I give

When I give, I give hard:

=
(70%) or
(62%)






"What's up y'all homies?":
=
(70%) or
(59%)






=
(67%) or
(62%) (God only knows...)






=
(66%) or
(64%) or
(62%) or could it be
?? (57%)






And of course, me with my favorite unicorn (I tried to match him with a celebrity, but there were "no matches" for moon dwelling, purple tye dye/rainbow loving unicorns (riding into the sunset)):
=
(71%) and lest we forget my real father:
(64%)



This is the best way I've ever spent any time.

Why not just plunge?

Last night Anna Leisa and I met up for coffee and conversation. We ran the gammit, talked about it all, but by the end of the night we were just exchanging encouraging quotes and truths - about unsettledness, about not mistaking relativism for absolutes (and vice versa), about simplicity, about putting to silence all the noise, about not having any idea where God is leading us (and being okay with that).

I went home, and checked my email to see an email from Emily responding to my last post, and straight from God's Mind to Emily's fingers to my heart, it said:

I remember [Oswald] Chambers once even saying, "Take an absolute plunge into the love of God." I love the picture his urging creates in my mind: that delicious moment of diving into a pool and going under the water, completely separate from the noise that is waiting for you when you eventually resurface. Beautiful and wonderful abandonment into His love...

And that's what it's about ladies and gentleman. Why even talk about it? Why not just plunge?

Personal

"This is life eternal that they might know Thee." Begin to know Him now, and finish never.

Last night Maren had a group of women over to her house, we talked about holiness, blamelessness, and women's head coverings. At the end of the night I tried, and I believe failed, to share with them some of my recent disjointedness.

Saturday I moved my stuff into a garage, and was overwhelmed with gratitude over the community God has thrown at me. Jodi and Tami stayed for hours afterwards and joyfully helped me clean my apartment. They were no doubt Christ for me this day - giving themselves so freely. I had nothing to offer them in return but repeated thanks.

Just the night before Jodi did what only a truly good friend could do - she rebuked me. I have been struck this weekend that this woman took the time to have a necessary and difficult conversation with me, then the next day got down and dirty to help with the worst chore known to man - check out apartment cleaning. Just grateful.


Later on Saturday I brought my cat over to Jess' apartment and the two of us had a good conversation, one I haven't really stopped thinking about since. I love Jess very much and I'm so grateful to God for maintaining our friendship over these years.

I spent the rest of the night in reflection, I somehow ended up in Brooklyn Center, my old stomping grounds. I spent a good deal of time sitting in my car at the Little League fields, reading.

The next morning I received an email from my parents, they'd been in a bad accident, complete with a totalled saturn. I'm so thankful that they're okay, and I think I'm caught somewhere between wishing it wouldn't have happened, and being thankful that things like that do happen - things that shake us up, that put our lives into perspective.

I spent some time this weekend remembering the 6 months of my life before I began to know God. Where would I be right now if that time hadn't been so unbearably dark?

Lately I've been going through an exploratory time in my faith, and the deeper I try to dive, the more I go back to the simple faith that I discovered 4 years ago - I just want to know God, be grateful, and be humbled.

At the little league fields I read the above quote from Oswald Chambers and felt moved to forget everything that has no relevance, and seek to simply know Him.

I think it might take my whole life to wrap my head around that simple call. Anybody have thoughts?

What a week

This has been a week.

This week a friend of mine made it to the final showdown on The Price is Right.

This week Christine and I finalized plans to visit Colorado.

This week, the moving saga reached its climax - do I have a garage to store my stuff in? Will Muffin stay in a garage or in a small downtown apartment with three other cats? Do I have what it takes? Are rotting oranges flammable? All these questions, and more, were thoroughly answered this week.

This week Taylor Hicks won American Idol. I might actually buy that man's album - I am that big a fan.

This week I was featured on Ochuk's legendary blog.

This week Maren and I threw away the "toastmaster" that has lived with me for all my 22+ years (sorry, Mom).

This week I tried coke blak and I vomited for the first time in my entire life because of it.

This week I found out that next week we will be installing a soda fountain system in our break room - yes! Diet Coke frenzy! Even sprite from time to time if my tummy is feeling up to it! I can('t) hardly wait!




