HELP!

(Ok, does the title make anyone else start singing the Beatles song?)

I need to give a persuasive speech in the very near future.

Rules:

• NO MORE THAN 5 minutes.
  
• Must have five parts:
  -- Attention-getting intro
  -- Brief synopsis of the problem
  -- Suggested solution(s)
  -- Speculation on what the world would look like if solutions were put into to practice
  -- Commission to go and change your ways
  
• I want it to be original: no over-used stuff like "Why you should wear a seatbelt" or "Why you shouldn't smoke".
  
• It can't be anything I'm TOO passionate about. Rule out anything super-controversial, including religious and political issues.

So.....that leaves me with.......

*blank stare*

Any ideas?!? You guys love to argue. You're super opinionated. Help a fellow blogger out, will ya? I hate brainstorming!!

Pockets

Recent words of wisdom from my Intro to Ethics prof, who has been known to say some amusingly profound things purely by accident....

[He can be slightly scatterbrained. He set an assignment down on a back table and forgot about it, couldn't find it, and then eventually located it halfway through the class, causing him to remark...]

"Ah, the table. Pockets and tables are very challenging for me. I should be a man with only one pocket and live in a place with only one table, and then everything would be where I thought."



But if you ask me, pockets are what keep life interesting! Is there a feeling more lovely in the world than pulling out your favorite jeans for the first time in the fall, reaching into one of the many pockets and finding a wrinkled $10 bill, just waiting to surprise you and make your day, because you forgot that you put it in that pocket last Spring? I think that "EUREKA!" moment is like no other!

Watch this

I've loved this song for years, but this weekend, I saw the video for the first time. It gave me goosebumps. It brought tears to my eyes. It's amazing.

Watch it.

Surprise?!

Well...as most of you have probably noticed, I've avoided pretty much all mention of politics here over the last two years. I'm hesitant to get into it now; it's been my experience that political conversations, even with the best of intentions, get ugly fast. And I know some of you are pretty passionate about what you believe in and which presidential candidate you were voting for or supporting.

HOWEVER, I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a pretty neat broadcast that I wanted to share with you all, regardless of which candidate you support(ed).

The morning show host was saying that with the results of the election, there are people that are feeling a whole host of emotions. This was a close, intense, emotional election for many and whether "your" candidate won or lost has probably affected you to some degree. I know plenty of Christians who have been angry about the fact that Barack Obama is the new President-Elect, and I also know plenty of Christians who are thrilled.

But regardless of what you're thinking, the host said, "It's important for us to remember that God isn't surprised by these results! This doesn't come as a shock or a disappointment to Him. God's not standing up there in Heaven freaking out and yelling, 'You guys! Oh, man, you really messed things up this time! This was NOT how it was supposed to happen! I can't believe this! What are we going to do now? This changes everything.' And, likewise, God's not saying, "Phew! Thank goodness! Good job, everyone. You pulled through. I was a little worried there for a while, but thankfully you people in the swings states knew what you were doing and Obama got enough electoral votes. Ok. We're still on track. Oh, I'm so relieved...' God knows what He's doing, folks. Believe it or not, the election results didn't surprise God one bit. This election didn't change anything in His grand plan -- in fact, it's part of it."

This is part of God's plan. Whether or not we like it or whether or not we agree with it, God clearly intended for Obama to be in office. Sure, it may not have been our plan. We don't know why, but it's part of His will. And whether or not we voted for Obama, he is going to be our new president, and I have no doubt that God's going to use this to His glory in some way.

Short and to the point:

-- It's election day. GO VOTE -- if you don't, you forfeit your right to complain for the next four years. If you're too young, heave a huge sigh with me and then go encourage everyone you know who IS eligable (sp?? I can NEVER spell this word!) to vote to DO SO!

-- Pray. Amy had Round #2 of chemo yesterday. It went OK, but she is completely exhausted.

-- I promise promise promise, a real, decent-lengthed post is coming your way sometime soon. I just need to catch up on schoolwork and sleep first :)

Various and sundry thoughts

Funny how distance grants so much perspective!
I've been digging through old files on my computer lately, reorganizing them and getting rid of things I don't need in order to clear up precious memory space. I've been re-reading a lot of my writing, from the last two years or so...amazing how some time, whether it's two years or two months, can totally change my perspective on those pieces! Poems, short stories, even a very lame attempt at a novel which isn't even halfway through it's first draft...my thoughts have changed completely. Lines or words that I HATED back then don't seem so bad; things I didn't really care about seem pretty good, and things that seemed like a stroke of pure genius at the time now make me shake my head and blush at my stupidity, because it's just that awful!
Two more months from now, will my views have changed again?

