Ahhh

Well I am finally back in New Jersey after one of the scariest car rides of my life. We, Stephen Sarah and I, were supposed to leave on Friday morning but at about 5 0'clock started hearing about a terrible storm headed for GR. So I watched the news and realized this was going to be bad but wasn't sure what to do since Stephen had a paper to write, an apartment to clean, and pack up his stuff. My mom called and advised us to leave that night instead of waiting for the morning. And after a few frantic calls we deicded that would be best. It was about 7:30pm. At about 8:45 I decided to take a nap and wait for my fellow travellers to come over. At about 10:45 they finally drove up and it took us 15 minutes to barely squeeze everything in the car. So we hit the road at about 11:15 after grabbing gas and energy drinks. You have to understand that all of us had a rough week; Stephen and Sarah with finals and me with holiday mall hours and parent wacth week at the studio. We were all exhausted. But we were brave and sang songs. Then we hit Ohio and the freezing rain, then it started snowing, then we hit Pennslyvania and the roads were covered. Then we were driving on route 80 and it got really bad. It was about 6:30am by this point and I still hadn't slept. So once the sun came up it was slow going. To make a long and scary story short and somewhat less scary, it took us over 15 hours to get back (it should have taken 11) and we slid all the way from PA to New Jersey. And I didn't cry once. Needless to say, I am thrilled to be back.

Just a few more weeks...

We all know the classic line from the "Wizzard of Oz": "There's no place like home". Now although Grand Rapids is officially my new home I am so excited to go back to New Jersey for the Holidays. I can't wait to spend time with my parents watching movies (and Sienfeld!), going to diners with my friends, relaxing, shopping with my mom. It's those very small things that often meant nothing at the time that I'm really missing. I can honestly hardly contain my excitement to see my friends. I never thought I would miss them all so much. I just miss being so comfortable with people. I don't have that here. At both my jobs I have to be assertive and aware and I don't have many friends, and even if I did I wouldn't feel very comfortable with them at this point. My friends from New Jersey are amazing. They have been always there for me weather I need some cheering up, or some grounding. I mean how many friends do you have where you feel completely comfortable saying "Hey, you're being a jerk!"? I can say that to my friends and have it mean something. They can also say that to me and I listen and don't take offense because I know they care. It's interesting because as hard as it's been to be away from my friends I know with all my heart that I will always be friends with them; they aren't going anywhere. And that makes me feel so secure. So to any of my friends who read my blog: Thank you for being so faithful in friendship, you are loved and cherished.

The Right To Vote Pt. 2

So apparently I don't have the right to vote. I am still too frustrated by the whole experience to go into too much detail but I will say that I was not able to vote this past Tuesday. I was lied to (many times over) and I believe that is what resulted in my inability to enact my right. I of course embarrassed myself at the polls by crying, and then I raged for about 30 minutes at home before calming down enough to cook dinner and watch the events of the night. Obama winning came as no surprise to me but I fear for the kind of country he will turn this into. Stephen and I have been talking lately about moving to Europe someday and the idea is appealing to me more and more. I'm disappointed overall about the voting process and I think I'm too tired and frustrated to find answers. It's been a month of trying to get the answers I wanted.

On a lighter note I did enjoy watching Mighty Pythons Flying Circus' "Election Night Special". I think it will always be my favorite sketch from that show. Enjoy.

Time

"'I think you might do something better with time,' she said, 'than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.'

'If you knew time as well as I do,' said the Hatter, 'you wouldn't talk of wasting it. It's him.'

'I don't know what you mean,' said Alice.

'Of course you don't,' the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously, 'I dare say you never even spoke to Time!'

'Perhaps not,' Alice cautiously replied, 'but I know how to beat time when I learn music.'

'Ah! That accounts for it,' said the Hatter, 'He won't stand beating!'"

That is one of my favorite quotes from Lewis Carrols "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". I love how angry the Mad Hatter gets at the idea of referring to time as some sort of abstract instead of being a living breathing thing. C.S. Lewis also talks about time in his book "The Silver Chair". He mentions Father Time sleeping deep below the earths surface and that he will wake at the end of the world. So many people talk about time as if they have no say in how it goes on. It is true that we cannot stop time from moving or that we can turn it forward of back. But we do have the ability to spend it how we wish. Alice thinks people shouldn't waste it with silly riddles. Where as the Mad Hatter and March Hare see nothing wrong with that (neither do I). I have chosen to spend much of my time with dancing and even now I chose to use time to laugh, share my life with someone I love, and work hard. To use a cliche: time is precious, use it to do something you love even if most people would think you're crazy. Spend time with the people you enjoy being with and don't beat time, he won't stand for it!

The Right To Vote!

