been awhile!

Hi.  Been a little while.  Sort of felt here, there and nowhere these last couple weeks.  But! We are in fact still alive in DC.  Went ice skating at the Sculpture Garden on Saturday night with the usual suspects +1.  He can remain nameless for now, but Malia held hands with someone and it wasn't me or Mari. =)

Sort of been coping with some things that apparently aren't finished inside me.  Seriously, can't we just forget it ever happened?  I wouldn't complain.   

Most often I remember how blessed I am and how many amazing miracles God has helped me see.  But there are days, like every freaking Sunday I just want to curl up in bed and talk to no one all day.  Maybe sit on the couch and drink tea all day and try to forget the frustrating nightmares I can't seem to shake.  Watch Kim from Real Housewives of Atlanta "sing" and talk about Big Papa every five seconds.  Who the heck is he anyway?  I am almost sure he is her imaginary friend.   I feel very normal in comparison to that crew! 

My goal is to never forget where I have come from and or who I belong to.  If I can remember that I will feel confident and cared for all the time.  Sounds pretty good, right?

importance of being honest.

whenever i am in doubt, i always wonder what parts of the story i should shed light on and what parts i should keep to myself.  so usually i call dad and ask what to do.  10 times out of 10 he says, just be honest.
kind of silly.  of course i will be honest, but not sure i want to highlight that part of the story or tell the insurance company i have been hit before.  or better yet, tell the bank that owns my car what bad shape it is in. .
that one might taken from real life instances. . .=)

over and over again, i have followed this advice and you know it actually works.
you can shade facts and try to tell the story in a better light.  but i completely suck at shading anything.  i usually make it sound much worse than it is.  so for me, the best possible thing to do is to give the whole sorted story.
all the facts are on the table and nothing left to hide.  usually  the person on the other end lands on your side and has a lot more impetus to want to help you.  not everyone has helped me in my time.
but the success rate is so much higher.  maybe i need to work on my story telling and advertising skills.  i am actually in sales professionally. . .but i can't seem to be anyone but myself successfully.
when i am painfully honest it always goes better.  there is usually some blood red face time and irregular heart beats on my end, but the exponent is peace.

nobody can hold anything over you, if you let em have all the info.

thanks dad. you are pretty smart. =) i love you very much.

dont get too close!  me at work just now.  one of those days, when you dont want to see yourself up close! and no i do not have a mustache.  kind of looks like it in the picture though. .. .=) glad its friday and a three day weekend!

United in. . .

Actually hate that word. . .Seems to be used out of context or to bring a group of creepers in one lost cause together way too often.

Anyway, here I sit waiting for my work DELL to pull a file from the server.  So I have some time on my hands.  =)

I guess unity is not a bad word.  But last weekend we went to a "church" (using that word lightly!) that was called simply, Unity.  Should have figured it out when there were no Bibles or Hymnals in the pew or Crosses anywhere.  The lady pastor seemed welcoming and kind.  She kept saying things that sounded close to Christian, but left out any words like Jesus, Christ, even God.  She mostly used the word Spirit with no definition.  Then there was holding hands and chanting.  Ok, I am an idiot not to have run out, but it was a great exercise in prayer.  I felt so terrible for the people around me.  This place was deceiving them all with words that meant absolutely nothing.  But somehow that nothingness was going to heal them, make them happy and of course rich.  I just prayed that the congregation would realize how ridiculous this was. 

And the best part!  The lady pastor welcomed the visitors and said we would not be seeing the offering plates passed around. Oh good!  BUT wait!  There are little white receptacles in the back where you can give, just so you know. 

Needless to say, this Sunday we needed some CHURCH; the kind where they have Bibles, take communion and talk about Jesus.  Phew!  

The ushers were leading the service this week as a part of their anniversary celebration.  Guess what theme was?  U-N-I-T-Y.  Hahaha!  

19th St., though is not confused, nor afraid.  They talked Jesus, Christ, Son of God, being forgiven and covered by the Lord and cared for by God.  

I could not stop giggling, the fact that it was Unity Sunday was just too funny.  But once I did, I noticed something. . .Remember how we used to go to a Jewish church where they danced in front. . .The Baptists aren't quite the same.  But the Ushers do in fact do a little dance down the aisle.  It could be weird, but its totally delightful.    Its like joy in bringing fruits to the Lord.  

