Abilene on the Horizon

I have two more days until I make my way to Abilene. As soon as 5:00 Thursday rolls around I will be hitting the road but going the speed limit (I've learned my lesson). I have made a new mix cd to help make the trip more exciting--I'm very easily entertained. Songs on this cd include: One Week by Bare Naked Ladies (aka the Xfiles/Harrison Ford song), Chonic-WHAT-cles of Narnia (SNL), Somewhere Out There, and a couple song from The Lizzie Maguire Movie :)

I'm heading mainly for my mom's birthday but also because I haven't been in about two months. A trip back is highly need especially since I didn't have a spring break. I guess this is my mini post-spring break.

Hightlights of the weekend include:
* Friday Praise Chapel!
* Lunch with mom
* Movie with my sisters?
* Possible girls' night
* Possible Saturday Ultimate game (highly needed)
* Quality time with Christy
* And who knows what else!

Can't wait to see those of you who read my blog!

Kids

On Friday we had a group of 60 Pre-K children who came to tour the museum. Naturally, our normal tour, which on average is set at a 4th grade level, had to be brought down. They were absolutely adorable! When I was about to lead my first group out of the Discovery Room (the hands-on room) the little boy in the front of the line just kept hugging me. Then in my second group I had two boys who started fighting over who got to hug me.

Today in my 3-year-old class I taught a lesson about kindness using the story of Mephibosheth (who was the crippled son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul--apparently my sunday school classes did not teach this story enough). To begin class I had the kids take off their shoes and stick them all in the middle. Then everyone took turns picking a pair of shoes and showing kindness by putting them on their classmates. It was so funny to watch. It also was interesting because they are at this stage in life where they are proud to be able to do things by themselves so some opted to put their own shoes on. One little girl was helping Luke put his shoes on when Garrett yelled out "hey, those are my shoes". We then had to remind the children to pick their own shoes!

I really love working with this age because of their innocence, their unabashed outpouring of love, and their love of life--we adults could learn alot from these young ones.

In an earlier post I think I mentioned a lady I met through the 101 class at church. Her name was Dovey and she was very interested in having me meet her grandson. Over the past few months I became good friends with her and her husband. Occasionally I would sit with them on Sunday mornings. She would call me once a week just to check on me and make sure I was doing alright.

This afternoon around 4:00 my cell phone started ringing at work. This was odd because my phone never, ever has picked up service at my desk--I usually have to go outside. Later I realized there must have been divine intervention involved. Keith, Dovey's grandson, called me to let me know that both his grandmother and grandfather were killed in a car accident last night. This news was such a shock to me. It's hard to realize I won't be receiving my weekly calls or sitting with them at church.

The funeral is Saturday which I can't go to because of work. The viewing will be tomorrow from 5-8 so after work I am going to make my way to Bedias, TX. Please keep this family in your prayers.

A little fall of rain

Tonight I talked on the phone with my mom and I realized we haven't talked in almost two weeks. We both have been so busy these past few weeks we just haven't thought about calling. I found out my sister,Traci, had a little mouth surgery today. She had some of her gum cut away after her braces were tightened. (It's stories like this that make me so happy I never had braces). She was in some pain tonight and has a swollen lip.

Through our talk, I also found out about a few things that made me a little sad. First of all my sister, Jennifer, is getting baptized this Wednesday at University! I'm so incredibly happy for her but a part of me is also very upset that I won't be there to see this important decision. I really want to be there.

Secondly I am coming to Abilene in two weekends for my mom's birthday. I'm going to have to work on Monday so I'm going to try to come into town Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. My mom has a special trip she takes every year with 3 other friends and she accidently planned it for that weekend. She thought I would be in town on Monday so we could hang out. But now we are going to try and have lunch on that Friday. It was just a little upsetting because it's getting to the busy season at work and I don't know if I will be able to come back to Abilene for awhile.

Even though these items were a little upsetting, it still was very good to talk with my mom!

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Did everyone remember their green? I always tried to get out of getting pinched by saying I was Irish (which I really am) or using my green eyes as my splash of green...needless to say it doesn't work. Luckily I wore a green shirt today.

Why is it that this is one of the less commercialized holiday? Green, clovers, little red headed elves, you've got all the makings of a great cash in. At least bring out some candy: green, clover peeps; Reese's clover-shaped cups; green fudge (ok this last one I just ran out of creative thoughts).

This morning I answered the phone saying "Star of the Republic Museum this is Erin" and the man on the other end said "Erin, what a great name for today". I do enjoy my Irish name!

Museum Visit

On my day off today I decided to venture out and see one of the tourist attractions of College Station. I visited the George Bush Library and Museum. It was a very well put together museum that discussed the life and presidency of George Bush Sr. Here are a few things I learned:

*George Bush was the ambassador to the U.N.
*For about 4 years George Bush was the director of the C.I.A

I have to admit that I found myself comparing the exhibits to the ones in our museum. Mainly I was noticing that the labels were made the same way as ours...and I've made those before! Behind the museum is a large pond to walk around. I also found a bridge and a pathway that lead to the enclosed gravesite where George and Barbra Bush will be buried.

*Word to the wise*
If you are lactose and tolerant to some degree do not, no matter how much of a craving you have, do not eat a fudge brownie concrete from Shakes. Though it may taste good for a few minutes, it is not worth the two hours of pain later that afternoon.

Abnormal Week

Happy Spring Break to those who still have the wonderful privilege to this wonderful holiday. This week has been rather crazy...and it's only Tuesday! First of all my day off was switched from Monday to Wednesday. Because of spring break events all of the staff members at the museum were going to be out on Monday...and we had some tours that needed a guide. So I came in and it was incredibly crazy. I think all of Texas decided to take a trip out to the museum. I stayed up at the front desk all day helping Vivian with the 316 people we had come through! That's alot for our museum and it was harder having only 3 employees out of the usual 9. And today at work we had over 400 visitors! By the end of the day I was very ready for my day off.

I rented Good Night, Good Luck--I've been very intrigued to watch this movie since hearing about it on the Academy Awards. I've always been a fan of movies that are based on true stories/historical events...I guess it's the history major in me.
I will give my critic tomorrow on the movie. Two thumbs way up or two thumbs way down...we shall see.

Well, I was planning to go to Abilene on the 25th for Phil and Jenna's baby shower. I was really excited about going but then I noticed the calander on the wall. I forgot that I am scheduled to teach the 3's class at church that Sunday. So I won't be able to go. I feel bad because this is the second event that I will be missing. First Rachael and Stephen's wedding now this. If it helps I will be coming into town the weekend of April 1st for my mom's birthday. Hopefully I will be able to make it to the next wedding/baby shower of our friends!

Weekend Happenings

This weekend I bought my first piece of art. I went to Kirkland's just to look around and because I had a 25% off coupon. While looking I came upon this framed picture and I knew that it was what I have been looking for to put in the living room. I tried to find a picture of it online but I have failed. So I will try to explain it. The painting is a man in a white dinner jacket playing the piano with a woman in a red dress standing. As soon as I got back home I got busy hanging the painting. It was quite a trick doing this by myself: lots of measuring and hammering--I worked up a bit of a sweat...not wait glisten (women don't sweat).

Today I went up to the mall, not planning to by anything, and left with some classy work clothes. I haven't bought any clothes in a long time so I figured it was time to reward myself. My new favorite place for clothes is New York and Co.

I taught my 3-year-olds the story of Hannah and Samuel today. To start out I had them play Marco Polo (the connection being when Samuel heard a voice calling him that he couldn't see). They were so adorable--I think they thought it was a new form of hide and seek. As soon as one kid had the blind fold on they all hid under the tables. When I brought the kids back to the floor to listen to the story, one little boy, Daniel, rested his head on my leg--such a simple act but so caring. Later on in class Daniel tapped me on the leg and said "Teacher, I like you". I just wanted to scoop him up and take him home. I had been thinking about not teaching next year(or at least not Sunday morning) so that I could start going to the Graduates and Young Professional class but now I feel that I want to continue with this class. I still have some time to think about it.

(Did anyone watch Extreme Makeover:Home Edition this week? I cried so much at this episode!)

After watching the OC this week I've decided I want to make my own voice overs like Summer so my life will be "more dramatic and meaningful".

New Experiences

Today I learned some things that most people would learn as a wedding planner or caterer. We had a fancy dinner that was taking place in the museum that evening (thank goodness I didn't have to stay for it) and we had to get the tables and chairs ready beforehand. The chairs, 24 of them, had white silk covers with gold sashes, which had to be tied in fancy bows. Effie, who I have found can do anything, taught me how to make these bows--I was so proud of myself. After tieing the bows I made my way back to the office where I learned how to fold silk napkins.Below is a picture of how we folded the napkins. I'm so ready to give a dinner party or start a catering business on the side.


During a tour today I learned the importance of explaining the glass coverings to the exhibits. I was showing the Jacale house to a group of kids when the first kid in line ran head on into the glass. I had to choke back a giggle.

Future Trip

Tonight I began thinking about my summer plans. I have decided that since I have a full time job with plenty of vacation days to take off I should take a special vacation. Not just spending my time off at home in Abilene (no offense to my family and friends at home) but actually getting on a plane and seeing the sites of a place I have never been. Now I have to figure out where to go...

My first thoughts have been fixed on New York City. I've always wanted to go there. I missed my chance back in high school with a choir trip. I even looked at tickets for different Broadway musicals. Some other places I have considered are Boston (to visit my uncle and aunt), Las Vegas, maybe somewhere in the northeast...I don't want to go to a beach--I'm not a big fan of water, sun, and the heat.

I'm still thinking and planning. Any suggestions of places would be appreciated.

Very Fun but Tiring Weekend

I survived my first Independence Day Celebration! The weekend was full of lots of fun. It all begain Friday with the special reception held at the museum. We had lots of big wigs along with great food and wine (which I did not drink). I didn't get home that night till 10:30.

