consensus

Results are in! If you haven't voted yet, feel free to do so, but what took so long?
(These are not intended to be statistically useful. I'm an English major, people, puhleez.)

An overwhelming majority (4/5) agree that regular coffee is the best. Of course this is because it is, in fact, the best UNLESS you need to sleep some time in the next 6 hours. However, I must add that a dear sister in Macedonia assured me it's all in your head. If you think the coffee will keep you awake, it will, but if you don't think it will, it won't -- even if it's Turkish style at 10pm. You can be the judge of that.

Among girl respondents, a gotee would be the preferred facial hair to wear for one day, with the exception of one lady (and I presume to know who *coughkelseycough*) would rather have a handlebar 'stache.

Apparently only one member of the male species reads my blog, and he would be willing to carry a purse for a day -- err, European handbag, right? More power to ya, man.

Had an even number of voters participated, there might have been a tie for the grossest-kitchen-presence.  Votes for "food in the dishwater" and "retro orange wallpaper" were 3 and 2, respectively. I personally want to gag when I find (with bare hands) food in the dishwater, which is why I never let anyone help me wash dishes. They may not be enlightened and would put in a plate full of ketchup and crumbs. I don't have orange wallpaper, only an orange backsplash and range hood, with tiny yellow wall tiles that I've surprisingly come to love. I think they're charming. But only because they're not orange.

Three of you are tech savvy and love your iPod. I will give the touch version credit, since I was able to download and listen to a BrookHills podcast using the wifi at the gym today. I also love controlling my old school one through my car stereo -- genius! However, I heartily agree with the two voters who chose "vinyl" and "in the car with the windows down." The truth is that I have listened to music in all three formats today: Bob Dylan on vinyl, Taylor Swift with the windows down, and Mumford & Sons on my iPod at the gym. The truth is good music is just good, it doesn't matter where or how. Quality is quality.

Whoa, Nelly! I think we could form a support group for victims of what I like to call "road bullies." You know what I mean... most of them have tags from some county in the metro Atlanta area. It's unanimous, bullying has to STOP. What if we extended that public school initiative to the interstate? Oh wait, those are called traffic laws.

The final question reads like this: How do you celebrate a success or fortunate event?
Responses: eat ice cream, do something fun, eat ice cream, do something fun, eat ice cream.
I know those are the choices of five different people, but I wouldn't complain about that exact order of events. Come to think of it, that pretty well describes my entire trip to Italy this summer.

Thanks for participating, everyone! Sorry about promising you a prize... but didn't you have fun and waste at least a half hour on the Ben & Jerry's website? :) Hey, that's ice cream and fun! Score!

again? really?

Well well well...

I blinked for a second and what do you know, here I am one whole year out of college. Yikes! I wanted to write this whole thing about everything I’ve learned, what I’ve experienced, where I was then versus where I am now, etc... but honestly, I couldn’t get that all in one blog post. In all the time I spent pondering and trying to figure how I could sum up the past year, I realized life was still happening! If I spend too much time thinking about auld lang syne, I’ll get behind on now.

So let me just say this: I’m supposed to sing at church Sunday morning, and my loving mother keeps asking me, “What are you going to sing?” And every time I reply, “I haven’t decided yet!” It’s not that I don’t have any ideas; the problem is that there are so many options, and I change my mind every day. At this point I could probably give a concert with all the songs I’ve learned this week.

I think this situation pretty well defines my life right now.

My life and my heart may have changed tremendously in some ways, but here I am exactly where I was not too long ago with the same choice to make, and the same heavy basket of passions, fears, and questions making it quite a task. I have 2 classes, a scholarly paper, and student teaching between me and the real world. *GULP* What will I do? There are so many options, I’m having trouble sticking with just one. (And I think that’s a good problem to have.) So right now, again, I just want to survive my last year of school and cross those other bridges when I come to them.

A year ago I found myself at the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another similar, but in many ways completely different, place. I finished one degree and started another. I left one community and forced my way into another. It seems like after every major life decision, I breathe a huge sigh of relief until I realize that staring me in the face is yet another huge life decision. Will it ever end?! I’ve decided the answer is probably a resounding, “NO.” I’m starting to get the idea that my life is not about settling into one place forever; it’s an endless series of choices -- big and small -- strung together by brief moments of peace. This is one of those moments, and I’m loving it.

In other news, interesting developments on the home front. I’ve been seeing a doctor here at home for a little over a year about a certain issue that isn’t too public. The office called a few weeks ago to reschedule my appointment, confirmed that appointment last Friday, and in all of that neglected to tell me that my doctor DIED. You’d think they would’ve mentioned that little bit of information. So now I have my entire file in hand with the task of finding a new doc in Tennessee, all by myself without my mommy there to talk for me when I get embarrassed. Oh well, it’s just another chance for me to be a big girl, I guess.

Decisions, decisions...

Day 1: You can't always trust your GPS.

I stood stiffly with my eyes wide as the woman surveyed me with a mixture of surprise and confusion. I passed a piano on my way in, but I couldn't find the coffee bar. Several people sat around tables and welcomed me inside, although I thought they looked a little old for the coffee shop scene. They had pointed me to the elderly lady who smiled and asked if she could help me. "Can I get a cup of coffee?"

I Heart Sunday School

That's a lie.