am i the only one who doesn't feel like i should be an "adult?"

I'm realizing that i am one more and more every day...beginning with the fact that i am truely struggling to make my new phone do what i want it to do...and ending with the fact that all i want it to do is make a phone call!

long gone are the days of text conversations that last for several hours. "Reply to text" is now a part of my to do list for the day. I feel that sweat pants are no longer appropriate day wear...even if i am achieving a "sporty look." And coffee is no longer a recreational activity on a rainy day...man, college is the good life. seriously! why did no one tell me? (ok besides that one song...bla bla bla)

1st time for everything...




this week i made Pazookie for the first time in Chattanooga...It is amazing how a simple recipe can make you feel an emotion but i'm not going to lie i feel a few. Seems like everything i cook is connected to a memory, and i can't even begin to write my Pazookie memories. And those memories only lead to heavy muffins, pancakes, and superbowl snacks. Which give way to coconut bra cakes, Thanksgiving celebrations engagement party...everything, and bread cooked for six hours in a 350 degree oven (aka charcole).


How is it possible that all of my memories of college are tied to food? Now i'm not going to lie i miss my friends. What sweet times. Unforgettable. Maybe i'm wasting time writing to absolutely nothing...but this whole leaving and starting over is new to me and i think its hard.

But this is not as sad as i had originally thought I say all of this to say...i started a new file for memories this week. I didn't throw out those old memories. They can never be replaced. I simply expanded my idea of friends and of sweet times. And it was all because of one simple dessert.

I never thought turning off the A/C would be quite like this. Not having a microwave is one thing...i always use my oven or stove...i make popcorn in a pot and not in a bag, tea comes from a pot of hot water...the list goes on and on. When i made the decision to live microwaveless i was unaware of this list. I've encountered another list as a result of my frustration with my electric bill. My only advice in all of this is to think long and hard before you come to my conclusion that life without the a/c must be better than any electric bill that you can not afford.

When i went to the thermostat to switch the money eating thing off the task was seemingly simple. What i did not know was that when i rains everything inside gets wet if you forget to close the windows. When you live in an ancient building the dirt from years of the windows not being cleaned blows inside your house and sticks to everything. And when you leave glass votives in the window sill (sp?) they are very likely to get blown off and shatter all over the only tile surface in your apartment. Not to mention the bugs...i'm a little freaked out by the bugs that have become a little more normal in my everyday routine. The fans are nice, but you really can't hear much over them as they harmonize with the roar of the industrial air conditioning units of the business next door.

The funny thing about this is that it's only been one week! What more could happen? I honestly don't know...but if it has anything to do with spiders i dont know if i'll make it. Basically people who lived without a/c must have been amazing people! a/c makes life so much easier and i never even knew!

i'd like to say that i'm doing this to "reduce my carbon footprint" as my friend mary said, but i really just don't want to give the local power company my money. I'm determined to lower my energy bill so i bought 2 fans and opened my windows and i am now sweating with all the many others who have lived without air conditioning and have survived.

A month later...

I can not believe it's been a month since i last posted. Last time i was writing i was sitting at my apartment in Sutter's Mill, in the yellow living room. Since then the living room has been painted and everything inside has been packed away, loaded first into cars and taken to my home,then into a UHaul...thats right a UHAUL!, and shipped off to Chattanooga...and I'm in Chattanooga too!

I also can not believe i have been here for almost a month! Bo and I love our apt! I have a RED door that i love...and we're waiting for friends to visit (*hint hint). I've only been lost twice and locked out of my apartment 2 times...the doors lock on their own which is a good thing until you go out without your keys or your phone.

