Lightening crashes, a new mother cries...

Her placenta falls to the floor. I've always thought that any song that can work in the word "placenta" deserves some respect. Live is a great band.

Lost & found: Yeah! I just found my tree stand and am decorating my apartment. I love the cozy feeling of having a tree, lights, and all of that fun stuff.

Love: To love and be loved....

Laura: She's become one of my very good friends since we finished law school and has certainly been an inspiration and source of encouragement to me in my walk with God.

The Lion, the Witch, & The Wardrobe: I'm loving this book! I'm planning to buy the DVD for my niece once we finish reading it, so hopefully we'll like the movie too.

Laughter: I love laughing, especially when I do it so hard that my stomach hurts the next day. Unfortunately that kind of laughter hasn't happened in a long time. I need to work on that.

Longhorn's: It's one of the few chains I don't mind occasionally eating at, which comes in handy when negotiating restaurant selections with my sister and brother-in-law.

Law school: I'm so glad that I went. It was the first time I'd been really challenged academically, and all in all, I enjoyed it, especially flag football. Plus I made some great friend while I was there.

London: This was the first place abroad that I visited. I had to persuade my parents to let me go with a group of students two years older than me (I was about to turn 15) and a hippie-like teacher. I was very surprised that they let me go (no doubt a result of my masterful skills of persuasion), had a great time, and got (very very) drunk for the first time (I alternated between screwdrivers and Kahlua-gross). I loved Oxford, seeing plays, shopping, and just wandering around a new city.

Leisure, Labor Day, Lifehouse, Lion bars, Lucky Charms (and the sweet cafeteria worker from my freshman year of college who provided me with a permanent stash hidden in a cabinet, so I was never without it), lattes (specifically Chai Tea), Lemonheads, Lester (the best cab driver in Macon), Lexis (I cannot imagine having to research and shephardize by book!), life, LFO's "Summer Girls," "Love at First Sight" (Kylie Mingoue...even if I don't believe in it, it's a fun song), "Last Kiss" (my dad sang this song to me growing up, so I was thrilled when Pearl Jam recorded it), "Let Everything that has Breath," "Look Away" (Chicago), liberty, lake houses, larks, lounging around....


Lauren: My niece is a blast, and she's incredibly photogenic too. I love how she'll play alone for hours, speaks her own little language, and has such a strong personality.

p.s. To appease Ozzy who thinks I'm a "picky judgmental not-nice-word," I've compromised about meeting his friend Tim who he has wanted to set me up with for months now. Since I'll be in Atlanta tomorrow night, a group of us are going to dinner. I figured that's much better than a date since I don't think I would be interested in anything other than friendship. With that being said, I will certainly do my best to keep an open mind. And regardless, it'll be fun to try a new restaurant and hang out with friends.

Update on My Friend Sam....

Ah, back to the real world of work (yes, I'm working some today). I was lucky enough to leave work on Wednesday at lunch, stopping for a delicious cinnamon raisin bagel with cinnamon raisin cream cheese at Goldbergs in Atlanta (which made the extra two hours of drive time as a result of road work/traffic easier to endure). Highlights of the long weekend include: leisurely time with my family, three warm pieces of pumpkin pie with whip cream, elmo-cising with my nieces, a four hour visit with my great aunt, and reading almost half of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with my niece Alaina (I can't wait to see what happens--I've not "heard" this book since 3rd grade with Mrs. Grisham).

During the holiday weekend, I also caught up with Sam (who I wrote about two weeks ago). The girl ended up never calling Sam back, and he was pretty devastated about it. The day after he called her, his sister ran into the girl, who commented that she needed to call Sam back (so we know that she did indeed get Sam's voicemail message). A week passed, during which the girl was out of town for a few days, and then Sam's brother-in-law ran into the girl. She made no mention of Sam, which, of course, really bothered Sam. I told Sam that I thought he had gotten his answer--clearly the girl is not interested, and he should let it go and get on with his life. Sam said that he was going to call her again if he didn't hear from her within the next 24 hours. I asked him what his objective in calling her was since it was clear that she isn't interested. Sam responded that the girl "owes" him an explanation and official closure; he proceeded to leave her another message that night and has still not heard back. I told Sam that he was setting himself up for an awkward conversation and/or her avoiding his calls since there often isn't really a reason for not wanting to continue to see someone. Sure, I can usually articulate a few reasons, but often it's isn't that the other person isn't the right fit for me. And I see nothing productive in citing a guy's unusually small hands, wearing a scarf in October (in Georgia), incessant complaints about his back pain, or weird taste in movies, etc. None of these things would, in themselves, keep me from dating someone if I really liked the guy. So what's the point in sharing these "reasons" with someone?

