karin tome.com

Giving Back

2012-01-19T21:28:00.000-05:00

This time tomorrow, I'll be on a plane bound for Africa.

Have you ever been in that place where your deepest passions intersect with opportunity? Where you see, possibly for the first time, a clear connection of events leading you to this precise moment at this precise time?

That's where I am.

For as long as I can remember, I've been passionate about literacy and education. Of course, I didn't know that's what it was called when I was four years old, listening to the PBS commercials promoting reading. But "the more you know" rainbow slogan stuck with me as a powerful reminder that I should never stop learning. My parents sacrificed a great deal to give me the very best education they could afford. In fact, they were founding members of a new school, because they and a handful of others wanted to change the model of Christian education in our community.

While in seminary--glancing at the one, sometimes two other females in the class--I knew I had been afforded an incredible gift. A graduate school education. Admittance to a seminary, as a woman. The freedom to study the Bible.

I received three years of the most intense, powerful, life changing Biblical training that the majority of pastors in the world will never receive. Simply because they can't. Because they can't afford it, or because it's not in their backyard (as it was mine), or because they don't have three years to allocate for such a luxury.

The model for Christian education must change.

And it's happening. In Africa. And by God's grace, I get to be part of the change.

Five best books I read in 2011

2012-01-04T20:26:00.000-05:00

Blame it on my smart girl glasses, but many people have this idea that I spend my evenings lounging around reading Rousseau, Thoreau, and Seuss (the doctor). I do love to read. I do love to write. One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. But I don't read fiction, I don't read science fiction, I don't read mysteries, I don't read cookbooks, and I certainly don't read anything by Francine Rivers.

But I do read memoirs. Oh how I love them! In fact (and I promise you I did not plan this), my five favorite books from last year are all memoirs! So, in no particular order other than from first most favorite to fifth most favorite, I give you my five best books I read in 2011:

Five best books I read in 2011:

#1 Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

An incredibly fascinating book written by an articulate and hilarious Yale professor, Amy Chua, about parenting her two daughters the "Chinese way" even though they are Americans living in Hartford, Connecticut.

My favorite part was when she gave back the sloppily written, amateurish birthday cards her daughters gave her because she knew they could do better. While I'm glad she is not my mother, she would have made for an interesting aunt.

#2 The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Everyone can read this book. It's that short. I read the entire thing on a flight from Cincinnati to Orlando. But if you simply cannot do it, invest an hour and sixteen minutes of your life watching the actual last lecture: Achieving your Childhood Dreams.

Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. Normally these credentials would make someone as entertaining as a pinecone, but before becoming a professor, Randy Pausch was a Disney Imagineer.

I read the book about a month before Steve Jobs died, so it's possible his story was even more poignant to me because of that. Interestingly, they both died far too young because of aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer. The Last Lecture was Randy's attempt to inspire his students and his young children on how to live their life. It's powerful and moving. Sadly, God is noticeably absent. If anything, Pausch himself (much like Jobs) have been deified instead.

#3 Decision Points by George W. Bush

President Bush was the first president I was old enough to vote on, so I was particularly interested to read about the eight years in office strictly from his perspective, without the media bias. And yes, there were grammatical mistakes, so I am confident he wrote it.

The book is not written chronologically, which drove the obsessive compulsive side of me positively nuts. Instead, it's written topically (stem-cell research, war in Afghanistan, 9/11, for example).

Here's what I know: I never, ever, want to be President of the United States. It is incredibly lonely and difficult at the top. I do, however, want to work at the White House. One day, I hope. If you can only read one chapter, read the one on 9/11.

One more thing--just read the whole book. He was our president, for pete's sake. Read it to see the sweet relationship between he and his mom. Read it to witness the power of a father/son relationship. His dad was the President and he followed in his footsteps, and they did not always agree. Learn from their experience with power, money, scrutiny, and family.

Most of all, learn about making decisions. Someone has to be the Commander in Chief. Learn about bringing clarity to a world and country in confusion. Whether you agree with his decisions or not, he was decisive and he led.

#4 Stories I Only Tell my Friends by Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe played "Sam Seaborn", speechwriter for the President, on The West Wing. He also played the guy who gave the little kid money to buy his dying mom shoes in the sappy Hallmark Christmas Shoes, but I doubt you've watched that.

My single complaint is that only one chapter is dedicated to The West Wing (the final chapter), but on the flip side you get to see Rob Lowe on the cover anytime you want, so that should be satisfaction enough.

I loved this book. It re-ignited my love of acting and theatre. It reminded me why I never pursued it, despite my passion. It showed the dark side of Hollywood.

Fun fact: Rob Lowe was on the same flight as the 9/11 hijackers doing their practice run. American Airlines Flight 77 was his standard flight to Washington during shooting of WW. He also dated Melissa Gilbert from Little House on the Praire. One more reason to be jealous of Laura.

#5 Bossypants by Tina Fey

I've been compared to Tina Fey on more than one occasion and frankly, I'm offended, given her very large arms.

This book is not PG, but it is hilarious. How could it not be? She is Tina Fey. I also read Ellen's book this year, but Tina's is funnier. Obviously. That's why it made the list.

Desperately needing some text to write here to fill up the space because I can't shrink the stupid picture.

So there you have it. My five favorite books of 2011. And here's a list of all the books that made it into my handy Google doc, the authoritative source documenting my finished reading list:

Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Decision Points by George W. Bush
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley
Virtual Leadership: Secrets from the Round Table by Jaclyn Kostner
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley
18 kids and counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
A Love that Multiplies by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar
Seriously, I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

And a host of books I didn't finish which will be added to my 2012 list:

Walking Israel: A Personal Search for the Soul of a Nation by Martin Fletcher
The Heart and the Fist by Eric Greitens
Sway: Irresistible pull of irrational behavior by Ori Brafman
Onward: how Starbucks fought for its life without losing its soul by Howard Shultz

I need a jingle

2012-01-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a little older, a little wiser, and aware now that successful business startups have a 5-year plan. Fittingly, 2012 marks the beginning of year five in my quest to find that elusive Romeo, Edward, William, Jasper/Jackson or Matt of my dreams.

It all started in 2008 with a two-part strategic plan: Date in '08. He's mine, '09. Never one to be beat down by failure ("fail often, fail quickly" I say), I began the next year with Try Again in 2010. And then 2011 came. A much more difficult year because eleven is a stupid word. I don't know anyone named Evan, I dislike the name Kevin, and that left me with "no bread with leaven" (not gonna happen) or "focus on heaven in 2011." A clear winner because Jesus smiled.

Which leads me to year five: 2012. The year we are all going to die, according to the Mayan calendar.

And so I turn to you, dear readers, to help me with my slogan.

Date in '08

He's mine, '09

Try again in 2010

Focus on Heaven in 2011

Look, this makes a pyramid! (Mayan reference)

Year in Review

2012-01-02T07:45:00.003-05:00

I just closed the books on 2011, but this newfangled world of computers really means I clicked out of a browser. It's quite anti-climatic, really. And if you follow me on twitter (and really, you should) then you would already know that I purchased 38 lbs of Dunkin Donuts coffee last year which is roughly the equivalent of one pound a week for 38 weeks. But what is really noteworthy here is that I documented each and every purchase for the entire year. This means I can tell you every time I bought brussel sprouts. Or toilet paper. Or off-brand Splenda, because really kids, it tastes the same.

So in the spirit of recapping the minutia, a walk down 2011 lane.....

January

Got an oil change on 1/22
Wrote my highest viewed blog post to date - a live blog of the State of the Union

February

I got last place and lost my neck brace in the process

Spent Valentines weekend in New York City which is terribly romantic, a la Sleepless in Seattle, except it was a girls only weekend and I missed my flight home by exactly one minute and I haven't forgiven Delta because they closed the cabin door early
Went zip lining in Chiang Mai, Thailand

March

Drove a race car in Indy

April

Said goodbye to my amazing Grandaddy
Royal Wedding!!! Yes, I woke up to watch it. Yes, I downloaded the Royal Wedding iPad app. Yes, I follow whatkatewore.com religiously.

May

What happens when a company doesn't take electronic payment

Fulfilled a life long dream by watching a theatre production of The Sound of Music! (I dream small)
Paid my home insurance (5/23) the old fashioned way

June

Casey Anthony Trial. My second most popular post of all time was The Daily Casey
Celebrated Ann Curry as the new co-anchor with Matt Lauer on the Today show!

July

Road trip to Charleston, South Carolina with my mom to celebrate dear friends getting married
Parallel parked in between existing cars for the first time. And only time. Boy was that stressful.
Watched the final launch in shuttle history
Tuned in to nasa.gov for way too long to watch the landing of Atlantis

August

Toured San Francisco with my dear friend Amanda and then went to WordCamp SF (and I still use Blogger, so clearly not the impact the conference was going for).
First trip to India!! Still don't have words for that trip. Amazing. Life altering.

September

Started a Tango class. Oh yes. I like strappy heels. I love to dance. And the very last line of this post is the best sentence I've ever written.

October

Pumpkin oatmeal at every turn
This is my least favorite month. Always.

November

Thailand. Again. Watched the very last Harry Potter movie on the flight without seeing most of the previous ones. Not a smart decision.

December

Add caption

Ran a half marathon!
Bought Christmas cards and stamps for nearly everyone I know. Wrote one card. Never mailed it.
Bought supplies to make homemade treats for my neighbors. Twice. Returned the supplies twice.
Spent a week with my lovely family in Nashville and did not ride a horse or go country line dancing.

And there you have it. 2011 in review. But wait, there's more! In future posts you'll get the book list, the decisions list, and the oh-so-important 2012 strategic plan for a man which I will need your help with. Clearly. Since I started this in 2008.

Question of the day: Do you have a year in review post? Share your link! I'd love to read it!

Many the miles

2011-12-03T18:18:00.000-05:00

Running is one of those sports that doesn't make a lot of sense, which is why God made these warm fuzzy neurotransmitters called endorphins and put them in our brain to convince us that when we are running, say 13.1 miles, we are at the same time, having a very, very good time doing it.

This morning I ran the OUC Half Marathon, lived to tell about it, and actually enjoyed it. And let me tell you, this was not on my 2011 bucket list. (I actually don't have anything on my bucket list. I don't even own a bucket. But if I did have a list or a bucket, this would not be on it. Or in it.)

I thought about live-blogging the event, but let's be real--I was not about to get my iPad sweaty. So consider this a time-lapsed live blog of the 2011 Orlando Half.

Before

Wake up at 3 AM to a dream where I am ordering a bacon cheeseburger. Go back to sleep.
Wake up at 5:15 AM
Eat 2 blueberry waffles slathered with butter (breakfast of champions), half a banana, and drink water
Arrive downtown at 5:53 AM
Get distracted by all the people, and the cones, and the flashing lights, and the dark, and the stupid one-way streets, and drive around, narrowly missing the LYNX bus only lane (when did Orlando get public transportation?)
Look at clock. 6:18 AM. Late for meeting friends at 6:15 AM. No idea where to park because the secret parking lot I was planning on is officially too secret, even for me.
Look at clock. 6:24 AM. Decide to buckle down and pay $5 to park. Turn around on tiny street to get to parking lot. Reach for wallet.
Discover I did not bring my wallet.
Contemplate begging the parking lot man for mercy but notice that the parking lot has one of those bars that go up and down. If he does not grant mercy, I'm stuck without a way to turn around.
Seriously contemplate going back home to bed.
Pray
No joke, find a relatively empty random parking lot right in front of me.
Look for tow away signs. None. Yay! Pray a prayer that my car will not be towed.
6:36 AM race to Panera to meet my friends
Stand in the restroom line for the length of what must have been seven entirely overplayed Adele Rolling in the Deep songs
Head to the starting line with 5 minutes to spare

During

Celebrate the 4 Japanese runners who joined the race traveling all the way from, you guessed it, Japan
Put my hand over my heart while the National Anthem plays. Look everywhere for a flag. Never found one.
GO!
Around mile 5, give the two girls drinking mimosas while watching us an angry stare. I. Love. Mimosas. Thought about throwing in the towel right then and joining them. But I had no towel.
I kept a good pace (mostly because he was so entertaining) behind a tall, built, very attractive guy who periodically kept fist-pumping in the air and would dance to his music while he ran. I called him the fist-pumper (not that creative when I run).
Around mile 8 I pulled out my poor-girl's race food (a pack of gummies), only to realize a failure in my plan. I stuffed them in my shirt, so the package was completely wet (sweat!) and my hands were sweaty, so I couldn't eat them. Sad.
My favorite sign a fan held was "Bike Rental Ahead"
If you think Orlando is ugly or that Orlando only consists of Waterford Lakes or houses that all look the same, you need to do this race. This is the real Orlando. My Orlando. Orlando is absolutely beautiful. Lakes, brick streets, big trees, houses with character and story to them. Simply divine.
I would say a low point was when Justin Bieber kicked in on my iPod, but I'd be lying. I love that kid.

