Forward and Back.

Wow. 2009 is just a matter of mere hours away. How did this happen? How was it just the start of another semester, and now that same semseter is long gone? Seriously, these past few months have been the quickest moving period of time I have ever experienced. And boy, were they full! I mean, looking back, there was so much crammed into them that we should really only be in October now.

Here are some major highlights, just so you know what I'm talking about. I went to IL, had a couple of friends get married, started the semester, gotten a new roommate, seen many friends get engaged, had more friends get married, gone to Korea, hung out with friends, written papers, done projects, worked, taken millions of tests and quizzes, gone to the symphony, celebrated holidays, spent time with family, written a letter to the editor, gotten addicted to two shows, seen friends that I hadn't seen in forever, helped plan/ prepare to be in a wedding, worked out, etc.

You have to admit that that is quite the list, especially since it all took place in a matter of months! There are some things missing from that list, though. Things I should have done, but didn't. There are people I wish I would have called, books I really wanted to read, days when I should have gone out to take pictures, adventures I didn't go on, and more. But really, I will do my best to make 2009 a year where I do all the things need to do (well, not all. I would like to have a reason to go on living!).

Here are a few things just off of the top of my head that I really want to do in this new year:

1. Learn how to cook. Not just easy stuff, but medium to hard level stuff.
2. Read a LOT. For fun, not just school.
3. Finally pull off that 4.0 I've been wanting. I know, I'm a nerd.
4. Accomplish something in the save the world category. I'm working on this right now, actually. I will write all about it when I have something definite.
5. Write something really good. Something memorable.
6. Go somewhere I've never been before.
7. Blog more often.
8. Go to Austin
9. Take more pictures
10. To be determined at a later date!

I guess that's all for now, I've got a few things already on the agenda for 2009...my cousin is getting married, one of my friends is going to Denmark, and I've got my first 4000 level class coming up. It should be a good year. :)

Beauty at DBU

 

I took this picture at sunset earlier this month at DBU. I think that it is really beautiful! I love how God creates such beautiful sunrises and sunsets for us to enjoy. No matter where you are in the world, you can see them and enjoy them.

This is from a storm at DBU. I really like the way the clouds sort of roll together. They brought a huge rainstorm!

Who goes there?

I have one very interesting thing to report about yesterday. Last night, Mark and I went to McDonald's for dinner (mmmmmmm...) and on the way home, we saw an OWL!!!!! I have never seen one "in the wild," so I was pretty excited. He was sitting on top of a road sign, looking very wise indeed.

 

Picture from www.schlitzauduboncenter.com

I wanted to take his picture, but I couldn't as it was nighttime and the car was moving and I didn't want to disturb him. Anyway, I thought that seeing a real owl doing owl things was awesome. 

The Internet still doesn't work in my room, so I am writing this from the library. It is interesting thinking of how people could see me searching for pictures of owls. I wonder what they would think. Maybe that I am a biology major. Anywhooo ('cause that's how owls say it), have you ever seen an owl in the wild before? What other interesting animals have you seen?

today

It was hard to wake up this morning. Really hard. I faced the prospect of getting out of bed at 7 and going to work with little to no enthusiasm. So I got up at 7:20. I slept hard last night, probably to forget how frustrating the night before was. See, the Internet decided that my dorm room wasn't really the best place to work. At least my side of the room wasn't. I didn't know before last night that the Internet could flicker like the flame of a dying candle, but trust me, it can.

Normally, the lack of functional Internet wouldn't be a problem. Last night, though,I needed the Internet to do a good third of my homework. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful boyfriend who was willing to come up at 11 to take me down to his townhouse where my chances at connectivity were better. I get there, and find that this is indeed the case. Unfortunately, I also discover that I left part of my homework on my desk. In my room. Across campus. I did what I could, then had Mark take me back.

I went to sleep hoping that when I woke up the situation would be better. It wasn't. This discovery was saddening, but I didn't have the time to mourn, as I had to get to work rather quickly as a result of that delay in wake-up.

Work was pretty good this morning. I had a few people call who were slightly sad that it was the morning, but nothing too bad. Work is always better when the callers are friendly.

New Testament went pretty well, except for the fact that I had to fight to stay awake. I really like that class, so I managed. We talked about the crucifixion in the medical sense, which was really hard to hear. It is so easy to forget that Jesus suffered like that for us.

The breakthrough moment came after NT, as I finally got my English paper turned in! :) Well, I have to go. More later.

Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is such a huge topic, but I have wanted to do a post on it for a couple of days now. It seems like love has been in the air lately. My friends Brad and Rachel just got engaged on Monday, and it is so wonderful to see their love for each other. Have you ever seen a couple who you can just tell that they are going to make it? They are one of those. When they are together, you see how happy they are and it makes you happy. :) They have such a good relationship with each other, but it is clear that they both love God with all their hearts. That is really the key to their relationship.

Another example of love is brought up by Tia from one of my favorite blogs. She talks about how in a good relationship, it is the little things that mean so much. I have to agree that heartfelt gestures that are really nothing are really everything. Tia is married to a man who knows this, and as she says, "Little things. Big difference." Speaking of the little things, Mark got me roses for no reason at all this week. They are beautiful and remind me how lucky I am to have someone that loves me so much.

Love is something that is so hard to define. Even in 1 Corinthians, Paul doesn't tell us what love is, but tells us what it does. I think that by taking a closer look at what love does, we can discover what it is. Love is patient and kind...being patient has never been one of my strong suits, especially when it comes to other people. I tend to think that my way is the best way, and have little patience for people who don't want to do things the best way. Clearly this is a problem that can only be solved by love. I don't struggle too much with kindness. I try to be kind as often as possible, but sometimes I'm not. Usually, these times are surrounded with sarcasm and blatant, tactless honesty. I love being truthful, but my delivery needs work sometimes. And as for sarcasm, it is part of my sense of humor. I try hard not to use it in a mean way. All in all though, I usually have good intentions, and it really pains me when I do something to disguise that fact.

Love isn't envious, boastful or prideful. Come on, we are all a little of these things every now and then. I'm pretty sure that everyone has been envious of someone, and I know that boasts and pride are a part of life that we all deal with. No exceptions here.

It is not rude, self-seeking or easily angered. This area is one that I struggle with as well. Sometimes I get pretty angry with Mark, and this verse really helps me to put things into perspective. I love him, I think to myself, so I should not be so easily angered by him. When I think about this, I usually calm down fairly quickly. The part where love keeps no record of wrongs is not helpful in an argument. Basically, it gives you no past you can use in a battle when all you need are a few good examples to prove your point. Sometimes I bring things up just for this purpose, but I try had to keep from doing this. After all, it isn't loving.

