Quote of The Day

(Granny was upset with my Aunt Josie for not coming to see her recently. Her response to Josie's name...)

"That old fart! Next time you see her tell her I'm dead."

We are still laughing at that. And also the fact that granny was gravely disappointed in Austin and I for me not being pregnant. It's impossible to please the woman.

We need fellowship with others to be alone safely.
We need solitude to be with others meaningfully.

"Awe Fiddle"

Last night we celebrated Christmas with Austin's mom and grandparents. After opening presents and stuffing ourselves with a huge meal, we settled in to a game of Rummy.


What Austin and I discovered was that people not in our generation possess a hidden language reserved for expression during games like Rummy. We were unable to comprehend the meaning of most of the words that came out of his mother and grandmother's mouths. When we realized they were talking in gibberish, we decided to record some of the expressions for future translation. Here's the list:

• "Fiddle-do-dee"
• "Oohey Louie"
• "Dear Gussy George"
• "Oh my gracious-sakes-alive"
• "Puddy!"
• "Omanomanoman"
• "Poo"
• "Oh for Pete's sake"
• "That's not.. hoopty-doo"
• "Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle"

There were many more of these words that were said before we began recording. We hope to one day understand the meaning of these words and possibly implement them in our future card games.

I've Been Captivated

It's funny how I am often complaining that I have so little time. However, when a good book crosses my lap, I amazingly find time to read it.

I seriously cannot wait to curl up on the couch and dig in to these pages tonight.

Joy

"Joy"
Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Let my heart leap towards the eternal sabbath,
where the work of redemption, sanctification, preservation, glorification is finished and perfected for ever,where thou wilt rejoice over me with joy.

There is no joy like the joy of heaven,
for in that state are no sad divisions, unchristian quarrels, contentions, evil designs, weariness, hunger, cold, sadness, sin, suffering, persecutions, toils of duty.
O healthful place where none are sick!
Oh happy land where all are kings!
O holy assembly where all are priests!
How free a state where none are servants except to thee!
Bring me speedily to the land of joy.

Livin on the Edge

Let me set the scene.
I was on edge today. Perhaps it was from the weekend full of high school ministry events that wore me out. Perhaps it's me feeling the weight of my job. Perhaps it's hormones. Whatever it may be, I was on edge. Conversely, my husband was in a playful-bantering mood. Not picking up on my edginess at all.
Bless his heart, he didn't stand a chance.

I tell him what cabinet some seasoning goes in. He places it on the opposite side of the kitchen with a mischievous smile.

I grow irritated

Some other bantering happens that pushes me more to the edge

I grow more irritated and move to a different room

He brings me the glass of water that I left on the table that I didn't want to drink and playfully tells me I need to drink it.

I give death stare.

He responds "If looks could kill, I'd be a dead man right now"

I'm growing sensitive now

He teases me for leaving something else on the table

I'm getting a lump in my throat

He notices I've gone from banter mode to sensitive mode and asks why.

As any girl knows, this only causes more sensitivity. Tears start forming so I hide behind my book.

He notices tears. Tone softens. He comes into room.

This causes me to tear up more and transition to a cry

Austin kindly admits, "I'm not sure what to do with you right now."

Laughter and more tears flowing now.

We begin to talk about what was behind all the emotions. In so doing, Austin makes an observation...

"Do you realize you just went from crying to laughing and back to crying in half a second?!"

My reaction through my tears: laughing.


After some emotional vomiting and some good prayer together, all is at peace in the Conner household. Now that I'm out of the oh-so-familiar-uncontrolled-emotions (girls you know what I'm talking about- husbands you kinda do) I can look back and laugh at the exchange between us. Especially the moment where Austin was humble enough to simply admit that he had no idea what to do with his hormonal wife. To his credit, his response couldn't have been better.

Today

Today I woke up cranky.
No good reason.
Just woke up moody and irritated at the day.
I didn't want to get up.
I didn't want to get dressed and ready.
I didn't want to have a quiet time.
I didn't want to go workout.
I didn't want to go get stuff for the senior high Christmas party tonight.
I didn't want to do anything.
But at the same time I didn't want to do nothing.
Just cranky.

Despite my mood, I sat down in my quiet time chair.
Opened my bible.
Bowed my head to pray.
In my hardness I began to be humbled.
This is not MY day.
This is not MY life.
God has a purpose for my life today or I wouldn't be alive.
I am here to serve the highest king.
I have so so so much to be grateful for.
I get to wake up next to a wonderful man.
I have the things I need to get ready for the day.
I have warmth in my house and food in my fridge.
I can afford a gym that helps me stay healthy.
I have access to the living God who cares enough about me to show me my sin.
I have been given grace in my ungratefulness.
Things aren't so bad after all.
Today is a good day.

A Day in the Life

of a student ministry director...

