there was a very good chance i wasn't going to write this blog. for a number of reasons..thanksgiving was an entire week ago...the story is a bit disturbing...i don't have much wit to throw in it. but after leaving chapel today, i knew i had to.
the speaker said something today that stuck out to me, something i unfortunately identified with. he noted that "right after october 31st, stores skipped right over thanksgiving to Christmas...the next profit-driven holiday. some of you celebrated Thanksgiving last thursday...but i'm guessing what you were actually celebrating was black friday."
there's not much to buy in middle of nowhere montana, but i can identify with not realizing the importance of Thanksgiving.
i bought my train ticket to montana a few months ago and couldn't wait for a relaxing weekend to spend with perhaps my favorite woman in the world. i had twilight in my bag and knew i could have an entertaining read between games of cards and delicious snacks. probably the most ideal weekend i could think of.
Sarah and i hopped on the train late Thursday night. i sat down and the man across the aisle immediately started talking to me. he asked "how are you?" i could tell he was about 30-years-old, mentally handicapped and that he was in complete and utter pain. not physical pain...but emotional pain. as soon as i responded, "i'm alright, how about you?" he burst into tears, literally sobbing uncontrollably. i could hardly understand what he was saying and after asking him to repeat it for the third time i heard loud and clear: "i'm so lonely and no one cares about me."
i immediately froze. what would you say to him in that moment? i had no idea. so i asked him to tell me why he was on the train and where he was going. he asked if he could sit in my seat with me and i knew that this man needed more than anything for someone to listen to him. i responded that my mom would be getting on the train soon, but he could sit on the inside until then. (at this point i was terrified...partly because i didn't know if he could hurt me but mostly because i had no idea how to lift this man up.) i prayed that the Lord would give me the words to say.
he sat in the seat and first told me that he was on the train going to seattle because his family had disowned him. i apologized (which we often do when we hear bad news...) and asked why. he told me that his sister had tried to murder him last week and when he told his parents they told him to leave and never come back. at this point, i can't imagine parents evil enough to disown their severely disabled son, and i had no idea that the evil in this story had barely even begun. i asked him if he was close with his father and he didn't respond. he started to sob again and i put my hand on his shoulder for a few minutes. a few long minutes. when he stopped crying he told me that his own father had raped him. at this point, i was out of words...it was i who could not respond. i began to cry with him, apologizing profusely for what had happened to him. then i asked him if his mother knew about it, and he said that she videotaped it. for someone who talks a lot, i was out of words. there was literally nothing in my vocabulary that i could respond to that with. at that point, my mom was getting on the train so i prayed with him and sent him back to his seat where he continued on being alone.
i couldn't sleep on the train. i was so angry at this world and the evil that is in it. sometimes i think that i've got this Christianity thing figured out - i'm ready for anything God throws at me. but if i heard anything that day from God it was "if you want to get engaged with a lost and a broken world, you have to be prepared for the kind of evil that is out there." but as a Christ-follower, it's not a choice for me. i am called to go out into the world and tell them what the cure for pain is. you are called to go out into the world.
it's not really a suggestion, it's a command.
God will use us in all sorts of different ways, maybe at work or through homeless ministry or through being kind to your checkout lady at target. maybe it's loving someone unconditionally or listening to a man sitting next to you on the train.
i failed. the way this blog is written, i seem like a saint i'm sure. but i'm far from it. the whole time i was talking with him, i was hoping we'd stop soon so my mom would come take his seat and i'd stop feeling guilty about my own life. for those of you that don't know me real well, my career path is evangelism - it's what i'm going to college for. and i failed this man. he knew i was a Christian and i tossed him to the side, just as i'm sure many other Christians had done before. i'm not saying that the Lord couldn't or didn't use my failure, but it exposed me for who i really was. i must live in a bubble if a story like that would leave me absolutely speechless and shocked. if i took a step into the world, i would see it all around me.
people are hurting. everywhere. they may think they know what they need - companionship, love, possessions...whatever fits the hole in their heart for the longest amount of time. but i happen to possess the greatest piece of information that anyone has ever known - a piece of information that would change the world if everyone knew it. it is the cure to every kind of pain.
it's Jesus.
he died for me, but he also died for Hans, the 32-year-old man on the train. he died for the homeless person that is standing on the street corner next to a stoplight you pass everyday. he died so that they may bring their burdens to him, so that he may give them rest.
get out of your house. get out of Bethel. get out of your church walls. get out of your car.
people need your message.
they need the truth.
but if you're going to become engaged with a lost and broken world, you have to be prepared for what's out there.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
purple socks.
it is 3:15am, i'm about to go to bed. i must admit, i did not brush my teeth.
it's a weird day when you've been awake for approximately 18 hours and you can't remember when you woke up. why did i wear a hat today instead of showering? was the jacket part of the ensemble or was i supposed to take it off when i got to class? did i really not notice that one of my socks was blue and the other was lavender? is lavender spelled with an 'e' or an 'a'?
and so on.
my day was filled with much of..well..nothing productive. 18 hours worth of unproductivity. i even let sarah and laura beat me in rook.
well i suppose i should go to bed. tomorrow awaits. with much on the docket. i'm just saying that. my socks are different colors. yeah.
it's a weird day when you've been awake for approximately 18 hours and you can't remember when you woke up. why did i wear a hat today instead of showering? was the jacket part of the ensemble or was i supposed to take it off when i got to class? did i really not notice that one of my socks was blue and the other was lavender? is lavender spelled with an 'e' or an 'a'?
and so on.
my day was filled with much of..well..nothing productive. 18 hours worth of unproductivity. i even let sarah and laura beat me in rook.
well i suppose i should go to bed. tomorrow awaits. with much on the docket. i'm just saying that. my socks are different colors. yeah.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
man in the mirror.
wow. i just took a jog down memory lane via some old posts. it's funny to see how life happens and how we respond to it in the moment. i doubt i could recall a lot of the events i blogged about now, but at the time they were pressing enough to publish.
i'm gonna try keep this thing going...we'll see how well i do. this semester has been odd...for someone who is an anti-hypochondriac, sickness has done quite a number on me these past few months. i got to hang out with some mononucleosis for about a month (no dad..i wasn't kissing anyone...) and got a sweet aftertaste of some strep throat, which i'm currently trying to kick. fatigue equals not my friend. it sucks. i'd rather have constant projectile vomitation, or even IBS. as long as i can stay awake. but thanks to drugs i'm gonna say "seeya" to sickness and tiredness.
what have i been up to for the past few months? i suppose the people that read this haven't heard much from me lately, and i lament that very much. i hope my next few posts can make up for a few months of absence. but i would like to dedicate this blog to someone very special, and someone i admire very much. sir michael jackson, the king of pop.
i remember exactly where i was when i learned of michael jackson's death. i was in jean's front yard, on 19 gillam way, attempting to start a weed wacker. it was then that my sister informed me of the death of perhaps one of my favorite singers. it was somewhat nice to mourn his death in alaska, apart from the media criticism. what a sad ending to a sad life.
upon my return to the lower 48, i learned of "this is it" - a documentary of michael's final tour. i marked my calendar for oct. 27th, anxiously awaiting the release.
i was finally able to see it last friday, and it far exceeded my already high expectations. he is truly the king of pop. not only are his songs timeless, his dancing has completely changed how the art form is projected. it would have no doubt been the most phenomenal tour of all time. and he died 8 days before it started. pure tragedy. (a quick taste):
if i may, i'd like to give my opinions on michael's life. which are purely opinion, and nothing else. take it or leave it. michael had a rough life. he was objectified from a young age and exposed to many things pre-teens should not be. he lacked the love that he so desperately needed (that we all need) from his father. but instead of displacing that love through a variety of harmful activities, he tried to recreate it. it can't look good to have young boys in your bed as a middle-aged man, but i can somewhat understand what michael was trying to do. take macaulay culkin for instance...that kid had the worst home life ever, his parents were terrible. i bet if you asked him, he probably appreciated michael's attempt to show him love.
am i saying mike's tactics are right? actually, i'm not saying that at all. what i am saying is...props for trying. none of us actually know what real love is. some of us have been lucky to have a taste...maybe in your salvation moment...but it's pretty hard to live in that love all of the time. so instead we seek that love elsewhere. and i think michael was doing just the same. if you catch the movie, you'll notice how many times he says "it's all for love". and maybe he did find true love before he died, in Christ. we may never know. but let us not criticize his attempt to find real, true love. because..isn't that..essentially..what we are all trying to do?
rest in peace, michael. thanks for the tunes.
- rach.
i'm gonna try keep this thing going...we'll see how well i do. this semester has been odd...for someone who is an anti-hypochondriac, sickness has done quite a number on me these past few months. i got to hang out with some mononucleosis for about a month (no dad..i wasn't kissing anyone...) and got a sweet aftertaste of some strep throat, which i'm currently trying to kick. fatigue equals not my friend. it sucks. i'd rather have constant projectile vomitation, or even IBS. as long as i can stay awake. but thanks to drugs i'm gonna say "seeya" to sickness and tiredness.
what have i been up to for the past few months? i suppose the people that read this haven't heard much from me lately, and i lament that very much. i hope my next few posts can make up for a few months of absence. but i would like to dedicate this blog to someone very special, and someone i admire very much. sir michael jackson, the king of pop.
i remember exactly where i was when i learned of michael jackson's death. i was in jean's front yard, on 19 gillam way, attempting to start a weed wacker. it was then that my sister informed me of the death of perhaps one of my favorite singers. it was somewhat nice to mourn his death in alaska, apart from the media criticism. what a sad ending to a sad life.
upon my return to the lower 48, i learned of "this is it" - a documentary of michael's final tour. i marked my calendar for oct. 27th, anxiously awaiting the release.
i was finally able to see it last friday, and it far exceeded my already high expectations. he is truly the king of pop. not only are his songs timeless, his dancing has completely changed how the art form is projected. it would have no doubt been the most phenomenal tour of all time. and he died 8 days before it started. pure tragedy. (a quick taste):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yov4PcwJi18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WK9Y9WjPTM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WK9Y9WjPTM&feature=related
if i may, i'd like to give my opinions on michael's life. which are purely opinion, and nothing else. take it or leave it. michael had a rough life. he was objectified from a young age and exposed to many things pre-teens should not be. he lacked the love that he so desperately needed (that we all need) from his father. but instead of displacing that love through a variety of harmful activities, he tried to recreate it. it can't look good to have young boys in your bed as a middle-aged man, but i can somewhat understand what michael was trying to do. take macaulay culkin for instance...that kid had the worst home life ever, his parents were terrible. i bet if you asked him, he probably appreciated michael's attempt to show him love.
am i saying mike's tactics are right? actually, i'm not saying that at all. what i am saying is...props for trying. none of us actually know what real love is. some of us have been lucky to have a taste...maybe in your salvation moment...but it's pretty hard to live in that love all of the time. so instead we seek that love elsewhere. and i think michael was doing just the same. if you catch the movie, you'll notice how many times he says "it's all for love". and maybe he did find true love before he died, in Christ. we may never know. but let us not criticize his attempt to find real, true love. because..isn't that..essentially..what we are all trying to do?
rest in peace, michael. thanks for the tunes.
