I love Christmas lights! My philosophy is the more of them the better! I love the part of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation when Chevy Chase's character, Clark Griswold lights up the house. He just goes to town with that staple gun! It's been a tradition in our family that the week before Thanksgiving I nag (also a tradition in our family, nagging women) my dad about the lights. He continually complains about getting them out of the attic, and then claims that there will be no lights being hung that year. Yeah Right!
I eventually get my way, by the nagging of course, and the day after Thanksgiving the lights are being hung. This is something I look forward to doing all year. Not because I love the lights, but I love spending the time with my dad. However, if he knew that he would probably prefer to just go to coffee. Yeah Right, I do love the lights!
I also love the fact that every year we hang lights, the morning is sunny and the ground is dry, but the moment we staple the first strand... monsoon. However, it is totally worth it when you are stopping traffic with your display of illumination! Oh wait, that is the family dog that escaped again, and people are trying not to hit him. One year, Webster, our dog, escaped the house whilst we were getting soaked hanging lights. A nearby traveling car stopped in front of the house and rolled down the passenger side window. The lady driving began to chew me out about not having the dog on a leash. I told her (tactfully) to mind her own business and keep driving. She continued to yell at me and said she was going to call animal services on us. I then said "Great, maybe they can catch him." We never heard from her again... no fruitcake, no card.... bummer.
My dad has had a break for the last couple of years do to having an apartment, but one of these days that will change, and I will be nagging once more!

And yes, the darn dog came back as he always did!

Not only do I show love through gifts, but also I feel love through gifts. When someone gives me something it shows me that person thought about me, and I feel loved and special. To me it's not about what is in the box, but the fact that I got a box at all! However, at Christmas, the element of surprise is important for the anticipation. But what happens to the anticipation when you know what's in the box? A fake face.

My facial expressions lie all the time. Most the time, people think I am frowning and angry, when in fact, I am concentrating or tired. That is why I get annoyed when people tell me to smile... but that is a different story. Anyway, I have a hard time controlling my expressions, but the worst experience was when Shanna and I were left at home while our parents went to Costco.

That was the year we opened ALL of our wrapped presents, looked at what we got, then wrapped them back up. You may be wondering how we did that with out anyone finding out. Well, we had an extra roll of tape, and sharp scissors. So, we sliced the original tape, carefully took off the paper and made sure not to crinkle it. After we checked out our gifts, we would carefully wrap it back up so it looked like we found it and put it back under the tree.

When our family sat down to open gifts, I felt like Barbie with that plastered fake smile on my face. However, it must have convinced some people, because our parents didn't find out until we told them years later. That was probably the worst Christmas ever!

"Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone." -The Office
There are only certain secrets I can hold, and there are only certain people I can hold them from. I get over excited about the gifts I give and strongly anticipate the recipient opening my gifts. Shanna is one person I can't keep a secret from. It's always been my problem. I think she trained me during childhood. I don't remember a Christmas while we were little that I did not spoil a present for someone.

"Mom, we just went shopping! Guess what we got you?! A cookbook! Guess what else? A TOASTER!"- OK, so maybe it was only mom that wasn't surprised, but she was when she opened the "Moo Cow Creamer" purchased from the Awana Store!

Then there was the year Shanna made me compromise...
Shanna: "Do you want to know what I got you for Christmas."
Me: "Kinda. No. Well, kinda. No."
Shanna: "Come on. I'll tell you what you got, then you can tell me what you got me."
Me: "I don't think so."
Shanna: "OK, fine. How bout you tell me what I got, then I can tell you what I got you."
Me: "OK. I got you a Mary Englebreight poster!" -Darn it!

I love giving gifts. Christmas is my favorite time of year, because it is the only time when people freely accept presents. It bothers me when I try to give someone a gift (however small it may be) and have them say "oh, you shouldn't have," or "you don't need to give me anything." FYI, I wouldn't give you anything if I didn't want to. Because this is how I show love, I tend to over think what to give people at Christmas. I love getting people gifts that they will love or will be sentimental to our relationship.
Ever since I was young I always looked forward to giving Christmas presents. Unfortunately, when you are young and have no money, your gifts are slightly under appreciated.

Mom, do you realize how many verses I had to memorize in order to get you that "Moo Cow Creamer" from the Awana store? I'm sorry Webster (family dog) got to it before you got to open it. And yes, the candy that was inside was gulped by the dog, not me.

