Fait Accompli

It is the end of November, and do you know what that means? Why, it means I've successfully completed NaBloPoMo! I was a bit late a couple of times, but I do have an entry for each day. I just find myself being exceptionally glad that November isn't a 31-day month. We should consider doing National Blog Posting Month in February next time ;-) Just for the lazy folks like me!
Em's coming over for dinner tonight, and though I think I know what I'm cooking (pasta with alfredo and kielbasa) I don't know what movie we're going to watch afterwards. I've got a few rented out from the library that I've always meant to see (Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, 16 Candles - nope, never saw it, The Breakfast Club - what kind of 80s child am I, anyway? and finally, The Notebook.) I read the book, The Notebook, but never saw the movie. Anyhow, Em and I are probably more likely to go find some action flick anyway. We'll see. Either way I'm sure it'll be quite a fun evening!

Bad Blogger, No Cookie

Well, I crashed as soon as I got home from school last night, and missed a friend's birthday party along with my blog entry. So I'm a bit of a jerkface. Since it's so stinkin early in the morning, I'm going to write this entry and "count" it for last night and write another later today.
I can smell dinner cooking upstairs at my landlords' place, and it totally threw me off, making me think I'd slept for like 24 hours, but I guess it means they're just getting a very early start! Which reminds me, I won a crockpot!
There was a little contest at the liquor store, so I filled in my form and hoped for the best and now I'm the proud owner of a pretty little five quart stainless steel slow cooker. I'm going to have to stop saying I never win anything! So now I have this thing, and it's the perfect time of year for it, too. I just have to decide what I'd like to cook in it first! Any suggestions or positively brilliant recipes? Fill me in - and fill me up!

East to West

I put Mum back on the plane today to send her home. It was a nice visit, and very good to have her here - there's just nothing like a mommy hug to perk up your day. The last little while has been a bit rough, though I think a lot of the emotional roller-coaster is due to the fact that I'm not sleeping well. I'm running on about three hours of sleep, and I think the only thing that's kept me going is the diet Pepsi (boo. I'm so a Coke girl) I had with my lunch. So, for now, I'm just going to leave you with some of the lyrics of a song I've been loving lately. I just bought the album, The Altar and the Door, off of iTunes. I've loved Casting Crowns since I first heard "Who I Am" and this album is absolutely no exception.

from East to West...

Here I am, Lord, and I’m drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don’t want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You’ve cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I’ve never sinned
But today I feel like I’m just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
‘Cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
‘Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

Stolen From Robyn

Because we are all about the lazy content as we're on the closing streak of NaBloPoMo!

Because I'm tired and can't think of anything interesting to write tonight:
Three Things about me you may not have known. (And the nice thing is, it is a short version! Yeah!)

Three jobs I have had in my life:

1. Gas Station Attendant - night shifts! ('99)
2. Craft Store Customer Service (days) ('99)
3. Grocery Cashier ('04-'06)

Places that I have lived:

1. Kamloops
2. Regina
3. Terrace

Three TV shows I like to watch:

1. Heroes
2. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
3. The Colbert Report

Three of my favorite foods:

1. Pizza
2. Pasta (Really well made homemade lasagna, or my own alfredo.)
3. Kraft Dinner. Seriously. I know that's gross. Maybe French Toast? Love that too. But I'll just go with my grody first instinct. KD it is.

Three of my favorite drinks

1. Raspberry Sprite from Earls (just had one tonight!)
2. Water with lemon - and a straw, so I don't dump ice all over myself.
3. Milk. Wow do I love milk. I drink so much of it, too!

Three places where I would rather be right now:

1. About two weeks into the future - done exams, and at my grandparents' place.
2. Vacationing anywhere warm! I think I want to go to the south of France at some point.
3. In the studio. I wish I could get something DONE!!

Three people I am tagging:

Nobody. Anybody. Everybody. (Yes, am too lazy to think of people.)

So there's that for tonight. Hope you're having a great week so far!
Oh - and I'm so stoked - only one one-hour seminar left before I'm done classes (not projects or exams, but classes) for the semester. W00t!

