what's cooler than being cool? ice cold!

Church services have been canceled for today. TDOT is telling people to stay off the roads. They've put down 6,000 tons of salt and 500,000 gallons of brine but slush and ice are still causing problems. The sun is out this morning so hopefully that will help. I have to get to the dentist in Franklin tomorrow morning and a 3:30 appt. in Brentwood.

Last night I caught the end of the KU/K-State game by refreshing box scores on ESPN.com. It was tied and went into overtime in Manhattan, but KU pulled it out and won by single digits. Also, Cornell beat Harvard 86-50, which snapped Harvard's seven-game winning streak and keeps the Big Red undefeated in the Ivy League.

For today, looks like I'm sticking around the house. But after nearly three days of solitude, I'm definitely ready for some social interaction.

God*Stories

Finished my third book of the year: God*Stories: Explorations in the Gospel of God by Andrew Wilson.
There are things I liked about this book, and things I didn't like.

Things I liked:

1. Small pieces. Short "chapters." The book is broken into five "acts." The acts are broken into chapters, most about 3-5 pages long. Wilson is making the point that the gospel of God is a beautiful picture made up of lots of pieces (like a mosaic). So if you're looking for a book with lots of stopping points, this is a good one.

2. Great analogies. Each chapter begins with a passage of Scripture followed by an explanation, usually in the form of short histories/backgrounds, personal stories, and/or analogies. Wilson takes Scripture and invites you to consider it in ways that are relevant. Here's an example:

• Chapter: Everyone Who Calls
• Scripture: Romans 10:12-13-- "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
• Analogy used: The Jews were like people with breakdown insurance. If you're a member of AAA, you get certain privileges, one of which is the right to be rescued when you get into trouble on the road. Many Jews had a membership (because their parents had it/they were born into it), but didn't call so they were left stranded. Being a member of the group doesn't help if you never call in faith. Faith is what really counts, not membership.
  
  If you're not a AAA member and find yourself stranded, you can call AAA in faith that you can join the group over the phone and they will save you in your time of need. Simply by calling on their name. Just like the Gentiles. It doesn't matter whether you were born into the group. All that matters is whether you called, in humility and in faith, on the name of the One who is able to rescue you.

3. Simple and straightforward. With the short chapters, Wilson gets straight to the point. The entire book is an exploration of the gospel, of how all the stories in the Bible are pieces that belong together to see the whole picture (mosaic). You definitely walk away from this book with a greater understanding of just how awesome and big our God is.

Things I Didn't Like So Much

1. The title. OK, it's not all about the title. It's the idea of narrative theology that smells a little like Rob Bell (I won't go into this, but I have some issues with Rob Bell). The appendix is "A Word About Postmodernism" which also smells like Bell and raises some red flags for me. Of course it starts out, "This appendix is not for everyone ..." While this book is full of great and insightful words on God's Word, it is important to approach it like a Berean: receiving the message with great eagerness and examining the Scriptures to see if everything that was said was true. (Acts 17:11)

2. Theology. I agree with most of Wilson's theology, but in his chapter, "Repentance and Baptism," Wilson writes, "Scripture suggests that baptism is a part of how we become a Christian, rather than merely an outward demonstration that we already have."

He cites three pieces of Scripture (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21). Frankly, his claims afterward don't seem convincing to me at all (a Southern Baptist who believes salvation comes through faith and repentance). Wilson admits not all Christian traditions believe what he does, and gives the example of the criminal on the cross next to Jesus who was saved without baptism, but Wilson is happy to call him the exception to the rule.

Overall, a pretty good collection of 57 in-depth looks at Scripture. With this book, Wilson is trying to keep people from shrinking the gospel into a story about themselves when really, it's (from the back cover): "about sins forgiven, shame removed, beauty restored, and meaning reinstated. It's about God's kingdom, his mission, his temple, and his victory. It's an epic love story that starts with betrayal and ends with a wedding, but it's also a thriller where the hero fights to save the world against impossible odds. It's massive. It's a sweeping drama of GodStories from start to finish."

snow.

Hindsight: Maybe should have bought a snow shovel, even if I only need it once a year.

