"while preparing to leave the SCC, I looked outside and loudly commented on my disappointment with the fact that it was raining. Though I got many funny looks, to my surprise no one else showed any disappointment. I came to find out that this is because the sprinklers were on." -kara

from alias:
syd- what the heck are you thinking?
sloane- i'm sure you mean that in the most polite way.

"well and then you have a group of consumers that we group into the ID ten T problem. does anyone know what that is? no? perhaps if i draw it? ID10T." -norton

and THAT folks is my very last quote from my classes here at a&m because I'M FINISHED WITH CLASS. WHOOOOP!

so umm, i KNEW there was a reason that i spent so many hours shooting freethrows in my driveway in midland. this morning i went to my final basketball class and saw on the grade sheet

sharon josefy D 64

now, i'm taking this class pass/fail and it is required for my graduation, meaning that i need 6 more points in this class. never fear, if i can hit 5/10 freethrows, i shall get the 6 points i need. calmly, or perhaps not so calmly, i quietly nailed 9/10 to give me a 74. the following is the conversation with my coach that ensued...
coach: alrite, that puts you at 74.
sharon: sweet. thats passing right?
coach: haha, yeah. barely.
sharon: thats how i like to operate
coach: just enough to get by?
sharon: o yeah. everything else is wasted points.
coach: well in that case, it seems you could've slept in one more day (each absence is minus 3 points)
sharon: i know! what a bum deal!

see, he understand me very well.

now, NO NEED to be freaked out for me here. i SO was never in any danger of failing that class and not graduating. i still could have done dribbling exercises, more shooting, or extra credit assignments. there was 20 pts of credit that i never even attempted, which makes my 74 actually very impressive. but i just needed a little drama in my life to see if i could hit the big shots under pressure.

SO, with that out of the way, i'm all cleared for graduation!! only 3 tests stand in my way. and i have a whole week before they hit, so lets get this partay started!!





i'm so afraid of being alone
i cant feel your arms around me
i'm holding on tighter
to the things i can touch
clutching my dreams and desires
trying to embrace
you and myself
and it doesnt work
forsaking one i cling
to the other
gazing at you
this is where i want
to be forever

it is not surprising at all to me that the internet at my apartment complex just happens to be down these couple days when i need to use it extensively while writing 2 research papers. thus i have contributed even more hours to the info lab this week, rather than writing from the comforts of my own home.

so last thursday i accidentally slept through my afternoon class. and by accidentally, i really do mean accidentally, as i fully intended to go. however, i was so tired from having been awake so long that i NEVER heard my alarm. the same alarm that wakes me up every morning. and 2 phone calls. i was dead to the world. thus my perfect attendance streak ended at 5 days, or 2 1/2 weeks. however i am attending all classes today and thursday, and so probably will only have missed 1 class all of april, which is pretty outstanding for me.

in other news, i had a good weekend that included dinner with m&r&l, lots of sleep, island party and all-nite party with triple chunks & friends, church, wedding shower, chapel, and writing a 15 page paper! i dont think i've been to sleep before 2am and usually an average of about 4am for the past 11 days...trying to soak in the college lifestyle while i can, but honestly, i'm totally backwards on my sleep/awake times and can't seem to fix it!!

i am looking forward with great anticipation to thursday, at which point all that will be standing between me and graduation will be 3 measly tests. all the work of the past 2 weeks will be shoved into distant memory.

last night while at the computer lab, i was chillin with team awesome and we were sorta laughing at some younger students complaining about a class project they were working on for a class we'd taken previously. at the time, we too thought the class was difficult. now we laugh at it. it was so much easier than the classes we've been faced with since. we could do the project in like.....5 seconds. and so it dawned on me, that yes, maybe i have actually learned a thing or two here at a&m. while i wont bore you with computer geekdom, here are just a few general things i've learned while at a&m.

being a senior, now i know.....

1. attending every class is not only an unrealistic goal, it is also an unnecessary goal.
2. how to direct freshman, visitors, and otherwise lost individuals on campus.
3. the backroads of bryan/college station.
4. daily schedules and bedtimes are overrated, just go with the flow.
5. too many nights with too little sleep will make you sick. literally.
6. your worth does not consist of what organizations you are a part of.
7. you might as well just ask, the worst thing they could say is no.
8. how to appropriately proffer a soft howdy and smile when people walk by
9. the peak and nonpeak hours at the rec center
10. how to pay bills
11. you dont have to pay to take the buses
12. the sonic on harvey is much faster than the one at rock praire, even if the harvey location is further away
13. instant messenger is your friend, but also your enemy
14. stuff is expensive!
15. putting God first, above everything else, is the way to go...

quote of the day comes from an intense like whoa episode of 24 last nite:
edgar: i asked him if i could go instead of you, and he said, no, you were the best analyst we have......and he's right, chloe, you are the best analyst we have.
chloe: (sighs and rolls eyes) i know.

well, its over. sorta. my senior info project is completed and submitted. the presentation looms next week, along with 2 papers of substantial length that will consume this weekend and the beginning of next week. on wednesday morning i met team awesome up at the info lab at about 10:30am. about 24 hours later, i came home. team awesome had some serious crunch time coding and documenting but the end result = high quality. team awesome has been....awesome.

i spent some serious time sleeping on thursday and today. after i sleep tonite, i think i may start to feel a little better and a lot less like i might fall over and die at any moment from being tired and sick. and hopefully i can get sorta caught up on my life that does not consist of spending lengthy amounts of time in a computer lab.

today of course i spent with little L and as we usually do, we had a little CMT going on in the background as we played with toys that laugh at you. i'm not sure why they make toys for kids that laugh at them. anyway, there was this one song by i forget who and it was called "dont ask me how i know" and thus i've compiled my own list.

"dont ask me how i know"

1. you dont ever want to have a 'hello kitty' backpack
2. putting masking tape on hotel room doors does not ensure students have not left their hotel rooms
3. GAP perfume doe NOT taste good. in fact, it will make you gag. it is hard to get the taste out of your mouth.
4. skittles can be used as an assault weapon
5. metal pots should not be microwaved
6. rubber things should not be put in the dryer
7. the plastic part of the shower curtain goes inside the bath tub
8. sometimes you should check the oil level in your car
9. you should never set your slip n slide up to where it goes across a sidewalk
10. there's always somebody watching


"spin" --by lifehouse

i'd rather chase your shadow all my life
than be afraid of my own
i'd rather be with you
i'd rather not know
where i'll be than be alone and convinced that i know

everything i know has let me down
so i will just let go
let you turn me inside out
cause i know i'm not sure
about anything but you wouldnt have it any other way

and the world keeps spinning round
my worlds upside down and i wouldnt change a thing
i've got nothing else to lose
i lost it all when i found you
and i wouldnt change a thing

well we got clobbered in our championship basketball game. when your 6'8" guy is your dominating hero, and the other team shows up with a 6'8" hero of their own, things apparently go downhill. combine that with our guys hitting zero shots and their guys hitting 100% of their shots, and you get the ugly defeat that was my final intramural game at a&m. get this though, my company has intramural sports. when i learned this, i knew that this is where i had to work.

in other news, our project continues. we have been living in a different dimension than most of the world this week. on sunday afternoon, i coded from 2-5:30pm and then from 9:30pm-4am. yesterday i coded from 2-5:30pm and from 10pm-3am. AND still got up for my 8am class. yes, that is dedication. no, that is certainly not like me to be so dedicated to class. but i'm hardcore about my april class commitments, as i said i would be. one more today, and then just 3 more days of classes!!

last nite after our game i picked up a large vanilla coke from sonic to serve as my caffeine boost that would propel me late into the night. i was dismayed to discover i'd been handed a straw that was too short for my drink. i was then embarassed to discover that it didnt matter, because i had several extra long straws from sonic in my car, because thats how many times i've been to sonic recently. in fact, i started looking at all the sonic peppermints i have, and i really wish that you could redeem them for sonic cokes. like 20 peppermints, one free coke. i would like that.

a good weekend? yeah! seriously, a bit much time spent coding on the computer, but overall, a fine weekend.

+ friday with little L
+ dinner with m&r&l = NICE...or medium well, however you want to look at it
- info lab working on project from 7.30pm to 2am on fri nite= UNCOOL LOSER
- info lab working on project from 10am to 2pm saturday= UNCOOL LOSER
+ looking on the internet for an apartment
+ leading worship for youth nite in caldwell = WAY TIGHT, this evening rocked
+ watching matt & ryan freestyle rap
+ watching aladdin with friends...old school
+ church
+ lunch with evelyn
- info lab working on project from 2pm to 5:3pm on sunday afternoon = UNCOOL LOSER
- working in info lab when i should have been taking sunday afternoon nap
- majorly sick with allergies = disgusting
+ chapel!
- its the last chapel for me :(
+ championship intramural basketball game tomorrow nite
+ being on a project team with team awesome
- knowing that this weekend alone i've eaten more meals at the info lab than at my house
- dreaming about writing code for our project while trying to sleep
-way more info project to be completed = SICK


---psalm 63:2-8---
"i have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. because your love is better than life my lips will glorify you. i will praise you as long as i live, and in your name i will lift up my hands. my soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. on my bed i remember you; i think of you through the watches of the night. because you are my help, i sing in the shadow of your wings. my soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."

if i was going to get to interview someone that was applying for any job anywhere, NO LIE, this is how the interview would go.