Love rejoices in the truth. A pretty clear statement, I think. If you suspect that there is something wrong between you and your loved one, ask. Mark is really great about this. If he thinks there is something wrong between us, he finds out what it is. Sure this makes me being angry about little useless things and keeping to myself so that he won't think I'm crazy pretty difficult, but several issues have been resolved thanks to his application of this verse.

Love protects, hopes, trusts and perseveres. This part of the verse is so important. In a relationship, all these things are key. You need to be there to protect one another, you can't let go of hope and trust, or your relationship will be full of secrets. And perseverance is so important. When things are tough, don't just give up. Keep fighting through.

The last part of this section basically says that love, to quote Brad Paisley, "is never-ending." Even though all of man's achievements will fade away, love is perfect and will never do so. Why is this? Because God so loved the world. God is the driving force behind true love. Without him, there would be no love. Sure, there would be plenty of lust, plenty of relationships where people thought they were in love, but there would be no perfect love.

So what is love? Well, my best guess is that love is doing what you don't always feel like doing because it is the right thing to do. Love is putting yourself second so that you can put someone else first. Love is, as the saying goes, a commitment, not a feeling. We love others because they are important to us. We value them and treasure them above everything else that we have. In this same way God loves us. How cool is that?

A Kiley's-Eye View

For my fiftieth post, I would like to direct your attention to a different blog. This blog is written by the lovely Kiley Adams, the youngest sister of Mark Adams, the wonderful boyfriend of me. :)

Kiley has an amazing talent for putting into words some really deep emotions. She is truely gifted in a way that may make me a little jealous from time to time. She hasn't posted much, but what is there is real and honest and wonderful. I get the feeling that, like Kiley herself, her blog will always be interesting and fresh. I love Kiley because she is always honest. If you ask her a question, she'll be honest, like it or not. Maybe I like that so much because it is a personal trait of mine, but it works out great for her as well. ;)

Another thing about Kiley is her amazing photography. She is great at taking sweet pictures, so you should ask her to post a few. Especially her collection of Ralphie photos.

I highly recommend visiting her blog. It will be worth your time. Promise.

P.S. Kiley, I hope you don't mind the commercial. I just think everyone should know about you. :)

Fall

This one is for fun! :)

I. Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
II. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
III. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Viva la Vida-Coldplay

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Boundaries-Skillet

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
All You Really Need is Love-Brad Paisley

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
No One Like You-BarlowGirl

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Rescue Is Coming-David Crowder Band

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Medley-Third Day

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Move It On Over-George Thorogood

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Up!-Shania Twain

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Can You Feel The Love Tonight-Elton John (lol)

10. WHAT IS 2+2?
Break Thru-Bleach

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Coming Toward-David Crowder Band

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Only Song-Sherwood

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Streets of Laredo-Johnny Cash

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
I Need Words-David Crowder Band

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Entertainer-Billy Joel

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Dia al Dia-Salvador

17. WHAT WILL/DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Blackbird-The Beatles

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Forsaken-Skillet

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Nancy Drew-Relient k

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Nice Work If You Can Get It-Frank Sinatra

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Oh, Pretty Woman-Roy Orbison

22. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Poparazzi-Switchfoot

23. HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Knocked Out-Bleach (lol)

24. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Ammuntion-Switchfoot

25. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
That's Love-Brad Paisley

26. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
My Way-Frank Sinatra

I wish

If you are my friend and are interested in helping me build my wardrobe, see below. :)


Awesome Jacket

Cool Scarf!

Sweater Power

Whoa Blazer!

Turtleneck Time

Neat Tweed!

Perfect Shirt

Amazing Sweater!

If you feel like you should give me any of these things, let me know and I will tell you my size. :)

Inspiration

So lately everyone has been writing amazing notes on Facebook, posts on Blogger and anywhere else they can think of. I have to admit, when I see other people writing, it makes me want to write, too. I see songs and poems and short essays popping up all over the place, and I think, "hey, I should write again." However, there is a problem, and it makes me sort of mad.

I am not really a good creative writer. I so wish I was, but I'm just better at writing down real things in a real way, with a little opinion dashed in here and there. Don't get me wrong, I love writing a good editorial, and telling it like it is suits me. But there is a part of me that wants to be creative, to write novels that leave people changed, to be able to put my feeling down on paper (or a screen).

In light of this desire, I think I will try to do so. Please bear with me here...I am kind of afraid to put this out there, and it is a big step for me.

Here is a poem.

Old.
I forget the good times;
Were there any, after all?
I remember how it was before,
when we talked about everything
and there was never any pressure.
Those were good times.

Then our relationship changed.
Suddenly it was all pressure.
Was I good enough?
Were you happy?
I tried, but couldn't tell.

When the end came, my life
changed.
Hurt like that is something
I can't explain.

Slowly it got better,
I was happy just to say
hello
every now and then.
Peace.

Sometimes I wonder
the truth behind it all.
Not often, though.
I hope you are doing well.

Here is another one.

New.
Thinking of you
brings joy to me.
I've never before felt
this way.

We fight, sure.
It makes us stronger, though.
No pressure,
just expression.
Love always wins.

It's deep, this love.
A connection that makes us
a perfect team.

Honesty is the rule you follow.
I can see it in your eyes.
I treasure that.

I am content.
You bring calm to
all of my storms.


Okay, I think that I got that out of my system. :)

Hopefully I can now move on and write that report that I need to do. I hope my attempt at poetry wasn't too awful. I've never been a good judge of poems. :)

Honestly

Warning: This post will be an honest one, and may offend some people. If you would rather not feel offended because you can't handle it, feel free to tune in next time.

Okay, I've had it. I am sick and tired of all the Facebook statuses that now say something to the effect of "Obama is not my president," and "I hate Obama, he is a Socialist who will ruin America," and "Obama is the Antichrist."

As a student at DBU, it doesn't surprise me that people have, in the past week, begun praying intensely for God's will to be done with regard to the election and the direction in which our country is headed. I not only support this, I encourage it wholeheartedly. We should pray for our leaders and our nation every single day.

However, I vehemently disagree with those who have proudly proclaimed to be praying for the will of God in this election and who are now complaining at its outcome. To me, this is evidence of a very serious lack of faith in God's ability to correctly decide just who it is he would have lead us for the next four years.

How can you honestly claim to have desired God's will when, as you see the results of the election, you assume that his will hasn't been done? 1 John 5:14-15 states that "this is the confidence we have in approaching God:that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." That is pretty clear to me. What Christian can honestly say that after all of the honest and fervent praying for God's will to be done through this election, God's will hasn't been done. He has heard us, and "we have what we have asked of him."

