A new space

This is my "new" blog, so to speak. So I hope all you guys found your way to it okay. Glad to have you!

Spring break ends tomorrow. I am in so much denial it's a wonder I'm not drowning in it.

My friend David informs me that his school was cancelled due to winter storm. I wish we would get a bunch of stormy weather and yet I don't-- cause then I'd have to get through 12 inches of snow and UND is still not going to call off class.

This is all I have time to post now, as I really do have a mountain of work. And of course, it's nearly midnight.

Please stop by again soon!

Reading over Spring Break

It only took me an hour to read the book "The Richest Man in Town" about Marty (pictured above). But it's a story I can't wait to share.

The book details the story of a 70-something clerk at Wal Mart. The story is comparable to the book "Tuesday's with Morrie" and I hope this book also gains national acclaim. I found this book through my mother who is friends with the author, VJ Smith. He wrote this book after meeting Marty in the check-out line at Wal-Mart in Brookings, S.D.

Even though the book is less than 100 pages long, I felt like I had a bond with Marty. A kind man who told every customer who went through his line, "I sure want to thank you for shopping here. Have a wonderful day, bye bye." Before he handed customers their receipt, he would shake their hand and look into their eyes, often adding compliments like "what a beautiful smile."

Marty grew up during the Depression when he was so poor that his mother had to butcher his pet chicken to feed the family. He left school after 9th grade to earn money for his family and served his country in the Philippines during World War II. He described his wife as the "most beautiful woman in the world" and he was fiercely proud of his four children and his double wide trailer. He was most happy when at work, shaking people's hands and giving hugs. Children loved him. One little boy who lost his grandpa asked Marty to be his new grandpa.

After you read this book, Marty will have taught you many important things but his three main lessons were:

1. Relationships matter most in life

2. Try to do a little more

3. Only you can make YOU happy.

Marty showed me that I shouldn't be frustrated that I can’t change the world-- I can change MY world by choosing to be happy. You have to give relationships time and love and not let bitterness strangle you.

This is a great book for anyone to read but I suggest it as a great gift for any high school or college graduate. Marty never had an abundance of money lying around but he was really "the richest man in town" because he valued what he had and took joy in the happiness of others.

You can order the book here: http://www.lifesgreatmoments.com/index.htm

Annoying! --- and other news...

This is a picture from the movie "2001 A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick. I can say that without a doubt- it is the WORST movie I have ever seen in my entire life. TERRIBLE. In this particular picture, astronaut Dave is shutting down the ship’s computer Hal who has gone haywire and is trying to kill the crew. The computer keeps saying in a monotone, “Dave. Stop. I’m scared. Don’t Dave.” It was the funniest part of the whole damn thing.

I was forced to sit through this 160-minute monstrosity because it was a requirement for my sci-fi class. At one point I nearly took someone up on their offer of pot because I figured the only way to escape the pain. However, having never tried pot before, I figured it would be a bad call. Still, this movie was made in 1969 and I'm pretty sure Kubrick was on LSD at the time.

There's no way to make you fully understand how crappy this movie was… there was no dialogue until 26 minutes into the movie and probably only about 20 minutes of dialogue total. The rest was slow motion shots of weird stars, space stations, people, and extreme close-ups on the human eye with weird cult-ish music and loud beeps playing.

There is no plot to this movie. None. At the end one of the "characters" ends up in a weird room and then ages very slowly. Eventually he is shown as a human fetus orbiting Earth. I checked online and this was explained as... "He is sucked through a stargate to another part of the universe where time passes in a different way. He is put in a human zoo for observation by the unseen aliens and after he dies, he is reborn and sent back to earth as a star child."

There are no words. I am really actually angry about this. You know the joke "I just lost two hours of my life that I’ll never get back " -- I really mean it!!! I wasted time on that and I could have been doing something else fun, even sleeping would have been better.Do me a favor and NEVER watch this film. You'll just feel worthless afterwards. I might punch my sci-fi teacher on Monday. Probably not. She is nice and that is mean. But I am going to tell her she is EVIL for making us watch this.

OTHER NON-SCI-FI-RANT NEWS OF ME

The sun came out today and it was glorious. We have puddles around campus that are 6 inches deep. I wear boots with my jeans tucked in. I look sexy. But the sun is great—first day I didn’t wear a coat. It was SWEET.

