The grades are in!

Woo hoo! Fall quarter is over (YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!) and I did almost as good as I wanted to. I got a 3.87 (two A's, one 3-credit and one 1-credit class and an A- for a 3-credit class). Anyway, I'm excited to be on my way in the program. Good news of the century is that I only have to take one class this next quarter (winter 08)!!!! I don't know if anyone realizes this, but that is pretty much the best thing ever! :)

Funny

Aging

I've decided my body and I don't really get along. You would think I feel better... being that I have been doing absolutely nothing (but coaching I guess) since volleyball ended... but actually it's quite the opposite. Now anytime I so much as move in a direction my body doesn't want me to, I deal with the wrath. Today, that consists of lots of neck and shoulder/back pain/issues. I cannot put the phone in between my ear and shoulder. This is a problem as a lot of my job consists of answering the phone and writing down what is being told to me. Now I have to hold the phone in one hand, my pen in the other, and keep the paper in place with my elbow. Not exactly good for avoiding cramping in my crinked neck/shoulder.
Anywho... let's see, a couple of my toes have been throbbing on a semi-consistent basis. I get out of bed and if I put any pressure on the ball of my foot I yelp out in pain... not sure what's going on there. A friend at work said it could be tendinitis... how lame am I? Who seriously gets tendinits in their foot/toe area?????? Preposterous I tell you. Well... just thought I'd complain cause there's nothing else to do. :)
I'll let you know if anything else comes up...

Cat

You may think this is a little off-color, but really, it's just funny... lighten up! :)

Please expand...

I love this interpretation! :)

Essays - very funny!!

Every year, English teachers from across the USA can submit their
collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school
essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of
teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners.

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides
gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances
like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a
guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of
those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country
speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse
without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli, and he was
room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes
just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated
because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge
at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a
bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag
filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an
eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city
and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when
you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across
the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having
left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka
at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences
that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who
had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was
the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap,
only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are won't to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil,
this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not
eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck,
either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a
land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender
leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around
with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells,
as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

The Classic. Must see...

This is mostly for my female viewers, but I'm sure everyone would get a good laugh. My favorite part about it is that this is apparently how it really used to be (one of my teammates sent this to me and that's what her mom said). That's sick. Haha. :)

Happy Halloweeeeeeeen!

Ah, yes... I was a witch for Halloween!! I pull it off pretty well (being scary, that is) since I'm so pale. The kiddies loved it. Notice my sweeeet spider ring in the picture of me holding the phone. Minus it pulling out my wig hair all day, I liked it a whole lot. :)

I'm embarassed of my standing photo because he definitely didn't tell me he was taking the picture. Is it just me, or do I look constipated or something??

Heard this on the radio...

Scientific differences between men and women:

• Women pause less when talking (duh...)
• Men produce twice as much saliva (gross!)

Sleep

So, I've decided to inform the public of my stupidity today. I'm extremely not proud to announce that today I slept about 2 1/2 hours less than I could have because I forgot that I was allowed to sleep in today. Smart move, Rach. Way to go. I'm sitting here at work (mind you, getting work done), however, I do not have to be here until 9:30am. I have, in fact, been here since 7am (my usual start time). Prep has "late start" days where they usually hold faculty/staff in-service days. Today is one of those lucky times that I didn't have to come to the meeting because it is just for the teachers. So bravo, I could be in bed right now and I'm not. You'd think I'd remember something so awesome as getting to sleep in. Apparently it wasn't enough that I highlighted it on the calendar on my desk at work AND put it on my google calendar. I'm seriously a genius.

Addendum

I'd just like to say... that I lied! I really do like being a girl! :) So for those of you faithful followers who read my random (and poorly thought out) posts, I'm not really that upset about pms and all that junk... I'm actually in such a good mood right now, I can hardly contain myself!!! Seriously, bouncing off the walls right now. (huge smiles!)

I love watching conference. Wasn't it good?? Plus, who doesn't like being around their family? I spent all day yesterday at dad's with dad, kong-ju, dena (with extremely small baby bump, and of course, adorable!), and steven. We played games and watched conference all day.

Speaking of games... Alex (kong-ju's cousin) has this awesome game called 'set'. So FUN! I must get it... It's a pattern game with cards. I LOVE it! Makes you think fast... sooo, we need to have a game party and play it all night long! hahaha... I'm CRAZY right now!! "You can't stop it... you cannot stop it..." - name that movie and you win a prize!! (haha, okay I'm seriously making myself laugh out loud at work right now - shane and whit: not lots of love, I spelt it out just for you two!!)

