I Can Be My Hero

Wow, do I suck or what?

2009-06-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

I have been so bad. So unforgivably bad. For all of you who have actually been reading my blog...I'm sorry. I've let you down. But the truth is...I haven't crossed anything new off my list. It's been over a month and I've done nothing. It's completely unforgivable!

So I'm going to mosey on down my list and see what I can get accomplished. I have a five-day vacation coming up and I'll have some free time to get stuff done. After looking my list, I've decided upon a few things I will accomplish during my vacation:

#3: Finish my purple skirt. It's almost done anyway.

#49: I will begin the Artist's Way creativity program.

#31 & #89: Will move towards accomplishing these goals by participating in our neighborhood yard sale. (It's not eBay, but money is money.) If you're reading this and you live in Pittsburgh, you better come! Lyman Street yard sale, multi-family, 8-2 on Saturday, June 13. Be there!

#98: Create a time capsule - a fun thing to do on my time off.

I will report back on Monday to tell you all about how I accomplished my goals. Woohoo!

Reasons You Should Be Jealous of Where I Live

2009-04-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another thing off the list - Vince and I camped out in the backyard on Friday night. We watched the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens and hung out with our dog Annie. We got up pretty early - around 6:30 - and went up to the bedroom to sleep a little more because it was pretty uncomfortable sleeping on the hard ground, especially for Vince.

I have decided to brag about my neighborhood, because this is my blog and want to! :) I was walking to the drugstore on this lovely 80 degree day and it occurred to me how fortunate I was to live where I do. So humor me, and listen to why I think you should be envious. :)

You can walk, in under ten minutes, to a drugstore, small grocery, gas station, ice cream stand, pub (where the bartender knows us), and food co-op.
Deserving of its own point, you can walk, in five minutes, to the second-largest urban park in America.
We have four seasons: blooming flowers in spring; hot (but not too hot) summer days and warm summer nights, with swimming, camping, and outdoor opportunities everywhere; beautiful foliage and crisp, cool autumn days; and sledding, hot cocoa, beautiful white powdery snow in winter.
We grow the vegetable garden of your dreams - every variety of pepper and tomato, cucumbers, beans, peas, corn, broccoli, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, herbs, sunflowers...and more.
You can visit world-class museums, libraries, and theaters in under fifteen minutes.
You can attend professional baseball, football, and hockey games throughout the year.
You can enjoy the awareness that Pittsburgh has some of the longest, most unique history in America. Did you know that Lewis and Clark's journey really started here in Pittsburgh? Or that Gene Kelly grew up in a house a few blocks away? Or that some of the most famous zombie movies in history were filmed in Pittsburgh, earning it the title of "zombie central?"
Pittsburghers are genuinely nice people. Sometimes rough around the edges, but always willing to help.
Pittsburgh has one of the best local/independent music scenes in the country.
Everywhere you look there is incredible natural scenery - three great rivers, hills and valleys, winding roads.
There are incredibly charismatic bridges (over 700) homes, architecture, and public art. I've never been to a city with so many great public murals.

Isn't this nice? I love Pittsburgh, and hope you'll be curious enough to come visit someday. It's a wonderfully unique city, beautiful, old juxtaposed with new, tradition combined with cutting edge. I really encourage you to visit Pittsburgh Skyline to get a real taste of what the city looks like. Thanks for reading! :)

Spring is coming!

2009-04-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, hope you are very well. I'm sorry for my long absence, but I sadly have not had much to update in the past few weeks. That being said, I don't think this blog has to be solely about completing items on my list. Isn't the spirit of 101 Things simply to improve your life, to live better? I think I can talk about anything that pertains to that subject. :)

The happiest part about life right now is that it's springtime. The weather is still cool most days, but it's so wonderful to see the flowers blooming, and to have fresh cut blossoms from our garden on the dining room table. I had yellow and white daffodils for Easter dinner, and now we have a beautiful combination of yellow daffodils, and red and yellow tulips. They make the whole house brighter. And, I'm excited to say that the lilacs started to bloom yesterday. That means the whole world will smell beautiful for a week or so. :) And last, on the subject of gardening, we started our seeds indoors in little plastic greenhouses. We are trying to grow every single plant in our garden from seeds this year. Tomatoes (three varieties), bell peppers, jalapenos, thyme, rosemary, lavender, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, cilantro, beans, peas, cucumbers, and lots of flowers, especially nasturtium and sunflowers. We have a ton of planting space in our yard, so we are growing everything we can. We already have raspberries, and we are possibly investigating blueberries and blackberries.

I have completed one item on my list, invest in a quality piece of jewelry, but I can't go into more detail than that at the moment. I will explain soon, I promise. :) Trust me, it's beautiful. If you really want to know, get in touch, and I will explain privately.

In a bit of tragic news, my very determined effort to complete the Couch to 5K Running Program has failed for now. Isabel went on spring break for two weeks so I couldn't jog on the treadmill (or outside for that matter) like I had been. After the two week break I tried to pick it back up again, but it was so frustrating and exhausting that I quit. As the weather warms up I may try to jog outdoors before work so I can mark this big milestone off my list.

On May 2 I am flying down to Florida to visit my mom. I'll be there until the 5th, just a four-day weekend, but I am really excited about it. We have tickets to go see the musical Wicked, which I'm psyched about (I loved the book), and also some tentative plans to go to the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine. We love the free tour and generous sampling session (so what if we've gone a few times...) and then on nice days you can sit on the roof of the big building, where they have a bar with hors d'oeuvres. You can sip on their amazing wines (or have some sangria...mmmmm) while listening to live music and enjoying the incredible view of historic St. Augustine, the marshes, and the ocean beyond. It's a magical place.

If you'd like me to send you a postcard from Florida, please e-mail me with your address, and any specific postcard requests. :)

Have a great day, friends!

Welcome to April!

2009-04-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, good morning! Or not so good...it is absolutely rainy and dismal outside today. So, as you might have guessed, I completed my entire month without candy! Hurray! I have proven to myself and everyone else that I can live without my Number One Vice if the desire is strong enough. I took my photo with my prize...some Easter candy. :) I am really going to try and avoid eating so much candy from now on. There are other ways to satisfy a sweet tooth that don't destroy your teeth and spike your blood sugar.

I'm happy to say that things are back to normal at work again. I was pretty stressed out there for a while...Isabel was off school for TWO WEEKS for spring break (seriously, two weeks? I guess so all the rich kids can take their vacations on the Riviera?), and although she was exceptionally helpful and well-behaved, she still has many needs that are difficult to meet when a reckless 14-month old toddler is destroying the house Tasmanian Devil-style....especially when you are working 11...12 hours every day. The two week stress-fest ended with a truly horrifying incident that, sadly, I can't share with you, out of respect for the privacy of the family I work with. But trust me, it was the sort of thing that makes you sick to your stomach. In any case...all is well now, and I do want to add that despite my complaining, I really do like my job...most of the time. :)

So...what's next, you ask?

I've started a small cross-stitch project! This one was on clearance at Michael's, and when it's finished, it'll show a goofy-looking woman holding a sign that says Smarty Pants. Yep, that's me. :) When I stay even a little bit focused, I can get quite a lot of this finished, and I think I can probably complete the whole thing in a few days of devoted work. It's pretty easy to cross-stitch while I'm watching movies or TV shows on my laptop, so that's probably what I'll do. Maybe watch Twilight for the 167 zillionth time. :)

I think I'd maybe also like to start thinking about my scrapbook of 101 things that make me happy. I think I'd like to compile a list first...I was thinking I'd maybe add a box to the side bar of the blog with my growing list of ideas for my scrapbook. Once I have enough ideas, I'll start photographing things and/or creating collages of some sort (which I think will work better for things like "the Twilight series," which will probably go into my list). So....if you have ideas for my list, or if you have things to say about my list, please leave me comments. :)

Olivia just went down for her nap, so I need to do a quick sweep of the house to clean up the mess she left, and then I need to go jog...I swear I'll finish the Couch to 5K Running Program one of these days... at least I haven't given up. Have a great day, everyone!

