Survey Time (once again)

This is a really long survey I took off someone else's blog. Can you tell I'm avoiding homework?!?! ;)

What is your full name? Kimberly Rae Smith
Birthplace: Springfield, MO
Current Location: Irving, TX
Backstreet Boys or Nsync? NSync
When was the last time you showered? Just minutes ago (had to take it early tonight since the Oscars are on later!)
Right Handed or Left Handed: Right
Your Heritage: English, German, Scottish and a little Native American
The Shoes You Wore Today: the blue and white Nike’s that I wear just about EVERY day
Your Weakness: procrastination (and I’m fallin’ vicitim to it RIGHT now)
Your Fears: not being any good at what I want to do in life
Your Perfect Pizza: TONS and TONS of cheese on a greasy pepperoni and mushroom hand-tossed pizza!! YUM! Now I’m hungry again!
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Saving up enough money to get my own place
Your Most Overused Phrase on instant messenger: “lol” and “HA”…but then of course there are all the smilies that I OVERuse
Thoughts When First Waking Up: “what do I have to get up for again?” If it’s work…….if it’s taking my cousins home at 6AM… roll outta bed while thinking, “I’ve really gotta get my own place!”
Your Best Physical Feature: my brain…sorry, it’s physical, just on the inside! ;)
Your Bedtime: well I’ve gotten better lately and when homework isn’t due, I try to get myself in bed during the week at about 11 PM and then watch a recorded Oprah or another show till midnight. But if I’m not being disciplined, it is about 12 or 12:30 AM.
Your Most Missed Memory: Living in Abilene: having all my favorite people within minutes; GATA stuff; INTRAMURALS; visiting Chucky T; living in my own place; etc.
Pepsi or Coke: neither
McDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds
Favorite Video Game? I prefer the computer
Single or Group Dates: anything besides blind dates! ;)
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: not much of a tea drinker. But I do love the chinese food restaurant “Bethany’s” in Arlington’s tea latte! YUM!
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee: neither
Do you Smoke: No
Do you Swear: not really anymore
Do you Sing: LOVE to! Didn’t say I’m good, but LOVE to sing, especially in the car!
Do you Shower Daily: yeppers, and with my new “routine” that I’ve fallen into, those normally come sometime around 9 or 10 PM at night (weekdays)
Have you Been in Love: I’m in love everyday!
Do you want to go to college: NO MORE, PLEASE!!! But yes, I’d love to go back and get a doctorate someday, but the key words being “go back” so I need a break sometime first!
Do you want to get married: yeppersDo you believe in yourself: always!
Do you get Motion Sickness: uhh…I don’t think so. I don’t riding those rides at Six Flags and places though that spin you around and around or you have to ride in them going backwards, so maybe that’s a yes?! I don’t know
Do you have a dream car: Well, I think “dream cars” are kinda dumb, because I’d never spend that much money, even if I had it, on a car. I mean I’ve always thought the Lamborgini’s rocked, but would never buy one. I think my “dream car” would be a Lexus RX. I really like those for an SUV. Not TOO big, but kinda sporty lookin’.
Do you think you are Attractive: well it totally depends on what aspect are we talkin’ about here. Attractive can be in reference to physically or mentally or personality. I don’t think I’m what society addresses as “attractive physically”, but that doesn’t bother me. I value intellect and personality in people, so I do my best to be “attractive” in those areas. Whether I am or not, that is up to opinion.
Are you a Health Freak: noppers, but have definitely become more aware of what I eat over the past year. I’m gettin’ older and my body is slowly showing me that.
Do you get along with your Parents: I suppose. We talk minimally, so how can I not! ;)
Do you like Thunderstorms: yeah, they are pretty
Do you play an Instrument: no, but that would be cool

In the past month have you drank alcohol: yes, but it has been VERY limited
In the past month have you Smoked: noppers
In the past month have you been on Drugs: noppers
In the past month have you gone on a Date: noppers
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: yeah, unfortunately. Not really my thing: too expensive, crowded and overrated
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: no….I don’t even think I’ve eaten one oreo in the past month, much less the entire box (and isn’t it a “bag” anyways?!)
In the past month have you eaten sushi: no, but I’ve always wanted to try it, but I know you have to be careful with it and make sure you get the “good” stuff in order not to get sick, and since I’m not really into the idea of spending a lot of money, I don’t know WHEN I’ll try it…HA!
In the past month have you been on stage: Uhh…I don’t think so.
In the past month have you been dumped: nah….it’s nice, huh!? ;)
In the past month have you gone skinny dipping: noppers…isn’t it a little cold outside?!?! But we do have a pool, so when the whether gets nicer….LOL…
In the past month have you stolen anything: I don’t think so…I don’t recall it if I did…HA!