After

The outpouring of encouragement from total strangers at the race and then from friends and family is incredible!
I love that for today, I was an athlete. A legitimate athlete.

Running really is hard work. Yes, it'll kill your knees eventually. But it's a mental workout too. Possibly even more than a physical workout. Possibly. There were many times when the phrase "just keep running" was what I needed to take the next step. It's oh so easy to give in. But when you stick with it, few feelings compare to that of hard-earned accomplishment.

Bad Christian Tweets and other Twilight references

2011-11-21T23:34:00.001-05:00

Spoiler alert: Bella marries Edward.

I never want to see a vampire give birth ever again. Ever.

Is it me or did the venom and morphine scenes take you back to riding Body Wars at Epcot, circa 1989?

Jackson Rathbone, love of my life, what happened to your hair?

Chess metaphor. Explain, please.

Bella is possibly the worst girlfriend/wife ever. You only get to love, honor, and cherish one man in your life. Pick one.

I love a house with nice architecture and design, but seriously Cullen family, would having a set of curtains kill you? (answer: no. because they are vampires and immortal. duh).

Let's be honest, there's probably no good way to portray werewolves having a conversation with each other. Did James Earl Jones do the voice over? I'm sure of it.

None of the luggage had any TSA stickers on them. What a scam. There's no way this story is real!

Hate to recycle old material, but point 5 still holds true. Men (if you're still reading): the fitted shirt. the rolled sleeves. you had me at hello.

My favorite scene was toward the beginning when Emmett walked by carrying an entire tree.

Incredibly grateful that "hold on tight, spider monkey" has not been included in any future films."

If I ever get married in a forest, Alice is so planning my wedding. Those white droopy things were gorgeous.

Swing music at the reception!

Current reigning champion for Worst Christian Tweet about the movie: "The only Breaking Dawn I'm looking forward to is the Breaking Dawn of my Savior."

How not to survive jet lag (a true story)

2011-11-10T16:39:00.000-05:00

1. Go to sleep at 2:30 AM
2. Set alarm for 8:15 AM
3. Wake up at 10:00 AM
4. Lie (lay?) in bed until 12:15 PM
5. Put on coffee
6. Forget that you put on coffee
7. Eat two waffles covered in freezer burn
8. Drink the now burned coffee that you just remembered you made at 2:00 PM while reading a book about the Duggar's
9. Fall asleep drinking coffee and reading the book
10. Move to the bed and set alarm for a 15 minute nap
11. Hit snooze for the next 2.5 hours
12. Dream that you forgot to put it in your calendar but you have a trip--to Thailand--on Saturday
13. Wake up, famished, and post your failure of a day for all the world to see

Bruises and shameless requests for help

2011-10-31T00:51:00.000-04:00

Want to know how painful it is on the Richter scale to fall into a Thai bathtub? Very painful.

Not much more to report yet. It's almost noon here and I'll spend the rest of the day preparing for the various seminars and sessions which all kick off tomorrow. Just found out that my seminar on blogging is next Sunday afternoon which means I have an entire week to come up with something interesting to say. So to kick off this week of brainstorming, you! can help me prepare the talk! (in school we called this 'help me do my homework'). In all seriousness, question of the day:

What makes you stop following a blog or website?

Oh yes, to continue the series.....

You know you're in Asia when....

4. Little white slippers on a white towel greet you when you step out of bed in the morning

Update from Asia

2011-10-30T00:55:00.000-04:00

This will be the first of a series of installments (I say that every time and I rarely fulfill my promise), of a new series (repeated 'series' twice. jet lag. hello.) I shall call "You know you're in Asia when....."

You know you're in Asia when.....

You are eye level with the shower head
You raise your hand and touch the ceiling
The plates are square and perfect!!!! (huge win with me)

That's it for now. I just ran 5 miles on the treadmill which was the swankiest treadmill I have ever used. I do not think there was air conditioning in the room, but the treadmill had a plug for my iPod and would play movies and showed me the name of every song and told me I ran five miles when I was only on the treadmill for 38 minutes. Impossible, but I'll take it.

Ooh, the maid just rang the bell. I have a doorbell!!! Gotta run.

On worry, boots, and iodine tablets

2011-10-26T22:05:00.000-04:00

I'm headed to Thailand on Friday and if you've never been to Thailand, you can watch about 37 full length feature films in flight before you land. That's how far away it is. I once asked the Delta agent who I was on the phone with to look at a map and stick one thumb-pin in Atlanta and another thumb-pin in Bangkok and see how far away it is. It's far. That's how long I traveled on Delta without being given any miles.

Right now, Thailand is dealing with pretty severe flooding. I look at this as an ideal opportunity to wear really cute rain boots. There's also a good chance this trip will introduce me to the power combo of iodine tablets and crystal light. Most importantly, I have all of Gilmore Girls, Season 1 queued up on the old iPad. Priorities, you know.

In all seriousness, please do keep the people of Thailand and this trip in your prayers. CNN reports that nearly 400 people have died from the floods and 113,000 people have needed to find refuge (these numbers are for the entire country). Stress levels are quite high in Bangkok simply because people have been waiting day by day wondering if the floods will hit them and how high the water will rise. I have spent this week working many, many long hours and the trip could still be cancelled tomorrow for safety reasons. It's funny how tomorrow is always uncertain because it's the future, and yet when a crisis hits, we are suddenly questioning every decision because we don't know the future, which we never would have known anyways!

This week has been a time for me to put faith into action. There is a way to face uncertainty tomorrow and still not worry about it today. It's doing everything I can in this now and not worrying about the next now. God has it. Matthew did a fine job of recording what Jesus said about worry. It's basically this: keep living. Work. Do the very best you have with the information you have. Sow and reap. But once you have done all that you can do in the now that you have some control over, then stop. Say "God loves me more than the birds." And settle in on the fact that God so deeply loves you that you can trust Him to be in control of the next now that you have no control over. You don't have to worry because you are trusting in the only One who can do anything about the future. And you are on His mind. Always. He loves you.

Grime and Gripe

2011-10-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

I've been dutifully blogging each Wednesday night after Tango, so I can't stop now, but I'm lacking the creative muse, if you will. So we shall call this the Incoherent Edition.

My glasses are extraordinarily dirty. Several eyelashes are stuck on various parts of the glass, and I don't even see them until I take my glasses off, which makes no sense because I am basically blind. There's a disgusting stripe of who knows what on the far right lens. What kind of grime is happening to my face in the course of an average day that I am completely unaware of??

Moving on.

I agreed to do this half marathon and I have only run six miles so far, which is less than half of half the distance I'm slated to run. At this pace, I will complete the half marathon by Valentines day.

Speaking of Valentines, this year I spent mine in a whirlwind trip to New York City for a girls weekend. Why did I mention Valentines twice? (thrice). Now I'm depressed. And you know what? I'll say it again. Why did Hollywood ever, ever, think that making He's Just Not That Into You a Valentines movie was a good idea? As if we ladies aren't acutely aware of this fact already, you had to go point it out on the big screen, on the very day we had to buy our own stupid candy hearts just so we would have them. Nice move, Tinseltown.

This Saturday is the annual Halloween swing dance. I'm on the hunt for some ill fitting grey pants so I can go as Casey Anthony.

Sign me up

2011-10-12T21:37:00.000-04:00

Jeans and heels. Who knew.
...............

Tonight was week three of tango class. We learned promenade rocks and simple (not simple) walking techniques to move around the dance floor. Here is what it should look like (give me some music, people!). I'm loving this class. I don't know how much of it is because it's dancing, or because I like learning new things, or because it's tango (ooh-la-la), but I'm loving this.

And so I'm inspired to make a little list of the classes I've taken in the last few years just because I'm addicted to all things learning. In other words, if you call something a class, I will probably give you my credit card and sign up.

Gourmet cooking class
Line dancing class
Improv class
Tango class
Swing 6 count
Lindy hop
Acting essentials at Mad Cow Theatre
And of course three years of seminary, not because it could lead to any career, but just because I found it interesting. So I might as well throw in....
Hebrew

Oh yeah, I also took a financial planning course (three cheers for Dave Ramsey) but I stopped going after the first week so it really shouldn't count. (I did it on my own. Stop your judging).

So what should I do next? Suggestions? Don't say painting. And I'm not crafty.

On Steve Jobs, Edward, and black turtlenecks

2011-10-05T21:37:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs died today. If you are just now learning that from my blog, go buy yourself an iPhone, get connected, and see for yourself how this man has changed the world.

I first fell in love with Steve Jobs when Noah Wyle played him in a made for tv movie called The Pirates of Silicon Valley. Yes, I dutifully taped it on VHS and watched it many times. And yes, I had an Apple computer long before they were the sexy piece of machinery they are today. Back when an apple was colored. With stripes.

I found out he died, ironically -- or perhaps instead, but of course -- through my iPhone. I got in my car after dance class and on my phone was a breaking message from CNN that he was gone at 56. Frankly, I was shocked at how immediately sad I felt. The world seems emptier tonight. So this is what it feels like to have a legend die.

But before I found out this sad news, I was dancing. Tonight was week 2 of Tango class. I made some new friends, got invited to go out dancing this weekend (does it sound like I'm writing a letter home from summer camp?), and even was told I had really long legs (that's right, baby). We learned a new move called the Corte which is a Spanish word meaning lunge forward (but not like in jazzercise), don't wobble, and turn your head so far away that a vampire would want to bite your neck. Here, this is how it should look. The vampire thing is no joke.

Two to Tango

2011-09-28T22:27:00.000-04:00

Hoping this move comes in for Week 2

Today was the first day of the rest of my life. There's a whole new world out there. And it's called the Tango.

Tonight I took my first of an eight-week series class on Beginner Tango and I am hooked (that's a dance term for quick slide your leg, tap your foot, turn your head, and look super sexy doing it). Oh. my. goodness. In one hour, I learned the basic step, the promenade, and enough to know that my shoe budget will be radically increased. Pronto.

Oh the shoes.

Let's take a little look, shall we?

I love heels. For the life of me, I don't understand why I do not wear them more often. I have a hunch that it's because the floor in the rotunda at work is super waxy or possibly because heels force you to walk a wee bit slower and I love a good power stride, but whatever the reason I need to get over it. Because one day I'll have arthritis and won't be able to. And there are many things that can go on my Regret List one day, but not wearing heals should not be one of them.

Back to the class. Ready to learn tango with me? It's slow - slow - quick, quick - slow. Or, T-A-NG-O! So that's the basic.

In case you're wondering, I'm not giving up on Swing. I like swing. Swing is fun. Swing has cute shoes and adorable clothes. Swing is kinda like the girl next door. Now if Tango was the girl next door, she would be Bathsheba.

weekend roundup

2011-09-19T22:09:00.001-04:00

I miss Casey Anthony something fierce. I haven't seen Matt Lauer in over two months. I don't know if the hikers have been released. It's almost an election year and I could not come up with good material for an SNL skit if I were a writer for that, which I am not.

In short, I am one gigantic media mess.

Would someone, someone, please rescue me? Once upon a time, I used to read the Harvard Business Review. I read the Stratford Global Intelligence Report every day. I spent my weekends practicing Venn diagrams so I could sail through the GRE. And then something happened. I'm not sure what it was, but I think it had something to do with becoming increasingly boring. So I took up dancing again.

This weekend, I heard a story about an 85 year old woman who turned down a marriage proposal because the man didn't dance. Now that's a woman with priorities.

This weekend, my church turned 20. We sang happy birthday to our church. Literally. Right there in the service. Next year, we turn 21. How does a church celebrate its 21st? Tequila shots instead of communion wine? Someone should form a planning committee.

This weekend I ran 5 miles. On a Saturday night. Alone. I already put that on facebook but it's worth stating again because it was five miles. And I hate running. Which only proves that I will do that which I hate in order to avoid doing that which I hate more, which is going to parties. It's a little counter-intuitive because, well, it's a party. But trust me. Parties are simply a poor example of social engineering such that one is forced to have the same trivial conversation with numerous people. This causes me no end of exhaustion and depression because it seems that everyone has a better job than me because all I can say is "I work with computers"--which I don't--but that's what inevitably comes out.

In case you don't know, that's Matt Lauer in the picture. He's my celebrity crush. You can keep your Brad Pitt and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Give me a man who knows his vocab words. And wears good shoes.

remember

2011-09-09T14:57:00.001-04:00

Two years later, the words are still true.

