Six Super Days

Well friends, it's come and gone. Indy's biggest, coolest event yet. Being a fan of events, I couldn't help but take full advantage of all the fun my fair city had to offer. Did I overdo it? Absolutely. But I knew what I was getting myself into, and knew that it may be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so I decided to go for it.

I wanted to recap my fun here, first with this disclaimer: I didn't spend any money on any of this. That's right. Free. All of it (with the exception of dinner on Friday). I also worked everyday last week, albeit only a total of 37 hours, a few short of my usual. Parking was free because I walked downtown from work, which is a bit of a hike, but not bad at all.

So without further adieu, here is Steph's Week of Fun and Crazy.

Monday

Oh, Monday. We were so naive, thinking we'd walk down after work and hop on the zip line. My only Super Bowl regret is not buying advance tickets. The zip line looked oh-so-fun, but not worth a 9+ hour wait. After learning that it was sold out, we headed over to the NFL Experience at the convention center. I got free tickets because I was a Super Bowl volunteer. I wasn't sure what to expect, but ended up quite impressed. Several of the exhibit halls were filled with interactive games, memorabilia, sponsor setups, and my favorite, Channel 13. Below is a fun shot of Ashley, Ellen and me pretending to be angry football players.

Tuesday

My first volunteer event was Tuesday: the media party. While my dream of meeting Bob Costas did not come true, I did enjoy the people watching. Six thousand members of the media were invited to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for food, fun and drink. Emphasis on the drink. My assignment for the evening was coat check. Had it been a typical January 31, this would have been quite appropriate; however, it was unseasonably warm, so there weren't a whole lot of coats to be checked. Below is a photo of me hanging out before the guests arrived. (By the way, I love my Super Scarf. A lot. The person who came up with that idea is a genius.)

Wednesday

I volunteered at a party at the Lucas Estate on Wednesday night. It's a 25,000 square foot house in Carmel, owned by Forest and Charlotte Lucas. Huge. It also has a pool house and a sports barn, complete with a full-sized basketball court. About 1,200 people attended this party. They were local folks who had helped make the Super Bowl happen... a process that took several years. Again, good people watching. I had picked out the worst dressed by 7:30pm. This is a shot of the main entrance to the house.

Thursday

Admittedly, I was wearing down a bit by Thursday. I was out past midnight two nights in a row for the parties, and having a hard time staying awake. But Sixpence None the Richer was playing in the Village, and I couldn't miss it! Sixpence was a favorite in high school, I didn't even know they were still playing shows. This one was at 4:30, so I left work a little early and headed down to the stage. I was able to shimmy my way to the front row. It was fun to hear some old favorites, as well as new material from Sixpence. After the show, I walked around for awhile, then headed home early. I was asleep by 9pm that night.

Everyone who was in Indianapolis last week has this photo. Very cool.

Friday

I got up early on Friday, met Lindsay at work, and walked down to Capitol and Georgia for the Today Show. We got there about 7:05am, and it was packed! We hung around for a bit and watched Al Roker on the zip line. We were able to get a little closer to him when he got off at the end. After a quick stop at the Westin's Starbucks, we were at work by 8:15.

Our office closed at 3pm Friday because of the traffic craziness, so a group of us headed downtown then. Another photo that all Indy residents have:

We stopped at The Huddle for a couple drinks (after which I realized I didn't eat that day), then walked down to the stage to see En Vogue. Another early 90s favorite!

Our plan was to stay for the LMFAO concert at 9:30pm. I'm proud of myself for having the foresight to make dinner reservations in between the concerts. We had a very yummy (and hilarious) dinner at Adobo Grill. After dinner it was time to stake out our space for LMFAO. But there wasn't really any space. We were on Penn (at the side of the stage) about a block away from the show. As the concert neared, the crowd grew thick. The show started, and we realized we weren't really going to be able to hear it because of where we were, and people kept pushing their way through the crowd. At this point, I was done. (I was thinking back to a certain scary incident on 08/08/08 in Beijing...) So we gave up on LMFAO and headed back to the car. Sure, I would've liked to hear Party Rock Anthem live, but by then I was pretty exhausted anyway. It was a fun day, overall.

