Here I am at the conference one more time. This morning I have a feeling I'll be less bored, though. As I type, Tim Reimherr is rocking worship in the auditorium and Misty Edwards is gonna speak...so I think it's gonna be a good morning.
We painted my room last night... more on that later. :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Oh Dear
I think I had a dream last night that I had been directing people the WRONG WAY towards the bathrooms. Eek.
What is this, the third post this morning? Hmmm...
What is this, the third post this morning? Hmmm...
Paradox
Do you find it at all interesting that an industry that mostly supplies pleasure and satisfaction for a sweet tooths rather than vital necessity for life provides livelihoods for so many people?
Yesterday someone asked me why there was no staff designation on my nametag...
This is Annie with you again, reporting live from Fascinate '08.
No one's asking me any questions at the moment. I finished a crossword puzzle this morning! And yes, I cheated...but I finished. I figure that a sudoku may be next on the list. Other ideas include reading the news and thus feeling like a more competent and knowledgable world-citizen.
I forgot my nametag at home this morning. Bummer.
Non-bummer: I worked out this morning! Got up early (well, my alarm went off at 5:30 and I accidentally went back to sleep until 6...oops. I guess it isn't that much earlier than I sometimes get up with Glorie...) and went with Liz to the gym. I got added on their family account, so I have a little I.D. card to swipe, and I'm in! The gym has a pool and a track and machines. I ran a little on the treadmill (is that better for your knees than sidewalk running?) and I did the machine that I can't remember the name of. And I tried the weight machines a little bit. I only did like one and felt silly about it because I didn't know how to make it work. The attendant came and fixed it for me when I was trying to use a limp machine. Hah. But I really want to go at those muscle machines. So exciting.
It's easier to be motivated to go to the gym than to go out in the hotness of the heat to run for a long time. Last week I tried that and sweated more than I ever have in my life...and I was only out for less than a half an hour.
I'm feeling like I would really like a yummy drink from Higher Grounds. I have a couple meeting type things at IHOP once I finish here at the conference... Two hours until then.
Yet I have to go without a nametag. :( Sad.
No one's asking me any questions at the moment. I finished a crossword puzzle this morning! And yes, I cheated...but I finished. I figure that a sudoku may be next on the list. Other ideas include reading the news and thus feeling like a more competent and knowledgable world-citizen.
I forgot my nametag at home this morning. Bummer.
Non-bummer: I worked out this morning! Got up early (well, my alarm went off at 5:30 and I accidentally went back to sleep until 6...oops. I guess it isn't that much earlier than I sometimes get up with Glorie...) and went with Liz to the gym. I got added on their family account, so I have a little I.D. card to swipe, and I'm in! The gym has a pool and a track and machines. I ran a little on the treadmill (is that better for your knees than sidewalk running?) and I did the machine that I can't remember the name of. And I tried the weight machines a little bit. I only did like one and felt silly about it because I didn't know how to make it work. The attendant came and fixed it for me when I was trying to use a limp machine. Hah. But I really want to go at those muscle machines. So exciting.
It's easier to be motivated to go to the gym than to go out in the hotness of the heat to run for a long time. Last week I tried that and sweated more than I ever have in my life...and I was only out for less than a half an hour.
I'm feeling like I would really like a yummy drink from Higher Grounds. I have a couple meeting type things at IHOP once I finish here at the conference... Two hours until then.
Yet I have to go without a nametag. :( Sad.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Seat in the Gymnasium
So, I'm sitting here volunteering at the youth conference that is Fascinate '08.
You should be here.
I'm working registration...the only thing is, it's dinner break. So I get the late-arrivers and stragglers whose 10-hour drive went a little long. It's fun to be here to answer people's questions and find out their name and give them wristbands. I even gave a woman directions to the prayer room. Yes...I've been in Kansas City long enough that if you are at FSM and ask me how to get to the prayer room, I can tell you. *CHEER!*
Only thing is, these late-arrivers, they only come ever 10 minutes or so. Maybe more often, but honestly, you only get a few things to do. So, I'm sitting here, trying to bide the time until there's a possibility for a more dense population of registrants to come to my little table. Nice thing is, I use a laptop to sign people in so here I am (obviously) writing a blog.
