Take that 2006---2007 is about to rock the house down

I have met this new year with an especially high degree of excitement and enthusiasm, unnatural or abnormal even...but I am quite enjoying it this way.

I love how the new year (or school year or semester or first of the month or sunday or really any beginning) somehow conjures up in us the great sense of empowerment. It is as if, for some reason when the calendar page flips from one year into the next we are suddenly much more motivated and capable of achieving the goals, breaking the habits, or losing the weight we have been carrying around for years, previously unable to do anything about.

I say this not to mock new years resolutions, but to smile at the fact that for some amount of time we are all a little unsensibly idealistic. In fact, I have a long history of making new year's resolutions almost all of which (if not absolutely all) have never been achieved. In fact, because I am a chronic overachiever and tend to take on a "go big or go home" mentality, I actually have a habit of making an entire list of reasonably obtainable new year's resolution that so divides my attention that as a result not a single one gets the attention or dedication deserved to make it a reality. In fact, these resolutions were so significant that I remember practically none of them; although I do recall several resolutions to lose weight, work out, eat healthy, give up soda, give up candy, and other such things. In addition I pledged other things like to stop popping my knuckles, do all the reading for classes, and I believe once I even made a resolution to smooch the object of my middle school heart's affection (I'm that cool, yes, I know).

I share all this juciness for the sole purpose of saying that this new year I am truly about to burst with excitement about what's in store for the next few months (at least). I feel like God is up to something in my life, and it's a refreshing feeling to have, one that is an answer to months worth of prayers. I know I am a nerd, but I feel like God is putting more passion into my school work, I COULDN'T SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE CLASSES. I sat excited, about to pee my pants, in each new class, just wanting to learn new things. This isn't just academically. I feel like a time of hardcore spiritual growth is on the horizon for 2007. He is calling me to spend more time with Him and has been making it an urgency in my life (which is awesome) and revealing so much to me about my relationship with Him and bringing forth a lot of things I need to deal with to experience more freedom and joy! It's so exciting. Overall just a sense of excitement about life in general and a desire to learn and grow.

I might pee my pants just thinking about it, which wouldn't be too hard because one of my new years resolutions is to drink the recommended amount of water each day ;)

It looks like my future husband has some competition

So, I have always had this little joke that I would pretty much marry a guy who wrote a song for me, we'll whoever he is, he has quite a high standard to meet because today, today, I got my very own song...merry christmas.

Be Like Brooke

She's the queen of the swingers, oh, the Rockfish VIP

She's reached the top and had to stop and that's what's botherin' me

I want to be like Brooke and stroll right in to town

with my big sunglasses on my face

I'm tired of monkeying around.

Oh do be do, I wanna be like Brooke

I wanna walk like Brooke, talk like Brooke too

You see it's true, a girl like me, can learn to be

just like Brooke too.

Katie B and grace are perhaps the silliest little girls I know, but I guess I should get used to it, because it looks like I'm marrying them! ::wink:: I have such cool friends.

Well I Guess This is Growing Up

Maybe you've experienced it, maybe you haven't...but sometimes there are moments in life when you just realize you're growing up. Not neccesarily anything tragic or lifechanging (although, that will certainly do it), but those moments when you just sort of realize that things that you've clung to or enjoyed in the past just aren't as interesting anymore, or that you are just ready to be beyond things that are sort of immature, yet quite a natural part of growing up. It's kind of a hard feeling to explain, though I guarentee most of you will start feeling it soon.

It's kind of been like that lately...just coming to realize that, I'm growing up.

To be honest, I always have thought of myself as mentally being a lot older than my chronological age at anytime (starting in at least middle school), but it doesn't take much to realize how wrong I was, but the other day I was thinking about the first week of college, how completely overwhelming that was. It was never so overwhelming I just had a mental breakdown or anything, but even in the past two years and I see where I have grown up. One particular instance that came to mind was one of the many trips I took to Thomson by myself freshman year (which I didn't mind and still like doing on occasion). It was one of the first days of school and at this point I only knew how to get to Thomson by one particular route. Well, somewhere in the process, I walked down a different road, arrived at Thomson, but had no clue which door to go in to get to the cafeteria. I must have looked lost, even though I am sure I was doing my best to pretend like I knew where I was going, because some girl was like "You can get to the caf from that door" and of course (secretly releaved) I responded "Oh yeah, I know." But even small things like that, heh, were just a few years ago college seemed like such a big deal and now I am wanting to be part of a big, grand adventure.

Anywho, what brought this on is that in the past few days I have had a few instances in where I felt my adult mind starting to kick in:

1. I felt this desire to subscribe to a professional journal
2. I want to host a dinner party
3. I realized I chose to listen to (and enjoyed) the Adult Alternative station on Launchcast

So there you go. That's pretty much all I have to say on this for right now, and yes, I get a chuckle out of the fact that a post of growing up can have a title so very connected to the middleschool version of myself.

Sucker!

