3/09/2006

What I really Need is...

In response to Heth's "filler" in which she listed things that google came up with that SHE needs, I did the same thing, and googled "Hannah needs." Interesting results:

  • Hannah needs a new name.
  • Hannah needs adoptive parents
  • Hannah needs to use more than skills to escape the trap
  • Hannah needs a little help
  • Hannah needs a little sister from China!
  • Hannah needs more than 10 hours to paint a room
  • Hannah needs to wear a cute black mask
  • Hannah needs to make a decision
  • Hannah needs to travel to this spot
And my personal favorite:

  • Hannah needs all of her training and resolve to unravel the tricky legal maneuvering and all of her athletic strength to survive.

3/08/2006

Woah nilly, I'm busy!

This past week has been CRAZY with schoolwork, midterms, photo projects, and drawings. Thankfully, I'm past the worst of it, and sunny Los Angeles is a mere week away! Yesterday, I made a huge schedule/to-do list, partially not believing it was possible to accomplish it all, but praying that I would. Not to be prideful, but just as Natalie had her super-mom day, Tuesday was a super-student day for me. I got up before 8:30, bought camera supplies, took film in, picked up my film, ate lunch, went to the darkroom and printed photos, went to the digital lab and scanned and printed photos, ate dinner, went to work for 5 hours, then came back and studied for my science midterm. EVERYTHING on my to-do list. I don't think that's ever happened.

Lately, Josiah and I haven't spent much time together, because we're so bogged down with work, and most of the hours we've been together have been devoted to schoolwork. I'm so proud of my baby, he's such a hard worker and hasn't procrastinated a single bit this entire semester. And he has such a ridiculous amount of homework - many compare the coursework of Moody Bible Institute to be as difficult as Harvard, and by the looks of it, I believe it. Sometimes he has way more homework than I do, but my homework is so much different it's hard to compare. Where he is reading books and writing papers, I'm shooting pictures, printing pictures, altering pictures, making drawings. I promise I'll post a couple of my drawings once I've gotten them back from being graded.

I've got to go so that I can make a couple phone calls before I head outside with another photo major to take some late-night pictures for my midterm. I'll post details on my project soon.

3/06/2006

Death to charcoal.

It's 12:41 am and I'm just so sick of drawing. Time for a 5-minute blogging break.

Today after church, what I planned on being a one-hour nap ended up being more like 2 hours, 20 minutes. And I've been lethargic ever since.

Josiah and I went to the University Center's Oscar party, spent a couple hours longer than planned there. It's been so long since I've watched an awards show, I had forgotten how long they run. We didn't even stay for the last hour.

But now I'm kicking myself for not getting my drawing homework done. I completed all my 15 minute sketches (10 of them), and now I have a 2-1/2 hour charcoal value study to do. And I'm to that point where I don't even want to pick up my charcoal.

Oh well, back to work. So much homework these days... midterms coming... ughh

3/03/2006

$60, no, PRICELESS

Tonight, for the first time in a long while, I have had time to kill. Whew, that feels good, doesn't it? So what have I used the time for? Sleeping? No. I've been listening to music and checking hockey scores. "Hockey scores?!?" some of you may be asking. Yes, hockey scores. I never used to care at all about the NHL, but all that has changed thanks to my guy, Josiah. He's an avid Colorado Avalanche fan, and has turned me into the same. Want proof? Here's a picture of me in my Avalanche track jacket:

Where am I standing in this picture? At United Center, of course, where Josiah and I saw the Avalanche play the Chicago Blackhawks back in January! (Meant to post a block that weekend, but I got really busy...) So here's a play-by-play of our hockey game experience:

We take the #19 Bus to United Center, excitement is building. After all, this is our first real life NHL game, and we paid 60 buckos for these tickets, and they are gonna be good. We arrive and find our seats, to discover the seats really are good ones.

Note the look of satisfaction on my face because we have a great view of the rink!

The players come on the ice and start to warm up. Hey look, there's our favorite player, Joe Sakic! He's the bomb.

Josiah could tell you probably everything about this guy. What kind of boxers does Joe Sakic wear? Just ask Josiah. Ok, Josiah is not a stalker, I'm just kidding about the boxers question. But seriously. This guy rocks.

The pregame show consists of fancy lights and music. Pretty cool, we got some good video but no pictures. I can't be taking pictures ALL the time, after all, I have to just watch sometimes.

The game starts, and within 17 seconds, the Blackhawks score! Ugh, that's not the way to start off, Avs!


At this point I would like to insert this picture, where we can clearly see the Blackhawk player in red the totally whiffing a shot. How embarassing... Yeah that's right, nice job. Boo. Thank goodness, the Avalanche score about 5 minutes later. So, we're happy and hopeful as the first period (three in hockey) comes to a close. We head out to buy a $4.50 slice of pizza and $4 Root beer, woohoo.

Seriously, we're psyched about using our life savings to buy concessions.

The game starts up again, and we are dismayed that the Blackhawks score two more goals before the Avalanche score their second. I mean, the Blackhawks are at this point considered one of the worst teams in the league, and the Avalanche have a big winning streak. Why, God, WHY? When our beloved team gets to this point, the Blackhawk fans surrounding us are starting to wear on our nerves.

The Blackhawks score again. The score is now 2-4, we are losing. The second period ends, we head out and buy two $4 hot dogs and another $4 soda. Since our life savings are already exhausted on these refreshments, I put it on my visa. I'll have to work for months to pay back that bill, let me tell you.

Third period starts, and no one ends up scoring the entire time. Both teams must be tired or something. I know I would be after two twenty-minute periods of skating. Then again, I can't ice skate very well. And I lack hand-stick coordination. At least I think I do, I haven't played ice hockey in my entire life. Just floor "hockey" in elementary school gym class, you know, where if you lift the stick above your waist, you get a whistle blown at you and have to sit out for the rest of the game? Back to the subject. We are sad. Hence the first picture where I'm frowning while showing off my cool track jacket.

But sad enough to regret paying $60 and going to the game? No! It was soooo worth it. We had a lot of fun, it was exciting, the atmosphere was awesome, and I learned a valuable lesson: it is much easier to see the puck in real life, when you aren't dizzy from the ESPN camera moving fast back and forth.

3/01/2006

My Choice

Last night was honestly a breaking point for me, I have been overly stressed lately due to an apparent lack of trusting things to God. After spending a very long time last night having a heart-to-heart with Him, I feel a huge burden lifted off of my shoulders. I received an email today that I wanted to post, since it embodies where I'm at right now.

By Max Lucado Taken from “When God Whispers Your Name”

"It’s QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love…

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose to love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy…

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace…

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience…

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness…

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness…

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness…

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness…

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control…

I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest."