The Life and Times of My Feet: An intro

Ever since my mom bought me my first digital camera, pictures of my feet have been ubiquitous. I'm not entirely sure why I choose take pictures of my feet, they just happen. It might be like my way of saying "I was here." And my feet have been many places! They've been to many interesting places and it's kind of interesting to see all the things my feet (and me) have done.

My feet getting ready for my first 5K.

My feet in Tony's hammock tent in the Boundary Waters.

My feet following a path at Dublin Castle in Ireland.

Andy and my feet on a boat in Lake Superior.

My feet on their way to work at the U of M after a Spring Break snowfall.

My feet on tree roots on 5th Avenue in New York City.

My feet made their way to the top of a playground in Glasgow, Scotland.

My feet snowshoeing while orienteering in Theodore Wirth Park.

My feet on the sand at Dublin Bay.

My feet on a frozen and snowy Lake Nokomis.

My feet and the found plastic cow "Clinton" at the James J. Hill house.

Sometimes other people took pictures of my feet. This is Kim, me, Andy and Jon at the Scavenger Hunt.

My feet on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco.

My feet hanging while I sat on the soon to be wrecked ATV.

Andy got into the foot action on our first date over the Mississippi River.

My feet on the square in Rockville, IN.

Sometimes my feet get dirty sometimes, this is at a kegger to raise funds for the Student Associate for Non-profit Enterprise.

Sometimes my feet pictures are not stylish. This is at a party while wearing leg warmers and long johns. Tequila and beer make anything sound like a good idea.

2000 - 2009 A Life and Times of Amanda Review

It may seem silly and cliche, but I love reading articles about the year in review and the decade in review. This seems like the appropriate location to review what my past decade has been like. I'm going to use my brother's set up, because it's a great one. This past decade has seen the biggest changes in my life and I don't think it could have ended up better. The decade encompassed my high school and college years. While they may not be the best years of my life, they certainly are some of the most important. I've learned a lot throughout the past decade and I'm looking forward to learning more in the decades to come!

*Some of these years may not necessarily be accurate, and that's because I have a bad memory.

2000

Finished middle school and started high school at Mounds View High School.

My mom borrowed 3 books from a coworker about a boy named Harry Potter. I started to wish my school was magical.

Said no to drugs and alcohol.

Made the competition dance line at Metro Dance and started getting serious about dancing.

Began my short career as a Cheerleader for the MVHS girls hockey team. They were the best group of people I cheered for (sorry Tony's football friends).

Went to the Homecoming dance with a boy who was 30 lbs lighter than me and 3 inches shorter than me. Felt like a giant. First experience hearing someone say "I love you" and being really freaked out by it.

2001

Without plans for our spring break, my parents send Tony and I on a mission trip to an orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico with a family friend. One of the best last minute decisions that has had a lasting impact on my life.

Became a football and soccer cheerleader for a school I increasingly disliked. Told football players don't like Twinkies.

Started getting into music and learning to love a variety of sounds.

2002

Spent a month living with a family in Cuernavaca, Mexico learning Spanish. Had a great time living relatively independently in a foreign country.

Able to take Spanish 5 at MVHS and unlearn everything learned in Mexico.

Joined the junior varsity track team at MVHS.

Started doing competition tap, ballet and jazz after many years out of practice.

Went to my first concert alone, saw Fuel, Sevendust at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Saved up $27 to buy a concert t-shirt from selling custom mix CDs at school.

2003

Found out that I could spend my last year of high school, not going to high school and attending college for free.

Got in to the PSEO program at the University of Minnesota, one of the best things that I've ever done. I learned to be independent, take risks, and explored a vast new place.

Continued to do tap, ballet, jazz and dance line at Metro Dance.

Got my first job at Proex, taking portraits of people and developing pictures.

Opened my first bank account!

2004

Declared a Spanish minor while still in high school.

Graduated from high school. Vowed to never step foot inside MVHS again. A promise I have since kept.

Accepted into the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Quit my job at Proex and started working at East Side Beverage, a challenging but rewarding job.