There have only been two instances in my college career where I can truly say I felt like a complete sucker...where someone's really pulled one over on me....both times professors...

the first was in my Political Science 201 class with Dr. Belk (who is amazing by the way). So, this is my first semester in college, in one of the first honors classes I have ever taken here at Winthrop. One of the first days Dr. Belk hands out a "pop quiz." After freaking out about it being a pop quiz and knowing full and well I didn't know the answers to most of the questions, I turn in my quiz. Then we grade them. I got a 20...In a few brief seconds, my academic world comes crashing down. Almost to the point of tears, thinking there was simply no way I was going to cut it in college...Dr. Belk smiles and says "This is the intelligence test they used to administer to decide who could vote. You are educated people and still you couldn't answer the questions, what does that say about this method?" Punked.

the second instance, happened this past Monday. In my tests and measurement class we have been taking a series of personality tests to see how consistent the results are. So, in class, Dr. Daugherty hands out a sheet of paper with our NEO "scores" and an "interpreation" of these scores. Naturally, I am excited to see what my answers reveal about me. I'm reading through the first paragraph and I am thinking to myself "daggum, this about hit the nail on the head" then, being the slow reader that I am, Dr. Daugherty interupts before I am done reading to say, "So how accurate do you feel like these interpretations are?" Then procedes to tell us everyone got the same interpretation, but because they were common experiences and generally free to interpretation statements, we saw in them the similarities to our own experiences. Punked again.

now i just need to pull one over on someone...

"Thank God I'm a Country Boy..."

No...I'm not watching Son in Law...

So, I'm sitting here, enjoying the fact there is no class because of Election Day...I've been almost entirely unproductive...and naturally, I start listening to John Denver...actually I don't really know what moved me to do so, but I came across the classic "Take Me Home Country Roads"...West Virginia's state song.

I'm from West Virginia...I have very fond memories of West Virginia as a child, but honestly, I cannot imagine who I would be if I had lived there my whole life. We moved when I was 8, so all those vital, character forming stages like middle school were in Myrtle Beach, but sometimes I try to think about how my life would be if I were still in West Virginia and I just can' t do it. The things that most form my personality I never would have experienced or been a part of if I lived there. I don't know where I'm going with this...I'd like to go visit West Virginia I think.

Welcome to the Office

So today I was introduced to my new favorite TV show, The Office. Seriously, I had tears pouring out of my eyes during a few of the episodes.

I must say, themed parties really just are more fun, we should have them more often. Katie B and Grace...here's to you!

Good party, co-workers. See you Monday, 9 sharp.

The working boys of Rock Hill.

Katie Katie and Brooke Inc.

Katie and I after a hard-days work. We got the Dundee for wearing ties.

Best Boss Ever and Assisant to the Regional Director

Right Hand Day

So, today was more or less one of the best days ever...just one of those days when things just seem to go right and beyond.

First, the EAGLE has landed. Katie B and I watched the installation of the eagle statue...that's right, we were part of Winthrop history, we got interviewed and everything. Naturally, I dubbed myself student representative and wanted to get in on some handshake action with DiGorgio, but it failed and we just stood back and kept ourselves entertained for the entire hour and fifteen minutes we spent waiting for this to go down.

Work was rather entertaining. I got a lot of reading done in Harry Potter and I got interviewed for the Winthrop channel to talk about the TRiO program and what I do as a tutor. That's right, I'm pretty much famous around these parts.

THEN...I witnessed a truly momentous occasion. Stephen cut his hair, and I was there to witness it. It looks good, I think a new stage of life is going to be beginning.

But wait, things get better. Dinner...let me just say, total UPGRADE. Thomson was serving steak, and it was good steak....really good steak...with A1 sauce and steak fries. The tea was good AND they had dirt cups for dessert. This is all on a Friday night mind you...I never eat in Thomson but the cafeteria gods were with us tonight.

Katie B and I hit up an improv comedy show after all of this and it really made me wish I had pursued the whole acting thing a little more. I really enjoy performing, and I'm pretty alright at it, I'm comfortable with it. Although, I don't think the theatre scene or lifestyle is really for me...but part of me would like to dabble in that a little more.

Then the night topped off with HIGH QUALITY hanging out with Lil Katie and Mags. Ahh, we never get to hang out just us these days...and what better way to do that then with The Notebook. That movie gets me everytime...I won't lie...I teared a little.

After the movie we just sat on the couch, three in a row, and looked at my scrapbook from freshman year. We've grown up, and pretty soon we're going to be real grown-ups and that is a scary thought.

And now, I am going to sleep in my comfy little university provided bed, with clean sheets and everything as Queen sings me sweet lullabyes.

gloriously silly

so i am sitting here...well i was laying on my bed, completely ready to go to sleep and wanting to get a good night's sleep yet I find myself wide awake in an absolutely gloriously giddy mood...just sort of tickled with life and my own silliness i suppose. the sort of mood that makes me want to listen to catchy pop songs and dance around my room in my pjs...wait, i already did that.

i love when good moods just blindside you!

life really is good....God is good...he loves me...and you too.

Things from years ago

Right now I am watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on the Disney channel. I haven't seen this movie in years, I love it, but it's been awhile.

