Overdose
09/23/2005
Is it possible to overdose on cough drops? Because I think I just did…
Frustrating Game
09/19/2005
Well, we totally got cremed tonight. Two of our players haven’t practiced with us AT ALL since last year and one only practiced with us a short time. It was frustrating to have people all rusty and feeling awkward working together. We also played 6-2 and I don’t think everyone had a good sense of wehere they should be covering when and how we should adjust. The middle hitter position is still awkward for our team because the setter usually ignores the position or they just kind of get in the way.
I had fun, but was just generally frustrated.
I think that I played pretty well. I got all of my serves over, except one went out of bounds. Other than that I think I played pretty consistently, so that made me happy. It was hard for me to breathe tonight though because of the heat/stuffiness of the gym.
Hopefully our team can pull together better next week and start to rely on and trust each other.
New Season
09/19/2005
Well, volleyball has started up again and we have our first game in the advanced league tonight. I’m so stoked. Our team was able to practice yesterday and we were practicing the 6-2 formation, which was lots of fun! A little chaotic… but fun. I think it will just get better the more we play together. Returning from last year we have me, Dave, Edwin, Jessica, & Brenda. New this year is Jon, although he did sub for us last year, so I guess that means he’s “newish.” Steve-0 is going to sub for us too. So… YEAH!
I’m not setting. I’m actually hitting! I’m taller than most of the people on my team and have been getting much better at it. My speed isn’t as good as my accuracy. Although, yesterday, I kept hitting it straight at the back row person on the other team. What’s the deal with that? So, I need to be able to plan my shots better. It’s hard though because it all happens so fast. I find that I play better altogether when I view the game in slow motion, then I make more planned, orderly bumps and hits. I kind of miss setting a little though! 🙂
Wish us luck tonight! The posts here will increase now that a new season is upon us so I’ll keep you updated!
I Look Like a Man…
09/18/2005
Well, I figured out one significant key to what keeps mine and Josh’s marriage happy and healthy. Not being too sensitive. Very often, I see couples around me complaining that “he’s not sensitive enough” and wah wah wah. And it’s frustrating, because I see the guy walking on eggshells everytime he’s around his wife. And I think, “HOW can this be healty?” The girl’s always stewing because he’s not good enough and the guy’s always freaked that he’s going to get yelled at. Doesn’t sound like a fun place to be.
I want to feel like home to Josh. That means that he’s allowed to make mistakes or say stupid things or voice what’s on his mind or joke around or whatever… and I’ll take it with a grain of salt. And he does the same for me (thank goodness!).
And the key is, when your spouse says something “stupid” or “insensitive,” know that he (probably) didn’t mean to completely crush you with that comment. Think about what his intentions were, and think about them from a long term view. Very often, things that would otherwise be offensive are suddenly very amusing.
Case in point. On Thursday night I was stressing because I had parents coming to school at night for Back to School Night. I hurried home, quickly put on a suit, was about to rush out the door when Josh exclaimed, “You look like a man in that suit!”
Now, most women would stew about that comment for quite some time. Talk about insensitive! But, I know that Josh did not intend to hurt me, he was just being candid and real. And it made me laugh! I was like, “Gee, thanks!” And walked out the door. When I came home later that night he apologized for being “so insensitive.” And I was like, “Dude, your comment was cracking me up all night. I’m so thankful that you speak openly and candidly like that!”
I guess that part of it coincides with my personal gift of always knowing what not to say in any situation. When other people do that…man…good laughs!
Anyhoo, Josh, thanks for being candid and open and hilarious all at the same time. You make me feel like I can live, and breathe, and be completely real around you. That’s why you are home to me. And that is more priceless than any Mastercard commercial could ever be. Priceless. 😉
Welcome to the Family!
09/17/2005
Well, it took me long enough to post this! On August 27th, I had the pleasure of standing with my brother and his lovely lady, Kristin, at their wedding. It was a beautiful event and it’s awesome to have another sister! Growing up with only brothers, it’s been awesome to add Ronnie & Emily to my sisters, and now I have Kristin too! It’s like getting presents at Christmas, only much much better.
Highlights of the trip back for the wedding include seeing both of my brother’s new houses, going out with my mom, seeing relatives I haven’t seen in forever, meeting my niece Maia for the first time, hanging out at the Lewis house, Cafe Latte with Care & Neal, and getting lost at the airport. Oh, and also eating Taco Johns! Yum! Good times!
Anyway, enjoy our mediocre pictures of the event.
iPod Lock???
09/08/2005
School has started again, and so has using my iPod to blare music into my art room as we’re all chillin’ and making stuff. Last year, iPod theft was a huge issue and I can’t help but worry about it myself. Not to mention my sweet Bose stereo. I never worry about my laptop because I have a Kensington lock. Why is there no such device for the iPod? Seriously, I should be able to lock this sucker down so I don’t have to worry about it all the time. Some may say that I should just use crappy music players so I don’t care if they’re stolen… but that would be so 80’s of me and plus I love all of the selection of songs on my iPod (not to mention my SWEET Bose stereo).
