The One-Year Challenge

an update

2009-08-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't attempted to stay up-to-date with this for several months, but the new thing I did last weekend was pretty awesome: I met one of my long-time internet friends in person. He lives in northern Ohio and a few years ago a bunch of friends and I planned to meet up with him and his family at a concert in Cleveland (ska prom, no less) but he had a freak car accident two days before the show. His distraught dad called me the next day to say he'd had a stroke while driving, and that's what caused the accident. (He was 22 years old and the docs discovered that a hole in his heart had caused the stroke, so he had heart surgery to fix the problem). So needless to say, we didn't meet, as he was in ICU and they wouldn't allow visitors.

Fast-forward three or so years, Nick was 90% recovered and engaged, and he invited us to his wedding. So we went. It was at a state park in eastern Ohio, so we camped on the grounds and met him on his wedding day. His mom gave me a hug. His dad burst out laughing when Nick introduced me as his "friend from the internet."

Graduation from College

2009-06-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

April 24, 2009
Another huge step- Graduating from college! I graduated from Grand valley's college of Education and went to convocation (the small graduation for college of ed students and then went to the bigger graduation with all of Grand VAlley. It was a proud moment in my life. I have worked so hard to get here, after 5 years, that it feels amazing to be done with school! My parents are so proud of me and I am even more proud of myself!

And now hopefully Peace Corps is going through! Because right now I'm not sure what Plan B and C may be! But I have the summer to think about it!

Our Nations Capitol

2009-06-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

June 7-11 2009, My dad and I went to Washington D.C. He was doing research for a alphabet book on the Smithsonian musuems. I didnt know there were so many museums. I have been to D.C many times , but never known about all the museums. So it was a great experience.

We went to the Natural History Museum, Air and Space, American History, Freer Gallery of Art, Hirshorn Museum and Scuplture Garden, and Renwick Gallery and a few other places. It really was pretty intresting how you miss things sometimes. And while I was there, I had to stop and check out Obama's house!

Camp - June 15-17, 2009

2009-06-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

I was a camp counselor for the first time. I have worked with students in daycare/camp settings, but never gone to a camp and worked with students. And the interesting thing about the students was that they were homeless- meaning they were either living in shelters or their houses burned down.

I worked with mostly older students (6th and 7th grade) but I also worked with the younger students. We went to a camp in Wayland and I loved it, being outdoors, but city kids have a problem with being outside. Mosquitos, walking, canoeing, etc. I really enjoyed the experience, but it kind of made me question if teaching is really what I want to do. Good experience for resume and myself, and the money wasnt bad either!

June 26, 2009

2009-06-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

I know! I know! Its been like 4 months! I am going to retrace my steps with my previous happenings! But here goes todays. I turned 24 today! It was actually a pretty nice birthday. I slept in, opened my few presents (movie gift card and biking water bottle) went for a bike ride into town, to deposit my check from camp (another experience I need to updayte) and came home and went to dinner!

Then after dinner, I instant messaged a friend I hadnt talked to in awhile, for a couple of beers at the bar. We went to the bar, had two beers, talked, caught up, walked around MSU and then, confidently, after contemplating driving home, I got the courage to be slightly risky and drove home. I really was okay, but I was behind a cop for a long time it felt! Normally I would be really worried about driving home, but Tyler, the guy I hung out with, said something that kind of clicked. He said he was a very independent guy, and I see myself the same way. So I took a couple of breaths and said I can do this. I am not drunk, I can read signs, I was just a little nervous. I made it home fine, and just once, took a small risk, that normally I dont do! So, I did what I normally dont do. Took a small risk, one I was confident enough to get through. I did contemplate calling Tyler, saying, Please drive behind me. But then his speech about taking a few risks in life, made me remember this blog and it worked out ok! Sometimes we have to take risks in life! Know your limit is all I say!

Moving to Grand Rapids

2009-05-15T06:06:00.001-07:00

This week I'm moving back home. Its been almost five months here in New Jersey. I can't believe how time flies. I arrived on New Years Eve, and already this whole thing is over. So I'm saying a few last goodbyes, and on Monday I'll be driving the 12 hour trip to Grand Rapids to finish up a few seminars for ordination and do an interview with the committee of higherups.

a whole year later

2009-05-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's my wedding anniversary (yesterday)! The first one! We're currently hanging out in the hotel lobby chatting with the hostesses and watching the Weather Channel. We realized today that our anniversary will always be at the time of year when the weather is getting nice but summer tourism hasn't really started yet, so it feels like we have everything to ourselves. I just checked out the hotel pool and it's empty. Tomorrow we're going to the state park here in Ludington to hike some trails and hang out at the lake and have a picnic.

Also, thanks for keeping this blog alive, Simon. :)

N.E.W. #19 - Hosting my Parents

2009-05-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

New this week is the visit of my parents coming into Jersey/New York to visit me and celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I've got a big schedule for them to come and follow, so they can enjoy the city for a couple days (we're going to see August: Osage County) and then come into New Jersey to see my church and my life here. I'm really excited for them to come.

N.E.W. #18 - Cabin in the Woods

2009-04-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm organizing for our high school group at church to go to an overnighter in a cabin in the woods of Schooley's Mountain, NJ. I'm really excited for this to come together, as it will be my last activity before I leave New Jersey at the end of May. I've been making permission slips and organizing some things to do that night. So often I've tried to make things happen here, and I hope this succeeds where others failed.

Bible in a Year

2009-04-29T19:34:00.001-07:00

On April 25th I completed the last section in my One Year Bible. Since I started in April and thought it'd be too confusing to read from January first, I picked up mid Judges and ended mid Judges. "After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel." (Judges 3:31). Kind of a weird place to say "I'm done." I was expecting fireworks or something but that was it, I just did it. I feel like maybe that's because it shouldn't be a great feat/accomplishment. Maybe I should read the entire Bible every year, I certainly wouldn't be worse off for it. Am I really doing anything better with my time?

squirrels 1, me 0

2009-04-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

I kicked off my little garden experiment and transplanted some of my snap bean seedlings into containers on Saturday, and I put them outside on Sunday after the thunderstorms had passed. It rained a bunch more Sunday and Monday, so when I got home from work Monday, I went outside to check on them. I planted four seedlings, and one of their stems was snapped off in two places and the leaves were gone. I called my dad to ask what he thought was the culprit, and he said it was probably a squirrel or birds - ack! So now I have to figure out how to keep them off my plants all summer. A coworker suggested putting bird cages over my containers, which I thought was a pretty logical solution - however, I don't have any bird cages and don't want to spend lots of money on them. Some gardening forums say a hot pepper spray concoction applied to the plants will keep the critters from eating them, but it only lasts a few days. And I've seen netting at garden stores designed to keep birds off of fruit like blueberries and raspberries. For now I'm keeping everything inside a little longer, maybe until they start budding. But I have to figure out something soon!

Ribbit!

2009-04-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Horn Creek Pub in Delton, MI offers all you can eat frog legs on Saturdays. We took my Grandma out to dinner for her 78th birthday and that's what she wanted, frog legs from the Horn Creek Pub. A small sports bar/restaurant in the middle of nowhere on Cedar Creek Rd (just past the general store and cemetery)
I'd never been in a room with deep fried frog legs before so of course I had to try one. There wasn't much to it, I guess it tasted like fried chicken but there was so little meat and so much fried it was hard to tell. After I finished and put the bones on my plate I looked down to see four teeny tine deep fried toes, or what used to be toes. Reminded me of that scene in Juno when she goes to get an abortion and the girl tells her that the baby already has fingers then all she can think about are everyone fingers in the waiting room. Except that was a human and this is just a frog.
On a side note, the waitress was the granddaughter of my grandma's first cousin (can you say "Barry County"?) so she proceeded to ask this poor girl about every member of her family by name. Then we had to ask about the bullet hole in the window by our booth, turns out it was just from a rock... someone was doing a burn out in the parking lot. It would've been cooler if it were a bullet.

N.E.W. #17 - Replacing motherboard

2009-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

I replaced the motherboard of my thinkpad this week. It was pretty exhausting, and at one point I was sure I had pushed a screw through a place where a screw shouldn't go.

My boss came in, and saw me straddled across my desk, components everywhere and my bare toes pinched on the metal register (to take away any static charge). He said, "I'm not even going to ask."

But, hello!, its working now. Hurray for cheap, do-it-yourself tasks.

SOY!

2009-04-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

I think it's been like a month... maybe more, since my last post. oops. It's like that on my personal blog as well, I'm just not good at it lol.

Anyways, I think I'm lactose-intolerant so I'm giving up dairy for a month or so to test and see what happens. I love milk, and cheese and cottage cheese and... and... dairy! So it's been hard. Also, I'm beginning to realize how much stuff actually has dairy in it. The first week wasn't bad, I was weening myself so I didn't read labels but just cut out cheese and milk. Then I cut out all dairy and started craving cheese pizza like no other.
I went grocery shopping the other day and bought a couple gallons of soy milk and vegan cheese, tastes like the real thing! I'm eating healthier in general now that I'm reading the labels to everything, I'm much more conscious of what I'm putting in my mouth, I feel great and I think my body is thanking me for getting rid of the dairy.
Next on the list I must try Soy ice cream. That's the one dairy thing I don't think I can live without.

N.E.W. #16 - Antibiotics

2009-04-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

I've been sick every six weeks for two years: heavy congestion and total energy loss. Usually my apathetic determination to combat this virus stops me from taking the necessary steps to order pills. Plus, I figure what I beat on my own keeps me healthier than sending into my bloodstream some sixteen syllabled synthetic sterilizer. But its two years going now, and my Easter was almost ruined by it, so I'm taking this white pill now, twice each day, for ten days. We'll see.

Week 15?

2009-04-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Monday I attended the prayer of peace service at St. Mary's in NW Grand Rapids. The service is structured in a way that fosters meditative prayer, which is something I try to make a habit of, but I've never been consistent with it. The service opens with music and proceeds to an extended period of silence - there is no sermon, just singing and silence, followed by more singing. And the singing isn't the loud distracting kind; it's soft and repetitive and sometimes it's in Spanish or Latin.

The whole thing was really beautiful. I wasn't even terribly distracted by the incredibly ornate stained-glass windows or giant vaulted ceiling like I usually am when I'm trying to focus on God and happen to be in a cathedral. I was able to appreciate them instead of launching into a repetitive internal debate about the appropriateness of giant, fancy church buildings. The church also seems to be a strong presence in its neighborhood, operating a small food pantry on its grounds and conducting everything in Spanish as well as English. Plus they have a charming little garden that I peeked into; a nice little haven in the midst of rundown city scenery and the eyesore of an expressway looming to the east. I'd like to make it to the prayer services every month, so hopefully I'll stick to it.

N.E.W. #15 - Ways of Gratitude

2009-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

This current three day block is at a friends house. I know its easy to tell somebody you love them, that you're thankful for them, and that your life would be much less without them, but often the best sort of expression like this is non-verbal. Sometime in the next couple days, I want to try and express my thanks for my friend in a way that is new and unusual and good. Much more than verbal, I want to try and be thankful in a new demonstration.

We're all pretty convinced I'm not a good weekly blogger

2009-04-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

I write from the sunny (but not much warmer) state of California! One of my best friends is getting married tomorrow so we've been out here most of the week to visit with her and help her keep her sanity. Because this is my (1) first trip to California, there have been lots of firsts on this trip.

