Putty

Can I just say, I love a guy with good accent. Bring me a guy from the south and I'm in heaven. Bring me a guy from another country and I'm putty in their hands. And guess what, I work with multiple foreigners. Of course, they're all older than me with families etc. But I love listening to them talk. In my area alone there are 2 gentlemen from New Zealand. But there are plenty more within the Company. Now I'm just waiting for the younger ones... more say, my age...

Alphabet Survey

• A
Are you available?: I am.
What is your age?: getting closer to my "and holding" age
Astrology sign?: Taurus

• B
Do you know anyone named Brian?: I have a boss named Brian.
When is your birthday?: May 14th (I'm now expecting a card from everyone)
Ever been stung by a bee?: once, on the booBEE

• C
What’s your favorite candy?: all of it
Can you cook?: I can. I don't do it often though being as I don't have my own kitchen

• D
Do you day dream?: Yep, weird odd ones.
What’s your favorite kind of dog?: The bestest, smartest breed in the world, the Jack Russell Terrier

• E
Have you ever been in the emergency room? Yes, but never for myself
Ever pet an elephant?: Yep. At Marine World, and a long time ago at the fair I rode one.
Ever swam with sharks?: Hell no!

• F
Do you use fly swatters?: Ummm...hello! I live in Hilmar. We have cows. Cows = flies.
Is there a fan in your room?: In my landing? Yes there is.

• G
Do you chew gum?: Yep. I mostly chew it to keep my breath fresh, and from eating things that I don't need to eat.
Do you like gory movies?: not so much
How are you?: Tired. And ready for the weekend.
What's your height?: 5'4"
What color is your hair?: Naturally light brown

• I
Have you ever ice skated?: Yep. I enjoy it, except for the stiff tight skates.
What do you think of igloos?: They're pretty cool. Get it?!?!

•J
Favorite jelly bean? Margarita

• K
Who do you want to kill?: I'm a lover not a fighter.
Have you ever flown a kite?: Yea, it's been awhile though. Yesterday would have been a great day to fly a kite.
Do you think kangaroos are cute?: Interesting creature God created.

• L
Are you laid back?: Very much so.
Lions and tigers?: Stupid cats!
Do you like black licorice?: BLAH!

• M
Do you know anyone named Mike? Who doesn't?
Favorite store at the mall?: Old Navy...?
Have you ever seen a mouse?: Oh yea. My brother used to have 2, then 2 grew to 20.

• N
Do you have a nickname? A few. Courner, Pookey, Nortney (thanks to Macie)
Do you prefer night or day? Night owl all the way

• O
Are you an only child?: Nope, oldest of 4.
Do you like the color orange: Not my favorite.

• P
Do you know anyone named Penelope? No.
Favorite flavor of popcorn? Plain with some spray butter and rib seasoning.

• R
Do you think you're always right?: Of course I am!
Do you watch reality TV?: Some of it.

• S
Do you prefer sun or rain?: sun
Do you love snow? I wouldn't say I love it, but I do like it.

• T
Time to go to sleep?: Soon.
Tomatoes?: Only in certain dishes.

• U
Can you ride a unicycle?: I have good balance, so maybe.

• V
Did you ever watch Veggie Tales?: Oh where is my hairbrush? Love Veggie Tales.

• W
What's your worst habit?: Probably my negative self image. And my constant feeling that I need to eat.
What do you want right now?: To be done with the house and move in already.

• X
Ever had an X-Ray?: yes
Ever seen an X rated movie?: I'm afraid to admit guilty.

• Y
Do you like the color yellow?: Not really.
Do you yell when you're angry?: Not really.

• Z
Do you believe in the zodiac?: Not really.
Have you seen a real-live zebra?: Yes.

Six lasts:
6. last dream: Riley had more puppies. And we kept having to save them because the kept falling in the pool.
5. last food: Chile Lime Fritos
4. last disaster: ???
3. last kiss: Zack in NY
2. last time you cried: When I was feeling down on myself and was crying to my mom that nobody loved me. Note to self, never complain about that to your mother.
1. last time you hugged someone: Treva today when we met for coffee and to catch up.

Cookies anyone?

Santa was good to me this year. I can now make cookies. Well, at least the dough. I got a super, duper, mega Kitchenaid Mixer for Christmas. So, once the oven is set up and the house is done I'll have you over for cookies and anything that requires mixing. Feel free to send me recipes. I love recipes. What did Santa bring you this year?

'Tis the Season

It's that time of the year when you reflect on things you have, give without expecting anything in return, and celebrate the birth of Jesus. I pray you have a great Christmas day. Full of family, friends, and love. Well, alright, and presents.

A Christmas Story for people having a bad day . . .

Not that I'm having a bad day, I'm about to start a 5 day weekend! But here's a funny little story for you.

A Christmas Story for people having a bad day . . .

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor.

In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor .

He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?"

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

The "IT" Party

Every year a guy in town, who is a couple years older than me, hold an annual party. This party is the "IT" party of all of the locals, and if you're somebody then you're invited. Think of elite shindigs that happen in places like say New York City. Invites are highly coveted. But how does one get put on the list? Funny how, you grow up with these people going to the same school, church, even college and you're still not considered to receive an invitation. Oh, but someone that moves into town from another state and fits the age range, job title, or works for someone of significance gets an invite. Well, this party is coming up in a couple weeks, and as you can tell, I did not get an invitation to the "Masquerade Ball".

Good think I wasn't holding the date open!

Living in another County

Have you ever felt that living in another county feels like living in another country? Well, let me tell you, it kinda sucks. I live 5 minues from the county line and a whole ten minutes from where friends live, but yet no one is ever willing to travel the distance to another county to visit me. Funny how that is.

