Bonanza Jane

The mostly dead blog

2007-07-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

There's always that slight chance that someone might stumble by again and read this....

Life is going good. I'm home for the summer and crazy-busy with my internship, but I love being back with patients again. My clinic is great and I get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with patients and have been learning lots. I still doubt myself sometime, that this is what I should be doing, but God had opened every door for me to be here and not closed a one. I just need to trust in Him that He got me here and will help me to be a great PT.

Other that that life is still going. I'm overwhelmed with all I need to learn and do. I need to just settle in and trust God to get me through it all. I'm usually pretty easy going so I don't know why I'm stressing now. I don't like it. I'm actually looking forward to being back at school just because I like the having my routine :) I miss my church there too and unfortunately haven't slowed down enough since i've been here to have much Q time with God.

I'm off for now, but if anyone has an advice on honda accords that randomly like to turn over, but not start, please fill me in!

For those who still read this...

2007-02-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Well here is a short summary of life:

School is insane
I live at school now (yes, my locker is even stocked with food, tea and coffee)
I'm trying not to flunk out of neuro
It it snowed again last night
I'm ready for spring

But on a happier note:

Life is good
God has blessed me in so many ways & beyond what I can fathom
I finally settled into a good church here
I get to play ultimate frisbee every week (whether rain or snow or shine)
I have been blessed with amazing friends
I have my "want to want God" back & am completely loving being His child and resting in his loving arms

That's it for now. I promise to post again once this quarter is over. Please pray that I will study hard and pass all my classes. Much thanks.

just a dot on the map

2006-12-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

Lately I've become aware of something. I don't care where I live. Not that it doesn't matter where I am, but I can really be happy in any place whether it is a small town with one stop light and 110 degree summers or a city of 2 million that never sleeps and rains all the time. I'm easy to please. The only thing that really matters to me is the people. I will love my life anywhere in the world as long as I'm near people who know me. You can infer that I probably won't be moving across the country to Boston or Wyoming anytime soon. I guess by saying all this I'm really just asking for God to pick me up and dump me in the middle of a strange town away from friends, family, and everyone I've come to love, but really He's already done that sending me to grad school. And the cool thing is, I've come to love the people here too and therefore, where I am. There is this crazy bond between everyone in my program as we chase after our common goal and share things like Ultimate Frisbee, poker, and random movie nights.

Ok, now I think I'm just rambling on. To sum it up: I miss where I've been but I love where I am and only God know what the future holds. The end.

I'm free!

2006-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

I'm done with school for the quarter, but the exciting part is.... I think I passed!
Merry Christmas everyone. I've got a month off of school :)

The Effects of Drip Coffee on a Female Graduate Student: A Case Report

2006-11-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

Purpose: Determine how drip coffee will effect a sleep deprived college student. We hypothesize that she will increase her study time, be more alert and therefore study more efficiently, and progress into adulthood.

Method: Give 8 ounces of "one-to-one" drip coffee with 1 teaspoon sugar to the subject between 6 and 10 pm once per day for the duration of the study. Results will be measured based on: 1) Time spent studying 2) Quantity of scholastic material covered 3) "Maturity" of actions.

Results: The subject was observed over the course of several days. Activities observed were: increased restlessness, increased distractability, less time overall spent in front of school material, less focus when looking at school material, random jumping jacks, and multiple unnecessary trips up and down the stairs. She also found it necessary to listen to music more frequently and change the radio station every 1.5-4 minutes. Also noteworthy was the 7 minutes of spontaneous dancing in the kitchen.

Conclusion: We do not recommend the use of drip coffee as a study tool for our client. We also did not find it to be an effective means of promoting mature behavior.

Thanks to everyone for your advice to help me grow up. I am on the hunt for a solid church here. I might have found one that I'll stick with, but I want to check out a few more first. Since Christmas break is coming up so soon my goal is to be done church hopping by the end of January and stick myself down somewhere. I miss my Seattle church and the people there terribly, but it is important to find a place to be involved during my time here. Gardening is a definite possibility but also will have to wait as the ground is covered in 4+ inches of snow. Here's hoping I can even keep my house plants alive since they don't get much sunlight.

Farewell to Neverland

2006-11-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

You might notice that I have changed my blog layout/design. It is just one of my attempts to become more mature and dignified. That's right, I've decided over the course of the last month or so that I am ready to grow up. Perhaps this revelation is because I want to be done with school, maybe I'm just getting old, who knows. Either way I decide that it is time. This spurred me to contemplate, "What does being a grown up really mean?" While no one factor makes someone an adult, I came up with a few things that help:
-Married (I know plenty of married couples who are far from being grown up, but it's a start)
-Kids (I'm convinced this one really contributes)
-A job that doesn't require you to say "would you like fries with that?"

I won't have a job for a while, and I'm certainly not planning any weddings or baby showers in the near or nearly distant future. So since I struck out on my Top 3 formula for adulthood, I will have to resort to #4. That's right, I decided I must start drinking coffee. Not latte and fancy stuff mind you, I'm talking drip. No cream either. Just black with a bit of sugar.

I've had 2 cups so far. No magical results yet, but I think it might take some time.
I'll keep y'all posted.

PS-Feel free to give other tips to move me towards becoming a grown up and/or why I'm better off not growing up after all.

the vote is in

2006-11-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

Well I'm sure most everyone has given up reading my blog, and this really won't count as much of a post, but I'm feeling the need to vent as I just sealed the envelope on my ballot.

I hate voting. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my right to vote and all that jazz, but I hate it. I don't like any of the candidate. They all just tell you want you want to hear. They act all happy and fuzzy like they really care about your interests, but we all know they are in it for their own gain. Rather than voting for someone I like, I feel like I am choosing the lesser of two evils or at least which one I dislike the least. One man said that, since both of the candidate are bad choices, just go with the better looking one 'cause you'll be looking at their face in the paper for the next couple years. He might not be far from the truth. I'd guess that being ugly probably would hurt your chances of getting elected.

So besides not liking the candidates I hate voting along party lines. I think it is the worst excuse to shut off your brain and let someone else tell you what to think. When I do vote along party lines I get irritated with myself for being lazy. Granted it tends to happen more often than not, but I at least try to go into it looking at each candidate as an individual. Of course then you have to look at the greater impact at the state and national levels and how your choice impacts who holds congress/senate and it all goes back to politics and blah blah blah.

