Let's Celebrate, It's All Right!

I just started National Treasure about a half an hour ago... there's no way I'm going to finish the movie before I poop out and go to bed.

This weekend was fantastic, I spent quality time with my dog. We went to the Pugnic on Saturday and afterwards I parked the truck in my aunt's work's parking garage and we walked around downtown Anchorage. Ran into a couple of coworkers (they advertise for the show with puppies lol) and then headed to the Saturday market, saw more coworkers and just enjoyed the time being away from the house. It was relaxing even with it being crowded (something I normally freak out with.)

We came home from that and Yuka zonked out for the rest of the day while I worked on Sunday School material and chatted online. The story for today's lesson was the one where Joseph Interprets Pharoh's dream (7 skinny cows eat up the 7 fat ones) and so the craft was a simple cow craft that I had to come up with on my own because the online cow crafts were not very good.

Anyway the craft was a hit, and I was very happy with how the class went today. Yay. Next month I'll have at least one Sunday when I am teaching by myself, and I'm confident that my girls can handle it!

One of my favorite scenes is playing on the movie, guess I should go back to watching it before going to bed. Yay!

Anyway got five days of shows, 10 shows total because as of today Wildride is doing two shows daily! I am SO VERY HAPPY because I cannot stand being bored until 4pm.

I just wish they'd let me get in an 8 hour day.

Alright. Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

So my emotions have been all over the map this weekend. It all started Friday when I was told that there was no way I would get Sunday off. That they needed me. Unfortunately they didn't tell me sooner and Judy and I had fandangoed tickets for Indy Jones. I am now out 15 bucks because of the poor decisions on the part of the guys in charge. I was a bit upset, but fair is fair I guess. Got a big lecture on how we're a team and I'm one of the most important members of that team and it was time to pull together - okay, I can buy that.

But I don't really FEEL like I'm always considered important. I'm pretty much walked on by some of the 'actors' until something goes wrong and then they need me and then it's "oh, Toni, we love you." Mind you, Dallas is always up front with me - though he sends Jake in to do the dirty work because Dallas apparently doesn't enjoy confrontations - and so I decided to talk to him last night.

But back to Friday. After working my tooshie off and helping out with as much as I could I was feeling pretty good about where we were audio wise come Saturday which was our first official show. We decided to not charge people until the show on Monday (ie TODAY!) so we were expecting a decent turn out. Then we wake up to really crappy weather on Saturday and we were figuring we'd get like 5 people. Nope! We had close to 100 people. I missed about three cues, but I was happily surprised by the fact that Dallas FOUND MY SUB for weekends! I am officially getting Saturday and Sunday off as soon as Matthew is trained (which won't be hard, he's technically more qualified for the position than I am!). I was cold, and tired, and wet, and still ticked off - for the most part - that I was working Sunday and therefore missing Indiana Jones.

Then I came home and started searching for music for the show. Dallas is wanting a specific song for the show that is the typical 'circus music' song (I'm told it's "Entry of the Gladiators"?) so I went to find it and somehow wound up with a very septic virus on my computer. I couldn't get anything to come up on Norton and worse I couldn't get on to norton's website OR get a live update! ACK! I tried for two days to get it fixed!

Anyway Sunday rolled around and I went to church and said good bye to my girls (we get a new batch next Sunday, which I'm not looking forward to. I was REALLY attached to a couple of the girls this time around and one was actually hugging me and crying that she wanted me to teach her next class :() So I was feeling good and I came home and vegged until 3:00 when I had to get to work by 3:30. Got there just under the gun and set up for the show. It was BEAUTIFUL weather and the official count for people was 150. Because we were still set up for small crowds and bad weather we had STANDING ROOM ONLY. I was giving out my two sound booth stools out for people to sit on! LOL It was flipping insane!

I missed one cue (it's going to be the death of me this year, I just know it!) but everything else went really well. Dallas is very hopeful that by July we'll get the 500 people crowds he is planning for lol.