I had to be at the museum at 8:30 for the Saturday festivities. We opened the doors at 10:00 and the people began pouring in. It was unbelievable--I had never ever seen so many people in the museum. My family including my Aunt and Uncle showed up right before the awards ceremony for the art contest which I was the MC at. I had a small amount of nervousness but was perfectly fine once I got going. Afterwards Shawn, the currator, complimented me on my public speaking abilities. Later that afternoon I took the museum's camera and went walking around to see the other festivities. I saw the other demonstrators (buffalo soldiers, weavers, blacksmith, band, etc.) I also went and saw the Texas army who camped out on the park all weekend. On my way back from visiting the army I passed by a group of the army men and I got cat-called by an old man...I walked a little faster! By the end of the day my legs were so sore from standing.

Sunday I arrived at the museum again at 8:30 but first I got a frappacino. The majority of the day I spent at the front of the museum welcoming visitors. I spent two hours in the back room with the documents answering people's questions. At three I watched a play called Gone to Texas which told about Sam Houston's life. The main man who ran the group, Gene Pipes, informed me that his sons are in the band Deep Blue Something, the group that sings the Breakfast at Tiffany's song! I also greeted Sam Houston IV when he came into the museum. We found out later that afternoon that a lady was bit by a copperhead up by the visitor's center--let's just say I stayed inside the museum the rest of the day.

Over the two days we had about 5,000 people come through the museum!

I had a church small group meeting tonight at 6:00 but I was so tired I just went home. I layed on the couch and watched the Academy Awards--wonderful end to an eventful weekend.

Although I had a great weekend I part of me was upset that I was missing some events with my friends. First of all I missed Stephen and Rachael's wedding which really tore me up. I also was not able to celebrate Bryson's birthday which I would have love to do. But other that that I had a great time--I love my job!

Just a Few More Pictures

Two more pictures. I'm just so excited about this event and want to share the experience! This first picture is of our special guests looking at the declaration. The man on the far left is Sam Houston IV, the great-great grandson of Sam Houston!


This is a picture of Sam Houston IV in front of our Signers Painting. This painting is one of our favorite pieces in the museum. It's a painting of all the individuals who signed the declaration in Independence Hall. I like to show this to kids who have already had a tour at Independence Hall. I ask them if that building looks familiar and they all get excited saying, "We were there!"

Pictures

Here are a few pictures from yesterday. This first one is the stagecoach that brought the documents to the museum.


These are the Texas Rangers carrying the box with the documents. I thought this was one of the greatest parts of the day. Texas Rangers, original 1836 documents, what more could you want? Oh yes...chocolate!

The Arrival

Texas Independence Day Celebration has officially begun. Today was an amazing day for anyone...but especailly for a history major! The original Texas Declaration arrived to the museum. It was a major media event so we had to make it spectacular. The document arrived to the museum by way of a horse-drawn stagecoach. Toward the end of last year, individuals took part in an auction to get a seat on the stagecoach with the documents. So these 6-7 individuals rode from Independence Hall to the museum in the stagecoach. I had the task of taking pictures for the museum. I was positioned on the observation deck of the second floor so I could get a birds-eye view. Behind the stage coach four Texas Rangers (how cool) rode on horses. The Texas Rangers then carried the box with the documents up to the museum. We had a state representative there to make a small speech. Then we allowed the media and special guest into the Discovery Room where the documents were set up. One of the special guests was Sam Houston IV--the great, great grandson of Sam Houston! I took a picture of him next to our signers painting which has a portrait of Houston and I could see quite a resemblance. Later this evening I watched the highlights of the momentous event on the news. It was such an exciting and riviting event and I was so glad I was apart of it! The declaration will be at the museum from March 2-March 16 so if you can you should try to come out and see it!

Hopefully tomorrow I will put some pictures up from the event...I took some good ones. Robin you would be proud!

This Day...

Sundays have become my favorite day of the week. So many wonderful, uplifting things happen on Sundays. I start the morning off with my sweet 3-year-olds who through their innocence and love of life teach me new things each week. Then I spend an hour praising and worshiping along with fellow Christians. This Sunday at church our preacher mentioned that some of the soldiers in Iraq have been downloading the services from the internet. So to show our appreciation for their service we gave them a round of applause, hoping they would be able to download that section of the service. I don't know why but this simple act got to me. I guess being in a ritual of daily tasks I sometimes forget about the war going on and the men and women who are living a less than ordinary life.

This Sunday I had a wonderful time fellowshiping. After Sunday morning church I went to lunch with Natalie, one of the girls from my devo. We went to Cheddar's and we each ordered a great chicken fried steak dinner. That evening I sat with Natalie and Amanda for the evening service. They were planning to watch a movie at their house and invited me to come. So I spent the evening hanging out with two great girls, watching Flight Plan, and eating chocolate cookies. Amanda is my age and went to ACU so we had a lot to talk about. And Natalie showed me her autographed picture of David Duchovny which made my evening!

I'm watching Emma this evening. Mr. Knightly can definately perk up an evening :)

A Few Random Thoughts

This week has flown by very quickly. The atmosphere at the museum is a little stressed/on pins and needles. Mainly Houston, the director of the museum is feeling this way and passing on the anxiety to all of us. Next weekend is the big Texas Independence Day Celebration and we have to be ready for it. The most important thing that must get done is the exhibit room for the actual Texas Declaration of Indepenecence.

My task for the big celebration is the Art Contest that we run for the 4th graders in neighboring schools. Last weekend I sorted through and pre-judged almost 200 projects (half of which were pictures of the Alamo). This week I have met the judges, calculated the winners, called the trophy store with the winners' names, printed certificates, made labels for the winning projects, and sent out letter to the winning students. It's been a whirlwind for me...and my desk is showing the signs. Before Saturday I have to work on the speech Anne and I give at the Awards Ceremony!

I meant to write this a couple of weeks ago. In this month's issue of Texas Highways there is a large article about Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park (where I work). If you are bored and want some good reading material I suggest this magazine. I actually haven't read the article yet--it's been passed around the office and hasn't made it way to me. I've heard it is very good.

Today on my way to work I saw a cow/bull with his head stuck in the barbed wire fence. I felt so sorry for him. I had a strong urge to stop and get him out. How scary would it be to be stuck in a painful situation that you couldn't get out of? Hopefully when I leave today someone will have rescued him.

Sugar Pie, HONEY Bunch

I have to admit that my favorite condiment is honey. Some may say that honey is not a condiment but I stand by my statement. Two of my favorite snacks/desserts involving honey are graham crackers with honey and wheat tortilla dipped in honey.

When I go to Grandy's I always order the chicken nugget meal which includes chicken nuggets, french fries, and a roll. And I eat all of these with honey. I've had a lot of people react with disgust to this. But I love it! I started this as a kid and the habit has stuck.

Here's another honey story that I don't think I've told anyone. Back when I worked at Kirkland's I would get a little hungry during my long shifts. We had a bag of honey packets in case we got a buscuit from Chick-Fil-A. So I would occassionally eat a honey packet--straight up!

**Favorite conversation from this weekend***
Scene: Christy and I at the mall
-Christy: I'm pretty thirsty
-Me: Well, you know it is happy hour
-Christy: Erin!
-Me: I mean at Sonic. (as I point to the Sonic in the mall)

Food and Fellowship

The A&M Church of Christ has a time of food and fellowship on every 3rd Sunday night. We spend 20-30 minutes in the auditorium and then we all move to the gym area to fellowship. Tonight the menu was sandwiches, chips, and desserts. I ate with a group of girls from my girls' devo: Mandy, Claire, and Amanda Scott (who graduated from ACU). It was a wonderful night. I am always amazed at the ways this church works at bringing it's members together.

Because of the cold weather we have had down here I've developed a strange food feddish/craving. I've been eating a lot of potato soup and crossiants. Tomorrow I have a lunch date with Valerie and I picked McAllisters Deli...mainly because I can get a bread bowl with potato soup!

Christy comes into town tomorrow and I can't wait! Who knows what kind of fun we will have.

Wolf Pen--My New Favorite Part of Town!

Tonight after work I took a quick spin to the mall. For the first time I decided to go home by means of the road that runs behind the mall. Since I had never gone down this road I was really, really hoping that it would lead to another road that I was familiar with.

I happened to find some new places to explore. On this street is Wolf Pen Park which apparently is split up in several areas. From what I could see as I drove past it has many walking paths with an occasional bridge. I can't wait to find time to spend in this special place. As I passed this area I also notice a lot of people walking in the same direction toward a large building. I soon saw what the large public draw was: The Wolf Pen Ice Skating Rink! You have no idea how excited I was/still am. I love ice skating! My grandparents use to take me all the time to the Galleria in Dallas. Of course I haven't been since I was about 10, but I am very ready to take those skates up again (especially after watching the Olympics). Hopefully I can find some individuals who would like to go with me!

100th Blog

This is my 100th blog--whoa! Happy 100th blog day!

Today I woke up with a sore throat. The rest of me felt fine, it just hurt whenever I swallowed. I had 2 tours to give so that didn't help my throat. By the end of the day my throat still hurt, I started coughing, and I had a few moments of dizziness. I really can not get sick right now. The art contest has begun and I have lots to do starting tomorrow.

After work I went and bought some potato soup and crossiants...along with a couple Cadbury Cream Eggs :) I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight to try and ward off these icky feelings.

Friendly Visit

Christy Weather's is coming to visit me! She called me today with the wonderful news; she has a non-profit job fair to attend in Houston on Tuesday. She is going to come into College Station Sunday and stay with me that night and Monday night. And since I have Monday off we can spend some time around town...who knows what trouble we will get into!

