It's not Easy Being Green

Almost every store advertises their version of a reusable shopping bag as part of their effort to save the planet. Chris and I recently purchased some of these bags. After a few months of use, I’ve come to realize that if stores really want to save the planet with their reusable bags, they first need to teach their employees how to effectively fill them.

Please teach the employees that the bags hold more than four items. I don’t want to leave the store with three reusable bags and five plastic bags holding the 40 items I purchased. Those bags are big and strong – fill them up.

Please teach the employees that the reusable bags are not intended to be used in addition to the plastic bags. I do not need all of my cold stuff separated from my vegetables, each placed in their own plastic bags that are then placed inside the reusable bags.

Please teach the employees that the reusable bags are only beneficial if they are used instead of the plastic bags. If you accidentally place my three items in a plastic bag before re-bagging them in my reusable bag, please do not throw away the plastic bag just because it is no longer attached to your handy bag rack. What is the purpose of carrying my reusable bag if the same amount of plastic bags ends up in a land fill?

Please teach the employees that if I do not place my three oranges in a plastic vegetable bag, I do not want them placed in a plastic grocery bag before they are placed in my reusable grocery bag.

The last time I went to the grocery store I spent $30, which didn’t buy very much. The kid bagging my groceries couldn’t fit everything in my three spacious, green bags so he started using plastic bags. I quickly stopped him and said, “Everything should fit in those green bags.” He blushed and then picked up the plastic bags holding my cereal and bread and set them inside the green bags.

Someone needs to inform the grocery stores and big-box outlets that being green isn’t as easy as simply advertising a reusable shopping bag. Please educate your employees on how to fill those bags. Do it because I’m tired of getting ugly looks every time my conscious moves me to say something to the person bagging my groceries.

Month Six: A Sense of Security

The other night I woke up during the middle of the night certain that there was a large snake in the bedroom. I was in that strange state of consciousness that is halfway between awake and asleep. I was awake enough to take note of the time, 11:59, and to remember exactly what happened and the fear I felt, but not awake enough to formulate complex thoughts. I don't recall having dreamt about snakes that night, nor did I recall any snake dreams at the time, so I was all the more certain that there was a large, black snake in the room. I began fidgeting around in the bed, trying to locate the snake, all the while telling my slumbering husband, "I think there's a snake in here, I think there's a snake in here." After what seemed like forever, he responded with a muffled string of grunts. He then rolled over so that his back was to me and went back to sleep. I instantly scooted over to get as close to Chris as possible and said, "well, then Ill stay right next to you so that I'll be safe." And once I was there, I did feel safe and was able to fall right back to sleep. It was all very strange, but I remember how safe I felt once I was next to Chris. It was the same security I felt as a child when I would crawl into bed with my mom after having a bad dream. Being married is more than just sharing a romantic love; it also includes the unconditional love that results in a wonderful sense of security, especially when there's a snake in the room waiting for your bare feet to hit the carpet.

Fourth of July Festivities

The fourth of July in Lubbock brings the annual street fair. Chris and I somehow managed to get up early enough to make it to the morning parade kicking off the festivities, as did the rest of Lubbock. The street was packed.

Of course we saw lots of of horses and convertibles, but in addition to those parade staples there were some pretty amusing entrants. Take for example the trekies with their wishes for long lives and prosperity (it sounds more patriotic when you say it like that)...

I always thought those Scions looked like a refrigerator, but I think a toaster is equally plausible.

The young girls dressed like bratz dolls, singing some hanna montana song as they posed and swung their hips, were creepy. The catholic priest, who was stiffly waving his flag as he tried to ignore the hip-hop station's flagship vehicle blaring loud rap music and carrying a large group of dancing thugs behind him, was amusing. One "colorful" church float touted the slogan, "times are changing." Once I saw their Lubbock-history timeline, with the time period from 1990 to present covered by a giant rainbow flag, the slogan made more sense. The best entrant, however, was the Lubbock Republicans, whose float was a giant oil barrel painted with the campaign slogan "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less." The oil barrel, ironically, was pulled by a gas guzzling Hummer.

