#alsicebucketchallenge

So our day came.  Our middle daughter and I were challenged by two separate people to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  If you aren't familiar with it, go to YouTube and search ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and you can watch for days.

Working in fundraising as I have for the past 13 years, this is a tricky thing for me.  I resent gimmicks as fundraising tools.  I also think it's easy to get caught up in the emotion or excitement of the "challenge" and not understand the purpose or the mission.  And, I get the concerns of people saying this is wasting water while people around the world struggle for clean water and California is in the middle of a record drought.

Still, what if only half of the people who do the challenge donate their $10 to ALS?  What if only a quarter of the people do it?  Reports this morning are that the ALS Association has raised $79.7 million to fight ALS and research to find a cure.  That's $77.2 million more than during the same period last year.  So what if those are pledges and not actual donations and only 1/4 of them come in (which is far worse than normal pledge to donation ratios)?  That's still $19.3 million MORE than they raised during that time last year.  It also surpasses their entire revenue from FY12.  Just in the last month or so since this challenge started.  And if half of those pledges are actually donated . . . or the closer-to-average 75%.  Wow.

In addition, I spoke with three of our neighbors when we were in the process of completing our challenge.  One of them didn't know what ALS was.  Neither did my 8-, 6-, and 4-year-old daughters.  And now they do.  So if each of us who participates donates $10 and tells 4 people about ALS, then maybe this is more than just dumping a bucket of ice water on our heads.

So we did it:

And then we challenged Marianne Boykin, Nancy Bierenga, Amanda TeKrony, Beau McDowell, Addison McDowell, Ellie McDowell, Abbie Schalk, Tressa Meyer, Danielle Meyer, Sara Meyer, Josh Schalk, and Kate Schalk.

So if each of them donates $10 and tells four people about ALS, then that's another $120 and 48 people.  That's nothing to complain about.

Haven't been challenged but still want to learn more and donate?  Here's your chance! 

P.S. I really did get soaked.

Vacation: Day One

Day one of vacation:

* Laid in bed for 1/2 hour after I woke up.

* Lost my temper (before 9:00 a.m.).

* Signed Ellie up for a summer reading club.

* Dropped Ellie and two friends off at church for a field trip to Blanford Nature Center.

* Weeded my garden and picked cilantro, dill, and lettuce.  Trimmed the tomatoes and cucumbers, determined not to have unmanageable growth of greens and no tomatoes this year.  Realized I never remembered to plant spinach and wondered what happened to all of the carrot seeds Meg planted a few weeks ago.

* Neglected to notice that Addie and Kate decided to play in the puddle at the bottom of the kiddie pool . . . fully clothed.

* Discovered that I had a number of work emails (thanks a lot, "Smart" phone) so I checked them.  Discovered that we were awarded a two-year grant funding $10,000 (1/2) of the expansion of our body-safety and sexual-abuse prevention program so we can train 1,000 preK-1st graders as well as 10,000 2nd-5th graders.  Danced a jig.  Called my boss.  Called the program coordinator.  Wrote the thank you/receipt letter.  Danced another jig.

* Realized I had made it exactly 3 1/2 hours into my vacation without checking my work email.  (FAIL.)

* Made two PB&J sandwiches (Addie and Kate) and one Cheese & Pickle sandwich with mayo and ketchup (obviously Meg) and then ate half of a sweet and juicy honeyrock melon while I was cutting that for the kids' lunch.

* Put a 4 year old and two 2 year olds down for naps.  Which they took.  Still pinching myself.

* Folded four loads of laundry.

* Realized I had written some incorrect information in the thank you/receipt letter.  Called my boss.  Again.

* Broke my personal rule regarding number of children at the store and took three kids grocery shopping.  Spent less money than I feared I would.  And didn't cry like I feared I would.  (WINNING.)