This picture doesn't do the depth of snow justice. I've heard that we got 7 inches. I went out and unburied my car this morning, though with only my dustpan, I didn't even try clearing the driveway. I did clear a path on the sidewalk so I can get to my car. I'm not planning on leaving my house at all today. I've got Miles snuggled up in my bed, some hot chocolate, books, and old episodes of Law & Order. People have been posting updates and pictures on Twitter and it sounds like/looks like the interstates are still pretty bad.

To the snow He says, "Fall on the earth" … So that all men he has made 

may know His work, he stops every man from his labor. (Job 37:6-7)
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this snow is legit.

It's snowing in Nashville, and it's legit. After our Jan. 8 false alarm, I was starting to think it couldn't snow in Nashville. When I left for work at 6 a.m., it wasn't snowing, but it started around 8 a.m. and hasn't stopped. I had scheduled to take a half day today, but my manager told me this morning not to count it as vacation. He said, "Alyssa, if it starts snowing, you just go on home." I finished up on my 1st edit of Spring '11 BTX (finally! I spent so much time on this) around 9 a.m. when Trudy came by and said, "Don't stay too much longer; I'm leaving right now." So I packed up and went home. I'm glad I did; Nolensville Rd. was a mess! (I did bring the first part of Sept. Bible Express home with me to edit.)

Miles isn't really sure what to think of the snow. Oh, and he did something new today: managed to scratch the inside of my eyelid. Uh, yeah. So he's all purry, chillin' in my lap while I'm reading and I go to put on my glasses and like a ninja he's got his paw up at my face and scratches me. I went to look in the mirror and sure enough, scratch on the inside of my eyelid. It hurts. Oh a happier note, he's catching on to the spray bottle. He still jumps up on the counter, but now I don't have to spray him; I just point the bottle at him and he jumps down.

Got some reading done today. I'm reading through the Bible again, but in chronological order this time. I've finished up Genesis and am almost done with Job. This year I'm supplementing my reading with a study Bible's footnotes so it's easier to focus and remember what I read. Also, I'm one of those people who reads numerous books at once. So I'm currently reading: 1) God*Stories (started a couple of months ago; I'm 50 pages from finishing); 2) When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy (by John Piper ... I bought this in Jax, summer 2008 and never got around to reading it); and 3) Finally Alive (by John Piper). Piper books always take me a little longer to read. I worked through a good chunk of Desiring God last summer, but it's also one I need to just focus and finish.

It's supposed to keep snowing through tonight. I'm not sure how much I'll get out tomorrow. I'd really like to make it to CVS to get my passport photos done so I can get my application to the post office on Monday or Tuesday. Monday will be busy: dentist in Franklin at 10:30 a.m. (for two fillings I guess, a cavity and a crack). I will unwillingly part with my $198 for that. Also have a 3:30 appt. in Brentwood.

I think I'm going to check out Brentwood Baptist this Sunday. At Kairos on Tuesday I got a card with info on it about a women's retreat March 5-7. It's $65, but that covers transportation, food, and lodging. It might be a good chance to meet other people even though going and not knowing anyone is a little scary. I'd probably have to take that Friday off. The deadline to sign up is Feb. 19.

My laptop LED battery indicator light is now flashing orange, orange, orange, green. I Googled it, and it's an indicator of battery failure. I rarely have my computer unplugged from the wall. I cleaned out my registry last weekend and that made start-up and things a little faster. But I'm really anticipating its death in the near future.

Also considering a slight format/content change for my blog. It's kind of turned into "this is what I did today" because for some reason when I get home I get in this mood where I want to talk about my day, and Miles isn't a great listener.

Weekend: possible new direction for blog; reading; major cleaning! (OK, I'm not ready for "spring cleaning" quite yet, but my friend Rob and his fiancee are coming to stay at my house while they are in Nashville for a wedding next weekend); passport photos?; applications for mission trip/passport/Draper scholarship.

Oh, and in case you've never seen snow before, the local news station WSMV-TV has more than 850 pictures of it on their website. Seriously? Ridiculous.

7SC

This is Seven Seas Casserole. It's a quick and easy comfort food. When I was little, I ate it with ketchup. I made it tonight because all I have in my cabinets right now is cereal and oatmeal and ... rice, tuna, cream of mushroom (substituted for cream of celery) and peas.