Maybe it'll be different when I'm not living with the parents and am all moved into the house. But if no one is willing now, how is it going to be any different later? Hummm....

But then again, maybe it's just me. Apparently there are better reasons to travel 45 minutes north to another county to visit a friend and not a whole 10 minutes south to visit me.

This has caused great frustration and hurt for me lately. And even though I'm in town (in the other county) daily, I'm less apt to stop by to say hi at people's homes that I normally would.

Things I learned while in NY:

- Don't let Jim drive or give directions, not matter how much he claims he knows his way.
- Don't make excuses, and don't hold back.
- Tuaca Bombs are really yummy!
- Everyone in NY is warm and welcoming.
- Travel with Dale, he gets upgrades at the Holiday Inn!
- Salted roads and sidewalks leave your jeans with salt stains, but don't worry they wash out.
- Jim has very cute, nice, flirty friends.
- Zach's favorite color is olive green.
- Ithaca is colder than Binghamton.
- Apple Cherry wine is a drier wine.
- There are large dairies in other states.
- 3 people do not fit comfortably in the 3rd row of a Susuki small SUV.
- Slipper or heels, if you're outside, you're gonna be cold.
- Food and drinks are cheaper in NY.
- New England style clam chowder tastes the same on both sides of the country.
- I have "great lips" (at that's a quote).
- You're body metabolized faster when it's cold because it's using more energy to keep warm, which equals weight loss even when you're not watching what you eat.

I heart New York!

(disclaimer: I am not in many of the pictures)

New York. I've decided that if I had to move to another state, New York is on the list. In fact, it's #2 right below Colorado. And yes, I was there in the winter, granted it wasn't as cold as it will get, but it was chilly none the less. I had a great time in the 2 full days that I was there. My traveling buddies were Rylen, Jim, and Rylen's family Dale, Marta, and Rachel. We were going for Rylen and Jim's New York wedding reception.

Thursday:
So the trip started with having to be up at 3am to catch a 5am flight out of Modesto.

After a couple stops we landed in Syracuse, NY at about 4:30 in the afternoon. We got our luggage, picked out our rental cars and took off to Binghamton about 1 1/2 hours south. I think it was south, for someone who is very good with directions I didn't know which was was up, I was totally turned around. We got to the hotel, freshened up and headed to meeting Jim's mom and her boyfriend for dinner at this great Italian restaurant. We headed back to the hotel and I went to bed at about 11pm. Ok, so it was 11pm Eastern time, so really only like 8pm in California, but that was a long day of traveling and I knew we had to be up early the next day.
Friday:
Another early wake up call, 6am. But really it was 3am in CA. What is with these early mornings?!? We got up and got moving and headed to Cooperstown (home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, our purpose for going). Along the way we picked up Jim's dad, Dan, and saw his lovely home along the Sisquhana River. Away we went to Cooperstown. We had breakfast at a yummy little cafe, the Doubleday Cafe.

We walked around their downtown area and went through the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the homeland for all hardcore baseball fans.

It was snowing when we came out of the hall of fame, which brought the cold factor a little lower. So we (quickly) walked back to the car, but made sure to walk by the Doubleday Field first.

Per our waitress' recommendation, we drove a few miles out of the way to a cider mill in Fly Creek. Very cool place, I highly recommend it. We sampled apple wines, enough said. We had somewhere to be for dinner, so we started heading back to Binghamton. I don't remember much of the ride back, I slept. A quick freshening up at the hotel while we waited for Jim to get back from some dairy tours with his boss (from Hilmar) and his brother. Dinner that night was at Jim's mom's house. Jim is not so good with directions, even in an area where he grew up, so we were late. This happens a couple more times during the weekend. We had Russian dishes for dinner. I could tell you what they were, but am not even going to attempt to spell them. Dinner was yummy. Company was great. But it was time to head back to Binghamton, downtown Binghamton this time. Marta went back to the hotel, but Jim's brothers met up with us. We talked a lot, drank a lot, tried new stuff (Tuaca Bomb), and stayed up too late. Fun times!


Saturday:
Yea, finally some sleeping in! Today we were going to drive up to Ithaca, NY where Cornell University is located. We had breakfast at Cracker Barrell at 9am. Jim, Rylen, and I lead the way to Ithaca. This he knew how to get to with no problem. We walked around Cornell some. Jim told us stories, some true some not. Cornell is a HUGE campus. But it's also a very beautiful campus.

There is even a suspension bridge on campus. Rylen and Jim thought it would be funny to jump and rock it. Not so funny. Although, I thought it would be funny to wear my Cal Poly Alumni sweatshirt, being as Cal Poly and Cornell are slight rivals in the ag area.

But we had a party to get back and ready for. So once again, back to the hotel we went. So, skip forward, we're ready to go. We have directions on how to get to the reception site which is only 15 minutes away. Well, guess what, we got lost and it took us more like an hour to get there. But the reception was great fun.

Linda, Jim's mom, did a great job. Jim's AGR frat brothers even sang a little ditty to Rylen.

We danced until the DJ called it quits, and then headed, yep, back to downtown Binghamton. Keep in mind, I'm in a dress that's really not fit for the snow, heels, and a jacket. Luckily I brought slippers with me, so I went back and forth between the heels and slippers while we were out. Many of Jim's friends were not fit to drive, so we had a few extra bodies in our vehicle. Tonight was just as fun as the night before.

