we love to talk on things we don't know about

as promised, here is where you can find me blogging these days:

http://marissaneverstopsthinking@blogspot.com

so take that to your google reader and... add it... or something.

see you there.

it's a brand new day

I'm thinking of sort of winding this blog down to get a fresh start on a new one that I'll update once a week... the world from the perspective of a twenty something grad student KC dweller with an assistant job and a mid distance boyfriend (spoiler alert: that's me). It might be one more commitment to add to my plate but I can handle it I think. I mean, my plate has gotten so full that I just look at it now and say "screw this I'm going to have candy corn" and skip the dinner altogether, so what's one more thing anyway? I'm still thinking about it and will be sure to post the link here so that the 4 people who follow me here on Blogger and the I'm sure countless twos and threes of people who follow me on Google Reader can update their feed.

In the mean time, enjoy these awesome pictures from my birthday.

My amazing boyfriend sent me flowers at work and I swooned. A perfect purple bouquet.

The ladies got me some bling. Yes, I wore it. And it was awesome.

Speaking of the ladies, here are some of them. We're all dolled up for the big night out.

I always love it when the artist formerly known as my roomie comes out.

Kearney friends. We've seriously been friends pretty much forever.

Boyfriend is a football coach so taking me out on my birthday wasn't an option... but we celebrated in style the next day by going to Maryville to watch the Bearcats "take on" the MoWest. There's quotes around that because the 42-0 score would indicate that the Griffins did not actually show up. It was super cold and I was tired and a little hungover but was totally a trooper for 3 quarters of this game.

Boyfriend was a trooper later that night and took me to eat at Chaz on the Plaza. It was as fancy and delightful as it sounds. We got all dressed up and it was very sophisticated.

Well, that was my 26th birthday. It was the best.

Don't know much biology

It's been awhile and a lot of stuff has gone down since I last posted but I didn't ever want to update because a lot of it was kind of crappy and all I would have done was whine. So, I waited and now I am going to pick up where I left off - in a sea of happiness... sort of.

OMG CHIEFS.

I got to go to that game because my boss is a hero among men. Arrowhead was unbelievable. I was stalwart and strong through the rain, refusing to take shelter while the ball was in play. The 3 adult men with me, however, were a little less tolerant of getting wet and took shelter through much of the 3rd quarter. I'm still thrilled whenever I think about that victory. Wowzers. Yes, so excited that I even said that word.

Bearcats lost their first game but that's become such a nonevent that I got over it pretty quickly. Besides, my apartment was threatening to drown me at the time and I had to find a life jacket and learn to doggy paddle so there was no time for wallowing. They play again tomorrow and will likely, hopefully, oh please God let it be so, beat UNO. I'm watching that one with the boy and am a little worried that he will run screaming for the hills when he sees "football marissa." She's terrifying.

School is tough this semester, and that is what this post is really about. I'm in Biological Bases of Human Behavior. It's very intimidating. I'm not one for science. In fact, the "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" song is about as far as my "knowledge" about biology goes. However, I've always been a good student and a quick learner, so I thought, "I'll just read extra closely and pay great attention in class. An 'A' is certain!" HA-HA-HA-HA. I'm so funny. Let me show you how "reading extra closely" is going for me:

the book: "Main Points"
me: ok. I can do this. It's just an overview of what the chapter is about to cover. Perfect.
the book: 1. "The nervous system is composed of two kinds of cells. Only the neurons transmit impulses."
me: Alright. I get that. I can handle this. I'm GREAT at biology! Look at me go!
the book: "2. The larger neurons have branches known as axons and dendrites, which can change their branching pattern as a function of experiences, age...etc"
me: I'm sorry?
the book: "3. Many molecules in the bloodstream can enter other body organs but not the brain."
me: like a VIP club?
the book: "The action potential an all-or-none change in the electrical potential across the membrane of a neuron, is caused by the sudden flow of sodium ions into the neuron and is followed by a flow of potassium ions out of the neuron."
me: oh god.
the book: "Local neurons are small and do not have axons or action potentials. Instead they convey information to nearby neurons by graded potentials."
me: WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?
the book: "your graded potential is F. you might as well stop reading now."
me: WTF?
the book: "my purpose in this life is to drive you just close enough to the brink of insanity that that you fall off on your own and it can look like an accident."
me: oh shit.

