By: Benjamin Radford
Skeptical Inquirer
By now most people's New Years resolutions are as stale as any leftover Superbowl potato chips or Christmas fruitcake. The resolve to quit smoking, or lose weight and get fit, fades quickly. They are great ideas, but the self-improvement fever lasts only a few weeks, and by March gyms across the country are cashing in on unused memberships.
Why is this? America is often described as a nation of chronic dieters. In a Jan. 16, 2006, cover article in U.S. News & World Report, Amanda Spake suggested that Americans should 'Stop dieting. Stop obsessing about every morsel you put in your mouth, stop weighing yourself twice a day, stop letting your quest to be thin control your life." Good advice—if it were true.
The idea that Americans are obsessed with weight loss is a myth.
Journalists cite misleading statistics such as that Americans spend $33 billion each year on weight loss—everything from fad diets to books to exercise equipment. As impressive as the number sounds, it is not a true measure of commitment to losing weight. Books, diet plans, and Stairmasters don't make people lose weight. People make people lose weight. Spending money is easy; the problem is the follow-through.
The surprising reality is that most Americans are not dieting, and are not really trying to lose weight. If Americans were truly committed to getting fit and losing weight, they would eat less and exercise more. Yet most people steadfastly refuse to do it.
In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control reported that Americans are eating more than ever, and women in particular are eating over 300 more calories a day than they did in 1971. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, yet fewer than one-third get regular exercise.
The simple fact is that losing weight just isn't that important to people.
A 1993 Yankelovich survey found that over half of Americans said they weren't at all concerned with watching their weight, and studies show that fewer than one-quarter of Americans are dieting. In 2002 Glamour magazine asked more than 11,000 readers what they would give up to slim down permanently. Three-quarters would not give up eating dessert, and only 41 percent would pay $3,000 to be thin forever. Almost a quarter said they would not give up anything to lose weight.
Many of us would like to lose weight in the same way we'd like to get rich by winning the lottery: We'll do it if it doesn't take too much effort. Americans don't want to take the figurative and literal steps to achieve our goals. We want to eat more and weigh less. Diet and exercise—the only proven method for effective, sustained weight loss—sounds good but takes too much willpower for most of us.
The myth that most diets fail has it exactly backward: Instead, most people fail diets. Just about any sensible diet will help a person lose weight. Blaming the diet because the dieter quit is like blaming the unused treadmill for not doing its job. The real solution isn't in fad diets or workout DVDs; the solution is in the mirror.
AMEN, Brother. You are right on!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
Medical School
Such interesting decisions to make!
Many of you know that Rodney and I were dislocated in Greenville, NC for about 6 months. Honestly, there is not a lot to like about that city (unless you are a college student). We found it rather dull and unfulfilling. We had a hard time finding decent jobs there as well, in terms of hours and satisfaction.
So, we moved back to the Raleigh area where our happiness level has risen tremendously. This is where part of our family and most of our friends are.
Oh, how cruel life can be sometimes. It was definitely a pain when we moved, as far as how difficult it was. We had a lot of stuff and moved it into a 3rd story apartment. We really like the apartment we're in now, a tad bit better than the one in Greenville, even though that one was newer. We definitely have more space in Raleigh.
What would ya know, but on the same day my Dad lost his position at work, I received an acceptance letter to Medical School at ECU. Ah, how ironic and bittersweet. The place we wanted to get away from now is beckoning us back.
Now, don't get too excited as I am really not that excited. Yeah, it feels awesome to be accepted, but I'm not sure I want to go anymore. Shocked? Yeah, me too. For so long, medical school was all I wanted to do. I had wonderful teachers, family, and friends who supported me and recommended me (to which I am eternally grateful). You believed in me, encouraged me, and loved me through all the rejections. Even last year, as I sat on the alternate list, you prayed for me. That was the whole reason we had moved there, on the leap of faith that I would get accepted there.
Last year, it would have been a no-brainer. Naively, I believed that Medical School was the best thing for our marriage in terms of a career. Now, I believe different. I enjoy the free time (no matter how little it is) that I have now with my honey and BeBe. I wouldn't have that in Medical School.
"Think long term" is what most people have said to me, but honestly, I am thinking long term. How is this going to affect my marriage? What kind of stress am I going to have? How much debt will I incur? How many people can I help? I know the answers to all of these questions! Unfortunately, I don't think that the positive outweighs the negative.
So, I am left at a quandary. I had considered pulling my application out of the pool by March, mainly because I didn't think I would get accepted so early. Really, I selfishly wanted the acceptance letter just to feel accepted.
There is such a high standard to live up to as a doctor! Truly, is the income worth the amount of time and stress I would be under? I am not so sure as malpractice insurance is sky high and I would never see my husband (nonetheless raise a family should we go in that direction). Even some doctors I know tell me that they can't even depend on the income to retire, and their families have lifestyle but they don't.
Sigh... I have another week and a half to make my decision. I have one life to live... how should I live it? I truly want to serve the Lord and feel led down a different path. I almost feel as though this acceptance is intended more for use in a testimony. I know that I can touch lives in and outside of medicine. Ultimately, prayer and meditation about God's will for me is what I will have to depend on.
Many of you know that Rodney and I were dislocated in Greenville, NC for about 6 months. Honestly, there is not a lot to like about that city (unless you are a college student). We found it rather dull and unfulfilling. We had a hard time finding decent jobs there as well, in terms of hours and satisfaction.
So, we moved back to the Raleigh area where our happiness level has risen tremendously. This is where part of our family and most of our friends are.
Oh, how cruel life can be sometimes. It was definitely a pain when we moved, as far as how difficult it was. We had a lot of stuff and moved it into a 3rd story apartment. We really like the apartment we're in now, a tad bit better than the one in Greenville, even though that one was newer. We definitely have more space in Raleigh.
What would ya know, but on the same day my Dad lost his position at work, I received an acceptance letter to Medical School at ECU. Ah, how ironic and bittersweet. The place we wanted to get away from now is beckoning us back.
Now, don't get too excited as I am really not that excited. Yeah, it feels awesome to be accepted, but I'm not sure I want to go anymore. Shocked? Yeah, me too. For so long, medical school was all I wanted to do. I had wonderful teachers, family, and friends who supported me and recommended me (to which I am eternally grateful). You believed in me, encouraged me, and loved me through all the rejections. Even last year, as I sat on the alternate list, you prayed for me. That was the whole reason we had moved there, on the leap of faith that I would get accepted there.
