I'm here to bestow on you a very, very important lesson.
Don't leave a wine bottle in the freezer.
We had some friends over for dinner last night and ran out of white wine that was chilled. I put a very classy bottle of Two Buck Chuck in the freezer for a jump start in cooling, then was going to switch it to the fridge.
Whoops.
I forgot.
So, just now as I went to get out something for lunch, I found this bottle:
Here's the crazy part- it uncorked itself. Yep. Apparently Mr. Shaw did not appreciate the pressure change in my freezer.
There's your helpful hint on this Thursday afternoon.
1. College students. I know that's not a shock to most of you, but I'll say it again. Heck, I'll SCREAM it. I LOVE COLLEGE STUDENTS. And know what's cool about getting to know people when they are college students? Some of them keep you around for a long time even after college. Today, I got to hang with one of my favorites... from 9 years ago.
David, back row, third in from the left, somehow hasn't been able to shake me. We met his freshman year at UNC when I was the College Minister. Not only did we fall in love with David, but he fell in love with us. I was able to hang with his sweet, social self... and Dan? Well, Dan was able to hang with his (ahem) nerdy self. (Come on, David, you know it's true.) The three of us formed quite a unique bond and haven't been able to get rid of each other yet. His precious wife came in the mix a few years back... well, we met her when she was his crush then his girlfriend... let me tell you, they are a perfect mix. Today, they were in town with a family member who was being seen at Baptist and I got to have 30 good minutes of David and Sarah time. Joy of Joys.
2. Shopping. I won't lie... I love it. I love it for me, I love it for you. Right now, I love it for kids. While I was at Target getting the final stuff for our trip, I made sure that Tinkerbell was stocked for the treats she leaves in our room. She also found some things for some friends going to Disney in another week, and both of us (me and Tink) got pretty excited about it. (My love language? Gifts. Shocking.)
you sassy pixie, you...
3. The smell of my Mom's lasagna. It's what's for dinner.
4. Seeing weather.com tell me that Monday it'll be 74 degrees where I'll be.
5. That I have multiple amazon.com boxes of Jen Hatmaker's books to take to MOMS tomorrow.
6. Brewing a fresh pot of coffee in the afternoon. Thanks, Jenny Pie, for the amazing treat.
7. That try as I might, when I need to get a whole list of things done, I still feel like it's exam week and I'm procrastinating... now by blogging.
8. Wrapping presents. (See #2)
9. That E sang "Cruella DeVille" on the way home from school and immediately needed to watch the movie.
10. iTunes. It's what procrastination is next. Gotta have some good tunes for our upcoming car ride.
I am leaving in a few hours to go home to be with Mary and Daddy... Mary has been admitted to the Hospice Care center in Asheville. The last week has been an emotional roller coaster. So, to distract my brain before I head out, I thought I'd give you a distraction, too.... (Why on earth do you people continue to read this crap?)
Ahem...
1. I changed my passwords recently to my "big" accounts, and now I can't remember what they are. So I change them again. And then can't remember what they are. (Vicious cycle, repeat repeat.)
2. I sent someone an email today about being able to kiss Jon Stewart flat-footed, because he's so short. Three things about this you should realize: a. I know how tall he is, b. I may or may not have thought through what kissing him would entail, c.my husband is not super tall, so I kinda stand flat-footed to kiss him, too.
3. I love the smell, look, and feel of a clean house. Sadly, mine doesn't make it there often enough.
4. I read, on average, one book a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. That's why it's called "average".
5. I did better at math than verbal on my SAT. Weird, huh?
6. One of my best gifts ever was in 2001 when, for my birthday, people wrote me letters about our friendship. I'm thinking about asking for that again. You have 33 days, people... get to writing.
7. My BFF from high school and I are going to be together on Saturday night. Watch out, we might roll your yard.
8. Speaking of... my mom drove me to the house for the first yard I ever rolled. Along with some friends. On a morning, on the way to school.
9. In addition to Jon Stewart, right now I am in love with a 2 month old baby boy named Will. I almost kidnapped him last night, then again today.
10. I get fired up when I hear that people underpay babysitters. (Friend keeping Elizabeth tomorrow afternoon? This does not apply to you. :) Thanks!)
11. I am horrible about getting books then not reading them. This does not apply to fiction. This is only "real" books that make me "think". I blame the Book Table at Windy Gap for starting this bad habit.
12. I am having a Christmas Party this year complete with a Wind Quintet. And I am not joking.
13. I pulled out my 2002-2003 calendar this week and have been reading it like it's a novel. I can tell you when I went to Chili's with Heather, when I had my "first date" with Laurie, when I went to Lucky 32 with Carrie and Brian, and when I passed out and spent the morning in the ER.