Saturday

My third and final volunteer shift was Saturday from 10-3:30. This time I was at the NFL House at Union Station. Basically, the NFL tricked out the Grand Hall and made it into a giant fancy living room for NFL guests and sponsors. I was stationed at the door, scanning credentials. When my shift ended, I walked back to work, grabbed a quick dinner, then headed to the fairgrounds with Jeanne and Diana. I had requested tickets for the taping of CMT's Crossroads a few weeks ago, and was told I was not chosen. Then about 9pm Friday night, I got another email that said I was in. I was very excited. We had to arrive at the Pepsi Coliseum at 5:30pm. We'd been warned that it was standing room only, but the show is only an hour, so it couldn't be too bad, right? Wrong. Once we were in, they told us that there was a DJ, then a local band, then Sugar Ray (yes, that Sugar Ray), then Steven and Carrie would come on at 9:40pm. Jeanne and I were very sore and exhausted already, but had to power through. And it was very much worth the soreness and tired feet. Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler were ah-mazing. My favorite was the unexpected mashup of her This is Just a Dream and his Dream On. Love.

And there you have it. Exhaustion. Exhilaration. Once in a lifetime, or so we thought. Indy's getting rave reviews, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get to do all this again in a few years. I'm up for it!

You may notice that the actual day of the Super Bowl is missing. Yep. What did I do for the big game? Sat on my couch. Ate ice cream. Did laundry. Recovered. There you have it.

The China Post

Long time, no blog. Like, so long that I couldn't remember how to log in. I've been told by one person that I was missed, so that's good... Anyhow, chances are, if you know me, you know I went to China last month. So I thought I'd tell you a little about it.

I visited Maria's Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China, with a group of Show Hope Sponsors. There were 16 of us, including my roomie Jess and me. These people are some of the coolest people ever and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to serve alongside them.

This is going to come as a big surprise (please sense sarcastic tone), but I have decided the trip can best be summed up with lyrics from a song by Steven Curtis Chapman.

From What Now

I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl

She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world

And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart

Didn't you say you wanted to find me?

Well here I am, here you are

So, What now?

What will you do now that you found Me?

What now?

What will you do with this treasure you've found?

I know I may not look like what you expected

But if you remember this is right where I said I would be

You've found me

What now?

I wish I could answer that question, "What now?" But I'm not there quite yet.

What I do know is that orphan is no longer an abstract word. It is Lydia giggling as I sang her Bon Jovi and Reba songs. It is Claire, still happy even though she has a fever. It's Jackson, who has the most amazing smile I have ever seen. It's Isaac, pointing to the floor next to him saying, "Come here. No bye bye." It's Emerson, who is tiny and loves to be held.

Saying goodbye to the kids at Maria's was hard. More than hard. Not a day goes by that I don't think of those sweet kids. But I know they are well cared for at Maria's. And I know there is Hope.

In other news, we were also able to spend a couple of days in Beijing, where highlights included:

• Visiting the Great Wall... we went up via ski lift and down on slides, Gatlinburg-style. Super fun.
• The Pearl Market, where we all worked on our bargaining skills. I think I even got "family price" on my "Jimmy Choo" purse. Unfortunately, my "Cartier" watch broke less than a week after coming home...
• The Rat-aurant. Not necessarily a good highlight, but definitely a memorable experience. A rat decided to join us for dinner one evening.
• Seeing things like seahorses on sticks at the night market... and watching a couple of my teammates partake of a scorpion.

We all know I'm no salesperson, but if I were, I would definitely talk you into becoming a Show Hope Sponsor. They are doing some amazing things in China, not to mention giving grants to families who are adopting.