They are predicting snow tonight/tomorrow, so I know better than to go to the store and fight the Kroger crazies with their milk sandwiches. I'm taking a 1/2 day tomorrow. The last Friday I took a 1/2 day (Jan. 8), it "snowed" and most people "worked from home." I'm not sure if people will do that tomorrow, but I always kind of enjoy vacation days more if there are actually still people at work.

op. ed.

on indexing activity books:
Can't believe I got it done in one day (well, almost done). Surely there is a computer program that will do what I'm doing.

on work:
Need to read February asap. I think I'm behind on it. Also need to finish the first read of Spring '11. Due next week. I'm taking a 1/2 day on Friday. Not really vacation though.

on Miles:
3am. Miles decided to climb the lamp. I woke up in time to save it from crashing off the nightstand. Miles fell and landed ... on my face. Back claw in my lip. Deep cut and moderate amounts of blood. Also, significant pain.

on travel:
I miss Jenn. I want to hop on a plane for KC. What's stopping me?

on insurance and doctor visits:
Decided to just get everything taken care of in January. I'm real close to meeting my $500 deductible already  (bleh); at least the rest of the year will be easy on me.

on the current weather:
Too cold. I'm ready for spring. My yard needs a lot of work.

on Kairos:
I like meeting up with Paige once a week to hear Mike Glenn bringin' the Word. The I-only-know-1-or-2-people-here-out-of-1500-or-so thing can make it feel a little overwhelming, but sometimes the anonymity is good.

on the new Apple iPad:
(from Twitter) "Steve, I'ma let you finish, but Moses had the greatest tablet announcement of all time."

on music:
I was sooo bummed when imeem got sucked into myspace. But I've recently discovered lala.com. You can stream full-length songs and even create playlists. So far it seems very similar to imeem. I think it's Apple-owned. I like it.

go.

I'm considering going on a mission trip to Newfoundland. I'm working on getting a passport. I've never been on a mission trip, and there are lots of reasons I want to go (but I'm saving that explanation for my scholarship essay). The trip is July 31 - August 7. More later.

submerged.

It rained again last night. This morning I went out to my car to survey the damage in my trunk. On the surface, it didn't look too bad. The carpet/cover was kind of damp; the items in my trunk were damp. An old favorite pair of running shoes were a total loss (wet and extremely stinky). After taking everything out, I pulled out the carpet/cover. Water poured off of it and I slung it over the fence.

My spare tire was completely submerged. I know some kids dream of having swimming pools in the backs of their cars, but this surely can't be good for your gas mileage. I unscrewed the spare and pulled it out. Fortunately there was a plug in the bottom. I popped it out, and all the water drained onto my driveway. It was sprinkling and there is still a small chance of rain today, so I carried the carpet pieces into my shed and laid them out to dry. (My backyard is a muddy mess of weeds and moss. Note to self: buy grass seed.)

I'm guessing the problem is with my weatherstrip/seal being old, and possibly starting to come off in a couple of places. Now to figure out 1) Can I fix this myself? 2) If not, who can and how much will it cost?

relief.

How cool is this picture? This little boy was rescued nearly 8 days 

after the earthquake trapped him beneath the rubble.

Recovery and rebuilding will take years. Long after CNN stops running stories, people will still need help.

How Can You Help?
Please consider praying and or giving.
d

Forgotten God.

d

Finished reading my 2nd book of 2010.
Forgotten God by Francis Chan.
It's about the Holy Spirit.

(From the back cover:) Powerful. When is the last time someone used that word to describe you? It doesn't make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by fear and insecurity. He puts His Spirit in us so we could be known for our power (Acts 1:8; 2 Tim. 1:7). Sadly, most believers and churches are known for talent or intellect rather than supernatural power. What's worse is that we're okay with it.

When the Holy Spirit moves, God is the one praised. When the Spirit moved at Pentecost, people knew there was a power present that came from God. That's why they didn't leave saying, "John is amazing! He learned a new language in a matter of seconds!" They knew it had to be God. Let's pray that God would empower us so radically that we would get no glory. That people would see our works and glorify God.

