Stephanie

Grammer

2009-03-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

"How do you think you have improved?" I asked my 13-year-old client.

"Well," he replied, "my friends tell me I conversate more better."

25

2009-01-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

Caleb tagged me (on facebook) to write 25 things about myself. I tagged a couple people, but you don't have to do it... I tagged you because I included you in my 25 statements or used an inside joke. So here goes!

1. I feel egotistical writing this.

2. I'm a nerd at times... I like learning things, especially when they're literary. For example, I'm reading a book entitled, "The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way." Can't get much nerdier than that! Well, unless you write programming code stuff. =)

3. Contrary to most people's impressions, I am actually an introvert. Perhaps an extroverted introvert, but an introvert nontheless. I just figured this out in the past 2 years or so.

4. I love to read. I usually have about 4 books going at a time.

5. Though I enjoy watching certain TV shows and some sports, I do not plan on having a TV when I move out. I think I could use my time more productively than staring at a screen for hours.

6. My family didn't have a TV until I was 15 or so. Perhaps that is why I do not feel compelled to have one.

7. In the 1930s (or so), my grandpa and his brother would ride the trolley to both the Rose Bowl and the Coluseum (sp??) to watch USC and UCLA football games. It finally got too expensive to go to both, so they had to pick one: they chose USC. My grandpa started getting season tickets in the '60s, and, with the exception of 1 or 2 years, we have been going ever since. My dad, my aunts, my cousins, and my sisters and I have all grown up going to USC football games. None of us have ever attended the school.

8. I played basketball in HS, and my nick name "Bulldog" and "Pit Bull." (I wonder where the expression "nick name" came from..?)

9. After my freshman year, I loved college. I wish I could do it over again. I was actually really kinda depressed and in shock on graduation day while everyone else was celebrating.

10. I was my mom's doctor's first baby born in 1987. I still have the cool little shirt that they gave me.

11. Though I am the oldest child, I am the shortest.

12. I am also the only one with red hair, though both sides of the family are rife with redheads.

13. My California-born grandmother and her younger sister rode the train by themselves all the way from N. Michigan/Canada to Southern California when their family tried to immigrate. The rest of their family got stuck at the border because they were Canadian and there was an issue with their visas. My grandma was 16 at the time, and had to live with relatives for about a year before her family caught up with them. [Ok, so this wasn't about me, but it's an interesting fact about my family.]

14. At first glance, my sisters and I look very different from our cousins. We are pale, blue-eyed people, while they are dark because they are half Mexican. Upon closer look, there are a lot of family resemblances. Unfortunately, dark skin isn't one of them, though distinctive noses is. =)

15. I would really like to be spontaneous, but I'm not. I'm working on it, though! Santa Barbara, anyone??

16. I have a pretty darn awesome best friend. Our current project is attempting to master "The Books" for our sister's basketball games. Oh, and just experiencing LIFE! I am SO thankful for her, and am glad she moved back, at least for awhile.

17. I would like to move to WA, and I am half-seriously contemplating it. There are three main factors involved in this move: (1) How my current job pans out, (2) if I can find a job/living situation in WA, (3) if I have enough monetary resources to, in fact, move.

18. My next "daring" activity is to go skydiving. Some of my friends have gone, and they said it was AMAZING. So I hope to go within the next 6 months.

19. I've been going to the gym with my friend Janessa for the last month or two. It's been super fun, and she's a great workout buddy! Though my legs are currently sore from the stairs machine she made me go on...

20. Though I have lived in Southern California for all my life (except 4 school years), I don't know how to surf. I do know how to wakeboard and almost know how to snowboard, despite the lack of (good) lakes and snow in this region.

21. I tend to hurt myself when trying things for the first time. I banged up my knee badly while attempting longboarding (it still bothers me, though it's been about 3 years). I also bruised my legs when jumping off a 40-50 foot bridge; they were black and blue for about 2 weeks. Some guy ran me down on the slopes during my first weekend snowboarding. Perhaps I shouldn't try skydiving...

22. My heritage is evident: Irish red hair, and the Scottish pairing of ginormous calves and small ankles and feet.

23. When I was in HS and my friend was in college, we wanted to streak our hair blue. Personally, I'm glad we didn't. =) Well, I guess I should say that I'm glad *I* didn't.

24. I love photos, and plan to have TONS when I get my own place.

25. My newest goal is to paint. I did it once in college, and it was SO great. I have recently been needing to release some stress, and I think that's a good way to do so.

Life On The Highway

2009-01-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

I am on the road a lot for my job, and I tend to see a lot of strange people in their cars. Take the other day for instance. I was actually driving with Sarah rather than traveling around for work, but I look over to the car next to me, and this guy is totally rocking out to whatever music he's listening to. I have never seen someone so enthusiastic about their music while driving by themself in a car. Quite entertaining.

I actually really enjoy trying to envision what type of person would be driving a particular car. (What can I say... I drive an automatic so I get prety bored while driving 100+ miles per day.) Monster trucks? Duh, a 24-year-old guy with a black baseball hat and a pierced lip. SUV? Soccer mom with lots of hairspray. Junker car? Young guy. Most unpredictable: VW beetle. Sometimes there are young girls with bouncy ponytails, other times there are orange-haired sexagenarians, and still other time, and perhaps most disturbing of all, middle-aged men in polo shirts.

I also see lots of dead animals. Dogs seem to have a rough time at life (or death). A bunch of friends and I had watched the movie Marley and Me (starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston), which, not to ruin it for you or anything, was REALLY sad! I mean, it was heartwarming, but sad. And then, THEN, I was driving along a couple days post-movie and I saw a large dead dog by the side of the road that looked just like Marley. Thankfully, I had 3 boxes of tissues in my car.

Now I don't know about anyone else, but I have always wondered/worried about those little dogs that hang out the window while their owners are racing along at exhorbitant speeds. Do they ever fall out? Does the force of the wind flying over their flapping tongue drag them from their master's loose grip? I found out this past week. They do indeed fall out. A little Chihuahua lay in the center divider, his stiff legs straight out, a blue collar hugging his neck. Poor little guy. I don't even like Chihuahuas, but it was someone's pet! Someone endured the TRAGEDY of their dog being torn from their loving arms and being HURTLED onto the unforgiving asphalt.

Wouldn't you love to commute??

Well, there's a first time for everything

2008-12-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

My 2 friends and I were sitting in Starbucks last night (per usual), and one of the baristas walked up to us on her way out.

"Hey," she shyly pointed and me and asked, "are you a cheerleader at APU?"

"Uh, no," I responded. I began to wonder what the APU cheerleaders looked like.

"Not any of you?" she her point included all three of us.

"Nooo."

"Well, you look just like the girls on the cheer team at APU. How funny!"

We weren't sure how to take that. I said that I was going to take it as a complement, and while my one friend seemed a bit disturbed by the comparison, my other friend reassured us by saying, "She's complementing our looks; she couldn't have heard our conversation." And even if she had, there was no basis for thinking we were stereotypical cheerleaders. *phew*

Another entertaining evening at home

2008-11-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

"I guess I could play a game," sighed Mom. "I just have to be ready to go pick up Abby when she calls."

"Well, then you should have a staff in your hand," returned Dad cheerfully, "and loin up your girds."

Well, the Lord does answer prayer

2008-11-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

I did a dumb thing last night. I prayed for something I didn't really want.

"Lord," I prayed/sighed, "if you really want me to go to the gym in the morning, wake me up at 6:30. But I'm setting my alarm for 8:00."

I didn't really want to go to the gym, which is why I set my alarm for 8:00-- much too late to make it to the gym, work out, then come home and shower before work. What a tragedy.

But no. At promptly 6:30 this morning, I woke up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (relatively speaking). Most mornings at 6:30 I groggily hit snooze on my alarm clock, but this morning I was surprisingly awake.

"Ugh," I thought, "I don't want to go to the gym. My bed is nice and warm. But I did pray that prayer last night... Dang it."

So I went to the gym. It seemed like I would be directly disobeying God if I didn't-- after all, I had asked Him to wake me up.

"Hey, God, tell me to do something that's really good for me!"
"Ok. Hey Stephanie, do something that's really good for you."
"No thanks."

Fall!

2008-11-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

I love fall!

Sweaters, warm boots, scarves, eggnog lattes, hot apple cider, delicious smelling candles, pumpkin pie, upcoming holidays... who can resist??

"Why, Stephanie," you ask, "what was the weather like today? Were you able to enjoy any of these items such as hot apple cider and a fuzzy scarf?"

"Let's put it this way," I respond. "It is presently 11:20 PM on November 14th and it is a sultry 80 degrees outside. Fall doesn't seem to exist in this part of the world."

Just another evening of BS

2008-10-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Oh, piffle," said Joe sadly when he learned Davy's heated gloves had mildewed.

Want a laugh? Look on Craig's List

2008-10-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

So in a half-serious search for a new car with better gas mileage and doors that lock, I was bopping around on Craig's List. I came the following post. I almost died laughing.

2001 Green New VW Beetle Original Owner, under 85,300 miles I've driven this car since i was 16 and i just finished college and now i'm ready to buy a new car. I've never been in an accident, one time i backed into a lady carrying an ice cream cake in a parking lot, but no one was hurt, especially not my car. (That was closer to when i was 16)

and later...

Anything else you're wondering if it has, i'm sure it does, i'm not looking at the manual or anything. Concerning the engine, i don't know what cylinders are but they're probably there. (joking) It's all there and works great!

I almost want to buy it just because the post was so funny!

Percolate Your Mind: Fortune Telling

2008-09-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last night (which was my last night!), I had Chinese food for dinner while at work. I thought the fortune in my fortune cookie was rather interesting:

"This is a prosperous time of life for you."

I hope so! Though being prosperous monetarily is nice-- especially when one has to pay for student loans, car insurance, some rent, car repairs, cell phone etc-- I hope that I will be even more prosperous in frienships and experiences. I signed up to do BFS, so I hope that this will be a spiritually prosperous time for me as well.

Don't worry, I do not stake my life on fortunes from fortune cookies, but this one got me thinking...

Percolate Your Mind: The Ultimate Story

2008-09-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

So about a month ago, I was happily working when a nice lady came in and started chatting with another customer. I overheard her saying that she graduated with her BA in Psychology, so I chimed in and mentioned that I had as well.

She proceeded to ask me if I was going to get my Master's, which I want to do at some point. I also mentioned my internship at the foster family agency. She THEN asked if I enjoyed traveling. I said that I didn't mind...

"Well," she said, "my company is hiring right now. You should put in your resume and cover letter, and mention my name so it goes to the top of the stack."

Sweet.

So I did. And they called me two days later for an interview. What they didn't tell me was it was a panel interview which TOTALLy freaked me out. I thought I did a terrible job, but apparently it wasn't too bad because they called me in for a second interview about a week later. This was a more casual interview (thank goodness!).

And then they offered me a job. YAY! So I accepted, and now have a "big girl" job. Salary, benefits, everything. Woo! I start on Monday the 8th.

Percolate Your Mind: Early Mornings

2008-08-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

This one isn't terribly insightful or funny, but I laughed for awhile.

You can tell it's early in the morning and the customer certainly hasn't had his morning coffee when he has his polo shirt on inside out. He was rather embarrassed when I gently pointed it out. I felt kinda bad, but hey-- I would want someone to tell me I had my shirt on wrong before I got to work.

Also, some guy practically offered me a job today. The people one meets at coffee shops...

Percolate Your Mind: Creepy Beepy

2008-08-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Sadly, the first story is a bit creepy. I guess one of the down sides of being a young, friendly, female barista is the comments/attitudes of the weird middle-aged men. Anyway.

This one guy, we'll call him "Joe," comes in every weekend for a sugar-free soy mocha, extra hot. He's writing a book, so he works on that for a few hours every Saturday and Sunday. A couple weeks ago, I was explaining to him that I was home alone because the rest of my family was gone to church camp; I had to stay home to work.

He said-- yes, he said this-- "You should do what I do when I am home alone. I take off all my clothes and walk around the house with no clothes on."

I was caught off guard a bit, and stammered something about not really wanting to do that, I'm not that "free" or something. Apparently disregarding my discomfort, he kept going on and on and on about this. AND in front of another regular customer. So awkward.

And then yesterday, after I had made him his second sugar-free soy mocha, extra hot, he took a sip and asked me if I could make it hotter-- it was already over 160 degrees. I explained that I had heated it as hot as I could without scalding the milk... if I steam it too much, the milk burns. He was bummed, though I told him I would do it anyway of he really wanted. He acquisted to my suggestion of not heating it more, but then he reached across into the little employee area, and tweaked my nose. What. the. heck. I quickly backed away and playfully laughed, "Hey, that's mine!" I hope he got the hint.

Life Lesson: Stay a bit over an arms length away from Joe.

----

Here's something dumb I did yesterday though. As every coffee shop probably has, we have a well with running water in which we keep our spoons and such while we're not using them. It has a little rubber spigot thing (doesn't the word "spigot" look strange?) which dumps in the water. I was attempting to adjust it yesterday because somehow it was leaking all over the counter, soaking a book my co-worker had set there. As I messed with this small hose, I accidently pointed it straight at my face, soaking myself with water. At least the customer who was waiting for his drink was entertained.

And this book that got soaked... my coworker Kayleigh really wanted to dry it off... by putting it in the toaster!! I firmly said, "No, I'm pretty sure it will catch on fire. If I can light bagels on fire, then the book will catch fire rather quickly. And it won't go out for a long time." She wasn't convinced, and kept contemplating putting the book through the toaster so it would dry out. I did talk her out of it in the end, but can you imagine if she had toasted it? Ridiculous!