However, while I am sitting here I can't help but think back to when this movie first came out in theatres. Man, did Harry Potter hit the world big time. So much publicity surrounding the books and then all the excitement when the movie came out. Ahh, but what I really remember is that on opening night my mom took my little brother and I to see the movie. Going to the movies with mom was always a little bit of a treat but I just remember her taking us to go even though she hadn't read the books and probably had no real desire to see it. But we were there, with all the other excited kids of all ages hanging on every moment of the movie...I can't help but become a little nostalgic.

Also, Thursday night after Crusade we watched The Little Mermaid. Naturally singing took place and the excitement build around the viewing resembled something of the excitment from when I was a little girl. But what was really great was during the part where the chef is chasign Sabstian all over the kitchen I had a very distinct memory from when I was a little girl. My brother's and I made up a game based on that part of the movie. Someone had to be the chef and everyone else was some kind of sea creature waiting to be eaten and you had to get up to the top bunk and under the covers before the chef got you...mind you the game was complete with lines from the movie and four little kids laughing in their best french accents...

sigh, i miss that.

Peabody is an interesting and entertaining place at 2:58 on a Friday afternoon. Boys are just entertaining as they attempt to kill the two minutes before the weight room opens...

you know how when you are a little kid, and something happens that you're involved in and someone asks you a question like "what happened?" and your response is "i don't know."--maybe even you give a little shoulder shrug and that cool walk away thing kids do (or 20 year olds). but then if the person is really lucky you might provide some insight into situation which really is an effort to just provide anything to get whoever to leave you alone and you say something like "devin did it". yeah...astronomy makes me feel like a little kid and i just want to shrug my shoulders and be like "i don't know...God did it."

i really like doing laundry...and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...that's why i plan on making it my profession...

...rain on concrete...

I Don't Normally Get Attached to TV Personalities but...

He's gone...and that really does make me sad.

today i felt quite small

im ok with that

Peru has pretty much been amazing so far. I have had some amazing food and we have had a lot of laughs. Plus we are working on two different churches in Lima and tomorrow afternoon we are going to go to an orphanage to play with the kids and drop off some toys and old clothes and such.

I could enjoy living in Peru I think, I just need to work on my Spanish.

ah, and i ate beef heart today, who would have thunk it?

some of the funniest things that happen at camp, i swear, involve a toilet....last summer it was singing to Will on the toilet...and tonight, it was cleaning the nastiest toilet (in the boy's bathroom mind you) i have ever seen in my entire life...two rolls of toilet paper jammed down in it, an explosive case of human excrement and to top it off the stall door was locked and there was more "mess" on the floor, so i climbed over the stall praying my foot wouldn't go straight in the toilet and got to work...fortunately i can't smell because i have a sinus infection.

at one point, as i was trying to plunge this lovely thing, it splashed....all on my leg...so i ran out and immediately grabbed a bottle of sanitizer and sprayed my leg down...yeah...i love final cleanup

so, finally a week that i can say i was truly satisfied with how it ran. for the most part, no major glitches or scheduling conflicts...most everything ran just as it ought and overall the kids were pretty into all of the activities...i'm dead tired though, not just from this week but from the summer...it's ok...two more weeks and i will be on my way to Peru...yeah buddy!

i really don't have the brain capacity to compose something of much interest at the moment, so i have decided that i will just post a list of things i have thought about over the past week:

1. i do fear that i shall always struggle with apathy
2. i want a tatoo
3. i am pretty sure that deep down my life goal of being on the real world is still there, although Leann told me about this cool thing called the World Race that sounds pretty awesome.
4. i need a hair cut
5. i'm tired: emotionally. physically. mentally. spiritually.
6. sky diving might go on in december.

i am/was (Jordan just had me turn it down) listening to brevada really loud in the office right now...it's good, i want to hear "urgency", it's kind of where my heart is.

gah what a week, it is definitely the middle of the summer, let me just say that. we had ACA this week, which pretty much determines whether or not we would remain an accredited camp. let's just say monday, tuesday, and wednesday I experienced some of the most intense stress and pressure i've ever felt. by lunch on wednesday Gene was painting it as if we were really in a tight spot adding just more stress and caused me to prepare for the worst, failing. at about 5 that afternoon he called Jordan and I into his office, informed us of the "case of the stupids" we as a staff had that day, then let us know that we got a 100%...by the grace of God only, man, I had no choice but to cry. we also had The Difference from SWU in this week which is always a joy and it was quite sad to see them go this afternoon.

i feel like spiritual moral is kinda low around these parts and that there is the same underlying tension there has been for the past few weeks. part of it, i know, is because i am not with the kids as much as the counselors so i don't get to see the same growth as they do. i feel like God is really breaking me and teaching me and it's been tough, I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed the lesson but I know He is going to strengthen me, plus, I've kind of known a breaking was on the horizon for a while now.

in so many ways though God is blessing things here at Rockfish. we had so many kids come to know Christ this week and it's so exciting. I got to hang out with some way cool operation purple girls and minister to them some. there is laughter. it didn't rain. we passed ACA. so yeah. my thought process is sort of farting out right now.

not the best day ever, one day things will just work....