Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Thankful/Book News

Superman does have Type II diabetes. BUT I am so thankful that it is Type II and not Type I.

And, while I'm on a thankful kick, here are some other things I am overly thankful for:

* Superman's attitude with his diabetes. He's ready for war AND still has a sense of humor. Last night I asked him to unload the dishwasher, and he said, "I can't. I pricked my finger." And then gave a fake cough. Smart aleck, haha!

* Our family and friends -- including YOU!! I am so blessed to have people in my life who are caring and who have been praying for Superman and for me. Seeing all the responses yesterday of people who said they would pray was very uplifting.

* The cost. I gotta say, I was worried about how much his meds and test strips and everything would cost, especially since Superman's quitting his job (long story) in June. Everybody kept saying how expensive those testing strips were, which made me even more nervous -- and turns out my insurance covers them!! AND cost for his pills and everything for one month is a total of $7. Woo hoo!!

* Superdog did not decide to use our bed as a patch of grass last night!

* Aaaannnnnddd -- BIG NEWS ABOUT OUR BOOK. I am so excited about this...

So a couple of weeks ago we had dinner with a group of friends from a church we went to before we got married. As we were catching up, we mentioned that we had written a book and were trying to get it published, and one of our friends said, "I'd really like to read it." Awww...but then -- "I'd like to write a song about it."

Hold up. Let me tell you who this is: NAOMI CARROLL (www.naomicarroll.com). You may not have heard about her yet, but, trust me, you will. Her record is going nationwide sometime in May.

That's right. A super amazing national-recording artist who is going on tour this year with some big names in the Christian music industry is writing a song. About. Our. Book.

WHAT??!!!

We were listening to Naomi's music the other night, and I just looked at Superman, my mouth wide open. "She's writing a song -- for us," I breathed, still in shock. "She's writing a song about our book."

I can hardly contain my excitement.

So, yeah...it's a good day. =D

Monday, April 27, 2009

Gross!/Sort of an update

Superman had labwork done this morning at 7 a.m. It took less than five minutes. I had no idea it was that fast!

We didn't get any sleep last night. Mainly cause of Superdog. Rotten little rat.



We had to get up at 5:30 this morning, so we went to bed early. Superman woke me up at about midnight to tell me the Red Sox won, and I drifted on back to sleep, dreaming, I kid you not, about "Bewitched." In the middle of my dream, I moved my feet around in real life, and I felt something on the bed. Uncomfortable at having something besides sheets touch my feet, I pushed it aside. And felt another little round ball.

And then conciousness broke through.

"SUPERMAN!" I shouted, a little upset with myself for waking him up at 2:30 a.m. but even more upset with the dog. "Turn the light on! I think the dog just pooed in the bed!"

And, sure enough, there were "presents" scattered throughout the bed. I was appalled. Disgusted.

To make matters worse, Superdog just looked at us like we were crazy when we turned the lights on.

"GET UP, LITTLE DOG!" I yelled, jerking her awake. "If I have to be awake right now, so do you!"

She suddenly realized the error in her ways and dove headfirst under the bed.

Rotten little rat.

It didn't take long to clean up the mess, but I didn't speak to Superdog until we left for blood work this morning. Which I guess wasn't a long time...but she knew I was mad.

She has NEVER pooped in the bed before. Well, she did once, after she was fixed, but we counted that as her not being able to easily jump off the bed (and our inability to keep her from getting on the bed). For her to do this is...shocking, to say the least.

And if I wake up again with poo at my feet...Superdog can say goodbye to sleeping with Mommy and Daddy.

UPDATE ON SUPERMAN: We've got an appointment today at 1:45 (CST). Yea!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Superman's Kryptonite

Brief update and prayer request.

It's been a fairly sorry weekend. Family issues. Medical issues. So not cool.

For the past couple of weeks, I've noticed a few irregularities in Superman -- he's been really thirsty and often gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Friday night he got up three or four times and was extremely thirsty and had to go to the bathroom each time. We knew something wasn't right.

My mom, who has Type II diabetes, tested him first at 11 a.m. Saturday. His blood sugar was 247.

The normal is 80-120.

We tested it again at his grandmother's house around 3:30 p.m. Results? 309. Our friend Rebecca's father is a doctor, and thank God, he was able to help us. He insisted that we come over to his house and let him check it. At 6:30 p.m., it was 327.

Needless to say, the good doc set us up with some appointments tomorrow morning.