An Idea

2008-08-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

Perhaps, because nothing definite is happening in my life right now-- it's all a big mass of confusion-- I shall record a new (and only) series titled, "Percolate Your Mind: Tales From the Coffeeshop." At this moment I am too tired to recall many, but as I experience or remember them, I shall document!

Otherwise, I think I might delete this blog.

Some Quotes to Share

2008-08-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some quotes I have enjoyed recently.

"Faith is obedience, not confidence."
--Malcolm, in George MacDonald's book The Marquis' Secret

"Tell God you are ready to be offered, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be."
"In our abandonment we give ourselves over to God just as God gave Himself for us, without any calculation. The consequences of abandonment never enter into our outlook because our life is taken up with Him."
"God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us; now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him."
--Oswald Chambers

"What am I to do? I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good work, therefore, any kindness, or any service I can render to any soul of man... let me do it now. Let me not neglect or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again."
--An Old Quaker Saying

"To hold fast to God with one hand, while you open wide the other to your neighbor-- that is true religion and undefiled, that is the law and the prophets, that is to live the life Jesus came to teach us about and to demonstrate to us."
--Curate Thomas Wingfold in George MacDonald's book The Lady's Confession

Summer

2008-08-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

So as I think I mentioned previously, I have been working at It's A Grind, the lovely coffeeshop down the street. I enjoy it, as far as those types of jobs are concerned... certainly better than Juice It Up and Maui Wowi. One reason is because I'm working with college students rather than high school students.

However, I have been looking for other jobs. I'm getting bored making coffee. =) I think I will stay here for about a year to work at a "real" job, save money, start paying off large(ish) chunks of my loans, gain work experience, etc. Then I would like to move on to somewhere else. Who knows where, but somewhere.

Oh, but I am going to take a conversational Spanish class this September/October through the adult education program, and I am also going to supplement my learning with a program called Rosetta Stone to learn the grammer/spelling etc aspect of it as well as conversation. I am also thinking about joining BSF. Sadly, there are no young adult ones in our area, so I will go to the women's one. Which is fine, but I just hope that there are some younger women there too so I'm not the youngest by far.

Hmm, what else... oh yes, Shallowbrook. It was good, as was the water-ski weekend beforehand. Des Moines conference is blurry because I was so tired. =) But I enjoyed myself... had some good discussions with some friends; those moments tend to be my best memories.

I couldn't go to Lassen this year... first time in 10 years. Dumb work! So I spent the week by myself. I survived, however, and it was probably a learning experience. I now know that I would not be very good at living alone. Actually, I would probably lose a lot of weight since I was too lazy to cook things for myself, haha.

Otherwise... nothing new under the sun. For your entertainment, here is a picture. Attractive!

Wow, my life is EXCITING

2008-06-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, as previously mentioned, I graduated. Then I went home. And I have since been working at a coffeeshop down the street from my house. Now, I know it's not a "real" job, but hey, it's money. Which is what I need right now. Plus, I don't want to get a career type job here in Southern California because I don't really want to stay here. I would instead like to live somewhere in the northern regions of California, specifically Sacramento area or Redding.

Before that, though, I may live in Denver or Maryland. I applied for the AmeriCorps program NCCC, and so far so good. I have to have a phone interview in the next couple days, then I will be notified of my acceptance or lack thereof within 3 weeks of said interview.

I figured that it would be nice to do some stuff that I couldn't do if I was paying rent or working a "real job". So that's why I'm working at a coffeeshop and applying for the AmeriCorps. I would like to do something overseas at some point too. Hannah found a great site for au pairs, but I'm not too into nannying. I need to find one where I just need to keep their house clean and cook them dinner or something. Not that I cook well, but I could practice on them, haha.

I have read lots of books so far, one being Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (she also wrote Middlemarch). It was 710 pages. I am quite proud of myself. It was a good book, I highly recommend it. I might attempt to finish Les Miserables... it has taken me a few years to get 3/4 of the way through it. I'm going to have to catch myself up with the SparkNotes that I bought, and then figure out where I left off. Yuck. But that's a good book too, with the exception of the 100 pages going on and on and on about some French war. Skipped that part.

So yeah, that's my life. Oh yeah, I think I might start trying different churches on Sundays. I think I'll start with EVFree-- 'scuse me, NorthPoint-- then perhaps Calvary Chapel. We'll see where I go from there.

Ok, that's my life right now. Exciting, huh? Yeah right. =)

My coworker asked if I had been tanning because my arms looked dark. She's my favorite person in the whole wide world.

My Heart's Desire

2008-05-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm sure every girl wants, as I do, to be exclaimed over in this manner when she walks elegantly into a room:

"By George! who is that girl with the awfully well-set head and jolly figure?"

My life would be complete.

(From George Eliot's Daniel Deronda)

Reflections of a College Graduate

2008-05-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I have last blogged. In my defense, I have been rather busy (until last week, anyway).

I graduated college. Though I am glad to be done with group projects and quizzes and pointless busy work, I will miss learning with my peers and reading interesting things and most of all...

...my friends. I made some fantastic friends over these four years. Together we have experienced, learned, discussed, exercised, laughed, cried, traveled, gone on midnight WinCo chocolate runs, frozen at the bonfires on The Patio, drank more coffee than I'm sure is healthy, loved, and laughed some more. We have shared each other's burdens... rejoiced when they rejoiced, wept when they wept, supported when life was rough, encouraged when circumstances seemed overwhelming or confusing, shared in anticipation and enthusiasm when an exciting opportunity came along. We discussed our homework with each other (those darn dialogue papers!). We shared what we had discovered in our personal lives. We created memories.

And in one day, it concludes. A whirwind of preparation and activity. Statements of "I can't believe I'm graduating!"... "This is SO WEIRD!"... "I look like a fat cow in this gown."... "Can you believe it?!? We made it, friend! We're graduating!" float around room where we line up. Then we walk down that graduation aisle to sounds of Pomp and Circumstance (or whatever the heck that song is called), and the roar of applause, and the snapping of cameras. Each graduate takes the seemingly unending walk across the stage to receive his or her diploma. We turn our tassles, and walk back down the aisle to more applause and more camera flashes.

We are college graduates!

The whole day is a blur. Surreal. I try to comprehend where the past 4 years have gone, what has happened that day, entertain guests from out of town. I try to live in the moment, enjoy what's happening. But I'm not quite sure what's happening. I walk in a fog.

I go to Red Robin one last time with my fellow graduates. We go back to campus for a bonfire on The Patio, hanging out, being friends. We ask about future plans. We promise to keep in touch.

Together, we have conquered homework and projects and success and defeat. We have spent 4 years together, building friendships.

This day is joyful.... we have made it to another milestone! Life awaits us, options are unlimited, we are unfettered by anything (except student loans), the world is ours for the taking. What freedom! What joy! What opportunity!

And I hold back the tears.

Up Close and Personal

2008-04-19T13:11:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure every teen's mother has told them this. Or maybe it was just mine. But whenever I wanted to do something that "everyone else" was doing, my mom would respond, "If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump off too?" To which I eventually replied, "Yes. Because if I didn't I obviously wouldn't have any friends left." So there.

But now I can legitimately and truthfully answer a resounding, "YES. Yes, if all my friends jumped off a bridge, I would jump off that bridge too."

I jumped off a bridge yesterday. I honestly can't believe I did so because I'm scared of heights and don't really like jumping off things. Especially things that are 30-40 feet off the ground. Maybe my subconscious was dreading finals. Who knows. But I did it!

Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned. I really shouldn't try feats like this. Some of you may remember the time I "fell" off a skateboard while going down a large hill and landed on my knee, and was barely able to walk a few days later. In fact, some of my friends had to carry me up the stairs one time (thank you, I am forever indebted-- if it were not for you, I might still be in the cafeteria at HL).

This time, I leaped off the bridge (after only 1 false start) and began my rapid descent. I suddenly got freaked out and started waving my arms, which propelled me slightly backwards. Right before I hit the icy waters below, I remembered that I should point my toes. This is where the "unfortunately" kicks in. I landed in the water in a sitting position. I, of course, mentally panic as I realize I've hit the water the wrong way. I had visions of Joni Ericson Tada floating through my mind.

"Maybe I'm paralyzed!!" I frantically thought as I swam to the surface. I quickly realized the ridiculousness of this thought, and instantly calmed, though I continued swimming rapidly. Have I mentioned how cold it was? It was difficult to breathe, and my arms were numb as I swam quickly toward the rock on which everyone else was standing.

My friends were concerned, and asked if I was ok. I assured them I was, though I was thinking, in a very intellectual fashion, "OUCH and COLD." Though it stung, I didn't think my legs were going to be too bad. As we walked back to the car about 20-30 minutes later, however, I realized that this was not going to be a pretty sight. Every step hurt.

As the evening progressed, my legs turned more and more black and blue. The bruising still continues to spread down my leg. Honestly though, it's a pretty good battle wound, definitely the best I've ever had. I just hope it stays above my knees because I am wearing a pretty knee-length dress on Thurday for Sr. Banquet, and, vainly, I do not want black and blue blotches on my legs.

So that was my adventure. I finished my last classes of my undergraduate career, and then jumped off a bridge. Awesome.

This is my friend Karissa jumping off the bridge. She was uninjured. I am the one on the bridge; this was Karissa's second jump, and I was not about to go again. Though I actually did contemplate it... =)

Left leg. Right leg.

3 more reasons I do not want to move to Southern California

2008-03-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

1. It took me 1 hour to go 30 miles.
2. The sky is not often visible through the layer of smog.
3. Movies cost $10.50.

Recent Update

2008-03-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the most recent update I have on Kassie, the girl who was in a bad car accident the first week of school. I have paraphrased and summarized from a newpaper article from her hometown.

Last week, she spoke for the first time in six months. Her first word was "mom."

Right after the crash, Kassie was put into an induced coma since her brain was swelling so badly. She had 3 surgeries in November, at which point they eased her off the medications. Kassie became progressively more aware; she was able to watch people as they spoke. Kassie has been at a Kaiser in central/northern California at a full-time rehab center. She's re-learning how to move and speak, but she is making daily progress. She can now slide into a wheelchair by herself, identify pictures, and add some numbers. She can identify her friends in pictures, and remembers her pets.

However, she has to be cared for 24/7. And the hospital bills have been staggering. In one hospital alone (she has been in four), the charges are almost $1 million. Kaiser is only paying a quarter of this. Kassie's parents have been put into a tight spot because they are unable to give her the care she needs as they work to try to financially stay afloat.

So obviously much prayer is still needed for the family. Though they rejoice at Kassie's progress, many tough decisions and situations lay ahead. Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Oh, and if you want more specific info, comment me... I feel weird putting her personal information (hometown, last name, fund etc) down in my blog. =)

San Francisco!

2008-02-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

So I have been gone every other weekend so far this semester. First, I went to Colorado for 5 days or so. Then Lee and I drove down to Fremont to go to a Sharks game and hang out with the peeps down there. Just this past weekend, Macy, Lee and I met Angie, Karly, Bethany and Abby in Fremont. It's been so good to do something other than stay on campus every weekend! But I need to cut down on the traveling a bit... I have totally messed myself up as far as homework is concerned, and I'm exhausted! But who cares, it's my last semester. I'm still going to pass everything-- just maybe not with more A's than B's. Ah, senioritis kicks in...

It's been kind of a weird semester; the atmosphere in our dorm hall certainly has changed. It's not bad, it's just different than last semester. I've also been doing a lot of thinking lately (as I believe I mentioned in my previous blog). Thinking about the present, about the future. Especially about the future. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself after I graduate. I'll figure it out as time goes on, I suppose. There are so many things I want to do. Which to pick is the question.

Anyway, here are some pictoral highlights from the semester so far.

First, I went to Colorado. Here I am with my beautiful friends outside the lodge.

Hooray for cousins!

One Saturday night here in the dorms, we went mattress surfing down our stairs. It's too bad they were short... I wanted to go faster!

San Francisco was absolutely gorgeous this past weekend!

We had fun wandering around the city...

...going to the beach in Santa Cruz...

... and attempting to throw marshmallows in each other's mouths. lovely.

Now... mountains of homework. Hooray! haha

A brief summary

2008-02-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

Last semester of senior year: exciting, yet anxiety-producing. I am definitely looking forward to graduating... I feel like I will have accomplished something. But-- then what? Good question.

I just want to travel. All this job, responsibility thing... overrated. Though the whole steady income thing sounds nice. Right now, every time I get a paycheck, my bank account practically doubles, haha. How about someone support me? I could be a non-profit.

I should work for the Red Cross. Travel to various countries to help those who have been impacted by distasters or other external influences.

I'm totally sick of school, though. Senioritis has definitely kicked in. Every semester I say that I have a ton to read; without question, this semester is requiring the most reading. By the end the semester, I will have read 6 or 7 entire books. The shortest by far is 130 pages.

This semester has been nice, though, in that I have been able to go places on the weekends. I went to Colorado for a few days with my church group; though it was painful falling down the Rockies in an attempt to snowboard, I had a good time, and hope to snowboard again soon. I also went to the SF area to see some friends as well as my sister. Hopefully I can go again this coming weekend. It's really nice to get off campus, as well as get to know my Red Bluff friends during the car rides.

Because I'm in my last semester and realizing that opportunities for a lot of fun things might soon be coming to a hiatus (did I use that word correctly??), I am trying to take advantage of the times when I can go places, even at the expense of my homework. Which is fine. I'm graduating with honors, so who cares about this semester, as long as I don't fail anything this semester. Which I'm not.