Either way I voted. I tried to look at each candidate impartially. I tried to weigh the endorsements. I tried not to vote for anyone just because my parents/friends/coworkers/media said to. Ultimately I am responsible for the state of my city, state and nation. Am I ready for that?

That's my beef.

so fresh and so clean

2006-09-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well here I am. I've officially moved and am settling in before orientation and classes start up. It is such an amazing blessing to be able to live here with Jill and have a safe place to come home to. "How am I doing?" you may ask. Wonderful! I am so at peace to be here and be doing what God has set before me. Even as of yesterday I was completely freaked out and trying to find any other option that would require less change (be a career waitress, lab assistant, shoe salesman....), but at church this morning with my family I heard a really convicting/comforting sermon. The gist of it was that when God has given us a path or direction we need to not freak out and run away. Instead we should take His hand and embrace all that he has for us and the places He wants to lead us. So for all of you who have been privy to my rants & fears about grad school, I apologize. God has blessed me abundantly and I know that I am where I am supposed to be. And He would not have put me here unless He was going to get me though it too.

All that to say: I'm settled in, I'm excited, and I'm trusting my unknown future to the God I know.

by popular demand...

2006-07-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, I concede. I will stop goofing off, surfing the internet, and general randomness and get to work :) I'll bring some books down here to the lab and read in between my slides. I need to finish "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers first. My mom lent it to me for "summer homework." After that I'll look for "Humility" (I know I need it, but don't always want it :) and proceed down the list.

Thanks for encouraging me to be more productive.... I had better get to work!

I have nothing better to do...

2006-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Since I am just sitting waiting for my slides to finish, aka watching paint dry, I decided I should post something. I've about given up on my ambitions to get to bed at a decent hour. I'm going with the "you only live once" philosophy and am going to stay up late if there are any worthy events. So I've added to my list of plans "watch 'The Godfather'." I'm pretty sure that is one of those 4 hour movies, but it's a classic and highly quotable. I need to watch it so I can spout off legitimate movie quotes. Some of the quotes you will likely hear from me once I actually watch it are:
"In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns. "
"Leave the gun, Take the cannolis" and
"Go to the mattresses"

Currently the only movie I quote much is Top Gun. I think adding to my repetuar would be healthy.

Hope you're out enjoying the sunshine.

The ice machine smells like Disneyland

2006-07-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

While it is possible that my sense of smell is especially acute early in the morning, I think the more probable explanation is that I am sleep deprived and have increasing random thoughts when I'm not awake.

The source of my sleep deprivation? I started work as an assistant cook for the Pacific Northwest Ballet summer school/camp. This requires me to be at the kitchen at 5:30 am. Once I'm off there I book-it down to my lab to work for 8 hrs. I'm actually really enjoying being so productive. The biggest struggle is getting my sleep schedule adjusted and making myself go to bed before 10. Hopefully tonight I can be in by 8:30... we'll see. That's about all the excitement here for now. I'm looking forward to sleeping in this weekend.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

Current Favs.: Thrice "Image of the Invisible" and Mat Kearney "Nothing Left to Lose."
Check it out at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/TV

Movie Reviews

2006-07-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

Since I never seem to go to the theater to watch any movies during the school year, I have to make up for it once summer comes. Thursday I went with the ooku crew to see "Superman Returns" at the Imax. The movie was well done; the acting was fine; the plot- decent for a Superman movie. Overall I think I've been spoiled by the more comical Spiderman movies and greater action & plots of Batman Returns and X-Men. I appreciated Superman's strength, high flying stunts, and romantic ambitions, but it fell short of meeting my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it is still worth seeing. Just don't expect it to be as amazing at the other comic flicks.

I also saw "Cars" with my Dad and Mom tonight. It far surpassed my expectations. It had a great soundtrack, the animation was well done, and the plot was suprisingly deep/engaging for an animated film. I'd definitely recommend it.

That's about all the news for now. I start my Assistant Cook job next Monday and will be working crazy hours there in addition to my lab job. Hopefully I can still have a life and have some time to hang out with everyone.

I'm going to go outside and stare at the stars now. Hopefully I can find more constellations than just the big dipper tonight.

Sniffing Chemicals

2006-06-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Saturday and I'm sitting in the lab watching paint dry...well almost. I'm watching a little dish of slides get sloshed around on the "RotoMix." This would be the less glamorous part of my job. Wait 30 minutes, put the slides in a solution, wait ten minutes, change the solution, wait ten minutes, change the solution, wait ten more minutes. I really think that this is good for me though. Primarily because I tend to be impatient and rush things, but I can't rush this. I have to set the little time and wait for it to go off. So it's healthy and builds character :) I do get to do other cool stuff though. I get to do H&E staining (Robb: I can make slides for us to memorize :) , I also get to preserve bones just like they do in museums. I find a lot of joy in the little tasks they have me do. I also get to listen to NPR for hours and hours on end while I photograph slides. I think I'm a more informed citizen and contribution to society because of it.

Ok, so this post wasn't as excited as I had hoped, but I need to go and change solutions again. Hope you're all enjoying a sunny summer Saturday while I sit in my window-less lab. At least this way I don't know how nice the weather is that I am missing. Plus the sun doesn't set until late, so there is a good chance I can enjoy it on the way home.

Happy days.

GUNS

2006-06-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

Today was officially amazing. I didn't get to go horseback riding (no big deal); what matters is that I went shooting with Adam. He brought an arsenal of guns... and he left some of them at home. Here's what we shot, more or less:

45 cal. handgun
22 pistol (I want one now)
22 rifle
Remington 700 243 Win (such a sweet gun)
A semi-auto rifle (a beefy gun)
16 gauge, pump-action shotgun (it had a nice kick to it)
and my 410.

We shots some targets, clay pigeons, random junk, and an old truck bed some guys dumped out there. I had so much fun. I definitely need to work on my aim though, I was a terrible shot. After that my family had a graduation party for me. I am very blessed.

That's all for now. I'm going to go to bed and dream sweet dreams of firearms.

