He doesn't love us because of who we are, He only loves us because of who He is

I Surrender All - Newsboys
I surrender all to the promises You made
I will give it all to the Maker of the day

No one knows your heart
No one knows your fears
When no one solves the mysteries
Or even wipes away the tears

Can you hear the sound of laughter from the other side of life?
There are days when I feel like a stranger sometimes
Now tell me are there any other fools like me

He doesn’t love of because of who we are
He only loves us because of who He is


You never said there wouldn’t be cold, dark days. You never said there wouldn’t be pain. You never said that there wouldn’t be questions without answers. You never said everything would go as I planned in my life. But You did say you would never leave me, never forsake me. You said you would wipe away every tear that I cry. You said you have written my name on the palm of Your hand. You said You love me with a love that is everlasting. You are everything that I need and nothing that I don’t.

Brokenness – that is what You want. That and my heart. Your pursuit is relentless. And for that I am thankful. Sometimes my heart is a stone – cold and hard. But one look into Your eyes of fire and I feel the life rushing back into me. You truly are the lover of my soul. You are my completion, my destination, my perfection. To be perfected in Your love and perfected in loving You. That is my all.

Hugs from HUSH!

Thanks, Roger! All the best to you lads! You rock!

NOTE: If you are sick and tired of the crap music you are listening to, simply check out this great UK band called HUSH at

www.hushentertainment.co.uk

UPDATE: Oh, duh....how could I forget.....check out this GREAT radio show.....not for the faint of heart - it really rocks!!

www.greendragononline.co.uk

Gypsy violins calling to your soul

I'm listening to a cd my friend made for me....finally! It arrived last week, but since my lovely cd reader on my computer has decided not to work and my cd player only plays music tracks, I have only been able to listen to a little of it on a friend's computer. Actually, right now, I am listening to it on another friend's external cd drive. He let me borrow it to burn some cds. Nice. :) Now I get to listen to my cd!! Good times. Anyway, that isn't so very exciting, but you are used to that if you read my blog....me posting about stuff that isn't too exciting.

Girls gone mild

Yup, that would be me and my roomies. We are all home tonight snug in our warm, cozy flat with the cold darkness shut tightly out. Me downloading an anti-virus software update, Jen studiously writing her lesson for her class on Tuesday and Mel turning all Jamie Oliver on us and whipping up some mini-pizzas. Later, we are planning to watch Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring. Good times! It has been a while since I've watched it and Jen was in the mood for it, so sounds like a plan.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Especially right here in my flat! :) My roomies went shopping this morning and brought back Christmas. Now I am surrounded with white lights, holly, ivy, garland and bows. Very festive!

Freaks of Europe - Headbands are for women!!!!

What am I doing here....is it all a dream?

This morning for my language lesson, Joško and I went to a local archeological museum. It was quite impressive, lots of old stuff. :) Also, I got to see my friend, Marin, and tell him all about my wonderful Thanksgiving day - he was quite impressed....hmmm...or was he bored? His eyes were all glazed over...but maybe that was just from lack of sleep, yeah, I'm sure that was it. Haha!! Anyway, another fun filled Friday afternoon and evening await me. Let the good times roll!

PS - thanks for the hugs, folks!

Oh-you-look-so-beautiful-tonight!

All my Thanksgiving wishes came true today. :) Well....most of them, anyway. We had a wonderful time...a yummy turkey dinner.....video games....I talked to my family (except one of my sisters :<)......played trivial pursuit....and my pecan pie turned out perfectly! It really felt like Thanksgiving and for that I am thankful. :) My roomie is chatting with her fam online and doing the web cam thing. She had me see them and say hello....I almost started crying when I saw them. Thankfully, my family doesn’t have a web cam because if they did, I would be bawling like a baby if I saw them. (That is the “delicate” part, Brandon)

My roomie, Mel, bought the new U2 cd the other day. It is fantabulous. I think my favorite song is #5 – City of Blinding Lights. Man, I REALLY hope I get to see them in concert somewhere here in Europe or when I am visiting the States next year.

Ok, that is all for tonight. It has been a full and fun day...time for this little monkey to hit the hay. Nite-nite!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Good morning everyone!! :) A perfect Thanksgiving morning....the air is filled with the sweet aroma of fresh baked homemade pecan pie. The only thing missing??? Um...let's see MY FAMILY and the Macy's Day parade, not that I really watch the whole thing, it is usually just on in the background as all the Thanksgiving day preparations are being made. Oh, well.

Today is a day for being thankful (which every day should be, actually). So....here is a partial list of things I am thankful for:
- My loving family
- My great friends
- My sweet roomies
- My wonderful team
- the sun is shining and the sky is blue
- My health
- Turkey (yum)
- Games
- My computer :)
- That I live in beautiful Split, Croatia
- And sooooo much more......

