reward

I was driving very early this morning & heard about how they're offering a $100,000 reward for information on who cut the fiber optics cable yesterday downing all of AT&T phones line.  And I think to myself, 

"I should tell them who did it! We could really use $100,000." 

Totally ignoring the fact that I have no idea who cut the fiber optics cable yesterday.

So apparently I'm going into the Harriet the Spy biz. 

Any leads would be appreciated.

+

=

two by two or, a simple rhyme scheme

ipod perturberances

a. Earbuds -too big to make using them fun.

b. Spinny dial- surprisingly tricky for me

songs you should hear immediately

a. Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch

b. Hey Ya by Obadiah Parker

notable st. patrick's day

a. Rebs made delicious corned beef & cabbage.

b. One guest did all of the dishes. I feel surprised & very grateful. Such a thoughtful gesture.

dinner of condiments

a. middle eastern flatbread dipped in hummus

b. and cucumber tzatziki

words I CANNOT spell

a. tzatziki

b. definitely - I always have to look it up.

family news

a. someone lost a job. Sucky.

b. someone won a free honeymoon. Awesome.

luring into my California web

a. BFF hopefully coming for a week while Rebby is gone

b. trying to convince mi madre to visit for a girl's weekend

thoughts I often have while working out with my new trainer

a. "Why do you think I can do this? I don't think I can do this!"

b. "I am paying this man to hurt me?!?"

I wish to own

a. hammock

b. 2 trees from which to hang item a.

holdovers from the wedding that I dread doing

a. thank you notes - so  late it's embarrassing.

b. photo albums - how to narrow down from 2,000 photos?

need to happen around these parts STAT

a. laundry- we're this close to wearing each other's clothes, stinky but if people keep their distance at least they won't know we're re-using dirty clothes.

b. grocery shopping - see; dinner of condiments

I'm praying my guts out about

a. Los Gatos High School which has lost 3 students in the past 4 months

b. discerning the future

lenten lessons

a. prayer is good, praying in color is really working for me.

b. it's easier for me to appreciate my blessings when the weather is so nice.

days on which we have hosted parties

a. Saturday

b. Yesterday

what the economy has me wondering

a. "Why didn't Communism work out?"

b. "Why does John Stewart seem to have the most justice-oriented dialogue going right now?

an interview with myself

Why not? It's my blog. And I am drinking wine...

1. Do you think blogging is an egotistical hobby?
Yes, I think it is a bit vain in nature but also quite harmless. I don't think I'm in any real danger since I have less readers than I do fingers  on one hand. But a free activity that encourages people to write & be a bit more self-reflective can only help communication in the wider world, right? 

2. If you could go back in time and meet yourself 10 years ago, would you tell your former self anything about the future?

I would try very hard not to tell myself anything specific, but I am notoriously bad at keeping surprises surprises.  I would tell myself, "Oh Baby, it going to be so much bigger & better than you can imagine. Don't be so hard on yourself, just do your best & be kind to everyone else who is trying to do the same."  

This is probably really good advice for right now, as well.

3. OK,  confess. Do you have a secret ambition? Something which you may never actually achieve, but you're still holding on to in a corner of your brain?

My secret ambition is to do stand up comedy. Why? Because I like to tell stories, & make people laugh, & love to be the center of attention. Stand up comedy is clearly perfect for me, if I was brave enough. I'm scared of the sound of crickets. And, Rebs, when I told him that I wanted to do this said, "But... you're not funny."  Not so supportive! He later modified that to say, I'm funny but not stand-up funny. Whatever, I've already decided that if I am discovered I won't share any of my comedy millions with him.

  Someday, I will try it out at an open mic night. You know, under a pseudonym, in Iowa, when I'm 83 & have nothing left to lose.

What do I have to lose now???

so much to blog,

so little time. I have been a blogslacker in preparing to go on retreat this weekend. BUT I promise some great blogs in the near future including one more politico, and some major info re. FARMYLAND!

