BB7

You're so entertaining, and funny, and witty. You're the best season of Big Brother yet. I'd like for you to come our wedding even - you'd be fun to have at the reception, I think. If we send you an invite, would you RSVP? Where do I send that then? BB7@cbs.com ? (Except for Danielle - you're no fun at all - You can't come). Your "You betrayed me bit..." talking to Erica? What was that? What did you think? That she would just NEVER vote against you in any way all the way to end, even if it meant sacrificing her own game? At least she has the brains enough to LISTEN to Chill Town tell her that she can't beat you!? She might not know that Boogey is playin' her, but she has brains enough to know she can't beat you! You're just mad 'cause you're gettin' the boot this week! hahaha...

HAHAHA! I think that Chill Town should stay just because they're ENTERTAINING! I mean, this is just GOOD TV! Did you see Will and Boogey's last little bit Tuesday night? "Ring Ring? Hello?..." HAHAH...

O! H!
I! O!
o i feel sick!

The first Ohio State football game is this weekend and the entire town of Columbus is already going nuts. It's only WEDNESDAY! The radio stations are already playing the fight song!? IT'S WEDNESDAY!? Ugh.

Kurdistan - Chony Bashy?

I read today that David is not going back to our city this fall, but is going to wait until the spring. He was a teacher at an elementary school, teaching music. You might remember when I sort of "discovered" him as being in the same city and Robert said, "Oh I know this guy." Small world and all...And, also he wrote about a fire at the school there this week, and I can only imagine how much harder that much make things feel:


I say, "our city" like I've been there, right? I have dreams about it; I've seen pictures and maps about it; I've seen the people and know some of their names. I wish I knew how it smelled, but even still, I feel like it is my city. (And I hope by now that you all know when I say "our city" what that whole thing refers to. If not, you'll have to do some serious back reading to catch up). I'm not judging David at all for not going back right now. The way he explains it on his blog is just how I've wondered if it can happen for those who come home with plans to return. I've wondered if it could happen just like that for Robert (read: Robert and I). I don't WANT it to...but your LIFE doesn't just stop being your life here in the States, and I wonder if as beautiful as that thing over there is, if life here is just as amazing in a totally different way. I mean, not the STUFF. I think you can get used to not having the stuff (Bob talks like he mostly did). But I wonder if LIFE is just some kind of different GOOD here. David says,

On one hand, I'm disappointed that I'm not going back right away. In a sense, I felt like I'd sabotaged my own efforts by not working hard to get my finances secured. But on the other hand, I don't believe I was ready--emotionally or spiritually--to go back so soon. My lack of motivation to do what was necessary to go back is perhaps an indication of that. There is a real sense of relief, of peace, at being back home for an extended period. I missed being here, perhaps more than I expected I would. Not to mention, the extra time back in the States would allow me more time to visit people, even explore the possibility of a new relationship.

and I wonder if it's just that complicated, and just that simple, all at the same time. That's hard stuff, you know? Can you imagine how conflicted that must make one's heart and spirit? It's okay to miss being home, though; okay to be done with being there if that's what God's told you. Okay to want to go back later and okay to want to go back now but have things that need taken care of first. Okay to be going back as soon as you can!

God - bless David as he works through this and bring him to a place where he is just where you want him to be (which is close to You no matter where he lives and serves). And for the kids that are still there - find a way to let them know it was never about Mr. David; All that happiness and joy - it didn't come from him, but from You. Bring them NEW workers with the SAME joy, so they know that there's just something about You! ;-)

U GOT THE LOOK




My favorite Prince song is "U Got The Look." (Dang, that only took a month). "Why that song?" you ask? For these lines:

U shonuf do be cookin in my book +
Your body's heck-a-slammin

Anytime someone uses "Shonuf" in a song, the song works for me. And who says, "heck a slammin" and gets away with it? Only Prince and Shakira. Plus, it just SOUNDS cool. So much old school electronica in the song - you gotta like that.

