Swing, Batta' Batta'

Well, all the way through college there were multiple opportunities to go to Dodger games and TMC baseball games. I never chose to go and offered up multiple explanations to excuse myself from participating in the sport but I'm about to give you the unabridged, E True Hollywood story. I never went because I always thought of baseball as long and boring. I mean let's face it...it doesn't have the bone crunching action of football now, does it? Now, I conceed that it takes GREAT skill to play the sport. I just don't find it particularly riveting.

However, I became the "ticket table" girl at church this last Sunday for a Sky Sox game that our church was getting tickets for. In the course of fulfilling my various tasks (taking money, counting people, etc) I also decided to throw caution to the wind and attend. After all, I would be in good company and I can't really say I dislike something until I try it, right? Right.

So this Friday night, off to the game I went...and I discovered I was right all along. It was a long and boring game but it was very fun to sit and talk with my friends throughout the game and enjoy the fireworks after. I can't complain about that. But I do think that the guy that makes comfortable bleachers will make a million dollars...

I had the typical baseball game experience complete with singing "Take me Out to the Ball Game". The only thing I didn't do is eat a hot dog at the game...I hate hot dogs so why spend the money just for a good photo op? Here's some pictures from the momentous occasion!

Tracy, Holly and I get ready to enter the stadium...I decide to pretend I am a diva. Pretty convincing, eh?

I was really there, folks...

Pastor Lance (aka Ansel Adams), Leighann and little Lukey. I love this little guy!

Need some peanuts or craker jacks? This guy is your man!

I discovered I like Gatorade..and other important items

Hello all of you out there in the blog reading community... Good to talk at you again! :)

A few things of interest (hopefully)...

1. I've been meeting with my friends Tracy and Holly to go through Elisabeth George's book, "Loving God with All Your Mind". We finished up last week (sniff!) and given the fact they are teachers and stuff, they are taking off to go home for the month of July. This finished up the last weekly commitment I have until Fall when Lifegroup, choir, and everything else starts up again. I thought I'd make mention of it because in my life, it's rare that I actually FINISH everything I start and it feels good to have finished the book and talking it through with my friends. I highly recommend it! BTW, sorry for the fuzziness of the picture...I'm supa' sad it came out so unfocused, but maybe we can think of it as artistic?? Thanks a million! :)

2. Our friend Mark got a job in Denver and is moving in mid-July. To send him off in style with the whole gang, we had a bar-b-que in Garden of the Gods and played a little frisbee golf late into the night. It was a ton of fun...except the frisbee golf part where we were tramping through tall weeds and foliage and crossing our fingers that there were no snakes or other unpleasant creature under our feet...Here's a few pictures...

Here's the gang: from the back of the picnic table all the way around - Bart, Amy, Tracy, Holly (around the tree stump) Eric, Anthony, Mark (in front of the tree stump) Julianne, Kate.

Bart, Tracy and Amy (what a great name!)

Isn't the view beautiful? This is what makes all the crazy CO weather worth it!

3. One of the things I miss most about being in California is garage sale-ing with my friends Greg and Niki. We made such a great team...Greg was the expert parallel parker, Niki took care of navigating, and I brought the "Are you sure you don't have room for that awfully cute, extremely well priced item?" dimension to the group. I did get to a few sales last weekend with my roommate, though and it felt good to get back in the game :) Our garage sale adventures included my roommate Anne saying, "Garage sales? That's better than Wal-mart!" In any case, on our way to lunch, we stumbled across a garage sale where I bought the below item for...guess how much? Only $10! I plan to either distress it or repaint it and add some new hardware to make it more "amy-ish". I'm stoked!

No more teacher, no more books...

So, it's been almost 5 years since I graduated from college. Whoa, where does the time go?? There was a lot of pressure on me as an incoming freshman to choose my major and start my coursework in style (they obviously didn't know the style I possessed naturally).

At some point between applying to the college and actually attending it I changed my major from Teacher Education to Biblical Counseling. Now, as I watch my roommate-the-teacher prepare for her vacation of 5 days and the responsibilities of her job over and done with I am left to wonder if perhaps I made a hasty choice?

Granted, the field of life insurance of which I am now a part is so COMPLETELY related to counseling that I am certain my major was not misjudged. What the heck are we doing, people?

I, unlike most people, didn't change majors during college. I was told I would go through several majors before finding the right one. Once again, "they" proved themselves woefully inept at knowing my stellar loyalty to any given task I pick up... :) I stuck with counseling all the way through and graduated in all my laude something-or-other glory!

