Oy with the poodles already!

I have been home by myself all day...doing nothing, but entertaining myself in many ways. My family is gone, most of my friends are off doing other things, so I have been left to my own devices. Scary thought, I know. Well, actually I had company for two episodes of Gilmore Girls : ). Which started me thinking of some of my favorite Gilmore Girls quotes. My top one is "Oy with the poodles already!" A brilliant new catchphrase that Lorelai creates when she decides that "oy" and "poodles" are two of the funniest words in the English language. Another is "Stupid bowls of soup." This is the end of a conversation that Lorelai and Rory are having about guys where Rory decides that guys and girls are nothing alike so they can't be compared like Mars and Venus (they are both planets). She decides its more like comparing Mars and bowls of soup.

What else have I done today, you ask? Hmmm...I slept until a little after 9, then I stayed in bed until 12, and only got out of bed because the aforementioned friend was on her way over...skipped breakfast, but ate lunch....watched some tv (CMT's Top 20 countdown and last night's episode of Numbers)...searched for random things on the internet...contemplated going to rent a couple of movies (am still contemplating, but the biggest drawback is that requires actually getting dressed)...text messaged friends who are off doing fun things without me...coughed and hacked a lot (still a little sick, so it's a good thing I get the house to myself to rest)...decided I shouldn't play volleyball tomorrow since I'm still not feeling well...got out of my pjs long enough to rent a movie, but got back in my pjs as soon as I got home...talked to the cats several times (very interesting, stimulating conversation!)...watched the movie I rented...and am now typing this : )

Weirdest text message of the day was from a friend who was at the fair. It read: "we are about to watch a goat costume contest"

Funniest conversation I had: I called a fellow GG fan to find out what season and possibly what episode the "oy with the poodles already" was quoted in. She couldn't remember. When I asked what she thought the context of the episode might have been, she said that it was during a Friday night dinner. Now, those of you who watch GG know that Friday night dinner happens in just about every episode for all seven seasons. So, that narrowed it down for me a lot! I finally googled it. It took some doing, but I found out it is in the last episode of season 2 (in case anyone was dying to know!)

It has been a completely uneventful day...and I have loved every minute of it!

Caffeine

So, I gained a rather interesting piece of information. I have a friend who reads my blog (how else would she know that I had a question about caffeine) but who refuses to comment (I told her to put the information on my blog herself). Personally, I think her not commenting on my blog has to do with the fact that I refuse to get Facebook, but I guess I can respect that : ). Anyway, she looked up caffeine for me in order to answer my question. I know, isn't she sweet! By the way, if I get any of this information wrong, it's not my fault. Blame her!

Caffeine is an alkaloid present in coffee, tea, chocolate, colas, cocoa and over the counter medicines. An alkaloid is one of a group of organic alkaline substances obtained from plants. So, it's naturally occurring in things like coffee and tea. When you drink decaffeinated coffee and tea, the caffeine has been removed and it is that caffeine that is used in other caffeinated beverages that don't naturally have it. Now, don't you feel smarter than you did yesterday?!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

In honor of my mom's birthday I am declaring it "World's Coolest Mom Day!" My mom, of course, gets the award hands down! I talked to her this morning. She was at work (bummer for being an adult). So, I'm celebrating for her by taking the day off of work. Actually I'm sick, but I'll be sick in bed in honor of her birthday, just to say that I did it! Happy 45th birthday Mom! Ha, Ha. I'm not that bad at math, but no one else has to know how old you are, unless you want to tell them! In which case, you have to figure out how to post a comment on my blog : ). I LOVE YOU!