Piercings: noppers
Tatoos: no
Ever been drunk: no (however, SOMEONE whose name I won’t say so they don’t get incriminated for drinking with me, likes to think so, but I think I would know!)
Ever been called a tease: not that I’m aware of
Ever been beaten up: no, but I was slapped in the face by a guy from my church back in STL once….HA!
Ever shoplifted: yeah, once when I was younger, like elementary age or junior high
How do you want to die: suddenly and not expecting it…if I’m feeling selfish, but “predicted/expected” if I’m thinking about my loved ones. The situation is somewhat different for the loved ones who are left behind to handle a death if it is “expected” like from a terminal illness because they “know” death is coming and can do their best to avoid “regrets”, but when it happens unexpected the regrets can be deadly in them selves. I won’t say one way is “easier” than another, because there is nothing easy about losing someone you love, but when considering the after effects, such as regrets, “expecting” a death can help to limit the number of regrets. And you know what? If we all just “lived like you were dying” as Tim McGraw’s song says, we wouldn’t have to worry about regrets either way.
What do you want to be when you grow up: a therapist (for a while) then switch and go into teaching (hopefully at the college level)
What country would you most like to Visit: Australia
What color pants do you have right now? Dark blue jeans
What song are you listening to right now? No music (believe it or not)
What is the last thing that you said? “bye” on the phone with Makiyo
What is right next to you? My homework piled up on one side and my laptop on the other side.
What is your computer desk made of? Uhhh…a hard plastic I think
What are the last 4 digits in your phone number? 1115
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? blue
When is your birthday? December 10, 1981
Who do you want to spend the rest of your life with? A best friend, but haven’t found him yet (or at least don’t know that he’ll become that “best friend”)
How many buddies do you have on your buddy list? 141
How's the weather right now? Deary lookin’ and cooler
What did you do last night? Was a TOTAL bum and didn’t do homework like I should have. I played on the computer and watched some of my past Oprah’s and Fear Factors and House and American Idol episodes that I needed to catch up on.
Last person that you talked to on the phone? Makiyo
What makes you happy? Making others laugh and happy; seeing people I love; hearing from people I love (whether it be on the phone or on AIM or in an email); knowing people read what I blog about; eating some dang good food; watching one of my favorite shows on tv; etc.
Fave CD right now? Either Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” or Switchfoot’s “The Beautiful Letdown”
Nicknames? Kim
Age? 23
Hair color? Dark blonde I suppose
Eye color? Green/Blue
Height? 5’2”
Do you wear contacts? No, but I’m HIGHLY considering trying them again. I’m so mad about the new glasses I got just months ago, they aren’t a strong enough perscription dangit!
Siblings and their age? Jeremy-24; Jayme-18.5; Ryan-14.5
What school do you attend? UTA
What do you like to do? Laugh, be with friends, be on the computer, listen to music (AKA sing and dance to it); play sports
Pet Peeves: liars…not just a pet peeve, but a major “no-no” in my books
Fave month? No preference, it ain’t like you can choose to have one more than the others
Fave girls perfume? Love spell
Fave guys cologne? Just about any guys cologne makes me happy! I like good smellin’ guys
What will your first son's name be? I like Timothy or Garrett, but honestly I don’t know
First daughter? I still have this thing for Shylow…LOL….
Favorite drink? Water or lemonade, but I love juices too
Favorite quote: not sure…too many. But I do have one I wrote myself back on Jan. 17, 2000, that I have carried in the front picture slot in my wallet ever since and it says, “Anyone can make others laugh at someone else’s expense, but those who can make you laugh without hurting anyone truly possess the gift of humor.” I like that one I have to say!
What are some things you will never do? Gosh, I don’t know if it is possible to answer this question because how can one predict the future?! I mean there are some things I’d like to be able to say I’ll never do, but honestly, we don’t know. I would hope I would never kill, intentionally discriminate, stop loving, stop laughing, hate, puke on myself in public, abuse another human being, marry too soon, etc.
If you were forced to put out an ad in the paper looking for a spouse, containing your criteria for the "one", what would it say? SWF looking for a man! ;) A guy that knows who he is, but is still fervently searching out what’s right in this world. A guy who can say he shares the same purpose in life as me: “The 4 L’s: Learn, Labor, Laugh, and Love.” A guy who is willing to treat a woman as an equal and share the respect she will give to him with her.
Favorites:TV show: Fear Factor, American Idol, Oprah, and House
Movie: Life as a House, Patch Adams, The Green Mile, The Client, A Beautiful Mind, The Shawshank Redemption, Finding Nemo, and a recent “fav” is Million Dollar Baby
Shampoo: uhhh…honestly, I don’t know for sure, I just buy something cheap…it’s shampoo for goodness sakes (and I wear a hat to make it more irrelevant)
Book: non-fiction
Magazine: People, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest
Song: too many
Smell: good smellin’ food, cologne, fresh cut grass in the summer, etc
Ice cream: not much for ice cream, but I if I have to pick I suppose Mint Chocolate Chip
Have you Broken the law: who hasn’t sped at one point or another
Ever run away from home: no
Snuck out of the house: not that remember…maybe once in college and pranking…sneakin’ out not from the roommates, but sneakin’ out to avoid those trying to prank me or to avoid those seeing me that I was going to prank! ;)
Gone skinny dipping: nope
Made a prank phone call: absolutely…gotta love ebaums soundboards! ;)
Used parents credit card: not parents, but my aunts all the time. She is always giving it to me to go take the boys places or go pick up something for her
Skipped school: no in high school, but I would skip classes occassionally here and there in college. But not that frequently
Fell asleep in shower/bath: no
Been in a school play: elementary school baby! The Three Little Pigs
Let a friend cry on your shoulder: yeppers…sometimes I’m not the best with words in those situations, but I’ll gladly listen and let you cry…

Love:
Girlfriend: nope, but I have a feeling I’m suppose to change this to say boyfriend, but it’d get the same answer, so I’m not gonna bother
Been in love: not romantic love, but in other types of love daily
Been hurt: of course
Turn ons: a good heart (aka giving), alturistic, intelligent, confident, nice smile, buff arms, goatee
Turn offs: arrogant, rude, smoker, stupidity, big time cusser

When/What was the last:
Time you cried: I tried to make myself cry last night in bed by readin’ a book, but it didn’t do as well as I hoped, but I think one tear did come down at one point. Oh well…HA!
Time you received a letter: like a personal handwritten letter from a friend? Well I suppose the card I got from my old roommate about two weeks ago.
Time you received e-mail: everyday, and I love email!
Thing you purchased: my meal at IHOP today. I treated myself..it was fun!
TV program you watched: I just watched the end of some guy’s show on tv that I don’t even know what it was called it was some critic guy talkin’ about the Oscars and who he thought he would win
Movie you saw: Million Dollar Baby!!!!! LOVE IT!

Singing Competitions put to the Kimberly Review…

Okay, so quite possibly two of my favorite “singing” competitions have just recently been in full swing. One wound up last weekend (ACU’s Sing Song) and one is beginning it’s journey to a new winner (American Idol). So I feel as though it is my time to share my opinions (as I’m sure y’all LOVE since you apparently keep coming back to ready my stuff…we all know I tend to share my opinions a lot! HA!)

First, Sing Song 2005.

I have to be honest (gotta love that phrase…if you don’t know why I say that, read my previous post), I was not real impressed with Sing Song this year. I thought the Host and Hostesses weren’t bad, but the club and class acts weren’t all that impressive in my opinion. I don’t know, maybe sing song is just a lot more fun when you’re in it than watching…who knows.

I suppose first off I should mention that our seats were not very good (third to top row…and that was still “premium” seating for the Sat. night show…being $18 a pop!) Also, we were on the side of the coliseum, so that throws off the perspective for viewing the arrangements of movements of the group performances (i.e. when columns of people in the act combine…aka line up one behind another…for special movements, they don’t look any different from viewing them from the side). So some of the cool moves clubs and classes did didn’t look as cool from the side. And secondly, we were high enough up that the projection of the things on the curtain behind the acts was hidden behind the speakers and other things hanging from the ceiling.

As for the host and hostesses, I give my props to the male vocalists. Darren rocks! His performance of “Somewhere Only We Know” was SOOOO good. I’ve never heard that song before, but I so want to download it now…HA! And then there was the Blues Brother’s performance…ROCK ON! As for the ladies, too many slower songs I think. I wanted to be rockin’ in my seat. I did however love “Rock ‘n’ Roll Legends” melody that was each host and hostesses singing a short rendition of a classic song. That was GREAT!

So besides the many sound system problems, nose-bleed seats, “close-up” big screen problems (AKA..not being on for some of the women’s clubs performances), few performances involving the dance team, many slow songs, and the time for advertisements which coincided with the Jazz band performance, I DID have some moments that had me smiling and laughing out loud. I can name my favorite acts (AKA who I think deserved to win overall) from this year’s performances by answering one of America’s most asked “why” questions:

The CHICKEN crossed the STREET to play the PIANO. DUH! ;)

Now…American Idol 2005!

