Last Minute Deals

Whoever thought that you could never find a good flight deal less than a week before a major holiday are completely mistaken. When I was reviewing my itinerary for my trip home this weekend, I noticed that I had a 4-hr layover in Atlanta on my way up. I don't know why I didn't notice this when I booked the flight. Perhaps I was only looking at the price. The layover itself would be longer than the total amount of time I would have been in the air! So today, I went to the AirTran website to see what they're flight schedule was for the day (and if the layover was really necessary). But when I pulled up the search, I found something even better: A nonstop flight at noon (instead of 8am) for $89!!! There is a $50 fee to change a flight, but since it cost less than the original, I thought I still might save some money and pay only a portion of the $50. While making the change, I thought I'd look into changing my return flight as well (and maybe save even more money, unless they charged another $50 for the second flight). They didn't really have anything for the 29th, but had a nonstop on the 28th, also for $89. It turns out that they only charge the $50 once, so I ended up with a CREDIT of $40.30!

Adventure Lunch

Today, I went on an Adventure Lunch. This is where a small group of us will get together around lunchtime and go on some sort of field trip. Today's trip was to the abandoned barracks building next to our office. Baldwin Park used to be a Navy Training Base. This is the only remaining building from the old base. What makes this building important to C&P, is that we are going to turn this:

Into this:

We (not me, but other people in the company) will turn this old run down building into luxury condominiums. It was pretty dark & creepy in there (hence the "adventure" part). Here are some more picutres:

200

This is my 200th post. Many TV shows need to be on the air for like 10 years before they hit 200 episodes. I've been "on the air (web)" for only 2-1/2 years (since July 2004).

Where Has The Time Gone?!?!

Is it just me, or is this Christmas season shorter than ever! I suppose that since Thanksgiving was EARLY this year, the season is actually LONGER. It sure doesn't feel like it. It's already the second week in Advent. I haven't even STARTED my Christmas shopping. I'm actually at a loss for what to get anyone this year (I'm open to any suggestions). I thought that December was going to be a lighter month as far as things keeping me busy, but it feels just as bad as November. Hopefully things will lighten up in the new year (or maybe they'll just get worse).

Travel, Travel, Travel

As you may have read on my mom's post, I did travel up to Pennsylvania this weekend. My new friend, Skip (who is Becky's brother) invited me to the Penn State/Michigan State football game (at Penn State). I had a lot of fun at the game despite the cold and the dissappointing loss. He lives in Hershey, PA, just down the street from the chocolate factory. If the wind is blowing in just the right direction, you get a nice big whiff of the sweet smell of chocolate. On Sunday night, we went to a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. If you've never heard them, they play heavy metal Christmas music (and some classical stuff, too). If you recall the Christmas lighting display video that floated around last year, that was a TSO song. The concert was really cool, but also very loud. There were lots of lasers, lights, and fire. I got a nice little driving tour of central PA over the weekend. Between the drive from Baltimore (where I flew in) to Hershey, Hershey to State College on game day, Harrisburg (the capitol), and Lancaster (Amish country). The landscape was quite pretty (being in the mountains and all), though I'm sure it was much prettier a month ago when the colorful leaves were still on the trees. I was surprised to see a pink rose bush right outside of Skip's apartment that still had several blooms on it (including a new bud). I had a really great time this weekend and this little getaway was just what the doctor ordered as work was really starting to stress me out (though I was quite productive the week prior to my departure).

Now I will be traveling again tomorrow morning to come home for Thanksgiving and coming back on Friday (I have a wedding to go to on Saturday). So if you count that all up. In a span of 8 days (fri to fri), I will have been on a plane 4 times. It's a good thing they're all nonstop flights. I'm sure I'll be quite sick of airports and flying by the end of the week. But no worries, I'll have recovered in time for my trip home at Christmas.

Softball Fun

Last night we had our weekly softball game. We lost yet again. The only game we've one this season was because the other team didn't show up (we'll take it though). But even though we lost, we had our best game yet. We actually made it to the 5th inning before getting slaughtered. Personally, I had a great game. Before the game, Tiffany (the coach) asked which of us girls would like to play in the infield (we had to have 2 and Tiff was already the pitcher). No one said anything, so I grudgingly stepped up and said, "I'll do it." She placed me at 2nd base. I didn't get a whole lot of action during the first couple innings, but in the third, with 2 outs, a ground ball was hit right to me (rather hard). I stopped the ball, it bounced up and hit me in the knee (my bad knee ever since the 3-Day), which REALLY hurt. But I was right next to the bag, so I bare handed the ball and just tagged the base. OUT! Then I limped into the dugout. Up to bat, I was 4th in the lineup, but we got out 1-2-3. Great. Now I'm first next inning. OK, 4th inning comes up. I take my position. Here comes the first batter to the plate. I'm thinking to myself, "if it comes to me, throw to first...play's at first." Well, the ball is hit right to me. A line drive. I stick out my glove hoping to at least just stop the ball from getting past me. The ball goes in...and doesn't come out. I caught it!!! Out #1! The next guy comes up. He hits it into the outfield. He rounds first and heads toward second. They throw the ball to me, but it wasn't quite in time to make the tag. Then I lose my balance and fall down. The rest of my team tried to blame it on the runner. But I, as well as the ump, knew that wasn't the case. Oh well. That was pretty much it for my fielding highlights. We eventually get them out to end the inning (after they score about 5 runs or so). OK, I'm up first. "Here comes the first out," I think to myself as I walk toward the batters box. Here's the pitch...I hit a grounder to the shortstop. I run as hard as I can. An overthrow at first...SAFE! The next batter is up, gets a hit, safe at second. Third batter strikes out, one out. Fourth batter...a fly into the outfield, no one makes the catch. I bolt to third. The coach tells me to keep going, so I do. Safe! I score the first run of the game! One more run was scored after that, but that was it. We ended up losing like 9-2 or something like that. But it was by far the best game of the season. Only 2 games left.

