A Wonderful Christmas

Well, tomorrow morning I head back to Orlando. I'm sad to have to leave my family, but I'm also ready to head back to some warmer weather. I need to head to the airport around 5am. At midnight, I can print my boarding pass, so I'm trying to kill some time by updating my blog.

Once again, I had a really nice Christmas. I arrived in Detroit Metro Airport around 1am (an hour later than I was scheduled). I went to bed as soon as I got home.

When I woke up Christmas Eve morning, I was thrilled to see about 4-6 inches of crisp, clean, white snow on the ground in the backyard. It sparkled in the morning sunshine (yes, the sun was actually shining). I spent most of the day wrapping all of my Christmas gifts. Mike & Sonia arrived around 5:00. At 7, we went to church. It was a very beautiful service. After church, we went next door to Grandpa's house for the annual Cook Family Christmas. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins were there. My cousin Ryan got me a really nice red leather mini backpack style purse. I scored points with Joel by getting him something that he actually liked and wanted (a book on how to draw superheroes). Mike, the comedian of the family, was on once again with his witty remarks. One such example (you really needed to be there to get the full effect): Ryan walked into the room with a trash bag for all the wrapping paper. Mike remarked, "now all you need is an orange jumpsuit and cornrolls." Like I said, you really needed to be there.

On Christmas morning, we opened presents with my immediate family. Sam & Kristie gave me a camel colored purse and inside was a scarf and a pair of sunglasses. Mike & Sonia got me Season 7 of "Friends" DVDs. Mom & Dad got me the game "Scene It: Disney Edition." And from "Santa" (aka Mom & Dad), I got a Bose Wave Radio and a portable DVD player. Sam & Kristie got Mike & Sonia the regular edition of "Scene It." Mike is the trivia master. His brain is just a sponge for useless knowledge. It took a team of four people to bring him down. Later that day, the Schroeders (minus Heidi & her family) came over for dinner. We also continued our Christmas tradition of watching "Claymation Christmas." For those of you that don't know, it is a half-hour clay animated special that we had taped off the tv many years ago. A while back, we lost that tape and it no longer aired on tv. We went several years without watching it until a few years ago when Andy found it on VHS. Now we watch it every Christmas.

On sunday, I didn't exactly make it to church (even though I was supposed drive Grandpa). I had forgotten that there was only once service and that it was earlier than normal. Mom & Dad weren't around because Dad had a dr. appointement. When I did get up, we all met at the Cracker Barrel for brunch. Later that day, my mom & I went with Pam Schroeder to see "Spanglish." This was a very good film and I highly reccommend it. It is definitely a good mother-daughter movie.

I didn't do a whole lot on Monday. My mom & I went to to post office to ship my Bose radio (it wouldn't fit in my bags) and my birthday present (which I'm not allowed to open until my actual birthday - which is a week from today). In the evening, Mom, Dad, and I went over to Sam's place. Dad helped him hang crown molding on his kitchen cabinets while my mom and I sat in his newly finished basement and watched tv. I also picked up some champagne for my New Year's Eve party this weekend. When Sam & Dad finished, we went to Applebee's for dinner. I chipped in with a gift card that I had received (last Christmas).

Today, the Kushnirs came up for a visit. I made some tacos for lunch (it's one of the few things that I know how to make). It was so nice to see them especially since nowadays, I only see them once, maybe twice, a year. My half brothers and sister have grown so much. Paul is getting married! Michelle is driving! Christopher has just grown like a tree and I barely recognized him! This means that I'm getting older, too. I'm going to be 26 years old in a week. I can hardly believe it. After the Kushnirs left, we went to Dundee, to watch Ryan play basketball. It was so much fun (even though they lost). I hadn't seen Ryan play since grade school. He had 16 assists. After the game, we all went to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. Since I had tacos for lunch, I wasn't really in the mood for Mexican food again, but I had a really good bowl of chili con carne (that's "chili with meat"). It had the perfect amount of spiciness with lots of cheese.

Now we are to the present. I still have 20 minutes until midnight. I'm just going to have to surf the web until I can check in for my flight.

A Prayer For Sam & Krisite

Our family received some rather sad news yesterday. Sam & Kristie went to the doctor for a routine ultrasound, only to find out that they lost the baby. Please pray for them as they recover from their loss. I can only imagine what they must be going through. I love them ever so dearly and I want them to believe and understand that somehow, this is all part of God's Plan. Even though it is hard to see what that plan is at the moment or ever. But I believe that everything happens for a reason, good and bad, happy and sad. Sam, Kristie, I love you and will continue to keep you in my prayers.

BTW, I made it home safe and sound. I was about an hour late because we were waiting on a flight attendant to come in on another flight. But I made it. I'm happy to be home and to have a nice Christmas with my family.

P.S. The snow is so pretty!!!!

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

It looks lilke my dreams are going to come true! The forcast is calling for 6-10 inches of snow for southeast Michigan. Woohoo! I love snow (I just hate cold). I just hope that this winter storm won't mess up my travel plans tomorrow (like at Thanksgiving). I finished up all my Christmas shopping last night. I just have to pack everything up tonight then I'll be ready to leave tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow should be an easy day at work. First of all, I'm taking a half day. At noon, we have our monthly State of the Company meeting. Also, I will be having my annual review in the morning (I was supposed to have it today, but it was postponed). I'm not really looking forward to my review. Not because it will be bad (everyone loves me here), but because I just don't like them. The only reason that I look forward to my reviews is because they tell me how much more money I'll be making! I'm not expecting a big raise or anything, but every little bit is nice.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!!!!!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Yes, Christmas is just around the corner. I have a short week this week (3-1/2 days). Then it's home I go for Christmas. I had another good weekend. Friday I went to Happy Hour with some coworkers for my boss' birthday. It was fun and very interesting. You know, there are some things you'd rather just not know about your coworkers. Saturday I actually got up early and went to a yoga class. I made a deal with one of my friends that I would go to her yoga class if she came with me to my dance class tonight. Sat. night I went with some more friends (Kristin, Jen, and Jeff) to the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT. Kristin, who works at Disney, got us in. The Candlelight Processional is a show where a celebrity (Sat. was Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman) reads the Christmas story and there is a 50 member choir made up of Disney employees and various high school choirs from around the country. It was really neat. The choirs sounded great. I sang along during the Hallelujah Chorus. Sunday I had to sing in late service. I went to see a movie (National Treasure) later in the day.

I can't wait to come home on Thursday. I hope that the weather won't be a problem like at Thanksgiving.

Baby It's Cold Outside

BBRRR!!! It has turned cold here in Florida. It's 55 degrees right now. This morning, it was in the mid 30s. I guess compared to what it's like back up north, I shouldn't complain. It is December after all, but I'm not used to it anymore. This is Florida for goodness sake. It's supposed to be warm and sunny (well it is sunny).

Dance, Baby, Dance

Last night, I took my first dance class in like 20 years. It was a hip hop/urban dance class. It was fun, but quite a work out. I haven't exercised that hard in quite a while (but I needed it). It was a half hour of warm up and stretching (btw, I hate situps and leg lifts) followed by a half hour of coreographed dancing. Many of the steps were quite complex, and everything is so fast paced. But I think I did pretty good for my first class and not knowing ANY of the steps. There were about a dozen girls in the class. I could tell that many of them had been practicing for weeks. I wasn't perfect, but I just kept dancing. Atleast the teacher didn't pick on me. She picked on this one girl because when she messed up, she just stopped dancing. If I missed a step or two or three or four, I just kept going and picked up the next ones. I'm looking forward to going again next week.

It's Monday...Again

Wasn't it just monday like a week ago?! Oh, yeah, I guess it was. I guess I could say that it was a pretty good weekend. I spent all day Saturday with my friend Bryan. We went to see "Ocean's 12." It was good, but not as good as the original (sequals rarely are - except for a few). But I liked it. They seemed to hint towards a 3rd film. After the movie, we walked around Downtown Disney (which is where we saw the movie). Then we went back to his house and watched more movies (one on DVD and the end of 3 other movies on tv). Sunday, I went to church in the morning and then did some much needed Christmas shopping. I didn't get it all done, but I made a good size dent in my list.

Sunday was also cousin Ryan's 18th birthday! I can't believe he's 18 and a high school senior! That means I'm getting old (26 in less than a month). But the biggest news of all (sorry Ryan) is that I am going to be an aunt! Congratulations Sam & Kristie!!!!!!

What A Week

What a week and it's not even over yet. The biggest issue revolves around Mike & Sonia's wedding. On monday I ordered my bridesmaid's dress. I had no problems with the ordering process and got a great deal on the dress. Wednesday, I come to find out that some of the other bridesmaids had trouble ordering their dresses. The dress has been discontinued. Therefore, we are giong to be getting a different dress. The problem is that since my order already went through to the manufacturer, I can't cancel the order. So now I have to buy 2 dresses. I am really not happy about this. Amy King also already ordered her dress, but she is able to get credit at the store she bought it from. So now I don't know what I'm going to do. Why couldn't I have just waited until this weekend like I had originally planned? No, I had to be impatient and go after work on Monday. Now I've bought a $150 dress that I will probably never wear and who know how much the new dress will cost. Sonia's picking out a new dress this weekend.

