high. This is great for the government, but not so great for budget travelers and a mixed blessing for the site itself (less visitors= less damage, but the money isn’t necessarily going to preservation).

The train ride from Ollanta to Aguas Calientes took about an hour and a half, in addition to our hour and a half (more comfortable) taxi ride– all to get to Machu Picchu, which is only 80 km (50 miles) from Cuzco. Aguas Calientes itself is a bit of a tourist trap. Overpriced souvenirs, Mexican/Chinese/Peruvian food (plus pizza!) on every menu, and

I woke up at 4 to get ready, down a quick cup of coffee, and stand in line for the bus (which starts at 5). Running a little behind, we arrived at Machu Picchu around 6:15 (sounds early, eh? We weren’t even in the first few hundred people there). Walked up in time to see the sun just starting to hit the ruins.

We headed over to Huayna Picchu (the big mountain in back) right away in hopes of being able to hike up to the top (they only allow 400 people to climb a day)- only to find this line and learn that, at 6:30am, we were too late to get one of the coveted spots.

No worries though- we found an alternate (and much less crowded) trail to hike along before exploring the actual site. Along the way, we found a few precipitous points…

a few leaps of faith…

and a bridge that, even without the sign, I wouldn’t have wanted to attempt without a rope firmly affixing me to the wall.

After a short walk around the area and a snack (shh- food isn’t allowed!), we ventured back to actual Machu Picchu, where the llamas are just sitting around, hanging out.

And hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

Needless to say, what followed were dozens of photos that thousands of people have taken before. But it’s really just an awe-inspiring archaeological feat in an awe-inspiring environment- what can I do?

As the day progressed, more and more crowds started showing up (statistics say that between two and three thousand visitors can see Machu Picchu daily in high season). The llamas were unperturbed.

After spending several hours of hiking and taking photos, and eavesdropping on other tour groups, we headed back to Aguas Calientes around two o’clock. Of course, I took the opportunity to take one more death-defying photo (behind me is a straight drop to the forest below) before we hiked (down the longest set of stairs I’ve ever seen) back to town.

Last week, Brandon & I made the long journey in my beautiful year-old Corolla through the area just east of the Great Plains that we might refer to as ‘least interesting part of America’ (though our return trip through LA and MS was quite lovely- check out the map). Why would we willingly visit Oklahoma (albeit only for the night)? Good people and wine, of course!

Brandon’s best friend of many, many (16?) years got married on June 13th and B was the best man.  We drove down Tuesday and Wednesday, spent Thursday and Friday relaxing by the pool and reading (okay, only I did that. Brandon rushed around getting his tux and delivering way overdue senior fundraiser gifts). Friday evening was the rehearsal/dinner, at which newlyweds-to-be Jay and Jen practiced feeding each other cake, with varying degrees of success. 

Meanwhile, Brandon and I practiced posing for the camera. Hey, as the best man, you’re in a lot of photos- you need the practice.

I bravely wore my hair down for the dinner, but I didn’t trust the Texas humidity to take it easy on me for the wedding. Brandon’s fantastic mom and I trekked off early Saturday morning to get my hair done by Huna, an incredibly interesting woman from Pakistan who managed to tame my hair into this:

The wedding was at St. Anne’s, a Houston church that the coordinator said brides ‘die to get married in’. Very beautiful place, which doesn’t come through photos as nicely when one of the church’s Big Rules is no flash photography.

The ceremony began and one of the most adorable ring bearers made his way down the aisle. Interestingly, the groomsmen/groom waited at the altar while the bridesmaids came down the aisle- I’ve never been to that kind of wedding before.

This was the best (not blurry mess) photo of Jen & her dad that I could get.

The gang’s all here! Including that pesky woman who also wanted to take photos. You can’t tell in the photo, but the bridesmaids had very pretty olive green dresses (think this color) and darker orange-red bouquets.

After the wedding (you guessed it!) came a ton of photos. Here’s Brandon taking a break from BM duties to ham it up with me.

And his family! (B, mom, dad, Austin-of-the-welcoming-smile)

The reception was further north at a very posh country club. Delicious food (chicken/fish/roast beef & all the extras), endless wine (see?), and dancing.

Fairly traditional reception- the couple danced, mom/groom, bride/dad danced, everyone did the Hokey Pokey. And then there was cake! A lovely white for Jen and (to the right in the photo below) a groom’s cake in the style of a baseball field (Jay is a huge Astros fan, which I’ve graciously forgiven him for).

Then Brandon had to fulfill his final role (after throwing a bachelor party and being photographed a hundred times) and join MOH Patricia in toasting the couple.

