The Chronicles of Kelsey Lee

my observational cookie...

2011-05-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

Children aren’t so much different than us old-people. Or maybe it’s more like, we aren’t so different from them. I’m watching a load of the girl scouts at the Elementary I teach English at (in Seoul, South Korea) set up their campsites for the campout they get to have at school today. They have all types of food (that they’ve been hauling around with them all day), blankets, pillows, backpacks, and games.

Clearly, they have been thinking about this event for a while.

And now! Here it comes!! The big day they’ve all been waiting for! But I can guarantee that, somewhere along this night, a few are going to go home crying, a handful will feel pretty rotten in the morning from a bad night’s sleep, and the majority will realize that sleeping in their familiar homes is way better than the great unknown.

But then there will be a select few, those that I envy as grown-ups today. They will be the kids that had the time of their lives. Those ones that knew home was still waiting for them and were so present in the moment that they really soaked up every aspect of it. Those people are rare, and it seems like that ability is more of a gift than something that can be acquired.

But either-way, as I stare out of my window at the sea of uniforms beyond, I know I'd rather go home crying from the campout, than miss out on the excitment all together.

My top 10 Cities

2010-10-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

1. San Francisco :: USA (I'm bias)
2. Berlin :: Germany
3. Chicago :: USA
4. Prague :: Czech Republic
5. Hoi An :: Vietnam
6. Verona :: Italy
7. Seoul :: South Korea
8. Melbourne :: Australia
9. Seattle :: USA
0. Marrakesh :: Morocco

[Pictured: The Berlin Wall]

...what are yours?

a bedtime story

2010-04-30T04:50:00.001-07:00

i thought i should copy and paste this one to my own blog. me and my korean crew write a blog basically to document whats doing down in our lives, as a whole. this may be the most aimless post yet, of course, written by me.
mmmh... so
1. its well past my bed time
2. i'm sitting in the dark with my rabbit on my lap
3. the words i might say, may be mildly cryptic... read between the lines

Since we're on the topic of older-sibling-rants I have one to share. It is much more simple, and much less life altering, but obviously its shaped a decent amount of myself, seeing as it is one of the few memories my aging brain has latched onto from childhood. It looks like this:

***DISCLAIMER: NEWMS MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS***

Chorus: At the end of Touchstone court lived a bushy tailed girl named Kelsey. Often falling victim to her brothers ill-willed requests, so she could be seen as the cool little sister, she was misled once again.

Aaron: (standing next to Luke, my 2 week childhood crush) You should lick this...
Kelsey: (stares at the gum webbing through the sole of her brother's "Nike Pumps") ...uh, I don't want to
Aaron: You chicken?
Kelsey: Its warm gum... on your SHOE!
Aaron:(slowly advancing toward her, wielding the shoe)come ooon! I'll give you 20 dollars (at this Luke giggles)
Kelsey: really? 20 dollars?
Aaron: reeeeeally.
(a pinky swear goes down)

Chorus: taking the shoe from Aaron, Kelsey looks at it strategically. After a full examination, and the realization that this could never be done easily, she squeezes her eyes closed, sticks her tongue out, and gives it a quick taste

Aaron and Luke: AHHHH!! EWWWW!!!
Kelsey: WHAT! you told me to. give me the 20 dollars.
Aaron: ahaha... go get one of your dolls for me
Kelsey: huh?
Aaron: I said 20 DOLL HAIRS! ahahahahahah!!

Chorus: As the boys ran off, Kelsey was left pondering the strange taste of moldy strawberries, rubber, and bitter beguile.

I could preach a sermon off of this story... but I will let you do the cross-examination. Either that, or I'm not exactly sure why I told you this.

