A Life Update
by Sara on July 29th, 2009
Hi everyone,
I apologize for my drought in posting lately; I’ve been a very busy girl!
Here’s a few things I’ve been doing lately that have swept up all of my time:
1. Traveled to Lincoln, NE, to visit my friend Jessica over the Fourth of July. Who knew that Lincoln had such wonderful chocolate, ice cream, popcorn and antique stores?
2. Watched the Sioux Falls Canaries in action 2 or 3 times this summer. I have at least one more game to attend, starting next week!
3. Baseball, baseball, baseball. Brian’s team (sadly) lost in regionals, so their season has ended, therefore marking the end of my brother’s career in athletics (he’s decided not to play in college – he’s heading to South Dakota State University this fall to probably study engineering).
4. Softball – Jordan’s team sure is fun to watch this year! On to the playoffs!
5. Jason Klam profile piece – many, many edits, and I have a few more to go before it’s ready to try and sell. I’m really excited about the way it’s turned out! :)
6. Work, work, work – ACE sure has been keeping me occupied this summer! In less than two weeks, the rest of the staff and I will be heading to the annual ethanol conference and trade show event! This year, the event will be held in Milwaukee, WI; I’ve never been there, so I’m excited to experience life in Milwaukee for a week!
7. Friends! I have been on many a dinner and coffee date in the past two months; yay for having time to spend with friends! :) That’s one benefit to not being in school anymore = free time.
8. Omaha Zoo! Jordan and I made our annual summer trek to Omaha, NE, last weekend to visit the wonderful Henry Doorly Zoo – yay for penguins and giraffes, boo for big crowds of people :/ It was a great day, though :)
9. As of Monday, July 27, Jordan and I have officially been together for 2.5 years! We celebrated by spending a few hours eating, drinking and chatting at Old Chicago, one of our favorite restaurants in Sioux Falls. It’s hard to believe that 2.5 years have passed, but I’m excited to see what’s next for us!
10. Thoughts of law school have resurfaced, yet each day, I go back and forth between the prospect of a law degree and the excitement I feel at pursuing creative writing. I don’t plan to attend graduate school until the fall of 2011, so it’s a good thing I have plenty of time to figure out where my heart truly lies!
Well, I hope that explains my lack of blog posts in the past few weeks; here’s to enjoying the last shreds of South Dakota summer!
-Sara
I’m a college graduate!
by Sara on May 24th, 2009
Hi everyone!
Today, I graduated from Augustana College! I’ve had an amazing graduation weekend, which began with graduation rehearsal yesterday and culminated today with the actual commencement ceremony.
Yesterday I also had a double open house in conjuction with my brother Brian, who also graduated today from Brandon Valley High School (congrats, B!). Our party was so much fun for me; a lot of my professors, family and friends came out to support me, and I had a great time sharing my excitement with all of them. So thank you to all of you who came out!
Today I participated in baccalaureatte in the morning (thanks to cousin Kristen for her company!), and apparently the service opened the floodgates for my poor mother…it must be very difficult to have both of your children graduating on the SAME day at the SAME time. Because of today’s double graduation, not only did my extended family have to split up, but my parents did, too. My Dad attended my ceremony and my Mom attended Brian’s.
I had SO MUCH FUN giving my commencement speech today, too; I got emotional in the middle of it, which was completely unexpected, since I’ve practiced it so many times without my emotions getting the better of me. Everyone I spoke with said I recovered well, however, but it was a little overwhelming :) I had a great time speaking in front of thousands of people in the Sioux Falls Arena, and I feel so honored to have been chosen.
MANY THANKS to my boyfriend, Jordan, who was a complete gem today and videotaped all of the action so that my entire family will be able to view my speech and me walking across the stage. Thanks also to Steve and Nachole, Jordan’s parents, who let us borrow their super camera to record the event.
I can’t wait to get my diploma in the mail!
-Sara
The Rolls-Royce Claytons :)
by Sara on March 22nd, 2009
Hi!
So last night, I participated in my very first fantasy baseball draft. I’m in a league that Jordan’s been in for six years, and I took over a team, renaming it The Rolls-Royce Claytons, after one of my favorite Cardinal from back in the day, Royce Clayton.
Because I took over a team from a manager that wasn’t interested in playing fantasy this season, I got to keep three “keepers.” With $5 to spend on keepers, I kept pitcher Francisco Liriano, outfielder Grady Sizemore, and pitcher Ervin Santana. I would be overjoyed, if Santana wasn’t hurt, but whatever. It’s nice to have access to a few excellent players.
Going into this draft, I had two strategies: 1. Draft outfielder Josh Hamilton with my first pick (sixth overall). 2. Pick ZERO Yankees. I like my players to have moral quality.
Here’s the players I ended up with:
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Love that name!)