So yeah. I've been learning a lot about myself, a lot I didn't really want to know. I'm realizing my brokeness as a human being. Painful. But necessary.

So that's my life! Cheerful. haha. OH! Accomplishment for Stephanie! I now know how to drive stick shift! Go me! I actually really enjoy it, and whenever I get a new car, I will probably get a manual. Unless I live in the big city and will be stuck in traffic. That's no fun anyway, and even less so with having to press the clutch in and out every 10 seconds. Anyway, I have further decided that I enjoy the Jeep/small SUV things over a car. I attribute this affinity to the fact that I learned to drive a van and consequently feel rather vulnerable and small in a car. Plus, getting a larger vehicle might help compensate for my small stature. Only downside: gas mileage. But I got gas here for less than $3.00 per gallon last week! I was pretty excited.

Well, speaking of doing things at the expense of homework...

The Sweet Life of Stephanie

2008-01-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

My life is pretty cool. In one month, I go from this:

to this:

You should be jealous. Oh, and I'm graduating in 3 months from today. WOOT!

"I will sum up"

2007-12-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

This semester has been my most difficult semester in many ways. My classes have been tougher (particularly Sr. Seminar-oy vey), and I have had much to think about and contemplate. The aforementioned class was about the integration of psychology and theology, so I have been forced to think about these issues and come to a quasi-conclusion about what I believe. The most stressful assignment this semester was the dialogue paper we had to do for Sr. Seminar. Basically, we had to make up a conversation between two people addressing the issues of psychology and theology, and the integration thereof. We had to include material that we have learned from our previous classes. Most of our information was not in the conversation, but rather in explanatory footnotes-- sometimes these footnotes took up half the page! I am not a very creative person. Ask my mother, I hated the sections in English about poetry and creative writing. The fact that this assignment was worth 50% of my grade caused me great anxiety. When I thought about it, my heart would start racing, and I would begin to hyperventilate. No joke. I'm not exaggerating. It was a common response for most of the people in that class. But, praise the Lord, it is over... we find out our grades on Tuesday. Oh, I just got nervous.

On the bright side, internship has been fabulous! I've learned so much, and all the people who work at the agency are just great. I love interning there! (I intern at a foster family agency, by the way.)

Finals start tomorrow. Honestly, I'm so sick of studying. I'm SO done. I have to write a 5-page paper tonight. I've been doing a whole lot of nothing today, which has been nice. But I have to finish that paper tonight because the rest of my week is pretty packed. I don't have time to do it tomorrow! If it's not 5 pages... oh well. I would skip it, but I have no idea where I stand in the class. Don't want to fail now!

I'm excited about break. I'm staying a night with Abby in Fresno, then we're driving home. I'm supposed to go to the Mission Inn with a couple friends from school who live nearby; then there's our church conference; resting; relaxation; reading for fun... ahhhh. I'm also planning on cleaning out my room in the event that I move after graduation (April 26th, 10AM-- but who's counting??)

One thing I have enjoyed this semester is seeing my "meeting" friends in R-B, even if they are on "the other side." =) They are super nice, and I've had a great time getting to know them. I hope I can see them more next semester. I just wish R-B was a tad closer.

I love my life here. It's been so great, and I'm really sad to leave it in a few months. It's going to be really hard. I've made so many good friends, and we've had such good times. I'll be sure to bring lots of Kleenex to graduation! It will be traumatic! I'm so glad I'm here. I was just talking to my friend, and we were mentioning how thankful we are to be here, we couldn't be more blessed.

I'm such a psych major

2007-10-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night and I psychoanalyzed it.

My sad little life

2007-10-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago in chapel, our campus pastor was encouraging the students to get involved with activities here on campus. He cautioned, though, to only get involved in about one thing because if you become too involved with too many different things, you will do everything poorly.
Well, that is what my life is like right now. I have so much on my plate that I'm doing a horrible job at everything. It's so frustrating because I'm usually a good student and I'm usually a hard worker and I'm usually eager to learn.
But now I don't care about school and it's so hard to put my heart into working and I'm too tired to learn. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can drop from my schedule except social time, and I don't do a ton of that.
Let me just say that I AM DONE. I am SO ready to graduate.
The end.

Lord, why me??

2007-09-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

So last year sometime, some guy here at school told me that my eyes were so blue, he wanted to dive in. Creepy beepy.

Just last week, a similar incident occurred. I was at the police department to get fingerprinted for my internship. The lady at the counter, while glancing over my paperwork, asked if I had been married before, to which I responded a firm, "No." I then went to sit in the waiting area. The man next to me was wearing a gray undershirt type thing, cargo camo shorts, white tennis shoes with no socks, and suspenders. Yes, suspenders and army shorts. He was probably around 65 or so, and it didn't look like his personal hygiene was of too much import to him. My initial thought was, "I hope I'm safe here," but then I remembered that I was in the police department. Problem solved.
He started off the conversation by saying, "I'm glad to hear that you weren't so stupid as to get married." I assured him that I was still rather young, only 20. He informed me that he once had a wife, but her husband came and took her away. Fabulous. What am I supposed to say? "I'm sorry"? So I tried to nod sympathetically, and I think I uttered a small, "Oh."
He then remarked on my freckles and their abundance. I made some lame-o comment in response. He goes on to tell me that he has always found freckles rather sexy. I about cried. Thankfully, I was called in to get fingerprinted soon thereafter, so I was saved from any more trauma.

I was getting my makeup done at the mall a week or two ago, and the lady told me I had the most defined, exquisite lips she had ever seen.

My ocean-blue eyes, my sexy freckles, and my exquisite lips... good thing I'm not married yet; I just know he would have married me simply for my looks! He wouldn't have known how dumb I am... I set off my smoke detector by steaming something in the bathroom last Friday.

Another Update on Kassie

2007-09-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Campus Pastor, Mark, reports from Kassie’s mother that yesterday the doctors removed the drain tube from Kassie’s head, inserted a feeding tube to her stomach (to bypass throat and esophagus irritation) and performed a tracheotomy (to allow the throat and esophagus to mend). Kassie remains in a coma (which is allowing her body to heal). All of these are seen as positive steps in Kassie’s recovery.

That is the email I got today. Keep praying!

No one told me that my fridge is also a freezer

2007-09-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Because I had bought quite a bit more food to put in my fridge, I decided to make it a tad colder.

Now all my juice and yogurt (and Alyssa's soda!) is frozen.

I don't even want to know what I would be like on speed...

2007-09-13T23:50:00.001-07:00

A little story for you all.

Once upon a time, a hard-working college student named Stephanie did not consume much sugar- no cookies, no cupcakes, no candy bars (oh, a lie), no nothin' (really though, nothin' of consequence)- for the first two weeks of her senior year of college. One fateful night, however... (dun dun duuuun!) she had a cookie and a cupcake. It is presently midnight and she is having a hard time winding down. She has been chattering away excitedly to her roommate, swapping interesting stories. Though this sharing time has been quite enjoyable, the bed looks quite comfortable and welcoming. Hopefully her brain can come down off its sugar high and will allow her to sleep.

The End.

Update on Kassie and Scarlette

2007-09-13T08:42:00.001-07:00

If I give out pertinant information, I guess I should follow up with updates, huh? =)

It seems that Scarlette is coming back to school in the next few days.

Kassie had more surgery last Sunday afternoon/evening to work on her brain. They were having difficulty controlling the swelling and bleeding of her brain, and had to take out part of her skull to make way for the swelling. Since then, however, she has been taken off antiinflamatory (sp??) medications and has received a feeding tube. To my knowledge, she is still unconscious, but doing better considering. Most of her family is still here, though a few had to go home for a couple days to take of some things.

Though she is still in critical condition, it's looking up for her at this point. Continued prayer is obviously encouraged and appreciated. Thanks!

Pray!

2007-09-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night, two freshman girls from our campus got into a car accident. The passenger was ok, but the driver was severely injured as she was T-boned by a lifted pick-up truck. She was in surgery for a few hours post the accident, and has been in a drug-induced coma the last few days to allow the swelling in her brain to go down as well as help the rest of her body to heal.

As I type this blog, she is in surgery yet again. I am told that this is pretty much the 11th hour for her- she's in pretty bad shape. Please pray for Kassie right now, for her healing and recovery. Especially pray for her family, though, because they are dealing with so much. I'm sure they are struggling with so many questions and emotions. Pray that God will send His comfort in exceptionally large doses at this time.

Kassie's friend, roommate and passenger Scarlette is bruised and a bit banged up, but she was released from the hospital only hours after the accident. She went home for the weekend at least, and I have not heard whether or not she will be coming back to school. Flashbacks are common in these circumstances, so we have been praying that those will not occur. Please pray that she would have comfort and peace, and that she would have a strong support system from both her family and friends, and that if she comes back to school those who interact with her would be given wisdom and strength in how to uphold her.

Our school community is pretty shaken up by this, even though most of us didn't know her. She had only been here for a week, so many of us didn't have the chance to meet most of the freshman. We had a 2 prayer vigils a couple nights ago, one of which was taped for the 11:00 local news. The local community is aware of what has happened, and has been able to see the school's reponse. We hope that our faith in and love for God can shine through to the local community throughout all of this. Though it is hard to grasp sometimes, "God works all things together for good to those who love Him."

Back Again

2007-09-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am at school again. Many of my friends live on my side of the hall, so there has been much yelling and laughing and a general good time. Don't worry, we'll study... until we get senioritis! =)

I talked w/ my will-be supervisor for my internship today and we set up an appoinment to meet on Tuesday. SO EXCITED! My friend Shelby, who works at this program, called later this evening to talk about it. I will be working with her team which consists of her and a retirement-age guy (didn't get his name). Her team partner has been in the social work field for a long time and loves to train young people to do social work right! So he's really excited that I get to intern there, as is Shelby. And he's a Christian, so that's cool too. I've worked with Shelby for class projects and we kinda co-led the Social Action Committee; she started it, I was president the semester she was gone to D.C. for a semester "abroad", and then I helped her once she got back. So we've worked together quite a bit, and it usually goes pretty well. I just hope and pray that this internship goes well and that I learn a lot! It sounds like I will.

The week/end before I came down to school my family spent in Idaho and Washington. I enjoyed seeing my extended family again; I only see them once or twice a year. I got to see my new little cousin, Preston, who is about 5 months old and quite active- he wouldn't stay still. Wanting to stand, wanting to sit... JUST BE CUTE AND SIT HERE!!! Haha.
My immediate family then went over to Seattle area to see friends there. I spent a couple days with Katy, which was tons of fun. We had some good H2H's, and I really learned a lot about myself through these conversations. It was good to see everyone at HL- I love my church family!

Because of some of these conversations with Katy, as well as a couple I've had here at school, I desire to make some changes in my life. I hope that this year will be a time of encouragement, a time of growth, a time of fun, a time of learning, a time to make opinions my own, a time of a stronger relationship with God. Though this summer was boring in many ways, I can see how it worked out for good. I did a lot more thinking about me, and who I want to become. I have come back to school a different person, one with different priorities and goals. I definitely don't have things figured out yet; on the contrary, I have many questions, and I am certain more will arise through my studies! But my attitude toward these questions have changed. My attitude in general has changed. Hopefully for the better!

The Taming of the Shrew

2007-08-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

Kelsie, JoEllen and I went to see the above play at a local high-end mall's amphitheater this evening. A college's (or was it a CC?) drama program acted, and it was ok. I'm sure it's much better in Ashland, but hey- it was free! I couldn't understand a couple of the characters, though their body language made it fairly easy to decipher!

One thing I really enjoyed were the costumes. Well, the costumes of the female characters, that is. The dresses were so pretty! The only reason I would like to live in a different time period than the present is because of the more feminine clothing that was made then. Though I do like my jeans...

Tomorrow I work for a lovely 6 hours. There's another event tomorrow where today's play took place, so hopefully business will be good for us (I work in the high-end mall).

Good grief, my thoughts are disjointed.

Mom and Dad left with Abby today to take her to school. She got a good scholarship, so she has to go on some retreat thing to "redeem" it, which is why she's going so early. Her real orientation starts next week, and then school starts for her! Yay for Abby! I'm really excited for her, I'm sure she'll have a great 4 years there, but I'll miss her when I'm home w/o her! Good thing SB prepped us for her absence. =)

We leave next Thursday for ID/WA etc, which I am TOTALLY EXCITED ABOUT. SEE, I'M TALKING IN ALL CAPS TO ACCURATELY PORTRAY THIS EXCITEMENT. If I had to use one word to describe my life right now, this would be it: Stir crazy.

I think I'm dying

2007-08-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

It's so hot.

High of 102 today.

And no A/C.

Help.

Our eyes!

2007-08-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

They're so piercing! It's like they're staring into your SOUL!

Choose Life!

2007-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Lassen went well this year, at least in my opinion. I was a counselor again this year, which was fun, though the week isn't as relaxing as it once was. That's ok, though. A couple of us also headed up the music, which caused some additional stress, but it all worked out well in the end.
Highlights of my week:
*Volleyball (duh)
*PM snack time (hot chocolate and quesadillas, anyone?)
*A little H2H w/ a fabulous friend of mine... I miss her already!

The theme of camp was very good this year (though I liked last year's better). Someone brought up the interesting point that each speaker took the same topic and went different directions with it. This provided a very well-rounded learning experience, and challenged me, at least, to choose how I live rather than just let life "happen."