(www.lovinyoukorea.blogspot.com)

a rambling on of pros and cons

2010-04-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Korea to me, means many things... both good and bad, how should i sort them? oh yes, lets do it like this:

PROS's

i can leave my purse and computer at a table outside a cafe and walk inside with great ease to grab my coffee
when i speak in my broken korean, to a korean, i am either a)really really cute or b) really really smart
dok bokke (a.k.a. bomb street food)
people will let me into clubs w/ great ease (fa free) just because they aren't sure if i'm famous or not
its easy to make friends with non-koreans because you know that you likely have nearly a whole lifestyle in common before "hello"
the random people i meet who want to "practice their english" in a brief conversation with me.
its easy to make friends with koreans since they are all about practicing their english
cherry blossoms and the colors of fall
watching the beautiful community that the people have here
the public health care system

CONS:

the constant sound of loogies being hocked, and the necessary need to watch your every step to make sure that those loogies don't end up on your shoes-ies
ordering a "chai latte" and getting a "latte" 50% of the time
if you're not bite size, you're not the right size
sickos that think i'm a russian prostitute
the freezing winters and humid summers
the public health care system
not getting to have good conversations with strangers

its safe to say the pro's out weigh the cons... but now the golden question: should i stay or should i go now?

Introducing: Norman Rockwell

2010-03-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

Norman Rockwell, a gentleman and a scholar. He, alike the vast majority of everything else I have acquired in Korea, came to me free of charge and full of life. He enjoys eating cardboard, and sprinting around my apartment at random. We've hooked him up with a sweet two room pad, with a living room and a patio. But when we are home, we let him venture and scurry around our loft. So far he hasn't caused any serious damage, though gnawing on the wall isn't the best of manners.

the unlucky one...

2010-03-22T22:45:00.001-07:00

You know that one person who is always lucky? Well, that person is definitely not me. Lately it seems like my luck has been swept away with the numerous snow storms in Seoul; but I am baffled by my own reaction to it all.

As my unluckiness slowly gets redeemed, by finding things/fixing things, etc., I am surprised at how unexcited I am. In fact, I've been feeling more excited about being unlucky, because my reaction has caught me off guard. Usually, I laugh... actually, every time I laugh. Then, I think about how much I don't need whatever it was, and how my life will go on without it, and I get excited to conquer this new territory.

It is amazing how much I've let myself believe that my peace lies in all the things that make my life secure... when really it is exemplified when those things evaporate.

So unluckiness, maybe you are my lucky star.

Psalm 116:1-7

2010-01-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came
upon me;
I was overcome by trouble and
sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, save me!"

The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the simplehearted:
when I was in great need, he saved
me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.

the upside to being lost in translation...

2010-01-10T02:14:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly sure I've been doing cyberspace a grave injustice by not documenting the many hilarious 'lost in translation' events that happen in my classroom, so here are just a few to keep you satisfied:

1. "I'm gay!"..."no I'm gay!"... "NO I'M GAY!"... "nooooo I'm GAY!"... "TEACHER!!! I'm GAY!!!"
say the 3 six year olds that come bursting through my classroom door during break time.

Despite my dismay, I try to gather my thoughts together "guys, this isn't really something you have to be arguing about", I think to myself. Just as I start to open my mouth to make sense of this heated debate the 3 cuties go sprinting to the whiteboard. Ruppy grabs the Expo marker first and starts play hangman on the board, the other 2 students somberly take their seats.

It was right around this moment that I started laughing as I realized they were trying to say "I am game"... meaning "I get to play the game".

2. I am in the middle of a beautiful description of the relationship between "cause" and "event". As I turn my back to the class briefly to draw a little stick-figure scene to depict what I'm saying I hear "ooooohhh yeeeeaaaah... shakewhatchomamagaveya."

Frozen, I couldn't believe what I heard. I slowly turn around to the class, "WHO said that?". The class gets completely idle. All motion, sound, breath... stilled. I search each of my 11 student's faces... all of a sudden a tiny 10 year old boy in the front of the class goes "ooooohhhh yeeeeeaaah... shakewhatchomommagaveya." I totally lost it and started laughing until a few tears came out. The class got frantic... what does that mean? they all started asking.

