The Why

In addition to my crack-like addiction to reading the Twilight series, I am also currently involved in a weekly Beth Moore bible study at the Vineyard. You must realize how strange it is for me to even be admitting that I am reading and learning from Beth Moore. I used to generalize her materials as bible studies for stay at home moms or those Christian women who really do spend their free time baking and being suuuuper sweet (you know who I'm talking about).

I admit I was wrong. Sometimes stereotypes are justified-this time they were not.

Last night as I was cramming for tonight's study (um you have 5 "lessons" you're supposed to do during the week...somehow I still had 3 to do last night. Oops), I re-read the story of Abraham in Genesis 12. Immediately, verse 1 stuck out to me.

1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

Compare with Hebrews 11:8
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

About a year and a half ago, I struggled with whether I should move to Cincinnati, specifically Clifton. I toiled and thought and prayed and wondered. Then one day a job in Cincinnati literally fell into my lap. I wasn't seeking jobs, I hadn't sent out any resumes. Within a week, I went from struggling with whether I was supposed to move to Cincinnati, to knowing I was supposed to.

But, now, some 14 months later, I still struggle with the why. What am I doing here? And I don't know. I've had theories. I don't know why God called me here--but I do know God meant for me to geographically move and live here.

Back to Abraham. He didn't know why either. But he followed and walked in faith with God-leaving what he knew for a land in which he would live in a tent and exist in a foreign land amongst foreign people, all the while having faith that God would do what he promised. He believed that by following God and geographically moving to this foreign land, God would bless him. He didn't know why or how, he just knew to go. It wasn't until much later that he realized the why of being called to go into a land unknown to him.

So I think we shouldn't always wait for God to tell us why before we follow what He says. We should do and go and act, knowing that some day (maybe we will have to wait until eternity) we will know the why. And we should absolutely trust that the means justify the end--that God's call on our lives justifies His purpose, even if we can't envision it ourselves.

Monday already?

My left eyelid is swollen and red. WebMD has diagnosed me with either a stye or the beginning of glaucoma. Let's hope for a stye. We should know in 3-5 days according to my web doctor.

On my run this morning, I didn't fall. Score 1 for Lizzy.

Normally, I turn out all lights when I sleep. Last night after reading New Moon (second in the Twilight series about vampires!), I decided to leave the kitchen light on while I slept because I was scared. True story.

Di*khead. That's the word I woke up to being screamed at 2:00a.m. when our male college-aged-partying-every-night-pot-smoking-neighbors got in a tuffle out on the fire escape. Good thing I had that kitchen light on.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. That's what I'm hoping today-brought one for lunch. Hopefully the only doctor I'll be seeing is my web doctor.

Yes, I am finally getting new tires this weekend! I've had the same tires on my car since I purchased it in May 2003. But, now what will I blame my bad driving on?

A Halloween-ish Run and an Apology to Jabs

I hate video stores with their dumb "return the video by this date" policies. I rented 2 dvds from Blockbuster (um who previously had the no late fees ever rule, what the heck happened to that!) on Saturday night. They were due back last night. Guess what? They are still in my work bag.

I am terrible at returning videos or checked out library books. Steve has tried convincing me to use our local library instead of buying books on amazon.com, but I'm telling you the cost of purchasing the book, even full price at Joseph Beth, would be cheaper than the amount of fines I would likely have to pay.

Jabs was gracious enough to put my name on her account at Blockbuster. That was a mistake. SORRY! I promise to pay that late fee if/when I return the videos ;-) When I moved home for law school, my parents removed my name from their account at our local video store because my fine situation was so notorious. Nice, eh? They really need to come up with something where you can, say peruse online, make a list of dvds you want to rent, and then maybe they like mail them to you? And once you've watched it you mail it back? Hmm...that sounds like a GREAT idea.

Anywho...this morning during my run at dark o'thirty this morning I spotted a black cat! How Halloweenish. Now, I'm not into all that superstitious stuff like if he walked in front of me I'd have bad luck. (I told him to stay over on the other side of the street or else...) Between my candy corn addiction, reading Twilight and my black cat spotting, I'm definitely in the mood for Halloween!

There you have it...a bunch of rambling about nothing. Oh well. Have a great Friday!

OMG

I want to apologize for the double posting (and the use of the phrase "omg") but I just grabbed my carrots out of the communal work fridge, ate 3, reached in the bag for a fourth and realized the carrots ARE COVERED IN MOLD.

Sweet. If I never blog again, you know why.

Thank God I keep listerine in my desk drawer. I may have drink it instead of spitting it out to kill whatever I just ingested.

ready, set, go

I remember this one track workout we would do every year in college. It involved running 20 x 400 meters. Grueling. Unenjoyable. And with minimal rest between each interval. But, we'd tough it out and geez, I was in the best shape of my life then-and didn't even know it!

So because my 3-4 mile daily runs are not causing any major transformation to my body, I decided last week I need a race to train for. I'm training for the Miamisburg 8K Turkey Trot. (8K = 5 miles) I want to run it fast-not just finish.

I am following a little training program. This morning I had to run 6 x 400 meters. A far cry from my days of running 20. And you know what? I AM EXHAUSTED. I did my 2 mile warm up, ran my 400 meter intervals with one minute rest in between and made it back to my apartment, but wow. I have a lot of work to do before November 27.

It makes the training way less dreadful, though, having a goal.

All I'm saying is it's crazy how old my body feels some days. I wake up at 5:30 to run (ok, that's when my alarm goes off, usually I roll out around 5:55). My neck is stiff, my feet are sore from walking in those ridiculous heels to court. My muscles stay tight much longer. 8 years ago, I never even stretched when I'd get done running (or before). I can't wait to see how I feel at 40!

:-) Truth be told, I'm really lucky I am healthy and able to run. Thank God for that! And I can't wait to tear up the Turkey Trot Race... mostly so I can have an excuse to consume ten bagillion calories at Thanksgiving dinner.

a letter

Dear Driver of Nasty-loud muffler-Car on Clifton Avenue at 6:10 a.m.,

When a woman is taking a jog in the wee hours of the morning and it is pitch black outside (contrary to rumors, the Clifton gaslights have not gotten any brighter), it is never, I repeat never appropriate to honk your horn when said woman trips on a pothole and falls in the street.

Not to mention, I still had the WALK symbol. Go learn some manners.

Yours Truly,
Clumsy in Clifton

cold fridges and voting

I just retrieved my lunch from the communal work fridge.

Problem: My salad dressing is frozen in its little container and won't pour.

Solution: Put salad dressing container in front of space heater and turned space heater to high.

Problem solved. Seriously, nothing can phase me.

I also voted today!!!!!!! You can vote early in Hamilton county. I have the sticker to prove it.

To my roomies...

Happy Birthday Jana and Emily!

Isn't it crazy the two people I live with share the same birthday??

Update Part 2

It's a miracle! The dog was found in a trailer park a few miles from the house. Someone spotted the dog and called the shelter. Even though traps were set, they still couldn't re-find the dog and it seemed hope was lost. My sister and her friend gave it one last try this evening and walked through simply yelling the dog's name (Lad) and he came running! He's covered in burrs and dirt and quite shaken up, but he's home. How wonderful-thank God!

Miracle #2...I did my laundry and for the first time ever in my life all my socks matched up! Ok, this is silly in comparison...but it was pretty sweet. :)

Easy like (Saturday) morning

Good morning. It is gorgeous! I'm pretty sure my Saturday morning today is the way ALL Saturdays should be....

