Christmas from the Other Side

The thanks have been given. The tryptophan nap has been taken. The golden gobbler has been awarded. The Presidential turkeys have been pardoned. Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is officially upon us.

And nothing says the end of Thanksgiving like Black Friday, Santa Hats, and Christmas music!

Being the strict holiday follower that I am, today I switched my Pandora station from the epic soundtrack music (perfect studying atmosphere) to Jars of Clay (Holiday). One of the first songs that came on was "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". When they sang of remembering Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day and that this is reason for good tidings of comfort and joy, tears were brought to my eyes. For those who know me, I am not so familiar with the waterworks.

Lately I have been thinking about what Christmas is like from the other side; from the side that doesn't know that Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of God's tangible work of bringing us into his family. What songs do they sing? Surely not "Hark the Harold Angles Sing", or "Joy to the World", or "Silent Night".

What is Christmas without our Savior? Another quasi-birthday holiday where you get stuff? Another summer break-like holiday where you get off school?

Christmas without the manger is as hollow and disappointing as that chocolate Easter bunny you were convinced was solid...

I wonder what it is like to not feel the weight of the theology behind this holiday and yet still celebrate. Christmas is so rich with meaning. How could you hear the music and see the change in mood and not wondering why? Thinking about how my co-workers or high school friends would celebrate this day makes me realize that I never want to experience a day without the knowledge of what my savior did for me.

Let me not just remember Jesus in the time between the fourth Thursday in November and December 25th.

Abreviations and Acronyms

Lately it seems my daily voacaulary has been reduced to abreviations and acronyms.

In accounting there are so many different long and laborious terms that it is easier to use acronyms when you talk about them.

There is IRS, FTB, IFRS, GAAP, GAAS, PCAOB, SAS, or my new favorite, GAGAS (apparently Lady Gaga is a secret CPA...). It is now possible to have an entire conversation without actually saying any substantial words.

In addition to acronyms, I have resorted to excessive abreviations. I abrev all the time in general, but recently I have been studying for my CPA exam and making post-its notes of important information. So in the attempt to condense 500 pages of accounting notes onto a 3x3 post-it note, I have been abreviating. This has led to some accidental words...

For instance, last Monday, I was sitting at Panera, eating my sandwich and making post-it notes, when all of a sudden I realize I have been writing STDs all over my notes. Here I thought I had discovered a clever abreviation for the word standards...guess not.

It brought back the memory of the time I abreviated situational analysis in a text message to a friend...it was as bad as you think...

Needless to say, I need to work on developing my awareness skills and learning vocab like I'm about to take the SAT again.

Where in Orange County is Amanda...

Eating fabulous food

Sitting in traffic

Drinking Tea with the roommates

4 Foolproof Study Methods

For the past month I have been studying for my CPA exam and my habits have gone to a new level...

1. Read the book





2. Take Notes







3. Make Post-it note reminders of key concepts
   
   




4. Discover new uses for mirrors other than fixing your hair

Correlations

I wonder if there is a correlation between days with rain* and an increase in tow truck service in Southern California...

*It was not raining this morning. It was not even drizzling. It was misting. I saw three fender benders and I could never reach over 30 mph on the freeway.

Surprises

I am two months into my job and there have been quite a few surprises

• I am surprised at how frustrating it is to only work 40 hours a week
• I am surprised at how easy it is to work 80 hours
• I am surprised at how much people at work care about my mental health and make me take a day off
• I am surprised at how easy-going many people are in the office
• I am surprised at how many people come in late because they went surfing or leave early to go golfing
• I am surprised at how much laughter can be in an engagement team working around the clock to meet a deadline

These are more or less lifestyle or perspective surprises. The surprises that have really convicted me are:

• I am surprised at how many people bow their heads before they eat a meal
• I am surprised at how many people talk about God making his will clear through provision and open doors
• I am surprised at how many people talk about church groups and bible studies

It's almost like I was expecting and preparing myself to be a lone ranger Christian at work; that I don't think the body of Christ exists outside of church or Biola. Maybe I was used to the lip-service Christianity of high school or I had heard too many horror stories about the debauchery of the business world. But either way, I have realized that I guess I don't expect much from the body of Christ in terms of support outside a church environment.

But even in this convicting realization of how I view my fellow believers, it is evident that God has answered prayers of making his presence known and providing people at work to encourage me and watch out for me.

