More Haiku Fun

Xanga, thou art bad.
You distract me from my work
But yet I still love you.

*******

My mind is broken,
and thoughts will not come easily.
I want to quit now.

*******

This paper is bad.
I have six pages to write
By noon. No sleeping.

Thoughts

What is the deal with singing Disney Channel stars? Is that a pre-requisite for being on a show? Is that part of the audition? Perhaps I should go audition. My roommate says I could make it. It seems like every day there's a new music video with a different Disney Channel "star" in it. Not that I watch the Disney Channel every day. That would be juvenile.

And now, a Xanga haiku:

Xanga is fickle.
Eprops come and go with ease,
But real friends remain.

Always Do Your Research

I went to the Ben Folds concert last night, and I have to say, I'm no longer a fan. I knew a handful of his songs, and apparently the ones I knew were the only ones not laden with profanity. I can handle the occasional word here and there, but every other word? To me that's when it starts becoming unnecessary and superfluous. And his bass guitarist did one song where pretty much the only lyrics were "F--- you." Lovely display of lyrical creativity. Let this be a lesson to me not to go to a concert without knowing what to expect. At least it was free.

I have a paper due Monday, and it does not want to be written. It's floating around in my head, refusing to be tied down and typed into being. Incorrigible words! When I have writer's block, I clean. So I cleaned my room, vacuumed the apartment, and cleaned the bathroom. It's nice that everything's clean, but still no paper. I'm convinced more every day that getting my PhD would only be my undoing.

About Me

I'm always... hopeful and slightly goofy.
I love saying... "Rats" or "What in the world?!"
I think flowers are... poetic and happy and lovely
My favorite Beatles song is... Eleanor Rigby
My parents are... wonderful examples of what a godly marriage looks like.
I hate... it when people don't use their turn signals, leave their cell phones on in movies, or getting stuck in traffic.
I love... dolphins, purple, talking on the phone to a certain someone, reading for pleasure and not for class.
I was born... in October. The best month ever!
Sometimes I try too hard... to please everyone and make them like me. I also try to hard to appear perfect, which of course is ridiculous.
I work well on things... when I am able to work at my own pace and on my own schedule. I detest group projects. (Stef, so many of our answers are similar, shockingly enough!)
My childhood was... very happy and typical and positive.
My high school was... rather large, loud, and full of people who annoyed me.
I love to read books about... Christianity or mysteries or love stories.
I'm addicted to... my iPod, Gilmore Girls, and Xanga.
I drink too much... diet pepsi.
My earliest memory is... the first day of kindergarten.
The last place I went on vacation was... Atlanta!
I want to live closer to... a certain someone.
The President is... not very popular right now.
Kids can be... adorable, high maintenance, and sometimes spoiled rotten.
Kids were mean to me when they.. called me "four eyes," made fun of my weight, or picked me last on the playground.
I despise it when... people are inconsiderate or my friends forget my birthday.
If I could go anywhere it would be... Italy.
Malls are a really fun place to... go and people watch and shop by myself. I don't like shopping with other people if I'm in the mood to actually buy things.
I had fun when... I was in Atlanta with my gals.
I thought it was hilarious when... we found a penny in our toilet in Atlanta.
I love my friends even though they... don't always return my phone calls.
Life is... wonderful. A gift.
I love the TV show... do I even need to say it?
I don't get enough time to... read for pleasure or hang out with my friends.
One of the nicest things someone has done for me is... throw me a surprise party for my 21st birthday. (Seriously, Stef, this is crazy!)
When no one's around, I really like to... sing and act like a dancing idiot.
If you want to see me go crazy, you should talk to me about.... grammar.
If I had a million dollars... I'd go to Italy, take a trip around the world, buy my brother a house, and buy every book I ever wanted.
My dream college would be... the one I went to, Union dearest Union.
My dream job would be... something involving people and books and learning. Or writing. Or singing. Or taking care of dolphins.
I want someone to... sweep me off my feet and love me forever.
I hope... I survive the rest of this semester and have an amazing summer.
I would like... to be married, to be happy with my job and my life.
I dream about... very random things.
I have nightmares ... rarely, and usually only if I've watched a movie that freaked me out.
In 5 years, I want to... be married and be happy. I know at least one of those will be true.

I have no more classes! Woohoo! All I have left is a 10-page paper, a 25-page paper, and a 5-7-page paper. Wow, that's still kind of a lot. Hmm.

This weekend in Atlanta we went to this fun little shop that had a very ecclectic style, and they had these decks of cards that were things like "52 Fun Things to Do in Atlanta" or "52 Reasons to Be Happy," and they had one called "52 Great Cheap Dates." For some reason, I bought those cards because I figured that were the time to come that I actually had a boyfriend, at least we'd have some stuff to do. Well, I was going through some of them earlier today, and the front of the package should have said something like "52 Great Cheap Dates for Married People or Those Who Engage in Premarital Sex." Not all of them were about sex, but a handful of them involved the horizontal polka, so it looks like I'll have to save those for when I get married. They aren't all bad, though; some of them actually sound like fun ideas, like having a board game marathon or taking random snapshots of a day around the town or renting a rowboat, rowing out to the middle of the lake, and reading poetry to each other (I really like that one). For those of you who have significant others, what are some of your favorite cheap dates?

A Small Miracle of Mercy

Something amazing happened today: I experienced mercy. I lost the entire contents of my paper last night, and so I was up all night rewriting it. Around 7 I had 8 and a half pages of the 10 I needed, and I emailed my professor and explained what happened. I told her I would try and be prepared to present today but I wanted to let her know in case it turned out to be total junk, which it really was. My brain was completely fried, and I was so stressed out, but then my professor emailed me back and told me she had no problem with my presenting on Thursday instead. I was totally not expecting any kind of leniency because the whole "my computer ate my paper" story is a standard among the freshmen students, and I probably wouldn't have had sympathy for a student of mine who came to me with my story. I was so relieved when I got the email that I started crying and ended up looking like a complete mess for my next class. But it gets better. I had a paper due on Thursday as well that I was going to have to pretty much kill myself to get done in time, and I was definitely not looking forward to it. But today in class one of my classmates asked if we could have an extension, and lo and behold, the professor said yes! Now the paper's not due until Monday! Praise the Lord!!

