I’LL HAVE A BLOODY MARY, A STEAK SANDWICH AAAND A STEAK SANDWICH
Easier than writing lots of individual emailsArchive for September, 2007
LOOKING FOR A REMODELED CONDO-GOLF COURSE VIEW?
I thought so.
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIRTUAL TOUR (price, location, amenities, etc.).
This really is a STEAL of a deal!
GUNNER…
This is my favorite post from Gunner, to date.
What’s ironic is that it’s been sitting, unread, in my GoogleReader menu for a while. I’d been putting off reading it cuz I felt like it would be too long or really convicting or just somehow not fitting into the really busy/limited time that I had during the week.
I was wrong.
ARMLESS MAN USING HEAD AS LETHAL WEAPON?
Really? Really. CLICK HERE The man he headbutted died. Really.
LORI NATHAN PAROLE HEARING TRANSCRIPTS IN MY IN-BOX
So, tonight I recieved the email that had the 167 page attachment…the transcript from the parole hearing this summer. When I first got it (around 9pm) I opened it, glanced at it and clicked it closed…thinking that I needed to be in a different frame of mind for that read.
A few hours later, I was laying in bed WIDE awake thinking about a zillion things: a San Diego bound friend, the real estate market, God’s sovereignty, the Office premiere, prayer and the Psalmists, some missionaries I know, the ocean, New Zealand, the summer, at one point crying…the usual. I wished I could fall asleep. When I acknowledged that sleep was far away, I got up and opened the parole hearing transcripts. The intro email from the DA said it would be hard to read because it would bring it all right back into focus, as if it had been yesterday. As I embarked on the 167 page confidential document, I instantly saw his truth. I felt like I was back in that hot tiny room looking at Ms. Nathan’s shackled profile. There are some parts from the hearing that I REALLY want to skip ahead to re-read (like the DA’s argument for her continued incarceration and then her defense lawyer’s response and then also the victim statements…those were incredibly compelling). However, I want to read from beginning to end, in context because I’ve already seen a few details that I missed that day…so, I wonder how much more I will learn from reading them in order.
I have to teach 7th & 8th graders tomorrow…I wish I had fallen asleep 3 hours ago so that I could be fresh. However, the transcripts are timely…just a reminder that every person/child matters and you never know where people have been or what they’ve been through. Especially children.
SKYPE ME UP STYLE
I love Todd Bolen’s current (private) blog wherein he solicites help, insight, experience etc. from others who have gone before him in varied spheres of life. So, in homage to him (and need for myself), I ask for your input, beloved reader who probably knows more then I do about SKYPE.
THE REASON & TOPIC
I have many international friends and would love to communicate more with them, but it requires much coin. During a call from New Zealand last night, I was asked (again) if I have Skype capabilities. I recognize that I need to flee my lazy American ways and learn about it so that I can encourage/be encouraged by my cool friends around the world!
So, who knows about it (and uses it) and can give good practical tutorial tips? I logged onto their Skype’s web site, but frankly I know that people like AP, EWZ, you. etc. are better, more understandable resources….so, bring it, hit me up…skype style!
PT 3-SUBBING IN ALL IT’S GLORY
My 2 favorite moments of recent subbing in 8th grade:
#1-The Scene
I gave them a post-test assignment (while they were waiting for their classmates to finish the test). It was to list 5 things that I might find interesting about them. My favorite comes from a girl who is VERY interesting. Very ‘academic’, very intense, slightly disconnected, and angry that I made her write a paragraph cuz of talking w/o permission. She gave me the cold sholder after the paragraph punishment. Her ‘5 Things’ paper was neatly listed 1-5, every point was in a different color (I will try to re-create), and her 5 points are:
1. I am very good at archery. I study bow and arrow type archery. I want to get into the Olympics.
2. I am pretty good at singing. I am a soprano and I am in chorus.
3. My all-time favorite movie is Jaws even though im afriad of sharks. I enjoy going to the beach and swimming in WAY over my head water
4. I read at least 1 book a day. I enjoy reading romances
5. I collect charms and right now I have over 500 charms
#2-The Scene
During the Q & A that I always let them have, one tiny little guy asked me…
LG: do you have any hidden talents?