I guess I agree that "best practice" in this case might be for the girl to give Sam a return call, explaining that while she's enjoyed getting to know Sam, she's not interested in dating any longer. Most guys seem to appreciate this approach the most, although the "football player" I went out with five or so times told me that he'd rather me just not return his calls than have that conversation. What do you guys think the better practice is? I went out with a lawyer once (although granted we'd hung out one night before our date, talked several times for an hour or so on the phone, and kissed) and didn't really enjoy the date very much. And then he called me the next day and asked me out for three different events, all of which I declined. He then called a few days later to ask me out for a Friday night, and again I declined, telling him I was hosting a dinner party that night. So he calls me again on that Friday night at 9:15. I thought that was weird and decided not to even call him back. A month or so later I ran into him in a bar, and he lashed into me, wanting to know why I'd never called him back. I was so taken aback that I was painfully honest, telling him that I thought it was strange that he didn't get the hint after I turned him down for four invites and that he called me on a Friday night when he knew I was hosting a party. Oddly I've seen him since then, and he's been pleasant.

Anyway, I told Sam I'd ask my blog friends if they thought she "owed" him a phone call back. His family and friends all (except me) encouraged him to make the second phone call (even though she hadn't returned his previous call) and think that she should at least call him back and explain what gives. Oh, and his sister is terminating her business relationship (no big deal kind of relationship) with the girl. This has all served as a reminder to me that I should be conscious of others' thoughts and feelings and that some people take a few dates much more seriously than I do.

My "McDate"

My date to the wedding was Ozzy (his chosen blog name, which I do not think suits him at all), who I find very adorable. Sometimes my friendship with Ozzy reminds me a little bit of Will & Grace, except that instead of being gay, Ozzy is Jewish.

Ozzy and I became acquainted in property class during our first year of law school. On our first day of class, the property professor called on me after humiliating the first person he called on—a guy who didn’t know the answer. Yikes. Fortunately I spoke with absolute conviction (even though I probably didn’t know the answer either) and survived. That caught the professor’s interest, and he called on my constantly throughout the rest of the semester, which meant that everyone knew my name early on. I guess that is how Ozzy got to know me. My first memory of Ozzy was at a party at which he expressed admiration of my ambition (Ozzy thoroughly understands that flattery will get you almost anywhere). I thought that was odd and explained how non-career driven I was (citing my haphazard career path which included a nanny gig and teaching elementary school). He was surprised.

Despite the fact that my friends told Ozzy that I had a boyfriend (of almost a year) when he inquired about me, Ozzy called and in his sweet Southern drawl, asked me to go to the fair with him. The fair is, I must note, a great idea for a first date. I declined with a little bit of regret—simply because I thought going to the fair with Ozzy would be fun (and he’s cute).

Fast forward three years later to a friend’s party where I exchanged numbers with Ozzy so that he could meet up with us later that night. He never did, but he did occasionally drunk dial me over the next two years. Ozzy has attempted to set me up with his friends, but his efforts are unfortunately always off the mark (i.e., a guy who wears his shirt halfway unbuttoned with lots of jewelry). Some of my friends contend that these mismatches are intentional, so that I’ll realize what a great catch Ozzy is.

I tend to disagree with those friends. Ozzy is a consummate flirt, often saying very kind and flattering things and doing super sweet things for me, but our friendship is just that. We’ve never even kissed despite spending weekends together. Ozzy understands how important my faith is to me and that I’d never date a guy who isn’t a Christian. Plus his current type is super skinny, high-maintenance, and much less conservative (or arguably more fun) than me. So that’s that.

