Friday, March 30, 2007

This Weekend

I don't know if everyone knows this or not, but I love lists. Well, I don't necessarily love lists, but I love the feeling of crossing things off lists - I guess it shows me that I have accomplished things. While in college I had extensive lists, down to making sure I took vitamins every day. It is probably just a control thing, or an OCD thing (like picking), who knows. Anywho, I have made a list of a few things I would like to do this weekend (Ryan is up at some friends place in San Jose/ San Fransisco area for the weekend and USD is on Spring Break so I am chillin' for the weekend).

  • Do my laundry (at least my colds)
  • Clean my apartment (bathroom, dust, vacuum, etc)
  • Possibly go shopping (I need a few more work shirts and maybe a bathing suit)
  • Go for some bike rides (the weather is supposed to be amazing, so I will be out there)
  • Sleep in (I wake up around 6 or 6:30 throughout the week so any time I get to sleep in past 8 is GREAT)
  • Go tanning (I have a membership until the end of April so I might as well use it)
  • Write some cards (I love sending people cards, notes, etc)
  • Grab a few groceries (my fridge is looking pretty skimpy)

There are probably many more things I could put on the list (like showering, taking vitamins, etc, so I could cross them off when I finished them, but I figured it would get too long and monotonous). What would be on your weekend list?

Joke

Doctor's Visit

A cute little old lady goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor I have this problem with gas, but it really doesn't bother me too much. It never smells and is always silent. As a matter of fact I've farted at least 10 times since I've been here in your office. You didn't know I was farting because it doesn't smell and is silent."

The doctor says, "I see. Take these pills and come back to see me next week".

The next week the lady returns.

"Doctor," she says, "I don't know what the heck you gave me, but now my farts, although still silent, stink terribly".

"Good," the doctor said. "Now that we've cleared up your sinuses, let's work on your hearing."

80's Kids

80's Kids

You know you grew up in the 1980's when:

You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.

You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and can do the Carlton.

You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on "Blossom."

If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock."

It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

You played the game "MASH" (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House).

You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON , WAX OFF."

You wanted to be a Goonie.

You ever wore fluorescent clothing (some of us...head-to-toe).

You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.

You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.

You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.

You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

After you saw "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"

You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up."

You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

You have ever played with a Skip-It.

You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder.

You remember watching both "Gremlins" movies.

You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

You remember Alf, the lil' furry brown alien.

You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB."

You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell."

You know all the words to Bon Jovi’s "Shot Through The Heart."

You just sang those words to yourself.

You still sing "We are the World"

You tight rolled your jeans.

You owned a banana clip.

You remember "Where's the Beef?"

You're still singing "Shot Through the Heart" in your head, aren't you!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Survey Time Again

About You
Nicknames: Car, Peter, Sally, CDawg
Current Location: San Diego, CA
Where were you born? Monroe, MI
Age: 22
Straight/bi/gay: Straight
Hair Color: Dirty Blonde
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 5'4"
Piercings: Nose, tongue, ears (8 times currently), belly button
Tattoos: 3 so far – one on my left foot, one on my right foot and one on my back

Favorites
Movie: Amile, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Angels in America, Reservoir Dogs, The Departed, Anaconda, Hook, Little Mermaid, etc.
Color: Blue
Animal: Dachshund
Season: Summer
Flower: I don't really like flowers…
Number: 7

This or That
Summer or Winter: SUMMER
Pepsi or Coke: Diet
Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla
Rock or Rap: I like all
Hugs or Kisses: Kisses (on the forehead)
Flowers or Candy: Candy (fruity stuff, starbust, skittles, etc)
Stars or Hearts: Stars
Dog or Cat: DOG

Relationships/Love
Taken or Single: Taken (3.75 years now)
Got a Crush: Of course
Name Please: Ryan
Last Person You said I love you to: My mom

Have You Ever...
Danced in a Public Place: Of course
Kissed in the Rain: I don't think so
Sang to someone for no reason: Every other day
Been in Love: Yeppers
Sat on your rooftop: Nope
Smiled for no reason: All the time (SMILING'S MY FAVORITE)
Been to another country: Mexico, Canada

Can You...
Can you sing: I try my hardest
Can you dance: I can bust a move
Can you blow a bubble: I love gum, yep
Can you whistle: Yeah
Can you gleek: I used to be able to, but since my tongue is pierced I've lost the talent

Do You...
Do you like thunderstorms: Love 'em
Do you like rollercoasters: Yeah buddy, Cedar Point baby!!
Do you like movies: Yes, but I don't like paying for the theater, so rentals are a must
Do you like the dark: Nope, scared of it still
Do you like Coffee: YUCK, NO!

Sad Day

I came in to work this morning to an email that said:

Good morning Everyone,
I am sorry to have to tell everyone that we have all suffered a huge loss to the Cass family. Last night at around 5:00 pm Jeff German gave in to his battle against pancreatic cancer and passed on. As everyone who came in contact with Jeff knew, he was a most extraordinary man. He lived life to the fullest and gave his heart and sole to whatever he did. Jeff gave so much to this company, to all those who worked with him, and to everyone whom he touched, we all owe him a great deal of gratitude.