Me: Yes. Do you?
LG: (non-chalantly) yes
Me: Really. What is it?
LG: I can scream at decibal pitch of 116
Me: (fighting back laughing) Really? I’d like to hear that. Would you be willing to do that for the whole class?
LG: (non-chalantly and touching his throat) Well, I’ve been sick and I’m not sure if I can get ny normal pitch.
Me: Well, would you be willing to try? I mean if it’s going to hurt your throat I don’t want you to, but if you can get even close to that pitch I’d really be interested in seeing…I mean hearing that.
(while he ponders, I ask the class if they’d like him to demonstrate his hidden talent. They yell ‘yes’)
LG: Ok, I’ll do it
(at my request, he walks to the front of the class, I walk to the back)
Me: Should we plug our ears or…
LG: (non-chalantly) I’d recommend it
Me: (fighting back laughing) Ok, class, you might want to plug your ears
Then this tiny little human (no more than 85lbs soaking wet), standing there as if bored out of his mind, all of the sudden hunched over, opened his mouth, and let out the most amazing and shocking scream…the pitch…well, let’s just say that my right ear was still ringing after we cheered, after they all calmed down and after I resumed class. I think that’s been one of my top 10 favorite Jr High sub moments.
PT 2-SUBBING & ALL IT’S GLORY
So, as promised, here are some excerpts from this assignment ‘Based on what I know so far about Miss Neylan, here are 5 things about me that she might find interesting’. These excerpts are verbatim quotes from several 8th grade classes at La MEsa Jr High. I will list my 2 favorites in another post. As you read these, consider who/what has shaped these young world views. Sometimes it’s refreshing, sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s really disheartening.
-I don’t care what anyone thinks of me
-I hate when people walk slow in front of me
-I have been dancing for 8 years
-My name is spelled weird (I think)
-I have a scar on my stomach
-I can land a nightmare flip
-I don’t believe in God
-I have 7 piercings
-The things I find most funny are usually very random
-My favorite movie is Monty Python & the Holy Grail
-I am a Christian and am being raised in a Christian family
-I can’t burp…AMAZINGLY!
-I’m lactose intolerant & my last name is Mielke (pronounced) ‘Milky’
-I get the guilty feeling very easily
-scared of monkeys
-I’ve been in a movie where I get in a car accident and blow up (the car)
-I always look at the clock at 10:21 at night everynight w/o knowing it because that’s the time I was born
-I want to be a marine archeologist; I would like to help the sea animals
-I can be on the computer for 4 hours straight (or longer, if I am not bothered)
-My mom has cancer
-The computer and my friends are my life
-I’m a trouble maker
-I drink soup with a straw
-I’ve met Fabio (haha)
-I like the show Scrubs
-I play guitar, I have ADHD, I play football, I talk alot, and I skateboard
-I hate when other people crack anything on their body. I hate the noise even though I do it
-I like CHICANO RAP
-I like monkeys
-I’ve used rifles, pistols, and shotguns, and sub-machine gun
-I can do the splits
-I have 8 brothers and sisters
-Can laugh an evil laugh
-Have broken 5 bones already
WE PARTIED 4 PEACE, ALRIGHT!
CONGRATULATIONS to ICU! The assemblies and Party 4 Peace were a GREAT success!
Thank you to EVERYONE that helped: Key club, Streamline of Church of the Canyons, Oak Manor (bro/sis) & Sweazy of TMC, friends, ICU, parents, VHS staff, and more!
Some highlights
-ICU’s net profits were $1,394.14!!!
-IC made $940 and will give us half…$470!
-66 letters were signed to George Bush in the LRA JAIL
-There were people participating ALL night!
-CLICK HERE for the article that ran on Friday in The Signal
Again, thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported us and our kick-off event for Schools 4 Schools!
NICK VUJICIC-EVER HEARD OF HIM?
So, my mom sent THIS YOU TUBE video the other day.
I often ponder things. Things like…how everyone is having a completely different experience at every single moment, all around the world, through good/bad, etc. NICK’S STORY certainly reinforces that it’s not THAT you have a trial, but rather what you do with it. Will we honor God with our joys and afflictions? I oft fail in both.
