Thursday, January 31, 2008

(Mi)Stakes on a Plane

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT ON AN AIRPLANE:
(This will join the list of AT A PARTY and AT A CONCERT)

1. Playing your music so loudly that everyone else can hear through your headphones.

2. Clapping along to that music.

3. Being the aisle seat and leaning toward the center seat the entire flight.

4. Sitting in the aisle seat and telling the window seat person to leave the blinds open.

5. Snoring.

6. Opting to forgo a nose-blow and, instead, just constantly sniffing back all of that mucus and occasionally choking it back up.

7. Telling the person sitting next to you, "Something in these pants is making me itchy" (while scratching your legs like a madman)

I Saw Sparks

I had a rough summer. I cried, a lot. I was sick (with the pukes), a lot.
God was seriously rocking me to get my attention...and He did.
My heart was really broken in this process...and I couldn't (fully) express it.
I couldn't talk much about it, I would just begin to cry.

But I did listen to a lot of music...and I did watch a lot of TV.

Now, every time I hear the song "Sparks" by Coldplay, my heart sinks and my eyes well up with tears...I go back to the same feeling I had this summer...That bass line, apparently, is ingrained on the "memory" part of my brain.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I Buy A Book

I buy a book because I like the title.
I buy a book because I like the cover.
I buy a book because I've read other works by that author.
I buy a book because someone else has read other works by that author and enjoyed them.
I buy a book because a magazine I read said it was interesting.
I buy a book because, I think, by reading it, I will be smarter.
I buy a book because, I think, by owning it, I will appear smarter.
I buy a book because, I hope, by reading it, I will be a better youth worker.
I buy a book because, sometimes, the only thing that will make me feel better is the smell of a fresh, unopened book.
I buy a book because I hear that reading can prevent early-onset of Parkinson's.
I buy a book because there is an empty space on my shelf.
I buy a book because I need another "to do" list to cross off.
I buy a book because I love to be lost in a story.
I buy a book because, sometimes, I need a little distraction from what's going on in my own life.
I buy a book because I love to read.
I buy a book because, someday, I hope my kids (and my grandkids) will love to read, too.

Monday, January 28, 2008

My New York Va-KATE-tion, Day Six

Since we had a late night last night (see previous post for details)...we had a late morning today...

Our day began with a visit to Battery Park and a look at the Statue of Liberty. She's a beaut. Here's what she looks like in case you've never seen a picture of her:

To be honest, she was a side stop on our trip to another destination: Chipotle.

Sure, there are Chipotles in Orange County...but how many times can you eat a burritobol between a few Wall Street executives and a homeless woman building her own bol out of the garbage can next to you?

Our lunch conversation was primarily about how much we love Chipotle, and how much I judge people who don't like beans because I'm pretty sure I could eat beans everyday for the rest of my life...beans and cheese, beans and rice--I'm going to wager that I could eat Mexican food everyday for two months and be completely happy...that's why it would be so difficult for me to live in the Midwest (or England)--but that's another story...

After lunch we walked to South Street Seaport...which used to be awesome, but has grown less and less so over the years...It's the New York Docks equivalent of the Laguna Hills Mall. (For example: they have a store in which everything is made out of Sand Dollars.) Katie made friends with this guy:
haha, I wish.

We came back to the hotel and relaxed with some Starbucks and a few good books...

Then, we met up with Matt Jensen down in Little Italy.
This isn't actually Matt Jensen, but Google Image Search results gave me this or a kid swimming with dolphins...and this is funnier. Anyway...my family has always eaten at this restaurant called Puglia, which is totally delicious (the scene in Big Daddy when Adam Sandler takes the girl to the Italian restaurant and the guy is playing the accordion in the background--that's Puglia)...but it was closed "for vacation" until February. So we ate at this place across the street and it was not good. There are very food things that are more disappointing than bad Italian food...now my stomach is full of gross food and I'm a little sad about it...We decided to make amends by visiting Ferrara's (another spot frequented by the vacationing Hibbard family). Turns out, it's also closed.

After dinner we did get to see Matt's work, which was very cool...and then parted ways...
All in all, another very fun day.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

My New York Va-KATE-tion, Day Five

We have had such a fun trip so far, but it seems like the days are just getting better.