A time and date hasn’t been set as of yet for the memorial services but we will keep everyone updated.

We are all going to miss Jeff very much and we ask that you please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.


Jeff was one of our superintendents. He has been here for such a long time. He was a real great guy! I had only worked with him for about 6 months before he had to take some time off because of the cancer, but in those 6 months I worked with him a lot and know that this is a BIG loss. He was a funny guy and one that was always willing to help (especially when I came to him every other day because his guys filled out their time sheets wrong or left guys off, etc). It is a sobering feeling around the office today, with many tears and long faces. I think everyone knew this day would come, especially since the chemo hadn't been working as of late and he was looking worse when he would come in, but I don't think people really grasped that it would happen. Sad days around Cass lately (Jeff is the second guy to pass away in the last month). I know none of you know Jeff or his family, but he was great and I know his family will need prayers during this difficult time so if you could all keep the German family in your prayers.

Polly want a cracker?


This one's for you mom :)

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Where to look?


"Worry looks around, sorry looks back, Faith looks up."


I got this in an email and thought it was a cool little quote... Hope you like it too

Dog gives Hemlick


How cool is this story -




The dog gave its owner the hemlick when she was choking on a piece of apple :) I saw it on the news this morning, and thought it would make you smile :)

Relay For Life


As some of you know, in high school I played soccer. My soccer coach was an amazing woman, and still is. I had lost touch with her after high school (mostly my fault I'm sure), but have been able to catch up on her life as of late because I have found her blog through other blogs. Tami Moreno is an amazing woman of God, terrific friend, wonderful mother, and just an all around great person with a huge heart for those around her. As I had mentioned, I had lost touch with her during college and was unaware that she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer this past year. Currently Tami is heading up a team to do the Relay for Life back in Bedford. She is looking for people to donate. She mentioned that it has been hard to get donations because she has asked everyone to be on my team instead (and now her team is 37 people strong). I don't want to pressure anyone or make anyone feel guilty, but I did want to ask if you all would be willing to donate to the Relay for Life cause. This is a great cause that does some great work.


If you would be interested in donating in support of Tami, here are the steps to help:


1. Click on this link or copy and paste it into address line:



2. Right in the center of the page there is a little purple oval that says "Donate to a Participant." Click on it


3. That will bring up a "Participant search and Donate" screen


4. Enter her name - Tami Moreno and click search


5. This will bring up her name below the search box -click on her name


6. That will bring up her personal page


7. To the left of the picture, there is a spot to make a donation


8. Enter amount and click continue


9. Fill out form, click continue and follow any further instructions.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Mother Nature


Mother nature must have been missing me or something, because we were just HAILED ON. Maybe it is because I always rub it in everyone else's face about the weather that it just had to come back and bite me in the butt. Oh well, just wanted to let you all know, HAIL IN SAN DIEGO!!

Weather?!

What is wrong with this picture? Today the high is San Diego is 56 (winds up to 65 mph). That news on its own isn't too bad, it is what I would expect for 'winter weather'. What I didn't expect was when I looked up the weather for Temperance for it to be 15 degrees WARMER?! It is 73 degrees in Michigan right now and only 56 here. Something must be wrong with that, right? I guess I'm okay with it, especially because who knows if it will snow tomorrow in Michigan, but I am 99% sure that San Diego will be about 60 and not as inconsistent as Michigan weather.

Go Stones!

So living in California I am limited to the Michigan sports that are shown on TV out here. I haven't been able to catch many Pistons games, but catch the news on them (mostly on espn.com) . This morning on the news that I normally watched they showed some highlights from the game last night. The main highlight was Rasheed hitting a 60 FT shot at the buzzer to put the game into OT and the Pistons WINNING in overtime. If you haven't seen the shot, you should check it out!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbe81FGYydg

Monday, March 26, 2007

The Shooter

Saturday night Ryan and I met up with a friend of his, Gordon, and his girlfriend Alyssa. We went and grabbed some food at a pizza place in Vista, and then we were going to see a movie. Ryan wanted to see Reign on Me, but the other three of us thought it would be a downer, so Gordon suggested The Shooter. I think I might have seen 1 or 2 previews for it, but figured it would probably be okay. I wasn't expecting much because I don't tend to love action movies, but this was a good choice. It started Marky Mark and it was actually an intense and interesting movie. It had a good plot and quite a lot of blood. It was the type of movie my mom and I would rent - although I would suggest seeing this in the theater, it is good. Anywho, here is the website for the movie in case you want to check out what it is about before going to see it:



Hydration Study

So this past Saturday Ryan and I participated in a medical study that looked at the performance of individuals when they are hydrated and then when they are dehydrated. It was very interesting (and we made a little bit of extra cash, which was nice too). So we got to the gym that the study was taking place at on Saturday around 8:15am or so. We started by giving a urine sample (they had to check to see the dilution of water and the females have to have a pregnancy test before going through it). After the urine test they measures our neck, waist and hips so that they could put all of the data in their program. We had to get weighed every time we changed from one action to another. We were hooked up to a bunch of different little electrodes to measure our vitals. It really reminded me of one of those Gatorade commercials that you watch. We had 12 electrodes (little patches) on us, and 3 little battery operated packs that recorded the info from our patches. Also, we had to swallow a pill that was like a thermometer, to measure the temperature of your core. It was cool because they had a little box that you could hold and it would read the temperature of your insides. It has some metal in it so we have to wear a little wrist band that says we can't have an MRI until we pass it (which they said would be about 3-5 days), but don't worry I don't plan on needing any MRI's before Thursday. We started the day laying on our cots so that they could take our vitals when at rest, and fully hydrated (we had to drink 2 liters of water the night before and another 1 liter the morning of). After that we had a few different position changes that we had to do so they could monitor vitals (after everything we did we had to do the position changes, I guess it gives them a consistent thing to look at and see how we are changing). After laying around for a while we went into a heated room (the room was 104 degrees) and had to do intervals of 40 minutes walking on a treadmill. After each interval we had to lay down, get our vitals, do the position changes, get weighed. We were supposed to do 2-3 intervals, depending on how much water weight we lost in sweat. My pulse was too high after the second walking session and I felt a little dizzy when I got up for the position changes so they told me I didn't have to do the third session of walking, but Ryan had to :). After the walking we had to lay for awhile ago (most of the 8.5 hours was just laying, and only about 2 hours was walking). During the day we watched movies, since you are really just laying around or walking on a treadmill, so we watched Ray, Babel, and Little Miss Sunshine. Oh yeah, throughout the day they had to take samples of your blood, so we had a little valve thing in our arms so they wouldn't have to keep poking us, we had the blood taken 10 times, but they were small amounts. Because they were talking blood, the refilled our system with saline solution every time. It was weird because you could actually feel the solution going through your veins, and you could sort of taste it in the back of your mouth - weird.

Anywho, the ladies were telling us what the study was looking for any it was really interesting. They said that they were testing us so that they could use the information to help individuals in the military and also fire fighters. What they are hoping to do is to have just one of the electrodes hooked up to everyone and like one PDA for the boss and the boss would be able to tell who is getting dehydrated and how much water they will need to fuel their system back up for peak performance. It will mostly be used for people in hot areas for long periods of time, military in the dessert or fire fighters fighting forest fires, etc. It is cool to think that we might be able to help others just by doing this study.

I have posted all of the photos we took under My Photos on the side, but thought I would put up one for you all to enjoy. The photo is of the ladies taking off the patches from Ryan. We actually both have some of the sticky stuff on us, so you can see where they were, but hopefully it will all come off in the next day or two after much more scrubbing.


A Mess for Mest

I am sure not many of you know the band Mest, but for those of you that know of them or their music I thought I would pass along some news that Kevin sent me this morning. This was an article on PunkNews:

Tony Lovato, the frontman for defunct mainstream pop-punk act Mest, was jailed on suspicion of murder in Los Angeles on Sunday. Reuters is reporting that the 26 year old confessed to police that he stabbed his ex-girlfriend's new lover. He is now being held on $1 million dollar bail. The preliminary news reports claim that Lovato was assaulted earlier in the day by 25 year old Wayne Hughes in the underground parking lot of an apartment building the Studio City suburb. Lt. Andrew Neiman of the Los Angeles Police Dept commented "At some point, Mr. Lovato produced a knife and the victim was stabbed... He has been booked for criminal homicide." Police had visited the complex the night before due to an altercation between the two men but no arrests were made at that time.

CRAZY!!

Explaining God

It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA. He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to "explain God." I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
EXPLANATION OF GOD:"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers."

"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off."
"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."
"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church."
"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K."
"His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important."
"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time."
"You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noo n anyway."
"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids."
"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.And...that's why I believe in God."

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Hate

There are not many things that I hate. I hate cucumbers (the smell even makes me gage) and gray days, but nothing too significant. There are things that I dislike, but I rarely ever use the word 'hate' in my vocabulary. I try to do my best to love everyone. I am not perfect, but again 'try' is the key word. There is one thing that I especially hate though, and I feel FINE using the term HATE. I hate ignorance. I hate it! While at work I often will look online for the news (whether it is the LA Times, NY Times, or the good 'ol Monroe Evening News). Today I was looking at the Monroe Evening News and read an article about a gay bashing. I CANNOT HANDLE THE INTOLERANCE PEOPLE HAVE FOR OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GAY_MANS_DEATH?SITE=MIMON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The story is about how the Michigan Legislation is trying to pass a bill that would give a higher severity to Hate Crimes and consider gay bashing in that category. I am so happy that Michigan is trying to take the steps and make everyone feel as though they are HUMAN. The fact that people are so ignorant and ..... um.... I can't even think of a good enough word that evokes my emotions on this subject. I don't understand how people can have so much hate for another person, just because they are different from them - Nazis come to mind when I think about it. AHHHHHHHHH. This subject just makes me so frustrated.


