7.31.09- Day 74

Hmmm, time for a haircut post. I'm not even sure if I posted that I got a really bad haircut on Monday from a student at the Aveda Institute. I'm always trying to get cheap, cute haircuts and the Aveda Institute had been recommended to me by several friends. Well, it was just my luck that on Monday I got done with work super early and was able to squeeze in a hair appointment. I think I got a combination of a girl without much natural haircutting talent and me being in too much of a hurry at the appointment. Aveda Institute haircuts last about 2 hours and I had too many errands going on that day to wait for her to fix my hair after cutting it uglily (just made up that word.) Instead of the angled bob with a subtle stack, I got an even bob all the way around with very little stack. There was just too much fullness on the sides. Okay... I'm giving WAY too much haircutting detail!

All that to say... I needed it fixed. So, on Wednesday, I went to some store similar to Cost Cutter and got this Russian lady that I couldn't understand to fix the cut. (See pic above) She did a pretty good job, but I'm still not totally satisfied :(. It's a little bit uneven in the back- the stack is not completely smooth. Oh well, that's what I get for refusing to pay more than $15-20/cut. I'm really not sure how people afford to pay upwards of $50 every time they get their haircut, not to mention getting it colored too! I admit my cheapskateness (and I have the hair to prove it!)

Today was good... I got most of my caseload, got a lot of paperwork printed and organized, organized my desk, got my key to CDC, still don't have a laptop, met with the PTs and am excited about the great team I'm on, feel intimidated at all I don't know, am excited because I got to hear about some of my kiddos, saw Al for a little while, made Chicken Delight for dinner, dropped/broke/splattered a plate of Chicken Delight and corn all over the kitchen floor, ate dinner, took Nigel for a walk, did some paperwork and magazine reading at Barnes and Noble, blogged, and now I am going to bed!

7.30.09- Day 73

Sad day that I didn't remember my camera for Allie's bachelorette party. I am at the mercy of those who did to get pictures! This cute picture of Matthew and Allie's engagement will have to do.

Today at work I went to the preschool for an introductory welcome-back meeting, went to technology orientation, worked in the office, got some of my caseload, didn't get a laptop, chatted with my coworkers, got snapped at by a boss (underservedly I might add), ate at the Sweet Tomato (a really delicious salad, pasta, muffin, soup buffet), almost ran out of gas on the way to allie's bachelorette party, laughed a lot, watched Allie perform really, really ridiculous stunts, enjoyed sangria, tapas, onion rings, and a guac burger, stayed up waaaay to late, and slept hard.

Sorry these posts are so rushed. They kind of feel like my days are feeling right now. Boom, boom, boom, the day is over. It's almost August! This year has flown by. I can't imagine how fast the next one will go. Here's to the next 365 days!

7.29.09- Day 72

Ahhhh... nothing like a big stash of items to move into my desk at the PT office. Actually this next year I will have 2 desks (one at the PT office and one at the Child Development Center). I got quite a few free items at the New Teacher's giveaway a few days ago. It feels good to finally start getting some things together that are very practical for my job. The past two days were mostly spent at meetings that were good for networking, but not really that helpful for my specific job. Luckily, Jamie, my mentor, contacted me and we got together to go over some stuff today. There are so many things to learn, and at this point, I don't even know what questions I need to ask. I'm sure I will be asking a lot of questions over the next few months!

*Also of note, we have continued to have computer issues since trying to reinstall our wireless connection. I apologize for the lateness of some of these posts!

7.28.09- Day 71

Today I went to preschool facilitator meetings since there was not really a place for new therapists to go. It was interesting to see what the preschool teachers learn and do (just not super-relevant to me!) After work, Al and I tried to tackle setting up wireless internet on our desktop/reinstalling it as a network. This did not work out so well- it might have something to do with the fact that I was reading our username incorrectly on the sheet that Al had written it down on (I might even say that wasn't really MY fault- haha). We hope to have it all fixed tomorrow. I think Eric might come over and do damage control. Who would have known that it would be so complicated? We had no problems the first time! Maybe it's a sign. Anyways, in the evening, our small group got together for dinner at the Anderson's house. We had yummy tacos! It was fun to see everyone together again, since we've all been so busy this summer. (too bad I forgot to take the pic until Bob, Kyla, Josh, and Jen had already left!) It was a fun and yummy evening.

