best 50/50 raffle ticket seller EVER

so in support of the RRVY Wahoos swimming team (my alma mater) I went to the Ralph Engalstad Arena, during the World Junior Hockey Championship (Canada vs. Germany - fünfzig fünfzig raffle Karten, jedermann?) to sell 50/50 raffle tickets. My sister and I took the suite level and hit it up big time. first just asking anyone who walked up stairs to buy 50/50, then we hit up the downstairs a little and then the upstairs and then we tackled the suite level 2 more times. i had people inviting me into their suites and then they would have me go up to unsuspected ticket buyers and say such sayings as, "buy some tickets tight ass!" and they would. i also went into a canadian groups suite where they were all guys, around my age and they invited me in and they all bought from me as they drank away. i think that suite also helped me out a bit as when i first walked in canadia scored. ahhh...alli and i did hella good! back to REA on thursday night: usa vs czech republic. i'm dressing for the part! ahhahahaha!

A Christmas Thought
By Bob Schaller

'Twas the night before Christmas
And all 'round the pool
The kickboards were drying
The lanelines were all spooled

The medals were stowed
In cases with great care
The starts with their families
For memories to make, and to share

Onward Phelps, Beard and Coughlin
Peirsol, Sandeno and Hansen too
Onward Crocker, Katie Hoff
And the Kirk sisters, of htem two

Another year has come to a close
Suits are in lockers but won't gather dust
They'll be out again soon
for World Championships are a must!

Young swimmers take their break
Moms and Dads can sleep in as well
What will '05 hold?
No one can yet tell

Our heroes chase their dreams
But remember they're just people all the same
It's desire that makes the difference
So let's make our very own names!

Lists have been made
And checked more than twice
Stockings will be fileed
and the tree will look nice

But what you can't ask for
Might be what you relaly want
Only you can chase your dreams
Only you can take that hunt

Be sure to thank your parents
Don't forget to thank your coach
Be a friend to an enemy
Carry yourself beyond reproach

Medals and trophies in our dreams
But a win doesn't come on one day
It's a daily path and long journey
Do your best and you'll be okay

Try a little harder
Take a few minutes just to smile
Get in all your sets with pride
Smartly go that extra mile

But understand no matter what
That swimming is with you forever
Whether it is first place or last
Swimming is about never saying "never"

So as this year hits the wall
And another is almost underway
Look inside for inspiration
Because where there's a will, there is a way!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

merry christmas to all...

so xmas eve is comming to a close. i got some pretty sweet gifts from the fam. tonight santa, tomorrow, mom's side, monday, dad's side. i am pumped.

...and to all a good night!

can't wait!

harry potter and the half blood prince: july 16, 2005!

i know...i'm a geek, what can i say.

so close to christmas

i can't believe how close christmas is. it's amazing. it snuck up so fast! 2 more days and i'll be home. 2 more days and square will be home. 3 more days and it's present opening time. i'm hoping with all of my heart that squeaks gift shows up. aughghgh.

big pimpen

so my youngest brother is somehow turning into a pimp. he's a junior in high school and aparently, all the girls are after him. aparently one of my roommate's sisters (who is a freshman at the same school as my brother) was coming home on the skating team bus and another one of the girls got up the nerve and decided she wanted to ask zerek to snowball, the winter formal. well, my roommate's sister called up my roommate as she knew she knew my homephone number, gave it to this other girl and she called him up...that is guts. i also heard from my sister that another girl was telling her that whenever zerek walks by in the halls, the girls just start whispering, "ooo zerek, he's so cute." o how i wish they really knew him!

that is not all however...i was blog surfing through some younger north dakota swimmers blogs and they mention him in there! o the humor of it all!

i want to know what exactly he did to obtain this profound status....

bbc sport academy

so i found this great swimming site at the bbc sport academy, which is australian. and since those aussies (aussie, aussie, aussie, oye, oye, oye!) love there swimmers like rockstars, of course they would have a rocken swimming page. check it out.

EDIT: ok, so i kinda lied...bbc (why i didn't recognize this before...info i know but lost) is british...so it's european...but yet they talk quite a bit about the aussies!

update

yeah...i'm still sore. ouch

snowboarding pro

awww snowboarding. the sport i want to be good at, but probably will never be. i attempted it again yesterday, and miraculously, did ok. of course, i didn't use the proper techniques, BUT i did make it down the hill many times without falling and making a fool out of myself.

the day started out with kt and myself wondering what the heck we were doing as the temperature was at about 0 outside. however we wanted to go. then i had to reintroduce myself to my fear of heights and falling problem as we got onto the ski lift. i really found out i don't like it until you get to this one post and you're looking down at all the little ski-ers and snowboarders and the lift lunges forward and your chair swings back and forth and you realize, there is absolutely nothing holding you in. aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

as i had not been snowboarding in 2 years, everything had to be reintroduced. our friend lulu decided he was going to help me make it down the hill - the correct way. so as we took a dancing stance and hold on our snowboards, we very ungracefully made our way down the hill, me screaming all the way. untill we completely 180-ed and he fell backwards over his back edge and i landed untop, shins hitting his front edge (i have a really nice bump that i am really proud of!!). kt thought we wanted to cuddle in the middle of the slope. me, all i could say was that i was really really sorry as my hand, coming forward to brace myself in my fall, hit a place that it REALLY, really shouldn't have hit. also, if you didn't pick this up, lulu is a guy - yeah. (i'm so sorry lulu!)

some other highlights from the day:

-looking like an idiot as i tried to make my way up the bunny hill, falling, and then having EVERYONE trip over me.
-having a guy (gasp!) ask if he could ride up the lift with me. i told him yes, but i'm really horrible at getting off the darn thing. we had a pleasant conversation on the way up, AND he even offered to help me off, offering me his hand. THIS IS HUGE NEWS IN MY BOY WORLD. I did not, however, take his hand, fearing I would fall and the last thing I wanted to do was embarrass myself. however, thinking this over, a scenerio such as that could have worked in my advantage. but knowing me, probably not.
-kt thought that, if there was a snowboard dancing event in the olympics, lulu and i would have done well.
-the lack of mt. dew at lunch...i went back for more (kt - i forgot...i still owe you!)
-kt and i examining our beautiful hair in the bathroom...hats really are a neccessity.
-not hurting one bit until i took a shower that night. then it came on...even more today. imagine every muscle in your body hurting as you moved. lets just say that when i need to move, i know exactly which muscles i move to achieve certain positions as i could feel them in a painful way. ouch.

so yeah, today, i just pretty much sat around in bed. it hurt was too much to more. my mom, unpon telling her this, had forgot that i went snowboarding yesterday and got worried and thought i had the flu. nope...just achy muscles. and i won't take asperin. that's for wusses. HA.

can't wait to hit the slopes again! (for real!) even though i feel like someone beat me with their snowboard, it's a great feeling and i thrive for the achy muscles...it makes me feel strong. so for now, over and out from the worlds worst snowboarding pro.

banana phone

this one's for kt:

click here

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
Banana phone
Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
Banana phone

I've got this feeling
so appealing
for us to get together and sing - SING!

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
Banana phone
Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding
Donana phone

It grows in bunches
I've got my hunches
Its the best
beats the rest
cellular modular
interactivodular

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
Banana phone
Ping pong ping pong ping pong ping
Ponana phone

Its no baloney
It aint a phony
My cellular
Bananular phone

Don't need quarters
don't need dimes
to call a friend of mine
dont need computer or tv
to have a real good time
I'll call for pizza
I'll call my cat
I'll call the whitehouse, have a chat
I'll place a call around the world
Operator get me beijing jing jing jing



Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
Banana phone
Ying yang ying yang ying yang ying
Yanana phone
It's a real live mama and papa phone
a brother and sister and a dogaphone
a grandpa phone and a grandma phone too - oh yeah
my cellular bananular phone

Banana phone
ring... ring... ring...
Its a phone with appeal (a peel)

Banana phone
ring... ring... ring...
Now you can have your phone and eat it too
Banana phone
ring... ring... ring...
This song drives me .... bananas
Banana phone
ring... ring... ring...

Bo ba do ba do do doob
#######

it may be annoying, but kt would get it...

help fight BAC!

that's right, you too can help fight BAC! go here to learn how: http://www.fooddetectives.com/mainintro_2.html

hurtz so good

so...sticking by my promise to myself, i went and worked out yesterday, hairy legs and all. went on the bike for about 20 and then stairstepped for about 6 - the stairstepper kicked by butt. then back downstairs at the rec i did about 200 sit ups and some stretches and then i lifted arm weights...and that is where it kills. but i love it, wouldn't have it any other way.

today, back to the rec.

tonight, in the pool...with my clothes on!

tomorrow, sleep.