We spent most of the day in SoHo. We had lunch at the great place called Mercer. The inside was brick and cement. It was supposed to be hip and trendy...I'd say they are succeeding...they served my french fries in a little garden pot...totally in. (While walking around, we saw Constantine from American Idol)


After lunch, we met up with Brittany Holladay at Starbucks. We sat and chatted a bit...then Katie was cold, so she went to put her scarf on and this man thought we were leaving so he said, "Oh, you're leaving!" and we looked puzzled, but then decided we might as well leave.

We walked around town shopping (Old Navy, American Apparel, Anthropologie) and then, on the way back to the subway, saw a huge photo shoot going on...all these guys painted black...it was very Rolling Stones (evidently, I'm reading some Chuck Klosterman)...and found the Paul Frank store.

Katie is a voracious reader, so she needed to stop and buy a few new books. We went to The Strand. (The slogan is "18 Miles of Books"). We spent almost an hour looking around. Brittany bought nothing. I bought a button (for my mom). Katie bought three books and a bag.

We decided that we should go back to Max Brenner. For four reasons: (1) Brittany said she's been wanting to go there for a while (2) she needs to do a scouting trip for when Sue comes to visit (3) we only really tried one dessert and we should try a few more (4) we were hungry.

So...second trip in two days. We had: Caesar Salad, Minestrone Soup, a pulled-pork crepe...and a few desserts: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Concoction (which I would marry, given the chance), a Chocolate-Banana Pizza (which David and Luke should add to their Pizza Parlor menu), and more "roast your own marshmallow" fondue (which they served with banana bread...seriously?), and an Oreo milkshake (which was, in actuality, milk with Oreos in it, shaken up--Sorry, Dom).

Way too full, we headed back to the hotel to pick up my computer...thinking we'd just take a quick trip to the 24-hour Apple Store and have everything fixed. I was unaware that you need an appointment for the Genius Bar...so, three hours later (after checking emails, searching Amazon.com, playing a game of Spit, making friends with a guy named Jimmy, talking about what tattoos to get...) it was my turn. We had a really friendly "genius" who helped us out very quickly...One new power cord later, and we're good to go.

So...now you are all caught up on our trip...So, how are things with you?

My New York Va-KATE-tion, Day Four

We began Saturday morning lazily enough...laying around, reading books, checking email, slowing getting up...We didn't have much of a plan, so we weren't in a hurry. Then, my computer ran out of battery. No problem, right? Wrong. We plugged it in, tested every outlet in the room--no charge...such a bummer because we were about to have our best day so far.

We had 2 o'clock theatre tickets, and we decided to have some lunch before. While walking through Times Square, we saw the sign for Sardi's (which we both knew from old Hollywood...I Love Lucy, etc), so we decided to try it out.


It was super delicious! We each ate four (or so) of the mini baguettes they served (such great butter), I had Mahi Mahi and a salad, Katie had a salad and garlic shrimp...it was really, really good.

Our waiter, Franco, wrote down every word of our order in perfect handwriting (which took about 10 minutes). He has worked at Sardi's for 57 years. He was absolutely the cutest. He took our picture and it was pretty clear that he'd never used a digital camera before ("Oh wow, a new thing...just press here?")



After lunch, we walked in a Barack Obama parade (he was not there...just a bunch of people chanting "O-bama, O-Eight, New York State!" and carrying signs--my favorite was "Ba-rack the Vote '08"


We saw a matinee of Legally Blonde. The plot was the same as the movie, and the songs were very funny (to go along with the movie, there were songs like: "Bend and Snap", "Gay or European" and "Omigod, Omigod You Guys")


After the musical, we walked back to the hotel to check if the computer would work (so we could look for movie times and directions to our dinner location). No luck...

We got movie times from the front desk and were just in time to catch Untraceable.
A little scary. A little gory. Very suspenseful.


We were happy to get out of the movie a little early so that we could have a few hours to get it off of our minds. We rode down to Union Station and had dinner at a restaurant called Max Brenner (the tag-line is Chocolate by the Bald Man). Katie heard about it from Rachael Ray...as soon as you walk in, it smells like chocolate. The dessert menu is at least seven pages long...and everything looks delicious.)

It was, seriously, one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I had chicken and potatoes. Katie had a chicken crepe. Then we shared some tasty sampler platter of a few things: a peanut butter/chocolate thing (not good), pop rocks in chocolate (also not good), chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream (good, but why waste your time?), and a very fun "roast your own marshmallows" fondue table set. We loved it.


On the way home, we saw Jackie from Roseanne (Laurie Metcalf)...


