Beautiful Disaster

New Blog Location

2010-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Switching it up!

New blog is here.

Nathan designed it. It's pretty cool.

This old blog will go offline in a week.

Bookworm Post

2010-11-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

A friend posted this on Facebook, and I said to myself, "Self, let's do this for fun!"

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

Instructions: Bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read an excerpt.
Also amend this with an asterix if you've seen the movie/tv version.

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen *

2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien *

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling (all) *

5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee*

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa May Alcott *

12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier*

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien*

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

19 The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll*

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame*

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis*

34 Emma – Jane Austen *

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis*

37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere*

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - William Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne*

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabrial Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery*

47 Far from the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaids Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martell

52 Dune – Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen*

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love in the time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas*

66 On the Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding *

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens*

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson

74 Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens*

82 Cloud Atlas - Charles Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte's Web - EB White *

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare*

99 Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl  *

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo *

I think this will be my reading list for a while...

Pie in my Eye

2010-11-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Next Wednesday is Pie Night, an evening dedicated to nothing but pie...well, and a ham cooked in Coke. But it's really about the pies.

Pie Night is a Thanksgiving family tradition for our friends, the Kirklands, and they have established their own tradition here in San Diego. Everyone brings a pie, they are labeled, and you get to graze all night...or at least until they kick you out.

I'm excited, but am having trouble deciding what pie to make this year.

So, if anyone actually reads this blog anymore, I'm taking a poll: what's your favorite pie?

What I Like About Cruises: A List

2010-11-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

In no particular order:
1. Lounge Chairs
2. Waterslides
3. No need to get in a car, drive to the store, pick up groceries, bring them home, prep, cook, serve, do dishes...just go to the restaurant, look at the menu (with no prices!), and say, "I'll have...this..."
4. Jacuzzi's open until 12am
5. Karaoke
6. Speed Scrabble with friends to determine who will have to sing Karaoke
7. Felix Watch
8.Snorkeling in Catalina
9. Towel Animals
10. Time with Nathan
11. Time with friends
12. Lazy days in the sun
13. Soft serve ice cream 24/7
14. Mini-golf
15. Sunsets
16. Excuse to get a new bathing suit (that I LOVE)
17. Reading...a lot
18. Sleeping in, in a room that is cave-like so you never actually know what time it is.

For more pics of our Carnival Cruise, click here!

Fall

2010-10-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Fall is upon us, which really doesn't mean much in San Diego. Our fall has consisted of record high temps (113 degrees) and sudden drops into "chilly" weather - which means the low 60s. Low 60s in San Diego = gloves for many. My MN friends and family scoff...shoot, I scoff...

In order to make myself feel autumn-ish, I've been drinking a lot of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, gazing longingly at pictures of colored leaves from my mother and sister-in-law, and stocking up on canned pumpkin from Trader Joe's. I have already made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, and am hoping to attempt my first Pumpkin Bread soon. What other Pumpkin treats should I be making?

Reminisce

2010-07-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a year and a month, but I've finally, FINALLY gotten a wedding album together. It took some major time...we had a TON of pictures, and since we had numerous activities before the wedding, we had even MORE pictures to go through.

For our guest book, our friend Richard took Polaroids of all of our guests and then our guests created their own scrapbook page. At some point during the reception, the Polaroid camera saw a lot of action...it was so funny going through those pictures!

Below is a sample of some of the Polaroid pictures. Enjoy!

Unplugged

2010-07-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to unplug from Social Networking for a bit - FB and Twitter specifically. Perhaps this will kick start a new wave of blogging again; since those two sites were my go-to sites when I was bored, maybe my blog will become my new go-to.

Other than unplugging, it's been a quick summer, or at least it feels like it. The other day my friend Kristy asked me what Nathan and I had been up to in June, and I sat there...and sat there...and sat there...and could not for the life of me remember June! Bah.

Things I do remember doing this summer:

Celebrating my one-year wedding anniversary
Going sailing for my anniversary and with friends
REI Used Gear Sale
First Dim Sum experience with friends
Working a trade show booth with Nathan
Attending an Iron Chef birthday party for our friend Rebecca (the secret ingredient: AVACADO!)
Celebrating my dad's birthday and 4th of July in MN
Going to Disneyland
Celebrating Nathan's 29th birthday by planning a surprise visit from his family
Pedicures with Jayne and Allie
Realizing I am no longer in the "everyone's getting married" season of my life, but have definitely entered the "everyone's having babies" season - and no, I am NOT one of them!
Celebrating Grandpa Clark's 90th birthday with a surprise party in Ventura
Clark family photoshoot in Ventura
Girls night out at Eclipse Chocolate

Whew...ok, so a lot has happened this summer. No wonder I can't remember it all!

Nate, me, and our friend Rebecca

Our trip to Disneyland

With my cousin's kids in MN

Clark family photo shoot

Pucks Dropping

2010-04-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

Whoa. When you live in a city that doesn't have a hockey team, and you don't watch much television anymore, and even if you did, your city doesn't air any hockey games on the local stations anyway, well, when you put all those things together, it comes as a surprise to you when you find out that the hockey playoffs are just starting.

During the Winter Olympics, I did get to rediscover my love of the game. Suddenly, hockey was being broadcast in San Diego. Joy! Even the Russia vs. Czech Republic game gave me a thrill.

And then, it was gone. Canada won the gold in a nail biting overtime game, and then, no more hockey. Out of sight, out of mind.

But now...here we are, playoff time. And wouldn't you know, 2 of the 3 California teams are in the running? What the what?

I can clearly remember watching the Flames getting beat by (I think) the Tampa Bay Lightning, and I was TICKED because some state down south who didn't know what ice was beat out a team from hockey country. (I'm a Minnesota girl...if the Wild aren't in it, I'll probably go for a team from Canada. It just seems right...well, unless it's Vancouver...) But now...after living in California for almost 3 years, and the Kings and the Sharks in the playoffs, I feel like I've gotta support one of them.

I think this would be a good time to spring for cable.

Side note: I discovered that it was the playoffs via a food blog, and I love that.

Video Killed the Radio Star...But What Killed Good Videos?

2010-04-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

I can clearly remember MTV's early years. I loved my MTV. I would sit with my dad and watch Madonna, Dire Straits, ZZ Top, and Cyndie Lauper tell stories through their songs. MTV in the 80s was awesome. MTV now is not. I know they still do Music Video Awards on MTV, but do they actually show them anymore? I swear all they have now are reality TV shows. Even if they do show them, music videos today are nothing like music videos of the past; they barely ever tell a story anymore.

When I was in high school, I had a weird pastime. I loved music, and loved lying on our living room couch with the headphones on listening to the radio. While listening, in my head, I would make up my own ice skating routines, dance routines, and music videos to whatever song happened to be playing. I always kind of wondered if I brought my skating routine ideas to coaches if they would actually work, or if they would be physically impossible to do.

I still do this from time to time...ok, I do it a lot. And this week, students at the college I work at are making their own music videos for Student Senate's annual MVA's (Music Video Awards). There have been some really, really fantastic ones in years past. The faculty and staff are even getting involved this year and are making their own; I am on the planning committee for it.

This has caused me to again hear songs and build music videos in my head. I have created music videos for most of the departments on campus that will never get made...but they're entertaining to me.

In honor of music videos of the past, I am sharing with you my All Time Favorite music video from my childhood. If I were a judge at the college MVA's and someone recreated this, they would get an automatic WIN from me...it is that good...

Good Intentions

2010-04-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

I think we often go through life filled with good intentions that never take shape. These intentions sit in our heads, waiting to be given life, but are never given a chance. Before to long, these good intentions die off and are replaced with other good intentions that may or may not happen.

I have never been good at sending thank-you notes. I appreicate them and think I should be better at sending them, and many time intend to, but it hardly ever happens. At this moment, I have a long, running list of people I should send thank-you notes to, dating back a few months. Which means the list is growing and now I’m feeling overwhelmed by the number of thank-you notes I need to write. And, being a recently married gal, I’ve already had my fair share of thank-you card writing, so this long list isn’t exactly taking a priority in my life right now. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

You know why? Because those people on my list can’t read my thoughts; they have no idea that they are sitting on a list of people that I really do want to send a note of thanks to. This is the realization I have been coming to more and more; yes, God sees my heart and knows how thankful I am, but people in my life who have blessed me beyond belief with gifts or amazing hospitality can’t. I need to take action to thank them.

It isn’t just with thank-you notes; it’s with words of encouragement, expressing your opinion, calling someone out, sending a random gift, volunteering, actually praying for someone right there when you say you will, calling a friend to catch up. Keeping these things inside you, as good of intentions as they may be, won’t really do anyone any good. Let them loose! Take action!

I am preaching to myself in this blog post. I so often internalize good intentions; I need to practice action.

Stuff Christians Like - The "Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?" Scorecard

2010-04-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian? Scorecard”

47. During a commercial break, they try to lay hands on Ryan Seacrest = + 2 points

To add up your score with over a 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net.

Websites for Churches

2010-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

CityGates

Everyone seems to be on the internet these days. My mom has a Facebook page; Nathan's grandparents have email addresses and Facebook; former and current co-workers are LinkedIn; news agencies are following Twitter for the most current breaking news.

With this explosion of online networking happening, CityGates wants to help your church reach others, build community, and continue conversations on the web. CityGates was conceived and built by my husband, Nathan, and his business partner, Matt.

CityGates offers some really great features for churches in this ever-growing online social networking era, including their newest feature - an iPhone app (you read that right!)

One of the best things about CityGates is how easy it is to maintain. At one time, I was an intern for a youth ministry at a mid-sized church; I can guaruntee you if we had had a website, I would have been the one doing most of the updates for the youth ministry part of the site. If we had had CityGates, there would have been no issues - I could have created mission trip forms, uploaded photos from our outreach event, and blogged my heart out about what God was teaching me as I worked with students.

Nathan and Matt are available for support as you get set up or run into problems, and they are always working to make CityGates better. You can try it for free for 30 days, and if you mention me, you get 20% off for life!

Whether you're starting a church, at an existing church, or at a parachurch organization, Nathan, Matt, and CityGates can help you get you on the web. Check them out on their website, or give them a call. Tell them I sent you!

College Advertising

2010-03-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Colleges and Universities today are really doing a great job using the popular social networking sites to connect to current and future students. And now, YouTube. The Chronicle of Higher Education featured this video as one of their favorites. It is very, very clever. I think it is great when college presidents are willing to go outside of the "President" box for something like this.

Cooking Classes

2010-02-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

This blog should have been written last week, but, well, things got busy again. So here it is now.

For Christmas, Mellie and I got cooking classes from our dear, sweet husbands. While this could be taken a completely different way, we both actually wanted them. We signed up for the class of our choice, and our first class was Thursday. Below are some pics of the items we made with our group: Mellie helped with the pork loin, and I made the mashed potatoes.

The potatoes boil. I am very impatient with potatoes. Our teacher, Chef Jen, said to boil them until you could easily stick a knife through. That took FOREVER.

Here, Mellie is peppering the pork.

The pretty pork is tied up and ready to be cooked.

Ooo...so golden!

This asparagus was AMAZING. I want to make it all the time now.

The class is every Thursday during the month of February. I will be posting pics here after each class to show off our cooking skills. The best part about the class is getting to eat everything we make!

LOST

2010-02-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

2 years ago Nathan and I joined a community group at church that met on Thursday nights. In the bulletin, the leaders of this group said that their group would be "done in time for LOST!!!" (There actually might have been more exclamation points.) At this point in my life, I had seen 1.5 episodes of this phenomenon - a recap show during Season 3 and half of a Season 3 episode. Needless to say, the whole LOST thing wasn't a draw for me, and I thought maybe I could get away with bringing a book to read since I knew I wouldn't be getting sucked into this show.

Ha.

HaHa.

Ha.

LOST should come with a warning label: "May be addictive." "May bring out the conspiracy theorist you thought was dormant." I mean, wow. I had no idea it would suck me in, but there I was, eagerly awaiting the next episode, wondering what would happen to the band of survivors.

Last year, for the Season 5 premiere, Chad and Mellie (our small group hosts) got uber-creative. We all got these in the mail:

We also played LOST bingo:

This year, the FINAL SEASON, we all gathered once again to take in the Season Premiere together. Bingo was played. And, Nathan and I got creative as well:

This cupcake cake was the brainchild of my creative husband. He had discovered the exact shape of the LOST island, and found some sweet, cheap airplanes to tear apart. Of course, they were edible:

Watch out for the tail-ies!

I really do love the fact that LOST is ending after these season. It is truly brilliant, and I think most shows should plan their life-span this way.

The best part about LOST is talking about theories. There are so many floating around the internets, and so many talked about in our group (but only during commercial breaks - strict rule. You will get the evil eye and SHUSHED if you try to have a conversation during the show).

If you haven't watched the show, I recommend starting at the beginning. I swore I wouldn't do it, but found there were quite a few pieces I was missing in the LOST puzzle. Get all 5 seasons and by the time you finish, the final season will be out on DVD.

Raise a cupcake for the final season of LOST! It's bound to be a season of answers, more questions, more theories, and more mystery.

Titles are Overrated, As is Age

2010-02-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

I know I've been absent. I've been chastised for it, don't worry. It seems to be a recurring theme amongst the blog world; some of my favorite bloggers suddenly MIA, their blogs sitting, vacant since mid-summer or fall. Are we lazy? Too busy? There could be multiple reasons/excuses to throw out there. The funny thing is, we all come creeping back to the blog...slowly, maybe with a few pictures at first, then with some soliloquy, then a quick life update, and then nothing for long periods of time again. Okay, so maybe that's just me. Let's move on...