DISCLAIMER: These photos were taken before 9 in the morning, before I had finished my coffee, when it was raining buckets outside, at work, where it is completely futile to wear any makeup or style my hair. So don't judge me based on these horrible photos. :)

I continue to make headway!

2009-03-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hiya! Thought I would pop in and update my progress on my 101 list. The month of March is nearly over, and I have managed to make it through the whole month with no candy...not an ounce of chocolate, no Skittles, nothing. It's been hard, but I try to circumvent my cravings by either dealing with them, or having something else sweet - I've had three or four relatively small servings of ice cream over the past month, and I also went to the drugstore and had an Icee. That's about it though...I've been pretty good. I was hoping that abstaining from candy would show an increase in my energy levels, but I haven't really noticed a difference. Unfortunately, I've been working more than usual this month, so that might be why I'm so tired.

Today, I wrote my first author fan mail, the first of five required by my list. I sent it to Stephenie Meyer - to those who don't already know (which is probably no one), I am a big fan of the Twilight series. I know a lot of people identify the fans mainly as young teen girls (and they are a big chunk of the fan base), but there are lots of older fans, most notably a large group of women who call themselves Twilight Moms. And while I do definitely have my moments of minor swooning while reading about Edward Cullen, I mostly just love the story and all the characters and the world Stephenie Meyer created. She was a young mom, living at home, who had an amazing dream one night that morphed into the first Twilight book. So, you might understand why I'm inspired by this story... I want to write novels, and she was just a regular person who happened to have a great idea. So I wrote her a letter. And I'm pretty sure I'll never hear back, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't write anyway. So it's out in the mailbox.

I've read 23 of my 101 books so far, and that includes two rereadings of the Twilight series. At first I wasn't going to include the rereadings, but then I decided that there is something to be gained from multiple readings of a book, especially from a writer's perspective. So I think it's okay to include rereadings. It's still time spent with my nose in a book.

I also thought I'd throw in to my blog post here that I've now received postcards from 45 different countries, with the latest new card arriving from Lebanon on Monday!

As for what's new in my life...nothing. Things have been especially boring lately, and I'm kind of bummed about it. I haven't been able to go anywhere because of work, the weather has been frustratingly uncooperative, and I just feel like I need a little change or spontaneity in my life. I don't know how to get it though.

I leave you with an incredibly funny a capella tribute to Star Wars. Totally random, I know. Enjoy! :)

Hello friends, we are all Irish today!

2009-03-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Of course, I actually am of Irish descent. My Dad has red hair and I am very fair-skinned with freckles. St. Patrick's Day is a fun holiday in the US, a great day for parties, and if you think about it, a nice reminder that this country is such a mishmash of different cultures. It's really just another feast day for a saint, of which there are many, but because there are so many Irish in this country (and because the Irish throw such great parties...), everyone of every creed, color, race, and sex gets to enjoy the party today. And everyone wears green, which is my favorite color anyway. :)

At any rate, I went birdwatching on Sunday, and I have to say, I really enjoyed myself. I expected to stay out for two hours, maybe, and found that I didn't return home for about four hours. I found a quiet mountain biking trail in Frick Park that

had very little traffic, so I was able to see some nice birds, 15 species total, including four varieties of woodpecker. I've been talking to my dad about my adventure, and he's been advising me, and generally just seems really happy that I've decided to begin birdwatching again. It was nice to be outside and really focus on the natural environment around me. I didn't see any species of bird I hadn't already seen, but I did see a few I don't find on a regular basis, and I also honed my skills. Birdwatching requires stillness...birds tend to disappear when they know you're there, but if you are quiet and still for long enough, they'll return to their business. It was fun. And then I went home and Vince and I worked in the front garden. We planted spring bulbs (Stargazer lily and freesia) around our new tree along the sidewalk, and I cleared all the debris and detritus from the big garden in front of the house. All the flowers are coming up...we already have crocuses, and soon we'll have tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, peonies, azaleas...I can't wait.

I have found my one red wine that I can drink anytime, thanks to our great neighbor Bob, who gave it to me as a gift on my birthday after recommending it highly. It's called Wyndham Estates Bin 555 Shiraz. It's under 10 dollars, can be found at the local liquor store, and is really very smooth and yummy. I'd have no qualms about serving it to guests. Thanks Bob. :)

Spring is here, time to cross something new off my list.

2009-03-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. Today is a sunny, blue-skied day, and even though it's only about 40 degrees (4.5 C) outside, it feels warmer and the air finally feels like spring. The high temperatures for the coming 10 days hover around 50 degrees, which is a welcome reprieve from the blustery cold winter months! I was sitting on the front porch at work today enjoying the warm sunshine and watching the birds hop around on the front lawn, when I resolved to clear another item off my list: pick up birdwatching again.

Birdwatching is sort of a family hobby. For my brother I think it could truly be called a hobby; for my dad, I think it might be more appropriate to call it an "epic quest." He's been interviewed for magazines (Forbes, for one), written books, published articles, and traveled to all seven continents (yes folks, that includes Antarctica, in a truly harrowing tale that involves lots of seasickness and massive head injuries) in the name of ornithology...the study of birds. But it's still a hobby. He's a banker. I am sort of surprised and kind of impressed to see that the Cape Romain Bird Conservatory describes my dad as "one of the 'founding fathers' of North American birding." Wonders never cease.

So, as you can imagine, I sort of feel like I should carry the torch. It's an interesting, unique hobby that involves travel and time in nature. I began my own birdwatching career around the age of 7 or 8, and my very first bird was the American Kestrel, which is a small bird of prey (shown above). I had a few very fortunate sightings shortly thereafter, including a snowy owl sitting on a fencepost along a major highway, so maybe it's my destiny to be a birdwatcher. My brother suggested that I devote one afternoon a month at first, possibly trekking down to Frick Park and maybe expanding my radius as I get better at it. I like the idea, and now I have my handy iPhone to help me out. There's an application for the iPhone called iBird Explorer Plus that is a full field guide to North American birds, with Audobon illustrations, photos, range maps, loads of information, and - get this - bird calls. Totally rad. I'm considering buying it, especially after reading the loads of great reviews (one person says, "Some people might say that if you have an iPhone, you have a good reason to get iBird Explorer. I might say that iBird is a good reason to get an iPhone." Talk about a glowing review. Jeez.)

So, here I go, birdwatching! Wish me luck!

PS - I've been really sick (tummy troubles...ughhh) but I am better now. That being said, I've had to take a break from my jogging. BUT I'm still committed, and I plan to take it back up again ASAP!

The Flamingos of Bascom Hill

2009-03-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

In 1979, the student government at University of Wisconsin decided that the best use of student government funds was to purchase 1,008 plastic flamingos and display them in the center of the beautiful, green campus on historic Bascom Hill. Please read the short and very interesting article about the event at the Wisconsin Historical Society website. The governing body was also responsible for a partial replica of the Statue of Liberty peeking out from the frozen Lake Mendota in the middle of Madison.

Spoiler alert: there's going to be a lot of whining in this post.

2009-03-06T06:40:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling sorry for myself today. It's gray and damp outside. I'm very tired and stuffed up - I suspect that I'm getting sick. I scratched my eye and it hurts. I'm at work, have both kids all day, and both of them are miserably sick. The only thing that sounds good to me right now is crawling into my own, warm bed and going to sleep.

Alright, so now that I've got that out of my system, hopefully I can begin to cheer up. So, do you know about Couch Surfing? You can go to couchsurfing.com to learn more about it. Basically, you offer your house as a place for people to stay while they're traveling, and other people will do it for you. So, if I traveled to, say, Paris, I could contact a couch surfer there a few weeks ahead of time and stay with them, if they're willing to host me. The benefits are manifold, but the two biggest benefits are: 1. You get to travel without paying for lodging. Bonus. 2. You often get an insider's perspective on your vacation spot. You find out about local hangouts, places off the beaten track. To me, that's the most exciting part. The reason I'm telling you about this is because we have our first couch surfer staying at our house right now. It's been going really well, and I'm pretty stoked about the opportunities this system might provide. A lot of people worry that it's dangerous...and there are definitely some safety concerns, but couchsurfing.com has an elaborate reference system in place so you can be sure that others have stayed with these people without any problems.