I have never wanted to vote for president. That is until a few weeks ago. Through out the primaries I was rooting for Ron Paul (see previous post) but didn't actually vote for him considering I had no plan to ever vote again, I knew I would be moving to another state, and didn't want to hassle of being called to jury duty. But I changed my mind one day. Here in Michigan there are two new proposals up this election. One for the legalization of medical marijuana the other for embryonic stem cell research. Two things I feel strongly about. So I decided I would register, have my say about the proposals, and write in Ron Paul (just to stick it to the man a little). Well I went down to the library and turned in my form there only to receive a letter from the county clerk a few days later saying I was not registered due to the fact that the organization, who was responsible for sending in the forms, had not sent them in on time. I was enraged. Here I was a 20  year old woman who finally has the mind and ability to vote and I can't. I called the library, was regretfully nasty to a nice woman, and eventually spoke to my new friend Michael. He apologized profusely and said he was investigating the problem and would let me know the results. To make a very long story short I was told to call Hailey (who turned out to be a very young and unprofessional person) at the Obama Campaign who basically gave me no confidence at all. So I called the County Clerk directly and a woman in the elections office told me all I had to do was bring my license to the polls on election day and fill out a provisional ballot! I was shocked it was so easy (I'm still a little nervous). The whole thing really taught me a lesson: I don't really believe that God wants me to vote and I think that it really doesn't matter all that much how many people vote but I do know that it was devastating, even to a person who never wanted to vote, that my freedom and privilege could be denied me. The moral of the story: Go out and vote for your local government (mayor, congress people, senators, etc), research the proposals for new legislation in your state, and vote for someone like Ralph Nader (or Ron Paul) because God knows someone like Obama sure as hell doesn't need your vote. 

Apples, Root Beer, Donuts, and Free Bikes

I am starting to think that Stephen and I have some sort of magnet for cheap vintage bikes. We went apple picking today and got a little lost and on our way back to being found we saw these two bikes on the side of the road and slowed down for a look. Well they were free! So we labored for some time trying to get both of them into the car but decided only on would fit. So we packed it, went and picked some apples, enjoyed some tasty old timey root beer, bought some donuts, and headed home. Our plan is to fix it up and sell it to some hipster who won't mind paying a decent amount for it. It's funny because while we were fixing up my bike Stephen had said how fun it would be to fix up old bikes and sell them as a little money making hobby. Looks like we may be on our way to doing just that. Hm.

Pictures

Here are some pictures of my apartment, Lake Michigan, and my bike make over. Enjoy!

New Transportation

The other day Stephen got a bike to ride around campus, get to his classes, etc. It was $10 dollars, old, very cool, and I was jealous. But then I remembered I can't ride a bike! I practiced on Stephen's though and did an ok job. So we decided to look for one for me. Well we found something even better. A tricycle! It's easy to ride, no balancing, and very French. We found it at the Salvation Army and the price tag said $25.99. I didn't have the money for it but Stephen wanted to buy it so he said he'd get it for me. We go inside tell the cashier the price and he looks at his co-worker and says "Bikes are 75% off right?" to which the co-worker responds "Yeah". So the bike was $6.89. Stephen and I cleaned it up, spray painted it, and put a cool license plate on the back. I just rode it down to the library where I am typing this blog. The best part about it is I can actually ride it with confidence. People also stare at me alot while I'm riding it. But sometimes it's hard being so cool. Just the price I have to pay. ;-)

My New Addiction

So I'm sort of settling in to life out here is western Michigan. I still don't have a job so basically I do nothing. I finished a puzzle that took me a week to do, I kept a very close watch on the Olympics, and I read the paper almost everyday. And now I'm in the final week before Stephen gets here! Somehow this week is worse than the last three were. The anticipation is making it difficult to say the least.

But anyway I have a new musical addiction. I found this gem of a vintage store with a great record selection and a picked up a few while I was there last week. Besides buying two Neil Diamond albums and a record of the songs from Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" I bought Steve Forberts "Alive on Arrival". I bought it mostly because I know the first track "Goin' Down to Laurel". It was only 25 cents and I knew it would make my dad proud. So I put it on and fell in love. Most of the songs I vaguely know from my dad singing them while I was growing up. But it really is a great album! Some of the best lyrics I've ever heard. If you've never had the pleasure I suggest giving it a listen.


Here's to all the shitty jobs that I despise.
Here's to two-bit guarantees and other lies.
Here's to roads of burning tar and hot cement.
Here's to money in my hand and where it went.

Well, I got my fingers a-tapping on the hard,
stone steps.
I'm waiting for lightning and the rains to fall.
Young lovers are loafin' with their sidewalk smiles
And all their rainbow dreams....

I been livin' an' breathin' in the rat trap town.
Tryna get over where the wall breaks down.
Holdin' my head up with my thin tired arms
and all my rainbow dreams
-- "Steve Forberts Midsummer Night's Toast"

I'm Here!