(2) Tuesday, when we arrived, we drove straight from the airport to Alcatraz. I've never been to San Francisco before, not even on a layover, so Alcatraz was really amazing. It's old, I like old things. There are some great views of the city from the island, not to mention that the island itself has a diverse history. It started as a military base right during/after the Civil war. It actually didn't open up as a maximum security prison until the 1930s. Brian and I got some beautiful photos so I'll probably be posting those when I get home.

(3) I met my friend Katy's family. I've been hearing about them for 2 years but have never come out here to meet them. They are very much like my family and we get along fine. Last night, Mom, brother, sister, Katy, Brian, Grooms best friend, any others and I went out for Fondue together. So much fun.

(4) I've never had to deal with jet lag before. The only other times I've flown, I've been an hour away from my own time zone. This time, we're 3. So while I sit here in my PJs at 8:48, you all are thinking about lunch.

(5) We're staying in a complete stranger's house. They are long time friends of Katy's family who had enough room and generosity to host us. They gave us a house key, told us that we could help ourselves to anything they had in the house, and supplied us with a comfortable place to sleep (convenient when working through Item 4). Plus, as a bonus, they are only a block over from Katy's family's house so we can walk over there whenever we would need to without having to depend on a ride from someone with a car.

(6) I studied in Mexico 2 1/2 years ago and the two women I spent the most time with were Katy and Sarah. This week is the first time that we've been together in the same city, much less the same state, since we all came home from that semester.

(7) I have spend the last 3 days completely car sick. I try to convince myself that I do not get motion sickness but there is little you can do to stop it. Tuesday was plane, boat, and car sick, Wednesday was car (we drove up into the hills to see the redwoods), and yesterday was car. I'd like to eat, thank you, without wasting my time. This has proven a challenge.

(8) Brian's grandmother passed away on Wednesday evening. This is the first time that I've ever had a grandparent pass but it didn't affect me as much as I thought. Grandma D had never remembered me or known who I was in the family. I never got to know the real her and that is what I consider the real loss. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers as they have the visitation and funeral today and tomorrow.

Considering that this has been 8 new things, if you have been counting, I'm going to stop. I have a lot more that I will share when we get back on Sunday or Monday.

Week 14: Biodegrade!

2009-04-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

For the next week and hopefully beyond I'm going to try and only bring lunches to work that are in reusable or biodegradable containers. I'm guessing it's going to be a challenge because making my lunch is mostly likely going to take longer and I time my mornings down to the minute, to the point where I'm usually on the verge of missing the bus. (When Josh gets home from work before I leave, this really stresses him out - he's always early). When I'm in a time crunch I usually grab a granola bar and an individually wrapped package of crackers, and that adds up to a lot of wrappers in the trash over time, plus my sandwiches are usually in a plastic bag.

Also, I'm more inept at sewing than I thought and my skirt still isn't finished, but I'm pretty determined that it will be soon.

N.E.W. #14 - Cooking at Home

2009-04-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

I spend more money than I should in eateries and luncheons. For instance, I could never buy a pack of meat, a package of kaiser rolls, condiments, and the other ingredients for a sandwich. Top off the attention it takes to buy lettuce/tomatoes/& cucumbers for just myself to the degree that they would never go bad. (Do they sell quarter heads of lettuce? because thats how much I would use before it goes bad.) So rather than a long term investment of all these things, and rather than try to finagle the right combo at a grocery store, I eat at a deli for lunch. Plus the deli I can switch things up. If I'm not in the mood for turkey, I get ham, or get a veggie sammich.

The problem is that deli sandwiches in my area cost six or seven dollars a hit, and I would rather not spend $50 a week this way. So this week I'm going to try to cook one meal at home per day. Soak the beans, cook 'em, mix 'em with oil and seasonings, add rice, try to get some mildly less perishable veggies on the side.

Mach 22-29

2009-04-01T03:18:00.002-07:00

I am training to run a half marathon and ran 13.5 miles on Saturday the 28th. It was easy breezy. When I ran 12 miles my legs hurt for days. The day after I ran a mile just to get in 70.5 miles for the month of April. My goal is to hit 100 miles in the month of June! I'm getting stronger and faster! And its unbelievable that I have been able to do this with my busy lifestyle! :)

What week are we on?

2009-03-30T20:20:00.001-07:00

I did two new things today.

1. I planted tomatoes, lavender, peppermint and (just for fun) snapdragons. I have never grown my own garden from seeds without my dad's help before, and I tend to treat my plants more like humans so I'm kind of nervous for them. I'm planning on planting more tomatoes in a week or two, and more a week or two after that to get a somewhat steady harvest over the course of the summer (assuming I don't inadvertently kill them). I also transplanted a spirea cutting today that I'm very concerned about. The leaves look like they are trying to remain healthy but it just droops over all the time. Anyway, on to

2. I made a skirt out of a pillowcase and some cut up pants. It's not finished because I'm not very good at measuring so I had to rip out a couple of seams, plus it was getting late, so hopefully I'll finish it tomorrow. I think this is the first time I've made an experimental article of clothing that I'll actually wear because it doesn't look like I did it with my eyes closed. I really like it.

N.E.W. #13 - After school program

2009-03-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

This week is the first time that I've started volunteering at an after school program. This absolutely adorable kid named Victor was so excited to play catch with a football. Eventually we got a whole two-hand touch game going with six or eight kids, and it was hilarious to watch them get so excited in our pre-snap huddle. We'd say, "ok, I'm going to give the ball to YOU and you run it around them ok?" And some of them would literally start rocking back and forth from the excitement and anticipation. I guess the hardest part for me was showing up. I really didn't want to go and take time for this. After it was over, it had become the best moment of my week.

N.E.W. #12 - St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

You know those frat style St. patrick's day parties where girls put shamrocky slinky tops on and guys put on muscle green shirts and everybody drinks a lot while a jam band plays dave matthews? I went to one of those for the first time. It was pretty "new", thats for sure, and a long ways from Kenya. Some of it was cool, like the guest band of kilted bagpipers who got the place pretty rauckusy. But overall, it was just confirming to what I knew before. I prefer to drink in the company of fellow-minded friends.

Week Something: Community College

2009-03-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

Most people get their Master's or Ph.Ds after getting their Bachelor's degree, but not me. I'm going back to CC to do something I've wanted to do since high school, but have never had sufficient funds - take photography classes. Conveniently, (assuming I finish my AmeriCorps year) my education award will be available a couple of days before tuition is due and Carolyn GAVE me her SLR camera, so I don't have to pay for anything thus far. Next semester I'm only taking a 2-D design pre-req, so I probably won't take actual photo classes until winter. I don't think I can cram 2 studio classes into my schedule when I'm hoping to work at least 3/4 time - we'll see how that works out though.

I'm excited for student discounts again.

Full Load

2009-03-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

For some odd reason, I decided to take the fullest load in my college career, senior year. Yes this is my fifth year, but I have often wondered why I ended up doing teacher assisting, student teaching, being an RA or (ALA-Apartment Living Assistant) working at the desk (which I have to admit is the easiest job I've ever had, getting paid to do homework) setting goals to run 15 miles to prepare me for a future 15K (which I ran 12 this past weekend... and wow am I sore!) and trying to find a boyfriend (which is also a bad idea, since I may be gone in September for the Peace Corps).

But amazingly I have stood above water. Yeah sometimes I was close to getting my head under water, (stress, anger, frustration etc) but as the last 4 weeks for me approaches, I cant believe I made it this far! I honestly have proved to myself I really can handle more than I thought, I just need the support system (otherwise then Id be drowning! :( yikes) thank goodness for friends and family!

Failure

2009-03-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have been failing royally recently. Miraculously, my grades seem to still be in order. This is not some "woe is me", "I just try so hard" failing either. It is just blatant loss of will to do the right thing. Failing over and over and over. When I try to will myself to do the right thing, I fall flat on my face.

So I am trying something new. I am trying to return to God every time this happens. "God, I'm sorry. I messed up." And just sitting there with Him. I'm not sure why. But it seems a better option than the cycle of self-beating that goes on in my head. Because though I may feel guilty for a minute, I always fail again. Self-fulfilling prophecy perhaps?

I've also considered the fact that this cycle may be a small, more dormant part of my anxiety issues. My anxiety is usually oriented around situations in which I feel trapped with no escape. Perhaps I feel trapped in my schedule/schoolwork/etc. so I do any small thing I can to escape. Skip, sleep, etc. Or maybe I'm just a lazy bastard. I don't want to justify myself too much.

catch up: weeks 1-8

2009-03-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

this is my first post, but i want to account for the first 10 weeks of this year that we've had so far. the first 8 new things that i did were while on vacation in southeast asia; a big reason why i wasn't updating on here from week 1. i actually did a lot of interesting & unusual things, but this was my second trip through the area, so a lot of it i had done when i went last year. these were the few new things i did this time around (the vacation was for almost 6 weeks, but i have 8 things listed here, so i'm counting them for the 1st 8 weeks):

1. Offered a ride by a stranger while lost in Thailand.

my friend & i knew where we wanted to go, but our bus dropped us off in a different place than expected, much further away. after spending a few minutes trying to decide what to do, a random college-aged thai guy stopped the errand he was on & asked where we were going. luckily, he knew our guesthouse & offered to drive us to it. i was surprised, not because thai people aren't friendly (they usually are), but because we weren't in a touristy area & it was late at night. on the way there, he explained that he had also gone backpacking to other countries & wanted to help out fellow travelers. we were there within 10 min. it's always awesome to have a stranger help you out when you don't know what to do.

2. Rock Climbing.

yeah, i'd never been rock climbing before, indoor or out. never really had a desire to. but my friends wanted to go & i couldn't pass the opportunity to do something new & challenging. overall it was a great experience & i'll probably do it again when i have the chance. i only climbed up 2 walls & fell 3 times. but now that i've done, i think i'll be prepared to do better next time.

this is the view from the wall:

it's koh phi phi, thailand.

3. Peanut Butter French Toast.

traveling often provides the chance to try new & interesting foods. my friends & i didn't do that much in kuala lumpur, having gone a long while without certain american foods. we were also told to go to a restaurant called oldtown white coffee & to have the french toast there.

it. was. amazing. this is the large slice of sweet goodness:

now imagine its inside filled with peanut butter. i don't usually go for toppings other than butter & syrup on my pancakes or french toast, but this is something you must try.

4. Fish Therapy.

while trying to find things to do in kuala lumpur, we checked out the aquarium. it was underground & not large, but they had a conveyer belt that went through a sweet tunnel in the sea tank. we saw all sorts of fish, sharks & manta rays swimming around us. but even more interesting was the tank we found just outside the aquarium's exit. fish therapy is a kind of reflexology where you dip your legs into a tank of small fish & let them literally eat the dead skin off your feet. at first, it feels waaaaay too ticklish to be able to stand it. but once you get used to it, it's relaxing. i'd do it again if i found another place that had it. very cool.

this is my foot & some of the fish feeding off of it:

5. KL Tower.

my first trip to kuala lumpur was for only one day, so i made sure to visit the petronas towers. i went up into them this time, as well, but because i stayed in the city for a week, i had time to also go up into the kl tower. though it's shorter, the view is better because in the petronas towers they only take you as high up as the skybridge, which isn't nearly as high as going to the top of the kl tower. so this time, i got to see a really sweet aerial view of the towers.

