Blast From the Past

I work on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, which also happens to be my alma mater.  I stopped by the archives this week on my lunch hour on the way to the gym and ended up spending my whole gym time there (good thing I already had plans for a workout after work too).  Archives has so much awesome history in it.  They have the original crowns used for the Mardi Gras gala that has been a tradition on this campus, I believe from inception.  There were antiques from many of the original buildings on campus, door knobs from Hughes House (Howard Hughes' home), and a podium that was designed by architect Phillip Johnson (who also designed most of the buildings on campus).

The Bettys (both the ladies that work in the archives are named Betty, so we call them the Bettys) were so excited to have us and wanted to show us everything.  I pulled out my phone and started taking some pictures.


This first UST commencement ceremony.

I absolutely loved this picture of the first commencement.  It was held at the church where I got married (oh, and my parents and grandparents married there too...cool).

A relic from the punch card registration system...terrible picture, sorry about that

Ground Breaking from the Student Center

A letter from Ronald Reagan to one of the Basilian Fathers

One of the original hand books

A pin with a UST logo I have never seen before

My favorite find was the time capsule from the 50th anniversary of UST that was supposed to have been burried.  I guess the fact that it is still above ground will save us some time on the day we are supposed to dig it up. 

I wish I knew what date the time capsule was supposed to be opened.  Any UST alums out there know???

Racing...At a Walker's Pace

In my quest to live a healthier lifestyle, I have been reading various healthy life/fitness blogs.  They have motivated me to decide to register for a couple of races.  I had already been thinking about it when my friend Kasey asked me if I would come with her to the Texas Hill country for the weekend while she ran an 10K.  I checked it out and sure enough it is a run/walk event.  I decided not only would I go with her, but I would also sign up for the race.  Awesome, I just signed up for my first race.

(source)

Should my first race be a 10K?  Um, no...I don't think so.  So now I have also signed up for a 5K, the Heights Fun Run.  I have been walking and hiking so I know I can walk the distance and it will be good practice for the 10K in September.

I haven't entered a race since I did the Race for a Cure back in college (it feels a little funny to call it a race since I don't see it as a competition, but I will go with it).  I am happy that reading these blogs and the invitation from Kasey have motivated me to enter.  It is fun to look forward to something active.  The 5K is close...the first weekend in June.  :)

If you like to check out blogs and could use inspiring stories from motivating gals, here are my favorite healthy living blogs.

Healthy Tipping Point
Ali on the Run
Losing Weight in the City

What motivates you?

Baby Steps - Part Two

My friend introduced me to an app for my phone that applies cool effects to pictures.  I was laughing last night after I posted Baby Steps since I realized I had taken 3 different pictures of the floor to apply different effects to decide which one I liked best.  I even previewed the choices on my blog before making my final decision. 

I figured since I had put so much effort out creating 3 different pictures of the hallway floor from my office that they must be worth sharing (or not).  So behold...the tile floor!!

This photo received third place from me...didn't look enough like the actual floor.

This was a close second, very accurate.

This one won because it is so shiny!  And let's face it, a little pink.

And in completely unrelated photos, but still a demonstration of how much I am enjoying this silly picture app on my phone...I present, Sammy in a box.  Maru is her hero.  :)

Baby Steps

A fabulous picture from my phone!

I found myself walking down my office hallway today looking at the floor.  The tiled floor I remember from school or the grocery store as a kid.  Not fancy tile, but the vinyl kind (I think it is vinyl).  Anyway the one made of the squares that have that pattern that looks like smudged dirt or sneaker streaks and they are laid so the pattern stripes one way and then the other. 

I was walking my office hallway remembering when I was a kid I would walk deliberately stepping in the squares, avoiding the lines of course, and ensuring that I was stepping on the tiles so my feet were pointing the same direction as the pattern.  Did anyone else do that when they were little too?

I started doing this as I walked back to my office.  My feet barely fit in the squares and I had to take either very small steps or very large steps to stay in the correct directionally patterned tiles.  I am glad no one was in the hallway to see me.

Time flies.