You stay classy San Diego... :)

Update of the day

Since I never seem to have enough time on my hands to call anyone and tell them what I'm up to (mom sometimes feels like other people know things before she does)... I'd just like to let everyone know that I'm going to be coaching club volleyball this year. Alyssa and I will be be co-coaches for (hopefully, if they get enough girls to commit) an 18's team. We are so excited! There are a few training days coming up, try outs in November, and practice will start two weeks before Christmas Break. I will have plenty of time to do this with my career at SPU ending (volleyball-wise) and spring quarter (I'm nearly positive) I will have very minimal academic pressures because I have one requirement to volunteer in a classroom for 5 or 6 hours a week. I'm pretty sure that we don't also go to class on top of that... but we'll see. Either way, it's doable. Also, it's a more low-key club, so we won't be traveling as much and there won't be too many tournaments (although I haven't gotten a list of those yet). I'm so excited to be a coach!!! :)

PMS

They don't know the cause and they don't have a cure. Good luck with that. I'd just like to officially state that I hate being a girl. Crying at work for absolutely no reason (at least not one that really makes sense to be doing anything close to crying!) is just one of the things I have done this morning... That's fun. I'd just like to post this, not for your pitty, but your understanding. Be nice to people, no matter what. You never know what they're struggling with (they might not either!). My day can only go up!

Action Shots

http://www.troutstreaming.com/Sports/311282

The top two photo albums are from this year. Check em out!

BUSY...

I don't think many people really understand what that term means to me. For the most part, I'm not one to freak out, so that's a really positive thing. However, the older I get, I feel like my "getting overwhelmed factor" has been increasing. (Of course, when class starts I'll let you know about my panic attack status, haha)...

I had a pretty busy weekend and at the moment I feel pretty emotionally drained. I need a vacation yet I'm no where near the time that I can take one. :)

I'm hoping to slow down some after volleyball season. At that point I will just be working full time and going to school full time. Next year I think will be much less stressful. I'll be substituting and going to school with no volleyball to worry about or take up my time. I'm pretty excited about that actually...

I really don't know what the real point of this post is, so sorry for wasting your precious time!!

In other news...

My weekend was packed but pretty great. I had my one credit class which was a retreat to Camp Casey on Whidbey Island. I had lectures and got to meet my cohort for the MAT (master's in teaching) program. That was nice and I'm sure it will be cool to go to class and know or have at least seen the majority of my classmates. I actually met a pretty cool girl there too and we're going to hang out this weekend. She cracks me up. It's scary how alike we are. Farting, burping, etc... I think the only thing we differ on is that I spit... haha. She's great! Anyway, so that was fun and it makes me excited for the program, it's a really great teaching program and they really care about making us good teachers. I'm excited about it.

We won our match against NNU (in 5) for those of you who couldn't be there. It was pretty fun and good to beat them. They are a good team and they have beaten some good teams so it was really good for us to beat them.


Troy visited this weekend which was also really fun. He stayed with me on Saturday night after the match. We went to Brian Ball's house on Sunday in the evening and had dinner. They have two little girls. Kira (almost 2) looks like Katie Balls' twin! SO CUTE! What a happy little girl. :) I had a blast playing with her and being there.

Not that anyone cares about this last tidbit, but I topped off the night by watching "50 first dates"... and yes, I cried... duh. :)

Shopping for Internet - I need your help!

Hi. So I'm researching wireless internet to get at our house. Seems like only three services really show up on the radar when I search it: Verizon, Comcast and Qwest. Do any of you have any other services that you like better? I'm leaning towards comcast. I want it to be cheap, but at the same time, speed is very important and I would probably be more likely to pay more to ensure fast downloading time. Anyone have any advice for me? Thanks!!!

Puerto Vallarta here I come!

I'm going to go to Mexico for Spring Break this year! Woot woot! I reserved my plane ticket last night and will be purchasing it tonight officially. I just need to pay for my flight and my food and fun money for the week so it's gonna be pretty great! I'll be gone a week. March 15-22. Just thought I'd inform the public... :)

What is Labor Day for?

I've always loved a day off or two, but I decided to check what labor day is really all about and I think although very simple in nature, many people just don't care to know what it is. Read this, now you know! :)

Cool Article

I thought this would be most interesting to Troy, but really I thought we all might enjoy it! Check out this article on genes!

Not enough time...

