I got this from my grandmother this morning. And as one who doesn't really relish forwarding forwards but still wanting to share it, here it is. It is crazy!
YOUR AGE BY EATING OUT
Don't cheat! It takes less than a minute. Work it out as you read. Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to eat out. (More than one but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold.)
3. Add 5.
4. Multiply it by 50.
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1757...
If you haven't, add 1756.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number.
The first digit was your original number (i.e. how many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week.)
The next two numbers are
YOUR AGE!
This kind of stuff is absolutely crazy to me. I don't get it, but it fascinates me...I know, simple minds and all...but the part of me that almost wanted to be a math major in college really loves this stuff.
Apr 20, 2007
Apr 18, 2007
Miracles
The first of the next generation of my extended family arrived yesterday. My cousin, Kellie, gave birth to a baby girl, Maisie Ann. My uncle sent pictures, and they both look great! I'm looking forward to going over to Tinley this weekend to see them, if they're ready for visitors. (This means I'm horribly behind on the blanket I was working on for her, but don't tell her, because it's a secret.)
It's interesting to me. I've recently become very interested in the whole pregnancy-birth process. I just really don't understand how we come to be. And I also don't see how people can not believe in God or a higher power when looking at the miracle of life. Even as I look at my window at the grass that seems to have suddenly gone from brown to green, life is all around us. I can't believe it all came to be spontaneously. I just can't.
Sometimes I have a hard time really seeing God working in my life, especially as I'm looking at the present. But as I look at my life up to this point in retrospect, I can see so many ways that God has set my way for me. I'm not one to say God actively shapes my life, but that God knows me so intimately well that he already knows the decisions I will make. It's sort of a pre-destined free will, if that makes any sense. Some might argue it doesn't, but it definitely shows my Presbyterian upbringing coming out.
It is completely amazing to me that the God who made the universe in its vastness made even the gnat and all of intricacies of our ecosystem, and made sure that all of the different systems in our body to do the jobs they do that keep up moving and functioning in this world.
It's interesting to me. I've recently become very interested in the whole pregnancy-birth process. I just really don't understand how we come to be. And I also don't see how people can not believe in God or a higher power when looking at the miracle of life. Even as I look at my window at the grass that seems to have suddenly gone from brown to green, life is all around us. I can't believe it all came to be spontaneously. I just can't.
Sometimes I have a hard time really seeing God working in my life, especially as I'm looking at the present. But as I look at my life up to this point in retrospect, I can see so many ways that God has set my way for me. I'm not one to say God actively shapes my life, but that God knows me so intimately well that he already knows the decisions I will make. It's sort of a pre-destined free will, if that makes any sense. Some might argue it doesn't, but it definitely shows my Presbyterian upbringing coming out.
It is completely amazing to me that the God who made the universe in its vastness made even the gnat and all of intricacies of our ecosystem, and made sure that all of the different systems in our body to do the jobs they do that keep up moving and functioning in this world.
Apr 13, 2007
Slowing Down
This weekend I am playing bachelorette. (can I say that? well, I just did.) Jeff is in Phoenix for a friend's wedding. I was originally going to go with him, but it turns out that I would have only had two vacation days left for the rest of 2007 (since we went to NOLA). He did a really good job of not rubbing it in that he would be in gorgeous weather for the weekend. I think it's supposed to get warmer here, too, so I'm looking forward to maybe riding my bike this afternoon!
This week has been nice, especially compared to the craziness of last week. (I like Holy Week, but I'm glad it just comes once a year.) I've allowed myself some time away from work by taking Wednesday off. And although I went to work early after dropping Jeff off at the airport yesterday, I took some time in the middle of the day instead of being at the church for 10 hours straight. It feels really good to stray a little bit from my normal schedule. I even started the PowerPoint for Sunday early this week and actually finished it yesterday! That really is a rare thing. It almost feels weird to not have it hanging over my head. Weird, but still really nice.
It's nice every once in a while to set a schedule and not really have to worry about what someone else is doing or what we should be doing together. I'm not complaining, just enjoying the temporary change.