I'm turning 30 in nine days. This is a crazy thought to me. So crazy, I felt like I needed some epic project to countdown the days. On Sunday during church, it came to me: write one blog a day until the big day. Obviously, I've already somewhat failed this project and missed one day, but I'm going to be diligent from now on and even attempt to write an extra one today to make up for the slip.

When I was young, 30 seemed so old. Well, to be honest, when I was young, 8th graders seemed so old. It's all about perception, really. In Kindergarten, the Junior Highers seem old; in Junior High, the Senior Highers seem old; in Senior High, College Students seem ancient, and in College, 30 is far, far away...yet here I am, standing on 30's doorstep.

I don't feel like I am turning 30. In fact, from day to day, I feel a different age. There are some days when I feel like a little kid, so excited about the littlest thing. Other days, I feel like my emo-teenage self, ticked off and sullen and withdrawn. There are days I swear I just graduated from college, or am not old enough to be out of college yet. "Where did my 20s go, and how did I get this job? I don't think I'm qualified..."

I say I don't FEEL like I'm turning 30, but is age something we really feel, like an emotion? It is but the number of years we've been on the earth; the number of years we've been breathing outside the womb (unless you are from a culture that counts the womb as one year...in that case I totally missed my 30th birthday and am really 31, which is kind of nice). If I am "feeling my age", what does that really mean? I know of 80 year old men and women who, due to the lifestyle they have chosen, probably are not feeling their age, but feel as young as me.

These are some unfinished thoughts, but thoughts I have as the "BIG 3-0" approaches. I don't feel like I'm turning 30, and I don't think I have to. But I can celebrate it, and celebrate the 30 years God has given me. With cupcakes. And maybe Karaoke. Maybe.

What We Have Been Up To Lately

2009-11-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

If you want to, you can sing this blog title to the tune of Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" It's okay. Go ahead. There's no shame. I'm still singing it.

I digress.

Well, the triathlon ended, so you would think life would slow down. HA. Here are just a few of the things we've been doing this past month:

1.Apartment hunt for us, office hunt for Brand New Box, Nate's business.
2. Grandpa and Grandma Clark visit!

3. Natalie and Ned's wedding in WI

4. Celebrated mom's birthday in MN

5. Nathan's science experiment.

6. Got away for a weekend to Palm Springs

7. Brand New Box office Move from La Mesa to University Heights

For Thanksgiving, we're heading up to Nate's Aunt Di's house for the meal, and then camping in Yosemite National Park for the weekend with Mellie and Chad and Phil and Rel. It's supposed to be chilly; I'm not a camper. We'll see how this pans out!

After we return from Yosemite, Nate and I will be concentrating our efforts on finishing packing. Our apartment hunt at the end of October was a huge success, and we're moving Tuesday, Dec. 1! North Park here we come!

And that's what we have been up to lately. (Sing it...you know you want to!)

Try...try...TRIATHLON

2009-10-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

In July, my friends Mellie and Rel informed me that they were thinking about doing a shortened, all women version of a triathlon, and asked if I would like to give it a shot too. I was impressed with their drive and ambition, and wondered if I had the same. I hemmed and hawed, going back and forth in my head about it.

I talked to Nathan about the idea, told him my pros and cons about it. The cons didn't even phase him; he was totally for it, and even agreed to train with me for it.

Suddenly, I was signed up for a triathlon and had 4 months to train. YIKES!

The first month sped by fast without a lick of training being done, except for some swim coaching by my lovely husband (he was a swimmer. I've seen the evidence. ie team pictures). Our pool at our apartments is not quite the lap pool one needs to train for a triathlon, though. So with 3 months left before the big day, Nate and started our own version of training, being joined by Mellie and Chad and Phil and Rel a couple of times.

One Saturday at the end of July or the beginning of August (I forget) Nathan and I went out to Mission Bay to do the entire length of the triathlon: 1/4 mile swim, 6 mile bike, 1.5 mile run. Up to this point, the most consistent exercise/training we had ever done was a 2 mile run during our Couch to 5K training. This was nothing like that.

The swimming was by FAR the most difficult, for many reasons:

A. I'm not a "swimmer." I don't really know what that means, but basically I haven't ever done any real swimming; I've just splashed around/floated on the water.
B. Salt Water - gross. Just gross. It is not fun to swim in.

The place where we trained was part of the bay; the water was calm, the grass was green, there were ducks and other birds in the water. You know what it looked like?

A lake.

It wasn't.

I forgot EVERY TIME that it wasn't a lake, for three months. It's not fun re-discovering that when you take in a mouthful of salt water. Blech.

The first run was TOUGH. I cried at the end. BUT, we finished it. And that was the confidence booster I needed to continue training for this crazy thing.

We continued doing the full distance on Saturdays, and on Wednesdays we would head out to the same place and do half distances. Wednesday nights were fun - afterwards, we would go out to eat at Chik-fil-a. Yum. Those calories tasted oh so good after training!

So, for about 3 months we kept up this routine. Swimming was coming a little easier, though I knew it would still be the hardest part of the race. By the time the tri came, though, I was ready.

The Saturday before, the 6 of us (me and Nate, Mellie and Chad, and Phil and Rel (we have VERY supportive husbands! Thanks men!)) went to South Shores Park to pick up our race packets, sit in on a course talk, and get body marked. Yep, there were volunteers there to mark us with our bib number and wave number with permanent markers.

We found out that the three of us were in the same wave, which was awesome. We were a little worried that we wouldn't be, since all the participants are broken up into waves of about 75 women. It was great to know we'd be starting out together.

The Course Talk was so necessary. It calmed my fears about the whole thing. The other calming part was the number of first time triathlon participants. We were all in the same boat, and it was getting exciting.

The next morning, Nate and woke up at 4am to get my gear together and head down to the park again. Transition area opened at 5:30am, and the Course Talk presenter mentioned that the earlier one gets their transition set up, the better race they generally have. So we got there at 5:30am on the nose. I got my transition set up, met up with Mellie first, and then Rel came and got her transition set up. We were ready to go!

Our wave was set to go at 7:41am. There were 1200 women participating in this triathlon, with 16 waves total. The first 10 waves were of women doing the Sprint - double the distance that we were doing. One of the participants with the silver medalist in triathlon at the Olympics; she ended up finishing in 53 minutes or so. In fact, she finished when we were in the water!

Our turn came. I was nervous. Swimming with 74 other women was going to be a lot different than just swimming with Nathan. One cool aspect of the tri was that they offered "swimming buddies" - volunteers who could swim along with you and offer emotional support if you needed it. I didn't have one myself, but ended up keeping pace with someone who did, and just listening to the guy encourage someone else was encouraging for me.

The water was 70 degrees - didn't feel cold at all. We got in, the horn blew, and we were off. I finished the swim in about 17 minutes.

Transition, and next came the bike. This was BY FAR my favorite part of the tri. For the first bit, I was able to catch my breath from the swim and start to focus. After I had done that, I was able to pick up speed; I started saying to myself, "Let's see if I can pass them," and started passing people on the course. I ended up making up time on the bike; so much time, that poor Nathan missed me come in! Park the bike, time to run.

I've learned in training that I am much more a long distance runner than short. I feel like I finally get into my groove around mile 1 or so. The start of the run was a little rough. I grabbed a glass of water from a volunteer, and ended up with water all over myself! Next time, I 've got to master the art of drinking and running!

Round the curve, water station, half way done! This is when I started to kick it into gear. Round the curve, finish line! Mellie had already finished, and was there when I crossed it. Rel was close behind me. We had done it!

We met up with our AWESOME cheering section (Nate, Chad, Phil, of course, and also Matt, Brad and Amy who got up at the crack of dawn to come cheer us on! Thanks guys!), grabbed some fruit, and gave a play by play from our perspectives and heard it from the cheerleaders. It was a fun day.

Though I was wary going into it, I have to say I'd do it again. It was a great time training with Nathan (he's a great coach!), and it was a great race. Below are a few pics of the day.

Big thanks to Nate, who pushed and encouraged and coached and put up with my breakdowns during the training. I couldn't have done it without you!

2010 Toyota 4Runner Commercial Part 2

2009-10-14T16:30:00.001-07:00

Are You In?

WAHHHHHHHHH-HAHAHA!!

It's Over It's Over, It's All Over Now

2009-10-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

My month without make-up has ended.

The results?

Clearer skin, especially the forehead.
More confidence and less self-consciousness on how I look daily.
I no longer feel the need to use make-up.

I noticed over the course of the month that I worried less about what my face looked like on a day to day basis. At work, the bathroom mirror is the first thing you see when you walk in. When I wore make-up, I would consistently stop and pick at/ fret over my face: if a blemish was showing, if my make-up seemed un-even, etc. During my month without make-up, I noticed by the end that I spent less and less time putzing over my face. The make-up seemed to be the cause of my fretting before; now, since I didn't have any on, there was no need (though I did find new things on my face to fret over once in awhile, like during the week our tweezers at home decided to stop grabbing hairs; my eyebrows got a lot of panicked attention that week.)

Why did I wear make-up before? Knowing that my sweet, hot husband couldn't tell the difference from when I wore it or didn't suddenly made me wonder why I kept wearing it. To feel more professional? Maybe, but if Nate didn't notice it, I doubt my bosses (both men) cared. Because other women around me were wearing it? Maybe, but it's not like when I was single and felt like I had to "compete" (and seriously, why do we do that, ladies??). So, ultimately, when I broke it all down, I was wearing make-up for myself.

Did I like that outcome?

No, it made me cringe inside.

This little experiment made me realize I don't really like make-up; if that's the case, why wear it? I will hang on to it and wear it on special occasions (bridesmaid in a wedding, fancy night out with Nathan, etc) but I feel like in that context, it is more of an accessory that fits the occasion, instead of a need or habit. Instead, I'll stick to my face washing regime and my mascara/eyeshadow.

Now that this experiment is over, I'll have to try to blog more regularly on life itself. Unless I can find another experiment/project. :)

Two Days Away...

2009-10-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know, I'm two days away from finishing my month without makeup, and a rather large zit decides to make itself know smack dab in the middle of my forehead. Today is the first day in this month long experiment that I DESPERATELY want to break out my makeup (no pun intended) and cover up. But I didn't. I will be faithful until the end...just keep any kind of cover-up far, far away!

Funny things happen

2009-09-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing a dermatoligist for about 6 months now; not for my face, but for one nasty little wart on my left-hand pinkie finger. I've had this thing since I was in fifth grade, no lie. I can remember noticing it for the first time; I just thought it was a callous from playing piano or something. I'm not exactly a wart officianado or anything. I'd post pics, but it got treated yesterday and is QUITE disgusting to look at.

Anyway, I've been going to the dermatologist and getting treated for this thing. Yesterday, as I am explaining how I think the last treatment on my little pinkie went, my doctor is looking at my forehead. "And, have we given you anything for the blackheads?" he inquires. "Uh, no," I reply. "Let me go get you some samples." And off he goes, and comes back with a handful of samples for me to use on my forehead. (Don't worry, he also treated the wart.)

The lesson here is - wearing no makeup = exposed blackheads = free samples from the dermatologist = AWESOME.

NATHAN'S COMMERCIAL UPDATE:
This teaser was found online this morning. Check it out! My husband is FAMOUS!

2010 Toyota 4Runner Teaser

Day 4, 5, and 6

2009-09-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

I enjoy being disconnected from the internets during the weekend; I didn't have a laptop up until a week ago, and while I would sometimes use Nathan's to check on expected emails, it's just nice not being attached to it. Even with a laptop of my own now (not really, it's work's laptop), it sat unused on the chair at home.

Which is why I didn't blog all weekend.

That, and I was exhausted from doing the full triathalon again on Saturday. This time, our friends Chad and Mellie joined us (Mellie will be doing the SuperSprint with me, along with our friend Relissa). It went SOOOO well. I knocked time off the swim AND the run - the swim was awesome to hear, the run unexpected. The last time I did the full one, I ran 2 10minute miles, and was pretty happy with that. And, I didn't cry after we were done this time. Lovely.

I've been good about wiping down my face after exercising. It is one of the best feelings.

Another update face-wise: we FINALLY found the Clean and Clear Morning Moisturizer - at Bed Bath and Beyond. Who knew? I am loving it.

This morning Nathan commented that my forehead blemishes seem to be diminishing - it's a much flatter surface up there than before. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Makeup-less Month Day 3 - And pics!

2009-09-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, finally, pictures are here. Here is my face; hopefully it won't be like this in a month's time :)

So I am realizing that this experiment is not only has elements of science, but also of philosophy.

I realized this yesterday during work when I decided I didn't like walking into the bathroom and catching a glimpse of my face in the mirror. Why? I wondered about this all day, and realized that I do not feel like I look professional, put together, or pretty without makeup.

Sad, right?

Somewhere down the line, I bought into a lie - I don't look as good without artificial stuff on my face. My natural self will not be as nice looking; it won't get me places; it's not as nice.

The beauty product industry must love that we listen to this lie.

There are so many ads (especially in SoCal) for the newest ways to look younger, get fresher skin.Why do we feel like we have to cover our blemishes, hide our wrinkles, fill in our crow's feet?

We do this with sin in our lives. None of us like to admit that we struggle with stuff, so we hide it. We don't talk about it. But we should be, instead of covering it up and ignoring the implications.

Mmm...Zits are like sin. Only when they're exposed can the healing begin.

