30 December 2005

Kids, Planes, and Spanish Movies

Yay. What a great day. Started the day with coffee with a wonderful friend. An hour and 15 minutes later, we were caught up on life. She loves me and understands me, and I love having her in my life.

Then pursued making Chex Mix and Lemon pie. For the record, I messed up on the pie. Attempt #2 will be tomorrow. I wasn't quite logical in my baking thinking, so the pie ended up a little screwy. But it looked beautiful, so I know it will work out next time.

Afterwards, and outing with my dad around town. And then came home. My Mp3 player arrived via UPS today. I was uber excited - it wasn't supposed to come until next week some time, and now it's here. Yay! Some issues with my computer, but it for sure works on Dad's, so I know I'll get some music on it before I leave.

Then I watched "Abre Los Ojos" (Open your eyes), the movie which inspired Vanilla Sky, with my aunt. It's a crazy movie that messes with your mind, but I really liked it. Definitely need to watch it a few more times, but it was still great. And, it's in Spanish with English subtitles. From a language lover, that it the ideal movie to watch.

Afterwards, I helped my mom get ready for our final Christmas party. Then the party ensued. Corn chowder was my soup of choice for the meal (yum!), and there was great bread as well. Afterwards, tiramisu for dessert (mmm...chocolate and alcohol...). Then cards galore - lots of Rook playing. Actually went well for me this time around - took some bids and didn't get set!

Also spent a lot of time running around with the kids. One of the boys is a kid I work with at work but he's also a great family friend - he and I get along so well :) So, we played with my camera phone and laughed and tickled and ran around and did all sorts of fun stuff. And he "helped me play Rack-o". Yippy what fun.

So, another late party, another long day, and I find myself tired, once again, ready to sleep a little before another long day and late party. Tomorrow promises taking down Christmas decorations, trial #2 of lemon pies, packing, shopping (?), and a kickin' New Year's Eve party. If you're in town and want to come, you're welcome to join - the house is going to be crazy, for sure, but it will be a good time.

Then, at 2:45 in the morning, we leave for Omaha. To fly to Connecticut! Yay!! Connecticut! I am so excited to finally be going - something that's been in the works for a month now, and it's finally near - and - I may have actually succeeded in packing light for once. We'll see how I fare once I get there, though :)

To bed, to bed, to bed I said.

Fun-filled

It's been a full day, that's for sure. Went to Sioux Falls with my mom and aunt. We went to Savers, Target, out to HuHot to eat, and we went to go see The Family Stone. Not super awesome, but it was alright.

Then, we came home and went straight to the Van Wyk's. There, we had pizza, coffee, dessert, hung out awhile, and then we played Court Whist. What a great time that was. It's a great game, full of changing rules, changing partners, and lots of laughter. There's even a round where you lose points if you talk during the round. Difficult, but I made it through. I ended up with 2 candle holders with votives - very nice decoration for the basement table, if I do say so myself.

Tomorrow is sure to satisfy as well. I start out with coffee with a dear friend - I'm looking forward to plenty of time to talk and catch up. It's been August since we actually saw each other. Then it's spending time making chex mix and the like - probably cleaning, packing, and all sorts of stuff. Then I might go see Chronicles of Narnia with my aunt. I haven't decided if I want to see it or not. All I've heard is good, but I'm not sure if I'm wanting to see it or not. We'll see what I decide. Then another Christmas party at night. That's sure to be good as well, with good soups and breads and time to enjoy each other. Lots of card playing is guaranteed - better hone up on my Rook skills.

Now I'm just waiting for a cell phone call to assure the family that Michael and Heidi made it back to Sioux City safely after a somewhat disgusting drive back. So, it's randomness and mindlessness until they call.

Hope you're safe and warm and happy. I am.

27 December 2005

Snippets from the weekend...

- "But the bumblebee did not read the report."
Heard as we were scanning for KDCR on the radio...the only part we heard on the station.

- "They're full of it!"
Also heard on the radio station. A vehement man speaking of weathermen.

- When we were in Vegas... Mom: "Speaking of 16 people in one bed..."
No explanation needed here.

- "I got a wedgie and it felt good!"
Trivial pursuit. Said by a dear friend of the family, Lyle. He surprises me every time words come out of his mouth.

- "Merry Christmas!"
Yup.

- Walking a frozen lake...walking on water?
Lake Okoboji. Completely frozen. We pretended we were walking on water.