Therefore, let us continue to ask for God's will and guidance in the affairs of our nation. Let us pray for the man who was elected president tonight in accordance with our requests for God's will to be done in this election. Let us be a people of true faith who do not balk when we discover that God's will and our will are not always perfectly aligned.

As We Wind Down

Ok, so the election is upon us. After around 2 years of "My opponent believes..." and "I promise you...", we are down to the final stretch. Now is the time for last ditch efforts, get out the vote campaigns and long lines at your local polling place. "I Voted" stickers are everywhere, polls are being conducted every ten minutes and the pundits are going crazy.

Everyone has election fever. People are getting defensive about their positions, defensive to the point of forgetting who their friends are. Why is this? Why would you alienate the people you know in favor of some guy who will likely never know you exist? It is definitely important to have political views, and to be able to defend them well, but there needs to be a line somewhere. When intelligent debate turns into belligerent spewing of rhetoric, there is a problem. Not only does this make you appear to be uneducated, it also causes your friends to feel like a normal conversation with you is no longer possible. Passion is good, but only if it has a direction to it. Use your strong feelings for your candidate of choice in a good way, not one that turns people off.

Keep in mind how important it is to be fair to each candidate. Don't spread around things about either candidate, good or bad, without first checking the facts. Snopes.com and factcheck.org are great places to start. Don't believe every forward you read, or every voting guide you are handed. Don't believe everything people tell you, but instead do your own research.

And, no matter what happens tomorrow at the polls, remember this: no matter who wins, whether you agree with him or not, he deserves your respect as the leader of your nation. If you don't like it, feel free to say so, as long as you voted. You can join in with other people in voicing their dissatisfaction by campaiging for change in the next available election. Use your voice in a positive way rather than just complaining. If your man wins, celebrate, but not to the point of being obnoxious. We are all Americans, created equal, worthy of respect.

All

When I think back on all of the amazing memories I have of my trip to Seoul, it is so hard to hammer out a list of favorites. I met so many truly amazing people, people that I want to know for the rest of my life. I saw so many things that made me say "whoa!" and take out my camera as quickly as possible. I experienced life in a whole new way that week, and I am so glad that I did. Teaching in the schools was incredible, as previously stated, and I want to do that again so badly. But really, while the competition is stiff for what moments are my favorite memories, there is absolutely no contest as far as my very favorite moment is concerned.

To properly set the moment up, however, I'll need to give you a little background. The night before we left for Seoul, October 2, Mark and I went to a Jars of Clay/Switchfoot/Third Day concert. After we got back home that night, I opened up my Bible to Isaiah like I had been doing for the 51 nights previously. I asked God to show me something that I could cling to on this trip, which I anticipated would be great, but I was still afraid of. He did not let me down. I got to verse 7 of the chapter I was reading, 52, where God says "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." I was so excited to read this verse because it is God's way of saying that he is God of us all.

Fast forward now to Friday, October 10. I am standing in the 1988 Olympic gymnastics stadium in Seoul, attending the Passion World Tour. I am surrounded by thousands of Koreans singing "How Great is Our God" with Chris Tomlin in Korean. Then it hit me. God is God of us all. What had previously been a powerful verse that I understood just became a powerful verse that I was living. How incredible. I was in that state where I just stood back and took it all in. The best part of it all is that the feeling of how we all are God's will never get less intense for me. After that moment, I truly understand that all nations are equally God's. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from; God unites us all.

There were so many amazing things that happened at Passion, so many times of prayer where the volume of prayers going up to God was nearly deafening, times when Koreans prayed for the people of Tokyo, that I just can't get over. I will never be the same after this trip. I challenge you to find something that will leave you changed forever. Trust me. It's worth it.

Seoul '08 Photos

So Seoul

Let me just start this post by saying that I have never experienced anything quite like Seoul before. This place is phenomenal. There are neon signs everywhere you look, advertising coffee shops and banks, as well as any number of other things. There is hardly a blank surface in sight; every building it seems has an unlimited array of signs advertising this or that in Korean, which adds to the amazing rainbow of lights every night.

The people here have been nothing but kind and generous, giving us gifts, providing food and offering us their warmest wishes. From the schools we have taught at to the churches we have attended, we have been received like royalty.

The traffic here is never-ending, with cars weaving in and out, pedestrians jumping in front of buses and motorcycles riding on the sidewalks. There are people everywhere, walking around with their purchases, on their way to work, or just taking a break on the sidewalk. It is quite evident that we are in a city of ten million.

The market places that we have visited have been bustling with crowds, the boutiques and street vendors all trying their best to give such a good deal that you can't refuse. I can't adequately describe the colors, sights and sounds that fill them. The money is thankfully different sizes and colors based on the denomination, so knowing that 5,000 won is the orange one makes paying in a currency that we aren't used to very easy.

When we visit the churches, it is so clear that these people have such a heart for God. They are so authentic in their worship that we can really feel the Holy Spirit at work, regardless of the language barrier.

Teaching in the schools has been a huge blessing. This kids are all so eager to learn, or at least experience hanging out with some crazy Americans! It has been my favorite part of the trip, and every time I've taught, I've fallen more in love with them.

We still have three days left in our trip, and I can't wait to experience what they have to offer!

Seoul Power!

So in a week and a couple of days, I will be in South Korea. :) I cannot really express how excited I am to be able so say that. There is just an awesome feeling of anticipation that just makes me happy every time I realize that it is almost time.

I can't wait to just experience what it is like to be able to be surrounded with another culture, and to have the chance to be inspired by the awesome Christians in Korea and to witness to those people that we meet who need Jesus. I am looking forward to being able to teach children English, to love them and play games with them.

I can't wait to help out at the Passion conference, making friends with South Korean college students who are totally sold out for God. I know that God is going to do so much in out time in Korea and I can't wait to experience it!

Blogs of Note

I don't know if you are a fan of Blogger's Blogs of Note feature, but I sure am. I love hearing what other people have to say (comments are simply adored here!) about things going on in their lives, about their passions, or about whatever strikes their fancy. Blogs of Note helps me find really excellent blogs that I may never find on my own. I love to find something new to subscribe to, and I usually find a link to a cool blog or two from the lucky blogs on Blogs of Note.

These blogs that are featured on Blogs of Note are very often about some special subject, like reading or parenting, but sometimes they are just the ramblings of a regular person with a knack for saying the usual in an unusual way. I love those blogs the most. :)

It takes a dedicated readership to be featured on BON, but I hope to get there someday. Right now I have a max number of viewers on one day of 70...and that was the result of a sneaky trick in which I may or may not have said that I had webbed feet. At any rate, I was really happy that the trick worked, because it got me tons more exposure than I have ever had before (so visit often...I like being excited about my numbers!).