09.09.09

It's good to look back. On that date, I never knew what would be around the bend for me. I'll tell you this, it included boots and freedom and authenticity and grace and tears and laughter and funerals and goodbyes and goodbyes where I never said goodbye but it just happened and hellos and opportunities and answers to prayer and disappointments.

But every moment has meaning and hope because of the one who loved me and gave himself for me. I have prayers that may never get answered. I'd be lying to you if I said that doesn't hurt. But here's a prayer I do have that God will answer. It's for you. Consider Jesus. If you never have before or if you've written him off because of experiences in your life, please consider him again. He loves you. He really, really loves you. I can't imagine life without him and I want that for you. And if you feel at little tug in your heart right now, it's him. He's saying I love you.

Summer Recap :: the multimedia edition

2011-09-05T19:16:00.000-04:00

As today is the unofficial last day of summer, it's only fitting that I do a summer recap. That and I have no Labor Day plans, so there you go.

My summer travel included that number one vacation destination: Bangalore, India. (check out the photos). I also hit Charleston and San Francisco. But my favorite lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer were spent in my hometown of Windermere. There's just something about walking down dirt streets to the lake, eating soft serve ice cream, and spending time with my cousins and family that says maybe, just maybe, I really could be a Gilmore Girl.

best hat ever

Everybody loves Matthew!

Matthew, me, Emi, Kristin, Jake, Mary, Jessica

Summer was also spent running. Unbelievable, but it's true. So we can call this the summer of the smoothie. Vanilla almond milk, frozen strawberries, and half a banana is the recipe for bliss. Pure headache-inducing brain freeze bliss. But it's worth it. Oh so worth it.

We can't forget the great summer prediction where I posted on here that Casey Anthony would get off. That Daily Casey was good stuff, if I do say so myself. I cannot wait for Jeff Ashton's book to come out. can. not. wait. My sister beat me to the pre-order line for the library edition! Noooo!

This was also the summer of the podcast. With all that running, I listened to a lot of messages, but this one was definitely a repeater: the Staying in Love series. Big time recommend it. If you're married, single, or married and wish you were single (uh-oh!), put your headphones on and listen away. It's entertaining, challenging, and meaningful.

Ironically, the best part of my summer wasn't documented by a single picture or facebook status. Sometimes life takes you by surprise and the highlights aren't events, but the people you meet along the way. I hit the jackpot this summer.

And so I leave you with a happy summer song that really, really does not have christian values, but makes me smile and dance every single time I hear it. Now i'm off to pain my toenails pink one last time.

the price of cheap

2011-09-02T23:53:00.000-04:00

There comes a point in every woman's life when she finds herself in a Walmart dressing room, actually believing that the clothes look cute on her, and is forced to ask the question: Did Walmart change....or did I?

There is no good answer to this question. But if you see me in a turquoise top, just say, "Is that J.Crew? It looks fantastic on you."

happy days are here again

2011-08-29T22:11:00.000-04:00

I want this coat

We're two days away from my favorite time of the year: the 'ber' months. It's a time for cute coats, boots, turtlenecks, scarves, pumpkin flavored everything, and the much anticipated red starbucks cup.

And Disney.

Oh how the Disney bug is already bubbling inside me again. This time of year, I always want to go to Disney. always. And it's not for the rides or the smiles or the audio-animatronic presidential figures.

It's for the magic.

It's for the yellow striped table umbrellas hidden down by the old swan boats that everyone seems to ignore in their rush to Space Mountain, but where I go to read and journal. And even dream.

It's for an empty Main Street, long after the rides are closed, with only the sparkle of old-fashioned street lights and the sounds of ragtime and the occasional When you wish upon a star to keep you company.

It's for Cinderella's golden carousel--even though I firmly believe it belongs to Mary Poppins--because there is something about riding a carousel horse that is just like twirling while dancing. The girl in me never, ever tires of it. Because in those moments, I stop thinking. And I smile. And I simply live.

And then the carousel comes to a screeching halt. Just like life.

Why you must travel

2011-08-24T22:50:00.001-04:00

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." -St. Augustine

While I do not know if St. Augustine actually said this, I will continue to give him credit because my philosophy and theology are quite Augustinian in nature and more importantly it is very rude to disagree with a saint. Also, he uses 'book' and 'travel' in the same sentence: two-thirds of my holy trinity of books, travel, and coffee.

Ten years ago, I made my first trip out of the US. Since then, I have seen more countries than states. And now that Delta stamps my boarding pass with the coveted elite tag, I can make grandiose authoritative statements and feel even better about myself for doing so.

Eight Reasons Why You Must Travel (outside the United States):

8. Because the food tastes completely different than the same food does at Epcot and on International Drive

7. Because Americans have stereotypes and traveling helps you see how these are true

6. Because when you visit a person's home (country), you understand and know that person in a way you could never have otherwise

5. Because international flights give you unlimited complimentary drinks, personal televisions, and a folded blue eye mask (if you're lucky)

4. Because there is more than one way to drive on the road

3. Because you learn that you can do well with less

2. Because every person, from every nation, from every faith, has the image of God in them. And that's easy to forget when we only know people by they way they are portrayed in the news and movies. We need to look into their eyes, touch their hands, and see their beauty.

1. Because it's there

Tennessee should be proud

2011-08-19T13:18:00.000-04:00

The first view that greeted me when exiting immigration in the Bangalore airport:

Whiskey, Nutella, and the absence of forks

2011-08-17T07:51:00.000-04:00

People think traveling is glamorous. Let me put it in perspective. It's the equivalent of going days without coffee and 4 consecutive hours of sleep is called a good night's rest. I'm not sure if that pounding inside my head is caffeine withdrawal, dehydration, or the jackknife drilling through cement across the street. But I'm not complaining. I love this life! And I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world. Unless I got a job offer in Washington. Or a blank check to go back to school. Or got paid to write and drink coffee all day. Okay, so maybe the ol' job is hanging in the balance. But I digress.

When traveling to India, it is important to know the following:

Your airplane will get sprayed with (hopefully) non-toxic citrus spray. Several cans will be used. Do not be alarmed. I know I wasn't.

There is no limit to the amount of whiskey you can consume on an Air France flight

"Traffic in Los Angeles is very obedient. Traffic in India, not so much." (as said by the Indian lady in the seat next to me).

Nutella makes any breakfast food palatable

There are lots of dogs, and they all look the same

When the immigration officer questions you, just keep looking forward and act like you don't understand the question. Eventually he will get tired, stamp your passport, and wave you through

They don't use forks

The curse of overthinking

2011-08-05T00:13:00.000-04:00

A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It's only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.

So says Steven Pressfield, author of Do the Work: overcome resistance and get out of your own way. My uncle recommended this book to me based on my last post and now I very much regret that I did not use the word malaise instead of funk. But isn't that just like life? Precisely when you need the very thing that will both describe and help you get out of the very pit you are in, the word escapes you. Because it is a French word. And my primary (only) language is English.

I would love to say that I am cursed by a big brain, but I am not. But I can most assuredly say I am cursed by overthinking and therefore doubt and hesitation. It is the three-headed monster, I tell you. A triumvirate of personal demolition. And I do not think it is by accident that this book arrived on my doorstep this evening. So I am very much looking forward to this weekend. I see this book, Starbucks, a comfy chair, and a thick jacket--because the temperature inside that shop is positively ridiculous--in my future. And then I will be incredibly motivated to do all sorts of soul-enriching work which we all know I won't do, but hopefully you'll get a blog out of it at least.

An attempt to escape the funk

2011-07-23T19:38:00.000-04:00

I'm in a bit of a writing funk these days and that's an unfortunate place to be when you are trying to maintain a blog. But if I've learned anything from running these past five weeks it's this: it doesn't get any better. Let this be a sign unto you. This entry has already reached its high point and is rapidly plummeting.

Speaking of funks, I'm also in a book funk. I made it through four this summer but I have nothing good on the horizon. And I've learned that I simply cannot read books on the iPad. (Correction, iPad2. Love to throw that in). Even Will & Kate: a Love Story. (yes, I downloaded it). Couldn't do it. I like physical pages. And bookmarks. And the sound of a book closing. And by golly I hate the ding of a new email right in the middle of a paragraph and I have to lose my spot just to read it. And invariably the email is a severe weather update from the National Weather Service which tells me absolutely nothing concrete other than there are bad storms somewhere between Cape Canaveral and Key Largo and I should probably stand in a doorway somewhere and turn off all electronics. But go to NOAA.gov to find out more details.

You should know that if you live in Orange County, you can download eBooks for free. So, no. I did not pay to read about Will. Although he's worth it. But taken.

One more thing -- if you are one of the twelve people who has left me a voicemail in the past few weeks, I haven't listened to it yet. The way some people view getting a root canal is the way I view listening to voicemail. Or watching YouTube videos. Hope your message wasn't urgent.

a poetic farewell

2011-07-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

'Twas the week after Casey, when all through the home
Not a tv was on, nor a text from a phone
The twitter feed silenced as did the blogsphere,
Still mourning the verdict of which we all feared.

The 17th is coming, and soon her release
Will she shop at my Target? Still lie to police?
So many questions, so much unknown.
How long ‘till the Lifetime movie will be shown?

I’ve followed the case, you might call me obsessed
Try “passionate,” I say; resigned, “Fine. I confess.”
And now this series of Casey blogs is now over
But despite the poor content, I’m writing this sober.

So what shall the next grand blog series be?
Twilight reviews, ‘sodes I, II and III?
You be the jury. The ball’s in your court.
Just leave me a comment (to begging I resort).

And now with the plea, I’ve hit a new low.
Off to drown my sorrows with a glass of Bordeaux.

The Daily Casey: the unbelievable edition

2011-07-05T15:17:00.001-04:00

The verdict is in. Not Guilty.

Do we have justice for Caylee? Nope.
Do we have justice for Casey? No way.
Do we have justice for Karin? You betcha.

Fifteen days ago I announced right here my prediction and, oh, the outrage! Well, look who is flying high now? Jose Baez, that's who.

Let's take a step back and see what we can learn from this judicial fiasco.

Life Lessons from Casey #1
Sometimes, really good things happen to bad people.

Life Lessons from Casey #2
It doesn't matter how bad of an attorney you are, it only matters how the lucky quarter landed when the jury took their vote

Life Lessons from Casey #3
Conversely, it doesn't matter how great of an attorney you are if your jury is made up of Floridians

Life Lessons from Casey #4
When a child is dead and a family has been torn apart, there are no winners. Period.

Life Lessons from Casey #5
If you are ever going to murder someone, be sure to do it in Pinellas County.

The Daily Casey: the through the rabbit hole edition

2011-07-03T18:07:00.002-04:00

For those of you living under a rock or in Kentucky, the trial of Casey Anthony is in the homestretch. The State has rested. The Defense has rested. And the entire day has been spent in closing arguments and nearly holding attorneys on both sides in contempt of court. Just another day in the ninth circuit court.

A few observations:

Matthew Bartlett, the 28 year old who is currently serving time in the Orange County Jail for giving an attorney the finger, should really make his doppelganger Ben Stiller. Anybody with me on this? Anyone?
Speaking of Bartlett, I actually thought he was attractive until I learned he had $12 in his checking account.
And did anyone else have a craving for TGI Fridays all weekend long?

Back to the matter at hand. Closing arguments. In order to believe the Defense, you really have to suspend all common sense. Listening to these guys is like watching a circus. It's hilarious. Unfortunately, Florida (of which I am a native) is not known for attracting the best and the brightest. And this is why a judgment of not guilty after the incredible case the State has laid out, would be the icing on this hoop-dee-doo revue.

Okay, Cheney Mason is up. Now you get to experience a little live-blogging fun.

Why is he reading us a story? His voice sounds like the Colonel. I suddenly have a craving for some crispy fried chicken.
On the eve of our Independence Day, do not forget that a cornerstone of our judicial government is that the defendant does not have to do anything to prove her innocence. The entire burden of proof rests with the State to demonstrate guilt. If you have any doubt whatsoever, you are required to vote not guilty. (Thanks, Attorney Mason! You're helping my case).

I can't take it anymore. This guy is killing me.

What's your prediction? It's Florida! You can vote as many times as you want!

The Daily Casey: the I'm making a prediction edition

2011-06-20T02:37:00.001-04:00

I love Florida. I love that we get more air time than an Iowa caucus for a presidential election. I love that lightning strikes here more than in any other state. And I especially love that the legendary actor, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, filmed a classic drama Walking Across Egypt in my hometown of Windermere.