2 of my roommates and i decided we are going to have a leg hair growing contest...reminds me so sweetly of high school swimming. i love that team. brings back memories 3 years in the past. aaaaaa.

AK

here we go

so, with europe coming up soon (whaaaat? 92 days!!!!??!?!?!?) i figure i have to start getting back into shape so that i can eat all i want over there. so we'll have to see what i can do in 3 months. today i'm going to go and run a little before heading over to swim practice. i haven't shaved my legs however (in about a month...i'm hairy like animal) but i don't think anyone will really notice, hopefully not. but i need to start running and massive sit ups...and eating healthy i guess. right now i'm just trying to manage to get food into my day so anytime i can eat i will eat what is offered.

so today: starting out slow...running and some bike...sit ups and push ups. tomorrow: i'm hitting the pool.

=====

i only have 2 more swim practices to coach till this season ends, then i'll be getting ready for the best swim season yet. today, it's timed 500 for the kids and then maybe some waterpolo? they need to be introduced to the best game eva. tomorrow...all free time, but i'm going to completely surprise them...i'm going to have my suit on underneath some grubby clothes and no one will know...and then i'm going to jump in the pool at the right time. it'll be great.

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. andrea
2. andi
3. el presedente (sp?)

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. andi
2. coach andi
3. just a breeze

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. baby blue eyes
2. my fingernails...they actually look nice right now!
3. my legs...muscle baby

THREE THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. my hair right now...i'm trying to grow it out a little so i can get a nice cut and perm before europe
2. the zits popping up all over my face...ew.
3. the fact that i really need to start working out...and i now finally have time!

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. falling and getting hurt
2. all the "what ifs" i have in my life
3. talking a plane over the ocean for eurospring

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. email
2. car
3. toothbrush

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. jeans
2. comfy brown shoes
3. swimming shirt

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS (or singers) AT THE MOMENT:
1. maroon 5
2. matchbox twenty
3. twista

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITES SONGS AT THE MOMENT:
1. sunday morning-maroon 5
2. overnight celebrity - twista
3. breakaway - kelly clarkson

THREE THINGS YOU WOULD WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. trust
2. humor
3. loyalty
-gotta agree with lindsi

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. smile
2. sense of humor
3. confidence
-again, gotta agree with lindsi

THREE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO:
1. the splits
2. pay my car payment
3. play the violin

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. swimming
2. watching movies
3. going out to eat

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BAD RIGHT NOW:
1. lay in my bed and do nothing buy sleep, watch tv and read
2. go workout or swimming
3. eat - it's lunch time and i'm hungry

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. magazine layout artist
2. creative artist for russell and herder
3. graphic arts for disney or pixar

THREE PLACES YOU WOULD GO ON VACATION:
1. anywhere in europe
2. the carribean
3. australia
-those sound fabulous

re-con, theivery, humor and an all-star cast...glorious!

since i'm now done with classes (o yeah!) i can finally post more. so i would like to express to you to go see this awesome movie: ocean's 12! i was enthralled by it...in fact, i could barely follow along the plot was so thick but yet it was so interesting at the same time that it pulled me in and i was hooked. and the first one did the same thing. i think it's because i like to figure it out but i never really succeed...there's always something i am missing in the whole plot line that i didn't catch and at the end i realized that the one little part that i missed would have helped me realize the ending...but in reality, i like not knowing. and then at the end i have always been puzzled trying to figure out which characters where in on the WHOLE plan, and which ones thought they were but were actually just part of the whole scheme of things...or did they all know and they all just have to serve as actors while they carry out this heist? it's all confusingly complicated to me, yet i love it...i'm buying it the night it comes out!

here's a little something to keep in mind: if you drop a penny from the top of the empire state building, you may not kill anyone, however, if you shoot a gun off at the top of the empire state building, you just may kill somebody.

from the deep and intelligent thinking of moi.

a big sigh of relief

i am done, done, gloriously done!

no more homework for a loooooooooong time :)

a million and one things to do

i know i haven't posted in awhile and nomally i wouldn't be posting now, but i'm waiting for files to copy so that i can burn them to a disk. i hate waiting for files...

i think i'm going to let it burn while i run over to eat some lunch and then run back here to pick it up before a klepto grabs it and then hopefully run over to the superlab before class starts and upload my website which i finished last night at 3. and then i woke up at 7 today. the night life is fun...really quiet actually.

today for pp we are touring eagle printing. the last place we toured was really boring...actually, unless they are really good at what they do, it's all starting to get really boring.

then afterwards, i'm out to get sponsors for the habitat battle of the bands and i need to go shopping for xmas cookie ingredients....and then swim practice.

i'm so glad to be done in the superlab!

i also have a meeting tomorrow about the sports mural i am going to paint.

portfolio review for graduating seniors tomorrow...i need to look nice. can't wait for some good presentations

then xmas cookies at 5 friday, 2 saturday, and 1 sunday.

plus get in some hours at work.

and finish my last assignment (i can't wait!)

and i need to do some major xmas shopping

My pirate name is:

Captain Prudentilla Cash

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

while i'm waititng

thought i would post this since i am waiting for my final cut pro movie to finish rendering...and to make kt happy:

100 DAYS TILL EUROSPRING!!

yikes!

on a side note: less than a week till homework can be off of my mind for a long, LONG, time.

yeah!

You will be the first ninja to use daffodils as
weapons. Plus, you kick butt.


What is your Fate?
brought to you by Quizilla

tryptophan

spelling on that? well, turkey didn't make me tired this past weekend. it was such a good weekend...and it went by in such a blur.

i got home tuesday night after some roast beef and curly fries as my last post stated. then wednesday i woke up at 10ish and proceeded to get ready for my day. my number one thing to do on wednesday was to go and get my passport taken care of. i finally had enough money to do so and once i was ready, i went to get my birth certificate, the official one, the one i ordered so that i could get my driver's license so i know it was in the house.

unfortunatly it was no where to be found. not in my baby book, not in my file of important stuff, not in my couple of boxes in the basement that were haphazardly thrown to the side of the storage room in the basement (i felt so loved).

so still no passport. but i did pick up pep band music for friday and talked to T and i mailed squares bday present a whole month and a week late.

wednesday night my family went to the pep rally for our high school football team. can i get a GREEN WAVE?!!?!! they were heading off to the section AAA championship game thursday night, which hasn't been done in 19 years. i opted to stay home and play the sims, i wouldn't have much to do there and the sims are addicting.

thursday i woke to last minute cleaning for turkey day. after the house and myself was all cleaned up, zerek and i ran to conquer kmart, the only store open in the grand cities, so of course, everyone and their mother was there. our mission? harry potter and the prisiner of azkaban on dvd. mission accomplished, after much struggling and teasing of the old guy who was apparently sleeping the the van parked in front of us...we thought he was dead for a second and then he licked his lips, must have been anticipating the turkey to come!

thanksgiving that night with the stadems was supurb. we had 2 turkeys, one for my mom that was gluten free and another seasoned one for the rest of us. the mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and everything else was wonderful. i even had wine with the meal, but it seemed very strong...not used to it i guess. the rest of the night was spent talking and watching the apprentice.

friday morning started at 7 am which i woke up showered and then it was off to the bus to head down to the cities for the championship game. it was kind of funny because once again, i was on bob's bingo and booze bus, the same bus i toke 2 weekends before to the mall of america. though this time the bingo and booze wasn't there...at least the bingo anyway. it was a long ride down and it was snowy and icy, the first we've had for the year...winter's finally here! we arrived at the metrodome at around 2:45 and the game between pierz and another school was in session still and it was halftime. the pierz dance team came out and entertained us and they were good..except for the 2 who kept kicking the wrong way, but that's ok. pierz won and then i was over with the pep band for the warm up for the waves!

the game was great, it was kind of like high school again, with all the colors and the cheering, except i was sitting with my mom and brother, which if i was in high school still, i probably wouldn't be. we had all the girls with the slutty greenwave shirts they had made just barely hanging on them. one girl had her pants rip and she despretly tried to keep those together in the back. other than that, it was a great game! we won 31-14 and it was our first football state championship! which this is huge for a small town that has big competition with all the schools in the cities. you can click here to see my sister in all of her greenwave gear.

saturday i slept in, needing the sleep after not getting home until 2 am. we waited at the metrodome until the players came out to their bus to congratulate them. mr.nelson came on our bus with the trophy and we all cheered and it was all good fun. saturday was spent slowing taking out xmas decorations and then zerek, my mom and i hit up target where she got some shopping done but i didn't find anything. then that night we went over to stadems to have dinner with my grandparents who were in the cities for turkey day. then we retreated to pop culture trivia pursuit which zerek found out he doesn't like...basically because, well, he's not good at it.

then i did a mock up for the championship sweatshirt for the welcome home rally for the football team that night and then the next morning it was church at good old sharon lutheran. it was wonderful...it's the start of advent! and then i pretty much headed straight back for btown from there, i had a ton of homework to do, which frankely, i didn't do too much of. tv's addicting, don't start or you'll never stop.

peace.

bible verses

"whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"
-ISAIAH 30:21 NIV

this was printed on the inside of the confirmation card i gave to zerek on his confirmation day. this is one of my favorites and knew i had to give this one to him when i saw it. my favorite has to deal with being a child of the light and walking in the light...unfortunatly i don't have that verse memorized...i'll have to work on it.