‘OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR!
Sustained. God does not have to answer the question. Watch it, counselor, you’re on thin ice.’
CLICK HERE to read about this ridiculous display of staggering arrogance. Thanx to Christy who ’sent this in’ today. 
EVERYONE IS INVITED-THIS FRIDAY NIGHT!
Come-help us raise money and awareness! It’s an event geared toward the WHOLE family. It’s only 2 hours and there will be lots of booths, a 3in1 bouncer, pizza, cotton candy, snow cones, decent music , a raffle…it’s only $2 admission (10 and under are free)! ANd, come meet our ICU club members…
LOOKING FOR A TOWNHOME?
I just listed this one…click HERE to see the virtual tour/pics. I am also using a new virtual tour company…any feedback for me? Do you like it? Dislike it? Why? Why not? Oh…and…do you or someone you know want to purchase this Move-In -Ready home?
PT 1-SUBBING AND ALL IT’S GLORY
So, i subbed on Thursday (full day) and on Friday (a half day). I have a few goodies to share with you. However, I need to sleep. Last night was the first night that I slept for more than 3 hours at a time in over 2.5 months. It was amazing. So, I am going to bed right now, but I will post my little Life Gems soon. I hope you love them as much as I do. To whet your appetite…I gave them the assignment, ‘Based on what you know about me so far, make a list of 5 things that you think I would find interesting about YOU.’ Some good quotes coming your way, bloggies!
AND, 2 kids tied for the best ‘last question’ of the hour. They were 1) What is a topic that you could talk about forever? 2) What was the most important thing that happened in your life? Thankfully, the answer was the same for both questions…and since they tied, I answered both of their questions. I told them that the answer to #2 was when I became a Christian and the answer to #1 was why I was so thankful…and I shared the gospel, as it related to saving me. They were trying to think up good questions that would waste time, but we all know how that goes…
REALLY? LIFE GEM?
Really.
So now they’ve found a way to use your loved one’s remains (or a lock of hair) and use the carbon and turn it into a diamond that you wear…because Love Lives On. I am NOT making THIS STUFF up people. AND, you can have it done to your pets too. Whew. AND, you can have LIfe Gems of deceased celebrities…starting with Beethoven.
And yet, abortion is still legal. Huh.
AWWW-KWARD
As I’ve said in the past, ushering at the PAC is a thrill a minute. Holly and I do it and find joy (almost) every time we’re there. Tonight, we had to make a special visit because a new policy was instituted, a very serious policy: all the volunteers must be fingerprinted.
Yep. Fingerprinted. In case one of us rapels from the balcony, dressed in black and then nabs a patron’s purse? They’ve got our prints and we will NEVER get away with it.
Ok, apart from the insanity of having to get ‘Live Scan’ (which is my 3rd time in 3 years), my post is to share with you an experience that is RIGHT OFF the pages of a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode.
The scene: a huuuuge line for fingerprinting.
Holly and I dutifully sign in, collect our paperwork, listen to the schpeel, and get in line. We see a friend of ours, Kyndra, about 6 million people in front of us and she yells that she’s been in line for almost an hour (?). Our spirits slump and we use the back of our paperwork and begin to play connect the dots..that old grammar school favorite. Now, picture Holly and I standing facing each other (laughing), holding a planner as a writing surface and playing our game. Just a few moments into our settling in, we notice an older woman (60?), small framed, short, with some odd characteristics, standing rather close to us. We had tried to greet her early on, but it appeared that she did not hear us. We then notice that she continues to silently inch closer to us. The line continued to build behind her, but the line in front of us wasn’t moving…but she was. Now picture this short woman silently standing between us, hovering over our game. If you know me, I’m not the biggest fan of unauthorized personal space violations (UPSV), but today was apparently the day to push the limits. After about 4 minutes of her looking on and inching in, roaming around Holly and I, brushing against us, we started to feel very…unnerved. At one point, she said, ‘Is that a good game for kids?’. I said, ‘Sure, but it depends on how old. Why, do you work with kids?’ She said she had grandchildren 5yrs old and 18 months. She wouldn’t let the conversation go any further, walked away but within a few seconds was back to inching in on us (maybe she thought she was invisible and that we didn’t notice). Now, Holly and I are there to meet people in the community, get to know people, build relationships, etc. so, we’re trying hard not to be unkind or rude…or act like jr highers and form an ‘A’ group and exclude her.