U of M vs BSU

Now THERE'S an odd matchup for this weekend. Ball State is playing Michigan this weekend at the Big House. What I wouldn't give to go to the game tomorrow. Gee, I wonder who will win. One team is 9-0 and has NEVER lost to a MAC team. The other is 3-6. I'll be surprised if the score is even close.

So Much Going On

Phew...I get exhausted just THINKING about everything I have going on between now and the end of the year. Between bible study, choir rehearsal, band rehearsal, & softball games, I have something going on nearly every night of the week. My weekends are just as full, too. Last weekend, I helped out at the 3rd Annual Oxygen Ball for the American Lung Association. We left here around 10am and didn't get home til about 3:30am (2:30 w/ the time change thank goodness). But that extra hour didn't do a whole lot when I had to get up to teach sunday school at 9:30. Sunday was another full day. It was Reformation Sunday, of course. We had a special service in the afternoon (at which I had to sing) followed by a "traditional" German meal of Brats, Potatoes, & Beer. Yes, they served beer at church. There was live entertainment as well. It was pretty cool. It will probably become an annual event.

So tonight is Tuesday. This is typically my bible study night. But since it is Halloween and several of our members have small children that will be trick-or-treating, we cancelled. Yay! A night off!

The 3-Day

Oh my goodness! I don't know where to begin to describe this weekend. It was absolutely amazing, allbeit a bit painful. I only ended up with two blisters on my feet, but I started having problems with my knees on Day 2. I'm still in awe of the amount of support that the city gave. With every street that we walked down, there were people cheering us on, handing out water and candy. Many people would honk their horns as they drove by. I'm so glad that my family could come down. They were at every cheering station and, of course, the finish line. I haven't yet decided whether or not I will do this again, but I've got some time to think about it. I would like to end this blog by just giving a big THANK YOU to everyone for all their support. I couldn't have done this without you. THANKS!

How About Them Tigers

Way to go Tigers. Keep up the good work. You may find this hard to believe, but I have been so busy that I didn't get a chance to watch ANY of the games of the playoffs so far. Friday, my friends threw me a party in celebration and good luck for the Breast Cancer 3-Day coming up THIS WEEKEND! Saturday, I had band rehearsal. We were in the middle of practicing when the piano players son came in the room to annouce the Tiger's victory. I threw my hands in the air and gave out a loud "WOOHOO!". Last night at dinner, Bryan made it a point to remind me that the Royals swept the Tigers just before the playoffs began. My reply, of course, was that we let them win. We were saving ourselves for the playoffs. The only bad thing that I forsee about the Tigers having a great season is that come March, I'm probably going to have a harder time getting Spring Training tickets (and they'll probably raise the price). But I won't let it stop me.

My only other bit of exciting news is that I learned that my friends Jen & Brandon are expecting. That makes Jen the fourth or fifth person I know that is pregnant right now (I lost count). But I am very happy for them.

Still Here

Ok, Amanda.I realize I haven't blogged in awhile. That's mostly because while I've been fairly busy, my life has been somewhat uneventful. This weekend, however, I went to the International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. A bunch of my friends and I went in honor of my friend Micelle's 30th birthday. A great time was had sampling foods and beverages from all over the world. I had some cheese soup from Canada, a cabbage roll complimented with a very sweet raspberry wine from Poland. I had kefta from Morocco, some spinach thing from Greece, crepes from France. I also had this Grand Marnier Orange Slushy drink from France, which was VERY good, but I was cut off for the rest of the evening. If you ever get a chance, I HIGHLY reccommend coming to this. It runs from the end of September to mid-November every year. The samples run about $3-$4 each, so sharing is reccommended.

EARTHQUAKE!

Yep, you heard me right. There was an earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday. It was a 6.0 on the richter scale and hit about 11am. Some people claim that they felt tremors, but I didn't feel a thing. I haven't heard of any tsunamis hitting Tampa or anything. In fact the only damage I heard about was that a water pipe burst in a downtown apartment building (not mine). But who knows if it was related to the earthquake or just a coincidence. This is just what we need, another natural disaster to add to the list which will make insurance rates skyrocket again.

New Office

I took this picture with my phone (hence the poor quality).

We're In!

We're moved in to our new home at 1925 Prospect Avenue in Baldwin Park. This place is pretty nice. I can't wait until it's actually DONE! It pretty much is done. There's just some techy video screen stuff incomplete and oh, yeah, the receptionist doesn't have a desk. But our computers work. I'm pretty excited about our new location. I had a little gift basket waiting for me with a new mouse pad, a travel mug, and some gift cards for the local cuisine

Last Day At 1220

Today is my last day at 1220 Alden Road. Tomorrow, the movers start moving desks & computers. I will not have to report to 1925 Prospect Avenue in Baldwin Park until Sunday afternoon (but just to set up my workspace). We'll be open for business on Monday, the 28th.

Go Detroit!

