Friday, May 30, 2008

I said I wouldn't post but...

I am! :-)


Ok, I am totally jealous of what some of the Grace men are doing this weekend!!! It sounds like so much fun. For those of you who don't know, there is a Grace Men's Retreat this weekend. They are camping some where down south (by the beach). The weekend involves fellowship, worshiping our wonderful Lord, the beach, mountain biking, surfing, relaxing, and whatever else they want to do. It sounds like a blast!

Does Grace do a Women's Retreat, or no? I'm not sure if camping out would be "fun" to a lot of other females...although I know quite a few who would thoroughly enjoy it too. Not sure. I've also been thinking lately that there isn't much for the "in between people" at Grace. Like those that aren't married, and are just out of college (or some what recently out). I think I was talking to Arijaan about this. You go from being in college group to...nothing really. I guess there's the 2:42 group. Who knows! So, maybe we could form a "so you are out of college now and you have no idea what to do with your life" group!!! :-) I'd join it, that's for sure! :-) And we could all go camping together...yeah, that would be fun! I think I just really want to go camping!

Ok, have a wonderful weekend blog friends!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Short Weeks are Marvy!

I love how fast this week is flying by. So nice!!!

So, I've been looking on IKEA.com lately and can I just say that we need one here. I want to go so badly! It's far away though and I would have to use Jason's car. He doesn't like driving it far since it's old. Oh well. I'm contemplating ordering some stuff online. It's $75 worth of stuff (which includes a set of drinking glasses, two sets of silverware, a coffee table, a side table, and a TV table) and shipping is $25. Not sure if it's worth it. hmmm. You also have to be at home when UPS delivers it and I'm always at work. So, I don't know. Since I can't go to Ikea I'm going to go to Target. Yayyy! I'm so excited. I love Target, but I never go. Since Jason will be gone this weekend I'll have his truck to use to my hearts delight. Target here I come!!!

I'm hittin' the yard sales this Sat. That will be exciting. I'm hoping to find a lot of kitchen stuff. You know, like casserole dishes, pots and pans, and etc. I have some stuff (like 4 brand new cookie sheets...don't ask). Anyways, hopefully I find some good stuff! I wish we had a good flea market around here. The one at the Fremont theater seems a little junky. I could be wrong though.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I won't be posting tomorrow. Just don't really have much to say! :-)

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

My loot so far...

Welp, here is what I have managed to snag so far from craigslist...


A red IKEA table (maybe put my tv on it?)--$8
A dining room table and chairs...there will be a definite "Before and After" picture on these puppies. Paint to come! :-) --$25

And hopefully, hopefully two of these funky modern chairs...with slideout ottomans, ooh lah lah, originally $120 for one at Target --both for $20.


Things I still need: bed, futon couch, and maybe a couple of side tables. The hunt is on!

Becuase there's nothing else to do!

I saw this on some one's blog...so why not!

What I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Preparing to move to California from North Carolina
2. Finishing up 7th grade
3. Was likely in d-hall (what we called detention in NC).
4. Fighting with my younger brother
5. Preparing for the ridiculously hot summers in NC

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Email my sr. project to my prof...DONE!
2. Hem Jason's new mountain bike shorts that I have been putting off for sooooo long.
3. Finish the work day with a good attitude
4. If my fabric came in the mail, start Kate's bag
5. If my fabric didn't come in, email the lady and ask WHERE IS IT?

Snacks I enjoy:
1. Carrots and hummus
2. Yogurt and granola
3. any and all fruit
4. Cheez-its
5. cheese, salami, and crackers

Things I'd do if I was a millionaire:
1. Set up a free English school for natives in South America and use it as an outreach for the Lord.
2. Buy a car...I've always wanted one! :-)
3. Honestly, I would totally buy a full xtr Santa Cruz Blur with the new Reba Team fork.
4. Tithe a mondo chunk.
5. I feel like I'd want to get rid of it. I don't know that I would want to be a millionaire. I'm not sure that I could handle it.

Places I've Lived:
1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Fremont, CA
3. Fayetteville, NC
4. San Luis Obispo, CA

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Yay...a four day work week!

Welp, it is Tuesday and I certainly did enjoy my 3 day weekend! It was actually quite relaxing...which was nice. Guess what...we saw 2 movies this weekend at the theater. Can you believe that!?! We saw Indiana Jones on Friday night for "date night". One word...ALIENS?!??! That was a little odd. I mean, come on! I guess you have to cover all your bases. You have Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. It only makes sense that the next one would be about the extra terrestrial. Not! It was ok though. I still think that the third one with Sean Connery was by far the best one!

Then on Saturday Jason went on a ride and I...what did I do? Oh, I had coffee with Rebekah Weeks, it was her birthday. Then I think I read and...ok, Saturday is a blur. What I do remember though is that we were supposed to go to the Prince Caspian movie with the Badgers. They couldn't find a babysitter though and Cara felt too pregnant to want to sit in one position for two hours. So, Jason and I decided to splurge big time and go anyways. We saw it and it was...good. I think that I like it better than the first one...I think. The fighting scenes were better at least. The romance though that they decided to throw in, was silly! I mean, come on, it wasn't even in the book.

