Max and the Maxima

I think we almost got a dog today. I say "think" because I'm not sure we would have completed the transaction, but I'm fairly certain.

A couple from church has two dogs, but just had a baby and can't handle both. They were looking to give one away, a Jack Russell mix named Max. Yesterday, Pete and I found out that they still hadn't found a home for him, so we talked about it for a while and decided to look into taking him. We were supposed to go by our friends' house tonight, but I got a call after church saying one of their friends already claimed him. The friend met Max yesterday and the couple didn't think she was interested, but she called today and said she would take him. I guess it wasn't meant to be just yet. I'm more disappointed than I thought I would be and spent a portion of the afternoon seeing if there are any others in the area in need of a good home. I found a few, but I'm not sure of the details and don't know what Pete will think yet. (He's working right and hopefully he won't read this before I run that by him.) If we did get a dog, we'd like to know it's been taken care of and isn't vicious or something. I'd really like to get one from someone we know, but we'll see how it all pans out.

I'm also attaching a picture of the Maxima that Lynn and Christa (aunt and uncle) gave us. I enjoy driving it a lot, and I'm particularly fond of the sunroof. :)

Bye to my perfect little car

Below is an illustration of my mood today, the day after I wrecked my car. My old reliable '93 Corolla was smashed on each end yesterday, and I think it's totaled. Pete was talking about fixing it, but I'm not sure yet.

I was on my way to Goodwill yesterday (shortly after saying to myself, "I've been inside too long; I think I'll go to Goodwill") when I noticed the car in front of me slowing down really fast. I think someone ahead was turning. I couldn't stop in time and smashed into them, and the guy behind me hit me, mashing my trunk in to reveal the vacuum cleaner en route to said destination. I hit my head on the steering wheel, requiring another trip to the dry cleaners (darn wool) to get a couple of bloody spots off.

Thankfully, the couple and their little kid behind me were OK and their car was driveable. Mine was not. I guess the car in front of me was fine, too, because whoever was inside drove off after briefly pulling over and, I guess, making sure no one died or something.

At any rate, it took the cops a while to get there, then it took the wrecker forever to get there. I did get to sit inside an EMS vehicle, but got the icky news that I needed stitches. We missed urgent care hours by literally a minute and I had to go to the ER, which I'm sure won't be cheap. At least they gave me some Saltine packets and a mini can of Diet Shasta Twist Lime Lemon (not Lemon Lime). I had ugly blue stitches sticking out of my ... whatever the part above your eyelid but below your eyebrow is called ... for one of my interviews for work today. It's still bruised, but no biggie. They should be out by Monday.

But the really good news is that my aunt and uncle are extremely generous and letting me and Pete have their '95 Maxima that they take wonderful care of. I can't thank them enough. If we can't fix my Toyota, I'll miss it dearly, but I think we can get used to cruise control and a sunroof.

I hate that all this happened, but it's a blessing that no one was hurt and that I have an amazingly supportive family.

New discoveries

I made an exciting discovery today when I got home from work. I don't recall hearing them before, but while I was taking the trash out earlier, I heard church bells! Maybe that's the first time I've been outside right on the hour.

I also came to the disappointing realization that I'll never get rid of these:

... The endless, annoying supply of advertisements and coupons that come in the mail every other day. Occasionally I like to see what's on sale, so that's OK, but we rarely eat out, so all of those coupons go straight to the trash. I'm also sick of the credit card and cell phone offers. (I would have a picture of that, too, but I already shredded the one I got today.) No, I will not open immediately, and no, this "current resident" does not want your "free" phone. ...

So if you ever read my previous blog (the Life After Undergrad one), I wrote about being an aspiring runner. I was going to follow these podcasts called "Couch Potato to 5K" and work on my endurance, but that never happened.

Instead, I have decided to Zumba! My aunt and uncle bought me some DVDs for my birthday, and yesterday was my first time trying them out. My hip action doesn't exactly mirror the instructors', but I'll get there. I did it for about an hour and a half yesterday, and today my sore legs made me walk funny at work. That means it works! ... And that I didn't stretch enough at the end.

Check out a sample video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOpXuHL9RM4&feature=relmfu

3 months, 4 paragraphs

I've failed once more at providing a timely update, but such is life. I'll break it down by month. (And in case you're counting, these two lines don't count toward the number of paragraphs cited in my subject line.)