Moved into Middlebrook Hall on the West Bank of the Mississippi. A great place where I met some wonderful people and made new friends.

2005

Spring semester was the worst for grades as I didn't listen to the recommendation and took 2 difficult classes that I didn't like at the same time. Slacked off an incredible amount for me.

Learned that I can't always coast through classes and spent much of April and May catching up.

Got a lot of music from a fellow music lover and expanded my tastes in music. Though I still don't do rap.

Started a job at the Gopher Express and Post Office in the student union. Discovered a life-long love for Amy's Pizza Pockets. I am extremely knowledgeable about postal requirements. Mailed my first human body parts.

Joined the Student Association for Non-profit Enterprise (SANE). Voted president of the student group to start that fall.

Became a U-Crew in Middlebrook hall starting in fall semester. Got a single and a mandate to help the freshman residents on 6th floor adjust and enjoy their college experience.

Started drinking.

Realized that I didn't want to be an Entrepreneur and changed my major to Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Hoped that with that major I'd be able to help people.

Got a bicycle for my birthday only to have it stolen 2 weeks into the school year.

2006

Applied for study abroad and was accepted to go to the Quinn School of Business at the University College Dublin.

Declared a Psychology minor to fill in the gaps until I graduated.

Moved my parents to Covington, Indiana and helped sell the home I grew up in, in Arden Hills, Minnesota. My job for that summer was to pack up the house, take Chip out of the house when people came to see it, refill the ponds, and keep the house clean.

Worked in Danville, IL for 1 month as an audit assistant. Learned I don't like numbers job and that I must always stay busy.

Traveled to Ireland where I didn't realize until the plane touched down that I didn't know a single person in the country.

Had a great time in Ireland; drinking whiskey, making great friends, studied quite a bit, traveling around Europe, and bringing my family over to show them a good time.

I figured out that I do best when I am constantly learning something new.

2007

Moved into a closet in Minnesota.

Struggled a bit to adjust to the change from study abroad.

Over Easter I ran my dad's ATV into a tree. Thought I was about to die and then got afraid of driving and motor vehicles after that.

Met and started dating Andy Harvey. Our first date encompassed riding in Critical Mass and dining at a Thai restaurant in St. Paul. We watched a barge in the Mississippi during sunset.

Completed my Emerging Leadership Program on principle and couldn't continue with the honors program if I graduated early.

Pete came for a visit over the summer and I tried to show him a good time around Minneapolis. It ended up that he was able to create a good time for himself here as well!

First time I questioned a grade I received from a teacher and went into mediation. Was able to move my grade up and felt more confident.

House got broken into the day after I moved in. I lost my laptop, camera, and sense of safety.

Graduated from the University of Minnesota in 3 1/2 years. Had to do my graduation ceremony in the spring, despite finishing in the winter. Happy to be done with school!

Got my first car that was my own! A wonderful 2008 Honda Fit. It fits a lot.

2008

Got my first job as a Human Resources Assistant at Mall of America. Learned to love MOA and learned a lot about people.

Called the city on my landlord a few times for dumping. Dealt with Thursday night garage parties 2 houses down, roomies that didn't always do their dishes, and the wonderment of a house that could be so cold in the winter could be so hot in the summer.

Got my first promotion 5 months after being hired, now an HR Representative, I started doing interviews.

Andy and I moved in together in a small house in South Minneapolis.

Andy proposed on the train ride home from a visit to Indiana. Started planning a wedding. Bought a wedding dress a couple weeks later.

Moved work offices from upstairs in Nickelodeon Universe to the basement of MOA in December. Stopped seeing daylight for awhile. Enjoyed a bigger "office" and being around the rest of MOA employees.

2009

Learned that planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort.

Made a plan with Andy that in 2010 we would start looking for jobs out of state in earnest and move out of Minnesota within 2 years.

Started gardening and grew our own tomatoes, carrots, beans, radishes, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Ate more vegetables and fruits than ever before.

Learned how to can and preserve summer food.

Received a canoe for a wedding present from my parents and paddled around the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and Lake Nokomis.