I found out at the beginning of this week that my sister, Traci, got her hair cut. She wanted it to look like Natalie off of Monk. Apparently it is very short. I have yet to see it. My mom said that she's had a few negative comments about it and I think it has made her a little self-conscious. What I love about Traci is that she is not afraid of things. She doesn't worry alot about what people think--sometimes I wish I had that quality. I wish I could be in Abilene to comfort her over this new change. If any of you in Abilene happen to see her, would you please compliment her on her hair?

Post V-Day

My dad came through! When I got home from work I checked my mail and there was a Valentine's card waiting for me with an apology for not being able to fit a rose inside.

When I reached my apartment door there was another surprise awaiting me. Outside my door there was a vase with a dozen yellow roses and a heart shaped candy box. Along with the presents was a very sweet note from a kind and courageous friend from college--his name will remain annonymous to protect the innocent. I was very, very flattered.

My party went very well. 3 girls from my devo showed up along with Heather a little later. I believe all of the girls from the devo are sophomores at A&M or Blinn College. Before we started a movie I had to introduce them to the special hidden interview on LOTR Return of the King (Rachael you would be so proud of me spreading the word). The girls had never seen Breakfast at Tiffany's so I enlightened them--such a great movie! The movie ended around 9:30 and we began talking, girl's favorite pasttime. They ended up staying until 11:30. I loved getting to spend this time with these girls and becoming closer to them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone has had and will continue to have a wonderful Valentine's Day! This is my first V-Day away from my family. My dad would always get me a rose and sometimes something else special. When I worked in the Provost office he would leave it on my desk so it would be a nice suprise.

Work has been very fast paced today. We had a group of 130 7th graders come for tours in the morning time. They were some of the best behaved middle schoolers we've had so far. Then after tours I had lots of phone calls to make--mostly people I had ignored during History Fair craziness. Even though it gets a little chaotic at times, I love this job and am so happy I took it!

On Tuesday nights I usually have my girls devo but since it it Valentine's Day we canceled it for this week. So instead I have invited a group of girls from that devo (those that didn't have plans already) to come to my apartment for movies and special Valentine treats. I'm really excited--this is my first time to entertain people in my apartment! Last night I baked brownies and placed pink hearts on top with icing. I also found this cookie decorating set that has edible messages that you stick on top of cookies with icing. I mixed up a pitcher of pink lemonade kool-aid and watermelon kiwi kool-aid. I hope a good group of girls come over--I really want to get to know them better.

I saw another person I know from Abilene today. Taylor Black--a guy I went to high school with and haven't seen since high school. In fact he sort of dropped off the radar after high school. Christy, Trish, Heather, Kelly, and I use to discuss how none of us knew where he was...or if he was alive. After church today I went to lunch with a group from the college class. As I was leaving I noticed a family getting into the car next to me and it was Taylor! He was visiting his sister. He graduated from UT and is now living in New York. How weird is it that we would see each other in College Station?

Sidenote: I have a hard time letting people know what I am truely feeling inside. This includes myself.

Fancy Seeing You Here

I had a really interesting evening after work. I decided to do some window shopping that might turn into real shopping (and it did). I went to Pier One, hoping to use my gift card, and a few moments after entering the store I heard a man's voice say "Well, look it's Erin Crawford." I looked up and there was Thom Lemmons along with Heather Lemmons! I was so excited! I had been meaning to get together with Heather since she just recently moved to College Station.

Then after Pier one (where I did use my gift card on two end table stands) I went to browse around Target...one of the best stores ever. While there I saw Hannah Kemp who was my roommate at Junior Scholars and who went to ACU. She was there with her fiance registering. She moved down to College Station for a job. It's so weird that in the same night I saw people I knew from Abilene.

I Survived History Fair

Well, History Fair is officially over and everyone survived. For the most part it went very smoothly. It was a good day...but I am very tired. So here are some highlights from the day:

* Getting up at 6:00
* Driving in the dark and the rain
* Maning the Judge table
* Meeting some nice guys who are students at Blinn :)
* Receiving a walkie talkie to use for the day (only a few select received these)
* Pretty much being second in charge (only because I was the one who knew more about what was going on)
* Judging 2 documentaries, an exhibit, and a performance
* Huge rain storm at around 1:30--kids having fun in the rain
* Being the photographer at the awards assembly
* Giving Anne, my boss, roses for her immense work on the event
* Getting to sit down at 4:45

A New Start

So in my last post I talked about how I needed some help with my walk with God. Well, I had such an uplifting time at church. After church time I talked with Valerie for a bit and discussed times to get together for lunch. Then I saw Andrei who I hadn't seen since I left for my Christmas break. So we spent a long time catching up on things--I didn't leave church until 9:00. He heads up a non-profit organization that supports orphans in Romania. So I think I'm going to sign up to support an orphan. Our class on Wednesday nights has a spiritual journal that leads you through the week that you can buy. I haven't bought one but Andrei had one and talked about how wonderful it was. Since I didn't have one he gave the one he had to me! He told me he bought alot of them and just hands them out to people. So I am very excited about using this as a start on my spiritual journey!

Tomorrow is History Fair! We have been insanely busy all week--making packets, having orientation meetings, setting up tables, staying at work till 6:00. I have to be there at 7:30 which means I have to leave my apartment at 7:00--a coke will be needed in the morning.

Our girl's devo is not meeting this Tuesday because of Valentine's Day. So I am trying to get a group of the girls together for dinner and a movie that night--some classic girl time!

Deligence in My Walk with God

It amazes me how God works in our lives. Over the past few months I have had times when I would be struggling with an issue and God would place a person or words that would relate to what I was going through.

Tonight at my Girl's Devo I realized my relationship with God is not where it should be. We are studying the characteristics of a woman of God. Tonight we talked about being a woman of deligence. Through our discussion, Valerie (who is married) talked about how when you are married you loose alot of your time...mainly your time for God. I began to think about the fact that I have lots of time. Time that I am truely thankful for. Time that I can devout to God in many ways--prayer, study, service, and even just sitting in silence listening for His words. I don't think I appreciate or take advantage of all the possiblities I have in my life.

Judge Erin

Back from a great weekend in Abilene. I had so much fun getting to see all my girls! I really do miss all of you. We should start a monthly weekend thing...something to think and plan on...

Since I usually work on Saturdays I had to switch my work time. That means I am going to work Monday-Saturday this week. And it's going to be very busy because Friday is History Fair and there is lots to be done. Also Friday I have to be at work by 7:30--yuck! But I found out today I get to be one of the judges! I will be judging the projects on WWII and pick the best one. I'm really excited about that!

Last week I noticed that Walgreen's had Cadbury Cream Eggs out already. Those are without a doubt my favorite candy. I was so excited that they were out so early. So tonight I went back to get one...or two. When I got there they magically morphed in to Crunch and Butterfinger Eggs. Apparently they ran out a few days ago. So I had to settle for a Butterfinger Egg. I learned a lesson tonight--don't ever settle.

Does anyone watch Grey's Anatomy? If so...wow, what an episode!

Good End to a Busy Day

I was so incredibly busy today at work...it was great! The day went by so fast. I blinked and it was time to eat. I blinked again and it was time to leave--crazy! I was working on so many things at one time: calling back people, taking tour information, working on the art contest, helping with history fair, and working on my February Black History display--whew!

I had my girls' devo again tonight. We are studying the book Lady in Waiting which discusses the characteristics of a woman of God. Tonight we had a great discussion on Lady of Reckless Abandonment. Afterwards I stayed behind and talked with a group of girls. We talked about getting together later this week to get coffee or watch a movie. I'm so excited--I've been devoid of girl company for awhile.

While talking with my mom tonight I found out that my grandmother (my dad's mom) has Alzheimer's. During Christmas we worried about her because she would ask the same question 3 times within a few minutes. So this week she went and took the tests and they came back positive. They don't know how long it will be until it completely takes over. She will be meeting with the doctor to find out about everything. Please keep my grandmother and our family in your prayers. I'm not really sure what to expect with all of this. I've never known anyone with Alzheimer's.

Thought to Ponder

I am reading (and almost finished with) Memoirs of a Geisha, which I highly recommend. At one point in the book the main geisha takes a plane trip and I thought of a very random thing: How is it that a big hunk of heavy metal is able to fly in the air? Feathers fly in the wind. Balloons float up to the great blue beyond. So what makes a plane rise and stay in the air? If anyone knows the answer to this I would love to learn.

On my drive home from work today I saw two deer on the side of the highway...alive that is. They were right near the road eating grass. I was so excited! I've never seen wild deer.

I worked with foam and mat board to create pictures for my education exhibit for February. I really enjoyed it...which is good because I will be making a lot of these in the future. (Katrina, if you read this, I thought of you during this process and all the times I remembered you talking about mat board in your art projects).

Today I had a group of 5th and 6th grade Korean students come to the museum. The fun part with this was that they didn't speak much English. So we had a translator--I've never dealt with a translator before. Luckily, I didn't have to do much talking with the students. Instead of giving them the normal tour, I had them do the scavenger hunt (they were very good at reading English) and then had them spend the rest of the time in the Discovery Room. It was a very interesting experience.

Busy Day

Today I had another meeting at Blinn College in Brenham. The new employee meeting began at 8:30 which meant I had to leave my apartment by 7:30 to get there--ugh! To add to the fun of the day there was a thick layer of fog all the way from College Station to Brenham--thick as in I could only see about 20 feet in front of me. Once again this meeting had very little effectiveness for me, being an employee of the museum. And they didn't even have snack items or drinks for us...thank goodness I grabbed a honey bun before leaving!

Tonight was our first girls' devo. Our first meeting was mainly about getting to know each other in the group. Twelve girls showed up tonight but apparently there are twenty signed up. We are going to be studying with the book Lady in Waiting. Back in high school the "abilene girls" had a bible study using this book. I sort of remember the context but it will be good to study it again. When I first heard about the study I had told Valerie, the one in charge of the devo, that I was willing to use my apartment for the study. So next week we are going to try it out. I think my living room will accomodate everyone...we will see. I'm really excited about this devotional and what opportunities God will bring through the new friendships I make.

