Jess & Ang

I've Moved

2008-06-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Friends, it's time for me to get my own blog. Yes, it has been lovely being here, but since Jess doesn't contribute much, I thought I had best start my own. You can now find me at angietjoelker.blogspot.com I'll be giving my usual stories of life, in addition to recipes and design things I love. So bookmark the new location and head on over!

Angie

Really? Why?

2008-06-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

I got an email a while ago telling me that one of my pictures of Lincoln City, OR was on a shortlist to be picked for the Schmap Northwest Guide. Basically an online guide to things in the NW. Somehow these people found my Flickr pictures and picked one that they liked to be under consideration. I just got another email today saying that I won the contest. I was a passive bystander to the entire thing and am left scratching my head as to why they would pick this particular picture. I do have a lot of pictures I actually like from Lincoln City, but I don't really care for this one. It's almost ugly even. I think that the people doing the judging have absolutely no photography background, because there is no way on earth that anyone with any knowledge would have picked this. As Lemar Burton would say on Reading Rainbow, "but don't take my word for it..."

http://www.schmap.com/northwest/water/#p=182732&i=182732.jpg

Blush

2008-06-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

A friend just sent me an email about her mission trip that made the lone dramatic tear roll down my cheek.

"I cried. I'm REALLY hormonal right now!", I replied.

...to ALL of the people she sent the email to.

Oops.

Gorgeous Girls

2008-06-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I took out my youth group girls for a photo shoot in downtown Puyallup's alleys. They were so much fun! The picture below just makes me laugh. You can click on it to see more from the shoot.

Gun and Bear It

2008-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

I tried posting this a couple of weeks ago, but Blogger was down so you're getting it now...

Granted, I work in one of the most ghetto commercial districts of Lakewood. We've had cops storm our building to do reconnaissance on the pay-by-the-hour motel next door. We've had pimps drop their ho's out in our parking lot to start their daily walk. We've had thefts of our scrap metal from old furnaces. We've had boxes from blow-up dolls (complete with real life pictures of boobies) just hanging around outside. But somehow I never expected to see this...

Yesterday I started to drive home and suddenly came across a scene you think you'll only see in a movie. Three ordinary cars were pulled to the side of the road and a large man was standing on the sidewalk, casually holding a double barrel shot gun. Two other men were on either side of one of the cars, each pointing a handgun in through the front broken windows. I was beyond shocked at what I was witnessing. I got out of there as quickly as possible due to the proximity of mere feet between me and several guns and the fear of what might happen should I linger. Later on, I found the news story and it turned out that they were bounty hunters who had killed the man in the car. I pieced together the story with what I had seen and realized that I had arrived on the scene mere seconds after the shooting. I love that it was mere blocks from my office. (You can check out news coverage at: http://www.komonews.com/news/19196164.html )

Oh, but that wasn't the end of my excitement. The following day, I was in the parking lot of the Safeway by my house and all of a sudden 6-8 police cars pull up to the espresso stand. About 10 officers get out and draw their weapons. Half had hand guns and the other half had rifles. They started yelling and shouting to some people to get down. It took about 5 minutes, but they eventually got an elderly couple to the ground, cuffed them and put them in a police car. It was a thrilling thing to witness. I can't believe 2 in 2 days!!!!!!! What the heck? (My original email to people immediately after seeing the episode had "what the f**k" in it, but I decided to soften my words since there has been a bit of a time away from the thrill of the situation and my disbelief has lessened somewhat).

So Flippin' Cute!

2008-05-29T21:46:00.001-07:00

Redecorating

2008-05-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

I suddenly got tired of my room and decided it needed to change. I got rid of a small desk and chair and acquired a new overstuffed chair and ottoman. One thing I had not anticipated getting was a new bookcase, but when I went to move the old one, it practically fell apart on me. As in I could breathe on it and it would wobble two feet each way. Deciding that I did not want to put really any weight on it (see the amount of books I have in the pictures) I went to IKEA with Jess and purchased a new one. Note to self: have a strapping young lad on retainer to do all the heavy lifting next time. Or maybe two. We nearly broke our backs trying to get it in our place.

The following are just some unedited pictures I took today at the request of my friend Lucy. She's in the process of redecorating her place right now and wanted to see what I had done. As a side note, it has always been a dream of hers to be blogged about and now I have done it twice! I bet you anything that she is reading this and nearly falling off her chair with excitement while eating her breakfast. The following comments are more for her than anything, so you can skip if you like.

Chair from the Old Cannery in Sumner. Bookcase & lamp from IKEA. Photographs on wall I took. Whore house lamp on nightstand as usual (don't ask).

Paintings on wall by me. Curtains are years old but still curtainey. Note IKEA wastebasket. Um, I am realizing that I shop at IKEA way more than I thought.

Detail on tiny plant stand that I set by my chair as a small table for holding my ubiquitous glass of water. [(Do you like it? I love it. I got it at Ross.) (Please tell me that you just sang that in your head too)]

Detail on fun lampshade from IKEA. You can't really tell, but those splotches are a bunch of different colors.

Well Lucy, I hope that your curiosity has been satisfied. This one was for you.

Better Seats Than Bill Gates

2008-05-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry friends for taking so long to tell you about the Swell Season concert. I've been busy. And tired. And now sick. As in sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, burning eyes, achey joints, and a fever. My head is about ready to explode, my kidneys are trying to process all of the vitamins & meds I've been taking, and I can't hear out of one ear. My one consolation is that it's raining right now. There is nothing worse than being sick on a nice sunny day. At least with the rain I have an excuse to stay inside on my couch all day, watching the movie that brings me joy every time I feel under the weather: You've Got Mail. I absolutely HAVE to watch it with every cold. The scene where she is sick out of her mind and he comes to bring her daises makes me swoon a little bit each time. Sigh.

Anyway, on to the concert... If you haven't heard of the Swell Season, I urge you to watch the movie Once and fall in love with the music like I did. Then you need to run right out and buy their album. Or see them in concert. They were funny, magical, and brilliant live. All the things you could possibly want from an artist.

After the opening act, we were all standing up and stretching because the chairs at The Moore have got to be the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on. All of a sudden Rachael starts tapping me furiously on the arm. I look around frantically, trying to see what the fuss was. She waits until a man passes by behind us before turning to me and exclaiming that Bill Gates just walked by. Sure enough, it was him and we watched as he had to take the last remaining seats in the very back of the balcony. Our seats sucked, but at least we had the satisfaction of knowing that they were better than the 3rd richest man in the world. Yes, it was a great concert.

P.S. I stole the following pictures from Rachael

Me, Adam, Rachael, Stephen

The Swell Season

Homeowner? Check Yes or No

2008-04-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Do you have those people who you don't always answer your phone for? Of course there are the ones who can be put into the stalker category, but that's another story. I'm talking about the friend living far away who you don't get to talk to as much as you would like but every time you do, their words are a balm to your soul. The friend who you have to wait to talk to until you have time to sit down and devote every ounce of your being to the conversation because you don't want to lose a single moment in your everyday multitasking. The friend who you know will dish juicy gossip about mutual acquaintances and expect the same in return from you. The friend who you can tell that you need to be left alone and they understand exactly what you mean. The friend who will patiently wait to share their stories until you have run out of breath telling yours. In short, a great friend.