I would recommend watching The Laramie Project. It is a play that is about the Matthew Shepard that the article touches on. The play has been turned into a movie, and I have the DVD if anyone would like to borrow it. When one of my friends and I went to go see the play when it was at the University of Michigan Fred Phelps and his clan were there protesting the play. Their ignorance boils my blood.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Hydration Station


So while I was at the University of Michigan, I found that you could volunteer for medical trials and get paid... I know, I know, I have heard the gruff about it that I shouldn't be the guinea pig, but hey they paid me so I thought I would try it. While at school I was a participant in a Flu Vaccination study, where I went 2 times a year for 3 years and had them give me a shot of a flu vaccine or a placebo in my nose and then they would take some blood to see what was going on in my system. Since I have been out in San Diego I have looked into some of the trials but never really did more than just browse. There is a special tab on the Craigslist site (it is like a local posting board) asking for volunteers - mostly to help with some function or another, but some of them are medical research. I found on the site a request for individuals to help with a hydration study. They said they would pay $100 per person and you would get a $40 bonus if you referred individuals for the study. Of course I emailed them and asked if I could do it on a Saturday (I wasn't going to take off a day or work to do it, but if I could get some extra cash on the weekends I thought I would try). They said that would be fine and they sent me some of the specifics:


*The study involves moderate exercise in a warm room with periods of rest for three hours during which the changes in the body due to dehydration will be monitored by use of electrodes (adhesive patches) affixed to the lower chest – upper abdomen.


*The study subjects need to be between 18 to 35 years of age.


*Study subjects can be either male or female, Caucasian or African-American.


*The study subjects will be asked to exercise for the three hours with the goal of losing up to 3% of body weight due to water loss (sweating).


*Study subjects need to be willing to swallow temperature monitoring pill in order allow continuous monitoring of their core body temperature for safety and have to blood drawn during the study.


*The study participants are free to voluntarily withdraw from the study at any time.


*Study participants will receive $100 for completing the study and that the study takes 1 day.


So anyway I contacted them and said SIGN ME UP and I also signed Ryan up, which means I would get an extra $40. This weekend is when we will be going in for our hydration study. It will be Saturday from 8-5 or so. I will fill you all in on how it goes, but I am actually excited about it - I know I'm a nerd.

Winter Weather?

Spring Break Chill

March 20th marks the first day of Spring, but for vacationers on Spring Break in San Diego it feels more like winter.


Every year, thousands pack into area beaches for a week long celebration, but this year there's not much to celebrate.


On Pacific Beach, a wave of cold washes onto shore. Rainy conditions, even windy weather, prevails at this choice location for the party seeking crowd.


Weather that felt more like Winter rather than Spring.


The high on the first day of Spring registered 62 degrees. That's four degrees cooler than the normal temperature set on this day back in 1997 and one degree warmer than last year.


Boo whoo... It's 62 degrees and we are crying about it?! CRAZIES!! I mean sure, weather seems to be relative, so when it has been in the 80s and it drops down to 60 it is going to seem cooler than if it had been in the 40s and jumped up to 60, but still, come on people - IT COULD BE WORSE!! I am sorry for the spring breakers that were expecting sun, but it is still better than many places they could have gone :)

Pampered Lunch


I got to work this morning and had an email from a fellow employee. She said that she had been given a challenge this week and was hoping we would be able to help her reach it. This weekend she is going to a Mary Kay Career Conference at the San Diego Convention Center and on Saturday for lunch her Director has given her a challenge to facial 10 women and interview 5 women. She has until the end of Friday to reach this goal. If she could take 10 minutes during our lunch break today she can show us the Miracle Set Mary Kay has to offer your skin. Everyone that helps me reach my goal will receive a free gift of choice (lipstick, lip liner or lip gloss). I thought, sure, why not. So today at lunch I will be helping a fellow co-worker out by getting a hand facial?! I'll let you know how it goes (even though I don't plan on buying anything, I figured I could at least help her reach her goal).

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Color me surprised....

Color me surprised - not only did Ryan update his blog today, but he has posted 3 entries today... We will see how long this lasts :)

Grandma

My mom called earlier and filled me in on my grandma's doctors appointment that they went to today. She had to go back to the orthopedic surgeon to have more x-rays, originally because they were going to look and make sure where to put the pins in her shoulder. When they went back in today, the doc told her that it is healing well and that they aren't going to have to do surgery in the end. He said she will still need to be in her sling for another 3 months or so, but that it would be easier than having surgery and placing in the pins. It is still painful, and the lack of mobility is bummin' my grandma out, but at least she doesn't have to get pins put in!! Thanks for your prayers everyone!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Another Eagle

So, I don't want to take away my dad's thunder with his great eagle picture, but Ryan and I saw an eagle of our own this weekend by the side of the road so we just had to stop and capture the moment. :)