-------------------------------------
umm hey hows it goin. this is going to be a "situational interview". i'm going to give you a scenario and you basically just tell me how you would react ok?

1. you are driving with your windows down, singing happily and perhaps rather loudly. in short, you are groovin. when you stop at a red light you notice the person next to you also has their windows down, and are of course looking at you.

2. you drop a string of "your mom" jokes on someone, only to find out a few minutes later that their mother actually died a few months ago in a tragic accident.

3. you: oh my gosh, i looooove [insert something you loooooove here]
other person you are trying to impress: sick. i hate [thing that you stated you
looooooove]
you: ????

4. your roommate's clothes are in the dryer. you need to put your clothes in the dryer. your roommate is not home.

5. you have taken a test and your score is a 76, however the teacher made a mistake and you should really have an 84.

6. you have taken a test and your score is a 104, however the teacher made a mistake and you should really have a 110.

7. you have taken a test and your score is a 94, however the teacher made a mistake and you should really have a 85.

8. you are at a fancy shmancy social event with recruiters and while trying to balance the glass & plate and shake hands with these uber important people, you drop you glass, spilling beverage everywhere

9. you are sitting outside eating at a restaurant. suddenly, a few tables over, a girl's chair breaks and she falls down to where she is essentially sitting on her bum on the ground, amidst the broken pieces of her chair.

10. you are playing basketball and someone blatantly trips you. the ref calls a foul... n YOU.

thank you for your time.
------------------------------------------------------------------


well today marked 2 weeks of perfect attendance at classes. if i attend all classes on tuesday, this will eclipse my record for this semester (set the first 2 weeks of school) for certain and i believe for this entire year.

one of my profs almost said something funny today, but i didnt have a pen. who goes to class without a pen?



--2 Corinithians 1:20-22--
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the the 'Amen' is spoken to us by the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

in exactly one month i will be graduating from THE finest university.

but WOW does a lot need to be accomplished before that point. most of that in the next 2 weeks. yeah my life's pace definitely picks up a bit at the end of the semester, particularly for the past 2 semesters. being in senior level classes is rather different than the lower level classes i have discovered to my chagrin. the horrors of spending essentially an entire week in the computer lab finishing a website had slowly faded from my mind. a semester is just long enough to forget the pain of finals and team projects. i find myself remembering some of the fun we did manage to have and wonder if it really was that bad? and now that time is upon me again. and i clearly remember, YES, it WAS that bad. it is tempered by the fact that this is the LAST time to endure this semester ending frenzy as an info major. also helpful in this process is the finest team ever to spend the next two weeks with. the times spent with team awesome, coding, yet also laughing, eating, throwing things, and generally just being awesome will constitute some of the finest memories of my college career.

but i'll still be glad when its april 28th. it is certainly more fun to look back on these times than to be in the middle of them.

april class attendance: still perfect! only 5 more days to go!....too bad they dont say any good quotes these days. they are killing my blog here.
hours spent working on projects yesterday alone: 8 hours
hours spent writing today: 3 hours so far, and the night is young...


whatever You ask of me
i know my answer will be yes, Lord...yes, Lord
whatever You desire, I won't say no
whatever You ask of me
i know my answer will be yes, Lord...yes, Lord
wherever You call me, I'll gladly go

--ross king

-psalm 94:19-
"in the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul..."

ok here's another one of these deals, b/c everyone really liked the other one apparently...

10 things i enjoy...
1. playing basketball
2. taking a nap
3. deep conversations
4. playing the guitar
5. seeing God change people
6. figuring something out on the computer
7. learning new stuff
8. helping other people out
9. being right
10. making other people laugh

9 music groups/artists that rock my face off...
1. Lifehouse
2. Jeremy Camp
3. Third Day
4. Jennifer Knapp
5. Chris Tomlin
6. Ross King
7. Switchfoot
8. Caedmons Call
9. old school FFH

8 places i like to eat...
1. Rosas
2. Olive Garden
3. Wendys
4. Outback
5. Wings N More
6. Double Daves
7. Subway
8. Pappadeaux (sp?)

7 characteristics i look for in a guy...
1. sense of humor
2. athleticism
3. blue eyes
4. hottness
5. a heart that's pursuing God
6. outgoing-ness
7. leadership-ness

6 names i've been called...
1. sharone
2. sharone full of bologna
3. matt's little sister
4. shevron
5. eat here
6. the First Sister (while matt was mr. president)

5 dumb things i do all too frequently...
1. make the hot sauce packet squirt everywhere
2. mix up my words (poor little boys i babysat during the summers named monty and rusty sure got really tired of me calling them ronty and musty)
3. drop my drink (in the words of Will, "o its ok, no one will notice...until they slip and fall on their face")
4. trip on the uneven parts of the sidewalk (if you've been to a&m at some point, you are probably familiar)
5. get a little confused while driving (if you want to know a secret way out of the dfw airport so you dont have to pay, just let me know and i'll help ya out)

4 cleaning things i need to do more often...
1. make my bed (sorry mom & dad)
2. clean the dust off my ceiling fan (where's bree when ya need her??)
3. are you for real supposed to clean baseboards or whatever?
4. mop the kitchen

3 people i'd really like to meet...
1. Joshua, from the Bible
2. the apostle Paul
3. some guy who wants to marry me someday....haha jk.

2 ways i release stress...
1. throw darts
2. play the guitar

1 thing i want to be remembered as...
1. verrry nice!

quotes from greg matte, speaking at breakaway

"so basically we were just putting the fun in dysfunctional"

"and my grandfather told me, just remember, us gray haired folks probably have shoes that are older than you are"

"just remember that when you're around someone older, they are wiser. they may not be as cool as you are, but there's a wisdom there."


5 signs that spring is in the air:

you wake up from a nap and its 7pm yet still light outside

your car becomes stifling hot, making it difficult to breathe when you first sit down inside

you want to wear a sweatshirt in the morning but in the afternoon you are burning hot

school seems to have been going on forever and all you want to do is be outside, not inside at class

things melt if you leave them in the car. on friday my deodorant melted because i left it in the car with my change of clothes while i gave a presentation. this is not cool, if you were wondering, and unfortunately beyond repair. i'm not sure what this says about my brand of deodorant. i mean, thats what they advertise you know, the hotter i am, the more it should work right? apparently, at some temperature level it simply just melts into one big mess. but you dont hear them advertising that now do ya? i think they should put a warning on the package.



5 random things said to me this week:

"so were one of your parents in the military? you seem very disciplined..." (we were playing mafia, and i'm like the narrator...i dont get any more relaxed. so this really caught me off guard)

"i didnt know you liked country music" (its the guitar, really, what can i say)

"so are your parents prolific(??) protestants or devout catholics to have so many kids?" (excuse me?)

"aren't you going to have a bunch of kids some day?" (in a word, no. but thanks for playing)

"in my 10years at a&m, that was the best project i've ever seen, and that presentation....it was just perfect. what a way to go out!" --my professor who is leaving after the semester is over (i think there was a few tears in his eyes....niiice)


in case you were curious, an update:
this week i attended EVERY class of mine, thats right perfecto attendance.
also this weekend, i wrote roughly 20% of one paper, and 40% of the other paper.
and, two days this week we worked on our project.

unfortunately, all that classing yielded zero quotes. i'm not sure if i'm just so bored that nothing is funny to me anymore or if the classes were just not that funny.

countdown to graduation: 34 days
number of days left to go to class: 6 days
remaining assignments/tests in undergraduate degree: 16

Nothing Else I Need

when i think of all i've seen nothing
compares to what you give
and to drink of what you bring you quench
the thirst for me to live
i am satisfied by what tenderness you've
shown to me and i empty all that i am

and you fill my life you're everything to me
there's nothing else i need anymore
and i know you are everything to me and
there's nothing else i need anymore

i have tasted and i know this fire birthed
inside will only grow and i've sought all that
this world tried to offer me and it led me
to your feet and i empty all that i am

and you fill my life you're everything to me
there's nothing else i need anymore
and i know you are everything to me and
there's nothing else i need anymore

i will lay down all my needs and you will
come and make them new
to make you my only desire my desire
and you fill my life you're everything to me

and you fill my life you're everything to me
there's nothing else i need anymore
and i know you are everything to me and
there's nothing else i need anymore

there's nothing else i need.....

--jeremy camp

"I hope each of you is getting straight up krunk about presenting at the CMIS board meeting."--Will, in his email to team awesome

intramural basketball playoff victory last nite...yay! thanks to will and markum for coming out and getting krunk.

link to some quotes from simon, of american idol judging fame, courtesy of cynthia
simon's quotes

apparently with my "things i heart about my time at a&m" lists in 2 previous posts, i have convinced the skeptics that 3yrs actually IS a satisfactory length of time to enjoy college (as opposed to 4), and that i have actually managed to enjoy college personally in my 3 yrs. so i am cleared for graduation on all fronts it seems.

when you've just gotten home for the evening at 11pm, having been gone since around 9am, and your friends call and want to play cards, and its a wednesday evening, and you have class at 8am in the morning, YOU would probably decline to go hang out. i lack this ability. and it seems several of my friends do too because suddenly there was 8 of us up at the MSC trash talking while playing taboo and generally just hanging out. this, my friends, is what college is about. o, and getting an education, etc.

i'm constantly hearing in lectures/speeches/conferences/etc that flexibility is key..."you just need to be flexible". and i want to say, hey, I'M flexible here, it seems its YOU that aren't flexible. i PLANNED to go to bed last nite, but when friends called, i was FLEXIBLE to change my plans. often i PLAN to go to class, but in the morning i'm FLEXIBLE to change those plans. i PLAN to study ahead of time for tests to avoid cramming the night before and i'm FLEXIBLE....ok just kidding on that one, i dont even bother planning that. but anyway, i guess my point is, i agree, we all should be VERY flexible. it will make you enjoy your day...or at least make you really tired during class!

apparently an approaching graduation will make you sentimental.

more things i heart about my time at a&m, in no particular order:

1. pancake breakfasts at the hoovers...the chef's hat just puts it over the top. or that its at 6am.

