junior chief intern meteorologist

i love the weather. i gave myself the name of jcim (see above). weather.com is one of my favorite websites. i text message google for the weather. and i usually know what's happening.

friday afternoon i we heard the sirens go off. we were about fifteen minutes away from the end of the day. the news stations made it sound like it was just strong winds, but there was no tornado. daphne leaves and i follow her. if she can make it, surely i can. as i'm driving the wind picks up and it begins to hail like i've never seen it before. all i can do is pull over near a grocery store and put my blinkers on. i call the office and tell them to stay put, it was a ridiculous idea for us to drive home int his storm! so, the storm sounds like it's resting a bit...so i try to drive back to the office to park under the bridge.

i'm going down leaveworth and see water POURING from the tops of buildings and in gutters. this isn't looking good. a car passes me and makes it to a parking lot and my car stops.

stops in the middle of leavenworth river. i crack my door open to see if i can get out, no, water begins to come in the car. i sit in the passenger seat, flip through the owners manual and debate what to do. i see people at the bemis watching me. i frantically dial phone numbers. no hope. all the lines are busy. i even tried calling 911. no luck.

i roll down my window, hike up my cute old navy short dress to show off my cute leggings and crawl out of the window and put my legs in cold, dirty, hail filled water. (we saw a mattress, port-a-pottie and bowling pin go down this water/river)

i wade in mid-thigh deep water and climb to the bemis. they give me a little blanket and i just look at my car. i realize i didn't slam my door well enough. i wade back out, slam the door and shake my head. after several phone calls, i get in touch with friends and they make it to where i'm standing. mandy takes pictures...with a lot of other people. pictures will soon come.

so. yeah. my car was totally a boat. a sweet police officer pushed my car to a parking lot. and two sweet men shop-vacced it for me. my friends went to town trying to pick up tree limbs and clean my car.

we leave the car. marcia and brittany take me to bakers. i kind of check out. i get icecream and pizza bites. really. icecream and pizza bites. i just wanted sushi but they didnt have any veggie. :(.

so. i went by a house i was watching, a tree is basically resting on their roof. they will need a new roof.

there were bright spots in my day. i met a lot of my apartment neighbors. they were outside drinking beer, cleaning up and eating food. they are sweet friends. i even got someone to drive me to marcia and brittany's.

they were my roommates last night. and today. i'm totally a lemming. and marcia is letting me borrow her car. i'm not sure what i would do without them. i owe them something.

so. my car is at the dealership. it got towed. water POURED out of the exhaust. and now i'm back home to power.

note to self. just stay put at work or wherever you are. don't think you can outrun a storm.

sweet things that are magic this week

mandy: her laughter, editing and wordsmithing skills and smiles. we were sitting by the con agra lake and i just watched her for awhile. not a long time. just a moment. just enough to brighten my day.

daphne: her greaaaaaaat laughter and insight and amazingly clear skin. yesterday during staff meeting, i was paying attention, i couldn't help but just stare at her skin. it's so beautiful.

marcia: her depth of knowledge and wisdom in the midst of a smiley laughterful woman. sometimes you'll hear someone humming. and it's her. i like it. today at lunch she was humming and i was happy.

hilary: her bright attitude and presence. and cooking skills. she and her cooking spoke right to my heart and stomach.

kenley: his perspective on life and intuitive way to make me laugh. a lot. this week i fell asleep a couple of times laughing after a conversation we had. that's the best way to fall asleep.

there are lots of people who feed my soul in ways i didn't know i needed it. i'm sure i'll write more.

im-ing

i like to IM.
and i like to IM people who i can hear typing messages to me, sighing about something else, laughing because i'm so funny or breathing. yes, we sit kind of close. well not that close.

it's funny. imagine if every time i wanted to IM something to someone i actually got up and said it. i would waste a lot of time and look really awkward.

so uh mandy, uh, do you think that we should eat lunch now?

or

marcia do you have soand so's number?

or

daphne, want a ride home?

i would lose friends and productivity. quickly.

ha. happy friday people.

running errands

today i miss the days of college when you could walk out of your dorm room and find someone, anyone to run an errand with.

i loved the spontaneity of college. maybe it was the interruptibility or maybe some of the irresponsibility. ofcourse i'd pick a walmart run over studying in the library.