OK, enough venting. In other news:

Tuesday I had a nice lunch with Becky. She's helping me plan my New Year's Eve party. Tuesday afternoon, our whole team went on a site visit. I love site visits. It's so nice to get out of the office (especially when the weather is absolutely perfect). I wish I would have known that we were going. I was a little overdressed by wearing a skirt. But I could definitely say that I was the best dressed person there! It was a good visit. They let me make an executive decision (and it's not even MY project). I had to choose a grout color for the masonry facade. I hope it will turn out OK. I'm sure it will. Out of the choices I was given, it looked the best. Last night was the kid's Christmas program at church as well as choir rehearsal. Tonight I'm playing wallyball with the same people with whom I play sand volleyball. We may be doing this as an alternative to playing volleyball on the weekends. I'd rather play during the week and keep my weekends free. It's too dark to play volleyball during the week (until April). Oh, for those of you who don't know what wallyball is, it is playing volleyball in a raquetball court (and you can play the ball off the walls). It should be fun.

I've got to do some major Christmas shopping this weekend. I just don't know what to get anyone.

Another Monday

Yes, it's monday again. I actually have to work a full week this week. I had a good weekend. Saturday night was our company's Christmas Party. It was pretty good. It was held at the Orlando Science Center. It was more of a family oriented party with face painters, baloon artists, and Santa, but I still had fun. On Sunday, I was supposed to sing in early service. I didn't quite make it. My alarm went off at 6:30 and I was going to sleep for an extra half-hour. When I woke up again, it was 9:10. Oops. I went to late service instead. Afterwards, I went to brunch with Becky & Jon. It was a lot of fun. I wouldn't have gone had I went to early service. I spent the rest of the day making my Christmas cards. I got them all finished, I had painstakingly fit them into the envelopes, sealed the envelopes (with just a sticker), then realized that I didn't sign the cards. So I had to open them up, take them out (some were a pretty tight fit in the envelope), sign them, put them back in the envelope, then seal them again. That's one more thing I can check off my list.

An Update Long Overdue

Ok, Ok. I hear you. So you want an update, huh? A.) I've been sick, and B.) I've been busy catching up on work that I missed during vacation (and being sick). Ok, here it goes:

Wed., Nov. 24
I arrived at the airport around 2:00 pm for my 4:20 pm flight. I wanted to get there early for fear that security would be busy. There was absolutely no line at security. I came to the conclusion that there were more tourists coming in than residents going out. Anywho, now the real travel adventure begins. First my plane arrived about a half-hour late. When it arrived, people got off, people got on, we left the gate and sat on the tarmack for about 45 minutes because Chicago Midway wouldn't let us take off due to the bad weather up there. No problem. I had a long layover anyways, so I didn't have to worry about missing a connection. Finally, we're able to take off. The skies were a little rough over Georgia due to some thunderstorms. The flight smoothed out, until it was time to land in Chicago. I looked out of the window at the heavily falling snow. The landing was really rough. Due to the high winds, the plane kept moving side to side, and up and down, skidded along the runway. It was one of the very few times I actually feared for my life on a plane. I arrived in Chicago around 7:30. My plane was originally scheduled to leave around 10:00pm, but when I checked the monitor's, it had been delayed 'til 11:00 (no real surprise there). The airport was packed with delayed holiday travelers, but the crowd gradually thinned as the hours passed. My flight was one of the last to leave. We took off around 11:30 for a quick up then down and touched down around 1:30 am (1 hour time difference). By the time we taxied to the gate, walked through the terminal, and finally got home, it was after 2:00 am (only 2 hours later than when I was supposed to get there).

Thurs., Nov. 25 - Turkey Day
"Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good, and His Mercy endureth forever."
I started off my thanksgiving day by sleeping in. Sam & Krisite and Grandpa came over for lunch. Mom deep fried a turkey. After lunch it was nap time/Lion's game/other tv watching (as we didn't enjoy watching the Lions losing). Then it was over to Uncle Ron & Aunt Diane's for dinner. Dinner was delicious. There was so much food. Mike & Sonia joined us in time for dessert. Later we went to the movies to see, "Christmas With the Kranks." It was alright. Not my favorite movie by far, but not too bad either.

Fri., Nov. 26
Slept in (I love vacation)! Mom, Sonia, Kristie, her sister Becky, and I went to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. We ate lunch at the Michigan Cafe and walked around for a while. For dinner, Mom & Dad, Mike & Sonia, and I went to La Fiesta. After dinner, we drove the few extra miles to Toledo to do a little shopping (although I don't think anyone bought anything).

Sat., Nov. 27
Sonia & I got our hair highlighted and cut at Marshall Field's in Southland Mall. Later we all drove accross the Ambassedor Bridge to Canada for dinner. Here was another small adventure. First, we had a little trouble getting accross the border. None of us had our birth certificates or passports (we didn't know we needed them). Then they asked for voter registration cards. Only Mike, Sonia, and I had them (thanks to it being an election year). The lady said there was no way that we could go to dinner if we all didn't have one of the 3 pieces of identification (but she let us go anyways). We planned on going to the Little Italy section of Windsor for dinner. Once we actually found it, nothing was open (this was to be an early dinner). Therefore we decided to go to this Irish pub that my parents had been to on the waterfront. It was very good food. We decided to take the tunnel back to Detroit and the United States. We didn't have trouble getting back in our home country, but the Homeland Security guy did ask about Sonia's birthplace. She answered correctly. We took a stroll through the streets of Detroit. Mom wanted to see the Christmas tree and ice skating rink in the new Campus Martius part of town. Someone had said that the rink was to be bigger than the one at Rockefeller Center in NYC (not the case - not even close).

Sun., Nov. 28
Went to church at St. John's. After church, Sam & Kristie came over for lunch (sloppy joe's). Mike and Sonia left for the airport around 2:00. Later that evening, Mom, Dad, and I went to good ol' MONroe. Went to Frenchtown Mall and to the movies. We saw "The Incredibles." Yes, this was the second time that I saw it, but I love that movie. I think it was better the second time. My parents were just, "it was good." After the movie, we stopped at Ron & Diane's because mom had left her glasses there on Thanksgiving.

Mon., Nov. 29
Left for the airport at 5:30 am. My flight was quite uneventful (just the way I like it). Everything was on time. I arrived back in Orlando around noon. I spent the afternoon (since I had the whole day off work) getting out all my Christmas decorations. I was doing fine until about 7:00 that night. All of a sudden I got really tired (I thought it was just because I had been up so early). Then I got sick to my stomach. I was throwing up all night (until about 2 am). I thought it might have been food poisoning (I had some Chinese food for lunch). My stomach eventually settled down (and there was nothing left to come up).

Tue., Nov. 30
I debated whether or not to go into work this day. I was feeling really weak. I had no energy. Everytime I stood up, I started to feel dizzy. But I had already taken off work for vacation and knew that I would have a lot of work to do. I eventually decided to go in, but after being there for only a couple hours (and I wasn't getting any work done) I thought it best to just go home. When I got home, I crashed in my bed. I took my temperature and had a fever of 102! You don't get a fever with food poisoning so it must have been some sort of bug. Later in the evening I started to feel a bit better. My fever went down and I was able to get out of bed and walk around a bit. I called my mom. Before I could even get out a hello, she asked if I was sick. I thought she must had been psychic. Apparently I wasn't the only one who had been sick. Mom & Mike were also sick.

Wed., Dec. 1
I went in to work, not 100%, but better than Tuesday. I was actually able to get some work done. Wednesday night included an Advent service and choir practice.

Now it is finally the weekend. Yay! I'm definitely taking it easy this weekend as I am still recovering.

Oh, one other highlight of the week is that I received a bonus check for about $160!

I'm Coming Home

Well, in just a few hours I get to head to the airport then make my way towards home. My flight leaves at 4:20 and arrives in Chicago at 6:0o. Then, I don't leave Chicago until 9:50. I should arrive in Detroit just before midnight. I just hope that my flight(s) won't be cancelled due to the incliment weather (SNOW) headed towards Chicago and southern Michigan.

Last night was fun. Instead of an actual bible study, we all met downtown at the Eola Wine Co. for a glass (or more) of wine. Yes, I actually drank a full glass of wine. It was actually pretty good. I just asked for the sweetest wine on the menu. I forget what is was called, though. It was something like Schloss Vollrads. It was a German white wine. I just had my one glass (and at $7 a glass, that was more than enough). Everyone else had atleast two glasses.