You Are the Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Someone lame won't leave you alone in the kitchen... what is your weapon of choice?

A pair of tongs
A vegetable peeler
A can of whipped cream
A can opener
A big knife

home

well, i'm finally home. got done with swim practice today, went and grabbed my flute, went and got some curly fries and a roast beef sandwich and booked it out of town. and now i sit here....but i do have my new europe book...excitement.

saw kelly yesterday. she came to the habitat meeting and TRIED to persuade me to let them all socialize while we catch up. couldn't let that happen however. after the meeting though, her and peaches and i went out for perkins pie. it's was wonderful. got to see some pictures. told us about the guy she's going to marry (but they aren't even dating) and how they discipline there kids at america's school with the highest ranking test scores. basically she talks in black lingo now...and says a lot of "you lookin at me boy?" she threw a boy out for whispering in her class...my swimming kids would cry if i yelled at them and then had the pricipal through them against the locker for whispering. ouch.

kelly was supposed to call me today but she never did. she's going to wisconsin tomorrow for t day. which it's possibly for the best she didn't see me...she has a lot of people she needs to see...plus we didn't say good bye...but i do get to see her in three weeks...hopefully :) we're hittin up sharon lutheran with some AMENS! (and the bongo drums...little kids better watch out everywhere).

all i can say is...bring on the turkey! ((( in 1 day! )))

andi says:
are you trying to piss me off?
Nathan says:
well yea
Nathan says:
all i would have to do is say a certain person name and you would be fuming
andi says:
i don't fum
Nathan says:
right!!!!
Nathan says:
what do you do then
andi says:
you think i fum?
Nathan says:
oh yea
andi says:
i don't think i fum
Nathan says:
oh yes you do
andi says:
It means to be in rage; hot with anger...I don't get hot with anger
Nathan says:
oh yes you do
Nathan says:
you get so hot with anger you cannot mqake logic sentences
andi says:
i can't make logic sentences anyway
Nathan says:
well true......................................................................

another quiz...via mandei's LJ

9 things i want to do before i die:
[ travel the world without any worries]
[ coach one of my swimmers to a national meet ]
[ work at walt disney studios ]
[get a design job that i love and design a great project that i am truely proud of ]
[ go on a cruise ]
[ be part of a habitat for humanity house dedication ]
[ swim in another meet...i have no idea why, since ending your swimming career at a state meet seems the best place to do it. ]
[ have a full blown library in my home ]
[ get married ]

8 things im wearing:
[ bsu sweatshirt ]
[ jeans ]
[ mermaid socks ]
[ my favorite brown shoes]
[ bracelets: livestrong, breast cancer and my charms]
[ yes, i am wearing underwear ]
[ contacts]
[a smile :) ]

7 things on my mind:
[ this class is so boring]
[ why i don't skip more boring classes]
[ school ]
[ driving home tonight ]
[ big booty]
[ what hard workout i'm going to give my swimmers tonight]
[ all the turkey i'm going to eat on turkey day ]

6 items i touch everyday:
[ my computer ]
[ my bed ]
[ my car and keys ]
[ my clothes]
[ air - this answer illegally stolen by me from mandei ]
[ my hair - i want to say chlorinated pool water, but unfortunatly i don't ]

5 things i do everyday:
[stair at the computer screen doing many pointless things on the internet ]
[ brush my teeth ]
[ sleep ]
[ have at least one thought that involves habitat or the swim team cross through my mind ]
[ laugh ]

4 songs on my mind:
[ LaLa by Ashlee Simpson...i know, sorry ]
[ celebrity, by twista - get you ice like kobe right? i like know you right? gonna make you a celebrity overnight]
[ o yeah, big booty! theme song]
[ breakaway by kelly clarkson ]

3 things i think of when i wake up:
[ the alarms going off already? what time is it...]
[ thank god i woke up to the alarm... ]
[ 5 more minutes... i love my bed]

2 of my favorite foods:
[chinese!]
[popcorn chicken and honey mustard ]

1 person i love more than any other:
[ God.......and my family....but that's more than 1]

turkey day homework

typo:
- finish printing out magazine and get it mounted for monday

mp:
- besides what is posted below, finish webpage and print lasers tuesday to hand in wednesday

pp:
- study for quiz on handout

dv:
- first movie due thursday!

do habitat stuff...please.

You will be the first ninja to use daffodils as
weapons. Plus, you kick butt.


What is your Fate?
brought to you by Quizilla

You will be the first ninja to use daffodils as
weapons. Plus, you kick butt.


What is your Fate?
brought to you by Quizilla

mmp1 homework

chapter 29 due for wednesday after turkey day
get working on that website!!

my friday five

1. what did you have for breakfast this morning?
usually not much but this morning i was hungry so i ran down to the union while at work and got pizza hut cinnemon sticks, milk and cran grape juice.
2. what's your favorite breakfast meal?
i love sit down breakfasts and i love to order french toast, eggs, bacon and hash browns with oj and milk.
3. answer this: are you a grown-up (i.e.: do you drink coffee?)?
nev ah! unfortunately i'm not a grown up, i don't like coffee...the taste doesn't really appeal to me.
4. how do you like your eggs?
scrambled please...or if having fried egg sandwhiches, i'll have them fried. just not sunny side up
5. do you know the muffin man? how about the milk man? paper boy?
the muffin man i believes lives at perkins, the milk man...well he doesn't come to our house. the paper boy i do know...and i do know that the paper boy that used to work for my grandparents is hot, and a twin.

friday five

so i'm sitting here in class missing the friday five. sooooo.....i have decided to start my own for you all to use. feel free to copy and post on your blog with your answers. also, if you have ideas for friday five questions, email them to me, and i'll be happy to use them. this may only last one week but let's not get our hopes down. i'm going to try and be productive.

this week's friday five:

1. what did you have for breakfast this morning?
2. what's your favorite breakfast meal?
3. answer this: are you a grown-up (i.e.: do you drink coffee?)
4. how do you like your eggs?
5. do you know the muffin man? how about the milk man? paper boy?

Have a great week!

what is this world coming to?

you know there is something wrong with america when 9 of the people living there are bidding on a piece of grilled cheese sandwhich that looks as though the virgin mary's face is "grilled" into it on ebay. I encourage you to check it out...and maybe bid on a virgin mary grilled cheese t-shirt...everyone's doing it.

booty's comin home for turkey day!!



lord help us! haha...i can't wait! i just hope i get to see her before she has to depart for houston again. she flies into btown this friday! watch out!!

stupid

so i type up this big post, most of it pertaining to eurospring, about the people i would be traveling with (why i am and again not so happy) and the fact that i am in the process of buying all my books to go over there and then trying to keep convincing myself that i will pack a small bag and not my humongous bag as i can only bring 70 pounds and that i need to save some of those 70 pounds for souveniers for my friends and family back home.

augh. 120 days!

anyways, it didn't post. because the computer i used it on doesn't like to post my stuff. nor does it like to update other peoples blogs until i get there and then hit the refresh key. then i get an updated blog. stupid.

i did have another reason for this post...but i don't remember.

i'm super pumped for the meet this weekend. i have to get these kids hooked to the sport! i'm trying to figure out team suits and shirts and caps to pull them together and the whole team concept. and i have some great ideas as cheers at practive, doing push ups and sit ups together and doing at least one game together every week. i know the older kids enjoy the idolizing and i know the younger kids will like getting the attention from the older kids and love idolizing them. and then hopefully, we can get some more kids at meets. we also need to have a parents meeting...or maybe more. hmmm.

so excited!

