Friday, August 10, 2007
Lyn
So my new bedroommate. She is great. And how did I stumble across a great roommate who happened to also be a total stranger? GOD PROVIDES. I’m really trying to drive that point home – is it working? Hey, a truth like that just never gets old.
First of all, my roommate is sweet as can be (in part because she knows Jesus). Second, she is clean. Third, she thinks I’m funny. Fourth, she likes Nacho Libre.
What more could I ask for?
First of all, my roommate is sweet as can be (in part because she knows Jesus). Second, she is clean. Third, she thinks I’m funny. Fourth, she likes Nacho Libre.
What more could I ask for?
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Lullaby
Forget "Twinkle Twinkle" . . Michael needs a little hip hop in her life. Does anyone recognize this despite my weak attempt at singing?
Ladylike
I went on a date last night. And I'm not going to tell you about it. But I AM going to tell you a story about what happened on it.
*We are seated at a fancy Italian restaurant I've always wanted to dine at.* I’m chewing my gum pretty vigorously, as I always do when I chew gum, when the bread and olive oil come. Yum! I am ready to eat! But there is nowhere to dispose of my gum. (This is the one negative about nice cloth napkin restaurants.) So we’re looking around. Where can I put it? I could ask our can’t-speak-English server, but I don’t have the patience for that. Must.eat.bread.now. The only thing in my purse that could possibly work is a silica gel pack – the things that keep your stuff fresh. Nevermind why it is still in there, but it is. So I stick my gum in it and attempt to fold the very small package around the gum. It suddenly busts open and spills beads all over my plate and the table. As I watch the beads quickly disintegrate in the olive oil, I decide I won’t be dipping my bread anymore. (He does offer to let me use his plate, but I’m all “No I’ll just eat the bread by itself”.) Gum set aside, I break off a piece of the bread and am in the process of enjoying it when I taste something very strange . . and very strong. I’m eating a silica bead! - you know, the “Do not ingest” silica beads. And I don’t know what to do. I mean I can’t swallow it, because I’ll probably be sent to the hospital. So I’ve nothing left to do but spit this huge mouthful of bread and silica into my cloth napkin right in front of him.
If the ice had still needed to be broken, I would've shattered it.
I am SO classy.
*We are seated at a fancy Italian restaurant I've always wanted to dine at.* I’m chewing my gum pretty vigorously, as I always do when I chew gum, when the bread and olive oil come. Yum! I am ready to eat! But there is nowhere to dispose of my gum. (This is the one negative about nice cloth napkin restaurants.) So we’re looking around. Where can I put it? I could ask our can’t-speak-English server, but I don’t have the patience for that. Must.eat.bread.now. The only thing in my purse that could possibly work is a silica gel pack – the things that keep your stuff fresh. Nevermind why it is still in there, but it is. So I stick my gum in it and attempt to fold the very small package around the gum. It suddenly busts open and spills beads all over my plate and the table. As I watch the beads quickly disintegrate in the olive oil, I decide I won’t be dipping my bread anymore. (He does offer to let me use his plate, but I’m all “No I’ll just eat the bread by itself”.) Gum set aside, I break off a piece of the bread and am in the process of enjoying it when I taste something very strange . . and very strong. I’m eating a silica bead! - you know, the “Do not ingest” silica beads. And I don’t know what to do. I mean I can’t swallow it, because I’ll probably be sent to the hospital. So I’ve nothing left to do but spit this huge mouthful of bread and silica into my cloth napkin right in front of him.
If the ice had still needed to be broken, I would've shattered it.
I am SO classy.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Idiot
He said next weekend was his last. His new position starts, and he’ll be traveling with the President, working weekends. Only one day left for boating maybe, and that’s this Saturday.
Somehow I just forgot this. I just hit reply and said “Yes, I can babysit all day Saturday”. And now it’s hit me. I chose babysitting over boating. I just lost that last day on the lake.
I wonder if maybe the Lord made me forget. I do need the money, and it means a lot of that. Medical bills, deductibles suck. This is the Lord providing for me, and I’m thankful for that. But I’m praying (literally) that this isn’t it. He did say ‘probably’, didn’t he? I think I remember him saying it was probably his last weekend. I’m hoping in the smidge of doubt in that 'probably'.
Somehow I just forgot this. I just hit reply and said “Yes, I can babysit all day Saturday”. And now it’s hit me. I chose babysitting over boating. I just lost that last day on the lake.
I wonder if maybe the Lord made me forget. I do need the money, and it means a lot of that. Medical bills, deductibles suck. This is the Lord providing for me, and I’m thankful for that. But I’m praying (literally) that this isn’t it. He did say ‘probably’, didn’t he? I think I remember him saying it was probably his last weekend. I’m hoping in the smidge of doubt in that 'probably'.
Monday, August 06, 2007
I'm a Fool for You
Dear [Lake] Ann@,
Sunday was one of the best days of my summer because, for the third time, I spent it with you. You and the fun guys that own that boat, the L0uella Jane. It was a hazy day that looked a little like rain but that didn’t keep us from grabbing our snacks, our tubes and our towels and backing the boat down into you. Despite the haze, you were as beautiful as ever and the perfect temp, warmed as usual by the nearby nuclear power plant. You must like cloudy Sundays because so many fewer boats are out. I know I was happy. I gladly learned that your dockside café makes the most delicious homemade crab cakes and hand-cut fries. It was the perfect lunch to eat on the boat as we cruised our way toward one of your coves. We always bring not one, but two tubes to ride over the gigantic waves created by other boats and Louella’s 360s. Two tubes for tube wars, ramming into each other as we glide back and forth across the wake. Sunday’s ride was intense and I was certain I was a goner multiple times. I don’t know that I’ve ever caught that much air, but I loved every body-slamming, hard-leaning minute. I’m about to be 26 this month, but all it takes is a tube ride to make me giggle like a kid again. Twice, it began to sprinkle and shoo the other boats away. But we didn’t go anywhere. And once it cleared, you glistened like glass and I heard you begging me to come and ski again. “Remember last year?” you said. The excitement grew in my chest as I recalled breaking in the Connelly the year before. Then my mind darted to a more recent memory and the look on my therapist’s face when I told her I planned to ski. “See how you feel . . maybe if it’s smooth,” she said. “I would wear your brace.” I dug through my bag in search of my brace but it appeared I had left it behind. My heart sank. But as I turned to see you so peaceful again, I felt a calm come over me, and at that moment, I knew you’d take care of me. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. I quickly unzipped the bag to remove the sleek, narrow-tunneled slalom ski and admire its lovely red-and-white colors. I was the only person to ever use the ski so I felt as though it belonged to me. Between you and the ski, everything would be just fine. After two attempts, I successfully locked my legs against your push and balanced one foot behind the other until I was up and out. I sailed along your smooth and ripply, just enjoying the ride outside the wake. No tricks today, I thought. You carried me well, and I didn’t stop smiling until I let go of the rope and slowly sank back down into your warm embrace. I wished I could hug you right back.
Love,
L
Sunday was one of the best days of my summer because, for the third time, I spent it with you. You and the fun guys that own that boat, the L0uella Jane. It was a hazy day that looked a little like rain but that didn’t keep us from grabbing our snacks, our tubes and our towels and backing the boat down into you. Despite the haze, you were as beautiful as ever and the perfect temp, warmed as usual by the nearby nuclear power plant. You must like cloudy Sundays because so many fewer boats are out. I know I was happy. I gladly learned that your dockside café makes the most delicious homemade crab cakes and hand-cut fries. It was the perfect lunch to eat on the boat as we cruised our way toward one of your coves. We always bring not one, but two tubes to ride over the gigantic waves created by other boats and Louella’s 360s. Two tubes for tube wars, ramming into each other as we glide back and forth across the wake. Sunday’s ride was intense and I was certain I was a goner multiple times. I don’t know that I’ve ever caught that much air, but I loved every body-slamming, hard-leaning minute. I’m about to be 26 this month, but all it takes is a tube ride to make me giggle like a kid again. Twice, it began to sprinkle and shoo the other boats away. But we didn’t go anywhere. And once it cleared, you glistened like glass and I heard you begging me to come and ski again. “Remember last year?” you said. The excitement grew in my chest as I recalled breaking in the Connelly the year before. Then my mind darted to a more recent memory and the look on my therapist’s face when I told her I planned to ski. “See how you feel . . maybe if it’s smooth,” she said. “I would wear your brace.” I dug through my bag in search of my brace but it appeared I had left it behind. My heart sank. But as I turned to see you so peaceful again, I felt a calm come over me, and at that moment, I knew you’d take care of me. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. I quickly unzipped the bag to remove the sleek, narrow-tunneled slalom ski and admire its lovely red-and-white colors. I was the only person to ever use the ski so I felt as though it belonged to me. Between you and the ski, everything would be just fine. After two attempts, I successfully locked my legs against your push and balanced one foot behind the other until I was up and out. I sailed along your smooth and ripply, just enjoying the ride outside the wake. No tricks today, I thought. You carried me well, and I didn’t stop smiling until I let go of the rope and slowly sank back down into your warm embrace. I wished I could hug you right back.
Love,
L
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Farewell
She's gone. No more cheery "Good morning!" when I open my eyes at 7am. No more "Sleep well" when I'm tucked into bed. No more 'bunk talk'. No more animated stories that I never know how to respond to because I can't reciprocate her enthusiasm. No more trying to convince her to break her routine . . to stay up a little later, to eat two ice cream cones in one day, to go for a walk instead of doing laundry. No more EB. I went to her going-away cookout this week, and we had a roommate dinner at Lost D0g hours before she left.
The good news is that she won't be in Boston for law school anymore. She's been accepted at Duke! It's much closer. It's drivable. And . . it's Duke! I've always wanted to visit. Too bad being a student doesn't make basketball tickets any more attainable.
Other good news is that her closet is about 2 square feet larger than mine so I'm moving in! Seniority you know. My new roommate, Lyn, moves in on Saturday. It's crazy that I went from having zero options to three options in a matter of days. God more than provides.
Universal definition
The other day, someone in Korea searched for “cornhead” on a Korean search engine and the very first result was my blog.
Yes, my Korean friend. That is a cornhead.
One month 'til football season.
Yes, my Korean friend. That is a cornhead.
One month 'til football season.
Monday, July 30, 2007
The Wonderful that was my Weekend
Despite two unwonderful things taking place, my weekend was absolutely wonderful. BFF and her husband just moved back to his hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire, and I flew up to visit them and celebrate at their second wedding reception.
On Friday, I drove for two and a half hours in traffic to get to the Baltimore airport, a drive that usually takes 45 minutes. I rushed into the terminal a bundle of nerves thinking for sure I’d miss my flight only to learn that it was delayed four hours. I was mainly upset because I had no idea exactly how I would bide my time. At first I hoped to make a new friend at gate A4, and I walked back and forth, looking up and down the rows for someone who appeared friendly. Eventually I recognized the opportunity as one that could best be spent reading the first Harry Potter book. I’m way behind I know, but I’ve only just decided that I can’t bear to be left out of the Harry Potter Fan Club anymore.
When BFF, her husband, and his friend picked me up at the Manchester airport, we drove straight home and went right to bed. It was nearly 1:30 in the morning.
The next day, seven of us piled into the SUV for a day trip up the coast of Maine. BFF’s parents and her grandmother were visiting from Nebraska, as well as Ry’s friend. It made for a full car, but also a lot of laughs. We stopped first in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire for Sal’s greasy gigantic pizza slices and continued up the coast as we snacked on cinnamon taffy and fudge. We stopped in a couple of quaint little towns to shop and take pictures . . and buy more taffy. Our final destination was Kennebunkport, the most adorable town of all. We stopped at a darling hotel, Maine Stay, to ask for directions to the Bush compound, Walker’s Point, and when we arrived it was more amazing than I could’ve imagined. The American and Texas flags let us know the President was there along with the secret service vehicles that were parked near the gate. On the ride home, we pulled into Billy’s Chowder House for calamari, bacon-wrapped scallops, Billy’s famous lobster rolls, seafood samplers, crabcakes and . . a hot dog for Grandma Bern. And it wouldn’t be a typical dinner with her family without dessert . . this time, the Brownie Delight. Soft, warm brownie hidden beneath mounds of homemade ice cream and hot fudge. We could do nothing but sit on the living room couch after a dinner like that.
Sunday was reception #2, a casual party in the groom’s parents’ backyard. The pool was open for swimming and large tents were set up with tables. Yellow and white were the floral centerpieces and balloons. More bacon-wrapped scallops were passed around, along with deviled eggs as appetizers. Steak tips, hamburgers, and chicken were devoured by everyone, along with fruit, pasta salad, and vegetables. Nearly 200 people mingled and enjoyed the shade of the tents as the jazz music played in the background.
Soon it was nearly time for me to catch my flight back home. But Ryan’s friend, who had driven their furniture out in his trailer, was heading the same direction by truck. And a road trip sounded much more fun than a boring old plane ride. So I hopped in the passenger seat and rode ten hours home.