Sunday was church, Sunday school, and climbing. The ankle is feeling pretty good. I still have some swelling but I think that it is going down slowly. I jumped down from about 8 feet twice and it didn't hurt. That was nice. Then Jason and I made BBQ chicken for his parents for dinner. It was a very pleasant Sunday.

Monday was my PAID day off. I have zero experience with such a thing but I will say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'll take more of those days anytime! :-) Jason went on a 28 mile bike ride...jealous! Then right after that he met Keith and they played racket ball. Talk about high energy. He also got thoroughly "burnt". i.e. a slight burn that will turn into a rich dark tan in 12 hours. The funny part though is that since there is elastic around the sleeves of his bike jersey it is a perfect line. The next time we go to the beach he will take off his shirt...but it will still look like he has one on. Funny stuff.

Well, next weekend is the Men's Retreat. Jason is only slightly excited. It's all men, doing lots of active things, all weekend. I'm a little excited too! I have planned for that weekend so far shopping and pedicures with a friend (I've never had a real pedicure. I went and got one at the Beauty College once with Kate. I was informed though that they left out some very important steps in the pampering process.) Anyways, Jason just started the Morro Bay Power Plant position today. His dad mentioned that because it's the outage Jason may have to work this weekend. That would be a huge bummer. So, if you think about it, you can pray for Jason that he would still be able to go this weekend and that he wouldn't have to work! Ok, I hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Friday, May 23, 2008

GPants...yeah, yeah homey!

What is this are you asking? Well, Gpants or GDiapers are a diaper "alternative"...a mix between disposables and cloth. They sound super interesting. A little pricey (although I haven't done the math as compared to reg. disposables), very cute looking, and incredibly good for the environment...and for your babes bumm apparently. I know that there are many out there who are preggo, or who know someone that is and if you are into all that environmental mumbo jumbo :-)...these might interest you. Basically, diapers take about 500 years to break down in the land fills...that's a very long time. These "inserts" only take about 50-100 days I think. Very cool! Anyways, if you are curious check it out!

Friday + Anna = BFF

Wow, that previous post was sort of depressing. I have been in a weird melancholy mood the last couple of days. It took me by surprise because I am not prone to such a thing at all. I woke up today though and felt like I was back to my old self again. So, that's good. Thank you Lord!

So, I FINALLY finished Emma. It only took me 3 months! I would read it on the bus or sometimes at work. I'm finished though and am ready to take on a new Jane Austen book.

So, on a completely different note...I cannot believe that gas is over $4 a gallon now. Wowee. Granted, I don't own a car, but I usually help Jason with gas since he drives me around everywhere and always picks me up from work. I remember when you could put $10 in and it actually got you some gas. Now $10 gets you nothing! So sad. I saw on the news that the Netherlands pay about $10 a gallon and the UK pays about $8 a gallon. Guess how much Saudi Arabia pays for their gas per gallon...45 cents! Lame! Oh well, so I guess it could be worse! If it ever goes up that high, and if I have a car, I'm going to sell it and sport the moped!!! That would be cool!

So, I'm looking for a new job!!! There was an episode yesterday that was the last draw at work. Basically my boss is really old and he's turning into a mean, crabby old man. He won't be one of those pleasant elderly people. He'll be the mean man who makes all his caregivers cry. I cried yesterday in the bathroom because of him. I have a possible offer from a lawyer in our office that is moving up in the world and partnering with someone else. He is moving offices and wants to possibly take me with him. We'll see. I've never really pictured myself as the "law" type of person. Most law suits and what not totally bug me. So, I guess we'll see what happens. I'm looking at SLOJobs and what not too, so if you hear of anything let me know!!!

Well, I hope that everyone has a marvelous weekend and I shall talk to you all on...TUESDAY, because I have Monday off...wahoo! I don't even know why. What holiday is it? Memorial Day or Labor Day? Anyways...farewell!!!

PS: Note to Kate...in case you read this. I still haven't received your fabric in the mail. I've never gone through this lady before and it turns out she is way slower than the "regular" girl I use. (I've bought stuff from her three times!) :-). Anyways, so hopefully it will come today or tomorrow but there's a chance that it won't. :-(. If it comes in the next couple of days I will still get it done my Sunday! By the way, Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Weighed Down...

I just feel weighed down. Do you ever just look at the magnitude of sin, pain, suffering, and heart brake and just slump over and think, "Why? Just when you think it can't get any worse." It's funny because I used to think that the argument "Evil exists, therefore there is no God," was dumb (and for the most part I still do). I mean, granted, I obviously thoroughly studied this problem as a philosophy major and I know that this is a weak argument that doesn't work all that well. Yet, in my heart I understand it. I can see how someone who doesn't know the Lord or believe in an almighty, good God would think this.

I watched the Nightly News two days ago and it was heart wrenching. It was one of the first footage's shown on the earthquake in China. It rocked me. I mean, there were hundreds of dead children. Then there's Myanmar...so much suffering and pain. Then I read on Kali's blog about Steven Curtis Chapman's adoptive daughter being ran over and dying...ran over by her own brother. You can't help but cry out, "Why Lord!?!" I know in my head that it is all for good, all for the glory of our great King. I am just having trouble getting past the heart ache. I'm having trouble looking past the here and now and seeing it's effects in eternity. Do you ever feel like this?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Mountain biking...