My week of summer freedom

2006-06-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

The top, noteworthy highlights so far from my week of summer at home are:

-My friend Doug taught me how to flip coasters (seriously, it's amazing) while hanging out with my high school friends Adam, Erin, Madie and Sarah.

-I get to go shooting and horseback riding tomorrow with Adam

And the honorable mention goes to Jacob, for calling to say Gretchen Wilson "All Jacked Up" reminded him of me. I'm not sure if I should really be proud of that, but I am.

That's all for now. I'm going to go outside and love the fact that I can see the stars.

Summer Plans

2006-05-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

As most everyone knows I'll be staying around here for the summer. I keep going back and forth as to whether or not I made a wise decision. It could be very positive as I am looking forward to being here with my church and community group, but I could also get myself into a lot of trouble. Here's hoping for the prior. Anyhow, I was thinking of plans I have for the summer, and since I won't be home listening to crickets, shooting guns and enjoying Eastern Washington summer nights staring up at the stars, I decided to write my list down.

Summer To-Do List:

Run to Gasworks Park,
run to Green Lake,
tan on the roof,
buy produce and fish at Pike Place Market,
wander aimlessly downtown,
read Shakespeare,
write poetry,
sit in the quad and draw,
take random pictures,
toss the disk,
visit Leila,
hang out with friends,
go to because wedding,
watch CMT :)

...that's all I can think of for now. Feel free to suggest more summer randomness to keep me busy.

Have a wonderful night, and don't forget to go outside and try to find a star.

View of E-Burg from my car
on the way back to Seattle

Fav. New Song: Mat Kearney "Nothing Left to Lose"

"love?" update

2006-04-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

thanks for the honest comments. i'm getting back on track again. today i was thinking about God and who he is and what Jesus has done. i came to the conclusion that, if i believe God really did create this world, send his son to live and die, and care about me so much, it is my duty to love, obey and serve him. if there really is an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient God, and i have been privileged to recognize him, it only makes sense that i would worship him.

those who don't follow him are still blessed, live healthy lives, and generally get along fine without God. they don't know they need him. i could ignore God and my life would probably go along fine. but i know the source of the blessings. i know the reason i have lived to see another day. i know why my life is filled with health, life, happiness, and blessings far beyond what i deserve. Jesus. his love, life, death, resurrection. how could i choose to ignore and therefore spit on such a sacrifice? genuinely knowing something so greater than myself exists is enough to drive me to my knees.

where i am or how i feel does not change what he has done for me and who he is. my inability to comprehend him does not reduce his greatness. while i do not deserve his forgiveness, the least he deserves is my life.

so... i will give my life to God. not "my life" in the sense of where i am right now. my life in the forever, good and bad, 90 years old and wrinkled way. my life beyond the foreseen future. my life beyond and including the plans i make. my life as long as i have it; lived with one purpose, glorifying my maker. i can do no less.

what does this mean? right now it means i will study hard in school to be faithful to the responsibilities he has given me. i will praise him whether or not i'm happy. i will pray even when he seems distant. i will seek guidance through his word. i will be in community to be encouraged and to build others up. i will obey him, because sometimes that might be the only way i can show my love. obedience regardess of desire. i will love and follow him with or without the emotions to back it. i will ask him to give me the strength to follow him through my doubt and weakness.

i can do no less.

thanks for listening

love?

2006-04-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

what does it mean be in love with God, for him to be my father and i his child? how do i love him? there's the standard john 14:15 answer (if you love me you will obey what i command). that seems lacking though. if i only was obedient to my friends and parents, would they think i loved them? there has to be more to it than just making right choices and trying not to earn a disapproving frown from God.

following Christ isn't about knowing the evidence of his birth, life, death and resurrection in my head. someone could fully believe in him without loving him and desiring to be his child. while the evidence and truth of the Bible may compel someone to choose life in Christ, it has to be a matter of the heart. the heart is all that matters. so how do you get the heart to follow the head? what's the formula for love? how do i convince my heart of what i know is true? is it enough to just keep going through the motions, hoping my heart will catch up? live off intellect and ignore emotions?

am i just over-analyzing things? i'm best at ignoring problems, not dealing with them. have i just never wrestled with my faith before? am i dramatizing questions into a crisis of faith? is temptation being interpreted as a lack of desire for God? i want to desire God. i want to want to obey him. i want to want him.

alright, that's it for now. i mostly just needed to journal and get my thoughts out there. i'm sure i'll update this once i get things figured out.

Who do you think you are?

2006-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Jill who stole it from Jason. Anyhow, I think it is pretty interesting. It is harder than I thought to answer. So follow the link and maybe make your own.

http://kevan.org/johari?name=hahicks

the customer is always right

2006-04-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

I was joking around and complaining to our cook and sysco rep. last quarter about their disloyalty by switching powdered sugar brands from "Holly pure cane powdered sugar" to "Some other boring generic brand of powdered sugar." Evidently they took me seriously. Either way, I feel loved.

GMail

2006-04-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've finally entered the 21st Century, thanks to Robb and Jill. I now have a gmail account! It's exactly the same as my uw email only with @gmail.com now. There's no guarantee that I'll check it more than every few days, but I'll probably use it all the time once I go to grad school.

That's all for now, I'm off to class. Happy Friday!

The last couple weeks in summary.

2006-04-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, not a lot is going on, but I'm pretty swamped with school. I guess that just means nothing fun is going on. It's been a great quarter in Penthouse so far. Jill and I are having a good time watching music videos and going for runs on sunny days. I'll miss her when she abandons me for the summer, but at least we get to go to grad school together!

Hmm, I didn't post much about spring break. I worked one day, which just made me miss waitressing even more. I wish I could handle a job right now, because there are so many fun places to work around here. I cooked a lot over break too. Some stuff from Rachel Ray's cookbook, crescent roll, baked potato soup, and some chocolate cookies. Needless to say I was constantly eating over break. One of the best things was that my uncle's cow gave birth to twins, one red and one black. My great uncle came over to help w/ some medical complications the cow had. I will spare you the gory details, but it was pretty awesome. I had fun over there and miss being around cattle, the country life, and seeing the sky filled with stars at night. I'm just a country girl at heart who's living in the city.... for now.