And because I have no original thought in me right now:

45 of the most random things you probably never needed to know about someone

What's your name spelled backwards?: lezteh elocin nire

What did you do last night?: Wrote a paper. All night long.

The last thing you downloaded onto your computer?: I believe it was the new All-American Rejects CD

Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery?: No, I stick to AA batteries only.

Last time you swam in a pool?: Hmm, I don't remember. Maybe last summer?

What are you wearing?: t-shirt and pajama pants

How many cars have you owned?: I haven't owned any myself, but I've driven three different ones.

Type of music you dislike most?: Polka

Are you registered to vote?: You betcha!

Do you have cable?: The most basic of basic, just so I can have the WB.

what kind of computer do you have? An HP laptop that is currently on my bad side.

Ever made a prank phone call?: Of course.

You like anyone right now?: Yep.

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?: I'd go sky diving, but bungee jumping makes me nervous for some reason.

Furthest place you ever traveled?: Thailand.

What's your favorite comic strip?: I don't read comics much, but I like Luann and Family Circle.

Do u know all the words to the national anthem?: Yes I do.

Shower, morning or night?: Usually morning.

Best movie you've seen in the past month?: That I hadn't already seen? American Dreamz

Favorite pizza toppings?: ham and pineapple or pepperoni or even just plain cheese.

Chips or popcorn?: Chips usually, but I do love popcorn.

What cell phone provider do you have?: Verizon

Have you ever smoked peanut shells?: I'm not sure how one would even go about doing that.

Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?: No, unless you count the one I was in during a sleepover in sixth grade.

Orange Juice or apple?: Orange Juice!

Who were the last people you sat at lunch with?: Diana

Favorite chocolate bar?: Twix or Take 5

Who is your longest friend and how long?: Laura. We've known each other since sixth grade. (Can you believe that, Laura??)

Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?: A long time ago. I don't really like tomatoes.

Have you ever won a trophy?: Yes, several. I have some bowling trophies from my successful stint as a member of the third grade bowling league, I have some dance trophies, and I have some trophies I won in middle school writing contests.

Favorite arcade game?: Cruisin' USA. Hehe.

Ever ordered from an infomercial?: No, but my parents do it way more than is healthy.

Sprite or 7-UP?: Sprite, but really I don't drink either very often.

Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work?: No, but it sure would have made things easier.

Last thing you bought at Walgreens?: A bubble mailer.

Ever thrown up in public?: Yes, but it was in elementary school.

Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?: Love. Money goes away, but true love lasts forever. (Yes, I could write for Hallmark.)

Do you believe in love at first sight?: No, only lust at first sight.

Spongebob or Jimmy Neutron?: I don't really watch either one.

Did you have long hair as a young kid?: No. I've never really had long hair.

What message is on your voicemail machine?: Something about how I'm sorry to have missed your call and if you leave a message I'll call you back. Very original.

Where would you like to go right now?: A tropical island complete with a hammock and a cute guy.

Whats the name of your pet?: I don't have one.

What kind of backpack do you have, and what's in it?: It's a really old one from Target (I think it's Greatland), and I have a ton of junk in it.

What do you think about most?: Myself, unfortunately.

I'm Okay

I'm still writing. Why do I do this to myself? What really sucks is I have to do it all again for Thursday. Aargh. I would say that next semester will be different, but this semester was supposed to be different as well. Oh, and did I mention that my computer shut down by itself while I took a nap and I lost the 8 pages I had written? I've been up since trying to reconstruct it, but it's not going all that well. It's not like I can tell my teacher my computer ate my paper; how lame is that? I don't know what to do. I am supposed to present this paper in class. I need to just embrace the fact that I am a procrastinating slacker and get used to the idea of no sleep for a few days. But I can't really be content with that, either. Also, part of me wonders if the fact that I put off all of my grad work until the last possible minute indicates a lack of sincere interest in the subject matter and in academia in general. I've been thinking a lot lately about whether or not I want to pursue my PhD after this, and the more I think about it the more I think spending five additional years in school on top of the two I'm dedicating to my master's would drive me absolutely batty.

As much as I love delaying the real world and being paid to go to school, I don't know that I really and truly and passionately love school itself. It's weird for me to say that because those of you who know me probably think of me as that nerd who lives for school, but I don't think that's really who I am anymore, at least not entirely. Part of the reason for that may be because I no longer find my entire identity in my schoolwork so I don't need to throw my entire life into it. I used to be so wrapped up in being the smartest and the best because I felt the only way I could ever make a mark in the world was by doing the one thing I thought I was good at--school. I've since come to realize that 1) it's pointless trying to be the smartest and the best because there will always be someone better; 2) being smart really isn't going to make that much of a mark on the world, as I doubt my writing about masculine authority in Troilus and Criseyde will revolutionize much of anything; 3) school isn't the only thing I'm "good" at (I think.); and 4) I'm not really all that "good" at school if you consider the amount of time I have to work on school in proportion to the amount of time I actually spend working on school-related stuff.

Basically what I've concluded is that my love of books and learning will not be sufficient to carry me through a doctoral program, and I'm okay with that. I can love books and continue learning outside of graduate school, and I might even be able to do that in a way that's more fulfilling and enjoyable, since it will be on my terms and not simply compulsory. It's why I've been thinking about becoming a librarian at a university or teaching high school. It's why I'm at peace with where I am right now because I definitely believe that coming to grad school at UT was what I was supposed to do, if only to show me what I'm not supposed to do after it's over.

Hmm, perhaps I should write blog posts at 5 am more often. 5 am brings a surprising amount of clarity to life.

British Accents Are Fun, or, Adventures in ATL

For whatever reason, my fellow traveling companions and I thought it would be fun if we adopted British accents for the duration of the weekend. I was at first a bit resistant because I don't do accents well, but I finally said, "Hang it all!" and embraced my inner Brit. I have to say, it was a lot of fun. I think it made everything more enjoyable. Only problem is now I can't stop talking like that. I catch myself slipping back into the accent when I'm talking to people at school, and I can just see their minds whirring, thinking "What is going on with Erin's accent?" Oh well.

