Not Sure This is Really by Ben Stein...but a good message nonetheless.

Written by Ben Stein

If they know of him at all, many folks think Ben Stein is just a quirky actor/comedian who talks in a monotone. He's also a very intelligent attorney who knows how to put ideas and words together in such a way as to sway juries and make people think clearly.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

"Herewith a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?

I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife. Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if

I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me
in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.

But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like e this Happen?" (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards .. honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Quarter-Life Crisis

I received this essay in an email from a sorority sister a year ago and after reading it stuffed it into my now overflowing wooden memory box. My memory box serves the perfect purpose. Yesterday I was in a tizzy cleaning the house frantically before Friday night festivities when I stopped to dust off the top of the box and thought "oh I need to sort through this sometime." Seriously, my entire life is in this box...Baptism certificate to marriage liscense and pictures, notes, letters, movie tickets, cards from all the years in between. Anyway, I found this printed out email called "Quarter-Life Crisis" and found the message profoundly true for me and most of my close friends. Check it out and afterwards, I highly recommend printing it out and stuffing it somewhere you know you will find it again later in time and hopefully be as moved as I am now.

"They call it the 'Quarter -Life Crisis'...
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like...
You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now...
You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you ever met; the people you have lost touch with some of the most important ones...
You also start to realize that it is truly amazing when two strangers become the best of friends, but it is truly devastating when the best of friends become two strangers.
What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean, or insecure, but that they are as confused as you...
You look at your job and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing. Or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.
Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't.
One minute you are insecure and the next, secure.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life.
You feel alone and scared and confused...
Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward...
You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved so much could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person...
One night stands and random hookups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot doesn't seem as fun...
You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision...
You worry about loans, money, the future, and making a life for yourself and maybe for someone else...and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender.
What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it in some way or another.
We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure the whole thing out...
Life is not measured by the amount of breaths we take but by the amount of moments that take our breath away."
-Author Unknown

One more little quote I'll never forget and want to share...I heard it during one of the last nights my sorority sisters and I spent together in the sorority house our senior year...It goes

"I always knew I'd look back on the times I've cried and laugh. But, I never knew I'd look back on the years I've laughed and cry."

So now...I am going to do something to "mark" my quarter life crisis...any guesses? You'll have to tune in next time to find out!

Quick Update

A quick update since it has been so long since I made time to post.
This weekend is busy. Luke and Jackie are getting married tomorrow. Nick and I are honored to be included in all of the events prior to as well as the actual ceremony and reception.
Work is going extremely well this year. I am one of the few that can say I love my job.
Nick and I are busy during the week as usual but somehow we find ways to hang out together even if it is just talking for 10 minutes before we fall asleep. Ali is still an angel.
We are looking forward to Fall arriving...been getting a few cool (mid 60's) mornings this week which means it is time to start budgeting trips to Starbucks for hot mocha machiattas (SP?) There are 2 Starbuck locations on either route to either school I work at depending on the day of the week and it is so tempting to leave 10 minutes early to make a quick stop...however, not only can my checkbook not afford the excessive luxury, neither can my diet (the ugly 4 letter word).
I really need to be going but I want to leave you with one of my favorite (sappy romantic that I am) quotes from The Way I See It #144 - Marble Mocha from Tuesday morning:

"I used to feel so alone in the ciy. All those gazillions of people and then me, on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stumped by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say "Hi." They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word." - Augusten Burroughs author of Running with Scissors

Today

Today is Sunday = the last day of a long weekend. I was ill and out of work for Thursday and Friday and in the bed most of Saturday and Sunday. Sunday now and feeling MUCH better. Ready for Fall weather. Nick has been working really hard the past couple of weeks so I am very thankful we had a lot of time with eacher other this weekend. Finally had the chance to get through most of Season Six of Sex and the City - so good. Ali is precious as always but having a bathrooming in the house problem...again. I thought she had grown out of this but lately not so much. It's not an issue of bad parenting; we take her out very regularly. I don't know what it is.
Thursday night was tough for me. After attending the first week of Fall classes (2) and learning that my grad. course would require 15 intern hours at the site of a school selected by the program director (pretty impossible when you already work full time and don't have that kindof time to take off) and then realizing that the pre-calculous class was going to take a LOT of effort from me I got home cried a little and after talking to Nick we realized that now is not the right time for me to be in school. I don't know if that means next semester, next year, ten years from now will be. Right now I just don't know. So, boo. But like I said, I have had a pretty good weekend and look forward to just having to work this week and ...yea, work...and read, and exercise, and paint...and do all the things I say I WOULD do if I had "more time."