No matter the number of daily visitors I have, I am really glad that I have any people at all who bother to read this crazy little blog. After all, there are days (almost all of them) when I can count the number of visitors I have one one hand. But at least they are there. Thanks to everyone who keeps my numbers above zero!!! :)

Looking Ahead

On my wall right above my desk, a beautiful map of China is prominently displayed. I love China. The Chinese people that I have met are wonderful (many of my good friends are Chinese), the literature I read from China is awesome, and the books and articles that I have read about China and the TV shows that I have watched are eye opening. I haven't been to China yet, but someday I will go...and I am so excited for that time, believe me! The point of the above declarations is to let you know that God has placed such a love for China on my heart.

I don't feel called to be a full time missionary in China, although I used to want to teach English there. I do feel called, however, to witness to the Chinese people here in America. I know that God wants me to reach them in a way that sounds totally crazy to many people, but sounds absolutely perfect to me. I want to start an outreach center for Chinese immigrants (I love immigrants, too) somewhere with a large population of said people. I want to help them become citizens, learn English, develop skills that they couldn't back home, and, most importantly, learn about God's love for them.

To do this, I will need to fully rely on God. I will be learning Mandarin eventually, taking classes that help me learn how to start something like this, getting certified to teach ESL, getting my masters in something that will help me to do this, and much, much more. There is no way I can do any of those things without God's help! Just looking at the list terrifies me. How can I do all of these things?

Without God, this dream of mine would be as impractical as trying to dig my way to China. With him, though, I can rest assured that it will happen.

Wow!

So, this is what you can do with Picasa (a super sweet photo editing tool from Google that is free!), which really impresses me. Compared to the price of Photoshop, Picasa is great! There is a lot of value in this program, and it is very easy to use. The new beta edition is a vast improvement over the older version, with better features and fewer crashes. I definitely recommend it! :)

McCain and Obama

I have noticed one thing in listening to the speeches of both aforementioned candidates. Before I say it, I just want to let you know that I am really very moderate.

Anyway, I have noticed that when you listen to Obama just to listen, without any regard for what he is saying, it is verrry easy to get swept away in the man's sheer ability to express himself. He can make anything sound like the best idea ever, a skill that is highly valuable. However, when I listen to the concepts he talks about, I find that there is a little bit of substance lacking.

Conversely, listening to McCain isn't usually very exciting...he doesn't have that dynamic appeal that makes you want to hear him speak. He just talks, and sometimes chuckles. Listen to what the man says, though, and you get a pretty solid picture of what is going on. I like that.

Eventually, I want to be able to prove what I'm talking about here, you know, using transcripts and the like, but I don't have time just now. It would be pretty neat though.

Conventional Wisdom

Like the DNC earlier, the RNC has consumed a lot of my television watching time (not that there is a whole lot of that) lately. These conventions have been a mixture of speeches both mediocre and phenomenal, surrounded by people wearing crazy clothes and hats holding up homemade signs, on stages that are dazzling displays of neon and LCDs. Although the Democrats had the cooler looking stage, I like how the GOPers have a mostly simple background behind thier speakers. You can't really get distracted from the boring (I mean, informative) speeches.

The point of this post, though, is the amount of fun that the delegates and convention-goers seem to be having. Watching these old ladies, high powered businessmen and politicians and regular joe types dance around like a bunch of crazy kids is hilarious! They wave their signs and their hands, clapping and smiling all the while. I don't know when the last time I had that much fun was! It is clear by watching these people...political conventions are the place to be!

Honestly, Abe

I had the coolest museum experience of my life on Wednesday. Mark took me to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL. This place was, hands down, the greatest museum ever. From the moment you walk in the door, you are greeted by the man himself, Abraham Lincoln. His family joins him in front of a giant facade of the White House. They are not cheesy actors, but very realistic-looking wax figures that Madame Tussaud would be proud of.

From there, you get to see what Lincoln's life was like as a boy in Kentucky and Indiana and as a man in Springfield. There are lots of really interesting displays and artifacts from this period, as well as a really interesting look at what Lincoln's campaign, and those of his competitors, would look like if he had access to today's modern media coverage.

After that, you get to follow the Lincolns to the White House, where interesting information about Mary Todd Lincoln greets you. In this part of the museum one finds the most interesting displays of how the creators of the exhibits combined amazing techniques using light and sound with the more traditional mural/diorama displays. You feel like you are part of the action in many cases because the saturation of your senses is pretty much complete.

For example, one of my favorite parts of the museum was the Hall of Whispers. In this part of the museum, the lighting is very strange, and you see pictures of political cartoons of Lincoln hanging on the wall. Their frames are skewed and disproportionate, to match the outrageously negative things they say about Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. There are negative quotes on the walls, and (this is the cool part) voices of gossips can be heard whispering nasty things about the first family. I was impressed by this blatant showing of how many people found them to be detestable. From Abe's desire to help the union be preserved at the cost of slavery to the type pf dresses worn by Mary, no facet of the Lincoln's lives remains untouched.

There are many more interesting sights and sounds in this museum, but it would take pages to describe them all, and none of it can really be done justice by words alone. I really encourage everyone who can to visit this amazing museum. I know I look forward to doing so time and again.

Experiencing Illinois

For the last several days, I have been spending my days in the Land of Lincoln. That would be Illinois, for those of you not from here. I have never seen more corn in my days here than I have ever seen in the first 19 years of my life. Combined. No joke, these people loooove their corn. There are lots of beans here, too, but miles and miles of corn as far as the eye can see.

Another interesting feature of Illinois is the beautiful weather. In Texas, the general temperature this time of year is near the century mark. Here, it has been 85 just about every day. It's been pretty sweet.

Mark and I went to see Lincoln's home and Lincoln's Tomb today in Springfield. It was really neat to be able to see the place where Lincoln lived and where he was buried. At the cemetery, there was a monument including the very slab where Lincoln's body was laid. I actually touched it. Not gonna lie, that was kinda creepy.

Anyway, this vacation so far has been great! I will probably provide more details later, but who can really say?

Gold Medal Ego

I love the Olympics. I love what they stand for and the way that they bring people together on a global scale. I have a huge respect for Olympians and the amazing dedication they have to their sports. Michael Phelps recently said that all he has time to do is "eat, sleep and swim," which pretty much sums up the life of these talented athletes.

Just because one has an amazing amount of talent, however, does not qualify one to sport an ego of Olympic (sorry, had to say it) proportions. I recently read an article (from this point on, I am assuming that you clicked on the link and read the story) about a former Olympian who, well, is too full of himself for my taste. Sure, he did amazing things that definitely deserve some recognition, and yeah, I feel that things could have been handled differently, but the way that he acted is to me, inexcusable.

Being voted one of the top five Olympians of all time does not mean that you are more important than anyone else in the world. No matter how much you think that there should be a spectacular show around you, with the world watching your every move, just hoping to see your face, that is not the way things should work.