I've been surfing other blogs...some normal, some new, some that I just haven't checked in a while. But I thought there might possibly be list I could make of ways to keep myself entertained until another person comes, wondering where the bathroom is (actually, somebody asked me that and at first, I totally didn't know...great conference worker I am. My brain promptly began working again, though, no worries).
You should be here.
I'm working registration...the only thing is, it's dinner break. So I get the late-arrivers and stragglers whose 10-hour drive went a little long. It's fun to be here to answer people's questions and find out their name and give them wristbands. I even gave a woman directions to the prayer room. Yes...I've been in Kansas City long enough that if you are at FSM and ask me how to get to the prayer room, I can tell you. *CHEER!*
Only thing is, these late-arrivers, they only come ever 10 minutes or so. Maybe more often, but honestly, you only get a few things to do. So, I'm sitting here, trying to bide the time until there's a possibility for a more dense population of registrants to come to my little table. Nice thing is, I use a laptop to sign people in so here I am (obviously) writing a blog.
I've been surfing other blogs...some normal, some new, some that I just haven't checked in a while. But I thought there might possibly be list I could make of ways to keep myself entertained until another person comes, wondering where the bathroom is (actually, somebody asked me that and at first, I totally didn't know...great conference worker I am. My brain promptly began working again, though, no worries).
- Blog (aren't you glad I'm blogging as we speak --[I type, you read=we speak]
- Play sudoku
- Grapple with a crossword (I must be honest here and say that grapple for me means that on any word I don't get quickly, I rifle through the letters till the program says I found the right one...I'll be honest: that's kinda cheating. But hey, it's entertaining, which is kinda what I'm going for here...)
- Have fun with the fact that the computer I'm using is super fast. Oh, the joy!
- Text people. I already texted Miriam, she's at Six Flags.
- Smile! I just did. at the lady who came and asked me point her to the director lady.
- Watch the skit the people were practicing. Lifehouse's Everything has been playing in the auditorium for a little while. Now it's stopped... :( Sad times, I liked the background music.
It is fun that I sit here with a name tag. Annie Peterson - International House of Prayer of Kansas City. I even signed an e-mail like that today because I was doing some assisting work to one of the leaders here. That is fun! I wear the name tag at the prayer room and working with IHOP stuff... it makes me feel very official. :)
Today I had an incredibly interesting conversation with a man at the company in Washington, D.C. that supplies many street vendors in the area.
Oop..."Everything" just started up again...and then changed songs. Let' ssee what's next...
So this guy, I asked him if he had vendors that operated near the National Mall and he said no. But then he was very curious to know what I needed...so I explained to him that I was trying to get in touch with the vendors to suggest that they have extra water...
Oh! It's Rita Springer, I think.
So, I was explaining to him that we are needing lots of water at the Mall on August 16. He got all excited (business opportunity!) I told him we were expecting 200,000 people and he was wowed. He promised to have water for 200,000 people there, August 16. I hope our conversation was clear, because I had to explain to him that we weren't hiring someone to bring water, we just wanted to get in touch with the vendors to suggest that they have extra water. So I hope he understands. He also wanted special permission to be there and I said I didn't have the authority to give him that. I hope that there's no misunderstanding...I'll pray for it, and hope that there are lots of vendors around with LOTS of water for all those fasting people on a day in the middle of August.
Hmmm...I've gotten a few more random people coming up. It's fun to interact with them. I kinda said that already... There are a TON of people here. It's pretty cool.
Alrightey. I'll sign off of this and if anything exciting happens, I'll let you know...
Joosh
You may think you know what juice is...but you probably don't.
Did you know that juice is the large lake you were just swimming in?
Did you know that juice is what you give to your dog when he's terribly thirsty?
Did you know that juice is your blue IHOP waterbottle? (If you have one...I do!)
What do we put on our skin to protect us from those nasty sunburns?
JUICE, OF COURSE!
Somebody needs a Glorie lesson!
Did you know that juice is the large lake you were just swimming in?
Did you know that juice is what you give to your dog when he's terribly thirsty?
Did you know that juice is your blue IHOP waterbottle? (If you have one...I do!)
What do we put on our skin to protect us from those nasty sunburns?
JUICE, OF COURSE!
