Booyah.

I heard something today I thought was just ridiculous enough to share.

I was watching The Food Network (big shock, I know) and there were all kinds of Christmas promos going on . . one of which was a commercial featuring various Food Network personalities talking about how they spend "The Holidays".

One host - I'm not sure who he was - I've not seen him or his show before; talked about spending Christmas day with his family, lounging around and relaxing. Sounds typical . . then he continued on to say "We don't talk about religion or politics, none of it. ". Yeah - the last thing you should do on the day we celebrate Jesus' birth is talk about religion. Great.

It never fails to amaze me how quick Americans are to take Jesus out of Christmas.

Thanksgiving break is always a nice & cruel teaser for the Christmas break to come. I had a great Thanksgiving with my crazy family this past week. Some highlights: meeting my niece, Jocelyn Lia, dominating Guitar Hero, knocking Jessie's lights out in Wii Boxing, hanging out with my family & hearing Noah refer to me as "Rar" all week long. L's and R's are hard for kids to say . . my name is like a cruel joke. Some low points: my first Black Friday shopping experiencing which yielded little more than a pair of shoes and a hat, waiting all week for Madi to have puppies . . . she's still preggo, driving back to Lex in the rain and sleet Sunday night, watching the Colts squeak by the Browns. THE BROWNS?!

I got back to Lexington Sunday night around 8:30 and was so excited to walk in and see our beautiful white Christmas tree glowing in our dark living room. Picture to come soon. Christmas (finally) feels like it's around the corner.

While I was home my sisters and I dealt out "Secret Santa" names for Christmas shopping. Each year we each pick a name and shop for just one sibling (it ain't easy to buy for 4 - way to go, Rick & Deb). In recent years our "Secret Santa" has turned into "I'm not shopping for her - she's too picky - I had her last year - Santa" and we're all pretty vocal about who we won't shop for. That being said, instead of drawing names out of a hat we all basically negotiate with the family for which sister we'd like to shop for and then "call-it" before anyone else can. This year we were detmermined to let it be a surprise. Lisa, Jenna, Kara & I started drawing names at random on Thursday night. About an hour later we resigned to let our Dad arrange the whole thing to make sure Jessie & Adam didn't get each other. We finally got Kara to stop reading everyone's paper slips and were well on our way to hour one of secret keeping.

The next day Adam & Jessie came over and we handed them their slips of paper. I explained, in detail, the events of the night before and how it was imperitive to keep their gift recipient a secret and that they weren't allowed to even tell each other who each had. We made sure no one was looking as they opened their papers and read their names and everyone was happy we were back to the old-school "Secret Santa". Adam had been playing with his iPod and put it aside to open his paper. He pulled it apart, looked at it and said "Oh this is perfect. I have *(@#&$!". Literally less than a minute after I got done telling them how it was a secret this year Adam tells the entire room who he got. Good to know that when I talk he listens, right? So now most of us know who Adam has in addition to who we have, but the rest remain unknown. "Secret-ish Santa". Way to go, Rico.

While I was home I heard a comedian on Comedy Central talking about college - it was so dead on it was hilarious. He mentioned how when you're about to graduate everyone you talk to asks "What are you going to do after you graduate?" His reply? "I think my parents & I will go out to dinner. Oh after that? Yeah - I have no idea." Anyone who has graduated from college will identify with that. I can't tell you how many times people (myself included) pose the question above. "Hey Laura - what are you doing after graduation?" I would love to have a perfect little answer to spew back about where my life is going, where I'll live and what job I'll hold. Maybe I'll just start making stuff up. "I'm moving to Guam where I'll live in a palace and work as a puppet master. Wish me luck!"

I wouldn't consider myself to lie on either end of the planning spectrum. I've definitely got a type A personality, but more-so with current happenings. I'm not an excessive planner, but I'm not one to just sit back and let things happen, either. Anyone in college who is reading this is probably thinking "Big deal - no one knows what job they'll have after they graduate - suck it up." But I feel like my situation is a bit more complicated since I don't have an answer or even an inkling to any of 'em & I'm creeping closer & closer to that diploma. I can see myself living in Lexington a while longer, or moving away. Where? Your guess is as good as mine. As far as professions: I would love to own a dance studio someday, but in the meantime I could see myself teaching dance, being a visual merchandiser, working in marketing , holding a retail position , being a choreographer or having any number of other jobs, but I just don't know what will happen. This isn't a bad problem to have: much better to have too many jobs to choose from than not to like any job you think of.

So many college students get married and find a perfect job right out of school I think people assume you should have your junk together before graduation day. Here's fair warning: I am not one of these people. I like to think I'm not a train wreck, but I've definitely got a lot of growing (up), learning, and experiencing to do before I'll feel like I'm in adulthood. Just ask my sisters. I swear I'm perpetually 17. What? I'm old enough to vote/drink/marry/see R-rated movies? When did that happen?

It's so funny to me that I have friends that are teachers when I feel like we should all still be in high school. It's also hilarious to think about my friends getting a salary and not an hourly wage. See? I'm not 22, really. I still laugh at cuss words, body part names & potty jokes. All the above would be worrisome if I didn't have (awesome) roommates who had the same doubts/worries/immaturities/panic attacks as I do. There's nothing like sitting in our living room late at night posing question after question and answering close to none - then laughing about it all. The closer I get to graduation the more I realize it's ok to have questions and doubts and fears about "the real world" and turning into an adult (which I fear may alread have happened when I wasn't looking). If I had a perfect little plan laid out before me I would probably get bored and move to Brazil to break up the monotony.