Today, I squeezed 10 high school girls in a minivan that only had 4 functioning seats. It was like a clown car when we pulled up and unloaded at Panera.
As we passed a cop on the way there, I had to direct half of them to duck down and the other half to act normal. The didn't seem to mind. But seriously, what teenager minds undermining authority?

My Biggest Weakness

Estrogen is a funny thing

I think when you get married there are some instincts that unexpectedly kick in. I don't know if it's hormonal or sociological. Either way, I have found that there are some feminine desires and behaviors that are unexpectedly coursing through my body.

• I want to cook more. I have cooked and baked more in the past two months than I did in the past year. Maybe I'm wanting to use all my new kitchen gadgets. Maybe I like that someone is there to eat my stuff. Either way, my hobby for cooking has been rejuvenated.
• I want things clean. I've never been all that messy but I've never been all that clean either. In the past, the dustball in the corner of my room used to never bother me. I could walk past it for weeks until it became big enough to move on it's own. However, I now feel this odd instinct to clean and keep things shiny and smelling fresh.
• I want a garden. The idea of me bringing in fresh peppers, potatoes, lettuce, snow peas, basil, cucumbers, and more is so appealing! I know it's winter and I know I don't have the time or resources right now to do this but I'm feeling the urge. I told my dad that I wanted my Christmas present from him to be a day in Columbia helping me start a garden. I don't think he could be happier to give that to me.
• Kids. Now don't get the wrong idea. We are in no rush at all to have kids. But my attitude and desire for them has completely altered. About 6 months ago when people would joke around about us having kids, I would flip. It freaked me out. However, I have felt a shift in myself when the topic is brought up. I'm softened to the idea. I am seeing it a bit differently. Part of me wants it but the other 80% knows that we are in no place to even think about that right now. So until the time comes, we will have to be satisfied with our pooch to fill the void.
  

I mean, really?

The home-owning adventure never ends.

This morning, I went to turn on our kitchen water. Nada. Nothing. Dead.
After checking all the other water sources in our home and finding them to be fully functioning, we diagnosed the problem as a frozen pipe.

Armed with a hairdryer and flashlight, my beloved husband Austin suited up and crawled under our house into the nasty crawl space.
Nothing worked to thaw out this pipe. After leaving it alone for a few hours and letting the sun do its job, our water started working again. Whew.

That is- until the next freeze.

It's Darling!

A Love/Hate Relationship

For the past 24 hours, there has been a meowing cat under our house. You would think that a solid foundation and hardwood floors would block out the small noise a kitten makes. Nope.
At times I feel very angry at this cat. It is interfering with the peace I hope to gain from being at home. It's like a rhythmic noise that I can't turn off.
Other times, I feel a genuine sadness and empathy for the kitty. In those moments, I open a can of tuna and put it in the crawlspace hole.
We've made relational progress though. It came within 3 feet of me yesterday.
But the dang thing won't stop meowing. I get angry. Just shut up! I can't sleep!
But then I think of it meowing for it's mother that is never going to return.
More tuna.
I've never felt such an range of emotions for a stray animal.

Critters

So a few nights ago, at 3:30 in the morning, we woke up to an intense scratching noise from within our wall. Kind of coming from beneath our house. Austin used the moment to emphasize that this is the reason that we can't let stray cats live under our crawl space. I was convinced. The cats needed to find a new home. But how does one go about getting rid of an animal? We didn't konw.

So who did we call?? Our local hunter and trapper, Ryan Lidholm.

Ryan came over that afternoon and set a trap for our cats.
Austin and I eagerly checked the trap all through the evening but found nothing. This morning, we woke up to a loud "meow-meow-meow..." We thought for sure we had trapped the culprit. Austin was going to take it to a different area and let it go. We thought we'd send it off with a full stomach so he went and got our 2 day old pot roast to feed it before the relocation.

As Austin approached the trap, a surprise awaited him. Look closely.
A raccoon!

What was confusing about this is that the meowing was coming from our crawl space still. We are thinking that the trapped raccoon outside the crawl space was freaking the cat out.

Anyway- for some reason, Austin decided to feed the raccoon the pot roast by dumping it on top of the cage. The coon wasn't too pleased about this. It kinda lashed out on us. Understandable. I can't think of many mammals that would appreciate being caged and then food dumped on us.

So at this moment, there is a trapped raccoon in my front yard, a very upset stray cat under our crawl space and a very stressed out dog (Sophie) in my house from all the critter noise coming from the front.

My gracious.

Stay tuned for more updates on our critter extermination.

Meow

The biggest battle in the Conner household is this:

Do we let the stray cat (and cute kittens) continue to live peacefully in the crawlspace under our house?
OR
Do we brutally force them out and block off the hole leading to their only hope of survival through the winter?

You can probably figure out where I land on this debate.

A Striking Resemblance

You know that game you play where you try to figure out if a person were an animal, what would they be?

My husband would be Kevin (the huge bird).
Just watch it. You'll see.

