Couple-a kid stories

This weekend we went to the zoo with the kiddos, and I was sitting in the hotel hot tub with my nephew and sister in-law. I'm not sure why, but I started showing my nephew where his heart, lungs, etc. are. After I showed him where his heart is, my sis-in-law asked him who lives in his heart. He confidently said "Kitty!" Not what she was looking for, so she asked "And who else?" His answer? "No one!" He knew she wanted him to say Jesus, but he's kind of stubborn.

He also thinks his Sunday School teacher is "my friend Grandma." It's not his grandma, but he calls her that. As in "So, did your Sunday School teacher help you with that craft?" and he answers "No, my friend Grandma did."

Tiny Cat Pants

I'm tired. Mostly because I didn't sleep much last night (hello, insomnia), but also because it was the first week of school. Did you hear me, the first week of school!!! I loved it. Mostly. Except the one class I dropped. But that's neither here nor there, because I love school. My classes are really interesting. I think I can say that authoritatively, since I've studied pretty much everything at least once already.

But I'm still interested, so that's good, right? And it feels awesome for the professors to know your name, and not have to look quizzically around the room when they call roll. I even know some students this semester, and don't feel like I stand out so much. And I have new Snack Taxis to take my lunch in, and that makes me happy. Just saying snack taxi makes me happy.

One thing that doesn't make me happy is being confused on my homework. Randomly, does anyone know how many sounds are in the word "singer"? I can't tell if the "i" sound and the "ng" sound are one or two...maybe two? I'll find out next week when I turn in that homework, unless you want to comment.

I also took the kitties to the vet this week. Princess Pantaloons was none too happy about it, as evidenced by her nearly biting the hand off of the vet tech. Sorry, vet tech. This was like serious cat meanness...she gets herself so worked up I'm afraid she'll give herself a heart attack. And I found out that Cow weighs 20.2 pounds. Ugh. The vet said that although she's big boned, she must lose weight, so now she's on a prescription diet, and I have to feed them separately. (Princess Pantaloons has maintained her slender figure since I got her).

But here's the thing...the cats aren't really catching on very quickly that the food will be there for a short period of time, then gone. It used to be I'd give them 1/4 cup twice a day, but I'd leave it out, so they could eat it when they felt like it. Now, they have to eat it within the 1/2 hour or 45 minutes it's out, or go without. You'd think they'd catch on to eating it all when it's out, but not yet...

I think that's all the nerdy student and crazy cat lady news I have tonight. Enjoy.

The Weekend

We went to the lake this weekend, but it was pretty cold. The baby distracted me from writing a statement of purpose for grad. school...

...and we watched some tv...

and of course, stared at the baby.

Oh dear blog...how I have neglected thee. No longer. At least not today.

School is inching closer, but slowly. I am an uber-school-nerd, and can't wait to start. I already have the essentials (favorite pen, cute pencil case, tums) in my backpack, and an extra supply of loose leaf paper.

I had a gift card to Target and purchased a small thermos food jar for my lunch, and late last year purchased some Snack Taxis, so lunches should be good to go. And my night class just got moved a half hour earlier, so I will only be gone for 13 1/2 hours on Mondays instead of 14 hours. Life is good.

Also good, is the fact that I get to keep my kick-ass summer job through December at least, for 10 hours a week. Sweet! I love it because it's super-flexible, and the work is really fun. I should pick up something else as well, and I'm thinking subbing, since it's so flexible. The downside is that I know how kids treat subs, so eh...it would make for some good funny kid stories though, some fodder for the blog.

In topics I just can't seem to leave, I've cancelled my cable. I like it so far, though I'm only about 24 hours in. I've found pretty much everything I want to watch on the internet, and so far have only had to pay for one thing (Top Chef). So it's not like I'm tv-less, or show-less. Just cable tv payment less. For the first time ever. Well, I guess I didn't pay for it as a child, but I've always had it. Until now.

By cancelling tv, I'm hoping to make some more time (or reclaim some time, more accurately) to cook more and spend more time (willingly) at the gym. And read. I do love the reading.

I was in a video recently for my church, which turned out way better than I had thought, and which is why I'm willing to post a link to it here. The church is moving to a new space, so there's a big push to get the word out. That's why I'm in a video. Not because I'm just awesomely cool, which is why I'm sure you thought I was in it.