Tiffany, that bird shaped ornament- purple felt, stuffed with polyfill, hand stitched and complete with feathers at the tail. Yeah, that was a handmade masterpiece. I even hand puffy painted your name on the felt so Shanna couldn't claim it as hers!

Dad, I really thought you would love the stuffed animal snake I made out of your tie. It's not like I overstuffed it, you could have still worn it!

Shanna, I was always the most excited for you to open yours! Again, you never needed to say "you shouldn't have." I recited those verses especially for your gifts!

And that was a year I really felt like I over did it!

A couple of days ago, a friend (Candace) told my sister about free movie screenings that happen from time to time, and invited us to go see The Blind Side with her and her husband. Since I love movies, and I am completely broke, I was stoked to get out of the house for a FREE movie! The only drawback was, we had to be there two hours before the 7:00 showing in order to get good seats. Not like that really mattered to me... what else did I have to do?
On our way to the theater, Shanna, Josh, and I stopped at Starbucks for a quick snack. If I was going to stand for two hours, you better believe I had my Americano in hand! Once back in the car, I held the piping hot deliciousness in a cup between my knees to fasten my seat belt. Well, as you know it would not be one of my stories with out something happening, yes, we hit an unexpected bump, and my legs got an espresso bath! Burnt and recently situated, I went to take a sip of what was left, and it was like the coffee jumped from the cup and splattered my face. By the time that we got to the theater, which was only five minutes away, I was completely annoyed and we hadn't even got to the standing around part!
We met Candace and Mark, and walked to the lobby, where we would stand in line. My annoyance dissolved as I found a great opportunity to people watch. I was glad the line was not too crowded, but we were two hours early. There were people who brought camping chairs, people sitting on the floor with books, people playing cards... I had to check the date, because this looked like "Black Friday." All time was lost as we chatted and got caught up, oh yeah and we had to leave our phones in the car, so the only one with a watch was Josh (Invicta of Shop NBC- ask him about it sometime).
An hour later, we get into the theater. One more hour to go. More people watching. Then the movie starts. Then also starts the insane laugh of the guy sitting in front of us. I can't complain too much, it was free. However, when the guy's laugh is SO loud and obnoxious that you have to try to read Sandra Bullock's lips... that's when you can complain. Then there were the people with bladder problems. Let's just say, if you could play the role of a person of those "gotta go gotta go, right now" commercials, then you really should not sit in the middle of the row. If you know that you will need to use the bathroom in the middle of the movie, then you should sit at one of the ends of the row. My feet were stepped on four times.
The movie itself was good. I liked that it was based off a true story, and the characters were believable. The dialog was predictable, but it's like that in most movies. The plot was good- Cinderella story/ rags to riches, who doesn't like that? I liked the end when they showed the real Michael Oher and incorporated reality. Sandra Bullock's hair is horrible, I do not like the blond! And speaking of hair... Tim McGraw with some implants. However, he is still SO handsome! I'm sure the real life Mr. Touhy is thankful they casted Tim McGraw and not some one like Jason Alexander.

For Josh's Birthday, Shanna thought it would be cool to have Beckett's portrait painted for him. She was going to send a picture out to someone who does that kind of art. I looked at her in disbelief.... why would she do that when she has such a talented sister? HA! I should have let her send it out... I had to change the little things, SO many times. It kinda cramped my style. However, it was fun and she was right to be so picky. I think I would have been the same if it were going to hang in my house. In the end, I think that it helped, her criticism, with my detail work. Sometimes, I get SO caught up in the finished product I forget about how much the details add!
We decided that I should paint it more modern and funky, because Josh tends to be more contemporary. I love using color in my paintings, so this worked well for me! I told Shanna she could name it... thus it's name is "Beckett."

My new roommate is hairy, drools a lot, and prefers to sleep in my bed. He also takes up the entire bed, and snores!
Shanna & Josh went on a mini-vacation, leaving me to tend to their pets, Beckett (the Mastiff) and Roxy (the orange/moody kitty not pictured). Upon their parent's departure, both animals became extremely clingy. However, there is something about a big dog that makes you feel safe, that is until he runs away from the door when he thinks someone is coming.
Since their parents came home, I have kicked my roommate out, he can now sleep in the hall outside my door, but he prefers mom & dad's bed. I don't care, as long as I can have some leg room!