In that ten hours, we nearly ran out of gas (0 miles to empty and sputtering on diesel with a huge trailer in the back), nearly peed our pants (apparently Connecticut doesn’t have rest stops or public bathrooms), and drove all the way down Broadway through the Bronx and Manhattan at 2:30am. Coolest thing ever. Central Park, Eiffel Tower, Times Square, Greenwich Village, Chelsea Pier . . and we were nearly the only car on the road. Seeing all those neighborhoods again made me want to visit New York again really soon.
He dropped me off at the airport, and I drove 90 minutes home, dressed for work in 10 and have been running on four hours of sleep all day. Shortly after parting ways, I realized I had left my Blackberry in his truck. (Unwonderful thing #2.) I now have no phone. And the poor guy has to mail it to me. I feel terrible.
Tonight is the big night. I’ll pick a roommate. One more girl to meet. And it’s EB’s going away party, too. I don’t know what I’ll do without her . . her cheery voice, her animation, our conversations, our bagel and ice cream runs (not at the same time, of course). She will be missed. Even more than my Blackberry.
*Pictures are on their way!
On Friday, I drove for two and a half hours in traffic to get to the Baltimore airport, a drive that usually takes 45 minutes. I rushed into the terminal a bundle of nerves thinking for sure I’d miss my flight only to learn that it was delayed four hours. I was mainly upset because I had no idea exactly how I would bide my time. At first I hoped to make a new friend at gate A4, and I walked back and forth, looking up and down the rows for someone who appeared friendly. Eventually I recognized the opportunity as one that could best be spent reading the first Harry Potter book. I’m way behind I know, but I’ve only just decided that I can’t bear to be left out of the Harry Potter Fan Club anymore.
When BFF, her husband, and his friend picked me up at the Manchester airport, we drove straight home and went right to bed. It was nearly 1:30 in the morning.
The next day, seven of us piled into the SUV for a day trip up the coast of Maine. BFF’s parents and her grandmother were visiting from Nebraska, as well as Ry’s friend. It made for a full car, but also a lot of laughs. We stopped first in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire for Sal’s greasy gigantic pizza slices and continued up the coast as we snacked on cinnamon taffy and fudge. We stopped in a couple of quaint little towns to shop and take pictures . . and buy more taffy. Our final destination was Kennebunkport, the most adorable town of all. We stopped at a darling hotel, Maine Stay, to ask for directions to the Bush compound, Walker’s Point, and when we arrived it was more amazing than I could’ve imagined. The American and Texas flags let us know the President was there along with the secret service vehicles that were parked near the gate. On the ride home, we pulled into Billy’s Chowder House for calamari, bacon-wrapped scallops, Billy’s famous lobster rolls, seafood samplers, crabcakes and . . a hot dog for Grandma Bern. And it wouldn’t be a typical dinner with her family without dessert . . this time, the Brownie Delight. Soft, warm brownie hidden beneath mounds of homemade ice cream and hot fudge. We could do nothing but sit on the living room couch after a dinner like that.
Sunday was reception #2, a casual party in the groom’s parents’ backyard. The pool was open for swimming and large tents were set up with tables. Yellow and white were the floral centerpieces and balloons. More bacon-wrapped scallops were passed around, along with deviled eggs as appetizers. Steak tips, hamburgers, and chicken were devoured by everyone, along with fruit, pasta salad, and vegetables. Nearly 200 people mingled and enjoyed the shade of the tents as the jazz music played in the background.
Soon it was nearly time for me to catch my flight back home. But Ryan’s friend, who had driven their furniture out in his trailer, was heading the same direction by truck. And a road trip sounded much more fun than a boring old plane ride. So I hopped in the passenger seat and rode ten hours home.
In that ten hours, we nearly ran out of gas (0 miles to empty and sputtering on diesel with a huge trailer in the back), nearly peed our pants (apparently Connecticut doesn’t have rest stops or public bathrooms), and drove all the way down Broadway through the Bronx and Manhattan at 2:30am. Coolest thing ever. Central Park, Eiffel Tower, Times Square, Greenwich Village, Chelsea Pier . . and we were nearly the only car on the road. Seeing all those neighborhoods again made me want to visit New York again really soon.
He dropped me off at the airport, and I drove 90 minutes home, dressed for work in 10 and have been running on four hours of sleep all day. Shortly after parting ways, I realized I had left my Blackberry in his truck. (Unwonderful thing #2.) I now have no phone. And the poor guy has to mail it to me. I feel terrible.
Tonight is the big night. I’ll pick a roommate. One more girl to meet. And it’s EB’s going away party, too. I don’t know what I’ll do without her . . her cheery voice, her animation, our conversations, our bagel and ice cream runs (not at the same time, of course). She will be missed. Even more than my Blackberry.
*Pictures are on their way!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Search, Trust, Pray, and Find
The past six weeks I've been at peace in my search for a roommate. Not just a roommate, but a bedroommate, someone to take EB's place when she leaves for law school in Boston. I've been at peace because I trusted that He would provide someone. After all, this wasn't just a desire, it was a need. I couldn't afford to pay more in rent, and I'm pretty sure He's not a big fan of credit cards. I've recommitted to being a good steward of my finances, to trust Him, to not buy too many dresses and nice dinners and then say "Help!" and revert to the Visa. So I was confident He'd bring someone along. It wasn't hard to be; He's always orchestrated everything else in my life.
It wasn't hard to trust Him until yesterday. Yesterday I realized I was down to the wire. EB moves out on Tuesday which is less than a week away. So I panicked. I cried at my desk. I advertised on Craigslist again (in addition to several church classified sites) and emailed back and forth with several girls.
Last night, two girls stopped by. They were both great and seemed very interested. I'm going to pray about it and extend an 'offer' tomorrow. I know that the right person will want to take it.
I'm so relieved that I can get on that plane tonight and not be stressed. God is so faithful!
It wasn't hard to trust Him until yesterday. Yesterday I realized I was down to the wire. EB moves out on Tuesday which is less than a week away. So I panicked. I cried at my desk. I advertised on Craigslist again (in addition to several church classified sites) and emailed back and forth with several girls.
Last night, two girls stopped by. They were both great and seemed very interested. I'm going to pray about it and extend an 'offer' tomorrow. I know that the right person will want to take it.
I'm so relieved that I can get on that plane tonight and not be stressed. God is so faithful!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
I'll be smiling when I go to bed tonight from the . .
Most wonderful day ever!
Boating all day with QGP and his friends was perfection. As many of you know, my absolute favorite thing to do is go boating on the lake, so despite my injury and no wakeboarding or skiing, it was incredible to just sit on the boat with the wind in my face as the sun sparkled on the water. I don't think there's anything better.
I brought Em with me, a girl who can appreciate the water like I do because she's grown up boating on the Colorado River and San Diego Bay. The girl really wowed us all with her crazy wakeboarding skills. She put the boys to shame and was giving them quite a few pointers.
When we arrived (after 2 1/2 hours of awful traffic), the boys had sandwiches made for us with our names written on the plastic bags. Mine with mayo, Em's with mustard - how cute. We turned up the tunes in the boat and took off across the 17-mile lake. We stopped to jump in and play catch for awhile, and I decided I was ok to tube with Em (as long as I kept the brace on). I'm glad I didn't have to miss out on all the activities.
I finally felt comfortable enough to pull out the camera to capture these fun memories, but I'd forgotten to bring it on the boat!
Just as I suspected, neither Em nor I were ready to leave when the boating was done, but we'd each made other plans for the evening. Grilling out and not showering sounded so much better!
I'm hoping we can go again very soon. It's certainly motivation for me to do my knee exercises!
Boating all day with QGP and his friends was perfection. As many of you know, my absolute favorite thing to do is go boating on the lake, so despite my injury and no wakeboarding or skiing, it was incredible to just sit on the boat with the wind in my face as the sun sparkled on the water. I don't think there's anything better.
I brought Em with me, a girl who can appreciate the water like I do because she's grown up boating on the Colorado River and San Diego Bay. The girl really wowed us all with her crazy wakeboarding skills. She put the boys to shame and was giving them quite a few pointers.
When we arrived (after 2 1/2 hours of awful traffic), the boys had sandwiches made for us with our names written on the plastic bags. Mine with mayo, Em's with mustard - how cute. We turned up the tunes in the boat and took off across the 17-mile lake. We stopped to jump in and play catch for awhile, and I decided I was ok to tube with Em (as long as I kept the brace on). I'm glad I didn't have to miss out on all the activities.
I finally felt comfortable enough to pull out the camera to capture these fun memories, but I'd forgotten to bring it on the boat!
Just as I suspected, neither Em nor I were ready to leave when the boating was done, but we'd each made other plans for the evening. Grilling out and not showering sounded so much better!
I'm hoping we can go again very soon. It's certainly motivation for me to do my knee exercises!
Friday, July 20, 2007
I am an awesome gift giver!
Can I tell you how excited I am to give this awesome gift to my bedroommate EB for her birthday? They actually make one of these! EB got me hooked on this show. I'm obsessed. There are actually petitions for NBC to make bobbleheads of all the other characters. I'm afraid I might be dork enough to want to collect them. I didn't say I would - I just said I would want to.
Apparently I Rock!
Wow! Cady gave me a Rockin’ Girl Blogger award. What a fantastic compliment!
This is why she thinks I rock :) :
laura at love this life: laura does what her title suggests. she loves life and lets us read all about it. she also loves her family, who she recently moved away from, and her friends. i love reading about all the fun and crazy times she has, and i love how she loves to post pictures. oh, and laura lives in d.c. now, which is near where i used to live in maryland, so i can reminisce when i read her d.c./maryland-centered posts.
Again, thank you to Cady! My job now is to give the award to five more bloggers who rock. The problem is that I only read the blogs of people who rock. So if your name is on that sidebar there, I think you are pretty awesome. Actually, even if your name is not there, I might read your blog but have been too lazy to ever add you to the list.
All that being said, [rubbing my hands together out of excitement] I would like to give the award to:
Pink Sun Drops: Pink doesn’t know this but she got me hooked on blogs. Her cute page and “100 Things”, “Layers of Pink” etc – I devoured it all and kept coming back for more. Pink is my age but in a completely different place in life as a wife and mother to two adorable boys who used to be known as “Big Guy” and “Little Guy”. She has done some homeschooling and made learning so much fun for her children – something I really admire. In a world that says “it’s all about you”, she honors the Lord by putting her husband and children before herself. Oh! and I will never forget that she introduced me to her wonderful cousin in San Diego who I attended church and hung out with during my time there.
K at Misadventures of K: K is a blogger I have had the pleasure of actually meeting in person. She is Miss Independent of Seattle. She’s done a lot of traveling by herself (something I could never do) and takes advantage of all her city has to offer. A very smart girl, she headed back to school last year to further her engineering education and hopes to teach someday. Her only flaw is that she doesn’t blog enough anymore! :)
Miss J at Livin’ La Vida Dolce: Miss J is in the process of making a move from Southern California back to the Midwestern city of Tulsa (yay for the Midwest!) She is fabulous at hosting parties and putting trendy outfits together. I love hearing the latest about everything from her dog, Dolce, to her and her husband’s plan to re-vamp their sk@ting rink.
Steph@nie at Greek Tr@gedy: Can I give an award to an already-famous blogger? I just love the way Stephanie writes. And her pictures? She’s an amazing photographer. She talks about memories like they happened yesterday, making them come alive again. Her little “beans” as she calls them are so adorable. And I love that she lives in Austin, but is totally a New Yorker at heart.
Morgan and Mama Loves Papa: Morgan is such an inspiration to me. She is living out her faith in such a beautiful way. She's a wonderful wife and mom as well as a discipler of several women. Because she knows God so intimately, He has given her a heart to intercede for others and care for them with His love. She is regularly seeing God move and heal hearts and nothing excites me more than that!
This is why she thinks I rock :) :
laura at love this life: laura does what her title suggests. she loves life and lets us read all about it. she also loves her family, who she recently moved away from, and her friends. i love reading about all the fun and crazy times she has, and i love how she loves to post pictures. oh, and laura lives in d.c. now, which is near where i used to live in maryland, so i can reminisce when i read her d.c./maryland-centered posts.
Again, thank you to Cady! My job now is to give the award to five more bloggers who rock. The problem is that I only read the blogs of people who rock. So if your name is on that sidebar there, I think you are pretty awesome. Actually, even if your name is not there, I might read your blog but have been too lazy to ever add you to the list.
All that being said, [rubbing my hands together out of excitement] I would like to give the award to:
Pink Sun Drops: Pink doesn’t know this but she got me hooked on blogs. Her cute page and “100 Things”, “Layers of Pink” etc – I devoured it all and kept coming back for more. Pink is my age but in a completely different place in life as a wife and mother to two adorable boys who used to be known as “Big Guy” and “Little Guy”. She has done some homeschooling and made learning so much fun for her children – something I really admire. In a world that says “it’s all about you”, she honors the Lord by putting her husband and children before herself. Oh! and I will never forget that she introduced me to her wonderful cousin in San Diego who I attended church and hung out with during my time there.