What I Did This Weekend

Yes folks, it's time once again for your weekly dose of "What I Did This Weekend." It's the part of the blog where I tell you what I did over the weekend. OK, let's get started.

Situation #1: I just got paid. It's Friday night. What did I do?
Ding! Ding! Ding! That's correct! Absolutely Nothing! I spent the evening crashed on the couch watching tv.

Let's try another one.

Situation #2: It's Saturday morning. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping. What did I do?
Ding! Ding! Ding! Correct again! Of course I slept in. It doesn't matter what the weather is like. It's my favorite part of the weekend.

You're on a roll. Here's another one.

Situation #3: It's Saturday night and I ain't got nobody. I got some money 'cuz I just got paid. What did I do?
BUZZ! Oh, I'm sorry. No, I did not do the exact same thing as Friday. I actually got together with some of my girlfriends from Bible Study and we went to a MercyMe concert. It was an awesome concert and a great bonding time.

You're not doing too bad. Let's keep going.

Situation #4: It's Sunday morning. I was out late saturday night at a concert. What did I do?
Beep! Beep! Beep! Time's up. That was a bit of a trick question, but I did make it to church in the morning. RIIING! Oh, there's a bonus question with this one. Which service did I go to?
Any guesses? That was a bit of a trick question, too. Believe it or not, I actually got up for the 8:00am service. I had to sing during that service.

Let's keep going.

Situation #5: It's 10:00 sunday morning. Time for my weekly volleyball game with work friends. What did I do?
Ding! Ding! Ding! Yes, I went even though I was really tired and worn out from Saturday night. I love to play volleyball and I didn't want to let my friends down (if I didn't show, we may not of had enough people to play).

OK, last one.

Situation #6: I finished volleyball and grabbed some lunch with a friend. What did I do?
Ding! Ding! Ding! Correct again! I crashed for the entire rest of the day.

Congratulations! You win! You know me all too well.

Thank you for playing this week's edition of "What I Did This Weekend" (exit music)

Birthday Wishes

I just wanted to wish Joel a Happy 7th Birthday today! I love ya! I can't believe you're 7 already! You're growing up way too fast.

A Good Time Had By All

I had such a great weekend. My mom and Pam came for a visit. They arrived Friday evening. That evening we played a game of Scrabble. I won! I actually beat Pam who is the Scrabble Master. My highest scoring word(s) was MANY with the M on a Double Word Score and completing HI to make HIM. I scored 42 points!

Saturday was a fun filled day. We started off the day by going to the Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens. Then we went to Winter Park for lunch and shopping along Park Avenue. Next it was back to my place for an afternoon nap. For dinner we went to Houston's Steakhouse. For the evening's entertainment, we went to see a concert by the Orlando Philhamonic Orchestra. Half of the concert was good. There was a guest percussionist, but I didn't care for any of the pieces which she played. She was very talented, though. My favorite piece was "Overture to 'Russian Easter,' op. 36 (Grand Paque Russe)" by Nicoli Rimsky-Korsakov.

Sunday, we went to early service then had to high-tail it to the airport for their 11am flight. After I dropped them off, I played volleyball with some friends and then went to see "The Polar Express" with my friend Bryan. It was pretty good, but not as good as the book. Of course the story had to be added to or else it would be a very short movie. The animation, though, looked just like the illustrations in the book.

It's A Small World After All

OK, I was going to write this tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait. I was talking to my friend Kristin before bible study tonight and came to find out that we were this close to going to high school together. I was talking with her about where she was from (there are very few "native" Floridians). She said that she grew up in Wisconsin, then moved to Wyoming for a while, and then to Michigan before her family moved to Florida when she was in 6th grade. I intererupted her when she mentioned Michigan to ask where she lived. She said, "a suburb of Detroit." I said, "which one?" She said, "Westland." Then I mentioned that I went to the Lutheran high school there. She said, "the one where you can where every color jeans, except blue?" Yep, that one: Lutheran High School Westland. Had her family stayed in Michigan just 5 more years, we would have gone to school together. She's two years ahead of me, so she would have been a Junior when I was a Freshman. I just thought that was really cool and had to share it. It really is "a small world after all."

Oh, What A Ball

Saturday I got to be like Cinderella and go to a ball, the Oxygen Ball that is. Ok, so it wasn't so much as a "ball" but more of an auction. And also I was there as volunteer help rather than a guest (that allowed me not to have to pay the $100 ticket price). But I still got to get all dressed up, which is always fun. My friend Becky H. (I have to start distinguishing between all my "Becky" friends) works for the American Lung Association (the sponsor of the ball) and drafted me along with the rest of our young adult bible study to help out at the event. It was held at Kennedy Space Center. My duties involved security during the silent auction to make sure no one stole anything or "hovered" too long, during the live auction part, I showed off a baseball signed by Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz, American League MVP, and of course, clean up duty. It was also a great opportunity to get to know my fellow bible study members a bit more. I'm sort of a "newbie" in the group as most of them have known each other since grade school. I've only known them for about 2 months.

Sunday, after church, I went bowling with some of my coworkers. It was fun and considering that I hadn't bowled in atleast 2 years, I didn't do too bad. The first game I bowled a 119 which included two strikes in a row. The second game, though, was a lousy 74. Oh well. After bowling, I went to see "The Incredibles", the latest Disney/Pixar collaboration. It was really good (but not quite as good as "Finding Nemo." I love that movie!) The story was still good and the animation was amazing. The things they can do with a computer. Wow!

That was it for this past weekend. Now I can't wait for this coming weekend! It's not just because I love weekends. This is a very special weekend. My mom (and Pam Schroeder) are coming for a visit!!!! Yay!!!! I love having visitors. Can't get enough (hint, hint). That's it for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Happy Election Day

Today is the day that we as Americans have the right and privilage to choose our district's, city's, county's, and untimately our country's leaders. Do not neglect this right and get out there and put in your two cents. Remember to take God into the voting booth with you. Pray for guidance to make the right decision and also pray that whoever does win the elections, that he or she will be the best leader that they can be. I do have to say that I will be glad when this election is over. I'm tired of hearing all the smear campaigns. It would be nice to hear the strengths of the candidate rather than the faults of the other. I hope that we won't have a repeat of 4 years ago. Especially now that I am IN Florida.

OK, that's it for this PSA. Now to other news. I had an Election Day present on my desk this morning: a brand new computer! Woohoo! I'm FINALLY running XP. My hard drive is TRIPLE what it was. It is much faster, too. Yay! It's about stinkin' time.

Happy Halloween

OK, so I'm a little early, but yesterday we celebrated Halloween at work by holding a costume contest. Again, I was denied of winning any of the categories, but I still had fun dressing up. Here is a picture of some of my coworkers and myself. From L to R - Dara, Toni, Liliana, Me.

CANstruction Pictures

Here are some pictures from CANstruction:


Does it look like a helmet, yet?

The Completed Sculpture

The CANstruction Crew

Employee Mugshot

Whirlwind Weekend

I traveled back home to Michigan this weekend for my cousin Laurie Simmick's (now Hewitt) wedding reception. The actual wedding was last month in Australia (that is where her husband is from). It was nice to see a lot of family that I hadn't seen in a LONG time. I called this a Whirlwind Weekend because of all that was accomplished in 48 hours:

Friday -
7:00 pm-9:30 pm - Flight to DTW. I was planning on sleeping on the way up because I was so exhausted from the week, but I spent most of the flight talking to the passenger sitting next to me. It was alright, because it still made the flight go by faster.
10:00 pm - Went to Sam & Kristie's house. Saw Sam's new wine cellar. Very nice. Can't wait to see the completed basement.
Saturday -
5:00 pm-9:00 pm - Wedding reception. The reception began with a DVD pesentation of the wedding ceremony in Australia. The pre-dinner festivities included a speech by the bride, four toasts by various people, and a very nice blessing given by my mom. Now to dinner. So much food! There was an appetizer buffet complete with warm and cold hor d'ouveres. Next was a four-course meal of cream of broccoli soup, followed by salad, followed by the main course of beef, chicken, AND lobster with potatoes and broccoli, wrapped up by vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup. All this and there was an enormous dessert buffet with atleast a dozen cakes, pies, cheesecakes, and other pastries, PLUS a four tier wedding cake. All in all, it was a very nice reception.
Sunday -
6:00 am - Time to head to the airport for my 7:15 am flight. I fell asleep almost instantly as I got on the plane. I don't even remeber taking off. I dozed in an out throughout the flight and before I knew it, we were getting ready to land.
9:30 am - We arrived at MCO a little early. I even had time to go home and change before heading to church for the 11:00 service. After church, I headed back to my apartment and crashed for the rest of the afternoon.
6:00 pm - Went to the mall to deCANstruct our sculpture. What took 6 hours to build, took less than an hour to tear down and box up.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. It was not uneventful to say the least :)

CANstruction 2004

Well, we completed our CANstruction project. We had a football theme with an oversized football helmet sitting on a field with stands in the backdrop (all out of cans). It was a long day. It took us the entire 6 hours to build it. We were the last team to finish. I don't know how all the other teams finished so fast. Last night was the awards ceremony. I couldn't make it, but here is a recap of the awards we won. We won two awards. The first, Best Meal, qualifies us for the national competition. No, we don't get to go and rebuild it. They just send in a picture. Our second award was Best Use of Albertson's Products. They are one of the sponsor's of the event. Practically all of our cans were Albertson's cans.