Friends

Do you ever get the feeling that God knows exactly what you need, exactly when you need it? Of course He does, but I forget this daily. Luckily, God reminds me daily (how cool to have a God who is so patient and loving that He would give me the same reminder over and over). This week I have been inundated with friends who have known exactly what I need to hear. They have known when they need to be serious and when they need to get me to laugh, when they need to listen and when they need to distract me. Here is one time in particular. Now, as a counselor, when I am not in counseling mode, I don't often function as a counselor (meaning I don't often "psychoanalyze" my friends). Well, I was at work and was talking to one of my coworkers about life in general. I was in a pretty bad mood, so she was trying to lighten the mood for me. She got all situated in her chair and in a very professional voice said "Teresa, tell me how you feel right now." I answered by slouching in my chair and announcing "I feel like crap!" And she, in true counselor mode said, "Teresa, crap is not a feeling. Do you want me to get my feeling blocks out so you can pick a better word to describe how you are feeling?" I laughed. Out loud. For a long time. And felt a lot less like crap.

On a sadder note, I found out today that my brother and sister-in-law are going to have to put their dog to sleep in the morning. Jenny's health has been declining for the last couple of years. But she has lost a lot of weight recently and is almost completely blind. My sister-in-law, Ann, had gotten Jenny many years ago somewhat by accident. For those of you who don't know Ann, she loves animals and has one of the kindest hearts. She went to a ladies house to look at a litter of puppies. The woman told Ann that she had found the pregnant mother and was caring for her and the litter until she could find homes for the puppies. When Ann got to the house, there was only one puppy left. In true Ann fashion, she asked what would happen to the mama when all the puppies were gone. The lady told her that she was going to take the mama to the pound. So, instead of taking the last puppy, Ann promised to take the mama. That's how Jenny ended up with Ann. She was one of the sweetest dogs I've met.

Two Random Stories

Today you get the benefit of two completely unrelated stories because I couldn't decide which I wanted to blog about more!

I was having a conversation with my coworkers today which came up because one of them was drinking a caffeine free pepsi. I asked if caffeine free pepsi tasted different than regular pepsi (I don't think I've ever had a caffeine free drink unless it was originally made that way). In my mind I was really wondering what Dr. Pepper would taste like if it was caffeine free. So, my coworkers both said that there was a difference in taste, but couldn't really name how it tasted different. Then we started talking about what caffeine is really. Is it a chemical? Is it put into the drinks in powder form? Random questions, I know, but questions I have never considered. None of us had the answers. So, I still don't know. Maybe after I finish my posting I will google it.

Okay, second story. I was with one of my 12 year old clients today after school. In the space of 1 1/2 hours he called me lame, boring, and a liar. Luckily, I am also patient, understanding, and not easily offended! Plus, none of them were said antagonistically. And although the lame and boring references were directly addressed to me, I know he was really expressing his frustration because he really doesn't like to be in counseling. And he actually is one of my favorite clients and we normally have a pretty good time. I get to laugh with him a lot...and we actually laughed today. Random other story about him (I know, you didn't realize you were going to get a bonus third story during your reading experience!). He likes to change my radio station to rap when he is in my car. A couple of weeks ago, he was not listening very well while we were at the office, so I threatened to make him listen to country on the way home (extremely mature and therapeutic, I know. But it's the relationship I have with him.) So when we get in the car, he asks "what kind of music do you listen to anyway?" So, I turned on one of the country stations and Brad Paisley's song "Ticks" was playing (a hilarious song, by the way). He literally listened to about 5 seconds of the song and changed it back to rap, saying, "that song has no beat to it" to which I laughed hysterically. He might have even shuddered! To each his own, I guess.

I'd Like to be Mature...

but I'm not. The end.

A GREAT (Insert sarcasm here) Night's Sleep

So, I've been spoiled this week because I have been sleeping really well (for me anyway). Last night I get home and am getting ready for bed thinking how great it is that it's Friday and I don't have to be anywhere in the morning, so I can sleep in. I was extremely tired for some reason, and turned my light off around 11:30pm. Of course, I had to adjust to the normal obnoxious light shining in both of my windows (really, you'd think I would get used to it, but I haven't yet). It was also really hot in my room. I don't think it cooled off until after 2am. Anyway, around 2:30am, after my third (possibly fourth, it's kind of hard to keep track when delirious from no sleep) bathroom break, I started getting a little frustrated! I finally closed the shade that lets in the most obnoxious light, even though I'm pretty sure it made my room even hotter. So, I think I finally fell asleep around 3. The upside to this boring story is that I think I slept pretty good until about 8:30 and finally rolled out of bed at 9:30. Oh, wait, that's not completely accurate. I did wake up around 5 and decided to add the second pillow over my head to ensure that I might sleep longer than 6:30 or 7. I think it worked! Alright, seriously, I have errands I have to run, chores I have to do, laundry to put away, and I still haven't balanced my checkbook. Who was it that told me I should start a blog? I'd like to have a few words with this person...