We have finally stripped the paint off my bike frame...ugggh. I took it in last week to the powder coat guy and he was going to charge me $100 to strip the frame of the paint. Are you kidding me? I thought that they would bead blast it but he said that aluminum frames are too soft to do that with. He was just going to use paint thinner and take it off. He told me that if I want to save money I can do it myself. Ok! That sounds like a much better idea. Granted, "Do it myself" actually means "Jason does it"! :-) Gotta love the men in our lives! So, after one unsuccessful try with regular paint thinner we bought this stuff called JASCO. It's not really liquid but more of a paste. It stuck right onto the frame and boy did it work!!! yay! Jason was all decked out in his gloves, respirator, and goggles. It was some seriously powerful junk...only slightly toxic :-). So, we have a few finishing touches left around the crevices and then FINALLY I am taking my dumb frame to the paint place. We are at the one month mark of no cardio exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes another 2 weeks to finish the bike and get me on it. Uggh. A month and a half. Holy cow. I'm going to be SO out of shape.

Last night Jason went on a "full moon ride" with some guys from church. These guys are pretty much animals when it comes to riding. They ride a ton of road and mountain miles each week. Poor Jason has probably ridden two or three times in the last month. He really needs a group of fast guys to spur him on. I am slower than him and there is something about "manly competition" that every guy needs. I don't fart, heckle him, try to push him off the trail, or threaten his manliness by leaving him in the dust. I ride hard, I push myself, but I also look around at all the wildflowers growing and usually say something totally girly like, "Oh, aren't they just beautiful!?!" I don't like to be pushed off the trail. I don't like to be given "brake checks" (where they ride up along side of you and squeeze your brake on your bike) and I definitely don't like to be t-boned. All of these things though Jason experienced last night and boy did he love it. They headed out at 9:45pm and rode up Poly Canyon, around the tracks, up Stagecoach and then down Shooters. The uphill was done by moonlight and the downhill by lights. After that ride they rode to Madonna mountain and rode up that. Um, insane? Yeah. This is a somewhat normal ride for these guys. Jason told me that he would just do the first part. I heard the words coming out of his mouth but I knew he would do both parts...he did :-). The poor guys legs were cramping on the way to Madonna mountain but he just couldn't say no! Oh well, it's good for him! I'm happy he finally got to ride with them. They do morning rides but Jason has to be at work at 7am. He can't ever go on them but always wishes he could. So, way to be a stud Jason! I was half jealous and half happy that I was in my bed nice and cozy at 11pm! Have a great day everyone!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Monday is here!

I am so tired. I wish I could say that I had a jam packed weekend just full of things that would wear a person out but...I didn't. Saturday was a fun day. Jason went on a ride with Ben and I went to some garage sales. I was somewhat successful. I found a shelf thing. It's bare wood so I get to paint it...that will be fun. After that I met with my friend Shannon and we finished our mugs and utensil holder at Red Hot Pottery. That was great fun. I'm so excited to get it back. Hopefully they look ok :-). After Red Hot Pottery we hit Linnaea's and treated ourself to a parfait. Yum! Later that day I met up with Jason and we went to Barnes and Noble, read magazines, and had an iced carmel macchiato. Saturday was concluded by watching one of the old Indiana Jones movies. We are preparing ourselves to see the new one that's coming out in a couple of weeks.

Sunday we went to church and taught children in a very warm Sunday school room. So many of them were so lethargic. It was so weird. Normally they are bouncing off the walls. One boy was particularly cranky. I don't think that he does so well with the heat. After that Jason and I went to the beach. It was pretty cool there but the water was quite pleasant. A little cool but we had a lot of fun body boarding. After that we went to the climbing gym. That was really fun. Climbing is like mountain biking...or any sport really. You have good days and bad days. Yesterday was a good day for both of us. Jason is starting to conquer some crazy routes. I can't believe he has the arm and grip strength that he does. Quite impressive. I'm finally a little less timid about climbing too. I'm afraid to go too high because my ankle is definitely not healed yet. I don't want to fall on it. I'm just going for it now. It feels good to be on the improving side of it again, rather than the maintaining side of it. So, overall a good weekend.

I woke up this morning and I was so tired! uggh. Oh, this is Jason's last week at Grace, doing the remodel. He got another temp position at Morro Bay. That will be a huge blessing for him because the pay is quite good. Anyways, hope everyone has a great Monday and I am off to get another cup coffee.

Friday, May 16, 2008

So...

it's Friday!!! I'm coming up on my 100th post. Wowie!!!

There's not to much to say on this lovely day. I told Cara about me practically being her neighbor and she was quite excited. We have big plans...like going in their complex hot tub while Keith watches Rebekah and what not. I will also be moving a month before she is due so there will be some "rescue visits" I'm sure. She's convinced that she is going to go insane once the second babe is born. Also I can steal her kid and maybe let her get some rest before the big day. Yes, Yes...it'll be great.

So, I still have a dead phone. Boo. I went to Verizon yesterday and it's gone...forever. We weren't able to get the phone to even turn on so all of my numbers are gone too...sad. My upgrade is in a month and a half. Lame! Of course the phone would die now. So, my only option is buying a phone full price right now. I don't want to do that though since I can get one for free pretty much in a month and a half. SO!...Does anyone have an old Verizon phone that I could buy from them? I don't care how archaically old it is. As long as it works. Let me know! Ok, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Studio Last Night...

WAS GREAT! This studio was being rented out by boys...so I was a little hesitant about renting from them. I didn't particularly want their furniture. So, when I knocked a guy answered the door and I totally recognized him from Grace. He recognized me too. Kind of funny! It turns out that I will be finishing their lease for them so they will be taking all of their furniture with them. Yay! Financially it would be better for it to be furnished since I have uh, NOTHING! It will be way more fun though to go out and find old cheap crusty stuff and spruce it up. Eventually I will need furniture anyways. Sooooo....yah! I'm really excited to be living on my own once again. I have a lot of kitchen necessities and what not because I have lived on my own before. When I lived with roommates though I came in in the middle of their lease and so the house was already furnished, I just had a bed and a desk. Even the bed I sold and got rid of. Hmmm...

Anyways, so I move in on June 15th and stay there through Sept. It's not very long but, hey, it'll be a good place for now. It's in the newer housing complex by Costco. There are the apartments/condos and then behind that there are houses. Each house seems to have an unattached garage behind it with a granny unit above it. The studio is $75 more than the one in Mustang Village but it is way better in so many ways. 1. There is no scary, dark, dorm hall to walk down in order to get to the room. 2. I'm not surrounded by college students who are mostly in their first or second year of school. 3. It's way newer, fresher, and brighter than the Mustang Village studio. 4. It's not completely across town from my work. 5. It doesn't involve a deposit (the Mustang one did). 6. There are no issues with parking and parking permits. 7. Um, and Cara Badger, polish dogs, pizza, and Old Navy are right at my finger tips. I mean, does it even get better than that??? So thank you for praying. I just thank the Lord that I have a home!...for now! :-)

On another note, I love my cell phone. I didn't really realize how much I valued it until mine died. Yesterday, at around 2:25pm, my little LG "free when you sign up for a two year contract" phone died. May it rest in peace. I know that this is a really stupid prayer request...but, I am really hoping that when I take it into the Verizon guys today that they will be able to at least turn it on. I can't even turn it on. There are just so many phone numbers in there that I would like to be able to transfer to the new phone I will have to get. It would be really sad to lose them all. I mean, one of my closest friends, Shannon, I don't even know her number and we are supposed to hang out this Sat. I don't even know my parents home number and cell numbers by heart. (Granted I have never lived with my parents while they have had the number so I have never needed to really memorize it). All my numbers where there with a push of a button. So, I feel very far from the world right now...no one can reach me. Oh well. Ok, welp, farewell mi amigas...(I don't think that there are any males who read my blog so I can say that) :-).

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Some thoughts for today...

First, I am beyond excited for this supposed heat that is coming our way. I would be very content if we had upper 80's, lower 90 degree weather...all the time. I love it warm and our so called "perfect" 70 degree weather that we usually have is a tad too cold for me.

Second, I have been off the bike for exactly 3 weeks today....:-( . It's really disappointing to know that all that I put into riding and building stamina the last couple of months is down the drain. The rainy season was finally done and I was up and going, riding pretty regularly. Uggh. My bike is completely taken a part right now anyways. We decided to use the injury as an opportunity to spruce up the bike. We are going to strip the frame tonight and then turn it in to the powder coat people on Fri. probably. It'll be a week or so before they get it back to me. Then we have to put everything back on...by the time I ride, I'd imagine I will have been off the bike for just over a month. Lame. I of course torture myself regularly by reading the One Source Cycling blog. Reading about all their mountain rides just doesn't help much I guess (the road rides do nothing for me as far an envy...I'm just not a roadie I guess...nor can I afford to be one even if I wanted to...nor do I wish for Jason to join the brigade of "men with smooth legs"...that's just too weird for me)! So, it's going to hurt getting back on the bike. I'm not really looking forward to it to be honest. Good thing my bike will be all upgraded and "new". I'll be dying to try it out...it'll motivate me to ride I guess.

Finally, I'm looking at the studio by Keith and Cara tonight with Jason. I pray that it will work out. The location is just so perfect! It seems like I can have it if I like what I see tonight. So, you can pray for that if you would like. Happy Wed. everyone...it's all down hill from here! :-)

**Note: My ankle is STILL swollen, after 3 weeks. Isn't that ridiculous? There is a bunch of bruising around my toes too. I think I wrenched my toes when I fell but didn't realize it because they ankle hurt WAY more. I can walk on it without pain which is good. I have been climbing too. I still don't have my full range of motion yet. I also rode my commuter bike yesterday...not bad. So, I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. Sprained ankles are gnarly. I had no idea that it takes this long to heal from one. I can't imagine having a BROKEN foot. That would be terrible!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

A Studio for the Summer...

Well, I looked at a studio yesterday morning. It was ok. I mean, in the scheme of things, since I'll only be there for a few months it doesn't REALLY matter whether I love it or not.