8:00 a.m. Fi tries to wake me up

8:01 a.m. Fi is back asleep

9:00 a.m. Roll out of bed

9:15 a.m. Begin Run in long sleeves and shorts--this is the perfect running outfit because it means the weather outside is perfect running weather! 

10:00 a.m. Come back home, take Fi for little walk

10:30 a.m. Walk to bruegger's for a whole wheat bagel with PUMPKIN cream cheese (yum!) and a gigantic coffee...all the while loooving the gorgeous weather

11:00 a.m. Curl up with Fi on the couch and enjoy said bagel and coffee and alternate between watching 90210 and Dog Whisperer (30 minute meals is a repeat!)

11:45 a.m. Start sorting laundry. Realize you have so much it will take 3 loads. Realize you only have quarters for 2 loads... hmm. Begin laundry

12:15 a.m. Commence alternating between reading Twilight in comfiest reading chair ever and running down to check on laundry.

ummmm can you say perfect morning? 

update

Just an update on the lost dog-there have been 2 spottings (most recently late this morning), but after combing the area he was spotted in, they still haven't found him.

I know the chances are slim, but if you live in Miamisburg or West Carrollton and see a black and white shetland sheepdog (i.e. small version of Lassie), scoop him up.

He's out there...and I really do believe he'll come home.

I tell you what, just thinking about it makes me cry. I nearly panic if Fi steps one paw out the door without a leash... I can't even imagine. I don't care how cheesy, lame, or silly it sounds-keep praying for him to come home.

I want this!

Oh my. I just saw this beautiful red Keurig mini-brewer! Isn't it cute? Wouldn't this look perfect in my office at work? Yes, yes it would.

I'm trying to figure out if it would be a money saver... I spend $1.95 on a coffee 5 days a week. Every 45 coffees (i.e. 3 punch cards, I use a 15 coffees punch card deal) I get one punch card free (i.e. 15 coffees). This keurig costs $79.95 and the coffee runs around $12 for 24 cups.

I never was very good at math. I waaaant it. In red.

Ok, covet of new pretty little keurig is now over. :-)

Irrational Faith

Last night, after I had gone to bed, I received two text messages from my sister telling me a friend's dog had run away or somehow gotten out of the fenced yard. I love dogs. I think they exhibit behavior that is the closest thing to unconditional love we will ever witness on this Earth.

The thought of this little dog being out alone overnight made me cry. So I hugged little Fi close and prayed for that dog's return. Silly, you say? Perhaps. Irrational? Maybe.

But, you see I believe God can do everything. Yet, generally my first reaction to crisis (and yes, a dog running away is a crisis-get your priorities in line!) is to panic. My next step is to determine my alternatives and how I will handle the situation and what I will do to fix it. I don't go to God with my crisis until I've exhausted all of my resources. Then I hand it over and say "God, fix it!"

That is a silly approach. But, in our present day, faith that God can work miracles (and still does today) is considered kind of silly. It isn't logical. I've always felt my issues and circumstances weren't "important" enough to really matter to God. Who cares about a little dog running around when we've got a financial meltdown, a war, and hardship internationally.

But, Scripture tells us everything is possible for him who believes. Have a childlike faith-believe that God can do anything. Today we've made God so "relatable" to non-Christians, that we've taken away the awe, power and wonder of God. By trying to figure out God and make Him easy to explain, we've humanized him-and in doing that we've put the lid on hope.

Yes, God is not a wish-granter. But He can do everything. That dog may not ever return to his happy home-but that isn't because God can't do it. And my prayers aren't silly or worthless or a waste. Believing God can do anything and going to God with everything (even the little) is never a waste.

A good explanation

If you're like me and only semi-understand our economic crisis, I think this article is an excellent summary of the reason so much of Washington is pushing for a bailout for the banks in trouble. While I'm not sure this is the solution, I do now better understand exactly why we are trying to bailout the rich execs/banks. My mentality is "well that's their problem, I don't want to pay higher taxes to bail out rich people who made bad decisions." But, the inability of people to get credit (both long and short term) will have dangerous effects on our economy.

And if you're like me, you're thinking-well people shouldn't buy what they can't afford. Ok. That's true. But, what about someone who has a great idea for a business or invention that could be a good investment opportunity for a bank? If the individual does not have the actual cash to get the idea going and is unable to get a loan, who wins there?

Just something to think about.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/business/economy/01leonhardt.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=lessons%20from%20a%20crisis&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

sleepy

How about that game last night? Amazing. I was so excited after the Steelers' win last night, I couldn't fall asleep for like 45 minutes after it was over. Needless to say, I am quite tired this morning. I've got a busy day of work today, so I don't have much time to write.

So, in light of the vice-presidential debate coming up Thursday night, I'll leave you with this remark from Sarah Palin:

"I'm looking forward to meeting Joe Biden. I've been hearing about him since second grade."

Taken from Time

An Adult Weekend

Although I'm certainly an adult by most standards (especially since I have so recently entered my late 20s...ugh), I still don't quite feel adult-ish. I have roommates. I don't have kids. I'm not married. You get the point.

All that to say, this past weekend was, in my mind, a very adult weekend. On Friday night, I came home from work, had a glass of wine and read 200 pages of Twilight. On Saturday, I went running and spent the day at the Apple Festival in Lebanon, Ohio. While I didn't purchase any cutesy crafts, I did buy 2 bandannas for my pup! Saturday night I watched the debates and discussed politics (ok, really I just yelled about Michael Moore being an idiot). Sunday morning after my run, I went to Target and bought things like paper towels, dishwasher detergent, shampoo and toothpaste. $50 bucks later and there was not one "fun" thing in my cart! Being an adult stinks!

I ended out the weekend by making a big dinner and actually packing up the leftovers so I can eat it for lunch during the week. Yikes. But, smart considering last week alone I spent over $30 on going out to lunch. 

The recipe was good, though. We have about 12 boxes of frozen spinach in our freezer from Jana's boyfriend's sister (draw that flow chart) due to Blackout '08. I read through my cookbooks and came up with Ham, Spinach, and Mostaccioli Casserole. I don't usually eat ham, but I must say it was quite tasty.

I'll conclude by doing a very adult thing and posting the recipe. Bon Appetit!

Ham, Spinach, and Mostaccioli Casserole

Ingredients

8 oz. mostaccioli (I used penne)

3 TBS. butter

3 medium onions, cut into thin wedges (I used 2)

2 cloves garlic; minced (I used 3-I looove garlic)

1/4 Cup flour

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed (oops I did not crush mine)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1.5 Cups half-half, light cream or milk (I used half-half)

1.5 Cups chicken broth

1.5 Cups fully cooked ham, cubed

1-10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Cook pasta. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain again

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add onions and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, thyme, and pepper. Add half-and half and chicken broth all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more. Stir in pasta, ham, and spinach. Spoon mixture into a 3-quart casserole.

Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes or until heated through. Stir before serving. 

Look who's ready for the game tomorrow night! Go Steelers!

Friend Vacancies

I just came across the following article which I've copied and pasted here. Please note the vacancies, and if you can fill it-LET'S BE FRIENDS! I only have 3 years til I'm 30...so yeah.

10 Friends You Need Before You are 30

1. The Style Guru Everyone needs someone who can help them figure out which dress is appropriate “black-tie optional” weddings, and whether you can get away with wearing a green sweater with a red belt. (The answer to the latter is “probably not”, unless you are a Christmas Elf.) VACANT-and definitely not me. I may have the most boring wardrobe of all time.