I am still candy-free. I've been doing well with my jogging, although I was supposed to jog today, and now I can't because the kids are home. (And...in case you don't know this already, they aren't MY kids. I'm a nanny from 8 AM to 7 PM Monday through Friday.)

So..I need to cheer up. Course of action: take Tylenol Allergy Sinus, have a big cup of coffee, wrap a blanket around my shoulders, and try to think of the good things in my life. I just feel pretty awful. I will appreciate any offers to help make me smile. :)

It's March...where's spring?

2009-03-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

So, in my world, March usually means spring is coming. Which is great, except that it's not true. It's 19 degrees F here, or -7 degrees C to all my world friends. Not very springlike at all.

So, the main purpose for my post here is to let you all know that I imported all my posts from my other blog, Postcard Voyager, to this blog. I get a lot more traffic here, and I think a lot of you would be interested in the postcards. And technically it's related, since one of the items on my list is related to Postcrossing. :) Anyhow, I haven't been updating the Postcard blog very often, so there won't be too many postcard posts here.

I started on my skirt again, the purple crocheted one, and I am very near to completing it. AND, I've decided that the month of March will be my month with no candy. I think it's going to be pretty tough for me, so any support is appreciated...I love candy, and I have a hard time staying away. But I am nearing the completion of my Couch to 5K Running Program, and in the spirit of getting fit and healthy for spring, I think getting rid of candy will be a good idea.

Dieu merci c'est vendredi! (is that right?)

2009-02-27T05:33:00.000-08:00

Godzijdank, het is vrijdag! (Thanks Martine...that's Dutch.)

So, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm so glad it's Friday that I'm saying it in multiple languages. Now that Olivia (the 1 year old I nanny for) is walking, my job is suddenly much more exhausting.

But what can I say about my list this week? Gimme Your Stuff is fully underway. I've arranged the details of a swap with Claire from Malta, which I find quite exciting - to my American sensibilities, Malta is a very exotic country. :) Or perhaps it would be better described as "exciting and faraway." Anyhow, it seems that I now also have the possibility for small swaps with two lovely ladies from Paris and Moscow. It's all very exciting.

Today, I will get on the treadmill and jog for the duration for the first time. If you had told me two months ago that I would be ready to go for a long jog, I would have told you you were crazy. But I feel ready! And I'm working my way towards 5K in 30 minutes.

In other news, I will soon be participating in a new blog with four girls from Paris, Germany, Russia, and Malaysia. The purpose is cultural exchange - to gain a better understanding of what life is like on a daily basis in these various places. To talk about anything from the weather that day to what we are thinking about to a video we liked on Youtube. I'm very excited about it, and I will link to it here as soon as the blog is ready.

Macedonian Costume and Bridal Dance

2009-02-24T09:40:00.000-08:00

This wonderful card is the result of my second private swap with Ana in Macedonia! She has a wonderful postcard blog of her own at http://thewholeworldatyourhands.blogspot.com. She gets some really unusual postcards because Macedonia has so few participants in the Postcrossing project. In any case, I really, really love postcards with the national costume, because this is almost always something that I know nothing about. That's why I'm writing about it here! I encourage you to visit this website to read more about the Macedonian dress, but I'll try to summarize here.

This originates from the region of Macedonia seen here:

View Larger Map

The elaborate costume is worn by women during the bridal dance, which you can see here on this wonderful YouTube video. :)

Gimme Your Stuff!

2009-02-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

One thing on my list of things to do is participate in Gimme Your Stuff, which is a small cultural exchange - send a box full of small goodies to someone in a different country, and get one back. Here is my list:

What I Can Send and What I'd Like to Receive:

stationery or stickers
books and magazines
toiletries like shampoo, soaps, lotions...
tea, coffee, or spices
candy or sweets of any variety
small clothing items and accessories (t-shirts, scarves, gloves, hats, underwear, jewelry, belts, etc.)
mix CDs handmade by me :)
souvenir items like postcards, magnets, keychains
please feel free to ask for other things...I am happy to send just about anything

I really hope to hear from you!

Renewed passport!

2009-02-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Good morning! It's Monday, and I feel pretty good after a relaxing weekend. Vince and I have taken up a new hobby, geocaching. It's a worldwide, never-ending treasure hunt. A geocache is a small, sealed container containing a logbook and other small, inexpensive but amusing trinkets that are hidden in, at the moment, nearly 800,000 locations around the globe. You use a GPS device with latitude and longitude coordinates to find the caches, which are all listed on the website. The fun part is hunting for the cache, which is often hidden in an ingenious location. When you find it, you sign the log to say you were there, look at all the goodies inside, and leave something of your own behind, if you choose. You can also take things, but you must replace them with something else. It's really fun, good exercise, and a great way to be outdoors and explore an area, whether you live there or you're just visiting.

So, on to things on my list - Vince and I went to the post office. I renewed my passport, and he applied for his first, so in a few weeks we'll be ready to travel across borders if we so desire. :) Also, I had another girls' night with Megan and Dana on Thursday, February 5. We went to dinner at Lulu's, then went to Carnegie Music Hall to see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt play. It was a nice, simple set with just two guys, two chairs, and two guitars, and we all enjoyed it. Thanks Dana!

I plan on finishing Season 1 of Veronica Mars today - one down, two more to go - then that's another thing off the list. Also, I took a week off from the Couch to 5k Running Plan, but instead of doing my normal, getting frustrated and giving up, I backtracked a little and continued my jogging. I'm really happy about that. Now I just need to go cold turkey with my sweet tooth and give up all the junk and candy. Blech.

The weather is getting warmer...thank god. Hopefully no more single digit days.

Define "regularly" ..... ?

2009-01-26T14:24:00.001-08:00

So, in order to fulfill the requirements of my 101 list, I have to post to this blog regularly. What exactly, do you suppose, is "regularly?" Is it basically, as long as I don't quit, it's regular? That's what I'm going with. Because if I complete everything on my list, I get to buy an extra pair of shoes.

So I actually only have one thing I can actually cross off my list for this go-round, but I am working on a few others. On Saturday, Vince and I visited the Carnegie Art Museum and had a lovely time.

In other news, I began the Couch to 5k Running Plan a little over three weeks ago, and it's been very successful so far. I am one of the most out of shape people I know - my cardiovascular health is considerably worse than my outward appearance might otherwise indicate - but I have been able to manage the slow transition from walking to jogging. At the beginning of my fourth week I am doing 16 minutes of jogging and 5 minutes of walking, and by the end of next week it will be 20 minutes of solid jogging. Two weeks after that, I'll be jogging for thirty minutes. I'd like to be in better health for spring, when exercise options are wide open - I'd like to use my new bike more, and maybe just do some hiking in the amazing park practically outside my front door. And it would be nice if I lost some weight in the process, but I'm not stressing about it, because I'm pretty sure whether I do or not, exercise is going to be good for me, and I don't want to get discouraged. :)

I've been reading a great deal, and I just began re-watching Veronica Mars. Still on my way to becoming a better me. :)

(PS- If you've been reading this as a note on Facebook, I encourage to come to the actual website where this is posted, which is krhocevar.blogspot.com, so you can see photos and my original list, plus some cool links and such!)

So, I've been a little negligent...

2008-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! I haven't been keeping up with my blog very well. I have, however, been crossing things off my list on the margin to the left, as probably only the most watchful have actually noticed. Of note - I voted for Barack Obama. Vince, Megan and I spent the evening at the Drawn-In Cafe around the corner from our house. There was a TV hooked up and people from around the neighborhood gathered to await election results. It was a really cool evening, and everyone sat and stood around the TV watching Obama's acceptance speech in awed silence. It was a very special moment, forgive my sentimentality.

I learned to knit. I've got the basics down pretty well, and I started a project that I'm going to have to restart because I made it too small. So, it was small, but it was pretty! :) I feel that I can safely cross that one off the list.

