Monday, May 31, 2004  

Well it's French Open time... so i've been watching a heckofalotta tennis this weekend. Seems like i've only caught the women's matches, but that's OK bc Venus and Serena are still in it, plus my FAVE Jennifer Caprioti. She faces Serena tomorrow but i'll be at work moping that i can't watch it. My other two faves, Henin-Hardanne and Kim Clijsters are out of it already so that's that. This guy here, Tim Henman is my HOPE for a win on the guy's side but there are probably better players in this besides him. All the American men are OUT already! LOL Plus i think Tim's a hottie so that's why i watch him the most. 

   [ posted  @ 2:27 PM | ]

 


Made these for a great treat tonight...

Banana Crumb Muffins
(A High Carb, High Fat, High Tasty Treat, praise the Lord.)

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large ripe bananas mashed
3/4 c sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 c butter melted

topping:
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 tblsp flour
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tblsp cold butter (soft NOT melted.)

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and butter; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. (I think this is a key otherwise they will dry out. I used 3 really huge bananas too.) Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Combine the first 3 topping ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375 for 18-20 min. or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 min. before removing to a wire rack.

OMG they are so yummy and MOIST. Either that or i'm just the best cook in America bc i had the best trainer, my mom. I remember her all the time as i am baking because she would always say (and i think of this EVERYTIME i measure something) "real good cooks don't measure exactly. They just know how much to put in."

   [ posted  @ 7:29 PM | ]

"Got Passion? Get Saved!" Says the title for this website... (Get it??) New movie coming out. I truly can't wait to see this movie. Mandy Moore screaming as the self-righteous teen to her friend while throwing a bible saying "I am FILLED with Christ's love!" HAHAHAHAHA. Someone from the "inside" had to help write this movie, even though i fear the worst... Terrible Christian School stereotypes coming back to haunt us all. One headline says "Can True love really wait?" (A direct cut on the "True love waits" campaign.) I like stuff like this because it's meant to chop at the tree of integrity that we try to build youth ministry on, when most people aren't "being" the church - because they are so busy trying to "do" church. You should read Jamie's take on this movie. I side w/ him.  

It's totally OK with me if someone wants to hold up a mirror and shine the darkness back onto christian youth subculture. If it wasn't for the church i am serving at right now, I wouldn't believe that genuine faith in teens was possible. Now that i've seen it in action, I am a believer, but i'm also a realist and i know most churches don't have these type of bragging rights. Most youth groups are just like the one we see in this movie... It's sad that the world is holding up the mirror to us instead of us holding it up for ourselves, but hey, whatever it takes to get things straightened out? And who knows, the movie may end up promoting Christ in the end. *wink*

   [ posted  @ 10:19 AM | ]

 


Ahhhhh the Baler. One of our environments unsung heros. In my line of work, I've had to make my peace with this machine.

It compacts paper and cardboard boxes into a huge block and then you open the front and feed heavy wire around it thru these channel things, tie off the wire and push a button so it pushes the bale out the bottom part. I used to require a partner to help me do all that but now i am competant enuf to do it on my own.

I like this picture of a baler, altho the one i work with is BLUE, because it seems so ominous. Anyways, the bale wire comes in a huge coil that probably weighs 100 - 200 lbs and is wrapped around itself and the ideal thing is to have the wire lay straight and flat. We just got a new bunch of it, so i have it laying between posts in our receiving department to try to straighten it.

The other night i went to move it and the entire strength of the pressure the wire was under snapped back and pinned my middle finger on my left hand against a cement pole LOL !!! I was able to yank my hand out and then you know how the pain goes all over your body because your nerves are shocked and don't know what to do??? I walked around (i was alone back there so no one witnessed my horror) shaking out the pain and making incomprehendable noises, laughing and hoping to God i would not have to go to the hospital. I guess it's OK but the finger is a little swollen.

The point of this story is that you never know how much to appreciate a finger until it gets bruised badly like this because i KEEP BUMPING THE LITTLE MONSTER AND IT HUUUUURTS!

And now, using my minister powers, i will turn this story into a bible devotional fit for a KING. I seriously need to go back to working for a church... haha.

From 1 Corinthians 12 NLT...
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 Suppose the whole body were an eye – then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?

18 But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. 19 What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." 22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24 while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.