An amazing day full of firsts...I'm making a list of all of the places that I need to bring my dad back to!

Malfunctions

So, here we are...almost 10pm on a Sunday evening and we are in the Apple Store on 59th waiting for our appointment to see the Genius Bar for my computer.

We had a break-down yesterday...the charger stopped working. Such a bummer!

Our last two days have been more fun than the first three combined! I can't wait to blog all about them...with photos!

If all goes according to plan...tomorrow you will be able to read three new posts about our adventures...

Friday, January 25, 2008

My New York Va-KATE-tion, Day Three

Katie and I had such a relaxing day today.
We spent most of the afternoon at the spa...reading and lounging around...

After the spa, we headed to Rockefeller Center for some lunch.
We ate at the Rock Center Cafe, next to the ice rink and watched the ice skaters for a while...We gave a few of them nicknames based on people we thought they looked like...it was super funny (at least to us).


Shopping. Starbucks. Reading. Naps.

We had dinner tonight with Ryan and Brittany Holladay at Tony's on 43rd (a family-style Italian restaurant in Times Square). It was so fun to catch up and laugh together...

Out of habit, we walked back to the hotel and changed in to pajamas...then we realized we weren't really tired and wanted some dessert...so we got re-dressed and headed back out to get some treats.



I'm 98% sure we saw Lindsay Lohan...We walked past her and I said to Katie, "Do you think that was Lindsay Lohan?" So we turned around to follow her (not to be creepy, or even to talk to her, but just to be sure it was her)...I think she heard us because she started walking really fast and then slowed down to be behind us while hiding her face in her big hood...then she and her friend turned the corner quickly and ran away. I'm going to say that if it hadn't been Lindsay, that girl would have been normal and not run away, right?

Maybe I'm a Jerk

I hate running in to people I went to school with and have fallen out of touch with over the years. I don't know what to say to them because, let's be honest, I want to stand there for about 45 seconds before going on my way, and I don't want to exchange phone numbers or fake promises of lunches because, if it hasn't happened in 10 years, why would we try to make it happen now?* I also stand the chance of saying "Hello" to someone who can't place me...then I have to explain who I am before launching in to "How have you been? Blah, blah, blah." (If you can't even remember me, I'm pretty sure you don't care how I've been.)

With this in mind, I am constantly aware of my surroundings in public places so as not to be taken off-guard by an old friend. I watch ahead and around and, typically, walk down the nearest aisle or hide behind my menu if I see anyone in need of avoiding.

There is one large exception to this rule: Airport Kiosks.
I have a strange hope, every time I'm in an airport, that I will see someone I went to school with working at an airport kiosk. And not just any airport kiosk. I mostly hope I will see these people in small, rural city airport kiosks. When we had a lay-over in Phoenix, I am constantly watching, hoping to see a familiar face selling "Site of the 2008 Super Bowl" shirts. In Indianapolis, I really wanted to purchase some playing cards from the girl who sat behind me in P.E. Oh, and I really wish the guy who handed me a slice of Sbarro in the Newark airport was an OC-escapee.

I know this makes me sound like I wish ill on those I went to school with. I really just think of it as a potentially great twist of fate. Judge me all you want for hoping this happens, but there are few better ways to fill the 45-second run-in than "I'm working at the Chili's On the Run in the Detroit International terminal."

*This is an over-generalization. There are, in fact, a handful of people I went to high school with that, given the chance, I would love to share a meal with and catch-up.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Get Down

Last Saturday night, during our Wildside service, Taffy pulled about 50 students up on stage to dance to "Get Down". We used to sing this song a ton (about 7 years ago), and our drummer from that time (David Hughes) was in the tent...so Taff called him up to sing along.

These were on my camera last night when I downloaded some others, so I thought I would post them. Better late than never.




My New York Va-KATE-tion, Day Two OR The Day Katie and I Almost Got a Waiter Fired

Another freezing day in New York...we're all bundled up, but still pretty chilly.

This afternoon, we had reservations at Serendipity. We ordered lunch (meat loaf and a chicken pot pie). We each had appetizer salads.

When the waiter came to pick up our salad plates, he spilled an entire jar of dressing on the table. He looked at us for a second, not sure what to do. So, he looks at me and says, "Let me have your napkin. I'll bring you another one." (It gets better.) I hand him my napkin and he starts cleaning the dressing mess. Then he looks at Katie for her napkin. She hands it to him, he finishes cleaning up and begins to walk away.