My relaxing day off

Mondays are usually a day of rejuvenation for me. Since Sundays and Tuesdays are my busiest days, I carefully guard my Monday activities. However, today, control of my comfort was taken out of my hands. Here's how it went down.

Sunday afternoon: Come home from church. Heat not working.
Sunday night: Heat still not working. House getting colder. Polly getting stressed.
Monday 7:30am: House is 58 degrees. Austin leaves for work. Polly cold and agitated.
9:00am: Austin calls and suggests Polly turn off and relight the pilot light on the furnace. (as if I know how to do that!)
9:15am: Polly successfully lights pilot light without blowing up the house.
9:20am: Polly even more agitated because furnace still not working.
9:30am: Austin makes an appointment with Company #1 to come look at furnace.
10:50am: Company #1 shows up. Figures out problem. Says its going to cost over $700. Suggests we just buy new furnace because ours is old and will have future problems.
11:00: Dilemma. Put a lot of money into something that is going to break? Put A LOT more money into something we will only use for 5-6 years. Much deliberation.
11:20: Polly calls her father for advice. He tells her some more questions to ask and to call another company for a second quote of the broken part.
11:25: Polly calls Company #2 who says they can fix it for $400. (a little relief)
11:45: Conners make decision to fix the old furnace rather than buy a new one.
12:00: Polly has to call company #1 and tell them they suck for trying to rip her off. (in nicer words of course)
12:45: Company #2 shows up and installs new part.
1:30: See ya $400 bucks.
2:00: House is warm!!!!!
2:00-4:30: Polly is still on edge for many reasons ($400 bucks-gone, making all these decisions, talking to all types of repairmen pretending to know what she's talking about, cranky from not getting a relaxing day, etc.)
4:30: Austin gets home. Polly eventually starts to chill out and enjoy the evening.
6:30: Polly and Austin make a veggie pasta dinner. Delicious.
7:00: Polly and Austin start clean up process.
7:10: Polly rinses something down the garbage disposal.
7:11: Polly flips switch to garbage disposal
7:11: Garbage Disposal not working.
7:11: Defeated laughter

Wicked

For my birthday, we went to see the play, Wicked. I have been wanting to go for years! It was amazing. I just love musicals. I love seeing raw talent all combined together with music, lights, awesome visuals and costumes.

I thought this was funny.

Moo!

Since October 10th

Some things that have changed since we tied the knot:

• I eat more meat
• I watch more TV
• To double check to make sure the toilet seat is down
• Don't leave leftover hair in the shower drain (it grosses him out)
• Twice as much laundry
• More stinky laundry
• There is now cheese, beer, bacon, ranch dressing, and 2% milk in the fridge
• The budget is in full force...kinda
  

Some things I've learned since we tied the knot:

• How to play the wii
• Sports knowledge
• That I'm more of a snot than I anticipated
• Cereal and yogurt are not a sufficient meal for a male
• Austin likes a house project if it can somehow involve a power tool
• No matter what you have in life, there is always a sense of discontentment
• No other relationship can sanctify you more than a husband/wife
• Always have frozen biscuits in the freezer
• Grocery shopping together can be hazardous to the relationship
• I have no poker face
• I can always love more
  

My stream of consciousness at 4 am

It's 4 am. I'm tired. Can't sleep. I'm also hungry but don't feel like getting out of bed right now. That was thunder I just heard. I hope Sophie doesn't get fleas on my bed. I get married in 2 days. Bonnie is on her way here. Picking up my dress tomorrow. OR today I guess. Hope rain doesn't get on it. What do you do with a wedding dress when you're done with it? Seems like a waste. When am I going to pack for Hawaii. I'm so excited to see everyone. Jeanna is on her way here in a few hours. All my family. People coming in for the wedding from New York, Oregon, Illinois, Texas, California, Kentucky and of course, South Korea. For me. Our wedding. Why? Do I really mean that much to these people? I feel humbled. Through this whole thing. The parties, the gifts, the showers, the notes, the cards, the excitement of people for us. It's so humbling. I'm loved so well by the people in my life. Hope I return that to them. I don't feel like I do. I'm hungry. It's raining pretty hard. I don't want to go to the football game. But I want to be with Austin tomorrow. He's for sure going. Be cold and wet with my fiance or warm and comfortable without him? It just started raining harder. I think it's a sign. Gotta fold programs tomorrow. I hope I haven't talked about wedding stuff too much to people. I've tried to be really careful about that. It's hard to be single and hear about someone's wedding all the time. At least it was for me. I still can't believe it's MY wedding this weekend. My emotions are a few steps behind the time line of events. I wish it would sink in more so I could fully enjoy and accept what is happening in 2 days. I wonder if I can get a nap in tomorrow. Probably not. Family is coming in town, errands to run, football game to watch. Unless I don't go of course. I could nap during the game. Yes. I might have just made a decision. I'm hungry. Going to give in and get something to eat.