I am sorry that you were not awarded the prestige you think you deserve, and that "they did not once put [your] face on television," that you feel like you were passed over, leading you to say:

"I never got invited. You don't go to the Olympics just to say, I am going to go. Especially because of who I am."

I'm sorry that you have to be treated like a normal guy, and that you think there is a problem with that.

"I am going to sit there and watch Michael Phelps break my record anonymously? That's almost demeaning to me. It is not almost—it is."

But to be honest with you, Mr. Spitz, after reading that story, if the Olympics were my party, I wouldn't have invited you either.

Blueteeth

There was a woman climbing up the stairs. She was talking to no one that could be seen, answering questions and asking them. Describing her day to her invisible companion, she walked up three flights of stairs, paying no attention to anyone along the way. No, she wasn't crazy, just a woman talking to some unknown person (at least to those not privy to her conversation) over her Bluetooth headset.

Those headsets may be growing more popular day by day, but I have yet to run across someone using one that didn't make me think, however briefly, that they were talking to themselves. Sure, I should expect less people to be doing this, but after all, in these times you never know. I don't know that I will ever fully be prepared to walk around in a crowd of people talking to someone who isn't there about the stock market, what Jim did last night or how to get that pesky stain out of the white table cloth, but as the technology spreads, I suppose I will have to get used to it.

The Grocery Store, Revisited

A while back, I posted some photos of my grocery store photo shoot. Since that time, I have acquired a desire to turn those photos into some really sweet versions of their former selves. These are the results.

The Sixth Floor

Pictures from the Sixth Floor Museum/Dealy Plaza.

Arborwhatum?

Here are a few more pictures from the Arboretum. :)

CHOMP!!!

This week marks one of my favorite weeks of all time. Shark Week. I love sharks. I think they are very interesting creatures with a terrible reputation. They are so scary looking, not to mention the whole shark attack thing, but I think that they are all in all misunderstood.

I like watching the shows on Shark Week because they give us a glimpse at something that we have a hard time understanding, and that many of us will probably never see in the wild. However, seeing them in the aquarium is pretty sweet if I don't say so myself.

If you have time this week, I suggest that you take time to learn about these killer fish that aren't really that deadly after all.

Adventure in Dallas

On Friday, Mark took me out for a day full of adventure. First on our agenda, we left the thick smog of Dallas for the beautiful clear skies of the Dallas Arboretum . We got there in the morning when it was still kind of cool out. I had never been there before, and neither had Mark, so it was awesome to get to experience it together. There were so many beautiful flowers there, and the wildlife was pretty neat, too.We had a picnic there, and that was definitely awesome. Picnics are one of my favorite things, so this was a great surprise. After the picnic, we went to Steak and Shake, where I had a root beer float and Mark had a shake, of course. :) Next on our list was the Sixth Floor Museum in downtown Dallas. If you have never been there, it is definitely worth your time. There are many really interesting facts about JFK and his assassination. They even have a lot of footage shot that day. It was a strange feeling standing there on that floor, looking through the window that Lee Harvey Oswald looked out as he shot the president. We saw a conspiracy theorist sitting near the Grassy Knoll, telling people about how the whole thing was a big conspiracy. It was interesting to say the least.

Over the next few days, I will be posting several pictures from this adventure, so get ready!

We have webbed feet.

Photoriffic!

Dreamer

The Web (spiders not included)

The Internet. It is a crazy place that often times gets overlooked in our quest to do exactly what we do every day by visiting the same websites over and over. It is that thing that we turn to when we need some quick information. It is where we go to communicate, to shop to play. Without it, our lives would be possible, but drastically different. According to Wikipedia:


The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It is a "network of networks" that consists of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interlinked web pages and other resources of the World Wide Web (WWW).

Prior to the last 10 and a half months or so, the Internet was something that I used occasionally, when the need arose. Whether that need was writing a paper or playing a game, I knew where to go and what to do. I had my very limited scope of the Internet, with my three or four websites that I checked regularly, but that was about it.

The event that sparked my new-found love for this brilliant technology? Why, dating a computer guy, of course. Mark has taught me so much about the Internet, from how it works to really great features, to the endless possibilities that are just waiting to be created.

I now have a deep appreciation for what Google has done for the Internet, revolutionizing the way we do just about anything. After all, they created a new word (googling, to Google) merely by existing. That is power. They have created or helped develop simple, user-friendly, attractive products that are pretty much the best in their field. From maps to their unparalleled search engine, they pretty much rule the Internet.

Another amazing thing is the concept of open source software. This is a great thing that lets developers from around the world view the source code of a program and help make it better for everyone. I can't tell you too much about it, other than it is a great idea and can be sort of complicated because there are a lot of different types of open sourcing.

I could go on and on here, telling you about neat things like Firefox, Picnik and the plethora of other really awesome things out there, but really, the list of things on the Internet that I enjoy now (as opposed to being completely unaware of their existence before) is quite a long one.

So, to conclude this ode to the Internet, I have to say that I am definitely excited about learning more about it in the future. By the way, what do you like about the Internet?

This is one of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken of Mark. I just thought that I would post it because it is sweet and awesome and I like Mark.

Today is our 10 monthiversary. :) That makes me happy.

Unexplored Territory: Earth

I feel this crazy need to get out of the country and do something awesome. DBU makes this need worse, because nearly everybody here has gone to some amazing, far-off place to do great things for God. I know people who have gone/ are going to places like China, Peru, South Africa, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Japan, etc. I have to admit that I am thoroughly envious of them all. Not only do they get to go experience another culture, which is sweet, they also get to share God while doing so.

I want that. I want to say that I went somewhere and did something for a better reason than just a vacation. I want to make a difference. I know that this can be accomplished here in Dallas, in Texas, in America, but something inside of me makes me want to dash off to some exotic locale, share the love of Jesus and just have a fantastic time while doing so. I don't feel led to be a career missionary...I feel like God wants me to help immigrants here in America, but I do feel like he wants me to get a little first hand knowledge before I do so.

In the fall, there is a mission trip to South Korea. I know, that sounds sooo cool. I really want to go. I mean, it is such an opportunity that I just don't want to miss. And if I do miss it, I will just want to take advantage of the next chance I have that much more. I definitely have to go somewhere and do something awesome for God while I am still in college. There isn't really a better time.

//UPDATE: I am so going on this trip.//

Making use of the kitchen

Mark recently moved into the townhomes here on campus, which are fully equipped with a stove, fridge, pantry, dishwasher, etc. Simply put, they have kitchens. Because it is summer and the oh, so wonderful dining hall is closed, and because eating out costs way way way too much, we have begun the quest to learn how to survive with limited restaurant interference.