Took my first trip to the BWCA with Andy and he didn't end up as bear bait. He passed the family test with flying colors.

Got married on October 10, 2009. Had a great time seeing everyone and I realized that the best thing about weddings was seeing all of my family at once.

Honeymooned in Portland, OR and had a wonderful time. Came home knowing that's where we'd like to live in the future.

2010

I don't usually make resolutions, but this year there are some things that I would like to accomplish.

• The first is to keep better track of my finances. I don't usually pay much attention to them, but I've realized that's a bad idea.
• Get a dog! For Christmas Andy and I saved some gift money for each other to put to adopting a greyhound.
• Move away from Minnesota. After living here our whole lives, Andy and I think it's time to try someplace new. Preferable that will be Portland, OR, but we're open to other places.

Bicycles

I'm going to be very open here, because I feel it's necessary sometimes to express yourself. Today in Minneapolis there was a terrible bicycle accident involving a semi-truck. A cyclist was killed while riding in a bike lane when a semi-truck was taking a left-hand turn and crossing over the bike lane. This is a horrible tragedy and no one feels good about this, but it's frustrating for people who do ride bikes. This is a frustrating accident because we see and experience these sort of actions all the time, thankfully, without the consequences of this incident.

It's frustrating to not be seen while riding a bike when a lot to biking is be observant and aware of others. I want that same respect from drivers. It's impossible to get that from drivers though because they are cooped up in a shell and cannot be as aware of their surroundings. Especially in large vehicles, like semi-trucks. I cannot tell how many times I've yelled at cars who've cut me off, and made last-minute swerves to avoid car doors and lane-changes. When I'm at my best of riding, I can be very defensive and I know how to get around without being hit. I'm sure the cyclist who died today did as well. But in this world of large vehicles and complacent drivers, it's exhausting to be on your toes all the time.

For full disclosure, I do not like driving. Ever since I got in to the accident with my Dad's ATV, I've been adverse to motor vehicles. People have told me it's silly to be afraid of driving a car and such, but they have never felt what it's like to have something that large and powerful become completely uncontrollable while you are on top of it. It is hands down the scariest moment of my life. I realized I loved riding bikes before this incident, and after this incident I didn't feel like I really wanted or needed a car. I have a car now and I appreciate it for where it can take me. But I don't go out for joy rides and I still get scared when I'm going around high corners. It's silly, but it's how I feel.

And I feel as though I shouldn't ever be looked down upon for riding bikes or taking the train. Sure it takes me longer to get places, but I exercise more without really trying. I get up and move and I get outside. It seems like people who ride bikes are looked down upon as hooligans and people who break the law. Sure, I don't stop and put my foot down at all stop signs, but 90% of the cars I see don't make a complete stop at a stop sign either. I am more likely to honor the rules of the road if the vehicles around me are doing the same thing. I think drivers and cyclists on both sides of the debate need to get off the soap box and start compromising. Drivers need to be more aware, definitely. And all cyclists and drivers should be taught better how to use the road. There is no consensus or logic in bicycle safety and laws in this state. As the city with the 2nd highest percentage of commuters, Minneapolis has a LONG way to go before it's a safe and logical city for cyclists. And I hope to hell that more innocent cyclist don't have to die before Minneapolis wakes up and makes some logical bike lanes.

Drivers don't know how to ride with bikes along side them and it's high time to begin a discussion with open minds.

Back Home Again in Indiana

Saturday morning Andy, Pete, and I got up excruciatingly early to take a train trip down to Indiana to visit my family. Andy was more than excited for the train and was practically giddy by the time we boarded. Turns out, trains are really fun to take. Sure, it's a longer trip. But you can get up and walk around to stretch, go visit the observation car or the dining car, AND you get a seat with more room than first class on an airplane. Plus, you don't have to buckle in. The trip into Chicago was mildly uneventful and relaxing.

