Technology has been a part of my life as a student as long as I can remember. Looking back, I realize that I was incredibly lucky to go to an elementary school where we had access to a computer lab. I recall around second grade we used Apple computers to make LEGOs move; I don’t remember what exactly this was called, but it clearly formed a lasting impression. From elementary school onward, we were given experience with word processing; most times, technology was used for special projects and presentations. We gained a lot of experience with PowerPoint. In high school, my classes exposed me to additional software that I might not have experienced otherwise. Yearbook and newspaper provided experience with Adobe PageMaker and Photoshop, which greatly influenced who I became in college.

As a college student, I used the internet more for research. Online databases of scholarly articles such as JSTOR definitely made my life easier. The value of email presented itself as well, since I always emailed my papers to my Mom or a friend to have them proofread. My prior experience with Adobe led me to use it outside of publications by creating stellar handouts for presentations. As I was wrapping up my undergraduate study, more and more teachers were moving toward online submissions for papers and utilizing Blackboard for course materials. One of my favorite English professors sent our drafts and final papers back to us with comments and corrections tracked in Microsoft Word. Thumb drives were also one of the greatest inventions to come out during my college career, and I’ve gone from having one that I held my current papers and projects to several dedicated to different fields.

Since graduation, I’ve become the editor for friends’ papers, and we often use Google Docs to share things. While Google Docs provides access to word processing, spreadsheets and presentations among other document types, it pales in comparison to the innovations Google continues to provide. The advent of Google Wave could change the way people share and discuss documents, but it’s something that may take awhile to catch on.

My teaching experience is limited to substitute teaching, but I have seen technology used in various classroom settings. In some cases, students are using older computers to master the basic computer applications such as Microsoft Office. In another instance, I had the opportunity to substitute for a yearbook class, and these students had access to several state-of-the-art desktop computers as well as a cart of laptops. Many of them had their own high-quality point-and-shoot digital cameras, and they also had access to the school’s higher quality DSLR cameras. This same school district has several laptop carts shared by department. I’ve seen students use laptops for PowerPoint presentations in their social studies and science courses and use educational sites to reinforce skills while their regular teacher is out sick. In some cases, the students use the time with laptops productively; however, I’ve run across numerous students who use the time to access Flash games or dedicate most of their time to finding the perfect song for the background of their presentation. Several of the school districts with whom I’ve substituted use the website StudyIsland.com to reinforce and test student skills; I will be interested to discuss using sites like this when I complete my field experience observations.

What’s lucky for me is that I never tainted my opinions of the series; in addition to avoiding the books, I’ve never seen any of the movies. I have kept myself fairly isolated from all things Potter, which means that I can still make my own mental images of the characters and I have no idea how the plot will twist and turn. I find myself making predictions, but I do not voice these to my friends because most of them are familiar with the books. I’m having a lot of fun being immersed in this world, and even though I thought the books would be childish and silly, I find myself admiring the prose and the language employed to convey stories that are not boring in the least. In fact, in Chamber of Secrets, Rowling used the word “tenterhooks,” which made me really, really happy. Perhaps I’ve been living in this county for too long if proper usage of words makes me giddy.

I think that after I finish the third book, I may take a brief break. Perhaps I will read something else, or dedicate myself solidly to working ahead on my classwork. Regardless, I think that three books in a little over a week will be a sufficient start to meeting this 2010 goal. Dan also pointed out that if I read all seven books in less than a month, I may start thinking that I am Harry Potter.

He’s totally wrong, though. I’d be Hermione. Duh.

Additionally, I’m having some thoughts about attempting the city school again. They held an orientation for substitute teachers this week, and I attended because I didn’t have any subbing work. I feel like, in the present economy, more people are emergency certified to substitute and this increases the number of options for schools and decreases the number of calls for the sub. So I may have to start taking calls at the city school to stay afloat financially, as much as I don’t want to do it. They seemed genuinely grateful that anyone would show up to teach for their school district, and they acknowledged that they do indeed have some bad eggs. They also gave me what I wanted—a written manual outlining different procedures. While it isn’t quite a Bible of How to Act at the Urban School, it does have some helpful information. They also gave us some pointers that I would not necessarily have thought to employ in teaching (i.e., ignore the “bad” children), so maybe if I try to follow their ideas of how things work, I will have a more successful time of it.