Somebody needs a Glorie lesson!
Various Insundry Thoughts (is that redundant?)
I have what I like to call a blogger-brain. I see something, and I think how I can blog it. I think about taking pictures to put on my blog. I pretend I'm witty in my brain and devise wonderfully perfect 10-word sentences to sum up my ideas. Hah.
The trouble is that I usually forget what I thought of by the time I actually get to writing a blog. That...was a very long sentence.
So here is a grouping of what may or may not turn out to be entertaining glimpses of random thoughts and beginning sentences of *various insundry* blogs...
A Tribute to Blog Brains Across the World
Oreos
Sometimes I eat Peter's cookies, and, honestly, I'm not totally sure how he feels about that.
On Watermelons and Coconuts
The birds are singing in the trees today and I, well I am hoping that copper pot doesn't fall on my head.
*HIT*[MY HEAD]*HIT*
Sometimes I'm a really bad blogger...
Strangers
There's some sort of little creature that likes to rustle around in my room while I'm trying to go to sleep at night...
The Right Choice
"Jason, will you accept this rose?"
Just For Fun
Sometime I lik t leav of th las lette o th word I' tryin t typ...
Why
When life cuts you down, drink some juice...
Pottery
There's this strange intersection where a bright pink accordian file meets a firefly and all of a sudden you have a pink glowing lantern. This is sort of how the water meets the clay and you get pottery.
What to Do with My Life
I like history, but I really (really!) don't need a Ph.D. in how the 12th century Spaniards cut their fingernails. It might be interesting to know how they did, though? Think of the crazy hangnails you could get while cutting your nails with a vegetable knife? Eek.
If Stanford Would Let Me In...
I would go for a run today.
Freakonomics
Did you know that your real estate agent wants to eat you? Yeah, you're right... she probably doesn't.
I Don't Even Have a Real Estate Agent
That's probably a good thing.
The trouble is that I usually forget what I thought of by the time I actually get to writing a blog. That...was a very long sentence.
So here is a grouping of what may or may not turn out to be entertaining glimpses of random thoughts and beginning sentences of *various insundry* blogs...
A Tribute to Blog Brains Across the World
Oreos
Sometimes I eat Peter's cookies, and, honestly, I'm not totally sure how he feels about that.
On Watermelons and Coconuts
The birds are singing in the trees today and I, well I am hoping that copper pot doesn't fall on my head.
*HIT*[MY HEAD]*HIT*
Sometimes I'm a really bad blogger...
Strangers
There's some sort of little creature that likes to rustle around in my room while I'm trying to go to sleep at night...
The Right Choice
"Jason, will you accept this rose?"
Just For Fun
Sometime I lik t leav of th las lette o th word I' tryin t typ...
Why
When life cuts you down, drink some juice...
Pottery
There's this strange intersection where a bright pink accordian file meets a firefly and all of a sudden you have a pink glowing lantern. This is sort of how the water meets the clay and you get pottery.
What to Do with My Life
I like history, but I really (really!) don't need a Ph.D. in how the 12th century Spaniards cut their fingernails. It might be interesting to know how they did, though? Think of the crazy hangnails you could get while cutting your nails with a vegetable knife? Eek.
If Stanford Would Let Me In...
I would go for a run today.
Freakonomics
Did you know that your real estate agent wants to eat you? Yeah, you're right... she probably doesn't.
I Don't Even Have a Real Estate Agent
That's probably a good thing.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Vroom...
Please tell me I'm not the only one... It makes your day when you see some cool cookie driving down the freeway like this, right?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Road Ridonculousness
Getting used to driving in Kansas City is proving to be quite the adventure. Part of it is getting used to driving the two cars that are new to me, I'm sure. But that adjustment is going pretty quickly.
It's not uncommon for me to find myself going five miles below the speed limit because I'm not quite sure what's coming up next. Those are the moments I'm thankful that I'm in Kansas City instead of Chicago where I would probably get a honk and a pass at 70 miles an hour as soon as the opportunity was given. Here, I just get a complacent follower who, yes, might pass me, but it doesn't really matter that much. I would guess that KC driving is closer to Chicago-suburb driving because there's lots of wide-open space. In the way there can be wide open space in a city. There's buildings everywhere, they're just not looming over you wherever you drive. And there aren't people everywhere. There. That's the difference. Although, come to think of it, you do get the occassional guy walking down the side of the road (no sidewalk, therefore, he's basically in the road) who looks like he just ran away from home...except he's 40 years too old to run away from home.
