A lot has been happening

Ali and I finally got our dining set from IKEA. Of course, getting furniture from IKEA means you have to put it together yourself. So that's what we did. I call this "The Evolution of the Chair." But before that...

I spent a day in the mountains courtesy of my dad, a great mountain man (beard and all). We fished and I shot a rifle for the first time. Only two fish were caught and they were both released. Mine was a nice 14 inch German Brown Trout. But before that...

Heather and Danny got married! It was a lovely wedding and we all looked pretty good in our tiffany blue and pearls. But before that...


















Heather had a super fun Bachelorette weekend in Napa. Not too many of the girls were actually interested in tasting the wine, but we did taste a few exceptional Moscatos. This is at Mondavi's, the last one of the trip.



I have been doing so many great things and spending time with my wonderful friends, but work has been very stressful and I've been doing a lot of introspection. Those last two things combined mean I am daily fighting a melancholy that makes me not much fun to be around. Maybe I hide it well, but if you think of it please send some prayers or pleasant thoughts my way. I am very thankful for all the people that love me enough to listen to my whining, and if you haven't had the opportunity to do that yet, just give me a call.

Unsolved Mystery

Who can guess what I'm drinking and whether or not I liked it? If you guess correctly, I'll buy you a drink of whatever color you like.

Midwest in Photos

Not long ago I went on a trip to visit my family in Michigan. I also went to Chicago overnight with little Ali. It was great fun. So here's a quick update in pictures.

I went wine tasting there! Who knew you could do that? I am sitting with my grandma having lunch at Tabor Winery, the most popular one in Michigan.

Then we went to Chicago. Almost every way you looked there was a beautiful skyline. This is the view from our hotel.

We had to make a stop at the Art Institute of Chicago to see their world class collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art. The one above is "Poppy Field" by Monet.

But of course, the best part was the family. These are almost all of my Michigan cousins.

On a lighter note...

Literally. I have new boyfriend and he is as light as a feather (pun very much intended). Kiwi actually kind of likes me now! He even gave me a little kiss... on the lips!

The Rack

I'm not talking about the discount clothing store. No, the rack I'm talking about is the device used for torture mainly in the Middle Ages. Basically this mechanism was used to pull on a person's arms and legs to stretch or dislocate them. According to Wikipedia, it could go further than that: "Eventually, if the application of the rack is continued, the victim's limbs are ripped right off." I feel a little bit like I'm on a metaphysical rack. I don't think I'm going to lose a limb from it, but I do feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions.

Garden Party

Just because I'm going to a garden party today and because the original "Tea Partay" was so good... I now present "Green Tea Partay," the West Coast way.

Peter Burnett Elementary Class of '96

That was the team name at Whiskey Wild's trivia this past Tuesday night. I got to catch up with some guys that I hadn't seen in 12 years.


From left to right: Pha, Ky, Ali, Hanh, Amy, and me. And as a bonus... we won! It was all because I had done some research on Jack Daniels Whiskey and had a hunch that they made their own barrels.

Happy Earth Day!

A little while ago I told a 1st grader that I didn't have TV stations. His response was, "What do you do?!" Tragic. Today, however, I went on a hike by Folsom Lake with some kids. It was super fun. The wildflowers there were gorgeous.

20 Minutes

As of this morning I am hairless. At least on my legs.

When Hairy Met Rachel

In the past I have let my leg hair grow out for many different reasons. There was curiosity to see how long it would get. I used it to help keep me warm during the cold Spokane winters. I have even done it once or twice as a social statement about how women shouldn't be required to shave their legs to be thought of as feminine and attractive. I haven't shaved my legs since the beginning of March, but this time it's just because I haven't gotten the chance.

Engaged is an epidemic, but I don't have the fever

I have noticed lately a number of acquaintances and friends have gotten engaged. In light of this I decided to conduct a little experiment to see if Facebook could tell me how many of my friends were engaged. What it told me was that 160 of my friends or people from Whitworth are engaged. What?! I started looking through them and found so many that I had no idea were even close to being engaged. Well, I have been out of touch with Whitworth for some time, but still... It was shocking! I'm glad for all of you out there who have found someone who you feel comfortable and ready to decide to SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE with. I however, am not even close. All the single girls out there say "Hey!"