I tried a new cuisine: Ethiopian! We went to Abay Restaurant in East Liberty on Halloween. It was fun because neither of us were familiar with the food, so we just ordered whatever sounded good and laughed as we tried to scoop food into our mouths with the injera. I saved a copy of the take-out menu.

We bought new fish. We've had them for over a month now, and none of them have died. Our tank looks fantastic.

I joined a book club! It's an online club using Google Groups, and its composed of Postcrossing members! There is an assortment of people involved - about 15, I believe - from all different countries. Some have joined to help improve their English, others just for the fun of reading, like me. Our first book is Persuasion by Jane Austen, which we are to have finished by the end of the year. It's been fun so far. I guess I should start reading the book. :)

An update: I did finish Vince's teeth-cleaning regimen successfully, and I am continuing to follow it. Self-improvement at its finest.

I bought an address book and filled it up. Check.

I have discovered that one of the things on my list that I thought would be fairly easy may actually prove to be quite difficult, and that is drinking only water for two weeks. I tried it for one day and couldn't do it. I have to do it three times!

I have been reading quite a lot, and feel confident that I will complete my 101 books without a problem.

Sorry to have kept you waiting for an update! Hope this satisfies the masses! :)

Jeepney

2008-11-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

This is an image of the Filipino Jeepney, nowadays the most common form of public transportation in the Philippines. They were introduced following World War II. When American troops pulled out of the Philippines, they sold off many of their surplus jeeps to the locals. Filipinos then stripped the interiors to accommodate more passengers and added metal roofs. As they became more popular they also added chrome decor and outlandish hood ornaments to make them immediately recognizable for use as public transportation. The jeepney (believed to be a combination of jeep and jitney) is now produced independently of Jeep, and has become a symbol of Filipino culture. This card came from user Donabel.

Wow, I have a lot of postcards

2008-11-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

So, I gotta tell ya, I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping up with all these amazing postcards I've been receiving. So I think I'm going to have to reform my formatting scheme here: maybe choose postcards I receive that I'm really interested in and warrant further research. I just have to have to be diligent in keeping up with the blog. I see that I am starting to get more visitors, presumably from the Postcrossing forums - thanks for visiting. :)

I am only posting this card for your viewing pleasure - thanks to ichabodhides. :)

犬山城

2008-11-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

First, just let me say, coolest stamp EVER - thank you so much to conejo. So! This is Inuyama Castle, one of only twelve castles still standing in Japan predating the Edo period and sometimes said to be the oldest castle in Japan, period. Construction was completed in 1440. It has changed hands many times throughout its long history, and it is the only castle to ever be privately owned and still have national treasure status. It overlooks the Kiso River.

Cotton Castle

2008-11-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

Pamukkale means "Cotton Castle" in Turkish. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been known to man since antiquity. The hot springs are caused by a fault line that runs along the Menderes river basin. The springs produce 250 liters of hot water every second. The water is rife with calcium bicarbonate, or chalk, and as the springs shift due to tectonic activity or dry up, a deposit of chalk is left behind, leaving this remarkable formation. In the late 20th century this site was threatened by real estate developers, and part of the site was destroyed by hotels. Fortunately UNESCO rescued the site, demolished the hotels, and keeps it preserved and in pristine condition today.

Erfurt, Germany

2008-11-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

For a city (of 200,000 people!) that I've never heard of, Erfurt, Germany is a pretty interesting place. It has been mentioned in texts as far back as 742 as Erphesfurt. Quite a few famous people hail from this town, including the family of Johann Sebastian Bach and Max Weber. Pachelbel served as an organist at a church in Erfurt, and Martin Luther earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees here. The symbols of the city are considered to be the Mariendom and Severikirche cathedrals, which stand right next to each other on a high hill in the city. The historic city center is well-preserved, and what is considered to be the oldest standing synagogue in Europe is located here too.

Norway Constitution

2008-11-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

This building, Eidsvoll Manor, is where the Norwegian Constitution was signed in 1814. In Norwegian it is called Eidsvollbygningen. The building now houses a museum. It is located in the municipality of Eidsvoll, which has a population of 18,000 and is located in southeastern Norway. Parts of Eidsvoll were included in the site of a minor gold rush in 1758 - this area is still called Gullverket (the gold works). Until recently, the main industry in town was agriculture. This postcard comes from user Millafish after 5 days.

Dutch Tulips

2008-11-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is a thrilling card from the Netherlands! It has every lovely little image that everyone associates with Holland - cheese-making, tulips, windmills, children in wooden clogs...a peeing cow? Anyway, I thought I'd look into Dutch tulips a little bit for this card, since there's a nice picture of them here, and I discovered Keukenhof in my travels. Both the name of the well-known tulip festival and the beautiful gardens that host the festival, this place is beyond your wildest imagination, if you like gardens.

The Beautiful Land of Bulgaria

2008-11-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here I am, blogging about another private swap. But this is another special one. Not only a card from an unusual country from a really, super-nice Postcrosser, but a really lovely card at that. The scanner washes it out, but all of the blues in the card are really brilliant and gorgeous. Many, many thanks to stefka for agreeing to swap with me! Bulgaria has had an interesting history, variously falling under the influence of the Byzantine, Ottoman, and Soviet empires. It is historically a Slavic country. The capital is Sofia, and the nation has about 7.6 million people.

Special Guest Ganesha

2008-11-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

I don't normally do this, but I just had to share one of my private swaps with you here on the blog. I usually reserve this blog for my official Postcrossing postcards, but I thought it'd be nice to share this one. This is an image of the Hindu god Ganesh. The sender of the card describes him nicely and succinctly: "Ganesha is one of the best known and most worshipped deities in Hindu mythology [I think it's interesting that she refers to it as 'mythology']. He is revered as the Lord of beginnings and remover of obstacles. He is a glutton and enjoys food, especially modale, a sweet. His vahana or mount is a mouse." This card comes from India, as you may have guessed, and it's one of my favorites so far.

Card #35, Farming in New Zealand

2008-11-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

Agriculture is the main export industry in New Zealand. Dairy accounts for 21% of all exports, and other important exports include meat, wood, fruit, and fish. Wine is also an important export. New Zealand's largest company, Fonterra, controls one-third of the world's dairy trade. I also thought it was interesting that 70% of New Zealand's electricity is produced through renewable resources such as hydropower and geothermal power. This card comes from user Lauren_NZ after 24 days of travel.

Card #34, It's Tough Being Really, Really Good-Looking

2008-11-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

The back of this card, which comes from user estrella77, says "Konig Ludwig II. von Bayern (1845-1886) Erbauer der Konigsschlosser Neuschwanstein, Linderhof und Herrenchiemsee," which I believe translates to "King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) Builder of Royal Castles Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee." I don't know much about King Ludwig II, but I do know that Neuschwanstein is one of the most well-known castles in the world. People speculate that Disney's Cinderella Castle is based on that famous and lovely castle.

Card #33, Just Another Finnish Sunset

2008-11-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

I do get quite a few cards from Finland. But that's okay! I just love my postcards, each and every one. Since I hear from the good folks of Finland pretty frequently, let's talk about that great nation a bit.

1. The capital is Helsinki.
2. Official languages are Finnish, Swedish, and regionally, Sami.
3. The form of government is semi-presidential republic. (They have both a president and a prime minister.)
4. Finland became an independent nation in 1917.
5. It joined the EU January 1, 1995.
6. It is 130,558 square miles and home to 5.3 million people.
7. It has the 12th highest per capita income, at $35,349.
8. Its Finnish name, Suomi, means "Our Land."

Card #32, Oregon Trail: You Just Died of Dysentery

2008-11-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

My first card from the United States is a magnificent success! This beautiful painting is entitled Emigrants Crossing the Plains by Albert Bierstadt. It is located at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The sender of the card, Thedeb, is currently traveling around the country in an RV. Is that cool or what? The museum where this is located is the home of over 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts.

Card #31, Krakow Ya Doin?