The other difficult part is that there are lots of curves and hills. Coming from Chicago, I'm used to roads curving pretty much only on the highway, where I've learned that they slant the road so that you don't have to slow down to manage the curving. Well here in KC it's just normal roads that suddenly windy-twisty through a woodsy area. And the roads aren't that wide. So, I find myself going kinda slow also on those. I am improving, however, and am sure to have the art down within a few more drives.
One fun part that I discovered today was maintaining my speed as I go down and up hills. So, I'll take my foot off the gas to stay at 35 going down the hill, and then put it back on just as I dip to start going up another hill, so that I stay at the same speed. It's pretty fun.
Before finding that ray of sunshine on the hills, though, the art of incline-driving was a little intense. It feels so weird to be braking while you're going down a hill, trying to keep at the speed limit. Maybe Kansas City hills are just steep or something, but, man do you increase speed quick while on hills. Hmmm... hopefully the art of juggling speed limits and hills will resolve quickly as well.
It's not uncommon for me to find myself going five miles below the speed limit because I'm not quite sure what's coming up next. Those are the moments I'm thankful that I'm in Kansas City instead of Chicago where I would probably get a honk and a pass at 70 miles an hour as soon as the opportunity was given. Here, I just get a complacent follower who, yes, might pass me, but it doesn't really matter that much. I would guess that KC driving is closer to Chicago-suburb driving because there's lots of wide-open space. In the way there can be wide open space in a city. There's buildings everywhere, they're just not looming over you wherever you drive. And there aren't people everywhere. There. That's the difference. Although, come to think of it, you do get the occassional guy walking down the side of the road (no sidewalk, therefore, he's basically in the road) who looks like he just ran away from home...except he's 40 years too old to run away from home.
The other difficult part is that there are lots of curves and hills. Coming from Chicago, I'm used to roads curving pretty much only on the highway, where I've learned that they slant the road so that you don't have to slow down to manage the curving. Well here in KC it's just normal roads that suddenly windy-twisty through a woodsy area. And the roads aren't that wide. So, I find myself going kinda slow also on those. I am improving, however, and am sure to have the art down within a few more drives.
One fun part that I discovered today was maintaining my speed as I go down and up hills. So, I'll take my foot off the gas to stay at 35 going down the hill, and then put it back on just as I dip to start going up another hill, so that I stay at the same speed. It's pretty fun.
Before finding that ray of sunshine on the hills, though, the art of incline-driving was a little intense. It feels so weird to be braking while you're going down a hill, trying to keep at the speed limit. Maybe Kansas City hills are just steep or something, but, man do you increase speed quick while on hills. Hmmm... hopefully the art of juggling speed limits and hills will resolve quickly as well.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
the Post Office Redeemed
A while ago I realized that I needed to get my passport renewed, in case I end up going somewhere exciting this year. We didn't get it done before I left Chicago, so I decided that we had to bit the bullet while my dad was here in Kansas City. I scoped out the territory online and we went today. Liz suggested that we go to a branch that was a little bit farther but is manned by super nice people.
OH MY GOODNESS. Nice Post Office people! Kind Post Office people! It was amazing. Like the clouds opened up and light shined down.
The lady was just so awesome and gentle and happy. She took me to go take my picture, and she had a stuffed rabbit in the picture room! Someone had lifted the bunny's hands to the sky, and she quickly righted it, returning it to its proper sitting position, and commented how someone had messed with her bunny! A bunny! All fuzzy in a Post Office. It was like a sign that it was the most gentle, soft, fuzzy post office in the United States...
It must have been slightly strange to receive a passport application in Kansas City with Chicago addresses all over it. Not to her! In the middle of looking through all my stuff she said, "You must be here for IHOP?!" Oh wow. She said that she had heard that the music was just amazing and that she really needed to go. I guess a lot of people come through for IHOP!
Smiles, gentle voices... It was wonderful.