You know you stay late at work when...

• You get locked IN the building
• You eat more at your desk than you do at your dinner table
• When you leave, the calendar on your phone says a different day than when you got to the office
• The days have blended together
• You have no idea what the weather was actually like that day
• You enjoy the Disneyland fireworks...from the freeway
• You call leaving at 8pm early

Two weeks ago, I was sitting at my desk counting ceiling tiles...now, I am experiencing fall busy season and have not been at my apartment for more than sleeping for the last two weeks. It is nice to have work...but man, this is getting interesting...September 15th can't come fast enough and yet it is coming a little too fast.

The Adventures of a Tax Consultant

Well, after my first full month of working at Deloitte, I am beginning to adjust to life as a working adult. I get up early, I go to bed early, I drink five cups of coffee a day, and I haven't worn jeans in three weeks...I do sometimes have to remind myself to learn to look forward to work and not just getting home from work or the weekends. Living for the times that make up a minority percentage of my life would be a unsatisfying existence.

Work has been a mixed bag so far, but I have learned some useful things:

• I know how to print duplex-sided
• I know how to make text changes in a pdf
• I know how to scan to email
  
• I know how to prepare workpapers
• I know how to process check a 300 page tax return
• I know how to prepare a budget for a potential new client
• I know how to avoid the traffic on the 55 and the 405...
  

Nothing too exciting so far, but I did give myself a small heart attack when I dropped a 500 page tax return on the floor...thank goodness for numbered pages though!

I also have Deloitte paraphernalia spread around my apartment...anyone want a visor?

The soundtrack of a roadtrip

The (musical) journey from here:to here:
Hello Seattle - Owl City
On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
California - Hawk Nelson
California - Phantom Planet
California Girls - The Beach Boys
California Gurls - Katy Perry
Home - Daughtry
and of course...Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - as read by Jim Dale

Nike: Write Your Future

This is a commercial for Nike that highlights the atmosphere of the World Cup.

I think it is fantastic.

It does say a lot about our culture and our belief that we have complete control over our lives.

But it is also an inspiration to not give into helplessness and defeat.

He is still good

Almost two weeks ago I graduated from Biola University. Thinking about finishing almost automatically makes me think of where I began.

As freshmen you are generally asked 3 questions:

What is your name?
What are you studying?
Where are you from?

Here are my answers:
Amanda Gayle Wheeler
Accounting and International Business
Sammamish, WA (Seattle)

Freshmen year, everything and everyone is new. When meeting new people you try to find something in common. What are you studying would hopefully mean that you will have classes together. You will need these people to help you study for exams or give you notes when you decided you would rather go to Disneyland than sit through a lecture. If you are not in the same classes, where are you from would give you a chance to talk about home. You can reminisce about landmarks or the local drama. The last option is what is your name. If all else fails at finding a commonality, you can share in the childhood trauma that you experienced because of nicknames you were given. I have heard Mandio (after Mario), the endearing Amanda-Panda, and my personal favorite, A-Man-Da!

Back in freshmen year on the first day on campus, all business majors had to take a Calculus placement test. I was sitting in the room with two thoughts running through my head: "He's cute, Ooo, him too, I hope I have a class with that one", and "why is it so hot in California?!?!" when all of a sudden I hear "Hi, my name is Amanda." I perk up like a meerkat. Name? Someone with my Name? It's almost like an instant bond to share a name. I did not meet that Amanda until Sophomore year, but we made the best of three years of friendship and will hopefully have many more.

Now as a Senior, you are asked 3 similar, yet very different questions:

What is your name?
Because let's be honest, we still don't know each other. At the Business major senior banquet, I sat next to someone I had never seen in my time at Biola.
Who are you studying?
I lived in a house with 6 other girls and it took one of them a good month and a half to figure out that this boy liked her because he would come over to study and then he wouldn't leave...
Where are you going?
College is about results and what you are going to do with you $120,000 education.

Again here are my answers:
Still Amanda Gayle Wheeler
I lack the ring by spring
I am going to Deloitte in Costa Mesa, CA

Many times when we talk about where we are going after college, it seems like the token graduation advice is to say "just trust that God will provide you with the right job to glorify him." I don't feel like I can offer this encouragement because that would be too easy for me to say and fairly obnoxious because I have had a job since November. However there is something else that I feel like I can contribute to this post-grad conversation about uncertainty.