Prayer Request: Please pray for one of my best friends, Trisha. I recieved word the other day that she had to have immediate surgery to remove a large ovarian cyst. She is overseas in the mission field. Last I heard, the surgery went well and she is recovering. Please pray that the recovery continues to go well. Thank you.

Night Before Frances

The following is a poem that a fellow coworker forwarded to me:

'Twas the night before Frances
When all through the state
Not a gas pump was pumping
Not a store open late

All the plywood was hung
On the windows with care
Knowing that a hurricane
Soon would be there

The children were ready
With flashlights in hand
While bands from the hurricane
Covered over the land

And mamma with her Mag-Lite
And I in my cap
Had just filled the bath tub
For flushing our crap

When out on the lawn
There arose such a clatter
I sprang from the closet
To see what was the matter

The trees on the fence
And the neighbor's roof torn
Gave the fear of us dying
In this terrible storm

With a little wind gust
So lively and quick
I remembered quite clearly
Our walls weren't brick

More rapid than eagles
Her courses they came
And she whistled, and wafted
And surged all the same

Off shingles! Off sidings!
Off rooftops! Off power!
Down trees! Down fences!
Down trailers! Down towers!

In the center of Florida
She continued to maul
Screaming Blow Away!
Blow Away! Blow Away All!

As wind ripped and tossed
The debris through the sky
I peeked out the shutters
At cars floating by

So go to the safe-room
My family did do
With a portable radio
And batteries too

And then, in a twinkling
I heard on the set
The end was not coming
For a few hours yet!

As I calmed down the kids
And was turning around
Through the window it came
With a huge crashing sound

A tree branch it was
All covered in soot
The wind blew it smack-dab
On top of my foot

A bundle of twigs
Now lay in a stack
And my living room looks
Like it was under attack

The wind - how it howled!
The storm - very scary!
Myself and the family
Were all too unwary

The dangers of hurricanes
Are serious, you know
They are taken for granted
As Frances did show

With the winds dying down
And the danger beneath
I noticed my tool shed
Was missing its sheath

So I grabbed my last tarp
And nailed it on down
Then I got in my car
And I headed to town

The traffic was awful
And stores had no ice
My five gallon cooler
Would have to suffice

Generators were scarce
Not one left in town
There were trees on the roads
And power lines down

FEMA was ready
With people to work
Electrical companies
Came in from New York

And in the midst of
This peculiar routine
Another storm emerged
Named Hurricane Jeanne

I sprang to the car
And gave my family a whistle
Then away we all went
Like a Tomahawk missile

You could hear us exclaim
As we drove out of sight
"The hell with this place,
Vermont seems just right!"

In other news:
I had a pretty good weekend. Friday, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. I cut out from work a little early (I made up for it) and Dara and I went rollerblading. Saturday I came in to work on our CANstruction project. It's really starting to take shape. Sunday (after singing in late service) I had to sing at a Lutheran Reformation Heritage Service. It was held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church (also downtown) or as I affectionately like to call it: The Sanctuary in the Sky. It is located on the 18th floor of the Lutheran Towers retirement home. The view is quite nice from up there. Because Florida is so flat, you can see for miles and miles. Tonight is more CANstruction stuff and tomorrow is the actual build.

Hooray For Fridays

It's 3:00 on Friday afternoon. That means only 2 more hours to go until the weekend officially begins! I'm going to have to come into the office this weekend. But the good news is that it's not because I have "work" to do. I have CANstruction stuff to do. "What is CANstruction?" do you ask? It is a community service project where various groups (mostly architecture, engineering, and construction firms) build structures completely out of cans and other non perishable food items. The food is then donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank. There are various awards and the winning structures compete in the national competition. This year, C&P is doing a football theme with the title, "Tackling Hunger: Level the Playing Field." It's a lot of fun and I get community service credit for my IDP. The official Build Day is Tuesday, but we are coming in this weekend to do a mock-up practice build.

I Love Weekends!

I just love weekends. I wish they could last longer. It was so nice to do absolutely nothing this weekend. The weather was perfect, so I spent a lot of time at the pool soaking up the sun while listening to music and reading a book. For a while, I was the only person there so it was quiet and peaceful. Today is overcast and rainy as the remnants of T.S. Matthew rolls through. The official "cool" season doesn't begin until Oct. 19, but we're already beginning to feel some cooler and much more pleasant weather.

Busy, Busy, Busy

This has been pretty full week. My Tuesdays and Wednesdays are completely filled with events. On tuesdays, I work until 5:30. I play sand volleyball with several coworkers from 6 to 7:30. Then, I have Young Adults 7:30 to 9 or 9:30. If I go out afterwards, I don't get home until after 10. Wednesdays are just as full. I work until 5:15, then I head over to church for The Way. It is a new worship/bible study event that Pastor Jon just started up this week. There is a dinner from 5:30 to 6, praise/worship time from 6 to 7, and then bible study opportunities from 7 to 8. I went to the study about missions and mission trips lead by my friend Sarah's husband Bruce. So far it is really good, but I have to leave half way through because I have choir rehearsal from 7:30 to 8:30. We started rehearsing Christmas music last night. I am so ready for the weekend. The weather down here is getting really nice. Temps have cooled to the mid 80s and the humidity has dropped significantly. It is now actually bearable to spend time outside. I am just going to take it easy this weekend. I'll probably just relax by the pool and maybe go see a movie. I'm still recovering from being sick.

Good Company Is The Very Sinew Of Virtue

I love to have company. This past weekend, Sonia and her friend Lisa came to visit. We had a lot of fun. We spent the weekend at Disney World. Saturday, we went to MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Sunday, we finished up Magic Kingdom and ended the day at Epcot. I basically crashed as soon as I got home from taking them to the airport on Sunday. The International Food & Wine Festival was taking place at Epcot. It runs until Nov. 14, so I will have to go again before then.

Home Sweet Home

I finally returned to Florida yesterday. It was quite a trip. I left the house around 5:30 am to head to the airport. My flight to NY left around 7:00 am. I got into New York around 8:30, had a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, and found a nice quiet place to sit and rest until my next flight at 11:00 am. I finally got into Orlando just before 2:00 pm. I got home around 3:00 and crashed on the couch (I wasn't feeling that well either) until bible study at 7:30.

I surveyed my apartment and everything seems fine. My clocks were all messed up which means that the power must have gone out at some time, but I don't know when or for how long. Everything was working by the time I got back, though.

Now it is back to work. It's not easy coming back after missing 3 days. I completely forgot where I left off and what I was working on. I'm just now starting to get back in the swing of things.

I enjoyed my extra time off. I was able to spend some quality time with my family. Now I get to look forward to Sonia's visit this weekend :)

An Extended Vacation

I made it home safe and sound friday afternoon. No problems. I got in around 2:30 and the wedding was at 4:30. I had just enough time to sit and relax for a moment and then get ready. The wedding was really nice. The ceremony was a bit entertaining. The priest (who had to be pushing 90) kept on messing up the bride's last name. He kept calling her Johnson instead of Jackson. Needless to say, it made what would have been a long, dull service, very interesting. The reception was nice as well. We partied until 11:30 (which is late for my parents - especially my dad). The good thing about Friday weddings (especially when your coming in from out of town) is that you have to take a day off of work and then you have the whole weekend to recover and relax. After we came home and everyone else went to bed, my mom and I stayed up until almost 2am talking. It's been a really long time since we've had one of these heart-to-heart, mother/daughter chats.

Saturday, Mom, Sonia, and I went to Greenfield Village while the men went golfing. We had a very interesting lunch at the Eagle Tavern. For those of you who have never been there, if you have less than 8 people in your party, you have to fill up a table with people you don't know. There were two other groups sitting at the table when we got there. On one side was a lady with her two young grandsons. On the other side, was this other lady and her friend. She was something else. We overheard her talk about her trip across Europe. Somewhere through the conversation, Michigan State came up. My mom chimed in with an, "Oh, I went to Michigan State". This just opened up a huge can of worms. This lady talked about how she was a representative for the Delta Zeta serority. She talked about how she meets with other representatives from other serorities and what they do. She was so proud about giving away 3 $500 scholarships this year. Neither my mom or I have been in a serority, but Sonia had, and guess which one. She kept going on and on about various things and when she finally stopped talking for a moment, my mom just got up and said, "OK, let's go." I really didn't do this story justice. You just would have had to be there.