My Favorite Easter Memory

One Sunday morning a few years ago, I went to the sunrise service that my church, Fremont Presbyterian, always has by the river. It is a unique service and it feels extra special because we are outside in the early morning with a bunch of people who are all part of our church family(including the band with all of their equipment!). On this particular Sunday morning, Geordie, a former associate pastor, was giving the benediction. When he was just about finished, the rickety wooden cross the high schoolers had used on their latest mission trip fell over. There was a moment of surprise in which people were trying to decide how to respond. Jamie, the pastor's son decided what to do first. He shouted, "He is risen!" And we all shouted back, "He is risen indeed!" When I think of that morning I reminds me of how Christ conquered the cross and it cannot stand up next to God's power and glory.

Wide Open Spaces

It's been awhile because.... we moved! That's right, it's official, I now have my own bedroom and bathroom! Instead of sharing a 2 bed 1 bath house with 2 other people, I'm sharing a 2 bed 2 bath apartment with one person (my sister!) and a lot of boxes. I know there are lots of exclamation points, but I'm excited!

Filling Empty Spaces

I've never moved into a completely empty home of my own before. When I went away to school they provided all the furniture. When I moved into a house with my friends they provided most of the furniture. For my bedroom I used a mattress I found in the garage and some ply wood from another friend. Real high class, I know. Now, soon, my sister and I are going to be moving into an apartment together. The applications are being turned in today so as long as nothing goes wrong we should be approved by this weekend. Then we have to begin the arduous task of filling an apartment. This time I do have a bed, but we don't exactly have a dining room set or a couch. Things are coming together, though, with donations from our parents and things we've had since childhood. Mostly I'm excited, but there is that part of me that is a little overwhelmed by the changes this new situation will bring to my life. Well, you have to move out of your parents house at some point, right? Definitely! If anyone has tips on how to live cheap, send them my way.

Gum, Catch, and Trivia

1. It's felt kind of like I have a wad of gum stuck in the back of my throat for the past few days.
2. I played catch outside today and it was wonderful.
3. Tonight is trivia night at Whiskey Wild. My team won first prize for their very first trivia event!

That's the update.

Pictionary This!

+ ing

+

= what went wrong on my car today.

Lental Update

First of all, Lent ends on Palm Sunday... who knew?! So it's apparently 40 days which is what I thought, but when I counted on the calender I got 45. Oh well. Secondly, on the very first day of Lent, the teacher of the 1st grade class I work with bought me a mocha. I couldn't refuse the gift so I took it and drank it. Some of you may think me weak, but I think God understands.

The Next 45 Days

Today is the first day of Lent. The carnival is over and it is time for some somber reflection on the sacrifice God made on that first Good Friday a long time ago. The spiritual exercise that is normally practiced to help us remember God's sacrifice is to give up something in our own lives. I have forsaken many things in the past: TV, sweets, soda, etc. This year I have chosen something that I turn to when I feel like I need a little pick-me-up or some pampering. That is... COFFEE. I have some deliciously sweet and warm coffee beverage at least a couple times every week. This one is going to be hard for me, but I hope that it will cause some thoughtfulness about the comfort that God is in my life. Coffee, you are a false idol and I cast you down to the pit of unnecessary things. The next 45 days are coffee-free for me.

Happy Compostela Day!

A year ago today, Tori, Alison and I rode/pushed our bikes the last 3.5 miles to Santiago de Compostela. We found the Cathedral and stood in front of it for a few moments before doing anything else. I had an incredible feeling of accomplishment and amazement and relief. We had reached the end of the road that we had been preparing for and travelling on for the past 8 months or more. So much time and energy went into and finally we were done. It was a relief and felt like I was receiving a blessing just in being there. The pilgrim's mass was wonderful and we sang about announcing our salvation. I felt like I had only gotten there by God's grace. I was skeptical practically the whole way about being capable of riding my bike 550 miles across Spain, but every day we made it to our destination and on this day we arrived. It was and still is a little unbelievable.

Bonds (other than Barry)

This time last year I was nearing the end of my journey to Santiago de Compostella. Alison has dubbed Jan. 28th Compostella Day because that is the day we arrived in Santiago and received our Compostellas. Now we get pass on Purgatory or something like that.

I recently got an e-mail from my friend, Markus, who I met along the road and whom Alison referenced in her blog as well. I almost cried when I read his message written in broken English. I remember the openness that the road created between us. The fact that we were all pilgrims going to the same place meant that there was a link. Despite the language barrier and the age difference, we formed bonds with Markus, a lovely Italian couple and a French/Portugese man currently living in Canada. They became my friends who are forever etched on my heart even though I may never see them or speak to some of them again.

I can't wait to visit with Tori this weekend and celebrate our trip. What an experience and what wonderful people I shared it with!

This is a picture or Tori's popped tire and Alison being so helpful. We're getting so close!