And, as always a random photo:

Random because I have no idea where this was taken or why his tongue is hanging out, or if my tongue is also hanging out for that matter.

what's the...

hand motion for thank you?  I was driving home during rush hour & a lovely, beautiful, generous person let me merge in front of him/her.  I did a lame little wave which I meant to imbue with great gratitude but I'm worried it reads like a holding a hand up to someone's face ie. "Whatever, playa!" (Yeah, I know I can't even pull that off in type.)

I know lots of non-thanking gestures - not that I use them very often. But what a universal thanking gesture?

And for fun: these deep thoughts on hand motions in the afterlife*. Enjoy.

*Possibly only funny to youth ministry types, but oh, so funny to those chosen few.

from my shiny, new facebook- about me:

1. I am a neat freak, not a clean freak. I don't really consider germs a problem since I can't see them.

2. I consider it an act of aggression when people show up early to an activity I'm involved in. Clearly, I won't be ready.

3. I like presents! Picture Rebs saying, "She really likes presents." with an eye roll.

4. "I'm always the hostess! When I was a little girl the kids brought their dollys to my tea parties! I served the best air!"  (If you know what this is from we should be best friends.)

5. I would rather be caught without pants than without mascara.

6. I use pet names for everyone, including myself - when I talk to myself, in my head they're said with a Southern accent. Right, Babycakes?

7. I read a lot. For fun. On purpose. A lot. Like several books a week. If you do not like to read don't tell me- I will equate it to you telling me you ran over your grandmother with a car.

8. I believe in fairytales. And miracles.

9. Want more deep thoughts & minutiae? I blog.  Yeah, I'm vain like that.

10. I like making lists & cookies & out (with my husband).

gratitude month

I always mean to celebrate Gratitude Month in November & write a card of thanks to someone special everyday. How many did I write last year: 2 This year: 0 

And that is just wrong when you think about how many wedding thank you's have yet to be sent. 

SIGH. There's always next year.

Yes, when I feel insecure about not having anything exciting to write I do attach unrelated & flattering photos of myself. Thanks for asking.

Look at that hair! Why, oh why did I cut it???

this is not a test...

This is 2 things from my day that make me smile.

1. Ironic smile:

Yesterday I got a new phone in my office after 3.5 years of horrible static interruption that required me to turn off the radio, fan, space heater, paper shredder & close the window so I would have even the tiniest chance of hearing who was on the other line.

Today my new, glorious, & fully charged phone rings I prepare myself for the first momentous hopefully clear as a bell call, take a breath, answer it & hear....

a telemarketer recording.

But dang, could I hear.

2. Slightly superior, infinitely amused smile:

If you click on this link you can find out what your name would be if Sarah Palin was your mama (the horror!).

I would be Stepper Choke Palin.

I probably wouldn't get into Griffyndor with that name. Or youth ministry for that matter.

Now, you try. Then, come back & tell me what your name would be.

throwback

to schooldays.  My BBF & I would write our notes to each other in a thin Crayola marker in a color that represented the boy we currently had a crush on, because, let's face it that was mostly what the notes were about. 

Today I wrote my to-do list in this color which was the color for a boy I had a crush on in 11th grade. We meet at a coffeehouse we spent every Friday night at. We never actually dated. Unrequited, you know.

I could go for some coffee now. My office is COLD!

best junkmail ever

A few weeks ago I lost my favorite pen. Although it was a freebie from a funeral home & I'm not sure how I ever got it since I've never been to that funeral home it was a pretty blue & fit into my paw perfectly.

Today a fundraising company sent me a freebie of their product. A pen that is an even prettier blue WITH MY NAME lasered onto it. Maybe I won't lose this sucker.

YAY! 

It's the little things,  people.

Also, the ministry will not be selling or purchasing any pens anytime soon so my keeping the freebie is not a bribe.

looks like

andi looks like any young healthy rhesus monkey.

This is the first sentence that come sup when I googled the phrase "Andi looks like..."

 

Sounds about right.