- Becoming a thief...(for one hour)
Here's the long story. On Christmas day, we had my grandparents over for Christams dinner. Then, my mom and I drove down to Sioux City to pick up my Aunt Becky. When we got there, we went to get gas before we drove up to Okoboji. Jack called right before we pulled up to the gast station, so my mom stayed in the car to talk to him. I pumped the gas and my aunt went in for some food, since she'd had none on the plane. I assumed she was paying for the gas and she assumed I was paying for the gas. We drove off. An hour later, my mom asked who had paid for the gas. We discover no one had paid for the gas! Appalled, my mom called 411, got connected to te Kum & Go, and paid for the gas. But not before we felt like thieves and wondered what would happen...

an additional note...rumor has it it's not the easiest thing to just post on the blog. I've explored, and here's what you can do. When you click on comments, you have the option on the right hand side to post. Go ahead and post. Underneath, choose the button "other" as how you're posting - you can just stick your name in (no need to put in your website unless you want to) and it should work. Let me know if it does/doesn't work.

Hope your Christmas was exciting and blessed, all at the same time. :)

24 December 2005

Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas all! May you be blessed by the Savior's birth. Comments on my life to come at a later date and time. Enjoy the holiday, enjoy the family, enjoy the mirth - enjoy Jesus!

23 December 2005

Which of Santa's Reindeer are You?

You Are Comet

A total daredevil, you're the reindeer with an edge!

Why You're Naughty: You almost gave Santa a heart attack when you took him sky diving

Why You're Nice: You always make sure the sleigh is going warp speed

22 December 2005

Battery Acid

So, I've been doing some interesting research work. And when you're done, you'll likely say, "Wow, this is all she does with her time during break? Sad."

So, anyway, a few weeks ago, I attempted to take my laptop to Minneapolis to get some much needed work done on a paper. Sadly, riding in the car, I pushed the power button and it proceeded to turn on and then back off again. Ticked, I put it away and charged it up when we got to the house we were staying at. Then, on the way home, it lasted a whole 20 minutes before crapping out again. Later that week (during dead week, of course), it lasted a victorious 30 minutes before dying on me.

So, despising the battery, I discover from my dad that it will cost over $100 to replace the battery. Eww, I sigh, and decided to just deal with the power supply and not get a new battery. I'm cheap.

But then, this week, he informs me that they just replaced about 4 batteries on laptops at work and the laptops happen to be the same kind as the one I have. Victorious, I think. He brings the 4 "dead" batteries home, saying he's suspicious one may actually be good, but they replaced all 4 anyway. So, I go to work. I make a database, charge up the first battery, stick it in, and go without the power supply. The results?

Battery #1: Lasts 1hr, 5 min. Better, but not great.
Battery #2: Lasts 2 hr, 34 min. Amazing.
Battery #3: Lasts 2 hr, 27 min. Still quite amazing.
Battery #4: Lasts 1 hr, 55 min. What?!
**edit**
Battery #5 (mine): Lasts 3 minutes

Okay, so, turns out that 3 out of the 4 batteries that I was given to test were actually quite good. Yup. But 2 days worth of testing reveals this: I might get a battery that's in almost perfect condition out of the deal for way less than I would pay for an actual new one.

So, that's my sad life and where I have fun...conducting tests on battery life. This may explain why I enjoy doing things like watching MythBusters.

Happy Birthday!!

It's my Mom's birthday today. Happy Birthday, Mom!!

In other news, it's still a great time to be on break...getting lots done - I now officially live downstairs with none of my stuff up in the old bedroom. Hoping to "sleep in" tomorrow - although, that probably means about 10:00ish for me. That's a late morning.

Christmas is almost here. There are 2 packages under the tree that came in the mail for me - one from FedEx and one from Amazon.com. They're from Jack. I'm dying to know what he got me - I love presents from my brother - they're always something original and well thought-out - usually not something on my list but something I wholly appreciate. We'll see what he came up with this year :)

And I'm done.

19 December 2005

Good things every day...

No, not at the Pizza Ranch. Here.

First, I was sorting through my room upstairs...I was in a disposable mood, so it was going pretty fast. I was uber excited because I came across a CD that I had just mentioned I wish it wasn't lost somewhere...and then I found it! It's the Point of Grace Christmas CD. Now, I'm not so fond of Point of Grace anymore, but I'm still a huge fan of their Christmas CD - it's maybe the only Christmas CD that I choose to listen to. So, now I am listening to it for the second time and thoroughly enjoying it.

Second, I'm drinking hot chocolate. What lovely, simple pleasures. Me like hot chocolate.

Third, I am so uberly happy with where I am living now. Here come the pictures...

First, the "dining room," so to speak...



Then, we have the "living room"...



Finally, we have my favorite beaded curtain, which hangs between the two...



So, there you have my newest humble abode. I like it. I like it a lot. (Even if I can't take clear pictures...)

17 December 2005

Random...

my eyes are tired, my glasses are broken, and the rest of me isn't tired...

15 December 2005

All sorts of exciting news...