Bottom line: I'm thinking about jobs I'd like to have and would be good at & it's been fun/scary/mind boggling imagining the possibilities. (Wow, I sound like a computer commercial)

Hit me up & tell me where I should work - y'all probably have a more rational perspective than I do. Seriously - if you're reading this I want a job proposal. Let's hear 'em. Thanks!

Nothin' much as of late - but I do have a few funny observations from around Lexington.

Around a week ago my roommate Kristina & I went to the mall. We were walking around and enjoying all of the Christmas decorations when we slowed our roll if you will, because we got behind two elderly women. They were both wearing long, floral button-up dresses and hats; one had a walker and one had a cane. We were about to detour around them until I noticed a few things. First; the lady with the walker wasn't using it like she should have been. Instead of relying on the walker to help her walk she was shuffling it along the floor and being a bit dramatic about it. Also, this same lady had dusty brown hair in a messy ponytail. What older woman do you know who pulls her hair into a messy ponytail? It's apparently too haphazard a style for women over 65 so I knew their jig was up. I told my roommate we needed to figure them out so as they veered left we followed suit. When they stopped at a kiosk we maneuvered around them to catch a glimpse and my suspicions were confirmed. These elderly women were two 12 or 13 year old girls dressed up as senior citizens. Why, you might ask, would two tween girls (yes, I said tween) dress up as AARP members and head to the mall? I think if you put two or more girls together a lot of un-funny ideas become hilarious.

Case & point: I will not name names, but my freshman year of college my friends and I were hanging out in a south-campus dorm room. We decided we needed something to do so we made a Wal-Mart run to buy a contraband blender & strawberry daiquiri mix. Yeah, you know where this is going. Or do you? We snuck our shiny new blender up 14 floors to the end of the hall where we giggled and shut the door behind us. Most college kids would have then pulled out their alcohol stash. Not us. We blasted some music, probably Will Smith "Just The Two Of Us" or Robyn's "Show Me Love" as we mixed up our virgin daiquiris and danced around the room. Next up? A bit of grade-school trickery with vitamin C tablets. A friend and I convinced our two other friends to chew vitamin C tablets that were supposed to be swallowed. Sounds mundane, but I've got pictures of us laughing so hard we cried. Had to be there, I guess. To cap off our evening one girl in our group actually belted a pillow to her back, put on house shoes, wrapped all of her but her face in a hot pink fleece blanket & rode the elevator for about 30 minutes. What's funny about a coed hopping on a heavily trafficked dorm elevator dressed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame? A lot, if you're not her. Andrea (whoops, it slipped.) came back to the room completely traumatized after a guy on the elevator was convinced she was drunk. Why else, he must have thought, would this scenario be happening? Morals of the story: friends make everything funny & even virgin daiquiris can lead to bad decisions.

Next observation: today I was on campus and had to run in a building to drop something off. It was my lucky day because as soon as I got to campus the one building I needed to go in was having a fire scare. Police cars and fire engines were everywhere and the entire building had been evacuated. Perfect timing, Kinsley. (I call myself Kinsley. Or Gorgeous. Depends on my mood) I waited around outside the building until the hazard had cleared and we were allowed to enter. I needed to go to the 3rd floor so I headed for the elevator. (3 flights of stairs? Please.) While I was waiting for the elevator I witnessed typical middle-aged woman banter. One woman (a UK prof) said "Well that was invigorating!" to which another woman replied with a thick southern drawl "Yeah, my fingers are still invigged." I bit my lip as the elevator doors opened. We all squeezed inside (no lie, we were teetering close to the maximum capacity) and more hilarity ensued. There were about 10 of us in this elevator, including a woman and her two small children; a boy and a girl about 6 and 4. The mother had her back to the little boy, who was just as tall as the mother's booty. The elevator ride must have been bumpy on her side because she wobblin' like a Weeble (anyone? anyone?). The boy got a faceful and said "Mom, why are you bumping me?" and his mother said "Because I'm trying to keep you in here, I don't want you to leave this elevator without me." and he replied "But your butt is hitting me in the face." His mother, without missing a beat shot back with "Yeah, that's why God put it there." The UK prof (still in the elevator) said "Haha, Oh to be young. If it's not because your mom says so, God did it for a reason."

I had a few more stories to tell, but I'll save those for a slow day.

Recent Happenings.

I've gotten a cleaning bug lately - I'm renting a rug cleaner tomorrow & I'm gonna steam clean my entire house! I'm fairly excited about it - the carpet in our house is filthy. My landlord came by today to look at our house before she puts it on the market & said "Y'all need to clean this carpet. Yuck." Point taken, geez.

I enjoy Thursday night television. Ugly Betty? Yes. 30 Rock? Heck yes. The Office? If nothing else is on . . it's not what it used to be. Grey's Anatomy? Fast forward through the gay action & I'm there.

This weekend will bring massive change for my house - I'm rearranging furniture all over the place. My grand plan is to move all the living room furniture into the kitchen while I clean the carpet, then move it all back in in different positions. Too bad this involves taking 25 5x7 pictures off the wall and re-hanging them grid-style on another one.

I've been buying concert DVDs lately & I highly recommend it. So far I've only got a small collection: John Mayer "Any Given Thursday" & Justin Timberlake "Future Sex Love Show". Both insanely good. I'm on the lookout for my next purchase . . I'm thinking it might be Beyonce. (Shut up, I have good taste in music). Any suggestions?

Finally, post-election thoughts. Buckle up, kids.