Update: Amy is doing well, everyone. THANK YOU for your thoughts and prayers!!! I am firmly convinced that the HUNDREDS (perhaps more?!?) of thoughts and prayers and other types of support that have been coming our way are a HUGE part of why she's doing so well. She went back to work this past week and was at church today; she's happy and she's Amy and I'm just so thrilled that things are OK right now! Chemo's going well so far. Keep praying, though!

Thought for the day: Tetris is an awesome stress reliever. Addicting, though, so be careful! I finally broke down and spent the $$$ to buy Tetris for my DS. However, there's plenty of free online versions, too; just search "Free online tetris game".

I'm now officially midterm-free! HOORAY!!

*throws study guides and papers in the air and does a happy dance of total joy*

Life is very good right now!

But exceedingly busy, thus the uber-short post!

Ta-ta!

All Hail the Mighty Ketchup!

So today, in a desperate attempt to avoid English assignments and the multiple projects and essays I have due in the upcoming week or so, I resorted to reading the back of the ketchup bottle.

I've only recently started liking ketchup; like, say, the last four or five months or so. Prior to that, I HATED ketchup ALMOST as much as I hate mustard. But for whatever strange reason, I've suddenly started liking ketchup.

And it's a good thing, too!

I had a few startling realizations today during my ketchup-bottle-reading. First of all, ketchup is fat free. Yeah. Seriously. I mean, I'm far from being the world's heathiest eater or anything, but still. It's nice to learn that a food/condiment I LIKE, one that actually tastes GOOD, can be enjoyed without any guilt about extra calories.

Secondly, according to the nifty label on the back of the bottle, ketchup is full of lycopene, which I guess I already knew, somewhere deep down, because I knew tomatoes are full of lycopene and it really is just a logical conclusion. However, I didn't really know much about what lycopene WAS. So I found myself wondering, "What exactly IS lycopene, and what does it do? Oh, how I wish I could find out more!"

And, wonder of wonders, I found that as I kept reading, the label solved that problem for me: "Go to http://www.lycopene.org/ to find out more!" (Isn't it great when things just work out like that?! If only all questions in life were so easily answered.....!)

So, naturally, I did. And I found out that lycopene is an antioxident which may help strengthen your immune system, prevent diabetes, osteoporosis, skin aging AND has even been shown (in some studies) to lower your risk for heart disease and cancer!

So here's to ketchup! *applauds* Go get yourself some french fries or chicken nuggets or a nice cheeseburger and go heavy on the ketchup to celebrate this marvelous condiment!

No one ever tells me ANYTHING!

Alright, seriously.

It took me nearly 45 minutes to get to class today. It SHOULD only take me 25 minutes to drive from my house to the college where I have my blasted 7:30am class. 30 minutes if it’s a red light day. So then, one has to wonder, why so much longer today?
Did I take the scenic route? Nope.
Car trouble? Nope.
Get lost? Valid concern, but also no.

Apparently, no one bothered to inform me that today is National Garbage Truck Drivers Gone Wild Day. I mean, c’mon, people. It would have been nice if I had had at least a little bit of warning, don’t you think? Because seriously, EVERYONE seemed to be in on this little ruse -- everyone except me and the little old lady in the car behind me. *fumes*

FIVE BLASTED GARBAGE TRUCKS. FIVE. Not one. One would be normal. If I ended up behind a slow garbage truck, I’d think nothing of it. Daily occurrence. No big deal. How about two? Still not so strange. I would have figured it’s garbage collection day in this town today and shrugged it off. The third garbage truck was a little strange. I began to wonder if I was hallucinating. The fourth garbage truck was enough to generate the wild conspiracy theories about garbage trucks taking over the world. But it was the FIFTH one on my way to school this morning that really clued me in to what must be going on. National Garbage Truck Drivers Gone Wild Day. It’s so obvious, now that I think about it. The Head Garbage Truck Driver Boss must have sent out a memo to the secret Garbage Truck Drivers Society and let them know that even if they don’t have a route today, they should just commandeer any garbage truck they could get their hands on and drive it around the city, at no more then 20 mph, max. And, just for fun, Head Garbage Truck Driver Boss must have told all the little minions that they can stop at random places in the middle of the road even if there is no trash to collect. Because really. Why else would they ALL be stopping for NO reason??