One such friend called me tonight to chat and it was wonderful. Soothing. Beautiful. The type of conversation that makes me bring my shoulders to my ears and squeeze my eyes shut in bliss at the memory of it. We didn't talk about anything in particular. Just life. Hers. Mine.

If there is anything predictable about our conversations, it is the inevitable question, "So, any boys right now?" Just as predictable is the obligatory "no". We end up talking about our near misses, our prospects, and who we are eyeing at the moment. Never significant, never reality based, always the "wouldn't it be fun if..." type of thoughts. Tonight we joked around and came to the conclusion that at the ripe old age of 25 & 26, some things were starting to look pretty tempting. Namely, older men. As in, we will marry you because you own a house. An added bonus: your maturity level is higher. Sure, you may have a few kids and/or divorces under your belt. Sure, you may be closer to drinking Ensure than drinking games. Sure, your medicine cabinet looks like you could sell on the street corner to become wealthy. Sure, you think that socks with sandals are perfectly acceptable.

But really now, about that house...

Love, 8th Grade Style

2008-04-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

As much as I adore making fun of myself for writing absolutely inane things in junior high, there were some entries in my 8th grade journal that weren't that weren't too terribly far off the mark. I'm not feeling particularly funny or quick or witty today, so I'm taking a break from the usual heavily mocking entry style and am instead giving you my young view on love & boys. You can see my mildly mocking comments interspersed.

January 24, 1996 Boy-Girl Relationships

I think that the boy-girl relationships in our school are being overblown by some people. [If I recall correctly, there was some big hoopla in school at that time about how awful the guys were being. We might have even had class meetings about it or a chapel announcement or something along those lines. It was a big deal at the time.] I am quite satisfied at how I am being treated. Some girls may not feel the same way as I do, but I think that most do. I know plenty of guys who are nice. I have to admit, there is some exceptions. The popular group of guys are the ones who are being mean and degrating. I think that the "in" guys are nicer to the unpopular girls [I fell into the this crowd, although by no means did I really care because my friends were awesome! Shout out to Jules & Ems!] more than the popular girls because they have a respect for us that I don't see going towards the "in" girls. [Looking back on it, I would say that they just didn't care about us. Definitely don't think there was more respect going on.] I have no idea why this is, but I do know that all some girls want is respect. I know I don't talk to the (as some people call the popular guys) "herd" much, but when I do, they don't act mean and selfish like w/ the popular girls. [That actually was true. When I did get the courage to talk to the "herd", they weren't all that bad to me. A little full of themselves, but not unkind.]

May 1, 1996 Love

Some people say that there is love at first sight, but I don't believe so. Love is a gradual process that takes time. To have a good relationship with someone of the opposite sex, you have to be good friends first. If you jump headlong into dating or marriage, you won't know that person or their morals well. I also believe that you need to have your parents' permission before you date or marry a person [maybe back in 8th grade this was true]. If your parents don't approve of the guy, he's probably not the one for you [still true today]. Your parents need to be an active part in your relationships [um, no thanks]. For people who think that love at first sight happens, it is more like like at first sight. True love is not based on looks or brains. True love consists of knowing how they will react before they do. The heart and soul make up true love. [I can tell you with utter conviction that when I was writing those last two sentences, I wasn't paying attention to what I was writing. That style of sentence is highly indicative of me writing without thinking. I've been known to type entire papers in college like that... however, my quality of thoughtless writing had vastly improved by then.]

The Joy of Advertising

2008-04-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Even though we don't have cable and don't have much of a chance to watch commercials, there are some that have managed to get through to me-- the UK Sony ads. The colors are vivid, the movement mesmerizing, and the scenes enchanting. I can't say enough how much I LOVE color. I could stare at big gigantic swaths of color all day. Sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe when I first catch sight of blues or reds or browns or yellows that look so rich that you could take a spoon and dig in, coming away with a mound of decadently dense and frothy color that tastes on the tongue like it looks. So it is with anticipation that I have been waiting for the latest Sony ad to be done and can finally present you with the advertisement that makes me want to launch myself at my computer screen in an attempt to plop myself in the middle of it. I want to call up the powers that be and beg and plead and cry to be at the next one they make. Because you know it's going to be just as unbelievable.

Here are the links to the other Sony ads that are just as sigh inducing:

Bouncy Balls (Breathtaking! All time favorite)
Paint
Bunnies
Pyramid

Clumsy

2008-04-13T16:06:00.001-07:00

I don't understand what's going on. I have hurt myself repeatedly over the last week. Just yesterday alone I managed to scrape a knuckle, burn a finger, get my thumb caught in my scissors as I was snipping and somehow drew copious amounts of blood. The coup de grace was stubbing my pinkie toe and having to bandage it to my 4th toe as a splint so that I could actually walk. I don't get it. Next thing I know I'll be throwing myself to the floor and breaking bones. I get like this sometimes when I have something on my mind, but right now there's nothing in my head. Nothing. As in no heavy thoughts or consuming life situations. My basic brain functions are happening but that's about it. Seriously people, what is happening?

Glamour Girls

2008-04-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am quite pleased with myself. I threw a fun & successful party that produced some fantastic photos. If you want to get a feel for how pleased I am, hold your hand in a semi-fist, huff on your fingernails a little, and then buff them on your shirt while having a s**t-eating grin. Yes people, that pleased. (I would also like to say for the record that "s**t-eating grin" is not really in my vocab but just flew out of my fingers at that moment. It's apt, so I'm keeping it.)

The real reason I have any party is to have a reason to cook extravagant food. Because nothing really is as much fun to me as planning a menu and then executing it to perfection. So I spent the entire weekend baking and chopping and broiling, while having to take into account some of my guests' dietary needs. It was pure joy. Completely relaxing and inducing a zen-like state.

Unfortunately, for this party I was unable to just sit back and enjoy my guests. Since this was a glamor shots party, I had to take pictures of everyone. I didn't have a chance to actually be in the party since I was the party. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but for our next get-together I will definitely be doing one with less involvement. Um, and I would also say for the record that I am a wee bit sick of editing pictures. I started with 400 and whittled the end product to 60. I really don't want to open photoshop again for a loooooong time.

Regardless, the pictures were a smashing success. And HOLY CRAP, Bekah was smokin! All the girls were gorgeous, but I think she was born with some model gene in her. You can check out the pictures of her and everyone else by clicking on the picture below. Now I just have to figure out what I'm doing for the next party...

Earth Hour

2008-03-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

As you may have gathered by now, I'm a bit into the whole tree hugging thing. I was excited to learn about Earth Hour, which is tomorrow night 8-9pm. Cities across the world will be turning off their power for that hour.

Proud Parent

2008-03-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

World, meet Porker. Porker, world.