1. I'm glad I don't have to see political ads anymore

2. I don't understand how Obama being elected by over 92% of the African American vote isn't racism. Unless all 92% of these people have the exact same political agendas I'd like some answers. I heard so many interviews with African Americans at the polls saying "Oh absolutely: race played a huge roll in why I voted the way I did. It was the reason I voted how I did." If I had been interviewed on election say saying the only reason I voted for John McCain was because he is white . . heads would roll.

3. It's hard to say what Obama will do (or not do) in his presidency. He has so few accomplishments to judge him on we all just have to sit back and wait. However, unless he "changes the world" he'll disappoint.

4. As supportive as I was of John McCain & Sarah Palin, I refuse to be one of those bitter Americans who says "He's not my president". I saw too many people acting this way during George W. Bush's presidency and it makes me sad. Yes, Bush was your president for 8 years. You can disagree with his policies and ideas, but he was the President of the United States whether you voted for him or not and I think it is unpatriotic and disrespectful to claim otherwise. I will support Barack Obama as president, but I will not support his policies, viewpoints or "mandates for change".

5. I hope this election was a wake-up call for the Republican party. To have been beaten by a candidate who doesn't even qualify to run a company should be a splash of cold water in the face, to say the least. I hope in 2012 the GOP can come up with a candidate who is articulate, intelligent & qualified. As much as I disagree with Obama, I am looking forward to having a President who is a wonderful speaker. So many times during debates & speeches I would just sigh with frustration over John McCain & Sarah Palin's lack of public speaking skills. By 2012 I expect a Republican Presidential candidate who is up for the fight.

6. I will admit, I was so disappointed over the election results I went to bed soon after Ohio was called for Obama. I did, however, stay up long enough to see John McCain deliver the most poignant & honest speech of his entire campaign, What a poor time to peak. I literally had tears in my eyes listening to him.

7. I think its sad how quickly the blame has been placed on Sarah Palin. I don't know her, nor do I know the people blaming her for the downfall of the GOP in this election; but I think its a shame mistakes can't be accepted as a whole.

8. Achmadinajad congratulated Obama on his win. Enough said.

I could go on, but I'm tired and depressed. (Not really, just tired.)

C'mon - feedback - post-election thoughts? Concert DVD suggestions? Bring it.

So . . quick story for your reading enjoyment.

I got back from class this morning and was exhausted so I climbed back into bed for a little nap. I woke up a few hours later and was wandering around my room putting stuff away and cleaning up a bit when T-Cloud knocked on my door. "There's an officer near your car . . I think you're getting a ticket." AHH!! I ran around to find my keys (that are never where I remember putting them) and busted it to the front door and out to my car that was parked on the street. I see an officer writing on a little pad of paper (crap) and before I can open my sweet-talking little mouth a car slows down in front of my house.

This girl (my new enemy) in a white car rolls down her window and says "I'm so happy you're doing this." The officer glances her way and doesn't really acknowledge her as I approach him and say "Hi, Officer - I can move my car . . ." to which he replies: "Well I've already got it written out." I take this to mean I'm getting a ticket and there's no maneuver I can pull to get out of it. He says "Do you know why I'm writing this ticket?" and I may or may not have played dumb by saying "Because I'm parked on the curb?" I knew my car was facing the wrong direction and that it's illegal - but I wasn't about to admit it. People park facing both ways in my neighborhood all the time - so I never thought twice about it. This is the point in the story I hear my dad's voice say "I don't care what everyone else is doing; I care about what you're doing." Thanks, Dad.
The officer told me my house had been warned about our cars facing the wrong direction (which is a lie - no one ever warned us about that) but he also said he understood that we were new tenants and we might not have gotten the memo. I apologized and said I would pass the information along to my roommates - and here's where it got strange. The officer said "Are you free for dinner tonight?" and I didn't know what to say - if I turned him down would he give me the ticket out of spite? If I went - would he expect a second date? This guy was at least 30 . . that's way older than I'm interested in . . I hit a standstill.

Weird, right? Yeah - I don't know what I would have done if that had actually happened. Gotcha! :) But seriously - the officer said "Well, the ticket is $15, or I can just void it." Gosh - what to do, what to do? Pay $15 or void the ticket - what a tough one. I said "Oh that'd be great - thank you so much & I'll be sure to tell my roommates!"

Moral of the story: Don't park your car facing the wrong way on the street & keep your eyes out for neighborhood haters. Later today when I head out for a run I'm keepin' a lookout for that woman's car. I make no promises regarding further actions I may or may not take.

Fall weather has finally hit the Bluegrass! I couldn't be happier to have a 67 degree house, flannel sheets on my bed & open windows throughout the night. This past weekend my roommate Kristina and her sister Brooke & I ventured out to an orchard south of Lexington to pick pumpkins and check out their corn maze. It ended up being a bust - their pumpkins were pitiful and we wanted to wait for Jenna to hit up the 9 acre corn maze in the shape of Abe Lincoln. So we got hot apple cider and sat on top of a mountain of hay bales watching kids run around like little banchees. Then we hit up Wal-Mart to buy 'Hocus-Pocus', pumpkins, knives & anything with "pumpkin" in the title. (No lie; pumpkin air freshner, pumpkin coffee creamer, pumpkin pudding). Told ya.

Some observations from & thoughts provoked by last nights debate.