Please keep Superman in your prayers; he's been so stable and calm through this (I, on the other hand, have been totally neurotic -- lovely), and I'm just hoping that Saturday's results were either a fluke or this is something he can fix over time with diet and exercise.

I do have really fun news about our book, but I kinda want to save it for its own post, so I'll keep it for a post later this week. =)

Friday, April 24, 2009

Whimsical musical memory


Rachel's new post talks about worship songs, and she's got some great YouTube videos of the ones she was listening to last night. I've listened to one of them, "My Life is Like Oooh, Ahh" by GRITS, um, probably three times now. And I'm about to listen to it again.

Not because it's one of my favorites (because it is) or that I haven't heard it in a long time (though I haven't) but because of the memories it brings back. Memories of dancing around in the house my four roommates and I shared during my senior year of college...the music blaring from the stereo as we went on one of our (few) cleaning sprees...the way Keri and Jennifer would make corn flake treats as it played...

Some songs just bring back great memories, don't they?

Like Josh Groban's "When You Say You Love Me" -- not only was it in our wedding, but I remember dancing with my husband by candlelight to that song. It's special to me.

Like Dashboard Confessional's "Bend and Not Break" -- Great tune, crazy lyrics. Unromantic lyrics. But it was the only CD Superman had in his car, so he used it to propose to me.

Like Tyrone Wells' "What are We Fighting for?" -- I can't hear that without thinking of Rindy, who introduced the artist to me.

Like Jonathon Coulton's "Someone is Crazy" -- Makes me smile every time.

What songs take you back to another time or are particularly memorable to you? Which ones that, whenever you hear them, make you smile?

(And for more Caffeinated Randomness, visit Andrea!)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

What was that I just ate? (PLUS: Legislative sessions)

Misti, Marli, Rindy, and I went for sushi the other night at a new place that opened in town. It's the best, by the way, but my opinion may be flawed as some family members work there. =)

Anyway, I ordered the city maki, which is shrimp tempura and crab meat, topped with some spicy salsa. Because I don't eat the raw stuff. I can't. I even tried a Philly roll with smoked salmon, and I couldn't even eat it.

The city maki is my FAVORITE. I ordered it the first time we went and swore it had some magical elements because it was so delicious (note: not as good as hubby's). I scarfed it down. Marli, who was visiting, also ordered the city maki because I told her it was the best on the menu (and I know that from only sampling three types, haha). As our order came, I started eating, enjoying the spicy flavors from the sushi, but having to wipe some of the salsa off the rolls because they were too big to fit in my mouth.

"The pieces are just too big with the salsa on top," I explained to Marli.

Misti's eyes widened as she looked at me. "Salsa?" she repeated. "What salsa?"

I pointed to the bright red salsa on top of the rolls. "This salsa!"

She died out laughing. "That's not salsa!" she exclaimed. "That's raw tuna!"

I could have gone my entire life without knowing this and been just fine.

I was shocked. "Are you SERIOUS?" I demanded, leaning forward, unable to mentally process that I had eaten -- and thoroughly enjoyed -- raw meat, and more than once.

"You're a real sushi eater now," Misti replied, grinning.

And it is delicious. I can't deny that. But it was a little hard to eat those last few pieces, good though they were.

Okay, now down to business, and this is mainly for my Louisiana readers. Have you heard about the tax cuts to higher education? It's scary -- especially for me, who is facing furloughs!!

All kidding aside (okay, the furloughs are serious, but I'll take that over laying people off), here's what we're looking at, people:

Higher education usually gets cut first because only 19 perecent of Louisianians have a bachelor's degree or higher. This is a sad statistic but one that will not change if we start cutting programs.

My university is facing about a 15 percent cut -- on top of a 4 percent cut that was issued midyear. That's about $11 million total.

Now that's a chunk of change.

The two biggest universities in north Louisiana (my own included) return $8 for every $1 the government gives them. Now, I'm not good at math, but that's a HUGE amount when they're talking about cutting our budget by $11 million. My university alone spends $462 million in Louisiana alone. What's going to happen when our budget is cut 15 percent?

These are hard times, but things must change. Even the lawmakers agree with this. Louisiana is the state with the highest amount of people leaving -- and the fewest moving in. We have to stop this, and higher education is one of the ways to retain individuals.

My desire is this: Please call your state senator and representative (you can find them by clicking here) and tell them that higher education is vital to our economy, and if we want to retain people in our state, we must preserve our universities and colleges. Cutting their funding is only going to hurt us. They know this, but I feel if more people call, more action will be taken.

