Things I Love

I haven't done one of these posts in quite sometime and lately I have been really loving some things so I thought it was about time.

First off...



This is my new favorite movie. It was just such a beautiful expression of what music can do to people. And it wasn't typical. I just loved it and would suggest renting it. Not to mention buying the soundtrack. I had to buy it right after I watched the movie because I was so in love with Glen Hansard's voice and song writing.







I'm no Rachel Ray in the kitchen and chopping is not my forte by any means. But I got this little genius invention for Christmas and I love it. It's handy for everything...I even used to to cut up chicken the other night and it was perfect. My only complaint is that it's a bit tedious to clean...but I say it's worth it to get such nicely chopped veggies.





This is a great CD. The song writers (Ryan Post, Evan Savage, and others) are really talented. I think it will be interesting to see what happens with them. It's a really great CD but hard to get a hold of right now because they're only selling it at Eastview in Bloomington. You can listen to a few tracks though. www.fuel242.com. It says it's live...but I'm not sure how true that is. I'm sure some is live but from what I can hear most of it was done in a studio. I could be wrong though. Either way, it's a great listen.





iGoogle is go great. Everything you need all in one place. Mine has news, weather, my google calendar, my gmail, google talk, and of course an RSS feed from people.com.





I just got a new work computer and in the process of switching over I had a big scare. I thought I lost all of my pictures...over 1000 pictures...4 years worth. I was able to recover them but because of that I decided to get a Flickr account so I could keep my photos backed up with their original size. For $25 a year you have unlimited storage and it has really user friendly photo correction stuff. I think it's great. Check out my page.





This is hands down the best gym I have ever been to. I love it so much and I actually like going there to work out. It's pretty sweet. They have a state of the art cardio studio, state of the art weight training equipment, a seven lane lap swimming pool, a warm water therapy pool, and my favorite part...separate whirlpool, sauna, and steam room in the locker rooms.

So there ya have it. Things I love so far this year. And it's only February!

Booyah!

Yeah...that's right. I said booyah. I'm going to Vegas in February. I'm so dang excited. I have not been on a real vacation in years. Like literal years. Needless to say, I can't wait.

In other news, I have this weird habit of getting into sports during playoff time. Normally, I could care less about baseball, but for some reason I always watch all the playoff stuff. And now it's happening with football. It's such a strange thing. Part of could be how awesome the games look on my TV!

Well, anyway...this is a pretty pointless blog. I promise someday soon I'll write something with some substance.

So this is the new year...

...and I don't feel any different.

I love that Death Cab for Cutie song...and those lyrics just sum up this year. I had plans for this year. Somehow they got away from me. So here I am making plans in my head for 2008 wondering if I will be singing the same song next year at this time. I can only pray that I rise above.

'Wake up o sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.'

So this is the New Year.
And I don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance

So this is the New Year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions

So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogues bleed into one

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speedtrains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that can hold us back.

Yet another post with no substance!

Yes...sometimes I get bored a fill out surveys and this one was fun.

1.) When you walk in your front door, which room do you enter?
Living Room

2.)Do you have a dishwasher?
No...I miss having one a lot.

3.) Is your living room carpeted or does it have hardwood floors?
Hardwood

4.) Do you keep your kitchen knives on the counter or in a drawer?
Drawer

5.) House, apartment, duplex or trailer?
House that is an apartment

6.) How many bedrooms is it?
2

7.) Gas stove or electric?
Gas -- That is broke for the second time in a month.

8.) Do you have a yard?
A small one in back.

9.) What size TV is in the living room?
Small...but getting a new one for Christmas!

10.) Are your plates in the same cupboard as your cups?
Why yes they are.

11.) Is there a coffee maker sitting on your kitchen counter?
Not on the counter...on a shelf.

12.) What color is your kitchen?
Red

13.) What room is your computer in?
It's a laptop...wherever I want it.

14.) Are there pictures hanging in your living room?
Yes

15.) Are there any themes found in your home?
Sorta...Teal and Red throughout the house.

16.) What kind of laundry detergent do you use??
Right now Gain

17.) Do you use dryer sheets??
Yes...I need to buy some though....see, good think I'm filling this out.