My new addiction

I knew it was a good show but didn't know HOW good it was until I found myself doing sit-ups and push-ups while watching it.

What we eat in a week vs...

Typical American Family's Food for a week

America...

Mexico...

China...
Ecuador...

Africa...

Knock-Knock

The picture above is from the outside of my house, looking in. Behind those white cabinet doors in the corner is my water heater. (Oh, as you can see, Sophie wanted to be in the pic). Try to look past the cute dog to the doors covering up the heater. I know, I know, what a creative way to cover up an eye sorer right? Well the location of this water heater is NOT ideal for many reasons.

One of the first times I took a shower in my new house, I got out and was toweling off when I heard a "knock-knock" coming from my back door. "CRAP!" I threw on some dirty clothes and went to see who my inconvenient visitor was. No one was there. I was so confused. Was it a knock-and-run trick from the neighbor kids? I was puzzled. I go back to my room, take off the dirty clothes and hear a "knock-knock" again. WHAT? Are they doing to actually show themselves this time? So I again throw on something appropriate real quick and go to the back door to find no one.

As I'm standing there perplexed, looking out in my back yard, I hear the same knocking noise from behind me. I realized then that I have a water heater that throws a fit any time it is used. Seriously, I took a shower 30 minutes ago and it is still making all sorts of clanking, knocking, rumbling noises. After a few months, I've finally gotten used to the sound. Problem is, if someone does actually knock on my back door with in 30 minutes of me using the dishwasher, shower or washing machine, they are going to be ignored. I will not be made a fool again by my water heater!

The Drive by Shopper

I had a garage sale today. They are a lot of work. Got up at 6:20 to go put up signs. Dragged stuff out my house and the garage around 7:00am. People started showing the minute we put stuff in the front lawn. Here are some stats of the day.

Assistants to the sale: Janny Drover and Amanda Hanson
First purchase: Dishes
Last Purchase: Picture Frame
Biggest money maker: Austin's dresser
Cheapest Item: The stuff in the Free Box
Moment I feel bad about: Selling a desk I knew would fall apart soon. (I warned her!)
Money made: $330!!
Embarrassing moment: Sophie growling and snapping at a stranger who approached her
AND
Me wearing a fanny pack all day. It's true.

Most Memorable Shopper:
This one deserves a story. I saw an older lady driving by very very slowly. Almost stopping to look. She passes, only to return for another slow drive-by. She then motions me over to her car. and asks me how much the dog kennels are. I tell her and she says she'll take them. I realized then she was expecting me to get them for her and take them to her car so I told her to pull over closer to the curb. She halfway did- still sticking out into West blvd-a very busy street. As she was stayed put, she explained that she couldn't walk but loved to garage sale. I softened.
The shopping continued.
And the traffic slowed.
She asked how much one of my mirrors was. I told her $15.00. She gave a sour face and asked about another mirror. Still too expensive. She explained that she was looking for a mirror for her friend in the nursing home who doesn't have on in her room. I'm a sucker so I told her she could have it to give away. She was delighted.
Meanwhile traffic is backing up because this lady's car is sticking into the street. I try to hurry her along but she continued to tell me stories about her nursing home friend.
We said our goodbyes finally. I realized then she had completely backed traffic up. People were getting angry. She was clueless.
Two minutes later, a slow moving mini-van drives past again. Stops again. motions me over again. Begins shopping again. She ended up buying a sweatshirt, bookcase, cooking dish and something else. Each time, we would bring the object to her car, she would examine, we would put it in the back of her car if she wanted it. It was quite humorous. But she was my favorite.
By noon, we had sold almost everything. It was a huge success!!
Now begins the debate between Austin and I on how to spend the money. Patio Furniture vs. Honeymoon money. Bet you can guess who wants what...

Special Thanks to my mom and Amanda. It would not have happened without them.

It's a cruel world for women

This makes me want a child

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUzJA9cccJI

Something Shady Went Down...

...right outside my door!

So a few nights ago, I was sleeping soundly in my bed with Sophie underneath on her little pallet. I woke up at 2 am to a sskkkrreeeeeaaaaaachhh- BAMMM.

I realized I had just heard a car accident right in front of my house. There was an eerie silence outside as I tried to figure out what to do. Sophie heightened the dramatic feel of the night by her barking and growling.

Well I get up, peek out and see the collision. It was pretty significant. There were a bunch of guys standing around it on their phones so I assumed nobody was seriously hurt. As I watched- as best I could without my contacts-I saw that some of them were obviously angry with the others. One was trying to calm two men down from fighting. At this point I felt like I was going to be a witness to something so I peeked through the blades of my shade as sneaky as I possibly could. I decided I needed a better look so I went to get my glasses. I stumbled over Sophie, a box of hangers, and some other things in the process. For some reason I felt like I needed to be really quiet so the angry men didn't hear me. (2 am mental processing...)