Praying for Yourself

I heard a sermon last Sunday that has helped me this week in doing something I'm not very good at: praying for myself. I am seeing that most times my prayers for myself are plentiful but mostly shallow. I would like to share what I learned and maybe you will benefit in some way(s).
When you pray for yourself you should first ask for God's mercy. Mercy was defined by Pastor J. as " compassionate treatment for others especially those under one's power." (Ephesians 2:4 "...God, who is rich in mercy.") Job is one example the congregation was given as someone in the Bible who pleaded for God's mercy. Mercy is a word that I use very very often...I'll say "Mercy" in place of "whoa" if I hear something shocking. I 'll say "Lord have mercy" if I hear something I am shocked by or don't agree with. I realize that I might have been using the Lord's mercy in vain...so I am going to probably going to try to stop saying that...not because it is "bad" to say things in vain but because MERCY is more precious to me now. When I stop and ask for mercy on me, from God, it is very humbling.
The second thing we were encouraged to ask for is God's HELP. I don't really know how to expand on this except to say that it is an individual's nature and intuition that whispers and sometimes screams HELP in times of need. I usually don't have trouble or confusion in asking for help however I sometimes will miss the target of what I am able to do and what God has already done, is doing, will do, etc.
The third thing is to pray for God's strength. Psalm 46:1 says "God IS our refuge and strength." If God IS our strength then it makes sense that we must ask for strength from Him. I remember going through a REALLY hard time at work last year and doubting that God gave me strength during the storm because I could not stop crying...I cried on the way to work, in the bathroom, on the way to talk to my boss, and in my boss' face. I know now that it was my DOUBT and worry that shook my emotions and distracted me from the strength God gives. I got through the storm and have gained strength to face work related pressures without feeling personally attacked and vulnerable.
The fourth thing is to pray for God's blessings. I once had the definition of blessing described to me as "a gift you cannot give yourself." Pastor J. said the be specific in what you ask for and to be willing to share your blessing: spiritual and material. I feel a new challenge when I ask for things like contentness, fullfillment, satisfaction, money(?) because with my asking comes the question...and when I get it, what will I do with it glorify God and contribute to His kingdom on Earth? I just read Malachi 3: 6-18 for the first time and the title of this section in my NIV is "Robbing God." Very powerful.
The fifth thing is pray for God's will and be willing to take action. Pastor J. encouraged us to let your faith and Jesus' will for your life become one. She ended the sermon by challenging each listener by saying "if you pray for mercy, be willing to show mercy. If you pray for blessings be willing to share. If you pray for God's will, be willing to abide."

P.S. Most of you have probably done this before but if you stare at the image above for 15 seconds and then shift your gaze to a blank wall...tell me what you see.

"Bean" Busy Lately

As you can see this is Emily and me on Tuesday night! Emily and Brea are visiting the US for a couple of weeks to visit family in Illinoise, Selma, and North Carolina. Tuesday night at the Mielke's was really fun. Dan, Yvonne, Emily, Brea, Andrew, April, Nick and me had dinner and visited for a good while before Nick and I headed back to Mont. We were able to meet little Brea for the first time and she is even more beautiful and smart in person than she appears in all of the photos we have received.



----> Here she is a little sleepy but beautiful none the less. She is a very good baby and I can't wait to see her again during Christmas. Equally exciting is the time that my sister in law got to spend together since it was only the third time we have met! We did a lot of "what-if-ing" about her next pregnancy possibly being about the time that Nick and I would like to have our first and maybe even within close distance...I said it Tuesday and I'll say it again..."you never know what God has in store!" One more wonderful picture (my favorite) of Nick and Brea...

Yes, this picture is wonderful. I look forward to what our little bebe will look like! But don't worry Nick and I are waiting atleast 2 years (post graduation).


SO thank you Mielke and Ledford families for a WONDERFUL evening.