Nothing compares to subbing at my favorite suburban schools, though. I did have a day at one this past week, and because it’s almost time for high school finals, the class was doing review packets. The fact that they remained quiet and legitimately did work per the teacher’s instructions enabled me to all but finish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in a single day. I sincerely hope that I can work with them more throughout the rest of this school year.

I may post some of my posts from my various classes on here as I move through my semester with SJU. The Psychology of Teaching course seems like it will be really thought-provoking, and we have to write weekly message board posts for it. My fingers are crossed that things continue to go well for me in the education sector.

The night we were discussing her impending visit, I noticed a truck in a parking lot covered in bumper stickers. The most notable of these stickers? “I’ll forgive Jane Fonda when the Jews forgive Hitler.” Yeah, seriously. What the…?

However, the real WTF moment was while we were out at the bar. Now Jill and I have always been a bit crass; it’s just who we are. After a couple of beers at a local pub (a classier joint than the outings of our early twenties; the one bartender here puts the shamrock in your Guinness foam!), we were discussing which celebrities we thought would die this year. I mean, 2009 was a year for tragic celebrity deaths with Farrah, Michael, Patrick, Brittany, etc. 2010 has potential. First on Jill’s list was Amy Winehouse. The lady bartender overheard, and joined in our conversation. She also had Amy Winehouse at the top of her list, which made us happy and allowed her to stay in our conversation.

Big mistake.

This woman said that she wouldn’t mind seeing a certain high-ranking political figure die. I don’t even want to write it into a sentence on the internet that’s how “Holy Mother of God, are you SERIOUS?” such a statement is to me.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the Change We Can Believe In™ was too good to be true. That’s not the President’s fault. The people in the other branches of government are working hard to light the flaming hoops for him to jump through. He has a lot of messes to clean up. He’s trying his damnedest and he’s doing a pretty good job with the shitty hand he was dealt. We could be living in a nuclear holocaust by now, or at least in a world where we shoot animals from helicopters. Reacting in a very unJill and unLindsay manner, we tried our best to steer the conversation back to the Isle of Sanity. I pointed out that my friend was from the Capitol, and Jill stated that many people in her land would be very sad if anything like that happened.

The bartender backpedaled a little bit. She kind of went in to why she doesn’t like him. Apparently “naming foreign dignataries” isn’t high on her list of presidential qualifications. She would prefer someone “regular.” Like Sarah Palin.

Really? Really?!

I don’t think we even really responded. The look on our faces said it all. She tried to qualify “regularity” by saying, “or you.” In retrospect, this doesn’t make me feel much better. I don’t want to be in the same category as Sarah Palin for anything but my X chromosomes.

The conversation wrapped up after I steered it to local politics and we politely asked for our tabs. I tipped fairly generously considering she had just grouped me with the newest Fox New commentator, so maybe she will finance some education or something.

I surely hope that my friend comes back to PA after this. I’m not sure I would!

Dogfish Head Beer is easily one of my favorite beverages. I am a fan not only because many of the brews are tasty, but also because the story of these craft brewed Delaware delights is so intriguing. The founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, was an English major who started a brewpub in 1995 at the age of 25. His brewpub grew exponentially since then, and now DFH is a mid-Atlantic empire, even seeing expansion in the face of 2009’s recession. DFH has built a culture around their ales, or perhaps the beer has evolved around the off-centered culture; the off-centeredness is seen not only in the taste of the ales themselves, but also in the employees and avid fans of their craft brewing, of whom my father may be #1. My Dad, Dan and I rang in the new year in Rehoboth Beach, DE at a dinner celebrating DFH’s 15 years in the brewing business and toured the brewery (with its new and improved visitors’ center) before we headed back to PA. Though I’ve done the brewery tour before, I was especially struck by the knowledge of our guide John and convinced that I do, in fact, need to evangelize this fabulous company’s off-centered ales to other off-centered people around the world.