After finally finding my glasses- I went to another window for a better view. Again, being as sneaky as I can- making sure no lights are on. (Again, for some reason I thought they would come threaten me or something worse if they knew I was watching...) So in my stealthy way, I continued to spy.

When I looked through the blind, I realized they had moved the cars down the street to a different location... why? I'm not sure. Shady.
Then, I saw about five of the men make a decision to leave the scene. So this group of guys just walks away down West Blvd in the rain. Real Shady.
Following that, one of the two cars leaves! Really Shady.
The other car was too messed up to drive away so 3 of the men stayed with that. I watched for a little longer until I realized the drama was over. Then went back to bed.

So many questions... So few answers.

After a really awkward start of the shower, it ended up being pretty fun... and fruitful as you can see by the picture!

However, I have really seen my sin come out in all this. As I look at this pile in my room, I groan at the idea of getting it all put away, taken back, moved around, etc. So much work to be done.

It's ridiculous that I am not jumping for joy over all the fabulous gifts people gave us. Don't get me wrong- I am So SO thankful and blessed by all of these. I just see how fast I twist a good thing into a sinful reaction.

I am so blessed.
Seriously.

As I’m entering a new stage in life, I am coming to terms that I am nowhere close to the woman God calls me to be. The amazing thing is, the qualities that I lack are present in the different women all around me. I wish I could soak up different traits and qualities from each woman in my life.

I wish I could have:

Bissy’s love

Sara Jaeger’s humor

My sister’s adaptability

Bonnie’s spiritual hunger

My mom’s creativity

Carly’s integrity

Quinn’s honesty

Jen Garrett’s gentleness

Mary Kate’s endurance

Molly Cover’s servanthood

Sarah Phillip’s passion

Rachel Tiemeyer’s zeal

Lynn’s wisdom

Kylie’s loyalty

Heather Young’s beauty

Abbie Walden’s passion

Emily Lewis’ delightfulness

Emily Camp’s fun spirit

Kaitlin Rulon’s steadfastness

Kelley Wampler’s aliveness

Kristen Vogel’s freedom

Jeanna’s drive and hunger to grow

Noelle’s quiet strength

Lindsey Patton’s uniqueness

Megan Webel’s humility

Molly Mulcahy’s joy

Colleen's thoughtfulness

Megan Birum’s ambition

Kathleen’s quiet humor

Hattie’s combination of humility and strength

I could go on and on. I didn’t even dive into past Young Life girls or small group gals.

I want to look at people and see the evidence of God in them. I want to be a learner of these amazing women in my life and soak up the gifts and qualities that they have.

Thank you, Jesus, for the blessing of women in my life.

Tonight...

About a week ago I had some of the best red-velvet cake I have ever had in my life. I have considered myself on a mission to recreate this piece of heaven.

My first attempt:












Pretty good but nothing like the glory that I experienced in last week's cake. I also cheated on the icing...I just bought the kind that is pre-made in the can rather than the kind from scratch.
I'm also a little bitter I had to buy an entire bottle of white vinegar for just a teaspoon for the recipe. As you can see though, my small group girls enjoyed the cake. They had nothing but good things to say. That's because they have not experienced the delight and goodness that a true red velvet cake can amount to.

On a different note.
Funniest part of the evening was when one of my small group girls was reading about "The Gentiles." However, instead of saying "Gentiles" she pronounced it as "The Genitals." There was an awkward silence but after I saw about 7 girls peeking up to see how I would respond, I busted out laughing. It was even funnier when the next verse was about circumcision.

It was a small group to remember.

And watch out, delicious red-velvet cake. I will find you.

Man Shower

Last weekend Austin and I had a shower in Glen Carbon, IL. It was a co-ed outdoor themed shower.

It was pretty fun. Except slightly awkward when we were opening presents and I didn't know who the giver was to look at and thank. Even more awkward when the person was a family member. There were tons of second cousins and extended relatives that I have seen all my life but never really known who they are. Busted.

One of the highlights was getting a new grill. The one I had was 8 yeas old, had holes from hail, and was rusting in the middle. Oh, and the ignition button didn't work so I felt endangered every time I had to stick a lighter in the middle of it and crank on the propane gas.

The new grill came in about 100 pieces though. It took Austin and I 1.5 hours to put it together. We did it though. No fights. No throwing of the tools. Only one minor mistake. We considered it a victory.

On a different note, I got to have some quality girl-hang time yesterday. Every girl in the room had their own blog and the conversation often drifted back to blogging. It kind of inspired me to write more. So you may being seeing more of Polly Wolly Doodle all the Day.

Here's your Sign...

When my dog, Sophie, is entertained by chasing dust balls around the house, I think it's a sign that I need to clean.

True Story

When said and done, the lady who "professionally" installed my new window shade needed to borrow the following:

1) A tape measurer
2) A hammer
3) Nails
4) A Bandaid
5) A comfortable chair for her 90+ year old mother (who came along) to sit on while the lady worked.

