Archive for December, 2009
Best of 09: Office Laughs
Posted by Kristin in Best of 09 on December 30, 2009
December 29 Laugh. What was your biggest belly laugh of the year?
Sadly, I am a day late and a dollar short for this post, but I really like this topic.
I am a very lucky person, blessed with amazing friends, family and a great group of co-workers. So, naturally, when prompted to think of my best laugh of 2009, one of my first memories was while at work. So, here’s the story:
One of my co-workers, Bryan Brignac, has an irrational fear of large bodies of water. You might be thinking, well heck, that’s fairly common. However, what makes his fear irrational, is the story from which it stems. During work one afternoon, Bryan proceeded to defend his fear of water with a story he was told as a child.
Down in Lousiana, a young girl was water skiing and having a grand time. Until, however, she lost control of the tow rope and fell into the water – landing into… a nest of water moccasins. She did not survive.
Curious as to what a water moccasin even looks like, we asked Bryan to check out Google. What was the FIRST link that popped up? An urban legend Web site. Clicking on the link, we discovered that this is a popular urban legend from the south and, most importantly, water moccasins do not nest, as they are cannibalistic by nature.
I acknowledge that this story will not appear to be nearly as amusing as it was that day, but the most important piece of this post is a compliment and note of sincere appreciation for the wonderful people with whom I am blessed to work. Whether it be over lunch or in a gathering around the office, I find myself laughing every single day at the stories, mannerisms and jokes of my co-workers.
Home, and unplugged, for the Holidays
This afternoon I officially begin my holiday vacation, which consists of driving to Omaha until Saturday then returning to the Cities and continuing on to Green Bay for my first-ever Packer game at Lambeau field (cue music).
While my time at home will be relatively low-key, I am determined to maintain a healthy distance from online and social media. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook are a part of my everyday routine, but I don’t want to lose or miss out on the magic of family during the holiday season: playing board games, watching mom struggle with the Wii
and enjoying movies.
That’s why I am braving a potential blizzard to drive six hours through Iowa. I’m not driving home to jump on Twitter or blog about my Christmas, recent news or any other daily ramblings I may have.
I don’t pledge a full black-out from social media, but my posts will be more scarce, tweets more infrequent. Have a wonderful holiday, and make sure to enjoy quality time with those you are with.
We’ll talk next week!
Best of 09: Quite the Project
Posted by Kristin in Best of 09 on December 21, 2009
December 21 Project. What did you start this year that you’re proud of?
Well, I suppose this might be cheating since I technically started this project in 2008, but I will bend the rules because it’s my post. The project that I am most proud to have completed in 2009 is… well, you’re reading it. My Web site.

For both Natalie Wires and myself, getting our Web sites up and running was a constant on the to-do list. Finally, in November (with enormous amounts of thanks to David Erickson for his technical prowess and encouragement) we hit publish and were off to the blogging races.
This project continues to be a challenge for me to maintain and update. However, it is no longer a nagging task and is instead slowly transitioning into something that I enjoy and comes naturally.
Thank you to all of you who stop by to check me out every now and again. I really appreciate it. If you haven’t already, please leave a comment when you are compelled – and if I haven’t compelled you to comment, then I need to do a better job in 2010
Also, if you have your own blog, let me know! I am looking for new ones to read and great people to learn from.
Best of 2009: CWS-Bound
Posted by Kristin in Best of 09 on December 18, 2009
December 19 Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? Did you eat anything as you drove there? Who were you with?
As an Omaha gal, and HUGE baseball fan, no matter where I am living it is necessary to be in Omaha in June for the College World Series. One of the best traditions in college sports, and when Omaha really comes alive. This year, I was lucky enough to share this event with some of my best friends. While the entire weekend was a blast: full of swimming, drinking, baseball and laughs, the car ride down to Omaha is one of the standouts of that summer.

In all, six of us headed down from Minneapolis to Omaha, meaning we needed to take two cars. I drove the boys, while the other three girls were in the other car. To make the trip easier (and infinitely more entertaining) we brought along walkie-talkies, one for each car.
Initially, the walkies were used to share music and jokes – especially through the long, desolate drive AKA Iowa. Upon entering Nebraska, I used the walkie to serve as the tour guide, where I informed my guests of major companies, the Zoo (that is a-mazing), the railroad, etc. I also, wrongly, told the cars that Omaha was “the gateway to the West” when explaining that the western and eastern railroads were joined together by Union Pacific in Omaha. Apparently, some city called St. Louis has already coined that term
All in all, it was a memorable trip and I was so happy I could share my life in Omaha with my life in Minneapolis. I’ll definitely be going back to the CWS in 2010, and welcome all new-comers to enjoy the magic.
Best of 09: Girl’s got a lot of Shoes
Posted by Kristin in Best of 09 on December 18, 2009
December 18 Shop. Online or offline, where did you spend most of your mad money this year?
I blame my mother. She loves to go shopping for shoes, loves picking out the pretty ones that her feet can no longer wear and encouraging me to try them on. And then it’s all downhill from there.
Amongst my co-workers and friends, I am known for my exhaustive shoe collection. When all else fails, I can always find a new pair of shoes to buy, when nothing else seems to be fitting just right.
I’m completely confident that the purchases of 2009 that total the most amount of money are shoes, hands down. So, here is my attempt to capture some of the shoes that I purchased in 2009, and sadly, I’m sure I forgot some.

The boyfriend has no idea what he’s getting into.
Best of 09: The year of Tea
Posted by Kristin in Best of 09 on December 16, 2009
December 16 Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What’s yours?
I don’t drink coffee. I don’t like the taste, and too much caffeine gives me the shakes. This year, however, I started drinking 2 to 3 cups of tea in the morning to give me a bit of a pick-up. I tried several different varieties before landing on my perfect cup:

Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life from Yogi is, by far, my favorite tea of the year. The box claims to energize and help suppress appetite. While I don’t recommend relying on this tea as a weight-loss regimen, it definitely helps put some pep in my step, even on the most difficult mornings.
If you’re looking for a loose leaf option, I would also happily recommend the Fuji green tea from Tea Garden. As my apartment does not have Internet, I frequently visit Tea Garden down the street to update my blog, catch up on Google Reader and upload/edit/order photos. While I would much rather indulge in a raspberry chai tea latte with pearls, my conscience leads me to the lower calorie, healthier Fuji tea.
I asked for a teapot this Christmas, and look forward to any recommendations from you. I will definitely give them a try!
Best of 09: Rush of Childhood
Posted by Kristin in Best of 09 on December 14, 2009
December 14 Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?
This year, for my birthday, my boyfriend and I traveled to Disney World to take advantage of the birthday promotion. It was a perfect vacation for many reasons:
- He has never been to Disney World. I know, shocking.
- I love Disney World.
- Florida in March = heaven, while Minneapolis in March leaves something to be desired.

So we went. For four days we experienced beautiful weather, minimal crowds and, most importantly, that rush you would so often feel when you were younger. We went on all the rides from Splash Mountain to It’s a Small World (though I pretty much dragged him on that one), and felt like little kids. We had no cares or worries, and could just enjoy the company of each other and the magical world of Disney.
There is something to be said for acting like a kid, even when you are supposed to be an adult: screaming at the top of my lungs, battling through bouts of motion sickness (looking at you Men in Black: 2) and running ahead to the next ride on the list. Overall, the trip was just what the doctor ordered, helping to breathe some life into the dull, drab winter months.
What about you? What was your biggest rush in 2009? Was it death-defying? Childish? Exciting?