I'm here in Grand Rapids. I am all moved in and enjoying my new place. I won't have a chance to blog much since I have to use the public library for internet access and I'm only allowed 30 minutes a day on their computers. But I wanted to give everyone an update and let you know that in a few weeks when Stephen gets here I'll hopefully be able to use his computer to blog about all my crazy adventures since I've been here! And I'll post some pictures than too.

The Move from Hell

I decided I can finally blog about my move here to GR. It was rather stressful to say the least and I now feel like I have moved past the trauma enough to talk about it. My mom and I had started off our day driving out to Michigan at around 6am. I was driving my car and my mom was driving the rented moving truck. After about 12 hours on the road and feeling tired, cranky, and with sore knees, we made it to my apartment. We went in and looked around and than checked into our hotel (we didn't want to bother moving anything in the first night). We got up the next morning and were really geared up to get going. We had a lot of trouble getting the tuck into the narrow driveway and that was only the beginning. We moved in the mattress, my large heavy dresser and a few other things before tackling the couch. Well, long story short, it got stuck in my insanely tiny door. It not only got stuck once but twice! After we had successfully gotten it out we thought trying it again was a good idea. But it wasn't at all. So anyway we called up the handy man, whose number I had gotten from my landlord, and he came by and got it in for us. I cried when it was in and I had trouble sitting on it for a few days. But everything else went great and then we had to move the truck out of that narrow driveway again. But after the adventure with the couch it seemed like a piece of cake.

To A land Far Far Away

The move is coming up quickly. It's really hard to believe that it's been seven months since I decided to move to Grand Rapids. I feel as if I've had no time to do anything and yet that it has all gotten done. I'm just packing up the last few boxes (I'm still dumbfounded at how much stuff I have!), saying goodbye to everyone, and trying to stay stress free! Everything is going pretty well and I truly am excited. But at the same time I'm scared. Mostly just of leaving what has been so familiar to me my whole life. But I know what is ahead of me is a wonderful experience. And for that I cannot wait! As of right now I don't have a computer so I most likely won't be blogging right away. Although I do plan on getting into the library soon after I arrive to check email and all those fun things. I'll try to keep everyone posted as much as I can!

Beach

Stephen and I finally made it down to the beach. It was only for an overnight stay but it was well worth it. Stephen's sister, Sarah (yes it does get confusing both having sisters named Sarah), and her boyfriend, Chris, invited us to stay at Chris's parents beach house. We eargerly accepted and went down on Wednesday night. We had a nice time playing games (we invented a great one which we played for hours), eating, and laughing alot. It was supposed to storm all day on Thursday but it turned out to be a beautiful day! I was so happy to just sit on the beach and stare at the ocean. We left around 5 and found a cute little diner that was straight out of a movie to eat at and got home with bad sunburn. Poor Stephen can barely walk. It was a good time though.

Brat Pack

I love music. I am a big fan of lyrics. It's usually what makes me love certain bands or certain songs. Every since I heard the song "Brat Pack" by The Rocket Summer I've been hooked. I guess it's about 4 years old now and I still listen to it and sing along with zeal. And altough I loved it from the start, only now does it really apply to my life. I just love when that happens. When there is a song that just encompasses so much of what you feel. It a song that talks about growing up and moving away and hating everything about where you live but never wanting to leave and loving everything about it all at the same time.

For about four years I’ve hated this town
Yeah, so much I just wanna get out
Since graduation was long ago
Please somebody get me out of this hole
Cause I don’t want to get stuck in here
When I am thirty-four just talkin' 'bout high school years
No I don’t wanna be there, and feel so stuck right here
Back and forth, side to side, oh my dear

My foot to the floor I will drive to the place
Where I can kick it with friends through the night
A place we'll talk about now and the past what the future holds
Hanging out with not much to do
Just aimless with each other - is what we do

...Cause' we were singing along to Peter Gabriel's "sledgehammer" song
You know it’s clear that tonight we belong in this place
So I step back to reflect in this town I hate
And at least just for a second I think I might stay...

Collecting

I love to collect things in my mind. Yes, that sounds completely crazy. But I really do it. When my sister first told me she was pregnant I told everyone with whom I was remotely acquainted and would listen. I heard alot of strange reactions. Some people were thrilled and some were confused as to why I was so excited. So I started "collecting" peoples reactions. Don't ask me why exactly. But I remember the one that was the strangest to me. I told this girl I knew who was about 21 at the time and after a slight pause she says "Oh. That's cute" Weird response. I also like peoples reactions to my moving to Michigan for Stephen. Most people at church look confused and afraid and ask, sometimes tactfully sometimes not, if we will be living together. I reply that we are not and they always look so relieved. I find it tremendously amusing. And, yes, I am completely crazy.