I have 3 pages of my 10-page paper written. That's pretty good, since I've only put in about an hour and a half of actual work. I should be working on it right now, but I needed a break. Without further ado, here's a rundown of my trip:

First, we stayed at this really posh hotel right in the middle of everything. It is called The Georgian Terrace, it has 18 floors, and it was lovely. So lovely, in fact, that our suite had a full-sized kitchen (complete with dishwasher) as well as a washer and dryer. I wish I had brought my laundry becuase I could have saved some money. Of course, we didn't exactly have time to do laundry and weren't even in our room long enough, so I suppose it worked out for the best. Anywho, after arriving late afternoon on Friday, we gawked over our accomodations and then prepared to go out to dinner. We went to this fun little place called Strip Steaks and Sushi (and I sure wasn't thinking about how googling "The Strip" would bring up a host of different results, some of which were definitely not food-related), located in Atlantic Station, which is basically several blocks of shops and restaurants and a movie theater, and it's really nice and clean.

After this we roamed around and shopped a little before returning around 11 or so. We then got locked out of our hotel room because I didn't realize that putting my room key in with my credit cards would de-magnetize it. Oops. The problem was quickly resolved, fortunately, and now I know to put the room key in a separate place. Let that be a lesson to us all. We wanted to go up on the roof to look at the view, but they closed the stairs leading to the roof at sunset, for whatever reason.

The next morning came bright and early, as we had the Georgia Aquarium to visit. It is a good thing we went early because there were swarms of people every where. The aquarium is apparently the largest in the world, and the setup was really neat, but not all that conducive to effective crowd control. At the aquarium we saw really large sea turtles, sea lions and otters, a myriad of fish, and (this is my favorite) beluga whales! They are just the cutest creatures ever, and I think I particularly love them because their noses remind me of that of dolphins, except that belugas have shorter ones. They were just really majestic and lovely. I also had the chance to touch a sting ray, and it was surprisingly soft and smooth, if not a little slimey. Aside from the crowds, it was a really enjoyable experience.

After the aquarium we grabbed a bite to eat at the Cheesecake Factory, and I have never had such a yummy meal, excepting the last time I was at the Cheesecake Factory. I do believe it is my favorite restaurant ever because they not only have amazingly scrumptious desserts, but they also have amazingly scrumptious entrees. (I probably gained back the 5 pounds I've lost, but I won't dwell on that.) We then went to the spa, where all four of us were scheduled for hour massages. There was one male masseuse, and as none of the other girls were particularly eager to have him be their masseuse, I said that I would even though I was secretly freaking out. He was extremely nice, though, and I do believe it was the best massage I have ever had. And really, after I quit wondering what he thought about all of my flabby skin, it was simply wonderful.

We were so relaxed after the massages that we decided to chill and see a movie. We saw American Dreamz, and it was hysterical. I haven't laughed that much during a movie in a while. I want to see it again, it was that good. Hugh Grant did a great job as Simon Cowell. Two thumbs up!

After the movie, we were starving, so we made a Wendy's run and then headed back to our hotel. We came back to our cleaned room, and I headed to the bathroom, where I saw something I've never seen before:

In case you're wondering, that is in fact a penny in the toilet.  I have no idea how it got there, and I'm not sure I want to know. Very curious.

Sunday we slept in and then headed out to go do some shopping.  I want all of you to meet my new best friend:

IKEA is surely the happiest place on earth. We only spent two hours there, but you really could spend the better part of a day there. It is just oh-so-much fun. I made several fun purchases for very little money. I do love a bargain!

Then we ate lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen, and I had the thai chicken pizza. Even though it sounds a little weird, it was awesome. After browsing the shops of Atlantic Station some more, we were on our way back to Knoxville and back to the reality of schoolwork. Sad. But even though I won't be sleeping until sometime Thursday afternoon, it was all worth it.

If you made it through this entire post, congratulations! I'd give you a prize, but I'm broke now.

I'm Baaack!

Atlanta was fabulous. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Too bad it's over now and I have two papers, a syllabus, and a philosophy of teaching. I've done none of it. Basically, I rule. Details (and pictures!) about my trip forthcoming. I just wanted to update to appease the masses who were experiencing withdrawals. Have a lovely Monday.

I got my bad piece of writing back, and the professor thought it was really good. I don't get it. How is it that I'm incapable of correctly evaluating my own work? I don't have problems evaluating other people's work. Hmm.

This will probably be my last post until Monday. I'm going on a little road trip to Atlanta with some lovely ladies, and we will be gone until Sunday. We're going to be pampered and go shopping and visit the aquarium. Should be marvelous. If only I didn't have a ton of work hanging over my head! Have a great weekend, everyone, and don't drown! It's been pouring here for hours.

Ordinary Beauty

EDIT:  The Palladinos are leaving Gilmore Girls.  They created the show, and after six years, they're leaving.  This is bad.  This is very bad.  Next season will probably be the last, and now I have little hope that it will even be good. 

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

This is fairly accurate, except I'm more likely to give my friends presents than I am to cook for them (and I'm sure they're grateful for that).  What's funny is I don't think I've ever in my life seen the sunrise.  That's too early for me.  I should do that sometime, though.  I'm sure it would be beautiful.  I need to work on living more of a "slow, fulfilling life." I would like to be that way, but more often than not I find myself in the "rush to get things done" mode or the "what will my future be" mode.  I need to live in the present, in the beauty of the everyday. 

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

Gilmore Gaps

I missed the first 20 minutes of Gilmore Girls! Anyone want to fill in the gaps for me?

This was a good episode in my opinion. I have never felt so sorry for Lorelai as I did during that speech. I only wish Luke had been there to see what he's doing to her, and I hope that she talks to him about all of this next week. Why in the world didn't Christopher and Rory take her off the stage earlier than they did? I also really liked Christopher in this episode, which is a new feeling for me. At this point, I'd almost rather Lorelai ended up with him!

The most exciting part for me was when Brian and Kyon kissed! A friend and I totally called that relationship happening back in season 5, so I'm so glad they are making some progress!

I have so much work to do, and I don't want to do any of it. I need to get a job I can leave at 5. Except that's not really the solution, is it?

Nothing Is Worse than Bad Writing

I hate the feeling I get when I turn in something I know is crap.  (And I'm not meaning crap as in "Oh, I really think this is a good paper, but I'm going to say it's crap in case I do poorly."  I mean crap as in, "This is the suckiest, most incoherent piece of writing I've ever produced.")  That's not a good feeling. 

Abstracts are evil; I can't write them. 

EDIT: Wow, grammar is really popular!  Perhaps I shall post some more grammar pet peeves soon.  What do you think? 