2008-11-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

Krakow, Poland deserves a great deal of recognition as a city of historic importance. It is over one thousand years old. Wikipedia calls it the "spiritual center" of Poland, and the sender of the card, arti, says she loves the city because it "has its own soul." Those are really magnificent claims. Krakow has a population of about 750,000, and its historic city center has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to Wikipedia, there is evidence to suggest that settlements have existed on Wawel Hill (the current site of the historic city center) since the Stone Age. Legend attributes the founding of Krakow to the mythical ruler Krakus, who built the town above a cave which was home to a dragon, Smok Wawelski. Knights attempted to defeat the dragon in battle, but Krakus eventually eradicated the dragon by feeding it a poisoned breakfast. Then Krakus was able to establish his city on the hill. The bones of the dragon are displayed at Wawel Cathedral in the city center.

Card #30, There Are No Words for Beauty Like This

2008-11-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

This incredible specimen of a volcano is located on the North Island of New Zealand. Its original Maori name is Mount Taranaki, but it was also called Mount Egmont by Captain Cook. It is a quietly active volcano standing at 8261 feet. According to Maori legend, Taranaki once lived in the middle of the North Island with all the other volcanoes. The beautiful Pihanga was coveted by all the mountains, and a great battle broke out between them. Tongariro eventually won the battle, inflicting wounds on the side of Taranaki. Taranaki fled to the west, towards the sea, until the sun rose and petrified him into his current state. When Taranaki conceals himself with rainclouds, he is said to be crying for his lost love, and during spectacular sunsets, he is said to be displaying himself to her. In turn, Tongariro's eruptions are said to be a warning to Taranaki not to return. Thanks to user cathrs for this gorgeous card.

Card #29, You Spin Me Right Round

2008-11-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

This pretty little card comes from, you guessed it, the Netherlands. The town is called Wervershoof, which is apparently such a small village that it doesn't warrant its own article on Wikipedia. Yes, I can confirm this after a visit to the town website - it is home to 5500 people. This card is from user Lindadepinda.

Card #28, In the Spooky Spirit of Halloween...

2008-11-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

This fascinating adcard comes from Nokia, Finland, sent by user Riki. Nokia does, in fact, lend its name to the famous telecommunications company, which was founded in Nokia, Finland. But I don't want to talk about Nokia, I'd prefer to discuss Riki's insights about the celebration of Halloween in Finland. She describes Halloween as less of a holiday, more as a "red-letter day," as she describes it. Children have costume parties at school, and there are sometimes costume parties in bars for adults. There is no custom of trick-or-treating, but there are horror movies shown on TV. Riki says that the following day, All Saints' Day, is a much more important holiday, during which people take candles to the graves of their relatives, and the "graveyard looks beautiful with thousands of little lights." Thanks Riki.

Card #27, Helsinki Cathedral

2008-11-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

This card comes from user _Buba_. The lower image shows the Helsinki Cathedral, which she cites as one of her favorite places in the city. Originally built for Czar Nicholas I and called St. Nicholas' Church, it was changed to Helsinki Cathedral after Finnish independence in 1917. Construction of the church lasted from 1830 to 1852 and is considered neoclassical style. The cathedral is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki, bringing over 350,000 visitors every year. Another church once stood in this spot, the Church of Ulrika Eleonora, a former queen of Sweden.

Card #26, Please Don't Eat Me

2008-11-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

I would love to go to the Toronto Zoo. According to Wikipedia, the zoo is the third largest in the world and home to 491 distinct species of animals, totaling 16,000 creatures altogether. The zoo opened in 1974, and since its inception has been an exciting place for zoology. In the past decade, there have been polar bears, tigers, zebras, orangutans, gorillas, snow leopards, cheetahs, sloths, kangaroos, giraffes, and more born at the zoo. This card comes from user beaningpole, who had just gotten home from the zoo before sending me this card. She originally comes from the Philippines.

Card #25, Lappeenranta

2008-11-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

This card arrives from Lappeenranta, Finland from user piperita. The city has a population of 59,000 and lies about 20 miles from the border of Russia.

Card #24, Birthday Cake Church

2008-11-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

I encourage you to click on the picture to the left to get a larger view of this incredibly ornate church, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Saint Petersburg, Russia. What a very interesting structure this is! Construction occurred from the years 1883-1907, ordered by Czar Alexander III as a memorial to his father, Alexander II, who was mortally wounded on the site of the church. Although most of the architecture in Saint Petersburg is of the Baroque and Neoclassical styles, this church reflects medieval Russian architecture, or romantic nationalism, in the style of the famous St. Basil's in Moscow. The interior of the church has 7500 square meters of mosaic artwork. During the Russian Revolution, the church was looted and badly damaged. It was closed by the Soviets in the 1930s, and then used a storehouse for food during WWII. Finally, in 1970, restoration of the church began and lasted for 27 years! It is open today as a mosaic museum, but has not been reconsecrated as a church, and therefore does not perform worship services. Thanks to user ata1976, who patiently waited 33 days for this card to arrive!

Card #23, Sami and Reindeer

2008-11-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

This is a really cool card featuring the traditional garb of the Sami people of northern Scandinavia. This is my first card from Norway, coming from the #1 Postcrossing user of all time, Britt. The Sami people are considered to be among the first groups to inhabit Europe, and it remains one of the largest indigenous groups in Europe, with a population of about 100,000. The Sami traditionally earned a livelihood from fishing, trapping animals for fur, and most famously, herding reindeer. Only 10% of remaining Sami people are involved in this profession, but in the countries where the Sami still live (mostly Norway, but also Sweden, Finland, and Russia), the profession is reserved solely for the Sami by law. Any person who had a great-grandparent who spoke Sami at home can be considered part of that ethnic group. Cool card!

Card #22, Vriendelyke groet!

2008-11-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

This card hails from Koog aan de Zaan, Netherlands. This is a small town of 12,000 that was incorporated into the municipality of Zaanstaad in 1974. This is the first homemade card I received; it came from user flyers on October 17 after 3 days in the mail.

Card #21, Aloha from Finland?

2008-10-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Vaasa, Finland seems like a nice town on the west coast of Finland. It's a bilingual town, with a quarter of the population speaking Swedish. I'm getting that Sweden has had a huge impact on the history of Finland, which I didn't know before beginning this postcard project. Vaasa has about 52,000 residents. An important event in Finnish history took place in Vaasa during the Finnish War, The Massacre of Vaasa. The Swedish troops were defeated by the Russian troops occupying Vaasa. As punishment for taking up arms against the Russians, Russian soldiers were allowed to pillage the city for several days, killing 17 people and generally wreaking havoc. This was in 1808. Things seem a little more peaceful now. This postcard arrived October 16 from user Xpaula after 4 days of travel.

Card #20, Amber Waves of Ukraine

2008-10-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to get a card from Kiev, Ukraine! Kiev has a population of 2.6 million, and it is approximately 1500 years old. I wasn't aware of this, but apparently the Ukraine has its own Slavic language, but Russian is the more commonly spoken language in the city. During its long history it has been an important city amongst the Slavic nations, and it has changed hands among empires many, many times. This card came from user oksanka on October 16 after 17 days of travel.

Card #19, Scherpenheuvel Pilgrimage

2008-10-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

This card arrives from the fascinating little town of Scherpenheuvel, Belgium. The town is located in the Flemish region of Belgium, which I believe is nearer to the Netherlands than France, and has been a very important Roman Catholic pilgrimage spot since the mid-16th century. Scherpenheuvel literally means steep hill, and perched atop this steep hill was a crucifix-shaped tree that was an important idol from times of pagan worship. As more conversions to Christianity occurred, the tree remained an important religious symbol. The virgin Mary is said to have visited this spot and performed a miracle, and since then other miraculous events have occurred, including a statue of the virgin weeping blood. Thanks to user Dimige for this fascinating card from Belgium!

