Finally Finished

For about the last year, I have been working on a baby quilt for some dear friends who finally had their first baby this last summer. Even though my mom helped me with the cross-stitching, it still took me longer than it really should have to finish. At least I finished it before the baby turned six months old :o)

Here is the quilt. We put it together yesterday. The process started off well, but then we had a series of mishaps. Suffice it to say that one should always make sure that she measures carefully instead of assuming she knows the width of the quilt face.

Seriously?

I just read a story about a man who left his cell phone at a McDonald's and this cell phone had naked pictures of his wife on it. Apparently someone got a hold of his phone and uploaded the pictures on the internet. According to the story, the employees at McDonald's said that they would secure his phone until he arrived, so, since the phone was not secure enough, he is suing McDonald's, the franchise owner, and the store manager for 3 million dollars. The story does not say if the man knows who uploaded the pictures.

My first question to this man would be, if you are foolish enough to keep naked pictures of your wife on your cell phone, then what do you expect? One would think that the man would make sure he always has his cell phone with him. I do not think that he has a legitimate lawsuit. Perhaps McDonald's should receive a hand slap for not properly securing the phone after they said they would, but who knows, the pictures may have been uploaded before the man called the store. Hopefully he and others who hear about the story will learn that one has to be careful in all areas of one's life because one never knows what could happen with that material.

Being Thankful

My mother-in-law used to have a Thankful Thursday post, and I was thinking that I would do the same. I have had a difficult time lately thinking about what to post because I don't want my blog to become a forum of complaints. So, on to being thankful.

After having come from a good workout at the Y, I would have to say that I am thankful that I am healthy and have the use of my various limbs. I do not have a family history of health problems, so I don't expect many problems in the future. Also, I do not have to take medicine on a regular basis because my blood pressure, cholesterol, and other levels look good. Right now I am a little sore because I am asking my muscles to behave in ways they are not used to behaving, but at least I can still use them.

Dr. Conard?

My Comp students are currently working on their research projects. As part of the process this year, I have been completing the work on my own along with my students. Unlike my students, I have really enjoyed the process. It made me realize how much I miss being a student. Now that I have had the opportunity to teach full time for four years, I would like to go back and see how my learning skills have improved.

The problem is time and location. If I want to pursue a doctorate, the closest schools are KU, OU, or OSU. There is a program at Baylor that I would be the most interested in, but for any of these schools, pursuing a doctorate would require moving away for a couple of years at least. It would give me more options when it comes to looking for teaching jobs, but I also know that I have it pretty good at Hutch. Likewise, I know that God has me there for a reason. The process went so smoothly for me to get the job that I have that I do not want to neglect what God is calling me to do.

I ask myself the question about pursuing a doctorate in English at least once or twice a semester. Sometimes I wonder if that is why we do not have children yet. What to do? What to do?

First Session

I had my first meeting with my personal trainer today. He seems like a very nice person and I do not think that I will have any problems working with him. I'm looking forward to having a more structured workout plan. I'm an organizer, so my disorganization in this area of my life is frustrating.

Next week I am going to be measured and tested so I can have a baseline to measure my progress. That means I have one week to make some changes so my numbers will look a little better ;o)' Why is it that when we hire someone to specifically help us with an area of our life, we try to make ourselves look better than we are. Sort of like hiring a maid but cleaning house before she (or he) comes to clean.

No Worries

As I was reviewing my verses this morning and as I prepare to go vote, these two passages really stuck out to me as a reminder of who is really in control today and every day.

Psalm 66
1 Samuel 2:1-10

4th Photo

This is a Shelby Series One that was on display at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. This hotel had a huge car collection that was free for people staying at the hotel.

This was our second trip to Vegas. We went during the month of June 2004. It was right after I had graduated with my Master's in English and my youngest sister had graduated with her Bachelor's in Anthropology. Since Matt and I really are not into gambling (I will play the slot machines occasionally), we decided to spend more time seeing the sights. There are quite a few cultural opportunities in Vegas. We went to a Monet exhibit at the Bellagio, and my mom paid for us to go and see the Blue Man Group (Matt was even part of the act).

We're not all the excited to go again. I think that we have had enough of Vegas to satisfy our curiosity for a very long time.

I will tag my sister, Krista.