And it wasn’t just on the way TO school, either! My 10 minute drive AFTER class from college to preschool turned into a 21minutes because I encountered -- you guessed it -- FOUR MORE GARBAGE TRUCKS. FOUR!!!!!

Now, I have been driving this exact same route at this exact same time every Monday and Wednesday morning for the last 7.5 weeks. Never before have I had any sort of altercation with garbage trucks, until today. In fact, I don't know that I've ever even ENCOUNTERED another garbage truck before today!!! Which is what led to my conclusion that today must be something special. Like, say, National Garbage Truck Drivers Gone Wild Day.

See?!? See?!? Now do you see what I mean??!?! Nine SEPARATE garbage trucks??! In ONE MORNING?! That’s just not normal, people!And I’m sure you’re all thinking, “Yeah? So? What’s so bad about garbage trucks?” Typically, nothing. In fact, I’m a HUGE advocate for garbage collector appreciation. I’ve made cookies for my garbage people already, OK? They’re great people. They do a great service to the world. No question there.

But would it really be so hard to just drive well??! C’mon, people!! It’s not that tough of a concept. Just because you’re in a big smelly tank-like vehicle with monstrous dumpster-picker-upper-claw-like things on the front does NOT give you the right to drive however you want. You are NOT allowed to accelarate hard, whip out in front of me from a side street, and then slow down to 15 mph on a 40 mph road. You’re just not. I don’t care how big and intimidating you think you are!

THIS was where the problem was -- every single one of these garbage truckers was driving erratically or terribly. Thus the “Gone Mad” portion of my rant.

SO! To all the garbage truck drivers out there, I only have two things to say:
1. Get over your "I-have-a-big-powerful-smelly-truck-so-don't-mess-with-me" attitudes and drive nicely. Please. I'll make you more cookies if you do...!!!
2. DO NOT make me late for class again or you will FEEL MY WRATH. Just wait. IPCA will get you. I have connections.

*trademarked menacing glare*

20 Reasons I Love My Best Friend:

Been thinking about my favoritest person in the whole entire galaxy a lot lately. Here are 20 reasons off the top of my head why I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

1. When life stinks, I can go over to her house and she'll drop everything just to cry with me and hug me and talk to me for hours and hours until I feel better.
   


2. She makes the best brownies...and the best french toast, too...in the whole wide world!
   


3. She calls me just to say Hi and see how my day's going
   


4. She has the most amazing sense of humor and makes me laugh ALL THE TIME!
   


5. She is BRILLIANT and gives the world's most incredible advice.
   


6. She always knows exactly what I'm thinking (and she loves me anyway)!
   


7. Whenever we go somewhere, she drives :)
   
   
8. It is IMPOSSIBLE to be in a bad mood around her, because she is always so positively joyful.
   
   
9. She is forever looking out for other people and helping in every way she can. She constantly gives of herself and has taught me SO MUCH about selflessness and serving.
   
   
10. She is an incredibly faithful person and has helped me grow so much in my own faith.
    
    
11. She's super-creative and has awesome, fun, and sometimes slightly crazy ideas!
    
    
12. She's an excellent Scrabble player. We kick butt when we're on the same team :)
    
    
13. Friday the 13th is her favorite day. Just like me.
    
    
14. She is UNBELIEVABLY patient. Incredibly. Unfathomably. Unnaturally. (Well, I guess she has to be, to put up with me!!)
    
    
15. She tells me when I'm wrong, or when I'm being stupid, or when I'm being totally irrational or completely unfair, and helps me see things more clearly.
    
    
16. She has never ever ever ever ever ever ever used a curse word in all the 8 years I've known her.
    
    
17. She remembers all sorts of little minor details or stories that I tell her. Even if I don't think they're important, she does.
    
    
18. She can play football one moment and have a tea party the next.
    
    
19. She can laugh at herself; she can be flexible when things don't go the way she planned and just laugh and move on. I, on the other hand, tend to have a conniption when plans changed. This is another area she's taught me a lot about -- flexibility :)
    
    
20. Her hugs. They're the best thing in the world.