Saturday night, we went to Pastor Tom Schroeder's church in Saline to hear a speaker talk about current missions in the LCMS. Afterwards we went over to Emily's house and I got to see her new baby, Sophia and I played blocks with Ella. Heidi & Scott also came over with Quinn and Avery. It's amazing how fast children grow. After that, I went over to Sam & Kristi's house. We were going to go to the movies but we rented a couple instead.

Now I come to the Extened Vacation part of my weekend. I was supposed to head back to Orlando sunday afternoon. But due to Hurricane Jeanne, the airport closed. So now, I got to spend a little extra time at home. I'm still here. The earliest flight I could get was for tomorrow morning. I have a 2 1/2 hour layover in New York and get into Orlando around 2:00.

Today has been a relaxing day so far. I got to sleep in and watch "The Price is Right". The weather here is beautiful. There's not a cloud in the sky. I almost don't want to go back.

More Hurricanes!?

It looks like Jeanne has made a little loopty-loo and is now headed towards Florida. I may actually miss out on this one. I'm going home this weekend. I shouldn't have a problem getting home. Coming back may be an issue. She is forcasted to hit between 2am sunday and 2am monday. So, I could very possibly be stuck at home for an extra day or so. That would just be too bad :)

A Perfect Weekend

I don't think I could have asked for a better weekend. The weather was perfect. The sun was still hot and intense, but there was no humidity in the air. I spent a lot of time by the pool this weekend (and I've got the sunburn to prove it). It was a very relaxing weekend. Friday night I went to Happy Hour with several of my coworkers to celebrate a fellow coworker passing the ARE exam (the test one needs to take to become a registered architect). I spent most of Saturday with my friend, Bryan. We were going to go canoeing, but the park was closed due to hurricane damage. Sunday, I sang with the choir in late service. The rest of the day was spent just relaxing by the pool followed by going to see a movie in the evening. All in all it was a good weekend. But now, it is back to work. I have a short week, though. I'm going home this weekend for a wedding. I love it when I get to come home. I miss my family so much.

Some People Can Be So Rude

I had a pretty good day yesterday, until I was walking back to my car after work. There was a bit of standing water on the side of the road due to the rain from earlier in the day. I was almost to the parking lot when a car drove by and splashed me with the puddle water. They didn't stop to apologize or anything. They just kept on driving. I was not very happy after that. There weren't any cars coming in the other direction, so he could have avoided the puddle. Luckily it was somewhat of a "clean" puddle (not muddy, just wet).

Later on in the evening I had choir practice. We got a new piece of music "E'en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come." This is one of my favorite songs. I still remember it very well because we sang it in High School all the time.

Tonight, a few of us are playing sand volleyball (weather permitting) to "stay in shape" for next season.

It's Only Wednesday?!

This week is going by so slowly. I actually have to work a full week! No hurricanes this week. Last night was bible study. Eight people came :)! Afterwards, a few of us went out for a late dinner. Tonight is choir practice. We sing for the first time this weekend. We were supposed to sing two weeks ago, but Frances caused the cancellation of church. I'm ready for the weekend already. I actually don't have any plans for the weekend. The only free weekend I have this month. I'm just going to relax.

Thank You, Ivan

It seems that all I've been blogging about lately are these hurricanes. But if it wasn't for them, I really wouldn't have much to talk about because my life is pretty dull (get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, repeat). Good news on the latest hurricane: Ivan is steering clear of central Florida. Sure we'll probably get some rain and maybe a few strong storms, but nothing worse than what we get every other day. Ok, I was probably over exaggerating that my life was dull and boring. I did have a bit of an event filled weekend. Saturday night, I went with our church's youth group as an "adult leader/chaperone" to Rock the Universe. It's a christian rock concert festival at Universal Studios. It was really cool. I've always wanted to go, but never made it. There were 15 bands playing on 3 stages continuously from about 6:00 to midnight.

Tonight is bible study. Hopefully more than 3 people will show up.

Forever Frances

I thought this storm would never end. The first rain band came through around 11:00 am on Saturday morning and the last rain band ended around 2:00 pm Monday afternoon. Yes, this storm lasted more than 50 hours!! Of course it wasn't a constant storm. It just rained on and off the entire time with some strong wind gusts of up to 69 mph. This storm wasn't nearly as destructive as Charley (that is as it relates to me and the rest of the Greater Orlando area), but it still caused its fair share of damages. More trees fell and the facade of the Marriott hotel downtown completely fell off. But I, personally, did not suffer any damages. No more trees fell, my apartment didn't flood (it never even came close), I never even lost power. This storm wasn't any worse than any of the summer severe thunderstorms that pop up nearly every afternoon. It just lasted 50 times longer.

God is Our Refuge and Strength

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most height dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth:
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
'Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.'

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress."
Psalm 46

This was our devotion at choir practice last night. It is also, coincidently, my confirmation verse (vs. 1). I thought it appropriate in lieu of the coming hurricane. I do ask for your prayers, not just for me, but for all who will be affected by this storm.

A Hurricane's A Comin'...Again!

A major hurricane hasn't hit Orlando in 44 years. Now, there is the potential for 2 within 3 weeks! We are having a company meeting this afternoon to discuss our strategy for dealing with this storm. It is still too early to know just where Frances will hit, but it is large enough (bigger than the entire state) that we will definitely feel the effects. It is just a matter of how much. A major concern is that all the debris left over from Charley has the potential to become missile projections. I've heard some rumors of the "E" word (Evacuation) for the entire state of Florida (non-manditory). I will know more after our meeting this afternoon.

In other news, last night was the first meeting of our young adult bible study. Four people showed up (including myself), but it still went really well. Afterwards, we all went to Tijuana Flats for a late dinner. It was a lot of fun. I didn't get home until about 11:30. It didn't help that even after I got home, I couldn't sleep. It ws about 3:30 before I fell asleep. I was extremely tired, but I couldn't clear my head and relax. I may lose a lot of sleep between now and Sunday. The hurricane is supposed to hit in the early morning hours of Sunday.

Here We Go Again

Well, there is another hurricane tracking its way towards Florida and the southeastern United States. Frances is the name. Historically speaking, hurricanes with a similar origin and path have never hit Central Florida. They often take a last minute turn to the north and hit the Carolinas. Even so, this storm is still worth keeping an eye on. As we learned from Charley, hurricanes are still quite unpredictable.

A More Readable Blog

Some of you have noticed the larger font size in my blog. No, you're not just seeing things. I have had complaints that it was too hard to read. So I figured out (not completely sure how) to change the size. Now everyone can enjoy reading about me and my life without straining their eyes.

Hurricane Charley: A Retrospective

I promised you a play-by-play of Hurricane Charley. So here it goes:

Friday, August 13, 2004 (Friday the 13th)

Sometime in the early morning hours: The first outer rain band passes over central Florida. I was fast asleep. The only reason I know this is because the pavement and streets were all wet when I woke up.

7:45 am: I arrived at work a little early in anticipation of needing to leave a little early due to the inclimate weather forcast. I checked online for the latest cooridinates and forcast. It was located between Cuba and Key West. The winds had picked up a bit to upgrade it to a Category 3 Hurricane. The storm was forcasted to travel west of Orlando. I continued to check updates every hour.

11:30 am: Received a weather advisory email stating that Orange County has upgraded from an Inland Tropical Storm Wind Warning to an Inland Hurricane Wind Warning. This is not a good thing.

1:00 pm: The Orange County Sheriff issued a statement to have everyone off the roads by 2 pm. Therefore C&P shut down the office and everyone cleared out. I do get paid for the last 4 hours :) It started sprinkling outside.

2:00 pm: The National Hurricane Center issues Charley's latest coordinates, wind speeds, pressure, and projected path. Sustained winds had picked up to 145 mph, making it a Category 4 Hurricane. The course had also changed. The storm had made its easterly turn earlier than initially forcasted and would make landfall near Ft. Myers, Florida. Also, if continued on this course, it would make a direct hit on Orlando.

2:33 pm: A dark heavy squall line was racing towards my aparment. The second wave of strong thunderstorms hit; this time, sprouting tornadoes. Thankfully, none of them were near me, but the wind blew pretty hard. The storms didn't last long, only a matter of minutes. Then it was quiet.

4:00 pm: The eye of the hurricane made landfall near Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte (just north of Ft. Myers). Along with it came 125 mph winds and a 15' storm surge. Buildings were being ripped to shreds and/or becoming submerged in the rising flood waters.

5:45 pm: The phone rang. I though it was my mom continuing to check up on me. It wasn't her. It was some telemarketer. I'm like, "uh, I can't talk right now. I'm waiting for a hurricane." Well, I didn't say the part about the hurricane, but he did hang up. I looked at my caller ID to see that he was calling from New Jersey.

6:00 pm: The third rain band came through. There were no strong winds with this band, just more heavy downpours.