6. Indonesia.

i spent most of my vacation with a friend that hadn't been to southeast asia, so we traveled through many of the places i had been to the year before. because of this, i made it a goal to go somewhere new to me. i chose indonesia because it was relatively close & looked like it had some interesting places to visit, like bali & the nearby gili islands. this also marked the first time i had been south of the equator. i didn't notice any difference from being north of it, but it's still a landmark for me.

7. Traveling alone.

i made my trip to indonesia by myself, mostly because my friends either ran out of money, or didn't want to go there. it's something that i'd always avoided because it just doesn't sound fun. i prefer to experience things with other people. but i was so determined to go someplace new, that i decided to tackle this other challenge of doing it alone. in the end, i can say that i don't want to do it again, but i'm glad i did. if i hadn't, i would still be asking myself, what if i had gone to indonesia by myself, instead...

it was a big step for me.

8. Going to the movies alone.

some cities in southeast asia have really nice movie theaters & my friends & i went to them often. while in bangkok, waiting to return from vacation, i went one last time by myself to see a movie my friends had already caught. i don't know, but i guess it's not uncommon for some people to go out to see a movie alone. i never had. i was hoping for australia, but the only showing was too late at night, so i saw defiance instead. the movie was better than i had hoped & going alone was fine. i'll probably do it again sometime when i can't find someone else.

N.E.W. #11 - Rollin' Pennies for Poverty

2009-03-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

We handed out over a hundred of these plastic fish coin banks during church three weeks ago. This Sunday, they are going to be collected and given to me. I'll have to spend at least a full day rolling the coins before we can send the donation check to the World Relief Committee. So thats slated for this week. Coin I do it without going dime eyed?

Poetry, Army, Blood, and Tea

2009-03-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I still haven't been to the gym in ages. Let me say that first and foremost. No improvement on the running time, just volumes of books to read, presentations to give, papers to write. My life has become as disorganized as the hurricane that swept through my office/bedroom. (I can't help but wince as I laugh at that description of this as a real office.)

What did I actually do? Well, in keeping with the trend of doing things I didn't plan on, and not doing the things I did plan on, I did mostly military stuff more by default than by any sort of plan for action.

For Week 7, I decided (mainly to help a friend out) to submit two of my poems for publication in our Literary Arts Magazine here on campus. This was the first time I've ever done anything like this, and I found out that they actually accepted one of them. It's kind of sad knowing that this poem has been sent out for the rest of the world to see; it doesn't really feel like it's mine anymore. It feels like sending a teenager to college, or how I imagine that might feel. Anyway. Emo-ness aside, it was a new experience.

During Week 8, I took the ASVAB for the first (and only!) time. I had done a few practice tests, but I had missed a few on the word comprehension part and was nervous that I would repeat the same mistakes. After praying my nervousness away, I was able to pull a 99 (perfect score, at least on the parts they count) and qualified even to be a mechanic, if I wanted to go in as a mechanic. Much to my dad's amusement (he's a former mechanic), this composite qualification score was my lowest (haha, no surprise there). Anyway, God is good. I was as surprised as my recruiters were, and God (this is all him, because I scored a lot higher than I was predicted to) has really opened up doors for me here to be able to sign on for whatever job I'd like. Thank God for that. I've heard lots of stories of broken promises from all branches of the military, so it will be really great to get things in writing before I sign on the dotted line.

During Week 9, I finally faced my fears — of pain, not needles — and went to donate plasma . . . except that I got there so late, I couldn't donate. Booo. I did, however, get my blood drawn for the first time (and I'm 23!) when I had my Army physical on Wednesday. I usually enjoy watching the little bubble form when I get TB tests, so I was prepared for the little sting that felt like nothing more than alcohol on a cut. It honestly wasn't bad at all; I was in and out of the chair in about a minute.

During Week 10 (so far), I've discovered that I love chamomile tea. I know that sounds really funny, maybe a bit ridiculous, but seriously. It's just so good!!!!! It ties with peppermint for my number one, followed by Earl Grey. Because of this, I've decided to start sampling the teas I got for Christmas from my grandma. So far, I can only say that peach is really good. I still need to try the others. It's caffeine-free, though, so I can try a new blend pretty much every night, which is great (and relaxing!). Which reminds me . . . just about time for bed. Goodnight. :)

Week #10

2009-03-07T21:01:00.003-08:00

Food is a funny thing, isn't it? It varies greatly from culture to culture. Things on Fear Factor here in the States are a delicacy to people in other countries. It's amazing all the things God has given us to eat and the creativity of humans has ran wild with it.
I had a chance to eat at a Moroccan restaurant. I decided it was something new and wanted to try it out. I ordered a Shawarma Platter with Lamb. This is a delicious meal. Let's start with fillets of lamb covered in some kind of sauce. The meat was so juicy and tender, and had a smooth gravy-like flavor. Next the Hummus was pretty much like any store bought Hummus, not anything special. The Tangierine CousCous Salad was interesting enough. It was like lettuce and tomatoes in some kind of odd tasting, tangy dressing, complementing the meat very well. The Tabouleh was the thing that caught me off guard the most. It looks like itty-bitty rice and I expected it to be warm. However, it was cold and had almost a shortbread taste with it as well as some kind of fruit that I couldn't make out what the heck it was. Then the bread was just bread.
Overall, it was not too shabby. To say the least I enjoyed it, however it is not something I would eat on a regular basis.

Week #9

2009-03-07T21:01:00.001-08:00

AH. Vacation. We all look forward to that relaxing time to just enjoy life in a way that rivals fantasy. Don't get me wrong, I've been on vacations before, but not like this one. I did and done this one alone.
Yup, just me flying myself down to Florida to spend a nice plan-free vacation. It's nice, but you soon realize that happiness is only true when shared. I did however have a good time and got to experience quite a bit of Florida and Disney World.

Week #8

2009-03-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

Flying. Trillions of birds do it daily. Millions of humans do it daily. Yet, after 22 years of being a land mammal, I finally learn to flap my wings and take off into the limitless sky. I used to be afraid to fly when I was little, but over the past 5 years or so, I've grown out of it and have wanted to fly. Although I've made quick observation: It is not cheap.
So I went on a trip (see Week #9) and had to fly, and boy, I LOVED IT!! It was so cool yet I never felt like I was very high. I got to experience quite a bit on the flying adventure. I got to see on top of clouds, in clouds, turbulence, space-rocket toilet contraptions, flying over land, flying over sea, and even seeing cities all lit up at night. Too cool. God is amazing, isn't he? You experience a whole other realm of beauty at 30,000 ft.

N.E.W. #10 - Organization

2009-03-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

I struggle with organization. Its nothing new. Its old. This week, I want to organize better. Virtually every sphere of my life is in piles, in stacks. I want to get hanging files, write out my calendar, and get structured.

Office, bedroom, planner, desktop, all will be tidy.

First: Outhouse Racing

2009-03-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, most of you have heard of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and can locate it on a map. If not, you'd better do something about that. You might know that there are many traditions and local events around the U.P. that make it somewhat different from the rest of Michigan. (You also might be surprised that, yes, we do have running water and electricity! We're not THAT different!) Well, on Saturday, February 28th, a relatively new, lesser-known Yooper tradition just had its Sweet 16th birthday. Since I'm back home and don't have much to do, of course I made a point of being there! This was my first year attending the Trenary Outhouse Classic.

I also had the opportunity to share my experience on the blog for a website that celebrates all things U.P. If you're confused on just what outhouse racing is, I've explained it in my story. You can check out my post at Yooper Steez, and check out the rest of the site while you're at it!

I'm back

2009-03-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted because I had a major surgery, back surgery, and have been recovering. I am bound to my house because I can't drive since I am wearing a back brace. It is hard to do new things when you are stuck at home most of the time. I guess I just need to be creative. I am definitely open for suggestions.

Today I started my own personal blog to record my thoughts, my progress, and how I spend my time. So this is doing something new, writing in a blog. I occasionally write in a journal but this is different since other people can read it too, not that people definitely will. That kind of scares me, though, for some reason, but I like to write so I don't mind.

I am wearing this back brace until April 27 so I will have trouble thinking of things to do for a while. Help please :).

Peace Corps

2009-03-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about Post graduation and I am really interested in joining the peace corps! I had an interview on February 25th and it was basically a fingerprinting session and reviewing my application, but it really seems like the direction I want to go with my life right now. I know some people graduate college planning on getting a job, and I applaud people like that. But I want to travel, help the less fortunate and find my "true calling" as the slogan goes for the peace corps!

I would be very happy if I got accepted right out of college because its usually a year process. But I am a 170 which qualifies me quicker than some. What a 170 means is that I would be qualified to teach people English of any age! And I thought having a BA in English would get me no where! Ha ha!

N.E.W. #9 - Passing from death to life

2009-02-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

Its been at least five years since I have made the effort to lead a person into committing their life to Jesus. I've had lots of wonderful talks with people who don't follow Jesus, lots of wonderfully illuminating conclusions on how deeply our earth lacks the ability to achieve its own full harmony. But recently I realized how I have never actually explored with somebody about declaring Jesus their teacher and master and savior, the image of the visible God worth following forever.

New this week I am moving with a friend's relationship to explore this possibility. I think its time to try this again.

Week 8

2009-02-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

This past week, my wife Anna and I began undertaking the "Hundred Push up Challenge." This is a website where they give you a routine for doing push ups that will help you to be able to do 100. The goal is to do it in six weeks, although if you don't meet certain criteria you will get bumped back a week or two until you can get stronger. This has already happened to me (because I started in the "intermediate" category, I imagine, which was slightly beyond me), and I've spent this week (which is week 2) trying to work up enough strength to be able to start week 2 again next week.

That said, I already notice a difference physically. It's really fun to put on muscle where there was very little before!

Also, I am going to Florida tomorrow, as the campus ministry I work for is taking a mission trip to Ft. Myers, Florida. I won't post next week, but there promises to be something new in store when I return!

Week 9: Finishing Moby Dick

2009-02-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

I sort of missed Week 8. Getting sick disrupted my entire life for about a week and a half, but I'm getting things back in order.

A long time ago, my curiosity piqued by Professor Ihrman's enthusiastic ravings about Melville's Moby Dick, I decided to read it. So I started it, got about halfway through and never picked it up again. I'm not sure why this happened, especially since I liked the book as far as I'd read, but I suspect Dr. Ihrman may have been right and this book is "the first postmodern American novel," as I've generally had a hard time with literature that falls into the "postmodern" category (i.e. House of Leaves). I also sometimes have a problem with not finishing things. So this week, my goal is to read from Moby Dick every day, but not for a fixed number of pages or minutes or else I probably won't meet my quota and I'll feel guilty and stop reading again.

Also, I got a new phone.

Something New: Reading

2009-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

I started this week on Sunday, and will take it through Saturday, but hopefully beyond.

I am not much of a reader. I read very slowly in the first place, and because I often don't process what I read, I sometimes have to read sentences over and over before I get what they're saying. I often wonder if I have a reading disability...or maybe I just have a short attention span. Anyway, I haven't finished many books since middle school...including all the novels I was supposed to have read cover to cover for all my English and writing classes in college. Whoops.

Well, on Sunday, I suddenly had the urge to read. So I started reading The Little Prince, which Jackie gave to me back when we were moving out of the Sally House, I think. It was the first time I read it, and I finished the last 15 pages on Monday morning. I decided I need to keep going with this reading thing (it is sooo much more stimulating than refreshing Facebook every 15 minutes!!), so I began reading Cold Tangerines lastnight, for the second time. I only read a handful of chapters the first time I picked it up, so I picked up where I left off and will hopefully finish it by tomorrow night. After that, I have a short stack of other books lined up...including I Kissed Dating Goodbye (should I read it? should I not?) and Pride and Prejudice (second time around).