So school starts in 4 weeks from today. I was looking over my class schedule, and I do believe I'm going to have to switch around some classes so as to fit in my internship. *sigh* These next two semesters had better work out! I'm excited to go back, though; I miss my friends and the excitement of doing random things! However, our little ID/WA vaca comes first, and I'm looking forward to seeing my relatives as well as Katy and other WA friends.

hola! como estas?

2007-07-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

(I probably spelled that totally wrong. I can spell in English, but not in Spanish.)

Well, I've been working working working! Bright side, I'm making money. Down side, everyone else and their mother seems to be at Shallowbrook. I knew going into summer that I probably wouldn't be able to go, but I was a lot more upset about it than I anticipated. I really wanted to go. Oh well. Can't do anything about it now. Hopefully, a lot of people will come to Lassen! Speaking of which, I am to be a counselor again this year. Mixed emotions on that; it would be SO nice to relax and have some fun before school and all it's stresses start up again, but at the same time, I feel that I'm old enough to be contributing something more than just my wonderful presence. =) Overall, I'm looking forward to the week. It'll be nice to do something other than work. And work. And work. Oh, and I might get to see some of my dear school friends that week too. =)

My car refused to start this morning. I turned the key and ... nothing. I had to wake poor mom up at 5:30 AM to tell her that my car was out of commission so I would be taking the van. Hopefully it's just the battery, an easy fix.

Mom, Gwen, JoEllen and I are going out to the desert Wednesday night/Thursday/Friday/Saturday morning to hang out and relax. We can spend some early morning hours out by the pool, and afternoons in the nice A/C of the home we are staying in. Hopefully I will be able to get some color (preferably not the red variety) before Lassen. =) Someday I'll look like I'm from Southern California. Ha.

Well, I shall stop blathering on. My post summed up: same old, same old.

Tanning

2007-07-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know tanning is a rather unusual subject for me. However, I have found a new way to tan! Jergen's carries this great line of lotion that gradually adds color. And it works! I now have almost tan legs and very white feet! Starting tomorrow, I shall begin putting the lotion on my feet as well as make sure I am slathering evenly. =) It's really quite exciting- I can be darker w/o damaging my skin. Yay! So that's my exciting news for the day.

4th of July!

2007-07-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

Since most of our extended family has moved to Idaho/Washington, our holidays around here are rather boring. It was a slow start this morning, but we got moving by lunch time and enjoyed the cuisine of Wendy's. We then went to see Ratatouille (or however you spell it). I later remembered that there was a free (FREE!) Phil Wickam concert at a church down the street. Arg! I'm so irritated that I forgot.

I'm working a decent amount of hours (for working in a coffee shop- no 12 hours days for me!), and I will be working more in the weeks to come. Everyone seems to be going on vacation. Sad day! Two of our workers are going to be gone the same week, which just happens to be the week of Shallowbrook. =( I'm really sad to be missing it. I am going to Lassen though, if that's any consolation. I was going to blog about some of the drama at work, but I won't. Who knows who might read this. *glances around suspiciously*

I've read about 1/4 of Les Miserables in the past couple weeks. I read the first half of the book last summer, got too busy over the school year to continue, and then restarted (with the help of SparkNotes) this summer. I hope to finish it before school starts. The book is really good, though Victor Hugo does spend a bit too much time on some background and explainations, in my humble opinion. I skipped about 40 pages of French history. That's the only problem of reading the unabridged version. Next: see the musical! =)
I'm also reading Dietrich Bonhoffer's The Cost of Discipleship. So far, so good. Of course I'm only about 4 pages into it, but whatever. It's interesting and thought-provoking so far.

Otherwise, nothing too exciting is going on. OH, we finished our patio cover! Notched plywood, shingles and everything! It looks quite nice, and stays rather shady during the day. The weather starts to cool off around 6pm each day; perfect for relaxing outside on the swing. Hooray for summer evenings!

I really miss all my school friends. When does school start?!??

Feminine Charms

2007-06-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I may not be able to cook any better, but as of today I sure as heck can use a power saw! =)

la dee da

2007-06-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, life has just been... happening around here. My grandma has been with us for over a week now, and will be here on and off until Saturday. It's been fun to have her here, and just live everyday life w/ us. We've all missed her since she's moved to Idaho!

The reason she was down was because... da da da daaaa! Abby graduated high school! Yaaaay! She was very excited to be out of this stage of life and onto the next- college! So congratulations to Abby, Davy, Hannah, Katie and Wills on their graduations from high school! And congrats to Gwen for graduating into high school! Drinks all around!

Work has been going fairly well. It's still really slow, so it's kinda boring, but I've been working a lot of hours which means more money. Which is very good. =) However, the high schools haven't gotten out yet, so we'll see how my hours look once that happens. Right now, though, I think I'm working more hours than some of the people who have worked there for quite awhile. Between Shila and I, we might be getting the most hours; I believe we're the only ones who work 5-6 days a week.

Hmmm... what else, what else... Oh, I've been meaning to take a picture of Mabel (my new ride) so I could post it on my blog. It's a great car, it just kinda... floats along. Don't really feel the bumps in the road, and can't feel the engine revving. Quite smooth.
And the Ducks won the Stanley cup which we were all very excited about! It's the first time SoCal has had the Stanley Cup (though we were so close a few years ago! Darn Devils...), and the Ducks won each playoff series 4-1. Interesting fact of the day.

Ok, I think that's it for now. It's so exciting around here that I watched 2 movies tonight. I should go to bed; I have to open at 5:45 tomorrow morning. Joy!

Game 1: Ducks 3, Senators 2

2007-05-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a job. It's at a little smoothie/coffee place in the new ritzy shopping center a couple miles from our house. It's a pretty easy job, but unfortunately, I do not get much practice making stuff because business is so slow. SO SLOW. So I get paid to stand around and do nothing. Hey, it's money. And I'm broke, so I guess it works out for everyone. =)

Oooh, we got new furniture! We got a leather couch, a loveseat, 2 chairs and a huge ottoman/coffetable thing. It's quite nice. And comfortable, too.

I've been reading a decent amount of books lately. I've read 2 John Grisham and 2 Jodi Picoult. Both authors are good, though I think I prefer John Grisham a bit more. Less romance, more adventure. I started Les Miserables.... what was it?... last summer? Anyway, I got halfway through the monster before school started at which point it was not opened again. I always feel terribly guilty for not finishing a book, especially a classic of that magnitude, so I bought the Sparknotes (Cliffnotes, just a different brand or whatever) to catch myself up as to what's going on so that I can finish the rest of the book. I have enjoyed what I read so far... I just don't remember what's going on. =) Please recommend any books that you have found enlightening, life-changing, or just plain enjoyable. I like suggestions, though I don't promise that I will read it. ;)

So yeah, that's been the extent of my life in the past couple weeks. Isn't it riveting? OH. Some family friends of ours let me borrow their car for the summer. It's totally a grandma car, which I think is just fantastic. It's HUGE. I learned to drive on an 12-passenger van, but this feels SO much bigger. And it floats. You just kinda glide along. However, we almost ran into a problem- I had difficulty reaching the pedals. Thanksfully, the seat scoots up just far enough. =) I want to name it Mabel, but it almost looks masculine... maybe Harold or something. I haven't decided yet. So that's definitely an exciting point for me. It's been great cruising around town in this massive boat. Hahaha. I probably look ridiculous. =)

Perpetuating the stereotypes

2007-05-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today, I got up, fixed myself a bowl of yogurt-and-granola and a mug of coffee, and got to work. I cleaned the bathrooms, changed the laundry, and emptied the dishwasher. Yesterday, I mowed (most of) the lawn.

I will make an excellent housewife for a lucky man someday.

hahaha.

I stopped traffic yesterday

2007-05-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Yes! I was that hot!

Ok, so I participated in our city's annual 5k run/walk; hence, traffic was already stopped and I was hot in the I'm-sweating-buckets sense of the word. For some strange reason, I always get up at the crack of dawn and run 3.1 miles when I am not in shape for this dumb thing. I'm always dying at the end. I'm always a tad sore the next day. Yes, I know 3.1 miles is pathetic. But hey- I'm out of shape and part of the run was up a big hill. It can take a toll.
The first part went well. I buzzed right along at my own pace and didn't tire out too fast, amazingly enough. Once I turned the corner to go up the hill, all the old men started passing me. Dang it. I trudged my way up the hill and finally got to the flat part again. It was going ok, until half-way across the flat stretch when a mom with her stroller passed me. Hey! That's it- I'm going faster! Well, that lasted for about 5 seconds before I decided that yes, I was indeed a wimp and didn't really care. A young boy sprinted my me in the last leg of the journey. I think I passed him later.
But I finished, which is what mattered. And I didn't finish last. Perhaps last in my age group, but I don't know that so I will assume that I didn't. =) Mom got 2nd in her age group. Go Mom!

Otherwise, pretty low-key here. I'm still looking for a job. It would be nice if someone just sent me a generous check every couple weeks for no good reason but love and good will.

The neighbors have people over at their house, presumable for mother's day. Some kid is laughing/yelling obnoxiously.

Looks like the Ducks are going into overtime against the Red Wings. Dang, I wish we had cable. Or they (whoever "they" are) would put Ducks games on local channels.

If you are in need of a good, easy-yet-challenging summer read, I recommend Under the Overpass by Michael Yankoski. Fabulous read. GO READ IT NOW.

Ok, off to watch a movie! Go Ducks!

I'm a senior!

2007-05-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Woot! I'm a college senior! Quite honestly, I think I'm more freaked out than excited. I love school, I love my friends, I love the dorms. I miss everyone already, and it's only been 6 days. When does school start again???

I have a lot of summer goals though. Unfortunately, they usually don't get done. Here's a few:

*Exercise! Specifically run and ride my bike. I might (or might not) train for the Agony Ride.
*Learn to play tennis fairly well.
*I have a reading list. NONE of the books I wanted to read were at our library, so I had to interlibrary loan them through the neighboring city's library.

Well, I guess there weren't as many goals as I thought. I also need to work and perhaps take summer school classes. We'll see. Hopefully I'll keep myself busy and not get bored like I did last summer.

It is really nice to be home, though. The sleeping in, the relaxing, the good food... ahhh! This is the life!

Well, I better go do something more productive than sitting here at the computer...

4/20

2007-04-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

I officially fininished all my classes of my junior year of college. Now all that's left is finals... WOO HOO!!!!

Well.

2007-04-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the last day of school. All I have to say it PTL, P.T.L! I raise my hands in thankfulness.

This has definitely been the roughest semester so far, save my first semester when I was homesick most the time. This is definitely a different rough, and I would actually say a more challenging experience overall. My emotions are shot, my brain can't handle much more, I have been spiritually stretched, I'm physically exhausted, and I'm psychologically beat (did I miss anything?). I have been challenged to think differently about things, and I have challenged myself to actually act on what I have learned. I have had to think seriously about my future, and make decisions that will impact my life.

I am realizing that college is almost over. In one year exactly, I will have one week of undergraduate school... EVER. That is not long. College has flown by so fast, and there's still so much I want to do while I am here. Like the upperclassmen told me when I was a freshman, GET INVOLVED! I wish I had. I now find myself barely stepping into the Redding community, the school community, other activities... and I wish I had started this process earlier so that I could have done more. It's really starting to scare me how quickly this phase of my life is ending. Though homework/class loads can certainly be annoying and cause much stress, this has been an amazing time.

And so, next year, I am going to make the most of it. I want to be involved in my studies (duh, I am at school), but I also want to make the most of friendships and community involvement. I will savor each moment that I have with others, as I have begun to do now.

My Life Is Like Death

2007-04-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

This past month has been challenging to say the least. School has been overwhelming; I did h/w non-stop for about a week right before Easter break, and I have a feeling I'm not going to get much sleep this week. Everything seems to be due at the same time. I'm actually behind on some papers, which is unlike me.
I need to make a decision soon about an internship for next year. One that I could possibly take would keep me in Redding for a couple years, but if I take a different one, I would be free to move home or go to grad school in Sac, or who knows what. So I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I'm starting to realize that the decisions I make now are going to impact the rest of my life. My life will look much different if I stay in Redding than what it might look like if I move to Sacramento. I need to make these decisions in the next couple weeks.
I also had to write a position paper on my view of women's roles in the church, home and ministry. I don't know what I think. It's quite difficult to write an opinion on something one is confused about. Thankfully that's over and my friends and I have debriefed. =)
I've also been challenged as to the church's role in the life of believers and outreach/the community. I'm realizing that church does not have one look, it does not follow a certain set of guidelines- or at least it shouldn't. It should look different for those in upper-class neighborhoods than it does in college communities or low-income areas. The values and experiences people have vary from place to place, and church should meet those needs in a unique way. I think. I just came up with this thought last night.
The head of the psych department, the prof I TA for told me last Wednesday that she is resigning. I did not see that coming at all; it really threw off my groove that day (understatement of the year). Not only does that mean we will be losing one of our best profs, I will not have a job. So now I have to look for a new job right before school ends. I think I have a good chance of getting one, but I don't want to be too confident and things fall through. I also need to look into other options in case it doesn't work out. Oh, I will still be a writing tutor, so that will help with money making. =)
I'm going home for the summer. I need a job. And I'm going to take summer classes. And I want to have FUN FUN FUN because this is most likely my last summer home, or at least my last real summer. I want to take a couple trips, but we'll see how that works.
So yeah. Stress has been high. I've been swamped. I feel like I might die from all I have to do. My writing today is quite cryptic. Sorry. I'm tired.
Ok, time for class.

Praise Jesus!