I’ve been eating at the Rehoboth brewpub since before I could legally drink, and long before I liked the taste of beer. The food I tend to choose is gourmet pub grub, but it turns out that many of the ales DFH creates pair well with true gourmet dishes. I learned this at the He Said Beer, She Said Wine dinner that Dan took me to in September. My Dad is actually the one who first introduced me to DFH. As a loyal Delaware Beach visitor, he’s been drinking 60 Minute IPA basically since its creation, and his appreciation for craft brewing has only increased as the DFH line expanded. My own taste in alcohol only grew up include beer within the last few years, starting toward the end of college when I could tolerate Blue Moon and other “girlie” beers. One of DFH’s claims to fame is their continuous hopping of certain beers (60, 90 and 120 Minute IPAs, which are continuously hopped for the amount of time specified in their names); unfortunately, I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of hoppy beers as I tend to prefer sweeter flavors. One thing I’ve learned from the brewery tours I’ve witnessed is that there are two types of beer: lagers and ales. DFH makes off-centered ales, whereas many of the beers I tended to enjoy when I started drinking beer are lagers (i.e., Yuengling, which is apparently more of a PA thing, or Sam Adams). Over time, curiosity has led me to trying many types of DFH, and even the hoppier flavored 60 Minute IPA has become something I enjoy. It’s very rare that I drink DFH without a food pairing, though, because the flavors are so strong to me; therefore, I’m very happy to go to beer dinners where I can pair the suggested beers with bites of delicious foods.

Ushering in the new year at the Dogfish Head brewpub had been one of my father’s top priorities since the beginning of the summer season of 2009. He was so intent on accomplishing this goal that he began emailing about it long before it was announced. He was probably one of the first ones to book a reservation once the event was announced, and he encouraged his friend Mike from work to attend as well. Dan and I also followed the DFH Twitter and Facebook with dedication, hoping we wouldn’t miss our chance to attend what promised to be a unique dining experience. As more details emerged about the event, we grew more excited. The night was being hailed as Fifteen Beers for Fifteen Years to celebrate 2010 as the fifteenth year of business for DFH, and fifteen beers would be paired with various courses culminating with a champagne toast at midnight. DFH’s website listed the dress as “off-centered black tie,” which let our minds roam to decide on the perfect outfit. As it turns out, not many people took the dress all too seriously, but Dan and I showed up in our attempt at SteamPunk fashion, and I think that we looked stellar. I donned an antique fur coat and decked out a black clutch with tiny metal gears; Dan sported a paisley vest, a top hat and carried an antique cane that belonged to his late grandfather. If the two of us were more outgoing (see: drunk enough to get out on the dancefloor), we would have been the envy of anyone who thought it prudent to wear jeans to such a lovely event.

We were greeted with a soft pretzel in a Gruyere cheese sauce served with a 60 Minute IPA. I eagerly downed both of these, and they complemented each other delightfully. The salad course was an arugula salad with prosciutto, Parmesan, walnut, white grape and roasted pear péche vinaigrette served with Pangaea and Black and Blue, the latter of which I later purchased at State Line Liquors. I’m not really the biggest fan of arugula, and I found the prosciutto to be a bit too salty to work with the earthy flavors, but the vinaigrette was something I could use all the time. The appetizer course was probably my favorite, and the hosting manager informed us that this offering was on the original menu at the brewpub many moons ago. They served us a wood grilled duck egg roll and cane sugar shrimp with roasted peanut sauce and Asian slaw with Sah’tea, Raison D’Etre and Chateau Jiahu. Raison is not one of my favorite DFH beers, but all three did pair well with the food. Chateau Jiahu is one of the ancient ales that explores a historic recipe for a beer that is part adventure and part science fair experiment. Sah’tea is another beer with an exciting background, as it involves boiling the wort with hot river rocks; it was also my favorite of the three served with this course. For our main course, we had some of the spiciest mac and cheese around! Our course was an ancho glazed pork tenderloin with chipotle mac and cheese and poblano sauce served with Theobroma, Black Thai and Immort Ale. I couldn’t finish my mac and cheese it was so spicy (but delicious!), and Dan cleaned his plate. Theobroma is one of my DFH favorites and with chilies and Aztec cocoa powder as some of its ingredients, it paired well with the pork.