For one of the first times in this election period I caught a glimpse of what people see in Barack Obama. Its a struggle to get there, but I made it. After listening to him artfully tip-toe around the questions and accusations he faced, it is clear why his poll numbers are higher than McCain's. He is a very talented speaker and effortlessly draws you into his powerfully deceptive verbal mazes. It's no secret that the majority of Americans are vastly un-educated on the candidates and the issues. It's sad that we don't have a single news channel that is unbiased. No matter where you get your information; Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, a local or national newspaper or even the Internet you're getting a slanted version of the truth. For many Americans it is too arduous a task to sift through left and right biases to find the facts, so the extent of their knowledge is the media's output. If you take away what you know about the candidates and their issues thus far you would be surprised how differently Obama appears. Words roll off his tongue with ease and his steadfast emotions lead you to believe this man could and should be the next president of the United States. Unless you have proper background information on both Barack and his presidential plans you can't decipher fact from fluff.


One thing I still don't understand after following the election for months on end and watching each of the 4 debates is the concern over John McCain's "temperament". The media loves to depict Barack Obama as a level-headed, calm & rational debater, while they paint John McCain as a fervent, crazy, irrational loon. Take a minute and think about people that have influenced your life. Were those people calm & disconnected or engaging and passionate? I don't see how passion for America and the issues is a negative characteristic.


Going along with the theme of people not knowing the issues at hand - let's talk about taxes. Barack Obama talks about raising taxes for the richest 5% of Americans and giving a break to 95%. Sounds great for the middle class, right? Unfortunately Senator Obama is leaving a major statistic by the wayside. What percentage of Americans pay taxes? 100%? Cold . . . 85%? warmer . . . 70%? warmer . . . 60%. Ding ding ding! Only 60% of Americans pay taxes. Simple math tells us that if 95% of the American people are getting a tax break from Obama . . and only 60% pay taxes to begin with . . that leaves 40% of Americans that don't pay taxes receiving money from Obama's tax plan. 40% of illegal immigrants, non-working Americans and others who neglect to pay taxes in America will BENEFIT from Obama's tax provision. This has yet to be brought up to Obama, but I don't doubt he'd have a way of back peddling and skipping around his tax plan's flaws to con more Americans into thinking he's on track.

Enough of policy . . a few random observations.

What are the odds that both presidential candidates would be left handed? Yeah - I noticed.

Since when does Obama wear an American flag pin?

"You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq War, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest" - Senator Barack Obama

Does anyone else feel awkward when one candidate is attacked and they laugh and shake their head as they write notes for the rebuttal? I wish I knew their thoughts . .

I heard someone comment that Barack Obama has to be even-tempered in debates because if he starts to raise his voice or get emotional toward John McCain it will fuel racist comments regarding "black tempers". They went onto say that the reason Obama stays calm is so his critics can't say he went "ghetto" and lost his head. Wow.

Not a long one today - just random things goin' on as of late.

• Obamas up in the polls . . but G.W. was also down by about 10 points at this point in both the '00 and '04 elections. Stay strong, McCain!
• My facebook status has successfully peeved a number of people who take politics personally. I have been deleted from friend lists for saying Obama is a socialist. I stand by it - he is. If Obama wins I will gladly make a bumper sticker saying "Don't blame me - I voted McCain/Palin"
  
• Fall weather seems to be coming to Lex - mid 60's starting tomorrow! Woot!
• My landlord called me & said she wants to bring pizza and beer over so we can all "talk and drink" sometime. Ohhh if she only knew us. Let's just hope she doesn't show up one day expecting it to happen - things could get awkward.
• We've had our AC turned off for the past few weeks - anticipating fall & a cheaper electric bill . . . too bad it's been in the 80's and our house is blazing hot mid-day.
• I've had crazy dreams lately . . shark attacks, new age toaster ovens, front row seats for Sarah Palin speeches . . you name it.
  
• The debate tonight is crucial - - McCains gotta open up a can on Obama & his shady past & incompetence or it could be over.
  

Lately I find myself more disgusted with Hollywood than usual. I've made the analogy before that Americans view of Hollywood is like a high school clique. Celebrities are the "cool" clique in high school. You might not know or hang out with them, but you still hear about what goes on in their lives. Maybe a stretch, but it's all I've got.

I'm sick of turning on my TV & hearing about who's dating who, which celebs got DUIs the night before, and who's junk was hanging out for the paparazzi to see. If I could send one message to Hollywood I know exactly what it would be. "WE DON'T CARE!" I don't care what they wear, how their hair is cut, who they date, how much money they make or what they think. Yeah, I said it.

There are specific things about celebrities that just send me over the edge. Take award shows, for example. Let's have celebrities get together, wearing millions of dollars in clothes & jewelry, to tell each other how great each thinks the other is. "You pretended the best." "No, you did!" "Oh, you!" To top it all off: Americans tune in! Millions watch. Mind-boggling.

Another celebrity irk of mine? Standards. Mostly (to follow my recent blog theme) marriage. How many times have you heard someone (talking about a celeb marriage break-up) say "Well 4 years is a long time in Hollywood." Really? I didn't know there was a space-time continuum in California. In that case - 4 years must be like, what - a lifetime?! Great job! You paid your dues. Go ahead & get divorced & move on to someone else. Or just find someone new & attend to the divorce later, whatever. After showing such poor examples of what marriage should be, these celebrities then stand on their soap boxes & tell the world how homosexual relationships "deserve" marriage. After all, they clearly have a strong grasp on marriage and it's values. By all means they should be the ones to "expand" the definition of marriage to include two men or two women. Disgusting.

Add to this outrageous paychecks (when teachers & nurses & so many other societally valid professions are severely underpaid), ignorance of world affairs, egoism & complete lack of connection to anything not "Hollywood" and you begin to see my point.