Makeup-less Month Day 2

2009-09-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

My apologies to Matt. Again, I have no pictures. And I don't have a good excuse for it. See you at small group??

I'm kind of getting used to this no makeup thing. I know it's only day 2, but I cannot tell you how much time it cuts off of getting ready in the morning. I'm a self-proclaimed dawdler - I have always purposefully set my alarm much earlier than necessary so I have time to dawdle. My husband of 3 months does not appreciate this trait. ;)

Last night Nathan and I went to Mission Bay to do a half Super Sprint. I will be participating in a full Super Sprint in October. A Super Sprint is a triathlon that is a) only women and b) about 1/3 of the length of a full triathlon. I have a sneaking suspicion that this increase in training/exercise may also have something to do with my teenage-like breakouts. I admit, I can be one lazy chica; I cannot think of one time since starting to train for the Super Sprint that I made an effort to wash my face before OR after training. Which means I had makeup on while sweating, which means my sweat was getting blocked in my pores, which means YUCK! Don't even want to go there...

So, in addition to washing my face twice a day and wearing moisturizer, I am also packing a washcloth and Stridex pads in my training pack for after the workouts. We'll see how that affects things.

Again, sorry for the lack of pics. PROMISE PROMISE tomorrow...

Blog Project: Day 1

2009-09-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start a blog project. I have been blogging much too infrequently, thought it's not because I don't have anything to say. I blame laziness, really. So I decided that having a project, nay, a science experiment might just help me get back on the blog train.

No, I will not be cooking through some famous chef's famous cookbook and becoming famous myself.

I have decided to go without makeup...for a month.

This all started over the weekend, when my dear, sensitive husband pulled back from a hug, eyed my face and said, "Whoa, baby, your forehead is breaking out!" I wasn't offended; I had, in fact, been noticing for some time that my face seemed to have decided to take another trip through adolescence and didn't ask my permission.

A couple of days later, as we were getting ready for work, I took a look in the bathroom mirror and said "Hello, forehead, we have to do something about you."

"What was that?" called Nathan.

"Oh, nothing. Just putting on my makeup. Trying to make my forehead look normal."

"You know, I have a theory about makeup," my conspiracy theorist said.

The theory is (in a nut shell) that the makeup industry knows that the makeup they market to women will make their faces breakout. And when women breakout, what do they do? Go get more makeup to cover the blemishes. Which then just compounds the problem. I would like to add that if this theory is in fact true, I think that the facial cleanser industry is in cahoots with the makeup industry, and they sit around with clear complexions laughing at the female gender.

"Hmm...maybe I should try going a month without makeup and see if that clears it up."

My sweet husband's response: "I would support that. Honestly, I can't tell the difference between when you are wearing makeup and when you aren't."

So that settled it. And so the project was born.

Over the next month, I will be chronicling my days without makeup in pictures and words. The only makeup products I am allowing myself to continue to use are Eyebrow Gel and Mascara. I just, well, I feel pretty when I have mascara on, okay?

Side story: When I worked for YouthWorks! in Michigan, a group of us were sitting around after dinner and started the "What 3 Things Would You Have to Have on a Desert Island" conversation. We weren't allowed to say "The Bible" or "A Guitar" - those were freebies, since everyone would say them. One of my items? Mascara. Yeah, laugh, I'm okay with it.

Anyway, back to the project. I did some research thanks to Real Simple magazine, and based on their skincare findings, I will be using two products during this month long experiment:

Biore Ice Cleanser
Clean and Clear Morning Moisturizer

I already ran into a bit of a snag when Nathan and I tried to go buy these two products last night; it seems the entire female population in La Mesa, CA uses the moisturizer I was looking for, as both Target and WalMart (sorry dad) were completely sold out. Weird.

So, welcome to my experiment. The pictures will not be the most attractive things you'll see, but it's all in the name of science, so bear with me.

Final note to day one: No pics today, but will make sure my photographer documents my face tonight!

Weekend Alone

2009-08-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the first weekend that Nate and I have been apart since we've been married. It's weird sitting in our apartment, typing this, thinking he's going to walk in at any moment, but knowing he actually won't be coming home at all tonight. Sad times.

However, he's doing something really cool - he's making his debut in a Toyota 4Runner commercial!

Nate got contacted around the beginning of August via Flickr and was asked if he would be interested in being in an internet commercial for the new 2010 Toyota 4Runner. He's owned a 4Runner for a few years now. After a wardrobe meeting and preliminary interview (during which I politely grilled the production crew to make sure they were legit :)), he left last night to begin a crazy adventure. He and three other randomly chosen folks will be surfing, tailgating, and camping - all on camera. Nate's also hoping to do a little off-roading tomorrow in the new vehicle.

Don't worry - Nate did his research, and the production company and marketing company check out. And, I've heard from him via text and phone call, so yes, he's alive.

Meanwhile, I've been spending my weekend at a church retreat, apartment hunting, running errands, and beginning to pick out wedding pictures to get printed. Yeah, it's boring around here without Nathan.

All by myself...ALL BY MYSELF!!!

Miss you baby! Be Safe!

Why I suspect my husband is MacGyver

2009-08-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Fan rigging for our room:

He also killed 15 flies today with painter's tape...

Hats Should Be Worn At the Zoo: Or, Why I Dislike Birds

2009-08-03T15:42:00.001-07:00

In April, Nathan and I got yearly San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park passes and had a great time going to the Wild Animal Park with Allie over Easter. However, we had yet to use our passes at the zoo! So, last weekend we decided to go have a zoo adventure.

One of my least favorite places at the zoo is any aviary - I have a weird dislike of birds. But, they can be oh so cute sometimes, as seen in these pictures:

Aw, so sweet! They were climbing up and down the fence at neck-breaking speed. We had fun watching them until they flew away.

We continued on in the Aviary, making our way toward the exit. I was looking all cute in my hat from Guatemala...when suddenly:

My worst fear came true: a bird pooped on me. Good aim, bird. Good thing I was wearing my hat!

We spent some time trying to figure out which bird was the culprit. We're pretty sure it was this one:

After we left the aviary, my sweet husband took my hat to get it cleaned up, while I observed a peacock wandering around the food area. Ah, the zoo. Boo, birds.

I prefer the bears. Here are some pictures of the pandas (who were quite sleepy) and the polar bear (who was quite entertaining). Nathan defied zoo rangers and stuck his arm over the Plexiglas to get the shot of the panda!

One nice thing about the zoo is that it is so big, you can spend a little time there on one day and save the rest for other afternoons. So, after seeing the polar bears, we took the skyride across the park, went to the children's zoo, and called it a day.

NPR 100 Best Beach Reads? You've Got to be Kidding Me...

2009-07-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

So, I have like two blogs half written - one about Nathan and my trip to Guatemala, and one about our crazy cooking adventures (yes, there was a fire...no, no one got hurt...except a pan, but he recovered nicely). However, both of those blogs will have to wait, because I need to do some ranting about one of my favorite topics:

BOOKS.

NPR just listed their audience's top 100 Beach Reads. Check it out here.

I have a complaint.

Old Man and the Sea made the list.

REALLY? Come on!

Maybe I just have a different definition of a "Beach Read." Something light and entertaining, perhaps silly, mindless. The Kite Runner wasn't mindless at all, but I would pick that for a Beach Read over Old Man and the Sea!

I also don't think of Catch 22 as a beach read, but for entirely different reasons - there's so much packed into that novel I don't think I could catch it all on the beach (no pun intended).

I know I'm going to get backlash for this. That's fine. I'm working on stating my opinions and feelings...and I feel that Old Man and the Sea was the most. boring. book. I have ever read.

There. I said it.

Books I did appreciate being on the list:

- Harry Potter series (yeah, fast beach reading!)
- Adventures of Huck Finn (Classic!)
- Love in the Time of Cholera (I really enjoy Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
- Pride and Prejudice
- Ender's Game (So good. Go read it.)

There are a lot of good books on this list, many of which I currently have on hold at my local library.

And just as a side note, I do not having anything against Hemingway. I have enjoyed other novels by him. Just not Old Man and the Sea.

(I also have issues with Pillars of the Earth ...but those are much bigger issues...)

Enjoy the last bit of summer! Go pick up a good beach read, whatever that is for you.

Thanks, Amatuer Gourmet!

2009-07-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I started using Google Reader (GR) to keep track of all of the blogs that I liked to read on a regular basis. Based on what you are already reading, GR will suggest blogs that you might be interested in. This is how I stumbled upon one of my now favorite blogs, The Amateur Gourmet. The AG (also known as Adam Roberts) blogs about new recipes he's tried, new restaurants he's gone to (in NYC...jealous), and cooking dos and don'ts that he has learned along the way. As a self-proclaimed cooking idiot, I appreciate the blog mostly because he isn't afraid of admitting when something has gone wrong.

I've tried one recipe from the blog before, a watermelon salad that was quite good (Nate didn't appreciate it quite as much as I did - he views watermelon more as dessert :)). However, I caught a baking bug last week, and decided to itch it on Saturday. So, I went to The AG and perused the recipe section to find something to bake. I ended up finding a yummy cobbler to make, and here's the result:

It was tasty. I used Nectarines and Rainier Cherries as the fruit; however, at some point they kind of settled, so there was more cobbler topping than fruit in the serving (which some people like - I want more fruit).

Anyway, that same evening, Nathan and I were trying to figure out what to make for dinner; Nate had discovered that the Amateur Gourmet had a great video on how to make the perfect steak on Food2.com, so we decided to give it a try. The pictures are below - what you don't see is the fire that we started in the pan in the kitchen! The recipe called for getting the pan REALLY hot and then adding oil; our pan was so hot we had reached the flash point of the oil we were using! Yikes! It seriously looked like the Smoke Monster from LOST had taken up residence in our apartment.

BUT - this was the best steak that we had ever eaten! We're pretty sure we never have to go to a steak place again.

One Month

2009-07-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Time flies.

Time flies when you're having fun with your husband.

I have a husband.

A sweet, funny, silly, amazing, hot husband.

You can call me Mrs. Clark

2009-06-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

We could not have asked for a more perfect day.

Single Digits

2009-05-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

In 8 days, I will be changing my name.

Sarah Clark

Mrs. Sarah Clark

Mrs. Nathan Clark

Sarah Elizabeth Clark

I feel like I'm in junior high again! :)

Alas, Sebner will be no more...

Wow. Where did it go?

2009-05-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

I swear, it was just yesterday I pulled up the Countdown Nate created and it was counting down from 40 days.

Now it is 19.

19 days.

That's less than fingers and toes.

Less than a month

2009-05-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

It is now less than a month until our wedding. How crazy it is to think about! It feels like just yesterday Nathan was asking me to marry him on the beach at Coronado. Now, the day is finally upon us!

I am going through mixed emotions: I am thrilled and excited; at the same time, every so often I start thinking of the day of the wedding and all that will need to be done that day and I start feeling the "deer-in-the-headlights" look coming over my face. To cope with this look, I find myself making lists, jotting notes, and drafting time lines whenever I can find a moment. The problem is, they are never all in the same place, the get lost, or they are in one of 5 journals/notebooks that I carry around in my purse constantly.

Enter my handsome, talented, and brilliant fiance.

At Brand New Box (his stellar business), they use a project management system called Base Camp. In Base Camp, you can set up To-Do lists, write messages, upload filed, and set goals for multiple projects at one time. You can then allow clients to access their projects, but not others, so they can see the progress that is being made or see what they have to get to BNB in order for the project to be completed on time.

To help us stay organized and on task in wedding planning, Nathan set up a project entitled "Our Wedding" in Base Camp. This has been an awesome tool to keep all of our lists, notes, to-dos, goals, and contracts in one place.

The other day, during church, I started jotting down day of moment-by-moments for individuals involved in our wedding - hair appts, make-up, flowers, etc. Nathan noticed my notes, and was inspired to set up on our website at place where we can input events, groups involved in the event, and it will spit out a schedule for each individual involved in our wedding. Have I told you how brilliant he is? This has been a huge stress relief for me - to be able to see in one place everything that needs to get done and be able to assign tasks - oh bliss. Oh joy!

Nathan calls it a nerdy project. As if. BRILLIANCE is what I say.

Nerdy is me knowing what Romulans look like in the new Star Trek movie, before they're ever noted as Romulans, and knowing based on the ship that they are not The Borg.

Happy Etsy Day!

2009-04-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

According to Twitter and many, many tweets, today is EtsyDay!

Happy Etsy Day to all!

Wait, you don't know what Etsy is?

Shame.

To familiarize yourself...check out these to awesome Etsy stores:

The Tilted Tulip Vintage Store

The Novel Novel

And then, get creative or vintage and have a Happy Etsy Day!

Crazy Monday

2009-04-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry, it has been some time since I've blogged. I have a really good excuse though...really, I do.

You see, I'm getting married in SIX WEEKS!!!!!

SIX WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news:

1. My wisdom teeth came out in 19 minutes. I had to take two Vicoden all weekend, iced a lot, and was pretty coherent.

2. Nathan and I started a new adventure - we've decided to walk the coast of San Diego County. We've walked from the border to Imperial Beach, and then Imperial Beach to the Hotel Del Coronado. Sadly, we did both walks in one weekend and wore ourselves out. We're still determined though.

3. Work has been good; today is a crazy day. Did you watch the Miss USA pageant last night? The 1st Runner Up is a student at the college I work at. (please pray for her)

4. Did I mention - SIX WEEKS!!! I GET MARRIED IN SIX WEEKS!!!!! (not that I'm counting)

2009-03-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the day. I get my wisdom teeth pulled at 2:30pm.

