greetings from outer space

It seems like maybe outer space is where I've been for the past month, considering the overwhelming number of posts I've made (2 for those of you who weren't counting). I feel like maybe that's where I've been. Or at least lost in the pages of a book.

This past month I re-discovered my love of reading. I went to the QC Library for the first time on December 12 and got a library card. Since then, I've read 7 books, many of them within a day of starting them. I forgot how caught up in stories I get. The characters almost become real to me, inasmuch as they are well-developed. Anyway....here's what I've read so far:

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2) Kingdom Come by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

3) Emily Ever After by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

4) The Book of Jane by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

5) Consider Lily by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

6) Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury

7) Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury

I'm at the beginning of Deadline by Randy Alcorn. I've found I really like the Christian fiction section of the library, and that many of these authors write either series or multiple stand-alone titles, hence the repeat authors on the list. Once I find an author I like, I keep reading titles by them. Also, I have a thing for book series. For instance, Kingdom Come was the 16th and final title of the Left Behind/Before they were Left Behind books (amazing series, I must say). I've been working on getting through those books for over 5 years. The Harry Potter books were another 5 year work in progress, though up until the summer of 2007 I'd read only the first two titles. The Anne Dayton/May Vanderbilt books are chick-lit modern retillings of Bible stories, like Esther and Job. It seems like all Karen Kingsbury writes are series, but I can understand getting attached to characters and wanting to continue telling their stories (like the Baxter family saga...). One series I won't go near is the Twilight series (unless compelled through brute force and threats on my life). I'm not a big vampire fan, and from what I've heard they wouldn't be my cup of tea. They have their target audience, and I fall outside of it.

Beyond all the reading - which at this point I am realizing is why I've been in outer space - December was pretty eventful. I suppose that's as it should be. December is always a busy month (thank you Christmas). Christmas this year was nice, quiet, and 400 miles west of Phoenix in sunny southern California. Steven and I spent it at Disneyland, enjoying each other and the magic of all that is Disney. Going to Disneyland is like visiting an old friend. I've been going there since I was 4 years old, which means that I've been going to Disneyland for the past *gasp* 20 years of my life. Each time I go, it's almost like I never left. I know my way around the park well enough that I don't need a map, and I've gone on the rides enough times to have them committed to memory. I have so many great memories there (multiple family vacations, trips with orchestra in high school), and I am glad to finally add some new ones with Steven...like this one here:

Steven and I on Toy Story Midway Mania (great new ride at Disney's California Adventure)

The Final Score on Midway Mania (I'm blue, Steven's red - this was redemption for his KILLING me on Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters)

Chilling at California Adventure before the Electrical Parade (a Disney Classic must see!)

See what I mean? Great times. And these three pics are almost the entire collection of pictures we took while we were there. Seriously. I don't know why I pack a camera sometimes. =)

But anyway, time for me to get back to outer space. That Randy Alcorn book is just starting to get juicy.

love and marriage

Is there anything in the world that is more amazing than sharing life with your best friend?

I have been reflecting lately on how beyond all expectations marriage has been. Marriage is the earthly model of Christ's love for the church, and being a part of it has really helped me to understand the love Christ has for His bride. Beyond that, there are so many "here and now" reasons why its a great thing to be a part of. I had some time last night with Steven where we shared some of the best things about being married to each other, and here's a sampling of my list of reasons (in no particular order) why I'm glad Steven is my one and only.

1. I love that I get to wake up next to him every day. The way he looks right after he wakes up is my favorite "Steven face."
2. I love that he always gives me a kiss and a hug before he leaves for work, whether I'm awake with him or still sleeping.
3. We get to be completely silly and ridiculous with each other without fear of embarassment or judgment.
4. I get to share things with him that no one else gets to be a part of. He gets to see my best, my worst, and everything in between. He gets to know my deepest, darkest secrets; he gets to know and share in all of my hopes and dreams.
5. I love that I get to be there for him when he's not at his best. It's not fun to experience the worst or see him at a personal low, but it's fulfilling knowing that I'm the one he trusts and loves enough to show that side to and allow to support him.
6. He's caring, generous, and a man I am proud of.

Thanks for reading. Here's wishing you the best with your one and only!

Thanksgiving....

This Thanksgiving was fantastic. A very relaxed dinner at my mom's house - filled with much mirthful goodness and quality time with the fam - kicked off a great 4-day weekend. Since the kids now far outnumber the parents in the family, we had a blast at the "kid" table making a paparazzi-inspired combo of all of the last names represented (Persanfidialaberto-Shuggallen for those of you who are wondering) and conspired to harass Steve (Shugg, not Dial) while he was on-air Thursday afternoon. We almost called in to request Rick Astley on The Edge, which would make about as much sense as using grape jelly to season your macaroni and cheese. It would have been good for getting crazy laughs from all the people in the family who watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, though.