Card #18, Nature's Abundance

2008-10-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is the first card I received on my second Postcrossing account! I decided I wasn't sending and receiving as many postcards as I really wanted to, so I created a second account under the alias "Charlotte May." This is really just to differentiate postcards so I know which account to register them under. After much to-do and Google translation of the info on the back of the card, I discovered that this is a postcard image of a red elderberry. The sender, Vellu, comes from Kuopio, Finland. The city has 91,000 inhabitants and is well-known for its kalakukko, a traditional Finnish fish pastry. This postcard arrived on October 10 after 4 days of travel.

Card #17, Such a Pretty Face...

2008-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

As far as I can tell, this postcard comes from the town of Papendrecht in the Netherlands. Because Wikipedia doesn't have much to say about this small town, I will talk about Dutch agriculture instead, in the spirit of the postcard I received. The Netherlands ranks third worldwide in the value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. Much of that value comes from fresh-cut flowers and bulbs. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are also big business. The cow on this postcard is a Holstein cow, a breed that was developed in the Netherlands. Dairy farming is an important part of Dutch agriculture. This card arrived after 4 days on October 10 from user maroni.

Card #16, Supreme Gorgeousness

2008-10-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

This postcard comes from one of the cities I want to visit most in the world, Prague. It is the capital city of the Czech Republic, and has a very ancient and varied history. The city has over 1.2 million inhabitants and sits along the Vltava River. The history of this city is so extensive that I can't possibly discuss it any length here. Prague suffered comparatively little damage during the World Wars, so it is home to some of the world's most pristine art and architecture from every period of architectural history. This card came to me on October 8 after 8 days of travel, from user Misulenka.

Card #15, The Holiest Place on Earth?

2008-10-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is one of the coolest cards I've received so far. Here is an example of a fascinating cultural landmark that I've never heard of before, Kryžių kalnas, or Hill of Crosses. If you only read one of the Wikipedia articles I link on this site, read this one! It's short, and fascinating. This hill exists as a site of hope and peaceful resistance in a country that has been taken over multiple times in its history. Despite attempts to bulldoze the site, it still exists, and estimates place about 50,000 different crosses and crucifixes at this site. User Laume who sent me this card is from the city of Panevėžys, Lithuania. This is one of the larger towns in the country, and it celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2003. Before World War II its population was 36% Jewish; sadly, very few Jews from Panevėžys survived the Holocaust.

Card #14, Finland is a Chilly Place

2008-10-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

This card hails from a 10-year-old boy from Jyväskylä, Finland. This city of some 83,000 inhabitants was founded in 1837 by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. Interestingly, Jyväskylä is called the "Athens of Finland" because of its history of educational progressiveness. It boasts a number of educational firsts in Finland, including the first Finnish-speaking high school, first Finnish-speaking teacher training college, and first Finnish-speaking school for girls. Today it is the home of the University of Jyväskylä, which is one of the most popular universities in Finland. The sender of this lovely winter scene is user sebu725, who urged me to check out his really cool website about his pup, which I think you'll enjoy. This also happens to be the coolest stamp I've received. You can't see the effect here, but it's actually a holographic stamp.

Card #13, Halifax, eh?

2008-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

This postcard hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, my first card from Canada. The user, ckaye, seems particularly fond of Anne of Green Gables, as the card was decorated in stickers with that theme. I believe the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, comes from that part of the world. Before receiving this card, I didn't know much about Nova Scotia, except that people who live there have pretty funny accents. Now I know that Halifax is home to five major universities and is a major cultural hub in Canada. It is a major port city located on a natural harbor, and was settled for many centuries by the Mi'kmaq aboriginals, who were displaced by the arrival of Europeans. This was the settling place for the well-known Acadians (French tranplants), who were largely forced out of the area at a later time; their culture still influences the area, however. Acadians were forced in quantity to the Mississippi gulf area and morphed into the culture we refer to as "Cajun" in America today. Cool huh? I think Nova Scotia would be a cool place to visit. This postcard is a photograph taken by local photographer Kendall Worth. It arrived on October 3 after 9 days.

Card #12, Ooey Gooey Cuteness

2008-10-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

This adorable, gushy postcard arrives from Helsinki, Finland. The message means, more or less, "Greetings to You!" Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It was founded in 1550 and apparently struggled as a city for centuries. Its original name is Helsingfors, which was given by the Swedes. Although it hasn't gone by that name for quite some time, I think it's interesting that the postmark on the stamp still says Helsingfors. The city didn't begin to thrive until Russian czar Alexander I moved Finland's capital from Turku to Helsinki in the early nineteenth century. This was a move to reduce the Swedish influence on Finland, as Turku is closer to Sweden than to Russia. Today, Helsinki has over 500,000 inhabitants and is the location of Finland's largest university. It is a major seaport located on the Gulf of Finland off the Baltic Sea. I received this card October 2 after 3 days of travel. It comes from user Tunde.

Card #11, Neigh to Non-Postcards :(

2008-10-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

This card is actually a card that arrived in an envelope, which is a habit I have heard is common amongst the Dutch. This card is of British origin, but the sender, Lijntjuh1981, is a Netherlands native. She is currently living in the English city of Yeovil, in southwest England. It has about 41,000 people and is well-known for its aircraft and defense industries. I think its history is most interesting. The name of the town is derived from the Celtic word gifl, which means "forked river." There are indications that the region has been populated since paleolithic times, and had a Roman road passing through the area during the Roman empire. This card reached me on September 25 after 16 days of travel.

Card #10, All Aboard the Taiwan Train

2008-10-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

This postcard depicts a train station in Taiwan. The sender, d00115, comes from the city of Taichung in central Taiwan, which literally translates into "central Taiwan." Very creative. Taiwan has had a very long and chaotic history. For instance, I was unaware that the island had its own aboriginal peoples, but in fact, it did. It was colonized by China during the Qing dynasty in the seventeenth century. It experienced a period of Japanese colonial rule in the late nineteenth century, but the Republic of China more or less "relocated" to Taiwan when the Cultural Revolution occurred in mainland China in the mid-twentieth century. While I found all this information very fascinating, I'm embarrassed to admit that I was even more excited that bubble drinks were invented in Taichung at Chun Shui Tang teahouse (this is uncited information on Wikipedia). I received this card September 24 after 9 days of travel.

Card #9, Fruity and Delicious

2008-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Syksyisin terveisin literally translates into Autumn Greetings. This lovely autumn arrangement reaches me from Tampere, Finland from user Leja99. Tampere is unique in that it is the only European city from which I have received a postcard that has a relatively short history. Tampere was founded in 1779 as a market village. It has since grown to a city of 208,000 inhabitants, and has played important roles in recent history, with events leading at point to universal suffrage in Finland, and later on as an important location during the Civil War in Finland. (I didn't even know Finland had a Civil War.) The city is located between two lakes, which differ in elevation by 18 meters. The rapids that run between the lakes have always been an important power source in Finland. This card reached me on September 22 after 6 days of travel.

Card #8, Sesimbra: Fishes and Beaches

2008-10-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

This postcard appears to be a reproduction of an oil painting by Josefina de Jesus Ferreira Guedes, depicting the Castelo de Sesimbra, which was built by the Moors in the early second millennium. The postcard comes from the Portuguese town of Sesimbra, which is a beautiful and temperate town known for its beaches and its fishing. Not surprisingly, fishing and tourism are its two main sources of income. I'm always interested in getting a taste of the towns my postcards arrive from, and I will often pull them up on Google Earth so that I can see photos from Panaramio. Sesimbra looked particularly beautiful. I strongly urge you to take a moment to check this photo out. Thank you from user luisacarvalho, whose postcard arrived on September 20 after 5 days of travel.

Another one bites the dust

2008-10-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
So it's embarrassing to admit, but I did like this book. I would definitely recommend this as a book to read for those suffering from Twilight withdrawal (like me). It was funny, quick reading. There's great vampire sex and some really funny moments, and a great, kick-ass heroine with the horrible, grating name "Sookie Stackhouse." But I would recommend it.

View all my reviews.

Card #7, Walloping Wallabies!