2. The Mr./Ms. Fix-it You bought a new bike online, but the instructions for putting it together appear to be written in a language you do not speak. It’s time to call the friend who has a knack for building things and owns all the right tools. Rachel! Man of the house is happy to provide "fix-it" services. (Of course, I generally reserve those for Steve since he is the boyfriend, but we're talking ladies only here!)

3. The Good Time Gal If you’re feeling antsy with nothing to do on a Friday night, call this friend, who is generally up for doing anything at any time. She’ll cook up plans that involve dancing on banquets or singing Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” in the time it takes you to change out of your work clothes and slap on a fresh coat of mascara. Holly and Nicole-since we actually did quite a bit of singing and dancing to "Like a Prayer" in the window seat of our college house, this only makes sense.

4. The Health Nut During the times when you suddenly decide to start working out or eating food other than take-out and delicacies from the frozen-food aisle, it’s good to have someone who reads every health and fitness magazine and loves to dispense instructions for proper squat form and pass along recipes for protein-rich meals. VACANT-I've got a lot of wannabe health nut friends (including myself). :)

5. The Ear You had a sucky day at work and hate everything in your closet. What do you do? Call the friend who will calmly listen to all of your problems and then, at the appropriate time, give you a few pearls of wisdom. Katy and Jana. These two will listen, and listen, and listen... and listen some more even when I do the exact opposite of what they advise!

7. The Culture Guru If you like the idea of going to see that new up-and-coming band perform, befriend someone who knows who’s playing and what exhibits are on display. VACANT I am usually pretty up to date on plays and art exhibits...but as for music, I know nothing.

8. The Healthcare Professional Make friends with a doctor or nurse. Then, when you wake up with ginormous swollen glands, you won’t have to wait for an appointment to get medicine to cure what ails you. Emily! She is a nurse and lives with me, enough said!

9. The Legal Adviser We all make mistakes. A need for speed can lead to you getting pulled over, and a lively party might end with a noise violation. If you have a friend who’s a lawyer, at least you won’t be alone when you have to appear in front of a judge. N/A ;) But, I can always count on my colleagues at work.

10. The Travel Buddy There are those who like to stay in the same place and find solace in their homes. And there are others who need to get out and explore the world. If you’ve caught the travel bug, find a friend who has it, too. It’s way more fun (and much safer) when you share adventures with someone else. VACANT I love to travel. I've travelled quite a few places, but still have never been to Disney World! If you're interested, maybe we can be friends.

Wednesday Confessions...

I hate to admit it, but today...

-I watched 3 episodes of John and Kate Plus 8 on TLC

-I realized I really like Raising the Bar even though it grossly distorts the justice system and idealizes public defenders

-I had to park two streets over because I couldn't parallel park in a spot in front of my house

-I made my dog run for 15 minutes instead of taking her on a 30 minute walk...she came home and threw up. I felt bad.

-For dinner I ate squash, tomatoes, an english muffin and glass of red wine. 

-I had half a bag of candy corn for lunch! (hence the veggies for din)

-I felt ridiculously insecure at the rec center tonight. All the young, gorgeous, skinny students are back on campus. Time to workout in the am with the rest of the average-bodied people.

-I drove to the rec. It's not a long walk nor a long bike ride. But, I drove. And I parked so far away I might as well have walked! (But, when I came home there was an open parking spot!)

-I mentally cussed out two car owners for taking up spots in front of my apartment where 3 cars could've fit!

-I'm still super sore from a gym class I took on MONDAY. Out of shape much?

All in a day's work, huh? :-) 

Tomorrow the Office is back. Woohoo!

My favorite cheesey Christian song

What I know and what I believe about God are often different. There have been times that while I knew God was good, I believed God was punishing me for failing and making mistakes.  I can recall actually thinking in my mind while praying-why bother with this with how messy my life is right now. And while I know that God hears the prayers of and loves the messiest of us, it's easy to believe quite the opposite.

I've only recently returned to really believing, not just knowing, that God is love-and this means He is and will always be rewriting my story into something that glorifies Him. Through everything-my mistakes, my messes, my triumphs-through it all, God is leading me in love. 

When I was going through a particularly bad time, my sister made me a CD full of Christian music--the perfect cure!  Now, I don't tend to be drawn to Christian music, but there is a song on this CD that I love. I dare say it is my favorite cheesey Christian song. The first time I listened to it, in the midst of pain, bad decisions, and feeling quite far from God-I listened and knew that I had to get through that hard time, that God had a purpose and a plan. But, I didn't really believe it. 

I dug out this old CD the other day and this song has been on repeat because now, I can look back and see that through that entire messy, sinful, misbelieving time God was there-leading me in love. While then I knew, but couldn't believe, today I can look back and believe. And I think that's pretty sweet.

Lead of Love

Looking back at the road so far

The journey's left its share of scars

Mostly from leaving the narrow and straight

Looking back it is clear to me

That a man is more than the sum of his deeds

And how You've made good of this mess I've made

Is a profound mystery

Looking back You know 

You had to bring me through

All that I was so afraid of

Though I questioned the sky

Now I see why

Had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view

Looking back I see the lead of love

Looking bak I can finally see

How failures bring humility

I'd rather have wisdom and pain

Brings me to my knees

Than be a comfortable old fool

Helps me see my need for thee

Looking back You know

You had to bring me through

All that I was so afraid of

Though I questioned the sky

Now I see why

Had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view

Looking back I see the lead of love

-Caedmon's Call

Are you superstitious?

I'm not. Or, at least I'd like to believe I'm not. But then again...

In 2006, when the Steelers won their last SuperBowl, my grandma (the Steelers' fan that she is) bought me 2 t-shirts. One was an AFC Championship t-shirt and the other was a SuperBowl Champions t-shirt. I wore the AFC Champs shirt during the SuperBowl that the Steelers ultimately won.

Now, I have several Steelers' shirts, and in the seasons following the SuperBowl I'd wear any of them. I started to realize that when I wore the AFC Champs shirt, the Steelers would win. I know, I know-mere coincidence, right? WRONG.

I'm testing it this season. First two games I wore it-they won. Yesterday, I lent it to Jana because none of her Steelers' gear was clean. AND THEY LOST.

So-I'm sorry Pittsburgh. This is completely my fault. Don't blame it on the offensive line, or Ben being sacked 8 times, or on a terrible coaching call to not go for the field goal at the end of the game. It's my fault for not wearing that magical AFC Champs t-shirt. I won't make that mistake again.

Witnessing Brokenness

He who does not weep, does not see.

-Les Miserables

Do the struggles of this life ever bring you to tears? There are moments that I can't help but weep for the broken hearts, messed up lives, and chaos in which we live. 

The past three days I've indirectly witnessed the extreme brokenness of this world-that, this evening, has brought me to tears. Tears not for me or my individual circumstances (which are actually quite great), but for the stronghold that sin has on our world-and our relationships. 

Specifically, I heard two separate stories of marriages ruined by infidelity--marriages that are only a few years old. One couple is in the early stages-the other spouse may not even know. The second couple is past the infidelity and on their way to a divorce. The scorned spouse now making decisions that will likely scar her for years to come. This morning at the Vineyard, I heard an inspiring, amazing guest speaker talk about her ministry to orphans internationally. She told one story of a 15 year old girl who was traded by her uncle to pay off financial debts.   The girl was sexually violated over 200 times by the creditor; eventually bearing a child who she was never allowed to see, until by literally a miracle of God, the baby was adopted by another family. 

The thing is-these stories aren't rare. They are the norm. And instead of trying to understand the greatness of this brokenness, I so often choose to simply close my eyes. To avoid it. To focus completely on myself. 