This week has been nice, especially compared to the craziness of last week. (I like Holy Week, but I'm glad it just comes once a year.) I've allowed myself some time away from work by taking Wednesday off. And although I went to work early after dropping Jeff off at the airport yesterday, I took some time in the middle of the day instead of being at the church for 10 hours straight. It feels really good to stray a little bit from my normal schedule. I even started the PowerPoint for Sunday early this week and actually finished it yesterday! That really is a rare thing. It almost feels weird to not have it hanging over my head. Weird, but still really nice.
It's nice every once in a while to set a schedule and not really have to worry about what someone else is doing or what we should be doing together. I'm not complaining, just enjoying the temporary change.
Apr 10, 2007
Easter doin's
In some ways, I am still trying to get my bearings after Easter Sunday and Holy Week. The worship committee and a few helpers hosted (I guess that's the word) a Seder drama. It was a lot of coordinating to make sure the various people had what they needed, and I'm thankful it's over. On Good Friday, Jeff preached at our tenebrae service, and I sang part of "Lord of the Dance." (Jeff had me stop at the Good Friday part of the song and not go to the Easter verse.) We had our normal three services on Easter, and I only had to worry about "my" service. I had two handbell ringers at the other two services, but they are pros who were fantastic on their own! After having a lovely Easter lunch at Applebee's, Jeff and I went home to watch some movies and relax.
We first watched Man of the Year (starring Robin Williams). It was ok and somewhat predictable, but a good mindless movie.
The next movie we watched was Fast Food Nation. Now, I have read the book, and when I saw they were making a movie based on it, I couldn't figure out how they would do that with any kind of a plot. I assumed it would be a documentary. Wrong. It was really good. They used all the information that Eric Schlosser included in the book, even showing the kill floor at the meat packaging plant. It had me thinking a lot about this high protein/low carbohydrate lifestyle that Jeff and I have been living for the last three months. Really what it boils down to is that it made me feel guilty. Which sucks because I really have been feeling healthy these last few months with paying attention to what I put in my body and exercising. I really hate feeling guilty.
The final movie we watched was An Inconvenient Truth. I don't really recommend watching the last two movies in the same day. I'm on a bit of a conscience overload. It's really a lot to process. Jeff and I went to the website for An Inconvenient Truth after we watched the movie, and there is a link to a place that you can buy carbon offsets. Unfortunately, we found that we produce more than the average American household in tons of carbon. Really, this surprised me. We drive together to work, we don't really travel all that much (except for trips back to Kansas). Our gas and electric bills were calculated in, and I suppose that if we were a three or four person household that we might not use that much more but that what we use would be divided between more people. But we figured up through the website how much we could pay to offset, and while it isn't as good as not having the output in the first place, it is a start for us while we continue to educate ourselves.
So our Easter was nice and relaxing, but not really what I would call mental "down time." At the same time, maybe in the midst of my winding down from the craziness of Easter, I experienced my own resurrection of conscience that afternoon.
We first watched Man of the Year (starring Robin Williams). It was ok and somewhat predictable, but a good mindless movie.
The next movie we watched was Fast Food Nation. Now, I have read the book, and when I saw they were making a movie based on it, I couldn't figure out how they would do that with any kind of a plot. I assumed it would be a documentary. Wrong. It was really good. They used all the information that Eric Schlosser included in the book, even showing the kill floor at the meat packaging plant. It had me thinking a lot about this high protein/low carbohydrate lifestyle that Jeff and I have been living for the last three months. Really what it boils down to is that it made me feel guilty. Which sucks because I really have been feeling healthy these last few months with paying attention to what I put in my body and exercising. I really hate feeling guilty.
The final movie we watched was An Inconvenient Truth. I don't really recommend watching the last two movies in the same day. I'm on a bit of a conscience overload. It's really a lot to process. Jeff and I went to the website for An Inconvenient Truth after we watched the movie, and there is a link to a place that you can buy carbon offsets. Unfortunately, we found that we produce more than the average American household in tons of carbon. Really, this surprised me. We drive together to work, we don't really travel all that much (except for trips back to Kansas). Our gas and electric bills were calculated in, and I suppose that if we were a three or four person household that we might not use that much more but that what we use would be divided between more people. But we figured up through the website how much we could pay to offset, and while it isn't as good as not having the output in the first place, it is a start for us while we continue to educate ourselves.