In the State vs Casey Anthony, I am pleased to rest solidly on the side of the State. I've watched my fair share of courtroom dramas ("You can't handle the truth!"), and although I've never been to law school or set foot inside a court, the prosecution is one fiercely capable team. They have convinced me, beyond a reasonable doubt, of three things:

Caylee Anthony is dead
Caylee Anthony's death was caused by Casey Anthony
Casey Anthony decided in advance to kill her daughter Caylee

But thankfully, the judicial branch of our government does not rest on a jury of one. And truth be told, if I were sitting in that juror seat, "beyond a reasonable doubt" would take on a whole new meaning for me. My vote would seal her fate. I would want to be as confident in my decision on Casey as I am that wearing a tweety bird swimsuit to Wet 'n Wild in 9th grade was a monumental mistake. Monumental.

In any case, it's not up to me. It's up to a unanimous decision from a jury of twelve. And with that, ready for my prediction?

A-C-Q-U-I-T-T-A-L

I think justice would be manslaughter (a lesser version of murder, which is what the state is going for) but I think reality will be an acquittal. What can I say? I'm a student of history.

And being a student of history, I would be remiss if I did not mention the greatest injustice ever. An innocent man put to death and I, the guilty one, set free. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ--out of his deep, deep love for you and for me--chose to take on the punishment from God that we deserve so that we could be part of his family. In a word, he showed us mercy. Incredible mercy.

If you have never felt the love of God before or if you don't know if you are in his family, please talk to me! Seriously. You have an open door, any time.

And now I leave you with one of my absolute favorite songs. I don't know the guy, so excuse his very large sideburns. He could be British.

The Magic Hairbrush

2011-06-17T22:08:00.000-04:00

A couple things happened this week that are so noteworthy that they deserve to be publicly archived. In no particular order:

Steak. Grilled and already sliced into sweet little steaky fingers. Thank you, Tyson, for creating this package of tasty goodness and then issuing a $1 off coupon. 27 seconds zapped in the microwave and dinner is served. Sounds disgusting, comes out smelling like cat food, but tastes like Heaven. That grand, glorious banquet table in the sky.

Running. I have woken up and run every single morning this week. Please read that sentence again. (Selah). Frankly, I'm a little disappointed with myself that I am enjoying it so much. My little ritual goes something like this: the night before, lay out my running clothes. The next morning, after I lock the door, tie my keys into the laces of my shoes (it's a complicated ritual) and then walk to the corner and mutter "I hate running, I hate running, I hate running." Then, pick an Andy Stanley podcast and go. And if you don't know who Andy Stanley is, then you clearly don't follow me on Twitter. You punk.

Home Office. I just finished my first week of working 100% from home and let me tell you, I was created for this. I was created to work in yoga pants in an environment with a comfortably regulated temperature. In one week, I have accomplished things that were on my to-do list for months. And I am a list-checker-offer, so this is one happy girl.

Hair brush. I bought a new hair brush on amazon (at the same time I bought new cabin air filters for my car) and let me tell you, I am a new woman. I have hated my hair for 30 years and suddenly, I don't hate it anymore. All because of this magic hair brush.

Rain and Pink toenail polish

2011-06-12T20:27:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday night and I'm sitting on my back porch, drinking coffee, and listening to the rain fall on the tin roof. At least I think it's tin. Maybe aluminium. Either way, you get the idea. It's the perfect closing to a perfect weekend. Or is it a perfect beginning to a start of a new week? I've never quite known where Sundays fall on that great theological divide. Is it the end of a week, culminating in rest or the beginning of a new, the symbol of new life and creation? Heaven knows.

At any rate, all this perfection brings to mind one person and one person only: the great Norman Rockwell. Did you know that Norman Rockwell got divorced? That's like saying Cinderella doesn't get Prince Charming. We're all doomed.

I think I was going to a happier place with the whole Rockwell stream-of-consciousness, but now you know what happens when I try to write on the back porch during mosquito season in mid-June. Things turn ugly.

So I'll leave you with this (because I wrote the title first and I'm too lazy to change it. Stupid, stupid writer's folly): as of last night I have pretty pink toes which means the summer season is officially kicked off. And each time I look at my toes, I get a little happy flutter inside. Like a love flutter. Except it's for my toes.

The Daily Casey: the poor excuse for an edition, edition

2011-06-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

Trial Days 21-26
Well folks, I missed a full week of the trial, so this will be a catch-all edition. And instead of watching 40+ hours of raw video, I turn to Anderson Cooper who makes this experience much, much more pleasing. If I studied Greek mythology, Anderson Cooper and Matt Lauer would be journalistic demigods. But I do not believe in demigods. There is only one God. Read Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema. And there's your Hebrew lesson for today.

Back to the matter at hand.

One song has been running through my head all week.
I've been looking so long at these pictures of you....
You were stone white, so delicate

The only difference is I say stone cold and never make it to delicate. Is it me or has Casey's demeanor completely changed in a week? She's emotionless and stone cold. She is finally starting to see how it's all unraveling before her eyes. To be honest, the trial is really hard for me to watch now. She's a pathological liar, her family life is shattered and a child is dead. The only comic relief is her defense. (Honestly, it gives me a little hope. If Jose Baez passed the bar exam, maybe I could too).

So, I'll watch some clips over the weekend. If I'm hit with moments of inspiration, I'll post again. (And there is the fact that Bones the cadaver dog is just begging to make an appearance here. Begging. Get it?).

Uniform

2011-06-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

I read an article about an article that said the less decisions you had to make a day, the better your brain function. It possibly even said you would make better decisions on the decisions you had to make, if you made fewer of them. (I lightly skimmed the article).

All this is to say, presumably we would be making better decisions overall if we individually wore uniforms, thereby eliminating at least one major to semi-major daily decision (depending on your particular level of self-confidence).

Behold, my vision for the workforce:

Question of the day: do you think a "uniform" helps you perform better? It appears to work for Steve Jobs!

P.S. This is a boring post. But you guys wanted me to write more often, so here's a taste of your own medicine. Okay, that didn't work. Fill in the appropriate cliche to indicate 'it serves you right. deal with it.' (I am not a compassionate person).

Indian food and dancin' the blues

2011-06-06T22:44:00.000-04:00

Not going to lie. There was a little (big) part of me that thought all my casey anthony blogs would get swept up by the Orlando Sentinel or at the very least News 13. Then maybe, just maybe, Tina Fey would be visiting town, watch the local news, see my blog, and say "hey, she's funny. And we look alike." And then I could join the writing staff at 30 Rock.

So far, it hasn't happened.

I'm 3 days behind on the trial which exposes my inability to commit to television without a strong male lead. If only Jose Baez was Ryan Reynolds.

Since I wasn't Casey Anthony-ing, here's a little weekend summation:

Dinner at an Indian restaurant that was previously a Krystal. The inside still looked like a Krystal, except there was dark, heavy fabric and a picture of the Taj Mahal.

Swing dancing and then blues dancing. Blues is like the nirvana of all dances. I don't even know what that means, that's how other-worldly it is. If Jesus was like Santa (which He isn't), I would ask Him to bring me a man that blues dances.

Bought lots of fresh fruit from Freshfield Farms and I think I want to make this a summer regularity. If you haven't been there, you should go because it looks like a barn. And every city girl needs a little farm oasis in the middle of downtown. Technically, SODO (South of Downtown). We're so hip. (Can I even be called a city girl if I'm from Orlando?)

Spent two hours reading by the pool and eavesdropping on all the conversations. I was lathered up with SPF 45 so I felt particularly armed in my crusade against skin cancer.

Great quality time with various girlfriends (Hi Shannon, Megan, Rachel, and Anna!)

Watched a movie that I can't for the life of me remember the name of but it reminded me how much I adore the ponytail and pencil skirt. Plus it took place in New York. Starred Rachel McAdams. Will someone please teach me how to do a good ponytail? Because let's face it. It's not going away.

Most importantly, spent time worshipping God and being strengthened by His grace with communion. I wish we did that more often. Eating the bread and drinking the wine -- takes only a few seconds, but it's such a holy moment. If you are in the Orlando area and are looking for a church, I'd love for you to join me at UPC! I love this church. Love it.

And now it's Monday. The end.

The Daily Casey: CSI edition

2011-06-03T18:38:00.000-04:00

Two words: buccal swab.

The Daily Casey: the fiction edition

2011-06-02T17:32:00.001-04:00

Trial day 19 / day 8
First, an introduction by Sir Walter Scott:

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

Here's a life lesson for you: if you lie to the wrong person, like a police officer, you will be recorded and then millions of people will hear your lies and talk about you on twitter. Also, you may go to jail for life.

Another life lesson: if your dad ever compares your family to a hand (he is the strong thumb, the mom is the index finger always pointing in the right direction, etc.), perhaps don't switch it and say your mom should be the middle finger. That's just mean.

The Daily Casey: Dick Tracy Edition

2011-06-01T21:02:00.001-04:00

Moral of the story today, kids: it's okay to have imaginary friends, just don't testify on record to the police that an imaginary friend kidnapped your child.

Fact: The imaginary nanny - Zanny the nanny - lived very near to my house (assuming she was a real person). I google earthed it. Additional fact: remember the crazy downtown Orlando gunman? He escaped to his mom's house, just a few blocks away from my house. I think i'll have an old-fashioned neighborhood meet and greet, so I'll know anyone else who ends up on the nightly news.

Another life lesson: If you're on the witness stand and you are testifying that you fell asleep while driving, maybe don't volunteer as your defense that it's not uncommon for you to fall asleep on that particular stretch of road.

Quote of the day: If you don't look, you'll never know. Write that one down. So the next time that someone tells you their child has been missing for a month and, oh yeah, I have a swimming pool, you best run to that pool and see if there is any evidence of foul play a month earlier.

______________________________________
On an un-related topic, tonight I wanted to tell the Publix cashier guy that his glasses looked really good on him. Instead, I said "can you tell me about your coupon policy?"

Smooth? Or not so smooth?

The Daily Casey

2011-05-31T23:47:00.000-04:00

I'm starting a new series around here because if there is one thing we have a shortage of, it's news about Casey Anthony.

Since we are currently on day 17 / day 6 of the trial, a re-cap.

The trial began with a bang or a bombshell, depending on your news network of choice. The State is resting its case on a scrap of rare duct tape; the Defense its case on a bizarre twist of daddy drama and accidental drowning.

I professed my love for Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. on Twitter, which pretty much means that if you are smart, no-nonsense, fair, and efficient, you will win my heart. Even if your name is Belvin.

Casey's hair is incredibly long. Like, freakishly long.

For the love, you live in Florida. Why do you have an above ground swimming pool? Didn't we go over this already?

On why grandmother's should not use social media: May 28 quote of the day, "I had no idea MySpace was everybody's space."

Casey suffered from irregular periods, much like her mother. And now we are all just a little more uncomfortable.

May 31 quote of the day, "Zanny the Nanny" in triplicate.

Question to the jury (that's you): What have I missed?

Call me Mary Ann

2011-05-24T22:40:00.001-04:00

In the Harold Camping spirit of prophecy and doomsday, how can we not forget that fateful voyage back in 1964. The voyage of the S.S. Minnow.

(Fact #1: I am using "Harold Camping" so that I appear in more Google search results. I am coy and cunning like that. Fact #2: I don't know if this will work.)

It just-so-happens (fate, perhaps?) that I am teaching high school Sunday school on the major and minor prophets. Because this huge, gigantic, large portion of the Bible is rarely taught, I decided to write a song with a catchy tune so it would stay with us. Forever. And I made those poor high schoolers sing it. Out loud. For the past two weeks.

And so I entrust my song to you, dear Google, without a copyright, on my poorly designed website. Sing it to the tune of "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle." See the connection now?

Ode to the Prophets

by Karin Tome

(to the tune of "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle"

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of Israel

That started with King David, and his mighty throne.

He set up camp in Jerusalem and brought the Ark back home,

United the tribes, twelve in all, and all was right and well.

And all was right and well....

The good ol' days in Israel didn't end with Dave,

His son, wise King Solomon, followed all his ways.

He built a temple for the Lord, but much to his chagrin

His son Rehoboam, didn't fit right in.

He didn't fit right in....

His bad decisions cause the worst, the twelve tribes split in two

From one united Israel, hey now, look at you.

In the south called Judah, Jerusalem its own.

The northern half called Israel, the first in line to go

The first in line to go.....

Assyria attacked it first and caught them by surprise

Babylon came for the south, which led to their demise.

Surprised they were, but needlessly, for God had sent His voice

Fifteen men at different times, giving them a choice

Giving them a choice...

At first a call to repent, "Come back to the Lord!"

But since they didn't heed the call, they fell to the sword.

The people cried, "Messiah, come! Fix our broken mess"

In restoration you will see, Christ fulfills the rest

Christ fulfills the rest.....

Under the Assyrians, the prophets brave and true

Spoke to the people in the north, that's Israel to you.

Amos, Jonah, Hosea, but wait, that's not all

Micah, Isaiah, Nahum, proclaimed a coming fall.