K at Misadventures of K: K is a blogger I have had the pleasure of actually meeting in person. She is Miss Independent of Seattle. She’s done a lot of traveling by herself (something I could never do) and takes advantage of all her city has to offer. A very smart girl, she headed back to school last year to further her engineering education and hopes to teach someday. Her only flaw is that she doesn’t blog enough anymore! :)
Miss J at Livin’ La Vida Dolce: Miss J is in the process of making a move from Southern California back to the Midwestern city of Tulsa (yay for the Midwest!) She is fabulous at hosting parties and putting trendy outfits together. I love hearing the latest about everything from her dog, Dolce, to her and her husband’s plan to re-vamp their sk@ting rink.
Steph@nie at Greek Tr@gedy: Can I give an award to an already-famous blogger? I just love the way Stephanie writes. And her pictures? She’s an amazing photographer. She talks about memories like they happened yesterday, making them come alive again. Her little “beans” as she calls them are so adorable. And I love that she lives in Austin, but is totally a New Yorker at heart.
Morgan and Mama Loves Papa: Morgan is such an inspiration to me. She is living out her faith in such a beautiful way. She's a wonderful wife and mom as well as a discipler of several women. Because she knows God so intimately, He has given her a heart to intercede for others and care for them with His love. She is regularly seeing God move and heal hearts and nothing excites me more than that!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Afternoon Delight
Since New Girl left, Em has become my favorite friend at work, a ‘promotion’ that came as no surprise to me. Em is the SoCal girl who brought her ‘biscuit slang’ to the East Coast. When she says OMG, she really says O.M.G.!, always wanting to shorten her words, sounding ditzy when she’s far from it. My vocabulary has been expanded to not only include the word ‘peeps’ but also ‘gnarly’ and ‘scuse’. After all, why say ‘excuse me’ when ‘scuse’ is so much easier?
Em and I don’t restrict our fun to business hours. We get together at least a few times a month outside of work, too, whether it be at the grocery store, by the pool, roaming the mall, or whatever else suits our fancy. She is so much fun, and whatever it is I’m doing, she’s at the top of my invite-along list.
Just as Em moved upstairs during the workspace re-arrange, I was moved back down (to the most quiet, boring corner of the office). But thank goodness for IM and Afternoon Delights. Every once in awhile, if we’re having a slow day (on the same day), we’ll make the two-block trek to McDonald’s for a yummy 150-calorie cone. Em calls it Afternoon Delight. It was Friday Afternoon Delight, but it’s been known to also be Thursday Afternoon Delight and sometimes even Monday.
It’s been too long since we’ve taken one of those delightful trips down the street, so today on her birthday I brought her a Birthday Afternoon Delight. But it wasn’t McDonald’s. A McD’s cone on her birthday just wouldn’t be delightful enough. Instead we celebrated with Haagen-Dazs. Em grabbed her plateful of fresh brownies from her birthday-decorated workspace and we sat in the lunchroom, just the two of us, gabbing and sharing the pint. One bite of brownie, one bite of ice cream, one bite of brownie, one bite of ice cream.
Happy Birthday Em! I’m delighted to call you my friend!
Em and I don’t restrict our fun to business hours. We get together at least a few times a month outside of work, too, whether it be at the grocery store, by the pool, roaming the mall, or whatever else suits our fancy. She is so much fun, and whatever it is I’m doing, she’s at the top of my invite-along list.
Just as Em moved upstairs during the workspace re-arrange, I was moved back down (to the most quiet, boring corner of the office). But thank goodness for IM and Afternoon Delights. Every once in awhile, if we’re having a slow day (on the same day), we’ll make the two-block trek to McDonald’s for a yummy 150-calorie cone. Em calls it Afternoon Delight. It was Friday Afternoon Delight, but it’s been known to also be Thursday Afternoon Delight and sometimes even Monday.
It’s been too long since we’ve taken one of those delightful trips down the street, so today on her birthday I brought her a Birthday Afternoon Delight. But it wasn’t McDonald’s. A McD’s cone on her birthday just wouldn’t be delightful enough. Instead we celebrated with Haagen-Dazs. Em grabbed her plateful of fresh brownies from her birthday-decorated workspace and we sat in the lunchroom, just the two of us, gabbing and sharing the pint. One bite of brownie, one bite of ice cream, one bite of brownie, one bite of ice cream.
Happy Birthday Em! I’m delighted to call you my friend!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Me and my knee
The only negative about my trip home two weeks ago was the bad ending to my day at the lake, the 4th of July. I had been waiting all day for the water like glass, only a few boats out, and the sun close to going down. I strapped on my lifejacket . .
. . . got in the water . . .
. . . got up on one . . .
. . . stayed up on one (of course :) . . .
. . . and wiped out after hitting some very rough waves.
The wipe out was bad. My boot was on too tight and my foot would not break free! As the ski was carried with the waves, so my foot (and consequently, my knee) were taken with it. Ouch! As I sat there in the water, a wave of fear came over me. I knew I'd tore something. I tried to be optimistic - maybe it was only a sprain. But when you've been the victim of a few torn ligaments, you just know when things aren't right in there.
So I yelled, "I'm gonna try it again!" I grabbed the rope and fear grabbed me. But I told my brother to 'hit it' and he gave it some gas. It didn't take long for me to realize I WAS AN IDIOT and let go of the rope. Whatever I had done, I didn't want to make it any worse.
I swam to the boat, awkwardly climbed the ladder and took a seat inside. That was it? That was what I had been looking forward to this past year? I didn't even make it halfway around the island! And not only was my ski over, my summer was over, and I knew it. I knew my knee was busted. I silently began to cry as we drove back to the house. And I couldn't stop the tears. Not again! This would be my third time severely injuring a knee.
Three of my wonderful uncles laid hands on me and prayed, and I tried to hold back more tears and be positive. Maybe it wasn't as bad as before. Uncle Rich believed it wasn't.
Two days later, I found myself back in the exam room at OrthoWest, a place I am quite familiar with after experiencing two torn ACLs (and an MCL along with one of those injuries).
I studied the same chart I'd studied before and tried to diagnose myself before the doctor came in to see me.
I was optimistic. It didn't feel like a torn ACL. But it was a torn something.
Dr. Ray sent me for an X-ray and an MRI to confirm that his diagnosis was correct. I had torn my MCL, the ligament on the inner part of my knee. I was ecstatic! It meant no surgery, no year-long recovery, and no crutches. All it meant was six weeks in the brace and four weeks of physical therapy. Now that I can handle!
My physical therapy begins tomorrow, and I'm already walking much better. I won't lie - I'm disappointed that I can't be active this summer. I'm bummed that I can't do any cardio to stay in shape. I'm annoyed that I have to wear this nuisance of a brace. But more than all of those feelings, I am THANKFUL. It could've been worse.
The wipe out was bad. My boot was on too tight and my foot would not break free! As the ski was carried with the waves, so my foot (and consequently, my knee) were taken with it. Ouch! As I sat there in the water, a wave of fear came over me. I knew I'd tore something. I tried to be optimistic - maybe it was only a sprain. But when you've been the victim of a few torn ligaments, you just know when things aren't right in there.
So I yelled, "I'm gonna try it again!" I grabbed the rope and fear grabbed me. But I told my brother to 'hit it' and he gave it some gas. It didn't take long for me to realize I WAS AN IDIOT and let go of the rope. Whatever I had done, I didn't want to make it any worse.
I swam to the boat, awkwardly climbed the ladder and took a seat inside. That was it? That was what I had been looking forward to this past year? I didn't even make it halfway around the island! And not only was my ski over, my summer was over, and I knew it. I knew my knee was busted. I silently began to cry as we drove back to the house. And I couldn't stop the tears. Not again! This would be my third time severely injuring a knee.
Two days later, I found myself back in the exam room at OrthoWest, a place I am quite familiar with after experiencing two torn ACLs (and an MCL along with one of those injuries).
Dr. Ray sent me for an X-ray and an MRI to confirm that his diagnosis was correct. I had torn my MCL, the ligament on the inner part of my knee. I was ecstatic! It meant no surgery, no year-long recovery, and no crutches. All it meant was six weeks in the brace and four weeks of physical therapy. Now that I can handle!
My physical therapy begins tomorrow, and I'm already walking much better. I won't lie - I'm disappointed that I can't be active this summer. I'm bummed that I can't do any cardio to stay in shape. I'm annoyed that I have to wear this nuisance of a brace. But more than all of those feelings, I am THANKFUL. It could've been worse.
Monday, July 16, 2007
#6
I’ve never loved Nebraska more than I do now. And I love it here, too (for now) but I am constantly telling everyone how wonderful it is back home.
Now I have “proof”.
Money magazine just listed Papillion, Nebraska (a suburb of Omaha) as the 6th Best Place to Live! The criteria were cities that offered the best combination of economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a real sense of community. See, I told you Nebraska was great!!
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/index.html
Now I have “proof”.
Money magazine just listed Papillion, Nebraska (a suburb of Omaha) as the 6th Best Place to Live! The criteria were cities that offered the best combination of economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a real sense of community. See, I told you Nebraska was great!!
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/index.html
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Here and There
Going home is like opening a huge present, one that you asked for vaguely in that you know what to expect but have no idea what exactly it will look like. When I go home, I know who I will see, and I often know what I will do, but I don’t know the specific moments I will experience or the special memories I will make. I take an embarrassing amount of photographs, yet I’m not embarrassed, and I spend weeks looking at them remembering and often re-feeling the way I felt when they were taken.
When I'm there, I miss it. But when I'm here, I don't. Not really. Because I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be working at this wonderful company, constantly meeting new people, living a random and spontaneous life never knowing what the weekend might hold. I'm supposed to be sharing a bedroom, sleeping in a twin bed, staring out my window at the Potomac, eating Lean Cuisines for dinner, and getting bagels at the Brooklyn Bakery on Saturday.
It makes me sad to know that people's lives go on without me there to watch. Children grow, my sister goes to school, friends go out for dinner, Grandma watches old movies . . without me. I hate missing out. That should be my motto. Don't do anything fun or memorable without me! But it doesn't take much to qualify for that category. Because grilling out on my friends' deck, that counts. Watching Frasier reruns on the couch counts. Sitting in a driveway at midnight chatting counts. Going to Wal-Mart for toiletries almost counts. It's being with the people I love.
I like the people here. But will like ever turn to love? Or will everyone move away as soon as love knocks on the door? New Girl is gone and sucks at responding to email even though she promised she wouldn't be. Bedroommate EB moves out in two weeks, and someone else's bed moves in. And we'll be right back at 'like' again.
Pastor says to put your roots down in this transient city. Live like you're never leaving. Love like you're never leaving.
When I'm there, I miss it. But when I'm here, I don't. Not really. Because I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be working at this wonderful company, constantly meeting new people, living a random and spontaneous life never knowing what the weekend might hold. I'm supposed to be sharing a bedroom, sleeping in a twin bed, staring out my window at the Potomac, eating Lean Cuisines for dinner, and getting bagels at the Brooklyn Bakery on Saturday.
It makes me sad to know that people's lives go on without me there to watch. Children grow, my sister goes to school, friends go out for dinner, Grandma watches old movies . . without me. I hate missing out. That should be my motto. Don't do anything fun or memorable without me! But it doesn't take much to qualify for that category. Because grilling out on my friends' deck, that counts. Watching Frasier reruns on the couch counts. Sitting in a driveway at midnight chatting counts. Going to Wal-Mart for toiletries almost counts. It's being with the people I love.
I like the people here. But will like ever turn to love? Or will everyone move away as soon as love knocks on the door? New Girl is gone and sucks at responding to email even though she promised she wouldn't be. Bedroommate EB moves out in two weeks, and someone else's bed moves in. And we'll be right back at 'like' again.
Pastor says to put your roots down in this transient city. Live like you're never leaving. Love like you're never leaving.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
The Fireworks Show
At the lake, the day of the Fireworks Show is a big day. It is the day that most lake residents throw their Independence Day parties. The smell of fired-up grills and the sound of Black Jacks fill the air. Kids pop their 'poppers', adults mingle with their friends, and boats race around the lake until dusk.
I love the feeling when I cross the bridge and see the cars parked along the narrow road leading from one end of the island to the other, about a mile long. The flags line the neatly mowed lawns of over 100 lake houses. And as I near the end of the road, I see the only house I care about. Grandma's house. I pull into the long drive and park behind the van and SUV that brought my cousins from Indiana and Texas. I can't wait to see my family. And I'm sure to run into old classmates from high school roaming the street as well.
On our side of the island, across the lake a crew of people hang a large American flag and spend hours setting up the fireworks to the sounds of Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Springsteen and various country artists that blare from their speakers and provide entertainment for homes close enough to enjoy the music. At 7pm, the boat parade goes by. Red, white, and blue decorations cover pontoon boats that choose to participate as they circle the island hoping for cheers and praise that theirs was most creative. As the clock nears 9:30, glow sticks are hung around necks and seats are found on yard or beach. The show is about to begin. And what a show it is. Half an hour of spectacular fireworks of all kinds, patriotic music playing in the background, whistles and cheers for favorite explosions or bursts of color that haven't been seen before. Ooh and aahs and clapping fill the air. I lie on my back with cousins on either side and am happier there than any day I will ever spend in Washington D.C. And it's not even the 4th of July yet!