I feel very blessed to have such a cool friend. He’s a lot like a girl in some respects, so he is excellent at communicating (like when I hurt his feelings), dramatic (which keeps me entertained), very intelligent (which challenges me), and way too relative (which annoys me). It’s funny how God brings people into your life at certain times and how there is a season for so many different people and experiences. It’s also funny that Ozzy has a crush on Paris Hilton.

America Has Not Disappointed Me....

A friend just sent me this link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15818960/

In short, O.J.'s book/television special has been canceled.

Check out the donkeys I befriended this weekend.

Here are some of things I'm grateful for that begin with the letter "K":

Krispy Kreme: When the hot light is on it's almost sacrilegious not to stop (unless it's one of those locations where the hot light is perpetually on). If you're nice, you might persuade them to run a chocolate covered creme filled doughnut through the hot glaze again.

K's Choice: Love the song "Not an Addict"

Keith Urban: One of the few newer country artists I like; he's got a few good songs to run to--same goes for Kelli Clarkson.

Kenny Loggins: "Footloose" I can't help but smile. If for some reason you've never seen the movie, go rent it this weekend. He sings the theme from Caddyshack too.

Kenny Rogers: You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em.

Kirk Franklin: Rap music I can share with my nieces! Kimberly thanks for exposing me to him via your myspace page.

The Killers, "Keep it Up" (Soul Asylum), "King of New Orleans" (Better than Ezra rocks), kangaroos, Kit Kats, knowledge, kitchens (where else would I bake?), knees (I'm sooo glad I don't have any knee problems like so many people I know do), ketchup,

Kindness: I really got into random acts of kindness for a while and need to pick the habit back up. The kindness of others constantly makes me smile and reminds me of God's love and blessings.

Kimberly: I am so glad to know you!

Kinetix: We finally got a real gym, and even better, it's 1/2 mile from where I live. It sill makes me feel a little dumb to go to the gym for only 20 minutes, but sometimes a quick run is all I want.

Kin: a very Southern way of saying family....I'm especially excited about getting to spend four consecutive days with them courtesy of Thanksgiving.

Kindred spirits: My date this weekend to my friend's wedding--in which I was a bridesmaid. My date and I both love to write, read, discuss serious stuff, and flit around at social events. Oh, he also has a great camera, never forgets it, and takes lots of photos, often in fun poses (see me in the bride's veil). He's the perfect date. He even brought me a gift for being his date (even though he was my date). He knew a few people at the wedding and is socially adept, quickly making friends with my friend Grace's boyfriend. We proceeded to have great conversations at the bed and breakfast where we stayed; we're such kindred spirits about a lot, but we're also very different and he is constantly challenging my perspective.

This morning on the way back home from the wedding festivities, we were briefly lost and didn't get stressed at all. And neither one of us overreacted when we heard a loud noise while traveling at 75 mph, thinking we had a flat tire. In short, we always enjoy laid-back time together, and it looks like I'll be either going to Charleston or Knoxville with him in January, so there's one trip.

Happy short work week!!!

Shame Shame Shame

I hope Americans are not going to disappoint me, but all of the major news outlets predict that they will--overwhelmingly. And this time it's not through their voting power:) It's through their buying power.

You may already be sick of hearing about O.J. Simpson's book If I Did It, which is hitting the shelves on November 30. Some are pre-ordering it on Amazon.

Personally I want to stand by the cash registers at my local Barnes & Noble so that I can see who buys this book. It infuriates me that anyone would even consider purchasing a book written by a killer who is gloating about the fact that he suceeded in getting away with the violet crime. I makes no matter to me that he may not profit from this book or that people are curious. It's sick.

Imagine the agony of the victims' families; not only was the killer found not guilty, he's now written a book detailing the murders and being featured in a special on Fox, essentially bragging about he got away with taking two lives. Who would help O.J. succeed in doing so?