I didn't think I would be nervous, but I feel like my entire mouth is all a-tingle in anticipation/worry. The good news is I only have two wisdom teeth and both are on the bottom. (Insert wisdom jokes here.) The bad news is I am not getting put under due to insurance purposes - basically, I'm going to need the insurance to pay for future procedures and if I can save a buck, I will. So, Novocaine it is! Luckily, I have my Ipod shuffle loaded with songs that will hopefully distract me from the awful drilling sound. I also am prepared to ice my face for 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off intervals. I'm as ready as I'll ever be!

Let's get these puppies out, doc!

Dental Visit Update

2009-02-26T16:49:00.001-08:00

1. I survived my first dentist appt in 11 years.

2. I need to have two wisdom teeth removed.

3. I may have my first cavity.

4. I have to have 4 cleaning procedures done over the next 6 months to get all the build up off.

5. I will never ever wait this long to go to the dentist again - dental anxiety or not.

Drills and water picks and novocaine...OH MY!

2009-02-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

So, I have this pain in my jaw, that I suspect could be from my wisdom teeth. As I was looking up my symptoms and trying to diagnose the problem on WebMD (my new favorite site), one of the articles that came up among the jaw/teeth issues was "Dental Anxiety." Curious, I clicked the link.

"Do you ever get nervous just thinking about going to the dentist?"

That was the first line.

Yes, yes I do.

I get a sick feeling in my stomach; I feel sweaty; I get tense.

This may be why I haven't been to a dentist since high school.

That's right - it has been 10 YEARS since my last dental visit.

I know, I know...no wonder my jaw hurts. It's a miracle my teeth haven't fallen out! But hey, I brush, I rinse, I floss sometimes...

Right. I know. My appointment is next Wednesday at 3:30pm.

Shudder.

Wiiiiiiiii!

2009-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

I have a weird love of video games. I find them very therapeutic and relaxing after a long day. When I was young, I loved playing Tetris on the classic Nintendo; Mario 2, though really odd, was my favorite of the Marios (though I did love how you could fly in Mario 3). DuckTales and Zelda were also favs of mine, and I loved battling my brother in GoldenEye (James Bond, for those of you who are not familiar). Yep, I'm a nerd. I know and accept that.

When the Wii came out, I became a big fan of it. When I worked in Admissions at Crown, we bought one as a give-away at the LIFE conference, and I was seriously afraid that instead of giving it away like we promised, one of us Admissions workers were going to stash it in our suitcase. We loved that thing!

Luckily, Gayle, one of my co-workers, bought a Wii shortly after LIFE, and so, for our last Admissions retreat together (many of us were moving on...2 to San Diego...), we played about 20 hours of Wii...tennis and bowling being our favorites.

One of my first "inductions" or "hazings" when I moved to San Diego was playing Wario Smooth Moves on Nathan's Wii. Seriously, that game is BIZARRE (but so fun!). Then Nate got Mario Kart...yeah, hooked on that.

Then the Wii Fit came out. I was intrigued, curious...and for some reason, really wanted one. The only problem was - stores were selling out of them like HOTCAKES. Every time I had some extra money to get one, I couldn't find one ANYWHERE. Sad times.

Now, I had never played with the Wii Fit, so I really didn't know if I would actually like it. But then, I ended up babysitting for some friends who had one, and their kids showed me how much THEY love it, and then Nate and I played with it after the kids were in bed...and I was hooked. It is SO great. The fitness training games are short and fun, and you really do work up a sweat!

Alright, so what is all this video game nonsense talk leading up to, you ask? Well...

Nathan got me a Wii Fit for my birthday! I was so excited when I opened it up last night that we ended up playing it for 2 HOURS! It's seriously so much fun; half the fun is that all the Miis that our friends have made show up in the training games...here I am attempting to hula hoop (circle those hips!) and in the background, Nate and Matt are throwing me hula hoops that I have to catch on my head. Hilarious!

So, thanks Nathan for such an awesome birthday (he also sent me a cake at work...so sweet) and such a cool gift! And I will beat your ski jump score eventually...but you are the hula hoop master. (or Calorie Incinerator)

Ode to a Year (Happy Anniversary!)

2009-01-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

One year ago, (the day after this picture was taken, in fact) Nathan and I started dating. And now, I get to be his wife in 4 months, 2 weeks and 5 days.

I'm the luckiest woman. Happy Anniversary, Nathan. I love you.

Merry Christmas to All

2008-12-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

Blerg. I did it again. I waited too long to blog, and now I'm WAY behind. To catch up, here's my elementary school essay (sans pictures - dial up does not like uploading pictures for anything...)

WHAT I DID ON MY CHRISTMAS VACATION

On my Christmas vacation, I flew to MN after spending Christmas with the Clarks and Gillaspys in Ventura. MN is very cold. It was 5 degrees and snowy when my plane landed.

The worst part of my Christmas vacation was that Nathan was not with me when I came to MN. He flew to New Zealand. Also getting sick was another part of my vacation that was not fun.

The best part of my Christmas vacation was spending a quiet Christmas with my family and catching up with my brother, spending time with my parents, and getting to go to Iowa to see my adorable goddaughter (pictures later) and catch up with my cousins whom I had not seen in a year.

I also enjoyed getting together with friends. Monday night we had a Crown Admissions Reunion, and everybody but Ben and Piper were there (glasses adjust). It was like old times. We laughed, we ate, and we did not work...

Later this week, I'll be seeing more friends at parties and helping my good friend Allie at her wedding, which will be exciting. I will also be trying to kick this stupid virus I have before I fly home to San Diego. I am also excited that I get to see Nathan in one week...

That is what I did on my Christmas vacation. I did not get the Red Rider Beebee Gun I wanted, though...but luckily I also did not receive an atrocious pink bunny costume either.

Sorry...I had a previous ENGAGEMENT!

2008-12-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

My apologies to my patient readers. It's been a crazy couple of weeks...but here it is, finally, the engagement story...

It was a Sunday afternoon. I was busy reading a book, enjoying the La Mesa sun in my living room. There was a crisp breeze; I love it when San Diego cools down.

Nathan called. Did I want to wrap the Kirkland's birthday present with him and bring it to them? Yes I did. He was running errands and would be back in an hour. I took the opportunity to call my mom. Had a good chat.

Went over to Nate's when he got back. Wrapped the gift. What should we do this afternoon? Let's go to the beach before church like we usually do. Cause we can do that in San Diego. Brought the gift to the Kirklands. They loved it. Left for the beach.

We went to Coronado, which happens to be a) my favorite beach, and b) a significant beach for Nate and I (first kiss, first "I love yous", end of my birthday scavenger hunt, etc). It was chilly, so we wore jackets. On Coronado, near the Hotel Del, there are sand dunes that actually spell out "Coronado." You wouldn't know this unless you are in the air. On the beach, they just look like oddly placed dunes.

We discovered that if you sit close to the dunes, the beach is oddly quiet, despite the traffic and tourists around you. So we spread out our trusty beach blanket and sat down, enjoying the cool air and just being together on the beach.

And then...

Nate: "So, you want to hear a funny story?"
Me: "Always!"
Nate: "There was a question I wanted to ask you this week...but I didn't know you were going to the New Kids on the Block concert on Tuesday."

At first I was confused; then I realized that Nate was telling me he had been planning on proposing to me on Tuesday night. I had just recently mentioned to him that I had tickets from April to go to the NKOTB concert on Tuesday.

Me: "..."
Nate: "So, I can either wing it now, or we can wait and do it later..."
Me: "..."
Nate: "Winging it means I don't have the ring, and I need to go try to get a hold of your parents." (Which he had been trying to do earlier in the day.)
Me: "Well, you getting a hold of my parents is a lot more important to me than the ring, so if you can get a hold of them, I say wing it."

Nate left to call my folks, and there I sat on the beach blanket, watching the waves and the seagulls (gag) and the people, stuck with my thoughts...

Nate came back; he had gotten a hold of my parents (lots of tears) and had gone to the car. He was now caring a large black photo box. He sat at my feet, and one by one began pulling out pictures of the two of us from the past 10 months that we have been dating. As he pulled them out and stuck them in the sand, he talked about how we met, and the progression of our relationship, how much fun we've had, how much we smile...

The sun was beginning to set as Nate put the last picture in the sand. I was tearing up.

Nate: "Sarah Ebner (he may have said my middle name too...it's a little fuzzy) will you marry me?"
Me: "YES!!!"

Due to some jewlery store difficulties, Nate didn't have the ring with him, so he presented me with his promise ring from high school, which I wore on my thumb until Monday when he gave me the ring he himself had picked out.

I didn't care.
I'm freaking engaged to my best friend and love of my life. That's way way way better than any ring.
(But the ring is beautiful...not gonna lie...)

Here are a couple of pictures:

So now you know the story. We are now in the middle of planning a San Diego wedding for June. I'm so excited I could just...

Places to Shop, Episode #3

2008-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Two weeks until "Black Friday!" Have you mapped out the mall? Re-soled your shopping shoes? Sharpened your elbows? Refined your cat-like reflexes?

One store you may find me at on "Black Friday" is Barnes and Nobel, Borders, or any other bookstore. I am, admitedly, a book-a-holic.

Speaking of books, if your looking for a cool gift this Christmas for the writing/drawing/sketching/book loving person on your list, check out The Novel Novel. Their mantra: "New Love for Old Books."

What The Novel Novel does is take old, discarded library books (the ones you used to check out as a child with the cool hard covers), remove the pages, add blank pages, and re-bind the book. Voila, you have a really cool, one-of-a-kind journal or sketch book! They even keep the library card pocket in the book, making it look like an authentic, over-due library book.

One thing I love about The Novel Novel journals/sketchbooks is that they will pick certain original pages from the book and insert them randomly within the blank pages. So, for instance, in my Novel Novel, "Let's Learn about Mosquitos!", I can be writing or drawing and turn the page and there is suddenly a cool illustration of the stages of the mosquito. Won't find that in a Barnes and Nobel journal!

The Novel Novel has a lot of cool journals/sketchbooks on sale, just in time for the holidays! Personal favorites:

Come to France - Blank Sketchbook / Journal

Sydney Rella and the Glass Sneaker - Blank Sketchbook

Lions in the Grass - Blank Journal / Sketchbook

The Novel Novel is run by Matt and Erika, the same Erika who also runs The Tilted Tulip. Check them out for something new and different to give this Christmas!

Good Reason to Vote

2008-11-03T14:25:00.000-08:00

I hate politics. Right, left, red, blue, elephant, donkey...bah, I really hate our party system. I hate how it turns seemingly normal, sane people into raving lunatics. I hate how it divides. I hate the mud-slinging ads.

I do love coffee.

And I love donuts.

Wouldn't you know, both Starbucks and Krispy Kreme are giving away a free coffee and a free donut when you come in with your "I Voted" sticker tomorrow.

That gets my vote.

Maverick, Change...I don't care. Donuts, coffee...mmmm...Mcbama-rific.

Do go vote tomorrow. If only for the free breakfast.

Places You Should Shop - Episode #2

2008-10-31T09:12:00.001-07:00

It's almost November! How's your Christmas shopping going? I've been able to cross 4.75 people off my list (some gifts have multiple parts, thus the .75).

If you're still shopping around for that perfect gift for your sister, mother, girlfriend, wife, fiance, daughter, grandmother...well, look no further than my friend Relissa's website!

Relissa and her husband, Phil, just recently moved to San Diego. At a very fun dinner party at the Kirkland's, we learned that Relissa makes one-of-a-kind purses, using recycled materials and really colorful fabrics. Seriously check these out - they are so pretty and so much fun!

And the great thing is, no one else on earth will have a purse like yours!

Favorites on the site:

The Belted Bag - the handle is an actual belt!

Twirl - Such fun, fun colors! Made out of upholstery material.

The Great Green - My favorite thing about this one is that the lining is made out of a plain long sleeved shirt. How cool!

Check out all of Relissa's purses for a unique, fun gift to give this Christmas!

Shopping: It's a jungle out there

2008-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

There are certain items of clothing that I hate shopping for. Jeans and dress pants are two items, and based on past conversations with friends and fellow women, this is common. It's hard to find a pair of pants that actually fit you correctly. I think designers need to take an Anatomy class or something. If they fit you in the legs, they don't fit in the hips, and vice versa, etc. etc. etc.

Lately, I've come to dislike shopping for another item of clothing/accessories, and, well, I'm afraid to admit it on here publically, for fear of the wrath of women everywhere...but, here it goes.

I hate shoe shopping.

I know, I know, it's like blasphemy in Woman World, but seriously, how hard is it to find a nice pair of brown peep-toe pumps? I'll tell you - nearly impossible! It's driving me nuts.

Maybe I'm too picky. I just like to think of it as knowing what I want. I don't want two toned shoes. I don't want heels 3-5 inches tall (I like my ankles in one piece). I don't want animal prints. I don't want junior high looking shoes. I don't want shoes that are so patent leather that you can see your reflection in them. Oh, and I don't want to pay more than $30 for them.

Okay. So I know what I DON'T want...but come on people! Brown Peep-Toe Pumps are a classic! How do shoe stores not have them? Actually, how to stores not have brown pumps PERIOD this season? They're like the endangered species of shoe, I swear!

If anyone sees this rare animal of shoe anywhere, let me know.

Places You Should Shop - Episode #1

2008-10-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's October 1st! Crazy thought. Where did September go?