- rach.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
seriously.
sometimes i take myself too seriously. i get to thinking i'm really important. usually when this happens - everything is going the way i would expect it to. i wake up in the morning to my alarm, bike to class, go to class, have random conversations. nothing too out of the ordinary. but sometimes...just sometimes...things catch me off guard. and i realize that life is kind of funny, and i'm not that important. this is one of those times:
yesterday i was helping laura move all of her stuff into her house. well...partially helping...partially playing with her new tivo. i was scrolling through the "guide" on her tv, taping tv shows that i wanted to watch. sometimes i'll click the "info" button to see what a particular episode is about. i saw that the new Survivor was premiering on thursday (today) and wanted to see where it was, so i clicked "info". and this is what it said:
"The team investigates a string of murders linked to a scam involving valuable poker chips; Langston has to use deadly force for the first time."
WHAT?! i remember the days when Survivor was about alliances and cute underwater challenges. Deadly force?!! On television?!
a few seconds after my rant in disgust, i realized i had accidentally clicked on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
i can't take myself too seriously...life is no fun that way. and no matter how important i think i am, i still have to run the mile and a half today for the freshman gym class that i'm finally taking.
yesterday i was helping laura move all of her stuff into her house. well...partially helping...partially playing with her new tivo. i was scrolling through the "guide" on her tv, taping tv shows that i wanted to watch. sometimes i'll click the "info" button to see what a particular episode is about. i saw that the new Survivor was premiering on thursday (today) and wanted to see where it was, so i clicked "info". and this is what it said:
"The team investigates a string of murders linked to a scam involving valuable poker chips; Langston has to use deadly force for the first time."
WHAT?! i remember the days when Survivor was about alliances and cute underwater challenges. Deadly force?!! On television?!
a few seconds after my rant in disgust, i realized i had accidentally clicked on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
i can't take myself too seriously...life is no fun that way. and no matter how important i think i am, i still have to run the mile and a half today for the freshman gym class that i'm finally taking.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
CAKER!!
I'M BACK!!!
you know how season premieres are usually pretty epic? i've been waiting for something epic to happen ever since i left alaska.
and last night, it happened.
the 1st annual CAKER at coach j's house.
you may be asking yourself, what in the heck is a caker? well, let me explain it this way. do you know what a kegger is? i don't, i go to bethel. so we had to find an alternative. when booze isn't the focus of a party, something else has to be. right? why not CAKE?
in total we had 18 cakes and 200 cupcakes (in the shape of shots). we had a "frosting bar" - where you could frost a cupcake shot:
we also had some pong going on in the garage...
cake pong that is...
we also had some general "shot" taking in the kitchen...
not to mention the dance party downstairs that hit a minimum of 30 people...
and with so many cakes, there had to be a winner. the best cake of the '09 caker is...
"under the big top"
all in all, the first party @ coach j's was a success. the cops only came once during the party, and once after. how crazy is it that there were 100 people in our house and nobody was drinking? pretty sweet if you ask me - it was awesome. although i do feel a little hungover from too many cupcakes. oh and we finally got a roommate picture!
have a great week. and if you're in the bethel area and are craving some cake - come get some leftovers. PLEASE?!
:) BYE!
you know how season premieres are usually pretty epic? i've been waiting for something epic to happen ever since i left alaska.
and last night, it happened.
the 1st annual CAKER at coach j's house.
you may be asking yourself, what in the heck is a caker? well, let me explain it this way. do you know what a kegger is? i don't, i go to bethel. so we had to find an alternative. when booze isn't the focus of a party, something else has to be. right? why not CAKE?
in total we had 18 cakes and 200 cupcakes (in the shape of shots). we had a "frosting bar" - where you could frost a cupcake shot:
we also had some pong going on in the garage...
cake pong that is...
we also had some general "shot" taking in the kitchen...
not to mention the dance party downstairs that hit a minimum of 30 people...
and with so many cakes, there had to be a winner. the best cake of the '09 caker is...
"under the big top"all in all, the first party @ coach j's was a success. the cops only came once during the party, and once after. how crazy is it that there were 100 people in our house and nobody was drinking? pretty sweet if you ask me - it was awesome. although i do feel a little hungover from too many cupcakes. oh and we finally got a roommate picture!
have a great week. and if you're in the bethel area and are craving some cake - come get some leftovers. PLEASE?!
:) BYE!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
the finale!
it's about that time of year. the office came to an end last week with a shocking pam pregnancy! SNL came to a puke-worthy end with will ferrel's return - i was mucho disappointed. i don't really watch any other shows...well...except keeping up with the kardashians, which was not finale'd yet - PTL. LOVE that show.
this all goes to say...that i am closing down my wodiz blogspot. i know...sad. it's been a good run - it has. but if you know me at all, my turn-out rate for just about anything good (favs, friends, fads, etc.) is about a year. hopefully by the time i'm 50 i'll learn how to hold onto something good.
but naturally i try to move on to something else. and as i move on from the hummingbird trail to ALASKA, i thought i should try writing a super alaska blog. from this day forward, i will be updating my new life at rachelgoestoak.wordpress.com. don't worry - i'll be keeping it awesome with some multimedia effects!!
but before i say goodbye to good ol' wodiz...i'd like to reflect on the good times that we had. reading through the 85 posts that have taken place since may 22, 2008 - here are my top 10 favs.
10. supa skillz (2/9/09)
9. do the dew (4/1/09)
8. the great minnesota get-together (7/31/08)
7. christmas KKS (12/13/08)
6. nancy (1/15/09)
5. R.I.P (1/19/09)
4. striking resemblance (9/19/08)
3. yessssss (11/18/08)
2. top 100 moments @ LBBC summer '08 (9/18/08)
1. id badges are long overdue (9/17/08)
well, that's it. thanks for a great run. i might be back in the fall - we shall see. on my way out, here's my maylist.
keane - my shadow
modest mouse - world at large
coldplay - strawberry swing
weezer - island in the sun
the lonely island - i'm on a boat
guster - manifest destiny
guster - i hope tomorrow is like today
blackeyed peas - boom boom pow :)
BYE!!!!!!!!!!!
this all goes to say...that i am closing down my wodiz blogspot. i know...sad. it's been a good run - it has. but if you know me at all, my turn-out rate for just about anything good (favs, friends, fads, etc.) is about a year. hopefully by the time i'm 50 i'll learn how to hold onto something good.
but naturally i try to move on to something else. and as i move on from the hummingbird trail to ALASKA, i thought i should try writing a super alaska blog. from this day forward, i will be updating my new life at rachelgoestoak.wordpress.com. don't worry - i'll be keeping it awesome with some multimedia effects!!
but before i say goodbye to good ol' wodiz...i'd like to reflect on the good times that we had. reading through the 85 posts that have taken place since may 22, 2008 - here are my top 10 favs.
10. supa skillz (2/9/09)
9. do the dew (4/1/09)
8. the great minnesota get-together (7/31/08)
7. christmas KKS (12/13/08)
6. nancy (1/15/09)
5. R.I.P (1/19/09)
4. striking resemblance (9/19/08)
3. yessssss (11/18/08)
2. top 100 moments @ LBBC summer '08 (9/18/08)
1. id badges are long overdue (9/17/08)
well, that's it. thanks for a great run. i might be back in the fall - we shall see. on my way out, here's my maylist.
keane - my shadow
modest mouse - world at large
coldplay - strawberry swing
weezer - island in the sun
the lonely island - i'm on a boat
guster - manifest destiny
guster - i hope tomorrow is like today
blackeyed peas - boom boom pow :)
BYE!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
movin' on.
if there's one thing they say about youth ministry, it's that you gotta be prepared to move on. and man is it hard. i've spent the past 9 months...hours upon hours...working with the first baptist youth group, and tonight i spent my last evening there as an intern. it's weird to think that over the past school year this has been the most consistent part of my life - about 6-8 hours a week, and i don't know if i've ever even blogged about it.
it certainly wasn't an easy road. coming out of the chicken nuggets and nightgames of camp ministry into this youth group was like hitting a brick wall. having to earn not only love and affection, but respect from these kids was intimidating and complicated. 9 months later they're finally starting to let me in (good timing eh?).
working with these kids has humbled me beyond belief. knowing that any sermon i'm delivering is being heard by someone who's mom is in a coma, someone who saw their sister get shot and bleed to death, someone who has been evicted from three different houses this year...it's a little hard to do.
i guess all i can say is that you gotta meet kids where they're at. a lot of these kids have terrible parents and unless we want them to have no future, we have to strive to fill that void.
i'm gonna miss these kids a lot. they changed me. for the better. and there's nothing cliche about that. so thanks mike, lakia, antonio, justice, jaemani, matt, james, steve, ben, tinu, yemi, mark, sola, kola, trey, patrick, chuck, charlie, kahjuan, brandon, rachel, joelle, and drew. "keep it real."
it certainly wasn't an easy road. coming out of the chicken nuggets and nightgames of camp ministry into this youth group was like hitting a brick wall. having to earn not only love and affection, but respect from these kids was intimidating and complicated. 9 months later they're finally starting to let me in (good timing eh?).
working with these kids has humbled me beyond belief. knowing that any sermon i'm delivering is being heard by someone who's mom is in a coma, someone who saw their sister get shot and bleed to death, someone who has been evicted from three different houses this year...it's a little hard to do.
i guess all i can say is that you gotta meet kids where they're at. a lot of these kids have terrible parents and unless we want them to have no future, we have to strive to fill that void.
i'm gonna miss these kids a lot. they changed me. for the better. and there's nothing cliche about that. so thanks mike, lakia, antonio, justice, jaemani, matt, james, steve, ben, tinu, yemi, mark, sola, kola, trey, patrick, chuck, charlie, kahjuan, brandon, rachel, joelle, and drew. "keep it real."