Random Weekend

Ryan and I had a random weekend of putt putting and making a sock creature. Hope you enjoy the photos :)






Medical Marijuana

Tudball sent me this article through email the other day, seeing that I have fibromyalgia and he has IBS. Just a thought :)

Dr. Notcutt noted, "The cannabis extracts can produce high-quality pain relief, symptom control, and improvement in the quality of life,without significant side effects." He tested cannabis extracts collected from cloned plants, in 23 sufferers of chronic pain. Dr.Notcutt said subjects reported improvements ranging from 'life-changing' to allowing them to get a good night's sleep. One subject had returned to work; others had started driving, gardening and caring for children again. Dr. Notcutt decried the fact that,because of its status as a prohibited substance, very little is known about marijuana's pain-relieving properties.In other studies, cannabinoids have demonstrated the ability to block spinal, peripheral and gastrointestinal mechanisms that promote pain in headaches, fibromyalgia, and IBS. IBS has been noted to display common clinical, biochemical and pathophysiological patterns that suggest an underlying clinical endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid medicines.

http://www.helpforibs.com/news/newsletter/06/080806.html#askheather

Friday, March 16, 2007

Living Arrangements


So many choices. I have a lease on my apartment I am currently at that will end at the end of August. I could choose to live there for another year (and sign another 1 year contract), or go somewhere else. I am paying $725 a month and probably $30 in utilities. Looking into moving, I am seeing places ranging between $550 to $800. Most of the lower prices places are just studios, meaning just one main room (that would be your bedroom, living room, etc - sort of like a dorm room). If I do decide to move, I would have to figure out where exactly I should go. I like where I am at right now, but I could move closer to where I work (right now my commute is about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic). I could also move a little further north, seeing that Ryan comes down to visit or I go up to visit him, and he lives about 35 minutes north of me. Haha, I know that this is like 6 months from now, but I am a planner and like to have things worked out in my mind (I know, I have a problem giving up control). Anywho, just thinking, so thought I would put it out there for the public :)

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Making Poop Pretty

This is one of the links from the "Little People Blog" on the side of my page. This artist goes around and makes poop pretty, literally... He decorates animal poo on the street. Check it out (but I do need to warn you IT IS REALLY POO). When you go to the website (oh yeah, there is a WEINER DOG on the opening page), click the "Gallery" link to view all of the work.

http://sprinklebrigade.com/

Weekend Of Service

This is a great idea that North Coast is doing, and I thought I would throw the idea out there for any one else that might be reading (maybe bring it to CrossRoads?).

"On April 28 & 29, we will embark upon a ministry opportunity unlike anything we have ever done before. On that weekend, the 6,500 plus people that would normally come to North Coast, will instead go out into the community to serve and show God’s love through acts of kindness and service on a grand scale.
Through our service, we want to be the presence of Jesus in our community by planting seeds and helping people see Jesus in a practical way. It is our hope that not only our community, but also our entire congregation, will understand that serving in God’s name is an important part of what it means to worship God. Of course, an event like this will take leadership, resources, and financial contributions.
Thankfully, we've had experts step forward to offer their leadership and skills in specific areas. However, we still need men and women of all ages to help provide manpower! You don't have to be an expert to help renovate, paint, plant, decorate, etc. A willing heart is all that is required! Your project manager will point you in the right direction during the Weekend of Service. Regardless of your age or station in life, we have a project that needs your help! "


All services will be cancelled and we will be out in the community helping wherever we can. Ryan and I signed up for a beach clean up and will be helping to clean up a couple miles of Carlsbad beaches for a few hours. There are a ton of projects; building houses, painting schools, car washes, irrigation, etc. I am super pumped to see what sort of impact we can have for the Weekend of Service.

http://www.weekendofservice.com/

Silly Bitten


This silly bitten fell alseep in its food... Oh golly... FYI - Bitten is a bity kitten

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Being Known


Just a thought running through my head this afternoon... God knows all about me, he even knows the number of hairs on my head (Matthew 10:24-33). I know that no one on this side of Heaven could know that much about me, but how much do people know about me? I would say I am an open person, that I am outgoing and friendly, but I also keep things to myself. There are aspects of myself that people don't know about. I wonder how much people know about me. In a percentage compared to God (God knowing 100%), what others would know. It is nice to have people know you genuinely. This probably just seems like babbling, but I thought I would put the question out there.

Updates

First - my grandpa. My mom called the office (because of course today has to be the only day I forget my cell phone) and said that my grandpa is out of surgery and that they were able to put one stint in for the artery that was 90% blocked, which is good. He has to stay in the hospital tonight so that they can monitor everything, so my mom will be staying with my grandma (since she is having troubles with her broken shoulder) and then they will go back down to the Toledo Hospital and pick him up tomorrow. I guess my grandma has two black eyes from the fall when she hit her head on the door, but she is doing okay.
Next - thank yous. I was able to get 15 thank you/ welcome back cards done at lunch. I could have done more, but I had to help one of our employee's wives with her insurance (he just passed away last week, so she has to go on a different insurance and things like that - it's pretty hard to deal with, especially knowing the whole story: He was fine and working on Saturday, felt sick Sunday, went to the hospital Monday, they put him in a drug induced coma on Tuesday and he passed away Saturday. He was only 49 and a great guy. I just wish there was more I could do for her. We took up a collection, and Cass is going to match the donation.).

