Of Sailboats, Summer, and Sunshine.

The last week or so has been really busy (for summer that is). One of my friends remarked last week at dance class that business in the summer tends to come in spurts; either you are bored out of your mind or you are running around like a maniac. (sorry, Emily S. I'm paraphrasing).

Saturday (the 4th of July) was extremely busy. My dad and I got up early (early for summer at any rate) to go to the reenactment. It was fun to see friends there and to watch the battle. After the battle we went back to town so I could go to the TEA Party (Taxed Enough Already). I told my mom that morning that I was going to go to the TEA party, and she was a little surprised to see me standing on the sidewalk, holding a sign, down town a few hours later. Apparently, she envisioned me drinking tea with a few friends all dressed up. I suppose I should have specified what exactly I meant by "TEA Party".

That evening we went to see our town's fireworks, and then followed that up with a show of our own, complete with patriotic music provided by my wonderful little sis. I'm not sure the neighbors appreciated the rousing piccolo playing at midnight, but the 4th of July is only once a year after all.

Sunday brought more fun with a church picnic, and a softball game. Though confidant that we would end our loosing streak, we lost again. However, no one has as much fun loosing as New Hope. And being warned off by the umpire that I better stop acting like a fast pitch player and hit any ball I could about made up for the loss.

On Monday I went to one of my good friend's 21st B-day party. It was so nice to see her. We both go to college, so our visits are few and far between now. After the party I had youth group. Ever week it seems to be going better. My guitar playing is getting better, and I'm more used to the kids.

I just got back from a walk around the neighborhood. Someone that lives in the neighborhood just bought a brand new, absolutely beautiful boat. (The only thing that could make it better is if it was a sailboat). We were walking around it looking at when the owners came out and offered to show us the inside! It was wonderful. And it only has 3 1/2 foot draw! I'm slightly green with envy right now. At some point in my life I will own a boat, but a sail boat (well with a outboard, because getting into a harbor is just too hard without one). Things like this make me wish that my grandfather was still alive. Not just because he built sailboats, but because I wish I could share it with him.

Thankfully, this week the weather has cooled down a little. Last week was much too hot, it was like California all over again. If I wanted it to be 90 degrees I would go to school in CA. Oh, wait...

Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: Boats are one of the main reasons I want to someday live near the coast.

Amendment 2: A northwest coast, not california.

Amendment 3: About six more weeks before I head back to school.

Silly Laura

Well I messed up. I went back and watched my videos that I posted on my blog (three post back, the one with the funny videos, go back and watch them if you haven't already) When I got to the last one I realized something. It was too long. The clip I was actually looking for stops after Mark Lowry says he went around and closed all the windows. I didn't mean to get the rest of it in there. And so now you are going to get a lecture.

In the clip Mark Lowry goes on to give the "watch example". You know the one. It shows up in every single christian textbook when they try to disprove evolution. It goes like this. If I smash my watch up, and put it in a plastic bag, and then shake it up for 6 million years, I will NOT get a watch back. They say that this disproves evolution.

It is based on the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics which states that the over all entropy in the universe is increasing or things go from order to disorder. BUT, But , But. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is only statistically true. Let me say that again. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is only statistically true. This means, for the entire universe things are going from order to disorder, but it does not mean that small examples of disorder to order will not happen. And when you look at the universe Earth really is just a small part. So the point is the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics does NOT disprove evolution.

Now before some good creationist comes and kills me, I do NOT believe in evolution. But I will not sit by and let people give all Christians a bad name, because a few of them don't understand their science.

Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I told you, you were going to get a lecture.

Amendment 2: I know I come off strong, but science is a huge part of who I am, and and I hate it when people try to say that I am a hypocrite for believe both in God and science. There is no true conflict.

She Stands

Dear God,

Thank you for allowing me to live in this country. I know it isn't perfect, but thank you for the freedom that you have given us here, in the USA. Help me to appreciate this freedom daily. Do not let me take it for granted. Thank you for giving me a country I can be proud of, a country where I can worship you in safety and openness.

Help me to remember that my freedom is not free. It came at a terrible cost. A cost of many lives. Men and women, that gave their lives for mine. Don't let me forget their sacrifice. Help me to honor them by respecting and remembering what they died for. God thank you, for blessing the U.S.A.

Amen!