Hello all of my faithful fans! Okay, let's be real, hello family! :) Sooo I have a favor to ask. My time is very limited with all this volleyball and working out and doing physical therapy. There's not much more time left after figuring in eating and sleeping! My athletic trainer, Julie, plays the guitar and has some pretty nice recording equipment so we are going to make a CD. :) If you all could help me out with choosing some songs to sing, that would be great. If everyone gives me at least three suggestions then I will probably have plenty of songs to do. Try to keep in mind my voice and abilities. Also, it is probably best to steer clear of hip hop-ish types of songs because she plays the guitar. Thanks everyone! Have a great weekend! Love, Rachel

Fox discovers the "paint" program

This was fun. I showed Fox how to use paint and he really liked it. Here are his creations. This first one (top left) is just something I like to do... it was the inverse of this picture below. Cool huh?

More Cali pics...

This is probably my favorite picture ever (top left) I'm a hatching penguin! haha... the next couple of pictures are us girls at a Mexican restaurant with Lyss' parents (not pictured).




























I also enjoyed reading a lot on my trip. It feels like I haven't read for pleasure hardly at all in my life, but it seems like its been a few years at least! The Kite Runner is a really great book and I would highly recommend it.

This last shot is just classic pool pose with Martha Washington hair... at least that was the goal... mine was already falling down.

Cali Pics

This first picture is at the beach in Monterey Bay at "lovers point" :)
Then we were at the Aquarium in Monterey Bay. My personal favorite is being happy little penguins!

In need of some updates...

So, I guess I have not really kept up on this. Now's probably not the best time to start... yes, mom, I'm avoiding my paper yet again. That is something I think I will never be able to change about myself. Procrastinator til the end!! Anyway, let's see... life has been moving along since my "new job woot woot" post. School finally ended for the summer, yet not for me because I took an incomplete in one of my classes because I didn't have time to finish my final paper as moving took WAY longer than expected! And I'm pretty certain I was very soon to a complete breakdown or panic attack. So I moved into a new house (well, new to me) about a mile and half away from the old one and from campus. It's really big and I love it! I'm living with some of my favorite people (outside of my awesome family, of course) so I'm pretty excited about the upcoming year and how great it will be. There are five of us girls: Angie, Chelsey, Nikki, Torii, and me. All of us are on the volleyball team together except Chelsey, who did play with us for two years but graduated in '06 with me. :)
Let's see, so I moved and sort of finished school and then went on vacation to California with Alyssa and Angie. So fun. Cannot express that enough! (pictures to come) Then I was off to Reno to visit Shane, Whitney, and the Kollster. ;) That was also SO much fun! We did a lot packed into just a few days, it was really great! Plus, mom visited them and overlapped with me a day, so it was nice to spend time with her there too. Then it was off to Utah. I stayed with Dena and Steve and visited with them and Troy. I was there a little over a week. Utah was a ton of fun too and I got to see people that I haven't seen for a long time and had some really great visits.
Then I came back home and moved my stuff from the basement to my room. I worked on my room a lot and to do this day I'm so close to completion, I can smell it! I spent a lot of time at mom and dad's that first week of July as Troy and his friend Josh came up to visit.
Okay, so enough of the dull play by play. I'll be sharing some pictures with you from the trip... but mostly from Cali because Angie and Lyss took pictures. My camera hasn't been working for like 4 or 5 months and I haven't made enough money to really take the plunge and buy a new one yet.
In recent news, I haven't really been working because I'd been visiting with Troy and doing my room and then I hurt my back last week. To take out all the details, I got an injection today in my lower back to try to shrink a bulge I have in one of the disks that was causing me a lot of pain and discomfort. It was really easy and didn't hurt (unlike the warnings mom and others gave me...). I didn't throw up or have any other weird stuff happen so that's nice. Hopefully this makes me better! If not, they try up to three injections with about a week in between each one. Volleyball starts on the 6th, so I'm hoping this injection worked and I'll be fine and ready to play. Worst case scenario would be if none of the injections took and then I couldn't play volleyball this year because I would have to have back surgery. Hopefully that's the last time I have to mention that because I'm on the road to recovery! :)
Mom and I are off to Clarkston, WA to visit with Tod, Ann, Fox, and Axel (my new nephew!!). We will be there a week. I'm so excited!
Well, I think that's all I have for now. I will post some pictures soon!
Love, Rachel

Sex Offenders Where I live...

I thought this was very interesting. There's the key on the left. I have a rapist living 4 blocks away from me. Watch Dog is a pretty cool site. Just put your address in and you get a map like the one I got for where I live.

New Job - woot woot!

So I got offered a job at Seattle Prep today and accepted it. I will be an Administrative Assistant starting September 3. I'm very excited for this opportunity and experience (not to mention making a lot more money than I ever have before!!).

[It is full time but it is unknown how long the position will last (as far as the duration in months goes... at least through February). This is because I'm filling in while the woman who usually works there goes through treatment for breast cancer.]