September 30th I started working for an online company in the customer service department. This company sells promiscuous Halloween costumes, but I am broke and need the money, so c'est la vie. It is amazing how many people call in asking brainless questions. Many times, I don't even say anything, because they ramble on for a half hour and then figure the answer out through their babbling. Every day, I go in thinking, "It's just a temp job...it's not permanent... Lord, give me strength to get through another day in this place." However, there are some days that I have telephone conversations that make me laugh.... they sound like this:

Me: Good afternoon, thank you for calling ______. This is Trina, how may I help you.

Lady: (Sounding so much the southern belle) Yes, I was just trying to place an order and I keep getting an error message. Can you be a honey and place it for me.

Me: Sure.
(I get everything in her shopping cart and start to process her order. PS this lady sounds like she is 70... why a slutty costume if your 70?!) Alright, can I get your address?

Lady: (rambles off a street address and city), That's in Louisiana. Do you know where Louisiana is?

Me: (I laugh. Dead silence on the other end. I guess it wasn't a joke.) Yes mam, I know where Louisiana is.

Lady: Oh, OK. Well, we live out in the swamp with all the alligators. You know, alligators?

Me: Yes mam, I know what an Alligator is.
(She finishes giving me the address.) OK, can I get your credit card information?

Lady: Oh, my dear. Let me find it. (She rummages through her purse). I think I misplaced it.

Me: Maybe it was snatched by an alligator.

Lady: (laughing) No, honey child. Why would a gator take my card?

I kid you not!

When I made the decision to move down to Arizona, I realized that there were going to be a lot of things I would miss about the Northwest and more specifically, Washington. Sure, I would miss my friends, and I would miss the weather, but more specifically there are just some things you can't get out of the state. However, this past week Shanna discovered that Paradise Valley Mall just opened a Romy, which is my FAVORITE clothing store. There are only 9 of these boutiques and they are all located in Washington! I was so excited because it felt like home wasn't SO far away!
I didn't buy anything as I am still unemployed, but Shanna bought two dresses and will probably have pictures up in a couple weeks. They are SUPER cute!


Their website is still in the works
http://www.romystyle.com/default.asp

Remember the night we met? How could I forget, it was a cool spring night. I decided to go to Target, not knowing I would encounter something so great. My feet beckoned me to leave the store and go home. It was a long day at work and I was emotional. My head said "Trina be strong, go home." However, my heart screamed "SHOES!" That's right, if I would have listened to my head, we would have never met, and life would have ceased to exist. It was then that I turned the corner of the shoes department, my eyes locked on you and I knew. I paid no attention to the Isaac Mizrahi heals or the Mossimo peep toes that seemed to be jumping for my attention, I found you and nothing else mattered. You laid there so lost and alone, until I held you in my hands. We belong together. Everything started to make sense, colors seemed more vibrant, and dancing seemed possible.
Remember the great times, walks in the park, Saturday morning coffee dates, casual days of shopping and errands, let's not forget the pedicures? Remember the times I snuck you into work and hid you under my desk? You brought me so much temptation and comfort. But, you were getting old, and I still wanted you; I still needed you. I didn't want to let you go, even when you started losing your tread. Remember the time I slipped on the damp cement of that Mexican restuarant? I didn't want to believe everyone, when they told me I needed to be rid of you. I actually blamed myself, saying "that was just so Trina..." It wasn't me, it was you. Now, I just want to say, I've moved on. We can't be seen together, and people will talk. You'll make a fool of me. It's better if you move on too. You can be recycled and made into something else useful. Maybe then I'll want you again.

My old roommate Magin introduced me to this British comedian, her name is Catherine Tate. There were many-a-nights where the both of us would have long days, but somehow Ms. Tate got us out of our slump. I found this clip and just about died! Sorry if you don't think it's funny. Thanks Magin for the introduction!


via The Insider

My sister and I sat down to watch one of my favorite movies the other night, Love Actually. I saw this movie right when it came to theaters and remember thinking it was the dumbest movie ever. I made the mistake of sharing my opinion with one of my best friends and college roommate, who then started her quest of forcing me to watch it again, until I changed my mind. Thanks to Kjerstein, I now love the movie along with each of the British actors who stared in the film.
I am not a dancer. I like to bob my head in unison to the beat, maybe move my shoulders a little, but never at the same time. I have been coerced in to watching reality shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing With the Stars." I've laughed at movie trailers like Save the Last Dance, Stomp the Yard, Step Up, Center Stage, and although I'm not proud of it, I have seen each one. However, none of the actors in these movies quite capture the art of dancing like Hugh Grant.