I love the feeling when I cross the bridge and see the cars parked along the narrow road leading from one end of the island to the other, about a mile long. The flags line the neatly mowed lawns of over 100 lake houses. And as I near the end of the road, I see the only house I care about. Grandma's house. I pull into the long drive and park behind the van and SUV that brought my cousins from Indiana and Texas. I can't wait to see my family. And I'm sure to run into old classmates from high school roaming the street as well.
On our side of the island, across the lake a crew of people hang a large American flag and spend hours setting up the fireworks to the sounds of Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Springsteen and various country artists that blare from their speakers and provide entertainment for homes close enough to enjoy the music. At 7pm, the boat parade goes by. Red, white, and blue decorations cover pontoon boats that choose to participate as they circle the island hoping for cheers and praise that theirs was most creative. As the clock nears 9:30, glow sticks are hung around necks and seats are found on yard or beach. The show is about to begin. And what a show it is. Half an hour of spectacular fireworks of all kinds, patriotic music playing in the background, whistles and cheers for favorite explosions or bursts of color that haven't been seen before. Ooh and aahs and clapping fill the air. I lie on my back with cousins on either side and am happier there than any day I will ever spend in Washington D.C. And it's not even the 4th of July yet!
The first 24 hours
Sister picked me up from the airport, a Runza sack in hand filled with crinkle fries and a cheeseburger. It felt so good to be home. Though I was home just 10 days ago, it was a whirlwind. A beautiful, fun, happy whirlwind, but a whirlwind nonetheless. On this trip home, I can relax.
Sister and I drove across town to visit Cousin Joy and have our hair cut. Every day for the past month I've despised my hair. Every day except yesterday, the day I could actually have it cut. Yesterday it looked amazing. Day old hair, thick and full of shine. Loose curls posing as perfect waves. But I reminded myself that the hair needed a change. The hair was bor-ing. So I asked for bangs and thinner hair. Today I love it. Yesterday I loved it. But I've yet to style it on my own, and that is always the issue. Does it look good when YOU do it?
Sister and I met another cousin for dinner at a Mongolian grill and ice cream at C0ld Stone. Dinner changed my life. I would gladly eat at that very restaurant every day from here on out. So incredibly delicious! All-I-Could-Eat meats and noodles and veggies with sauces. I filled my plate three times.
I met Shae today for lunch and what we do best - shopping. She is my Fashion Friend. When I'm having doubts about an outfit, I call Shae. When I can't decide which shoes to wear, I call Shae. It's been hard on us living so far apart because there can be no modeling. No "Does this make me look fat?" No "Is this worth $50?" And no "Come over and help me decide what to keep and what to return." But tonight we were able to do all three. And spending time like that with her and with other friends - it makes me feel like I never moved, like I don't live 1500 miles away, and like I could come back at any time and everything would be the same.
Sister and I drove across town to visit Cousin Joy and have our hair cut. Every day for the past month I've despised my hair. Every day except yesterday, the day I could actually have it cut. Yesterday it looked amazing. Day old hair, thick and full of shine. Loose curls posing as perfect waves. But I reminded myself that the hair needed a change. The hair was bor-ing. So I asked for bangs and thinner hair. Today I love it. Yesterday I loved it. But I've yet to style it on my own, and that is always the issue. Does it look good when YOU do it?
Sister and I met another cousin for dinner at a Mongolian grill and ice cream at C0ld Stone. Dinner changed my life. I would gladly eat at that very restaurant every day from here on out. So incredibly delicious! All-I-Could-Eat meats and noodles and veggies with sauces. I filled my plate three times.
I met Shae today for lunch and what we do best - shopping. She is my Fashion Friend. When I'm having doubts about an outfit, I call Shae. When I can't decide which shoes to wear, I call Shae. It's been hard on us living so far apart because there can be no modeling. No "Does this make me look fat?" No "Is this worth $50?" And no "Come over and help me decide what to keep and what to return." But tonight we were able to do all three. And spending time like that with her and with other friends - it makes me feel like I never moved, like I don't live 1500 miles away, and like I could come back at any time and everything would be the same.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
two things not to do
#1. Do not wear the five inch wedges when you plan to walk over a mile in them.
#2. Do not leave your blisters open and untreated while wearing flip flops and playing in dirt and sand.
None of you are probably as stupid as I am
#2. Do not leave your blisters open and untreated while wearing flip flops and playing in dirt and sand.
None of you are probably as stupid as I am
Lake of the Woods
I'm dog-sitting for one "dirty dog" as we referred to him yesterday when he consistently went after and violated the other male dog at the BBQ. Gross, just gross.
Mel and I picked up Murphy (the black lab I'm looking after for a few days) and drove for two and half hours to get to the party that was just an hour south of our city. Terrible terrible traffic. But once we arrived, there was much fun to be had. We were hanging out with QGP and his friends again. I hadn't seen QGP since last summer, but his friends were nice enough to think of me and invite me to the BBQ at their lovely lake home surrounded by a beautiful wooded area.
We ate yummy pork loin sandwiches, Chili's chips and salsa, and a few other side dishes while we played Cornhole, ping pong, and threw the football around. I met several new people who were equally as fun as QGP's other friends, including another Nebraskan like me and QGP. After relaxing on the deck for a few hours, we moved the group to the sand volleyball court near the beautiful lake and played a game in the dark. The evening ended with triple chocolate brownies and milk followed by several karaoke songs on the big screen. It wasn't your usual round of karaoke, though. Picture at least seven people in the middle of the floor singing along and imitating the music video dance moves while the rest of the gang observed from the couches.
The tentative plan had been to stay the night and do some boating the next day, but Mel had to get back home so we headed out at 1:30am. I'm confident we'll get another invite, though. Boating is definitely in our future this summer.
Mel and I picked up Murphy (the black lab I'm looking after for a few days) and drove for two and half hours to get to the party that was just an hour south of our city. Terrible terrible traffic. But once we arrived, there was much fun to be had. We were hanging out with QGP and his friends again. I hadn't seen QGP since last summer, but his friends were nice enough to think of me and invite me to the BBQ at their lovely lake home surrounded by a beautiful wooded area.
We ate yummy pork loin sandwiches, Chili's chips and salsa, and a few other side dishes while we played Cornhole, ping pong, and threw the football around. I met several new people who were equally as fun as QGP's other friends, including another Nebraskan like me and QGP. After relaxing on the deck for a few hours, we moved the group to the sand volleyball court near the beautiful lake and played a game in the dark. The evening ended with triple chocolate brownies and milk followed by several karaoke songs on the big screen. It wasn't your usual round of karaoke, though. Picture at least seven people in the middle of the floor singing along and imitating the music video dance moves while the rest of the gang observed from the couches.
The tentative plan had been to stay the night and do some boating the next day, but Mel had to get back home so we headed out at 1:30am. I'm confident we'll get another invite, though. Boating is definitely in our future this summer.
Friday, June 29, 2007
This Week
This week is already over. Two days until I am back in Nebraska for an entire week. A week of hugs, pictures, food, sun, and being by the water. The 4th of July is like Christmas with my family . . so being in the nation's capital just isn't my top choice. Maybe next year.
Aunt and Uncle were in town recently. Cousin J's mom and dad. They came to see their grandchildren, Walker and Mary Michael. I was invited over Monday evening for a delicious Tuscan dinner on the patio. K is such a good cook. I will see Aunt and Uncle back in Nebraska next week, but seeing someone in your city is special. They didn't see my apartment. They didn't see the awesome view from my roof. But they saw me. Me in my city.
Last week I tidied my desk, making sure it was neat as could be, stacking papers, putting things in their place and hanging a new crimson bulletin board and my United States map on the walls. I knew Uncle might stop by while I was away (in Nebraska), and I couldn't let him (as tidy as he is) see my mess! My hunch was right, and I found a note on my marker board when I returned. He signed it "Love Uncle S____" and left his business card. Cute. And I thanked myself for cleaning up before he came.
I'm going for dessert tonight. It won't be the first time this week. If I worked out tonight it would be for the first time in two weeks. Usually I try to keep some kind of healthy proportion between the two. If I did then I could be surprised if I gained weight. I wouldn't be shocked at this point.
The girl at Gifford's (you know, my favorite ice cream place) is one of my favorite people now. She gave BSG and me 2-for-1 coupons the other day. On Wednesday I forgot mine but she remembered me and gave me the discount anyway. That is how to become one of my favorite people. Remember me or give me free ice cream. Do both and I will love you forever.
My weekend is looking fun before it's even started. I won't say what I'm up to, because if something fell through I'd have to take it back and that is no fun at all. I will give you hints though: food, sun, fun people, a dog, and a body of water. I'm hoping the body of water doesn't end up being the apartment pool. We'll find out soon enough.
Aunt and Uncle were in town recently. Cousin J's mom and dad. They came to see their grandchildren, Walker and Mary Michael. I was invited over Monday evening for a delicious Tuscan dinner on the patio. K is such a good cook. I will see Aunt and Uncle back in Nebraska next week, but seeing someone in your city is special. They didn't see my apartment. They didn't see the awesome view from my roof. But they saw me. Me in my city.
Last week I tidied my desk, making sure it was neat as could be, stacking papers, putting things in their place and hanging a new crimson bulletin board and my United States map on the walls. I knew Uncle might stop by while I was away (in Nebraska), and I couldn't let him (as tidy as he is) see my mess! My hunch was right, and I found a note on my marker board when I returned. He signed it "Love Uncle S____" and left his business card. Cute. And I thanked myself for cleaning up before he came.
I'm going for dessert tonight. It won't be the first time this week. If I worked out tonight it would be for the first time in two weeks. Usually I try to keep some kind of healthy proportion between the two. If I did then I could be surprised if I gained weight. I wouldn't be shocked at this point.
The girl at Gifford's (you know, my favorite ice cream place) is one of my favorite people now. She gave BSG and me 2-for-1 coupons the other day. On Wednesday I forgot mine but she remembered me and gave me the discount anyway. That is how to become one of my favorite people. Remember me or give me free ice cream. Do both and I will love you forever.
My weekend is looking fun before it's even started. I won't say what I'm up to, because if something fell through I'd have to take it back and that is no fun at all. I will give you hints though: food, sun, fun people, a dog, and a body of water. I'm hoping the body of water doesn't end up being the apartment pool. We'll find out soon enough.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Big Day
I meant what I said in my toast. That she has always encouraged me to go after God more and more. That she has always trusted Him. That she has patiently waited for her tall, dark, and handsome (and most importantly godly) man. And that her wedding day was one of the most exciting days of my life.
The only thing better than having a dream come true for yourself is watching it come true for someone you love. And actually, watching it might be better. Because watching it inspires and gives you hope, while at the same time allowing you to feel a piece of what someone else it feeling. It’s such a beautiful thing.
In fact, it was such a beautiful thing that I’m not sure I can ever get married now. There is no way I could have that fabulous of a wedding! It was perfect in every way.
When I left you all, I had just recovered from a bout of really bad anxiety. Fortunately it never came back.
On Thursday, Grandma and I had lunch at Runza (a Nebraska fave), picked up croissants at the bakery and went home to fill them with chicken salad and bake cupcakes. I put pink SweetTarts on top of the white cupcakes. S is for her new last name. I also made some delicious chocolate cupcakes (for the bachelorette party) with my new ‘unique’ cupcake tin. I wondered what Grandma would say, but fortunately she thought they were adorable. She also thought they were supposed to look like ice cream cones. I just went along with it.
At the personal shower, Best Friend got some beautiful, beautiful pieces of lingerie and I successfully embarrassed her with a game . . but too successfully I’m afraid – whoops. We ate the croissants, mozzarella and tomato skewers with olive oil and basil, fruit skewers with fruit dip, and bread with spinach and artichoke dip. Delish!
BF was ready to put on her sombrero and boa at the fiesta-themed bachelorette party and have some fun. She loved posing with the wall decorations, hitting the appropriately-shaped piñata, and watching us all create cute, colorful panties for her new hobby – ha.
Her brother flew in from a semester in New Zealand that night, so we were even able to re-use the fiesta decorations as a ‘welcome back’ in his hotel room.
Friday was pedicures, and boy do I need to get those done more often. It felt so good! That girl really knew how to massage a foot! We spent the next several hours at her aunt and uncle’s lakehouse eating, tubing, and catching some sun. The weather didn’t look good for the outdoor rehearsal, but after many prayers the rain came and passed just in time for practice.
The rehearsal dinner was at one of our favorite restaurants, Biaggi’s. We had chicken farfalle alfredo with peas, chicken parmesan, and some delicious salmon dish. I don’t know what we had for appetizers, but those were amazing, too. The desserts were a cheesecake, chocolate chip banana bread, and chocolate something. But wow!
BF and the groom didn’t see each other on Saturday until she walked down the aisle. Well, she saw him. She did his hair actually, but he kept his eyes closed. Her ten bridesmaids and two personal attendants gathered around her to pray before it was time to line up. She looked so beautiful.
Standing on that stage right next to the lake, it was so hot! I thought I had spiders crawling down my legs, but realized they were beads of sweat! The bride and groom wrote their own vows which were so beautiful. (Beautiful is basically the key word for this entire thing.) The fireworks went off a little too soon, but other than that, everything went smoothly.