As he's walking away, the manager (this 75-year old woman who smokes, easily, 8 packs a day) begins to scold him. We can't really hear what she's saying, but she talks to him in a rough tone all the way back to the back of the restaurant. Katie's watching and says, "Oh, he's getting in trouble". (It gets better.)

We're sitting for a few minutes and the waiter comes back out to our table. He stops next to me with two new napkins and says,
"Do you think it was wrong for me to clean up the dressing?"
I say, "What?"
He says, "She said I should have taken the dishes to the back and come back to clean it up. I think she's wrong. What do you think?"
I look at Katie, totally unsure what to say.
Katie can't totally understand him because she's on the other side of the table and it's loud in the restaurant and, really, who in their right mind would come out and ask the guests if the manager was wrong to scold him?
So Katie's response is, "Well, it's clean now. So no big deal."
He continues, "Yeah, but do you think I was wrong to clean it when I did? She says I was wrong."
As he's asking this, the manager walks up.
She sees him talking to us, and sees both of our faces in a look of "what the heck is going on here" and she's mad. She comes to our table and says, "Is there a problem here?"

Katie and I say, no. They walk away.
The busboy disappears. We don't see him again until the very end of the meal.
We were pretty sure we had gotten him fired.

So, evidently, it's proper restaurant etiquette to take the dishes to the back before cleaning up a dressing spill on the table. Oh, and you should never ask the patrons for their napkins to do the cleaning.

For dessert, we shared a frozen hot chocolate and a peanut butter hot chocolate. So tasty.



We also made a stop at FAO Schwartz before walking through Central Park and coming back to the hotel for a nap...Such a fun day already!

Oh, Cole.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

My New York Va-KATE-tion, Day One


That's right, I'm in New York with my friend Katie.
Today started really early (a 6:45 flight), but we are ending it in New York, so I think that's worth the loss of a few hours sleep.

After a few flights and a taxi ride, we were in our hotel.
We freshened up and set out for a night on the town.
(Note: It is currently 11pm and I have already been in my pajamas for over an hour...so much for a big night on the town!)

On our walk to dinner, we saw Alan Cummings, whose name I couldn't think of, so I told Katie to turn around because Nightcrawler was behind us.
We had dinner at Dallas BBQ...so tasty...
We shopped at Urban Outfitters, and the Hershey's store (it was just on an episode of Project Runway). It's about 34 degrees, so it's not too bad in a jacket...our hands and faces are pretty cold, though!

Tomorrow we're having lunch at Serendipity!
I know you're jealous, but I'll bring you back something great!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The City of Honesty

If there were a land called HONESTY, and you had to be truthful 100% of the time...
Do you think it would be easier or more difficult to live there than here?
Why?

Monday, January 21, 2008

New Releases

On Regal Cinema's website, you can check out upcoming movies.
They are organized by release date.

The first movie on there has an interesting release date:


Meet you there? Friday night, 1987?

That's Math-tastic!

I just spent a few hours tutoring my cousin in math...
My aunt rolled her eyes at me for saying I think it's stupid that they won't let him use a calculator on tests...

I also got the eye-roll when I said the title of the Math book was super dumb.

You tell me:

You Say...I Only Hear What I Want To...

After months of not hearing this song ("Stay" by Lisa Loeb), I have now heard it almost everyday for a week...
I've heard it on my iPod (shuffle mode), Matt Hall singing it in his office, twice as I've retold the story of Matt Hall singing it in his office, and today at the hair salon.

I care for this song a great deal.
And, I'd like to think that it likes me, which is why it's following me everywhere.

Wildside Bowl '08

Yesterday, the Droopys won the Wildside Bowl.

There have already been posts written on about a dozen blogs, with more to come, I'm sure...but here are my highlights:
  • Hanging with a few "Old School" Droopys (Jordan, Marky--even an appearance by Lips and Omelet)
  • Standing on the sidelines between two great teams, with really fun students, supportive and excited parents and super devoted leaders (not to mention my co-leaders).

  • David's pre-game "inspirational speech" ending with a 1-2-3 "That's too many letters" team cry.
  • Our students...I'm sure it helped that we won every game (by quite a bit), but they were such a team--cheering, laughing, encouraging--passing, intercepting, pulling flags...it was so fun to watch
  • Mark's outfit (I walked away one vest richer)
  • Virus' dance moves, General's harmonica playing
  • The Kurt look-alike
  • David's frustration when Black and Gold lost
  • Ali's face in this picture
I'll admit, I used to hate the Wildside Bowl...but this year, I loved every minute...I wish we had another this year!