Last year, it would have been a no-brainer. Naively, I believed that Medical School was the best thing for our marriage in terms of a career. Now, I believe different. I enjoy the free time (no matter how little it is) that I have now with my honey and BeBe. I wouldn't have that in Medical School.
"Think long term" is what most people have said to me, but honestly, I am thinking long term. How is this going to affect my marriage? What kind of stress am I going to have? How much debt will I incur? How many people can I help? I know the answers to all of these questions! Unfortunately, I don't think that the positive outweighs the negative.
So, I am left at a quandary. I had considered pulling my application out of the pool by March, mainly because I didn't think I would get accepted so early. Really, I selfishly wanted the acceptance letter just to feel accepted.
There is such a high standard to live up to as a doctor! Truly, is the income worth the amount of time and stress I would be under? I am not so sure as malpractice insurance is sky high and I would never see my husband (nonetheless raise a family should we go in that direction). Even some doctors I know tell me that they can't even depend on the income to retire, and their families have lifestyle but they don't.
Sigh... I have another week and a half to make my decision. I have one life to live... how should I live it? I truly want to serve the Lord and feel led down a different path. I almost feel as though this acceptance is intended more for use in a testimony. I know that I can touch lives in and outside of medicine. Ultimately, prayer and meditation about God's will for me is what I will have to depend on.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Corporate America
Yet another example of how Corporate America is the ultimate insecurity of the job world:
My Dad has worked for his company, Glaxo SmithKline, for about 25 years now. That company has seen its share of corporate buy-outs and lay-offs just as any other company has. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad company, but the way they treat their loyal employees leaves something to be said about.
A little company history/mission:
We have a challenging and inspiring mission: to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. This mission gives us the purpose to develop innovative medicines and products that help millions of people around the world. In fact, we are the only pharmaceutical company to tackle the World Health Organization's three priority diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Headquartered in the UK and with operations based in the US, we are one of the industry leaders, with an estimated seven per cent of the world's pharmaceutical market.
But being a leader brings responsibility. This means that we care about the impact that we have on the people and places touched by our mission to improve health around the world.
It also means that we must help developing countries where debilitating disease affects millions of people and access to life-changing medicines and vaccines is a problem. To meet this challenge, we are committed to providing discounted medicines where they are needed the most.
As a company with a firm foundation in science, we have a flair for research and a track record of turning that research into powerful, marketable drugs. Every hour we spend more than £300,000 (US$562,000) to find new medicines.
We produce medicines that treat six major disease areas: asthma, virus control, infections, mental health, diabetes and digestive conditions. In addition, we are a leader in the important area of vaccines and are developing new treatments for cancer.
"Flair for research"? I mean, come on, you've fired or driven out a lot of your senior scientists. You're bringing in inexperienced, young, fresh college-grads because you don't have to pay them as much as the guys who have been loyal to you for 25 years or more.
"Let's flaunt what we do to take care of people outside of the company when, internally, we treat our most loyal people with disrespect and out right dishonesty!"
"We care about the impact we have on people?" Well, it really doesn't seem like that.
I may sound a little bitter, but I am truly not surprised. Glaxo has proven itself to fit right on in with the corporate image of disloyalty, dishonesty, and uncaring about anything but the bottom line.
So, after 25 years of honest, loyal, and hard work, my Dad has lost his position. Honestly, he lost position in November when they "changed his job." I think they were just trying to give him false hope that he was still going to have a job, that they weren't really laying him off. He worked hard to impress these people to prove to them that he is a commodity, and they overlooked everything for a bottom line. To me, Glaxo SmithKline is no better than the scum of Enron or any corporate scandal.
I just want to let the world know, that Corporate America has blinded many people into believing that you have a secure, permanent job. They offer a future, when really, there is a cap to how much and how far you can go. Once you pass that lie, oops, I mean line, you're out of there with out even a blink of an eye.
Anyone considering working for a corporation, such as Glaxo SmithKline, has been warned.
Ultimately, what they don't teach you in school, is what our country was founded on: Free Enterprise. How do I know? The Indians weren't hiring. They weren't looking for corn shuckers! Our forefathers came over here to live free and with the ability to be in business for themselves without the oppression of the government, yet for some reason we believe that being an employee is the only way to live.
Practically all of our tax laws were written for people in business for themselves (just check out the deductions you can get). Why? Because people in business for themselves help the economy. When is the last time anyone taught you that the only way to get ahead in this country is to be in business for yourself?
We all grew up with the whole "Get a good education so that you can get a good job, so that you can make it." What's "it"? I certainly don't see college or being an employee as the key to wealth and financial security or "it". Otherwise, there would be a lot more people living free. Unfortunately, the statistics are staggering. You have a 1 in 10 chance in retiring in financial dignity. Most people are going to have to rely on a government pay out (which won't be there when I get to that age), another job (after working for 50 years), or family to just make their living expenses.
In fact, it is sad that 65 year-olds can't even really retire in financial dignity and end up going out and getting a job. Granted, there are some 65 year-olds who want to work, but why in the world would you work for $2.50 an hour greeting people with a smiley face button on your lapel in the middle of the night? Come on! If you think that they want to do that, I believe you may be mistaken or a little naive.
So, what is "it" that we are making?
Oh, and what does it take: age or income to retire?
I hope that I've opened your eyes a bit....
Sorry about the rant, but I needed it after yesterday.
Oh yeah, and who emails you news like that... LOL. We live in the same town for goodness sakes! Thanks Mom! (She was freaking out a bit, I'll give her that!)
My Dad has worked for his company, Glaxo SmithKline, for about 25 years now. That company has seen its share of corporate buy-outs and lay-offs just as any other company has. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad company, but the way they treat their loyal employees leaves something to be said about.
A little company history/mission:
We have a challenging and inspiring mission: to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. This mission gives us the purpose to develop innovative medicines and products that help millions of people around the world. In fact, we are the only pharmaceutical company to tackle the World Health Organization's three priority diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Headquartered in the UK and with operations based in the US, we are one of the industry leaders, with an estimated seven per cent of the world's pharmaceutical market.
But being a leader brings responsibility. This means that we care about the impact that we have on the people and places touched by our mission to improve health around the world.
It also means that we must help developing countries where debilitating disease affects millions of people and access to life-changing medicines and vaccines is a problem. To meet this challenge, we are committed to providing discounted medicines where they are needed the most.
As a company with a firm foundation in science, we have a flair for research and a track record of turning that research into powerful, marketable drugs. Every hour we spend more than £300,000 (US$562,000) to find new medicines.
