"And I'm Back in the Game!"

Yes, this title is a famous quote from a movie that you all should know if you were born in the 80's or anytime around there...who knows...anyone, anyone, Beuler?
That's right!
10 Things I Hate About You.
Pay no attention to the context that this line has in the movie, totally irrelevant. But correct nonetheless. I feel better; I feel rejuvenated! A week of relaxin, good food, good sun, good reading, good friends and plenty of laughs brought on by the best roommate ever and myself of course....we're gonna sum it up with one word, talent.
T-alent show plans
A-wful Karaoke
L-o, as in J-Lo
E-ating ice cream fools
N-ew way to drink fanta
T-eenage dance
Oh yes, that's all talent if I ever heard of it!
Okay, but in all seriousness, aside from a sick cousin spending her last day in the hospital b/c of dehydration from vomiting (yeah, not fun at all) it was a great time! We built sand castles...okay, it was a Christmas tree ornaments and all...we experienced the culture at it's finest...by that I mean it was all tourists
(Touristy now I gotta let you know what it was like where we were...one starts to think it's not your traditional Mexico when on the way to the hotel you view the major US companies such as McDonalds...Burger King, Wal-mart! Sam's Club, Home Depot...rediculous, yes! Now, let me blow your mind a little more with this...the shopping center in Playa del Carmen, which is the fastest growing city in the world at this moment , in this shopping center there was, oh yes, it's true, there was a Starbucks! I have to admit I was tempted to get you bucks employees a taste of your own Mexico style, but I couldn't bring myself to venture inside it on vacation)
even at the bull fight, which showed us some of the heritage, but you know it's commercialized now if they announce in english b/c 90% of the audience is European or American or Canadian! So, a bit disappointed there, but can't complain a few friendly folks allowed me to practice my espanol and make me happy to be able to put a thought together, however broken if may sound.
I am happy, God is good and has challenged me in a few areas that I realize I need challenged in...He's awesome like that, never a dull moment. And the amazing thing is that I feel like I actually have time to spend in allowing my mind to wander...I can be sitting here and think of someone and then pray for them...it's a great experience. I don't think this brain has felt such freedom in a while, not mindless all the time, yes I few good movies have been revisited to allow mind-numbing to occur to get to this stage
(and they were playing Lord of the Rings II in Mexico after The Old Gray Mare and I had watched the first one just days before...if that's not God adding a little blessing to life...then we're not paying attention),
but now...now, it's active in a new way.
Well, that's the modified version of what's going on in this brain now, until next time...hasta la vista...baby!

I'm R-E-A-D-Y!

That's right, I'm ready to go. Let's be honest here, I'm one to get straight to the point. I don't like to beat around the bush. I want to know something, I'll ask. I want something done, I'll go do it. So, when the countdown has been going on for over 45 days, the plans and schedules and activities talked about for countless times, it is about time. Time to step onto a plane and viajamos a Mexico! My bag is packed and I don't want to brag, well yes I do...this expertly trained UW packer has fit her week's worth of life into the "You could carry it on if you had to" size piece of luggage. Now, I have the option to take a bigger bag, sure. I could check two bags if I wanted, but where's the challenge in that. Let's get real, I'm gonna be wearing my bikini half the time...throw in a couple pairs of shorts, two nice outfits, a couple skirts, and plenty of tanktops and we're good to go...I mean, one can always rewear anything...heck I could wear the same thing everyday and who's gonna stop me. Not like I'm gonna see any of these people again, foreign country and all...besides my family, but they're used to me already:)
So, now I guess it's on to counting hours...25 till the plane takes off...17 that I'll be awake and fidgety (and did you know fidgety is in the spell checker, amazing things these machines can do)...