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
the last 3 years.
so i have the flu. AWESOME. - and NO it is not the swine flu, TYVM. so when i'm sick of sleeping, i'm forced to spend countless hours online doing dumb crap. but lucky for you, illness cannot take away my quick wit and bitter sarcasm.
in my 3rd or 4th hour online today, i was gazing through my "just rachel" section on facebook and was enjoying some of my old facebook statuses. and i thought, as much as people hate facebook statuses, they are good storytellers. soooooo...using my 'snipping tool', i decided to document the last 3 years of my life via facebook status via my blog. DOUBLE VIA - bam. here we goooo....
so there ya have it. true life: i'm awesome.
in my 3rd or 4th hour online today, i was gazing through my "just rachel" section on facebook and was enjoying some of my old facebook statuses. and i thought, as much as people hate facebook statuses, they are good storytellers. soooooo...using my 'snipping tool', i decided to document the last 3 years of my life via facebook status via my blog. DOUBLE VIA - bam. here we goooo....
so there ya have it. true life: i'm awesome.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
twitter!
it's official: i am on twitter.
as an aspiring pop culture wizard, i thought i should see what this buzz is all about.
but really, i just want to use my account as leverage to somehow meet guster on thursday.
as i was uploading a pic i was astonished to see that i already had 1 follower! (and considering it's taken me 11 months to get 9 followers on here...that's pretty good..). turns out it was celebvidsxxx. i feel special.
i'm not officially hooked, but i can understand the appeal.
who am i following?
as an aspiring pop culture wizard, i thought i should see what this buzz is all about.
but really, i just want to use my account as leverage to somehow meet guster on thursday.
as i was uploading a pic i was astonished to see that i already had 1 follower! (and considering it's taken me 11 months to get 9 followers on here...that's pretty good..). turns out it was celebvidsxxx. i feel special.
i'm not officially hooked, but i can understand the appeal.
who am i following?
- guster
- oprah
- joe mauer
- cake wrecks
- b-rock
- stripchurch
Sunday, April 26, 2009
5.
5 days ago, nathan took his first steps.
i got 5 hours of sleep last night.
5 minutes until 1:20am.
5 hours until my alarm clock goes off [i forgot to prepare my small group B.S. (<--- bible study, that is.]
5 days until guster.
5 days + 5 hours i'll return to MPLS and head up to LAKE BEAUTY!
5 weeks until i leave for staff training in madison.
5 weeks + 5 days until i leave for ALASKA. (oh yeah, they asked if i would go there instead of mississippi, and i said yes.)
5 years until i'm done with school + sem. [hypothetically...].
5 decades until i'm 69.
5 good friends i had at the beginning of the year that i don't really talk to anymore. [which i'm choosing not to be bitter about --> ecclesiastes 3.]
5 cans of mountain dew i've had between yesterday and today. (don't tell laura..)
5 home twins games this week. it's my goal to make it to at least one.
"high 5!" (i don't care what you say, or how you feel about the swimsuit - borat is a funny movie)
i've had chipotle 5 times in april (aka, not enough).
the sweatshirt i'm wearing cost $5 at a thrift store. one of my better purchases.
5 years ago, i was 14. 14 is such a stupid age - who wants to be 14? better yet, who wants to be 19?
5 minutes: the amount of time it takes me to get from my bed to the 5th chair in my row in my 8:30am class on tuesdays/thursdays.
5 finals until summer.
i got 5 hours of sleep last night.
5 minutes until 1:20am.
5 hours until my alarm clock goes off [i forgot to prepare my small group B.S. (<--- bible study, that is.]
5 days until guster.
5 days + 5 hours i'll return to MPLS and head up to LAKE BEAUTY!
5 weeks until i leave for staff training in madison.
5 weeks + 5 days until i leave for ALASKA. (oh yeah, they asked if i would go there instead of mississippi, and i said yes.)
5 years until i'm done with school + sem. [hypothetically...].
5 decades until i'm 69.
5 good friends i had at the beginning of the year that i don't really talk to anymore. [which i'm choosing not to be bitter about --> ecclesiastes 3.]
5 cans of mountain dew i've had between yesterday and today. (don't tell laura..)
5 home twins games this week. it's my goal to make it to at least one.
"high 5!" (i don't care what you say, or how you feel about the swimsuit - borat is a funny movie)
i've had chipotle 5 times in april (aka, not enough).
the sweatshirt i'm wearing cost $5 at a thrift store. one of my better purchases.
5 years ago, i was 14. 14 is such a stupid age - who wants to be 14? better yet, who wants to be 19?
5 minutes: the amount of time it takes me to get from my bed to the 5th chair in my row in my 8:30am class on tuesdays/thursdays.
5 finals until summer.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
foreshadow.
if the economy continues to digress, mcdonalds will get a monopoly on FOOD. and that's when we'll be paying $165 for mcmuffins.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Today...FML.
Today, I went to a Twins game. We were down 3-8 and my stepmom was hungry. She insisted that we leave at the top of the 8th because she wanted to get to "Holy Land" (ethnic cuisine) before it closed. We left. In the bottom of the 8th, Jason Kubel hit a grand slam - which, in addition to his single, double, and triple makes him the 7th player in the history of Major League baseball to complete a cycle with a grand slam. And oh yeah, the grand slam ball landed in the section next to us. The Twins won in one of the greatest comebacks in history. I figured out through a text message in the car on the way home.
FML.
FML.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
because it's thursday
i tripped over a speed bump last night in front of my entire youth group - awesome
guster in 14 days
i was supposed to get braces 4 years ago this month. which means they would be coming off this month. i'm wondering what my life for the past 4 years would've been like with braces
dwight nelson is a GANGSTA
it is almost the weekend - i'm going to a birthday party on saturday, for two 20-something little boys
i'm picking up luci from the airport on monday!!!! 8 months is a long time
tax season is over .. finally
i bought my ticket to the keane concert yesterday at the box office @ myth - suck on that ticketmaster, you'll have to get your $8 convenience charge from someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxpXgS5d
justin timberlake is hosting SNL on 5/9 - yessssssss
twins - what the hell? PICK IT UP. gomez = .107????
those are my thoughts on this day, april 16th, 2009.
BYE!
guster in 14 days
i was supposed to get braces 4 years ago this month. which means they would be coming off this month. i'm wondering what my life for the past 4 years would've been like with braces
dwight nelson is a GANGSTA
it is almost the weekend - i'm going to a birthday party on saturday, for two 20-something little boys
i'm picking up luci from the airport on monday!!!! 8 months is a long time
tax season is over .. finally
i bought my ticket to the keane concert yesterday at the box office @ myth - suck on that ticketmaster, you'll have to get your $8 convenience charge from someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxpXgS5deU - is she for real?!
justin timberlake is hosting SNL on 5/9 - yesssssssstwins - what the hell? PICK IT UP. gomez = .107????
those are my thoughts on this day, april 16th, 2009.
BYE!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
what a day
what a day. my awakening was picture perfect this morning. the sun shining through my window after a good night's rest. an ordinary day ahead, i sat and pondered life over some yogurt and granola for breakfast. then i had this thought: i might have a midterm today. checked my email which did indeed confirm that i had a midterm that i had not studied an ounce for. i went to my first class and checked my planner to see if my next two were skippable. upon looking i realize that i have an INTERVIEW @ 10:15. i'm still in my pajamas practically and don't have time to run back to my room. the 'view went okay, and i spent the next 3 hours studying for this midterm that i needed a B on. racing into the classroom, i learn that the test was moved to thursday. FML.
all of that aside, it is a beautiful day outside. chastity courtyard was flooded with new freshman couples, pretend-studiers, and picnickers this afternoon. delightful. i'm pumped to spend the entire night in an office calling prospective students that don't want to talk to me.
i'm having random thoughts today.
all of that aside, it is a beautiful day outside. chastity courtyard was flooded with new freshman couples, pretend-studiers, and picnickers this afternoon. delightful. i'm pumped to spend the entire night in an office calling prospective students that don't want to talk to me.
i'm having random thoughts today.
- why is it that no matter what kind of car it is, it ALWAYS looks like junk when the hubcaps are missing?
- the movie adventureland is surprisingly NOT a comedy - thanks for the heads up kels. i'm still trying to figure out if i liked it or not.
- my project over the next few months will be to streamline my ipod with ear candy. which means, i need to go through and delete every song that i don't like. which could potentially be thousands. all with the goal of having an enjoyable shuffle.
- i haven't been to a concert since last summer. in the next month i'll be seeing keane, mat kearney, and guster. talk about a sweet month.
- i always have my headphones in when walking through the hallways. it perhaps seems as if i'm antisocial, but the music just makes me feel cooler. as if i'm in a movie or something.
- why do people write blogs about their stressful lives? everyone's lives are stressful. [in kevin's 'didn't-choose-the-ipod' tone: ohhhh shoot...]
Saturday, April 4, 2009
i've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. [i preface this blog with that so you can stop reading if you want :)]
though we're a week or two past the date, we're still pretty close to my one-year anniversary of becoming a christian.
i can imagine that statement provokes a "what?" for a few different reasons.
for those of you that knew me in high school, the 'what' is more specifically - you weren't a christian in high school? what about FCA, youth group, vespers?
for those of you that have gotten to know me in this past year the 'what' is probably more of a 'you call yourself a christian?!'
let me quick clarify my definition of christianity is not, because this is a fine line. the way i was raised was to believe in God, say you follow Jesus, and that way you can go to heaven. just like that. so yes, in high school i believed in God, tried to follow the commandments, and mentally (or verbally) judged those that did not do the same. all in hopes of not going to hell.
here was the problem: i didn't have any reason for what i believed in, except for the fact that i didn't want to burn for the rest of my life. i didn't really care about heaven - i'd be fine rotting in a box until the end of time if i didn't have to burn. and this was super unfulfilling. i felt like every day was a roll of the dice...if i don't say that Jesus is God or if i lie to someone or if i swear on the soccer field, i better not die today because i might not go to heaven! christianity sucked, but there was really no other way...
november of '07 a friend of mine lent me the book 'the gutter' by craig gross. she said the book would be unlike anything i'd ever read before. being a non-reader, i let it sit on the shelf for a few months. finally over spring break of my freshman year, i decided to read it. it was late at night - probably midnight, and let's just say i read it from cover to cover and finished around 4am. i couldn't put it down.
here's why:
it talked about this Jesus who loved people - loved all people, and wanted us to do the same. it talked about people in the church being sinners too (which at the time was a foreign concept to me..). the 360some laws in the OT were kinda old news. or at least no longer something to beat over someone elses' head. jesus said love comes in first place now.
hmm, that sounds kinda cool. i want that. so i started to think differently. i don't look at people for the sin they commit (well, i try not to..). to be honest, i'm more guilty of judging christians than anyone else. [which i'm secretly proud of, even though i shouldn't be..].
