Easily Offended

I think I am too easily offended.  I read something tonight that shouldn't have offended me, but it did.  Maybe it's my current state of mind - my life is full of drama right now, and it's filling every part of my life.  So excuse me if I'm crabby, excuse me if I'm offended, excuse me for whatever.

Just know that the guy who cut you off this morning on your way to work?  Maybe he's not really a jerk.  Maybe he's rushing to the hospital to be with someone he loves.  The woman who cuts in front of you in line?  Maybe she's late for work and really just needs to buy those bananas and get out of the store.  The person who writes something that you don't like?  Maybe they're going through stuff that you wouldn't have a clue about...be a little compassionate, people.

Oops Take 2

I just realized that I wrote my original "Oops" post almost a full month ago.  Oops.  Gosh, I just haven't been good at writing lately.  I haven't been good at much of anything lately, really.  I don't say this to get a bunch of comments telling me "yes you have!"  No people, really, I haven't.  Everything seems to be getting a little overwhelming lately, so when I think of writing I tend to not do it because either (A) I don't have anything useful to say or (B) I don't feel like I have the time or energy even though it would only take a few minutes.

But here I am...finally writing.  I will try to get a few catch-up posts done tonight or tomorrow.  Not that I have a ton to catch anyone up on, but I'm sure I'll come up with something!

Oops

Okay, so I just realized it's been 6 weeks since I last posted anything.  I completely skipped over the month of February.  Oops.  I completely blame it on school, work, internship, LIFE.  

The past several weeks have been a little crazy for me.  I feel like I can't get caught up on anything.  As soon as I get caught up in one area I feel like five other areas have fallen apart.

School has been rough this semester.  There is just so much to do at times I don't know where to start, and the classes seem crazy this time 'round.  I feel like two of the classes are just rushed and that I never quite know what's going on.  The good news is that I only have 2 class sessions left - in 3 weeks I will be done.  Granted I start my new classes 2 weeks after that, but just to be done with these classes will be a relief.

I am still doing my internship and will be for at least a couple more months.  I love being at CPA and working with the kids and other staff, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to being done.  Unfortunately, it's become just another thing to worry about.

Our house is a mess.  Honestly.  It's not Kristin's fault or my fault.  In fact, I blame it on our cats.  After all, they're the ones home all day, right?  Just kidding.  But really, we've both been so busy it's been hard to keep up with everything here on the home front.  Kudos to Kristin for doing the laundry this weekend and keeping us fed with yummy dinners, though!

Another note on the home front - my nativities from Christmas are STILL up.  Kristin gently reminded me of this last night (look kitties, mommy's nativities are STILL up and it's almost MARCH!) to which I answered "I'll put them away tomorrow, promise."  It's now 11:20 p.m. and they still aren't put away.  I guess that will have to wait for another weekend... :(

I've thought about taking a day off work to just stay home and clean but figure the cleaning wouldn't actually get done, and I'd spend the day sleeping or doing homework.  Maybe it's time to hire someone...?

There is other stuff going on, but I won't get into it now.  I think I've complained enough for one night.  I guess I'm just feeling like so many aspects of my life are swirling out of control right now which makes it difficult to get anything done.

Bottom Line:  I'll try to get better at writing.

BookMooch

My manager, David, recently introduced me to this great site called BookMooch.  Basically to start you have to list at least 10 books you have available that you are willing to get rid of.  Then, you can search the site for books you would like.  When you find one you want you can mooch it at the cost of 1 point or add it to a wishlist if it isn't available.  For every book you list you get .1 points.  For every book you receive you get .1 points.  For every book you send out you get 1 point.  Each book you mooch costs you 1 point.

So far I've sent out 5 books.  I send them all media mail, so the cost to me is minimal, and I have received 3 books for free.  The extra points I have right now are waiting to be spent on books that are on my wishlist which is growing every day!  When a book on your wishlist becomes available you receive an email letting you know.

It's a great site.  Definitely would recommend checking it out if you have some unwanted books laying around!