Snow Day

Well, we had our first "real" snowfall of the day today! It dusted a bit a few days ago, but not enough to stick on the roads. Tonight, though, it snowed about 4 inches in three hours. It made driving home just a bit dodgy! With the first snowfall, it always takes me a minute or two to get back into the swing of things.
Of course, everyone else seems to take a week or two, if they learn at all! All I can say is that I'm very glad I don't live somewhere that it hardly ever snows, and everyone becomes an idiot the moment the white stuff hits the streets. Even though it's fairly annoying to deal with it on the roads, the way it looks on that first day, or that first night, is totally worth it. It's so beautiful when it's sparkling and fresh and clean!! By tomorrow morning it'll all be brown, rock-filled slush, of course. But today? It's a beautiful reminder...

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
- Psalm 51:7

24

Happy Birthday to Me :-)

Well...(That's a deep subject.)

Fancy that, I'm late again ;) Not all that surprising on a weekend night, though. I just got home from watching "our" boys play hockey - and this time we actually went to the right arena! So that was an accomplishment in and of itself. We weren't cheering for one team or another, since it's a rec league and we had one guy on each team, but one of our guys scored a goal! Go Ruzzle! Sadly, apparently there weren't enough guys signed up to keep the league going, so tonight was there last game. The guys were pretty bummed about that. They have to find a pond to play on, now, or something.
Anyway, I've got a big day ahead of me tomorrow, since I'm in the nursery at church in first service (9am. So early :P) and then I've got to pick up my mum at the airport, because she's coming to visit meee! Why is she coming to visit you ask? Well, I'll tell you! It's my birthday! (Technically, right now, since it's the 25th. But I don't think it really counts til I wake up in the morning. Not that it stopped me from making Em wish me a happy birthday at 12:01.)
So after lunch with Mum, I'm going to try to hit a church potluck thing in the afternoon, dinner with my little sister, and then maybe something again with friends later, if I can rope someone else into handling the details, because I'm feeling sort of lazy.
So for now, to bed, and try to warm up my poor feet from hockey rink coldness. Talk to ya'll tomorrow, when I'll be...dun dun dun! Twenty-four. (Jack Bauer thinks my birthday is hawt.)

Missing the Music

Since my little 70s folk performance the other night, I've actually been playing my guitar a little bit, which makes me tremendously happy. I really don't know why I don't play more, other than because the urge usually strikes me in the wee hours of the morning, and my landlords probably wouldn't appreciate that.
Since I'm not playing on the worship teams right now, or doing anything at all musical at the church, I feel like a little part of me is dead. I know I needed the break, and I had really good reasons for taking it, but I feel a little empty now. I didn't miss it right at first, so I don't think it's so much to do with missing the routine I had since I was 12.
But I do miss it. I miss playing, especially jamming with a band. I miss the sense of community, and I miss the freedom in worship. I miss being with people who understand what it is to lose yourself in the song, in the meaning of it.
I really, really miss the piano. Guitar's just not the same for me. I don't have nearly the same ease, or the ability to make the music I hear in my head. It's as if they're whole other languages, and piano's like English to me - my mother tongue. Guitar, though, I just struggle along. Enough to make myself understood if absolutely necessary, but not with any sort of fluency.
So I guess lately, I feel like I haven't been able to speak. I've played this game before, where you're not allowed to speak until it's your turn. It's hard for me, because yeah, I have a big mouth, but also because I have something to say, and I want to share it. I don't do quiet well, and being musically mute is wearing on my soul.

Shock and Awe

I'm late again. Surprise! (That sentence sounds like I'm pregnant. I am most emphatically NOT.)
I just walked into the door after another late-night project meeting - and it wasn't even intended to be so. Meg invited me over for dinner, and I was more than happy to accept. We weren't even planning on working on our proposals anymore (group project, but individual proposals.) I thought I was done. Since she wasn't finished yet, I said I'd show her mine. Somehow, that degenerated into an all-night work group.
Oh, and major kudos and love to Meg and her boyfriend, who, because our prof wants the papers physically handed in to her at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning, have agreed to take mine in for me, since I don't have class. Much, much love to them for that!
Anyhow, I'm glad that we did it, and that we know absolutely adhere to all the ridiculously (and I mean ridiculously) strict APA guidelines. But if I ever meet the sadistic so-and-so who wrote the APA style manual, I am going to enthusiastically present him with the gift of ten thousand *cough*punchesintheface*cough*. Him, and anyone else who dares attempt to wake me in the next eight hours.