Twirling

This may be my favorite picture of Emma, ever.

Shoot! I forgot one...

Really, I probably forgot more than one. But this one is worth an addendum.

We'll call it 5.1.

5.1 The Final Four

The 2010 Final Four was in Indy and dad and I thought it would be fun to go, so dad entered the lottery and we got tickets... long before we knew who would be playing. It was such a fun week in Indy, full of pep rallies and festivities for the home team. I had to go to Texas for work the Monday of the final game, so my pre-Butler-in-the-Final-Four plan was to go on Saturday, then dad would take someone else on Monday. All season, I kept saying that if Butler was in the final game, I was changing my flight, thinking there was no way that would happen. But then it did. The game didn't turn out the way we'd hoped, but it was still a good time. We left Indy at midnight that night, got to Louisville at 2am, then I slept till 4am, caught a 6am flight to Texas, and worked all day before crashing around 6pm. Totally worth it.

Another Top Ten

Yes, I will fully admit that I am copying Jeff and Meg's idea. They are, after all, two of the coolest people I know. (Plus, it wasn't really an original idea anyway.)

So here you go: Steph's Top Ten of 2010

... and don't pay too much attention to the order. I didn't.

10. January 1, 2010

I had a really fantastic start to 2010, which consisted of brunch at my house that lasted 10+ hours. It turned into the most wonderful day of doing nothing with people who are pretty darn fun.

9. Reconnecting with Old Friends

I heart Summer Project friends, and this year I got to see three of them who I hadn't seen in a really, really long time. I met up with Chad in Colorado - I think the last time we had seen each other was 2001. I also saw Raffy there, who I hadn't seen since 2000. Then I saw Jess in Florida - hadn't seen her since 1999! It's really fun to be able to catch up and still share a common bond with these folks.

8. Concerts

This is a category that could have its own sub-top ten list. I think number one would be Garth Brooks. There was also Bon Jovi (x2), needtobreathe (x3), Steven Curtis Chapman, Train, Tim McGraw and Lady A, Michael W. Smith, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Rick Springfield, and probably some others I am forgetting. What can I say... I love me some live music.

7. Getting a Roomie

I'd decided I was finished with roomies sometime back in 2009. But it turned out that my neighborhood was less scary than Jessica's apartment complex, and I had an extra room. It was just going to be for a few months, but then she started making coffee every morning, not to mention martinis in the evening. And I realized I had a keeper. (Bonus: this helps support my previously mentioned concert habit.)

6. My Birthday

As most of you probably know, Bono ruined my birthday. I had a fabulous plan to spend my 30th at the U2 concert in Denver. Then Bono had to go and mess up his back, forcing the cancelation of all the summer shows. We already had plane tickets, though, so Jess and I headed to Denver, then Holly flew in from Seattle, and we still had a great weekend. Also, it rained most of the time. But we went to the Coors Brewery, did the Celestial Seasonings tour, and had some fabulous food. Plus, how could I go wrong spending the day with two of my most favorite ladies?

5. Friends, in general.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I like my friends. A lot. The little moments with them are what make life meaningful. Late night pie dates, trips to the State Fair, neighborhood walks, watching The Bachelor(ette), attempting to stalk celebrities, playing bocce in the backyard, going to the spa... this is the stuff life is made of. And it definitely wasn't an easy year for some of those dearest to me. There was darkness, sickness, sadness, and loss. But these folks continually amaze me with their faith, resilience and love for others.

4. Painting Pumpkins with Emma

Emma is a popular chick who has many a family member competing for her attention. So I was pretty excited to have a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon with her. We sat on a blanket in mom and dad's backyard and painted pumpkins on a beautiful October day. Simple pleasure. Good times. Good company (even though she said my pumpkin was plain).

3. Japan

Japan isn't really one of the places that was on my life list. But it was on Mark's. And I'm that kind of friend. It really is a lovely place and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it. Plus, everything there makes so much more sense than in China. (You can read all about the trip here, if you haven't already.)