December was a white Christmas in MN, meaning 30+ inches of snow, scarf shopping with Pete's mom and a rousing game of Cranium. (Pete and I won!) The five days we were there went by waaaay too fast. Oh, and I got to see a Christmas tree ornament Pete made when he was little. Can I get a collective "Awwww"? ... The dog pictured is Nick and Chanda's. Her name is Lucy. I guess that makes her my cousin-in-law, or something to that effect.

And since I can't decide whether this goes in December or January, I'll also mention the New Year's party at Sara's. (The picture isn't exactly in focus, but that's probably how most of the party's attendees remember it anyway.) I was personally a party pooper and got tired way too soon, at which point I realized how just loud people can be when they've had a lot to drink. I also had to work the next day, which is never fun, but I got to write about the first baby born in the New Year in Union County. :)

January included perhaps the best retro birthday party ever. It was a great mix of my different friends, complete with candy, games and clothes from our childhood. I liked Ashley's get-up the best. She had Care Bear pajamas, and the best part was that she just got them a couple of years ago. We played Twister and Battleship, drank punch out of silly straws and gave prizes (a paddleball game and glow-in-the-dark stars) for the best outfit. We also played Rock Band, which isn't really retro, but it was fun anyway.

Feb. 3 was Seth's 18th birthday. Last weekend, we went to TN and threw him a surprise party because Mom said this is her last chance before he goes off to college. He's never been into birthday parties, but was actually surprised and gave a great "toast." I can't believe he's already graduating this year. That just means more road trips to Nashville, assuming he goes to the Auto Diesel School there. ... Oh, and I know he's kissed his girlfriend, Lydia, before, but I actually saw it in person and it was strange for me. One of those things you can't prepare yourself for, especially when it's your younger brother who you used to push around in a laundry basket. I like Lydia a lot, though.

Here comes Santa Claus

Pete and I leave for MN next Thursday. I can't believe Christmas is that close. It seems like just yesterday that I complained about it being 90 degrees by 10 a.m. Now I'm sad that most of our trees are bare.

It will be weird to spend Christmas away from home. Last Thanksgiving was my first time not at home, and before that, my first Easter and birthday away. But the plan is to switch families each year, and I'm really looking forward to a white Christmas. Snow cream, anyone? I don't think they do that in the North.

I also realized how many more Christmas cards two families and a Bible study group require. To date, we have mailed 51 cards and I'm sure there will be some stragglers. I also decided to mail cards to a few of my interviewees -- the ones whose stories really inspire me and make me look forward to my job. ...

Thanks to Mom and Michael's, I did a little decorating and decided that I'm wearing gloves next time I hang garland. It's a pain in the butt, and Scotch tape fails at keeping it on the mantle. I was trying to avoid holes in the mantle, but Pete finally put them in anyway so the garland can hang with wire.

You'll also notice some random pictures of a Hershey's cocoa can. I brought it from Hilda's when I moved, thinking, "Well, I can't find an expiration date, but it's cocoa, so it should be fine." A few weeks ago, I was looking at the back where you can order a recipe book. The offer expired in 1989. ... I can't believe I used it in my chili.

Pete and I were going to keep it as a conversational piece, but I threw it away a couple of weeks later when I cleaned house. ...

Oh, and here's a video of an annoying woodpecker outside the bedroom window. Last week, it ran into the window every five seconds a full half hour before my alarm went off. Then it decided to shuffle back and forth, which obviously had to be recorded. I say it looks like M.C. Hammer.

After watching the video, my friend and former co-worker, Jim, commented on Facebook, "Can't peck this."

Apple vs. Manhattan Declaration

Apple recently pulled an application that promoted the Manhattan Declaration, a movement to protect conservative Christian values. It focuses on three main issues: the sanctity of life, dignity of marriage as one man and one woman and religious liberty.

Backed by more than 480,700 signatures, declaration signers include big names like Chuck Colson and James Dobson. A petition to reinstate the app, pulled over Thanksgiving weekend, has more than 43,170 signatures so far.

The petition is written to Apple's chief executive officer Steve Jobs. Last I heard, Jobs has not responded to the petition directly, but an Apple PR rep told "Family News in Focus" radio that the app violates guidelines by being "offensive to large groups of people."

The app was originally rated 4+ for "no objectional content." The decision to pull the app came after a small but vocal pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage group protested.