From the outside my job looks perfect, but I want to share a little more about that story.

The theme of my time at Biola has been about learning to submit areas of my life to God. Last year it was about submitting my singleness and still being willing to worship God as the great planner. This year it has appropriately been about submitting my life after college.

You see I am from Washington, I love the rain, I miss the mountains, and I could care less about the beach.

But 4 years ago God called me to California and back in November He said "stay." Yes I have a job, yes it's at the firm I wanted, and yes it's in the field I wanted. But something about that "stay" was so heartbreaking despite the clarity that I was praying for. So by all accounts, my future looks like a 9.5 out of 10. But I still have to trust that in the 0.5 part God planed it as a perfect 10. And despite what I think would be a awesome plan, He knows what's best.

So while I don't feel like I can encourage you to keep your chin up and keep looking for a job, I do feel like I can say that even though you may not be where you want to be, maybe you don't have a job or a significant other, or you are moving back in with your parents or not going home at all, God is still God and He is good, and He is sovereign, and He is a better navigator of our lives than we could ever be.

Graduation

Tomorrow I am graduating from Biola University.
Tomorrow I am finishing my undergraduate journey.
Tomorrow I am finishing my time in the world of education.
Tomorrow I am walking across a stage, shaking a hand, and receiving a diploma.

Tomorrow is a big day!

Tomorrow is Graduation!

Wait, what?

Is is too late to change my career? I mean graduation is in a few days, but it's possible to make a U-turn right?

I just watched a cute little webinar on how the CPA exam is changing in 2011. It was informative and sounded like I could handle it while working full-time. It will be a challenge, but didn't sound too daunting until...

The instructor said that passing the CPA exam is entirely possible if you drop everything in your life. He went on to say that you know you are taking studying seriously when your friends stop calling...

All of a sudden I feel like a caged tiger that is dying to maul the idiots hanging their small children over the railing into my zoo exhibit...OK, maybe not.

But seriously friends, please don't stop calling me! Even if I have post-it notes and note cards as wall paper...

I Will Survive [Biola]

First I was afraid,
I was petrified
Kept think I could never live
On this crazy college ride
But I spent so many nights,
cramming notes to take a test
Then I passed them,
and put studying to a rest
May 29th!
We’re here at last
It’s graduation, flip you tassel,
this went by way too fast
I should have taken more pictures
I should have gone on more GYRADS
If I had know for just one second
That college would fade like a fad

Freshman year, it was grand
Made new friends ‘cause
there was adventure to be had
Then as sophomores, we learned how to be RAs
remember GYRADs
and those early training days
Oh Biola!
I have survived
After 4 exciting years
Its time to say goodbye
I have made some life long friends
Your influence will not end
And I’ll survive
I will survive

Junior year, it got better than I thought
Meg do you remember the ridiculous mirrors we bought
And we spent so many nights
In the office discussing life
We still laugh
Cause we’re such a tight staff
Senior year
The last hurrah
Engagements, presentations, and running from the law
So I have grown in mind and heart
And I have never been too bored
Now I’m ready to face the world
And impact it for the Lord!

Oh Biola! You hidden Gem
Who’d a known that
That I would love you in the end
We’ve had our ups and down now
When I missed my home
Oh, my dear mountains
But now the beach is where I roam
Oh Biola!
I have survived
After 4 exciting years
Its time to say goodbye
I have made some life long friends
Your influence will not end
And I’ll survive
I will survive

Dance the Night Away

Last weekend was one of my housemates' birthdays. For each of our birthdays we try to do something special for them: go out to dinner, throw a surprise party, pedicure pampering, etc. Well, this particular housemate had always wanted to go clubbing. So she did a little research, called a few places, got on a guest list or two and decided on a winner.

So last Friday night, after playing in a soccer game reminiscent of the beginning of the movie The Big Green (I let a goal in by missing the ball with my hands and letting it roll slowly between my legs and into the net...), I ran home and started throwing clothes around frantically looking for something suitable for a club. Unfortunately, my wardrobe consists of two (working on three) types of clothes: Casual, Nicer Casual, and Business. You can't really get down in a pencil skirt nor is a gray men's undershirt super trendy...

But after some debate, a little tape, and an apple to chow on, I was ready to go!

