Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Teaching English As A Second Language

I don't know why, but I just thought to look into this certification. Teaching English As a Second Language. I'm kind of debating it.

My boss kind of told me that my group COULD be subject to lay-offs soon. So I'm trying to figure out what I could do.

Does anyone know of a friend/neighbor/relative that has this? I might e-mail my old study-abroad supervisor...

We are led in whole bunches of different ways!!!

On a different note, I'm thinking about bringing crayons to work to 'make my own sunshine'.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Project O Luncheon







So the luncheon to support the Project O school fund went SO well at church today!! So I thought I'd add some pictures. Everyone said I was SO calm. I just told myself that God would help me through...and I TOTALLY believe that He did. We had a bake sale as well as the luncheon and while Steve and I were sitting at the pastry table, someone came up and told me that they have a fund and that they want to talk to us about putting money from their foundation towards the Project O school. :) I hope and PRAY that it works out!!

It's been a good day. :)

Friday, June 26, 2009

I Feel Like a Whore

As most of you know, Michael Jackson died yesterday. I helped MTV cover it a little bit before going home. I found out my co-workers were here until 1am fixing up the website so that it's all Michael, all the time.

Now, I am putting up promos for people to buy his records.

I feel like a whore.

Yes, this is a big deal, but people dogged him all his life and he's finally at peace. Why are we profiting off his death? People are selling t-shirts and water bottles at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem and people have to stand in front of his body so people won't take a picture of it.

Can't we respect the dead just a little bit?

Monday, June 22, 2009

In-Laws

My in-laws are coming to town. AND staying at our apartment.

There are a few reasons for my trepidation.

1) My father-in-law is notorious for being...difficult. Difficult would be the best word. For some reason, when my father-in-law is with my mother-in-law he gets very angry. It's really weird.

2) My father-in-law almost didn't come with because we don't have air conditioning. We invited them because I'm throwing a huge luncheon at my church and I'm the only one cooking. When I cook in our apartment in the summer, our fire alarm goes off. YES. That is how hot it gets in the apartment. I plan on having the oven on ALL DAY Saturday. (Not to mention that them being in town now takes away my only help with all of this, but that's okay. We DID invite them.)

3) We are batting 0 for 100 on things to get him out of the sweltering apartment.

So the first thing we tried to do was get tickets for them to tour Yankees Stadium. My husband forgot that we tried this before and couldn't get tickets. He assumed no one would care since it's new Yankees Stadium. By the time my in-laws decided they were actually coming 1) they couldn't get flights on Friday night and 2) Yankees Stadium tour tickets were GONE. You can get them on StubHub for 4 times the price (or more) that you would have paid originally.

Sports Museum of America! That's a good idea!! We remembered seeing advertisements for it last year on the subway when it was opening. Let's do that!!

IT'S CLOSED. What?! Less than a year?! Yes. Closed.

My father-in-law does not like museums, walking, or drinking. Which crosses SO much off our list of things to do.

Here's another thing. He was like, oh, I'll just watch TV at your place. WE DON'T HAVE CABLE.

0 for 100, people. 0 for 100.

Friday, June 19, 2009

My TOMS Entry

Define love.

That was a question my high school sociology teacher posed to me and my class.

We tried to tell him it was a feeling, something indefinable. That it was between a man and a woman or a mother and a child. Something intangible and beyond our grasp.

He never accepted one of our answers.

I've never been to the Valley of 1,000 Hills, but I know of it. I sponsor two children there – a 5-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. I've shipped boxes of clothes (and sure, sometimes cookies) and prayed that one day I could ship myself so I could see these children who I call "my kids". I wait for pictures and letters and can feel the tears forming in my eyes when I get a smile from somewhere far, far away from children I am not sure I will ever meet.

What I feel for them is not intangible. I can feel it pulse through my body. I want to know that they’re going to be okay, that they’ll be taken care of. I think about them and pray for them and want to do all I can to love them. I can’t look at the faces of these children without falling head-over-heels.

And I’ve taken the first step. I can give them my money, but they deserve more than that. Love is something more than talking, it’s something you do. I want love that is more than just giving money. I want to give with my hands and from my heart.

If I could talk to my teacher now, I think I would have a different answer.