Out of the House

Yup, that's right, I actually left the house for something other than a group project. Although I can't say it wasn't school related! Tonight was the Psych Department's annual social/mixer thingamajig. (I love, absolutely love, that thingamajig is considered a word by Spell Check.)
Now, am I the only one whose feet feel completely inverted after a night of wearing heels?
It was fun, even though I didn't know many people other than the profs. My project partners are good for a laugh, if nothing else. And it's surprisingly fun to sing Eric Clapton while your Theories of Personality prof plays guitar. Who knew!
Also, because Meg, one of my project partners, heard me sing earlier today, she insisted I get up for the open mic. Since I could not find one bit of common taste (other than the Eric Clapton to which I didn't know all the words) I ended up picking something with a whole three chords so I could manage to accompany myself! I was told by one of my profs that she used to play and sing it - I chose "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Hey, it's easy! 70s folk usually is. People actually stopped talking to listen, and I got some friendly applause after, so it was quite fun.
The very first thing I did when I got in my car was put in my Eric Clapton "Unplugged" CD. Wow, that is a fantastic album - and I'm more than happy to have a reminder to listen to it again! Other things to be happy for? An actual chance to leave the house!

A Lyrical Post

Not much creativity, so here's a song I love. Bring The Rain, by Mercy Me. Like most of the songs I love, it makes me cry. Go figure. If you want to listen, you can find it here.

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain 

Oh Yeah.

It probably was that bad. I stayed up all night to finish one essay, caught a couple hours of sleep, then headed in to the school for an exam. Even though it was open book, it was an essay and required writing skills I'd already well beyond exhausted. Just now, I got a somewhat frantic phone call from a group project member about a proposal that's due on Thursday, making sure we're all on the same page and arranging to get together on Wednesday.
Tomorrow morning I've got to get up early and head in to the lab for a project that can only be done on the school computers, since they have SPSS (a statistical analysis program.)
I ate something spicy for dinner, because it was quick and easy, even though I already had heartburn from not eating dinner until so late. Sometimes I am just soooo clever.
Only a little over two weeks more of this. Thank God! Because good golly Miss Molly, I am plumb tuckered out.

Papers? What papers?

I just got back from a three hour brain-drain project with a couple of friends/fellow students from one of my classes. They were great, but it felt like it took so much time for us to do so little and so I'm definitely feeling overwhelmed.
This is a totally crazy time for school, and it feels like there are papers and projects due left right and centre. I have an in-class final exam tomorrow as well, and an essay due for the same class (past due, actually) for which I've already been granted an extension. My profs have, as always, been totally gracious and understanding with me but sometimes not even that is enough to keep me from freaking the heck out.
I've got to remember that the end is in sight, and that I can do this, that I'm not stupid - even when I feel like I'm scraping the bottom of the IQ barrel. Take a deep breath, make some tea, and write a paper. Here goes.

Just Right

There's always a great variety of friends in one's life. One of these most blessed varieties in mine is the sort with whom you can laugh over the most idiotic things. For me, this group includes my dear, dear friend Emily. I said earlier that I am very blessed to have two wonderful Emilys in my life - the other being my baby sister.
A little earlier tonight, Em called me. After a few minutes of nonsense talk, I asked her, "So what are you up to tonight anyway?" "Nothing," she replied. Then we talked nonsense for a few more minutes. I interjected again, "Uh, Em, do you want to be doing nothing tonight?"
"NOOOO!"
Me: laughing. "So, would you like to get a cup of coffee?"
"Yes please!" "Dork. Why didn't you just ask me?"
"Well, I didn't know if you were doing something or not!"
We'd been on the phone for 15 minutes at this point. She's a total goof, and I adore her. We went to Earls for dessert and coffee, and a highlight of that - other than the delicious warm gingerbread cake - was that I got to see my little sister Bev, who works there. She actually got assigned to serve our table, even though she's a hostess (but server in training) which led to such fun as writing "I <3 U" on my napkin and leaving it for her when she cleared the table.
At one point in the dinner conversation, we decided to compare the stupidest things we'd ever done over boys, which lasted quite a while in a rather amusing process of oneupmanship. "I did this when I was 14." "Oh yeah? Well I..." It was hysterical, I promise you. Obviously, in accordance with the rules of girlfriendhood I cannot fully divulge the details. I can, however, share with you a couple of the other highlights of my evening.
Em: "So, what else can we dork about?" That's right, it's a verb now.
Em, again (can you tell she's the funny one?)...to the tune of the "ribs" song from Chili's..."I want my paperback, paperback, paperback..."
Ok, I get that these are basically only funny to the two of us, but I laughed more than I've laughed in a long time. And just in case you can't appreciate teh funny, I will also share with you a bit of the sap...
Em: "Hanging out with you was just what I needed. You make me happy."
Same goes, babe. Same goes.

