you never know

Molly Jenson posted this on her myspace back in June and I thought it was brilliant. Definately worth sharing with you ...

i'm in starbucks right now, working on my computer. about 20 minutes ago, i felt someones' eyes on me. you know that feeling. i looked up and it was an old lady looking at me over the top of her book. i smiled politely, despite the awkward eye contact, and went back to work on my computer. about 10 minutes ago, i felt those eyes again, looked up and old lady and i made awkward eye contact for the second time!

i was starting to think i might move to a different seat as to avoid anymore awkward eye contact with old lady across the way. but then i thought, 'what if that old lady is me? what if i came back from the future to see me or to warn me about something?!!'

my friend adam told me that stuff like this happens. he told me he was once tackled by a handsome old man just before he stepped on a piece of poo, turned out it was him saving him!

so, i'll stay in this seat just in case old lady across the way is really me from the future. you never know.

you can also become a pants man!

Here is another hilarious Japanese Video (with subtitles).
note: don't watch if you don't appreciate songs about using the toilet :)

for your viewing pleasure

We went to the Del Mar Fair on the 4th of July!



Ryan REALLY wanted a turkey leg that day.



(check out the guy on the right)


Eating fried oreos ... they were actually good.


This was the featured food item of the year ... a chicken patty sandwiched by a krispy kreme donut. We all tried it and were disappointed -- tastes like chicken in a donut. Lame.


Supposedly, there was a 4th of July costume contest that day.
This woman sewed her own dress and colored her nails with pens.
Nicole and Fiona couldn't resist a picture with her.


We took the FREE shuttle back and forth.



This is your standard "balance your camera on a friend's car and set the timer while the 'photographer' runs back into the picture and everyone does something crazy while watching the red light blink".

japanese human tetris

this is amazing ... courtesy of Fiona :)

happy birthday mom!

We celebrated my mom's birthday at Olive Garden tonight. Mom turned the big 2-9 ... the waiter thought she didn't look a day older than 28! :) And Nicole did an incredible job of leading her co-workers in a round of "Buena Festa" ... beautiful (thanks Nicole!).

Taco Tuesday at El Torito = $21.00

Late Night Donuts at Peterson's = $7.00

Evening with Old Friends = Priceless :)

old friends ... new baby

Last Saturday, I got to spend the afternoon with some old friends from high school and church -- Deidre (left), Jeanne (the pregnant one) and Belinda. It was really fun getting the update on everyone's life ... all three girls are graduated and happily married ... and it was the first time the three of us had seen Jeanne in years!

This was some sick game where we had to guess what candy bar had been melted in the baby diaper ... it was a little too realistic (as you can see) and I got none right! But nevertheless, an awesome idea.

not from the lord

Last night, as I was getting ready for bed ... the NASTIEST of all bugs crawled across my carpet and under my bed. You must know that I grew up catching bugs with my neighborhood friends. I like bugs - they fascinate me and they are fun to catch. But, when they are nasty and CRAWLING ACROSS MY FLOOR I get a little freaked out ... I actually screamed (and I'm not a screamer, normally) because this thing was stinkin' nasty!! I am honestly REALLY freaked out right now while sitting in my bed writing this post. It is likely the creature is still in my room. I searched for him under my bed last night, but finally gave up. Then when I crawled into bed about 10 minutes later, I saw him (or another one!) crawling up the wall on the other side of the room. I walked up to him in an attempt to catch him, but I chickened-out as he dashed across the wall with his nasty body. yuck.

So, I decided to do a little research this evening. I could best describe this demon bug as a cross between a silverfish (although MUCH larger) and a centipede. It was long and slender with about one million legs and the longest antennas I have EVER seen on any creature. I thought I would try looking up "silverfish centipede" ... and I found it!! There was a picture of this ungodly creature ... the HOUSE CENTIPEDE!! The picture clearly shows his nasty-ness, although I'm not sure it accurately portrays his size - he was big (and nasty!).

I've been doing a little more research and it is likely that I will pee my pants before the night is over. I am REALLY freaked out right now ... and apparently I'm not the only one. I found a site dedicated to the "Scutigera-coleoptrata" by someone in Washington who has been haunted by their presence. He says, "sitting in the newly renovated sink was the ugliest creature I have ever seen. [amen!!] 15 pair of long skinny legs, two long antennae, and an inch and a half-long body ... the house centipedes are hunters. They capture and eat live prey, particulary smaller insects ... no amount of pesticide will get ride of them, and they rarely venture out in the open during the day, so controlling them by killing them on sight is nearly impossible ... And if you and I don't kill them, they're not going anywhere ... Unlike a fly, which basically lives as long as it takes to reproduce, the house centipede has a life span of up to about 5 years. [what the heck!!??!!] And it's not like killing them is easy once you find one. [amen again!] Their reaction time and senses are very good."

I also read on another site that you have to kill them as soon as you find them because they breed like crazy. Once again, this is nasty. Pray for me ... it may be a rough night :)



For some reason, this photo looks like a small/common cricket (with too many legs). However, I assure you that the creature I saw looked MUCH larger and nastier than this. You would be scared.

"walking along"

the local church

I love the church. I love it! The Lord has been renewing my love for the local church and reminding me how beautiful and precious it really is ... Christ died for the church! The fact that HE GAVE HIS LIFE for it just proves the depth of His love for the church. Well, I was reviewing some of the reading I did last year in Bill Hybels' book, Courageous Leadership and I thought some was worth sharing again ...

"It's the power of the love of Jesus Christ, the love that conquers sin and wipes out shame and heals wounds and reconciles enemies and patches broken dreams and ultimately changes the world, one life at a time. And what grips my heart every day is the knowledge that the radical message of that transforming love has been given to the church. That means that in a very real way the future of the world rests in the hands of the local congregations like yours and mine."

"There is nothing like the local church when it's working right.
Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness. Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close."

"Give your life to this ... Give all the money you can give.
Give all the service you can give. Give all the prayers you can give. Give whatever you have to give, because for all eternity you'll look back over your shoulder and be glad you did."

his calling ... his finish

"I'm thoroughly convinced that God is perfectly capable of helping each of us finish what he has called us to do. And I firmly believe that he will move us beyond enduring to enjoying, beyond surviving to prevailing, if we are willing to do a little learning." -- Bill Hybels