We produce medicines that treat six major disease areas: asthma, virus control, infections, mental health, diabetes and digestive conditions. In addition, we are a leader in the important area of vaccines and are developing new treatments for cancer.
"Flair for research"? I mean, come on, you've fired or driven out a lot of your senior scientists. You're bringing in inexperienced, young, fresh college-grads because you don't have to pay them as much as the guys who have been loyal to you for 25 years or more.
"Let's flaunt what we do to take care of people outside of the company when, internally, we treat our most loyal people with disrespect and out right dishonesty!"
"We care about the impact we have on people?" Well, it really doesn't seem like that.
I may sound a little bitter, but I am truly not surprised. Glaxo has proven itself to fit right on in with the corporate image of disloyalty, dishonesty, and uncaring about anything but the bottom line.
So, after 25 years of honest, loyal, and hard work, my Dad has lost his position. Honestly, he lost position in November when they "changed his job." I think they were just trying to give him false hope that he was still going to have a job, that they weren't really laying him off. He worked hard to impress these people to prove to them that he is a commodity, and they overlooked everything for a bottom line. To me, Glaxo SmithKline is no better than the scum of Enron or any corporate scandal.
I just want to let the world know, that Corporate America has blinded many people into believing that you have a secure, permanent job. They offer a future, when really, there is a cap to how much and how far you can go. Once you pass that lie, oops, I mean line, you're out of there with out even a blink of an eye.
Anyone considering working for a corporation, such as Glaxo SmithKline, has been warned.
Ultimately, what they don't teach you in school, is what our country was founded on: Free Enterprise. How do I know? The Indians weren't hiring. They weren't looking for corn shuckers! Our forefathers came over here to live free and with the ability to be in business for themselves without the oppression of the government, yet for some reason we believe that being an employee is the only way to live.
Practically all of our tax laws were written for people in business for themselves (just check out the deductions you can get). Why? Because people in business for themselves help the economy. When is the last time anyone taught you that the only way to get ahead in this country is to be in business for yourself?
We all grew up with the whole "Get a good education so that you can get a good job, so that you can make it." What's "it"? I certainly don't see college or being an employee as the key to wealth and financial security or "it". Otherwise, there would be a lot more people living free. Unfortunately, the statistics are staggering. You have a 1 in 10 chance in retiring in financial dignity. Most people are going to have to rely on a government pay out (which won't be there when I get to that age), another job (after working for 50 years), or family to just make their living expenses.
In fact, it is sad that 65 year-olds can't even really retire in financial dignity and end up going out and getting a job. Granted, there are some 65 year-olds who want to work, but why in the world would you work for $2.50 an hour greeting people with a smiley face button on your lapel in the middle of the night? Come on! If you think that they want to do that, I believe you may be mistaken or a little naive.
So, what is "it" that we are making?
Oh, and what does it take: age or income to retire?
I hope that I've opened your eyes a bit....
Sorry about the rant, but I needed it after yesterday.
Oh yeah, and who emails you news like that... LOL. We live in the same town for goodness sakes! Thanks Mom! (She was freaking out a bit, I'll give her that!)
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
My Dream Car
Last night was awesome.
I was out and about, and, at the last place I stopped, I finally saw my dream car. You see, I want a hybrid, but not just any hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h hybrid. I had yet to see one on the road. On many occasions, I thought I was seeing one and would pull up quickly behind it to check the number on the back. However, the RX 300 and RX 330 look just like the RX 400h. Thus, I was disappointed every time.
There it was, though, sitting in front of the Barnes & Noble at Crabtree, and I about had a cow! IT WAS AWESOME!!! I just wanted to touch it, it was so beautiful. It was platinum with my black interior. Oh man, was I fired up!
I was so giddy afterwards, nothing could bring me down. Plus, I was listening to "The March" by Larry Winters on the way over and he was talking about his awesome cars. This was just the icing on the cake!
I was out and about, and, at the last place I stopped, I finally saw my dream car. You see, I want a hybrid, but not just any hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h hybrid. I had yet to see one on the road. On many occasions, I thought I was seeing one and would pull up quickly behind it to check the number on the back. However, the RX 300 and RX 330 look just like the RX 400h. Thus, I was disappointed every time.
There it was, though, sitting in front of the Barnes & Noble at Crabtree, and I about had a cow! IT WAS AWESOME!!! I just wanted to touch it, it was so beautiful. It was platinum with my black interior. Oh man, was I fired up!
I was so giddy afterwards, nothing could bring me down. Plus, I was listening to "The March" by Larry Winters on the way over and he was talking about his awesome cars. This was just the icing on the cake!
Well, here are some pictures of my future car for your enjoyment:
Front View
Back View
Side View
Isn't it so pretty?
Monday, February 20, 2006
Welcome to the World!
So, I just discovered that through my SiteMeter I can see where everyone is from who looks at my page. I can figure out who is looking from a lot of the locations, but I have to say a special hello to all the anonymous people outside of the U.S. who have checked out my blog (in no particular order):
Moncalieri, Piemonte (Italy)
Dioulouffet, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (France)
Hartwood, North Lanarkshire (United Kingdom)
Trk, Burdur (Turkey)
Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Madrid, Spain
Goitiolza, Pais Vasco (Spain)
Vidigal De Baixo, Leiria (Portugal)
Eschenloh, Bayern (Germany)
India
Bogot, Cundinamarca (Colombia)
Svja, Uppsala Lan (Sweden)
Asuncin, Central (Paraguay)
Windsor Park Estate, Dakar (Singapore)
Pantai Valley, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia)
Europe (very general, but that is what came up as a location)
I feel so international!
I have hits from a ton of states too (again, in no particular order):
North Carolina (well, that was expected!)
Virginia
Utah
Rhode Island
Texas
Florida
Wisconsin
Washington
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Indiana
Georgia
Mississippi
Arizona
Illinois
Tennessee
Maryland
California
Nevada
Another interesting thing is that my blog comes up in Google searches. That is awesome. I can be googled! LOL.
I am grateful to all of you who support my blog with hits and will continue to do my best at keeping it updated!
Moncalieri, Piemonte (Italy)
Dioulouffet, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (France)
Hartwood, North Lanarkshire (United Kingdom)
Trk, Burdur (Turkey)
Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Madrid, Spain
Goitiolza, Pais Vasco (Spain)
Vidigal De Baixo, Leiria (Portugal)
Eschenloh, Bayern (Germany)
India
Bogot, Cundinamarca (Colombia)
Svja, Uppsala Lan (Sweden)
Asuncin, Central (Paraguay)
Windsor Park Estate, Dakar (Singapore)
Pantai Valley, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia)
Europe (very general, but that is what came up as a location)
I feel so international!