NaBloPoMo Nazis Gonna Get Me

Yes, yes, I realize I'm late. Hush. What really defines a "day" after all? ;) I only just walked in the door. I was helping out a friend tonight who was catering a fund raising dinner - supposedly for 83 people. We figure around 120 showed up, and apparently there were complaints about small portion sizes. I think getting them all through was quite an impressive feat, actually!
It's funny, I've never waitressed or served in any sort of official capacity but I've done enough of these church banquets and the like that I'm quite confident in my ability to do a good job. I was tempted, though, to smack the hand of the lady who sneaked a piece of roast beef from the carefully rationed platters when she thought my back was turned.
As a thank-you for helping out, my catering friend generously took us all out to eat afterwards. It was lovely to sit down, and nice to talk with some people I hadn't had much chance to talk with lately.
Now, though, I'm dead on my feet (or on my butt, if we're entirely accurate) and so bid you good night, or good morning, or whatever it is for you at this precise moment in time. Ciao!

Good Surprises and Escapism

I got a phone call from my mum last night. Well, actually, I got a Facebook message, and a text message, telling me she had a surprise and was it better to text or call. (You wish your mom was as hip as mine.) Finally, after leaving me in suspense for a terrible ten minutes, she let me know that she's coming to visit me for my birthday on the 25th. :-) So that will be fun, we'll have a little adventure!
/segue/
I'm due to stats class in half an hour. It's really more interesting than the last stats class I had to take, and the prof is way better at making it make sense, but still *whine* it's freakin statistics.
I don't want to go; I want to crawl back into my nice warm bed. I will go, because hey I'm up and dressed anyway :P But it's getting to that point in the semester where I am so stressed out because I have so many things to do and each and every one of them is absolutely important. So I just wish I could escape for a couple of hours. And I think I might - grab a book, and settle in for a couple hours this afternoon. Maybe even make myself a mug of hot chocolate. I think that might be just what the doctor ordered, in fact. But first - I'm off to make it through statistics. Whee!

Elementary School Rewind

As seen chez Zoot, I'm going to write an acrostic poem about myself. Because I want to pretend I'm still in grade 6, mmk?

H - Headstrong. I can easily picture a horse chafing at the bit, and I know that I'm stubborn even when it's not for the best. Sometimes it's a good quality, and sometimes it's bad - and sometimes I have trouble controlling it.
E - Emotional. It's a little ridiculous - a birthday post written from one of my blogfriends to his wife about made me cry today. It's worse when I'm tired and stressed of course, but I am just one heckuva interesting roller coaster.
A - Aspiring. To a lot of things, really - to be a helper, a healer, a good listener. A poet, a songstress and a prophet.
T - Terrified. Not permanently, but often enough. That I'll fail, or that I won't. That I'm too much, or not enough. Dual-spectrum fears, every one of them.
H - Humbled. Daily, by the sacrifices others make and the things that they live through. I wish I were a more humble person, inherently.
E - Empty. Just at the moment - a bit of end-of-semester burnout. I've got a few big papers to write in the next couple days and I'm a bit overwhelmed, and hardly overflowing in creativity.
R - Ransomed. One of my favourite words to use when writing about what God has done for me. As though I sold myself into slavery, and He bought me back. It's a precious, powerful picture, and I'd do well to remember it more often.

There you have it. Me, in an elementary poetic form. What are your favourite and least-so characteristics about me? (honestly!) And about yourself?

Ow.

