it was a weekend of ups and downs, that's for sure.

Still kind of on an "up" right now, because Blackhawk tonight was just what I needed. BUT... on my way "down" as I begin to think about the paper I have to write and the coming week that I have to get through...

It's amazing to me how sometimes (and by that, I mean ALL the time), you get exactly what you need to hear practically SHOUTED at you... case in point: the past few weeks I lost track of what it is that REALLY fulfills a life. I forgot that all desires and longings DO come from God, it's how we interpret them that may not be from God... Pastor Chris reminded me (and the rest of the congregation too I suppose) that as long as we look to God to fulfill all of our longings, they WILL be fulfilled, and that there really will never be a sustitute for what God intends to have fill that void. It was really just what I needed to hear this week. I'd forgotten that little detail and had become focused on finding things HERE to satisfy my desires... which of course, was leading me to become VERY frustrated. Well, duh.

Let's just hope I can keep that focus for more than a couple weeks. :)

The weekend started well though- with a visit to the parents and an opportunity to bake some cookies: YUM! I've dropped a bag off at both my sister and brother's places and left some for my parents and still had a few for me and the roommates to share. :)

Then the visit to Jenny and Chris' new apartment for wine and cheese. Also, YUM! they even had la vache qui rit (laughing cow cheese) and Babybels! Score! Very nice apartment, I feel like places in Milwaukee all have so much more character than the apartments in Madison. And I loved their coffee table-- IKEA!

Saturday, Badger day. I don't think I need to say more. :) But apparently I'm going to say more anyway-- we beat MICHIGAN! go big red!! one of the better games I've ever been to. So suspenseful and exciting...

While I would go into some of the downs of the weekend, I think I'd prefer to keep this chipper. :) Life is still good, Blackhawk is such a blessing... it really turned my mood right around. Gotta love it.

and now, I gotta go write a paper... about Aeneas and how he arrived in Italy and laid soem foundations for Roma... awesome.

:)

The other day my son wanted to kow why we were at war...
My husband looked at our son and then at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and would be honored to serve and defend our country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.

My husband thought for a minute or twu, then told my son to go look out the front living room window. He said, "son, stand there and tell me what you see."
"I see trees and cars and our neighbot's houses," he replied.
"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are Presidant Bush"
Our son giggled and said ok.
"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretand that every house and yard on this block is a different country," my husband said, "and pretend you see Saddam come out of his house dragging his wife by the hair and hitting her. She is crying and bleeding and then he hits her in the face and throws her to the ground. Then he starts kicking her to death. Their children run out but stand crying quietly because they're afraid of him. You see all of this son, and what do you do?"

"dad?"
"what do you do?"

"well, I would call the police, dad."
"ok, pretend now that the police are the United Nations. They take your call, listen to what you say and refuse to come help. What do you do then?"
"but the police are supposed to HELP dad!" my son starts to whine.

"they don't want to son, because they say it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.
"but DAD, he killed her!!" my son exclaims

"I know he did, but the police say to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see the neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn on one of his children and start kicking him to death too. What do you do?"

"well if the police won't do anything, I'll go ask the other neighbor to help me stop him," our son says.
"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening but refuses to help you stop him. What do you do?" my husband asks again.

"But DAD, I need help! I can't stop him by myself!!" our son starts to cry.

"ok, no one wants to help you, and now the man across the street saw you call the police but knows they aren't on the way. He saw you ask for help from the neighbors and saw that NO ONE would help you stop him. He stands a little taller and puffs out his chest. Then guess what he does next, son," my husband continued, "he crosses the street to Mrs. Anderson's house and drags her outside. He steals what he wants and kills her too. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and laughs at you. What do you do?"

Our son is crying and he looks down at his feet and says, "I'd close the blinds daddy. the police are supposed to help people who need them and they won't help. You say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either... he's too scary for me alone. I can't stop him alone and I can't just look out the window and see all the horrible things he's doing... so I'll pretend it's not happening."

My husband and I looked at our son, and my husband said, "Now son, pretend that you peek out the blinds and the man is at your front door. What do you do?"

Our son straightened his back and clenched his fists and said without hesitation, "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD! I'm not gonna let him hurt Mommy or Kristin! I'd fight him! I would fight until I couldn't anymore dad!"

my husband hugs our son and says, "what if he was too strong? suppose it's too late, and he's gotten too powerful and he's already at YOUR front door, son. You should have stopped him... before he killed his wife, BEFORE he killed his child, BEFORE he killed Mrs. Anderson. You have to do what's right, even when you have to do it alone son, before it's too late."

My husband looked over at me and back at our son, "the game of pretend we just played is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let bad things happen because it doesn't affect him yet son, THAT is one of the greatest atrocities in the world. YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, EVEN IF YOU DO IT ALONE. Never close your blinds."