I've Been Out-Stubborned

No comments on whether out-stubborned is a word. I'm making it one. Blog rules clearly state that the author can write whatever she wants, which includes making up her own words!

At work I am one of three therapists (not including our boss) on the FBI team (Family Based Intervention, not the other FBI). FBI is a division of Family Preservation. At the beginning of the week we got committee assignments for the next year. Under the team retreat committee it listed two names and then said a representative from FBI to be announced. When Julie, Stephanie, and I saw this we each started naming one of the others for the position and then giving all the wonderful excuses why we couldn't be on the committee. Then we dropped the subject until later in the week when the committee was meeting and we had someone come into the office to try to talk us into joining. Stephanie and I both voted for Julie since she was currently out of the office, but still refused to join the committee. The climatic ending to this story...Julie and Stephanie are apparently even more stubborn than I am! So, don't go trying to talk them into joining facebook or playing volleyball! I am now currently taking lessons on a daily basis to enhance my stubbornness skills. Apparently I need a refresher.

The Joy of Snail Mail

I received a hand written letter in the mail today from my college roommate! To say that I was SO excited was an understatement. I LOVE mail and very rarely get anything but bills anymore...no fair...it stinks being an adult! So, the best thing I learned from her letter...you can now buy Fraggle Rock on DVD! Holly, I think I had seen it at Target the other day but it was more fun to hear it from you! So, the moral of the story, if you want to get on my good side, send me a letter in the mail : ). Or let me know that random TV shows that I watched as a kid are now on DVD. I'm still waiting for season 3 of the Cosby Show...

My Nephew

This is my sister-in-law, Ann, and my nephew, John. She just sent me some new belly pictures today! She had a checkup, and John is doing well. He weighs approximately 4 pounds 8 ounces! She only has 8 weeks to go. Ann and my brother, Chris live in Georgia, so the only time I get to see her while she is pregnant is through pictures. They have cleverly taken belly shots in front of the laundry room doors throughout her pregnancy in order to show how much the baby has grown. I plan on seeing all of them, baby included, for Thanksgiving, as long as John cooperates. She has no idea that I've posted this picture for all my friends to see. I guess it's one good way to see if she is actually reading my blog like she said she was going to!

Talking to Cats

I will be the first to admit that I regularly talk to my cats. But sometimes I think our "conversations" are extremely funny. Tonight while I was doing laundry, Isabell was sitting on the floor by the dryer. Here is the conversation we had:

me: Isabell, how are you doing?
Isabell: blank stare, blink, blink, blank stare, look away
me: Really, that good. I'm glad to hear it.
Isabell: no eye contact (she plays the ignoring game very well)

Why I would pretend that she had actually answered me, I'm not really sure. But just for the record, it's not the first or the last time I will have this same exact conversation with her. Now, when I have this conversation with Samson, he will sometimes reply with a meow or a rub against the leg.

Not so To-Do Lists and Procrastination

Things I did not accomplish today:

• laundry
• clean room (and by clean I mean do something with the pile of clothes on my floor, unpack from seeing my mom last weekend, put away games from Labor Day weekend, unpack my bathing suit and towel from the bag from the Luau, put my shoes in the closet where they belong, etc.)
• balance checkbook
• read for discipleship group (but I still have three more days to get that done)
• call my mom's friend with info that she needs
• return several emails that have been in my inbox for over a week
• get gasoline for my car
• go to the store for shampoo and conditioner (don't worry, I'm not out yet, but I will be by the end of the week if I don't get any soon)

Productive things I did today:

• Went to work (I even worked a little over 8 hours)
• Attended a meeting at church (which lasted two hours and has a little to do with why some of the things above did not get accomplished)
• Returned several phone calls to people who have left at least 3 messages
• Posted two blog entries (I never claimed this list was about things I needed to be productive with)
• Said hello to at least 75% of my family (I never saw Amy today) and two random people that apparently stayed in my house last night even though I had no clue they were here (that's what happens when you leave your house for church in the morning, stop by to change after lunch, and don't get home until after 11pm)
• Sort of ate dinner with the family ( the 30 minutes I was home before my meeting just happened to be during dinner time...steak no less...great job Dad! And I say sort of because I really ate in 3 minutes standing at the counter before anyone else did, but the family was in the kitchen with me!)
• Procrastinated doing the things I really need to get done. Let's face it, if I hadn't just typed this blog entry, I could have at least cleaned the pile of clothes off the floor. If no one hears from me tomorrow its because I've been buried under the clothes and I couldn't find a way to escape!

The Non-Spectating Aspect of My Life

I totally played ultimate frisbee on Saturday morning. No, no one has hijacked my blog and posted a false statement. I have 9 other people who can verify the story. And if you talk to the right people, they would even tell you that I was the one to suggest getting a group together to play. I know, sometimes I even baffle myself. So, I thought I'd enlighten everyone on other things that I am willing to play and not spectate. I've learned that I am willing to play most sports with kids because I play at about their level. I regularly play basketball and pool with several of my male adolescent clients. I have played soccer with a five year old. I love to play darts (although I am very inconsistent in my ability). I like to mini golf. I will play badmitton. Ping-pong is great fun. Okay, I realize that most of those things are not necessarily considered sports, I'm just trying to let you know what I play! I guess I should clarify that I am really bad at most of these things. For instance my earlier statement about playing ultimate frisbee might better be stated as I mostly spectated from the field since I didn't contribute very much to the game. But I still had fun. Except being sore two days later...not so much fun. And I should also clarify that I still choose when I play all these things. There are some days that I might only be willing to spectate. There you go, now you know the rules on the non-spectating aspect of my life!

Comfort foods and all that they imply

Several weeks ago I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Knowing that some days are like that did not help, so I was wallowing in self-pity. While I was wallowing, several things came to mind to help me get out of my mood. And by things, I mean what foods I could eat to "solve" my problem. So, in my mind I started ticking off what I wanted to eat. To my dismay, I realized that none of my comfort foods are available in Peoria. I first wanted Blue Bell Birthday Cake ice cream...can only find that in the south. Then I wanted a Dr. Pepper from Sonic...closest Sonic is in Pekin (which is fairly close, but not when you're in the middle of a work day. And it would be really pathetic to drive all the way to Pekin just to go to Sonic). Then I wanted a chicken burrito from Chipotle...closest Chipotle is almost two hours away. Then I wanted Chick-fil-A nuggets with Polynesian sauce...also not available in Illinois. My mood quickly went from bad to worse. I text messaged a friend who has all four things readily available to her just so she could sympathize with me. Anyway, the point of my story (don't you just love how you had to read all of that to get to my one sentence point!) I found out on Saturday that there is now a Sonic in East Peoria and I had it for lunch today! Man, was it good! Hooray for Sonic!

Downside to the Colder Weather

I posted the other day about how excited I am that it is getting colder, and don't get me wrong, I am still ecstatic, but I have found one downside. I have been sleeping with the windows open and the fans on all week, thoroughly enjoying the cool air, but last night I was a little too cold with the fans on, so I decided to turn them off. Well, I bought a fan for my window at the beginning of the summer. Long story short, it makes a lot of noise. I knew that I was going to be in trouble when it came to not using the fan anymore because it creates a whole lot of white noise. Well, I had my initiation last night. I couldn't fall asleep because I could hear the highway noise outside the window (we live sort of close to the highway, but not really that close) and the bugs and the cars going by...