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with laughter and good company. Enjoy your time with family and friends.....try not to be too stressed out! :)

ps - I origianlly tried to post this two hours ago, but the server was busy. My roomies are up now and preparing their turkey-day specialties....soon my friend Bethany will come with my forgotten green beans.....she gets the hero of the day award!!

Oh, what a night!

Well, about 45 minutes ago I returned home after our Thanksgiving party at the cafe....it was "from 5 to 7." Or maybe a LITTLE after 7...haha. :) It was so FUN! We had around 40-50 people there throughout the evening. Nice and packed. Allison and Lindsay did a GREAT job on the decorations and food.....the flowers and candles were a nice touch. And not to brag (ok, maybe a little) my cookies turned out super yummy and were gone before 8pm. It really was a success.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day!!! I have to bake a pecan pie in the morning and then will go to the Weir's around 11am to help Laura get everything ready for lunch at 1pm. We will have lunch and then, let the games begin! Man, I can hardly wait! I kinda feel like a kid at Christmas, wanting to stay up until it all happens.

Please come home soon...I'm listening to this sad country song....big shock!

So, as you can see, I've added a bunch of crap to my blog. The nifty "mouse" cursor, my name acronym (am I amazing or what? *you nod and smile*) and of course, a hug counter cuz I know you are just DYING to give me a hug. :) All of these things I took from other people's blogs....don't be mad, be flattered cuz imitation is the highest form of flattery. Peace out!

Say to the mountain, "Move over Mountain"

Ok, so no one reading this will get that song lyric. That makes me a little sad. Why, you ask? Well, it is just that I find myself in a place where so much of my life can't be shared with anyone I know. So many experiences that I've had, inside jokes, tragic losses, fun times, hard times, scary times, staying up all night writing papers with my roommate when I wouldn't be falling asleep, no I was "just thinking" and a myriad of other happenings and non-happenings in my life. Nobody in my life right now was there for any of those things. It is not so much that I want one "special" person to share it all with....I mean I do eventually, but not right now. I miss having history with people, good history that is. :) I miss being able to sing the above song lyric and everyone bust out laughing because we remember the 70's style black gospel singer who came to sing for chapel....he was great! "F-A-I-T-H, five smooth stones".......classic!!! He was really rockin'! Anyway, maybe I've got on my rose-colored glasses this morning as I take a little trip down memory lane.....oh, well. Move over, mountain!!

Dalmatia Lions - 91 Bambina - 81 Nuf Said!

it aint nuff said. i need to mention motown and the star. ask bambina. they know them better. hi kike!

(fyi....this was written by Boris aka the star)

Mr. Postman look and see, is there a letter in your bag for ME?

Why, yes there is!!! Yippee! I got a package today. That always makes my day. A package or a letter....well, no really more a package. (HINT, HINT) If you need my address or a list of things I like, just ask. :)

Let's see......what else....hmmm....a friend of mine came by the cafe so I could show him how to post links on his blog and also to listen to some songs because we are going to sing at his church...hopefully. Anyway, I had forgotten the songs, but thankfully Brandon (coworker) had his laptop, so we listened to some tunes from that. But we didn't decide on anything yet. And we ended up not having time to go online so I could show him how to put links in his blog. Oh, well, another day. It is almost completely dark outside and only 4:36 p.m. Yuck! BUT, I am not letting that ruin my day....I have made yet another quality decision to not let the gloomy, cold, dark weather affect my mood. So far, so good. Really, some of the gray days we've had have been kinda nice. All cozy and snug in my flat. Good times.

Later tonight I will be making chocolate chip cookies (biscuits for those who speak English) for a little Thanksgiving Party we are having at the cafe tomorrow. Yes, I know tomorrow is Wednesday, but we are having it then because on Thursday we will have our Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza at the Weir's with turkey and all the trimmings maybe even some pre-recorded American football (the REAL kind) and of course....GAMES. Woohoo!! I can hardly wait!! :) Ooo, I will have to remember to bring "Pit" that is a great holiday game. It is great, because this year I actually feel like it is Thanksgiving Day.

It kinda looks like this today, actually. 

Split at night 

I took this pic on Sunday morning for my friends, the Conrady's.....they are awesome and I'm glad the picture turned so great. :) 

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you

Well, actually getting to know ME. :) heehee....it is my blog, ya know. Anyway you, as always, are welcome to post your answers and comments - I would love to hear from you. *hopeful smile* Btw...my answers are in bold.

Cook or clean
Vanilla or chocolate (ice cream)
Beef or chicken
Chicken or fish
Donkey or horse
East or west
North or south
Paper or plastic
Hot or cold
Mountain or beach
Ocean/sea or swimming pool
Basketball or football
Baseball or basketball
Curtains or blinds
Couch or sofa

Me in the doorway of my building. 