The show has a few new scenes, and a couple of old scenes have been done away with (one of which I didn't think needed to go, but that's just me. It does really only work with Jake and Caleb and since Caleb isn't up here this year it makes it kinda difficult - and I think it was a better scene for the team than it was for the tourists!) so we don't have half of the sound track that we should AND I'm learning the show on my feet and making do the best I can. So my stress level is very high.

After the show I waited around to talk to Dallas and vented a bit and talked about what we were looking at summer wise. He is easy to talk to - surprisingly - and I got my points across and I think we both walked away from the discussion more at ease with everything. I got this morning and the afternoon off, I just have to come in early enough to figure out what the show is doing for today and to help out with the gift shop girls (one of which is a rant in and of herself which I will do some other time I'm sure!) if they need me. So I am a happier girl this week!

Back to the virus... I JUST got rid of it like 15 minutes ago after TWO HOURS on the phone with tech support. 50 viruses and 100 bucks later and I'm clean again. OY!

Anyway I gotta get in the shower. I go in at 3 and it's almost 12:30 which means I have 2 hours till I gotta leave! Where did the time go?!

...he always hits me square between the eyes.

This whole "Live Like You Were Dying" series at church has been kicking my butt. Talk about making one re-evaluate their walk with God and making one feel convicted! It's like Preacher KNOWS... He's like Santa Claus or something.

Actually, not really. It's God speaking through Preacher, and in a Mighty way. I am so thankful I have a pastor who is willing and ready to smack his congregation upside the head time and again with the Word of God. He's not seeker friendly, he's about building a strong and healthy foundation in Christ for all of his sheep.

But yeah... ( wow )

In other, non religious related news, I just raked part of the back yard, I smell really bad now because the back yard smells horrible! lol. I worked on the church website this morning, gotta make a lot of changes in the next two weeks, but it will be worth it in the long run. Pastor Davis is so different from Pastor Dean when it comes to this website, so the website will be getting a face lift soon.

I also got 'commissioned' to be one of two photographers (Pastor Davis wil be the other one) to shoot the new Church directory. We'll be doing that in the late fall (September/October) I may have him bump it up as work ends september 1 (for the life of me I couldn't remember how far into Sept. we were planned to go lol) and I'm worried I'll be working full time in Kenai during weekends when I need to be writing and studying. We'll see.

I somehow rubbed a blood blister on the palm of my right hand, typing hurts!

I think that's pretty much all that is going on with me. I gotta hit the shower and get ready for a wedding rehearsal dinner. For a wedding for family, that didn't even think to ask me to shoot the wedding. But then they called yesterday and asked if I could shoot the rehearsal and getting ready. I said no. If they'd asked earlier in the year I would have, but I don't have the card/disk space at the moment, and I'm not going to stress about it. I have already committed this time for the website and just some ME time when I'm not travelling to Kenai (will be there for mom's bday next weekend). *sigh*

The days are going by way too fast, btw. Anyway gonna jump in the shower in about 15 minutes and I still have email to go through so I'm gonna quit rambling here! Hope everyone's early summer is going well...

So dad lost his wallet sometime yesterday. Not sure where. He's in a bad mood.

But it doesn't matter because we had fun at Friend Day at church. It was so hot today it rocked, man! It was sooooooo much fun, it was crazy. We had good food, and then all of these games. The first one was the egg toss. heh heh heh. Pastor Dean even joined in on that one, and he got egged BIG time... everyone did. It started out as a "real" game, but yeah everyone started chucking eggs at each other. Gotta love our church lol. Then the second game was a three legged race. I dared dad to race with Pastor Dean, but Dean was a wimp and told him no. It was still fun to watch though. They also did this relay with a hula hoop, and then they had the potatoe sack races... it was nice to watch and I took way too many pictures. But that is no surprise, is it? ;)

Tomorrow dad and the brat are going fishing and so mom, aunt judy, and I are going to go to the parade and other things yet to be determined...