You know what the best part of the Tigers having a great season is? Now I get to watch them more often. Because they have the best record in baseball, the networks are more willing to air them. Last night I got to watch my Tigers on ESPN. It was great to see so many people in Comerica Park. The commentators mentioned how they were never there during the 2003 season when we had 119 losses. So, that's 3 of our teams now that have had really good seasons (not just good, but ranked first). Do you think the Lions will pull a winning season out of a hat to make it 4 for 4? But let's just hope the Tigers don't blow it in the post season like the Pistons & Red Wings did.

On The Move

Moving day is a week away. I just received my desk assignment (subject to change AFTER the move). I am on the second floor, but I'm not near the windows. I'm practically smack dab in the center of the room. I haven't been by to check on construction (maybe this weekend), but I hear that it is moving along. In other moving news, my friends Jon & Becky FINALLY moved into their townhouse last weekend. It's a cute little place. Emphasis on the little part. It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. But it's very nice, and they love it.

GGRRRRR!!!!!

I just read an article that stated that a recent study declared Orlando the nation's angriest city. Not only are we number 1, but were two places ahead of Detroit.

1. Orlando, Fla.
2. St. Petersburg, Fla.
3. Detroit
4. Baltimore
5. Nashville, Tenn.
6. Wilmington, Del.
7. Miami
8. Memphis, Tenn.
9. Jacksonville, Fla.
10. St. Louis

This is apparently based on a large percentage of people with high blood pressure and the number of aggrivated assaults.

Tiger Treat

I got a nice little treat last night. I got home last night around 7:30 (after working more than 10 hours). My Tuesday night bible study was cancelled because everyone was too busy. So I started flipping through the channels to see what was on. I turned to channel 16 (PAX) and was hoping to watch Family Feud (I love game shows!). But it wasn't on. Baseball was on. I was really disappointed until I realized that it was a Tiger game! Oh yeah, Detroit was playing Tampa Bay! But then I was REALLY disappointed when it was only the second inning and we were down 2-1. How can this be? We lost the night before (and it wasn't close either) and we are losing again. TB is like the WORST team in baseball and we are the BEST (according to our record). But shortly after I started watching, we tied it up. A few more RBIs later and we end the inning 5-2! I was in the kitchen fixing my dinner during the third and just missed the homer by Carlos Guillen. I had to leave during the 6th inning because I accidently locked my phone and I didn't know how to unlock it. After getting it fixed I returned to and 8-3 lead. Go Tigers. After taking my shower, I got to see Guillen hit his double to complete the Cycle (I think they let him have it). I couldn't stay awake for the end, but I saw this morning that we won 10-4. That's more like it.

Summer's Nearly Over

I know you teachers and students don't want to hear it. Believe it or not, some schools down here went back in session YESTERDAY!!! Trinity starts next week. But that will all change next year. A law passed which restrict schools from starting before mid-August. I recall when it was a big deal that we started BEFORE Labor Day. But I suppose they aren't complaning when they are let out in early May. Of course now that I'm in the working world, none of that really makes a difference. If I were them, though, I think I'd rather go to school in the summer (when it's too hot to be outside anyways) and have the winters off when the weather is PERFECT.

Happy August everyone :)

Fun Fact of the Day

Did you know that the Cinderella Carousel located in the Magic Kingdom actually originated in Michigan? I was browsing through my "Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World" book and read that in 1917, the carousel was manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company for Palace Gardens in Detroit. In 1928, it was moved to New Jersey where it stayed til the mid-60s. It was discovered in 1967 by the Imagineers and rescued from demolition. It was restored and placed in Fantasyland behind Cinderella's Castle for the Grand Opening of the Magic Kingdom in 1971.

I'm Still Here!

I see that Amanda has returned to blogging. Welcome back! I'm still here, too. I know it's been awhile. I just figure you really don't want to here all the boring details of my life. I get up, go to work, come home, repeat. It's 4 weeks to the big office move to Baldwin Park. We'll be moving whether the building is finished or not (otherwise, we'll be on the street). Because we will have professional movers and they don't want anyone getting in their way, I will get TWO DAYS off work!! What on earth will I do? Any suggestions? All my friends will be working. I want to be productive and do something fun. I will have to come in on the weekend to help set everything up for business on Monday, so that rules out taking a long weekend trip. I suppose I could do an overnighter, but I am trying to save money.

Email Praise

I received the following email conversation last week:

From: Gabe Robertson (my team leader)
To: Steve Blevins (the Project Architect for this job; Amy Kushnir
Subject: Lee Roy Selmon's Bradenton

Steve Stanley sent me photos of the completed Bradenton store. He's says they are open and doing very well. I saved them to the photos directory under the job number (205394).
Gabe Robertson
--------------------
From: Steve
To: Gabe
Subject: RE: Lee Roy Selmon's Bradenton


Great work Gabe!
Thanks
Steve B.
--------------------
From: Gabe
To: Steve
CC: Amy; Jed Downs (company VP)
Subject: RE: Lee Roy Selmon's Bradenton


You should thank Amy. She's the one who did all the work.
Great job, Amy!
Gabe
--------------------
From: Steve
To: Amy
CC: Gabe, Jed
Subject: RE: Lee Roy Selmon's Bradenton


Thank you Amy for all your hard work and keeping an important client happy, like Outback.
Steve Blevins
--------------------

Needless to say, this made my day.

