The 3 L's [Love, Life, Laughter]

moving again

2007-06-12T07:32:00.000-05:00

in August, to the city. :)

More definition

2007-04-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

Just some recent thoughts...

From Wikipedia, on the Evangelical Left:

Evangelical left is a term used to describe those who are part of the Christian evangelical movement in the USA but who generally function on the left wing of that movement, either politically or theologically, or both.
While the evangelical left movement is related to the better known Christian left,those who are part of the latter movement are not always viewed as evangelical.

Typically, members of the evangelical left affirm the primary tenets of evangelical theology, such as the doctrines of Incarnation,atonement, and resurrection, and also see the Bible as a primary authority forthe Church.
Unlike many evangelicals, however, the evangelical left supports what are often considered "liberal" or "left wing" political policies. They are often, for example, opposed to capital punishment and supportive of gun control. In many cases, they are pacifist or pacifist-oriented. They also often support and utilize modern Biblical criticism, whereas some other evangelicals reject it.

I've been thinking about my faith a lot these days. Having attended 3 churches in the last 2 years, I've had some reason to really think about the spectrum of messages I've been presented with and to consider my allegiance to an organized Christian belief system. I think for various reasons, for the last 5 years since I've gone back to church, I've been quite reluctant to be a big fan of any one church or any one church program, conflicted in my identity as someone who attends evangelical churches and generally finding myself in conflict with some but not all the things evangelicalism- as in the overall evangelicalism of the United States - stands for.

I grew up in a fairly conservative Christian household and went to a very conservative Christian church growing up. Focus on the Family was extremely popular and the word of James Dobson was consdered gospel. Evangelical legalism defined my upbringing.

As I've grown up (hopefully!) and matured (hopefully!) I've journeyed away from the evangelicalism I knew as a child. I've never gone off the deep and truly rebelled in the sense of ever denying my faith... but I learned to subject my faith to the world, to re-evaluate it in the truth (what Jesus actually said vs. what right-wing Christian conservatives said), and to experience the conflict that arises when the old faith system was no longer enough to hold the weight of the world. Scrutiny determined that the old faith system that was heavily influenced by evangelical right wing tenets -- that often had very little to do with the emphases Jesus placed on loving your neighbor, feeding the hungry, caring for those less fortunate, vs. his brief, little, to no stance on abortion and homosexuality-- is not realistic and is a very pharisaical system.

So I've been researching denominations on the web, reviewing the sub-systems of evangelicalism, where I seem to fit. I felt the fit issue is more about me progressing on my journey by being able to bookmark this page in the story of my life and knowing a little more about what to digest next, who to be influenced by and how to apply my thoughts more efficiently. I know there are plenty more things to consider- wesleyanism vs. calvinism, etc.- but for now this feels more immediate.

I'm also very interested in Red Letter Christians and the Progressive Christian movements, but still a bit reluctant to pledge allegiance to organized groups. I still feel that God is owed my allegiance first, then my husband, then others. But I feel as if I'm in a process of definition and refinement.

The most anti-climactic birthday ever

2007-03-02T16:16:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I turned 32. That's one more stripe, one more year of experience. Heh.

It was fun- went to work, got a smiley face bouquet from my best bud, and several lovely e-cards. Mom took me out to lunch at Champps and folks at work brought food. Yum.

So what did John and I do yesterday night?

I fell asleep at 6:45. Woke up at 8:20 and decided I was too pooped to party. Went back to sleep at 9.

That's it folks. At a certain age, sleep is a great gift.
(Especially when you're getting up at 5 a.m. and working out every weekday)

We'll probably go out sometime this weekend and celebrate post-fact.. it'll be better next year, my b-day will be on a Friday. Yay!

Battlestar Quiz

2007-03-02T16:07:00.000-06:00

You scored as Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo). You have spent your life trying to life up to and impress your Dad, shame he never seemed to notice. You are a stickler for the rules. But in matters of loyalty and honour you know when they have to be broken.

Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo)

94%

Dr Gaius Baltar

56%

Number 6

50%

Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer)

44%

CPO Galen Tyrol

44%

Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck)

44%

Tom Zarek

44%

President Laura Roslin

38%

Commander William Adama

31%

Col. Saul Tigh

19%

What New Battlestar Galactica character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

New Job

2007-02-24T07:50:00.000-06:00

So in case you hadn't heard, I've been "passively looking" for a new job the last few months. Kind of a leave-it-up-to-God thing. I mean, I posted the online resume and I maybe submitted a few applications,... but really, it was sort of passive.

Last week, it worked! Someone found me and it looks to be a great fit.

Later in March, I'll be working in Glenview for a interactive company, and I'll be specializing in online content and special creative projects. The guy they just brought in was in charge of marketing functions at monster.com and I'll be sitting next to the SEO guy (Search Engine Optimization). This will be a great opportunity to rub shoulders with smart people and re-energize me, boost the career skill set, and prime future work at online companies ... a wise career move, as my interests have always been in the creative and interactive area and the best projects I've managed always ran along those lines.