Back in Seattle I've been studying, studying, oh and more studying. I did get out last weekend though. Friday night Jill, Ryan, Andrew, Aaron, Ivan, Linnell, and I all went to Luna Park Cafe for milk shakes. I highly recommend it. I guess they have been voted the best milk shakes in Seattle. It was around when Alki had carnival rides and stuff, back in the day. Saturday's workday was done in record time. Sunday I ushered again. I think something was wrong with my headset though, or maybe it was just the operator. Oh well, they didn't fire me :)

That's about it for now. I'm going to hit the books now.
Enjoy the sunshine!

Currently Listening to: Keith Urban - Be Here

Good News!

2006-03-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

Since I'm home on spring break, this is the fastest way for me to spread the news..... I got in to Eastern's PT program!!!! For those who didn't know, I was on the wait list and quite sure that I wouldn't hear anything (good or bad) until this summer. Out of the blue they called and let me know. Needless to say I am ecstatic, a little scared, and quite relieved to have my life planned out for the next 3 years. And in case you've seen my glasses (taped together on both sides), I got a new pair today. I'm all ready to go. Now I just have to decide what I'm going to do with myself for the summer.

I hope y'all have a great spring break. I'll be floating on cloud 9 if you need me.

my photos

2006-03-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ryan shared this website with me: www.spectapelli.com which inspired me to post some of my own photos. I took them on the way to the park the other day. I also discovered that I can find beauty in almost anything and that it can take me all day to get somewhere if I carry my camera :)
I just use the autofocus on my Canon A520. I don't really know anything about photography and lighting actually, so I was pretty excited that these shots turned out ok.

Social

2006-03-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

So I figured that after all the build-up to social I should at least post about what we did. Jill, Jessie and I, along with all the other ooku girls had a fun time getting all dolled up. Ryan, Sean and Robb met us at our front door with daffodils (my favorite). Ryan looked great in his suit and tie. We had a pretty amazing dinner at La Piazza. The restaurant is a cute little Italian place with very entertaining waiters. It made me want to start waitressing again, but that's off of the subject. After that we drove up to Everett where the dance was supposed to be. Nobody was there yet except the few people mingling by ghetto cars carrying out a drug deal. We drove around the Tijuana area of Everett where there is a high concentration of mini marts. After a bit we went back to the place and had a great time dancing. Kilo Ann did a great job making the play list. Almost the whole house was there and everyone danced (what a contrast to my freshman year!). Good times! After the dance we went to a park where we planned to have a bonfire and eat apple pie and cider. However Jill and I seem to be lacking in the map reading department and neglected to notice that the beach was about 2 miles from the parking lot. Basically we spent a long time wandering along a dark trail in the woods while the boys carried a box of firewood. After much wandering in the dark and no sign of the beach, Ryan and I decide to jog ahead and see how far away it is. Running through the woods at night with Ryan was probably one of the best things I have ever done. It was completely silent and I couldn't really see where I was going, but it felt so good to just be running there. I really can't describe how great it was. It took us about 10 minutes to get to the sound. The beach, moon, and water were all amazing; I could have stood there looking out at it all night. We ran back, met up with the group, and decided that we needed to head back as it was already very very late. Even though the bon-fire didn't work out, I think we all had a great time hiking around. Back at UCU we enjoyed our apple pie and cider.

The End.

A shameless plug for Jill's blog

2006-02-13T21:52:00.000-08:00

Check out Jillian's blog. It has been resurected.

jillianpaige.blogspot.com

Our Master Plan: Asking Ryan and Sean to Social

2006-02-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

In order to save Jill, Sean, Ryan and myself from telling this story one more time, I will document our adventure for your entertainment purposes.

It all started two weeks ago when Jill and I got the zany idea to ask Sean and Ryan to women's social by making a slideshow. Our plan was to lure them into the sanctuary at Mars Hill (they are both tech guys there) where we would show it on the projector screen, raise the screen, and we would be standing behind it. We sought the help of Robb (without whom we would have been completely inept and unable to pull this off) who graciously agreed to help us. He emailed their boss who was more than happy to collaborate and insisted that we could do better than a slide show. Robb then helped us make a video (attached to this post; also available at video.google.com) showing random pictures and video clips of Sean and Ryan with the text "I saw you..." and the Lifehouse song "You and Me."

So all was going as planned. Their boss called them to say they should be "on call" Saturday (so they wouldn't stray far from UCU) and faked being sick on the phone. Jill and I were pretty worried that something would go wrong (i.e. the church would be locked, the projector wouldn't work) so we worked on a lot of less-amazing backup plans.

Saturday. The big day had arrived. At 2pm Jill notices that Sean and Ryan's cars are both gone. We start getting nervous. Ryan come back from studying around 3pm. This is good news, but where is Sean? He is still AWOL. 3:45 pm: Our departure time had arrived. We stealthily avoided Ryan's prying questions about where we were going. "To study in U-Village of course." "Where in U-Village." "Barns and Nobel." "Barns and Nobel is packed!" "Thanks Ryan." We finally escape out the door. The indispensable Robb is hiding behind Jill's car. We all jump in and head to the church to get everything set up. Robb agrees to call Sean and find out where he is. Robb calls Sean. They get disconnected. Robb calls him again. The briefly discuss how Sean has bad service wherever he is. Sean wants to know where Robb is going. They get disconnected again. Robb calls back again to find out the tragic news that Sean is in Issaquah! Jill and I freak out. I called their boss to ask him to call Sean and tell him to go to UCU, get Ryan and head to Mars ASAP under the guise that the church was rewiring everything and now it wasn't working. We book it to Mars, praying that everything will still come together somehow. After many locked doors we are finally able to sneak in while someone is coming out. Much to our relief we were greeted by Dan and Seth, two of the tech guys there. Robb went off to help them and Jill and I hid behind the screen in anticipation of Ryan and Sean's arrival. Sarah J., our inside woman, then called to notify us that Ryan had just left without Sean. This was not the plan! Their boss then called saying, "Incase you haven't already figured it out, Sean's not coming." Dan then called Sean, telling him to get his lazy butt down to the church now. Thankfully Sean was now on route. Unfortunately 520 was closed for construction and all traffic was being diverted to I-90. The amazing tech guys and Robb were finally able to get our video to play on the two side projector screens. At least one thing is going right. Then Ryan arrived. Seth got stuck outside with the responsibility of stalling Ryan and keeping him out of the sanctuary. They talked about electrical cords, the internet, and some other EE stuff that is over my head. Seth finally abandons Ryan in the parking lot and leaves. Dan has plans that night too. He tells Robb how to start everything and leaves. Now it is just Robb, Jill and I. (Remember, Jill and I are still stilling behind the screen).

