Inspirational Desk Calendar Quote of the Day

"I go out to preach with two propositions in mind. First, everyone ought to give his live to Christ. Second, whether or not anyone gives Him his life, I will give Him mine." -Jonathan Edwards

Lori's Late Night Encounters With Death

Last night I dreamed it was the middle of the summer and all the students were out of the dorms and it was my job to clean out the rooms. All the rooms were filled with stuff that the kids didn't take home, tvs, sleeping bags, etc. And cars. I was working with Andrew Rudd and Todd Gill on this endeavor. We were on the 15th floor or something, pretty high up, and there was this roof that we could go on and there we piled all the junk. And parked all the cars. Our job was to shove all the stuff over the side of the building, including the cars, to be picked up and cleaned away. Andrew said he had learned how to shove the cars off the roof. One person had to push, and another had to sit in the drivers side of another car and back out in neutral. With the car the person was driving, you had to bump into the other car three times and it would fall over. Andrew insisted I get in the car "for the thrill." I freaked out. I was in the backseat of the bumping car and Todd was driving and Andrew was pushing. I could feel the back wheels of our car go over the side and I closed my eyes and prayed and prayed and prayed that we wouldn't fall over, too. We didn't. The car behind me flew over the edge, and the boys pulled our car back up. I said I didn't want to try that anymore and I got out, praying that they would be safe doing such a dangerous thing. Well, somewhere along the lines, Andrew turned into Felicity Porter and Todd turned into Noel Crane. In the dream, I hated Felicity for some reason but when I saw her pushing the car and Noel driving, I got very nervous and prayed for them. But I had a bad feeling so I watched, praying. I saw the car tip over the side with the backwheels like it was supposed to... then it tipped back too far. Felicity grabbed for Noel and caught him but she couldn't lift him up. He grabbed for the side of the roof and she pulled on him to pull him back up. He was almost all the way back up when she lost her grip and he fell, plummeting off the side of a 15 story building. Felicity went hysterical and I ran over to her to try and help her. She was crying about how she killed Noel and all this stuff and I was holding her head to me tightly as I screamed, running to find a phone to call an ambulance.

I remember saying to Felicity "This has to be a dream. This has to be a dream. Cars can't get parked on top of buildings. Where am I really? Where was I a few minutes ago?" I was trying desperately to realize I was sleeping. But I couldn't come up with any evidence for myself so I realized it wasn't a dream and she really had killed Noel.

But then, I said "But wait, Noel comes back in the third and forth seasons. He marries Natalie, remember?" Then Felicity got this really serious look and said, "Oh, so you know about the other seasons? Yeah, well see next season we find out that Noel didn't die. A homeless man sewed up his skin and he was ok." I said, "You mean the fall didn't smash his brains out?" and she said "No, it was a miracle." So I said "So that's why you're not freaking out as much as you should be." She was like "Yeah."

Calling All Pray-ers(as opposed to prayers themselves)

Ok, if you read this and you pray, please consider saying a prayer for me. This schedule this semester is HELL. Its only the first week (not even the end of the first week) and I'm already overloaded. I have to take a finite math test (on my own time, which I have none of) sometime before next Tuesday, but before I can take that, I have to finish the homework, but the program won't work on my computer so I have to find more outside of class time to go to the computer lab to work on the homework. But before I can complete the homework, I have to go through every single problem and get them right, or else the program makes me start over (AFTER I've completed it and it tells me what I did wrong) and do all the problems again. But before I can start the problems, I have to first complete the questions, same rule, gotta get em all right before proceeding.

I also have to finish Richard II by tomorrow and read for History of English Literature. I have to get finished with my Folk/Pop book, Singing in Zion.

And then I have an art project due Wednesday. I have no time to work on it. How am I supposed to be creative, when I'm so freaking busy?

I need help. I need prayer. I need Jesus to get through this semester. Let's not even mention (as I go on to mention) the stress of being away from Scott and wishing every day I could just see his face or give him a hug. Talking on the phone every few days doesn't cut it. The truth is, this semester is just horrible. I can't even look forward to it being over because as Bullingsbrook said in Richard II "the apprehension of the good Gives but the greater feeling to the worse."

I am blogging on my new computer in my new apartment with my new DSL.