7.27.09- Day 70

Sorry for the lag in postings! Our internet connection was up and down for the past two days! This pic is what Alan and I did after my first "day" of work. (which consisted of a New Teachers' Meeting aka a Teachers' Union Recruitment Session!) I got done really early, then went and worked on a ton of errands/got a bad haircut/ran with nicole. When I got home finally around 5:45, I was too tired to cook! Alan and I went and split a meal at Famous Daves, then played a Golf tournament (the card game golf). Sarah taught us the game in China. It's a really fun two or more person card game. As you can see, I beat Al awesomely.

7.26.09- Day 69

Tomorrow is officially my first day of work as a PT. Granted I will not be treating any patients because it is a week of "new teacher training." I have mixed feelings about stepping into the working world. I have been in school for so long that I'm not sure what to even expect. It's a great unknown to have a career and responsibilities (outside of myself)and to have coworkers and a paycheck. I am excited about many aspects of working: I get to use the degree I've worked so hard to gain, I get to help children and families with my skills, I get a paycheck... I am also nervous and not looking forward to other aspects: I will have full responsibility for the well being of the children I'm working with, There will be consequences to others besides me if I am sick or take a day off, I may not know all of the right answers, I might embarrass myself, It's more fun to not have responsibility... However, I know there is a reason and plan for me to have this particular job and this profession. All that to say- Physical Therapy Position with Aurora Public Schools- here I come!

Of note today: taught sunday school, which went pretty well considering there were about 15 1-5 graders. I think some of them really "got it." block party after church, work around the house, spend an hour with the hubby, financial peace university, print off some stuff for the job, blog. Now I will get everything ready to go for tomorrow and get to SLEEP!

I love Colorado

(Ridiculous to post 3 times in one night, but look...)

Yummy and Quick Enchiladas

I was in a food rut this afternoon and decided to search allrecipes.com for a new recipe for dinner. The only meat in the house was some chicken (and we all know there is no such thing as a meal without meat in the Hunt household- haha). I found this Enchilada recipe. It's super yummy- I did make a few changes that I tried to notate on the recipe. Hope you enjoy!

Quick Enchilada Recipe from Allrecipes.com- serves about 6, time start to finish: 30 minutes (20 minutes if microwaved instead of baked)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
* 1 cup Chunky Salsa (I used fresh)
* 6 flour tortillas
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup (or I used real cheddar cheese and about 1/4 cup of leftover cheese dip)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cook chicken in nonstick skillet until browned and done, stirring often. (I added cumin, garlic salt, and chili powder to my chicken and shredded it) If you prefer you can cube beforehand or shred after browning. Add chicken soup and 1/2 cup salsa. Heat through.
3. Spoon about 1/6th of the chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortilla around filling and place seam-side down in 9 x 13 dish.
4. Mix cheese soup, etc and remaining salsa and pour over enchiladas. Cover.
5. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until hot. (the original recipe said you could microwave the enchiladas for 5 minutes instead of baking them, which would speed up the recipe a bit)

PS- These are big guys- Al could only finish one! Granted I finished one too (thank goodness my metabolism still works!)

7.25.09- Day 68

Today was one of those quiet, alone days where mostly you are living inside of your own head. I woke up this morning when Alan got home and he offered to make breakfast, but silly me stayed up WAY too late last night finishing my book and decided to sleep a little longer. We did chat for a little while after he ate some cereal himself. I thought about getting up then, but decided to try to get a little more shut eye. Next thing you know, I wake up and it is noon! I haven't slept that long in forever! I think my body really needed with jet lag and the cold I've been trying to fight off. I feel a lot better today too! Besides my interactions with Alan then and eating dinner with him, I was really alone all day. Unless you count my dog :). It was a good day though, I tidied some, looked over the sunday school lesson, went shopping for a friend's shower, read national geographic, took nigel for a walk, cooked dinner. It's just weird how you can live in your head. I didn't talk to anyone, but I felt active all day- not passive.

