CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Friday, August 29, 2008

Yikes!

Three weeks! Holy moly.

Friday, August 22, 2008

The AGF

Caution: The blog that follows contains a rant I've been waiting several years to write. Just so you know, "AGF" stands for the Alaska Gouge Factor-- something all Alaskans deal with on a daily basis.

Do you know what I hate? Companies who don't know the difference between "Continental" and "Contiguous".

Ugh.

I hate it when companies offer "FREE SHIPPING within the continental United States" and then charge me more because I live in Alaska. )*(&*%^$% You said FREE SHIPPING...


ALASKA IS FREAKING PART OF THE SAME FREAKING CONTINENT YOU ARE!!! We are not an island, we are not our own country and we are certainly NOT located next to Hawaii!


Now, there are those companies who, in the fine print, say "Except Alaska and Hawaii". While I mostly hate them too, I can expect them to overcharge me. My big problem is with the companies who don't have this disclaimer on their website.

"FREE SHIPPING within the continental United States" by definition, includes the State of Alaska, which contrary to popular map-makers belief, IS attached to the North American continent. The word these utterly inane companies is looking for is "Contiguous". If you want to charge Alaskans more use CONTIGUOUS not continental.

DEFINITIONS:
Continental (adj): of or pertaining to the continent of North America.
Contiguous (adj): touching, in contact; in close proximity.

Idiots.

Monday, August 11, 2008

From My Dad


Yeah... this was taken at the California State Fair... and sent to me... by my dad... explains a lot, huh?

Friday, August 08, 2008

St Elsewhere

My mind has been wandering these last two weeks.

Normally, I forget things if I don't write them down. Lately? Lately, I forget things no matter what. Specifically, I've been forgetting which day of the week it is. So far it hasn't hindered plans or anything but I wake up every morning trying to focus on which day it is... Thurday? Monday? Sunday? Wednesday?

Things have been busy and hectic and, since I've been so forgetful, rushed. I scheduled a Girls' Retreat for next weekend WAY last year and am just now getting around to planning it-- including a lodge location for us to stay in!! Yikes. I know it'll get done but it's a bit stressful thinking about it.

Really, the main reason I've been so scatterbrained is due to the countdown above (which seems to be off...) By my count, I am 44 days away from marrying this guy. I'm terribly excited about what life will be like after September 20th and I'm even excited about that day. I've started putting decorations and things together, thinking about how to decorate our ever boring sanctuary ("Can't we move that table up there?!"), and waiting for RSVPs to come in. For the most part it's an exciting process... I don't necessarily like making decisions on my own but I'm starting to realize that there's no one else to help me who cares.

Anywho, I've rambled long enough. I better get to crossing off some of my weekly "To Do" list... and maybe even some of the "Before September To Do" list...

Friday, August 01, 2008

Hits & Highlights

It seems like literally centuries since I last posted something of actual value and not just an email quip or a video. Alas, you won't be getting substance much today either. Instead, I will leave you with a bulleted version of my summer. Since I last blogged...

  • I went to Fairbanks on a 3-day retreat with some of my kiddos.
  • I spent a week worrying about my fiance and his friend, Rob, as they hiked the Chilkoot Trail (aka "Golden Staircase") much too early in the season. They completed it but not without some awesome stories: "I was lying there trying not to die." ~Rob
  • I spent a week in California with my fiance and my folks. We galavanted all through the Napa & Sonoma Valley as well as San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Ultimately, it was a good trip, my dad approves of the boy and we got to play with a kick @$$ boat/submarine he got for Father's Day.
  • Upon returning from Cali I promptly jumped into a week of VBS. We did it in the evening again this year and, I thought, it was great. CPHs curriculum could've been better but it was nice overall. And, yes, that is a picture of me sleeping in the food-donation tent.
  • I watched a former youth of mine get married. Weird.
  • I "survived" 3 weeks without the boy. And by "survive" I mean I was finally able to clean his house and do all the laundry that'd been on the floor since we started dating. I had to buy 120 hangers. End of story.
  • I worked sound at another very interesting wedding at which the least interesting thing was that they played "Firecracker" as their recessional.
  • Celebrated my 26th birthday. (Thanks, Jules, for that great pic!)
  • Spent a week with 32 high schoolers at an incredible camp
    called "Kaleidoscope". We looked indepth at what it means to Follow Jesus. Plus, we got to watch NOOMA videos, which I wish everyday I could afford to purchase.

Now, things are slowing down. I get to focus a bit more on the wedding and Fall church activities. Things wedding-wise are going well. I had my first & final dress fitting on Tuesday, we've got tuxes reserved, a caterer, florist and baker on deposit, and RSVPs coming everyday. (TODAY is the day to RSVP so you better be doing that!) I can't explain how excited I am to finally be married and settled with Philip. No more of this driving all the time and staying at one house when I wish I was at another.

Anywho, though it's slowing down there are still lots of things coming up. I promise to try to be better about posting regularly. If you'd like more details about any of the bullets, comment and I'll write a better blog.

Love y'all!