(p.s. It was raining when we came in from the drive...thus the wet spots on Nick's shoulder)


On to other news...I AM BACK AT WORK...back to alarms at 5:30am, kiddos everywhere, paperwork up to ears, and neck aches! I am glad to be back to work but it is taking my body a little while to adjust. I hope that next week will be easier. I am taking a lot of pics at school of my students and room decorations, etc. but I don't want to post any kid's pictures without parent permission for obvious reasons - DUE PROCESS is my job's middle name. I know chances are very slim to none but I'm not a risk taker when it comes to posting children's images on my personal website for any reason. However, I do plan on making a detailed scrapbook documenting this years precious moments at TSM. But you may look forward to sporadic "Kids Say the Darndest" posts that I plan to blog soon. What's K.S.T.D? Well we all know that kids will say anything and they THINK they KNOW everything and when you mix those two things together you get some really funny conversations going. For example:

K.S.T.D, Episode I (characters' name may have been changed to protect the confidentiality between therapist and client and the rest of the world)

Mrs. Mielkeway: "Alright Lideja, today we are working on the same sound as we did yesterday. Do you remember?"
Lidejare': " Da tay soun?"
"Try to tell me again, using the same sound as in CAT."
"Da K-ay soun!?!"
"Yes, that's right. Let's do one...what's this?" (show flashcard now)
"Uh, uh, a TAT!!!"
"Try again"
"Uh, a k-k-CAT!"
"YES! That's it! Let's do another one...what's this?"
"Uh, a Can!"
"YES! Again!"
"Uh, uh, a TOTE!"
"Think hard...try again."
"Uh, uh, a COAT!"
"Yes, a coat!"
"Ooh! Ooh! Mih Miway, my mama been deh befOH! She had been to da coat, to pick up dat chile suppOTE'!

Like I said (or wasn't it Bill Cosby?) , Kids Say the DArNdEsT!!! AND I LOVE IT. Seriously, I love these children more than anything. We actually have discussions about why I talk like I do and why they talk like they do. This conversation came after I said to a group of third grade girls that the picture on my desk was of me and one of my "homegirls." They all giggled and said..."You can't say that cause you white." We learn from each other every day...but that's a different blog.

My Top Ten Songs...

If I were to be abandoned on a desert island with one cd of ten songs...today my list would be...in no particular order, shuffle if you will:


1. "New York Minute" by The Eagles

2. "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straights

3. "With or Without You" by U2

4. "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys

5. "Let It Be" by the The Beatles

6. "Against the Wind" by Bob Segar

7. "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush

8. "Fix You" by Cold Play

9. "Collide" by Howie Day

10. "Jack" by Widespread Panic

There is really no way to complete this project with 100% accuracy and truth because I have wanted to change this list atleast five times however...I HAVE claimed that each of these songs is on my top ten whenever I hear them.

Bumfuzzled

<--I have no idea who this is but it's what I got when I googled "pensive mood" trying to be funny.



[Warning: This post is not really a post...it merely suggests a post.]

Lately, I have been pensive about the topics of southern high and low society cultures/ideas of "conventionalism"/politics/moral issues...I mean A LOT on my mind- lots of questions, lots of things I see that make me say "EW". Just hashing and re-hashing in this head of mine but if I sit down to write about it I type 2-3 sentences...deleeeeeeeeeete, type 2-3 more sentences, deleeeeeeeeete, and then conclude I have no idea how to say what I feel/think because I don't know.
I would like for you to know that I really want to write something inciteful that I could title "My Beliefs", but I can't - and it is frusterating. And most of the feelings I am having could only be told in person...because to write them down would only make me sound something I don't think that I am.
However I can leave you with the quote from "Freakonomics" that stirred up this "this":

John Kenneth Galbraith said this about "conventional wisdom,"
"We associate truth with convenience, with what most closely accords with self interest and personal well-being or promises best to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life. We also find highly acceptable what contributes most to self esteem."

Maybe one day I'll be able to write with out fear my interpretation of this.

On Demand: More Pleasant Images

Praise our sweet Lord, the examinations are final...done...turned in, whew. My Math exam took a little over 2 hours. It was long but not hard (tee hee). About 45 minutes into the exam my phone vibrates and Nick had texted me, "I'm out and waiting downstairs." He finished way earlier than I did and had to wait in the car. We expected it to be the other way around.

Before the exam a woman bit my head off when I offered to help her with a problem that she missed on the previous test.
Conversation:

Her- "But Mrs. Spear, that DOES NOT make sense! How am I supposed to know that on page one of the test you wanted us to explain it like we would to a first grader and on page two we can use any method to solve?! That threw me off and then you counted off!"

Mrs. Spear- "Well look at the directions...page one says define the method, solve, and briefly explain as you would to a student. Page two says solve using any method.

