BASKETBALL

Whew... it is almost over.

I've notice a lot over the last six weeks about twelve year old boys who play sports.

1- They think they know everything
2- They think they are the coolest
3- They don't respect women

I don't say any of this to be mean. I loved coaching (some of the time) and but I love that it will be over on Tuesday. Seriously, for some reason a woman's voice is on a frequency level that 12 year old boys simply cannot hear. They say things and do things to me that they would NEVER say or do if they had a male coach. They think they can change the plays I give them in order to better them and then get mad at me when the plays aren't working.

I have to say, coaching girls better be a lot more simple or I'll rip out all my hair.

Coaches to get paid enough. Having to deal with kids with attitude that don't want to listen, parents that don't pick their kids up on time, teachers that are full of advice you never asked for, and a dad that gets angry when his son doesn't get enough playing time in one game. Not to mention refs that don't know what they are doing and refs that are prejudice against female coaches.

I can't wait to start coaching the girls team. It can't be any worse than that, right?

What would Jesus Do?

thanksgiving

So, I kind of have a love hate relationship with Thanksgiving week. The week has always been really emotional for me for multiple reasons. Thanksgiving was never my favorite holiday because it was the only holiday that my family didn't spend with my cousins. As we got older the thanksgiving feast got smaller and smaller. Papa died, grandma started going to another son's house, Mike started celebrating with Beth's family, then Christopher got married and is celebrating with Erika's family. Mike and Beth moved to Arizona and had a baby, so mom and dad flew out there leaving me by myself for the big day.

I know there are other places I could go and I have had invites, but it's not the same. Plus I never liked Turkey, anyway.

But ever since I went to college thanksgiving break is so exciting cause all my cousins come home and we get to hang out and do fun things. This year is going to be esspecially fun. Tomorrow everyone gets home and we are going into the city for a flip cup tournament (which we will dominate at) and then spending the night at my cousins' apartment. I love hanging out with my cousins.

So that's my post - Heather gives me a hard time about not blogging regularly anymore so I'm trying to get back into the groove... please be patient with me.

Take my quiz.... it'll be fun!

click here

long overdue and so not worth it

Well, I owe Heather a blog post and I know she will never stop harrasing me until I post... so here it is; an update on my life...

I am not even sure what to say because I feel like my life is so boring. I already told all of you about my many jobs, all of which are going well. I started coaching basketball in the begining of the month. That has been really fun. I love my team. I started of really nervous, thinking "what did I get myself in to?" but after our first game I am feeling pretty confident that coaching this team is so worth all the craziness. Our first game was an away game against a team who had already played three games. We lost, but played a really good game. I was super proud of them.

Things with Ari are good--he went hunting this weekend and will now be eating bambi for the next 11 months. Crocket is cute as can be. I get to babysit the boys all day monday and tuesday. Life is good.

So, Heather, is this satisfactory? my life is so dull right now.

a conversation

A conversation between my mom and me this morning. mom is in yellow, im in red. :)

"Monaca, try this jelly"
"I don't like jelly, mom... but this isn't jelly it's jam"
"Whatever, Monaca"
"ooh, mom, you should invest in jam-off"
"whats jam-off"
"its an AMAZING jam... wanna see a commercial for it"
"oh yeah... get out of here."

Jam-off

Crocket -- 10 months old

Isn't this puppy the cutest???

He never stops working...

I wanted to post this (with permission) because I think it is important that everyone knows how amazing God is. His works are incredible. This is an email from my very dear friends in spain. Troy and Heather Cady are the team leaders and pastors of the church, Oasis Madrid. They have two beautiful kids, Meg and Nic. Here is their story.

.....
In the words of Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all doing direct the other way..."

You might want to get a drink, a box of Kleenex and get comfy, because this is an epic story!

On Tuesday October 17, we received a call from CAI to let us know that we absolutely had to have our account out of deficit by year's end. Many of our colleagues are, as we were, suffering financially, and CAI is not able to "float" all of us when that happens. We of course had already been working on fund-raising, but this put an extra amount of pressure on us. At that point, we believed we were about $8,000 in the hole.

It was a rainy, grey week, and our spirits took a real nose-dive. On Friday the 20th, we met with Nic's teacher and another woman who provides assistance to kids at the school. They expressed concern that Nicolas (who is definitely behind, having jumped into the British school system this year) might have some kind of learning delay or issue. Although on its own, this news was not terrible, added to the burdens of the week, it became the straw that broke the camel's back.

I think that Friday was the worst day we have experienced in Spain. As the rain poured down outside, we struggled and grieved. We cried a lot of tears. We talked about leaving Spain, even if the money came in.

On Saturday, we sent out an email asking that you join us in prayer on Sunday October 22nd. We really did not know what God was doing, where He was leading. That evening, we had a service. At the end of the service, they kicked Troy & I out and voted to give us a generous financial gift from the church. Afterwards they sat us down, gathered around us, prayed for us and cried with us. We went home feeling more peaceful and encouraged, but still wondering what God was going to do. We asked our kids some loaded questions about where we should live. Among other things, Meg said "I think it's important to live in Spain to tell people about God."

Emails began pouring in, speaking words of encouragement to us. People were praying with us.We were certainly not alone. That Sunday we spent as a family, talking and praying and asking God to show us what to do. We asked God only that He would get our account back in the black by the end of the year. We made the difficult decision that if it was not in the black by then, we would leave Spain at the end of the school year.

Then the financial commitments starting coming in. Some of them before we even asked; some of them after. All of them generous, one huge one from a man we have never even met before. Part-way through the process we found out that we were actually $12,000 in the hole after having paid for school this fall. Still, the emails kept coming.

As I write this, (between actual gifts and pledges) God has provided funds to wipe our deficit, pay for the next school payment in January, and begin to build up our required 2-month financial buffer. He has also sent $350 per month in new monthly support.

Needless to say, we are staying in Spain! God answered clearly, quickly and with overwhelming generosity. It's amazing. The difference in our emotional states has been remarkable. I think both Troy and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders.
.....

Amen.

jobs, friends, and gun wounds

Well, it has been a long time. I am not even sure if anyone read this anymore... I won't blame you if you don't. Anyway, if there is anyone out there that is still interested, here is an update on my life.