2. Graduating

For about a week in May, I insisted that friends refer to me as Master Steph. That didn't really work out too well, but I do have a piece of paper in a lovely frame to prove that I worked my butt off for two and a half years. Graduation was a time of celebration, relief, and wondering how the heck I managed to do that and work full time and still have a little fun. Sitting on the National Mall listening to Michelle Obama address the GWU Class of 2010 was a pretty surreal experience.

1. The Olympics (specifically, the Opening Ceremony)

No longer Olympics virgins, Holly and I went into this one kind of knowing what to expect. The fact that the Games were held in an English-speaking country was icing on the cake. The day I received an email telling me we had gotten the Opening Ceremony tickets, I nearly fell out of my chair. (Admittedly, part of that was probably because I saw how much my Visa had been charged.) I was soooo excited. I love, love, love that Holly got the money shot (above).

Up next, in 2011? You'll have to wait and see. Can you handle the suspense? (Don't worry, I am waiting, too.) I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty spectacular year. And probably in ways completely different than I am expecting. Because that's how life works.

All-Time Favorite Albums

Recently, while I was sitting on an airplane for 11+ hours, I started making a mental list of my all-time favorite albums. Because there's not much else to do on an 11-hour flight.

So I thought I'd finish my list and put it in writing. Here they are, in no particular order... Steph's Top Ten Favorite Albums of All-Time:

Jennifer Knapp - Kansas

Ok, so I said they're not in order, but this one probably really is my #1. After this they aren't in order. I love this album and there's no way I could ever count the number of times I have belted it out in my car beginning to end.

10,000 Maniacs - Unplugged

Going old school here... not sure what it is about this one that I love so much. I think it's just that it's Natalie Merchant + Unplugged. And who doesn't love These Are the Days?

Bebo Norman - Between the Dreaming and the Coming True

A long-time Bebo fan, this is easily my favorite of his work. I love the piano, and the strings, and especially the song I Will Lift My Eyes.

Third Day - Third Day

This reminds me of good times in high school. Maybe that's why I love it so much. It's classic Third Day. I can't listen to it without thinking of the time I met Mac Powell and said, "Hi. You're left handed. And you play the guitar. I'm left handed. And I want to play the guitar." Yikes. Not my finest moment.

Bon Jovi - Cross Road

Easy. This has all my favorite Bon Jovi songs.

Steven Curtis Chapman - Beauty Will Rise

I think this is the most recent release on my list. I love the honesty, pain and hope that are so eloquently expressed in these 12 songs. The title track is my favorite.

Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to go to a small Jars of Clay show where they sang this album, beginning to end. The crowd's enthusiasm leads me to believe that I'm not the only one who has this on her top ten list.

Alanis Morrissette - Jagged Little Pill

I've never been a huge fan of the phrase "coming of age," but I think it's a good descriptor for this album. It's another one I can sing beginning to end, and it reminds me of my 1996 purple Ford Probe, the JHS yearbook staff, and good times in general. You Oughta Know has to be one of the best angry girl songs ever. And if that's not enough, there's that hidden song about being a stalker...

Nouveaux - And This Is How I Feel

I'd love to see a Nouveaux "where are they now." I couldn't even find a Wikipedia page for them. Maybe Tomorrow has long been a favorite song of mine. But it's just not the same unless preceded by the 11-second track Nice.

Robbie Seay Band - Give Yourself Away

I listen to this a lot when I'm on an airplane. I'm not sure why. I guess it's just the perfect kind of mellow for traveling.

If there were honorable mentions, they would go to Mark Schultz's Broken and Beautiful, Nichole Nordeman's This Mystery, Blessid Union of Souls's Home, Five Iron Frenzy's Upbeats and Beatdowns and Kendall Payne's Grown.

So there you have it. What's your favorite?