Neither one of us is a spectacular cook, mind you, so our culinary journeys are somewhat limited. The first thing we made was a well-known staple-spaghetti. It tasted great, minus the fact that our noodles stuck together quite nicely. The next attempt at satisfying our hunger was, again spaghetti. This time, the noodles didn't stick quite as badly, due to the fact that we added a little cooking oil. Next time, I suspect that we'll be adding a little more.

On our third try, we popped in a frozen pizza for lunch. MMMMM....it was great. :) After that, we decided to go all out. We made a nice dinner of chicken, sweet corn and red potatoes. It was very good, but everything was frozen before we heated it back up...I mean made it from scratch.

Last night we made a pizza with a great crust from Mama Mary (try it!). I also whipped up an amazing and easy summertime fruit salad of my own recipe. It takes blueberries, strawberries and peaches in whatever quantity you like combined with Cool Whip. This is by no means a healthy fruit salad, thanks to the Cool Whip, but it is downright tasty. The pizza was amazing as well, exponentially more so than its frozen cousin. We will soon be seeing a repeat performance of the pizza as the crust came in a two pack.

Next on our list? Tacos...with whatever side we scrounge up. Following that, hamburger helper with green beans, corn and rolls. I'll be making the fruit salad again, much to my delight.

Soon, I think, we'll be ready to make really nice meals, all for a fraction of the cost of our previous lifestyle of "Where would you like to go for lunch?" Don't get me wrong, though, Quizno's, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bueno haven't lost our business...they will just be seeing us less frequently. Super Target, on the other hand, will get to know us well.

If anyone has some delicious meal ideas, they should totally tell me because I am not really used to this meal planning thing.

Close (okay, pretty far away) encounters of the skunk kind

The skunk I saw looked sorta like this, but this isn't him.



Today's major highlight came right before lunch. Looking out the windows in our office, I could see a skunk running across the hill below. We're on the third floor, so we have a pretty good view. There are some stairs leading to the townhomes (where Mark lives) and I saw him (the skunk, not Mark), running across the stairs.

My first thought was "AWESOME!!!" I've never seen a skunk in the wild before that wasn't dead, so I was pretty excited. After all, they are pretty cool looking. Some people even have descented ones as pets. :)

Anyway, according to my mother, if you see a skunk during the daytime out and about, he may have rabies. This makes sense because they are nocturnal. So, being the concerned citizen I am, I thought that someone should do something about this potentially dangerous, although cute, critter. Meagan suggested that I call security, which I did. The conversation went pretty much like this:

ME:Hi, I just wanted to let you know that there is a skunk behind the LC...we think he might have rabies since he's out during the daytime.

SECURITY: Ok, thanks for letting us know.

It was brief, but I think it got the job done. Hopefully the skunk gets captured if he has rabies. Some would say hopefully he gets captured anyway, but I kind of liked him. He definitely made the day more interesting. Maybe I'll see him again someday, but I doubt it. He's probably long gone on his way to Kentucky by now.

After I called security, I was pretty excited. I mean, how often do you see a wild animal threatening an entire college campus and then get to call it in?? Not too often, really. So, in my happy state I proudly proclaimed that I was going to write a blog about this. This blog is (obviously) the result.

update...to be updated (ironically) later

here is a brief update of what has been going on in my world.

school has ended, courtney went home, i got a job, moved to spence, and started my job. meanwhile, mark is in illinois.

there you go...more later!

Pride and Prejudice

Right now I'm watching Pride and Prejudice. This is one of my favorite movies because of the complexity of the characters of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. If you have not yet seen this movie, I highly recommend it.

I just finished watching the scene where Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth argue, and I have to say that this scene really makes the movie work. There is so much tension between the two of them that you can feel it. There is of course his love for her, as well as her dislike of him. The fact that the scene takes place in a thunderstorm with the rain pounding down in the background only adds to the deliciousness of it all. The scene is even more enveloping if you have seen the movie or read the book (also quite excellent) before. Then, you know the truth behind everything.

There is so much passion in this movie, which by itself is wonderful, but the fact that it is all disguised and kept under restraint with the exception of a few scenes is superb.

This movie simultaneously makes me wish I had a sister to share life with and completely happy that I do not. Thankfully, brothers are far less of a strain.

The film, like the book, is also full of witty remarks, which I love. The best movie visually is nothing, in my opinion, without a strong dialogue.

I know this post was quite scatterbrained, but this movie produces a lot of thoughts. :)

Completion and Reflection or, Conflection

As this school year comes to an end, I look back and wonder how on earth the time has passed so quickly. Seriously, there is absolutely no logical explanation for why school is almost over when it was just last month that we were starting the semester. Know what I mean?

I've learned a few things this past school year, no doubt about it. Not the school-type things, at least not for the purposes of this post, although I did learn quite a bit (some recent additions being the subjunctive tense in Spanish, what a worldview is, the fact that Paul wrote 13 books of the Bible and that John Quincy Adams was perhaps the most moral president we have ever had).

For your general enjoyment, here is, in no particular order, a list of things that I have learned this year:

1. It is harder than you think to stay in touch with friends from high school.

2. Sometimes people you've only known for eight months become your family away from your family.

3. Living with someone else takes adjusting. You have to learn how to come together in just the right way so that you are both happy. When it happens, you are grateful, when it doesn't, your life becomes awkward.

4. Sometimes the best plans are the ones that change when you least want them to.

5. You know that you have someone special when he drives around a parking lot for 30 minutes waiting for a parking spot just so you can go to a museum.

6. There is nothing like a good movie watched late at night when you should be asleep to encourage bonding between roommates.

7. You know when you spend a lot of time with people when you start sounding like them.

8. Become friends with international students if you want to meet some of the nicest people on campus.

9. Family is really important and every moment you can spend with them should be highly valued.

10. There is no time like the present to be forced into considering the future.

11. Grades are not everything. If you mess up, so what? Get on with it and do better next time.

12. No matter what happens, no matter how busy you are, there is always time for walking around the pond and taking random dance breaks.

13. Sometimes, you just have to eat in the cafeteria. Get used to it.

14. Power outages are fun while they last, but once they are over, it is back to reality.

15. Don't ever think that you know what is coming next...God's plans for your life are definitely not what you have in mind for yourself.

16. Developing a hobby or two is very important. You have to make time for yourself.

17. Having no money is a fact of life. When you get it, use it well.

18. There is nothing like an unexpected letter, note or email to brighten your day.

19. If you think it's windy now, wait until tomorrow.

20. Never go to Walmart on an empty stomach.

If you read all of that list, I have to admit that I'm impressed. I think this post may have been a little long, but hey, there is a lot of learning involved in this life of mine.

