happy anniversary buddy!! (and bday news)

aaron and i got married four years ago today. he's my friend.

my sister kristen sent me a robe with ducks all over it, which i love!!!

she also sent me this e-card, which is hilarious:



i got a whole slew of bday cards yesterday. you guys are all so sweet!! giant love!

kat- magic hands and heart

for my birthday, my friend kat took me out to lunch (sushi!!) and then gave me a masterful massage.

holy relaxation... i think i had an out of body experience- while still in my body! =)

i think you should visit her site here to find out more, and then give her a call to set up an appointment- she really is amazing.

(just a note: the sushi lunch doesn't automatically come with the massage)

thanks for the lunch, the massage and for calling me on my shit, kat!!

cruel and unusual anticipation

aaron has wrapped my presents and left them on our chair in the living room with a huge sign pointing to them, which on one side says:

Hey
there are some
PRESENTS
over here
for Susan Quakkewhat

and on the other side says:

LOOK
presents!
birthday presents
for Susan
Susan Quakkewhat



















As my friends, are you guys going to let him do this to me??

free marketing advice- utilikilts

okay, so corey, the guy talking in the video below, replied to my recent post about utilikilts (or at least someone impersonating him did).



first, corey is a hottie.

second, here is some free marketing advice for you, corey-

one of my friends said that he didn't think he could handle all that freedom and that got me thinking...

corey, at some point you had to get over the idea of being so free. it must have been something of a challenge, putting on the utilikilt for the first time and walking around in it. i really like your marketing idea of 'girl's are into it' cause it's true and very very fun. but here's my advice:

think of ways to help guys get over the idea of 'too much freedom' so they can imagine the benefits. you can use the same kind of humor as you use in your current stuff to talk about that first experience with the utilikilt and how rising to the challenge (sorry) brought ever-lasting comfort, pleasure, women, and damnation, of course.

cause really, what guy doesn't like to think of chics chasing him down cause he's wearing a sexy item of clothing? but that same guy probably imagines endless freedom as a bit of a risk and certainly potentially dangerous, right?

how did you get over it? share that. guys who can visualize the path they might take from restriction to glorious abandon, might be more interested in what you have to offer.

free advice, of course, is always worth what you pay for it.

good luck, corey!! you rock!!

wnyc radio lab- october 27th

if you've heard me talk about WNYC radiolab, you know that i love love love the show.

well, jad and robert are coming to minneapolis, and for just $15 fine dollars, you can see the show!!!










aaron, julie and i are going for sure. we'd love to have you join us!!!
Saturday, October 27th
8pm
Fitzgerald Theater
Live sweetness!!

if you wanna hear what it's all about, you can find the podcast on itunes (free).

let me know if you're interested in joining us.

jules and zack- you know you wanna
kat and scott- i dare ya!
heidi and louisa- do you even read my blog?
sam and paul- bring it
carla and tom- we'll try not to be obnoxious, i promise
erika and jason- seriously
lindsey and nathan- what are you waiting for?
jeff and gene- oh no you di'int
lori and tesia- loves of my life, let's get it ON!

if i didn't mention you by name, you are doubly invited!!

thank you!!

the last few weeks have been really tough for me for a number of reasons.

to help me through, you have:
- endured long, complicated conversations
- encouraged me
- sent me cards
- rescued me in the middle of the night (big love to jules)
- shared your stories and insight
- validated me
- snuggled under the covers (big love to my kitty)
- sympathized, empathized
- let me cry
- reminded me of who i am, what i'm capable of
- just been there for me, spent time with me, called me to check in
























i'm in a much better place now and i'm proud of the work that i've done. it was hard but very worth it and i'm feeling the sunshine on my face again.

thank you for the part you played. you were all so good to me.

i hope, when you need me, i can be there for you in an equally important way.

thanks for your friendship!

matt arthur and the bratlanders

doug and i worked together at allen until recently, when he took a new job at carlton college.

besides working, though, doug plays in a band- matt arthur and the bratlanders (he's one of the bratlanders). last night, a few of us from allen went out to see him play in northfield minnesota and we had an outrageous night. the band was awesome- tons of energy and so much fun!!



