This is after several months of feeling that I've outgrown the current job and become depressed about it even though the job in of itself, is a good one,... but it's just time to specialize and hone my skills, learn new things and get out while I am still flexible.

The other consideration is that my current company is not mother-friendly and having a baby there would basically ensure no alternatives to quitting. Not that we're expecting,... but it is reasonable to consider this facet as we will likely be considering having a little critter or two in the next five years. And it's not like I will necessarily continue working, but I have yet to decide if that is the only option - and I'd like to think that a good company would be supportive of its educated, highly trained female employees. Interactive industries are a better place for this and a more progressive company would be more likely to be flexible on family issues.

So... Glenview... we may have to consider moving again...

Anyhow, happy happy. :)

lapse

2006-12-20T16:54:00.000-06:00

So I've lapsed in my blogging... mostly becuase I haven't had much to say, or too much to do and am overwhelmed or just kinda lost in thought. Can't tell.

I will say that I've been contemplating a job change... not sure on definitives yet. I know that the feeling of dread is usually precedent to a job change for me. And I want to change scenery and environment. I like my co-workers, but I'm out of love with my job.

What's positive is that I've started freelancing/volunteering for graphic design work at church, but I'm not too impressed with the church's organization. I may opt out if it gets too much... but for now, it's a nice respite from the day-to-day. I get to flex my visual creative muscles at least and can add to my portfolio.

Not sure on which local church we'll end up going to-- still can't figure it out. One church stands behind its artists and supports ministry in creative arts and communications... another church provides realistic ways to get into commmunity... the other doesnt' seem as well organized when it comes to getting people assigned to small groups. John and I are a little lost right now in terms of where to go.

I will say that being married can be a lonely social experience because we don't exactly fit in with hip young adult groups (we're skewing older, I think we're still hip tho), we don't fit in with old people as well though we like learning from them, we're trying out ways to hang w/ a variety of people and we are meeting a lot of weird middle aged people who have social issues. It's not like we are not friendly- i think we're just in this weird place, and the suburbs can be an isolating place to be. Granted, we're not your typical 30-something married couple.. we can't be, because I have few references for that, seeing as how we've not met very many out here.

So I guess the bottom line here is that a lot of stuff is undefined right now and there's change brewing. It doesn't feel comfortable and sometimes I am a little overwhelmed. There's been a change in identity, a change in passions and perhaps a new adventure ahead. Ahead is a new awakening.

:)

What It's Like

2006-09-26T10:06:00.000-05:00

Well,... we've been home for over a week now and just starting to figure out what the routine will be. What's cool is that friends and family don't seem too shy in welcoming us back and saying hello with phone calls and such. I've often heard that most newlyweds experience a time of isolation from friends- not the case for us, so far. :)

What's really funny is the first few calls people make to us-- they often seem to imply that John and I are always having, uh, "quality time." Too funny.

Anyways, Italy and Spain were really fun. A bit hot for both of us- but we enjoyed ourselves. Spain- we must go back to Madrid. It was really relaxing there - wish we had more time to shop and get more booty. At least we scored free slippers from the hotel (soory, the frugal chinese pack rat freebie monster in me couldn't resist).

We had really awesome wine, btw. In Spain, we had some really awesome Sangria. I asked the waiter about the type of red wine they used in their version and he said it was a red wine they called "mancha," a locally made Madrid wine, .. he also said it was really strong. Yep, boy, it was. Good thing our hotel was only a block or two away from the restaurant. After 4 glasses, I was feeling more than a little tipsy. But, that's how good it was! I'm going to see if I can find some and get some sangria going for next summer...

In Italy, we also had some lovely wine there. We did purchase a carmignano that was a little too beefy for us, but it was still pleasant to drink it under the starry sky in the middle of a tuscan olive tree field. We also had lovely red wine just about everywhere we went.. mostly some chianti type, or whatever was the house red or rose.

What's nice now is that we can enjoy our collection of wines at home-- now that I'm not having to drive to the parents at night, we can have a nightly glass of red wine and not have to drive anywhere. It's rather relaxing. Last night we had some Orchard County (Wisconsin) Blackberry Wine with some brie, flatbreads, pears and nectarines while watching the season debut of Heroes on NBC.

What's also relaxing is that the rest of our furniture has finally arrived and we're able to spread out on our couch. And if we get too tired, we can just walk down the hall and go to bed.

We still have a pile of thank yous to get out (we're both of the opinion that whoever decided that a couple has up to a year after the wedding to get thank yous out was really lazy and in poor taste) but we can now commence since we just finished opening up all our gifts (whew!).