Then Judy has to leave (it sucks I know) and mom and I will watch all of the awesome shows on TV... because the 1812 Overture is THE BEST SONG EVER... I seriously love that song, and cannons rule all. So yeah I am totally going to watch all that I can! ;) I LOVE THE FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT! GO AMERICA! ^-^

Then dad and the youth group are going to Crescent Lake on Thursday-Saturday... so it'll be me mom and the brat UGH... I will be outnumbered, and it will suck. But on Sunday, weather permitting, we are going to Stormy Lake for a day of fun in the sun... we'll take dad's boat out and pull everyone around on inner tubes, it's going to be so much fun!

Ok I am going to go, because Duane is trying to gross people out with his food and I want to kill him >_

Well, the crisis hasn't really passed, but I am not at liberty to discuss, and really I don't know if I know enough to know that I know.

Let's just say I am still confused, but have at least one more part of the puzzle.

I have been gone all day, and it was an emo roller coaster, but I guess I wouldn't change it. Other than Duane the day was great. Seriously though the child needs to get his act together.

I tried to read everyone's entries, but I am so tired and I have church in teh morning so I guess I will just say I LOVE YOU ALL and I am not ignoring your journals! I just have so much to go through and I am drained. So *HUGS* to all and I will get to your entries tomorrow or Monday!

I have a prayer request. During the Sportsman show I got a tip on a job opportunity for the summer down in Kenai. That would severely change my summer plans, but I think this is a good change. I'd be working at the Visitor Center in Kenai and that's right by my house. I am excited about that! So I will be emailing them tomorrow for more info on that. Please pray that this all works out in teh best possible way. I REALLY miss home, granted DUANE lives there lol but I miss my church and my friends.


Oh and another prayer request: Kassy has been in Fiji for a few days now on a mission trip. She comes home in June. I miss her lol

and Josh and his sister Brittany will be in Russia this summer...


exciting times... whowouldathunk that we'd all grow up? LOL

today his sermon was on "The Superbowl of Marriage" it was great. It was VERY funny, but also very meaningful...

though at one point he went to say "One day I told my wife" and it came out "One day I said 'WOMAN'" and he lost it... his wife was laughing so hard she was laying sideways on the pew. It was hilarious! I will definitely have to tape it when it comes on... it was just toooooooooooooooooooo funny today LOL

So lets just say sleeping without my puppy just can not happen unless I am sharing a room with a friend or something. I missed her so much last night... it was too quiet without her snoring! Yikes!!!!!! I guess I will live. 3 days till DISNEY WORLD!!! So I should look at this as a worthy sacrifice, right? WRONG. I wish I could bring her with me. I miss my baby girl. :(

Anyway I got up at 6:40 because, lets face it, it was really 7:40 and even though I went to bed at midnight(which was really 11pm?) I just was ready to get up. I caught wind of Halloween on Ice being shown on my CBS station at midnight so I taped that... it was *ok* but not as good as it could have been. Anyway I got ready for church wearing my spiffy new slacks that my mom bought me... I feel so good in them *hugs her slacks*

Went to church... heard about all the fun from Saturday night... I was bummed but oh well I wasn't feeling well so I will get over it. Went to church the whole candidate thing wasn't as bad as I thought... the last guy up there said "I'm so and so(I can't remember his name ha ha) and I don't have any ads on TV" that's when the entire congregation went into hysterics laughing and applauding... I think he won his district today ha ha! Pastor Prevo had a joke about the media(see "Media? Biased?" down below) it was good. Then he finished his thing on Tithing today... I will miss the next two sundays and I am bummed... I really like his preaching BUT!!! for one Sunday I am on vacation and the next sunday I get to be in Kenai in my home church so it is alllllllllllll good!!!!!! :)

oh and my name was in the bulletin for being a new member, isn't that cool? (it's the simple things in life ha ha!)