Your Blog Should Be Yellow

You're a cheerful, upbeat blogger who tends to make everyone laugh. You are a great storyteller, and the first to post the latest funny link. You're also friendly and welcoming to everyone who comments on your blog.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

I don't know that my blogs are always cheerful and upbeat, but I think yellow suits me.  I feeling pretty sunny right now, even though I turned in a piece of sub par writing.  God is good like that.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!"  Philippians 4:4 (emphasis mine).  This is such a challenge!  What do you think it means to rejoice in the Lord?  Is this different from just being joyful?  How can we rejoice in the Lord? 

FYI

1. "Irregardless" is not a word. Think about it; it makes no sense.
2. Words like "art," "lute," and "music" are not capitalized, unless they are in the title of something, like a museum or a book.
3. "Alot" is not a word!!! There is "allot," meaning to allocate, or "a lot," meaning many. I know I've said this many times, but it keeps creeping up in stuff I read. How did this get started? And how can I make it stop?
4. Starting a paper with "The (fill in tragic event here) was a terrible time in human history" is the most boring and unoriginal way to start a paper. You do that, and you instantly put the teacher to sleep.
5. Paragraphs are typically more than two sentences long. This rule can only be broken if you are a best-selling novelist. Then you can do whatever you want.
6. "Their" is a possessive pronoun, and "they're" is a contraction for "they are." Doesn't seem hard, but somehow the two are constantly confused. (The same goes for "its" and "it's.")
7. Giving your paper the title "Paper 2" displays an egregious lack of creativity.

I think that about covers it. None of this is directed at any of you, but if you do any of the above, get some help. I'll be glad to correct you. What errors drive you crazy?

It is so incredibly hot in the building I've been in all day that I think I may die of a heat stroke. If I do, it's been lovely knowing all of you.

EDIT: I'm alive, in case anyone was wondering. Here's today's stupid comment from my stupidest things ever said calendar: "Today Lesbian forces invaded...no, sorry, that should be Lesbianese." ~TV newscaster. Hahahaha.

Driven to Worship

Sometimes I really wish Knoxville and Memphis weren't 6 hours apart. I get really sleepy on the drive back, and there is nothing more difficult than trying to stay awake while driving when all you want to do is close your eyes. Fortunately, after I stopped in Nashville to have dinner with my friend Sarah, I woke up. We ate at Panera Bread, and when Sarah blessed our meal, she prayed that I would be able to enjoy time with God on the rest of my trip back. That really struck me because I haven't often viewed my time in the car in that light. So after I got back on the road, I began to think of how to use my remaining time. What followed were the most enjoyable three hours I've had in the car. I did some praying out loud, some thinking, some sermon listening, and some singing. Tonight was a great reminder of how each minute of each day is a gift, and I have a responsibility to use the time I've been given wisely.

Here are some of the albums I listened to that got me praising God:

1. You Are So Good to Me by Waterdeep: Waterdeep is a fabulous band whose lyrics are almost always taken straight from Scripture. Song to download: "Big Enough to Hold Me." Sample lyric: "The space in my mind is too small for You. The space in my heart is too small for You too."
2. Psalms by Shane Bernard and Shane Everett: Also taken straight from Scripture, the songs on this album never fail to bless and encourage me. Song to download: "Psalm 145." (If you don't want to download the song, look up Psalm 145. It's one of my favorites.)
3. Sacred Revolution by the Passion Worship Band: All of the Passion CDs are excellent, in my opinion, but I love this one. Song to download: "Knees to the Earth." Sample lyric: "Beautiful Jesus, my heart belongs to Thee. I will remember always the blood You shed for me."
4. Back Home by Caedmon's Call: The songs "You Created," "Awake My Soul," and "Mystery of Mercy" are worth the price of the CD. Sample lyric: "You created nothing that gives me more pleasure than You. You won't give me something that gives me more pleasure than You." Powerful stuff!
5. Imagination by Bethany Dillon: I love, love, love Bethany! Song to download: "My Love Hasn't Grown Cold." I promise, you won't be disappointed. Sample lyric: "If only you could see how heaven stills when you speak. I know your days, and I have wrapped you in mystery."
6. Enter the Worship Circle by 100 Portraits and Waterdeep: This album is really organic and raw, and the songs are also very scriptural. Song to download: "Since I Am So Sick." Sample lyric: "Surely those who wait on You will never be ashamed. All of those who call on You will know the faithfulness of Your name."

In completely unrelated news, I joined the Columbia House movie club, and my 7 movies for $12.89 were waiting for me when I got home (6 were free, 1 was $9.99, plus shipping and handling). Here's what I got:

1. Butterfly Effect
2. Groundhog Day
3. Shawshank Redemption (I'm SO excited to own this one!)
4. Rear Window
5. Vertigo (my all-time favorite Hitchcock flick)
6. Spanglish
7. Batman Begins

Do I have good taste or what? :)

Easter Eggs and Santa Claus

What's the deal with the Easter Bunny? Where did that idea come from? And how is it that the practice of dyeing eggs and having egg hunts has so infiltrated our culture that even churches do it? I know that churches do Easter egg hunts as an outreach (or at least I assume so), but are we just confusing those who come to these events by aligning Easter with Christ and the Easter Bunny? Growing up my family did all of that stuff, but I don't know that I want to celebrate Easter in that way with my kids. I've been thinking about that and Santa Claus, and I was wondering what you guys think. Can you celebrate Christmas and Easter in a way that honors God while including Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? For those of you who have parents and are believers, how do you navigate this issue?

I'm sleepy. It's been a long but lovely day. I could go to sleep right now, but I'm waiting on some clothes to dry. I saved $6.75 by taking my laundry home. Woohoo!

To close, one of my favorite Old Testament passages concerning the coming Messiah:

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

I Left My Brains in Knoxville

Okay kids, today's lesson: Always have a spare key on your person!

