It makes sense.....

My favorite Sesame Street character has always been Ernie so it makes sense that I would be his stuffed shirt roommate.....

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you lovable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you live your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I am boring....

Other then playing with Patience on Saturday afternoon, I had a very boring weekend. So to entertain the masses I found this one at Nichtszusagen.

Monday Morning Meme

1. Grab the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
2. Open it to page 123.
3. Find the first 5 sentences and write them down.
4. Then invite 5 friends to do the same.

The current book sitting on my desk was purchased this weekend at my favorite bookstore ever.

The title is Miracle at Belleau Wood The Birth of the Modern U.S. Marine Corps by Alan Axelrod.

Page 123, first 5 complete sentences:

While Hamilton and his men took, then overshot their objective, back below Hill 142 Julius Turrill observed the fourth wave of his two companies approach the perimeter of the first woods at the end of the wheat field. Just then - minutes past four in the morning - he was approached by Lieutenant Gilfillan, whose platoon was at the forefront of the units that had been stalled at Les Mares Farm. The rest of Turrill's battalion was beginning to come on line, he announced.
As he watched the fourth wave melt into the woods, Turrill wasted no time. He began sending the incoming reinforcements - who should have been part of the original attack - to the edge of the first woods.

Fascinating...I know!

I tag:
Jeremy
Boo/Steph
Kate
Cyn
Meg

One of those nights.......

Last night was one of those that you never hope to have to handle. I called a friend of my and was horrified to hear that she had had another loss in her family. Feeling completely helpless I immediately started packing to head back to her place for the night. As I caught the metro back to NoVa I was taken back to a night 4 weeks ago when the call went out for this same friend. She had lost her mother and we scrambled to help in any way we could. Now she is again on a flight out of town to deal with another funeral. I can only imagine the turmoil she is dealing with.

After Kate and I arrived at the apartment we ordered pizza and just talked. Not about anything special, at least that I remember, we were just there. Finally, crawling into bed around midnight or so, we talked for a while before I dropped off into a disturbed sleep. Just before 5 am I woke with a jolt…..not often do I dream about Neil Patrick Harris (who was called Uncle Doog in dreamland) and Blanche Deveraux……but after surfacing I realized that my friend wasn’t in bed, she wasn’t able to sleep and had moved to the couch. So we sat and talked some more; about life and death and all things in-between. I don’t think she ever fell back asleep though I got about 10 more minutes before I had to get ready for work.

Parts of that early morning conversation have stuck with me through out my day. For part of the conversation I spoke of Courtney and Kim and things that I share with very few people. I have learned to recite the events of that time without emotion but last night I was unable to do so. It irritates me that I couldn’t keep my emotions in check, but even now my eyes tear as I think about Courtney. Her birthday is in just over 3 weeks. She would have been 28. In my head I can see her married to a good man, not someone who could turn heads but someone who was good like she was, with a whole passel of kids.

It has been 17 and a half years since that horrible day in August which changed the lives of every member of my family. If my heart still hurts this much, I can’t even fathom how my step dad and siblings feel. The cliché’s say that it gets better but it doesn’t. You just learn to live with it. You become grateful for the twinge of pain, because that means their life was important. Even after all of these years I can hear Courtney in my head admonishing me when I have done wrong and encouraging me when I need a boost. Others have joined in now and I can hear Auntie Jo or Grandpa Galloway to help me through a trying time. While I am grateful for these tender mercies, I can’t help but be selfish and wish they were still here to help me in person, not just in my memories.

Glitter is the herpies of Craft Supplies....

Sunday night I had dinner with Brett and Boo (Boo makes a great Taco Salad!) There I was introduced me to B-Batteries. Hee hee Hee it makes me chuckle.Hope you enjoy:

FYI: The Rae Rating on this video is PG rating due to use of 4 letter words...

Why I love here.....

There is something comforting about sitting on the National Mall. I haven’t done this in a long time. Since last fall I think, but today is the perfect day for it. It is a balmy 60 degrees and at quarter to 10 in the morning no one else is here. This means that I can handle my conference call and then just sit and enjoy the atmosphere before heading out to meet Boo.