oh how far we've come

Two posts in one week! Shudder to think I have this much time on my hands...
the update, the count you all want to know...three finals down, two to go.
The hours seem to pass by so slowly this week...nothing to do but study and I've done that, spend two hours or so in school, two working in the office, one working out, review the material...what else does one do with her life...? You let me know of any good ideas.
But in other news...since I have this newly acquired free time I was checking out others blogs and then started to read my own. Wierd? Yeah, I couldn't even remember what I wrote. A semesters worth of thoughts and feelings and tiredness spewed onto a page, I'll be honest some of it impressed me that I could put those into words...others made me sigh a sigh of relief that those times are past and yes I'm surviving...I survived. Jesus got me through.
Now, I realize finals week isn't over yet, but I'm counting it as a done. I'm confident that as a classmate said earlier today,
"We're all super smart and we busted our a**es all semester. So, we're done." And it's true...she speaks truth! And if you could only hear her say supersmart like she does, then you would want to be her best friend as well!:)
So, yes, here I go, to enjoy my evening of "I'm not studying anymore tonight" but I can't really enjoy it yet b/c tomorrow's final is looming, alas, this too shall pass.
Adios muchachos!

the ways we weep

Jesus wept.

I wept
Tears of joy!
TEARS OF FRUSTRATION
or did I? Maybe I wanted to...

Once upon a time...
Two second years, who were being nice and telling a young innocent bright eyes first year back in the month of August said there would be four times at least that she would cry during her first year.
"I'm not a crier," she said.
"Neither are we," replied the wiser ones.
The newby thanked them for their perspective while inside she scoffed at their inability to hold up to the pressure. I'm tougher than they she told herself.

HA!

I can get this out, hopefully in understandable words and without the fear of shedding a tear in the process only b/c I am filled with the peace that passes all understanding. I have this inexplicable feeling of no anxiety, no worries, no stress and it shouldn't be that way...only one final down and four to go; I should definitely not feel this way. Thanks God. Thanks friends who threw up a few prayers, who fight for me before the Father. Thanks Jesus for expressing what I always cannot...

Jesus wept.

Why is it so hard to shed the tears in public? It seems to be acceptable to get so emotionally attached to fictitious characters on ones favorite tv show that reserves one whole hour of your life once a week...
It is okay to feel their hurts and pains and let the water works turn on, but oh shudder the thought that you might give into the natural response while, oh I don't know, just sharing with another person about life.
That's messed up.

Jesus wept.

I keep coming back to that...the shortest verse in the Bible, the one almost every good church going middle schooler or high schooler can spit out on Bible trivia as the shortest verse. John 11:35.
Funny how God is in the midst of all things here on earth...b/c I just happened to open a book I'd been reading but hadn't found the time for weeks and yesterday after deciding to get a little read in the part that's next is about...yep...Christ's travail...John 11:33-44
"...the tears Christ shed were not merely tears of sympathy, but of indignation and the stirrings of His spirit."
whew...think on that one. So, my spirit could be so stirred that I want to cry...heck ya. When no words come, when the heart is so heavy that words cannot express it, sure. Why does it often want to come out as tears? I don't know, God made us like that. It all goes back to the sympathetic response and the post-ganglionic branch of CN VII that enters the orbit and runs along with a branch of CN V2...duh...and the hormones that are released when we cry...yeah, scientists can know it, but can they give into it?
Can I so humble myself to let Christ have his way in my and just praise him through the tears no matter if they are tears of joy, thanksgiving, sorrow, anxiety...amazing how Christ made the body to take care of itself.
Need to relieve some stress? Need to be understood? Need to just "be a girl"? (yeah, sometimes that's needed) Cry and fall asleep in your Savior's arms, a deep much needed sleep that refreshes down to the soul...His arms are big and strong and water resistant:)

Jesus wept.
The man whose tears held more knowledge and sorrow for sins than we will feel in a lifetime.
The living breathing PEACE on earth.
The Christ, Immanuel, the embodiment of perfection.
He wept.
Thank you Jesus for your example to me.

