Single Girl in VA!

I'm a Netflix Moron

2010-01-07T12:04:00.002-05:00

I love Netflix. It's a bill I gladly pay every month. And I usually go through about 6 DVDs a month, so in my opinion it's money well spent.

So last night I grabbed my pretty red envelope out of my mailbox. After shedding my jacket and dropping my bags, I opened it to reveal my new DVD- Ally McBeal Season 2 Disc 1. Having just finished Season 1 I was excited to keep going.

I push the button to open the DVD player and out in the tray comes Ally McBeal Season 1 Disc 6. I stared at it: Didn't I just send this DVD to Netflix? I only get one at a time- how have I managed to fool these people and get two DVDs at once?

I realize- I sent them the wrong DVD. I had looked at the name on the envelope and slipped in the wrong DVD. I must have sent them one of my personal ones. I look around- nothing I have been watching of late seems to be missing.

Then I look over at my DVDs that I have from the library. Yep, one of them is missing.

I SENT NETFLIX A DVD FROM THE LIBRARY!

So today I had to call Netflix and get it straightened out. Fortunately, because the DVD from the library has writing on it, it should not be too hard for them to find. Still, my pride is wounded.

The first week

2010-01-06T22:59:00.002-05:00

So the first week of on-line dating has lead to the following conclusions:

1. People do not have friends who proof read their dating profiles. I have NEVER seen spelling like this from grown ups.

2. Do not put pictures with your ex cropped out. It's tacky.

3. If in your preferences you put do not want kids, don't put anything in your profile about the children you already have.

4. Don't be surprised if someone 20 years younger than you thinks that the age difference is an issue.

5. The questionaire at the beginning was incredibly long but very accurate. However I think they left out one vital question- cat or dog?

As far as the guys I have met, I have been matched with about 17 guys. Many of them had kids (which is a no for me), some of them were 15 years older than me and I also had to eliminate anyone who lives somewhere freezing cold. So that left 2 both of which I started communication with and then someone ended that after a series of questions were answered- one me and one him.

So after one week, I haven't found someone yet. But I look forward to seeing who the computer gods match me with tomorrow.

Day One

2010-01-01T21:07:00.002-05:00

So today I set up my account with e-harmony. It was a REALLY long questionaire at the beginning- took about 20 minutes to fill out. But at the end of it, they give you a profile of yourself and the type of person you are looking for. They nailed both of them right on the head.

So I hit submit and 8 matches popped up from all over the country. There was a really wide range of guys, from a Native American black jack dealer in Wisconsin to a fox hunting, self-employed fisherman in New Bern, NC.

So I chose to try to open up lines of communication with two guys- one in South Carolina and one in Arizona. I eliminated everyone who lives somewhere cold and a few because of their age. They look like good guys on paper, so we will see what happens!

Let the on-line adventure begin

2009-12-29T11:46:00.002-05:00

So it's been a while since I have blogged anything about my personal life, but on my other blog http://www.afrugalchick.com/ I have blogged a ton of about my finances! Lots has happened since my last post here but I can prepare that list for later. Instead, it's time to focus on 2010.

I haven't dated in forever. Haven't really met anyone interesting and been so tied up with school and work, that I just haven't really had the time to give a relationship the proper attention. So I haven't really even tried.

My new goal for 2010 is to start dating. School is finished and work is calming down, so I have a little bit more time. I am going to choose to let the internet do the beginning work for me in screening and locating people. And since most of my friends seem to find the whole on-line dating thing fascinating, I thought I would blog about it.

So January 1st, I am setting up a profile on e-harmony and we will see what happens. I promise to blog about it often and we will see what kind of interesting characters I meet!

U2 pictures- The Claw and the Edge!

2009-10-09T12:22:00.002-04:00

Have some more pictures but here is a good one of "The Claw" (the name they gave the set) and The Edge (guitar player for U2).

The U2 concert continued

2009-10-09T12:01:00.007-04:00

So the set U2 took with them on tour this year is the largest set ever taken on a tour. The previous record holder, from a Rolling Stones tour, would actually fit UNDERNEATH theirs. They called the set "The Claw". The tour had a total of 200 trucks and three stages that alternated from venue to venue. Here are some pictures during intermission of the stage. You can see how many people were there!

The band that opened was called Muse and they were incredible. For those of you who saw Twilight, they were the band whose music played during the baseball game. I will be downloading some of their music shortly! These are some pictures of Muse!

Before the U2 concert

2009-10-07T09:57:00.012-04:00

Last week some friends and I headed to Charlottesville for the U2 concert! It was unbelievable! I finally got my pictures from the camera to the computer so here they are:

Alicia used to live there so she took me to the downtown mall for a late lunch. It's a beautiful area.

The town was definately ready for the concert! Most of the people downtown were talking about the concert, wearing U2 t-shirts or complaining about the anticipated traffic of the evening. I heard lots of people speaking different languages and ALOT of British accents (which are my favorite!) There were some great little shops downtown as well. We ate at an Italian place outside and waited for some friends to meet up with us. Then we went to the hotel, cleaned up and walked to the show! I will post some pics of the show in just a little bit!

Trip Down Memory Lane

2009-09-28T14:44:00.004-04:00

Today I packaged up one of my old cell phones to send away to be recycled. Before I sent it, I went through and deleted all the numbers in the address book. Maybe 50% of those people I still know where they are. Some of them are people I don't even remember- nicknames that I can't remember who they were...

While there are some people that have disappeared, it made me very thankful for those people who are still around. Years later, in spite of change and often geography, they are still the most dialed numbers in my current cell phone.

That is something to truly be thankful for.

ODU lost and the Bengals beat the Steelers?

2009-09-28T10:17:00.002-04:00

What an odd weekend!

ODU lost their first football game of the season on Saturday. The weather was absolutely perfect, the fans hyper but the other team better. So alas down by 3, they lost.

However, my sister text me last night to let me know that the Bengals beat the Steelers!

Some back story on the Bengals: several years ago, all of my friends were completely obsessed with football (this has not changed). Every Sunday afternoon I would be propped up at someone's house bored out of my mind while they all jumped around in brightly colored shirts with numbers on the back. So, Monday at work I looked at one of the resident football guys and said "Who is the worst team in the league right now?" Without even blinking he said "The Cincinatti Bengals." So from then on, they have been my team.

And you know what? They have gotten better. My first season I followed they were 8 and 8, got a new coach and Carson Palmer started showing promise. I have my one Bengals t-shirt that I wear on the rare events that I go to watch games. And while I know I am not a die hard fan, it does make me happy when they win.

