guest writers!

Guest writers is coming to THIS blog... tomorrow!
Don't forget, the blog is due to me the night before.

I'm so excited.
And I just can't hide it.
I know I know I know I know I know you want to. You want to.








Also, I've included a slide show of some pictures from events that I should have blogged about but didn't.

trivial pursuit

I am not good at Trivial Pursuit. I wasn't in 5th grade when we used to play it in class, either. I especially hated it when we played boys vs. girls because that meant Noah was on the boys team, and that meant the boys won.

I do remember that in 5th grade I answered ONE question right. It was about swimming and the answer was "the butterfly." I remember that Ana made fun of me and said I was stupid for thinking there was a swimming move called the butterfly. I showed her.

Last night my small group played Trivial Pursuit- Pop Culture Edition- boys vs. girls. I haven't got any better at this game. Pop culture edition didn't help either. I still had a blast though. My favorite parts were; making up funny (to me) answers because I never knew the real ones, watching Jon get mad every time the girls asked him to reread our questions, and seeing Lydia get really competitive. She is really funny all the time, but mean funny when she is competitive. I loved it.

I thought I was going to get one answer right (I guessed skip-it) but it was ripped from me (the answer was hula-hoop). So that leaves me with the one time in 5th grade when I got that one answer right. I'm the coolest.

Anyone up for some Harry Potter Scene-it?

the jukebox

I feel bad titling this blog "the jukebox" because a jukebox has only a limited selection of songs. You have to flip through each page to see if it is able to play your song. It can't create a song on the spot, in its sleep, or at all.

My friend Wes can play you any song you want. As if that isn't enough he has also created his own songs that are really really good. As you may have guessed, he recently wrote one in his sleep (which Paul McCartney did for Hey Jude, apparently).

All this to say that Wes is freaking talented. Each time I hear him play I am really impressed (and jealous- which isn't virtuous yet still happens).

His show on Friday was really fun to watch, not to mention amazing. I'd say that watching him play with his friend Brandon was my favorite, but I really love hearing my friend Sarah sing too. Plus the songs Wes played by himself he wrote by himself and they are genius. He plays with an ease and passion that can't help but leave you smiling.

Here are some pics below. I didn't take many, cause I knew Bowman was. I did tell him to go outside and take pictures from the outside in.. so I was secretly taking 1/4 credit for those pictures and now I am publicly taking 1/4 credit for those pictures.

Wes- I want my CD now.

things that happen to me- fingerprints

Today a friend was talking to me about how she needed to be fingerprinted once (not for a crime). I remembered when I got fingerprinted for a job (in order to work with children in the DCFS system).

It was on an old school bus, by a woman wearing a devil costume.

small, yet important, updates

Yesterday Sarah and I made plans to meet at Oberweis for some ice cream.
Then we remembered that we couldn't because we are observing "Celebration of Hope."
So I asked Jon if he thought we could go anyway. (I don't like making my own decisions which is probably some sort of issue.)
He told me no because Sarah had told him she couldn't go to a lacrosse game.
So we all went to the lacrosse game.

I really really really like hanging out with those people.

Highlights from the game (you may notice not many have to do with the game):
-We yelled.
-I would say "THUNDER" (Their mascot. It's a Christian school. Can I call it a mascot?) and Sarah said "kerschhhhh" (sound of thunder with her mouth.) I laughed 12 times (we did it every time they scored).
-Sarah saw, in the press box across the field, someone eating. Remember that we are doing Celebration of Hope.
-We were chastising Jon for not being able to listen to Wes's show on Friday. He told us he was going to a Sox/Orioles game instead. Sarah said hopefully.. "Oreos?!"
-Wheaton won. They had a lead, almost lost it, and then won in a close ending (like Friday night.)
-I got to drive Sarah to the game and back to the church and it was wonderful. I can't wait to live with her, Dana, Lydia, and Danielle. Really. Let's get a box somewhere together.
-Saw Jon in one of his elements, again. I love sharing things people love.

Totally unrelated to the game... I accidently clotheslined the puppy this morning. Funny.

If you know me, you know I have no patience. So I will post now and upload some pictures later (like how far away from the press box we were for Sarah to notice that someone was EATING in it.)

diary of a wimpy kid

Obviously this is not the title of MY diary since I am very buff and not at all wimpy. I call my diary a journal, anyway. So it would be "journal of a buff woman" or something.