I have been here many times before but every time I come a feeling of contentment settle in my chest. I am home. It is one of the many reasons I moved here 3 years ago. Even when I talk of leaving, my heart aches at the thought of leaving this behind. I am not sure I ever could.

The tourist season that never really ends here is at it's low, it will pick up over the next few months, but for now there is only a smattering of brave souls who have dared be a tourist during an east coast winter hoping that the weather would be kind. Those lucky few have been rewarded with today. The sun is behind me slowly rising into a clear blue sky. The flags at the base of the Washington Memorial are blowing briskly in the current breeze. Spring is in the air.

Call postponed and now I can people watch before getting back on the metro. People are starting to arrive. This is the reason I like the quiet of the early morning on the mall; before anyone else thinks to be here. Now the metro belches out the masses; locals and tourists, families and couples, Singles and groups of teenagers with a free Monday.

My favorite groups to eavesdrop on are the tourists. Geez they make me laugh. So far I have heard:

“But I thought you wanted to see the museum first?
Honey they are all museums!”

“Maybe we should ask her, she looks like a local, she would know.”

“Stay together, Tyler, I SAID STOP! Stay together”

(poor 4 yr old)

“ Yoo Hoo! Yoo Hoo! Everyone over here for a picture.”

“Damn tourists.”
(That was when a family stopped right in front of a man running…he almost bowled over a little girl as the mom called for a picture…Lol!)

Okay, today cannot be wasted, with a quick call to Boo we change plans, out with the movie, in with a carousel ride on the mall! Today is going to be a good day…I can feel it.

Oh my gosh….I found the Secret Garden. Okay, maybe not in reality. There is no lock on the gate; but it is beautiful, even during the winter. While sitting on the mall someone stopped and directed me to the Enid A Haupt garden, tucked behind the castle. I assume she works for the Smithsonian because when explaining she said that Enid “was a woman who had died and left us a bunch of money so we created the garden” With flowers and trees and benches it is a small oasis. I think I have found my new home on the mall.

Alright, Boo will be here soon and I want to find a book on the Haupt Garden. It is time to log off and enjoy myself. I hope everyone else has a wonderful Presidents Day

Another year...

Last year I posted a poem for Valentine's day....I have decided to continue the tradition.

There are many that I have thought to post; this or that or even the one that made me chuckle. Instead I have chosen one that is a bit more serious. It is well known and has no need of an introduction.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need; by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, - I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning~

Someday, I shall love someone in such a way or, as Aurora once sang, "I'm wishing......"

Happy Valentine's Day every one!

I am a Magnate and I have a manor....

Ya think it's me?

Your home is a Magnate's Manor Your kitchen is someplace you never go, because you "have people for that." There's a Chocolatessen, which is rapidly becoming your favorite room of the house. Having one is also becoming a trend among your wealthy neighbors. Your master bedroom is the size of a small barn, with carpet thick enough to reach your ankles. Your study has hardback editions of every classic ever written, plus a special edition of Rich Dad, Poor Dad with the parts you ghost-authored highlighted. One of your garages holds your collection of ferraris, and is measured in acreage. Your home also includes a guest wing and private quarters for your servants. Your guests enjoy your home theater with 37 different sports channels. Outside is your hedge maze and gardens, meticulously tended by a team of world-class botanists. Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Build YOUR Dream Home!

Thanks Darla!

Clothing of note...........

In the last 24 hours two clothing related incidents have happened that are noteworthy.





The first and more important....I got my T-shirt for my trip in Sept. This is the 1st of 2 maybe 3 or 4 that we will be wearing! I am way excited!





The second incident actually happened yesterday....It wasn't until I was in the middle of Sunday School that i realized I was wearing an Olive Green skirt with my Royal Blue Sweater.Only I would wake in the morning and think those two colors should be worn together. In my search for reassurance that it wasn't a major faux pas I asked 2 separate people if the colors should be worn together. Their responses:
"No! Lord NO!"
"If you are blind."
Sigh...my sense of fashion is obviously not getting better with age. :P

Last night's epiphany.....