Work Factor:
I love my job. For those of you who don't know I am a teaching assistant for 6th grade special needs kids. It is pretty excellent. I work with some fun kids who are a challenge, but definitely worth it. I miss babysitting the twins every day, but they are in preschool now so I couldn't, even if I wanted to. Their mom has me babysit pretty often on evenings though, so I still get to see them quite a bit. I also just got a job for a catering company working as a waitress. I haven't started yet, but I think it will be fun. Plus, Celeste works for this company and the owner said she would try to have me working with Celeste. How awesome is that? Oh, and one more job -- Next week I have tryouts for the boys basketball team that I am coaching. How fun is that? So, I am busy, but enjoying every moment of the busyness.

Social Factor:
I have been having a lot of fun on the weekends. My friends and I found a great new dance club that is free on Fridays (before 10pm) so we try to get out there pretty often. The next time we are going is for Celeste's birthday in two weeks. My dog is getting HUGE... but he is as cute as can be and doing pretty well in his training. My friends Kendra and Brian just got engaged -- congrats to them. Let's see what else is going on??? Nope, that's about it. Good times had by all.

Injury Factor:
A direct quote from my friend Gerry: "You know, Monaca, it is mindboggling how much you hurt yourself." It is funny, because I haven't actually injured myself in a long time. Last time I was in the hospital (which was because of ear drum problems that were out of my control) was in august. And other than my back hurting from time to time, I have been alright. Until yesterday... this is pretty humorous though.

Yesterday, Ari and Celeste wanted to go to a shooting range to practice since deer hunting season is coming up. So they brought me with them and I had a lot of fun. I hit a bull's eye on my first shot fired and only missed twice out of the six shots I took. I was using Ari's shotgun which doesn't have a scope on it (a scope is the thing you put on the top of your gun to magnify what you are aiming at). Then I decided I wanted to try a scope so I used Celeste's gun. Let me set this up... When you shoot a shotgun, you need to have it really snug on your shoulder, otherwise it comes back it hits you really hard. But even if it's really close to your shoulder, it still pushes back. Well, if you have your face too close to the scope (as I did) then it comes back and hits you in the face (as it did to me). It was so cold outside that I didn't even notice how much it hurt but Celeste was like "ooh, we have blood" as she was taking off my saftey goggles. I cut open (pretty deep) the top of my nose right in between my eyes and my left eye is a little bruised. Needless to say, I can do without a scope.

And that's my life in a nutshell (help! I'm in a nutshell and I can't get out!)

I stole this one

I stole this one

1. How old do you wish you were? 21 is a good age
2. Where were you when 9/11 happened? I was in school--in the music department.
3. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? whine and complain
4. Do you consider yourself kind? I hope I am...
5. If you had to get a tattoo, where and what would it be? Why would somebody HAVE to get a tattoo? That doesn't make sense.
6. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be? Spanish
7. Do you know your neighbors? Yeah, the neighbors to the right have lived there all my life and to the left have lived there for ten years -- both are pretty great families!
8. What do you consider a vacation? A day of loungin by the pool with wine coolers.
9. Do you follow your horoscope? I think that is against my religion
10. Would you move for the person you loved? Of course.
11. Are you touchy feely? Definitely
12. Do you believe that opposites attract? Sure, on lots of levels
13. Dream job? I would love to write songs for someone else to sing.
14. Favorite channels? I don't really watch tv
15. Favorite place to go on a weekend? Lake Geneva with the boat
16. Showers or bath? I like baths but I never take them. Something about putting my tushy on a dirty tub grosses me out.
17. Do you paint your nails? No.
18. Do you trust people easily? hrm... I never used to but now I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.
19. What are your phobias? Heights. Earwigs. Loved ones dying.
20. Do you want kids? Not any time soon... if ever.
21. Do you keep a handwritten journal? Off and on.
22. Where would you rather be right now? With Ari.
23. What makes you feel warm and safe? When Ari wraps his arms around me.
24. Heavy or light sleep? Depends on the night. I vary between both extremes.
25. Are you paranoid? this is a weird question... why do you want to know?
26. Are you impatient? Very.
27. Who can you relate to? Everyone on some level...
28. How do you feel about interracial couples? Wow, where did a question like that come from? I have absolutely no problem with it and dont understand why there is even debate over it.
29. Have you been burned by love? No.
30. What's your life motto? It changes every week.
31. What's your main ringtone on your mobile? It is Hell's Bells by AC DC
32. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping
33. Who was your last text message from? Celeste
34. Whose bed did you sleep in last night? wouldn't you like to know.
35. What color shirt are you wearing? Tan--I'm wearing my Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt
36. Most recent movie you watched? Friday Night Lights
37. Name five things you have on you at all times? Underwear, cell phone, a necklace, a hair tie, my wallet.
38. What color are your bed sheets? purple
39. How much cash do you have on you right now? oooh - $40 cause I just got done puppy sitting.
40. What is your favorite part of the chicken? I only like the chicken breast if it is marinated and in pasta or salad.
41. What is your favorite town/city? Chicago, no contest.
42. I can't wait till... I move to Spain
43. What did you have for dinner last night? Ari cooked Chicken with mashed potatos and broccoli
44. How tall are you barefoot? 5'6
45. Have you ever smoked crack? Never
46. Do you own a gun? No. Nor will I ever.
47. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water to rehydrate myself.
48. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? uh... I don't lure....
49. Do you have A.D.D? Do you?
50. What time did you wake up today? 7:30
51. What is your favorite candy? Starburst
52. Current worry? No worries.
53. Current hate? steak... but thats a constant hate.
54. Favorite place to be? By the ocean.
55. Where would you like to travel? Ireland
56. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years? Whereever God leads me
57. Last thing you ate? white chedder popcorn
58. What songs do you sing in the shower? whatever is in my head
59. Last person that made you laugh? Ari
60. Worst injury you ever had? Internal bleeding in my left leg after I broke my ankle into a million pieces

Books

My friends, Julie and Mike, tagged me. So... here ya go.

1.One book that changed your life: After Silence by Nancy Raine

2.One book that you’ve read more than once: The Brother's K by David James Duncan

3.One book you’d want on a desert island: The Message by Eugene Peterson

4.One book that made you laugh: Revenge of the Paste Eaters by Cheryl Peck

5.One book that made you cry: Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park

6.One book you wish had been written: I dont know...

7.One book you wish had never been written: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

8.One book you’re currently reading: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

9.One book you’ve been meaning to read: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

10.One book you’d like to write: I don't have a title yet but I am in the process of writing a memior.

Now tag 5 people: Troy Cady, Heather Cady, Kelly Wills, Amy Baas, Ami Godoy

Here it goes again

Okay I found this on Wendy's blog and I had to share it with all of you.