i would get in trouble for encouraging others to skip a class or a whole day of class...because i was an r.a. i would just say 'it's all about the fellowship' as i'd convince a friend to skip class with me to go to sonic. those were the days. sweet sonic runs in the afternoon and a drive (with cheap gas) through the rolling hills of kentucky.


i feel like my spontaneity is being sucked dry these days. i'm always planning something to do something with someone. because really, if i don't, i'm not on a person's schedule or radar. at work we take this strength finders test...it's one of those feel good about what your strengths are tests. it's a nice pat on the back test. so, one of my strengths is individuality. i enjoy celebrating and affirming the uniqueness of each of my friends. sometimes, yes, it gets kind of tiring. i will usually know who likes what for their birthday. or who likes a certain event. or who likes or doesn't like food. i have a mental rolodex of what makes my friends tick and what makes them feel adored.

ask me about someone you know and i'll tell you the following: what their favorite music is, what the perfect gift would be for them in this moment, if they enjoy letters/verbal affirmations/quality time, if they are an introvert/extrovert, what makes them the saddest or the happiest. i thought everyone was like that. in case you are not. here are some interesting things about me.

- i will always love receiving letters in the mail
- i don't like to plan things or pull out my calendar
- i crave random phone calls to do things
- i'm an extroverted introvert - which means i'll be sad when i'm spending time that i need to by myself
- i love love quality time
- i love homecooked meals and hospitality - given and taken
- and i will sometimes keep a running tally of things. this is a bad, bad habit. but i know who i need to invite over for dinner or coffee. or who drove last. or who invited who out last. it's all about equality and justice people. ;)

anyway. i'm looking forward to having my parents in town next week and then visiting k in new york. that will be fun.

oh. and i like homemade chocolate chip cookies.

9:38 am + 5218 capitol ave

i was kind of confused this morning. actually really confused.

so at 9:38 i thought, wow, i'm so hungry. why? i just ate breakfast.

i couldn't ignore it so i ate carrots. at 9:38.

then i hear someone ask, when are we meeting? i looked at my clock and thought, hmm, weird. it's only 9:38.

i asked, isn't our meeting at 10:30?

answer. yes.

then. i asked, what time is it?

answer, uh 10:40.

uh. time warp? i look at my mac clock and see the little rainbow pinwheel hovering over the clock.

restart.
normal time.
__________________

wow. there's a house for rent for $725 in dundee...four bedrooms, fireplace!!!! okay. where is it.
5218 capitol.

that's so close to my apartment. let's google map it. hmm. no such address.

is this an alternate universe?

so. i receive an email response about this house after work. so it does exist. marcia walks over and we are determined to find the house.

nope. we ask some neighbors and they look at us like we've walked out of our alternate universe. i mean, ofcourse there's no 5218 capitol.

we never found it. i'm still waiting on an email with some directions.

twilight zone day. and now i'm watching the outsiders on the amish community.
wow.

why yes, i do love the earth

quick note on our earth.

i've seen how we've made some slight changes to our habits. some of us don't use plastic bags. some of us carry cute little canvas bags. we've changed our light bulbs to be those good ones.
those are great steps. and i love my i am not a plastic bag bag.

but here's something i need to try: watch my consumption of water.

from my recent women's health magazine:
if you take a 15 minute shower you use about 60 gallons of water....which is a daily drink for 95 people. you can install a low-flow showerhead to go from about four gallons a minute to just over two.


more info later.

what are processed foods?

i kind of freaked out today because i couldn't figure out what was considered a processed food.

i looked it up. i found this on about.com.

Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for safety reasons and for convenience. The methods used for processing foods include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

We tend to think of processed foods as bad, but it turns out that many processed foods are not unhealthy. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it is pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating. While some people prefer to drink raw milk, most of us should consume the "processed" version we find in our grocery stores.

Another healthy example of food processing is frozen vegetables. While fresh may be best, freezing vegetables preserves vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food. In fact, some orange juice is fortified with calcium to make it even more nutritious.

Of course, there are a lot of processed foods that aren't good for you. Many processed foods are made with trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These types of foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly.

Processed foods that may not be as healthy as fresh foods include:

• canned foods with lots of sodium
• white breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains
• packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
• high-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli
• frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
• packaged cakes and cookies
• boxed meal mixes
• sugary breakfast cereals
• processed meats

Processed meats might be some of the worst of these foods. Eating these meats may increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. Processed meats include hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham and other packaged lunch meats.

