Utterly thankful.

This week, I am thankful beyond measure:

5. For the ability to laugh -- as well as cry -- about life events.
4. That Jim and Caroline found and love each other, and that they're now married (!!!).
3. That my friends and family can laugh not only AT me, but also WITH me.
2. For modern medicine. (Sometimes nothing can relieve the pain like Excedrin.)
1. That the road to Jackson goes both ways.

Dazed and...

A close friend's dad just died on the operating table tonight. This time last week, he wasn't even in the hospital.

Life is so fragile.

Sometimes I hate being a grown-up.

Pure Bliss

Today I experienced pure, unadulterated bliss, so out of this beautiful, spectacularly priceless day, I'll take the five things I'm thankful for at this moment:

1. A church service that speaks to me in gentle whispers and with needed sternness, and wraps me in a love that leaves me unable to doubt Whose I am.

2. Sunshine! I'm (sadly) aware that many of my peeps are experiencing cold and/or dreary weather right now, but in the balmy BR, highs are in the 60s and spring is in the air! Yay!

3. Productivity that leaves me content,

yet craving more of the same in the near future.

4. Friendships that span a wide array of personalities and interests, and somehow manage to simultaneously fulfill the many cavities life doles us on a daily basis.

5. Good, plain fun. Whether it's from a walk around the lakes, a phone convo re. the perfect "little black dress," pizza that literally made my mouth water, or the utter joy from reading a book in front of the LSU clock tower while lounging on a soft blanket, nothing beats savoring the moment!

(Pictured to the right are:

1. The LSU Clock Tower, in front of which I laid a blanket and read a few chapters of my book after...

2. Walking the LSU lakes with a friend. Later....

3. I shared a delish pizza at Reginelli's on Chimes Street! YUM!

Dribbling into newness.

Last week, I attended my first basketball game since the mid-90s. This was also, I think, my first post-high school game, and I loved it! LSU's men's team played South Carolina (and won).

I have always enjoyed football, hockey, and soccer, and am even a rare fan of the occasional (albeit slow) baseball game, but basketball never really caught my attention before. Why? IDK.

I'm definitely no expert, but (so far), here are the things I love about b-ball:
1. The fast pace.
2. The intimacy of the setting. (Such a smaller venue than football - you feel like you can practically touch the players and the game.)
3. The spirit of the fans.
4. Something adrenaline-rushing in between football seasons!
5. The clarity of the game. No, I don't know what players get fouled for every time, but the sport was relatively simple to pick up on. As a 32-yo newbie, I appreciated that.

Never one to leave an event undocumented, I took my camera ;-) and tried very hard to get some good action shots. However, I think I missed them each time (see #1 on the list above). I've posted a couple of pics I did get here, though.

Thanks to Tiffany for the ticket and introduction to this new-to-RJ sport; I had a blast and hope to attend again soon!

Dating your boxes.

Since I'm on this "tricks and tips" roll, I thought I'd share something non-technology related but really handy. I wish I could say I came up with it myself, but I did not. And sadly, I can't remember who to credit it to...

When you have to-go boxes from restaurants, it's handy to write the date on the box so that when you're digging in your fridge later for a bite, you don't have to wonder how old the food is or if it's still safe to eat it.

Happy leftovers!

Free directory assistance number

In an effort to be more like Shawn, I'm again posting a tip I seriously use almost on a daily basis.

While dialing 411, directory assistance, is a great way to "look up" numbers and addresses without using a phone book or computer, it can be costly. But a while back, Google introduced a new pilot directory assistance number: 1.800.GOOG.411

By dialing 1.800.466.4411 (1.800.GOOG.411), you get the same information you would from 411, but without the fee, and without having to listen to any ads.

If you're not familiar with the typical 411 system, it (and GOOG 411) goes something like this:

1. Dial the directory assistance #.

2. When prompted, state the city and state the company (or person) you are looking for is in.

3. State the business (or person)'s name.

4. Wait for the number, or choose to be connected directly.

Rockin' out at the Rok Haus.

This weekend, I went with Erica (the Baptist) and new BR friends to Rok Haus in Lafayette, LA, about an hour west of Baton Rouge.

Rok Haus, a warehouse-looking building with an interior lined with rock climbing walls is quite the adventure (and was very challenging for this girly girl)! I've decided to go back after a few months of building upper body strength to see if I've improved any. Ropes and harnesses are all part of the set up, so thankfully, I didn't fall. :-)


On our way back to BR, we stopped in Breaux Bridge and ate at Pat's Fisherman's Wharf, a preciously quaint seafood restaurant. Our waitress was a 60-year employee at Pat's named Mrs. Mae. Her Cajun accent made me want to beg her to read "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" to us, but I refrained. She was adorable.