Left-handedness

Ari is left-handed and he wrote this thing when he was in high school and he wants people to read it cause it is really good (in my opinion) so I am posting it. I think you should read it... if you don't I'll come after you...

THE DECLARATION FROM LEFT HANDEDNESS

Action of Ari Leo, September 17, 2001

The unanimous Declaration of the Left-Handed Community

WHEN in the Course of Writing Events,

it becomes necessary for all people who write with their left hand to say enough is enough, and to dissolve the genetic bonds which have made them left-handed, and to assume the equal opportunities and chances afforded to those who are right-handed, the reasons and causes for this must be declared.

WE who are left-handed hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are not created equal, that their left-handedness did not give them the same rights given to those among us who are right-handed. All children from henceforth shall be forced to become right- handed, resulting in a future society of only right-handedness. It has become impossible for the left-handed to function properly in our right-handed society. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.

Left-handedness has kept us from writing smudge-free on poster boards, which is a necessity for school.

Left-handedness has refused us the use of normal scissors and one can never find left-handed scissors when one needs to.

Left-handedness has refused to allow people to see what they are writing as they write, forcing one to write in an ungodly, twisted manner.

IN every one of these cases the left-handed have attempted to solve these issues: Ned Flanders attempted to open a store for the left-handed, but it was crushed.

No left-handed person has been unreasonable in trying to fit into society. We have very nicely vocalized our hatred for the inconveniences of left-handedness and on every occasion we have been repeatedly blackened by the ink or lead on our left hand.

I, therefore, the Representative of the LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE OF AMERICA, in my ROOM, By myself, appealing to the General Public of the World to save their kids from the horrors of LEFT-HANDEDNESS, do, in the name of the respected Ari Leo, declare that all ties are, and ought to be hereby dissolved between the LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE OF AMERICA and left-handedness, and that as a free and independent people have full power to levy war on left-handedness, and all other rights of the Right-Handed. We pledge to fully support each other in our quest for equality.

a piece of home

Yesterday I picked up the Cady family (the fam I lived with when I was in Spain) from the airport. It has been so good to spend time with them. A group of us hung out with them last night and then I hung out with them today.

First off, the great thing about good friends is that you can always pick up where you left off. When I saw them in April and again now, it is like we were never apart. The jokes and teasing start right away.

When I was in Spain, my friend Wendy came out to visit me and I remember talking about how it was so great to have a piece of home come to Spain and see where I lived and what I had been doing. And then in April I brought Ari and Celeste back to Madrid with me and it was so exciting to, again, bring a piece of home with me to Spain. It is so excited to have friends from Spain here. To have a piece of Spain (my other home) come out here to where I grew up and see what I have been doing. It's fun. Not too mention the endless laughing that happens when Troy is in a room. I definitely miss that.

The more they talk about Oasis Madrid (their church out there) the more excited I am about moving. I can't wait to be a part of this church full time. Oasis Madrid is doing great things out there... but more on that another day.

Spirit

I had to quickly share this crazy story with all of my fans/readers out there... whoever you are...

Yesterday I brought my puppy to the dog park. This is not an unusual occurance seeing as he requires a lot of exercize and I don't have the back to go running with him. But he loves it there. All the dogs get to run around and play without leashes. What could be better in the life of dogs?

It was about 7:00 when one women, Lisa, was taking her three dogs home. As she was loading them into the car she let go of the collar of her pooch, Spirit, and he ran out into the road where he was hit by a car. His head actually went into the wheel well of the minivan and he was in such shock that he just got up and ran as fast as he could across the street into a forest preserve. Of course, Ari and Margeaux and I felt we needed to go looking for this dog with the owner and a couple other dog lovers who volunteered. Almost two hours later and almost walking four miles... nothing. Lisa was a mess, as I would be if that happened to Crocket.

It was dark and the forest preserve rangers wouldn't let us look anymore, so we left disheartened. I gave Lisa my phone number and told her to call me the next day and I would help her look again.

The next morning Lisa called me to tell me Spirit had made his way to someone's house and was outside barking to be let in. That person let him in and called the number on the dog tags and Spirit was rushed to a 24 hour vet hospital. Luckily, he will be okay. He suffered some minor head injuries, but he is back home with his family.

REJOICE!

Twenty-Two!

Today is my twin cousins, Justin and Tommy's, 22nd birthday!

Now, anyone who knows me knows how important my family is to me... especially my cousins. They have been my constant friends, always there when I need them. I always have fun with them and no matter how old we get, they are still and always will be some of the most important people in my life. Plus, they always bring out the kid in me and remind me that it is the little things in life that really matter.

Happy birthday, you old farts! I love you guys!

tv shows can bring people together!

Back in October I wrote a post called confessions that were twenty things nobody knew about me. Well, in the begining of that post I talked about this girl Kelly Wills and how I had heard so much about her while I was in spain and how she sounded really cool and so on. Well, when I we nt back to Madrid in April I got the chance to meet her and had the chance to agree with all of those great things I had been hearing about her. Now, I've always thought she was pretty cool(I mean she was the one who brought me to get my nose pierced!) but today I have officially decided that Kelly could be my friend for life.

Anyone who knows me, knows about my (some would say) obsession (but I call it enjoyment) of the t.v. show ALIAS. My secret wish is to be Sydney Bristow because, seriously, how hott would that be? I constantly find myself looking around any room I have entered for an escape route or I'm thinking"what could I use to knock someone out if a 'bad guy' came in." When I was at Calvin some friends of mine would humor me and we'd run up and down the halls jumping around and doing somersaults pretending to shoot each other. I even learned how to get into my bed with a leap and then pulling myself up quickly in a "Sydney Bristow" fashion (mind you, my bed was stacked over another bed that was stacked on a bookshelf that was stacked on another bookshelf that was stacked on a desk).

Well, it turns out I'm not the only one in the world. Check it out here. I think I found a friend for life! :)

PS

I fixed it! The 'my pictures' link on the right of the page works now. Sorry about that! :)

Florida

Well, I am home. I can't believe my trip to Florida has come and gone. It's already the middle og July! Summer is half over...

Florida was awesome. The first four days we stayed at my parent's condo in Cape Canveral (where NASA is). We spent lots of time at the beach, lots of time with my aunt and uncle and cousins, and lots of time together. The night Andrea, the twins, and I got there my mom was already there. My dad came the next day and my brother and sister-in-law came the day after that. Needless to say, the condo was a little crowded but still a lot of fun. One day we even went to the Brevard Zoo and saw crocodiles being fed and got to pet a baby alligator! It was pretty excellent.