There is a chance that our budget cuts could be reduced in this Legislative session, and that's what I'm desperately hoping for. While our university president, who's absolutely brilliant, managed to retain the core for our academic programs and faculty retention, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the brightest students may choose to attend a college in Texas (who is not facing budget cuts) over our own research university, which is strapped for cash.

Why would you want to do this, Louisianians? I have several reasons:

1. Our future. Most of you reading this are parents. Don't you want to preserve the institutions your child(ren) could attend (and probably will -- out of state tuition is a killer!)?

2. Better economy. Recent economic studies have shown that my university and another one in north Louisiana give back about $8 to the community for every $1 that the government gives to them. This creates jobs, increases sales revenues, and brings people to Louisiana.

3. Cultural aspect. Okay, maybe you live in a big city, where there are more cultural options, but for me, my university is basically it. We have international festivals, plays, world-famous musicians and speakers...the list goes on and on. And I could not get that without the university.

4. Athletics. Come on, even for a non-sports fan like myself, where else can you watch a football game for under $20 (and free if you have an old student ID, haha!)? If our athletics programs are cut, recruiting goes down, and our teams go down. It's a domino effect -- one that needs to be stopped!

And there are more. So if you are from Louisiana, I implore you to call your reps. It takes like two minutes, and for every call they receive, they estimate 200 other people feel the same way.

Thank you so much!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Flip flops and pageant flops



Linda is hosting the Flip Flop Frenzy, and today is the day to show off our beautiful new flip flops! My flip flop match was Tiffany, and THESE are the beautiful shoes I received in the mail!





Aren't they adorable???

Also, I just want to mention something that is RIDICULOUS. Has anyone heard about the craziness around the Miss USA contest -- specifically with Miss California (click on "Miss California" to take you to a news story on the subject)?

Okay, a quote from the story: "'This is why we have judges at Miss USA, so we find the girl to rep us ALL,' Moakler Twittered after the pageant."

Wait, WHAT? I am SORRY (okay, so I'm NOT), but if the new Miss USA supports g*y marriage, then she is not supporting ME.

I have a whole rant about marriage and what it means to me and in general, but, you know, that's not the point here. THIS is my issue I take with all the backlash Carrie Prejean (Miss Calif.) has received: For her not to receive the crown because of her viewpoints is prejudiced. It's prejudiced against the people against g*y marriage, and it's prejudiced against individual viewpoints. How DARE people say one person cannot be conservative? Have we as a country truly gotten to the point where we are about to berate people for their opinions?

She lost the crown because of her Biblical comments. It's just utterly ridiculous. You can disagree with my opinions, and you and I can have a logical, intelligent debate on the subject, but I will NOT be silent just because I feel differently!

Superman and I were talking about the Miss USA pageant this morning, and we agreed that while Miss Prejean is not Miss USA, some things are more important than winning the crown.

Lost Books

First, I would like to apologize.

I really planned to read another book BESIDES one written by Ted Dekker, for variety's sake. I promise, that was my intention. In fact, Superman is just finishing up The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, and I thought that would be an excellent read (I read it years ago but should do so again as a refresher). However…I found a package in my mailbox yesterday.

It was a book I had ordered, so I could have on hand for the near future. Three, by Ted Dekker.

And I had just finished Chaos, the last of the Lost Books series.

Sigh. I started Three this morning.

Lo siento mucho.

You can look forward to a Three review, probably next week, but for now, let me quickly cover the Lost Books series, which includes Chosen, Infidel, Renegade and Chaos. The books are actually a young adult series, but as they answer some of the questions I still had from the Paradise novels, I figured they’d be good to read – and they were.

These books do not have as much vivid description and subtleness as Dekker’s others in the Books of History grouping (which includes the Circle trilogy, the Paradise novels, and the Lost Books series), probably because they are for young adults, but they still had excellent storylines. The only major problem I had with them was the obviousness – most of the time, I knew what was coming.



Chosen begins the tale, starting at the time between Black and Red in the Middle Forest, where Thomas Hunter’s “dream world” is. Johnis, Silvie, Darsal, and Billos, teens around sixteen and seventeen years old, are chosen to be leaders in their war against the enemy, the Horde. While on their first mission, which is really a test, the four are instructed to take on a new mission, one kept secret from Thomas but one that must be accomplished to save not only their world but the other world (our Earth) as well.