Jess, mom, and I went out on Black Friday to do some Christmas shopping. We started at 8:30 am and were done by 11:00 am after going to only 4 stores. I finished my shopping completely without my highly structured system (don't need it when there are only 5 people to buy for), Jessi got 90% of her shopping done (her estimate), and mom got a new Christmas tree. The best part was we all spent waaaay less than we expected. After the shopping, I met up with Steven for a lunch date at In-n-Out Burger. Aside from the insanely crowded parking lot, we had a great time. When I got home, feeling empowered and inspired by my amazing shopping experience that morning, I got the entire house decorated and wrapped all the gifts in less than 3 hours. I got ready for a wedding and watched my friends Kelly and Steven get married. There are a lot of funny moments from the reception, mainly from comments made by me about needing to sit by the space heaters because "I'm not wearing any pants" (I was wearing a dress).

Saturday Steven and I got an early start and got all the Christmas lights up before lunch. It was scary watching Steven precariously balance at the top of the ladder, but there were no injuries and we only broke one bulb (which we replaced). Saturday afternoon we did another Thanksgiving dinner with Steven's parents and his brothers. We watched Hollywoodland Saturday night and just relaxed. It was great.

Sunday morning we finally made it to the gym to start working off the extra calories. We did a little bit of errand running, then came home and got together with the Erlandsons, who are in town for a week. It was nice to see them after spending a few days with them back in August when we went to Kansas City. We felt rested and restored after 4 wonderful days off. It's strange to be back at work after such a nice, long, much-needed weekend. Only 24 more days until Christmas!!

it's the holiday season

Next week is Thanksgiving, and I begin to wonder at this point of the year, "Where did the year go?" It seems like time flies, and then "whoop-dee-doo, and dickory dock...it's the holiday season." I love this time of year, but it seems like time flies too quickly gearing up for it. And in a week and a half from now, it's time to get ready for Christmas!

I have known what I am buying Steven for Christmas for about two months already, and have I gone shopping? No. Color me crazy, but I like to go out shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I still find everything I want to get people, and I know I'll have to deal with crowds/lines, so I don't mind the extra time it takes. I plan for it.

How do I plan? I scour the ads on Thanksgiving Day, already having brainstormed potential gift ideas for the people I'm shopping for. I have a list of names and gifts, and then I look for good deals or new ideas. I write down where to purchase said gift ideas next to the names. Then I take my list, break the list down by store with the specific items under each store. With this list, I plot out a path, and I only have to spend about 3 hours total shopping for Christmas. I buy everything I need to get for everyone on my list in one trip. I'm done shopping for Christmas before the tryptophan wears off from Thanksgiving. I usually have all the gifts before I put up the tree. It takes me longer to wrap the gifts than to buy them. Voila! No stress Christmas shopping.

Are you ready for the holidays?

for the love of exercise

Two posts in one day....what will my poor little blog do?!

About a year ago, Steven and I joined a gym with his parents. We started to go and work out on the elliptical machines (my fave) about 2-3 time a week. Then my first full time job started and I was trying to finish my master's degree. Needless to say, exercise became a low priority. After a few more months of inconsistent attendance, Steven and I decided to start going to classes. We read the descriptions and chose Body Attack. It's a 55 minute, high impact cardio workout. You seriously never stop moving, unless you are getting a drink. Despite running out of the class about 2/3 of the way through because I thought I was going to throw up, we kept going back. And I haven't run out of the classes since. In July, Steven's dad invited us to go to Body Combat, another 55 minute class, but this one is a mixed martial arts cardio workout. It was SO MUCH FUN! I even started going to this class at 5:15 am every Tuesday. You would laugh if you saw me in these classes because I yell and get excited and have a great time working out.

So here I am three months after I started going to 3-4 classes a week, and I have dropped 2 pant sizes. I feel great and I think I am starting to look great. I am seriously hooked on being fit. I want to teach Body Combat. So I am going to instructor training in January. Wish me luck!

a week in the life...