Thursday we left for Orlando. We went to Disney World (Magic Kingdom) on Friday. It was so fun going with the boys. They are four years old, so they get so excited to see the characters. We got pictures with Pluto, Daisy, Minnie, Mickey, and Donald. Donald even gave me a kiss on the cheek! :) But shhh... don't tell Ari. It's fun watching them experience new things. Saturday we drove back to the east coast and met up with my mom, dad, Christopher, Erika, Aunt Nonnie, Uncle Don, Karen, and Carmela in Palm Bay where we rented a boat. It was so cool! Before we even left the dock we saw an alligator within four feet of our boat! That was kind of scary but really cool. Then we saw Dolphins and jumping fish and played on islands. It was so fun!

Sunday and Monday we spent back at our Resort in Orlando. Most of the time we were by the pool. The boys had no fear of the water, so Andrea and I sat by the pool enjoying our Pina Coladas and Margaritas while the boys made new friends with the other kids in the pool! For dinner one night we went to an all you can eat crab and lobster buffet! Mmmmm. Fresh crab! Loooove it!

Getting home was a nightmare. We had a layover that we almost missed. Long story short- our first flight was delayed forty minutes and then another two hours while we were on the runway and then after our flight we had to circle the airport waiting to land for forty minutes. Luckily our connecting flight had also been delayed but had we landed two minutes later or the gate been far from where we got off - we definitely would have missed it. We literally were the last people on the plane. We walked on, got in our seats and the seatbelt light came on and we were being pulled away from the gate. So, we landed in Chicago at 12:45am--three hours later than when we were supposed to land...

So now I am home - safe and sound.

Tuuuuuushy update

Well, after I declared to everyone present that July 4 was the national day of the word 'tushy' we had a lot of fun with it. For those of you wondering who was present - Mom, Dad, Aunt Nonnie, Uncle Don, Cousin Karen, Karen's granddaughter Carmella, Andrea, Michael, and Nicholas. Just for clarification, Michael and Nicholas are the boys that I nanny and Andrea is their mom.

It's not hard to try to find ways to use the word tushy. For example, Michael's swimming shorts were falling down and he said "my tushy!" and mooned us all. My dad came home from his morning stroll on the beach to tell a story that went something like this:

"Remember how I lost my sunglasses in the ocean yesterday? Well, guess what I saw... I saw a shark wearing my glasses! And I said, 'hey give those back' and you know what he did? He turned around and showed me his tushy!" So the rest of the day we were hearing about how the shark showed Billy his tushy.

Along with overusing the word tushy I've had some awkward moments. Like when maintenance came to the door and Andrea and I were in are bathing suits playing in the tubby with the boys. Or when housekeeping came to the door to give me sheets and Andrea didn't hear the doorbell ring so I answered the door in my towel (I was just about to hop in the shower). There were more awkward moments, but I will leave it at these for now.

We went to Disney World today. The boys were so excited to see Mickey and Minnie and Daisy and Pluto and Donald! Our favorite was Donald -- he kissed me on the cheek! But shhh... don't tell Ari. Tomorrow we are driving back out to Cape Canaveral so that we can go on a pontoon boat with Christopher and Erika (bro and sis-in-law) and my aunt and uncle and mom and dad and Karen and Carmella. We'll see how that goes. It'll be fun to see the boys on a boat for the first time. I can't wait!

Florida and Tushy

So. I am in Florida.

This week came up really fast. All of a sudden Saturday night came and I realized I had to pack since I was leaving Sunday morning.

The twins are great travelers. We arrived in Florida around 9:30pm after a delay and a long layover. Then we had to wait for the luggage and get the rental car and then make the 45 minute drive from Orlando to Cape Canaveral. We didn't get to the condo until almost midnight.

Yesterday we woke up early and spent the entire day at the beach. The boys were so cute! I'll have to post pictures soon. They loved the waves. Then we went to the pool when we got tired of the sand. Then spent some time with my Aunt and Uncle and cousin for a BBQ.

Today we were back at the beach all day. We saw the space shuttle Discovery go off... that was amazing.

Sorry this is such a play by play post, just typing it all out quickly before heading out for dinner.

Just so you all know... Troy has offically announced today, July 4, as national "tushy" day. To find out why check out Troy's Blog. And I highly reccomend that you check it out! :)

I Can't Dance

Pay special attention to the ballerina's that was my favorite part...

I'm Back!

I can't say exactly how long this post will be because I have a restless puppy lying next to me... but here I go.

So I moved back in to my parents' house. That was really hard for me--not because of my parents but because of my pride. After I went away to college and wanted to try and make it on my own and I did. I lived with friends and delt with things that matter and whatever else. And here I am now, 21 years old and back at my parents' house.

My parents seem happy to have me back... well, most of the time. It has been good to be able to spend time with them, esspecially since I will be leaving them soon. Which brings me to my next topic...

The exciting thing about me moving back in is the reason I had to. I have made it official... I am moving to Spain. I am taking off school this next year and working full time as a teacher's assistant and possibly have a second job as a bartender. I'll save up all my money so that I can move to Madrid in August of '07. I'll probably get a job as a TEFL (teaching english as a foreign language) teacher and I'll go back to school at St. Louis University.

And my dog is going crazy now so I need to get going. More to come later. Keep checking -- now that I got internet hooked up, I'll be posting more regularly!

And I have strep throat... wonderful.

I'm falling off the face of the earth...

I took an IQ test!

Your IQ score is 129

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns. And that's just some of what we know about you from your IQ results.

WHAT?? Where did this come from? Why am I good at the things I hate?

When will I breath?

This week I barely worked at all, and yet my body feels like I have worked more than I normally do. I am exhausted, I have had a four day headache and my back is killing me. This week has been insane.

It started with Friday. Friday night we had my birthday party at my house, which, by the way, was wonderful. I had so much fun with friends, dancing and singing and no drama! Then Saturday I went shopping with Carle (Ari's best friend) but, as we all know, shopping stresses me out. Partly because I know I have no money to go shopping but there are things that I definitely need to buy. So where does that leave me? Then Saturday night Ari and I went to his old high school to watch his sister play in the pit orchestra for The Wizard of Oz. It was actually pretty good.

Sunday morning Ari and I woke up early and drove down to the Quad Cities (which is about 2 1/2 hours away) to watch my sister-in-law graduate. This graduation was ten times better than my brothers... no offense, Christopher, but I was actually comfortable! For the last 40 years they have had graduation in the gym at the college, this year they moved it to a very comfortable Auditorium/concert center in the town. THANK YOU AUGUSTANA.