Warning on the video - some viewers will find it trashy. It is PRINCE after all. HA! but when those of you who do watch it watch it, keep your eye out for the couple doing the wheelbarrow halfway through. WHO KNEW the wheelbarrow counted as a class act dance move? I'm a pro at the wheelbarrow. Joe and I used to do that all the time in the front yard! I could have been on tour! Sheila E. had nothing on me. Live and learn I guess.

TO DO LIST: MERGE NEW LIVES (AND COMPUTERS)


In 24 days, my life will merge with Robert's in more ways than one...but ONE way that it will NOT is that he is not bringing his shiny Macintosh into our apartment. Since he has a laptop and I have a laptop, he's leaving his Mac with his sister. I'm already a little techy as it is; no need to have three computers in one house. This is fine with me. I have a strange relationship with Macs. Before I went to college, I didn't know other computers existed (my high school computer lab ONLY had Macs, and lots of them). I lust after them...because they're pretty and they tend to beat PC's when it comes to graphic design applications, music and video and they're just more stable it seems. BUT...check out this video, laugh a little and if you own a Mac, don't even TRY to defend your beloved, because you know, you KNOW, it's totally, absolutely true. ;-)

WHEN YOU USED TO TELL ME THAT YOU CHASE TORNADOES, DEEP DOWN I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A METAPHOR.

WOO HOO! That's what I'M talking about! Jim and the crew over on Channel 4 earned their pay tonight! Tornadoes everywhere! And not just EVERYWHERE! Within miles of my apartment!

I know what you're thinking. No, this is not some crazy dream loosely based on an episode of Friends. It really happened tonight! Here's how it went down. I was in the kitchen, cooking up some chicken, orzo and spinach, while watching another episode of Yes, Dear (I like that show). When all of a sudden, the NWS plasters a red ticker across the bottom of the screen and blathers on about a tornado warning in Far-a-way County. No big deal to me, since I don't know where Far-a-way County is...but 10 minutes later, they say "Hey - Pay Attention! Tornado Warning in FRANKLIN COUNTY," and I paid a little more attention since I know where that is (it's where I live).

One of the things I love about Robert is that he helps me to learn my way around Columbus. I was actually learning my way around pretty well right when I had to stop driving last October, so now I have to just try to WATCH and learn instead of DRIVE and learn. It's harder that way. In moments like THESE though, it's GOOD to know where roads are, because Jim the weatherman doesn't speak JUST TO ME when he says, "The tornado just touched down at 104 southeast of Grove City, in between 23 and 71, approaching 270, in the cell that is growing to the northwest." In my mind, I'm thinking, "JIM! Could you speak English and tell me EXACTLY how many miles that is from my place, because if I'm doing the math correctly, every one of those roads are the next major north/south roads to the east of my apartment, bordered to the top by 270. Basically, you just told me it's right next door - within maybe five miles?" But he doesn't do that (of course, because he has other viewers, and I understand this because Jim and I, we have an understanding like that where I understand that his show does not revolve around me)...

By this time, the tornado sirens are going off, and they're really loud. I've heard sirens before, but this time, they seem to mean business. As if to say, "No really, go to the basement or bathroom." But the thing is this: I'm a weather nerd, and I can't help myself. My bathroom is only seven steps from the front door, so I figure I can watch the storm, watch Jim and the weather report, AND make it to the bathroom if I actually SEE the tornado within a span of about five seconds. Shoot! I could ALMOST watch the TV while using the bathroom! After all, it was maybe five miles away?! I'd have time.

What fun! This was the closest I'd been to being in a tornado since that time that I WAS in a tornado at Devan's house before going to dinner at Cracker Barrel! Only this time, it was hardly raining and it was hardly windy, so it was kind of creepy - like the twister was going to sneak up on us at any moment!

Us. Who am I talking about? It was just me. Unless you count the Jeni's sweet corn ice cream I had in the freezer. I bought it last week and was trying to save it all until Robert got home from CA this Wednesday, but the thrill of the twister chase was too much, and I had to have some of it after the tornado. Sort of like when they had steak at Aunt Meg's after the big chase in Twister, I suppose. (Don't worry Bob, there will still be half left when you get home.) Back to the story - it's easy to get distracted by Jeni's...