When I could finally get myself back together, I asked him how he learned that, and he said one of his friends in Canada told him. I asked him if he knew what it meant and he said yah... although when I asked him to stand and demonstrate to the class how you "shakewhatchomommagaveya" he declined.

I still and not totally convinced that he knew what he was saying.

... and i'm sure there is more to come.

... and this is what i've been doing for the past 4 months

2009-12-16T07:10:00.001-08:00

2009-11-23T18:00:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hitch Hiking, Huts, and Octopus legs? I'll take it.

2009-10-04T03:44:00.000-07:00

Chusoek is the harvest holiday for Korea, kind of like Thanksgiving. So myself, and basically all my friends here (and their friends) went to Muido Island for 3 days. Right when we got onto the Island Mindy,a few people we met on the bus, and I hitch hiked to the beach. We stayed right on the beach in little multi-colored huts and basically had the time of our lives. I don't think I've ever been to a place that is more beautiful. This island has the second most extreme tide change on Earth, so at certain points you can walk out at least a mile what will be the ocean within the next 4 or so hours. The first night was windy, but as the sun was setting and the tide was out i walked for about 3/4 mile into the sunset. The sunset was so beautiful, it made the water look like little diamonds on fire. The wind was making the little bit of water left ripple like crazy, so I would stop and face the wind, and it felt like I was moving at light speed because the water was rippling toward me so fast.

The next day I ate live octopus for the first time! I should probably elaborate on that... Octopus leg is all the rage in Korea, and it basically goes like this: kill octopus, chop off leg, put on plate, eat. Its not cooked or really seasoned at all for that matter. So when it gets to you (the consumer) it is still squirming and can suction cup its self to your face/teeth/esophagus... you get the picture. I thought it was going to take a lot of build up to convince myself to eat it (knowing that some people die from being strangled by them), but the moment arose and apparently I was game. I was surprised that is actually tasted pretty good.

Before I left on the last day I was there, I walked back out to the ocean when the tide was out, for easily a mile; far enough that I was outside of the cove that was the island. The whole time I walked I watched little crabs flee from my every step, usually seeking cover in the sand. A few times I got charged by them, and actually had one get stuck in between my toes, but they were surprisingly low key and really pretty. I saw a starfish on the ground and picked it up. One of my new friends figured it was probably lost, and he put it back in the ocean. I poked at what I'm pretty sure was a dead jellyfish, and got to watch Korean fisherman wade in the the the shallow waters digger for clams and who knows what else.

Everything about this was truly beautiful, and it felt so good to get out of the city and breathe some fresh air, grill some hot dogs, and finally stick my feet back in the sand!

one case of arachnophobia coming right up!

2009-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

So the question came up... would you rather wake up with dog poop on your face or one of these spiders:

... you tell me. I easily saw a hundred of these things... and it was at this point that I conveniently ignored their existence.

Farming in Pyeong Taek!

2009-09-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

I spent this past weekend farming cucumbers in a small village outside of Seoul. I, along with a group of 60 other korean university students and a few other internationals, helped out the village farmers with numerous different farming activities. my job was pinning cucumber vines up onto a hanging string so they can grow up it. Other people did jobs like pick tomatoes and prune eggplant. From what i learned, Korean University students help farmers every crop season in order to make sure that farmers are able to supply Korea with enough food. I assume this is because 60% of Korea's population lives in Seoul, meaning that the small portion of farmers in the other 40% has to work hard to keep them' fruits and veggies comin!

For dinner to I got to eat some cucumbers and they have never tasted better!!

where are we?

2009-09-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

If I stretch hard enough, I think I can feel the world at my fingertips

2009-08-31T03:01:00.001-07:00

I just finished my first day of teaching and had a great time!! woohoo!!!

As I sit in my classroom trying to review and prepare for tomorrow's classes, I keep getting distracted by all the life that is happening outside of my window. I think it just hit me that I am really doing this... I am really teaching English for the next year in South Korea. I think I now believe that this is finally happening.