Wise Words

I read this over on Bowen's Heart today and thought it was worth sharing:

"I don’t think there is any good answer for what to say to someone after they’ve experienced a tragic loss. I think the answer lies in what you’ve said, and how you loved, leading up to these moments, before tragedy comes.

None of us know when tragedy will come.

Love and speak now as you would wish to love and speak in the midst of loss. When that time comes, your past will speak through your presence, and being there will be enough."

~Matt Hammitt

The Japan Blog

It's hard to believe we leave for Japan in just two short weeks!

Here's the blog where you can follow along...

http://youregoingtojapantodowhat.wordpress.com/

Steph's Guide to Breakfast

Since traveling and breakfast are pretty much two of my most favorite things in the world, I usually try to have at least one fantastic breakfast per trip. I love finding new breakfast spots via word of mouth, random google searches, or Urban Spoon.

While a "Steph Meets Breakfast" Food Network show would be ideal, I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future, so I thought I'd post some of the gems I've found around North America... mostly for my benefit so I can remember the names of them.

Cincinnati, Ohio

• The Echo Restaurant - Just had a fantastic breakfast there today, thus the post.

Baltimore, Maryland

• Miss Shirley's - The photo is of my white chocolate raspberry pancakes from there. Yum.

Denver/Boulder, Colorado

• Sam's No. 3 - I first ate here in 2005, and had the pleasure of returning this summer. It's a diner with a Mexican twist.
• Walnut Cafe - Found this by googling "Best Breakfast in Boulder."

Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Paul's Place Omelettery - We checked this out while in Vancouver for the Olympics. How could you not love a restaurant that has "Omelettery" in the name?

Chicago, Illinois

• Yolk - One of my favorite hotel salespeople told me about this place, and I've been there several times now. Popeye's Favorite is my favorite!

Redmond, Washington

• Pomegranate Bistro - Holly has taken me here a couple of times when I was there visiting. Besides the yummy food, they also have some lovely coffee drinks.

... and I would be remiss if I did not share my fave hometown spots:

Indianapolis, Indiana

• Cafe Patachou - I heart the omelette you can't refuse. I really can't refuse it.
• Omega Pancake House - This one's pretty new to me. I've only been there once, but there was a lot of food. And a lot of laughter.
• Good Morning Mama's - ok, so I haven't actually been to this one yet, but it is on my list to try soon. If it's anything like it's sister restaurant, Mama Carolla's, I already know I will love it.

Louisville, Kentucky

• Toast on Market - A trendy little place downtown
• Lynn's Paradise Cafe - A Louisville institution. Good food and ugly lamps.
• Wild Eggs - they have this amazing everything muffin...

What's your favorite breakfast place?

Long Overdue

The design of my blog was probably a good indication of how many things have slipped through the cracks over the past couple years of craziness. But like all the other things, it eventually got done.

Hope you like it.

You've found out... I've got a crush on you

Earlier today, I posed this question to a good friend:

Do we still have crushes when we’re 30?

Her answer made me laugh. In a nutshell, she said that yes, we do, but that they are not just on boys [we think] we want to marry.

So I thought I’d share a few things on which I currently have a crush:

Fried cheese at the State Fair. I know… surprise, surprise… Steph likes something at the State Fair. I don’t know why I waited this long to try the fried cheese, but with a little encouragement from the Millers, I decided to go for it.

My church. There’s some cool stuff going on there, and it seems to get better with each passing week. Aaron can kick our butts and make us laugh all within one 40-minute sermon. Then the worship team sings a song you have to download immediately when you get home.

Sweet Potato Fries. Just recently I discovered that Ore Ida sells frozen sweet potato fries. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it turns out they are delicious. I stocked up when they were on sale at Target!

Not being in school. Finishing school is perhaps the most awesome thing that has happened in the past few years. A Sunday afternoon with no worries of a looming midnight deadline is the best. Rest without guilt is a beautiful thing.

