She's got it down "Pat!"

Well ladies and gentlemen Pat Summitt - women's head basketball coach at the University of Tennessee accomplished an amazing goal. She won her 1,000 game on Feb. 5th, 2009!
She is the first coach in Division 1 basketball to reach this number of wins. I am now going to give you some facts about Pat Summitt and her career thus far! I am only doing this because some of these facts are amazing even for those of you who really are not fact people or who are not that into sports (DJ!!), then when I am done I will tell you a story that happened to me involving a chance to meet this amazing lady on the day after her big win!!

From her first victory on Jan. 10, 1974, to win No. 1,000 on Feb. 5, 2009, 12,445 days passed.
A look at how long it took Summitt to reach each plateau:
Wins Length1-100 4 years, 4 days
100-200 3 years, 324 days
200-300 4 years, 32 days
300-400 3 years, 21 days
400-500 3 years, 300 days
500-600 3 years, 2 days
600-700 3 years, 12 days
700-800 3 years, 39 days
800-900 3 years, 5 days
900-1,000 3 years, 17 days
THAT’S SOME WINNING BASKETBALL

• Through her first 34 seasons, Summitt averaged 28.9 victories and just 5.4 losses per season.
• Summitt has been fond of saying, “Surround yourself with great people.” During her 35-year coaching tenure at the University of Tennessee she has worked with 153 Lady Vol basketball student-athletes and been assisted throughout the years by a total of 39 coaching staffers (assistant coaches, graduate assistants and operations directors), 53 student managers, 3 head athletic trainers, 2 women’s athletics directors, 1 media relations director and 1 secretary.
• Over 35 years, Summitt has brought 153 women into the program (including this year’s team). Of that total group, 111 have graduated (including current starting post Alex Fuller), two discontinued playing due to medical reasons (knees), 23 transferred, and six quit.
• Over 47 percent of ALL games coached by Summitt have come against Associated Press ranked opponents with the Lady Vols producing a 400-155 record and a 72 percent winning percentage. Imagine facing a ranked opponent in practically every other game in your career. Summitt has faced this challenge for 35 years, night-in and night-out. Summitt’s teams have also emerged victorious over unranked teams as well, winning 600 games (including tonight’s victory over Georgia) and losing just 32 contests. That’s 95 percent winning record over unranked opponents.
• Never had a losing season
• 32 consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins
• 18 seasons with more than 30 wins
• Head Coach Pat Summitt’s career record now stands at 1,000-187 (.843) all time.
• She has had more WNBA and Olympic players than any other program
• She has coached 153 women (including this years team) and 53 of them have national championship rings - some have more than 1!!

There are many more stats out there but I figured you have had enough.

Anyways a few years ago I met this guy named Peanut and he is a big wig for AAU basketball in Tennessee. Well long story short - he has season tickets, Pat Summitts phone number, eats meals with her, and has amazing hook ups when it comes to women's basketball. He got Yoh and I tickets to a game a few years ago - AMAZING experience!! Well I called him the night after the BIG win to have him give me the play by play because I know that he was at the game! And he did of course. Then He tells me that he will send me a t-shirt of the 1,000 wins - sweet I love t-shirts! Then he said that I needed to come back down to Tennessee, I told him that I would try really hard to get down there next winter break. Then he tells me this: "If you can get down here and you give me at least a month's notice on when you will be here I can take you to watch Pat in action - running a practice, yep that is right I can be in the gym while the practice. Then depending on her schedule I might get to meet her!!" I think it would be awesome - but if she is busy then it is okay but maybe I could shoot a couple hoops on HER court!! :) Then he said if they had a game when I came down he would take me again! Sweetness! Then he said if the final four is Nashville next year 2010 - that he can get me tickets and that they would be GOOD tickets - I just to have to say yes I want some and I have to get there!! NOW that would be an amazing experience for me, honestly if any one of those things really happen it would be so cool! I cant even explain it to you!