a time to remember

There is a time for everything, a season for every emotion under Heaven...or so it goes similar to that in Ecclesiastes. Is it possible to experience a plethora of emotions in less than a week? Can the physical body handle such extreme joy to drained wondering? I think not only can the body handle it, but that is the root of it almost...the physical weariness manifesting itself in the suppressed state of the mind. The mind so tired of computing that it simply feels as if it will grind to a stop if one lets down the guard for one millisecond. Don't stop now little brain...you have 15 more days of work (4 till you get to recharge with time) (zero until the grace of no one but the Lord can rejuvenate). Is it as dramatic as this sounds, no. Did my mind put in close to 11 hours of solid focus power today, yes. Can I express myself overzealously if I want, yes. Why would I want to? B/c I have to exhibit self control and grown up tendencies those 11hrs+ a day. B/c that's what using a fake name and having a blog is all about. B/c if I want to start a sentence with because I can and will. And I will even start one with and and end with a preposition...though I can't think of how to end with a preposition if I wanted to at this point.!
Am I a nerd? yes
Do I enjoy sharing my knowledge and stories and facts? yes
Did I want to break out the ol Indian dance Grandpa and Sister (and Grandma on occasion) would do in the basement back in the day as I stood in lab with scalp in hand? yes
Do I proudly claim the 1/64th Native American blood I have coursing through my veins and the self proclaimed Indian name of Running River? yes
Do I dream of days without group projects and quizzes and papers and test prep? Yes and no
it's a love hate relationship.
It's the story of my life right now and i wouldn't trade it for the world! I see where I am, how blessed I am to be where I am, how thankful I am for the guidance and direction and love God has given me to be in this place, sitting in this beanbag, too tired to care, too happy to not, too eager to stop, and too hungry to cease.(not literally b/c roommate made amazing dish this evening)
peace up
a-town down

a girl and a parking meter

Dori Here...lately life in the big city has been rather regular. Every morning at 7:15 I shake off the shivers and start pouring on the heat as soon as I can to keep my human warm. Her favorite setting in this weather is floor-2-and just a tad to the right of middle on the scale. She has some sweet tunes in the a.m. I might add between klove and spirit66 and hillsong...though she does have some trouble with the high notes...most of the time its all music to my side mirrors. My person must be vip or something special because we always get a pretty good parking spot at my second home. Sometimes I get bored there because she leaves me for 11 hours at times, but usually it's only 9-91/2. (Sometimes when we leave she gets in all sweaty and smelly, but I don't say anything, I just try to get the air circulating as quickly as possible.) Anyway, then it's back up north for the evening. If it's nice out we like to visit a little semi-circle lot that has pretty woods and trails (and again she will get in all wet and stinky??) But I like it b/c it makes me feel tough and like the true 4X4 that I am. Maybe one day I will get to show her what I'm capable of off road! Until then, the routine isn't bad and I get my fill of regular unleaded once a week.
This weekend I noticed we went somewhere we go rarely...and there were lots of our friends with us, they had fun and laughed a lot and listened to really loud music, it had a good beat. And when they got back in they kept talking about my human and a parking meter...I need to ask her about that, but they sounded like it was a good time. I thought those were only for us four legged type, but who knows.
Anyway, Thanksgiving is coming up and I can feel the excitement build...maybe I will get to expand my range and get out on the open road a bit more this week. Time will tell. Until then, cruise happy my friends.
-Your friendly neighborhood ESCAPE (hey, that's spelled just like the word for escape!)

Days of Rest

Sundays are the best and worst, it is a cruel irony how it all works out. I wake up early, why, b/c this ol body just can't sleep in very late, which is good because I get to chilax and chat with God and read up on His Word. Then I gotta get up and move, I'm a mover and a shaker. So, I do something crafty or ingenious. Then all the creative juices are used up...just about that time, it is finally time to go to church! wooohoo! I really do love church, bunch of people, a lot of who I don't know, but a lot of people I do know or have seen a lot and we get to sing together, praisin' Jesus, learning something new and being challenged...
ahhh...challenge. Here is the great one today, not so much challenge, but opportunity. The opportunity to affect change, the chance to be a part of something God is doing on a larger scale. The option to commit and change lives and act like we are commanded, to care for the poor and needy. Oh, I get so pumped up just thinking about it!
you gotta check this out....basically, the bottom line and way this change will happen is simply by people cutting their Christmas giving and using the money they would spend on gifts anyway to give to the advent conspiracy and there are four different levels of things that can happen, if 2,000 people give 200 then the complete 4 tier conceptual model will be completed and all by Christmas, which is amazing. All this change is in line to happen and the outcome will be determined in 8 weeks.
here's the website if you're interested in what I'm talking about
http://www.cruxministries.org/Adventconspiracy.html
if you read this you prob would be on my Christmas list and so that means, you probably won't be getting anything from me for Christmas and I expect and ask nothing from you except that you seriously consider being a part of the conspiracy. It is a nationwide thing so churches all around the country are doing it, check it out
adventconspiracy.org
Oh, did I mention each person is supposed to get 10 others to commit, so we might need to talk:) I mean, we really will be feeding the hungry, schooling the kids in booksmarts, God-smarts, and streetsmarts(or so they know how to get off the street), providing drinking water and thus better health to people who would otherwise die from diarrhea, ...is that enough, cause I can tell you more.

