Wind, IKEA, and Bookshelves

This weekend was really full and really great. I had two babysitting jobs scheduled, but both of them were cancelled due to family issues and power outages, so Friday night consisted of a nap and Doctor Who. That's the best way to start the weekend, in my opinion.

Saturday was IKEA day! Samara and I planned on going pretty close to opening time, and we did ok on this front. Car inspections sometimes take longer than planned, so no big. We were on the road at 11 AM, and that's when the real adventure started.

The wind had been blowing strongly all morning {a lovely sound to wake up to whilst still snuggled under blankets}, and so driving was pretty exciting by itself. There were leaves dancing all over the road - as Samara put it, "the artist in me is delighted, but the driving part of me is terrified!" So true!

Once we were on the freeway, the wind wasn't that bad; or rather, we couldn't feel the wind as much. But we were not the only ones on the road. There is construction in the left lane of the freeway, and the giant round traffic not-cones-more-like-barrels were left in between the lane and the concrete barrier. Well, in between is a generous expression. Some of them were actually on the yellow line. As we continued on our merry way, one of these traffic barrels was blown into our lane, directly in front of us! I swerved, but keep in mind we were going 60 mph and there was a car in the lane next to us. Right next to us.

Mercifully, the barrel stopped moving and I was able to avoid hitting it, the car next to us, or being hit by the car behind us. Phew! Our heart rates were definitely elevated. Samara called DOT to report the road hazard and I continued to drive carefully. Thankfully, the construction zone ended shortly after that incident so we didn't have any repeat occurrences.

We made it to IKEA and headed inside, joining the herds of couples, families, and friends winding their way through the store. Everything was wonderful until we came to the very end: the boxes of furniture. Samara was purchasing another bookshelf for her room and wanted one of the shelves to become a drawer. This is a simple process: buy the bookshelf and buy a drawer to go inside it. Assemble at home like a boss. Done.

However, the process of finding said bookshelf and drawer proved to be quite challenging.

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After locating the bookshelf, we went in search of the drawer accessory...and found the front of the drawer. Um, what? Non comprendo. So then we went in search of an associate. He found us a much smaller box that claimed to contain the rest of the drawer. Now, I know geometry and I didn't always cooperate in high school, but I do know that if something is going to fill the same space as something else, the box will probably be close to the same size. But this was not the case. Confusion abounded, including in the mind of the associate assisting us. 

After more venturing between the aisle and the computer and the associate's phone, Samara decided that a drawer is not worth all this trouble, so we headed to check-out. 5 hours later {almost} we exited the parking garage. 

It was after 1pm and lunch was on the forefront of our minds. Taco Del Mar struck our fancy, so we hopped off the freeway and up the hill to the closest one. Or so we thought. 

I don't know if you guys have heard Miley Cyrus's song "Wreaking Ball" but it describes our TDM saga quite well. We found the restaurant after much anticipation...and then we saw the darkened windows, the locked door, the deceitful operating hours that claimed to be open at that moment, and the realization hit us like a wreaking ball. TDM was closed without explanation, rhyme, or reason. 

Sadly, hangrily, defeated we got back on the freeway and made our way to the trusty, open TDM near home. Mexican food has never tasted so good!

Bellies full, we went home to assemble the bookshelf. I think a good summary of that experience is this: two of my blisters have popped already. Yep. {Side note: if anyone has a normal-sized screwdriver, Samara and I are in the market.}

After the cussing bookshelf was assembled, my sis came over and we finished Season Two of Sherlock. Augh, Reichenbach!!! Moving on, because January 19th is coming!

All in all, it was a good weekend. Full of goals that were accomplished, although not in the way we envisioned. We were not injured on the freeway; we didn't injure anyone {fellow shoppers or inadequate associate} at IKEA, and the Taco Del Mar near our house has gone up several notches on the "best things that have ever happened to us" list. 

Happy Monday, yo. 

31 Days of Writing: Day Twenty-three "Wild Card 5"

This is fact, not fiction. I promise.

THEY RELEASED THE AIR DATE OF SHERLOCK SEASON THREE!!!!!

Check out the article that is warming hearts all over the world.

yes, this is the picture from the article

So in honor of this great news, today's Wild Card is an open letter to Steven Moffat, co-creator and writer of Sherlock {and writer of Doctor Who, of course!}.

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Dear, dear Moffat,

First of all, you are a BRILLIANT writer. I don't know how you do it, but somehow your clever little head creates and produces these stories and twists and turns and clues, and it all comes out beautifully. It doesn't matter if we're discussing Doctor Who or Sherlock {not that you're limited to these two; these are just the two with which I'm familiar}. Your work is wonderful.

That being said, you are a cruel man. Characters are created and loved...and then killed. Or separated from the Doctor forever. Or doomed to die if they remember the Doctor. Or left waiting for the Doctor until they die. Or they watch their best friend commit suicide. And then go back to their therapist to try and cope. And then they get to see him alive again, after how many months of agony???

My conclusion must be that you are power-hungry, even if you are a jolly nice Scot. Yes, power-hungry, because you give and take, teasing fans with pictures from Season Three, yet not releasing an air date. Until now. I know that BBC is partially to blame for the wait, as well as busy schedules for practically everyone involved. But still. You are such a tease!

But after all that, I can't hate you, Moffat. You are far too brilliant to be hated. You do eventually deliver your characters, even when your fans think that hell will freeze over before we get to see them again. And I think, secretly, that fans love the suspense because we are all nerds who love "the feels." You are the master of feels, Moffat, and for that, we love you. Thank you for Season Three. I can't wait to see even more of your brilliance. 

**linking up with Victoria. Check out her Wild Card here!**

Following Up

So yeah, I'm moving into a totes adorbs condo with my bestie :)

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Samara wants to be the giraffe, mainly because of its cute accessories...idk. All I know is that means I'm the cat? monkey? creature partying it up in the back, totally unsupervised as usual. Such is my lot.

So let me share some deets with y'all. Because you have nothing better to do than read about my life. I know.

Details That I Will Share With You:

• We're moving into a seriously awesome condo- first floor, 2 bathrooms, sliding door, and our own little patio!
  
• Our place is about 2 minutes from church! And like 1.5 minutes from the freeway! And like a stroll down the block to water! Praise the Lord!
  
• Since we are so close to said water and because we are nerds, we came up with a name for our little homey-home: Bright Shores... it's got a reference to Austen and all the named estates, "Bright Star" our favorite movie about John Keats, and of course it starts with a B... as in, 221B Baker Street. Gotta bring Sherlock in there somehow :)
  
• We wanted to share {oh my gracious, how badly we wanted to share!} the news with you all sooner, but we also wanted to make sure all the legalities were taken care of first. Gotta stay legal.
  
• I'm pretty sure that Samara and I lived on Pinterest for a few months.... gotta love private, shared boards.
  
• As soon as we are settled, we will be taking pictures and sharing them with you! Something to look forward to, because, as noted above, you have nothing better to do... ;)

I'm serious about those pictures. Actually, it will be wonderful when I can post pictures, because that will mean that we're both unpacked and getting settled, and that will be a wonderful moment. 

Alright, I'm off on an adventure across the mountains to pick up my grandmother's dishes from my cousins. Long story. The short version is, my grandma is giving me dishes! And I'm getting them tonight, so peace out, yo. 

The Lion King

As promised, here is the post that describes my fun and amazing time at The Lion King.

First of all, what would a great theater date be without a great dinner beforehand? So, L and I went to Chick-fil-A for dinner. Heck yes we did. We got it to-go and brought it home to enjoy with my grandparents , which they loved. They had never had it before! What!? Say it ain't so! Sad but true, so L and I remedied that right away.

After our lovely dinner, L and I got dolled up and headed downtown. Our seats were really good, and our anticipation grew.

Oh. My. Word. The first scene was incredible. I got chills twice within the first few notes of the opening song. Wow.

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This isn't the best picture, but it was the only one with the elephant, and that was my favorite part. This picture doesn't do it justice either, so just know it was about one zillion times more amazing than this picture shows.

Also, the giraffes were awesome. If I was going to be one of these animals, I would definitely go for giraffe.

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I know, I'm going on and on about the opening scene, but seriously, it was beyond belief. One last picture, I promise!