Summer of Alex Update

So my summer is about halfway over I guess and I feel pretty good about it. I haven't seen very many friends or done any late night coffee drinking yet but I know it'll come in time. So far I've been to see my sister, gone on a great road trip with friends, camped for a week, learned how to love a little better, watched SO many movies, and I am currently learning to play basketball (kinda). I have to say I'm really enjoying basketball! My friend Mitch has always wanted to be a NBA star, and since he played in high school he has some great pointers. Now anyone who knows me well knows that I am terrible at most sports but I really want to try something new and since I can walk down to the park where they have a nicely lit courts I can play whenever. So Stephen and I had our first lesson with Coach Mitch and he gave us some good tips. Stephen and I even played one on one the other day and it was a great work out! Although I know I'll never be a star I'm trying to expand the things that I do. That's what I've done so far and as far as what I still have/want to do seems overwhelming. I still have to pack, go on about four double dates, see a ton of people, go to the beach a few times, and so much more. But I do know that tomorrow night I'm going to see "The Dark Knight" with friends. I can't wait!

Cornerstone

I've been back from Illinois for a week now and had time to recover and think over everything that happened. I had a great time and came back feeling very edified and excited. Although the week ended well it started a little rough. We left on a rainy Sunday morning and the first thing was that we couldn't fit everything in the 3 vehicles which meant we had to leave behind the big fire pit, the boom box, and a cooler. I was most bummed about the boom box which meant very little music at the camp site for the week. Everyone else was upset about the fire pit cause you can't have fires on the ground at c-stone. But we took off and drove through the night with none of us really sleeping. I think I got about 5 minutes in about 36 hours. We arrived at about 5:30am and waited in a 2 mile long line until about 9am (the guys in the band got in early and set us the camp site!). Once at the site, which looked great thanks to our churches 10x20ft circus tent, I realized our roof rack had locked on itself. My dad instructed me to "jam something in there until it pops open", so I asked Scott, the bands drummer, to help me. He grabbed a pocket knife, bad idea, and jammed away. Then he sliced his finger open, almost passed out, had to be taken to the emergency room to get four stitches, and then play 3 shows that week. I'm not sure how he managed it but he did! It was such a bad way to start things off. The week only went up from there though. We enjoyed a slew of great bands, I heard a fantastic seminar on living in community, and just had some great laughs. Even though by the end of the week we were all more than happy to say good bye to one another I believe it was worth feeling completely wiped out for almost a week for it. I suggest going to Cornerstone with friends and enjoying the challenge of living among other people with no plumbing, canned food, and loud music. It really changed me.

Here are some pics. There is a great one of Scott's finger after about 4 days.

Here you go, Grandpa

One of my favorite beverages has to be Ale-8-One (A Late One). It is a delicious soda only sold in the Lexington, KY area and I always enjoy it while visiting Sarah and Alan. I remember after they had first moved down there to Kentucky I was in Nashville, TN for the summer and they came to visit me one weekend. And they brought my some Ale-8! I was very skeptical at first since I'm not a huge soda fan but after trying it I was hooked. It has a ginger ale type flavor but slightly more fruity and since it often comes in glass bottles (it's so old timey!) it isn't too fizzy. I would recommend trying it next time you are at the Wilmore IGA in Kentucky. At least that's where I always buy mine! :-p

Pictures

Here are pictures of Lucy (they are mixed in with older pics so go to page 3 for the most recent). I will post about Illinois soon. I feel a little out of it still as far as computers and phones go so bear with me.

Get Ready Cause Here I Come!

I'm leaving for Illinois today! We are starting off at 12 noon today for Cornerstone. We will be driving through the night (keep us in your prayers) and will arrive out there at about 8am tomorrow morning. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! It'll be a week of laughing with friends, listening to some great music, eating lots of canned food, and hopefully learning a little more about myself. But I think one of the best things of all is I'll be a week with out computers, cell phones, or TV. I always find it refreshing to get away from those things. So I will be gone until July 7th. But if you'd like to leave me some love on here, send me an email or a text, or leave me a message on my cell (which I will check daily) I will greatly enjoy them!

Kentucky at it's Finest

I just got back from spending almost a week with my sister, brother in law, and neice. What a nice time! Mostly we just hung around, which was a nice break after finishing work a few days earlier, drank lots of Ale-8, and watched "Flight of the Concords" on DVD. It was great to hang out with Lucy and see how much she's grown and how smart she is. She is a super eater (loves peas), loves to be read to, jump, play, and laugh. A true joy. I also had to chance to see all of Sarah and Alans old friends, meet some new ones, and get to know everyone a little bit better. It's so nice to see what a great life they have made for themselves and how happy they are. I look to them as the inspiration for my life as I grow up and start my new life on my own. I will post pictures of little Lucy soon.