And while I don't think we should dwell on the universality of pain in this world; I think when we close our eyes to the injustices we can so easily see, we are choosing to be unavailable to God. Because when you really see the injustice and pain of people living on this Earth, why wouldn't you want to do anything God would empower you to do to heal and offer hope to those struggling? 

I believe God wants to bless this world, to bless His creation. And I believe we can take part in that by simply opening our eyes, and really seeing and feeling for the broken lives in this world.

God help us

I just read this:

That sentiment is echoed by Beth Seidel, a factory worker in Cleveland who works the third shift so she can take her son to school and then to practices for the four sports he plays. Pausing recently at a Wal-Mart, she said: "Honestly, I don't know what to do. I really don't want to vote for McCain. You can tell he only cares about rich people. Sarah Palin wears glasses that cost $300. McCain's wife wears Gucci clothes. Which means they don't know anything about people like me." Into that stew of assumptions, she adds: "I hear that Obama's a Muslim. If he is a Muslim, that would be a problem, because the terrorists already attacked us." (He's not.)

-extracted from Maxed-Out Moms: The Battleground Voting Bloc featured at Time magazine.

These are the people who vote and consider themselves "educated" on the candidates. Does this scare you at all? It does me. I guess the important thing to note is she shops at Wal-Mart.

If feminism is alive, is chivalry dead?

This morning I was running up the steep hill on Clifton Avenue. At the corner of Clifton and MLK, I went to cross the street. I had a WALK symbol. There is a right-turn only lane, and this black car did not appear to be slowing down. So, I waited for him to turn right before running across the street. He suddenly slammed on his breaks and yelled "F*ck you, lady. Nice legs b**ch." Seriously?

While this is perhaps an extreme example, I'm convinced that more and more men choose to be jerks-not gentlemen. I spent the rest of my run completely pissed off at this jerk. And I kept thinking, a gentleman is a rare find these days.

At work, most men will hold the door open for other women and will wait to exit the elevator until the ladies have exited, but many younger men do not. When I say "younger" I mean men younger than myself. In court, if all the chairs for attorneys are full, most older male attorneys will get up and offer me the seat. While I don't necessarily always take it, the gesture is appreciated. I often witness my male-age counterparts offering no such thing.

Perhaps parents are to blame. Not only do they permit their young boys (and girls) to listen to sexist, degrading music, but they purchase the music for their children. Wake up. Do you expect your sons to respect women when they listen to music calling women "bitches" and/or "hoes"? Doubtful. I don't blame everything on music, advertising, and television; but I sometimes think we underestimate its effect on kids (and adults!).

Our society embraces television shows (a la The Bachelor, The Real World ) that degrade women and are complete sexist trash. In these shows, women are portrayed as crazy psychos who are only good for sex-and once the sex is over are properly discarded and exchanged for another woman. Somehow, along the way, the "how to treat a lady" lesson was forgotten. Maybe the wake of feminism brought with it the end of chivalry. Who knows.

This I do know: Women should be cherished, not merely tolerated.

And women, you're not off the hook. Stop being in relationships with men who treat you like garbage. Stop dressing like a tramp and expecting to be respected. I'm not excusing male behavior, but say I were wearing a SUPER short skirt (there are some SHORT ones out there today that seriously do not cover anything), I might not have been as surprised by that car driver making that comment. On some level-our clothing invites a certain kind of response. Again, I'm not excusing it, but don't play the victim, ladies.

I am lucky to have found a man who, a year into our relationship, still opens the car dooor for me-and beyond that, respects me. Rare indeed.

not a pretty picture

I just finished my morning review of cincinnati.com to read the headline stories. Take a look. The big picture on the website is of a boy eating dinner somewhere because he has no power.
Notice anything strange?


I did. His mohawk hair cut. What is the deal? I've seen so many mohawk haircuts on boys this past summer and I really do not understand this trend. It looks ridiculous. I think they even call them "faux"hawks because it's not all tall and spikey. The "faux"hawk is sick.



It's almost as bad as the rat tail, which was cool when I was an elementary kid.

I was critical until I tried the nuts.

My roommate Jabs has decided to "go vegan" for 4 days. Yesterday I arrived home from work to a variety of interesting aromas in our apartment as Jabs had been cooking vegan meals all day. My initial reaction--SICK. I like meat. I don't understand the concept behind "meatless meats." I've tried Tofu. While it's relatively tasteless, its texture automatically invokes my gag reflex. I definitely think we all eat too much processed food, should try to buy local meats and produce, and do not consume nearly enough veggies, but I'd never go as far as to promote vegan-ism.

So after I criticized the vegan entrees stuffed into our fridge, I noticed the roasted/seasoned mixed nuts fresh out of the oven. Delicious! I'm not sure nuts classify as "vegan" fare, but I'm guessing the seasonings were organic or some such thing. Either way-tasty!

Fiona, however disagrees. She showed her distaste for all things vegan this morning when she woke me up at 5:30a.m. by puking up a gigantic "vegan" brazil nut. Dogs aren't supposed to have nuts, they can be poisonous. I'm assuming she found this on the floor somewhere.

Thank God we have hard wood floors.

Lesson learned: Don't hate all things vegan just because they are called vegan.

The VGT's Omnivore 100

VGT--very good taste--based out of the UK has created a list of 100 things that every omnivore who has very good taste should try. I saw this on a friend of mine's blog and thought it looked fun. I've bolded the ones I've eaten. I think the list is nuts! I want to make my own-just because you've eaten "roadkill" does not mean you have good taste!

1. Venison
2. Nettle Tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak Tartare (against my will!)
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J Sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from street cart
16. Epoisses (huh?)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (sick)
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas (sick)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (In san francisco!)
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jell-o
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (seriously?)
43. PHaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken Marsala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme glazed donut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear (does the juice count?)
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal (never had a big mac!)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips (sick)
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Caolin
64. Currywurst
65. DUrian
66. Frog legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche or absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baiju
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a 3 Michelin star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers (do the candy ones on a cake count?)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab (nasty)
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
100. Snake

Blackout '08

Did you survive the wind yesterday? I am one of the lucky ones to still have power. Aside from some flickering lights, my apartment never lost power and luckily there were no huge branches on my car when I woke up. I was really hoping downtown would lose all power and we'd have no work, but I guess there aren't enough trees downtown to cause any real damage.

But, we now have casual week at work because so many people don't have power!

I walked out during the windstorm to fix the fuse (our air conditioner went out!). It was nuts-debris flying everywhere. It made me wonder how bad it would be to actually be in Texas where Hurricane Ike actually hit. Unbelievable.

At least the wind didn't stop the Steelers from beating the Browns!! woohoo!

Can we really have it all?

The response to Sarah Palin has been quite intense. With the media all a-buzz about her, it seems she is just the jolt the previously uninteresting McCain campaign needed. On several elevator rides in my office, colleagues have asked me what I think about her. Mostly they ask because I am a woman.

And it seems the so-called "Mommy Wars" are on again. I hear women criticizing her because she can't possibly balance a high-stress job and taking care of a baby (not to mention her other children/future grandchild.) Then there are the women who praise her for being an example of a modern-day woman who can do it all-successful career and mother. Then there are the women who question how she can stand for working women while being a member of the Republican party-a party who has generally opposed legislation favorable to working parents (i.e. Family Medical Leave Act).

