Happy Birthday

So Holly and I drove down to see our friend in rehab. From what we'd been told we expected the congregation to be so black that we would glow, but there were a lot of hispanic and white people. Everyone was really friendly so, even with all the dancing and speaking in tongues, I didn't feel awkward at all. Perhaps I that was an oversight on my part.

The service was two & a half hours long. The only song I knew was Stomp and that's only because Micah loves that song. The Sermon didn't seem to have a topic and the pastor didn't have notes. He preached against alcoholism, drugs, prostitutes, gluttony, and narcicissm...he preached love, forgiveness, the importance of scripture and reliance on God, all as he thought of them. He told a lot of jokes and stories. He quoted scripture, but he didn't have a bible so I think he memorized it all (!) and inserted it as needed.

We didn't get to sit with our friend though and in the end we spent four hours total time just to spend 15 minutes with her over lunch. We thought we'd have at least an hour, so that was hugely dissapointing. Even so, I haven't seen in her in five years and it was great to see how good she was doing. Besides, she was really thrilled that we came, so you know...that makes it worth it.

all over

Well, the biggest bummer of this weekend is that Holly and I did not get to throw our friend a birthday party. We'd thought her parents would be taking her out next weekend, but it was this one. So I'll be making this trip all over again next weekend so we can do this thing. Hopefully my boss will let me have Monday off so the trip won't be awful.
Here's some photos of our Friday adventures.


My sisters picking up measuring tapes as we enter the great land of Ikea. If we had actually been buying something they would have been very handy.

Bethany shows off a finger puppet.

Holly loves this game, but is her first ever Jumpin' Jackpot win.

Bethy pretends to beat me at air hockey (she really did beat me, but Holly didn't think to take a photo until after we were done).

Good Friday

Got to my parent's on Thursday, where my family refused to greet me until Lost finished.

Friday afternoon - Holly, Bethy, and I went to the brand new Ikea store. It was pretty much amazing. The second floor is pretty well entirely a showroom where all sorts of rooms are set up to be walk through. We mentally redecorated our homes in Ikea and Bethany declared that she was going to teach her children about their Ikean heritage and tell them stories of how her family immigrated from Ikea (and started pronouncing it Ike-y-a rather than I-kia).

It's probably a good thing that I've predetermined that no money can be spent on this trip. I woud have bought a lamp and curtains (such cute curtains!) and a desk. I will probably buy all these things anyway, but the point is that I shouldn't do that now.

After our delightful Ikea excursion we went to Dave & Busters. For those who haven't gone, Dave & Busters is a restaurant with massive gameroom. Like Tokens-n-Tickets, but huge, expensive, and so much cooler.

When we were ready to leave, Holly thought she'd lost her keys and we spent an extra half hour looking for them and alerting all the staff to look for them. But Holly had a spare, so finally we just went out to the car to drive home...and Holly discovered that she'd really had the keys all the time.

At Random

I'm really happy right now. I don't know why. Kristi Leigh Cook deserved to get kicked off American Idol, but Amanda Overmeyer was ditched instead. Maybe it's because at this time tomorrow I'll be home visiting my family. It could also be because I finally got an issue of World Magazine in the mail (I ordered it in January).

One of the regular columns I always enjoy in World is Adree Seu's. It's a lot too touchy-feeling for me, but I like it inspite of myself. This issue's column was confusing. It's titled The Green Dust and I couldn't figure out what she was talking about until I got to the quote from The Silver Chair. The Silver Chair is one of my favorite Narnia books (the other is The Horse and His Boy) and she quoted my favorite passage:

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all these things - trees and grass and sun and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a very poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies playing a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make up a play-world which licks your real world hollow."
- The Silver Chair, C.S. Lewis

Mmm, now I really want to read that book and what I ought to be doing is packing.

more..

Another ten hour day and then after work I had to go shopping to find something dressy and a birthday present for my sister.

I was rather unsuccessful finding skirts at the mall. Girls, if you're shopping for skirts you'll want to run straight to Kohl's. They had a wide variety of springy skirts, plus some that were more basic (brown, black) but still fun. Everywhere else seems to be catering to our grandmothers.

My shopping was made even longer because my sister called and talked until my cell died. But what am I going to say? "Sis, I can't talk, I have to find you a present that I should have bought, oh, weeks ago."

Anyway, that was my evening and my arms are aching from carrying all those clothes!

8-6

I don't get Good Friday off as an automatic thing so I have to work eight extra hours so I can visit my family this weekend. You'd think working a ten hour day would be wretched, but it was actually not so bad. Now if it can just be not so bad for the next three days, I'm golden. Actually, even just noting that it's only the next three days makes me feel better.

What I'm not feeling good about is the snow accumulating outside my window.

My name is Melody & I'm a shopoholic

They say that excessive spending is one of the signs of bipolar disorder...but it makes me really happy.



I had to go shopping though. Because I have presents to buy for three people. Plus, I need nice clothes so that when I visit my friend at her conservative church (guys & girls sit on seperate sides) I look appropriate (plus I just need clothes).



I only managed to get a present for my dad (thank-you, South Bend Chocolate Company). Holly is harder to shop for and I haven't seen my friend in...years. I'm at a loss for what to buy her.

For myself I got half an easter outfit, another shirt a bag, eight classical music cds (it was a set!), a haircut, and some hair product to go with it.



The part of me that loves new things is v-ery happy. The part of me that remembers how much money I have in my bank account is screaming, "Melody! What do you think you're doing?"