Have you ever tried to dig a very tiny, but extremely well-embedded itsy bitsy piece of glass from the sole of your foot? If you have not, allow me to assure you from my now vast experience that it is in fact very painful. I tried unsuccessfully several times over the last week and had basically given up and was about to allow it permanent residence in my poor little (ha!) foot. If I didn't put my weight on my foot just so, it didn't hurt *too* badly. (Obviously, I am an idiot.)
Now, if you don't believe me as to how wee and difficult to remove it was, I offer you Exhibit A (henceforth to be known as the only exhibit, because, duh.)That little thing took me about half of forever to find! I'm just glad it was in the tough part of my foot and therefore most of the retrieval was in fact painless.
And yes, I know I'm *way* over-dramatizing this, but hey, what's NaBloPoMo and a personal blog if not an invitation to shameless hyperbole? ;)
Anyhow - all better now. I can rest easy tonight - and walk easy tomorrow, finally! Woot!

Borrowed Kitty Explains

What I will be doing for the rest of tonight, as illustrated by the internet phenomenon that is lolcats:

moar funny pictures
Mmm gonna sleep, kthxbai.

Remember

There's not too much on my mind today, other than the sacrifice of great men and women throughout the ages. I'm thankful for those who've given of themselves in the past, and for those who are giving now. Even when I don't agree with why they're fighting, my first and foremost prayer is that they would make it home with body and soul intact.
I've been thinking about not just the physical sacrifices that were made, loss of life and limb, but of the many who come back from something so terrible as war with their minds understandably but tragically shattered.
I think they too often get forgotten. It's too easy to write off a "crazy old man" and never know his story - but chances are that they've survived some kind of war, whether a military battle or "just" the war of their own brain chemistry. These older, sometimes shabby, sometimes homeless men are weighing heavy on my heart.
Spare a thought, a prayer for them? And if you have the chance, a kind word or a cup of coffee. No one should be so invisible to much of the population. Instead, remember.

Bah Humbug

The Christmas rush seems to start earlier and earlier every year, doesn't it? It's been entirely homogenized with American Thanksgiving into the "Holiday Season" and seems to jump ahead even of Halloween in the retail market. I swear, pretty soon it'll be "Only 11 months 'til Christmas - get your deals now!"
But really, why should it bother me? Sure, it's vastly commercialized and all, and the door crasher sales bring out the Scrooge in everyone, but the over-arching feeling is still one of goodwill, isn't it?
You know, I thought that was why I'm cranky, but I could be wrong. Maybe it's the dead sexy remains of pinkeye, or the piece of glass that I can't seem to get out of my foot, or that I've been cold for like three weeks with no sign of relief until May. Perhaps it's the skin around my mouth that's so dry that it really, really hurts when I smile. Or maybe I just miss my mommy :P And yes, I fully realize the irony of this post after the last couple, and I do not that really I am very lucky, but the daily posting means even when I don't feel like it, even when I'm cranky. So, where was I? Oh yeah. Bah humbug. :-P

As long as I'm being all serious...

I might as well get philosophical, too. A friend asked me earlier to help her give an answer to someone who asked if she believed in miracles, and why God didn't heal amputees. I tried my best to give an answer and thought I'd share it here, as well, if expanded a bit. So why doesn't God always heal the broken?

That's a tough question, for sure. Because if God can heal people, why not heal everyone, right? I believe that He can and does heal, by I don't know why He heals some and not others. I sometimes get angry and wish God would heal me of my depression. But then I remember that because I feel this way, I've been able to understand others who are hurting, and I can write songs about depending on God that have spoken to His people. Maybe that "unhealed" amputee would have lost their life, and not just their limb, if God hadn't intervened? How are we to know, and who are we to assume we know better?
Our lives are a series of choices that lead us to various destinations and both positive and negative consequences, and God couldn't stop all bad things from happening without eliminating the gift of free will! Sometimes it's not an issue of fault or deserving, but just being in the wrong place at the wrong time - or maybe it's right. Perhaps a man who lost his legs had aims to be an athlete, but since he can't do that, at least in the way he'd planned, he's now an international lawyer advocating for children's rights in war-torn countries? Most would say that's a greater purpose, or at least a more altruistic one. We can't see what's going to happen, or what would have happened. Like everything else with Christianity, it requires trust and faith - to believe that "all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
And I do believe that: that even when I can't see the point, God has a purpose. After all, this world is a whole lot bigger than just you and me. As I mentioned yesterday, most of us here are so tremendously blessed, and would do well to remember it. I guess me writing this right now is my way of reminding myself, and the question from a friend God's way of prompting me to keep perspective. And if I needed just one more reminder, the song on my iTunes shuffle? Brian Doerkson's "Faithful One."*
*if you don't know it, you can find the lyrics here.