Erin's brother got in a major accident the other day and so she might not come home for Christmas :( I miss her. I am so lonely. :(

Keith and Trish are going to come over tomorrow night. and I start packing tomorrow... Disney World or Bust!!!

The trick-or-treaters were so cute tonight... some of the costumes were great... we had a total of 7 spongebobs... a scooby doo, teenage mutant ninja turtle, a ladybug, lots of ghouls, and SNOOPY which was the coolest costume of the night... in total I'll bet we had 45 kids...

oh yeah and 2 more days of annoying TV campaign ads. Just remember and vote Bush so my trip is a happy one ;) ha ha!

my new church has a college age group and on the 30th they're having a costume party
what should I go as??? ACK!

ok now that I got that out... I got my haircut Monday night... wanted the exact same cut as last spring(the Kelly cut from J2K) yeah, that didn't happen. Somehow this lady thought my hair wouldn't "shrink" when dry and cut it right where she thought I wanted it to end up... which means it's an inch shorter than I wanted... it totally makes my face look fat(ok so it is but still!) and when my glasses are off and you can't see my chest area you would swear I was a guy...

I've gotten "great reviews" from everyone even before I complain about it (ha ha!) but I don't know if I like it... oh well... *sigh*

I'm trying to talk Kassy into driving up here next weekend(halloween weekend) so she can come with me to the party... not sure if she'll get to(or even really want to) but I need someone I know... I miss home for that reason...

I had a mid-term in US History (1000AD - Civil War) yeah it sucked. If I get a C not only will I be happy I will be shocked... there was sooooooo much to remember and we had 4 2-page essays to write(and this is a basic course, not an upper level one, yikes!) it was incredible... i am vegging and I just... I don't know... I really don't like how this semester is going. I have a geology teacher who thinks that I am retarded because I won't believe his whole Geologic Time theroey(that's all it is until they can prove it, which they can't!) I have a group project that is going really no where(crazy lady is now wanting the aliens again help!!!) and now this mid-term... plus a paper due soon that I really have no idea where I'm going with it

I am starting to stress and it's starting to show!!!!!!







how long till Nationals?

this is probably the most liberal show I can watch and love! ha ha! I am really liking tonight's episode... Kyle's baby thing is the least favorite storyline of mine... just because I think it's overkill on his story... he's a screw up, we get that, do we NEED another baby storyline?

I also am confused with the Jillian-Peter on again off again saga

but I finally LIKE a guy Amy is dating... if she doesn't stay with David and marry him I'm gonna be mad(they're kids will feel weird but so what they will get over it)

I love that Cheech is on every week as well... he's a great actor. Loved him in Nash Bridges... he was great on that show!!

David is my favorite new character. He was a real jerk in his first episode, but over all I rather like him.. he's cute and he's smart... caring... and dude he's got emotional baggage that totally tugs at the heart strings!!!

Maxine was really depressed... love that Amy's baby brother is home great character...

anyway there's my ramble... I'm such a dork

In real people news
School was good today... ran into one of my many friends named John. He is also a JPC major and it's his first year at UAA so he was giving me some tips on different classes he's taking this semester... I miss my friends... we talked for 2 hours I was late to class but it was worth it just to talk to someone from home, who wouldn't argue with me even though he is my polar opposite religiously and politically... and who is just so much fun to be around... we're not the best of friends but we talk openly anyway. :)

then I came home and BSed my way through my homework... didn't get it done but oh well... Mariah and her brother Zach were here for us to watch so I gave Mariah my coloring book and crayons and she was telling everyone she was doing homework just like me. I felt special... she's such a cutie... though when I spanked Yuka for stealing food off my plate I got a lecture about how it was mean and that I shouldn't spank yuka... she's a liberal in the making! HA HA!!!Seriously though our carpet is now orange in teh living room because between the two toddlers they managed to spill 2 glasses of juice PLUS a tippy cup... incredible! LOL We get them tomorrow too so it should be fun

Anchorage Baptist Temple came by while I was in class with Mr. Dry Eyes. Gave my aunt some info. I really feel that ABT is more my speed... I know where Dr. Jerry Prevo stands, I know my pastor would approve, and I just felt more at home walking in that sanctuary... I know it'll bum G'ma out(and G'pa too) but maybe if I still hang with them a lot they won't mind... and hey G'ma can still hook me up with guys from their church, right?? LOL Seriously though I wouldn't have to go too many more times before joining unless God really just screams NO. I should probably still check out Grandview, but we'll see.

