Camping!

My camera was MIA for the bulk of the weekend, but I did get a few pics! This is one of the cabins we stayed in. It's called an A frame and is tiny but has everything you need!

This was our fire pit. The fire burned all weekend courtesy of the guys chopping wood and keeping it going. That tent in the back is where my friends Brad and Andrea stayed while they were there. It was the first time that tent had ever camped, so they decided to use it instead of a cabin.

This was the night we got there. Everything had been packed in the back of Tim's truck, so we unloaded it. We were supposed to be there when it was light but we stopped on the way to the campground to help a guy out of a ditch. Tim's 4WD was enough to pull that tiny little Celica out.

On Sunday afternoon, we loaded up the truck and headed back home. Overall it was a great weekend. No one got really injured, there were no fights and everyone seemed to have a good time! Hopefully if I ever go camping again I will have my camera the whole time and can take many more pictures!

Book Review #2: "Let Go" by Sheila Walsh

The second book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson publishers was "Let Go" by Sheila Walsh. Back when I was a kid she was a recording artist and on the 700 Club, so I knew some of her background but was interested in reading her book, especially since one of my good friends just saw her speak at the "Women of Faith" conference. I have to admit though, this was a very long, tedious, cumbersome read for me. I have several friends that I feel would probably enjoy it very much- one of whom I have passed it along to. I promise if she likes it, I will post her positive review. Walsh does a great job starting each chapter with a story from her life which were always entertaining- kind of making me hope she has a biography out there I can grab at some point.

The book is about looking forward in spite of your past. I feel like shelves in Christian bookstores are FULL of these books- Beth Moore, Liz Curtis Higgs... many authors have hit on this topic. Which means that people must need to read the content but having read so many others along the same thread it makes the chapters seem long and redundant. It's also a very emotional book, so sometimes the text felt more like ideas than actual practical content. Overall I feel like the book would have been great for another reader...just not me.

Last Night's Run

So after swinging by my mom's house last night to pick up a chair for my camping trip this weekend I decided I wanted to go for a run. And I really felt energetic so I decided to do the route from my house to the Sonic on Battlefield Blvd. It's about 4.5 miles round trip, so I usually walk the first .25 mile to warm up and last .25 mile to cool down.


The first 2.75 miles goes great. I get a good warm up and slowly run my way to Sonic. At Sonic I stretch, turn around and head back home, still feeling good. I make it about half a mile and the sky opens up. And I don't mean a little bit of rain, I mean RAIN. The kind you don't like driving in. The kind that soaks through all of your clothes so that when you run your shoes make squishy noises. And I still have 1.25 miles to go.

My first thought is "Save the Ipod!" so I take it off, wrap it tightly in my arm band and hold it as protected as I can in my hand. Water + IPOD= expensive disaster.

It took me about 15 minutes to get home with my squishy shoes, water running in my eyes and sticky clothes. When I walked in my living room, dripping on my concrete floor, Bella took one look at me and ran off. I guess I looked scary!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

So last night I get home and find this on my front door! And not only is it on my front door, it's right by the door handle. So I very carefully opened the door, trying not to mess up his web and make him angry. And it stayed there all night but was gone this morning!

Oh Yes It's Ladies Night!

So Friday night was girls night at Laura and TJ's house (they were both out of town so we took over!) When I walked in Alicia was finishing her trifle. No, it was not the recipe from "Friends." It has strawberries and bananas in it and it was wonderful!



Heather had made seven layer dip and it looked so good I had to take a picture of it too!



Then I took a picture of it after we ate as much as we could! We kind of made a mess.




Alicia was impressed with it too!




Alicia and Heather get the drinks out of the fridge. Laura and TJ's dog, Bea, supervises to make sure they are doing everything properly!


While all of this was going on, Crystal was cooking enchiladas in the kitchen. They were taking forever!




But they were worth the wait. We ate all of them!



Then it was time to play Harry Potter clue. I was Luna Lovegood, which made me very happy!



While we played Hedwig watched over us to make sure we didn't cheat. She is such a good owl!