Okay, so now a wonderful side note to my extremely engrossing story! While I was in Guatemala I was given the award of "Most Likely to be Suffocated in the Middle of the Night" because my team members learned that I sleep with a pillow over my head. I've been doing this since I was a freshman in college to help block out noise, light, etc. So, for those of you who think that I could suffocate, you might not want to read the rest of my story...

And back to the regularly scheduled programming...So, even with one pillow over my head I could still hear all of these noises going on. To compensate, I put an EXTRA pillow over my head (yes that means two!) which is not the first time I have done this. But I still couldn't fall asleep because I still felt like I could hear too much noise. So, I finally gave up and turned the fan back on. The blessed whirring of the fan lulled me right to sleep! I am in so much trouble when it really starts getting cold! :)

Gotta love kids

Tonight at AWANAS, we were discussing spiritual growth. The speaker was talking about how we have to exercise our bodies. He then transitioned to talking about how we can exercise within our spiritual lives. He asked the kids different ways we can exercise spiritually. One of the boys raised his hand and said "Carry a heavier Bible." Seriously, that's what he said. I couldn't help but laugh!

Seasons Change

I am so excited today that my house is actually cool! I love the change of seasons. I know I've said that winter is my favorite season, but really I would get just as tired of all year winter as I would all year summer. There are even a few crunchy leaves on the driveway that I was able to step on yesterday...I LOVE that sound! We're not quite there yet, but I can't wait to start pulling out the long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts. I slept with my windows open last night and got to snuggle under my blankets...a nice change from waking up sweating because it's so hot! Anyway, all that to say, I love the change of seasons!!!

Oh, and if anyone actually pays attention to the times I post, I'm not playing hooky from work! It's just that I have to work late tonight, so I'm going in late instead of working an 11-12 hour day like I have been the past couple of Tuesdays!

Further Confessions of a Boring Road Trip

Okay, I promised a posting on my return trip home, but I feel like I need to warn you: it was even more uneventful then the way to my mom's! I didn't have any phone calls I needed to make, so this trip was spent with me having to totally entertain myself. I couldn't settle on a radio station or CD, so I finally had to find something else to occupy my time. I've always loved reading signs, so in my state of boredom, I found some signs highly amusing (which when you read them probably won't be funny at all, but I never promised my blog would be funny all the time!) I passed one exit that had two choices of food: Taco Time or Bozo's Hot Dogs. No McDonalds, Subway, or Arby's, just Taco Time and Bozo's Hot Dogs. The next exit had a restaurant called Hanks Farm--Casual Dining! I really laughed at that one, because I thought I would get an elegant, formal dining experience at Hanks Farm! Next I saw a construction sign that said "MOVE OVER NOW <--" Now, if that wasn't unique enough, I laughed because the lane didn't actually merge for another 2 or 3 miles. I'm also fascinated by road names, and tonight a saw a road called Yankee Rd that was just before Coon Creek. I just thought that was funny because Coon Creek sounds very southern to me! (have you noticed yet how lame my humor is when I'm by myself...it doesn't take much to amuse me!) Last, did you know that you can stop for coffee in Chillicothe at Chillicoffee! How clever is that for a coffee shop name! Oh, and just a random question I had, how come firemen always have a pancake breakfast? Why not have a french toast breakfast or a waffle breakfast!

Oh, and just so everyone is aware, I was really excited to find out that gas is 10-15 cents cheaper in Peoria than in Chicago. Be excited about that, but don't ask me how much it is in Texas because you'll just be sad again!

The Trust of a Child

The family reunion is over. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, although I was the only one from my generation of immediate family there (meaning none of my cousins came). While I was walking to the house, my mom's cousin's son (I think I figured out that he would be my second cousin once removed, but I am not exactly sure) came up to me because he had a splinter in his finger. We had never met and even today had not officially been introduced, meaning he didn't know my name but I was at the same party as him and I was an adult (scary thought), so I was a person he could trust to help him. Anyway, after evaluating the finger to figure out what the splinter damage was, I took him up to the house to first wash his finger. Along the way, he would ask questions like "Will the water get the splinter out?" After washing his hand, I realized it was a serious splinter, so then we had to go in search of tweezers. Have I mentioned yet that I have never removed a splinter before, let alone from a five year old's finger. So, we get the tweezers and he's being a real trooper just sitting there letting me try to get the splinter out. As I am "operating" he continues to ask questions about splinters and how to get them out. I got all but a little bit of the splinter before I started hurting him, but I wasn't worried because I could tell it was near the surface. So, we put some neosporin and a bandaid on. To which he of course asked "will this get the splinter out?" And I very convincingly responded, "Of course!" The point of this story...kids are so trusting. And he was so cute!