I can't help but find the humor in celebrity attempts to "go green". Who is the genius that decides that the best way to convey an energy-saving message is to put on a massive concert event complete with lights, speakers, soundboards, & amps. Anyone else see this logical fallacy? They're so wrapped up in the celebrity world they can't see how their actions impact the world they live in. Their assistants will take care of it. I love how celebrities are always in public service announcements giving advice about family life & parenting. Like they're worth listening to.


One more rant & I'll end it. I love how celebrities are always in public service announcements giving advice about family life & parenting. Like they're worth listening to. Along those same lines - it always strikes me a bit odd when celebrities who make multi-millions per movie role have the gall to get on TV and tell Americans to start donating money to various causes. Not that everyone shouldn't contribute, but let's be honest - who is in the best position to donate some of their wealth to charitable organizations? Exactly.

I hope the next time you flip to E! or a see a magazine that catches your eye in the check-out line you think twice before giving it (and them) anything more than a casual glance.

Ephesians 5:22 (NIV)

Wives and Husbands

22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

I think so many young people today have completely lost sight of the Biblical role of husbands & wives. We hear it at weddings, then we say 'I do' and conduct our relationships as we please. God tells us to love, submit to, and respect our husbands. Love? Sure. I would say that for the most part, wives love their husbands. Submission. This ones a bit more tricky but mostly, wives submit to their husbands. Not entirely, not around the clock, not always, not freely. There is always room to improve. Now the hard one. Respect. R-E-S-P . . you get the idea. I swear, the girls around my age with husbands/boyfriends/fiancees always seem to struggle with this one. Seems like a no brainer. If you don't respect the man in your life, why is he in it?

Again - you might think this is a bit off since I'm not married & haven't experienced that relationship yet, but from what I've seen, the majority of my friends are getting it wrong. I'm sick of hearing complaints about spouses & negative attitudes overall.

Husbands & wives are supposed to be best friends, not annoyances & gossip fuel. It's sad, but I feel like people I know are getting married because they think it's the next step. They've been dating for x number of years, and they need relational change. The road forks at "break-up" and "get married" and too many couples wander the wrong way. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with girls who are convinced they should break up with their boyfriends, only to say "We talked it over - we're gonna stay together. I mean, I do like him". Boom - married within a year. A marriage built on "like"? Good luck.

I've never had a serious enough relationship to have considered marriage, but I can tell you this: I cannot even fathom transitioning from a mindset of breaking up to one of marriage. I just think there is so much time to enjoy each other in a dating context, get to know one another, grow in that and other relationships (friends, God) and have certainty in your hearts before you make a lifetime commitment.

I heard a girl I went to school with talking about her husband recently. She was talking about another guy & how she thought he was perfect & very attractive. What she said next was unbelievable. "Sometimes I wonder if (husband's name) & I should have gotten married at all." Really? Really. Wow. She went on to say that she had always pictured herself getting married right out of college, so when she was dating a guy around that time, marriage seemed like what was supposed to happen. Quick check: since when do things happen when we think they are supposed to? Some people are so tightly wrapped up in their plans they're missing His.


All that being said: I do believe when you know you know. Some people have perfectly healthy, God-centered relationships & absolutely know after a few dates they God's best for one another. Way to go! Too bad it's not always that easy.

I'm not bashing relationships. I just think they've been skewed. This blog is as much for me as it is for anyone else. A reminder of roles & reverence is good for all of us; it's not always easy or fun but I know in the end the rewards of a healthy, Godly, passionate & protected relationship far outweigh the costs.

I'm not married. I'm not engaged. Heck, I'm not even dating anyone. Just wanted to share that. Stay with me, this is going somewhere.

I've been thinking about marriage lately. Not the typical girl's fairy tale, Prince Charming, happily ever after thoughts. I'd like to think it's a little more fundamental & unique than that. Being a 22 year old college student I've seen my fair share of dating relationships, engagements & weddings. Fact: the three girls I lived with my sophomore year at UK are all engaged or married. That house had a 75% relationship success rate. Just call me the outlier. :) It's been an interesting & humbling experience to be on the spectator side of the dating game, but it has also radically altered my thoughts & ideas.

Recently I've noticed some comments I would have previously ignored. It's an awkward situation because I never noticed it before, mostly because I haven't had married friends until now. Hopefully no one takes offense to my observations. That being said - - story time!

A few months ago I attended a friend's bachelorette party. It was a fun day of swimming, laughing, eating & relaxing in Kentucky. Before the fun started all the girls met at my house to change & caravan to a local pool. Of about 10 girls in attendance all but 2 (yours truly being 1/2 that equation) were engaged or married. While we waited for everyone to arrive we all started talking. Quickly the conversations turned to husbands and fiancees and the comments shared were sad & shocking.

These Christian girls - all twenty-somethings - talked about their husbands like sitcom wives. All the usual jokes were employed, how to "train" a man, what to expect when he's "away from his parents for the first time" and so on. Listening to these girls denigrate their husbands was literally nauseating. I had to leave the room. These girls stood around for nearly an hour talking about mistakes their husbands make daily. True story: "I was cleaning the kitchen floor & had moved the stools into the living room. I left to get ready & when I came back the stools were still where I had left them. I was so furious! Can't he do anything on his own?" Wow. So let met get this straight. You moved chairs, left the room, and your husband didn't read your mind & know you wanted them moved back? What a jerk. He's got a lot of nerve, this one.

I can honestly say if the male counterparts had been present the conversation would not have occurred, which is an important indicator. Husbands were painted as incompetent, helpless & almost burdensome.

Take into consideration, this is a single girl's perspective. The grass is always greener on the other side, you always want what you can't have, blah blah blah. I don't care if I'm single or not - these girls are ignoring common sense. Marriage aside, these men are people. How does standing around complaining about them like they're some parasite help?