Actually, his name is Tyler but I think Porker fits much better. Thanks to a coworker, I am now a dogsitter for several days, with the option to own. Jess and I are trying out our parenting skills on this Pomeranian and may end up keeping him. The following pictures don't really do him justice, but they definitely show his fugly side. He's been living with an elderly gentleman who can't take him on walks, so he is rather chubby. So much so that he has high centered getting out of our laps. His stomach just gets in the way.

P.S. At this particular moment, Jess is running around in circles trying to get him to play. He is just looking at her uncertainly. Definitely has no idea what to do with an active owner.

I Live With A Model

2008-03-23T00:45:00.000-07:00

Jess and I are having a Glamour Shots party in a couple weeks for a bunch of our girl friends. And by "Jess and I", I mean that I come up with the ideas, plan the party, and make all of the food. She gets to put her name on it because she happens to live with me. To get ready for this party, I wanted to take test shots with some of the backgrounds and outfits we already acquired. Below is my favorite one. Click on it to see the rest.

Serious Knife Brandishing Skills

2008-03-05T23:26:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I am on vacation in Lincoln City, OR. By myself. I know, I know, I'm either crazy or a hermit-wannabe, right? Nope, none of the above. Just someone who likes a little alone time every so often and decided that the decade-long dream to vacation by herself should not go unfulfilled. Hence, this week.

It all started out peacefully enough, with a trip down I-5. After hitting Portland however, things got a wee bit dicey. I swear by Google (and have been known to claim that I would marry it if it were a man), but it led me astray. A few wrong directions and I was a wee bit off course. Praise Jesus that my savior was the innate sense of direction that never steers me wrong (is that sacrelige to say-- Jesus/savior?). I only stopped once to ask for directions and was informed that if I simply looked out the window, I would see the street I needed. I did feel a little sheepish about that.

One of my more pronounced fears is the one of heights. They make me paralyzed and became the direct cause of another category of Angie hand injuries-- gripping-steering-wheel-itis. This joins the likes of cell-phone-thumb-itis (from constantly being on my work cell phone) & holding-book-one-handed-itis (self explanatory). Driving over mountainous roads going around a bend at 55 mph with a cliff on one side of you while praying, "God, why didn't you make the speed limit lower?" causes one to clutch tightly to the wheel, which in turn causes shooting pain to radiate up one's arms. Yes people, that tightly.

After getting here, it has been all fun and games. I took 4 books with me and debated if it was enough (after all, I've been known to devour 5 books in 3 days before) but quickly came to the conclusion that I wasn't even going to finish one book. I mean really, we don't get tv at home, so I have to stock up on it here. I've been watching a ton of trashy tv, with my favorite being Millionaire Matchmaker. Basically millionaires get matched up with young hot women, which prompted a conversation between me and Jess where we decided that while I wouldn't want to be on that show, I could totally do it because I'm nothing but arm candy. Absorb that people. Arm candy. Me. I really like the way that sounds.

Oh wow, this is getting long so I must get on to the story that prompted the title of this post... In between watching trash & barely reading, I have been walking the beach. On one particular occasion, I was forced to change courses when I happened upon a young man who was yelling obscenities at his friends. As I watched, he pulled out a knife and started threatening them while screaming that one of them just tried to kill him. "F**k you, I can't trust you anymore, you just tried to kill me, did you hear that, he just tried to f**king kill me..." On and on and on he went. It got very tiresome because from my observations of the incident, they had been calmly sitting. No one tried to kill anybody. I'm pretty sure the guy was on a trip of some sort. And I don't mean the vacation variety.

Welp, I leave you with a picture of what I have been able to experience here. You can click on it to see more if you like. It has been wonderful and I will be sad to leave tomorrow!

HO-LY CRAP!

2008-02-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

This guy is good! You can also find him at goodwatermusic.com

Musical Crystal Glasses Like Never Before

Call me sometime

2008-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

2nd door-to-door saleman of the night, after learning that his co-worker was unsuccessful with me: "So, what would you say if I asked you out on a date for tomorrow night?"

Me: "No-- the other guy was better looking"

Carrots and Oranges and Lettuce, Oh My!

2008-02-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

Our GLORIOUS produce from our first pick-up at
Take Root Farms:

You Don't Have To Be A Yokel To Buy Local

2008-02-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm going to depart from my usual witty dialogue and get a little serious. I have recently been reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and MY LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED. I kid you not-- this is the most life-changing book I have read since the Bible. Most of you know that I am not easily excitable nor prone to gushing. However, I will gladly overthrow any reservation and unabashedly promote this highly readable tome.

The author (who happens to be one of my favorite novelists) talks about the year her family decided to eat only local produce and meat. She intersperses her descriptive and lust-inducing gardening stories with commentaries about what is wrong with America's current food situation and how organic, local farming is the way to go. She never preaches, but rather only presents the facts for you to make the logical conclusions. I have never been one to really care about organic food, and still am not completely on that train yet, although I'm close enough to the tracks to jump on at any time. However, the plea for consumption of local goods swept me away. Read the next paragraph from her book (p.121) about the organic goods you may be purchasing.

"Furthermore, the paper trail of organic standards offers only limited guarantees to the consumer. Specifically, it certifies that vegetables were grown without genetic engineering or broadly toxic chemical herbicides or pesticides; animals were not given growth-promoting hormones or antibiotics. "Certified organic" does NOT necessarily mean sustainably grown, worker-friendly, fuel-efficient, cruelty-free, or any other virtue a consumer might wish for."

Buying organic goods IS NOT ENOUGH. Knowing where you food comes from is a mighty powerful thing. I encourage all of you to look into local products in your area and to read the book for more about why it is so important. Jess has started to read it as well and we have been inspired to join a CSA farm (community supported agriculture). Once a week, we will be picking up a box of produce from Take Root Farm, which is close to our place. Delicious, organic vegetables and fruits coming from a known source that supports our local economy. I impassionately implore each of you to think about what YOU can do to buy local.

An update on the evening...

2008-02-14T21:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, post-mimosas we are both doing well...one better than the other. As giggled by Angie, "It's just so hard to think right now!"

And yes, this would be Jessica with my second post to the blog in its existence.

Love lorn, we have actually had a mighty fine evening accompanied by Henry, our faithful companion. Get this... he is NAKED except for a beautiful garland of red tinsel hearts with a rose tucked behind his ear! Strong, steadfast (actually immobile), perky listening ears, dark caring eyes, toothy grin...Could we ask for someone better to share the evening with? I think not.

Now it's off to bed to read (maybe a few pages if I'm lucky) and then heading to sleep. I am looking forward to a relaxing long weekend while all of my students at school detox from their Valentine's sugar high. Let's just say we were all ready for the weekend at about 1:00 with 2hrs and 15 min left to go!

Don't be expecting any more posts from me any time soon. At this rate my next post will be Valentine's Day 2010 and let's just hope that one is a bit more productive in the romance department.

Coming soon... the night wear of Jess and Ang vintage 1995!

Keep Them Coming!