C Yadier Molina (Keeping up my Cardinals pride)
1B Prince Fielder (He was, like, born to play baseball with that name)
1B Casey Kotchman (I know nothing about him)
2B Rickie Weeks (Again, I know nothing)
3B Edwin Encarnacion (I really wanted Juan, but he’s pretty much done; love the last name!!!)
3B Pedro Alvarez (Again, I know nothing)
SS Rafael Furcal (He was the best left when I was looking for a SS)
SS Miguel Tejada (Using him as my utility player)
SS ROYCE CLAYTON!! (He’s a free agent still, but he’s my team’s namesake, so I felt that I had to pick him)
I have an amazingly deep outfield roster; here’s who I have:
OF Josh Hamilton (talk about moral character!)
OF Hunter Pence (I think he’s cute!)
OF Lastings Milledge (Don’t really know him)
OF Adam Jones (Cool!)
OF Denard Span (He had a great end to last season)
OF Grady Sizemore (Keeper)
I’m not necessarily disappointed with my pitching staff, but I’m not totally pumped, either. All of the really great pitchers went as keepers, and while I have two keeper pitchers, I still would’ve liked a few more recognizable names. Here’s who I have:
SP Adam Wainwright (Go Cards!)
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (My one Boston player, and oh, it pained me)
SP Randy Johnson (Classic)
SP John Maine (I don’t know a thing about him)
SP Francisco Liriano (Keeper)
SP Ervin Santana (Keeper)
For relief pitchers, I have:
RP Brad Lidge (He’s a Phillie, so I’m assuming he’s decent)
RP Brian Wilson (I don’t know anything about him)
RP Chad Qualls (Again, I know nothing)
RP Jason Isringhausen (I recognized this name, so I picked him)
That rounds out the Rolls-Royce Claytons. I’m excited to see what this season brings (hopefully lots of home runs!).
-Sara
Not to be negative…
by Sara on February 11th, 2009
Things that bug me:
When TV shows (namely ONE TREE HILL) go on hiatus for, like, six weeks, TWICE in one season. (It’s happening now. Can you tell I’m agitated?)
When Timbaland says “Hypmatized” instead of “Hynotized” in his song with Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent “Ayo (Technology)”.
When people have names that are spelled to totally confuse the general public as to how to pronounce them. (Coach K, anyone?)
When the wind gusts in twelve different directions in one minute.
When I have to wear gauze on my pinkie that subsequently requires me to wear a garbage bag on my hand when I shower.
When I tell Jordan I want a dog, and he teases me that we can get one if I do (insert impossible or disgusting task here). Meanface.
When I have all these ideas about what would make a great poem, but I fail to make the time to write poetry.
When I click the left-clicker on my laptop track pad and it takes twelve clicks to actually click.
When I choose the wrong 10:00 newscast to watch for sports and I miss my brother’s basketball ballerness on the local news.
When I turn on ESPN and all I hear is AROD this, AROD that.
When people say I can’t like both Duke and UNC. (I do anyway.)
When I have to shave my legs. (Being a girl sucks sometimes.)
When I am having a great hair day, and then I look outside and it’s raining.
When I try and type an apostrophe, but I keep typing a semi-colon. (Stupid gauze.)
Thank you for reading my rant! :) I really am in a good mood right now…I got a TON of work accomplished tonight :)
Best,
Sara
TOMORROW!
by Sara on February 5th, 2009
Hi there,
Just a note to let you all know that tomorrow at 9 a.m. I’m having the benign tumor removed from my pinkie finger on my right hand. (If you’re confused about what I’m talking about, click here).
I’m a little nervous about it, since it is a surgery, and it’s the first time I’ll be in an actual hospital as a patient (outpatient procedure or not, it’s still scary to me!)
The doctors tell me that I’ll be completely under anesthesia during the procedure (the entire thing is supposed to last 45 minutes at most). I think being completely under will be nice; I hate IVs, however, so it’s always rough getting anesthesia, however pleasant it is afterward. Coming out of anesthesia is always tough; I’ve only been on real anesthesia once before (when I had my wisdom teeth surgically removed), and I woke up feeling unbelievably alone and like my mouth felt like someone attempting to plug up the Grand Canyon with cotton balls. Lovely. Hopefully this time is better…
Hopefully this time is also WAY less painful. Man, I hope that I never have the kind of excrutiating pain I had with my wisdom teeth again. But, as my boyfriend Jordan “lovingly” reminds me, it’s not like I’m having knee surgery, so we’ll see! I have so little pain tolerance you could say I have a negative level of tolerance, so you just never know…
I’m lucky, though, because my Jordan and my parents will all be in the waiting room for me. :) I feel very blessed to have their love and support.
Tell you what: I’ll blog tomorrow using only semi-colons, so you know that I still have a pinkie on my right hand; here’s to no accidental amputation! Tee hee :)
Please send up a prayer or two for a successful procedure, and for the tumor to take its sweet time in growing back, or for it not to grow back at all.