These processed foods and prepackaged meals are very convenient and popular. If you do shop for these foods, be sure to look for products that are made with whole grains, low in sodium and calories, and free of trans fats. Make sure you pay attention to serving size, too, and balance out the processed foods you eat with a delicious fresh salad and some whole grain bread.

so. i think i know what is a processed food. a little. and im realizing that it's going to be a little bit harder to cut it out. i'd like to do it in stages. i have food in my kitchen that is processed and i'll get through that, but after that, i want to make an effort to try and eat food that is closest to its natural stage and obviously avoid food that is processed.

so my first step will be eating less of:
- 100 calorie packs. dangit, they are just so good but offer no nutritional value and are incredibly processed. whom whomp.
- alcohol. i had a spell of drinking a little more than usual. i'll def. still enjoy my occasional white/red wine
- prepackaged frozen meals. i love me some convenient weight watchers meals. lots of added salt blah blah blah. i have prepared meals and frozen them before, i'd like to start doing that some more.
- sugar sugar sugar. sugar is the devil apparently. well. not it's not. but, i thikn i have to stop eating so much icecream and candy candy candy. it's so good though. no it's not. yes it is. no it's not. it is good. but maybe not good for me.

we'll leave it at that. lots of food is good to eat. but it's not necessarily good for our bodies, the earth and others around the world. so. i'll try and stick with that one today - putting good things in my body. holla.

my eye won't stop twitching

is it because i've had two diet pepsis in two days? or because i've chewed way too much gum for anyone's good? or is it because i slept in a weird position? or is it because as a child i watched too much television? or maybe it's because i've given bad drivers bad looks. or maybe because i didn't wear my sunglasses enough when outside. or maybe i should wear my glasses.

oh no.

enough.

i had a thought after talking to my dear friend and coworker daphne eck coppock about processed foods and the farmers market. she read a book called animal, vegetable, miracle that outlines a family's journey into deliberately eating locally produced food.

so today as i walked to our office's bathroom my eye began to twitch and i just knew it was the diet pepsi. okay. maybe not. but i do wonder if i could do one or more of the following:

- eat only locally produced food for a month
- eat local produce + supplemental food from a grocery store
- avoid eating processed food for a month

i don't know. i want to try the last two. but i don't know what's considered processed food...i mean is that anything processed? or slightly processed. or what about a nice process.

okay. i'm done.

july.

this is my july prayer letter. it includes reflections from my time in sierra leone.

There are certain places, smells, people, colors and landscapes that bring me a sense of home. There was something familiar about Sierra Leone. Through early morning runs on the beach and late afternoon conversations over coffee, I was introduced to Sierra Leone.

A sweet, playful country that greeted me with a dripping humidity, Sierra Leone spoke to deep parts of my soul as an African American and one who wants justice for our friends.

Different people asked me what it was like to be an African American visiting Africa. Some thought it might be too personal of a question, but I welcomed it. I never imagined I would arrive in Africa and scoop the dirt and proclaim, my land, my land, I have returned. I did however have several moments when I had an intimate connection with the people I encountered. One evening some of the Lighthouse graduates and Sierra Leone staff played charades with me and Marcia. It was a heated and passionate game, and I did play fairly well. I thought to myself, oh my goodness, this makes sense. This is a loud and vibrant culture…and I made sense in it. I had these moments over and over again. I would catch myself observing characteristics of this culture that were so familiar to me.

I don't think there are words to describe or articulate the intimate and unique connection I had with the Sierra Leone culture. It was the first field visit I've been on when I actually felt like I was able to walk a bit deeper with the culture. I didn't stand out as much, I felt like I had the ability to go a bit unnoticed. And it left me with questions about the importance of minorities in missions. There was something mystical that happened between my brown skin of North America and the brown skin of my family in West Africa that I don't think can always happen. There is something familial about my time in West Africa that I think speaks to something deep and something prophetic.

Walking through Kroo Bay, a slum area in Freetown, made my heart race. It seemed familiar. Before I left for Sierra Leone, I had dreams about a field overlooking the ocean. This field was filled with kids and our staff. When we got to the shore at Kroo Bay, we looked back and saw the picture that is familiar of Kroo Bay…rows and rows of shacks built on trash. Each time it rains, the trash from higher up flows into Kroo Bay, filling it up more and more with trash. I stood there looking at the pigs picking through the trash and residents walking around and I remembered that dream. In my dream, the field was bright green and clean, the complete opposite of what I saw.