The past week since Halloween has seemed like basically a lifetime! Halloween night I worked a carnival booth at the local Trunk or Treat event (good times). Then came election day. I voted early so I didn't have to stand in line. We all know how the election turned out....now on to the next four years. Early release for schools on Wednesday, which meant a hello long afternoon. This was followed by the final night of lessons for the 8th grade girls bible study I lead, but we still have two more weeks of fun ahead of us before the small group semester ends. First night of Crown Bible Study came Thursday night with the "grown up" small group I attend (amazing study of biblical financial management). Yesterday was a really eventful day, too. Started off early with a trip to the gym (Body Attack is a great workout...I should really blog about my love of exercise....), then home for housecleaning. I was so proud of myself yesterday because I was thorough and got a lot accomplished. The home office is now clean! After a boat load of housework and many, many loads of laundry (seriously, how do 2 people create 7 loads of laundry in one week!), I got dressed to go to "work" at the Bids for Kids auction and dinner that benefits the organization I work for. It was a $300 a plate benefit dinner (black tie and everything) with a live and silent auction. The dinner, at last count, raised a heck of a lot of money. I don't even remember at this point. I got to talk to a friend from high school that I haven't seen in about...oh....6 years last night, too. I didn't get to talk for long, but it is always nice to reconnect with people from the past. Despite getting home after midnight last night, I got up to go to the gym again this morning. I was told after the class today that instructor training for my favorite class starts again in January. I am so going to do this! My gym obsession is seriously a post all unto itself.

All that to say, it feels like life FLEW this past week.

stained glass masquerade

Tonight I decided to be a considerate wife and do my nightly pre-sleepy time reading in the living room so the light didn't keep Steven awake. I have been working my way through Every Woman's Battle: Discovering God's Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment by Shannon Ethridge for the second time. This book is a great read for you ladies out there (married and single alike)! In a strange twist, I decided I would wear my iPod and listen to some tunes while I read. I say strange because normally I like to read in the library-like atmosphere of silence that is my house after Steven and I decide to go to bed. Anyway, as luck would have it, the second song that comes on is one of my favorite songs by Casting Crowns, "Stained Glass Masquerade." My enthusiastic lip synching pretty much obliterated my attempts at reading (the human brain was not designed for multi-tasking, despite our attempts to profess the opposite when the setting requires it, say in job interviews). This song is pretty profound. It is about how we put on a show when we go to church, making people believe we have it more together than we really do. I confess that there have been many Sundays in my life where I pulled up to church and knew I had to put on my "church face." This act isn't necessarily because of a fight in the car on the way to church (which happens on occasion), but sometimes because of silent sin struggles or other forms of spiritual or personal discontentment. Intellectually I understand that I am a broken person living in a broken world where "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and that I am only saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17). Despite this understanding, and the resulting implication that everyone has on a church face, I can't help but fall prey to the act of...well...pretending to be okay when I may not be.

I felt compelled to share the lyrics to the song. Here they are:

is there anyone that fails?
is there anyone that falls?
am I the only one in church today
feeling so small?

cause when I take a look around
everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
that I don't belong

so I tuck it all away
like everything's okay
if I make them all believe it
maybe I'll believe it too

so with a painted grin
I play the part again
so everyone will see me
the way that I see them

are we happy plastic people
under shiny plastic steeples
with walls around our weakness
and smiles to hide our pain?
but if the invitation's open
to every heart that has been broken
maybe then we'll close the curtain
on this stained glass masquerade

is there anyone who's been there?
are there any hands to raise?
am I the only one who's traded
in the altar for a stage?

the performance is convincing
we know every line by heart
only when no one is watching
can we really fall apart

or would it set me free
if I dared to let you see
the truth behind the person
that you imagined me to be?

or would your arms be open
or would you walk away
or would the love of Jesus
be enough to make you stay?

are we happy plastic people
under shiny plastic steeples
with walls around our weakness
and smiles to hide our pain?
but if the invitation's open
to every heart that has been broken
maybe then we'll close the curtain
on our stained glass masquerade

is there anyone that fails?
is there anyone that falls?
am I the only one in church today
feeling so small?

fall has fell

The past few days I have been reflecting on how much I enjoy fall. Fall in Arizona isn't as aesthetically pleasing as in other regions of the country because everything is still green or brown, but the weather sure starts to feel nice. Today the high is 94, which I realize is hot anywhere else in the country, and it feels great. It's getting to be the short window of time in AZ where you no longer need A/C on in your house or your car, but it's not quite cold enough yet for the heater.

My reflections have helped me to realize why I like fall. I love that the northern hemisphere of the world seems to be slowing down and getting ready to fall asleep for the winter. All the leaves get tired of hanging out on the trees, so they slowly change colors and fall to the ground. The grass decides the weather is getting too cool at night, so it slowly goes dormant and turns brown. It only makes sense that since one of my favorite things to do when I have extra time is to nap that I would gravitate toward the season where the world starts to fall asleep.

Lots of great things happen or have happened in the fall - I got married in September (still techinically summer, but late summer), we moved into our first house in the fall, my baby sister got married in the fall, the World Series and college football season are both in the fall, I was offered my first full time job in the fall, school starts again in the fall....I could go on, but I think you get the gist.