* Arrived at the cottage in sweltering heat.  Found myself hoping gauchos are still in style and then wondering where I could buy some.  (Can they please still be in style?  Are they?  I've never worn anything more comfortable and only got rid of my two pair because they were maternity and don't stay up without that 3rd-trimester bump.)

* Enjoyed a golf cart ride with the girls on which we actually all got cold.  First time in weeks.  Felt amazing.

* Prayed with each of the girls and tucked them in.  Zero crying from anyone at bedtime. 

* Plans for the rest of the night: playing on Facebook, blogging, watching the Tigers, reading Real Simple and Vanity Fair, staying up way too late, sleeping on the porch under three blankets.

Hmmm . . . haven't lost my temper since 9:00 this morning.  Must be vacation.

A Reason to Celebrate

So . . . in case you haven't heard, it's my special day today.  On this day in (35-year) history, I was born.  It was 10:10 a.m. Pacific Time.  I don't know if I was early or late or right on time, but I know I was born when my dad was home from his few days on/few days off schedule on an island off the coast of California with the US Navy, and I was born at the perfect time to give my parents an anniversary steak dinner.  No, really.  The hospital where I was born gave the happy new parents a steak dinner the night before they were discharged from the hospital, and that just happened to be their anniversary.  Their fifth anniversary.  I've no doubt been an eternal gift to them. 

Let me be clear--I love my birthday.  I'm high maintenance, so I love that this is a day about me.  I love to receive gifts, and I love to have fun.  So, yeah.  I'm not going to hide it.  It's my birthday.  Give me a day to celebrate it!  :)

• I slept in this morning.  It was nice to have the girls go downstairs on their own and sit nicely without fighting--until I got downstairs, anyway.
• Red Robin seems to be the place we McDowells celebrate our birthdays.  Because that Banzai Burger is just so good.
• This morning I volunteered at field day at Ellie's school.  And I had a fantastic time playing with the parachute with all of the 1st and 2nd graders.
• Last night I "rang in my birthday" (well, within a couple of hours) with my book club at The Score listening to live music from Outer Vibe.  Thanks to Marianne for my yummy beverages and to Ashley, Stephanie, Marianne, and Courtney for the laughs and the hoarse voice I have today.
• I really like cheesecake.  Thanks to Eric for making it for our board meeting tonight.
• Hearing three little voices say, "Happy birthday, Mommy!" is one of the coolest things in the world.  Especially when one of them bursts through the bathroom door, interrupting your shower in this fashion: "Happy birthday, Mommy! I need to poop."
• For my birthday lunch I treated myself to a salad and tapioca pudding from Forest Hills Foods.  Yum.
• I took a nap today.  It was a birthday nap, because 35 is a bit old to spend two hours playing with a parachute.
• Beau gave me a quirky road trip guide and the Jericho Complete Series DVDs.  Great gifts.  Great gifts.
• I received more than 100 birthday greetings because of Facebook.  I started to respond to each of them when there were only 30.  Then I felt like I had to keep going.  That was a lot of responses.
• It was really fun to read all the "Happy Birthday" messages from family members I've known my whole life, friends I've had for 30 years, and friends I've had for less than 30 days.
• I used to think that my cousin Michael was WAY older than me.  Today I realized that he is only 40 . . . how'd he get so much cooler and smarter than me in those five years?
• I was also surprised to see that my parents aren't that much older than me.  At 25, those 25 years felt like a lot.  At 35, not so much.
• It would have been really nice if the Tigers had realized that things are meant to go my way on my special day.  A win shouldn't have been too much to ask--especially when Verlander was on the mound.
• This afternoon I was packing for our Memorial Day trip to the lake, and I heard the phone ringing downstairs.  I ran down to hear Addie and Megan shouting, "Daddy caught a deer!  Daddy caught a deer!  On his way home from work!"  Thinking he must have HIT a deer, I called frantically returned his call.  No deer.  My kids might be crazy.
• For the first time in my life I got a gift of money for my birthday, and I have no clear idea of how I'll spend it.  I'm sure I'll find a way, but there's nothing "pressing" for it.
• Next Tuesday I'm giving blood with a coworker in memory of her friend's baby who passed away at only a few days old.  I'm also giving it because it's my birthday, and I can so I should.
• I can't actually believe it's my birthday.  I still feel like it should be February.
• This may be the hottest birthday on (my) record.  The temps make it feel like it might be July 24.
• Some birthdays have been memorable for their events (a surprise birthday party instead of dinner at Logan's with Julie) and some have been memorable for their simplicity (opening a Barbie cat and travel cage at some hotel on the way to Duncan, BC, when I turned 7).  This one ranks with the simplicity, and I love it for that.
• Tomorrow I leave for my parents' cottage for a relaxing weekend at the lake.  And more celebrations. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for having me at the end of May where I always get a three- to four-day weekend to celebrate my special day.  :)
• So far I've had a birthday sundae from Red Robin, a birthday cheesecake from Eric and New City Neighbors, and birthday tapioca pudding from Forest Hills Foods.  Tomorrow I'll get some birthday ice cream from the Sandy Pines ice cream store.  Saturday I'll get some birthday peach pie from Grand Traverse Pie Company.  And Tuesday morning I'll get my butt to the gym at 5:00 a.m. to work all that off.
• My mom, my dad, and my sister all called me to sing "Happy Birthday" today.  And they each called separately and sang in varying degrees of loudness.  It was great.