So those last couple of statements might be me reading between the lines but this is just the introductory page to the second chapter and I'm already tired.

I'm Moving Out

Well. I've decided to join the adult world of lease signing and rent paying.

Circumstances surrounding my current housing got a little unpredictable and I just got a great raise from my great boss, so starting today I'm in the process of moving! I'll once again be a Missouri resident. I'll be the same distance from work and school and closer to the things that matter most (the majority of my family, my boyfriend, an Zona Rosa). I can't wait to get all settled in.

I'll be rejoining the world of North Kansas City. I won't have to say I live in Gardner anymore.

I'm so happy.

This is the countdown; You see our time is running out.

I love looking forward to things.





I exhibit this love through countdowns (which works well because I also love counting things - Ah ha ha ha ha).






Here are a few countdowns in my life right now:





73 = Days until my 26th birthday. I've been looking forward to being 26. It seems like the perfect age to me because it is more mature sounding than like 23 but still young enough to be fun.


48 = Days until the Chiefs home season opener on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


38 = Days until the official start of the Bearcat Football season. It's an away game but still exciting.

29 = Days until SOMETHING CORPORATE!!!! IN KANSAS CITY!!!


19 = Days until NFL preseason officially starts (Can you tell I'm ready for football?)


11 = Days until my next fun weekend trip with the boy (we're going to Iowa with his family to watch a NASCAR race. I'm viewing it as a unique people watching opportunity and will be sure to have earplugs handy. Please don't judge me.)
3 = Days until I get a few weeks off of school before the fall semester

That's all for now.

Runnin' Runnin'

2010 has been a banner year for me thus far. I can’t possibly imagine it going better. In the spirit of great things, I’ve decided to actually train for and run the Kansas City Half marathon this year. In 2008 (a mostly dismal year aside from the running season) I ran it, but my training was definitely sub par. I ran a bunch of 5ks and 10ks that summer, but really maybe ran only once in the 6 weeks prior to the half. I ended up finishing with a 2:09 which is just under a 10 minute mile. That’s quite respectable, especially considering my lack in training. I’ve been very out of practice in the running game since then, but I’ve picked up a little bit to prepare for the “Hannibal Cannibal” 5k that I ran on the 3rd with the boyfriend.

That run made me remember what I like about running (even while I was cursing my way up Lovers Leap – a harrowing quarter mile hill of steep calf killing hell). The sense of accomplishment I feel after finishing a “race” is incredible. I put race in quotes because, well, I’m not in any way racing against the other people so much as I am racing myself in order to improve. I’m not on the competitive level as far as ability and speed go. It’s not the same thing as running a distance by myself because it’s so much more tangible and official. I get a number to wear, there are people all along the course cheering me on (and motivating me not to stop) and the other runners near me give me just enough of a competitive edge to push myself. I love seeing my times improve. After I ran the KC Half in 2008 I was sore for 3 days (thanks to my poor training) but I loved saying “I ran a half marathon!” 13.1 miles! It’s not as difficult as it sounds and it’s an AWESOME feather in the cap.

I’ll be using the FIRST training program. Here’s the link to the Runners World ½ marathon adaptation of it:

I like this because it’s a 10 week program (giving me 4 weeks from now to just get into the habit of running a few days a week first) and it’s only 3 days a week of running, which is the most difficult kind of workout to fit into my schedule. The other days are rest and cross training days. I’ll probably do some strength training on my cross training days to balance out all the cardio. That’s easy to get done at home with videos.