We got to the club a little early, and hung out for a while, waiting for other people to start dancing, because we sure were not going to be the first ones out there...

[Being a 21+ club, the crowd was a little older than college-age. Like I'm pretty sure many of them had babysitters at home watching their children...their 7 year old children...]

Once the dance floor started to fill up, we slide on out there and rocked a modern version of the Macarena, the YMCA dance, and the line dancing I learned back in elementary school...jk...we were quite the dancing circle of single ladies. Let me tell you, our hips did not lie.

Aside from the nightmarish flashbacks to high school homecoming dances, throbbing feet, the inability to wear shoes for the next few days, bitterness toward previously adored heals, soreness in muscles that I was not aware existed, and/or one embarrassing confession I had to make in front of a class today, it was a fun evening of dancing and celebrating the birthday of my housemate.

Will I go again?...only if they promise to play "Spice Up Your Life"...

Progression, Regression, or Stagnation?

Last Saturday, while home in Washington on my Spring Break, I went the Skagit Vallet Tulip Festival with my parents. My dad posted a blog with all the pictures that he took of the tulips - some great shots!

When we were kids, my family would go see the tulips almost annually. Back then it was free (when we went last weekend it was $4 per person...even tree-hugging North Westerns embrace capitalism) and a great place for a family of squirrelly children. There were character cutouts, carnival food, and best of all, any flowers that we accidentally walked on were not ones that my mom had worked hard to plant and grow. While we did not get an entirely free pass at flattening tulips during a game of tag, we sure did not face the full wrath of a green thumb scorned.

On Saturday, while my mom and I were watching my dad play photographer for the day, my mom made a comment about how she thought the tulip festival had expanded. I responded that I remembered the tulip festival to be bigger, more forest-like. But that could also be due to the fact that the last time I was there I was about three feet tall...

The last documented (meaning pictures in our family albums) time that I was at the tulip festival was when I was 5 years old. As a fresh 22 year old, that means it has been (let me pull out the calculator for this one) 17 years since I frolicked through the tulips (You think I'm kidding about the calculator huh?).

This period of tulip silence got me thinking about how my early tulip experiences differed from my current tulip experience.

As a 5 year old, I was very sensitive to the cold, meaning I cried like a little girl (in my defense, I was a little girl) when I was freezing my backside off. Yet I fought tooth and nail to not wear my ugly pink cat sweater with matching hair bow. I was an astute 5 year old; what if I met a cute 6 year old boy? He would not ask me for my number if he saw me in a hideous sweater...

Well, I am happy to report that as a 22 year old, I have abandoned vanity for reason...actually I just left vanity in California (I mean cute surfer boys don't pick up just anyone...). I willingly put on a turtleneck...for those of you who don't know what this piece of clothing is, it is a shirt that silently strangles you for the sake of keeping your neck warm. If I am dead, why does my neck need to be warm?...a fleece jacket, and a ski jacket shell for rain and wind protection. Then I strapped on boots that I had a history of "forgetting at home" for winter camp in high school, and I trudged out the door. I did make an honest attempt at styling my hair, but then I remembered:

Washington spring weather (it may rain at any given moment) + wind = bad news.

A braid and a bun later, I was ready to meet prince charming at the tulips...I mean, family trip! Yeah!

As we walked around the tulip garden arrangements I saw a circular row of tulips surrounding a bench. I posed the question to my parents :

"Hypothetically, if I tried to hurdle the tulips and missed, would we get kicked out?"
"Yes...plus, you break it, you buy it..." was their answer, with some rolling of the eyes.

A 5 year old would just have taken off...a 22 year old restrains herself, but still contemplates it...As we got nearer to the tulip circle, I discovered that the circle was a bit thicker than I had anticipated, making success unlikely for a 5 or 22 year old.

After saving me from certain bankruptcy for having to pay for the tulips that I would have smashed, my parents walked out of the sculpted garden and toward the tulip fields. I trotted along.

Now these tulip fields are like any other crop field. They are long rows of tulips with enough space between the rows for a person to walk without stepping on a flower. Nevertheless there was a sign with strict instructions to:

"Stay on the path. Do not walk down the tulip rows."

Well thank you Skagit Valley. It didn't occur to me how much fun running through a field of tulips would be until you told me I couldn't.