Here's some exciting facts, in no particular order:

1. I have a floor in my room! (a new revelation...)
2. I have a little house all to myself (basically...)
3. I'm done with exams
4. I'm working roughly 30 hours this week for Hope Haven. Money for conference...
5. Christmas is only 10 days away
6. Exactly 6 months from now, I will be of legal age
7. Jasmine found a wedding dress
8. I'm officially, in all respects, moved out of my apartment
9. I like Jack Johnson
10. I'm going to New York/Connecticut in January
11. I'm burning candles right now
12. I'm reading an awesome book, "Caramelo," by Sandra Cisneros

Hope you have exciting things in your life...I feel like so much has been accomplished this week!!

14 December 2005

Allow me to express my frustration. My source for the big paper that I was writing that never wrote back to me...Just e-mailed me today. Over 2 weeks after e-mailing him these questions, he finally replied. A week and a half after the paper itself was due. Nice answers, does me no good.

13 December 2005

Floral Decorations for Bananas

- Wallace Stevens (a crazy man)

Well, nuncle, this plainly won't do.
These insolent, linear peels
And sullen, hurricane shapes
Won't do with your eglantine.
They require something serpentine.
Blunt yellow in such a room!

You should have had plums tonight,
In an eighteenth-century dish,
And pettifogging buds,
For the women of primrose and purl,
Each one in her decent curl.
Good God! What a precious light!

But bananas hacked and hunched . . .
The table was set by an ogre,
His eye on an outdoor gloom
And a stiff and noxious place.
Pile the bananas on planks.
The women will all be shanks
And bangles and slatted eyes.

And deck the bananas in leaves
Pluck from the Carib trees,
Fibrous and dangling down,
Oozing cantankerous gum
Out of their purple maws,
Darting out of their purple craws
Their musky and tingling tongues.

12 December 2005

Candles.

I like candles. I can burn them now. One of my GEMs girls gifted me with a black raspberry vanilla candle from the white barn candle company. I felt honored. I should tell her mother that that's pretty much my favorite smell ever. Because it is.

2 exams tomorrow. After that, I am officially done! Yay!

Headaches. Trying to figure out how to get from one place to another when I'm in Connecticut in January is messing with my brain - but, I can see why my mom was a good travel agent. And for those of you who don't know, I'm going to CT for a week with two other girls and my favoritest Theology prof ever. I get to see New York, take trains, and do all sorts of great stuff.

Okay, that's it for today.

Mahna Mahna

10 December 2005

We Live, We Love

Saturday night. I'm all "Christmas Partied" out. Three Christmas parties already, one more on Tuesday. And it's only December 10th!!

That's okay. This coming week holds present wrapping, Christmas decorating, exam taking, and a bunch of runs to the airport. I'm all for it. If anyone wants to ride to Sioux Falls on Wednesday afternoon or to Omaha on Friday morning, let me know - I'd love to have company on the way back after dropping people at the airport.

I have a research paper officially done, I'm almost done with my take-home exam, and I have 2 exams left to study for: one that's in an entirely different language and one in the CRC language. Good luck, me.

Okay, well, I hope you're all doing well. Really, I do. Because I think about all of you a lot. Today was a happy day because Jazz has a job. So Jack and Jazz both have jobs. Yippy!!

Good luck, if you're into exam week. If you're not, enjoy normality.

09 December 2005

Song of the Day

Because I like music so much and I listen to it all the time, check out www.songsofnikki.blogspot.com - It's my new blog with the song of the day.

08 December 2005

Cold Feet

My feet are cold. I suppose that's because I'm in the basement wearing no socks. Ah, well, I'll have to remedy that problem in a few moments.

It's the last day of classes. Philosophy and Spanish, then I'm done, save exams and papers. I have 4 pages written for Theo and 7 written for Linguistics. About three pages for each to be added and they'll be done. Then massive amounts of studying for my Spanish exam and a bit of studying for Philosophy, and I should be good to go.

Christmas Banquet is tonight! It's never anything spectacular, I guess, but it's so fun to dress up and hang out with friends, eat food you haven't made (even if it is Commons food), take pictures, and maybe dance a bit. I like.

Okay, now my hands are cold as well. I need to go check the laundry. Maybe the dryer will warm me up.

06 December 2005

A Bitter Post

A bitter post, not because I'm bitter, but because it's so bitterly cold outside. It's -5F outside, I'm sure the wind chill is worse. It's supposed to flurry today. It's only supposed to get to 5F, if that. Wow, it's chilly. We haven't had a winter like this in quite a few years.