Many a time in conversation I say something before thinking it through all the way. Usually what is said is my knee jerk reaction, my first thought to a comment, or a personal epiphany or sorts. Lol! This is one of the many reasons I don’t like to talk when I am around new people, who knows what will come out of my mouth. :P Often this first thought can be altered as new information is brought into the discussion (but that is a topic for an entirely different discussion).

Last night, in the midst of one such conversation with my friend Angelee, I said something that has stuck with me. You would think that something that I said, would not strike me as profound. You would think that I would know these things before I say them. The conversation was actually about my younger brother in the mission field. I commented on the emails that are forwarded to our family members. I have spent the last year and a half reading his emails and watching his growth. I have also watched one side of his relationship with his waiting girlfriend. He is allowed such a short time on the internet each week that he sends one email to my parents that includes the responses to everyone, including his girlfriend. Reading these emails is kind of like listening to one side of a phone conversation. While I feel slightly voyeuristic I have been impressed with the communications that have been sent. So how did this cause an ‘AHA’ moment, you ask? Sorry Steph, but it isn’t that I have realized that I have voyeuristic tendencies. Lol! My epiphany for yesterday was that one of the reasons I have such a high relationship expectations is because I have been watching the relationships of my siblings for years. I am constantly amazed by my siblings, by the good and the bad.

As a 28 yr old single woman in the Mormon Church, I have had a lot of time to think about relationships. What woman in my circumstances hasn’t? I freely admit that relationships scare me; truly, they terrify me. Yes, I also recognize that this is not a logical response. Lol! I have had the opportunity to watch those around me and I have seen a lot of the bad things that can come from relationships. Sometimes it seems as if it is all bad. But I have also had the chance to see really great relationships like Mama and Papa Thorne and Mama and Papa Harbour. More importantly I have the examples of men like my brothers Kent, Ralph and Hugh to show me that men in relationships can be good in more then just fiction novels. :)

I know this isn’t profound to any one else, but I think it is important for me to recognize that I have the examples there. Now I just have to find a man like my brothers….Since they are each quite unique I am not sure that is a possibility. Lol!

Apparently the Universe Agrees....

*Language Warning*

So I needed to do a bit of research...don't ask because I won't tell. Lol! but this is what I found out:

You Are Catwoman

"Life's a bitch. Now so am I."

What Superheroine Are You?

AND........

The Great Archives determine you to have gone by the identity:

Musette de Pompadour

Known in some parts of the world as:

Bitch of Austria

The Great Archives Record:

This one returned to revenge the death of its children. Stay away, it is vicious.

So apparently the universe understands that I am not one who should be messed with. Lol!

Do you agree?

It's February.......

I plan to post some pictures and other thoughts from this weekend, but not yet.
Instead I found this on my Friend Jeremy’s LJ and I wanted to do it. So here goes:

Step 1: Put iTunes on random.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
(You can skip songs that are instrumental).
Step 3: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.

(Of course, my first song was an instrumental. Lol! )

1. Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King

2. There is no future, there is no past.

3. You get high jacked waiting at a bus stop

4. The race is on to get out of the bottom

5. Your eyes tell me how you want me

6. Lost my job came home mad

7. Don’t know how to take it, don’t know where to go

8. I have a picture, pinned to my wall, an image of you and of me and we’re laughing we’re loving it all.

9. All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey……..

10. Oh, oh, oh ,oh Woke up today feeling the way I always do…

11. Hope they never end this song, this could take us all night long

12. Dim all the lights sweet darling cause tonight it’s all the way

13. Monday morning such a rush, here it is again sneaking up on us

14. Oh Baby don’t you know I suffer?

15. Gentleman our benefactor on this Christmas Day, whose charity is only matched by talent I must say…..

16. Who made the rule that I should always play the fool

17. Fly away with me tonight, take me on a one way flight in your lovin’ arms and everythings gonna be alright

18. My oh my, do you wanna say goodbye? To have the kingdom, baby, tell me why?

19. O Mio Babbino Caro Mi piace è bello, bello
a. (In English) O My dearest Daddy, He is pleasing to me and so handsome

20. That old wind that’s whippin’ out there; it’s whistling your tune

21. Your Cruel device, your blood like ice, one look could kill, my pain your thrill

22. Gone, the voice that used to fill the room is all but gone, an echo of a perfect love that ended wrong.

23. Got off the plane to the country side

24. How did we get here…How the Hell…

25. I had all but given up on finding the one that I could fall into

What I wish my world looked like......