Life has been absolutely crazy with Crusade stuff. We started two weeks ago

...staff team is awesome, there are so many kids! The students are so great too. Paul and Jason (my bosses) are wonderful and have built this ministry from the ground up...they started with only a handful of people and this past week there were 175 at our meeting (give or take a few). Not to mention the girls in my study on Tuesday nights...i seriously am blown away by the fact that there are 20 something girls who want to be discipled and more than that coming to the study! So needless to say i'm busy:)

I'm so sad that i haven't been able to post though...there are so many new exciting things here in Chattanooga. I love it here, and my mind is constantly brimming with things to write about, but sadly...no time. oh well...now that things are getting settled maybe ill write more. Until then let me just say that the food here is great! there are wonderful resturaunts, great places to go downtown, so many shops and my favorite thing so far is the market on Sundays. It'sa local farmer/art market...i love community stuff!!

note: humidity here makes me feel like i'm walking around in a pot of soup. gross

I'm visiting Ktown this coming MONDAY so if you aren't busy....i have training and hopefully a support appt or two...yep still need a little support. Ok here's the kicker i only need 5,500! CRAZY! Thank you all for your sweet prayers!

oversharing...

Is nothing sacred anymore?? Today i found out that one of my facebook friends said "i love you" for the first time...via facebook! I was saddened/extremely annoyed. Who needs to know this stuff? I mean facebook status updates are bad enough, and now we're "tweeting." (I don't care what if Twitter is better it's still the same concept.) You are telling too many people about the senseless details of your day. who needs to knowyou are in the kitchen, how much mail you got today or what color your poop was yesterday...please excuse the inappropriate 9 year old male lingo, but that's just how i feel. Half of this stuff that is posted would never ever be shared in person. Honestly when people overshare in face to face interactions they are considered annoying and socially awkward. Now somehow those people aren't being encouraged to join the real world as they should be. They can just overshare away to thousands of "friends" online who can respond with a chipper thumbs up or a sarcastic comment. This is crazy!

I realize that i sound like my mother, but for once i do not care. People, turn off your dang computers and talk to someone. I'm tired of this isolation that the computer allows. "No wonder America is falling apart," my mom would say and i think she is right.

I feel a tiny bit silly right now after i read over this little rant. i realize that i probably speak to no one, but at least i feel better now.

b

What can you get for $6??

FUN, laughter, and great conversation is the answer to that question! Rachel had the great idea of actually using our backyard now that we're all moving. so for $6 the other night me, rachel, laura, and mary had backyard smores over the grill in the backyard! Talk about the simple things in life! the only thing we should have done differently...bug spray. Had the bugs not been a bid annoying (and hungry) we could have stayed out forever.

Thought: We NEED to turn off the TV. We NEED to talk to eachother. No more mediocre bonding...only authenticity around here from now on. Backyard, campfire, sit at the dinner table to talk 100% REAL bonding.

Happy Birthday Beau!

Today is my puppy's seven week birthday. What a cutie. He's all of 2.9 lbs and is all the rage around here. He falls asleep in your arms...and anywhere else he finds himself feeling sleepy. He plays with his duck and is learning to chase a tennis ball. And aparently he likes chinese food because when i warmed up my lunch today he went crazy. This week he learned that the more he cries the faster I come running....i'm trying not to spoil him too much. Never in my life though would I have known my friends or family members would love a puppy so much. Now when I enter the room the first thing people say is "Beau!" The first thing my mom talks about on the phone is Beau. When i walk around downtown people want to talk to me...they've never talked to me before. They want to see Beau. We've been downtown two times since he came home to me, and i've got to tell you....KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN is so wonderful!!!

In addition to the fact that it is becoming more pet friendly, it's also becoming more family friendly. There are so many kids running around and lots of puppies to see. The shops seem to be getting cuter and cuter. Bliss and Abode have the most wonderfully unique ideas for decorating your home with modern elegant and functional pieces...whether it be a piece of furniture or a piece of art.

speaking of art...last night i was sitting at La Costa in Market Square with four of my beautiful friends and something on the wall at Bliss Home next door caught my eye...Chelsea Evans' art! I've been babysitting for the Evans this summer and i had no idea she had art at stores...so unique, fun, colorful! i absolutely love love love her stuff! Check it out at Bliss Home! She also has a web site but it isn't current. You could at least see some work though. www.arttini.com