Grilling. I’ve had a grill at my house for at least two years, but had never used it until this summer. The grill got used, just not by me. That’s right… other people came over and grilled FOR me. That’s not a bad gig, by any means. But I decided I should figure it out for myself this summer. And you know what? I’m pretty good at it. Sure, my Kickin’ Chicken made our noses run, but it was totally worth it. Yes, I had to call Mark Olsen to ask how to grill corn on the cob, but I’m not ashamed to ask for help!

The new FFH album. One night I heard a familiar voice singing an unfamiliar song on the radio. It took me a minute to place it, but when I realized it was Jeromy Deibler of FFH fame (well, fame might be a strong word), I was pretty excited. I thought FFH had dropped off the face of the earth. But they’re back!

My reusable cup for iced coffee. Awesome roomie (this would be linked to her blog if she would start one!) has been making iced coffee for us this summer. But alas, we did not have an appropriate means of transporting it to work. Enter Bed Bath and Beyond. I found some pretty amazing plastic reusable cups there. They don’t even sweat!

Huddles Frozen Yogurt. Or should I say, “Huddles Frozen Yogurt on nights when it is not overrun with high school kids.” Lots of flavors. Lots of toppings. Enough said.

Amazon’s $5 Album Sale. I actually looked at all 1,200+ albums that are on sale the other day. Yikes. I am proud to say I only purchased three. Heart, Snow Patrol, and the 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music. What can I say… I have diverse musical tastes.

Baby Clothes. I will admit that I had hoped for a baby girl Olsen, but I am definitely finding some cute boy clothes for Andrew. Auntie Steph has promised not to buy him the Madonna onesie from Target, though. I picked up a pretty amazing outfit for Ryker's little brother, too, whom I only know as Baby D. He should be here any day now.

So there you have it. What are you crushing on this summer?

Summer Reading List

One of the [many] things I neglected while I was in school was reading anything not related to school. Now I am starting to rediscover the fact that I do enjoy it. I am missing the summer reading program I used to participate in at the Jeffersonville Township Public Library. Perhaps I will make some sort of craft by which to keep track of what I've read with stickers... we'll see.

I'll be blogging about most/all of these as I finish over on OnebookOnemonth. Check it out... and join us!

Things I've already read this summer:

• A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
• Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff
• The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman's International Adoption Journey by Margaret Schwartz

Books on my list, in alpha order by author, but not necessarily in reading order:

• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Forgotten God by Francis Chan
• Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
• Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann
• Flickering Pixels by Shane Hipps
• Between Wyomings by Ken Mansfield
• This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley
• One Day by David Nicholls
• The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice

Yikes. Pretty ambitious. How long is summer, again?

Anything that needs to be on my list that isn't?

Stress Eating, Tears and Martinis (Or: Graduation, the big meeting and turning 30)

Sigh. Of. Relief.

Hello, friends. It's been a long time. This is my first free evening in I can't remember how long. It's been a rough, crazy, and fantastic spring. The three biggies are that I graduated, made it through another big meeting and turned the big three-oh. Yikes.

I don't really know how to begin to explain the crazy, but here are a few photos. Mostly, though, I'm going to put it behind me and think of the lovely things that are in store for me this summer. Like weekends. At home. With nothing to do.

Graduation! My friend Arleen and I have a lot in common, like our love of Bon Jovi and NKOTB. I shall henceforth be referred to as Master Stephanie. Because I worked hard for that!

David got married! Here are Jami and I with him at Huber's.

Somewhere along the way, I got to go to a fantastic Jars of Clay concert where they played their first album, beginning to end. And we were uncomfortably close to the band. But it was awesome.

I took a little birthday trip to Colorado. Things kept going wrong. U2 was canceled because Bono had back surgery. Then I planned a hot air balloon ride, which was also canceled because of the weather. It rained all weekend... I stayed a couple days extra to work and the weather was lovely. Above, Holly and I are at Red Rocks to see Princess Bride. I also had the opportunity to catch up with summer project friends from both 1999 and 2000.