Because they are MY team!

All Access 5 k

2009-09-21T09:49:00.002-04:00

I love new races. My sister and I (and on occasion my mom) run races around the area (everything from 5k to marathons- thought only my sister does the marathon type races). And while you would think the races that have been around for a while would be the favorites, I really like the new ones.

Missy and I ran in the All Access 5k on Sunday morning. This race is at the Virginia Beach Amphitheatre. The weather was really nice and the course was pretty flat. Part of it was running through the parking lot (which I hated) but running through the actual amphitheater and the area around it was nice.

Afterwards there was Red Bull and Mexican food. Also we got to go back stage and see the dressing rooms at the amphitheatre where all of the celebrities have been. My sister rocked it out and finished in great time, it was not one of my better races. But I ran the whole thing and feel confident that when the 10k I am running on Halloween comes around I will be able to run it.

But here is the really great thing about new races-- they are small. There were only about 25 people in my age group, as compared to the several hundred people in my age group when I ran the Shamrock 8k.

My sister likes the pomp and circumstance of the big race, but I like not having to walk a mile to my car after running 5. I like not waiting in huge lines for food. And I liked the time to myself to just run, instead of tripping over those around me.

Regardless the exercise is great and I love spending time with my sister, so it's a win-win. And maybe next year we can run it with a stroller!

My roommate

2009-09-16T10:03:00.001-04:00

Think she looks annoyed? Bella was sunning herself in a chair when I decided it was the perfect opportunity to snap a picture.

Quote of the Day

2009-09-15T09:12:00.001-04:00

"All I ask is this: Do something. Try something. Speaking out, showing up, writing a letter, a check, a strongly worded e-mail. Pick a cause -- there are few unworthy ones. And nudge yourself past the brink of tacit support to action. Once a month, once a year, or just once."

-Joss Whedon, writer and film director (b. 1964)

ODU!

2009-09-10T08:47:00.009-04:00

So I attended my first college football game on Saturday! It was the opening game for the ODU Monarchs, who have not had a football team since the 1930s!

Before the game, I tailgated with some friends of mine. We had amazing food and I played cornhole for the first time. I'm not half bad! Alicia played in her blue and white for team spirit!

The spot where we tailgated was only about two blocks away from the stadium, so after we finished eating we packed up and moved down to enjoy the festivities! The new stadium is beautiful and it was FULL!

ODU has never had a marching band before, so this was their first performance!

And then of course, there are the actual football players...

ODU ended up beating Chowan, so overall it was a great night!

Book Review- Max Lucado "Fearless"

2009-09-08T14:27:00.003-04:00

Let me start by saying that this is a great book. It's one of the most relevant things I have read in a long time without actually being a book about politics or the recession. I don't generally think of myself as a fearful person. This book reminded me that fear comes in a lot of different flavors, often disguising itself as worry... which is something I do alot.

But more powerfully it reminded that me that God doesn't want me to fear. The story that Lucado highlights in the beginning is of the disciples on the boat with Jesus. The wind and waves get out of control, and the experienced sailors try everything that they can to get things under control. When they have exhausted their efforts, they finally cry out. We often do the same thing. We try every alternative possible before finally crying out to God to save us from the mess we are in. God wants to be our first thought- not an after thought.

Of Christ's 125 imperatives issued while he is on earth, 21 of them are related to us as believers NOT fearing. The second most common command only appears 8 times. Statistically it must be very important that we not fear.

But more importantly, fear affects our relationship with God. Lucado uses the word "corrodes." We fear because we don't trust. And it amazes me to think that I might not fully trust the Creator of the Universe.

None of the other books I have reviewed before have I recommended. I think this is a great book. I didn't expect anything less from Max Lucado but he surpassed my expectations.

Tailgating, Woo hoo!

2009-09-04T08:19:00.003-04:00

I am so excited that I am going to my first college football game this weekend (it's probably only my third real football game ever, but we won't go into that). I am VERY exciting to be going to watch the first ODU football game with 20,000 other people who are VERY excited. I have very minimal football knowledge but know that Heather and Josh will give me a hand in understanding everything. Hopefully I will have pictures to post on Monday! Go Monarchs!

My Secret Project

2009-09-03T09:47:00.004-04:00

I have been working on a secret project for the last little bit and today it can finally be unveiled. http://www.afrugalchick.com/ is up and running. I have been thinking for a while about starting a web site about coupons and finance because they are areas I am very passionate about. And people don't always realize how simple, little things can make a big difference! So, please go over and check it out! And if you have some advice or comments, feel free to leave me a comment or drop me an e-mail at afrugalchick@aol.com.

5 a.m.!

2009-09-02T15:34:00.003-04:00

At 4:45 this morning I woke up. And there was no going back to sleep. It wasn't until I thought about it later I went to bed last night at 10 so my body thought I had a full night of sleep by 4:45.

Since there was nothing else to do, I went for a run. 4.5 miles in the cool weather of the morning- it was really nice running. There still were so many more people on the road than I thought there would be!

It has begun

2009-09-01T10:57:00.001-04:00

Today I began my last class of graduate school. And it looks like I am taking the road less traveled on this one.

For our final class we have the option to do one of two kinds of projects. Thus far 16 people have responded which kind of project they would like to do and I am the only one who chose my avenue. I know it's the more difficult but I also believe it will be the most fulfilling. So hopefully I haven't gotten in over my head!

Camping!

2009-08-31T15:32:00.009-04:00

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

2009-08-31T12:49:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-28T07:52:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-26T09:19:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-08-25T09:37:00.013-04:00

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

2009-08-24T10:59:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-21T11:33:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-20T09:05:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-08-17T10:29:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-14T11:31:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-12T13:49:00.006-04:00

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

2009-08-11T10:09:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-08-10T10:05:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-05T14:12:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-04T11:58:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-03T13:38:00.002-04:00

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?"

Moments with Christ

2009-07-31T11:04:00.002-04:00

I am reading a book right now called "Moments With Christ." It's a devotional I bought in college but somehow got buried in the millions of other books in my house. It pointed out something I had never noticed before about Mary.

Luke 1: 26 - 34: "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The author of the book postulates that in that one sentence, Mary has already displayed her willingness. She is already acknowledging that it will "be." She has already made herself available, she is just asking about logistics.

