Weekend Plans

The weekend is just around the corner and I can't wait! This weekend Dan and I are hoping to take the train downtown so that we can check out The Taste of Chicago! Stevie Wonder is doing a free concert at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. I wouldn't mind seeing him... I'm a fan of Stevie. Of course weather might be an issue. It looks like we might have some rain and/or thunderstorms this weekend. Boo! Oh well, if we don't go this weekend I'm sure that we'll find another day to go. We just won't get to see Stevie.

A Blah Kinda Day

It was raining this morning and I did not want to get out of bed. I was so tired! Oh well, I got up and it took me a bit longer to get out the door since I had to open up the house while my parents are out of town. Then my route to work has a major detour for the next week. I guess today is just one of those blah days. Oh well, what can ya do? I just might take a nap this afternoon... as long as it's blah.

I've been pretty good at working out and staying active. Yesterday Kathleen and I went for a walk before dinner and then went for a bike ride after dinner. I'm doing my best to avoid sweets, but it's so hard! If you know me, you know that I have a serious sweet tooth! I've lost quite a bit of weight but I've still got a little more to go before I start trying to maintain my figure. Ever since I started dieting I've lost weight every week. Sometimes it's not much and then sometimes its quite significant. No matter, I'm just happy that every Saturday since Easter weekend the number has gotten smaller and smaller.

Good Day, Sunshine

My skin tone is developing a nice tan and I'm loving it! While I am not one to obsessively lay out and catch some rays, I do enjoy some quiet time in the sun.

Saturday was my parent's 28th wedding anniversary! Congratulations, Mom and Dad on 28 years of marriage! Dad made breakfast for my mom (and left some for the rest of us once we woke up). Later they did a little shopping and had lunch. After lunch they went for a bike ride and then for dinner went to the Key Wester!

While Mom and Dad spent the day together so Kathleen, Dan, and I did our own thing. We did a little shopping of our own and then spent some time relaxing in the sun. We went out to Chili's for dinner and then took a nice walk once we got home.

After church on Sunday we got together with Young Adults from our church to discuss bringing back the "Young Adults" group while having lunch at Pop's. My parents were there to help out. Everything went great and it looks like we've really got something going. It rained pretty much all afternoon. The three of us didn't get much time in the sun and Dan and I almost didn't make it back from our walk before it started to rain.

Monday, Kathleen and I took a drive out to Sarah's house for the day. After lunch we relaxed around the pool. At first the clouds looked like they were going to stick around all afternoon, but thankfully we remained patient and in the end got an afternoon with lots of sunshine! That evening we did a little shopping... well, I didn't get anything but I helped Sarah pick out a new digital camera. After dinner we went back to watch The Bachelorette and American Gladiator (which were taped while we were out). It was a good day.

Today my folks are heading to Galena, Illinois for their anniversary getaway. They'll be back sometime tomorrow. Again, congratulations to my parents... you both deserve a night away from home!

Family Vacation Has Been Planned

My family has officially planned a vacation for next month. We haven't seriously gone anywhere for a family vacation (other then to Saint Paul to visit Kathleen at school) since I was going into my senior year of high school. The plan was to pick a place that we could drive to and have a nice, long weekend (plus something new would make it a bit more interesting). We had a couple of options but decided to go to Branson, Missouri. We booked a lovely condo at Thousand Hills Golf Resort just minutes from all the fun. I'm sure that we'll spend some quality time on a hike or two, do some shopping, and maybe catch a show.

Yesterday I went for a nice bike ride. The weather has really cooled off so it wasn't a difficult ride. I've been noticing a lot of people riding bikes and walking lately. Not just on trails, but on the side of the road. Obviously I blame high gas prices, but it's still good to see people getting out and exercising. When the weather is nice I don't mind going for a bike ride to run local errands.

Maple Lane Gang

Last night Kathleen and I went out with some old school mates from our street. Back in the day our summer days were spent playing roller hockey and basketball while our nights were spent playing Ghost in the Graveyard and other hide and seek type games. It was fun talking about old memories.

I'm eatting some soup right now. Yesterday's tooth pulling has got me back on a liquid and soft food diet. It's not the easiest thing, but it did help me lose a couple extra pounds!