So far this year, I’m going to have to go with the male vocals. Out of the 12 men and 12 women who have made it to “America’s vote”…I like 7 of the guys and 4 or 5 of the girls. And to be completely honest, after watching the first week this past week, even those individuals I “like” didn’t perform all that impressively in my opinion. Granted, it was the first week so I’m sure nerves might have gotten the best of them, but I will be looking for improvements this next week.

Let’s see…

[Go to http://www.idolonfox.com/contestants/ for pictures of the contestants I’m talking about]

For the ladies…

Aloha…she is from St. Louis, so I must give her props for that one. But she is growing on me. She performed pretty well this first week, so I think I could grow to like her.

Nadia…gotta love her personality that shines through through her style (the hair) and even more in her singing performances!

Sarah…I loved her during the previous weeks, but I’ll admit she wasn’t on top of her game this past week and unfortunately that cost her as she was cut. For me that even sucks more because she was among my “favorites” in the ladies group.

Amanda and Celena are “okay” in my opinion. I’ll definitely be watching them throughout the competition to see how they grow along the journey. I wouldn’t mind them making it to the top 12.

Mikalah…EASILY the most annoying contestant yet. Simon hit it on the nose this past week when he told her that America is either going to find her to be really “fun” or really “annoying” and I, my friends, fit into the latter group!

And then my by far favorite female contestant, Carrie Underwood! She is pretty and has a great country-ish style voice. She seems sweet too, so I’m pulling for her in the ladies bracket.

For the men….

Anwar…fun fella who seems real genuine and humble. He knows what he is there to do and just goes out and does it. A nice voice.

Anthony…I liked him during the past weeks, but this first week being judged by America he wasn’t on top of his game. I think being younger nerves really got to him. I don’t see him lasting till the final 12, but he isn’t all that bad, just young I think.

Joseph….not real sure what I think of him as a singer yet, but definitely a cute guy.

Scott…not a fan of him as a guy…was kinda a jerk during the “tryouts” time in Hollywood in the previous weeks, but I must say he has a pretty good voice that you wouldn’t expect to come outta him.

Mario….a fun, cute guy that can sing. I wish him the best, though he probably isn’t in my top five outta the guys.

Nikko…how can I NOT love Ozzie Smith’s son, who looks JUST like his dad (could literally be his twin!) He has a great voice and seems to have a cool personality that he lets out through his songs. He is a pretty good lookin’ brother too, might I add.

The rockers…Constantine and Bo…originally Constantine has been my favorite outta the two leading up till now. I still really like him, but I have to say Bo pulled off a better “first week” this past week than Constantine. Bo was rockin’ it up there with “sitting on the dock of the bay”…I think that was what he sang…HA! Both are two of my favs.

And Travis Tucker. I’ve been drooling…opps..i mean watching this guy week after week. He is definitely one of my favorites (ever since his original audition when he danced and sang his way into Hollywood!) A GREAT voice with smooth dancing skills and not to mention one of the PRETTIST smiles! He was ‘alright’ this week, but I expect great things from him still!

As for my “favorite” male contestant…I don’t think I can just pick one. They are all pretty good. I just can’t wait to see which 6 of the men make it to the top 12!

So, maybe American Idol has a tradition to continue and alternate gender of the contestant crowned the “American Idol”. Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia......and who….

I predict a male, but who knows, there is a LOT of time for maturing among all the contestants out there, and plenty of time to win my heart over as who I think should be the next American Idol!

Be Honest with Others (but try it with yourself too!)

Oh how easy it is to be honest with others, but when it comes to being honest with our self, that’s a different story.

I must say I came to this conclusion on my trip home last night from Abilene. I had had the pleasure of spending the day on Wed. rather leisurely with some of my dear friends, all who happen to reside in one residence (which is GREAT when you’re being lazy and just spending the day chillin’, but still wanna see your friends).

So during the day I was lucky enough to get to have some great “chat” time with one of my favorite people to just small talk with. It was on our trip home from the grocery store that we had our conversation that got me thinking again while I was in the car alone on my drive back to Dallas and thus inspired this blog. So here is what we were talking about…

She was telling me how she had a new interest in possibly becoming a pre-marital counselor. Immediately when she told me this my opinion on marriage therapists came to mind. I’ve always had this opinion on Marriage and Family Therapist or pre-martial counselors, whichever the case may be, that I think they should be married them self before they go off trying to tell other people (couples) what they should and shouldn’t do (AKA give them advice). I just have always had this personal belief that if I was married and going to one of these folks for therapy I would feel as if they wouldn’t be able to fully understand what my spouse and myself were going through nor be able to fully help us if they them self had never even experienced marriage. I would be thinking “how could they possibly understand and relate to us?” “They don’t know what it is “really” like!” Needless to say, I would definitely be looking for a wedding ring when I walked into my session!

So then I obviously shared my opinion on this matter with my friend. And I’m sure it went something like this: “I’ll be honest with you....I think a pre-martial counselor should be someone who is married…[blah blah blah]”

Yeah, that’s right, me being “honest” with someone. You know, I’ve noticed myself saying “I’ll be honest with you…” a LOT lately. I have really begun to openly share my opinion on matters with folks, and you know, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, as long as I’m willing to listen and respect their opinion on the matter as well, even if it doesn’t agree with mine (and I normally do respect them in this matter, so that’s good).

So then I get to thinking about this whole “being married in order to be a martial counselor” business and you know what, if I honestly believe that, I have to be honest with myself and apply that opinion to other similar situations—AKA my personal career preference.

So let’s see…I want to be a therapist, a counselor, a person who deals with people who come to me for help. I’m especially interested, right now, in working with individuals who suffer from depression and/or anxiety. So then does this mean I need to be someone who has experienced both of these to work with these types of individuals? Granted, depression and anxiety are so prevalent in today’s society that most likely a therapist HAS dealt with one or the other at some point in his/her life, but still, it isn’t like he/she is going to be wearing anything, such as a ring, that will let the individual coming in for counseling KNOW if their therapist will be able to “relate” to their situation. Or even more, what about a therapist working with schizophrenics. Is it important that that therapist have been diagnosed as having schizophrenia during his/her lifetime in order to be able to “relate” to his/her client?

Sure, don’t think I can’t rationalize to justify why I should be able to be a therapist who works with the mentally ill, but my friend who isn’t married shouldn’t be able to do pre-martial therapy. How easy is it to say, “Well, you obviously can’t have someone who is mentally ill try to help someone else who is mentally ill, because that just doesn’t make sense.” Or, as I even alluded to earlier, “Well, depression or anxiety is something that just about everyone has experienced at one point or another during their life, so that therapist should be able to relate on one level or another.”

Yes, rationalization is a defense mechanism we all fall victim to SOOOO easily, and I’ve become so aware of it in the recent past.

So, I look back on my friend’s response to my “opinion.” She said, “yeah, well I see what you’re saying, but I see it as maybe I wouldn’t have experienced it, but I will have studied it and learned what to tell these people in reference to their problems.”