It makes me realize how easy it is to make anywhere home with the right attitude. Sure, I miss California. Sure, I miss my family, my friends, and all the fun I had at my boat and the beach this past summer. But, this is a different kind of experience... more of a stretching experience. I think I'm slowly proving to myself that the world actually is at my fingertips, I just have to keep stretching. And I now feel more optimistic than ever before.

time flys... when you're in korea

2009-08-29T04:21:00.001-07:00

I, along with my 3 other girlfriends, have safely arrived in Seoul, South Korea... each of us trickling in one-by-one. I have successfully completed my training, which was a feat seeing as though i was required to wear a mask during each 6 hr training session for an entire week (thank you swine flu). I now sit in my teeny tiny studio apartment, contemplating my last 2 weeks of events.

I can definitly say that Korea has its ups and downs, but because it is so insanly different from anything i have ever known, I have thoroughly enjoyed being here and know i will like the rest of my year. My job is wonderful, the people I work with are fun, I have found a great church here, and I think I am going to really like my job (I officially start on Monday). I will keep you updated!

'Twas a dark and stormy day... the day I left my boat.

2009-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, fine... it was actually really pretty and sunny. But it was dark and stormy in my heart, which deserves ample attention. As I emptied out every last nook and cranny, I realized that the boat was actually beginning to echo. Pretty sad.I even have a massive bruise on my right arm to remind me of my boat. As I moved out my last few items, I almost dropped a whole jug of milk inside of the boat. Frantically throwing my hands in through the door to catch it I whapped my elbow on the edge of the door. After a colorful word and a few deep breaths I continued to zip about the boat (the boat owner said he would be by at 10am... lies). By 11 am I had everything lined up outside of my car (still no boat owner).

{don't be fooled, my trunk and majority of my backseat were already full at this point in time}

There was some sailboat lesson thing happening at the dock across from ours, and I think I successfully won over everyone who would walk by me, my tiny car, and my pile of things laughing. Naysayers. They have no idea who they are messing with. I'm fairly sure I dominate at tetris, which of course also means I dominate at packing. Because packing a car/suitcase/box is kind of the same thing as playing tetris (maybe with the exception that your goods don't come in consistent shapes). Regardless, I managed to fill my car to the brim with everything from a shoes to a portable heater (your imagination can run rampid with the other items).So adieu my beloved boat! Or should I say 페어 웰, as I sail off to my next adventure in Seoul, South Korea!

Mindy got a NEW CAMERA!

2009-07-01T19:11:00.001-07:00

... and you would think after 10 years of living with digital cameras we would know how to use one.

Apparently not.

The Bay to L.A.

2009-06-30T01:03:00.000-07:00

Fast and furious trip anyone? This trek to San Francisco and back in 40 hours reminded me of how much really is at my fingertips. My brother came to visit me in Marina Del Rey late last Wednesday and found out he had a meeting in San Francisco Friday at 11 am. Jokingly, he asked me if i wanted to drive up there and back with him. I thought about all the prior commitments I had (which took me about .001 seconds to realize I have none) and quickly responded with a "YEEEEEEA!". Fast forward to 4:45 am the next morning, and off we go... convertible top down and cruise control set.

2 starbucks stops and a whole lot of music later, we arrived in the city. We ate at this Chinese food place (where the meeting was held) and I tried sticky rice for my first time... if you have yet to experience the sticky rice, I highly recommend it. Then we headed to Lower Haight street to stop by this store I have been calling relentlessly to buy a specific shirt of theirs in a medium (seriously, I've set an alarm on my phone and I've been calling them every Saturday since December). It was supposed to be a Christmas present for a friend... now I'm not sure what I will call it, maybe a Bastille day present? Anyways, its a pretty groovy store named "Lower Haters". I love them particularly because their clothing is original, the music they pump into the store is always good, and they have incredible art all over the place. I think they even have art shows in the store every now and again. I snapped a few shots of just a bit of the art that is on the outside of the store:

After I discovered that they still have no mediums, Aaron and I went and got a mayan dark mocha from a local spot. When coffee number 3 didn't give us anymore energy we decided to go to "hippy hill" in golden gate park and have a nap. Amidst dread locked guys strumming guitars and perfectly disheveled girls playing chess, I found myself in a very peaceful sleep.