After dinner was over, we sat down and watched "Eureeka" which I had DVR'd while we were playing. I was happy I got to watch it!

Overall it was a great night. It's been a long time since just the girls hung out! Thanks Crystal for setting everything up and TJ and Laura for letting us hang out!

The Check Is In The Mail

I mailed it today... my last payment for graduate school. I am finally finished paying for school, though the work is not done yet. Altogether I managed to pay about $10,000 in cash over the last 2.5 years so my loan is not as bad as I thought it would be. Now I can just focus on the thesis and not have to worry about paying for next semester!

The Coming Weekend

I am so excited about this weekend I can barely stand it. Tonight a bunch of girlfriends and I are getting together for a game night. It feels like forever since I have had some of them without their husbands. There are plans for enchiladas, chips, salsa, 7 layer dip and a yummy desert!

Then tomorrow morning after my 8:00 prayer/accountability group phone call with my out of town girls I am heading up to Williamsburg with mom and Missy to do some outlet shopping. I am hoping to find some great stuff at great prices!

Saturday night Alicia, Crystal and I are heading to Town Point Park in Norfolk to attend a kind of show case for local community theater around the area. Each theater has 30 minutes to present. And since I am planning on auditioning for Oklahoma at the LTVB it will be a nice chance to see what they have in store.

Sunday afternoon the band at 757 is going to be trying out a bass player. I met him last Sunday at church and he seemed really nice. So we are looking forward to playing with him.

Overall, it is shaping up to be a really great weekend!

Been Kind Of Slow

It's been a slow last few days. Taught my last voice lesson for the summer on Tuesday- I start again with my full schedule September 8th. Made some signs for The Man Called Jesus yard sale, which is this Saturday. Had a great run last night in spite of the heat. Went to the commissary Tuesday night to shop for the camping trip at church and got some AMAZING deals. I do have a full weekend coming up so that is something to look forward to!

Do You Have a Dream?

This morning as I was riding to work a guy in a blue car pulled up next to me. He had a large piece of paper in his hand and written in big black letters was "Do You Have a Dream?" He held it up to his window so I could read it. I laughed, nodded yes and he smiled and drove on. It was so quick the woman in the car with me didn't even notice.

I thought about it more when I came into work. I think one of the reasons I may often feel stressed is that I do have dreams. Lots of them. And I am working toward 5 big ones right now:

1- Finish graduate school (projected date of graduation December 2009)

2- Pay off only credit card (projected date of completion May 2010- although a good tax return or a few new voice students could move this up)

3- Get published- I actually have two options for that. I have started shopping around my short story to see if anyone is interested. The other option is that my final project for graduate school. It is a thesis created for the purpose of publication in a academic journal. Hopefully one or the other will come through soon.

4- OKLAHOMA! Little Theater of Virginia Beach has auditions on September 14th for Oklahoma. I would like to get cast as one of the lead characters- there are several female parts so we will just have to see!

5- Run the WHOLE 10k on Halloween! Mom, Missy and I are participating in a 10k down at the ocean front. I want to run the whole thing- even if I am REALLY slow!

As things get accomplished, I always seem to add a new dream to the list. It will fun to look back this time next year and see how far I have come!

The Longer Run

I have all of my running stuff sitting on my floor in the office. Once I drop off my car pool friend I am heading to Oak Grove Park for a run. It's been a little bit cooler out so I am hoping I will be able to make it. I have my trusty water bottle and IPOD. My goal- two laps around the lake, which will be about what I have to run for the 5k in a few weeks. I feel pretty confident I can do it- I got lots of rest last night and have been eating well this week.

I started reading "Let Go" by Shiela Walsh last night as my next book for Thomas Nelson publishers. I feel like it's going to be very powerful for me at this point in my life. I am excited to see what God does through it.

Run and Free Make Up

Praise God I finally had a good run last night! Turns out my legs just missed running outside- the treadmill wasn't really doing it for them. Tonight is an hour on the elliptical while watching "Leverage!"

