Adidas - you should know better than that

I found this in my inbox today and it truly hurts my feelings that Adidas would use this picture to advertise. (The guy isn't planting his foot before taking a corner kick, What the..) This is why I can't watch movies or t.v. shows that contain fictional soccer situations. Apparently there aren't any REAL soccer players in the entertainment business. (You heard me David Beckham!) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was ruined by bad soccer scenarios (she runs around with her hair in her face and a sports bra) I think that there was a Will Farrell movie involving soccer, but I was too scared to even attempt to watch it. Bend It Like Beckham wasn't too bad, but I speak of only parts of the movie where no one was playing soccer. Victory (1981) would get my vote as the best soccer movie, but only because Pele is in it and I haven't seen the movie since 1988. I think if I saw it today the movie would be ruined by watching Sylvester Stallone 'play' soccer. All I remember is that they are a team of prisoners (Nazi Camp?) and they have a plan of escaping during half time - but they decide to play the whole game out, I think due to pride. See. Spot on for a soccer player.

April 8th

Even though technically it is now April 9th (what am I doing up so late) I am going to pretend that it is April 8th, so when I type 'today' I really mean yesterday and when I type 'tomorrow' I really mean today.

If you have talked to me in any form of communication in the last couple of months, I have mentioned to you that I was taking my Customs broker's exam this week. Sorry about that - I tend to babble on about what is at the top of the brain for me, but you already know this so I don't feel too bad. I have been dreading April 7th for the last two months. Every time any date in April was mentioned before the 7th I would feel the muscles in my neck tense up. I realize that this wasn't helpful to my final goal of passing the test. I also realize that if I don't pass the test its not the end of the world and I can take it again in 6 months...last year's tests had an average passing rate of 8% and that is one of the higher numbers that I have heard. The good news is that I feel good about how I did yesterday (two days ago). It'll be a close call either way I have about 6 weeks to find out if I passed.

I feel as if a 15lb weight has been lifted from my shoulders (funny, since I haven't been to the gym or on the soccer field in three weeks). This morning (yesterday morning) I realized that it was the 8th and I was now free to do what I please with my free time. I made a mental list of all the things I was going to do in my free time today (yesterday): call the church and reception hall to make appts, start my taxes, play soccer. Sounds pretty straightforward and easy right - nope not for me. Here is what I really did today (yesterday) after work. Chat with a friend for a while (HAPPY BIRTHDAY RULAND, its tomorrow (today)), take a 2 hour nap, spend the rest of the evening cleaning the kitchen and living room. Thanks to my nap, I missed yet another game, but I can't express how good it feels to have a clean kitchen again. (This makes me very aware that I'm turning into my mom.)

And then I found $5.00.

Proof that we spoil our dog..

The other day I came home from work and didn't see Jenkins. He had completely covered himself with his blanket. (Yes, our dog has blanket, two actually, in addition to his 'bed' seen above.) Can you say photo op?!

This is how I found Jenkins a few minutes ago when I walked out into the living room where AC was laying on the couch with a blanket over him and Jenkins at his feet. Seriously?!

Check out those ears!

(and I just figured out that the red eye option on my camera works for the dog too!)

Hmmm...I can't quite pinpoint what is different about Steve Raible...

So, I have less than a week left until my test. I haven't played soccer in over a week, I've missed two (two!) birthday parties and have been sitting at my ikea-dining-table-turned-desk for what seems like FOREVER! This brings me back to my college days that I had completely forgotten about, cramming for midterms and finals. I believe that if they had a contest for most creative procrastinator, I would definitely make it to the finals. Here are a few of my old habits that have resurfaced in the past two weeks in no particular order:

- Spending more time talking about how much I need to study vs. actually studying.

- HIGHLIGHT, HIGHLIGHT, HIGHLIGHT... its like I can't understand a sentence without underlining it.

- During much needed mental breaks watch tv shows that I wouldn't ordinarily watch. THEN: this is how I got hooked on Felicity. NOW: last week I noticed that Steve Raible (voice of the Seahawks) on Kiro7 shaved his mustache. This might of happened a long time ago, but I never watch local 11 pm news (Daily Show and Colbert are on).

- Call up everyone I know and leave rambling voice messages. THEN: (Left on Natalie's phone) "Mop.......broom........sponge........duster..... vaccuum cleaner...." (I guess you had to be there.) NOW: I suggest you check your voicemail.