I have concerns...

While Sara was busy making pesto...

I was busy creating this...










Healthy-Shmelthy....

Dear Sunglasses

Where do you go?
I am a responsible person but for some reason I absolutely cannot keep track of you. I'm getting to a point in my life where I can't afford to buy you anymore. Please stop hiding from me. Because when you do, I eventually give up only to find you after I have purchased a new pair.

Come back please.

Dear Fleas...

We are at war and I feel like I am losing. You are resilient little critters. Frontline, Advantage, and bug bombs don't stop you, do they??
I hate you.
Get out of my house, get off my dog, stop biting her at 4 in the morning, die die die.

Sneak Peek

There are a lot of decisions to be made in wedding planning.
Colors? Location? Bridal Party? Rehearsal Dinner? Wedding bands? DJ? and much more.
Surprisingly, I found buying my wedding dress to be one of the easiest. Here's a peek of what it may look like.

Dear House I'm Hoping to Buy,

Why do you have so many expensive problems?
You're making me nervous.

I just want to buy you but your problems in the crawlspace aren't very appealing. I really really like you. I like your character, hard wood, big rooms, huge fenced in back yard, and location. But your hidden issues are making me question your integrity.

If you have mice, I have extensive experience in getting rid of them. I'd take good care of you, house. Hope to see you soon.

Dear Tendonitis

I don't like you. 

You may my foot hurt. I'm sorry I used you too much two weeks ago, but I think you've gotten your revenge. Can we call a truce please?

PS- that grinding feeling that happens when I point my toe is making me nervous. Please stop. Seriously.

Dear Dentists:

You seem to get paid a lot to do very little. All you did this morning was lift up my lip and look around.
The hygienists who scrape away the plaque and polish my pearly whites should be the ones to get the big bucks.
Just a thought.

Drover vs. Smoke Alarm(s)

Last night around 3 am I was woken up by a loud single "chirp" coming from somewhere in my house. It was only once, so I dozed off until I heard it again. and again. and again. I would doze off between the chirps so I wasn't sure how frequently they were happening. What I did know though was that I was losing precious deep sleep.

Eventually I woke up enough to realize these chirps were indicating a low battery in a smoke alarm. I got out of bed, and went into the living room and waited for the next chirp so I could track down the culprit. It was like a game of hot and cold. And it seemed like the whole house would chirp when this thing made the noise. But I eventually narrowed it down to the hallway between my room and Jeanna's.

So I grabbed tall stool, crawled up, and began to dismantle the enemy of my sleep. It was apparently unhappy with me because when I took it down, it started screaming. These things can make some noise! Panicked, I hit it until the batteries fell out. Whew.

As I crawled down from the stool, headed back to my room, I heard another CHIRP from behind me.

You have got to be kidding me.

This time, the chirp was coming from Jeanna's room. Apparently, this was the original source of my sleep deprivation. So, same story. I crawl up, dismantle, knock out batteries, declare victory and eventually crawl back in bed.

As of right now, our upstairs has no smoke alarms. I'm too irritated to figure out if they both have low batteries or if I was just confused on where the actual noise was coming from. Either way, these things always choose to happen in the middle of the night, don't they??

House Hunt 09

To catch you up:

I decided a few months ago I wanted to buy a home. I was really trying to not take it seriously. I went out twice with a realtor (Kim) with the intention of getting a firm grasp of what's in my price range. I had given up on finding anything decent on the South side of town and was looking in central/north Columbia.

But like I said, I wasn't SERIOUSLY looking. I didn't want to get serious about anything until this summer. That was... until... the foreclosure.

Kim texted me (yes, she texts, it's great) around 9 pm one night. She had found a foreclosure that had just dropped it's price dramatically. It is in South Ridge (about a 10 minute walk from where I currently live!). We looked at the next day and it was BY FAR the nicest I had been in. It's definitely got some, shall we say, quirkiness to it. But nothing that couldn't be painted over of removed (ehem-blue shag carpet...)

After much deliberation with about everyone I came into contact with, I decided to make an offer. And now... we wait. There were 3 other offers as well. Ugh.

I did go loan shopping today. Scary and so adultish... That was until my car broke down in the US Bank parking lot. I started to interpret this as a sign. Sign for what you may ask? I don't know. I just figured my car breaking down in the midst of me loan shopping was indicating something. Turns out it was just a loose connection to my battery. No worries, it's up and running beautifully now.

I find out in the next few days (maybe even tomorrow) if they took my offer. If so, then it's mine unless they find something in the inspection I don't want to pay for.

I'm holding it loosely. I really really really like the house, the location, the quirkiness, etc. But I don't feel like my world will fall apart if something falls through.

There are so many "what-ifs" in this process. A lot of fears have been stirred up that I didn't even know I carried. I've never considered myself a worrier. I guess I've never had to do something so huge on my own though.