I’m looking for running buddies in the race, but my schedule probably precludes me from actually getting to train with anyone. I’m going to be doing the program with the goal pace matching my last half (9:52-ish/mile). I’d go for an improvement (and I still might kick it up – who knows) but I really did take like a year off of running after the half last time (busyness happens.) and I would be happy just to get back to where I was. I don’t want to shoot too high and be disappointed.

Anyhow, if you’re happening upon this blog and would like to run with me at that pace on October 16,2010 – hit me up.

eensy weensy spider

My most recent project has been working on getting everything out of my basement. This serves two purposes: 1. I'm getting rid of a ton of junk I haven't so much as thought about in 2 years. 2. I'm preparing for a likely move in the future, by clearing out so that the basement can be power washed.

I spent a couple of hours on it last night before giving in for the night and going to sleep. I'd get it done a lot quicker if I didn't frequently feel the need to spend several minutes kicking boxes to make sure that no mice ran out or if I didn't practically burst into frantic tears every time I saw, thought I saw, or thought I felt a spider or any other insect on or near me. It's actually pretty hilarious. It's comedy at it's finest. I'd seriously consider taking the act on the road if I weren't so traumatized.

I just keep reminding myself how wonderful it will be when it's done. I've got about an hour of work left on it. Then, I get to focus on a more fun type of cleaning: sorting through all of my clothes. There's a job.

freeze frame time

As promised, here are some pictures to represent my life as of late:


Girls night out with Cate and Ash. It was a good time.

Memorial Day Weekend at the lake with my family. Sister pic on the boat.

I tried my hand at tubing for the first time in over 10 years. I'm proud to say I lived through the experience.

Here's a sweet picture of my nephews while we were waiting at the airport for my cousin to return from Scotland.

Too sweet not to share.

Nathan had a birthday. It was adorable.

Favorite cousins! We were at her sister/my other cousin's graduation party.

I got a new nephew! He's very handsome.

Also, I've been spending a lot of time with this guy. He's pretty handsome too.

oh baby baby

Dear World,

Meet Colten James French

I apologize for the mess you made when your heart melted all over the floor.

Love,

Me

I live because I love to

Oh hey. Is this thing on? It appears that I've been a bit distracted over the past two months with work, school, and boyfriend. No, that last one wasn't a typo.

Anyhow, these various activities have proven to be quite time consuming, though I've certainly had quite a few things to blog about... I guess. My problem is that I'm not sure if the fun things going on in my life are necessarily blog worthy. I'm a 25-year-old grad student with a job and a boy. And a couple of cats. There are a million other people out there like me. I'm not embarking on any specific life adventure like cooking my way through Julia Child's cookbook. I don't have kids to post adorable pictures of or a fantastic camera to use to take cool pictures of random things. I don't have the trials and tribulations of a new marriage yet... I'm just a girl figuring things out. So, here's just a quick update on the biggest thing's in my life, for those of you who may be interested:

1. Grad School: I finished the Spring semester with my 4.0 in tact. I'm currently taking Theories of Group Therapy as a summer class. It's pretty low key, and one night every other week I actually am part of a group going through the process. It's very interesting. In August I'll start practicum, which is basically just logging a certain amount of hours with undergrad volunteers developing rapport and case studies. Then, in the Spring of 11, I'll begin my internship. I'm hoping to end up somewhere like TLC for families and kids. I've recently come to the conclusion that I'd like family therapy to be my primary focus. So many of our individual problems could be prevented if we all learned to communicate more effectively in love as a family.

2. The job: I still am doing really well at work, enjoying pretty much every day. My boss has numerously alluded to the loss he'll have when I finish grad school and pursue a career in the mental health field. I hate to disappoint him, but there is very little chance I'd stay once I'm done with grad school.

3. The family: We've welcomed a new little one, Colten James. He is PRECIOUS. It's going to be so nice having a baby around at all of our family gatherings. Thanks, Mike and Lisa, for the baby fix. Plus, FC Rachael is back from Scotland so that's good news.

4. The boy: Todd is a teacher and a coach and a pretty awesome overall person. We've almost been dating for 6 months (July 2nd is the day) and it's going well. I'll stop at that, lest I go into "that girl" mode gushing and mooning over him and us. Suffice it to say that I'm a fan.