The first two weeks of not working has been incredible and relaxing, however I don't want to do it anymore. I fill my days with window shopping and obsessing over crazy soaps on TV. Now that I am stress free... kinda... I want to be back at work! As much as I love hanging out with a huge dog that sleeps for that majority of the day, I think I am ready for something a little more exciting.
Today I woke up from a restless sleep. My nights are filled with nightmares of snakes, so I practically was up all night. I awoke to Beckett barking at nothing. I ran out to the living room, but he was in fact lying on his bed barking at nothing. I went into the kitchen had my morning coffee and some toast and popped in Desperate Housewives. Just as Susan was deciding if she loved Mike or Ian, I felt a huge pressure from the bridge of my nose pop and a liquid sensation began to drip out, bright red. I held the paper towels with as much pressure as I could trying to get the bleeding to stop, but it didn't. For the next hour and half I spent shoving cotton balls in my upper lip and a bag full of ice on the back of my neck. Pleasant.
Finally the bleeding slowed then stopped. I sat down and started job searching and applying for jobs, I have even stooped to the level of retail cashiering... ugh! I am motivated as I need some stories to blog about. Obviously my days are filled of "dramadies" and puppy snoring.

I have recently joined a new club, to network and such, called Club U (the "U" stands for ultra super cool... or unemployed). OK, so I lied about being in the club to network, but it seems to be a popular group, because people keep joining... ah the economy.
Since joining this particular club, I moved to sunny Arizona in hopes to ditch the group and make some money... you know to pay off those pesky college lending agencies. Well, I have been here a week and to my surprise NO ONE is fighting over my resume. I can't believe it, I mean I have a college degree from an accredited private university. Who wouldn't want to hire an Organizational Communication major from Kirkland, Washington? I mean that is a hot commodity. What's even more impressive, is that my professional experience is booming. I mean, I have worked in three different fields in the last two years; Hospitality, Health Care, and Non-profit. My value of loyalty is really exceptional, because I only willingly left one of those "careers."
I had some interviews in Olympia, before I moved, but none of the employers wanted to hire a quick-witted receptionist. OK, so, I wasn't SUPER bummed that Mr. Sparky's One Hour Heating and Air didn't hire me. Somehow I couldn't actually imagine me answering the phone, "Good afternoon, Mr. Sparky's, this is Trina how can I brighten your day," without laughing hysterically... maybe if I were blonde.
Most of my interviews went like this:

Interviewer: Oh, so you went to Northwestern University?
Me: Ha! I wish, no it's Northwest University.
Interviewer: Wait... what's the difference?
Me: (rolling my eyes and sighing) Northewestern is in Chicago. Northwest is a private college in Kirkland.
Interviewer: Where's Kirkland (said in disgust)?
Me: (thinking to myself if people in Olympia EVER get out of their bubble and look at a map) Kirkland is on the eastside of Seattle, by Bellevue and near Microsoft campus. That is actually where Costco started. (It sounds rehurst, because it is)

Yeah, then it's pretty much down hill from there.

However, being an active member in Club U, I have been able to explore many extra caricular activities. I am expanding my cooking abilities and often take take trips to the grocery store with my sister. I have been to the store about four times in the last week. Today, I went alone. I'm making a Jello "Poke" Cake.
I took up swimming, well really lounging in the pool.
Finally, I am watching four women try to solve a mysterious case in the form of Desperate Houswives Season one. However, this morning I put the final episodes in wanting to see how the season ends only to have the disc freeze and the entire dvd player along with it! Is Gabbi really pregnant? Will Paul Young attempt to silence Susan? What of Mike... and all that... tension? I think it may have been a good break, because I am writing on my blog instead.
The way I see it everyone has a Club U tv show addiction. My friend had an addiction to All My Children; my dad watched countless episodes of the Andy Griffith Show; last October I fell into a 24 obsession. I think my dreams were actually narrated by Kiefer Sutherland... no, but I wish they were!
I hope to leave the club soon, so that I can get a real life! Club U kinda stinks... kinda.