Broken Pinky

For those of you who weren't aware, I just noticed I had taken some pictures of my broken finger a few days after I broke it, so I figured, why not post these to the world? Yes, I have a very exciting life... I broke my finger playing kickball! :) haha. It was quite painful, but it was really cool. I dislocated it. The middle of the finger was totally out of the joint socket and I could see the bone and everything. It was pretty swollen the first few days and bruised even worse. But the bruising is nearly gone and it's only a little swollen now. It's been two weeks... so in two weeks from today I can start playing volleyball full out. I've been able to hit and serve, but nothing else and definitely not in any type of real game-like situations. Oh well, life goes on. Sadly, kickball was so fun... so worth it! ;)

Miss University 2007

This is old news... but I just got this picture from a friend, so that's why I waited. On April 30, I was in the Miss University Pageant for the three University Wards in the Seattle North Stake (for church). We wore our "evening wear" (see picture), performed a talent (I sang, video to come, hopefully), and had a personality section (you answered a question). It was so much fun!! Anyway, I don't have any pictures of me in my sash and crown for some reason, but I just thought I'd inform all of my fans that I won. ;) It was so much fun, I had such a blast. PS... my PJ's rock huh! hahaha! ALSO, sorry about the weird effects on the picture... who knows.

Subbing at Seattle Prep

I was an art teacher yesterday. I taught 3 blocks. I say "taught" in the loosest sense of the word, but still. Subbing is way fun. I surprise myself, sorta. I can be a little strict. (hehe) Things like, "Silence means no talking ladies" came out of my mouth. I've also noticed, by reactions from students, that I have a pretty mean glare/stare. If I shot them a look they were definitely reacting by not talking... wa ha ha. Anyway, I administered two tests which is why I needed to be strict but what's funny is that they were really good during the test but they were supposed to have "silent study hall" afterwards, which of course is something no one really likes except for those nerdy students who actually want to get homework from other classes done (the jewels in my crown they are. just like me). :) So anyway, nothing new to report except that I had a fabulous day. Also, riding the bus was fun of course. Now I'm actually pretty mad at myself for being an idiot and never riding it before. I should never be borrowing people's cars... that's what buses are for! The only thing is that they are time consuming. I had to leave at 6 and got to work by 7:15. But that's okay. It was an adventure. PLUS, I got lots of my reading done for school, so that's nice!

MAT Program

I'm in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's the letter I got in my email yesterday at 3pm:

4/30/2007

Dear Rachel,

Congratulations! You have been approved for admission into the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Seattle Pacific University. The team and I were very impressed by your enthusiasm and passion for young people and believe you will make a fine educator.

Because we want to finalize our cohort, I need your written commitment of acceptance. Please email us using your full name by Friday, May 4, 2007, at gradadmissions@spu.edu to indicate your decision. If we do not hear from you, we will assume you are not coming and will give your place to another applicant. Very soon you will be receiving notification of your acceptance in the mail with other materials related to the MAT program including general graduate information and course descriptions.

On behalf of the faculty and staff, I wish you the very best of success as you embark on this exciting opportunity with us. We are excited to have you join our community of servant-learners.

Warm regards,

Richard Scheuerman, Ph.D.

Master of Arts in Teaching Program Chair

School of Education

Seattle Prep High School

I turned in all my paper work when I interviewed/just filled out paper work (haha) a week and half ago at Seattle Prep High School. I just got a call today a little before noon and I'm subbing tomorrow! Woo hoo! I'm really excited. I will let you all know how it went.

Also, I know this sounds extremely ridiculous being that I haven't had a car living in Seattle for the past two and a half years BUT I've never ridden the bus while living here. So, I've used the trip planner online and I will be riding the bus to get to work to substitute tomorrow and it will be my first bus commute!! :) I know, very exciting.

MAT Interview

The interview went GREAT! I was very charged and excited after Thursday's interview. There's no way I'm not gettin in people. I should be receiving an email by the end of this week and then you will know for sure what's going on and if I'm in. It was great though, I thought it went really well and I've decided it's really good I'm changing fields... I'm such a people person! ;)

MAT program update

Well, I received my congratulatory letter in the mail yesterday to inform me that I made it past the initial screening process for the Master's in Teaching program at SPU. I have a group interview on the 26th which will be the determining factor of my admittance to the program. It is 3 1/2 hours long! Yikes... good thing I'm a talker! ;) So about 2 weeks after the 26th I should be hearing about the decision. I will keep you informed.