An Interesting Sight

Can you believe it? Two blogs in one day? But I just wanted to write about what I saw during my lunch hour.

I was driving down the road and in front of me were 3 identical black vans, each towing a small (identical) white trailor. I laughingly to myself, "hmmm, this looks like they're part of some secret government operation." I caught up with them in the other lane and noticed that they had U.S. Government plates labeled DHS and some combination of letters & numbers. I can only infer that they are from the Department of Homeland Security. It made me wonder what they were doing and where they were going.

Happy 5th of July!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Independance Day. I just have to say that for me, this year was one of the best! I didn't do anything really special. I just went over to Tiffany & Jenny's house for a little "indoor picnic". It was a small gathering (7 of us), that is, until Micelle & her family showed up. Then the numbers doubled. We ate sandwiches & strawberry shortcake. We played a game of Balderdash (I did not do very well). After dark, we went to Lake Eola to watch the fireworks. While they may not have been as well coreographed and technilogical as those put on by Disney or Universal, I thoroughly enjoyed them. We were about as close as you can safely get. I could feel every boom in my chest. It was interesting to hear the reverberation off all the tall buildings of downtown. But the best part, was just being with my friends.

I pray for safe travel as mom & dad are on their way back to America. And I pray for continued travel safety for Mike & Sonia as they continue on to Paris.

Play Ball!

Last Saturday, we had our 2nd Annual C&P/Avid Engineers Company Picnic/Softball Game. We managed to squeak out a 20-7 win against Avid. The game was a lot like last year's game. I managed to get on base once. I made it all the way around until I was forced out at home. I missed the one fly ball that came my direction in right field, but luckily it was a foul ball (so I don't feel so bad). So for the second year in a row, we don't have to see Petunia (the boar's head trophy awarded to the losing team). Lunch was catered by O'Boys BBQ (hamburgers, hot dogs, & pulled pork). I made it home just before the rains came, which pretty much washed out the rest of my weekend.

I wish safe travels for Mom, Dad, Mike & Sonia as they leave for Europe on Thursday. Have I mentioned how INSANELY jealous I am. I want to travel abroad. Turning down that trip to Australia after my junior year of HS is one of (if not the) biggest regrets of my life so far. Someday I will go. I suppose, seeing that this is my parents first trip abroad (and their in their 50s), I shouldn't be upset that I'm only 27 and haven't been outside of North America (I almost made it to Mexico once, but that's another story). But traveling is one of my favorite things to do. And at this point of my life (being young & single) it's the perfect time to go (except for the fact that I have no money - that's my biggest hinderance). There are still several places within the continental United States that I would love to visit. I've actually hit quite a few in just the last couple of years: New York City (twice), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas (once was enough, but I went twice), Miami Beach. I still want to take a cruise in the Carribbean. Everytime I take a trip to Cocoa Beach, I have to drive by Port Canaveral and see all the cruise ships. And everytime, I say to myself, "one of these days, I'm going to get on one of those boats." There are even places within Florida that I would love to visit some weekend (the Keys, the Everglades). Most of my travels have been family related - holidays, weddings, Seth. I'm somewhat anxious to take a vacation (even if it's just for the weekend) just by and for myself (maybe or two of my friends could come along) to someplace I've never been. Not that I don't love vacationing with family. Mom, you're the BEST travel partner. And I LOVE every chance I get to see my family. I miss you guys so much. I'm quite grateful that I get to see them as much as I do. I sure there are several people who don't see their families HALF as much as I do and they may only live 20 miles away (instead of 1200). But there's nothing like a good old fashioned road trip with your girlfriends. But now that most of my closest friends are now married (or engaged), that plan may not happen anytime soon. But THAT's a subject for another time.

2 Movies, A Comedian, And A Hurricane

What an interesting weekend.

Friday, I went to see "Over the Hedge". I really wanted to see "Cars", but the person I went to see a movie with (Bryan) already had plans to see it the next day with his girlfriend. It was nice to hang out again as friends and catch up on each other's lives. After the movie, we met up with his girlfriend who had tickets to see Bob Saget at a local comedy club. Apparently, one of his girlfriends friends/coworkers is Bob Saget's cousin or something. So we got to go backstage after the show to meet him. The show was ok. Is was a little raunchy for my taste (definitely a far cry from Full House), but I'm still glad I went.

Saturday, I had a eye doctor appointment in the morning. I got my eyes all checked out, ordered some new glasses and contacts. My new glasses will be here in about 2 weeks. I'm so excited. My current pair is at least 5 years old! My new ones are frameless and super light weight. I can't feel them, I can't see them. They also don't have hinges or screws and are made of this "memory metal" so that if they get bent, they'll go back to their original shape. After the appointment, I drove out to Cocoa Beach for the rest of the afternoon. It was a beautiful day. When I returned, I went to a late showing of "Cars" The movie is REALLY cool, but the people sitting next to me were SO ANNOYING! They kept commentating through the entire movie. It was a mother and two "grown" daughters, but they all sounded like children. Now I'm going to have to go see it again :)

Now for the last part of my title. Alberto is on his way to town. The first named storm of the season. It's been raining nonstop since about 8:30 this morning and this is only the beginning. But we REALLY need the rain and there's no wind (yet). So this is a good little Tropical Storm (it's not quite a hurricane yet).

60 Days & Counting

I just received word that we are scheduled to move into our new office in Baldwin Park in 60 days. So, if you are looking at your calendar, that puts moving day at August 1.

