Life As I Live It

The Revival

2011-11-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

When I do revive my blog... at least I have, let's see... 5 readers. :) I'm going to seriously consider posting something substantial... someday. I love you all.

Does anyone read this?

2011-11-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

This is a test... how many comments can I get? Am I on anyone's feeds still? My last post was well over 2 years ago... should I start this up again? I'm not really a good blogger... maybe I should try? What do you think? Is anyone out there?! :) Let me know.
Love,
Yours Truly

My New Mission Address in California!

2009-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! Here's my current mission address:

Hermana Rachel Biornstad
6835 Laurel Canyon Blvd. #408
North Hollywood, CA 91605

MTC Mailing Address!

2009-07-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

If anyone wants to know my MTC address with mailbox number for the next 7 or so weeks here it is:

Sister Rachel Biornstad
MTC Mailbox # 179-0909
San Fernando CA Mission
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Thanks! I appreciate everyone's love and support! I really prefer that you either send me regular mail, or use the dearelder.com site, I don't have enough time to respond to regular emails! Sorry if that is an inconvenience to anyone.....

Mission Addresses!

2009-06-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I know you are all so excited to start writing me, so get out your address book and write this one down!!!

This is the mission office address (send stuff here when I'm in the field until I get out there and tell you otherwise):

Sister Rachel Jenae Biornstad
California San Fernando Mission
23504 Lyons Ave Ste 107
Santa Clarita, CA 91321

NOTE: this is also the address that you will send packages to while I'm on my mission, no matter where I am specifically located.

That's all I have right now... I'm sure I will get you my address in the MTC as soon as I get there.

Also, while I'm in the MTC, I highly recommend you sending me letter through www.dearelder.com. It is an awesome site that mails your letters for you! In the drop down menu on the main page, just find the "Provo MTC - FREE" option... it's the first one listed!
Then you click on "write letter". It will take you to a new page that allows you to fill in your address and mine. For me, pick Hermana (Sister en espanol) then fill in my name and as soon as I get there, I will find out my MTC box # and mission code and then you can fill those in and then my estimated departure date is September 9, 2009.
It should be pretty selfexplanatory, but I thought I'd try to explain for those of you who may have never used it before. It's great really, if you get the letter in before noon, Utah time, they deliver it day of M-F! It would make me oh so happy to get a letter every day! ;)

The actual hooding...

2009-06-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

Graduation Weekend 2009

2009-06-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

Welp, folks... I did it. :) Here are pics from the Hooding Ceremony, Ivy Cutting, and Commencement!

Weekend in Portland

2009-06-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Graduation 2009

2009-06-09T07:40:00.001-07:00

Here's me and my great first grade class (aren't they CUTE!?!). I'd like to invite you all to my graduation on Sunday at Safeco field at 2pm. The catch is, if you'd really like to come, you need to let me know because I have to give you a ticket. I only have 10 tickets left.
Here's all of the info:
Safeco Field in Seattle
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
2pm (doors open at 12:45)

I'm also going to the graduate hooding and ivy cutting ceremonies on Friday the 12th. Please feel free to join me! It is free and no ticket required. http://www.spu.edu/events/commencement/schedule.asp

They called me on a mission!

2009-04-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Sister Biornstad:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the California San Fernando Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish Language...

That's pretty much what you wanted to hear, right? :)

I hope they call me on a mission...

2009-03-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well folks, the papers are in! We're now in business. Shane has generously offered to give $10 to the lucky winner so get your guesses in quick. Only family can win the money on this one but please please guess either way: where in the WORLD do you think I'll get called to?!? You have three guesses. Leave your comment with your three guesses and your name and Shane will calculate via google who is the closest to where my actual mission call is. It's simple. You have about 12 days to get your guesses in. Polls close upon packet opening. Good luck! :)
Ugh, I've had to come back and edit this post because some people (not mentioning any names) think they are above the law. Please put a COUNTRY and a city, if not the actual mission itself. Nice try yoohoo.

Giveawaytoday!

2009-03-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

Check it out! http://www.giveawaytoday.blogspot.com/
They are giving TONS of stuff today!! I love it!!!!

You've gotta try this!

2009-02-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

I just screamed and squealed at work! Why you ask? Well, I just won AGAIN on giveawaytoday!! I'm so stoked. Here's the CUTE item I won: http://babybonkin.com/Cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=78
You all need to do this! I might just have a new string of luck, but it's worth it! It's so crazy exciting to see your name. The stuff they give away is sooo adorable too! All of you mama's and everyone else (clearly, I'm not a mama yet...) should be commenting everyday to win stuff... it's incredible! :)

(Disclaimer: I would give it to a family member, but since all your babies are nearing the one year mark, it won't fit (sizes only go up to 9 months). I have a classmate in my program that's prego now, so I think I will give it to her for her baby shower coming up in a couple months.)