Sometimes God asks us to do things that don't make sense. And it's okay to ask about logistics. Mary got her answer right away- that's not going to always be the case. We aren't even guaranteed to know while we are on earth (i.e. Job) why things happen. I just hope that when the rubber meets the road I stick it out even if I can't see where I am going.

And the winner is...

2009-07-30T10:09:00.002-04:00

For my color blind friends, it's a boy! My dad and I both thought it was going to be a girl, but everyone else wanted a boy. So I will have a nephew soon. I never had a brother so I have no clue what to do with little boys. So my friends who have little boys- look out! I will be asking lots of questions!

To celebrate I am heading over to Cheesecake Factory with Laura and JK for dessert today (half price cheesecake)! And then to the gym tonight for weights! I finally got my ipod all updated so I can lift tonight with no problems.

Missy and I decided today to sign up for another 5k. It's going to be pretty cool. It is actually run inside the Virginia Beach Ampitheatre and then afterwards you get to tour the backstage area, listen to live music and eat Mexican food. Sounds like a good day to me!

Hmmmm... what do I have to do tonight?

2009-07-29T15:17:00.002-04:00

- I have to cross train for 40 minutes at the gym (will actually be an hour since I will be

watching Leverage).

- I have to bake dessert for my friend Jessica and her family.

- I have to do some laundry

Oh yeah, I have to find out if I am going to have a niece or a nephew. I knew there was something going on!

I am so excited!

Thomas Nelson Blogger!

2009-07-27T10:12:00.002-04:00

I applied last week to be a Thomas Nelson book blogger. Thomas Nelson publishes Christian books and they give people free copies as long as they agree to blog about the books. I received my e-mail notice today that I have been accepted!

I went in this morning to look at the books I can choose from and all were about relationships or raising children except "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews, the same guy who wrote "The Travelers Gift" (which was given to me as a gift a few years ago).

So I will give it a read and hopefully in a few days I can publish a review for you guys!

Credit Cards

2009-07-27T09:34:00.002-04:00

Did you see that new credit card legislation passed? Alot of it is really great for people who are responsible with their cards and some for people who haven't yet gotten in trouble. For example, credit card companies will not longer be able to go on college campuses and hand out t-shirts in exchange for credit card applications in 2010.

The best explanation I have found is by J. Money at Budgets are Sexy, which is my fav financial blog. Check out the article: http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/2009/07/how-new-credit-card-legislation-affects.html. It's really easy to understand (I LOVE lists!).

I had my long run yesterday and I did horrible. I did all three miles but walked most of it. I just felt funny- couldn't figure out why. Then, while on stage last night, I felt myself starting to get a fever. By the time Ira's sermon was almost over I felt awful. I went home to my 80 degree house, turned off all the ceiling fans, put on my flannel pajamas and slippers, and crawled under 4 blankets on my bed. Definately sick- I was freezing in spite of the 90 degree temperatures.

Fortunately my fever broke around midnight and I am feeling much better today. There is Pi-Yo at the Y tonight so as long as I am still good when I get off of work, I will be there. Then home, probably to bed early again just to be safe.

I did it!

2009-07-24T10:29:00.002-04:00

Up at 5 and at the gym by 5:30 this morning. I left a little bit before 7 so I got home in plenty of time to get to work (and even took a 20 minute nap). It really does feel nice getting my work out done in the morning so I don't have to be stressed after work today. And I have not been swimming in forever- it actually felt great. Works different muscles and seemed to give my legs a break after two mile walk/run on the treadmill this morning. My sister tore it up in the water- I wonder what the baby was thinking?

Went to pilates last night- the room they are usually in had some kind of kids class in it so we were in a horrible room. Bright lights, really hard kind of dirty floors and the music coming out of a boom box. I will hold off to go again until they are back in their other room- should only be a few more weeks.

Tomorrow is my rest day for the week so I am looking forward to taking a break from the gym. Sunday is a 3 mile run/walk to start off the new week- probably going to try to do that one outside and change the scenery a bit!

Leverage

2009-07-23T11:21:00.006-04:00

Went home from work yesterday, grabbed the coupon box and headed to Harris Teeter for some money saving goodness. Got some free smart water and really cheap toilet paper, BIC ink pens and Morningstar fake meat (I use it in a taco soup I make- keeps the fat content down). I also bought some Vitamin Water 10, which is a new favorite of mine. Today I am trying the lemonade. Not crazy about it, but it's not bad.

After that I went home, ate some dinner (salad from Farm Fresh) and went to the gym. Did my 40 minutes on the elliptical while watching "So You Think You Can Dance?" and drove home to experience my favorite part of every Wednesday night.

Leverage has started it's new season on TNT. It comes on Wednesday nights at 9 and it makes me happy. Christian Kane is part of that reason but I also think the writing is hilarious. It's kind of like Burn Notice that way- always creating some kind of con to help the little guy. My favorite movie of all time is "The Sting" with Redford and Newman and I think my television taste is starting to reflect that same genre!

Have one voice lesson to teach after work today at 5:30. It's a newbie, so we will see how it goes. They get one lesson free at the beginning. If they hate me, they never have to see me again. If they like me, we start charging. And then I head to the Indian River Y for Pilates. I love the pilates instructor there and can rarely get to her class. Gonna be fun!

Decisions

2009-07-22T11:01:00.002-04:00

"Bottom line is, even if you see them coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So, what are we, helpless? Puppets? Nah. The big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that count. That's when you find out who you are. " - Whistler, BTVS

Been reminded lately that we are a product of our decisions. Sometimes stuff happens and there is nothing you can do about it. But alot of the times, we are just sleeping in the bed we made.

Who people marry, whether we buy a house in our price range, whether we go to the gym or sit at home and order pizza- these all have lasting effects. If you don't study for a test, you will likely fail. On the whole, no one wants to suffer consequences for anything.

I had a guy in my office on Monday complaining about punishment for testing positive on a drug test. (Pretty simple solution to fix that.) The kind of irrational logic that used to be reserved for teens who didn't use protection or middle schoolers driving without a liscense has now spread to the adults of the world. When did we forget that actions have consequences?

Last night was a 2.5 mile run/walk. I did okay but not as well as I would like. But I guess that is what training is for, right?

Because I don't get off until 5 today I will not be able to participate in any classes, so tonight will be my 40 minutes of cross training at the Mt. Trashmore Y. (I usually get off at 4:30, which means I can be at my Y by 5. When I get off at 5 the traffic is much worse so I usually can't get to my Y until 6.) Back on my elliptical machine tonight probably watching NCIS.