***i have a bible verse i want to put here but i need to get it from z-rod***

I am a hybrid of: Girl Next Door Progressive Girl Click on the pictures below to read more: Take the 'What Kind of Girl Are You?' quiz at CookingToHookup.com

The Girl Next Door:
I come from a home where gravy is a beverage.
-- Erma Bombeck
The Girl Next Door is from a small town, a large family, or both. She still has a healthy dose of what people 'round these parts call "family values." She calls her grandparents every Sunday and she's got her mom on speed dial. The Girl Next Door likes an uncomplicated life filled with the simple pleasures of family, home, kids, and food. She may not actually live on a farm, but she tends to keep a menagerie. Asked to choose between a dog and a cat, she generally won't. What's a good guard dog without a mouser to keep it company? She is caring and warm, welcoming and friendly. Anybody in your office ever bring in chocolate chip cookies? You got yourself a Girl Next Door.

The defining characteristics of the Girl Next Door are simplicity and tradition. Simplicity means that, unlike the Academic Girl, she's really not that interested in the great questions that keep philosophers up at night. When she can sit in the kitchen, drinking coffee, eating shortbread cookies with a friend, and listening to the cat purr on top of the radiator, what else is there to life? What else, indeed.

She Might Be a Girl Next Door if:

She drives: a good, solid American car -- a Ford Taurus, Chevy Cavalier, or Dodge Stratus.
She can talk for more than ten minutes about: her family's holiday traditions.
She begins her sentences with: "my mother says..."
She'd never: go to a rave.
She owns any of the following: scrapbooks, heirloom quilts, a Bible, family recipes, her grandmother's engagement ring.
Wanna know more about the Girl Next Door? We’ll tell you which CDs to play, shoes to wear, magazines to put on the coffee table, flowers to bring ... and of course, what to cook. Pick up a copy of Cooking to Hook Up.

The Progressive Girl:
Moderation in all things, excess in nothing.
-- Epicurus
Imagine that the Girl Next Door moved to the big city. Think of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. She's America's sweetheart with an urban sensibility. She's a post-Christian spiritualist, a pre-Monica Clintonite, and a dues-paying member of at least one social-change organization like NOW, Planned Parenthood, or the Sierra Club. You won't find her at an Earth First or PETA meeting, though. Those are the Granola Girl's stomping grounds. Progressive Girls want the world to be a better place, but they live out their politics in a moderate, left-of-center way.

If you are going to date a Progressive Girl, the one sin you can commit is to be a chameleon. Molding your opinions to fit hers will lose her respect. One very positive thing you can do is offer her new experiences -- the Progressive Girl is fearless about trying new things. Whether it's pluralism, skydiving, Asian peanut sauce, or this book, the Progressive Girl is always looking for new ideas.

She Might Be a Progressive Girl if:

She drives: a small SUV but really wishes it got better mileage; once she can get a good hybrid, she will.
She can talk for more than ten minutes about: just about anything.
She begins her sentences with: "Susan Sarandon says..."
She'd never: pass up the chance for a new experience.
She owns any of the following: a water filter, a tabletop fountain, an acre of rain forest, a mutt from the pound.
Wanna know more about the Progressive Girl? We’ll tell you which CDs to play, shoes to wear, magazines to put on the coffee table, flowers to bring ... and of course, what to cook. Pick up a copy of Cooking to Hook Up.

it's a survey

bold the ones you've done

Bought everyone in the pub a drink
Swam with wild dolphins -i wish
Climbed a mountain
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside the Great Pyramid
Held a tarantula.
Taken a candlelit bath with someone
Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
Hugged a tree
Done a striptease
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris - i will!
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game - define huge...
Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa - apparently you can't...but you can take the elevator
Grown and eaten your own vegetables - how about my daddy's which i helped grow?
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars
Changed a baby’s diaper - one too many
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower - freshman year!!
Gotten drunk on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - happens way too often
Had a food fight
Bet on a winning horse
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - hahaha...yeah, i've done that
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight
Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Enacted a favorite fantasy
Taken a midnight skinny dip
Taken an ice cold bath
Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
Seen a total eclipse - don't look...you'll go blind!
Ridden a roller coaster - heidi bell and me, wild thing 8 times in a row!!
Hit a home run - wish i had the pipes for that...
Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
Adopted an accent for an entire day -my name is Di, named after Princess Diana....mall of america, FLA 98!
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer. -i wish, not that rich
Visited all 50 states -workin on it...
Loved your job for all accounts - yay grizzley's and bass and habitat (is habitat considered a job? i'm paid in other ways...)
Taken care of someone who was shit faced
Had enough money to be truly satisfied - yeah...about every two weeks...just for a moment every two weeks, then it goes away
Had amazing friends - yeah!
Danced with a stranger in a foreign country - you never know...it could happen!
Watched wild whales
Stolen a sign - woohoo! freshman year, danielle lane and some others!
Backpacked in Europe
Taken a road-trip - spring break habitat trips!
Been rock climbing - does it count if it's a fake rock in doors?
Lied to foreign government’s official in that country to avoid notice
Midnight walk on the beach
Been sky diving
Visited Ireland - maybe
Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
Visited Japan
Benchpressed your own weight - hahaha...no.
Milked a cow
Alphabetized your records/cds - and books
Pretended to be a superhero- i am a superhero
Sung karaoke -not in a bar...but still
Lounged around in bed all day - my favorite thing to do!
Posed nude in front of strangers
Been scuba diving
Got it on to "Let’s Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Done something you should regret, but don’t regret it.
Visited the Great Wall of China
Discovered that someone who’s not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
Dropped Windows in favor of something better
Started a business
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Swordfought for the honor of a woman
Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Loved someone you shouldn’t have
Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days
Made cookies from scratch
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice
Gotten a tattoo
Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news programs as an "expert"
Got flowers for no reason
Got so drunk you don’t remember anything
Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
Performed on stage
Been to Las Vegas
Recorded music
Eaten shark
Gone to Thailand
Seen Siouxsie live - What? Ralph Engalstad Arena?
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one/both of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
Bounced a check
Performed in Rocky Horror
Read - and understood - your credit report - and it's good!
Raised children
Gotten lost in a character
Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Created and named your own constellation of stars
Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
Found out something significant that your ancestors did
Called or written your Congress person
Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
Had plastic surgery
Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived.
Wrote articles for a large publication
Lost over 100 pounds
Held someone while they were having a flashback
Piloted an airplane
Petted a shark
Broken someone’s heart
Helped an animal give birth
Been fired or laid off from a job
Won money on a T.V. game show
Gone on an African photo safari - does the Kilamangaro safari at WDWorld Animal Kingdom count?
Ridden a motorcycle -yeah!
Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph/160 kph-how about rode along?
Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol - apparently i'm good at it too...watch out
Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
Ridden a horse
Had major surgery
Had sex on a moving train
Had a snake as a pet
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Slept through an entire flight
Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
Visited all 7 continents
Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
Eaten kangaroo meat
Been a sperm or egg donor
Eaten sushi
Had your picture in the newspaper
Had 2 healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
Gotten someone fired for their actions
Gone back to school
Parasailed
Changed your name
Petted a cockroach
Eaten fried green tomatoes - only in alabama
Read The Iliad
Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them.
Gotten 86ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you.
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Killed and prepared an animal for eating - fish anyone? well, i helped anyways...
Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
Skipped all your school reunions
Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
Been elected to public office
Written your own computer language
Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
Had to put someone you love into hospice care
Built your own PC from parts
Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
Had a booth at a street fair
Dyed your hair- state high school swimming 00!
Been a DJ
Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
Written your own role playing game
Been arrested

black shoes

i've got black shoes! finally! except they really hurt the back of my feet...my right foot is completely bandaged on the heel. they're a little big for me as their wasn't any other sizes, but hey, i got my black shoes!

the buuurrrrsss

it's freaken cold in this house...apparently no one else feels it. c thinks i'm getting sick. great.

so i havent' typed in awhile and i know i disappoint but i promise i will try and type more once school is out of the way for awhile in (yikes!) a month. so much to do in a month! but when you are a student, a graphic communication specialist, a swim coach and the president of habitat (and all of their coolness), life gets busy. and sometimes, i would rather sit in my bed with the tv on and just relax and let the tv take over.

so let me tell you highlights of the last coupld of weeks.

went to itasca. made a friend. she's 9. cut tress. now people can see lake itasca...and it was a whole lot of trees...just call me paul bunyan...but not really.

went home on a wed. night. thursday, was supposed to do habitat stuff...but sleep and relaxation was way too temping. ate mike's pizza with my mom.