App Store guidelines state:

"Apps containing references or commentary about a religious, cultural or ethnic group that are defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to expose the targeted group to harm or violence will be rejected."

I have read and signed the declaration and I find no reference to any of those things. Disagreeing with pro-abortionists and gay marriage is not the same as being "defamatory" or "mean-spirited." I wonder if protesters would describe their own disagreement with people like me the same way.

I'm tired of small groups of people calling foul and saying Christian beliefs are unfair to them. "It's not fair for you to have a say, but I want mine." The next thing you know, people will ask Apple to pull the Bible app because they're offended. No one is asking them to download these applications. 

What if a small group of non-drinkers found the Pub Crawler or Cocktail Recipes apps offensive? I can't help but think the collective response would be "get over it."

What if a group of educators protested the "Boring School" app where students try to hit the teacher with a wad of paper? "It's harmless," some might say.

How about the "Hacker Evolution" app where you have to hack eight virtual servers to win the game?

Could Apple also pull the "iMenorah" app, the "Celtic Lunar Astrology" app or "Tarot Reading" apps? What if I'm offended by those beliefs, even though they contain no hateful or disrepectful language?

How about the apps for Bible quizzes or Christian networking? Will Apple pull those, too, because people are offended by Christian beliefs?

I applaud Apple for removing such apps as "baby shaker" — which I do think could have dangerous consequences, but I think this is a step in the wrong direction. And not just because I support the declaration. 

Frankly, if there was an app where people could sign a pro-abortion document, I would disagree on the issue and hold fast to my own views, but I wouldn't protest it. You have your opinion, and I have mine. I'm also not Jewish or into Tarot readings, but that's the great thing about America. You do your thing; I'll do mine. How can you try to shut me up when you know you'd kick and scream if I did the same to you?

In a column in the San Francisco Chronicle, Colson wrote: 

"Apple has every right to decide what to offer in its app store and what not to offer. But it is chilling that such a culture-shaping company would so quickly take sides in a debate.

"There is something more at stake here than whether Apple hosts a particular app; whether or not we are capable as a society of maintaining the free marketplace of ideas. Because the open and civil exchange of ideas is essential to democracy and a free society. The kind of society that has produced entrepreneurial geniuses like Jobs."

Read more about the declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org.

Little Ms. Homemaker and ruthless beauty gurus

I suppose the above should be Little MRS. Homemaker, but it doesn't flow right.

***

I recently bought our first wreath at Walmart. I never understood why Mom got so excited about hanging wreaths at home, but I admit I couldn't wait to hang my own. It's a tad cheesy, but I like it.

I also got a three-piece candle set and just found out that I'm terrible at photographing candles.

I'm also loving the colorful trees in our backyard, but haven't attempted to rake any. I honestly don't see the point. Plus, the leaves cover the bare spots.

***

So I'm off work tomorrow and thinking about getting a haircut, another one of my pre-Thanksgiving plans. I searched the Web in search of tips for styles that would compliment my face shape and this is the first thing I found: http://hairstyleschat.com/best-hairstyles-for-round-faces.html

Note that it basically says it's unfortunate to have a round face and you should do everything in your power to downplay it. That's how I read it at least.

"Not everyone has perfectly shaped bodies or faces. For people with a round shaped face, and therefore it can be difficult to find hairstyles that look best with your features."

First of all, that's not even grammatically correct.

"The best hairstyles for round faces are the ones that thin out the look of the face."

So now I have chipmunk cheeks?

"Accessorizing the hair is also something the client should look into doing, as this can draw attention away from the facial shape and actually cause individuals to focus on the hair."

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had an unattractive face shape that went out of style with the Victorian era. This clearly wasn't written by a round-faced person.

I've done this search before, and it usually tells me to get a bob, which isn't happening. Maybe if I had a button nose, but I don't, so forget that.

I like this site better: http://www.stylebistro.com/Hairstyles+for+Round+Faces?zam_c=Round-Face-Display&gclid=CLOmreLwpqUCFdhi2godW2sEIg

It says to "embrace your round face."

I do, however, refuse to try this one: http://www.stylebistro.com/Hairstyles+for+Round+Faces/articles/EXXMioTNYzd/Kate+Winslet

Ick. I could never pull that off. ... But I do like that they compared my face shape to Penelope Cruz, Mandy Moore and Keira Knightley. Now if I can just get a personalized hair stylist. ...