Harry Potter

2009-07-21T12:20:00.003-04:00

Enjoyed a night out with the girls last night! Ate a great Cheesecake Factory salad in the mall and talked about what kind of job my friend JK should have. She has decided to let her friends pick, as she is aimless. That girl is obsessed with fashion, so we all seem to keep steering her in that direction.

Once inside the theater I was whisked away to Hogwarts. Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, owns the current Harry Potter film. Everyone does a great job but a flat character finally gets the chance to show himself. Finally got to see the guy act and he's pretty good at it. It's good to be the bad guy sometimes.

I thought the movie was fantastic, but I haven't read the book in a few years so the differences between script and book that seem to bother everyone else on line didn't really faze me.

The plot lines with the romances are adorable and I was reminded of the unstable seriousness of romance in middle and high school. And how fun it was!

Went to the gym after the movie and did 30 minutes on the machine while watching "Dating in the Dark." Great show- hilarious! Tonight is 2.5 miles on the treadmill. I have an hour between job #1 and job #2 so I will be hitting the gym. I am keeping my fingers crossed that a treadmill with a television is available!

10 k Training

2009-07-20T11:31:00.002-04:00

So I am planning on running a 10k on Halloween with mom and missy. And I am going to try to train properly for this one.

One of the things the book I am reading recommends is keeping a training journal. So I am going to use this blog as my training journal.

Because I am going to see Harry Potter tonight I am going to have to change my training schedule a bit. Today was supposed to be "strength and stretching" which is usually perfect because I do Pi-Yo (half pilates, half yoga) on Monday nights. So instead I will be doing 30 minutes of cross training tonight (elliptical) after the movie. The Y is open until 11 on week nights which I love since I am a night owl.

We will see how it goes!

New Shoes

2009-07-17T14:40:00.003-04:00

I do not share the same shoe obsession as most of my female friends do. I would love the world if I could wear plastic flip flops 365 days a year.

However I decided it was time for me to buy some actual running shoes. Ones that fit. Ones that are actually made to run. It was time. So I sucked it up and went to Running Etc to get fitted. And I left with these:

They were stupid expensive but they feel amazing. I can not wait to try them out.

Finally some credit!

2009-07-16T10:44:00.002-04:00

I watch alot of television shows but my absolute favorite comedy right now is "The Big Bang Theory." Don't let the title turn you off if you don't believe in the aforementioned event, this show is hilarious.

CBS keeps moving it's time slot, treating it as if it is unimportant when it pulls good numbers for them every Monday night. But today they finally got their due.

Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, has been nominated for an Emmy Award! Alongside comedy greats Steve Carrell and Alec Baldwin. I have no idea if he will win or not, but maybe now finally the network will acknowledge the true genius of these television geniuses.

If you don't know who they are go on youtube and watch the "Rock, Paper, Lizard, Scissors, Spock" clip. It's amazing!

Doughnuts

2009-07-15T10:58:00.003-04:00

I have a huge problem with doughnuts. I think they are amazing. Whenever I drive by the "Hot Now" sign at Krispy Kreme it takes everything in me not to stop. The Bakers Dozen they sell at Farm Fresh are great.

But I think Dunkin Doughnuts are gross. There are almost a dozen of them in our break room and every time I look at the box it makes me never want to eat another doughnut again. I wonder what the difference is?

Seth Green on WWE

2009-07-14T11:12:00.003-04:00

I don't watch WWE. I think adult male wrestling is like a soap opera for men, so I don't watch it.

However last night I flipped over to USA waiting for "Royal Pains" to come on so I caught the last four minutes. And what I saw was Seth Green being chased around the outside of the rink by some massively huge man with a chair.

I LOVE Seth Green. He was Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer- the perpetually cool guy who becomes a werewolf. Most people know him from the Austin Powers movies, "Can't Hardly Wait", "Without a Paddle" or "Family Guy." He is funny, cute and entertaining.

But he is LITTLE. Maybe my height. Probably weighs less than I do.And those wrestlers are big. It was like an elephant chasing a cat. And as soon as I can find a picture of it I will post it. Because it was hilarious.

The Weekend!

2009-07-13T11:39:00.002-04:00

I had a great weekend this weekend. Heather wanted to be outside on Friday night so I suggested a Norfolk Tides game- even though I still had some school work to get done. I buckled down in the morning and used my lunch break to finish. I wasn't 100% satisfied with it, but it was nice out and I wanted to hang out with my friends.

Tides won and the Zooperstars were there (I had never seen them before). They were hilarious! You can see the pictures above for what they looked like! The 8 of us had a good time just being outside. I also got to spend some time with my dad, who seems to live at Harbor Park this time of year!

Saturday morning I did NOT HAVE TO TEACH! So I slept in until 10 (I was up until 1 watching the season premiere of Eureeka on the newly christened SyFy channel). Went to the gym, grabbed some lunch and hit the thrift stores looking for Halloween costume pieces. Yes I know Halloween is months away but life is going to get busy!

Saturday night was church softball- always fun. Enjoyed hanging out with the girls on the bleachers and got some more people to tag along with Alicia, Crystal and I to see Harry Potter on the 20th. One week from today!

Sunday morning I went to Real Life Christian Church in Chesapeake and heard a great video sermon by Francis Chan, the guy who wrote "Crazy Love." It was amazing. Hit the gym, the library, another thrift store and grabbed a salad. Then back out to 757 last night for great worship and fellowship.

Oh- and I got a 100% on my homework I did on Friday. My final grade in the class was a 97% so I am pretty happy with that. It was a great weekend!

Quotes of the Week

2009-07-09T11:05:00.002-04:00

"We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship."
--The Weight of Glory

"The world is grown so bad, that wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch". Quote (Act I, Scene III).

Richard III

2009-07-08T10:36:00.000-04:00

Finishing up Richard III (shakespeare) for graduate school. Normally I recommend sitting back and taking in a good bit of the bard, but this thing is grueling. He is killing EVERYBODY! The 1995 film version compared him to Hitler and I feel like it's a good comparison!

Trip to Washington

2009-07-07T10:50:00.000-04:00

Last Monday, after the longest dance recital in history on Sunday night (although I am told they are all this way) I headed out to Washington State for one of my last remaining graduate school classes at Gonzaga University (Go Zags!).