----------------------------------------------------------
that was a year ago. this past year has been far from perfection for me. if i thought long enough about it, i could probably say i 'sinned the most' this year. i've been dishonest, unjust, drunk, disloyal, angry, untrusting, lustful, judgmental, jealous, and hypocritical. not quite the fruits of the spirit, eh? but i feel a difference. and i can't really pinpoint what that is. there seems to be this security in not having all the answers. and let me clarify: i do not have all the answers. does this justify what i've done to those i've hurt? absolutely not. i can't tell you the sleep i've lost over every one of the things on that list. but the Bible does not say that we will not make mistakes. it doesn't say that we won't sin against God. it doesn't say we won't sin against those we care about. it does say that we as Christ-followers are humble people, admitting when we have done wrong. and i think i'm at that point. i hope.
so i'm proud to say that i (a sinner) no longer 'believe, say, and go to heaven' but i 'love, admit, and experience eternal life right now.'
happy easter.
though we're a week or two past the date, we're still pretty close to my one-year anniversary of becoming a christian.
i can imagine that statement provokes a "what?" for a few different reasons.
for those of you that knew me in high school, the 'what' is more specifically - you weren't a christian in high school? what about FCA, youth group, vespers?
for those of you that have gotten to know me in this past year the 'what' is probably more of a 'you call yourself a christian?!'
let me quick clarify my definition of christianity is not, because this is a fine line. the way i was raised was to believe in God, say you follow Jesus, and that way you can go to heaven. just like that. so yes, in high school i believed in God, tried to follow the commandments, and mentally (or verbally) judged those that did not do the same. all in hopes of not going to hell.
here was the problem: i didn't have any reason for what i believed in, except for the fact that i didn't want to burn for the rest of my life. i didn't really care about heaven - i'd be fine rotting in a box until the end of time if i didn't have to burn. and this was super unfulfilling. i felt like every day was a roll of the dice...if i don't say that Jesus is God or if i lie to someone or if i swear on the soccer field, i better not die today because i might not go to heaven! christianity sucked, but there was really no other way...
november of '07 a friend of mine lent me the book 'the gutter' by craig gross. she said the book would be unlike anything i'd ever read before. being a non-reader, i let it sit on the shelf for a few months. finally over spring break of my freshman year, i decided to read it. it was late at night - probably midnight, and let's just say i read it from cover to cover and finished around 4am. i couldn't put it down.
here's why:
it talked about this Jesus who loved people - loved all people, and wanted us to do the same. it talked about people in the church being sinners too (which at the time was a foreign concept to me..). the 360some laws in the OT were kinda old news. or at least no longer something to beat over someone elses' head. jesus said love comes in first place now.
hmm, that sounds kinda cool. i want that. so i started to think differently. i don't look at people for the sin they commit (well, i try not to..). to be honest, i'm more guilty of judging christians than anyone else. [which i'm secretly proud of, even though i shouldn't be..].
----------------------------------------------------------
that was a year ago. this past year has been far from perfection for me. if i thought long enough about it, i could probably say i 'sinned the most' this year. i've been dishonest, unjust, drunk, disloyal, angry, untrusting, lustful, judgmental, jealous, and hypocritical. not quite the fruits of the spirit, eh? but i feel a difference. and i can't really pinpoint what that is. there seems to be this security in not having all the answers. and let me clarify: i do not have all the answers. does this justify what i've done to those i've hurt? absolutely not. i can't tell you the sleep i've lost over every one of the things on that list. but the Bible does not say that we will not make mistakes. it doesn't say that we won't sin against God. it doesn't say we won't sin against those we care about. it does say that we as Christ-followers are humble people, admitting when we have done wrong. and i think i'm at that point. i hope.
so i'm proud to say that i (a sinner) no longer 'believe, say, and go to heaven' but i 'love, admit, and experience eternal life right now.'
happy easter.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
do the dew.
i have a best friend. his name is mountain dew. this is true.
dew and i have a long history together.
and TODAY you get to see how my best friend has played a role in every year of my life.
in timeline form.
HERE WE GO!
age 4: first sip. my life was forever changed. nanc wasn't too keen on 'underage drinking', so i had to keep my dew consumpution on the DL.
age 7: [laura will appreciate this..] that summer, my dad used to get home from work around 7pm and force laura and i to work in his garden at the heat peak of the day, with a bajillion mosquitoes. once the 'harvest' came, he would wake us up at the crack of dawn every saturday morning to go sell our veggies at the farmer's market. how did he get us there? for breakfast we got to have a 20oz (this amount was UNHEARD OF for us back then..) bottle of any pop we wanted and a donut from Pete and Joy's bakery. i couldn't wait for saturdays.
age 8: surge came out. i abandoned dew for the allure of a more caffeinated substance.
age 9: dew stuck by me no matter what and was waiting for me as soon as they pulled surge off of the shelves.
age 10: dew consumption increases. i remember one time out in montana my aunt bought a 24-pack for us kids one weekend and i drank 4 cans during a movie. to date, this was the most i had consumed in one sitting.
age 11: dew consumption increases
age 12: march: rachel feels sick. all the time. she can't eat anything without wanting to throw it up. she lays awake at night with pains in her stomach. rachel goes to the doctor. doctor asks: how much pop do you drink? rachel lies. doctor knows. doctor says no mountain dew for 6 months. rachel dies.
age 13: i lost 15 pounds due to no dew consumption. once the 6 months was up, i started up again. [nanc didn't know..]
age 14: dew consumption plateaus.
age 15: enter high school. hello 'sugar shack'. daily dew consumption.
age 16: quit for 7 months between katie's engagement and wedding. lost 10 pounds.
age 17: two words: dew run. me and a couple friends formed an 'addicted' club - complete with t-shirts and an oath. our pre-calc teacher even joined! that year bill clinton decided to suck and get all non-diet pop removed from schools. we retaliated. april of that year, lukas and i were caught by the school cop for sneaking out of the high school to get dew from the hockey rink. first law violation caused by dew: detention.
age 18: ohh the best year of my life. continue 5th period dew runs. may 17th, 2007 - the day the shiz hit the fan: the infamous dew-athlon. long story short, jason brill and i insighted a riot in the cafeteria and spent our last three high school lunches in detention. talk about validation on my LIFE.
age 19: quit for a summer at lake beauty. figured out i didn't have cancer. i've been drinking the jesus juice ever since.
that's about it. i'm drinking a dew right now. and i don't foresee myself ever quitting for good.
dew and i have a long history together.
and TODAY you get to see how my best friend has played a role in every year of my life.
in timeline form.
HERE WE GO!
age 4: first sip. my life was forever changed. nanc wasn't too keen on 'underage drinking', so i had to keep my dew consumpution on the DL.
age 7: [laura will appreciate this..] that summer, my dad used to get home from work around 7pm and force laura and i to work in his garden at the heat peak of the day, with a bajillion mosquitoes. once the 'harvest' came, he would wake us up at the crack of dawn every saturday morning to go sell our veggies at the farmer's market. how did he get us there? for breakfast we got to have a 20oz (this amount was UNHEARD OF for us back then..) bottle of any pop we wanted and a donut from Pete and Joy's bakery. i couldn't wait for saturdays.
age 8: surge came out. i abandoned dew for the allure of a more caffeinated substance.
age 9: dew stuck by me no matter what and was waiting for me as soon as they pulled surge off of the shelves.
age 10: dew consumption increases. i remember one time out in montana my aunt bought a 24-pack for us kids one weekend and i drank 4 cans during a movie. to date, this was the most i had consumed in one sitting.
age 11: dew consumption increases
age 12: march: rachel feels sick. all the time. she can't eat anything without wanting to throw it up. she lays awake at night with pains in her stomach. rachel goes to the doctor. doctor asks: how much pop do you drink? rachel lies. doctor knows. doctor says no mountain dew for 6 months. rachel dies.
age 13: i lost 15 pounds due to no dew consumption. once the 6 months was up, i started up again. [nanc didn't know..]
age 14: dew consumption plateaus.
age 15: enter high school. hello 'sugar shack'. daily dew consumption.
age 16: quit for 7 months between katie's engagement and wedding. lost 10 pounds.
age 17: two words: dew run. me and a couple friends formed an 'addicted' club - complete with t-shirts and an oath. our pre-calc teacher even joined! that year bill clinton decided to suck and get all non-diet pop removed from schools. we retaliated. april of that year, lukas and i were caught by the school cop for sneaking out of the high school to get dew from the hockey rink. first law violation caused by dew: detention.
age 18: ohh the best year of my life. continue 5th period dew runs. may 17th, 2007 - the day the shiz hit the fan: the infamous dew-athlon. long story short, jason brill and i insighted a riot in the cafeteria and spent our last three high school lunches in detention. talk about validation on my LIFE.
age 19: quit for a summer at lake beauty. figured out i didn't have cancer. i've been drinking the jesus juice ever since.
that's about it. i'm drinking a dew right now. and i don't foresee myself ever quitting for good.
Monday, March 30, 2009
1month.
O.
M.
G.
one month from today, i will be at a concert. a concert of a lifetime.
at the beginning of last summer i made a promise to myself that the next time guster went on tour, i would go. the closest place they would be..i would go. well, ladies & gents, that tour has come. 1 month from today, i will be hopping on a bus, going to milwaukee, and basking in the sheer glory that is a guster show. i'm preparing for my life to be changed. and then i'm gonna hop on the night bus at 11:30pm and head back to MN, be back by 6:15am and head up to lake beauty for the weekend. SCH-WOW. talk about the best wknd ever.
here is my current top 10 list of fav guster songs: [which changes daily..]
10. homecoming king
9. keep it together
8. either way
7. barrel of a gun
6. center of attention
5. fa fa
4. i spy
3. happier
2. demons
1. one man wrecking machine
i am so excited. i can't hardly focus on anything. although i was quite involved in the maple tree tapping today with bryan anderson. fun fact: 4 gallons of sap extracted from a tree = 1 gallon of syrup. [aka - not worth it ;)]
3 months from today, i will be in my 3rd week of missions trips. that's weird.
but cool.
BYE!
M.
G.
one month from today, i will be at a concert. a concert of a lifetime.
at the beginning of last summer i made a promise to myself that the next time guster went on tour, i would go. the closest place they would be..i would go. well, ladies & gents, that tour has come. 1 month from today, i will be hopping on a bus, going to milwaukee, and basking in the sheer glory that is a guster show. i'm preparing for my life to be changed. and then i'm gonna hop on the night bus at 11:30pm and head back to MN, be back by 6:15am and head up to lake beauty for the weekend. SCH-WOW. talk about the best wknd ever.
here is my current top 10 list of fav guster songs: [which changes daily..]
10. homecoming king
9. keep it together
8. either way
7. barrel of a gun
6. center of attention
5. fa fa
4. i spy
3. happier
2. demons
1. one man wrecking machine
i am so excited. i can't hardly focus on anything. although i was quite involved in the maple tree tapping today with bryan anderson. fun fact: 4 gallons of sap extracted from a tree = 1 gallon of syrup. [aka - not worth it ;)]
3 months from today, i will be in my 3rd week of missions trips. that's weird.
but cool.