Woohoo!!! 1,011 hits on my blog! Fun times!

Thanks to my adoring fans! (the both of you...heehee)

Live like you were dying.....

Before I die, I want to:
- See U2 in concert
- Take a photography class
- Write a book
- See the Statue of Liberty, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, the Opera house in Sydney, and the Pyraminds
- Go to Ireland, Scotland, Tanzania, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Peru and various other countries....
- Go skydiving
- Swim in the Artic Ocean
- Swim in the Atlantic Ocean
- Go sailing
- Learn to play the gutair

I'm sure there is a bunch of other stuff I want to do before I die, but I can't think of it right now....mabye I'll add some more later.

My friend Lara...and her friend....interesting. :) 

You were right!

I had a great time! :) And it wasn't all that cold. (even better) There were twelve of us who went out....me, my roomies (Jen & Mel), the girls visiting from BiH (Sherilyn & Lindsay), the guys visiting from BiH (Paul, Mark & Keith), Marin, Joško (my "friend" from Bihac, haha), Bethany and Maja. We ended up going to dinner, not coffee, at one of my favorite places in Split. The have great pizza and yummy salads. We really had a nice time....good food.....good conversation.....good company and it was toasty warm in the restaurant. :) After dinner, we walked around the palace area to show our guests some historic parts of our city. Then everyone went to Bethany's to play cards.....everyone except me and Sherilyn. We were done for the evening and are now happily typing up posts for our blogs in the comfort of my cozy apartment. A nice ending to a nice day.

When its cold outside, I've got the month of May...

....right here in my living room with the heater on full blast. :) It is so nice and toasty warm. Unfortunately, I have to leave the warmth and go into town to meet some friends for coffee.....actually, I'm sure it will be fun and I will enjoy myself, won't I? (now you say, "Yes, of course, you will have a great time") Very reassuring. My big accomplishment for the day is that I figured out how to put a place for links on my sidebar. The guy I helped earlier this week asked if I knew how to add links and so I worked it all out so now I can tell him how to do it. (that is his blog I have under "Links...") I am pretty proud of myself because although I know some stuff about computers, I don't know html *gasp* yes, it is true. Anyway, I've learned a few things because of this blog and will endeavor to continue my quest for knowledge on the subject, but not too much otherwise my eyes might glaze over and I'd start saying "Pancakes on Tuesday" and rock back and forth. haha (did you see Rainman?) Anywho....if my fingers aren't too frozen when I get home, I may just post again tonight....that isn't a threat, it is a warning. :)

My roomie Jen took this great shot of a church near the southern Croatian village of Cetina. Nice shot, Jen!

I saw this on msn.com....anyone else from Split recognize the girl? Wasn't she the girl they used for that ad campaign for those pretzel sticks......with the sharp teeth "grizem" Am I making this up?

It is only 4:08pm.....

....and it is already getting dark. STOP!!! Ya know what?! (do you have a feeling that I'm going to tell you?) Well, I was going to continue writing about how my day has been crap-ola and that I am in a bad mood. But, instead I'm going to make a quality decision to be in a good mood. (I hope this works) Really, I am. Starting now.....ok now....definately NOW. Hmmmm....I guess we'll have to wait and see if it worked. In the meantime, let me share what I was going to write this morning because I am sure it has ruined your day not to have read it yet. Haha!!

Here goes.......before leaving for Spain, I took some prints that I bought in Rome to be framed. Yesterday I picked them up and they look GREAT!! eeee! Right now, they are on 3 different walls in my living room, but I'm not sure if they look quite right cuz the nails that were in the walls are kinda high up. Oh, well, I will ask my roomies and we will figure something out cuz I'm in a good mood. *big smile* Anyway, what else? Ummm, I babysat last night for my friends so they could go see a movie (Bridget Jones' Diary). It was fun and their kids are soooo cute. :) This day really hasn't been so bad, it just seems when I start off crabby, everything pisses me off, even stuff that normally wouldn't. I even wanted to push this random girl into on-coming traffic. (calm down, I didn't actually do it!) That's life, huh? So far, my decision has worked, I feel better and all that, plus it is much better when I focus on the things that are good in my life, things that I am thankful for, things that DON'T piss me off. Hmmmm.....nice....I will have a good evening. Cuz my friend Lara is coming and we will make a blog for her. Fun times!! Then, some peeps are getting together to play some video games and watch Shreck 2. So what if it is dark!!!