• The Spirit helps us speak when we are in precarious situations and need to bear witness (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12)
• The Counselor teaches and reminds us of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, our advisor, our encourager, and our strength. He guides us in the way we should go. (Ps. 143:10; John 14-16; Acts 9:31; 13:2; 15:28; 1 Cor. 2:9-10; 1 John 5:6-8)
• Through the Spirit we have received a spirit of adoption as children, which leads us into intimacy with the Father, instead of a relationship based on fear and slavery. The Spirit bears witness to us that we are His children. (Rom. 8:15-16)
• The Spirit brings us life and freedom. Where the Spirit is, there is freedom, not bondage or slavery. In our world that is plagued with death, this is a profound truth that points to real hope. (Rom. 8:10-11; 2 Cor. 3:17)
  

so much for optimism.

I went to the dentist today.

Used my 1/2 day of vacation because I figured, "Why not?"

Back in September when I was choosing a dental plan, I picked the cheaper one. It covers basic cleanings and the occasional X-ray. Not fillings, but I was feeling optimistic. I haven't had a cavity in like 15 years. I'm not a child. I know how to brush my teeth. I don't eat a lot of sugar.

I'm going back February 1.

For a filling. (albeit a small one)

And now I get to pay.
I'd like to buy round-trip plane tickets to KC, but that amount has now been allotted elsewhere.

Ah, this stuff always gets me. I can deal with a broken down car because it just happens, but a cavity? Totally preventable, so it's my fault I'm forking out my travel money for this. Ergh.

end of the week.

d

 

Friday. My calendar is clear, but don't let that deceive you; I am very busy today.

I spent most of the day pulling Bible stories from archived curriculum. Everything before 2006 was done in Quark and I discovered I am very glad we use Adobe InCopy & InDesign CS4. Very glad. I'm hoping my days of pulling stuff from archives are almost done. It's not horrible; it's just very frustrating when stuff is missing. I am dreaming of the day when everything will be on a server and have XML tags so I can search and find what I need in seconds. It will be quite beautiful, really.

When I left work, it was so nice outside. Mid-50s. Making me excited for spring. Considered driving down to Brentwood to run (haha, yes, I usually drive to the "safe" part of town to run) but I ended up working out at home. Afterward I'm sitting in shorts reading a book when Miles (who isn't a great jumper) decides he wants up in my lap. Before I can put my hands down, he's got his claws in my knee and thigh and is pulling himself up. Owww! Drew blood and added to the mosaic of scabs he's been creating on my legs. No bueno mi gato.

Taking it easy tonight. Reading Francis Chan's Forgotten God. Almost finished. Might do a little cooking. This week wore me out. I think I'll be calling it an early night.

help.

Donate to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.

It's estimated that hundreds of thousands have died or are missing after the earthquake that hit Haiti. Most of the capital (Port-au-Prince) is destroyed. About 3 million people have been affected. Do you get that? People. These aren't just nameless faces on the news … foreigners whose paths you will probably never cross. People. Help them.

Maybe you have a budget. Maybe donating to help people in Haiti will mean you don't get to buy a new outfit this month. Maybe you'll have to skip a couple of trips to your favorite coffee shop or cook dinner yourself instead of eating out. Maybe you'll have to save for another month before you can upgrade to a cell phone with 3G coverage. BIG DEAL. The minimum donation is $10. You won't miss it. Trust me.

I'll make it easy for you. Just click here:

Donate to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

(James 4:14-17, The Message)

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we can sail across the sea.

This is Kevin Michael McKeehan, also known as tobyMac. Also known as the next interview I get to do for our magazine. He's been making music since before I was born; he started DC Talk in 1987 and for the last several years has been working on his solo career. His latest single, "City on Our Knees" is featured in his new album, Tonight, scheduled for release next month. He's from Franklin, so I'm crossing my fingers for an in-person interview; though I'm sure talking to him on the phone would be really cool, too.

Pretty excited to be adding his name to my list of awesome musicians I've seen/interacted with since moving to Nashville:

Brandon Heath

Leeland Mooring (Leeland)

John Cooper (Skillet)

Alexis Slifer and Cammie Hall (The Rubyz)

Noah Hayden and David Horner (Mission Six)

Paige Armstrong

Mark Hall (Casting Crowns)

Phil Stacey

Steven Curtis Chapman

Jars of Clay

John Waller 

Mat Kearney (@BNA)

Definitely awesome to meet people who are "kind of a big deal" but also awesome to see how God is using normal people in big ways through music ministry.

 

d 

cat's cradle.