Brandon’s toast was excellent- short, simple, funny, sappy- and with a genuine “Live Long and Prosper” to conclude. He also looks about ten times less nervous than I would feel in his shoes.

Cue some champagne, cake-for-all, more dancing and wine– and all before 5pm!

Best wishes to the beautiful, happy, intelligent couple (oh, and Jay & Jen too)!

You know, some statistics say that 50% of all marriages end in divorce, but I prefer my stats:

States visited: 8 (MO, KS, OK, TX, LA, MS, AR, TN)
Miles driven: 2,335
Average MPG: 37-38–  <3 the Corolla!
Cute golden retrievers playd with: 1
Puns created: at least 6 (including one of my best- Wichitalkin’ about Kansas?)
People wed: 2
Adorable photos taken: Too many to count. Here’s one of my absolute favorites from the week:

kejreks

Long time no blog. I’ve been busy?

About a month ago, I jumped on the health/fitness wagon, in large part due to an addictive little website called SparkPeople. I’d been a member since February, but never really played around with any of the features (which include a nutrition tracker, fitness log, health-related articles, and interactive community of users). Then Facebook started changing things for the worse, I needed to get measured for a bridesmaid’s dress, and I found solace from both issues in SP. I’ve been able to consistently eat well and work out on a regular (5-6 times a week) basis- and it feels awesome.

On that note, a coworker of mine started a program called Couch to 5K, which is a running program designed for beginners looking to build endurance, and she absolutely raves about it. We’re both of the mentality that people shouldn’t run unless there is a grizzly bear involved, so I decided to try it out. I finished Week 1 on Wednesday (each week involves three days of a running workout; this week was intervals of 60 seconds running/90 seconds walking) and, while challenging, it wasn’t terrible. That’s the most positive thing I’ve ever been able to say about my relationship with running.

So while Erinn’s wedding (and the hot dress) in October is a good long-term motivator, I need something more tangible to work towards in the short term. Enter the Solstice Stride, a 5K Run/Walk in Coralville at the end of June. I submitted my entry form yesterday (am working on convincing the coworker to join me) and am pumped. Granted, I may end up more focused on the ‘walk’ part, but I’m looking forward to having something to push myself towards. Wish me luck (and endurance)!

My first assignment for one of my courses (Open Source, Open Access, Open Education) was to write an introduction to ourselves, in part defining who we are online. Here’s my go at it:

In a sense, the Web and I grew up together. I’m only two years younger than the original Macintosh and when I was a toddler the Internet had just evolved past its acronymatic ARPANET, et al. incarnations to become more recognizable as the accessible global network we know today.

While computers never defined my childhood as they do for many growing up now, I can still trace the progression of my maturity through my former AOL screen names: from the parent-created luvbks (love books), to the rebellious bsb1427 (liking boy bands seemed rebellious at the time), to the slightly cooler tennisplayamandy. My search engine of choice? AskJeeves. The Y2K frenzy struck as I turned the awkward age of 15 and was trying to figure out how *I* was going to survive to 2000 (survival being contingent on having the proper wardrobe and friends, of course).

Then of course I went off to college, shed AOL forever, and met Google. I got my first laptop, became eternalaurora (on Pidgin) and started checking my email daily (a requirement at my college). Within three years of undergraduate study, my liberal arts education, with the help of the Internet, had defined the person I was becoming and am today. Facebook hit my campus in early 2005, about the same time that Wikipedia had become the ultimate quasi-academic time wasting tool.

So who am I now online?

I text, I blog (latitudebylongitude.com), I tweet (twitter.com), I Skype, I Stumble (stumbleupon.com) and I’m LinkedIn. I have fifteen stations on Pandora and 168 books on Goodreads. I stay connected with my Russian friends on VKontakte and ICQ, my Korean friends on Windows Messenger,  and my US friends on Facebook and Pidgin.

For as involved as I am in the online world, my ubiquitous moniker enables me to slip into anonymity (as anonymous as any connected twentysomething can be). According to the following search engines, Amanda Ross is one in:

Facebook: More than 500
PeekYou: 762
MySpace: 9,410
Google Search: about 3,810,000

And if you believe Wikipedia, I’m rated as the most influential person in British publishing.

In many ways, my generation got lucky. My transition into this open society has been steady, but gradual- following the course of my adolescence and early adulthood. I know how to use an iPhone and subscribe to RSS feeds almost daily. Though I’m not dependent on technology to get by (my sister, six years younger, texted up a $200 phone bill without breaking a sweat and can’t go a day without her MySpace),it’s hard to imagine my world without it. I have found my last four jobs (language camp chef, ESL instructor, SAT instructor, study abroad advisor) on the Internet, I bought all of my living room furniture on Craigslist, and I saved $100 getting my laptop on Amazon. Mindful of concerns about privacy and being ‘too open’, I must also be aware that openness (and adaptability to that openness) is what our society embraces these day and find a healthy, rational compromise.