Chruch Happenings

I had some interesting events happen at church this morning and evening...all of them quite funny. This morning after the 3's class (which they were very rambunktious) I made my way to the auditorium for service. I tried to find Valerie or Andrei so I could sit with someone I knew. Unfortunatley they weren't in yet so I just sat on an empty pew. Then someone came and sat next to me--I thought it was Andrei but it was some other random guy. During the greeting time we introduced each other. His name was Caleb and he is doing grad work at A&M. I'd have to admit he was pretty cute. Well, the funny/embarrasing thing that happened while sitting next to him occurred during the communion. When the cup was passed to me I just happened to spill the cup all over the tray! I have never done that before...of course it would happen while sitting next to a cute guy. Sheesh!

The other humorous thing occurred later that night. I signed up for a 101 class the church was offering that night from 5-8. When I got there it was mostly senior couples. During the class we learned information about the church and I signed up for membership. Afterwards when we were all leaving one of the older ladies said she wanted my phone number. I thought maybe she wanted more information about where I worked. Completely off base. She said she had a grandson who works out here and goes to the church and she wants to try to play matchmaker. Then another lady came in the conversation and said her son was moving here in February. She said they might make a trip to the museum. I was so tickled by all of this!

Word of advice to all my single friends: get to know the older ladies at your church...they just might have an eligable son or grandson!

The Meeting

I was pretty busy today at work. My boss, Anne, was having a steering committee meeting for Regional History Fair which we are hosting in February. So at 10:45 I drove the museum van to Navasota to pick up the sandwhiches for lunch. It wasn't until I got into town that I realized I left the money on my desk--rats! Once I got back it was time for the meeting. I got to sit in because Anne wants me to know as much as possible about the History Fair in case she is sick on that day I will be able to take over--no pressure! It was interesting sitting in on the meeting. Before now I was always the one who held down the office while everyone else went to the important meetings. I'm still trying to get use to that switch in my mind. I have this salary position but I'm so use to being the student worker. It's weird having more power...I'm slowly getting use to it.

It's official. I signed up for Jitterbug Dancing class! Starting in February I will be going to class on Thursday nights from 7:30-9:00. I'm going to have to get a tape to record the O.C.--I'm so addicted!

Girl's Devo

Tonight at church I signed up for a girl's devo that will be starting on Tuesday nights. One of the girls from my small group (Valerie)works at the church and she is in charge of the devo. I got to talking with her and she told me how she has been meaning to call me to get together. We made plans to have lunch together in a few weeks. I'm really excited about the devo--this would be a good way for me to meet some of the girls here and get to know more about them than just their names. Hopefully Valerie and I will begin a friendship. I really am in need of a friend or two to go do things with.

Tomorrow we are celebrating one of our co worker's birthday. This is usually a fun time of cake eating. Unfortunatly I found out the cake tomorrow is going to have bananas and pineapples in it--blech! I don't do fruit in my desserts...it's something about the texture. So somehow I'm going to have to eat it...maybe I'll chase it down with coke.

Dazed and Confused

The past few nights I've been awakened by my phone. I use the alarm on my phone so when it beeps I'm use to getting up. So Saturday night/Sunday morning my phone began beeping. I was in such a deep sleep that I thought it was time to get up and get ready for church. Luckily I looked at the clock and it was 2:00 am--I had only been asleep for 2 hours. Apparently someone sent me a text message at this time. Then last night at around 3:00 am I received a phone call--a wrong number. Again I thought it was my alarm going off. Sheesh! I'm hoping tonight will be a night without interruptions.

The best dazed story I have happened my freshman year of college. My roommate and I were peacefully sleeping when our phone rang. Neither of us answered but I looked at my watch and saw that it was past 8:00 am. Well, I was suppose to be at the Provost office for work at 8. So I jump off my bed and start frantically trying to get ready and call my office to let them know what has happened. No one was answering so I figured my boss was on the phone. My roommate, Christy, asked what I was doing and I told her I was late for work. She sleepily asked "is it Friday". Then after a few seconds she said "Erin, it's Saturday. Go back to bed!" Stupid me!


P.S. I still want a dog.

Girl's Weekend

This weekend my mom and sisters came to visit me. On Saturday they came up to the museum while I was working. Last time they came to visit they only had 10 minutes to see the museum so this time they were able to spend an hour looking at everything. (Pictures of the museum can now be found on my facebook page). After work we went and had a wonderful dinner at Freebirds.

Sunday I taught my first lesson in the three year old class. It went great! I was worried because I was teaching the tabernacle which is a hard concept. But the kids were very attentive and remembered the word tabernacle! After church we went and ate at TGI Fridays. Man, I haven't been there in a long time...I had one heck of a burger! Later that night we went and saw Fun with Dick and Jane--such a funny movie! After the movie we sort of exited out the door that put us in the back of the theater. So we had to walk all the way around the building...in the rain.

Monday my sisters and I slept in while my mom did some work. Then for lunch we went to Pei Wei which is a fantastic chinese food restaurant (it's part of P.F. Chang's). After lunch I took my sisters to see my new favorite store--World Market. At around 3:30 my company was on the road and it was a little quieter. It was a wonderful weekend! Now back to the grind of work. (By the way: I think I'm going to sign up for the Jitterbug class--thanks Julie and Robin for the advice!)

Tonight I found a website that lists classes that are available to the community of College Station. All of the classes are during the weekdays and at night. This would be a perfect way to spend some of my evenings and possibly a way to meet new people. Some of the possible classes I would like to take include:

* Spanish I
* Sign Language I
* Jitterbug
* Latin Dance
* Ballroom Dancing
* Calligraphy I
* Tae Kwon Do
* Pilates
* Yoga Fitness I
* Tennis Lessons
* Private Pilot Ground School

There are so many to choose between. Registration starts January 17 so I need to choose one...or maybe 2!

Anger

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
James 1:19-20

Last night I began reading James and I came upon this passage that really got to me. I'm not good at being mad at people. I'm a people-pleaser. I have to make things right. The last time I didn't talk to someone was freshman year of college when one of my guy friends mooned me. Kind of stupid but I'd never had that happen before and I didn't talk to him for 2 or 3 days.

This passage really hit me because I know it's God's rule that we shouldn't remain angry at one another. The problem is I feel like I have a right to remain angry. I also have a slight stubbornness issue. I feel that if I give in and make things right that I'm admitting I was in the wrong. I'm just a little muddled right now.

Sleep Problems

Since I've been back in CS I've had trouble sleeping. It could be because for two weeks I was use to going to bed around 2:00 and waking up at 10:00 or 11:00. Another factor could be that so much has happened and my mind starts racing over everything--and I can't shut it off.

Work was pretty crazy today. My phone kept ringing and ringing with people wanting to schedule a tour. At this time in the year it's very tricky to fit everyone in. I like being busy though--it keeps me focused.

I had my first job evaluation meeting with Anne. She gave me some very nice complements. She said I have met her expectations and appreciates my effective work and professional attitude. She told me she doesn't regret her decision to hire me at all (which was good to hear because I thought of that sometimes).

Last night I was searching online for places that I could volunteer my time. One that I found was at the hospital not too far from my apartment. They needed people who would be there to visit with/interact with the patients and their families. It sounds like a good volunteer opportunity and a good way to fellowship with people. I'm going to keep searching but this is a good possibility.

My first day in the three-year-old classroom was great! They are so cute. And I am going to be the co-teacher of the class. I will be teaching every other week--whoa! My first lesson is next week and I'm teaching the tabernacle of all things. I'm not sure who thought this curriculum up. It's hard enough to teach it to college students let alone three-year-olds. I will find a way...

Did you know stamps are going up to $.39 tomorrow?

Tomorrow is usually my day off from work but I have a meeting at Blinn in Brenham. They are introducing the new staff members and so I need to be there. I kept wondering if I was suppose to go into work afterwards or not. After seeing my work load on Saturday I realize I need to go in and make a lot of phone calls.

After two weeks with friends and family it's a little hard coming back to College Station. I do enjoy it here, but I really haven't found a group of friends to hang out with which makes it a little hard. But I hope to put my plan in action to start an ultimate frisbee chapter in CS.

My drive home last night was very enjoyable. Even though it is a 4 and a half hour trip it still seems quicker to me than the dull, dreary drive to Dallas. Plus my mom gave me The Da Vinci Code on cd. I've never listened to a book on cd before. I became so engrossed in the story that the miles on the road flew by. When I reached home I was already on cd 4 of 5.

I returned to work today though the majority of my co workers were not there. But it still felt wonderful to be back--I missed being there. My two week absence was illustriously depicted by the amount of work left on my desk. I had about 10 tours to input in the computer and 7 messages on my phone of possible tours that I will call back on Monday. It felt good to be busy again.

On my way to work I bought a Diet Black Cherry with a Kiss of Vanilla Coke (what a name). As I drove away from the store I took a nice swig from the bottle. But something was not right with the liquid swishing in my mouth. There were chunks of something floating within the soda. My mind reeled at what it may be and, out of a normal human reflex, I spit the substance back in its container. I still have no idea what was in the coke. (I think I'm through with Diet Black Cherry with a Kiss of Vanilla Coke)

Tomorrow is my first day to teach in the 3-year-old class at my church. I'm really excited about it. I've decided I want to find a venue to volunteer my time at. I spend too much time in the evenings watching t.v. and surfing the web. I'm not sure what I will do but I am beginning my search.

At this moment I am watching Sense and Sensibility. I love this movie. If anyone enjoys Pride and Prejudice, the new or old version (although I enjoy the old), I believe they will also enjoy this Jane Austen romance.