6:30-8:45 pm: Waiting, waiting, waiting. The news and weather people said that the storm was headed right for my backyard. But as I looked outside, all I could see was a dead calm. No wind. A light drizzle fell from the gray clouds that had blanketed the skies all day.

8:45 pm: The winds quickly picked up out of nowhere. The news and weather people said that now was the time to take cover. I took shelter in my bathroom bunker. It is the safest place - and interior room on the lowest level (my apartment is on the first floor). The winds continued to pick up in pace, ultimately to sustained winds of 77 mph (like driving down the freeway - but I never go THAT fast :) ) and gusts of about 100 mph! I could hear the howling wind through the vent in my bathroom. It was just like the sound that comes from blowing over a bottle opening. I could hear what sounded like sheet metal waving in the wind. I thought that the roof was blowing off, but I think it was just the driving rain hitting the roof. I could hear my front door rattling in the wind (I had it locked and deadbolted). My ears started to pop from the rapidly dropping pressure as the eye of the storm neared Downtown Orlando. The power kept going on and off for a good half hour before finally going out for good. While sitting in the dark (with the exception of my headlight flashlight) and the wind whipping about outside, I became startled when my fire alarm went off. This worried me because if there was a fire, I couldn't go outside in the middle of a hurricane. I wearily stepped outside of my bunker to assess the situation. I could not smell any smoke or see any flames. I tried to find a way to turn it off, but there was no reset button or anything. It must have somehow been triggered from the outside pull, because as I looked out of the peephole, that alarm (which had a light on it) was also going off. I wanted to take a peek outside, but I could not even open my door. The wind pressure was holding it shut. Eventually (after about 20 minutes or so) the alarm shut itself out. There was no fire, which is good because if there was, I don't know how a fire truck could have gotten there in the middle of the storm.

10:30 pm: The winds died down a bit to just a few strong gusts every now and then. I left my bunker and took a look around my apartment (from the inside). No windows were broken. No water had come in through my patio doors (which was one of my biggest concerns). I took a look out of all my windows, but there wasn't much to see due to the darkness. I would have to wait until morning to check my car. It was eerily quiet with no more wind and no power - just silent darkness. Nothing to do but go to bed.

Saturday, August 14, 2004 (Day 1 of the Aftermath)

I was awakened by the early morning commotion coming from my open bedroom window (no electricity=no a.c.). My neighbors were walking about assessing the damage. I could hear all the news helicopters taking off from the nearby Executive Airport. None of it bothered me, though. I just went back to sleep. Since I was a bit anxious to see what kind of footprint Charley had left behind. I got up around 10:30 (rather than the usual noon). The power was still out. I first checked my car - no harm done. There were some leaves and debris stuck to it, but not broken windows, dents, or scratches. I took a stroll around the entire complex to assess the damage. I have to say that I was a bit surprised (but glad) to see that the extent of the damage was fairly minimal, especially compared to some of the reports that I had heard about on the radio. There were several uprooted trees and shrubs, but they all fell away from the building. Of course there were sticks and leaves EVERYWHERE. I also noticed that all the lounge chairs were in the bottom of the pool (but I think they were put there on purpose). The only "building" damage was some missing shingles and soffit vent - very minor. I wish I could say the same for the surrounding neighborhood. I took a quick drive "around the block". Several large trees were down (some on houses, some just missed, some blocking roadways). Many businesses' canopies and signs were ripped off and/or mangled into a wad of twisted metal. The structural integrety of most buildings seemed to be intact. I was surprised to see that many street lights were back on and businesses had power. Some were even open for business. I went back to my apartment to find that power had been restored. It wasn't even noon. Although, the power was back, I didn't have cable, so I couldn't watch tv, but I could watch dvds. I went to the Sat. night service at church. I had to take a few detours due to down trees blocking the road. The church didn't have power, but they had a generator running a few lights. It was really nice. There were only about 20 people there for this candlelight service. After church, I came home to watch a couple more movies before going to bed.

Sunday, August 15, 2004

I slept in again (my favorite thing to do on weekends). My cable came back. So now I had everything: water, electricity, phone, internet, and cable. I can't say the same for many area residents. It could be over a week before everything is restored. I went to church later that afternoon to help clean up the grounds (in the rain). Sunday evening, I went to the movies and say "Princess Diaries 2". It was cute, but not as good as the first one.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Well, full power had been restored to the office, so it was back to work. Several people didn't make it in because they were busy cleaning up around their own homes.


Things are slowly getting back to normal around here. There are still thousands of people with out power. Some don't have running water either. Many traffic lights are still out, and some roads are still blocked, which makes driving a bit more complicated.

I have survived my first hurricane (it probably won't be my last). I can say that this was the worst natural disaster I have ever witnessed first hand. Could I do it again? Sure. I learned a lot about myself and how to better prepare for such an event. Do I WANT to go through another hurricane? Not particularily. I'm good until next season.

So Long, Charley

I'll give a play by play later, but for now, I just want everyone to know that I am perfectly OK. I survived my first Hurricane. My apartment complex only suffered minor damage (none of which affects me or my property). I already have my power, phone, and cable back. I can't say the same for many people. It could be a week before full restoration. Just to reiterate, I am just fine.

Isn't It Ironic

I just had a thought. Hurricane Charley is supposed to hit tomorrow. Tomorrow is Friday the 13th. I wouldn't say that I am supersticious or anything, but I find this particular fact rather interesting.

A Hurricane's A Comin'

The entire state of Florida is under a State of Emergency due to the imminant threat of T.S. Bonnie and Hurricane Charley. Charley is the one that I am primarily concerned about. Right now, it is about 40 miles east of Grand Caymen with sustained winds of 85 mph moving NW at 16 mph. The projected path for this storm covers almost the entire peninsula (with Orlando right in the center of it). This also means that it is too early to tell what path the storm will eventually take. The latest forcast is for the storm to make landfall along the SW coast of Florida sometime tomorrow morning with winds in excess of 100 mph (a category 2 hurricane), then travel in a northwesterly path accross the peninsula (weakening to about 60 mph winds), and finally traveling up the east coast of the United States. A hurricane hasn't hit Orlando in over 40 years (1960). It is still too early to know just how this storm will affect me. It is not my intention to worry anyone. I just want to keep you informed. We go through this atleast once every season. There is atleast one storm that appears to be headed straight for Orlando, but it usually turns away at the last minute or it is not as strong as they predicted. That's not to say that this storm will do the same. Anything is possible.

Weekend Update

I'm back from my weekend Up North. It was a great trip. Just what I needed. I got into Detroit around 7:00 on Friday night. My parents (along with Gramps) picked me up from the airport in their new Chrysler Sebring convertable. We then went to pick up Sam and all go to Ann Arbor for dinner.

Mom, Gramps, and I got up early (well early for me on a saturday morning) and started our way Up North. I slept most of the way, but Mom made me drive a bit so she could take a nap. We took the "scenic" route up, i.e., no highways. We stopped at the East Jordan Art Fair before our arrival in Charlevoix The Beautiful. Bob & Kathie had rented a 6 bedroom/4 story condo right on the marina (Round Lake). Matt & Laura and their kids, Zev & Tova, stayed there as well. There were 9 of us staying there and it wasn't crowded. During our first walk to town, we watched the docking of this huge 130' private yacht. I think Grandpa really enjoyed that. Back at the condo, I played some board games with Zev and we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs on the balcony. After dinner, Mom & I walked to the pier to watch the sunset over Lake Michigan.

Sunday morning, we went to church at Bethany Lutheran. After church, we all drove to Petoskey to go putt-putt golfing at Pirate's Cove. It was a lot of fun. I got two holes-in-one. But Zev, who is only 5, got three! When we got back to Charlevoix, I took a walk to town again. I bought some fudge from Murdick's Famous Fudge and some cherries from American Spoon Foods. For dinner, we had fish (well, not me since I'm not a fan). After dinner, Mom, Gramps, and I drove to Norwood to watch the sunset and look for Petoskey stones. When we got there, the beach wasn't in very good shape. The water was really mucky and there were bugs everywhere. We decided to go to a different beach. This one was much cleaner. It was a little too cloudy for a nice sunset, but I did find 1 small Petoskey stone.

When we woke up Monday morning, it was raining - perfect weather for going home. Again, I slept most of the way. Car rides just make me sleepy. The weather cleared up by the time we got home. When we got home, I was able to spend some time with Joel and Hannah before I had to leave for the airport to come back to Florida.

Dreams Are A Strange, Strange Thing

I had an interesting dream last night. I had a dream that I was in New York City on September 11, 2001. The strange part was that I was there by some means of time travel, because I knew what was going to happen. Unfortunately, I didn't do anything with this futuristic knowledge. I didn't try to warn anyone.