Sidebar: why in the world can't we use regular languge in graduation ceremonies? And doesn't MAGNA cum laude seem much higher an honor than SUMA cum laude? When I think "magna" I think of the Magna Carta and the word Magnificent. When I think "suma" all that comes in my head (and quickly out again) is the image of sumo wrestlers...ew.

On the other hand...teachers work harder than anyone I know - maybe they deserve the break? The knowlege doesn't make it any easier, believe me I know, but it takes all types to make the world go 'round. Yeah, you just keep tellin' yourself that...

A Night of Reckoning...

Last night, my roommate Anne and I headed out to Fountain to a BBQ. Our friend Julie was hosting it because she was house sitting out there. We arrived starving and ready to start our weekend off...

I discovered a few things about myself that I would like to share with you...

1. I hate mesquitos (sp?). ..but apparently they like ME. Also, citronella (sp?) candles are a joke. I saw a mesquito fly straight up next to it and he looked none the worse for wear. Also, while we are on the subject, I have to ask myself (along with Mr. Seinfeld), "What flavor is mesquite? Do they make it from mesquitos?"

2. I am remarkably good at badmitton. You would think from the name, that I wouldn't have been good at all, but that's where you would be wrong.

3. I love playing volleyball with a badmitton net that sags in the middle. It makes me an INCREDIBLE overhand server. :)

4. Burgers taste better on the grill than when you make them at home in the broiler.

5. I still have an active dislike for watermelon. Anne gasped when I admitted this and made me try another piece of it. I took the smallest bite in the world, which solidified my position. Sorry, melons aren't my thing!

Anne and I left just in time to see an incredible sunset. We pulled of the side of the road to get the picture (see the antennae on the left?)...

Now, comes the reason for the title of this post. As we got on the I-25 to head back home, there was a truck in the lane to the left of us and just a little ahead of us. All of a sudden, I saw this thing hurtling toward us. At the time I thought it was a dirt bag or something flying out of the guys truck. Nope! Turns out it was a DEER! The truck hit it and the deer split in half, the head half flew through the air and into our lane but thankfully had enough velocity so that I didn't hit it. Praise the Lord!

When that half of the deer zoomed through our lane, though it left a bloody and gutsy mess in it's wake which splattered all over my windshield and the front of my car. Ew, ew and double ew! At this point, I was still unsure what had happened (how did a DIRT BAG get all over my windshield and why does it look like blood?) and I screeched to Anne in the passenger seat, "What do I DO??" At the time my visability was severely diminished (as you might imagine). Anne calmly told me to just wash it off with my windshield wipers. I'm glad she was there or I might have driven blind all the way back home!

Our first item of business when we got back to our town was no longer to get home and relax but to find the nearest carwash. Shell station to the rescue! If I had the presence of mind, I might have snapped a few before photos so you could experience the grossness with me, but alas! I didn't. Maybe that was my subconscious again....:)

All in all, it was an experience that I will remember, but I'm thankful that we not only didn't get hurt, but that my car reflexs are sharp as a cat! :)

Yep, still alive!

And I'm not talking about me (although I am alive, well and typing this blog...). I'm talking about Herbert the plant. I haven't killed him yet!!

Now, to be honest, Herbie might have been dead by now if it wasn't for the fact that he is on the porch with all ANNE's plants, which she waters faithfully and some of that watering miiiight have gotten into Herbies planter by accident. Hey, can I help it if she's willy nilly with the water?! Then again, since Anne is so good at watering flowers, maybe subconsiously I know that and therefore subconsiously I "let go and let Anne". :) Wow, my subconscious is pretty active, eh?

So, I apologize for being remiss as to wait so long to show you Herbert's growth, but I think you'll agree that it was worth the wait. I do feel compelled to tell you that Herbie has outgrown his "straw aparatus" and has moved on to some wicker croquet hooky lookin' things. Anne's mother donated them to me (and to Herbie) as a gift...Herbie is very thankful for them as now he is able to climb upward towards the warm rays of the sun. :)

Oh! P.S. - Anne's Aunt Lois donated a really cute pink flowering plant to me! I feel as if I have been commissioned by the plant community (as it were). You can see it to the left of Herbie in the plant "group shot" above...

And.....Cut!

Here's a few additional pictures from the Washington trip... Sarah and I were determined to have some fun pictures together at the end of the trip. Mission accomplished! :)

This was taken at the Memorial Day Picnic. I've never been so graceful on a scooter. Trust me.

I guess we have the rolling tongue gene?!?!

Me...looking excited as directed. :)