friday worked consession at section 8a girls swimming and diving meet for minnesota at und's hyslop pool. fun times. that night, egf football beat the crap out of virginia...go waves! now they play at the metrodome.

i made cool houses for many people on the sims...it's addicting.

saturday, went and braved the islamic people (out in the millions due to ramadad (sp?)) it was crazy! i've never seen camp snoopy so packed! aaagghghgh! made it through all 3 floors and the food court..no camp snoopy due to lack of time and the madness of islams. did a lot of sleeping in the bus...also bought a lot of clothes, go me!

sunday...laid around with my sis, watched my big fat greek wedding, had dinner with the fam and then drove back to b-town, where i find out i didnt' really have any classes today...grrr...o well, i worked at online services at least.

this weekend, squeak and swim meet. excitement.!.

ew, ew, ew, gross, gross, gross

you know when your sitting around with your friends, all trying to get to know one another? and you try to think of interesting questions to ask? well, this post isn't about that. but i can tell you this...when i am sitting around in this situation and someone asks, "what's the grossest thing you have ever done out of the kindness of your heart?" i can answer them with this story:

so the big habitat in our town, the town's habitat and our affiliate, has this house. the family that was living in it just up and left it. literally. everything you can possibly imagine you need to raise a child from birth to the age of 5 and 20 bags of garbage and alcohol bottles that have been sitting there all summer and then some are sitting outside this house and the neighbors are starting to complain. so the big habitat board decides that they will pay us, the little habitat to clean up the yard. so, at this time not knowing what was sitting out in their yard, thinking it was just some twigs and stuff, we agree to go and help. we sooooo did not know what was in store for us.

first of all, it took me and my car a little longer than the loj to get to the house. didn't know there was two 7th st. in btown. we eventually find it and climb on out, only to face possibly our worst nightmare.

we start on the easy stuff. the fisherprise beauty salon, the tires, the stroller that has been discolored and distorted due to the water and sun of the summer. boxes of toys and junk. the slide that goes along to the pieces of wood stacked in the back for the swing set that was never built. that was the easy stuff.

then i started on the deck. i grabbed shovels and started trying to scoop up the bags of kitchen garbage just sitting there in their deteriated garbage bags. one of my fellow habitaters was up there trying to help me with a tarp. when a concoction of extremely old ice cream and beer spilt out and we got a whiff and a look at it we both bolted for the other side of the railing not knowing if we would be able to gag back all that was about to come up. we did survive however and back to work we went, with the same senerio happening yet again with shrieking after what i think i discovered was something skinned. gross.

after we had a good bit of garbage piled on one of the tarps, the four of us each took a corner and carried it to the front where the garbage bin sat. as we were hoisting it over, i reminded myself once more why i should not be an open mouth breather - a tiny chunk of the garbage fell on the very tip of my tongue (aaaahahahahaaaaaa! ewww!) and i bolted and started spitting at the ground. at the same time that i bolted, i also left the girls with the tarp halfway over their head and when i dropped my corner, all the garbage on top fell right on top of them. meanwhile, i was in my car searching for my water and at the same time trying to keep my tongue as far from my mouth as possibly, which isn't an easy task. once i retrieved my water i start gargling and spitting at the ground while the other girls are shrieking because i left them with garbage bags and garbage juice on their heads.

ew, ew, ew, gross, gross, gross.

anyways, i survived, so did they. after some more shrieking as we didn't want to smell or have the garbage juice on us, we eventually finished it off. the yard is clean and tomorrow they're rummaging off all the stuff that was left inside. aparently loj said, that the woman who was in possesion of all of this stuff is still alive, but she won't say where. my guess is jail. nice. and the grandparents have the kids.

so yeah, went home, SHOWERED and now i'm at kt's and after some bbq chicken pizza, mt dew and some good fun and movies, i'm still at kt's on her couch, which keeps eating me (i keep falling through the cushions) and we're watching frequency...it's quite the different movie.

tomorrow, itasca. i need to make a lunch.

tomorrow...and then some

the weekend is coming, the weekend is coming (and as laura would say...jiggity jig!)! i'm done with swim practice for the weekend, done with handing in homework for the week, a couple of homework assignments for the weekend, itasca with the habitaters on saturday, a musical saturday night (i tell ya, saturday nights are turning into musical nights), maybe church sunday? we'll see...i'm so attached to MY church that the ones here just don't match up. how can one go up against a church that sings reformation polka?

tomorrow night, veggie tales with kt? we'll see. tonight is habitat night after cookies, milk and er at kt's house. mt dew has been banned but still laughter prevails. ("he's the rollback man! walmart, always low prices always" on the tv).

tomorrow only one class, work in the morning. i have to finish nancy's class. i have more to do tomorrow...but what? habitat stuff? probably. always habitat, always. but that's where my heart belongs.

clean my room tomorrow...i need to do that. put clean clothes away, straighten desk up. i need to take a shower tonight while i'm typing up habitat papers and all that fun stuff. get swimming papers organized this weekend.

i think i need a superman list just like student senate has. list all the things that i need to accomplish. list all the things that habitat needs to accomplish. then we call it good.

a little over a month left and i'm done with classes...keep breathing.

next week...habitat, class, swimming, then home wednesday...sleep thursday, homework?, friday section 8a swimming and diving regionals meet working at concesions in the morning, me mom and alli friday night, saturday...mall of america! black shoe shopping and eating at a nice restaurant...maybe a ride? christmas shopping will be a must...

ahhh...that's life.

caucasian skin tone equasion

magenta = _______
yellow = + 2 or 3
cyan = 1/5 of yellow

this works:
m = 50
y = 53
c = 10

more stuff i need to know...ick

this is a test

preparation

last night was my 3rd meeting with my eurospring crew, the one's who will be taking this grand adventure overseas with me. i now have a packing list and a book list and have started searching for all the travel necessities i will need. this is going to add up.

i bought 5 books i believe today...i have 3 classes over there and workshops one weekend a month the couple of months before i leave. i need to read pages 12-69 from Global Studies Europe before January 21.

I'm so worried about the group I am going with. It's kind of strange...there is one large group of theater people who are practically inseparable and all have the same sense of humor, which isn't 100% my same sense of humor. everything to them is funny...which is great...but some things to me just aren't funny.

then there are the few who have been to europe before and proceed to tell us all about what we need to do and are a little too know it all ish to me. the worst part is that they are know it alls in all the common knowledge stuff. like don't bring a video camera for the obvious reasons since we all know that we are going to be on a bus for 3 weeks traveling non stop and hey, it could get stolen. i'm not bringing with a video camera for the reason that i am more than likely not going to sit down after the trip and watch it ten times over (o, hey! there's trafalger's square again! awww...).

then there are the intellects that know 10 languages, speak in that weird intellectual voice and also speak big words, which is cool, but do they really ever understand that no one knows what they are saying since over half the population has ever heard that word and cannot comprehend it anyway? they also have unusual names.

then there are the ones like me. Don't say much at the meetings, get the information you need, are excited about the trip and are ready for a great experience. We're here because we know we will never get the chance to probably do this again. unless we strike it rich.

i hate to be subcategorizing those who will be traveling with me in a couple of months...it's very judgemental and stereotypical of me. these are just little things that i pick up as i observe those i am going with, almost to prepare myself so that i can adjust to the people and their characteristics before i have to spead 5 weeks with them. i am very excited to be in this mix of people. i'm not all that excited to be with so many people i know however, but what can you do. i almost thought of deleting this post but i think it will be fun to go back and see how my perception of the group has changed after having to spend 2 months traveling with them.

ahhahaha....120 days! i need to find electrical adapters and converters for europe...hmmmm......and a columbia rain jacket? paying for passport this weekend....

what?!?!

so i wrote this completly heartfelt post about how much i miss swimming yesterday only to come back today and find absolutely no trace of it. insane i tell you. it was good...i listed absolutely everything i missed about my beloved sport and now it's not here.

dang.

see you thursday...it's my catch up day (no school!)

it's that time of year again...

the time of year when i REALLY miss swimming. i miss it so much it my heart seriously aches. i read about my girls in the paper, the ones i used to swim with. i had so much fun on the team and ... i don't know. i would do anything to have it back. i remember the night i cried myself to sleep when all my swimming dreams were over. i read that amy, who i grew up with at and we swam together for many years, was edc senior athlete. i'm so proud of her, she had to give up so much with an injury this year and is now giving up swimming before she makes her journey to college.