Yesterday I spent some quality time outside. I laid out with Kathleen and Stacey for a bit. Later that afternoon I went for a bike ride for just over an hour (a little windy) and after dinner Kathleen and I went for a walk. Not sure how long we were gone, but I'm guessing about an hour. I love being about to do things outside!

Mac Pro

Well, Friday my Mac Pro finally arrived!  I was in amazed at the size of the box!  Kathleen took this picture with my phone.  It's a little fuzzy, but you get the idea.  Anyway, it took me a couple of days to get everything up and running but it was worth the wait!  I have my Final Cut Studio 2 up and running!  There is so much I can do... I've already started playing around with the different features to get used to the new set-up.

Saturday Kathleen, Dan, and I went to the Indiana Dunes to chill at the beach for a while.  It was a fun and relaxing afternoon.  Later that day my family went to a graduation party while Dan went to a get-together at the house he is staying this summer.

Sunday was Father's Day!  We had a nice breakfast in the morning and then gave Dad some gifts!  After church Dad wanted to cook some steaks... so we did just that!  Thankfully the rain took a break long enough for us to cook out.  It was good!

Today I got my second upper wisdom tooth taken out.  It was a bit more challenging this time around.  He had to give me two extra shots of Novocaine so that I wouldn't feel anything.  Blah!  Oh well, it's done... it's out... it's over.  I'm happy.  Now I'll be back on a liquid diet for the next couple of days.

Almost Back in Contacts

First of all, Happy 27th Birthday to Nora! Woot! Woot!

Tomorrow I'll start wearing my contacts again... I am so excited! I am tired of my glasses. I'll still be treating my eyes to relieve the infection, but at least I'll have the freedom to wear my contacts.

Yesterday was a beautiful day! Kathleen and I went rollerblading for about an hour. Later that evening we went out and did some needed shopping. This weekend we might hit the beach with some friends... weather permitting. It doesn't really feel like summer until I do something fun in the sun.

July 7th - 12th Kathleen and I are planning on attending our church's mission trip to New Orleans to do construction work on homes that were damaged because of Hurricane Katrina. I just hear from Bryan that my dad will be joining us! Sweet!

Dan and I are going to California in August! We're going to visit his parents who recently made the move from Iowa to California last month. We'll actually be out there for his birthday. Fun stuff! His birthday is on a Saturday, so that's the perfect day to celebrate! Also, it'll be nice to be out there around his birthday so he can get his driver's license updated.

Recovering

My mouth is still a little sore, but I'm going to attempt some mac and cheese this afternoon for lunch (it's pretty soft). Yesterday, if I opened my mouth too wide or talked for a while I would start to get really sore. Not sure if that is the case today. Too soon to tell.

My eyes are looking better. My Doctor said that at the absolute earliest I could start wearing my contacts today, but he'd like me wait until Friday or Saturday. So I'm thinking I'll start wearing them on Friday (since that is the day I usually change/clean my contacts)... that is as long my eyes look and feel healthy. I'll still be on antibiotics for a week (give or take) after my contacts are back in.

I'm finishing up some freelance work that has been keeping me pretty busy the last couple of weeks. Well, when you smush it all together it comes to about a week's worth of work. It always feels good to get a project done... and I'm always on the look out for another project!

Spaghetti Dinner 2008 Recap

Friday was a long day! I woke up bright and early to start my day and get ready for the dinner. I had to run some errands but once they were done I was off to the mall to get my hair cut and styled. My hair turned out nice, but the humidity made it kinda poofy. Oh well, nothing I can do about that.

At church I finished up some last minute details and tried to get everything ready for the praise band. Unfortunately traffic was an issue and slowed some people down. I worried a little bit, but in the end everything worked out fine. We praticed and still had some down time before the program officially started.

Evan's flight was delayed due to Chicago's nasty weather. Praise God he eventually made it! The weather never really changed. Anyway, Evan arrived and guests lined up quickly to meet and greet Evan. He took pictures with fans, signed autographs, and later shared his testimony of faith during our program. Everyone was very excited to see him and he was so good to the crowd.

During the program we had some door prizes to hand out. Everyone seemed to enjoy that! We had some gift certificates to McDonald's, Ricobene's, Fleckenstein's Bakery, and BP Gas, two Phantom Ranch T-Shirts, and some large candy bars!