Chicago itself was busy. Union station was packed with people and no one knew where to go or what to do. The three of us managed to get outside to grab some food down the street and check out the Sears Tower. After that we stood in a long and confusing line, and then hopped on the train to LaFayette. This leg of the journey promised to be even more uneventful as the three of us were not sitting together. However, just outside of the second stop our train hit a car. We were stopped for about an hour, and thankfully the driver managed to walk out of the car alright. It was a bit jarring to be apart of that experience though. We finally made it home in time for some good, old fashioned sleep.

Sunday we enjoyed a lunch with Grandpa, Jean, Mary, and Dale. It was a delicious cook out with corn, green beans, burgers, and tomatoes picked from the garden. Later Pete and Andy went four wheeling as I walked around in the woods and was generally fearful for their safety. Pete managed to make it all the way across the abandoned railroad bridge. A feat that no other guest has accomplished. After dinner at the Overpass, we three enjoyed a friendly game of Boggle and unknowingly expanded our vocabulary.

Today it was raining pretty hard, so we ditched plans for kayaking and canoing in the Wabash for some drier activities. We drove out to Indianapolis for a tour of the speedway and a look through the museum. Then we wandered through Circle Center and saw what a mall in the downtown of a city is supposed to be like. After that we dined at the Alcatraz Brewhouse and drank home made beers. Yum! On the way home we stopped for some ice cream and took a hike through the woods to the infamous location of my four wheeling accident. It doesn't look like too many people have traveled through there recently.

At the moment we're enjoying a relaxing bit of reading in the sun room. I'll add pictures when I get them uploaded.

Superfly and Made of Steel

How I spent my Easter Vacation. This past weekend Tony, his girlfriend Laura, Clare and I took a jaunt to Indiana to celebrate Easter with my family. It was quite fun, I enjoy going home and spending some quiet time with my parents and animals. My cat Tipper is really fat now and it's funny. Chip is as rambunctious as ever, though getting greyer around his eyes.

Windmills just south of Rockford, IL.

Friday we got home in time to get some food. Clare and I took pictures at the old graveyard. It was rather sad, there were a lot of infant graves. Though it was cool to see really old head stones, mostly from the mid 1800s. After we got back there was a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit, where I strategically chose Clare as my partner because I knew she would kick ass. And we won.

Anne Death's death was no laughing matter. Nor did anyone see it coming.

Saturday was a bit entertaining. Tony's friends who go to Purdue, Jon and Peter came for a visit. We decided to take the ATV Dad had purchased a few weeks ago for a ramble through the woods while Mom and Dad hid eggs for the egg hunt. It started all well and fine, we were having a good time. Until I decided to try my hand at the wheel and travelling up a steep embankment with a curve. My lack of experience driving 4-wheelers/anything with a motor for the past 7 months came into play when I didn't let off the throttle, didn't turn hard enough, and missed the brake. I hit a bump (that bump that occurs when you go off a trail), flew off, and rolled down the hill a bit until I hit a small tree. The ATV hit a larger tree.

Before.

After.

The amazing thing about this fall is that despite flying through the air aways, hitting the ground, and rolling down a hill - I'm okay. I was super sore and in lots of pain Saturday, but that's mostly gone away. I probably have a total of 4 small bruises. The most injured part of my body is my right foot that got all scratched up because somehow my shoe AND sock fell off. So now I'm just horrified that I managed to break something really expensive. Though the ATV starts now, it'll probably cost a lot to fix it. Not to mention how un-fun it is to push something like that up a hill.

After we finally made it back to the house, we had our Easter egg hunt, which was loads of fun as usual. Then we had delicious dinner. That night we watched The Wind that Shakes the Barley, which made my day, even if we had to keep stopping it to let the DVD cool down.

The ride home was incredibly not fun, especially since my muscles were really stiff, and got stiffer the more I didn't move. Also, now I have a healthy fear of anything with a motor. The whole time I was driving I kept feeling like I was going to lose control of the car and we'd all go flying into a ditch. So I'm really glad I don't drive, and that I power my own way of getting around on my bike.

Things that make me happy: Tony got a Peachy-Pooh finally from Maple Corner.

Not as delicious as it sounds.

I also flossed last night.