Proclaimed a coming fall.....

Later the Babylonians, took the South right on

The prophets came to Judah, and Jerusalem was gone.

Ezekiel and Obadiah, Habakkuk and Jeremiah

They said defeat would surely come 'cause God is not a liah

God is not a liah...........

Finally in later years, restoration came

In these prophets, hope would come, Christ would be his name

Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Joel

The Testament had finally closed, what we call the Old

What we call the Old.........

I'm gonna be a......

2011-05-17T22:20:00.000-04:00

It sounds like the word of the day is "write more!" Well, fine. Aren't you a demanding bunch? Also, that is two words.

Actually, in all sincerity, thank you for reading and commenting. Because if you weren't reading or commenting, then I could just do all this in a journal. But as it stands, I journal my deep dark private stuff and I have an agreement with my friend Cindy to burn all my journals when I die (still remember this, Cin?) so basically what I am realizing is that I will have nothing that can be worth a lot of money when I die because all this wisdom and run-on sentences are left on the internet. Uncopyrighted.

Since death is on the mind, let's talk about all the things I wanted to be when I grew up, whereas now that I am grown up, I go to meetings.

First female President (I decided this in 5th grade, and I suppose there is still a chance)
a prosecuting attorney (what kid thinks of this??)
a speech writer for the President
a Supreme Court justice
a theatre actor
a university professor
Mary Ann on Gilligan's island
a fourth sister on the Brady Bunch

Notable absences from the list:

Princess
Ballerina
Mommy
Someone who could fly

How about you? (this is my pathetic attempt to get more comments. Really, I want you to write about me).

Do I upgrade?

2011-05-14T16:32:00.000-04:00

My little blog is almost 8 years old, roughly the same age I was in my third pair of glasses. So the question of the hour is this: do I make the move to a full-fledged website with tabs and pages and anything else my little fingers can find? Or do I stick with what I do well: blogging infrequently. (Question: where should a "?" have gone? Before the colon or after the period? I never know).

After that elementary level English slip-up, I'll throw in some Latin just to keep this blog on the intellectual high ground. And so, a Pro / Con list.

Pro (for)

Change is good

Con (against, or "with" if you took Spanish instead of Latin)

Change for the sake of change is stupid

And I'm at an impasse. So I call on you, dear readers, to help me. (I'm serious here).

What would a good domain name be? All I've come up with is "karintome.com" (10 points for creativity!) A good name should describe the content or be catchy or something. If it's going to be your name, I feel like you need to be Ashton Kutcher. But I could be wrong.

Right now my blog is all over the map, content wise. I think if I moved from a blog, I need to be single focused. What would you want me to focus on?

Help me!

Grandaddy

2011-04-16T21:47:00.007-04:00

To some he was JohnUnderwood, to many he was Harold, to a few he was Daddy or Pops, but to me, he was Grandaddy.

My granddaddy had a sense of humor. He had me convinced that you had to deflate the air in your tires to go from winter air to summer air. If I was blocking his view of something, he told me I must have been drinking too much mud. And for years I worried about this ailment that plagued him whenever he just wanted to sit and rest. He had this darn “bone in his leg.”

When I was little, I had so much fun going to his office supply store, Sikes, and banging away on the cash register (although I don’t think he particularly liked that). He taught his children, who consequently taught me, the importance of orderly and stocked shelves, the ability to pack just about anything with the best use of space, and the value of hard work and making an honest living.

Grandaddy worked hard and took pride in what he did. He even mowed the lawn on his tractor wearing a crisp white button down shirt. For the longest time, he would buy each of his granddaughters a new dress for Easter -- the frillier the better. I think he loved having a house full of people. We would have easter egg hunts in his yard, pool parties in the summer, and piles of presents at Christmas. His mantle eventually got too short to hold a stocking with every person’s name on it. And you could guarantee that you would get a big fat orange and lots of walnuts at the bottom of every stocking. As a kid, there was hardly anything less fun than an orange and some nuts, but that was Grandaddy sharing some of his southern childhood with us.

I’m proud of having a southern grandaddy because I was taught the right way to drink coca-cola: with peanuts. I know not to put sugar in cornbread, that collards will make you strong, and to have a healthy dose of suspicion if you go to Cracker Barrel and the cook is a Yankee.

But as you might imagine because you knew him too, my grandpa is so much more than this. To know Grandaddy is to know his love for Grandma. Not only was he by her side every day of her illness, he longed to see her again every day for fifteen years. Just last week he reminded me he married “the most beautiful girl in the world,” an “angel in the church choir.” His is a love story we don’t see much anymore. He shows us that love really can be eternal.

To know Grandaddy is to know his love for the church. In looking at pictures, I saw a stained glass window and a white church and learned that the pew inside is where he first put his faith in Christ. Grandaddy his given me so much, but his greatest gift is giving me a spiritual legacy. His house has always been filled with the redemptive sounds of gospel music. I think he bought rows of tickets for every show that First Baptist Church of Orlando ever put on for the Singing Christmas Trees and Easter presentations. Faith and music seemed very important to him. It’s no wonder he married the prettiest girl in the church choir!

To know Grandaddy is to know his love for family. He used to sing to me “A, you’re adorable, B, you’re so beautiful, C, you’re as cute as cute can be...” Only recently did I learn that he didn’t sing that just for me :) He loved all of his girls--daughters and granddaughters. He let us know we were beautiful and taught us the type of man we should wait for: one who would love us, provide for us, protect us. He reminded us never to settle. He loved his son and grandsons. I remember him teasing the boys mercilessly by calling them “girls,” but I think in his own way he was showing them how to be tough, how to fight back, and how to defend. In some way, we have all been shaped by what he taught us.

To know Grandaddy is to know his love for his Savior. I never once heard him grumble against the Lord when life got tough. Honestly from my perspective, it always seemed like he treated it as a blessing to get to care for Grandma and spend so much time with her. I’m sure he would have preferred a different story to have been written, but he responded with diligence and integrity to the circumstances God gave him. He spoke often of “the pearly gates” and rightly reminded us that this world is not his home.

On the day Grandaddy died, I had the honor of reading Psalm 84. The text describes that one day in the presence the Lord in Heaven is better than a thousand days anywhere else.That’s a little hard for me because selfishly I wish the Lord would give me a thousand more days with him...or even one more day. But my great hope--our great hope--is that today is not goodbye. In one week, we will celebrate that Christ conquered death. He faced death alone so that those of us who trust in Him, would never have to. Even in his last breath, Grandaddy was never alone. He went from Jesus by his side to Jesus face to face.

The final verse of Psalm 84 states “Blessed is the man who trusts in You.” Grandaddy wasn’t perfect. In fact, he had a lot of flaws. But the funny thing about God is that He doesn’t want the people who have their act together. He wants the people who know they are flawed and yet put their trust in Him -- not in themselves, not in their accomplishments, not even in their family legacy. Our great hope is Jesus Christ. His love is deeper, stronger, and wider than we can even imagine. And one day, we will see Grandaddy, Grandma, and Jesus--face to face.

I love you, Grandaddy.
December 8, 1921 - April 12, 2011

Eulogy given in honor of John Harold Underwood, Sr. on April 16, 2011

Why facebook keeps me single

2011-04-09T01:14:00.002-04:00

Tonight, I came home to the heart-sinking email notifications that I had been tagged on facebook no less than 27 times in high school pictures. (Technically I discovered this before I got home because I finally joined the 21st century and got an iPhone. I also have an iPad2. The Golden Rule of gloating: do it often. do it publicly. do it in parenthesis so people don't think you are gloating).

While I love my high school friends dearly, this little trip down memory lane in photo form has a reach of thousands, which is just another way of saying you guys sabotaged any chance of my future happiness!!!

Here's my reasoning:

High school friends know me and love me in spite of the way I looked back then
All my good guy friends from high school are married
If I do end up marrying, there is a high probability that the guy is (a) already my friend on facebook or (b) will be my friend on facebook
The family photos and yearbooks never come out until waaay into a relationship! Not now, people. The cat's out of the bag. I'm screwed!

On the upside, the photos weren't that bad. In fact, I'm even contemplating going back to wearing contacts (who am I kidding? way too much work) or chopping my hair for a sassy look. There was one picture where I had short hair and frankly I took a double-take on myself. (um, creepy, karin).

So there you have it. Specs or no specs? Short and sassy or long and, well, a ponytail?

stolen habits

2011-03-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

It's been a while and I'm desperate to write something light and unimportant to get my mind off the heaviness of tsunamis and radiation, the near universal experience of death, piles of work, and frankly, Charlie Sheen. I'm sick of him.

And this is why I can't wait for William & Kate's wedding! (Yes I did have a picture of him in my high school locker).

So, without further ado (adieu?), I leave you with my Top 12 habits I stole from other people.

Putting deodorant on after putting my shirt on. Brilliant. Goodbye white deodorant stains. (learned this from Andrea.)
Coupon binder. (straight from Kathy.)
Using my forearm (elbow to wrist) to measure for an easy way to calculate feet. (Thanks, mom! And apparently Leonardo da Vinci).
Always round up in the budget. (that's you, Paul).
Comet. (and I'm writing this on a Thursday night, Beth :)
Listening to the "Wicked!" station on Pandora (stole this from a girl who I don't even know but have somehow gotten swept up into her little blog life and she recommended it. Her name is Julie. I sound like a stalker.)

Okay, I'm running out. And this is sounding lame. So I'll leave you with 6 habits that are distinctly mine:

I never get on an airplane without having gummi bears or a gummi snack.
I put the full date (month, day, year) in the top right hand corner almost every time I handwrite something.
I like to be completely packed two days before any trip.
I put on English subtitles whenever I watch movies.
I give up really close to the finish line.

SOTU

2011-01-25T22:14:00.001-05:00

In case you missed the State of the Union (shame on you.....all of my Canadian readers may continue reading shame free), here is a recap.

Once upon a time we wanted to explore outer space and conquer that, too. But we weren't fast enough. Along came Sputnik. Darn you, Russians! But then we went to the moon. We showed them. Americans are innovators.
Americans aren't finishing high school. China has students that continue to beat us in math and science. Darn you, Chinese!
No Child Left Behind didn't work. So we are going to stomp over them and Race To The Top. And only the innovators will get money.
If you dream it, you can do it. (Okay, that was Walt Disney)
Your tax dollars govern the care of salmon in freshwater and saltwater. We do not know who governs salmon when it is smoked.
You can drive across country faster than you can wait in a security line in the airport and get a full body pat down.
It's time we start spending less than we make. We think this might help our deficit.
We do big things. America is big. We may be poorer than you, dumber than you, and we may cut our national defense budget (?!?!?!), but we are B-I-G.

God bless America.

Why buying Ladies Home Journal magazine may have been a poor decision

2011-01-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Last week was long. The kind of week where the high point was having a gyno exam. That sounds dirty, but really it just shows how long and positively miserable this week was. And so, after having worked late on a Friday night and coming home to, well, no one and no thing, I decided to assuage my misery.

At this point, most people might have a beer or a martini. I bought Ladies Home Journal magazine.

Do you know the types of ads in Ladies Home Journal magazine? "StriVectin-SD because wrinkles and stretch marks bite." "COPD left me short of breath. Now I take SYMBICORT." "Just because the economy is stuck, it doesn't mean you have to be too. Colon Cleanse." "Getting a better group on Rheumatid Arthritis can start with this syringe." And my favorite: "For fast, long-lasting relief, deflate mucus. Mucinex in. Mucus out."

Which is to say, I'm not sure if my week ended on a high note or not. On the upside, I have three new (heart-healthy) slow cooker recipes and learned five ways to have a healthier bathroom. And for $2.49, you can have all this information too.

My five best decisions of 2010

2011-01-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

So that I can sleep with a clear conscience tonight, allow me to state that I stole this concept (and blog title) directly from Russ Martin. If you don't know him, it means you probably don't live in Canada.

1. Coupon binder. I have a bright green binder loaded with coupons that I proudly lug through Publix every week. It's not embarrassing. Maybe it should be. But the Depression-era folks I shop with at my neighborhood store are pretty darn impressed by my reflection of "youth today." Last year, I saved $622.60 in coupons alone ($766.69 by shopping sales). I know this because I am a nerd and keep detailed lists.

2. Personal Development budget. I set aside money specifically for my personal enrichment and growth. I took a cooking class! Had a private lesson for swing dancing. Took two courses on Esther and Daniel, you get the idea. Essentially, I gave myself freedom to pursue things that inspire my soul.

3. Jazzercise. I'm mortified that I wrote it, but I would be lying if this did not make the list of best decisions in 2010. Jazzercise (hate that word) really does make exercise fun, oh-so-convenient (it's right after work in the next building), and it's free which means the $10 gym membership I was paying got transferred into a Netflix subscription and now I can tell you I have seen every episode in succession of Dick van Dyke for seasons 1-2.