2007-03-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Spring break is here!! So far, the semester has been good, though quite busy and I've never been so tired for such an extended period of time in my life. This will be a great time to recooperate and catch up on some sleep. Though this probably isn't the best idea, I'm bringing virtually no homework.

Ok, I need to go. Have a great week everyone!

Arg

2007-03-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered something about myself. It really bothers me when my friends are upset. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's totally ok that they are sad or upset or whatever; in fact, I encourage that. What bugs me is that I can't fix it. I just want to make it better!
In reading this over, it sounds so cliche, but it's true. (Almost) Nothing makes me sadder than when someone's having a bad day and I can do nothing about it.
Hugs all around!

Memories

2007-02-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

So exactly one year ago, I was in New Orleans. It seems so recent, yet so long ago at the same time. In memory of this occasion I shall tell you the proper way in which to gut a house. I hope I haven't written about this already. I feel that I have, but oh well. You can read it again.

Step 1: Clear out all furniture, refrigerators and anything else on the floor so that the house is empty.
Step 2: Rip out the carpet (if applicable). It is very important to do this before you go tearing out walls etc because it is virtually impossible to scoop things off a damp carpet with a shovel.
Step 3: Start tearing down the walls. Don't let the debris pile up; clean as you go!
Step 4: Ceilings are next. It is especially fun if you can smash ceiling fans with a large heavy object, ideally a sledgehammer but a huge crowbar works as well. Watch out for insulation, it's a killer.
Step 5: Make sure the house is reasonably swept up.
Step 6: Take a shower. You reek.

Friends

2007-02-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

I love my friends here at school. They are awesome and I couldn't ask for better! We had lots of fun this weekend (in between the boring-as-all-get-out times- there are definitely pros and cons to 3-day weekends...). On Friday night 6 of us went to Starbucks and played Phase 10 for a few hours, then headed off to the Sundial Bridge. If you lay underneath the bridge, it looks like a toilet bowl and the sundial looks like 3D toilet paper about to fall gracefully into the bowl, in which you are lying. Pretty awesome. Some guy (we think he's from Bethel) leaned over the "rim" of the bowl and asked if any of us could play the guitar; we told him no. We decided later that we should have said yes and that our dads were famous guitarists and we had just cut a record label. And then sung and played horribly. It would have been entertaining. As we were leaving, we politely nodded to the security guard who whispered creepily, "Eeeexcellent." Sick old man.

I did homework all day Saturday until the guy's basketball game, which was crazy intense. We beat our rivals, William Jessup (I'm discouraging Abby from going there). The refs were horrible; I don't think that they gave one team a preference over another, but were just terrible all the way around.
It's always lame to go back to the dorms after a game on the weekend, so we went to In-n-Out which is one of the only places open after 10:00 pm. Half of my school was there, so it was crowded and loud. We did, however, see one of our psych profs and she sat with us; it was really cool to get to know her outside of the classroom.

Sunday was boring too until late in the afternoon when Lindsey and I went to Starbucks and the mall, but we soon got kicked out of the mall. Really, what mall closes at 6:00 on a Sunday night before a holiday?? Geez. So we came back and... uh... what did we do? Oh yeah. Nothing. Just hung out in Lindsey's room with Kourtney. It was fun though, we had a nice discussion.

Today, we went to see Music and Lyrics. Let me just say that I am glad I did not grow up in the '80's. Praise Jesus! Again, we were bored, so we went to Enterprise Park where Kid's Kingdom is. That is the coolest playground I have ever seen! Too bad there were so many kids there, but we want to go back during school hours sometime when we can have it to ourselves. =) The swings were fabulous, though; they were tall enough that I didn't hit the ground with my feet, which (believe it or not) can be a problem for me (because I am taller than little kids, really I am!). I have hence-forth decided that when I have my own house, I will have a swing set in my backyard because I love love love swinging. Definitely one of my favorite pasttimes. I have also decided that I want to get to know Redding better. I want to walk the river trail and explore Caldwell Park and bike around town and hike all the falls (especially Burney) and go night skiing. There's so much to do around here, but we really don't take advantage of it. Instead, we sit around watching movies or drinking coffee. How healthy. But we plan to do a lot more of that kind of fun stuff the rest of this school year as well as next fall (like swimming in lakes before it gets too cold).

Anyway, here I am, back in my room. I need to finish up a little bit more homework, and then I'll probably either read a book for awhile or just go to bed.

I just realized though that my friends are awesome. I just love them and am so glad that they are my friends. We have such fun together and can also have serious discussions. We are there to encourage and comfort one another. Friends are the best. =)

The Woes of Stephanie

2007-02-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

My face has broken out like crazy. I know, I know, many of you have it worse, but for me, this is terrible! I'm not quite sure what to do. Have you seen The Emperor's New Groove? "My face! My beautiful, beautiful face!" Ok, I don't really think that, but still. Yikes.

So I got back from dinner this evening and decided to put my flannel zebra pajama pants on because they're quite comfortable. So far, everything's going well. I take my first leg out of my jeans and swing it over to the ground. Unfortunately, it didn't quite make it out of my pants and I promptly crashed to the ground. At first I was super embarrassed, but then I realized no one saw me, so I started laughing hysterically. I have quite the rug burn on my knee, though, and it's even bleeding a little.

I don't have much homework this week, so I'm trying to get ahead (which is why I'm sitting here blogging). Kourtney is always done with stuff super early, and I'm always jealous, so maybe I should be a bit more diligent. Hahaha! I think I'll go do some though.

I can't believe I fell... HAHAHAHAHAHA

For all of you who mock my height

2007-01-27T01:26:00.000-08:00

So this afternoon, some of my friends and I were talking to some (50- 70 year old) men who lived in a trailer park. Long story as to why we were doing this; I'll explain some other time.
Back to the story.
We were having a nice little chat with these guys, and suddenly, in the middle of the conversation, one of them cuts off and says to me, "Honey, how tall are you?"
I am totally thrown off. "Uh, I'm 5'2"."
He looks at me in shock. "Dear, you look no more than 4'11"!"

Hmph.

I tried to make excuses like, "I'm standing on the down slope", but he didn't buy it. I guess I must look a heck of a lot shorter than I feel.

Adventures in Taco Bell

2007-01-27T00:48:00.000-08:00

Never go to Taco Bell at 8:30 on a Friday night in Redding. You just might get hit on by some guy who is rather high. It's great fun.

A summary:

Kourt, Linds, and I were happily eating our quesadillas, cheesy fiesta potatoes and crunchwrap supremes when a young man walked over to our table with a burrito in hand. "May I sit with you?" he asks. We girls look at each other in confusion, searching for hints as to how to respond.
"Why??" Kourtney and I chorus in confusion and incredulity (who the heck is this guy, and what does he want).
"My cousins over there"- he points to a table half way across the room- "are f-ing idiots and can't carry on a conversation worth s*. So can I join your conversation?"
We glance at each other for a final time and say, "Uh... sure."
"Cool, thanks." He slides into our booth (I'm thankful we took the big one in the corner). "So," he starts, "what grade are you girls in?"
We chuckle to ourselves, though slightly miffed that we appear to only be in high school. Oh well, we'll be thankful when we're 50 and still look like models.
"Well, we're juniors."
"Oh yeah?" he says hopefully.
"In college," we clarify.
"Ooooh," he replies uncomfortably, shifting in his seat, " I am definitely out of my league here." (No kidding.)
By now, we've figured out that he is super weird and creepy, though really, really lost and confused. The other girls probably already picked up that he's high, but I'm niave and slow. So it took me longer.
He persists in talking. "What are you each majoring in?"
"Psych."
"Oooh. ... Psych?"
"Yeah, psychology."
"Oh! [lightbulb goes on] Wow, I've never, like, mastered in anything before. I'm majoring in chemistry. So I can make drugs."
We start to laugh, then realize he's not laughing. Whoops, that wasn't a joke.
"Well, what do you want to do?" he inquires.
Kourtney (you're wonderful, by the way) answers, "Well, I really enjoy working with homeless ministries, especially the kids there. But we'll see where God leads."
The word "God" caught his attention. "Oh, God? You're religious? You believe in God?"
"Yes we do."
"Oh, so do you go to the Baptist church?" he asks, as though everyone who believes in God goes to the Baptist church. "I... I went there a couple weeks ago because this guy, he was supposed to uh, well, it was the kind that put their hand on your forehead and healed you. I got healed of my drug problem." (Apparently not, hon. Sorry.)
We told him that we didn't in fact go to the Baptist church, but that we go to a different one. He soon excused himself; the religious overtones were scaring him we think.
Once he sat down with his cousins, he called over to us, "Hey, you girls want to come sit with us?"
We didn't even have to look at each other for help. "Uh, NO."

And then we left. This poor guy was pretty confused most of the conversation. It was quite sad to see someone so young that much out of it. I hope his attendance at the Baptist church leads him to Christ, and that he is able to turn his life around.

My Grandma Is AWESOME

2007-01-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

So I was talking to my grandma today, and I asked her how the weather was (trivial, I know, but she lives in Idaho, so it's really quite different than our usual Southern Californian experience). She said that it was snowing a lot lately; in fact, she had to scrape 12 inches of snow off her car this morning. Twelve inches of snow. Holy cow.

But this is the good part.

She mentioned that the other day she wanted to make a snowman, but she got caught up in her baking.

My grandma was going to make a snowman.

I have the best and cutest and most wonderfulest grandma EVER EVER EVER!!! I wish to be like her someday.

"They'll say, 'That's terrible' and then go back to eating dinner"

2007-01-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

That was a quote (more or less) from Hotel Rwanda, which I watched this weekend. It's so true. We here in the U.S. see footage from genocides and such; we say, "Oh, that's terrible, all that killing. And they force the little kids to kill as well. It's so sad. Dear, would you like some more cornbread?"; we move on with our lives.

I also watched Blood Diamond this weekend (both movies are recommended). It's so hard to see what's going on in this world while I sit here, comfortable and warm, receiving a good education.

How am I helping? What can I do? Can I really do anything? As I sat watching Blood Diamond, I realized that I, one person, could not stop all those government officials, rebel troops, and other forces from massacring each other. Though not a terribly profound moment, it was rather... sad? discouraging? unsettling? I don't know. It was a weird feeling.

And look into the genocide going on in Darfur right now as well. The war in Rwanda happened in 1994, so that seems rather removed. Sierra Leone (blood diamonds) is at peace now (though illegal diamonds are still being sold). But 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur, and that killing is still occuring today. Look into things that you can do to protest this genocide in Darfur.

I went on my first political protest march on Friday. It was a march against the genocide in Darfur. Four coffins were made and we held signs as we walked about 3 miles down one of Redding's main streets. We concluded at the local congressman's office and left the coffins there. It was quite exciting. The local news covered it as well as the newspaper. So I've officially been in a protest march. Don't worry, we were quite peaceful; no civil disobedience this time! ;)

So yeah. Buy conflict free diamonds (look into fair trade). Protest the killings in Darfur. Be aware of what is happening in the world around us.

Pray.

Christmas break

2007-01-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick run-down of what I did over Christmas break (now with pictures!).

A couple days before Christmas, Abby and I went with a group from church to deliver Operation Christmas Child boxes which we had filled to an orphanage in Rosarito (sp?), Mexico. It was my first time in Mexico though I live only 2 hours from the border. This little girl attached herself to my leg the instant I stepped onto the orphanage driveway, and would not let me put her down until towards the end when she ran around. She was very quiet, just sat in my arms without uttering a sound.

Then, church conference. We went rock climbing one night, which was fun. I wish I was better at it and could do it more often.

Aww look, Abby and Joanna.

This is my super-cute cousin Austin, who doesn't look very excited about the New Year.

Obviously, the Rose Bowl was awesome. Here's me and Dad.

I played in the alumni basketball game with a lot of girls I had played with since junior high. It was good to see them again after what... two and a half years? Something like that. I saw my friends Sarah and Kelsie a couple more times before I went to school, and now, here I am. Back to the old grind.

Last night my friends were nice enough to surprise me with a birthday cake. We also ate pizza and watched The Emperor's New Groove, which is the best cartoon movie of all time.

Today was the first day of school. So far so good. No homework, so I'm kinda bored. That's ok, I'll be not bored soon enough.

Leave No Doubt

2007-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

And we didn't. USC soundly trumped Michigan. We left no doubt that USC is pretty darn good. Yeah, we lost 2 game to unranked teams... but it was only 2 games! That's nothing to sneeze at. Go PAC-10. This is me, tired and cold, at the end of the game. Fight on!

And here's a funny picture, taken on New Year's Eve at a fair something or other on Harbor in OC. Danny, you're short.

Happy New Year!

Me

2006-12-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

I think this is the epitome of me:

A mess
With coffee in hand
In a zebra chair.

Could life get better?

I think not.

One down, I wish there weren't any more to go...

2006-12-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I have one final done. It wasn't actually an exam, but a paper which I, unfortunately, didn't do the best job on. Ah well. I think that mine was better than some of the others' papers... so comparatively I did fine, right? We'll see.
Right now, I'm working on another paper. It's due tomorrow at 1:00. It's 4-5 pages. It's about postmodernism and whether or not it is harmful to the Church (we have to pick a side and defend it). There is no formal, or even informal, definition of postmodernism. Not even the brilliant philosophers have one. So I'm supposed to defend something that isn't definable. Obviously, I'm slightly confused as to what it really is. Oh well. This paragraph was intentionally written in short, choppy sentences.
I also have a Intro to Christian Theology exam at 8:00 in the morning. I only read over my notes once; I hope I don't fail.
I am just so done with studying and school. Yuck yuck yuck. I am stoked to go home and RELAX. It will be splendid. Actually, looking at what's going on in the next couple weeks, I don't think that I will be doing much relaxing, but at least I'll get a break from school.
Ok, back to my paper! Oh joy. Let's go jump off a bridge.

