revealed

That's right. It's a 2006 Honda Element and it's ours and it's mostly paid for. We got a killer deal on it and couldn't have had a better car purchase experience.

Why this is so great is because we haven't had a reliable vehicle for most of the time we've been married. The blessed Buick was a nice car that served Carl well (and myself for about the last 6 months of my driving career,) but it has cost us lots of money. While we haven't had any car payments (his parents bought his, I purchased the Toyota in high school) for years, the Buick was sucking our pockets dry every 2 months with some new expensive hitch.

We finally reached our breaking point last week when the Buick started making new sounds (only 1 months after getting it out of the shop, mind you.) We didn't feel like we could look someone in the eye and tell them the Buick was a great car or hand them the maintenance records with confidence. So, we took less money for it than we could've if we'd sold it ourselves, but we got a great deal on the Element and we didn't have to feel bad about the Buick. That's what they call "win/win."

I'm working through some anger and control issues since I can't drive it and it's been my dream car for the last 4 years...I guess I'll forget all that when I have the clear from my Doc and I get to drive it.

I couldn't reveal until today because we're driving it to my sister's for T-Give and have been keeping it a secret from my family.

That's all! I hope the mystery was worth the wait!

the year was 2006...

...and great things were made that year.

I cannot fully divulge the contents of what was made that year that was so great but I can tell you that we are proud owners of something. I can tell you that it was the greatest day with no hiccups and no difficulties. I can also tell you that what has happened has been one of my greatest dreams and it has come true. (Please excuse the disney in that last sentence.)

No, I'm not pregnant. (Just in case you were trying to find a way to make that be what this is about.)

And no, it's not my coffee shop/art gallery/ music venue "Cup of Joe."

Keep guessing!

intro to sociology

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I miss school. I honestly never thought I would say that. Senior year, I don't even remember how many times I said, "I'm not going to miss this." or "I'm never going back to school." I've since changed my mind. I really miss learning. I miss having class discussions about things that actually matter.

There has been a facebook thread based off of someone's status regarding the movie The Inconvenient Truth. The person said it was proved to have 11 falsities and more misleading facts. Needless to say, this turned into a long discussion that started with the movie, moved to Obama and socialism, moved again to individual freedom, and now is to salvation. Shew! There's been over 50 comments between about 5-7 people. It's been really fun to participate in intellectual conversation about issues.

I was thinking back to my first day of Intro to Sociology. That class is responsible for changing my major from Theology to a multi-disciplinary degree of Sociology/Psychology/Theology. I wish I had just gone ahead and gone straight Sociology because a multi-disc degree is annoying to explain to a prospective employer who thinks it's a cop out. Anyway, that's not the point. I remember how that class motivated me and made me excited to learn more about it and to study and to write papers and get into the nitty gritty of issues. Graduation shut that motivation down. What I'm trying to say is that I guess I'm realizing the value of continuing your education, even if it's not going back to school.

In other news, I bought our first ever Christmas tree. I'm not calling it a Christmas tree though...I'm calling it a Hope tree. Instead of decorating it with things associated with Christmas (like Santa and red and green tinsel) we're going to put our hopes for the next year on it. After the holiday is over, we keep the hopes somewhere where we can see them through the next year. Anyway, I'm actually looking forward to it for the first time in a long while.

if you want to...

...you can purchase either the old Java Joint or the old Firehouse Grill (most recently Harbor House) and let me turn it into the coolest coffee shop/local artist gallery/and live music venue that 39th has ever seen. I think I would call it "Cup of Joe" with the tagline "coffee, art, music; warmth, meaning, and community." You could earn "cups" towards free wi-fi after so many drink purchases. Think about it...

Student ID discounts.
Open mic-night.
Locally roasted coffee beans.
Bomb BLT's.


Think about it. Let me know. I'm ready when you are.

flying

I DID get to go to Michigan this weekend! WOO HOO! It was awesome; I'm so glad I went! No problems, no seizures...all is well. Oh, and it snowed the day we left. Oh, and their trees are the prettiest I've seen this year.

So, we flew. Duh. I forget how people act when they fly. We flew Northwest airlines, so they board "elite" first and then everyone else. So, everyone starts crowding immediately and are cutting each other and racing down the jetway. Don't they know that if you're first on or last on, your seat will still be there? It's called assigned seating. Same story when the plane stops at the gate. You hear everyone's seatbelts unclick and everyone stands up to get their stowed baggage. Again, do you not remember that if you get off first, or last, you're still going to get off? And why hurry? Especially if you have to go to baggage claim, you might as well sit and wait. Everyone just needs to calm down and enjoy life slowly. Just because you run doesn't mean you'll get your (fill in the blank) any faster than those who walk.