Dan was a fan of the ancho glazed pork loin and chipotle mac and cheese

Our palate cleanser—a pomegranate granita served with Festina Peche—was completely refreshing after two hearty, rich courses. I passed my Festina Peche over to Dan, though, because while I adore my Festina Peche flavored chapstick, I’m not keen on bitter Weisse style ales. By the time the cheese plate arrived, I as starting to feel full. (I would also like to point out that unlike when we attended the beer/wine dinner, I was truly sampling my beers and not downing the whole glass; I realize that it was New Year’s Eve, and drinking is acceptable, but I find it difficult to get drunk in public, especially when my father is present!) I tried each of the three cheeses—Midnight Moon, 5-year vintage Gouda, and Carles Roquefort—with the bread and small sips of the three beers, which included a 2008 Red and White, Punkin Ale and a 2006 120 Minute IPA. The two vintage beers they chose with this course are similar to wines in that they age well and have more alcohol than your average beer. Punkin Ale is one of my favorites, too; I think it taste likes autumn in a glass. Finally, for dessert we received a beautiful plate containing a Fort Crème Brule and World Wide Stout chocolate ice cream milk shake served with a 2008 World Wide Stout and a 2007 Fort. Again, these two beers age well and are high in alcohol. It was my first time trying Fort, a beer in which the raspberry flavor is present but doesn’t overwhelm like some other fruit-flavored beers, and I thought it was delicious! I know that at some point, I will buy myself a bottle of it.

Overall, I would have to rate the food and drink combinations set forth by the brewpub as spectacular. Though I didn’t finish all of my beers, I tasted them and appreciated the attention that went to their creation. The myriad of flavors in the different beers worked in combination with the food. Some of the layers were complex, and I wish I had the talent to analyze things like the judges on Iron Chef America. However, all I have is my opinion and this blog, so I state—for the record—that this event was one of the most fun things I’ve done. As they cleared our last plate, champagne was handed to us to prepare for the impending change of the decade. The entertainment, Nate Myers & The Aces, played up until the countdown. They had a bluesy style and are actually from my home area, so I really enjoyed them. I especially liked the funky covers of different songs (like when they went into “Gin & Juice”) that played while we dined. As we rang in 2010, it was a flurry of horns and hugs and clinking of plastic champagne glasses. By this point in the evening, everyone was feeling friendly. The founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, had made his way downstairs to ring in the new year and made his way to the dancefloor. As for Dan and myself? We stayed about 15 minutes into the new year, but chose to head back to the hotel to relax in some New Year’s peace and quiet with our bellies full and happy. My father stayed with his friends and danced while having a few more beers, and I picked him up shortly after last call. To me, it was the perfect way to ring in the new year; I was with people I love, eating delicious food and drinking delicious beer and just generally in good spirits.

New Year’s Day was spent mostly relaxing, and eating. Dan and I checked out a restaurant we had always thought about trying, but that’s a different post for a different time. Friday night, we headed back to the brewpub to try a few brews that we hadn’t had on our beer tasting adventure the previous night. I made the mistake of sucking down two PG-13s (DFH Beach Beer with DFH Blue Hen Vanilla Vodka) at a record pace, but I managed to try a sip of my Dad’s Squall IPA, Dan’s Olde School barleywine and Son’s Love Hefe. I also tried a sample of the Life & Limb, something I wanted to try for months, even though I couldn’t possibly hold a full glass. (Life & Limb is a collaboration between DFH and Sierra Nevada. It’s delicious, but higher in alcohol content. I had the small beer from their brewing, Limb & Life, in November, and apparently that beer is the rarer find. Dan also bought me a Life & Limb t-shirt for Christmas because the artwork is beautiful.) We thought it was important, since it would be awhile until spring and visits to the brewpub, that we enjoy our last night in Rehoboth with these delicious drinks.

Saturday was bitter cold and windy, which made it less regrettable that we had to leave the beach. On our way home, we stopped in Milton, DE for a tour of the Dogfish Head Brewery. My father has taken the tour over ten times, and this was probably my fourth or fifth time. My only visits to the brewery have been during the construction of the new visitors’ area, so I’m not sure what it looked like before the remodeling began. However, this visit, the new section was open. The space to wait for the tour, shop for off-centered merchandise and–most-importantly–taste the beers is much more open and has floor-to-ceiling windows that let tons of natural light inside. Previously, the room with the bar and merchandise was between the warehouse and the brewery, with no natural light. I think this new set up will be great for those in charge of giving the tours and selling the beer and merchandise; it’s vital to give light to flowers, and to off-centered marketing staff. Perhaps the most stunning facet of the remodel, however, is the outward appearance of the building. The new entrance reminds me of a ski lodge, but that may have been the cold weather talking. It looks very natural, which I would expect from DFH since being green and working toward sustainability is considered by many politicans to be an off-centered goal.