Now, back to how Sundays are the best. Did I mention how God answers prayers? He does. He did it all this week, multiple times, in multiple ways. Don't believe me just think about it, can't come up with anything, ask a friend, share in the rejoicing over the good He has done!

Why are Sundays the worst? Well, when one is accustomed to spending every waking moment focusing on something, getting stuff around for the next something, or being too tired to focus anymore...it makes it hard to stop the cycle. The brain wants to go go go, the body gets fidgity (but I guess that could be just me), and that's when we say...just relax, enjoy, take it in...go ahead and just about that time...it's time for Monday. Viscous cycle.

I wrote a poem about rain this morning cause it has been a rainy day. I listened to a preacher on the radio. I laughed as roommate4life made her way down the stairs in rollerblades, she laughed as I made my way up. I rollerbladed in the apartment, remember when mom would say you're not allowed to rollerblade indoors, and how they said that at school and in the dorm, though I can't promise it didn't happen anyway and in less than full clothing like that one May term...ahaha...let's just say many girls who lived on 2 East might be scarred for life. (yes, it was worth it)

Oh, the good old days

Gotta have stuff to look forward to, can't be looking in the past...I'm looking forward to after this week to have two major tests done, two papers completed and one turned in, to be able to play in the water with young friends and enjoy a pizza party afterward...add another day on so after Monday to be able to say that I get to have three major tests done, no more things to study till after Thanksgiving, seeing a long lost friend from the south, and getting my groove on, b/c remember I'm a mover and a shaker:) hahaha
until next time ya'll
Yeeehaaawww!

physical, mental, emotional, spiritual

Physically-good, strong as always, healthy, pickin up some weekend mileage here and there...about to be talked into running a mini with roommate in May

Mentally-exhausted at this moment, one test down, more to go; stuffed brain with muscles again tonight, decided to mindlessly stair at computer for remainder of evening instead of try to push through the fog

Emotionally-drained after a weekend of deepness; yet, somehow filled (gotta be from The Big Guy)

Spiritually-yet again supernaturally filled up and ready to go at the drop of a hat, if only by prayer. A lot of prayer. Not that it's easy, hence new favorite quote recently added to my blog page, it stinks at times. It hurts at times...but God's been reminding me, I hear it in many songs lately...that He is Mighty to Save. I take that literally. He is great enough to save, He hears my prayers, He knows the deepest parts my heart speaks of and who weighs heavily on it, He has given me confidence that His will be done. My God is HUGE, my Daddy-o is in Control, He cares.

Might I just mention my great loathing of time change...call me a traditionalist, call me stubborn, call me just wanting something to whine about...but seriously, do you really need it light in the morning when all your gonna do is go pen yourself up in a building for hours on end...and then since you are on "daylight savings" by the time you leave it's already getting dark out. Would you rather pull yourself out of bed and the nice warm covers to enjoy the outdoors or frolick around in the afternoon/evening sun and have time to take a jaunt after the hour of 5:30pm. yeah, that's what I thought.

Things I enjoy (aka blessings from above): new socks, amazing! crouching tiger, hidden dragon. people associated with my almamader (maybe they should teach one how to spell almumader before allowing one to be an alumn and therefore use the term). Having things to look forward to...like Gray's on Thursdays, Surface on fridays, No class on Saturdays, Church on Sunday and chill day, Seeing friends on Monday, Tuesday night b/c that means Inquiry is over, Coldmeat sandwich for lunch on Wednesday...oh wait that's everyday, my bad (though I will say I switched it up today with a peanutbutter and banana sandwich today, slightly toasted so it wouldn't totally smush en route.)

Ahhh...9:14pm My mind is saying not time for bed yet, but my body, my body's telling me yeah (sing it flash:)
gotta love the time change...esp when wake up at 5:30 and are up when didn't even have to get up till 6:15, brutal, but good for extracurricular activities such as crafts and what not.