Ooh! How about a little reading update? I don't think I've updated on books in quite a while. Most recently I finished The Unlikely Disciple, which I LOVED. I have a strange fascination with schools like Liberty and Bob Jones, and the archane and detailed code they follow.

I'm about halfway through Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution, and can't help but think of a crazy person from college when I read it. And not in a good way. I've also just started The Brothers K, and am really enjoying it so far.

I read the whole Twilight series earlier this summer, and man are they addictive. And I totally get why my middle school girls were so into them. Totally. They're not great literature, and not as good as Harry Potter, but I think they're worth a read to know what all the hoopla is about. I also saw the first Twilight movie, which sucked. Edward looked like he was going to cry for almost half of it.

Fieldwork has also been read, on the suggestion of Ruth. I'm not usually into mysteries, but I really liked this one. Partly because it features crazy missionaries. I'm a sucker for a book with crazy missionaries in it. And Ruth reads a lot of books, so she knows her stuff.

So yeah, that's about it for now. I'm hanging out with Jas and Panda tonight on their midwestern tour 2009, so maybe some photos later.

So, new stuff...

I got a new (used) car. It's small, and blue, and has a moonroof. It's not quite as zippy as the Jetta, but it also isn't falling apart. It's cute, I think, and it's fun to drive. And it's a Honda, so hopefully reliable. No, I don't have pictures...I've never really taken pictures of my cars, unless something is or has happened to them, like towing.

Other new stuff...

I've learned about geocaching. That's a weird way to put it I guess, but yeah. I went with a friend this past Saturday, and we found 14 caches, which was awesome. We'd gone once before and looked for just 4 or 5, and only found 2, neither of which were my actual finds. So it was awesome to be the finder on some this weekend.

I also forgot to wear sunscreen that day and got a farmer tan.

More new stuff...

Working. Wait, that's not new. That's boring. Except that I've spent LOTS of time writing about hunting and fishing. That should make some of you laugh.

Random new stuff...

I replaced my 5/2 programmable thermostat with a 7 day programmable thermostat. It makes a lot more sense for me since my M-W-F schedule is way different than my T-Th schedule. Anyway, I was taking out the old one, and here's what I found:

Now, I'm no electrician. But somehow it doesn't seem right to me that you should jam a giant hunk of sticky tack (I know, it's some electrician's putty or whatever) into a hole to keep the wires in place. Is it?

Anyway, I replaced it with this beauty, no sticky tack needed:

You know you're an old boring homeowner when you can admire a thermostat.

You do not appreciate me!

It was a sad day. I have done nothing but be nice to my car--I change the oil as required, I do all of the recommended maintenance, take it in as soon as the check engine light comes on, put premium gas in it as required by the turbo dealy, and yet it treats me like this...

I was all packed up and headed to the lake, when the engine temperature gauge went crazy, and the little floating buoy light started flashing. It all happened quickly, but I think there was also some dinging.

Long story short, it was towed to the mechanic. And it kind of feels like an abusive relationship. I treat it well, and all I get is crap in return, but I keep it around, and keep coming back. I hate my car, but we'll see if we can work it out.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I am still laughing about this...

And this.

Reading to my Goddaughter

McDonald's Doesn't Quite Understand Turn-Taking

When you take a look at conversation and language, you see that turn-taking is an important concept. Generally, one person speaks at a time, and we try to avoid silence. Violating these norms creates some kind of dissonance in a conversation. Pretty easy, right?

Well, that darn automated voice at McDonald's messes it all up. I've been to the drive through a couple of times in the past few months, and both times my experience was the same. I drove up, and the automated voice asked me if I wanted something...the days's special, or a certain value meal or whatever. I said "No, thank you."

And then there was silence. In a normal conversation, after I spoke, the other person should speak. I'm guessing McD's designed it to work that way, but for whatever reason, the person inside the restaurant working the drive-thru did not say anything. And so I sat there, both times, wondering if I should speak, or wait for them to ask me to order. Awkward.

So listen up, McDonalds. You need to fix this. Either get rid of the weird automated offers, or train your people to take the customer's order.

For Real

It's been a long time since I've written for real. Partly because there have been some hard things, partly because I want to avoid that private/public line where when people read something, they cringe because you just shouldn't have shared.

So yeah, some tough times with a friend. That's about all I'm willing to say about it. It's not mine to share, but it definitely kept me from writing for a while.