Oh, and just for the record, no head pats or pinched cheeks. But two people did say, "I haven't seen you since you were this little" But I forgave them because it was probably true!

Have you ever...

Have you ever gotten on the Internet "just for a second" and then 2 hours later forced yourself, by prying your fingers away from the keys and pushing the off button as quick as possible, to get off and join the real world again? No. Me neither. I would never do something as juvenile as surf the net for that long. Oh...I need to go to bed. Something about a family reunion that I have to go to in Wisconsin tomorrow...I mean today. I'm sure I'll have something to post about that. If anyone pinches my cheeks or pats me on the head and says "I remember you when you were this little" I might have to puke. By the way, no short comments allowed on the last sentence!

Randomness from my Road Trip

I like road trips when I'm not the one driving and have someone to talk to. So, when I drive the 3 hours to see my mom, I like random things to entertain me. My trip this evening was actually fairly uneventful, so I will probably add commentary from previous trips to keep this more entertaining. I started out my trip on 29. The sun was shining in the drivers side window, so I decided to move my visor that way. In case you tall people didn't know, visors don't work well for short people, so I just had to put up with the sun (don't worry, I'm used to it!) Here are some random numbers from my triip:

--3 dropped calls (I've learned lonely roadtrips are the perfect time to catch up with friends. Unfortunately, driving through the middle of nowhere, my cell phone doesn't always cooperate!)
--2 tollbooths (without any mishaps. The first time I came to see my mom, she thought it would be useful to let me know not to go through the I-Pass lane, to which I gave a very snotty remark about being an adult and not being stupid. Sadly, I had to apologize when I got to the house because I had missed the turn off to pay cash. Had to mail the toll in after I got home so I wouldn't get a ticket. Note to self--don't be snotty to mom.)
--3 cops, two of which had their lights on, thankfully none were coming after me
--1 time through the Taylor Swift CD
--1 time through an old school Brad Paisley, possibly his first CD but I can't think of the title
--I stopped counting the bugs on my windshield after 10, but I'm estimating more like 100. By the time I pulled into my mom's driveway, I was having trouble seeing out the windshield.
--0 bathroom breaks!!!! (okay, I have to admit, I should have stopped about half-way into my trip, but I was too lazy and I was already planning on blogging about my trip and wanted to be able to say I didn't stop to go to the bathroom. When I got to the house, I hugged my mom and ran to the bathroom)
--3/4 a bottle of water (which didn't help the bathroom matter)

The saddest part of the trip was that there were no good bands playing at Twister's in Lacon. It's normally the highlight of my trip. My first time through Lacon, White Trash Mafia was playing. Who wouldn't want to stop to see White Trash Mafia play?! Okay, so I've never been to Twisters and never plan on going, but the sign amuses me!

Stay tuned for randomness on my way home...