2. info lunches....team awesome: dominating the info dept. since 2003

3. peer mentorship award banquet.....awww thanks guys

4. tutoring elementary students....that did not wish to have a tutor

5. coordinating disciple nows at the BSM

6. leading worship for youth night in caldwell

7. star of bethlehem presentation

8. being witnessed to (by my brothers best friend's girlfriend) while, ironically, having my quiet time on the academic plaza

9. ice skating & cheesecake factory trip to houston

10. moving into my first apartment

11. that one night during finals week, that matt, bree, megan, and i laughed really hard, and i had that sticky gooey hand....we were sleep deprived.

12. trying to change megan's car battery and finally giving up and asking for help from tall matt, who did it in what 15 minutes?

13. walking all the way home from a football game and finding $20 on the ground

14. selling back books

15. appealing a parking ticket and getting it waived

16. teaching at Impact conferences over spring breaks

17. third day concert at reed arena

18. coaching my upward team

19. making a forbidden yet o so sweet trip to the roof of the msc

20. playing with nerf guns and giant frisbees in the middle of the night at wehner

21. getting lost on my way to history of american seapower the first week of class my freshmen year

22. accounting tutoring sessions at subway with julie

23. finance cramming sessions with bree

24. working out with bree

25. spending some evenings reading at barnes & noble

26. derek webb concert at rudder

27. mitte society planning with lindsay

28. monday night upstream leaders prayer meetings

29. learning that you can bike from northside to west campus in about 3 minutes if there's no train

30. doing that community survey with evelyn...one of the most difficult things i've done

31. getting letters in the mail from my mom

32. lolly's volleyball tournaments that brought her to a&m or at least to sam houston for a saturday

33. chick-fil-a outbound meals....beautiful

34. coffee station study times with lauren

35. jason's deli weekly lunches with megan

36. BSM summer missions banquet

37. hearing the SBP election results at sul ross

38. FBC Bryan youth choir musicals

39. FBC Bryan Christmas musical with matt & bree

40. thanksgiving at m&r's

41. Beth Moore Bible study on Sunday nights

42. running the multimedia screens at FBC Bryan

43. whataburger study nights.....ohhh the fun times had at whataburger in that corner booth

44. sunday lunches at matt's apt

45. getting a job offer

46. getting my aggie ring

47. "running" that 5K on a saturday at 8am with bree that one time

48. watching the presidential election results and eating rootbeer floats at matt's place

49. our commissioning deal to send evelyn off to brazil

50. having the freedom to skip classes

so last night at the Bible study i'm in at BSM, we took this profile deal, and it kinda matches your 'personality type' with your spiritual gifts, blah blah blaaaaaah, it is kind of interesting stuff. this includes the DISC model of human behavior that reveals i'm passive/reserved. hmmm what a shocker. if you would like more insight into supposedly understanding and working with me, read on, otherwise....i'm not exactly sure why you're reading my blog. unless you're looking for funny quotes, which is a valid point, but you should come back another day.

apparently, according to this, i am generally passive/people oriented, characterized as steady, stable, shy, security-oriented, servant, submissive, specialist. thats right, a specialist. WHAT the heck i'm a specialist in they did NOT say.

however in stressful situations it appears my passive/task oriented side comes into play, making me more cautious, competent, calculating, compliant, careful, contemplative.

i'm not sure but i'd say my older brother is a blend of the other 2 letters, the active/outgoing ones. D (active/task) being dominating, directing, driving, demanding, determined, decisive, doing. and I (active/people) being inspiring, influencing, inducing, impressing, interactive, interested in people.

how can 2 people that came from the same 2 people be sooooo different??

my spiritual gifts, according to this = knowledge & wisdom

so then this is supposedly how they work together with my personality....

"Sweet, soft, and sensitive type believers who seem to have an unusual amount of information about so many things often have the gift of knowledge. They are slow to share, but when asked, have an answer for just about everything. They are more shy, than outgoing. They usually dont volunteer their knowledge, but are ready once asked. S type personalities with the gift of knowledge are faithful and loyal. They dont like hurting others and want to always help others with their knowledge."

"Passive/people oriented Christians with the unusual ability to make wise decisions often have S type personalities with the gift of wisdom. They are not hard and strong about most things, but do have unique insights when it comes to right and wrong. They are often sought out by others, because of their loyal and faithful way of dealing with problems. They are more quiet than most people, but when they do share their wisdom, people are often amazed.

They tend to be humble and need to speak out more. But they often demonstrate wisdom that few people ever imagine."

and apparently i should be more assertive. oddly enough, that is about the 4th time i've heard that....this week. so watch out or i might....assert you.

i'm not too sure on these spiritual gifts deals...i'm never quite sure i've got the right ones marked down. i think on this one i took in the ninth grade i somehow scored NEGATIVE on showing mercy, which is like impossible and i think it means like you're not saved or something, but hey, what can i say.

and i'm not entirely sure that i'm convinced that i actually have a personality.

but these things are supposed to help us understand each other, so......understand me ok?

if you send me your spiritual gifts and your personality, i will tell you what my cool book says about you.

10 things that made today cool:

-waking up BEFORE my alarm went off at 7 (there is something to this theory about going to bed early)
-today was the last info 477 lecture, yesssss (now if only there wasn't that hideous project looming so largely)
-lunch at dalins deli on northgate with the info guys and peter
-chatting with M online about....pizza rolls! (get excited.)
-guest speaker in info439 (read: get out of class early, no hw)
-telephone convo with cy
-no one being in the workout room when i went down there to work out (its always nicer that way)
-racking up the very nice points by helping a friend with their excel formulas (because honestly i'd rather help with your hw then do my own, so hit me up. you never can tell what i'll agree to do)
-breakaway (and getting soaked in the torrential downpour following breakaway)
-even more very nice points for helping the roomy with computer stuff

quote for today:
"apparently sugarless gum may kill dogs. and its proven that after they die their breath starts to stink again. its lose-lose."

some things i heart about my time at a&m, in no particular order

1. fightin texas aggie football games--my faves being the ou game my freshman yr, and the ou game this yr, etc.

2. fightin texas aggie baseball, basketball, volleyball, SOCCER, tennis, etc.

3. my kinesiology classes...tennis & basketball

4. upstream triple chunk group 14....spring retreat was the most amazing weekend i've ever been a part of, and fall retreat and the whole yr were pretty stinkin tight too

5. shaving cream fight on the academic plaza with the terrible twos

6. the night of the tech game my freshman yr, even if none of us got to sit together at sweet home alabama

7. leading worship, eating ice cream, philosophizing, and laughing in houston with chris hoover and co.

8. leading dnows on several weekends my freshman yr

9. mktg with conant, java with mrs. p, and mgmt with dr. welch

10. spending way too many hours computerizing with team awesome (code red! the rash is getting worse..........)

11. playing and watching intramural basketball

12. soccer, sand volleyball, and tennis with triple chunksters

13. tennis, sonic, and nite church at grace with a good friend

14. fbc bryan sunday school class

15. chapel

16. breakaway

17. j-jo's spring break in c.s.

18. matt's campaign

19. muster

20. family times at m&r's in bryan

21. double daves, wings n more, freebirds, and koppe bridge

22. business honors trip to the astros game

23. weslee and me going to houston for the rockets game and shopping

24. megan, magan, and i going to houston for a rockin jeremy camp concert (stop! i think the road is gone?!?!?)

25. wedding dress shopping with bree

26. the weekends my sisters stayed at my apt.

27. when megan, john, byron, and i went tubing on the guadalupe

28. my spring break trip to london

29. the night we stayed up till 5 playing daniel's card game

30. late nights playing spades and eating cookies

31. the times m&r came to dinner at my place

32. the time m&r made my dad play charades

33. fridays with luke

34. the day i substitute taught a 3rd grade class

35. sittin around playing guitars and worshipping together

36. the trip to san antonio to interview with USAA

37. kelly coe and me camping with a bunch of craaazy terrible twos guys who tried to set the lake on fire

38. pulling all nighters....often just for the fun of it, sometimes for studying purposes

39. afternoon naps

40. the times i cooked dinner with travis and ryan

41. the rowing machines at the rec

42. quiet times in all faiths chapel on rainy afternoons

43. partays and general good times at chateaux cheval or whatever the heck it is

44. playing poker and swinging and going down slides in the middle of the night with upstream leaders

45. driving meals on wheels with nancy on thursdays

46. the time matt made me get dressed up and go to a formal with him.....at sbisa, sitting across from the food services director.

