Tuesday's Heartache

Today I am aching to be in London.

When I woke up this morning, my first thought was I wish I were in London.

Getting dressed, doing my hair...I thought about being in London.

I typed LONDON in to Google Images to change my desktop background and I could feel my insides tense a little at the pictures...wanting to be walking in that city, not looking at a photo of it from across the world.

Don't get me wrong; I love my job. I love where I'm at right now and what God's doing...I just wish I could pick it all up and move it to London. My same everything, just in a different city...and with my friends here and my friends there. One big happy Allison universe.

So, just FYI, that's what's on my heart today.

Harry Potter Theme Park

Can this be true?
How exciting is this!?

Harry Potter Theme Park

I can't wait!

I shot the Mish

In her butt.

Mish has a medicine that she takes every night via syringe in her butt cheek. Tonight, since Matt McGill was at small group, I got the honor of administering the shot.

It was a successful injection. Anyone else need me to put something in their butt? (ewww...that sounds pretty sick)

RE: September 12, 2006

A few months back, I wrote a post about September 12, 2006 and all of the amazing things that were happening that week. I thought that tonight would be a perfect night to review each of those items.

Katie's Birthday: Katie, Amanda and I spent the afternoon at Burke Williams Spa. It was my first time at a place like this; aside from the 100% naked lady with her butt in my face, I enjoyed the visit. My facial was great and the quiet room was quite enjoyable.

Justin Timberlake Album: I have to say, I don't love it as much as I love (present tense) Justified. I do enjoy Sexy Back and Losing My Way. All in all, I will absolutely purchase any future Justin albums...and I am on alert from Ticketmaster in case he is coming in concert.

John Mayer's Continuum Album: Not only do I enjoy this album, but so does Matt Jensen. John Mayer has been a source of argument since the day that our relationship began. I enjoy listening to Room for Squares and Heavier Things. Matt: not so much. I purchased 2 tickets to see John Mayer/Sheryl Crow and Matt felt inclined to listen to the new album so he would be prepared to see John. Turns out, he loves it. It has been on repeat in his car for about 2 weeks.

Smallville Season 5: I am 2 discs short of finishing this season and beginning the current Season (6), but I have cried at the last 3 episodes I've watched. Darn this show for being so moving...who would've thought? Clark Kent fighting meteor-infected teens doesn't scream tear-jerker, but I have not only teared up, I have red-eyed, stuffy nosed cried at the last 3. I'm hoping it maintains this level of greatness, but moves to a few lighter issues. (I can't tell you what I've cried at, in case people have yet to see these episodes and are planning to.)

So, September 12th was a good day for purchases. I enjoyed all 4 things I paid for.

Chocodile Mile

I am currently covered in small spots of chocolate. Jeans, sweatshirt, shoes, arms: all spotted. Small spots, but spots nonetheless.

What is this pattern from, you might be asking? The Chocolate Slip and Slide, of course.

Each October, (this is the 3rd year) Wildside hosts CHOCtober (all Chocolate--games, prizes--during the month of October).
And, each year we do a Chocolate Slip and Slide. It is 50 feet of visquine (not to be confused with visqueen) running down the center aisle of the tent; yes, this all happens indoors.

We smother the visquine with chocolate syrup and baby shampoo. This was a step-up from last year's baby oil (which apparently may cause blindness) and chocolate milk (which, when mixed with the baby oil, stains clothing...and makes a HUGE mess when it slithers its way off of the visquine and in to the flooring).

We then suit up 4 students (full pant-suit poncho) and send them outside to get a running start for the slide. (NOTE: we have placed a small gym mat under the "landing" of the slide, so students do not get too hurt.)

This weekend, in 4 services, we had 22 students slide. 22 students, 3 Doug Elliotts, and 1 Dave McTaggart...

Seriously amazing stuff. Hopefully we'll have video in a week or so!

Logan Taylor

My cousin, Logan, was nominated for Homecoming Court at THHS.

I had no idea he was so popular. He's a really cool kid (senior) and loves his mom and brother...He plays soccer and has pretty good grades (from what I hear). All around, he'd be my pick for King.

I'm so proud of him!

My Favorite Restaurants in the World #10

Today's delicious tip comes all the way from London, but can also be found in Manhattan.

Pret A Manger. (Pret, for short).

The most appetizing part of this place is the affordable price for amazing food. It is a fancy cafeteria style restaurant. You walk in and pick up what you'd like to eat and then pay for it at the counter.