I heard another group of girls recently talking about "deal breakers" for relationships. Not an uncommon conversation to have, but this one took an unexpected twist. After "deal breakers" were brought up, one of the girls at the table said that anything else that is undesirable about men can be "changed". Her point was there are some things you should require for a husband, but if all the requirements aren't met you can demand the most important qualities & mold a man to fit the rest. Again, maybe this isn't unheard of, but I just kept flip-flopping the situation. If I were married and found out that my husband was telling his friends that I "met enough requirements" and that he was just planning on changing me to meet the rest I would be heartbroken. I know couples aren't entirely perfect for one another - in any relationship there will be compromises, but if you feel the need to find someone to "change" to make yourself happy I think the problems start with you.

I'm busy - back off.

Recap of the events since my last post.

1. 1 roommate decided to go AWOL & move out. At the end of September one of my roommates decided to interview for (not take) a job in Cincinnati leaving my three roommate & I to foot her bill for the house. Ohhh it gets better. She says she'll pay for October's rent to give us a bit of a cushion, nice of her. About a week later she texts the roommate who has her check to tell her that check is "bad" and that another check is in the mail. Check #2 arrives - but for $300 less than promised. Perfect.

2. AWOL roommate moves out and keeps her key. We ask her to return it and she tells us it's in the mail. I receive an envelope within an envelope about two weeks later. One envelope is from AWOL, and it sits inside a post-office envelope apologizing that my mail has been ripped open. You guessed it; no key. I would like to think the key fell out in a mail bin - but common sense tells me there are other possibilities. Someone could have felt the envelope - figured out it had a key in it; because AWOL didn't wrap the key in anything, include a note, or make any effort to disguise the contents of the envelope, ripped the letter open and stole the key. My roommates & I decided the best thing to do is get new locks - because who knows where the missing key is and who might have it. So last night - at around 9:00 I headed to Wal-Mart where I spent $40 for two new door handles & 2 new deadbolt locks. Fear not - they are installed & we are safe. Safe from burglars - not from idiots.

3. I had a summer class this past summer - and I got a random facebook message from a boy in my class just saying "What's up". Totally normal - except it was during class, he didn't know my name, and we never talked aside from his random message. Strange - but whatever - maybe he saw me on my computer & got my name from there? Whatever. I'm over it - UNTIL I OPEN THE PAPER AND READ HE'S BEEN ARRESTED FOR STALKING. I'm serious. Crazies are everywhere!

4. Jenna, T Cloud & I made the trek to Lebanon (KY) for Ham Days. I have heard all about Ham Days since I met Jenna a few years ago - but have never experienced it for myself. Folks; it did not disappoint. There were thousands of people in the small town of Lebanon. Saturday morning the girls & I got up bright & early to take it all in. Instead of taking the standard route through Ham Days, we mixed it up & experienced it from a window. A bridal shop window. Wearing wedding dresses & veils. For 2 hours we stood in a bridal shop window to advertise wedding dresses. We were all hesitant, but it was hilarious. The three of us in wedding dresses was funny in itself; we're nowhere near marriage & I think it was the first time we'd each seen each other wearing formal wear. As funny as we felt the people outside were even funnier. Most would walk by, smile & wave but others were shocked. I'm not sure if they didn't pay enough attention to realize we were real people, but some passers-by would walk along and then JUMP when they paid enough attention to see we were people. Too funny. People took our pictures, men proposed, little girls waved & girlfriends glared. Good times had by all.

5. We switched rooms! AWOL left us with an empty room - so the four of us decided against trying to find a random roommate to move in & spread out in the house to our own rooms. Luck of the draw gave me the master bedroom! T Cloud & Jenna moved upstairs & Courtney stayed put. Moving days were heinous - I had bruises & sore muscles from moving beds, desks, dressers & mattresses up and downstairs. It was well worth it; we all love having our own rooms & a place to call our own. This whole situation was a blessing in disguise - with a higher rent rate to boot. We'll manage.

6. I killed the biggest spider I've ever seen today. It was in a hallway closet in my house as I was digging around for anything that might be mine. I was on my hands and knees when a spider with a body the size of a quarter (no lie) scurried toward me. I jumped up & my first instinct was to shut the closet door. I did, but logic told me that wasn't the smartest decision. I opened the door up & found a snow shovel inside. I grabbed it and did work on the spider. So gross.

I think that's it - - I'm happy to report fall has arrived! I wore a sweater tonight & it felt wonderful. 65 is just about perfect weather in Lexington. Sunny skies & a slight chill in the air - just enough to make you want a hot cup of somethin' to sip on. I can't wait for the leaves to change & fall, the return of socks & shoes, coats & Halloween! Before you know it it'll be winter & Christmas!

I'm in the midst of an all-nighter to study for an 8 a.m. exam. I haven't even begun studying - but that's the joy of all-nighters. I've got so much TIME. In fact; I've got ALL NIGHT. (You should have seen that coming). Wish me luck!

Nope - I've not seen the movie - but I have heard really good things about it. This past Sunday the pastor of the church I attend in Lexington (Jon Weece of Southland Christian) spoke about living passionately. His whole sermon was about the importance of living for now, not tomorrow, next week or next year. It was really inspiring but also challenging at the same time. It's shocking (& a little depressing) to realize how my priority list shapes up lately. Am I focusing on what I should be? Sometimes. Sometimes?! Awful, I know - but I'm working on it. After talking about living in the moment, worshipping, praising & honoring God each moment & prioritizing our lives & goals in a logical & Biblical manner, Jon went on to talk about his own "Bucket List". Basically a list of things you would want to accomplish if you found out you had 30 days to live.