So there is a lot going on today. At least, Not much I want to talk about in a public forum such as this.
But I did find this in my inbox today. So I thought I would share.

If I had my way, all my libraries would look like the ones in Kansas and Missouri!!

It is the end of an era.............

8 years ago at the end of a summer temple trip in Salt Lake, my church group had a chance meeting with our beloved Prophet. Pres Hinckley was just leaving the temple as we were finishing and took the time to greet each of us and talk to our group for just a moment. It is one of my favorite memories. One I hope to share with my grandkids one day...the day I got a hug from the Prophet of our church.


Tonight, that beloved man passed from this life into the next. While it was not quite unexpected, he was 97 after all, it is still a shock to the system.
I know that things have a purpose and a reason. That things will go forward. There will be a new Prophet called; the Lord's work will progress. But for now the members of the LDS faith will mourn the passing of this great man. My heart aches at the thought of Pres Hinckley not being the prophet. This man that has played such a role in my life and faith, he was the prophet when I graduated high school, he was the prophet when I went on my mission. I have been listening to his words of wisdom and allowing them to guide me through the difficult decisions of my 20's.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his remaining family.

But regardless of the sorrow, my main thoughts are centered on the fact that he is now reunited with those he has lost so recently. Especially the reunion with his sweetheart, Sister Marjorie Hinckley. What better joy can be found in the thought of their reunion.

So here ends another day at the office.....

On to the GREAT news……

Today is Tiana’s birthday…..


It is the big _ _!!! (I can’t actually give out her age on the web. I wouldn’t want her to hurt me. )







This is my big sister…


One of the few people who actually understand what our childhood was like because she lived it with me. Lol!




She understands the draw of Virginia….even if she did transfer her allegiance to Texas, she started here. Lol!

She is the one who I can call and talk to…..about anything. Good and bad.

Happy Birthday Sis! I hope it is a great one! You deserve all the happiness that can possibly come your way!

I don’t feel good…

I know, I know I say that all the time. But really...

My face is flushed.
My eyes burn.
My nose is running.
I’m tired (when aren’t I?).
I can’t settle or focus.

Worst of all:
I am cranky!

I hate when I am cranky. I feel like a 4 year old. Small things irritate me and I want to close the door and tell everyone to go away.

It is a sign…I need to be sent to my room for awhile. Unfortunately that is only the punishment for children. Adult punishment is not being able to go to your room. Lol!

Only 6 more hours of the work day and I can go home and hide for the night.

*End Rant*

Do I know me?

What Rachel Means

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I don't think these people know me very well.....on the other hand....maybe I don't know me very well. Food for thought.....

Sunday Night Rambling.....

My best friend of all time (whom shall remain nameless to protect innocent bloggers) made comments recently about “issues”. Everyone has issues, I don’t care who you are; you have issues about something. But I think sometimes we feel that we shouldn’t have issues. We get bogged down in the thought that we are so blessed with: ________, we shouldn’t ever be sad, angry, or upset. Fill in the blank with whatever your blessings include: husband, kids, family, friends, religion, food, job, etc….The list can go on forever. I think many people feel this way, me included. Why should we burden others with our insignificant troubles when there is so much to be thankful for? When the Lord has blessed us with so much, what right do we have to complain about anything? There are many problems with this thinking including:

• Just because we are blessed doesn’t mean that the bad stuff stops happening. There is opposition in all things for a reason.

• Why should we think that because we get one blessing the Lord will stop offering us others? Unfortunately, some of those blessings are a direct result of sad or upsetting things. Learning from our trials and the trials of those around us is a great blessing.