After watching these and other equally amusing entrants ride by for an hour, we were ready for breakfast. Tripas anyone???

Four years and you still have the receipt?

During my last trip to the mall, I went into to Sears for the first time in, well, possibly ever. I was excited to find a nice, heavy-duty, non-stick roasting pan on clearance, something that I had needed for a while. As I made my way up to the check-out counter, I immediately knew something was amiss. Across the counter from the store clerk was a fragile and very elderly lady sitting in a chair that had obviously been provided to her from some dressing room or office. The clerk standing on the other side of the counter was staring down at the elderly woman with a blank expression, holding a crinkled receipt. In between the two of them was a sewing machine. As the clerk reached for her intercom phone, she said, "I understand ma’am, but I don't know how to refund your money for this sewing machine because it was purchased in May of 2004." Upon noting that the frail woman was comfortably seated, as if to say, "I will sit here until you figure out how to refund my money," I decided to find another register. The next register was surrounded by at least 6 people. The woman at the head of the line was slowly explaining that she had been searching for the perfect bathing suit. Finally, she had found it at Sears, but alas, there was only one in her size and that one bathing suit had a small hole and ink stain where some prior shopper had attempted to steal it by ripping off the alarm sensor. The lady still wanted the suit but was attempting to bargain with the clerk for a discounted price. The clerk was at a loss, as were the other customers in line. And that's when I decided that my $8 roasting pan was not worth the hassle. No thank you Wal-Mart, uh, I mean Sears.

My Big Hat Debut

The only thing I really remember from the movie Pretty Woman is Julia Roberts and her hats. I always wanted to wear a hat like she did in that movie.

Well, this past weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to live out my very own scene from Pretty Woman. Here I am at my cousin Sara's wedding in my big hat debut.

The best part about wearing a hat is that you get compliments from all the cute, old men. The worst part about wearing a hat is smashing it in people's faces when you try to hug them. One of my uncles jokingly asked me if I was going to the Kentucky Derby after the wedding. No, I was not going to any horse race, however, that was the look I was going for.

As for the wedding itself, this was the first wedding Chris and I went to as a married couple. Our attendance at prior weddings always prompted the same question from everyone we ran into: "So, when are you going to get married?" Now the questions have shifted to, "So, when do you think you are going to start having children?" Chris loves this question so much that he has a pre-determined response. He says, "Let's see," as he squints his eyes and stares off, as if he's thinking real hard. He then starts counting silently on his fingers and, with a questioning inflection in his voice, says, "seven months?" This response always catches people off guard.

We had a great time at my cousin's wedding. And although I was fond of my hat, it paled in comparison to the beautiful bride. I now wish my cousin the same newly-wed bliss that I have immensely enjoyed.

Texas Hill Country

Final Destination: Hondo, Texas.Enjoying the Hill Country.
Driving through Sweetwater, Texas
Soon to be another of the hundreds of wind turbines in Sweetwater.
Massive turbine propeller.
My Cousin Sara and her Marine, Ed.

The backdrop at the wedding site.
Me
My brother Casey and his girlfriend, Casey.
Four Generations: My mom, my grandma, my great grandma and me.