The flight out was pretty uneventful. The last leg- a flight from Salt Lake City to Spokane- was the most interesting. I ended up sitting next to a guy my age named Marshall. He was LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- also known as Mormon) and pulled out his Bible when he sat down. So we ended up talking almost all of the two hour flight about religion. He answered alot of questions I had about the LDS church. He had done a two year mission in Houston a few years before so he was able to answer my questions alot more coherently than other people had in the past. It was nice to have a conversation with no intent of changing any one's mind- we both were firm in our beliefs and just sharing about our faith.

Class was amazing. I met alot of really great people and ate alot of really good food. It was nice to finally meet some of my professors face to face. Even though getting my degree on line is absolutely pivotal for me to be able to finish school with my schedule I realized how much I have missed being in the classroom and seeing people face to face. The weather in Spokane was phenomenal, though it was sunny outside about 20 hours a day, which was really strange.

Somehow during the trip I managed to pull some muscles in the left side of my neck and all the way down to the end of my shoulder. I think it might have been the bed at the bed and breakfast I stayed at. So I have been keeping heat on it and trying to take it easy. Last night I went back to the gym and started working out again so it's a little aggravated today but nothing I can't work around.

The highlight of my trip, however, was my two hours in the Vegas Airport. I gambled $3 and left with $11.50. It was my first ever win at gambling!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T23:41:00.001-04:00

This is the first holiday I have ever spent in my house without going out! All of my friends who were couples chose to spend the day together today, so rather than crash one of their parties or go to the party the guys at work threw I decided to stay home and do all of the things I am forever putting off. I had a paper due at midnight (I just turned it in two minutes ago), caught up on posting on Blackboard, did laundry, washed dishes, cleaned out the litter box and unpacked. BTW- this is a record for me being unpacked. Usually my suitcase stays packed for atleast a week.

Tomorrow morning I am going to visit a local church that is currently meeting inside Great Bridge High School to see how they are doing things. I am excited to get the chance to see how some other people around the area are worshipping!

Quotes for the Week

2009-06-26T10:49:00.000-04:00

"Patricia, I want you to try something. It's a relaxation exercise I do in situations like this. I want you to close your eyes and breathe deep. Picture a peaceful mountain stream. Now picture yourself drowning the kidnapper in the stream. We're taking a rock from the stream and raising it above with your hand, and with tremendous force you're bringing it— " -Fiona Burn Notice

"There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being." - James Joyce

"I better make this clear: no leader is beyond rebuke, correction or exhortation. And if you think you are then it's the beginning of the end. But what I'm focusing on here is unwarranted criticism or unfair treatment. If the sermon you are preaching or the vision you are casting is from the Lord, then people aren't rejecting you. Don't personalize the rejection. I think this is one key to evangelism: if you personalize the rejection you'll stop sharing your faith." - Mark Batterson

Coupons

2009-06-25T10:49:00.001-04:00

Coupons have changed my life. Not as much as Jesus, but still alot.

I hadn't really thought about it that much until my friend Tina was in town a few weeks ago. Tina lives in Indiana now and I don't have company over to my place anymore, so no one had been there to point out the changes.

When Tina and I were in our hayday and every night there were 15 people at my condo, I was broke. I had bought my first place when I was 22 and trying to keep the bills paid was tough (but totally worth it). So I had the cheapest of everything- the bad paper towels that really don't work, the scratchy toilet paper, the hand soap that smells funny etc. And most of the time, I didn't really have that much of anything in the house. Often times I would be trying to make things last until the next paycheck so I would be rationing toilet paper or shampoo for a few days. This is the world Tina remembers.

Then coupons happened. I know they have been around forever, but only in my world since my sister introduced me to the concept at the end of last year. And now when I go into stores (after a little prep work) I give them shiny pieces of paper that I cut out of my sunday paper and they give me toilet paper for little or no money. And paper towels. And tooth paste. And shampoo, razors, food etc. The list goes on. So I take as much as they will give me and stick it in every nook and cranny at my house.

And you know what? None of it is scratchy anymore. I use toilet paper with lotion in it. Or air pockets. I use paper towels that you can rinse and re-use and have pictures of licensed characters on them. My soap smells like a million bucks. It turns out the free stuff is better quality than the cheap stuff.

So two weeks ago when Tina hollered through the bathroom door "Oh my gosh, you have toilet paper everywhere!" I yelled back "Yep, they don't make me pay for it anymore!"

And I laughed.

Father's Day

2009-06-24T14:41:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged about Father's Day yet! We had Father's Day over at my sister and brother-in-law's new house, which is mostly finished. It's gorgeous. I can't wait until they can move in so I can come visit.

Anyway, Missy did a great job getting the food ready and Jonathan did great on the grill. We had corn on the cob, hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, potato chips etc. The weather was beautiful and we got to sit on their back porch and just hang out.

There was also cake from Jamie's Bakery (if you have never had cake from Jamie's Bakery you aren't ready to die yet). It was a really cute cake to celebrate the upcoming baby, with pink and blue icing and storks. There were no small pieces so we all enjoyed a huge chunk of cake with ice cream. (If you check my sister's blog, I believe there are pictures.)

It was fun to be with the family and catch up, since even though we all live in the same area, we don't see each other very often!

Tonight

2009-06-23T15:12:00.001-04:00

Roll Back the Clock night at Harbor Park. $.25 hot dogs and Diet Coke. That's good stuff!

Kicking Myself for no pictures!

2009-06-22T10:39:00.000-04:00

I actually had a really fun weekend and am very bummed I didn't take a camera around with me!

Friday night my friend Misty, her husband and son were in town. It's been about 2 years since I have seen them and I had never met their son, Ajoni, before. He's 18 months old and so much fun! We had dinner at Surf Riders on Laskin and went down to the boardwalk and hung out for a bit. An 18 month old looking around at the tourists was hilarious. It's been a few weeks since I was down at the beach, so it was nice to just go and walk around. After that, I went home and ran to the gym to do some weight training. It was nice and empty- turns out no one lifts weights at 10 p.m. on Friday night!

Saturday morning I headed to the studio to teach my first piano lesson. One of my voice students, Hannah, has been dying to take piano but her parents really can't afford it. So, for the summer, I agreed to go half piano and half voice to see how Hannah does. If she really picks it up and works hard I am hoping to make some kind of arrangement for her in the fall.

After that I fought the crowds at Old Navy to buy $2 tank tops and was also able to buy maternity clothes for my sister. Woo hoo! I have been wanting to do that for a while! I ran into my friends Laura and T.J. there so Laura helped me with the maternity clothes. My sister and I don't have the same taste, so a second opinion is pivotal.