So our Easter was nice and relaxing, but not really what I would call mental "down time." At the same time, maybe in the midst of my winding down from the craziness of Easter, I experienced my own resurrection of conscience that afternoon.
Mar 25, 2007
Changed a Tire
After more than 11 years of having my driver's license, today I learned how to change a tire for the first time. Sad? Possibly, but better that I learn today than not at all. And here I thought we were done having car issues. We finally got both cars to pass the emissions tests so we can now get our license plates (which expired March 15th, so we have temporary permits) and here we have a flat tire. In the grand scheme of things, I know this is not major, and I know that we are blessed to be able to afford a car for each of us. However, I'm done with messing with cars for a while.
Peace out.
Peace out.
Mar 22, 2007
New Orleans
Last week Jeff and I took a vacation with our sisters down to the New Orleans area. We worked Tuesday through Thursday and then headed down to the French Quarter to play for the weekend. We spent St. Patrick's Day down there, and even got to be in a "parade!" (Ok, so we joined a wedding party processing down the street, but whatever!) Below is the family we worked for in Slidell, the Atlows (minus Brandon and Erica, who were working).
We were blessed to work with Carl Bauer, a man from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was in week three of the six weeks he planned to be in Slidell helping with hurricane recovery. In the picture, he's holding up the baby he found in the King Cake that Megan brought for us. That means he's throwing the next Mardi Gras party!
There is still so much clean up and restoration to be done that it truly is overwhelming, even a year and a half after the hurricane. The good news is that the two women whose houses we worked on in September had been moved back into their houses before Christmas! There are moments of hope in the midst of the devastation. It makes me proud to be a part of an organization that has promised to be there for the 10-12 years predicted to recover. (UMCOR, the disaster recovery agency of The United Methodist Church, has made the commitment.)
I'm so glad we made the trip with our sisters, truly one we will talk about and remember for years to come. We made some good memories!
We were blessed to work with Carl Bauer, a man from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was in week three of the six weeks he planned to be in Slidell helping with hurricane recovery. In the picture, he's holding up the baby he found in the King Cake that Megan brought for us. That means he's throwing the next Mardi Gras party!There is still so much clean up and restoration to be done that it truly is overwhelming, even a year and a half after the hurricane. The good news is that the two women whose houses we worked on in September had been moved back into their houses before Christmas! There are moments of hope in the midst of the devastation. It makes me proud to be a part of an organization that has promised to be there for the 10-12 years predicted to recover. (UMCOR, the disaster recovery agency of The United Methodist Church, has made the commitment.)
I'm so glad we made the trip with our sisters, truly one we will talk about and remember for years to come. We made some good memories!
Mar 8, 2007
Jeff and I have been on Atkins for a little over two months now. Jeff has lost about 26 pounds, and I have lost 10. Woo hoo! Even though I had read the book and can see and feel the results, there was still that guilty part of me that thought "most of the world thinks this is bad for me." But then, deet-de-de-dee (imagine a trumpet), lo and behold yesterday a study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that says women like me achieved better weight loss and health results while on Atkins. Not that I doubted before, but it was just nice to see more support. Dr. Mary Vernon, a family friend, is kind of the new Dr. Atkins and you can read her blog here. Also, you can read the report from her blog here.
On an unrelated note, Jeff and I are getting ready to be on vacation, which means that we have bunches of things to get done before we leave (which I am currently not doing). We're going on a trip with our sisters, and this will be the first trip that the four of us have taken together. I'm really excited! Kayla will have a live-in buddy for the week, so that's a plus since we won't have to feel guilty about her being in the kennel. In the meantime, trying to cram two weeks of work into one is exhausting. Makes me really long for the vacation!
On an unrelated note, Jeff and I are getting ready to be on vacation, which means that we have bunches of things to get done before we leave (which I am currently not doing). We're going on a trip with our sisters, and this will be the first trip that the four of us have taken together. I'm really excited! Kayla will have a live-in buddy for the week, so that's a plus since we won't have to feel guilty about her being in the kennel. In the meantime, trying to cram two weeks of work into one is exhausting. Makes me really long for the vacation!
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