[pause]

[sigh]

I guess that’s true. As hard as it is to swallow our pride and have to question our opinion on a matter, especially when you have been set in that view on that matter for a long period of time, it is tough (I’m not gonna lie). And to be honest with you (HA…I bet you liked that), if I am to get married at one point, and find myself getting some sort of marriage counseling, I will still look for a ring, but I now I will be more willing to accept the fact that just because I don’t see a ring doesn’t mean I should get up and walk out. I’ll do my best to give them a fair chance! ;)

Survey for fun...

___Favorite___
1. gum: Super Bubble and Orbit spearmint
2. restaurant: I don’t care to go out and eat much
3. drink: Water or lemonade, but I’m drinkin’ a LOT more water nowadays
4. season: whichever…I can be happy in any of them
5. type of weather: beautiful days like the last two days when it has been sunny and temps in the high 70’s low 80’s
6. emotion: love
7. thing to do on a half day: a half-day of what? I only have school on Monday and Thursdays and each day it is only from 2-9 PM….so I work that morning “half” of the day. ;)
8. late-night activity: believe it or not…I’ve gotten “old” and go to bed before “late-night” starts…but IF I stay up late it is either online chattin’ with people or doin’ homework.
9. sport: Basketball and football
10. city: I like Abilene…I would love to move back there to raise a family and then teach at ACU one day
11. store: Wal-Mart or Old Navy

_____When was the last time you___
12. cried: oh gosh…I don’t know…I suppose when I watched “Life as a House”….but I suppose a “real” cry hasn’t been since my friend Chuck passed
13. played a sport: uhh…for a team, intramurals at ACU…so back in April 2004, but I’ve played basketball with my cousins since then.
14. laughed: just earlier when Becca and I were IMing about her boss since we are both sittin’ here making fun of her over IM as we watch her here with us!
15. hugged someone: got a LOT of hugs this weekend when I was back in Abilene for Sing Song. I love seeing my friends!
16. kissed someone: gosh…I don’t know. I don’t kiss anyone….not even relatives or family…HA!
17. felt depressed: uhh…I don’t normally get depressed, but it is a symptom of bereavement, so yeah, I suppose it was back in Oct/Nov.
18. felt overworked: hmm….I don’t know if it is possible to be “overworked”…unless you die…so I suppose I don’t know. ;)
19. faked sick: I don’t like it when people fake being sick.

____What was the last___
21. word you said: “you” because I told Becca I was making fun of her
22. thing you ate: one of those big chewy sweet-tarts
23. song you listened to: uhh…something in the car on the trip to Abilene. I think the last thing that might have been on when I turned off the car was some old Nelly song on my cd…maybe “Air Force Ones”
24. last thing you drank: water
25. place you went: downstairs to call Janaye from the phone in the lobby of the library to prove to her that I was in town
26. movie you saw: Million Dollar Baby…which is GREAT (good luck at the Oscars this weekend, Baby!)
27. movie you rented: "The Forgotten” (actually pretty good, too)

____Who was the last person____
28. hugged: my old roommate Jackie Beth as I left Sarah’s lingerie shower on Sunday
29. cried over: Chuck
31. danced with: Brandon
33. had a sleep over with: Ellison, Holly, Sharon, and Slagle at Ellison’s this past weekend. But I’m staying at Ellison’s tonight too! Gotta love her!
34. called: Naye
35. went to a movie with: Holly and Makiyo to “Million Dollar Baby”
36. saw: Becca…she is sittin’ across from me
37. were angry with: gosh…I honestly just sat here and thought for a while and I have no clue. I don’t get angry easily, so don’t remember
38. can't take your eyes off: Tim McGraw ;) or Travis Tucker on American Idol!!! ;)
39. obssessed over: I don’t obsess over boys…that’s crazy

_______Have you ever____
40. danced in the rain: hmmm…probably…but I don’t remember for sure
41. kissed someone: yeppers
42. done drugs: nothing illegal
43. drank alcohol: yeah
44. partied till the sun came up: uhhh…..hungout with friends all night before…yes…partied…well we were having a blast…but I don’t know if you would consider it “partying” ;)
45. had a movie marathon: I can barely make myself sit through one movie…much less a “marathon” of them ;)
46. gone too far on a dare: nah
47. spun until you were immensely dizzy: not that I can remember…but Brandi and I went around the ACU campus one night last year at like probably 9 o’clock and rolled down hills for fun! HA! You can get SOOO dizzy rollin’ down the big hill in front of the bible building…I TOTALLY recommend it…go out there some night and try it!

____Play_____
55. i'm feeling: hungry
56. i'm listening to: me and becca typing..but other than that…it is quiet…we’re in the library! ;)
57. i'm doing: this survey of course
58. i'm talkin to: no one
59. i'm craving: food…I’m not picky!
60. i'm thinking: do I really want to get up that early in the morning to have chicken ‘n chess burritos with Brandi?!?! ;)
61. i'm hating: I don’t hate…hate is not a good thing

____Love____
62. love is: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!
63. my first love is: my friends
64. my current love: still gotta go with my friends on this one
65. love or lust: Love
66. best love song is: oh…too many…but I do love “Remember When” by Alan Jackson…but it probably isn’t the “best”
67. Possible to be in love w/ more than one person at the same time: who knows
68. When love hurts: talk about it with a good friend
69. is there such thing as love @ first site? I don’t know
70. turn ons: physical--goatee, buff arms, nice smile; other--good sense of humor, good personality, confident but not arrogant
71. turn offs: arrogant, partier, smoker
72. does your parent's opinion on you gf/bf matter? I suppose…but it ain’t like I correspond with my folks all that much…by the time I actually introduced them to him we would probably practically be married…HA!
73. what kind of hairstyle are you into? Hat hair
74: what is the sweetest thing a girl/guy can do for you? Been treated with respect, I’ll have to agree with my sister on this one. That’s all I ask from a guy or anyone for that matter
75. where do you go to meet new people? school
76.Are you the type to HOLLA and ask for numbers? Lol…oh don’t you know it! HA! ;)

___Picky____
77. dogs or cats: Dogs
78. short or long hair: Short Hair on guys, but on girls long hair
79. sunshine or rain: sunshine unless I want to sleep, then a steady easy rain! ;)
80. hugs or kisses: depends on who the “giver” is! ;)
81. summer or winter: summer when I want it hot…winter when I want it cold
82. written letters or e-mail: both
83. nintendo or motorcycles: both, but I don’t quite understand the comparison there
85.house party or club: lol…either or…I just like to dance ;)
86. sing or dance: both…not that I’m good at either…but I love doin’ both
87. freak or slow dance: I don’t know how to slow dance..HA! But I can sure freak dance! ;)

____Lately____
88. How are you today? Great…life is good my friends!
89. what pants are you wearing? Jeans…my new girly ones that everyone, especially Cheryl, Liz and Becca, love to mess with me about
90. what shirt are you wearing: one of my Cabo San Lucas ones
91. what does your hair look like right now: uhhh…I can’t see it…I don’t have a mirror near by, but I’m sure it is a mess under my hat…HA!
92. what song are you listening to right now: none…sorry….at the library..and that’s against the rules…kinda like eating in the library…like how Becca and I are eating cake
93. how is the weather right now: I don’t know….I’m inside…but it was rainy out there earlier
94. who was the last person you talked to on the phone: Janaye…it would have been Angela…but she wouldn’t answer her phone
95. last dream i can remember: oh gosh…I don’t know….I don’t ever really remember my dreams

Yummy!