40 to go

I have done 110 of the 150 Thank you/ Welcome back cards for the Marines coming back. I have to have them done by Sunday so I can turn them in at church... I'm going to try and do another 15-25 at lunch, but normally can only do about 10-15 in an hour. I'll get them done by Sunday, even if I have to cut back on my 9 hours of sleep a night to write a couple more.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

The fam

So I got some updates from my mom at lunch about the family, so I thought I would pass them along to those of you keeping track. My grandpa will be going in for surgery tomorrow at Toledo Hospital. He has to be there about 11am and the surgery won't start until 1pm or so (he has to lay still for a while before hand, or something along those lines). He will be having a heart catheter put in. I'm not exactly sure of the details but will post tomorrow when my mom calls once he is out. My grandma went to the orthopedic surgeon this morning for her shoulder. They took x-rays and decided that she will need surgery to put a few pins in her shoulder. She wanted to wait on surgery until after my grandpa's, so she will be going back to the doctor next Tuesday for x-rays so they can decide where exactly to put the pins and then hopefully they will get her into surgery to fix her shoulder by Wednesday or Thursday of next week (again, I'll keep you updated). Other than that Raymond Cooley (one of my grandma's good friends and close friend to the family) is in the hospital, but we are not sure which one, I guess Mary (his wife) keeps calling and leaving my grandma messages and she hasn't told her what hospital he is in. I guess he was having chest pains last night and Mary took him to the hospital and they just put a stint of some kind in (again, we aren't too sure of all the details). My dad is doing well though, although he hasn't started walking on the treadmill again my mom said. Hopefully the news to come will all be positive and I will keep everyone updated. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers!!

Eagle


My dad took this photo of a bald eagle on the way home from work yesterday. Look at the size of it (compared to the TIRE SWING). Hope you enjoy his photography :)

Monday, March 12, 2007

The Last King of Scotland


Ryan and I went and say The Last Kind of Scotland on Friday. They re-released it at some of the large theaters around San Diego, so we decided to go see it. I had only seen a couple of previews for it but heard that there were many awards to come for this film. Ryan and I both really enjoyed this film. It was powerful, intense, eye opening and so much more. The acting in the film was amazing as well. If you haven't seen it, I would suggest it. I would have to warn though there is a brief moment of frontal male nudity and a few sexual scenes (it doesn't take away from the film and they don't last long, but in case you are sensitive to this, please be forewarned). Also, it does have a log of violence (I had to cover my eyes or look away a few times, but Ryan watched it all).

GeoCaching Again

Ryan and I went out geo caching again (which reminds me, my mom asked how you say "caching" and I guess if you haven't heard of it before you might not know, so FYI it is pronounced 'caching = cashing' and 'cache=cash'). We found another 3, but were having some trouble with a few of the other ones, but we will overcome :) Enjoy the photos

Ryan at the Mini Park (I remembered seeing this in one of the caches online but we didn't know the coordinates so will go back to it)


Ryan's stoked face after finding the River Rock Cache


A close up of Ryan and the cache (tricky, huh? It was in a 'hide-a-key' that looked like a mini rock).


Me at the PSA Flight cache. You had to go to a tree that was growing in memory of a crash that happened over 30 years ago in Normal Heights (where I live) and then use the flight number to find the coordinates of the actual cache. When we were searching a neighbor was at her door and she yelled over "Are you guys geo caching?" We confirmed that we were and she then helped us by giving us 'hot' or 'cold' clues (like when you were a kid). FUN TIMES





Grandma

I got a message from my mom yesterday saying to call her because my grandma had broken her shoulder. I called her back to get the details. She got out of bed and felt dizzy (probably from standing up too fast). She started walking toward the bedroom door when she fell over, hitting her head on the door and her shoulder on the wall. She nursed it for a couple hours (icing it and then heating it), but after a little while decided maybe my grandpa should take her to the emergency room. They took x-rays and told her that it was broken but didn't think she would need surgery. Today she has an appointment with her orthopedic surgeon and we will hear more this afternoon. Please keep her in your prayers.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Mighty To Save

FYI - My new favorite song: Mighty to Save by Hillsongs

Mighty To Save Lyrics
Artist: Hillsong Australia
Album: Mighty To SaveTrack: Mighty To Save
Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A kindness of a Savior
The hope of nationsSavior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
ForeverAuthor of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything i believe in
Now i surrender
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus

If you want to check Hillsongs out on YouTube performing this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XDvqxL2Nrc

Psalm 121:2


Bummer to Bright

I know that I previously wrote about the gas prices in San Diego, which of course is a bummer. I also blogged (a few days ago), about the WEATHER. It is amazing right now. It is going to be in the 70s and 80s (high of 87 on Monday) for the next 10 days. I am so excited, especially with the spring forward and getting an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings. I have decided that currently I am fine paying these high fuel prices as long as I get to enjoy the sun for free. :)

Gas Prices

Now I know that everyone is probably feeling the burn at the pump when you have to fill up. Since moving to California the money I have spent on gas has sky-rocketed (even with my smaller car). Today I filled up and had to drop $2.93 a gallon for the lowest grade gas.... GRRRR

Thursday, March 8, 2007

I've got nothin'

Sorry guys, I have been super busy today at work (learning new processes for preliminary billing that will now be my responsibility) - more to come tomorrow...