Fall has fell, and I love that I get to experience it.

the blog giveth....the blog taketh away

There are days when I feel like my brain is chock full of blogworthy topics, like fertility or things that make you go hmmmm? Lately....the well has been dry. Nothing. No inspiration, divine or otherwise. So I am blogging about having nothing to blog about. Weird.

It's not that there's been a lack of things happening. Since last post, I went to see Journey in concert, went to a Texas Hold 'Em tournament birthday party where I didn't play but made horrible choices with alcohol and wound up hopelessly drunk (and many hours later, quite ill), went to a baby shower for a high school/church friend, accomplished a lot on the home front, consistently attended gym classes where I'm feeling the burn....just none of it is striking a "blog about me" chord.

Suggestions, anyone?

living resiliency

Last night I went to watch my 12-year-old foster nephew, Josh, play in his last Town of QC youth basketball league game. They won, by 25 points, but the blog isn't about winning basketball games. It's about living resiliency.

You see, Josh had to testify in criminal court against his mother yesterday afternoon to prove that she had abused him, not just "disciplined" him. His story began a year ago when he was removed from his home after he had run away to a friend's house and his friend's mother (who works for CPS....do you think God played a role here?) called the police. He was originally placed with his aunt, but after a month of living there he came to live with Melissa and Jeff, my stepsister and her husband. Josh is one of the most respectful, kind, and funny kids I've ever met. He has every reason to have behavior problems, aggression problems, etc., but he doesn't have any. His sister came to live with him and Melissa and Jeff in February, but caused so many problems over the course of her time there that she went off to another foster home toward the end of the summer. She was a sweet girl, but the abuse and subsequent removal from her home had certainly done more damage to her emotionally than to Josh.

I have had a lot of fun with Josh in the time he's been with the family - he comes to the Boys & Girls Club during school breaks, he came with me to my first Roadrunners hockey game in March, we've hung out when Melissa and Jeff have been busy, we've done things like making cupcakes, watching movies, going to dinners with friends/family, making fun of techno music...the list goes on and on. There's a possibility that he will be adopted by Melissa and Jeff if, after the Permanency Hearing at the end of October, it is determined that his mother's parental rights will be severed. That could takes months, even years, to officially happen, though.

Last night he played basketball. His team won, and he had a huge group of people there to watch him - all of his grandparents, a couple of aunts, friends from church. He talked about his experience at the courthouse very matter-of-factly, but with a hint of relief. He sat respectfully during dinner, speaking when spoken to and was his usual polite self. He thanked everyone for being there for him. There are a lot of people in his corner who love him and cheer for him, whether it's cheering for him through prayer about his testimony in court, or doing the wave and catcalling him from the sidelines of a basketball game. I think that is what makes him "living resiliency."

babies

I swear I am surrounded by the most fertile women on the planet. I either know or know of someone who is pregnant almost everywhere I turn! I want to hold off on being pregnant until after Christmas (God willing) because of a trip to Disneyland Steven and I have planned, but those pregnant women....THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!

the wonderfulness of nephews

a little compilation of photos put together as a collage, old school via paint. if I were five, you would call this a masterpiece! this is just a little preview of the fantastic adventures I'm going to have tomorrow with the sweetest boy in the world (I know I'm biased)....Dylan Elliott Shugg!

eyes wide shut

I wish I were having the problem of eyes being shut; however, they are wide freakin' open. I can't explain why I am wide awake at 11 pm on a Thursday. I am a huge supporter of sleep! In fact, I include napping as a hobby. I am usually dead to the world at 10 pm most week nights, and 11 is pushing it for weekends.

I got home from small group tonight a little later than normal, and on a normal small group night I would get into PJs right away and be on my way to the land of nod. I walked in my bedroom (or as I like to call it, where the magic happens) tonight to do the usual straight-into-PJs routine, but I didn't want to. I stretched a little, thought about changing, and realized I wasn't that tired. Yawning occasionally? Yes. Ready to go to bed? For whatever crazy reason, no. And I'm still wide awake, much to the chagrin of my poor, sleep lover of a husband who for whatever reason cannot sleep when I am awake and cannot wake up when I am asleep. I feel like doing something. Anything. I just don't feel like going to bed.

Am I rebelling against being grown up-ish? Maybe. Am I living it up because I am in my mid-twenties and I can be awake and I should stay awake while I have "the luxury?" I guess. I think I may be pushing against the notion of being a boring, married, grown up with a regular 40-hour-a-week job. I don't want to be routine and boring, but I also need sleep to function.