My roommate Kristina & I left church and talked about how good the sermon was and what would be on each of our bucket lists. It's an interesting conversation to have, but when you really think about it you might come up with a more challenging conclusion. Instead of writing out a list of hypothetical goals why not start living. Living. If you think about how your time is spent you'll probably be disappointed by what you find. If you had a grid with each hour of the day & you were asked to fill out each activity that consumes your day & night would you be happy with the list? If your day were put into a pie chart which slice would be the biggest? There are so many nights I lay down to sleep and wonder how the day flew by. Homework stays unwritten, miles remain un-run, meaningful conversations hope for tomorrow and goals stay at least another day away. For the most part I am not a good steward of the time I've been given.

I think the bucket list from the movie had 50 goals - but I don't see the point of putting a limit on it. If I found out I had 30 days to live I would have my days & nights packed with activity. Who needs sleep when you've got a month to live? While I like the idea of making a bucket list for my life, I'd rather think of it as a blueprint for the years to come. Here it is - in no specific order. Enjoy!

1. Sit in the front row on the 50 yard line for Colts v Patriots in Lucas Oil Stadium with my family (or my parents & whichever sisters were willing to go.) :)
2. Attend the Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies.
3. Visit every continent.
4. Apologize to those I've wronged.
5. Drive a Tesla.
6. Own horses.
7. Dance in the NBA & NFL
8. Open a dance studio.
9. Experience weightless-ness.
10. Sit courtside in Rupp at a UK game.
11. Skydive.
12. Coach a dance team.
13. Own a jetski.
14. Run a marathon.
15. See the Eiffel Tower at night.
16. Fall in love.
17. Get married.
18. Donate 1 million dollars to charity.
19. Adopt a dog and a cat that have been at a Humane Society the longest.
20. Ride in a helicopter.
21. Judge a dance team competition.
22. Donate my hair to Locks of Love.
23. Get an hour long massage.
24. Learn a second language fluently.
25. Read the Bible from beginning to end.
26. Learn to read & write Hebrew.
27. Design a dance-wear line.
28. Own an original Edgar Degas.
29. Spend a night in the White House.
30. Have children.
31. Have a movie-marathon of my favorites in an IMAX theater.
32. Attend an awards show, run onto the stage before the recipient of the award can, steal the award, run.
33. Ice-skate in Rockefeller Center in December with only my husband.
34. See the Russian Ballet perform.
35. Create a perfume.
36. See Justin Timberlake in concert.
37. Dance on stage.
38. Force those around me to pretend to live in a musical for 1 day. (Shut up, it'd be hilarious)
39. Get baby ducks to imprint me a la "Fly Away Home"
40. Learn to work & create with a pottery wheel.
41. Attend prom (This one's a lost cause, kids. Unless I date a teacher . . . I'm on it.)
42. Attend a masquerade ball.
43. Be in a shark cage.
44. Watch "Eureka's Castle".
45. Learn to do wings.
46. Learn to fouette on pointe.
47. Go camping with my family on Lake Kinzua & visit Boldt Castle on Heart Island.
48. Swim with dolphins.
49. Ride an elephant.
50. See Megan Mooney live.


Woot! I could keep going, but you might stop reading. :) I could say I'm leaving the blog to go live but really I need to study for a test that's 6 hours away. My pie chart for today is long on crazy and short on sleep. Boom!

Geez - what the heck am I doing with a blog? I don't fit any of the typical blogger profiles. Married? Nope. Kids? Nope. Aspiring Theologian? Not a chance. Mostly I just think I'm funnier, better with words, and lead a much more interesting life than 95% of people who blog. Plus I'm super modest, too. That said - if you want to read about a toddler's eating habits, how much fun some couple had on their recent trip to Lowe's or deep thoughts on doctrine & theology you're in the wrong place.

I'm not about to make any promises in regards to what I will and will not write about - but I'm fairly certain it'll be entertaining.

I'll be the first to admit I couldn't have cared less about politics, the President of the United States, current events or world affairs 8 years ago. My interest was peaked slightly when Bush was up for re-election - too many celebrities telling me to "Vote or Die" and to stand up and do something. Their message wasn't just "Vote or Die" as much as it was "Vote Democratic" - but at least it increased the voting population.

Lately the future of America consumes the majority of my thoughts. There isn't one aspect of this upcoming election that isn't completely mind-boggling to me. Mostly - I think the Democratic ticket is shocking, laughable, and most importantly; terrifying. Go ahead & say it - I know you're thinking it because CNN has branded it onto your brain like a logo . . anyone who doesn't like Barack Obama is a racist. And I'll beat you to the punch on your next zinger, too - anyone who likes Sarah Palin is a bitter, vengeful feminist. Wrong & wrong. Here's why.

Let's start with the man, the myth, the legend . . Obama. How this man got as far into the political arena as he did is beyond me. Qualifications? Minimal. Experience? Minimal. Far left ideals? Off the charts. The simple fact that he is the headliner on the Democratic ticket scares me as an American. This man has the most ridiculous quotes in recent memory floating around major networks and his approval rating is (relatively) steady. His running mate is so crooked and creepy it's shocking. Check these out if you don't believe me . .