First, here are the things that I DON'T like:
1. It's in Mustang Village (ie. college world)
2. It's on the other side of town from my work...longer bike ride! :-)
3. I'll be home alone at night.
4. It's kinda shabby.

Things I do like:
1. It's quaint...just enough space.
2. It's a girl's home (I didn't want to sublet from a boy...I just didn't want to have to use his furniture and stuff...weird, I know.)
3. It's furnished...quite tastefully I might add
4. The price is right.
5. I don't have to have a roommate. (Funny, I don't want a roommate and yet I hate being home alone at night...oh well. I just had drama with the last roomies.)

So, I guess the pro's out weigh the cons. If I move in it will be on May 23rd. That's not too far away at all. Of course, then I decided to check Craigslist again this morning. I found another sublease in a part of town that I like much better. It's also right down the street from my work...as opposed to the opposite side of town (which Mustang Village is). It's only $75 more a month and is a way newer and nicer studio AND it's not in "college town" AND it's super close to Keith and Cara...who I am quite fond of! So, I had to email the dad of the girl and tell him that I'm actually not sure now. Ugggh. So, if you think about you can shoot off a prayer for me and the whole living sitch this summer.

*A Story I almost forgot to tell:
So, yesterday I had this big "Showcase Mixer" at The Embassy Suites with the Chamber of Commerce...of which I saw some fellow Chamber friends from church! Anyways, the theme was "Las Vegas" and I forgot to bring my clothes for it. (Black pants and white top...to look like card dealers...or Mormons. At the Mixer I was walking around with a name tag and my helmet...I was definitely Mormon looking!) ANYWAYS, during my lunch break I rode home to get my clothes. As I was riding some dork high school boys through this fire cracker thing at me and it scared the crud out of me. I screamed, swerved, and almost crashed. Then I looked at where it came from and there were two high school boys cracking up. I felt really emotional yesterday and I pretty much cried the rest of the way home. Errrrrr! I was so mad! Mostly because I gave them the exact reaction that they wanted. I also let the flesh come out and took advantage of their rolled down window by calling them an unkind name. "Poop heads" but with a different word for "poop"...I'm sure you can figure it out. Gosh, I don't know where those words come from. I guess that's the fruit of becoming a Believer later on in life...those words are still in my head since there was a time when it was acceptable to say them. (I almost gave them the bird too...so it could have been worse I guess). Oh well. About 5 months ago I was riding my bike and another car of high school boys threw a quarter at me on my bike and yelled "Take it off". It bounced off of my helmet and hit my handle bars. That scared the crud out of me too because it made such a loud noise. Good thing I wear a helmet. That time though I whipped my bike around and started chasing them down. I guess they didn't realize that a bike is a faster mode of transportation than a car when you're downtown. They saw me coming after them and they looked a little panicked...probably because they thought I would get their license plate number. I had to get to class though and was already late...so I didn't end up doing anything about it. Ok...enough bike stories. So, watch out for stupid high school boys on their lunch breaks (both times were during their lunch break) and I'll be sure to take that giant sign off my back that says, "Please throw things at me from your moving vehicle!"

Monday, May 12, 2008

Pictures...

Well, here are some over due pictures. So, to begin with we have our day trip down to Hollywood to see Wicked. We played tourist a little just for fun... :-) Also there are a couple of things that I've been working on...a quilt, pillow sham, skirt...I think that's it. Ok friends...Enjoy!



This one is pretty self-explanatory!



This is the outside of the Pantages Theatre. Very neat! It's funny where it's placed in the city though. It's a nice theatre where people spend a lot of money to go and get all dressed up. It's not really in a "nice" part of the city. I'm not convinced though that there IS a nice part of Hollywood!


This is the inside of the theatre...in the lobby. Where you actually watch the show is gorgeous too! I wish I could have taken a picture in there but it was strictly forbidden. A guy next to me tried to snap a shot and they were on him so fast.


Here is my mini-couch quilt that I made. It didn't take long at all. The best part is that it only cost me about $25 to make. Not bad.



A little closer. The colors aren't quite right. Oh well.


My skirt. Yay for summer! The hem isn't done in this picture but it is now though! It's a simple flowy skirt that goes down to mid-knee. It looks short in this picture for whatever reason.


My super fun pillow sham. This is one of those things you whip up in one night with what you have. It really like it and am going to make a matching one for my other pillow. I have a white comforter so the pillow shams add some color. I tied the sides with ribbon. Obviously!


I totally wanted to give you a little glimpse of what I see every day. The front yard is just littered with these beauties, and I LOVE poppin' these little puppies into vases!


And a big, pretty rose! Yay! Welp, happy Monday everyone!!!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Doo Dee Doo...what should these fingers type out today?

Hmmm...what's a good topic? Ummm. I'm reading Emma. I'm almost done, it's only taken me 3 months! :-) What else...um, I need to go buy more green tea. I have one bag left. Sad. Oh, my bike is totally taken apart and in a box. Yesterday I dropped my frame off to be painted, and picked up my new headset and front derailleur. Hmmm...well, there's not much to post about SO I'm outta here. I will say that I promise to post pictures on Monday of the following things...my mini super-fast quilt/throw, my skirt I made (with out an elastic waist! Jenny!), our trip to see Wicked including the Pantages theater and Hollywood, and a funky pillow sham that I busted out. Oh yes, I almost forgot to say that...IT's FRIDAaAAaaY!