2008-02-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

What do two roommates do on Valentines Day in lieu of dates? Why, drink themselves silly of course! Just joking, although we have been enjoying our mimosas. I am currently writing this under the influence of more than a few of them and claim no responsibility for my words. The night started out like this:

And ended up like this:

Multiple times. So good.

And of course I had to make something heart-y (oh, what a great pun) for dinner, so I made shaped pancakes. I have always felt like my pancake skills are lacking, but tonight I pulled through. No broken, messy, misshapen cakes-- only perfectly formed and browned hearts. I really can't believe how well it went.

We watched The Break-Up, which has to be one of the most wearing movies ever. Really, the last thing we want to watch is two hours of a couple fighting. It gets irritating. We ended up skipping the whole middle section and watching the final scenes to see what happened. We certainly didn't miss much.

Valentines Day 2008 is almost at a close and we want to say we love you all. Granted, this might be the alcohol talking, but we really do. May you love and be loved as much as we are.

And I Developed My Morality Just Last Year...

2008-02-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

I promised you more words from my 8th grade English journal and would hate to renege on our deal. I wouldn't want to be called a liar after all...

Feb 7, 1996 Lying

I used to lie all the time when I was younger. "Did you brush your teeth?" "Of course", I'd answer (when in reality I hadn't done it for a week). "Did you make your bed? Get started on your animal report? [I never actually did that report in 5th grade. When my teacher asked me where it was, I told him I had turned it in already. Since I was a well-behaved kid for the most part, he thought he had just lost it and gave me FULL CREDIT! Damn, I was good!] Clean the living room?" "Yes," I would answer, "I always do." I lied for the simple reason of wanting to get outside and play with my friends. [If I remember correctly, playing outside wasn't really the incentive. I liked to read more. So basically I just lied in my essay on lying. Huh.] I got so used to lying that they just slipped out like butter. Then when my parents found out that I was lying, they'd give me a good scolding or even a spanking. [They never did find out about that animal report. Oops. Am I going to get a spanking now?] Eventually I stopped lying, when I realized it was wrong. I am so against it now, that if I lie to someone, I feel guilty for a week [A week. Not 6 days. Not 8 days. A week.] and have to go say that I was sorry for lying to them. When you are little, you don't have much of a conscience or at least I didn't. Fortunately, I developed one around age ten. [WHAT? I had no conscience before then? No way of determining right from wrong? I guess I must have been a wild child who killed gerbils for fun and set buildings ablaze "just to see what would happen".]

Love Always, George W.

2008-02-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

I hate to bring up anything political because not much else gets people as heated as the good ol' Red vs. Blue debate, but Jess and I aren't big fans of Georgie (no offense to our readers who feel the opposite). However, one day I came across the White House website where you can request a letter from the President for special occasions such a births and birthdays. Of course I wanted to get in on that action before our "favorite" Prez left office! I decided that the ironic and really the best way to get the letter would be to request one for my "gay marriage". It's ironic because Bush is against it and it's the best because well, it's just funny. So I filled out the form with a bit of fudging (kids, don't try that at home) and Jess and I have now become a couple in the eyes of the White House.

Today I had the good fortune to open my mail and be greeted with this:

"Congratulations to you both on this wonderful day. Your marriage is a celebration of your love and commitment to each other. May this deep and meaningful bond provide strength and friendship in the years ahead. We send our best wishes for a lifetime of happiness together."

Well, we do have a deep and meaningful bond that has provided friendship for many years. Here's to hoping we have many more and a lifetime of happiness!

I love that the seal on the card was actually embossed! It made it just that more special and presidential looking.

I think my favorite part of it all is that the envelope was hand addressed. I love knowing that a 70-year old woman is sitting at a desk somewhere in D.C., offering her best cursive handwriting as her civic duty. Can you imagine her shaking her head as she writes "Mr. & Mrs. Angie Tjoelker"? Muttering under her breath that the boys names these days are starting to sound an awful lot like girls names. Oh, if only we would all sacrifice a little hand cramp for our country.

I was sad that the signatures weren't the real deal. I realize that W must be busy with other things, but gosh darn it, I had hoped for an actual pen-to-paper attempt from the Mrs. Oh well, they say it's the thought that counts. Thanks for thinking of us Bushys!

OOOO 1&2: Dancing & Girls Wrestling

2008-02-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be acquainted with Wild and Crazy Day. For those of you not in the know, it is a holiday Jess and I started our freshman year of college on February 25, 2001 when we got a few additional piercings in our ears. Feeling like we were being somewhat rebellious and wild girls (we do realize it is actually pretty tame), we decided that we needed to continue to do it. Thus, Wild and Crazy Day was born. It is the 25th of every month and we have to do something out of the ordinary for it. Doesn't have to necessarily be crazy, just something we normally wouldn't do. Over the years we did things like playing pranks on people, sleeping outside in the middle of winter, and essentially were huge dorks. While we don't officially celebrate the holiday anymore (other than saying "Happy Wild and Crazy Day" to each other), we have birthed an off-shoot of it: Out Of the Ordinary Outings, or OOOO for short.

OOOO 1:
It started last weekend when we went to see Winterfest, which is a dance festival put on by a dance school here in Puyallup. One of the girls in my youth group invited me to go (she was in it), so Jess decided to tag along. Four hours and 65 dances later, our butts were sore but we were in awe of the performances. From the elementary schoolers who shimmied and shook to the high schoolers who's dances were evocative with emotion, we were highly entertained. These kids were astounding!

OOOO 2:
Earlier today Jess and I ended up going to a high school girl's wrestling match. There were guys there as well, but we were there mainly for the females. One of Jess' friends is the coach for Rogers HS, so we went to be spectators for this surprising sport. At first when we got there we really didn't have any idea what was going on. Previously giggling at the sport never left us with much desire to learn its intricacies. However, we quickly surmised that if we were to enjoy this at all, we would have to get a tutorial, and quickly. We turned to our friendly-looking bench neighbor and pleaded for some information. He was able to give us the basics of the sport and answered some of our questions. We were able to then get into the matches and were surprised at the strength of some of these girls. At times we weren't sure if we were watching male or female matches (no offense meant there).

So our OOOO were born, and we hope to continue them. Nothing too drastic, just something we wouldn't normally do-- Out Of the Ordinary Outings.

Pandora Radio

2008-02-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

You HAVE to check this out: www.pandora.com It is basically an online radio that plays the music that you want it to. You type in a song or an artist and it will create a "radio station" that plays music in the same genre. Not to mention that it is good quality sound too! Seriously, this thing is amazing.

My, What Red Cheeks You Have

2008-01-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

I blush all the time. Really, every day. I don't even have to be embarrassed and I blush. I would like to think that it is a becoming pinkening of my cheeks, but in reality it is a full-blown fire engine red that makes me hot (and I do mean that in the literal sense of the word). I only have to be caught off guard and I suddenly bloom with color. Today was no exception.

Scene: Sitting at my desk at work
Characters: Me & Warehouse Boy & Fun Supplier Man (one of the people I talk to multiple times a day on the phone to order equipment for installations)

Angie is on hold on the phone, waiting for Fun Supplier Man to pick up. Warehouse Boy is standing at her desk and chitchatting with her. He then finds a very used Jack (In The Box) antenna ball behind her computer monitor that he had previously given her (don't ask).