So.... it's 5 p.m. and Robb comes and talks with Holly and I (yes....Holly got tired of typing, so I'm finishing the story...hello all!) Robb, Holly and I put on our thinking caps of what to do with Ryan, out in the parking lot, because Sean is still stuck in Mercer Island traffic. We were wondering, "Does Robb tell Ryan that we are asking him to social, and just leave it a surprise for Sean? NO!!!!! We decided that Robb would tell Ryan that he has a surprise for both him and Sean in the sanctuary, but Ryan can't go in until Sean gets there. Praise be to God....Ryan believed it! So, unknown to Holly and I (still behind the screen) Robb and Ryan go to the coffee room and sit to chat...while we wait in suspense of what is going on. Somehow, Robb is able to leave Ryan and quickly comes to update us, that Sean is now moving in traffic, and Ryan is totally believing his story. Also, Ryan has now been sucked into our plan and will call Robb when Sean arrives, so that "Robb can be ready to show the surprise." Robb runs back to the coffee room and waits with Ryan, while Holly and I still are sitting behind the screen.
So, Holly and I in suspense, can hardly stand it any longer and resort to laying on our bellies and looking through the 5 inch gap between the floor and screen...just to watch to see who was coming. Finally! Robb runs into the sanctuary and whispers that Sean is just a couple of minutes away. Holly and I are super stoked and we watch (still on our bellies) waiting in anticipation for the arrival of Ryan and Sean.
Hallelujah! It's around 5:45 and Sean and Ryan walk in the back door. Robb is right on cue to start our movie, "We Can't Keep Our Eyes off of You." (There will now be a gap in this story, because Holly and I don't know the reactions of Sean and Ryan while they watched the movie.....) However, we later found out that a woman who was in the church building came and told Sean and Ryan to turn down the sound and that it was too loud.......well, she bugged Ryan so much that he missed the most important screen of all, "Will you go to social with us?" The movie ends, and the screen raises. Holly and I wave and we get 2 different reactions. First, Ryan said, "What are you guys doing here?" While, second, Sean is laughing so hard he is hiding his face in his hands and kind-of ducking below the chair in front of him. No one said anything for a good long 5 seconds, so I finally blurted out, "Will you go to social with us?" Sean said something like, "Yes! Of course we will" while Ryan goes, "Oh that's why they're here." So Ryan and Sean come up to the edge of the stage and we all just kind of stand around....then to clear the air (and confusion) I said, "Ok, I'm asking Sean, and Holly's asking Ryan"....then the guys were like, "ohhhhhhh!!!!" Then we really started to laugh and talk all about how we came up with the master plan of tricking them, to getting them to Mars Hill. Oh, but wait.....we can not forget our faithful assistant Robb, who is still hiding in the back sound proof room. I ran to get him, he comes out...and Sean just about craps his pants. Sean says, "What the heck are you doing here?!?" Everyone starts to laugh......and the rest is history!

Sean, Ryan, and Robb.....please feel free to add your versions of this story....we'd all like to know what you were thinking during this whole escapade! I hope you all enjoyed our story.....we had so much fun putting the plan together and executing it! We are lucky to go with guys like Ryan and Sean....and Robb and his girlfriend....we all can't wait for social night!

In His Grip

2006-01-31T20:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I would take a quick break from homework and temporarily revive my blog. Below is one of my favorite poems ever. I found it on a devotional site for college students a few years ago, and I am continually going back to it when I feel my life careening out of control. I didn't write it, but if anyone knows who did, please let me know (all I have are the initials). I hope all is well with you and this poem reminds you of Whose you are.

In His Grip

It's the grip.
Not mine, but His.
Sometimes I forget
And latch on to something,
Or someone,
Forgetting my first love.

It's the grip.
Rock-strong, love-led.
Holding me when I want to run and hide,
Or disappear,
Forcing me to stand still.

It's the grip.
Pure grace, His ways.
Leading me though the angst and chaos,
Or cloudless sky,
Forging a path He has chosen.

It's the grip.
God's hand, on me.
Saving me,
And quieting my anxious mind,
Or fearful heart,
Forever held in His grip.

-TF

the sleeping blog

2006-01-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

School is pretty crazy right now, even though it's only week 2. I also realized that I spend far too much time online. So in my attempts to get more homework done and cut down on my internet addition I won't be posting for a while.
My next expected post will be in march when I find out about grad schools and over spring break.
Have a great life.

And They All Died!

2005-12-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

Well I finished reading King Lear. With ten pages to go it looked like it might actually end happily ever after...but no. All but two of the main characters died in the last five pages of the book. I guess that's why it's called a tragedy.
In other news, I want to send off my last grad application on Friday. The problem is the essay. I have to condense my entire life down into a one-page, hand-written autobiographic essay, without making it sound like a resume. In it I am supposed to express who I really am, my personality, be original yet concise, and convey why I want to go there. That's not really the main thing keeping me from writing it though. The real reason is that this essay is for the school I want to go to. I'm banking my future on some 200 words that I have to come up with.
Que sera sera. It will all be done soon enough, and out of my hands.

Hope y'all had a Merry Christmas and find some trouble to get into for New Years Eve.

King Lear

2005-12-21T19:01:00.000-08:00

My endeavor for Christmas break, besides mailing off the last of my grad applications (hooray!), is to read Shakespeare's King Lear. I bought an old set of four books of The Comedies and Tragedies of Shakespeare last year and am excited to finally have a chance to start reading them. I feel like a more well rounded person when I can read some old literature and pull my head out of my biology texts. King Lear is definitely my favorite tragedy (Romeo and Juliet is far too sappy for my taste). It is a great story of honesty and betrayal. Much to the disappointment of my parents I adhere to the philosophy that plays were written to be spoken. Therefore they suffer as I wander around the house reading Shakespeare aloud. I'm determined to culture them along with me, but they would rather have the cliff notes version. When I was forced to read Shakespearian lit in high school this website helped to get me through: Absolute Shakespeare. I'll post more on my thoughts regarding the play once I'm finished.