Dan's stunning picture of Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE

The tour has three stops in which those on the tour learn how Dogfish Head made and makes their beer. The first stop is to see the original brewing equipment. Sam started the brewpub at age 25, after taking a few years to find himself (and working at other breweries) after graduating with an English degree. Opening Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in 1995, Sam’s goal was to bring original beer, food and music to Rehoboth. He was trying to do this with a system that brewed approximately 12-gallons at a time. So the brewing production increased from every other day, to every day to three times a day. They expanded to keep up with the increasing demand by renting a warehouse space and purchasing some larger equipment, but by 2002, even that was not enough and the brewing aspect of Dogfish Head moved about 20 minutes away to a converted cannery in Milton, DE. The second stop on the tour would make sense to home brewers more than me, but it shows where the hops and barley are magically made into wort. It’s at this point of the tour where hops are passed around and my Dad gets giddy like a kid. One of my favorite facts at this stop in the tour is what they do with what’s left after the barley imparts what it can to the beer: it’s put into trucks and given to local farmers to feed to their cows. These cows turn into the burgers and steaks at Dogfish Head. Also, the excess water from the brewing process goes through a cistern system and is given to the farmers as well. All of this explains (at least to me) why I cannot go to Rehoboth Beach without eating a burger at Dogfish Head. The final stop on the tour showcases where the delicious beer is aged. In addition to traditional barrels, there are two oak barrels for certain beers and a barrel made of Palo Santo wood from Paraguay to age the Palo Santo Marron. What really makes the tour interesting are the random facts that the tour guide can throw out. He knew exact figures of the brewery’s growth over the past few years (and it’s pretty impressive), how much beer they make by the hour and the varying lengths of time it takes to make certain beers. I can’t even begin to capture all I heard unless I start taking a tape recorder with me, but I’m always very impressed. I recommend that if you are anywhere near Delaware and love craft breweries, that you make it a point to stop in. If it’s summer, there’s a beach you can visit, too, so it’s a win win situation.

Sam Calagione is an inspiration to me. He started his beer empire at 25—the age I am now—and though he hit a few stumbling blocks at the beginning (which you can hear about on the tour or read about in Sam’s book Brewing Up a Business), he rang in 2010 in style. We did too. If you asked me two years ago if I thought I’d be celebrating 2010 with craft brewed beer, my boyfriend and my Dad, I probably would have laughed in your face, but I can’t imagine a better way to wrap up 2009. This year, I discovered the joy of trying new things and going on adventures. I’ve learned to appreciate more than just the pub grub, and I’ve learned to appreciate how well a nice beer can go with some good food. So thank you Sam, for creating a great American business. Thank you Dad, for financing this adventure. And thank you Dan, for the past year and the upcoming one! And yes, that’s my corny conclusion—blame it on the beers.

In January, at my first InnerPartySystem concert

For me, 2009 was a transitional year. In 2008, I was treading water, working nearly the entire year at a job I grew to hate and searching for the motivation to aspire to something greater. In 2009, I worked through numerous obstacles to find a foundation for successful living. Part of my ability to have a good year was courtesy of resolutions I made last year. Honestly, I don’t remember them exactly because I recorded them in my now defunct BlackBerry, but they improved my diet until about mid-summer, when I gave up and started eating poorly again. Another key factor in how I lived in 2009 was the spontaneous departure from my job. If I hadn’t done that, there’s a slight chance I would still be living miserably, making barely enough to get by.

In December, at my sixth InnerPartySystem concert (with Patrick!)

It’s funny how things work. In January, I quit my job without any sort of back up plan. It was necessary, but scary at the same time. About a week later, I met Dan for the first time. The end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 were fueled mainly by Patrón, but by March and my “official” start of a relationship with Dan. I spent the beginning of the year unemployed and going insane, but able to work on myself through Wii Fit and hiking, so it wasn’t a total loss (but it was some weight loss!). I finally found myself working at a convenience store for some funds, which provided a crash course in how I do not want to spend the rest of my life. By June, I knew that I needed to take steps to get away from a survival job, so I took guest teacher training to obtain emergency substitute teaching certification for fall. My luck improved even more when I randomly saw a position in Hershey’s Central Reservations posted online in June and I switched to a cushier, more fulfilling “summer” job with higher pay and more hours.