So far I've been alive for 12,784 days.*  If I live an average life, I have another 15,340 days* left.  I pray that they are even half as wonderful and beautiful and magical as this first half of my life has been.  If they are, I shall be a blessed girl indeed.


*Please note: Math has never been my strong suit.  I have attempted to adjust for leap years, but I don't fully understand them and may have royally screwed that up.

Things I Think I Think #62-77

62. I continue to be amazed every time I see Twitter comments that people make to celebrities.  Is it the anonymity of it all or just the access you have that makes you feel tough enough to ridicule, degrade, and denigrate the character of a person you have never met?  For pitching a bad game, leaving one team for another team, or acting in a movie? 

63. Everywhere I look or listen, I keep hearing evidences of the two lessons God is currently teaching me: He is busy in the mundane, and integrity is central to my walk.

64. It turns out I am very impatient . . . with disrespect, ignorance, repeating myself, my circumstances.  Hmm . . . (See #63)

65. I wonder at which point a mommy's kiss isn't effective in chasing away the ache from wounds of all shapes and sizes.  For that matter, when do bandaids stop serving that purpose?  (And are bandaids coated with magic mommy kisses?  Is that why putting one on a sore finger works?)

66. "Boys of Summer" is a great song and the perfect example of a remake surpassing the original (good on you, The Ataris).  Is it just me, or is it totally about baseball?  (Kidding.  But seriously, it makes me think of baseball.)

67. Today I danced to "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson in the bathroom at Jimmy John's.  Then I wondered if it could be possible that there was a camera on me.  Then I remembered it was a bathroom and there would be worse things to catch in there than someone dancing.  Even as badly as I dance.

68. Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." makes me smile.  Every time.  And when I get to the "nodding my head, like, yeah; moving my hips, like, yeah" parts, I discover that I am doing exactly that.  It really is a party.

69. If I lived by a Major League Baseball city, I would buy season tickets.  Man, I wish I lived in a Major League Baseball city.

70. Addie is the craziest little person.  She thinks it's her job to take care of everyone in our house.  She also thinks it's her job to be the most stubborn person on earth.

71. For the first time in a long, long time, when someone asked me how I was doing, I said, "I'm great."  And I meant it.  It was shortly after the dancing in the bathroom, so maybe that was part of it.

72. I'm turning 35 in six days, and I'm okay with that.

73. I simply adore all types of potatoes except for twice baked.  Those things creep me out.

74. Watching three movies back to back at the movie theater was a true highlight for me and may be one of the best gifts I've ever received.  (Thanks, Beau and girls!)