Or not

Spilled milk. It doesn't make me cry - it makes me ANGRY!!! Especially when it is spilled all on the bottom of my lovely refridgerator. I was going about my business, getting my cereal ready (trying hard not to be grumpy) when I discovered my milk container had leaked out a nice puddle of milk all on the bottom shelf and into the drawer underneath it. PERFECT!! Just what I needed for my grumpy self. What was worse is that it was partially frozen which did not exactly aid in the clean-up stage. UGH!!! This little fridge is pissing me off!!! I can't stand the the milk box (yes, it is in a box) upright cuz the shelves are so dang small. Ok, ok....yes I know, I should be thankful that I have a refridgerator and food and a roof over my head and blah, blah, blah. I am, alright?! But it still irks me!! Anyway, now that I've eaten my Golden Grahams (yummo!) with my UNspilled milk and theraputically written this moan session on my blog, I feel much better......it is going to be a good day (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

I was going to post something.....

....but, I think I'd better wait until I'm not so GRUMPY!!!

Its beginning to sound a lot like Independence Day?

The smells and sounds of the holiday season are upon us here in Split, Croatia. Although it feels like November, it certainly sounds like the 4th of July. One of the ways we celebrate Christmas here, is to set off firecrackers for about, oh I don't know, three or four months around December 25th. Generally, it seems to be something that is done mainly by adolescent boys (go figure). And I mentioned the smells.....chestnuts roasting on an open fire is not just a good song lyric, but it is quite the norm around the palace area in the centre of town where street vendors sell them to holiday shoppers (hey, it sounded good when I wrote it). Although I may not be hearing Christmas carols and smelling the aroma of my mom's homemade pumpkin bread baking in the oven, the Christmas season is definitely in the air.

On this day.....Remembering Vukovar

Tonight in Split, Vukovarska street is lined with candles in remembrance of the losses sustained in Vukovar, a northern Croatian city. Let us continue to pray for healing and reconciliation in this region of the world.

These are a couple of excerpts I found from two websites about what happened in Vukovar:
"At this most desperate moment in their history, Croats gathered as many weapons as they could and organized a first line of defense in the Croatian easternmost town of Vukovar. The town was defended by around 1,800 Croatian policemen and volunteers; against them stood the Serbian army of some 65,000 soldiers, 1,400 tanks and armoured personnel carriers, 1,500 pieces of artillery and over 100 warplanes and gunship helicopters. Realizing that the battle of Vukovar would be decisive in many ways, Croats held their breaths as the battle for this Croatian Stalingrad began on August 24th 1991."

"It was only when defenders were left out without single armourpiercing piece of ammunition, on 18th November 1991., that the aggressor`s army entered the devastated town of Vukovar."

Song Lyrics Quiz - Answers

Since you are all just dying to know.......

1. Sweet Child O’ mine – Guns-N-Roses
2. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman or if you've ever heard of David Usher, he sings it too :)
3. Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
4. Annie’s Song – John Denver
5. Everything I Do – Bryan Adams
6. When I’m With You - Sheriff
7. Mysterious Ways – U2
8. Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn, Cher, Various other artists
9. To Where You Are – Josh Groban

Answer me this.......

......if time waits for no man, then why does it stand still?

Good morning, sunshine!

I woke up in such a good mood this morning (miracles happen). Plus, the clouds have gone away and the sun is shining! Ahhhh.....this always makes me happy, maybe it is the vitamin D...hmmm. Anyway, yesterday did turn out to be a good day. Although not exactly as planned. My friend and I met to work on his blog, but the phone line wasn't working at the cafe, so we had coffee instead....rough. We were supposed to show the Chronicles of Riddick last night (tues is movie night), but the guy brought it on divix and we can only play DVDs...there was NO WAY I was going to let him use my computer. My baby gets cranky enough with just me, he doesn't like strangers. I am very protective about my computer cuz he had a near death experience (actually I almost killed him....accidently, of course). Anyway, we showed Band of Brothers instead. Fun times.

Well, I'm sure you are just overwhelmed with the excitement of my life, so I will stop for now. I don't want you to get overstimulated and hyperventilate or something. haha!!!

Gross, but funny

Haha!! My friend had this on his blog........gross, but funny!

I've got to tell you this little story:

My friend, Steve, had a passion for baked beans. He loved them, but they had a lively reaction on him. Then one day he met a girl and fell in love. When it became apparent that they would marry, he thought to himself, "she is such a sweet and gentle girl, she will never go for this kind of carrying on."So making the supreme sacrifice, he gave up baked beans.

They were married shortly thereafter. Months later, his car broke down on the way home from work, and he had to walk home. On the way home, he went into a small cafe and called his wife and told her that he would be late because he had to walk home. After making the call, he smelled baked beans in the cafe. They were the best beans he had ever smelled! He could not resist and had three large orders of baked beans. All the way home he had gas. His wife seemed excited and somewhat agitated to see him, exclaiming, "darling, I have the most wonderful surprise for dinner tonight!"She blindfolded him and led him to his chair at the dining room table. He seated himself. Just as she was about to remove the blindfold, the telephone rang. She made him vow not to touch the blindfold until she returned.