In any case, we're just happy to be home. We're busy with work and faimly things as of late, but it's nice to be around again. :)

excess in Italy

2006-09-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

Much food - chianti, camignano, vernacci - lots of gelato - wild boar sausages - pici with wild boar - croissants and assorted pastries - wood fired crisp pizzas with prosciutto - espresso - mmm

Yesterday, we went a driving and decided that we'd check out Volterra - turned out to be lovely hill town overlooking a huge valley. We basically bumped around checked out the shops, purchased some more olive wood things and an alabaster plate for our dining area. We spent a good deal of the afternoon there and just relaxed. It was lovely.

Anyhoo, right now we're in tuscany, florence, again... saw the boboli gardens this morning, and this afternoon we get to finish our shopping. So far, we both splurged on some cool leather jackets. Yay!

Tomorrow we drive to cinqueterre and then Rome on Monday. So far, its been kinda hot and sweaty with the weather being in the upper 80's - hoping it will cool down on the coast this weekend.

Anyways, still doing great. Honeymooning is faboo... but we both are pretty sure that we will be really happy to come home and just be there in our lovely place with air conditioning and two full baths. Yess... and a cheeseburger or two.

The new Mrs.

2006-09-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

Yesssss!

We are hitched!

Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate our big day. We felt so much love and support from the friends and family that mean the most to us!

Right now, we are in an internet cafe in Florence, Italy- How sick is that?

We will be sure to blog more later.

Ciao!

Life is hard right now...

2006-08-14T12:04:00.000-05:00

HI. Very quick post-
Basically things have been kinda crazy what with getting married and all... but let me update you on the last month or two...
- John got laid off unexpectedly (aargh. It was an arbitrary "oh, let's just get rid of this particular class of employee" thing. They want him back now, but have to wait for the next contract. grrr.)However, John just got a new job to fill the gap for now, so we're happy about that.
- We both moved our things into the new place. John is living there for now, and I will join him full-time once we're married. Things are coming together nicely... we just entertained John's mom this weekend. Still,... much to put away and do.
- My dad just got diagnosed with lymphoma last week.. an aggressive type. He'll be starting chemo this week. Hopefully he will be ok. Please pray that the other tests this week will promise better news. My family is still in shock and we're all kinda sad lately. Please pray for us and that the heavy-heartedness will subside enough for there to be a brief happy time in a few weeks when John and I get married. We will need to find a wig for my dad, just in case, so if anyone can recommend a place in the Chicagoland area for men's wigs, I'd like to hear from you.

Anyhow, we're still getting married, things are still a go,... but things are rough and we're kinda behind on some planning things that only we can do. Considering how things have been this past week, we basically stalled on the planning. So we're going to try to get caught up this week, despite all the stuff going on.

John has been very patient with me, through the ups and downs (mostly downs) in the past weeks... and he's been able to help my dad with computers and gadget things enough to distract him temporarily. John is much more patient and gentle than I am and it's been so neat to see how he is with my dad. Now, John's probably got his own stresses to worry about and he's got all this too... but he's right there with me through this. He's a really good man.

Please continue to pray for us. Thanks!

moooooving...

2006-07-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

Moving, packing, cleaning and then cleaning and organizing a new place is a LOT of work. Still much to do.... :)

I was kinda lazy, so I did a quiz

2006-06-15T16:13:00.000-05:00

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight.

As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause.

Batman, the Dark Knight

71%

Maximus

67%

James Bond, Agent 007

67%

The Terminator

67%

Captain Jack Sparrow

67%

Neo, the "One"

63%

Lara Croft

54%

The Amazing Spider-Man

54%

William Wallace

54%

Indiana Jones

54%

El Zorro

29%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

Cool people

2006-05-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

Traits I appreciate that make for great friends:

They are generally (and sometimes painfully)self-aware enough to realize how dangerous they really are, but usually choose to behave. I think my premise is that everyone is actually very dangerous being placed here in the world.. but only some people really understand that. The ones who understand this and know how to rein it in, discipline themselves for a higher calling are generally really interesting and inspiring people to be around. They may be misunderstood at times, often erring in being a little too passionate, too irreverent (or maybe weird), ambitious in others' opinion, but they're okay with that and often bring a dose of humor to balance out what would otherwise be an overserious existence. They are often ones who whisper some completely cheeky, sometimes tart, comment in my ear when we're attending church or at some solemn moment (which I love). They paint their own unique color in the pattern of life and it is indelible and not to be confused with any other color. Although they are driven dreamers with high capabilities, skills and knowledge, they are quick to be humbled but confident in what God has given them to push through the failures and continue their fight. They value the important things in life- not so much the cars, houses, careers or status (and many of them have attained these things)- but the beauty of unique moments in time shared with with others and they commit these moments to memory. They don't measure life by what God can do for them, they measure it by how much they've grown and have been challenged despite circumstances. When circumstances happen, they refrain from pat answers, canned sayings (christian or p.c., or otherwise)and attitudes, and acknowledge a situation for what it is.

On the hunt for a new phone

2006-05-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

So John and I are looking into dumping our respective cell phones, despite the early termination fees... why?

