THIS IS INDIA .

It's where you call when you have a technical problem with your computer...

Epiphanies in the office, seated in a desk chair, gazing at the computer monitor

There is a whole lot of sunshine you don't see when your office is in a basement.

My tailbone does have nerve endings, and they are currently numb.

I now understand why my father had the desire/ability to run marathons... after this for 9 hours a day, you just want to move.

I see excel spreadsheets when I close my eyes.

Chatting it up with statistics guys from various universities is probably a sign that I don't get enough human interaction.

Unlimited text messaging is a life-line.

Packed lunches become very boring.

I'm thankful I have a great job.

I'm still not a fan of digging ditches or sitting in a toll booth...

I don't think you should draw your life's philosophy from Dove chocolate wrappers...

It has come to my attention that Dove needs to hire someone else to create the inscriptions on the foil used to wrap their dark chocolates. (Their milk chocolate philosophy may be just fine, I have no idea. I'm a dark chocolate connoisseur myself...)

For example:

"Naughty can be nice."

(Anyone who's ever spent significant time- as in 20 minutes- with a two year old would disagree.)

"A smile is worth more than a dozen roses."

(Says who?!? A man so totally wrote that.)

"Love without rules."

(That seems like a dangerous thing to write. What if my version of "loving without rules" was violently possessive (i.e. "stalker girlfriend")? A person prone to such affection should probably be given some guidelines to help them love in a more acceptable fashion.)

"Listen to your heart beat and dance."

(I considered doing this, but then remembered that I live in the 21st century, am German-American, and am thereby excluded from spiritualistic rituals monopolized by 17th century native Americans.)

"Make your eyes twinkle."

(I tried this. They looked squinty. How exactly does one make one's eyes twinkle? How frustrating to be given a command I am clueless as to how to fulfill.)

I think I am putting way to much thought into my chocolate eating...

Weekend with the Fam

Andrea (Austin's fiancee), Austin, Markus, Me

I got to spend this past weekend with the Schafer family! Austin (Markus' younger brother) graduated from Grove City College on Saturday with his B.A. and I tagged along with Markus on the trip out to Grove City, PA.

A full entry of the weekend's various activities would be too long for my average readers. Suffice to say that Mrs. Schafer ate chicken wings, Austin did smile for the camera in graduation, Mr. Schafer ordered a "unique" beverage, Markus did (at one point in the past) eat 77 wings, and Andrea is lovely.

Oh, and we only listened to 45 minutes of NPR during our 14 hours in the car. Yay!

Because God is love...

I was notified at the end of last week that I had been selected for a graduate assistantship for my first year of graduate school. Prior to this information I had no funding and no resources to continue my education. However, God never ceases to amaze me with his love and provision, and I now have full funding for the fall semester! As an additional bonus (kinda like a toy in a Happy Meal!), the professor I will be working with has the exact same area of research interest that I do (neurophysiology of speech production) and has asked me to T.A. the easiest class in the undergraduate department. (Translation: major benefits, minor work load.)

Can God get any more detailed in his explicit love towards me?

I submit that He cannot.

:)

Epiphany of the Week: Never Talk to your Budget

I, as a general rule, am very fond of fruit. However, it came to my attention (sometime in February) that my budget didn't like how much I was spending on very expensive, small, often bad-tasting replicas of my summertime favorites. So the budget and I had a chit-chat...

Budget: Courtney, you know as well as I do that a teacher's aid doesn't make that much money.
Me: Yes... I know. *sigh*
Budget: You also know that said teacher's aid has to pay electric, gas, and general expenses.
Me: Yes...
Budget: Said teacher's aid had also probably be saving money for next year and graduate school.
Me: Why are you calling me "said teacher's aid"?
Budget: I thought it would make me sound more official.
Me: You're not really that official... you're more just a general guideline.
Budget: I know that! Sheesh. You don't think I'm frustrated at how lightly you treat me?
Me: I'm sorry... I try, I really do.
Budget: Try harder. I'm starting to feel undervalued.
Me: Well, truth be told... I am a little angry with you.
Budget: What!?! Me? Why?
Me: We need to talk about the amount you've allotted to clothing and new shoes.
Budget: Nope. It's set. It's fixed- nonnegotiable. It's practical.
Me: Erg! I hate practical...
Budget: But it's good for you.
Me: I know...
Budget: And I'm good for you.
Me: I know...
Budget: So let's talk about how much you're spending on bad fruit...

The long and short of it is, my budget and I decided that frozen fruit would have to satisfy me until I could obtain the "real thing" in its season.

All that to say:

Strawberries are on sale at Meijer!

Psalm 84:11

Purdue University Graduate School admittance, Markus, Market Research Internship, Sunday afternoons with the ex-roomie, Julie-Bop, Grandma's 80th birthday, Klondike Elementary students, Sunday school class, weekends with extended boyfriend time, skirt weather, family dinners...

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11
**Lord, may I walk uprightly...**

QUOTES (Because the "Bear" hasn't monopolized a blog post in a while...)

Me: So, who was Jesus' dad?
Bear: Ummm.... this is a tough one... Abraham?


Bear: You know, baby bears can't eat normal food.
Me: Really?
Bear: Yup, they have to drink milk from their mom's body... It's probably skim.
Me: **choking with laughter**


(at lunch) Bear: What a lovely apple! (He then kisses it.)


(Whenever I make a mistake) Bear: Excuse me, my dear...


Bear: Some people are old, and I don't like old people.


Bear: I think I will have 25 kids. (pause) No, wait. That's absurd. (another pause. He's counting...) I'll have 15. That's about what will fit in my house.


Me: (opening the door for him)
Bear: Whoa! Let me open the door. After all, my name is "Bear" and bears are gentlemen.