Yay, tomorrow is Friday!!!!! I only have to work a half day. Yay, again! Work has been really busy these last couple of days. Jim (my team leader) is out of the office on vacation. It has seemed that I have spent half of my day or so on the phone trying to answer questions to which I don't always know the answer. Jim has told me that it is ok to say, "I don't know," but I feel like I've been saying that more than anything.

Well, tomorrow I get to go home and then Up North for the weekend. I can't wait. It's going to be a weekend of rest and relaxation. That's what I love best about Up North. Bob & Kathie have rented a house or something in Charlevoix, so Mom, Gramps, and I are going to be their houseguests for the weekend.

Where Did The Weekend Go?

It's monday again already. I didnt' help that I had to work all weekend. I put in about an extra 10 hours or so. I will get a break this coming weekend, though. I get to go home (for the first time since Easter) and then Up North. I am really looking forward to just relaxing this weekend. It is hard to believe that it is August already. Where did the summer go? For all you teachers out there, be glad that you don't work down here. I heard on the radio that some schools started this week (of course they get out earlier, too). Well, it wasn't all work this weekend. I saw a couple movies, too. Friday, I went to see De-Lovely at Downtown Disney and Sunday, I saw Raising Helen at the $1.50 theater. Both movies are pretty good (I liked the latter the best).

P.S. Happy 2nd Anniversary Sam & Kristie!

I'm Not On Vacation Anymore

Things have been pretty busy since I returned from San Francisco.  I'm not on vacation any more.  I'm working on about 3 projects at the same time.  All of which need to be done ASAP - one tomorrow and the others by Tuesday.  It's a good thing I'm not going up north this weekend (as originally planned).  I may have to come in to work.  It hasn't been all work, work, work, though.  Last night I got to spend time with my sister-in-law, Kristie.  She was down here (along with Jason Otter, Pastor Taylor, and the rest of St. John's youth group) for the LCMS National Youth Gathering.  It's held every three years in a different city each time.  I went to San Antonio in '95 (yes, that was NINE years ago).  I signed up to volunteer from 6:30-midnight.  But whatever I signed up to do, they didn't need me.  So I just attended the service (I did help out with the communion, though).  That's were I saw Jason (out of 35,000 people) and I met up with Kristie afterwards.  We went to get some food at Pizzaria Uno (we tried a few other places but they were all closed).  The food was good, but it took forever.  Apparently, they forgot to put my order in, so I got it for free.  After eating, we went back to their hotel.  I stayed for a little while and talked with Jason and everybody.  They were getting ready to have their evening devotion.  They asked me to stay, but I really needed to head back home.  It was after midnight and I had to work today.  It was a really short visit, but still nice.  I didn't see anyone from Trinity Orlando, except Pastor Moore who helped lead the service.  But with so many people, it's a miracle that I was able to find anyone that I knew.

If You're Going To San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.  I left my heart is San Francisco.  Um...let's see...what other songs are there about San Francisco.  Oh yeah, "Rice-aroni, a San Francisco treat.  Ding, ding!"

I had such a great time in San Francisco.  I don't know where to begin.  I guess I could start with the fact that I almost missed my flight.  I set my alarm, but after it went off, I thought I would lay in bed for an extra 5 minutes or so.  Well, 5 minutes turned into a half hour.  I probably would not have waken up had my mom not called.  I made it with time to spare (but not as much as I would have liked).  I had a few stops to make along the way.  I had to change planes in Albequerque.  I also had to make a stop in Las Vegas (I didn't get off the plane, though).  When I finally made it to Oakland Airport (Southwest doesn't fly into San Francisco), I was greeted by my parents, Sonia's friend Angie, and my grandpa.  That was a nice surprise, because I didn't know that he was coming.  We then drove to our hotel in a suburb of SF, near the SF airport (where everyone else was flying into).  Mike and Sonia were already there.  After getting settled in, we headed for Downtown San Francisco; my parents and Gramps in the van and us in the "clown car" (we took two vehicles because we would be going our separates ways for the evening entertainment).  So the clown car, as we so lovingly referred to, was this tiny red Suzuki Aerio hatchback.  It just looked really funny, especially with Mike driving.  So we headed for Fisherman's Wharf (the touristy part of town).  We ate a late lunch (or an early dinner) at this nice restaurant that overlooked the bay and Alcatraz.  It was interesting to watch the fog roll in.  I never realized how foggy it would be.  It's because the warm weather in the vallies draws in the cooler air from the ocean.  Where the two meet, creates the fog (a little meteorology lesson for you all).  After eating, we walked down the Wharf a bit to Ghiradelli Square.  There were so many vendors selling all sorts of things, from fresh seafood, to art, to jewelry, and all sorts of things.  There were many different street performers.  We saw the nearly famous "Bushman".  He's a guy that hides behind some branches and tries to scare unsuspecting bypassers.  He's been doing this for 25 years and has even been sued a few times (but never lost a case).  Later, we took a little drive up Russian Hill (the steepest hill in SF) and down Lombard Street (the crazy zig-zag street).  After that little adventure, it was time to head to the ballpark for the Giants/Padres game.  SBC park is a beautiful stadium.  We had pretty good seats along the 3rd base line.  It had turned quite cold by then.  We left after the 7th inning.  The Giants were losing anyways.  It was back to the hotel after that.  Angie and I got in the hot tub to warm up and ease our sore muscles. 

Thursday morning started out with breakfast at the Millbrae Pancake House.  We then traveled to Palo Alto, CA to see the campus of Stanford University.  This is a very beautiful campus.  The church is gorgeous.  I got a Stanford t-shirt from the campus bookstore.  After Stanford, we headed north, across the Golden Gate Bridge, to Sausalito.  You could barely even see the bridge because of the fog.  Sausalito is a quaint little town with a lot of shops and art galleries.  It reminded me a lot of Charlevoix, MI.  Next, we headed back into town, to the Wharf area and Pier 39.  We met up with the last two members of our group, Brian & Michelle.  They didn't arrive until late Wednesday night.  We ate dinner at one of the many restaurants in the Wharf (one that had more than just seafood since I'm not its biggest fan).  After dinner, we went to Alcatraz.  This was really cool - one of the many highlights of the trip.  Since the tour was at night and it was really cold and foggy, the tour was a bit creepy.

Friday started with another trip to the Pancake House.  After breakfast we headed to Napa, CA and wine country.  This is where we parted with my parents and grandpa.  They went on to Sacramento, CA.  We toured two vinyards and wineries - Robert Mondavi and Beringer.  We tasted wine at both.  I tasted the wine that was included with the tours, but I didn't particularily care for any of it.  I did get to eat a couple of the grapes during the Mondavi tour as part of a demonstration.  I think Sonia and Angie may have had a bit too much wine at the Beringer Vinyards.  I do have to say that both vinyards, in fact, the whole valley was absolutely beautiful.  We ate dinner in North Beach (the Italian part of town) at a restaurant called Firenze By Night.  The food was excellent. 

Saturday (our last full day) we paired off and did our own things.  Angie and I explored downtown San Francisco.  We first walked around the farmer's market located on one of the piers.  Then we took a trolley tour around the city (it sure beat walking up and down all those hills).  The tour started out at the Wharf, then made its first stop at the Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium.  The gardens there were absolutely beautiful.  It felt like walking through some ancient ruins.  There were atleast three wedding parties taking pictures and one actual wedding.  Our final stops were at Fort Point and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Unfortunately, due to the heavy fog, you could barely even SEE the bridge (even when standing right next to it).  The last half of the tour was spent driving through all the different parts of the city:  the Presidio, the victorian homes of Pacific Heights, Union Square (the Rodeo Drive or 5th Avenue of SF; i.e., shopping), Japantown and Chinatown, North Beach, and the Financial District.  After the tour, we went to the Wax Museum (we had a 2 for 1 coupon).  Afterwards, we decided to head back to Pacific Heights to explore some more.  We had quite an experience trying to figure out the public transportation, but we eventually made it.  We had quite a workout walking up and down all of the hills (some of which were quite steep), but seeing all the beautiful houses (and a German Consulate) made up for it.  We also saw the house that was used as an exterior set in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.  We tried to find the row of houses that you see in all the pictures (I believe they are called the "painted ladies".  We asked this foursome that was walking down the street for directions.  They very kindly showed us were to go and gave us a mini guided tour of the area.  They informed us of were some famous people used to live.  We made it to the houses just as it was starting to get dark, took our pictures, then took another bus and a taxi to Chinatown to meet the others for dinner.  We ate at the House of Nanking (supposedly one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city).  But like our tour guide told us, if you asked 20 people what their favorite restaurant is, you would get 20 different answers.  This restaurant was really interesting.  Instead of ordering our own dishes, we ate appetizer/family style.  We had one dish of each: vegitable, seafood, chicken, beef, and pork.  They just kept bring the food.  One dish right after the other.  I don't think I have ever eaten so quickly.  The first dish was the seafood dish (which I didn't know at the time).  I took a bite and it wasn't too bad.  Then someone told me that it was squid!  Ewww!  I did finish my one piece, but I wasn't going to have anymore.  I wish that no one had told me what it was.  The best dishes (in my opinion) were the sesame chicken and the snap peas.  After dinner, it was back to the hotel for a long soak in the hot tub and then to bed.