The jazz band at the reception played great music, and everyone had fun dancing. And the food stations. Don’t even let me get started! The biggest disappointment, or rather the only disappointment of the entire night was me not eating more. I was so exhausted and my head hurt to the point of causing my stomach to not want much food. You better believe I was all, “What the heck, Stomach? I have been waiting months for this food and you don’t want anymore??” I did make it to the Lebanese station and filled my plate to overflowing. I thought it might look a tad gluttonous to proceed to the Italian, French, and Irish-American tables on the same trip, so I added only a French pastry and slice of prime beef to my plate right next to the grape leaves, falafel, hummus, pita bread, and tablouleh salad. I had every intention of returning to the food, but like I said the stomach was being ridiculous! I saw so much on others’ plates that I wish I could’ve tried. Fortunately, by the time the cake was cut, I was ready to dive into not only a slice of the white almond, but the chocolate groom’s cake as well. Best Friend drew a picture of the cake she wanted for the cake baker (or whatever they’re called) and again “beautiful” would be a good word for it.
The toast, thank goodness, went well I would say . . or at least that’s what everyone else seemed to say. I said everything I planned to say, and I was not nervous. Uh, sort of not nervous. Actually I was quite nervous every second leading up to the toast, but once I took the microphone I felt confident that things would be smooth sailing from that point out. My leg apparently didn’t feel the same way, because it shook the entire time. And I was thinking “LEG, you can stop shaking, because I’m doing FINE up here!” Let’s hope no one noticed.
At the end of the night, we saw the couple off with sparklers and returned to the dance floor for a few more songs.
And now my Best Friend is married.
Beautiful.
(Obviously you can see my Flickr for more pictures.)
The only thing better than having a dream come true for yourself is watching it come true for someone you love. And actually, watching it might be better. Because watching it inspires and gives you hope, while at the same time allowing you to feel a piece of what someone else it feeling. It’s such a beautiful thing.
In fact, it was such a beautiful thing that I’m not sure I can ever get married now. There is no way I could have that fabulous of a wedding! It was perfect in every way.
When I left you all, I had just recovered from a bout of really bad anxiety. Fortunately it never came back.
On Thursday, Grandma and I had lunch at Runza (a Nebraska fave), picked up croissants at the bakery and went home to fill them with chicken salad and bake cupcakes. I put pink SweetTarts on top of the white cupcakes. S is for her new last name. I also made some delicious chocolate cupcakes (for the bachelorette party) with my new ‘unique’ cupcake tin. I wondered what Grandma would say, but fortunately she thought they were adorable. She also thought they were supposed to look like ice cream cones. I just went along with it.
At the personal shower, Best Friend got some beautiful, beautiful pieces of lingerie and I successfully embarrassed her with a game . . but too successfully I’m afraid – whoops. We ate the croissants, mozzarella and tomato skewers with olive oil and basil, fruit skewers with fruit dip, and bread with spinach and artichoke dip. Delish!
BF was ready to put on her sombrero and boa at the fiesta-themed bachelorette party and have some fun. She loved posing with the wall decorations, hitting the appropriately-shaped piñata, and watching us all create cute, colorful panties for her new hobby – ha.
Her brother flew in from a semester in New Zealand that night, so we were even able to re-use the fiesta decorations as a ‘welcome back’ in his hotel room.
Friday was pedicures, and boy do I need to get those done more often. It felt so good! That girl really knew how to massage a foot! We spent the next several hours at her aunt and uncle’s lakehouse eating, tubing, and catching some sun. The weather didn’t look good for the outdoor rehearsal, but after many prayers the rain came and passed just in time for practice.
The rehearsal dinner was at one of our favorite restaurants, Biaggi’s. We had chicken farfalle alfredo with peas, chicken parmesan, and some delicious salmon dish. I don’t know what we had for appetizers, but those were amazing, too. The desserts were a cheesecake, chocolate chip banana bread, and chocolate something. But wow!
BF and the groom didn’t see each other on Saturday until she walked down the aisle. Well, she saw him. She did his hair actually, but he kept his eyes closed. Her ten bridesmaids and two personal attendants gathered around her to pray before it was time to line up. She looked so beautiful.
Standing on that stage right next to the lake, it was so hot! I thought I had spiders crawling down my legs, but realized they were beads of sweat! The bride and groom wrote their own vows which were so beautiful. (Beautiful is basically the key word for this entire thing.) The fireworks went off a little too soon, but other than that, everything went smoothly.
The jazz band at the reception played great music, and everyone had fun dancing. And the food stations. Don’t even let me get started! The biggest disappointment, or rather the only disappointment of the entire night was me not eating more. I was so exhausted and my head hurt to the point of causing my stomach to not want much food. You better believe I was all, “What the heck, Stomach? I have been waiting months for this food and you don’t want anymore??” I did make it to the Lebanese station and filled my plate to overflowing. I thought it might look a tad gluttonous to proceed to the Italian, French, and Irish-American tables on the same trip, so I added only a French pastry and slice of prime beef to my plate right next to the grape leaves, falafel, hummus, pita bread, and tablouleh salad. I had every intention of returning to the food, but like I said the stomach was being ridiculous! I saw so much on others’ plates that I wish I could’ve tried. Fortunately, by the time the cake was cut, I was ready to dive into not only a slice of the white almond, but the chocolate groom’s cake as well. Best Friend drew a picture of the cake she wanted for the cake baker (or whatever they’re called) and again “beautiful” would be a good word for it.
The toast, thank goodness, went well I would say . . or at least that’s what everyone else seemed to say. I said everything I planned to say, and I was not nervous. Uh, sort of not nervous. Actually I was quite nervous every second leading up to the toast, but once I took the microphone I felt confident that things would be smooth sailing from that point out. My leg apparently didn’t feel the same way, because it shook the entire time. And I was thinking “LEG, you can stop shaking, because I’m doing FINE up here!” Let’s hope no one noticed.
At the end of the night, we saw the couple off with sparklers and returned to the dance floor for a few more songs.
And now my Best Friend is married.
Beautiful.
(Obviously you can see my Flickr for more pictures.)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Big Day approaches
Tuesday night was the WORST night for Uncle Ken to be in town. My last night to pack and run errands happened to be the only night we could get together. I met him at Au B0n Pain after my life-changing experience with Debbie (see below), and we headed to Julia's Emp@nadas to pick up dinner. Three hours later, I was on the roof of my apartment building trying to drop hints that I NEEDED TO PACK, BIG DAY TOMORROW, so take one last look at the view and PLEASE be on your way!
Wednesday was calmer than expected. I had an event to attend (that I'd helped organize), ends to tie up at work, and there were things at home that I still needed to throw in my suitcase.
A soon as I left the office, I caught a cab to Seph0ra in Ge0rgetown. (Can I just tell you how ironic it is that my last-minute errand was to Seph0ra when I had walked by that store at the mall about FIVE times in the past week!) A quick in-and-out, and I was catching another cab home. I had 20 minutes before cab #3 would pick me up en route to the airport.
The closer it got to flight departure, the sicker I felt.
I popped an Excedrin Migraine (what I do when I'm desperate for caffeine), stuffed a pb&j in my mouth, and threw a little bit of everything into my suitcase.
By the time the cab driver got there, I felt awful. I was a bundle of nerves, and that is SO NOT ME! I phoned BFF and left a message about how excited I was, how sick I felt, and how WAIT A SECOND, why am I telling the BRIDE this?
The cab driver offered some words of wisdom. "Don't tell your friend! You will make it hard for her! You will be fine. It's not like your going to Russia or China."
He was right, but I couldn't shake the nauseousness. I couldn't breathe right. Thank goodness a friend would be sitting right next to me on the flight. And thank goodness we were flying M!dwest!
Within a half hour period of time, I'd tried and failed to use the restroom three times! One of those times was on the plane just minutes before take-off. I located the barf bag in my seat just in case and tried to reassure myself that I'd be fine.
I bowed my head, began to pray and not ten minutes later the sick feeling began to subside. I didn't recover 100%, but I did take the stewardess up on those warm chocolate chip cookies which was a big sign of normalcy.
I was up late working on a couple of things and, although tired this morning, I'm ready to go!
Grandma and I will be putting together some food and dessert before I head to the lingerie shower today. And tonight we'll continue celebrating with a bachelorette party. I just hope that BFF can relax and enjoy every moment. If I'm anxious as the MOH, I can't imagine being the BRIDE!
Wednesday was calmer than expected. I had an event to attend (that I'd helped organize), ends to tie up at work, and there were things at home that I still needed to throw in my suitcase.
A soon as I left the office, I caught a cab to Seph0ra in Ge0rgetown. (Can I just tell you how ironic it is that my last-minute errand was to Seph0ra when I had walked by that store at the mall about FIVE times in the past week!) A quick in-and-out, and I was catching another cab home. I had 20 minutes before cab #3 would pick me up en route to the airport.
The closer it got to flight departure, the sicker I felt.
I popped an Excedrin Migraine (what I do when I'm desperate for caffeine), stuffed a pb&j in my mouth, and threw a little bit of everything into my suitcase.
By the time the cab driver got there, I felt awful. I was a bundle of nerves, and that is SO NOT ME! I phoned BFF and left a message about how excited I was, how sick I felt, and how WAIT A SECOND, why am I telling the BRIDE this?
The cab driver offered some words of wisdom. "Don't tell your friend! You will make it hard for her! You will be fine. It's not like your going to Russia or China."
He was right, but I couldn't shake the nauseousness. I couldn't breathe right. Thank goodness a friend would be sitting right next to me on the flight. And thank goodness we were flying M!dwest!
Within a half hour period of time, I'd tried and failed to use the restroom three times! One of those times was on the plane just minutes before take-off. I located the barf bag in my seat just in case and tried to reassure myself that I'd be fine.
I bowed my head, began to pray and not ten minutes later the sick feeling began to subside. I didn't recover 100%, but I did take the stewardess up on those warm chocolate chip cookies which was a big sign of normalcy.
I was up late working on a couple of things and, although tired this morning, I'm ready to go!
Grandma and I will be putting together some food and dessert before I head to the lingerie shower today. And tonight we'll continue celebrating with a bachelorette party. I just hope that BFF can relax and enjoy every moment. If I'm anxious as the MOH, I can't imagine being the BRIDE!
Work in Progress
"She's funny," Em said of the aesthetician she recommended.
I needed a wax badly, but you can't go to just anyone for these things. We're talking about hair removal, and I needed a pro, someone who came with a reference.
Debbie walked in, exclaimed "Hello" as if she'd known me forever, took one look at my face and said, "I'm going to tell you why your brows are all wrong."
I grabbed the mirror and held it out in front of my face anticipating the critique she was about to give. "Go right ahead!" I said. "I've always thought they needed re-shaping."
"You've got old Jennifer Aniston brows."
"Ew." Jennifer Aniston I can deal with, but I didn't like the word 'old'.
"I'm going to tell you about your face. But before I start, you've got to promise to not get offended. If you had a big nose, I would tell you. You don't, but if you did, I would say so."
"By all means!"
Debbie proceeded to explain why my brows made my face appear the way it did (wide and like my eyes were close together) and how we could go about changing that. It would be a work in progress, but with her help she promised we'd get there.
"I have a wedding this weekend,so how much of a 'work in progress' are we talking about?"
"Oh! You have a wedding! Than we've GOT to do this. Gosh, I love when people come to me with bad brows!"
And I love someone who is enthusiastic about their job! Especially when it makes me look better.
I needed a wax badly, but you can't go to just anyone for these things. We're talking about hair removal, and I needed a pro, someone who came with a reference.
Debbie walked in, exclaimed "Hello" as if she'd known me forever, took one look at my face and said, "I'm going to tell you why your brows are all wrong."
I grabbed the mirror and held it out in front of my face anticipating the critique she was about to give. "Go right ahead!" I said. "I've always thought they needed re-shaping."
"You've got old Jennifer Aniston brows."
"Ew." Jennifer Aniston I can deal with, but I didn't like the word 'old'.
"I'm going to tell you about your face. But before I start, you've got to promise to not get offended. If you had a big nose, I would tell you. You don't, but if you did, I would say so."
"By all means!"
Debbie proceeded to explain why my brows made my face appear the way it did (wide and like my eyes were close together) and how we could go about changing that. It would be a work in progress, but with her help she promised we'd get there.
"I have a wedding this weekend,so how much of a 'work in progress' are we talking about?"
"Oh! You have a wedding! Than we've GOT to do this. Gosh, I love when people come to me with bad brows!"
And I love someone who is enthusiastic about their job! Especially when it makes me look better.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Jersey Shore
What a weekend!
Four hours to the Jersey Shore and a fantastic weekend with the girls.
Highlights of the weekend:
- the private BEACH of course!
- whole wheat bagels at the cheese shop
- old school rock band at the Shore bar which meant lots of crazy dancing
- two visits by the (hot) cops *story to come*
- ice cream TWICE, made fresh at the ice cream shop . . malt ball, cake batter, cookie dough, and chocolate peanut butter
- grilling out cheeseburgers
- American trivia game
- sunbreaks and movies
- pancakes at the firehouse
- so much laughing!