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This was the part that gave me chills, when Rafiki sang those first few notes of the song we all know so well. Also notice here in the background the dancer holding the antelopes. One of the coolest parts was how the actors and dancers used their bodies as part of the prop, since the focus was supposed to be their costume. The antelopes leaped just like the real ones do. Za Zu is really the best example of this {sorry, one more picture!}

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Obviously it's a guy running around with a bird, but the way he did it was astounding.

If you have the chance to go, go! It will totally be worth it. Even though you know the story and the songs, go, because the costumes and the dancing and the theater setting will blow your mind.

Oh yeah just one minor unrelated thing: SHERLOCK SEASON THREE STARTS FILMING TODAY!

                                      source...and a great read if you're interested

Now try and carry on with your lives like nothing has happened-ha!

Tuesday’s Tidbits

Isn't "tidbits" a great word? I feel like I'm sharing something savory with you.

Sometimes my brain won't let go of thoughts until I spit them out onto the bloggy world...that does not sound very savory, though. Let's rephrase. Sometimes my brain wants me to share the glorious thoughts with the world. Isn't that nice of my brain?

Here are these glorious thoughts of late:

• Thanks to my friend AJ I've been enjoying the tunes of Rend Collective Experiment. Fabulous!
  
• My dear friend Rachel introduced me to The Collection and I've been listening to their song "Dirt" a lot. Check it out. They're really talented!

• I don't believe there is actually a polite way to eat spaghetti. It is just too messy.

• Sherlock has been posting pictures on Facebook...they're rebuilding the set! Cannot wait for Season 3!!!
• oh yeah. this maybe should have gone first. I'M GOING TO NICARAGUA IN JULY!!!!!! Craziness! I'm going with my Other Home church family, and we're going to be working with this family who moved there earlier this year. They are my dear friends and I'm excited to see them again!
  
• Kisses From Katie finally came in from the library this weekend. And then I borrowed a book from my friend. And I'm still not finished with Peter Pan. I feel torn- which book!?!??!
  
• I got an email from Compassion International. Last month I started sponsoring a little boy! The email said that just recently “We had the joy of personally telling him that “someone has chosen to become your sponsor.” That’s when {this little boy} learned your name and that you believe he is very special." Isn’t that awesome???!! This gets me especially when I remember that this little boy had been waiting over a year for a sponsor, and then I click a button and he’s got one! How humbling.
  P.S. I don’t know what all I can share about this little boy, so I’m erring on the side of nothing. But I will do some research and see if I can share more with you, and believe me, I will if I can!
  
• My nails have not been painted for almost three weeks, and I think tonight that needs to change.
  
• I’m excited for next week, because it’s almost a friend’s birthday, which means I get to mail her a present. :)

Alright, these are all my tidbits right now. Weren't they savory? Hope you enjoyed.

Father’s Day, family, and Sherlock :)

Before you guys get too excited, just know this: my dad is the best dad in the whole world. There. Fight it out. Bring it. My dad is cooler than your dad. :) There. That’s settled.

My sis came home! It was so great to have allllll my sisters together at the lunch table- first time since Christmas Break! Jeepers creepers, what crazy lives we all must lead. Yeah it’s true. But anyway, it was verrrry good to have my sister home. {This is the sister living with another family for a year while she encounters the Lord in Master’s Commission.} She is hysterical. We were sitting in the car waiting for Mom and Pop at the grocery store, and I didn’t have to say anything. She just talked, and then would laugh at herself, and then I would look at her and laugh, and then she would just keep going. She kept us both amused. I’m a fan.

And now my {other} sister and I are going to watch the final episode of Sherlock. If you have not got on the band wagon with BBC’s brilliant show, get your rear in gear! Dude, it’s the best show, and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are amazing.


And they’re British. As in, they have British accents. As in, I've melted into a puddle on the floor. Thanks very much. Or, as my Brit friends say, “thanks ever so.”

So yeah. I’m pretty sure streaming services has at least the first season. Go. Go now. You’ll be glad.
“Laters!”

Playing catch up today!

Note: pictures on projects are coming soon. The mug is completed, and my friend got her sign done. We’re hopefully going to do mine either tomorrow or sometime next week.