• Recognizing the worth of our blessings usually comes at the end of the pride cycle that is human nature. We don’t become humble until after the trials. That humility brings us to a remembrance of our God and His goodness. Why do we think that we could recognize the goodness of our life with out the bad? Again, there is opposition in all things for a reason.

• The Lord knew that we couldn’t handle everything on our own. There wasn’t just one person made in the Garden of Eden but two. He knew that sometimes the burden would get tough and we would need help. Not all of us are blessed with a spouse that can support us in our trials but God blesses us with friends and family that we can turn to. How can we learn from others and serve them if they won’t share their burdens. How can we continue to progress if we do not let others do the same for us in return?

I don’t want to justify complaining against God for our troubles and trials. But I do think that all too often women of faith feel as if they have no right to be upset. They think that because they are so blessed they should be happy all of the time. Well, show me a woman who is happy and perky 100% of the time and I will show you her bathroom cabinet filled with prescriptions for Prozac and the like.

Conversely, we aren’t supposed to wallow in self pity or grief 100% of the time either. Our emotions run the gamut for a reason. God wouldn’t have given us the ability to feel all of these things without a purpose. We are to use them for the betterment of ourselves. We are to recognize the sad and the bad and find ways to make it better. Sometimes we can do that on our own, sometimes we need to lean on a friend, and sometimes we need a professional. As long as we keep finding ways to fix the upsetting things our life will continue to get better.

Just in case you were wondering……I have issues….welcome to the club! ;)

A Vacation in January

There were the sounds of seagulls over my head as I walked to the metro this morning. At first I thought it was part of the song I was listening to but that didn't fit. A quick look found the scavengers above me.

As I stood in the freezing January cold, I was transported back 2 years. To a beach in North Carolina. I could feel the warm breeze against my face and smell the ocean. In my minds eye I could see the hammock that swung on the porch and hear the waves that crashed on the beach.

It lasted no more then a second or 2 but in that instant I was on vacation.

What is in my brain.....

I love my IT dept….. Not only will he (as our IT dept is made up of 2 people and I am always asking the same guy for help) answer the stupid questions and random computer problems I seem to have on a daily basis but he can also fix my iPod! I love IT guys!!

I love the snow…would anyone mind if I moved to Montana. They have lots of snow there. Or maybe Maine; the accents are better there.

I love vegetables…..since it is snowing lunch is being delivered…my lunch a pita with cucumbers, tomatoes, hummus, sprouts, mushrooms, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Sigh. I am starving.

I love musicals……Even when I hate the blocking, and the lead actress loses her accent when she is singing. It is still great to have a chance to go to the theater. (Is there a theater in Montana? Maine?)

I love audiobooks……I now have the Twilight series on my iPod! How cool is that?


And that is all for now….hope everyone is enjoying the snow as much as I am. 

Surronded by Memories

You know that box you keep in the bottom of your closet? The box that gets moved from house to house, but is never really unpacked. Every now and then something is added to it but you don’t ever empty it. Today I unpacked it. I don’t really have a choice. The box holding my memories has gotten to the point where it is falling apart. It had to be unloaded, sorted through and repacked in a smaller box. But what do I get rid of? How did I forget so many moments? How can I get rid of it, knowing that if I do the memory will end up lost in my brain never to be recovered again? There were operas, festivals and baseball games. There was the Chinese New Year celebration, hockey games, work events, weddings, and all sorts of trips that were taken. A few hiking, a few rafting, and at least one tubing trip.

It is interesting that, I am going through this box today. It is January 11th. On this day 17 years ago my mother married my step-father and the chaos that has become my family was begun. Just 3 short years ago on this day I moved to the East coast with no more then 3 suitcases, 2 carry-on’s and not a friend in site. Ironically, it is also the day that Boo moved out here.

Who knew that there would be so many memories to create; so many possibilities available to me.

So…Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad…congrats!

AND

Happy Anniversary R.A.G.S. Here’s to another 3 great years.