47. late night IM chats

48. visits from my grandmothers, shelby, emily m, weslee, etc

49. walking at bee creek park and sonic runs with megan

50. missions discovery weekend in arlington

....

in doing 2 very innocent things, i find myself with 2 brand new time wasters to enjoy. at this point you are probably thinking that i, of all people, do not need MORE things to waste my time on. but you are probably just jealous of my mad time management skills that enable me to appear to do absolutely nothing at all.

new time waster #1
while innocently trying to communicate with my brother & sister in law, they discovered, in a word, skype. skype is incredibly cool. it uses voice over IP technology and voila your computer=telephone. and if both parties are on their computer=absolutely free. to anywhere in the world. you can also, from you computer for roughly 3 cents a minute, call any landline or cell phone. amaaazing. this is particularly handy if you have a brother & sister in law living in london. you should download it yourself and call me!

new time waster #2
while innocently just trying to help a friend edit an audio file, i downloaded a free audio editing program called wave pad. its fun to play with.

time waster #1 + time waster #2
in order to use skype, you need to have a microphone. and so yesterday i ventured out to old wally world for the first time in literally many months and bought an uber cool "skype certified" internet chat headset with microphone. it even has interchangeable color plates. this is pretty tight stuff. BUT this also leads to infinitely more fun with wave pad, when you can record your own audio files!

so if your looking for something to do:
1. download skype and call your friends/family/random strangers
2. buy a tight microphone headset and....have fun
3. practice editing songs

if that doesnt sound like fun to you, then geeze. i dont know what does.

i did tear myself away from my new toys long enough to go to 5 innings of fightin texas aggie baseball "batting practice" until the chill air and my flip flops just couldnt stand each other any more.

attention: 8 more days of classes EVER for me in my undergraduate career. can i just say whoop?
countdown to graduation: 40 days.

to be fair, i've included an easter quote from myself, recorded by bekah

"I eat things that make me thin...wheat thins, thin mints - thats my diet!"
-the OnE & OnLy, ShArOnE-


so basically senioritis or spring fever or whatever it is, THAT is kickin my boo-tay right now. if the first 3 weeks of march seemed like a mere 3 days, the last 9 days of march felt like nine stinkin years. we've finally made it to april, and in just over 3 weeks, i will have completed a semester project (with team awesome!), and written two papers, of 15 pages each. hmmm. april toils bring may diplomas?

so here's my resolutions for school in april:
1. resolved. to go to all my remaining classes. i.e. no more skipping. i.e. stop laughing. i.e. i'm serious.
2. resolved. to begin my papers BEFORE the week they're do.
3. resolved. to use the project workdays in the syllabus to actually work on the project.

APRIL FOOLS.

haha just kidding, those really are my resolutions. i know that you are still laughing at my resolutions, but you just watch. i really can do things i want to do. i'm gonna suck it up and finish strong here. ok, now i'm laughing. i'm really tired of info classes. hopefully may will come soon!!

april fools day doesnt carry quite the same charm it did in elementary school. what kind of person are you when april 1st no longer makes you gleefully think APRIL FOOLS DAY, YES!!! and instead you think, dang it april 1st, my rent is due and i dont have any more checks.



-psalm 70:4-
"Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let God be magnified!'"



the light i was following
suddenly seems quite dim
or maybe its just my eyes
clouding up on the earthly prize
doubt wrecked the confidence
that was driving my heart
and the plans you've laid
have never seemed a larger maze
as i sift through every desire
my head's barely above the mire
but as i'm struggling all alone
i think i can hear a heartbeat
and its not my own...

top 10 quotes from Easter weekend with the fam:

#10
mawmaw: "poor kids, they have 2 uncle richards."
richard: "poor?? FORTUNATE children."
#9
mom: "i always say darn those socks."
#8
mawmaw: "that's well water."
richard: "dont you mean good water?"
#7
martha: "do you want to be passed it?"
#6
martha: "the amount of sleep luke gets tonite could affect how quickly he cures cancer."
#5
mawmaw: "hey hows your achilles tendon?"
dad: "oh, i have cut it off with a knife."
#4
mom: "STOP. dont use anymore big words after that or he will just keep reading from the dictionary all night."
#3
martha: "if you die, we will probably eat out. we will have other things on our mind and probably wont feel like cooking."
#2
jennifer: "i really liked this salmon, now i think i will try mali mali."
#1
mawmaw: "well, lets not dirty up the trash can."

despite the weather not being so grand for lake activities, we still managed to have a good time being with each other and playing a few games, watching ncaa basketball, eating a LOT, and correcting each others grammar, because josefys will be josefys.

i enjoyed a visit back to my first church on Easter Sunday, and we got to see some old family friends which is always fun too. they have remodeled the whole church and it looks great, but i remember going a few years ago and looking at the blue steps by the childrens wing. these giant blue steps were my fave childhood memories at church, where after sunday school we would all wait for our parents and play quiet water, still water, 1, 2, 3 FREEZE. and sometimes sneak in a jump from the top step if no one was looking. i was mortified to discover that these giant blue steps were actually quite small. now they are gone altogether. where do kids play quiet water, still water, 1, 2, 3, FREEZE these days??

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen one
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross
My guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powr's, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

--stuart townsend

dun duh daaaa. i attended 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, yes EIGHT classes this week, meaning ALL OF THEM. what what?? now in store, an evening of pizza rolls & sonic cokes and ncaa tourney action and packing to go to the lake with some of the josefy side of the fam.

today in basketball marked a signifcant event. in the pickup game that traditionally follows class that is made up of entirely guys except for myself.......i was NOT picked last!!! in fact, i was picked before 2 other people. i'm not sure how this makes them feel but i dont think they really care, but thank you tim!! and jeff for being cool.

quotes from basketball:
guy coming in to take someone's place: i'm on skins?? (naturally i sharon, was on shirts of course)
tim: yeah
guy coming in to take someone's place: does that really mean i have to take my shirt off?
all the guys: yesss
guy coming in to take someone's place: i'm just warning you i'm kinda fat. is that ok with everyone? (looks at sharon)
sharon averts glance, and desperately wants to leave the gym
guy coming in to take someone's place: i really need a back wax and i get really sweaty so sorry whoever's guarding me
sharon is extremely grateful she will be guarding hott jeff and not this guy and still desperately wants to leave the gym

quotes from INFO 439:

"i would suggest that if through the course you've been in some sort of intellectual nap, now would be a good time to wake up!" --deutsch

"either place we end this scenario, you the project leader, are screwed." --deutsch

tallies from INFO 477 Tuesday:

said "puppy" IIIII IIIII I
fat references II
food references 0 (surprising, but true)
old school programming references IIIII I
lame jokes IIII
dumb questions asked IIIII IIIII IIII
time spent belaboring concepts we are already quite familiar with: 47 minutes
minutes spent talking about languages other than the one we are supposed to learn: 10

tallies from INFO 477 Thursday:

said "puppy" IIII
old school programming references IIII
lame jokes IIIII I
dumb questions asked II

the best quote from 477 will go unposted, but if you were there, you know what it was, and you know that it was really really funny.

props to the a&m basketball team for doing so well this year, but came up just a tad short yesterday. st. joe's was getting on my last nerve by using the entire 35sec clock every stinkin time. i understand this is their strategy i suppose but oh my goodness, soooooo boring and stifling.

props to daniel t for surprising us with a sneaky balcony entrance as we tried to surprise him at his surprise bday party that was way too late for a school nite! props to evelyn and alicia for throwing a killer party. and props to the tons of people that showed up! if you didnt come, you missed out on the triple layered triple chunk brownie cake and one fun bday partay, triple chunk style.

i admire .....

great authors like c.s. lewis, a.w. tozer and oswald chambers whose works have affected so many people, even after their deaths.

laypeople like my mom and dad who use their gifts to build up the body, for "nothing" in return.

ministers like keith, clay, and lance, who put their walk with God first, then their families, and somehow still have time to lead the church......and for sports!

ministers wives like cynthia, shawna, bev, and christine who know how to support their husbands, love people, and probably should be on the church's payroll....and know how to make you laugh and have a good time.

shane barnard's mad guitar skills

missionaries who carry out the great commission day after day, in difficult places

youth in the Northwest and elsewhere that dont have Christian friends at school, but bring their friends to know Christ by the way they live their lives

doctors, lawyers,architects, etc, because they work so hard and seriously.....thats a lot of school!

teachers and coaches that really care about students, and look to make a difference in their lives.....and they do.

people like weslee who know how to just have a crazy fun time in life

my friends from crestview like wes, steph, and lolly who are seeking God's heart and pouring into others

collegiate athletes

my college friends that work and take a full load of classes....and are involved in ministry....and still have time to play with nerf guns and giant frisbees in the computer lab with me?

my brothers and sisters: the leader one and his faithful and always learning stuff wife who together refuse to settle for normal, the outgoing one, the writer, the stud athlete, and the tenderhearted one, and the funny boring one....o wait, thats me

young couples like m&r who really love each other and their families and want to make a difference......and do.

the apostle paul, nehemiah, ezekiel, daniel, priscilla & aquila, and peter......and a whole lot of others

evangelists like luther, moody, tyndale, spurgeon, edwards, graham.....who had a vision and changed the world

people who can speak multiple languages.........parlez vous francais?

people that take up the cross, and follow Him.....daily.

so you probably figure that if your dad mentions that you should update your blog, its definitely been too long since your last post.

my last spring break was the best spring break ever!! it was so good to get to see matt and bree, and to experience london. for those of you like cynthia who enjoy well summarized things, i wont give my play by play of the trip but a simple summary: windsor castle, hyde park, speakers corner, kensington gardens, green park, tower bridge, tower of london, big ben, house of parliament, trafalgar square, buckingham palace, harrods, westminster abbey, st. paul's cathedral, covent gardens, british museum, a play: the producers, leicester square, and china town. if ya want more info than that, then you'll actually have to call me.

i do have some quotes from london, mostly taken from the church services we attended.