Walk the Line

Courtney is watching Walk the Line right now. I think it's a pretty good movie over all, but a little long. Like any good movie that has a romance even remotely implemented, there are some great lines.

Better than any of the lines, though, is the song "Ring of Fire." I love love love that song, and the music that accompanies it. Quite possibly my favorite song in the movie is "I Walk the Line." I may have forgotten about it at first, but upon further consideration, it replaces "Ring of Fire."

My cousin Courtney likes the song "Jackson," and if memory serves me correctly, she does a mean rendition of it. It's pretty awesome. :)


That's all for tonight. I just wanted to share those thoughts and encourage everyone to check out the movie.

Confession

Whenever I don't do as well as I wanted to on something I've written that I feel is pretty darn good, I feel horrible. Horrible. This feeling, for most people, is reserved for really traumatic events, events that stick with you through the entire day, and sometimes even longer. This is the way I feel when I get a paper back with something that declares my writing to be sub-par.

Many people would say that I am overreacting, and, if I were anyone else, if this were anything else, they would stand basking in the light of their correctness. However, for me, this response is not overreacting, but a completely rational, completely natural response.

When I write, I almost without exception pour myself into my work. Nearly every word is used with a purpose, every sentence and paragraph considered. Writing is my passion, and I feel that it is deserving of all the attention that I lavish upon it. This is the reason that when I get a grade or comment on writing that makes all my work for naught, I feel horrible.

This post is not so much a compliant about a grade that, in all fairness, I shouldn't be too broken up about, but is instead an explanation of why something so small as a grade can make me feel so awful. It may not make sense to anyone else, but to me, there can be no other way of life. I have to write, and it has to matter to me.

Not just penciled in

"Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There's a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning."
- Bill Gates

When I saw this quote, several things crossed my mind. The first was that I have to agree with the fact that yes, there is a lot more that you can do with your time instead of go to church on a Sunday morning. You can walk your dog, check your email, read the paper or just sleep in. However, none of those things will serve you very well after you die. It's pretty important that you have a relationship with God...you know, there's this whole thing where if you're saved, you go to Heaven and if you don't, you don't. I think that receiving eternal salvation is more important than walking your dog, and that developing a relationship with the God who loves you is a bit more pressing than figuring out what 37 down is in the crossword puzzle.

The second thing that crossed my mind was the fact that God isn't supposed to be efficient. He was not trying to fit into our schedules, and he doesn't really care if he messes up your plans. He doesn't exist to fit into your plans, but rather, you exist to fit into his.

I'm not saying that I am always in church when I should be, or that there haven't been many Sundays when I've wished the entire time that I was in church that I was somewhere else. Because I haven't, and there have been. Nevertheless, I realize that on a Sunday morning, there is nowhere I should be but in church with other Christians, allowing God to see that he is more important than efficiency.

Not knowing the context of this quote, I'm going to have to say that it features a pretty bleak outlook on life in general. After all, when all you have to live for is keeping up with your schedule and crossing things off of your list, when your life goal is efficiency, your life, well, sucks.

I may not have a massive fortune, and people all over the world may not respect and revere me, but at least my life isn't so full of other things and times, meetings to attend and contracts to sign that I feel the need to always be efficient, even on a Sunday morning, even to the extent of blocking God out of my life because he didn't call my secretary for an appointment.

Should kids be allowed to watch TV?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/76823/page/1

The above link is a story by Karen Springen in the August 21 issue of Newsweek. I came upon it while reading another article, and found it really very interesting. The issue at hand, for those of you who would rather not read the article is the author's decision to not allow her children to watch television.

My first reaction to this was one of utter disbelief. As a girl who fully remembers watching Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and, yes, Barney as a child, I remember many good times spent before the television, times that were downright fun. Apparently, I didn't suffer any ill side-effects from the hours I sat glued to the screen, because here I am, happy, healthy, well adjusted and quite normal, thank you very much.

Upon further consideration, however, I realized that, as the author says in her piece, there is more to life than images coming out of the TV screen. Springen notes that her daughters spend quite a bit of time reading, playing outside and enjoying museums. Wait right there.

Come to think of it, none of my favorite childhood memories feature television shows. Instead, the good times I had with my family, reading a good book or playing outside in the backyard alone are the times that I recall when I think back to the happiest times in my childhood.

I used to watch a large number of educational shows on TV. By used to, I mean as recently as last summer. Once I came to college, though, I made the transition to almost no TV time. The only TV show I regularly watch now is Lost, once a week for an hour. I've found that the vast majority of things on TV just don't interest me. Granted, there is still a lot that does, but these days, turning on the TV for entertainment just doesn't really occur to me.

Now, I don't have children at the moment, nor do I want them any time soon. Despite this fact, however, I have to consider the fact that kids don't need TV to be happy. I'm thinking that when I have kids, I'll probably want to limit the hours they spend watching TV, but not ban them all together. after all, as long as parents know what their kids are watching, TV isn't bad.

OMG...Look at me!! The story of the modern American teenager

This post is about the like, totally cool new thing where really awesome people do really awesome things and then post the really awesome pictures on their Facebook profiles and Myspace pages.
See, the idea is pretty much like this: we go out, drink (while underage!!!!!), mess around, whatever, who cares, and then post alllll of our sweet pictures online for everyone to see. Dude, trust me, it's awesome. Everyone will love looking at the endless supply of us both holding like five different kinds of alcohol while smoking.

Yeah, the boring lame types will be all like "Don't do that, blah blah blah...." They totally think that having those pictures up on the internet "will ruin your future forever." Whatever. Like, everyone does it anyways. And really, what kind of employers actually take time out to look at that stuff? Duh, none. Anyway, it's not like they don't want to be doing the same thing. Hellloooo...everyone wants a killer social life. Don't hate.


OK, so here's the plan. You grab the hookah and I'll take the picture and flip off the camera. Deal?

Where I Want To Be

The winner of the what should Katie write about contest is Mark. Sure, he was the only entrant and quite possibly the only reader of my post, therefore making him the only one who cares...(jk, if anyone else reads this!), but I really liked his suggestion.

If I could go anywhere, specifically, on vacation, I would chose China. Now I am aware that China is quite large, and most people would probably narrow it down to a specific city or place, however I would like to see quite a bit of it, so I won't get that specific.

Why China, you may ask? Well, for one I really want to teach English there at some point. I think that it would be absolutely incredible to do so, and would love to be able to live in China for a year or two and do just that. But since I am talking about taking a vacation, I would probably start out in Hong Kong, just to get my bearings (English is probably a little more common there). From there, I would work my way up, stopping at Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xi'an and the Great Wall before ending up in Beijing.

I think that being immersed in China for a week or two or fifty two would be incredible. I'm not gonna lie, I think China is a pretty sweet place. It's no America, but it's awesome.