I have hits from a ton of states too (again, in no particular order):
North Carolina (well, that was expected!)
Virginia
Utah
Rhode Island
Texas
Florida
Wisconsin
Washington
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Indiana
Georgia
Mississippi
Arizona
Illinois
Tennessee
Maryland
California
Nevada
Another interesting thing is that my blog comes up in Google searches. That is awesome. I can be googled! LOL.
I am grateful to all of you who support my blog with hits and will continue to do my best at keeping it updated!
Most of us live our lives waiting to "get off" (from work)
I received this in an email from a wonderful lady at church:
Working with what you have NOW
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?
How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!
We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.
Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."
When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race; Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.
"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"
Live your life using every opportunity.
Working with what you have NOW
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?
How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!
We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.
Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."
When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race; Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.
"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"
Live your life using every opportunity.
The One Time...
This has totally bummed me out:
Yesterday, I hung around church for just an extra 15 minutes or so, and in that time frame, I received a phone call that I didn't know was going to occur, nor did I want to miss. You see, there really is not good reception in the sanctuary in my church, plus, my phone was on silent.
Guess who called?
Beth called me from Africa!!!
Pooey, I missed it and she tried three times!!! I'm sad that I didn't catch her phone calls, but also extremely excited that she rang me! Most of you have heard me talk about this, but I miss her a ton! It was so nice to hear her voice on my voice mail! I will save that message too. I hope that she tries back again (not in the mornings during the week, only after 1pm; not on Tuesday or Wednesday nights ;) ).
Anyways, I am extremely proud of her! I am really looking forwards to the summer not only because Jen is getting married, but because we will get to see Beth!
I am definitely grateful that God has protected her out there and given her the good experiences she has had. I always look forwards to the pictures she sends and the emails I receive.
Continue to keep her in your prayers as I will. She, technically, has one more year there after July.
Beth- Love ya hon!
Yesterday, I hung around church for just an extra 15 minutes or so, and in that time frame, I received a phone call that I didn't know was going to occur, nor did I want to miss. You see, there really is not good reception in the sanctuary in my church, plus, my phone was on silent.
Guess who called?
Beth called me from Africa!!!
Pooey, I missed it and she tried three times!!! I'm sad that I didn't catch her phone calls, but also extremely excited that she rang me! Most of you have heard me talk about this, but I miss her a ton! It was so nice to hear her voice on my voice mail! I will save that message too. I hope that she tries back again (not in the mornings during the week, only after 1pm; not on Tuesday or Wednesday nights ;) ).
Anyways, I am extremely proud of her! I am really looking forwards to the summer not only because Jen is getting married, but because we will get to see Beth!
I am definitely grateful that God has protected her out there and given her the good experiences she has had. I always look forwards to the pictures she sends and the emails I receive.
Continue to keep her in your prayers as I will. She, technically, has one more year there after July.
Beth- Love ya hon!
Friday, February 17, 2006
New BeBe Shots
What a spoiled boy...
He's so vain
Could you pass the soap?
Just hanging out!
It's hard being me. No, really, it is...
It's hard being me. No, really, it is...
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Best Positions in Bed
Here are some of my favorites:
A perfect fit!
That memory foam is not for me.
I guess that's better than sucking your paw
Hot dog!
Lazy boy.
Who said cats land on their feet?
Healthy lifestyle
What an interesting nook!
The cat's out of the bag on cat/dog relations
Too impatient for knitting?
Cat and Mouse
Too tired to eat
Frogs
FROGS
Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs.... who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants....
The race began....
Honestly, no one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as:
"Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one.... Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher....
The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up....But ONE continued higher and higher and higher....This one wouldn't give up! At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!
Then, all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it. A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.
It turned out....That the winner was DEAF!!!!
The wisdom of this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic.... because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have. Everything you hear and read will affect your actions!
Therefore: ALWAYS be....POSITIVE!
And above all: Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!
Always think: God and I can do this!
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
God is Good
Most of you know how tough it is at the beginning of the year because of weird pay checks and stuff. Well, we just went through an interesting time with our pay checks this month. Most of you also know that Rodney and I were dislocated in Greenville, NC for awhile with pretty low paying jobs. So, when this month rolled along, we only got partial paychecks from our jobs.
At first, I thought everything would be fine, but then I realized that we really weren't going to make our bills this month unless Rodney started getting paid at his new job immediately. That wasn't going to happen so I started to worry. I knew that God had taken care of us all those months in Greenville when we were barely getting along. He had provided someone to take over our lease when we broke it, so that January wasn't a struggle. My faith that he was going to take care of us this month started to fail a little. I even expressed this to my Mom. I wasn't sure where the money was going to come from. I expressed this on the first Sunday of the month.
Several of you also know that God so delightfully provided us the 2nd vehicle for free when I lost my car to a bad spark plug. Well, my broken down car had been sitting in my gracious mechanic's parking lot since it got towed there on the 27th of December. The plan all along was to donate it to a charity. I had been waiting on my Dad to give me the name of the charity he had used so that I could donate it to the same one (as it seemed easy). Thankfully, my Dad never really gave me that information until the end of January (at the time I wasn't so sure I was thankful; I was more worried about the inconvience I had been by keeping my car at my mechanic's).
Also, I desperately wanted to sell or give away the tires on my car as they were brand new, put on the day before my car died. I had had some prospects, but lost the final one the weekend I told my Mom that I wasn't sure how God was going to take care of us. We really needed about an extra $500 this month just to make the bills.
So, I called my mechanic the day before my car (the Monday after talking to my Mom) was to be towed by the charity to ask him if he had any old tires he could just throw on there so I could take my new tires and hold on to them until I could sell them. He informed me that he had had tires but had taken them to the dump the previous Friday. I lamented on how bad my timing truly was!
Here came the kicker. Kenny, my mechanic, then informed me that a good friend of his had seen my car in the lot. It needed a new engine, and Rodney and I couldn't afford to fix it nor did we think it was worth it as my car was worth less than what it would cost to fix it. This guy wanted it. He offered $500 cash for it! I was going to take a total loss on the tires and only truly get a miniscule tax write off on it, so, needless to say, I canceled on the charity and took the money. Praise the Lord, He had come through after all. I should've never doubted that He wouldn't, and afterwards felt like I had just been paddled by my daddy for that one.