"i dont know who the next james bond is going to be. but i wanted to ask if any of you have ever wanted to be james bond? if you're a bloke, that is." --pastor nigel

"sometimes when you're going to a Holy Lord in prayer, dont you feel a bit grubby inside?" --jean, pastor mike's wife

"the wife can let the guy lead but inside be thinking 'you're an idiot' or 'you're a prat' " --pastor nigel

"ohh i get it, men should lead so they should drive the car and women should map read." --pastor nigel

"be honest now. do you ever day dream and replay conversations or relationships in your head, only in your dreams you win? i've scored many a try [touchdown] for england....in my dreams." --pastor nigel

"these dont strictly relate to 'going out'. if he says 'i'm moving to nester, come with me', she doesnt have to obey. and why should she? suppose the relationship ends and she finds herself suddenly very alone in nester." --pastor nigel

"suppose a wife says to her husband 'lets not go to Bible study tonite', not that i'm saying women woud be more apt to say that, but anyway, dont say 'dont be stupid. of course we're going, get in the car'." --pastor nigel

"but if you do say i dont want to go, what does your boyfriend say? does he say 'good point. football's on'?"--pastor nigel

"unfortunately the three questions we tend to ask are is she beautiful? will she make me happy? is there someone better looking coming around the corner?" --pastor nigel

things that have made me smile over spring break:
1. going to the mavs game with lolly and the hopkins....and props to clay & cynthia for taking care of my car and giving me ride to/from the airport and for getting me a mavs ticket and for letting me stay with them and for tivo-ing alias and 24 for me and for pretty much just being the coolest people ever
2. abby dancing at the mavs game
3. seeing matt and bree, duh
4. being a tourist in london
5. seeing melanie fox and catharine rhodes!!
6. playing spades with evelyn, daniel, and chara
7. eating sunday lunch at the park
8. sharing about my trip with m&r and hanging out with luke
9. martha calling me to tell me michael vartan was playing celebrity poker on the travel channel
10. watching michael vartan playing celebrity poker on the travel channel

things that annoyed me:
1. jet lag --and my inability to sleep on airplanes
2. having to take out the trash
3. unpacking
4. american airlines flight attendants and the dude in the cowboy hat who would not sit down and shut up
5. my roommate inadvertently leaving her alarm clock set for 8:10am and LOCKING HER DOOR so it couldnt be shut off. it beeps for 1 hour, 59 minutes, by the way.

currently i'm celebrating inside because i dont have monday classes so technically my spring break is still going strong!! unfortunately, i sense that lisa and i will be doing fowler class project tomorrow, blah.

and a quote from palm sunday:
"palm branches are like big holy green pompoms....i'd really like one!" --chris hoover

"there's this story about a farmer who had a donkey.....now thats just a great story right there isn't it?" --toney, speaking at chapel

"what happened after that? roger ruled. because roger had resources." --pastor tim owens, sharing the story of poor roger who always got bullied until he got his older brother from the highschool football team to come over and take care of it


one of my sistuh's is here for the week, spending her spring break with her uber cool sister. so i'm busy just making sure she does all the aggie stuff.


i don't trust my ears
to hear what You're saying
if only You'd write it on the wall
i'm still not sure i'd get it right
i wish someone would grab my hand
shield my eyes from all that draws me
and show me where You're calling
i definitely don't know the answer
i'm not even sure on the question
break me 'till You're all i want
and give me faith to follow
no matter what it costs
or whom.

i won't dream small
i'll reach for what i can't see
and when its time to leave here
unclasp my hands from all i hold
and if i wont let go
then take them too
because all i want is You

quotes:

"make it interesting for me to read--that will actually help your grade a little." --deutsch

"i'm sure you can find something thats interesting to write about--if its not interesting to you: fake it. " --deutsch

"you want to finish it early??.....okay....thats a novel question." --deutsch

"i'm sure you are all thirsty to find out what a work breakdown structure is"--deutsch (uhh, actually not so much....but a sonic coke sure does sound enticing)

"if you dont understand its probably because....your not my brain." --will, jestfully pretending to be markum

attention: in 3 minutes, it will be Bree's birthday.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY BREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


#484
i'm pressing on the upward way
new heights i'm gaining every day
still praying as i onward bound
Lord plant my feat on higher ground

my heart has no desire to stay
where doubts arise and fears dismay
though some may dwell where these abound,
Lord lead me on to higher ground.......

funny quotes from my weekend with the fam:

sister 1: "i'm hot."
sister 2: "its because your wearing modest pajamas."

question: would you bungee jump?
sister 1: "i'm not sure. maybe if someone pushed me out of the plane."

M: "like a chocolate covered bunny...well, not a chocolate covered bunny, just a chocolate bunny."

R: "I always use my debit card at the ATM machine."


we had a blast this weekend, though i think i ate way more than i should have eaten this weekend. we enjoyed being a part of the largest crowd at reed arena and watching a&m dismantle the texas tech basketball team...it was beautiful.

last nite i watched an intramural game while sitting next to chris walker of the a&m basketball team...cool stuff.

today was ummmm...interesting....verrrry interesting.

if you were a crayon what color would you be?

white. so everyone would leave me alone.

THINGS I HAVE SAID, TYPED, OR THOUGHT THIS WEEK

i think my parents like it when i say...."i want to wear shaaaaooorts."

yesterday marked one month's worth of rowing pretty much every nite at the rec. gotta hang in there 2 more weeks then i get a break because i'll be in london. can i just say WHOOP to that.

there's just nothing like a long-sleeved t-shirt.

"i only run if someone is chasing me or if i have to go to the bathroom..." --funny the things people say

over the course of my life there have been exactly 5 guys that i have "liked."

at Bible study this week i was reminded how fortunate i am to have a godly family. i enjoy these times and look forward to even better ones with them...can you imagine all of us grown up and having a partay? crazy times, i know.

i'm convinced that 2 of the best cd's ever are lifehouse's no name face and jeremy camp's restored.

4 songs i find myself playing over and over on the guitar are Holy is the Lord, If You Say Go, He Is Exalted, and You Are God Alone, because they are awesome.

i think if i could live anywhere the top 5 places i'd want to live would be seattle, africa, somewhere on the east coast, china, or colorado.

if you asked me my favorite subject in grade school i probably would have mentioned recess and maybe math. if you asked me today my favorite class i'd say basketball class. sometimes things dont change much.

if you asked me in junior high what i wanted to be when i grew up i might have mentioned the wbna or a basketball coach/math teacher. today you couldnt pay me to play in the wbna. i guess some things do change. i'd still do the coach/math deal though maybe sometime.

flipflops are incredible. but they seem to have very poor traction. its a little scary to try to walk in them when its raining.

i was thinking today that my days of jeans & flipflops are numbered. and i was saddened.

"asleep cuz 8am's inhale as if through a straw" --daniel's away message. haha, made me laugh

when i look at the awesome turnarounds coach gary blair and coach billy gillepsie have made to the a&m teams in such a short time, i'm quite impressed. i think, wow, i would like to be like you. until you have a losing season.

i think if i had to decide what my favorite food was, i'd be in trouble, but suffice it to say i'm a major fan of grilled cheese sandwiches. and enchiladas and fajitas. and light blue gatorade or the blue powerade. i think if you threw in plain bagels, i could live on those foods and beverages for a long time.

i think you will find the authors of the Bible usually talk about their joy being made complete when they see their "children" walking with the Lord or coming to know the Lord. i think sometimes we lose out on some complete joy because we focus too much on ourselves and neglect to invest in others around us. maybe.

who decided that shampoos and conditioners should smell like fruit?

guest lecturer = no deutsch quotes

my family is coming down for the weekend!! guess i should clean the place up.......

couple quotes from deutsch's class:

"if your heartbeat gets down to zero, this is not good and someone should know about it." --deutsch

"what are your options here? well, you could hire a hit man for your boss, but unfortunately there's no local Mafia representative in College Station...we're not very well connected."--deutsch

"that's useful for keeping things in budget and on schedule, and, parenthetically, keep you from getting fired." --deutsch

"what more could you want??....well, probably a lot more, but thats all we're going to get in this class."--deutsch

today's sign that team awesome is back together:

"hey my armpits smell really bad...but i'm not positive." --lisa

today's worst case of name dropping i've heard in a long while:

"i was like, hmm, Pita Pit. i hadn't been there in forever, but yesterday when we were driving through Hollywood i saw one...." --lisa

todays sign that info 477 just might be the death of us all:

class is so boring that you look over and markum has drawn the logo for the tv show 24....it was quite impressive.

seriously, 477 is the worst class ever. i thought that there'd be no way some certain classes could be beat, but i think its done it already, and we're still in the early part of the semester. sad times.

bad things about today:

-info 477
-the milk for my cereal smelled not so great, even though the date on it was today. so i poured it out. then i thought, hmm, since i've already poured the cereal, how bad could orange juice taste on cereal. i dont know about your cereal, but DO NOT EVER attempt this with honey bunches of oats with peaches. it was the grossest thing i've ever tasted. needless to say, i didnt have cereal this morning.
-did i mention info 477 was terrible??