Next week I'll be drinking soda at work, and living with the Quickerts. Will next week top this week? I'm thinking "yes."

With love and affection,
Christine

TAYLOR HICKS

Bring on the drawl

I liked him!

The Rock Shop!

So guess who is going to Colorado the weekend of July 1st! That's right, Colo, you haven't seen the last of us! Coffee!!



Christine, you're coming to Minnesota and we're going to Colorado!

Quote of the Night #2

Pat, Jess, and I were watching the American Idol finale. All of a sudden, Jess gets this craving for Coke Blak. During a commercial, they sprint to the car and head to the local convenient store, to pick up 5 dollars worth of Coke Blak.

Moments ago, a coke commercial comes on and Pat says "I wonder if there's subliminal messages going on and that's why we went and bought coke," and Jess replies

"well, yeah...we saw that coke commercial and I said I wanted some freaking coke blak."

Quote of the Night #1

"The Christines are going to colorado" - me
"Are you going skiing?" - Pat



"Are you going skiing?" - Pat



"....are you going skiing?" - Pat

"we're going to starbucks" - me

The Talk of the Office?

On Monday my coworker told me that I should attend a training session that was to be held on Tuesday. He said it would be a long session, like six hours or so.

So yesterday rolled around, and I came into the office to find a bunch of people (with food) milling around the big conference room. I asked our HR lady what was going on, and she said "it's the training."

So I quickly get to my cube and email my coworker telling him I went into the training, and then I email my boss to tell her I'm in training and won't be able to listen in on any conference calls.

Then I walk into this conference, and the woman who is holding it says "hi Christine" and I say "hi, my boss wanted me to attend this meeting, I hope it's okay" and she says "oh, yeah of course, why don't you sit up here?" (in front) "It's a two day meeting." At this point, I'm a little hesitant, but I figured maybe Derrick mistook "two days" for "six hours." So I sit down, and resign myself to the fact that I will be in two days of training. Then I introduced myself to the room.

An hour and 15 minutes later, we took a break...so I go back to my cube to talk to Derrick. He says to me "....that was not the right meeting." What?? He tells me I should probably just keep going to it since it's good information...but then our boss told him that no I should not continue going to that meeting for two days.

So I had to awkwardly go back to this meeting, get my stuff and explain that yeah, I went to the wrong meeting.

Then I spent most of the rest of my day in the correct meeting.


Why can I not avoid being the most awkward person in the office?

So fried

Who knew packing was so strenuous? Yesterday, I packed. Yesterday, I sweated. But it's done (except the kitchen)!

At 9:00 I was supposed to meet Beth, Anna Leisa, and Emily at Perkins. I stopped at Target first, got some toilet paper and trash bags (things I'll want immediately at my new apartment), kitty litter for all the Muffin transitions, and rice. I walked into Perkins, my eyes bugging out of my head...I was fried.

I was so fried.

I had a diet coke...and proceeded to think everything was funny.

Except that those ladies are HILARIOUS, so I was pretty much laugh-crying all night.

My favorite part of the night was when Anna Leisa was telling a story about these twin dolls she had as a little girl.

"I must have had weight issues even then because I named them skinny and fatty. I really loved skinny, but I hated fatty."

Oh man....this story went on to a practically deformed skinny, and a missing fatty. "Skinny ate fatty." Words cannot describe how hilarious Anna Leisa was telling this story.

Later we were talking about seeing celebrities. I said "the closest I ever came was when I saw Dick Enrico at Lake Calhoun." Beth said, with complete sincerity, "yeah, the closest I ever came was when I shared a first class cabin with the cast of The Fantastic Four on [an 18 hour] flight from Australia."

"...Jessica Alba walked by to go to the bathroom...I was sitting next to The Flame and we were talking about our favorite Melbourne restaurants..." - Beth

What, Beth??



So anyway, just now I went into my room to take my mirror off of my wall...I managed to pull off an obscene amount of plaster.

I just walked out of the room, not even wanting to think about it. I googled "repairing plaster" and was once again pointed in the direction of the greatest invention known to man...

Some people say penicillin is the greatest invention ever...I say it's definitely, without a doubt, spackle.

I love spackle.

Abby's going to be on THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!