At first I thought of the other day at the Soup Kitchen when the television in the corner was turned to the local news, which had a special report about a plane that had just landed on the interstate. Two guys at a table near my friend Grace & me, looked at each other and said "We gotta go check this out." Ridiculous. Someone rushing to the scene of the accident--not to render help--but to add to the confusion and chaos that comes with an emergency. But that's not quite the same thing as purchasing O.J.'s book.

What really got me wound up about this was hearing that Walmart is selling the book. Yes, I know Walmart is the devil and all, but it, at least, occasionally tries to pretend to have morals or some weird form of them. For example, when I bought the single (remember when you used to buy those tapes in the cardboard wrapper?) "I'm a Bitch" from Walmart, I was rudely surprised when I listened to the tape and the word "bitch" was muted out. Seriously. Why even sell the single? So Walmart isn't going to let its customers hear the word "bitch," but they are going to sell a book detailing the murder the author got away with. Insane.

I'd love to hear about some major retailers who are refusing to sell the book. I'd love to see corporate America stand up for something besides the almighty dollar. It makes me think about Chik-fil-a and how cool it is that it isn't open on Sundays (which is, of course, the only day of the week I crave it) even though that is certainly "costing" the company millions of dollars. I guess I want to see people say something is wrong and refuse to be a part of it because whether our society wants to admit it or not, there are things that are just wrong.

p.s. I know I'm rambling...I'm just mad (and watching Grey's Anatomy). For a slightly more coherent rant on relativism, check out this post.

Dating Drama

Not mine, of course. My friend Sam hasn't dated much at all since we finished college, so I was delighted and a little apprehensive when I heard that he had a second date with a girl. Apprehensive because I was kind of afraid for him, and I hate seeing him disappointed, which he has been after all of his dating experiences. It's hard to know what to say because I really want to help, and my experience is so different than his. Sam is the kind of person who feels emotionally invested in a girl after one date. After two dates in November, he's wondering what he can buy the girl for Christmas. Or after three dates, he's giving her tickets to a play that is two months away. It's classic over-eagerness (although I've never minded over-eagerness when I really liked the guy...).

Hearing his account of their first date was fun. He said several times that she wasn't "open" enough (on their blind date). I found this amusing because I was recently told on a second date that I seemed really guarded. As some of you may know, I'm incredibly open, so I don't think the guy meant it in that context. The best I could figure out, he meant insofar as emotionally investing or planning for future events with him. For example, on our first (and blind) date he mentioned several friends and said things like "You've got to meet him" or "I look forward to getting your impression of her" and things like that. When we had a long phone conversation between date #1 and date #2 he asked me about going to one of his family's vacation homes. None of this came off as desperate or over-eager at the time (perhaps it helped that he is attractive and has a good personality and some part of me was flattered), but it still raised a red flag. I guess because he had only known me for 120 minutes when some of these comments were made. I know I'm really compelling and all but still:) I'm always wary of guys who like me a lot and don't know me. It makes me feel like they are liking me for the wrong reasons.

Anyway, this time, from Sam's account, the girl was eager too. Well maybe not the same level of eagerness I've seen him display, but she's called him and she kissed him first. It usually takes "dating dating" for me to call a guy out of turn, and I doubt that I've ever initiated a first kiss (at least while sober). So perhaps I'm not the best barometer, but regardless calling a guy is an expression of interest. And last week she was sick but still wanted him to come over for soup and a movie. So all of this has made him (and me) hopeful. Oh, and she kissed him (again) before he left last week.

She now seems to be giving him the brush-off, and he's SO disappointed. So, of course, I'm listening a lot. And he's wondering and obsessing over what happened and how great things seemed. I've been impressed this go round with how he's "played the game," meaning that he's not given her one concert ticket for a show in January or called her every day or done other things that might scare someone away (note: I'm not a huge advocate of game playing, but for some super over eager people especially those who rarely date, I vote for a little restraint). But after fifteen minutes of listening, I'm having to fight my lack of sympathy and biting my tongue to keep from saying "But you only went on four dates" or "how can you care so much about someone you didn't really know?" I tend to think that his pain results from getting too far ahead of himself (he was already planning to invite her on a trip for late January), and I speak from experience in that regard. Upon reflection, I probably also lack perspective because I rarely go on four dates with someone, and when I have, I've always ended up dating the guy for at least 6 months or more. And, of course, everything is so much more everything (dramatic, sad, exciting) when you're the one living it. Sometimes I really stink at understanding Sam's perspective, but at least I can listen. And maybe I'm too guarded and should invest more like Sam does, but I guess I don't see any advantage to being that emotionally entangled so early on. Any thoughts on advice for Sam, or should I just keep listening without offering any?