There's the update. I'm heading to Monroe City in a couple of weeks to spend the 4th of July weekend with Todd and his family. He and I are going to run in a 5k that weekend and I am VERY out of practice. I've been working on hydrating and fueling properly all day today so that I can get a good hill workout in. I've got 2 weeks to be able to just complete it. Maybe I'll train hard enough to beat him. It's not looking too promising at this point. My next post will have more pictures.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

Panera is awesome. From the garden vegetable soup, to the hazelnut coffee, to the free wifi.

There, saying that makes me feel better about sitting here for 2+ hours working on a paper and routinely checking my facebook.

Yesterday when I landed back in Kansas City after a wonderful trip to Denver, I was 90% sure that I'd lost my one and only set of car keys. Panic ensued immediately. I did a poor job of looking in my suitcase for them partly because I was not really at all surprised at the idea of losing my car keys. It's something I would do. The 2nd reason I immediately went into breakdown mode probably had a lot to do with 3 hours of sleep and being awake since 4am. That's neither here nor there. Anyhow, after realizing that if my car keys were REALLY gone, the result would be several hundred dollars and a priceless several hours would be involved in the solution, I decided to painstakingly look through my suitcase once more. I started pulling stuff out one at a time. Lo and behold, beneath things I hadn't even UNPACKED in CO, there were my car keys. It's a very mundane story, but the moral of the story is NEVER PROCRASTINATE IN REPLACING YOUR SPARE KEY WHEN YOU LOSE IT. I've got an appointment with my dealer (car, not drug... though maybe I could use one of those) on Saturday to get myself taken care of.

If they weren't so expensive I'd order like 50 of them and pass them out to every friend, family member, and coworker I had. "Hi, I know we're not close, but would you mind holding on to one of my spare car keys? It's necessary." Then I'd just send out a mass text every time I did something stupid like lock my keys in my car or drop them in a quicksand trap. "Hey everyone, can whoever's closest to Indian Creek Trail come let me into my car? I've done it again."

All you need is love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

As promised last time (and I know everyone has been waiting with baited breath) here is the playlist that I made to celebrate this wonderful day of love.

Love in the Oh-Ten
Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble
You and Me - Dave Matthews Band
I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers
First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
Falling Slowly - The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Iglova)
Electric Twist - A Fine Frenzy
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
All is Love - Karen O and the Kids (from Where the Wild Things Are)
The Book of Love - Peter Gabriel
All You Need is Love - The Beatles
I Want to Know Your Plans - Say Anything
Valentine - The Get Up Kids
You Really Got a Hold on Me - She&Him
Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses
I Will Follow You Into The Dark (Cover) - Amy Millan
Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan
12:59 Lullaby - Bedouin Soundclash
Quit Your Life - MXPX
Sexy Bitch - David Guetta and Akon (This one is just for fun. Stop it. I can feel you judging me.)

And here... watch this because it's sweet and Postsecret is awesome.

Everybody's working for the weekend.

Any misgivings I had about my job initially have all melted away for several reasons that don't need going into. I have fun pretty much every day at work which is a good thing, obviously. My daily tasks aren't necessarily thrilling, but my interactions with my boss and a few of my colleagues are what make the workday great.

Last Wednesday, for example, my boss and I colored this picture together - well, not at the same time but as a collaborative effort.


The landscape work was my boss, and I added the details like the sun, birds, pond, flowers, and lily pads. I know that the perspective is off on the flowers. Let it go. Your art rules aren't the boss of me.

The story behind the picture is longish and pretty funny, but I feel as though it would lose something in translation from spoken word to blog. However, I did want to quickly share this picture with the world so that you can all know how hard I'm working.

2010 is shaping up pretty nicely so far. I haven't had a bad day yet in February actually (knock on wood).

My next blog is going to have something to do with the AWESOME playlist I just made for Valentine's Day. Just a little something to look forward to.