4. The pencil skirt.

5. Watch or read the news every day. Some of you may argue that The Today Show is hardly the news, but I beg to differ. I recorded and watched every episode M-F from 7-10 am and I can tell you that just tonight I took a Pew News IQ quiz and scored better than 96% of the public, which I attribute directly to the journalistic efforts of Matt Lauer.

The year of the....

2011-01-04T23:41:00.001-05:00

Eleven (as in 2011) is a bit of a problem for me. You see, the only words that really rhyme with it are heaven, leaven, and (this could be positive) Evan.

Hold tight. You'll see why. First, a skip down memory lane.

Ever enticed by fresh opportunities of a new year, I set goals, create lists, and establish plans. I've been doing this my entire adult life, but in 2008 with the presidential campaign in full swing, I realized I needed focus, determination, and a killer jingle to accomplish my mission.

Date in '08

He's mine '09

Unfortunately, this turned into a three-part strategic plan:

Try again in 2010

Now that it is 2011 and no man is knocking on my door, i'm left with Focus on heaven in 2011, or No bread with leaven in 2011 (never gonna happen), or potentially Meet Evan in 2011.

Whatever part four ends up being, I sense a strong religious theme. Heaven (obviously religious). Leaven (hello Passover). Evan (it's a stretch but Evan Almighty).

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

December Traditions

2010-12-28T00:27:00.000-05:00

Every family has their traditions. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, my family decided to stop having meals on Christmas day. This would be our tradition. I do not remember getting a vote.

Thankfully, Santa Claus (my mom) faithfully includes a can of Pringles in my stocking each year. This year, my stocking was a priority mail cardboard box. My mom asked me to collapse the box and return it to my local post office, but instead I kept it because it's a good box.

Each December I have a birthday and the day before my birthday, regardless of the day of the week, I wash my sheets. I typically wash my sheets every Monday, which is why I clarified.

Before December 31st, I always look through my journal to see if I have missed any sermons at my church during the year. If I did, I listen to the sermon online and take notes in the journal with an asterisk noting the given date of the sermon and the actual date I heard it. This is not a form of legalism. I just don't like missing out on the continuity of messages. If I happen to have missed a Sunday and there was a speaker who is not my pastor, I skip the message. This demonstrates how much of a legalist I am not.

xanax

2010-11-06T20:42:00.003-04:00

Time change weekends are torture for people with anxiety (I diagnosed myself). How do I know if my clock will change because it's magically tied to a world clock that somehow knows the time zones everywhere? What about my cell phone? Computer? I have to re-learn how to change the clock in my car. Literally last week was the first time I got my tivo to record exactly the amount of time in the show without too much additional on either side. And now, tonight of all nights, my cell phone dies.

So help me if the radio doesn't broadcast the time every few minutes tomorrow morning, I will have a panic attack.

judge

2010-11-04T22:36:00.001-04:00

If you are walking around at night wearing bright orange in my neighborhood, I am going to assume you are an escaped convict. It's as simple as that.

eye candy

2010-10-25T20:54:00.002-04:00

I'm the proud owner of a new pair of fire-engine red smart girl glasses that were bought online, manufactured presumably in China, and shipped to me for the rock bottom price of $12.95.

Unfortunately the glasses are useless for driving, reading, and walking in narrow spaces because I was forced to sacrifice my vision on the altar of fashionable eyewear. You see (notice the vision reference), my prescription is stronger than what can be purchased from discount retailers, so I just chose the highest prescription they allowed, crossed my fingers, and gave them my credit card number.

Moral of the story: crossing your fingers is a useless exercise.

Birds, Bibles, and Boys

2010-10-18T21:22:00.003-04:00

Because I will unabashedly name-drop when given the chance (and what is personal blog but a platform for notoriety), here is an excerpt from a book that Judy Douglass loaned me. Me personally. Because she follows me on twitter.

I have learned that when we take our hands off the pages of the Bible, read and listen to its words, and enter into its story by faith, something happens.

It renews and continues to renew its powers. It becomes what it was meant to be, something both more intimate than an old pair of jeans and more unusual than alien creatures, something like a familiar stranger or an unpredictable neighbor or a pet lion whose presence invigorates its surroundings.

Something like the glory of the ocean, which on the surface appears gentle and strolling and pleasant to observe, but under that surface there's a vibrant, teeming, swirling, dynamic world full of beauty and wonder.

Or perhaps listening to the Bible is like having the most powerful person in the world sit down with you for coffee and chat with you. --taken from The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight.

Other than the fact that Scot's name is sorely lacking an additional "t," I highly esteem chapters one and two of this book (as that is all I have read). He's punchy (if verbose), challenging, and fair in his critiques.

As far as I can tell, he upholds sola scriptura (Scripture alone is our ultimate authority) but focuses on the manner in which we interpret the Bible. I'm not going to give you a book report. If you really cared, read it for yourself. Then call me and we'll have coffee and talk about it. And if you are a single guy and do this, I will call it a date so that I can feel better about myself. (okay, not really. well, maybe).

pithy, knell, and blight

2010-08-25T22:16:00.003-04:00

You, too, can read such words as pithy, knell, and blight if you start following David's blog. He will expand your vocabulary, you can see great photos, and (most importantly) read the ocasional post about yours truly. And we all know that if you scratch my back, I will scratch mine again.

yellow #2

2010-08-24T23:38:00.002-04:00

I sharpened all of my nephew's pencils just so I could smell all the wood chippings because I love the start of school that much.

one for one

2010-08-07T00:43:00.003-04:00

In my world, hippies are people who don't eat gluten. People who see a mountain and want to climb it. People who prefer cloth diapers and like to eat cliff bars. Hippies carry nalgene bottles and stay away from caffeine and drink green tea.

There's nothing particularly wrong with any of these characteristics. It's just that I can't see myself doing any of them. It wouldn't be me.

So you may be surprised that I'm giving a public service announcement for TOMS shoes. With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for one. Many children in developing countries don't have a single pair of shoes. But apart from the burning fashionista hidden deep within all of us, I didn't understand why a growing up with a barefoot childhood was all that terrible. That is, until this one for one movement alerted me to soil-transmitted diseases and dangerous infections from cuts and wounds that happen every day in these developing countries.

In April 2010, over 250,000 people took part in one day without shoes, to create awareness for this cause. Next April, I intend to participate. And let's be honest, what could be more hippie than to walk around without shoes?

I say all this in part to get the word out. But in all honesty, I'm really writing as a testimony to a powerful communication strategy. 24 hours ago, I didn't know there was a problem. Today, I'm having a hard time getting to sleep because I'm thinking about kids in Argentina who are not allowed to go to school because they have no shoes.

The genius of Blake Mycoskie's leadership of TOMS is simplicity:

The buyer becomes the giver.

When I buy a pair of shoes, then someone else gets a pair of shoes. It's one for one.

Now, he has a creative marketing team, so there are plenty of ways to get involved. I could participate in OneDayWithoutShoes. I could host a shoe awareness party. I could share a YouTube video or follow TOMS on Twitter. All of these actions are simple. Clear. Straightforward. And most importantly, they undergird the main point, namely to buy a pair of TOMS shoes.

A clearly defined mission statement

A vision for the future

And the passion to rally others for the cause

Well done, Blake, well done.

the weekend

2010-08-01T21:17:00.002-04:00

My last blog was a month ago (to the day), but really, who's counting? So in an effort for me to get back that writin' feeling, here is an essay I like to call "What I did this weekend."

Finally swept the garage (it's been 2 years).
Reaffirmed that I want to sell a futon cushion. Haven't done anything about it other than writing this pitiful attempt at a sell.
Finally decided on & purchased an art print for my living room (it's been 2 years). I'm not telling you which one it is yet (in case I hate it, or worse, if you hate it), but I will tell you that it is not the Mona Lisa. Or anything by Jackson Pollack. (but I was tempted because his name is Jackson. See previous blog entry).
Began my creative art project for the hallway. I see a hammer, a level, and Christian curse words in my future.
Re-highlighted all my favorite passages in the New Testament. Yes, yes I did this. Old Testament begins tomorrow. I am continually disappointed that highlighters fade in color.
Cut out two coupons for pork loin because they were $1 off. I've never made pork loin, but I feel that it is an adult meal to have.
Had a minor panic attack because all 3 of my journals are approaching the last few pages of their existence. My favorite work journal appears to be discontinued. If I can't find a replacement, I might as well die.

It was a numerical essay.

Twihard

2010-07-01T00:03:00.002-04:00

Or....

Why Twilight is good for the soul.

It's finally fashionable to stay out of the sun. More importantly, pale skin is in (this is good for me).
It's okay if you aren't a good actor -- you can still make a lot of money (also good for me).
It may not be werewolves and vampires, but it's good to be reminded that there's a spiritual world out there.
The moral of the story for me is not "wait for an Edward"; rather, it's "don't be a Bella." Man, that girl is annoying. She pretty much does the opposite of whatever Edward (who always has her best interest in mind, by the way) asks her to do. Don't do that. Why he stays around is beyond me.
Never underestimate the power of a tailored shirt (speaking mainly to my male readers here). A well-fitting shirt can make you hotter than Taylor Lautner and his serious six-pack.
It's good -- not classic, but good -- literature and it means people are reading. Nearly anything that promotes a love of reading is going to get my stamp of approval. (And what a stamp that is).
Moreover, it promotes critical thinking and analysis. Anyone who reads the books has an opinion: Jacob or Edward? Why? And saying "because Jacob is hot" is not enough. Teenage girls and women are learning to back up their opinions with legitimate reasons that they can point to in the text. This is an invaluable life skill. Better to learn it from theatric vampire pseudo-angst than never to learn it at all.
Because we otherwise would never have known Jackson Rathbone.

not quite a ce-ment pond

2010-05-25T22:06:00.003-04:00

My sister bought an above ground swimming pool. Which makes me related to someone who has an above ground swimming pool. Which pretty much makes our family the Clampetts.

quit playing games with my heart

2010-04-26T21:10:00.003-04:00

If you walk with God for any amount of time, then a day will come when you will wonder if He is callous or wicked. Sometimes He doesn't answer prayer, but it's easy enough (for me anyways) to convince myself that I didn't pray well enough. But other times -- like today -- He does answer prayer, but in the most backstabbing, spiteful way. It's one thing to feel screwed. It's another thing altogether to feel screwed by God.

Thankfully a pop sensation of my high school days gave me words to express my anger. "God - quit playing games with my heart" (Oh Backstreet Boys, I always knew you loved me).

So I told God that. And He didn't get mad at me and lightening didn't strike. And He didn't use mind-controlling super powers like Jasper (ooh, Twilight) to calm me down either. Instead, He asked me to keep talking to Him. And you know what? I did. Because in that moment -- when a wound that is just starting to heal got ripped open by the only Surgeon who has the power to heal -- I knew God was real. I knew without question that it was God who was wounding me.

We convince ourselves that God doesn't hurt us. And when we do get hurt -- and it's not by our own sin -- we wonder what happened to the good God? What happened to our dearest friend, our healer, our savior?

The answer? He's still there. He's a surgeon. He's cutting deep -- but you can trust Him because He's not reckless. Every pain, every disappointment, every hurt has purpose. And that purpose is far bigger than playing games with your heart. He's making you -- and me -- more like Christ. We're losing us and gaining Him. That's a good thing.

So if you're like me and feeling a little broken, a little shattered--take heart. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

On Censorship

2010-04-14T22:31:00.004-04:00

Censorship has been on my mind recently. From controversy last week regarding a highly esteemed RTS/Orlando professor resigning after his views on Genesis 1-2 sparked fires among mainline evangelicals, to a comment I posted within my organization being removed today for its own controversial stance -- censorship is apparently all the rage.

Christians silencing Christians. Hardly a fulfillment of Christ's prayer for unity.

I'm frustrated that Christians are primarily characterized by what we are against. How might our world be different if we were characterized instead by what we would die for?

begin again

2010-03-23T01:23:00.002-04:00

"Beginning again requires believing relentlessly that if we had all the wisdom and power of God and could truly see the scope of our entire lives, we would choose exactly the path that we’ve been on — because the end of that path is Jesus." -- by Sharon Hersh

quest

2010-03-08T22:31:00.004-05:00

I need to find this Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Ruched Faux Wrap Dress from Nordstrom at Ross ASAP. Also, someone sign me up for French class so I know what I'm buying.

Call me a Yalie

2010-03-02T23:54:00.002-05:00

I love strategic plans, campaigns, milestones, and finish lines. Back in the political frenzy of 2008, I decided to create my own campaign trail. It was a two-year plan with clearly defined objectives: Date in '08; He's mine '09.