My genesis

2005-12-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

One of my housemates shared from Donald Miller's book "Searching for God Knows What" earlier this year. She challenged us to write poems expressing anything really. This (and Robb's poem from bio class) really got me started writing poetry this year. Even though my poetry is pretty rough, it is one of the few ways that I truly can be open and vulnerable. This is the poem from the start of my poetry phase (more or less). Take it for what it's worth.

Where are you God,

When I cry and feel alone?

Where are you when life's burden's are too much,

When my strength can't pull me through?

You are here.

Waiting for me to look up,

To see and take your hand,

And trust in you to see me to the end.

Home for Christmas!

2005-12-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

I apologize for neglecting my blog. It has been a very busy quarter. My classes thoroughly kicked my butt, and I am in the process of attempting to recover. People keep telling me "You are almost done" or "you're so close to finishing," but I don't find their words very convincing. If it weren't for my deep desire to make other people happy I would quit now. I'm not sure what else I would do, but certainly it would be better. Ce la vi. There are few things I am sure of right now in my live. Mainly that I belong at the church I attend, that I am supposed to be living where I do and in my role there, and that God loves me no matter what. I am still not entirely convinced that choosing to major in biology was right. At the moment English or Anthropology both sound better. My only condolence comes from Bible study a few Mondays ago. God spoke to me quite clearly through Robb and Aaron. They both shared on how God disciplines us and enduring hardships. I was reminded that God can use me exactly where I am and that he can use every situation to his glory. Maybe majoring in bio wasn't the best choice, but I can learn from it and become stronger because of it. Either way, I am home for a few weeks and free from school. Hopefully I'll be rejuvenate and have the strength to make it through at least one more quarter.

James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

writing poems when i should be studying

2005-11-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

Strip it away,
or better yet
help me
to lay it down at your feet.

Everything
that I'm holding on to,
keeping me
from total abandon to you.

Distractions never stop,
so I must learn
to keep my eyes on you alone
again.

Same old lesson.
I go around in circles,
but you keep reminding me
you are all I need.

I want it.
I'll take it.
You,
and only you.

"sunshine" part 2

2005-11-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry that my last few posts have all been kind of depressing. I must have been in a weird funk, like some poet who wears only black and won't eat anything with flavor and seeks to entertain his dark themed writing. Anyhow, I think I'm out of it now. I'm trying to write more happy poems. My mind tends to go where my poetry lives. Therefore happy poems equals a happier me. So far it's working.

After receiving some unfortunate news my thoughts returned to a post from a few weeks ago. The reason that feel I am a different person when I am at work during the summer vs. when I am at school is because, when I'm at work, my life is segregated. It isn't hard to be happy all the time when it is only for 6-8 hrs a day. Once work is over I get a nice hour or so drive to relax, listen to music, collect my thoughts, and then be home to different people. When I'm at school I don't get to escape from my life and responsibilities. Life doesn't end at 5pm. There is no clocking-out of friendships, conflict with other people, avoiding or tolerating people I don't mesh well with. When I'm in Seattle there is just one me, 24-7. My only escapes are church and the occasional trip to visit a friend who lives outside my house. So even though the holly in Seattle isn't always quite as easy going and doesn't always smile as big, I think that she is closer to the real me.

Here is a picture of me and my friend Julie. We ran the Husky Dawg Dash together last week. We are so fast that we don't even have to train. (truth be told, the only reason I go is for the shirt)

Useless

2005-11-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

I hate the feeling of uselessness. Maybe it comes from my overly independent nature and desire to be in control. I considered being a nurse for a while purely because, if someone I loved was sick or in pain, I would be able to do something and help them. As it is I can't do much to help those I love who are physically hurting, and even less for those who are going through emotional pains and life trials. All I can do is pray.....not that that isn't wonderful, but I'm really into the tangible, make-it-better, action kind of help. I want to fix everyone's problems and make them happy.
Yet I sit here useless.

"Sunshine"

2005-10-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

After receiving an email from a guy I worked with last summer I realized that the me from work and the me that is here going to school are two very different people. I like the one from work better. I'm going to have to think on this one.

Home!

2005-10-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend my brother was awesome and loaned me his car while he and my dad went fishing. I took advantage of this and drove back to Yakima to spend time with my mom and hopefully diminish my homesickness. Mom and I had lots of good chats. I was also able to visit my grandparents, eat lots of ice cream, and sleep in my own bed. The only work I accomplished was a little bit of progress on my grad school applications. However I realized that my essay is boring and doesn't make me stand out from any other PT applicant. So, here is my call for help... what can I do/say in my essay that would be interesting/exciting/consequential/make me more appealing than the average applicant. Any suggestions are welcome :)
Well, I need to try and do some homework now (after a weekend of R&R).
Sweet dreams

Pumpkins!

2005-10-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the pumpkin created by Peter, Jill and I. I did the sketch, Peter gutted and carved it, and Jill finished it up to make it beautiful. So much for me getting homework done tonight.

Homesick

2005-10-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home

Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know

Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home

And I feel just like I’m living someone else’s life
It’s like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right

It will all be allright
I’ll be home tonight
I’m coming back home

-shortened version of "Home" by Michael Buble

Rain

2005-10-10T00:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things I miss most about Eastern Washington is the rain. Now you may find that odd considering I'm in Seattle right now and I get enough rain in a year to last me a lifetime. I don't miss the quantity or frequency of rain; what I miss is the smell. I'm sure this confuses most of you over here on the west side. You're thinking "It only smells wet when it rains." On the contrary, in dry climates like eastern Washington it smells wonderful outside when it rains. In my efforts to explain how wonderful the rare eastern Washington rain is I found this website that tells why it smells so great. Now if only I could have that smell here...

What Causes the Smell after Rain?