From: Emily Davis
To: Me
At: 10:27am this morning
Subject: Did you hear?

Did you hear about this?!

Do you remember Abby McClelland from LT-I believe the blonde girl from Missouri? She's going to be on the Price is Right this Monday-she had tickets to LA and got on the show-made it to the final showcase! How incredibly wild is this?!
EMILY

My reply:

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS I'VE EVER HEARD!

SERIOUSLY!!!! I don't know how this happened, but I'm definitely going to tape it and watch it like 9 times.



Abby's on the left there.

Myth or not Myth?

I just had the rest of my scalloped potatoes and ground turkey for lunch.

I also just stared at my second screen, my vision going fuzzy, my eyes getting watery and my eyelids drawing nearer to each other. Then I yawned.

Darn you tryptophan!


Or is that just a myth? Snopes says so.

I can't figure out where I stand because I'm too sleepy.


You could even say that "I do not know whether or not turkey makes you tired, but I do know this: I was once awake, and now I am sleepy!" (bible humor, but for real: I'm going to build a bed under my desk.)

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are my favorite cooking ingredient!!

Tonight I didn't know what to cook for dinner...I had a pound of ground turkey from our fta barbecue, but no buns (so no turkey burgers), I didn't have manwich or pasta sauce (so no turkey sloppy joes, or turkey pasta). I've never cooked ground turkey in anything before...so I didn't know what to do...I just started browning it, hoping for the best...then I threw in some breadcrumbs...then threw it on a plate!

And it's good!

Breadcrumbs turns any ho-hum meal into a dish fit for a king!!

My appetite is out of control!

At 3:00 I decided that I wanted food! Not that I skipped lunch, or was necessarily super hungry, but a little hungry...

I found myself grabbing my wallet, escaping my cube, and meandering down to the little store to grab a tuna salad sandwich and a wrapper of giant smarties.

Now I have eaten it all and am feeling full, too full.


But seriously, today I'll buy a turtle.

Turtle Racing

Derrick and I were driving to the Mills this morning, and he was telling me about this place up north where he takes his wife and kids on summer weekends.

Longville.

It has a population of about 182 and it's the turtle racing capital of the world! From Longville's webpage:

The famous Longville Turtle Races have been enjoyed by all ages for the last 38 years. Every Wednesday afternoon from June through August, swimming beaches go strangely quiet; cabins, cottages and resorts empty out; and streams of cars descend on the little town of Longville on the shores of Girl Lake.

So, this summer, who wants to:

A) Go to Little League games? (I love this pasttime)

or

B) Take off a wednesday and go race turtles?

Comedian Mike Birbiglia has this impression of girls, a month after you meet them:

"What are you doing this weekend? I was thinking we could maybe - I'M CRAAAZY!!"

Certainly many women are not crazy, but it is also certain that today I'm feeling a little crazy.



My morning mood was great! I woke up and decided to make coffee at home (as opposed to getting free coffee at work). It was amazing. I forgot how good real coffee is.

I drank this coffee on my way to work while listening to Simon & Garfunkle.

It was one of those great everyday moments. I seriously remember saying to myself "it just doesn't get better than this."

As the day went on my mood went from really content to just really melancholy. How did this happen? Just really saaaad.


Then a moment ago, Derrick popped his head over the cube wall and said to me:
"Christine, you better watch out, there are some pigs loose on 394 by Louisiana Ave."

And now I'm content again.

Why doesn't Hollywood sue any longer?

Last night The Uptown Theatre's midnight movie was Return to Oz. A classic. I was invited by the Robison brothers because they for some reason remembered my affinity for this movie.

Watching it again was like taking a magical glimpse back into my childhood. Dark spiraling staircases that resembled my childhood double-basement (Mom, this is how I always envisioned those stairs - creepily!), my suspicion that touching sand would lead to my destruction, gently and thoughtfully tracing shapes, my intense fear of electricity, and of course my hatred for hens and the name "Billina." Yes, these "quirks" are now beginning to resemble sense, it turns out that Return to Oz is to blame for every single one!

We found two things alarming:

1) The ridiculous usage of Deus Ex Machina.

The stone king is destroyed by a chicken's egg!?!?!?!!?!!????