Well, I know why for myself... Cingular does NOT rock. The only reason I ended up with it, was that I originally had AT&T wireless (which was soooo bad, they were ranked the worst in customer service). So Cingular bought out AT&T Wireless, and now,... I discover that AT&T buys SBC, then goes after Cingular. According to recent market info, AT&T plans on completely discarding the Cingular brand. IN a related survey 88% of those surveyed in the advertising and marketing fields said that it would be very wrong for AT&T to do that. I agree. Because it goes to show how stupid AT&T is.

Basically, I can't get away from AT&T. I want to so desperately. But they own my DSL service (SBC Yahoo DSL -- now AT&T Yahoo DSL: grrrrrrrr) and soon my cell will probably be converted or something, and I have the bundled service.

I am ready to pay the early termination fees to remove the opportunity for another AT&T foothold on my existence.

--------

Otherwise: things are going well :) Except my allergies are really awful these days. Thank God for Claritin Redi-Tabs. Also, Cortisone... I have eczema that been flaring up something awful lately. Not to mention my knees have been giving out... need to take more glucosamine... hmm, while I'm at it, I should stock up on some geritol and BenGay. Yeah, maybe that will do it. Oh,.. and some Depends. I think that covers it. :)

Ok- I Was Bored...

2006-04-25T22:54:00.000-05:00

Geek/Nerd

87%

Goth

67%

Hot

67%

Emo Kid

60%

Punk

40%

Jock

40%

Prep

33%

Loner

33%

"Ghetto"

20%

Stoner

What Highschool Clique Do You Belong To?
created with QuizFarm.com

Happy Anniversary, a pint o' Guiness and ramblings

2006-04-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend, John and I celebrated our one year anniversary of when we met (dating happened pretty quickly, so we use April 15- tax day- as our big date). Longest we've ever dated anyone for either of us, and longest we've ever been engaged to anyone (granted, it's also the only time either of us have been engaged to anyone).

We had a great time- we went to Galena, IL to hang out for about 24 hours-- it was a blast.. not so much that Galena itself is the rockinest place in the world, but rather... we just had fun hanging out together. However, if you ever plan on going there, the Irish Cottage is a great place to stay- the pub is really nice- and the live Irish music is fun, and is even more fun when you ingest some Guinness to go with it. MMM. Guiness and black currant-- "Guiness and black"- try it, it's like dark coffee with a little berry zing. Loved it. Plus the hot irish breakfast was rather nice-- we both really enjoyed the scones.

It was great to take a break from the usual,.. and not worry about any wedding planning, or other obligations. I felt really relaxed on Monday as a result.

Except, I had to go to the gym everyday this week to make up for the guilt. We ate pretty well, outside our usual healthy diet,... so I decided I'd step up the cardio and beat my body into submission. Spent about 1.5 hours each day so far at the gym. I do feel a little more buff, heh heh,... but I hope I can keep it up. Gotta wear a white dress in a few months. argh.

And then I was thinking about the whole wearing white thing- wow. I will be the exact inverse color of my usual wardrobe (mostly black). That will be surreal. I don't normally wear all light colors, and I dont' think I own anything in white, even. Boy, will this be a big change for me -- and the many friends who get surprised everytime I wear a non-black outfit. I'm sure my mom will be pleased-- she always wanted me to wear red or yellow-- and now I will wear white for my wedding, and red and gold for parts of the reception. Her dreams will come true.

Ok- so I need to post something I'm thankful for today:
I am thankful for the little adventures that God allows me to experience. Whether it's learning something new, or taking a detour on my route home, having a stirring conversation with a friend, or taking a road trip, ... there's always something interesting to discover. Life can not be boring unless I forget that there's a new adventure around the corner.

A Dwarf named Grumpy

2006-04-05T11:49:00.000-05:00

Ok. So I'm not a dwarf (i'm 5'8"!!!!) but I have been grumpy lately.

It's not like I have anything to really be seriously grumpy about, so I kick myself for even getting to feeling that way. Perhaps it's work stress, feeling like my world is changing, that I have to find a new place to live (I hate moving), feeling unconnected from old friends, trying to make new ones but still feeling unconnected, trying to clean an entropic apt., getting a bad cold then trying to clean up an even more entropic apt., figuring out finances and wedding plans, trying to figure out where I fit in the universe of things when the universe is changing rapidly. I realized last night that I've been kinda grumpy lately and kinda down. Not clinically depressed down-- but just kinda blah... not my usual excitable and enthusiastic self. I just want to whine and be sad and be whinier and sadder than anyone else. Which is stupid considering that I have a lot going for me, a fiancee that loves me, a stable job, and a close family, etc.

I realized that I've gotten kinda caught up in the wanting to know where everything is going - which is making me uncomfortable. I like to know what's going on and I like to plan for things. I want to know where we are going to live in a few months, I want to make new friends who will be my community, I want to know what my place is and where I fit. Since I'm in this transitory phase, at worst I'm feeling kinda lost and alone, at best I'm hopeful for new opportunities and circumstances.