Anyway… APPLE – WE NEED A SOLUTION! Please install a lock in your future iPods!!! iPod theft is a huge issue and us users need a way to feel safer about using our iPods.
Until then… any ideas on what I can do to keep my iPod safe?
Bible Donations
09/02/2005
I lead the Christian Club at my school and would like to get a set of Bibles to keep at school to use for our weekly Bible studies. If you are interested in donating one or more Bibles, would you please e-mail me?
I’d be open to any new or used NIV translations. If you’d like to buy one, this is the one I’m interested in getting (although I honestly wouldn’t mind donations of any NIVs).
NIV Student Bible, Revised, Compact Edition (Hardcover), ed. by Philip Yancey
If you’re interested, THANK YOU SO MUCH, and you can e-mail me and I’ll tell you where to send them! Thanks!
Spost
09/01/2005
I was grading the Room Procedures Exams today, which I grade immediately when students are finished. They work on another assignment while I move around the room and grade the exams right in front of them. This way, I can ask for clarification, which is especially important for my English language learners.
Anyway, one of my students (NOT an English language learner) had this response on a question about how to clean the bookshelves: “…your spost to have everything in there organized.”
Ignoring the improper use of your, I turned to my student and said, “Spost?”
She said, “Yeah?”
“SPOST isn’t a word.”
She tilted her head to the side for a moment, deep in thought. Then, with her headstrong, middle school attitude she exclaimed, “Yah-huh… because how come I use it then?” Then she gave me a face as if to say “Duh!” because in her mind she had just completely explained the new existence of the word “spost.”
Rather than rush to the phone and call Webster’s Dictionary with the new news, I used my red felt-tip pen and wrote “supposed” under her word and also added an ‘re to your. She gave a sigh and rolled her eyes because, obviously, my grammar is much much better than hers.
Then, I went to the next student, whose paper told me that, when a student spills something on the floor, he is “sposta getta mop to pick it up.”
Man… I sure have my work cut out for me.
Strange Picture – My Fate?
09/01/2005
Josh sent me this pic from my brother’s wedding. He said he liked it because I looked all cute and smiley. But it disturbed me. It’s a picture of me and my niece, Jenna. She’s obviously very wiggly. 🙂
It was awesome to go back to MN last weekend and see Nate tie the knot. The thing that stunk about it is how many of my relatives have zero tact and feel the need to talk to me about having children. I mean, if you say, “Planning on trying again soon?” and I say, “No,” — can’t you just leave it at that? But no, they all need to go on and on about how “the other three weren’t meant to be” and “you just need to keep trying” and “I just know God will give you children someday” and “if you pray hard enough God will give you a child” and “is there anything you’ve done wrong that would make God keep your children from you?” and on and on and on. And I play the polite game, giving one word answers, trying to change the subject, and sometimes having to just say, “You know, I really appreciate your concern, but I’d really rather not discuss this.” Sigh.
A friend of mine just finished teaching at Jr. High Church about Job. We heard all about Job’s counselors, always claiming that they knew God and that Job must have done something dreadful to deserve his fate. Always giving advice, even when he didn’t ask for it. Always sticking their noses in, believing that they really had something significant to say. And, what happened? In the end, we realize that there were spiritual events occurring that warranted Job’s situation. And, when Job dared to question God’s reasons for making his life all sucky, God responds by telling Job all of the glorious things that He has done. And Job is left in awe of the Lord.
I guess I didn’t expect my own family to be filled with so many counselors.
I think that’s why this picture disturbed me. It looked like it was maybe me with one of the faceless children I’ve lost. Or perhaps a look into the future, of the one not yet formed. All in all, it visually pretty much summarizes my struggle for the past few years.
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time…
08/31/2005
[The following is Steph’s fictional write up that was imagined when she saw this picture:]
One of my friends is a science teacher. She went to a yard sale and saw all of these empty clown planters with accompanying unidentified seeds. She thought, “What a great idea! I get these for really cheap and I can teach my students about growing plants and plant identification.”
She brought them back to the class and the kids happily planted their mystery seeds, eager to see what would grow.
And then they grew. And grew. And grew.
One day she looked up at her windowsill and saw the colorful, but sad porcelain clowns, and realized that, well, they were now a little more explicit than they were before. Some of the 6th grade boys pointed and snickered, while the others just enjoyed their cacti, too naive to understand what was happening.
Distraught, my fellow teacher came to the teacher’s lounge and slumped onto the lumpy couch. “I have to end my plant identification unit,” she said. We remembered how excited she was to get the cheap clown planters earlier and could not figure out why she was suddenly so down on the assignment. She turned red, “The seeds…they… they grew into cactuses.”
We all ran down to her room to get the visual on why she had to end her unit. Oh…laughter until the tears poured down my face and I felt like I had done nine-kajillion situps! Talk about a science experiment gone bad!