THE CLEANSE

Alright so the cleanse is done/over! This is a 21 day process of detoxing your body and working your way to eating healthier. You know eating foods that really are not that tasty but are the ones that G-d created us to eat! Through the whole process I lost almost 9 pounds which is always a little motivation boost. My body doesn't feel as tired, my skin is healthier and over all I just feel better (minus the minor sinus infection that I have). I must say that I didn't cheat until today but that was under special circumstances - I had a coca cola classic today at work because I felt dizzy for several hours so I thought I would try a coca cola classic to see if that would help, that was my first coke for a month (which is really hard for me to do). It honestly didn't taste as great as I had hoped, but it did help for awhile.
During the cleanse I basically ate foods that are healthy for me and I watch my portion control and also take supplements throughout the day! So maybe if you are thinking about changing what you eat or being healthier you could follow a few basic steps:

Basic Rules On How To Eat
Rule 1- You MUST eat a healthy breakfast consisting mainly of good quality protein.
Too often breakfast consists of a cereal with milk, breads, coffee, and juices. These
foods strain the blood sugar handling system and set a person up for fatigue later in the
day.
Rule 2- Eat 5 to 6 meals spread through out the day. Eating every 2 to 3 hours helps
regulate the blood sugar handling system of the body giving you more energy. Skipping
meals taxies the blood sugar handling system and sets a person up for fatigue through
out the day.
Rule 3- Eat a balanced 40:30:30 diet with a ratio of 40% protein: 30% fat: 30%
carbohydrate.
Rule 4- Eat real food the God made and intended you to eat. This means fruits,
vegetables, lean meats, nuts, and seeds. Avoid processed, refined, and genetically
modified foods as much as possible. If it came in a box, it probably is not real food.
Rule 5- Eat protein with each main meal even if only in small amounts. This helps
regulate your blood sugar.
Rule 6- Eat low glycemic index foods when consuming carbohydrates. See
www.glycemic.com for more details on individual foods.
Rule 7- Avoid all foods that you know you are allergic to or have food sensitivity to.
Rule 8- Avoid inflammatory foods. These include processed grains, pasteurized cowʼs
milk, soy products, vegetable oils, modified fats and trans fats, refined carbohydrates
(cookies, cakes, candy, soda), and coffee.
Rule 9- Eat as fresh and raw of food as possible. Cooking and micro waving can
destroy foods living nutrients that are needed to heal the body.
Rule 10- Do not eat the same things every day. Rotate your food choices. This helps
avoid developing food sensitivities.
Rule 11- Cook with good quality oils. Oils that should be used include: olive oil, grape
seed oil, and coconut oil. Butter is not good to be fried in, but may be eaten.
Rule 12- Eat organic as much as possible. There is a difference!!!

Well happy eating! If you need some good recipes just check out my fellow blogging friends they have some recipes on their sites

Maybe a country band??

Well I thought it was time for a drumming update. It is currently one of the fun things that I do that people actually want to hear about. I have continued my lessons with the amazing teacher Zach...he makes it fun and breaks it down so that I do not feel frustrated. I should add that every other hobby in my long life of 31 years has come very easy to me except for drumming. I think it is because the great Lord blessed me with the ability to be able to pick up anything that involves a ball rather quickly and He also blessed me with a great athletic ability. Soooooo with that being said anything with a ball takes me a little longer to grasp. Which is okay I am just not use to it. However Zach does not allow me to get frustrated he just shows me knew ways to do things. I have been working on several songs and a few I must say that I think that I am finally getting it down. I am almost positive because Zach said he was going to show me the fills to go along with one of the songs, so in my mind that means I must have the basic beat down for that song!! Whoo Hoo!! So the songs that I am working on are The Famous One, We are the Champions, Dr. Feelgood - by Aretha, I Told You So - Carrie Underwood. I am particularly getting the Carrie Underwood song down pretty quickly - this is the song that I am going to learn the fills for! Now I do have to admit I have not practiced as much as I would like in the last several weeks. I need to be better at that, but it is COLD in my basement at night!! However I do plan on sticking it out and getting at least 15 mins or so in each day!! For you drummers that are reading if you have any tips on how to get my foot to become better that would be fantastic - this is where I struggle the most! I have inserted to pictures one of me drumming and one of a future drummer his name is Noah Blake, remember this people! He looks way cuter but I think that is just because he is younger - gives him an advantage or something.