No one reads my blog...

2009-02-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

Well, you know no one reads your blog when you offer to make 5 people something extra special just for them and NO ONE comments! hahaha. This is no one's fault but my own because, well to be frank, I suck at blogging. I used to only post pictures, I've written a tiny bit here and there, but now I'm just here, attempting to get back in the game and everyone has moved on. Does no one have me on their google reader?

Google reader is the best time saver ever. I highly recommend it if you don't already use it. I used to waste my time checking everyone's blogs every day and to my dismay, no new posts (not that I can blame them, I guarantee I wasn't busting out any new posts either). Now, I am often the first one to comment. This is a function not only of google reader informing me when new posts have been published, but also high on the list is the fact that I am underworked at my job and consequently am online... a lot.

So, here is my question. Do you read this blog? If you do then I guess I need to work on my creativity, because you didn't sign up to get something from me made especially for you... trying to tell me something??

48 things

2009-02-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

...just thought I'd share since I did this on facebook (Friday, Jan 30)...

Here are the rules - post this list on your blog. Replace my answers with yours. I tag: TRYNA since she is amazing and doesn't have facebook (p.s. I'm jealous).

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, I don't think so. But, my niece was named after me! :) Rachel Jenae and Kaya Jenae.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Hmmm... dang PMS... that would have been on Sunday night... yes, the Sunday that just happened (1/25/09). That really sucks to admit. :(

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Um, I don't really care... which is probably why no one else likes my handwriting and I don't exactly think it's the greatest... it's so messy!! Sometimes even I can't tell what I wrote, haha!

4. What's your favorite lunch meat? Turkey... the real kind after thanksgiving. YUM.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yeah but they are in heaven waiting to be born... :) there are a lot of them... ;)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Duh! :)

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?All the time.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep... maybe we should part?? Is it common to not have them?? I don't have my adnoids...

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Oh my gosh.... HECK YES. BUT, it's gonna have to wait a couple years because I hear it's extremely stupid to do anything crazy before your mission... I'd rather not detain that any longer because I was an idiot... ya know?

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or chex (the corn kind)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yep, but unless I was working out, my shoes usually don't have laces...

Ummm... there is no #12... I will have to make something up I guess. Oh this is perfect (and super specific): are you underworked and overpaid? Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? goo goo cluster.... YUM!

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Hmmm... If they are happy, if they have friends/are alone and need one, if they look at me in the eyes, smile, their tone of voice... etc.

15. RED OR PINK? red

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Troy brought this to my attention last night... the fact that I have flem issues.... HAHAHA... for anyone who doesn't really know me, this is probably kind of, I dunno, not nice sounding? Those of you who do know me, know it's REALLY not nice sounding! ;) Oh I miss my old Roomies!!!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Duh. If you don't know the answer to this one... we need to hang out more.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? That would be super duper neato if they did. :D

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? light blue jeans, black shoes

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the sound of hammers and a generator outside on the site and this beastly computer next to me that has a very loud fan

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I dunno... is this supposed to somehow define me?? Adam would probably say I was a pink crayon (I remind him of the pink flowers in Peru... and yes, I expect you to be saying, "Awwwwe!" right now)

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? I could probably just list a bunch of different foods here... I love the smell of people that I love. My mom's perfume... I swear if some lady is wearing it, I automatically love her!

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? my dad

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Of course! I try to be as generous as Amera... It's one of my goals. :)

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? SPU Basketball or Volleyball... but I'd MUCH rather play nearly any sport than watch... any day... I have my brace now... bring it!

27. HAIR COLOR? All I know is that it's my natural color... some say brown, some say dirty blond, I think it's got some strawberry in it... sometimes it looks orange in pictures (ew).... when I got a speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago, the cop put that I had red hair. :)

28. EYE COLOR light blue 29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Whatever Mr. Sweet makes.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, I'm a major sap. I hate scary movies!!!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? the one that caused me to cry for a really long time on my way home (see #2)... No Reservations

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Lavender, but I'm wearing a black zip up over it and a black fleece over that

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer but I used to answer Winter to this question... I guess I have better memories of Summer...

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hmmm... are we really expected to pick? I love getting hugs and giving them too. Kissing... do you really not know me at all?!? (Angie and Megan, yes you Megan Friesen!... haha... I hope you're laughing right now!)

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I have no idea

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? many people probably won't respond...