Until next time folks

may I never grow up

may I never cease to find as much enjoyment with water toys as the handicapped kids with which I swam today
may I never lose the sense of excitement that floods over me at the thought of dressing up in costume for any occasion
may I never forget my first love...a bowl of cheerios in not just any bowl, but one with an animal drawn on the side
may I never decorate my room minus home made gifts from dearly loved ones and craft papery things
may I never lie about my age because its all relative...look at Noah for example and the multitude of others listed in the Bible that lived over the age of 200
may I never go through the stage of no naps again, especially on a rainy afternoon, or one involving football on tv
may I never ever grow up

a balancing act

Let's talk about the reuniting of Zion and Dori...that's what it seemed like for sure as it had been so long since the two really bonded. Don't worry Lime Slurry was involved and whale talk was the common language used to communicate. Might I add that this dynamic duo practiced many skills here's just a few: burrito making, bike riding, cheesecake eating, ultimate frisbee throwin...and all that in just two days...yes, studying was done, that was probably the low point as it was a Saturday night at the Bucks and tres amigas (includes Roommate for Life) were the sole nerds who do that sort of thing on Sat. night in big city life...well I'll go with two nerds, b/c one was just reading for fun and doesn't have to study b/c she's a big girl and has a job.
What's that? Don't ask me, I was just commenting today on the anticipation I have for when I actually do have a "real" job and what it will be like...seems so long away.
But anyway, that pretty much sums up the weekend oh, I forgot to mention one hairy friend who resided with the ladies this weekend and annoyed them so much with a squeaking toy that after a couple tries the humans finally outsmarted the canine and managed to hide the obnoxious toy, which is still probably stuffed under the couch pillow in case anyone is wondering where a good place to hide is located.
Overall, I must say Dori thoroughly enjoyed the weekend of fun and had great talks of all walks of life with her buddy who truly is a blessing from God. So, the balancing act of life continues and was leaned back in a good direction this weekend. Dori still logs most miles in the school realm, but maybe that's where most of the weight is supposed to fall at this time...that's what breaks are for and weekends to rejuvenate, to have something to look forward to, to countdown towards. Yeah, it's a lot of work, yeah it's not gonna get any easier for a while, but I love it. I love the way I can teach others and share my expanding body of knowledge that will never be complete. I enjoy check-offs and learning skills my hands can feel and know and develop that are there all along, just gotta know what their looking for...amazing. Don't worry readers, all are welcome to be my practice subjects. Zion got her turn this weekend...who's next? The best roommate ever had her turn last weekend...it's payback for her for all the times she made me lie on the couch and examined my vitals.
But for now, this cat is off to explore the world of prayer...it's a good thing. Worth reading about, worth investing time in on a daily basis I do believe. Lot's of people need it, mainly Three in One are the only ones who hear it all and can interpret what the heart says and maybe the mind can not even formulate. It doesn't take much practice, but can always be improved upon, like any relationship takes time and energy and focus, but at times no focus, little purposeful energy...like those times with others when you can just be...
the pure moments of silence with the understood and no words floating around in the air to mess it up...yeah, that's what it's about, moments like that...
...times when only breathing is heard and maybe it's just your own breathing to know you are alive on the outside, but you know you are more than alive on the inside...
...the times you are overflowing like a sponge that can't hold all that's being poured into it and there's nothing you can do but enjoy the rush, and later learn to enjoy the squeeze, knowing you won't break b/c you spent the time soakin' in His presence, it is His love outpouring, it is HIM and only Him that will keep you soft and pliable and form you into the sensitiveness that He wants you to be.
ooohhh...good stuff as Flash would say.
Hey, shout out to Flash while I'm on it; it's been a while, but you are awesome and a huge encouragement and source of wisdom to me as well and I learn and experience this balancing act that is my life at this point, in this season as you so fondly refer to it:)
I just love everybody...thank you Jesus for the blessings of people in my life, I like people.