2) The uncanny resemblance of spindly Jack to Jack from Nightmare before Christmas.

I looked into this - the two movies were made by two different production companies, so there is no rhyme or reason to this blatant copyright infringement. Someone should sue.

However, I am willing to secede on this point. Will rained on Ben and my parade this afternoon when he reminded us that all halloween/pumpkin related characters named Jack are rip offs of Jack the Ripper.

So wait, whose getting sued now?

Will, the little party pooper, also said that the chicken's egg being poison to stone was preluded to throughout the movie. I'm sorry, but continually repeating that chickens are not allowed in Oz does not make the premise any less ridiculous. Ben said it best:

"They at least could've picked something that actually destroys rock - like paper."



Anyway, I need to quickly get to the point.

Let's look at the character Sully from Monsters, Inc. Big blue monster with horns that lives in a land of monsters where closet doors across the world are all presented adjacent to each other in the Monsters, Incorporated warehouse - thus making it convenient to go from one house to the next in a matter of moments (I don't recall this being a plot point, but it's true nonetheless). A child wanders into the monster world, and all of a sudden - havoc is wreaked. Sully is voiced by comedian John Goodman.

First of all, how dare you John Goodman trample on the legacy that was already started 12 years earlier by Howie Mandel?? Howie started the blue, double-horned monster craze, and he did it with the help of FRED SAVAGE.

This movie also had many doors, these doors led to the underbellies of beds all over the world! Fred's character Brian even entered into the monster world to wreak his own kind of havoc (if he doesn't run to the west coast before the sun rises, him and his friends will all be destroyed!!)

Much like Sully and Boo, Brian and Maurice became the best of friends! And they did it way better. Maurice even managed to pee in the school bully's apple juice container! Yes!! Take that, Ronnie!

I admittedly have not made my case as soundly as I had hoped I would, but let me assure you of two things:

1) Monsters, Inc. is a total rip-off of Little Monsters

2) Little Monsters is far far far superior.

Forget suing, we haven't had any real life celebrity deathmatches in awhile, right? Howie Mandel should have John Goodman on his new reality tv show, Deal or no Deal, and they should duke it out on that little stage. While we're at it, 29 year old Fred Savage could duke it out with 10 year old Mary Gibbs (voice of Boo):



This post has spiraled downward. And for this I am ashamed.

Radio K

Just thought I'd note that this morning at 7:20 I decided to listen to Radio K (per Mark's instructions) to hear Amy's radio show. It was playing some song I didn't feel like listening to so I put in Kasey Chambers.

At 8:58 I was driving to my building from CNS (where I'd come from a meeting) and the Kasey CD ended, so I was taking it out and about to put another one in...my radio was still tuned to Radio K so as the cd popped out, I heard AM770 music...and what song was it??? I've had the Time of My Life!

Yes!!!

I accidentally tuned into the show Mark demanded I listen to for the one song that Mark requested from me yesterday FOR THIS SHOW!

It definitely made my morning. Mark, I hope you're happy now, you elitist snob.

The most awkward love story of all time

So a few weeks ago, Jess told me a story. A story I could not believe.

It started one afternoon, when Jess comes home from work and finds a note for "302 girl" that had been slid under her door.

It reads:

So while secretly walking faster to catch up to you again I figured I had to do something besides say hi. Since I'm incapable of approaching girls I figured I had to resort to other measures...remember in middle school when you would give the note to your friend to give to the person you liked and it said something to the ffect about them being cute and asking if they will go out with you and it had a box for yes or no...so I figured I should totally bring this back...cause I'm just as retarded when it comes to girls as I was then...so here it goes...

I think you're cute...wanna go out sometime

[] yes :)
[] no :(

So you can either a) return this with appropriate box checked or b) tear it up and assume I'm you're creepy neighbor.