Tomorrow I'm going to go see Friday Night Lights after babysitting... should be fun. Though plugged in online says there's some not so great words said and things done it should be good over all... we'll see.


I want to see Ben Afflec's holiday movie when it comes out too... it looks funny. Granted he's a big Kerry supporter, but unless it's a plot to push that I won't have a problem watching him. The only thing is he and Scott Peterson look and sound an awful lot alike... kinda freaky!!!


ok we'll I am all over the place tonight so I will end this for now...

wow. how. boring.

Tim was the highlight... (which is sad considering he was the first on the show) it's great to see him skate and skate well... I can't wait to see him kick tooshie at nationals... forget Weir keeping his title... Timmy's back! ha ha!

and I was so ready to strangle Dick Button... he flips out and gets all puffed up and bitchy about Sasha screwing up and before than Eman that it's not good for them to fall and pop jumps and blah blah blah they're elite skaters at this level silly mistakes are bad blah blah blah then MK falls on her footwork section and he makes stupid excuses and says it was the best program he ever saw. Other than the footwork all she did was skate from element to element... the most boring Chris Dean program in history ladies and gentlemen... but since Dick says it's the best then it must be so. *yes, master, yes...*

I'm still not impressed with Brian, or Eman, or Sasha, or really anyone... it was just boring LOL if Nationals is going to be like that then eeps! LOL I'm sure it won't be though...

hey, at least the skating season has started, right?

Kimmie was cool though... I was impressed...

anywho there's my rant... obviously I didn't go to church this morning... I know, I should have, but I just don't feel safe walking to the bus right now in teh mornings... and I don't feel like God wants me at my g'parents' church so I will be going to ABT's sunday evening service... it looks to be good... and then I might look into going to ABT (Anchorage Baptist Temple) or Grandview Baptist... I really feel God wants me to be in more familiar settings. I really like the "youthfulness" or the "hipness" of Change Point... but I just don't feel like that's where God wants me. My g'parents will be so bummed... but who knows maybe I am the one that doesn't want to go there and God wants me there and I'm reading Him wrong! LOL


Yesterday was a lot of fun. FBCK's youth group(ie dad and the youth group!) came up for a day of shopping... so I got to hang with Kassy and Josh and dad and it was so great!!! Elias was his typically odd self, Jeremiah got yelled at by some random lady who he pissed off (what's new? ha ha!) and Kassy and Josh flirted (again, what's new?) it was so much fun... and dad spoiled me!!! it's been a while since he has... he got me a BRAND NEW CAMERA!! It's a Rebel XSN... not the Rebel EOS that I badly want, but this is just is good... just not digital... and then he got me a new coat which I desperately needed... I felt special... Pastor Dean came with the group too... I miss him ha ha! that's when I really felt like I was in the wrong church, it just hit me and Dean didn't even ask me about church or anything... he just looked at me and I felt God saying "you need a church HOME" and HOME means somewhere that I can get to know people, be comfortable, and get to work... I don't feel anything like that at ChangePoint, and I don't think it's there fault... I think God's making it harder for me to feel at home there so that I will find the place He wants me in... we'll see! keep me in your prayers for that


I also have more websites to work on now so I'm very busy when not doing school stuff! which I need to go do some more... so see ya!

OH! and KCHS' football team made State... so did SoHi (BLECH) so I am going to be catching that game!