It is now officially Christmas Shopping Season. Usually I would object to this statement, but I was listening to NPR this morning talk about WalMart and Macys beginning their Christmas sales early due to the recession. The theory is that most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck these days, and therefore will be spreading out their Christmas shopping over the next 3 months. I am a product of this, as I have already purchased a Christmas gift for someone on my list and plan on getting a few more this month.

This is unusual for me, as I am very much one who adamantly desires all of us to give the turkey his day and not forget Thanksgiving. But that mostly has to do with Christmas decorations going up before Halloween (and Christmas music being played too early - Friday after Thanksgiving; that's when the Canadian Brass Christmas albums can start being played religiously).

We're all strapped for cash, but none of us want to only buy cheap pairs of socks for friends and family this year (and very few of us want that many pairs of socks). So, I've decided to help you Christmas shop!

For the next few blog posts, I have decided to feature some very talented friends of mine who have their own shops. All of these shops are online, and are a great place to go to purchase gifts for the holiday season. Shipping is very minimal as well.

To begin this series, I'm highlighting one of my favorites:

The Tilted Tulip

The Tilted Tulip is owned by my friend and neighbor, Erika. When she's not making a mean Chicken Pot Pie, she is out scowering the thrift stores of San Diego to find vinatage jewlery, clothing, and purses to bring to you, yes, you! Some of my favorite items listed at her store right now are the Downtown Judy Brown Vintage Leather Purse, the Garden Goodies Vintage Red Flower Earrings, the Tall Drink of Water Vintage Glass (so cool!), and the Candy Striper Vintage Fabric Wallet. Check out her vintage collection for yourself, though. She's got pins, earrings, and a really, really sweet vintage matchbook collection.

Not only does Erika find the best vintage items, she also makes her own earrings, which are also for sale on her site. I personally own 2 pairs, and always get comments from others about them when I wear them. They're so colorful, fun, and unlike any earrings I've ever seen or owned. Check out her Fabric Earrings section or Jewelry section.

Prices are super reasonable, and shipping costs are a steal! Check out The Tilted Tulip for a fun alternative to those boring socks and sticks of gum you were planning on giving this year.

Until next time...shop smart!

Needing Kleenex at Work

2008-09-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

I always forget to bring a box of Kleenex to work.

Today I needed one.

Go to Nate's blog to find out why.

Isn't he great? I think so.

Yelping

2008-09-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of yelp.com? I hadn't until I moved to San Diego. Basically, it's a review site that allows "average joes/janes" to review all sorts of establishments in the city that they live. It's a great place to go to find certain places to eat. Just type in the food you want, the neighborhood, and, viola, it will list restuarants. You just need to read the reviews and decide.

I joined Yelp recently and started writing my own reviews. It has turned into a really great way to keep writing, much like blogging. However, Yelp is also it's own little community, kind of like facebook, but much more involved. There are chat boards, "yelper" events, parties invented for yelpers by yelpers...seriously, is it's own little neighborhood in San Diego. It's just one more way the internet is bringing people together. I will say, it is very cool how the yelpers get together outside of the website, unlike some other online communities.

Me, I just like to write. And though I am flattered by the compliments on my reviews and people "friending" me because of my reviews, that will be the extent that I get involved with the Yelp Community.

I do encourage you to check it out where you live. As stated, it's a great way to find out what real people think about places you frequent, and discover places you never knew existed.

Tina Fey for VP

2008-09-15T16:36:00.001-07:00

Things I've Learned Today - Tuesday Edition

2008-09-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

1. A Presidential Medallion is almost impossible to find to buy. And yet, every college has one. What gives, people?!?

2. I am too nice on CraigsList, and it is going to get me into trouble.

3. Want to make me crabby? Don't bring an invoice with a check request, and then hem and haw about it when I confront you, even though I know you know you need one. Grr...

4. Left over lasagna is a great cure to the Tuesday blahs. Also knowing that you are getting rid of large pieces of furniture tonight (if they actually show up to take it...I'm 0-1)

5. It's only Tuesday. Man...

Maybe Grandpa was Right

2008-09-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

more animals

I like cats. Always have. I know the great majority of earth's population do not. It's okay. We all have our differences.

My grandpa is allergic to cats. Growing up, he'd always comment about how the only good cat was a dead cat and make some illustration about putting them in a gunnysack and throwing them in the river. I would always act shocked and appalled at this thought.

I loved the cats we had growing up - Poncho was the Siamese that I would wrestle when I was a toddler, and Ellie was my sweet callico I got from the Humane Society in high school. I love Quincy, Matt and Erika's cat - though, he's a lot like a dog sometimes.

However, the story that Nate told me on the phone this morning makes me re-think my love of cats. It's gross, so if you are easily queezed-out (new word), I recommend you stop reading now and move on to the next blog in your Google reader.

In our apartment building, there was a tenant that began to cause some disturbances more and more often. Yelling at his girlfriend more frequently. Lot of visitors at odd times (which made us think he was dealing with some things illegal). Door alway open a crack when he was home. Nate and I discussed it one night and talked about how if it got any worse, wasn't there some way he could be evicted? It was really bad.

What seemed like the very next day, or at least the same week, there was suddenly a sign for a sale in the apartment 14 - the very apartment of the tenant we had just discussed. He was moving out in a hurry and needed to get rid of stuff. Coincidence? Hmm...

Fast forward to today. Nate calls me at work to tell me this story:

Nate: Just tell me what you think of when I say "18."
Me: Hmm. Well, it could be an age.
Nate: Yes, it could be.
Me: Or the number of emails in your inbox this morning.
Nate: Oo...good, it is an amount of something. Think of who I might have talked to this morning while doing you a favor.
Me: Okay, the amount of the late fee for late rent?
Nate: Worse, much worse. Cats they found in apartment 14.
Me: WHAT?!?!?!

Our apartment manager told Nate that they had discovered 18 cats in the apartment, all living in corners in their own filth. That explains why the door was open all the time, and, as Nate pointed out, why you never saw any visitors actually go IN the apartment. How did the entire complex not stink? Is the place now condemnable? Will they EVER be able to rent it again? I feel so bad for them!

The worst part for me is I know I saw the former tenant and his girlfriend with a child more than once. Does that mean that child was in there with all those cats and filth?

I shudder. One cat. That's all you need.

Things I've Learned Today - Friday Edition

2008-08-22T12:00:00.001-07:00

This may become at least a weekly thing...I feel like I learn cool/weird/eclectic things too often to keep them to myself anymore...

Things I've learned today:

1. A Tuxedo Mocha is the way to go.

2. Wearing a sweater over a strapless dress is always best.

3. The Intranet is a private, organizational version of the Internet.

4. The Wells Fargo in El Cajon has the NICEST people I have ever encountered in a bank.

5. Quote of the day: "I opened the window, and I could smell the money!"

6. I get really, really excited over things like flower arrangements and vases and centerpieces (I actually learned this yesterday, but thought it was worth mentioning here).

7. My boyfriend is crazy creative. And crazy awesome. (I learned this one months ago, but this is always worth mentioning :))

8. I have a love/hate relationship with discussing politics.

Whew. It's only noon! I've learned so much today...

(9. I'm a grammar Nazi. I had to edit this post because I found an error after publishing it...I'm such a nerd.)

Not in the mood

2008-08-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Haven't been in the mood to document life lately. No reason. Just lazy.

Updates:

1. The kidlets (college students) come back this week. Which means summer is officially over starting Friday. Except I live in San Diego. Which means it's always summer...HA! I win.

2. I have visitors coming! I'm excited!

3. I have new roommates beginning September 8th! And I get to switch rooms! Which means I get to redecorate. Mmm...change...love...

4. Work is getting busier. That makes me happy.

That's all. Gotta go get a projector set up for Faculty/Staff Orientation. Oh, the things I can put on my resume...

Prayer of Thanks

2008-07-30T13:59:00.001-07:00

Thanks, Lord, for Grace.
For Forgiveness
For new Mercies every morning.
For Clarity.
For Inspiration.
For Courage.
For Truth.
For a New Day.

My first earthquake

2008-07-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

And I didn't even feel it.

Lame.

Famous Friends

2008-07-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from high school works as a designer for Peacock Cabinetry and worked on the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year which was recently featured on the TODAY show.

So cool. Nice job Willie!

Burning Calves

2008-07-07T10:59:00.001-07:00

It was the most difficult thing I ever did. But now I can say I made it; I survived.

This weekend Nate and I surprised his family by showing up at his sister Allie's home in Colorado Springs. On the agenda for the weekend: hike a 14er with his dad. For those of you unfamiliar with mountain terms, a 14er is a mountain 14,000 ft or more. The mountain of choice: Mt. Elbert, about 10-15 miles from Leadville, Colorado, and the highest point in the state.

Now, as I mentioned in my previous post, hiking is something that I've grown to love and do often since I moved out to California. I think I now have 5 hikes under my belt, some that included "bouldering". For a MN girl with no hiking experience what-so-ever, this is pretty good. However, none of these hikes could prepare me for Mt. Elbert.

Oh, the pain. Oh, the agony! Oh, I'm so dramatic...

It was tough, I'm not going to lie. Two days later, my calves are still burning. But it was totally worth it.

We started the hike at about 10,000 ft. Right away, there were some uphill battles through the tree line. Note to self: one should get to Colorado more than 48 hours before climbing a 14er, especially when coming from sea level. Altitude sickness is not fun, and just gets worse the higher you go. I felt like a wuss having to stop every 100 feet or so just to catch my breath, but I was determined to finish.

At 12,000 feet we came to the edge of the tree line, now exposed to the sun and wind. It was a steady climb, some parts steeper than others, but my lungs were still objecting to my abuse of them, so it was still slow going. There were lots of other people on the trail, some with hiking poles (they look like ski poles). Note to self #2: get me some of those for the next 14er. I don't know if they actually work or do any good, but those who had them seemed to be having an easier time of it than me! (Or maybe it was just that they were experienced hikers.)

Nate's dad hiked with us for a bit, but then took off for the top. We huffed and puffed up the mountain, making it to what is called a "false summit." I knew this one was coming. When we made it to the false summit, I was so excited. The top was just a climb away!

Me: Yea! We made it! Let's go find your dad and the guys.

Nate: Well, let's get over this false summit first.

Me: Wait, you mean this is a false summit too?

Nate: Yeah.

Me: I hate hiking.

But we kept on. Ignoring the nausea. Ignoring the burning lungs. Ignoring the blisters and aches. AND WE MADE IT!!

And then we had to go back down...blast...

In all seriousness, I would do it again. I would train a little more, and get to Colorado earlier, and get me some walking poles, but I would do it again.

I've always loved mountains, possibly more than I love the beach. It was on a mountain that the head knowledge about God and His Son and the grace and love that He gives connected with my heart. Something about the mountains makes me realize how small I am in God's creation, but how LOVED I am by my Creator. His grace is sufficient; He is there even when I feel so small. That is how I felt on my first mountain hike 13 years ago, and I had that same feeling when I paused for the millionth time to catch my breath, turned to look at the view, and found myself surrounded by God's amazing creation.

So yes, my calves still burn and I fear I may stand up after writing this and find that my legs don't work properly. Yes, I am exhausted. Yes, it was the most difficult thing I have done in my life. But yes, I would do it again...and again...and again...

Below are two pics from the hike. The rest you can see here.

Quick Update (for those who care...)

2008-07-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

I realized I've been posting about a lot of random things lately, but besides my overview on the midwest following my trip to Kansas, I haven't really been posting about my life...so here's a quick little update for those who A. Care B. Still read this thing:

1. Travel - I feel like I've spent the last month in the air - flew to Kansas and back, then to Michigan, Minnesota, back to San Diego. Had a great time being back in MN and seeing everyone, but man, it was a lot in a short amount of time, and I still didn't get to see everyone for as long as I would have liked (sorry Allie! We'll just have to meet in Seattle/Vancouver for coffee again! :)).

2. High School Reunion - Oh, yes, 10 years have gone by. I was rediculously apprehensive about attending, and part of me STILL didn't want to go even as Nate and I were driving to it, but Nate was right - I was glad I went, had fun catching up with some old friends I hadn't seen since graduation, and it was fun hearing/reading about where everyone is now. Fun fact: only 34 of my 222 classmates live out of state. Other fun fact: my reunion was held in an event center that is also a discount liquor store. Yeah, Nate got a kick out of that one. What can I say - I'm a small town girl.

3. Job - not much to report in this area. Trucking along, getting new projects, wishing for more. I'm currently enjoying planning the Inauguration the most right now, but also had a great time at the data base conference I was sent to, more so than I was expecting. So, fun stuff to play around with for the next few months.

4. Hair - Chopped. Short. Hey, summer is hot in San Diego! I live in a freaking desert!

5. Hip-Hop - April and I were taking a hip-hop class (for work-out purposes) and have definitley enjoyed it, but are now feeling like we need more of a challenge - salsa may be next. Not only is it fun, but we both feel like we'll actually USE salsa more than hip-hop in the long run.

6. Church - GREAT! Love it. For the first time in 5+ years, I actually enjoy my church.

7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

So, there's a quick little update. Summer is packed, so although Lynnea commended me on my ability to keep this blog up to date, we'll see if it lasts.

Also, here's some pictures of some common adventures - hiking has become my new favorite activity out here:

Worst Allergy Ever

2008-06-27T16:32:00.001-07:00

One of the VPs at the college I work for is working on his dissertation for his Ph.D. The other day in a meeting, he informed us that one of his readers is allergic to paper.

Paper.

Seriously.

The guy is a professor too.

Had to get rid of all his books.