Drinking, dancing, and NY style pizza. We definitely stayed out too late again, being as we had to be up at 5am. So we, we being not only those of us with a hotel room but many that didn't, headed back to the hotel at about 2:30am. Rachel had headed in much earlier, so she was already asleep when myself and 3 guys came in. Yep, I'm pretty mack, I had 3 guys sleeping in my hotel room. Luckily before they came in I had a chance to get my pj's on and take my eyes out. They all were much past tipsy and stripped down while fighting about who was sleeping where. Let's do the math, 2 queen beds = 2 girls / 3 guys. Rachel was out like a light and never heard us come in, Jason pretty much collapsed on her bed and immediately started snoring like a bear. Steve landed on the floor between the beds, and Zach ended up in bed with me. Zach, Steve and I talked for awhile. It was more repeating questions to one another until Steve fell asleep. Then Zach and I talked for while. I kept telling him it was time to go to bed, I had to be up in just a couple hours, but he wouldn't have any of it. So one thing lead to another... and I got about 45 minutes of intermittent sleep due to bear snore going on and other things going on...

Sunday:
I was up and out of bed at 5am, really 2am in CA! There were 4 sleeping bodies sprawled out everywhere. Luckily I had packed a majority of my stuff the day before. And that was the last time I saw Zach and those guys. I left them a note though, so let's see how long it takes for them to come out and party California style. We made our way back to Syracuse, caught our 9am flight and were on our way home. I slept a majority of the way back, which is amazing since I normally can't sleep on planes. At 5:30pm we landed back in Modesto.

And that was my trip, pretty detailed actually.

A whole 7 years old!

Happy Birthday Izzie and Monty! Today the puppies turn a whopping 7 (doggy) years old! They are accepting presents in the form of raw hides, squeaky toys, and racquet balls.


Monty Monster


Izzie with her love


The puppies and their mama, Riley

I'm back!

I've actually been back since Sunday, but all of my google accounts had been disabled. Only for me to find out today that someone hacked into one of my google accounts, of course the account that is like paypal and had my banking info, and charged almost $1,000! So, tomorrow I get to go to my bank and sign an affidavit and the write a letter and file a police report. My checking account has been wiped out. What is this world coming to? Honestly people!

I'll report back later about my NY trip!

I'll fly away...

This is it. In less than 12 hours I'll be on my way to New York (not city). Please keep me in your prayers over the course of the weekend. For safe travels, good weather while traveling and in NY, and good times. I'll report back sometime next week with pictures and all the good stuff! Have a great weekend!

PS: A camera update. I FINALLY received it, yesterday. Phew, that was close. Good news, it charges. Yeah!

Last one for 2007!

December resolutions.

1. Focus on getting into the Word on a regular basis.

2. Work on losing weight for my own quality of life.

3. Go somewhere.

4. Exercise - walk, Bosu ball, pilates...

5. Finish removing the wallpaper in the house.

6. Have the best last month of the year!

Sibs

Aren't we just a happy bunch of siblings?!? We really do love each other!

Almost over

Time for the November recap.

November's resolutions were...

1. Focus on getting into the Word on a regular basis.
Thought about it, but it didn't happen. I'm a bad Christian!

2. Work on losing weight for my own quality of life. I have to change my eating habits by eating heathly foods and being active.
Tried, but I'm a bad dieter. Control is hard, especially self control.

3. Go somewhere.
I went to IKEA... yea, that doesn't totally count.

4. Exercise - walk, Bosu ball, pilates...
Boo exercise. If I didn't get the control with the food, yea, I didn't get the control with the exercising too.

5. Start major renovations on the house once it's appraised.
Major renovations won't start until the first of the year. More on the progress there later...

6. Do something BOLD or DARING! Let me know if you're daring to join me...
I was told that I'd be kicked out of the house if I did what I want to do. So I'll wait until I move out :)

7. Purchase couch and entertainment unit for house, research closet storage units.
Couch, check. Over-sized armchair, check.

8. Not over indulge at Thanksgiving. Eat health until I feel satisfied, not stuffed.
So I put 1/2 greens/veggies on my plate, but I only ate 1/2 of that, plus all the good stuff(ing).

Nobody Wants to be Lonely

I've been feeling really lonely lately. Not totally sure why. That's a lie, I do know why. Maybe because I don't feel like I have someone that I can call anytime for whatever reason, or someone who will hang out with (doing something or nothing at all), or someone that I can talk to about anything. The person that has been that to me for forever just got married and they do a lot with other couples, which I am not part of one. Plus, I don't want to be disruptive to the new marriage. Another person that was that for me decided that I apparently not worthy of being her friend. I miss that friendship. And other people are all busy with new additions to their family, new group of friends that they hang out with, etc. So, it's just me, hanging out with my sister (love her!) and my doggies (lap warmers).

I know that as I get in this "nobody likes me everybody hates me guess I'll eat some worms" phase I tend to separate and alienate myself from people. I don't call, I don't drop by, I don't e-mail, I just disappear. Sad thing is, I don't see people truly searching for me when I disappear. Wow, really gives a reality check and shows me how valued I am.

I'm lonely because I'm lonely. I want a happily ever after, actually I'm not ready for the ever after part. I want the happily. I don't need the fairy tale romance. But I do want a prince charming. I want to be with someone, a significant other if you will. I want to find my soul mate, go through all the courting and dating, and then the engagement, and then the beginning starts with the ever after. But mainly I want the companionship that comes with it. But where do I start? Here in lies the problem. I become a hermit in my disappeared state and find "him" how?

That's it. That's me whining. That's me expressing myself and how I feel.

Men!

Ok Girls... Here is a (mostly true) ranting summation of the playing field today. Anyone feel the same?

The nice men are ugly.

The handsome men are not nice.

The handsome and nice men are gay.

The handsome, nice and heterosexual men are married.

The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men, have no money.

The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men with money think we are only after their money.

The handsome men without money are after our money.