Warehouse Boy: What's this doing here?
Angie: Oh, it's been there for a long time. I had forgotten it was back there.

Angie crinkles her nose at the sight of this disgustingly dirty ball. Warehouse Boy sets it on the counter to stare its beady little eyes at her. Angie, still on hold, attempts to gingerly grab it by the nose to toss it in the trash. It rolls away lopsidedly. She tries again.

Angie (saying low under her breath with disgust in her voice): I don't even want to touch it!

Warehouse Boy chuckles

Fun Supplier Man (having suddenly come on the line the exact moment Angie started talking and having heard the following male chuckle): Whoa! What's that? What don't you want to touch and who's is it?

Cue Angie's blush.

Angie (laughing and stuttering all at once): Um... wow, that was bad timing... I'm turning bright red right now.

Angie becomes so flustered that she doesn't even think to explain what's going on to Fun Supplier Man and instead just gives him her equipment order. Her blush fades and she laughs to herself. Yet more proof that her timing in life is comedic and cringe-worthy all at the same time.

Please Tell Me This Isn't My Journal

2008-01-21T19:34:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered a notebook filled with freewrites I had to do for my 8th grade English class. Sometimes we would be given a topic and sometimes we got to just write about whatever we wanted. I started reading them, immediately cringed at my words, and decided that these glimpses into the psyche of the junior high me were too good to keep to myself. Below you will find two of them along with comments from the 25-year old me. You can look forward to more of these entries in the future.

Sept. 13, 1995 Phases

I have had many phases in my life. For example, I have collected everything from beads to buttons, to stickers. I sort of fell away from sticker collecting, but at a peak time, (my sister and I collected together) we had over 1,100 stickers. (We really were going for that 1000 sticker mark and were SUPER excited when we got there). Right now I am on my business card collection. (Are you joking me? At 13 I collected business cards? That is seriously uncool. I thought my dork days ended in 7th grade, but I was sooooo wrong.) Whenever I go to the fair or to a store, I pick up their business cards. I started this a few years ago, when I lived in Michigan. I stopped collecting them when my mom threatened to put them in recycle. My dad let me keep them, though. (Dad let me keep them? Normally he's all for getting rid of stuff. Was I really that attached to them that he felt like he had to intercede for my mental health?) I put them away in my desk safe, (I had a flippin' sweet desk with a safe in it) and didn't find them again until we moved into my new house in May. Since then, I have collected over 100 new business cards. (From May to September I got 100 business cards? Either I was going to a lot of fairs or I got real friendly with the Safeway checkers) I've had many phases, but business card collecting is my newest one.

Sept 22, 1995 Momentos

I have many momentos of places I've been or other people have been. For instance, when my dad went to New Orleans for the first time, he brought me back a thermometer in a glass container filled with water and seashells floating in the water. (I had it on my desk until I moved away to college). The second time he went, he brought back a tshirt of the New Orleans jazz band. (I still have that shirt and wear it to bed. It's so worn that you can barely see any of the printing on it) In other places he's been, he's brought back different things. When I go places, I collect everything from business cards (there they are again) to bags to small items such as keychains or pencils. This helps me remember places I've been in a cheap, inexpensive way. (More from "Remembering On A Dime" after a word from our sponsors...) In order to give them up, someone would probably have to pay a big sum. A lot of my collection brings back good memories. I wouldn't give it up for less than $100. (Apparently I can be bought-- and for really not all that much)

And then the cops showed up...

2008-01-15T21:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, the fun I have with my youth group! Tonight it was at my place because Kent was out of town. Having experienced the String Game, the girls were eager for the boys to join in the devious twisting and turning necessary to play. I obliged and we set off on a rousing game that involved some stomping, yelling, and at one point a tickle fight (in typical youth group fashion). Due to my foot injury, I was not able to participate but instead sat in a comfy chair near the front door. Forest and Holly seized that opportunity to use me as a prop and wrap me up in yarn-- around my arms, legs, and even my glasses. I sat there immobile, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Expecting it to be someone from our group, I yelled for someone else to open it. Ashlynn obliged and was able to yank it open a smidgen, despite the string all around it.

Dead silence.

Not being able to move to see, I asked sing-songingly, "who is it? who is it?".

"Police," said a deep male voice.

At that point my heart stopped and I struggled with all my might against the yarn holding me hostage. I managed to bend forward enough to crane my neck around and look at the cop staring at me. (I don't know why he would be staring at someone entirely covered with yarn. I mean really, they must see that all the time.)

He continued, "We have had a report of domestic violence at this address. Someone was yelling, 'get off of me'."

"I'm sorry officer, we are a youth group playing a game. What was heard was someone being tickled." At that point I went on to apologize profusely to him for having to come out, while trying to maintain some dignity as I talked from an entirely awkward position.

The officer standing behind him piped up, "are you sure this is a church thing?" Good natured chuckles ensued.

I thanked them for doing their duty and we said our goodbyes. I immediately wanted to go to the neighbor to apologize but was still trapped. I had to sit there for another 20 minutes until all of the yarn around me was untangled. I put together a plate of Oreo Truffles and brought them downstairs where both my neighbor and I swapped embarrassed sorrys. I gave her the peace offering and turned to find Jess coming home from a meeting, standing at the base of our stairs with her jaw by her knees, obviously having overheard my exchange with the neighbor. I could barely walk over to her for the bout of giggles I had and got to explain to her my very first domestic disturbance call. Oh, the fun I have with my youth group!

It Looks Like A Crime Scene

2008-01-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

Should a member of CSI decide to search our home for evidence of murder, they just might find some, in the form of cleaned up blood. That's right, we'd be no match for those fancy lights that can illuminate human fluids. Why, you might ask? Well let me tell you a story...

About an hour ago I was turning from the stove to the sink with a pot of pasta to drain when I suddenly felt a piercing pain in my toe. I yelped and spilled half the water on the floor but managed to flood the rest into the strainer waiting in the sink. I yanked off my sock and found a long piece of glass sticking out my toe. How there was glass just laying on our floor is a mystery to me. I yanked it out and immediately was greeted with gushes of blood. As in it started dripping onto the throw rug underneath me. I quickly used my discarded sock to staunch the flow, but had to somehow make it to the bathroom for bandaids. I managed to do a hop/hobble combination with the sock firmly in place, but it proved to be no match for the river flowing from my wound. A blood trail followed me all the way to my destination and as I sat on the floor, rifling through our cabinets for something, please God something, to stop the steady stream, a pool formed under my foot. I found some hydrogen peroxide (thank you Jesus) and used it to avoid a nasty infection, but I was still coming up empty with a big enough band aid. Why, oh why, did I not get the giant ones I was contemplating in Rite Aid just last week (no joke)? I frantically searched Jess' drawers to no avail when I was struck with a very Girl-Scout-in-a-crisis-mode solution-- feminine products! I grabbed one, tore off the back, and wrapped it around my toe with a big sigh of relief. Praise God for being female!