i took pics and made a little video, though these may not be all that exciting if you weren't there... =)

pics



video (it's pretty dark, sorry... not a whole lot of lighting out there)



doug, buddy, i miss workin' with ya...

vicente and julie (but not together)

vicente stopped by last night before i went to julie's party, so i invited him to go with me- which he did.

for those of you that know vicente, here is an update-
solidad is 6 months old and starting to rollover on her own, now. =) vicente's cousin ulices (you may remember him as the non-english speaking powerhouse from kickball a few season's back) had to go back to mexico, which is incredibly sad. ulices, we love you and we hope you are well!

julie had a birthday



big hugs to julie!!

advertising all time high (or low?)

you wanted to be the first, but you missed your opportunity...














someone is selling advertising on a picture of a crotch, with proceeds going to pay for the laser pubic hair removal of (supposedly) the person whose crotch is pictured.

i know you want to get in on that action... here's the link!

please, take off your pants

hilarious! thanks tracy!

fight for kisses

funny-


the 'men are jealous of the attention their wives give their children' concept is always a strange one to contemplate for me. i've never heard of a woman being jealous of her husband spending time with the kid...

mr. rogers- amazing

this video is about 6 minutes long, but it's amazing. mr. rogers is trying to get money to help children, and the senate is outright laughing at him, jeering at him. the audience is snickering, but he is calm, steady, authentic.



it's been suggested to me that i often believe in what's possible to a fault. my friends have heard the story of how i returned to a stylist who gave me a bad haircut more than three times, resulting in 3 bad haircuts, all because i believed that the next time, she would figure it out and we would be golden.

and although my good friend forgot to check in on my kitty for a whole week while we were gone on vacation one time, i absolutely called her the next time i needed a sitter. i had to believe that she wanted to, and was able to take care of my punky brewster.

my friends laugh at these stories about me. i believe that things can work out for the better in so many situations and i'm so surprised each time they don't. i ask myself, is it crazy to believe that this person can succeed, or that this relationship can be rewarding, or that this company can improve? Is it crazy to believe things can be better?

watching mr. rogers breathes new life into that part of me. such strength and hope and courage. so amazing.

yay fun camping weekend with friends

aaron and i are planning a weekend up in tofte (northern minnesota) for the fall colors, not this weekend, but next weekend. =)

(i sent out an email awhile ago to just about everyone i know to see who might like to join us, but if i missed you, and you'd like to go, let me know)

i just have to say, i'm so damn excited, i can hardly contain myself. i'm about to become uncontained, and that's not good!!! =)



















if you wanna see some of the stuff we're going to do, check out the google map i made here.

here are some pics from last year's trip:



here's the video from last year's trip.



outrageous exciting!!!

i'm drunk

and i'm feeling better than i have in weeks.

blissful escape.

if only i could be an alcoholic, i could be like this all the time!!

thanks paul, i love the music you gave me and i'm listening to it right now.

as i'm being drunk.

drunk.

=)

what have you got on under that thing?

he he heh... freedom.



















i remember, there was a guy on our kickball league who wore a utilikilt to every game and it's true, the ladies go nuts over them. ;-)

yep:


woohoo:


some other favorites are on the utilikilts site. go here and then scroll down to 'switch' and 'flowers'.

... only the pansies know for sure.

keepon

i love this little guy:

find your true film?

seattle international film fest has launched a microsite designed to help you find true film (not to be confused with giving good film).

the questions were hilarious and this was their final recommendation for me:

you seem uptight: the true film cupid recommends a rigorous course of laxatives and foreign action film.


















i'm going to move to seattle, i think.

evolution- do you care?

darwin's theory about why humans have a high propensity to be altruistic and to care about each other is this:

if you are in a group of people that you care about, you will fight harder, win more often, and survive better, thereby continuing to give birth to more humans that have a high capacity for caring.

wow, how romantic is that?

also, because humans are monogamous, they care more. if all the meanest males are the only ones getting to mate cause they win fights, they would pass on the mean gene and no one would care. however, if there is a mate for everyone, then the caring gene goes on to live another day.

yep, i guess that's all i have to say about that.