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Helping out some troops

So living in San Diego, you hear a lot about the military (with all of the bases around the county). In North Coast's bulletin (the church I attend up in Vista with Ryan) this weekend there was a little ad for Welcome Home Packs. It said:

"We have 150 single Marines - men & women coming home from Iraq in April. These men and women return to a new barracks room, void of any supplies. We are collecting goodies for welcome home care packages, including basic items like soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, shaving stuff, movie tickets, fast food coupons, phone cards, blockbuster scrip, snacks...whatever you can think of that would welcome them back.You can purchase gift cards at the scrip booth, drop any items you purchase off at our Plaza Booth on March 17-18, or drop anything at the church mid-week. Any contributions would be great!!"

I thought at first I would make a basket for one of the returning Marines, but last night when I was laying in bed I thought that I would make all 150 of Marines coming back from Iraq a THANK YOU card. I know it may seem like a lot (yes I know 150 thank you cards will take a while), but I thought that it would be great if every single one of them returning would have a little personal, hand written note thanking them for all of their sacrifices. I counted all of the blank cards I had around the apartment and I only have 70 left (I write a lot of people random cards or notes) so I am going to go to the Dollar Store at lunch and pick up another 80 cards. I will probably still make a pack for one of them, but I thought this would be a nice little touch that hopefully would make them smile. Well, just thought it was a nice idea...

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

The Monkey Trap

Now I have to warn you, if you read Glenn Teal's blog (that I have linked on my blog) this will be quite repetitive, but I thought this was a very interesting story and I wanted to help spread the word. This past Sunday @ CrossRoads (my home church in Michigan), Glenn (the lead pastor) told a story at the end of the service - it went something like this:

Hunters hollow out a gourd and fill it with sweet rice leaving only a small hole of monkeys to get their hand and arm into. When they close their fist on the food the monkey's fist is too big for the hole and it cannot escape without letting go of the food. But monkeys are too greedy for the food to let it go and therefore they get caught.

Then he asked everyone to demonstrate their commitment to gain freedom from the love of money by taking coins from their pockets or purse holding them in their fist and then dropping them on the floor. Then he said they would use all the coins left on the floor to pay for a new church building in our mission work in India. Everyone dropped coins in unison all over the church. What a blast! After everyone left there were teams of 4th and 5th graders picking up the money. Not only were there coins -- there were dollar bills and 10s and 20s. They are still in the process of counting all the money, and the last time Glenn updated his blog it was over $1,000.

I found this very interesting seeing how I have just recently began to turn my finances over to God. Seeing that I just graduated in April I used to use the excuse (or justification) that I was just a student and I didn't make much so it wasn't like I would be able to give much anyway. Now that I am out in the working world, that has changed. I started journaling about a month ago, because I am trying to strengthen my relationship with God (and I often feel like I am just rambling when I pray and lose train of thought easily, so I figure writing it down will keep me on track, as well as I will be able to go back and look at answered prayers and whatnot). The first entry that I made was about handing over my finances back to Him. I know that you hear, if you give to God He will give back, but that's not why I am doing it. I am doing it because I want to be someone who makes a difference. I want to help others when they are in a time of need. I want to be support for those out in the world being the hands and feet of the Lord. Whenever I leave this earth, I want to be able to reflect on the work that has been done in the Lord's name because of something that I have helped with. I am not saying that I am giving a ton, but I now realize that every little bit helps.

What to Blog?

I am pretty strapped for ideas today... I got nothing... But as I was looking around in the blog world I realized that I get slightly irritated when I check people's blogs and they haven't updated them (probably cause I'm bored and reading freshly updated blogs would help to relieve some of the boredom) so I thought I would update mine (I would want to be the source of someone else's unhappiness just because I couldn't take 5 minutes of my time and update the world ('cuz obviously EVERYONE in THE WORLD reads my blog, hehe). Something just came to mind about what to blog - GILMORE GIRLS, duh! Tuesdays are when the new Gilmore Girls is on, which keeps me up later than normal (I know, I'm a party animal when 9:30pm or so is passed my bedtime). I know that a lot of people don't like the newer episodes, but they still keep my interest, so I enjoy them (and I mean how often do you run across a 'wholesome' show anymore). Also, I don't know if I have put this fact out there or not, but Ryan's uncle (Larry) has been on Gilmore Girls before. He used to be a teacher and moved out to California and is now doing extra parts and stand in roles when they come up. If you are ever interested in watching the episode, let me know and I can give you all the details. Ryan always asks him if he is going to go back on and and tells him to get me autographs if he does.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Abundant Sunshine

I know everyone is dying to know the weather out here in SUNNY San Diego, so I took the time and looked up the 10 day forcast.