My heart raced again when we began Good News Club, one of the Word Made Flesh ministries in Kroo Bay. There was a room full of kiddos who were incredibly attentive to Noah, one of our Sierra Leonean staff members. As he introduced me, he asked the kids, "Doesn't she look like us?" They agreed. I had to agree as well.

As I went through the week, my heart was heavy for Freetown, Sierra Leone, our staff members and those they serve among. I'm known to want to fix things, everything, even things I know that I can't fix or even explain how to fix. So in my heavy place, I had to just rest; I couldn't do anything, and this is a good place to be in. We're called to be in this place of submission and intimacy with God…knowing that God is in control and also that He is who I can run to with my questions, my burdens, my celebrations.

Marcia and I had one-on-one with our staff members over lunch throughout the week. During our lunch with Noah, he said something profound that has stuck with me. Well, this is my summary. Noah said that God will work with or without us, but it would be nice if we were able to help. That statement came from a man who is my age, who has chosen to live in Kroo Bay and take in four young men who have come through the Lighthouse Program, another WMF ministry that serves among young adults who were affected by the civil war.

As I listened to him, I knew I was with a man of deep faith. Like our full-time North American staff in the office and overseas, Noah is responsible for raising his stipend, which is $8,000 a year, or about $670 a month. You can read his prayer letters online here.

As he explained his situation, I did feel guilty about how I've struggled and stressed about support. But he didn't make me feel guilty. When I explained my hopes for support-raising to be a sustainable aspect of our ministry and vocation and an invitation to our supporters to join in what God is doing around the world, he was affirming.

Noah and I are both in this together, just like you and my fellow coworkers. Some of us, like me, sit behind a desk for eight hours (sometimes more) a day. Some of us spend our days walking in red-light districts in India, loving on the women and inviting them into God's freedom. Some of us spend our days nurturing and raising children, instilling in them words of justice, hope, care and redemption of the world. Our reflections of service look different. We are all washing the feet of Christ; we are feeding Him and clothing Him in unique and different ways.

So I'm back home. I bought mangoes to eat in the morning because they remind me of sweet times with Stephanie. I've listened to a mix CD that Cami bought me before I left because I like to be reminded of being in a poda poda, local transportation. I've enjoyed working out because it makes me sweat almost as bad as I did in Steph's house. I've been reminded to pray for our friends in Sierra Leone. I've sat and listened to the rain in the morning and remembered our friends who are about to enter into the rainy season. And I hold our friends close to my heart.

I invite you to join in supporting the ministry of Word Made Flesh. Yes, I'm still raising my salary and invite you to be a part of my particular need, but I want you to know that you're supporting the work that God is doing around the world. And I want you to know about ways you can continue to do so in new and different ways. As I mentioned before, Noah is raising his stipend, too. I do not want you to feel conflicted on whom to support but want to invite you to respond in any additional way that resonates in your heart.

I appreciate the ways in which you support me and inspire me.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, love, jara

she's back!

my friend daphne is back! i hear her typing away. i don't know how to explain it but there's something peaceful and comforting knowing that someone is sitting beside me....well near me.

yes! welcome back daphne!

my staycation - (last one - april 4)

let me begin by saying that i haven't had a free weekend since april 4.

i first heard this term, staycation, used by some friends from the y. they mentioned taking some time off from work but staying in omaha...they used the term, staycation. if you know me, you know i grab words and phrases i like and welcome them into my vocabulary. so. i started using the term. i saw an article about it on cnn.com and then heard other people use it, too.

the idea of a staycation has been in my head and heart for quite awhile. i've used a lot of my vacation time to go places like new york, lexington and other places. sometimes my 'vacation' day is a day dedicated to just traveling to my destination.

so this weekend i embraced my own staycation. phileena recently shared about what sabbath means to her. for awhile i tried to practice my own sabbath. i wouldn't go out and purchase anything, i tried to walk to where i needed to go. but as you know, we sometimes allow outside events, people and desires to determine the pace we should go, especially our sabbath.

as i entered into the weekend, i made some plans with different people to make sure i got enough extroverted time, it ended up being perfect. i spent almost four hours cleaning my house on saturday and loved it. phileena challenged me when she mentioned that she will run errands on saturday so she can enjoy the sabbath on sunday...and whatever doesn't get done on sunday can wait until the next weekend. could i really do it?