Oh, the agony. That's the kicker right there. I can't imagine a worse allergy.

Maybe glutton. MAYBE.

Little Known Fact About the Author

2008-06-04T11:17:00.001-07:00

When I was young, my parents used to either subscribe or frequently purchase home and garden magazines. There were always gorgeous pictures of flowers, dream houses, and floor plans or garden plotting of these places. It was the floor plans/plots that always captured my attention the most.

I recall sitting on the floor, paper and pencil in hand, meticulously designing my dream house's floor plans. No, none of it was to scale; I didn't care about that. All I cared about was making sure that it was obvious that there was a window seat in the master bedroom, a deck out back, and a three season porch (and, depending on my mood, multiple fire places, a balcony, and a sunken family room).

This "hobby" progressed into decorating each room in my dream home. I'd pour through catalogs, picking out furniture and decor in my mind. I'd be snobbish about it too--I knew what I liked and didn't like (dark woods for bookshelves and dining rooms, nothing flowery for curtains or rugs or bedding, stainless steel and black for the kitchen). Clean lines were good; ugly shaped chairs, not good. Color, good, but not over the top. Oh, yes, I knew what I liked. And I liked imagining the possibilities. I still do - I have way more fun walking around IKEA coming up with ideas than actually shopping there.

I never would have imagined that this quirk (obsession? compulsion? oddity?) would seep into my work environment...

And then I received this catalog in the mail...

I have now redone every office, every space, at work in my mind.

Starting with my office, of course.

The Wizard of Oz left in a PT Cruiser What I miss about the Midwest

2008-05-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today as I was sitting at the intersection waiting to get on the 8, an electric blue PT Cruiser drove by in front of me. I started to laugh. Mostly I was laughing remembering how Matt described the PT Cruiser to Amy on the streets of Lawrence...it will not be repeated here...you kind of had to be there.

However, the bright blue PT Cruisers reminded me of my trip to Kansas, which reminded me of the Midwest, which reminded me that I meant to blog my list of things I miss about the Midwest.

1) Weather
Particularly thunderstorms. There were 2 while in Kansas, and they were glorious to behold. Yes, I am waxing poetic about thunderstorms.

2) Green
Green Trees, green lawns, green everywhere...instead of brown...yellow...more brown...

3) Silence
Okay, this one is mainly because I slept in the most glorious room in the house in Kansas...cold, quiet, dark...lovely...

4) Driving
Leisurely. Without feeling like you have to fight everyone else on the road.

5) Freedom to relax
I don't know what it is, but it's just easier to relax in the Midwest. You have stuff to do, but you can get it done without feeling on edge. Wait. Quest. Shoot. I may have to strike that one.

6) Friendliness
They say "MN nice" is a myth, but I do think most Midwestern-ers would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.

7) Private "parks"
Lawns. Not parks. Lawns. That you can play croquet in. Until someone knocks you out of the game because his ball is "poison" now...not bitter at all...

The entire time in Kansas my insides felt torn. I thouroughly enjoy living in San Diego (especially given the Midwest winters this year) but really, if I'm honest with myself, I'll always be part Midwest girl.

Now I also have a different PT Cruiser reference, instead of just the silver, purple flame, purple dashboard one we used to have at my former place of employment. Yes, this one did have an electric blue dashboard, in case you were wondering.

Moods - A good reminder just when I needed it

2008-05-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

From "Refelctions for Ragamuffins" by Brennan Manning

After and interview with someone, Abraham Lincoln remarked to his secretary, "I don't like that man's face."

His secretary reacted in amazement, "But that's what his face is; he's not responsible for his face."

And Lincoln replied tartly, "After forty every man is responsible for his face."

My face is the mirror of my moods. After four decades of dying and rising, I should have acquired sufficient emotional maturity to master my moods and maintain a tranquil facial expression. I think that's what Honest Abe was implying.

I would not be writing this little chapter if a woman had not asked me this morning, "Why are you in such a rotten mood?"

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15

After forty? I need to be putting this into practice now, especially in my job.

Like a Kid in a Candy Store

2008-05-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you may be aware of these two things about me:

1. I like to organize, especially other people.
2. I like to plan and organize events.

Okay, so maybe you've known me for years and never knew that, but now you do. Anyway, I am in the process of planning my boss's inauguration, and decided I needed some more event planning resources in my library of books. So I picked up "The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning" by Shannon Kilkenny with companion CD Rom.

This morning I popped in the CD ROM.

Oh.

My.

WORD.

This is an amazing resource...the organizer in me is giddy with excitement! Checklists, Budgets, Event Task Status Reports, Room Set Ups, Speaker Arrangements...it's a plethora of reusable resources right at my finger tips!! Granted, many of these things I have used in the past with events, but oh...to have them easily accessible again...in pdf OR Word format so I can tweak them to my liking...this is almost more exciting than reading the book itself!

Timelines. Room Designs. Food and Beverage Servings.

I feel like I've just overdosed on sugar at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory or something...bliss...

Ode to AJAX; You've consumed my mind...

2008-05-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Recently I learned that I love learning. I think it is one of the reasons I love to read so much. It may also be why my mind retains so much random information that then becomes a part of my life in some way shape or form or changes how I view certain things. The newest information to change how I look at things is AJAX.

Basically, I am computer/internet illiterate. However, I am now somewhat less illiterate now; Nate gave me a crash course in AJAX over dinner at Bamboo (mmm...curry...sorry, I digress). Okay, confession time: I can't EXACTLY remember what AJAX stands for EXACTLY, but I know that is has something to do with Javascript, XML (I think) and things NOT being done insync; it's all done behind the scenes, sort of like you have a little elf. But I remember all the other stuff I learned, and this is what has begun to effect how I see the internet. I've been seeing this stuff ALL DAY LONG:

For instance, I know that right now I am partaking in POST-ing, meaning I am changing information on the server, not just GET-ing the information. By blogging, I am adding information; if I delete the blog, again, I am POST-ing information to the server by telling the server to delete the blog. I think about this when I am on Facebook, Flickr, searching for flights, looking at the college website, searching for inauguration information, reading the news online, commenting on other people's blogs...it has now consumed my mind. Same with how AJAX works, behind the scenes with the little elf. I personally picture the Keebler elves, running out of my computer to get information everytime I punch in a web address. I wish he had cookies with him (and not the Internet cookies that have be enabled to make certain things show up...gah!) I know it isn't a REAL elf, but that's all I picture. Shoot, I don't even know if my servers USE AJAX, but I still see the elves! (That could be a completely different issue though.) The code stuff is still somewhat of a mystery to me; I know what they are, and even what they look like (like blogger uses Html [rather than Javascript, XML, or even, yes, json - seriously, how the heck do I remember all this??], though I still wouldn't be able to tell you how to write it or rework it).

Basically, to sum all this up, the internet will never be the same. And I am a nerd. Because I actually like knowing how it all works. It's part of the constant learner in me.

I really want cookies...E.L. Fudge...mmmm...

2008-05-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

Remind me not to move to Austria. Waaaaaaayyyyyyy too many weird situations coming out of that country these days:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/14/austria.family/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

In other news...yeah, I don't really have any other news...

American Idol

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

Tuesday night found myself and April taking a little road trip up to LA to be on American Idol. Her friend Loriann knew someone and got us and 8 other into the pit to rub shoulders with Randy, Paula, Simon, Ryan, and the contestants (okay, not so much rub shoulders, but April did get to hug Paula!).

What an experience. There was so much going on, so I am going to do what I do best and make you a highlights list:

1. Crepes. Mmmm....while we waited for the rest of the group to show up, April and I had lunch at this sweet Farmers Market right behind the studio, where they had an abundance of ethnic food to choose from. We went French.

2. The fact that AI is a Fox show and is filmed at CBS studios is funny to me.

3. How to clap: raise hands above heads. It doesn't look good on camera if you don't. Seriously, they told us how to clap, how to sway, when to cheer, when to boo, and strategically placed us in the pit. Hilarious! (We were also given strict instructions on what to wear...no flip flops, no jeans unless they are nice, dark colors; for girls, dresses are recommended...and, while they didn't actually say it, our experience proved that it is to your advantage if you are a minority...)

4. Ryan Seacrest looked plastic, Simon looked better in person than he does on TV, Paula is a short little woman (and April caught her looking at notes between commercial breaks...hehe), Randy really does say "dawg" too much, but it sounds forced.

5. My event planning mind was going crazy! It was really cool to see the behind the scenes of a large production like this. The way the stage managers handled everything, having an MC during commercial breaks to entertain the crowd...it is a well-oiled machine.

6. Thai food afterwards. Oh, sooooo yummy. If you get the chance at all, check out Natalee Thai when you are in LA.

7. Crazy antics. Our group laughed a LOT all night.

Well, that's it for that re-cap. Until next time: Ebner, out.

Just like old times...

2008-04-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

Number of emails in my inbox this morning: 20
Number of emails actually work-related: 3
Number of ridiculously laugh out loud emails from the old Crown crew: 17

Topics covered: Lori's Wii baseball skills, Natalie's lack of skill but great form in flipping off the camera, Mitch's need for a tissue and a hug, my lack of sympathy for Mitch's need for a tissue, Aaron and Ben not being involved in the conversation...

Ah. Just like old times...it's good to reminisce.

It Bit Me

2008-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when. I'm not sure why. But a bug bit me...well, maybe it has been nibbling on me for the past few weeks. (Anybody else notice how strange of a word "nibbling" is?)

The Travel Bug.

It could have been when I was looking for maps online for the graduation banquet. There are some sweet looking maps out there. Maps of continents, countries, states, cities. Road maps. Topography maps. Political maps. I Heart Maps.

It could have been as I compiled a spreadsheet of addresses of CCCU schools. There are some oddly named schools in oddly named places. Did you know there was a town named Due West, SC? I sure didn't. But now I want to go there.

It could have been from the constant flow of emails I receive from travelocity.com, kayak.com, travelzoo.com, priceline.com informing me of the "Travel Deals of the Week." Sidenote: I have an odd fascination with William Shatner's "Priceline Negotiator" character.

It could have been when I was over at the Kirkland's, looking at some SWEET travel books of Hong Kong, St. Petersburg, and other fascinating places with some really cool fold out maps inside (again, I Heart Maps).

But, if I'm honest with myself, the bug first bit on Good Friday following a conversation with Nate about traveling, 18 countries in 18 months, and OM. Which means I've been "fighting" this bug for over a month. No wonder I feel restless.

So, how does one "cure" this bug? (Yes, I know I have now changed my metaphors from an insect to a virus/illness. Get off it.)

A. Take a spontaneous trip to a loved/new destination

B. Take a planned trip to a new/loved location

C. Do nothing and live with it, knowing that money is an issue

D. Wait for already planned trips in May and June and hope that cures it.

E. Make list of places you want to visit, then read up on all literature known to man about that place, then try to visit those that you can in near future.

Hmm...well, for blogging purposes, let's go with E.

In no particular order, with no particular end, here's the list of places I want to see before I kick it:

1. St. Petersburg, Russia
2. Greece
3. Ireland
4. Northern Ireland (Belfast and Derry)
5. Germany (explore my roots…)
6. The Beaches of Normandy and surrounding areas
7. New Zealand (be honest; after Lord of the Rings, who DOESN’T want to go here??)
8. Sydney, Australia
9. Hawaii
10. Quito, Ecuador (to see Christy!)
11. Italy
12. England (London and Oxford)
13. Denmark
14. Holland
15. Thailand (to see my sponsored child, Nathapong—seriously, he’s a-dorable)
16. China
17. Tibet
18. San Francisco
19. Seattle (been, but want to go back and explore more of the area)
20. NYC (been, but need to see some more)
21. Boston, MA (been, but barely recall my time there)
22. Washington D.C.
23. Coast of Maine
24. Egypt
25. Hong Kong
26. South Africa
27. Philippines
28. Costa Rica
29. Cuba (been, but DEFINITELY want to go back…but sadly can’t)
30. Parts of India

31. Northern CA

32. Coastal OR & WA

33. Chicago (been, but want to see the bean...)

Wow...that list could go on and on and on...

Well, that was very theraputic, but not quite the cure I was looking for. Oh well. Maybe someday this bug will get tired of me...or maybe now I know how I'll be using my tax refund...

Rock Chalk...

2008-04-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

While I have been on many adventures since my move to San Diego, I never would have expected to experience the adventure I had on Saturday night in California…

Saturday was the day of the Final Four match-ups in March Madness. I was on my way to Boardwalk Bar and Grill with Nate, Matt, Erika, and Sara to watch the game. While not so unusual to find the games on in certain establishments around the San Diego area, it was odd to pull up to the Boardwalk and see a KU flag waving in the breeze a top the roof and a banner proudly proclaiming the Boardwalk as San Diego’s home of the Jayhawks.

Well, I found it odd. Matt said it was common in most cities. And seriously, it was the most fun I’ve ever had watching a college basketball game on TV. I felt like I was at the game in San Antonio! Not a North Carolina fan in sight (and if they were there, they knew better than to make themselves known), the entire restaurant was overflowing with Navy and Red colors; it was so packed, we ended up watching the game outside on the patio, sitting on the brick wall. But it didn’t even matter. The energy was high, the food was good, and the crowd was rowdy and cheered and booed and sang the KU chants every chance they got. You couldn’t help but get swept up in the excitement!

Complete strangers came together under one common element – they all had graduated/gone to school at KU. That made everyone instant friends. They all knew the cheers, many remembered the day their former beloved coach announced he was returning to North Carolina (which only fueled “boos” when he was shown on TV), and they all wore the same colors.