Redlight Ivan

Part 3 of 3 (see two posts below for the whole story):





Stephen had taken his fathers mini-van that morning so that we could drive more kids, smart idea! Well, you would think so. It wouldn't start. Dead battery. It had happened before so Stephen felt confident jumping it would do the trick. Gina, a fellow youth leader, started calling AAA while one of the moms looked for jumper cables. We located the cables before AAA answered and got the car started in a matter of minutes. Whew, we all sighed with relief. It was still about 80 degrees out and the thought of standing in the parking lot waiting for AAA was not a fun prospect. We loaded up the car with 3 Brinbaum kids (they are a nice family and we know them well), Evan (14), Forrest (12), and Grace (8), we also had two of their friends with us, Aaron (12), and his brother Charlie (14). Off we went. Everyone else in the other two cars were driving through at McDonald's but we didn't want to stop and risk not starting again so we headed straight home. Right outside the McDonald's, which was right outside Six Flags, we stopped at a red light and the car just died. I panicked! Stephen gabbed his phone to call AAA and found out it was dead so I gave him mine and he started dialing. The kids asked what was going on and Stephen was so calm, he told the kids to get out of the car, take Grace's hand,walk over to the grass outside of WaWa, sit down in the center and wait. Stephen was so smart about that cause we didn't have any lights on the car and it was dark and he was afraid we might get hit. After a few minutes of holding with AAA a tow truck pulls up next to us! He asked if we needed help and we said yes please. He was a AAA guy too! So he tried jumping us with no luck. He than pushed the car over to the shoulder and out of the intersection. I decided to take the kids into McDonald's and get them some food and out of the heat. It was there that I almost lost my head.



Grace asked to go the bathroom. I said yes but immediately after she was gone I was thinking "is it ok for her to do that? are 8 year old girls allowed to do that?!". I ordered the food set the other kids at a table and went into the bathroom. She was washing her hands and smiled at me when I came in. She was fine. My heart started beating again. So there we are sitting in McDonald's. I had no idea what was going on. I wanted to cry s. Than Michelle walked in, Larissa and Joes step-mom. She had gotten a call from Gina (whom Stephen had called when we broke down), and told me what was going on. Between her and her husband Gary, Gina, and the other youth leader the kids could fit in the cars and they would take them all home. I had to ride in the tow truck with Stephen. So I thanked them, told them the whole thing scared me out of having kids for quite some time, and ran out to meet Stephen.



We hopped in the truck and I wanted to cry again. We were still over an hour from Stephens and I had to drive myself home from there. I don't even know what time it was at that point. But the guy was so nice. He was eastern european of some sort, young, and very talkative and kind. We told him funny stories from the day and he asked us questions about this and that while listening to rap music. Then he got pulled over. We pull into the WaWa parking lot in Flemington (so close to home!). He had apparently run a red light. No ticket for that just for a burnt out license plate light. He announced he needed a cigarette after that experience so I treated Stephen to a coffee and some donuts. We got back into the truck, made it to Stephens house, and I got home by 12am with sore legs, a sun burnt nose, and a terrible head ache.



It was such a stressful day to say the least. But I laughed alot and got the chance to get to know some genuinely nice kids. So I'd say it was worth it. I'm never going back to Great Adventure though.

Gracie in Koch Land

Part 2 (see below for part 1):





So we, me, Larissa, her brother Joe, and Luke, head over to "El Toro". Larissa (a very fun 13 year old girl) and I wanted to crap our pants when we saw the drop! It looked terrifying. But we were brave and all got in line, after helping Luke hide his bag from the employees so we didn't have to rent a locker. I have to say we all made the best of what could have been a very miserable time. None of the kids knew me very well and I barely knew them. So we spent some time chatting about this and that. They talked about school and teachers and I made jokes about feeling so old. After about an hour we were up! Larissa said she wanted to ride with me so we got in the car behind to boys. And, since we were bad luck for the day, the ride was having some problems starting up. At this point we really felt doomed! But sure enough after a few minutes we took off. It was amazing! On the first drop Luke put up his very long arms (he's 6'4!) and caught someones gross sweat rag. Peoples jewelry was flying off as well. It was crazy and we all had a very good laugh for the rest of the day about it! And, I must say, it was the best roller coaster I have ever been on! So feeling good and wanting more we headed to "Rolling Thunder" and waited in line for an hour and a half for an extremely disappointing ride. Not worth the wait at all. But we laughed so hard about it it was almost worth it. By the time we got off it was 5pm, time to head to the arena for the concert we were there to see. I was so hot and tired and grumpy by this point I wanted nothing more than a shower and something tasty to eat. But we had to sit through the two bands I could care less about before we could head home. I also had an allergy attack in the arena which really did not help things.



After about two hours of sweating some more, and feeling jipped by the fact I only rode 4 rides in about 7 hours, we got to the cars... (oh, no it's not over yet)...