so. i furiously cleaned on saturday, enjoyed a slow evening with different friends and curled up in bed with christine sine's book 'sacred rhythms.' i've read another book with the same title and enjoyed the author's reflections. i read and read and read. and thought and thought. at the end of each chapter sine encourages us to answer some questions. i read those and fell asleep.

i woke up this morning without an alarm. i heard the thunder in the background and anticipated the rain storm that the weather peeps predicted. my first thoughts gravitated towards the questions in the book. i took my time getting ready. i talked to laura alley briefly. i did some exercises and began my slow morning of reading another chapter of sacred rhythms and starting and finishing the prophet.

i couldn't believe how relaxed i was. some friends asked me to look at their cats while they were gone...and i thought...oh no...how can i stay on my staycation if i have to drive. i contemplated driving and then thought more about sweating. so i packed a bag full of four magazines and headed to their house. i looked at the cats, fed them and headed to starbucks to use a coupon and take advantage of their empty patio and free sunlight.

i usually don't outline every step of my day, i find it a little boring, so sorry. but i couldn't believe how relaxing doing nothing was.

i mean. yes. ofcourse it's relaxing. i know for me that i would rather have my calendar full, always expecting something else to do and someone else to see. i think that i find a bit of security knowing that i have plans with people. and today i was faced with just being. what frustrates me is how sundays end up being so crazy because of church and church activities. i wish that church could sometimes just be having a slow brunch with friends allowing conversation and prayers to be the foundation for the day. no. we have to get to church to get a seat, meet new people, listen to the service, find friends afterwards, decide where to eat lunch, eat lunch, have sometimes surfacey conversations, run errands, take a nap, watch tv, find our beds and sleep. that's not restful at all. sometimes i think we are the busiest on Sundays...there isn't a lot of time reserved for reflection, rest or refreshment. we're hurried and going to the next thing on our agenda....and we go into mondays wondering why we are so tired.

so today. no church. i tried not to use the internet machine that much....i actually have only talked to one person on the phone today. i read four magazines from front to back....one book and a chapter of another. and i cooked lime biryani made with quinoa and have just lollygagged.

this is what i needed. when i looked at my calendar i saw that i'd scheduled out my weekends since april 4. that's painful. i'm one who craves spontaneity. i love when i get random text messages inviting me out to brunch...or when while i'm with friends with ditch our plans to mosey around the old market. it's been really hard to cultivate that rhythm in my life. a lot of my friends plan and plan and plan...unfortunately i've had to adapt to that habit or else i'm afraid that i won't ever see my friends. i know that's not true. but sometimes i do fear it.

i look at my calendar for this week and see that there's not a TON planned yet. i want to see how i can adapt a schedule and life that is freeing and allows me not to be tied down to my calendar.

so. be random with me. just see what happens. don't plan anything. leave room for nothing. enjoy sundays reading magazines just because. take naps, lots of them. paint your toenails (ladies). and forget your calendar. atleast for a day.

some recently found quotes

"this was the body and booty i was given, and i might as well start loving them." tracee ellis ross

"sometimes i curse my big behind, but i also love my big behind becaus eit's a sister's derriere. it's all the way from africa." angela bassett

rudy huxtable

well what had happened was that when i was a little girl i thought i was famous. i mean seriously famous. when my family would go on vacations i would make it a point to act famous when we arrived at a reststop. i was certain that the paparazzi would find me at any point.

why do you ask? well because i did look a lot like rudy huxtable.

see the similarity?


when i was in high school i showed my brother and mom one of my 'senior photos.' it was actually a photo of keisha knight pulliam.

i'm hilarious aren't i?





i know. i know. it's time for bed.

funny admissions

during a conversation with a coworker i admitted to some behavior i considered non-wmf.

- i like to do the following -

- watch tv, a little too much
- shop, a little too much
- watch sex and the city, a lot
- and take way too many self portraits (there are HUNDREDS on my photobooth)

crazy arms

so. what are some of my favorite arm exercises.

well first, let me clarify, these aren't my FAVORITE exercises...but these are the exercises that seem to always work.

what you may need: a wall, a chair or low table

-pushups. i've learned that when you do modified pushups (pushups on your knees) you actually want to keep your feet on the ground. a lot of times we will let our feet cross behind us as we do push ups. that puts a lot of pressure on your back apparently. so. feet down. and make sure your arms are wide!