May I recommend a few favorites:
*Tuna and Cucumber (although, this is not as delicious in the States...our cucumbers have a different taste).
*Egg Mayo (not a choice for me, but Matt loves it)
*Holiday Sandwich (around Thanksgiving/Christmas--turkey dinner on a baguette)

You can purchase a sandwich, chips and a soda all for around 5 pounds.

They are all over Central London and spread over New York City.
Try it, you'll like it!

Rain

I love the rain. I own quite a few hats because they are my favorite article of rainy day clothing...My pink boots run a close second.

Tonight, as Matt and I worked on party supplies and chatted with his parents, there was a sudden downpour. It was amazing. I stood at the door for a minute and watched, it was raining so hard. In those moments I just want to go outside, in all of my clothes, and kiss someone while the credits role. It made me think of the scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's. In the end, when Holly is out looking for her cat and it is pouring rain and Fred finds her and they know they are meant to be together.

It also made me think of all of the songs with RAIN in them:

"Here Comes the Rain Again"--Eurythmics
"Flood"--Jars of Clay ('Rain, Rain on my face')
"Enough is Enough"--Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer ('It's raining, it's pouring, my love-life is boring me to tears')
"Rainy Days and Mondays"--Carpenters
"Come Clean (Let the Rain Fall Down)"--Hilary Duff

Can you name some more?

Last Night

We went to Kinko's (twice), Two different Big Lots!, Three Targets, Party America, Trader Joe's, Staples, and Wal-Mart...
All of this was for the swag bags for my birthday party. All between the hours of 3:30 and 10.

If you have not RSVPed yet, please do so...as you will not want to miss out on the brilliance that is this party.
Also, I do not want to spend unneeded amounts of money to provide food and swag for your unattending butt.

Countdown: 7 days

Guilty Pleasures #5

Knowing almost every line of every episode of all 10 seasons of FRIENDS.
I love being able to say the punch-line out loud before it comes.

By the way, I typed this entire post with only one hand.

Austin Revisited

As a whole Austin was not a terrible place: relatively clean, not too many cowboy boots, decent service, no tumbleweeds.

Will I be revisiting anytime soon? Not a big chance, no.

I'd happily revisit my memories from this past trip:

1) Arriving at Kurt's 8:00 session only to find that he was not there...Calling Matt Hall at 8:02 and waking them up. They ran around like crazy to make it by 8:15...and Kurt apologized about a half-dozen times for being late.

2) Watching Katie speak...and taking notes about ways I can improve the way I do ministry...with both JH girls and our adult leaders.

3) Taking a long afternoon nap in a huge comfy bed...

4) Watching the "performance dance worship" duo in the exhibit hall.

5) The club called The Cockpit. Somehow when I am on vacation with Kurt and Katie we pass a rainbow plastered club (or 2).

6) Dinner at TGI Fridays, the bat bridge, Oh Heck...pretty fun Saturday night.

We did not take any pictures. So sorry...
We had a great time and I came back with a list of small things I hope to implement to make our ministry even better!

My Favorite Restaurants in the World #9

Well. Here we are again. I am so sorry about the delayed blogging. I have been having a rough time with my sleeping patterns.
All that will change, hopefully soon.

Had I blogged on Saturday, as I was supposed to, this would have been my post.

Favorite Restaurant: Iron Works BBQ, Austin, TX

This was actually the first of three BBQ places we tried in Austin. It was delicious. I had a 1/2 chicken and corn on the cob. Oh, and Coke in the bottle. All for about $10. Not too shabby.

My friends had the steak and the pork...they loved it.

The place sits on the river. Big porches, open walls, giant cold wind fans...It was a really cool (no pun intended) atmosphere.

Check it out when you are in Austin...

if they asked me, I could write a book

This weekend I have been really thinking about writing a book.

I have a few different options in my head for topics...but I think the basic feel would be 1001 Books to Read Before You Die or The Best 100 Books for our Generation; but very little like these two.

And I know this might be unprofessional of me, but I would NOT put old epic novels on my list. I hated The Odyssey...I hated Once and Future King. (Granted, I read them when I was 13, so my opinion of them could be different now...but I don't think I would re-read them...ever...I have such a terrible taste in my mouth from those books.)

I have been semi-searching Google and Amazon.com for a list or book that is at all similar to the feel of my upcoming bestseller...and my searches have lead to nothing. It seems highly unlikely that a book of this nature has gone unwritten for so long.

Katie Edwards says she will purchase and read this book; even if it is about vaginas or helicopters or worship through dance...three things my books will definitely not include, so she should be at the very least slightly entertained.

If anyone has any connections to non-GROUP non-ZONDERVAN publishing companies, let me know.