18.) Do you have any curtains in your home?
Yes...still need some more though.

19) What color is your refrigerator?
White

20.) Is your house clean??
Not as clean as I'd like it.

21.) What room is the most neglected?
My bedroom, for sure.

22.) Are the dishes in your sink/dishwasher clean or dirty?
There aren't any in the sink right now.

23.) How long have you lived in your home?
Moved in June 1st.

24.) Where did you live before?
With the Pokel's in a little apartment above their garage. It was kinda fun.

25.) Do you have one of those fluffy toilet lid covers on your toilet?
Absolutely not.

26.) Do you have a scale anywhere in your house?
No

27.) How many mirrors are in your house?
4

28.) Look up. What do you see?
ceiling fan

29.)How many rooms in your house?
6

30.) Do you have a garage?
Yes but it's filled with my landlords stuff.

31.) What style construction is the house?
I don't know...old.

32.) How many closets does it have?
4

33.) How many levels?
Well the house is 4...my apt is 1.

34.) Are you planning on moving anytime soon?
Hope not. I love this place.

This made me happy!

Which Office Character Are You?
	You are Pam. You are sweet and likable, but your shyness makes it hard for you to express yourself sometimes. Regardless, you are always there for your friends and will usually come out of your shell to help anyone.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Great Day

I am so tired and so sore right now but it was totally worth it.

The creative arts team decided to take a day and get away from the office so we went to Devil's Lake to do some hiking. I thought I was going to hate it but it turned out to be one of the best days I've had in a really long time. It was just so beautiful up there. A lot of the leaves had already fallen, but it was still spectacular.

When I found out we were going I wasn't super excited because I didn't think I'd like it because of my fear of heights and stuff. Well...turns out I LOVED it. I wasn't as scared about going up as I was about coming down we took what my boss said was an 'easy' trail. Turns out it wasn't and to top it off we got off the trail and ended up climbing down these huge rocks. I was scared out of my mind and my legs were shaking like crazy. But with the help of my team, I made it down! It was just a really good feeling. We also went to an arcade in the Dells and had some fun too. It was just a really great day. I also just feel so blessed to be able to work where I do and with the people I do. It's wonderful.

And now I'm sitting by my first fire of the year thawing out from our cold day waiting for my favorite Italian place to deliver some food. What a great day.

Here's some pics of the beauty!

So this is gross...

My start up page is MSN.com and all day I have seen this blurb about the 12 germiest places and was really trying to avoid reading it because I knew it would be gross. Well, I broke down and read it...curiosity got the best of me. And yes, it was gross. But I was also really shocked by some of the 12 places. The most shocking place: Transferring wet laundry to the dryer. I won't put the details here in case you're like me and are tyring to avoid knowing...but if you do want to know, here's the link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21423163/

Lazy Saturday

I'm pretty bored and having nothing important to say...so I haven't done one of these in a lonnnnnggg time. Here we go.