The Gary Mozingo Experience

This is my adventure from Saturday June 7th. I will split it into a few posts. Here's the first:

Yesterday Stephen and I went to Six Flags Great Adventure with our church. It was intended to be for the youth group but a few parents and younger kids came along as well. There were quite a few of us in total but a fun group all in all. The day started off a little nutty with figuring out who was driving and all that but we got on the road and arrived at the park around 10am. After getting in the gates we headed to "Dark Knight" which was awful. We than started sweating profusely. We rode "Nitro" which was worth the hour long wait. Than it was time for lunch (yes those two things took that long). After lunch at the cars half the group wanted to hit up some ride where water was involved. The other half wanted to ride "Superman". Stephen and I, along with our friend Mitch, had 7 teens in tow. We waited and waited in the line. We started to get sick from the sun. My head hurt and this kid Evan felt like he was going to throw up. One kid decided to get out of line to get a drink. We got his cell number and said we would call when we got off the ride. Another 20 minutes later we hear that the ride is broken down. I announce we should get some water so we don't all have heat strokes and Stephen and Mitch agree. After a much needed break we split into two groups. Mitch and Stephen took 4 of the kids and went to the log flume. I took 3 and went to the wooden coasters. Oh, did I mention it was 100 degrees with full sun? Yeah, well, it was only the beginning...

Summer of Alex

For all of you who enjoy Seinfeld you'll understand this blog. I am going to have a Summer of Alex! It's going to be me living life to the fullest (hopefully not being quite as selfish as George Costanza while doing it though), and just having alot of fun in general. I already have some big plans for my summer as well as some ideas for other things. In a few weeks I finish at work (I love being a teacher for that reason!) and I'll be off to Kentucky to spend time with my favorite sibling and her lovely family for five days. A week after that I will be leaving for Cornerstone where Stephens band will perform and I'll have see a crap load of awesome bands as well as having a much needed break from cell phones, internet, and.. well... showering. After that I plan on returning to New Jersey to spend as much time as I can with my friends, stay out late, drink coffee at diners, eat more than is natural for a person my size, try out some new baking recipes (like lemon chiffon pie!), finish packing to move (not so fun), and than move my entire life to Michigan. All in all it's going to be a great Summer of Alex! If you would like to be a part of it just let me know.

An Extra Big Thank You!

I just wanted to thank everyone who voted for Madeline to play the New Band Showcase at Cornerstone. Cause they made it!!!! They are so excited and happy and want to thank everyone who supported them in any way. And if anyone happens to be in Illinois at the end of June stop on by and see them play. Also, if you have a myspace check em out and be their friend. Also be on the look out for their soon to be recorded and released ep!

Mothers Day

So far today has been a tough mothers day for me. Since I've been older I am reminded each year that my mother does not have her mother around for this day and it makes me realize how lucky I am to have mine. But today was just tough for me in church. I have a good friend who's mom passed away six years ago from cancer. He is the oldest of five children, the youngest, Grace, a girl. Grace is one of the coolest eight year olds I know. She always has a big hug for me and I make sure to give her extra kisses and lots of attention. I am often times struck by the fact that she doesn't have a mom. And most often in those times my heart just breaks for that family. Today in church all the children were called to front for the children's message and were than offered flowers to bring to their mothers. My heart just ached for Grace. I wanted so badly to rush up and hurry her away from that scene. But knowing that I couldn't do that I just cried. After the sermon her father, who was leading the service for our absent pastor, thanked everyone in the church who is a mom to Grace. He said that he at one point asked himself how he was to raise a little girl but God blessed him with our church family. Even though my heart still aches for my friends and their loss I am able to see God's love and provision. I love Grace as my sister and I cherish here along with all the other people in my church and I know she is loved. And although no one could ever truly take the place of her mother she will never be in want of a mothers love and that is a blessing beyond measure.

I also know I am one lucky gal to have my mother right where I need her.

For all the cooks who read my blog

Whenever I want to make something but find myself (most often late at night) without something called for in the recipe I hop on the computer and open up the site FoodSubs.com. Although the site seems odd and poorly designed, everything I have gotten off their has worked so well. Just today I was making a batch of ginger cookies, which always come out differently than the recipe says they will but are delicious just the same, and I was a little short on molasses so I jumped on food subs and found honey would do the trick. And by golly I think they might taste the best yet! So if you are ever in need of a substitute ingredient foodsubs.com is the place to be!

Grand Rapids

As some of you may or may not know I am moving this summer. I am going to Grand Rapids, MI. That's right. I'm moving to the mid-west! Stephen is transferring to Calvin College and since I am rather fond of Stephen I decided to go out there too. I just got back from a trip there with my mom and I love it! It's a beautiful and safe city with lots to do and I secured a part time job as a dance teacher. I also looked at some apartments and found a few that I liked (one that I really liked!) and I just need to hear back from a few people before I make a decision. I am so excited to be getting out on my own and starting something new. I believe that Stephen and I are really going to be happy out there for the next few years and I'm excited to see where life takes us after that. Perhaps Chicago or even New England (Stephens considering Yale for his masters)! It's all very exciting and as I said I'm looking forward to something new. Here are some pictures of the apartments I liked as well as the city itself.