Anyway, I have been waiting to read this book basically since I saw it. Who knows where I first saw it but I know I thought "that looks creative and interesting." I was right. You should never have to question that.

Don't worry, I am still working on reading the grown up book "unChristian." It is good, but in a less humorous/more challenging way.

My favorite part of this book was when Greg explains when it is ok to make his father upset. Apparently Greg's father throws things at him when he gets upset so a cartoon follows of his dad reading a newspaper (ok) and laying bricks (not ok).

You could hit me with a brick, I'd be ok. My dad doesn't do that though, in case you were curious.

I need to put myself on the waiting list at my local library for Rodrick Rules. Excuse me.

hey you

So I have decided to switch "ms. princess" (my code name for the 7 year old at work) to "flower child." I used to call her ms. princess because we were butting heads all the time. Now it usually only happens on Monday mornings and random other days. I picked "flower child" because she seems to be pretty insistent on my non-existent wedding (and has offered to be my flower girl several times) and she loves animals a lot which kind of reminds me of hippies (sorry animal lovers).

The term hippie reminds me of the hippie girl song that is originally from The Lonely Ninjas, but a friend at camp used to sing it every day to two of his day campers. I told them they should dress up like hippie girls. They did and it was really really cute. I didn't get a picture. I am still sad about it.

The Lonely Ninjas are the originators of one of my favorite song lyrics as well.

Flower child has been singing a lot of Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" lately. I was fortunate enough at dinner tonight to have flower child dedicate me my own version of the song.

"Hey hey you you I think you need a boyfriend. Hey hey you you I think you should get one."

She also asked her five year old brother what things he and his "girlfriend" talked about at school. He said it was "private" and he couldn't tell us. What?! I'm gonna have to do some background checks..

I think soon I will start playing only songs by Brandon Grissom and then they will only sing those songs to me. Or take them to listen to Wes this Friday. Or I will make Sarah sing to them (and therefore me) her song all the time. The options are really quite vast...

I woke up with Sarah's song in my head on Sunday. It was really wonderful, but I don't know how it got there! Also Wes wrote a song for our friend that almost chopped off her finger on Thursday. That was in my head on Friday.

*If you find this post confusing, read the bold text as a story, and the little text as my side notes. Thank you.

pilaf

Willow is doing this thing called "Celebration of Hope" where it has challenged those attending Willow from Mon-Tue to choose from (8oz) of plain oatmeal or cream of wheat, rice and beans and tortilla, or rice with a little bit of meat and vegatable. My friends are amazing and they challenge themselves and me, and they go to Willow, so I was therefore challenged too.

I didn't want to do it and I had all sorts of excuses but then I realized what I was saying in my head was:


Dear God, I want to be selfish and crabby. Please let me be selfish and crabby. Amen


To which I realized the answer was no. I'm two meals in.

stealing is still ok

I guess I could have written in my own words about the lacrosse experience but I really did like Andrew's blog post. I do have this to add:


a. I think that Andrew and Tovah are cute.
b. They are also solid. I like that about them.
c. Jon is a great guy.
d. He is also solid. I have a lot of solid friends. (By solid I mean "grounded" not solid as in they are made up of matter. That is obvious.)
e. It was fun to see Jon yell at refs. I couldn't picture it in my imagination but after being at a lacrosse game with him- I don't have to.
f. It was my first lacrosse game.

stealing is ok

I couldn't say it better, so I just stole it.

I am thinking today how it is strange that color comes off of grass and dandelions.

blah.

I should probably just go to bed but for some reason I feel like blogging but I don't really have anything to blog about. I had a pretty embarrassing thing happen to me (that makes it sound as though I had a passive role in the event.. I actually did it all myself) but I am pretty sure that everyone that reads this blog was there for that.

This week one of the kids at work asked me if I was steal-able. I asked what that meant. She said, "You know, if someone wanted to steal you to be their babysitter- could they steal you?" I told her there was no way. She said "Good. Cause I like you." The boys agreed. I felt warm and fuzzy.

How do you feel fuzzy on the inside? Really you would feel warm and gooey. Am I right? I felt warm and gooey I guess. Of course, according to them, Jesus is magic like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Awhile ago I told them that Santa probably has the Easter Bunny and the Tooth fairy over for dinner parties. (I don't think Jesus goes, though.)

I took the aluminum foil off my window that was there because I used to work the night shift and it keeps the light out (apparently it is what the Alaskans do). I will miss having a dark room all the time but I wanted some fresh air. The sound of aluminum foil flapping in the breeze isn't that soothing of a sound to sleep to.