Mon weekend was tres gentil. But mes courses SUCK! This weekend kicked off with a drink with my gay ex-boyfriend at Common Grounds, quickly followed up by the Aqueduct show at JRs. That was a good time but I won't write about it- I'll just forward you to Chris's blog where he talks about the show. I came home from the show shattered (tired, not drunk) but called Scott in Scotland anyway. It may have been 3am my time but it was 9 his. We talked for two hours then I slept for two hours and got back up to meet Kathy and Ashlea at Panera for some breakfast and Jesus talk. Then I went to Target and bought my new bedclothes- a bright blue comforter, yellow sheets, and a soft baby blue body pillow. Mmm happy sleepytime place. I guess I don't remember anything else about Saturday... Sunday was good, I had a great time at church. It was totally alive. Sunday night I went to JRs with Jessica and we played all 80s songs on the jukebox.

BUT THEN, Monday I got up, went to class at 8:30 and thus began the hardest semester of my life. Folk and Popular Music Traditions is gonna rock (no pun intended), Communications will be easy, Shakespeare will be interesting but a lot of work, History of Literature in English is gonna be totally boring and frustrating, Finite Math is gonna kick my butt, Finite Math Drill is gonna bring me to tears, and finally I'll wrap up the looong day with Art Studio where I'll get to unwind to some headphone music and just draw.

Then the next day I'll go to work for 8 hours then the next day I'll go back to school then the next day I'll work 8 hours, then the next day I'll go back to school AND work......

Jesus, please get me through!!! Make Christmas come faster than it ever has before!!!

Friday Five

My answers are up.

Sharkie Nightmare

First things first: Attention all English majors!
My books this semester are gonna cost me a fortune! I don't have the money to get them all right away, I'm waiting on my loan. Anyone want to lend me the Shakespeare book, or the "Interesting Narrative" book for History of Lit 2? All Fulbright students, anyone have a Fundamentals of Communications or Finite Math book I can borrow for a few weeks?

So I had this dream last night. I dreamed that I was playing a Sharkie show at the Greek Theater. I was really self conscious because Andrew came and Andrew hates Sharkie as it is. So I got on stage and Gangster handed me a violin. I was like "Psst! Gangster! I don't play violin!" He was like, "No, you'll be good at it." "But I don't have a bow!" So Roger ran out and brought me back a butterknife. "This'll work." The music started and I hesitantly began playing. It sounded horrible. I stopped and motioned to the guys that I was gonna go find another keyboard instead. Roger came with me while Gangster continued to play. As we left the Greek Theater, I passed Andrew. He just glared at me the most horrible glare, and I kicked him. Then he shouted at the top of his voice as I walked off, "I NEVER WANTED TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT YOU'RE THE WORST GUITAR PLAYER IN THE WORLD!!" Roger told me that all the rest of our equiptment was in the crawlspace at my old church. Well my old church used to meet in a bowling alley (for real) and in one of the Sunday school rooms there was this storage space with a tiny window that you could see the bowling alley through (for real.) So in the dream, that storage space had been all closed up except for this little crawlspace which is where our equiptment was. So Roger and I went over there and we got up to where the crawlspace was and realized that some family lived there. We went into the little boy's bedroom where the opening was. The boy's mother had apparently blocked off the opening with a bookshelf attached to the wall. We'd have to break the bookcase to get in. But we remembered there was also a door. But you had to have a key to get in. "Well, I can just ask Pastor Ehrhart if we can borrow the key." "But Lori, Ehrhart's not the pastor anymore. It's Epstein." [And here is where church politics come in. I shall not say anything about Epstein and his key policy.] So we were worried. I prayed and said, "Ok, Roger, we're gonna try anyway." Well somewhere along the way from the church to the church office, Roger became Amanda and we went up to the front desk and I explained the problem about the equiptment. I haven't been to this church much since I graduated high school, but my parents still go so I hoped I'd get a good response since the pastor knows me. The lady at the desk was really nice and said she'd go get him. A few minutes later, not the pastor, but his wife came out to see me. Except in real life, his wife is Ruth; in the dream it was Sandy Edwards, the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. But Sandy was a crazy person. I tried to explain the problem, and she just started blabbering off gibberish. We had no idea what she was saying. We tried again, and again she just talked gibberish talk. "Ah blaba lauba daba..." But in the end we got the key. We went back to the church, and I guess that's where the dream ends.

Flower Power

I'd just like to publicly congratulate my best friend Amanda on her new job. She walked into the flower shop, asked for a job, and they hired her on the spot. Way to go, fancypants!