Basically, as soon as that job ended, I was subbing. And that brings me to where I am now, staring at a calendar wondering how 2009 flew by and pondering possible resolutions.

At the beach in May, before our "fancy" date.

To be fair, there was a lot of fun moments and filled weekends with my year. I was always on the go, every weekend since February with the exception of perhaps four have involved something exciting with Dan and our friends; weekends before that were full too. I took my LSATs in February (157), went to Shamrock Fest in March, Alkaline Trio and 3OH!3 in one weekend in April, the beach in May, etc. I’ve had some of the most amazing vacations and concert experiences this year that it is almost impossible to name a favorite. I went to my first Warped Tour in July. We did several weekends at Longwood Gardens with different groups of friends. We had a beach vacation by ourselves for Dan’s birthday. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Rock Hall for my birthday. I went to Celtic Fling and the Renaissance Faire (Pyrate Invasion weekend). So it’s easy to see why it seems like time flew by; I wasn’t bored with life like I was in 2008. My friends, family and Dan kept me busy! The end of the year was filled too. Graduate school applications and pro/con lists led to my enrollment at Saint Joseph’s University with their online accelerated teaching certification program. This decision, of course, came from my earlier decision to pursue subbing and avoid spending my life working at a convenience store.

Resolutions

Having a fantastic 2009 doesn’t mean I don’t want to make some changes for 2010. I know that there are a few changes I will have to make for this coming year to rival 2009 in successfulness, especially as I take on more responsibilities, and–dare I say–grow up a little more. The fad this year seems to be to shy away from making “resolutions” because studies show that a high percentage of people tend to break their resolutions, which sets self-esteem back extra steps. Whatever. I’m resolving to do these things in the New Year, and I will accomplish them in baby steps, to the best of my ability. I know that it’s impossible to quit fast food cold turkey (because sometimes you want a hot burger?), and that is how I was successful last year–I eased into each resolution gradually.

1. Read Harry Potter

Previously, I was completely opposed to reading or watching anything regarding Harry Potter. I swore it off because it was popular, and that is apparently a level of stubbornness that outlasted my teenage years. Then, I witnessed Twilight become popular, and realized maybe Harry wasn’t such a bad guy. The main reason, however, is that I’m going back to school for secondary education. I will need to have a more complete background in books teenagers will have read or have had read to them so that they can compare and contrast classics with them. I will need to be prepared.

2. Eat Healthier; Exercise More

This resolution has multiple steps to it. Last year, my biggest problem was fast food. This year, it’s dining out in general. Because Dan and I both live at home, it’s sometimes difficult to spontaneously cook our own meal. If we continue to use dining out as an opportunity to get out of the house, we will need to start making healthier decisions such as no appetizers, choosing a healthier meal option or having half the meal boxed for carry out immediately, no desserts, etc. Cutting out french fries, while difficult, is something I will have to work toward. Really, though, a big part of our problem is portion control; ignoring the ingrained lesson to “clean your plate” is a huge challenge, and something I will strive to overcome this year.

As for exercise, I will need to break out the Wii Fit again. I think that keeping track of my weight and enjoying the activities provided me with motivation to keep at it, especially while I was unemployed. I also used unemployment to go hiking and get outside more often. As spring approaches, I will try to use afternoons to get outside and be active (since teaching days end at 3:30 and substitutes don’t have to take the job home with them). The next resolution will be something that helps me in achieving this goal.

3. Establish a Schedule; Stick to It

With online courses, time management will be a huge issue for me. I am firmly deciding that I will make schedules and stick to them. There will be a schedule for on-call days when I get a job subbing, and schedules for days off. They will have periods of time where I can supplement activities unique to the time period (a Girl Scout project, freelance work), but for the most part, they will follow the same pattern. Monotonous sounds boring, but it will be a blessing to wake up and know what I am going to do. Exercise will be scheduled into my life, while sitting in front of the television watching Wife Swap will not. I will make time for schoolwork, because my education is incredibly important to me and my future. Moreover, I will make time to do the mundane tasks of running a house so that my Mom can accomplish some of her own HGTV-esque projects, and because someday these mundane tasks will be mine all the time.