Sunday School... I like teaching it, but due to lack of volunteers I have been having to teach 1-4th graders this summer. There is a BIG difference between a 1st and 4th grader (sometimes we even have some 5th graders too!) I'm definitely not a teacher and struggle with what learning strategies are appropriate for who. (For example, there are a lot of games and motions built into the 1-2nd grader curriculum, but this doesn't really seem appropriate for 4th graders) But, I'm thankful to have another lesson that I feel passionate about. This week I'm teaching about how Nehemiah helps the poor and how God wants us to help people being treated unfairly. It's basically about seeking justice in the world. I really hope and pray that tomorrow God will give me the words to say that will impress his love and justice for others. At that age (or really any age) it is so easy to think about "me" and "my stuff." I hope that God can use me to show them how they can impact the poor, their schools, and those being affected by injustice.

7.24.09- Day 67

Busy day... I ran lots of errands this morning and afternoon. In the middle I went to pick up the youth kids from Church camp in the Springs. While looking for my sunglasses in the CRV before beginning said errands, I found the bag of Reese's under the drivers seat. Now, I have NO idea when these Reese's entered my car or how long they have been there melting and solidifying over and over as the weather changes. But, I do know that they still taste good, although the wax from the chocolate has leaked out of the wrappers and made the bag a little greasy. I know I'm a little unhygienic, but an entire bag of Reese's? Gotta take advantage (especially when the budget for the month is basically gone because of the China trip.) Went a little yard crazy with the yard work this afternoon after Alan left for work. Our back yard and side garden pretty much turned into jungles while I was gone thanks to the nice weather CO has been getting. I also spent some time reading my current book, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter." It's been good so far, although really sad. I need to read a happy book after this one. I just finished "My Sister's Keeper" before starting the current book and it is majorly sad. Both good though with hard life questions in them. Quote from Alan while in China, "Now I know what my wife is like when she's not in school... she reads all the time." Welcome to the real Susan! haha. I do love reading though and I'm so happy to have some time to pleasure read! Speaking of... I need to finish my book.

Lots of China Posts

I have posted China pictures from the last 14 days. I think there may be 3 pages of posts, so don't forget to click "older posts" if you would like to see all of the updates from our trip!

7.23.09- Day 66

Alan and I both got somewhat of a cold over the last few days of the trip. I spent most of today running errands and trying to stay awake. Alan slept on and off during the day (trying to sleep as much as possible since he is working all night) I went running with Nicole at 6 after Alan went to work. Then chatted with Steph for a while. After that I went to Nicole's for dinner and we watched Twilight. I didn't have very high expectations of the movie because it got so much hype when it came out. I actually really liked it though. I'm going to read the books sometime. I recommend it! Came home... spent way too much time posting blogs... went to sleep (with the aid of a cough suppressant). Ahhh- I am now officially caught up on my blog! Celebrate!

7.22.09- Day 65

This picture of our blinds perfectly demonstrates how Alan and I felt when arriving home after traveling for over 37 hours (plus not sleeping much the night before that!) Our blinds had been dying for a while- now they completely gone! Motivation to order the new blinds for the living room we've been wanting to get. After arriving in the San Fran airport, we decided to try to get an earlier flight back to Denver, since ours wasn't leaving for another 6 hours. We successfully made it to an earlier flight and came back to Denver about 2 hours earlier than planned. Our bags didn't make it on the plane, but they were delivered to our house later that evening. Alan went straight to bed after getting home since he had to work the next 4 nights. I struggled to keep myself awake until 9 in order to fight jet lag. I woke Alan up at 9 and he stayed up all night while I slept. (gotta love opposite schedules). Needless to say... we had a great trip, but were very happy to arrive back at home and get some rest.

