Then & Now

Then: Summer 2000

Julie and I met when we were in college, a couple days before going to Turkey for eight weeks together. We, along with the others on our team, became fast friends. I even puked on her on the way there, and she didn't disown me. :) 

 This photo is on the way home. I was much less happy on the way there in the midst of my illness.

Here we are before heading out to the middle of nowhere (literally) for our village experience. I was SO sunburned in this photo! 

Now: September 2008

Julie and I hadn't seen each other since fall 2001. Last weekend, we spent a few days together in Phoenix. It was fun to catch up while relaxing at the lazy river at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort. (Yay for points!) Unfortunately, I got sick and spent most of Saturday in bed. But... at least I didn't puke on her again!

Pre-lazy river.

At the pretty fountain. And I don't think we've aged a bit! 

Meet Pokey.

Standing about 20 inches tall, Pokey is a stuffed pink leopard-print cat. She sports a red, white and blue WNBA uniform. But she also knows how to accessorize. Not only does she wear a green bow on her ear, but she also has some sunglasses (that aren't really wide enough for her face), and a stylin' denim purse.

Maybe Emma and I need to work on fashion, matching, and accessorizing. Because Pokey was her creation when I took her to Build A Bear yesterday.

Here she is standing on the pedal that makes the kitty come to life.

Giving Pokey a bath...

... and I'm a big fan of this face. :)

Before we got in the car to go, Em asked if I had a map. She seemed really concerned that I didn't know where I was going. All the way there, she was saying, "I LOVE Build A Bear!" I asked her how she knew she loved it since she's never been. I never really got an answer. Despite Pokey's odd fashion sense, we had a fun time!

A broken toilet, a trip to Lowe's, and a country song

I was anticipating that something from this evening's experience would be blog-worthy. Me. Taking a trip to Lowe's. Alone. Looking for a part for my toilet. And right I was... but not in the way I was expecting.

Yeah, I wandered aimlessly around the plumbing section. Yeah, I called my dad to make sure I was getting the right thing.

But the interesting part was checking out. There were three lanes open. Two of them had lines. So I did the obvious thing and went to the cashier with no line. Then I think I learned why she didn't have a line. 

She was kind of mumbling, and I was just smiling and nodding. Until I started to figure out what she was talking about. She said something about having a number one country album on the Billboard chart, and that it was called "Knee High to a Grasshopper." [More smiling and nodding.] Then she proceeded to tell me how she's written a song called (and I may not have this exactly right, but it's close) "Baby You and Me Are Gonna Be Okay as Long as We've Got Peanut Butter Sandwiches." I told her it sounded like a great country song. Then she started reciting it for me. Mind you, I had already paid for my toilet valve at this point and was just kind of standing there thinking I'd never get out. The song was something about her mom making molasses sandwiches, something, something, you and me, something, peanut butter sandwiches.

I stood there smiling.

Then we had a conversation that went something like this:

Cashier: Well, I guess I should let you go.

Me: Ok.

C: Do you think it's a good song?

M: Sounds like a great country song to me.

C: Thanks. I'm going to make millions.

M: Yep. Have a good night.

I Love This Town.

Some people say there's nothing to do in Indy. Those people are wrong. Last night was a great example. It wasn't even a weekend, and tens of thousands of people headed downtown to their sporting event of choice: basketball (the Fever - WNBA), baseball, or football, featuring our beloved Colts in their fancy new stadium.

Dad and I went to the Colts Game. It was the Colts' second game in the new stadium, and our first. It's a fantastic venue - retractable roof and all. Yeah, I'm okay with paying that extra 1% f&b tax.

We parked at my office, which is probably about the closest we could've gotten. It was a little bit of a walk, but a great night. We walked along the canal, and there was a jazz concert going on at the Historical Society. So if you're not into sports, there are other things to do. :)

Tonight I have a couple of friends in town from Louisville. One of them had never been to Indy, so we took a little walking tour of downtown. Tons of people were milling about and enjoying the evening. 

We walked along the canal, and heard a little bit of the Peter Frampton concert going on at Rib Fest. Then we walked over to Monument Circle. Two fun evenings downtown... and my next two evenings will be spent wandering the streets of downtown Chicago.

Yours

Most of you probably heard about the tragic death of Steven Curtis Chapman's five year-old daughter in May. The day I heard about it I sat on my couch and cried for a good half hour. I'm not sure why - maybe because it reminded me of the day when I lost a family member without much warning - a day when I was sitting on a different couch crying for much longer than a half hour.

Since May, I've been following the what the media has reported regarding the Chapmans, as well as Steven's manager's blog. Steven's manager, Jim, has done a great job in keeping fans and whomever else updated regarding the family's progress - the good times, the bad times, and how we can be praying for them. Recent coverage has included a story on Good Morning America, an hour with Larry King, and several pages in People Magazine. It has been encouraging to see how this family is relying on their faith through such a painful time, and how they are using their tragedy to point others toward the Lord.

After his daughter's death, Steven (I know, I'm talking about him like he's my friend, and that's a little weird) rereleased the song "Yours," with a new verse at the end. I've found myself having this song on repeat a lot lately. You should download it. Now. The lyrics are below. I look at them and think, "yeah, that's what I believe." But am I living like this is what I believe? Probably not. 

Yours

by Steven Curtis Chapman

I walk the streets of London
And notice in the faces passing by
Somthing that makes me stop and listen
My heart grows heavy with the cry

Where is the hope for London?
You whisper and my heart begins to soar
As I'm reminded
That every street in London in Yours
Oh, yes it is

I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find

And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours

Chorus
And it's all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything

And I walk the sidewalks of Nashville
Like Singapore, Manila and Shanghai
I rush by the beggar's hand and the wealthy man
And everywhere I look I realize

That just like the streets of London
For every man and woman, boy and girl
All of creation
This is our Father's world

[New Verse]
I've walked the valley of death's shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I've had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.

Yearbook Yourself

I have recently heard a few people talking about www.yearbookyourself.com, and I couldn't resist the urge to try... This post and the next are my favorites!

1994 (and maybe a little too close to home)

1984

1980

More...

1978

1968

1964

1960

1952