Hello everyone!!
It feels great to be back home in Solon, but hard being away from you guys!
I'm going to be working a lot of banquets this weekend! Worked the Independence High School Prom yesterday which was okay. Tonight is the Garfield Heights Prom, and tomorrow is the Mother's Day Brunch (with 600+ Guests!! ) So im gonna be very sore come Monday, haha.
I'm starting a new exercise routine. I'm getting up early in the morning, riding my bike to the rec center, working out for an hour, then riding back home. Later in the day, I will drive up to the track and run a mile (hopefully more later on)! Many of you don't know this, but I used to be on the High School Track team, and I once ran a mile in 6 1/2 minutes. I'm probably back up to 9-10 minutes and I would love to break the 6 minute mark someday!
Wish me luck!!
(Claire & Steve, this ones for you) I plan on watching every LOTR movie, and possibly The Princess Bride by the end of the summer. Im sure there are other ones that you couldn't believe I had yet to see. ;)
As far as reading more books... I can't promise you anything! ;)
That's all for me, take care everyone! And have a safe and fantastic summer!!!
--Carmen ;)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Summer 2009
Hi everyone,
I'm writing this from the corner of my living room where I have taken up temporary residence. My mom's staying in my apartment until we drive home tomorrow so I'm sleeping on the floor out in the living room. Diane sold the couch yesterday so the room looks very strange. Also, the electric air pump for the air mattress isn't working, so last night wasn't very fun for me...yeah.
Anyway, my apartment is basically a war zone of books and boxes right now. I have too many books. I'm resolving right now not to bring as many back with me next year!
I was at the Newman House yesterday and Kirsten showed me all the new pictures that are on the wall - if you're still in town you should definitely check them out before you leave! Also, update on The Class of 2010 Memorial Chapel...we now have a rug (maybe two), courtesy of Angie and Emily and their fantastic scavenging skills. We also have lots of fake ivy and blue roses that I donated. The room smells really, really mildewy and my mom recommended that we get a dehumidifier installed in the basement to help dry things out. Looks like this might be a bit more of a heavy duty project than we intended. Anyway, hopefully we'll be able to make everything work! :-) I'm super excited about it.
I just want to thank all of you for being such a consistently positive influence in my life and for being - well, your wonderful selves. This year was really rough for me and you guys were some of the people who really helped lift me up when I was down. So, thank you, gracias, grazie mille, danke, merci, and děkovný (what I think means thank you in Czech).
Peace,
Claire
Friday, August 8, 2008
Flyin in the sky from Julia :)
Hi friends!!! This will probably be my last post till I head back to BW cuz on Sunday I leave for Ireland! The fam and I are going to be landing in Dublin on Sunday and then we pretty much travel across the entire country. We get to see the Book of Kells, the Blarney Stone, and of course Irish Dancing!!! Before then I perform in Music Warehouse, where we sing and dance to Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, and the Jersey Boys. I am also the Bird lady in one of the songs lol.... But now the summer is definitely wrapping up. I'm done with my history class (I think I did okay), and I'm ready to relax in Ireland!! I will be back at BW early on August 20th, so if anybody's around then I'm in Heritage 317!!! Miss u all!!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
New Theme Song?
Hi everyone,
My dad and I are huge Cheers fans and periodically marathon many episodes of it during the summer and I was thinking that the theme song would be a perfect background song for a Newman slideshow...what say you?
~ Claire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePcTjab1uik&feature=related
Also, my friend Bethany started a Catholic blog with some friends and I thought I'd post the link...it's a bit different than Newman, but interesting. http://thecatholicright.blogspot.com
My dad and I are huge Cheers fans and periodically marathon many episodes of it during the summer and I was thinking that the theme song would be a perfect background song for a Newman slideshow...what say you?
~ Claire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePcTjab1uik&feature=related
Also, my friend Bethany started a Catholic blog with some friends and I thought I'd post the link...it's a bit different than Newman, but interesting. http://thecatholicright.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Hey Look over here. Its a post by Steve
Hey Everyone, I havn't posted in a while, even though I was going to at some point
Well, a weeks ago was the relay for life which was exciting, but after about an hour a huuge storm came in, we had to go inside the school it was raining and lightning, and the event was canceled. It was sad because we worked hard for it, we had a video game theme and we dressed up like characters from video games. I was supposed to do relay idol, where guys dress up like girls and act like in a ms. america pagent. 
Last Week I was at Teen Institute, which if you heard me talking about Panda, its bascially the same except with High Schoolers instead of middle schoolers. Its a drug and alcohol prevention camp and we have lots of fun activites and speakers and such. The sad thing was since I'm in college I was an intern, and we pratically just do the grunt work around camp, but it still was a fun time.
I've done a lot more fun things, but I'm pretty much half asleep right now. But random thing, If you really look at my emails, you will probably see a bunch of spelling mistakes, but when I put this in my favorites it was listed as Newman Bolg for a long time, I just reformated my computer, and now blog is spelled right, but I mispelled BW email as Be email.