Saturday night I met up with an old friend for coffee at Barnes and Noble, which actually ended up being water on the bench in front of Barnes and Noble since we couldn't meet until 9:30. She's a piano teacher, loves the outdoors, loves Jesus and is going to be an aunt in January as well. We have a lot in common so I am hoping the planets will align more frequently and we will be able to hang out. Our schedules are insane!

Quotes of the week

2009-06-18T12:09:00.000-04:00

"By selecting, interweaving, and prioritizing our values, we define who we are- or atleast who we want to be." - Doug Lennick & Fred Kiel, Ph.D. Moral Intelligence

"Courage doesn't have anything to do with medals. It's simple. You run to the gunfire, not away from it." -Jethro Gibbs NCIS

"If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. The more intelligent and more gifted the person God creates, the greater the capacity to love and to be a positive force in the universe, but also, if that person rebels, the greater capacity to cause evil, to inflict pain and to cause unhappiness. " C. S. Lewis The Question of God ( An amazing book if you are looking for something to read)

"We like to talk big. Vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.' That's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people, billions of people walking around like Happy Meals on legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision, with a real... passion for destruction. Goodbye Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square." - Spike Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

2009-06-17T10:12:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen the movie, you should give it a viewing. It's several years old, so it shouldn't be too hard to get your hands on. I was just watching this part today and it still gives me chills.

"...the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked further back, into the stillness and darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards" (C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, 1950).

Random Quote I Loved

2009-06-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

"I love when a city rains the day I leave. Like it's crying for me. I love you too, Paris."

- Nathan Fillion

CHKD Run/Walk for Kids

2009-06-15T13:42:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning was the Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters 8k race. I ran this race last summer with Missy and was running it this summer with Mom (Missy had to sit out due to my future niece or nephew). Last summer it was a great race- perfect weather, lots of water, smaller crowd. Good times.

This summer was completely different. It started with them losing my registration, so I didn't get a t-shirt. As ridiculous as it sounds- the t-shirts are part of the reason I run the races! And there were 2,000 more people this year than last year- they were not prepared for that either.

Then we started about 20 minutes late- which is alot of waiting around in the heat. And its HOT- much hotter than last year. We finally get going and as we reach the one mile point I am REALLY excited about the upcoming water station. I come around the corner to where it was last year and BOOM- NO WATER STATION! And since the one mile and four mile mark are the same place (the course is a loop) that means there will be no water at the four mile mark either.

Before I hit the 2 mile mark I had seen two people needing assistance from the heat. And at about two miles I start walking- I was not feeling all that great. As I approached our only water station, they are dumping water out of the bottom of the coolers. They are almost out of water, and there are several hundred people behind me! So I grabbed a cup of luke warm water, chugged it down and started running again.

When I finally finished I did not feel well at all. Some people looked great and some people looked awful. I had to leave really soon after I finished to go teach (if we had started on time I wouldn't have had that problem) so I don't think I really cooled down properly. Needless to say I took a LONG nap on Saturday.

The conclusion- No CHKD race for me next year. We are going to have to stick with spring and fall races.

Recital

2009-06-15T08:57:00.000-04:00

I left work at 4 to head to the studio for recital. After helping with set up my students start arriving about 5:15. I have 9 students singing in recital- 8 of them are doing great. All have warmed up, are dressed appropriately, seem just the appropriate amount of nervous and are running around the studio like lunatics (which is normal).

Meanwhile in the music room, one of them (my seventeen year old) is sitting on the floor convulsing through tears. I'm not exactly sure what had set her off so much (it wasn't just the singing- there is some personal stuff going on), but she is the same one I have been having a rough time with over the last few weeks. I let her aunt (my boss) and the other adults in the studio take care of her and concentrated on the rest of my students.

We pulled my sobbing student out of the line up for the evening and progressed without her. About half way through recital my boss pulls me aside and tells me that she will sing, but only if I sing with her. So I ended up singing with her. If I got quieter, in an effort to hear her sing, she got quieter too. My boss understands completely- it doesn't reflect poorly on my job performance- but if I had been a parent paying for voice lessons all year and that was what I got I would be angry.

None the less it did not ruin my night. The rest of my girls did fantastic and their parents were very happy! It was a great way to end the year. I will only have three or four students over the summer and then we will see what happens in the fall! Year two of teaching is coming to a close!

recital

2009-06-12T13:37:00.000-04:00

Tonight is recital. At 6 o clock. This is the longest day of the year. Waiting for this is like waiting for Santa to come on Christmas Day, except there is a chance there will no presents and instead the tree will be on fire. They are trained and ready to go, but anything could happen.

Quotes of the Week

2009-06-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

"You know, I was thinking about becoming a doctor.... I was thinking dermatologist. Normal hours, big bucks, never an emergency. I mean, nobody ever died from a zit." - Tony DiNozzo, NCIS

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." - Confucius

"You have about as much chance of going out with Penny as the Hubble Telescope has of finding that at the center of each black hole there's a little man with a flashlight trying to find the circuit breaker." - Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory

"Nothing is so common as the wish to be remarkable." - William Shakespeare

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." - C. S. Lewis

One Man (or Woman)

2009-06-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

Last night I was reading a book on Esther that happened to be sitting on my nightstand. It's one of my favorite stories from the Bible. A person, thrown into a situation out of her control, who obeys God and saves a nation. It got me thinking about how many times in the Bible one person made a difference.

In the same way that one person saved the nation of Isreal, one man almost caused God to eliminate all of them:
Numbers 16:22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?"

In the same way that one man's sin made us a world of sinners, one man's death saved us all:
Romans 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

And an entire nation, that still exists, came out of one man:
Hebrews 11:12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

The next time I think a decision I am going to make only affects me, I need to remember that sometimes one person can make all the difference in the world.

Happy Birthday Johnny Depp!

2009-06-09T10:35:00.000-04:00

Johnny Depp is 46 today. That's kind of ridiculous. He's like the Dick Clark of my generation. He never ages.

Locked in a Closet

2009-06-08T20:17:00.000-04:00

Nope. I'm not talking about Clay Aiken.

Came home after the gym today to a very intense meowing noise coming out of my bedroom. The cleaning lady had locked Bella in the closet. Since they usually come between 11 and 12, I am going to venture she was in there about 6 hours. Needless to say she's been kind of clingy tonight while I have been watching NCIS re-runs.

Mark Harmon is hotter now than he was when he was younger.

I like Pineapple

2009-06-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

I didn't know until about a month ago that I actually like pineapple. I'm not sure if there was some traumatic childhood pineapple experience that made me discriminate, but I was decidedly anti-pineapple. I am now pro-pineapple.