Seizing the opportunity of her absence, he shifted his weight to one leg and let go. It was not loud, but as ripe as rotten eggs. He took the napkin from his lap and fanned the air about him. Things had just returned to normal when he felt another urge coming on. So he shifted his weight to the other leg and let go again. This was a prize winner. He figured that he must be done. But then he made a third fart. This one made the flowers at the table wilt! Yet somehow his wife didn't hear him. While keeping his ear on the phone conversation in the hall, he again fanned vigorously until he heard the phone farewells, indicating the end of his freedom. He was the very picture of innocence when his wife returned. Apologizing for taking so long, she asked if he had peeked. He assured her that he had not. At this point, she removed the blindfold and there was his surprise... Twelve dinner guests seated around the table for Steve's surprise birthday party!

Its gonna be a good day

Yes, yes it is. I finally had a good sleep in my nice warm bed and I'm soooo happy to be home. Spain was great and all, but the trek home has given me an even greater appreciation for my beloved Adriatic home. Today I am going to see some friends whom I haven't seen since before my trip. :) ...yes, I know I've only been gone a few days, but still looking forward to seeing them. One guy has just started a blog and he needs some help with posting some pics and stuff. Since I am such an expert at these things, I'm going to show him how it is done. haha! The other is Lara, the great, amazing, funny, cute girl who finished her essays on the Scarlet Letter. *cheers & applause*

Anyway, those seem to be the highlights of what my day will be.....at least I hope, I don't really want anything TOO dramatic to happen today....but I'll let you know tonight. (I know you will be on the edge of your seat just WAITING) haha!!

How can you say no to this sweet face?

Here she is as a puppy....makes ya wanna go out and get one, huh?

Cute puppy!! I got this pic from http://rogerintaiwan.blogspot.com .....someday. :)

Song Lyrics Quiz

Another fun quiz from Davida. :) See if you know the song title and artist for each of the following song lyrics. Hope they aren’t too hard!

1. “She’s got a smile that it seems to me, Reminds me of childhood memories, Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky”

2. “City lights lay out before us, And your arm felt nice wrapped ‘round my shoulder”

3. “And I want to wake up with the rain, Falling on a tin roof, While I’m safe here in your arms”

4. “You fill up my senses, Like a night in the forest, Like the mountains in springtime, Like a walk in the rain”

5. “Take me as I am, take my life, I would give it all, I would sacrifice”

6. “Maybe it's the way you touch me, I feel warmth of the sun, maybe it's the way you smile, I come all undone”

7. “Johnny take a walk with your sister the moon, Let her pale light in to fill up your room”

8. “Saw the ghost of Elvis on Union avenue, Followed him up to the gates of Graceland, Then I watched him walk right through”

9. “I wish upon tonight to see you smile, If only for a while to know you’re there”

"Honey, I'm home!"

Hello, my sweets! Well, it only took one car, three airplanes, four buses and 24 hours for me to get home, but here I am at last. I was supposed to fly in to Split last night, but due to strong winds, the airport was closed. So, instead, I flew from Rome into Zagreb and stayed the night in the airport (fun times!), then caught the first flight out to Split at 5:30 this morning. With all that said, I had a great time in Spain! The wedding was beautiful and the reception was SO fun! I even got to be in the wedding (sort of).....in Spain they don't have attendants, but me and three other close friends of the bride got to walk in after the family and sit in a special place. The ceremony was all in Spanish, but I could understand some things. Then there was the reception with a four course dinner and wedding cake, of course. We didn't leave the reception hall until around 3:30am. What a party! It was fun to experience a wedding in another culture and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Oh, I took lots of pictures so I will get them developed and post some here. :)

In case of a water landing

Hmmm....don´t you mean in case we have engine trouble and plumet from 30,000 feet into the Medeterrainian Sea? I don´t think I would be worrying about my floatation device or life vest at that point. Just an observation.

Well, I made it safely to Spain and have enjoyed every minute of being here. We just finished the rehearsal dinner and I am writing this from the bar area of the restaurant it is a little creepy, but not too bad. Anyway, the wedding is tomorrow night! eeeee! My friend Kristy is so great and I am sooo happy for her and her soon-to-be hubby.

More to come on Sunday or Monday with all the exciting details of my trip. Peace out!

Leavin' on a jet plane

Well, ok first a bus and then a cab, but I will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning from Zagreb to go to Spain. Finally!! Btw, I'll be riding all night on the bus and it has been rainy in Croatia. So, if you think of it.....say a little prayer for me. :)

"Practice tonight......three more days 'til the ass kickin'"

- Bobby the Star

I'm bad, I'm nationwide (worldwide, actually)

eeeeeeee!! I just heard it live! (I'm such a nerd, but not a right prat)

A little something I wrote.....