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Shoot, I don't remember the name of it.... something about personal revelation and of course my scriptures and the preach my gospel manual and the conference edition of the ensign... oh and I finished my textbook for this quarter already... haha... didn't I say I was underworked and overpaid?? yes, I read at work, I am blessed. :P (at least for another 29 days that is)

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have one!

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I don't watch TV

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)."Hunny, I'm home!" :)

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? uh, Hawaii is probably farther from here than Mexico or Alaska, right??

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Of course I do... I can only think of unlady-like things...

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Orlando, Florida

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Tryna's

48. WHERE DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? Although he doesn't remember it, I guess I will include the first time we met... at a combined activity with my U1 RS and his Sammamish Valley EQ... Amy (Olsen) was all over him... HAHAHA, I love watching that girl flirt!!... and since I'm not really one to compete... I just sort of steered clear. He remembers me from a Halloween party much later (maybe 6 months later? I can't remember when that initial activity was... spring sometime) where I hardly remember him being at (I'm pretty sure I was cuddling with two boys... Rachel sandwhich anyone?)... but alas, we finally both were on the same page at a dance party at TJ, Russ and Randy's place... thank you boys for such a fine evening, and the rest is history. ;) Oh and of course a special shout out to Nicole for arranging the hang out on night #2... wow, if it wasn't for her already having his number... I'm pretty positive my life would be on quite a different course right now...!

Something especially for Y-O-U!

2009-02-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

I will make something especially for Y-O-U. Think of it like Christmas in July...(or March, May, September or June). Here's how it works:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year (anytime).

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did, win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Give Away!

2008-12-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Check out this new site! It features a give away every day. Pretty cool. Sorry I haven't posted since Sept... oops.

Food for thought...

2008-09-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

NEW JOB!

2008-09-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. I was all geared up to substitute teach and I spent a lot of time getting all of that in order, and now I'm doing something completely different... anyone surprised? I got hired on at Marpac Construction LLC. I am actually going to be re-doing their website... ooo, I know huh!! All by myself! ;) So be sure to check out their website right now and then I'll tell you when I'm finished so you can see the amazing transformation (haha). I am working in the office here in Seattle until the job I'm working on starts. I'll be in the office at the job site pretty much being the good ol' attendance lady that I am... except with adults. I have to check in all of the construction workers and make sure I know where they are and that they come back after lunch, etc. So I am a tracker! :) I'll do some office work when I'm not hunting people down. Sounds like fun, right? It was a great opportunity for me to get consistent work in and good pay while also being given flexibility as they know I can only work until March, but they hired me anyway! I'm excited to see how this goes and am very thankful to be an employed, contributing member of society after my 3 month sabbatical from reality.

Attack of the spiders

2008-09-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, it didn't attack me, but this thing was so huge and gross! Seriously... SICK! I just had to share. I swear, I have been killing a few spiders a day, it is so icky.

Whistler

2008-09-05T14:26:00.001-07:00

Nicole, Troy, and I went to Whistler this past weekend. Got in late on Saturday night and left on Monday afternoon. It was so beautiful there! Check out the pictures.

Pictures!

2008-08-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've updated my Picasa albums... I had to delete some albums to make room for the new one, so if you are slow on the uptake, sorry, better luck next time. ;)
We (mom, Kaya, Elizabeth and I) just got back from our one week visit to Grangeville, ID to visit Tod, Annatha, Fox, and Axel. It was so much fun and so great to see everyone! Enjoy the pictures and random videos!!

AND... by the way... mom's a senior citizen! WOO HOO!!! :) Denny's here we come. :)

New Pics

2008-08-04T23:17:00.001-07:00

Make sure you check out my picasa albums: http://picasaweb.google.com/rach3vb
I just added a bunch of photos from my visit to UT in June.

Knee report, in case anyone really cares... haha, j/k, of course you're dying to know I'm sure! I am doing great, energy is comin back... my knee is doing well and my PT doc gives me two thumbs up and 5 gold stars on my progress... :) (I might have stretched that a bit, but no joke, he really did say he was impressed with my knee doing so well so early on!)

Love you all, miss you too! (and that probably means YOU too since I don't live with anyone!)

Kaya's Birthday

2008-07-20T11:51:00.001-07:00

WOW... I know I haven't posted pretty much anything for a really long time. Sorry about that... this is just a preview of things to come. With my knee surgery, I figure I will blog to make up for lost time and inform you of past events. :) To start off, here's the most recent event in the family, my niece Kaya turned 10.

I hope this makes you laugh!

2008-03-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

So funny. Am I the only one that enjoys these??