Rev. & Mrs. van Sliedrecht

Saturday was the wedding of my good friends Jon & Becky. It was a beautiful wedding. About 400 people attended the ceremony (a little over 200 were at the reception). Becky was a beautiful bride. I stood up as a second Maid of Honor, next to here twin sister (did you know that BOTH Jon & Becky are twins!)

GREAT Week

I knew things wouldn't stay bad for long. While two weeks ago was a really BAD week, this is shaping up to be a GREAT week. My car is all fixed. My best friend is getting married on Saturday. But most important of all, is that as of 3:00 this morning, I am an aunt to a beautiful baby boy. Congratulations are in order to Sam & Kristie. This day has been a LONG time waiting. If I didn't have the wedding this weekend, I'd hop in my car right now and drive up to meet my new nephew. But I suppose I can wait one more week. I got a PERFECT deal on a flight for next weekend (I was meant to come home to meet Seth).

Good As New

I got my car back this morning. It looks as good as new. You can't tell I was ever in an accident.

Pictures

Here are a few pictures I took of the damage to my car from the accident last week. The damage doesn't look that bad, just one big dent. I will be anxiously awaiting an expected call today for an update on when it will be fixed.

TGIF!!!!!

It's Friday! The week is almost over! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am fine now. I may have overreacted a little yesterday. But as long as nothing goes wrong today, I just be just fine. I'm sorry if I worried anyone.

Worst Week

This week has been nothing but pure insanity!!!! On top of work (which is most often crazy in itself) and my booked social calendar (I had something planned for every evening this week - NOT including my training for the 3-Day), it all started Sunday when I got a random call from an old friend/ex-boyfriend (or whatever label you would like to give Bryan), totally out of the blue. I've yet to figure out why he called me. With all the craziness, we've been playing an endless game of phone tag all week. Things just went downhill from there as last night on my way from our volleyball game to choir practice, I was in a car accident. No worries. I'm fine. No one was hurt. It was not my fault. Someone ran a red light and hit me. And now today, at noon, I have a dentist appointment and I think I will be getting a root canal (at least that's what they told me at my last appointment). I can't WAIT for this week to be over.

Weather Report

I heard the most interesting weather report this morning. They said, "It's going to be a great day! It's going to RAIN!" For those who may not have heard, we have been having a very big problem with brush fires. Mostly they have been in Volusia & Brevard Counties (between Cocoa & Daytona along I-95). Earlier this week there was one right by SeaWorld. For all I care, it can rain ALL week, just as long as the weekends are nice.

Birthday Video

OK, so I FINALLY figured out how to post Grandpa's birthday video on the web. Click on the Title link and it SHOULD take you right there. I am also taking orders for anyone who would like their own DVD copy. I have 25 blank DVDs.

Goin' Home Again

Well, I'm flying back up to Michigan tomorrow for Grandpa's 90th Birthday Bash. It's like deja-vu. It feels like I was just there. Oh, right, I was. It feels like I've spent more time in Michigan this month, than Orlando. I think this will be my shortest trip ever, though. I think I will be home just over 24 hours before heading back on Sunday.

Sweet Home, Michigan

Yesterday, I flew in from the Sunshine State to find, much to my surprise, more sunshine! I would have hardly thought that I had left Florida had it not been for the lack of palm trees and blooming flowers. I had a very nice flight, though. I flew AirTran for the first time. It was actually quite nice. It wasn't full. In fact, I had a whole row to myself. The plane had XM radio in the armrests, and since no one was sitting next to me, I could easily switch between the Tiger game and another music station (in between innings and whenever I got frustrated with their losing). The digital display even showed the inning, outs, and the score (so I really didn't even need to listen). Mom & Gramps were there to pick me up.

I love coming home. I don't think I could begin to describe the comforting feeling I get when I walk in the door and drop off my luggage in my old bedroom. I can't believe Dad actually asked where I was planning on sleeping. There's NO way I would sleep anywhere but MY room. After getting settled in, Mom & I went up to the loft in the barn, which had just been cleaned out (see Persevere). I couldn't believe how clean it was. I did manage to go through some of my stuff though, and found a few of my architecture textbooks to take back with me. One such book is The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice. Another book that I found wasn't a text book at all, but is vital to my career. It is the book which inspired me to become an architect. It was my FAVORITE book from my childhood. It is Need A House? Call Ms. Mouse! by George Mendoza. I loved this book. It was all about Henrietta Mouse, "an artist, a designer, a dreamer, a builder, a creator, all that and more. too." She designed homes for all her forest friends: a "spaceship" treehouse for the Squirrel, an underwater Atlantis for Trout, and a million-dollar mansion for Pig." But it was the illustrations by Doris Susan Smith that were truly captivating. I would look at this book for hours on end, then close my eyes and imagine myself living in any one of these houses.

Kaboom!

I had a LOUD awakening on Saturday morning. At about 10 after 7 in the morning, a near-by parking garage (about 1,000 feet away) was imploded. I was actually awakened at about 6:45 with all the helecoptors hovering nearby. I had planned to actually go and watch it. I mean, how often does a building get imploded right outside your front door? I had almost reached the "public viewing area" when I heard the blasts go off. I started running, but by the time I got there, all I could see was the cloud of dust. So I just went back inside to watch the replay on the news (click on the title for a video/slideshow). As it turns out, I really didn't miss much. The garage was only 4 levels high and partially obstructed by the highway. It was still kinda cool and very loud. It took all of 8 seconds for the garage to come down. This implosion is the beginning of a major road construction project to help relieve some of the traffic problems in downtown. Here's my thought on this. The project is supposed to help traffic in the long run, but during the actual construction, traffic problems or only going to be worse. And by the time they finish the project (in 3 years), there will be 10 times even MORE traffic in the area because this place is growing so fast.

