The day is finally here!!

Tomorrow is the big day! I am so excited/nervous for my race and can't wait to get going! I have anticipated this for months and am as ready as I can be.

Tonight, Martin has agreed to make some of his awesome spaghetti for me to carb-up before the race. I've got everything laid out and ready to go for my early morning. The race starts at 6.50AM, which requires me to get on the road at 5 to find parking.



I will post an update on Monday or Tuesday about my race score. Also, hopefully I will have some pictures, too!

Teach the SAT, Bonnie?

This reminds me of the time the principal from my old school asked me to play the saxophone in the school faculty band a few years ago. I play the flute, not the saxophone, but said, "no problem" anyway.

Today, Dr. Park called me to meet him about the possibility of teaching more classes for the new term starting in March. Dr. Park is my boss from my internet/Korean school job. I walked into his office and he told me that our new focus is high school students at a very elite school in Seoul. I noticed a very thick SAT prep book on his desk and started to get a little nervous. I can't teach math or science to high schoolers! I barely passed myself! I remained calm as he explained the new hours (4-6AM, 1.30-2.20PM, 5 days a week), new students, new class sizes (20-30 per class), and new subject material (SAT test prep). To my great relief, he asked if I could teach the reading and writing sections of the SAT prep. Whew!

BUT, I never took the SAT.

I don't know much about it, either. How hard can it be? I said, "no problem Doc." OK, I didn't call him Doc, just kidding about that part.

So, for now folks, I am again employed (but don't start till March)! That is a very positive thing...that means I can stay here for a while longer, as long as I find a place to live.

One more thing: he tried to recruit me to go back to Seoul for a year as a high school counselor. The salary would be higher, the benefits would be the same (free housing/round-trip airfare/no taxes), and I wouldn't have to teach. I would simply help students apply for colleges and universities here in the States. I wish this position would have been available to me in 2007 when I went! I think I would have really enjoyed it! My answer to Dr. Park?: not at the moment, but I won't rule it out for the future.

Burned Boiled Prunes

As I got back from my run this morning, I was greeted with a strange oder, nay, nauseating stench: burned boiled prunes. Gross!

While I was gone, Edna put them on the stove top, got distracted with old family photos and forgot all about them until it was too late. Upon opening the front door, smoke filled my lungs as I entered in a panic! She was calmly sitting on the couch looking through pictures and told me what had happened. "Just leave them closed--It won't hurt you," she said to me as I offered to open the windows and doors. OK, Edna, no big deal, I'm going now...

Probiotics

Lately I've been learning about probiotics. What are they, you ask? Well, they are the supplemental healthy bacteria and yeast that aid in food digestion and prevent many uncomfortable infections and/or digestive health problems. I first started hearing about and taking probiotics in Korea last year. Koreans are crazy for them. I used to get what I referred to as "yogurt drinks" from the 7/11 on my street, and they were often served to the whole school at lunchtime. Ihave come to realize what they were: probiotics.

Here is what I have been taking in the States: Yakult. It tastes very much like what I drank in Korea.



I really like the taste of these little bottles of healthful bacteria. I was drinking about one a day until Martin picked up a pack of these pills while my stomach was sick one night and he went out to get me some pain killers to help:



I am not sure how many probiotics are suggested, so I stopped drinking Yakult while I try these pills.

I am not sure if I will continue taking these supplements full-time, but for now, I like what they are doing. If you are a person with stomach problems, I recommend trying something like this. I know there is still a lot of research being done to determine the effects of probiotics, but so far, I am a fan.

Has anyone taken these before? What did you think? Did you notice a difference?

Don't work for peanuts if you're not an elephant.

This is the motto I have been working (or not working) under since arriving in SoCal. It hasn't exactly produced results. Job hunting really stinks. (And so do my shoes, I am realizing as I sit here in a coffee shop...I'll keep them on.) I have begun to realize what a blessing it is to have a full-time job with benefits. I miss the stability of it.

I could find a part-time minimum wage job (McDonalds, Wal-Mart, etc.) here, but it would not be enough to pay my expenses. Sheesh! I don't know.