I kept my bloody sock for Jess to see since she was not with me in my moment of need and thought that I could give you all a picture (literally) of what I went through tonight...

The Giant and the Midget Sideshow

2008-01-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

Ever have those pictures that are so horrible you can't believe that you ever could have possibly looked that awful? The ones that make you laugh so hard at yourself that you literally cry? The ones that after your roommates threatened to expose your ugliness to the world, you hide under the contact paper lining the kitchen cupboards because you know they would never think to look there (but at the same time it never occurs to you to just tear up the picture)? Or how about the ones that involve a slightly indecent use of someone else's property so you only show it to girls you know are going to be ok-- no, make that laugh themselves silly-- with your nice-girl-but-somewhat-naughty pose? Those of you who have known me a while might recall the said pictures and the hilarity that ensued while taking them and after developing them. The following picture isn't quite in the same league as the one of me practicing my knife throwing skills with Andy while camping or the rope attire shot (after all, it wouldn't be on here if it was), but it was laughable enough for me to share it safely with our loyal readers. This was taken around Christmas time and I promise you, we were at a weird angle. She was actually standing behind me a good couple of feet but from the picture it looks like she was right next to me... thus we have the giant and the midget. Oh, I do so love this shot.

Puzzled

2008-01-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

What do hip 25-year-olds do with their spare time? Puzzles of course! I have always hated doing puzzles because my brain doesn't think that way, but for some reason, last weekend I absolutely HAD to do one. As in I went to Freddie's at 9:30pm to get one... I'm not really sure what compelled me, but it HAD to be done. I started it that night and was so engrossed with it that I stayed up until 2am fitting pieces together. Yeah, even I think that was a bit overboard. Jess and I finished it this past week and are quite proud of our accomplishment.

So now I officially love puzzles. I'm thinking this is part of the newest love/hate phase for me. What exactly is a love/hate phase you ask? Well, it's when I discover that I love things I've always hated or hate things I've always loved. For some reason I always find a bunch of them all at once. For example, freshman year of college brought on the love of peppers, which I had always previously hated. Currently I'm discovering the love of puzzles while being saddened by the dislike of Chicken Teriyaki. I've always loved teriyaki but I just can't stomach it now days and I've always hated puzzles but now am yearning to get my hands on those little pieces. Sometimes I have to just shake my head at myself.

And the Winners Are...

2008-01-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

So we kinda forgot to post the winner of our trivia contest. No real good excuse. Just forgot. Guess we need to now, considering we're 8 days late...

We have heard from multiple people that you didn't even want to try after reading Lucy's answers. Because one brave soul was good enough to attempt, we have decided to crown not one, but 2 winners this year! Both Lucy & Maudie (Connie) will receive the fabulous prize of... (we're still trying to think of one, but we'll let you know when we do). Good job to our winners! The correct answers are below:

1. What do both Angie & Jessica cuddle up with in bed at night?

Blankets- Jess from when she was a baby, and Ang from early childhood. Both are getting threadbare. And yes, we're not afraid to admit we sleep with blankets. It's perfectly normal and healthy for a 25 year old to have one.

2. Where are you most likely to find them on a Friday night?

Two choices here: Acting like an old married couple who have run out of things to say so they sit across from each other in a restaurant reading the newspaper OR Sitting at home with takeout watching something from Netflix.

3. How many countries have they each been to? Bonus: name them

Jess: Canada, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Ukraine, England, France
Ang: Canada (I feel like that's a big duh), Austria, Germany (I could name places with layovers but that feels like cheating)

4. What are their individual meals of choice?

Jess: Eggplant Parmesan, Ang: the ultimate comfort food of rice, egg, onion, and corn... basically I only make it for myself because no one else appreciates it the way I do

5. What is the name of Angie's "boyfriend" that grew to full size in only 3 days?

Hans. A good burly boyfriend name.

6. What character did each of them dress up as at the Storybook Tea Party?

Jess: Ferdinand the Bull
Ang: CinderEdna (Cinderella's practical counterpart)

Family Christmas Letter 2007

2007-12-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

***Read to the end for a chance to win a fabulous prize!***

Dear Family & Friends,

If you are reading this, that means that you either got our Christmas letter or you are one of our faithful readers who jumped the gun a bit. Don’t worry, your card is coming soon (despite a snafu that you can read about here). This year we have left our life of spy drama and are now enjoying a more relaxed, less-themed world. Our real stuffed coyote, Henry, still guards us through every season and change of clothing we can stuff him into. We are still living in our gorgeous apartment and are continuing our pledge to be heterosexual life partners. Six years and counting! If you recall the Family Christmas Letter of ’02, you may remember that applications for future spouses were being accepted. Let’s just say that the positions have yet to be filled.

Jessica continues to teach K-5 Special Ed Resource at a local elementary school. When not trying to coax children out from under tables and sanitizing the said tables from booger smears, she spends her time bike riding in hopes of doing the upcoming STP (Seattle to Portland) bike ride with her sister Bekah. They hope to have the following mini license plates: NMBUNZ & TNDRCHX. Over the summer she used her time of to take the youth group from her parents’ church to Florida for the week long National Youth Gathering.

Angie is still working for a heating and cooling company and loves her job! She is also involved with her church’s youth group and absolutely adores hanging out with her group. Some of you have been following the journey of the non-profit that she is a board member of, and you will be happy to know that as of the beginning of this month, the café is up and running. Angie also loves to provide personal catering for her roommate and is helped with her endeavors by a new food processor & stand mixer. (Insert a big giant WOOHOO here for the full effect of her joy).

Thanks for caring and sharing in our lives. Below you will find a 5-minute slideshow of us this past year. You will also find a trivia game. Answer the questions in the comment section of this post and you could have the chance to win a prize from us! The answers don’t have to be correct, just creative. The person that has the best responses will receive an absolutely fabulous gift. The winner (and answers) will be announced on this blog sometime between Christmas and New Year’s.

Love,

Jess & Ang

Trivia Game (cheating is allowed, but make it funny)

1. What do both Angie & Jessica cuddle up with in bed at night?
2. Where are you most likely to find them on a Friday night?
3. How many countries have they each been to? Bonus: name them
4. What are their individual meals of choice?
5. What is the name of Angie's "boyfriend" that grew to full size in only 3 days?
6. What character did each of them dress up as at the Storybook Tea Party?

Amen!

2007-12-11T22:19:00.001-08:00

God has 4,235,843 friends on MySpace

Uh, We Lied...

2007-12-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

Know how we just got done saying that we had the best Christmas Card idea ever? Well, we were wrong. It looked good online and sounded hilarious when we discussed it, but once we received it, we saw how completely awful the product was. Now that I have just mailed the box back and you won't be getting them, I'll just come out and tell you that they were.... whoopee cushions. That's right people, whoopee cushions! Tell me that's not a genuinely funny idea, especially with our message on it:

I personally was holding out to put "Merry Christm-ass" (please tell me you get that) as the greeting, but Jess vetoed the idea. Granted, I also think some of my relatives might have a coronary if they saw it, so I had to reluctantly agree. But you have to admit it was a brilliant play on words.