Help out Ghana and my friend Alicia

Okay will my friend Alicia went to Ghana in 2007 and ever since she went there she has been trying to help the kids over there that were living in the orphanage. She has posted something on her blog about helping out the organization and donating money to help the children over there get an education. Now me being a teacher I am all about it however I cannot give that much money at this time - yes I know every little bit helps. So I thought I would help out by also posting her blog entry onto my blog. So that my friends that read my blog will maybe feel compelled to donate any money that they or just to pass it on to those who also like to donate to great causes..it is a new year and all!!!
So all the information that it typed in the red color is directly from Alicia's blog and is her story. Enjoy and maybe you could send a little cash their way.

I have felt moved to help the children from the Save Widows and Orphans Development Center (SWODC) orphanage in Ghana. They are in great need of help as they no longer have the security of SWODC, which was forced to close its doors in September 2008. Since that time, sixteen of the twenty-one orphans were sent back their small villages and to the guardians/relatives that brought them to the orphanage originally. These are the same people who could not afford to care for them originally and most likely can’t do so now. Their daily safety, nourishment, and education is of concern to us.Fortunately, an amazing American volunteer I met back in 2007 has established a US-based foundation to help the children. Josephine Hopkins and her husband Randy (also met him during first trip) established the Hopkins Foundation just this past summer to guarantee that the orphans from SWODC are fully cared for now and in the future. The Hopkins Foundation’s mission (http://www.hopkinsfoundation.org/) is to enroll each of the SWODC orphans into a local boarding school and support the children throughout their education (through high school and beyond). We feel boarding school is the best option for the children given Ghana’s poor public education system and their current lack of a permanent home or orphanage. Our hope is to raise the necessary funds for the children to return from their villages and enroll into a boarding school next September. Boarding school will not only provide them with the best education as possible in Ghana, but also a roof over their heads and three meals a day. The cost to enroll one child into boarding school for the entire year is around $800.00. This breaks down to less than $67.00 dollars a month, less than $2.25 a day. Yes, they can live safely and well for less than $2.25 a day! Can you help us make this a reality? Can you make a contribution (of any amount) to help these children return to a safe environment and give them a real opportunity in life?If you can support my mom's and my efforts in placing the SWODC children into boarding schools and providing them with a safe home, please make a tax-deductible donation to the Hopkins Foundation (http://www.hopkinsfoundation.org/) by mailing a check to Hopkins Foundation, PO Box 190192 Boise, ID 83719 (checks should be made out to Hopkins Foundation and include SWODC in the memo). *The option of donating online may be added to the website in the future. Again, any contribution amount would help and be appreciated greatly. Donations to the Hopkins Foundation can be made as one-time contributions, monthly donations, or you can choose to fully sponsor one of the children (call Hopkins Foundation, 208-890-1296, my mom, or me for more information).These children have touched our hearts. We have held their hands, listened to their sweet singing, felt their loving hugs, and dried their tears. My mom and I can’t turn our backs on them. They are great children, they are real and they need our help and your help! This is an opportunity to drastically change lives AND be able to see the impact of your giving. We will follow (and hopefully visit) these children throughout their journeys and provide updates on their progress here. We understand firsthand that times are uncertain. But we ask that you look deep into your heart and ask God for guidance to determine if this is an endeavor you can support now or in the future. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference. There are so many good causes and charities, so many lives we can touch. Whether you are able to support us in this one or not, we hope that you are finding your own way to show your love and give. Most importantly, even if you aren’t able to help these children financially, your prayers can help tremendously. Please take a few minutes to pray that Bernice and these children be blessed with safety, happiness and love.SWODC Background:SWODC was formed in 2000 by Bernice Nunyuie, a local Ghanaian widow with a huge heart and faith in God. After losing her husband in an automobile accident, Bernice recognized the need to assist other widows in learning pertinent work skills in order for them to gain independence and care for their families. As Bernice began to help widows form co-ops for the local crafts they produced, she also became the community go-to person for widows needing assistance for their children. They would come to her asking for help with school fees, food, clothes or if really in need, they would ask her to take the children into her home. One-by-one, Bernice began to take in children that other women could no longer care for, as well as orphans that had been being taken care of by aunts, uncles, older siblings, and grandparents that needed her help.Eventually, SWODC officially formed. Over the past six years, Bernice has taken care of more than twenty children with minimal outside assistance. Bernice not only provided shelter for these children, but also ensured they received adequate meals, enrolled them into school, paid their school fees and made sure they were clothed. She also reached out to volunteer organizations in the area to have volunteers come to the orphanage to help mentor and play with the children, which is how Alicia came to meet this wonderful woman and the children. Bernice has been a tremendously selfless person, giving up her life and taking in these children. Over the past six years, she has struggled daily with the stress and concern over where the money will come from to continue to care for the kids. Sadly, after years of putting others’ needs before her own and struggling to make ends meet, the burden has become too great and Bernice is no longer able to financially care for these children. In addition, she has developed several chronic health conditions. While we were in Ghana this past August/Sept, a number of major and unforeseen obstacles were presented to Bernice in a very short time-frame and unfortunately SWODC’s security quickly evaporated. Due to decreasing finances and the end of her lease, Bernice had no other option than relocate to a smaller home and send the children back to their guardians if they had any. Five of the children have remained with Bernice because they have no where else to go. Bernice is trying to stay updated on the other sixteen children, but they are spread far out and due to her current health issues she is unable to travel much.Bernice has done it on her own for quite a while, but now she and these twenty-one children are in need of help. My mom and I can only do so much on our own as well, we don't have enough to give them all the security and safety they so deserve. So that is why we have humbled ourselves and are reaching out to you to ask for help. Please consider contributing to the Hopkins Foundation at http://www.hopkinsfoundation.org/ If you are interested in supporting Bernice in her current efforts to care for the children in her house, please contact me directly.
These children have touched our hearts. My mom and I can’t turn our backs on them. They are great children, they are real and they need our help and your help! This is an opportunity to drastically change lives AND be able to see the direct impact of your giving. We will follow (and hopefully visit) these children throughout their journey and provide updates on their progress on my fundraising blog www.myghanaexperience.blogspot.com. We understand firsthand that times are uncertain. But we ask that you look deep into your heart and ask God for guidance to determine if this is an endeavor you can support now or in the future. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.