After recharging our batteries, we met up with Aaron's friend Joey and got some dinner from a local market. We sat on a statue and ate and talked for a while. Then we said our goodbyes and headed up to Mill Valley to meet up with our parents who happened to be there at the same time. They were having dinner with a once removed cousin of my dad's who we had yet to meet. When we got to Mill Valley Aaron and I couldn't believe how beautiful the place was! I was so in awe I didn't think to snap any pictures. It is filled with huge redwood trees, there is the cutest downtown, and this really great lagoon type thing that has beautiful houseboats set along its docks. Best of all, it is very quite... if you had been dropped in the middle of it there would be about 0% chance you would guess you were 15 minutes north of San Francisco. Not to mention the house we went to was built over a creek and half made of glass, so as you were sitting in a room you could see the creek running beneath you. Aaron and I couldn't believe this place; if I ever became a millionaire, I would definitely be living in Mill Valley at some point.

After meeting some new family and eating a bit of food, we drove to the marina in San Francisco and slept at our friend Kyle's apartment for the night. The next morning I woke up and had breakfast in the city with my friend Julia who I've known since Jr. High. I was so excited to get to see her and her cute new studio apartment! After the most original breakfast I've had in a while, it was back in the bug and headed south!

Even though I grew up in the Bay Area, and have been to San Francisco countless times, I feel like I saw a whole new city this trip. Usually I go to the touristy spots because I am showing friends around, but I got experience the more local this trip scene and really enjoyed it. Hooray for spontaneity!

KOREA!

2009-06-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

So for those of you out there in cyberworld who actually read this, and want to stalk me for the next year, you should skip Marina Del Rey and head straight for Seoul, South Korea.

After a successful interview, I have been accepted to a program called "Adventure Teaching". They are a great group that places qualifying college graduates in different schools around South Korea. The pay is great, and my plane tickets and entire year of housing will be covered as well. I am currently in the process of interviewing with different schools, and may have found one! Another plus is that I will likely get to teach at this school with my current boatmate Mindy, and my other 2 friends (Tayla and Katie) who are going will be nearby! I will keep you updated!

Psalm 51

2009-06-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

And today, I shall buy a bike lock...

2009-06-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

So I'm not sure when the big outtings of my day were reduced to single purchases, but I was surprised at the excitement I got out of finally buying a bike lock for my refurbished 1960's Schwinn. I was already in a bad mood that spurred from no specific root, and so far had the kind of day where everyone i came into contact with was grim or plain rude. Even trying to pull out of my parking spot by my boat was a ordeal, I walked out to my car (one of the few spaces filled in the entire parking lot) to see a empty white jeep parked behind it, driver door open, keys in the ignition, and no one in sight. After five minutes of waiting, I was sure I had missed the rapture. After the initial shock of that, it was back to my quest for a bike lock. I surveyed the jeep, wondering how I would explain, with resolve, to the panicked driver that I was not actually trying to steal his car. Just as I made my move toward jeep highjack '09 a lady babbling on her cell phone emerged from the driver seat of a distant lexus, walked right up to the jeep and started casually fiddling with something in the back seat, taking her time to finally pull her car foward with just enough space for me to squeeze out. For some reason this gave me a good laugh, as I imagined how she would have felt if I would have just taken the iniative to move her car myself.
I stopped by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for an iced coffee and a large cup of ice to eat (their ice cubes are the best), then proceeded to make a series of illegal u-turns to get acrossed the street in typical Venice traffic, finding myself in front of "bikeology". I always feel a little intimidated when I walk into a hobby shop, when I don't know much about the particular hobby (i.e., snowboard shop, skate shop, golf shop), so I was avoiding eye contact and headed straight for the bike locks. As I surveyed all the bike locks a perfectly goofy salesman approached me and we had a grand old time picking out locks. I was suprised at how easily the conversation flowed, and I finally decided on the Kryptonite "Kryptolok" (which for some reason sounds like it has the potential to be the next word repeated for 3 1/2 mintes in Lil' Jon's newest hit). As I made my decision I was approached by a guy who did not work in the shop, but obviously spent a good about of his time there. He said his name was "baby huey" and engaged in a battle of the bikes with me. Quickly pointing out the registration on his bike and informing me that is was not for sale (he thought I was intersted in buying the bike because I held the lock up to it when I was asking the sales guy the best place to lock up a bike), when I assured him I was only interested in the lock, he then proceeded to one up everything I said in bike terms. This brought a good hoot for both the salesman and I, who I later found out is looking to cross over to the dirtbiking world. The lifestyle that surrounds each hobby is so interesting. I've never been the kind of person thats been really into one particular thing, but I now kind of wish I was. All in all... this was a surprisingly interesting experience. Maybe the plus to having little to do with life is that we finally start to enjoy the simple pleasures. Mission accomplished.