Jim and his crew are frantically following the tornadoes, I'm frantically weatherspotting, my neighbors (much less experienced than I - they SLEPT through the sirens for goodness sake!) are just standing on the porch doing nuttin', and here we are, each of us seperately hoping for a different outcome. And now, as always...

*sigh* The storm fades and disappears into the night. *sigh* No tornadoes for me this time. No hail or flying cows or even a debris field. I make a few phone calls to excitedly chatter on and on about my near death experience with the Tornado of 2006, and how it compared with the Tornado of 2001, but wasn't as exciting as the time that the entire dorm had to evacuate to the hallways during Spring Break 1998 for the tornado that actually HAPPENED (but never even came near campus). It's all for the best though. Now is not a good time for a tornado to be moving up on my apartment, even if it would have been a cool story to tell. I have better stories to tell.

I'm getting married in 24 days! ;-)

UNRELATED PICTURES.

WITH POISE AND RATIONALITY

Felicity was one of my favorite TV shows. It's up there with the West Wing, Grey's Anatomy, and Dawson's Creek. With the exception of the West Wing, none of them add anything to my character or personality, and if anything they only serve to make me LESS of whatever I am. This story I'm going to tell proves it.

Yesterday I saw a rerun of Felicity where Felicity is working in the art studio and a mad fire breaks out just outside the door. Noel (of course NOEL) rushes in to save her just seconds before the fire engulfs the studio, but they only have time to save her, not the work she's been slaving away at for months. [end Felicity story]

I actually set my apartment's alarm last night, which is odd. I haven't been doing that lately. But there was creepy air last night, so I did. In the wee hours of the morning, I thought I heard it going off, or should I say, drowning. I thought I heard my alarm drowing...and I woke up. As I woke up, I thought, "NO, that's not the security alarm, that's the FIRE alarm drowning." (you can see where this is going, right?) Which, in MY mind, it WOULD be drowning if I were half asleep and my ears were blocked my layers of smoke and fire!

And WHY was it so dark in my apartment? AH! the smoke must be covering all of the little lights that I would normally see! The alarm clock, the glow from the street light outside, those sorts of things...I couldn't see any of them! It was all beginning to make sense as I was waking up. My apartment was on fire!

MY APARTMENT WAS ON FIRE!

I grabbed for my phone, and jumped out of bed. I ran downstairs, waking up in bits and pieces as I went. 1,2,3,4,...14 steps down the stairs. (I don't know that - I'm just writing that for effect - because I suppose that's the sort of thing one would remember at that moment). The entire time, I'm thinking, "MY APARTMENT IS ON FIRE! AHHHH!" and asking myself, "When is Noel (aka Robert) going to crash through the door and save the day?" I'd also flipped open my cell phone, because DID YOU KNOW! that your phone's display light probably works just as well as a flashlight in case of an emergency? I was using it to guide me through the layers of thick, black smoke around me to the front door. PANIC AT THE DISCO, to be sure! As I'm coming to the realization that my apartment, my lovely apartment, is ON FIRE, and I need to GET OUT. I reached for the door handle and

Only I'm pretty much waking up at this point, and realizing, my apartment is in fact, NOT on fire. There IS NO smoke and I CAN breathe just fine. And I certainly can't SEE any fire (my apartment is not that large - I'd see it if there was a fire). All of the lights ARE out, that's true enough, but there's no SMOKE obsuring the lights that are out. I can't hear that drowning alarm noise anymore, either.

What gives?

THE ELECTRICITY IS OUT.
Dang you Felicity! Filling the minds of the youth of America with all sorts of unnecessary drama. You should have stayed in that art room and had all your paints melt on you, and died a horrible death like the wicked witch, "I'm melting, I'm melting!"

A quick glance out the window showed the entire neighborhood was without power; a quick call to AEP confirmed that a car accident around the corner had knocked down a pole (AHHH...the drowning alarm sound? it WAS a drowning alarm sound. An ambulance or fire truck probably).