What Giving should be like

On the Sunday before Christmas I got to do one of the coolest things that I have ever done. I got to play Secret Giver. I am first going to have to give you some background information so that it will help you understand the story a little bit better.
Background info: I have a friend named Don and he bakes amazing peanut butter cookies with the kiss on top of it. A few years ago around thanksgiving he asked me if I wanted to buy a dozen of these amazing cookies for $5. I said of course I love them. He asked me don't you want to know why I am asking you to pay for them, I said sure why not. So that is when he told me what he does with the money. Don bakes cookies from thanksgiving until the weekend before Christmas and he sells them to anyone he knows for $5.00 per dozen. Then when he collects all his money he goes to Wal-Mart in a lower end part of the Kansas City area and buys a gift card. Once he has the gift card or cards (depending on how much money he collects) and then he walks around Wal-Mart and hand them to someone and says "I just want to make your Christmas a little bit better!" And that is it - Don the Secret Giver/Santa. Well the last few years I have been helping by selling these cookies to people that I work with. Last year after the HOlidays were over Don asked me if I would want to go with him to hand out the gift cards next Christmas. I said oh that would be so awesome! He said I deserved it since I sold so many cookies.
Fast forward to present Christmas season: So this season the cookie business was good - -even with the economy the way it is. Don was able to buy 5 $100.00 gift cards to Wal-mart. AWESOME!! So we (yoh, don, his wife kp, and me) are in the car and headed to Wal-mart in KCK. As we are getting closer Don says he has to tell us the 'rules.' "Rule #1 - there are no rules!! Everyone can use a little help during this season. He said you will just walk around and you will see someone who needs it and you will just go up to them and say whatever you wish to and tell them Merry Christmas!" I said "Whoa - Whoa: we (yoh & I) thought we were just along for the ride - but you are saying that we get to hand them out to people." Don was like - "yep you each get to hand out two."