Before I got to Memphis, I stopped in Oakland to visit my friend Erin and her baby (after crawling along the interstate for an hour due to some sort of fire/explosion involving a semi). We had a great visit, Bethany is adorable, and I wanted a baby until Bethany started to get fussy. It's always nice being able to give the baby back when she needs changed. Hehe. Anywho, I left Erin's around 3:30 to head home, but I stopped to get gas first at a BP in Oakland. Before I continue, I must explain that whoever installed the remote start in my car configured my locks to lock automatically a few seconds after the engine starts, and today I had taken my keys out of the ignition and then realized that I had left my windows down, so I stuck my keys back in to put the windows up, and left them in the ignition. Then I got out, went to the pump, and started filling up my tank. Sometime in between my getting out of the car and filling up, my doors locked. All of them. I tried all of them multiple times, refusing to believe that I had done something so asinine. I have no other explanation for what happened. (Incidentally, this is not the first time I've done something like this. One time I left my keys in the ignition, with the car running, and was just going to have a merry old time in Target until my friend pointed out that my car was still on. My parents had to drive up to Target with the spare key. Fun times.)

So anyway, I go inside and ask the guy at the counter if he happens to know how to pop a lock. He says no (not surprisingly), and I can't even use my cell to call anyone because it's in my car with everything else, nor do I have any change to use a pay phone. Fortunately, he lets me use the store's phone, so I call my mom and open with the words, "I'm a moron." After I tell her what happened, she says she'll just drive out there with the spare key, but unfortunately my parents no longer have a spare key to my car because the remote starter required that a key be permanently placed somewhere in the engine. (I think it works slightly different than how I just described it, but who cares? It's no good to me sitting in my engine, that's all I know.) So basically I had no easy way of getting into my car, so mom said I should call AAA, and I said I would but my card is in the car. So she tries to find hers, and then she's going to read the number to me, but I remind her that I have nothing on me, not even a pen, so she calls AAA. Meanwhile, I'm hanging out in this BP, in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. (The guy at the counter greeted everyone who entered by name. I'm sure they all thought I was a vagrant or something.)

Fortunately, I had some reading material: The West Fayette Gazette. Unfortunately, the newspaper was a whopping 6 pages, half of which were ads. I read through it anyway and entertained myself with finding all of the grammatical errors. After I found 11 I gave up because it depressed me. Is it so hard to proofread 6 pages? Even better than that were the stories, though. A new bank opened up, so that made the front page. But the big breaking news was the fact that uncooked poultry can spread germs and lead to cross-contamination. I'm glad they cleared that up for everyone because I've been living under a rock and didn't know that you aren't supposed to use the same cutting board for uncooked poultry as you do for other things. I guess you learn something new every day, huh? :) In other news, some guy named something or other decided to become a NASCAR driver after a thrilling experience at Memphis Motor Sports Park. His girlfriend, who gave him the driving experience he had at the motor park, thought this was a great idea, whereas I think I would have told him to get his head examined. (The girlfriend was very enthusiastic about the idea because in her opinion, "race car drivers are hot.")

After I finished the paper, I decided to count how many people coming into the store bought lottery tickets. Out of 28 people (including kids), 25 bought lottery tickets. One guy had some sort of instant-win ticket and got $100, but I saw most people scratch theirs off and either throw them in the trash or buy more. Smart investment, people. Way to deplete those hard-earned paychecks.

In the midst of all this I called my mom back to see what AAA had said, and she said they told her they'd be there within the hour. (She called around 3:50). So I'm thinking I might have to wait half an hour or so, and I can deal with that. The only thing that sucked is that I had to resort to picking apart the local paper and paying way too much attention to people's lotto purchases. But slowly (and I mean sloooowly), 30 minutes turned into an hour, and an hour turned into an hour and a half. Finally, the guy came at 5:15 and had my car unlocked in a matter of minutes. It was kind of amazing, I have to say. He had this little wedge thing that he used to make a space in the lining of the window (I don't know if that's what it's called, but that's the best way I know to describe it.), and then he stuck this little pouch in the gap and pumped it full of air, and then he just stuck this metal rod down in there, moved it around, and voila! I asked him how many times a day he has to bail people out of situations like mine, and he said about 7-8 times. He said that keeps him busier than anything else, which comforted me slightly because it meant my idiocy was not unique. I wonder if locksmiths have to keep their tools locked up in the office. Otherwise, they could just steal any car they wanted, in theory. Hmm...

Anywho, I finally made it home at 6 pm, just in time for homemade salsa and hamburgers. Yummy! Then I realized that in my haste to leave this morning, I had left the clothes I was planning on wearing to the shower and on Easter Sunday lying on my bed in Knoxville. Could I be any more absentminded?! My mom suggested she take me shopping, and being a typical girl, I couldn't turn that down, so we were able to find something for me to wear. I felt bad because I definitely didn't need anything, but the outfit is really cute. Oh well.

I'll close with some verses that have been on my mind as Easter approaches:

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:1-8

There is no greater love than His.

Fame! I'm gonna live forever!

Some of you may recall a post from November in which I shared with you my exciting debut on the World Wide Web. Well, I still ask Michael Ausiello questions every now and then, to see if I get in his column again, and this week I did it! Here's the blurb:

Question: Please tell me I am having a nightmare about the upcoming Gilmore Girls season finale. Why would ******* ***** **** ***********? — Erin

Ausiello: Oh, that spoiler information. Well, all I have to say about that is this: ***** and *** don't necessarily mean the same thing. But if they do happen to mean the same in this instance, well, be afraid, Erin. Be very afraid.

The asterisks are concealing the "meat" of my question, which concerns a spoiler I heard that has me quite up in arms (he inserted the asterisks, but I kept them so as not to ruin the surprise for those who choose to remain unspoiled). In fact, if things play out like I've heard they're going to, I may have to quit watching Gilmore Girls. Yes, you heard me right. I just hope that for once the spoilers are wrong.

Memories from the corners of my mind

I'm going home tomorrow! (Or later today, technically speaking.) I will get to see my friend Erin and her little baby on the way home, and then it's family time! It's been over two months since I've been home, and while I've certainly gone longer without seeing my parents, I'm really excited. Saturday morning I'm going to a wedding shower for my brother's fiancee, Nikki. I still can't believe my little brother is getting married. I remember when we used to have wrestling matches on the living room floor and "camp out" in his room. I remember one time when we wrestled and he started crying, and I thought I had killed him, and he kept saying his chest was hurting, and I was freaking out, and my parents ended up having to rush him to the emergency room. (That has to be the record for the most independent clauses in one sentence.) Turns out he had a gigantic gas bubble lodged in his chest or something random like that. I have no idea what made me remember that just now, but I hope you enjoyed that delightful walk down memory lane. It will be so weird when he and Nikki are married and living in their house. I hardly ever see him as it is, so I can only imagine how little I'll see him when he moves out of my parent's house, which will be the beginning of May.