Here’s what has happened in the past 48-ish hours:

• my friend and I played Hand and Foot, her version… I miss my Other Home’s version, and told her that next time, we’re playing it that style
• I organized my top dresser drawer so now it looks like I actually live there as opposed to some disorganized person
• My dad and I sat down and had a talk, and I’m going to start working in his office in the afternoons for the summer. I’m also going to apply for my dream job… more on that to follow.
• As a graduation present to myself, I’m looking at purchasing a niiiiice camera. Well, it’s nice for an amateur like myself. I’m leaning towards the Nikon D3100, which you can admire right here. PS I’ve found them less expensive than the listed price, don’t you worry!
• Yesterday, I introduced my sister to Sherlock. In the morning, I said, hey sis, wanna watch a Sherlock episode? And she was all like, sure, I guess I’ll give this show a chance, since you’re crazy about it and also just plain crazy… ok she didn’t say all of that, but it was tonal, you know? I’m just trying to give you a well-rounded picture of our conversation. So we watched it, and she was like that was pretty cool I guess. And then later that night, she was all Hey Bek, what’s that website? Cuz as soon as I’m done studying for this final, we could watch another Sherlock episode!
  She’s hooked. I’m brilliant. Oh yeah, we’re gonna watch the last episode of Season 1 tonight {in case you aren't yet a Sherlock fan, there are only 3 episodes per season. but don’t feel insulted. I never doubted your math skills. I just wanted to make sure you didn't doubt mine.}.

So anyway. That’s what’s up. Peace, yo.

a title wouldn’t really be appropriate, because that implies that this post is only going to have one topic, and sorry honey, it ain’t happenin’ today

 Did you guys like meeting Dahlia!?!?!?! I sure did… of course, we met like 4 years ago…via email/her sister, and then we met in person like 2 months later, and yeah maybe it was slightly awkward, but everything that happens during an orientation is awkward, right? Anywho. Hope you all liked my dear friend, and if your heart desires to do something similar, leave a comment and we’ll make something happen!

Here in the lovely southern part of the country, we are experiencing nice weather. We actually were blessed with this gift right after Spring Break, and the sunshine is quite nice. The only down side: allergies. Any one else out there suffering? I feel ya. This is actually my first time ever having allergies, and it’s killing me, and Mom, I now totally understand why you don’t like flowers in the house. Jeepers creepers. Prayers {and rain!} appreciated.

This past month, I think I've been pretty crafty. For example, a friend and I got together and tore up, twisted, squished, and then rolled and glued some old magazines! We made beads, which ended up being re-purposed into artwork for my wall.

Another example: Sunday night, my dorm had a program called “T-shirt Up-cycle” where basically we cut up and made other things out of t-shirts, or we simply cut up and dressed up a t-shirt in such a way that it doesn't feel like a t-shirt anymore. I made a headband. Pretty awesome.

The point here is that I would love to take some pictures and show you all my craftiness {because I know there are some of you back home who are reading this in disbelief} but alas, my camera broke! *tears stream down face, completely from sadness and not from allergies at all* And no, I’m not just saying that. It’s legit. And sad. But anyway. You’ll just have to come visit me and see, or ask me to text you a picture. That’s right. You have to want it.

moving on.

Soooooo graduation is like in a month…. AUGH!!!!!!!!!! What is standing between me and that diploma {are they even called diplomas in college??} ? Well, let me tell you:

• that special project in Crafts class---omg the things we did in class yesterday- you can actually tell what it is! Well, you can’t, cuz you can’t see it and you don’t know what it is, but you get the idea.
• one final research paper. The research is mostly done; the outline is done; that thing is going down on Friday! 
• one interview with “an older adult” for my PE class. This will hopefully be easy and fun!
• management project. this one is going to be a lot of work, but it’s group work, and it’s actually applicable to work in the real world, so that’s cool. Plus we’ll be done with it in like 3 weeks… oh wait, that’s when classes are over. Shoot. 
• one final test, for the capstone course. I’m done with that thing the day before my family gets here- can you say reward!?!?!? Super excited about that
• two quizzes and a debate for my political communication class! one quiz is tomorrow, and the other is…some time. haha. the research paper is my final for this class, so yeah. it should be fun. I just have to do it. riiiiight.