A Glimpse into Stephanie's Life at Simpson

2006-12-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't updated in quite awhile, and my last post was quite sad, so I shall attempt to do better this time. I really have too much homework to do such things as update blogs, but I'm rather exceptional at procrastinating, so here it goes.

A story: It was early in the semester. Almost all the psych majors (at least anybody who's anybody) are in Marriage and Family. I was talking to my friend and fellow psych major and asked if she was in M&F. She stared at me and asked, totally straight-faced, "Are you dumb?" I stared at her in shock. My RA, who was standing right there, almost cried on my behalf. My friend instantly realized what she had said and gasped, offering apologies and hugs as a way of recompense- laughing in surprise at her own statement the whole time. Now, in my defense: I had not yet sat with her, she sat behind me so that I could not see her, and she had not yet spoken up in class. Granted, it was a dumb question because I knew she was in the class, but her presence had not yet been implanted in my mind. This is now a joke between us. And I still love her. Her positive qualities outweigh her Freudian slip (I think that, deep down, she thinks I'm dumb...jk).

Sports at Simpson: So. I really love USC (and no, I don't want to hear about their recent loss, thank you very much). My friend Josh knows this. Almost every time I see him, he yells, "JOHN DAVID BOOTY IS OVERRATED" or "USC IS OVERRATED." All this just to bug me. He even went so far as to buy a Notre Dame T-shirt. Too bad they lost-HA! So I debate football with Josh. With Jackson, I continually remind him that the Ducks are ahead of the Sharks. Yay! Unfortunately, my competetiveness in sports is starting to come out, which also draws out the less gracious side of me. "HA! We won and you LOOOOOOST!!" (Note to self: Work on that!)

MOST EXCITING NEWS EVER: I'm going to the Rose Bowl!!! WOOOOOO!!! I'm stoked, it's going to be great. I've never been to a bowl game, and a USC bowl game... even better!! I'll have to miss the beach party, but that's a small loss. I'll get some good Dad time (hooray!) along with GOING TO A BOWL GAME!!! YEAH! Amazing. Actually, I'm not sure if Dad's ever been to the Rose Bowl. ??

Well, that's it for now. I am in the midst of (yet another) Hell Week, so I should go write papers or something.

My hands are cold.

A Handy Tip from Stephanie

2006-11-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

Never pair Cheeze-Its with apple juice. It's really gross.

Hooray!

2006-10-26T00:20:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy! Congratulations, Becky and Josh! =)

Christmas in October

2006-10-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

What I want for Christmas:
A cell phone
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, paperback
Stocking stuffers (for what is Christmas without a stocking??)

What I want for my birthday (which is 2 weeks after Christmas):
A digital camera
Cheesecake (or peppermint brownies or scotcharoos. maybe all three)

You may be wondering why I posted this. Basically, I just felt like blogging, and since I still have a worksheet for philosophy to complete and it's already midnight, I thought I should keep my post short. I do have a lot on my mind, however, so hopefully I will post a real blog within a reasonable amount of time.

Last weekend

2006-10-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think I mentioned how splendid last weekend was. It was alumni weekend here, so there was lots of stuff happening around campus. I don't remember what we did Friday afternoon, but I do remember that we had a good time until 3 Minutes (talent night in which you can get kicked off the stage- great fun). I played powder puff football on Saturday afternoon during which I ran the ball in for a touchdown (go me!), as well as got stepped on by a cleated foot. My ankle still hurts a bit...well, that's what I get for playing football with the boys! (I scored the touchdown against during the girls game, got stepped on while we were scrimmaging the boys.)
After a refreshing shower, I trotted off to the soccer game with Lindsey and Kourtney. We won, though toward the end Kourtney and I decided that the opposing team's goalie needed a hug because he had allowed so many goals. Poor guy was probably pretty depressed.
Burrito Bandito was our next stop where we met up with Macy. (I got tacos this time instead of a burrito. They were good, but I still like the burritos better.) Half of Simpson seemed to be at Bandito, and we all sat together in the back room; it was quite fun.
The USC-UofArizona game was on, so we went back to Kourtney's room to watch that, at which point the room was flooded with girls- poor Macy. He handled it well, though.
The big event of the day was a concert- yes, a concert at Simpson! Weird, I know. Anyway, The Myriad played- check them out on MySpace, they're pretty cool. Jackson described their sound as "dark alternative," which didn't mean much to me either until I heard them. And then it did. So yeah, check them out!
This week went fairly well until last night when I started studying for a test at 10:30 pm- the test was this morning at 8:00. Yeah, I started panicking etc etc. But the test wasn't too bad (I hope). Now it's almost the weekend; home free! Hooray!

I just increased my risk of skin cancer by 1000%

2006-10-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last was Columbus Day weekend, which for some reason we get a 4-day weekend. (Please note: I am not complaining. I just think it's weird that we get a long weekend for a holiday that is barely recognized.) Anyway, I drove down to southern California with my friends Kellie, Lindsey, Jenna, and Alison. We stayed at my house. On Saturday, they went to Disneyland on gay pride day (how exciting!) while I went to the USC-UW football game with Dad (speaking of which... Abby, will you send me the pics and videos that I took? Thank you). For whatever reason, I neglected to lather sunscreen on for the 12:30 game; I sat directly in the sun for at least 3 hours. My forehead was burnt to a crisp. Literally. It was leathery and quite hard the next day. And it hurt like crazy. You know that joke "Hey, does your face hurt? [no] Well, it's sure hurting me!"? I would have answered "Yes! It does, in fact!" Though my arm didn't burn as badly, I could feel it burning while I was sitting there (though I didn't realize my face was getting cooked... weird). It's a terrible feeling to know that you're burning and can do absolutely nothing about it. Very sad.
But other than the terrible sunburn and the almost-lost USC game (thank goodness the UW QB messed up...), it was a good weekend. We went shopping the next day after church, where I successfully spent no money (a miracle, I know). I should have bought those earrings, I should have bought those earrings...
I feel as though I should mention my no-dessert policy. I have no self-control. Actually, I went on a sugar fast with the Therapeutic Psych class (even though I'm not in it- solidarity, you know) starting October 1; sugar cannot be in the first 3 ingredients of anything you eat. That means no ketchup, no bagels, no peanut butter (GASP), no dessert (duh), no coffee with good flavoring... it was rough. But... I went home. And forgot that sugar fast was spelled with an "a." I thought it was sugar fest. My bad. So anyway, I got back to school and decided that I really didn't want to do it anymore because I was stressed out and busy enough as it is that I don't really want to monitor what I'm eating all the time. Too much work. So I'm back to just making sure I eat semi-healthy. Ha. I have no self-control.
Ok, anything else... hm hm hmmm. Well, not much else going on. School is keeping me busy as well as being in charge of the Social Action Committee and doing various things with my friends such as watching movies, going to the mall, attending soccer games, etc. Oh, and sleeping here and there.

I used a lot of parenthesis in this blog.

But they were homemade brownies!

2006-09-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

From scratch! And the wonderful scent was wafting through the whole dorm! And I was offered one! And it was the weekend so I felt entitled for some reason!
Boy, this dessert thing really provides for some boring reading for you guys. Sorry.
I do believe that fall is officially upon us. The heat has subsided, the wind has picked up, and the nights are rather chilly. And the weather is inconsistent. Today is simply beautiful, though. I would sit outside, but I know that I would promptly fall asleep in the glorious sunshine. And I really need to get some homework done. Though I don't have as much as I thought I would, which is nice.
I want to go to the evening college service at the church I go to tonight, but I don't know who's going. Plus, the subject is "Pure Sex." Awkward. My friends would forever brand me as perverted. I just want to go for the casual atmosphere and the worship! I heard that last week a married couple read the Song of Solomon back and forth to each other. There was no message, just the reading. My informant (hello! *waves*) said it was pretty cool. But we'll see what happens, and if I can find a ride. And if I feel that I have enough completed. Which means I should probably stop blogging.
Have a great Sunday evening!

Confessions of a Teenage College Student

2006-09-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, dessert tally thus far:
Jamba juice with yogurt (excuse: I did it on accident! they were giving away free 8 oz samples and I took on without thinking.)
A bite of baklava. Mmm...
Lemon pound cake, which was out for breakfast, so it doesn't count, right? Breakfast food? It was a bit sweeter than I had anticipated though.
Otherwise, I'm doing well. And tonight was the only time I've actually craved sugar. Go me! =)

Commitments

2006-09-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

So my goal this semester: no desserts! Or at least very few. So I am going to make a commitment. Every time I have dessert, I will post about it on my blog. That way, I will not eat as much because I know have "accoutability" or something. Here are the exceptions:
1) Starbucks: though health-wise it might count as a dessert, I am not. Don't lecture me about it; my commitment, my rules. =)
2) Jamba: I will only get fruit-only (no yogurt) smoothies.
3) The chocolate-covered gummi bears my parents bought me from Harry and David's: It was a special gift and I feel entitled to eat them.
4) Other disclaimers: I will not be totally strict about this. I realize that there are times to go out and eat some ice cream, but my goal is to not eat cookies and other desserts on a regular basis here at school. However, I will report on my occasional Winchell's/Coldstone/Whatever indulgence. Hopefully, I will appreciate dessert more after all this. And be more healthy.
Oh, and trail mix doesn't count either. The nuts and raisins make up for the chocolate chips.

Rambling reflections on a school night

2006-09-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Junior year. Where has the time gone? I'm already half-way finished with college. I feel as though I should know more than I do. Freshmen are awed by my class standing (and the fact that I'm from southern california); yet I feel extremely unconfident, unprepared, and really, really unsure. I really don't know as much as they think I do. There is SO much to know, and I have barely scratched the surface. Well, as the old saying goes, "The more you know, the more you know how much you don't know." So true. So many people have so much confidence in me; I wonder what they see. I only see an insignificant student whose peers are much more confident, much more comfortable, much more successful in remembering things, much more personable. But how do others percieve me? Do they see a confident, relaxed, intellectual, personable young woman? If they do, I sure put up a good front. I am so unsure of myself in so many ways. I've always been like that; Dad has always told me to have confidence in myself and my abilities. But it's so hard when you see others' successes and strengths. It's interesting that it's so easy to see others' strengths, yet so hard to see one's own. This is a good time to discover and develop one's own strengths. I am only half-way through college and I have already discovered things about myself. The rest of my time here at school can be used for refinement.

Blast from the past!

2006-08-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Promised Pics

2006-08-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... Lassen memories...

Me and Colleen (what is she doing??)

Wow... look at those godly, single, attractive young adults!

Awwww... Abby and Joanna!

Yikes... Joanna must have the touch of death. jk!
At Victoria Gardens...

Brrrr... time to put on those gorgeous fuzzy vests!

Lookin' classy!

Recap

2006-08-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from Lassen. I had a great time; the topic was great as were the speakers. I was a counselor for the first time (dun dun dun!), and, though slightly scary at times, went well. I played 4-man volleyball again, and we did pretty well, even though we didn't win. We were soooo close to beating the team who went to the championship... so close... Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of my team. Yeah, so Miss Photographer (being myself) took very few pictures this year. Some of which I will share with my lovely readers (being you). Unfortunately, the computer is being irritating right now, so pictures will have to follow later.

Some of our friends from Illinois came to Southern California after camp, so we were able to hang out and have fun. We went to the beach on Saturday, shopping at Victoria Gardens and dinner at our house on Sunday, and Knott's on Monday. I am thoroughly exhausted now. And I have to babysit tonight. Boo... Ah well. More money for me. =)

Ok well, we have guests for dinner tonight, so I must be going. Plus, I have nothing more to say. Except that I have finger marks sunburned into my leg. It's really quite attractive. Pictures will follow eventually. Not of my leg. Of camp and following.

I smell like spit-up

2006-07-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ah, the joys of babysitting.

Well, I'm home from Illinois, if you haven't already figured that out by reading other people's blogs. I really enjoyed myself, and am looking forward to seeing a lot of people at Lassen. I am bored stiff, sitting here at home. What to do, what to do. I watched 2 movies today, and I don't even like to waste time watching TV. Oh, I did finish a book (no, not Les Mis), so I guess that's worth something, right? Here are some SB pictures which sum up the week for me.

My lovely sister and me

Joanna and me (must have been at the end of the week... I looked tired!)

Tim and Caleb... OOC as usual... =)

Cousins!

Yikes... we're a mess... =)

Anyway, this week I will be cleaning my room and the rest of the house, then Lassen, then I'll be home for a couple weeks, then we head up to good ol' Idaho to visit the fam, including Grandma, which I am SO excited about! Can't wait to see her... We will then go from Idaho to Seattle area and then I will fly to school. My goodness, school is almost here already. Where has the time gone?? I'm actually pretty bored around here, so I'm excited for it to start again (don't tell my mom!). It's nice to not do anything, but I'm done with that. I should read intellectual books, but I don't cuz I'm not forced to. My brain is turning to mush.

Hmmmm... anything else newsworthy. Nope. As I mentioned before, it's pretty boring around here. I hope to see Becky and Caitie this weekend, but other than that... blah. Oh, Abby and I are getting new beds, so that's exciting. I haven't had a new bed since... oh goodness. I guess when we got our bunk beds as a hand-me-down eons ago. We've had the bed I'm using now since before I was born, so I definitely think it's time for an update. I have no idea what these new ones look like, I keep forgetting look in the catalogue. I think they're from IKEA. And I think we're getting them tomorrow, which means my room should get cleaned. Meh. Whatever. Maybe next week... =)

Well, I am feeling the need to brush my teeth. They're feeling rather fuzzy. Yum.