New Beginnings

My two week Christmas vacation comes to an end. Tomorrow I leave to go back to College Station. It seems like forever since I've been there. My vacation has been nothing like I expected it to be. Of course it was filled with lots of fun with family and friends--lots of movies, girl time, and bird calls. But there has also been tears, pain, anger, and a loss of trust. That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. Quite a true statement. I'm still very angry and hurt by the event that happened this week but truthfully it's only fueled my strong ambition toward independence. This event has only pushed me more to returning to my new home. I'm so ready to get back to College Station and continue to situate my life. I love Abilene but I've never been so ready to leave a place...

About an hour to go. Thought we might get to leave early but some people decided to come see the musuem...go to a movie instead!

5:00 Countdown

It's 2:30 at the musuem. Just counting down the minutes until the work day is over. In 2 1/2 more hours I will begin my 2 week Christmas vacation and will be on the road headed to Dallas. I can't wait to see my family! It's been a month since we saw each other at Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a wonderful and very merry Christmas!

Time Is On My Side

Yesterday I had a small moment of panic after lunch. I knew my couch was going to be delivered at some point and I had been told it would be late afternoon/early evening. This made me think that it might be around the time I got off from work which would have worked with my schedule a lot better. There were only two of us working on Wednesday and I was the only staff member so I couldn't leave work at all. (That's not how the day was planned when I agreed to have the couch delivered). So I got the fateful call at a little after 1:00. The couch was coming from Houston and the sales lady said they would call when they left the city and call again when they were an hour away to give me some time. So I call back and the mover guys tell me they are 10 minutes away from my apartmen! Even if I could have left work it takes me 30 minutes to get home! Grrr! So i quickly called the apartment complex to see if they could unlock the door. The receptionist said they weren't suppose to but they could if they had something in writing. I frantically wrote out a document that gave them legal permission to open my blasted apartment and shove my couch in. Thankfully when I got home that night there was a beautiful, comfortable couch in my living room. No more sitting on the floor!

*A breaker has shut off at work today. Of course it had to be the one that provides electricity to the kitchen. So the refrigerator and microwaves are out...looks like we will have to order hamburgers for lunch!

5 more chapters done on my defensive driving (3 of which I did at work). I now have 3 more chapter and the final test. The plan is to do all of this at work tomorrow. Since I will be the only one working in the office area and I really don't have much to do this week I figure I can execute this plan successfully. We shall see...

Today I finished all of my Christmas shopping. Well, at least everything is bought (I'm waiting for 2 items to come in the mail). I'm just happy to get out of the Christmas maddness. I'm not a typical girl in the fact that I really don't like to go shopping so Christmas time is 5 times worse. But it's all worth it to see the happy faces of my family on Christmas day. This year I was way ahead of schedule. Last year I was working 20 hours a week at the Provost office and about 30-35 hours at Kirklands. So all my Christmas shopping was done the day before Christmas Eve!

I started my defensive driving today. It's going to be a long journey. I'm doing it online which is nice because I can do it on my own time. I spent 2 1/2 hours on it tonight and I got through 3 chapters out of 12. This is a real life lesson for me...always go the speed limit!

Special Present

Today I got a special surprise at work. I showed up at 9:00 as usual for my Saturday work day. It was going to be just me and Ketra today. I got all the lights turned on and just as I was going to open the safe the phone rang. It was Houston (the director of the museum) calling to tell me that Ketra went to the emergency room yesterday and he couldn't get anyone else on the phone to take her place. He told me it was unsafe to have just one person working the museum so he told me to put up a closed sign and go back home. So now I have a 3-day weekend!

I ate so much food this week. We had two Christmas parties: one with our staff and one at Blinn College. Our staff party consisted of breakfast burritos, cream cheese rolls, and christmas cookies. We had a gift exchange and at the end of it I got a wonderful Christmas cd (which I had wanted) and 4 lottery tickets! These were my first lottery tickets--and I won dittley squat. At lunch we had lasagna, salad, bread, and cheese cake. I was so stuffed.

On Friday we went to the Blinn Christmas Party. Our museum is affiliated through Blinn--the way we explain it is we are the stepchild of Blinn. Blinn is located in Brenham which is about 30 minutes away. So we all loaded up in the van and headed out on our field trip. There was so much food there! Tons of cocktail shrimp, roast beef sandwhiches, a chocolate fondue fountain, and lots of desserts. It was another day of fullness!

I Got a Couch!

Well, my days of sitting on the floor are coming to an end. Today I found my very own couch! It is a cream color and the fabric is like suede. It comes with pillows but I'm going to change them--not my cup of tea. The best part is it folds out into a bed. That was my major stipulation. I had seen the couch in the store but it didn't have an "i'm also a bed" tag. Luckily the lady helping me checked and low and behold it was a bed! This way I will be able to have people over and they can comfortably sleep. The sofa is out of stock right now but it will be delivered once I get back from Christmas holidays. I'm so excited!

"Here Let Me Give You My Card"

Right before leaving work on Friday, the director of the museum, Houston, returned from Blinn College with a present for me...my business cards!!! I was so excited I wanted to give one to everyone I met that night at the mall.

Today we had a special reception at the museum for a group from China. Houston and I were the only staff people there to get ready for the event. The day before, Anne, the curator of education and Houston's wife, asked me to help him. She said he really didn't know how to set up for a reception. So I helped arrange the cookies and petit fours neatly on the plates. Then I set out the glasses for spice cider and the wine (that was quite different from any ACU receptions). When the group from China came it was fun to hear the interpreter speak chinese.

I'm still not use to having an upper level/salary job. I wasn't sure if I was suppose to go into the reception with everyone. I'm use to being the student worker or the sales associate--aka the bottom rung. But this time I was suppose to be there--it was a nice feeling.

It's very interesting to see what goes on at the museum. Each day is new and there are interesting surprises sometimes. I think that's why I like it so much!

Ice and TV Stars

Last night it was very very cold and rainy. I realized that there would probably be some ice on my car in the morning. So I left the apartment 10 minutes early in order to scrape it off. Well, the ice was on there a little bit thicker than I thought. At first I couldn't even get my key into the keyhole. Then, once i got the door unlocked I couldn't get the door open! I had to make countless trips in and out of the apartment with cup-fulls of warm water to dump on the door. (Also I couldn't find my gloves so I had a pair of warm socks on my hands). Finally, after about 20 minutes I got my door open. Then I couldn't find my scrapper. So I had to sit in the car and just wait for the defrost to thaw my car out. By the time I got to work I was an hour and 15 minutes late--Sheesh!

Effie, our secretary, found out from her husband that a man just down the road from the museum won the Home Edition of Extreme Makeover! So there are workers and camera crews just down the road. Starting this Saturday the public can park at the musuem and take a shuttle down to watch the construction. So if any of you watch this show keep a lookout for the episode located in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas!

Today I got a music downloading system! It's been quite awhile since I've had this. So a majority of my day off was spent downloading music. I've found my new time waster...second only to facebook :)

A few of my favorite downloads so far:
* "Hallelujah" song from the finale of season 1 of the O.C. (I tear up everytime I hear this song)
* "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" from Mask of Zorro
* "Mack the Knife" sung by Michael Buble
* "One Song Glory" from Rent

Marshmellow Cream Dilema

Saturday I spent about 20 minutes searching for marshmellow cream. Sheesh! I needed to make a batch of fudge for my Small Group meeting Sunday night so I ventured to HEB for the ingredents. During my first 5 minutes of the search I ran into Andrei--a guy I met at church who actually worked with my dad a few years back. After a discussion about organic cereal I began my search again. I walked up and down every aisle and finally had to ask for help. The girl I asked had to go call the grocery department then came back to tell me it was on the side of the aisle. Finally I found it--located on the top of the shelf way out of eye level. Oy vey!

I watched an amazing movie Saturday night called Awakenings. It stars Robin Williams and Robert Deniro. It's about a doctor who helped epillectic comatose patients to revive. I absolutely loved it--it is on my Christmas list. Everyone should rent this movie!

Christmas Carnival

Friday night I helped at a Christmas Carnival that A&M Church of Christ puts on every year for children from low-income families. I figured this would be a good way to get involved with the church and have some time to interact with children. The night started off with me going to the wrong place (the church) and then having to call a lady I have befriended to receive directions to the carnival. Once I got there I had to figure out where I was suppose to be stationed--I signed up to help with the arts and crafts table. So the first lady I found I asked if she could direct me. She was so sweet and made sure I found my table. The craft of the night was Christmas cards involving construction paper, stickers, Christmas foam pieces, glue, markers, and pom pom balls. We were a very popular table during the night.

The lady who helped me find my station stayed with me and learned about why I was here in College Station and about my activities in Abilene. Through our talk I found out she is the Children's Coordinator at church and was interested in my work with the youth at Highland. Because of this contact I think I may have a position helping out in the 3 year old class starting in January! I'm so excited--I've really missed teaching at church. Just another step to getting more involved with my new church family.

*Interesting note: Last Monday while shopping in Target I realized one of the workers looked familiar. He did a double take of me as he walked by. On his way back he asked if I was from Abilene. I said yes and then asked him if he went to Abilene High...another yes. Brandon Corey (who I went to middle and high school with) is just recently out of the Marines and going to school out here---what a small world!

A Little Light Fun

So it's Saturday afternoon...I'm at work...(just gave a program designed for small kids to 9 adults)...it's been pretty slow...time to jazz up the day! Enjoy! (I borrowed this from my ex-partner in the Highland Middle School class--thanks Kat!)