If you've followed this blog much at all, you are aware of my need for an addendum. And so, January brought with it a new tagline: Try again in 2010.

However, trying again in 2010 is not so much about getting the guy as it is about returning to the real me. Or, more accurately, the me I've kept hidden. My blogs are lengthier and a smidge more serious. I wear vests and oxford shirts. I say "no" with far less guilt to parties and phone calls. I wear heels because being on the taller end shouldn't preclude me from sporting cute shoes. And if I see a bouquet of flowers I like, I buy them because buying yourself flowers doesn't make you lame. (okay, I may be trying to convince myself of this last point).

All this is to say, I decided that beginning March 1st I would thoughtfully read one business or leadership book a month, one theology book a month and take one online class a month. Ideally I would have a literary classic thrown in there, but man do I hate reading the classics. I still blame my high-school literature teacher for this.

Now I have 24 lectures on Game Theory from Yale University to look forward to! By the end of this month, I hope to converse on such ideas as dominance, backward induction, Nash equilibrium, evolutionary stability, commitment, credibility, asymmetric information, adverse selection, and signaling.

Somehow, I do not think I will be invited to many more parties....

For the Chynoweths

2010-02-21T21:51:00.003-05:00

Last night, one of the most Godly women I know crossed from this life to the next. As her son, my dear friend Jim, so elegantly wrote, "[she] slipped through the veil to the other side of eternity."

Lynn was a prayer warrior. And I mean warrior. Jim served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marine Corps, so you know she understood deeper meanings of readying yourself for battle. When I think of Lynn, I think of prayer. Which, frankly, made me more than a little angry that God did not answer her prayer to win the battle with cancer. He could have. If anyone deserved it, it should have been her.

But then, I realized He did answer her prayer. On February 20th at 9:50 PM, Lynn was healed. And she saw her Savior face to face. The veil was removed.

At a few crossroad moments in my life, the Chynoweths gave me an ancient benediction as a form of prayer and encouragement. It's only fitting that I share this now. May it strengthen you as it as has me.

Go now with God

Be not tempted to stay in the safety of known places

Move from where you are to where God points

Go now with God

Be not tempted to go only in your time

When it suits, when it is sure

For now is God's time

Go now with God

Choose not to go alone

Go in the faith that there is not a wilderness so vast

That God is not already there to show you the way

goodbye Addy

2010-02-21T21:36:00.003-05:00

72 hours. That's how long the puppy lasted in the house. I don't even have a picture to show you how adorable she was. But trust me, she was adorable. She matched the furniture and the walls and her bed matched the living room lampshades. For three days, her name was Addy (Addison). But now that she's back with her original owner, her name is Izzy. Which is proof that there are a lot of Grey's Anatomy fans out there.

announcement

2010-02-12T17:02:00.002-05:00

I do not like animals. Never have, never will.

animals smell
animals are short

This time tomorrow, a dog will live in my house.

Doppelgänger

2010-02-06T23:08:00.005-05:00

On more than one occasion, I have been told I look like the following people:

Tina Fey

The Progressive Insurance Girl (not pleased about this one)

Sarah Palin

Tracey, my roommate's sister

Updates because i'm lacking creativity

2010-01-31T22:01:00.004-05:00

The results are in! I saved $148.44 in coupons and advantage buys this month. At the beginning of the month I bought a second subscription to The Orlando Sentinel, just for the coupons, and it has already paid for itself.

Wow. I'm bored reading this.

Let's try this one on for size: i've got homemade bread baking in the bread machine right now. Why does it cost $20 to buy the ingredients? How is this a savings?

You won't see any more updates like these in the future. It's a little too stay-at-home-momish. I don't want to start dreaming of a minivan or anything.

a rare moment

2010-01-20T23:47:00.002-05:00

I keep this blog on the lighter side -- at the very least, self-deprecating. But i've had such a long hiatus and my last entry was on Team Edward for pete's sake, that I feel obligated to share something of the inner me.

I finished grad school in 2005. It is now the beginning of 2010 and the ache has not gone away. I'd give my right arm to be back in school. It's the last time I've felt alive.

January and August are the hardest months for me because they represent the start of a new semester. I spend hours at night researching grad schools, analyzing every last admission requirement. Eventually I close my laptop, resigned in disappointment.

So why can't I go? What's keeping me? Nothing. Nothing and Everything.

You see, I don't care about fancy cars and diamond rings. I shop at Goodwill. I love cutting coupons. I'm as thrifty as they come. But when it comes to education, I want the Jaguar. I want to make it into Harvard so people will be impressed by me. I want to silence people with my intellect. I want letters behind my name! I may never be a "mrs." but I can work hard and achieve Ph.D behind my name, by golly.

It's ridiculous and humiliating to know that is inside of me, but it is.

So why can't I go? Because I believe achievement is the key to satisfaction. Of course, I don't believe this intellectually. But in my heart? It's the loudest voice. And so I find great comfort in the words of St. Augustine, "our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You."

2009 in Summary

2010-01-20T22:56:00.004-05:00

Read the books.

Watched the movies.

Installed the iPhone app.

Your Dream Guy is Edward

You are a true romantic, and for you, love is a very emotional and passionate thing.
You want to be wooed, charmed, and even seduced. You have old fashioned ideas about romance.

You don't mind being with a protective guy like Edward, as long as he has your best interests at heart.
You like being taken care of completely, even if things get a little intense at times.

Who's Your Dream Guy: Jacob or Edward?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

things of note

2010-01-14T22:47:00.003-05:00

People are begging for a new blog. That's sweet.

I have so many in my head. You will not get those, at least until I am fully caffeinated. Until then, you will get this one.

Noteworthy events since my last blog:

I wear boots. Not one day goes by when I am wearing boots that someone doesn't sing those boots are made for walking.... I like that.
I want to re-paint my house. Again. This is not public knowledge.
I have an herb garden. This means the last two weeks of freezing weather have consisted of my carrying for six potted plants like small children, bringing them out of the cold. I do not enjoy this. (bleak outlook for my future offspring)
I have a space heater in my bedroom. I keep it on a baking pan because it makes me feel safer.
I have been throwing away mail that was incorrectly delivered to me and was just informed on facebook that is a felony
I have been planning to sell two bookcases worth of books but I am having emotional detachment issues. So the books are hidden behind my piano as a way to manage my withdrawl. But I still know they are there.

I will get back into blogging. That is a promise. If I am to be a writer, I must write (this is my self-help chant).

turkish art

2009-10-22T18:20:00.000-04:00

the view that greets me every morning in turkey

Nerd alert

2009-10-16T17:11:00.000-04:00

For Paul (and Frank James).

I scored 9 out of 10 and only had to cheat once.

More about John Calvin at Calvin 500

travel thoughts

2009-10-15T15:43:00.000-04:00

I had a 4 hour layover in Amsterdam with full intention of exploring this great airport. Instead, I decided to sit down on this most amazing leather recliner and think about how I would get on the internet. I woke up with exactly 10 minutes to get to my gate to board.
I've eaten more authentically Turkish food in Scotland than I have in Turkey.
I arrived in Turkey around 1:45 in the morning. Alone. Thankfully, I was greeted by a nice guy about my age who taught me how to say "I'm very good." (interesting phrase choice).
I got into the hotel and checked into my room about 3 in the morning, at which point the guy at the reception desk said, "just five more minutes, then someone will help you to your room" and then another guy walked up, took my bags, and said asked me to climb into a golf cart and we drove away.
It is now 11pm and i'm sitting in the hotel lobby and I do not know how to get back to my room as the last time I went there was 3 am in a golf cart.

For david

2009-10-11T09:23:00.001-04:00

Here's an extra blog post, just for you.

And you think I don't listen to comments......

off

2009-10-11T09:20:00.002-04:00

I'm getting on a plane today. So in case I can't blog, for the first time in a long while, I actually have a purely justifiable reason.

I'll be going here and here. For 3 weeks. What a happy life I live.

In other news, I got a free piano!

remembering the dream...

2009-09-17T22:33:00.002-04:00

My 5th grade teacher just friend requested me and sent me a Facebook message saying that I told her I would be the first female president of the United Sates.....or her personal secretary. I suppose even at 10 years old I understood -- Dream big, but don't forget the back-up plan.

layover

2009-09-16T21:41:00.002-04:00

I finally booked my plane ticket(s) today. Start to finish, 13 layovers. Thirteen. I am only going two places.

Booking the cheapest flight may have its consequences, but at least i'll have more stamps in my passport than you.

shoes

2009-09-14T23:40:00.003-04:00

The great problem with trying to be fashionable while at the same time shopping at JC Penney is that while in search for the perfect peep-toe heel for the office, their website directed me to this little find.

Why is this the new stereotype for women's work shoes?!

Curse you, Rosie the Riveter and the feminist revolution. Which reminds me......the ber months are in full swing. I am dreaming of wearing this apron while making pumpkin bread in my oh-so-bright lime green kitchen.

09.09.09

2009-09-09T23:24:00.002-04:00

This date is significant because on September 9th, many years ago (we're talking elementary school and pigtails here), I received Christ as my Savior.

Today we celebrated my friend Luis' birthday, but in a way, it's my birthday too. Because when you decide to put your trust in Christ alone and not in yourself, you get new life. You trust Him for salvation. For acceptance. For value. For love. For significance.

It's not easy. It's hard to trust someone who isn't here in person. It's even harder to trust someone who lets my deepest prayers go unanswered.

But even in that, I can't imagine not having a personal relationship with God. The God who spoke the entire world into existence not only knows my name, but calls my name. I belong to someone. And when my birthday is coming around the corner and I'm pushing an age I never thought I'd face alone, the gift of belonging forever and ever to someone "who sees the depths of my heart and loves me the same" is the greatest gift a girl could ask for. And I didn't even have to ask.

for kristin

2009-08-27T00:20:00.004-04:00

Today is my sister's birthday. In her honor, I will write a tribute of the things you probably do not know about Kristin......but should.

She does not read my blog. She doesn't even hide the fact that she doesn't. I kind of love that about her.
She writes like Walt Disney. It is very big. (you know my feelings about big). I don't think i've ever told her this before.
In middle school I was once told, "if you ever grow up to look like your sister, then you'll be hot."
Her first car was a huge, black Dodge Mirada and the steering wheel caught fire one time when she drove us to school. She would say "Mirada" really fast so people would think she drove a Miata instead. No one was fooled.
She will cut in half every piece of chocolate in a Whitman's Chocolate Sampler to see what is on the inside instead of looking at the box lid. Then, she would mix up the chocolate, just to make me mad.
I got my first job at the candy store in the Magic Kingdom just because that's where she had worked.
Her middle name is "elizabeth" but to this day I still don't know if it's elizabeth with a "z" or elisabeth with an "s".
She is impossible not to like. Everyone, everywhere, loves Kristin. I'm not even kidding.
She's the only person in the world to fall asleep in a movie faster than I do.
She probably doesn't know this, but she is my very best friend.

Move over Jenny Craig

2009-08-23T02:30:00.003-04:00

My health insurance will pay me $5 for every pound I lose between August 1 and December 31. Ever the savvy financier, I have decided to lose 4o pounds which will provide an easy $200 bucks. An excellent down payment on a new iPhone.

Of course, this will also put me roughly 40 lbs below the healthy body weight and will mean I can no longer give blood. Buh-bye, free Darden restaurant gift cards and cheap plastic pens. A small price to pay for a shiny 3G always connected toy.

The new diet plan and health regimen is in full swing. After one week, here is what I discovered:

Buying a Costco membership the same week you start a diet plan counteracts all the effort
Eating 5 avocados in one week also counteracts dietary efforts
Don't buy lettuce, mangos, or avocados in bulk for one person. Scratch that--don't buy in bulk for one person.
I ate healthier food this week than any other week in my entire life, and I gained weight.

As if that wasn't enough, I checked my blood pressure today at CVS Pharmacy. 88/48 with a resting heart rate of 56. Excuse me while I go pass out.

big fat sigh

2009-08-05T23:35:00.003-04:00

The last four posts have garnered exactly ZERO comments. Zero. Nothing. This has happened to me exactly zero times since the inauguration of this blog (which happened back in 2004, in case anyone is curious).

By now, you should know that I get complexes quite easily.

I'm just saying.

the art of listening

2009-08-05T23:04:00.004-04:00

True story: I went to a 2 hour "Art of Listening" seminar by Dr. Larry Crabb and fell soundly asleep. When did Larry get that old?!? Nevertheless, I still managed to take some notes, which I will share here.

Download the audio seminar: Listening: the Spiritual Art of Discernment (Part I) and Listening: the Spiritual Art of Discernment (Part II).