Monday I worked all day and then went to a college group BBQ. And then comes Tuesday.... Oh Tuesday...

Tuesday I woke up early to drive Ari to work, since he doesn't have a car. Then I came home and talked to Matthew (one of my housemates). He hurt his back the night before at work and needed to go to urgent care. So I drove out to urgent care, dropped him off, then drove out to my friend, Hillary's, house. Then Matthew called me so I went to pick him up and drop him off at home and then drove the extra 30 minutes back to Hillary's. She left for South Africa for the summer on Tuesday... I am really going to miss her. After Hill left, I drove forty minutes north of her house to meet a good friend of mine for lunch. She was making the drive from Michigan to Minnesota and wanted to stop in Chicago to see me. After lunch I drove to my parents house, picked up my dad and drove him to the airport. By the time I got home from the airport it was almost 7:00pm, time to pick up Ari from work. I picked him and his friend, Sam, up and we drove out to Lisle where he is looking at renting a condo. Then I dropped Sam off at his house and went back to mine and ate dinner at 10pm and crashed for the night.

My back is killing me from being in the car so much the last couple days and my bank account is quickly diminishing with all the money I have spent on gas.

The thing is, through all of this I have become really cranky because I have completely neglected my alone time with God. And we all know who I become when I don't get that.

So that's been my life in a nutshell. Oh yeah, and today I need to be completely moved out of my room... have I mentioned my room is a disaster zone? I better get started on that. ugh.

Ode to Erica

I have a story that I feel like I need to share with everyone.

Seven years ago, my cousins and I were sitting around in Aunt Cheri's kitchen talking about our weird bodies. My cousin Erica (who is 5 years older than me) laughed about how she has a "double elbow." Her left elbow had this large bump you could see if she turned her arm a certain way. We all laughed and called her a freak and went on our ways.

Fast forward a couple months. I was sitting at my parent's kitchen table and my mom told me that Erica has a lump in her arm that is growing and she is going to get it checked out. My self-preservation mode kicked in. "No big deal" I said, "that kind of this is pretty normal!"

Fast forward about three weeks. I was in eighth grade. My brother was having a party/BBQ with all of his cool high school friends. It was warm outside and we were out on the deck (it was almost summer). The phone rings and my mom goes inside and stays there. My dad tells Christopher and me to come inside for a little bit and, of course, I think nothing of it. My mom tells Christopher and me to sit down because she has "something to tell us." Now I'm starting to worry. "Erica has cancer" she says.

I remember that moment so vividly. I even remember the smell -- I could smell the lilacs picked from our lilac bush that were sitting on the kitchen table. I could hear everyone talking outside, laughing and having a great time. I wanted to scream. My cousin had cancer and the rest of the world was going on enjoying themselves. I recited the line in my head again, "Erica has cancer" and then I heard two people laughing. To this day I still remember who those two people are that laughed because for a brief moment, I hated them more than anything in the world.

At the time, Erica was a student at Notre Dame-the school she has always wanted to go to. She didn't get to go back the next year. She stayed home and went through intense chemotherapy. I wasn't around very much that year. I was too scared to be near her, but I remember the battle. I remember when she lost her hair and her brother's shaved their heads. I remember when she was admitted into the hospital time after time because her immune system was so weak even a common cold could kill her. But more than anything else, I remember her being so strong. I remember seeing her laugh and hearing stories of jokes they told in the hospital room.

Erica was a fighter and she won. Five years ago we went to Pompei (a great resturant downtown) and reserved our own room to throw a party for her. She was cancer free and done with treatments.

She went back to Notre Dame and finished school. After school she spent a year downtown volunteering at Mercy Home, this place for delinquint/troubled (or whatever you want to call them) boys. After that she went to law school at Northwestern. She's always wanted to be a lawyer and Erica always does what she wants to do. She spent a semester studying in Australia and she spent some time in Africa studying African law.

Erica graduated on Sunday. I went to her graduation and then the big party at pompei. I am really proud of my cousin. I admire her more than anyone else I know. She has been an inspiration to me to live my life to the fullest and the way that I want to do it. She also has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. Not to mention, she is really fun and knows how to have a good time! :)

So Erica, congratulations. I am proud of you and I love you.

settling down

This week/weekend has been absolutely crazy. I have been going non-stop for the last 6 days. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself now that I have a little bit of free time. So I guess I will just write about the last couple days.

Celeste's great grandma (Gigi) died on Tuesday. We just celebrated her 90th birthday in April. We all knew it was coming but it was still really sad for everyone.

Thursday I babysat until 9pm and then went over to Ari's house. His mom's sisters and brother and mom all came in town from Minnesota. It was really good to meet everyone and hear stories and so on. Ari's uncle fixed up his dad's boat and gave it to Ari's mom for her birthday--which bring us to Friday: Ari's mom's birthday.

We went to Pal Joey's (a pizza place) and there were a lot of people there. It was fun, I really like Ari's and Celeste's families. They are great people and know how to have a good time. Plus, I really love Ari's mom so I am glad I got to be there to celebrate her birthday with her.

Saturday was Gigi's funeral. I always chuckle at the people who say things like "she looks good" when the dead person who "looks good" is lying in a casket. I heard a couple of those comments on Saturday, but then I also heard stories about Gigi's life and how this amazing woman touched others' lives. I've been blessed to know her even in this short time--because I know that Celeste and her mom and her grandma (whom I all enjoy immensely) would not be who they are if it weren't for Gigi. The funeral, although sad, was also a celebration of the wonderful life she lived and a celebration that now she is with Jesus, in whom she trusted.

Saturday night I went to this great Japanese resturant with Ari's family. It was really fun. They cook the food on a grill that is connected to your table. It's actually really cool. And we came back home and played great games like apples to apples and wild and crazy 8s. I love games.

I'm saving Sunday for a post on it's own...

and yesterday (Monday) was my birthday! I am finally 21. It is now legal for me to drink. It's funny everyone assumes now that I'm 21 i'm going to be drinking all the time... definitely not true. All in all it was a great birthday though. I got some phone calls from some pretty wonderful people. I spent an hour and a half talking to one of my best friends (Ann) who called me all the way from the Middle East. And I got to spend time with people who are really important to me. I ate dinner with my parents and then Celeste, Ari, Hillary, Justin, Anna, (and a couple other people), and I went to a great Irish pub. Fun times were had by all!

