happy holidays!

love, the kit and the pup

in case you didn't hear...

did i mention i went here over thanksgiving?

sacre coeur basillica-which was right across the street from where i was staying, in montmarte.




view from my little hotel room in paris, on the sixth floor.


and then i trudged under the chunnel for a few days in here...

what exactly is dengue fever?

also known as 'breakbone fever', dengue fever is an acute fibrile disease spread by mosquitoes. according to the world health organizaition: "some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from dengue and estimates that there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries".

currently there is no vaccine.

as the world says aloha oe to beloved surf legend andy irons, a native to the island of kauai, hopefully his passing will raise awareness about this disease and its prevalence around the world.
irons after his win at pipe in 2005

irons left behind his wife, who is currently seven months pregnant. please send them your love and prayers.

E pili mau na pomaika'i me 'oe to the irons family.

sweeter words have never been uttered...

"We have finished processing your passport, and it has been mailed to you using Priority Mail.

You should receive your passport on or about 11/06/2010."

thank you department of state. believe me, you did not want to be on the business end of the hissy fit i would have thrown if you didn't get me my passport before the 23rd...

sunday's spiritual thought...

"People do not usually reject the Bible because it contradicts itself but because it contradicts them."

- Anonymous

sunday's spiritual thought...

Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble

as when it forgoes revenge and

dares to forgive an injury.

- E. H. Chapin

sunday's spiritual thought...

"A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds;

it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities

that were somehow absent before the change."

Earl Nightingale

sunday's spiritual thought...

"If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it."

-- Anthony J. D'Angelo

auto post...

lately i've been really busy...
too busy to return text messages and phone calls...
too busy to blog without having to schedule it a month in advance...
too busy to sit down and have a moment to myself....
even on my days off, i feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff i have to get done before i go back to work the next day.

and if you don't believe me, here's a list of what i've been up to:
learning that you can get up to $1000 to fix your car if it doesn't pass the smog test-the hard way
making 'ghost pops' for the patients at the doctor's office i work at
crocheting a blanket for one of my co-workers
taking care of a very demanding husky and hungry kitty
getting things together for my trip to europe next month
feeling overwhelmed by the 10,000 other things i have 'meant' to do over the past month (i.e. send the cookies i owe stephanie, write my friend jeannie back via snail mail, finally get the data off my hard drive in my old lap top that's been dead since before i left hawaii, etc)

then there's the fact that this year is flying by.

can we slow down for just a minute? cause i know once halloween is over, it's just a landslide into the new year. i just need a day...week...few months to catch up. i swear, i'll make it worth your while....

guess i'll just continue to make good use of the 'auto post' function.

hopefully i'll resurface sometime after the new year.

sunday's spiritual thought...

God gives every bird a worm,

but He does not throw it into the nest.

Swedish Proverb

hungry, hungry hippo

he managed to get the top off of this container before sticking his face in it. very impressive.

sunday's spiritual thought...

for all my friends that sew:

“Life is like embroidery, one stitch at a time taken patiently,

and the pattern will come out okay.”

– English saying

want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

sunday's spiritual thought...

Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don't talk back.

-W. K. Hope

happy monday

love,

the pup

sunday's spiritual thought...

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality,

God will give eternal life.

Romans 2:7

sunday's spiritual thought...

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have

lain dormant.

-Horace

sassy women that aren't me...

well one, in particular...

so i was catching during our weekly softball game last tuesday, and i got nailed in the face with a foul tip ball. this wasn't a big deal, because it was only slow pitch, but it's not like i was wearing a mask. luckily it missed my glasses, so it didn't do any real damage. however, the lady that was batting, laughed and said (jokingly) "haha, now we're even". this was because in the previous inning, when they were up to bat, and she was catching, someone else had foul tipped a ball, and it hit her on the wrist, where she happened to be wearing a watch. (now most people know that it's generally a good idea to take off your jewelry prior to playing a sport-but not this lady). i guess the ball hit her just right so that the watch ended up digging into her wrist a little bit-thus the 'now we're even' comment. yeah, this lady was an idiot, and now i'd like to take you through my thought process on how i got to said conclusion:

1. i was not at bat when she got hit. therefore i didn't cause it-so I was in no way 'indebted' to her.

2. she's the one who chose to keep her watch on while she was playing. and not some junky plastic watch, but one that actually had somewhat sharp edges, because she ended up getting cut up from the ball hitting her watch. i mean really, i don't remember a time after 6th grade that i wasn't hounded by my coaches to make sure that we took all our jewelry off before games/meets. in the seventh grade, i had to let my triple piercing close up because of volleyball season. but i digress.