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5DC133CF93BA2575AC0A961948260

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/08/obama-kaine-biden-bayh-vice-president.php

Right? Moving on. It's not fair to talk about Obama without addressing the initial inward draw he emanates. His oratory skills are amazing - dude can speak WELL. He has an undeniable "like-ability" factor that is hard to ignore. He's got a good looking family, something I find petty and superfluous when choosing the next leader of America . . but for some looks matter (ask CNN or Hollywood). Picture this - he takes the stage - the crowd roars - Oprah cries - celebrities everywhere stop rolling around in the money to listen to "a change we can believe in" speak. Sounds good as he starts - powerful voice, charismatic personality that draws you in. You wait, and wait, and wait - but it never happens. Sorry, folks - if you want to know what this man - candidate for President of the United States - actually STANDS for - you'll have to dig deep. So deep in fact, one starts to wonder if Obama himself even knows. It's hard to gain much from his speaking engagements aside from the fact that America is ready for a change, Oprah can't keep her dang false eyelashes in place, the Iraq war is ridiculous, the U.S. economy is in shambles, and George W. Bush has driven America into the ground. Really? So the economy hasn't grown 19% since Bush has taken office? Yeah - the Wall Street Journal, World Bank, and Capital Economics have clearly made a mistake. All of them . . the same mistake. Simultaneously. That has to be it.

“U.S. output has expanded faster than in most advanced economies since 2000. The IMF reports that real U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 2.2% over the period 2001-2008 (including its forecast for the current year). President Bush will leave to his successor an economy 19% larger than the one he inherited from President Clinton. This U.S. expansion compares with 14% by France, 13% by Japan and just 8% by Italy and Germany over the same period.”

So what else, you ask, does Obama stand for? He's got a clear stance on abortion: the more, the merrier. In fact - this guy is so enthusiastic about abortion - he's decided to give doctors everywhere a "get out of jail free card" if you will. No need for abortion doctors everywhere to make sure they finish their disgusting, reprehensible deed without a hitch - because Obama thinks that if a baby survives a botched abortion it is the doctor & hospital's duty to leave the baby unattended until it dies from partial birth abortion complications. Three times Obama voted for this bill. Three times. This from the man who said he wouldn't want his daughters punished with a baby.

"When it comes specifically to HIV/AIDS, the most important prevention is education, which should include -- which should include abstinence education and teaching the children -- teaching children, you know, that sex is not something casual. But it should also include -- it should also include other, you know, information about contraception because, look, I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at the age of 16. You know, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information."

Punished. Punished by having unprotected, premature, ill-prepared for, uneducated, irresponsible sex resulting in an STD or a baby. In Obama's eyes they're the same.
Next up? Sex education. Sit down, stop clapping & wait for it. Sex education . . . starting in kindergarten. Still doesn't sound horrible, right? That's because you're not getting the whole picture. 5 year olds in classroom - what "sex education" could possibly benefit such young children. Barely past TODDLER-HOOD. Well - Obama would like them to be taught about homosexuality, masturbation, marriage and sexual intercourse. 5 year olds. The same 5 year old you see running around talking about Sesame Street, Santa Clause & Superman should be getting sex ed at school. In Kindergarten. If you'd like to read more about this absurd curriculum endorsed by Obama the link is below.

http://www.perspectives.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=185504&forum_id=4.

Quick recap thus far: pro-choice & pro-infanticide, supports 5 year old sex ed, anti-responsibilities & anti-repercussions.

There are so many more issues to touch on - health care, economy, oil dependency, tax plans, foreign policy - the list goes on & on. I could, too. I'll make it quick.

Health Care: Does he know anything about the horrendous health care systems in Canada & Europe? & still wants to employ public health care in the U.S.?

Economy: 500 million new jobs? Perfect - where is all that money to generate new jobs coming from? Scroll down.

Oil Dependency? Don't worry - just inflate your tires more. Oh, & we'll harness wind energy, too - somehow. Just inflate your tires.

Tax plans? My personal favorite. Bottom line? Anyone who makes more that $250,000 annually clearly stole, inherited or cheated their way to their fortune does not deserve it. Let's go ahead and take it from them & give it to the "less fortunate". Socialism, anyone?

Foreign Policy: Iraq, Iran & Afghanistan are "minimal threats".

A few other quick mentions for the Obama camp: Michelle Obama is "finally" proud of her country for the first time because her husband is running for President? Really, Michelle? You weren't proud on September 11 , 2001 as countless police officers, firefighters and rescue workers gave their lives to help rescue the lives of others? You weren't proud to think about the thousands of men and women overseas giving their lives to protect ours? You haven't been proud of how our country came together after September 11th & Hurricane Katrina to help one another rebuild homes, memories and lives?

On a somewhat related note - I think all the Obama celebrity endorsements are hilarious. Why celebrities feel like they have any authority on politics is beyond me - these are people who get payed to pretend. Yeah - they're at the top of my political advising list. My personal favorite has been Matt Damon - who can been seen in a full on meltdown all over youtube. This guy has come to the realization most Democrats are running into lately - the complete self-destruction of their hope for the Presidency. Check it out - hilarity will ensue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6urw_PWHYk

I planned to talk about McCain & Palin too - but this post is already far too long - so I'll save that for another day. That's a promise, folks.

I realize this post is crazy long - and if you've made it this far you deserve a cookie or something. Way to go! There's still time left - time to learn the issues, time to uncover the real candidates, time to debate and time to decide. I think it's pretty clear that my mind is made up. I honestly don't know how anyone could vote for Obama after learning just one of any of the crazy far left issues he stands for - let alone the whole package deal. Morally speaking I would love to talk to someone who doesn't see a problem with Obama getting their vote. That said; if you're a Democrat reading this and would like to enlighten me on my obvious misunderstanding of Barack Obama I have just one thing to say.

Bring it on.