Oh and I'm looking for a temporary place to live for the summer. Like a sub-let...you know a little studio or something. If you hear of anything let me know. Talk to you peeps on Monday!
*Note: I actually think I might have just found one. Ha! That was fast!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Patience...

Lately (more so than normal) I feel like I have no patience. Not the kind of patience for the future, or for this and that happening, but patience with people. I don't know what it is. I feel like I get irritated when people ask me to do things at my work...things that they could easily do themselves. I get impatient and irritable with the same disobedient kids in my Sunday school class. I get impatient and irritable with people that I find annoying in general. I don't know if it's my imagination but I feel like I used to be better at dealing with this. Maybe it's my age! I'm getting old and crotchety! Look out! I hate to know what I'm going to be like in my 80's. I'll probably be whacking people in the chins with my cane...pretending like it was an accident! "Ooops, sorry, my feeble eyes just aren't what they used to be....Ha! Ha! Sucker, that will teach you to walk in front of me!"

So, here are a few examples. A tenant of the office building asks me to make 6 coffees and bring 5 cups of water to a deposition that is occurring. I have no idea why...but that bugged me. I felt like saying, "I'm not your maid and I don't work for YOU! I don't have to!" It really isn't a big deal. I should be happy that I have something to do for once. But I was bugged.

Yesterday I was at the climbing gym. There was a young man there...who I actually know from Grace...that bugs the bajeebers out of me. Because my ankle was a little sore I was traversing yesterday (finding routes across the wall) rather than climbing up. I was grabbing some really small, hard hand holds, for the challenge I guess. I couldn't hold on to one and fell backwards. Whatever, no big deal...I'm a foot off the ground. So this guy says something along the lines...rather loudly, "Why don't you grab the big hand holds! The point of traversing is to STAY on the wall!" So, I feel like my normal response would be to ignore him and keep doing what I want. Instead I sarcastically say back, "Gosh! You're right! I'm so stupid. What was I thinking! Thank you for that wisdom." It was one of those replies that start out with a mean sarcastic tone and then mid-way through it you realize that you're being unkind and you try to change it to a joking tone. Whatever. Jason noticed it and thought it was funny...and yet also called me on it after we left. (*Note: Jason is so good with this kid. I'm thoroughly amazed.)

I am realizing lately how incredibly prideful I am. It's pride that makes me feel like I shouldn't have to be a "maid" and bring coffee to people. It was pride that made me snap back at this guy at the climbing gym. Pride is a plague that haunts us all...and it penetrates the will and our words so deeply. So, my recent prayer has been for patience. The patience comes through seeing these people as Christ does. I can serve these people at work and bring them coffee joyfully! It's not because I find my value in what I am doing, but because I find my value in Who I rest in. Christ is my value-giver and He calls me to serve. I can see this guy in the way Christ does. The truth is that this guy is quite insecure, and that a lot of people are bugged by him. I need to love the unlovable...because that is what Christ calls us to do and has done. Christ loves me and he knows my heart, every sin and fault I have. I think that through the Lord's strength I can look beyond personality annoyances and love the person behind it all. So, the day is fresh and new. Let's see what happens.... :-)

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Crazy?...Maybe

So, my new ridiculous aspiration...

To ride 170 mountain miles, climb 14,000 feet, all in four days. Why does this sound fun to me? Hmmm...not sure. I don't know if I'd go as far as saying that it sounds fun. Disneyland sounds fun. Playing Frisbee on the beach sounds fun. This sounds...challenging with a little bit of fun mixed in here and there. I think that it would stretch my mountain biking ability to the limit...yeah, I know it would. So, it sounds only partially fun. It really sounds like a challenge that needs a conquering!

Day 1- 6 mile ride (what? I ride 3 times that on a normal ride. I guess it's a "warm up".)

Day 2- 55 miles. (um, yeah. The longest ride I have ever done is 24 miles.)

Day 3- 55 miles.

Day 4- 54 miles.


My one, ok not ONE, but my main concern...the altitude. Not sure how the bod will react. If this really happens I will definitely want to go there a few days early and do some hiking in the altitude to get acclimatized. We will see. The race takes place in beautiful Brian Head Peak, Utah. You get a jersey at the end for just completing it. I think you have all day to finish each leg too. So, all that together makes it not quite as bad as it sounds. It took me about 3.5 hours to ride 24 miles. We had one flat and a chain break. It took forever to fix the chain!!! So, let's say it took 3 hours to do 24 miles. I could definitely finish 55 miles in 8 hours...I hope. It's also not a "survival" race where they test your limits and ability to find your way out of the wilderness. That would not be fun.

So, I mentioned it to Jason. He said it would be really cool to do it but I'm not sure what that means. There are some avid bike people in SLO town. Maybe we could get a group together, fly out there, (or drive), camp...and ride our brains out. Or, maybe not...:-) We will see. It doesn't have to be this year either. It can be one of my "one day" goals.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Pimp my Bike!