But I neeeeded those things.

Yukon Ho!

The Yukon Song

By Bill Watterson

My tiger friend has got the sled,
And I have packed a snack.
We're all set for the trip ahead.
We're never coming back!

We're abandoing this life we've led!
So long, Mom and Pop!
We're sick of doing what you've said,
And now it's going to stop!

We're going where it snows all year,
Where life can have real meaning.
A place where we wont have to hear,
"Your room could stand some cleaning."

The Yukon is the place for us!
That's where we want to live.
Up there we'll ge to yell and cuss
And act real primitive.

We'll never have to go to school,
Forced into submission,
By monstrous, crabby teachers who'll
Make us learn addition.

We'll never have to clean a plate,
Of veggie glops and goos.
Messily we'll masticate,

Using any fork we choose!

The timber wolves will be our friends.
Well stay up late and howl,
At the moon, till nightmare ends,
Before going on the prowl.

Oh, what a life! we cannot wait,
To be in that arctic land,
Where we'll be masters of our fate,
And lead a life that's grand!

No more of parental rules!
We're heading for some snow!
Good riddance to those grown-up-ghouls!
We're leaving! Yukon Ho!

I've been really happy with the past few days of comparative warmth, so when I went over to Kiran's today I was completely ready to agree to a walk. Ours was really a treck through fields of bog and ice. Rubber boots may be the most brilliant invention ever, with them I managed to make it through our walk without getting soaked at all. Kiran had a hole in one boot and is singularly gifted at finding the deepest spots of the bog. She did not make it through the walk dry.

I really wish I'd brought my camera. I mean, I would have feared for it's safety at every second, but there was amazing light out there and some spectacular pictures just waiting to be taken.

We came back and watched August Rush. I enjoyed it while I was watching it, but you walk away feeling it's rather odd.

But, the little boy (Freddie Highmore - Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is cute and if nothing else Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who you will remember from...well, nothing, has the most amazing accent ever.

Daylight!

It's almost eight and there's still a smidgelet left of sunshine. So happy.

productivity

Last week was a long bummer of a week. The kind of week where even when good things happen, you only barely recognize them as that. And good things did happen, I got to hang out with some of the girls from the Link. I saw my sister, got lost in Ft. Wayne, drew some killer drawings, and got to hang out with several other friends besides. It just didn't register.

All day today I've had a hidious migraine and the feeling that perhaps one of my organs has ruptured. I still feel better than the seven days leading up to today.

This week is going to be different, though. I can feel it. Despite the feeling of impending death, I'm being shockingly productive. I mean, aside from this blog post. I'm helping to plan a friend's birthday, registering my plates, doing my taxes, buying health insurance...and I think I'll even get some work done on my greeting-card venture.

It's a good day, made even better by the fact that I didn't have to wait in line to renew my plates and when you renew your plates online the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles takes $5 off your bill. Most places charge you extra for doing things online, as if automation is costing them extra, but the Indiana BMV is being my friend and that makes me happy.

Throw Pillows and Fascist Dictators

I love these pillows. I want them.

Of course they're silk and completely impractical for a house with an evil dog it.

We think that in a former lifetime the dog lured small children to their doom.

Clearly the pillows would be goners.

They're still pretty awesome.

I realize that often times my blog is now one giant Etsy advertisement. But my life is boring and shopping never gets old.

The weekend is kind of a blurr. I was sleep deprived.

Last night Robin and I went for coffee in Elkhart. We were really dissapointed to see that the city is no longer half underwater.

I also tried to make my new computer game, Sim City Societies work. The game is kind of dissapointing even if it really worked. I was expecting something much more sophisticated.

But as it is, Sim City Societies rarely runs for more than five minutes at a time before it freezes and locks up my computer.

Way to go Maxis!

I don't even know why I bought the game. It's not like I need yet another way to waste my time. But The Sims 2 doesn't function (again Maxis and EA Games, thanks for the quick help in getting that back up) and I suppose that left a void.

just a plug

My friend Shorty is in a punk(?) band. It might be a little more hardcore. Their name is FBS. I don't know what it stands for. They're on tour. This is just a little plug for their music.

That's all.

Well, it's also an excuse to post my little punk rocker picture. I drew it during Sunday School...I like it alot.,

etsy - again

The more cute things I find on Etsy, the more dangerous life becomes. Because unlike the mall, I can buy something off etsy any time of the day. :O

But since I can't buy everything I love, I can at least talk about it on my blog.

1.

I think these slide tins from LittlePutBooks are adorable. You can get two for $7 and have your pick of 12 different patterns. They're 1” x 3” x .29” and the perfect size for small gifts.

LittlePutBooks also sells some really cute pendants, which come in slide tins, for your gift giving convenience.

But mostly I just love the tins.

2.

I think these pendants from Madison Reece are terribly cute. At $10 they're not a bad buy, but you'll have to come up with some ribbon or order a $6 chain.

3.

Bijoujuju makes these great graphic pendants. The ones pictured above are being sold as a group for $12 because of slight imperfections. Normally one of these suckers costs $18, but comes with a silver chain. I like them alot.

There's also all kinds of other jewelry, but I definately think the pendants are the best of the lot.

sick day

If you're going to fake being sick it's best to go with something completely unverifiable, like a migraine or food poisoning. What's your boss going to do, ask you to bring in a vial of vomit?

According the AP, Daniel Kuch wanted to make sure he had a good excuse to avoid a workplace drug test, so he had a friend shoot him in the arm.

Is it possible he was high when he made this decision?