The handsome men, who are not so nice and somewhat heterosexual, don't think we are beautiful enough.

The men who think we are beautiful, that are heterosexual, somewhat nice and have money, are intimidated by us.

The men who are somewhat handsome, somewhat nice and have some money and thank God are heterosexual, are shy and NEVER MAKE THE FIRST MOVE!

The men who never make the first move, automatically lose interest in us when we take the initiative.

So busy...

Man have I been busy. I moved offices. In my old office I was able to hop online and check my e-mail or blog regularly. Not so now. Maybe soon again though. With the move I lost 2 working days. Last week, being a short week, I worked extra to try to get caught up. And I'm almost there! Aside from work, last week was full of Thanksgiving prepping, shopping, cleaning, baking, etc. Now that the turkey is down to the bone and the stuffing is all gone, it's time get the house quickly decorated for Christmas before another big weekend comes.

Saturday is Nana's memorial service. It'll be small, about 35 family members coming from all over the western states. Everyone will end up back here at the house for social time and food. Hopefully decisions will be made about the house, my aunt and uncle will just go along with Dad's ideas and no major hold ups.

Then on the 6th I'll be flying to New York for a quick trip. Yeah! I'll report more on that when I get back.

Ok, so there was a quick update on my going ons since I haven't blogged in awhile.

Argh!

I love Kodak cameras. I don't love Kodak's call center customer service people. First off, can I say I hate out-sourcing. Why does some person in India need to try to have an American accent with their faux American name, just so when someone from America calls the 800 number they think they are talking to someone in their own country, but clearly by the bad American/Indian accent they are not? Come on corporations, why not keep the jobs in the USA, keep our own employed! So, after talking to someone a few weeks ago and being told that they would ship me the piece I need to make the camera charge (because I apparently had a bad part), I was shipped the wrong f*ing thing. I blame the language barrier. So, I called Kodak once again, pissed off this time and ready to tell them how I feel. And I did. I was stern (yeah me) and of course the poor bad-accent sap apologized profusely. He did offer to have me send it back so they can repair it. Oh heck no, I had the camera in my possession for one week, it's going to be replaced with a brand new camera. Crimeney! So, after verifying that I haven't owned the camera for more than 30 days they agreed to send me a new camera. So one person took my information down and then transferred me to the sales number. I asked the new guy (finally an American!) if I would get the new camera before Thanksgiving, which I knew was not likely, but I had to try to demand it. The only way to get it before this coming week would be, and I can't believe the guys suggested it, to return camera and reorder it. Sounds great in theory, but I got the camera at a huge discount. So not only would I be paying more for a camera that I originally bought because of the deal, I'd also be paying the overnight shipping. Um, no. So, the original camera was picked up last week to be returned and have a new one sent back. Let's see how long this takes...

A look in the mirror

Today's sermon at church was a bit convicting, eye-opening, and slightly hurtful. As a fill-in for Pastor Ken, Mike Iltis spoke about honor and respect in relationships. Many Bible verses were presented that show that even God wants us to honor those around us. But, how can I honor those around me when I, myself, don't feel worthy of honor? When I don't feel that no one holds respect towards me? Yes, I know that regardless I should always do as God commands, but it's hard. Especially when I don't feel honored.

I just am having a hard time respecting myself right now. Not because of things I'm doing, but for things that I'm not doing.

So please, if you appreciate me, respect me, honor me in any way. Please let me know in some way. I just want to know that I am worthy of honor and respect, and not feel like a bum.

Learn basic Chinese in 5 minutes...

(You MUST read them out loud)

1) That's not right ........................... Sum Ting Wong
2) Are you harboring a fugitive?.............. Hu Yu Hai Ding
3) See me ASAP................................... Kum Hia Nao
4) Stupid Man ....................................... Dum Fuk
5) Small Horse ................................ Tai Ni Po Ni
6) Did you go to the beach? ................... Wai Yu So Tan
7) I bumped into a coffee table ....... Ai Bang Mai Fa Kin Ni
8) I think you need a face lift ................. Chin Tu Fat
9) It's very dark in here ....................... Wao So Dim
10) I thought you were on a diet ........... Wai Yu Mun Ching
11) This is a tow away zone .................... No Pah King
12) Our meeting is scheduled for next week ... Wai Yu Kum Nao
13) Staying out of sight ....................... Lei Ying Lo
14) He's cleaning his automobile ................ Wa Shing Ka
15) Your body odour is offensive ............... Yu Stin Ki Pu
16) Great .................................... Fa Kin Su Pah

I'm moving!

No, not what you think. The house isn't done yet. And I'm not moving out of my parent's house yet. I'm moving office locations at work. But get this, my desk is moving tomorrow, but I'm not moving until Thursday... Hummm... I get someone's old desk, my desk is going to someone else, and I get to sit on the floor to do work until Thursday. Well, not really. My computer will be moved Thursday with me. So, tomorrow I'll be using my officemate's computer while she's in Texas. I do have a feeling that it'll be a short day. And Thusday, I can't be near where I'm moving to between 8am-1pm. So I'll be not only deskless, but officeless; therefore homeless at work. I'm thinking of coming in a little late. Going to get a coffee. Making myself disappear until I can "move in". Oh the joys of departments swapping buildings...

A Lesson In Political Science

In honor of my place of employment, and because cows and milk keep me employeed. Well, and because it's just funny!

DEMOCRATIC
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand sings for you.

REPUBLICANISM
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature's private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.
Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.
The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for neither.
Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best-looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegals.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders

Wow!

I'm in the midst of reading a book. Yea, I know, I'm trying to get back in the habit of taking time to read and not goof off on the internet. The book I'm currently reading is called Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble. I read this section and thought, wow, this is exactly how I'm feeling. So I thought I'd share it. It's part of a conversation being held between Natalie and her dad...