Keeping in mind that this is cool only to me...My mountain bike is receiving a lil' TLC. (If this is totally boring to you scroll to the bottom and check out some funny "Fail" pics). I bought a new fork...yeah yeah yeah. The new fork made the old crusty bike look...exceedingly old and crusty. So, now I am going to be powder coating the frame at this place in Grover Beach. It's going to be painted white. Sound boring huh? I like white bikes though...they look sleek. I have to strip everything off of the frame so I get clean all my 35 year old parts really well...that's always good. Also, I am in the market for a new Chris King headset...hallah (I'm thinking pink...a little "girl pride" out on the trail is always needed)! My old one is creaky. It bugs beyond belief. Also...maybe if finances allow...some XTR V-brakes and a possible new XT crank set. Yes, thank you government rebate. I am contributing to our plummeting economy. If we have the Great Depression II it won't be because I did something stupid like put my rebate into savings. Who would do that??? And here are some pictures of my hopeful loot!



These are by far the best brakes you can have outside of disc brakes. My frame is a "pre-disk" frame and so it doesn't have the mounts on the rear. Since I can't upgrade to disc brakes I will get the next best thing. I've actually been told by some that they prefer these over the disc brakes. I guess we'll see.

There are the cranks that I will get. I have a pair od Shimano Deore on right now. As far as "quality" it goes from the lowest to highest...Shimano Deore, Shimano LX, Shimano XT, and then Shimano XTR. XT is very good and much lighter. Since my new fork is a bit heavier I would like to decrease the weight in other parts of my bike to keep it very cross country friendly.
This is pretty much what my bike will look like in the end...minus the "Klein" written on the frame (I don't want a brand on it, although it is a Klein! :-). Also my fork is black and not white. And the last great thing...
My "girl flair". I'm so not a pink person...I think it's pretty but pink is not my favorite color by any means. When I'm on the trail though I'm totally ok with pink. Sort of makes me feel a little feminine in a mostly man's mountain biking world. So, where it's pink underneath the handle bars and right above the fork (not the hub on the back wheel) I will have that too. It's called a Chris King headset and it's by far the best thing out there as far as headsets. I've always wanted one but never could justify getting one...since mine was working fine. So, now I get one...yay! Ok, enough mountain biking jabber that you probably didn't even read. Here are some random "Fail" pics online I found that made me laugh!!!

For the picture above...there are some things you just shouldn't recycle....lol!!!

This is sad!!!! Poor duckies!

HA!!! That cat looks so distressed!

Monday, May 5, 2008

The Weekend Report.

Well, with a bum ankle and a boyfriend who was busy helping his dad on their kitchen remodel, the weekend was quite uneventful. There were no physical activities the whole weekend. No hiking, biking, climbing...nada. It was actually fine. I thought that I would miss it a lot more than I did. :-) I got some things done though.

Friday was date night and Jason and I went to Jaffa Cafe...which is amazing. If you like gyros or felafel's...yeah, I recommend that place whole heartily. It's on Higuera St...where San Luis Florist used to be. They also have the yummiest baklava. We rented a movie but it was really dumb. I think it was called The Contract. Oh well.

On Saturday I woke up with a much better ankle. I had a slow morning, drank some coffee, had a sweet quiet time, played my guitar, and went and shopped downtown. I attempted to buy a pair of pants for work and a couple of shirts but...I didn't really see anything I liked. I'm realizing that my clothing choice is getting more and more picky. I also have trouble finding jeans that fit me. My waist isn't much smaller than my hips...so jeans are always too big in the hips and a bit tight in the waist. Oh well. So, instead, I bought fabric! :-) While I was there I gave two customers and an employee of the fabric store and impromptu tutorial on the purse I was wearing. That was funny. I also made a cute flowy skirt. Perfect for the hot weather...if it ever comes for more than two days.

On Sunday we went to church (of course!). Sunday school was...interesting. There is a little girl who is in Kindergarten in our class. She has the attitude of a high schooler though. She has decided that there is a girl in our class who is not "cool". She gets all the other girls to turn against her and leave her out. The "unliked girl" tried to be funny and make the other girls laugh. When the other girls started laughing at her the "ring leader" said, "That's not funny! Don't laugh at her!" They of course listen and stop. Ugh. I had to pull her aside and talk to her and she just grins at me the whole time and doesn't listen to a thing I say! Are you kidding me? I'm her elder! She should listen to me with full attention! :-) No go! Oh well. I think that I'm going to have to call her mom because it's getting out of hand. If she's this bad now...I hate to be around her when she's in junior high.

On a better note, I transplanted all my indoor plants into bigger pots with new soil...and gave them some fertilizer lovin'! Hopefully they are happy now. I also made a "Mother's Day pot" with a pretty Gerber daisy and some low lying white flowery stuff (I don't remember what it's called). I made Megan a "just because" pot too. After that we went to the Mexico Dinner and my ankle preceded to swell up again. uggghh! Heal you dumb ankle!!! For the love! It was probably from transplanting my plants. I'm sure I squatted when I shouldn't have or something like that. So....overall, a fine weekend. Low key, but fine!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Here it goes...