Downhill Skiing

2009-02-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Well I can at least say I have tried downhill skiing. I wasnt really a fan of it, and its not because I hit an ice spot and hurt my knee, I like sports where you physically have to sweat , like cross country skiing. And I'm sure if I worked hard enough at moving left and right rather than going straight down, full speed, Id sweat, but it wasnt really as exciting as I thought. I gave it a try, for 22 bucks at cannonsburg! It was neat. I wasnt really a fan of the lifts either, but hey, AT least I tried it and can mark it off as something new and exciting I have tried!

Scheduling

2009-02-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I often feel very overwhelmed. Feeling like I have a ton to do, no time, etc.

I think this semester has had a LOT less rhythm than last semester. The only thing that was different last semester was the fact that I got to bed between 10:30 and 11:30 just about every school night. I even had more credit hours. I just felt so much more on top of things.

SO... I have made a detailed schedule. and I really really want to stick to it. The important additions are the times spent in my room in the evenings. These are the things I need to focus on. Too often I find myself dinking around during those times.

And, as much as I hate to admit it, I think the television really has been a problem. I think I took too much pride in the fact that in the past couple years I have done pretty well at doing without television. But apparently I got sucked in again.

I did leave myself a couple hours. I really like when Mattie and I just sit on the couch with our lappys, making fun of commercials and showing each other our internet findings. They are good times.

so here it is! *fanfare* I really really want to stick to this.

oh, and the oscars are on sunday. haha oops.

Week.... wha????

2009-02-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am also here to confess that I have been horrible at remembering to either a) write down my new thing for the week or b) do a new thing. I do have a few things that could count as new.

Work has been crazy for the last few weeks. One of my coworkers has been on medical leave for the last month so we've been working different jobs to keep up. As a result, my job has permanently changed and I'm still not convinced yet that it is for the better.

We've also rolled out a new digital document storage system last week. For someone whose job revolves around finding, sending, and storing papers, this was a HUGE change. Everything is in a new place and must be put away differently than it used to. We've been working out the kinks and trying to teach the rest of the staff to use it. It's been a crazy few weeks.

Coming up soon: Spring Break from a non-student's point-of-view!

I'm with Pennypacker on this one —

2009-02-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

— I'm all talk, too. So let's try this again (different methods for the same madness?). I totally haven't done anything that I had planned for this week, except that I signed up for my ASVAB next week. I'm officially going Army, but I still have issues managing my time and finding the energy to work out and grab coffee all the time. Sheez.

N.E.W. #8 - Blabbermouth

2009-02-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

I'm all smoke and no cigar sometimes. I brim with ideas, they tumble over the ends of my teeth like a science-fair volcano. But at the end of the day, often very little happens. At the end of the day, unless I've planned concrete steps, I usually just watch Rachel Maddow for an hour and fall asleep.

It would be ok if I wasn't such a blabbermouth. When I have big ideas they are usually spouted off to a variety of supportive relationships, who of course, say what a good idea they are, because they are good ideas. Then nothing happens and I feel like a dufus. All that talk, all that approval, and nothing.

I have a big idea right now. Its not the first big idea, but its one of the biggest. This week, I'm not going to tell anybody else. Nobody until its at least got a concrete amount of substance. New this week, I am not a blabbermouth.

Week #7

2009-02-18T20:53:00.001-08:00

We haven't had much of a winter lately. Luckily, God hath provided a place such as Pando to still enjoy winter activities during drought periods of winter.
Here's the deal: You take an overinflated tube and you slide it down an ice hill. And the hike up the hill? No existent. No, you still and relax on the darn tube while a cable gently sleighs your way up the hill. There aren't too many rules on how you can go down the hill. You can spin (check), go luge style (check), superman style (check), or latch your whole together in a cluster (check) or catapillar style (check). Now the tow-cable rules are different. They seemed a little pissy about staying in your tube during the ascension.
Overall, it was more of a kids activity than an adult one. I'm sure you could make it more fun by edging some of the rules and getting thrown out. But it is exactly how it sounds. You take a 15 sec slide at not too dangerous speeds while snow flies up in your face.

Week #6

2009-02-18T20:35:00.003-08:00

New iPhone. Sorry this is lame, but I got to say I've never had a fancy phone such as this. I think it's awesome. There is some much this thing can do. Also, for new things, I now have a messaging plan and data plan so I have internet right at my fingertips. I feel so connected to the world and other people.

Soo...

2009-02-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, last week I didn't do anything new. I could use a clever loophole argument, and say that up to this point, I hadn't missed a week, so it was the first week I didn't post, which would technically mean I did something new, so I'd be covered. But I don't think that counts.

Anyway, new this week, my wife and I went to Chicago, and experienced Shedd's Aquarium for the first time.

The aquarium was really cool, and there doing a lot of cool conservation work there. If I had more money, I would love to help fund efforts to save coral. Did you know it's an animal? The only other aquarium I've been to was a Ripley's attraction in Tennessee, and while it was really, really cool, we noticed a definite difference in presentation. Everything at Ripley's was super bright and colorful and designed to cram as many brightly colored fish in front of your eyes as possible. This was a bit more. . . scientific in approach.

Here's some pictures!

Snake!

Crazy Sea Horse!

Blogs?

2009-02-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

Lots of things are happening.
I have begun a new exercise to try and help me in a couple classes. A blank word document is so intimidating to me, so I have decided to use blogger to help me in my writing process. Using it for bulletpoints, freewrites, final drafts, etc. I have two of these:
1) Life Journey- http://lib314.blogspot.com/
In this class we have to write two papers. The first is a personal narrative which I have already done and posted. The second is a larger paper analyzing the books we read with a common theme/focus/worldview.
2) Comparative Social Development- http://globaldevelopmentissues.blogspot.com/
This class is a seminar in which we read books and discuss various aspects of global development. Economics, government, human rights, development theories, poverty, etc. I love it. And our only requirement for the whole semester is that we keep a journal showing our engagement with the issues.

So, if you're interested, feel free to enjoy those.

Also, hurray! My boyfriend has landed an interview with a med school in Virginia!

oops, I forgot!

2009-02-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

So I totally forgot about this the past few weeks. My last post was Jan 25th. Let's see if I can remember if I did anything new....
OH ok, so Feb 7th was a big day in my life (how could I forget??) I was commissioned into Campus Crusade for Christ staff. It was an incredible cerimony. Sort of felt like graduation where they read off your name and you go on stage and get a certificate and shake important peoples hands. But in this one everyone in the room got down on their knees and prayed together. I love God and I love that we can converse with him in this way. I also love that I work for an organization that values our humble position before God. It was a defining moment in my life.

Last week my new thing was I drove from Florida to NC (8 hrs) and then to MI (14 hrs) all by myself. The longest I'd driven by myself before was about 3 hrs. I was really nervous but I rented a book on tape (also a first) from Cracker Barrel and it turned out ok! I also drove through WVA for the first time and I owe them $2.50 because I didn't know it was a toll road and didn't have cash.

What am I going to do this week???

One more thing!

2009-02-15T19:53:00.001-08:00

For the rest of week 7 and all of week 8 -- I'm so excited about this -- I want to get my mile time down to 7:45 or less! The Army assesses a person's mile time (running) when said person enlists. Based on this time, the recruit will be assigned to a "sustained running ability group," which is basically a fancy name for a 12-week workout regimen based on the starting mile time. On the elliptical, I run about an 8:00 mile, and I was really excited to see the requirement to get into the fastest guys' group was 7:00. At my very best in high school, I could run a 6:58 mile, which was really slow compared to all the runners lapping me. (It really happened . . . at Regionals. I got last place. Very embarrassing.) Granted, that was a long time ago, and it took months for me to get into shape. And I was competing, which always gives me a little kick. But still. Yay Coach Rick. :)

Anyway, after looking at my mile time, I would have been placed in the guys' slowest running group, and the workout regimen doesn't really look like much of a challenge. SO! My goal for this next week and a half is to cut down my mile time by 15 seconds, so that I can make it into the next guys' group. That way, at the end of the training regimen, I'll be able to run a sustained 7:30 for 20 minutes. That's a tall order, but I'd rather have that challenge than running an 8:15 for 20 minutes. I can already just about do that. And I think a 20-minute 7:30 is feasible. Anyway. Here was a bunch of track mumbo jumbo for all you runners and ex-runners. But seriously, I'm really stoked. I have the opportunity to get in better shape and challenge myself. Plus, especially since the Army's basic training requirements for women aren't all that tough, I think this would make boot camp a lot easier. :)

Oh, also. iTunes Genius created the best playlist ever from the song "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg today. It was so awesome that I just had to share. :D :D

Finally!

2009-02-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I haven't written on here for 3-ish weeks. It's been really hectic because, over the course of those few weeks, I've been busy reading for three novels classes, continued to look into the Army and Air Force, and, due to economic circumstances here, still looking for a job. Plus, I work a few odd hours on campus.

I honestly can't say that I've really tried to do new things. It's kind of fallen by the wayside. The week of my birthday (I think it was week 3?) I had people over for a TV premier party for LOST. It was fun trying to explain storylines to friends who hadn't watched the show for several years. ("And they figured out how to do time travel with bunnies . . ." "What?!! Bunnies?!") The following week (really, the following two weekends), I took the English Departmental tests. I found out that I scored in the 87th percentile on the MFAT, which just goes to show that I'm a good guesser (as I have no clue about 15th, 16th, or 17th century literature, which gave a hefty showing on the test). So yay. I did get a day off to catch up on sleep, because Anderson got a foot of snow overnight!!!! That never happens. Because I've been a student here for so long (c'mon, graduation!) I can say that I've been here for both days off at AU since the '70s. (They really don't like those around here.)

Week 5, I didn't really do much of anything. I did meet with an Army recruiter, which might prove fruitful later on. I think I'm going Army. :)

Week 6 -- I interviewed at Texas Roadhouse, which went well, I think (hopefully not the same old story as everywhere else, where they just don't have anyone leaving). The guy I interviewed with told me that he could just tell I would be a great teacher, almost as if he was describing my aura or something. I was really taken aback, both from the way he said it and because I hadn't said that I was an ed major (and I'm not, although it's something I might like to do someday). An odd interview. Btw, Roadhouse handmakes all their food, which I was really impressed by. I also met with an Air Force recruiter that day, which was a little discouraging. I decided that I would do my own research, since the recruiter didn't really seem all that willing to answer some of my questions, so for week 7, I've been talking to my friend's AF boyfriend, through my friend. He's been more helpful than everyone else I've talked to combined. I also made my girls Valentine's day bookmarks, since we're all single. I actually didn't mind the holiday this year, and I think the bookmarks might have helped some.

For the rest of week 7, I'd like to use the auto function on my coffee maker every night and keep downing my Nalgene everyday. I'd also like to start working out (I can do that tonight!) and make better use of my time so that I can hit the hay earlier.

Valentines

2009-02-15T04:58:00.000-08:00

I went on another blind date for Valentines (first New Years, Now Valentines, and it was a guy I met online.) We just went to a movie but he got me flowers, and I have to say, I have never gotten a bundle of flowers ever! They were gorgeous! Then he asked me for a kiss and I was like, awkward. I should have at least done on the cheek, but I was too nervous that we stood in the cold and then I was like, I gotta go!