welcome to my boat!

2009-06-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

So a few months ago a lazy day on craigslist has brought me to a summer living on a sailboat. This has already been such a memorable experience... its basically like camping, except instead of in a tent i am in a floating room. So let me show you around my boat!

This is the outside of the boat! (that is my friend Jeff fixing one of the lights that we've hung around the deck of the boat) The boat has been christened the "hi-flyer". Except it does not fly high, it actually does not even have an engine at all. It mostly just chills in the dock, maybe catching the wake of another boat every now and then and bobbing to and fro. We are docked in Marina Del Rey, CA (which is right next to Venice Beach).

Inside the Boat! This isn't the most clear picture of the layout, but the area on the left is lounge that can also transition into a kitchen table. The area on the right is a couch, the cushions pull foward to reveal shelves which we have our clothes on. The area straight back is the bed, it is large enought to sleep 2. It is cozy, and we have definitily utilized every inch of space... you wouldn't believe the amount of stuff we have packed in this thing.

The kitchen! (and onboard help... hah, just kidding, thats my boatmate mindy). So here, you see the essentials, mini fridge, microwave, tub of licorice, fake flower decor. There is a little sink behind mindy, but its only best for dumping stuff down the drain, the water that comes out of that thing is a little sketch.

The Entertainment center! This here is the state-of-the-art Philips Magnavox, equipped with surround sound, direct t.v., and blue ray d.v.d. Well, almost... it is a Philips Magnavox, but it just has a little dvd player and two computer speakers I hook up to it. Thats all... its been pretty nice not having cable here, it makes you do other things with your time... like blog! hah.

The Backyard! This is where we spend a lot of our time... it fun to meet all the different people that take the boats out across from us (they belong to a sailing club so different people take them out all the time) and our next door neighbor, Sam, has become one of our pals... always helping us out with our boat issues or just plain hangin. We read out here a lot... I've started reading twilight (don't judge me). In this picture is my boatmate Mindy (right), friend Kate (left) and beloved plant Fern (right).

So there you have it! My non-sailing sailboat in all its glory! We have already had so much fun on this thing, and I am so happy I get to have this experience this summer! Now... its time to find a job.

if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

2009-06-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

So my first mate has a blog. My first mate, meaning my friend Mindy who lives on my sailboat with me (of course, this sailboat doesn't actually sail, but that is beyond the point). Anyways, here on this boat we have limited space, and I've noticed Mindy is always busy typing away next to me on the couch. After a few peeks, I noticed she was blogging! Therefore, out of sheer boredom (and yes, a bit of jealousy) I have decided to chronicle my life as well. I can't promise I will be as witty or well-worded as her (www.mindy-jane.blogspot.com), but I will keep you updated on my life, and maybe throw in a few tidbits of wisdom I pick up along the way.