The cool part is that my car will live on. The guy is going to fix it up and give it to his niece. We also made our bills for the month. I was really giddy after the news and couldn't wait to spread the joy.
Next month is going to be even more exciting as God has truly blessed us financially with jobs that can cushion our finances and start digging us out of the shallow hole we are in (thank the Lord it's only shallow!).
At first, I thought everything would be fine, but then I realized that we really weren't going to make our bills this month unless Rodney started getting paid at his new job immediately. That wasn't going to happen so I started to worry. I knew that God had taken care of us all those months in Greenville when we were barely getting along. He had provided someone to take over our lease when we broke it, so that January wasn't a struggle. My faith that he was going to take care of us this month started to fail a little. I even expressed this to my Mom. I wasn't sure where the money was going to come from. I expressed this on the first Sunday of the month.
Several of you also know that God so delightfully provided us the 2nd vehicle for free when I lost my car to a bad spark plug. Well, my broken down car had been sitting in my gracious mechanic's parking lot since it got towed there on the 27th of December. The plan all along was to donate it to a charity. I had been waiting on my Dad to give me the name of the charity he had used so that I could donate it to the same one (as it seemed easy). Thankfully, my Dad never really gave me that information until the end of January (at the time I wasn't so sure I was thankful; I was more worried about the inconvience I had been by keeping my car at my mechanic's).
Also, I desperately wanted to sell or give away the tires on my car as they were brand new, put on the day before my car died. I had had some prospects, but lost the final one the weekend I told my Mom that I wasn't sure how God was going to take care of us. We really needed about an extra $500 this month just to make the bills.
So, I called my mechanic the day before my car (the Monday after talking to my Mom) was to be towed by the charity to ask him if he had any old tires he could just throw on there so I could take my new tires and hold on to them until I could sell them. He informed me that he had had tires but had taken them to the dump the previous Friday. I lamented on how bad my timing truly was!
Here came the kicker. Kenny, my mechanic, then informed me that a good friend of his had seen my car in the lot. It needed a new engine, and Rodney and I couldn't afford to fix it nor did we think it was worth it as my car was worth less than what it would cost to fix it. This guy wanted it. He offered $500 cash for it! I was going to take a total loss on the tires and only truly get a miniscule tax write off on it, so, needless to say, I canceled on the charity and took the money. Praise the Lord, He had come through after all. I should've never doubted that He wouldn't, and afterwards felt like I had just been paddled by my daddy for that one.
The cool part is that my car will live on. The guy is going to fix it up and give it to his niece. We also made our bills for the month. I was really giddy after the news and couldn't wait to spread the joy.
Next month is going to be even more exciting as God has truly blessed us financially with jobs that can cushion our finances and start digging us out of the shallow hole we are in (thank the Lord it's only shallow!).
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
My Own Parable
Consider a snow covered road. People who go down the road without it plowed will have to go slow, if they even make it. Then there's the snow plows. They will go a little faster down the road than those who tried before a path was cleared, mainly because they are plowing their own path. Then there are the cars that follow the plow. They can go much faster than the car that tried before the plow and faster than the plow itself.
Consider this a parable about our business.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Dreams and the Pursuit of Freedom
Many people go through life without a direction, without a dream, without goals. This is sad to me. Without them, what is life? I have refined and changed my goals and dreams on many occasions. Mainly, I did that to fit in my current life views. The real objective should be to put your dreams and goals in front of you everyday so that you can head in the right direction.
If you were to come to my home, you would find dreams every where. Our refrigerator is a dream collage! We love it too because we see it every time we go past or into the kitchen. We write our dreams and goals on our mirrors. Every time I get into my car, I know what I am striving for.
One way to learn how to set your goals and what they should be is to read inspirational books. Some of my favorites include Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen, The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge, and The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. I tell you what, I have never been so much of an avid reader than since these last 6 months being in business for myself. It is one of the many things that our business team encourages us to do.
Association. This is key to pursuing your dreams and heading in the right direction. Sometimes, I have a hard time associating with people who are only negative in their mindset. They just don't realize that there is something better out there than corporate america, the news, and TV! I like to think of them as the "confused" ones. I, now, tend to hang out more often with people from our business and friends who live optimistically than I do with those without hope.
I shocked a church member the other day when she asked about my marriage. I told her it was great and it is, but I also told her that the main spats we have deals with money. She replied that we will never get rid of that problem and I so confidently responded, "Yes we will alleviate that problem! We're on the way to doing that now." When one pursues freedom, it pertains not only to time and life, but also to financial freedom. That is one of our goals. We see ourselves getting rid of debt in the next 2 years and living a life we could've only dreamed of during college. It's a done deal, and we speak that everyday.
Speaking of which, there is power in words. Have you ever noticed some of the idiomatic phrases we use and how negative they are? For example, "It scared me to death!" I don't want to die from a scare! You might think that's funny, but why don't we say, "It scared me to life!"? We tend to put ourselves and our lives down everyday just through our speech. Most of us don't even realize we are doing it. Rodney caught me on one the other day. He caught me saying, "Can't afford that, we're broke." Well, if I speak like that, of course we're broke. I now try to catch myself on that.
I was talking to Brent last night at church about my goals. I told him how I was disappointed about not being able to go on the mission trip. Yes, some of it has to do with finances, but mainly it has to do with the fact that my "spring break" doesn't coincide with it this year. I was telling him how even though I am delaying some gratification right now, that I am looking forwards to next year when I will not have a job. "NOT HAVE A JOB!?" you might say. Yeah, that's right. That wasn't a typo. You see, in the pursuit of freedom, you may not be able to enjoy everything you would like to right now or instantly, but you know that with the work you are doing right now, you will be able to do the things you want to do when you ultimately achieve your goal.
Yes, it is sometimes hard work. Dreams and goals and the pursuit of freedom are worth it though. We keep that in front of us, excite those around us (or freak them out with our mindset and personal vision), and know that God will bless us indeed.
Lastly, as you head in the right direction you will face opposition. It may come from people, health, or just life in general. The more of it, the more likely you are getting closer and closer to you goal or heading down the right path. Opposition should excite you! You know that you are doing what is right. You will face it too because the world is negative and you are heading completely opposite from the world. Isn't that what we are called to do as Christians anyway?
"For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45b
"Humble yourself, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6
If you were to come to my home, you would find dreams every where. Our refrigerator is a dream collage! We love it too because we see it every time we go past or into the kitchen. We write our dreams and goals on our mirrors. Every time I get into my car, I know what I am striving for.