Ready for an entry that doesn't have everything to do with Mr. Summer? Ok here it is(I hope)

Sunday was a mix of emotions. I woke up in this awesome mood and I was fine until some bad news came my way(I posted about it all week so far won't go into it here). Then it was all I could do to keep from just uncontrollably sobbing. I'm not a very tearful person, I normally just ball it up inside and rarely do I even feel like crying but I did then. and I would have had I not been in the sound booth. All I wanted to do was find a quiet corner and pray... so for the whole sermon I prayed.

Then after that I ate a little at home while getting the backyard ready for teh youth. That was a blast... it was Volleyball, Badmitton, and Trackball... and beef dogs... and junk food, and soda... and we got to know the newbies in the group. 17 people in all showed up... the youth group is finally growing again. All the adults involved with teh group are bouncing and excited... it's great to see. Hopefully it continues. It was a blast I had such a great time. With Elias abusing his body for the team and me totally screwing up every time I turned around (you could tell I hadn't played the dang sport since Jr. High) it was too much fun. I got some great pics... and I'll upload them one of these days.

Tonight Luke's graduation party will happen. Hopefully I don't bum anyone out there... I worked long and hard on that slideshow so hopefully it works... I was up till 12:30 am Wednesday morning working on teh stupid thing... but Josh Groban was the music the photos went with so that was good! :)

Friday... lets see what did I do... nothing...

Saturday... spent all day at the Bittle house... cleaning... nasty kitties... oh well they come home the 30th!

Sunday... would be a whole lot easier if a) Luke hadn't screwed up the computer b)Josh hadn't gone to N. Carolina(so his sister's getting married I work better with him than I do with Paul! LOL) and c) MS SHEILA NEEDS TO TRUST ME! You'd think I wasn't capable of putting pictures on the stupid screen the way she treats me! UGH! I miss MS MARY! COME HOME SOON!!!

Sunday evening was great... AWANA is over and it was my last year at FBCK! so yippee! The only thing is, I'll probably end up doing it next year at any church I end up in... I think it'll either be "Muldoon Baptist" which is really close to where I'll be living... or "Change Point" which is my g'parents' church(They want me to go there so bad LOL but I don't like to go to the early service, and that's when they go)... I could also go to Anchorage Baptist Temple... but I really like Muldoon... we used to go there every year for YEC... so I'm familiar with it... it's a really nice church. But it's whereever God places me... scary stuff... and I may have to even move my membership, I'll have to talk to Pastor Dean about that... it's just college, yo. LOL


anywho, dad and I stayed up till almost midnight watching FRIENDS... I love the DVDs... thanks to Erin for letting me borrow them! :) I'm really tired... stinky doggie doesn't let me sleep in! :(

Ok not really long, just really busy!

Saturday was the SURPRISE Welcome Home party for Courtney. After some major mass phonecalling on Erin and my part we invited all of those from church and school that knew her. However we FORGOT to remind her dad! OOPS! So Courtney was an hour late as she thought it was my birthday and it's a sort of wacky tradition that she be LATE to my bday parties! LOL Needless to say she was completely shocked and we all had a really good time. :) YEAY FOR COURTNEY BEING HOME IN ALASKA!

Sunday I was in the soundbooth as Josh was at a Bow Shoot competition in Anchorage. It was ok, but I really wish the stupid music folder was more organized and the verses of the songs were in the RIGHT ORDER! *pulls out hair* David and I also made the "executive" decision to tell Mr. Jim that we were deleting the 260 some pictures that Josh downloaded for the wedding... HELLO! Program crashes when he download photos onto the system! DUH! Needless to say I was not happy with Josh as I was getting blamed for the system crashes! UGH! Oh well. Only have this spring and summer left and then I'm off to the great unknown of finding a new church up in Anchorage and figuring out what God has planned for me! :)

Courtney came over after morning church and told a bunch of stories. We're planning to do a slideshow next Sunday with some of her Korea Pictures :) Should be fun! :) I can't wait to see her pics and then get to hear more stories... hopefully she'll get to stay here for a week! I'm excited. I love having her home! :)