Fall and Hope

Ahhh...it tis fall, the air has the cool crisp feel, especially when one leaps out of bed in the morning. Such a greeting is refreshing the first time each year...but let's be honest, by day three you want to see how effective it would be to attempt and put on your sweats in bed so as to trap the heat with you until you can manage your way to the warm shower and then there is the challenge of getting out of the shower and into your clothes as fast and as dry and warm as possible, let's just say I'm still working out all the kinks in that process. And to tell the truth, I just grit my teeth down on the ol' retainer in the morning and live with the goosebumps and hairy legs (and yes mother I still believe that goosebumps makes your leg hair get longer) that result from the cold transfer from bed to shower to clothing.
Ahhh...but back to the cool crisp refreshing fall air that is a joy to run in and makes it all the more better to work up a sweat b/c you know your working hard if you can get your shirt soaked clear through as opposed to four days before when you just had to sit outside and the same results came about, or you can be blessed like me and have a perpetual sweat ring going on in the armpit (axillary) region and be darn proud of it!
But yes...fall, a beautiful time of year. Everything starts to change...the leaves turn orange, yellow, red, brown...the neighbors put out hideous halloween decorations...the classroom obtains a fragrance of coffee every morning as the sleepy darkness is fought off with cups of caffeine (starbucks brew compliments of our very own starbucks barista)...fall brings a sense of hope.
Hope that the seasons will continue as planned, hope that the winter will be beautiful and nice and relatively short, hope that Christmas break will come soon, hope that it will be a welcomed time of year and reunions will be secured with family and friends.
What is this hope...well, I was hoping you'd ask that. I've been pondering it for about a week now. The term/idea/word was brought to my attention as a friend made a wonderful comment on it and I quote, "It seems like hell when you’re going through it but I’m a big fan of hope and hope tells me that there’s healing." Now healing from what...from whatever is on your plate right now...healing in sickness, stress, time, emotional, mental, physical, relationships, anything and everything that you are looking for an end in. aka healing in life as our end goal is all the same and centered around the same person/God/deity/place to be besides here on this changing earth. Now the Bible has a lot to say about hope, so much that I got as far as the first oh seven references to it and stopped there and that was just mostly in psalms and proverbs...basically, it says hope = life; hope in Lord= being blessed, renewed strength; hope in His unfailing love=Lord's delight; hope for future=won't be cut off
so that's what the Bible says here's my personal definition.
Hope is inner excitement, anticipation, and yearning. All that I call my hope is my looking to the future which is centered on Jesus. That's my hope, that's how I view hope, centered on Jesus...how would you explain hope to someone who is without? Hard question...have to go back to the seasons I spose...hope in a new day, hope in a new time...hope is so much easier with God.
whew, that's deep...enough of a break, though it is fall break. woohoo!

Checking in, loud and clear!

Things I love...

• driving with the windows down, even when it's so hot your back is sweating and clothing is sticking to the seat.
• crankin the radio up at the same time and shouting along with Hillsong, "Take, Take, Take it all, Take, Take, Take it all! Jesus We're living for your name, we'll never be ashamed of you. Our praise and all we are today..Take, Take, Take it all...."
• Two words...1) Surface 2)Anatomy
• little cousins who grow up really fast and are fast little runners
• fulfilling the 13 hugs a day quota...especially when they're from friends one hasn't seen in months
• running in the hot October sun...yes, Hot October, Hot and Humid October sun
• calling Miss Flash, Miss Zion, Mr 'Ol Gray Mare (I know it's got gray in it...once again, you know who you are...) and being able to share the unimportant details of life.
• riding bikes to wal-mart for the sole purpose of picking up ice-cream, orders of one best friend who I'm gonna name...Polka Dot...yeah, we'll see how she feels about that name later:)
• the list goes on...
• and on...
• and on...
• but I also love sleep.
• night