So why did we return them you ask? For several reasons, one of them being the size of the writing on the cushions:

Uh, yeah. We could barely read it too (and we have young eyes). We would have had to supply magnifying glasses with our cushions and that would have gotten even more pricey. However, they did come in a nice assortment of colors that were pleasing to look at.

Still, the bold and bright colors did nothing to add to the actual function of the cushions. In fact, not much would. At times when you sat on an inflated cushion, nothing would happen. It was just a hard nobbin of air underneath you. At other times, a gigantic rip-roaring blast would erupt that sounded absolutely un-human. Seriously, if someone emitted a sound such as the one produced by this cushion, I would be afraid that they had just torn apart their butt. Let me tell you... this was no "Bronx Cheer"...

Now we just have to figure out what to do instead. Sigh.

Home Group Girls Sleepover

2007-11-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Last night my Home Group (youth group) girls came to my place for a sleepover. We had a ton of fun with the Photo Scavenger Hunt and the String Game! Check out my pictures of the night at my Picasa photo page. Click on "Home Group Girls Sleepover". If you've never experienced the String Game then you need to look at these pics! Seriously fun.

Christmas Cards Coming Soon

2007-11-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Know how Jess and I always do a "Family Christmas Letter"? Last year we thought we were clever by making you hold it up to a mirror to read it. While a pinnacle of brilliance, that letter was only a small peak next to the Matterhorn that is this year's idea. Jess and I have a history of making ridiculous decisions after 9pm (remember the hideous collage bulletin board?) so when we erupted in gales of laughter and cracked pun upon pun after I voiced my brilliant idea well past our cut off time, we decided to hold off until the next day to see if it still sounded as genius. I have to tell you, it certainly did. It has been ordered and we await it's arrival in a week or two. Let's just say that this year's letter is more interactive than normal and should be more fun than any others you may get. Stay tuned for more updates...

Shopping!

2007-11-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

I hate shopping, but I love these sites. I'll take one of those, and those, and those...

One Good Bumblebee. Vintage shopping experiences that are amazingly cute. Check out my wishlist for my favorites.

The Modish Holiday Gift Guide. An online directory of such cool stores. I want to just spend hours looking at these places.

Homemade Julz. Gorgeous graphic design rings and necklaces.

BAGS, BAGS, BAGS

If I were to have a single typical female vice, it would be bags. Not purses mind you, but bags. Criteria: large, colorful, and able to hold at least one book. These sites were nothing but pure sugar for me.

Mod Cloth. Who wouldn't love the Paper Airplane Bag, the Lovebirds Tote, or the Owl Messenger Bag.

Gerbera Designs. Sweet messenger bags.

Anne Taintor. AWESOME ironic vintage bags... "Honey, you couldn't handle half of me"

More More More

2007-10-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here's some more fun links from the past few weeks:

SF has Public Open Spaces that companies create for public use by their office space. There is a group dedicated to reclaiming these spaces. Go to this site and click Paraformance 4 on the right hand column to see strangers playing a game in one of the spaces.

Want to play 20 Questions but don't have anyone to guess your answer? Go to this website and try to stump the computer!

People's Faces and their Shoes. Enough said.

Crafty people posting their projects online. Such great stuff! If you like great ideas, this is definitely the place to look.

How to turn a picture into a screened T-shirt. The things I want to do with this...

A cool design alternative to online invitations. Small selection, but no cheesy graphics.

Hipster E-cards. Completely awesome and funny ways to say pretty much anything.

Designers were asked to share their favorite music. This is hours and hours of listening candy with unusual flavors.

Type in a band or musician and Music Plasma will come up with a web of related musicians.

Pictures Tell The Story

2007-10-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

I often find things online that I enjoy and pass on to a few select people. Instead of being stingy with the wealth, I decided to post it for all to see. Below are some of the pages I found today.

The Border Film Project gave cameras to both the undocumented Mexican migrants at the Mexico/USA border and the American minutemen who are trying to stop them. Great photos are turning up. I will admit to a bit of nerdiness by saying that I listen to NPR on occasion and remember a couple of segments on the conflict. I looked them up for you to hear the migrant protest songs and a first-hand look at the border. Incidentally, there is a funny story of students and a principal right before it talks about the border conflict and I find it worth listening to.

Check out the interactive public art that allows people to scratch off parts of the wall. It is called the Hidden Love Song (scroll side to side to see the entire project) and this is a wonderful blurb from their website:
"If we could scan our surroundings with a special love detector, perhaps we would find a lot of hidden love songs, under park benches, in people's pockets, lying in the stomach, and behind their ears where their hair rests..."

Brilliantly done are the human versions of classic computer games like Pole Position (race car driving). It took 6 hours of shooting, 49 extras, and 400 photos.

Because I love photography, I am absolutely enthralled with the galleries at The Morning News. One of my favorites is the cheeky Drop Dead Gorgeous collection. Here and here are the best from the deaths. I also love the humanity in A Day In The Life, especially this and this.

That's all for now, but you can expect more posts in the future as I find them.

Free Sale Party

2007-09-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Premise: Invite a bunch of people over, have them clean out their closets, and bring their junk with them.

Twist: Everyone gets to paw through the combined loot & take home as much as they want.

Conclusion: If there has ever been a party filled with fun & prizes, this was it!

We ended up giving prizes in 4 categories. Judge's Pick went to Bekah for her leg warmers. Most Useful was awarded to Shannon for her towel rack. Jami took home the prize for the Oldest Item, with a book from the 60's. And the most disgusting prize went to Julia for her dog's well loved chewed up stuffed animals-- The Item No One Would Touch.

The food was delectable as well- from a Tomato Leek Tart to Lemon Cake to a Baked Artichoke Spinach dip, there was plenty to munch on. Jess made fun of me for how much I made, but by the end of the party there wasn't much left.

We were pooped when it was all said and done, so we plopped on the beanbag chairs Jess tried to unsuccessfully get rid of. It was a smashing success!

Babes Bedecked in Blazers

2007-08-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Me, Jess, & Lucy making love to the camera

Ever have those vacations where the nothing went right, you had to be with people who were slightly annoying, and it lasted 2 days too long? Well, this was not one of them! My fellow travelers were sublime, our activities were perfect, and our lodgings were more than we could have asked for. From hours spent reading to a trip to the spa to boating on the Sound to playing with dogs to sleeping outside, nothing could have made our time together any better. Below you will find some highlights from our perfect trip to Orcas Island.

We stayed at Jess' aunt & uncle's "carriage house", which essentially is a large guest studio apartment above their detached garage. It was filled with everything we could possibly want or need and provided a peaceful respite for us. The view was stunning and one of our favorite things was to sit out on the deck, basking in the sun by day and marveling at the stars by night.

With a nod to our previous Orcas vacation pictures involving a rope, we chanced upon some brilliantly red blazers at a thrift store. By a sensational miracle, we only had to pay $2 total for all three of them! We wore them hither and yon, even venturing into public upon occasion. Man, we looked hot.