Where Should I Go?

Since there is so much of America that I haven't seen, I've been trying to use what (little) vacation time I have and weekends to see more of it. Since I graduated from law school two and a half years ago, I've managed to go to San Fransico, Los Angeles, Austin, Las Vegas, Nashville, Jacksonville, Hilton Head, Vail/Keystone, Orlando, Savannah, and Boston (a few times). This year I used half of my vacation for the trip to Cabo and a few other days for weekend trips to see Donatello. Now I am itching to go somewhere plus I have some credits with Air Tran that will expire soon if I don't redeem them. Unfortunately I don't have any prospective travel companions. I've been blessed with a lot of friends, but they are either (1) married (and thus pretty much only vacation with their spouse or have children and have no money/time), (2) are attorneys and thus never take vacation time because of billable hours, (3) do not have the money to travel, (4) wouldn't make good traveling companions (i.e., they snore ridiculously loud or are the kind of friend I prefer to just spend two hours with), or (5) just don't seem interested in traveling.

While I consider myself very independent, the idea of traveling alone just isn't appealing to me right now. I'm not sure why. I love being alone and feel comfortable eating alone, going to the movies alone, and even spending entire weekends by myself. And when I went to Austin with three guys summer before last, I chose to hang out alone part of the time. I enjoy just knocking around. I've been trying to figure out what changed between then and now. And the only thing I can come up with is my time in Boston with Donatello (my ex). The first time I went up to Boston to see him, I had really looked forward to spending the day exploring Boston while he worked that Friday. He ended up spending the day with me anyway and knocking around with him was so much fun; in fact, it was more fun that doing so alone. His company was easy, exciting (in that new relationship kind of way), and entertaining. We spent several weekends like that in Boston, exploring new areas, trying new restaurants, and just generally having a good time.

I've also become much more extroverted over the past two years. Perhaps it's because my job often doesn't involve as much human interaction as I would prefer, and now I'm in contact with a lot of people on a regular basis in my personal life. And I feel safer knowing that someone I know is nearby, especially at night.

And now the idea of knocking around alone is lonesome to me. With that being said, I think it would be foolish of me not to travel simply because I don't have any traveling companions. But I can't seem to muster the enthusiasm to plan a trip. And I hate to spend money on a trip I'm not excited about, but maybe I need to "just do it." Any thoughts? Or ideas on a particular city that might lend itself well to a solo female traveler? I've still never been to D.C. (at least not for more than an afternoon), NYC, Charleston, Chicago, Seattle, and lots of other cool places.

And because every post is better with photos....

(note the garbage can pic is from Harvard's campus....I wonder what people were putting in the trash can?)

Adult Model....

is one of the search terms that has led people here. It's really interesting to see what people are searching for when they stumble upon my blog. Do any of your ever notice the referrals that lead people to your blog? I've started jotting some down, and here's a list of some of the search phrases:

dating a metrosexual
Voddie Bauchman
Andy Stanley
styrofoamology
why Christians don't believe in carpe diem
myspace song dixieland delight
break up "third date" phone
carpe diem cub spain
4runner "frat boy"
dixie land delight
pete sampras
carpe diem blog mature
inside out reeses yummy
quotes with carpe diem included
"the bachelor" lisa ally
greek girls pic
"was holding her and loving you"
carpe diem game client
recent carpe diem short story
50 things I'm grateful for
wrangler jeans
quotes from "the sacred journey" by Frederick Buechner
choco-gels

So I googled Choco-Gels, and guess what? My blog is the only thing that Google found. Do you guys know what Choco-Gels are? They were a childhood favorite of mine, although I've eaten one (who am I kidding? I've probably never eaten just one) as recently as a few years ago. They are made by Little Debbie and are round, chocolate pies with white creme with a cherry glaze in the middle.