75. There is no feeling that can beat watching your husband cross the finish line of a 25K and knowing that he achieved one of the hardest physical goals he set for himself.  It was beautiful.  I cried.

76. Okay, but I do feel like 35 is old.  So is the fact that in 12 days I will have been married for 14 years.  Apparently I'm okay with the feeling old thing.

77. Some day I will drive all the way across the country on back roads.  Preferably in a convertible.  And I will detour to every "World's largest" spot along the way. 

Random Thoughts from the Sabbath

I wanted to write something about my day yesterday, but there are several "somethings" in my mind.  At this point they don't seem too connected, so we'll call it random for now and see where we end up.

Thought #1
Dr. Branson Parler, Kuyper College professor and member at Fourth Reformed, preached about freedom yesterday.  It was an ironic message topic since Beau and I were "free" from our kids for the weekend and were enjoying that the noisy kids in the service weren't ours for a change.  As Branson preached on Galatians 5:13-6:2, he talked about how the world so often views freedom as just that--freedom from something.  The reality is that God wants to free us for something.  He frees us for Himself and He frees us for others. 

Yes, God does free us from sin, but it is so that we are free for living the lives that God created us to live.  To reclaim some part of that peace and joy and communion with Him and others.  One of the things Branson pointed out is that when you chop off your finger (because we all do that, right?), you haven't actually freed it from anything.  You have only condemned it to death.  The only way a finger can actually be a finger and do finger things is when it is attached to the body.  The same is true for us.  The only way that we can be ourselves, who we have been created to be and living out the gifts God has uniquely given to us, is when we are connected to the body.

Thought #2
Branson also quoted one of the most beautiful and gut-punching verses in the Bible.  It deserves its own thought, because it's just that good.  Galatians 5:6 "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Thought #3
I have been teaching 7th-12th grade Christian Ed at church this year.  We're covering the Heidelberg Catechism, with varying degrees of success (as defined by the leaders' manual, I suppose), enjoyment (mine and that of my 7th-12th graders), and commitment (again, mine and theirs--I won't lie about that).  It's such lovely and weighty subject matter, and unfortunately I don't think our curriculum really speaks to my students or leaves them with much to hold onto.

As I reviewed this week's lesson, I just didn't feel good about what was in my manual.  It just felt cheesy and boring.  So I decided that since my "full" group would be there (we range from 2-10 on any given week) and we had six Q&As to get through, we would break into pairs and rewrite them.  I challenged the students to read the verses that went with the answers and then rewrite the answers in a more personal way.  We did Q&A 46 together.  Then I gave each pair Q&A 47-50.  I took Q&A 51 on my own, because we had only eight students.  I knew that what they could come up with could be huge, and I hoped they knew that too.  I was asking them to read scripture, think critically about how it applied to this question and to their lives, and then share it with everyone else.

They amazed me.

They shouldn't have, because I knew they could do it.  But they did.  And I'm so proud of what they shared.  I wish I'd recorded it.

Thought #4
As I said, I took Q&A 51.  We're nearly finished with the Apostles Creed portion of the Catechism, and these six Q&As are all about the ascended Christ sitting at the right hand of God.  The questions range from how is that possible to what it might mean for us.  I didn't mean to be so convicted by the one I "randomly" received from God.  As restated by me:

Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us?
A. Christ has now been restored to full communion with God and the Holy Spirit, pouring the Holy Spirit's gifts out on us.  I, personally, have the gifts--and the personality--I have directly from the Spirit in order that I might use them to build up the body. 

Also, by sitting at the right hand of God, Christ has the full army of God ready and willing to do all that He commands.  Because He is with the father who created me and loves me, He will let nothing destroy me.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how God has gifted me and the personality that He has given me.  I have a passion to strengthen others--to build up the weak with encouragement and to challenge the strong with truth.  Could it possibly be that God has given that passion and the gifts to live out that passion?