Dang it, I'm kind of sad now. I'm going to go cry.

P.S. I really need a new "quote of the week" since the one I currently have is more like "quote of the semester." If anyone has any favorite quotes they'd like to share, please submit them for consideration. I'll pick my top 3 and then you can vote on them! Won't that be fun?!

Interesting...

So tonight I went to Target to get a birthday gift (I promise it was cute and I'm not just cheap), and I stopped by the restroom. I always get one of those paper seat covers because I'm paranoid about germs and getting hepatitis (which is funny b/c I've totally been in some nasty bathrooms overseas and there were no paper seat covers). Anyway, as I was pulling one of the covers out of its little holder (or whatever it's called), I noticed that the outside of the cardboard holder said, "For external use only." Interesting. I don't know if I want to know the scenario that prompted the makers of the paper seat covers to include that warning.

And I just have to say, I'm SO glad that Bucky is gone from American Idol! The only tragedy is that Mandisa went before him.

Just Like Middle School

I just had a 3-way call. I haven't done that in years. In fact, I don't know if I've ever done it, but it was fun. Emily , Kristin, and I were planning our road trip from Seattle to Memphis. I have to say, I am incredibly excited about it. We know we're going from Seattle to Cannon Beach, OR, then on to San Francisco to Las Vegas (yeah!), but then after that we're just going to kind of wing it. We really think it would be fun to see some random landmarks or attractions, like the largest ball of twine or something like that, but we don't know of any. (FYI: the largest balls of twine are in Kansas and Minnesota. Who knew?) Does anyone know of anything of interest in Nevada, Arizona, the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, or Arkansas? No idea is too dumb or too crazy!

Best moment of Gilmore Girls tonight: Lorelai dumping her coffee all over Lane's (huge and hideous) wedding dress. It was truly hilarious.

Because of GG, I wasn't able to catch much of American Idol, but I did see Kellie, Taylor, and some of Paris. I'm still reeling from the shock of Kellie, of all people, singing "Bohemian Rhapsody," but she actually wasn't that bad. What was bad, however, was her inability to understand Simon's use of the phrase "on paper." Good grief!

Silent Laughter and Alarm Clocks

Okay, I really need to quit reading Xanga subscriptions or MySpace messages in public places like the UT library because today I've been laughing so much, and I have to be quiet about it, which means I just look like this moronic girl with her mouth open and a stupid grin on her face.

I also really need to figure out a way to wake up on time. I woke up today with just enough time to find clean clothes to wear (which was kind of hard since I really need to do laundry) and wash my hair, but not dry out. This means I've been walking around all day with hair that looks like it's been electrocuted because when I let my hair air-dry it turns into this half-curly/half-frizzy mess. Serves me right for not waking up on time. I don't know what my problem is. Do you know how many alarms I set? THREE! And I still can't get up! Or rather, I do get up long enough to turn off said alarms and crawl back into bed. What can I do to remedy this?!

The Way We Were

EDIT: I'm SO SLEEPY! Why does exercise work like a sleeping pill for me? I just don't get it. I got about 7 hours last night, which is more than usual for a "school night," so I don't know what the deal is.

I bought some whole grain shredded wheat because the box said "Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks!" and naturally I'm a sucker for blatant lies like that. So the deal is that you eat the cereal for two meals a day, and this is supposed to result in a 10-pound weight loss. What they neglect to tell you, however, is that doing this means you're STARVING an hour after eating! Stupid cereal.

This is the point in the semester where I typically freak out about all I have to get done before the end, but for some strange reason that's not happening. So instead of just rejoicing that I'm not obsessing over school, I'm worried that I'm not taking school seriously. Who worries about not worrying enough? I'm such a sicko.

* * * * * * *
The Way We Were is so amazing. Has anyone else seen it? It just really moved me, I don't know why. There's this one heartbreaking scene where Barbara Streisand's character calls Robert Redford's character and wants him to come over and comfort her because she needs her best friend and he's it, but he's also the reason she's crying (which, incidentally, is the scene that Lorelai references in the Gilmore Girls episode where she and Luke are broken up and she calls him to come over). It just made me cry and cry. And you know what I realized? Brad Pitt looks like a young Robert Redford. The whole movie I kept thinking that.

Some excellent quotes (from different parts of the same scene, interestingly enough):

Hubbell: You push too hard, Katie, every minute. There's never time to relax and enjoy living. Everything's too serious to be so serious.
Katie: If I push too hard it's because I want things to be better, I want us to be better, I want you to be better. Sure I make waves, I mean you have to. And I'll keep making them till you're everything you should be and will be. You'll never find anyone as good for you as I am, to believe in you as much as I do or to love you as much.

Hubbell: Katie, you expect so much.
Katie: Oh, but look what I've got.

*Sigh.*

On Hockey Games and Scriptural Unity (how's that for a weird combo?)

Last night I went to my first-ever hockey game with three other girls, and it was such a blast! I didn't really think I'd have that much fun since I'm not really into sports as a general rule, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. The Knoxville Ice Bears are in the playoffs against the Florida Seals, and they won their game 2-1, the second of the 5-game series. It was really exciting, and we had great seats (2nd row!) because Katie got free tickets from work. There was this woman in front of us who was a diehard fan, and she kept yelling all of these hilarious things, like "Welcome to Knoxville, sucker!" as a Seal was being slammed against the wall or "Go back to Florida, you scum!" or "Grow a brain, moron! My mom can play better than you!" She and her friends were even making seal noises, and so we joined in, and it was great fun. I'm pretty sure some of the Ice Bears thought we were fabulous because when we'd do it, some of them were looking and grinning. And Diana came up with the best insults for the refs, who couldn't seem to call a fair game, like "Go back to Foot Locker, idiot!" It was so much fun. I wish it weren't the end of the season so we could go to more games.