Month Five: Silliness & Seriousness

Married for five months and counting. This past month was full of traveling and laughter. We traveled to Fort Worth and to White Sands, New Mexico. With the school year ending, I found myself to be in a much lighter mood, which translated into carefree and somewhat silly behavior. One night Chris and I were lying in bed when Chris decided to emulate our neighbor. Our neighbor, whose bedroom is right next to ours, likes to entertain male visitors from time to time. Needless to say, she is not a quiet entertainer. So, there we were, lying in bed in complete darkness and silence, with a good foot between us, when all of the sudden Chris lets out a loud, drawn out, "Ohhhhhhhh," followed by a few seconds of silence and then another groan of passion. His goal was clear: wake up the neighbor. My attempts to silence him by reprimand were futile. The groans became louder and longer. Finally, during the silence between groans, I yelled out an agitated, "Ouch!" I hope our neighbor laughed as much as we did. On the serious side, I've come to realize the tremendous power of the biblical analogy comparing the marriage relationship to the relationship between Christ and His church. Our decision to follow Christ is a daily decision, not just a one time decision made at the time of conversion. So it is with marriage. The wedding is only the first step. Each day both husband and wife must decide to remain committed to each other. Both relationships require a huge commitment, with huge implications. But what an amazing blessing each relationship can be – especially when that relationship is filled with laughter.

I Won!!!

Today I was listening to the radio when the announcer said the station was giving away scratch cards for free gas at a gas station near my apartment. The cards were worth $5 to $25. I ran out of the apartment and jumped in the car. As I made the 2 mile trip to the gas station, I was praying that I would get a $25 card, and I did!!! Those six and a half gallons of gas will last me almost two weeks. Praise God for blessing me with two weeks of gas.

Trip to White Sands, NM

The Gang.

Chris sledding down a dune.

About to descend.

Chris and I

The desert land (taken by Chris).

We drove through Artesia, NM, where my grandpa is burried.

Enjoying the sun at Sunspot, the National Solar Observatory near Cloudcroft, NM.

Much of the equipment at the solar observatory was circa 1960's. It was like I had wondered onto the set of Lost.

We carpooled with our friends Ryan and Amber.

We stayed in Cloudcroft, which is in the mountains and overlooks the basin where White Sands is located.

Change

As I sit in front of my computer in a completely vegetative state, I'm amazed at how much my life has changed in the last year. In the last year...

I bought a car on my own for the first time. I found a little silver 2000 cavalier with 20,000 miles on it. The car drove an average of 2,800 miles a year for the first seven years of its life. This past year it drove 10,000. The car probably hates me for the tripled work load.

I quit a job with the intention of not finding another one...for 3 years. The summer I turned 16, which was the summer of 1998, my mom drove me around Burleson to fill out job applications. I didn't want a job at the time; my mom wanted me to have a job. That summer I got my first job and I always had one until August of 2007. As I shutdown my computer and walked away from by cubicle at my last job for the last time nine months ago, I was excited about the changes ahead but was also worried about the lack of income.

I moved out of my parent’s house. What better time to get your own apartment than one week after you quit your job for the next three years? Who needs furniture? Who needs towels and plates to eat on? Well, apparently I did, along with pretty much everything else that fills a home. Ikea was my best friend, as was my mom's kitchen hand-me-downs. I skimped by for four months until the wedding and then things were a lot easier. Thanks everyone for the finer things in life, like a toaster and flatware to eat with.

I started a new life in a new city - where I didn't know a sole. Chris, my parents and my brother helped me move to Lubbock, but after they left, I realized that I was all alone. I no longer looked forward to the weekends (first, because I didn't know anyone to hang out with, and second, because it just meant time to catch up at school). Luckily, I found a great church family that took me in as if I was one of theirs...and now I am one of theirs! God truly blesses those who are faithful.

I started (and finished) my first year of law school. Just ask any attorney or law student about their first year of law school and they will at the least give you a sour grimace or a downcast look of bitter recollection, and some may even throw out a few curse words. Law school takes three years, and the first year is infamous for being one of the lowest of all low points in one's life. I have never worked so hard in my life. Of course, what other result could be expected from taking 60 over-achieving, academically gifted adults, putting them in one class, and telling them they must fight for one of five available A's, with the majority relegated to C's scarring their previously unblemished academic records? Let the competition begin. When I found myself and my husband sitting in front of our computers at 11:56 p.m., continuously hitting the refresh button on internet explorer, waiting for the class registration screen for next year to appear, I realized that every aspect of law school is a competition. I took my last final this past Thursday and what followed can only be described as a feeling of true liberation. Finally, I'm no longer a 1L (slang for first year law student). I have left the crazy learning curve and grading curve behind me!