Growing a Boyfriend- Day 3

2007-02-20T21:55:00.000-08:00

Well, my boyfriend did not grow to the great expanse that we had all hoped for, but he grew nonetheless. His three day flowering period is over and he is now "full size". In fact, a 600% increase in mass. While not all that I had wished for in a boyfriend, I did decide that he at least deserved to be named. World, meet Hans. Hans, world.

The birth of Hans.

One foot is oddly larger than the other.

Holding hands (his were kind of clammy).

For some reason, he's really just not doing it for me.

Not a great cuddler either.

Growing a Boyfriend- Day 2

2007-02-18T23:47:00.000-08:00

Day two of the boyfriend farm has produced results that aren't exactly thrilling, but not quite disappointing either. The yet-to-be-named bf has absorbed some extra water, but still hasn't achieved the girth I was so hoping for. Here's to hoping that Day 3 brings my wildest dreams to life...

Growing a Boyfriend-- Day 1

2007-02-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

Such a difficult task this growing your own boyfriend is. It's been 24 hours with hardly any progress. Sure, his arms have grown longer (freakishly so) and his legs are somewhat spongier, but he just isn't turning into the man we thought he'd be. Stay tuned for daily updates as we track the progress of my boyfriend.

Pre-water bath. He's doing some gymnastics moves on the salt and pepper shakers.

His watery home.

Please don't let the gestation period go beyond those three days... I may have to give up hope at that point.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

Jami and Chermaie hosted the raddest party we'd been to in a while! There was delicious cake and beautiful decorations. The highlights of the night were the rounds of M.A.S.H. we played. Praise the Lord that I'm marrying an underwear model! Until then, I can be content with the "Grow A Boyfriend" that I received as a loving gift from Jami. Wasn't that just so thoughtful of her? Katie and I were just so thrilled to be the recipients men that grow in just 72 hours. While initially disappointed that the results would take that of long, Adam pointed out to us that it took him years to grow up. A great thing to keep in perspective. I think my face in the group picture is just so amazing. That was a moment that I am so glad got caught on camera.

Smidge Sad, Abundantly Joyful

2007-02-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

All we have to say at this moment is PTL! We are done watching the entire series of Alias. No more spy drama, no more ridiculous Rambaldi, no more cloning. WE ARE DONE! After spending three months with our weekly dose of Netflix discs, the arduous task has been completed. As the picture illustrates, we are only a tiny bit sad to say goodbye to the show, but for the most part there is great rejoicing inside.

*Insert Hallelujah Chorus here for full effect*
(It's even better if you sing it at the top of your lungs... I promise)

Final Late Tuesday Concert

2007-02-03T21:22:00.000-08:00

Sadly, the time has come to say goodbye to one of our favorite bands, Late Tuesday. Jess and I trekked up to Bellingham for the final concert and met up with some of our Camano Island friends: Luke, Nate & Andy. It was great to see them again and to catch up on the latest gossip from one of my favorite places.

Luke, Nate, Jess, Me, Andy

The concert was lovely but extremely late, so we didn't leave the venue until nearly midnight. We spent the night at Lucy's house. (Side note: She's one of our best friends and adds to our collection of friends whose real names are Jessica but have been assigned a different moniker to differentiate which person is actually being referred to. In my college career, I lived with 4 Jessicas-- no joke!) After a wonderful Avellino coffee treat thanks to Andy, us girls had lunch with an old roomie, Katie. We had such a relaxing retreat to Bham. As we were driving around the city, Jess and I realized how even though we love the 'Ham, we love where we live more. Bellingham will always have a special place in our hearts, but Puyallup is home.

Jess, Lucy, Me

Revival

2007-01-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

I just get chills thinking about God and what he's doing in this area. I talked to a friend tonight from Bellingham and we both feel a revival coming. Bellingham is so close. The crack is widening and there is going to be some upheaval there. God is astounding us with his works, both here and there. Rise up people of God!

Cookies Galore

2007-01-21T17:55:00.000-08:00

Our place is currently filled with the delicious smells of baking cookies. Do you ever just need to bake? That was today for me. I had the most wonderful afternoon of measuring, mixing, and creating.

I was having so much fun with the first batch (Toffee Chocolate Chip) that I made a second kind of cookie (Butterscotch Oatmeal) as well. After all, I have to maintain my reputation as Jessica's private chef.

Good Ol' Abe

2007-01-13T17:53:00.000-08:00

This is amazing. Seriously, that someone would take the time to do this...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2116425712378771695&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en

Snow

2007-01-13T17:51:00.001-08:00

Anyone else hate the snow? Anyone? Anyone?

Play Me To Sleep

2007-01-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

Jess and I have been listening to this song every night for the past week as we are preparing ourselves for bed. If you haven't seen this video yet, you need to check it out. An amazing project!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B26asyGKDo

Soup Monday

2007-01-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

This past weekend our parentals and selective siblings came over for feasting and conversation. We all had a grand time and enjoyed a myriad of tastes on the tongue as well as inappropriate jokes. The soup Jess made grew to larger than expected proportions, so we hauled out the big stock pot. Unfortunately, she has not been gifted vertically so she was forced to use the method below to finish the soup.

Pictures Continued

2006-12-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Yura, Tanya, Katie, me, and Ruslan led the children's program in Kramatorsk, Ukraine (summer 2005). This was a mission program sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church of Canada. The program was kind of in a Vacation Bible School format.Yura led the morning worship, Tanya recreation, Katie arts and crafts, I taught English and Ruslan led the Bible study. I was planning on returning this past summer but had my appendix removed. I would love to return again this summer and would appreciate your prayers in that area.

Here are many of the children that we served in Kramatorsk. It was an amazing blessing to see so many children come to know the Lord!

Katie and I in Kiev.

Posing in front of an ancient Roman statue at the Louvre. Katie and I visited the Louvre twice and saw only a fraction in 8 hours!

One of my favorite things in Paris was visiting the Catacombes. I left every thing untouched and did not try to steal any bones unlike some one I know, you know who you are =).

Jessica's hiking and travel adventures

2006-12-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

Katie and I enjoying a hike on the Skyline Divide trail at Mt. Baker in August 2006.

The suspension bridge on the Carbon Glacier hike at Mt. Rainier with Kaylene from church - September 2006.

So, I was very excited to post my very first pictures on the blog (I have never done this before)! Unfortunately I did not realize how many little steps there were. It is now 10:30 pm, I am tired, Angie is tired, for the sake of our friendship I am going bed. We will have another lesson tomorrow. More pictures will be on the way soon.

Me & Mini-Me

2006-12-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

No Words Necessary

2006-12-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Together again...

2006-12-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

Jess and I lived together for 4 of our 5 years at Western Washington University. The year after graduation she moved down to Puyallup while I stayed in Bellingham doing an internship at the INN University Ministries. After contemplating several options for post-internship living, I decided to move to Puyallup to live with Jess again. In the picture you can see us on move in day back in August. We love where we live and enjoy being together again.