And don't you worry, i'll be back to my short, quippy blogs soon enough.

We tell our stories as:

Tragedy--feel sorry for me, i'm a victim
Romance--i want to matter
Irony--i become a cynic, hungry for meaning
Comedy--my identity becomes a clown; i keep everything superficial; i'm scared to death to get real about how life really is

*uhh....why did I have the most notes for comedy?!?!

But here's the more honest way to tell our life story: as a transcendent drama. A grand story is taking place from eternity past to eternity future and I get to be a part of this drama.

And in this art of listening (hey, wake up!) here are 7 categories of thinking which ought to frame how we interact in relationship:

Teleological Curiosity

Be curious about the direction God is taking the other person. The Spirit never sleeps. He is always working. In most conversations, we are so self-obsessed that we never ask, "What did you mean by that?"

Hidden Terror

What is this person most afraid of?

Denied Desire

We bear the image of a relational God. We long for relationship but we tend to deny them because they will ultimately only be bet in Christ. This either leads to great disappointment or great hope. We groan. Our desires leaves us empty.

Relational Sin

We don't recognize what our real motivation is. God is committed to another's well-being at any cost to Himself. Yet we fall short of this every day. Jesus wasn't killed--He chose death.

Genuine Freedom

The freedom to indulge what you most want to do. Christianity is not about restrictions but opportunity. It's about indulging the deepest desire of a God-invading heart. For the Christian the deepest desire is to be love and the deepest need is to be loved.

Anchoring Hope

Anchoring hope from entitlement to expectancy. When God created people, what did He have in mind? He wanted to invite people to a party. Sanctification is dancing. When we say, "I'm sorry....but...." we aren't asking for forgiveness. Rather, we are offering an explanation. We want understanding. But God offers pure forgiveness. No understanding needed.

Promised Shalom

Shalom is "everything the way it is supposed to be." He tells the parable of St. Augustine. Make a list of everything that you really want. Then God says, "I'll give you everything on that list, but on one condition: you will never see My face." The chill you just experienced is your deepest love.

a new way to live

2009-08-05T14:29:00.007-04:00

On the first session of the first day, I heard from Dr. Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City. He talked for about 40 minutes and if I didn't hear another message the entire time, I would have had enough to chew on. Download the entire talk: the Gospel in You.

Growing up, I used to play Monopoly (always wanted to be the banker so I could organize the colored money). In Monopoly, you can get these cards called a "Get out of jail free" card. Unfortunately for us, that's how we tend to the view the gospel. You were supposed to go to jail (hell). But then you believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for you and now you have a get out of jail free card. That's great for eternity, but it doesn't leave you with much in the here and now. A convict who has been pardoned has no money, no job, no home--but at least he doesn't have a jail cell.

You see, if all Christ did was forgive sinners, our future would look bright but our days would look dim. The pardoned convict has to prove time and time again that he is no longer the way he was, that he can be trusted, that he can do a job well, that he can be a full-fledged member of society with all its rights and privileges.

Sound familiar? It's exhausting to feel like you have to constantly prove yourself. Believe me. I know. You see, where I work, the majority of people raise their own financial support to get paid. And because we are sinful people, our tendency is to look at that as a litmus test of--let's just be honest here--holiness. The holier you are, the more you will trust God with your mortgage payment. And when you're a paid staff in a sea of supported, there's a lot of proving that goes on. (If I had a nickel for every time I was asked, "why are you here?") It's a fair question, to be sure, but one that immediately triggers a resigned emotional response--"you're right. I don't belong. there's a clearly defined circle and I'm not in it."

I don't say this to point fingers and I certainly don't say this for pity. But that's the framework I entered with for my fourth staff training experience. And on the first session of the first day, God had this message for me: the Gospel is not about you proving yourself. You don't have to justify your existence for being here. You are here because of My Son. And that's more than enough.

Here's the thing. I live my life as if the Gospel means I'm forgiven. Period. But if Christ only forgave me, I would be like that poor convict with a get-out-of-jail-free card. No prison cell, but no money, no job, no honor. Rather, He forgives and He justifies. He validates who I am and it's not based on what I do, where I work, or how I get paid, but it's based entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Every good work that Christ did gets applied to me. It's going from being a convict to receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor--and doing absolutely nothing for it.

Free justification.

I get the honor, the robes, the crown, the cross and the nails. And then I live for Him. Not the other way around.

Colorado: a recap (part 1)

2009-08-05T13:58:00.002-04:00

I promised an update from the training time in Colorado and it's high time I make good on my word.

"Make good." The grammar police within me is shuddering.

First, some background.

Wait, you were gone?! What was in Colorado?
I work with Campus Crusade for Christ and every two years we have a staff training in Ft. Collins, Colorado on the campus of Colorado State University. This year, I have my very own bright green CSU camelbak nalgene to prove I was there. Go rams.

Colorado? I want your job.
Yes. Yes you do. But do you really think 5,000 staff would fly to Orlando in July? Colorado it is.

What do you do while you're there?
A typical day goes like this: Morning session from 9:00 - 12:00. Afternoon seminars from 1:30 - 4:30. Evening session from 6:30 - 9:00. And did I mention 5,000 people? Translation: you are never alone. Also, there was free popcorn every day until midnight. Coffee was free too, but they believe in powdered creamer (straight from the devil himself) which meant I kept Starbucks in business.

Anything else I should know?
My flights to & from Denver were completely full. And I knew most people on the plane. Very weird. My living arrangements were very cheap which means I learned the hard way that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I loved living in a college town, but I'm an east coast girl. I'm just not hippie enough to be a Colorado chick. Take me to Boston.

inside scoop

2009-07-25T17:47:00.002-04:00

my own thoughts will be coming. that is a promise. but there's a bag of free butter popcorn with my name on it upstairs so....you know....priorities.

in the meantime, here's a chance for you to hear what i've been hearing. the inside scoop, if you will.

did i mention i got to hear from Tim Keller? Amazing.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Movements-Everywhere

i'm in colorado

2009-07-23T17:35:00.002-04:00

I'm in colorado on a computer, which means there is something fundamentally wrong with me. That and the fact that I can't bear leaving the computer lab without knowing if anyone has commented on the new facebook pictures that have been posted. narcissism at its finest.

YES! Rachel just wrote on my wall. Love it.

I promised updates on the conference and that will come. I'm still soaking in all that Tim Keller shared. Until then, here's a take on life in CO.

I lost my water bottle within 15 minutes. This shows how used to carrying water I am.
Every year I eat a free corn dog at the fair. This year, they ran out of corn dogs by the time I got there. I fear this is a bad omen.
I will never, no never, enjoy wearing a name tag

going to colorado

2009-07-19T13:27:00.002-04:00

I'm going to colorado on tuesday (for work, lest you think this is an answer to the previous post).
Here some details:

I do not own a fleece. Name me one native floridian who owns a fleece. Name one.
I'm still raising funds to go. Want to help? Sure you do! https://give.ccci.org/give/5532060
Why is CVS Pharmacy 24 hours, yet close at 10pm?

numbers

2009-07-13T20:01:00.002-04:00

128 = the number of vacation hours I have accrued
0 = the number of dollars Dave Ramsey says I can spend on a vacation

Answer: I need a free place to stay. Ideally in Europe. I will read books, journal, and take photographs. Eating is expensive, so I have learned how to be satisfied with coffee. Frequent Flier miles will get me there. This is my plan.

Who wants to come with me?

on grief and love

2009-07-11T23:40:00.003-04:00

I went to a funeral today. I used to think death was easier if it was expected (with a 1.5 yr battle with cancer, we knew this day was coming). But it's not easier. I suppose it's because we were never meant to die.

I went to a friend's party right after. We had a do-over birthday because last year was the big 3-0 and it was lame. But in God's extravagant love, on this year's birthday, she got engaged.

Naturally, this dichotomy couldn't escape me. On the one hand, a life cut short. On the other, a dream-come-true do-over. But we all know that real life doesn't give do-overs. She didn't actually turn 30 again. Real life gives one shot. And that road to blessing is often wrought with thorns.

You know how at weddings most people look at the bride walking down the aisle? Well i'm the girl who looks at the groom. And in this funeral, I didn't look at the guy in the casket at the end of the aisle. But I looked at his wife. She didn't wear black. In fact, she wore a beautiful turquoise dress. And I don't know this for certain, but my hunch is that this was his favorite dress on her.

You see, this guy who died, he lived like a champ. And he loved his wife. Not in the newspaper obituary "he is survived by his wife, whom he loved" kind of way, but in the you can see it in his eyes on every slideshow picture, kind of way. And she loved him too. Through every inch of those covenant vows. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.

So through the funeral and the party and the swing dancing tonight, that's what i've been thinking about. I want to love and be loved just like that. That's my far-fetched wish. Don't get me wrong--I also thought about Christ and how all of this is only possible through Him--but that's another post of its own. For now, this is my raw, unfiltered emotion. I should be grieving a friend. Instead, I find myself hoping for a future. Not hopeful, mind you. Just hoping. It's a jaded hope, but hope nonetheless.

Grief and hope. Mourning and dancing. Love lost and love found. These were the themes of my day. (Which means if you asked me how I was doing and I said "fine", I lied).

Happy Birthday John!

2009-07-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. For your weekend celebration, why not check out the free download on itunes.rts.edu of "The Calvin I Never Knew" by Dr. Frank James. Or, pull out your bedside copy of The Institutes and read your favorite book.

Want some John Calvin trivia? He and Thomas Hobbes were the inspiration for one of my favorite comic strips ever, Calvin & Hobbes. And just in case you were wondering about my political philosophy (tipping the hat to Hobbes here), I prefer John Locke.

I'm publicly embracing my inner nerd.

on justification for holding a grudge

2009-07-09T23:01:00.002-04:00

Dear David,

We have gone over this before. While your post, admittedly, was funny (and pastorally persuasive), you are not off the hook. I double-checked and I was removed again from your blog! I do not want to be under "show all." I want to be a part of the permanent link collection. I have earned my rightful spot. Here's why:

While I certainly don't rank higher than The Good Book or an encyclopedia, surely I am more important than the World Clock. It is a clock. Is it really that important that you know the current time in Ottawa? I don't think so.
I feel better about myself when random people visit my blog. Stop barricading their opportunity (and consequently my good spirits).
I write you personal blog posts. Few people warrant such treatment.

I could continue, but you get the point.

Make it so,
the offended one.

coffee drinks illustrated

2009-07-02T16:16:00.003-04:00

priorities

2009-07-02T16:12:00.002-04:00

What if Starbucks marketed like the Church?

2009-06-30T09:57:00.000-04:00

i found my cologne

2009-06-28T01:26:00.002-04:00

That's right, kids. I found it. You may remember the great cologne hunt of 2008 (i've gotten many compliments on the jacket of shame i bought, by the way). Turns out, I liked the cologne so much, I bought it in miniature. And wore it. Tonight. (Why do they sell purse size for men's cologne?).

Thank you, Modern by Banana Republic, for making all my dreams come true. And it's only $6 right now at the outlet store. Cheaper than lunch at Chipotle.

Which leads me to the question: women wearing men's cologne. Hot or not?

impatient

2009-06-19T23:53:00.002-04:00

Dear Orange County Library System,

Can my books really be in transit for an entire week? I do live in the county, remember.

It might be time for a Kindle.

observations on the single life

2009-06-18T23:06:00.003-04:00

tonight's scene: me sitting on the living room floor, surrounded by screws, random pieces of wood, nuts and washers, two phillips-head screwdrivers, and an assortment of cushions.

the final product: two chairs, one bench, and a table.

i put the entire set together by myself. no supervision. i picked out the furniture alone. paid for it alone. carried it into my home alone. and built it alone. and all that alone time gives a girl room to think. so here's a smattering of what i discovered (about myself and otherwise):

some people intuitively know how things fit together. i am not one of those people. thankfully, i sat in a chair before, so i knew when i was putting it together upside down.
people who write instruction manuals are idiots. subjects and verbs are beautiful additions to the english language. use them.
in my world, anything unknown = requires genius level intellect and superman strength. this is the honest truth. if i don't know how to do something, i am genuinely, to the bottom of my toes, amazed when someone else does it. Which means......now that i built something from a box....sorry, men. i am no longer impressed.
i turn 30 in 6 months. if my life still looks like it does today, i give you permission to stab me in both of my eyeballs. i am so not kidding.
until tonight, i had forgotten about my crush on james marsden from 27 dresses. he's a writer in new york city who nearly always carries a satchel bag and rolls his sleeves. totally dreamy.
just because i can carry heavy boxes and put things together doesn't mean i ever want to do this again. ever.

One year ago today....

2009-06-16T12:53:00.002-04:00

I was in Istanbul (not Constantinople).