another day another dollar

three hours at the buck studying...check
another couple in the living room...check
three full attempts at passing quiz online...check
squeeze in an hour for anatomy...check check
get all dolled up to go out on the town...ha, you betcha;) So, I put in my time, I fought through the pages and pages of notes, organized, outlined, read, highlighted, compare/contrast...all that good stuff. I practiced my skill of juggling, which will be performed tomorrow for a grade, yes I actually had to learn to juggle for class. I prayed that God would help me pass the quiz on-line after the second trial was another failure. I passed, thanked God for real, and took a time-out to chat with...none other than Zion, you know who you are.
So, yes, I along with two other classmates went out for a night on the town, now, you might think...twenty somethings, extremely intelligent young women would go to a nice restaurant, which we did. Then they might walk around the mall, yeah, we did that. Maybe get a drink somewhere and engage in stimulating conversation, oh sure we did. And a nice way to round out the evening would be stroll along and admire the many monuments and fountains adorning the downtown area, uh huh we were there.
Now, what you might not guess, but what makes us...well us, is the most exciting events of the evening. Dinner was normal sporty restaurant for sporty gals, talking of randomness like dress up days for school, boring you think, but it picked up. Now any good mall has to have a Brookstone or the like and ya know this girl loves massages so you know we were all over that like slobber on a St. Bernard's face. Then drinks of course, focused around chocolate and ice-cream for me, obviously, as we sat on the steps and guessed ages and grades of the multiple groups of what we decided were sophomores in H.S. and freshmen in college to name a couple. And walk we did, but after all that eating, sitting, eating, ya gotta get cha cardio going and yes I started it, but we all ran up the huge building's stairs and sang the rocky theme song at the top and proceeded to make puppet shadows in the spot lights on the sides of the building...still not sure what building it was or why or who. Oh, did I mention the spitting contest off the side, I learned that by default (thanks Grandma, I owe ya one)
There you have it, one nice relaxing, explorative, and creatively fun evening. And I came to the conclusion I could be a city girl after all...it's not half bad, esp. when there are so many chances to reenact Rocky and be a champion, even if it's in my own pretend world:)
And there it was...today was the day, now where's that dollar?

feelin the love

who knew when my roommate so graciously created a facebook account for myself that she was doing me a favor. Yes, I resisted at first, then occasionally used it to send messages or receive them...then it happened...the way I swore it never would. I became a full-out facebook user. Hey, they say admitting it is the first step, well I'm way past that as I fully appreciate all it has to offer. Granted I have not, nor will I delve into the ten thousand new avenues of facebook such as the movie reviews, top ten friends, and all that jazz, why, who has time for that nonsense? Not me, not with gross breathing down my neck (by the way test Monday) and gesr right behind that (by the way test on wednesday) and did I mention a class where we learn all the theories of...who knows what...movement I spose, the way the world revolves, how to apply that to our lives (confused, me too, but by the way test on that next Monday). Point proven...time? No.
Anywho, where was I...oh yes...facebook, I really like and almost wouldn't know how to handle myself if the sharing pictures was not an option. Let's confess, shall we that the past two years I, myself have not used a camera; yet, I am able to gather copious amounts of photographs captured by friends around the world...oh yes, world and then compile them into one of my favorite forms called a scrapbook. So thank you to all you who do own a digital camera and so willingly post picts on facebook or use another fascinating facet called email to share with those who are as I would classify myself-a picture smooch (and yes I just had spell-check tell me the correct way to spell smooch...who knew!)
So, I'm definitely feelin the facebook love and it helps all the more with us date challenged people who don't remember birthdays for the life of us. I mean, what could be more awesome?!? It tells you whose b-day is coming up so you can in turn let them feel the facebook love and send a little wall post (which for those of you not facebook savy, is a message one and all can read if they look at your profile). I mean, sure I recognize the fact that hardly anyone remembers my b-day, but once facebook tells them it's my b-day and they post on my wall...who cares if you never talk to them anymore, or the only time you see them is through a pic online...it makes you feel special...b/c they took the ten seconds to give a shout out to me...on my birthday...and that's special. Not as special as feeding the starving kids in Asia...but special:)
And I preface that with how much more I do feel the love from the personal phone calls and truly time committed friends who put in the effort and have a sustained friendship with yours truly(...but I'm enjoying the satire on facebook at the moment, so consider it as such.)