PS-I had my first experience at Aldi (grocery store) yesterday and it was awesome. I came away a bandit!

invasion

if one side of my nose is cooperating, the other isn't. that's frustrating. what is also frustrating is already being on medication daily and having to add to that dosage cold medicine due to the pressure in my face. is it not bad enough that i have to feel tired all the time? must we add other factors to this? i guess so.

i'm mostly upset because the movement of whatever into my sinus' is most likely going to not allow me to go to Michigan this weekend to see my friend Emily who I haven't seen since January. carl is shooting her brother's wedding and it was going to work out perfectly for me to come and see her for 2 days. well, that was until I had 3 more partial seizures and now this invasion of bacteria. how rude. all i want to do is visit my friend and feel well enough to travel.

i'm not giving up yet...but i have a feeling that surrender is inevitable. :(

Dear Karma,

Please deal me some nice cards. It would be greatly appreciated.

Heart,
Cara

let your hair down

I don't have anything dramatic to write about since I haven't been an active employee for almost 6 months and a lot of my posts revolved around how absolutely horrible my job was and how I was trying to do anything else. Oh wait, I did and it was called a seizure. Well, I didn't really do that, it happened to me. So, I've decided to subject you to random things that I think about. Starting...now.

I have not had my independence since May 20th, 2008 (forever in infamy as Seizure Day.)
I am working through how I feel and have felt about what that day did to my life.
I am trying to decide on what to study in grad school.
I'm trying to decide if I should go to grad school.
I miss going to school. Truly, I do.
I've spent way more time than you ever have on a couch.
I've rediscovered a love for Kool-Aid.
I found a secret love for John Mayer's guitar and songwriting ability...but not necessarily his voice.
I hope I get to drive again soon but I'm also really nervous about being able to drive again.
I don't want to live my life in fear of ________, but I do a lot. (That wasn't me cussing, that was me leaving room for the many things that I fear.)
I have opened several business ventures in my mind with Katie and Holly that may or may not actually come to fruition. They really should though.
I am proud of myself because I used the word "fruition" and I believe I did it correctly.
I think that I really enjoy cooking and I'm not sure it would've happened if I hadn't had all this time to look for hobbies.
I also really enjoy cleaning and organizing. It helps me feel better and I get a lot of thinking done.
I know my mom wishes I'd discovered the last 2 things I wrote when I was still living with her. :)
I think I'll look really cute when I'm pregnant. Who doesn't?!
I saw someone on tv using a pencil and I remembered how much I loved using #2's when I was in college. I think mostly because I love the color gray. And I love to erase.
I have 3 Target stores memorized and dominate clearance racks like you don't even know.
I just got a shirt at Target for $3.24. It's my new favorite shirt.
I also got a cardigan at Target for $4.95 and I wear it too much but it makes me feel artsy.
I accidentally threw away my parents wedding picture that I'd been wanting that was tucked inside a Guidepost that had Bobby Flay's picture on the front. I still feel so bad about it.
I know who Bobby Flay is because I watch Iron Chef America on the Food Network.
I don't read blogs that look long because I don't enjoy reading. Unless it's Ben's blog.

I think this is enough for you to digest.

victory

Thomas lives with us and he and I have been battling over him putting his dishes in the dishwasher. Those dishes that can't go in the dishwasher are to be washed by hand by whoever used them. I've been threatening that if he kept leaving his dishes in the sink that they would end up on his bed. "yea, yea." Well, Wednesday, after 3 days in the sink, his dishes were moved to his room. I spared his bed, but did leave them in his doorway. They have proceeded to sit there until today when they were finally washed by their master, Thomas. One small victory is still a victory.

Now I know how my mom felt my whole life when we left our stuff everywhere, dumped our dishes above the dishwasher on the counter, left cups out, and generally didn't clean up after ourselves. "When you get it out, you put it away" was a common phrase, but often argued it by saying whoever used it last should put it away. Anyway, sorry mom. Now I know your pain.

PS, while writing this, Thomas loaded the dishwasher and started it, and Thomas and Carl spontaneously started raking leaves in the front yard thus earning 2 points. There may be hope for them yet.