Who knows. I do know, however, that women are incredibly critical of each other. Stay at home moms criticize working mothers, and vice versa. I'm not sure why, but women really seem to struggle so much with their roles and/or identities. For example, I like to work. I enjoy waking up and driving downtown, walking to my office and being a lawyer. Sure, some days I don't love dealing with the day to day junk-but overall, I like having a job, getting a paycheck, reading and researching and finding solutions to legal problems. Often, if I am home for more than a day, I get kind of depressed.

BUT, what if I never have children? Have I denied myself the chance to fulfill whath some might say is my "true" calling to be a mother? What if I do have children, but also work? Am I somehow preventing my children from feeling secure or having a "good" childhood? I don't think I'd do very well staying at home all day. My dog drives me crazy from time to time--imagine me with a child! :-)

I may never have answers to these questions. But, it just seems like most of the pressure comes from other women. My mom grew up with the feminist movement. She never let me dress up as a princess for halloween (to this day I remember that!). She would've been disappointed if I came back from my first year of college with a fiance. She wanted me to go to school, get a job, then--if I wanted--have a family.

But friends my own age seem to be doing the opposite. Many of my friends from high school and college who have children are quitting their jobs to stay home with their children. Obviously, some women don't have that choice. Money is always an issue. But, it's interesting to see a new trend away from trying to have it all. Women seem to be making a choice between career and children. Whether we can or can't "have it all" I think we need to stop being so hard on each other. It just seems kind of silly.

The response to a bad day

What We Feel is Not Who We Are
Our emotional lives move up and down constantly. Sometimes we experience great mood swings: from excitement to depression, from joy to sorrow, from inner harmony to inner chaos. A little event, a word from someone, a disappointment in work, many things can trigger such mood swings. Mostly we have little control over these changes. It seem they happen to us rather then being created by us.

Thus, it is important to know that our emotional life is not the same as our spiritual life. Our spiritual life is the life of the Spirit of God within us. As we feel our emotions shift we must connect our spirits with the Spirit of God and remind ourselves that what we feel is not who we are. We are and remain, whatever our moods, God's beloved children.
-Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

I (and those around me) often become victims of my mood. I've been quite stressed this week--leaky bathroom situation in the apartment, barking dog (which is getting much better by the way!), impending deadlines and judge-craziness at work. While I can't necessarily control these things, I want to overcome the mood that seems to develop from having a "bad" day. First, it's unfair to those around me to have to live with my mood, and secondly, I allow myself to be defined by whatever happens on a given day--instead of clinging to my true identity, a beloved child of God.

Bad, frustrating things will happen. The key is to be able to continue to rejoice despite unfortunate, inconvenient circumstances. Being disciplined in prayer and reading Scripture , I think, is what it takes to lessen the power my moods have over me.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4-7

True Story

Tonight Jana and I went to week 1 of a 9 week bible study. After the video we broke into smaller groups. As an ice breaker, our leader (they actually call them "facilitators" but we all know they are really leaders) asked us to say our name and why we were here.

After I went, the following transpired:

Jana: Hi, I'm Jana. I'm actually roommates with Liz."

Facilitator: Oh, wow, what college do you guys go to?

Jana (and I): We're adults. We aren't in school. (But thanks for the compliment!)

Jana: We're roommates... but, I mean, we both have boyfriends and stuff. So, you know, it's not like that.

Facilitator: Oh, that's great...great you both have boyfriends.

(awkward laughter)

Seriously? I'm sure everyone assumed we were gay since we are post-college and living with someone who is not our husband. I haven't laughed that hard in a while...

Fire!

The fire alarm went off this morning at work (someone probably didn't shut the door when making popcorn!) . I am on the 12th floor. It took approximately 30 minutes for me to get outside using the stairs.

In the event of a "real" fire, I will take my chances and wait for a fireman to rescue me. The odds of surviving are probably better jumping out the window than waiting 30 minutes to get downstairs.

*sigh*

woof woof

So last night, my precious dog decided that I had been getting far too much sleep. She decided she would bark every time someone came into our apartment building, or anytime she could hear people walking around in our apartment, or anytime the wind blew. (ok, not really on the last one) It's hard for her because people are awake and moving around until like 2 a.m. I'm beginning to think living in an apartment was not a smart idea.

I am exhausted. I almost ordered her a bark collar last night online. I really don't want to do that, but I also enjoy my sleep! She's such a high-strung dog (so different from her owner) and every time she hears a noise, she wants to alert me to it. Eventually, I filled up a cup of water and would dump some on her when she'd bark. It seemed to work. Kinda. The following don't work at all:

-ignorning her

-grabbing her mouth shut and saying "no bark"

-forcing her to lay down

-holding her (this works until I fall asleep and she breaks free!)

I think investing in a spray bottle would be smart.

Lucky for us last night there was another dog in our apartment building. They decided that despite the walls and doors, they'd have a little conversation of their own. It reminded me of this Brian Regan joke about dogs barking at each other. I can't look up videos online at work, but it's hilarious.

Well, happy Monday. If you know how to stop a barking dog, I'd love your suggestions!

*Update--Needed a break from doing more work tonight and I found the video...enjoy!! 

Feels like fall (sorta)

This morning when I left for my run, it actually felt like fall outside. It had just stopped raining and there was a slight fall-ish chill in the air. It's starting to be dark out during my entire run again...just further confirmation fall is here.

And you know it's fall when the NFL season starts! Sunday the Steelers take on the Texans at 1:00p.m. I'm really looking forward to getting our cable hooked up so I can spend lazy Saturdays watching college football and lazy Sundays watching the Steelers. mmmmm, fall.

Oh, and Graeters had candy corn at its store downtown! I think I will go pick up some for my candy dish in my office.

The only thing we're missing now are pumpkins and color-changing leaves. I can't wait.

zzzzzzz

A faux fire drill (complete with 5 blaring fire trucks), neighbors who decided to hang their pictures (by pounding nails in the wall at midnight), sleeping on a couch while my bed is covered with dust due to bathroom repairs, and a whiny dog have left me quite exhausted this morning.

Thank God for coffee. And Thank God for the Mamma Mia! soundtrack I downloaded. This ought to keep me going...

Time warner-I don't need you...

So we have no cable tv until September 9 (that was the first available appointment the lovely monopoly Time Warner had). It's seemed so quiet in our apartment because I am so accustomed to having the television on in the background. The first few nights I read a book. In fact on Monday night I went to bed at 9:30p.m. because I didn't have the tv there to waste time watching.

Fast forward to last night when thanks to Kristen R., I was able to watch television on my computer. Hulu.com. The most amazing website ever. Ok, maybe not ever. But, it's pretty sweet. I'm tempted to skip purchasing cable and just buy a decent sized computer screen.

I was all set to watch Bones, which I've been wanting to take a look at, but then I saw One Tree Hill on there. A few years ago I sporadically watched One Tree Hill (back when I was looking to fill the void Dawson's Creek left behind), but caught it like 2 seasons in. Last night I watched the first 3 episodes!

I know, I know...I should be spending my evenings after work engaging in conversation, or reading a book, or just being alone with my thoughts. But, how can I do that when there is a website that has old episodes of Alf and Who's the Boss?!

Tribute to Cornell

I realized I never wrote a post about my housemates at Cornell. For one year, we shared our lives with each other. (Some of us more than others-Jana does not believe in doors). I admit I am not a good roommate. I like to be alone. I hate sharing (I realize that doesn't really make sense considering I'm a twin and have shared everything my entire life). But, the year went smoothly.