Felicity (she says with a fist raised in the air!). I never did like your curly hair anyway. Put away your flashlight phone Angie and go back to bed. "We expect to have service restored in by 5:30AM."

GRATITUDE, BY NICOLE NORDEMAN, pt. 2

The lyrics in the post below are from a song I like, so i thought I'd also try to give you the song itself. This file is an mp3 and will be available for 7 days or 100 downloads, whichever comes first. Enjoy!

Click here to download the file.

WHERE SHOULD YOU HONEYMOON QUIZ?
Not that we're going there...this is just a silly quiz...

You Should Honeymoon in Asia!

If you and your sweetie aren't world travelers, you should be! You have a flair for the exotic - and *will* eat the mystery meat! Asia is the perfect new experience for your new life! From temples to tofu to tech toys, you'll have trouble fitting everything in! Suggested destinations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Thailand, Austrailia

Where Should You Go On Your Honeymoon?

GRATITUDE.
(Nicole Nordeman)

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case ...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace ...

But, Jesus, would You please ...

IT IS FINISHED.

Not quite, but it's getting there. You woud think that my apartment was a pig sty from all the "work" I talk about doing. It wasn't, but it was (in my mind) in total disarray. I'm going to take a shower, and go to bed. Are you happy now? I've gotten about 10 more things done today in my effort to get my apartment put in order. Yeah for me. And it only took me another five hours to do it. At 6AM, Robert and I are leaving to go to Chicago to pick up one of his teammates who will be here for a few days. I'm so excited to meet her. We talked a good bit while she was there (via instant messenger) so I feel like I know a little of her already. After the few days that she's here, she and Robert both will be leaving for a week to head out west and talk with the organization they went with to just debrief about their trip, and even to train the next team that is going (how awesome is that). I imagine this this "reunion" of sorts will be much fun. Ok - Good night. ;-)

LOCAL CHARITY BEFORE BED

If you've been around much lately, you know that I have a growing hate for myspace. But, my friend from college Charity found me the other day, and I'm super excited about that.

Thanks Charity for saying hi today. You're a good find, and for tipping me off to Jonatha Brooke, who I actually thought was YOU when I first heard her singing the song "Because I Told You So." I wondered why you felt it necessary to sing under another name, maybe you'd just gotten THAT crazy famous you had to take a stage name? Either way, I can say I knew you when. ;-)

TO CONVINCE ONESELF TO DO RATHER THAN GOING TO BED

1. Everything still on the list below, because I never did get to take a nap earlier. Shortly after I posted that, I realized that the laundry I was doing needed flipped, the dirty towels upstairs needed brought downstairs, then the bathroom floor needed swept, I needed to start the corn for the "thing at church," I couldn't wear the shirt I WAS wearing, that I needed to, I needed to shoot out some emails to get the physical addresses for some family members who I don't have addresses for (so I can send invites to the wedding next week)... As you can imagine, by the time all of that was done, it was time to go. OH! But I did do the dishes.

But because of all of that, I've come home tonight to try to finish some of those things and actually go to bed. I haven't been sleep straight through night lately (not true exactly - I've just been waking up crazy early again like I used to). I've opted out of what I was supposed to be doing tonight (UnderGroundVineyard, a new experiential worship experiment at a friend's house here in Grove City). I figure if I can get some of these things done, a little order will be restored to my apartment tonight - and I can crawl into bed tonight with my Bible and journal and have some time of my own to just be, and it will be good all in its own right. Unfortunately though, UnderGroundVineyard is a good thing and deserves some attention. It's just attention or focus or heart I don't have to give this week.

2. Find a way to light a candle, or a match or something that causes a fire. Earlier when I was cooking the corn for the "thing at church," it finished right before I left, and so I left the pot of boiled corn water on the stove, thinking that I would empty it as soon as I got home. Who knew that boiled corn water would smell so much like rotting meat after only two hours? I ran out of matches a long time ago, and that's the sort of thing I forget when I'm at the store, so for times like now, when I want to burn one of my scented candles for a while, I don't have anything to light them with. Ick. I'll spray a little apple spray in a few minutes, but it will be better still when I get some matches.

