On Coffees

For much of the hot summer my drinks of choice at Brewed Awakenings have included iced vanilla lattes and the cappacino smoothie (so delicious...really closer to desert than anything!).

This morning there was a breeze, a slight chill and the feeling that fall creeping in. I ordered a skim white chocolate mocha; not even my hot coffee regular! But the first drink, feeling the warm coffee and milk slide down my throat was like a warm welcoming hug from an old friend.

Just the idea of hot lattes and mochas makes ending summer seem not quite so bad.

Countdown

The countdown to school is on. Here are the things that will occupy us until the week of August 22:

1. Soccer Conditioning Camp: four intense nights of cconditioning for Willa.
2. Prepping for new faculty orientation and prepping for podcasting workshops at Coe
3. One more long weekend of fun with the Bickels at Treampealeou, WI

Summer Project No. 2

This is our newest seat for the front deck. I'm so bummed I didn't get a before picture! I'll try to describe it:

This was a freebie: neighbors Joe & Sylvia moved into a condo and randomly gave away little pieces of furniture and knick knacks. This particular piece was covered in approximately 20 coats of random paint splatters. Obviously a painting stool for perhaps all of the 32 years Joe & Sylvia have lived on A Avenue.

I contemplated leaving it as is and just applying a coat of poly. Paint splatters ranged from 1970s avocado and grunge gold to brick red, multiple shades of whites and a bit of brown. Instead, I spent a few hours with a sander trying to sand off enough layers to make the seat smooth.

After painting a base of chocolate brown, I gave red, orange, yellow and turquoise paint and free reign on design. A neighbor girl helped, and this is their creation. I love it! It works perfectly for an extra seat on the front deck.

Cost breakdown:

• stool: FREE
• paints: $4.99 for brown based, polyurethane and the other colors were already on hand

First Summer Project

I have a long list of projects for the summer. It usually carries over from one summer to the next; I think I've got items on this list that originated four or five years ago.

This is a bedside table project for Cam's room. I finished it in early June (but am late getting it posted!).

BEFORE:

 

Materials:

• Night stand: $10 on Craigslist
• Paint: free (found leftovers from other home projects)
• Hardware: re-used original hardware with a fresh coat of hammered nickel spray paint (also on hand from another project)
  

AFTER:

Cam is very happy with his new table. He stores lots of things in the drawer: marbles, stickers and various little cars. Every night, after we turn out the light, he reaches over in the dark and grabs a car out of the drawer.

Around the World

Willa and I are starting a new adventure: ePals. First, we're hooking up with a couple of families to exchange postcards. Our goals is to get postcards from all over the world (from all of the developed countries) and perhaps a later goal will be to exchange postcards with someone in all 50 states.

Today we mailed Iowa postcards to a family in Australia, a 10-year old named Jordan in the U.K. and a girl named Susana in Italy. The Lonsdale family in Australia indicated they'd mailed out a postcard to us already. Willa is anxiously waiting and predicting how long it would take a post card to travel around the world. I read Willa's postcards before she sent them out; her note to Jordan said "You know, I'm the artistic tipe, I like art. What tipe are you? From Willa". There's not enough room to go into too many other types.

Our second ePals endeavor is an online penpal. Last night Willa sent her first email to Julia, an eight-year-old in Wooster, OH.  Through the ePals system, I set Willa's account up under my own (so I can monitor her emails and forum postings).

Our intention is to put up a big bulletin board in the basement; with a map of the world where we can track our correspondences, and a place to post our postcards.

If anyone wants to join our postcard exchange, post a comment!

Testing Animation 3

Devolver...not sure if I like this one because of the lack of narration.

Testing Animation 2

Testing Xtranormal

Testing Animation

Test animation from GoAnimate


GoAnimate.com: Lisa Tests GoAnimate by lstrosch

Testing Timeline Tools post 4

TimeRime testing.

Testing Timeline Tools post 3

Using Timetoast

Testing Timeline Tools post 2

My testing with Capzles

Testing Timeline Tools

Life of Stros using Dipity

Life of Stros on Dipity.

Less Impact Person

Last night I watched the "No Impact Man" documentary. No Impact Man is Collin Beavin, a writer living in New York City, who decided to try to have zero net impact on the environment for one whole year. He kept a blog, which eventually turned into a book and a movie. It was his intention to write the book from the beginning - environmentalist critics opined that publicity for a book might trump his quest for clean living.

Whatever your outlook - the experiment was fascinating. Mostly, because it also involved his wife and toddler daughter. I could never go that far, but it's making me think. And that's exactly what Collin was hoping to get out of this (at least from the environmental altruistic side of things!). So I'm thinking about my baby steps to "less impact person".

Already we've switched out the light bulbs, use the programmable thermostat and have water aerators on the shower and the faucets. I use re-usable grocery bags (mostly...but I can get better at keeping some in the car for those unexpected stops).

As I was pondering my next steps, I realized just how often I get coffee in disposable cups. I'm so sad to admit, but I rarely carry my mug with me. If I get coffee AFTER I get to my office, I always use my own cup. But Brewed Awakenings is between where I park and my office. The cup is usually in my office.

So, my vows toward less impact:

• no more coffee in disposable cups - my own mug or no coffee
• less reliance on paper towels and more integration of cloth napkins
• begin searching for a tandem bike for Willa and I to commute to school/campus this spring
• as soon as the ground thaws, put up the collapsible clothes line that's been taking up space in the garage since last July

Baby steps. Baby steps.

My Life in Numbers

I'm working with the Advanced Journalism class on campus. We're exploring the creative and social nature of online content creation tools, and one of the tools we're using is Prezi. The assignment is to make a Prezi with the theme of "10 Things About Me". I'm impressed by the creativity the students have applied to their presentations.

Here's mine:

5472 = Lisa in Numbers on Prezi

Finally

After a several week slump, where it felt like we didn't see the sun at all, and every minute outdoors involved 12 layers and as little exposed skin as possible....it's 40 degrees. And rising.

I'm thrilled. I wore a fleece jacket today and little gloves. I dodged puddles and ignored the dirty, wet, garbage filled snowbanks. Predictions indicate potentials for even higher temps this week, so I'll pretend the snow banks are gone already.

I am trying to temper my enthusiasm, because I know it's only February and I know this can't last. But I will enjoy it while it does (and then go back to complaining when it's gone.)