Joshua (tall guy from 304)

She waited a day to reply to this note, and she wrote something to the effect of "thanks for the note, I had myself a chuckle, and no I don't think you're creepy I have a boyfriend, but we could hang out sometime [as friends] just knock on my door, write another note, or give me a call [insert Jess' phone number]. Jess (302 girl)

At this point in the story, I'm already flabbergasted, but it goes on. He replies:

So I was thinking and it would be sweet to have a neighbor similar to that of Jerry Seinfeld. I could be Kramer and just pop in and see what's going on...or maybe I could knock instead, but anyway I think it could be sweet. Maybe we could hang out sometime. Not that notes are bad though...okay I'm just rambling now. Since I now have your number it's only fair to give you mine [insert his phone number], feel free to stop by to borrow milk or something, but I don't like milk so you're better off borrowing some cheezit's...Joshua

This note was inclosed in a mix cd he had made with a custom designed insert.

"What Jess?!" - me
"hahahaha" - Jess

And then she tried going by and knocking on his door, but he did not answer. So she went back to her apartment and wrote: "thanks for the cd, quite a few good selections there, I would make you one back but I don't have a cd burner. I just tried knocking on your door, but you weren't there. Feel free to stop by sometime. Just to clarify things, I have a roommate who is also named Jess. I have the dark hair, and she has long blonde hair. So...I may not even be the proper recipient of these notes."

At this point in the story I was in tear-filled stitches. This does not happen in real life!

He writes back to "Jess (dark hair):"

I just knocked on your door with sadly no reply...we must have totally opposite schedules, but if you want to hang out later tonight, I should be around. Oh yeah, one last thing...this is totally lame, but if you have myspace you should add me...myspace.com/hepatitusjackson...and no I have never had hepititus, but I thought I had lukemia once, but that's a different story...anyways see ya laters.

I should note that around this time Jess' boyfriend and her were on a break (which one day later led to a breakup). So that night she tried knocking on his door again, and he answered.

Upon seeing each other, they proceeded to laugh for 5 full minutes.

And the rest, is as they say, history.

On a related note...

...It wasn't until 9th grade that I finally got my hands on one of them cd players. This was my intense cd collection that fateful year:

My Best Friends' Wedding Soundtrack
Dirty Dancing Soundtrack (see below)
Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

An Urgent Email from Mark

Subject: EMERGENCY!

Stine!

I need your help, and you're the only person I know who might be able to help. Do you have the song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack anywhere on your computer or personal musical library?! I really need to get it by the end of the night Wednesday, because Amy wants to play it for her last ever DJ shift in the morning, and it is in celebration of everybody we know now being almost out of college. Do you have it?!?! Let me know if you do and I will WUV YOU 4-EV-R!

Malks


I'm the only one he knew who could help? Where oh where has my indie cred gone?

FTA Slideshow

click here


Tian put this on the FTA blog, and as admin of the blog I was able to swipe what he did so I could put it on mine...(I hope you don't mind, Tian, I never would've figured it out on my own!).

Family, friends, and internet strangers,
This is the amazing group I spent nearly all my time with this year! You can also see it and download it from Video Google - click here to do so.

Edit: Took the slideshow off of the blog (so that now you don't have to scroll all the way down to this post to pause it to make the Dallas theme song stop)

I don't like donuts. I just had a little powdered sugar donut. I love little donuts. What is the difference, do you think, between regular donuts and little donuts that makes the baby ones so much more delicious?

Thanks,
Christine

Thanks everybody!

Everyone is being so helpful! Thank you!

On that note, does anyone know where I could get my hands on a steamvac? I want to steamvac my couch.

I'll probably just rent one from a hardware store, but if anyone has one they're not using, I'll make use of it!

Jodi, I'm lookin at you.

Why I am unwise

1) The Unwise eating habits before my run on Tuesday

2) Yesterday mistaking promoted price elasticity up for overall non-promoted price elasticity (hence screwing up a bunch of graphs)

3) Not sleeping enough for 8 days and expecting to still be able to work at full capacity (number 2 is a byproduct of number 3...but not to blameshift away from my natural unwiseyness)

4) Yesterday I could've sworn it was Tuesday.

This week has been just...I just don't know. I can't concentrate, and everyday I've managed to freak out more about moving, but I'm just going to start packing all my stuff up on monday. Knowing me, I'll be done packing in a week and I'll be living out of a suitcase for the following weeks (I'm so unwise). Jodi, you said you had a source for boxes, right? I'm going to want boxes I think.

