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Saturday, 23 May 2009
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Currently
Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life
By Shauna Niequist
see relatedKetch-Up
I feel like the last month has kind of been mashed together, a lot like ketchup, so trying to catch up is fruitless.
I should not be allowed to write at 2 a.m. I come up with the worst puns.
I've decided to write 5 things a week that have happened or that I find particularly exciting about that week. Today is now Saturday, so I'll write from the previous week.1) On Tuesday morning, I received a call saying that I won a door prize for going to an all-you-can-eat fundraiser last weekend. It's a $10 gift card to a Spartan store.
2) Tim and I went out job hunting on Tuesday, picking up several applications, filling them out and returning them. I ended up returning several of them on Wednesday. I returned about 14 of them, but I still have about 4 more to fill out and return, not to mention the online applications and people who said, "Come back later."
3) On Thursday, I also had an interview for a job at the new coffee shop in Lowell. Come to find out the owner and I hang out in the same circles, but we're always the opposite sides. He is longtime friends with a close friend of our family who took both my brothers' and my senior photos; he also knows my pastor fairly well (who came in at the end of the interview and said, "I can vouch for her!"); and to top it all off, his wife works at the other office for the company I'd been filing for during tax season. I'm hoping connections might help me get that job.
4) I'm filing a couple hours a week again for the financial company. Yay for gas money!
5) Thursday night my mom went with me into Barnes & Noble for a book signing. I enjoyed the chance to talk with Shauna Niequist, the author of Cold Tangerines, a book I'd read earlier this year on recommendation of some people from Willow Creek. She had a lot of encouraging things as a writer, and I appreciated the encouraging things she had to say. It was also fun to make some connections over people we both knew from Willow. Even with that part of the conversation, I'd thought nothing of who she might be related to because there were a lot of suggested books flying across my desk while I was there, but driving down the road five minutes after our conversation, I realized why the dedication in her book was written to whom it was written. No wonder they'd recommended her book. (That's far from saying it was awful writing; I loved it.)
Thursday, 16 April 2009
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I'm just a little excited about this:
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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Currently
Bones - The Complete Second Season
By Emily Deschanel
see relatedConversations with Kids
For some reason lately, I kind of get the idea that kids like me.
For example, the other day I received a phone call from someone at our church. When she asked her son who he wanted to come to his birthday party (he's turning two soon), the first thing out of his mouth was, "Ewain! Ewain!" I was honored.
As I've spent so much of my time lately with little people under the age of five (with the occasional jump to even a fourth grader), it only seems appropriate I write about some of our wonderful conversations.
Conversation 1:
Kid: For our play, you own the store with all the cats.
Me: Does that make me the crazy cat lady?
Kid: No. You're the crazy cat woman.
Me: Oh, okay. (And after being corrected several times for saying the wrong one ...) What's the difference between a lady and a woman?
Kid: A lady is old. You're not a lady.I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.
Conversation 2:
Me: Ooh, does this necklace go with the other one on your doll?
Kid: Yes, my mommy bought it for me. She buys me everything I want.Everything? You should have seen the look on the kid's parents' faces when I repeated that one to them.
Conversation 3:
Me: Okay, <insert kid's name here>, it's time to get your pajamas on and read a book before bedtime.
Kid: I'm hungry now. Can I have a snack?
Me: But you weren't hungry at dinner time.
Kid: But God told me to eat mashed potatoes and the rest of my hamburger.How can you keep a straight face to that? I'll admit: I caved and let the kid eat the hamburger.
Conversation 4:
Me: Well, it's time for me to go. I'll see you next time.
My Boss's Kid: I don't see why you can't just be our nanny and live with us.Can anyone say "awkward"?
Those are all the conversations I can think of off the top of my head that I found particularly entertaining. I'll be cat-sitting this weekend, so I hope not to have too many overly exciting conversations to add then.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
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Currently
Brushfire Fairytales
By Jack Johnson
"Wasting Time"
see relatedTrendy Twenty-Five
Okay, so I've only done the whole quiz thing lately, but I'll get back to the whole writing thing ... eventually. But don't worry, I'm not forcing anyone to pass on the 25 things. So, here are the 25 things I've decided to list about me:
- I have a rule that I'm not allowed to buy jewelry except as a "functional" souvenier from places I've been. And I'm allowed to receive it as gifts (which most often happens to be relating to weddings of some sort). That way, all of my jewelry tells a story.
- I've never understood the trend for Bethel English grads to end up in Niles, MI. It just doesn't make sense to me.
- My favorite two sounds in the whole world are a peaceful silence and genuine laughter.
- Practical gifts are my favorite. This includes European chocolate.
- Ten (even five) years ago, I never would have guessed that the people I talk to the most would even talk to me by choice.
- I hate spin-offs. Nothing's ever as good as the original. Except for, as Damian pointed out, The Dark Knight.
- I binge on people. I will spend a weekend seeing people constantly, and then I will need at least two or three days of avoiding people to recover. This will happen the week after I am in Indiana next, as it usually does when I go to Indiana.
- I am ridiculously excited about the midnight release of the next Harry Potter movie and all of the crazy plans Michelle, Erin and I have cooked up surrounding it.
- I collect all the rejection letters I've received from potential employers, just to prove to myself that I really am making an effort in this whole job search thing.
- Children inspire me. Make-believe is my favorite game to play while babysitting. I've been everything from a crazy cat woman (as opposed to lady) to a horse, superhero to a villan. It's a grand adventure every time. I've also eaten just about every imaginable combination of plastic food, too.