14. I keep all my old calendars. (Need a good read? I'll gladly let you check one out.)
15. I love office supplies.
16. I hate coconut.
17. I don't use the phrase "LOL" but I actually do it a lot when reading things.
18. I do, however, use that dern smiley face a lot. :) And it kinda gets on my nerves. :)
19. When I get attached to college students and they leave college ministry, I mourn.
20. I hate cancer.
Stay tuned, people... there's always more to come. (Seriously... why do you keep reading this? I am a waste of your time.)
I had a conversation with someone recently about how so many people we know (or vaguely know) seem to spend a lot of time "Putting on Airs". It's amazing how we want people to think certain things about us, whether they are true or not....
This made me think of a conversation that my college roommate and I used to have about wondering what people were really thinking. My roomie said she wished we all had signs across our foreheads that told everyone else what was really going on in our minds. I said I was glad that we didn't. Hee hee...
So, for a Monday afternoon activity, put your "Airs" aside and comment about what's really going on in your sweet little head. Tell us who you really are... when all the masks are off.
I'll start:
I'm a Momma who questions her parenting constantly, then feels comfortable with her decisions, then gets jacked up again. I love my husband tons and love my marriage more. I want you to like me, and I want to make you laugh. I am constantly "behind" and often disorganized. But overall, I think I'm a good time.
I've heard two references lately to this new Facebooking-Tweeting-Blogging Generation and how we all think that what we have to say is so important that we must share it with the world- immediately.
In that vein, I give you:
VERY IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW (right now.)
1. I am on the constant search for the World's Most Perfect Pen.
2. I am on the constant search for the Best Way Our Furniture Should Be Arranged, too.
3. My first kiss sent me an email about a year ago referencing that he was my first kiss. But I'm not sure I ever told him he was... which leads me to believe it was obvious.
4. I had 8 roommates before Dan. Unless you count Noah, who thought he was our roommate, and that would make it 9.
5. I was not "allowed" to wear skirts to school until high school. Well, maybe middle school. Now E won't wear anything but skirts or dresses. Weird.
6. Elizabeth has no idea we pay babysitters. She thinks she just has some older friends who choose to hang out with her. And I will let her believe this as long as I can.
7. Speaking of babysitters, I kinda get annoyed when people take advantage of other people to be babysitters. It's kind of my soapbox. Yes, your parents probably love keeping your kids. Yes, your sister wants to see her niece and nephew. Yes, your friends without children likely enjoy being entertained by your hilarious children. But... pay a sitter, people. (And, before I get flack for this... yes, I get that sitters are expensive. I'm not saying you should do it all the time. I'm just saying that there should be some sort of system in place so you don't take advantage of special people in your life. At least have a system where you swap sitting with your friends. Barter or something.)
8. Yes, I'm happy to keep your children. That wasn't what I meant in #7. Zeesh.
9. Yes, I tend to say the wrong things and offend my friends. (I can't tell you how many of you I've seen since this who have asked me if you hurt my feelings back then.)
10. Speaking of babysitters, I had one when I was little that used to make me and Chris (my brother) play in the yard while she sunbathed. If we came too close to the deck, she would spray us with a water hose. She also loved to listen to this while she sunbathed:
I'm not sure that was appropriate babysitting music, but it was fun times.
11. We would have likely been better off with a grandparent babysitting. Likely Grandmother and Granddaddy wouldn't spray us with water hoses.
12. My brother did not decide to call me by my actual name until... well... now? And it still sounds weird to hear him say "Becky".
13. I bounced my first check when I was a sophomore in college. It was written to the UNC Clefhangers. Thankfully, my friend Brad was the treasurer, so it was less embarrassing than it could have been.
14. I wanted to be a writer from the time I could write. In fact, in second grade I wrote this book...
about a girl named Elizabeth Johnston. Weird.
15. I've had 2 friends read my journals. Scary. So now, I just put it online for all of you to see.
16. I think my dog totally understands what I say to him.
17. I have a closet in my bedroom with nothing but shoes in it.
18. I would take a bath (vs. shower) 9 times out of 10 if I could. Except I don't like washing my hair in the bathtub.
19. I used to have a recurring nightmare about having to fight a cowboy robot. I had it every time I was sick. I usually won, unless I was really sick.
20. I cannot fall asleep at night without reading.
There you have it. 20 things you learned about me... and there's 2 minutes of your life you won't get back.