Nope...not happening.

It is definitely time to write a new post. There is however, a slight problem.

I have no idea what to write about. A million thoughts crossed my mind as I pondered this dilemma, however, none were good enough to make the cut. I will now take suggestions.

Half a Year of Pure Fun.

WARNING!!! This post will probably not be interesting to anyone not named Mark or Katie. There will be a large ammount of me discussing things that bring me great joy. Either read another post or continute on this one. It's your choice. Consider yourself warned. Thank you.




So tomorrow is the sixth month of the relationship between myself and Mark. This is a very exciting time for me, as I have never had a relationship that made it this far. :)

The past six months have been amazing. There have been, of course, times that were less fun than others...arguments, etc., but all in all, they were purely wonderful.

A brief recap:
SWAT. School. Rangers. Granbury. Pond. Walnut Hill. Dave and Busters. Flowers. Lots of dates. Illinois. Thanksgiving. Christmas break. Illinois again. More flowers. More dates. Valentine's Day... flowers again, 18 cards and a wonderful dinner. More dates. Kil'n Time. And BAM! Six months.

It has gone by soooo fast, but in a really great way. I have been able to share so much of my life with Mark that I really can't imagine it without him. Crazy? Perhaps. Worth it? Entirely. We have had a million and five great things happen to us, and have had fun time after fun time. From seeing lots of amazing movies, to expanding culturally through the DMA to seeing wild animals at Fossil Rim and the Dallas World Aquarium, we have made so many memories. I wouldn't trade anything for these past six months...but there's still something amazing to be said here....I have so many memories to look forward to! I can't wait to see what happens in the future. Stay tuned for details!

This post is dedicated to my best friend and boyfriend, Mark. Without whom I would most certainly not have had such a fabulous past half year.

Chasing the Paper Trail

Today I registered for a spring break mini-term. Being the bureaucracy-naive girl that I am, I expected this process to be fairly simple. I figured a quick stop into my adviser's office and a pop into the cashier's office, and I'm done.

This, not astonishingly, was not the case. After a slightly longer than expected visit to my adviser, I was sent to the registrar, financial aid and finally, the cashier's office. Now, it's not like I had to work my butt off or fill out a mountain of paperwork, but still...I thought that's why computers were invented...to take away unnecessary treks across the wilderness that is a college campus.

It all worked out for the best, though. I got everything done, got to cross something off my to do list, all with the help of my trusty sidekick Courtney. All in all, it wasn't too bad. Just boring. Welcome to the real world. :p

In other news, Winter Ball tickets were successfully purchased today. YAY! I'm looking forward to a night of high-society fun...or maybe just a game of dress up and a dance or two. Still, I know that Mark, Courtney and myself will pretty much rock the Diamond Club. Can I be honest? The fact that the whole soirée is at the Ballpark makes me really happy. :) I'm a weirdo, I know. But at least I have a great time!

Side note: Although I didn't do great on the first two tests of the semester (I passed, but didn't really meet my goal (it was blocked, lol, CLS class)), I totally killed my American history test. Take that British colonies! And don't come back!

Well, I guess that's all I've really got for today. Hmmm.....it looks like we're overdue for a random thought. Here we go:

Outside of my window, there is a red bicycle chained to the colonial-style lamppost. Whenever I see it, I imagine that it is really lonely. Especially during really rainy weather. I always feel like someone should cover it up somehow. It's in pretty good shape, though, so I guess my worries are unfounded.

That is all.

Spfekt, Glewtq and all that Jozzty.

Word Verification. A necessary evil of the online community. Sure they keep spammers at bay and robots out of our hair, but the amount of time it takes to enter the random alpha-vomit in the blank after deciphering the letters from the shwooshy path they inhabit is a few seconds of valuable life down the drain.

At least, that's how is used to be. I have recently discovered a great use for the little guys. Entertainment. Yeah, I realize that not every one gets the same joyful feeling I do when I see that "jozzty" is almost "jazzy," but really, doesn't it just brighten your day when you see that "spfekt" reminds you to put on sunscreen (spf) and that you're perfect (pfekt)?

By taking the time to see the little hidden messages in the word verification boxes, your life, dare I say it, will improve. Or maybe you'll smile a little. On the inside.

Don't forget to stop and smell the rosisl. :)

Grocery Store Photoshoot

One of the best places to take photos, I've discovered, is the grocery store. Seriously, the number of things you can find to take pictures of is nearly infinite, and as long as you don't mind looking a little kooky, you can have a lot of fun.

Another advantage is the fact that you can appreciate the art form that is the supermarket a little better when you look through the lens of your camera. There are the classic images, i.e Perrier bottles, as well as more modern ones (see Kool-Aid).

There is just something about capturing this orgy of advertising in a whole new way...and I like it. I want to do it again, but this time , instead of at a Piggly Wiggly, at some high-end place where the lighting is all dramatic and the products insanely expensive. That would be fun.

Being sick isn't so bad...

Even though I feel pretty rotten, I am grateful for all the people who care about me. From a wonderful roommate who helps me out by handing me stuff and changing the channel, to a fantastic boyfriend who drives to Grand Prairie to pick me up dinner and some medicine, to parents who care about me from afar, I can definitely feel the love. It's nice really, to know that people care enough about you to go that extra mile. Not that I didn't know that already, but it's nice to be reminded.

On the downside, it's hard to self-diagnose yourself when you can't decide if you have allergies or if you're really and truly sick. I guess only time will tell. But I'm hoping for allergies. :)

Moving Forward

There are times in my life when I feel like nothing new is really happening, when everything is just sort of chilling. During those times, I feel complacent, but not excited. Fortunately for me, this is not one of those times.

This time in my life has been a time of moving forward. It's been exciting and new...like nothing else I've ever experienced. Going off to college, making new friends, and, of course, finding Mark. It's been one new experience after another, and they have all helped to move my life forward!

I can't wait to see how each and every day develops during this forward-moving phase.

Here Goes Nothing

Well, even though nobody reads this yet, I figured I might as well post something.

I'm not really sure what I will write about here, but I figured I might as well give this whole blogging thing a shot. After all, everyone and their dogs have blogs these days.

That's something that makes me laugh... a dog with a blog. I hate to break it to blogging dogs, but reading page after page of the musings of a dog isn't really all that interesting. Some would say that reading page after page of the musings of many people isn't interesting, either. In response to this, I have to say that at least most human bloggers don't have to communicate through the interpretations of another person.

Sure, there is the possibility that some dogs have very worthwhile blogs, and to be honest, I've never read the blog of a dog, but the whole idea is really kind of crazy. It is probably one of the oddest things about the information age.

That's how I see it, anyway.