I had to wake up early on Sunday to head to the airport.  Angie came with me, even though her flight wasn't until 3 hours after mine.  We took the BART from San Francisco Airport to Oakland Airport.  This was the nicest form of public transportation I think I have EVER been on.  It was so clean and the seats were soft and cushy.  I wouldn't mind having to take that everyday.  Sunday was just a long day of airports and airplanes.  I arrived back in Orlando shortly after midnight.

This was our trip in a nutshell.  I had such a great time and can't wait to go back.  I've yet to see Golden Gate Park and would have liked to take a drive down the coast.  Next time :)  Now it's back to work until my next vacation.

California Here We Come

Yes, tomorrow I leave for San Francisco, California.  I've been looking forward to this trip for nearly 6 months (when Sonia first suggested it).  Now it is finally here.  I will be sure to write all about it when I return.  Perhaps I will also learn how to post pictures.

Monday, again

Yes, it is monday again.  But for me, it will be a very short week (only today and tomorrow).  Because on Wednesday morning, I hop on a plane headed for San Francisco, California.  I am so ready for a vacation.  Friday's move went fairly smoothly.  About a dozen people moved next door to the new annex.  I moved from one side of the office to the other.  I'm still unpacking.  The rest of the weekend went well.  I got my hair cut on Saturday.  Yesterday, I had to sing at the installation service for our new associate pastor.   Now, I'm just trying to prepare for my trip.

TGIF

Don't you just love Fridays?  I know I do.  I can tell you right now that today is not going to be a very productive day (work-wise).  The new annex has passed its final building inspection and we are set to start moving in this afternoon.  This afternoon has also been designated as a clean-up day.  We order a huge dumpster to be put out back and everyone starts chucking old drawings and whatnot.  Today is also my friend and coworker Bryan's last day.  Our team is going to go out to lunch to celebrate (it could easily turn into a 2-hour lunch).  So I just have to get through the morning and then it will be smooth sailing from there.  Last night, I met with Jim Luce again about the young adult group that we're starting.  I am really excited about this.  We've already compiled a mailing list for all members between 18 and 29.  160 names came up.  Now we will just have to see how many respond.  I met our new pastor last night.  He also sat in on the meeting.  He seems like a really cool guy and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better.  Well, I guess that I should actually get SOME work done today.

We lost :(

Well, we lost our volleyball match last night, so the season is over. We put up a good fight, though. We played all five games. We won the first one, lost the second, won the third (by a lot), lost the fourth and finally the fifth. We just weren't playing our best (and we were missing one of our best players). I had a pretty good game, though. But I started to get tired towards the end (it was 90+ degrees). Dara and I were the only two girls there, so there was no one to substitute in (you need one girl for every 2 guys). It also didn't help during the fifth game when I jammed my thumb while going for the tip. It still hurts today (I hope it isn't broken). It isn't quite as much fun to lose, but I had a great time. This is the best season that C&P has EVER had. I can't wait until next season. One good thing about losing, is that now I don't have to worry about missing a game next week while I'm in San Francisco.

It Was A Good Good Day

I just had to talk about the good day that I had yesterday (even though it was a monday). The biggest thing was that I found my pictures that I had put on a CD (and then deleted off of my computer). I searched everywhere: at home, at work, at home again, at work again, in my car. They were nowhere to be found. I was fairly positive that it was a work somewhere. I completely cleared off my desk (it needed it anyways). No CD. Finally, towards the end of the day, I decided to look more closely through my CD binder where I keep all of my audio CDs. There it was in one of the pockets. I was so overjoyed. I started looking through all of my New York pictures. My neighbor Kevin noticed and we started swapping stories about our NYC experiences. He had gone there in Nov. 2001. He also had some pictures that he had taken at the WTC site. It was quite a sight to see (of course nothing compared to what it would have been to see it with my own eyes. Another coworker came by and joined in the conversation. Needless to say, I didn't get a whole lot of work done for the last half-hour or so of work. After work, we had a volleyball practice for our game tomorrow night. It was so much fun. We struck up a game with some other people at the park. I played so well. I was spiking the ball (not just tipping it over). I had a few diving saves (that's the best part about playing in the sand). I had to jump in the pool after I got home to wash off all the sand. When I got home, I had a package in the mail from my mom. She had sent me some more of her New York pictures and a really cool paragraph about her experience there. It was so poetic. All in all it was a good good day, that is, until I found one of my little friends (a gecko) still alive in my apartment right before I was getting into bed. I was unable to catch it. He is still there somewhere.

Monday, Monday

Can't trust that day. I hate mondays. I just love the weekends so much. This one was no exception. We didn't move on Friday (why am I not surprised). We should be receiving our C.O. (Certificate of Occupancy) on Wed. so we would then be moving this friday. Saturday was a good day. I got to sleep in (my favorite part of the weekend). I spent the afternoon and evening at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. I am really getting some use out of my annual pass (Thanks again Mom & Dad). It was really hot, so mostly rode all the water rides. I got completely soaked, but it didn't take long to dry off. I stayed for the fireworks show at the end of the night. It was set to the music of many of my favorite soundtracks (Apollo 13, Jurassic Park, E.T., and a few others). Afterwards I took a nice stroll through the park (while everyone else was heading for the exit). There was also a small encore fireworks show (apparently there were either leftovers or they didn't go off when they were supposed to during the real show. After church on Sunday, I met with our church's youth director. He's going to help me get a young adult group started. I'm really excited about it, but it will need much prayer. Who knows what kind of response we will get. Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks that this is a good idea. I spent the rest of the day at home watching movies. A thunderstorm came through, so there wasn't much else to do anyways. So, now it is Monday. Back to work. But my schedule will be quite full this week. Tonight I have volleyball practice; Tuesday, I'm meeting about the young adult group; Wednesday is our v-ball game; Friday is moving day (supposedly); and next sunday I have to sing at Pastor van Sliedrecht's installation (our new associate pastor). Also, a week from Wed. I leave for San Francisco, YEAH!!!

P.S. Congratulations to Mom & Dad. Yesterday, they celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary. God has truly blessed them with a wonderful marriage. May He continue to bless them for many more years to come.

We're on the move

Tomorrow is moving day. About a quarter of the office is moving to the new "annex" two doors down. I'm still a bit skeptical as this event was supposed to take place over a month ago. I won't be surprised if it gets pushed back to next week. I didn't think that the move would affect me, but alas, it does. I get to move from one side of the building to the other. It has it's advantages and disadvantages. + I get to sit next to a real wall. - I lose my semi view of the outside out of the one window in our entire back office. + I have to clear off my desk. - I have to clear off my desk. Other changes within my work team will be made shortly. My teammate Bryan, whom I work really close with, is leaving for a new job. Also, the pre-intern who I've had working for me these past two weeks is leaving after next week. So in in the end the team will consist of Kevin and me, and Jim, our team leader. And since I don't work with Kevin all that much, it'll just be me (and Jim). I'm not sure that I'm ready for that much responsibility (or the workload). I'm sure that I will be fine. I'm really not alone. Jim is there to guide me and tell me what to do. It will also be a good experience for me to step up and take charge of various projects.

Some good news, I just got my PTO (personal time off) approved for my upcoming trips to San Francisco and Up North. I can't wait. Other upcoming events include our Volleyball league playoffs. Our company has a team in the Design Professionals Volleyball League. You can check our stats at http://www.eteamz.com/dpvl/ We play in the Sand Recreational Division. Our C&P team is ranked 2nd. This is the best we've ever done. Our first game is set for next wednesday evening (we had a bye for this week).

Welcome

Greetings family and friends. After the advice of my cousin Amanda, I've decided to start this blog to let you all in on what the heck I've been up to here in Florida. I have to warn you that it probably won't be as exciting as you may think (but it has it's high points :-). First off, work is going well, but very busy. I don't know how often I will be able to update this. I can't lounge around and watch tv at my job, Amanda. But I do get to listen to my music.

The weather down here right now is incredibably HOT, HOT, HOT (and humid). It rains nearly every afternoon. I went to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon waterpark for a bit of relief this weekend (until it stormed). I spent the rest of the weekend working on my New York City scrapbook. {Ryan & Hannah: My mom may tell you this, but I would like each of you to write a little something about your thoughts on the trip. Also, Hannah, I would like copies of your pictures to put into the scrapbook.} I didn't even make it to see any fireworks this weekend, but being down here with all the theme parks, you see one fireworks show, and they're all the same. Plus, it rained. Also went to see the new Spiderman movie. Well, I guess that's about it for now. Besides, my lunch time is over and I need to get back to work