Granted, some of the 5 year olds that I saw at the tulip fields were leashed to their parents, thus effectively nullifying the potential for any mischief whatsoever. But a free-roaming 5 year old would just take off into the fields ignoring the shriek of their mortified and angry parents. They would not care that a sign was telling them no...most likely because they could not read the sign and could easily claim ignorance of the rule...darn you literacy! You have robbed me of all sorts of fun...

As a 22 year old, I had to settle for scanning the fields to make sure the coast was clear (which it never was) of those pesky tulip police ready to peg you with some sort of tulip tromping trespassing ticket.

After a day of considering myself superior to the 5 year old trouble causers, I found a tulip worthy of being photographed with me...17 years ago, I took a similar picture...

(In case you can't see it, the flower names are "Elite" and "Attila")

(Also note: I do believe I loved this cat sweater even though it did not aid me on the love-at-first-sight category...)

The question I ponder now is:

Have I made progress?

Am I regressing?

Or have I not changed at bit?

The Kick

Have you ever wondered how a runner who has spent the last hour striding around a track find it in them to sprint the last 100 meters? Personally, I think the real question is why did you spend the last hour running in circles...but that is besides the point of this blog post.

The sprint on the last 100 meters is the kick. The final effort to make it to the finish line.

While I don't really resonate with runners, I do like the sports analogy.

This week I have a take home midterm due. It is ten short answer questions about how I would run a bicycle company called Wacky Wheels. It is due Thursday. Today is Wednesday. Have I started? That depends on your definition of "start"...

I honestly have more important things on my mind than how to lead Wacky Wheels through a merger with Big Wheels, the cross town rival company, like should I take a carry-on or check a bag when I fly home on Friday? Or, I wonder how much space two bags of coffee will take up? Or if all 3 disc sets of Jungle Jam will fit onto a 4gb USB drive? Or if given the proper amount of time, should I learn the Tango of the Foxtrot? Like I said, important things.

Yet knowing my looming deadline, I am not worried. Why am I not worried?

Because I have a kick.

I can't start something early because it is just not urgent enough. But I can bust out a project with the utmost quality the day before.

Because I have a kick.

So rest assured I will start my midterm with plenty of time to finish and read over it. But in the meantime...

Do I bring one or two jackets home and how many pairs of shoes?

Foolproof Pickup Line

"I watched Basketball for four days this weekend. My bracket is solid"

I was telling my housemates that I spent four days watching NCAA March Madness and my roommate's boyfriend told me to tell this to any guy I meet and it will be irresistible...

TWS: Third Wheel Syndrome

What has three wheels and is not a tricycle?

Me at my kitchen table...with my roommate sitting on her boyfriend's lap on the couch across from the table.

Tonight I was just minding my own business doing homework at our kitchen table when my roommate (let's call her Bianca) and her boyfriend (we will call him Aaron) come waltzing into the living room and plop down in the couch across from our kitchen table.

I would like to take this time to point out that we have two living rooms. One with the kitchen table and a couch. The other with FOUR other couches.

Normally, being the good roommate that I am and recognizing that the little couple has not seen each other for a week, I would move.

But not tonight!

I was here first!

I have turned the kitchen table into a very organized and large desk. Similar to Dwight's Mega Desk. I will not be forced to relocate. My desk just won't fit in any other room.

Aside the competitive nature ingrained in me to out-awkward the cuddly couple is my twisted sense of "responsibility".

See, Bianca and Aaron have a habit of staying in each others arms for long hours, late into the night/morning. Our house does not fill out NCAA tournament brackets. No, we take bets on when Aaron left last night/morning. Once I lost with 3:45 am...the actual departure was 4:30am.

This is not the first time that I have experienced TWS (Third Wheel Syndrome). During Christmas time, our house drove around looking at Christmas lights. I must have angered someone because I got stuck in a car with only Bianca and Aaron. It was quite romantic with me pestering, "What? Could you speak up?" every few houses or so.

Thank you house. I really appreciate you all...

So tonight, since my peaceful homeworking (really Grey's Anatomy watching if I'm being honest) area was disturbed, I am determined to remain in the same room until Aaron leaves. I am fully prepared with a ruler, a bible, plenty of movie quotes, and sports statistics from this weekend's March Madness games.

(Bianca is sympathetic towards the Jay Hawks, so between my underhanded question about how she felt about the University of Northern Iowa and stalking her date with Aaron, I may have to sleep with one eye open for awhile.)