i wish there was a team here in btown. i miss being able to physically work towards something everyday. to be in the pool with friends and to groan over those hard workouts and wonder if you will ever live to see the end of them. and then at the end you realize that it's all worth it and how much harder you want to work. i miss the laughter and the suits, caps, goggles, getting new apparel, new times, breaking records, relay teams (firecracker relay, junior year!), team captain, tshirts, pasta parties, tshirt decorating parties, cheers, kicking sets, flippers, secret sisters...everything. it was all worth it...everything. what i would give to have that back. is there a masters team anywhere??? i need a bigger city.

i'm busy this week so i probably won't post till thursday...my day off...i'm sleepin in!!! yeah!!

confirmation/reformation sunday

zrod got confirmed this last sunday. all went well. it was a beautiful service that made grown men cry. seriously. we sang great songs such as reformation polka, light the fire and shout to the lord. i rejoiced. here's reformation polka:

The Reformation Polka
by Robert Gebel

[Sung to the tune of "Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious"]

When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh...
Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter's profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints' Bull'tin board:
"You cannot purchase merits, for we're justified by grace!
Here's 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!" Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
"Are these your books? Do you recant?" King Charles did demand,
"I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!" Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting "George" as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin's model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Let's raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that 'catholic' is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

go and sing along here.

afterwards good food and company followed and of course, cheesy halloween specials. can't wait to spend more time at home though...you start to miss it after touch and go for 3 years.

ok, ok...

i get the hint, i need to update. i guess i would update more often but when i actually have the time to sit down and type something, everything that has happened seems irrelevant. this blog has turned into: what happens on my weekends, by me. i'm not sure if that's what i want this blog to be...it's supposed to be what happens in my life, but right now my life seems to happen more on my weekends...or at least the stuff that's fun to type about. everything that happens during the week isn't much fun to report about. it's just homework and basic running around. i could tell you about yesterday and how we had class outside, i took a test with my gloves on and i froze my butt to the metal picnic table then we got out early i voted for the one and only and then i went black shoe shopping and ended up running into kt at walmart (which was not where i was black shoe shopping may i add). it just doesn't seem relevant for you, the viewer, to know about black shoe shopping, which by the way was very very uneventful.

in other news...president bush is in for 4 more years! (or that's the way it's looking right now) and i'm not sure what to say now...i don't want to say anything that will make people hate me...because from what i hear there's a lot of hate going around. which is truely upsetting...hate needs to be taken out of the dictionary, out of life. you know it's bad to hate someone, so let it go, open your heart. life goes on.

the cold is settling in

winter's coming and i can feel it. reluctantly, my winter coats have been pulled out of storage and my blue fleece columbia gloves are now my most worn accessory. my car is frosted over most mornings, making me even later for work in the morning as it takes a good 5 to 10 minutes to defrost my windsheild.

i'm not a big fan for the "turning to winter months." my body has to readjust to the coldness. not that it was warm this summer, but since all signs seem to be saying that i almost have to be cold-blooded, having my body go through the process of getting used to the cold is torture for me. it also doesn't help that our house probably isn't heated as of right now, although the heating man can and hooked us up. we bundle up every night to stay warm and we have even retreated to sharing blankets on the same couch. scary. well, actually, it's not that bad. it keeps you warm. we figure if we can prove come november that our heat really isn't turned on, we can sue and evetually pay our college debt off. that's hopeful wishing.

personally, i can't wait for december. by then, i'm usually used to the cold of northern minnesota by then and i can take off a couple of layers. not take it all off, but at least layers 9 and 10, which will allow for 2% more movability and my nose will become visible.

jk. maybe.

happy birthday to my blog

so my blog had it's birthday...and i don't even remember which day it was supposed to be on. i'm so inconsiderate. i'm thinking it was the 24th...or maybe it was today. i'm not sure. check the archives.

but yeah...it's been one whole year of blogging. that's a long time...

good news!

spring schedules came out yesterday and even though there is no point in me reading one, i picked up a friends and flipped through it. one thing i notices was this: a class she had highlighted that said senior art exhibit/thesis. i looked up from my paper and just stared.

"you can choose between a thesis or an exhibit?"

"yeah."

"no way!!!"

this is such good news!

this means i don't have to organize an art exhibit, which means one less thing (big thing) for me to do, which means i save money on art supplies, framing art work and food for the opening (which all that combined = $$$$$$$). if i already have to write a thesis for honors, why should i have to write a thesis and have an art exhibit? it makes sense to just write a thesis since i have to anyway. so that leaves me with having to write a thesis and do my portfolio presentation before i graduate...but no hurries...i still have 2.5 years left :(

on the weekend

it has been noticed that all of us students (or at least the ones that i have talked to) like to save our big projects and homework for the weekend. problem is, when it comes to the weekend, we don't want to do it then either. so then we save it till absolute last minute on sunday night and it doesn't get done then either. i personally, would rather watch extreme makeover home edition, desperate housewives and then last night at around 11 they had america's ugliest bathrooms on tlc and i completely didn't agree with the bathroom that they choose. just because that couple didn't fit into their shower and they had buttons instead of knobs to turn on water, i don't think that justified it as ugly. their were some pretty hideous ones that they did choose as runner ups that i think would have really qualified for ugly. and the redesign colors weren't even pretty.

but anyways.

friday night was pizza and movie night with kt. papa john's bbq chicken pizza, mt. dew and raising helen was a good combination. then it was late night talk with kt and j. good times. i think i got a total of 5 hours of sleep friday night which wasn't the best option for me.

saturday started out at 5:30 am. waking up and putting on my best scruffy clothes, finding a way to keep my hair back and shoving my feet into my habitat shoes is my favorite way to start an extremely early saturday morning. friday night i had picked up the 15 passenger van and felt like king of the road. my goal was to be at the newman at 6 am but didn't make it their until 6:25. after we found everyone (one girl was there at 6:15 i found out but didn't stay around, we eventually found her before we left) we took off on highway 2 headed for hibbing in the flash flood warning weather. there were a couple times i seriously debated pulling over because i had lost the lines on the road. and it was so dark out! but we pulled through like troopers and eventually the rain died down a bit and the sun started to come up.

when we made it to hibbing, we found out we had no idea where we were supposed to go. we had an address but that didn't help us. so we took a road and followed streets and avenues and then found out that every road existed except for the one that we needed. and then it started to hail in all the confussion. excitement i tell you. we even saw a double stop sign. i stopped twice just for amusement. we eventually found our street and then we saw the house at last minute at which i quickly pulled the van to the side of the road and parked it very askew...no one really noticed until the end of the day.

from there we ran inside of the house in the pouring rain. i almost wiped out in the mud. we signed in and found out we were sheetrocking the house. it was great except for there were a shortage of drills and once they ran out of juice we had even more people sitting around. we got to work with a crank that lifted the sheetrock up to the ceiling so we could drill it on. our birthday girl, sylvia, was the person who was in charge of operating the crank, so she was dubbed cranky. we had so many random moments, too. i was up in the attic at one point, hammering some wood down so we could attach sheetrock to it and all of a sudden one of the peices of sheetrock currently being held up but the crank came crashing part way down. i screamed which amused all of the old guys we were working with. i just wasn't expecting it to all of a sudden fall and then i thought all that were underneath it were going to die. i was also filmed screwing in sheetrock on the ceiling while i was standing on a ladder, backwards and then arching my back over the top. i had brought the camera there to film for my digital video assignment and i think my first film will be a habitat promotional video. hopefully it works!

after a crazy ride home (little sleep) that included brynn trying to keep me awake with radiostation sing alongs and lots of dancing and her screaming, "both hands on the wheel!" good times, i dropped off the habitaters and the 15 seater, i carried my tired body home, crashed on the couch and watched envy, my other rented movie, which i barely made it through. then i crashed into bed really early...at which someone called me on my cell...and i can't remember who it was...but i remember i had a short conversation with them! it wasn't j...or..maybe it was...i think that was when she called to tell me that she was going to stay the night where she was and she didn't need me to come and pick her up.

then the next morning, i woke up and comepletely cleaned house. both bathrooms, kitchen, floors, my bedroom and downstairs were all cleaned. then laura was in town, so i went and picked up her up from the library and brought her to my house and gave her her very much overdue birthday present and the grand tour of the house. and then we went and walked through kmart and target, both of not buying anything. then we went to applebee's and her mom treated us to supper which was really nice. it was great seeing laura and to catch up with her. i may go and see her swim in fargo in a couple of weekends. maybe squeak will go with me?

and all of this brings me to sunday night. at which i just watched tv and no homework was completed over the weekend. great job me...good thing it was nothing due today.

and in the news: my parents made it home safely from boston. no plane crashes, which is always a plus. i'm starting to fear my long plane ride to europe. i'm not afraid...but you just think of all the things that could happen.

and now back to another monday.

make super black

70 60 60 90

makes no sense to you, but i need to memorize it.

i love...