3. and most importantly-she got hit in the wrist and was totally fine a few minutes later. i, on the other hand, got hit in the face. in the face. in the effing face-i was about an inch or so from having my glasses shattered in my eyes. my cheekbone is still mildy sore. at least she struck out on the next pitch. haha. now i guess we're really even.

victory is mine.

sunday's spiritual thought...

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it,

and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.

--Samuel Johnson

sunday's spiritual thought...

When you get to the end of your rope,

tie a knot and hang on.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

sunday's spiritual thought...

The only people to get even with are those who have helped you.

-Anonymous

sunday's spiritual thought...

Don't blame others for your failure to be fully accountable for your own life. If others are to blame then you have given them control.

- Bob Perks

sunday's spiritual thought...

Man can live for about forty days without food,
and about three days without water,
about eight minutes without air ...
but only for one second without hope.
Unknown

i know it's a few weeks after the fact...

but did you hear? (click on the 'it's a pleasure evolving with you' entry. it's short, i promise).

and before you get all puffed up over who has the right to dictate what marriage is or isn't, try and remember the big picture:

"No anti-marriage law is going to change and reverse the mindset of millions of homosexuals, nor will it stop people from falling in love with whomever they choose. So isn't it time we grant ALL AMERICANS the same civil rights so we can stand united as first class citizens and march on to much greater issues like war, health, poverty and environment? I think so." -jason mraz.

btw- pandora just chose i'm yours by jason...weird.

dear mother...

Living in the past is a dull and lonely business;

looking back strains the neck muscles,
causes you to bump into people not going your way.

Edna Ferber (1885-1968)

not much to report...

nothing exciting currently happening=nothing to blog about.

maybe something interesting will happen this weekend...

sunday's spiritual thought...

"Right is right even if everyone is against it. Wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it."

- William Penn

sunday's spiritual thought...

Rare is the person who can weigh the faults of others

without putting his thumb on the scale.

- Byron J. Langnefield

there was a dinosaur at the dog park...

ok so not really, but i tried to get some pics of this dog with juneau, to use as a scale.

sunday's spiritual thought...

i get a lot of my spiritual quotes from here...

and i'm proud to say that they picked a jason mraz quote for the other day:

You can turn off the sun

but I'm still gonna shine.

and tied it in with this:

"You are the light of the world.

A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before men,

that they may see your good deeds

and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

shine on friends!

this week's spiritual thought...

yep, i was feeling truly lethargic this weekend, and left you without a spiritual thought this past sunday.

i'll try and be better next week. until then:

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and

receives the impossible!

Unknown

i think she might like me...

but that's just a theory...

sunday's spiritual thought...

When all of us are acknowledged as the human equals that we really are, there will be no space left for bullying. It will no longer be wrong to choose one thing over another. Equality and Separation cannot exist in the same space.

-jason mraz

regardless of whether or not you care for his music, his journal is definitely worth a gander...

and a not so spiritual thought...

if you don't actually own a dog, it's considered slightly weird, and somewhat creepy to hang out at the dog park.

i get it, you like dogs, and that's cool. but you don't see people who enjoy children going and hanging out at playgrounds and preschools (at least not without soliciting some very strange reactions).

sunday's spiritual thought...

two intertwining thoughts for the week:

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition.
Giving up is what makes it permanent."
- Maryilyn vos Savant

But as for you, be strong and do not give up,
for your work will be rewarded."
2 Chronicles 15:7

i had a really rough weekend, and almost gave up at one point. i am glad to have made it through, and will hopefully be better for it.

fabulous

my mood today can not be described by any other word. i came into work, had my usual sausage sandwich-no cheese from starbucks, accompanied by a delightful mocha soy frapiccino.

then, when my boss was done with her morning appointments, she said, 'how you would you like to go out to lunch? my treat.' sweeter words have never been uttered.

we dined on sushi that was delicious. the avocado was so buttery and sweet, and she introduced me to the deliciousness that is the pistachio avocado role. we also had some yellow fin, shrimp, and a dragon roll. with yummy salad and some miso, it was a lovely little lunch.

in other fabulous news, is everyone aware of what is happening in two weeks?
i know it will be predictable, and probably in no way measure up to the show in any way, but who cares? i still love these girls...

oh and these girls too:

find the pup...

and you'll have found juneau's new favorite place to sleep.

sunday's spiritual thought...

The gain in self confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.