Ugh! It's been SO long since I've blogged! So many things have changed or should I say, are everchanging! First, I have to give props to my bro for pimping out my blog... I am challenged in this department. Second, I have an great 4th of July adventure to share, but that will have to wait until I can upload my pictures along with it...
Now... the "big" news. I have the ever-changing job situation. I have had a door slam in my face at my current employer and will now be seeking a career else where. At first, I was a little bitter because I have put in a lot of time at a place that offered me little pay for my qualifications and no benefits. I am three months short of getting vacation. It was hard for me to understand why I was losing this job, when I fit in so well. No, I was not fired... if that's what you are thinking ( I also need to mention, that I am not bitter anymore and I did like my job.... just so that it's not so negative. I also love the people I work with.... that's why it's hard for me to leave).
The other day I was driving to a friend's house, while along the way I started thinking about my mobility. I am young and single, there is NOTHING holding me down. This is the time to move if I want to. My sister has been trying to convince me to move to Arizona for a while now. Last year, around this time, I was contemplating the exact same thing, but last minute I chickened out and moved back to my hometown. Since that move, I have faced many hard times and things I still don't understand. I think, now, it may have been to get closure. It may be time to move on.
After a lot of prayer, a few employers are starting to call for interviews. I have mixed emotions about every perspective job. It is not the time to be picky as the economy gets worse as time persists. I am praying for guidance and perspective every day. I would hate to move only to be out of work longer. I thought my mind was made up, but I tend to forget who's voice I need to be listening to.

Have you ever gone to the pantry looking for something yummy, but couldn't find what you wanted? Have you ever gone back five minutes later expecting to find a different food item just pop out to you, saying "pick me, eat me!" This happens to me on a daily basis.
Day after day, I go to the pantry looking for something healthy, yet quick and easy (FYI, if it's both quick and easy, then it's not healthy), only to find Uncle Ben and Mrs. Butterworth staring at me with pasted smiles. I think they mock me, both knowing I can't make a decent meal out of what my shelf supplies. I then know, it's time to go grocery shopping...
I get to the store, instantly aware of all the other people whose rice and syrup mock them from their cupboards. I smile in content walking down the aisles knowing I am not alone in this sparse pantryed world!

"If I were rich, I would change my name to something that sounds rich... like CYNTHIA." She says in a deep, husky, high-end drawl. "That would be my whole name, I would be too rich for a last name. Everywhere I go, people would stop and stare. Some may even whisper 'Cynthia' as I pass, in sheer awe."

Her roommate tumbles off the couch, laughing in hysterics. They live in a very old apartment complex on a very steep hill in Redmond- need we say, VERY expensive. So expensive, Most of hard earned money goes to college loans and rent/utilities.

"However, I am poor, so I need a name that is simple. Trina. That's my "just got out of college-working-two-jobs-paying-bills" name.

"What's my "rich name?" asks her middle school math teacher roommate.

"We shall call you... Bianca." Trina says in her deep "rich" voice.

So shall it be, Cynthia and Bianca, life-long friends... forever!

plebe:
A first-year student at the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Naval Academy.
*Also referring to a first year temp at the place of his or her employment.
1. Wheeling chairs down to the basement, well, letting them roll down the hill while you chase after them.
2. Being issued a green pen for editing purposes… ONLY.
3. Getting to attend the Christmas party, but having to clean up afterward (picture Cinderella cleaning up after the royal ball).
4. Feng shui practice through Arranging, then rearranging, furniture in conference rooms to accommodate for Lobby Lunches.
5. Finding a white-platinum hair sticking straight up in the middle of your thick chestnut locks.
6. Cool paper cut scars from stuffing mass mailings
7. Building the muscles in your fingers by way of data entry
8. Your name on a little desk name plate; yes, it is French – LA -FALL-IT.
9. Building up immunity to torture by listening to Smooth Jazz AKA elevator music.
10. Practicing matching skills by way of organizing Mariners season tickets.
Becoming a “Cube person”… Priceless ( as of 4/27/2009)!

You know those irritating people, the ones who get under your skin? Well, I've started a list of those certain individuals who find my last nerve and swing on it. I am making an effort to REALLY pray for those who made the list. Maybe we have different personalities, and maybe they say/do stupid things, but I know I just need to pray for them. I'm kinda a sassy pants, so I tend to vomit out words, that my be hurtful. I always regret what pops out of my mouth- the double edged sward (James 3). I am really trying to work on it!