I went to the Little Debbie website to learn what happened to my beloved Choco-Gels. No fear, they have only been renamed with a very boring albeit fitting name: Jelly Creme Pies.

So what is your favorite kind of Little Debbie? I loved Star Crunches when I was about 5, but as I got older my taste matured and I preferred Nutty Butty Bars. I also liked the Swiss Cake Rolls because I liked to peel the chocolate exterior layer off and eat it bit by bit. Here's the top ten selling Little Debbies:

1. Swiss Cake Rolls
2. Nutty Bars® Wafer Bars
3. Oatmeal Creme Pies
4. Fudge Brownies
5. Honey Buns
6. Zebra Cakes (I find nothing redeeming about these except the cute name.)
7. Devil Squares® (These don't even have the cute name to help them out. Yuck.)
8. Fudge Rounds
9. Star Crunch® Cosmic Snacks
10. Chocolate Cupcakes

On a somewhat related note and not surpisingly, I really stink at eating healthy. In my effort to quit spending $10 a day on lunch (and so much money in general), I went to the Soup Kitchen today. My friend Ivy was kind enough to join me, and he confirmed my identification of Mr. Regular as someone in his mid-40s. Anyway, the Soup Kitchen is so much cheaper than a salad anywhere else, but the bottom line is that I'll grab on to any excuse to eat whatever I want; I can't lie. I keep on hoping that one day I'll wake up and be a mature, responsible adult and want to eat vegetables and fruit and go to bed at 10:30. I guess until then I'll vacillate between just doing what I want and trying to be somewhat disciplined.

The Secret to Happiness

A career counselor type/writer said that he knew the secret to happiness in life. He offered the trite answer that we hear over and over--"Figure out what you love to do and then figure out how to make money doing it."

After thinking for a minute, one woman responsed "I think that's called prostitution."

Just thought I'd share this little excerpt of a book I'm reading since it made me smile. The current score of the Auburn and UGA game is also making me smile (30-7).

J

I'm grateful for....

Jesus Christ (a.k.a. God's son, J.C., homeboy): I was probably one of the few people in Georgia who didn't have John 3:16 memorized by the age of ten: "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Jenoely's: The Soup Kitchen rocks (even if Mr. Regular eats there too:).

Jeans: Easily one of my favorite things to wear whether with flip flops or heels.

John Keating: "O Captain, my captain." Need I say more? Dead Poets' Society is one of my all time favorites.

Jokes, Jacksonville, James ("Laid"), J Sab, "Jane Says"/Jane's Addiction, journals, Jennifer Knapp, Jewel (just a few of her songs), Joan Jett, Journey, "Jeremy," "Jesse's Girl," J. Crew (it might be boring, but it's easy), jelly-filled doughnuts (hot and on the street corners in London), Jon Stewart (the Daily Show usually makes me smile)

Jane Austen: Ok, I don't think I've read Pride & Prejudice, but the movie was great. How often does a movie without bad language, sex, or violence keep our attention?

Jason: When Donatello and I were struggling with some issues last spring, Jason, who had never even met Donatello, went out and bought us each a book addressing the very subject. That gesture just struck me as very thoughful and kind.

Junk food: I'm kind of glad for junk food in a regretful kind of way. It's brought me a lot of happiness, but I also have no will-power and often eat too much of it (and then feel sick or sleepy). Just the same though, I have many happy memories that revolve around Krispy Kreme hot light runs, Choco-gels, puppy chow, and peanut butter brownies.

Jennifer: My sister and I certainly have our differences (she thinks I'm selfish & crazy but that's another post), but it sure is nice to share so many of the same life experiences with someone else. Plus with whom else could I so adequately commisurate about my parents? Furthermore, she is the fantastic mother of my two most favorite people in the world: Alaina and Lauren, my adorable nieces.

Here's an old photo of Jennifer and Lauren and one of my favorites of Alaina and me.


p.s. This took a long time to think up, but I still feel like I'm missing something important. Oh well, regardless I have a LOT to be thankful for.