Okay, do you want to know what is one of my most favorite fast food burgers (heck, for that matter it is probably better than most sit-down joints burgers that i've had). It is Jack in the Box's Jumbo Jack (minus the onions).

If you have never had one i HIGHLY recommend them! Let me tell you what makes them SOOO good:

--I love the "special sauce" (as I call it) with just the right mixture of ketchup and mayo on the bun....YUM! It gives the burger some "wetness" so it isn't a dry burger. I don't like dry burgers.

--Then there is the bun. They use like potato buns or something different than the typical fast food burger bun. This bun is yellowish in color and it has the sesame seeds on top.

--Then there is the actual burger patty! I think it is the fact that I swear they use reall beef that makes it SOOO good! The meat is juicy and has a GREAT taste to it. You eat it and you're thinking..."that's some good beef!" If you think about it, with the Jack in the Box E. coli breakout in 1993, you can't argue that it's not real meat. I mean really, do you recall any E. coli breakouts with McDonalds....no....hence, not real meat. HA! ;)

--Then of course there is the tomato slice and the leaf of lettuce that they throw on there. Those of course give the burger it's "this is kinda good for you" appeal for the consumer. We all know we want SOMETHING outta our burger to tell us it is worth eating! ;)

Just Curious...

Hmm...so i was eating dinner last night and I was wondering. Does anyone know what type of gas they fill chip bags with? Seriously. Like my favorite chips, original Lays, come in a huge bag but of course it is filled halfway with "air" and you only get a half portion of the bags size worth of chips. So I was thinking, it can't just be "air" because if it was, why don't the chips go stale as they do if you just leave the bag sitting out open for only a matter of hours.

It obviously isn't helium they fill it with, but wouldn't that be AWESOME if they did fill chip bags with helium...go to the store and the chip alley would have all these floating bags you could reach up and pick from!

So what kind of "gas" is it? I'm thinking the next bag of chips I buy I want to take it and instead of opening it normally, taking like a pin and making a small pin-sized hole in it and sucking the "gas" out of it and inhaling it. Obviously if it were helium i'd start talking all squeeky (sp?)....HA! If it is pure oxygen maybe i'll breath easier! HA! Maybe it will be a poisoneous gas that will kill me. That would make for a cool tombstone... "Died from sucking chip gas." HA!

Million Dollar Baby

I saw this movie Thursday night and I couldn't have had a better time!

This movie has everything I look for in a movie:
--good actors/actresses
--a true love for a sport
--the demonstration of respect for an individual
--the true love for a friend
--respect for the working poor
--and a plot that will make you cheer, grimace, and cry

It's no wonder the movie is up for seven academy awards, including best picture!

I totally recommend this movie as well as wish it the best of lucky on February 27th at the Oscars!

People Complain that My Blogs are TOO long...

I need a boyfriend.
But not just any boyfriend.
I need a boyfriend who has great skills! ;)

Note: Boys without great skills need not apply.

I’ll Be in School Longer Than I Thought (but I’m okay with it now!)

So lately I’ve been really stressed out what to do about school this summer. Let me explain…

Coming into the Masters of Social Work program we are told it is a 2-year program, but that is like an advertisement you might see on television because you got to be sure to note all the fine print. What they don’t tell you out front is that it is a 2-year program assuming you are going to take 15 credit hours a semester and do summers too. Now, at first, that might not sound like a lot, 15 hours, but in graduate school, a full-time student is no longer 12-hours, it is 9-hours simply because the classes consist of more work than undergraduate course…yadda yadda yadda... Anyways, so 15-hours is a heavy load in graduate school. Also, some of those course in the program are two field practicums (AKA internships) that must be completed (one each year), and those will take anywhere from 25-40 working hours per week out of your schedule (so you have to take that into consideration when planning your other classes that semester when you’re doing those practicums).

So, all this being said, I went into the program this past fall with expectations to graduate in August 2006. Yeah, they probably told me all that stuff about 15 hours a semester and summers and crap, and I was just like… “yadda yadda yadda” and went on looking forward to August 2006 like none other! Trust me, I’m so sick and tired of school!

Well here I am in the semester before my first summer in the program and I’m thinking, “I can’t possibly do this first field practicum this summer! I have a responsibility to nanny my little cousins this summer in order to keep living with my uncle and there’s no way I can nanny them and go to my internship 36.5 hours a week (which is how many hours it if you choose to do it during the summer sessions).” So then I was like, well you know, if I continue to work my butt off this semester and make enough money, I can move out into an apartment and maybe my sister would take over the nannying job this summer. But then of course this won’t work because I won’t be able to work during the summer to pay my bills that I’ll have for having moved out because I’ll have to work at my internship basically 40 hours a week and we don’t get paid for that.

So then I was faced with the thought of putting off my field practicum until this fall. With that thought all I could think of were depressing thoughts. Stuff like “this will put off graduation for another semester! I GOTTA get this finished…school is driving me nuts!” and “this will put me behind all my peers and friends in my classes so I won’t be able to have classes with them anymore” and “how come I was able to finish my undergraduate in the 4 years but I can’t do this 2-year program in time?!?!” Oh how the negative thoughts kept coming and all I could think of what a “slacker” this would make me if I put it off until the fall.

Honestly, I hadn’t really talked about any of this with anyone in depth because I’m not one to ask for help especially about live decisions for myself (because that’s my own job, right!??! Why would anyone else know what to tell me to do!?!) It had gotten the best of me on Saturday I suppose it was. I had been thinkin’ about it all last week. Some more on Friday, and couldn’t concentrate on much on Saturday either because of it (mainly because I knew I needed to make a decision about what to do this summer since they were having a meeting at school on Monday for people taking the summer practicum). So I couldn’t keep it in much longer and it all came out on Saturday (gosh, that makes it sound really nasty, huh?!?! HA!) I venting all this stress to one of my best buddies online and she listened to me, which was basically all I really just needed, especially since I knew she wouldn’t be able to tell me what to do. HA! But she did tell me one thing that really made me feel better (kinda brought tears to my eyes, but you know how those vulnerable moments are when you’re stressed out…HA!) I told her how I didn’t want to be behind my fellow peers who started the program with me and I didn’t want to not have classes with my friends anymore if I got behind and she said, “if there is one thing i know about you it is that you can make friends with anyone so if you are in different classes, you will make friends no problem.” And I thought about it, and that’s really true for anyone if they want it to be. Anyone who is determined to make new friends can. And really, I don’t think it is that I was worried about not being able to make new friends, it was the whole idea of being set back from the other people and viewing myself as “behind” or “slower” or “not as good”. Either way…I was feeling a little better about making the decision after getting it all out there.