Grateful and Shamed

I spend a good deal of time last night looking at this set of photos, and reading the photographer's thoughts. He shows and talks about Vancouver's downtown Eastside...I've been, but never stuck around for long. It's a bit scary, even in broad daylight.
It was one of many times that the well-deserved guilt hit me. What have I done for these people, or for people like them? No, I'm not really in a position to give money, but I have time. I can cook or hand out sandwiches or just sit and listen to someone tell their story. It doesn't have to be in Vancouver, of course. It can be at the mission in town, or down at the park. But I've been convicted once again that I need to do something.
I worry and get stressed out about money and debt and a thousand other things, and I forget that which should be impossible to forget. I am so very blessed. I have an amazing family whom I love, friendships I treasure, comparatively excellent health - depression doesn't seem as grave compared to a 70% HepC infection rate, or 30% AIDS. I have a warm roof over my head and food in my kitchen and so many things that it is unfairly easy to take for granted. And I never should. I'm grateful for these things, and shamed that I forget them. Shamed, too, that I do so little to hep out - and grateful that each new day brings a chance to start again, and to try to make a difference.

I'm Too Sexy...

...for your conjunctivitis. :P
Yeah it's been going around and now I'm been attacked by a simply lovely case of pinkeye. The one-eyed look is very hot this year, you know. I'm even thinking of investing in a pirate patch. Too bad this didn't happen close to Halloween, or it would have been a great costume idea.
I also want to share with you this video I found through Jen...

Except that so, so badly, in order to sound just a little more like my mum, I want her to end with, instead of tada, "Because I'm the mom, that's why!" (And, it would rhyme.)

MacTastic

So I did what I've been thinking of for a while - I finally caved and bought a MacBook. Ever since my DELL died (Boo, again, just for good measure.) I've been meaning to get another laptop, but unsure if I wanted to "make do" with a budget model that I wouldn't neccesarily feel "safe" with, or to "splurge" and get the (base model) MacBook with its very reassuring AppleCare plan. (On student discount, as was the computer itself. W00t.) I decided to go for the Mac because I'm not at all into gaming, which is where I'm told it can lack, but I know it also has a great deal of potential for music editing and possibly producing (with hundreds of dollars worth of additional software, though, of course.) But it's important to me that the potential for growth and expansion is there.
Most importantly, though, it's a huge help for school. It's going to mean much, much easier note-taking in class, as I am an interminably slow writer but quite a decent typist. The keyboard and word-processing program (using NeoOffice) are fairly different, but I used them tonight in a three-hour lecture and I fared just fine. One neat thing about NeoOffice - or that will be neat once I get used to it - is that it auto-completes a lot of words, almost like a T9 function on a cel phone. Of course, the poor spell checker was going insane tonight with all of Erikson's absolutely made-up theoretical psych words. You've gotta love that about psychological theorists - if the word doesn't exist to fit their exact frame of mind, then just make up a new one! Or better yet, hijack one used by another theorist and change the meaning completely! (See: personality, ego, intelligence and any number of now-meaningless words.)
Now, between Erikson's *ahem* creative vocabulary, and a statistics quiz this morning, I've had a pretty mentally stimulating day, so I think I'd better pack it in. Rest assured, though - I won't turn into a total MacHead overnight. It ought to take a minimum of two days. :P

A Meme? Really? Meh.

Stolen from Kristina. Because I am desperate for content like that.

1. Describe your dream house/environment.
both I want a fairly "normal" house - not terribly extravagant. A nice kitchen with an island, enough bedrooms for my family plus a guest room, a home office and a music room (painted yellow with a wood finish grand piano, so long as we're going "dream house" here...)
Then outside, of course, there's land. A well-equipped barn and a couple much-loved horses - one with just a little bit of attitude for me, to keep it interesting, and a couple kind, gentle perfect-for-therapy horses for me to use for work.

2. Favorite physical feature of the same and opposite sex.
For some reason, I find well-defined arms on a guy really hott. On both, I love smiles and eyes. So beautifully expressive.

