Meet Phil

I feel like I should start carrying around spare lighters or matchbooks. The last few days I've gone on walks during lunch and people have asked me if I have a light for them. One lady even yelled at me from across the parking lot. I should just start referring them to the penguin.

This is Phil, (I named him myself) and although he reminds everyone that there is "no puffin" allowed, nobody listens.

'Tis the season...

...for a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha The first of the season. Okay, maybe the sixth, but oh how each one tastes as good as the first. Pure bliss.

(I wanted to put a picture up but my computer insists on being stupid today)

Thanksgiving

Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2

This year I'm thankful for:

• my family- parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews- for the countless laughs, conversations (no matter how strange), arguments, and precious moments together.
• my friends-they keep me grounded, in check and covered in a cloak of love.
• my job-it's an absolute joy to go to work everyday and to really, truly love the work that I do.
• my church- the freedom to pray and worship without the fear of persecution.
• my health
• the ability to provide for/love others-whether by time, food, or skills.
• people who believe in helping others earn a college education.
• people who believe in other people's dreams.
• the lessons I've learned.

Smarter than a 5th grader

Mmm chicken

At work we have three vending machines in the lounge. There is your typical candy/junk food vending machine, the cold sodas vending machine and then this one

Here you have a myriad of choices ranging from bean burritos, lunchables, ramen noodles, a cinnabon with cream cheese, white castle, beef steak subs, and monterey chicken sandwiches. There is also a spatter of milk and fruit cups (those are on the top and bottom shelves out of the line of sight of the unsuspecting consumer) My favorite of all of these is C3.

It's not my favorite because of what it tastes like (I'm afraid to eat anything out of this machine) but rather the name, Big Az Chicken. Need I say more?

Crooked Smile

Went to the dentist today to have a cavity filled. While she was at it she fixed a small chip on my front tooth. You'd think that I'd be ecstatic about it, but the fact is, she didn't ask if I wanted it done. She just assumed that I would want it fixed. To me, the chip added character and it had a story. Fourteen years ago I was roller blading with my dog(I know, bad idea) and I tripped on an uneven part of the sidewalk. Two of my baby teeth were knocked out, the left side my face was scraped off and my front tooth was chipped off. I vividly remember my dad taking me to a neighbor who was a dentist to see if anything could be done. Later that night when mom came home from work, dad greeted mom at the door and told her "it's not as bad as it looks." Off to the ER we went where I got patched back up. That same night we went to the Lions festival where the only ride I was able to go on was the Ferris wheel with my little brother. It's worth mentioning that my teacher thought that I had had my face painted, when in face it was the result of being dragged by my dog; boy did she feel bad.

Oh well, I am sure I'll learn to like my new smile, even though I am a little melancholy about loosing my chipped tooth.

Lab Lesson: Any and all imperfections have a story behind them and tell a story of the person wearing them.

Moving

This past week I house sat for some friends while they were on their honeymoon and had a taste of freedom. After living with the parents for 22 years (I lived on campus my first year of college) I don't think living by myself would be much fun, in fact it's pretty lonely. Maybe it was because I was at a house that wasn't mine, sleeping in an unfamiliar place, etc. I've decided that I would at least need something to look at. (At one point I almost bought a blow up doll.) After a few days I started to get used to things and settled into a routine. Now I'm confident that I would be able to survive living on my own. Come May the boxes are going to be packed and I'll take a giant leap out into the world.