I was on the radio last Sunday and I mentioned that people should remember that “The Academy Awards are on tonight” – a minute later I got a phone call from a man with a thick, southern accent. He says, “Wow lady are you dumb. It’s not the Academy Awards. It’s the Oscars!” --- *sigh*

I am doing a school group project on the religion of Wicca. One my group members, a very sweet, young girl said, “Is that the thing at the grocery store?” It took me a moment to realize that she meant WIC, the government program “Women Infant Child” It was funny explaining the difference.

My car broke and cost over $500 to fix. Very sad. Not only that, I didn’t have it for 4 days and when I got it back it stunk of gasoline inside. I bought one of those cardboard trees so now it smells like peaches and gasoline. Once it gets nicer out, I’ll leave the windows down to get some fresh air through.

I just found out I am required to watch a video on sexual harassment for work. Great way to spend more of my time. *eye roll* I guess I sound arrogant when I say this but “I realize it’s important to raise awareness of this in the workplace but honestly. What is that video going to teach me about sexual harassment. I worked on these issues all summer!” Arrogant I know, but true. I don’t want to drive all the way out there to watch this video AND take a quiz afterward *MAJOR eye roll*

Ben a marine I know lost his leg today but was awarded the Purple Heart after surgery by a group of marines an a general. What an emotional day for his family- I find myself thinking about them all often. Keep praying for an end to all this pain and violence.

I should go to bed but I’m so angry about that damn movie I don’t know if I can sleep.

BLARGH

Support our Troops

This post is for all those concerned about Ben Lunak, Red River High Graduate and marine... If you have time, please send a card.

GF HERALD friday March 3:
A Grand Forks Marine wounded last week in Iraq was still in an induced coma Thursday afternoon, according to his father.

Lance Cpl. Ben Lunak, 21, was wounded when the Humvee he was in was hit by a roadside bomb.

Still ahead for Lunak is surgery on his abdomen and on his right leg, which was shattered in the incident, according to his father, former City Council member Duane Lunak.

Lunak's leg may have to be amputated, but the family has decided to let him make that decision himself, based on the doctor's recommendations, when he wakes this weekend, his father said.
Condition updates are being posted at the CaringBridge Web site. Go to

www.caringbridge.org/visit/benlunak.

GF HERALD Sat March 4

Marine update:Lance Cpl. Ben Lunak went through two surgeries Friday, according to his father, former Grand Forks City Council member Duane Lunak.

Wounds in Ben's abdomen were cleaned out Friday, and his pelvis was screwed back together after being broken in both the front and back, Lunak said.

The 21-year-old Marine has not been able to talk to family yet, but he knows the family is there with him, Lunak said.

"When we go into the room, he starts to cry and he moves his hands," Lunak said. "It's really tough. I look at him lying in there. What I would give just to trade places with him."

Lunak is in the intensive care unit at the hospital, where flowers are not allowed, but cards and letters can be sent to

National Navy Medical Center, c/o Ben Lunak, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889.
****

Please keep Ben in your prayers...

Me Right Now

I love going to wellsfargo online website right now. I just deposited a bunch of money and my rent check hasn't been cashed so I look freakin' loaded. In a few days it'll be way smaller and once again the numbers on my credit card will be higher than those in my checking.

Some day I will grow up and learn how to cook and save money.

I am enjoying a night of Emily time. I didn't study tonight. Leaving it until the morning (don't have class until 3:30 so I can afford to do this) I watched Pride and Prejudice. Have decided that if Mr. Darcy were a real person I'd knock Elizabeth unconscious so I could marry him instead.

Lines like, "I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love... I love... I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." --- why don't men say that stuff anymore?

Some day I want to own a puppy.

I'm tired of people rioting and dying over cartoons. Isn't there any logic in the world? Can't we all just respect one another and not die over stupid things?

There is someone who sits by me in school who breathes so heavily I want to smack them... it is unfair to find breathing annoying but I can't help it... I really shouldn't talk. I'm asthmatic. Lord knows how I sound.

I'm wearing pink pajama pants with yellow chickens that say "chicks rule" (see top of page) and a yellow shirt with a half-eaten cookie that says "I eat carbs" -- man, I am hot.

Time to hit the hay....