3. What’s the last entire CD that you fell in love with and couldn’t stop playing?
Brad Paisley's 5th Gear. I just love the guy, I'm tellin' ya. The writing is funny and sweet and nostalgic and wow can he play some guitar :)

4. What song do you want played at your funeral/wake?
I was thinking "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. But I'm guessing that'll change over the next fifty years or so :P

5. What’s your least favorite errand to run?
I really like running errands, actually, because it makes me feel so productive.

6. Three things that really steam your broccoli! (make you angry)
1: People who don't stand up for themselves, and the people who hold them down.
2: Anyone hurting or taking advantage of a child. I will rage.
3: Liars, fakers, hypocrites.

7. Do you believe in an afterlife?
Yes. One of the things I rarely doubt, actually.

8. Favorite children’s book.
Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." And "Where The Wild Things Are." And "A Snoodle's Tale" from Veggie Tales which I *know* is a movie, but it's read like a storybook and so I'm counting it.

9. Why is __________ your all time favorite movie?
The Princess Bride, I think. Every single time I watch it, it makes me laugh. (Anybody want a peanut?)

10. BONUS QUESTION: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?
I don't think I've even eaten one in years, so I have no idea.


Okay so there you go. Brilliant, evocative prose. I swear, I'll come up with something better soon.

Under The Wire

My writing muscles are a little overworked today. I've been trying to work on an essay with little success; I'm pretty much feeling brain dead. I'm certainly not feeling the "extra hour" from last night ;)
I can't think of a blasted thing to say, so please pardon the perfunctory post (<-holy alliteration, Batman!) and I'll try to be more interesting tomorrow.
Goodnight (small fraction of the) world!

The Late Muirnait

When did I become the person who's late all the time? I remember being exceedingly punctual - and joking that I was the only musician who ever showed up on time for rehearsals. And now? It's 7:53 and I was due at a party at seven o'clock - and I haven't finished dressing. It's an absolutely non-Halloween party, because it's being held at the church. We're apparently calling it a Jr High party, and we're supposed to dress like we did in Jr High. But I already thought of a costume for Halloween and since this is the only chance I have to wear it, I'm doing it anyway. (I'm stubborn like that.)
I'm going as an iPod commercial, you see. It's one of the ideas that I found for free/cheap/easy costumes on yon internets. I dress all in black, carry an iPod, and dance wildly. I suppose it would be a rather expensive costume if you didn't already own the iPod, but I do. An old one with no colour screen or anything! I am so hard core. Besides, I don't see the point of a music player that only holds 4GB. I'll take my 20GB any day - or a 40 or 80, ideally ;) I'm all about the music, so I don't really give a rip if I can play movies on a screen too small to make it worth my while!
From being late, to ranting about iPods. I'm sure I make perfect sense. Ah well. I'd better head out to the "Jr High" party, fashionably late though I am...because there's at least one person who'll care if I don't show up :P

About That Time

So it's November again and I am embarking on the ambitious task of posting every day. It's a tad daunting, as I doubt that I have anything interesting or relevant to say, but that's never stopped me before, so :P (This is probably why I shouldn't write in the mornings - less coherent than usual, even!)
Other than the new haircut, there's not really much going on. Yesterday, I helped Pam with a craft project (glue sticks and scissors and markers, oh my!) which was fun, had a seminar (as exciting as you'd expect) and attended a funeral, at which I sang in the choir. It was good to sing again, and to be part of something.
I think it was the most uplifting funeral I've ever attended. It was very much a celebration of her life. I didn't know her well, but I liked her, and liked what I heard about her from those who loved her. It was about hope, and faith, and a life well lived. I was more encouraged by this memorial service than I have been by church itself in a long time, and I'm very thankful for that. The lady had style, and there were jokes about St. Peter meeting her at the pearly gates with the latest Prada handbag. There was more to her, though, and a substance that ran deeper than style, and that's what was so inspiring. That was the beauty that chemo's baldness simply could not touch.
So thanks, M, for a life well lived, and leaving behind loved ones who would so touch my heart with their words. Thank you for the encouragement to face one more day, and another after it, and the picture of what a truly beautiful woman of God looks like. Thank you.

NaBloPoMo Kickoff - Ch-ch-changes

So, after long blonde hair since 1996, I got it cut. It's very exciting, and really saves me from wr
riting a post when I'm so tired. (Copping out on the first day, booyah.)