Her- "And you changed what you said in the "mail time" section of our notes...what is a check and a bill?"

Me (sitting two rows over): "The bills represent...(I was going to say negative numbers)

Her: (giving me "THE HAND") "I don't NEED a classmate to tell me what I've done wrong! I ASKED Mrs. Spear to explain it to me!"

Me: "Pffffff! (chuckle) WHATEVER!"

Anyway...

Our friend Jason just came in and the three of us are about to have celebratory cosmos(me) and beer(them) on the porch! We watched an episode on Modern Marvels last night on "Liquor and Beer Distilleries Around the World." It was absolutely fascinating...the bartender made the most beautiful cosmo so I am going to appease the craving.


Here is a snap of Ali's new haircut!




(She is really self conscious because she said she thinks that all the other dogs will say she looks like a poodle...I told her to call me if anyone starts giving her a hard time...that God loves her just the way she is.)

Blah Blah Blah

So, tonight I breezed through my first final: General Nutrition. Instead of studying, I napped. I am not proud or happy about that but sometimes I let my body win and ask myself two questions: "Can this test ruin my life?" and "Can this test ever determine my self worth?" Most the the time the answers to these questions are "No" and so sleep wins. I am sure that most people can identify when I say that when I begin my classes working towards my major/masters I will be more excited and motivated to not nap during study hours.
Nick and I both have our last finals tomorrow night: me-Mathematical Reasoning and Nick-Intro to Public Admin. Say a little prayer for us.

I got a really drastic haircut - Mary you might remember having this discussion when you and Lane came through on your way to Boston. I have been growing my hair out for about 2.5 years and it grew a total of like 5 inches since then (slow slow slow). About three weeks ago my hair-girl gave me layers with the razor-she really wacked it. That night in bed I kept saying, "I'm gonna hate this tomorrow, I'm gonna hate this tommorow." While I didn't abhor the cut...I did hate that if I didn't blow dry and flat iron it looked like a bad haircut that I didn't take time to fix. Consequently, everyday since then my hair went in a " low dew drop" the minute I walked out the front door. The only good thing that came out of that haircut was the chunky caramel highlights I got too :) So yesterday I went in and said..."Do something. I hate this style that is begininning to look like a MULLET." So she chopped it and I was so ok with it. There have been situations in the past where I have actually cried in the salon chair and one time actually told the lady who cut my hair that she had ruined my year (cause that is how long my hair takes to grow an inch)! She snapped at me and told me that she did what I asked...but she didn't. I have no way of explaining the devastation that she caused on my head. But I got over it.

(But here is the new do...P.S. I only have this pic. because my sometimes over-critical mother that I love very much who has NEVER like a haircut of mine wanted me to email her a shot because I couldn't go to her house after my appointment.)

N-E-WAY...that's is enough about me.

Speaking of drastic haircuts- Ali Carrie gets shaved tomorrow at 8am. I am really worried that she will be shy...some dogs slink around after your shave their hairs. But she really needs a shaving...she gets too hot on walks and if I don't brush her every day she looks like a raggamuffin - what is a raggamuffin anyway? Here is what she looks like...


(Just kidding Ali Carrie you know I love you more than cheese dip!)

It is 8:11pm and my Love will be home any minute...I need to get started on dinner: Terriyaki chicken, asian rice with sesame seeds, and sauteed summer squash and zuchinni!

Have a FABULOUS HUMP DAY!

Read All About It! - read all about what?

Good Morning All. I am skipping church this morning to get caught up on mental health...seems ironic to say but whatever.
One thing I admire and slightly envy is the list of "smart people" books that I read about on other people's blogs. Maughry being the main one that does this. Bean you said you were reading some book that I have never heard of. The truth is I really do want to be a reader. I have thought up ways to become a good reader: 1.) pick a book I am interested in and 2.) read it. But that plan does not ever work. So now I am going to use a new strategy: 1.) pick a book someone else is interested in 2.) commit 30 minutes a day to reading it.

The last book that I read in ful was:


(Do not be alarmed: I read this book WAAY before Summer 2005 which is when I met Mr. M.)

I loved this book. The reason I loved this book is because I had been on so many terrible "going nowhere" dates that left me running to my cell phone every time the phone rang hoping it was "that guy" - but it usually was my mom calling to ask if he had called. Yuck - so glad I am not out there anymore. Today I would say that no-one should take this book TOO seriously because if you don't have common sense that screams at you "He just isn't into me because he isn't calling me, he isn't dating me, he is having sex with someone else etc." then maybe you just need an ego boost and some self respect. However, Greg Behrendt, one of the authors of this book, also co-wrote one of my favorite HBO television series: Sex and the City.
(Some of you may be rolling your eyes, but I know for a FACT there are some of my readers who know that "Sex and the City" is FABULOUS!