Well, I have nothing really to say but because blogging helps time go by I decided to take Calli's quiz thing. So, why not?

I am: in need of one more cup of coffee
I think: I will go get that cup of coffee after this quiz
I know: with my head and heart that I am saved by grace alone. It's still just so hard to grasp.
I want: to live and serve the Lord abroad
I wish: I had a better memory
I hate: sin in myself.
I miss: college life :-)
I fear: moths and complacency
I hear: the cars driving by outside of my work
I crave: not to be redundant but....coffee. Also, a time to be in the Lord's Word without time constraints
I search: for fabric online...way too much.
I wonder: if my hair will always stay blond. I keep thinking that it will darken up...not yet though
I regret: being selfish so often. I really wish I would be more quick to sacrifice.
I love: hiking, running, mountain biking, climbing, my Lord and Savior, my family, my friends, the elderly :-), coffee, dark chocolate, backpacking...I could go on and on.
I ache: sometimes for "girl time". You know? Sometimes you just need it... :-)
I care: about a lot of issues. Just a few: abortion, international relations, fair trade, the 2008 election, oil dependency on other countries and ways to fix that, starvation around the world...I guess in a fallen world there are a lot of things to care about...:-)
I always: wash my face before bed. I am religious about it, I feel so gross and I can't fall asleep unless I do. I also always clean when I first get up. It's when I feel motivated...
I am not: going on my "Saturday ride". It's been a while since I've skipped one.
I believe: that God showed us great grace when he created Friday!!! :-)
I dance: like a sprinkler, a bus driver, a falling leaf, a stick-shift driver, and a shopping cart pusher.
I sing: my heart out when I play my guitar and there is no one to hear but me and my Lord.
I cry: when people throw pincher bugs at me in a small truck where I can't get away :-)
I don't always: appreciate what I have.
I fight: rarely. I grew up with a brother that would fight with you just for fun...just to work you up. You learn to deal with that. So, it takes a lot to get me to an irrational fighting state.
I write: on my Blog, every day, Mon-Fri.
I win: rarely. I've always been the 2nd or 3rd place type of person. So close, yet so far away. Oh well.
I lose: at arm wrestling ALWAYS! I cannot arm wrestle for the life of me.
I never: put butter on my bread, corn, potatoes, etc. The only thing I put butter on is pancakes. I have no idea why.
I confuse: my elbow with my shoulder and vise versa.
I listen: to music very rarely. I like it, I just forget to turn it on.
I can usually be found: at work or outside
I am scared: of pincher bugs, black widows, spiders in the bath tub, the thought of a spider being in my bed, and the thought of being wasteful with this life that the Lord has given me.
I need: a vacation. Well, I guess I want one. Maybe not need one...
I am happy about: the wonderful fact that it is FRIDAY!!!
I hope: my ankle heals soon.
I am tagging: whoever wants to do this.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Something I've learned...

I am REALLY bad at being hurt. I hate icing. When I was little, if I bumped my head, I was convinced that it was better to be swollen then cold. Obviously I have not grown out of that mentality. I also keep walking on it. When I wake up in the morning it looks pretty good...by noon though it's nice a puffy all over again. It's just so...boring to sit and do nothing. I have a new found respect and awe for Lindsey Iunker. Gee whiz. What a stud. A prime example of my complete inability to be smart about my injuries is the fact that I'm going climbing tonight...I really shouldn't. I tell myself that I won't actually do much, but I'm sure I will. We have been planning to be bring a couple of our friends for a while now. Each member is only allowed to bring one guest, so in order for both of them to come...I have to go too. After tonight though I'm going to be good. I have been refusing to where an ace wrap. I think I'm just going to suck it up and go for it. Apparently pressure is huge in making the swelling go away. At this point I'll do anything to get my foot small enough to wear my Rainbow's again....hmph.

No more Serve Day for me anymore. I signed up to clean and have lunch with the elderly at the Manse. Apparently they booted me off the list because they wanted to have something for the kids and their parents to go do (which is totally fine!) :-) When they called me yesterday they gave me the option of going to A-town to paint or going to Sinsheimer to pick up trash and weed. I chose the Sinsheimer one...since I don't have a car. When I told Jason about it he gave me the "What are you forgetting look". Oh yeah. Bummer. Squatting is a motion I can't do at all. Walking takes some effort. I guess that's not a very good job for me. Lame. So, I felt like a dork having to call the guy back and tell him that I "forgot" that I hurt myself. His reply is, "Uh, well, there's not really anything for you. There's a prayer meeting for those who can't physically serve that you can go to at that time". I had a lot of trouble with the fact that he grouped me as being "physically unable to serve." I said, "Wait, I want to do something, I can serve, I just can't walk a ton and squat...squatting is bad." His reply, "Uh, yeah, you should just go to the prayer meeting." Ugh. I just wanted to prove to him that I could do something (I have no idea why). I just wanted to tell him that he gave me the one thing that I really couldn't do. Oh well. Obviously there is a lot of pride there that needs to be obliterated. Hmmmm...Fine, I'll go! Prayer is very huge, you know! :-)...

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