So-here goes, my roomies 2007-2008:

Rachel-Resident man-of-the-house. Ate more yogurt and cheese during the year than I have had in the last 5. Baby-sitter, dog-sitter, student, teacher, bike-rider Harry Potter devotee. My favorite Rachel moment was when the storm window came off the hinges and she was perfectly balanced on the window ledge outside and somehow managed to successfully remove the window, lower it down to Steve and come back inside the house without falling. She also makes some tasty meatballs.

Emily-Resident Nurse (for real! he he), fiance, self-named health food nut, Top Chef addict, also enjoys Little House on the Prairie! (we finally tracked down who was dvr-ing that show ;-) ). My favorite Emily moment-when Jason was in Colombia the battery in his Jeep died. We tried to get Jana's car to reach to jump, but it wouldn't quite fit. Emily suggested connecting two jumper cables together so they would reach. We didn't do that, but we still managed to melt the jumper cables and kill whatever life was left in the battery-all while leaving the Jeep nearly dangling at the end of the hill on our driveway.

Jana-resident nudist (ok, kidding, but nearly!), dislikes doors and boundaries of any sorts, giver--lends at least two pillows per night for Fi to sleep on, whirly pop-chef, sometimes a Steelers fan (sometimes a Bengals fan, sometimes a Browns fan). My favorite Jana story--Jana will clean not regularly, but impulsively. One night, around 11:30pm she decided to scrub the kitchen floor--wearing nothing but a tank top (see nudist comment above).

Jokes aside, I was very lucky to live with three very considerate, flexible women (flexible as in laid-back, not flexible like gymnasts). Particularly since I was the one with the yappy, annoying dog. All three took care of my dog like she was their own. Whether we were celebrating with a big party, or just sitting around watching an episode of Top Chef, it was a great year and I really enjoyed spending it living with these three. I learned a lot about my(selfish)self. Living with people can be hard, but these three made it fun. I will always have good memories of my first year living in Cincinnati, thanks Cornell ladies!

all moved in...

It feels great to finally be moved in and settled. I sat down in my new cozy reading chair (thanks Steve!) and realized it has been five days since I opened my Bible. (gasp!) That is partly because I had my books packed 5 days ago in preparation for this past weekend's move. No big deal, right? 

This weekend I found myself to be grouchy, resentful, short-tempered--basically a joy to be around. Certainly part of that had to do with the stress of moving. But, some of it too, had to do with the lack of spending time with God. I know it did.

When I go for a stretch without reading Scripture or praying and confessing, it seems I have very real physical "symptoms." I can be irritable, quickly frustrated, and overly-sensitive.  Because it is in those times, that I am relying mostly on myself and other people. Obviously, I get let down (I'm not perfect!). It may sound cheesey, but these "symptoms" are a strong indication that I need time with God. 

When I sat down tonight and spent time reading Scripture, I just reminded myself that only God can provide true security. Only in Him can my needs ever be completely met. I need Him.

TGIF

Well, it's Friday. It's also Move Day! Today we get the keys to our new apartment. We are downsizing quite a bit, so it will be interesting to see how all the stuff from a four bedroom house gets squished into a 2 bedroom apartment. Tonight my sister and her friend will be over to help me move my "small" things--i.e. everything but my bed, dresser and tv (though the tv really isn't mine...). I'll save the big stuff for my big, strong boyfriend to carry tomorrow morning :-) I know he cannot wait.

It's crazy how much "small" stuff accumulates!

I really don't enjoy moving. I've only ever moved a few times and I'd prefer to someday just live in the same place so I don't always have to pack and unpack. It is nice to go through your stuff, though, and purge out what is no longer used.


Yeah, well, this is kind of a random post-but there you have it. I'll try to post some pics of the new place this weekend. Have a great long weekend! Hopefully you're spending it doing something more fun than moving!

Dress Codes and Pom-Poms

At Monroe High School, the cheerleaders are no longer allowed to wear their skirts to school on game days unless they wear shorts or leggings underneath. Apparently this is causing quite a stir in that community. I've heard about it on the news, read an article here, and this morning on my way to work, the radio station I listen to was going nuts about it. (The store has attracted nationwide attention.)

I think it's kind of funny. You'd think parents would want their children in less provacative attire, but nope! The parents of the cheerleaders bombarded the Board of Education at its meeting last night to try to allow an exception to the dress code (which provides that skirts can be no shorter than 3 inches above the knee) for cheerleaders.

I'll say this-young adults today wear extremely revealing clothes. There is no place for this in school. Honestly, I've never been a fan of uniforms at public schools, but walk through a high school--it's NUTS what students (particularly girls) wear. Short jean skirts with thong underwear, halter tops, spike high heels, low-rise jeans with their thongs hanging out. It's overly-sexualized and way too young. We should be protecting the young women in our life from ogling perverts instead of encouraging them. I don't think asking cheerleaders to wear leggings under their skirts on game day is asking too much.

Besides, welcome to the real world. You can't go to a professional job and dress inappropriately. I can't go into a court room with a suit and no shirt underneath my jacket. I'm pretty sure they'd kick me out. Dress codes exist for a reason. The bigger, and probably harder issue is actually fairly enforcing them. Sorry cheerleaders, but I have no sympathy for you!

My favorite was this morning a 20 year old man called in the radio show and said that when he was at Monroe High School he always looked forward to game days and seeing the cheerleaders because of the tradition. Riiiiiiight.

Campaigns, Politics, and Trailer Parks

This morning I watched a campaign ad for I believe a Congressional seat in Kentucky. The ad began with a panoramic shot of a trailer park and then the narrator informed me that this candidate grew up in a trailer park and it will always be "home". Wow.

Not too long after that, I saw Obama's new campaign ad that reminds prospective voters that McCain owns seven houses. The ad ends with the shot of a down-trodden couple on the porch of their one and only home, a home that is probably in foreclosure because of our terrible economy.

WARNING: I am about to sound like an elitist jerk. Those commercials make me sick. Who cares if John McCain owns 7 houses? Good for him. Who cares if some dude from KY lived in a trailer park? That doesn't make him more American. Hmm, I don't own a home and I pay my bills, so I guess that makes me un-American? Give me a break.

Every day I am more and more convinced that there does not exist a candidate who truly represents the middle class. (Except maybe Ron Paul, but that never manifested into anything, so there you have it.) Now, when I say middle class, I don't mean dude from trailer park. I consider myself middle class, but if you look at my tax return and the percentage of my income that is taxed, well, shoot, I am RICH! (I guess that's why I drive a sweet Saturn that is missing 2 hubcaps and hasn't had the tires replaced in 2 years.)

It's absolutely absurd that the percentage I pay in taxes on my income is only a few percentage points lower than the percentage taxed on Bill Gates's income. And there is no candidate fighting for me--and the rest of those post-graduate school, working hard to pay off that insurmountable college debt, Americans.

All we ever hear about are the poor and the rich. Tax breaks for the middle class-ha! Tax breaks for those making less than 35K a year maybe. What about those making less than 100K? We are the ones who are struggling. We can't qualify for many tax incentives, or free government handouts because our income is too high. But, we also don't qualify for the tax breaks Republicans like to offer for the super rich. So yeah, we're stuck in the middle--not poor enough, not rich enough. Sounds like "middle" class to me.

Ok, my elitist rant is over. But, seriously, living in a trailer does not make you more American than me.

*As an aside, but still related, I saw on the Today Show a piece on Senator Joe Biden's wife, Jill. They've been married 31 years and she is the mother to his two children from his first marriage (his first wife died in a tragic accident). I liked the news story. It made me like Senator Biden a lot more.