The story of the cop visits wouldn't be funny unless I told you in person, but long story short, someone thought they saw a man in their room and called the cops. They came, we had a lot of laughs and realized after they left that it was really just our friend sleep-walking. But you better believe we locked the doors. The hot cops came back the following night to "check on us" because they'd had a "similar situation" a few miles away (in the 'safest town in America'). We're convinced they just wanted a few laughs from some crazyobnoxious girls. They certainly got some more laughs . . and some fresh-baked cookies delievered to the station the next morning.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
late night call
There I sat on the toilet lid . . in the dark . . at midnight . . with my Blackberry pressed to my ear. Didn't want to wake the bedroommate up, so I took the call in the bathroom. The vibrate setting always wakes me up. It was BFF and we talked for 45 minutes. And I wondered if we'd still do this sometimes after she got married. If she'd still wake me up, and I'd answer because I wanted to talk and I didn't care if I lost sleep. I hope so.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
ice cream run, etc.
Forget the burger. I went straight for the ice cream last night. I chose strawberry (very uncharacteristic of me), because it FELT healthier. I mean, there were REAL strawberries in there. How can that not be healthier?
After ice cream, I ran errands with bedroommate EB. I went to pick up a gift at the mall that was supposed to be ready a WEEK ago and was still not done - grr. We wandered into Lindt Chocolates and bought some mint truffles for my chocolate fix (only to find out later that they were a bit cheaper at Target). As it always goes at Target, I went there for napkins and found myself dropping a huge armload of stuff onto the belt at the register. But it was an armload of many things I forgot I needed, all for the wedding weekend. I always, always play this game at the checkout where I try to guess what the total will be before they ring me up. You know, to soften the blow. Maybe if I guess a little higher, it won't be as painful when they tell me how much I owe. It works . . sort of.
What I'd love to be doing in these posts is getting into the specifics of what I am buying and how shower planning stuff is going, but "Hi BFF, I'm trying to keep this stuff a surprise for you". My biggest worry is that it won't turn out as great as I hope it will or that I'm forgetting something BIG and won't realize it until it's too late.
I did figure out what I want to say to BFF when I stand up in front of EVERYONE. Hope it comes out ok.
After ice cream, I ran errands with bedroommate EB. I went to pick up a gift at the mall that was supposed to be ready a WEEK ago and was still not done - grr. We wandered into Lindt Chocolates and bought some mint truffles for my chocolate fix (only to find out later that they were a bit cheaper at Target). As it always goes at Target, I went there for napkins and found myself dropping a huge armload of stuff onto the belt at the register. But it was an armload of many things I forgot I needed, all for the wedding weekend. I always, always play this game at the checkout where I try to guess what the total will be before they ring me up. You know, to soften the blow. Maybe if I guess a little higher, it won't be as painful when they tell me how much I owe. It works . . sort of.
What I'd love to be doing in these posts is getting into the specifics of what I am buying and how shower planning stuff is going, but "Hi BFF, I'm trying to keep this stuff a surprise for you". My biggest worry is that it won't turn out as great as I hope it will or that I'm forgetting something BIG and won't realize it until it's too late.
I did figure out what I want to say to BFF when I stand up in front of EVERYONE. Hope it comes out ok.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
the cure for what's ailing me
All of a sudden, I feel like I could burst into tears . . and for no reason. I need chocolate, maybe chocolate will help. Friday can not come soon enough! Then I will be en route to the Jersey Shore with seven other fun girls!
Last night, another bridesmaid who lives in D.C. came by my apartment to allow me to dump a bunch of wedding/shower stuff in her car as she will be making the long drive to Nebraska for BFF’s wedding. I can’t believe she’s going alone! It took me nearly 24 hours to drive that distance last year! Putting my things in her car made the nearness of the wedding even more real. As I told BFF last night, she can almost count on her fingers the days until the wedding. And my life isn’t slowing down for this. I am busy every night this week, yet there is so much to do.
I don't know if it's the stress of that. Or the stress of work, which HAS been stressful. But I do know that a F!ve Guys burger and some ice cream from G!fford's sounds like the cure. Even if I do have to trek through a thunderstorm to get there. Big Sky Girl, here I come . .
Last night, another bridesmaid who lives in D.C. came by my apartment to allow me to dump a bunch of wedding/shower stuff in her car as she will be making the long drive to Nebraska for BFF’s wedding. I can’t believe she’s going alone! It took me nearly 24 hours to drive that distance last year! Putting my things in her car made the nearness of the wedding even more real. As I told BFF last night, she can almost count on her fingers the days until the wedding. And my life isn’t slowing down for this. I am busy every night this week, yet there is so much to do.
I don't know if it's the stress of that. Or the stress of work, which HAS been stressful. But I do know that a F!ve Guys burger and some ice cream from G!fford's sounds like the cure. Even if I do have to trek through a thunderstorm to get there. Big Sky Girl, here I come . .
Saturday, June 09, 2007
So little time
To a co-worker on Friday: "I wish today was Thursday. I have so much work to do and calls to make but now Friday is over, and I can't do it."
Co-worker: "This isn't the right thing to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. . . You are now fully integrated into the team."
Fridays are supposed to be laid back, a wind-down from a long week, a preparation for the weekend. But many times mine are just as crazy as the four days leading up to them. Yesterday was one of those days.
Because I rarely let myself get stressed, irritated or anything other than laid back and happy, people can easily notice when I'm having a tough day. They can even sense it over IM.
Co-worker over IM: Are you ok? Is there anything I can do? You're upset.
So I'm glad Friday is over, but only sort of. Because come Monday when I have no progress to report in my 9am meeting, it's not going to look good. Even though there's nothing I could've done to change that, apart from supernaturally adding hours to the day, excuses can't be made. Another instance of "So much to do and so little time."
So as soon as the clock said 5:45, I threw my hands in the air and headed to Happy Hour for a glass of wine and a game of Golden Tee. After fourteen holes, Em and I decided to go get tapas at La T@sca. Spanish tortilla, potatoes with green peppers and onions, paella with seafood and chicken, and meatballs in a spicy sauce. And you know I didn't skip dessert: vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate nougat sauce.
Too exhausted to meet friends for a movie, roomie EB and I watched Jerry Seinfeld stand-up and were in bed by 11pm.
Today I was up by 8am. I'm off to the pool for some sun and a church BBQ this afternoon!
Co-worker: "This isn't the right thing to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. . . You are now fully integrated into the team."
Fridays are supposed to be laid back, a wind-down from a long week, a preparation for the weekend. But many times mine are just as crazy as the four days leading up to them. Yesterday was one of those days.
Because I rarely let myself get stressed, irritated or anything other than laid back and happy, people can easily notice when I'm having a tough day. They can even sense it over IM.
Co-worker over IM: Are you ok? Is there anything I can do? You're upset.
So I'm glad Friday is over, but only sort of. Because come Monday when I have no progress to report in my 9am meeting, it's not going to look good. Even though there's nothing I could've done to change that, apart from supernaturally adding hours to the day, excuses can't be made. Another instance of "So much to do and so little time."
So as soon as the clock said 5:45, I threw my hands in the air and headed to Happy Hour for a glass of wine and a game of Golden Tee. After fourteen holes, Em and I decided to go get tapas at La T@sca. Spanish tortilla, potatoes with green peppers and onions, paella with seafood and chicken, and meatballs in a spicy sauce. And you know I didn't skip dessert: vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate nougat sauce.
Too exhausted to meet friends for a movie, roomie EB and I watched Jerry Seinfeld stand-up and were in bed by 11pm.
Today I was up by 8am. I'm off to the pool for some sun and a church BBQ this afternoon!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
June 23rd keeps getting closer
Veggie burgers.
This is what I'm eating to cut calories in an effort to look my best for BFF's wedding in sixteen days! No more excuses. I must do some type of exercise EVERY SINGLE DAY until then. I want as little armpit fat as possible hanging over that strapless dress. Not to mention the fact that she had to go and schedule a day at the lake as part of the weekend festivities. Of course I'm thrilled! It's my favorite thing to do! But it means me in a bathing suit amongst quite a few people. A bikini wax is sounding like a really smart idea right now.
As the wedding weekend draws nearer, I'm learning more and more that party planning is so.much.fun! If I had loads of money, it would be even more fun! BFF's lingerie shower and bachelorette party are only two weeks away, and I can't wait to celebrate with everyone. I'm getting closer to having every detail sorted out. I can picture everything in my head. Except for the toast. That picture in my head is not a good picture. It's me fidgeting. It's me trying to make a joke and . . silence. Like that scene in "Wedding Crashers". Not good. It's me lifting my glass in the air "To BFF and the Groom" and spilling my drink down the front of my dress as I take a drink. I've always said "I like giving speeches" (although I know this isn't a 'speech'). "Being up in front of people doesn't make me nervous." But I'm beginning to think that I LIE. I'll find out soon enough.
This is what I'm eating to cut calories in an effort to look my best for BFF's wedding in sixteen days! No more excuses. I must do some type of exercise EVERY SINGLE DAY until then. I want as little armpit fat as possible hanging over that strapless dress. Not to mention the fact that she had to go and schedule a day at the lake as part of the weekend festivities. Of course I'm thrilled! It's my favorite thing to do! But it means me in a bathing suit amongst quite a few people. A bikini wax is sounding like a really smart idea right now.
As the wedding weekend draws nearer, I'm learning more and more that party planning is so.much.fun! If I had loads of money, it would be even more fun! BFF's lingerie shower and bachelorette party are only two weeks away, and I can't wait to celebrate with everyone. I'm getting closer to having every detail sorted out. I can picture everything in my head. Except for the toast. That picture in my head is not a good picture. It's me fidgeting. It's me trying to make a joke and . . silence. Like that scene in "Wedding Crashers". Not good. It's me lifting my glass in the air "To BFF and the Groom" and spilling my drink down the front of my dress as I take a drink. I've always said "I like giving speeches" (although I know this isn't a 'speech'). "Being up in front of people doesn't make me nervous." But I'm beginning to think that I LIE. I'll find out soon enough.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Baltimore, etc.
Baltimore is much cooler than I thought. Which I suppose isn't saying TOO much since I didn't expect it to be cool at all. But I drove up to visit a friend this weekend and actually stayed in the city for longer than ten minutes. They have a very cute waterfront area, some neat restaurants and cobblestone streets. We ate at a Mediterranean tapas place called exactly what it is, Mezze. And it was delicious! I loved every single dish!
She brought a friend along and because of this we discussed differing opinions on the war and global warming the entire time! No light conversation for us. And I'm not complaining - I really enjoyed it, and I like hearing others' opinions but I LIVE IN WASHINGTON D.C. I breathe politics fifty hours a week, so can we please discuss ANYTHING BESIDES THAT?? He did tell stories about his experience teaching high school in Baltimore's inner-city (which is one of the worst) which was extremely interesting. And I got to tell everyone what I'm passionate about which was nothing that wasn't superficial . . and come to think of it, how shallow must I have seemed? I really am passionate about things other than the things I mentioned . . like JESUS and seeing people's hearts healed and watching people have deeper relationship with Him. Somehow I forgot to mention that.
Maybe I forgot to mention it because I haven't gotten very plugged in at my church yet. And I haven't been seeing people's hearts healed lately. It's not been for lack of trying, but I attend a rather small church (compared to the mega church I attended back home) and there aren't a plethora of activities to be involved in. I'm hoping though that that is about to change.
Saturday morning I went to a women's brunch and met several wonderful women from my church. We ate some delicious food. (I was expecting scones and got muffins, quiche, fruit, fresh tomato and cheese English muffins and other yummy treats.) Then we sat around and told a bit about ourselves and had a devotional learning about women in the Bible who asked God for something, how they asked and how He answered. I'll also be joining a Bible study on the book of Daniel next week.
I made a big decision a few weeks ago to leave a Bible study (with my girlfriends, not through a church) that wasn't challenging me AT ALL, but instead frustrating me. I'm excited about taking this step to join a group that I am confident will press me closer to God and move me out of my comfort zone where I need to be.
After this weekend, I can give another movie review.
"Knocked Up":
Funny - yeeees.
Crude - TOTALLY!
Language - every other word the 'F' word and that is no exaggeration!
Nudity - TWICE and disgusting context at that!
Katherine Heigl -please let me look that cute when I'm pregnant and man, I want to dye my hair a lighter blonde and go shopping now!
Conclusion: R-rated comedies are too much for me! Ew.
She brought a friend along and because of this we discussed differing opinions on the war and global warming the entire time! No light conversation for us. And I'm not complaining - I really enjoyed it, and I like hearing others' opinions but I LIVE IN WASHINGTON D.C. I breathe politics fifty hours a week, so can we please discuss ANYTHING BESIDES THAT?? He did tell stories about his experience teaching high school in Baltimore's inner-city (which is one of the worst) which was extremely interesting. And I got to tell everyone what I'm passionate about which was nothing that wasn't superficial . . and come to think of it, how shallow must I have seemed? I really am passionate about things other than the things I mentioned . . like JESUS and seeing people's hearts healed and watching people have deeper relationship with Him. Somehow I forgot to mention that.
Maybe I forgot to mention it because I haven't gotten very plugged in at my church yet. And I haven't been seeing people's hearts healed lately. It's not been for lack of trying, but I attend a rather small church (compared to the mega church I attended back home) and there aren't a plethora of activities to be involved in. I'm hoping though that that is about to change.