TO CONVINCE ONESELF TO DO RATHER THAN TAKING A NAP

1. Take sheets off of bed contraption in spare bedroom and wash them. Jen is coming this weekend and we're replacing that "thing" Cristi made with an actual mattress. About time...even considering that in just a few weeks, we'll be taking that mattress out and moving my bed into that room to bring Robert's bed in. (consider taking the current spare bed down when we return the mattress after Jen leaves, rather than redressing it).
2. Go to store to get more laundry soap. Ran out this afternoon doing laundry.
3. Do the few dishes from lunch (which was, btw, very good). I love wild rice.
4. Oh. Don't take the bed down if it can be helped. It will be helpful to have it up until right when we switch the beds. We'll probably have guests here again before the wedding (ie Mom, Devan, etc...)
5. Finish taking old clothes out of the bedroom closet at least. If it doesn't fit, it joins Mt. St. Angie's Old Clothes, ready to go to Goodwill or the Free Store. If it does and I like it, it needs to be neatly restored in the ever dwindling (again) pile.
6. Tear through the linen closet. WHERE did all of those things come from? HUH? You know who I'm talking to...And WHY are they in the closet all willy nilly like that? Since when do I own a HUGE sewing kit?! with all sorts of ?? bobbles ?? Is that what they're called? I'm thinking if it doesn't fit a queen bed, and if it's not a full set for that bed, and if it's not the one full set that I need for the spare bed that's up now...it's leaving this apartment. I can't deal with all the STUFF.
7. Tupperware storage pit. People of the world, all I have to say is this: Bowls should have matching lids. Do not travel or move with bowls that do not have matching lids. If they don't have matching lids, you don't need them. You can't STORE things in them otherwise...If they don't have lids, they stop being storage bowls, so get rid of them. This area of my kitchen has to be dealt with soon...
8. FAMJAM! FAMJAM!'s website is back on track! They finally purchased the software to own for themselves and paid their deposit! Good for them, because they need a site soon! And good for me in more ways than one, but honestly, because it gives me something to do! A whole website that I get to do from scratch again! Yeah! I can use my brain again for the first time in months! I was beginning to feel like the Scarecrow! (and by beginning I meant I haven't had the chance to use my brain in months...)
9. Continue trying to find wedding ceremony music I like. This is going to be a problem. I remember my brother Joe's wedding, and my sister in law Carrie and I laughed and laughed at the music. It was nothing about the particular arrangements, it was just WEDDING music in general. There IS something about this that I like for the processional, I can't put my finger on what.

BUT right now, I can barely hold my eyes open. I've needed a nap for about two days...Maybe I'll nap now (for the next hour - we have a thing at church tonight at 6:30PM, so I'll have to wake up by 6PM and freshen up a bit).

Good night!

SLOW.

Am I the last one to catch on to that voice? I've heard the song "Where'd You Go?" by Fort Minor a thousand times, and the voice sounded so familiar. That's because it is. It's Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. Duh. I was checking out their website (which btw, the flash version is awesomely cool), read the band's bio and thought, "Well duh! OF COURSE! Linkin Park!" Good to know in case I'm ever on some pop culture TV show and they ask. Because that happens, you know...

HELP US TO BEGIN WHERE WE ARE...

September 24th through October 23th, praying for the Muslim world, one people group at a time. The 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus coincides yearly with Ramadan (a holy month of fasting in Islam). During that time Christians are called upon to make a concerted but respectful effort to learn about, pray for and reach out to Muslim neighbors—across the street and around the world. This little booklet gives specific ways to pray for individual groups of Muslim people across the globe during the month of Ramadan, and I ordered mine tonight for just $3. There's even a whole night this year for our city in that middle eastern country!! Imagine that - the believers of the world who commit to this praying for OUR city ALL AT ONCE! For more info, check out www.30-Days.net, and if you want to join in, just click where it says, "ordered mine," and snag your own copy.