Thought #5
This thought came today, while I was writing out my "random" thoughts.  I chuckle almost every time I use the word "random," because I don't believe for one second that God is a God of random happenstance.  I believe that God is a God of providential circumstance.  And because I've seen it often enough to know it's true, I sort of knew He would tie my random thoughts together as I wrote--at least as they apply to me. 

• The only way that we can be ourselves, who we have been created to be and living out the gifts God has uniquely given to us, is when we are connected to the body.
• "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
• I knew that what they could come up with could be huge, and I hoped they knew that too. I was asking them to read scripture, think critically about how it applied to this question and to their lives, and then share it with everyone else.
• I, personally, have the gifts--and the personality--I have directly from the Spirit in order that I might use them to build up the body.

My connection to the Body of Christ is essential, both in His figurative body and in the literal body of believers.  I will be worthless without that Body, because I have been uniquely gifted as Rebekah Marie (Bierenga) McDowell to do Beka things.  If I cut myself off, then I cut myself off to death.  And even more than that, if I cut myself off or refuse to do the Beka things that God created me to do, then I deprive the Body of what it needs to live out God's call for it.

This ended up longer than I thought it would be, so thanks for hanging with me on my rabbit trail.  I'm starting to wonder if any of it tied together for anyone but me.  Oh, well.  We always reach a conclusion; it just doesn't always resemble anything close to where we started or where we thought we'd end.  And it generally leads us to the beginning of another journey that we never expected but always sort of hoped was waiting for us.  That's where I'm standing today.  And, as my DearWriterFriend (DearPublisherFriend?) likes to say, "We are living the epilogue."  Thanks for sitting in on this page of mine.

Things I Think I Think #49-61

A "mothering" edition, because it is just so appropriate today . . . even though it would be better suited in May.

49. I don't actually need Ellie to tell me that she hates to clean.  I remember that from the last time.

50. There comes a point where the whining needs to stop.  Even if it's by me putting my fingers in my ears and shouting "La-la-la-la" in my head.

51. My kids make me laugh.  Every day.  And it catches me off guard almost every time, because I can't figure out how they are so funny.

52. My kids also make me cry.  Almost as often.

53. I check on my sleeping girls every night when I go to bed, and I kiss my finger and put it on their noses.  I've done the same thing nearly every night of their lives.

54. One of these nights I'm going to crawl in bed with Meg and sleep there until morning.  Mostly because I can't fit in Addie's crib, and I'm concerned about climbing up onto Ellie's top bunk.

55. I'm pretty sure that I love one of my girls more than the others . . . and the one changes by the minute.

56. I hope that one of my girls sings, one of my girls plays soccer, one of my girls writes, and one of my girls goes to the University of Notre Dame.  They can all be the same one.

57. It makes me tear up every time someone tells me my kids are kind and good friends to other children.

58. I really hope that my girls are good friends to each other as they grow up as well and that the four of us enjoy spending time together when they are grown.

59. The hardest thing about being a mom is having your heart walk around outside of your body in the form of a little person.  The second hardest thing is patiently saying something for the hundredth time.

60. When I look at my girls I see the negative things they have inherited from me and none of the positive things.

61. I would happily give up all of my dreams for my kids as long as they serve God and follow Him with all of their hearts.

Things I Think I Think #35-48

In lighter news:

35. I have discovered that I have a serious passion for those sounds that carry great meaning without ever uttering a word.  You know them when you hear them.  If you don't, just ask Julie Schalk.

36. There is very little that calms me down more than driving down country roads with the windows open on blue-sky spring days.

37. I love March Madness in spite of the fact that I watch almost no college basketball during the rest of the year.

38. I get totally grossed out talking about teeth issues.  I can't imagine being a dentist and putting my hands in those dirty mouths.  (Sorry, Russ!)