BTW, if you like make up and want to try something new there are internet coupons for a free ten day supply of bareMinerals matte foundation. You can pick it up at Sephora (including the ones inside JC Penney). Just print out the page http://www.lovematte.com/take-matte-home.html and take it in with you. I got mine today and am excited to try it!

Last week was BAD

So last week I was not a good person at the gym. I did work out three days but I just haven't felt like it so I didn't push hard. I have been having trouble with my left shin and so rather than push through it and find a solution I just wimped out. Usually even if I don't feel like working out I will go and atleast walk on the treadmill or do the eliptical. Instead I watched television and slept.

So now I am ready to go. I did pilates last night and then ran a mile on the treadmill. Then after I ate a dinner I walked back and forth from the shopping center by my house to pick some stuff up (that's another mile). Today I have more energy and feel more alert. My goal tonight is to try to run around my neighborhood (after the sun has gone down) to see if my shin doesn't hurt as bad when I am on a regular road instead of the treadmill. I have a path in my neighborhood that is about 1.5 miles so I am going to give that a shot.

I only have a little more than a month until the All Access 5k so I need to step it up!

Sue Your College?

I don't generally get too worked up about stories in the news, but this one is just ridiculous. There is a girl in New York suing Monroe College because she has now been out of school for three months and hasn't found a job. She says the school isn't supporting her in their career placement department and wants her entire $72,000 in tuition back plus $2,000 for her pain and suffering.

Ethics aside let's fast forward a few months here. You are a potential employer. You have this girls resume, with her 2.7 GPA, in front of you and are thinking about hiring her. You google her name and what pops up? A million articles about how she sued her undergraduate program for not getting her a job.

I don't even think I would waste my time mailing her a rejection letter. If she will sue her college, she will certainly sue her employer.

Book Review: "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews

For my first book review I read “The Noticer” by Andy Andrews. Unlike books with your basic “who dunnit plot?” this book can have a profoundly different affect on the reader depending on what they are looking for while they are reading. It could easily be read as a collection of short stories with a central character or as a book of Fables, each with a different moral. Or it could be read as a book with principles to guide a life- out of this book have stemmed videos and a movement to notice the significant people in our lives. You can even go to www.thenoticerproject.com and send a “shout out” to someone you appreciate.

The story is simple enough for a child to understand. A man named Jones notices the people in Orange Beach, AL. He sees the struggles and needs that each of them has. And for brief periods of time, he interjects himself into their lives in an attempt to influence them in a positive way. Each chapter has a different principle and each person affected is very different. My two favorites were an elderly woman and a local dishonest businessman.

In the end, the stories form together to weave the simple truth that one person really can make a difference just by noticing those around. Imagine what a different place this world would be if we all took the time to notice each other.

Car pooling

I have been toying around with the idea of car pooling to work. We have another girl in the office who lives about 10 minutes away from me and meeting in the middle would be pretty easy. We discussed it this morning and have decided to give it a shot. It won't work every day, probably only two or three days a week. But it will save both of us some money in the long run and give each of us some company on the way to work. So I am keeping my fingers crossed it works out and saves me a couple of bucks in the process.

I Wrote a Story

I am not a very creative person when I start with nothing. I can take a character in an already written play and make it my own. I can take a motif from a song and expand on it. I can paint by number. But give me a blank slate and I have a really hard time getting going.

For my final assignment in my Leadership and Imagination class we had to do a project that we felt demonstrated the essense of what leadership is. They are not due until Thursday but people have been slowly turning them in. There are alot of power point presentations, some photo shopped pictures and a really cool looking totem poll and quilt. But I wanted to do something that would be useful in the future, as I try to communicate what I have learned to people around me. And a fairy tale seemed like a perfect idea.

So now I have this thing I have written and I am not entirely sure what to do with it. I am having people proof read it to catch the errors. And I will turn it in on Thursday to get what will hopefully be an A. But since the desire of the project was to use it to educate people about the topic, not trying to make it go further seems foolish.

So, as Joss Whedon postulates, "Where do we go from here?"