Big Mess

So tonight I made brownies. While they were cooling on the stove, we decided to take advantage of the cold weather and demonstrate the coolness of throwing boiling water over the deck. Jehn was over and had never seen how completely awesome it is. So Kristin turned on a burner to boil some water. After a couple minutes she realized she had turned on the burner that was under the cooling brownies.

She picked up the pan of brownies and brought it into the living room to show us that they were now smoking. She took it back into the kitchen and just before she set it down the entire glass dish EXPLODED. She didn't drop it. It literally exploded. There were glass and brownie guts everywhere. The radius of glass chunks and shards was several feet in all directions (glass in the living room, dining room, sink, garbage, etc).

We all realized there was a smoldering pile of glass and brownie guts right where it happened...on the linoleum. I completely freaked out because I knew under the smoldering, stinking, smoking mess there would be floor damage. I dumped some water on it to put out the smoldering fire and then we went to work getting it cleaned up. Sure enough, under the smoking pile was burned/melted linoleum. After we swept several times and cleaned up the best we could I got down and hand scrubbed the whole kitchen (thank God it's a small area). While I was scrubbing away Kristin dumped the cat food and water and vacuumed the floor.

Now it's all cleaned up, but the floor looks awful! Can we say goodbye security deposit?!? Argh. And it was my very favorite baking dish. Double Argh.

But at least the exploding dish didn't go into Kristin's eyes or anything. She ended up with a small cut on her hand. I ended up with a cut on my foot and a few on my fingers, but all the wounds are pretty much superficial and came during the cleanup not the actual explosion.

Lessons learned:

1. Don't let Kristin boil water.

2. Don't leave cooling brownies unattended.

3. Linoleum burns and melts.

4. If you are having a boring, uneventful night just wait - those are the times the most exciting things happen.

PHOTOS (I don't think these do justice to the damage...and we didn't think to take pictures before the mess was cleaned up...but these are of the newly scrubbed floor...)

Our Father

Another song.  Must be in that mood today.

Our Father

Susan Werner

They kingdom come to every nation

Thy will be done in everything we do

Lord, lead us not into temptation

And deliver us from those who think they’re you

Lord send us forth to be of service

To build the schools and dig the wells

And deliver us from the creepy preachers

With their narrow minds and very wide lapels

They kingdom come to every nation

Thy will be done in everything we do

Lord, lead us not into temptation

And deliver us from those who think they’re you

Lord send us forth to bring compassion

To every corner of the world

And please allow for women in the Catholic priesthood

And remind the Pope that he could have been a girl

They kingdom come to every nation

Thy will be done in everything we do

Lord, lead us not into temptation

And deliver us from those who think they’re you

Lord deliver us from politicians

Who drop your name in every speech

As if they're your best friend from high school

As if they practice what they preach

They kingdom come to every nation

Thy will be done in everything we do

Lord, lead us not into temptation

And deliver us from those who think they’re you

Radical

No reason for this...just in the mood to post the lyrics to a song by Catie Curtis:

Radical

Catie Curtis

It's all right, we're gonna be fine

But let's give my mama and my daddy a little more time

'Cause I"ve been good up 'til now

They see you and they think that I have changed somehow

But I'm not being radical when I kiss you

I don't love you to make a point

It's the hollow of my heart that cries when I miss you

And it keeps me alive when we're apart

We go downtown, some people they stare

But there are lots of people who really don't care

I just want to hold your hand

I don't feel like making some big stand

But I'm not being radical when I kiss you

I don't love you to make a point

It's the hollow of my heart that cries when I miss you

And it keeps me alive when we're apart

It's all right, we're gonna be fine

Even if this world is taking so much time

And though I mind what people say

Love is stronger than any words anyway

But I'm not being radical when I kiss you

I don't love you to make a point

It's the hollow of my heart that cries when I miss you

And it keeps me alive when we're apart

Updated: Rest in Peace, Grandpa Moe

Olney L. Moe, 97, of Colman died Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison.