My Lover
I wanted to scream today. But all that came out was a whisper and there was no denying what it had been – your name. As if it had been shouted from a mountain, it echoed through my soul, it shook me. Why do I keep coming back to this wilderness of pain? Am I too afraid to let go of the comfortable misery I am in, more at home in it than the fear of what is to come? So many questions plague me; they will not let me rest. My heart weak, my strength gone. No will to fight, but somehow I must go on. All I can do is stay here, lying here broken. Then I feel a presence, so sweet, so familiar, yet almost forgotten. His lifts me up into his arms and holds me in his secure embrace. My tears come in a flood of anguish and regret. How could I have ever left him? How could he ever take me back? Would it ever be the same? The questions came again, flooding from my soul. Although no words are spoken, he calms each fear. As he holds me in his arms, he draws from me every pain and heartache, loneliness, emptiness, bitterness, and disappointment. And I think I will be empty and left numb, instead I am filled with peace beyond what my mind can conceive, acceptance, forgiveness, hope, understanding and love. Love not just of high emotion floating on the wings of angels, but an anchor in my soul that cannot be moved. This is where I belong, this is where I am known, and this is where I will stay – in the arms of my lover.

Did I mention that I'm going to Spain? Yippee!!!!!!!!

Only one day until I go to Spain!!!!!

In 24 hours and 44 minutes, I will get on the bus for Zagreb and begin my journey to Spain. I can't wait to see my best friend, Kristy. We haven't seen each other since my visit to Spain in June 2003......sweet memories. She gets married on Saturday and I'm sooooo thankful I get to go. :) eeeeeeeeeee! I'm so excited!!!!

It is cold outside, but at least the sun is shining

Well, maybe it isn't going to be a GREAT day, but it hasn't been too bad, so far. Other than my friend ditched me, well actually she forgot me. Hmmm.....I don't know which is worse. No matter, it has given me a moment to write to you, my adoring fans. :) Yesterday wasn't so bad, except for the evening frustrations, that is. I had my language lesson and my tutor helped me to buy my bus ticket to go to Zagreb tomorrow night. (My plane to Spain leaves from there on Thursday morning EARLY) Then he helped me buy a wedding present for my friend's wedding. I would tell you what it is, but she may read this. It is really great, though. (Kristy, I hope you like it) Oh! I am listening to an online radio show (yes, AGAIN) and this great song just came on. The music and the lyrics go so well together....both kinda melancholy...."with days becoming shorter, the nights a little cold, you're not out of sight, your just out of time" Nice. Anyway, I was able to get my pictures downloaded and started my writing today. Good times.

Frustration

AHHHHHHHH!!!! I'm so frustrated! I have something important to write for work and I am totally uninspired....it is not that I don't have anything to write about, I just don't know what to write. And then I spent about an hour trying to download some pictures. Well, first I had to download them onto my roomies laptop and then attach them and send them to myself....then download them again. Why go through all this? Well, my disc drive is messed up and will only read DVDs and not CDs. So, after all that, they look horrible....all grainy. :( Ah, the wonders of technology. Anyway, I will quit my bitchin' now cuz I have a feeling I'll be living a LONG time. *wink* Also, my roomie is getting a call from the States. How special. :)

"The Lions are ready to kick ass!!!!" - Bobby the Star

Goodbye Summer :(

Well, any trace of summer that was left has been blown away by the Bura (cold northern wind). It is currently 10 C (50 F), okay, so maybe that doesn't sound so cold, but it was 22 C (74 F) on Friday. As I type this, the wind is blowing and bringing even colder weather. The low tonight will be 1 C (34 F). Super. I can feel my fingers and toes freezing right now. Man, I'm glad I had my episode with the bus last night and not tonight....but then again, I still have to get home.

Only three more days until I go to Spain!!!!!

Welcome to my world

I ask the lady at the bus stop when the bus is coming. She says now, but then oh wait, what time is it? 8:40pm no....something about 20 minutes. 20 minutes more? Ok, so I’ll walk down the hill to another stop where more buses pass by. Then as I am approaching the stoplight (the bus stop is on the other side), there goes the bus that I needed......only about five minutes had passed – not 20. Ok, so, it isn’t THAT far to my flat. Yeah, right. Oh, up ahead there is another bus stop....I’ll wait there. Oh, the wind is cold. This is a creepy industrial part of town. A bus is coming. Good. The bus isn’t stopping. Bad. Alrighty then, guess I’m waiting for the next bus.

Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down

Do you remember weebles? They were so great! Growing up, we had the Weeble Winnebago…they could go all over the country, except they wouldn’t go to sleep.....they just wouldn’t lie down. HA!!