Claire in July
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for your prayers and all that. Things have settled down into their final summer routine for awhile here, I think. Trying to practice when I wasn't in one state or on one schedule for more than a few days wasn't very helpful. I've started taking lessons with my violin teacher from high school again, and that's been amazing. She's so helpful and is completely willing to work with me on everything I want to work on. That being said, I'm starting to experience a complete lack of ambition toward the Con for the fall. I suppose I want to do well, but I want to maintain what little sanity I have left more. I want to show up, play my part, and come to Newman and see all of you. :-) It's more important for me that I learn how to play in a way that I can feel confident and secure in my artistry instead of trying to compete or beat people for orchestra chairs - and besides, who wants the added stress of the highest chair? I don't.
So, I've been practicing and taking lessons a lot. I've also started Alexander Technique lessons to help with the violin thing - it's been immensely helpful. I can feel my posture starting to change already. Alexander Technique focuses on teaching people how to have the most natural and the most efficient posture and movements. It's amazing.
Ben came to visit for the Fourth of July. It was his first visit to DC and was so much fun. We toured the monuments at night, went to the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Fourth concert, and a few museums downtown, as well as the Folklife Festival. My friend Julia accompanied us one afternoon and we took some rather silly pictures.
<--- Me and Ben at the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress --->
<--- Me and Julia having some troubles with a t-rex at the museum of Natural History
And finally, a look inside the Bhutanese Temple that was at the FolkLife Festival.
Thanks so much for your prayers and all that. Things have settled down into their final summer routine for awhile here, I think. Trying to practice when I wasn't in one state or on one schedule for more than a few days wasn't very helpful. I've started taking lessons with my violin teacher from high school again, and that's been amazing. She's so helpful and is completely willing to work with me on everything I want to work on. That being said, I'm starting to experience a complete lack of ambition toward the Con for the fall. I suppose I want to do well, but I want to maintain what little sanity I have left more. I want to show up, play my part, and come to Newman and see all of you. :-) It's more important for me that I learn how to play in a way that I can feel confident and secure in my artistry instead of trying to compete or beat people for orchestra chairs - and besides, who wants the added stress of the highest chair? I don't.
So, I've been practicing and taking lessons a lot. I've also started Alexander Technique lessons to help with the violin thing - it's been immensely helpful. I can feel my posture starting to change already. Alexander Technique focuses on teaching people how to have the most natural and the most efficient posture and movements. It's amazing.
Ben came to visit for the Fourth of July. It was his first visit to DC and was so much fun. We toured the monuments at night, went to the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Fourth concert, and a few museums downtown, as well as the Folklife Festival. My friend Julia accompanied us one afternoon and we took some rather silly pictures.<--- Me and Ben at the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress --->
<--- Me and Julia having some troubles with a t-rex at the museum of Natural History
And finally, a look inside the Bhutanese Temple that was at the FolkLife Festival.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Angie in July
I love the fourth of July :)
My brother was gone in D.C. and one of our tighest friends was also gone to a beach with her bf and his family, but the party was still good. One of my parent's friends got a little tipsy and was walking around with a glow in the dark earring like a pirate. :) and I got to color with a little girl (my former babysitter's daughter) and my neighbor and his band buddy (they're middle aged and play songs by the Beatles, Eagles, other acustics and more!) came over to hang out and ended up seranading for a bit so that was cool, the fireworks were wonderful, and there was a bonfire, and some friends brought a cute puppy who reminded me of my family's first dog, Jakie (both hunting dogs with lots of slobber and velvet soft ears), and I ate and ate and ate and am still eating. The fireflies are also spectacular. July is a nice time overall I think.
I just started working at the library again this summer kind of by accident. So, it's back to the dusty closet like rooms, but the people are great to have conversations with.
I took a bike ride today with the parents, very nice. My Mom is a little out of shape, haha. But she did a good job overall. And she tried to teach me to knit today and I was blundering through the whole time (you would think I'd be a visual learner? not so), so we all have our strenghts/weaknesses. I always get very lost in the yarn, although I think if I keep trying I can get it, because it doesn't seem like it should be hard...
That is pretty much what is up with me up to this date. I am missing my brother who is in D.C. like I said, great for him, but I miss him, although I do get to talk with him on the phone for long periods of time, so that is good. Which, by the way, Claire, I will be in the D.C. area around August 16th, so I might be giving you a call just to see what you are up to, maybe you will be home.