- My two favorite movies remain Mulan and Moulin Rouge.
- I have only missed one Father/Daughter Banquet in the last fifteen years, and that's still one of my biggest regrets. And I really don't mind that we have crappy seats this year.
- Driving is one of my favorite activities. I was extremely disappointed when, due to unforseen circumsances, I couldn't drive all the way back from California this summer. But driving what little I did through the mountains was incredible.
- I love honey. Margie got me hooked on PB & honey sandwiches this summer, and I haven't been able to stop eating them. It also tastes amazing in tea.
- I am finally learning what mentoring really means. And it is amazing.
- During non-Christmas season, I usually only receive two things in the mail: bills and rejection letters.
- I am a book purist. If someone is going to turn a book into a movie, they had better do a darn good job keeping the plot and characters right. Otherwise, the movie's bunk. (See, for example, The Golden Compass or Simon Birch ... or just don't see them and take my word.)
- I gain weight when I live with my parents. It is one of the many reasons I want to live on my own again. I eat healthier ... and I eat less.
- One of my biggest fears in life is that I will end up like Catherine Parker in The Pretender, having to celebrate a Christmas sitting in an apartment all by myself. I saw that episode back when I was in elementary school, and it still hurts my heart to think about it.
- I go all out when given an opportunity to wear a costume. I borrowed my grandma's wig for an old lady costume, and dressing up as a ninja was too fun. I'll never forget the Ugly Pink Dress episode, and The Cracker Whore was insane. But my favorite costume is always a poodle skirt.
- This year, I am thankful for tax season.
- I identified with May while reading the book The Secret Life of Bees.
- I sometimes squeak when I laugh. It happens when I forget to breathe. This happens less often than it used to. I'm not sure if it's because I don't laugh as hard or I've somehow learned to remember to breathe.
- I'm extremely proud of my friends for their accomplishments. I mean, what else would you expect from someone with friends who've been on the cover of magazines, quoted in Newsweek, interviewed on CNN, working on projects they are incredibly passionate about ...
- I always give plungers as bridal shower gifts.
Thursday, 01 January 2009
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Currently
The Little Prince
see related2008 Year in Review
Well, I realized that, as time progressed, people really didn't need to hear me repeat over and over about how I was rejected from this job or that. I also realized how little I've written since I've returned from Chicago. I think it's a bit of the spirit of giving up that's caused that.
January: I can't believe that I forgot to mention RENT in that last post.
February: Last night, I unexpectedly had the chance to spend the evening with some friends.
March: It's been a while since I've updated. I've been pretty busy.
April: So, today I received a rejection letter in the mail from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
May: This, my friends, is a general idea where I've been since last Thursday, most of the driving being from Thursday night to Saturday. I'm exhausted.
June: Well, to say it, "So, I'm in Chicago."
July: I’ve come a long way.
August: Reasons I Want to Move to California
September: I'm gradually becoming numb to it all.
October: I have a talent. It's called "predicting what a letter will say before I open the envelope."
November: Because I'm A Follower
December: --zilch--And as I included last year ...
Best and Worst of 2008
Best CD of 2008
3. The Killers - "Day & Age"
2. Sex and the City Soundtrack
*1.* Wicked Soundtrack (even if it is only on my mp3 player ... thanks, Aimee!)
Honorable Mentions: "Paper Skin" and "Grown" by Kendall PayneMost Listened to CD of 2008
3. RENT Soundtrack
2. Untitled CD from Caleb
*1.* Sex and the City Soundtrack
Honorable Mentions: "Paper Skin" and "Grown" by Kendall Payne, "Plans" by Deathcab for Cutie, all the Jack Johnson/Alison Krauss/Sufjen Stevens music on my computer, "Day & Age" by The KillersMost Disappointing Album of 2008
3. Can't really think of one ... I didn't really get too many new CDs this year.
2. Derek Webb's 2008 "Mockingbird" special edition ... because there was nothing special about it compared to the CD I already had.
*1.* The empty CD case of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra CD I tried to buy in Sturgis.Best Movie Seen in 2008
3. Sex and the City
2. Dark Knight
*1.* 27 Dresses
Honorable Mentions: Dan In Real Life (A close 4th ... and to think I'm not a fan of Steve Carell!), Enchanted, Made of Honor, Sweeney Todd, Bedtime Stories (Hey, it was cute!)Worst Movie Seen in 2008
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2. Wanted
*1.* Blindness (This won HANDS DOWN!)Best First-Time Read of 2008
3. Baudolino by Umberto Eco (My only purchase ever at Hyde Brothers'.)
2. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Thank you, Kelsay.)
*1.* The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (Thanks to Sam.)
Honorable Mentions: HP & the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (Thus, I am excited for this coming summer.)Best TV Show of 2008
3. House (I finally discovered it this year ...)
2. Bones (I'm still waiting on Season 2 from Egan.)
*1.* Pushing Daisies (I've seen all but one episode to date.)
Honorable Mentions: CSI (I was a faithful watcher while in Chicago ...), The Pretender (The Spoelhofs got me hooked again ...), HGTV shows (Guilty pleasures from the summer, really.), Smallville (I think it was spring when I was obsessed with that show ... darn Green Arrow ...)
Worst TV Show of 2008
3. My Own Worst Enemy
2. The Starter Wife
*1.* The Suite Life of Zach and Cody (You'd think that Tim wouldn't watch it so much considering it's Disney Channel, and he's in college, but no.)
Hollistalker
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- Name: Erin Joy
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 9/25/2004