Saturday morning I went to a women's brunch and met several wonderful women from my church. We ate some delicious food. (I was expecting scones and got muffins, quiche, fruit, fresh tomato and cheese English muffins and other yummy treats.) Then we sat around and told a bit about ourselves and had a devotional learning about women in the Bible who asked God for something, how they asked and how He answered. I'll also be joining a Bible study on the book of Daniel next week.
I made a big decision a few weeks ago to leave a Bible study (with my girlfriends, not through a church) that wasn't challenging me AT ALL, but instead frustrating me. I'm excited about taking this step to join a group that I am confident will press me closer to God and move me out of my comfort zone where I need to be.
After this weekend, I can give another movie review.
"Knocked Up":
Funny - yeeees.
Crude - TOTALLY!
Language - every other word the 'F' word and that is no exaggeration!
Nudity - TWICE and disgusting context at that!
Katherine Heigl -please let me look that cute when I'm pregnant and man, I want to dye my hair a lighter blonde and go shopping now!
Conclusion: R-rated comedies are too much for me! Ew.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Cousins
The Ralph Lauren light blue and white striped jumper? Or the coral dress with ruffles?
The coral dress it was. So I wrapped it in white tissue paper, placed it in a little hot pink bag and headed to the hospital to meet Mary Michael P______.
She wasn't a wrinkly, weird-looking baby. She was beautiful. And she had Cousin J's cheeks, just like Walker. Blue eyes. Perfect feet. Adorable, all eight pounds and one ounce of her.
I wonder how Walker will react to her. What will he call her for short? We hung out last night while she was being born. And it was exciting to know that next time I came over there would be one more little person to hang out with. But last night, it was just Walker and me.
Visit my flickr for more pics.
The coral dress it was. So I wrapped it in white tissue paper, placed it in a little hot pink bag and headed to the hospital to meet Mary Michael P______.
She wasn't a wrinkly, weird-looking baby. She was beautiful. And she had Cousin J's cheeks, just like Walker. Blue eyes. Perfect feet. Adorable, all eight pounds and one ounce of her.
I wonder how Walker will react to her. What will he call her for short? We hung out last night while she was being born. And it was exciting to know that next time I came over there would be one more little person to hang out with. But last night, it was just Walker and me.
Visit my flickr for more pics.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day Weekend
This weekend hasn't been exciting, but it's been wonderful just the same.
Grilling out with BSG and her friends was a lot of fun. I didn't realize how Mediterranean the grill-out would be, but we're talking homemade tzatziki sauce and couscous with pesto-marinated shrimp and specially seasoned chicken and veggie kabobs. Top that off with a fruit cobbler that was out of this world and make it a la mode (and not just any a la mode - Gifford's cherry ice cream a la mode) and it made for a fantastic meal!
Saturday I said my final farewell to New Girl and lent my muscles to the task of packing up the U-haul. The fact that she's gone won't sink in until I'm back at work I suppose, but I was still down enough that I needed some cheering up. I also needed some short-sleeved tops for work. The mall was the solution to both. And I did find some amazing deals! I spent the rest of the night trying on, mixing and matching, until all my energy was spent out of excitement and I went to bed.
Sunday morning I worked out before church and had lunch with a new church friend. I took her to my favorite sandwich place, Lost D0G, and we had what I think will be the first of many great conversations. I laid out for a few hours by my pool and went over to visit Cousin J & very pregnant K, as well as the ever-so-cute Baby Walker. K's going to pop any day now, and I'm the on-call babysitter anxiously anticipating their phone call.
I left there to have another birthday dinner for BSG at R0sa Mexicano. Three full hours of deliciousness and stories of BSG and her friends' college memories.
I've gotten a bit of sun today from walking and laying out and have gotten to the point of tears over realizing that my 4th of July plans won't be happening as I've planned. Waiting until now to purchase a ticket was idiotic, but I just didn't have the money. Now the cheapest thing I can find is nearly THREE TIMES what I usually pay. It looks like I'll have to cut my trip short, not because I don't have the time but because it's cheaper to fly on a different day. I'm so upset! SO! And it looks like I'll still be spending at least $400. Gah!
I've ended the night with Shrek 3 and Ruby Tuesday with BSG. Happy Birthday tomorrow, BSG!!
I hope everyone else's weekend was as relaxing as mine.
Grilling out with BSG and her friends was a lot of fun. I didn't realize how Mediterranean the grill-out would be, but we're talking homemade tzatziki sauce and couscous with pesto-marinated shrimp and specially seasoned chicken and veggie kabobs. Top that off with a fruit cobbler that was out of this world and make it a la mode (and not just any a la mode - Gifford's cherry ice cream a la mode) and it made for a fantastic meal!
Saturday I said my final farewell to New Girl and lent my muscles to the task of packing up the U-haul. The fact that she's gone won't sink in until I'm back at work I suppose, but I was still down enough that I needed some cheering up. I also needed some short-sleeved tops for work. The mall was the solution to both. And I did find some amazing deals! I spent the rest of the night trying on, mixing and matching, until all my energy was spent out of excitement and I went to bed.
Sunday morning I worked out before church and had lunch with a new church friend. I took her to my favorite sandwich place, Lost D0G, and we had what I think will be the first of many great conversations. I laid out for a few hours by my pool and went over to visit Cousin J & very pregnant K, as well as the ever-so-cute Baby Walker. K's going to pop any day now, and I'm the on-call babysitter anxiously anticipating their phone call.
I left there to have another birthday dinner for BSG at R0sa Mexicano. Three full hours of deliciousness and stories of BSG and her friends' college memories.
I've gotten a bit of sun today from walking and laying out and have gotten to the point of tears over realizing that my 4th of July plans won't be happening as I've planned. Waiting until now to purchase a ticket was idiotic, but I just didn't have the money. Now the cheapest thing I can find is nearly THREE TIMES what I usually pay. It looks like I'll have to cut my trip short, not because I don't have the time but because it's cheaper to fly on a different day. I'm so upset! SO! And it looks like I'll still be spending at least $400. Gah!
I've ended the night with Shrek 3 and Ruby Tuesday with BSG. Happy Birthday tomorrow, BSG!!
I hope everyone else's weekend was as relaxing as mine.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Blog Friend
I've been away from Blogger for awhile, but there is much to catch up on.
First of all, I met K!
This is my third time meeting a blog friend (including meeting Pink's cousin, because it almost felt as though I met Pink).
K flew from Seattle all the way out to D.C. for a conference, and we met up one night for Ethiopian.
I feel as though I can now say from experience (Pink's cousin, Big Sky Girl, and now K) that bloggers that seem cool online are great in person as well! It really felt natural hanging out with her. It was cool that we already knew a lot about each other and could just begin talking about those things. We even talked about other bloggers we 'knew'. It flew by, and I'm so glad we decided to do it. Hopefully someday we'll meet up again . . maybe in Seattle!
And now I'm off to celebrate another blog friend's (Big Sky Girl) birthday with a rooftop Mediterranean grill-out. This girl really knows how to celebrate.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
so this is goodbye
New Girl just handed off her stapler and tape dispenser. At least I get something out of this bad deal. I can’t believe she’s leaving. The reality of it won’t sink in until next week, but my nose is still stinging knowing that goodbye is minutes away. I can’t imagine this place without her. Maybe I’ll be more productive, but screw productivity! I need someone to bounce ideas off of. I need someone to talk to mid-workday about my personal life. I need someone’s loud voice to echo off the walls.
Update:
She just said goodbye and the tears came. “Stop,” she said and tears filled her eyes, too.
This place will never be the same.
Update:
She just said goodbye and the tears came. “Stop,” she said and tears filled her eyes, too.
This place will never be the same.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Being neighborly
I made friends with my neighbors this weekend. Basically a bunch of working boys still living a frat-tastic lifestyle . . which is why I hadn’t already accepted their invitations to come over.
But Saturday night, I was all dressed up with nowhere to go. They caught me in the hallway and introduced me to a couple of other girls coming to their party, so I thought, “Eh, why not. I’ll be neighborly and check out their place for a few minutes.”
Five HOURS later, I had met over a dozen people, danced up a storm, gotten a couple marriage proposals after showcasing my rap skillz, and played pool across the street with my two favorites.
The following morning, after returning home from church, I got a knock on my door and an invitation to spend the gorgeous afternoon on the Potom@c on their new boat!
But Saturday night, I was all dressed up with nowhere to go. They caught me in the hallway and introduced me to a couple of other girls coming to their party, so I thought, “Eh, why not. I’ll be neighborly and check out their place for a few minutes.”
Five HOURS later, I had met over a dozen people, danced up a storm, gotten a couple marriage proposals after showcasing my rap skillz, and played pool across the street with my two favorites.
The following morning, after returning home from church, I got a knock on my door and an invitation to spend the gorgeous afternoon on the Potom@c on their new boat!
Being neighborly = very good idea.
Georgetown Waterfront - You can find me here this summer. Lots of great restaurants and bars. "The place to be."
Wow, this is the first time I've posted a picture of anyone who doesn't read my blog. Shhh, don't tell her. But this picture was just too cool to not post. Despite the nerdy sunglasses that looked way better on my neighbor than on me.
The Attempted Set-up
Those friends I made in line at the Queen’s ceremony? They want to set me up. With a 36-year-old.
And instead of saying, “Yeah, that’s too old for me”, I heard myself say “You know, it’s crazy - I’ve only gone out with guys in their thirties since I moved out here.” It may be true, but did I have to say it?? Did I have to encourage the setting up?
I asked a friend “What are the chances that he loves Jesus? Like one in a million?”
“Jesus in a million.”
She was right. I mean, maybe the odds weren’t that low.
So I got an email from the line-friend yesterday . . with some more info about him . . and a picture. I moved my mouse over the photo icon, stared straight down at my keyboard, and clicked. I couldn’t bring myself to look up.
I finally did, and the first thought that crossed my mind was, “No.”
The second thing was, “I don’t care if he does love the Lord. Still no.”
Maybe I was being too particular.
I pushed my chair away from my desk. Maybe he looked better from a distance.
I leaned over to the right. Maybe he looked better from an angle.
I scooted back to my desk and covered his mouth with my hand. Then moved my hand to cover his eyes. Maybe one of his features was attractive.
I squinted. Still no.
He’s not ugly. He’s just . . no.
And now I have to tell my line-friend that I can’t do it. I’ve changed my mind. I don’t like being set up. He sounds great, but I’m not interested.
I’m also not good at keeping myself out of awkward situations.
And instead of saying, “Yeah, that’s too old for me”, I heard myself say “You know, it’s crazy - I’ve only gone out with guys in their thirties since I moved out here.” It may be true, but did I have to say it?? Did I have to encourage the setting up?
I asked a friend “What are the chances that he loves Jesus? Like one in a million?”
“Jesus in a million.”
She was right. I mean, maybe the odds weren’t that low.
So I got an email from the line-friend yesterday . . with some more info about him . . and a picture. I moved my mouse over the photo icon, stared straight down at my keyboard, and clicked. I couldn’t bring myself to look up.
I finally did, and the first thought that crossed my mind was, “No.”
The second thing was, “I don’t care if he does love the Lord. Still no.”
Maybe I was being too particular.
I pushed my chair away from my desk. Maybe he looked better from a distance.
I leaned over to the right. Maybe he looked better from an angle.
I scooted back to my desk and covered his mouth with my hand. Then moved my hand to cover his eyes. Maybe one of his features was attractive.
I squinted. Still no.
He’s not ugly. He’s just . . no.
And now I have to tell my line-friend that I can’t do it. I’ve changed my mind. I don’t like being set up. He sounds great, but I’m not interested.
I’m also not good at keeping myself out of awkward situations.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The ABC's of Me
A - Attached or Single: Single. For almost four years! I don't know whether I should be embarrassed or proud. But I haven't been shedding tears over boys or investing in someone that I'll never walk down the aisle with. And I'm sure my husband (whoever he is) will appreciate that I'm holding out for him. So I'm gonna go with proud. Besides, I've been having so much fun!
B - Best Friend: My BFF is Micki/Micks/Michelle. She is my Person. She is the perfect balance to my personality. She knows that good food, shopping, music, and football are way up there as some of the coolest things on Earth. She is the one I can do nothing at all with and love every second of it. She presses me closer to the Lord and makes me want to know Him more and more. She has the sweetest spirit ever! Also, my mom is amazing. She is the one I call for no other reason than to tell her that I've just brushed my teeth and my mouth feels so fresh that I just had to tell someone. And she listens to that kind of stuff. She feels what I feel. She cares that I stubbed my toe and it really hurts. She is the reason I know God as my Lord and Savior. Her heart is so beautiful that I can't believe she's real.
C - Cake or Pie: Cake, as long as it's warm and moist and I can have it a la mode.
D - Drink of Choice: Water. I think this is the most boring part about me. I only drink water.
E - Essential Item: my digital camera, because you never know when a moment that needs capturing will occur
F - Favorite Color: Well, I just plain love color. But I love red for so many reasons. It's flashy and hot and bright. It means Jesus died for me. It means "Go Big Red!". What's not to love?
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms are so much more fun to eat. Why stick an entire gummy in my mouth when I can let part of it hang out and slowly slurp it up?