Anyway- I will keep my blog followers posted as much as possible on the process. I'm learning a-heck-of-a-lot.

Spring has Sprung!

This is a picture of a field of
tulips. I thought it was so cool!

How am I spending my first day of Spring you may ask?

-Woke up at 2:00 am, couldn't sleep, so got online and requested my annual credit report. Yes, at 2 am. It's in good shape. No worries.

-Woke up at 7am. Attempted to walk Sophie in the rain. She gets very distracted and totally loses the vision of the walk when it rains. When she gets hit by raindrops she looks up and the sky as if she's pissed off at the clouds and then looks at me with the look of "How could you do this to me?!?"

-Senior high class at 9am. We were joined by the junior high this morning. Had a Wii mariocart challenge. I managed to put my team in 4th place by running off that freaking rainbow road 4 times in the one minute I played.

- Came home. Took a nap. A 1.5 hour nap to be exact. It was amazing. I don't know if it is age, lifestyle, sleep patterns or what, but I do know my love for the nap is dramatically increasing.

-Off to watch the Tigers play. Do I really care? Not all that much. I am a social game watcher. If people are there, I care. However, I would like to point out that in my March Madness bracket I am 100% in the Western Region. I'm so proud of my pics.

OK- gotta go.
Go Tigers.

This is depressing...

I only have one year left of increasing intellectual ability.
It's all downhill after that.

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/17/148217&from=rss

Another one-liner

Best quote from Thursday morning bible study:

Junior gal: "Uh, Spring break. I've given up the swimsuit body for food...."

Now that I write that, it seems a little more sad than humorous. Well, at the moment, it gave me a good chuckle.

True Story

Dialogue in Sophomore Small Group:

Polly: If God were to brag on Haley, what would He say about her?
Sophomore Girl: She has good hair.
Polly: Hmmm, lets go a little deeper...
Sophomore Girl: She has good hair roots...?

Conquoring fears, one by one

Today was a milestone day for me.

For a few days now, our garbage disposal has made a horrible sound when turned on. All of my roommates have successfully ignored the symphony of metal on metal every time it's used.

Today, it was my turn to ignore it. As I washed out a bowl and flipped that friendly little switch that usually washes away all the nastiness, I was greeted with the familiar screeching I've heard all week long.

I've always had a fear of garbage disposals.
I don't like to look down them. I don't like to smell them. I don't like to hear them. And I sure as heck would never reach down one. That was until today...

My first step towards victory was taking a look into it.... Nothing. It was too dark.
So I got my cell phone to provide some light.
I'm sure I was the epitome of a modern women as I stood above the hole with my cell phone held out in hopes of catching a glimpse of the culprit making all the noise.
Nothing.

I had a choice. Do I walk away and wait for the next person to figure out what is down there?
Not this time...

It took all the estrogen my system to conjure up the matriarchal duty I was about perform. But I did it. I put my hand down the garbage disposal. And not only that, but I had to feel around. A lot. I felt the 4 little blades that serve us oh-so-well throughout the week. And then I found it. A loose piece. I pulled it out to discover it was half of a corn-on-the-cob holder. You know those things you put on the end of the cobs to give you a handle? Well I found half of one. That meant I had to go back in for the second half.

So I stuck my hand down the garbage disposal. Again.
Found it.

Thinking my ordeal was over, I flipped the switch hoping to hear the sound of blades hitting nothing but air. Nope. More clatter.

I went in again. Found another half. Which meant, I had to go in one more time.
Four times! I stuck my hand down that thing, 4 times.

Victory.

Drover-1
Garbage Disposal-0

This is pretty funny

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-think-my-wifes-calvinist.html

Wish List

I'm surprised Janny Drover doesn't already have one...

An Ode to Sara Jaeger...

Sara Jaeger
She's just so fun,
Sara Jaeger
I love her a ton.

Sara Jaeger
Tells it like it is,
Sara Jaeger
With words she's a wiz.

Sara Jaeger
A lot of talent she has,
Sara Jaeger
Has a good amount of sass.

Sara Jaeger
Makes most people laugh,
Sara Jaeger
She's a good friend to have.

This pup apparently won first place in a big-national dog show.

I personally think it looks the offspring of a goat and opossum.

Or it's Gandalf as a dog.

You decide.

Edward

Found this blog online:

"Today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming she wanted someone more like her "Edward". I asked her who Edward was. She held up a copy her "Twilight" book. She was talking about a fictional vampire."

I laughed out loud at this, but the sad thing is, it's probably true. I've had to have multiple conversations with teenage girls clarifying that "Edward" is fictional. Despite my efforts to convince them that Edward doesn't exist, he has set the boyfriend standard quite high. While I do not support emotionally lusting after a fictional character or an unattainable relationship, I support any means that keeps teenage gals away from guys for the time being. Thank you, Edward. At least for now.

Camdenton?