1. What bill do you hate paying the most? Rent
2. Where's the best place to eat a romantic dinner? In Beloit? Probably Cafe Belwah.
3. Last time you puked from drinking? Never
4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar? Never
5. Name of your 2nd grade teacher? Mrs. Short
6. What do you really want to be doing right now? I want to be at an orchard.
7. What did you want to be when you were growing up? A teacher
8. How many colleges did you attend? Just one. LCC
9. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now?My house is freezing it's hoodie weather!
10. GAS PRICES First thought? I just deal with it.
11. If you could be anywhere and take someone with you...Who & where? An orchard with Lan.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? I didn't have to set it this morning.
13. Last thought before going to sleep last night? I hope this works out.
14. What chore do you despise? Folding laundry.
15. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer at an art gallery? Sure
16. Get up early or sleep in? Sleep in.
17. What is your favorite cartoon character? Simba
20. Favorite NON sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy? Star gaze.
21. A secret that you wouldn't mind everyone knowing? Not falling for that.
22. Are you planning on remaining in your current field? I have no idea.
23. If you are not married, do you see yourself married in the next five yrs? I sure do hope so.
24. Your favorite lunch meat? Roast Beef
25. What do you get every time you go into a Wal-Mart? Gum
26. Beach or lake? Lake
27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual that was invented by people who died at 20?no
28. Who do you stalk on MySpace? no one.
29. Favorite guilty pleasure? US Weekly/People Mag
30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about? Princess Diaries
31. What's "your" drink? Diet Coke
32. Cowboys or Indians? Cowboys
33. Cops or Robbers? Dumb question
34. Do you fall for the bad boy type? not typically.
35. What Hollywood star do you think resembles you best? I don't think anyone.
36. If you had to pick one, which cast member of Lost would you be? Kate...she gets both hot guys.
37. What do you want when you are sick? Sleep...be home.
38. Who from high school would you like to run into? Dave...and I do run into him...so that's nice.
39. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now? 100.9
42. Norm or Cliff? Norm. Cliff is a douche.
43. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons? I LOVE the Cosby Show
44. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back? n/a
45. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work? haha...no
46. If you could get away with it, whom would you kill? No one.
47. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? Zach Braff
48. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose? no
49. Last book you read for real? Dry - Agusten Burroughs
50. Do you have a teddy bear? Yep...Rudy. He's in my hope chest.
51. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth? Probably Cornerstone
52. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? The Redwoods
53. Number of texts in a day? Probably like 10
54. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or relationship? Relationship.
55. Pencil or pen? Pen
56. Bueller??? Bueller??? Bueller??? huh?
57. How many jobs have you had? I think 8
58. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Being a wife and a momma.
59. What do you think of the person that took this survey before you? Amy is beautiful inside and out. I don't get to see her enough.

Beautiful

As I type right now there are 3 beautiful little Girls from Uganda sleeping in my bedroom on my bed and an air mattress...Rhoda, Martha, and Juliet. The Watato Children's Choir from Uganda Africa came to sing and dance at our Church this weekend. I opened my home up expecting to bless them...but they have blessed me so much more. All of the 18 children in the choir have lost one of both of their parents to the AIDS epidemic and they have been rescued from being forced to fight in a civil war that has been raging for 20 years in Uganda where children are being abducted and forced to fight. Children make of 80% of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) which Joseph Kony is leading in what he maintains is a mandate from God to overthrow the Ugandan Government. This ware is being called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today. Watoto exists as a way to 'raise future leaders' and provide a way out in what seems like an impossible situation. I thank God for organizations like this that just show me what the Church really looks like. It's just such a beautiful thing.

All that being said...for about 2 years now God has been putting Uganda on my heart and in my path. Please pray for me, as I made a decision tonight that I will go there. I don't know how, or with who, or when or any of that. But I will.

**If you are in a position anywhere to book the choir...do it. It's incredible.

For more info visit www.watoto.com or www.invisiblechildren.com

Ode to Fall

I love so many things about Fall. It is by far my favorite season. I always think Spring is...but Spring never seems to mutter up near the amount of feeling and emotion that Fall does for me. Isn't it a strange thing how sights and smells can make you so nostalgic? I love that God created us that way. The air today in Beloit was just so crisp and cool that I couldn't help but think of all the things I love about Fall and i got so excited about them. I love the obvious things...the beautiful colors of changing trees...the sound of leaves crunching beneath your feet...Halloween...pumpkins...the cool air (hoodie weather is my favorite). But then there are the not so obvious things that I really love. I love how most Autumn evenings are perfect for star gazing. For grabbing a blanket and a hot beverage and just watching the beautiful night sky. As much as I hate to see them go...I love the smell of burning leaves. I love the quiet that the cool air seems to bring. I love it when a few leaves get trapped in a whirlwind and just circle forever...I could watch that all day. I love sleeping with the windows open and all bundled up in blankets. I love getting fall scented candles so my house can welcome the change of climate. I love any and all Fall Festivals...and the tastes of fall! Mmmmm...apple cider, carmel apples, spiced pumpkin lattes. I love to go to bonfires in the fall. I think I'm going to get a fire pit for my back yard just so I can have one...or five! It just makes me so happy to know that Fall is almost here. I dare say it is here...