This is Colorado birthday dinner #2. On my 20th birthday, Chad sang a Backstreet Boys song to me. For 30, he didn't really want to, but Holly and Jess helped. I Want it That Way is much better than Happy Birthday, anyway.

So... what's next?

Well isn't that the million dollar question. I'm hoping to take a little time to rest and do nothing this summer. Oh, and I am just now remembering that I DO like to read, so hopefully I can get through the big stack of books I've been collecting. I also have an idea for a fun new blog that a few of you know about. Hopefully that will come later this summer. Other than that, I'm going to stay in town for a bit, enjoy all the fun summer Indy things, reinstate Staycation Sundays, and do a little dreaming about the future.

Surprise Encouragement

Believe it or not, I tend to overcommit just a tad and then end up completely stressed out. Like now, for example. I am in the midst of the busiest time of year at work, trying to finish my last class of grad school despite the raging senioritis, not to mention all of the other day-to-day things that make up life. This week seemed especially silly. Dumb things* kept happening that made me want to be really mad.

But every time I even thought about being mad, someone did something ridiculously awesome for me that made it impossible continue being angry.

Here are a few examples:

Monday night I came home to find not only a martini waiting for me in the fridge, but also a custom crossword puzzle.

These were a fantastic surprise, dropped off at my office for me.

(Except there were more of them...)

I got this in the mail from an old (not literally!) friend. Hilarious.

There seemed to be some extra kindness from co-workers this week, plus lunch with one of my besties, and let's not forget the phone call on Sunday that had me laughing so hard I was unable to speak. Either I am radiating stress and people think I'm completely on edge, or I just know some awesome folks. I'll go with the latter.

Thanks, friends. I'll do my best to pay it forward.

*Sorry, kids, not going into specifics on 'dumb things' here...

Singing My Memory Verses

I've often wondered how many songs to which I know the words. It's easily hundreds. There's something about words set to music that just makes them simple to memorize. And I have quite the repertoire - from Bon Jovi to Taylor Swift to New Kids on the Block to Shane & Shane.

But when it comes to memorizing Scripture, I am not so good. I'd say I know about 98% less Bible verses than songs. There are a couple of reasons for this: it doesn't come as easily to me and I quite honestly don't try very hard.

So when I started a new class at church this year, I wasn't too thrilled to learn that there's a weekly memory verse. Until, that is, I discovered that the book came with a CD. Yes, that's right friends, each weekly verse has been crafted into a delightfully cheesy song. The CD has taken up permanent residence in my car, and each Tuesday morning, I giddily listen to the new song/verse. And I giggle. By about Thursday morning, I am singing along, totally into it. Then it gets stuck in my head. When Monday rolls around, it's time to say it aloud. I end up having a hard time just saying it and wanting to sing it. But either way, I have successfully mastered another verse.

So here's to you, Mr. (or Ms.) Bible-verse-song-creator!

A few of my favorite things.

I know, I know. I've been back from my trip for a week and have yet to blog. I'll go ahead and blame that on jet lag, school, and the fact that the Olympics are keeping me up way too late.

I love the Olympics. You probably know that by now. It's a hallmark event that brings people from all over the world together, not only to cheer on their country's team, but also to become an international community, if only for 17 days. People are generally kind and in great spirits. They cheer for countries they couldn't find on a map. They get caught up in the emotion of watching fantastic athletes who each have their own story.

I'll write more later, but for now, here are a few of my favorite memories from an amazing trip to Seattle and Vancouver:

This is at the Opening Ceremony. Being there was definitely one of the coolest experiences ever. It's hard to explain, though I do really like the word 'pageantry.'

Holly and me just after the cauldron was lit. Despite the minor malfunction, a glorious site, indeed.