So it was time to get a piece of paper and map out my future in effort to see for sure when I would be able to graduate if I put off the internship till the fall. Of course the “time” to do this fell in the middle of my Research class yesterday because I was struggling to stay awake (which probably isn’t a good thing since we have an Exam in there next week and I haven’t even cracked the textbook yet…HA!). Either way, I started drafting plans. I did one for if I took the practicum this summer afterall; one if I took it in the fall without any taking any classes this summer; and one if I took it this fall and still took one or two courses this fall. And you know what…even if I did take the practicum this summer, the ONLY way I would be able to graduate in August 2006 would be to totally BUST my butt next semester because I’d have to do a practicum during the semesters with courses and it would make for a lot of credit hours a semester and I don’t know if I can do all that PLUS work at my job (because it ain’t like mommy and daddy are sending me money…HA)!

So, I told myself, “you know what? What is the rush? Yeah, you’re tired of school, but what is one more semester when you’ve got the rest of your life to have school finished with (AKA be working). There is absolutely nothing wrong with graduating in December 2006, especially with the program you will have finished.”

Let me explain the part about “especially with the program you will have finished.” Yes, most Masters programs are 2-year programs, but if you look at the credit hours required in different programs, they vary greatly! Most are not like our social work program and don’t require as many hours, so 15 credit hours a semester and summers are not expected in those other programs. Let me give you an idea of credit hours required for some different masters programs.

Accounting – 36 at UTA; 30 hours at ACU
Clinical Psychology – 48 hours at ACU
Counseling Psychology – 48 hours at ACU
Education – 36 at UTA; 36-39 hours at ACU
Marriage and Family Therapy – 60 hours at ACU
Nursing – 38 at UTA; 45-53 hours at ACU
School Psychology – 60 hours at ACU
Social Work – 64 hours at UTA

See, with some programs we (Masters of Social Work students at UTA) are required to have almost twice as many hours than some other disciplines.

So, you ask, “What am I going to do?” Well, I ended up getting to talk to a really helpful peer yesterday during my dinner break at school (you can read more about her in my blog from last night) and she helped me with some ideas about when to take different courses (as well as who to take and who not to take), so I am about 98% sure I’m not going to be doing my internship till this fall. And as for classes this summer. I’m not sure yet, I’m still deciding, because after I mapped out my future plans, whether I take a class or two this summer doesn’t affect the plans that much either way. And I also thought, you know what, I could probably enjoy one more summer off from school and just working leisurely for my uncle as a nanny and in his office, because I already have a couple weddings in St. Louis I’d like to be able to go to this summer and we are already talking about summer vacation plans for this year with the “fam;” as my uncle said to me a week or so ago in the kitchen “So where do you want to go on the family vacation this summer to Kimberly?” HA! I just laughed and said, “I don’t know.” HA!

Talk to Strangers (but don’t let your mom know I told you too!)

I’ve gotta say, I have some of the utmost respect for genuinely nice individuals; folks who will strike up a friendly conversation with just about anyone. Who cares if the only thing you appear to have in common is the fact that you’re both eating at the same table. You won’t find out what else you have in common unless you start talking!

I just say this because I was realizing today how much I appreciate folks who aren’t afraid to talk to anyone. Let’s face it, I’m not the kind of person you see and are like, “dang, I wanna talk to that girl!” but still, I’ve been blessed with those truly friendly individuals who will still start talking to me out of the clear blue and once we get talking the fun begins!

While these might not seem so much as “strangers” to y’all, I’ve been lucky enough to have three or four individuals that I had classes with last semester but NEVER spoke a single word with (mostly because we were always sitting on opposite sides of the classrooms from one another) strike up conversations with me this semester either in our classes that we have together now or just when we happen to see one another around. Today alone I had two different conversations with two fellow classmates from last semester that I have much respect for just from listening to them speak up in class. One was just a casual conversation discussing one of our classes we are in together this semester while we were standing in line for a meeting, but the other one came during my dinner break when I was sitting in the student lounge eating and piddling around on my laptop. This student was a peer from a class last semester. I always admired her for what seemed to be shear brilliance that she exemplified through class discussions. I don’t have classes with her this semester and actually this was my first time to run into her this semester, but she immediately sat down across from me at the table and we talked the entire time that we ate. Not only was it fun, but she was SOOOO incredibly helpful for helping me to decide what to do about a school scheduling situation I’ve been stressing over for the past week or so.

Sooo, maybe simply being in a classroom for a semester without any formal greeting or a single word spoken to one another still represents a bond you share with your peers. Either way, I’ll never turn down an opportunity to talk with someone because you never know when some simple words can lead to a new friendship!

My Review of the Super Bowl Commercials (oh yeah, and the game!)

I suppose had I been more enthusiastic about either of the teams in the Super Bowl this year, the game overall would have been more entertaining to me than it was, especially since it was a close game the entire time and who would prevail in the end came down to the last 9 seconds of the game (or was it 6 seconds? See, I didn’t pay THAT close of attention…HA!) Either way, I did watch the entire event from 6 PM till the game clock hit double zero (no desire to watch the pre- or post-game shows).

So my favorite part of the game you ask? That would have to be the Tom Brady fumble. No, it wasn’t the actual fumble or even the fact that he fumbled it, it was the incident of ball recovery and the officials trying to determine whose ball it was. How funny was it when the Eagles player came running out of the pile of the bodies with the ball and the officials all continues to dive on top of the pile trying to dig to the bottom and find the ball. It literally took them forever to realize that the ball wasn’t even at the bottom of the pile anymore that and the Eagles player had already emerged from the pile with the ball in hand and was halfway up the field in celebration. HA! I was crackin’ up that the officials were still digging. HA!

Soooo, when that is my favorite part of the entire game you must be aware that I wasn’t into watching the game so much for the game, so what was I and so many other Americans camped out in front of our televisions for hours for if it wasn’t to cheer on our hometown team? The commercials of course!

So, what did I think of the commercials this year? Well, actually, I wasn’t all that impressed, I’ll admit. I have to be honest. I watched the halftime show hoping to see some sort of a funny joke/gesture made in reference to the Janet Jackson incident last year, or even a public apology for it on it’s one year anniversary, but of course if you watched you are aware that none of that occurred. So my last hope was in the commercials. I was sure some brilliant multi-million dollar company out there would have advertising merchants on top of a HILAROUS commercial produced for Super Bowl debuting with a humorous Jackson/Timberlake reference, but once again, I found myself disappointed (similar to the fact that I was disappointed to be sitting at home watching the Super Bowl with four little kids running around me all night and just them, no one else here with me. That’s a hard change to accept when I’m coming off the past two years of GREAT fun Super Bowl parties with fun “bring your own meat” BBQ cookouts involved at the GATA Super Bowl party! Oh how I miss the days of Billy Bob!)