4. Cut Out Ridiculous Television

As I write this, Maury Povich is on in the background. Resolutions 2 and 3 will help eliminate this crap from my life, but it’s worth noting it here so I can hold myself to it. Dan bought me some great headphones for Christmas, so if I truly need “background noise” (my excuse for television since college started—Law & Order or Gilmore Girls especially), I will use my iPod and the insane amounts of music I have. Television needs to be something enjoyable, and it needs to be limited to the shows that have actual entertainment value. I need to stop watching trash.

5. Posi Posi Posi

And 5a. eliminate “posi” and start saying “positive.”

This is the same resolution I made last year, and little did I know how important it would prove to be. I’ve had my slip ups and my down days—who doesn’t? But this is an important resolution to have every year, because there is always more room to improve attitudes. I will try my hardest to focus on how lucky I am, on all the good things and good people in my life, and be grateful for everything every day. I know that I’m truly blessed, and I need to remember it.

I think stopping at five resolutions is probably a good idea, because it’s manageable. These things I’m resolving to do are important to how I live my daily life (well, not so much the first one), and by holding myself to these standards that I am setting forth in this entry, I can only improve my quality of being. Even if I “break” some of these resolutions, the very fact that I’m going to try to do all these things, and that I will continue to try them even after slip ups, is what will make me grow as a person in 2010. I know that the upcoming year holds great adventures, and I hope that I will continue my transformation into a self-sufficient, well-adjusted adult as the new decade begins. I am grateful for 2009, and I will always remember it—maybe even miss it—because it’s a year that has changed my life for the better. I rose up from the ashes this year, and I never imagined that I could accomplish so much. Hopefully in 2010, I will continue to exceed my own expectations. Whatever happens, I know I will try my best.

This is how I know that I have a wonderful boyfriend. The plan was to drive down Saturday, which according to all forecasts, would be the height of the storm. He came to my house prepared with his parents’ 4-wheel drive Ford Escape full of blankets and winter gear, and when my Mom suggested we drive down Friday night and rent a hotel room, he realized it was a good idea. We arrived in Frederick just as the snow started to fall and checked in to a Comfort Inn about a mile from Kate’s house. We watched the snow start to come down harder and harder while enjoying our king sized bed. Well, I enjoyed the bed a lot more; I had taught that day and I fell asleep pretty fast. Dan watched a movie, read some of his book, and ate some beef jerky.

By morning, Frederick was covered in what I would say was about a foot of snow. We took full advantage of our late checkout time, and waited until about 2 p.m. to dig out the Escape. We borrowed a shovel from the hotel since a huge drift had formed around the SUV. Then we headed started driving what was supposed to be 0.8 miles to Kate’s house, missing our turn and taking a scenic detour in the snow. The roads were not in good shape at all, and we were thankful that we had four-wheel drive to help us out—even though the four-wheel drive then got stuck in Kate’s freshly plowed-in driveway. A neighbor who had recently pulled the mailman out with his pickup truck attempted to help us, but it was only shoveling and reverse that could fix us. When we finally got in to Kate’s house, we were tired and wet and the snow was still falling!

We were the only ones out of the original invitees that made it to the party (aside from Kate’s neighbors, who came because this was actually her parents’ party), so our hanging out wasn’t really exciting. It was a lot like it was in college. Catching up, eating good food and watching ridiculous television (introducing Kate and Scott to It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia). After it was dark, we went outside to get our air mattress and sleeping bags and clear the SUV off once again. The four of us played in the still-falling snow, too. Scott nailed Kate in the head with a snowball and she pushed him into a snowbank. I built a tiny snowman that Dan stabbed with an icicle. By morning and our next round of playing in the snow, about two feet had fallen. After a delicious breakfast with Kate’s family, we hit the road. Side streets were still rough, but the interstate was dry and getting back to my house was easy.

I wish I had pictures from this weekend, because it was so random and so pretty. Snowball fights and beer may have led to a headcold, but I also have the beginning of a great ending to 2009. I’m extraordinarily delighted that Dan helped make this visit possible. I’m thrilled I got to see one of my favorite people and her wonderful man during their brief time in the US. And I’m happy I survived what folks are calling Snowpocalypse 2009.