Back to my original topic, while books like "He's Just Not That Into You" are entertaining, I feel that at this point in my life : 24.5 years old, married, working, schooling, etc. this book choice is unsuitable.
So my question is: Where do I begin to choose a grown-up book?
1.) I would like to learn about Christianity from a way less "Ten Steps to Being a Better Christian Woman" point-of-view
2.) I would like to learn more about current events/cultural issues.
3.) I do not like books that are 600 pages (yet) 200-300 pages gets me excited about reading.

WAIT...I did all this blogging about the fabulousness of Greg Behrendt and I just remembered that since I have been married to Mr. M I have read:...AND LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK...

Granted, I read this book about ten years after everyone else but none the less, I can say it was easy for me to follow, exciting to read, and made an impact on my spiritual growth.
So, I am looking for a list of suggestions from anyone with the knowledge that I loved "Blue Like Jazz" who would like to recommend some starter grown-up books. P.S. the books you recommend do not have to be classified "Christian/Spirituality".
Just throw a few favs. out there for me.

Caffiene Induced Creative Flare

You know what I mean by this caption...It is Saturday morning, I have a million things that I SHOULD be doing: homework, studying for finals, buying wedding presents for friends that I have let go by, going to Robertson's and ordering my own wedding album, etc. but instead I am having one of those Saturday mornings where the coffee tastes SO good and I am making a list of things that I don't HAVE to do...but instead, things I want to do because it brings me joy. Here is that list:
1. Clean our apartment and light candles in the every room so home smells good and feels cozy, change the sheets, Febreeze all the furniture.
2. Go on a walk.
3. Watch a good movie or read a good book.
4. Cook a meal tonight that Nick and I can't afford while listening to Charter Cable "Blues" radio and drink red wine.
5. Take a bubble bath.

There it is...my perfect Saturday ...oh and it is overcast with a chance of rain...PERFECT.
That sounds like a good Saturday at home to me






And I leave you with this question:
How much do I LOVE this doggy in the window?

This is for you Bean...

1. FIRST NAME? Laura

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? YES! Laura- after my grandmother and Elizabeth after my great grandmother

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Sunday morning...I was PMSing, tired, and in a STUPID skirmish with my best (girl) friend.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes I do.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Cracked Pepper Turkey with LOADS of mayo on wheat!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I have asked myself that before and honestly, I probably wouldn't . I have always thought it and I and almost positive because my closest friends are nothing like me. I have very strong tendancies and the people who love me the most give me balance.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? No

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes, I do

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically and emotionally - getting there.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Anything "coffee" or "chocolate chip cookie dough"

14. SHOE SIZE? 8.5 - 9

15. RED OR PINK? Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My temper

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my sister Mer and my girlfriend Lauren

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Sure why not

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? olive green shorts and a white "wife beater"

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Hmm, a strawberry pop tart- I was babysitting :)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Tuesday nights episode of "Last Comic Standing"

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? for some reason, turquoise just popped in my head so I will say turquoise.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Nick (hehe..sorry Bean)

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Lauren

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? The difference in whether or not they are Cocky/Arrogantor Cool/Confident.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes :) but I hope that I will know her better in the future

27. FAVORITE DRINK? flavored water or diet coke

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Volleyball, of course!

29. EYE COLOR? Green

30. HAT SIZE? Not a clue.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No I don't.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Mexican Cheese Dip, salsa, and chips!

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy Endings

34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White wife beater

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter for sure but Fall is best out of the seasons - I agree Bean

36. HUGS OR KISSES? I should say kisses because I don't like to hug people I don't know well...it's a personal space thing.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BLIZZARD FROM Dairy Queen.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND: Nick?

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND: Brian Gates (of all the bloggers)

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? books for school: Mathematical Reasonal and General Nutrition.

41.WHATS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad. Just a wooden desk.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Thursday night? nothing

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Rain, Jet Skis, "I love you" & "How bout Mexican?"

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Greece/Italy trip in highschool

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? All my friends say that I am funny but I disagree, I'm hilarious.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Baptist Hospital, Montgomery, Al.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? My sister in law