Other than that, I've been trying to work out consistently and get healthier. I've been hesitant to write about it, but at some point it's just like hey, you can all see it anyway, so why not acknowledge it. The kicker was some pictures I saw of myself which made my jaw fall to the floor...seriously, how did I not know I looked like that?

Anyway, the process of getting healthier has been interesting. I've done weight watchers before, but didn't really see that as a way to live for a long period of time. So instead I rejoined the gym, and have been trying to make better food choices. Not perfect, but better than before. When I rejoined the gym one of the trainers showed me how to use the weight machines, which was new to me, so that's been cool. It feels awesome to walk up to one of them, and not stare at it like an idiot. And surprisingly, it's not weird at all that they're in front of all the cardio. machines. In fact, I can't see anyone behind me, so it's kind of like they disappear.

I'm not planning any sort of before/after pictures, or updates much, unless it comes up in something else I feel like writing about. But yeah, it's been a big deal for me lately, so it's here.

Which reminds me, I went to a "matfusion" class tonight, which was supposed to be a blend of pilates and yoga. I hate yoga, love pilates. Well, the class was weighted more to the latter, and the room was ridiculously warm. And it wasn't the hot kind of yoga either, just too darn humid in the midwest. And I was pissed. Two years ago I did yoga with a couple of friends, and I had no problem holding downward dog, or any of the other poses...tonight, bah. I had to stop a few times and modify the pose, or just wait it out. It made me mad. Usually getting pissed about stuff like that doesn't really motivate me, but somehow it did tonight. I finished the class, but swore to not go back until I'm stronger.

I've also been hanging out with people from my new church quite a bit. When I was in San Jose this past weekend, I sat in my old chuch, and just had this overwhelming moment of feeling blessed. Blessed to have all of my people in CA, but also to have people to come home to. At one point a few years ago I watched the series Six Feet Under, and saw an episode about a woman who died alone, and no one found her for a seriously long time. It made me think, and I realized then that there were definitely people who would find me. This weekend I realized I now have that in Sioux Falls too. It's a strange way of measuring things, I know, but it works for me. If I were to die, I know someone would come and find my body before I was too badly decomposed.

So that's really what's going on.

For the random fun of it, here's a picture of the clouds in town tonight. Magnificent.

Baby Shower Surprise!

I love adding the word "surprise" at the end of anything. It just makes it more exciting. Like tuna casserole surprise, or mango mojito surprise! This weekend was a baby shower surprise. I flew out to San Jose on Saturday, to surprise Jen and Brian (and everyone else) for their baby shower on Sunday. For those of you not on Facebook, here are some pics.

Jen and Brian opening gifts.

Donna and Annabelle.

Me and Annabelle.

I will actually blog again sometime soon, probably. Until then, here's a picture of me and my new baby niece. She's a lucky girl, as she had the cord wrapped around her neck, and still got out safely.

Why, Of Course!

I was uploading some old photos to FB tonight, and I found this, and it made me laugh out loud. It's me, in Europe, on a backpacking trip the summer after I graduated high school. The logo on the right, Athlete of the Year, with the Sports Illustrated logo was completely unintentional. I had found a disposable camera in my room, and took it with me. When I got back and developed my pictures, I realized that a good quarter of my pictures of European monuments and otherwise were emblazoned with "Athlete of the Year" and "Sports Illustrated." Of course, of course I'm an athlete of the year!

Non-Beige!

The color of my house before...

And, after!

I approve!

Yeah, so, no writing lately...for a few reasons. First, it seems a little superfluous. You can be my friend on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter, so do I really need to add extra here? Not so much, at least not so that you know what's going on in my life. Also, the past few weeks have been, well, a time when I've not really felt much like writing.

But back to the first reason...I had lunch with my boss today, and he mentioned an article that traced the downfall of blogging to the exponential growth of FB and Twitter...it ma
kes sense. The only reason I can think that someone would still need/want a blog is to write...not necessarily read or be read, but to write. So maybe I'll keep this up....we'll see.

So for now...a photo. Me, and new friends from church, Sarah and Michael. Whoo-hoo for friends!

(I look all squinty-eyed because I had been wearing sunglasses all day and took them off for the picture)

Random

I went to church twice this past Sunday, an event more rare since I have joined churches outside of the CRC. I suppose that fact is really irrelevant, but since this post is titled Random...