One way to learn how to set your goals and what they should be is to read inspirational books. Some of my favorites include Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen, The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge, and The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. I tell you what, I have never been so much of an avid reader than since these last 6 months being in business for myself. It is one of the many things that our business team encourages us to do.
Association. This is key to pursuing your dreams and heading in the right direction. Sometimes, I have a hard time associating with people who are only negative in their mindset. They just don't realize that there is something better out there than corporate america, the news, and TV! I like to think of them as the "confused" ones. I, now, tend to hang out more often with people from our business and friends who live optimistically than I do with those without hope.
I shocked a church member the other day when she asked about my marriage. I told her it was great and it is, but I also told her that the main spats we have deals with money. She replied that we will never get rid of that problem and I so confidently responded, "Yes we will alleviate that problem! We're on the way to doing that now." When one pursues freedom, it pertains not only to time and life, but also to financial freedom. That is one of our goals. We see ourselves getting rid of debt in the next 2 years and living a life we could've only dreamed of during college. It's a done deal, and we speak that everyday.
Speaking of which, there is power in words. Have you ever noticed some of the idiomatic phrases we use and how negative they are? For example, "It scared me to death!" I don't want to die from a scare! You might think that's funny, but why don't we say, "It scared me to life!"? We tend to put ourselves and our lives down everyday just through our speech. Most of us don't even realize we are doing it. Rodney caught me on one the other day. He caught me saying, "Can't afford that, we're broke." Well, if I speak like that, of course we're broke. I now try to catch myself on that.
I was talking to Brent last night at church about my goals. I told him how I was disappointed about not being able to go on the mission trip. Yes, some of it has to do with finances, but mainly it has to do with the fact that my "spring break" doesn't coincide with it this year. I was telling him how even though I am delaying some gratification right now, that I am looking forwards to next year when I will not have a job. "NOT HAVE A JOB!?" you might say. Yeah, that's right. That wasn't a typo. You see, in the pursuit of freedom, you may not be able to enjoy everything you would like to right now or instantly, but you know that with the work you are doing right now, you will be able to do the things you want to do when you ultimately achieve your goal.
Yes, it is sometimes hard work. Dreams and goals and the pursuit of freedom are worth it though. We keep that in front of us, excite those around us (or freak them out with our mindset and personal vision), and know that God will bless us indeed.
Lastly, as you head in the right direction you will face opposition. It may come from people, health, or just life in general. The more of it, the more likely you are getting closer and closer to you goal or heading down the right path. Opposition should excite you! You know that you are doing what is right. You will face it too because the world is negative and you are heading completely opposite from the world. Isn't that what we are called to do as Christians anyway?
"For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45b
"Humble yourself, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
More Pics from Africa!
Check out these awesome pics, hot off the press:
Tibaski Kids
Spread Eagle Goats.... hmm.... yum?!
OOOooo.... Tondi looks so vicious!
As a side note: Doesn't Beth look so fabulous? She has been sick some since being down there and looks pretty good! We all miss her, too!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Weight loss and Jen's Wedding
So whoa, I need to hit the fast track to losing weight immediately. I thought I had almost a year and a half to lose the target weight that I want to lose before Jen and Ben's wedding, but they have changed the date! I am extremely excited and putting myself out there to help them out in getting this thing done. They are actually eloping on May 30, but planning on having a ceremony in June. That gives me 4 months. No more calories for me.... well, at least excessive ones at that.
Anyways, I have changed my diet already. I have been bringing relatively healthy things for lunch with me. The majority of the food I get through my business is healthy anyways, so it makes it just that much easier. Sometimes, I long for some of the junk in the cafeteria on campus, especially since I can smell it down the hall in my office. But, I know that I can't do that!
My work schedule is changing next week so that now I can actually spend sometime in the gym for which I have a key on my apartment grounds (and have not used up until this point!). That actually really excites me because I miss working out. I always had so much more energy when I did. Plus, I lost a lot of weight when I was working out.
I will try to think of it as a semester to lose weight. When I was taking jogging and conditioning the spring semester of 2003, I really was on the fast track for losing weight. The one thing I miss doing in my workout is swimming. If I had the money, I probably would join the YMCA so I could do my laps. I lost so much weight when I was doing that. I also enjoyed it very much. Beth actually got me into the whole swimming thing. She is a much better swimmer than me, and truly, I can never thank her fully for the advice and tips she gave me in teaching me how to do laps.
In the end, the goal will be for you to see "less of me" on a daily to weekly basis. If you see me cheating, just give me a friendly reminder that one of my best friends is getting married soon!
HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE!
Anyways, I have changed my diet already. I have been bringing relatively healthy things for lunch with me. The majority of the food I get through my business is healthy anyways, so it makes it just that much easier. Sometimes, I long for some of the junk in the cafeteria on campus, especially since I can smell it down the hall in my office. But, I know that I can't do that!
My work schedule is changing next week so that now I can actually spend sometime in the gym for which I have a key on my apartment grounds (and have not used up until this point!). That actually really excites me because I miss working out. I always had so much more energy when I did. Plus, I lost a lot of weight when I was working out.
I will try to think of it as a semester to lose weight. When I was taking jogging and conditioning the spring semester of 2003, I really was on the fast track for losing weight. The one thing I miss doing in my workout is swimming. If I had the money, I probably would join the YMCA so I could do my laps. I lost so much weight when I was doing that. I also enjoyed it very much. Beth actually got me into the whole swimming thing. She is a much better swimmer than me, and truly, I can never thank her fully for the advice and tips she gave me in teaching me how to do laps.
In the end, the goal will be for you to see "less of me" on a daily to weekly basis. If you see me cheating, just give me a friendly reminder that one of my best friends is getting married soon!
HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
My "New" Car
So I have back-tracked about 10 years in terms of cars. I am now driving a gray 1989 Toyota Camry with 247,000 miles on it. I can't say that I absolutely love the car, but it is a car, and it works. I have made it a little more my own by adding some of my personal items, mainly to cover up minor issues with the car. I haven't yet decided to really claim it. I'm a bit in denial about my other car being gone, but I realize that this is only temporary.
The descriptions about the idiosyncrasies of the car about to follow are not complaints, rather things that I have noticed and am now more amused by.
This Camry looks really nice on the outside. There aren't a lot of scratches on it and from the outside you can tell it has a sunroof. There is one minor dent on the outside but the color really hides it and it is in a small corner of the passenger rear door. The bumper looks a little "bumpy" but I was told this car had been in an accident quite sometime ago. It doesn't drive like it has been in an accident though.