good things about today:

-watching the aggie mens bball team crush iowa state....HA
-eatin fajitas and chillin with M & R & L .....FUN times
-i went to ALL my classes....i'm not sure which list to put this under bad/good?
-my nap this afternoon :-)
-my intramural basketball team winning on a buzzer beater runner in the lane.....beautiful!!
-getting an email from one cool friend :-)

10 random things you will NEVER be able to quote me as saying:

lets do something a little less competitive (i mean, someone's gotta win, right?)

i just dont think michael vartan is that hot (c'mon, he's like the definition of hotness)

nah, i dont really feel like taking a nap (sleep is beautiful)

hmm i guess i overdressed for this occasion (unless somehow jeans & flipflops were too dressy)

i never missed class this semester (uh yeah right)

please pass the mayonnaise (sick)

sure, i'll take some V8 juice (sicker)

the rainy weather makes me so depressed (its my absolute fave weather)

a&m is overrated (please.)

well i guess i've got everything figured out (uhh, yeah right)

sorry i dont have any quotes for you...my classes were cancelled on thursday (except for one, i had a test in it) so that all the girls could attend a conference entitled, creatively, Women in Information Technology. since they cancelled class so i could attend, i did of course.......not attend.

today i ate lunch at jasons deli with a pal of mine. we ordered, incidentally, identical sandwiches. i happened to order mine first. she happened to receive hers first. and then we waited. and waited. and waited. finally, i dragged (drug?? i always forget) myself over to the counter and pronounced that 'i've been here a long time and never got my sandwich.' i should have gone over a lot sooner, because i knew it was an abnormally long time to wait for my sandwich, but i was really tired. they had failed to make my sandwich. the sandwich-maker-people were ordered to make one 'on the fly'. i was offered a salad while i waited, which i declined, because then i would be too full to eat my sandwich. perhaps it was because i declined the salad, or perhaps it was because i looked so forlorn, but shortly thereafter the manager came over and gave me a business card on which he had scrawled 'good for dinner for 2 anytime'. i thought this rather extreme...me waiting an extra i dunno 15 minutes? and they give me a card worth potentially near $15-$20. but hey, i'll take it.

quote of the day:
Remember: "A good friend will come bail you out of
jail....But a true friend will be sitting next to
you saying "...WE screwed up! BUT WASN'T IT FUN!!!

i'm afraid i have too many true friends and not enough good friends. good thing i dont plan on going to jail...

today is valentines day. happy valentines day.

i miss valentines day parties from elementary school. i remember deliberating over what type of valentines i would get each year. then we got to go the store and pick them out. we'd bring them home, and open them all up. then i'd take the class list with everyone's name on it. and i'd take my best friends and choose my favorite valentines for them, and write their names on those. then i'd split up the ones left, making sure no boy got one that was too girly. and one by one, i'd fill them all out, until only the least favorite ones were left over. Then i'd write the left over people's names on those, and if there was still some left, i might write my brothers and sisters names on them, haha. of course, if you have really good valentines (i.e. include candy), you make one for yourself as well.

when the big day finally arrived, there was very little school work done. a lot of coloring in red, i remember. and everyone had a sack at the back of the room with their name on it. when your turn came, you were allowed to go to the back of the room and distribute your valentines in each of the sacks. of course, this was done as slowly as possible, because you had to peek in each sack and eye other people's valentines, seeing how yours compared to this. the most peeking was done into your own sack, trying to see how many valentines you had received. then that afternoon was the big party, with the room moms having brought all sorts of cookies and chocolate, and everyone getting to open their valentines sacks. sigh. i miss such valentines parties...

i have managed to be disgustingly productive today so far, despite my head feeling as though it weighs around 10pounds. and yes, parentals, i have taken medicine today, actually. too bad one can only take claritin once every 12 hours, because this morning seems like such a long time ago to have taken relief. now, back to my productive self. or maybe a nap...

quotes from class....

"the demand a few years ago skyrocketed...if you could spell I.T. they would hire you." --norton (I.T. as in information technology)

"that first game we underestimated you and we got took." --guy from my basketball class (muwahhahaha...thursday mornings are fun)

and some random quotes from the christmas break .....


sister 1: sharon, i like your shirt. its like retro.
sharon: thanks. but its not retro. its just...normal.
sister1: no, its so retro. dont you think??
sister2: yeah, its retro. ......actually i dont even know what retro means.

small brother: yeah, sharon, have you like ever even been on a, ya know, date? (geeze, is it that bad?? YES, I have, thank you...)
small brother: oh. i didnt remember you ever going on one.

sharon at sonic-
car hop person: that will be $1.61
sharon hands car hop $2 and one penny, in order to get back 40cents, not 39.
car hop person: did you want the change from that?
sharon glares. am i not obviously thinking about the change i will receive if i just handed you a penny? 40 cents goes a long way towards buying my next drink...
sharon: no.
car hop person: thanks! have a great day.
sharon glares, but at least i wasnt cheapskate.

boy in senior level class before semester break: i seriously need to go home and clean my apartment.
other boy: are you graduating or something?
first boy: no...
other boy: so you're coming back to the same apartment?
first boy: yeah
other boy: then whats the point of cleaning it?

sharon at bree's apartment, wearing some clothes of bree's that didnt make the london cut.
bree: "ohh look....its mini-Bree."

sharon selling back a textbook, talking to friend keith about the final we'd just taken.
wait in line--25min.
keith sells his book back, receives $90.
book lady: ohh, haha, you'll get $90 too.
book lady rings it up.
book lady: ohh, umm, actually we just met our quota. would you take $35 for it?
sharon leaves to go stand in line at another bookstore, off campus. receives $60 for textbook. annoyed.

sibling: what brand of strings do you put on your guitar?
sharon: i used to use Martin, but this past year or so i've been using Elixir.
sibling: Elixir?? i thought that was like....diarrhea medicine.



for those of you concerned, i did finally get my room clean and all my christmas presents put away. i had to throw a super bowl party to motivate me though...knowing all those people were coming over got the job done.


i really do like the idea of a 'combo meal' at food establishments. besides the implied cost savings, whether they actually exist or not, i detest ordering. i dont know why, i just hate it. so the ability to simply say....i'll take a number 14....with chicken...mmm rosas. i digress. or any number, i'll take a 5. a 3. much easier, than ordering the actual food you want. but i always feel bad for the person taking my order, because there are so many questions they must ask, particularly at like say fazolis. would you like meat sauce or marinara sauce? garden or caesar salad? and what would like to drink? anything else? i know they must get sick of asking these same questions. so i embarked on a campaign to save them this trouble by saying things like this: i'll take a number 3, with meat sauce, ceasar salad and a coke. then the say, your total is blah blah blah and please drive forward. excellent! but then i have situations like these...

sharon at sonic: yeah can i get a number 3 with mustard and no onions. with tater tots and a coke.
speaker person: ok i have a number 5 with no lettuce or tomato. what would you like to drink?

sharon at taco c: can i get a taco combo, with two soft tacos with chicken, and a coke?
speaker person: ok i have a taco combo, beef or chicken with those?
sharon: umm, chicken
speaker person: and to drink
sharon. sigh. coke.
speaker person: your total is blah blah blah. please drive forward.

so i gave that up. and just let them ask their stupid questions. after all, maybe they enjoy asking those questions? my next plan is to simply avoid the combo meal altogether. i dont really care for french fries anyway. on second thought, maybe i'll just eat at my house.

10 Random Things About Me
1 I definitely love new socks
2 I cant breathe if i were to eat....or smell....peanuts
3 I went white water rafting on the Nile River....and thought I was going to die...and loved every minute of it.
4 I usually wait till the last minute to study or do projects....and it seems to work out ok
5 I am guilty of being a class-skipper.
6 One of the favorite things I've ever done is lead Upstream freshman Bible study group 14: the triple chunks...whoop!
7 I root for sports teams based on the hotness of their players.
8 I never saw Titanic. oops.
9 I know how to keep a secret. And I enjoy keeping them. From you.
10 I really like to throw darts.

9 Places I've Visited
1 Uganda
2 Seattle, WA....i love this place
3 Portland, OR
4 Gresham, OR ....Whoop!
5 Louisville, KY ....o the memories
6 Germany...yeah i definitely lived there when i was a kid
7 Arrowhead Springs, California...actually i'm technically a Californian, its true.
8 San Antonio.....here I come!
9 London this spring break!!

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
1 go white water rafting in the grand canyon
2 fly an airplane
3 help with a church start
4 get married
5 memorize the New Testament
6 write a book
7 see the Aggies win a national championship
8 go back overseas

7 Ways to Win My Heart ....yeah good luck with that :-) just kiddin.
1 kick my tail in basketball
2 write me a letter
3 know the Bible like crazy
4 sing me a song....that you wrote.
5 be a servant to other people
6 smile
7 love the Lord with all you've got

6 Things I believe
1 Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. And He will rock your face off.
2 God is who He says He is
3 God can do what He says He can do
4 I am who God says that I am
5 I can do all things through Christ
6 God's Word is alive and active in me

5 Things I'm afraid of
1 oversleeping
2 joining the workforce
3 somehow failing a class and not graduating
4 forgetting to pay a bill
5 doing something stupid

4 of my Favorite Things in my House
1 my guitar
2 my books
3 my pictures
4 my pillow.....yay sleep!