Amen :)

   [ posted  @ 9:53 AM | ]

OK so Fantasisa won.

 

NAUGHTY MOVIE UPDATE!!!

Remember when i posted that we found "questionable" movie titles displayed on our furniture boxes at work???? And how i emailled my district manager telling her the titles (such as "The 'S' Files" and "Boy Story" and "Wizard of Ahz") and stuff... ?? I forgot to post on here that when i got to work on Sunday night, there was a message on the OFFICE MAX CORPORATE intranet thing we have to check throughout the day for updates about rep's coming out with Sharpie markers to black out those movie titles!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The furniture companies actually have to PAY rep's to visit every store in Office Max world armed with Sharpies to black out those titles

BECAUSE OF MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

We've been laughing about it all week... and it was because of me too, my DM even said so! LOL!!!

It says if we don't see a rep by such and such a date that we should do it ourselves. I think it's crazy! Like people at the store level are not intelligent enough to just take a marker. But what a hoot!!! [To all you boys and girls, this just goes to show how ONE PERSON CAN make a difference in the worrrrrld!]

Props to me. I am
the
true
AMERICAN IDOL.
 

   [ posted  @ 2:57 AM | ]

The only way
they can say
Am. Idol is "better"
this year
is because of ratings and # of phone calls.
Sorry but i've watched season one on the web
and no one can top Kelly Clarkson, ever. Ever.
She is the best and had the best performances.

That said, Diana could not have sucked more.
I don't care what you want to blame it on...
the house sound, the big theater whatever. If she can't sing on key TONIGHT she ain't got it. She screamed half her notes, and was out of tune half the time and i literally was cringing on some of her high notes. Awful. She's not ready. She can't hold a candle to Fantasia.

I would never buy an album by Fantasia. Her "yeah yeah's" irritate me to no end whatsoever. She's got star quality and will go far. You either love her or hate her. One of those things. If she does not win, i'll thoroughly be shocked. But i'm prepared for anything at this point. You just never know what will happen. We'll never hear from Diana again if she doesn't make it.

Tamira's song is fitting. But only Fantasia did it proud. I can't stand her crying either.

LOL

   [ posted  @ 12:56 AM | ]

I forgot to pass this along to those of you who are not on my family's cult-like email hot tips for crazy www's. This one rocks! BANANA PHONE! (Will be funny, but funnier if you've seen badgerbadgerbadger.) 

   [ posted  @ 2:16 AM | ]

Sunday morning I forgot to post something about band practice.

As usual, our drummer was a no-show. Usually we have to call him and wake him up but we were fed up with that so no one called him. I was not slotted to be on stage this week. I was just going to bring my mandolin and play along on the side during practice. But then I said i would drum because Adam didn't come.

Well we could not find drum sticks!! So i used the next best thing. I found two pens on the music stand and went for it. I was very worried that the pens would explode ink all over me so i took the ink barrels out. In my exuberance, one time a pen went flying out of my hands. I also learned how to work the high hat so it's not clamped tight shut. It's hard for me to work both my feet ! How did my brother ever do a double kick?

Well anyways OK the pens didn't work so good but we all had a good laugh. Then we prayed we'd find the stix and we found a pair under the stage!! LOL Then i was just more loud and obnoxious so Steve and I switched spots. I took over the singing and guitar (on Robby's new Yamaha acoustic) and Steve took over drums. He's not much better than me but he's a little more adventurous so it worked.

And that makes me want to add that I've yet to find a guitar i like the sound of better than mine. It was under 600$ but no matter which guitar i play i never find one that compares to it. I've found ones that FEEL better like the neck is smaller but never one that sounds as nice. Well I mean in that price range. I've played 4,000$ Taylors before at the stores and Pastor Ed had one and well that's just plain outta my league. Someday i'll win the lotto and buy one.

   [ posted  @ 1:38 AM | ]

I know you can't believe everything you read. One time i read that a single apple contains the same amount of caffiene as one cup of coffee. When i read that, i scoffed at it and thought to myself, "No way!" Well last night i learned my lesson the hard way. 


Well you know for one more week i work these night shifts. And yesterday Saturday I slept until 1:30 p.m. That was my first mistake. I should have forced myself to get up earlier because on Sunday mornings I need to get up at 6 a.m. (when i'm normally going to sleep) for church.