I'd ask God what all this means, but you know, He has a way of doing things His way and not necessarily telling me what it all means. I guess I'll figure it out later or maybe it's not up to me to figure it out... so "viva la adventure..."

But don't get me wrong. I do have plenty to be thankful for and this morning, I decided I'd try to be thankful more deliberately-- until it becomes effortless. An attitude of thankfulness is not hard to come by, I think it's much harder to keep. So from now on, I will always post about at least one thing I am thankful for.

To kick things off- I will post three things: i am thankful for
1) God in my life- w/o Him, I would lose perspective completely
2) John - besides just being him, for trying to take of me and always ready with encouragement... for being the bright spot in my day
3) for faithful friends who seem to not mind that much that I'm not so convenient all the time and still make appointments to hang out with me- that's way cool :)

A New Hobbit Hole

2006-03-21T14:36:00.000-06:00

Based on recent conversations with the roomie, I'm thinking that John and I will have to start our lives together in a new place, somewhere between where I currently live and the city.

In a way, I will miss my apartment- for its spaciousness, large kitchen and 3rd bedroom. At the same time, it will be neat to start over in a place where we will create new memories and figuring out how to live with each other. The challenge will be trying to get everything moved into the new place likely within a month of the wedding and making sure everything gets hooked up properly. I'm also looking forward to running our home together and welcoming others into something that's uniquely us.

In the meantime, I've been doing some cleaning and throwing some things away. Already I have 3 large garbage bags full of clothes to donate to charity. And I'm thinking about which things to give away and which things to take to my mother's. I'm thinking of giving my sister the microwave, dishes, toaster oven, pots and pans, etc. Good thing she's moving into an unfurnished apt. Maybe I will loan her my acoustic-electric guitar until I'm moved in for awhile.

So stay tuned.. I may list some things I'll give away or sell :)

A Way Overdue Post

2006-03-10T09:15:00.000-06:00

OK- so I'm a total slacker- and I haven't posted anything about my birthday (actual) and subsequent family celebrations. Nor have I posted about much in almost 2 weeks.

Anyway, I'm here to catch you up.

It's been insanely busy at work. I have heaps of perceived stress. Lately, I've been feeling like I get to do all the things no one else wants to do. These are not easy things... and I'm not a machine. But I feel like I'm expected to be one.
I'm on medication that is doing funny things to my moods. Some side effects I read about include: emotional instability, depression and suicidal thoughts, among others, especially as the body is getting introduced to the meds. So while I dont' have suicidal thoughts, it's occurred to me that my mood swings of late have greatly affected my perspective on things. I'm a lot more sensitive, I feel indecisive and lack confidence, and some days I want to crawl in a hole and not talk to anyone, except maybe family or John,... and some days the stupidest things make me cry. Some days are ok, though. But I'm praying for the next few months to bring relief.
Wedding planning is starting to take up a little more time.
a) Found out yesterday that more relatives are planning to actually come. As the first born kid in my family, which is the only family in the midwest near a big city (Chicago), it's possible that they all are really going to come for my wedding. Many of them who haven't really visited before, have been waiting for a momentous occasion to occur so that they could-which is really cool. And I'm very excited. However, I'm trying to figure out where to put all the relatives who will be coming from out of town/country. The challenge is that a lot of hotels want an 80% guarantee... so that means that if less than %80 show up, I'd be stuck with paying the difference. Problem is, I don't know if we can generate more than about 6 rooms booked (from my side at least) -- so the cost savings for a group booking is not seeming all that practical.
b) We booked our DJ yesterday. Originally, we wanted to see if maybe a friend w/ a PA would be able to help us. Unfortunately, considering all the logistics, it just wasn't practical and we wanted to make sure that sound would not be a problem for us. The nice thing is that the DJ will accommodate our music nazi request- i.e., there will be no requests allowed at the reception. John and I felt that we could put together a pretty slammin dance songlist... and we both absolutely disdain any kind of line dancing, conga lines, locomotions, electric slides, YMCA, chicken dances, macarenas, etc. For everyone else's wedding, that's fine- line dancing of any kind just ain't our thing.
c) Got all the wedding accessories for me and the bridesmaids. I have all my gear now... and am making my hair stuff (I'm not paying $120 for a rhinestone hair comb!). But putting things together takes time, a glue gun, wire cutters, and 1 inch, one sided, alligator clips that I could only find on eBay.
d) Pre-marital counseling only happens every other week, but it takes a lot of mental energy. John and I are doing really well so far, but we're usually wiped out afterwards.
e) I started designing our invitations this week. Still some tweaking to do, but its been some work. Trying to combine celtic and chinese design elements, representing our respective heritages... I think I have a solution, but we'll see if things will work out.
So my birthday was interesting.