I kindof laugh at night when I drive it though because the passenger side headlight shines the light quite a bit higher than the driver side. I call it the lopsided look! I tried to fix it and realized the whole headlight is not quite in its "socket." I'll probably get Thomas to take a look at it next time he is in town.
The windshield is cracked and in the same way that I had cracked it on my last car, by taking off the windshield wiper and letting the metal thingy slam down on it. The crack is just to one side and you really don't notice it from the outside.
Ah, now the inside. My favorite little idiosyncrasies lie there!
The outside definitely looks better than the inside, but so far I have done a fairly good job of concealing some of its funny things. First of all, on the way back from Atlanta, this one thing drove me mad. I kept staring at it! There is a gash in the middle of the top of the dashboard. It's a little unsightly but Peanut, my elephant beanie that I keep in the car from my last one, does a great job of covering that right up! He actually doesn't slide around that much up there so you would only know it was there if I really slung the car around or if you picked up Peanut.
My aunt informed me that she used to haul straw in it. While she and my uncle did a fabulous job cleaning the car, there is still some straw stuck to the roof. It actually gives the inside a little character, and you really only notice it if you look for it.
Now, the sunroof. I have never had a sunroof before and think it is so neat having one. I love to stare at the sky (not too much while I'm driving) through the glass. It is really neat when it is raining. It, however, does not open. It is broken from opening, but is still neat having it!
I have tactfully removed some things from my 99 Ford to fix a few interesting things. I took my carpets out of it from the inside of the car and from the trunk. You see, the Camry had these weird looking green carpets in its gray interior, perhaps aged gray. The Camry also had no trunk carpet. So now I have stolen those from my Ford. The Camry looks remarkably better with my carpets.
I have played with the automatic windows so much! I had manual ones in my Ford, but I am also afraid of breaking them. They are quite expensive to fix, but so much fun. I have control from the driver's side and can lock them! I also now have a button I can push to lock the doors from the inside. This was something I always wanted in my Ford, but my Ford had a remote. This one doesn't have a remote, but when I unlock the driver or passenger side with the key, all the doors unlock, so it's almost like having a remote!
The Camry has an oil leak. That means I have to check my oil weekly, and there is actually a quart of oil that is stored in a cool spot under the hood. This cracks me up that I am storing oil under the hood! But what car that is 17 years old with 200+K miles on it doesn't have an oil leak?
When I want to turn right, the right turn signal is quirky. If I don't push the lever up fast enough it squeals or buzzes at me. Hehehe, just wait until I play a mean joke on someone who doesn't know about that!!!
Anyways, I am extremely blessed to have a wonderful aunt and uncle who just gave me this car in our time of need. It has definitely made life easier, especially in Rodney and I's business. I also don't have to inconvenience so many people by asking for rides!
Thanks A-Marianne and U-Evan!
The descriptions about the idiosyncrasies of the car about to follow are not complaints, rather things that I have noticed and am now more amused by.
This Camry looks really nice on the outside. There aren't a lot of scratches on it and from the outside you can tell it has a sunroof. There is one minor dent on the outside but the color really hides it and it is in a small corner of the passenger rear door. The bumper looks a little "bumpy" but I was told this car had been in an accident quite sometime ago. It doesn't drive like it has been in an accident though.
I kindof laugh at night when I drive it though because the passenger side headlight shines the light quite a bit higher than the driver side. I call it the lopsided look! I tried to fix it and realized the whole headlight is not quite in its "socket." I'll probably get Thomas to take a look at it next time he is in town.
The windshield is cracked and in the same way that I had cracked it on my last car, by taking off the windshield wiper and letting the metal thingy slam down on it. The crack is just to one side and you really don't notice it from the outside.
Ah, now the inside. My favorite little idiosyncrasies lie there!
The outside definitely looks better than the inside, but so far I have done a fairly good job of concealing some of its funny things. First of all, on the way back from Atlanta, this one thing drove me mad. I kept staring at it! There is a gash in the middle of the top of the dashboard. It's a little unsightly but Peanut, my elephant beanie that I keep in the car from my last one, does a great job of covering that right up! He actually doesn't slide around that much up there so you would only know it was there if I really slung the car around or if you picked up Peanut.
My aunt informed me that she used to haul straw in it. While she and my uncle did a fabulous job cleaning the car, there is still some straw stuck to the roof. It actually gives the inside a little character, and you really only notice it if you look for it.
Now, the sunroof. I have never had a sunroof before and think it is so neat having one. I love to stare at the sky (not too much while I'm driving) through the glass. It is really neat when it is raining. It, however, does not open. It is broken from opening, but is still neat having it!
I have tactfully removed some things from my 99 Ford to fix a few interesting things. I took my carpets out of it from the inside of the car and from the trunk. You see, the Camry had these weird looking green carpets in its gray interior, perhaps aged gray. The Camry also had no trunk carpet. So now I have stolen those from my Ford. The Camry looks remarkably better with my carpets.
I have played with the automatic windows so much! I had manual ones in my Ford, but I am also afraid of breaking them. They are quite expensive to fix, but so much fun. I have control from the driver's side and can lock them! I also now have a button I can push to lock the doors from the inside. This was something I always wanted in my Ford, but my Ford had a remote. This one doesn't have a remote, but when I unlock the driver or passenger side with the key, all the doors unlock, so it's almost like having a remote!
The Camry has an oil leak. That means I have to check my oil weekly, and there is actually a quart of oil that is stored in a cool spot under the hood. This cracks me up that I am storing oil under the hood! But what car that is 17 years old with 200+K miles on it doesn't have an oil leak?
When I want to turn right, the right turn signal is quirky. If I don't push the lever up fast enough it squeals or buzzes at me. Hehehe, just wait until I play a mean joke on someone who doesn't know about that!!!
Anyways, I am extremely blessed to have a wonderful aunt and uncle who just gave me this car in our time of need. It has definitely made life easier, especially in Rodney and I's business. I also don't have to inconvenience so many people by asking for rides!
Thanks A-Marianne and U-Evan!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
My Car
Ah, how life can just change in an instance.
Let's start with the story of my car.
I got my car in July of 2001. I had resolved to get a car right before school ended; I needed a car. I had been borrowing my boyfriend's (now husband) car for a full semester. It was apparent that a car was needed not only to get to church and around Boone, but since my brother was about to join the Appalachian family in the fall of that year, it would be necessary to have transportation home for the two of us since it was hard in those days to find transportation for two.
My family didn't believe I'd be able to because I had to find the means of buying a car. I believed I would and even bought an ASU sticker that would be placed on it.