3 things I Do Everyday
1 brush the teeth
2 say 'i dont know'
3 read

2 Things I am Trying Not to Do Right Now
1 waste time...............hahahahahahaha
2 look ahead and forget to enjoy these times right now

1 Person I Want to See Right Now
1 WESLEE...we're about to go to breakaway right now...look for some class quotes later.

if they offered an award for like the Most Unmotivated Person, i think i could probably win it....if i felt like it.

i can just see the interview--

interviewer: so, tell us why you would like to be named the MUP

me: mmm, i dunno. it'd be alrite i guess.

interviewer: can you describe your class participation last semester?

me: minimal, at best. if it was raining, i def wasnt there. if it was on tues or thurs, i probably wasnt there because i just had one class, and i mean, thats a lot of work for just one class. if it was friday, i for sure wasnt there, because, seriously, it was friday. if it was a mon or wed, give me a 50% chance, unless it was my 8am, and then i dunno, i'd say i'll see ya there if i see ya there. i did generally go if there was like a test or something though.

interviewer: well, can you tell us how you applied yourself over the christmas break?

me: well, mostly i'd get up around 11:30, because i liked to be up when my dad came home for lunch. after lunch i might take a shower, or a nap, depending on which was more pressing. i read lots of books, took lots of walks, and made a slideshow.

interviewer: i see. and how quickly did you unpack upon your return to your apartment after this month long sabbatical?

me: um, well, i'm still working on that. but yesterday i DID finally put my suitcase away in the closet.

interviewer: yes, and could you explain how you keep yourself organized?

me: well i really like to-do lists. i try to make them for every month on outlook and every day on my dayplanner. and on random little pieces of paper and in my notebook where i keep my class notes. if i dont do something, i just keep transferring it to the next day's to do list until finally i eventually do it. typically i will write something down about 10 times, then do it. then i gleefully cross it off on all 10 to do lists. its rewarding, really.

interviewer: have you worked a lot in the past?

me: no, i wouldnt really say so. once i was an intramural official, but i got tired of having to go to the rec at nites and get yelled at, so i started giving my shifts to people that like really wanted lots of hours for some reason. i'm on the substitute teaching list, but i rarely go because its so much, you know, work. but i do babysit on fridays. my client and i agree on whats most important: sleeping. and its only once a week. and he's cute. and there's free food. and they have alias on dvd. what could be better?

interviewer: do you attend a lot of meetings?

me: well, if i feel like getting out and going. which i usually dont, particularly if its rainy or cold. but sometimes if they're having a free dinner, thats a pull for me. sometimes i go, eat the dinner, and leave before the actual meeting, to prevent boredom, of course.

interviewer: could you describe how you tend to spend your free time?

me: well, often i have some down time in the afternoons. i really enjoy a good nap, checking away messages occasionally even though i could not care less what they actually say, or compulsively checking my email over and over and then wondering if its broken if i dont get any, or just sitting at my computer listening to music. lots of music. oh, and sometimes i play my guitar or go through old Bible study notes or sit around and type up dumb blog postings.

interviewer: could you explain how you go about completing a task?

me: ok hmmm. lets take something i'm working on right now, like cleaning up my room for example. thats what i'm doing right now.

interviewer: it is?

me: well, yeah, kinda. so about 2 weeks ago i put as a task on my outlook : unpack/clean room. then i realized (from my project mgmt knowledge) that this was too broad and needed to be normalized (haha bad attempt at database humor. gosh, that was a horrid class. but i digress). anyway, so i put unpack as a task. and clean room as a task. then i've been writing it on my to-do lists faithfully every day. yesterday it said "clean up the stinkin place". (it doesnt really stink, i just like that adjective). anyway, so then i, you know, pick up a few things. then i get kind of tired so i sit down in my office chair and kinda look at all what needs to be put away. then i might turn on some music, to kinda motivate me, but then i just sit here for like two hours, listening to music and compulsively checking my email. so thats how it usually goes down, and my gantt chart shows that this should finish in a few more weeks. but we'll see. you know how projects go.

interviewer: why do you think you're so unmotivated?

me: yeah, i'm not sure. maybe its because my classes bore me. or because i already have a job and dont have to renew scholarships so my previous drive for academic excellence has less pull, or maybe its because i'm a senior and you know how seniors are, or maybe its because i'm a rebel and i dont like doing what people want/expect me to do, or maybe its because i just do what i feel like doin...which typically isnt that much.

interviewer: uhh yeah. so, is there anything else you want us to consider?

me: nah, i should probably get back to my cleaning.

interviewer: seriously?

me: no, not really. i have to go take a nap now...

well, my perfect attendance didnt make it too far into the semester. i only made it to 50% of my classes today, due to the rain and not feeling so hot when i woke up this AM. oh well, it lasted 2 weeks. a total of 4 class days. anyway, i do believe that i have a maximum total of 24 days left of going to school, for, perhaps, ever. weird!!

i'm sure you will be excited to hear that i did make it to deutsch's class, so here are some quotes from him:

"i will now pass out the package of goodies" (this merely refers to the new notes packet)

"i guess i manufactured something that michael said that he really did not."

"to keep ourselves oriented, here is the course model."

"throwing information at a customer is not what we aspire to do."

"all of this is not particularly rocket science."

"let's use this as a menu."

"that conveys a level of placidity on your part."

"i'd say if you're talking too much you'll see some signs...customer looking out the window, customer falling asleep..." (student looking out window, student falling asleep...)

"another counter example--i'm full of failed customer interactions."

"you have to find some way of pollenating the atmosphere and getting that allergic reaction." (um, yeah)


here's some words to a song we sang in church the other day that i thought was pretty cool:

Father, let me dedicate
all this life to Thee
In whatever worldly state
Thou would have me be

Not from sorrow, pain or care
freedom dare I claim
This alone shall be my prayer
glorify Thy name

Can a child presume to choose
where or how to live?
Can a Father's love refuse
all the best to give?

Let my glad heart, while
it sings, Thee in all proclaim
And whate'er the future brings
Glorify Thy name

i sat down to write this post because i was feeling witty and full of stories to pass on, but now that i'm sitting here i can't think of anything that i had wanted to write about. so, yeah, thats all i guess.

it definitely rained all day today. its a good thing i was unaware of the forecast or i might i have been tempted to skip class.

based on the success of my marketing of the phrase 'do you want a cookie' while i was finishing up high school, i've decided to begin a campaign called, fittingly, Do You Want a Cookie?. Simply put, its an incentive based program featuring delayed gratification, because this is how i am motivated personally. It obviously is not a fit for everyone, but i'm a personal fan. the way it works is each week, try to eat pretty good and work out. if you work out 4-5 days that week, then you get 1 cookie that weekend. work out 6-7 days in a week...2 cookies! its beautiful. if you dont feel like working out, simply ask yourself.....Do You Want a Cookie?!?!

i've made a list of words deutsch used in lecture today, as well as taken down some quotes.

list of words/phrases by deutsch in todays 75min lecture. please excuse misspellings.

phenomena, elevation, assumption, withhold excitement, intrinsic, initiative, enclave syndrome, materialize, synthesis, analysis, scope (as a verb), extract information, lets revise that, interpersonal skills are worth upgrading, stimulus, representative scenario, validating, emebriated, encapsulate, optimistic viewpoint, anomaly, saturated sector, off-nominal mode, introspective, simply characterize the system initially, consequential harm, hazy, cartoon, signifcant achievement, que, ascilloscope, stabilization algorithm, upstream brewing process, insert appropriate volume of liquid, porportional

"lets get started, the grace period has expired" (this quote was actually taken down by markum, as i myself had missed the grace period, due to the rain and lack of umbrella and thus needing to utilize the bus system after lunch on main campus with one cool friend)

"ok, i understand more the purpose of your question now"

"distill the narrative overview into operational scenarios"

"drunk workers on the job cuts down on efficiency" (really? you think?)

"yes, see the paper being susoomed by the machine" (he's talking about a fax machine, but i have no idea what that word is)

"if you're a manager you view it as extremely important...it keeps you from being fired"

"if we're defining a system for an oil refinery, we want to speak in Refineryeese."

"well, let me give you a hint. it has skin. uuuusually has hair. so what am i describing??....a human! thats right!" (hahaha very nice. my personal favorite. it was like a little guessing game. a weird little guessing game.)

"we've basically truncated our revenue system" (oops)

"lets think of an ATM. in this case ATM does not mean Texas A&M" (oh. hmm. thats odd)

"in preference, what i advocate..."

"you've just described a stimulus!!!" (yay!)

"lets just play a ring-around-the-rosy game here" (yes, lets do)

"whats the significance of those 2 extremes?"

"what you dont know is actually more important than what you do know" (great.)

"the system shall do the impossible."

"lets terminate this discussion." (translation: class is over)


lets terminate this blog posting. yay for the weekend!!

so this semester seems like its going to alrite. despite what dominos says, i'm still all about fridays, not tuesdays. i enjoy the quiet times with LJ. so far! and i really like mondays and wednesdays. i really thought i might get bored, but so far, i've had more than i could accomplish. tuesdays and thursdays are somewhat of a drag, but knowing i only have to go twice a week, has gotten me to every class so far.

"dont let all these boys scare you off. you'll be just fine"--hanik, the basketball coach. (this will be determined tomorrow, when we actually play basketball.)