If You Want to Buy Me a Gift...


I would like this boxed set of Harry Potter books...

You might be asking, "Allison, you already own three copies of each book (hardback, paperback, British-adult), why do you need another set?"

Well, for the same reason I own four different Complete Works of Shakespeare.
There really is no need...

Sunday, January 20, 2008

CHEESE POETRY PART 2

MY AUNT GINA:
If asked if I'd like some cheese,
I would have to say, no, please.
I'm not a big fan
if it comes in a can,
So please don't give me some cheese.

MY COUSIN THATCHER:
Cheese cheese the magical dairy,
it looks pretty good except when its hairy,
I love it so much, it smooth to the touch,
It's orange and yummy and creamy.
My mom loves McDreamy.

TYLER S:
Mac and cheese

This is a story
about good ole macaroni,
who wasn't very boney,
but felt like he was missing something
So he went to the hissing cheese,
and said
"We should join forces,
but never get multiple divorces.
The cheese replied
"Only if you reside with me,
then I'll take it in stride.
Thus, they were wed,
but much later were ate with bread.
That was the end of the macaroni and cheese.

CHEESE POETRY PART 1

MY MOM:
If you're trying to please me, it's really a breeze,
just whip out a big plate of fresh fruit and cheese.
Oh big salads--just load them with crumbles of bleu...on crackers, I'd rather have Gouda, it's true.
In Paris dessert is Jack, Swiss or Cheddar. But I have to admit, chocolate cake sounds much better.

ZACH Z:
Dear Mister cheese
honestly how do u do it?
your bright colors
your wonderful smell
i would love to know how to make you
but the cheese-creator wouldn't tell

i love your hospitality
you let anyone eat you
i always feel you warmness
especially on nachos
everyone knows its true

dear mister cheese
thanks for all your wonderful snacks
cheese-it's
nachos
bagels with cream-cheese..
your cheesy goodness never lacks

dear mister cheese
once again i formally
say thank you
i love you
we can be best friends forever
through thick and thin
ill be here for you.
(with an open mouth)


sincerely (with the utmost respect)
Zach Z

CHASE M:
Cheese, Cheese is delicious
You can put it on anything and it will taste delicious
You can melt it
or just eat it plain
So that is my poem about cheese,
its not very good
but at least i tried

CHASE THE DRUMMER:
this is a poem about cheese,
yeah you heard me, cheese.
i do not know how to rhyme,
so get back to me another time.

DEVON:
dear cheese: how i love you

this is a poem,
dedicated to a cheese called gouda,
this cheese was a favorite,
of a man named Buddha,
this cheese is the source of the fat he has,
you think i am mean, you think i am crude huh?
nope, i just state the facts,
of course he ate it so, is was his favorite food duh!!
he also write poems and songs about cheese,
but when speaking in crowds he only gets booed,
a great man he was for speaking his feelings,
if still alive he'd be my favorite dude uhhhhhh,
so when you see those statues,
of a little man nude uh,
just think of the man,
that we all call Buddha,
think of this man,
and his favorite cheese gouda...
alice this is for you..


WRITE YOUR POEM ABOUT CHEESE!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Way To Go Amazon.com

This is a brilliant ad campaign:


Cheese Forgive Me, I Can't Stop Loving You

I read on my friend's blog that there is a shortage of cheese poetry in the world.
I've decided to make a dent in the deficit.
So, I challenged about twenty students to write poems about cheese.

So far, Kayla has posted!

I will re-post or link to each here for all to enjoy.

Here's my contribution:

For an afternoon snack, I am easy to please
I'm completely content with a nice block of cheese
Cheddarella? My favorite! Though I also like String,
On a fresh deli sandwich, some Goat cheese is the thing
Macaroni and cheese, I like more than the rest,
And the specially-shaped noodles hold the cheese mix the best.


Okay...your turn!

TS, you're welcome.

Proverbs 22:6

As I sat in our Student Leadership meeting tonight looking around the room at students...some that I've spent a lot of time with, others whose families I know, and still others that I've really only heard stories of...

As I listened to the way they answered questions about spiritual disciplines, watched as they spent eight minutes in silent prayer, and thought about what it must be like to be a parent, a Bible verse popped in to my head. I didn't know the reference, but I know the verse by heart from a cassette I had as a kid to help memorize verses through song.

Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it."


I've seen kids who grow up in the church and then, as adults, walk away from their faith claiming that it was "forced upon them" or they were "brainwashed" into Christianity.

I have to be honest, this, in itself, makes me slightly nervous to have children. I understand that God plays the biggest role in life-change, and that, as a parent, we are merely to do our part and allow God to take over...

How does one raise a child to, at 12 years old, articulate his faith in the one true God?
How does one instill in a child the basic needs of others and cultivate compassion?
Where does the balance lay between "laying a biblical foundation" and "too much church"?
How does a parent "train up a child"?
Is there any guarantee that "he will not depart from it"?

I am years away from having children...but I'm guessing it's never too early to begin learning to be a good parent...

My Friend Cole

Has a blog...

You should check it out!

Two Things I Learned This Week

1. 30% of Botox usage is in cosmetic enhancement...70% is to help increase muscle strength in people with diseases like muscular dystrophy.

2. When you ask Junior High students what they've learned this week, 3 out of 5 will mention something about math.


What did you learn this week?

Thursday, January 17, 2008

They're Grrrr-rrrey!

I got all the way to Target this morning before realizing I was definitely under-dressed for the weather...So I bought a new shirt and jacket while shopping for weekend supplies.

All day I kept noticing that my hands were dirty...it was really weird. I washed my hands probably a dozen times, and every time the water would turn gray.

I put some pajamas on when I got home and finally put two-and-two together.
The new shirt I had purchased was leaking dye on my hands...my armpits are completely gray from the stupid dye. It's actually really funny-looking.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Both Sides of a Gun Barrel

In a brief read of The Best American Non-Required Reading 2007, I came across a story about a boy who grew up in a rough neighborhood and (I will leave out the main plot details in case you want to read it) came to be a great man by following the lessons of his father instead of his friends. "Both sides of a Gun Barrel" by D. Winston Brown.

In the last few paragraphs, I stumbled upon this sentence:
"[...]what a society fractures in its sons is something only a father can heal."

I read it over and over (probably 25 times) and thought: this is a huge part of why I am such a strong believer in youth ministry, in the church, in Christ.

Because in all reality... What a society fractures in its sons and daughters is something only the Father can heal.

Two Things I Hate

ONE: Answering machines that say, "Hey, it's me...you know what to do"

TWO: When people catch blown kisses

I've Got A Bad Case of Lovin' You

Just what the Doctor ordered...
I'm a Pepper, He's a Pepper...
Dr. Pepper you're a part of me...

I really enjoy a frosty Dr. Pepper every now and again...

However, I really would prefer it to be room temperature. I think the flavor is so much stronger when it's warm.

And, lo and behold, the creators also think Dr. Pepper can be tasty warm:

I Want My New TV

I've been cleaning up my Tivo for the last few days...I love TV.

I know that makes me sound nothing short of ignorant, but I really love TV.

And I love Math. And I love reading. And I love to write. I really like to find common root-words and uncover more about definitions...it makes me love language even more. (DISC-iple, DISC-ipline, DISC-over)

All that to say...I love TV.
I could sit in front of the TV for days...and be quite content. Give me a big bottle of water and some TV on DVD that I've never seen...I'm set.

Honestly though, I'm really ready for the writer's strike to be over. I'd like to have new Smallville, LOST, The Office...

As it is, Amazing Race will end next week...and there are very few Gossip Girl, October Road, Grey's Anatomy coming...

I know that I don't fully understand the hold-out on the strike...but if they asked my opinion, I would say PAY THEM. Pay them whatever they want...please write new shows.

This is why I had to write about the "smart" things I love as well...so I don't look like a pathetic imbecile who just watches TV because she's too dumb to read, imagine or create anything else.

Monday, January 14, 2008

I <3 Technology

We are changing the time of my JH small group to accommodate a change in soccer schedules...this change begins tomorrow.

So, I just text each of my 9 girls and two co-leaders to remind them of the change.

So far (within 1 minute) 4 of the 11 have text me back...but I know all of them got it.

Seriously, how great is technology!?

Sunday, January 13, 2008

More Thoughts From Grey's Anatomy

"We get bigger, we get taller, we get older, but--for the most part--we're still a bunch of kids, running around the playground, trying to fit in."

It's funny to me how often I forget that I'm supposed to be a grown-up.