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!

Friday, September, 22
6:30PM
Trinity United Methodist Church
8530 Lilly Chapel-Georgesville Rd, London, OH 43140

THE THROWDOWN OF THE CENTURY BEGINS AS ANGELA MARIE OSBORNE AND ROBERT DANIEL MEEKER TAKE ON MARRIAGE IN WHAT IS SURE TO BE QUITE A SHOW FOR ALL IN ATTENDANCE...SAVE THE DATE EMAILS, AND PAPER INVITATIONS TO FOLLOW VERY SOON

We booked the church today! The pastor had told us just days after we returned from London that the church was available that day, and had penciled us in, but we've been waiting and following up with him to find out the cost. Apparently, the pastor thought he'd left us a message on the 9th, detailing that info, but he didn't have MY number correct (oh - did I mention that we got this church for a price that is just ridiculously holy in our favor). It makes me want to walk around with my arms extended in the air shouting "I am an-NOINT-ed!" to illustrate the goodness of the price, it's that good, but that would be making fun of the goodness of the gift, and seriously, it REALLY is just THAT good. GOD has been really good to us this weekend, and rather than be flip about it, He really deserves a big thanks. I think He likes doing stuff like this just because He can.

PANIC IN THE AM HOURS

My phone rang at 12:15AM this morning, just shortly after I'd drifted off to sleep. I picked it up, looked at the screen and saw that it wasn't a call, but a text. Only two people text me. Ever. Bob and his sister Brandi, so whatever it was, it couldn't have been THAT important, not if it was a text, right? It was from Bob.

I flipped open the phone to see THIS urgent message:

WHY ARE THERE SNAKES ON THIS PLANE?

I giggled a sleepy giggle, and thought about replying, only I couldn't really think of an appropriate answer to THAT question that didn't have the word m*t*rf*k*n in it (which would make sense to you if you've seen the trailers for the movie), so I rolled my eyes and went back to sleep, but not before wondering, "When we're married, and I'm asleep, will he wake me UP to ask me that, or just not ask it altogether?"

SNAKES ON A PLANE. THIS THURSDAY.

COME ALONG AND RIDE ON A FANTASTIC VOYAGE(R)


This afternoon, Robert and I became the proud owners of a brand new (give or take 15 years) Plymouth Voyager minivan. My Uncle Bill and his wife Ann gave it to us as a Happy August 14th gift. It couldn't have come at a better time, either, so to me, this gift feels really lavish. Just in time to drag race our friend Brandy Shrader, who also drives this same make, model and year of minivan. I'm pretty sure our van will beat hers down. The cruise control even works still, I mean c'mon?! Our ride is totally bangin'.

No seriously. It has been a good weekend, and it was about time for a good weekend, too...

IT'S ORDINARY, PLAIN AND SIMPLE

I need to be quick about this because my bed is screaming my name. I could tell you the long versions of what all happened this weekend, but I'm afraid that I've tried to tell the long version a few times, and I've not done a very good job, so here's the short version.

I bought my wedding dress this weekend. Well, actually, my friend Devan bought it. Twice. The first time, she bought when she wore it her own wedding. The second time, she bought it when she paid to have it altered to fit me. I have loved her dress from the moment she slipped it on at HER wedding, so when she brought it my house last time she visited and said, "if you want this, I'd love for you to have it," I was so excited. BUT, even with losing (now) 70 pounds, it just didn't fit. Disappointed? Yes. It is a size 10 wedding dress, and though I wear a size 10 in real life, you know how that is in wedding dresses. So I just figured I'd have to buy a new dress. Long story short - we went to try on dresses again this weekend, and ended up asking the alterations lady at David's Bridal if her dress could be made to fit me, and she said (in her Russian accent), "Oh Ves. Very EasvilY! Yvou brving it in to mve vight now." So we did. And just like that, the dress that didn't fit - DID. And Devan waved her magic wand (read: credit card) and I have a wedding dress.