This is my revelation for the day.

Peaking in High School

2009-06-04T11:55:00.000-04:00

Think back to high school. Remember those kids who were popular but treated everyone else like crap? I didn't watch 90210, but I remember the character of Brenda being that way. And I know for a fact Shannon Doherty is. She got fired off of two shows for just being too much of a pain.

Last night one of my voice students came in upset. After talking about her issues, she mentioned that someone had told her these were the best years of her life. I assured her that they were not, that much better times were coming. That when she is a litle bit older and more independent, her level head would help her succeed.

But what about those people that high school WAS the best years of their life? The ones who discovered popularity wasn't going to get them by in college, or that drinking habit that make them popular in high school is considered a liability in the real world? The ones who ended up miserable who always look back on high school cheer leading or prom as the epitome of their existence.

I can't help but look back at them in my pettiness and feel a little bit of satisfaction. They were the kids who called me "four eyes", knocked my books out of my arms in the hall ways and tried to cheat off of me in class. They are the guys who would talk to me in class when they needed help, but wouldn't even make eye contact with me in the hall lest their friends know we had spoken.

And now they aren't happy. Some of them are, don't get me wrong. But the ones who truly peaked in high school spend alot of their time looking in the rear view mirror. I am happy to be one of the ones staring out the windshield. God has alot of great things in store for me. I don't want to waste any time looking at the past.

Singing at the Fight

2009-06-03T10:59:00.001-04:00

5 years ago I had never sung the National Anthem at a public event- besides "White Men, White Meat"- which was an Atlantic Shores sanctioned event. My first ever big public performance was for the Globe Trotters in the Constant Center in Norfolk. That place is amazing to sing in and, ironically, I got that gig from singing on the radio during the morning show on 94.9 The Point. That was really cool.

There are a million people in Hampton Roads who want to sing and after the acoustics in Harbor Park singing for the Tides, I decided to cool off with the sporting event singing.

Yet today my phone rings and Elaine Varner, who organizes the local "King of the Ring" fights is asking me to come sing for the third time. Everything in me wanted to tell her no, since I am not actually going to the fight this time, but I couldn't do it. So Saturday night I will be back in the big metal cage, singing the National Anthem again.

I wonder if you can make a living just singing the National Anthem? Especially if you know the first TWO verses?

Famous Aunts

2009-06-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

In case you live under a rock and haven't heard, I am going to be an aunt sometime around December/January. Since I am a student, I thought I would look back at some of the great aunts on television and see what lessons I can learn from them!

Auntie Em (The Wizard of Oz)- Auntie Em taught Dorothy some valuable life lessons: always go under ground during a tornado, don't go wandering off by yourself or some gypsy might tell you your future... I bet she even taught her how to sing. Plus, when Dorothy woke up, Auntie Em was right there to hold her hand on her trip back from Oz.

Next is Aunt Becky from "Full House" She helped the girls with their hair and talked to them about boys since their mom wasn't around. But even better, she demonstrated the lesson all girls at the time wanted to know: how to get John Stamos to marry you. If you get a lucky, you get to move into the attic with Uncle Jesse, and all his hair gel.

Last but certainly not least is Monica Gellar. When her nephew Ben was born she said "Hi. I'm your Aunt Monica. I will always have gum." I almost never have gum but I will try to get a video game in my living room so my nephew or niece can come over and play. And I will find some secret recipe from Nest-le Toul-House so I can make great chocolate chip cookies (only when their mom says I can though).

Saturday

2009-06-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

Saturdays during the summer are always fun. The teaching load at the studio lightens, when I go to the grocery store it doesn't cost $12 a pound for cherries ($3.99 a pound at Fresh Market this week) and church softball starts. This week was the first week of softball.

The 757 team lost their first game and tied their second at the bottom of the last inning! It was really exciting!

After the game, Erin and I headed down to the ocean front to watch "The Michael Clark Band" (who I could not get a single decent picture of due to crappy lighting).

They are one of two local bands that Erin keeps up with and I LOVE watching them. They have a singer named Tracy Clark whose voice I am crazy about. She's incredibly talented. I got to talk to her after their set and she said they have a full schedule for the summer, so hopefully we can stalk them some other places. They were playing Saturday on the stage at 31st street, so we hung out around Catch 31 and listened to them. The weather was perfect and it was a great night!

What Not To Wear

2009-05-29T11:17:00.001-04:00

I don't watch "What Not to Wear" unless NCIS, Law & Order, Burn Notice or CSI don't happen to be running reruns (and good luck finding a time when THAT isn't happening). But tonight WNTW is going to be doing their first celebrity make-over on Mayim Bialik. For those of you are who are my age, you will remember her as "Blossom." Even in the early 90's I remember her character being kind of over the top in the clothing department, so you can't really hold it against the girl if her fashion sense is a little off. I just saw her recently on an episode of "Bones" and she did a great job. But I thought it would be interesting to see what she's done since she was on the sitcom.

She was accepted to both Harvard and Yale, but decided to stay out west, so she went to UCLA. She has been married for 7 years and has two young sons. She plays piano, trumpet and bass guitar and is currently finishing her Ph.D in Neuroscience. And in spite of the fact that she refuses to wear pants or leather (which made it more challenging for the hosts), she is happy with the make over's results. Just like the rest of us who need make overs, she knows it. Mad props to her for stepping up and getting a new look! I'd get one too if someone else was willing to pay for it! :) She is going to be guest starring on some television shows over the next year or so, so maybe I catch a new pic of her at some time and post it.

The Man Called Jesus

2009-05-28T11:46:00.001-04:00

This past Easter I performed at Atlantic Shores in a production of "The Man Called Jesus." The play, while being at Shores, is actually run by a non-profit organization (http://www.tmcj.org/) so the whole auditioning process was way more nerve wracking. I hate auditions- especially for non-singing roles. I feel like when I sing I have something that makes me stand out. When I am just acting (in which I have no formal training) I feel like I look just like everyone else does. But in the audition I happened to get a great male acting partner so it went well. I was hoping to maybe have a line or two, but would just be thankful to be able to get back on stage. I haven't done a show since before I started graduate school. I miss it.

So was surprised when I got the call on Saturday morning asking if I would be willing to play Martha. It was a large female role involving a lot of rehearsals but fortunately my class for that part of the semester was pretty light and both of my bosses were willing to work with me. Thrilled, I accepted the role and began rehearsals the next day. And several of the disciples had never acted before, so some of the rehearsals were VERY LONG!