We also had confusion on where we were meeting, because apparently I thought there was a Celebration on Alpine, but I was thinking of Star! But we had fun! He wanted to hold my hand throughout the entire movie (which was Grand Torino... and was FANTASTIC). It was an interesting Valentines and definitely a first! :)

Week 6/7: weird unexplained sickness

2009-02-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

I kind of missed week 6. But new this week, I developed a high fever Wednesday morning that has only decreased with the aid of Tylenol, but the only other symptoms I have are an occasional cough and a very slight sore throat. I went to the doctor today and after various tests, she still didn't know why I have a fever. I have never had whatever this is before, and I missed three days of work because of it. The good news is that after my Tylenol wore off today, my temp started rising much more slowly than it has the past couple of days. Instead of spiking around 103, at which point I would take more Tylenol, it's been wavering around 101.5, so hopefully it just goes away and I can go back to work Monday. That would be great, especially because the DVD ROM in our laptop doesn't seem to work anymore as of Tuesday night, so I couldn't even watch DVDs. I watched a LOT of bad tv this week.

N.E.W. #7 - Quiet Time

2009-02-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

I've really been having a lot of stress recently. Within that stress, I have forgotten to have a quiet time and listen for God's still small voice. This week I want to spend more time in silence and wait on what God's spirit is saying.

Week 8

2009-02-13T04:23:00.000-08:00

In week 7 I swore, but less than normal, so I count it as a success. I need to do something about the stress in my life.

WEEK 8!!!!!!! Where are you people?

This week I am getting to work on time. EVERY DAY. That means I'm waking up when my alarm goes off, got that? (I'm talking to myself here.)

report of weeks 4, 5, and 6, and a projection of week 7.

2009-02-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

I failed again at not nailbiting on my week 3 New Each Week activity. What I did do that week that was brand new to me was go to a brand new dentist, using my very own dental insurance, all by myself. I chose the dentist because the office looks nice and the website looked nice, with lots of testimonials. It turned out to be a strange experience, and although the staff were friendly, my tooth problems depressed me overall. The dentist himself was a big fat man with sausage fingers whose belly gurgled in my ear while he leaned over me. He was pretty cool I think.

Week 4 was really kind of ambitious of me. I started a book club. This means that I will not only have to read for pleasure, I will adhere to deadlines, and I will also manage a group of people and facilitate and administer a sustainable, in-person monthly book discussion activity. Our first meeting is February 26 and the first book is Killshot by Elmore Leonard.

Week 5 I didn't plan ahead for, but my NEW activity was attending a very important outside-of-the-office business meeting by myself. I'm an administrative assistant and normally attend meetings kind of gripping onto somebody's coattails, but this time I walked in and represented my company in a large room full of people without anyone babysitting me.

Week 6 was a fun new thing: I bet on the Super Bowl. I've grown up watching my dad carefully study his sheet of squares, never having a clue what it meant. This year due to my boyfriend purchasing more squares than he could afford, I got in on it. I was 3 points away from winning $200 (darn you Pittsburgh), the disappointment of which may have discouraged me from participating in this in the future, but only time will tell.

What I want to do for week 7, this week, is not swear. My boyfriend has been somewhat of a bad influence on me, as he is always immersed in auto-shop type talk, and I find that it makes me very unattractive to myself.

Week #5

2009-02-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes these new things just kind of fall into your lap. This week's new thing was a piece of cake and I didn't have a choice. I am now a proud Uncle of a wonderfully beautiful baby boy. My sister gave birth to Kaden Daniel Charlton, 6lbs 6oz , 19'' in length on Tuesday, Feb 3. I had the chance to go down to where they live and see the newly formed family in all their glory.

The trip took about 8 hours on the way down due to several stops I had to make to try to pick up a charger for my new iPhone. So that really dampered the trip down. But I arrived safely and wasted no time getting to know the little fella. It just really makes you appreciate the formation of a life. I was so scared because I didn't want to break him. But by the second day, I became a little more confident of my infant handling skills. I even took some spit up and changed a dirty diper. I always wondered how I would react to a nephew, but I'm more excited than I had anticipated.
By the way, all pictures here were taken via my iPhone. I think they turned out great.

Returning Phone Calls

2009-02-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Fongers Phone Policy: Don't answer the phone unless it's an emergency. You'll know.

I have developed a habit of not answering the phone when people call, unless I am alone. Not answering the phone when with other people is not always a bad idea, but I also have developed a habit of not returning calls in a timely manner. My job has forced this out of me during the hours of 7:30-3:30, but I recognize that I am pretty inconsiderate to my friends, family, and fellow telemarketers when I pay no attention to where my phone is or what it is doing for the rest of the day.

Don't get my wrong. I don't always do this on purpose, I have just never been one to keep my phone in my pocket, or remember that I have one most of the time.

Not only do I want to work on recognizing when it is appropriate and important to answer calls, I also want to return them as soon as possible. I know that I always appreciate this in other people, especially my husband. Now, for my family...

- Anna Gretz

N.E.W. #6 - Selling out

2009-02-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

I work in a church as a pastoral intern. Mostly my internship has been really good wonderfully lifegiving functions like praying with people who are sick, talking with guys in drug addiction recovery, and a hundred other great things. But my mentor really wants me to do a couple things which I have always resisted as being to creepy, like signing youth up for plush mass retreats that have corpo sponsors and performances by Jeremy Camp.

New this week is doing these things anyways. He says the youth of the church could really use the exposure to more Christians their age, which is true. So, I'm sort of selling out and going to sign up teens for events. Maybe its not all as bad as I thought.

Several!

2009-02-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

I've done a few new things this week!

-I started reading Dune. It's pretty good thus far - the scope is huge, and the action starts right away, which is kind of nice. I was thiiis close to giving up on it about ten pages in, because there's a ton of made up words, and you have to keep checking what they mean in the "dictionary" in the back. I was tired, and I thought it was really obnoxious. However, the copy in our house belongs to Mr. pennypacker (our friend Simon), and it's a tie-in cover from the 1984 movie version. Which means there's a bunch of sweet pictures on the back cover. When I closed the book, I took a long look at the long, flowing robes, the spaceships, and the line about "1,000 foot sandworms" ruling the desert, and knew, deep in my heart, that if I could just get past the beginning, I would like the book. Sure enough, I was right.

I guess perserverence pays off!

-I played music at our church for the first time. I got to play the mandolin, which was great because I don't play it nearly enough. We didn't really do a soundcheck though, so for the first three songs I though something was wrong because I couldn't hear myself coming through the P.A.

-I just ate a pizza with black olives on it. I don't like olives normally, and I used to anally pick off every little bit of them (and mushroom, and onion) but I was really hungry, and there was a lot of other stuff on it. So I couldn't really tell!

Week 5: A Project

2009-02-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

New this week, I started reading up on container gardening and gathering random junk containers that are plantable. We don't have a yard, being in an upstairs apartment, but we do have a balcony, and last year I moved in too late in the spring to really start any sort of garden project. But I am quite determined to use the space well this year. So far I'm planning on growing tomatoes, garlic and possibly green beans or peas, plus a few herbs - I'm thinking basil and cilantro - and probably a few hardy annuals like marigolds or snapdragons* just for fun and because I love flowers. Apparently there are blueberry varieties that can be grown in containers, too, which I'd love to have. Then I really want to get some of my mom's dwarf daffodil bulbs to plant in the fall. And maybe some tulips. Honestly, the list gets longer pretty much every day and I most likely won't be able to do all of that, but I'm planning it out now so I'll be prepared when the last frost is over. It's not far away!

* Thanks to the public library I just learned that snapdragons are technically not annuals, but tender perennials!

new neighbors?

2009-02-02T07:58:00.002-08:00

This last weekend, we moved from our 1st floor apartment to the 3rd floor of the same building. We're still not done; mostly because they're remodeling our new bathroom and said we'd have to use the old one for the next week or so until they're done. But for the most part, we're in the new place.

As we're moving things upstairs, then returning things that we're getting rid of to the downstairs (it's a mess right now; I could kill my husband for not listening to my instructions), I think I've met almost everyone in my building. Which is new for me, because I don't ever knock on strangers' doors and introduce myself. A couple of people were less than friendly, but for the most part, everyone's been super nice.

There are two things I very much dislike about apartment living: 1) everyone in our building has a dog, except for us. Seriously. I hate it. 2) we're no longer at the end of the building, where our marital stuff can't be heard. We now have people below and next to us, probably hearing every move of the mattress. And whatever, I'm married. So according to everyone I'm allowed to have (and talk about) sex now. But it's still a private experience that I do not wish to share with my nice new neighbors. Hope that wasn't too personal, but it's not like I'm going into detail. Sorry if I offended.

Anyway, I either have calf splints (like shin splints, only in reverse and more painful), or I've torn my calf muscles in both legs. Which is probably what calf/shin splints means anyway. But I've never climbed 5 flights of stairs for 3 days at about 25 times a day, so that's new, too! I didn't have much help in moving, so I hauled most of our stuff up myself. At least I had a sitter!

Let's do the math: each flight has 7 stairs x 5 flights x an average of 25 times (I did less on Friday and WAY more than 25 on Saturday, and a little less than that Sunday) x 3 days =

2,625 stairs. That's a lot.

I don't wish this on anyone. Can't wait 'till we get a house and I can do only 4 flights of stairs instead! (The first floor isn't level with the parking lot, so you have to go down 7 steps to get there.)

Sorry, I'm rambling. Hope everyone is having a wonderful new week!

Week #4

2009-01-31T20:58:00.000-08:00

Conditions were just right, it just couldn't be avoided. I thought it was one of the girliest things ever. However, I still went cross-country skiing today. Never has "skiing" and "cool" ever collided in a single thought, although I'm a little softer with the issue now. It was in fact, dare I say, FUN!!

One of my friends sent out a facebook invite to do some cross country skiing on Saturday. "When in Rome...," I thought, and I figured it was new, and I'd give it a shot. We discussed back and forth about when and where to rent and ski.

Soon Saturday morning was here and I was on my way to rent a pair of skis. The cost was $17 bucks for the day, which I figured it was kind of steep given how nice the rental place was. I'm still not really sure. The employee was nice enough to size me up with some boots that were too small, skis that looked brand new, and polls that looked like they were from the disco era. Peach polls, now that's a ladies magnet.

We then drove to Seidmen Park in Ada or Cascade or something. It was a small county park that had trails available for X-country skiing. At least the park was FREE. After putting on our mismatched gear and learned to move ourselves in the parking lot, we were ready for the trails.

Any sort of vertical variation in the trail helped me to display my amateur abilities. Turning was quite difficult too, especially since the trails were pretty packed down. Don't be concerned though, the rest of the group also consisted of mostly rookies too. As the day wore on, we began to get the hang of this thing. I was getting a little more brave in taking hills and climbs. The scenery though was breath-taking. The sun came out about an hour into the escapades and it just was the most magnificent display of natural beauty I had seen in quite some time.

About 2 hours into the excursion, we decided to call it quits. Only there was a problem. We had only gone in the direction away from the parking lot, which meant we still needed to go back. We didn't really know where we were since they're maps sucked and they were far and few between. About an hour and a half afterwards, we finally made it back.... exhasted. Sure, I would go again anyday.