On Friday afternoon, my boss shared with me about praying for humility. While she shared, I thought to myself... "I am so glad that I don't have a problem with that..." Yeah right! Never again should I think that.
Saturday morning I woke up, instantly regretting the pizza that I inhaled the night before and the two skipped days at the gym. I've been pretty hardcore about my diet and exercise lately, and have shed some weight! However, the intake of greasy pizza was NOT a good choice. I looked in the mirror and saw a nasty red development smack dab in the center of my forehead. I took my frustration to the gym.
I started with my weights, then moved on to my abs... I enrolled in this Abs Bootcamp at my gym, and frankly, it kicks my... abs. Anyways, I finished that stuff, then hurried downstairs to do my cardio. Instead of taking it easy, I decided that I needed to make up for lost time. So I doubled my time on the treadmill, disregarding how tired my body was. As I finished my first 30 minutes, my playlist ended... no more "pina coladas or getting caught in the rain." So I pushed the play button on my ipod, well it started on the third song to the end on that same playlist...Ugh... Jason Miraz again! I began to fidget with my armband, and before I knew it I lost my foot placement and went down like some surreal whirlwind. Hurricane Trina... if you will. I fell between my treadmill and the lady's next to me. The lady on the other side had to reach over and push that, embarrassing RED stop button. The other jogger, to whom I was closest, had to stop her treadmill as well, for I had nothing to grip in order to stand again.
Humility... I was fine, no harm except for a tread burn on my right hand and two bruises; one on my left hip and one on my ego.

My hair is unruly, and tends to match my personality of the day. If I am around town and my hair is a mess-you may want to steer clear. If my quaff looks good to you, it's probably not supposed to look that way, and I am probably frustrated. If my hair looks awesome and makes everyone say "cute hair," I am probably like, "I know right," and I am in a fantastic mood (then I send them on their way to Martina ;). It just came to my attention the other day how much my hair affects my day.

Yesterday, I dried my hair, flipped on my flat iron, and it was a "bibbity-bobbity-boo"moment. My hair, literally, fell into place. It was going to be a good day. I felt like I had been hit with the pretty stick, as my mane swished and shined while I finished my morning routine.

I stepped outside, and even though there was a thin layer of snow on the ground, I smelled nothing but Spring. The sun was luminescent, and all was well. I slid over the black ice as though I was an amateur figure skater, but I didn't notice, too much, life was good.

I get to work, coffee in hand, and on time! Neat! The day was good!

I tend to dread February 14th! I hated walking the halls in high school, seeing girls carry bushes of roses, smacking me and my singleness in the face while stuffed in the crowded corridors. Then college came... instead of just seeing the too perky teensters with their Safeway packages roses, I encountered something worse... dorms full of grocery store roses, puke-sick love notes, and worst of all rocks. No not pebbles that belong out in nature, but stones that stung my eyes when caught by the light, on the hands of friends that held them tightly, on a significant left hand finger with a platinum band; diamonds, sigh. Valentines Day lead right into the "Ring by Spring" slogan of any Christian College. Barf.
This year, the year of the Ox (what-what), I actually looked forward to the scariest day of the year. Some may say that it was actually February 13th that was the scariest day of the year (Friday the 13th), but those people are wrong. February 14th will always be the most frightening for any single female in any part of the world. Any single female who has to watch flowers be delivered to co-workers, or even drive behind a flower delivery truck/car thing home and watch it not pull into her driveway, yes, it happened. Anyway, I had plans. No more I fear this day, as long as I have other single friends to share it with!
I drove to Bellevue to meet my "roommates" for a matinee of He's Just Not That into You, and Dinner. I got to the cinema early, so while I waited, I bought tickets. I was still too early, so I stood and waited for my "dates." That was just no good! I had a very bad cold, and what I observed just made me nauseous. Seriously, couples everywhere, holding hands/kisses here and there, really PDA=Trina+Puke.
So, my friends get there, and I rush them into the theater to get good seats (which I feel like, only my sister and I are weird about), but finally all the nastiness washes off as I am in the presence of my friends! I am so thankful for them and love being able to hang out without guy drama lingering!
The movie was, in my opinion, great! I loved it! It was a great guy bashing movie, but still hopeful. I liked it and it kinda explains a lot! There is a reason why a "crush" was called what it was. Anyways, don't listen to the reviews it was good, and it was pretty clean (skin wise... they didn't show anything, which I think is a good thing!).