And now it is Tuesday. I finally get to relax. I think my weeks are settling down now. I hope.

The Evolution of Dance

This is a hillarious video!

my funk

I haven't really posted much in a while because I don't really know what to post about. I have been in this sort of funk for a while now and I'm not really sure how to get out of it.

My life isn't bad by any means. I have parents that love and support me. I have a boyfriend that would do anything for me. I have friends that are encouraging and fun. And most importantly, I have a Savior that has given His life for me.

Its not that I am blind to the continuous support around me or the great friendships I have. I value them greatly and realize how lucky I am. So why is it so hard for me to get out of this funk? Someone whose opinion I truly value told me the other day that I have become unreliable and flakey. That is not the kind of person I want to be.

I want to be someone with passions so deep everyone sees them. Someone who knows who they are and who they want to become. Someone who lights up a room just by being in it. Someone who loves others without question. Someone that people will know that I have something special (ie. Jesus) from just one interaction. I don't want to preach the gospel through words, but through action... and I don't think I have done that lately.

Maybe my problem is that I know who I want to be, but I have no idea who I am right now. I know that I am a daughter of Christ but that is about all I know.

So where do I go from here?

i promise ill post somthing with substance soon.... until then...

Yeah I'm a loser...
=======About You=======
name::	mon
hair color::	black
height::	5'6
weight::	lets not go there
eye color::	hazelish brownish thing
your style::	it's called the monaca style
pant size::	not going there
shirt size::	medium or large
do people spell/say your name wrong?:	all the time
are your parents still married?:	yep
how many siblings?:	2 older brothers and 2 sister-in-laws
+++++Have You Ever+++++
Sat on Your RoofTop?:	yes
Kissed in the Rain?:	yes
Laughed So Hard You Cried?:	yes
Gone out of your way to befriend someone?:	yes
Been in Love?:	yes
Performed on Stage?:	yes
Nearly died?:	yes
Lied?:	yes
Bitched someone out?:	yes
?????Random??????
Do you belive you should be in love to have sex?:	i believe you should be married
How do you feel about God?:	we're buddies
How many true friends do you have?:	i dont count my friends
Who is your best friend?:	kelly wagers and ann milauskas
Who knows the most about you?:	ari
Who is your ditziest friend?:	not going there
Who is your funniest friend?:	troy
Which friend do you fight with the most?:	i dont really fight with my friends
#-------The Last Person To----------#
Laugh at You::	ari
Text You::	hillary
Touch You::	ari
Write you a note::	ari
What was the note about?:	it was a long time ago... i think he was apologizing for something dumb he did.
Sing to You::	ari
Hold You::	ari
Cry WITH You::	celeste
Take Your Photo::	not sure
Call your Cell::	Ari's mom, actually...
Drink With You::	celeste and ari
""""""""""Right Now"""""""""""":
What are you wearing?:	boxers and a tank top
What's in Your Bag?:	everything - my bag is very much like marry poppins' bag
What are you saving up for?:	to move to spain

Dear Mr. President

Okay I haven't always been the biggest Pink fan, but I support this song.

Home

Well, I am back from Spain and here are my reflections.

When I went away to school at Calvin, I wrote a speech about my family. I talked about how my cousins are my best friends and how a piece of me dies every time I am away from them and then comes back alive when I am with them. I have never felt that way with anything else, until I went to Spain.

When I am in Spain there is a part of me that comes alive. I feel whole. I feel good. I feel like I belong. Not in a sense of "I fit in" but in a sense of "this is where I am supposed to be." Which is great when I am there, but really not so great when I come back. I fall into this semi-"i miss spain"-depression. It is so hard for me. Not that I don't love being around my friends and family here, but there is a small part of me that dies when I leave a place I love.

My brother, Christopher, told me that he thinks I need a change in my life and I know he is right. I have always had a sense that there was something greater out there and that is where I belong. I hated high school; hated it with a passion. I thought Calvin may have been the change that I needed, but it wasn't. I came back home and thought going to community college and living with my friends might be the change I needed but it wasn't. After going to Madrid this summer I thought moving there might be the change I needed but I didn't want to get my hopes up. When I went back again, I knew. I know that is where I am supposed to be. And not just because of the people.... but everything. The culture, the church, the friends.

Don't get my wrong, I love my friends here and I am so glad I did everything I did cause otherwise I wouldn't have met so many great people. But my heart is definitely in Spain and they say home is where the heart is. So now I am just concentrating on how I can go back home as quickly as possible.

For those of you who do not know... the reason why I haven't posted is because I am in Spain...

Lots to say but no time to say it in so check back in the next couple of days. There will be some good stuff.

In case you were curious... I am loving it here. It's good to be home.

More pics of Crocket

By request (ahem, Justin) here are some more pics of my puppy..



here he is yawning... awww

Here he is sleeping on Joel.

Ready to pounce...

Being super cute.

My little cuddler...

I am...

Heather did this on her blog. She told me I should to it too and since I do anything she tells me... here it is. If you want to do it, the format is here.

I am from refrigerator boxes that can keep everyone amused for hours, from maytag and caputo’s

I am from the smell of something cooking in the kitchen, the sound of small paws on the hardwood floors and pots and pans clanking at dawn

I am from the cheap flowers that decorate our kitchen to the apple trees and tulips and evergreens that decorate our backyard

I am from the family BBQs and loud parties where everyone competes to be heard, from Francesco and Fortunata and Grandma Lucy

I am from true competitiveness, family importance, and catholic guilt.

From your face will stay like that and stop touching each other and silences where bad words were thought but not spoken

I am from saying the rosary and praying to Mary, standing up and sitting down when told to, rehearsing words I never knew the meaning of.

I’m from Chicago and Italy and England and Ireland, from pasta with every meal and grams’ homemade zugu

From the Italian grandfather who didn’t like to talk about his childhood and the father who isn’t Italian

I am from dusty bookshelves and dirty cabinets containing photo albums that have since been forgotten

Confessions

I have a confession to make. This is really hard for me to admit, but I feel like I finally need to get it out into the world. I feel like maybe once I tell everyone my dark secret, a huge burden will be lifted...

So here it goes...

Celeste, one of my roommates, came home one afternoon with some DVDs. When I got home from my doctors appointment that day she was intently watching Desperate Housewives (for those of you who read this who aren't living in this country, it's a very highly talked about show... but just look at the title and imagine what it is like). I layed down and started watching it with her and slowly began taking an interest. I started asking questions.