Quote

"Give! Give the love we have all received to those around you. Give until it hurts, because real love hurts. That is why you must love until it hurts. You must love with your time, your hands, and your hearts. You need to share all that you have.”-Mother Teresa


Love this.
I think she is my hero.

You don't have to be sad anymore, single person. Overstock has you covered. Just don't turn over in the middle of the night, especially if you have night terrors.

One More Reason to Love Coffee

Honey Crisp Apples

They are the best type.

It's not even debatable.

New Low...

For some reason, I am a magnet for pranks. I have a couple theories as to why this is, but no concrete reason... I think the simple fact that I work with high school students for a living explains enough. As a "prank magnet"...
I've had my yard tee-peed countless times. Oh, and forked once too.
I've had my car painted 10+ times.
I've found human poop on a plate in my driveway.
My house has been decorated with lights/balloons/streamers more than once.
My toilet seat has been saran-wrapped.
My bedroom was once filled up with hundreds of balloons.
Shall I go on?
I tell myself, "Polly, this is the way kids show love..." I can usually take it in stride, clean up the damage and move on with my life.


That was until this one...

The pranks have hit a new low.

I should inform The Crossing that they didn't include this in my job description.

I can't stop laughing at this...

Brrr...

It's butt-cold outside.

This morning, I had to walk my dog at 6:15am before bible study. When it's cold, my eyes water. On this particular morning, the tear from my left eye FROZE! It kinda locked my bottom and top eye lashes together. It was a new experience for me.

I mean, really?

Tonight, as I pulled into the Wilson's parking lot, I was we met with a long line of cars waiting for a parking spot. "Wow, busy night at the gym..."

As I evaluated the situation a bit more, I realized that there was one car waiting, flashers on, holding up traffic, so they could get a close parking spot.

I mean, it's pretty critical to have the shortest walk possible to the indoor treadmill, where you will get a good walk in, right?

Jeez.

Babysitting Moments

I babysat a few days ago. It is a four year old boy named Luke. When Luke showed up the most important thing he wanted me to know was that he brought a screwdriver. I didn't think this would affect our time so I responded with excitement. Little did I know that this pink handled screwdriver would accompany us every where we went. We could only walk 1 or 2 minutes before I would hear, "Can you wait for me?" He would proceed to crouch down and viciously dig a hole with this screwdriver. It was pretty entertaining.

Another highlight of our time worth mentioning was at the play ground. Luke wanted me to hold him and assist him swinging from the monkey bars. What he didn't mention was that he had gas. Apparently the swinging made him tense up and unleash multiple farts 1 foot from my head.

As funny as this was, it was topped off when he had to go "poopy" back at my house. He said he didn't need any help, so I believed him. After a few minutes in the bathroom, I hear a proud shout of "I'm done!" He didn't come out so I assumed (correctly) that he was waiting for me to come in. I opened the door and there Luke is on all fours, butt facing me, waiting to be wiped. It's hard to keep your composure in moments like this but I think I did my best as I fulfilled babysitting duties.

There were some other funny moments in our time but the most precious was towards the end. We were sitting quietly outside, munching on some goldfish. Luke was peacefully fixated on the sky. After a few moments of silence and looking at the clouds, he sincerely asked me, "How are going to get up there?"

A four year old left me speechless and smiling.

Cliffnotes

Has it really been since November 15th since I last posted? Woops.
Well here are some cliffnotes of the life of PDrove.

Slumdog Millionaire
Best movie I have seen in a long long time. We took an adventure into the Ragtag for the first time ever last night! It's a great place! Comfy seats, glass of wine, cozy environment- you can't go wrong.

Beautician in the Making
That's right- I have begun to explore my secret ambition- being a hair stylist. Well not so much a stylist. A hair cutter. In the past week, Jeanna and Austin have trusted me with their "dos." No horror stories yet. Anyone want to be a guinea pig for me? It's free!

Current Book: Three Cups of Tea
So far I give it a 7.5. It's interesting but not so much a page turner. I'm excited to start the Twilight series though.

Senior High
It's been pretty slow lately. Getting back in the swing after break, but it is a season where there just isn't much going on. I am kinda making up projects rather than trying to keep up. It's funny how sometimes this job sucks up my all my emotional energy and life and other times I don't feel like I have a job.

New Years Eve
Got to be with The Council! It is a rare occasion when the BFF's are all in the same place. Chicago, St. Louis, South Korea, and Columbia rarely intersect. Glad we made it happen.

Musical Choices
After moving on from "Fourth Circle" by Enter the Worship Circle, I have found myself drawn to Iron and Wine. It is gentle yet intriguing. However, the all time favorite song right now is my lady Beyonce "Single Ladies."

What's a girl to do?
This coming week, Emily Camp is still traveling the world, Jeanna is heading to Europe, and Austin is heading to Jamaica. So pretty much the people I see and spend 80% of my time with are out of the country. Anyone want to hang?