39. At the same time--or maybe because of that--I hope to die at an old age with all of my current teeth.

40. My subscription to Entertainment Weekly resulted in a free subscription to Us Weekly.  When it (Us Weekly)  arrives in the mail each week, I drop everything to read it cover to cover.  When there's a double issue, I get a bit sad knowing next week won't have that gem in my mailbox.

41. I LOVE tacky "B" horror films on Chiller and SyFy.  That love of poor acting and excessive drama is probably what fuels my addiction to Days of Our Lives.

42. I have a friend who often shares with me what she and another friend did when they were younger, and I giggle inside because I have also done or would happily have done most of them too.  Or maybe I'd still do them.

43. Because we moved around so much when I was growing up, I don't have a best friend--or even a consistent one--who has known me through all the different stages of my life.  It makes me want that for my kids.

44. Every time the blowing wind takes my breath away I remember standing at my bedroom window in South Dakota and feeling that for the first time.  It amazes me that a feeling can still be so vivid after 26 years.

45. When I think about "home," I first think about my husband and my girls; then I think about my pillow and my bed; then I think about South Dakota.

46. I really believe I saw the tooth fairy when I was young.  I'm just not sure how that worked now that I'm an adult. 

47. Dirt and bugs are the number one things I don't like about camping and the only things I don't like about spring.

48. If I got to eat a couple of scoops of ice cream every day for the rest of my life, I wouldn't tire of it.  Even if I only got vanilla.

Things I Think I Think #18-34

And it's time once again for everyone's my favorite random thoughts.  I bet you can't wait.

18. I'm surprisingly sad that Whitney died.  Addiction breaks my heart, and I hate that it stole a mother and daughter once again.  I also hate that it stole The Queen--that voice was such a gift.

19. "The Greatest Love of All" has always been one of my favorite songs, but I forgot how great "I Have Nothing" is. Entertainment Weekly called it the song that brought "power" into "power ballad," and I think they're right.

20. I am looking forward to watching "This Means War," even though it might not be a super film.  It's probably the baby blues of Chris Pine and Tom Hardy.  They remind me of Beau's.  :)

21. My husband is the greatest man that I know.  He cares so deeply that it hurts him, and he struggles to become the man that God has called him to be.  I love that man.

22. It should go without saying that I don't support what Chris Brown did to Rihanna.  It's terrible, awful, and inexcusable to beat a woman.  However, he completed the punishment the courts gave him and participated in treatment.  So is he really not allowed to still be a musician and a good one at that?  Isn't it possible that he continues to regret his behavior and work to be a better man?

23. It turns out that Justin Bieber might actually be talented.  I ended up watching Never Say Never over the weekend.  That boy had rhythm and could play drums like nothing else--at five years old.  And now he has song-writing credits on most of his songs, plays the guitar and the piano, and can dance.  Didn't want to be impressed by him, but apparently when he smiles, I smile.  ;)

24. I bought my first bag of Brachs jelly beans for 2012 today.  That means it's spring.

25. It's good to get away and spend a weekend with good friends and no kids.  And then it's good to come home.

26. Every woman should have a couple of best friends--who keep you up too late talking and then don't get mad when you fall asleep in the middle of their sentence, watch Justin Bieber movies with you "for work research," pray for you when you cry, share your history and love you anyway, believe in your dreams when you don't feel like you can, laugh with you like a little girl, and promise to tell you when they think you need to grow up.

27. I'm blessed to have two of those friends.  And I'm also blessed to have many others who go much deeper than mere acquaintances.

28. Sometimes I just can't make it past the first five pages of a book.

29. I love my iPhone.  Those apps are quite something, and I'm going to work hard to become the mayor of something.  Thanks for making me sit in my car just a few seconds longer at each destination, Foursquare.