Interesting week...

So, I feel like life is starting to slow down and become a little more managable, although that's probably just because I didn't work yesterday and called in today because of a migraine and don't have to work again tomorrow because numbers are down... but I guess that's maybe just God's way of helping me out since I've been feeling so overwhelmed. I kind of feel like I've not used my time to the best of my abilities but hey, I'm trying... eh well... enough about that boring stuff!

Yesterday I went for a run before I got my head-ache and it was wonderful. It was just such a gorgeous day and the sun was shining and the wind was blowing JUST enough but not too much... and then, when I was by Olin Park, I saw a hawk swoop down and catch a mouse... and it was just SO cool. really amazing!

Speaking of amazing things in the natural world, this weekend was so nice up north. It's just starting to be time for fall colors, so we saw a lot of beautiful reds and oranges and golds... I didn't get any pictures unfortunately, but one of the cabin. Weather was perfect, warm days and just cool enough at night to make sitting around the campfire enjoyable. S'mores and pudgy-pies were delightful as well as the fudge we picked up in town... yum! (not so healthy I guess, but still... YUM!)


Our lovely cabin in the northwoods... handmade with care! :)

we also went to a winery while up there, and got to do some free wine-tasting... my favorites, Apricot and Strawberry, although Blueberry was unique as well. The Three Lakes Winery is actually most well known for the Cranberry wine, but that was a little too tart for my tastes... I ended up getting a bottle of both Apricot and Strawberry and we'll have to see when and with whom I decide to drink them. :)

A little fwd I recently recieved...

If you consider that there have been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000.
The rate in Washington D.C. is 80.6 per 100,000. That means that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in our Nation's Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, than you are in Iraq.
Conclusion: We should immediately pull out of Washington D.C.

Busy busy busy

I honestly don't know if I am gonna be able to hack it this semester. I've had an avg of about 4.5 hours of sleep each night for the past 3 nights, and I'm ALWAYS on the go and never have time even to eat unless I make specific plans to do so. I don't even have time to be on here.

so I'm done.

The Great Pin Shortage of 1775

The first few days of class have just reminded me how much I didn't do in Paris and how much more there is to do here. It's semi-disheartening. But I'll figure out a way to get through it. I just feel a lot of pressure right now. Like I need to find a job and I need to get great grades and I still need to work enough hours at Fluno to pay for all the stuff I've had to write out checks for lately (I AM SO BROKE!) and... and... and...

But on the upside, at least there's no shortage of pins anymore thanks to mass production. :) I never knew but apparently a PIN shortage is what led to division of labor and therefore also mass production. Thank goodness for OIM 350.

Also, apparently it takes 15 minutes to wipe down baseboards in a little bedroom which translates to $10. I hate madison landlords/property managers.

Also, I need to get better at remembering dates. I spent the whole day pumped about an LBC concert happening here in town at the Annex. Unfortunately, I somehow confused the dates and was all excited about a show that will be happening in like a week and not tonight. Which means that I am just bummin' tonight! There went all my plans...

Also, I love it when old friends call me! :) I heard from one of my fellow Rotary-Exchange-Students-to-Germany tonight! It was a total suprise and it made me smile!

Also, I don't understand how I can be so far behind in reading just 3 days into the semester.

Ah the life of a college student. A 5th year college student. Yeah.

First day... etc

Well the first day of classes for yours truly went pretty well. I think it's going to be a long, tough semester... between class and IBSA and working at the Fluno, I may well go nuts. But I know I wouldn't have more on my plate than I can take so I've got some peace.

Anyway, in global marketing Will and I discovered why it's called A8-China... based on population and per-capita income rankings for China which are--suprise suprise: 8 and A respectively... very interesting. :)

hmmm... what else? I am now a seller of Bucky Books. You know you want one. I'm the person to see. Just do it. (I hope Nike doesn't sue me)

Work tomorrow morning bright and early so I guess I ought to attempt to sleep.

What are the chances...

So this morning... EARLY this morning, I get up for work. I need to be there for work at 6:30 and since it's at LEAST a 15 minute walk, that means roll out of bed by 6:00.

My alarm went off and I looked at the clock--which read 6:04 (I have the clock set 4 minutes fast and set my alarm accordingly)... anyway, I slowly pop (how's that for an oxymoron) out of bed and start to get ready... but then I notice another clock in my room says 4:08. So I do a double take... my alarm clock still says 6:04... a quick look at my watch and yes, it's 4:08. So again, I am confused and check both my cell phone AND computer screen... 4:08, 4:08.

No clue how it happened but I headed back for bed, and couldn't fall asleep again until like 5:00... how annoying.

Those darn gremlins messed with my clock and it cost me sleep! I will have revenge!

on the upside I got to head home from work early today! :) yay!