Well, God provided the means through a close family who mentored me and through my father who covered the portion they didn't. It was a loan, but hey, at least there was no interest.
Lo, and behold, I got my car, a 1999 Ford Escort SE, dark sparkly blue, my favorite color. I lost my job the day after, but that is another story (it wasn't because I got the car though).
I slowly repaid my mentors and drove that baby through the snow, ice, rain, and fog of Boone. It was my baby, my own car. I personalized it with stickers and accessories. I planned on even keeping through Medical School had that been my continued dream. It only had 32,000 miles on it and I got an excellent deal.
Why am I talking about my car you ask, well I am getting there.
I had grown fairly attached to my car as it was my first ever car. I took care of it very ritually only lacking in a few issues on very rare occasions. I had a check up on my car by my very trusted mechanic at least once a year.
This year's check up was this past week. It was having issues in the start-up and I was quite pleased with the fix. It seemed to be running very well after my brother installed new spark plugs, my mechanic installed new tire rods, and my Dad and I got new tires on it. My mechanic did a good overlook and we were on our merry way again.
I got my car back on Monday and we drove it to Winston Salem. No problems. On the way home, something happened. Cruising along at 3 above the speed limit in the fast lane in Durham on the way home from Winston Salem, my engine suddenly popped and I started to loose power. I merged quickly over and exited at the Southpoint Mall exit (thankfully where I am working just for the holidays). I got upset when the car stalled out at the top of the exit ramp and prayed it would start just to get it around the corner into the parking lot. It started briefly and I cruised into the parking lot, but as I got in the parking lot my engine stalled again and my brakes locked up. I pulled the emergency brake but that was no good, but finally was able to get my car to stop in a parking spot. It wouldn't start anymore after that.
Needless to say, as I am a woman, I cried. Why was this happening to us? Rodney and BeBe were in the car with me, and while I needed to be at Southpoint in an hour and half or so, they were stranded. I called my Dad and Mom, who came to pick them up while we waited on a tow truck. My Dad decided to ride with the AAA tow truck and they towed my precious one to my mechanic in Raleigh.
The diagnosis... well, let's just say Rest in Peace my darling. I was shocked to find out that one of the spark plugs exploded in my engine and a part bounced around in there and ruined my engine. It would cost more than my car is worth to get it fixed, so now we will be in the hunt. I plan on contacting the company that manufactured the spark plug to see if I can get some sort of settlement as it was defective and shouldn't have exploded and fallen apart like that.
All in all, the last few days have been stressful. This is just something you don't expect to happen and don't want to happen during the holidays or ever. I was hoping to get another good year and a half out of this car. But now we are stuck with one car, decisions to make, and more money down the drain.
We must be headed in the right direction to hit such opposition.....
Prayers would be helpful to understand why all this has happened and where to go from here.
Let's start with the story of my car.
I got my car in July of 2001. I had resolved to get a car right before school ended; I needed a car. I had been borrowing my boyfriend's (now husband) car for a full semester. It was apparent that a car was needed not only to get to church and around Boone, but since my brother was about to join the Appalachian family in the fall of that year, it would be necessary to have transportation home for the two of us since it was hard in those days to find transportation for two.
My family didn't believe I'd be able to because I had to find the means of buying a car. I believed I would and even bought an ASU sticker that would be placed on it.
Well, God provided the means through a close family who mentored me and through my father who covered the portion they didn't. It was a loan, but hey, at least there was no interest.
Lo, and behold, I got my car, a 1999 Ford Escort SE, dark sparkly blue, my favorite color. I lost my job the day after, but that is another story (it wasn't because I got the car though).
I slowly repaid my mentors and drove that baby through the snow, ice, rain, and fog of Boone. It was my baby, my own car. I personalized it with stickers and accessories. I planned on even keeping through Medical School had that been my continued dream. It only had 32,000 miles on it and I got an excellent deal.
Why am I talking about my car you ask, well I am getting there.
I had grown fairly attached to my car as it was my first ever car. I took care of it very ritually only lacking in a few issues on very rare occasions. I had a check up on my car by my very trusted mechanic at least once a year.
This year's check up was this past week. It was having issues in the start-up and I was quite pleased with the fix. It seemed to be running very well after my brother installed new spark plugs, my mechanic installed new tire rods, and my Dad and I got new tires on it. My mechanic did a good overlook and we were on our merry way again.
I got my car back on Monday and we drove it to Winston Salem. No problems. On the way home, something happened. Cruising along at 3 above the speed limit in the fast lane in Durham on the way home from Winston Salem, my engine suddenly popped and I started to loose power. I merged quickly over and exited at the Southpoint Mall exit (thankfully where I am working just for the holidays). I got upset when the car stalled out at the top of the exit ramp and prayed it would start just to get it around the corner into the parking lot. It started briefly and I cruised into the parking lot, but as I got in the parking lot my engine stalled again and my brakes locked up. I pulled the emergency brake but that was no good, but finally was able to get my car to stop in a parking spot. It wouldn't start anymore after that.
Needless to say, as I am a woman, I cried. Why was this happening to us? Rodney and BeBe were in the car with me, and while I needed to be at Southpoint in an hour and half or so, they were stranded. I called my Dad and Mom, who came to pick them up while we waited on a tow truck. My Dad decided to ride with the AAA tow truck and they towed my precious one to my mechanic in Raleigh.
The diagnosis... well, let's just say Rest in Peace my darling. I was shocked to find out that one of the spark plugs exploded in my engine and a part bounced around in there and ruined my engine. It would cost more than my car is worth to get it fixed, so now we will be in the hunt. I plan on contacting the company that manufactured the spark plug to see if I can get some sort of settlement as it was defective and shouldn't have exploded and fallen apart like that.
All in all, the last few days have been stressful. This is just something you don't expect to happen and don't want to happen during the holidays or ever. I was hoping to get another good year and a half out of this car. But now we are stuck with one car, decisions to make, and more money down the drain.
We must be headed in the right direction to hit such opposition.....
Prayers would be helpful to understand why all this has happened and where to go from here.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
what kind of pie?
| You Are Pumpkin Pie |
 You're the perfect combo of uniqueness and quality. Those who like you are looking for something (someone!) special. |
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Beth and Santa in Niger
Just had to post this picture!
I didn't know that Santa visits Niger!
I betcha that Santa liked having a hot chick on his lap!
(don't read into that comment too much)
I didn't know that Santa visits Niger!
I betcha that Santa liked having a hot chick on his lap!
(don't read into that comment too much)
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