Finding Your Feet Again

this is what it's like
finding your feet again
the part of you that couldn't
finally thinks you can

you're taking off some time to do this
a small apartment bedroom rearranged
to know that you are loved
you're finding your feet again
the part of you that couldn't
finally thinks you can

a brownstone on a street in brooklyn
the light tier flash from temperature to time
and people do the same
you're falling asleep again
part of you a dreamer
and part of you is dreamt

and you said...

go now in the light of your god
go now in the love of your god
go now in the peace of your god
go now in the joy of your god

--Denison Witmer

That song really struck me today. I was listening to it and it really seems to encapsulate much of what I've been feeling not only this past week but the past few years. I made one of the biggest decisions of my life a year and a half ago and I got hit with some crazy stuff a year ago now. And all of it left me feeling a little like a weeble wooble. I haven't exactly fallen down but I'm not doing a very good job of standing up either. So this song really spoke to me. It's always been one of Stephens favorites and I'm glad it popped up today on my ipod. I guess I should keep that thing on shuffle more often.

Madeline for President!

I've talked about Stephens band Madeline before. Well they need your help! They are trying for the chance to play at the Cornerstone Festival this summer in Illinois. But they need votes! If you go to: http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/newbandshowcase/index.cfm register (you won't get any junk mail, I promise), and vote they will be that much closer to having the chance of a lifetime!!! Please please please! It only takes a minute!

Yeasty!

I used to be terribly afraid of yeast breads. I always made quick breads. But fairly recently I decided to make some yeast bread. I tackled the first one with my mom and after one failure of not adding the proper amount of flour (my fault), we came out with a yummy honey oatmeal bread. Being that I'm not a big honey oatmeal bread fan I decided to make some soft white sandwich bread. It made two very good loaves and I popped both loaves (sliced) into the freezer and my mom made french toast out of one loaf and it was amazing! So I recently made another two loaves and sliced one thick and we had another round of french toast. After the yummy white bread I thought focaccia would be the next practical step. It was! I made olive and rosemary focaccia and the next day Stephen and I made some spicy panini's out of it! Now all I want to make are yeast breads. I'm glad I'm getting back into my adventurous side of baking.

Coffee?

I used to drink coffee quite often when I was younger. I remember when I spent a summer in Houston I would drink black coffee at breakfast. I was 14. But after that I would only drink it occasionally; maybe a cafe mocha or a caramel macchiato at the mall when I was 16. Then I started getting heart palpitations so started staying away from caffeine all together. I had also discovered a great coffee shop in my town that does tea drinks just like coffee drinks. Carmel Hoji = Caramel Macchiato, Tea Mocha = Cafe Mocha, Diana Mint is a wonderful refreshing green tea drink with a minty flavor. So I started drinking tea. All the time. But now that I've started going to college and working alot more I find coffee is the drink for me. I love Wawa coffee and I just made myself a tasty cup of french press. Mmmm. It's interesting how my taste seems to change so often. Oh, and I don't have any more palpitations either. So now I can just enjoy the wonderful tatse of a good cup o' joe.

World View

In sunday school we just finished a study on World View. How people see the world. Particularly how Christians should see it. We learned that each world view answers 4 questions: Where did we come from? What is our purpose in life? What's the problem with the world? And how do we fix that problem? Just learning those questions helped me begin to see how other people see themselves, others, and the earth. After becoming familiar with those questions and studying some different world views we talked about movies, art, and music and how we, as Christians, should views these types of mediums. I've really begun to see world view in alot of different places. I saw something in the subway a few months ago. Commercials say alot now. And music as well. But I shall give music it's own post. I just think it's interesting to answer those questions for ourselves. What do they say about your beliefs?

Ron Paul?

Politics. I don't really care for them all that much. Although, in America they seem exceedingly hard to ignore. I didn't vote this year and I never plan to do so. But I'm regretting it just a little bit. I really like Ron Paul. I think he's is an amazing canidate with tons of experince, he's not a war monger, doesn't belive in abortion, and has great views on all the hot topics. I really agreed with him on so many different things. Too bad no one knew about him or saw his cute little face. It's just really hard for me this election because I am finaly old enough where people ask me what I think and I can't, nor have the desire to, make up my mind. I like John Mccain. He is a hero. But, being a woman who belives in other women, I think it would be pretty cool to see Hillary Clinton win. Although I don't think I'd like all her choices. But that is why I choose not to vote. I don't want to have thr burden of bad decisions on my shoulders. If I voted for George Bush I would have to bear the burden of the fact that my friend is in Iraq. I can't handle that.... But I do like that Ron Paul.