First, John sent me this package via Fed Ex. When I opened it, I discovered that he had registered a star in the name of Lurve. I mean it. Lurve. What used to be Cygnus #XXXXX(fill in coordinates here)-- is now Lurve. At first I was a little puzzled as to why John would register a star. Then I read the enclosed card. Basically, someday our descendants can look up in the sky and see our Lurve. Get it? Ok, sorry if I've now made you sick,... but it was very romantic and poetic. I even went out yesterday evening and found a frame and matboard for the huge 12 x 16" certificate that states that there is now a star named Lurve in the cosmos.

So I went into work on my b-day and my co-workers laid out a spread of healthy food- fruit, health food bars, weight watchers desserts, and chocolate soy milk. They all know I'm dieting... and it was all very yummy. Later, John had a vase full of roses delivered to my office, much to the jealousy of my co-workers. After work, John came over, we relaxed for a little bit and he took me out for dinner at Bahama Breeze. While we were there, my pop called at exactly 7:46 pm (the time I was born, 31 years ago) to say happy birthday. It was a lovely day.

Continuing the birthday madness,.... my mom and dad decided to have a big birthday dinner for me and Esther (whose birthday is 6 days after mine) at the Chinese restaurant where the wedding will be held in Sept. They invited John's mom and Darrick's fiancee's parents as well. Our family is getting very big. Dinner was good and the mom's got to talk some more.
So this has been a stressful week for my family--- on Sunday, my little sis was heading back to school and was driving on a very icy road when the car slid, did a 180 degree turn into oncoming traffic, and she was hit from the rear. Fortunately, thank God, she escaped with only bumps and bruises-- the folks took her to the hospital to make sure her injuries were superficial and everything was fine. But the car didn't fare as well... so they all are dealing with that this week. If anything, the folks are all shaken up about the accident in the sense that it really could have been a lot worse by a few inches. So if you can pray for my family as they deal with all the stuff resulting from the accident, that would be great.

So how's that for a busy week?

Birthday Karaoke Craziness

2006-02-28T22:30:00.000-06:00

photo credits: ohtoberich

We had so much fun on Saturday, I don't know how to even blog about it!

Last year, I invited a few friends to celebrate my 30th birthday at Ba Mien, a vietnamese restaurant in uptown Chicago. It was immensely fun because Ba Mien also offers a karaoke stage for use by groups. And being that vietnamese food is cheaper (about $5 a plate) and that when you bring a group, the karaoke is free-- we had great fun, at a great price, and my friends totally rocked the joint (there are a few hams among us- which really makes karaoke the fun that it is)!

This year- I decided that I'd just repeat my 30th party (hint: I may be repeating my 30th over and over from now on) since it was a cinch to plan and a birthday is always a great excuse to get people to hang out with you and sing crazy songs in public. What I learned from last year tho, was that I should just pick out a bunch of popular tunes and see whoever would like to volunteer for them, instead of waiting for the list to slowly make it's way around the whole big table.

I think we all took turns because it was so easy to be comfortable enough to just be silly and bad, or good, or let the inner rocker (or Barbra) out. Plus, Ba Mien improved its digs this year- they whipped out the laser show and fog machine for us-- for an even more over the top experience.

With new friends and old friends and current friends all at the table, that was a great birthday present. To see everyone just being comfortable enough to be silly, it's comforting to me, despite the off-key, off-beat warbling that happens now and then. And John got to know my friends a little better and I got to hang w/ some newer friends from his/now our church. I went home energized and almost too excited to sleep.

BTW, some highlights from the evening:

Nancy kicking things off w/ a humorous rendition of On Eagle's Wings
Lisa rocking da howse w/ Fame, and therefore getting everyone to feel really comfortable to participate
John singing Guns n' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine," Aerosmith's "Walk this Way," and the Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out" with Matt and Rich on backup (oof oooof ooof!)
Matt's parody of "A Whole New World"-- redone as "You have new mail"
Me getting to sing a cute duet w/ John- Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" - sigh

Keep in mind that the video screens displayed asian teen group dancing or carrying on some kind of soap opera drama- which often had nothing to do with the words in the music.

Ahhhh. Another successful, warm fuzzy b-day celebration :)

I've been blog-tagged!

2006-02-08T15:43:00.000-06:00

The inevitable has happened and it's all Jane's fault!

Ok. 5 random things about myself:

1) I get nauseous on waxy fruit- y'know, the stuff they put on the supermarket produce to make it shiny. If I don't wash that stuff well and I eat it, I'll feel like yakking.

2) When I listen to radio announcers, I get annoyed when I can hear spit and saliva sounds... usually 'cause they're mic'ed too closely w/o a spit screen. It disturbs me. Kinda like nails down a blackboard. It's also kinda gross- like watching the kid with the bubbly boogers breathe.

3) I absolutely love burp, fart and poop jokes. If you can tell me a good one, I will be impressed.

4) When I refer to my "girls" or the "puppies" I have certain more demure friends that get all shocked and stuff. It just makes me say those terms more-- and I really enjoy it.