Ok, so nice trip down memory lane into my childhood. Back to reality. Tonight all the gang had dinner at my pastor’s house. It was great to all be back together again, it has probably been about five months since that has happened. We talked, laughed, played games......and Caroline took her first steps! What a night!

Quote of the day

If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry* Christmas.

*or a happy one....heehee

Easy like Sunday morning

I love Sunday mornings. Nice and quite. Also, I get to watch Columbo. heehee. He seems all backward - bumbling and fumbling - and then bam! he's got the killer. "Just one more question...."

I am feeling better, for the moment, and certainly will be 100% for my trip to Spain. There really is not another option.

I love it when.....

.....I'm listening to the radio and a song I've REALLY been wanting to hear comes on. (the song was "Walking in Memphis" btw). :)

Only four days until i go to Spain!!!!!!!!

Not such a bad day after all

Well, it has turned out to be quite a nice, relaxing, cozy day for me. :) After my nap I was feeling better and am continuing to do so. Partly this is due to the fact that I talked to my mom, dad and one of my sisters....my other sis and I will chat later tonight when she gets off of work. I had a pleasant and lengthy chat with each one of them, which doesn't happen too often (the lengthy part, that is). I love my Pfamily! Despite the occasional frustrations and irritations, they really are great and I miss them often and much. It may be easy for me to be so fond of them from this side of the pond, but being far away has given me a better appreciation of them and the time we have together.

Answers

Here are the answers to my movie quote quiz....thanks to the two of you who posted your answers. You get an A+ even though you didn't get all the answers right. You left a comment and that is what counts! :)

1. “A party is a party, but a Christmas party, well…” - Mr. Elton in Emma

2. “Is this a kissing book?” - The Grandson in Princess Bride

3. “Baby steps to the door, baby steps down the hall, baby steps to the elevator” - Bob Wiley in What About Bob?

4. “When people say change is good, what they really mean is that what you did not want to happen at all has just happened”- Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail

5. “Oh that sounds good: melted chocolate inside the dash, that really ups the resale value.” - Richard Hayden in Tommy Boy

6. “Every man dies, not every man really lives” - William Wallace in Braveheart

7. “What we do in life echoes in eternity” - Maximus in Gladiator

8. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming” - Dori in Finding Nemo

9. “I’m watching you Wazowski, always watching” - Roz in Monsters, Inc.

10. “You don’t throw a whole life away just because it’s banged up a little” - Tom Smith in Seabiscuit

Another day in paradise?

I am sitting here trying to think of something witty to write.....or interesting at least, but I'm all out today. It hasn't been a bad day, really. I haven't been feeling well, so that is no fun. However, I had coffee with some friends this morning and that was good. Definately not swimming weather today, it dropped to about 18 C and is supposed to rain and get even colder tomorrow. A perfect day for a nap on the couch.....I don't know what it is, but I just love a nap on the couch, for some reason I can sleep better there. Anyway, whatever. Now I'm feeling better and listening to some country music cuz it makes me think of home and my fam. So, to my sweet Pfamily.....I love you and miss you and I'm just SO proud. *wink*

Samo plivaj...samo plivaj, plivaj, plivaj

Ah....what a day. :) Started off this fine Croatian morning with more sunshine and blue skies. Can it get any better than this? Well, I’m glad you asked, because, yes....it can and it does. My inbox actually had an email for ME...not a newsletter sent to hundreds of people or a random forward, but something just for me. That always brightens my day. Then, I met my amazing, funny, smart and did I say funny? Croatian language tutor. He may be from a small town in western Bosnia*, but I don’t hold that against him. :) We had a great time, kao uvijek (as usual). After that, we stopped by to visit a friend at work & another friend of ours was there. We chatted briefly about our upcoming camping expedition and the good news that I found some great camping equipment that we can borrow. From there, I went to the café (Global Café....our coffee shop/youth center) and of course that was great. And THEN comes the best part.....I met my cool friend Lara and we went for a little swim in the Adriatic. It was, um.....hmmmm.....how can I say this? It was COLD!!! At least at first, then it wasn’t so bad and then I realized that maybe it felt so nice and warm because hypothermia was setting in. Time to go ahead and get out of the sea at that point. I definitely felt refreshed after that, well and after I came home and got into some warm comfy clothes. At that time I was going to post this, but there was a problem with the server. So I went to our Friday night youth meeting where we had a great time....I tried to play this American football video game, it was quite funny. One time the ball was coming right at me and I made my guy run away from it. haha! Too bad I couldn’t make him scream like a girl and wave his arms around.....video games imitating life or life imitating video games? heehee. Now, here I am about to get online try again to post this. Peace out, girl scout!