As I shifted from foot to foot and moved from side to side, I noticed she had circled around to my left and she was peering into my purse which was on my left shoulder. She brushed up against it. I laughed at something Holly said, shifted feet AND pulled my purse to my chest…all in one fluid movement. However, it did not deter this woman who was becoming like a little shark circling the boat. Next thing I knew she was on the other side of Holly doing similiar inching moves. If you know Holly and I, we we yuck it up anywhere anytime, but this display of encrouchment was an added cache of fodder. It was like we were on candid camera, but were too polite to turn around and confront the seemingly intentional offender.
Now, so far, I’ve written 2 paragraphs, but it’s only covered the first 20 minutes of us standing in line of what turned out to be 1.5 hours. If you want the punchline, here it is….. it NEVER stopped. In fact, this woman pulled out more moves when Kyndra came over and started talking/laughing with us. It was unreal. She continued to inch her way in between Kyndra and I (she never spoke or acknowledged that she was in the midst of our conversation). Eventually, she was touching Kyndra. We were all trying desperately not to burst into laughter so we continued to carry on our conversation, which at points was very personal and private (but we resorted to code). None of the social signals stopped our little friend that Kyndra aptly named ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. To add to the Curb Your Enthusiasm’esque evening, additionally it seemed that she lacked the awareness of how pungent her breath was…but Holly didn’t. Sadly, Holly’s sense of smell is keen and for the 70ish minutes that this ridiculousness went on, she was taking shallow breaths. I squeal with glee to think of what Larry David would’ve done with this incident! About 2/3 of the way through, I came pretty close to cracking and turning around and saying something. However, I withheld….with marvel, wonder, hysterics and shaking my head (and clutching my purse), I withheld.
It was NOT to be believed. not to be believed.
The final cherry on top: after we were done with our scans, we were talking with Boss Lady and actually making more progress than we had in the last full year of ushering. The place was virtually empty except for the 10 or so people who had been behind us in line (Crouching Tiger being one of them) that were getting their prints taken. Right as the private conversation was going somewhere good, out of nowhere, Crouching Tiger shows up, standing between Holly and I and spacially inserts herself in the conversation. Of course, Boss Lady toned it down and the conversation quickly fizzled. So, we said good night, got outside and starred at each other in true bewilderment and then of course BURST out laughing. We had just lived through a moment for moment, Curb episode. Life is good.
A CONVERT
I love it when certain people get blogs. Please welcome this newest member to the bloggerdom. I am SO excited she’s here!
WAR IS THE ANSWER
So, I was driving down the road and saw a vehicle with a snappy saying (WAR IS THE ANSWER) as a window sticker. I smirked and agreed (I’m so sick of so many Americans demanding that the US roll over to the entities that threaten us and disregard the necessity for defending our country). And as I drove past him and looked in to give him an approving thumbs-up, I saw dog tags hanging from the mirror and figured that he or someone he knew and/or loved had sacrifically fought for the freedom of Americans (or rather, ALL the people who live in the US), including those who only have the guts to chastise from the sidelines…fighting for those who think freedom is a right and not a privilege. Because, history tells us that to have freedom, war is the answer.
CODE WORDS ‘AT ALL’
So, many of you know by now that I love subbing. I love it because it’s constantly hilarious or enraging or perplexing or just plain culturally educational. My normal schtick is as follows
1. Intro Myself
2. Lay out my guidelines/expectations and explain the ‘consequences’ aka. the smack down
3. Ask them if there are any questions about anything we’ve discussed so far.
4. Ask if there are any questions about anything AT ALL…pause…this is when most of them are too terrified to speak. And then usually one brave soul asks a non-academic question and cracks the code!