I went to Covenant Sunday morning, a church I used to call home. And Pastor Herm, someone I think is comfortable with areas of gray, preached on Rahab. And he surprised me. He described Rahab as someone we might dislike because she lies and is deceptive. But my opinion of Rahab couldn't be more opposite. I've always really liked her. I love the idea of a lying prostitute being the one to protect God's spies.

The idea of disliking her never really crossed my mind...if she were perfect, it wouldn't really be so miraculous that she hid Joshua's spies. It would be mundane, boring, and very "Christian." The way it really happened though, I love it...a woman of ill repute, acccomplishing God's purposes regardless of her perhaps selfish intentions. It's what David Plotz calls the messy Bible. Totally messed up, Flannery O'Conner-esque people, working out redemption. What's not to like?

I am short on words tonight, and even shorter on pictures, since my camera fell out in the trunk of my car at the airport. However, Donna put up some pictures of my goddaughter Annabelle's baptism. What a beautiful church and a sweet baby.

I guess the title is This American Life...

I don't remember ever being really angry at This American Life before, but I listened to No Map this weekend on my way home from the lake, and I was pissed. And shocked that This American life would let such ethnocentricity slide...at least seemingly so. They say they tried to get the other side, but still...definitely an interesting story, and worth listening to, despite a strong pro-American, pro-stuff bias.

Phew...

The last few days/week? have been hectic. But fun. Today was my 2nd interview for a summer internship with an online marketing firm, and tonight they offered me the job! Whoo-hoo. They also asked for a writing sample, so I pointed out my blog...so if you offered me a job today and are reading this, hello, and thanks!!

I also went to Chicago last week to help my dad with the NCA candy show. I started going to candy shows with him when I was about 10. They used to have kids programs, so I would walk the show floor a while to get candy, and then spend the rest of the time at amusement parks and children's museums. Oh, and taking cabs all by myself in Washington, DC, as a 10-year-old (true story). I would never let my proverbial children do what my dad let us do at those shows.

But Chicago was awesome. I helped to set up the booth, and then helped the marketing folks get some press for the new mascot, Mr. Eiffel Bon Bons.


I even got to BE Mr. Eiffel BonBons, which was fun. Strangely enough, I got to be him at Soldier Field, where I had to ask what teams and/or sports played there. Good times.


I also helped hand out samples and do random other things at the booth, and I managed to get myself some press. First I got into the daily magazine of the show (I have no idea why I look like I'm tipping over...I think I was trying to look like I was hugging Mr. Eiffel Bonbons. I've learned my lesson).


The local Chicago news also did a story on the show, and I (or at least my hair) made it to the video.

I also had dinner and beer at the Hopleaf with Grant and Kristin, and then sat out on the pier to enjoy the Chicago skyline. (Sidenote: Heels are most innapropriate footwear for the beach)


I arrived home Friday at about 1 pm, mowed my lawn and procured paint for the summer house painting, and left for Okoboji. And realized, upon arriving in Okoboji, that I had forgotten to feed the cats. DOH! I am eternally grateful for friends from my new church for saving me from discovering kitty carcasses when I came home Monday night.

The lake was awesome, as usual. The boys got a new "park," and my one nephew helped my brother level it out to add sand. He's a crazy hard worker, and always wants to talk about work (You workin'? You goin' to work? What do you do at work? Not now, I'm workin')


Of course, we also spent some time out on the boat, and I only got slighltly burnt. Quite an accomplishment for my first time out in the sun this season, I think. Oh, and we only let the kids drive part of the time.


So now, 2 more days at home, and then I'm off to California for Annabelle's baptism. Or christening...I'm not sure if there's a difference, but I really like the sound of the word "christening." Busy, but all good stuff.

Scenes from Tuesday

As you already know, these kitties talk to my nephew. Mostly with interjections and requests to go golfing. He still loves them.

He also really seemed to like the Mr. Potato Head I picked up at the dollar store. He told me that he's a funny man, and wanted to picnic with us. But, he could only picnic with us sans hat and shoes. Which made it a little hard for Mr. Potato Head to balance well enough to drink his juice box.

My nephew, however, had no such problems with the juice box. Picnic, accomplished.

*All pictures taken with my new Lightscoop! A whole new level of nerdiness.