- Dream up crazy scenarios with my friend Caitlin (we don't even need to be in the same state to do this it turns out.) THEN: I wrote out a very detailed e-mail about a GREAT idea. Picture this: Economicland Theme Park. One of its attractions would be a slide shaped like 'demand', which would intersect with 'supply' at some point. NOW: Contemplating a 1950's era Robot themed wedding. Our invitations could be super hi-tech card with a button that you push and hear, "Bee Bo Boop Beep Bop, you are invited..." Caitlin somehow incorporated stick people into the theme but I'm not sure how.

- Bug my roommates/AC every 15 minutes with random questions that have nothing to do with my studying. It is probably comparable to putting a 6 year old to bed for the evening ...every couple of minutes they'll come downstairs with a request like, "I need water", "Its noisy outside" , "I can't find my teddy bear"...I know, I was a pro at it, ask my mom!


-The random setting on on my disc player/iPod. THEN: I would bring my favorite three cds (which never seemed to be the same) to the library and listen to the 11-14 songs in random order. NOW: The iPod puts my 4000+ songs in random order. The music keeps me awake.


-Document my observations. THEN: Somewhere around here I have a floppy disc that has a 150 page word document that I guess could be called a journal. NOW: Have you noticed how many times I have posted on my blog in the last few weeks?!



Don't be worried just yet, I have been known to pull through! Alright, back to the grindstone, where's my highlighter....

Loons!

There's a good chance that the point of this post will be lost on you (the reader). But there are 10 people that might see this and know why I posted this picture. To them, here is my commentary:


Really? Seriously? LOONS!




Okay, back to your scheduled broadcast.

Tough Dog

Jenkins showing his tough side.

On a Serious Note...

First off, a HUGE thanks for everyone's well wishes, AC and I are so very thankful for our friends and family and we can't wait to celebrate with all of you on the big day. We've started the planning process and are close to nailing down a date. We've got a planning notebook started, $40 in bridal magazines, a church, and a budget. We still have a lot of work to do, but I am taking the CHB exam on April 7th and need to spend all of my free time with Title 19 of the Federal Code of Regulations so that I can get my broker's license. Needless to say come April 8th, no matter how I feel the test went, I will be able to fully focus on planning our wedding.

Back on Track:
The reason why I wanted to write an entry tonight really has nothing to do with weddings. The week following our engagement was filled by a few life altering events that took place in the lives of some people very close to AC and I. I don't feel right about babbling about my life without noting some things going on in the lives of some of my favorite people around me. (I also don't want to trivialize their situations, which created quite a bit of hesitancy in deciding whether or not I should actually write this post.)

February 22, the father of my friend Elisabeth, passed away. I have debated
'blogging' about this due to its obvious sensitive nature, please bear with me and I will try my best to keep it short and sweet. I have known Liz since I was in the 9th grade and I will always remember her dad, Chuck, with a smile on his face. My favorite memory of Chuck was at Ed and Elisabeth's wedding. As the bridesmaids and groomsmen were beginning the procession down the aisle, Elisabeth and her dad both looked at me with tears in their eyes (of joy of course) and Liz said something like, "Mary, as the maid of honor, you need to lighten the moment a bit, tell us a joke." Of course I reply with, "So, this bear walks into a bar...." (if you haven't heard the joke you'll have to ask me in person and I cannot guarantee that you will laugh at the joke but there is a 98% chance that you will laugh at how lame the joke is.) I was so relieved when Chuck laughed, because when I got to the second line of the joke I realized that most people don't find it as funny as I do, and this was the moment before he was going to walk down the aisle with his daughter. That was the type of man Chuck was, warm hearted with a smile on his face. I will miss him.

February 25th, close friends of ours received an addition to their family in the name of Emmett. We've only been able to visit the little man once due to Alex and I passing our nasty cold back and forth (its been a month and Alex is sniffling like a .... I can't think of an end to that simile, but you get the idea.) Anyhoo, we are very excited for our friends and have dibs on Emmett on charades night.

February 25th, comrade Jeremy finishes his final dose of chemotherapy. Throughout his 9 weeks of treatment I have been in awe of his attitude - way to go JT - I can't wait to buy you a pint in celebration.

I am having a hard time putting into words the emotions that I have as I am watching my friends go through these moments - moments that will forever alter the way that they live their life. All I know is that I am one lucky gal, to have such an amazing group of people around me, their strength and optimism exemplify what wonderful people they truly are.