Throughout this week Celeste and I have watched three of the six discs of season one. And we actually enjoy it. I find myself randomly thinking about it. Telling Ari stuff like, "we found out that the guy who was hitting on Mrs. Solis is actually gay and the guy that is gay with him is Andrew.... you know the redhead who is married to Rex? her son!"

It's funny because on the show there are four women who get together every so often and gossip about the street that they live on (where everyone knows everyone) and I feel like I am turning into one of them. It's really scary.

I guess I am not too ashamed because I was expecting the show to be very sex oriented and I was suprised by how wrong I was. It's actually not. And though it is very unrealistic, it isn't a bad show.

What is wrong with me? Why can't I stop watching??

Living with Celeste has turned me into a tv watcher. I am also now an advid watcher of Gilmore Girls (which actually is a great show). And Celeste and I are thinking about renting the lost dvds. The thing is, we are smart enough to not watch these shows when it's actually on tv. We watch the dvds. That way, we can always go to the next episode and there are no commercials and we can watch them whenever we want.

I'm pathetic.

CROCKET

This is my puppy, Crocket. We were going to get Boone, but then we talked to the shelter about hunting and they told us Crocket was a better hunting dog. He is much more obedient and independent than Boone. Anyway, I'm glad we got him because Crocket is the most adorable, well-behaved puppy I have ever seen in my life!!

He is super curious about everything but doesn't really nibble on anything (except our Nintendo 64 cords) and he has picked up on things very quickly!! He always listens when we say no and he is easily distractable, thus goes from chewing my toes to chewing his bone quickly.

He loves to sleep (as all good dogs should). The above picture is of a dog and his master, drooling together. He is not easily bothered, even when I put my face up to him while he is sleeping. He loves to burrow his nose in between things for warmth and even lets me put my head on him while he sleeps.

The best thing yet... he hasn't "gone potty" in the house yet. We were a little worried about house training him but he has been so good. Three times in a row we brought him outside did his business and went back in. Not to mention all the other times we stopped on the car ride home and walked him around a while and he went.

Right now he is in his Kennel and sound asleep. No whinning, no barking, nothing. He's so good.

You all should come over and see this dog!!!

Googleness

I found this on Heather's blog. Since I am a follower, I followed. Apparently you have to type your answers into google image search and then pic the picture that you like the best off the first page. So, read mine and then go do yours... Oh yeah.. and read the post before this to see pics of my new dog!!!! :)

First name: Monaca

Middle name: Marie

Last name: Thomas

Age on my next birthday:21

City I grew up in: West Chicago

Favorite color: blue

Favorite food: manicotti

Place I'd like to live: Madrid

Place I live now: Glen Ellyn

A habit I have: cracking my knuckles

Favorite animal: dog

Religion: Christ follower

Dream Job: Social worker

Grandmothers name: Fortunata LaMonaca

Favorite smell: homemade food cooking at my mom's house

Boone

IS THIS NOT THE CUTEST DOG EVER??????

HE'S MINE!!! (and Ari's!!)


His name is Boone and I shall call him squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy!

thumbkin

So, I figured I would give a nice little update on my thumb. I got some x-rays on Monday and my thumb is broken. There is an edge of the bone that is chipped off and then a small crack in the the bone. They wrapped it up and gave me a molded splint whatever else. I go back to the doctor in two weeks and if the bone is not healing properly (which I have hope that it will heal properly) then I need to go in for surgery.

Quote from Ari:
"Just think, a few months ago you were.... much different" I think he was referring to running through sprinklers and bowling and playing soccer and stuff"

When will the busyness end???

Ouch...

Today, I slammed my thumb in the car door. The door actually closed on my thumb and I had to pull the handle with my other hand. It hurt so much. My neighbors must have thought I was crazy because it hurt so much that I couldn't breath and Icould not make a sound. So, instead, I dropped my phone (which broke in half) and threw my car keys into the yard (which I later had to go looking for) and I hunched over groaning and making weird noises (amazingly no vulgarity came out of my mouth) and then I walked up to the porch and rang the doorbell hoping my brother would come to the door as quickly as possible. My entire thumb under my nail is bruised and on the other side there is a nice bruise in a line and a nice indentation.

Dad wanted me to go to the hospital because I couldn't really feel my thumb and he thought I may have nerve damage. I haven't decided if I will go or not. He also told me that the next time he sees me he is going to wrap me in foam because I am a "walking hazard..." It's so true.

Anyway, just thought y'all could get a nice laugh out of my stupidity.

first attraction

Yesterday, Ari and I went out for table side guacamole at Cozymels (which was amazing, by the way). When we were there we were talking about how Ari has never dated a girl he was friends with first. I said, "yeah but we were friends before we started dating" and he told me that that was kind of true and that even though we were friends he always knew that he wanted to date me. Which I didn't actually know. I started thinking about when I realized I wanted to be dating Ari and after thinking about it this is what I decided. One of the first things that attracted me to him was when he decided he wanted to come up to Michigan with me, when he barely even knew me. But the day I knew I could date him was a month before we started dating. The weekend after Michigan. Here's the story...

A group of us drove up to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin and rented a boat and went tubing and water skiing and whatnot. That ended up being one of the best days ever! Then we were driving home and Ari was driving and I was in the front seat and it was 12:30am and I saw some sprinklers on the side of the road so I said, "lets go run through the sprinklers" half joking. Ari said "okay" and pulled over the car. We both got out (everyone in the back was sleeping) and ran through the sprinklers and got back in the car. It was awesome.

Almost everyone who knows me knows that I constantly say things like that secretly hoping that people will do crazy things with me but knowing that they will always so no. Well, from that day on I could always count on Ari to be crazy and random with me. Which made me quickly fall for him.