"I feel like a failure, Dad. No one wants me."
Nicholas's chest hurt. "That's not true, my love."
"I know what you're going to say, Dad, because you've said it before. It's his loss, he's the fool, I'm beautiful and lovely, and some lucky guy out there is waiting to make me happy. I've heard it before. I believed it before. I just don't believe it any more."

Yep, that's me in a nut shell. Except there is no "his loss, he's the fool."

I want a happy ending. I want the "some lucky guy out there". I want to be romanced and loved. I want to be a wife and a mother. Sure, tell me I'm still young, there's plenty of time. I say phewy on you. No one has shown interest in me in years. I haven't been on a date in years. I haven't been kissed or kissed a guy in years.

Is it bad for me to want that?

A blogger after my own heart!

I stumbled upon a blog that is all on to-do lists. If you know me, you know that I like lists. To-do, to pack, to download, to read, places to go, people you've kissed, etc. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. This blogger even scans and uploads her handwritten lists into her blog. She even wrote a book about it! Hum, maybe I'll give you a sample of my lists sometimes. Check out to-do list: from buying milk to finding a soul mate, what our what our lists reveal about us to visit an OCD habit.

Here's to all the other todolistologists out there!

Words to Live By: Pride

pride, noun
1. inordinate self-esteem.
2. ostentatious display.
3. pleasure in one's accomplishments.
4. Biblical: being puffed up with self.
5. Personal: the ungodly version of self-confidence.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
-1 Peter 5:5

Pride and grace dwelt never in one place.
-James Kelly

The Greek word for pride means to be "puffed up"; in other words, pride makes people think themselves large when there actually isn't anything there. Image a frog that is able to bloat himself to more than twice his size; he looks big, but there isn't anything to his increased size but air. The negative version of pride is what results when someone thinks more highly of himself than he ought. He is confident, but only in his own strength. He thinks himself superior, but without really having cause. This kind of pride leads to a fall, to sin, and to destruction.

This kind of pride is what moved Lucifer to exalt himself against God and lead the angels to rebel. It moved Adam and Eve to aspire to be gods themselves rather than honor the God who made them. It made Nimrod build Babel, Pharaoh persecute the Jews of Egypt, and even some of Jesus' disciples. This kind of pride is a lie, a deception. Proud people are easily hurt, easily offended, and easily angered; proud people can't invest themselves in what they are made to be because they are always concerned with how they appear and whether they are honored in the eyes of others.

Worst of all, false pride keeps people from living in the good kind of pride. Surprise, there is a good kind of pride, and it is quite clear in Scripture. The New Testament uses the word pride in a positive manner more than half a dozen times; God tells believers that they should test their actions so they can take pride in themselves. The good kind of pride is what the false kind drives out. Good pride is a kind of confidence, a sense of accomplishment and completion; it is both an attitude and a way of living that draws from a good history in God. It is what the godly feel when they look at their lives, see the hand of God active in their affairs, and know they are fulfilling the will of God. Righteous pride is a confidence in God and his promises; righteous pride is knowing who you are in God; righteous pride is a sense of well-being that comes from godly achievement. False pride is assuming a spirituality that isn't really there; false pride draws arrogantly from things, images, and fantasies.

Take stock of your own life for a moment. How has false pride puffed you up or distorted your view of yourself? Then again, where have you been resisting a godly form of pride in the assumption that it is unrighteous? Repent of the false, welcome the good, and let the confident humility of righteous pride invade your life.

I don't feel that I am a proud arrogant person. But I do have a problem with stubborn pride. I have a problem with knowing when to put my proud self aside and give my problems to God. I want to keep them and deal with them or take care of them myself. I end up letting them harden my heart instead of soften it. Why? I don't know. I'm stubborn. I don't know when to call mercy, to say uncle. But am I a confident proud person? No, I don't think so, I think quite the opposite, not very confident at all. But how do I relinquish my problems and not hold on to them? How do I release things and give God control?

I've become more aware of my proud, stubborn, hording problem lately. God has really been revealing things to me that I need to work on. Pride, forgiveness, grace and mercy. But I don't know how.

God, I want to be proud of you, proud of your people, and proud of my history in your ways. I don't want to artificially puff myself up and miss your grace. Help me, God, and give me the right kind of confidence in you.
-Amen

Drat!

Another 7-10 days shipping for Kodak to send me a new USB adapter. Dang! Brand new camera and no power to take play with it let alone take pictures. Hopefully it's all settled before I go to New York.

Click Click

I got a new camera. It won't charge. I'm sad. I can't play with it yet. Now I'm waiting to hear from Kodak.

The end.

Friend

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you HAVE an argument.
A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

What kind of friend am I? What kind of friend are you?

Finally!

Today, I took the anticipated trip to IKEA. Swedish for heaven. And guess what...I bought my couch and arm chair. My living room is slowing coming together. I know what you're thinking, why in the world are you buying couches now if you don't have a living room to put them in now? Well, because I can. And because I don't want to be stuck without couches when I do get to move into the house. Plus, unbeknown to me, IKEA is having a promo...get 20% back in a gift card on any couch that you purchase. Yeah me! So, someday (pray sooner rather than later) when you come to visit, you'll get to sit on one of these...

Hello quiet...

Welcome November, where weekends are free and plans are not definite. Oh yea, and the month of turkey.

Here comes the busy month of October. Who'd have thought October of all months would be busy. So my resolutions are:

November's resolutions are...

1. Focus on getting into the Word on a regular basis.

2. Work on losing weight for my own quality of life. I have to change my eating habits by eating heathly foods and being active.