Thanks to some ominous traffic on I-10 East, we had an adventuresome drive back through a swamp, but shared many laughs, stories, and even a few inside jokes. :-)



Pictured on the left from top to bottom are:

1. a couple of us trying our hands at rock climbing (and getting down from rock climbing);

2. our whole group at Pat's;

3. Erica and myself balaying (supporting) friends who were climbing; and


4. me barely getting up a wall (The Boulder) with no ropes. (Trust me when I say that it's tougher than it sounds or looks!) :-)

Send a text via email

My friend and fellow blogger Shawn often posts cool tips, innovations, and new products that are out there. In fact, her blog is mainly that, and I recommend you visit it.

One of Shawn's recent tips was something I knew about, but when I read it I thought, "What a good idea, Shawn. Letting everyone know about it." So I'm blatantly copying her and doing the same.

You can send free text messages from your email account if you know the recipient's phone carrier. Just type in a phone number before the recipient's correlating address below:

Alltel - @message.alltel.com
AT&T - @txt.att.net
Sprint - @messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile - @tmomail.net
Verizon Wireless - @vtext.com
Virgin Mobile - @vmobl.com

Many thanks.

Five things I'm thankful for tonight:

1. That life goes on.

2. For friends who love what's happening when it's happening (namely the BCS bowl tonight between Florida and Oklahoma -- long live the SEC!).

3. For the future, and that I don't have to be scared of it. (See Jeremiah 29:11.)

4. For nice weather. B-D

5. That no matter what, no matter when, there are always things bigger than me -- and smaller than me -- worthy of my attention, my devotion, my love.

On the Nightstand

Presley tagged me last week to play her post-reindeer games, but I sadly just got caught up on friends' blogs from the past few weeks, so I'm just seeing it. ;-) Hopefully, my answers will still count.

The Rules:
* Grab the nearest book.
* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your blog along with these instructions.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
* Tag five other people to do the same.


The book:
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

The 5th sentence on page 56:
"Yes. Right there on television."

The next 2-5 sentences:
"What was it like?" he asked.
"Less than exciting," I told him. "Sort of a letdown."

The five peeps I'm tagging:
1. Kristen.
2. Nicole.
3. Rachael.
4. Michelle.
5. Skye.

Ironically, since I began reading "Blue Like Jazz" last week, I've been planning to blog about it because there were so many excerpts I found insightful. So look for a blog on that in the (near?) future.

I believe I'll call it "Blog Like Jazz." ;-)

Though None Go With Me

I have a knack for picking out really random indie-type films when I rent movies that I'm going to watch by myself. Today, though, I was intrigued by a movie based on a story by Jerry B. Jenkins, who wrote the "Left Behind" series. As one of the only people in the universe who did not read those books and is not familiar with Jenkins' writing style, I surprised myself by renting the movie anyway.

The synopsis said if you liked "The Notebook," this one would grab your heart and hold it (or something equally sweet). I def didn't need to watch anything sad, but I was in the mood for something more serious than my other choice that was in stock today at my local Redbox, which was "House Bunny." ;-)

While I don't limit myself to them, I love reading books that are written from a Christian perspective and by Christians, and this movie starring Cheryl Ladd was great, too. Very sweet, and told a good, solid story of faith in God despite one's trials.

I recommend! Like most chick flicks, though, I can't promise guys will like it. ;-)

I want to thank You...

5 things I'm thankful for today:

1. A new year. A new start. Fresh, clean beginnings. Yay!!!

2. Redbox. They let me rent DVDs for a mere $1 per night. I don't care who you are -- that's a good deal.

3. Erica. My new friend has proved to be amazingly timely in her encouragement, humor and sweetness. I look forward to many more happy moments with this sweet girl.

4. Text messaging. If you know me at all, you know I'm a complete addict. Some call it a tool. I call it a lifesaver.

5. Second chances. And third. And fourth, and so on. They are phenomenally refreshing and invigorating.

On another note, I'm so happy for a new year, and for all I have to be thankful for. My friend Cicily and I have decided that 2009 is our time to shine, and Angela and Shannon say that 2009 is the year of the redheads.

I say bring it on! I'm ready for the fun and adventures to come. :-)