Throughout the four books, we learn about each of the characters, their weaknesses and strengths and their love – not only for each other but for even their enemies, which is sometimes seen by others as a vulnerability. The four are impulsive, quick-tempered, and determined, but their sacrifices and love are what the books most focus on.

Johnis is the idealist of the group, the one who is the most impulsive but also the most curious, which, really, is what keeps him on the straight and narrow. He eventually (I really don’t think this spoils anything, because it’s easy to see) falls in love with Silvie, who, in Chosen, defends him when Darsal and Billos, who are older and stronger, pick on him or criticize his ideas.

I love that these four have such strong, varying personalities. Darsal, while beautiful and cunning, is bitter from childhood pains, and Billos is her hero, though his decisions from the beginning are anything but wise.



Chaos really brings everything together in a nice, neat (dare I say it?) Circle. Everything was a little too put together in the last two pages, but I can understand that they were written for young adults, and that’s probably the best ending for that age group. Plus, one scene that I really had looked forward to was omitted, though Dekker made it clear that that particular scene would take place in the near future.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Chaos, though I was not sure when I first started reading it if I would like this final book. It was written with much consideration, I feel, and the characters have evolved nicely and in a way that is totally in their personalities.



As for my least favorite, I suppose that would be Chosen, the first book, mainly because it’s just setting the stage for events to come – and I was ready for action!

Keeping with his eeire style that I love, Dekker writes these books with just enough creepiness to make you want to watch a short comedy before bedtime, but, even so, I think they’re appropriate for young adults, and, if anyone is reading the Circle trilogy and Paradise novels, I think these would be an excellent choice AFTER those six books.

Now…on to Three!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sushi Night

Superman and some of our friends decided to make sushi last night, and, while the entire sushi process may have taken about eight hours (driving an hour -- in the rain -- to buy the supplies, cooking the rice, baking, etc....), it was WELL worth the wait -- and I have already decreed that my husband has to make it again. It was the BEST sushi I've ever eaten. I ate so much last night I was stealing it from my husband's plate!



Let the cooking begin!



I do know that my tiny kitchen barely contained the two chefs creating their masterpieces. Our friends were making a Philly roll, and we were eating a spicy snowball. They're the best!



My sweet husband and his work:









And the end result?



Delicious!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Don’t drink the water


(For more caffinated randomness, visit Andrea!)

Last year, I was stocking up on wedding presents. I’m the person who buys Christmas gifts starting in June (seriously), so I would start stocking up on wedding presents. In fact, I have about six in my house right now – some that I have specially picked out and some, frankly, that I have “just in case.”

But instead of shopping at pottery places or places like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, I have now changed my places of purchase.

To The Children’s Shoppe.
To Gymboree.
To Babies R Us.

WHAT??

I kid you not, I know EIGHT couples who are having babies between now and September. EIGHT. And, for the record, so far we have five girls and one (maybe two?) boys.

I think I need to drink bottled water. Apparently pregnancy is going around.

(And, yes, in case you’re wondering, I do know what really causes pregnancy; I was just being funny. Ha. Ha.)

I’m getting invitations for one of the couples, close friends of ours, printed up tomorrow (because my husband is Superman and did a great design – seriously, I’ll have to show you if I can figure out how to get it on here...), and there’s another baby shower for Superman’s cousin in May and another one, and another one, and another one…

EEKK!!!

I seriously did inventory last night for the presents we do have. “Okay, I already gave April her gift, but I have her something else that’s small, and I’ve got Rebecca’s, but I need to get the baby’s initials on it, and we bought Kim's last weekend,” I muttered as Superman watched me incredulously. “And I still don’t have anything for Tammy – is she having a boy? I thought I heard that? – or Robbie or Keri, but we don’t know what Keri’s having yet…”

(Note that this was done right beside the Christmas presents that, yes, I have already started purchasing. I’m a frugal shopper! I know good deals when I see ‘em.)

But, you know what? I love it! I love shopping for baby stuff because all of my friends are having these darling kiddos, and I get to play with every one of them – and then give them back to Mommy or Daddy when they need a diaper change. Ha!!! Plus, having so many friends around me who are having babies just means I get their wisdom and hand-me-downs when I get pregnant. ;)

See? There’s always a plan…

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Silent majority

I guess I'm a protester now. I hope I spelled it correctly.

I went to my first protest yesterday. I was a Tea Party protester.