You know you're moving soon when...

your dinner consists of frozen french fries, small bowl of cereal (to use the last of the milk!), and a paper cup full of flat Fresca. 

Yum.

(Is it bad that while it only took four boxes to pack my bedroom, the other bags in the picture are full of shoes in addition to that shoe rack!?)

One year!

Happy Anniversary! 

What a fantastic year! I am the luckiest...

Too Bad

Neither the men's nor the women's 4x100 meter relay team will be competing in the finals at the Olympics because they dropped the baton. I don't get it. It's yet another disappointment for Team USA in the Track & Field events.

Holding onto the baton just seems like something world class athletes would know how to do.

I guess just like amazing triumps (a la Michael Phelps), devastating mistakes also make these games so exciting.

And, hey, at least the beach volleyball women won gold in the pouring down rain! That was fun to watch. (*I'm glad I could find a picture of them in something other than see-through white bikinis, I would've felt a little weird posting that on my blog!)

I smell like a mountain breeze

Or something. The shirt I selected to wear today had a few wrinkles in it. So I did what any person without an iron would do and stuck it in the dryer with a wet washcloth and a dryer sheet with the hopes the wrinkles would magically disappear. The wrinkles were gone, but I am now left reeking of fake "mountain breeze".

I've never been a big fan of scents. I don't wear perfume often, if ever. I stick to my Dove soap and Curel body lotion and it works for me. That said, I loathe scented detergent. I always buy the unscented, free of dyes and perfumes detergent for this very reason. But, I was in a rush and just grabbed the first dyer sheet I saw.

Apparently I have a very sensitive nose, but I really don't understand why we want our clothes to be tainted with all these fake-smelling scents. I think now you can even have your laundry smell like fruits-mango and citrus flavored detergents are on the market. It seems crazy to me.

What's even crazier is that most women (and I suppose men) wear perfume. So not only do their clothes smell like an Ocean Mist, but now, they also smell like flowery perfume. It just seems like such an odd mix.

I will be spending the rest of this work day nauseated by the scent of my shirt. I guess if these scented detergents are so popular, maybe I am the odd one?

Back to School

Tonight after work I am going to take my niece and nephew to pick out their school supplies. They go back tomorrow. I am so excited. There is just something about brand new pencils, clean notebooks, shiny folders that thrills me.

It takes me back. I always loved the beginning of school. I enjoyed taking the trip to Office Max and picking up everything on the teacher's list. I never got into the fancy printed folders with cartoon or television characters on them. Instead, I stuck with basic colors--for instance, Language Arts was always yellow, Math was always read. I liked to be organized from the beginning and it just didn't make sense to have a My Little Pony folder for Social Studies. I would always veer off the list if it requested "wide-ruled" paper. Ridiculous--college ruled is the only way to go!

Looking back, I think I liked it because the first day of school was always a fresh start. There was the hope that your classmates would've forgotten that you were the one who threw up on the teacher's desk last winter. (They didn't). You know what I mean. With a "real job" there's no fresh start-every day is a continuation of the one before.

Everyone loves a new beginning. And it's even better when that new beginning is accompanied by freshly sharpened pencils and a new pencil box!

**The craziest thing is that I was reviewing their lists last night in anticipation for our trip tonight and some of the "supplies" seem rather outrageous. Ziploc baggies (all different sizes and MUST have the glide lock), Sharpie Ultra Fine Marker (um, I don't know why first grader would need this!), 2 rolls of paper towels, 3 boxes of tissues...you get the point. Seems we are providing some "supplies" for the teacher's household!

Next thing you know, students will be required to bring in toilet paper.

Large Coffee, Please!

Despite my better judgment, I stayed up until 1a.m. to finish watching the Women's Gymnastics All-Around Competition last night. It is an understatement to say I was exhausted when my alarm went off at 5:30a.m. this morning. But, how exciting! After last night's events, USA is now leading the total medal count-woohoo!

I think it's a good thing the Olympics are only two weeks long. Any longer than that, and I might lose my job for my semi-functioning in my sleep-deprived state.

In other news, I brought popcorn for lunch today only to find this sign taped to the microwave in my office's kitchen:

ATTENTION POPCORN MAKERS: PLEASE CLOSE THE DOOR BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER MAKING POPCORN. WHILE POPCORN MAY ARGUABLY BE DELICIOUS, THE SMELL IS UNBEARABLE.

Um, "arguably" delicious? Unbearable smell? Perhaps the only smell better than the smell of yummy, buttery popcorn is the smell of bacon sizzling in a frying pan.

People are weird.

A sad state

While eating some cake yesterday ordered to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a few attorneys in the office, my colleagues and I were discussing weddings and marriage. Someone stated that of the 10 or so weddings she had attended in the last year, she figured 2 would actually "make it" and stay together. That surprised me, but what surprised me more was that other people chimed in, agreeing and commenting that when they attend a wedding they usually can tell whether the couple "has what it takes" to last-and that most couples don't.

The whole conversation left me feeling angry and sad. Isn't the whole point of a wedding to publicly, before God, declare to the world your commitment to your spouse? A chance to request support and encouragement from close friends and family for what is sure to be a path with many bumps along the way? Apparently not. Instead, weddings today are a chance for a gigantic, expensive party to celebrate the combining of assets of two people who have probably been living together for 2 years anyway.

A wedding has become something that is expected of a couple that has been dating x number of years, rather than a celebration of a commitment to spend a lifetime together. Weddings today are "the next logical step."

My thoughts are all over the place on this, but mostly I just wish our world was more supportive of marriage. It literally feels sometimes like no one respects marriage. People flirt with others they know are married without any regard for the marital relationship-and then they find countless reasons to justify their behavior. This sickens me. When I see that happening (which I do-I think this is probably common in work environments), I just want to go up to people, shake them and say STOP IT, YOU ARE MARRIED. But, nobody does that. We all just turn our heads and indirectly add to the general disrespect our culture has for marriage.

I guess the thing is for me, I'd prefer people to not be placing bets at my wedding on whether or not I have what it takes to make a marriage work. If you really think the marriage won't work, don't you have a duty to suggest that BEFORE the wedding? I'd rather have people attending who have the intention of supporting my marriage, not there to condemn it while enjoying free booze and cake.

Which is better, number 1 or number 2?

I went to the eye doctor for my yearly appointment after work today.  I always get nervous at the eye doctor-like I'm going to fail the test. I had to take this peripheral vision exam and I was for real nervous I would miss one. I asked her if the patients at the beginning of the day tend to do better than those that come in after a day of tiring work. She looked at me like I was a moron and said "just click when you see the blinking light".

Surprise surprise my vision continues to get worse. I am extremely nearsighted but, I can see up close very well! I am in need of a new pair of glasses, so I let my doctor know that and I think as soon as I said that, I turned into a giant dollar sign. 

I have pretty decent eye insurance, but I can either get glasses or contacts, not both. This time I opted for the glasses because they are more expensive. And expensive they were! I left there dropping $264 on my glasses and "contact fitting" (whatever the he** that is, I have been wearing contacts for 14 years, I'm well aware of how they fit). This was after I denied the transitions lenses and anti-glare finish. Pre-insurance costs was something close to $650! 

I kept stressing to the lady helping me select frames that I would only be wearing these before bed or early in the morning, but I still ended up going for the "lightweight materials" upgrade and designer frames! She only showed me designer ones and convinced me that with my prescription, if I didn't go with the lightweight materials, my glasses would weight 50 lbs. 

I feel so taken advantage of--who knew even eye doctors will try to rob you of your money. I can only imagine how awful it is for someone without insurance!