Gold medalist Evan Lysacek! We attended the men's short program, where we saw 30 skaters.

Yes! That's me... and Matt Lauer! We got up at 3:30 am and went to Grouse Mountain for the Today Show. While I was a little angry when the alarm went off, later I was really glad that we went. We were on tv!

The outdoor cauldron... one of those "there it is, kids" kinds of things. But neat, nonetheless.

The last night of my trip, in Seattle, we went to see Bon Jovi. It was opening night for The Circle tour, and it was a great show! This was Bon Jovi show #5 for me... #6 is coming up this summer in Chicago!

Bible Shopping

I somehow misplaced my small Bible, so today Jess and I went to Books A Million (aka BAM!) to look for a new one. They have quite the selection, and among them we found these three gems:

Camo Bible. Wait. This seems like it could be a bad idea. It might blend in too much, causing you to lose it...

It might have been just a little bit difficult for me to NOT purchase this one. But rest assured, I did not. It has a bedazzled buckle!

Oh boy. Really? Should I purchase this now in order to "Prepare spiritually for the most important day of my life?" Are you supposed to purchase this after engagement and read the whole thing before the wedding day? That's a lot of pressure, in addition to finding a dress, cake, venue and flowers... No wonder so many people opt for long engagements!

Must. Save. Princess.

If you are ever kidnapped by strange creatures, I'm probably not the one who should travel through dungeons, water and deserts to rescue you. You would be trapped for a long, long time. Maybe even forever.

That's right. I got Super Mario Bros. for Christmas. And I knew this would happen. That's why I hadn't actually played it until yesterday. This is the stuff of which addictions are made. I've been yelling at turtles and Luigi and dragons and fire and Mario. A lot.

I was not good at this game when I was nine. I am not good at this game at 29, either. I've learned a lot of things over the past 20 years, but how to navigate underground worlds with my BFF is not one of those things.

But there are advantages to playing when you're an adult. You can do things like move your furniture to make your living room more conducive to video game-playing. Neat, eh? (My couch is generally not right in front of the television...)

Hopefully this newly-formed habit will not negatively affect my grades or my intention to graduate in a few months!

The In Between

Tis the season to create goals and resolutions for the year. But rather than outlining a bunch of specific goals that I probably won't accomplish, I'm going to say this:

In 2010, I want to live in the in between.

"In between what?" you ask. Well, I tend be the kind of person who is always looking forward to the next big thing. And there's no doubt that 2010 will have its share of fun and exciting things. I'll be going to the Olympics, graduating, turning thirty (with Bono in Denver), taking a little trip to Japan (!), and who knows what else...

As awesome as all those things will be, it's the little in between things that make up life. The conversations at Starbucks, the day-to-day interactions with co-workers, the dinners with friends, the lazy Sunday afternoons... these are the things I want to pay attention to and enjoy.

There are appropriate Steven Curtis Chapman lyrics for any occasion, right? From his "Miracle of the Moment:"

There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

There’s only one who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He’s out there waiting
To Him the future’s history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

How much is too much?

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I mostly post about random, silly things or fun stuff that I'm doing. But I recently had a great conversation with a friend who challenged me to be more transparent on my blog. (Don't you sometimes hate that friend who challenges you? Just a little bit?)

If you only read this, you probably think life is all fun and games. But, like everyone else, I have my issues. Plenty of them.

My question is this: How transparent should one be on her blog? Obviously it's a matter of personal preference and comfort, so maybe the better question is how transparent should I be on MY blog?

This seems like an appropriate time for a Pro/Con list:

PROs of Sharing

-Accountability

-Might be encouraging someone without knowing it

-Possibility of turning into the next Julie Powell (as in, Julie and Julia)?

CONs of Sharing

-Totally opening yourself up to criticism from people you don't even know

-One word: Stalkers

-General creepiness of putting your junk out there for everyone to see, including co-workers and future employers

What do you think?

For those of you who are sharers, what are your motives?