Anytime I ask the question, ‘Are there any questions about anything AT ALL?’, it’s code for ‘We can talk about whatever you want’ and THAT’S code for ‘Here’s a way to kill time before I make you work for the whole period’. Once someone cracks the code, the fun usually really begins…AND, they’re usually more productive when it comes time to work (Bonus).
On Tuesday, I subbed at Valencia High School for a teacher who covers English and Video Production. In almost all the classes we had engaging and livley discussion (and did the classwork). The topics ranged from marriage, world travels, God/religion, eating meat, homosexuality, political/minority presidential candidates, what 5 things I’d like to do before I die, the meaning of life, judging others, movies (after all, we were in video production)…and more…
PS-As a sidenote: if you’re a parent of a girl…you MUST regulate what she’s wearing out of the house! The mainstream fashion trends that are popular right now look like hooker-wear. PLEASE care for your kids (ex. your sons minds/hearts and your daughter’s dignity/safety). At VHS, amongst many unacceptable styles, I saw a sea of girls wearing shorts that were soooo short they looked like the popular ‘boy underwear’. It’s getting really really bad. PLEASE …for everyone’s overall dignity and purity look at your kid in their clothes the way an unsaved (or even saved) person would…with self gratifying eyes… and then send them back into their room until they wear clothes that don’t look like they’re turning tricks in between classes!
IPOD HOLDOUT…WAS IT WORTH IT?
Soooo, THIS ARTICLE announces the newest IPOD…I was holding out for the rumored addition. Was it worth it?
MIKE’S B-DAY TRADITION
Today is Mike Butler’s B-day. Mike is our guitarist on the worship team and we love him.
Last year on his b-day, we all went and saw Little Miss Sunshine…and, well, you all know what I think of that.
This year, Mike recommended (and wanted to see again), a truly beautiful and kind movie called ONCE. So, in honor of his b-day, a small group of us went. If you have even one creative, artistic, musical, romantic, and/or inspirable bone in your body, you’re gonna want to see it. The original music is haunting and intimate. The story is authentic and somehow noble. The characters are likeable and engaging…people I’d like to be friends with. I could tell you all about it, but it’s better that you just see it for yourself. It’s an Indie, so don’t wait for it to show up in your huge theatre….you’ll have to do your homework to locate it.
DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HONEST?
-I’m mad.
-I’ve had very little success with Time Warner since I subscribed just 2 months ago…in July.
-I’ve had 3 technicians out…because they don’t believe in doing the job correctly the 1st time, I suppose.
-To have a tech out, they demand that you stay by your phone and if you don’t answer, the tech won’t come to your house. So, no matter what you do, answer your phone!
-So, due to the 3rd technician not doing his job correctly the last time he was at my house, I had to have another tech come out and the only time slot they had was today, sometime between 9am-7pm. Really? 10 hours. You can’t narrow that down? My other option was to wait for the next appt. which was in 30 days. Really? Really.
-Today, I dutifully waited for 10 hours… on a Saturday of a 3-day holiday weekend. TEN HOURS I waited.
-I called at 6:30pm to confirm that someone was coming and after being on hold for 20 minutes was told, ‘Yes’.
-I happened to open the front door to see a door hanger…Time Warner came by at 3:10pm…he crossed out ‘called’ and hand wrote ‘came’.
-I called (fuming) about the inconsistent protocool and the fact that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
-Once again, I found myself on hold for at least 30 minutes, finally requesting a supervisor (which is, no joke, probably the 15rd or 16th time I’ve been on the phone with Time Warner), having no real success with the sup. The party line just isn’t gonna work on me.
-So, I asked her how she wanted to keep my business. After she repeated her script over and over with no effort to think outside the box, I just opted to cancel my phone service with them. Having a part-time job following up on Time Warner and their inefficient business practices…well, it’s just not worth it.
-I had the phone line for a business fax line…I think I’m just going to subscribe to an electronic service for faxes.
Boo.
A REPENTANT NEW ZEALANDER
Ok, the headlines seem to offer an endless supply of marvel. I have oft been bemused at the actions of human beings, but THIS ONE is pretty amazing. Maybe this man’s mentality is why I have a fondness for New Zealanders.