This is special to more people than just Amanda. Ingrid and I will now get fresh flowers in the house all the time. On Valentine's Day I will get a discount on flowers if I do the dinner thing again. Which by the way, I think should become a tradition. If someone just happens to have a boyfriend around Valentine's Day, he can come, too. But I've decided that Valentine's Day should be about friends not boys. Bleh. Boys. Gag. Yuck. But friends, yay! Great! Yippee! Hurray!

Now, we don't have many political activist types for friends, but if we did, they could probably get discounted flowers, or maybe even free flowers if they were starting to wilt for their flower-in-the-gun protests. But since we don't, that isn't a perk of Amanda's new job.

Most importantly, Amanda will smell nice.

So congratulations, Amanda, you are my hero of the day. You and Chris Lankford, who created the most ingenius cartoon.

And don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

Another Dream

I dreamed last night that my friends talked me into going out with them last night and that we all got drunk on absinthe. Then the next day, Ingrid came in and said "Are all you girls still asleep?" and I mumbled "What time is it?" and she told me it was 10 til 6 - in the evening. I freaked out because I'd missed work, and I ran over to the answering machine to check the messages and the first two were from my boss. The first said "Lori? It's 9:30, where are you? We're all waiting on you." Then next said "Lori, if you are not here by 11:30, YOU'RE FIRED!" I was so upset, I was running all over the house yelling at everyone for insisting I go out and for letting me get drunk and get fired. All Amanda had to say was, "I got a job at a florist..."

Also included in the dream was the UGC in Glasgow, Scott as a 30 yr old bald guy in tight jeans and converse all-stars, a strange elevator that turned into gliding stairs like something out of Super Mario Bros, and a big sleep over in the back room of a church (where I do believe the absinthe was being partaken.)

Special Delivery

Yesterday I felt like having a short afternoon so I decided to take my lunch at 1:00. Then I could be back at 2 and only have 3 hours left of the day. I had originally intended to pack my lunch and eat at the office, but I'd forgotten to pack one. So at 1:00 I rushed over to mattress store and paid off the rest of my bed and then headed home for some quick lunch. The traffic was terrible, and I didn't get back to the apartment until 1:35. I knew I was gonna be late coming back to work. I put some corndogs in the oven and sat down to watch some cartoons to pass the time. The doorbell rang. I was a little nervous. I was home alone, and I knew there were some questionable characters outside working on the lawn (the kind who look you up and down when you walk by and say things like "Mmm, he-eyy. Hola, baby.") I peeked through the hole and saw a harmless looking old man. I opened the door slightly and the man said, "Are you Lori?" In his left hand was a clipboard. In his right was a rose. I gave him a wild grin and said yes I am. He gave me the rose, and I knew exactly who it was from. I thanked him, shut the door, and eagerly read the card. "I miss you lots, Scott."

God works in interesting ways. If I had just packed my lunch, or gone to lunch when I usually do, I would have missed the surprise. It wouldn't have been so special if I'd gotten a little "Sorry we missed you" card, or if one of my roommates had to pick it up. It made my day. I went back to work ecstatic.

I received a special delivery from Scotland. From a wonderful boy named Scott. Funny how things change. I'm floating on air.

We are mostly moved in now. It feels very good. My bed isn't here yet so I've been sleeping on the futon in the living room. Yesterday morning I woke up early and the sun was just coming in the windows and the room was such a pretty color and I thought, "Mmm where am I?" Then I got a huge rush of excitement when I realized, "I'm in my new house!" (Ok, it's an apartment.) It was such a wonderful feeling. It's very cozy with fresh flowers in vases and pretty lamps and some comfortable couches. Hopefully my bed comes in on Friday like they said it would. I can't wait to sleep on my new mattress. This will be my first full sized bed. I've been on a twin since I was out of the crib. I feel so grownup!

There are two good shows happening this week at JRs: Unwed Sailor and Aqueduct. Unwed Sailor is tomorrow night. Tuesday night is also cheap beer night so what a good deal. Aqueduct is Friday, and I haven't seen them in a while so it'll be nice.

And I really miss Scott.

Now you're all caught up. All you out-of-towners, come visit and see my new place!!

Move In Day

To many, these three words are to be dreaded. They are often accompanied by groans, sighs, mumbles, curse words... But not for me. To me, Move In Day is one of the most exciting three word phrases in the English language, along with Ice Cream Cone, I Love You, and Felicity Is On.