I will no longer let TWS ruin my homework rhythm. I will no longer let TWS make me walk around the house with my computer screen open to preserve my place in the episode of Grey's Anatomy, thus making the screen wabble.

Only you can stop TWS!

* This Public Service Announcement was made to you on behalf of the Single Ladies Association of The Cove*

Shall we dance?

Normally I don't watch basketball. However, I always make an annual exception for March Madness. Just prior to the Big Dance, is the Pac-10 tournament. In my weekend devoid of urgent homework, I was flipping through the TV and stumbled upon the semifinals. University of Washington Huskies were playing. After dominating Stanford in the semis, they moved on to play Cal in the finals this afternoon.

Such. A. Good. Game.

Such. An. Epic. Win.


They were close the entire time with lead changes and ties throughout the game.

With this win, the Huskies get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

I knew I should have bought those last minute tickets this morning :)

One year old

Happy Birthday Blog :)




I hope it has kept you all laughing and thinking as much as it has for me!

Overheard@Biola

There is a new facebook group that is all the rage among Biola students. Overheard@Biola. Basically people post awkward quotes that they overhear while going about their day at Biola. The purpose is to find the most out of context quote possible.

For example:

Guy to girl in commons: "Do you need prayer? Because I could lay my hands on you"

Guys walking into a dorm: "Then we'll strip him down and beat him..."

Besides the annoying fact that most of the overheard statements turn into dirty jokes, this is an interesting concept. I pondered it awhile. What is overheard that comes out of my mouth while I am walking across campus or in line at the grocery store or having coffee with a friend at Starbucks? Do I speak with graciousness? Or do I string together thoughtless phases that disgrace the time spent uttering them?

A few weeks ago I watched The Two Towers, the second Lord of the Rings movie. In that movie Treebeard, who is an Ent, responds to Merry's urge to speed up the discussion of whether or not to go to war by saying:

"We never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say"

This statement communicates such a precious value of time and words. I have been thinking about the vernacular value I place on time and words. Do I value my words enough to speak only goods? Do I value time enough to only speak things I would not be embarrassed of if they showed up on Overheard@Biola?

People overhear things. Do you even realize what you are saying?

Relative Weather

I always enjoy finding useful apps for my blackberry that are free. Today I installed a handy-dandy weather app. However I noticed a little discrepancy between my phone's weather and my computer's weather. My phone said it was 60 degrees, and my computer said it was 73 degrees. Both agreed on the rain though. Out of curiosity, I went to both respective weather websites to check it out: The Weather Channel and Weather Underground. Still same difference of 13 degrees. To further investigate, I went to a third weather website, Weatherbug; it recorded 53 degrees. La Mirada is not that big...so I don't know why there is a 20 degree difference with all the weather reporting websites...what is a girl to do without a dependable weather forecast? How can I adequately prepare for a day when I don't know if I should wear shorts and a t-shirt or snow pants and a parka?

Well, one thing is for certain: it's raining :)

Mornings

Garfield the cat is a sage.

He has many words of wisdom concerning the morning:

If people were meant to pop out of bed, they would sleep in toasters

Mornings would be better if they started later...

As a college student, I am obligated to feel animosity towards the dawn of the day. The rising sun, by nature, is offensive to me because it means I must pry myself out of the safety of my bed and face the harsh reality of the world.

[Side pondering: If the sun, which is yellow, essentially means time to start another day, why does the yellow traffic light mean slow down?...someone should either address this concern to the traffic elves who change the signals or to the sun and request it to shine green so that we are not so confused and upset in the mornings when a yellow orb is telling us to GO GO GO!! ]

This past semester, my roommate has been practicing a fairly inconvenient habit of asking me questions right after I transition from my dreamworld to reality.

First of all, coming back to reality is:

• Sometimes refreshing (especially after I have dreamed about failing a project presentation...you could consider that an Amanda nightmare),
  
• sometimes confusing (especially after I have dreamed about having a very plausible conversation with a friend...did it really happen? not sure...), and
  
• sometimes heartbreaking (like when I dream that I am snowboarding at Crystal Mountain in Washington with the snow falling on my face and the chill air cutting through my jacket on the ski lift...only to wake up hot and sweating because it is 90 degrees in Southern California in February...)