I'm batty about Austin

So there are about a 1/2 million bats that live under "Bat Bridge" in Austin, TX...and we are staying at the Raddison that is on that bridge.

We're heading out to see it tonight around 7 o'clock. I am very excited, but also slightly nervous that I might be swarmed and bitten and transformed in to a vampire. Matt Hall insists that things of that nature only happen in Transylvania...but I would say a bat's a bat.

Austin has been fun. Someone told me it was a cross between New York and Orange County...I would say it is exactly as I expected Texas to be; with fewer mechanical bulls and cowboy boots.

Stay tuned for more...

Austin, TX

All my bags are packed I'm ready to go...

I'm on my way to Austin for the weekend. For Youth Specialties #1.
My friends/coworkers Katie and Kurt are teaching two times each...

This will be the second of three trips this year to cities I have never before been to...Chicago, Austin, Seattle.

I'll update if possible...but stay tuned for Favorite Restaurants, etc. when I return.

Guilty Pleasures #6

Fonts.

I love fonts.

I love to name them, to pick them out, to quiz my friends, to pick and match them for slides and papers.

All around, the best.

I know I'm a nerd when I walk down the aisles of Target and say "Oh! I have that font, it's UNIVERSAL FRUITCAKE...or those dingbats are OIL CRISIS A," but I can't help it...the knowledge is there, why not share it?

I guess this begs the question: what's your favorite font?

Childhood memories

How old were you when you learned the meaning of the word hemophiliac?
I was in 2nd grade.

You see, there was this guy. A sixth grader named Dwight* (*note: names, other than my own, have been changed to protect the jerks who got me in to trouble). He was in Mr. Smith's class (that's actually his name, because there are lots of Mr. Smiths...some of whom are probably quite kind-hearted, this Mr Smith was not).

There was also this girl. We'll call her Phyllis*. She was in 3rd grade, and we were friends.

One day at recess, Phyllis and I were throwing these little peach pit-looking seeds from the tree on the playground. It began innocently enough, but then it progressed. That's where Dwight enters. He threw one (in a flirtatious way) at Phyllis. She threw one back. This continued for a few minutes...it was all laughing and enjoyment until I joined in.

Phyllis told me to hide around the corner and throw one when Dwight came by. (She would get him to chase her in my direction). Little did they know I had the arm of Randy Johnson

So, I crouch down, ready aimed...Phyllis comes racing by, and then Dwight. I heaved that small boulder in his direction, much as David did Goliath. The next thing I know Dwight's face is covered in blood and tears (no sweat, though he was running around).

Of course I got in trouble. Jerky Mr. Smith yelled at me (a 2nd grader) in front of the whole 6th grade class. THEN, they almost made me skip watching the 6th grade presentation of "The Sound of Music". THEN they called my parents.

My mom picked me up from school and asked me to tell her the story. I told her Phyllis made me do it. I bet you can guess what she said "If she told you to jump off a bridge, would you?" I didn't respond, but in hindsight, I probably would have.

When my dad came home he asked me to reenact the scene. I pointed at the radio on the bathroom sink and told him that was the distance between me and Dwight. His response?: "What if he were a hemophiliac?" (A word my little 7-year-old brain had never heard.) I said "A what?" He began to explain to me what it was as I cringed inside thinking I could have killed this boy with my amazing pitching arm.

When I brought this story up to Matt Jensen yesterday, he told me that my response to my dad should have been "Dad, I don't think his parents would let him go to public school if he were a hemophiliac!"

Dinkin Flicka

I just saw a commercial for the upcoming movie Flicka...
All I could hear in my head was "Dinkin Flicka" or is it "Dink and Flicka"...
Either way, I would never name my movie Flicka...

My friends were married today

It was a very fun day to be a part of. I have known the bride since we were 12.
I met the groom a few years ago, before they began dating.

I cried during the wedding...thinking that we are officially grown-ups, the first of our group to get married...crazy.

Then, during the reception (following a Chipotle-catered dinner) I talked to the bride and cried again. I couldn't hold it in. I was so happy for her, so overwhelmed at the feeling of her being married, a wife.

When we were leaving, I walked over to say goodbye to the groom...while saying my Congratulations, so happy for you, etc...I began to tear up again.

It was such a fun Sunday!

Real Google Searches that Lead Here: Vol 3

Eric Putman
"bring a tear to a glass eye" dictionary
Kitale Club, Kitale, Kenya
"jenna fischer"
"the office" "josh peters" krasinski
michael chabon
your not wanting a frappuccino
austin carty girlfriend

On the Wildside page:
pooed pants school

Who Googles this stuff?