The last time a building was imploded in downtown Orlando, it was actually used for a movie. If you've ever seen Lethal Weapon 3, the building that explodes in the opening sequence is the old City Hall (it was imploded in October 1991).

Oral (Surgery) Report

So here's how it went:
Becky drove me to the oral surgeon's office friday morning. We arrived at about quarter to 8 and I filled out all the forms and such. Shortly afterward, the nurse escorted me to a small room with a chair in the center of it. I sat down and they started hooking me up to all the equipment (blood pressure, pulse, etc) and started the IV. It wasn't long before I started to feel fuzzy and couldn't keep my eyes open (it was still early in the morning so I wasn't entirely awake in the first place). I remember them calling me a lightweight. The only bad thing was that I wasn't ENTIRELY out of it. I could still hear what was going on and I even felt it. I tried to make some sort of noise (but with my mouth propped open there wasn't much I could do) to signal that I was in pain, but it didn't do anything to make them stop. When I did wake up after they were finished, I was crying. Becky was unable to stay because of work, so she had called Jon who was waiting in the recovery room when I was finished. I laid down on the table, trying to control my crying, and I remember the nurse telling Jon that I was a little emotional. In an attempt to cheer me up, he proceeded to tell me of his experience with having his wisdom teeth pulled. After some time in the recovery room, they put me in a wheelchair and rolled me out to Jon's vehicle and we went home. It's a good thing that he is my neighbor and it was his day off. He took care of getting my prescription, getting me some food (yogurt, apple sauce, ice cream, etc) and just checking up on me every hour or so. I pretty much slept until about 2:00. I felt fine the rest of the day. I wasn't really in any pain (that came the next day). In fact I probably could have gone to the Piston's game like I had originally planned, but I watched on TV instead (I can't believe they lost!). Like I said, I didn't really start to feel any pain until Saturday, but it wasn't unbearable, just a little tender. I was able to get out of the house and go to a jewelry party and even an engagement party for Jon & Becky. I'm thankful for all my friends who helped me during this time, with driving me around, bringing me snacks, and just caring. Thank you for your prayers. I had no idea what to expect from this, but all in all I think it went rather well (and I'm glad it's over).

Oral Surgery

With all of Amanda's talk of her dealings with her dentist, I feel I should mention one of mine. Tomorrow morning I have an appointement with an oral surgeon to have my wisdom teeth extracted. I'm not really looking forward to it because everytime I mention it to someone, they keep giving me their horror stories about how painful it was or how sick they got. I'll say that the only thing I am looking forward to is having the whole day off work and being forced to eat ice cream and jello.

Hot, Hot HOT!!!

I know, last weekend I was complaining about the "chilly" weather. It was actually a beautiful weekend. I was still able to lay out by the pool and work on my tan. I was only out for about an hour before I felt myself beginning to burn then went inside. Even though the air was on the cool side, the full sunshine is still quite intense. This weekend, however, it will be near 90! The good news though, is that the humidity will be way down (less than 50%). There's been much talk about the dry air and how it increases the threat for brush fires. While I understand their concern, I'm still not complaining. The low humidity makes SUCH a difference.

Last Game

This weekend I attended my last Tiger game of the season. It was a cool day (62 at gametime), but PLENTY of sunshine (it was nearly 70 by the end of the game). While I didn't have any guests with me this weekend, I didn't let it hinder me from having a good time. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I could come and go on my own schedule. Like halfway through the game when I decided to leave my regular seat and go sit on the berm in left field. There I could just lay in the full sunshine (and the berm just happened to block most of the wind, too). What of course made it a good game was the 4-0 victory over the Washington Nationals. The Tigers are off to a great start. They are 16-11 which puts them in 3rd place in the American League and tied for 4th in the Spring Training Grapefruit League. Will the Tigers actually have a winning season this year???

The Last Cool Down?

Another cold front moved through yesterday. I hope this is the last we will see of the cool temperatures. I'm sure you don't want to hear me complain because I'm sure you'd all wish for these "cool" temperatures. I woke up to only 62 degrees! Tonight, it's actually supposed to get down into the upper 40s. And it will only be 70 for the game tomorrow (but it's still supposed to be clear & sunny - perfect for tanning). But considering that it has been in the 80s (and near 90 on some days), these temperatures are "relatively" much cooler. I'm really not complaining. This weekend will actually be PERFECT weather. Before long, it's going to be so hot and muggy that I will wish it to be only 70.

A Baseball Weekend

This weekend was a baseball filled weekend. I attended two, yes TWO, Tigers baseball games. The first was on Saturday against the Dodgers. It was a beautiful day, not one cloud in the sky. Our seats were like 6 or 7 rows right behind home plate. We were up 2-0 which included a LONG GONE home run by Craig Monroe. I thought we had clinched the win, that is, until the 9th inning when with 2 errors, we lost the lead and the game 3-2. It was disappointing, but I quickly got over it. It's just entertainment and I had a good time.