Much Too Hot for anything but blogging

Well I was bored today. It was to hot to be outside, and you can only play ping pong for so long. So I decided to write a very self centered blog post. 20 Things You May Not Know about Me. Sounds like some kind of movie title.

1) I have a small scar on my hand that I don't know where it came from.

2)I learned to read lips at a very young age for a very good reason.

3) I can't whistle.

4) Now that I have been to Europe, I want to go to Israel.

5) I refuse to eat tomatoes.

6) But I like ketchup.

7) I have a trig function on my bookshelf that when graphed, looks like a butterfly.

8) I wish people would make sense.

9)My personal opinion is that baseball is an analogy a life.

10) My favorite toys growing up were legos. I built a very nice hospital once, complete with ER, outpatient clinic, lab, MRI, x-ray, and CAT scan.

11) If I can avoid talking on the phone I do.

12) Punctuality is a trait I admire in people, so much that I have a hard time dealing nicely with people when they are late.

13) I do not beleive in lucky or unlucky numbers, but my favorite number is 16.

14) My best friend is my sister.

15) If I call you my friend it should mean a lot to you.

16) I have been in love with math since I was about 7 years old.

17) I don't have my ears pierced.

18) I prefer not to be in charge but I will if I have to be.

19) I'm an INTJ

20) My room has a nautical theme, complete with instruments from my grandfather's boat.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I heard a really fun thing said today. "I was dealing with my own problems for a while. Like the leggings fiasco."

Amendment 2: Take a guess who said the previous quote, and it wasn't me.

Funny Videos

Here are some of my favorite youtube videos. Enjoy!












Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Medical Humor

One of the best parts of summer break is being able to read non-school books. Don't get me wrong I love school, but at times I enjoy a break from textbooks for some lighter reading. Today I finished a book called "Invisible Enemies" by Jeanette Farrell. It is the story of the seven most influential infectious diseases in history, smallpox, leprosy, plague, tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, and AIDS. At the end of the book the author gives some recommendations for further reading. She is nice enough to include a short blurb about the books she recommends. I hope you will find them as amusing as I do.

The Plague: "The story of Dr. Rieux, who one day discovers a dead rat in his apartment building and within a week finds himself in the middle of a plague."


Microbe Hunters: "you will not find a more exciting account than this book. It is a classic." (Moby Dick, Dante's Inferno, and Microbe Hunters all classics)


Princes and Peasants: "The history of smallpox is thorough and entertaining." (we all know death is very entertaining)

Alone No Longer: "This autobiography reads like a novel." (did I mention this is a book about a man with leprosy?)

Mosquitoes, Malaria, and Man: "Harrison presents the fight against malaria as the exciting story that it is, complete with photographs of the main characters." (would those main characters be the mosquitoes, the malaria bug, or the men?)


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I'm not poking fun at the author, my blurb about her book would read something like this: the story of the seven infectious diseases that changed our culture.

Amendment 2: Johnny, feeling like a bore, drank some H2SO4
So his father, an MD, gave him CaCO3
Johnny's neutralized, it's true but he's full of CO2

Of Procrastination and Youth Group

The last few days, while not eventful were fun filled. I am enjoying being home with my family. But I am realizing that I'm not very good at getting things done in summer. These past few days I have had only a few things to do, and what have I done? Only the ones that I absolutely had to do! Perhaps this is a consequence of having a never ending series of deadlines at school.

On Monday I had youth group for the first time. (by "having youth group" I mean I was 50% in charge of 16 middle school and high school students for 2 hours!) I had a blast doing it. Things were a little rough, but I'm sure once the other leader and I get to know the kids, and each other better things will go much more smoothly. But some of the boys can and will be a handful for the rest of the summer.

As a youth leader I am in charge of game time (which means I have to come up with games that get out energy, but at the same time limit the possibilities of someone getting themselves or others injured or killed, ideas anyone?), and worship time (I have much more practice with this).

The hard part of leading worship is I'm not doing it on the piano; I'm playing the guitar. I'm not a horrible guitar player, but I'm not great either. But it is very hard to get a piano to the park. I spent a lot of time practicing for Monday, and now I have to turn around and start again for next week. I have a feeling my guitar skills are going to get much better this summer.

Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile

Amendment 1: Ok, so maybe this week wasn't as uneventful as I thought

Amendment 2: Tomorrow: dance class, Friday: a friend sleeps over, and Saturday: hiking with friends. Busy rest of the week. I love summer holiday!