FIRSTS :
First best friend: Kristen Kliever (haven't seen her since 5th grade!)
First car: '84 Honda Accord--pretty janky
First date: Freshman year of college with Layne Dussechleger (first and only date)
First kiss: Well, according to my mom it was in kindergarten--note sent home "Erin needs to control herself. She kissed a boy today"
First crush: Brandon Green in first grade
First self-purchased CD: umm...not sure--my very first cd was The Monkees Greatest Hits--yeah

LASTS :
Last car ride: to work
Last library book: The Warren Report--it was for a history paper
Last movie seen: in theaters--Walk the Line; on t.v.--Finding Nemo
Last beverage: Coke (drinking it as we speak)
Last food consumed: Fun Size Fast Break candy bar
Last phone call: last night with matt
Last shoes worn: my black work shoes (the comfortable ones)
Last cd played: Jekyll and Hyde
Last item bought: diet pepsi with lime and a twix
Last annoyance: aunt flo--enough said
Last disappointment: Abilene High--0 South Lake Carroll--52 (yikes!)
Last frustration: car ride to Waco (i'll explain later)
Last reason to smile: when the highway patrolmen searched my car at 12:30am
Last reason to laugh: retelling the story of the patrolmen on the phone
Last shirt worn: light blue button-up shirt
Last website visited: xanga
Last words you said: one more hour (to Ketra about leaving work)
Last thought: I really need some chocolate
Last song you sang: In His Eyes (jekyll and hyde) I tend to sing all the time in the car--keeps me awake :)

Thanksgiving Schedule

I start my wonderful Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow at noon. I go to work at 8:30, give two tours to school kids (cutting it a little close there, kiddos) and then I'm on my way to Abilene! Here's what my schedule looks like for the next few days:

Tuesday
- Arrive in Abilene around 5:00ish
- See if any of the SPP gang is still in town
- Movie at 8:00ish with Christy and special guests (so far on the list are Haley Savage, Tyler Lawerence, and Steven Moore!)
- After the movie hang out with my boys

Wednesday
- possibly lunch with Matt and Bryson
- go check out the crew at Kirkland's
- leave sometime with the family to Dallas

Thursday
- watch Thanksgiving Day Parade
- help with lunch
- laze around

Friday
- not sure what I'll do during the day
- 7:00 go to the Abilene High playoff game in Waco!
- After the game head back to CS for work on the next day

$=real food

Well, I survived 5 weeks waiting to receive my first pay check from the museum. This past week I start to get a little low on the creative food venue: mainly I was living on cereal and pb&j. But Friday was a blessed day when the direct deposit fell through! Tonight I spent a leisurly trip in H.E.B. My kitchen is now filled to the brim with wonderful food! Some of my favorite items:

* Chocolate Peanut Butter Soy Ice Cream
* White Chedder Cheetos (whoa)
* Popcorn Shrimp
* Kashi Crunch Cereal

I hate Mondays!

With my current work schedule I have my day off on Mondays which should make the day a joyous time of relaxation, right? Well, the past few Mondays have been hectic, stressful, and sometimes have ended in tears. I'm still trying to get settled into my new city which means I have a lot of things to change and setup and Mondays have become the designated day for all that crap. I should have known it was not going to be an enjoyable day when at 8:30 in the morning a jackhammer type instrument went off right behind my apartment. Apparently they decided to fix the sidewalk early in the morning on my one day to sleep in! Somehow I managed to drown out the sound and sleep a little longer. During the morning time I researched different insurance places for my car insurance. Then I made a list of everywhere I had to go--I had to get a notary to sign my request for defensive driving (yes I got not one but 2 tickets on my way to and from Abilene a few weeks ago) and I need to get a few groceries from super walmart. I got in the car and started to backup when I noticed the car was really sluggish. I got out and saw the the problem--a very flat tire. Grrrrr! At first I wasn't sure what to do. I followed my first instinct and called my parents but neither one of them answered. Then I remembered that in my trunk I had a travel size air pump that plugs in the car. So after airing the tire I rushed to the little Walmart across the street. I assumed it would take an hour to an hour and a half to fix. Well, I was there from 2:15-5:00! They had to change both of my front tires and for some reason it takes 3 hours to do that. So I missed my chance to go to the notary and it was after 6:30 when I returned home from grocery shopping...sheesh.

Maybe next Monday will be a little better!

Not a Dull Day

So my day at work started out like a pretty typical Saturday. Yes I work on Saturdays. It's not as bad as it sounds--I'm the only one back in the office so I can do whatever I want. Today I was doing research for some upcoming bulletin boards I will be putting up. This whole past week the temperature in the office has been very cooperative--a nice liveable setting. Today it literally is the ice box. At around 11:45 Ketra, one of the weekend front desk workers, came by my desk and asked if I would like the space heater. I thought it might be nice to feel my fingers again. So I brought it in, pluged in in and turned it on. As soon as I turned it on my computer shut off and this horrible, continuous beeping commensed. I ran out to Bill and Ketra and asked for their help. We figured out it was the backup system that was beeping--not really a good thing. So we called Effie and followed her suggestion on flipping all the breakers. This did not erradicate the problem but made it worse as the lights in the outer office turned off! Finally, under Effie's suggestion, we just unplugged the backup system. What's scarey is it kept beeping even though it wasn't plugged in! Ketra and I slowly backed away from it. We got the lights turned back on--thank goodness! So at least the day wasn't completely boring!

*Highlight of the day: I had a Pizza Lunchable for lunch today! I haven't had one of those in years. I felt I need to revert back to my childhood.

Kids Say...

Finally after almost a month I have internet capabilities in my apartment. The guy who fixed it was only on my computer for 10 minutes. He clicked one little thing and everything worked--sheesh! All that waiting for one little click.

I love working with little kids. Each day is different and you never know what they will say. Today on one of my tours I had an answer to a question that I had to keep from laughing at. On the second floor tour of the museum I set the kids on the floor while I talk a bit about the people who came to Texas. I begin by saying "many people came to Texas because there was something they could get that was really cheap and sometimes free". I ask the students what it was. The correct answer is land. Some of the common answers I get are food and wood but today I had a little boy say doors. It was such a random answer that I wasn't expecting. I had to hold in the laughter.

One more day of work until my blessed weekend. But this evening I have some special visitors coming that will make the weekend a whole lot better!

Getting Paid to Play!

Today I had such a wonderful time at work! Anne took Judy and I (the newbies) to see the rest of the park. I have been here almost a month now and I haven't met the other people who work at the park--I've talked to them on the phone. We started at the visitor's center which has a wonderful gift shop full of texas items. I already know where most of my Christmas presents are coming from. Next we walked the trail behind the center all the way to the Brazos River. It's so beautiful down there--everything is green and there are trees, real trees...not the bushes we have in Abilene. Next we went down to the farm. Since we are VIP we got to ride around on the golf cart. We toured the slave cabins and the pen with the baby oxen named Sam, Slim and Shorty. Next we visited the house of Anson Jones (it really is the actual house). FYI: Anson Jones was the last president of the Texas Republic. In the yard of the house were chickens and ducks freely roaming around. Janice, one of the ladies who runs the tours of the farm, showed us her gardens in the back full of carrots, cabbage, onions, etc. She actually uses the food grown to cook meals down there. I can't wait to go there while a school group is down there! After lunch I went to the back where Maria and Shawn work on all of the artifacts. They showed some of the stuff they have and explained how to handle them and the type of controlled climate that has to be kept. And now it's about time for me to leave--I'm leaving early to meet the internet guy so I can finally get internet in my apartment! All in all it has been an absolutely wonderful day--I love my job!!!

Sheesh...It's About Time!

Well, I know I told everyone that I would start up my blog again since I wouldn't be in the same city. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get started. The main problem is I don't have my wireless internet setup yet. It's going on the 4th week without it. I now personally know 3 of the guys at the computer company and talk with them as if I have known them for years. Hopefully sometime this week I can get it figured out. (If anyone out there knows anything about getting wireless on a laptop I would appreciate any advice).

The job is going great! I love it alot! So far I have scheduled many tours--I think I have most of that down. Last week was my first time to give tours. I gave 7 tours in 3 days! My first day, Wednsday, I gave three separate tours so by the time the day was over I was an expert. Each tour is different depending on the kids and mostly on the teacher and how she manages the class. I've had some interesting groups who have been hard to handle mainly because their teacher pretty much gave them to me and went to look at items in the museum--grrrr! But I have had some other wonderful groups. Last Thursday I had the "heavenly group" as I call them. They were absolutely perfect and so far no other group has matched them. At the end of giving the tour to one of the groups, two third grade girls were upset that I wasn't going with them to the next site--it was so cute!

Apartment living is going well. I'm still lacking a few pieces of furniture but I have the major essentials...the t.v.! I'm still unpacking--it's hard to figure out were to put all my stuff. Last night I went to the exercise room for the first time. It's pretty nice. I used the treadmill (which I found out this morning I should have stretched first--a little sore). I'm slowly getting involved with A&M Church of Christ. Already I have found people I have connections with. I met the parents of a girl I knew from ACU and last Sunday I sat next to a guy who did an internship in my dad's office--how weird!

Anyway, that's about all that's been going on in my life so far. I promise to keep ya'll posted!

EC

It's Been Awhile

Wow. It really has been a long time since I wrote on this thing. What with student teaching and work spring semester I hardly had time to get on the computer. But here it is September and I'm ready to write...

The most exciting news right now is I have a job interview this Friday. After 3 months of sending out resumes I finally have received some contact. The job is in Washington, TX (20 minutes from College Station). It is at the Star of the Republic Museum, a state accreditated museum through Blinn College. The job title is Public Programs Coordinator and includes the tasks of giving information about the museum, scheduling tours and conducting tours.

I'm so excited and a little nervous. I would really, really love to have this job.

Top of the Morning to Ya

Last night at Kirklands was very, very slow and boring. The one event that perked things up was that three women visiting from Ireland came and bought quite a few items. It was so much fun to hear them talk. I love to listen to different accents. It was also fun to watch them count out their American money, wondering which coin was a penny or a dime. Once they had finished paying for something they would walk away and in a few minutes return with something else they wanted. They were so adorable!

I think Robin comes home either today or tomorrow. I'm really excited--I miss my roommates alot. I've had fun living in the house by myself, but after a week and half of that I'm really longing for someone to talk with. So maybe when I get off from work tonight there will be a special Robin surprise waiting for me!