I was fine all day. I had normal food and no caffiene. Then i got real tired at 8 p.m. so mistake number two, I took a short 20 min. nap. I could not help it. I was so tired. Then, I was up. Not wide awake, just up. And i watched more TV and thought i'd go to sleep around midnight. [By the way, Nickel Creek was on Austin City Limits!!! And Ralph Stanley! That was worth not sleeping for.] At midnight, there was no way i was tired enough to sleep. So, what do i decide to do. I am hungry so i snack on what i believe to be nutrition. I have TWO APPLES. STUPID STUPID STUPID!

What they said is true!!!

Could not sleep. Tried for a half hour. Put in a MOVIE. Was up until 3:30 and then was telling myself KT you haaaaave to go to sleep! Could not sleep. I think i may have dozed off for about 15 minutes somewhere in there. Finally gave up and got up at 5:45 and got ready for church and had a normal day with my nap this afternoon.

So now, i believe what ever thing it was that i read. Apples contain just as much caffiene as coffee but i still like coffee so i'll still drink it. There. Now you know.

   [ posted  @ 3:40 PM | ]

Next, on Trading Spaces ...  


Link for more home improvement ideas.

   [ posted  @ 7:56 PM | ]

"The single most important thing you get with marriage is divorce, a predictable process by which property is divided, debt is apportioned and arrangements are made for custody and visitation of children," said Jo Ann Citron, a Boston lawyer researching a book on same-sex breakups called "The Gay Divorcee." Read entire article here.

I know i really don't need to comment on this article - but the title "DIVORCE DEEMED A BENEFIT OF GAY MARRIAGE" caught my eye. What kind of twisted logic is this? But it just goes to prove that when you erase the moral foundation of a nation and the laws that govern it, there is no mile marker to guide your path. Now we have to make up stupid laws as we go, and they will be ever changing because we threw the compass out along with our sense of where the compass could guide us.

Sickening. (Yes, sickening but then again, those of us who believe differently did very little, nearly nothing to stop the onslaught besides just ranting about it on our blogs.)

   [ posted  @ 12:41 PM | ]

 


The memos also detail the jingle for the ad campaign:

She Skirt - He-Skirt - They-Skirt - We-Skirt!
Wear a lotta Dorcus and the gang'll all say Gee Skirt!
Men, you gotta bare it for a solid Dorcus Whee Spurt!
He-Skirt! He-Skirt! He-Skirt! He-Skirt!

----

It is things like this which make me glad i was born in the era that i was, but just imagine someone in their right mind mind designing such a thing. To look at more Dorcus Fashion from the '50's click here.

And if stuff like this in general peaks your interest as it does mine, Lileks.com is the place to hang out for awhile.

   [ posted  @ 9:55 PM | ]

PBS has done something wonderful. You may not have heard of their reality TV series called COLONIAL HOUSE. I am taping all episodes for hope of using them for teaching purposes in the future. The premise of the show is that 21st century people travel back in time to the 1620's and make a community life living in the spirit and law of that of a 17th century person, as colonists. Totally captivating. What i love about it, is they are authentically representing the spirit of the colonists and how high the name of Jesus is being lifted up - on PUBLIC TELEVISION! I have a good chuckle every time someone says the name of JESUS CHRIST - because it reminds me how our country really was founded. It airs again Monday and Tuesday nights - and i believe the DVD is for sale as well. HIGHLY recommend this tv show... it's one of the best things on TV i think.
 

   [ posted  @ 2:43 PM | ]

Quick post on my American Idol thoughts. First of all, ZZZZ. These 3 performers left really don't thrill me at all. But only one week left so i'll watch it.

Jasmine did not do well at all. I predict she goes home tonight.

Diana is coming into her own. I predict an upset. She's our idol, even tho Fantasia is more talented and more seasoned. I just think D's personality connects more with the voters.

Fantasia - may put out one album and then that's it.

Found Clive's choices in songs for the performers very telling.

Jasmine - ALL BY MYSELF - well she'll probably lose, so that's where she'll be.
Diana - ALMOST HAD IT ALL (if she loses, i mean, that she'll be the runner-up! But i still predict she's the #1.)
Fantasia - GREATEST LOVE OF ALL (if she wins, which Clive wants her to, will have the love of America.)

