Does anyone else become insanely nostalgic when listening to 'Always be my baby'? I just can't stop. There's something about Spring/Summer (Sprummer) that brings out the Mariah Carey in the world.

Here's a picture from one of my worst moments. I look happy, but that's because this is moments before I get busted by a group of dudes in Saudi for being dressed not-modestly (notice my arms are showing and I have completely forgotten to wear an abaya, those long black robes).

The appearance of knievel

Whoa. Myheritage.com is fascinating. After reading about it on a totally hilarious blog entry by the Quickert crew, I checked it out for myself. I encourage you to do the same. You upload a photo. It tells you what celebrities you look like. This is an important activity you should do at work, if possible. I apparently look like non-celebrity celebrities (that is, a group of the least famous celebrities on the planet whose names I can't remember).

Who do you look like? I CANNOT wait to hear 'bout it! Truth!

Ever since Memorial Day, I just can't bring myself to work out.

A confession

At least once a day I have a strong urge to let go of everything - not in the healthy "I'm gonna put this is God's hands" way, but in the way of abandonment. Being attached or committed to anything makes me uneasy. It's like, stability makes me nervous. Quiet makes me uncomfortable. A moment of loneliness produces near-pain.

Then I look at the world. And it's seething with genuine pain, the kinds of wounds that prove the existence of evil in the fiber of our reality. It makes my self-centered moments of weakness look infantile. And it makes me wonder: What are our lives for? Am I filling mine up with unnecessary details and neglecting what's at the center? If, for even one moment, this world - another person, a promotion, a defeat - are the rudder of my emotions, something is wrong. If how I feel is most important to me, I have made myself a god, that is, something to be served. That's why I have to embrace the things that might cause me pain. But embrace them only for God's sake, not mine.

COOL

Will (featured, again, in attached photo at Half Moon Bay) just informed me that cool is an acronym. It actually means "constipated overweight old lady." Consider yourselves warned. He advises not to call your friends cool.

Deep love for Dietrich

My roommate caught me talking to myself this morning while I was getting coffee. It wasn't even an important conversation. I was thinking about Dietrich Bonhoeffer - outloud. And to myself. Anyway, if you haven't read the Cost of Discipleship....I can't think of anything good to threaten. Just read it. Here are some Bonhoeffer quotes:

“Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.” (That's for the Monday ladies.)

“It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others.” (That's for everyone)

Good stuff, huh? In fact, maybe I'll just start blogging my reactions to The C of D. Maybe I'll start now. This might mean I'll post twice in one day.

Other things:

Yesterday, we had a policy meeting at work. We went over new HR policy with all the managers for summer. All in all, there wasn't too much hate. And no one said or did anything out of line -- except for me. Yes, that's right, I (of course) blundered my way into already proving myself unready for my position. It went like this:

20 minutes of the meeting was spent talking about sexual harassment and how important it is to avoid any suggestion of it or anything that could be construed as it. FYI This includes, profanity and posters, for example. Next it's my turn to talk about our new car policy. Boring, but important. So I say: "Okay, so I'm gonna talk about the new Daily car policy...pretty sexy, I know...(at this point I realize I SHOULD not have used sexy at all, let alone sarcastically)...and I've just sexually harassed you all. I'm sorry. That's exactly what you should not do (at this point I'm melting into the floor due to severe embarassment)."

On another note, I'm more than a little upset at this English-as-a-common-and-unifying-language fiasco. We should ENCOURAGE other languages to be learned, used and to flourish in our society. RIght? Wrong? You tell me.

Brady, thanks for the DC restaurant tip. I'm glad you're there safely. But not glad you're there.

En serio, I've gotta get straightened out. I feel tired....but I'm not. I mean, I'm well rested. And I feel a little apathetic...but I shouldn't be! I'm excited about my new job, which I'm training for now. And by training, I mean going to meeting after meeting after meeting. Other reasons I should not be apathetic: The existence of Chins and the Every-Other-Monday-Maidens group (I just made that last name up. I'm not sure the group would approve). Speaking of Chins, what is our summer plan? Basically, I'm asking the air this because I'm an infamously bad blogger, which causes low readership. But I do think we should set it up! I'll email ya'll now. Highlights of my week: Yesterday's meeting with Bobby Bruinicks. This week's new-found mutual love between the future OPeeps, Scott and Anna and I. Tomorrow's outing to Shouthouse (80s night, you know). Thursday dinner with Brady, before she heads to DC. Friday: Rock. And more. I should list my summer goals so that I actually do them, as opposed to just talking/dreaming about them. As is my usual style, I've included a picture with this post. This is a typical side street in a Saudi souq. (My mom loves it because it's clean. That's not true.)

My Angelynn! Her lovely, complex (no small wedding - or engagement ring - for this girl) wedding day was October 21st. And now the best part: Baby Bucholz is on its way. That's right, kids, I'm having a baby via Angela & Aaron (big shout out to them for all the hard work and money they're spending to bring my baby bundle into the world). I think Ang would like to blame the baby's presence on God's plan for their lives, but we all know where babies really come from.