2005-10-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

I look and people
and wish I knew
what was there behind the eyes.

One smiles, one ignores, one stares blankly back.

I want to know their story,
their hopes,
their dreams,
their pains.

But I walk on by and so do they.

The best dating advice ever....or something

2005-10-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

As a waitress I overheard a lot of conversations. The morning after the Toga Party one of the river guides was talking about his relationship with a certain woman. He told how she said to him that they needed to talk about their relationship, etc. His response to her was "I told you when we started this relationship to check your emotions at the door." Evidently she wasn't too crazy about this plan anymore, because he said instead of his girlfriend she is now a "friend with benefits." Craziness.

Toga Party Part 2

2005-09-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we had an especially busy morning at the restaurant today. Everyone came in around the same time (10-11am)to get coffee in attempt to lessen the hangover from the night before. Sounds like it was a wild night. Still, I'll miss all the riverguides. They are pretty entertaining and nice.
Today was also my last day at work. I'm going to miss everyone there. I'll be moving back to UCU on Wednesday, but it will take a while to get used to Seattle again.

Toga Party

2005-09-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

One of the perks/downsides to being a waitress...I got invited to go to a Toga Party tonight. I guess it's a river rafting guide party. Either way, I decided that I don't go to random parties alone (not that I ever really go to parties :). And besides that, riverguides generally are synonymous with getting drunk. Not my style. It was fun though that two different rafters invited me. good times....

Summer Highlights

2005-09-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

As promised here are the top three events of my summer break in chronological order:

1. I went shooting for the first time with some friends here in Yakima. It was awesome and now I'm hooked. There is no better sound than that of a pump-action shotgun, and, as a sheriff once said, no other sound will make a burglar consider a career change faster.

2. My dad and I took apart, cleaned, repaired, and rebuilt the engine for his tiller. I think I want to be an auto mechanic instead of a physical therapist :)

3. I got my own shotgun! It belonged to my grandpa and my grandma gave it to me. It's a 410 gauge double barrel. I couldn't possibly be happier.

That's it. Not too exciting, but it suits me just fine. Hope you had a great summer too.

My ranting

2005-08-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hoo-rah! My summer class is over and done with; now I can rest and enjoy my summer...after I take the GREs. Fun, fun. But since I have a small break, I'm going to go-off (for the last time) on my tangent. For those of you who have already heard this story from me, I promise not to talk about it any more unless provoked. Here we go:

I was waitressing last Sunday night, just like any other night. We were fairly busy when a table of 6 came in, 3 gentlemen 30ish, 40ish and 50ish with their wives. No problem. The other waitress took the table. The had to wait more than 2 minutes for the beverages while she was taking someone else's food out. They got impatient and snappy. Through out the evening they continued to be rude, impatient, complain (about nothing), be condescending, and probably one of the worst tables we've served in a while. The older man left a 5% tip and the rest left a 10%. Mind you they were happy with their meal, everything was wonderful, and the other waitress did a great job serving them. I can get over a table of rude people who tip bad. The part that made me mad (and I'm still mad about it) is that they PRAYED before their meal. In conversation I also overheard some reference to the older man preaching that Sunday morning. Luck for the man, my boss was at the counter as he left or I was going to give him a piece of my mind (as politely as possible). I tried to explain to my non-Christian co-workers that he made me mad not because he was rude, but because he was dragging the name of my God through the mud. He was representing Christ in a manner that I was ashamed of. I tried to tell them that Christians shouldn't act like that. I tried. I pray they heard, but with Christians like that I don't blame them for running from Christ.

It takes a lot to get me mad, and I was madder than I had been in a long time. The man did look familiar though, and I can't get his face out of my head. I will find him one day and then write him a nice-nasty letter rebuking him for his actions and his poor witness.

So, the moral of the story is: your waitress is watching you. She sees when you pray, she hears what you say, and she sees the cross necklace you wear or Bible on the table. When you pray before your meal you are representing Christ and have the opportunity to make a positive impact in someone's life. So if you are going to be rude, or impatient, or just inconsiderate in general, please don't pray first. Please don't slander Christ with your words and actions. And tip well too. In general I will agree that Christians are the worst tippers. What a sorry reputation we have.
I challenge you to change that.

when I should be studying...

2005-08-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

It is pretty much guaranteed; if I'm supposed to be studying I will update my blog :) At least its an improvement from my studying at UCU which is directly correlated with me sleeping somewhere in the living room.
I have my psych final Thursday. I'm coming over, taking the test, and heading back to home sweet home as quickly as possible due to work the next day. Right now I am feeling the effects of my procrastination (me, procrastinate? never), but by the grace of God I am always ready by test time.

I love Yakima, as crazy as that sounds. I love the brown hills with sage brush and the way the sun sets in my rear-view mirror as I drive home. Nothing beats the way it smells when it rains here and the stars almost always come out at night.

I have a great/miserable waitress story from Sunday to post about, but because I need to study and not get all worked up again, the story will have to wait.

Other up and coming attractions include my top three summer highlights. I can only think of 2 right now but I'll post as soon as I come up with a third.

That's all for now, sorry this post is so scattered.
Oh, and I want to go to Montana, Wyoming and Australia.

Life lessons from Solitaire

2005-08-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

As I was playing solitaire on my computer today, I was struck by a profound life lesson. In life, when it really counts, you can't just use the 'undo' button and fix your mistakes. You have to live with the consequences of your foolishness/ignorance/'just too busy to pay attention' and try and make the best of it.
Hopefully my life doesn't end up like a games of solitaire, because I always seem to lose.

Grumpy Old Men

2005-08-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesday in 'Tales from the Waitress'
Today two of my favorite customers came in to the restaurant today. They are these two elderly gentlemen (probably in their mid seventies to early eighties)who live in an assisted living home. They go for drives every once in a while and then stop in to each drink a Bud and eat french fries or onion rings. Today they both had red Buds; maybe they figure it is healthier. They are fun because they joke around a lot and give me and each other a hard time. They say they come up to get Buds because they won't let them have it in their nursing home. So I said I wouldn't tell on them. I kinda want to be like that when I'm old. Sneak out with my friend and do stuff we really aren't supposed to. But somehow two old ladies going for a drive and drinking Buds just doesn't seem as cute. hmmm.
Well, that's it for now; know your limit.