There you have it. Bek’s list. git r dun!

A couple weeks ago, I got an email about joining an honor’s society. The initiation banquet is tonight, so that’s exciting. I don’t know anyone who’s going {yet}, but I've been told to sit with one of my instructors, so that’s my plan. This instructor is also my adviser, and this semester is the first time she hasn't taught one of my classes, so it will be good to catch up with her and visit for a bit.

Alright. I’m getting the roomie addicted to BBC’s Sherlock, so we’re off to watch another episode :) Samara, this is what exponential growth looks like, haha! In case you didn't know, my bestie is the one who introduced me to Sherlock, and we hit it off quite well. Or, as Sherlock himself puts it {when describing the great villain Moriarty}, “I pointed a gun at him, he tried to blow me up. I thought we had something special.”
on that note, I bid you adieu

Sick Days

I caught a bug over the weekend and have spent the past two days in my room on my bed. And now I have a couple confessions to make.

One: I LOVE SHERLOCK!!!!! BBC has done a marvelous job on remaking a t.v. version of Sherlock Holmes’ adventures, and thank Jesus for online viewing abilities!!!!! Seriously, people, check this series out.

Two: I’m now a Pinterest addict. Yup. My account is less than 24 hours old, and already I’m a junkie. Hi, my name is Bek, and I can’t get off Pinterest. Ha! And from Pinterest has come a revived passion and anticipation for the Hunger Games. Gosh, does March 23rd seem like a forever away??? Yes, yes it does.

But in the mean time, I’m bonding with my new blogger friend Ashley… we’ve been getting to know one another and we’re working on little things to bless each other with. It’s going to be really exciting, but I’m a bit freaking out because a package needs to be in the mail by Friday! Yay, pressure! :)

How has your week been, dear readers? Anything exciting going on in your neck of the woods?

What a Weekend!

Ok, catch up. Friday night, my sister and friend and I went to see the new Pirates movie, which I would rate at 2-3 stars. I thought it was fine, and there was humor and action and love, and sword fights, and let’s not forget the dazzling Johnny Depp ;). We went to the movie while our younger sisters were at their high school dance. Saturday was pretty chill. My family went to church that evening (which is pretty awesome, I think!) and then my BFF and I went to her house and watched Sherlock, a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. I personally really like the show, and what’s not to love about British accents!? Sunday was a pretty lazy day for me. I slept in! Woohoo! And then pretty much did nothing else.

However, I’m sure you've heard about the tornado that hit in Joplin, MO. My roomie lives 45 minutes away, and thankfully she is alright! I just got off the phone with her, and she and her family are all safe. Her sister does not yet have power, but everyone is safe and well, and all the towns are stepping up and donating aid. It is so encouraging to hear that neighbors are able to help those around. I so appreciate learning about aid that isn't initiated by the government. I am so in favor of the local community stepping up and providing aid; thank you, Small Town, USA!

Ok, I think that can count as a semi-deep thought, but here’s the update from the Pro-Life blog I mentioned earlier. There is a website that lists all the charity organizations that businesses donate to, and which of those are pro-abortion and which are pro-life. Basically, I am not going to be giving any money to Starbucks or The Home Depot or Chevron anymore. You can read the professional blogger’s explanation here.

Random: my sister graduates from high school in like 3 weeks. Oh. Em. Gee.

Also random  and pretty: my friends and I were running through a blueberry field {there’s a trail, don’t worry} and we saw a lady with a camera, and lady in a white dress, and a guy in a suit walking into the field. Awww! Wedding pictures! Kinda random for a Monday night, but hey, it made our run a little bit more bearable!

Funny: You know, I can’t think of anything specific that happened that was really hysterical, but my family is pretty funny. I hope that you, dear reader, someday have the opportunity to sit down and have dinner with my family, or that you can transform into a fly for a day and you can spy on us, because we crack ourselves up!

Prayer focus: my dad. I mentioned just a few posts ago praying for my grandparents. They are my dad’s parents, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through, watching his dad deteriorate and his mom become so stressed because of his care. Please, pray for my family in this trying time.

Alright, readers, after my awesome run, I should definitely go take a shower. Peace to the out!