Fini! I say...

knit
Originally uploaded by ddejongboots.

To which you reply "huh?"

Allow me to explain. I have finished my first ever wearable knitting project. Well, scarves are techically wearable, but as I'm not counting them, I should probably amend my statement to read "first ever knit clothing project." But in any case;

Look what I made!!

Just never mind the pale to pasty skin. And the wild hair, as today is apparently one of my Medusa moments. But all in all, I'm kinda, sorta, pretty darn pleased with myself, thank-you-very-much.

Rachelle and I at the Grand Canyon, Fall 2002 

Rachelle and I in Lake Tahoe in December 2002 

Lisa and Ben in Kansas City this past New Year's weekend.  

This is Rachelle and I in the Gulf of Mexico 

Ben and Lisa, Rachelle pictures

I just posted some pictures of Rachelle and I. The first picture is at Panama City, FL in the Fall of 2001. I didn't know exactly how to post these pictures on the blog so, with the program that I ended up using, they each got their own topic.

There are three pictures of me and Rachelle since I have more of them. I have barely any pictures of Ben and Lisa, so there is only one.

Graduation time

After talking to my mom last night, it sounds like Mark is finally leaving the world of higher education behind...at least for a while. He and Brad Sandor will both be graduating from their respective degree programs this May. I hear Mark is going to look for a job teaching social studies while his wife begins a master's program in Spanish. Sounds like a two-person Mr. Burrow!

Brad will be moving out to LA with a playwriting friend of his to try to make it big. He even has his own website. Does anyone know what major he decided on? International mojo??

So, I don't know who may be lurking out there reading this blog, but if Mr. Mark is out there, pop on and say hi (and feel free to correct any of the above information!).

Anyone else graduating from something this spring? Or starting something new? Ready for that first year of teaching to wrap up soon, Rebecca? :)

luke willamon

yep, luke willamon. bet you'd forgotten about him, hadn't you? (if you still can't remember, get out your yearbook!) anyway, i had definitely forgotten about him until this past weekend, when teresa and i were walking around nebraska furniture mart in omaha, and we randomly ran into him! he was super excited about his life in omaha, where he's working doing something apparently not very memorable. he is, however, extremely excited about his church...a branch of the community church he attended in ames. anyway, i just thought you'd all like to know that he's happy and healthy, and now you can all join in the chorus of.... it's a small world after all, it's a small, small, world!

ps...happy birthday, jay and anne! i would have posted something, but dana beat me to both punches! guess you have to get up early to be the first one around this crowd!

Guess Who?

Someone has a birthday today, Guess Who?

Yes, it's someone bigger than a breadbox.

No, someone who didn't star in Strange Brew.

No, Rick Moranis does have a birthday today, but it's not him!

Yes, the someone has been known to be referred to as a "she" before.

Give up?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNE!

Hope you have a good one.

Have some cake for me, will you? Or some marzipan, perhaps?

Need a reason to party?

It's Tax Day! Everybody join in the conga line to the post office!

What is that, you say? The day that the IRS takes away your hard earned money via ridiculously complicated process full of cryptic forms only to squander it on things like super-duper-deluxe toilet paper in the Congressional restrooms (okay, so the government probably doesn't do this, but doesn't it sometimes feel like they do?) isn't a time to celebrate?

Okay fine. How about this for an excuse to party:

It's JAY'S BIRTHDAY!!!

Yes, today we can celebrate the existence of Mr. Collman and leave all our troubles behind us.

So today, I wish you a pleasant day.

And may you all be getting refunds.

URGENT MESSAGE FOR JAKE OR REBECCA

Hey, I was going to email Lisa to congratulate her on her engagement, but the email bounced back. So if one of you could get her to click here, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I made a little film with a goofy thing that can be found over here. It's amusing and a good way to kill some time if time needs killing.

Thanks, my little cabbages!

-Dana

Consulting Question

arlington cemetery
Originally uploaded by ddejongboots.

I was sorting through photos from our (being me, Brent and Carmen while she was here over spring break) DC adventure, and I can't quite make up my mind about this photo. I have other frames to chose from, but this is what I've settled on, for now. Any thoughts from the crowd? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Wanna see it in color? Or a horizontal shot? Opinion(s) please.

more winterset news

whoa, this town hasn't had such an explosion of news/gossip since they found out i was coming to town! ;) anyway, there's a new development at whs i thought you all might like to hear about... apparently tony stewart has been hired to teach here next year! he's going to be teaching part-time social studies, part-time alternative school and coaching something i think. anyway, the kids are already talking about how there's going to be a new "young & cute" teacher... they thought it was pretty funny when i told them i knew him already! don't worry, even before meeting him people are already trying to hook us up (the kids are obsessed with their single teachers' love lives, a topic which is definitely off limits in my class!)... luckily he has a girlfriend and hopefully still will at the beginning of the year...that way we can avoid the rumor mill as much as possible. no need, people, no need!

Hey Jake, can I spread the good news?

This message is directed to Jake, but hopefully it will pique everyone else's curiosity for the next day or so. Anyway, Jake, in case you're out there and actually reading this from time to time, I'm going to give you until Friday...or Saturday...well, the next time I log in, let's say...to break your family's good news, and if you don't, then I will! In the meantime, anyone else can offer up guesses, take bets, etc.... could be amusing.

Here's a song for you

"Oh give me a home, where Jay can roam, and the skies are not obscured by the other apartment buildings..."

Can you guess what significance this has to me?

Here's a clue!

It's Time to Play: LET'S NAME THAT SONG STUCK IN DANA'S HEAD!

Got your hands on the buzzer? Alright, let's play!

It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere.
I'm all alone, more or less.
Let me fly, far away from here.
Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie shipwrecked and comatose,
Drinking fresh mango juice,
Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes.
Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun
Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun...

Anyone have an answer? Or am I the alone in my pure geek moment?

Happy "Fish of April" Day!

C'est le jour des poissons d'avril! For those of you who didn't take French (which is most, if not all of you since I think I'm the only one who got to experience Madame Vatter moonwalking to "Compte"), it translates to "It's the day of the fish of April!"

**edit** Gingersnap had to jog my memory that she, too, was a French student. And I do believe she stuck it out longer than me.

Yes, April Fool's Day is of French origin. And in modern day France, it is a day to stick paper fishes on your friend's back, sort of the equivalent of a "kick me" sign.

So today, watch out for whoopie cushions (available wholesale for the large scale prankster), fake lotto tickets, and shocking pens. But if you do get fooled, at least you can blame the French.