Am I having a quarter-life crisis? My 25th birthday is a short 6 months away...who knows? I don't feel like I'm in crisis mode. Things have been going well for me lately in a lot of different ways - Steven and I are getting along better now than I think we ever have in the entire 5 1/2 years we've been together, I am feeling more comfortable in my new position at work, I am taking good care of myself physically by attending at least 2-3 hard core cardio classes a week and watching what I eat, I have been spending time reading my Bible every day and trying to do my work and manage my life so that it is all for God....what's missing? I feel pretty happy all around.

Whatever the cause, whatever the reason, I am sitting here with my eyes wide - but the opposite of shut.

don't hate me 'cause you ain't me

For the love of baseball...Friday night was a great night for me. I got to go the Dbacks game - granted they aren't having the best season, but they're my home team so I love 'em just the same. Anyway, I got to hang out in the Gila River Casinos Suite (thank you Jamie from GRC!) and it was Fireworks Friday. Due to Gila River Casinos sponsoring the fireworks every Friday, I got to sit in the VIP chairs they set up ten feet from home plate to watch the fireworks! It was pretty awesome. Just don't hate me 'cause you ain't me. :)

Steven and I enjoying the "suite" life

Hanging out like a VIP

Yes, that's home plate over my right shoulder

Standing just inches from the playing field after the fireworks....right in front of the Dbacks Dugout

guilty pleasures

There are a few things in my life that I consider guilty pleasures....those things that I know I probably shouldn't enjoy so much considering my love of Jesus, but I can't help wanting to follow them like a rabid animal anyway. A few examples: the Harry Potter books, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, healthy curiosity about the Twilight Series....just to name a few. Well, one of the big ones lately is One Tree Hill. I can seriously hear all of you laughing at me right now (except the one or two of you I know who share my little obsession). Why would a semi-grown up woman want to watch a TV show like One Tree Hill? Well, it all started last season when the show jumped ahead 4 years, skipping over the dreaded "college years" awkwardness other teen shows fall into when their stars grow up. Now they are 20 somethings playing 20 somethings, so it's a little more realistic. Some of the stories are far-fetched, but that's why I love it. It doesn't have to be real - it's TV!

Anyway, the new season started last Monday, while I was on vacation. I DVR'd it, of course, and have LOVED the first two episodes so far. This season is going to be so freakin' good! I suppose the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, so I have a problem. I am slightly hooked on One Tree Hill. Don't disown me as a friend now that you know.

vacation all I ever wanted

Steven and I just returned from a fantastic trip across half of the United States to visit friends in Kansas City, MO, with a small pit stop in Denver, CO to have dinner with more friends. All of this traveling transpired because of the facebook and a random wall comment to come and stay with the Erlandsons before we had kids of our own and wouldn't. So we did! Here's a short journal of our travels....

Day 1

Depart Queen Creek at 6 am. Stop in Salt River Canyon for pics. Breakfast in Show Low, lunch in Albuquerque, dinner in Amarillo. Sleep after a 13 hour day of driving.....

Handsome Husband at the bottom of the Salt River Canyon

Day 2

Depart Amarillo at 9 am. See the Motel Cafe (any relation to the Hotel Cafe in LA? Perhaps). Find the World's Largest Cross, accompanied by the World's Most Blood-thirsty Mosquitos, in Groom, TX. Take more pics. Lunch in Edmond, OK (home of Olympic Gymnast Shannon Miller) after passing through Yukon, OK (home of Garth Brooks). Take a scenic byway rather than the interstate in Kansas (somewhere southwest-ish of Emporia, KS). Arrive in Kansas City, MO around 9 pm and finally eat dinner. Finally get to see the Erlandsons!!

The Motel Cafe in Amarillo, TX

Day 3

Hang out in Kansas City. Kiersten develops a crush on Steven despite being shocked that "There's someone in Caleb's bed" (Steven) at first. We have a wonderful day going into downtown KC, getting some great barbecue, then relaxing and playing a memorable game of Cranium to wrap up the day.

Steven and I with the most fun kids we've ever met

Day 4

Cameron was preaching in "big church" Sunday morning, so we enjoyed that. After church, we changed and went out for some "Mexican" food. Never get Mexican food in the midwest. The salsa may as well have been Heinz 57, and my "burrito" was the saddest looking thing in the world. I wish I had taken a picture. After lunching, we went to explore Smithville Lake north of Kansas City. After some yummy ice cream and a quick wardrobe change, back to church we went. Bryan was preaching in the high school service! After big church, we headed over to Bryan and Lori's for some legendary shepherd's pie, the best margarita I have ever tasted, and a game of Settlers of Catan (which I had never played before....). After Settlers, we discovered the fun of camera timers for getting group pictures. Below is one of the cuter ones.