Politics & Religion

Yup Dad, I'm talking about things you've told me not to--again.

My Bible study group had its weekly meeting last night, and the scripture from Romans (13:1-14) that our study covered perfectly suited the occasion of Election Day. Politics and religion have both been topics that I've thought a lot about over the years, but it's only been over the course of the last six months or so that I've been examining my political views, which formed long before I became a Christian, in light of my faith.

Fortunately the scripture and discussion didn't lend itself to the typical hot topic issues like abortion and stem cell research, but instead it addressed our relationship to the state and to the world. Until I read this passage, I hadn't thought about my obligation as a Christian to our government beyond obeying the laws. The scripture states that God put all governments into power and seems to suggest that civil governments are the institution of God and therefore deserve respect and submission. (And yes, there are all sorts of logical questions that flow from this--the first one that came to my mind was Hitler, but I'm glossing over the nuances for now.)

Over the last six years, I've failed to show any respect to our president.

The morning after the election in 2000, I was so disappointed in my fellow Americans. Almost half of American voters voted for him, and it made me sad. The debacle with the Supreme Court didn't help, and during his tenure, President Bush has provided plenty of fodder for me to make fun of him with and help me mentally justify my general lack of respect. I've never prayed for God to guide him in his decision-making or to give him wisdom. Instead I've mocked what I've perceived as his many flaws and concentrated solely on the negative. I'd never heard the verses about God sending the authorities to help me (Romans 13:4) or thought about Bush's presidency being part of God's providential control. Now that I have, I am re-thinking my attitude and trying to have an open mind and heart.

Christian or not, I think we seem much more credible when we focus more on facts and less on ridicule. Think about Venezulean President Hugo Chavez's comments about President Bush being "the devil" and smelling of sulfur. I'm also reminded of another lesson I've learned: it's better to present the facts and let people draw their own conclusions than to just call someone an idiot or stupid (or the devil). So I need to remember that it's not by happenstance that President Bush is our president, and I should recognize that, offering him my respect regardless of my disagreement with him and his policies.

p.s. Should I switch to beta blogger?

Whew....

Mr. Regular just called, and I’m proud to say that I told him that I wasn’t interested. I didn’t even have to pull up my blog to see what I to say. Maybe all of the time that has passed and you guys’ comments and thoughts helped me build up my resolve.

I figured he’d given up by now, and from what he said about how hard it is to get me, I assume he’s called several times and declined to leave messages with my secretary or voicemails.

He told me we needed to get together and eat this week and talk, and I told him that I just wasn’t interested. Long pause. Then I said “it’s nothing personal.” And after another pause, he said “Well we can still be friends. Stop in and say hi sometime.” I think that his response was appropriate, and hopefully things at the Soup Kitchen will return to normal.

On a side note: I'm reading a 50-something year old's resume, who has a doctorate and is very successful, and the individual listed that he "graduated valedictorian" and finished high school a year early. My first thought is that it's ridiculous that the person felt compelled to list this. I was the salutatorian of my class and went off to college a year early, but I do not think that's relevant to a potential employer at this point in my life. Of course, I also wouldn't have a resume of four pages. Upon closer examination, I just noticed that the honor of graduating valedictorian is from ELEMENTARY school. No joke. He listed his elementary school education and honors. He should have attached his Book It Award for winning a free personal pan pizza for reading a couple of Nancy Drews too.

Favorite Quotes

I love quotes and have a book in which I write down my favorite ones. I'd love for you to share some of yours. Here are a few of mine--I probably like them because they say what I think but in a much more eloquent way than I could express:

"...if you ever took truly to heart the ultimate goodness and joy of things, even at their bleakest, the need to praise someone or something for it would be so great that you might even have to go out and speak of it to the birds of the air." -Frederick Buechner, The Sacred Journey

"If you can understand the conditions, you can understand the behavior."
-Jean Hendricks (my great-aunt) (I try to reflect on this quote whenever I'm really frustrated or confused by someone's actions. While I don't think we should always excuse someone's behavior, it's usually very helpful to understand why she is doing what she does.)