OK - I must go to bed. More happened this weekend that was fun and all, but I'm tired and really, I would bore you to tears telling you about it. It was fun for me though. Maybe I'll have something exciting to write about on Monday afternoon? We'll see....

REALLY?

Check out one of the theme songs for Snakes on a Plane and ask yourself, "Do I have my tickets yet?"

YOU KNOW, IT JUST OCCURED TO ME THAT WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD A SUCCESSFULY TEST OF THIS EQUIPMENT.
(DR. RAY STANTZ)


Here I am, just trying to sleep my day away for the first time in a long time...

See, just because one is not working and has nothing to do, doesn't mean that one should sleep all day. One should FIND things to occupy one's time, OTHER than sleeping. However, today was a day for sleeping. Back to the story though.

When around 10AM, these fellas with proton packs show up at my apartment complex and start blasting it. I hadn't noticed Slimer running between the walls lately or scarfing down any cupcakes, though like I mentioned a few weeks ago, FLIES, lots of flies, so I thought maybe that's what they were here for. I woke up briefly for a few minutes thinking that maybe the extremely loud spraying noises I was hearing outside would subside after only a few minutes...but after a half hour, I figured the Ghostbusters meant business. The noise - "it reminded me of that time that you tried to drill a hole through your head. Do you remember that?"

They started on the front of the building, and have chased the Gatekeeper for hours now. Lucky for me, I did manage to sneak in SOME sleep while they were far enough away from my actual apartment to keep some quiet. But now, Venkman and his crew have landed squarely at my door and windows, packs fully charged, and I have figured out what they're doing.

Despite my best effort to believe that the Ghostbusters are filming at Hertiage Glen, and that the slimy mess they left INSIDE my apartment at the door is in fact slime, they're just normal men, powerwashing the ENTIRE building. For hours. It's a good thing to know that the weatherstripping on the front door is NOT actually waterproofed, you know? Not that there's a flood of that proportion coming anytime soon, but still... I'll have to mop at some point today. And mop up the stair railing, too, because it got wet somehow.

That's too bad, eh? Ghostbusters at the door would have made for a much better Wednesday post than powerwashers. Oh and just because we're talking about it, you know what the BEST line from Ghostbusters was? "Ray, when someone asks if you're a God, you say YES!" hahaha... I know I say yes to that question all the time!? How about you?

P.S. PARTY AT MY APARTMENT FRIDAY NIGHT AT 6:30PM. IF YOU'RE READING THIS AND WANT TO COME, AND YOU'RE NOT AN AXE MURDER OR GATEKEEPER, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME. AND, AS A SPECIAL GUEST, THE FEMALE PRIMATE WILL BE BACK IN TOWN, ALONG WITH TEAM NICARAGUA, WHO I HOPE WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN US, THOUGH UNDERSTANDABLY, THEY MIGHT BE POOPED.

HOW FLY IS HE?


Drew Carey is gettin' played out by Nick Cannon's "Wild N' Out." It's like TheaterSports on crack, and lucky for me, I've been able to watch it for hours today as I've been sending out some resumes.

Friday night, Bob and I went to a dinner gathering of the coordinators for Perspectives, a college level missions course offered across the country. Robert was a coordinator for the area last year, right about the time that we were meeting. I've known about Perspectives since I was in college, as it was always touted as THE course to take as an primer to missions. It seemed that the crew from the Springs had all taken it already, as a matter of fact, or at least everyone from New Life! Anyway...it sets the foundation for learning outside of an actual college environment (I know that much and I haven't even taken the course yet).