Butterfly Suicide

2006-06-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Two butterflies tried to commit suicide yesterday. They were frolicking gracefully in our back alley, and I tried hard to avoid them with my bike. I steered carefully to the left, for they were fluttering to the right. Then the butterflies flew backwards... almost colliding with my bike tires. I think they missed death by .02 cm.

Oh, and I almost crashed trying to avoid them. Darn butterflies. They sure were pretty, though.

Recognition

2006-06-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

An award should be given to the wonderful person who invented Midol. Why I didn't know about it before, I don't know. And why did no one inform me of its wonders?? Ah well. Now I know.

The maker of TSP should also get an award. That stuff is amazing! Three of us came to Baton Rouge a few days before the rest of our team to start working on the apartments that are above the Ministry Center. Smokers had been residing in the apartments, so the walls were a gross brownish yellow color. One swipe of TSP... less brownish yellow! Another scrubbing... almost white. Rinsing the walls with water... oooh, getting better. Let's paint. So yeah, basically we could have scrubbed the walls with TSP until doomsday and they would never have been clean. Gross gross gross. But TSP sure does a good job. I think it's my New Favorite Chemical. =)

This incident was documented by Leader Josh. His MySpace post is as follows (All authorship is credited to Leader Josh. All Rights Reserved. Used without his permission):

Anatomy

Today, Stephanie said, "Does anyone have a preference of breasts over thighs?"

To which Karissa replied, "Oh, I prefer breasts personally."

That was funny.

Well, here's why it happened:

The 3 of us came up to Baton Rouge today, and we were shopping for food. We wanted to get chicken, and I mentioned that I prefer dark meat, so I wouldn't mind getting some thighs. Stephanie said she was OK with either one, but thought it might be good to just get thighs, so she asked the question. And that was the funniest moment I've ever had in a grocery store.

Thankfully, I don't really have to live it down because everyone thought it was so funny. =) For another comment, on the other hand, I have had difficulty redeeming myself.

Anyway, as a team, we've been running into a few interpersonal and communication problems lately, so prayer for unity, honesty, sacrifice etc etc would be appreciated. =)

This program is brought to you by... the letter U

2006-05-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am the U-turn queen. I am here in New Orleans, and I am the sole driver of a Dodge 15-passenger van. Whose brakes didn't work so hot. And whose alignment is off. And the ball joints are shot. And the roads are incredibly uneven because of the hurricane. What fun. But don't worry, the brakes are fine now, I learned how to adjust the steering wheel so I don't have to drive it like a bus, and I am going slower over the bumps (much to the relief of the backseat people).

The hurricane washed away some of the street signs, making difficult to find the street you want, and thus the gazillion U-turns I have made. I don't know if I've ever made this many. We make probably at least 2 each unfamiliar place we go. Once we know where we're going, we make fewer, but as I will rant about in a momnet- this city is confusing. Turning around a 15-passenger is just *so* fun.

Mr. Barbour asked me before I left if I would ever live in the south. Because I had only been here for a week prior to this trip, I said that I honestly didn't know. I now have my answer: no. A Resounding NO. Whoever set up the street system of New Orleans should be jailed. One-way streets, huge grassy medians... who does that?? Let me tell you, I am going to be extremely thankful for straight-forwared California roads and freeways.
Oh, and the Huey P. Long bridge is the bane of my existence (for a long time I thought it was sweeping, but now I'm positive it's the bridge). The lanes are so narrow that it is difficult to pass anyone, and being scared of heights... well, looking straight off the side into the Mississippi River isn't my cup of tea. I have to look straight ahead, and NOT look off; if I do, I get slightly dizzy and nauceous.
But all in all, I don't mind driving. I'm much more comfortable driving than letting others because I've driven vans a lot- heck, I learned to drive on one. The biggest adjustments are the extra length in the back that we don't have, and the crazy alignment. And the way everyone cuts you off- all. the. time. ARG!

Anyway, we have helped people clean their yard in order to sell it, helped fix up another house to sell, and gutted a house. We gutted today, and holy cow was it hot! I was soaked with sweat everywhere. Pants, shirt, feet trapped in rubber boots... oh man. It sure feels good to be clean... oh, the bliss!

We were able to visit the French Quarter on Sunday. We drove down Bourbon St (which we could smell a couple blocks prior), and walked downtown. Downtown anywhere is so fun, and New Orleans has such a neat... I dunno... personality, I guess, to it. Some of the oldest buildings in the nation are there; the street performers were pretty good (though one was rather rude); and... it was just cool! Unfortunately, the city is definitely dark spiritually. I read and saw so many things I would prefer to have not.

Oh, weird story!
So we were standing outside Cafe du Monde, waiting to fight the crowds and go in... when I look up and who do I see but James Kilcup and his friend Tiffany. Of all the places! The French Quarter in New Orleans! Anyway, they were down for a mission trip as well, though they are only here for a week. It was just really weird to see someone I know, especially when they live in a different state that I do.

I wish I could write in a more entertaining fashion. Vocabulary and sentence structure are failing me at the moment. Well, it always does, but now in particular. =)

Off to see the world!

2006-05-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Or at least New Orleans. I'll be back on June 16th, and I don't think that I will have internet access there, so this is it until I return. I know, my lack of inspirational musings will be extremely detrimental to your intellectual stimulation, and I apologize; I hope you will survive. =) Haha.

We have 9 team members, five of which are "returning" and four are "newcomers." Please pray that we all get along, that there's no drama etc. It's very emotional being down there, very wearing to see devastation everywhere you look, so prayer for endurance would be helpful as well. Theoretically, we will be gutting houses in the morning/early afternoon, and doing VBS with the neighborhood kids in the evening. I'm excited for both; interacting with kids is always fun, and gutting houses... well hey, everyone needs manual labor experience in their life, right?

Well, off to finish packing and to find a packet that I'm supposed to read for training week... oops, completely forgot about that. hehe. Have a good month. =)

Arg

2006-05-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

I was reading Lou's most recent post, and rrrr... so frusrating! Christians wonder why they are so persecuted... after experiences like Lou's it should be no surprise. Our message is about love; some think that those who are not Christians need to be hit in between the eyes with condemnation, but that only offends them, turning them off to any chance you had to show them Christ.
I try to make my beliefs clear, but not shoving them down other peoples' throats. They know what I think of their behavior/religion; why do I need to remind them? As long as I live a consistent, honest, Christ-reflecting life then that should be the most effective way to show others my faith.
I should be bold about my faith; others should know the way to Christ because I had a chance to share my faith with them, but they should not be turned off because I forced them into it or condemned them.

Ok, it's late, and I'm not sure that all made sense. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone, or make anything unclear. Apologies all around.

*steps off soapbox*

Home Again

2006-05-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm home. I'm so bored. Someone entertain me! =) I'm still busy unpacking, though, but all the little odds and ends and the miscellaneous paperwork are so overwhelming! What to do with them, what to do...

I kinda have a job, though. Juice It Up is willing (albeit grudgingly) to hire me back for the times that they do not have enough people working, which is fine with me because I NEED MONEY. So broke... Anyway, I'm working a few hours this week, and hopefully some next week as well. I'm also babysitting when I can.

So yeah. Nothing too exciting except unpacking. And our bathroom needs cleaning, so I'll be scrubbing away on that over the next couple days. How thrilling. Who wouldn't want to be me?? Haha.

Home Again

2006-05-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

2 Down, 2 To Go

2006-04-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Wow. Two years of school... over. It has gone so fast- I can only imagine what the next two will be like. And it will be so hard to leave everyone at The End; it's hard enough to leave everyone now. There was a huge bonfire at the lake last night, and one of the guys that was in our car is a senior. He made his first goodbye last night, and he was pretty bummed. That would be so hard, to spend 4 close years with so many people... and then leave... never to return. *dramatic music* But seriously, it will be hard. Three of us want to go to grad school together, so that wouldn't be quite as bad. But still.

Ok, I'm getting sappy. On to more pleasant things. Like... my mom and sister are coming up tonight! Hooray! I'm excited for everyone to meet them, I talk about them a lot. For dinner tonight, we're going to Burrito Bandito, which is basically the best fast food restaurant around here. If anyone ever comes up to visit, we're going there. HUGE burritos for $6. Huge, huge, huge. And really good.

Well, I need to finish picking up. Lots to do today!

Fundraising

2006-04-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I hate it. So... awkward. However, I am in the midst of fundraising for our Katrina mission trip this summer. Here is a copy of the letter we are sending out. If you want to donate, leave me a comment w/your email address and I'll a) email you a copy or b) get your mailing address so I can send it to you.

Dear Friends and Family,

As you may know, this spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to Louisiana to help in relief efforts due to Hurricane Katrina. We were blessed to know that many of our friends and family were praying for us as we went, and we are thankful for the financial gifts that made the trip possible. We saw lives changed as we worked with two new churches. In Baton Rouge, we helped complete the building of Baton Rouge Ministry Center, and built relationships with evacuees. In New Orleans, our team worked with New Hope Church to help gut houses.
This May 19-June18, a new team will go to Louisiana to continue the work started with these two churches. We will spend one week in New Orleans gutting houses and another helping the church there and encouraging the people we encounter. The next two weeks will be spent with the Baton Rouge church, following up with the people that the first team met and building even more relationships.
Please pray for our team as we prepare and leave for Louisiana. Planning for this trip could only begin once the Spring Break trip was completed, so we would appreciate your prayer that everything will fall into place and that all necessary funds will be raised. Also, pray for the people already in Louisiana and around the country, whose lives have been forever altered by the storm.
Each team member must raise approximately $1,000 before we leave, in order to pay for our flight and for the four weeks we are there. Please consider partnering with us by financially supporting the work God has called us to in Louisiana.
Thank you for considering your role in supporting us, whether it be through prayer or finances. We look forward to sharing with you the stories of the people we encounter, the experiences that shape our journey, and the ways that God works.

The dates have changed to May 19- June 16, and we don't have to raise quite as much money as we previously thought. Our team leader, Josh, emailed CAMA services because he noticed that $2 million had been donated to them as Katrina relief funds. They had only spent $1 million, and since they need the manpower more than the money right now, they were willing to help us monetarily. CAMA services gave each team member $500 toward the trip; that pays for our plane ticket, so now we only have to raise another $500 for food, gas, etc. God provides so well!
Not mentioned in the letter is the fact that we will be doing a VBS (or 2 or 5). We just found out that some guy here in my college town was not able to send school supplies to another country like he wanted to, so we may be able to bring those along to give to the kids as prizes and such. In both the spring break trip and the upcoming summer trip, it has been just AMAZING to see how just the right people come along at the right time. Everything has fallen together so well! It has been so evident that God's hand has been in both these trips!
Lives were changed in February, and we hope that more can be changed through our presence there in New Orleans area.
Thanks everyone, and pass this on to whoever you think might be interested. =)

DONE!

2006-04-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I officially finished my last class of my sophomore year. Hooray! All that's left is finals. My last final is Wednesday morning, so I will have 3 days of free time. Well, I will be cleaning and packing, but I won't have homework to do- AMAZING!

It's so hard to believe that I'm half-way done with my undergraduate education. It has gone SO fast! Yikes. This year was so amazing... and next year is going to be even better because I now know everyone so well. It's going to be great! But first... SUMMER! Oh, I promised a summer schedule. Well here it is:

April 30- May 12: Home
May 13-17: Training week here at school
May 19- June 16: Louisiana
June 17- July 8: Home
July 8-16: Shallowbrook/ Des Moines
July 17- 28: Home
July 29- Aug 4: Lassen
Aug 5: Nikki's wedding
Sept 5: School starts; I might actually be at school on the 24th depending on some circumstances.

I have no idea what we'll be doing in August, but if we do nothing, that will be lovely as well. =) Man, I'm going to be busy. I'm kinda scared... =)

Well, I have about 2 million and 37 things to do, so I had best be off. Have a great weekend. I'll be studying for finals and doing other fun stuff. =)

HOORAY!!!

2006-04-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Good news, everyone- I got a sunburn! Yes, that does mean that the sun was out, and that it was warm enough to sit outside! I actually had to come in because the sun was so intense. Don't worry, I'm not sunburned too badly, but just enough to give me color. My face might peel a little, but my arms and legs are just slightly pink. Wonderful, wonderful. It's supposed to be low 70s tomorrow, so Kellie and I are going to walk in the park down the street... it's so beautiful there. And the weather will be spectacular. This is just what we needed- it had been raining for 2 months, and the warm sunshine is a wonderful lift before finals next week.

Speaking of which, I can't believe the school year is over already! So sad. I'm so glad to be done with the homework and my classes, but I'm really going to miss my friends. We have had such a good time this year that I hate to leave. It really hit me tonight at our last floor party when our RA gave her little goodbye speech. *sniff* I sure am going to miss everyone.

Rain, Cont.

2006-04-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't have time to do the rain dance, but that's ok... IT'S SUNNY TODAY! And warm! WOO! It's supposed to be 71 degrees. That's ROASTING, people! So excited. I'm going to wear sandals and no jacket to class. Daring, I know.

Well, that's the good news of the day. And I'm going to Ashley's house! Yay! And I don't have much homework at ALL this weekend. Double yay!