*see post from October 24, 2004

Looks like a great day for a swim! :)

I love it when....

.....I'm walking with a little kid and they automatically reach their hand up to hold mine. Too cute! :)

"Safe Mode"

So, why is it that when you have a problem with your comptuer, it starts up in "safe mode"? Why do they call it that? Cuz let me tell you, I certainly don't feel safe when that is happening. As a matter of fact, it makes me feel quite UNsafe and concerned that my precious is going to have something horrible wrong with it. Thankfully, tonight that is not the case. After a quick restart and a prayer everything seems to be running smoothly.

Today has been yet ANOTHER beautiful day! Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. :) And happy I am......effervescent, actually.....just trhilled with it all......enjoying this life I've been given. Don't know exactly how to explain it cuz nothing too exciting has happened today, which is a good thing. It is nice to have a break from the drama of life. Oh! But I do have something exciting planned for tomorrow, at least if this nice weather holds. My friend Lara & I are go to the beach for a nice swim. *BIG smile* The water is around 21 C and the past few days the air temp has been around 24 C. Perfect! I am very much looking forward to it!

And the winner is......

Bush 274
Kerry 238

4 more years :)

Somebody loves me!!!

A new steamy romance? A long lost love found? A secret admirer? Nope, something even better - a package from home! :) My mom & sister sent me a video with one of my most-liked shows from the states. Law & Order: Criminal Intent with Vincent D'onofrio.....he is like Columbo, but a hottie. :) Also, they sent me two games - "Pit" and "Fact or Crap"......for those of you who do not know me, I love games, so this package really makes my day. However, it has been a pretty good day even minus the package. I'm wearing flip-flops, jeans & a short-sleeved shirt in 24 C weather - nothin' but blue skies and sunshine here.

Is Ohio the new Florida? Let's hope not

Bush - 269
Kerry - 238
TBD - 31 (IA, WI, NV & NM)

98% of precints reporting
7:00 am est

Those numbers are with Bush winning Ohio, which Kerry has yet to concede. One article I read stated that it could take up to two weeks to count all the provisional and absentee ballots to determine the final outcome of the state. Oh, the drama!

USA - Election 2004

Well, as of right now, from what I can find online....here are the projected results to the presidential election:

Electoral Votes:
Bush - 269
Kerry - 207
TBD - 62 (MN, MI, WI, IA, NM & NV)

Popular Votes:
Bush - 49,855,900 51%
Kerry - 46,540,139 48%
Nader - 343,752

80% of precints reporting. It is 1:30 am est, so we will know more in the hours to come.

Ahhhh!! I'm so nervous.....who is our new pres going to be????

Warm November Day

So, here I sit waiting for the phone line to be freed up so I can go online. At first I thought it would be difficult to start writing this while not online because, let’s face it, there is something quite magical about being on the internet…so connected, yet somehow so disconnected. Hmmm….does that make sense? Anyway, it appears to be pouring out quite freely now, meaning the seemingly endless stream of thoughts whether they will be coherent or incoherent remains to be seen.

It was another unseasonably warm day today in my neck of the woods. Although this fine weather is quite enjoyable, there is a part of me looking forward to frostier days. That is a breakthrough of sorts for me because I have been anxious about this winter. Cold, dark, dreary days. Yuck! But, I am trying to change my perspective on it and think of all the nice cozy sweaters I’ll be able to wear and hot cocoa I’ll be able to drink after I walk home in the freezing rain, oh wait, I was supposed to be keeping it positive. Let’s change the subject……let’s see…..I had about 50 ideas of what to write all during the day, but of course, now I can’t think of ANY of them.

Oh, yes! Tonight, my roomies and I had a treat….ok, ok….this might not sound like such a treat to some people, but for those of us who don’t have cars or get to go to a grocery store bigger than the size of our kitchen, it was quite a treat. My friends are out of town and we got to use their car (btw, thanks…heehee) to go to the grocery store. Yippee!! It must be the biggest grocery store in the area…..it is HUGE…..actually after not regularly go to big stores, it is a bit overwhelming. I think we bought enough stuff to last us through the winter….haha. Well, since I don’t want to over stimulate you with all the exciting news of my life, I think I will call it a night. :)

Happy November!

What a beautiful sunshiny day here on the lovely Adriatic coast. Since it is All Saints Day, my roomies and I are all off for the day and enjoying some quality time hanging out, watching some TV and surfing on the net. Jen is making chocolate chips cookies, they smell so yummy. Hopefully today is just a taste of what is to come for this month.....good times with good friends.

It looks like it will be an action-packed month. I go to Spain for my best friend's wedding in 9 days. :) Then the weekend after that, there is talk of a camping expedition...fun times...then of course, there is Thanksgiving. Ohhhh, I am so excited about it all!