Pre-Christmas

2008-02-25T20:33:00.001-08:00

Here we are enjoying the lights that Stoney took months to put up. There were soooo many! It was so beautiful! This place is off of 520 in east Bellevue. Koll really just cared most about the cookies.

Baby sex determiner...

2008-02-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

The results are in... everyone of mom's kids ended up being the sex they were supposed to be except for Troy. Sorry, Troy. You always have looked good in a headband. :)
(hahaha... Melissa- remember when we dressed him up like a girl with a headband and put makeup on him? One of my fondest memories from childhood...)
Just thought I'd share this with the rest of the class. Clearly, 65% means, well, not so much... but it's fun!

Koll so happy at Costco

2008-02-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Two Wolves

2008-02-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Addendum

2008-01-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so, an explanation is in order... the draw backs are more than a few...
Sooo this is Wednesday night and Shane, Whitney, and Koll are scheduled to fly in. The plan was that mom was supposed to pick them up (something like 5:20) and bring them to my house where I would have purchased papa murphy's pizza... yes, my alma mater... haha, and Melissa would at that point also be at my house with her three children. We could then have some pizza together and then head to the sonics game with tickets already purchased for a pretty good deal ($14/ea when the seats were normally $42/ea). Sooo, I have also offered to have a missionary lesson at my house for a female investigator (for the church) and that was at 4... which should work out fine considering people weren't coming over until like 5:30 or 6pm. So I pick up the pizza and the missionary lesson commences when my phone starts ringing at 5 something... when I went back to my room to check on it (lesson still going on without me of course in the other room), I had 4 or so missed calls. Most from Melissa and the most recent from mom, so I call mom back. She is panicked... "Shane hasn't answered his phone, they aren't at the airport, what am I supposed to do... what's Whitney's number... ETC..." pretty much yelling in complete freak out mode... (mom, sorry, don't take offense to this post, it's just the reality of the situation)... sooo I try to calm her down, tell her there's nothing she can do and that eventually Shane will call her because he will most likely want to leave the airport at some point. So now to Melissa... I call her back and apparently her car is overheating... but she also needed directions to my house. Soooo... for some odd reason I am trying to help her get to my house via Kaya (her 9 year old daughter)... this by the way, proved to be very ineffective... pretty much everything I said was ignored and Kaya would inform me of the new street they were on and it was always a street even further away from my house. So eventually Melissa wises up and talks to me herself (I'm leaving out all the fun and frustrating details of trying to help someone and give them directions all the while as they are doing exactly the opposite of what I tell them to do). Sooo... of course, I'm talking on the phone helping family emergencies and I'm embarrassed that I, the host, has completely abandoned the missionary lesson. They actually left, yes, left, before I even came out. A friend, Ryan, was still here... but nonetheless, I was a little flustered and embarrassed that I was hiding in my room on the phone. So eventually Melissa and the kids get here. I had turned on the oven to preheat it between some of the phone calls so I go to put the pizza in... however, the oven is stone cold. Perfect. Oh also, in between a conversation with Melissa, or Kaya, rather, I talked to mom who was still freaking out and I had to call the airline for her and find out if Shane and Whit's flight was delayed... which it was (until 6:35) so they were definitely going to show up to my house well after the game had already started. But really who cares because the pizza won't even be ready anyway! So Ryan lives really close, so we take the pizza over there and bake a pizza and bring it to my house while the next one is cooking. Melissa is at my house by this point and they are able to start eating while we finish baking all of it. Shane and Whit and Koll and mom show up and by that time all three pizza's are finally done. So we eat, leave, park and get into the game with 4 or 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Hahaha... very funny to look back at but it was quite the evening... BUT, all worth it, 'cause my family's the BEST! :)

Late posts... sonics game with fam

2008-01-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Although this night had some major issues and drawbacks, I must say, we had quite a good time. :) Everyone really enjoyed having Shane, Whitney, and Koll visit.

The grades are in!

2007-12-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

Aging

2007-12-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

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

Please expand...

2007-11-20T23:33:00.001-08:00

I love this interpretation! :)

Essays - very funny!!

2007-11-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-10-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Scientific differences between men and women:

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

Sleep

2007-10-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

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

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

BUSY...

2007-09-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-09-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T21:24:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-08-06T21:17:00.001-07:00

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

2007-08-01T22:34:00.001-07:00

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...

2007-07-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-07-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-05-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-22T19:22:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-03-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-03-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

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

Dena and Steven White

2007-02-22T11:57:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-01-21T14:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-01-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Monkey boy and more - Sib Trip '06!!!