Mar 5 Tonight
A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low clouds and fog developing along the coast. Low 48F. Winds light and variable.
Mar 6
Tomorrow
Clouds and sun mixed in the morning, then generally sunny for the afternoon. Dense fog near the coast. High 72F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Mar 6
Tomorrow night
Partly cloudy skies. Areas of dense fog developing. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
Mar 7
Wednesday
Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the upper 40s.
Mar 8
Thursday
Plenty of sun. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the low 50s.
Mar 9
Friday
Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the low 50s.
Mar 10
Saturday
Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the mid 50s.
Mar 11
Sunday
Abundant sunshine. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 50s.
Mar 12
Monday
Abundant sunshine. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the low 50s.
Mar 13
Tuesday
Sunshine. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the upper 40s.
Mar 14
Wednesday
Abundant sunshine. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the upper 40s.

You really can't beat 'abundant sunshine'! :)

Treasure Hunting

Ryan and I went GeoCaching this past weekend and got some good loot. Here are some of the photos:

This is the first Cache we found (To Shining Sea) (**Later Ryan made us go back because he put in those coordinates again rather than the next cache site):

This is the next one we found (Hop, Skip and a Jump) (We found a Travel Bug there, which is an item that is tracked on the website by a little token on the item - we picked up the Shoe of a Horse. The travel bugs all have missions in life, and the one we just got is to have its picture taken with horses, so before we drop it in the next cache we shoudl take a photo near a horse with it and then log it on its website):



The final one we found had some Budapest money in it, so that's what we took in exchange for a yo-yo:

Finally, this is a photo of Ryan as a pirate at Party City (he calls me his first mate and he thinks he is the captain when we go treasure hunting):



Just incase any of you were wondering, the 500 forint we found is only worth :

500.00 HUF = 2.57276 USD
Hungary Forint United States Dollars

Time Changing Next Week


Ok. So normally the "Fall Back" time change is my favorite, I mean who doesn't like an extra hour of sleep (or even if you don't use it for sleep, at least it is an 'extra' hour, right?). Anywho, the "Spring Forward" time change is coming up this next weekend. I am actually excited, not about the losing an hour, but about the later sun hours. I normally get home from work by about 5:15pm. The sun has been going down by about 5:30 or so, so after I get home I can't really go out and ride my bike or anything like that. I am really excited about being able to go for rides after work starting next week. HURRAY!!

Friday, March 2, 2007

A picture


When I was searching for 'friendship' photos for the prior blog I found this one when I searched relationships. I really like it, so thought I would post it. It reminds me of Ryan, awww, I know, corny, but I thought I would say it since you all know I was thinking it. Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!

Mending Friendships


So let me start with telling you my side of the story : My perspective on relationships - I will try until I don't get a reciprocation, and then hey, at least I tried right. I know it might not be the right perspective to have, but I guess in my eyes as long as I try and put the ball in the other person's court then I have done all I could do. I know that it probably isn't the right way to approach relationships (or the end of them), but it has worked for me in the past. I was confronted by a friend today about a friendship that we had let slide because of something along these lines. This friend was brave enough to try and approach me with this subject, and I would like to commend them. I also would like to publically apologize for anyone that I may have hurt by letting friendships slide because I have felt like I have 'done enough'. If a relationship is worth saving, then it is worth your time. I am sorry if I have hurt any of you. If you are courageous and would like to let me know that I have hurt you in the past, I am extremely open to it and would love to try and work on our relationship now. Again, sorry to those I have hurt and I hope to do better in the future with my relationships.


I guess this is just another stepping stone in the act of growing up.

Dislikes

What I don't enjoy... BATHROOM CONVERSATION! Isn't it strange? I mean talking while you are 'handling your business'. I don't like it, so if you are ever in the bathroom while I am, DON'T TRY TO STRIKE UP A CONVO, PLEASE :)

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Traffic


Oh my goodness. So coming from Michigan, I am used to 2 lane highways, and in select places 3 lanes of traffic going in the same direction. Moving out to San Diego has opened my eyes to traffic, seeing some of the largest highways yet at 6 lanes. I was looking at the USA Times today and saw this article:

Cities Afraid of Death by Congestion
By Larry Copeland
USA Today
(March 1) -- A plan to widen part of Interstate 10 in metropolitan Phoenix from 14 lanes to 24 is the USA's latest giant superhighway proposal designed to ease the kind of gridlock that some planners say could stunt economic growth.


Are you kidding me?! 24 lanes? How would you ever get from the far lane to your exit in time? You would have to start getting over 3 miles before your exit. This is insane to me!!