BYE!
Monday, March 23, 2009
feral children.
every part of me wanted to just leave the video [below] without explanation, but i just need to talk about how awesome my spring break was.
i got to do so many things - it was great. i was in north dakota, montana, minnesota, wisconsin, and illinois [a grand total of about 40 hours in the car]. SWEET. i got to see TONS of my favorite people and every one of my family members. not to mention my grandmother and ridiculous uncle geno.
some highlights [several of these are perhaps inside jokes, therefore i apologize.]:
i got to do so many things - it was great. i was in north dakota, montana, minnesota, wisconsin, and illinois [a grand total of about 40 hours in the car]. SWEET. i got to see TONS of my favorite people and every one of my family members. not to mention my grandmother and ridiculous uncle geno.
some highlights [several of these are perhaps inside jokes, therefore i apologize.]:
- overdosing on card-playing at my grandmas
- laughing ridiculously hard with laura and my mom about numerous stupid things
- shocking myself at a gas station (with some 'prank' candy)
- seeing the neph on his bday
- designing a 'free-cycle' poster for liz's history class
- my day in LF with kate
- reading fmylife outloud (this actually happened more than once)
- cleaning my dad's car (be expecting a blog soon)
- beating the boyz in battle of the sexes scene it ("inflection")
- the phenom office episode ("cirque de soleil")
- chilling with sarah and eating trader joes kettle corn
- getting pulled over in wisconsin
- making inappropriate pit stops on my way to chicago
- the hershey's sale at CVS pharmacies
- reading lovers fortunes/discussing eharmony
- people watching at the park
- feral children kung-fu fighting at the zoo (see vid below)
- eating more kettle corn
- getting kicked out of a pizza place
- "WAIT, does she eat a lot of bananas?"
- being out of control
- mocking the art in mcdonalds
- ebeth getting 'silly-stringed' by some random kid in mcdonalds
- great roadtrip conversations
- midnight techno dance party celebrating lauren's bday
happy monday all. BYE!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
march playlist.
geez, i am suffering from 'nothing interesting to say' syndrome. i'm sure this disease that has been ruining my blog for over a month will subside soon and i will write an epic blog. we'll see.
i'm taking a little roadtrip to chicago tomorrow, that should be sweet. i'm reuniting with 'flash' - oh how it's been too long with that good old friend. and laura is PUMPED (?) to take the dingo for a few weeks. of course. [PS it was a close call with the windshield - we almost got it fixed over spring break! - and then i got to thinking, if i don't have a massive crack in my windshield, i can't use the 'bullet hole' story to break the ice with strangers. but then again, i probably shouldn't have strangers in my car. catch 22.]
i just got back from montana .. which was ridiculously awesome. ate more food than any family has eaten this entire year in the span of 3 days. gained 3 pounds. GREAT. lost at cards. attempted to do some reading.
i was up until 4:30am yesterday catching up on 'friday night lights'. pathetic i know. oddly it was my sister sarah who hooked me on that show, and she thinks that sammy sosa is a football quarterback. [aka she hates sports]. it's super addicting, i don't know why.
i'm going to clean my dad's car for some cash. last time it took 3 hours. no joke. wait, that's what i'll write my next blog about! i'll do before and after shots. except, apparently he reads my blog? whatever, i'd rather have my parents read my blog than be on facebook. i'll take what i can get.
without further ado, here is my roadtrip 'march madness' playlist:
1. rusted root - send me on my way
2. gin blossoms - follow you down
3. the wallflowers - one headlight
4. jet - kings horses
5. dispatch - the general
6. matt nathanson - suspended
7. citizen cope - if there's love
8. nada surf - always love
9. matt nathanson - laid
10. regina spektor - fidelity
11. radiohead - 15 step
12. red hot chili peppers - dani california
13. stevie wonder - superstition
14. U2 - city of blinding lights
15. usher - yeah
i would like to conclude this blog with the best fmylife i've seen lately:
"Today, I was walking through Macy's with my girlfriend. I stopped to admire a mannequins a**, joking with my girlfriend like I was touching it. Then proceeded to slap it. It wasn't a mannequin. FML."
have a great weekend, i hope your on spring break. BYE!
i'm taking a little roadtrip to chicago tomorrow, that should be sweet. i'm reuniting with 'flash' - oh how it's been too long with that good old friend. and laura is PUMPED (?) to take the dingo for a few weeks. of course. [PS it was a close call with the windshield - we almost got it fixed over spring break! - and then i got to thinking, if i don't have a massive crack in my windshield, i can't use the 'bullet hole' story to break the ice with strangers. but then again, i probably shouldn't have strangers in my car. catch 22.]
i just got back from montana .. which was ridiculously awesome. ate more food than any family has eaten this entire year in the span of 3 days. gained 3 pounds. GREAT. lost at cards. attempted to do some reading.
i was up until 4:30am yesterday catching up on 'friday night lights'. pathetic i know. oddly it was my sister sarah who hooked me on that show, and she thinks that sammy sosa is a football quarterback. [aka she hates sports]. it's super addicting, i don't know why.
i'm going to clean my dad's car for some cash. last time it took 3 hours. no joke. wait, that's what i'll write my next blog about! i'll do before and after shots. except, apparently he reads my blog? whatever, i'd rather have my parents read my blog than be on facebook. i'll take what i can get.
without further ado, here is my roadtrip 'march madness' playlist:
1. rusted root - send me on my way
2. gin blossoms - follow you down
3. the wallflowers - one headlight
4. jet - kings horses
5. dispatch - the general
6. matt nathanson - suspended
7. citizen cope - if there's love
8. nada surf - always love
9. matt nathanson - laid
10. regina spektor - fidelity
11. radiohead - 15 step
12. red hot chili peppers - dani california
13. stevie wonder - superstition
14. U2 - city of blinding lights
15. usher - yeah
i would like to conclude this blog with the best fmylife i've seen lately:
"Today, I was walking through Macy's with my girlfriend. I stopped to admire a mannequins a**, joking with my girlfriend like I was touching it. Then proceeded to slap it. It wasn't a mannequin. FML."
have a great weekend, i hope your on spring break. BYE!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
chop suey.
a mass amount of hair was located on the floor of our bathroom this morning. [see below]
DNA reports confirmed that it does indeed belong to me.
what could this mean?
did i really get a massive haircut?
i guess so.
huh.
can't wait to see what nanc says tonight.
DNA reports confirmed that it does indeed belong to me.
what could this mean?
did i really get a massive haircut?
i guess so.
huh.
can't wait to see what nanc says tonight.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
the ship.
i'm supposed to be writing a paper on adolescent development right now. gross. i'm not a psych major, nor do i want to be one. why is this a youth min class? [end mini-vent session].
some of you may know that i have drastically reduced my mountain dew consumption over the past month. i was averaging a good 40-50 ounces/day over j-term and decided to cut down. i'm now at about 2 cans/week. for reals. i must say however, today has been quite the day. for no other reason than sheer lack of motivation, i have been guzzling the jesus juice to no end. i'm currently in the 30s of ounces. and it's not even four o'clock. don't tell my sisters - we're in this together and i just screwed us all over. my bad. thanks weather. thanks karen mckinney. thanks LF hockey team. thanks ensuing vacations. thanks ANYTHING that is preventing me from caring about bethel.
tomorrow night the flyer hockey team is playing the first round of the state hockey tournament. in 4 consecutive trips to the state hockey tournament, we have only won our first round game once. we have never been seeded (1-4) and have definitely never won the 'ship.
hello 2009.
can i talk about our section final game for a little bit? ok thanks. we played our rivals up in alex for the third time this season, and it was bound to be an intense game. while LF was undefeated headed into the game, alex had only lost 2 games all season - both to yours truly. and we'd only beat them by one goal each time. they were out for blood.
i will tell this game in words and photos. [that i stole from some random girl's facebook that i'm not even friends with] *signal hands in the air, i don't care what you think.
tie game.
alex scores again [first shorthanded goal we've given up all season]. we are down 3-2 going into the 3rd period. this would be the first game all season that we've trailed going into the final period.
YIKES.
3rd period: ben hanowski whips a goal in mid-period to tie up the game. the remaining 8 or so minutes sent my blood pressure through the roof. LF killed a few penalties to send us into sudden death overtime.
exhausted to the max, the flyers take a couple minutes to prepare for the biggest 5 minutes of their season.
flyers were kind enough to seal the deal pretty quick into OT with a 1st line goal scored by wesley waytashek.
pretty awesome.
some of you may know that i have drastically reduced my mountain dew consumption over the past month. i was averaging a good 40-50 ounces/day over j-term and decided to cut down. i'm now at about 2 cans/week. for reals. i must say however, today has been quite the day. for no other reason than sheer lack of motivation, i have been guzzling the jesus juice to no end. i'm currently in the 30s of ounces. and it's not even four o'clock. don't tell my sisters - we're in this together and i just screwed us all over. my bad. thanks weather. thanks karen mckinney. thanks LF hockey team. thanks ensuing vacations. thanks ANYTHING that is preventing me from caring about bethel.
tomorrow night the flyer hockey team is playing the first round of the state hockey tournament. in 4 consecutive trips to the state hockey tournament, we have only won our first round game once. we have never been seeded (1-4) and have definitely never won the 'ship.
hello 2009.
can i talk about our section final game for a little bit? ok thanks. we played our rivals up in alex for the third time this season, and it was bound to be an intense game. while LF was undefeated headed into the game, alex had only lost 2 games all season - both to yours truly. and we'd only beat them by one goal each time. they were out for blood.
i will tell this game in words and photos. [that i stole from some random girl's facebook that i'm not even friends with] *signal hands in the air, i don't care what you think.
period 1: alex scores first. we score next. 1-1
period 2: alex scores again. and then...
period 2: alex scores again. and then...
tie game.alex scores again [first shorthanded goal we've given up all season]. we are down 3-2 going into the 3rd period. this would be the first game all season that we've trailed going into the final period.
YIKES.
3rd period: ben hanowski whips a goal in mid-period to tie up the game. the remaining 8 or so minutes sent my blood pressure through the roof. LF killed a few penalties to send us into sudden death overtime.
exhausted to the max, the flyers take a couple minutes to prepare for the biggest 5 minutes of their season.
flyers were kind enough to seal the deal pretty quick into OT with a 1st line goal scored by wesley waytashek.
pretty awesome.in about 25 hours the flyers will hit the ice against virginia (who we beat 1-0 in our season opener in december). it will be televised on KSTP - you should watch it, it's gonna be sick.
i'm pumped.
tune in next, when we discuss my upcoming graduation from high school.
i'm pumped.
tune in next, when we discuss my upcoming graduation from high school.