God’s blessings, -Sara
Busy week, full of milestones!
by Sara on January 29th, 2009
Hi all; this has been a busy week for me!
On Monday afternoon, I traveled to Minneapolis for the evening to attend the Oral History Project’s exhibition launch event. What an amazing sight to see the project I worked on all semester (during my internship with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship) completed! I very much enjoyed seeing all of my coworkers from the Center, as well as sharing in the experience with so many high-profile attendees, such as legislators and military personnel. The veterans themselves deserve much of the credit for what this exhibit stands for, as these 30 veterans willingly shared their stories. I feel so proud to be part of the final product. To learn more about where the Oral History Project exhibit will be shown, click here.
After the exhibition launch, I spent time with Deb, the family friend who I lived with this fall. It was wonderful to see her again and to chat. I took off early in the morning and headed home to Sioux Falls. It was certainly a quick trip, but well worth my while.
Tuesday, January 27 marked Jordan and my two-year anniversary. To celebrate, Jordan and I went skiing at Great Bear Recreational Park in Brandon, SD. Let me tell you this: skiing is hard! Jordan says I’m a natural, of course, because he’s supposed to say nice things :) But in all seriousness, I really wish I was a natural at handling the ski lift. As soon as my skis left the ground, tears clouded my eyes. My hand was gripping the lift chair so tightly I probably exercised all the bones in my arm. I wanted off, and I wanted off now. Poor Jordan was trying to calm me down, but all I wanted to do was cry and cry and cry. I guess it’s safe to say that while I may be a natural at skiing, I certainly can’t handle the ski lift. Or the big hill. Wow. But, to say the least, learning how to ski was enjoyable for the most part; it gave Jordan and I a chance to try something new (well, at least new to me) together.
That evening, Jordan and I got cleaned up and went out to Old Chicago, one of our favorite restaurants in Sioux Falls. We had a great time eating and drinking yummy cocktails and talking about our goals in life and how happy we are to see ourselves another year further and closer in our relationship. He makes me feel so excited for my future, and so excited to think of spending it with him.
Wednesday marked the final day of my Interim class. Hard to believe that my LAST Interim class is already over, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this class immensely. Learning about race and how it fits into America’s historical context and into America’s modern-day discussions has been fascinating. This class functioned to provide a smooth transition from HECUA back to Augie, and I’m very grateful.
Today, I’m back to work at ACE full time until my FINAL SEMESTER AT AUGIE starts next week. I can’t believe I’m a second-semester college senior, only a mere four months away from graduation!! I’m very excited to be done, but at the same time, I’ll certainly miss the academic life. I love learning, as corny as it sounds, and it’ll probably be a rocky transition, but I’m looking forward to new challenges.
My friend Kim from Minneapolis is coming to Sioux Falls to visit me this weekend! I’m very excited to see her and to show her a little glimpse of my world here in South Dakota. We’re going to get thai food and see a band perform on Friday, then we’ll hit up the mall and maybe the movie theatre on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll also eat dinner with my family in Brandon on Saturday night. Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, so Jordan and I will spend that day together after Kim leaves to travel home. It should be a fun-filled weekend; I’m really excited!
Here’s some prayers to send up, if you would:
Pray for Jordan and his job prospects. He has a few opportunities in balance, so please pray for God’s direction and blessing on Jordan’s goals and desires.
Pray for my friend Ashley, who is over the half-way mark in her chemo treatments.
Pray for my brother and his teammates, that they are safe from injury and have a restful few days without games.
Pray for my Mom, in hopes that her icky cold goes away soon.
Pray for safe travels for Kim.
Love you all!
Because I’m avoiding homework…
by Sara on January 7th, 2009
It’s three days into J-term, and I’m already sick of homework.
What happened to my HECUA days, man?! I’m missing reading novels (like, interesting novels) all the time.
Over J-term, I’m taking my Capstone course, which at Augie means I’m close to graduation (and indeed I am). I am SO ready to freaking graduate.
I think.
An update on my life: my boyfriend Jordan has mono. Cue me: nanny, caretaker, chef, all around maid. Woo. Here’s to hoping I don’t get sick.
Warning: TMI alert. Because of said mono, I haven’t held Jordan’s hand. I’ve kissed him only on the forehead. Once. And cuddling? Nearly unbearable (I don’t want him to touch my bare skin out of fear of getting mono myself). So how do I occupy the now oodles of free time that usually is spent snuggling?
Homework. Oh, and Clorox-ing the house like a mad woman.
Speaking of my duties: I’ve made a few really, really yummy meals this past week, including lasagna, spaghetti, and a chicken dish. MMM!
Another update: still want a dog. This week, I want a Beagle. We’ll see how long that lasts.
I have this theory that after being such an amazing caretaker while Jordan’s been sick, he should buy me a dog.
Are you reading this, honey? I know you are.
Dog, please. A dog. :)
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