Life is Full of Little Epiphanies

Life is full of epiphanies, but this time I really felt stupid. Sitting in a car full of girlfriends the other night, we got on the random subject of food, nutricious food. Hm. :) Rebekah commented, "That's like when my parents use to tell me that I had to eat the crust of the bread because it was the most nutricious part. Ha ha!"

"Wait," I said suddenly. "You mean, it's not??"

Of course everyone began laughing. It's not more nutricious because the crust contains the same as what's in the middle, it's just more baked. Duh!!

"I guess I just never really thought about it. I mean, after hearing it all those years growing up, I never really thought to doubt it . . ."

"That's okay," Rebekah replied. "Phoebe thought the same thing until just recently when I told her."

Fhew . . . At least I'm not the only one who still has those little epiphanies.

50 Things . . .

(Bold = have accomplished, Italics = hope to do)

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath
08. Said “I love you’ and meant it (I'm talking romantic on this one)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper (way too many times)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten tipsy on champagne
24. Went ocean kyaking
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a goof and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (I only did for part of a day)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving

...More to follow... :)

Cool, man . . . :)

My friend Noell did this quiz on her blog, so I thought I would try it. I'm a very pretty strawberry, aren't I? :D

You are White Chocolate

You have a strong feminine side with a good bit of innocence thrown in. Whether your girlish ways are an act or not, men like to take care of you. You are an understated beauty, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

News Bulletin!

It's Crohn's Disease--not cancer. Though Crohn's is a serious and chronic disease, it is certainly not cancer (thank God!). After my surgery (16 inches of very critical colon was removed), I progressed quickly, but it has now slowed, but remains relatively steady. :) It has not been quite a month since the surgery, but my surgeon is excited about how things are moving along. I can begin working in October (provided I get a job!), and would really appreciate your prayers. Overall, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO GOD! :D

It's a Boy!

Here's a big shout out to my new little "nephew," Christian Joseph, a very tiny 6lb, 7 oz., who was born this past Sunday. Born pretty small, head up and always kicking, he's the new "premie" backstroker! Interestingly, he is the first baby, besides my brother and sis, that I ever really connected with. He's sooo cute and I'm facinated by his tiny fingernails and calm demeanor. I'll post another photo or two soon--of me with him! :)

Miss Johnson

YES!!! I just got hired as a fifth grade teacher here in the Bay Area. This, shall we say, was a TOTAL God thing. Literally, every STEP of mine was integral to this. I have not been this excited about a job since....like....2002. I did not realize I wanted to be a teacher until recently when I heard multiple teacher aquaintences asking for prayer requests such as, "I ask for prayer that I actually stay busy this summer instead of just loafing around. I'm planning on taking guitar lessons, going to India and reading this great book. But, hopefully I won't just opt out and watch TV." Ummm, hello! A teacher?? All of a sudden it started sounding...great! Okay, okay, that's not the only reason I want to teach. hehe Actually, I'm stoked about sharing my passion with the kids, especially in history and english. I'm currently in the midst of thinking of fun ideas to make learning adventurous, imaginative and fun. Any ideas? Comment below (please!). God rocks!

Here it is! :)

Click here to read my article about Brendan! There will be more photos added to the article soon. Let me know what you
think.

Brendan!

Here's the photo of Brendan and I--altho this photo does him NO justice, he's way cuter. Anyway, we hung out while I asked him all kinds of fun questions for an article. This laid back, fun-loving guy is certainly not hard to get to know. I've met my plethora of famous people, and he is by far the one I have felt the most comfortable with. First time in an interview where I was actually able to be ME--and it was so fun! Anyhoo, he's a great swimmer (duh!) and a cool dude, so you should read the article when it goes online. :) --I'll post it.--



My brother and sis (and some of her swimmers) with Brendan. My sis is sooo cute isn't she?!

It Has Evolved!

Life, life, life is so intersting! Truly, there is never a dull moment. I never know where I will be living one month from each day, never know where the next new experience will come from, and never know whether or not the next person I meet will be a really hot famous guy (like today!!). Post-college, my life has evolved into this even greater unpredictible adventure. Currently, as our house is being remodeled and we are getting ready to move (??), I have created for myself an amazing island get-away. Completely opposite of that, I also recently returned from my first rodeo ever (ride 'em, cowboy!). Staying within the same random flare, on Father's Day I found myself sharing yummy Swedish pankcakes at The Sweden House with three generations of my family--right outside overlooking the San Francisco bay! This very day I got to hang out with Olympic gold medalist and world record holding swimmer Brendan Hansen--after sharing carmel Dibs with my sweet brother. Of course, since my life is so unpredictible, I was then locked out of my car (cuz I'm just like that). . . ;)

The court case I'm working on is going better than we had hoped--and just found out I may get to sleep in an old-fashioned farm house in Ohio for four nights. Yes, random life I lead. But, afterall, I am one of those people who can not STAND sameness. Good thing!

Enter: The Space Age

Yes, it is now officially here--in my mind anyway. Many people believe that we have been living in the "space age" for years...but I believe it is only more recent, because now, da da daaaaa, we have cyborgs walking among us here on earth . . .

Me--LAW?!?! Oh, Unbelievably My Gosh!!!