What ya think???

   [ posted  @ 2:36 PM | ]

This is a pic i found of a really large piece of HAIL! No kidding. Don't ask why i was looking for weather pictures. My mind is so complex (or not). We are expecting some big storms tonight i guess. I have to drive up to teach my last (*sobbing*) bible study for this school year. Hopefully i return in one piece. 

   [ posted  @ 2:27 PM | ]

Ahhhh home sweet home. The store to outsell all stores. Well currently just so ya know, it's Office Max's biggest clearance event in history (and they are not kidding.) Come on in for huge savings on Smead filing products, Norcom legal pads, Columbian envelopes, and all sorts of fax paper rolls. We're switching vendors... yippee. And i'm switching shifts. Back to days, nights, weekends, whenever they want me. I'm not sure what i think of it yet. There are lots of plusses and minuses and i'm sure i'll be writing all about it.  

   [ posted  @ 12:43 AM | ]

Up and at 'em! Rise and shine! This is the day the Lord has made. Me and my roommate (my can of Maxwell House) are going to have a terrific DAYYYYYYYYY! [No shame. Gotta love the digital camera. Might as well see what i look like in my morning as i blog to ya!] And as an aside, I've not found a coffee I like more. But gotta have my irish creme coffee made from the dairy section to blend in there too. If you ever see me smiling, it's most likely because of this stuff!!!
 

   [ posted  @ 11:48 AM | ]

Have you played yet???? Click here! 

   [ posted  @ 7:25 PM | ]

The man of my dreams showed up last night...


You'll never guess who i saw while flipping thru TV channels last night!!! THE TRON GUY!!! He was on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show! (First of all that is a stupid show and i've never watched it in my life but i saw the TRON GUY on there and was freaking out!) His job was to get some man on the street to buy him a ticket to go see the Tron movie or something. I didn't catch the beginning of it, but apparently my blog made this guy famous or something! 

Last night was a weird sleep night for me. I was dead tired at 8:45 p.m. so i slept until ... 10:30 p.m. GRRRR. Then was up until after 3 !!! I watched some QVC and then put in FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND - a movie with Spencer Tracy from the '50's, which is the sequel to FATHER OF THE BRIDE. Love his movies. Elizebeth Taylor plays the daughter. That sort of did the trick making me sleepy enough to go back to bed! Thankfully i didn't dream about the Tron guy.

   [ posted  @ 4:18 PM | ]

Inside the Powerhouse...


This afternoon, our student ministries hosted a transition event for the 6th graders who will be going into jr. high! I got to help out in the Tin Roof - the place where ya serve the food and such. I never got to do that before. Not too difficult of course.  

This is a pic of the Tin Roof which is part of the PowerHouse
which is enclosed in our extended campus for my church. Anyways there was a great turnout of 6th graders and their parents - all excited and nervous. One mom told me her daughter was hiding in the corner & was sick to her stomach bc she was so nervous!! Don't you remember those days???? It was a time for kids to hang out and get to know the many rooms of the powerhouse, and Pastor Craig, our jr. high pastor talked about what they will be getting to do as part of the youth group and what different things they can be involved in. Then they got free cotton candy, popcorn and soda if they brought a parent.

So i got to do some networking and a little recruiting for our band, met some kids and handed out a lot of free popcorn bags.

I will never cease being thankful for being a part of such an awesome church!

   [ posted  @ 3:52 PM | ]

I drove by this place for a reason today, so i could take this picture for you! If you look really hard at the white sign with blue lines in the grove of trees, i'll tell you why this sign is there. Notice the water to the right? There is also water to the left. Several times in Shakopee's history, this area has completely flooded over. That sign with the lines shows the high water marks! In 2000, the year after i moved here, it flooded this area really big like that! Washed out this road right up to the city streets. I think that is so crazy! Then if you needed to get across where this road takes you, to go on other highways not impacted by the flood waters, you would have to drive nearly an hour out of your way. Anyways there. Now you know. Cool, huh?
 