Have you ever seen one of these sling things? I guess you can carry babies in them, or small dogs. I think Miles would like it. When I got home from work, he was happy to see me and then I fed him some wet food. About 30 minutes later he sits at my feet and just keeps meowing. "What do you want?! I already fed you!" (Having a cat often reinforces the fact that I'm not ready for a child.) Eventually, I just picked him up and carried him around the house for awhile. He just sat there, purring and happy as a clam.

Of course, I can't get anything else done when I have a cat in my arms, and that's where the sling idea came from. Not really planning on getting one because he'd probably hate it, and I have a lot of others things I want to buy when my $8,000 from the government comes in. Of course, I plan on putting that money toward my mortgage, but they pay interest on it for how long it took to get to you, and that's what I'll spend for myself.

Side note: Miles loves playing the the bathtub (when it's empty, of course). Unfortunately I've discovered that he's put some holes in my shower curtain. A couple of days ago, I was taking a shower and all of a sudden ... whoops, Miles joined me and was quickly scrambling to get out. Curiosity for the win.

Today I started back up my Make My Day list. I made one for 2009, and even though it was a positive habit, I hadn't planned on doing it again. But I guess some people (Jeff) like reading it, and I know it's cool to be able to look back at the little things that made my year in '09. Anyway, there's a link in the sidebar beneath Sweet Places.

Currently reading: Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and working through Genesis & 1 Chronicles. I'm excited about going to Kairos tomorrow. I missed last week; and as much as I enjoy First Baptist, you really can't beat some quality contemporary worship with people your own age.

easy wind and downy flake.

My hot water pipe froze last night, which was quite unfortunate when I got up to shower before church and could only get ice cold water to come out of the shower. I know some people are okay with doing crazy things like jumping into lakes in January, but I cannot force myself to take a cold shower in the winter. I ended up playing pioneer by boiling water on the stove and pouring it into the sink to wash my hair.

After church I crawled up in my attic to check out the situation. The water lines run straight down the heater and into the floor, where they slide into the closet in my second bedroom (where it's warm enough to keep them thawed). I was about to climb back down and make a trip to Lowe's, when I noticed three long, black foam tubes laying up there next to a box of air filters. They were even sliced down one side -- exactly what I needed. I got some scissors and cut them to size and covered both pipes. Hopefully that will do the trick.

It snowed more consistently yesterday, but most of it was melted from the sidewalks and streets by mid-morning today. It's supposed to be 51 on Thursday. I'm definitely excited about that. 

I've had Miles just over a week now. He's making himself right at home. When he gets all purry I say, "Aren't you glad you're not in the shelter?" He likes to curl up and sleep on me most of the time, but when he has a lot of energy and attacks things, it can be a bit frustrating. I've got a nice 4-inch slice down the back of my hand from someone getting a little too playful.

Just Do Something.

My first book finished this year. I heard about it from a friend, and at 122 pages broken into 10 chapters, this was a quick read to jump start my reading in 2010. (And it'll fit your budget. You can buy it for less than $8... or if you're in Nashville, you can borrow my copy.) This book has my recommendation.

Kevin DeYoung is a pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan. (I've read another book of his, Why We're Not Emergent--I recommend that one too.)

Here are a few pieces that stood out to me from Just Do Something, places I underlined as I was reading:

*Does God have a secret will of direction that He expects us to figure out before we do anything? No. Yes, God has specific plans for our lives. And yes, we can be assured that He works things for our good in Christ Jesus ... But while we are free to ask God for wisdom, He does not burden us with the task of diving out His will of direction for our lives ahead of time.

*(We Want Perfect Fulfillment) We have little longing left for our reward in the next life because we've come to expect such rewarding experience in this life.

*Our fascination with the will of God often betrays our lack of trust in God's promises and provisions. We don't just want His word that He will be with us; we want Him to show us the end from the beginning and prove to us that He can be trusted.

*The most important decision we face is the daily decision to live for Christ and die to self.

*For most of our decisions, we would do well to ask someone else, "What do you think?" We spend all this time asking God, "What's Your will?" when He's probably thinking, "Make a friend, would you? Go talk to someone. There's a reason I've redeemed a lot of you--because you do fewer dumb things when you talk to each other."