H - Hometown: Fremont, Nebraska. A great community of $25,000 people. Completely, and I mean completely flat.
I – Indulgence(s): Ice cream - I never say no to it. Designer jeans, because they really do look fabulous and fit better. Other than that, my indulgences seem to change from month to month.
J - January or July*: Ok, Courtney edited this, and I'm so glad she did because c'mon, there is no real difference between January and February. They are both winter! And summer beats out winter every time. Even with the East Coast's killer humidity.
K - Kids: I have always liked kids well enough. And some I have loved - like cousins and friends' kids and the kids I nannied for. But lately, I have been wanting to eat up every kid I see. I just love hanging out with them. I think I'm going to love being a mom.
L - Life is incomplete without: Seriously - Jesus. I couldn't do life without Him. Unfortunately, that kinda sounds cliche. But honestly, I am constantly dependent on His grace to depend on Him and live through Him for Him. But other than that major all-encompassing thing, life would be incomplete without chocolate, bodies of water, airplanes, cameras, and music.
M - Marriage Date: At this point, I am indifferent . . sort of. All I know and constantly remind myself is that I'm getting closer, because I'm obviously not getting further away. I still don't feel impatient, but when I think about getting older and older, I think "Please God, don't let it be too far away."
N - Number of Siblings: Two. My brother is 23 and my sister is 19. I'm the big sister.
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples. Lots and lots of apples. It's pretty much the only fruit I eat. And I eat it almost every day. With peanut butter. Delicious.
P - Phobias/Fears: I can't think of anything off the top of my head. I am a little afraid of getting assaulted or held up at gunpoint . . a nice newfound fear since moving to a dangerous city.
Q - Favorite Quote: I always see quotes I love, but I don't really have any memorized.
R - Reason to smile: I'll be in Fort Lauderdale with my BFF in less than a week!!
S - Season: Summer. Although my favorite season in D.C. is probably spring or fall, because who likes feeling sweaty all the time??!
T- Tag Three: I want to hear from Morgan at Mama Loves Papa, Miss J at Dolce Vita, and Pink Sun Drops.
U - Unknown Fact About Me: Courtney had a great unknown fact! We can share it because I, too, have absolutely no desire to go into outer space. None. Freaks me out just thinking about it.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Eating meat is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Steak, burgers, chicken, bacon . . my mouth is watering.
W - Worst Habit: Biting my nails. Ugh. I wish I could stop!
X - X-rays or Ultrasounds: So basically the questions is: Broken bones or babies? I'm gonna have to go with babies.
Y - Your Favorite Foods: Tomato and mozzarella. Apples and peanut butter. Salmon and garlic mashed potatoes. Steak and grilled vegetables. Warm cake or brownies with ice cream. Lasagna.
Z- Zodiac: Leo. Another reason to love the summer.
B - Best Friend: My BFF is Micki/Micks/Michelle. She is my Person. She is the perfect balance to my personality. She knows that good food, shopping, music, and football are way up there as some of the coolest things on Earth. She is the one I can do nothing at all with and love every second of it. She presses me closer to the Lord and makes me want to know Him more and more. She has the sweetest spirit ever! Also, my mom is amazing. She is the one I call for no other reason than to tell her that I've just brushed my teeth and my mouth feels so fresh that I just had to tell someone. And she listens to that kind of stuff. She feels what I feel. She cares that I stubbed my toe and it really hurts. She is the reason I know God as my Lord and Savior. Her heart is so beautiful that I can't believe she's real.
C - Cake or Pie: Cake, as long as it's warm and moist and I can have it a la mode.
D - Drink of Choice: Water. I think this is the most boring part about me. I only drink water.
E - Essential Item: my digital camera, because you never know when a moment that needs capturing will occur
F - Favorite Color: Well, I just plain love color. But I love red for so many reasons. It's flashy and hot and bright. It means Jesus died for me. It means "Go Big Red!". What's not to love?
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms are so much more fun to eat. Why stick an entire gummy in my mouth when I can let part of it hang out and slowly slurp it up?
H - Hometown: Fremont, Nebraska. A great community of $25,000 people. Completely, and I mean completely flat.
I – Indulgence(s): Ice cream - I never say no to it. Designer jeans, because they really do look fabulous and fit better. Other than that, my indulgences seem to change from month to month.
J - January or July*: Ok, Courtney edited this, and I'm so glad she did because c'mon, there is no real difference between January and February. They are both winter! And summer beats out winter every time. Even with the East Coast's killer humidity.
K - Kids: I have always liked kids well enough. And some I have loved - like cousins and friends' kids and the kids I nannied for. But lately, I have been wanting to eat up every kid I see. I just love hanging out with them. I think I'm going to love being a mom.
L - Life is incomplete without: Seriously - Jesus. I couldn't do life without Him. Unfortunately, that kinda sounds cliche. But honestly, I am constantly dependent on His grace to depend on Him and live through Him for Him. But other than that major all-encompassing thing, life would be incomplete without chocolate, bodies of water, airplanes, cameras, and music.
M - Marriage Date: At this point, I am indifferent . . sort of. All I know and constantly remind myself is that I'm getting closer, because I'm obviously not getting further away. I still don't feel impatient, but when I think about getting older and older, I think "Please God, don't let it be too far away."
N - Number of Siblings: Two. My brother is 23 and my sister is 19. I'm the big sister.
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples. Lots and lots of apples. It's pretty much the only fruit I eat. And I eat it almost every day. With peanut butter. Delicious.
P - Phobias/Fears: I can't think of anything off the top of my head. I am a little afraid of getting assaulted or held up at gunpoint . . a nice newfound fear since moving to a dangerous city.
Q - Favorite Quote: I always see quotes I love, but I don't really have any memorized.
R - Reason to smile: I'll be in Fort Lauderdale with my BFF in less than a week!!
S - Season: Summer. Although my favorite season in D.C. is probably spring or fall, because who likes feeling sweaty all the time??!
T- Tag Three: I want to hear from Morgan at Mama Loves Papa, Miss J at Dolce Vita, and Pink Sun Drops.
U - Unknown Fact About Me: Courtney had a great unknown fact! We can share it because I, too, have absolutely no desire to go into outer space. None. Freaks me out just thinking about it.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Eating meat is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Steak, burgers, chicken, bacon . . my mouth is watering.
W - Worst Habit: Biting my nails. Ugh. I wish I could stop!
X - X-rays or Ultrasounds: So basically the questions is: Broken bones or babies? I'm gonna have to go with babies.
Y - Your Favorite Foods: Tomato and mozzarella. Apples and peanut butter. Salmon and garlic mashed potatoes. Steak and grilled vegetables. Warm cake or brownies with ice cream. Lasagna.
Z- Zodiac: Leo. Another reason to love the summer.
Friday, May 11, 2007
New Girl's decision
This week, New Girl gave her two weeks notice. If you've been reading 'me' for awhile, you'll remember when I met her, when she was in fact "the new girl". She's not only far from 'new' anymore, she's leaving! My initial remarks to hearing this (although I've known it was coming) were blatantly honest and not even remotely kind, although my intention wasn't to be hurtful.
NG: I am so excited to move back to Boston and have friends again!
Me: You could've had friends here, but you didn't try.
My reaction couldn't be more true. Going home to watch tv every night hardly increases your chances of making friends with the horde of co-workers who already love you and want to hang out.
NG: I'm so nervous. This is a big risk.
Me: Yep. I'd be nervous too if I was you.
Also a true statement. She's taking a big risk leaving such an amazing company after just under a year to go live near a boyfriend who won't commit to her and with whom she constantly experiences conflict.
But I know I shouldn't have been so honest. And I get it. I get her decision. I did the same thing when I was a freshman in college. I didn't give it a chance. I didn't make friends. I only missed the friends I left at home (which, mind you, was only an hour away). I counted down the hours until I could drive home for the weekend and see my boyfriend with whom my relationship was very short-lived. Looking back though, I don't regret leaving. I was much happier transferring to a college in the city that I loved and living with the greatest group of girls anyone could ever hope to live with. To be honest, I probably never should've chosen my first school in the first place. But I always would've wondered. And I still wonder. What if I had gotten involved and made friends there? It's a great school and it could've been a great school for me. My best friend went there. We could've made some great memories together, but I left her.
But sometimes we make emotional decisions. And really it all turns out ok. Maybe different than we expected. Maybe it just takes longer to get where we're going. Maybe we even have consequences to pay. But it can all turn out ok. (especially if Jesus has the reins)
And that's what I should've told her.
NG: I am so excited to move back to Boston and have friends again!
Me: You could've had friends here, but you didn't try.
My reaction couldn't be more true. Going home to watch tv every night hardly increases your chances of making friends with the horde of co-workers who already love you and want to hang out.
NG: I'm so nervous. This is a big risk.
Me: Yep. I'd be nervous too if I was you.
Also a true statement. She's taking a big risk leaving such an amazing company after just under a year to go live near a boyfriend who won't commit to her and with whom she constantly experiences conflict.
But I know I shouldn't have been so honest. And I get it. I get her decision. I did the same thing when I was a freshman in college. I didn't give it a chance. I didn't make friends. I only missed the friends I left at home (which, mind you, was only an hour away). I counted down the hours until I could drive home for the weekend and see my boyfriend with whom my relationship was very short-lived. Looking back though, I don't regret leaving. I was much happier transferring to a college in the city that I loved and living with the greatest group of girls anyone could ever hope to live with. To be honest, I probably never should've chosen my first school in the first place. But I always would've wondered. And I still wonder. What if I had gotten involved and made friends there? It's a great school and it could've been a great school for me. My best friend went there. We could've made some great memories together, but I left her.
But sometimes we make emotional decisions. And really it all turns out ok. Maybe different than we expected. Maybe it just takes longer to get where we're going. Maybe we even have consequences to pay. But it can all turn out ok. (especially if Jesus has the reins)
And that's what I should've told her.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The Queen
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Joining that women's political group last summer was totally worth the $25! Not only did I get a fabulous chicken salad sandwich at a luncheon the day I joined, but last week an email came in offering tickets to Queen Elizabeth's arrival ceremony for the first few respondents, and you better believe I was one of them. The only problem was that I didn't have anyone to go with. This meant I would have to make friends.So Monday morning at 7:20am, as I stepped off at the Federal Triangle metro stop, I quickly identified a group of five that were headed to the Southeast Gate of the White House as well. Twenty minutes later, I was being included in some of their photographs as we stood in line waiting for the gates to open. Going early was an excellent idea, because we were among the first 40 people in line with thousands filing in behind us only an hour later. I had worried I might be hidden in a crowd at the ceremony, unable to see a thing, but I got a spot right at the fence and wasn't ten feet away from the Queen and the President as they walked by the Air Force band during the ceremony. It was an awesome experience, but had I been stuck in the back, I doubt it would've been worth the four hours I spent standing.
Unfortunately, I have an ordinary digital camera that took some really crappy pictures including every single picture of the Queen with the sun glaring off of her white skirt suit. The man next to me who promised to email his close-ups hasn't done it so far, but I'm still crossing my fingers. My new friends, however, also have a fancy digital and sent me the link to their shots. Here are a few of my favorites:
Confirming name and ticket number.
South Lawn view.
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Press, of course.
Tuba reflections.
My view was closer :)
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After the ceremony, I spotted my Senator from Nebraska, introduced myself and chatted for a little while.
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The day was gorgeous and the ceremony was . . . fit for a queen.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
on taking what was made for someone else
I love the handicapped stall. Maybe it's because it's so spacious that it almost feels like home. Maybe it's because the seat cover dispenser is right next to the stall - so convenient. Or maybe it's because it's the very last stall in a row of stalls making it much easier to stay discreet. Much harder for someone to see my feet.
Whatever the reason, I almost always choose that stall. And today was no exception.
As I sat there taking care of business, I heard the bathroom door open. Not unusual. Fortunately I wasn't doing anything embarrassing or feet liftable. Suddenly there was a tug at my stall door. As if there weren't at least five other stalls available!
Once the woman realized the stall was occupied, she let out a loud sigh, "SHOOT!"
I couldn't believe it! I understand if someone else likes the handicapped stall, but is it that big of a deal?
Soon I was flushing and ready to face this impatient and very particular stallmate.
But once I opened the door, a wave of guilt came over me. There she sat, waiting in a wheelchair! What if it had been an emergency and I, perfectly capable of using any other stall, had selfishly taken the only stall she could use?! I guess I'll think twice before using that stall again!
Whatever the reason, I almost always choose that stall. And today was no exception.
As I sat there taking care of business, I heard the bathroom door open. Not unusual. Fortunately I wasn't doing anything embarrassing or feet liftable. Suddenly there was a tug at my stall door. As if there weren't at least five other stalls available!
Once the woman realized the stall was occupied, she let out a loud sigh, "SHOOT!"
I couldn't believe it! I understand if someone else likes the handicapped stall, but is it that big of a deal?
Soon I was flushing and ready to face this impatient and very particular stallmate.
But once I opened the door, a wave of guilt came over me. There she sat, waiting in a wheelchair! What if it had been an emergency and I, perfectly capable of using any other stall, had selfishly taken the only stall she could use?! I guess I'll think twice before using that stall again!
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