...my computer. the internet. my BED! warmth. campfires. magazines. television. habitat. bsu habitat. building houses. swimming. cholorinated water. warm chlorinated water. swimming a personal best. watching my swimmers get the hang of strokes and their strength. martini glasses. the movies. making movies. picture frames. dolphins. the ocean. dancing. music. markers. stickers. quotes. scrapbooks. late nights. sleeping in. chicken and honey mustard. mountain dew. mug rootbeer, too. my down comforter and pillow. clothes. shopping. curling up on the couch with a good movie. even better: curling up in my bed with a good movie. caramel whirls. versace the fish. misty boo. mocha babe. mom. dad. zach. zerek. alli. grandma and grandpa mjoen. grandma kroll. great grandpa. all my aunts and uncles, cousins and friends....

amen.

one crazy weekend

i love weekends. they give me a chance to really sit back and enjoy life. here's what i enjoyed this weekend:

-no school on friday - who could ask for more?
-worked a little friday morning to make some moola
-got my car door fixed, no more reasons to get pissed off at my door anymore
-oil changed in my car
-bought more food
-went to Shall We Dance, must see movie - i cried it was so good
-clean room friday night, clothes are almost all cleaned
-saturday: senior community clean up day. although it was freezing cold at 7 in the morning, we got free cool long sleeved (my fav) orange shirts and free breakfast and lunch. plus, i got to hang out with crazy habitaters as we showed all how to get er done with the raking business! plus, jumping in leaves is all too much fun.
- i went shopping at joann's fabrics. i love that store. bough fabrics and other artsy crafts stuff.
-went home and taught my self how to sew again.
-made chili cheese dip to go with chips and shared with the roomies
-went out to the hockey house that night with the girls. had some fun, hung out with lindsi which was even more fun, froze my butt off at the bonfire, AND i danced with a guy...that earns me one point in the guy category of my life
-drove my drunken friends home - and may i add they were silly drunk
-dang...we forgot to take a picture of silly drunkenness
-slept till 1 pm today, felt sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good
-woke up and cuddled with j on the couch...well, not really. we were just trying to keep ourselves warm in our igloo of a house
-watch lots of tv.
-made a cake, bsu habitat turns 11 tomorrow!
-made cookies, chocolate chip, my fav
-did more laundry
-tried to do homework. i'm sitting in the superlab as i thought i would be able to finish my project here after transfering it from another computer...not so much luck, it didn't work. it's due tuesday. somehow i'm going to have to find time in my crazy hectic schedule called life. augh.
-now, i'm going back to the house...and i'm going to work on another homework project and do some other fun stuff...and i need to clean my mess out of danielle's room

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SQUARE!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!

agassi vs. roddick

which by the way, agassi won. it was quite the event. many showed up at the engalstad for a night of "rock 'n roll tennis" the first couple of matches were played by the jenson brothers, who won doubles matches back in the day and were decked out in sioux jerseys, and two guys named alex and chris who were doubles for u of m a couple of years ago. they did a comedy type thing where the jenson brothers wore microphones. it was funny to hear them breathing hard and grunting at every serve. they would also throw banter to each other and opponents every now and then. it was great.

then andre and andy came out in fashion. i've never heard so many people screaming "i love you andy!" it was a weird reality...i never realized so many people loved me (hahahaha...i know). it was a good game and they had fun with the crowd and it was great how they interacted with the crowd, we all felt included. people would yell out and the players responded. when some one whistled at andy, he shook his but for the crowd. someone also yelled out, "i can return that!" after being pelted by a tennis ball and was then pulled out onto the court, given andre's racket and then andy pelted tennis serves at him. they gave him a sioux hockey helmet for protection.

squeak and i had good seats for getting them the week before. we were right by the players enterence, so hopefully got good pictures if it wasn't for all the people who came and rushed the enterence, shoving us who payed for our good seats out of the way. for awhile, we envied the people who were sitting right next to the court, down on ground level, but that soon subsided. when we made a quick bathroom stop, over the intercom came, "please remember that by buying a ticket, the ticketholder is not responsible for any injuries due to flying tennis balls and those injured are not allowed to sue." or something like that. those sorry people who payed good money to be pelted with tennis balls...what were they thinking?

to finish off this post, i'll conclude with two quotes from the night:

me: "squeak (as she headed off for the men's bathroom), are you a man?"
squeak: "i don't know the difference!"

-and as a quick movie on andre agassi's foundation came on to encourage kids to attend college-

me: what is this? andre agassi...?
squeak: some foundation for...
me: kids who can't read good?
squeak: i love zoolander!

so that was my night...then i came home to b town early early this morning and surprisingly didn't nod off at the wheel and i came home, skipped class and slept as my throat hurt and i was dead tired. this has got to end...i hate being tired and sick. two thumbs down.

on the subject of God

so i have read quite a few posts that have to deal with people and their relationship with God. some struggle, some wonder, some don't know quite what is going on. this may not relate exactly to their - for a lack of a better word - troubles, but when i read it, it reminded me of all those posts i read and thought i would share it. read on.

God spoke clear to my heart and said "who are you to think you are not good enough for my love? is there a love greater than mine?" and of course, i knew the answer to that. and i knew immediatley that allowing these self-destructing meditations to overtake my identity in Christ, was a win for the enemy. it is an insult to God to not accept his covenant-love. God works to the good of all those who believe. BELIEVE IT! I BELIEVE IT! God is not a liar. i have been a fool.

via emily

long time, no post

i have been busy. schoolwork is kicking me in the rear end and i'm struggling to get it all done, having to take time off of work to finish it all. it would be so much easier if it was just papers to write, but when you have projects to complete there is so much more entailed. if you need supplies, you need to be available when the stores are open, which i'm usually not. school and work occupy that time which leaves me to running during my lunch hour and sometimes skipping lunch. also, i found that the new versions of the programs on the computers at the superlab don't work with my versions i have at home, which means i either have to complete a project at home or at the superlab, not both like i was accustomed to before. that also ment i could work on projects in class, and now, not so much. and then there's the fact that the time needed for these projects is endless. i have been working on a handmade book for 10+ hours now. i started it over the weekend and it's still not done. it's due tomorrow. grr. that means that tonight after chinese and andre agassi vs. andy rodick at the engalstad, i'll be at home, kickin it into high gear. then the next night it's the thanksgiving card in quark. then, finally, no class on friday! but lots of homework to be done on that three day weekend including senior community clean-up days with the habitaters.

i'm not trying to complain, but sometimes it's just....errrr! and all this activity causes a messy room and unorganization when i really need to be organized. i'm enjoying the fact that it's midterm and i only have a half midterm to go until a nice long break for me. then i will be ready to go again next fall. but this spring will have it's busy-ness. between habitat, my P.E. painting project, other projects, and possibly designing my art exhibit for my senior year, it'll be full. i want to get as much stuff done as possible so that i'm not throwing this stuff on top of my homework next year.

wow...so i just explained the next year of my life to you all. you should feel special. o, and europe in the spring and internship in the summer...which i still haven't heard from imagineers...but i need back-ups most indefinetly.

augh...home tonight for andre and andy and back tomorrow morning...sorry for the period of no posts... but busy-ness has overcome me!

elections suck

i hate election years. i find that everyone is turned against each other, fighting for what they believe and in the midst of it all i find myself having to watch where i step, watch what i say and just trying to watch out for everyone who may be trying to trample me over with what they have to say. i sit in the middle of all these words just trying to keep to myself. i won't say anything so i don't affend anyone. for two canidates who are trying to unite america, one big riff (rift?) has been created.

i find today's world so different from what i was taught. growing up, it was explained to me that who you vote for and who you plan to vote for is for your eyes only and no one else needs to know. how different it is today. but that's life...always changing.

i can't wait until elections are done. back to normal hopefully. sometimes i don't care who gets into office, i just want this whole thing done with, and other times, i do care. i know though that in the long run, that life will get back to normal, who ever does get into office. it usually does. it's happened so many times before in the past.

now, before i close out of this post, let me tell you that this is not a post to sit and prove me wrong or to lobby for who you are for. this is me, just explaining my feelings and if you plan to tell me wrong or who to vote for, it will not be good. but i do encourage comments, just not of the afformentioned (sp?) things.

thank the Lord!

my self loan money came through! yay! i can pay off my credit card bill, put some money in my beaver bucks account and the rest will go towards eurospring!