Just about a year and a half ago my great aunt passed away. My aunt left behind one hell of a legacy; one of manipulation and deceit, among other things. It was the legacy of this woman, along with new editions to my family, that caused me to start thinking about what family really is. I have always thought of "family" in a very Italian mob, Tony Soprano kind of way. But in the past few years, especially the last six months, I've realized that is a weird way to think of family. Family are the people who call you just to say hello. They are the ones who celebrate when things go your way, or comfort when things don't. They are the people who speak truth to you, out of love, when truth needs to be spoken. They are the ones who except truth with love and try to change from it. If my sister and I never followed those rules of family we wouldn't have the amazing relationship we have. When I think about those things that constitute family I think of my parents, my sister, and her family. I think of my boyfriend, of my close friends, my pastor, my sunday school class, my church. These people are my family. We share a bond that runs much deeper than blood, although most Italians would argue that nothing runs deeper than your blodd. We share the common understanding and faith in the blood of Christ. And that runs much deeper than anything I've ever known. There is a woman in my church who was very vital to both mine and my sisters lives. She taught both of us sunday school for years, she has the patience of a saint and a heart of gold. When I shared with her that my sister was having her first baby, her eyes filled with tears and she told me that hearing that made her feel like a grandma. She is my family. And I know that one day the legacy she leaves behind will be one of love and the sweetness of God's grace. Isn't that what family is? Shouldn't we leave, and expect to be left, a legacy that is sweet and not one that is bitter?

Belated Birthday Post

This is terribly belated. I turned 20 almost a month ago now. But I had a wonderful day and Stephen got me the most beautiful presents! He bought me something I will cerish forever. An old edition of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He is by far my favorite author and Gatsby is my favorite novel by him. It is just one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I cried when I opened it. I was expecting it in a way since I had asked him for a copy but I had not expected something so beautiful. The condtion is almost perfect. It's just out of this world. I am a little afraid to read it but I want to eventually. I just have to work up the nerve.

I'm a Big Girl Now!

So I did it. I went to big girl school. I will admit I was terrified. But it really wasn't that bad. In fact I realized I'm a little smarter then the average bear. Math was... well.... ridiculous. Mostly because it's basic math and I don't know alot of it! English was amazing. My professor seems awesome so far. I'm so excited to really get into that class. I already had homework which I did most of already. And I'm just really excited to start learning again. Although the weirdest part of being in a classroom is that I'm used to being on the other side. And there are certain things I can't stand, like talking in class, and I can't stand them now that I'm a student again. It's just really odd to be a student after being a teacher these past two years.

Sick Day

I'm sick. Again. I was sick over Christmas and on Friday I sneezed and got sick again. I'm feeling better today then yesterday. Thankfully cause I thought I was going to rip my head off yesterday! I've been drinking lots of gypsy cold care tea and trying to get better for work tomorrow. Hopefully it passes soon enough.

I'm With the Band

My multi talented boyfriend is in a band by the name of MADELINE. I have taken on the role of "manager". It started when Stephen and Mitch (the bass player, co-founder, and best friend[pictured right]) couldn't find a drummer. They had been through a few but nothing stuck and it was starting to hold them back. So I just thought my little brain out until I thought of this kid I used to be friends with. Scott. I tracked him down gave him a call and he said yes! And he really completes the band. Makes their sound full. So now I call myself Big Al Powers and insist that I am their manager (not at all though). But at their latest show I did sell t-shirts and CD's for them. It was really fun actually I got to talk to some really neat people and had quite a few guys flirt with me (hey! it was for the band!). They actually have a management company interested in them and will most likely have a few more shows coming up. Oh! and the coolest part is they have an old friend who is an intern at Bennett Studios in NJ and recorded them free of charge! So they have a few new tunes on their myspace. Check them out! Tell your friends!

picture by Sarah Clark (shes amazing!)

The Legend of the Beard!

It was one fall day when young Stephen said "I shall grow a beard!" His girlfriend scoffed and said "Oh no! I don't like beards! Not at all" But the young Stephen grew one anyway despite her strong feelings. As time went on his girl grew accustomed to it. Even more time went by and she began to love The Beard. In fact she became so fond of it when young Stephen threatened to shave The Beard she strongly protested! He gave in and kept The Beard for a short while longer until one fateful night when young Stephen did away with The Beard. His girl was saddened but she did not weep for she knew one day The Beard would return to young Stephen and fill their lives with joy once again. But until that day the ghost of The Beard shall haunt her memory. Until that day...

Extreme Baking!

So I've finally become insane. I made Cinnamon Pecan rolls on Christmas morning (that's not the crazy part though). They were amazing! And really easy. I think I may have started a new tradition for my family. Ok now here's the crazy part. On New Years eve I went to a friends and didn't get back home till about 2:15am. Now most people would just undress and plop into bed. But not me. I got home and immediately opened my new cookbook and said "Oh! Scones!" So before even removing my coat I started making the mix so everyone could enjoy fresh baked scones the next morning. No actual baking was involved but I mixed the dry ingredients and left a note so someone could finish them in the morning.... I like being crazy like that.