The guy who was in charge of our city's Tea Party Protest said he only expected around 15 people to show up. But by the time I got there (ten minutes late), he was floored as about 100 showed support on our city's courthouse steps.



Volunteers read the Bill of Rights, and the organizer passionately urged people to call their congressmen and congresswomen. Senators and representatives estimate that for each phone call they receive regarding an issue, 200 of their constituents feel the same way.



I'm kind of surprised myself that I went to the protest, but here's the thing: I'm a pretty laid-back person. I get along with just about everyone who's sane. But I do get riled up about some things. And I could not see anything wrong with being an extra body at the civilized and non-violent protest to show my opinion. I have a voice, too, and as the organizer said, "We are not the silent majority anymore."



Also, here's something a colleague showed me that you might find interesting. Click here.
I'm not an overly political person, I'm really not. But today, I guess I am. =)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A BFF and the dog

One of my bestest friends, Rindy, came over last night, and, between cheering for the guys who came to mow my jungle of a yard, watching Bridezillas (guilty), and making (and eating) microwave chocolate cake, I was also able to grab some sweet pics of my beautiful friend and sweet Superdog.

(Ignore the bluriness. Rindy and the pooch moved a lot, haha!)


Superdog found this lost toy in the recliner. Smart pup.











Playing with her Aunt Rindy is hard work for even a Superdog! ;)

Monday, April 13, 2009

I saw the light

Superman and I were heading back home Friday night after eating dinner with some friends, and David Crowder was blaring in my car. We both were singing pretty loud because we're pretty loud people anyway, and then the song "I saw the light" came on.

Truthfully, I didn't realize that song was even on my iPod. I get stuck on certain songs that I listen to over and over and over like a broken record. I'm sure it gets annoying for those who ride with me. But hearing David Crowder sing those lyrics and to hear my husband singing them as well brought back some wonderful memories from just a decade ago.

Most everybody (RL friends included) will probably find it surprising that I used to sing. I say "used to" because I'm not overly talented. BY. ANY. MEANS. I might can carry a tune every now and then, but it's not something amazing. But, growing up in a small town, singing half-way well brings about opportunities. One of them was the Friday Singings.

On various Friday (and maybe Saturday, I can't really remember) nights when most of my classmates were running the roads and driving around Sonic (even then it didn't seem cool), I was most likely in church. And I was most likely the youngest person IN said church.

There were two churches I sang at on a regular basis -- one on the outskirts of town and the other that my grandfather went to. Usually at the first one, I was not the youngest one (there was a kid about 10 who beat me in the youth category). There'd be about 20 people at the church and all of them -- with just a few exceptions -- would sing one, two, or maybe even three songs.

But what I remember the most was the pastor -- Bro. Butler, I believe, was his name. The man was at least in his 80s, but he was one of the most talented musicians I'd ever met. His wife would sing, and he would -- I kid you not -- play the guitar and the harmonica at the same time. He had some crazy device he'd strap over his shoulders, which would place the harmonica right at his mouth. He halfway joked that when he went to college, he used to play the drums with his feet, too, and was a one man band. He must have had "talented toes" like me...but that's another story for another time.

The other church was smaller in size and in the attendance (usually), but my cousin (who is a wonderful singer) and I would go there and sing (separately -- I did not want to sing with her because she is too good, haha!). About five men with guitars and fiddles would sit behind us when we sang and, even if we had a tape playing, they'd play with the music, too. For me, who is easily distracted anyway, it usually made me jump, but I always felt supported when I sang.

At the end of the night, after everyone had sung, the men at the front would start playing old hymns -- including "I saw the light." And I just remember that as being so beautiful, so joyful, so exciting. People were clapping, tapping their feet -- it was a great experience.

You know, being a teenager at the time, I wasn't always thrilled about going and hanging out with folks 60 years my senior, but now, I am so glad I did. I wouldn't give up those experiences for anything.

I saw the light, I saw the light,
No more darkness, no more night.
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight!
Praise the Lord, I saw the light!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Why I’m thankful for Easter

I am loved beyond measure.

