a good scrub

Up until maybe a month and a half ago, I'd never scrubbed a floor in my life. Oh, I've mopped plenty, but never a down-on-your-knees-Cinderella-type scrub. But about a month and a half ago I decided our kitchen floor needed that kind of scrub. Why? you ask. Because the white, grooved linoleum is a magnet for dirt. It's a gray floor, not white, and we mop regularly. So I thought, let's see if scrubbing works. Did it? well, it looked better, but not crystal clear. Was it worth it? not really. But I did get a good upper body workout! My second scrubbing experience happened today at work. Long story short: everyone has to scrub two tiles a day until the floor is better. This is a floor that somehow (depsite daily mopping) looks even worse than my kitchen floor. I've seen people scrub it and it never seemed to help. Apparently, our boss-boss thought differently and told us so in very condescending and demeaning terms. Needless to say, while I was scrubbing, I was mentally telling him exactly what I thought of his so-called "leadership style". Interestingly enough, when I was done (with visible improvements made on my section of the floor) I felt much better. Guess a little physical labor is good for the soul. And thankfully, God once again had my back, because this individual never showed up (as he occassionally and unexpectedly does) while I was working leading to words that probably should not have been said.

pictures

Here are some pictures of the new motorcycle....oh, and Jeremy's new "I'm giving up on the razor and scissors" look. :)

New things

Crash course on some of the new happenings in life:

My little brother is having a baby! Yay!!! Due October 20. Maybe he/she will be born 10 days early on my birthday. Wouldn't that be fun?

Jeremy bought a motorcycle. I've only ridden it around the neighborhood, but it's really cool. A 1982 Suzuki GS1100. He's been riding it too work, so it's also been nice to have my Honda back on a daily basis. I even vacuumed it out on Sunday! I'll post pictures of the bike as soon as we get some uploaded.

I bought fun things to organize with today! This may not seem like news, but for me this signifies an extra good day.

I have an ear infection for the first time since I was in grade school.

Jeremy and I are planning a weekend backpacking trip in the North Carolina mountains. Fun! Anybody been backpacking in the Appalachians? Any suggestions?

I finally finished reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. An excellent book. Very old-school British vibe with a fantastical twist (19th Century England plus magic).

I'm studying for the GRE which I am scheduled to take Feb. 28. Pray for me on that day! As things stand now (particularly with the quantitative, i.e. math, section) I'll need as much help as I can get.

So that's about it. The boring and the exciting (which, I realize, isn't even all that exciting).

Peace

a couple of movies

On Monday, I went with some girl friends to see Junebug (there's an old theater in town that has an independent movie series every week or two). I really enjoyed it. Jason told me I'd like it, and again, he was correct. It's a very realistic movie, but without that depressing "life totally sucks" attitude that a lot of "realistic" dramas take on. Yeah, the relationships between most everyone in the film could have stood an overhall, but there was a little bit of hope at the end. And as far as the characters went, there were times when I loved each character, and times when I couldn't stand them...kind of like a lot of real people out there! Amy Adams' character was the one exception -- I liked her all the time. Well, and maybe the dad too. I also appreciated that they portrayed the South without making fun of it.

Second movie I've seen recently: Elizabethtown. I made the mistake of reading too many reviews on it....and most critics didn't really like this movie at all. So I was distracted by their voices in my head. But overall I enjoyed the movie. It had a kind of disjointed, mismatched feel during the first half, but I think it kind of worked because it's a disjointed time in this guy's life. If I had to sum up the movie it would be sweet and quirky with a kickin' soundtrack. It's one I think I could watch again and enjoy more.

Happy Friday!

Fudge

(as part of remembering friends series)

My Granny Blair always made fudge at Christmas -- with everyone's favorite recipe off of the marshmellow fluff jar. So now, whenever I make fudge at Christmas (because of course I have to carry on the tradition), I think of my cousin Ryan Sundlie and how when we were little we would eat fudge and play Barbies in my Granny's bedroom. Ryan is the coolest -- he's an artist, a lover of literature, an outdoorsman, now a teacher in the United Arab Emirates, and one of the best "sneaker and hider" around. He's open, friendly, adventurous, down-to-earth and lots of fun. And even better...he's family!

List-time

I am, if nothing else, a copy-cat. Imitation is still the sincerest form of flattery, right? :)

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. babysitter
2. restaraunt hostess
3. newspaper reporter
4. barrista

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Sense and Senisbility
2. Waiting for Guffman
3. Lord of the Rings trilogy
4. White Christmas

Four books you could read over and over:
1. Anne of Green Gables series
2. The Last Silk Dress
3. Harry Potter series
4. Zion Covenant series

Five places you have lived:
1. Portland, Oregon
2. Independence, Missouri
3. Searcy, Arkansas
4. Houston, Texas
5. Wilmington, North Carolina

Four t.v. shows you watch:
1. The Amazing Race
2. Lost
3. The O.C. (I know, I know... guilty pleasure)
4. Bones

Four places you have vacationed:
1. Spain
2. England
3. Chicago
4. San Antonio

Four web sites you visit (nearly) daily:
1. Yahoo mail
2. various friends' blogs
3. televisionwithoutpity.com
4.

Four favorite foods:
1. Anything Italian
2. Peaches and strawberries
3. Mexican...especially if it involves homemade tortillas
4. My mom's chicken noodle soup

Four places you would rather be (if I had to...I like here just fine right now):
1. Laying on the beach
2. Hiking in the mountains (or sitting in my mountain cabin)
3. With family
4. Hanging out with friends I haven't seen in months