Rain

2006-04-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Rain rain rain. That's all it ever does anymore. And we're sick of it. We had a really warm week (75-80 degrees) in early February (Faux Spring!), and a couple days of warmth right before spring break in mid/late February. I think it has rained every day since then. Every once in awhile, the sky will be blue, the sun will be out, hope will rise... and then it hails. Rain! Hail! Cold! Wet! For two months!

Kourtney says that if it doesn't stop raining, she will either go crazy or will cimb into a deep, dark hole... forever. We were talking about having an anti-rain dance. Put on our swim suits and dance in the lobby to the sunny sounds of the Beach Boys. Kourtney is afraid to because she's worried that she will inadvertantly do the rain dance which will increase the rain rather than decrease it. As long as she makes sure to not do any rain-like motions. =)

It wouldn't work, but it would be fun! =)

The weekend and life in general. Kind of.

2006-04-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

[Disclaimer: I am too lazy to edit this, so try to get past the grammatical and spelling errors.]
I had a fun weekend, which was nice because the last few have been stressful. Costco let us borrow shopping carts this weekend, so each floor in the dorms decorated their cart and dressed up to match. Because my floor is very anti Ring-By-Spring, we decided to go for a wedding theme to make fun of the whole thing. We spray painted cardboard to look like a limo, and attached veils of tulle onto the girls who were the brides. We who pushed the carts were the grooms; we even had ties (which was really a belt/sash thing, but whatever- it's the best I have). =) Unfortunately, what we didn't know was that people in each cart can throw stuff at the other carts during the race. So we had nothing prepared. Next year: flour bombs and shaving cream bombs. While I was lining up for one of the races, I noticed that my friend was holding a large cup of icewater. Perfect! As I held the water cup waiting for the race to start, the cocky guy pushing the cart next to me hit it out of my hands, drenching my left pant leg. This really ticked me off (understatement of the year), and apparently I even raised my hand like I was going to backhand him across the face. I swear, I don't remember that part. But my friends who were standing quite a bit away said that the look on my face was really rather scary, and they would never want to make me that mad. I was pretty mad because the guy had SO much attitude. When they won the race, he taunted me, which made me even more upset. Of COURSE they're going to win! They're boys, and can run faster! Good grief. Well, if he's so insecure that he feels good about beating a bunch of girls at racing shopping carts... whatever.
I'm just kinda embarrassed because Jacob called me over in the parking lot yesterday and said, "I heard you almost hit a guy." Oh brother. For almost two years I have been anonymous, and now I am going to go down in history as the girl who almost backhanded a guy in the shopping cart races. Wonderful.
But moving on! I almost passed out after the third race. I hadn't eaten much for lunch (only soup and salad), so I was getting kinda hungry by 5:00. Then I had to run up and down the school driveway, pushing a cart in which a girl was riding. I pushed in the drag race, the obstacle course and the relay. We had to push twice in the relay, and by the home stretch I was feeling pretty weak. And I couldn't really see that well because my vision was going black. Not a good sign. So I let my second driver run the rest of the way (she did an amazing job!), and sat down on the curb. Once I felt ready to stand up again, I did, but the edges of my vision was dark for a good twenty minutes or so. I've never passed out before, so it would have been exciting, but I'm glad I didn't. It would have been rather embarrassing to pass out in front of everyone.

(L-R: Kellie, Lindsey, Holly, Allison, Jill, Jenna, and Merrilee. I was taking the picture.)

Saturday night was Battle of the Bands, which was decently good. I had to be there because the Social Action Committee was the "sponsor." You know how there are posters and companies supporting the bands and the entire event at concerts? Well, we were that "company." We didn't give anyone any money- in fact, we were raising it- but it was good to get our name out there, especially because we're a new club.
Once that was over, nine of us went to Denny's because we were all starving. Six out of the nine of us were psych majors, so apparently we analyzed everthing. I thought it was just a good discussion about what-do-girls-think-when-guys-do/say-this or that. Only one of the non-psych majors was bored, so maybe it was just her. She refused to go with us to coffee last night. =)

I only have 3 more weeks of school left, so I'm pretty excited about that. Less than 3 weeks, actually, because we have a 4-day weekend for Easter, which in turn gives us 4-day school weeks. Ashley, April, Janelle and I are driving down to Ashley's house in Stockton for the weekend. We're hoping to go to San Fransisco on Saturday, providing that it's not raining too much. Darn rain. We had one warm week in early February, and it's been raining/cloudy ever since. Ack! I'm getting so depressed! I just want the SUN to come out! Clarification: I want the WARM SUN to come out! Everyone once in awhile it's sunny, but freezing. Oh, it looks like it will warm on Wednesday, even though it's still wet. Hooray! Sixty-six degrees! Sure is heating up. Haha. Actually, that is pretty warm for around here lately.

Random thought: Seth, I thought of you the other morning when I was eating biscuits and gravy.

Well, I need to get going. Gym time is coming up. =)

When we return, we will hear The Stephanator's Very Busy Summer Schedule. Will anyone get to see her? Will she be home for more than 6 weeks? And most importantly... does anyone else have a busier summer? So check in next time to compare your schedule with the mightly Stephanator's.
(Time TBA. She will also give a little update on how the school year is going.)

My New Motto In Life (shallow though it be...)

2006-03-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

It's always a good time for a nap.

Some odds and ends that I have been meaning to blog

2006-03-19T23:54:00.000-08:00

I am very excited that I only have 6 more weeks in my semester. And we only have 4 days of school for two of those weeks (gotta love 4-day weekends...). And another week is finals. PRAISE JESUS, I'm almost done!

I am sometimes embarrassed to sit with my friends at the dinner table in the cafeteria. We are The (self-proclaimed) Loud Drunk Table. Tonight was especially loud for some reason. At one point, I looked around the rest of the caf and everyone else was pretty quiet-- and glancing nervously at our table. *Sigh* Well, at least we're having fun.

I have only enough money on my Starbuck's card to buy me one more drink. Or most of one. Sad. I have gone to Starbuck's quite a lot this semester. Not to the point of addiction (so no condemning me, MistaBlades!), but to the point of hey-I'm-bored-wanna-go-to-Starbucks-cuz-there's-nothing-else-to-do-here-in-this-town-and-it's-freezing-cold-outside. Yes, that's what we do for fun. Go to Starbucks. Or watch movies. Or fight with each other.

Here is a fun quote about sex from C.S. Lewis:
Now, please remember how we acquired the old, ordinary kind of life. We derived it from others, from our father and mother and all our ancestors, without our consent-- and by a very curious process, involving pleasure, pain, and danger. A process you would never have guessed. Most of us spend a good many years in childhood trying to guess it: and some children, when they are first told, do not believe it-- and I am not sure that I blame them, for it is very odd.
Cracks me up.

Well, I am getting up early tomorrow morning to go to the gym. I have had about a zillion cupcakes these past two nights, so I really need to work out. Sadly, I am not that energetic in the morning, so my workout is kinda lame. But it will be my study time for one of my two tests tomorrow. Goodnight, and have a great week! =)

Katrina Sidenote

2006-03-08T00:32:00.000-08:00

Now I know you are all riveted by my capturing writing style, but here's another link for a brief summary of what we did while in New Orleans. Josh is leading a team back this summer, and I am considering going, so please pray that I make the correct decision in that area, and that the right amount of funds will come in (whether or not I go).

Katrina: Day 3: Baton Rouge

2006-03-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 20, 2006: 7:45 AM
Ugh. I'm tired. For some reason we were up late talking- it's not like we weren't tired enough to go to bed at 8:00. =) We had to get up at 7 this morning so that we could get an early start to our day. *groan*
We will finish sorting everything downstairs, which shouldn't take too long because we did so much yesterday. After that, we have no clue what's going on. I heard rumors of setting up the church at which we will be doing activities with the people who live in the FEMA trailers, but no one is really clear. One thing a lot of people want to do is take a field trip to the Piggely-Wiggely. Hopefully we will have time!!
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12:30 AM
Well, we were not able to visit the Piggely- Wiggely. We did do quite a bit of work, unfortunately. We det up so many tables and did such a good job organizing yesterday- then the guy who heads up some of the relief work down here made us rearrange everything so it would be more "aesthetically pleasing." Shoot man, these people lost their homes; they aren't going to care that the folded clothes from goodwill are on a sheet of plywood that is supported between two tables rather than on a piece of paneling that is supported between two tables. Good grief, the man is crazy. It's so frustrating that we waste all taht time and energy just to move it all around again. This guy did a couple of other-- ok, lot of other things that we were so... ROAR! Irritating!! No one likes him. But one of the people who had lost their house had nothing but good words about him. He really has done a lot with the relief work around here, and has helped a lot of people. He just lacks in good personal communication. As in, no people skills- at all. Thank goodness he leaves tomorrow afternoon...
Well, I'm not going to get even 4 hours of sleep tonight (we're getting up bright and early to go to Waveland and New Orleans) so I had best get to bed.

Ugh

2006-03-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

I'm so stressed I'm almost sick. I'm stressed, tired, a little confused... all my emotions are crashing together.

Who am I?

What am I doing here?

Where should I go?

What should I do with my life?

How I am possibly going to do all the homework for Faith and Culture?

I want to sleep for a week. And when I wake up, I want my life organized and clear. I think that sounds reasonable.

Katrina Trip: Day 2: Baton Rouge

2006-03-04T23:42:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 19, 2006 9AM Central Time
Eight hours of blissful sleep. I only woke up once due to my friend snoring. Once I hit her, she stopped (thank goodness). =)I was reading Psalm 18 last night and was reminded that we do not live by our own strength. Words such as “He reached down,” “He rescued me,” You save”—all these remind me that God is our strong tower. All of my insecurities, all of my fears, all of my apprehension- “the Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies” (vs 1-3). The Lord will give me strength when I need it. The trick is to remember to ask for it. =)
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1:00 pm
Jackson pulled out the bongo (?) drum and Larry brought out his didgeridoo after breakfast this morning. It was amazing! The sounds blended together so well; it had an almost eerie feel to it sometimes. Amazing instrument, that didgeridoo. I felt that I should do an interpretive dance, but that would probably be traumatic for all.
All this morning we organized a ton of supplies that had been donated to the church at which we were staying. People living at the FEMA trailer parks are coming tomorrow evening to get what they need from our “store.” They will stay to talk with us and to play exciting games like dominos and BINGO. Obviously, those coming will be a little older. I do like BINGO, though. It’s great fun. I don’t know if I’ve ever played dominos.
So Jake walks toward the kitchen. “Oh man, whoever let that one loose should ‘fess up because it was a good one! This is nothing to be ashamed of!” It turned out that it was the taco meat, not a fart. We get to eat that later! Lovely.
Well, they’re calling us back to work. Time for more organizing!
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5:30 pm
And organize we did! Holy cow, I’m tired. Well, not tired so much as weary. And my feet hurt. We unpacked so many boxes, and folded so many clothes, and put so much stuff on tables. We had fun, though; it’s always better to do tedious chores like this with friends. It was pretty dusty down there- I’m excited to take a shower! =)

So I was a walking contradiction today. I was wearing my USC sweatshirt, along with a hat with a shamrock saying, “I love football,” implying Notre Dame. *sigh* I am a shame to my family. In my defense, however, the hat was only $2-3, and I don’t mind it getting dirty. That’s why I bought it. Plus, the implication didn’t even occur to me until someone said something. Gah. I think that’s about all for today. Shower, dinner, then who knows what. Hopefully nothing too strenuous. I’m ready for food and sleep! =)

Katrina Trip: Day 1

2006-03-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 18, 2006
3:30 pm Eastern Time

We left school at about 2:30 California time to drive down to Sacramento. We used the athletic teams’ bus, which made for a bouncy 2.5 hour ride.
All went well to our flight to Atlanta. Well, except for the time when the flight attendant told Caleb that she would break his fingers if he didn’t stop pushing the service button. He pushed it anyway. =) But she didn’t mind too much, and even gave us free bags of peanuts.
I slept for most of the 3.5 hour flight. I only slept 2 hours the night before, so it was good to have at least a little more. I was still tired when we got to Atlanta, but Starbucks is a wonderful place… =)
Atlanta is flat, brown, and rainy. I’m not very impressed. The airport is HUGE though! Instead of shuttle busses, they have really cool subways. I was extremely excited… Hey, it’s the small things in life…
There was even a decent sized Bath and Body works. Shoot, you don’t need a mall- just go to the airport! =)
Right now, we're sitting in the airplane in Atlanta, waiting for an electrical problem to be fixed. In the meantime, Jake, Lindsey and I are playing cards. I'm finally learning how to play Hearts!
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4:00 Eastern Time
We are now in the air! Hopefully the electrical problem will not impact the rest of the flight. =)
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5:00 Eastern Time
I'm really tired.
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7:00 pm Central Time

Here we are in Baton Rouge We are staying in some apartments that are right above a church. There are people and sleeping bags and suitcases and rubber boots everywhere!! Putting 40 people into two large large apartments... exciting!
So far the most exciting thing that I've seen so far is a Piggely-Wiggely. I watched "Win A Date with Tad Hamilton" last year, and have wanted to go to one every since. Hopefully I will be able to visit one sometime this week. =)
My thoughts are obviously quite disjointed. I fell asleep on the floor of the Baton Rouge airport. Hard ground? What hard ground? I slept just fine, thank you. =) -----
10:00 PM Central Time
Finally! Bed time... I'm so pathetic- I'm going to bed at 8:00 our time!
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To be continued...

Blue Eyed Beauties =)

2006-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is me with my best friends Kelsie (left) and Sarah (right).