It made me sad to think that this was something my alma mater would never have: 1) they wouldn’t have any bar that would be home for a conservative Christian college unless some graduate who finally felt the freedom of being able to drink thought it would be funny to open a bar and turn it into the “official home”…which, honestly, wouldn’t surprise me 2) the day my alma mater’s basketball team’s games are broadcast on national television will be a day that goes down in history (nothing against my team…but I don’t think anyone actually broadcasts the NCCAA championships) 3) Since my alma mater changed the team mascot right after I graduated, it would be difficult to determine which one would make its home in some establishment. Would it be “Official Home of the Crusaders” and offend a good portion of the population, or “Official Home of the Storm” and confuse many and cause great bitterness in the hearts of the alum (Like Trajan did for many KU alum)?

It would be nice to have common gathering places around the country for my former college classmates and I to commiserate and re-connect; as is, the only way to do so is to return to our place of education for Homecoming, which for many is now many, many miles away and too expensive.

But, oh well. Such is the lot of those who graduate from a small, private college instead of a large, state University. In the meantime, I shall live vicariously through Nate, Matt, and Erika, and go buy myself a KU shirt.

Rock. Chalk. Jayhawk.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

It was 80 degrees this weekend.

I spent Good Friday on the beach...

I spent Easter at Sea World...

I'm tan...

I love California...

Ode to the Irish

2008-03-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Please, like you didn't know this would appear today...

Remembered Joy
Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free!
I follow the plan God laid for me.
I saw His face, I heard His call,I took His hand and left it all...
I could not stay another day,
To love, to laugh, to work or play;
Tasks left undone must stay that way.
And if my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss...
Ah yes, these things I, too, shall miss.
My life's been full, I've savoured much:
Good times, good friends, a loved-one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief—
Don't shorten yours with undue grief.
Be not burdened with tears of sorrow,
Enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.

What Shall I Say About the Irish?
The utterly impractical, never predictable,
Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable, Irish.
Strange blend of shyness,pride and conceit,
And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat.
He's spoiling and ready to argue and fight,
Yet the smile of a childfills his soul with delight.
His eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,
Yet his strength is the strongest to banish your fears.
His hate is as fierce as his devotion is grand,
And there is no middle ground on which he will stand.
He's wild and he's gentle, he's good and he's bad.
He's proud and he's humble, he's happy and sad.
He's in love with the ocean,the earth and the skies,
He's enamoured with beauty wherever it lies.
He's victor and victim, a star and a clod,
But mostly he's Irish—in love with his God.

IRISH SAYINGS TO PONDER

“It is easy to be pleasant when life flows by like a song, but the man worth while is the one who will smile when everything goes dead wrong. For the test of the heart is trouble, and it always comes with years, and the smile that is worth the praises of earth is the smile that shines through the tears.”

“I believe in the sun when it's not shining, I believe in love even when I feel it not, I believe in God even when he is silent.”

"It is better to be a coward for a minute than dead for the rest of your life.”

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures”

"A silent mouth is sweet to hear.”

"Questioning is the door of knowledge.”

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Music I Forgot I Loved Part 3

2008-03-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Judge me if you want to...I don't care...this is one of the best to dance to of all time...

Sweet, sweet memories of Dance Team...oh, sorry...PERFORMANCE Team in college...ah, nothing like dancing in spandex in front of your peers...

Plus, the music video to Rhythm Nation rocked...though the outfits did not...hey, like dance team!

Favorite song on the album: "Love Will Never Do Without You." Don't know why, but it's darn catchy.

This is a dangerous CD to play while driving though.

...can't...stop...dancing...

I am Boog.

2008-03-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Open Season? If you have, you know what I'm talking about...kind of. If not, first, go see the movie (hilarious, hilarious movie...even the opening menu on the DVD is funny...) and then the title to this will make more sense.

This move to California has brought to my life multiple opportunities to broaden my outdoorsie comfort zone. Some things I have loved (hiking to a waterfall, the ocean, surfing, the multiple parks, exploring caves) and some things I really want to try (kayaking, hiking different areas of San Diego County, maybe even deep sea fishing...).

Camping was the outdoor adventure of choice this weekend.

That's right...and not just any camping...extreme "tents are for wusses" camping. In a desert.

Okay, being without a tent wasn't actually that bad. I personally don't like tents anyway. I could be claustrophobic, or I could just have bad memories of Girl Scout/Youth Group camping trips and rain storms and animals scurrying across the roof of our tent. Or maybe it is the fact that I am the lightest sleeper known to man, and any noise the wind made using the tent would wake me up...

Camping this weekend was fun. Great group of people, I love campfires and making food together around it, S'mores. We had a great time exploring the Wind Caves, seeing the wildflowers blooming, playing what will now be know as "Wilderness Skee Ball," climbing hills that made you wonder when the Sand People were going to come after you....but....

I'm not a camper.

I don't know what it is. Maybe the fact that I got, at most, 3 hours of sleep. Maybe the fact that I was sleeping on the ground. Maybe the fact that it was freezing in the desert.

Really, I attribute it mostly to the fact that I grew up going to cabins; that was my dad's idea of camping, and honestly, it is the best kind! I like my toilet paper in my bathroom with a toilet that flushes. I like having a mattress to sleep on, four solid walls and a roof. I don't need a TV or anything, but I like some comforts from home. I am Boog before he realizes he's a bear and he can survive in the wild above the waterfall.

I am not opposed to camping. I liked it a lot except for the sleeping part. I just don't want to do it on a regular basis. Unless there's a cabin involved.

Things learned: I'm outdoorsie, but not a camper. Yes, there is a difference.

From "Hola!" to "Eh?"

2008-02-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

So, I realize I've been pretty bad at updating people on some crazy west coast adventures. My apologies. I'll try to do better...

To try to make up for my lack of information, I give you two crazy adventures that I went on within the last month--Mexico in January, Seattle and B.C. in February. Where else in the country can you do these things??

MEXICO

On our way to the border in Juanita, Van of Wonder!

Walking on the beach in Mexico!!!

Seriously, people are so afraid of waves when they are wearing shoes...

We explored some pretty sweet shops along the way...this one was full of handmade tiles. Sadly, all I could think of doing when looking at them was smashing them and making a mosaic out of all the little pieces...

We stopped at Fox Studios Baja while driving to Puerto Nuevo...interesting to see, but not worth the $5 they wanted us to pay to get inside...

SEATTLE/B.C.
The next month, I met Allie up in Seattle for coffee. Seriously. It was a 55 hour trip, and we drank lots and lots and lots of coffee! Below we are in Seattle with our new matching Starbucks Tumblers...Allie and Mother Nature were having an intervention with me...

On our way up to Canada, we came across this magnificent stump at a rest stop. The sign said not to climb it...that did not deter us from an attempt...

In Canada, we stopped for some more coffee at Tim Horton's

And finally, had some great, crazy adventures in downtown Seattle...and elsewhere:

For more on these and other adventures, check out my flickr page at www.flickr.com/sarahebner. That's where the complete story can be found!

Help Out A Friend...Deal?

2008-02-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Aaron. We used to work at Crown together in Admissions, and, well, the picture speaks for itself, I think. (Yes, that is him ductaped to the wall...)

Anyway, below is some exciting news about Aaron, and a way to help him out. He's a finalist to be a contestant on Deal or No Deal, and trust me, you WANT to see him on this show! So, read below, and please fill out the three question survey.

As most of you are aware, I am a finalist for the hit TV Show “Deal or No Deal”. I am waiting to hear back from the producers. This could be soon, but I need your help in making this possible. In an effort to persuade producers to actually put me on the show, I’ve put together a 10 sec survey (it’s super quick). Basically all I need is 1,000 supporter’s names by March 1, 2008. So it’s important that you fill this out immediately!

Note: This does not guarantee I will be chosen, but will only increase my chances of not being overlooked.

Note: Also, if you currently are a student at Crown College, please make sure to enter your home city & state instead of using St. Bonifacius, MN.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Nceo7Ivqy_2fWZvRorG5Lsvw_3d_3d

Again, thanks for your support! Hopefully, you’ll be seeing me on a future episode of Deal or No Deal.

Thanks for helping out my friend!!

Random Observations

2008-02-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

1) I've been having some crazy dreams lately...
They all have been involving people from Minnesota, specifically Crown, and are the dreams that seem really, really REAL until you wake up, and they you're all discombobulated because you thought you WERE already awake, living in Minnesota again. All the situations, oddly enough, are ones that COULD actually be happening to the people in my dreams. This makes it hard to distinguish what is reality and what is not, especially when talking to people in Minnesota. So, I just keep my mouth shut for fear of weirding people out...

2) Being the Executive Assistant to the President of a college means that everyone knows who you are, and your full name (even if they don't pronounce it correctly). Unfortunately, I rarely know the name of the person talking to me, which I hate. I used to be so good at names and faces when I had visiting students at Crown. Now, I have to fake it all the time, which makes me feel like some shady car sales(wo)man or something. If only everyone wore nametags, or had their name and job title tatooed on their forehead. That'd be sweet.

That's all I've got for now. The Board of Trustees are here, and I've got some sweet centerpieces to put together.

I am a bundle of Paradoxes

2008-01-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

From Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning

January 29 "For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." John 17:19

"When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I beleive and I doubt, I hope and I get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.

To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life's story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God's grace means. As Thomas Merton put it, 'A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God.'"

Albums I Forgot I Had #2

2008-01-29T08:50:00.001-08:00

How could I forget the awesomeness that is Vertical Horizon? Though I have no idea if they even exist anymore, and even though I never bought another one of their albums, they hold a special place in my heart.

Music, for me, often brings back memories (good and bad). Listening to this album brings back SO MANY that I don't think I'll be able to recount them all here...relationships, sophomore year at Crown, Benton Harbor, Taste of Milwaukee...I will just bask in the music and enjoy the trip back in time...and maybe go crack open some scrapbooks.

For Krista and Tyler...my first celebrity sighting in CA

2008-01-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to an amazing concert in LA at a place called the Troubadour. Awesome venue, I must say. Definitely want to go back. Great music by Ingrid Michelson; you may know her from such things as the Old Navy Sweater commercial...

Anyway, so I'm standing listening to Ingrid sing, having a grand old time, when my friend Nate leans over and whispers "When you get the chance, check out who's standing to your left behind you." So, I slyly turn, acting like I'm going to say something to our friends Matt and Erika, or like I'm looking for the bathroom or something, and low and behold, there, standing no more than 2 or 3 feet from me, is Zach Braff. Just standing there, enjoying the music like I am, with his co-star from Scrubs.

The rest of the evening Zach stood behind us, and every once in a while would use Matt as a sheild to remain inconspicuous. No one made a big deal of it, he was cheering for an Ingrid encore louder than anyone else, and that's when I realized: I'm in LA, and this is normal, and how the heck did I end up here? Weird.

But, seeing Zach made me think of Krista and Tyler, and how much they love Scrubs, and how they should move to CA instead of being in cold, snowy Canada so that they can also rub shoulders with Zach, and have it be the most normal thing in the world.

My life as a screenplay...

2008-01-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

Would sell BIG right now...seriously...

This weekend was a long weekend, having Monday off and all. But a glorious weekend it was! So much packed into really, such a small time frame. Where to begin???

Thursday evening my dear friend Sara came down from LA...ahem, excuse me, La Mirada to be precise...and we had a fantastic time hanging out on Friday with some old friends from Crown. It's crazy to see people in a completely different context...you kind of have to do double takes to make sure you're not seeing things.

Saturday Sara and I met her friends at Sea World! We saw a lot of shows (she's slightly in love with Shamu...I have a soft spot for sea lions) and enjoyed the 70 degree weather, soaking up the sun, feeling sorry for our poor friends in MN who were shivering in the -40 degree weather...not to rub it in or anything! After walking around all day, we ended it with a chat in the hot tub (I love my apartment complex!), grocery shopping, and playing Wii tennis with my friends.

And then came Sunday, the CRAZIEST, most fun day of the weekend. Nate, Erica, Matt, Dani, Sara, and I rented a van (Juanita, Van of Wonder) and spent the day in Mexico! Instead of trying to write it ALL out here (which could turn into a novel), here are some of the highlights of the trip:

1) The van ride--vans make road trips 10 times more fun!
2) The beach and pier in Rosarita
3) The sweet, packed, flea market like store in some town near Rosarita, with any type of Mexican art you could ever want or desire, if you can find it or get to it through all the stuff!
4) Puerto Nuevo. This little village is EXACTLY what I pictured in my mind when I thought of Mexico, and it did not disappoint--little shops, great lobster, nice people.
5) The beach in Puerto Nuevo. While not as nice as the first beach, we took great cat naps in the sun, and we all explored in our own way, allowing everyone to be themselves and do their own thing. So much fun!
6) Watching the sunset in Mexico--seriously can't be beat.
7) Watching the Packer/Giants game in Ensenada, Mexico. No, really, we did!
8) Fernando!! 'Nuff said.

Only one low light...waiting 2 HOURS at the border to get back in the U.S. with all four girls desperately needing a bathroom...time goes much slower with a full bladder!

So, as I said, a very full, very fun weekend. And then there was Monday...which I am still processing...SO....
I'll write about Monday some other time...

Maybe if I repeat it over and over...

2007-12-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

...I'll start to believe it...

"If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place of training and correction and it's not so bad." --CS Lewis

Training and correction, training and correction, training and correction, training and correction...

Something's in the air tonight...