- tricep dips. i think the lower the chair or wall is to the ground it's harder and more awkward. well actually i hate tricep dips. but, they're easy to figure out. sit in a chair....and push your body away from the chair....'n' dip! you want to make sure that your elbows are close to your body so you're actually working your triceps.

- another pushup...use that same table or chair and do your pushups that way...the incline messes with you....and while you're at it, flip around, put your feet on the chair and then do pushups. woot woot.

- ooo and another pushup exercise! you can actually do pushups against the wall while standing up. it's a nice break.

i think these are fun exercises. what i've done while traveling...i've set up a little space to do these exercises, bring a towel and some water. then...i do what something that people may refer to as supersets. i go through each exercise back to back - doing 10-12 reps....and before starting over, i would do a hover or something similar to that...then i'd go at it again either one or two more times.

:)

that's it.
i do hate pushups though.
alot.
:)

what had happened was

i was enjoying a lovely night of sleep and was all of a sudden awake....but why.

tornado sirens. if you know me, you know i love and respect the weather.

so. because it's warm in my apartment and i don't want to turn the a/c on, i sleep with very little on. but when the sirens go...i go. i grab my robe to cover my crazy outfit with and i walk down to the basement.

1. i thought i'd run into all my neighbors. i actually only met there - one of which was a couple i've always wanted to know!

2. if you know me, i'll tell you more about what i was wearing

3. i i just heard a meteorologist say gustnado.

4. i only text message two people - brent and krystal. why them? i'm not sure. why not you? who knows.

5. i talked about the things i wish i would've already bought - those stupid weather radios they talk about and a flashlight (will be purchased soon)

6. there were other people in the basement but i don't know who it was

7. sometimes when i fall asleep i think of escape routes and then what i would grab in case of an emergency. i grabbed my keys and cellphone. i guess i would've been a sight with my laptop, camera and firesafety box and journals.

8. i am much funnier when i'm crazy haired, sans makeup and 'just been sleeping and woke up in a startle' state.

good night or good morning.

buying friendships

for some reason as a child i felt the need to prove to other kids that they should be my friends. i would try and convince them through some type of payment - maybe money or maybe trading something...i'm not really sure but something weird has stuck with me since then.

even as a 27 year old i'm super insecure in friendships. if you know me, you probably were pursued by me at some point. some people call that being a good friend, i think it's more of insecurity.

if you know anything about the enneagram, you know about the #6...which is me, the loyalist. here's a little summary.


The committed, security-oriented type. Sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant and rebellious. They typically have problems with self-doubt and suspicion. At their Best: internally stable and self-reliant, courageously championing themselves and others.

Key Motivations: Want to have security, to feel supported by others, to have certitude and reassurance, to test the attitudes of others toward them, to fight against anxiety and insecurity.
The Meaning of the Arrows (in brief)

When moving in their Direction of Disintegration (stress), dutiful Sixes suddenly become competitive and arrogant at Three. However, when moving in their Direction of Integration (growth), fearful, pessimistic Sixes become more relaxed and optimistic, like healthy Nine.

so today. i feel like a six. i get in these moods when i feel like i have to assess the waters of friendships. there are a couple of people who have been put through this...and they've been gracious to me as i've stumbled through our friendship.

even as a kid i would do this...i would purposely not pursue a friendship to see if i was holding it up or if it was mutual. i guess i'm in a season of testing the waters. we'll see what happens. maybe i'm just being a six.

weather

i love the weather.
but i do not like the weather websites of some of our local news stations.

this is why.

inspiration, weather fanatic

okay. so i've had this bright idea to post some of my favorite workouts that i like to do while i'm away from the Y. when i was in SL i made a point to do some calisthenics almost every other day...i mixed it up with push ups, sit us, planks, lunges...and glistening, sweaty arms! i loved it. be on the lookout.

SO. i just had to write this story. last night i was watching so you think you can dance, yes, i know, it wasn't on last night...i'lll get to the point.

so. i'm watching it. and watching it and there's a weather alert going on at the bottom. since i am a weather freak i pay attention to the weather on the bottom. i got on the borrowed internet and looked at weather.com. weather.com seemed much calmer than fox.

then i realized i was watching a tape.