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...

Animal Love

Isn't this video amazing? Yes, I cried the first time I watched it.

*Make sure your volume is on to get the full effect ;-) Have a great weekend!

A bit of nostalgia

Ever since Jana returned from her Michigan expedition, Fiona has ditched my bed at night for Jana's. I have no idea why. Fiona is definitely a bed-hog (and yes, that is possible at 12lbs, she is amazing at scooting her way over until she is literally in the center of the bed), but I miss her!

This morning I was getting ready for work in our downstairs bathroom and Fi was laying down watching me blow dry my hair. I noticed her turn and look up the stairs, then proceed to climb them and, I'm assuming, hop into bed with Jana for her morning snooze.

For a moment I had a flash back to when Fi and I lived with my parents in Toledo and I had to teach her how to climb stairs. She was so frightened. I had to take a treat and lure her up those stairs, while showing her how to climb with her paws. It was sooooo cute. We'd get to the top and she'd whine for me to carry her back down. She is 3 now! Time goes so fast. :-)

(Yes, I am having nostalgic feelings about my dog that some would have for their children. Deal with it.)

Also, she likes corn. I've been trying to post a picture, but I think my work network won't allow it. I'll try to post it later.

In other news, I watched my first tv poker tournament last night and though I never thought I'd be saying this, it was really fun to watch! Who wants to front me $1500 so I can get in the game? kidding....;-)

*Here is the picture! 

Jumbled thoughts on mortality...

I've always been accutely aware of my mortality. I remember being very young and having an understanding that eventually every living thing on this Earth would die. Morbid, right? It has always kind of freaked me out how fragile life is. Crazy tragedies happen every day. Incurable diseases can strike at any moment.

But, of course, I have hope. Jesus promises eternal life. I know as a Christian, heaven should provide an immense amount of comfort. But, sometimes it doesn't. (gasp!). Belief and trust have never just come naturally for me. Maybe they did when I was a small child, but I prefer to know things or to have them proven to me with logical arguments and LOTS of evidence in support of those arguments.

It's hard for me to grasp what heaven is--clounds and angels and sunshine all day long? Doubtful. I generally conceptualize heaven as the place or time where I finally am in direct communion with God-no more worrying, no more anguish in this broken world, no more fear. I like that--but again--what does that really look like or feel like. I have no clue!

The other side of this, for me, is that I like this life. I prefer not to think of this world as a waiting room for heaven- a place that I have to survive and get through until God decides it's time for me to go to heaven. The Kingdom of God is now, right? We don't have to wait to die to experience it.

I wonder, too, how heaven can be this place where there is no brokenness or despair when close family or friends aren't there with us. Today my mom is having surgery to remove what the doctors hope is the rest of the skin cancer on her nose. Now, I realize this is likely not a kind of cancer that will kill my mother. But, this surgery kind of further confirmed for me her mortality. I HATE thinking about my parents dying. But, I hate it even moreso because I don't know what will happen to them once they die. My parents were baptized when they were babies, but I am pretty sure they would not consider themselves Christians--though, maybe Christmas and Easter Christians.

And while I will never know what is in their heart of hearts or what they communicate (or don't communicate) with God, I can't help but wonder at what or how heaven can really be heaven without those we love.

I'm not writing this to scare myself into trying to persuade my parents to know Jesus personally. God does not need me to do any of that. But, I am convinced I need to do more with my life, with my calling from God to share the hope that I have with others. I no longer have to fear death and see it as the end. That is the scariest tragedy of all--someone dying without ever knowing real Hope.