Love is a verb and I want to live it.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday at Truth 4 the Journey

AAAHHHH!!! I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR TODAY!!! If you would like to officially be thankful, feel free to visit Sonya.

1) MY HUSBAND PASSED HIS FINAL CPA EXAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Can you tell that this means big things?!) As soon as he gets his license, it's time to look for a new job!!

2) Even though they kicked us off the first subway train today, I kept my cool and got to spend more time with my husband. Who cares if you have to wait for a few more trains? We'll all eventually get where we're going.

3) Sometimes I feel like...maybe God is whispering to me? I wrote my essay for the TOMS Shoe Drop in Durban, South Africa and I feel like God gave me some help. I mean, I guess we'll see. ;)

4) My friend, Sam. She's really been helping me with my faith and my insecurities and everything. I love talking to her and I think she's a great person.

5) My parents!! My parents have been so supportive of my husband and I, especially during his CPA exams (my dad is an accountant too). I just love them and can't wait to see them.

6) My blogging friends!!! I appreciate you guys and everything you say and do for me. I love that I have a set of people I've never met who really care for me.

7) THE LUNCHEON!!! The luncheon for Project O is coming up and I couldn't be more excited!! All I'm doing next weekend is baking. YES!!! I'm really hoping that we can raise enough money to help with the purchase of the school.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Hey guys,
How's it going? It's been a little bit. It's also been up and down lately.

Someone spit in my hair.

Yes.

Here's how it goes. I wasn't feeling well at the gym so Steve and I decided to go home. It has been decided by some people that it's fun to scare white people up in Harlem. Steve and I were walking home. Talking to each other. Only. And someone sneaks up behind me and literally screams, "HOW ARE YOU DOING?!" But I didn't jump this time. There was no reaction. And I just let it go, because I knew what was going on. Steve didn't jump either. We just let it go.

And then he spit in my hair.

They talked about us and walked away. Steve didn't even realize it and I had to tell him. I held it together for awhile, but then I burst into tears.

Here's what gets me: I would NEVER do that someone. Anyone. No matter how angry I was. And I think it hurt me to think that I could just be standing there and someone would do that.

We prayed about it, but I would just randomly cry throughout the night. Maybe that was stupid, but it felt so personal, you know?

But the rest of this week has been good. I got both of the bridesmaid dresses that I needed to come in. BOTH need alterations. Which would normally piss me off, but it means I've lost some weight, so that's good. Then, I got an e-mail about an essay contest for TOMS. For a shoe drop in The Valley of 1,000 Hills!!! How crazy is that?! I'm trying to write my essay now. I write frenetically and just submit things. I want to take my time on this one.

So how are you doing? How's your week been?

Monday, June 15, 2009

Friend-Makin' Mondays!

Hello, hello all!

I tried to post pictures of my pies that I made this weekend, but my Mac hates uploading pictures (weird, right?) so I do most of this at work. Shh!!! But I decided to take a break and do Friend-Makin' Mondays. Thank you, Kasey!!

So here's todays:

"So today's task is Confessions! Spill you guts"

1) My husband always ends up doing most of the laundry and dishes and I feel AWFUL about it. Horrifyingly guilty. I hate doing the laundry (we have to walk 10 blocks), but I don't mind dishes. He just always decides to start them and we don't have enough space for both of us to do it. I try and dry them though!!

2) I binge eat every once in awhile. Anything I can get my hands on. I hate it and I try to stop it.

3) Sometimes, SOMETIMES, I get really angry when I have to get up on the subway to give my seat to someone. Mainly, when someone asks me to get up. I know I shouldn't, but I still do. I don't mind getting up, but when I want to get up. I'm working on it.

4) My in-laws can irritate me to no end. Is that a confession? My husband's father almost didn't come visit because we don't have air conditioning. When we take them out to eat at different places (aka: not Olive Garden), his dad looks at us like we're eating monkey brains. I hope we go to Korean BBQ next time they're in town (which is in two weeks...)

5) I hate when my husband does laundry. Just in general. I get whiny and wish he was home. And then I feel guilty about it.

I'm really trying to work on it all though, you know? ;) I really am!!!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Happiness

Good evening, good evening!!

How are you guys doing?  