Grandma Dedic

When I was growing up, and still to this day, I alway had a kind of second family; the Dedics. Madeleine and Ken were my (as Erika would say) back up mom and dad. Carrie was the only sister I ever knew and Kenny was just like another brother (as if I needed any more). When I was a kid I remember seeing grandma dedic at all of the big gatherings at the dedic's house and I loved it. She was always such a wonderful person. I remember how her eyes lit up whenever one of her grandchildren walked into the room and how she genuinly cared about each and every family member, and that included the Thomas'. She made me feel special. She was different than any other person I knew. It wasn't that I ever liked her more than my grandmas (my grandmas are pretty wonderful as well), it was just that I enjoyed being in her presence. I enjoyed the atmosphere that she brought with her everywhere she went. As I grew older I learned to appreciate her sense of humor and quick wit. I loved her a lot and always thought of her as another grandma of my own. When my mom called me on Tuesday to tell me that she had passed away, I tried so hard to not let it bother me. I tried so hard not to cry (which I think bothered Ari a lot). Then I went to the wake on Thursday and avoided the casket and told myself I was just there to be a friend to the Dedics. Then yesterday was the funeral. I lost it. I barely made it through the hymn they sang in the very begining. The thing was, as I looked around at all of Grandma Dedic's children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren my heart grew heavy. This amazing woman had an impact on so many people. Every one she came in contact with were deeply touched by her love. And it made me sad to know that whoever I marry will never get the opportunity to be loved by her. And if I ever have kids they wont get the chance to love her as much as I do. And then I started thinking about how much she suffered in her life. Through all the health problems and cancer and everything else, and she survived and lived her life... 91 years of her life. And now she is in Heaven with her Lord whom she loved so much, which just made me cry harder. But this time they were tears of joy. Tears rejoicing the fact that she had such a fulfilled 91 years of life. Rejoicing that she had so many people at her funeral that loved her and so many people who couldn't make it who loved her and were so deeply impacted by her.

So, in parting I just want to say...

We little knew that morning
God was going to call your name
In life we loved you dearly
In death we do the same
It broke our hearts to lose you
You did not go alone
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home

You left us beautiful memories
Your love is still our guide
And though we cannot see you
You are always at our side

Our family chain is broken
And nothing seems the same
But as God calls us one by one
The chain will link again.
-Author unknown

NEW PICS!

I just uploaded a bunch of pictures onto my website. To view them click here -- my photos

The new albums are:
New Years Eve--I went to a a family party at Aunt Cheryl's house which was, as always, really fun. Goodbye Ann--One of my best friends, Ann, went to Yemen for language school. This was her last night (well, her last night was spent with family, this was the night before her last night)
Fun times--These are mainly pics of fun times shared with my friends. From Ari and me just being us to a group of us driving up to Wisconsin for dinner to random pictures of random people. But it's fun! :) check them out

So jealous (but in a good way)

My cousin, Justin, is spending his semester in Australia. He is taking a bunch of great classes and doing a bunch of "once in a lifetime" things. Last week, he learned how to surf. How cool is that? Okay, for me, that is really cool, since learning to surf is on my list of things I want to do before I die. But seriously, this cousin of mine is now taking the month of February to travel (and he is miraculously only missing one class). So, he leaves for the Outback today and will be there for five days. Then next week he is going to Tasmania for five days. Then off to Caims for five days. And finally to Whitsunday Islands for three days. Did I mention that on his way to Australia he stopped for a week in Fiji and on his way home he will be in New Zealand for a week and a half? Man....

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because the way this trip is changing my cousin is humbling. He quickly adapted to the culture and idea of "no worries." He is enjoying the little things in life. He is off learning to surf and traveling and still getting schoolwork done and laying on the beach perfecting his tan and celebrating Australia Day and so on. Before he left he woke up at three in the morning to stand in line to get into the Price is Right and he appeared 37 times on the show (he was sitting right behing the contestants).

And when I think about all of this I ask myself, "self... what has happened to you?" I know this sounds really stupid, but I have let myself become the one thing I don't want to be. I go to class, go to work, come home and get my chores done, and then I am spent for the night. I wake up the next day and do it all over again. I rationalize before making any decision and miss out on a lot of fun things that way. I used to be the person that would up and go whenever. Ready for anything.

So these past two weeks I have been trying to change back to the old Monaca who loved life and randomeness. Which has been fun, I have ended up on two random two hour road trips. I have been more spontaneous and I have been laughing a lot more. Why aren't more people like this?

Anyway, I know that was a bunch of non-coherent, rambling but... you get the idea.

Blonde joke of the century!!

OK-- I am not a fan of blonde jokes but this one had me laughing all morning -- not even joking... I found it on Julie's blog. To read it, click here.

Heather Cady sent this to me in an email and since I have nothing else to do except for homework (which I have been doing all day)... enjoy.

1. What time is it? 3:51pm
2. Your name: Monaca
3. Nickname: Mon, Mony, Italy
4. Piercing: Lots in my ears
5. What is the most recent movie you've seen in the theatre? I saw Narnia on Christmas
6. Eye colour: hazelish
7. Place of birth: Winfield, IL
8. Favourite foods: Any type of pasta, chicken parmesian
9. Ever been to Africa? No, but some day
10. Ever been toilet papering: yeah, back in the day... which was a wednesday by the way. Any time someone is talking about back in the day it was always a wednesday. Take that home -- chew it. It's delicious.
11. Ever love someone so much it made you cry: What am I? In eighth grade?
12. Been in a car accident: Oh, lets not go there.
13. Croutons or bacon bits: Like all foods, it depends on my mood
14. Favourite day of the week: Saturdays -- I get to sleep in, then Celeste and I make homemade waffles and then Saturday nights Ari and I usually get to go out because neither of us have to work on Sundays.
15. Favourite restaurant: At the moment I am craving Chili's boneless buffalo wings. So I will have to go with Chili's
16. Favourite Flower: White daisy
17. Favourite sport to watch: futbol (aka soccer)
18. Favourite drink: Hot: coffee with baily's irish cremem in it Cold: water
19. Favourite ice cream: Breyer's vanilla bean
20. Disney or Warner Brothers: Disney without hesitation
21. Favourite fast food restaurant: Arby's or Fazoli's
22. What colour is your bedroom carpet: Carpet in my bedroom? that's unheard of! I am a hardwood floors kind of gal!
23. How many times you failed your driver's test: I didn't
24. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail: Ann Milauskas
26. What do you do most often when you are bored? If I am home, I get online and see if Heather or Ann are online. If they are not (which is pretty likely considering the 7-9 hour time differences) then I read or watch a movie or fill out stuff like this...
27. Bedtime: between 11pm and 1am
28. Favourite TV shows? ALIAS
29. Last person you had dinner with? Last night Celeste, Gerry, Josh, Charles, Ari, and I drove two hours to eat dinner at Prime Quarter in Wisconsin
30. Book you've read most recently: The Brothers' K by DAvid James Duncan
31. What are you listening to right now: The Rent Movie Soundtrack
32. What is your favourite colour: Blue and purple
33. How many tattoos do you have? just one
34. How many pets do you have? My fish Vaughn -- but I actually had a dream last night that he die