i almost forgot what the sun looked like

Wow. This is the second day in a row where the sun has been out. After weeks and weeks of clouds and rain and wetness, I forgot what it felt like to have the sun shine on my face. Ahhh....what a lovely feeling. Even if it is 52 degrees...the sun is still shining and that is what makes me happy.

Well friends, much has gone on in the past couple weeks. It's at times like these that I pull out the ol' ** bullet points **. None of them have anything to do with each other, but it helps me organize my thoughts. Feel free to comment on one or all.

* LOST IS BACK!!! For those who caught the season 4 premiere last Thursday, what did you think? I am in love with flash-forwards. Ok, so we know Kate, Jack, and Hurley got off the island. Who are the other 3 of the "Oceanic 6"? Any guesses? (I have some hunches) Also if you had to choose, would you be on "Team Jack" or "Team Locke"?

* Superbowl Sunday. What did you guys think of the game? I'm not necessarily a Patriots or Giants fan, but it sure was exciting, especially toward the end. I am glad the underdog won. As far as my favorite commercials:

1st place: Tide-To-Go
2nd place: Coke
3rd place: Bridgestone

* I can officially say that I saw "dead people". A couple weeks ago I went with some friends to the Tech Museum where Body Worlds 2 was on display. You pay 22 bucks and spend 2 hours looking at the muscles, bone structures, internal organs, and nervous systems of "plastinates" (dead bodies that are preserved using a technique involving plastic. Crazy!) After about 10 minutes of being weirded-out, I actually became quite fascinated. The human body is so beautifully intricate.

* I saw Cloverfield. Some people love it, some people hate it. I loved it. The shaky-camera wasn't as bad as I thought, or maybe I just got used to it after awhile. If you haven't seen it yet and want to, hit a matinee. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen with surround sound.

* Last week, the student ministries staff went to Tahoe for a retreat. We stayed in a fun cabin near Tahoe City. You could see the lake from our window. Gorgeous! Even though I am tired of the rain, I have to admit...it meant for GREAT snow up in the mountains. They powder was fresh, soft, new, perfect. We had so much fun playing in it - sledding, snowballs, snow angels, sliding on discs. We also had some great talks and bonding time as a staff, which was much-needed.

* We came home from our retreat and I went to my office to drop my stuff off. As soon as I walked in, I noticed a mini-refrigerator. Huh? Who put that in there? I opened it up, and guess what was inside? Watch the end of this video for a clue:

My students know I love The Office, so they decided to leave me some gifts, based from the show. They are too kind.




* My computer is possessed by the devil. It's an old laptop that my dad gave me when he got a new one a few years ago. It has a touch-pad for the mouse right under the keyboard. I won't even be NEAR it, and the mouse arrow on the screen will start going crazy. It's seriously goes nuts. It flies all over the screen and I just stare at it with my mouth wide open. What the heck is going on. I either need to learn how to exorcise the demon within, or get a new laptop. And since I don't know much about computers, I would love any advice or suggestions on what I should get. Mac or PC? What design?

* Because of the aforementioned demon-possessed laptop, I went to Costco to buy a back-up drive (so I can save all my pictures and music in case it crashes). As I was perusing the options, a dad and his 3 year-old son came walking by me. I have no idea what they had been talking about, but just as they passed me, I heard the little guy say in a hushed whisper, "Dad!!! I know what a 'buttock' is!!" And then he smiled real big. That kid made my day. Nay...my week.

* Music: Paramore. I am obsessed with them. Older sister Amy gave their Riot! CD to younger sister Emily for Christmas. I listened to it once with Em and dug it. I have been listening to it non-stop in my car. Hallelujah is my favorite song.

* I just finished a book and am looking for a new read. Any ideas?

* I voted today.

* I leave on Thursday to go back to Tahoe...this time with 15-20 college students. College Snow Trip, son!!!

Ok, enough typing for now. I need to go out and enjoy some of this sunshine! =)