February

2009-01-31T04:39:00.000-08:00

One month is gone, which means I have 3 months until graduation and I am starting to get cold feet, nervous, lack of sleep, confusion. I really don't want to have to go home after graduation, I've known friends who've had to do that because its financially better for them. But I realized just recently I've lived on campus for 10 semesters. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I really havent spread my wings.

I want to take up a teaching job, but I cant tell if my teacher wants to go full time. I also want to join the peace corps. Growing up! ha ha!

N.E.W. #5 - Oma's Funeral

2009-01-31T03:31:00.000-08:00

This week was the funeral of my Oma in the Netherlands. She died at home in her own bed, and was kept there for five days until the service. The service was held Thursday in Doetinchem where my Oma and Opa lived, and in the church where my mom was baptized as a baby. My uncles and aunts gave reflections of her. I sang a verse of 'Great is thy faithfulness'. We followed the casket north to Friesland, a tiny town near Groningen, burying her in an ancient churchyard around a brick stone church with the belltower ringing. Dinner was broodjes met kaas (buns with cheese) that were baked in our family bakery from down the road. Dessert was a Friesian cake called oranje toetje.

New this week was understanding my mom more, who came from the NL when she was 26 to marry my dad. At the funeral and throughout the day I really grew to understand her history and the thing that made her who she is, what she loves.

Late for Work

2009-01-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

Since I have started working at Degage, I have never arrived less than 10 minutes early.

I have to be there at 7:30.

We open up the floor to our patrons at 8:00.

This morning, I woke up at 7:46.

I left at 7:51.

I parked at 7:57.

I walked in at 7:58.

And at 7:59, I looked like this:

And then we opened.

No, I did not intentionally do this as a new experience, but I still definitely set a couple of personal records.

For these accomplishments, I must thank AJ Gretz, who rolled over, half asleep, and muttered "Buddy, what time is it?"

-Anna Gretz

What do the DAAC, Japan, and Bowie have in common?? Me.

2009-01-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

Long time no write.

Apparently this week lasted a longer time than most, although time flew by quicker than I'd ever hope it to again.
This week, I did something cool, something for the betterment of my future prospects, and something less great.

Let's not go in order, shall we? So, betterment of my future prospects?
I met with a new friend and she basically hooked me up with this event taking place at the DAAC downtown on March 6th, where I will be selling my original artwork... and have yet to figure out exactly how to make prints of it.. (insecurity!!) I kind of have to get that underway, but regardless, this is quite a fun opportunity to just be handed over to me.

Something less great: I stood somebody up for the first time ever. Yep, I'm not proud of myself, but honestly, who wants to create awkward and inappropriate situations for themselves? Not I. But yes, it was later resolved, I'm not a total jerk. Just slightly.

And.....Something cool. Last Saturday ( I believe) I went to this Japanese steakhouse called Ichiban in Grand Rapids with some of my family. They cooked in front of us, and all the waitresses were in kimonos. :) I love asians so much. My previous statement is not a joke in any way. I used to wish I was one... Anywho! I, of course, found myself delighted at the choice to get hibachi vegetables, a completely vegetarian course (Not to mention, less expensive than others.) The chef was really great. First of all, he was drinking the entire time, straight out of the bottle, some colorful japanese alcohol. It was hilarious. Secondly, he performed many incredible acts that even a carnie couldn't duplicate.. I have never seen such a pre-rehearsed and flawless performance in all my life. It ended up being a great night-although I was stuck next to my sister in a corner-filled with mass amounts of vegetables and tea lasting nearly three hours.

Loved it.
:)
I've also taken to listening to David Bowie 'round the clock. But that's hardly worth mentioning.. "Ch, Ch, Changes!!"

Next week, I plan to begin my notebook of anime in preparation for this summer's art-teaching job. ... Providing I scrounge up enough change to buy a new sketchbook by then!

Dune

2009-01-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

This week, I've begun reading Dune. I admit that it's not that exciting of a new thing, but I did go out of my way to start reading for pleasure more.

It's been really interesting - since graduating and getting married, I've had a bit more free time (and alone time) on my hands. And in that time I've found that a lot of things I liked when I was younger, like football, sci-fi/fantasy/geeky entertainment, and video games, never really went away. I just didn't have time to appreciate them. It's been kind of cool to reconnect with myself, even if it is over something kinda nerdy!

Chiropractor- Week 4

2009-01-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

At the end of week 3 and beginning of week 4, I did something I had been putting off for a long time... I went to the Chiropractor.

Chiropractic is a branch of medicine where the very trained doctor readjusts misaligned vertebrae in your back.

I had 5 vertebrae that were out of line plus an intense amount of pain in one shoulder. I went through the primary exam last Friday where I was measured, went through a range of motion test, x-rays taken and then was adjusted.

Now I'm sitting on my couch, watching my kitten beg for green beans, trying not to move.

I'm hoping this was a good idea!

I found Founders

2009-01-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I suppose this is worth a post. I did, in fact, turn 21 yesterday for the first time.
and I bought alcohol at Meijer for the first time.
and went to a brewery for the first time (Founders!).
and drank a beer for the first time. (I've tried it before, but just never been interested. at Founders you don't really have a choice. but I drank a whole Nitro Rubeus.

It was a birthday well spent. I got to have lunch with my poppa. I got to hang out with Spring Hill friends. and now the only things I can't do are rent a car and run for president.

Vox United

2009-01-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

So I'm not so good at this one thing new a week thing. I usually do at least one new thing a week so I guess I'll just write about those. Yesterday I worked wtih a bunch of my PA 360 classmates at Vox United's soon to open a classy thrift store in Holland! I really enjoyed it. Like a lot. I counted over 20 people there and from outr class alone we had almost 10. Anyhow, The group did a bunch of stuff but I mainly primered walls. (oil-based primer = Holly still has primer on her arms)

See Rob, the Vox United Director of Zambia came to our class and gave a presentation. To think, if he hadn't come and given a presentation in our class we wouldn't have been there. It was very touching, I know I was moved to tears. The iniatives they are focused on now are Child Partnerships, Computer Training, Water, Providing Sewing machines. You can go here to learn more about them. www.voxunited.org

Rob is so awesome. It was so amazing to have him come to our class, HE ROCKED MY SOCKS OFF.

And yes I will let this blog be a shameless plug to advertise for them and let you all know they still need volunteers! The store is dedicated to a young boy named John that Rob met while he was dying of AIDS. See I don't see this organization as just any organization is Africa helping people with AIDS, these people are amazing people that God has made and sent to do this. PTL!

Week #3

2009-01-25T15:00:00.001-08:00

Winter weather can be brutal. Sometimes just a quick walk to your car after class can leave icicles hanging from your face. Usually we are bitter about these things and are too ignorant to recognize the beauty of winter.
For the first time, I drove out to Grand Haven beach to inspect the beauty on winter that I often ignore. The members of the trip consisted of my mom, dad, brother, and myself. Finding available parking was a trick of itself.
Needless to say that we discovered a glorious open spot. The view consisted of an infinite horizon of jagged ice. It was as though someone has sliced the snow covered tops off the mountains and scattered them over a white plain.
As we ventured out, the element of danger began to make itself more evident in the form of hidden holes, slick spots, and rapid inclines. To our left, we'd discovered a cliff or bluff made from the crashing waves just days before. This thing was solid ice and made climbing on it near impossible. On the top of it lay lumps of ice taunting me to grab them for support, but I soon realized that they were pure ice and too slick to use for grips. But from the top, the view was astonishing. The beams of light piercing through the clouds struck the hills of diamonds that stretched to the edge of the horizon. The shivers running down my spine reminded me this is God's beauty. Breath taking.

Tim Tam SLAM!

2009-01-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

I have three roommates for staff training. Two of them spent the past two years STinting in Australia and the other Stinted in New Zealand. I was getting ready for bed last night when Laura bursts in and asks "Do you want to do a 'Tim Tam Slam'?" uuhhh sure...? was my confused response. I'd never heard of such a thing before but since I'm struggling to find new things to do each week this presented itself nicely.
Earlier this week we took a trip to World Market so they could buy some items from Australia they were sorely missing. A package of chocolate "biscuits" (aka cookies) zipped through the scanner and into the bag. I thought nothing of it, they're just cookies, right? Well, last night they reappeared along side multiple cups of hot tea. It was a group event, there were 5 of us participating. We bit off opposite corners of the wafery biscuit that was filled with a creamy soft chocolate center. Then we stuck one end of the biscuit into our hot tea and the other into our mouths. Then we sucked the hot tea through the biscuit like a straw, the creamy center melted and gooed (is that a word?) then we popped the entire biscuit into our mouths and a warm gooey chocolate explosion ensued.
Magnificent.
More on the Tim Tam Slam
Do it. Now. You won't regret it, I promise.

Weeks 2-4: New England Adventures

2009-01-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

"If I feel as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry."

-Emily Dickinson

I've spent the past few weeks on a class/vacation/journey through New England. We started with a weekend on a farm in Maine that is run by a family on organic and largely pre-20th century principles. It was a cold but wonderful time of learning. We milled grain, milked cows, carried wood, and practiced our knitting, spinning, and looming, among other things.

Since then, we've been HQed in Concord, Massachussetts, studying 19th century authors and history. I've been soaking up the landscape of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Louisa May Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. I've sat amongst their graves, toured their homes, read their works, and really immersed myself. This morning, I walked around Walden Pond with some friends and then hiked back two miles along the railroad tracks Thoreau used to get back into Concord. Plus, spending time in Boston (and nearby Cambridge, Cape Cod, Plymouth, Salem, and Amherst) has clued me in to some of the better stuff about the East Coast. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be doing a presentation on the lovely Ms. Emily Dickinson to my fellow companions at the house where she spent most of her life.

Included below is a poem we will be having our group recite in fragmented form: each dash will be mark a transition to the next spontaneous reader.

501

This World is not Conclusion.
A Species stands beyond-
Invisible, as Music-
But positive, as Sound-
It beckons, and it baffles-
Philosophy- don't know-
And through a Riddle, at the last-
Sagacity, must go-
To guess it, puzzles scholars-
To gain it, Men have borne
Contempt of Generations
And Crucifixion, shown-
Faith slips- and laughs, and rallies-
Blushes, if any see-
Plucks at a twig of Evidence-
And asks a Vane, the way-
Much Gesture, form the Pulpit-
Strong Hallelujahs roll-
Narcotics cannot still the Truth
That nibbles at the soul-

Oh, and I guess these experiences qualify for this blog because these are all places and this is all stuff I've never done before. So there.

Week 4: Memorization

2009-01-23T12:12:00.001-08:00

I'm terribly good at starting things without finishing them.

A few weeks ago, Mrs. Gretz and I decided to begin memorizing the book of James - the last time I checked, she was finished with the first chapter and I was on verse 11. I think I've managed to add verse 12 since then, but I'd like to be more consistent with it. So this week, starting today, I'm going to memorize one new verse each day. That was my original goal and I haven't stuck to it, but I'm going to give it another shot.

Even though I've only committed 12 verses to memory, just doing that has been incredibly valuable. It turns out that James stresses the importance of perseverence, and having those kids of encouragements at this particular juncture in my life (especially at my job) has been timely to say the least. I'm learning how useful and strengthening memorization of scripture can be, as there have been times when a verse will come to my mind, word for word, just when I need the kind of advice it offers. Memorizing also forces me to become more disciplined with reading the bible and to think more deeply about what I'm reading, asking more questions and going to God more often with them. It's just really good for me right now.

skipping

2009-01-23T07:59:00.001-08:00

for some reason i got lazy and didn't post about anything lately.

but i have been doing some things.

i'll cover two weeks right now and that should get me caught up. i think.