Who knows how to move? What do I do with my stuff? Do my clothes go in garbage bags? You put vcrs in a box right? How am I going to record American Idol if my vcr is packed? Should I make a box of blankets and leave it open by the tv so I can quickly place the vcr in there right before I move? No fuss no muss? I'm so unwise!

Mystery Revealed!

Last year there was a debate as to whether or not shredded/pulled chicken was referred to as "shredded" chicken or "pulled" chicken.

Pulled makes sense because that's what they do with it, Shredded makes sense because it's a cultural norm.

Well, according to my Lloyd's Tub of shredded chicken, it's shredded.

I can't remember what side I was on, but I'm pretty sure I win!

Thoughts on incoherent thoughts

I apologize for my last post. It was a truly desperate attempt at blog attention...to draw attention away from it (although, 9 to 5 really is incredible), I'm going to post about some stuff that's been on my mind.

The student small group that I've been leading with Lee is coming to a close. This sunday is our last group, and this morning the leaders/apprentices met for the last time at Keys (the original!!). I've been feeling a little without soul lately because everyone has been really sentimental about the year ending and I've just been like "eh." Lee told me it would hit me later, but I haven't yet been able to shake that "I don't really care" feeling away. Normally I'm so emotional, for instance I cry everytime I see Father of the Bride, so I just don't get this indifference.


I think Lee's right. It'll hit me later, but I have managed to muster up some sentimentality. It's been a great year, wrought with much growth and many challenges - God's worked through my personal times with Him and He's also done it through the people that He's put me in fellowship with. (Proverbs 27:17 - "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens another friend.") So I want to thank Rachel, Sarah, Will, and Lee for all you shared this morning, and the FTAers that have taught me so much about how God works and moves in people's lives (the whole lot of you!). You've all helped me to better see from God's vantage point (as opposed to mine), and I'm really grateful for your presences (word?) in my life.

I tried for nearly an hour to get out in more words what this year has been like, what God's done, how I've changed, etc. There's a lot to say, but it's all one massive jumble of thoughts right now, and I refuse to post it until it is coherent (which might be never).

Know this - I cried a little bit trying...

Awwwwwwww...

PS - Bobbi, I need your blog address.

PS dos - The infamous other Christine is coming to Minneapolis this summer! We're going to hit up the sights: the lakes, the spoon, Sebastian Joe's, etc. If all goes according to plan we'll be at the Rock some Friday in June or July. Make a beeline for her - she'll be the one with the red hair! After she's here for a few days we're going to roadtrip to Colorado to visit the Estes Park Starbucks (as well as Ally, Nicole, and Allysa...) for a few days. I can't wait!

PS tres - My back and neck are sore from yesterday's run. If I was married I would be requiring three days straight of massages from Mr. Grue. That's 72 HOURS STRAIGHT of me getting a beck (back/neck) massage. Man, that'd be sweet. But such is life, and I will just have to be sore until I can convince my roommate (almost professional masseuse) to schedule me in.

Hey everybody, peace out!

Yesterday

's post had a ridiculous amount of comments.

What could I write about that would cause even MORE comments?? Has anyone ever seen 9 to 5? What a great movie.

You know what else is great? Babies. My neice and nephew have the biggest eyes.

Also bananas are great!

And Jodi, she's great too.



This post is ridiculous. Just comment, okay?

it's all really happening

So I've been "training" for the Twin Cities 10 mile coming this october...but I think I decided I'm just going to run 10 miles today. What the heck, right? I have a free night, might as well spend it running 10 miles!!



We'll see.

No background necessary

I lost my usb cord somewhere on the New Orleans trip...Sarah gave me hers, so here are some of the pictures I took from then to now:

All the Monday Night Ladies (except Jodi, who is taking this picture) at Caffe Latte:


Anna Leisa spreading hummus on her bread slices, what intense yumminess:


Maren's new approach to posing:


Sarah and I:


Jodi and Sarah:


Joe and I at Applebees. We're kind of like conjoined twins, but attached at the hoofs of some horse:


Will drinking Mello Yello from a straw that is long:


Rachel and Mark are very upset about Emily drinking Joe's nose-inners from a straw that is long:


Check it out, I'm awesome at Sudoku!:

Happy Anniversary!

This time last year it was snowing...

Happy One Year Anniversary, Quickerts!!