Chapter 9 talks about God's will in finding a job and getting married. When it comes to marriage, DeYoung talks about how this generation (the 20- and 30-somethings crowd) is spending a lot more time in "adultolescence." In 1965, the median age for marriage was 22.8 for men and 20.6 for women. By 2002, a little more than a generation later, the median age for marriage rose to 26.9 for men and 25.3 for women. There are lots of reasons for delayed marriage: longer life spans, the drive for higher education, and among others, the opportunity to meet hundreds of potential mates, leading to more second-guess and indecision

DeYoung offers several pieces of advice for finding a spouse (Search the Scriptures, seek counsel, pray) but his last point is: Make a decision. I like how he puts it:

Gentleman, there are wonderful Christian girls waiting for you to act, well, like a man. Stop waiting for romantic lightning to strike. Stop waiting for the umpteenth green light ... Go ask a girl on a date, or ask her "to court," or whatever you think is the appropriate language. But do something. Take a chance. Risk rejection. Be the relational and spiritual leader God has called you to be.

God's will is not a magic 8-ball. He does not stick us in a dark maze and tell us, "Good luck finding the end." He's given you a brain and His Word. Stop tinkering, stop waiting for a sign, and just do something.

Great read. You could easily sit down for a chapter a day and finish in a week and a half. I'm currently reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Other books I'm planning to get to in the near future: Finally Alive (John Piper), Portrait of Calvin (THL Parker), Don't Waste Your Life (Piper).

wah-wahhhh

For the past several days, forecasters have been predicting 4-6 inches of snow. They've changed their minds and said 1-2 inches. I heard the grocery stores were packed last night. Everyone stocking up on their bread and milk. Just the mention of snow, and people get these cravings for milk sandwiches. Is this a Southern thing? I don't get it. ;)

This morning: nothing. Despite this fact, every school in the area is closed. (I hear there was an incident a few years back involving a snow storm and kids stuck on buses for 8 hours because they couldn't get home.) It's warmer this morning (27 degrees) than it has been every other morning this week. Almost twice as warm. I didn't even have to scrape my windows this morning. Some people didn't even come to work, I guess in anticipation of a great disaster from the sky.

Around noon it started snowing a little.

A photo from fellow employee, graphic designer Sarah Murray.

Can we talk about the fact that it dumped 5 inches on Lawrence yesterday and that didn't stop 16,000 fans from making their way to Allen Fieldhouse for the KU  v. Cornell game? (Great game, by the way.) Cornell stayed ahead of No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks the majority of the game.

My [triplet] brother Geoff (bottom center) goes after a loose ball.

Poor Tyrel took one to the face … from his own teammate.

Going after it.

KU pulled it out and won by 5.
Wish I could have gone to the game, but the nice thing about listening to

the audio is being able to get up and shower during halftime.

Roads are reportedly fine. Might get a little icy tomorrow, but I'm taking a 1/2 day (which means I work until 10:30 a.m.) because I can and because I need to do some major cleaning. Miles has sure messed the place up in the last week.

between the woods and frozen lake.

I really wasn't in the mood to go to Kroger tonight. It's pretty stinkin' cold outside and sometimes I just don't want to buy anything. But I went. To pick up (among other things) band-aids to cover the flesh wounds I've acquired as a consequence result of Miles' juvenile manners (namely, using my leg as a climbing post). It was crowded.

Kroger sent me some coupons for $5 off $30, so I'm trying to find $30 of groceries and I'm having a hard time. I've learned a thing or two since living alone: don't buy anything that you can't freeze or keep on the shelf for several weeks. I can't eat it fast enough. My refrigerator remains mostly empty--leftovers (most of which I'll throw out because I can't eat them all within a week), jelly, eggs (occasionally; again, can't use them quick enough), grape juice (2 of 5 bottles I bought real cheap, expire in March. But I just can't get over the fact that it tastes like communion so I don't drink it often).

For being crowded, people were really nice. I was picking out some Sprite zero (love some diet Coke but don't love the teeth stains) and this woman randomly says, "Do you get shocked when you shop?" She reached up from her cart and touched the shelf, the static electricity jumped. "Haha, I am today, but not usually." She said, "I haven't been out of the house since Thursday! It's just nice to see another human being!" I smiled. I kept going. Now I wish I would have stopped, asked her if she lived alone, how she was doing. She seemed really nice. The checker and bagger were in especially good moods, too.