Thomas A. Bennett

something to remember, seeing as i worked over 80 hours last week...

dealing with the cravings...

so remember how i was craving this?

well i figured the next best thing would be to seek out some hawaiian food...lucky for me there is a great hawiian food place right across the way from where i work. it's called the 'lava pit'. and this is what hawaiian food looks like in california:
it's no papa ole's, but it hit the spot...

oh and i made some of these too, for my friend's 30th birthday.
and i started doing a little mystery shopping again...for those of you keeping track, that's job #5.

just like henry higgins...

i've grown kind of fond of her face...

not that i don't still love my first born...

i just love my cute little fur family.

sunday's spiritual thought...

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion.

Psalm 103:2-4

today i'm craving....

sunday's spiritual thought...

Things turn out best for the people who

make the best of the way things turn out.

John Wooden

hope you had a happy sabbath day!

40 years later...

"Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future."

so says the website dedicated to the 2010 earth day campaign. so let's make sure to continue to do our part to protect and preserve our planet for future generations!

will someone please explain to me why...

my softball game, which is scheduled for 7pm tonight, was cancelled due to rain? because the rain stopped 2 hours ago and it's perfectly sunny and clear now...so if i'm not mistaken, that gives the fields about 8 hours to dry out from the VERY light rain we experienced this morning. i mean really, there weren't even puddles on the ground!

maybe next week...

and on a completely unrelated side note, when i was score keeping this weekend (yes job #4 for those of you keeping count) i had the pleasure of seeing two grown men collide with each other, going full speed. one of them was knocked unconscious for a few seconds. it was quite a spectacle.

sunday's spiritual thought...

We are continually faced by great opportunities

brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.

-anonymous

here's hoping we can all take every day as it comes, and use them as an opportunity to grow in the face of new and challenging experiences.

why flamingos are pink, and other such nonsense...

as some of you may already know, flamingos get their unique color from the shrimp that they eat. i guess there are some chemicals in the shrimp and algae that they consume (beta carotene to be exact) that contribute to their color, and in order to keep them that vibrant shade of pink in captivity, they are fed various coloring agents, much like farmed salmon.

well let's just say that i would be one funny looking flamingo, because i have noticed that a LOT of my favorite foods are orange, which is strange, because i don't even really like the color orange...it wouldn't even make it into my top 5 color choices...what can i say? i guess orange foods just taste good to me.

only my favorite kind of cookie-pumpkin chocolate chip

makes me think of hawaii...




HONEY TANGERINES!!!! i wish these were available all year around...but there's only a measly two month window for when stores carry them. perhaps that's why i love them so...

spring fever...

so i start my new job on wednesday...that's right, job number four. but it will only be a few days a week for a few hours each day. i'm also going to be playing softball for a local league once a week.

it should be an eventful spring!

sunday's spiritual thought...

i thought it would be nice to start a little blogging tradition of posting a spiritual thought each sunday. feel free to contribute what might be on your mind, it doesn't have to be from a church related source either. inspiration can come from a myriad different places...

"Good cooking takes time.

If you are made to wait, it is to serve you better. "

Author Unknown

true of cooking, true in life.

sick...and not in the good way

i think the caption says it all:

truly a sign of our gluttonous times...earth is doomed.

true meaning of easter...

does anyone else find themselves having a greater appreciation of easter this year? for some reason, i feel like i have a deeper understanding of what easter is all about, and that i am that much closer to grasping what the atonement and the plan of salvation are all about...now for those of you who may not share the same religious views or beliefs, or for those of you who would just like to know that 'feeling the spirit' is like, check this out...

now that is what easter is all about...

oh and this too:


although the eggs we dyed were not as professional looking.

hope you all had a lovely easter!

what a dirty trick...

luckily i live in a place where they couldn't pull this off...but if i was still in hawaii, well that's another story

i never thought i'd say this...

for almost 20 years now, i have faithfully bled maize and blue. and even though there's nothing i enjoy more than a good u of m win over the spartans (or the buckeyes for that matter), i have to say that i was kind of stoked when i heard the news that the spartans have made it to the final four this year...

what's next, me cheering for the avalanche?

i realize that this might put me over the edge...

but i'm thinking of getting FOURTH job. score keeping for a local softball league. it's only a few nights a week, and will totally fit with my schedule, plus it's seasonal and it will be super easy. maybe i'll even be able to bring juneau to keep me company.

in another completely unrelated story, i just went into the bathroom at work and pulled out five grey hairs.

morning routine...

whenever i get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, or early in the morning...this is what happens by the time i get back to my room:

i swear, i'm gone for maybe one to two minute tops, and each time, there
she is, dead asleep. oh pup, you make my life interesting...