In completely unrelated news, I went to a new church this morning, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I woke up really late so all I had time to do was brush my teeth, comb my hair, and throw some clothes on. For a moment I was tempted not to even go because I was going to be late, but I'm glad I went. The sermon was one of the best I've heard in a long time. The pastor spoke out of Joshua 3, the passage where Joshua is preparing to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. He made so many fascinating connections between the symbolism of Jewish practices in the Old Testament and Christ's fulfillment of them in the New Testament. Realizing all of the intricate ways in which God links the Old and the New gave me a much-needed reminder of His ultimate omniscience, and it showed me once again how the Bible as whole, and not just the New Testament, is a perfect picture of God's plan of salvation for humanity. What a beautiful, amazing story He tells! I wish I could hear more passages from the Old Testament; it seems that it's neglected a lot of the time, except for maybe Psalms and Proverbs. I love coming away from a sermon feeling challenged and awed by God's mercy and goodness in my life. It's such a treasure. I'm so grateful for the Church. As we are entering Holy Week, may we remember all that God has done and continues to do for us.

Small Victory

EDIT: "There is something in the human psyche that confuses beauty with the right to be loved." (from O magazine) How true!

Guess who lost 2 pounds this week? Go me! I know it's not really anything, but it's exciting nevertheless. And I wasn't looking forward to working out today, but now I'm motivated because it's working! Pray for me that I keep it up!

P.S. Super Size Me is disturbing. I also promise not to make all of my posts about my weight.

Life in Academia

EDIT: So the temperature is dropping pretty much every ten minutes or so. I'm a little nervous about these storm systems.

So yesterday I had to go to my bi-monthly tutor's meeting, and we ended up going to the Tomato Head for lunch. For all of you deprived souls who don't have a Tomato Head (and I think that would be all of you who don't live in Knoxville since I think it's a local place), it is one of the yummiest sandwich places I've ever been to. They also have pizzas and calzones and salads and an extensive dessert menu (which I didn't touch! go me!), and we had a fun time. It definitely was better than meeting in stuffy McClung Tower.

Anyway, my point of all this exposition is to tell you this incredibly humorous experience one of my colleagues had in the writing center. This guy came in with a paper for his botany class, and he said the assignment was to "write about any subject related to botany." Talk about broad, and there was no way to know if in fact that was the assignment because he didn't have the prompt, so my friend just asked him what he'd decided on. His topic? Plants in the Bible. I kid you not. So she did all she could to suppress a groan and read his paper. He started out talking about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and how there's a debate about what kind of tree it is because despite popular opinion that it's an apple tree, the Bible doesn't in fact specify this (he is right on that point). So he said you couldn't say for sure it was an apple that Eve ate. Then he talked about Moses and the burning bush. He said that 80 years ago this would have seemed astounding, but now, knowing what we know about forest fires, it's not quite so astounding, since plants can in fact catch fire but not be consumed. (Where he got the "80 year" benchmark from, I have no idea.) Then he talked about grapes and how they used them to make their wine and thus it was different from what we consider wine. He said it wasn't as potent and that they didn't have other things to drink, like "sodas and sports drinks." Those were his exact words, so apparently he thinks they did have iced tea and frappes? The whole paper was like this, and I'm just glad it wasn't me reading it because I was laughing so hard when my friend was talking about it that it would have been hard to seriously help the poor guy. I appreciate his desire to incorporate the Bible into academics, but he was stretching it just a bit, and I don't know that his professor would even consider it to be a paper about botany.

Working in the writing center is nothing if not endlessly amusing. I had a guy come in this week who wanted to know if he needed to have a thesis statement for his paper. I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't. He said he was confused about that because then he'd have to make every sentence in his paper relate to his thesis, and I told him that's kind of the point. Then I asked him to see what he'd written, and he hadn't actually written anything, nor had he even picked a topic! Bless his heart. Oh, and the title of one girl's paper from my 102 class: "The Evolution of Photography During the Holocaust, Along with Other Art as Well." She just wanted to make sure she covered all her bases.

Meditations on Singlehood, Part Two

Is God enough? I don't ask that in a way that's meant to sound blasphemous or flippant; it's just something I've been trying to think through. Let me explain:

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 73:25: "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You." I return to this verse, and the ones following it, whenever I feel dissatisfied with being single or when I just feel lonely. I remind myself that all I need is God. To be honest, sometimes this helps, sometimes it doesn't.

Then there's the song "Enough" by Chris Tomlin (I think he wrote it): "All of You is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need. You satisfy me with Your love. All I have in You is more than enough." I've sung that song many times, taken comfort in it, tried to remind myself of the words when I'm wishing I were married.

But then there's Genesis. Adam is in the garden, and God says, "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him." God Himself said it's not good for man to be alone, but Adam was with God, right? So what does it mean that God felt Adam needed someone else? If God is enough, if He is all I need, then what are other people for? And I'm not really sure I'm comfortable with saying that God isn't enough, so how do I reconcile these two ideas? I know that if I'm not happy being single, I won't be happy being married, and I know that I need to be content with where God has me, and I honestly am trying.

I think I've been thinking too much.

Dancing Impaired

EDIT: Mandisa off American Idol?? This show blows! I know her song choice was horrible, but she's way better than say, Bucky. Gag me with a big giant spoon!

Why is it that after working out I feel energized for about 20 minutes, and then I just want to fall asleep? Or eat? Isn't that sort of evil of my body--to make me want sleep and food after exercise? Does anyone else experience this?

I have this workout DVD that I bought called "Cardio Dance Blast," and of course when I bought it I thought I would hate it, not be able to do it, or just not want to do it. Well, I don't hate it, I actually have fun doing it, but I definitely can't do all the dance moves. Anything involving hip action completely throws me off. I'm just not used to moving my hips on command; I generally forget my hips are there, as odd as that sounds. In the video there's these women in their cute little workout clothes, moving their hips in a way that doesn't make them look like an uncoordinated moron, and then there's me, trying to figure out how to move my hips in a way that doesn't look like I'm being jerked by invisible hands. Oh well. I've just started jogging in place when there's a move I can't do, and I figure as long as I'm moving, it's good. And who knows, maybe by the summer I'll be a dancin' diva! (I can dream, can't I?)

What's funny about this video is all of the women in it are of course dressed in clothes suitable for working out, except for one. There's one girl who's wearing jeans and a t-shirt and going to town, and it's like they stuck her in there to make the viewer think, "Wow, anyone off the street can just come right in and start dancing!" She's also the only one who doesn't look like she weighs 2 pounds dripping wet, which is nice. Also funny are the comments the instructor gives, like "Shake it, don't break it, girl!" or "I know you've got a booty, so stick it out there!" or "Swing those hips. You know you like it!" Haha. I can't help but giggle when she says things like that, and then I thank God that I'm doing this in the privacy of my own home and away from laughing eyes.