Monday, March 9, 2009
countdown.
so there's this feature i can put on my blog that i'm tempted to add: a countdown timer. so i sat and pondered what i should count down to. and i realized that there are a ton of things that are coming up that i'm pumped for. which means life is just great right now..i have a ton to look forward to. so instead of choosing one, i'm going to list all of the things i'm mentally counting down to.
2 days until the first-seeded flyers slap virginia in the state tournament.
3 days until the new office episode - "golden tickets"? (also the beginning of three straight weeks of new office episodes - aww yeah.)
4 days until montana.
5 days until the flyers take the title.
8 days to the neph's actual first birthday.
11 days until oprah. <-- HA.
13 days until the new student center! SO pumped.
28 days until the twins opener.
55 days until the mother/daughter retreat @ LBBC.
77 days until finals are over.
87 days until i leave for the summer (and sarah's 30th birthday!)
99 days until i enter the next decade of my life.
160 days until i move in to the football coach's house.
life is good. so good.
2 days until the first-seeded flyers slap virginia in the state tournament.
3 days until the new office episode - "golden tickets"? (also the beginning of three straight weeks of new office episodes - aww yeah.)
4 days until montana.
5 days until the flyers take the title.
8 days to the neph's actual first birthday.
11 days until oprah. <-- HA.
13 days until the new student center! SO pumped.
28 days until the twins opener.
55 days until the mother/daughter retreat @ LBBC.
77 days until finals are over.
87 days until i leave for the summer (and sarah's 30th birthday!)
99 days until i enter the next decade of my life.
160 days until i move in to the football coach's house.
life is good. so good.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
a birthday of epic proportions.
psyched for the big day.
showing off his new teeth/t-shirt ("not lucky, just cute")
being whisked away for the first gift...
a dump truck full of cheerios...what to do...
nice work buddy.
fortune cookie + clover ears (<-- katie's request)
birthday cake!
of course.
opening presents...
beth-el. house of God.
playing with mom & dad's gift.
wipe out.
what a phenomenal birthday. for a phenomenal kid.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
cannonball!
now that i've officially told my family what i'm doing this summer, i figure it's appropriate to share with my blog-readers.
i'm going to give away the end of this blog at the beginning, in case you're in a hurry or don't care (i'm usually in that boat..). i have not chosen door 1,2, or 3. (A TWIST! - i should be in television).
continuing with the door analogy, i felt that there were specific verbs and motions assigned with each door that were preventing me from going through the right way.
door 1 (LBBC): i felt like i was being pushed through the door. inside the door was definitely comfortable and fun. [which of course is desirable]. but it just never felt right, and i couldn't bring myself to fill out the application. i need to grow. [i'm not at all saying LBBC is a growth vacuum, there is no doubt i had enough growth last summer to stretch a couple summers wide].
door 2 (St. Paul): this door was opened a crack, but i never wanted to step in. i've spent too many summers working jobs that i hate. at this point i need to do something that will help me out with my future life. and i doubt data entry is gonna get me there.
door 3 (Vegas): alas this door. i've been knocking on every door, window, and vent of the place for weeks now and have barely had a peek. i was almost to the point of knocking it down. it just didn't work out. and as much as i tried to deny it, i'm not ready for this. i need more ministry experience fo sho.
so what are my 3 problems?
1. need to grow
2. something that will push me in my career direction
3. a place to gain experience
[which looking at it now seems like 3 different ways of saying the same thing.]
last tuesday (the 17th?) a door presented itself that answered all 3 questions. it happened so fast and i never thought that i'd be heading this direction a month ago. nextstepministries is a missions organization (with 4 locations in the U.S.) catered to non-Christian workers. that being said, the mission is two-fold: do essential construction projects on the mission site & preach the apologetic gospel to those who come to work.
side-note/interlude/explanation:
my secret childhood dream, [that i've definitely tossed aside for the past few years], is to go into public speaking. i feel like i have the necessary skillz to do an okay job at it, but how the hell am i supposed to network that one? [for starters, i probably shouldn't say hell..]. so while i had long since conceded my deepest aspirations to go for a more typical youth ministry career, i got slapped in the face with my own dream. God hooked me up.
6 nights a week i will be preaching the apologetic gospel (my fav) and leading music worship in......... ........... ..... hancock county, mississippi. it is here that junior high, senior high, and college students will come in and out all summer for 6 day mission trips. hancock county is what FEMA designated as ground zero of hurricane katrina - the hardest hit spot of the hurricane. the mission? rebuilding houses and buildings to move towards a rebuilt city. you can read more on their website :)
once i'm finished with the summer, i will be able to put the title 'worship director' on my resume and finally be able to hop on some internships that require speaking experience. WOW. my life is moving a bit fast, but it's oh so good.
i leave june 3rd, and i'll be back a week before school starts. WOW. that's all i can really say.
i'm so excited. and scared.
so there it is. questions? concerns? this would probably be a lot easier to explain in person. give me a call.
i will miss camp dearly. i don't even like to think about it.
i'll be sure to hit up the twins games in september, and of course the inevitable world series in october.
vegas will still be there next summer. or the next. i hope.
as for you, letters will be exchanged. i'll vid blog the whole experience. maybe escape for a phone call once in awhile. we'll make this friendship thing happen.
i promise.
i'm going to give away the end of this blog at the beginning, in case you're in a hurry or don't care (i'm usually in that boat..). i have not chosen door 1,2, or 3. (A TWIST! - i should be in television).
continuing with the door analogy, i felt that there were specific verbs and motions assigned with each door that were preventing me from going through the right way.
door 1 (LBBC): i felt like i was being pushed through the door. inside the door was definitely comfortable and fun. [which of course is desirable]. but it just never felt right, and i couldn't bring myself to fill out the application. i need to grow. [i'm not at all saying LBBC is a growth vacuum, there is no doubt i had enough growth last summer to stretch a couple summers wide].
door 2 (St. Paul): this door was opened a crack, but i never wanted to step in. i've spent too many summers working jobs that i hate. at this point i need to do something that will help me out with my future life. and i doubt data entry is gonna get me there.
door 3 (Vegas): alas this door. i've been knocking on every door, window, and vent of the place for weeks now and have barely had a peek. i was almost to the point of knocking it down. it just didn't work out. and as much as i tried to deny it, i'm not ready for this. i need more ministry experience fo sho.
so what are my 3 problems?
1. need to grow
2. something that will push me in my career direction
3. a place to gain experience
[which looking at it now seems like 3 different ways of saying the same thing.]
last tuesday (the 17th?) a door presented itself that answered all 3 questions. it happened so fast and i never thought that i'd be heading this direction a month ago. nextstepministries is a missions organization (with 4 locations in the U.S.) catered to non-Christian workers. that being said, the mission is two-fold: do essential construction projects on the mission site & preach the apologetic gospel to those who come to work.
side-note/interlude/explanation:
my secret childhood dream, [that i've definitely tossed aside for the past few years], is to go into public speaking. i feel like i have the necessary skillz to do an okay job at it, but how the hell am i supposed to network that one? [for starters, i probably shouldn't say hell..]. so while i had long since conceded my deepest aspirations to go for a more typical youth ministry career, i got slapped in the face with my own dream. God hooked me up.
6 nights a week i will be preaching the apologetic gospel (my fav) and leading music worship in......... ........... ..... hancock county, mississippi. it is here that junior high, senior high, and college students will come in and out all summer for 6 day mission trips. hancock county is what FEMA designated as ground zero of hurricane katrina - the hardest hit spot of the hurricane. the mission? rebuilding houses and buildings to move towards a rebuilt city. you can read more on their website :)
once i'm finished with the summer, i will be able to put the title 'worship director' on my resume and finally be able to hop on some internships that require speaking experience. WOW. my life is moving a bit fast, but it's oh so good.
i leave june 3rd, and i'll be back a week before school starts. WOW. that's all i can really say.
i'm so excited. and scared.
so there it is. questions? concerns? this would probably be a lot easier to explain in person. give me a call.
i will miss camp dearly. i don't even like to think about it.
i'll be sure to hit up the twins games in september, and of course the inevitable world series in october.
vegas will still be there next summer. or the next. i hope.
as for you, letters will be exchanged. i'll vid blog the whole experience. maybe escape for a phone call once in awhile. we'll make this friendship thing happen.
i promise.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
attention everybody. i have a very important announcement.
alas it is time. to discuss my summer. it's been a hot topic playing pong in my brain for too long, and i have finally made a decision. and because i'm never going to get to write a novel, i think i'm going to make this TWO-PART (!!) blog a cliff-hanger. because i can. without further ado, here are doors 1, 2, and 3.
door 1: returning to LBBC.
august 9th, 2008. my feet left lake beauty soil. i started a mental countdown until staff training of '09 would start. i didn't think i could wait that long. i was psyched to return for a second summer, probably a third, and maybe even a fourth. this fall i went through somewhat of a recession (not quite depression) after camp was over. i missed the shenanigans, my friends, and the utter chaos of camp. i finally got sick of the constant nostalgia and decided to put the idea of closure into prayer. i prayed that i would be able to move on and focus on school. and God came through big time. i woke up one day in november and was finally over it. finally. but a little more over it than i thought i would be. for once it wasn't set in stone that i would return. over the next few months i started to pursue other summer options and put LBBC out of mind. until JD got ahold of me. he made me promise to put it back on my plate and pray about it. so i did. and the idea started to get a lot more appealing...
door 2: staying in st. paul, working @ bethel & interning at my church for the summer.
this prospect is ironically the most lucrative of the three. by FAR. i'd be working 40 hour weeks at $10/hour. not too shabby. and i'd be living for dirt cheap at bethel. of course my parents are jazzed about this idea. and a summer in the cities would be pretty awesome. shows at night..just being on the scene would be sweet. and on top of that, i could continue to intern at the church i've been at since september. and with the news that the youth pastor would be having a baby in august, sticking around would be much to my advantage considering the quite possible takeover of the youth group this fall.
door 3: LAS VEGAS.
ahh yes, the dazzling door. after reading the gutter (go read it NOW) i've been super interested in this ministry. it's basically a ministry sends a loving message to the porn industry. not so much "hey we love porn!" but more "hey, we love Jesus, Jesus loves you, and we love you too". anyhow, this ministry (xxxchurch) has decided to bring it to the homefront: the vegas strip. in june they are opening up a church on the strip that caters to people from all walks of life. talk about a sick job for a 19-year-old. as an intern, i'd be doing everything from playing piano in the new church to traveling to porn conventions to pass out bibles and high five porn stars. unfortunately, this position pays pennies, but with fundraising and support and such, i just might be able to make this work. now if i could just talk the father into letting me go...