2008-10-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

This postcard from Down Under is called a Maxi card, a postcard that is issued with prepaid postage affixed that is meant to correspond with the postcard image. This maxi card was issued on January 16, 1997! A vintage card! User Tealby resides in Australia's capital city, Canberra. Canberra is roughly the size of Pittsburgh in population, and it is Australia's only planned city. The plan was designed by a Chicago city planner 1913. The design was influenced by the "garden city movement," and consequently is well-known for its extensive green space.

Card #6, Turning Japanese

2008-10-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

The sender of this postcard, user jennica, comes from Hamamatsu City in Japan. This city, which I had never heard of before, is the location of the headquarters for Suzuki and Yamaha, and the founding city of Honda. It would seem that it is a fairly industrial city. Hamamatsu Castle is located here, which was built by Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa at the beginning of the Edo Period in the 16th century. Over 800,000 people live there. This postcard actually shows Nakagawa Village in the Nagano region of Japan. This village has a population of about 5000. I received this card on September 13 after a journey of 5 days.

Card #5, A Delicious Sip of Porto

2008-10-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

This lovely card hails from Porto, Portugal, known for its production of its own lovely variety of dessert wine. Of the Wikipedia articles I've read so far, Porto seems to be the most fascinating city I've heard from so far. The structures on this card are the Clerigos Tower and St. Bento's Station (which is sadly unrepresented on Wikipedia). Porto has had a long and storied history through its combination of being a major shipping port and being on the Iberian peninsula, which has undergone many major cultural transformations in its history. The city is also known for its cuisine, and its city center has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a very well-respected designation. This card comes from user blu, arriving on September 12 after 10 days of travel.

Card #4, Holy Penguins, Batman!

2008-10-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

This postcard originates from the glorious city of Buenos Aires, Argentina! Very few postcards emerge from the South American continent, so I was thrilled when this one showed up in my mailbox. Buenos Aires is home to over 13 million people and was founded in 1536 under the original name of "Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre." My father has always had a particular fondness for Argentina, and in particular, the people of that nation. He finds them among the kindest people on the planet. These are Magellanic Penguins, from the Patagonia region of Argentina, in the far south. This is where my father embarked on his sea voyage to Antarctica. This incredible postcard is from user KarmenS, a Slovenian currently living abroad in Buenos Aires. She recognized my last name as Slovenian.

Card #3, Normandie!

2008-10-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

This beautiful map card shows the Normandy region of France, and user Fylo comes specifically from the city of Caen. Caen is a very old city, well-known for the architecture built during the reign of William the Conqueror around the turn of the first millennium. Caen received heavy damage during fighting from World War II. This map card seems to indicate that this region of France is famous for several commodities, including particular varieties of cheese, apples, cider, and shellfish. Map cards generally seem to be among the most coveted types of postcards available. This postcard reached me after 8 days of travel on September 10.

Card #2, Ferocious Beasts

2008-10-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

My second postcard arrives from the lovely city of Groningen, Netherlands. Groningen is apparently the largest city in the northern part of the Netherlands, and dates as far back as 3950 BC. It is a large university town, with approximately 45,000 students. It was sent by user Christoffel, who is employed by a green political party in her country. This is the most popular card I have received so far, according to the lovely people at Flickr.

First card, Moose-alicious

2008-10-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

My first postcard arrives from the chilly town of Oulu, Finland. Amazingly, this city is the home of the Air Guitar World Championships, which is a big enough deal that the winner is generally on David Letterman for a performance. I hope you'll read more about the lovely woman who sent this card here.

The Beginning

2008-10-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

After having received 16 international postcards, and being thrilled by every single one of them, I've decided to keep a blog about them. I'd like to learn more about the places they come from, speculate and daydream about the faraway places from which they arrive. I have 16 postcards to catch up on, and I will make an individual entry for every postcard until I'm caught up. This is a personal project, but I hope you will enjoy it with me!

Girls Nights

2008-10-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to update the hungry masses, people beating down the door to read the next installment of my riveting blog. :) I wanted to document that I have had two evenings so far which I believe qualify as "girl nights." The first was with Megan at the house on Friday Sept. 26, and it involved a jug of wine and take out. The second was last night, Oct. 2 at Rock Bottom with Dana and Megan. It was a good time! Below are old photos of myself with Megan and with Dana, both at Duke's bar in Homestead.

Vince falling through ceiling = BAD

2008-09-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

So, as the title of this post suggests, Vince fell through the ceiling yesterday evening. He was working in the attic crawl space, preparing to lay down some flooring to make more room for storage. At the moment there is nothing but the joists, plus the plaster and lathe that make up the ceiling of the room below. So he was up there balancing on the joists when he fell through the joists, through the plaster and lathe, to the linoleum floor of the room nine feet below. I had a steel patio chair set up in the middle of the room with my laptop sitting on top of it so I could sit in my corner chair and watch Heroes. At the time though, I was sitting out on the porch. Vince landed on the steel chair and hit it so hard that the two back legs bent out at a ninety-degree angle. Amazingly, he didn't break anything on himself. He has some terrible bruising and scrapes under both arms where he must have hit falling through the ceiling, and a deep cut on his chin, which got six stitches. Thank god nothing worse happened. Unfortunately the room is a big mess now, and all my stuff is covered in a layer of plaster dust. Fortunately, my laptop still works too. A testament to the durability of Dell laptops. :) I will post pictures later today or tomorrow.

In other news, I began learning Spanish using a free online course called Spanish Steps. It's fun, I'm really enjoying it. I also sorted through my clothes and I'm getting rid of a fair amount of stuff - enough to allow me to fit all my clothing in my dresser. I'll probably donate it to the Veteran's, hopefully someone can use it more than I can. Unfortunately, the pile was in the parlor, where Vince fell, so it's all covered in plaster. :) Oh well. Catch you next time!

What's Shakin Bacon?

2008-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ciao! Things are going well. I am presently watching downloaded episodes of Heroes, Season 1. I am not much of a TV person, but this show is quite good. Riveting, if I'm being honest. The day I started watching, I think I got through Episode 6 before I ripped myself away. In any case, do check it out if you haven't already! What else, what else? Vince is building our fence. I have been working away at my Violet Beauregard skirt, an activity that is quite complementary to my new Heroes addiction. Who knew I could accomplish my 101 list and be a lazy ass at the same time?!
The skirt looks big, and I'm sure it is, but fortunately the pattern includes a drawstring. Megan is picking up the Stitch 'N Bitch Knitter's Handbook so I can begin the process of teaching myself to knit and cross something else off my list (#4). Speaking of Megan, she is moving in with Vince and I on October 25. Hopefully the arrangement will help us all. I look forward to having a girl around to do girl things with.

In other news, I contacted the new editor of The Pitt News (the Univ. of Pittsburgh newspaper) about joining the staff (#50). The commitment required is a weekly meeting, and one article every week or so. That seems reasonable. I will at least fill out the application and write a sample article. Maybe they'll even publish it. And lastly, I am planning to begin my 12-week commitment to The Artist's Way program tomorrow. It consists of weekly reading and exercises, daily morning pages (write three pages of any crap you want as soon as you roll out of bed), and a weekly artist date (spending two hours by yourself doing something fun). Other writer's swear by it, so I'm going to give it a try. I have to produce a 20-page short story for school in about thirty days time, and I hope to submit this story for publication or contests, so I hope to receive some inspiration. I will report on my artist dates, which should be quite fun, as well as how successfully I've been completing my pages and exercises. I hope you'll also keep track of my projects and books on the sidebar. :) Wish me luck!

Cool website alert!

2008-09-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

I have some minor updates to include, but it's late and I just want to share this website with everyone. My understanding is that you register a toy, and it gets sent around the world to people who volunteer to give it a home on the website, and some sort of travelogue is developed for said toy before it comes back home? Something like that. Check it out!

ToyVoyagers

Teeth you could eat off of...

2008-09-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend Vince finally looked at my list and seemed very excited to immediately get me to undertake #40, Follow Vince's teeth-cleaning regimen for one month. Maybe I should be insulted, were my teeth really all that gross? So last night I began following his regimen, which involves tongue-scraping, flossing, brushing, and gargling.