We're expected to get snow on Thursday. The radio on my way to work this morning said 6-8 inches. I'm not sure I believe that. It sure is cold. The floodlights outside above my kitchen door have stopped working. It's scary-dark at 6 a.m. on the side of my house, so I go out my front door in the morning and leave the porch light on all day. I can't imagine both floodlights would just stop at the same time; I'm wondering if there's not something wrong with the switch. It doesn't sound right when I flip it. Boo.

Miles has been earning more privileges. Since he's proven he can use his litter box, I'm not locking him in the kitchen at night or during the day anymore. He slept in my bed all night; I woke up at 2 and carried him to his litter box, but he didn't need it. I don't like that he keeps jumping up on my counters. I eat standing up because he gets in the way. I tried eating oatmeal at breakfast and as soon as I was done, he was in my bowl. Literally--his paws had oatmeal stuck to the bottom. Of course he walked all over everything before licking them clean.

Yesterday Andrea came by to see Miles. He had just eaten so he was very sweet and sleepy. He also got a clean bill of health when I took him to the vet. He's good to go until Jan. 2011. Miles was sweet at the vet; he purred the entire time. When Miles is happy, he kneads his paws (what the vet called "making biscuits"). Usually he does it on my lap, with his claws out. Tiny needles. Ouch.

Click here for a video of Miles in all his cuteness: http://tinyurl.com/miles010510

m-cat

 Miles

Likes:
- cheese
- wet cat food
- canned chicken
- using Alyssa's leg as a climbing post
- chasing paper balls
- purring
- using the litter box
- sleeping on Alyssa's lap
- meowing to get attention
- playing in the clothes hamper
- looking cute
- jumping onto the kitchen counters (not good)

Dislikes:
- loud noises
- being alone
- being ignored

meet miles.

Miles likes crawling behind my washer and dryer.

When I first picked Miles up, he was still pretty drugged from his surgery. He didn't make a sound on the way home. Just sat in the carrier backward and bobbed his head around. Kind of hilarious.

This kid purred the first hour he was home. He walks on the floors with his claws spread and jumps at any sound.

He had to explore everything. I finally closed the doors to my bedrooms and bathroom so he exploration area was a bit more limited.

He's really cuter than this picture (above) shows -- his eyes aren't all weird in real life :) I just have bad lighting and the flash washed it out. He curled up with me for a little bit, but it didn't last long -- he was up and looking around again.

I think the phrase I've been saying most to him since I've been home is, "Ow, Ow! Please don't climb up my leg with your claws!" The door to my kitchen closes so I'm going to leave him in their at night while he gets used to using his litterbox. Hopefully he'll sleep well. He ought to be worn out after all of today's excitement.

A063470

There's a new man in my life. His name is Miles (formerly known as A063470).

I picked Miles out this morning at the Metro Animal Care and Control Services. He's been there since mid-November, and they think he's now about 3.5 months old. They're neutering him today and I get to pick him up at 4 p.m.

There were some really cute female cats there, but growing up our best cat experiences were with males. As soon as I walked up to the kitten room, this light gray female made eye contact and ran over to the window. Well ... maybe if Miles ever needs a friend.

This is the picture from the website, when he was 2 months old. I'll take lots of pictures and put them up tonight. He has an appointment with the vet on Monday evening just to get a check up.

bierocks.

I fell asleep watching a movie last night around 11pm, but I woke up at midnight because my neighbors were outside yelling and setting off fireworks. And I'm pretty sure I could hear the fireworks from downtown, or there was someone else setting off a whole bunch. It sounded like thunder. So I was up to bring in 2010. :)
10 years ago I was 11 -- in the 6th grade. Crazy.

This morning I made bierocks. When I was in KC last week, Lindsey made bierocks for dinner and they looked pretty easy. I browned 1/2 lb. of hamburger, added onions, garlic salt, ground mustard (I don't like liquid mustard enough to have a bottle of it), pepper, and chopped cabbage. Then I took two cans of Pillsbury rolls and smashed each biscuit out thin. Fill with the ingredients, wrap, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Voila!

I think I am going to adopt a cat tomorrow. I wanted to today because it would have been nice to have a 3-day weekend to bond with it, but every place is closed for the holiday. I'll get some litter, food, and a litter box today.