1. flossing. every single time i go to the dentist, they ask if i've been flossing. and i say, "well, kinda. i did at first pretty good but then i forgot and stopped." and there's never been scolding going on, they just say, "ok, remember to floss, it will take care of that (something i forgot)." so this flossing thing is actually a goal for more than a week long, but i figure it would take about a week or a little more to get into the habit of flossing. and it's working. my main goal is at least 3 times a week and i've been hitting that or going over, so that's good.

2. make something edible. i got a recipe from a friend at work involving peanut butter, so i made it. it was really easy. 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt(if you know me, you know how desperately i need to watch my caloric and fat intake), 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter. that's it, just mix it in a bowl. it makes this peanutty dip that's absolutely fantastic for dipping grapes in.

next time i make it though, i'm thinking of putting in a little more peanut butter and a little less yogurt because i'd like the consistency to be a tad thicker.

Belated Week 3

2009-01-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't gotten around to posting this!

On Tuesday of this week, I came home from His House related activities at around 11:15 or so. Wired from eating a late greasy snack, I ended up playing guitar until close to 1:00 am. I've been playing guitar on and off since 8th grade (later picking up bass, and getting a mandolin), but the last few years I've been really inconsistent. I would like to try and play 20-30 minutes three times a week, and get motivated to get "back in shape" musically.

Here's hopin!

N.E.W. #4 - Writing Query Submitted

2009-01-22T19:48:00.001-08:00

This week was the first time that I have submitted a query for a piece of writing to a publisher (it was beliefnet.com) and got a response. Of course they rejected me, but I was so proud of myself to actually get the cahones to submit something.

No cooking- Week 3

2009-01-22T18:47:00.001-08:00

After a crazy Christmas season and being all housewifey for several months, I needed a break. I've been feeling a little "off" for the past week so I did something that I'm pretty sure is a first. I didn't cook at all.

In order to avoid cooking, I:

1. Bought a TON of convenience foods (think chicken nuggets and french fries)
2. Ate soup for lunch almost every day.
3. Gave Brian cooking duty (even as far as setting out cans of stuff to make dinner)

It was a good week but I'm ready for some home cooked stuffs back in my fridge and in my belly!

Witch shoes - Week 3

2009-01-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

I feel like I haven't done anything super exciting for this N.E.W. project. Alas, it might happen once I find a job and move away.

My accomplishment for this week is quite simple: buying something I never thought I would: a pair of pointy-toed shoes.

My freshman year, my roommate Jenna had pointy-toed shoes (boots, I think), and I just couldn't understand the style. I thought they looked like witch shoes and like they were severely uncomfortable. Still, like everything else in her wardrobe, Jenna wore them well.

A while ago, my sister Rachel, legendary shoe consumer, began adding pointy-toed shoes to her closet. I was disgusted.

Clinton and Stacy of my beloved favorite TV show, What Not to Wear, would tell people to buy them. I would cringe.

Recently, I have begun building up a more professional wardrobe for when I (FINALLY!) find a big-person job. Rachel told me one day to look for pointy-toed shoes, because they make legs look longer. I scoffed.

But then I found these pink/red high heel pointy-toed shoes for 75% off at Maurices on Monday. I decided that for that price, they were at least worth trying them on. So, I tried them on with a dark suit I found (not on the sale racks). When I saw how those pointy-toed shoes, amazingly, did actually make my legs look longer (not to mention that they are a kick-butt brightly-colored accessory which is what I desperately want to incorporate into a potentially drab interviewing suit)...I was sold. Rather, they were sold to me. (I put the suit back.)

The rest is history.

What I want to be when I grow up - Week 3

2009-01-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

A couple of prospects this week....

1. This morning I sent an inquiry to the folks who publish a newsletter for my neighborhood. Their organization is called "The Friends of Loring Park," and in addtion to publishing the adorable newsletter which I picked up at a local Dunn Brothers, TFLP's main purpose is to preserve and improve Loring Park.

2. Tonight I am attending a meeting for Mill City Scene, an upstart publication with the 411 on the Twin Cities hip-hop culture. I'm hip, right?

To the right is a photo of a crane that I took this summer in Loring Park after David and I first moved to Minneapolis.

Canon Ball!

2009-01-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

So this week's installment isn't necessarily exciting for everyone... but it kind of is for me.

I just bought a camera... and yes it is the first camera I have bought/owned. It is a Canon SX110 IS. Nothing fancy... just a nice point and shoot with a good lens. Yup.

Main reason for getting it is for Spring Break and this summer I'm flying out to California for 9 days to go to San Fransisco, Go backpacking in the Orland area for 5 days, and climb Mt. Shasta. I have been the tallest man in New York, Vermont, and Colorado, but I won't quite be able to add Cali. to that list b/c Mt. Whitney is about 300 feet higher than Shasta! Dang... but it will still be really sweet (so I will be sure to get some swizzeeeeeeeeeeeeet pics / video).

-Mitch

Eel and The Whatever's-Around Smoothie

2009-01-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

My sophomore year of college, I ate the exact same thing for every meal; an entire year of bran muffins, cheese and roasted red paper sandwiches, soup, and two-seconds-of-chocolate-milk-and-three-seconds-of-skim. In my life after dorm life, it has been considerably harder to have a strict and unyeilding routine as far as meals go, mostly due to the fact that AJ and my cupboards to not magically replentish for every meal like Commons dining hall did. Still, I rarely try anything new.

But this week!

1. I tried sushi for the second time, eel for the first time. I put a lot of soy sauce on it. It tasted like soy sauce.

2. I created my very first Whatever's-Around Smoothie.

I included:

A whole banana

A tablespoon of strawberry jam

12 blueberries

3 Tablespoons of strawberry yogurt

2 Seconds of orange juice

3 Seconds of skim milk

A heaping tablespoon of peanut butter

3 dashes of cinnamon

2 cinnamon graham crackers

Blended!

I didn't include a picture, because it was a very unsmoothie-like shade, and the google image search yeilded mostly pink mixtures.

I kind of reccomend it. I'm sure yours will be different.

Anna Gretz

Riding the Rapid....

2009-01-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

After class on Monday, I was asked by a friend if I'd like to go with her downtown to look around/take pictures/ waste time/ take a walk. So, I of course said I'd love to. We got a pretty late start; it was dark long before we decided that we were going to go. So, naturally, Old Man Winter was not cutting us any slack in the weather department, and my unraveling mittens were unforgivingly breezy. I probably could have survived a striking blow to the face and not even really realized it, my cheeks were THAT frozen. But, the trip was really fun. We shared my earphones and listened to some delicious tunes while an eclectic man scooted a little too close to us, pushing us tightly against the metal railing. Another boy, straight across from us was busy untying his shoes and replacing them with older-looking, but drier shoes, and was telling the uninterested girl beside him about how long of a walk he had before he'd be home. Of course there was a countless number of fidgity, "normal"-looking people who were just probably anxious to get wherever they were going. I loved observing the bus-goers and my friend and I imagined what they were thinking and various other predictions were made as well. The wind was really nippy, and as it grew more and more violent, we warmed ourselves with hot, caffeinated beverages in a local coffee shop and then headed back. It was a really fun trip, and the first time either of us had EVER rode the Rapid. We figured out the bus system all by ourselves, and although that sounds childish and silly, we felt very accomplished once our feet were planted firmly on the sidewalk next to the Kirkof, completing our roundtrip and beginning the winding trek to our frozen cars. :)

Week 3 - Getting Lazy

2009-01-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

I admit that I haven't specifically sought out a new thing to do this week; however, I'm starting to realize that I generally do a new thing during most weeks without really trying. After reflecting on the last few days I realized that I have in fact done at least two new things. The first is that I saw "The Dark Knight" for the first time (finally). I don't think I need to say anything about that, as we all know it's amazing, groundbreaking, etc.

My second new thing is that I got through an 8-song set on Rock Band 2 "playing guitar" on the "hard" setting. I was fairly impressed by the amount of focus it took me to get the eye-hand coordination down (I'm historically pretty bad at video games in general). And it was fun even though we played a couple of songs that I find incredibly annoying.

But maybe I'll try to be a little more deliberate about week 4's new thing.

What I want to be when I grow up - Week 2

2009-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Instead of applying for a job this week, I am applying to a summer publishing program. In fact, I'm applying to two of them. This is a project that I have been working on for a few months, and this past week I got the last of my recommendation letters in the mail. It's go time!

The programs I am applying to are both highly regarded in the field of publishing, and luckily they both take place over the summer for only 4-6 weeks. (so no moving / apartment hunting / uprooting my life for the second time this year)

If all goes according to plan, for a month, or a month and a half, this summer I will be in either Denver, CO or New York, NY. My preference is NY because the program is longer and therefore able to cover more ground AND because David's sister Kelly is there.

Keep your toes and fingers crossed for me!

Forward Steppin'

2009-01-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

This past week, my one goal was to stop talking like a middle school boy, since I am, in fact, a female college student getting ready to graduate. And, well . . . I didn't do so well. I'm going to have to try this one again next week. The one positive side of this is that I have paid more attention to the way I speak, and now I understand just how often I use slang that I picked up mostly in middle school. For example, I don't even use the phrase, "I said." I always say, "I was like . . ." And I've realized that I say things like "Dude!" or "Sweet!" or "I know, right?" all the time, and I reply "no problem" or "you're fine" or "no big" to people instead of "you're welcome" or "that's alright." This worked out great at SpringHill, because, honestly, I talked like my kids did! They didn't care there. But now, I'm looking to graduate and join the "real world," where I will be judged by the way I speak. I don't want to completely change my vocabulary, because I don't want to become this prematurely old, solely professional person. I just want to teach myself to turn it off when I need to.

Anyway, as for the new things that I did do this week and last week (technically last week and the week before). Let me preface this by saying that I decided over Christmas break that I want to go into the military after I graduate. I came back last week and made the leap of applying for information from the Army, Air Force, and Marines. I've already heard back a bit from the Army and the Marines. I'm not sure if my information went through on the Air Force web site, because I accidentally bumped the backspace key and activated the back button on my browser. Anyway. This next week, I will try to start talking to the recruiters for my area and start thinking about which branch I'd like to apply to. I hope to join up wherever I can pay off my loans the quickest.

And this week, I started trying to become more organized and responsible all around. I have to get a new job that will actually pay for rent and food (crazy, huh?), and I've been dropping off applications all over the place, meeting with managers and having interviews. And that was my first. I've never applied to Red Lobster before last week, and I got invited back for a second interview that went very well, I think! I also applied to Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, BW3's, a new barbeque place here in Anderson, and Lone Star. I might apply to Texas Roadhouse if I get time next week, but I might not. I'm kind of sick of using up my gas just to drive down Scatterfield to all these restaurants, some 15 minutes away. I don't have money to refill the tank, and I've spent all my homework time running from Point A to Point B and meeting with someone from Point C. I need to shift my focus back to school until I start hearing back from these folks in the beginning or middle of next week.