so. these are the three options. i've lost hours of sleep over them. i've spent hours on applications for all of them. and i have finally made a decision.
i'll let you know in a few days.
feel free to let me know which door you want me to choose. maybe i'll change my mind. HA.
door 1: returning to LBBC.
august 9th, 2008. my feet left lake beauty soil. i started a mental countdown until staff training of '09 would start. i didn't think i could wait that long. i was psyched to return for a second summer, probably a third, and maybe even a fourth. this fall i went through somewhat of a recession (not quite depression) after camp was over. i missed the shenanigans, my friends, and the utter chaos of camp. i finally got sick of the constant nostalgia and decided to put the idea of closure into prayer. i prayed that i would be able to move on and focus on school. and God came through big time. i woke up one day in november and was finally over it. finally. but a little more over it than i thought i would be. for once it wasn't set in stone that i would return. over the next few months i started to pursue other summer options and put LBBC out of mind. until JD got ahold of me. he made me promise to put it back on my plate and pray about it. so i did. and the idea started to get a lot more appealing...
door 2: staying in st. paul, working @ bethel & interning at my church for the summer.
this prospect is ironically the most lucrative of the three. by FAR. i'd be working 40 hour weeks at $10/hour. not too shabby. and i'd be living for dirt cheap at bethel. of course my parents are jazzed about this idea. and a summer in the cities would be pretty awesome. shows at night..just being on the scene would be sweet. and on top of that, i could continue to intern at the church i've been at since september. and with the news that the youth pastor would be having a baby in august, sticking around would be much to my advantage considering the quite possible takeover of the youth group this fall.
door 3: LAS VEGAS.
ahh yes, the dazzling door. after reading the gutter (go read it NOW) i've been super interested in this ministry. it's basically a ministry sends a loving message to the porn industry. not so much "hey we love porn!" but more "hey, we love Jesus, Jesus loves you, and we love you too". anyhow, this ministry (xxxchurch) has decided to bring it to the homefront: the vegas strip. in june they are opening up a church on the strip that caters to people from all walks of life. talk about a sick job for a 19-year-old. as an intern, i'd be doing everything from playing piano in the new church to traveling to porn conventions to pass out bibles and high five porn stars. unfortunately, this position pays pennies, but with fundraising and support and such, i just might be able to make this work. now if i could just talk the father into letting me go...
so. these are the three options. i've lost hours of sleep over them. i've spent hours on applications for all of them. and i have finally made a decision.
i'll let you know in a few days.
feel free to let me know which door you want me to choose. maybe i'll change my mind. HA.
Monday, February 23, 2009
the oscarz.
so i watched part of the oscars last night. before i fell asleep like a pathetic loser.
but i just wanted to note, that i give a triple thumbs up to the winners of the big awards.
slumdog millionaire = phenomenal. [or millonare as the announcer would pronounce it].
milk = perhaps even more phenomenal than the above, but sean penn deserved the oscar fo sho.
dark knight = heath ledger, may he rest in peace. i'm sure his rotting corpse is psyched about his new wall decoration. okay, that was a bit harsh. he did do a great job as the joker.
that's it. sorry i haven't been blogging much lately - life is busy. you know how it is.
due to the opening of our new student center after spring break, i'm actually more excited for spring break to be over than i am for it to happen. the BC is gonna be party central i decided. new coffee shop, cafe, dining center, bookstore, underground concert hall, etc. can't wait.
ben hanowski did indeed break the record. in case you were wondering. i heard it was pretty phenomenal.
BYE.
but i just wanted to note, that i give a triple thumbs up to the winners of the big awards.
slumdog millionaire = phenomenal. [or millonare as the announcer would pronounce it].
milk = perhaps even more phenomenal than the above, but sean penn deserved the oscar fo sho.
dark knight = heath ledger, may he rest in peace. i'm sure his rotting corpse is psyched about his new wall decoration. okay, that was a bit harsh. he did do a great job as the joker.
that's it. sorry i haven't been blogging much lately - life is busy. you know how it is.
due to the opening of our new student center after spring break, i'm actually more excited for spring break to be over than i am for it to happen. the BC is gonna be party central i decided. new coffee shop, cafe, dining center, bookstore, underground concert hall, etc. can't wait.
ben hanowski did indeed break the record. in case you were wondering. i heard it was pretty phenomenal.
BYE.
Monday, February 16, 2009
hourly internet consumption.
my sister and i were discussing time management the other day and we were working through her 'tv addiction'. i don't watch much tv, and she proceeded to ask me how i spend my free time. i thought about it for awhile, sure i nap and do my homework, occasionally hang out with friends & roommates, but there's more free time during the day than that. and then it hit me. the internet. and not just facebook. there are SO MANY ways the worldwide web can suck you in, for hours at a time.
restated: facebook is addicting. we all know this. ever since the 'wall-to-wall' feature has been available, stalking has been inevitable. everybody knows it.
just last night, i found this website entitled fmylife.com. i was on it for 2 1/2 hours before i finally had to forcefully shut my computer and go to bed. i warn you, do not go there unless you have a few hours to kill.
some of my blogs are off the top of my head, which is always a delight for me. but some of them take several revisions, which can also be time-consuming. as can "blog research". <--putting it that way makes it sound less lame.
my friend a-town gave up "googling" for her addiction and recovery class. my first reaction was a puzzling look, but after her explanation, it was pretty clear. "sometimes i'll sit on google for hours at a time, searching various diseases and poisons. and celebrities." i do use google as a help every so often, but it does not fall in my hourly consumption category. but maybe it does for you.
ben hanowski, a senior hockey player from my high school, is 8 points away from breaking the all-time minnesota point-scoring record in a high school career. collectively the flyer hockey team is undefeated (23-0), and is rated 2nd in state. next to our fav, st. thomas academy. not only have the boys been winning every game, they've been demolishing every single opponent. breaking into double digits is not uncommon for these goal-scoring hounds. beings that i work on tuesday and thursday nights and cannot attend any games, i spend a fair amount of time pouring over results and news articles. not to mention the blog following ben's progress, point by point. and don't forget that the all-star goalie (9 shutouts this season) is a member of the LF vespers team and also Bethel-bound. booya.
another thing that i spend way too much time doing is youtubing. last year that's about all i did. it's true, look at my GPA. it's an epidemic. [* "after i discovered youtube, i didn't work for 5 days."] i could probably write an epic blog about my fav youtube videos, and let's face it, i probably will. this morning i was looking for the disturbia music video created by that young girl that uses special effects such as: turning the light switch on and off, jumping up and down, and sweet props. unfortunately i could not find it, but i stumbled across my new obsession: boyce avenue. these guys (mainly alejandro) have their own original music, but what's more fascinating are their acoustic covers of popular songs. with the likes of disturbia (rihanna), viva la vida (coldplay), and lovestoned (justin timberlake), these covers are diverse and awesome.
* kudos if you can cite the quote.
those are my current world wide web obsessions, which mind you are completely different from last weeks.
PEACE.
[the reason that i haven't been updating my current 'book' & 'cd' is because A) i'm still reading the same book as before, and B) the fray will never stop being awesome.]
restated: facebook is addicting. we all know this. ever since the 'wall-to-wall' feature has been available, stalking has been inevitable. everybody knows it.
just last night, i found this website entitled fmylife.com. i was on it for 2 1/2 hours before i finally had to forcefully shut my computer and go to bed. i warn you, do not go there unless you have a few hours to kill.
some of my blogs are off the top of my head, which is always a delight for me. but some of them take several revisions, which can also be time-consuming. as can "blog research". <--putting it that way makes it sound less lame.
my friend a-town gave up "googling" for her addiction and recovery class. my first reaction was a puzzling look, but after her explanation, it was pretty clear. "sometimes i'll sit on google for hours at a time, searching various diseases and poisons. and celebrities." i do use google as a help every so often, but it does not fall in my hourly consumption category. but maybe it does for you.
ben hanowski, a senior hockey player from my high school, is 8 points away from breaking the all-time minnesota point-scoring record in a high school career. collectively the flyer hockey team is undefeated (23-0), and is rated 2nd in state. next to our fav, st. thomas academy. not only have the boys been winning every game, they've been demolishing every single opponent. breaking into double digits is not uncommon for these goal-scoring hounds. beings that i work on tuesday and thursday nights and cannot attend any games, i spend a fair amount of time pouring over results and news articles. not to mention the blog following ben's progress, point by point. and don't forget that the all-star goalie (9 shutouts this season) is a member of the LF vespers team and also Bethel-bound. booya.
another thing that i spend way too much time doing is youtubing. last year that's about all i did. it's true, look at my GPA. it's an epidemic. [* "after i discovered youtube, i didn't work for 5 days."] i could probably write an epic blog about my fav youtube videos, and let's face it, i probably will. this morning i was looking for the disturbia music video created by that young girl that uses special effects such as: turning the light switch on and off, jumping up and down, and sweet props. unfortunately i could not find it, but i stumbled across my new obsession: boyce avenue. these guys (mainly alejandro) have their own original music, but what's more fascinating are their acoustic covers of popular songs. with the likes of disturbia (rihanna), viva la vida (coldplay), and lovestoned (justin timberlake), these covers are diverse and awesome.
* kudos if you can cite the quote.
those are my current world wide web obsessions, which mind you are completely different from last weeks.
PEACE.
[the reason that i haven't been updating my current 'book' & 'cd' is because A) i'm still reading the same book as before, and B) the fray will never stop being awesome.]
Friday, February 13, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
supa skillz.
i was at the falls cinema with my padre last night and accidentally found myself judging the person cleaning the popcorn machine. she was CLEARLY using the wrong scrub brush, and her water was too dirty.
waaaaaaait. double take. did i seriously just do that?
and i got to thinking, i have acquired some ridiculous skills and knowledge at the four prominent jobs that i have had. let's be real, i've never really made much money, but i've had some SWEET jobs. so i thought i'd take an inventory of the skills/facts that i'm now awesome at just because i've learned them at work. i'll list them by each occupation.
the falls cinema (sept. 2004 - august 2007)
- what a great job. laura hook'd me up with the job when i was a freshman in high school (FIVE years ago) and it was the sweetest job ever. free popcorn, posters, and movies. BOOYA. here's what i learned:
this was the worst job ever. 8 hour shifts of hell 4 days a week. i cringe even thinking about it. lest it was the only job that i made real money at. catch 22.
- i get to call prospective students and MAKE them come to bethel. or at the very least, steer them clear of northwestern.
