Our sister, changing the world one pair of pants at a time!

Thanks for the title, Marisa!

Recently people gathered in Missoula for Project Homeless Connect, a day of volunteer work.

Here's some video:

Full coverage on the Missoulian's website.

Here's one nice bit of the story:

The "community response to problems is what drew volunteer Gina Sandon.
'I just like the fact that everybody pitches in together on this,' she said as she ironed clothes."


Way to go!

Also, thanks for reminding me to get serious about thinking about maybe doing some volunteer work at some point in the future. Anyone want to maybe consider joining me?

There's a helpful list of local options over on CHS, so maybe that's a place to start? Guess I'll think about it . . .

Take A(nother) Break with Sandy

An oldie (?) but a goodie, which I see Chris just posted online:


Don't remember Sandy? Try these posts.

Happy Weekend!

Emily

Emily with our friend Wendy

Okay, sorry. Still not ready with that newspaper post (keep getting behind the news, ironically. Just today, before I'd even gotten out of bed to get today's Times, someone emailed me an op-ed piece about how to best save newspapers . . .)

While you wait, then, how about some photos from a friend's birthday party, and some things you may not know about Emily?

Shockingly good timing, if I do say so myself:

Dave, blowing out his candles.


We spent most of our evening talking to Wendy and Roman, a great couple we met through the KU alumni group.




In the meantime, for those of you not on Facebook (Mom): this chain-letter-ish thing has been making the rounds. The idea is to write 25 random things about yourself, and then ask 25 friends to do the same.

I thought you might enjoy Emily's 25 things:

1. My first job was as a waitress at Mel’s Diner in Geneva

2. I’ve had a fear of talking on the phone for as long as I can remember so avoid it when I can

3. I have a very fast walking pace causing me to be a less than ideal walking partner

4. I was under the impression that I was great at math and almost became a math major in college but it dawned on me that I was only great compared to my immediate family

5. My nickname is Mimi and was given to me by my sister when she couldn’t pronounce Emily

6. I don’t own a car or a microwave or a television

7. I sleep as long as possible on weekdays against my best interest of being on time, but I compensate by getting dressed and out the door really quickly—my record time is 7 minutes…but I still tend to run late

8. I’d like to think that my love of college basketball and knitting is my grandmother’s legacy to me even though I didn’t really embrace either until after her death several years ago

9. I do 20-30 push-ups every night since reading this article in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/health/nutrition/11well.html?_r=1

10. I work for a religious organization but I am not religious

11. I am terrible at remembering lyrics to songs but can remember most of the lyrics to several songs from a musical I was in when I was in 5th grade

12. I like commercial jingles and theme songs to TV shows (Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, Greatest American Hero, Charles in Charge, Weeds, etc.)

13. I blush easily

14. I have a dollhouse from 6th grade that I have never finished assembling

15. Growing up we didn’t have a dryer so we hung our clothes on a line in the basement

16. I became a history major in college partially (mostly?) because I realized that I didn’t know anything about history

17. I am not good at small talk

18. I think of 4th grade as a watershed year in my life

19. I wish I was good at dancing

20. I like making cocktails

21. I was named after my great-grandmother—Nancy Emily Jane Hughes—who lived to be 99

22. I like to have goals

23. I am most happy thinking about the future instead of the present but I spend a lot of time thinking about the past

24. I can’t multitask successfully

25. Someday I’d like to own a store or a café or a bar

My Food and My President

Okay, I really need to run--I have a reading group this morning, and I haven't done the reading yet! And it's Plato, so, you know, people are going to expect that I read it!

Before I go, I'll just let you know that I am still working (?) on a post about newspapers, those wonderful, troubled things . . .

But for today, how about a shot of the best paper's crossword puzzle from Tuesday:

Isn't it fun? I included the key clue, but if you look around you'll see other relevant answers . . .

(Oh, and sorry about spoiling this one for you, Mom; maybe by the time it's in the Herald you'll have forgotten?)



In other news, I heard Mark Bittman on a local radio show the other day. So he's got a book about--for lack of a better term--conscious eating. In the spirit of that sort of thing, I've started a food journal.

And in the spirit of our weird, confessional, online culture, I've been publishing that journal on the web. Take a look, if you're interested:



So far (one day!) it's been fun and interesting, but I've already been told that my format is less than ideal.

(If you have suggestions for standardizing or otherwise improving it, feel free to share!)

[Update 17:30 24 January 2009]
What about a table?


And why push-ups? Aside from obvious answers, it's really because of an article we read in a newspaper a few months ago. Now we're both hooked on push-ups (and on newspapers).


Okay, better get back to work! Have a great weekend!