Prayer for friends

Most of you know that I recently spent a week in Guatemala at an orphanage. Among the team members that went, I was able to meet and get to know two precious couples who are actually adopting from the orphanage that we were at. Whitney and Amy both have blogs that chronicle their adoption process. In reading their blogs today, I felt a special burden to pray for their families and the little ones they are waiting to bring home. God has taught me so much about the adoption process through these families and about His grace and sufficiency to face each new day. "God, I lift up Daniel, Whitney, Hannah, Austin, and Noah to you as they wait for Ellie to come home. She is so precious to them and I know there are many days that they are frustrated and discouraged at how long of a process adoption is. Father bless them this weekend with incredible peace. Continue to send people to Eagles Nest who can love on Ellie and send reports and pictures back so that they can have glimpses of her sweet face regularly. Put a protective hedge around Ellie while she is away from Daniel and Whitney. Continue to remind her of the family she belongs to. God, I lift up Ken, Amy, Allison, Joel, Daniel, Natalie, Molly, and Brandon to you. I praise You for the call you have placed on their life to bring a seventh precious child into their home to be loved on and blessed abundantly. I thank you for the example Ken and Amy have been to me as I have watched them hit what appears to us to be roadblocks, but in reality is Your special provision. Help them to know Your peace as they wait for a referral. Bring that special baby that will fit so well into their family into their lives. I thank and praise you for being Sovereign and Loving and Righteous in all things! Amen!"

Rest

At the end of a very chaotic day with the anticipation of tomorrow being just as chaotic, a friend pointed me to a few verses in Scripture from one of my favorite Psalms. As a girl, my emotions often go on random roller coaster rides (and most of the time I don't volunteer to go on these rides!) I needed these verses more than I realized and wanted to share God's perspective when my life seems overwhelming and chaotic: "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken...Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge... you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." Psalm 62: 1-2, 5-8, 11-12. Praise the Lord I have a God I can trust in at all times, who will be my rock when I feel like everything around me is constantly changing, who I can go to in order to find rest when I am weary!

Mosquitos and other random thoughts

Today I was distracted by two mosquito bites on my feet. One was on the bottom of my foot and one was on the top of my foot right where my flip flops hit. Needless to say, they were itching BADLY. Sometimes my line of thinking is very sporadic and irrational, but my mosquito bites brought up a deep theological question that I don't know the answer to. Do you think Adam and Eve got bit by mosquitos or stung by bees while in the Garden of Eden? Did God create mosquitos after the fall? Or did Adam and Eve just not have the allergen that makes a mosquito bite itch? Hmmm...it still makes me wonder. Just wondering what everyone else might think (well, all five of you that I know read my blog anyway!)

The Art of Spectating

For those of you who don't know, I am an avid spectator of most sports, and a player of few. This confuses most people and frustrates others. For me it is mostly entertaining to see how people will decide to convince me to play (pleading, whining, begging, coercing, bargaining, threatening, and forcing me onto the field are all methods that have been tried). However, I am stubborn in very random things. Once I decide I am not going to play a sport, little can be done to convince me. And yet I watch (which is the most confusing thing to people). I mainly watch because I genuinely enjoy it. Watching a sport is as fun for me as those who are playing have fun playing that sport. But through the years there has been much confusion about what it means to spectate a sport. Today I am here to clear up that confusion. Things that are allowed as a spectator: occasional cheering; keeping track of people's cell phones, keys, and water; providing company for those who have to sit out of the game for injuries (a whole other reason I don't play sports, but not the topic for today's post); providing encouragement; talking on your cell phone to people who are not at the game (i.e. you don't really have to pay attention to the game you are spectating) but if you do this, the only polite thing is to get off the phone during water breaks. Things that are not involved in spectating: a spectator is NOT a cheerleader (you will never see me with pom-poms); a spectator does not chase after the ball/frisbee if it goes out of the field of play (if I wanted to chase the ball, I would be playing the sport!); a spectator never fills in, even if the teams have uneven numbers. For amateur spectators who might feel tempted to cave in to coercion, it helps to wear clothes to the game that you can't possibly play in (stay in church clothes, wear a skirt, wear flip flops when sneakers would be better) or purposely plan something for after the game that you have to look nice for and make sure you don't have time to go home and change. For die hard spectators, it irritates people even more when you show up in clothes that you could totally play the sport in, but then you still refuse to play (not that I would ever do this or condone purposefully irritating people, I'm just trying to explain all the rules). And last but not least, those of you who play and would never consider spectating, just think...isn't it more fun to have someone watching you play? What would pro sports be without the fans (who are essentially spectators gone wild)? As a spectator, I am basically complimenting your playing skills because I am saying that you are good enough to be watched. So really, I am selflessly serving others by being a spectator!