New Year's goals

These goals are similar to last year's. I will have to keep listing them until I actually complete them.

1. Lose weight - Over the past year, I have pretty much maintained my weight. I've weighed a couple of pounds more or less throughout the year. My weight now is just a few pounds over what I started at in January 2012. I hope I will be able to lose weight and keep it off in the new year.

2. Continue running - I love running and I hope to keeping doing it for as long as I can. I won't set a mileage goal again this year. Sometimes things come up and I won't be able to keep my mileage high. Over the past year my treadmill broke and that forced me to run elsewhere, I took time off after both of my 50 mile races and work or life needed my attention. I hope 2013 is another great year of running.

3. Read about art - I was an art major in college. To graduate I had to take many classes of art history. I loved learning about artists and their works of art. A couple of times a year, my husband and I visit the Toledo Museum of Art. The last few visits have just been for special exhibitions. It would be nice to walk through the museum and identify works of art. What period is it from or what style it is.

4. Shoot more photos for myself - This item is on my list every year. It will continue to be on it until I do it. This year I did pretty well. I took photos on our trips to North Carolina, Mackinac Island and New Jersey. I also photographed cemeteries, graffiti and horse shows. It was an improvement from 2011 to 2012. I just need to do it more.

End of the Year questions

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?Ran two 50 Mile races, two marathons and a 24 hour race.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I was 50/50 with my New Year's resoultions. I didn't lose any weight. I maintained and I didn't take a class. I did continue running. I will finish with over 5000 miles run this year and I did shoot photos for myself. I will make goals for the upcoming year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?Yes, she will. My sister is due any day.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
The US. I still haven't made it out of the country. My husband and I went on trips to North Carolina, Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?My answer from 2012 is a pretty good one: I would love to make more money.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 31 and October 21. I ran 50 mile races. They were very hilly and at many points during both of those races, I didn't think I was going to finish.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?  

Running over 5000 miles.

9. What was your biggest failure?Not shooting more personal photos and gaining a few pounds.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?Our Galaxy III cell phones.

12. Where did most of your money go?Student loan, gas, groceries, books, race fees, house payment and insurance.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?Running both 50 Mile Races

14. What song will always remind you of 2012?You by The Pretty Reckless

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) richer or poorer? About the same.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? 

Shoot photos for myself.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Complain.

18. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Yes. With my husband everyday.

19. What was your favorite TV programs?Gossip Girl, Bones, New Girl and any equestrian show jumping program.

20. What was the best book you read?The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts

21. What was your greatest musical discovery?The Pretty Reckless

22. What was your favorite films of this year?
Lincoln

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?I turned 33. I ran and photographed a couple of cemeteries in Toledo, Ohio.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?If I lost some weight and earned more money.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?Jeans, shorts, and shirts from Aeropostale, American Eagle, Hollister and Abercromie and Fitch.

26. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She is stunning.

27. Who do you miss?My answer will always be my dad who passed away in 1998.

28. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.   

Keep quiet.

29. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 

Don't know just how far I can go/Soon be home/Only just a few miles down the road/I can make it/I know I can - St. Elmo's Fire by John Parr

30. Do you have any big plans for 2013? I will be running my first 100K race in April.

Horses III - Sand Creek, MI

Made In Hollywood

My husband and I traveled to the Toledo Museum of Art last week to view the photography exhibition 'Made In Hollywood'.

Made in Hollywood has photographs from well known photographers working in Hollywood from 1920-1960. These photographers photographed the biggest actors of the time. Hanging with the photos, was information about the photographer and the actor in the photo.

I loved the exhibition. I knew most of the actors that had their photographs displayed, thanks to Turner Movie Classic channel. My favorite photographs were of Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow. I wanted to take all over their photos off the wall and home with me. They were so beautiful.

If you are in the Toledo area, I would suggest going to the exhibition if you love Old Hollywood. The Made In Hollywood exhibition will be on display until January 20, 2013. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Children 5 and under are free with a paid adult admission.

Merry Christmas

Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!

Miss Universe

Photo credit: AFP

Miss Universe took place last Wednesday at the Planet Hollywood casino in Las Vegas. I was able to watch the first half of the pageant live. I had to stop watching it half way through because my DVR started to record a program on the main TV. If I wanted to keep watching Miss Universe, I would have had to go down into the basement. Sitting in a cold basement wasn't appealing. So I decided that I would watch the rest of it the morning off the DVR.

Besides rooting for Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, to win. I was also cheering for Miss South Africa, Melinda Bam, to win. Both ladies, Culpo and Bam made the Top 16. After the swimsuit competition, Culpo and Bam were named to the Top 10. In the evening gown competition, Culpo went on to the Top 5, while Bam did not.

headblitz.com

In the Top 5 with Culpo was Miss Philippines: Janine Tugonon, Miss Venezuela: Irene Sofia Esser, Miss Australia: Renae Ayris and Miss Brazil; Gabriela Markus.

The final question was the only thing left that stood in the way of finding out who would win the title. Culpo's final question was whether if she had ever done something she regretted. Her answer was, "I'd like to start off by saying that every experience no matter what it is, good or bad, you'll learn from it. That's just life. But something I've done I've regretted is probably picking on my siblings growing up, because you appreciate them so much more as you grow older."