Where'd Ya Get that Shiner?

I found out that on Sunday night around 10:00 totally chaos struck my family's house. At this time the lights in the house flickered on and off until finally the whole house went dark. Then there were sparks in the backyard right next to the windows. Apparently one of the electrical lines ran through a tree and over time, the wire had rubbed against the bark until it severed. Needless to say my sisters were going frantic in the dark.

Along with the darkness my mom managed to injure herself. She was back in my old room, which she is converting into an office (shot through the heart). When the lights went out, she saw the sparks from the window and thought it was a fire. In her moment of fright she forgot that she had placed some large pieces of furniture in the hall. As she ran out of the room she tripped on my bench, causing her to hit her eye right on the corner of the wooden beast.

I went to my parent's house yesterday to check out the damage to my mom. She entered the house wearing her sunglasses. When she removed the glasses there it was...quite a nice shiner. Not only was it black all around, but there was also a small gash near the corner of her eye. I felt so sorry for her.

On another note, I saw an opossum in the road (alive) while I was driving last night. I get cheap thrills out of the most insignificant things.

The Aftermath of Christmas

Now that Christmas is over, life has slowed down quite a bit. This Christmas was more frantic than others. With two jobs I didn't have much time for shopping--I actually got it all done in about a day (two days before Christmas). I did pretty well...there are only two items I got that were completely off the mark.

Since the busy Christmas time has passed I am being scheduled for less hours at Kirkland's which is kind of nice. The past two weeks I was working close to 40 hours per week not to mention the time at my job at ACU. The past few nights have been really slow. Last night it was just me and Tim, one of the assistant managers, working from 7-9:30. To pass the time we played speed, performed a few magic tricks, and had quite a few rubber band fights. It was really fun not doing work stuff.

I was off on Tuesday so, after a small nap, I attacked the Relm. I put on my Evita soundtrack loud enough so I could hear it in every room of the house and I cleaned that sucker from top to bottom. After 2 1/2 hours of cleaning the house looked great! And as a reward for my efforts I plopped on the couch and watched about an hour of the appendixes from Return of the King and then an episode of X Files. It was a good night.

I am off on Friday and Saturday so I've already made plans to hang out with the Abilene girls on New Year's Eve. We sort of made a pact in high school to always hang out on New Year's Eve no matter what. So the two girls who are married are leaving the husbands for the night and enjoying a wonderful girls' night. The plan is to dress stylishly and eat at Cypress Street and then return to Trish's house for one of our famous slumber parties--I can't wait.

Snow

I woke up today to a beautiful blanket of white snow on the ground. I was so excited! I love snow. What I didn't realize was that it was still coming down rather aggressively--even better. It was interesting uncovering my car this morning to go to work. I still haven't bought an ice scrapper so I was using my glove. And as I opened the front door the piled up snow filtered its way right on to my seat--lovely. So I entered work with a slightly wet bum. I wish all of the gang was here so we could go play in the snow like we did freshman year--man, that was a good time. Instead I'm stuck in the office and then have to jet to the mall for the rest of the day--oh, well. For those of you in Abilene or anywhere else it is snowing...happy snow day!

The Wedding

Sheesh! It's been quite awhile since I've written on my blog. I sort of slacked off there. Well, the group of us got back last night around 9:30 from Mark and Katrina's wedding. It was a really great trip. Only a few small incidents occurred along the way. Some highlights from the trip:

*meeting at Tortuga at 5:45 in the morning--whew!
*Phil unable to take the right turn in Wichita Falls to reach the McDonalds
*Playing chicken with the on coming van as we tried to pass another car
*20 questions--which created a lot of tension between the two cars
*not finding out the answers to 20 questions until the wedding breakfast
*Atomic Burrito in Tulsa--The "atomic" smell in the building
*Lauren losing her purse at Atomic Burrito but remaining calm
*Driving straight through the toll booth and not getting caught
*Bachlorette party + Philter
*Amazing Chinese Restaurant--the building was like this Chinese palace
*Seeing horse drawn carriages in downtown Springfield
*Special bachlorette gifts for Katrina from Melody, Adriane, and Kristen (girls ask me in person and I will tell you what they were)
*Getting lost on the way to the cabins and driving through "the lights" of Branson (I felt like we were in Vegas)
*Waking up at 6:00 for the rehearsal in the freezing weather
*Worrying and calling Bret countless times, unsure of where he and Julie were
*Helping delagate the rehearsal
*Wedding Breakfast--good stuff
*Devotional lead by Phil with Atomic Burrito references
*Mark's cousin, Matthew jumping in the girl van to ride to Branson
*Getting a call from Mark asking about the flowers, which were in the van in Branson, needed for pictures
*DanX, Marcus, and Phil doing an amazing job playing/singing "May the Few"
*The weird bathroom in the reception hall--it had two toilets without barriers
*Chocolate Soy Milk at the reception--YES!!!
*Absolutely great music played at the reception
*Catching the bouquet
*Andrew's crazy car decorations
*Spending the night at Katrina's Grandmother's house
*Marcus getting a speeding ticket
*Arriving home safe and sound
*Catching up on all the sleep I lost

It was such a fun weekend and such a beautiful wedding. Congrats to Mark and Katrina Willis--I love you guys!

Commence Relaxation

Well, this morning at 8:00 I finished my very last final of my college career (no finals in student teaching). I feel burden free right now. I'm at work and don't know what to do with myself--I usually study or read for class. Ahhh...

Today after my final I went to Kirkland's to fill out all my paper work. I am offically an employee. I received my code to clock in and out which is really cool--I've never worked at a job with computer registers before. I go in tomorrow morning for 2 hours just to learn the ropes and get acquianted with what the job entails. So far I am scheduled for around 32 hours next week. I'm really excited!

Friday night I will be marshalling at graduation. Then afterwards I'm sure I will venture over to Tortuga to join in on the crazy 24 hour Smat Tourney/Vigil. Oy! I'm signed up to play at 11:00 Saturday morning with Robin, Lauren, and Rachael--I just hope we can last for a whole hour. What a waste of time.

One Down...Two To Go

I just finished my hardest final of the week. It was an all essay test in Renaissance and Reformation--bleck! I really have no idea how well I did--as soon as the test was over I blocked it all from my mind.

At 4:30 today I have an interview at Kirkland's in the mall. I am in need of a second job over Christmas break and possibly during the spring semester. Hannah just recently got a job at Kirkland's and informed me that they are still hiring. So I turned in a resume yesterday and the manager asked me to come back today--a very good sign. So we will see what happens.

Chritmat Time

Monday I got the urge to decorate the house with our few but special Christmas regalia. So Robin, Brooke, and I spent the time going through and "Christmasifying" the Relm. Some of the stuff in the boxes I've never seen before and have no idea where it came from...but we still used it. Some of my favorite decorations include:

* The beautiful 3-foot Christmas tree (good job, Brooke)
* The 12-inch Christmas tree on the table with the single 5-inch (in diameter) Christmas ball hanging from its branches
* The "Ghetto B" stocking (you'll have to see it to understand)
* The stockings hung on the mantle with duct tape
* Lauren's stocking hung on the flip flop on the wall...until she comes to claim it
* The piece of cardboard that we wrote "Merry Christmas Ya'll" on and hung on the empty nail in the kitchen
*The random "Bah Humbug" stuffed animal (a ladybug I think) tapped upside down on the front door with duct tape

(To the tune of New Kids on the Block's "The Right Stuff")

O-Or-e-o
O-Or-e-o
What's in the middle...
The White Stuff!

The Gobbles Have Ceased

The Holiday Season...It's this time of year when you realize how truly thankful you are that you don't live at home anymore!

Thanksgiving was good. It was a time of rest and relaxation. I had made these goals before I left based on all the homework I was going to complete during the break. I had envisioned myself locked in the guest room of my grandmother's house with my mom's laptop, typing my fingers to the bone. Well, needless to say that never happened. I stocked up on turkey, cookies, ice cream and tons of other food I should not have eaten.

The majority of the time was spent with the family watching movies (I rented the Terminal so my family could enjoy the sheer wonder of this delightful movie). On Friday my mom, sisters and I ventured to the Parks Mall in Arlington. Let me put out this disclaimer: I hate shopping. I'm not the typical girl who's favorite pasttime is to shop til I drop. I usually only go to the mall when I have a dire necessity for something. So going to the mall on the busiest shopping day of the year was not the best idea. But it was good to get out of the house and spend some time with the females of the family.

On Saturday my dad, sister (Jennifer), and I went to the Abilene High vs. South Lake Carrol game at Texas Stadium. Wow--it was such an amazing game! There were 34,000 people at this high school football game--talk about dedication. AHigh put up a great fight and came very close to winning but the final score was 35-30 South Lake. Those South Lake boys were huge...they sure eat their wheaties *cough* steroids.

So the majority of the holiday was great but I'd have to say that by Sunday everyone in the family was about ready to get back and get away from each other. There's just something about being in that close of a space for so many days that just makes everyone irritated.

Now it's time to crank into action and finish all the homework I put off this weekend. Oy!

New Love

I have a new love in my life...The Bagel Wagon in the Ad building. (I think it has a new name now but forever it will be known to me as TBW). Over the past four years I have know this place and received my lunch from there. I received it's gifts of nurishment with tolerance and kindness. But everything changed on Friday...

Friday I had to go to work right after chapel so I ran to grab something to eat. I was going to get my normal cold turkey sandwhich until my eyes rested on the large crockpot in the corner. I opended the warm pot to find chicken and rice simmering and steaming away. My heart started to beat out the rhythm of the song "Heaven, I'm in Heaven". It was such an amazing, warm, fulfilling meal!