I'm having a good day, though my husband and I are a bit stressed.  We're waiting on his last grade.  He said to me that he'll be upset if he doesn't make "the timeline".  The timeline for a new job, a new place, a new life.  I told him that I'm proud of him no matter what.  No matter what I say, he still wakes up at 3am to look up his grade.

I've decided to make a type of stromboli deal.  I don't like salami or pastrami so I agreed to prosciutto.  I'm excited!  That's tomorrow's dinner.

Project O is a pretty sweet charity and my church has asked me to present on it in November.  I'm also doing a luncheon in June to raise money so that they can purchase a school.  Want to see what they're thinking of, school-wise?  Check it here.

How has God been treating you?  He makes me so happy!!  This new song that I heard, by Kendall Payne, is absolutely beautiful and EXACTLY how I feel (and am trying to feel) about God.  It's called "Burning Embers".  I can't find lyrics or a YouTube video for it.  So you should download it on iTunes.

"You feel like burning embers.
You feel like coming home.
You feel like my forever.
It's all I have to know."

Monday, June 8, 2009

Friend-Makin' Mondays!

Woot! I'm back from California and trying to cope. :)

Friend-Makin' Mondays is a time I fully enjoy. If you'd like to participate, go here.


1) TRAVELING.
I love to travel and the summer typically means now that I get to go see my family. This summer, we're going to South Korea as long as North Korea does not declare war.

2) NEW YORK CITY. Manhattan has some of the COOLEST free things for you to do over the summer. Next weekend, we're going to Shakespeare in the Park. Sure, it's getting up at 3am to get free tickets at 1pm, but we're making it a summer tradition. But I do NOT like the smells and the ridiculous amount of people. New York City stews in its own juices.

3) LESS WORK. I get summer Fridays! I get to leave work around 2-3pm and I LOVE it.

4) FRESH FRUIT. I love fruit. So very much. And the summer is good for it. It's definitely less expensive then.

5) FRIENDS. This time of year typically brings people to NYC. We don't get to see the people we love enough, that's for sure.

6) ROAD TRIPS. Steve and I can take a roadtrip or two during this time of year and I love it. We find as many ridiculous things to see as we can and GO FOR IT.

7) ICE CREAM. Steve and I go for Red Mango and Pinkberry now and I have a feeling we'll be eating lots and lots of it.


Hmm...is it sad that I may only have 7? We don't have air-conditioning, so we're always super hot. I pass out in the subways because they're so hot. It smells and is putrefyingly hot. But that's okay. I still like the summer.


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

A Wonderful Week

It's been a really great week for me this week! And mainly for all of my friends.

1) My friend Sam got most of her grades back (and they were really good).

2) My friend Rachel (I'm her matron-of-honor in September) was able to book pictures at the Cleveland Courthouse. Her heart was set on having photos taken here and they told her a bit ago that it was completely booked. So she called yesterday and they said that they had an opening!!

3) My friend Vanessa passed her Praxis test and is now a licensed teacher in Ohio!

4) My husband got a raise!!

And now tomorrow morning we're off to California for weddings and In N' Out burger.

How has your week been?

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Good Morning!

I am (almost) fully functioning again after the Movie Awards. I worked from 5pm to 4am on Sunday, crashed until 9-something and then came back in to work at 10am. But I DID get a full night's sleep last night. And it was beautiful.

How is your day? Or week? I'm starting to prepare for a trip to California. I am SO ready for In N' Out Burger and cruising down the 101. ;)

I have a new song. I love it. It was on a To Write Love On Her Arms blog post. The world needs more love and understanding.

Have you ever heard "Do You Only Love The Ones Who Look Like You?" by Molly Jenson.



Where's your heart?
Where's this love you talk about?
Did someone hold a gun
To your head?
Who's that girl you laugh about?
Did a feeling do you wrong?
You've been gone to long

Did love her?
Did you leave her cold?
Did you see her through?
Or do you only love the ones who look like you?

Where are you now?
Are you afraid of being found?
See I'm alone when you come around
Silly girl
What can you see from way up there?
Is that the world in devil's clothes?
Looking down your nose

Are you lonely?
Are my scars too deep?
Or do you have them too?
Or do you only love the ones who look like you?

Listen, love
To a melody for you
Would it change your point of view?
Or do you only love the ones who sing your tune?
Or do you only love the ones who look like you?