- ahh, what a great job. payed in monopoly money but who cares - i got to hang out with kids and great friends 24/7.
that's it.
i'm going to cardio funk with sarah tonight. i'm out of shape and let's face it, i'm gonna look like an idiot doing funk moves.
PEACE.
[obviously]
waaaaaaait. double take. did i seriously just do that?
and i got to thinking, i have acquired some ridiculous skills and knowledge at the four prominent jobs that i have had. let's be real, i've never really made much money, but i've had some SWEET jobs. so i thought i'd take an inventory of the skills/facts that i'm now awesome at just because i've learned them at work. i'll list them by each occupation.
the falls cinema (sept. 2004 - august 2007)
- what a great job. laura hook'd me up with the job when i was a freshman in high school (FIVE years ago) and it was the sweetest job ever. free popcorn, posters, and movies. BOOYA. here's what i learned:
- how to deep clean a popcorn machine - obviously.
- how to make the BEST popcorn ever, i'm a legend - ask anyone.
- how to use a leaf blower.
- how to replace pop syrup, without getting it all over my clothes <-- that one took awhile.
- that one must wear gloves when changing the metal letters on the marquee in below freezing temperatures.
- all movie posters are double-sided, who knew?
- butter stains clothing.
- there are several great make-out spots hidden throughout the cinema (i think that goes without saying)
this was the worst job ever. 8 hour shifts of hell 4 days a week. i cringe even thinking about it. lest it was the only job that i made real money at. catch 22.
- i can now list every kind of marlboro cigarette - jealous?
- tourney is the cheapest brand of cigarette you can buy in minnesota, at $3.66
- slushies have the capacity to explode (ironically learned that twice in the same day, from a 4-year old child and my father).
- don't buy hot dogs @ a gas station (no explanation necessary)
- some people will spend entire paychecks on scratchies.
- i hate my life.
- i get to call prospective students and MAKE them come to bethel. or at the very least, steer them clear of northwestern.
- you can hear a smile over the phone. you can also hear a frown.
- telecounseling is a perfect way to meet your soulmate according to a certain gentleman that tried to hit on me last thursday. i'm not gonna lie, i was pretty proud.
- harsha - i need not say much more.
- ahh, what a great job. payed in monopoly money but who cares - i got to hang out with kids and great friends 24/7.
- when playing night games, it is necessary to 'hide your flesh' when crawling through the woods to avoid the shine of flashlights. <-- a life skill, really.
- i learned what chiggers are, that they itch, and that the application of soap will reduce itching.
- not to fight campers when they are trying to push you through a door headfirst.
- adhd meds are a gift from God.
- it's probably not a good idea to remove your pants in the middle of the woods when there are bears around.
- don't go commando to 'come as you are day'.
- pranks are: against the rules, off-limits, and no fun at all. [wink].
- blow pops can save ANY situation.
- i NOW know how to clean up puke. and it has nothing to do with the mop from the lodge kitchen.
that's it.
i'm going to cardio funk with sarah tonight. i'm out of shape and let's face it, i'm gonna look like an idiot doing funk moves.
PEACE.
[obviously]
Friday, January 30, 2009
25 things.
this '25 things' fad appears to be an epidemic, so i'll go head and jump on the bandwagon. and let's be real, i love talking about myself.
- I have little blonde hairs on my two big toes. Sometimes I trim them. But I usually don't notice/care about them
- I have a camera but I don't like taking pictures. Generally if I'm doing something picture worthy, I'd rather not stop and ruin the moment for a photo.
- I may pretend that I don't care, but I like it when people read my blog. I like it even more when you tell me you like it. Small validations on large wastes of time complete my life.
- I play both piano and guitar. If I had to choose only one to play for the rest of my life it would be....hmm...probably guitar. It's more portable. Although I think my [decade +] of piano experience is probably a bit more pleasing to the ear than the general undirected picking of the six-string.
- I drink 4 cans of mountain dew on an average day. I quit for 6 months before my sister's wedding and I lost 15 pounds. This should be inspiration for me to quit again considering I've gained it all back (plus some), but I've never been a conformist.
- The dumbest phrase in the American language? 'Best friend'. So many tears have been shed over this phrase and it serves as nothing more than a comfort for those that use it. If people were honest they would know that no single friend can fulfill all of your needs. I have my shenanigans best friends, deep convo best friends, 2-hour phone call best friends, loves my family best friends, musical taste best friends, but none of my 'best friends' fit into all of these categories. And that's fine. I don't have one best friend. I have lots, you're probably one of them.
- My sister Sarah and I invented this game when we were in San Francisco a couple years ago on a trolley. Every time you see someone listening to an ipod you have to guess what they're listening to. Sometimes I wonder what people think I'm listening to. They probably don't realize that it's usually hardcore rap music. That's my jam fo real. I'm actually listening to some T.I. right now - YES.
- I will NEVER tell him this, but Dwight Nelson changed my life. I hated 4 out of 5 days of band (or so I thought..), but he is probably the best band director (dictator) in the country. Amidst the 'F' threats, name-calling (pathetic, worthless, no future, etc.), and just utter disappointment, my work ethic was forcibly bumped up about 20 notches. I wish there were more people in the world that tell it like it is.
- Though I'm long over the 24-hour nostalgia of camp, there are some days where I ache to be back. Even if I could travel back in time for 2 hours, it'd be great to live in the moment and not take it for granted. <-- that was cliche wasn't it?
- I don't know if I like Bethel all that much. Diversity is the last word you'd find in our manual, and I'm not just talking racially. I can't tell you the last conversation I had with a non-Christian. maybe that's my fault. I hate the bubble. But I love my profs, and I love my classes. and that's what i'm paying the big bucks for anyhow.
- I don't like the way most churches are. The Pharaisical stink is everywhere. Yet I'm planning on spending the rest of my life working in one. Huh. Don't get me wrong, most churches have redeeming qualities - and perfection is not within our grasp anyway. But sometimes I just want to throw up.
- Pride runs deep in Woltjer family veins. I fight every single day to be humble. Sometimes it doesn't work. And I hate that.
- Putting my ipod on shuffle is completely pointless. I'm very much a 'genre listener' and my ears hurt when they collide. It's not ideal to go from 'Get Low' to 'How Great is our God'.
- I want to live as far from suburbia as possible when I grow up. Ideally I'd love to live in Haight Asbury and be a gospel-preachin hippie for the rest of my life.
- [tortilla chips + diet coke] > [peanut butter & jelly]
- I love playing Rook. I especially love beating Laura.
- I'm just gonna say it. If we're no longer friends, I understand. I don't like Death Cab.
- I always tip waitresses. Even if they do a horrible job. If they're great, shouldn't we give them more than 15%?
- STOP SHOPPING AT WALMART!!!! ['nuff said.]
- I'm fairly environmentally conscious. I always recycle and sometimes even pick bottles our of the garbage when I'm taking it out on my custodial job. But I drive an SUV. That bugs me.
- I've kind of always wanted to marry a Montana farmer. Something about Carhartts just turns me on.
- I hate the smell of floral perfume. It makes me gag every time.
- I'd rather buy clothes at thrift stores than regular clothing stores. I suppose that doesn't help the economy much. Hmm.
- I'm politically informed, but it makes me SICK when people let politics take over their life. Get a job.
- I love live shows in small clubs. Switchfoot is my favorite band to see live but I refused to see them in the Target center - that is not a show, that's a concert. There's a difference.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
yahtzee.
so i was exploring the wonders of blogspot.com and it turns out there aren't any. i was looking for some sweet stuff to put on my blog but apparently there are no gadgets that rock. well, that rock on my level anyway...
so i decided that i will add new features to my blog on my own. i want to display my current fav album and the book that i'm 'reading' at the bottom of each blog. also, i'm trying to figure out how to install a strobe light on my page. will keep you updated.
i am revising my new years resolution. and not for positive personal reasons, but for utter failure. i have not completed my set out task ONCE. and i have been tested several times by roommates, co-workers, family members, random people in the library, etc. so my new resolution which is much lamer is to read more books than movies watched each month. for example, i watched stepmom TWICE last week. i'm already behind. but i'm traveling this week, so i should be able to catch up. let's not talk about me watching stepmom twice - in the same day. but hey, that is such a good movie.
i had a great weekend. i got to hang out with my mom. she is so awesome. she lives up to the nancy hype. i ate so much i don't think i will ever eat again. my dad ordered two large pizzas too many @ charlies and my roommates and i have been reaping the benefits all day. YUM.
i was going to quit drinking so much mountain dew after j-term, but my mom's friend bought me a 24-pack this wknd (much to nancy's disdain..), so that idea's out the window. lissner 413c will be the caffeine scene.
i was talking to a rather 'cool' friend on the phone tonight and she interrupted a story of mine (i'm sure it was entertaining..HA) with the phrase: "i just got a fourth yahtzee! i'm telling my parents." [picture me shaking my head.] a few minutes later: "i just beat my dad's high score - in your face kevin!" ohhhh the small things in life.
i'm procrastinating studying for finals (already!) with thoughts of the warmth that is soon approaching. yes kids, florida the day after tomorrow. YES!
i'm ending this blog with my new trick..let's see if it works.
so i decided that i will add new features to my blog on my own. i want to display my current fav album and the book that i'm 'reading' at the bottom of each blog. also, i'm trying to figure out how to install a strobe light on my page. will keep you updated.
i am revising my new years resolution. and not for positive personal reasons, but for utter failure. i have not completed my set out task ONCE. and i have been tested several times by roommates, co-workers, family members, random people in the library, etc. so my new resolution which is much lamer is to read more books than movies watched each month. for example, i watched stepmom TWICE last week. i'm already behind. but i'm traveling this week, so i should be able to catch up. let's not talk about me watching stepmom twice - in the same day. but hey, that is such a good movie.
i had a great weekend. i got to hang out with my mom. she is so awesome. she lives up to the nancy hype. i ate so much i don't think i will ever eat again. my dad ordered two large pizzas too many @ charlies and my roommates and i have been reaping the benefits all day. YUM.
i was going to quit drinking so much mountain dew after j-term, but my mom's friend bought me a 24-pack this wknd (much to nancy's disdain..), so that idea's out the window. lissner 413c will be the caffeine scene.
i was talking to a rather 'cool' friend on the phone tonight and she interrupted a story of mine (i'm sure it was entertaining..HA) with the phrase: "i just got a fourth yahtzee! i'm telling my parents." [picture me shaking my head.] a few minutes later: "i just beat my dad's high score - in your face kevin!" ohhhh the small things in life.
i'm procrastinating studying for finals (already!) with thoughts of the warmth that is soon approaching. yes kids, florida the day after tomorrow. YES!
i'm ending this blog with my new trick..let's see if it works.
BYE!
rachel.
rachel.
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