"they must be more finite than nebulous" --ammons (an old prof i had in pre-blog days. i have nothing i want to say about him. he observes my 477 class with fowler. charming.)

"well the dog stays in the house with us. she wont necessarily LIVE in this [dog house]. its to be more of a......cabana?" --keith clanahan, guest lecturer in 477, (in response to my question while he was trying to teach us project mgmt by planning to build a dog house for his dog.)

"with the pony express you never had a guarantee your message would get through. the rider might get killed by Indians or fall into a big hole, or he may get cold and light all the mail to keep warm." --norton

"they're not exactly apples and oranges but its sor of an apple/orange juice....mixture." --norton (a smoothie? if you will...)

"i paid 800 dollars for my first cell phone and it had about 4 parts to it. my wife keeps telling me i should throw it away..." --norton

"i'm not really sure whats going on but in preference to burning up, i say we should leave."--deutsch (did the fire alarm go off during this class? why, yes it did. did we all sit there like dumb idiots doing nothing? why, yes we did. did we finally decide to exit the building? why, yes we did. well, actually markum and i just stood in the hallway, near the door, close enough to make a dashing exit should we smell smoke. did several people just leave and not come back? why, yes, of course. did i stay? why, yes, naturally. really? i know, i must have turned over a new leaf.)

"imagine reading a boring textbook....like maybe the one we have for this class....."--deutsch
(i dont have to imagine this....i have plenty of experience)

well thats about all i got folks. hopefully will get some more quotes down tomorrow in classes. hopefully also i'll get more in the groove of updating more regularly, for you, my beloved reader.

i shall close, with a list of things i HEART, by request, in no particular order....
1. i HEART my soon to be new job
2. i HEART J-Jo
3. I HEART oregonians that stinkin rock my face off :-)
4. I HEART the rowing machines at the rec
5. I HEART being a senior again. Whoop! I forgot how good it feels....
6. I HEART cool evenings, driving around with the windows rolled down
7. I HEART fridays with LJ
8. I HEART phone calls from my brother and sister in law (whoa watch out!!) from london and i think its a middle eastern man trying to sell me something "do you have a pen?"
9. I HEART alias and 24
10. I HEART Ezra? Yes, Ezra. Check it.

the much anticipated first blog of 2005. finally. i have received angry threats, letters, IMs, emails, and verbal warnings as to the lack of my updating. i apologize and hope that none of the readership has been offended beyond forgiveness for my neglect.

i have many topics to share about, all of which cannot be addressed in only one entry, but i shall share more of them as time goes on. briefly, my break was good. it included time with family, friends, and a ton of driving. also it included my brothers wedding and a trip to the cotton bowl, where it was rumored the aggies were playing, but we didn't see them there, unfortunately. more on my break in the future.

the beginning of the end. yes, yesterday marked the beginning of my final semester at A&M. so far i have had a blast hanging out with everyone. it is my first and only matt and bree-less semester, which is certain to be odd. i have seen several movies since i returned: the village: excellent film, and not as scary as i thought it would be, but still really interesting, collateral: another excellent film and quite intense, little black book: ridiculously dumb movie that i wish i'd never seen and put me to sleep.

so this semester, i'm very excited about. i have only a web based class and tues/thurs classes. meaning mondays and wednesdays i'm left to my own and fridays i will be 'working' but at a pleasurable task that i'm stoked about. also mon and wed are available for substitute teaching.

a rundown of my classes:

8:15 am : Basketball/Health. I walked into this class, and saw many boys and 1 other girl. when the coach announced the name of the class the girl promptly got up and left, leaving me by my lonesome in some boys P.E. class. seriously i dont know what the deal is, its not football or wrestling, its BASKETBALL, and i really figured there'd be some girls in there. i cant drop it because i need it to graduate, so i guess i will just have to show those boys how to play a little basketball. i then spied mark across the room, and then i was a lot more excited, because maybe he can protect me?? that is, if he's awake enough. coach = hanik.

9:35: Large Scale Information Systems Project. the reuniting of team awesome. the class might be horrible and the teacher nearly unbearable, but any class with team awesome cant be that bad. can it? professor= fowler.

11:10 :Data Communications & Networking. I dont know anyone in here. But i hope to learn a few things, and at least Norton is aware of Josefy. which is always nice.

then i go home for lunch.!

2:20: Management of Information Systems. Markum is my pal in this class, ja? professor= deutsch. the king of big words. this little old man can spit out more big words than my mind has time to process. slightly boring topic, but a wealth of good quotes are sure to abound from this class. the horridness of him actually lecturing for the entire time on the first day was tempered by his 'proffering' up some quotes....

"i've got an unusual phone: all it can do is make calls." --deutsch

"as you can tell from my manner of speaking, i'm not from here." --deutsch

"actually, management really is a dull subject so we're going to have to work pretty hard to keep this interesting." --deutsch

"everyone here is a young adult-except for me. i have somewhat more maturity in that area." --deutsch

and from his syllabus....

"In rare cases of factual contradictions between the text and Instructor's notes, precedence should be given to the Instructor's materials."

"Students should avail themselves of the opportunity to ask questions of these guest experts."

"In cases of pathological mal-performance, a Group may elect to discharge an individual member with the concurrence of the Instructor."

it dawned on me that i did not have a scantron. for my 8am final. in less than 9 hours. i couldnt for the life of me remember when ag cafe opened, if it was 7:30 or 8. i looked today, it was 7:30. but i couldnt know this last night. so, i made the laborious trip to h-e-b. when i got there, i couldnt believe my eyes, it was the weirdest thing....h-e-b was NOT crowded. what the world? does this have anything to do with the new h-e-b soon opening in bryan on wednesday? or perhaps it has more to do with the fact that it was a sunday night at midnite. or really it probably has mostly to do with the fact that its the middle of finals so no one needs to buy groceries because they are headed home soon, to partake in free food provided by their parents. the parking lot looked so lonely, i've never seen it so empty. inside there were a few students, mostly just picking up milk or ice cream or....scantrons. for your info, h-e-b DOES have scantrons, but only green ones and blue books, not gray or the weird blue books that also include a scantron. perhaps the oddest thing about my trip to h-e-b was that i saw my roommate from freshman year....cool! and then i saw a basketball teammate from highschool...double cool! so random!! to see 2 people i rarely see in a deserted h-e-b. it made the late run to the store very worth it.

"they say that if you are in band then you are better at math. i played the clarinet. i am not good at numbers. i dont understand the concept." - T

unfortunately, reutzel lost any cool points he may or may not have had. in fact, he might just have negative cool points. hnatt however, gained cool points today after we met with him and had just a nice chat, hnatt and team awesome.

fave profs at a&m=
conant
mrs. p
hnatt
dr. welch

here's some of my current favorite things to say/phrases. some of these are based on friends sayings and others i've carried with me since high school....

10. fo shizzle
9. did you want a cookie?
8. please hold
7. if you will
6. stoked
5. i dont know
4. naturally
3. beautiful
2. mmkay?
1. very nice

"but what about you?" he asked. "who do you say i am?" --matthew 16:15

sometimes my acting
speaks louder than my talking
sometimes my twisted perception
plays me against You,
my Advocate.
sometimes i'm so busy
protectingthe dreams in my heart
that i'm saying
You're not big enough
but faith is clinging to what I cannot see
and if I cant fathom your plan now,
could You at least hold my hand?
You're big enough for me
and what You say goes
anything You choose to give
is more than i deserve
thats who I will say You are.


"let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight, " declares the Lord.
--jeremiah 9:23-24

so my mom, see, she is amazing. i dont know how she does stuff. she's still got 4 kiddos living at the house, and they are not an easy bunch, let me just tell ya!! to have 3 teens in the house and the forever baby of 6 kiddos, this is a recipe for stress. still, my mom manages to get everyone where they need to be, in the clothes they need to be in, fed the food they need to be fed, and tries to make everyone happy. meanwhile, she has her own life teaching school and working out and volunteering for stuff. geeze, just thinking of this makes me tired. and it doesnt stop there....my mom has started this crazy thing while my brother and i are at college. nevermind that my mom spends hours upon hours wrapping Christmas presents every december, not only for us, but for cousins and aunts and uncles. she decided that matt and i need 'advent presents'. yes, these are SO COOL. at thanksgiving break or so, she gives us each a sack full of presents. WRAPPED presents. a FULL SACK. each one is carefully labeled with a day in december. we are to open one each day, the one for that day. i once casually remarked that i wanted to open them all on one day. this was met with GREAT resistance and threats. but can i just tell you how difficult it is to have a whole sack of presents in your room and not open them? especially when no one is around. friends, this is a test of integrity....be amazed at my parents parenting capabilities when it comes to building character. who else would come up with such a ploy?? anyway, so the first gift, dec 1st, is always an advent calendar. naturally it would be. the other things are unpredictable. they are so random and cute and fun and its maddening to look at the boxes and try to determine what they could be. in fact, the temptation is very great. i will say i have never folded and opened a present early...yet. BUT here, friends, is the cool thing. dec 1st actually begins at MIDNITE. haha, yes, it does. being a college student, i am always, of course, up at midnite. therefore, i open the days present within the first few minutes of the day. i have a little christmas party every nite in my room a little after midnite. its very exciting. last year bree would often come in and take part in the celebration. sometimes at 11oclock, i will get real excited when i realize there's only one hour left till present opening!! SO all that to say, my mom rocks. and so do advent presents. my mom is cooler than your mom.