i feel so much better

i have a late assignment

it's never happened before but, yes, i have a late assignment. i didn't forget to do it...i just ran out of time to do it. at 3:30 am on monday morning i had had enough of homework. i should have known i wouldn't ge much homework done while at home this weekend. so i'm struggling to get this extremely boring assignment done and turned in. which i am almost done with it. i think i will be able to get it done tonight and i may be able to save my butt if i confess that i forgot to turn it in on monday in the mass chaos of the class. we were supposed to turn it in before we left after meeting with our small groups. we'll see. i don't think this assignment will kill my grade at all, but i still worry.

habitat was exciting last night. changes are being made to the organizational structure and fundraising is starting to take off. we decided that we would like to host and organize a battle of the bands concert and this week we are working on setting the date. next week, publicity to area bands and prize patrol starts. should be fun but lots of work. everyone seems eager though, which i am glad for. i also have to talk to fm90 and figure out what the high schoolers schedule is for early december. that is my job for the week. we are also going to go trick or treating for donations. this week i also have to get van situation for hibbing figured out. so much to do!

as for me...back to class

what happened to last year?

i have come to the realization that i miss last year. well, spring semester to be more specific. i was happy then and i enjoyed all the hecticness of my life and my friends were around. now it seems like i'm just going from one thing to another, my 3 closest friends have moved on with their life and i don't really talk to them and here i am, making my way through college. my life doesn't really seem to have meaning anymore. well, at least not today. i woke up not feeling well so i called in sick and slept 2 extra hours, realizing that they don't really need me for anything at the office since one of my co workers took all my work and did it herself. i can't help it if i only work 2 hours a day minimum, that doesn't give you the right to finish of my hard earned work for me.
i was up late late into the night last night trying to finish my homework. i got one class's work done but didn't finish the others. thinking i would do it in class today, i forgot we weren't in the comp lab and didn't finish it, thus not handing it in, meaning i've got apologizing to do and some work to make up. i feel like i'm falling behind but yet i know that i'm not. one late assignment doesn't mean i'm falling behind, but i can't stand it when i have late assignments. it's wrong of me.
i know i shouldn't dwell on the past, but last spring was great. i hung out with the habifam and really loved life. right now...i'm not so sure what i'm doing. sometimes i wish for a vacation, but i know that's the last thing i need right now. i have to continue to geterdone and get on with life.

a wonderful day

so today was great. woke up somewhat early to cart my sister to the middle school. then i came home, ate breakfast (which is highly unusual for me) and showered and then sat down to watch regis and kelly, which i never get to watch. being able to get ready with no time limit is great...i dont' like feeling rushed, which i am all the time. i also read the paper, one of the many things i love to do, but being a poor college student with no time, i don't get the opportunity to. after reg and kel, i got ready and went over to the high school. brings back memories. but i have to tell you that those kids there are overly cocky. i was wandering around the art room as mr. k was assisting someone and someone asked who the new kid was. i told them i was an old kid and my name and that i was zerek's sister. with that i got an, "oooooo....i see the resembelence." anyways. mr.k said that he would do the mural for the p.e. building! i have to get some more details for him and he will get me a price quote. this will be great.

from there i headed downtown to look at his latest mural in l.a. suits. since it's only open from 4:30 to 8 on mondays (extremely odd times...) i could only look from the outside. so i hit up widman's chocolate factory, got my mom her fav, cherry juju's, and i got myself some chippers, which are the best. for lunch i met my mom at the clinic and we had taco salads and pepsi's and sat and talked. she was excited about those juju's. she opened the box and exclaimed, "you love your mommy!" it was highly entertaining!

afterwards i headed back downtown for some shopping at the gift and antique shops. not finding anything, i headed for crafts direct and bought a bunch of stuff to help all decorate a picture frame, which turned out extremely cute and i may have to sell in bulk...which means i'll have to buy out the dollar picture frames at tartet...great isle.

back at home i constructed the picture frame with alli and then our family had homemade pizza for supper. and now...movie time. something's gotta give and mean girls are on the agenda once my dad and zerek get back from cabala's. they're planning on hunting tomorrow and i would maybe go with but i don't have my grubby pants and i have other things to do. if they were going to the farm...maybe. but for now...movie time.

homework

ugh...class is boring. who wants to have a 2 and a half hour class on quarkxpress? ick. anyways...i need a list of the homework i have to do this weekend so i'm posting it here:

-typo and layout: grid design in illustrator
-multimedia: quizzes
-multimedia: information arcitecture assignment
-publication: chapter outlines: 10 and 11
-publicatin: thanksgiving card in quark
-typo and layout: buy black mat board for book
-typo and layout: buy books on how to make cool books
-study chapters 7-10 for publication text on quark
-there's probably more... o, which reminds me...
-bring a magazine into typo and layout on monday

for work:
-go to engalstad for pics
-talk to mr. k
-do creative expressions site

another thing i have to do: see if we still have newspaper paper at home for habitat meetings

think that may be it...

to add to the list of things i need to buy but have no money for:

-printer and scanner
-transmission fluid flush for my car
-driver's side car door interior fixed
-artsy craftsy books
-ink for the printer
-paper for the printer

what else can i add?

as if athens wasn't enough...

there's more swimming coming up on tv! the fina world short course championships are coming to indianapolis and the conseco fieldhouse on oct. 7 and they'll be on tv! that means more michael phelps, aaron peirsol, amanda beard, natalie coughlin and all the rest. and instead of using the fastest long course pool in the world located at the iupui natatorium (where i've actually been...it's the most gorgous pool ever) they made the fastest short course pool at the fieldhouse. they've built it in the past month and are filling it with water as we speak. after the meet, they will sell the pools that were built.

i think i would die if i had tickets to that meet. besides the fact that indianapolis is one of the most gorgous cities i have ever been to (new orleans is right up there), just going to a meet where big names in swimming will be competing would be a dream come true.

ick

i smell. i really need to take a shower. and i will do so after this...well, i plan to.

i just finished up a bunch of much needed things i needed to do. work related stuff, homework related stuff, all sorts of things. i also did some habitat stuff. i checked online to look at spring break destinations. you have no idea how badly i want to go. i would do anything for them to push back the eurosping date a couple of days. anything. i was looking at the destinations and i think a good place for them to go would be seattle, washington. i've always wanted to go there. how can i be in charge of a group that the big thing is to go on this trip, and i can't even go? there's no way i would back down, but i really really really want to go on the spring break trip...it's what i live for every year. i know i have 2 more years to participate...but...i want to go this year. we have so many new members and i don't want to miss getting to know them, because that is where you get to know them...it's where they become family...or in some cases, people you don't want to talk to anymore...but that rarely happens. wow...maybe i can catch the next flight to europe and meet them there? hmmmm.....

but back to showering...and more homework.

not your homecoming queen

no, i wasn't selected homecoming queen. which is fine by me. the 2 from the american indian science something or another won. which was nice and all...but i think it would have been more exciting to have typical college students who won...not older than average ones who have kids...but i'm still glad for them non the less. the queen had her son get dressed in a tux and they had their picture taken together.

which in fact, i hated the pictures. i think the photographer thought that all of us taking our pictures with our escorts were couples or something. they kept telling us to get closer and closer together...i didn't want to be any closer.

last night was very tiring though. i got there at 6, got my corsage, took pictures and then my family arrived. talked to them for awhile and then we had to sit and wait another hour plus until we walked out. my feet hurt, i was hungry and i was tired. i have no idea why they wanted us there for 2 hours.

when we were all done, i was supposed to go out for perkins with habitat, however, danielle had to go to a meeting, publicity had things to do and lynette, a new member, also had to take off. otherwise that's all that was there for me besides my family. i was hoping more of habitat or the habifam would show up so that was slightly disappointing but i'm sure they had their share of things to do. which, that reminds me, danielle got me a white board that says "Ye Royal To Do List" and a frog that is my price charming. i kissed him. nothing happened. i also got a pretty pink rose from my grandparents. but anyways, i didn't get wednesday night perkins. hopefully that's not dead. if anybody wants wednesday night perkins, and i have money, i would love to go.

so yeah, that's how my night went. i got home at night, made food, talked to nate, didn't study, and talked to gizmo as we sprawled out on my bed. it was fun, i enjoy talking to her. then at 1 i crashed only to wake up early the next morning, tired and wanting to stay in bed. but i had a meeting at 9 so up i got. i now have the files to put together the mock ups for the pe complex. that place is gonna look hot when i'm done. if only mr. k would get back to me...hmmm. maybe i should have zerek send him a note. i'll figure that out later.

i have to get back to class...tschus