5) I'm addicted to lipstick. If someone took away ALL my makeup and allowed me one item to keep, it'd be lipstick. And then I'd use that lipstick as blush and eyeshadow. I just feel that much more secure when I wear lipstick. Especially the dark colored ones.

Now I have to tag others. Let's see,... I'll tag Rich, Beckie, and my brother.

sniffly, but loved

2006-02-07T09:21:00.000-06:00

So I got sick this past weekend and had to stay home, alone, with my miserable self. I was cold and achy, had major sniffles and stuffiness, headache, etc.

And since I felt a little better after sleeping 13 hours straight on Sunday night, I went to work Monday morning. After a few meetings, it started to become apparent that I was feeling worse-- but I couldn't go home because I still had to practice and set up for my presentation this morning. Not to mention that there was still a lot of things for me to write a report for and quite a few people I still had to consult with on a variety of issues, many related to the presentation.

Soemtimes, when you're sick, it's hard when there's no one around to take care of you... and also I missed John very much, and he lives in the city. I was frustrated, sick, lonely, tired, and feeling so sorry for myself- I went to the bathroom and cried. After a short time in the bathroom, I got myself back together and went right back to work. A short time later, I got a phone call from the receptionist who let me know that I had a delivery up front. Yep, John sent me a dozen, beautiful, long-stemmed roses along with a loving message.

For some people, flowers might be a normal occurence. But 1) I've never actually received flowers from anyone who loved me and 2) it really made me feel better that John surprised me and did what he could to make me feel better, just when I was feeling hopeless and forgotten.

I am so grateful to the Lord for a fiancee/future husband who is trying his best to understand me and my emotional states. It's not like I wig out all the time, but y'know, I have some hard days. And sometimes, I don't know how to ask for what I need because sometimes I'm not sure what I need, or how I'm really feeling. And I hate admitting weakness. I like to think I'm tough... but it's when I'm weak I realize how needy I really am. And I'm always amazed when someone, anyone, sees it and comes to the rescue. And although I know God is always here, it's great to receive tangibly now and then- it's a kind reminder that life is best when not lived alone.

My fiancee is the best!

Meow! I feel catty and angsty!

2006-02-02T11:21:00.000-06:00

So I guess I haven't blogged in awhile- partially because I'm still recovering from the holidays? Could also be that I haven't had much to write about lately. Not that I've been sitting around, twiddling my thumbs or anything... but I know I have developed some strong opinions as of late:

1) I am very much loathing Chicago(land) traffic these days. Bad drivers seem to be proliferating like never before. My usual 10-15 minute trip home has become a major source of frustration lately. City buses are the bane of my existence and senior drivers plague my morning commute. A pox on obstructive drivers! Especially the ones who block entire intersections.

2) The bridal/wedding industry is full of people who view me like a giant dollar sign. How about treating me like a person and not some stupid ignoramus with poor aesthetic sense who can't see through your dumb "service" fees, delivery fees, and other fees. And all for cut-rate quality service and products. I think I hit the wall last week and basically gave the industry the equivalent of a middle finger when I ordered my 100% silk gown from Amazon (which I received within a week! Take that House of Brides- three months, my butt!) and did a test order of farm-fresh flowers (which I was able to strip, trim, and tie into a very lovely, professional looking hand-tied bouquet for about $20. Take that, florists! $250 for a bouquet, shyeah right!). Now, I do not want to have a "cheap" wedding.... this is the only time I will be doing this, and I want to do it right. However, there is a limit to what I'm willing to deal with, and the gown and flowers issue was getting very ridiculous. So- wedding industry, I shake my fists at you!!!

3) I'm on a new medication and diet which are probably responsible for some of my recent snippyness. Maybe not necessarily responsible, rather allow me to be more susceptible to my recent mood of late. Add to that, my standing in a bridal store surrounded by a gaggle of yappy women who need their 13 bridesmaids to come with them to the store to provide a critique for each of the 20 or so bridal gowns they try on, and it doesn't take much to get my blood pressure up. That, plus the weather being nasty. Agh!

The blur that was Christmas

2005-12-27T09:01:00.000-06:00

(Courtesty of my little sister)-- me and John at my folks'. Merry Christmas!