Tales from the Waitress

2005-08-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

For anyone who doesn't know, I'm spending my summer waitressing at the same restaurant I've worked at for the past 3 summers. Initially I had hoped for a job as a Physical Therapy Aide, but this has turned out to be a blessing both financially and spiritually. So, due to my lack of inspiration regarding what to write, I decided I would use my blog to rant, rave, and vent about waitressing. I'll try to post new and exciting stories whenever I can, and hopefully ya'll be entertained.

Sunday: It was an awesome, busy day and it felt so good to just sit by the end of the day. Of all my fun times waitressing today had the biggest high and low. First, the high. One of my lunch tables actually said grace before their meal. Now this may not sound that special, but I can only think of one, possibly two other times in my four summers as a waitress that I have noticed a family pray first. I'm sure it has happened plenty of times and I haven't noticed, but it surprised me. I made a point to pass the compliment along to the father when he paid and I think he appreciated it. And for the low...this lady with her boyfriend and two nieces came in to get some pop from the grocery section of the store/restaurant. One of the guys I work with knew her as the sister of his friend. So, they came in, looked around, the girls (who were some of the cutest, sweetest, most polite kids I've ever seen) asked for ice cream bars, and the boyfriend paid for a Mt. Dew for the lady and they left. I thought this was odd. People almost never just come in, buy something for themself (excluding the rest) and leave. As I expressed my confusion to the guy I work with, he informed me that she was a 'tweaker' (meth/crack/drug user) and characteristically didn't think of anyone but herself. She probably didn't have the money to buy the girls anything even if she wanted to because it was going to drugs. It made for a pretty depressing evening thinking how the girls were in such a neglectful and generally negative environment. I wish I could have taken them home with me. Maybe some day :)

Well, that's all the stories I have for now. I'll see you again next week, same bat-time, same bat-place.

Summer Psych Class

2005-07-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

ahh the things you learn in psych class

nobody messes with bikers

2005-07-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

"People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's easier to harrass a rich woman than a biker gang."

Napa

2005-07-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

So last summer my parents and I went to Cali for vacation to visit my cousin in Sacramento and to fulfill my lifelong goal of visiting the Napa Valley. It reminded me a lot of Yakima :) So here is a picture of me in front of a restaurant in St. Helena. We had a great time, but I thought I would post about it as an excuse to put up a picture finally.
On a more recent note: I can't play any burned cds in my car stereo. I would be ever so grateful to anyone who had any suggestions on how to make them play. The cds just spin and spin until my car spits them back out at me. So sad.
Oh, and nothing is better than a summer night in Eastern Washington.

Digging a hole to China

2005-07-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

I have some bad news. For all of you who ever dreamed of digging your way to China as a child, that dream must die. That's right, it is against the law to dig a hole any deeper than 12 feet without the proper permits. As a kid it made me feel secure knowing that if I ever got tired of life in good ol' Yakima I could just start digging and end up in a new home far far away. Now I know that I would have been fined or imprisoned for even trying.
What a sad world we live in.
Happy summer.

Keith Urban

2005-04-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I should be studying, but since I'm not I thought now would be a great time to promote one of my favorite musicians. I just bought the new Keith Urban cd off Amazon Market for $5. The music video for his song "You'll think of me" and the new song "making memories of us" both make me want to cry (and that's a big deal for me). He paints such a beautiful picture of romance. And he's an Aussie. You just can't beat that.
Have a beautiful day.

Einstein

2005-04-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite quotes. It definitely speeks to the biologist in me.
"I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know his thoughts; the rest are just details." ~Albert Einstein.

Dreams

2005-04-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

I never go very long without being reminded of something. "God's dreams for us are always bigger then our own!" I have a plan for my life and where I would like it to go, but I have to remember that God has a plan for me. That is the plan that I want! Prov. 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Sometimes I have to remind myself that God is good and He is my Father and He wants what is best for me, even if I can't see that. I think my plan is good and will work out best, but He has something so much better instore for my future. Bigger and better than I could ever imagine.
That's my deep thought for now (aka avoiding homework)

blogging

2005-03-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

I'm not actually sure that blogging is a word. I guess it is now. In my short time here I've already discovered on of the great joys of posting blogs: having them disappear after you pour your heart and soul into it. Ahh the joys of technology. If anyone has suggestions on how to improve my blog, please feel free to contribute (as long as you include a "how-to" guide :) I haven't spent the time yet figuring anything out, and I can't seem to get spellcheck to work either, so please forgive the many many errors.

And now for "Today in the life of Holly"
Today was definitly the most productive day of my entire spring break. I finalized my resume and dropped it off at 5 Physical Therapy offices. I hope and pray that I get in at one specific clinic. It was a great environment and one of the therapists there goes to church with my high school track coach. Two of the clinics smelled and looked too much like doctor's offices for my taste. I also applied at the nursing home I worked at last summer. If none of the above options workout, I will probably waitress at Trout Lodge again and voluteer with Children's Village doing hippotherapy (PT on horses for disabled kids). Whatever God has in-store for the summer will be great!
After driving all over town I had coffee with a friend and then went to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls with my dad. Now don't get me wrong, I don't like golf. At all. You might even say I hate it, but I won't go that far. However, I decided that by not golfing I was neglecting my gift. I have denied my true calling for too long. hah. We'll see.
Overall a great day.

I'd also like to give mad props to the Huskies Basketball team for their pac-10 championship, #1 seed, and trip to the sweet sixteen. It is too bad they didn't have a better game against Louisville. Tre, Will, Nate, and the rest of the departing Huskies will be missed. It was a great season, and I'm ready to buy my Dawg Pack tickets for next season now.

That's about it. Sorry, no deep thoughts today.

and here i begin

2005-03-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well I caved and finally created a blog. Don't be suprised if this is the only posting I ever make, but it seemed like a good way to update people on my life without actually having to talk to anyone. Really though, it sort of forces me to sit down and think. I'm often too lazy to journal, so this is my shortcut version of that. Too often people says things on their blogs that that wouldn't want some to read, so I'll try to avoid that and stick with what's in my head instead of other people's business:)