And I have a passport coming in a few weeks. =)
OH MY GOODNESS. Nice Post Office people! Kind Post Office people! It was amazing. Like the clouds opened up and light shined down.
The lady was just so awesome and gentle and happy. She took me to go take my picture, and she had a stuffed rabbit in the picture room! Someone had lifted the bunny's hands to the sky, and she quickly righted it, returning it to its proper sitting position, and commented how someone had messed with her bunny! A bunny! All fuzzy in a Post Office. It was like a sign that it was the most gentle, soft, fuzzy post office in the United States...
It must have been slightly strange to receive a passport application in Kansas City with Chicago addresses all over it. Not to her! In the middle of looking through all my stuff she said, "You must be here for IHOP?!" Oh wow. She said that she had heard that the music was just amazing and that she really needed to go. I guess a lot of people come through for IHOP!
Smiles, gentle voices... It was wonderful.
And I have a passport coming in a few weeks. =)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Parting Ode
With diploma in handIt was time to say goodbye to the band
Of dear ones who had traversed
The high and lows of the roads until they almost burst
With laughter at me
And the ways we could be
Always strange and bemusing
Keeping others confusing
Us with a group of wild badgers
Who had probably been eating all their cheese.
Before we parted
A few of us formed a way to remind me where I started
We set out to get some apparel
Probably made by some guy named Darryl.
Cubs and Chicago, foerever shall be
By these shirts engrained in my memory.
We saw the sights and wished the Cubs well
and eventually were forced to say farewell.
Goodbye, dear friends who I hold close inside
I'll see you soon! Be sure to come temporarily reside
In Kansas City and eat all my cheese.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Gross-i-ocity
I just had a disturbing thought.
The NBA Finals are on and Boston is like 30 points ahead, about to win everything. On the screen: one guy moves to defend another guy. I think it's Garnett, dripping with sweat, puts his arms way up high in the air...right in front of the Lakers player. Practically nose-to-armpit. EWWWWW.
Why I'm not a basketball player. And yes, that's the only reason I'm not a basketball player. I could make all those shots if I really wanted to.
The NBA Finals are on and Boston is like 30 points ahead, about to win everything. On the screen: one guy moves to defend another guy. I think it's Garnett, dripping with sweat, puts his arms way up high in the air...right in front of the Lakers player. Practically nose-to-armpit. EWWWWW.
Why I'm not a basketball player. And yes, that's the only reason I'm not a basketball player. I could make all those shots if I really wanted to.
Backdating
Amy and I made a return trip to Rockford to try to refine our skills on horseback a little more. It was an interesting mix of a time: we got to help out with her physical therapy with the kids on horseback, and she got a tractor while we were there, and the cute dogs and mini horses were still around. Those things were all cool.
Not as cool: Anytime you go horseback riding, you're due for what one might call a reality check. Horses are pretty. But they're also big. And their feet are big. And those feet sometimes don't watch where they're going. And sometimes horses realize that they're bigger than you are and Hey! Annie doesn't REALLY know how to ride. She can't make me go if I don't want to. Don't freak out -- no toes were injured in the riding experience -- my boots got stepped on a few times, but not my toes. And my horse, he knew stubborn. Well, my second horse did. My first one got a little upset, bucked once and took off. I'm not sure if that's knowing stubborn or knowing stupid. Whatever it is, my riding relationship with him was over and I was back to good old faithful Rio -- who wouldn't do anything stupid but also would hardly do anything un-stupid. Hmmm... Maybe I'm exaggerating. If I worked hard, I could make him go when I wanted him to, but by the time I was riding him, my legs were tired. It takes a lot of work to make a stubborn horse go, work from your legs...my legs were tired.
Overall, one of the cutest parts of the time was the dogs. 
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Buddy. And he has a fru-fru leg. It bends just like that every time he stands still. It's HI-larious
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Buddy. And he has a fru-fru leg. It bends just like that every time he stands still. It's HI-lariousThe New Look
Obviously, you can see that the blog looks very different. Unless of course you're blind...but then you wouldn't be reading a blog in the first place.
It just seemed time for a change. I didn't really like the old template, and once I started designing this one, it felt so nice to have something more on the elegant side. I needed to change the name as well, as I didn't really like my old title either. This title is just preliminary...I need a bit of help with some ideas.