3. Go somewhere.

4. Exercise - walk, Bosu ball, pilates...

5. Start major renovations on the house once it's appraised.

7. Do something BOLD or DARING! Let me know if you're daring to join me...

8. Purchase couch and entertainment unit for house, research closet storage units.

9. Not over indulge at Thanksgiving. Eat health until I feel satisfied, not stuffed.

Good bye busy...

Time to recap on October's resolutions...

1. Continute to try to actively seek God in my day to day life, worshiping Him and bring Him glory. Being like Jesus to people.
2 words, I suck...

2. No point trying to lose 35 pounds in the next 8 days for the wedding. But I can work on losing weight for my own quality of life. So it's time to change my eating habits by eating the daily recommended amount of fruits and veggies every day. Baby steps...
Well, the wedding happened. Oktoberfest happened. Gaining weight happened. Looking back on the pictures now, blah, I'm pudgy! I don't like being pudgy! And I don't want to be pudgy anymore!

3. Go somewhere at least an hour away from home! Possibly camping at the best place to camp at the end of the month.
Went no where. Had no time to go anywhere.

4. Find someone that can refinish furniture. I have a dining room set (table, chairs, and hutch) that all need to be refinished to remove scratches and stained a darker color. I'd do it myself, but there are too many curves to deal with, plus I don't have somewhere covered to do it right now.
I found a place in Turlock that refinishes furniture. Now I just need to call them and price it out.

5. Exercise - walk, Bosu ball, jump rope...
Pilates anyone? I know I need to do something cardio also though. Time to start running with the dogs.

6. Have at least one major thing completed on the house. To have all base boards sanded and walls cleaned (for now).
One room has been sanded - base boards, door frams and window frames. 4 rooms to go, at least they are small. Peeled more wall paper in the master bedroom. Just waiting for the house to be appraised (Friday 11/2) before proceeding with big things. Until then, the house needs to look like poop so it's appraised at a lower value.

7. Do something BOLD or DARING! Hummmm....I have some ideas.... Probably not the wisest or cleanest thoughts... Muahahaha...
Had thoughts, and still do. Need to make a phone call first...

8. Make it to IKEA to purchase couch and entertainment unit for house.
No free weekend to go in October, but I'm going Saturday. Yeehaw!

9. Have the best darn Oktoberfest yet!
Yea, it was pretty good...!

10. Dance my little heart out at Rylen and Jim's wedding!
I danced, I drank, and I was merry! Definitely one of the best weddings I've been to or in ever!

BOO!

Even though I'm not dressed/dressing up. And I really don't want to pass out candy. And orange, with or without black, is just NOT my color...

And here are a few Halloween Statistics from the US Census Bureau to put in your useless knowledge bank.

41.0 million - The estimated number of potential "trick-or-treaters" 5- to 14-year-olds across the United States in 2002, down by about 40,000 from 2000. This number is greater than the "baby boom" children in this age range counted in the 1970 census (40.7 million). Of course, many "kids" older than 14, and younger than 5, also dress up for the holiday.
106 million - Number of potential stops for "trick-or-treaters" i.e., housing units occupied year-round.
790.7 million pounds - Total U.S. pumpkin production in 2002. Illinois, with a production of 299 million pounds, led the country. There also were big pumpkin patches in California (150 million pounds produced), Pennsylvania (117 million), New York (107 million) and Michigan (60 million). The value of all these pumpkins was $83 million.
1,040 - Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments (with 116) followed by Pennsylvania (with 107).
2,715 - Number of formal wear and costume rental establishments across the nation in 2001.
Where to Spend Halloween? - Some places around the country that may get you into the Halloween spirit are:
Transylvania County, N.C., with 29,499 residents.
Tombstone, Ariz., with a population of 1,537.
Pumpkin Center, N.C. (population 2,228) and Pumpkin Bend township, Ark. (population 307).
Cape Fear township (New Hanover Co.), N.C.; and Cape Fear township (Chatham Co.), N.C. (populations of 15,711 and 1,170, respectively).
Skull Creek township, Neb., with a population of 295.

11 Hints for Life

The top 11 Hints for Life
1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone but – it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; an untimely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying, and, everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Peacemaking Tip

Ok, so I stole this from the MVC November Newsletter. But I really like it and find it quite profound.

God has given us divine weapons to use in our quest for peace. These weapons include Scripture, prayer, truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Eph. 6:10-18, gal. 5:22-23) To many people, these resources and qualities seem feeble and useless when dealing with real problems, and so, instead, we take up ineffective worldly weapons like defensiveness, anger, self-justification, and gossip. Yet the weapons of God are the very ones Jesus used to defeat Satan and to conquer the world. Which of God's heavy-duty artillery (like love and kindness, etc.) will you use today in your conflict? (see also Romans 12:14-21)

Just something for you to ponder today...

Happy Monday!

Twenty Things To Remember

Twenty Things To Remember

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.

2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you prayed, don't worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

5.When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

6. Do the math. Count your blessings.

7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.

9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

10. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.

11. The most important things in your home are the people.

12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. Come on in.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it's just hearsay.

18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, whereas your reputation is merely what others think you are.

No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it, I want to have lived the width of it as well. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

You're Worth It

"You are Worth It"

Do not undermine your worth
By comparing yourself with others.
It is because we are different
That each of us is special.

Do not set your goals
By what other people deem important.
Only you know
What is best for you.

Do not take for granted
The things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
For without them,
Life is meaningless.

Do not let your life
Slip through your fingers
By living in the past
Nor for the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
You live all the days of your life.

Do not give up
When you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over
Until the moment you stop trying.
It is a fragile thread
That binds us to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances
That we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life
By saying it is impossible to find.