So, if there were no costume malfunction spoofs for commercials this year, what were the commercials? Well, I don’t know…maybe it was just me, but I don’t think I’ve seen so many movie previews for movies that won’t be out for MONTHS since having gone to a theatre. I thought there was some sort of rule on television about not showing a movie trailer till it is at least the season of the year that it is coming out; apparently not! What else was there? Uhh…enough car commercials to last me a while (though I do think it is cool that Honda has put out a pick-up truck. That’s cool!) Well, I don’t know about you, but when I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials I’m waiting in anticipation for FUNNY commercials. I could care less about movie previews and commercials showing cars driving over big mountains and other forms of rough terrain or taking sharp curves on windy roads at top speeds (isn’t that what EVERY car commercial is like?! Let’s come up with something new folks!) So, even in the midst of a rather not-so-good year for commercials, I still managed to come up with a Top 5 list of the best commercials, as well as have two who deserve Honorable Mentions in my opinion.

Honorable Mention:
--the Emerald Nuts of California commercial = this was the one with the dad and daughter sitting on the couch and the dad is eating the nuts and the daughter asks if she can have some and the dad is like, “Honey you know if you eat Emerald Nuts all the unicorns will disappear forever.” And then the screen immediately shows this huge unicorn standing on the other side of the couch and it goes, “Now you know that isn’t true!” And then Santa Clause and the Easter bunny get into the fun as well.

--the CareerBuilder.com commercials = I remember seeing two different ones of these, but they were the ones with the business man and all the Chimpanzees dressed up in business suits. One of them was where the Chimps placed a whoopee cushion in the business man’s chair and he sat on it and the Chimps all cracked up. And the second one the Chimps did something funny and then they made fun of the business man by gesturing that he was “kissing butt”….HA!

The Top Five Commercials during the 2005 Super Bowl:

5. The NFL Network commercial = This was the one where Joe Montana was sitting with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and he was trying to console him for not making it quite to the Super Bowl this year and reassuring him there is always next year. Then they break out into “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. And then it shows tons of other NFL players who didn’t quite make it to the Super Bowl this year singing and dancing along. (I suppose this commercial is only humorous and fun to sport fans).

4. The Lays Potato Chips commercial = this was the commercial with the little kids playing baseball and they accidently hit their ball over a huge privacy fence and then the one kid is like “That’s Mr. _____’s yard. We’ll never get the ball back now.” And then one of the little girls comes up and goes, “Give him this,” and hands them a bag of Lays chips and once they throw that over the fence the neighbor begins throwing all the stuff they have ever lost over the fence back to them, including their ball, their dog, a car, and MC Hammer, to which the kids go “Where have you been all these years?!!?” HA!

3. The Kinkos/Fed Ex commercial = this was towards the very beginning of the Super Bowl and it was with the Fed Ex employee going, “In hopes of having the best Super Bowl commercial out there this year we decided to come up with a list of the top ten most important things to have in your commercial.” And then they went on to list them and the list included things such as, a celebrity, an animal, a kick in the groin area, an attractive female, a talking animal, and some other humorous parts.

2. The Ameriquest commercial at the gas station = this commercial featured a man shopping in a gas station and was talking on his cell phone at the same time with one of those hands-free sets where it looks like he is walking around talking to himself. So he goes up to the counter to check out and the cashier and another employee happen to have their backs turned when the man approached the counter, but they see his reflection in the glass window behind the register and they hear him talking on the phone but they don’t see the head-set he is talking into so they think he is talking to them. The man happens to be telling his friend on the phone that he is being robbed in reference to some deal he is involved with with a company or something. So the gas station employees immediate thing the man is telling them that they are being robbed so they turn around and begin to beat the crap out of the customer before he can react. And then the slogan of the commercial appears and it says, “Don’t Judge to Early.”

And my pick for the #1 2005 Super Bowl commercial……

1. The Ameriquest commercial at the girlfriends apartment = this commercial featured a boyfriend who goes over to his girlfriends apartment when she isn’t home to cook her dinner and surprise her for when she gets home. He is in her kitchen cooking away and has some red sauce boiling on the stove behind him while he is on the other side of the kitchen chopping up some vegetables with a big knife. It is then that the girlfriends huge white Persian cat jumps up on the stove and turns the pot of red sauce over on the floor and all over the cat too of course. While this is happening the girlfriend is arriving home and turns the corner to be surprised and see her boyfriend cooking dinner but instead finds him picking up the cat that happens to be covered in red stuff in one hand and has the big chopping knife in his other hand. HA HA! (He looks at if he is killing her cat if you haven’t caught on yet…HA!) And yet again the slogan of “Don’t Judge too Early” pops up on the screen.

Sooo…I give my props this year to Ameriquest for their “Don’t Judge too Early” series of commercials. Heck, it was about time someone other than a beer company had funny advertisements during the Super Bowl.

The State of the Union Address

Alright, I’ve never been into politics. I don’t really care about things like the State of the Union Address and while I did watch the entire Address this year, I wasn’t really into it nor did I care about the political issues he addressed (of course, I don’t really understand half the stuff they are talking about either…HA!)

The thing was, was when I noticed today that it was going to be on tonight, I had no intent to watch it, but it came on following American Idol (which I was of course watching) and since I was on the big screen, when I saw President Bush come out, I couldn’t help myself but to watch because he is just so cute (as always…HA!)

Now I want to share with you the things I noticed and remembered from the Address:

--First off, who the crap was the fellow who was sitting behind Bush to the right? The dude next to Cheney? I’m assuming the Speaker of the House (since isn’t he the third in Command behind the Vice President?). As to what the crap his name is…I have no clue (nor have I ever seen him before…HA!)

--I am led to believe that all that clapping HAS to hurt those folks hands after a while. I bet it is like when you are in one of those situations where you are forced to smile a whole lot and then once it is all over with, your face is all sore from all that smiling because you aren’t used to smiling so much.

--Man, with all the standing and applauding it makes me think of all the good ol’ high school pep rallys. Up and down….up and down….up and down…

--I love Bush’s cute little smile whenever he is pausing during rounds of applause. He seems so happy to see others happy!

--I enjoyed how the first round of applause where the democrats rose to their feet as well the cameras immediately showed Senator John Kerry who was standing and clapping as well. HA!

--I can’t help but wonder what the Democrats who aren’t standing are thinking during those times of applause when some of the other Democrats are standing and applauding. I bet they are thinking things like, “Are you kiddin’ me?!? Sit down!! Don’t agree with those Republicans! TRADERS!!!”

--Speaking of the Democrats standing and applauding. Who decides when they are “allowed” to stand up and applaud anyways?!? Do they have like a ring leader or something?!?! Or is it like the Sibling father with the GSP Siblings during pledging in chapel at ACU?!?

--I wonder if they have paramedics in the back, out-of-sight, who are ready with oxygen. I mean come on, those Congress folks are pretty old, and with all that up and down, up and down, up and down business, let’s face it, someone might faint. Right, Hillary?