After the judges scores were talled, the 4th runner-up was Miss Brazil: Gabriela Markus; 3rd runner-up was Miss Australia: Renae Ayris; 2nd runner-up was Miss Venezuela: Irene Esser. The final two ladies were Philippines and USA. Miss Universe 2012 went to Miss USA: Olivia Culpo with 1st runner-up Miss Philippines: Janie Tugonon.

missuniverse.com

Culpo was the first American to win the Miss Universe title since Brook Lee in 1997. Culpo begins her year of traveling the world working for her charitable alliances of HIV/AIDS awareness. With Culpo winning the Miss Universe title, the Miss USA title went to 1st runner-up Miss Maryland: Nana Meriwether.

Tradition

Another yearly tradition will be happening tomorrow. Ever since my husband and I bought our house back in 2002, we hosted a Christmas dinner for my family. Leading up to this point, we have always picked up dinner from Subway. My husband and I didn't host dinner one year because he was working. Instead of just going home after Christmas mass, most of us ended up at a restaurant in town. We stayed almost until closing time.

My husband works again on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Instead of skipping the family dinner, we are holding it a few days earlier. It will take place after Mass tomorrow evening. The only person that will be missing is my oldest brother. He has to work.

This year, my husband and I will be serving ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans, salad and biscuits. We asked a few of my sisters to bring dessert: pumpkin pie, dutch apple pie, ice cream and cake.

I can't wait. It will be nice to see everyone again. The only time all of us get together is for a holiday. It should be a great night with family and food.

Oakwood Cemetery I - Adrian, MI

Gulf Gasoline - Adrian, MI

Horses II - Sand Creek, MI

Books read in 2012

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling 
Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal, Toni Bentley 
Chasing the Runner's High, Ray Charbonneau 
The Perfect Mile, Neal Bascomb 
Cleopatra, Stacy Schiff 
The Carrie Diaries, Candace Bushnell 
Summer in the City, Candace Bushnell 
Forgotten, Cat Patrick 
Deja Dead, Kathy Reichs 
Pretty Little Liars, Sara Shepard 
Flawless, Sara Shepard 
Perfect, Sara Shepard 
Unbelievable, Sara Shepard 
Wicked, Sara Shepard 
Killer, Sara Shepard  
Heartless, Sara Shepard

Wanted, Sara Shepard

Twisted, Sara Shepard

Ruthless, Sara Shepard

Fairy Tale Interrupted, Rosemarie Terenzio

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

Pronto, Elmore Leonard

Riding the Rap, Elmore Leonard

Raylan, Elmore Leonard

The Coffin Quilt, Ann Rinaldi

A Life Without Limits, Chrissie Wellington

Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, John Le Carre
Eat and Run, Scott Jurek

Clearing Hurdles, Dan O'Brien

The Sugarless Plum, Zippora Karz

Girl in Motion: A Novel, Miriam Wenger-Landis

Breaking Pointe, Miriam Wenger-Landis

The Cranes Dance, Meg Howrey

The Eighty-Dollar Champion, Elizabeth Letts

Renegade Champion: The Unlikely Rise of Fitzrada, Richard R. Rust

That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, Anne Sebba

The President's Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity, Nancy Gibbs

Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir, Clint Hill

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever, Martin Dugard and Bill O'Reilly

Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath, Mimi Alford

Mary's Mosaic: The CIA Conspiracy to Murder John F. Kennedy, Mary Pinchot Meyer and Their Vision for World Peace, Peter Janney

Finding My Distance, Julia Wendell
FDR's Funeral Train: A Betrayed Widow, a Soviet Spy and a Presidency in the Balance, Robert Klara 
Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art forger, Ken Perenyi
Kate: Kate Middleton: Princess in Waiting, Claudia Joseph
After Camelot, J. Randy Taraborrelli

Seven Days in the Art World, Sarah Thornton

Currently Reading: To Marry an English Lord, Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

The Lights Before Christmas - Toledo, Ohio

It is tradition. My husband and I have visited the Toledo Zoo's Lights Before Christmas since 1996. I think we have only missed one or two years since then, but it is one of my favorite Christmas activities.

We traveled to Toledo Wednesday night to see The Lights Before Christmas. It wasn't too cold or crowded. I really loved the blue and purple lights this year. Besides seeing the lights, some of the zoo animals were still out. We saw eagles, a polar bear, otters, wolves, tigers, penguins, snow leopards, elephants and many birds.

Ghost Trestle graffiti - Adrian, MI

A Logo Story

Oiselle (a team which I am a member) put a video out on the web Tuesday evening. It is called Clipped: A Logo Story.  It is a three minute video about how Oiselle had to keep changing their elite track and field racing singlet because of logo restrictions to make it compliant with the USATF and USOC.

This is Oiselle's story about their singlet for the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trails from the past summer.

December

I said to my husband Sunday that I was sad to have my four day weekend come to a close. He said that I only work three more days, then I get another four off.

Yes. It is true. For the entire month of December, I have every Thursday and Friday off. I also have Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's off. I have these days off because they are holidays and I needed to use all of my vacation and sick days before the end of the year. If I didn't use them, I would lose them. Before Thanksgiving, I had 11 vacations days to use and 2.5 sick days.

This is the second year that I have used most of my vacation days in December. I don't plan it that way. It just happens. I photograph sports at a newspaper and the seasons are long. It is difficult to leave during the season. I take some time off during the summer and usually in September around my wedding anniversary.

What I love about the many days off in December is that I can take a break from the weekly grind of sports. I watch sports on TV practically everyday. But that is not the same as working at a game. So much more is involved in photographing a game.

I will be enjoying the rest of my time off. By the time December is over, I will be ready and looking forward to photograph games again.

Horses I - Sand Creek, MI