...for today:

http://www.43things.com
my list - http://www.43things.com/person/tish25
I should add "blog every day"

...is a web-based web browser that keeps all of your bookmarks online so that, regardless of what computer you're on, you can open your broswer and have the same links, settings, shortcuts, etc. Is that too much to ask? Does anyone know of such a beast?

StumbleUpon comes close but it's not a browser. I don't want to have to log in to another site just to see my bookmarks. Don't get me wrong--I love Stumble for it's other features, namely, helping me discover awesome new sites that I wouldn't have found on my own. It's just not a browser.



So here's our new countertop. LaViatera in Vienna. We loooooove it.



 

We designed the tile layout ourselves. Of course, you really need to see the before pics to appreciate the after:
 
 
That's right. Blue as far as the eye can see. Scroll on back up there and see the difference now!

Next project: Tackle the baby blue carpet! That's a few months down the road, though.

...that I really don't know where to begin. Every day blogging ideas come to mind but I rarely have time to sit and write. Bluh. I suppose the logical thing to do is to pick up where I last left off (off where I last left).

I have to look at my calendar to remember what else I've done this year...(looking at calendar)...which is no help at all because apparently I was too busy to write down what I was so busy doing. I did manage to note "Pedicure w/Linda" in March and "Dental Appt. for Crown" in April.

OK. Well I did turn 30, which is awesome. I feel liberated from any notion of adolescence left in this body. I've discovered a newfound fearlessness in myself; I'm not as timid about saying what I think and standing my ground, because, hey, I'm 30, and I know what I'm doing. It rocks.

But one unexpected shadow accompanies this brave new world--my first gray hair. I swear I've seen five or six pop up in the last couple of months...now I'm just waiting for the day I wake up and find they've overtaken their shiny, smooth, long-suffering brown competitors and claimed their territory with their coarse, stringy, colorless little flags. Ha. Ah well. Luckily, I don't seem to mind that so much either. I don't know why. I guess I'm more fascinated right now by the whole process.

Well, the next big event on the horizon is NYC. I'm going for the first time in July. I've always, always, always wanted to go and feel a tad lame that I made it to 30 without doing so! But, que sera, sera. I'm going now and I can't wait. Actually, I need to work on my itinerary today. I've found some great websites in addition to my handy New York City Maps book--bought five years ago when I had no trip in mind but just because I love maps and love the city--and The Idiot's Guide to New York City, borrowed from Larry. Here are some of the sites I've found useful:

http://nycvisit.com - Shows what events are going on and gives suggestions on places to go, based on your NYC Type (I'm a Style Seeker). 

http://www.itineready.com/ - This site is no longer kept up to date but I think you can probably still buy a general itinerary. If I were paying and needed something quick, I would go for a combination of Itineraries 2 and 4. But I love the idea of having them customize an itinerary for you. I may look into this more and see if I can find another company who does this.

Things To Know - Really, "Things you should have been told before you moved to NYC". I got cracked up reading these postings for about an hour one day. It also reassured me that as much I love the city, I also love listening to the crickets in a spacious, private, green backyard. 

...I haven't really updated my blog since January, and believe me, it's been hanging over my head. I thought I was the only one who cared, but since Jenn brought it up yesterday, I feel even more guilty. I guess guilt is a good motivator.

I must begin with January because that was when I went to Virginia to visit Ang and Brent. It took two connections to get me to The Old Dominion State, a full day of travel, plus one hour. Ang greeted me with a handmade sign, but I was so excited to be there that I almost passed her up as I sprinted toward baggage claim.



We went to the beach in teen-degree weather, just so I could say I'd been to the East Coast. The only other people anywhere in sight were two men who I feared might take advantage of us. Instead, they took a picture for us:



I was still freaked out. I mean, we're standing between two huge guys and an ocean. Where are we gonna run?

Here are some other beach pics...



Ang looks so calm and fresh.




I'm excited but terrified.




Ang getting chased by the ocean.





OK, so that's a start on getting caught up on the first half of 2008. (Whoa.) I was interrupted by a rogue lizard in our living room, and now I'm worn out from screaming while Shane chased him down.

Emails like the following:

Concentrate on this sentence:

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did." When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

Concentrate on this sentence:

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."

Something good will happen to you today. Something that you have been waiting to hear. This is not a joke; someone will call you by phone or will speak to you about something that you were waiting to hear.

Do not break! Send it to a minimum of 7 people......... JUST DO IT!

I love (hate) how the will of God is juxtaposed against the promise of good if we do such-and-such. Maybe no one really takes these email threats seriously, but it's nevertheless a ridiculous proposition. I don't understand how someone who truly believes in the former can forward such a message with the latter.

Forwarding an encouraging quote is one thing. But the power of the message is completely negated when we manipulate it with tags like, "You must send this to 20 people in order for it to come true!"

God is God. Yes, his children will always be protected by His grace. But protected from what? Pain? Discomfort? Death? No. We are not promised prosperity, and we are not promised health. On the contrary, we are promised suffering:

"For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29

Now there's a quote worth passing along!