Olney was born November 26, 1911 in Colman to Ole and Laura (Johnson) Moe. He graduated from Colman High School in 1930 and then started farming near Colman. Olney married Merle Brown on December 19, 1936 in Minneapolis, MN. They owned and operated the Gambles Store in Colman from 1946-1959 and then he sold farm machinery and MoorMan’s Feed. In 1963 he purchased the Colman Fertilizer business and operated it until his retirement in 1989. He also sold Pioneer Seed Corn along with agricultural fertilizers and chemicals. His wife preceded him in death on May 23, 1979. Olney was a member of the Colman Lutheran Church, served on the board of trustees and sang in the church choir and the Minnehaha Mandskor Glee Club. He also served on the Board of Directors for Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison and the National Board of Directors of the Golden Dealers for Chevron Chemical Company.

Survivors include two sons: Roger (Helen) of Sioux Falls and James (Cheryl) of Grand Junction, Colo.; five grandchildren: Michael Moe, Angela Semansky, Kristin Moe, Lisa Dayley and Sara Cutts; five great grandchildren: Lacey, Gabrielle, Jacob, Noah and Alex; one brother: Richard (Carmel) of DeSmet; one sister: Delores Peterson of Seattle, Wash.; and two sisters-in-law: Edna Brown of Brandon and Beth Seeley of Omaha, Neb. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, four brothers, Lloyd, Herbert, Robert and Reginald and three sisters, Arnola, Ellen and Lillian.

Services were held January 3 at the Colman Lutheran Church with Pastor Solveig Hendrickson. Burial in Colman Cemetery.

2008 in Review

The new year always gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the outgoing year and look forward to the upcoming one. Kristin and I have talked a lot about 2008 and have decided it wasn't a very exciting year, but one worth remembering anyway.

Highlights:
I started school again in January and was completely freaked out by having to take two Spanish classes, but I survived!

February brought participation in our very first caucus! It signaled the middle of a long presidential election cycle.

The only notable thing I could find in March was that I started seeing Luis, a Spanish tutor. I think he single-handedly got me through.

In April we welcomed a new nephew, Corban, to the family! We still haven't had the chance to meet the little guy yet, but are hoping to sometime in 2009.

May brought the May Day Parade as well as Lisa's graduation from law school.

In June we celebrated the end of Spanish (yay!) for me as well as Pride.

The CPA community welcomed a new little guy - Xavier - in July. July also found Kristin and Jehn having a garage sale and Kristin and I going to Duluth for our first wedding anniversary!

In August Robyn and Dejan came for a visit, and we had a great time! We also attended the annual Dow Jones picnic and joined Heather and Michele for some camping fun at Wilderness Way!

It was back to school in September with Kristin heading back to CPA and both of us heading back to college.

October brought another trip to Wilderness Way (this time we brought along Jehn to join in the fun), we celebrated our 5th anniversary (of being together), and I started my internship at CPA.

The all-important presidential election brought us out to the polls in November. We also went to South Dakota for Thanksgiving!

December was a busy month with my birthday, finals for school, attending the Dow Jones holiday dinner, preparing popcorn trains for Kristin's class, attending Heather and Michele's holiday bash, both of us getting sick, spending Christmas in South Dakota, and finally saying goodbye to 2008 at The Melting Pot with Heather, Michele, and Jehn. Unfortunately, Grandpa Moe passed away on December 30...which brought a sad end to the year (see previous post).

We've definitely had some ups and downs over the past year - here's hoping 2009 is a little more exciting and a little less bumpy!

Rest in peace, Grandpa Moe

Olney L. Moe, 97, died Tuesday at the Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison. 

He is survived by two sons, Roger (Helen), Sioux Falls, James (Cheryl), Grand Junction, CO; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; one brother, Richard (Carmel) Moe, DeSmet, SD; and one sister, Delores Peterson, Seattle, WA.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Merle, his parents, four brothers and three sisters. 

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Colman Lutheran Church, with burial in the Colman Cemetery. Visitation is from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Skroch Funeral Chapel, Colman. 

Memorials to Bethel Lutheran Home, Madison, SD.