I have never done a show like this one. In order to get this thing off the ground it takes over 200 people. Make up, costumes, lighting, special effects, sound, security, props, animals... it was crazy. The stage at Shores had to be doubled in size to fit the 120 actors on stage. We were everywhere in that building.

I spent most of my time with the actresses who played Mary Mother of Jesus (we all called her "Mom"), Mary sister of Martha and Mary Magdalene (who we called Mag). The four of us were like "peas and carrots" during rehearsals. Robert, who played Jesus, called us the M & Ms. Here is a pic of Mag in her costume:

After only 5 weeks of rehearsals (one of which I was in California) we opened our 11 show run on a Wednesday night. The last 6 shows sold out, so I guess work spread that the show was good.

There were some real highlights for me. One was working with Robert- he was incredible. Watching someone you like so much be fake crucified every night gave me a whole new appreciation for how Martha must have felt. I knew they weren't hurting Robert and it still was difficult. As I sat on the floor pretending to weep every night, God and I had many conversations about how much He really loves me. And how I need to tell other people how much He loves them.

My make up guy, Alex was AMAZING. Even though he is only 14 he did an incredible job with my make up- to the point where I would wait extra long just to have him do it. He was so much fun to talk to and hopefully I will run into him in future shows in Hampton Roads.

It was amazing every night to stand with the cast at the end of the show and pray for the audience. In such difficult times, many families have realized the importance of each other instead of things. And while some people are angry with God, many are turning back to God as a source of support and comfort. We prayed over those seats and that auditorium many times, in hopes that lives would be changed.

I am hoping they will ask me back next year- I would love to be a part of it once again!

The Biltmore Estate

2009-05-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

I have alot to blog on, but I thought I would start with the most recent trip, which is the one to the Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC. I have never been a big one for pretense, but I was completely impressed with this house.

Built in the late 1800's by a guy that my friends and I agreed could not have been straight, it is truly beautiful. He decorated the whole house himself. There are 250 rooms in the house between the servants quarters (which were nice enough for me to live in now), the huge kitchens, the indoor swimming pool, the 45 bathrooms and the very primitive gym. The entire house had plumbing and indoor electricity, which was an unheard of luxury at the time.

Two things I heard down there that I thought were interesting:

- Each bathroom had a toilet and a bathtub but no sink. Apparantly the luxury of having a servant bring warm water into your room in a basin was so desired, the sink was not wanted in the bathroom. It would have removed the pleasure of the basin and service for the guests, so it was not installed.

- Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt were scheduled to be on the Titanic. They got so close to traveling on the ship that when it went down their luggage and their valet were left in the ocean. They were saved by Mrs. Vanderbilt's sister, who called her urgently before they boarded and said she had a dream they were going to die on the ship and begged her sister and brother in law not to go. She saved their lives.

The grounds at the house are unbelievable. Beautiful gardens, walking trails, and thousands of acres of trees that Vanderbilt had specially planted. (I find it fascinating the guy just couldn't buy a forest- he flew someone in from Europe to BUILD him a forest). The original land for the house was 250,000 acres, but during the depression their only heir, a daughter named Cordelia, donated the land to the Pigsah National Forest and kept 8,000 acres for the estate, which she then opened to the public.

She had to open it to the public because her father spent every last penny he had to build the house. $5 million dollars at the turn of the century. But the house helped to keep the economy in Asheville healthy during the depression.

The estate is also very environmentally conscious. Saturday at lunch we drank through paper straws. Tons of things were recycled that we received and our tour guide made comments about how even when the estate was built, they tried to be conscious of resources. When they used to milk the cows they had slots behind them in the dairy farm. The manure would fall through these slots to an underground facility which would process it and send it back out to the greenhouse to be used to keep the grounds going. It was a very automated, effective process.

Eventually the dairy farm was converted the a winery, which we also toured. Turns out no matter what you do to wine, I just don't like drinking it! But we did a wine tasting class and also took a "wine and chocolate" class, to pair certain wines with certain chocolate.

My pictures from the Biltmore are on the other computer I use for things, so I will try to get some on here. Meanwhile check out facebook where I have them all uploaded!

The Love of a Father

2008-08-06T20:40:00.000-04:00

Steven Curtis Chapman was on Good Morning America this morning. In case you missed the news about six months ago his 17 year old son, Will Franklin, accidentally hit his five year old, Maria, with the car and she died. The family has bonded together incredibly, using their grief to promote hope.

But the moment that astounded me was when Steven was recounting the actual events of the accident. Will Franklin had gotten out of the car to see what happened to Maria while Steven ran and scooped her up in his arms. He jumped into the still running car to take Maria to the hospital. As he was pulling out the drive way he rolled down his window and yelled "Will Franklin!"

His son turns and looks at him, tears streaming down his face as the reality of what has happened hits him. Steven looks at Will Franklin and says "Your father loves you son."

If the love of a human father can be so amazing, why do we limit the love of a heavenly Father? There is nothing our God can not forgive!

Minnesota Trip

2008-08-05T21:41:00.001-04:00

Some of you know, I went to Minnesota this weekend to see my friends Bob and Emera get married. Here were a few of the highlights of the trip:

- Sitting in the Newport News airport from 6:00 - 10:45. Have you ever been to the Newport News Airport? There is ONE restuarant, two televisions, three vending machines and four gates. There is NOTHING in that airport. As a result of our delay, we landed at the Minneapolis, St. Paul airport at 4 a.m., picked up our rental car and drove to the Holiday Inn we had for the night where I slept for a whopping 1.5 hours before I had to get up to head to Bob's place in Long Prairie.

- I picked green beans out of a back yard garden and ate some of them raw.

- I was the adult driver for a 15 year old with a learner's permit. For the first time ever, I felt like an adult. (We did not get in a wreck or get a ticket.)

- Heather Perry and I got to play with a waterfall.

- I went through a town called Brainerd. At 11 p.m., after 1.5 hours of sleep, that was hilarious.

- Out the back door of the cabin we stayed in, I had a spectacular view of Lake Superior.

- I ate Wild Rice Pancakes.

- I ran along the shore of a lake.

- I sang outside at a wedding with a guitar player who forgot every chord in the song and admitted it to me after we were finished.

- The girl who sat next to me on the final leg of the flight had just been mauled by a cougar three days before. Her stomach and her legs were covered in stitches and bandages. Needless to say, we talked the whole hour and a half until the plane landed.