I also decided for the first time that I will try to save money by borrowing most of my novels (I'm in 3 novels classes this semester) from the local library and ILLIAD (Indiana's interlibrary loan system), and I was proud of myself for checking out or reserving the first three novels in each class. I'm hoping this way I can avoid getting in a crunch where I don't have the book I need. And I've tried to keep my room reasonably clean (I rearranged it somewhat and love it) for once and get up really early in the morning, because punctuality has not been my forte, and mornings are not my favorite at all. This entails going to bed earlier, which, again, is more realistic than the schedule I've kept in the past. All in all, I think I've made some major changes that I hope to keep.

Week 3: Trying Week 2 Again

2009-01-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

Y'all are doing really impressive things and my week 2 was a total failure. Not only did I bite my nails, I annihilated the heck out of them. I spent the entirety of last weekend breaking up with my boyfriend and then listening to him talk me into getting back together. So that's where I'm at. They are tiny nubs, hard evidence of unease.

If I have to think of something new that I did... I guess I can say that I played Madden on Xbox 360. I don't even understand football but I gave it a chance. I will not be repeating the activity.

Week 3 I am trying again. I shall have a luscious manicure if it's the last thing I do.

Motherhood-to be the bad guy

2009-01-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

I am the mother of a two year old son. He is a very well behaved little guy and usually what you tell him is good enough and he obeys; except for recently. I believe we are entering the terrible two's, I am struggling with this because there are many times you must enforce the law thus becoming the "bad guy or unlikeable" sometimes it even makes him cry and that breaks my heart.
I am finding out that being a parent is very complicated, on one hand you want them to be well behaved but on the other hand you don't want them to be sad or hurt. If you allow your children to disobey who will they become as adults? If they don't respect you, who will they respect?
Here is my story, After naptime I gave Lincoln, (my son) a sucker. Actually he saw the bag of suckers laying on the kitchen table and asked for one. (already one rule broken, he only gets a sucker during his haircuts) The rule is that he must eat suckers, messy foods, and all drinks other than water in the kitchen. He knows this and I gently reminded him of this again before I gave it to him. As I was doing the dishes he was enjoying his sucker right on the edge of the kitchen and the dining room, each time I looked over at him he would be smiling at me with his foot in the other room, I kept saying "if you leave the kitchen I will take it away" praying to myself please don't do it. I didn't want to have to take it away because I knew that would make him sad, I knew he was only doing what a two year old does and he doesn't really understand that his actions have consequences, it was just a test.
So I turned around to check on him again and I noticed he was all the way in the livingroom with his sucker! When our eyes met it was like the world stopped, I knew I had to stay true to my word, I knew I had to no matter what happens, and I think he knew something bad was going to happen to his beloved sucker. I walked up to him and said "Lincoln I told you not to leave the kitchen with this now I have to take it away." I pryed it from his death grip and as I went to throw it away he cried, it was so heartbreaking, I felt like a horrible monster. When I threw it in the trash he screamed and was crying so hard he could hardly breathe. Well I admit, I held him till he was over it, I kept saying I know your upset but you have to listen to mama. Eventually he got over it and surprisingly he still loves me, even though I hurt his feelings. I had to, I wanted to let him get away with it, but that is not the responsible thing to do. So that is my new thing for the week, I stood my ground and followed through on a threat no matter how much it would upset him. And it was hard, one of the hardest things I've ever done, but we survived.

Meeting new people, week #3

2009-01-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

This week i've already completed my "first". I wanted to sign up for tae kwon do but found out that the practices are at a time that I cannot make :(.
Anyway, the other day I was supposed to be going out to lunch with a friend at Red Robin. It turned out that my friend couldn't make it and I had already arrived at Red Robin. So, instead of leaving, I was hungry and decided that I wanted to eat so I went up to the bar by myself and ordered. I've never ate at a restaurant like that by myself before! It was actually really cool because I got the opportunity to get to know the bar tender. He had known one of my former roommates and went to grand valley as well with almost the same major/minor. Well, I'm a psych major, soc minor and he was a soc major, psych minor. All in all, we had a great conversation about our professors, and different topics that we got to discuss and what we felt was the most valuable from our time at grand valley.

Afterwards, I felt really good about myself because I'm finally confident enough to do something like that and I love it. I love talking to new people and meeting them and hearing about their life!

Anyway, that's it. Who knows what next week will bring.

N.E.W. #3 - Roommate

2009-01-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

A 50-yr old man in my church has really been struggling with suicide, and this week he's being discharged from the psychiatric ward and coming here. He needs a place to live, so we're going to become roommates since I have an extra bed. I'm a bit uneasy that his struggles will become too much for me to handle, but I'm going to try this week to be a piece of stability in his life. He really needs it. Not sure what this will entail really.

To top it off, this week I'll be fixing my violin and getting back in that groove. I really want to learn the 'Ashokan Farewell'.

Seminary

2009-01-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am halfway through my first graduate level seminary classes. Bible Study Methods and Intro to Christian Theology. Coming into these classes I was both excited to learn more about God's word and build a stronger foundation for my faith and nervous to be back in "school" having homework and projects. The first day of lecture was good and I had done the readings earlier so I was able to engage. However when I moved on to the homework assignment I had flashbacks of college and imagining big red "F"'s and slash marks strewn across my papers. It took me all day and night (1:30pm-11pm) with a few breaks inbetween. Granted I was studying with my 3 roommates which wasn't as productive as it could've been. Day two was little better (but I got my windshield fixed! YAY!!).
Today I made a decision. I will pray fervently for the discipline and wisdom I will need to pass these classes! It's a predicament when the material is so vital to my personal faith as well as my ministry and it is very interesting but on the other hand the homework and projects are difficult, daunting and time consuming. How can I worship God as I study when all I can think is that I never want to read Ephesians ever again? I'm hoping as the weeks go on I will get used to it.

butt out.

2009-01-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

I stole that from a South Park episode. This week, I really wanted to quit smoking. But it's just not going to happen. Even after my whole workout experiment was a success, I still find joy in lighting up a cigarette. I think I'm going to save this one for a time when I don't have 5 other projects (including moving), and it's warmer out. I know, I suck. I'm making excuses. But I already started the week off by smoking anyway, and it'll take at least 2 or 3 to really kick the habit.

Also, because we're moving at the end of the month, I have to devote the next 2 weeks to packing and cleaning and painting the new place. So no new things for me right now. And on that note, if anyone has boxes they'd like me to recycle (as in, give them to me so I don't have to buy them; what a waste of money!), please get ahold of me!

Week 2 - Mario 3

2009-01-13T05:31:00.000-08:00

Alas, this post is not all that I wanted it to be. Since a few days before Christmas, I have been playing through Mario 3, via the Gameboy Advance re-release on my friend's Gamecube. I was hoping to have beaten the game in time to make this post, but that's not looking possible.

Instead, I will claim for this week that I am farther than I have ever gotten! I chose not to use the warp whistle, so I've actually played through the first seven worlds, and I'm now inching my way through the last (and definitely most difficult) stages, where everything is dark and scary and tediously difficult.

I think I would consider myself a "retro-gamer," as I have a lot more interest in this than, say, Halo 3 or something. I am quite content with Super Nintendo-esque graphics when the game play is this tight, and the levels this fun.

This is also one of those games that I wanted for a long time as a kid before I had a copy, and the box brings back all sorts of warm, nostalgic feelings of looking at the cover thinking about how cool it would be to play it!

Beatitudes

2009-01-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
This week I want to be meek. To be okay with silence and talk less while I listen more. I haven't been "meek" since I was little and I really want to start gaining wisdom through being less overt. I had a class on being meek a few years ago at church and we talked a lot about how Yoda was a good example of someone who was meek. So, I want to be meek like Yoda this week. I think it will make me more observant and maybe next week I can post some of my thoughts and observations about the beatitude I need to work on most.

Cooking with friends Week #2

2009-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

So, my new thing for this week was inspired by a few people who did this same thing last week. This past week I cooked and dined with friends. First, with my friends Sarah and Ross (where they did the cooking, actually, I just partook). They made excellent tofu and veggie terriyaki stir fry. And second, my friend Angie and I made some super awesome beef stew from scratch! It was really fun to go find all the ingredients, cut up the veggies, and prepare everything and then have it turn out excellent and eat with someone! It actually saved us money (and we had leftovers!) and it was a healthy recipe, too! Angie and I hope to make this a regular occurrence.

Hopefully to come next week: Tae Kwon Do

-Jackie

Kicking a bad habit

2009-01-12T10:35:00.001-08:00

A lot of my friends know I've had a long-standing love affair with Cherry Coke. (The picture on this post is an older label, which is my favorite and has special meaning because this was the label it had when I first started drinking it.) I managed to stop buying it for close to a year, except for special occasions...but whenever I come home, my parents, though they hardly EVER have foods I consider edible in the house, make sure to have Cherry Coke for me, because they've witnessed my love for it since middle school-ish.

Well, I drank the last can in the most recent 12-pack on Saturday, and my parents both mentioned how they'll have to pick up more for me. However, I've noticed that my teeth aren't getting any whiter, and that I have a horrible dependency on caffeine...so I opted for Sierra Mist this time around instead.

It's a big change, but I am trying to save Cherry Coke as a "treat" now, and drink coffee sparingly so it is also a treat. I made the mistake of making myself lots of coffee again this morning after two days of abstaining from caffeine and am having a bad experience of the jitters.

Chi Town USA

2009-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

So I went to Chicago this last weekend and had many first experiences.

To start off, one of my friends is going to Moody this semester and she needed some things brought down. When I got there we met a philippino family and went to their apartment-ish thing. I say "apartmentish" because the mother of this family is actually a nanny for a really really rich lady who is a model. This rich lady has pretty much a castle 2 blocks from the Magnificent Mile, and she built this nanny an apartment on top of her garage (and the garage is like 4-stall). And she lives right by John Cusak (DJ said he sees him on his moped and walking his dogs a lot). We also saw some building where they did some filming for The Dark Knight. The connection to the philippino family is one of my friends used to live in the philippines because her parents were missionaries for a while.

The nanny's son, DJ, ended up hanging out with us. We went down the Magnificent Mile and went store hoping, then DJ took us to a really sweet Korean BBQ and I had Calamari for the first time, as well as many random appetizers that I didn't know what I was eating. I could barely see the table there were so many little plates of food. Right after we went to Chinatown (my first time) and met some of their friends and had tea at some tea place. Right after that, we went back to the apartment and went to bed (keep in mind this is basically a 1-room apartment - just has a bedroom and bathroom besides the main room - and we had 3 small children, me, Jon, Austin, DJ, Andrea, Beth, and Antebeulah). I seriously think that Phillipino's are the most hospitable people you will ever meet... I was force-fed in the morning after I was already really full and they are just so nice.

This next "first" is pretty interesting. In the morning DJ was cooking something and there had been a little spillover in the stove, so it started smoking, and it eventually set the fire alarm off. Since they had just moved into this apartment, they didn't know the codes to shut it off, and in Chicago every building's fire alarm sends a signal to the fire dept. - so within a few minutes we heard the fire engines coming and 5 minutes later 2 firemen came up and one was like "whoa man we got a lot of people here this time (it had happened 3 times before this)." So that was an interesting wake-up call.

After some force-feeding at breakfast, we went to Shedds Aquarium because it is free on Sundays (this was my first time there). We walked around there and we saw a "Spongebob in 4D" show in the little theater there. Then we kinda just hungout, went to Starbucks (first time going to that Starbucks), and ate at Gino's East (also my first time eating at that one).

That's pretty much it... if I count correctly that's about 7 first-times in one weekend!

-Mitch