2007-12-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Have you ever run across a CD you forgot you had, by an artist you forgot you loved, popped it in your CD player, and every reason you had for loving the artist comes rushing back?

I love Mat Kearney...

Random Vaugness

2007-12-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

This week has been one of the more random weeks since moving here. It seems that when it rains, it pours. One friend has a situation, and then suddenly, another friend has a similar yet not related situation, and then, of course, I have one...weird. But, God is good and everything happens for a reason.

Sorry for the vagueness (a friend "accused" me of being rather vague about my week this week, so my apologies), but that really isn't the reason I started writing this.

My roommate, Jamie, and I FINALLY got to move into our permanent apartment this weekend. I cannot TELL you how excited I was to be able to unpack boxes and finally begin to make California my home. However, I think some things multiplied while sitting in the boxes for a month. Nope, not my shoes (I wish)--my books. Can't seem to fit them on my 3 bookcases to save my life! And I got rid of a ton before I moved!

Anyway, my books are also not my reason for writing. While unpacking, I've run across a number of personal items (letters, pictures, postcards, journals) that I had completely forgotten about or had been missing for AGES. How weird it is to go back and read about your life, or recall the person who sent the letter, or look at pictures of you and a past significant other and realize you don't really want that memory anymore (not because you're bitter, just because you no longer have reason to hang on to it) so you throw it away.

Some memories can be easily tossed. Others you want to toss but it isn't so easy. And then there are those that you don't know what to do with--they aren't good or bad, they just...are. But, if I hang on to the memory, am I allowing myself to become emotionally attached to something or someone that I shouldn't be attached to? Or can I keep the memory without the attachment, fondly recalling it every so often, but not obsessing over it?

As a woman, I have the tendency to become emotionally attached too easily. Not to say that men don't or can't; sometimes I think they can more easily unattach themselves from the emotion.

My friend Allie put it best: a relationship is like a tapestry; when you rip the tapestry in half, it is never completely ripped apart the first time. There are still little threads that you have to pull out from each half before it is completely free. This is true in relationships and memories; but where is line? When is it okay to have a few threads from the past hanging on to you, and when do you have to do everything you can to pull them free?

A tough question, maybe one without an answer. And I'm not really looking for an answer this time around. Well, maybe a vague one.

Thanks, I'll pass

2007-11-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of obvious things to love about California, especially when you are from Minnesota. So, here's a list of things I have discovered that I don't love about this state in the month that I have been here:

1. Marking freeway on/off ramps.
Seriously, whoever came up with the system in California should be fined a great deal of money! Basically, it is assumed that you know where the on/off ramps are, so the signs are small and sometimes you don't notice them until the very last minute. I've made many CA drivers angry...

2. Drivers
I don't think they believe in using turn signals out here...

3. Roads cross each other 4 or 5 times
They aren't parallel...they aren't perpendicular...(my geometry teacher would be proud of me)...but I am not proud of the road system in CA...seriously, I cross University from La Mesa Blvd 2-3 times getting to the mall...I would have no clue how to draw maps for people here!

4. Getting made fun of for different words
We always made fun of Wisconsin-ites who called a drinking fountain a "bubbler". Now my roommate giggles every time I say "bag" or "pop".

5. False advertisements of the sun always shinning.
I won't be tan by Christmas at this rate!

6. Only one DSW in a 75 mile radius
Okay, this one probably doesn't matter to most people, but it does to me. There is one in San Diego, and then the nearest one is 75 miles away. What if they don't have my size???

In all seriousness, if this is all I can come up with in a months time, I'm doing pretty well. And I am! There's a ton of great things about this state, and especially the area I live, like:

1. The weather
The coldest it has gotten? 55-60 degrees. That's quite balmy for this MN girl...

2. 5 minutes from everything
Literally. I can take the trolley downtown, and the freeways get me everywhere else in no time

3. Hip Hop class
It's fun to try new things in a new place!

4. Gaslamp district
Kind of reminds me of Uptown in MN...but it's way cooler...

5. Coranado
An island. Best way to see it is by ferry.

6. Beaches
Um...I don't need to explain this one, do I?

7. People
So nice! And many are from out of state, so it feels more...normal? Sure. Lots of midwesterners too!

8. Public Transportation
I love it! Why don't all cities have good public transportation systems?

9. Cost of living
Besides housing, not so bad.

10. Trader Joe's
Best grocery place EVER!

11. Outdoor Malls
You are outside, and you get to shop. Can we say, "best of both worlds?"

12. A tank of gas
...goes WAY farther here than it did for me in MN!

So, the good totally outweighs the bad...although the DSW thing still hurts....

A train, India, and lots of orange luggage...

2007-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Royal Tenenbaums is probably one of my all time favorite movies, for the sheer fact that it random and has a plot all at the same time. So, I was very excited when a group of people out here in CA invited me to go see the Darjeeling Limited with them, which I have been wanting to see for some time.
Some of you may not have seen it yet, so I won't ruin the movie for you (because I hate it when people do that--I never saw Phenomenon or Legends of the Fall because I was told the endings to both).
But, if you like random movies filled with illustrations that could be discussed for years to come, go see it. And then, when you see it, let me know what you think everything means...
Yes, it is a little bizzare, and yes, there are parts that you wonder what the heck Wes Anderson was thinking, but all in all, a good film. And the acting was superb.

But Royal Tenenbaums is still better...

One Week Down

2007-11-09T18:50:00.001-08:00

Yes, yes, I know. I've been terrible at keeping this thing up to date. I'm such a tease.

The move went smoothly, though it was terribly long. Iowa and Nebraska went by quickly, Colorado mountains are gorgeous, the Mormons can keep Utah (so boring and desolate), Vegas made me sad.

No sign of smoke as far as I can tell. I love my new place, but wish my furniture would get here. My job is great--I totally know this is where I am supposed to be. However, the new culture is taking some getting used to. There are some nuances that are just part of Christian Higher Ed and that's the way it is. However, some things...well...they're a shock.

I've met some very nice people, haven't been to the beach yet (I kind of forget it's there), I am beginning to wonder where the sun is, and I am now a huge fan of Trader Joe's--that's right, I've gone organic!

There's a Starbucks and Mexican restaurant on every corner (no lie). The town I am living in has public transportation options (love it). My commute is short (yea!). I've become a CA driver with MN liscence plates (scary).

It's a weird time of transition, but I'm looking forward to the lessons I'll be learning. That said, here is a quote to ponder:

"If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it's not so bad." CS Lewis

Random, or Reasons?

2007-10-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why certain events happen in your life when they do? Are the some random occurance, or is God trying to tell you something through them all, and you just have to figure out the pattern?

I feel like, since I made the decision to take a job in San Diego, events in my life have started occuring that either a) confirm my decision or b) make me question it. I think this is probably normal, but it makes life utterly confusing.

I don't really want to get into details, since all of these occurances involve other people, but please be praying that I continue to follow God's will. I have never felt so at peace with a move or a job like I do with this one, but there are things that are making me want to stay; however, I also know that things that are making me want to stay don't compare to being in God's will.

Moving On

2007-09-22T21:28:00.001-07:00

Thanks for your prayers.

I have accepted the job out of state! I move to California in a month...woo, lots to do...

More to come...

Do I Stay or Do I Go?

2007-09-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Ah, choices. They mess up one's life in an instant. Just when you thought the writing is on the wall, something else shows up.

I had a job interview this weekend. It was a great experience. It is a great opportunity. It would most likely open doors into the world of events I have never known. It is not in this state.

I had a conversation with my VP today. It was a great experience. It opened up another choice. It would be a great opportunity to move up. It would allow me to stay in state. It would mean another year in the same place.

Anyone know where I can find a burning bush?

The Week From...

2007-08-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yeah, you know how to fill in that ellipses.

This is the week I have dreaded all summer long. Crazy phone calls from parents (because students can't do anything for themselves anymore), from students wondering why they haven't been accepted yet (because you applied yesterday), amazement at the lack of responsibility ("uh, I can't move in until Sunday..." "What part of 'New Student Orientation is REQUIRED' do you not understand??!!") and the list goes on.

I find myself praying for patience more during this week than during Quest, and that's saying a lot. Please pray for all of us on campus...it'll all be over soon...

Trying to catch up leaves me breathless

2007-08-18T21:53:00.001-07:00

Ever feel like your always trying to catch up to everyone else in life? No matter what I do, I seem to feel a few steps behind these day--not literally. If it were literally, I'd always be a bit behind because I detest running and only do it because supposedly it is good for me. I don't think I beleive those studies, though, no matter how many issues of Shape magazine I read.

Remember the game of "LIFE"? It used to be my favorite game growing up. However, if the game of LIFE was really how life pans out, I'm still stuck at the beginning trying to choose a career while everyone else is far, far ahead being successful, getting married, and filling their car with children.

This post is not meant to be a pity party. It's just an observation I have every once in awhile, and this time I just hope that actually writing it down will make me feel a little better.

Not working.

Secrets

2007-08-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

If you haven't already, checkout postsecret.blogspot.com. This blog is dedicated to posting other people's secrets--you send in an anonymous postcard proclaiming your secret, and it might be posted on the site by a guy named Frank.

Some secrets are so sad, some are so disturbing, some are so...odd...

The most ironic part of keeping up with this blog is many times, I'll read someone's secret and think, "Hmmm...I feel that way too..." or "Hey, I've dealt with that before" or "That's my secret too!"

The most healing thing about the site is knowing you are not alone in some of the things you might be dealing with everyday. So many times, as Christians especially, we tend to keep our hurts and emotions to ourselves. We think we need to put on the "Happy-everything-is-peachy" face. We think no one wants to be burdened with our issues. We think no one will understand. We think our problems are taboo.

I've felt this way. I'm sure you have too.

Talk to someone. We need to be more open to vulnerability, realizing that we are never alone, and that keeping secrets to ourselves will only feed the issue, the sin, the self-destructive behaviors. We need to be more supportive of each other, listen more, lend an ear, a shoulder, a word of advice, accountability, encouragement.

We need to be more opening to the love and compassion that Jesus has for us all.

Sequence of Events

2007-07-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Do events occur during your day, and at the end of it, you wonder why? Why today? Why now? Why at this moment? Why me?

Or do you wonder how they all fit together, or how you can start the day with such a great event and end on a crappy one? Or how you can start a day chipper and end it frustrated (or vice versa)? Do we let ourselves go through such an emotional whirlwind, or is there no way to stop it?

Why does God allow certain events to happen now and others later? How do they fit together?

I'm officially confused, tired, fascinated, frustrated, and dumbfounded, all at the same time.

Sunny with a High of 75...

2007-07-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

More like high of 90 with 100% humidity...but I just saw Relient K in concert...

My apologizes once again, to those of you who still occasionally breeze by this thing. I don't feel like writing just yet, but will entertain you with some pictures from LIFE 2007 in Orlando, FL, where it truly was 95 degrees and 100% humidity.

This is Hall C, where we spent the week in the booth.

This is me handing out assignments for the day.

Natalie and I flashing back to our childhood

Ah, the beach. I got burnt to a crisp.

These are the Peabody Hotel Ducks. They have their own suite and swim in this fountain. At 11am and 5pm they have their own parade too.

There are many more pictures I could put up here, but this pictures on the blog thing drives me nuts. So I will leave you with these and some highlights from the week:

1. Great conversations with high school students.

2. Brennen Manning spoke and brought the WORD!

3. Atta Boy!

4. Mentos IS the Freshmaker

5. Orlando will drop-kick you in the face

6. Quarter? Got your quarter?

7. Have you signed up for Internet time?

8. Winner!

There's a taste. As a college, we see a different side of the conference, but I've heard lives were changed by God throughout the weekend, and lots was done for Africa. Maybe I'll post more later. Right now I am going to go outside and enjoy the diminished Minnesota humidity...I'll never complain again.

Oops, I Did It Again

2007-06-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

I waited almost two months before I posted anything again. My bad. Here's the condensed version of what's been up:

1. I graduated with my Masters in Organizational Leadership. This has led to many questions like "So, are you leaving Crown?" and "What are your plans now?" "Probably," "maybe," and "I don't know" tend to be typical answers to these and others like them. The future's up in the air. I'm open to suggestions.

2. Life has been a bit crazy at work due to LIFE 2007. While it'll be fun to be in humid Orlando in July and see lots of people from days of yore, the details that need to get worked out before hand tend to be overwhelming at times. If I didn't have everything else to get done as well, like New Student Registration Days, visitors, etc., it'd probably be much smoother. I am looking forward to it, don't get me wrong. We are going to have an awesome, fun booth again, so if you are going to be at the conference, don't forget to come visit!!

3. Tutoring is something I never thought I would have so much fun doing. Unfortunately, my schedule doesn't allow me to get as many hours anymore, but that's okay. It's still a good time.

4. I'm contemplating the idea of joining a local library book club. I realized earlier this month that I have no or limited contact with non-Christians, and that's just not okay anymore. So, as I pondered my passions and hobbies and how I could incorporate them more into my life, a list of book clubs happened to fall into my lap. Okay, it fell into my email inbox. Same thing.

5. I'm also painting again. Another passion that got put on the back burner for a while. My question is: why are art supplies so darn expensive??

6. Lots of friends having babies. Remember when every summer had 2 or 3 weddings a month? Summer is now beginning to consist of baby showers and births. A new chapter in life. I wish people would slow down so I could catch up a little.

7. I've never liked ending lists with the number 6. I don't know why. I think it was those old Revelation videos from the 1970s. Remember those? The guillotine? Scarring for a young girl.