I also uploaded all my received postcards to Flickr, which you can see here: Postcards

I am enjoying my new hobby excessively and I am spending more money than I anticipated on stamps. However, my list only stipulates one postcard must be mailed at all times, therefore, if it gets too expensive, certainly I can scale back my massive postcard operation. Until then, however - full steam ahead. :)

Minor success

2008-09-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings! So here's the deal - my first attempt at the Flickr 365 project failed. :( I posted three photos and the weekend came around and I totally crapped out. Fortunately I still have over two and a half years to get it done. :) On the brighter side, I have finished or nearly finished several items on my list already. #3 Crochet the purple skirt that I've been wanting since last year, is well underway and already nearly halfway finished, and I am just as excited about it as I had hoped. And in order to begin aforementioned skirt, I managed to complete #26. Go to a specialty knitting store and buy high-quality yarns for a project I'm excited about. It was a great experience, despite the fact that I went with the baby (for those who don't know, I work as a nanny and spend a lot of my time with a beautiful 8 month old baby named Olivia). She was very well-behaved and I enjoyed touching all the beautiful yarn. The saleswoman also told me all about their resident knitting club and all the lessons and services they offer. The club meets the night I have class, but maybe once the semester is over I can look into joining.

Also, my room (#87) is, in essence, complete. It could use a little cleaning and maybe a rug on the floor, but I have a desk where I can use my laptop and scanner, a bookshelf, a chair by the window with all my craft supplies in a basket next to it, all my photos and several of my framed prints on display, my piano is set up and has already been used. So I think this one can be marked off the list as well. Also, #86 is complete. The linen cabinet is set up and has been filled with blankets, sheets, and towels, and I think it was absolutely a brilliant idea for storing linens.
So, photos of these accomplishments will soon follow, and more success is on the way! Woot!

Update #1!

2008-09-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

The project is well underway. I have already nearly completed numbers 86 and 87 (storing linens and creating a room for myself) and have only a few finishing touches to complete before I can photograph them and cross them off!

Today I also began the Flickr 365 days photo project (#18), which you can (and should!) visit regularly at http://www.flickr.com/photos/krhocevar/sets/72157607090867599/ to see my new photos. I hope it's a fun exercise! Now, to see if I can actually commit to it for a whole year...we shall see!

I have also been incredibly faithful to the Postcrossing project, not only keeping at least one postcard in the mail at all times, but keeping the maximum of five postcards in the mail at all times. I have already received two postcards, one from Finland and one from the Netherlands, which I shall soon scan into a new album on Flickr for all to enjoy.

Thanks, all, for your support!

101 in 1001 Project

2008-08-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

(See Day Zero.)

Start Date:
September 1, 2008

End Date:
May 30, 2011

Fun Stuff:
1. Have at least one postcard in the mail for postcrossing.com at all times.
2. Learn a new language.
3. Crochet the purple skirt that I've been wanting since last year.
4. Learn to knit.
5. Find and join a great book club (or start one).
6. Pick up birdwatching again.
7. Go rollerskating.
8. Participate in Gimme Your Stuff at least one time.
9. Visit the Carnegie Art Museum.
10. Eat at a tapas restaurant.
11. Go to a hockey game.
12. Go deep sea fishing.
13. Pitch a tent in the backyard and spend the night outdoors with Vince.
14. Finish two small cross-stitch projects, and give one as a gift.
15. Take at least two community courses to learn or improve a skill.
16. See a ballet.
17. See an opera.
18. Participate in Flickr's 365 project.
19. Read at least three books that Vince recommends to me. (0/3)
20. Attend at least one rehearsal of a local choir and join it if I like it.
21. Suck it up and sing karaoke at least one time.
22. Take photos of 100 things that make me happy and make a beautiful scrapbook with the photos.
23. Try an ethnic cuisine I've never had before.
24. Read 101 books. (0/101)
25. Master a new song on the piano (must be a challenging song).
26. Go to a specialty knitting store and buy high-quality yarns for a project I'm excited about.
27. Create at least one pencil sketch that I am proud of.
28. Buy some incredibly awesome new fish for our fish tank and name them all.
29. Download and re-watch the entire Veronica Mars television series.

Financial Stuff:
30. Open a savings account and add $50 every week.
31. Make 250 dollars for Vince on Ebay selling household objects.
32. Learn more about the stock market and invest a small amount.
33. Pay off at least 50% of credit card debt.
34. Do not touch credit cards for the entirety of the 101 things project.

Health Stuff:
35. Get under 130 lbs.
36. Complete the Couch to 5k Running Plan.
37. Drink only water for two weeks on three separate occasions. (0/3)
38. Eat no candy for one month.
39. Get over my fear of the dentist and start going regularly.
40. Follow Vince's teeth-cleaning regimen for one month.
41. Touch my toes without bending my knees.
42. Ride my bike three times per week for one month.
43. Eat one fruit and one vegetable each day for one month.
44. Be able to do 50 push-ups in a row.

Professional Stuff:
45. Write a new piece of short fiction and get it published.
46. Write another piece of short fiction and submit it to the Pitt literary publication.
47. Graduate from college.
48. Design business cards and get them printed.
49. Complete the Artist's Way creativity program.
50. Investigate the commitment necessary in contributing to the University of Pittsburgh newspaper, and contribute if possible.
51. Do writing exercises every day for one month.

Loved Ones:
52. Finish Vince's afghan.
53. Make the CD collection for my mom that I have been meaning to do for years now.
54. Make all Christmas gifts one year.
55. Visit my nieces once each year.
56. Slow dance with Vince.
57. Call my father at least once per month. (0/32)
58. Send my mother flowers for no reason.
59. Create a family cookbook to give to my mom as a gift.

Travel:
60. Travel out of the country.
61. Go to the Erie wine region and sample the delicious wines.
62. Go camping with Vince.
63. Investigate and visit breweries within a day's drive.
64. Renew passport.
65. Go on vacation away from family for Christmas one year.
66. Stay at a bed and breakfast.
67. Visit a state I've never been to.
68. Visit family in Cleveland.

Personal Indulgence:
69. Seek out the perfect little black dress and find an occasion to wear it.
70. Stay in a nice hotel alone for one weekend.
71. Get a professional massage.
72. Find and use a signature scent.
73. Invest in a quality piece of jewelry.
74. Go out for a girl's night at least once every two months. (0/15)
75. Buy five pairs of inexpensive all-purpose earrings for everyday use.
76. Buy one great pair of black heels and one great pair of brown heels. If this list is completed in full, also buy one great pair of heels in an unexpected, slightly ostentatious color (turquoise, yellow, red...etc)
77. Dye my hair in some way, shape, or form.
78. Learn more about wine and discover one red and one white I can drink anytime.
79. Buy an expensive bottle of champagne and drink the whole thing myself.

Everyday Improvements:
80. Send all birthday and occasion cards on time.
81. Buy a new or used car.
82. Change online passwords so they are all the same.
83. Buy an address book and fill it up with pertinent information.
84. Get my PA drivers license.
85. Establish one utility bill in my name for residency purposes.
86. Set up an effective temporary storage solution for all our linens.
87. Set up a space for myself in the back bedroom where I can go to relax (i.e. piano, desk, chair, books, clothes, etc)

Doing Right:
88. Donate my time for one whole day to a charitable cause.
89. Sort through clothes every six months and donate things that I don't wear, that don't fit, or make me feel ugly.
90. Vote in the presidential election.
91. Renew my CPR certification.
92. Get over my fear and donate blood.
93. Replace light bulbs with CFLs.
94. Take Navy showers as frequently as possible (<2min).
95. Walk into Barnes & Noble at the Waterfront without fear of condemnation.
96. Pay for the person behind me at the drive-through.
97. Write letters to five authors I admire.
98. Create a time capsule to be opened when I am 50.

101 Things:
99. Regularly post to the blog with photos to give updates on the progress of this list.
100. Put $10 in my savings account for every item I don't complete on this list.
101. Celebrate the completion of this list on May 30, 2011.