7.21.09- Day 64

Last real day in China!
*Ate breakfast
*Packed up
*Went to this really old bridge (2000 years old)
*Were abandoned there by our taxi driver
*Relived when a man at the bridge said he would take us home for the same price as the taxi
*Showered/ate lunch/played cards
*Shuttled to the Shanghai airport
*Said goodbye to Megs and Sarah
*Hung out for a while in Shanghai and took at night flight to Beijing (spent the night in the airport)

7.20.09- Day 63

Day 2 in Suzhou
*Early morning
*Bike to Master of the Nets Garden
*Bike to twin pagodas (they were lame so we left)
*Bike to Garden of the Humble Administrator
*Bike to North Temple Pagoda
*Tour Silk Factory
*Bike home
*Eat lunch
*Relax
*Dinner, shopping
*SLEEP (with ol' slammy doors)

7.19.09- Day 62

*Arrived in the "town" of Suzhou (we thought it was a town, but it ended up being a huge city!
*Prayed really hard that a taxi driver would know where our hostel was since all the info was in Meg's stolen phone
*The Father answered our prayers when the 6th or 7th taxi driver knew and took us straight to our hostel
*Settled in
*Went on a night boat ride
*SLEEP

7.18.09- Day 61

Unfortunately... I can't post pics of the day's main adventure. It was called "white water rafting" in the tour guide. We have renamed it "Extreme Chinese White Water Bumper Boats." Have you ever seen those Asian game tv shows- similar. We had on these flimsy helments, life jackets, knee pads and elbow pads (made out of the same material as sweatbands- hahahaha- we looked awesome!) I'm not sure if anyone will ever be able to understand the experience without going themselves (not sure I would recommend it though actually due to safety hazzards). Imagine 1000 people going down a Class 3-4 white water course with no paddles and manmade slides over small waterfalls- at the SAME time. Imagine 1000 people who have never been rafting before and somehow think that it is an amusement park ride- totally passive. Meg's and my raft tipped after the first fall due to some people who were stuck in front of us (just sitting there) and another group that came up behind us. We were slightly shaken, but just fine. We got back in and I was determined not to let it happen again because Megs was quite scarred even before we got started. I started yelling at people when they got stuck- telling them they should help themselves or they would die (slightly dramatic, I know). They couldn't understand what I was saying anyways. Another time there were about 15-20 rafts in a pile-up. We were trying to tell a couple who's raft was caught under the water and about to flip that they should get out so they didn't get sucked under someone else's raft and the man's reply was "don't worry, it's no problem, it's so comfortable (actually he said "how shufu" which means, how comfortable), referring to the water rushing over he and his wife. Another time, two guys were stuck and we were ramming into them because they were blocking the way and several other rafts were coming at us... we are trying to tell them to help us push and the response that time was "it is impossible." haha. I learned a lot about Chinese culture that day. It was fun, but really really ridiculous. There were some pretty awesome drops.

The pic is our hostel.

Bused to Guilin and flew to Shanghai in the evening (another delayed flight). Slept good in Shanghai (at a real hotel- shnazzy).

7.17.09- Day 60

*Bike ride in the countryside
*Drink lots of water
*See beautiful things
*Get lost a few times
*Climb moon hill
*Take pictures
*Sweat
*Home, souvenir shopping, dinner downtown
*SLEEP!

7.16.09- Day 59

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Yangshuo, you speak to my heart. You are beautiful. Thank you Father for making a gorgeous place like this.

*Wake up at hostel in Guilin, bus to Yangshuo.
*Meg's phone, camera, and community money is stolen on a bus, while someone looked on and didn't say anything because he was scared.
*Settled in Yangshuo hostel, comforted by great hosts.
*Gorgeous boat ride down the Li River calms and reminds of what is important.
*SLEEP!

7.15.09- Day 58

*Last day in Beijing
*Summer Palace
*Olympic Park
*Night Flight to Guilin (only delayed 2 hours!)
*Spend night in hostel

7.14.09- Day 57

*Up early
*Ride to Great Wall
*Trolley up Great Wall
*Have a blast exploring/hiking
*Tobagon down from Great Wall
*Change clothes
*Silk Market (lots of fake expensive things and souvenirs)
*Tex Mex for dinner (Megs doesn't get western food very often)
*Went to Wangfujing Street and ate a scorpion! (I had pics but they were on Meg's camera which sadly was stolen) Last pic is exactly what we saw/ate!
*Home to SLEEP!