I married my best friend. Whenever I tell my professors or other people at school that I got married during the Christmas break between the fall and spring semester of my first year of law school, they react with astonishment. I must admit, it was quite an accomplishment, so much so that I was tempted to put it on my resume before I applied for internships for this summer. But the insanity of the timing in no way means that I regret it. It was by far the best decision I've ever made. The wedding was fantastic. In fact, I loved my wedding dress so much that I’ve actually found myself trying to think of places where I could wear it just one more time (an unsuccessful waste of time so far). And now that the wedding is behind me, I’m finding that married life is so much better than that big party that started it all

As I look forward to what the next year holds, I know that I can handle it. I have God on my side, in addition to a supportive husband, family and friends. Besides, if I can do what I did in the last year and survive, the next year should be a piece of cake (knock on wood).

Month Four

Been married for four months. Highlights from month four include.....

Hmmm....

Ummm....

Well, let's see...

Oh, I know...

So, apparently month four has been a low point. This past Tuesday I found out Chris is going to a benefit dinner this weekend with some guy friend, as his "guest." That's when I realized that I've spent so much time at the library that I almost forgot that I have a husband and my husband almost forgot I was real. But I am totally going to make up for it during month five. Yep, finals will be over and the newlyweds will return to newlywed bliss.

Spring Time

Tulips are my favorite.

Month Three: Sticking to My Guns

Three months of marriage under my belt now. The following are two rules I imposed from the start:

1. Chris may not fart in front of Kim. (And Kim would never fart in front of Chris, because as Heather knows, Kim does not fart).

2. Chris and Kim will not use the restroom in front of each other.

These rules have been strained by the fact that we have only one bathroom and sometimes I really need to pee when Chris is taking his sweet time shaving and doing other man things. Furthermore, Chris was confused as to the definition of "fart." He is now aware that it includes both audible and inaudible gas passing.

I am happy to report that except for one uncomfortably smelly incident that prompted the clarification on the definition of a fart, these rules are still intact and abided by.

April Fools - On Myself!

My last class of the day is located down a long corridor, one side of the hall lined with class room doors, the other side lined with tables and chairs for studying. As I was walking to class yesterday, I saw my friend sitting at one the tables. We were actually partners in a competition starting later that evening, so I stopped and told her I had class but that I would meet up with her afterwards to get ready for our competition. After I got out of class, I noticed that my friend was still sitting at the same table. Her backside was facing me as I walked down the hall, but I knew it was her because of her blonde hair, her size and posture, and her black suit jacket. As I approached her I gave into a last minute impulse to take advantage of the opportunity to startle her - a little innocent fun on April 1st. As I quietly leaned in toward her, I quickly blurted out, “Boo!” Her whole body jumped and she quickly turned around to see who was behind her. And that’s when I saw her face and realized this was not my friend; this was a complete stranger who just so happened to look a lot like my friend from behind. Oops – April Fools on me!

Trip to Carlsbad

At the Living Desert Zoo
Carlsbad Cavern Entrance
The "Big Room"
Cave thing
Nasty Motel in Carlsbad
The Zoo Entrance

Exactly what type of martial arts?