*And I am secretly excited for my new specs, it's been 12 years since I had new frames!

Dressage?

There are so many Olympic sports I love to watch. However, there are also quite a few I don't understand. My parents get this Canadian station (I believe it's CBN or CBT or who knows) that has live coverage all day of the Olympics. At one point, I was watching some kind of equestrian event and it literally looked like a horse trotting in a circle (apparently this is called dressage). Steeplechase = cool. Horse trotting = boring.

So in 4 years, baseball will no longer be an Olympic sport because not enough countries play it. That is bogus. Here is my list of sports that should go well before baseball:

-BMX Racing (this is a new one this year)

-All equestrian events other than the steeplechase event

-Synchronized swimming

-Taekwondo

-Rhythmic gymnastics

-Judo (isn't this just Japanese wrestling?-I could be wrong here!)

-Table tennis

I don't understand why golf is not included in the Olympics. Strange.

Interestingly, when I went to wikipedia to see a comprehensive listing of Summer Olypmic events, I discovered Tug of War was an event between 1900 and 1920. BRING IT BACK!

Olympic Fever

Tonight the 2008 Summer Olympics begin. I cannot wait. Growing up, the Olympics were always a big deal in my house--probably because it was the only time the whole world got excited about sports like Track & Field and swimming.

So taking a look back in time...

4 years ago, I was IN GREECE for the start of the Olympics. I was "studying" abroad for law school on the island of Rhodes and spent the end of my trip in Athens. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, I spent two days in Athens with no hotel and no sleep. Yikes.

8 years ago, I was getting ready to head back to Wooster to begin my sophomore year of college--and to begin a week of grueling cross country camp. I had finally settled on a major, History, and a minor, English.

12 years ago, I was preparing for my sophomore year at Southview High School. This year would prove to be one of my favorite years in my high school "experience". That summer I had an Olympic swimsuit that had shiny silver torches and had "Atlanta 1996" written on it. Yeah, no Olympic swimwear this year.

16 years ago, I was just starting 6th grade. Mr. Meyers would be my teacher, and he would remain my favorite teacher I had growing up. This was the year of the Barcelona Olympics and I will never forget watching the diving competition with the city of Barcelona in the background. Gorgeous. I also remember that year in school, in art class, we had to make these paper mache busts of people we admired. I chose Carl Lewis.

20 years ago, good lord I am old! Ok, truth be told I don't remember these games at all. Is that bad? I was 7, give me a break!

I love the Olympics. I love that atheletes who work hard every day competing in a sport they love get to show off their skills before the entire world. They don't do it for a million dollar paycheck or celebrity notariety like the atheletes we seem to value here in America (I know they do get endorsements, but it's not the same). Instead, they do it because they are passionate about their sport and have pride in their country.

I'm looking forward to the opening ceremonies tonight, which I will be enjoying with my family in Toledo-just like the old days. :-)

*Happy Friday, and thank you to everyone for making yesterday so special!

27 years ago...

I was born! Ok, so was Katy. I've never had my own birthday, I've always shared it with my twin sister Katy. And that is a-ok by me. I was born exactly one minute before Katy, and I've always considered myself the wiser, mature sister. 

Since your 27th birthday only comes once, I thought I'd celebrate it with some pictures....

Katy and I on our birthday back in 1981. We were born in Vandalia, Ohio and yes, she is the one on the left sleeping. I was quite alert to make sure everyone was doing what needed to be done. Katy left the hospital 4 weeks before I did because I didn't weigh enough. Oh, how the times change!  

We went swimming at Fair Valley pool, and apparently I made a big fuss about it. Hello! Everyone knows it's child endangerment to perch your children on picnic tables for a silly picture!

We opened presents on Christmas morning, and despite the "boy" hair cuts my mom believed to be stylish, we got dolls like every other girl in America. (yes, that is dark brown carpet. I grew up in the 80s!)

We finally convinced our mom to let us grow our hair out...and wow! HOT. Nothing like a perm and some feathered bangs.

Despite all the silliness, Katy is my best friend. She has loved me with short hair, permed hair, and no hair! And I'll always be glad to share my birthday with her. 

Happy Birthday Kate!

Sweet Victory!

I did it! Last night, I defeated Steve in a game of Jeopardy to win the best of 7 series. The trophy IS MINE.

Unfortunately I do not have a photo of me with my trophy because Steve refused to take it for fear it would end up on this blog. Well, picture or no picture, victory is mine! It was a tough, controversial game, but in the end I prevailed.

At my niece and nephew's t-ball game on Saturday there were no "outs" or "winners". Well, I think that's silly. Winning feels GREAT!

Peter

7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4: 7-11

I was reading this last night and kept thinking that the Peter who wrote this was the same Peter who cut off some guy's ear before Jesus's curcifixion. The man who once seemed brash and overly assertive now writes to guide Christians to have self-control, to respect each other.

Somehwere along the way, Peter changed. He went from a man who acted on impulse and his own thinking, to a man who sought for his actions to always glorify God.

I often think I will always be a critical, judgmental person. It's how I'm wired. I'm more prone to be negative than positive. This way of thinking is easier for me--I don't have to change or desire to be changed. I am what I am.

But, that isn't so. People do change, and maybe not because of their own willpower. I think Peter changed because as he matured, he experienced and knew more and more about God. By being so intimately connected to God, Peter allowed himself to be transformed by God. And ultimately, that transformation glorified God, not Peter.

So, I need more of God, because the more I am filled by God, the more I experience with God, the more I give my life to God--the more my actions will naturally glorify God. It's a no brainer. Change is possible. I can experience God's peace in my life. But, real change begins with having more God in my life. He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

Need clothes?

On August 29, I'm moving to a smaller apartment. I have to get rid of some stuff and, truth be told, I have needed to de-clutter for a while. Now, I don't have much "stuff" (I think all I have to be moved is a bed, dresser, nightstand and my clothing)--but, I do have a lot of clothes.

I spent my Sunday going through my closet and all the clothes in my dresser. I sorted, threw away, folded, cleaned and I realized a few things:

1. No one needs 14 pairs of jeans. While I have a reason for the each of the 7 pairs I saved, 14 was really quite excessive ;-)

2. I have WAY too many black shirts. Someone at work once commented I wear either black or white every day. I think those are the most flattering and professional colors, but yikes

my wardrobe is quite bland.

3. I parted with a LOT of old clothes. I finally got rid of this adorable JCrew plaid dress I've had since my freshman year of college. (Yep, 9 years old). I loved that dress-loved the way it looked, love the memories I have from

 when I wore it. But, I haven't worn it in nearly 4 years--it's just a dress, right!

4. While I got rid of a ton of clothes, I realized it is really hard for me to part with old t-shirts. Shirts from races and old sports teams--I just can't say goodbye. Even though I don't wear many of them anymore, I like the memories attached to them. So while I bought an under-the-bed storage container for them, I think I'd like to find out how to make them into a blanket or

 something. I've seen people do that before and it's pretty sweet!

5. I have spent a sickening amount of money on clothes over the years. In my "to goodwill" pile, I got rid of at least 3 pair of name brand pants that still had tags on them. I h

adn't worn any of them in at least one year. It's so easy to see something on sale and think "oh, I can't pass up these $9.99 jeans", but it just ends up being such a waste--of money, of space, etc. In one episode of Sex and the City, I remember Carrie realizing she could've put a down payment on an apartment with the amount of money spent on the shoes in her closet. I felt like that today-I wonder what I could have done with all that money I have invested in my rather monochromatic wardrobe over the years...