"I'll have you know I'm not mad. I'm just hurt."
-Ferrol Sams, The Whisper of the River
This isn't profound, but it works almost every time with men. The word "hurt" can also be substituted with "disappointed."

"There are many things in life you would throw away if you weren't afraid someone else would pick them up."
-Oscar Wilde (I reflect on this when I don't want to break-up with a boyfriend--I've found sometimes this quote expresses exactly why I won't do it.)

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."
-Romans 8:28 (It's such a comfort to know that even when something is upsetting or difficult that the Lord is using it for His glory and my good--and that He has a plan for me.)

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is."
-Romans 12:2

I'm a Model, You Know What I Mean...

Whenever I stop and think about how blessed I am, I feel pretty overwhelmed (in a good way). My life is so easy, and my problems are so small. When you're biggest problem is whether or not to go month-to-month with your apartment (for an extra $150) or sign a six month lease or figuring out what you want to be when you grow up, you know you're blessed. So here are all of my many blessings—but just the ones that begin with the letter "I."

ipod: As a result of a for-no-reason gift, I have a nano in addition to my regular ipod. That works out well when a battery unexpectedly dies as I enter the gym because I definitely can't run without music.

Interdisciplinary studies: These were by far my most favorite classes in college. Freshman Year Experience and Senior Capstone made me excited about life and forced me to examine the kind of human being and citizen I want to be. The kinds of conversations we shared are the type that I find invigorating and that stick with me for days. If I could professionally do anything, I would want to teach these classes. Too bad I don't have a Ph.D.

Internet: For all of the many negatives that come with it, I am still grateful for it. E-mail, sharing digital pics, blogs, online banking, weather reports, etc. all make my life, in many ways, much easier.

Ice cream: My personal favorite is cake batter at Coldstone Creamery with peanut butter, chocolate syrup, crushed up Reeses cups, and whip cream. Chik-fil-a's dream cones are yummy too.

Independence: I appreciate our freedom as Americans, and I appreciate my parents permitting me to be very independent from a very young age. My independence has served me well and allowed me so many cool opportunities, not to mention the fact that I think it would stink to feel uncomfortable going to the movies or dinner (or Spain:) alone. Oddly I don't feel as independent as I once did, but it's not like I'm exactly dependent on anyone either. Hmm.

Islands: I love the Canary Islands, Palma de Mallorca, and look forward to visiting the Greek Isles, Australia, and Hawaii one day….

Izods: I know it's called Lacoste now, but I loved my light blue Izod that I wore on the first day of kindergarten (with white shorts pulled up way too high and velcro tennis shoes). My ex-boyfriend Sampras was kind enough to give me an adult version of the same shirt a few years ago.

Interlaken: Once I got there, I didn't want to leave. Had I known that my experience with Paris would be so stereotypical (rude, rude, and a hassle), I would have stayed longer. Sure Interlaken is typical hangout for Americans (think Greek letters carved into the walls of the bathroom), but I loved my time there. Switzerland is just so clean and pretty, and I went canyoning and on lots of long walks and just generally relaxed. And I ate lots of those smiley faced cookies.

Intuition & Instinct: I think I have a really strong sense of intuition and good instincts. Maybe it's a woman thing. Once I was running on a treadmill and just had a bad feeling about the guy behind me in the small workout room. So I grabbed my keys from beside the treadmill and went to rush out, and low and behold, I was right because the guy was doing something really gross. Yup, you guessed it. He and his family were evicted. I would have pressed charges, but I knew I didn't get a good enough look (b/c believe me, I was not wanting to look at him as I rushed out) to pick him out of a line up or anything.

Indigo Girls, INOJ ("Love Me Down"), "Imagine" (Lennon), Ivy, Irene, INXS, "I'll Be" (Edwin McCain--even if it does remind me entirely too much of an ex-bf), "I'm Too Sexy" (Right Said Fred:), "Islands in the Stream" (Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers), "I Said I Loved You" "but I lied" (I love that line of this lame song by Michael Bolton always makes me smile), "Intoxicating" (David Crowder Band), and "Independence Day" (Martina McBride).

Happy Almost Weekend!!!