Anecdotes

• If finding money in the pocket of an old sweatshirt is fun, then finding chocolate money in your pocket is even better. Even if it is of the crappy milk chocolate variety, that indented gold foil it comes wrapped in is distractingly amusing.

• When I took my first English class last semester, I thought the (expensive) writer's handbook they sold me was rather nifty since it contained citation instructions for MLA, APA, and CM/Turabian--all of which I've had to use. The problem: I soon discovered that they were all outdated. Every. single. one. has come out with a new edition. The kicker: they were newly updated before Liberty sold that (expensive [and worthless]) handbook to me! So for every point deducted for incorrectly cited sources, I am blaming it on LU for selling me an outdated writer's manual.

• Mom bought Mexican jumping beans. They are enthralling. 

• I'm a sucker for positive reinforcement. For my math homework problems, when you get one correct, this little window pops up that says one of four statements: "fantastic!" "nice work!" "good job!" "terrific!" Even though I've seen them all a million times now, they still give me this tingle of satisfaction. 

• Yesterday I completed one of my life goals: run up the down escalator. Jenn and I were in the mall, and it was nearing closing time so hardly anyone was there and the mall was rather dark. But the escalators were still moving. So I was like, "Jenn, we should run up the down escalator." She says, "Yeah!" I pause for a second to get the rhythm of it, take a flying leap and start sprinting. The adrenalin kicks in and I'm like "yeah! We're doing it!" I run up the whole thing, and another leap gets me off. There are some people in the food court and they are unabashedly laughing and grinning at me. I turn around to see how Jenn is doing and discover she's not behind me...she's coming up the up escalator beside me. Cheering for me though, so even if she didn't exactly do it with me she still gets points for embracing my moment of craziness.

• As I've been thinking about what "fear the Lord" means (specifically in the context of "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge), I'm wondering if it is purely (and difficultly) recognizing that God is God (and I am not). You know, revering Him: putting Him in His place (the highest of highest), and me in my place (the nothing of nothing-est). Yes? No? Thoughts welcome.

• Don't ever tell Jordan you are sick and tired of earth and want to go to heaven. Because he'll think up ways of trying to get you there sooner rather than later.

• Sanna had to get a cavity filled this morning, and it was her first every dental operation so we wondered if she could handle it without freaking out. Turns out she did great, but mom and I both had stress dreams last night regarding the dentist. Weird. You'd think I was Sanna's mom too.   

• The ratio of anything to whipped cream must be 1:10. 

• My dad is brilliant. I was going to spend about $40 on a business calculator for my upcoming personal finance class, but as I was lamenting about it to dad he says, "there's an app for that." So I now have a business calculator on my iPhone. Price: $2.99. Total money saved: $37.01. Who needs a business class right? Haha, though I figure whenever I leave home I won't be able to depend on Marty (dad's right hand man and my superhero), so I'd better learn about interest and mortgages and spreadsheets and balancing checkbooks for myself. 

• Maryah is growing an avocado tree. At present, it is 2 1/2 feet tall. They get to be 30 feet tall, and what with winter approaching I'm not sure what we'll do. Unfortunately, avocado trees grown from the seed have difficulty growing fruit (they have to be grafted), but I hear they make good climbing trees....

• If my life had a theme song, right now it'd be "Wonderin'" by TobyMac&Matt Theissen.