I went to the book store this past Saturday night. I headed straight for the magazine racks to find the travel section. First I found the bridal magazines. I stopped and reminisced for a second, just long enough to remember that while that was an exciting phase of my life, I'm happy that it only happens once. Next I found the do-it-yourself remodel magazines, followed by the boring financial magazines, and then the nerdy gamer magazines. I rounded the corner to the next shelf in hopes of finding the travel section, but instead I found a whole rack of magazines wrapped in dark plastic bags. I quickly turned around, embarrassed that I was on the "dirty" isle. As I tried to find something interesting in the do-it-yourself remodel section, I noticed a man in the dirty section. He had three or four magazines tucked under his arm. He kept picking up different plastic wrapped magazines, holding them up to the light and trying to move the plastic around to see more than just the title. He looked like a serious shopper - like I do when I stand in the cereal isle at the grocery store reading the nutrition label on the side of each box, carefully inspecting the amount of sugar in a serving. As this man carefully inspected each of his selections, his phone rang. It must have been his wife because after he answered he said, "oh, I'm, umm, umm, you know, umm, looking for, umm, a martial arts magazine." As he was saying this, he placed all his favorites back on the shelf, glancing around to see if anyone was watching him. That's when our eyes met. It was an awkward split second of eye contact - my trying not to smile, his silent acknowledgment that I was completely aware of what was going on – and then he left. He never did find a martial arts magazine, but I don’t think he really wanted to.

At the park

Month Two

A week ago Wednesday, I woke-up at 4 a.m. to a shaking bed. The Texas flu epidemic had finally infiltrated my home via my husband. As Chris lay next to me shaking uncontrollably, all I could think was, "I don't want to get sick." Although I diligently washed my hands, drank Air-borne like tea, and made Chris sleep on the sofa for the next three days, it all seemed like a meager attempt whenever the sound of his nasty cough would fill our tiny 600 square feet of shared air. Somehow, though, I didn't get sick. Month two of married life has taught me that maybe I have the mom gene after all; I can care for my sick family while avoiding their germs.

Nerd, Dork, it's all the same

Today I decided to try out a new floor of the library. Yes, I know, my life is boring. The big news is that I ventured out of my usual cubby hole in the basement in an attempt to find a warmer place to strain my eyes and wear away the keys on my laptop. The spot I picked was empty at first: four wide tables, end to end, occupied by just my self. But after a couple of hours the empty chairs around me filled with eight men studying for the bar exam, who clearly claimed this area as their territory long ago. So here I am, one lone first year female student surrounded by eight third year male students. As they skim the pages of their review books, I am reminded of when I was studying for the LSAT.
I took a 16 week Kaplan course to prepare me for the exam. I had a stack of books almost 2 feet high that I would carry to the Kaplan study center to review. The routine became mundane…practice problems, timed section practice, strategy review, practice tests, and then more practice problems, timed section practice, strategy review, and yet another practice test. As the exam date drew closer, the stress within me became more palpable. Finally, it was two days until the exam. I made my way to the Kaplan study center to take one last practice test before relaxing my brain for the next couple of days. As I sat down to start the exam, my nerves were at an all time high. This was it, the last time I would open these study books. I was nervous about my preparedness for the real exam but also excited at the prospect of putting this phase of my life behind me. Toward the end of the practice exam, a large group of high school kids entered the room. They sat down and were waiting for a Kaplan proctor to administer a practice SAT. Most of the kids were quietly talking to each other, but this one kid…oh, this one kid…he was loud, and he was annoying, and he was sitting next to a T.V. Trying to be funny and garner the attention of his classmates, this kid grabbed the T.V. remote and began turning the T.V. on and off, on and off, on and off, on and off. The sound of the T.V. snow – that noise the T.V. makes when there's no reception – was too much for my frazzled nerves. I turned around and looked at this kid; without flinching and in an accusatory tone I asked him, "Are you using this T.V?" The chatter stopped and the T.V. snow filled the room. He sheepishly replied, "No." I reached over and slammed my hand down on the T.V.'s power button and rhetorically asked, "Then why are you playing with it?" Without giving him time to reply I turned back to my exam and didn't say anything else. The room was silent until I finished my practice exam and got up to leave.
Now, as I sit here surrounded by these men quietly studying their bar review books, I wonder if they are annoyed by this lowly first year student, hacking away at her computer keys, flipping through stacks of papers, and interrupting their routine?

Baking

I baked this pound cake...it looked so pretty and it tasted really good. Just call me Susie Homemaker.