Resolutions, goals, lofty aspirations– whatever you want to call them. Here are mine for 2009.

1. Be more aware of the world
Though I travel a decent amount, I’m only learning that I’m more and more ignorant of- well- everything. Today I subscribed to Foreign Affairs magazine to give myself a tangible link to the outside world and I’ll be more diligent about reading non-pulp BBC stories.
2. Read 100 books.
A repeat goal from last year, though I only made 72 then. I have a list of recommendations (mostly fiction) from friends, but I’d also specifically like to read:
-Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello
-Catcher in the Rye
-The Satanic Verses (and other by Rushdie)
-The Cellist of Sarajevo, The Book Thief, Kabul Beauty School– and other similar fic.
-More books by foreign authors
-More books on the topics of: globalization, women’s education, population control,  and other ed topics I can’t get enough of
3. Actively maintain 4.0 in grad school
I did well this past semester in my program, though I could have put more effort in. This semester I tackle two classes (as opposed to one and an independent study) and I want to be on top of readings and posting on Moodle to really get the most out of my degree (if not for the job market, then for resolution #1).
4. Lose 10 pounds
Because a weight-loss/health-gain goal is almost a requisite. Should be simple, right?
5. Write something
For as seldom as I write something non-blog, I really do enjoy writing. So my goal for the year is simple: write something tangible- even if it’s just a ridiculous short story.

It feels like it took a year to get this post up, phew. I also have a heavy emphasis on intellectual-type things, but “continue budgeting money, maintain my friendships/relationship/familyships, and continue being awesome at work” are all undeclared resolutions, because they’re more maintenance-related than New Resolution! type deals.

In Unrelated News That Makes Me Happy: Read me. It’s really about time.

One of my goals for 2008 was to read 100 books. As of this afternoon, I have 71 (and will at least eke out a 72nd by tomorrow). So no cigar. Regardless, I think I did well. My books are from a range of genres (sci-fi, Judaism, basketball, YA, Russia, grammar, etc.) and I even knocked out a few classics I’ve been meaning to read.

Rather than clog up your page with a list of my books (check out my Goodreads if you’re interested/want longer reviews), here are the best/worst of the bunch:

Best:
1. The Kite Runner : Khaled Hosseini
2. Atlas Shrugged : Ayn Rand
3. Three Cups of Tea : Greg Mortensen & David Relin
4. Doctor Zhivago : Boris Pasternak
5. Midnight’s Children : Salman Rushdie

Runners-Up (and equally recommended):
Do They Hear You When You Cry? : Fauziya Kassindja
I Know This Much Is True : Wally Lamb
The History of Love/Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close : Nicole Krauss/Jonathan Safran Foer (married)

Happily, it was much easier to narrow down the Worst- I read so many fabulous books this year, but the few terrible ones stick out like sore thumbs.

Worst
1. A Separate Peace
It bugs me that so many of my Worst Books are required readings in high/middle school/Korean SAT prep courses. There’s not much I can say about ASP except Ugh. John Knowles, next time make a semi-sympathetic narrator, and kill off the martyr character using a disease/complication that actually exists.
2. Island of the Blue Dolphins
As much as I love stories with a self-sufficient female protagonist, this book fell short of my expectations. Fans will say it’s better because it’s based on a true story, but I feel there’s a large difference between a 20-30 year old woman (True Story) and a twelve(?) year old girl being marooned on an island. So, okay, it’s a coming-of-age-Robinson-Crusoe story. I wish it had been written by a woman, preferably a culturally-sensitive one, because O’Dell’s cautious storytelling robs the book of what it could have been.
3. Robinson Crusoe
Some people have a problem with the premise- but I think a novel about someone on a desert island, even with religious overtones, has potential written all over it (look at something like Life of Pi- okay, there’s a tiger, but Crusoe had a dog AND cats). This story was just dry, insensitive, and overly pedantic, without even having the grace to be well-written.
4. Hairstyles of the Damned
Book Summary: Whine Whine Whine. I’m Punk.
5. The Twilight Trio (I didn’t bother with the 4th, after hearing devotees spurn it)
I understand why these are so addictive for the tweens and teens (hell, after the Required Books like RC and ASP, I hardly blame them for wanting some action). But wow, are these terrible. Vampire coolness aside, here’s the summary: Spineless female protagonist with unhealthy addiction for emotionally dependent boyfriend. Thrilling!

Here’s to 100 in 2009!