fun trampoline act

i love the status bar at the bottom



it's best if you open it full screen, i think.

thank you jesus!

i'd believe in a god like this:

i'd like some more things to think about, please!

i've written this post about 8 times now. i keep deleting what i wrote because it sounds whiny. what am i really trying to say? it's too much? make it stop?

yes... but not really.

so why do i feel compelled to say something? what is it that i want to say? i'm overwhelmed? (whiny) i'm scared and uncomfortable? (that's life) i want it to be easy? (really, susan? i doubt that) it's too much? (quit yer bitchin')

maybe just that i'm exhausted (still whiny, i know) and would like things to settle down in my head and in my life just a little. i feel out of control. i think i've felt every emotion that ever existed in the last week or two. it should be a garden hose, but it's going like a fire hose.

really, susan? then why do you keep taking it all on? don't you think if you wanted to have a slow relaxing life, that you could? you're the one that keeps taking on more and it's not because you have to. you choose to. get used to it, this is what you want for yourself, even if you are really really really stressed out.

you want a challenging job, don't you?
you want to enjoy friendships with everyone in the whole wide world, don't you?
you want to challenge yourself on every level, just to make sure you haven't forgotten to shine up some part of yourself that needs shining, don't you?
you want to push yourself to teach a class that's scary as hell, don't you?
you want to play cello and work out and volunteer and go camping and hang with friends and play on the weekends, don't you?

you think you're ready for a kid, susan renee?

oh jesus.

if only i could lead two lives at the same time, i think i could do everything i want to do.

happy birthday stephers!!

it's my sister's birthday today, so i have to say:

counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all...

even murderers need someone to mispell to

got a little extra time on your hands and wanna write a letter? why not send that letter to an inmate?

you can even pick your favorite inmate from many options at the 'meet-an-inmate.com' website (male and female options available).

maybe you wanna chat with nicholas:
























"I have a few more years left in with good behavior. My day will eventually come. I still have my pride and integrity and resources, and my new plan when I reach the world. So for all the beautiful ladies who are looking for such a man free to do so, give me a Holla!

Will you be the one?"

hey, at least he's honest about what he's in for:

"Mistakes: incarcerated for corporate scandals, manslaughter, self defense."

demolition derby

can you believe it? a long time ago, someone decided it would be cool to put a bunch of cars in a dirt 'ring' together and have them smash into each other until only one of them was still running- that idea caught on fire (just like many of the cars do) and people now bring their children to see the spectacle!!

pictures:



video:


most fun ever!!!

the last time i went to a demolition derby, it was with my real father when i was a little girl.























it has all come full circle as i got to see other daddies enjoying this sport with THEIR little girls. how sweet!

you son of a biscuit eating bulldog!

what the french toast?

but can you live longer than me???

wow, after you guys all smoked me on the cadaver-meter, i wondered "what's the point in living??"... and then i realized, well i might as well live, my body isn't worth much if i die. =)

well this time i know i've got a practically unbeatable score on the real age calculator. apparently, my real age is 12.2, which, before you start giggling, has more to do with how hard my body has lived, not my emotional age (smartass). also, i'm going to live to be 93.8 years old, which means i will die some time in the summer of 2068.

can you beat that??























try it, i dare ya!!

(if you take the test, post your answer here, unless you're embarrassed cause i beat you this time)

feeling irregular?

my friend sam says he has seen this commercial aired on television, so it's legitimate, and very very disturbing.



enjoy!

boulder basher- those damn giants

aaron showed me this game. it's appropriately addictive, so be warned...

the giants are throwing boulders at the town and you have to draw lines to bounce the boulders away (and hopefully back at them). this game is a lot easier and more fun than the wizard rock drawing game i previously posted...

















thanks buddy!

disc golfing- first time EVER!

we had a great time, as evidenced by the video and the pictures...



favorite parts:
sam and adam, smokin' us like we were infants
aaron and zack, going after jules disc in the swamp
zack yelling 'banshee' every time he threw his disc (the name of said disc)
hanging out with buds
taco john's



i wasn't as bad as i thought i'd be after all...

november 9

on november 9th, my friend linda and i are going to see yo-yo ma. =)



















this makes me very happy. =)