No, I have absolutely NOT decided to move on to law school from here. Quite the contrary, actually. Though I totally dig the whole Legally Blonde fashion scheme and Elle's whole kick booty, "blondes can do it!," "blondes to the rescue" mentality, I would VERY much dislike being involved in law except for the fact that right now it is paying the bills and is where I am suppose to be :) hehe, okay, Thank God ;) ). And, I can talk, as I recently took a job doing paralegal type work for a court case in a major Bay Area city. I am involved in the whole perfectionistic and tedious document search which I have dubbed "The Job that Never Ends (instead of the "Song that...")." There are so many documents that they would probably reach all the way from Elle's home in Beverly Hills to her dorm room at Harvard. Seriously!! But, as I said, the job DOES have a lot of benefits to it, like the great people I work with (you know who you are :) ) and the amazing "education" this is for me. Anyhoo, so I would like to issue a huge kudos to all of my MANY lawyer and other law friends who are scattered all over the country: I have a new appreciation for you--you're amazing! Got to get to bed so I can get up early and work on the case. Nighty night (maybe I'll dream of my "Emmet" being one of the new guys coming on the case...mmm...)!

I'm GRADUATED!!!

On the morning of April 29th, 2006 . . .

WOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

(From Simpson U.)

The Next Step

Because I am back in school, it has been especially interesting to observe all of my friends that are my age (and not in school). First they all began getting married. Then they all began having babies. Now they're all buying houses. As an upcoming college graduate who is single and is just now looking for an apartment (a.k.a., not finding someone else to live with)--add to that all my extremely unique personality traits and quirks--I am truly an individual. And, even if someday I join all my non-single, parental house owner friends, I will always be extremely unique--what can I say? It's the way God made me. . . . And I'm learning to be cool with that.

Earnestly Ashland

My girlfriends and I just returned from the beautiful, very Shakespearean, Ashland, Oregon from witnessing a WONDEROUS adaption of Oscar Wilde's comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest. It was a wet and snowy trip up, but we enjoyed yummy, natural iced cream when we got there (in the spirit of the state I was now in, I chose a very unique Oregonian flavor--Rogue River Pear *mmmmm!*), so it was worth it. :) We of course did not forget the the famous bead shop or the Shakepearean costume displays (my suitemate actually pointed one out to me that was worn by the character Olivia in Twelfth Night--so obviously I HAD to snap a picture of me with it!), either. All-in-all it was a great time. Friends, fun, food, and . . . comedy. Oh! How could I forget that it was also a break from homework. What more could'ya ask for? ;) Here's to an earnestly awaited trip!

(Oh, and just so you know, only 26 more days 'til graduation . . .)

Worldviews--"Theisteclectis"

Because so many different worldviews are so prevalent in our American society, I think there should be a new one called "Eclecticism." Essentially, I am a theist, but I have also been painted by other worldviews, such as postmodernism and even some new age ideas (nothing "religious," but more food ideas and such). For example, I believe many things, even certain things I have grown up believing, should be questioned (not that I can't go back and latch onto what I believed before, but it is healthy to know why you believe what you believe, and maybe even change certain things) or at least better understood (like Christianity) and that the food we eat effects our minds (chemically). Once we have our faith in God, I do not believe we need to question the cores of our faith, however we do need to understand them better. Questioning our faith can put our feet upon dangerous waters. As I said before, I am predominantly a theist, but if you are not a pure something-or-other (which I do not believe most people are), go ahead and call yourself by my new worldview: eclecticism. Maybe I'll even call myself a "theisteclectis." :)

25...24...23...

Only 25 school days left (that means only 38 total days) until I'M DONE with school--FOREVER!! Still caring somewhat about my grades, however, ;) I have been getting a ton of A's and B's, which qualifies me to enter my university's Academic March Madness for which I WON THIS WEEK (me and a guy named Alex, actually)!! I can now head to American Eagle and buy anything I want for $20! Combine that with the fact that I just saved a bundle smogging my car (God worked a miracle!) and the fact that I am very adequately passing physics, things are really looking up. :D Yippee-doo da!

Hail Man

It's FREE---ZING here in the land of sunshine...California. It's below the freezing point, I shiver on my way to classes and had to shift my walking plans with a friend to dinner plans because, surprise!, it's all white outside as we're in the middle of a hail storm. A super fun fact is that right now there is a girl outside my room building a "hail man," with stick hands and everything! SO cute! I'll have to snap a shot. In weather like this, it just doesn't seem like normal life should be going on. Seems like we should just be able curl up and watch movies and drink hot chocolate. Instead, I've got homework and can hear the distant sound of a tractor digging across the way. Hmmm... But, the forrest outside my room is all white--so, it's all good. Yae! :D

The Professorship Has Spoken

This week in class, one of my professors, whose name will remain anonymous, finally admitted that he and fellow professors join together while planning a semester and agree upon a time when they will sabbatage us all simultaneously with homework. We students always suspected as much! ;)

Another New Hobby

Yes, I have been beginning bonsai, but I have also began sewing--which, trust me, is strange, but my mom is proud. All through growing up she tried to get me to enjoy sewing, but the few projects we completed together (mostly her), I trudged through complaining I didn't have enough patience for it. This just proves my theory that, given time, most people will come around. :) Anyway, my latest sewing project is a grouping of three sage green/white, leafy throw pillows for my apartment. They will adorn my light and airy, whimsical, Japanese/S.F. style living room (yes, I'm very eclectic, but I pull it off very well). So, yae! I'm really excited. :D A couple of my next projects are a really cute pair of checkered '60s shorts and a 1930s evening gown. (Yes, I'm also very into period clothing.) Yae for sewing! :D

I'm So Dirty, I Had To . . .

This is one of my friend's photos that I just had to share. ;) Nothing like college life . . .