--Question: why did the camera show Sen. John Warner when he was sitting there writing while President Bush was speaking? You know he was playing Tic Tac Toe and not taking notes!

--I am curious. Do they have seat-fillers like at the Oscars for if someone has to get up for a potty break during the speech?

--I don’t know about all y’all, but I was keeping myself pretty entertained by watching Vice President Dick Cheney move his cough drop around in his mouth. Didn’t you see him when he had a huge cough attack where his whole face turned bright red and then he had to pop something into his mouth?

--Okay, was it just me, or did anyone else see President Bush sign an autograph for some dude on the way out of the place after finishing his speech??!?! Who the heck asks the President for an autograph at a time like this?!!? I mean I suppose it ain’t like he is going to be like “No” when all those cameras and a LOT of America is watching him…HA!

--Wow, I also found it interesting that as soon as it was over the little commentator/voice-over man was like “…and the speech was 54 minutes which included 66 interruptions for applause.” Hmmm….maybe that was what Sen. Warner was tallying on his paper….hmmm…

Alright, so maybe I didn’t pick up on much from his speech. Okay, wait….there were two points I remember. I’ll call this segment the “RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT” part. These two quotes from his speech I think to myself…. “RIIIIIIIIIIGHT” when he says them. The quotes are:

“…teach young men to respect women.”

“…cut the national deficit in half by the year 2009.”

When both of these happen, y’all be sure to point that out to me! ;)

No, let honestly, I will have to say, there was one point in the Address that made my night. It was actually really touching (my eyes watered, I’ll be honest). And if you watched the Address, I’m sure you know what I’m going to refer too, but it was when the parents of the fallen Marine who died over in Iraq stood up for recognition. You felt their pain, but even more when President Bush told about the letter the mother had written to him about her fallen son, especially the line about how the son had told his mom he went off to war because it was his turn to defend her, as she had done for him for years before. And yes, seeing her holding his dog-tags made it even more touching.

So, as Mr. President said himself, “May God bless America.”

MHS 2004 Reunion

A married future lawyer, a recently engaged economics graduate, a single future therapist, a married soon-to-be band instructor, and a “gotta be getting engaged ANYTIME” future veterinarian.

No, these aren’t five characters from a soap opera (well, I suppose they could be since I don’t watch that stuff! HA!). These are the descriptions of five Mehlville High School graduates who reunited during the Christmas holiday for the first time since their high school graduation over four and a half years ago.

Description #1: Alias—Amanda
Description #2: Alias—Karla
Description #3: Alias—Kimberly
Description #4: Alias—Shana
Description #5: Alias—Susan

One should never argue with a previous Chaplain (so saith the Psalms…or something like that…HA!) As my Chaplain of a year ago, Mrs. Williams (AKA Sharon), once said to me in an email, “You really have a gift for making things happen girl!” so in hopes not to let her down, I decided I need to put my “gift” to use during my short time back in St. Louis because the more thought I gave it, the more I realized I don’t know when my next appointment will bring be back up that way! ;)

So I went out on a limb. I called some of my close friends from high school who I haven’t seen since graduation, and only actually kept in touch with via email on a once or twice a year kind of basis.

Much to my excitement, they all obliged to the get together! So it was scheduled for the next night at one of my “Missouri misses”….AKA Steak ‘N Shake…what can I say, they don’t have them in Abilene…and have only recently been brought to the metroplex, so the few they have are at least 20 minutes from my house. That’s a ways to drive for a GREAT milkshake and burger and fries! ;)

So, I get there a little early and stay in the parking lot in my car jammin’ out to my Kelly Clarkson cd. I gotta admit, I had a slight sense of nerves. I think it was more that excited nerves, but you know…still some of the you don’t know what to expect nerves! ;)

So we all arrived! The five high school girlfriends and a new addition (no, not a baby, but a husband!) Shana introduced us to her husband AJ who was a really nice guy.

It was funny how quickly the time flew too! I mean we just chatted about anything and everything. Mainly catching up on who people knew things about folks from our past. Trust me, we went through EVERYONE we could remember their names from high school, whether we liked them or not…HA! Heck, curiosity gets the best of you! You wanna know if those kids that were punks in school ended up “making anything of themselves” following high school!

After we’d been there for about 2 hours we felt bad for holding our waitresses table that long, especially since we were a group of all recent college graduates. Interpretation: that means we weren’t going to be leaving a huge tip, it ain’t like the money comes rolling in immediately….HA!

So, what all was gained from that portion of our get together?
--it was pointed out that I haven’t changed a bit from high school. Still annoying and single. No, just kidding…apparently my sense of humor was exactly the same. And I still enjoyed pestering Karla…HA! She knows I love her though!

--we all seemed to have difficulties remembering our peers names from high school….and to think…it had only been a little more than 4 years.

--I had the biggest problem with the name thing....let me explain. Okay, so Shana (one of the girls there with us) pronounces her name “Shane-uh.” Got it? Well, the whole time I kept catching myself referring to her as Shawna pronounced “Shaw-na”…HA! Luckily I didn’t say it to her or even where she could hear me until once at the VERY end when she was getting up to say goodbye. CRAP! So I immediately had to go into my explanation. I must admit, I have never seen or heard the name “Shana” except for this one friend, so it isn’t a common name in my opinion, so I just kept thinking of the name “Shawna” which is a friend of mine from back at ACU. Dangit! Stupid me! Oh well…she laughed it off as I did.

So as the last four of us decided to leave, we decided to head back to Amanda’s apartment because I needed some more high school friends catching up time. And of course, I convinced them that they needed it too…HA!

So back there we busted out the high school year book and talked some more. Then it was me wanting to try to call some of these people. HA! So we busted out a phone book to try to find phone numbers. Of course I was the only one willing to call, I suppose it’s because I just don’t care…HA! Especially since the majority that we were trying to get a hold of were guys. Heck, I wasn’t one of the married ones, and honestly, I could careless if they ended up thinking I had some crush on them, because I knew I didn’t and heck, in less than 24-hours I was gonna be on my way back to Texas, not to return to Missouri for who knows how long. HA!

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, I don’t know) we weren’t able to get a hold of anyone. So after some pictures that I made them take because I need memorabilia in Texas…HA….we called it a night around 11:30ish I think it was; maybe closer to midnight…who knows.

So, who says high school friendships don’t last? Yeah, maybe distance has kept us from seeing one another, or even really the from regular contact at all, but you can’t tell me the five of us sitting around that table that night at Steak ‘N Shake weren’t still friends! It felt like our fun times back in the halls or classes at Mehlville to me, except this time we all had college degrees under our belts! Yep, all of us got our undergraduate degrees in four years and have moved on to bigger and better things, whether that be married life (2 of them, soon to be 3 of them), graduate school (3 of us), or careers (soon to be 2 of them).

Long live friendships! They are what you are willing to make of them! Make them last!