I mostly sat back and listened to everyone talk during the night, because they were talking about people and networks that I mostly didn't know (though some of the names, I did somehow). The evening reminded me of SAGA - and yes, I know that there is only one person reading this who will understand that. It was an evening of talking about what each person had done in their respective courses, what they could do better, what they were dreaming of doing, what they COULD do TOGETHER, and then what GOD is doing across the world through the people who have taken the course, or what they WANT Him to do. It was a little surreal as I realized that Robert is one of those people, and that I'm a part of him now. BUT REALLY, I've been a part of this sort of thing even before Robert. I have to remind myself that I have been equipping people to go on the field for years, even if I haven't gone myself just yet to the place where I've known I'm supposed to go. I have more than a few students who are missionaries, and lots of students who have gone on mission trips through my ministry and the ministries I've been a part of. There are students who have been in my ministry who are full time youth pastors now, who will be equipping their OWN students to be missionaries one day. THIS is what I do - equip others for the work of the ministry; equipping them to DO that thing that God has gifted them to do, whatever it is. HOW I do that looks like a lot of different things, and I don't know what it's going to look like exactly as we launch into this next adventure...but it will work itself out somehow, because that's what I do. It might not look like the same thing these Perspectives coordinators have done, though honestly - what they've done sounds AMAZINGLY cool because in that particular environment, to hear these people talk about how their courses equipped themselves and others to GO - *sigh* I'm so excited to see what is coming up for me (and us). It couldn't come quickly enough.

SOUP AND SNOW PEAS, PT 2.

I need a job. And I still can't drive. Does that count as "something interesting?" No? I didn't think so.

Well then...Robert and I are moving right along planning the wedding that is now 49 days away. For those of you say, "I thought you didn't count DAYS, Angie!" You're right, I still don't. But, my wedding planning software opens up with a countdown. Don't let the fact that I don't count days make you think I'm not excited though. I am!

We've had a good planning week, too. We asked our pastor to do our ceremony, and he said that he got butterflies in his stomach over our asking him. So, the leprechaun is in for the ceremony, and he is also doing our pre-marital counseling, which has been fun already. Among the assignments, there was a list of questions that said something like, "Please mark the following items as necessary, desirable, useful, or luxury," and then listed things like, "family vacation, cable, internet, two cars, two incomes, pets, savings, retirement, etc..." Robert and I had to complete this survey seperately without sharing our answers, which we did (mostly). We were talking about it later, and he said, "OH Angie, when I saw the list of "necessary, desirable, useful, or luxury" I thought, "Angie is going to hate that! Not enough choices!"

Funny thing. I wrote at the top of that section, "Jason - you know me! There aren't enough choices here!" And, not to mention the fact that "unnecessary" and "unwanted" weren't choices. Bob and I both wanted to answer those for "pets."

[I'm listening to a band called Athlete. Good stuff.]

We also registered for gifts and other awesome stuff at Crate and Barrel, Target and towels at Sears. I'm most looking forward to the cookie sheets as it might end the Battle of the Fallen Cookies that is still happening at my apartment. [update from the field: made Batch #4 with all the proper ingredients with Master Commander Robert supervising, and the cookies still fell, spread and burned. Have concluded that the cookie sheet is to blame, though Robert says that these findings are not publishable in journals because I did not isolate the cookie sheet from the beginning. I know that, of course, but let's just be real. The cookie dough was wonderful this time. It's the cookie sheet that's causing the problem.]

We went to look at the church where we'd like to get married yesterday. It is best described the little brick chapel in the country... :-). Aren't Bob and I this strange mix of urban and country? Old and new? We talked also about alternative spaces, and wondered if we knew any friends who worked at any art galleries or warehouses downtown...Whatever works for us, I suppose.

[Currently listening to Pulp and liking it.]

And Devan - did I really say that? I remember that saying...but was I the one who said that? That sounds like something the short, fat, Jewish man would say.

Why do the throw pillows in my apartment still have the tags on them?

OH! AND! How sad for you if you have not had the opportunity to hear Robert tell about his time away in our middle eastern country. The funny stories are so VERY funny! Some of them are chuckle to yourself funny - some are laugh outloud funny - some are laugh so hard you're not even making a sound funny! But the stories of how his own life was impacted and what God showed him about who he is and what he was really there to do - those are amazing. It's unexpected and fantastic...

SOUP AND SNOW PEAS AND OUR LITTLE SECRETS...

I promise, I'll have something interesting to write about Thursday sometime...