30. It's exciting to have friends expecting new babies and even more exciting to know it's not me.

31. Mondays are my favorite TV nights--The Voice Adam Levine AND Hawaii Five-0 Scott Caan.  If only I got to add in some Green Bay Packers football.  Then we'd be golden.

32. I wish celebrities would take better care of themselves so that their kids don't have to say goodbye to them so early.

33. I can't help it.  I love to watch red carpet specials and awards shows.  The American Music Awards are always my favorite, but I do like the Emmy's and Oscars, too.  And the Grammy's.  Seriously, I think I watch almost all of them.

34. Sometimes I miss working full time, because I enjoy working at a desk and keeping everything organized.  And I love office supplies.

Now I'm going to go eat some jelly beans and settle in with The Voice.

Things I Think I Think #1-17

Several random thoughts on my mind today, so I thought I'd share them all.  Because I'm crazy like that.

*EDIT: part way through my list I decided to number these.  Maybe when I have too many random thoughts and nothing concrete enough to create a real post I can add on to my list.  Then, by the end of the year, maybe we'll end up with 100 random things I think.  Won't that be fun?

1. One of my favorite quotes from the Bible is when the angel of the Lord finds Gideon hiding in the threshing room and says, "Rise up, Mighty Warrior."  I've felt like that.

2. I cannot wait to start reading the next book on my list: The Meaning of Matthew, by Judy Shepard.  It's the story of Matthew Shepard.  I wish we were further along in his fight than we are.

3. There is no way I'd work out at 5:15 a.m. every morning if my friend, Leah, wasn't either picking me up or expecting me to pick her up.

4. It shouldn't be so hard for me to remember to write down a Kairos or a grateful moment every day, but I'm always behind on my list.

5. One of today's Kairos moments is happening right now: my three girls are playing me and some of my friends/family members.  I love it when the one playing Julie calls me, "Beck."

6. I don't like making dinner for my family each night.  That's probably one of the reasons I often suggest that we eat out.  Since that isn't so helpful to my budget or my waistline, I should scale back on it.  But the chicken pot pie on the menu tonight just is not calling my name.

7. I love, love, love politics, but I hate how politicky it gets.  Maybe it would be better to say I love government and hate politics.

8. So far this year I have scored a free Kindle 3G and a free iPhone 3GS (on its way to me today).  That's the mark of some pretty good friends and family.

9. It makes me smile to chat with my friends on Twitter when we could just text, email, or Facebook message.  Ah, technology.  (Welcome to Twitter, Jillian!)  If you're there, you should follow me.  Then we can chat there instead of in person, too.

10. While we're on the subject, it also makes me smile to read what celebrities write on Twitter and pretend that Adam Levine, Peter Alexander, Alison Sweeney, and Jason Segel really are talking to me.  But it makes me sad to see how desperately other people seem to wish they were talking to them.

11. When I don't start my morning out reading the Bible, I'm a bitch.  There, I said it.  'Cause it's true.

12. I would watch episodes of Hawaii Five-0 over and over again.  No matter how many times I've seen them.  The same is not true for Dora the Explorer.

13. I really should get up and finish that chicken pot pie.  And fold the laundry.  Probably not at the same time.

14. I'm hoping the pain currently shooting through my left hand is simply a result of holding it wrong while I worked out this morning and not indicative of something more serious.  Like carpal tunnel.  Unless that means I can't make dinner anymore.

15. One of my favorite things to do is add books to my Goodreads list.  I love it.  It's like window shopping.  There is so much possibility in all the books on my shelves.  Even though I'm sure I'll need the first half of eternity to read them all.

16. I would happily pay $10 to sit through 90 minutes of previews at Celebration Cinema.  (See the Goodreads list for my thoughts on possibilities.)

17. For the life of me I cannot understand why a presidential election is the only time we would consider hiring someone over 65 for a job.  Seriously.  Retire.  Don't go for a new career--especially one that's going to age you several years.  Unless you have a really great VP candidate that we maybe wouldn't elect on our own.