Right now we are going through Judges at church. Today, the sermon was on Deborah and another woman named Jael. After church a friend told me that he has a friend who does not agree with the way women are portrayed in the Bible. He asked my thoughts and I tried to reply, but I didn't think I thoroughly answered the question. SO, I later responded via facebook (I know, classy huh?), but this was my response:

Ok, so after church I went shopping (what Trinas do best), and I started thinking about the question that you asked. So you said that you have a friend that does not agree with the way women are portrayed in the Bible. So, what do I think... I think that part of me really wants to be a feminist and say that it is a gender biased book, but the other part of me shudders at the thought, knowing that IT IS the word of God. However, the message is that if not for God we would not be here. We all have sinned, Jesus is savior and without him WE WILL GO TO HELL. Really, it is the examples/stories that we are told/preached about. And like I said earlier, I think it really was a culture thing. God talks about A LOT of men in the Bible, and out of those men there were also a lot that were wicked and ALL were sinful. There are not a lot of women talked about, but when there are more that were glorified and honored by God than shunned by him. This brings me to present day...I know that God appoints people (both men and women) for different positions. I went to an Assemblies of God college, and I have a lot of friends(female) who majored in pastoral ministries. So, do I think that it is wrong for a woman to be the main pastor of the church? No. I can honestly say that if God wants her there than that is where she should be. In her personal life, I do agree that if she is married, than her husband needs to be the spiritual leader. I was fortunately raised in a household where my parents made joint decisions, and compromised. It was not a male dominate home. My parents taught me to think for myself and showed me how a Godly relationship worked. That aside, American history shows that people are created equal. Well, when that slogan/political propaganda came around, it allowed for different races of MEN to vote. Thus proving that all of history, not just the Bible, is gender biased.SO, in conclusion...I know that I am a child of God. I know that my gender means nothing to Him. I know that he would love me the SAME if I were born male. I know that he did create women for support and companionship (the creation of Eve and Proverbs 31), but I also think that I have other purposes in life besides being a wife and a mother.

*Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

because it means GREAT sales! I just got back from shopping, I bought some DVDs and a new digital camera. If you've noticed, I have not been blogging a ton, mostly because I can't post any pictures. My camera broke (for no apparent reason) last October, so I've been pretty bummed/irritated that I can't take any pictures. For instance, the other day I was downtown during lunchtime, when I saw this little punk, who was obviously supposed to be in school, skateboarding down the sidewalk. He tried to do some sort of stunt and ended up messing up his footwork and missing his board. WIPE OUT! It was sort of funny and I wish I could have captured it and then blogged about it... yeah. Anyways, so I got this great deal on my new camera, only to get back home and see that it doesn't have a memory stick. Boo! Back to the store I go!

Hum.
I finally get my computer all hooked up with my new, nice & flat monitor, only to find out that somewhere between all my moves (yes, all my moves, it has become a new hobby) the CD ROM has sealed itself shut. I calmly try to pry it open with a screwdriver....no budge. I lose patience and begin to PRY it open. It now sticks out halfway.
January 1st 2009, I begin my day at Best Buy pricing out external CD/DVD writers. I am on the phone with my oldest sister crying the blues, sounded something like this...
"Blah blah blah.... my life.... blah blah... my car.... blah blah blah... my computer.... blah... no money.... blah blah....."etc.
The conversation ended
"Blah.... 2009 has got to be a better year than 2008.... blah..... why do only big things happen to me? Why can't I just break a shoelace, and say, "Gee, I only broke a shoelace today"....blah, blah. "Watch now I'll break a shoelace tomorrow. I should stock up now."
Well everyone, I got through January 2nd with out breaking a shoelace... I wore a pair of kitten heels just in case. Since the shoelaces were out of play... I broke a crown- not a cheap one that you wear on your head, one that I wear on my back left molar!
Seriously.... boo 2009! Anyways, it is fixed now and I have to go back in February for three fillings. The good news is that my dentist offered me the third for free! Kinda like a clearance filling. My dad coined it the "BOGO" filling sale.
Here's to having a sense of humor to not so funny experiences!