The quickest way to receive love
Is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love
Is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams
Is to be without hope;
To be without hope
Is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life
So fast that you forget
Not only where you have been,
But also where you are going.

Life is not a race,
But a journey
To be savored
Each step of the way.

Ah the good life!

Gotta love those days when you get to sleep in 'til noon, and stay in your pj's and watch Hannah Montana all day. Just to later shower, put fresh pj's on, and go to bed. I haven't had a day like this in months. Ah the good life!

Poopie

This one's for you Katie...

THE POOPIE LIST

GHOST POOPIE- The kind where you feel the poopie come out, but there is no poopie in the toilet.
CLEAN POOPIE- The kind where you poopie it out, see it in the toilet, but there is nothing on the toilet paper.
WET POOPIE- The kind where you wipe your butt 50 times and it still feels unwiped, so you have to put some toilet paper between your butt and your underwear so you won't ruin them with a stain.
SECOND WAVE POOPIE- This happens when you've done poopie-ing and you've pulled your pants up to your knees, and you realize that you have to poopie some more.
POP-A-VEIN-IN-YOUR-FOREHEAD POOPIE- The kind where you strain so much to get it out, you practically have a stroke.
LINCOLN LOG POOPIE- The kind of poopie that is so huge you're afraid to flush without first breaking it into little pieces with the toilet brush.
GASSEY POOPIE- It's so noisy, everyone within ear shot is giggling.
DRINKER POOPIE- The kind of poopie you have the morning after a long night of drinking. It's most noticeable traits is the skid marks on the bottom of the toilet.
CORN POOPIE- (self-explanatory)
GEE-I-WISH-I-COULD-POOPIE POOPIE- The kind where you want to poopie, but all you do is sit on the toilet and fart a few times.
SPINAL TAP POOPIE- That's where it hurts so badly coming out, you'd swear it was leaving you sideways.
WET CHEEKS POOPIE- (The Power Dump) The kind that comes out of your butt so fast, your butt cheeks get splashed with water.
TIJUANA POOPIE- It smells so bad your nose burns and the room must be condemned.
UPPER-CLASS POOPIE- The kind that comes from people who think their poopie doesn’t stink.
THE SURPRISE POOPIE- You're not even at the toilet because you are sure you're about to fart, but OOPS! a poopie.
THE DANGLING POOPIE- The poopie refuses to drop into the toilet even though you know you are done poopie-ing it. You just pray that a shake or 2 will cut it loose.
THE WHIPLASH POOPIE- The kind where you push and strain until your eyes are blood shot and the poopie just starts to come out when OOPS! it goes back in.
THE PEBBLE POOPIE- This is the poopie that feels like a log coming out, but looks like a rabbit pellet.

How to impress...

How to impress a woman:
Compliment her
Caress her
Cuddle her
Kiss her
Love her
Comfort her
Stroke her
Tease her
Protect her
Hug her
Hold her
Dine her
Listen to her
Care for her
Stand by her
Support her
Go to the ends of the earth for her

How to impress a man:
Show up naked
Bring beer

Words to Live By: Forgiveness

for-give-ness, noun:
1. the act of pardoning, of overlooking an offense
2. the act of sending away a wrong or rejecting it
3. the state of being free from penalty
4. Biblical: the act of remitting sin
5. Personal: the compassion that erases the heart's memory of wrongs suffered.

If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
-Matthew 6:14-15

May I tell you why it seems to me a good thing for us to remember wrong that has been done us? That we may forgive it.
-Charles Dickens

Have you ever heard the term "technical forgiveness"? It's when you forgive the will and the mind, but your heart holds the offense and still demands its due. I've got news for you, it's not good enough for God. The New Testament has two main words for forgiveness, aphiemi "to send away", and apoluo "to release someone" or "to set someone free". When you hold someone in unforgiveness, it is as if you have put that person in prison. And until you forgive that person, he/she cannot be set free. Funny thing is, that person may not even know that you've put them in their own little prison. But the thing is, when yu hold anyone in prison, you are in prison as well.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
-Ephesians 4:32

Tonight has been very trying on my heart. I saw two people that I never thought I'd see again, and quite honestly would be perfectly fine never seeing again.

As silly now as it seems for what one person did to me a year ago, I was really hurt and bothered by it. But in my mind I had forgiven him sometime ago. You forgive because it's the right thing to do, right? And although I'd "forgiven" him, I cared to never have to be in the same room as him again. But tonight I arrived at a friend's house for dinner, before heading out for an activity, and low and behold there was this person on their couch. Nice, no warning, not! It's been a year, I can handle it. My thought was, I'll just ignore and pretend he's not here. That would work, except for the fact that he's entirely too funny to not ignore. I'd be the idiot not laughing at the funny guy because I was ignoring him. So that plan didn't work. As the evening went on things were going fine. Granted, we weren't actually talking one on one with each other, but we could be in the same conversation and play a game together. But we had kind of a mutual, unspoken understanding that things were cool. Phew! Made it over that hurdle...

And then another one came. Someone, who was a close very good friend, arrived. This someone that basically walked out of our group of friends with no explanation showed up. She came because she has recently been talking with a mutual friend. And once again, a warning would have been really nice. Completely out of the blue, I was walking into the living room from the kitchen and she was walking into the living room from the front door. I stopped, dead in my track, shocked really. And I'm sure she saw the shock on my face. I thought I'd never see her again, I think a lot of us thought that. But we said a quick uncomfortable hello was spoken and that was about it there. And it stayed uncomfortable the rest of the time. Quite honestly, I didn't want to be in the same room/area as her because I was (and still am) so hurt for how she abruptly ended our friendship. I just wanted to grab my keys and leave. But I couldn't, I knew I couldn't. What kind of message would that have sent? I stayed, I busied myself in the kitchen, I avoided.

But it was hard. This person was a best friend. How can I forgive someone for walking away? Not only walking away, but not giving any reason or even a goodbye. I was torn. I wanted to be mad. And I am mad. I'm mad that I wasn't given a warning. I'm mad that things are so strained. I'm mad that I have no idea what I did to piss her off. I'm mad that she never came to me to talk things out. I'm mad at myself for being so stubborn and I didn't chase my friend. I'm mad that people were so excited to see her after she disappeared 5 months ago. How can they forgive her so quickly, and I'm holding on so hard? I'm mad that I can't randomly call her up or send her a text message. And I'm mad because I want our friendship to be back to how it was before, but I don't know if I can ever trust her like I did.

My heart needs healing. And I need to be able to forgive, let go, and give it to God. I need to forgive her for the things that I'm upset about. But I also need to seek forgiveness for what I did or didn't do. But I horde, oh how I horde. And I bottle. I'm a good bottler of my feelings. All my feelings are safe in that bottle.

God, forgive me for the unforgiveness in my life. Help me to find compassion for the weakness of those people who have wronged me, and give me the grace to forgive them from my heart.
-Amen

One down

Today was one of two memorial services for my Nana. Since she was a resident of Covenant Village, we had a small service for so her friends and nurses could attend. So I took an early lunch so I could go.

When I got there, just minutes before the service was to start, I was harassed by a little old lady (L.O.L.) for parking in a resident's spot. She said that I couldn't park there and had to go to the guest parking area. In all the times visiting my Nana, I'd never had to park in the guest parking. There were always spare spots open by her building. And of course, guest parking it on the opposite property of where I needed to be. I explained that I was in a hurry, my Nana's memorial service was starting and I was going to be late. She said, in a nasty uncompassionate way, well, you'll need to park over there (pointing), in guest parking. So fine, I'll move. Little did she know I just moved to another resident's spot in a different lot. And she proceeded to try to get the key to her car in the unlocker, with her nose inches from the door. Yes, she was going to drive away, barely able to see where to put the key to unlock the door. So that put me in a mood, and I cried throughout the service that I was late to. Thanks L.O.L.!

It was a very nice service. Dad talked about my Nana's life. Some shared stories of their time with Nana. The Chaplain read Psalm 23. And then I had to go back to work and finish the day.

Service #2 will be in December. Family will be invited, as well as our Hilmar family/community. No L.O.L.s will be telling me where to park at that service!

Things that make you go Hummmmm...

Have you ever wondered what you've done wrong? In your life? With your family? Towards your friends? You may not know that you've done something wrong, but you just get the feeling. Maybe it's a gut feeling. Maybe it's observation of how others act towards you. Maybe it's because people just disappear from your life without an explaination. Maybe you just know without knowing. Hummmm....

I know I've done things wrong in my life. And those are consequences that I've dealt with or had to live with. But it's the wrongs that I don't know I do that make me wonder.

I, for the most part, do not do things wrong on purpose. There are the few times that I do. If I did, and I realized later that I had, I'll apologize. I'll fess up. I'll apologize even if someone took what I did, even if it's not wrong, the wrong way and they come to me about it. I just don't like it when people have ill feelings towards me. I'm too much of a people pleaser. But, if I don't know what I did and I'm not called on it, then I don't know about it, wrong or not. And quite frankly, I won't feel there is a reason to apologize.

So, if you're out there, and you feel I've wronged you but you won't come to me, then I'm sorry that you don't feel that you can't come to me about it. But, without know what I've done, I'm not sorry. I work things out with people. And I'll be honest. But until then, I don't know what to tell you.

I got a brand new hair do!

Look at me, I got it all cut off!


Word!

Warning

I have a confession to make. I haven't been truthful in my blogs. I don't mean that I've been lying or saying things that are false. I mean that I've been hiding feelings. I've been caution when posting blogs. You know, stick to things that won't offend people, won't step on toes, won't hurt feelings, safe areas. Well, guess what. I'm tired of skirting, avoiding, and fearing. It's time to be candid and let it loose. This is my blog, my diary, my journal if you will. Now, this isn't going to turn negative or whatever, it's just going to be a place where I'll express my feelings, fully and truthfully. And if you don't like what I have to say as I write out my thoughts, then don't read, close the screen. I'm not trying to cause drama or hurt people. I know there are people out there that know me, but don't talk to me, and only read my blog to know what's going on in my life. That's fine, but I've avoided things because of you. But I'm avoiding no more.

I'm just giving you a warning.

Wedding Pictures II

Now it's time for a select number of photos taken by Bridemaid Tyler. Can I just say, Tyler is one of the most photogenic people I know.


Rylen and Sarah.


Look at me, ahhhh...


Rylen and Jim with most of their families.


Like mother, like daughter.


Tyler and Rachel.


Maid of Honor and Best Man.


The Bride after a quick bite to eat.


Close up!


The neighbors...


Woot, woot! Go Dave!


Rylen and Kim gettin' their groove on.


Brett at his best.

Wedding of the Century!

The wedding is over folks! Rylen and Jim are married. The party is over. The dress is in need of a dry cleaner. I've got some pictures to share with you. And as I get pictures from others I'll share those as well. So enjoy!

Brett with one of the beautiful bouquets.

The beautiful, not so blushing, bride.

Rachie on the party bus. WootWoot!

Dave and I after dinner.

Annie Anne cuttin' a rug.

Steve has got his priorities, beer THEN dancing!

Jim bustin' a move.

Sarah and her man Dave (he's Canadian).

Tyler dancin' a jig.