This year, Christmas was a blur of events. Here's the not-so-quick rundown:

Thursday evening: John and I went to his mom's to celebrate with her and John's sister's family. Fun to watch the kids enjoy their presents and to finally meet John's bro who had come from TN. What was also cool was when we realized that we had forgotten the "boogie board" snow sled thing for the kids-- so we drove over to John's sis' house to drop it off and ended up staying to chat a little that night.
Friday: Cut John's hair, and then we headed out about noon to the Adler Planetarium to hang out and see a little show called "Star of Wonder"-- a presentation in their dome on the Bethlehem star. It was a fascinating topic, and John blogged about it already, so I'll just direct you there to see what it was about. Anyhow, although I enjoyed it, the dark atmosphere and the comfy seating made me sleepy and I probably dozed on and off. ah well. Still, it was fun to go the planetarium since it was relatively unpacked (we reasoned that this would be a good time to go to museums and the like since most people would be in shopping frenzy, therefore not at the museums-- and we were right!). Afterwards, we went to Water Tower place to enjoy the lights and in the process got to go into the Ghirardeli and Hershey chocolate stores (which are, incidentally, directly across the street from each other). We did stop at Hershey's little pastry counter to split a lovely, luscious cupcake. mmm! We then rambled over (marvelling at how many people leave the shopping to the last minute- it was like sardines on Michigan Ave.) to Rock Bottom Brewery, where we enjoyed a 7-sampler of their beers. And some awesome HUGE pretzels (soft and baked with garlic) and cheese dip. My friend Dan joined us for a little while as well. We have decided to return there again. It was the end of a lovely day.
Saturday: Christmas Eve. We got an early start and left from my place in the morning. On the way out, my downstairs neighbor, Maria, comes out to give us a plate filled with Italian cookies and pastries. Then we finally make it over to my folks for brunch- scones, eggs and sausage- before heading off to Christmas Eve services at Willowcreek Community Church. The music was lovely- I especially liked the re-arrangement of Handel's Messiah- "For Unto us a Child is Born" set to an acoustic guitar and bongos. And at the end, when Silent Night was being sung, the whole family hugged each other. Being the first year with John, it was especially lovely to be held and told I was loved. That was a great Christmas gift! After, we went back to the house and rested a little, and then put dinner together. Dinner this year was brown sugared ham, italian-herbed boneless leg of lamb, homemade rolls, roasted red potatoes, green beans, and sparkling juice. After dinner, we ripped into the presents. It was so cool to see how big the gift pile was- not because of all the gifts we were getting, but because our family is getting THAT big. I think Esther really enjoyed herself-- she is the youngest and probably got the most presents, a side benefit of having more people in our family.
Sunday: Christmas Day. We went to church that morning and John helped out with the drama team's Christmas reading. Pastor Bill spoke about the book of Matthew and the Bethlehem star as well -- John and I thought that it was intriguing that there was so much wise men/star imagery in out weekend. Afterwards, we changed into our jeans and sweatshirts and went to John's mom's for the afternoon. She brought out John's baby book and old schoolwork and drawings from when he was little. Let me tell ya, the boy was a reallllly adorable kid- what with the red curly hair and big saucer eyes. And I got to see old family videos of John and his siblings from when they were babies. So cute! After hanging with John's mom, we drove back to my folks' to spend the night, watch movies, etc. It was fuzzy and warm.
Monday: the morning after Christmas-- sales time! This is the day I go shopping for stuff for the next two Christmases-- I do this every other year, to keep from always having to shop. Since I didn't really go last year, this was the year to go. My mom and sister couldn't make it, so John and I got up early and went to Target and bought wrapping paper, tags, bows, smal gifts, and a tree skirt for next year's tree- our first tree as a married couple. John got muchos points for shopping with me and picking out stuff with me. It was kinda cool to note that we tend to have similar styles and that we are both flexible with the other person when it comes to decor and even practical things. Then, we went to Best Buy and I gave John some man-time while I popped next door to Linens n Things. Found more wrapping paper on sale there, along with cards and holiday crackers. After this, we went to Apple Villa to have brunch with my bro and his girlfriend. Yay! We then went to the theater to see King Kong- another Peter Jackson epic. 3 hours! it was good, but intense. Went back to the folks' after that and John helped my pop with his new PDA. Then we packed up our loot and went back home.

Whew! We had a very full holiday weekend- with family and each other. We survived very well and enjoyed it, depsite the different families and styles. In a way, it felt a lot like being married- like we were trying it on. The nice thing is that next year, we won't have to go to our separate homes... we'll just go to OUR home. That thought is a very happy thought we often entertain, but more so this past weekend.

Another observation we shared was that this Christmas was SOOOO much happier than last years', when we didnt' know each other at all. Last year, John's dad had recently passed away so he was going through a rough time of it. I had ended up spending the holiday virtually alone w/ my parents. My siblings were preoccupied with dating and I was still trying to deal with the worst and last of my discontent about not being married. It had been the worst Christmas I had as an adult. But it was one I needed to have-- after that, I got my act together, reaffirmed my value in Christ, and accepted who and where I was. And then I turned 30. And shortly after that, John and I met.

Anyhow, I wish everyone a very merry (albeit somewhat belated) Christmas!

(And thanks to all the card senders! I have really enjoyed receiving and reading your little reminders our friendship! Particularly cool was the Christmas letter from my best bud, Sang-- and her card which was addressed to me AND John. Our first joint card. wow.)

I've been hit

2005-12-15T10:22:00.000-06:00

Urgh. Cold bug. Bleah.