I am facing a couple of big decisions lately. Do I stay out here, strain my financial resources even more than I have in the past three months, or do I head back to MN with my tail between my legs and look for something there while staying with friends and family? I know I would have a slightly easier time finding something in Minnesota, simply because my degree and teaching license means something there, whereas here it doesn't help me one bit. I am pretty sure I could even find a full-time position somewhere for the fall, but then, what about Martin?

As the countdown begins for me to move out of Edna's house (two weeks), I am finding myself in a bit of a pinch.

I think this pinch has been the source of recent stomach problems that reduced me to eating chicken broth and oatmeal for a few days. Not fun.

I am determined to stay positive about it all, but feel like I have the hint of a dark cloud over my head at the moment. My mood is cheerful and chipper...and I am surprisingly relaxed about most of it. Especially that I have this marathon coming up--that helps a lot.

I feel bad that my problems have started to cause Martin to stress. I think he feels a responsibility to do really really well to help me out. I wish it weren't that way. I know that I am far from the only one with these problems...sorry to burden y'all.

On another note, I have applied for a couple of jobs in Ecuador! My dream of fluency in Spanish just might come true. The job with the most potential is in Quito and has a 3-month minimum contract. The pay isn't awesome, but at least I wouldn't be losing money like I am here in California. Then it's off to Buenos Aires in July for my much anticipated trip with Kara. Traveling costs just about the same as what I pay to live here, so I might as well, right?

Christmas 2008

I am embarrassed to say that I brought my camera home for Christmas to snap some pictures of my family over the holidays, but after looking over the roll, I realized I only had about 5 total. I took a few more with my mom's camera, but didn't download them on my computer.


Here is a picture of one of the many snowy days in Minnesota.


My two brothers, Cory (left) and Tony (right) and Martin found the legos. They spent the better part of an afternoon building spaceships and aircraft carriers. They made fun of my "girly" house with flowers in the front.


Martin and Dahlton (my nephew) bonding. Unfortunately, I don't have any current pictures of my niece...I will have to ask my mom to send some.

Marathon countdown: 12 days!

One more long run to go and a few more short ones before the big day! I posted pics of my favorite running spot at the ocean:



I run past all these cool houses...they get better as I run down the coast. I will try 20-22 miles tomorrow, then I am going to coast through the next week!

Woo-hoo!

Chicago 2008

Here are a few pictures from our trip just before Christmas. I love Chicago! It was a little cold the day we went, but was a lot warmer than if we had chosen another day. My sister, Jenny, needed her Spain visa, so we all traveled together. I think I mentioned that in my last post. Anyway, here you go:


Lake Michigan.


Martin's transportation home...just kidding! :)


From the right: me, Kayla, Jenny, Stacey and Martin...and some kids we just met.


Navy Pier in the winter just doesn't have the same feeling.


And, finally, the bean sculpture. We saw this on the Lonely Planet pages and, lucky for us, it was on the way to the Spanish embassy.

Back in Cali

Vacation is over and I'm back in California. I went from -22 degree weather and this:


To a nice long run on the beach yesterday, with 80 degree weather and this:


I can't say that I mind it. I love it, actually! :)

Vacation was so good, but I am sorry to say we didn't leave the house much! We got to Minneapolis once before leaving (I planned at least 3 visits), and never made it to Brainerd...not once. However, I should mention our trip to Chicago (I will post some pictures in a future blog). My sister, Jenny, is spending this semester in Spain and needed to make a quick trip to the embassy on Michigan Avenue. My three youngest sisters, Martin and I drove down, spent a day, and drove back.

Being in the land of ice and snow made me miss Minnesota. It is such a nice place to live and work. The winters are colder than I prefer, but aside from that, it is great. And now I am reading a novel that is set in northern Minnesota and Canada--it makes me look forward to summer!

The search continues for work and, now, a place to live. I have only three more weeks to live with Edna, after that I am homeless. The timing is good, though--I am really optimistic about this year. I have applied for a couple of jobs that I am really excited about and I have some traveling to look forward to.

My marathon is in two and a half weeks and I am feeling good about it. I am nervous, but I think it is good to be. I ran 18~19 miles yesterday and felt stronger than ever. 26 miles is more than I have ever run before, but I am so excited for the big day! :)