   [ posted  @ 2:08 PM | ]

Today's adventure


In Dec. 2001, I purchased this HP PSC-750. It's kind of a dinosaur compared to the more compact and ink-efficient machines of "today" but anyways it's been saying "scanner failure" and won't scan from the flat bed. Thankfully, i purchased OfficeMax's MAXASSURANCE replacement coverage and i was smart enuf to buy a 3 year plan. Since it's still covered, all i had to do was call a 800 # and they arranged for me to drop it off for service in the next town over! I don't pay a penny. I think that is super cool. Now, if they for some reason can't repair it, it'll be replaced for a better item (since mine is discontinued) at the same price point i paid (250.00 at the time!). That will be a monstor if it comes to that. Anyways this is your lesson for today. Next time someone offers you extended coverage (we NEVER call it a warranty bc it's much better) TAKE IT! 

   [ posted  @ 12:15 PM | ]

Had to go to the store tonight. Bought Kabobs for my G.Foreman grill MMMMMMMMMM yummy. Busy busy weekend on the way here for me. While you are all sleeping, i'm planning it all ouuuuut!  

   [ posted  @ 1:04 AM | ]

Well if you weren't watching Survivor All Stars, the show ended with a real TWIST this year because they are letting America vote for a second winner out of the 16 to get the million. I don't really LIKE any of the players this time, but i voted for RUDY! He can't play this game worth crud, but he's the best guy! Show airs tonight. VCRs running... And now i am really going to go get ready for work! 

I just remember him in Borneo running around during one of the immunity challenges at night (i used to have this on tape and watched it a million times) answering trivia questions in the woods by the light of a lantern. And he didn't know a single thing. It was trivia about a story Jeff just read to them.

"Which part of a banana should be cooked if you think you have encountered an evil spirit?"

Rudy would read the question, and for every question, he would say "I don't know..." and run off! It was so funny. His video on cbs.com saying why he should win the money is funny too! He says he'd give it all to his kids because people always come after you when you have a lot of money and he doesn't want that to happen to him so he'll let his kids deal with it! HAHAHAHAHAAA

   [ posted  @ 2:09 PM | ]

GOOOOOOOOOO JAS GO JAS GO JAS! I can't tell u how excited and thrilled i was that Latoya was bumped off last night. There is no mystery to it to me (but it does prove the show is NOT RIGGED.) You have to think of this way... Who's voting? Teenagers, for the most part. Teens don't want to have people them what to think or how to vote and if there is the impression that there is a "lock" and Fantasia & Latoya are FOR SURE, they are going to rally for the underdog. They are not looking for a perfect singer - they want total package. That is JASMINE. She makes a few mistakes but they are looking for someone they can identify with. Both Diana and Jas fit that. Latoya and Fantasia have kids and that's just too old and whatever to win those young votes. My vote (if i could vote) goes to Jas. Keep smiling! 

   [ posted  @ 2:01 PM | ]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING! I knew the pix would liven everyone up. I will be posting pix with almost every entry bc i'm a visual learner and I think it helps convey the message. Mom asked where i am hosting the images. There is a new program called HELLO that works with BLOGGER and you just host the images off your hard drive. Now, the fact that my mom asked me where i am "HOSTING" means she is a bigger computer geek than we all thought.  

I really like this new line of Cheerios, as well by the way. That is what i am eating.

   [ posted  @ 1:51 PM | ]

HEY! This band is Switchfoot and i have a hundred favorite bands but this is one of them. Tonight as me and Jim and Mikey unloaded the truck they had the (zzz) basketball game (Timberwolves) on the radio and during the commercials there was this thing about PEPSI SMASH and they kept saying PEPSI SMASH AND SWITCHFOOT WITH "MEANT TO LIVE!" I guess SF is going on tour with all these other bands in the mainstream now like Blink and Avril and Lenny K., Sting, etc. or something like that. And they are going to be on the TV show on the WB starting at the end of the month. Reminded me of when Amy Grant crossed over... look how far we've come. Switchfoot is a totally gospel-preaching band with awesome edgy music - these guys totally are into God and are now totally making a name for HIM (and themselves of course ahem) all over da place. I love it. 

   [ posted  @ 3:25 AM | ]

As i blog to you this morning, the temperature (a 4 syllable word, as i was taught in radio practicum in college) has dropped to a lovely 46 degrees, so for the time being, i am pretending it's almost Christmas and that i live in this place! 

   [ posted  @ 3:17 AM | ]

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