David Hughes Party Mix

So...on the way to Chi Alpha, David Hughes put a bunch of songs on my iPod for the car ride. I found this "Party Mix" about a week ago.

Here are a few of the highlights:

"Road to Recovery" by Rick Muchow
"My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
"Stand Out" from The Goofy Movie
"Since I Met You" by DC Talk
"Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh

David...this playlist is hilarious.
Thank you for bringing consistent laughter to my day.

Wildside Loves Students...and Students Love Wildside

This weekend, our services were very fun...

We had a student co-run one of the games at each service.
Zack blogged about it...read it here.

This morning, Chase (our drummer) sang "All About Love" with us.
He blogged about it, too...read it here.

We had about 30 students in the choir last night...singing and dancing. And, even still, the crowd's singing seemed to be louder than theirs...

Such a great weekend!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Maynard & Jennica

The book I'm reading tonight is called Maynard and Jennica.
I'm barely 1/3 of the way in...it's cute...not captivating, yet.

One of the sentences I read tonight makes me kinda love it, though:

"[...]but I don't think my life is as sad as, like, Wuthering Heights, or Love in the Time of Cholera, or Dave Eggers, or whatever."

I love that Dave Eggers is thrown in with two classic novels.
Way to go Dave...if only all of your books were as strong as Heart-Breaking Work...

Dream a Little Dream of McDreamy

I'm re-watching Grey's Anatomy.

"It was a short kiss; like a habit...like something we would do everyday for the rest of our lives."

One of the most emotional episodes and this is the line that gets me choked up.

He really is McDreamy.

Alone-ly? Not Me.

I really enjoy being alone.
Don't get me wrong, I love to hang...to be loud, to laugh, to go out and be.

But I do love some alone time, too.

I love to come home, put on some pajamas, and turn on the TV.
I love to have a bowl of ice cream or a glass of chocolate milk.
I love reading blog posts, writing posts, checking email, checking myspace.

I love not having to make conversation.

I love crawling in bed with a book and a water bottle...and reading until I can't keep my eyes open anymore.



What do you do when you spend some time alone?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Eat Your Heart Out Olivia Newton-John



Tuesday morning, I went running around the lake by my house. I am new to the whole running thing, but it felt really good to get out and exercise.

Yesterday, I set my alarm to get up, but I was so sore from the one day of running that I opted to sleep in.

Today, I went rollerskating around the lake instead. I passed a ton of people who did not know what to do with the skates...They were talking to each other and laughing at me....then they would smile at me as if they hadn't just been laughing. I also passed a group of young construction workers who stared at me as though I had three eyes...

I loved how awkward it made everyone feel...It was so funny to me...
I'm thinking about making it a regular event...please let me know if anyone ever tells you they some "some girl rollerskating around the lake"...

Design Team

Tonight was our Wildside Weekend Design Team Meeting.
We run a Design Team meeting to program our upcoming series...all of the weekend leaders and JH staff are invited to have dinner and give ideas for the various pieces of the services (everything from videos to prizes, message enhancers to dramas).

Our new series is called "I <3 Technology"...so the Design Team was a little different than normal...

Jaime set it up for everyone had their own laptop logged in to three different "group chats" that were projected up on to the wall, each corresponding to one of the weekend lessons.

It was a little shaky at the start, but ended up being very fun. Way to go Jaime!




Wednesday, January 09, 2008

I Said Reading Is Good, Can We Start the Story Now...

These are all of the unread books on my "to read" shelves.
There are 41 total.
Currently, I'm reading PDYM (whenever possible), Maynard and Jennica (before bed), The Best American Non-Required Reading 2007 (in the bathroom), IV (whenever I'm not reading PDYM--I carry this one in my purse) and Irresistible Revolution (every-other day).

I have quite a way to go, but I am hopeful that I will get to the bottom of this stack eventually...It's a shame that I continue to buy more before finishing these.

iLove My Dad

Last Christmas my dad bought me an iPod Shuffle.
In the shuffle (pun intended) of moving out, I misplaced it.


Yesterday, my dad stopped by my house with a surprise: a new iPod shuffle.
He said that he knew I had been looking for mine and wanting to use it...

He's the best!

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

I'm Totally Famous

Yep! I'm in Group magazine this month...that's me...with the blond ponytail.
Doesn't it look just like me? Holding a cheeseburger and raising my hand in exaggerated, captivating conversation...