And let's see... I guess in a way, my summer is less cluttered than the school year. Haha, I hardly use my phone at all. I'm just kind of being here. I have no planner and seldom any missed calls. I kind of miss it, but I'm spending more time with my parents which can never be a bad thing and I"m trying yoga (from yoga in a box-no, I am not doing yoga inside a box haha which is what someone else though when I told them I was doing yoga in a box, its from a cheap set of small cards that fit in a box, but I believe the poses and directions to be authentic). I love the triangle stretch if anyone else knows what I'm talking about. It stretches your sides out, really well! google it. I'm having a hard time shutting off my mind for the yoga at times, but the stretching is nice and I believe I will get there and feel the actual benefits of harmonizing. I particularly love that yoga is open to anyone of any type of fitness and that you can do it in private and grow into to, unlike other types of exercise. I want to start everyone I know on it. WOW this is probably more than any of you cared to know. Haha, that is what you get for giving me the username and password too! Ummm, let's see, I also plan on learning to bake bread this summer (I will probably first cheat and use a breadmaker and then do the real thing...it's a long story). And I have a list of books to adore which I have slowly been moving through. Another interesting summer find was a set of correspondence cassette tapes that my dad and his good friend Paul (who his like an uncle to me and my brother) sent back and forth during their time in the Navy when my Dad was still on teh submarine and Paul was back home. They are VERY funny and entertaining and I would tell stories, but I don't think they would be as funny if you do not know who I am talking about. But I thought of that because in one of the tapes Paul just kept talking about nothing because he was deteremined to fill up the tape and it was funny bc he would say wow I can't think of anything else, I'm going to take a break and come back and then he would come back and still have nothing, I kind of feel like that. But, I miss you guys, and I hope you are all doing well. I'll let you go now and I hope you are all enjoying a little bit of the July life while it is here. Here's the triangle pose: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/yoga/1/5/5/1/bigtriangle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/standingsteps_6.htm&h=400&w=358&sz=64&hl=en&start=2&sig2=sX7G29Row0SAgZow5q4qew&um=1&tbnid=pscCBgBQH7q6KM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=111&ei=BIpxSP7IBYe6iwHF4PmLAQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtriangle%2Bpose%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN
My brother was gone in D.C. and one of our tighest friends was also gone to a beach with her bf and his family, but the party was still good. One of my parent's friends got a little tipsy and was walking around with a glow in the dark earring like a pirate. :) and I got to color with a little girl (my former babysitter's daughter) and my neighbor and his band buddy (they're middle aged and play songs by the Beatles, Eagles, other acustics and more!) came over to hang out and ended up seranading for a bit so that was cool, the fireworks were wonderful, and there was a bonfire, and some friends brought a cute puppy who reminded me of my family's first dog, Jakie (both hunting dogs with lots of slobber and velvet soft ears), and I ate and ate and ate and am still eating. The fireflies are also spectacular. July is a nice time overall I think.
I just started working at the library again this summer kind of by accident. So, it's back to the dusty closet like rooms, but the people are great to have conversations with.
I took a bike ride today with the parents, very nice. My Mom is a little out of shape, haha. But she did a good job overall. And she tried to teach me to knit today and I was blundering through the whole time (you would think I'd be a visual learner? not so), so we all have our strenghts/weaknesses. I always get very lost in the yarn, although I think if I keep trying I can get it, because it doesn't seem like it should be hard...
That is pretty much what is up with me up to this date. I am missing my brother who is in D.C. like I said, great for him, but I miss him, although I do get to talk with him on the phone for long periods of time, so that is good. Which, by the way, Claire, I will be in the D.C. area around August 16th, so I might be giving you a call just to see what you are up to, maybe you will be home.
And let's see... I guess in a way, my summer is less cluttered than the school year. Haha, I hardly use my phone at all. I'm just kind of being here. I have no planner and seldom any missed calls. I kind of miss it, but I'm spending more time with my parents which can never be a bad thing and I"m trying yoga (from yoga in a box-no, I am not doing yoga inside a box haha which is what someone else though when I told them I was doing yoga in a box, its from a cheap set of small cards that fit in a box, but I believe the poses and directions to be authentic). I love the triangle stretch if anyone else knows what I'm talking about. It stretches your sides out, really well! google it. I'm having a hard time shutting off my mind for the yoga at times, but the stretching is nice and I believe I will get there and feel the actual benefits of harmonizing. I particularly love that yoga is open to anyone of any type of fitness and that you can do it in private and grow into to, unlike other types of exercise. I want to start everyone I know on it. WOW this is probably more than any of you cared to know. Haha, that is what you get for giving me the username and password too! Ummm, let's see, I also plan on learning to bake bread this summer (I will probably first cheat and use a breadmaker and then do the real thing...it's a long story). And I have a list of books to adore which I have slowly been moving through. Another interesting summer find was a set of correspondence cassette tapes that my dad and his good friend Paul (who his like an uncle to me and my brother) sent back and forth during their time in the Navy when my Dad was still on teh submarine and Paul was back home. They are VERY funny and entertaining and I would tell stories, but I don't think they would be as funny if you do not know who I am talking about. But I thought of that because in one of the tapes Paul just kept talking about nothing because he was deteremined to fill up the tape and it was funny bc he would say wow I can't think of anything else, I'm going to take a break and come back and then he would come back and still have nothing, I kind of feel like that. But, I miss you guys, and I hope you are all doing well. I'll let you go now and I hope you are all enjoying a little bit of the July life while it is here. Here's the triangle pose: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/yoga/1/5/5/1/bigtriangle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/standingsteps_6.htm&h=400&w=358&sz=64&hl=en&start=2&sig2=sX7G29Row0SAgZow5q4qew&um=1&tbnid=pscCBgBQH7q6KM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=111&ei=BIpxSP7IBYe6iwHF4PmLAQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtriangle%2Bpose%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN
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