Meditations on Singlehood, Part One

EDIT: Dumbest commercial ever: A woman jogging, with a voiceover that says, "I can't concentrate. Could I be pregnant?" Um, WHAT?! That's the worst logic I've ever heard! Come on, Ept, think of something better than "I can't concentrate!" Next thing you know we'll be hearing, "I'm so tired. Could I be pregnant?" Sheesh.

And oops, pretty sure we forgot to pay the rent. It was due on the first. It's always due on the first, so how in the world we managed to forget is beyond me. We'll probably be homeless tomorrow. Awesome.

I've always been of the old-fashioned persuasion and felt that men should be the pursuers in relationships, but what about Ruth? She laid herself at the feet of Boaz as a way of saying "Hey, I'm available!" This certainly caught Boaz's attention, seeing as how they ended up getting married, so what does that mean? I read a two-part article about "pulling a Ruth" that talks about the importance of women making themselves available to men and not being passive, and this isn't the first article that's talked about women not just "settling" with singlehood, but how are we supposed to do that without looking like we're desperate or trying to take control? Do I wear a sign on my clothes that says, "Hey, Christian guys, I'm single and want to settle down?" I guess I've always just assumed that guys figured most women had marriage on the brain from the age of 2. Not only that, but it frustrates me that so many Christian guys can't seem to get up enough guts to just ask a girl out. All of this is a big puddle of confusion in my head, but here's what's had me thinking a lot the past few months:

1. Are there things about me or my life that would suggest to single guys that I'm not open to marriage right now? Does pursuing my MA and possibly my PhD mean I'm sending out some sort of message that implies I want a career over marriage?
2. I read all sort of articles and hear messages from speakers that urge singles not to delay marriage but to embrace it and enjoy it while young. That's all well and good, but it's not like I've been keeping guys at arm's length and refusing marriage proposals left and right. What am I supposed to do until marriage presents itself? Where's the middle ground?
3. How can I encourage Christian men to step up and be the leader God wants them to be in relationships? What could I potentially be doing that would discourage them from this?
4. How can I both embrace the idea of marriage but at the same time pursue a career?
5. Am I willing to give up my aspirations of being a professor were I to meet someone I want to marry? In other words, would I be willing/able to put family over career?

I'm not sure what compelled me to write all of this, but I've been dealing with these questions for a while and thought it might be good to hear what you think. So please jump in with advice, comments, criticisms, etc.

Stay tuned for part two: Is God enough?

Beautiful Ugliness

Crazy weather last night! Earlier that evening I almost got pelted by hail while leaving Borders, which was fun. I ended up waiting around the lobby of the store with about 5 other people until the hail let up, and while there I ended up meeting this woman who lives in my apartment complex, right across from me, no less. Weird. I usually love storms, revel in them even, but last night I was tired and stressed and I just wanted to sleep, but I couldn't because there were loud cracks of thunder every two seconds, along with almost constant flashes of lightning. I think I was up from 2:30-5, just lying in bed and counting the intervals between thunder. Nothing makes you feel small and insignificant like a mighty thunderstorm.

Then today I go outside, and it's absolutely gorgeous! The sun is shining, the wind is blowing (somewhat forcefully, but it's nice), and it's the perfect temperature. I think it's God's way of reminding us that something beautiful always comes out of something ugly. Isn't that what He does with us: takes our dark, ugly, sinful hearts and make them beautiful and pure? What a gift!

You know, thinking about all He's done really makes facing the stress of this week a lot more bearable. Isn't that something?

Also, hooray for flip-flops! Do you know that I refused to wear flip-flops up until my freshman year in college because I hated my feet? It's true. I actually wouldn't wear any shoes that showed my toes. But thankfully I got over that and discovered the freedom of flip-flops.

Baffling

EDIT 2: I was in Panera earlier doing some reading/research, and I tried to access xanga while taking a break, but the server wouldn't let me because it deemed my xanga a site with "mature, adult content." Huh?! I've been able to update before from there. I'm sure there probably is mature, adult content on xanga, but certainly not on my site.

EDIT: I just handed over all the web files to my partner. I'm through with my part, which was all of the design elements, fixing all of the technical bugs, making things uniform, etc. She's going to edit all of the text and check the links, and then we will be done! That is, until the review board gets back to us and tells us what's wrong with all of it. But for now, I'm done and I'm so excited! This project has sucked the life out of me for the past month, and I'll be glad for a reprieve, even though my reprieve will be short since I have 50 pages of writing to do in the next four weeks. Awesome. But then my first year of grad school is over. I'm a survivor! Praise the Lord!!!

Did anyone else forget to set their clocks forward last night? What's sad is that yesterday afternoon I reminded my roommate that it was daylight savings, and yet my mind completely forgot that fact between that time and the time I went to bed (which was late-stupid website). As I was cursing my idiocy this morning, I kept thinking, why in the world do we even have daylight savings? I really don't get it. I decided that because I missed church this morning due to this, it clearly is a ploy of the devil for just such a purpose.

While we're on the subject of things that baffle me, who first decided that women shouldn't have hairy legs? It was probably a man. Grr. And who decided that shampoo and conditioner should be too different things? Hmm...

What baffles you?

Happy April Fool's Day! I knew no one would actually buy my being engaged (at least not at present, since I'm not even dating anyone), but it was funny to me at least. Hehe.

But I wasn't kidding about the website, so if you haven't already done so, tell me what you think of the yellow! Please and thank you.

The movie Dead Poets Society is one of the best ever, in my opinion. Too bad it still makes me cry even though I've seen it at least 10 times.

Voice Your Opinion

Okay, so Stacey and I are finalizing our website, but in the past two days two different people have told us they don't like the background on our main template. We happen to like it, but we certainly don't want other people to be turned off by it, so if you would be so kind, check it out and then tell me what you think. Is the yellow too much? What if the background were black? Or gray? Do you have other ideas? (Ignore the other stuff; that is just the last version we uploaded.) Thanks for your input!

Also, thanks so much to all of you who left such encouraging messages on my last post. I honestly didn't write that post for that reason (complaining was more the goal of that particular post, hehe), but I appreciate it more than you know.