Then today I went to get some lunch and when I checked the magic pot of goodness I found potatoe soup! Again my heart raced. I used the LADLE to dish out the yummy broth. I have been blind these past four years to this wonderful, precious gift. From now on I check the pot before any other food item pops into my mind.

Wake up with "Down"

This morning as I was leaving for my 8:00 class I got quite a surprise. As I walked out to my car I noticed a foreign object on the windshield. As I got closer I realized what it was--A DEAD DUCK! The neck of duck was held under the windsheild whipper of my car. I ran back into the house to tell Brooke and Ross's mom (who stayed with us last night). Brooke grabbed a trash bag and scooped up the animal.

When I got to chapel Ross asked me if my day had gotten off to a good "flight". I know that Mark, Phil, and Bret were apart of it--I'm not sure if there were any others. I took a picture of it with my camera phone to document the momentous occassion.

What's This...A Boy?!?!

I would call today a good day...

Background: At the beginning of the semester I was introduced to this guy named Jonathan who loves Disney and challenged me to play a tournament of Disney Trivia. I slaughtered him, winning 2 out of 3 games. I thought he was rather good-looking and he loved Disney--what more could you want! Over the semester we have seen each other and said a casual "hi".

So today we were on break in my Education Block class (the stinkin 3 hour class). Our class is in the Science building on the 4th floor. I came back into the room after a quick restroom break. I was throwing away my empty cup when Jonathan called my name from outside the door. I was really suprised to see him. He must have seen me enter the classroom because you couldn't see me from the angle I was standing at the trash can. He invited me to play disney trivia again with him sometime this weekend. I told him I couldn't Friday (FilmFest) but I was free Saturday. So he got my cell phone number and told me he would call.

I really didn't listen to the rest of the lecture in my class. So here you have it the gushy, girly side of EC. I know it's not a date but it still hit me as exciting. Sheesh, I'm such a girl! (Not that that's a bad thing) ;)

Strike of the Ninjets

I love my roommates. We have so many nights of random fun that begins with a simple idea or suggestion and automatically is put into play.

Before I describe what occured on Sunday night I must set it up with what happened Friday afternoon. Friday we had Relm lunch, a typical, normal event. Another typical, normal event is the boys stealing something from our house during this meal. Unfortunately we had no idea what they stole but we chased after their car any way to give them the facade that we knew what they had done. So we continued the weekend unsure of what they took.

It wasn't till the Sep-Tep date that Brooke realized what was stolen. Duct taped to the wall of Tortuga were forks and spoons--the precious silverware of the Relm. Oy, what those boys will think of.

So Sunday night we were sitting around and one of us casually mentioned that we should raid the house and steal the silverware back. The difference between us and other people is that other people would just suggested this as a fun discussion topic...we actually make it happen.

So we began the rapid transformation into...The Ninjets! We ran around find all the black items of clothing that we had. Granted we aren't use to dressing as ninjas so we had to scrounge around to find our headware. Robin ended up tying a long sleeved shirt around her face (I was amazed at how she got that to work). I had a black strapless sports bra that I placed around my nose and mouth and a pair of workout shorts that I placed on my head. Brooke used her sports bra and a pair of pants. Then came the final touch that distinguished us from the Ninjas and proved our awesome power as Ninjets...

The Black Eyeliner. We had some scary, thick black eyeliner going on. In the middle of our foreheads we drew on a symbol that was our trademark. Robin had a black circle, I had a long black line, and Brooke had a black star.

We were ready for battle. (First of all we were scared to death driving to the house--we thought someone would see us in the car and think we were going to rob a bank). We did a drive by of the house to "case the joint" as we were driving down the street Phil drove past to take Jenna to her dorm. We knew we had precious little time.

The plan was that I would go in the front with my water gun (actually the boys water gun that we stole earlier in the month) , steal something to get the boys to chase me out of the house while the other two Ninjets snuck in the back of the house to get the silverware. When I knocked on the door and came in the house no one was there. So I went to the back of the house to inform the other two. Unfortunately they didn't expect to see me and they screamed in terror. We began to rescue the precious silverware. In the midst of the rescue a door began to open and from the shadows of the room stepped the sleepy but sly enemy, Stev9. I shot him with all my power as I screamed for the others to run. Without the cover of his black garb Stev9's ninja reflexes and strength ensued and he soon overpowered my feeble ninjet strategies. He leaped out of the house toward my commrades. I gathered my strenght and set out after the screams that I heard in the billowing nightfall. I clasped on to his leg and pajama pant leg in an attempt to give the girls a chance to run. Out of the night air another form emerged--the dreaded Rot9. He was a foe that was not easily defeated. Stev9 retreated from my grasp and begain his persuit along the cement drive way in bare feet. I soon witnessed the stumble of the brave ninja as he sliced a chunck of skin from his big toe--yet he pressed on in red hot persuit.

Luckily the Ninjets made it to their mode of transportation and left the two defeat yet angry boys/ninjas to wallow in their misery.

The victory of the first Ninjet raid has kept us on our guard. We await the retaliation of the Tortuga Sect of the Ninja Faction with great confidence and fury. All Your Base Are Belong To US.

Adkins Exploding in the Freezer

What did you do this afternoon?

Well, my roommates and I bought $50 worth of meat.
Giga-what?!?!?

So I left observing early today to relax at home before I had to go to work. While at work an innocent, unbeknownst knock rapped at our door. It was this rather loud, but funny hispanic man. We figured he wanted to mow our yard--we get those a lot since we tend to have the jungle growing in the front. He actually was from "Gourmet Foods" and he was selling meat--how random.

Since I answered the door I of course said "Sure I'd like to look at it" (I just can't say no). So he ran to his truck and brought in a huge box and began pulling out the meat and describing it with such tenderness. The meat actually looked very good and it was vacuum sealed. So we ended up buying 24 steak hamburger patties and 10 medallions. So they are sitting in the freezer awaiting consumption.

Wow what a random day.

*By the way...if anyone is interested we have the card and phone number of the meat man.

Abnormal Sleeping Patterns

I experienced the CONSEQUENCES of my wonderful, relaxing trip to Corpus on Monday night. On Tuesday I had a power point project, a huge lesson plan project, and a group project all due in the same class--what the huey?!?! So Monday night I doped myself up on chocolate and coke (a-cola). I began working on it at 6:00 and ended at 4:45 in the morning. The hardest time slot was from 12-1--I wanted to go to bed so bad. But man, you should have seen me at about 3:00. I was wired and singing with much enthusiasm to Les Miserables--I really hope I didn't wake up my roommates.

So Tuesday I was running on 2 hours of sleep. Whew. I did pretty well because I knew I had to do my presentation to the class which was at 1:00. Unfortunatly I had class and work from 8-5 so there was no chance of getting a nap. It wasn't until I got to work that the lack of sleep hit me like a sumo wrestler. I was dying. After work I had to rush across town to vote. I really hope none of you were on the road at about 5:00 yesterday because it was a very scary ride for me. 2 hours of sleep+driving=roads moving around and fading in and out of conciousness. I was very glad when I got home safe and sound.

I got home a little before 6:00 and told Robin and Brooke I was going to take a nap. I set my alarm for 8:00. When it went off I decided to sleep 40 more minutes. The next time I woke up I thought it looked a little darker in my room. I looked at my clock and realized it was 3:00 in the morning--whoa baby! I got up, took out my contacts, took a quick restroom break, thought about what I should do, and then jumped right back into bed until 7:00. I got 13 hours of sleep last night!!!

Man, when you are sleep deprived you have some majorly wacked out dreams!

Hopefully I am back on my regularly scheduled sleep pattern.

We Survived Corpus '04

Well, all 30-something of us arrived back to Abilene safe and sound from a great weekend in Corpus Christi. I had a really great time. It was a great lat Fall Break. I won't be able to describe everything that happened on the trip (that would make this blog way too long), but here are a few highlights:

*Driving the soccer mom fan w/ Luke, Kendra, Alex, Tracy, and Lisa (you guys are awesome--I had so much fun with ya'll)

*Before the trip even started, running the van over one of those diamond shaped curb things in the campus center parking lot

*Finally getting on the road at 6:15 after the fear of a punctured fuel tank was over

*Pulling out in front of a semi

* Luke: "Don't hit that exit sign"
Me: "I'm not going to hit anything"
Everyone in the car: "AHHHHHHH!" (as we almost hit Phyllis's car)

* 20 questions with Phyllis's car to Corpus and Brooke and Ross on the way to Abilene

* Veto--enough said

* The attack and burial of EC in the sand

* Volleyball in the Ocean

* 10 girls showering in 30 minutes or less

* Major good eatin' at Tim and Venie Fulbright's house

* Alex's inability to paint the moon (K THANKS)

* Murder in the dark--turning on the lights to find Keith climbing the basketball hoop and Curtis climbing the wall

*The ha-ha game with frisbees flying near our heads (brooke getting hit twice) and Keith diving over us

* 3rd flooring it

* Brooke and I pretending to drown and Roommate deciding which one to save

* Bret getting stung by a jellyfish and Ross peeing on his hand to help the stinging (video coverage taken)

* Kingsville Pizza Parlor--sharing a pepperoni and black olive pizza with Alex

* Lots of volleyball!

* Indiana vs. The World ultimate frisbee tournament (the world won)

* Throwing the frisbee right into Keith's face

*Keith going to the hospital for a broken jaw

*finding out Keith's broken jaw was a complete joke (jerks)

* 30 something people dressing crazy and going to Whataburger

*Rachael and I getting a picture with the cop at Whatatburger

* Grumpy boys on Sunday morning--turning on the lights and running for dear life

* Small time church--note to self no clapping on "I will call upon the lord"

* Pot luck--huge table of desserts--Woah

*Someone egging the van and Rot's truck--grrr!

* Lots of cold showers

* Scary driving in the rain storm--sort of hit the loose gravel

It was a great trip. Thanks to Hannah and Robin for all their time and effort in planning this. Hallellujah that no one died.