Maasen's person #1 - So I wanted to go straight to the toy section, I wanted to help someone out that had a child with them. We walked around for a bit - and we were both praying that God would show us who needed this money. I saw this lady with a little girl who was so cute. We took another lap in the toy section and I decided she was the winner. I went up to her and Yoh said excuse us. Then I said hi, I just want to make your Christmas a little bit better this year. Then handed her the $100. She smiled so big and tears started forming. She hugged me and said you just made my money stretch so much farther. I am on disablity and I really dont get paid enough to do anything extra - especially Christmas. Then she thanked me again and hugged me. Then the little girl gave me a high five and said thank you. I was of course crying too. We walked away and I looked at Yoh and I said man I just love eating those cookies but this is way cool and different than I imagined.

Yoh's person #1 - Yoh went up to two ladies, sort of looked like a lady in her forties with her mother. She stopped them and said she wanted to make their Christmas even better, and then handed them the gift card. She was shocked and so happy and hugged Yoh. Then the lady showed the older lady and she had so excitement in her voice when she told her what Yoh had just given her.

Maasen's person #2 - So we were walking around and we passed the clearance section and I looked in the rows and I saw a couple in their forties or so. As we passed them I looked at Yoh and said they are shopping in the clearance section for presents. So I turned around and went up to them and said excuse me I would like to help make your Christmas a little better and then handed them the card. The lady was like are you kidding -- I responded NO that would be a cruel joke. She said thank you I am going to cry and I said that is okay. She then told me that her and her husband have 5 kids between them and that I just helped them more than I will ever know. Then the both hugged me and Yoh. Priceless!!

Yoh's person #2 - Yoh felt she was suppose to give it to 2 women. It didn't take long to spot two. So we came up behind them and Yoh said excuse me. 1 lady stopped and 1 lady was a few steps ahead. Yoh said she wanted to make their Christmas better and handed her the gift card. The lady had a puzzled look on her face then she said thank you and then walked to her friend and said wow she just gave me 100 bucks!!!

The 5th person was a lady who was in the baby section shopping for her great grand baby. KP gave her the card and she was super excited and hugged KP!

Conclusion: I wish that this is something that I could do this every Sunday during the holiday season. No really I wish that I could do this on a regular basis. It was such an awesome experience and the expressions on those peoples faces was so priceless. It really makes me want to help Don sell enough to get $1000 next year - however that is a ton of baking - but I am pretty sure that Don can handle it!!

Welcome 31

So on 12/09 I turned 31 - which I lovingly called finally entering into my 30s. I had a fantastic day and I thought it would be fun to give you a run down of the day. Hope you enjoy a small glimpse of my 31st birthday!
On birthday eve I went to eat dinner with Yoh, the Bennetts, little Lori and her boyfriend Dave. We went to Montana Ted's where I had a Bison burger with some avocado slice on it. Tasty!!
Here is the run down of the big day
6:30am - woke up as a 31 year old
6:45am - found an itunes gift card on my light switch (it had a 'B' on it)
7:05am - got into my car to drive to work & found a Starbucks gift card (it had an 'F' on it)
7:30am - went to my work mailbox & had 2 bday cards - one from my friend Zena and one from my bday buddy Holmie
7:35am - voicemail from my mom & grandma telling me Happy Birthday
7:45am - text from a basketball and softball player telling me Happy Birthday and a bag of candy from a student
8:30am - the strings class came and played Happy Birthday for me
9:31am - Happy Birthday email
9:51am - Happy Birthday email
10:00am - FCA Ryan came to say Happy Birthday to me and gave me a subway gift card
11:00am - 5th hour students sang Happy Birthday to me and I got a gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods and a card from one of my favorite special needs students
11:38am - ecard from tblakes
12:00pm - entire 6th grade sand Happy Birthday to me
12:19pm - 6th grade student gave me a birthday sugar cookie
1:10pm - ate lunch with my birthday buddy and others - Chipolte - - yummy!
1:50pm - Yoh came and interrupted a meeting to give my flowers-Gerber daisies (had an 'F' on it)
2:00pm - Happy Birthday email
2:25pm - Happy Birthday email
3:30pm - Happy Birthday text
3:45pm - a Hy-vee blue "green" bag-so funny to me and a 12pack of coke (had an 'O' on it)
3:50pm - a bag with a 'T' on it was on the door - inside the bag was a fantastic kansas jayhawk hat
4:10pm - Happy Birthday text
4:30pm - Birthday phone call from Markus Parkus
5:00pm - phone call from my December birthday friend - DJ
5:30pm - the 'P' present from Yoh - a brand new pair of tennis shoes! Wahoo!!
6:00pm - went to dinner with Yoh, Smithers, Andy, and little Mason at Barleys - love their spin dip
6:05pm - happy Birthday text
6:55pm - Happy Birthday text
8:00pm - came home from dinner