In related news...or more to come later maybe...Dori will go on and on about the tragedy of having such a truly remarkably conditioned body that once it's in a rhythm, possibly circadian rhythm, it wakes up so early on Sunday mornings that by this time she has had God time, finished the movie she fell asleep to last night, cleaned up the place a bit, and gotten ready for church...tragedy, true tragedy. Whatever happened to sleeping in...oh that's right now sleeping in is 7 or 7:30...so sad

a hurting world

i came to the realization today walking out of wal-mart that we do indeed live in a hurting world...not that it's just full of sin and brokenness, but hurting...sadness...tears, harsh words. What you ask made me realize this after a what seems routine trip to pick up the necessities such as tp, black beans, frozen vegetables...etc...I will tell you
after witnessing a tense interaction btwn cashier and customer, which started over a simple ?, harsh answer, attitude to the max for the next what seemed like an hour, but in reality was 2 minutes(did I mention the part of me that hates confrontation)...and ended with obviously stressed out working mom almost in tears for who knows why and a disgruntled employee with a ultra fake chipper greeting and "have a nice day"...truly I believe it was not the wal-mart or the cashier or the late elementary kid accompanying mom...no, it was the hurt of the world. She was hurting, she took it out on the cashier, now she's hurting more, now my heart is hurting for the realization that it all hurts.
On a lighter note...the black beans were a great addition to my almost, not quite chipotle style burrito and it is always good to have a stock of tp at any time.

You know you're in a stressful environment when...

After spending a day working an open house, I truly was overjoyed, excited about the place I am currently spending 88.593% of my time. It was thought provoking to recall why I chose this path I'm on, how I got here, and what it is truly like now that I'm in the thick of things. In light of all this thought there comes a critical ironical part of how truly hard it is as I tried to explain some things to others on the outside and they just can't understand...neither can you until you would be in it yourself. So, I might just give you a little taste of how I get through a week...retaining partial sanity. (and yes, it is only the third week, going on four...not that we're keeping track or anything)
You know you're in between a rock and a hard place when...
...you pick an activity or social event for the next weekend so you can look forward to it all week long.
You know you're in for the long hull when...
...others refer to how this will all make sense in a year or two.
You know you're brain is taxed to the limit when...
...very advanced persons (intellectually and physically) take any chance they get to spend the 10 minute break playing nine square, an innovative spin off of 4 square.
...at the end of the day you don't even want to make a decision about if orange juice, blueberries, and strawberry yogurt go together in a smoothie, so you put it all in. (It's not half bad by the way...and yes, I'm the smoothie/shake master.)
You know you are desensitized to it all already when...
...you're studying in Starbucks and you realize (after an hour or so) that the graphics/illustrations on the pages sprawled all over the table in front of you might be a little awkward for others passing by.
That's just a tidbit of things that make it worth it, or get me through the day. By the way, I did win a round of 9square once...just throwing that out there.

City Life

Soo...this little country 4-wheel drivin', camo wearin', country music fan is enjoying the adjustments to city life...there are a few specific things that just make me smile on a daily basis. The first being speed limit, irrelevant really. Nowhere else have I been, and I've seen my share of road in my day, where if you are not going 15 over the speed limit the traffic is flying by. Needless to say, every morning the traffic report has one or two accidents to inform us of the slowed flow around the loop, but that's not bad odds when you look at the shear numbers that traverse the black top/cement that we call a highway.
Second, stores are everywhere...now, this is nothing like Bloomington, IL which has the most restaurants per capita in the United States (fact) but it is definitely an improvement from the gas station subway/pizza and Dollar General store that brought great buzz to area when they set up shop back home. Need groceries...go get em...computer stuff, right down the street...ice-cream and a movie..totally possible without going more than 2miles! Oh yes, this could be dangerous for this roommate duo who find every feeling, emotion, day to be an occasion for a summertime treat that you can eat year round.
What else do I enjoy...get ready, this is big...cross-training...take this week for example in one week I participated in 5 completely different activities that promote health and wellness. The list is extensive and noteworthy for sure, feel free to be amazed as well
day 1-mountain biking
day2-lifting
day3-basketball
day4-swimming
day5-running
and to make it complete in a few momentos the best roommate ever and I will be run/riding...how does that work you ask, easy...she runs I ride a bike:) hahaha...oh how the tables have turned!
So, yeah, time to go...Lime Slurry is waiting!

I'm a blogger?

So, here goes, after much deliberation and thinking on the subject...I decided hey, why not, I need to be able to comment on other's blogs, so I might as well start one of my own. This shall be my way to put it in writing all the things I want to say or just babble about when all my brain power for studying has diminished for the day, or week, or month...really whenever I feel like it.