Second of all, in all honesty, the only decision I want to make within an hour of waking up is which creamer to use in my coffee.

Also, if my classes don't start until 6pm, why would I want to get up at 5am to shuffle around all day watching random TV talk shows that air in the early morning when I could be watching a perfectly good movie screened on the inside of my eyelids....I have upgraded to HD dreams...via the addition of earplugs and the elimination of an alarm clock ;)

YET,

possibly my favorite time of the day is morning.

Mornings are quiet. Mornings are full of possibilities. You have not run out of time in the morning. You are not yet late in the morning. You have not stuck your foot in your mouth in the morning. Mornings are fresh. Mornings are still.

As I think of finishing college in the next couple of months and the desire to finish strong, I am struck by the need to start strong. My previous post was about the finish line of college. However, the finish line does not come to me, I have to go to it. As a natural born competitor, wandering aimlessly toward a goal is not good enough, actually it is shameful for me. I want to cross the finish line, if not first, at least at full speed, exerting all that I have.

Even though I will be committing treason by mingling with the enemy, I think I am growing to appreciate mornings. (I am not ready to say love, so we will not be celebrating Valentine's day together this year).

If mornings were a person, we would simply be on the "hi" status, meaning we acknowledge each other but are not quite ready to stop and chat...

The Finish Line

...is in sight. I see it. I don't know how I feel about it. But it is coming up.

:)

Size 9 Black Stilletos if possible...

Let me start by saying: I will always consider myself a Washingtonian. I love the rain and I scowl at the ice cream truck as it drives by in January. I will never root for USC and the no matter how bad the Mariners are, the Angels have no merit in my book.

That being said, here is a story of a Washingtonian displaced in California on a rainy day...

This morning started like any other Tuesday morning. I woke up, got dressed...finally in a long sleeve shirt and rain coat :)...ate some breakfast, back my backpack and headed to school. While it has been forecasted to rain this week, a California rain storm lasts a few hours and then stops and the street dry up in another hour. So being from Washington, I was not worried about walking to school.

Near the end of my class the rain picked up and the winds started blowing...the attention captivating abilities of rain in southern California can easily be compared to the A.D.D. induced by the first snowflake of the season seen outside an elementary school classroom in Washington.

People got frigidity!

As I said before, Washingtonian. Therefore, I am used to the annual windstorm that makes the rain feel like needles and knocks out the power for a few hours. So instead of stressing about walking 20 feet in this weather from class to work, I just felt more at home :)

Well during my break between class and work, I sat down to eat lunch. While reading a book, I get a call from my roommate who works in Irvine.

Jill: Where are you?
Amanda: School...
J: What is the weather like there?
A: Raining...why?
J:There is a tornado warning! It is supposed to start in Long Beach and move toward Whittier! (Whittier is the town next to La Mirada)
A: Oooo!
J:Don't you dare walk home in this!!
A: Gotcha
J: Ok. I just wanted to let you know.
A: Ok. Thanks.

I laughed after I got off the phone...really? A Tornado? Wizard of Oz much?

When I got to work at the advising center, apparently campus safety had sent out a notice to all Biola employees telling them about the Tornado warning. For the next 30 minutes the registrar and the advising center were buzzing about what to do in the case of a Tornado.

Possible solutions:

• Go the basement...that no homes have
• Hide in the bathtub...which is right next to a window
  
• Lay down in a ditch...which is flowing with water
  

Again, not that worried, but secretly hopping it would come closer because windstorms are COOL, I prepared in a different way. I decided on the shoes I would like Glinda the good witch to give me in the event that my house is picked up by the tornado and transported over the rainbow to a land of color ;)

Fire Engine Red

Today I rode in a fire engine!
Yes, it was as cool as you think it is.

For my interterm class, Christ and Contemporary Culture, we were sent out in small groups to talk with people about how they integrate their faith into their place of employment. Our group was assigned to go meet with someone who works as a firefighter at the LA City Fire Department. At the end of our time talking with him, he offered to take us for a ride in the fire engine! We climbed in the cab, put on their headsets, and drove around their neighborhood a bit.

So. Much. Fun.

Lesson Learned

I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway.I will not speed down Imperial Highway...

I personally think that writing "I will not speed down Imperial Highway" 100 times is a much more effective punishment than a $400 ticket and traffic school...The point has been communicated clearly ;)