2006-12-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

The Hike - Sib Trip '06

2006-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

The view from the Hike

2006-12-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Naked Koll

2006-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

My Nephew's cuter than yours. :)

Higher Standards

2006-11-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Shane, I'd like to see some amazing courses out of you... use this as your standard to aspire to. Check it out, it's pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Elizabeth's Creation

2006-11-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hi All. Elizabeth made this, with just a little help. She picked out all the colors and the type of eyes and hat, etc. The text is what she wanted to tell her mom about it. She also helped made the web page we posted the picture to. She picked the colors of the backgrounds and the text, etc. Enjoy.

Linerider

2006-11-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is funny. That is if you're as bored at work as I am. Enjoy. http://linerider.com/
You draw a line, a U-shaped thing works pretty well, and you press play and watch the penguin ride his sled down your line. It's pretty hilarious. You can make him fall, flip over, etc. Good stuff.

Conference Champs!!!

2006-11-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

We won on Thursday night vs. Western Washington. This means that SPU volleyball is GNAC conference Champions!! We ended with a perfect 16-0 record in conference and 24-2 overall. SPU has never had the title outright before and the only other time we've gotten the title was last year when we were co-champs with Central Washington. We are going to regionals (leaving probably Tuesday night) and we will play some time on Thursday. If we win all three matches in the 3 days, that would make us regional champs and we will go to Nationals in Florida the following week. If this happens, I expect you all to try your hardest to make it, because that's pretty much the coolest thing ever!! :) I'm sooo darn excited. We can do this, we can win. Regionals and Nationals here we come!!!!!!!! GO FALCONS!

Where'd the rest of the ball go?

2006-10-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

I like this picture. Just thought I'd share it. :)

If I had money, I'd buy his stock too

2006-10-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Read this. It may take 20 minutes, but it's pretty inspiring... at least I thought so.

Updates

2006-10-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

So I talked to some people today and I think I want to do the MA in teaching. It starts in the summer with 11 credits and then you are full-time every day M-F 9-4 from September to June with one class a night per week from 4:30-9pm. Intense. I'm so excited. I'll have to update you if this is really possible, but I'm gonna make it work. In the meantime, I will keep you updated on what I'm going to do for school to stay eligible for volleyball.

If I can get financial aid as a post-bac student, I will just take music and singing and piano classes for winter and spring quarters. If I don't get financial aid, I will just continue to go to grad school, take only business classes (avoiding IT if at all possible) and then be done with it come summer. The reason I would still take grad courses opposed to the undergrad fun ones as a post-bac is because undergrad is actually over twice as much dough than grad school. My vball scholarship covers full-time grad school, but it wouldn't even cover half of post-bac if I don't get any financial aid.

So there you go. I'm attending an open house for the MAT grad program tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm so happy with these decisions. Thanks for the support! :)

Life Changes

2006-10-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

When you don't like what you're doing, change it. Simple statement. So, that's what I'm doing. Today I have an appointment to go talk to the advisor in the education department. I'll let you know how it goes. I want to be a teacher. I'm thinking elementary, but I'm torn because I want to be able to coach in the future and I'm not sure if I could do that as easily as if I had decided to teach high school. Well, so there you have it. I don't like computers, I don't like IT. I do not care about it, and thus, I'm out. No more grad school. I want to work with kids and teach them. I want to affect positive change in their lives. Nuf said.

Action Shots

2006-10-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some great action shots. This guy is a friend of one of our assistant coaches, Johnny. There are three albums right now near the top. Enjoy!! :)

Chest Bump

2006-10-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-508360503569796767

Pictures from Sat. nights match

2006-10-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

http://mickwhite.org/kvs/sports_photos/09-30-06-vb-spu-cwu/

Player of the Week

2006-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I got player of the week for last week! Yay. :) You can keep track of stuff for my volleyball team on the gnac website. You click on "Players of the Week" which is usually updated on Mondays. Click on volleyball and you can see the categorical stat leaders by clicking either "overall statistics leaders" or "conference-only stat leaders". Enjoy!

Vball bios

2006-10-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey, my gross picture from last year was changed! Check out our bios!

Pretty stuff

2006-10-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Akaka Falls

2006-10-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

Akaka Falls

2006-10-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

When we got lost

2006-10-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Astronomy Picture of the Day

2006-10-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

I like to look at this as often as I can, as a new picture is posted daily, but I just thought I would share it with those of you who haven't seen it. Some of the pic tures aren't as exciting as the others, but I like the perspective and I am often in awe.

Wold On Fire

2006-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is just about the most amazing production I have ever seen. And yes, if you know me at all you know that I would, I cried.

Hawaii pics - the arrival

2006-10-01T11:27:00.000-07:00