Angela is hosting an Easter link blog post session for all of those bloggers who would like to post about why Easter is meaningful to them. So…here is mine, in short form. It could definitely get bigger, but for space’s sake, I condensed it. =)

For safety.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
-- Proverbs 3:24-26

I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid;
I will rid the land of evil beasts,
and the sword will not go through your land.
--Leviticus 26:6

For instructions to have a holy life and marriage. For not hiding these verses, not keeping them secret, but giving these instructions freely for all to know and live by.
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
-- 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22

For purpose in life.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
-- 2 Corinthians 5:20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
--Matthew 28:19-20

For His promises.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
-- 1 John 5:4

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
-- Revelation 3:5

Because He became like us.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
-- John 1:14

For the resurrection.
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.
Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!
-- Luke 24:1-6a

Happy Easter.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

If you ask for my opinion, don't blame me when I give it...

Mothers and teachers, you will identify here.

Anyone who works in the service industry will identify.

And, as I really think everyone works in public service in some capacity, I think you all will identify.

Ta-stinking-da.

I’m writing this at 2:12 p.m., Monday. It’s cathartic writing. Supposedly.

I’ve had a flood of students since I came back from my dentist appointment. No big deal. I like students, and I like talking to them.

My last one, though…I could have done without that.

Erin* is a very sweet girl. She really is. I can tell from her quiet demeanor and her shy smile, and I think she is precious. However, I wanted to choke Precious’ neck.

She came in my office to ask questions about a story assignment that is due tomorrow. She’s been asking questions regarding it since the beginning, so I’m very happy to help. I like students who care about their grades from the START of the assignment, not after the grade has been posted.

The story was weak. And I told her so. I spent about 15 minutes editing it, showing her where the corrections need to be made.

Erin’s first question sent me reaching for the Advil. As she looked over the several corrections I had made (WHAT??! She ASKED for my help; I GAVE my help. It’s not my fault I’m a SUPER helper.), she asked, “Um…if I don’t make these corrections, what grade will I make?”

That noise you just heard? It was my head exploding.

Please note that while I was looking over her paper, I realized the numbness was gone. I was giddy about this at first…and then that area that had been numb started hurting. UGH.

Not that it’s an unbearable pain by any means. It’s just a little annoying, nothing more. But add the tenseness of this morning with the pain of the afternoon and the stupidity of a student, and I’m pretty aggravated now.

Erin’s second question: “Um…I couldn’t get any more information about this.”

I tried to help her out by explaining what she could do, and THEN the bombshell hits: “Oh, well, I did this interview over facebook.”

WWWHHHHAAAATTT???!!! After I preach and preach about the importance of doing a face-to-face interview, you ADMIT to your TEACHER that you did it over FACEBOOK??!!

Reach again for the Advil.

She did tell me before my eyes popped out (oh, wait, didn’t my head explode? Hmmm…Before my heart stopped. There we go.) that the other interviews were conduced face to face, so I did feel better.

SLIGHTLY better.

So here I am at 2:19 now with my tooth hurting, my body tired, a press release (or two or three, can’t remember) waiting on my desk, a book review (scholarly, not fun) waiting for that last graf, and some other random thing that my colleague keeps bugging me about. Why did I sign up to do that anyway?

Three more days until Easter break.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Dentists and Dekker

I can smile, but it’s not a “real” smile. It’s a “I’m-giving-it-all-I’ve-got” smile. But the numbness is wearing off. I’m looking forward to eating some real food when it does, too, not just soup.

I had a cavity filled this morning. I was pretty much a bad patient. I’m not all for the needles and stuff, but I did survive. Shocking, I know. ;)

Also, I have finished Sinner, the last of Ted Dekker’s Paradise series. And…eh. Yeah. It was eh.

It’s a three book series, which is part of the Books of History chronicles. The Paradise novels are Showdown (the prequel, which I would suggest reading first), Saint, and Sinner (the endgame). I enjoyed Showdown and Saint, but SinnerSinner took about two weeks to get through. And if a book takes me that long to read, it usually means it’s not holding my attention.



Showdown gave me nightmares – not BAD nightmares, per se, but I quickly decided not to read it before bedtime. It’s CREEPY. No other word can describe it. A group of kids who are sequestered in a monastery near Paradise, Colo., wreck havoc in the townsfolk’s lives by revealing the sins within themselves and showing how fallible people are to act on the devil’s mental suggestions. It has a lot to do with Dekker’s Circle trilogy, too, which made me feel connected with those characters again. I’ll give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.



Saint tells the story of one of those who survived the Paradise showdown (I won’t say who – it’d give away the ending) and how he comes to terms with what has happened in the past and what he has done to end up where he is now. It has the political intrigue I’ve come to expect with Dekker’s books and enough action to keep the story going. It was not nearly as creepy as Showdown, but it had its own scenes that sent chills up my spine. 4 stars out of 5.