Mari and I decided it would have been much less confusing to go to a orthodox Jewish church, or a Hindu service instead of unity of nothing church.  At least it would be clear what we were talking about.  It wasn't the weirdness that bothered me, it was the fuzziness.  Be something! Be clear!

I guess it is okay to be unified behind a good cause.  We live in the United States for goodness sake! But the unification behind nothingness is so abhorrent.  Was a good lesson in understanding my own clear faith.  I might be a little weird (I like to call it creative =)), but I am not fuzzy.


^{Ephesians 2.22 (Jew and Gentile Reconciled through Christ)
14} For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Usher Sunday at !9th St. Baptist Church on 16th St. =)

33rd year

technically i have just turned 32.  but if i were korean (and you all know that is a distinct possibility despite how i look!), it would be 33.  they count the time you spend in your mom's tummy.  funny huh?
mari asked me what i wanted to do for my birthday this year, i said, not much.  just chill.  next year i will have a big party.  she says yeah!  you will be 33, the age of jesus.  excuse me?  isn't that the year he died?  she says, well yeah, but it was a really big year too! so much happened.
i told mom what mari had said, her response:  isnt that the year he died on the cross?

so whats so good about a 33rd year?  i really dont know yet.  but i feel it!  every since christmas, i have felt a sort of "downhill from here" weight lifted.

even at work, i find myself letting things that normally torture me endlessly, just go.  without heart palpitations, chest pains, tears, screaming while driving or even swearing while explaining to mari and malia the troubles of the day.  in fact, i came home from work the other day and felt like i had actual fun.
no i have not started doing drugs. or benadryl (mari!).

maybe i am going to die after a fantastic year?  geez i hope not.
but i definitely think there is something good, no great!, about this year and all it holds.

here is the plan. . . 

iowa for work.  that is what it looks like.

actually this is probably a little closer to current conditions.  heading to muscatine the 3rd week in January.

valentines day (mari's bday!) in barbados

st patricks day in the great country of ireland (b's birthday!)

summer time fun in the backyard at my house on 185th.  think i will get a kiddy pool this year!

capping out the year with a wicked birthday party at lynnwood rollaway.  

get out your skates folks.  this is going to be fun!

food cures most.

us girls have decided to co-op lunches during the week.  we each cook one meal and pack a wicked lunch for ourselves and the other two.
Mari did the first meal with black bean and rice enchiladas with cute carrots and reeses peanut butter cup for dessert.  took me two lunches to eat it all.  was so good!
Malia went next with chicken tikki masala, rice, and bing cherries for dessert.
And last night I delivered a new spaghetti recipe with a mushroom and red wine sauce, whole grain noodles, cucumber tomato salad and hershey kisses for dessert.

dang i love collaboration.  i would have never thought of, let alone packed and cooked all those meals.
couldn't do this with just anyone, but the three of us have spent a lot of time cooking together.
we couldn't seem to capitalize on our efforts. cooking for one is actually kind of pricey.  so we end up going out, a lot.

this is so much more fun than cooking for one. and so far we are all eating a lot better!  i get to eat spaghetti tonight with no effort. =)  i have more energy. so much that i think i will make Italian Escarole Soup this weekend.

Italian Escarole Soup (Italian Wedding Soup) coming  to 1822 on Saturday.

Hey Dad!  This is Miso Soup over Rice with a Poached Egg on top.  I will be eating this very soon!

I freaking love food. 

learning lessons

a few things i have picked up in the year of 2010. . .
1.  the less i have the less i realize i need.
2.  people dont always let you down.  in fact mostly, they are amazing.
3.  easy come, easy go.  true in life, money, relationships etc.  fighting hard for something is not a bad thing.
4.  one good one is better than 5 ok ones any day.
5.  7.30am is the perfect wake up time.  it makes me happy. =)
6.  be patient, be patient, don't be in such a hurry.  i hate that song.  its true.
7.  i am a recovering over-reactor.
8. bananas are so much better slightly green and sliced up for your eating pleasure.
9.  when you get mad, just take your shirt. just rip it off!  i learned that from a very tall, skinny and shirtless man on U Street last night.
10. who needs 10 lessons.  i have had enough of lessons for this 10th year.  saving room for a great 11th year of the 2000s.
peace out 2010!! not looking back. =)

champagne toast a nora!  we got so lucky with  last minute reservation at their awesome booth table.

us three in front of nora after midnight.  we had an amazing 7 course menu and spent almost 4 hours over dinner.  it was pretty awesome.