I moved a bunch of stuff out of my apartment last night. It was so cold - 0 degrees outside and I was making trips to and from the apartment and to and from the car. I had 6 trips, times 3 - once from the apartment to the car, once from the car to the house, and once from upstairs to downstairs. My goodness, I never realized that I have so much stuff. But I should be able to do the rest of it today and then next week get the stuff my roomies requested I leave until the end of the semester.

Left on the to-do list before the end of the semester: 1 Linguistics test, 1 Greek quiz, 1 Linguistics paper, 1 Missions and Evangelism take-home test, 1 Spanish exam, 1 Philosophy exam, move home. I'm actually feeling good about everything except for the actual exams (philo and Spanish).

Tonight: Club Hispano Cookie Night. Don't go to the SCA Christmas event - come to the cookie night ! We're more fun!! Okay, so maybe you should just go to both - we have this amazing knack of scheduling our events when other events are scheduled, because we do our scheduling early. Dangit all.

Okay. Stay warm. Don't get frostbite. Don't get chilled to the bone. Come to the cookie night.

~Godbless

04 December 2005

The Evils of Shopping instead of Going to Church on Sunday

That's what a family friend told us the "sermon" was this morning. He was kidding. We all went shopping instead of going to church. He's got a good sense of humor - a lot like mine, which meant he favored my choices for Apples to Apples :)

So, I went shopping to Minneapolis. Hooray for tradition. My mom and I both make a huge 'ol list for Christmas - people we need to get gifts for, what we're thinking, etc. And then we go at it. And there are things we need too. And I try things on, then my mom says, "Okay, I'm going to buy this, and then you have to forget about it until Christmas and be surprised when you open it." And I beg and plead to have it before Christmas, she doesn't plead, and I give in, but not acquiescently, dangit.

Successful shopping trip. I am now officially poor, but I have presents for *almost* everyone on my list - one person left, but I have a pretty good idea what to do. And I found some good deals - some scarves (accessories, not winter) for $4 each at Marshall Field's - that's pretty amazing. And some shoes (finally!!). Ooh, ooh, and a shirt (nice one) for $6, originally $25.

So, it was a successful, enjoyable weekend. My knee hates me for all the shopping I did - we started at about 10 on Saturday and went until about 6:30. And then we went from about 10-3:30 and then an hour on the way home. So that's a rough 15 hours of shopping, times 6 of us - 90 hours of shopping this weekend. And the back of the car was full, I tell you. Good times, good memories, except for the horrendously drunk man who tried to hit on all of us. Thank goodness they didn't tell him I was the only single person at the table.

Other than that, I have my theo paper done - finally! It's officially dead week. I'm not happy with my paper - I would have loved to spend more time on it, add more, read a few more sources, and fix some of my bad sentence structure. But time did not permit as such and my silly source never e-mailed me back, so what I have is what it is. It's still good, just not as good as I'd like. So, now, I have 4 days of classes, 1 paper, 2 exams, 2 quizzes, 1 take-home exam, and 1 test left. And moving the rest of my stuff out of the apartment.

Okay, wow, I'm wordy today. I better go put my words somewhere useful instead of in your head.

~Godbless

01 December 2005

Snow, Snow, and...(wait for it...)... More Snow!!!

That's right kids, adults, crazy ones: Lots of snow. I've had to dig my car out of the snow a total of 5 times already this week. I think I picked the worst time to move back home - everytime I go between home and Dordt, I find myself having to brush off or scrape my car of the snow. Yay, me, and good timing.

But it's really quite a beautiful snow out there, if you don't have to step through it or brush off your car. It's fluffy and white and quite lovely. So for that, I fogive the snow for falling and making the roads annoying. I'm an understanding person that way.

So I find myself sitting the the Grille, working on my homework and actually enjoying myself quite a bit. I'm loving this aspect of doing my homework in places where I'm also guaranteed to see people. Yesterday it was a time in the jam-packed library, sitting by Goober and Andrea.

So, besides having to drive on snowy/disgusting roads to get here, I love it!!

And, I'm making considerable progress on my paper. The most annoying part is that I'm waiting for an e-mail response from the President of IDEA Ministries to help me out with my paper. So, I'm having to defer writing that part of the paper until he replies. If I don't get a reply before I levae for Minneapolis tomorrow morning, I'm giving up on it and writing the paper without his responses. It's frustrating to me, because it will really make the paper credible instead of just using my own experiences, but I guess that's what I get for procrastinating. But, the paper is already about 5-5 1/2 pages long, which is longer than I thought I could get written this morning, so that's pretty encouraging.

In other news, there are 3 M/W/F classes left and 3 T/Th classes left. As of right now, I have 3 exams, 2 vocab quizzes, and a 10 page paper due by the end of the semester. I think it's manageable. I hope so!

Okay, and, enough of my rambling. It's time I got back to studying for things I really need to get done.

~Godbless