On sunday, we only had to travel as far as Kissimmee to watch the game at the home of the Houston Astros. Their stadium is a lot smaller than Joker Marchant Stadium, but there were still plenty of seats available. This game however, we were able to pull off a 5-2 victory over the Astros!

It's Baseball Season!

Yesterday, I kicked off my 2006 Detroit Tigers Spring Training baseball season down in Lakeland, Florida for a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a beautiful day, 81 degrees with a few clouds to keep me from getting too hot at times. I still got a sunburn, even though I put on sunscreen. It's not bad though. It doesn't hurt, it's just a little pink and it will eventually turn to tan. The only bad thing was that they lost 3-1, but it was still fun. Those 3 runs were scored in the first 3 innings and we held them for the rest of the game. I have 3 games left this season (two this coming weekend). GO TIGERS!

Immortal Combat

This was the theme for the LCMS Florida/Georgia District High School Youth Gathering this past weekend in Jacksonville. I'm curious to know if other districts had this same theme (though I'm sure their gatherings aren't until the summer). We had 11 teenagers (plus two other adults who liked to act like teenagers at times). The focus of the gathering was all about spiritual warfare and how to adequately arm ourselves. Our weapon is the "Sword of the Spirit", i.e. the Bible. One of the fun things we did was to design "war paint" on someone in our small group studies.


For our servant event, everyone went to a local park to assemble and distribute boxes of food to needy families.

This was the largest gathering to date for the district - 550 kids! I'm sure to other larger LCMS districts, this number may not seem all that impressive, but for our small district, it's pretty good. We maxed out the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel & Convention Center in Jacksonville. A good time was had by all, and I pray that the kids walked away with a new perspective.

Youth Gathering

This weekend I am helping to chaperone the LCMS Florida/Georgia District Youth Gathering in Jacksonville. We have 11 kids attending (8 boys/3 girls) from Trinity. It should be a lot of fun. I'll have more to report when I get back.

Fat Tuesday

Our administrative assistant brought in a bunch of donuts, muffins, and fruit this morning. Since she went through the trouble of bringing this stuff in for us, I have to do my part and partake. But no worries mom, I'm offsetting the custard filled donut with a bunch of grapes.

Honorable Mention

Earlier this week, Becky asked me to stand up in her wedding as a 2nd Maid of Honor (next to her sister). I of course was honored by this. I wasn't expecting to stand up at all, especially since she had already chosen her bridesmaids about a month ago. But we were driving to the craft store to pick out paper for their invitations that I had designed when she asked. I immediately accepted.

Single Awareness Day

Last night, I was invited to dinner with my friends Tiffany, Stephanie, & Jenny to celebrate Single Awareness Day (the alternative to Valentine's Day). While it wasn't any place fancy (Chipotle), it was still a lot of fun and way better than staying late at work and then going home to spend the evening alone.

Today was a good day. I helped lead music during chapel at Trinity before heading to work. I spent much of the afternoon on a road trip to and from Lake Mary (about 20 miles north of Orlando) to submit a project for permit (the project which has caused me to put in some overtime, without extra pay, over the past few days). Now I am heading to The Way at church.

The Big CH-CH-CHILL

OK, I know you're all going to scoff at me for complaining, but it got REALLY cold last night (and this morning). The temperature in my apartment dipped below 65 and I was forced to turn on the heat. Temperatures dropped near freezing (and even lower in the areas outside of the city). I was worried that I might of had to scrape frost off of my car windows (I have an ice scraper that was in my car when I moved down here - luckily I haven't had to use it yet). I sure hope this is the last cold spell. It's really going to take a toll on the citrus crop at people's beautiful flowers. One of the reasons I moved to Florida was to get away from the cold. Well, the sunshine has helped to raise the temperature into the mid-50s and it's going to be near 80 by the weekend (let's pray it stays there).

Dee-Troit Basket-Ball

Last night, I went to the TD Waterhouse Arena to watch the Detroit Pistons take on the Orlando Magic. I went with my new friend Stephanie (5th grade teacher at Trinity & fellow Michigander) as well as Jen & her crew (Brandon, Isabel, & her mom). It was a lot of fun. It was my first professional basketball game EVER! I'll admit that the NBA is my least favorite professional sport, but going to the game was way better than watching it on tv. You may ask if it was wierd to be cheering for the opposing team, but there were just as many (if not MORE) Pistons fans than Magic fans. Everywhere I looked I saw Pistons jerseys (including an Isaiah Thomas jersey) and even a few Red Wing jerseys. To make things even more interesting, as we were leaving the arena, I ran into Bryan. Of course I stopped to say hi. All in all it was a great night. I hope to go again April 7.

Apple Picking

Women are like apples. The best ones are at the top ofthe tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree. Share this with women who are good apples, even those who have already been picked!

Jen sent this forward to me today. It really made my day.

The Sweatshop

Throughout the course of the day, our little group has been mulling ideas around for what to call ourselves besides "Annex #2". Some ideas included "Studio 2" and "The Gulag". But one coworker thought we should be called "The Sweatshop". This name is appropriate today as the A/C is broken. It's cooler and more comfortable outside, at 76 degrees, than in here (with no windows for ventilation). Supposedly, it won't be fixed until Monday. So we'll be sweating over our work both physically and metephorically. I just hope everyone remembers to wear deodorant.