So, I hope you enjoy the newness. I do!
It just seemed time for a change. I didn't really like the old template, and once I started designing this one, it felt so nice to have something more on the elegant side. I needed to change the name as well, as I didn't really like my old title either. This title is just preliminary...I need a bit of help with some ideas.
So, I hope you enjoy the newness. I do!
Monday, June 16, 2008
the Return
I'm back.
I've safely navigated the dangerous waters of graduating, the SAT, the ACT, horseback riding, saying goodbye to Chicago, and moving to Kansas City. Now I have brainspace and finger energy to blog again.
I don't have current pictures to upload just quite yet... I would, except, my computer is really slow and, well, Elizabeth's is really fast. Thus I am in the middle of a computer affair. My poor little gray slowboat-to-China is sitting cold and lonely up on the desk, while I whiz around internet world on Liz's speedy Freddie. (I just named it that, her computer doesn't actually have a name, to my knowledge). I will have pictures soon, though, as I have promised them to a friend.
I feel as if I should recount my adventures of the past few weeks...
Graduating
It's grand. And marvelous. And exhilarating. And fantastical. And I'm done.
We walked (more than a few minutes late, but we walked all the same). And I gave a speech. And squeezed Abby's hand as we just could not believe that we were graduating.
the SAT and ACT
I took my SAT Subject Tests the morning of graduation, so that was really intense. Then I lost more time when I stopped at Starbucks, and thus got turned around and spent 15 minutes driving away from my house, the wrong way down the street.
The ACT went pretty well, except that my calculator was running out of batteries. I knew it was getting low, so I brought batteries with me, but when I went to change them during the test I found out that I had brought the wrong size as replacements! So me and the calculator did the Dance of the Dying Batteries where it would turn off at the push of the "Enter" button so I would turn it back on to see what the answer to what I had punched in actually was. The ACT felt a lot more secure than the other tests and I will be able to see my scores in 2 weeks.
I'll leave the last three: horseback riding, saying goodbye, and moving to Kansas City until pictures can accompany! It's good to be back!
I've safely navigated the dangerous waters of graduating, the SAT, the ACT, horseback riding, saying goodbye to Chicago, and moving to Kansas City. Now I have brainspace and finger energy to blog again.
I don't have current pictures to upload just quite yet... I would, except, my computer is really slow and, well, Elizabeth's is really fast. Thus I am in the middle of a computer affair. My poor little gray slowboat-to-China is sitting cold and lonely up on the desk, while I whiz around internet world on Liz's speedy Freddie. (I just named it that, her computer doesn't actually have a name, to my knowledge). I will have pictures soon, though, as I have promised them to a friend.
I feel as if I should recount my adventures of the past few weeks...
Graduating
It's grand. And marvelous. And exhilarating. And fantastical. And I'm done.
We walked (more than a few minutes late, but we walked all the same). And I gave a speech. And squeezed Abby's hand as we just could not believe that we were graduating.
the SAT and ACT
I took my SAT Subject Tests the morning of graduation, so that was really intense. Then I lost more time when I stopped at Starbucks, and thus got turned around and spent 15 minutes driving away from my house, the wrong way down the street.
The ACT went pretty well, except that my calculator was running out of batteries. I knew it was getting low, so I brought batteries with me, but when I went to change them during the test I found out that I had brought the wrong size as replacements! So me and the calculator did the Dance of the Dying Batteries where it would turn off at the push of the "Enter" button so I would turn it back on to see what the answer to what I had punched in actually was. The ACT felt a lot more secure than the other tests and I will be able to see my scores in 2 weeks.
I'll leave the last three: horseback riding, saying goodbye, and moving to Kansas City until pictures can accompany! It's good to be back!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Relief
In order to relieve myself of all blog-guilt, I am officially placing myself on blog-sabbatical until I get to Kansas City (June 15). These times are just too crazy to try to fit in blogging... There's a chance, but officially, I am on break. Check back in a little bit!
Here's a parting picture of a pig for you (Miss Richert, take note of the alliteration). Don't know why this popped up when I typed in "happy!" in the google image search. It had a caption something like "Picture of a happy pig" or some such nonsense.
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