The day was super fun and I am sure that there is numerous things that I left out but it was just a great day. Sometimes as I get older I think that oh it won't be that great - its just another day or I have to work so really how much fun can it be. Well this year was a real good time. Thanks for all those people who helped make the day fun!

Trying to embrace change

Well there seems to be alot going on in my life. Maybe not really alot but some big changes are going to occur and hope to occur. I was talking on the phone with my friend just the other day and she said "wow Maasey you seem to be in great spirits and that your head is on straight with all these things that are going on. If I were in your shoes I am not sure that I would sound the same way that you do." I told her that I am doing my best and sometimes sounding positive is just a 'mask.' I know, I know not the best way to handle things - however sometimes these items are just too hard to talk about and at times I am not really sure how I feel or what emotions I am going through to express what I feel.
So with that being said the two big changes that are going on are 1. my best friend (BFFOTP-best friend forever on the planet..cause Jesus is really my best friend) is moving in just a few weeks to Michigan. 2. I am trying to sell my house in a bad market.
So I will discuss in short form my thoughts on item 1. In my deep heart I am excited for her and this move because I know that she is listening to the L-rd and that His plan is way better than mine could be. It is hard to be excited now though - I guess you could say I am excited for the unknown and her future, cause it is going to be super sweet. I am obviously sad because we do so many things together and share a huge part of our lives together. Its nice when we have a ton of the same interests. There are days where I cannot even imagine being much sadder than I am at that moment. It will be weird to live by myself again. The little things that you do with a roommate are just priceless. I know that we will do our best to communicate on a regular basis however we all know that talking on the phone or texting is not the same and most people in general are not really that great at keeping in contact. I will miss her greatly on a daily basis but hopefully we will do an amazing job of communicating.
Okay now for item 2. Selling a house is sort of annoying - mainly cause you have the realtor who just wants to sell it cause that is their job, but they want you to make changes to help it sell faster. Which I am all for it selling it faster, however if it doesn't sell I do not want to live in a house with boring paint colors such as universal khaki. True it is a nice color - I just do NOT want it in every single room of my house. So I have painted 3 rooms this far but that does not mean I will paint the others. I personal think that most people buy a house and then paint it the colors that they enjoy. So if my house does sell then someone will most likely paint over the universal khaki. So I just feel like that is a waste of my money and we all know that budgets are tight. So I guess I will wait and see if I need to start the painting again. I have only had a few people look at it so far so I plan on waiting a little while before I bring out the painting clothes. A popular question that people have for me is "What are you going to do when your house sells?" Honestly I am not 100% sure, the plan is to rent somewhere in Merriam - close to Mastin St. I would like to rent for awhile to pay off my student loans and other things. Then when those are paid off then maybe look to something else or move somewhere that it is warm all year long. Okay maybe not really on that last point but it would be fun. Honestly if I pay off some of my debt I would like to do some traveling to some places in the US that I have never been and just take a back pack and my camera and take tons of photos.
Okay well hope you had somewhat of a good read. More in a few days.