I have a bunch of photos posted on my Facebook profile... so if you'd like to see some more images be sure to check them out (as long as we're friends).

In other news, Saturday my right eye started irritating me. I took out my contacts and it got worse! I quickly swelled up and became very sensitive to light. Scary! Sunday morning I couldn't even open my eyes! Dan had to run AV without me... thanks, babe! After treating my eye with a little TLC it started to look better, but it wasn't over. Monday was a long day! I had the first of two wisdom teeth pulled at 7:45 a.m. Later that afternoon I went to the eye doctor to find out that I have an infection in both of my eyes! So I'm on antibiotics for the next week. If all goes well I'll be able to put my contacts in Friday or Saturday. Needless to say, Monday wasn't the best day.

Today my mouth is sore and I can't open it very wide. I'm still eatting soup and other soft foods. And just think... as soon as I recover I'll be starting all over when I get the second tooth pulled on Tuesday (next week). I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I'll be much braver next week since I know what to expect!

It's Almost Friday

I can't believe tomorrow is Friday... and you know what that means! The Something from Jessie Spaghetti Dinner! I stayed at church past my usual work hour to try and get some more work done for Friday. Once I got home I spent about 15+ minutes rambling on to my mom about what I have figured out and what I still need to do.

I must be nervous because I didn't get much sleep last night. It was storming really hard last night and I had trouble falling asleep. I think that I finally dozed off around 1:30am, but then woke up around 4ish. My mind was racing! I kept running a check list for Friday over and over. I told myself to relax and go to sleep, but I had no such luck. I ended up watching an epsiode of The Simpsons on DVD at about 6ish. I started to drift back to sleep just before 7:00am. Then I got up for work at 8:00am.

In other news I just purchased a Mac Pro! I used the student discount and will receive a free printer and 8GB iPod Touch! I've never charged so much to my credit card before, but at least I'll get two rebates! Woohoo! I've had Final Cut Studio 2 at home in my office since Christmas and haven't been able to use it. Sad. I've thought long and hard about which Mac I would buy and the Mac Pro really seemed to be the best way for me to go. I can't wait to get it and finally install my awesome editing equipment!

Okay, time for me to get back to work. So much to do, so little time. Keep praying about the Something from Jessie Spaghetti Dinner... God's mighty hands are at work and He will be using us to make a difference in the lives of inner city students!

Trying to Relax

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I stayed a bit longer at work to get some stuff done for the dinner (I don't think that I'll ever feel ready). In the afternoon I went for a bike ride. I cut my ride short because it looked like it was going to rain again... it didn't. Oh well. After dinner Kathleen and I went to the mall. I made an appointment to get my hair cut and styled on Friday before the dinner. I figured that I was due for a hair cut and it would be nice not to do my hair myself on Friday. One less thing to worry about... I can just relax.

Is it really June?

June just kinda crept up on me. Needless to say, I've been distracted. Right now all I seem to be able to think about is the fundraiser that's this Friday!

Friday I went to the dentist and got some bad news. Turns out I have cavities on both of my upper wisdom teeth. Apparently they're hard for me to brush, so they're not getting as clean as they should be (hence the cavities). My dentist gave me two options: (1) drill and fill, (2) pull them out. I gave it some thought and I've decided to get them pulled. It'll suck (since I won't be getting knocked out), but I think that it'll be the best in the long run. I'm due back to the dentist Monday, June 9th and Tuesday, June 17th. Sick!

This past weekend has been quite busy. Saturday morning Kathleen, Dan, and I went to a $5 showing of Indiana Jones! I've been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since I first heard rumors of a 4th Indiana Jones (which was about 5 years ago). In all honesty, the other three are better, but there were some quality moments in The Crystal Skull. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but it was nice to see some familiar faces return to the series.

Saturday and Sunday I was in Elgin, Illinois working on a horror movie as a PA. Basically it was a bunch of professionals getting together and making a horror movie for fun. I got to meet a lot of great new people in the buisness. The days were long, but it was a good time.

Please pray for the details of the spaghetti dinner! Here are some things that you can pray for: Evan's flight on Friday (on time, if not early), safe travels, rush hour traffic, food, volunteers, safety, Thursday's health inspection at 2 pm, and for the special program. Thank you!