Steven, Me, Lori, Bryan, Sharla, and Cameron hanging out at the Lopez home

Day 5

We leave Kansas City! Before we get out of town we discover a crazy good sidewalk sale at Walmart where I score a shirt and some capris for $6 total! After what seems like eternity, we make it across Kansas and into Colorado. We stopped for lunch in Hays, KS, which was a "cultural" experience. We make a stop in Aurora (east of Denver) for Famous Dave's for dinner, and I get to see Amanda - one of my good friends from back in junior high! She may be stalking my blog right now.... I discover the joy that is ribs (never had them before this night), then we go down to Colorado Springs and check in to our hotel for the night. By the way, never stay at a Crowne Plaza! They are clean, but the staff we encountered there were so rude and there was no convenient way to get to our room from the exterior of the hotel. Plus there wasn't a free hot breakfast included, like at the Holiday Inn Express (so yummy). Just thought I would throw that in there. Steven wakes me up at midnight to tell me his sugar is low and we have nothing for him in the room to bring it up, plus no cash for the soda machine. After a 10 minute walk back out to the car, we get him some sugar and all is well.

Matt, Amanda, Me, and Steven outside Famous Dave's

Did you know that Matt lived next to the first Famous Dave's Ever? I feel like I met a celebrity. =)

Day 6

We explore Colorado Springs, so I get to enjoy the Olympic Training Complex there! I embrace the chariot of fire within, that is for sure. After some exploring, we get back on the road, I take some serious Sudafed, and then I sleep off and on the rest of the way back to AZ. We had lunch in Las Vegas, NM (seriously!) and dinner in Holbrook, AZ. After midnight, we finally roll home and get into bed. What a crazy six days!

And you thought the Mesa Main Street Statues were fun! Look at all the possibilities with this single statue...

Holy chariots of fire, Batman! It's the Olympics!

I realize that it has been nearly 3 weeks since the last time I posted...well...anything. A big reason is that I have been semi-religiously watching the Olympics. As I type, men's 10M platform diving is on. Semifinals. The US boys are doing well. But seriously, Speedo bathing suits on men freak. me. out. Another thing that freaks me out: 10 M diving platforms. One of the semesters that I took swimming, we had a chance to go up on the 10 M platform. I could barely handle the 3 M springboard, so I watched (anxiously) from the pool deck as friends braved potentially bruised backsides and insane heights and jumped.

The Olympics have been fantastic, aside from some questionable judging. Our athletes are doing well - I mean, the first medals of the entire games were won by the US when our team won the first gold (and silver and bronze) medal in women's sabre. Forget total medal count, that's something to be proud of! And then we kicked butt and took names in my favorite sport....SWIMMING! I mean, look at how Jason Lezak really won that 4 X 100 free relay for the US team. Yeah, yeah, I love Michael Phelps too and he has done amazing things, but he led off that relay. The anchor (Lezak) has the hard work to do! Especially in that race. The one thing that has driven me bananas (or "to the movies!" wink Sonic commercial lovers) is how much people are talking about the number of calories and types of foods that Michael Phelps ingests on a daily basis. Seriously, if you swam for hours upon hours a day, you would need to eat like a small army, too. Let's not all act surprised that Olympic level athletes need to eat like....well...Olympic level athletes. Side note: Twenty minutes of swimming kills me right now, but that's because I'm two years out of practice in the pool (even though I can do a good butterfly now wahoo!).

The thing that I find most interesting about the Olympics is how it inspires the coach potato Olympian that I, and many others I know, am to get off my keister and exercise. I had been going to the gym pretty solidly at least once a week before this to a killer cardio class, but after watching a few days of competition I dusted off my swim cap and goggles and got in the pool. The thing I forget is that I am not an Olympic athlete, therefore I shold not exercise like one. I spent nearly 4 hours at the gym two days into the Olympics and was in so much pain the next day. I've scaled back since then. Only spend about 1 1/2 hours at the gym at a time for now, and only 3 days a week. Sadly, in a couple of days, the Olympics will be all over.

Other highlights of the games for me:

US Women's Gymnastic winning a whole lot of medals (team silver, individual all around gold and silver, silver and bronze on floor, silver on bars, gold and silver on beam - go Nastia and Shawn!!). Related low-light here was Cheng Fei getting silver on vault when SHE LANDED ON HER KNEES, while Alicia Sacramone, who stood up both of her vault landings, did not medal. GRRR.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh taking a repeat gold medal in beach volleyball. I liked the video of them playing volleyball with G-dub (or the President of the US), and the funny footage of a legion of Chinese men scouring the sand for Kerri Walsh's engagement ring.

Human interest stories....all of them

The Italy-France love triangle involving Manadou and those scrappy Italians. I would get mad at the Italians, but that would be like indulging in cannibalism or something. Can't get mad at your own kind, right?