I have a problem with my ipod. The problem is that most of the music isn't mine. Jody and I listen to different stuff. (love you, Jody.) Since we are still using her computer at this apt I haven't put many of my songs on itunes.

Don't watch "Good Luck Chuck." Unless... nope... no reason to watch it.

I am really blessed by people. I might say that quite often but I could never say it enough.

Hallmark's Fresh Ink has new cards out. Dangerous.

company

I thought there was a scripture verse about being judged by the company you keep.
I can't find it.

However.. if it is true... I am freaking awesome.

I decided that today. I am getting rid of my security issues because if I am being judged according to the friends I have- holy crap I'm cool.

Also I am cool because I am intimidating. I walked into my hallway and my (fairly large sized) neighbor man walked into his apartment and dead bolted it. I think it's because he saw me coming.

Let's all celebrate the fact that I found out my internet wasn't working because of cable connection issues. Email away!

a little story

Tonight someone told me I was creative. I liked hearing that so I decided that I should make up a story in celebration of this affirmation.

The story starts out with a girl. It could be suggested that the girl has a slight addiction with checking her email. This usually wasn't a problem, considering she hasn't lived with her parents and their dial-up connection for quite some time now. As it goes in all stories, something went wrong. The computer was really slow and the pages wouldn't load. She wanted to blame hotmail, although all emails opened fine at work. Then she wanted to move the blame to her (roommate's) computer, although the other websites were slow but still working. Then she wanted to say "screw it" and just buy a mac already.

But then she remembered some other protagonists. That eye appointment that still needs to be made and the contacts ordered, the rent, the cost of food for the hippopotamus...

Also she wanted to blog about some other things but it was late and she had some stuff to do the next day... including going to a bridal shower for which she (yet) had no gift.


Oh wait... I didn't make this story up. Krappers, kids.

girly

I am apparently in the mood for a chic flick. I walked to Blockbuster because it is really nice outside. I thought that 27 dresses and P.S. I love you were out. They aren't. So I came back without any movies to realize I really want to see Return to Me. I used to own that movie, and I don't anymore. I don't know what happened. So that means I wouldn't have rented it because I would have just been too upset to have to rent it when at one point I owned it.

Now I can't decide from my own collection between Anchors Aweigh or Pride and Prejudice. They are both pretty classic. Does it help that one is a musical and the other isn't? No, not really. How am I going to decide? I don't know but blogging about it is apparently not helping the issue. I thought about texting Lydia to ask her what I should do, but then I realized I'd just want her to be here to watch the movie with me.

I know you wanted to know all of that.

pondering

I am wondering what happens to aspiring sculpture artists' work. I mean, if these artists are aspiring, no one wants their work and they are poor and probably can't pay to keep the sculptures in a storage unit. So what do they do with all of their sculptures?

cubs games in april

are really really cold.

Last year I went to a Cubs game in April. That was back when I was on night shift so I had slept for about 3 hours. I woke up and dressed warmly. The guy I was going with told me how nice it was outside, and that I for sure was going to sweat a lot. Now, I realize I am big enough to make my own decisions but I am going to blame him for what happened anyway. I changed my clothes and wore capris, flip flops, and short sleeves with a track jacket. I froze for all of the 15 innings it took the Cubs to lose.

This year I went to a Cubs game in April. Yesterday I heard, again, how nice it was going to be. Fortunately I learned my lesson from last year (and also had a lot of sleep the night before so that I wasn't a zombie) and I wore thick tights, jeans, tennis shoes, track jacket and coat, and brought a blanket. I took the coat off for the picture, though, because I obviously had to show off the Cubs logo.

I still froze, but I at least didn't feel like my organs would stop working in protest to what I had done.

The cubs lost again, but it only took 9 innings this time. AND I scavenged to find a cubs ice cream helmet as well as lots of new cups. AND I know where the players play now. (I even drew a diagram in my journal so that I could study it every once in awhile.) Wahoo.

tricky

I packed plastic food (and real food) in Ms. Princess's lunch today. She informed me that she "didn't fall for it." I suppose that is to be expected since she is seven.

I also gave the boys a plate of pastic food (before giving them their real food).

Then I made these in the few minutes before I went to pick them up from school. The boys knew what was up (surprisingly) and ms. seven believed me that I bought them at Jewel. Wa ha ha. Maybe next time I can cut straighter..

What'd you do?