Sinner…eh.



Sinner is about three of the Paradise children who are grown up and, as with Saint, are dealing with the consequences of their actions in Colorado. The plot was slow during three-fourths of the book, but the main problem I had with Sinner was the ending. Too much craziness happened – conspiracies were revealed that I, personally, felt were just thrown in there almost randomly. They did not fit the characters’ personalities. When Sinner ended, I was glad. I was bored of the story. 2 stars out of 5…cause at least I finished it.

Not to say I’m staying away from the BH chronicles, though. Heck, no! In fact, I’m diving into the Lost Books series, which is really a young adult series, but some questions were raised in Sinner that I feel will be answered in this semi-series. I’ll let you know if they are. =)

Friday, April 3, 2009

Quotes for Caffeinated Randomness



Some of you might recognize a couple of these, but I threw in some new ones to keep the party going, haha.

Asking 5-year-old Austin* why we celebrate Easter…
Austin: “Because Jesus died on a cross, and he was put in a tomb, and he healed him.”
Me: “Wait, what? Jesus healed who, Austin?”
Austin: (exasperated) “The Easter bunny, of course!”
Me: “I knew you were going to say that.”

Me: "Do you think we're still considered newlyweds?"
Superman: "We'll always be newlyweds."

"I had a dream last night that I was working...I think I should get comp time for that." -- BFF

"At least when we go to my family reunions, we don't get chased by hookers." -- Me to Superman in New Orleans

Student, filling out forms for graduation: “Okay, this is a really dumb question, and you can laugh at me later…but what degree am I getting?”

…talking to a friend who is a new father…
Me: “I need to take Superdog to the vet soon to get her heartworm pills, and then I’ll need to take her again in a couple of months for her yearly check-up.”
Friend: “I’m so glad we got rid of our dog, and I don’t have to do that anymore.”
Me: “Right, cause now you have a kid…”
Friend: “Oh, yeah…”

Dealing with the whole taking-p*rn-Web-sites-off-my-student-newspaper-site...
Superman: “Hey, have you thought about what you want for dinner?”
Me: “I haven’t had a chance to think. I’m removing p*rn Web sites.”
(a few minutes later)
Me: “I’m about to chew out some of my students who are working on the newspaper.”
Superman: “Why?”
Me: “They’re lazy and I hear rumors that they think I'm showing sports preference because I'm married to you. First p*rn, now I'm sleeping with the assistant SID – if only they were lies.”

BFF, watching Bridezillas: “She’s just cranky because she’s hungry.”

"Do you know how to say angel in Spanish? Superdog." -- Superman, playing with the pooch one morning

"Psycho people are like decaf coffee. They have no purpose in my life except to annoy me, and to make me gag." -- Misti

...and for funsies...

"I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right." -- Billy Graham

For more Caffeinated Randomness, visit Andrea!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Superdog's first trip to the puppy spa

Superdog does not like clothes.

She does not like cute little T-shirts, and she's not fond of collars. But she'll tolerate them.



Puddin', Dad's dog, on the other hand, LOVES clothes. She'll help you put her sweater on. Che-che, his other dog, will wear clothes. But not willingly. When she was younger (she turned 15 last month), that little Chihuahua would rip your arm to shreds if you tried to put clothes on her. She's become more leinent in her old age.





Puddin' and Che-che frequent the "puppy spa." They get a good bath and even a bandana tied around their necks when they leave. Puddin' lllooovvveeesss the puppy spa. In fact, one time her bandana fell off while Dad was gone, and she carried it around in her mouth for three days until he came home and put it back on for her.

I decided Superdog needed a spa trip. Needed is the correct word, too, because she needed her teeth cleaned and her nails trimmed...and a good bath. She was very nervous at first, but when I picked her up about an hour later, she was a new dog.

VERY new.

They have little gates placed around the front of the shop where the dogs can run around in their own space, and Superdog was in the very first one. With a pink Elmo bandana.

And RED nail polish.



I laughed SO hard, y'all, I was embarrassed of myself. But my almost-four-year-old dog has NEVER worn nail polish. She looked so confused when I picked her up (and smelled so nice and felt so soft!).



She's growing accustomed to the new "look," though it may only last a night (not sure if Superman is going to walk a dog with a pink bandana and red nail polish). But it's quite entertaining for now!