Hearing the National Anthem play and seeing ALL the gold medalists from the US tear up - or valiantly fight the tears back through lots of lip clenching- around "o'er the laaaaand of the free....and the home of the brave!"

Michael Phelps .01 second win in the 100 M fly. CRAZY! That race stopped my Bunco group from playing our game...stopped! You have no idea what a big deal that is.

What can I say? I love the Olympics!

a great day with a good friend...or so stinkin' over it

Today was an interesting day. It started off early after a super restless night of sleep. You know, one of those nights where it seems like you're awake throughout all the wee sma's, and then just as you drift off to slumber land.....the alarm goes off. I figured I would put my early start to good use, and good use it was. I got my "chores" done, and then I was off to meet Kelsey for breakfast.

But I haven't told you who Kelsey is yet. Rewind about 12 1/2 years ago. It was 1995, the first semester of 6th grade. I was assigned to sit next to Kelsey. We hated each other. She was a gymnast, and I wanted to be. I was smart, and that made her jealous/angry/something of the sort. Note that I did not say she wanted to be smart, because she is/was at the time, too. One day I decide to go over to her house, out of the deep blue nowhere. Needless to say, she was surprised to see me. We spent that afternoon together, and from that point until the summer before our junior year of high school we were inseparable. Since she went away for college to San Jose, CA, we only get to see each other when she comes home about 2x a year. Each time we get together is was like we were never apart. This is where the great day with a good friend part of the old blogeroo comes in.

I knew when I made plans to get together with Kels this morning that she was going out the night before with Jon (her man) and some other friends. Kels has what some might call "a life," so I knew this meant a late night for her. We arranged to meet at her dad's house at 10 am. I show up at the agreed upon time and ring the doorbell. No answer. I wait a bit, and then knock. I hear footsteps, which I later figured out belonged to Maggie, the dog, and get hopeful. No answer. I ring the doorbell again. Still no answer. I text Kelsey to let her know that there's no answer. After 5 minutes of waiting she texts something to the effect of "OMG I just woke up and I never made it to my dad's last night. I'm at my mom's." I start to drive in the general direction of her mom's house but have no idea exactly where I'm going since her mom moved after she remarried 2 years ago. I get to the house without much more ado about anything. We finally get to breakfast (more brunch at this point) and from there it was a good 5 hours of "do you remembers" and catching up. We went out bowling with her dad and just have a good time all around. There are some funny videos Kels got on her camera of Steven and his unique method of bowling - it's "how he rolls," so he says - and we had some funny moments the further along in our games we got. If anyone hears me saying, "I think you're gonna like this," I picked it up from Kelsey's dad while we were at the alley. And apparently Jon is something of a kingpin....who knew? Maybe it's because he's Asian (that's what he said).

And now for part 2 of the blog. I had to put together two posters for the APA annual convention happening next week in Boston. I am not going, but my master's thesis is in the form of a poster along with another bit of research I did when I was an RA (research assistant, not resident advisor) my first semester of graduate school. I realized as I was grumbling and mumbling through putting together stuff for my thesis advisor why I quit my doctoral program after I finished my master's. It's because I'm so stinkin' over it. I don't enjoy academia, I don't enjoy research, I don't enjoy all the menial tasks attached to doing school work.

Besides, I don't think my restless night of (no) sleep helped either.

summer day camp

Summer day camp is almost over. It's a grueling 7 weeks (up to 10 in some locations) of 11 hours of operating hours a day, 5 days a week. This week is our last week. So much happened in the past 7 weeks. Here's a rundown:

Day one of SDC - boss informed me he had been offered a job in WY and would be leaving halfway through the summer
Day two - apply for said boss's job at his request
Day three - parent gets so upset at the way we handled a situation that she removes her kids from camp and tells me that I don't care about the kids we serve (at this point I had worked nearly 30 hours in 2 1/2 days)
Day four - Group of six-year-olds discover that boys and girls have different private parts and decide to explore. Results in a sit-down talk with said group of curious six-year-olds to explain that these parts are called private for a reason
Day five - find out I was selected to interview for boss's job. Problem theme of the day: wetting the pants (I seriously had something like 4 kids wet their pants, one girl wet them twice in the same day)
Day eight - interview for boss's job. Played the basketball game Speed in heels. Became the hero of the 10 year old boys playing against me.
Day 10 - first field trip of the summer to ASU pool. Have credit card (place is cash only) but don't have petty cash to pay for admission, so have to scrounge together $50 from chaperones to get in. Big, black lifeguard flirts with me. Get bright red sunburn. Should have purchased sun block/aloe combo
Day eleven - get offered boss's job and accept, find out who my replacement is
Day 18 - my replacement visits the club to get an orientation and see the facility
Day 20 - boss's last day, also same day as circus field trip. No one is there to open up the club at 7 and I get there at 7:25. Many upset parents. Field trip goes well, leave early for boss farewell fiesta. Two kids get in a verbal fight that escalates to physical fighting. Lots of phone calls to boss and I during our sojourn at happy hour.
Day 21 - Find out my new salary and not happy with it. Lots of crying results. Go out to Sweet Tomatoes with friend from church and that makes life better.
Day 23 - Try to negotiate better salary. Cry in front of new supervisor. Negotiations fail miserably. This makes me miss my old supervisor a lot.
Day 24 - Dbacks field trip. AMAZING. Down 5-0 in bottom of the 9th and come back to beat the Brewers 6-5! Get on jumbo screen far too many times (luckily not during Kiss Cam).
Day 26 - Go to lunch with my replacement and get excited about plans for the club. Angry mom arranges to meet with me in person next morning. As of day 30, still hasn't met with me. Email president of organization to meet regarding salary.
Day 28 - Get dressed up for organization-wide function for local and corporate board members. Really tired after almost 6 full weeks of camp. Make it through meeting and have to run from ballroom at back of hotel to front of hotel and around the corner to my car in pouring rain (while wearing 3 inch heels). Fail to get car keys out of black hole of a purse before getting to car door. New dress clothes soiled but not ruined.
Day 30 - Still no word about meeting with president of org regarding salary. Work hard to keep club running but get very, very tired in the process. Only 4 more days....

That's a short chronicle of the highlights from the summer. I'm sure there will be more stories to share after we have a carnival and talent show on Thursday and go to Amazing Jake's on Friday. Hope you enjoyed!

wonderful laziness

Today was a day of great relaxation. Sure, I did my fair share of house work (in fact....I finished all of my weekly housekeeping duties), but I did my fair share of relaxing and being wonderfully lazy. I love lazy days, especially in the summer. It's too hot to go outside, but there's so much to do and discover indoors. Hot summer days are my favorite times to spend reading books. A good majority of non-housekeeping time was spent reading. I miss reading books. I need to go to the bookstore and pick up some good ones to get sucked hopelessly into. I love old favorites, too. It's like watching your favorite movie over and over....the books pull you in and you keep reading like it's food to a starving stomach, even though you know what will happen. It's fun when it's been a while since you've read a book that you love. You remember key plot points, but it's fun to rediscover the way the story unfolds, and laugh over little moments you knew were there but couldn't remember how or where they fit into the story. I think I will get back to my reading here soon....I put my book down about an hour ago but I'm aching to get back to it. I'm nearly finished with it and I'm getting to the more exciting parts of the story....

oh the stress of it all.....

Change definitely leads to stress. There have been a number of changes lately that have led to some increased stress.

Change #1) Two new people living in my house. Steven and I are hosting two people from church at our house. They are nice guys, but they seem to forget who pays the bills around here. I guess this is a taste of what parenthood will be like.

Change #2) I got a promotion at work. This past week was a transition week with the old boss getting his things together to leave for his new job and me getting into the new position. It seems like Murphy's Law was at work in testing my ability to take on the new responsibilities.

Once the dust of shaking things up settles down, it will get easier. The beginnings of new chapters are always the hardest, since the action is all headed uphill. Little by little this too shall pass...

things that make you go hmmm?

Pregnancy tests for sale right next to condoms

Aloe vera & sunblock sold as a set

People who jaywalk feet from a legal crosswalk

Paying a graduation fee once your course of study is complete at a university

Birds that can't fly

simply me

Everyone I know has started a blog at blogspot. I guess this is the best thing since myspace to help you keep up with your friends, old and new. Let me tell you what makes me simply me.

I struggled for a little while to figure out who I am now that I am not a student. That was the central piece to my identity for 18 long, trying years. There are so many things that make up my identity that I shouldn't be so concerned with the one thing I am not...a student. I know that I am a blessed child of God, a loving wife, a good housekeeper. I like to watch Grey's Anatomy and read books. I like email but I don't like to check it. I enjoy Starbuck's sweetened green tea. I like going to see chick flicks with my best friend & neighbor Candice. I miss early AM swims with Carrie :( but I am so proud of her for chasing her dreams. I love alternative rock music and Saturdays home alone. I value independence but enjoy the company of others. I like it when I really stop to "consider God's wonders" (Job 37:14). I love my family - big and complicated and occasionally dysfunctional. Sometimes I wish I had a puppy, but not the mess and smell that goes with it. At my core I am a musician, and I love the symphony of God's expansive universe - the universe He conducts and holds in perfect balance with His mighty hands. I try to find joy in every situation and laugh at the frustrating circumstances of life. I miss the friends I had growing up through high school, but I am so amazed and what they all have become. All of this is simply me.