Spring Quarter Update

So one of my classes was going to kick my butt, until I dropped it last night! :) Hehehe... I love being in control of that. So yay, now I'm just taking two classes and will able to enjoy Spring quarter, have fun, get some A's (hopefully...), play some vball, enjoy the sun that will hopefully start visiting more often, spend time with boys (you know I'm crazay about em), go camping with friends, take a visit to Canada, etc. These are just a few of my goals for Spring. I don't think I had the time available to do well in that class, it was just WAY to intense. I will take it next year when I have more time with no vball. So yeah, I also got a resume in to Seattle Prep High School. I'm going to write a cover letter today (hopefully) and send it in so maybe I can start substitute teaching! That is so exciting to think about! Anyway, I'll keep ya'll posted. ;)

Gold and Green Ball

These pics are from the Gold and Green Ball. It's like this region-wide church dance that is formal. Some people totally decked out like it was a high school dance, too. I look sick(my eyes look way tired) in the picture
with my date, so I figured I should post the pre-funk pics to redeem myself. Enjoy.

example of hair without any craziness...

It looks a little flat, but for those of you who were curious... this is most likely how I'd do my hair on a regular basis. :)

Roomie Outing

We got our picture taken at the troll under the Aurora Bridge, with the Fremont statues, and at Kerry Park. Oh so cute. What a fun roomie date. :)

Hair cut

I got my hair cut on Tuesday. It hasn't been this short for over a decade... There's the before and after shot... and since she styled my hair very disgusting, I've added two more of today. I will explore different styling options but am overall pleased.

Winter quarter

I'm so happy to report that winter quarter is over and spring quarter starts Wednesday! I did well, got a 3.9 (two a's and an a-), so I was pleased overall. I didn't get much of a lengthy break (got done late Thursday night and school starts six days later), but it was nice to go home and spend time with the parental units and mel and the little ones. I have three classes for Spring quarter as well. I'm really excited for one of them, it's called "human development and principles of learning"... should be just my ticket. ;)

Shooting Range... watch out!

Oh man, oh man! I went to the shooting range with my friend Ryan today!!!! Ryan's a cop... he's at the academy right now, just f.y.i. Anyway, it was sooooo much fun! I've always wanted to go, and no one has ever taken me... so Ryan promised he would, and we totally went. I did pretty well, too. :) When I did the point and shoot without the sights (the things that help you hit your target on the top of the gun) I shot the target right in the middle of the head!! hahaha... anyway, that target is totally hanging up on my wall in my bedroom right now! I shot a 9mm and a bigger one: 40 caliber. Anyway, great day... so much fun!

Also, I must say, RUGBY ROCKS! It was rainy today so it was more muddy than usual... way fun!! I got a sweet try(not sure if that's how you spell it) too!

Finals Week

Hi all, I have a favor to ask. I have two papers and two take home written finals. I'm not really very stressed out so no need to pray for my sanity... but if you could just say a little prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help me focus and be productive so that I can get done with everything this week, that would be absolutely wonderful! Thanks! Yay for spring break soon... :)

Seattle Reception

Check out great photos from the Seattle Reception for Dena and Steve here.

Dena and Steven White

These are the only shots I got all weekend. My camera is slowly dying so I'm very pleased at the turn-out. I hope any of you with pictures will also post!

Just thought I'd recap...

Hello fam, and anyone else who looks at this... (I'm pretty sure it's just the fam...)

I just thought I'd update you on life in January. Let's see, Amy turned 29, Eliza turned 24, Angie turned 21, and I'm still the same age, haha. Anyway, I've been eating out a lot as a result and have no money! But really, who needs that anyway?? Also, there's a pic of my loves: Alyssa, Angie, and To-to (Torii) when we had recruits in town. Let's see I also went to game works followed by denny's with a bunch of friends. So there's basically your caption, sort of, for the pictures below.

In other news, I've decided to do the two year MAT (master's of arts in teaching) starting in the fall. I am currently taking 3 education master's courses and will try to take 3 more next quarter. Taking these classes ahead of time (before the program starts) will essentially make the two year program seem a little light at times where maybe I will just have one class in a quarter, which will be great! Also, doing the two year program will allow me to breath and enjoy my senior season of volleyball. I love it, so why shouldn't I enjoy it and soak in my final moments? Why must I always be in a rush to go who knows where I'm going...? So there you have it. I'm going to try to get paper work done and stuff all in order so that I can start substitute teaching possibly in the spring... we'll see. So, I will be done with school in the spring of '09. :)

I hope you are all finding you are having a wonderful day today. I miss you all so much, can't wait until Dena's weddin so we can all enjoy each other's company. I love you!
~Rachel

Angie's bday, eliza's bday, amy's bday, denny's, bubble tea, game works... yikes!