On The Bandwagon

It seems like everyone is jumping on the Engagement Bandwagon. Within a month of each other, my two best friends BOTH got engaged (Jen on New Year's Eve and Becky over the weekend). But, you won't see me hitching a ride any time soon. That would require actually dating someone and dating him for at least one year. I am very happy for my newly engaged friends. I wish them a long, loving, Christ-centered life together. God's blessings to Jen & Brandon and Becky & Jon.

Moving Day

This afternoon, about a dozen of us are moving into Annex #2 (about 2 blocks away from the main office). We are rapidly outgrowing our current space, but the new office in Baldwin Park just started construction and won't be finished til August (at the earliest). I walked over to the place yesterday. There's not much to see. It's a little shack with no windows. But it's only temporary (for the next 6 months or so). This is the second annex. The first one opened about a year and a half ago next door. Our firm is up to 99 persons, which is practically double what it was when I started 3 years ago. And we keep hiring more! One would wonder why we hire more bodies than the building can hold. At this rate, we're going to outgrow our new office before we ever move in!

A Prayer for Beth

If you have a chance today, please pray for Beth Schumacher, Jen's aunt and member of our church. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple weeks ago and is having surgery this afternoon.

A Funny Thing Happened...

A funny thing happened at church on Sunday. I was sitting up in the balcony because the choir had to sing. After we finished our songs, I thought I'd go downstairs and sit with my family for the rest of the service. So, during the sermon hymn, I gathered my things and made my way downstairs. I was about 2 steps from the bottom when my feet went out from under me. Down I went, right on my butt. The ushers heard the loud thump and came rushing over, probably thinking I was one of the old ladies. I was so confused as to what could have made me fall, when I look about two feet away and see the heel of my favorite pair of shoes. The ushers helped me up and to gather my things. I then hobbled my way to my family's pew. It's not easy to walk when one heel is 3" higher than the other one. I am sad to have to throw away my favorite pair of shoes, but they were about 10 years old.

Forgetfullness

I'd think I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on tight enough. I've been so forgetful the past couple of days. On Wednesday, I was halfway to church after work, when I realized that I left some forms that I need to hand in so I could chaperone the District High School Youth Gathering. Several times I tried to leave work without my purse or my keys. I'm blaming it on my head cold. Not enough oxygen is reaching my brain.

Go, Go, Go Joseph

Last night I went to see "Joseph & the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat". It was quite a good production. Very "colorful". I think this is the third professional production I've seen. It's always interesting (at least to me) to see the differences between the production such as sets, costumes, and small nuances. For instance in this production, when the audience is introduced to Jacob, he's talking on a cell phone. If I had one critical thing to say about it, it would be that during several of the "Big Dance Numbers" there was so much going on between the principal dancers, those in the background, and the kids, I wasn't sure what to focus my eyes on.

A Phone Story

So you want to know what happened to my phone? Well, I didn't drop it in the toilet. When I went to Cantata rehearsal last Thursday night, I was getting out of my car and grabbing all my stuff, but I couldn't find my phone anywhere. It wasn't in my purse, it wasn't in any of my pockets, it wasn't laying anywhere in the car. I didn't worry about it too, much because I just figured that I had left it at home (though I was pretty sure I grabbed it in the morning) or else it's on my desk at work. When I got home, I looked all over my apartment, but couldn't find it. So, I must have left it at work. When I got to work Friday morning, my phone was not anywhere near my desk. Now I'm starting to freak out a little bit. I went out to my car again to look for thoroughly. Nothing. When I came back in, one of my coworkers sent out an email around the office asking if anyone had lost a phone. He had found one in the parking lot the night before. So I went over to his desk, "it's my phone!". The outside casing was a bit scratched up, but more or less it looked like my phone. I flipped it open and quickly noticed that the screen looked different. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the LCD screen had cracked and nothing was visible. The phone still worked in that I could still call people, but I could not see who I was calling or access my contacts or anything. So, that is why I had to get a new phone. I dropped it in the parking lot and it probably got ran over by a car.

Busy Bee

I know, I know I haven't posted in a while. So much has been going on that it has left little time to post. Well, Wednesday was my birthday, the big 2-7! Between work and choir practices, I barely had time to celebrate. But Becky took me out to lunch, I received two separate Birthday deliveries from my parents at work (a bouquet of flowers and a beautiful necklace). After work it was straight to church for The Way band practice and Choir rehearsal. I finally got home around 9ish when I ate dinner (leftovers from lunch) and fixed my self a peppermartini (that's a peppermint flavored martini - though it does tasted a little like cough syrup until I watered it down - leftover from New Year's). Friday was our annual Epiphany Cantata. It went pretty well (a few trouble spots in the middle) and MUCH better than the full rehearsal we had the previous night. Saturday I had to get a new cell phone (that's a whole other story in itself), then I got a haircut and took down all my Christmas decorations. Sunday I taught my very first sunday school lesson to 3rd & 4th graders by watching parts of Fiddler on the Roof. So now it is monday again and all my weekly activities (some of which were on hiatus for the holidays) are back in full swing, beginning with a Youth Board meeting tonight at 7.

Thank You

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes! Yes, today is my 27th Birthday. I thank God for all that he has blessed me with in the last 27 years. I'm afraid I won't have the most exciting birthday as I have to work, then go to Way practice, then to Choir practice and finally get home around 9. I probably will celebrate with a piece of leftover cheesecake from New Years (and perhaps invite over a few of my neighbors if they are still up). Gone are the days when I could invite my entire class to Showbiz Pizza, sit on a throne with my birthday crown, and be sung to by an oversized bear who plays a guitar.