I get to move in today. I will finally have a house. Er, an apartment, but it's like a house. It has three bedrooms, three full baths, a walk-in closet in each room, a fireplace, washer and dryer, dish washer, and a porch. I am so excited, I don't know what to do with myself. Amanda and I are moving in today. Ingrid is moving in tomorrow. I can't wait to put each little thing in its proper place: dishes in the cabinets, toilet paper on the roll, furniture in the rooms, and art in the hallway. It's going to be a great, great day.

I leave work in one hour.

I've started back in on the Friday Five. It's not very interesting today. So you may not want to bother reading my answers. But if you feel like learning a little bit about me (and today, you're really not learning much) click here.

I shall blog again in due time.
Je suis enchante.

Personal Friend Quote of the Day
"If religion is just a crutch, I don't care, I'm weak enough to need it." -S. McFarlane, in regards to humanism vs. Chrisitanity.

(Posted without previous consent of speaker.)

Running Aarons
There is just something so satisfying about finishing errands. You know what I'm talking about? It's like you have this list of To Do's, and it looks so ominous and impossible. But then you start scratching them off and by the time you are done, it's like victory!

My Completed To Do List for this week:
Call Gas Company
Call Electric Company
Call Phone Company
Go to City Hall for water (all to set up in new apartment)
Pick up pictures
Pick up check (picking up pictures and checks are never really a bother of course.)
Drop off direct deposit form
Go to bank
Change address with Grandma's Kitchen
Fax Drivers License to gas company
Get letter of credit to gas company

Oh it feels good.

New To Do's:
Go to post office
Move into apartment
Get DSL

Yay!!

("And congratulations to this years First Place winner for the Most Consecutive Boring Posts- Lori Arnold!!" *wild applause*)

Unforgettable Quote of the Week
“My lifestyle determines my deathstyle.” -Metallica.



(Courtesy of Out of the Void.)

Workin' 9 to 5
Just when you think you're starting to catch up, you always find some huge project lurking in the shadows.

Like earlier this week. I thought I had about 5-8 reports to work on. I thought "Ok... whew... all right, I can have these done by the end of the week." Then I opened an email and realized I had more like 25 or so.

Then yesterday I remembered that I have to enter all projects into the Project Management System. (PMS? Is that just a coincedence?) Whew! That takes forever! "I'll be working on this for a while," I thought.

But today I realized I'd actually at least started each of the reports that have been requested. That made me feel better. And I finished entering my projects into my PMS. Then I opened another email, subject "These are requests that were completed. Please put these in the Projex system." Sigh. "Well," methinks, "I have another two hours. I can get a good chunk of these entered, since they've already been completed." I send the email to the printer, so I can more easily enter the projects.

The printer printed out 154 pages.

Of reports to be entered.

So that's the way work's been going. I know, I know, writing about my job isn't the coolest thing to do. And reading it's gotta be worse. But hey, this is my journal. I write to let off steam. You read because you're pathetic.

Let's Get Crunk Cause Lori's Back

Let's Get Crunk Cause Lori's Back

Well, I've been back for several days now. It's Tuesday, I flew into Tulsa on Thursday. I'm back at work, starting to get back into the swing of things. The requests are piling high and my energy is running low. My attention span is better today, I've gotten several reports started.

And now I'm entering back into another worktime ritual: blogging.

I have so many stories. I'll just share a few.

The Fanciest First Date Ever-by Lori Arnold
When I was in Scotland, Scott took me on the most incredible date I've ever been on. We got dressed up all smart and went down to a little Italian Cafe. I was wearing a pretty white dress and he was wearing a dress shirt and nice trousers. When we stepped inside, the waitress took our coats and seated us at our table. The table was decorated with fancy napkins, silverware and a candle. We were given an appetizer of spiced green olives. We ordered our food (the one thing Scott forgot to do was order for me. But I forgave him. He did so good in every other respect.) and Scott ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. The waitress brought it out, showed us the label like they do in the movies, and poured a bit into Scott's glass for him to taste. He tasted it, told her it was "lovely" and she poured both of our glasses. Then she brought out a bucket with a towel and placed the bottle in the bucket. It was so fancy I could barely eat. We used our table manners and tried to talk about fancy things but mostly just gushed over the fancy service. After we ate, we finished the wine while playing footsie under the table and holding hands over it. He paid the bill, and I took his arm and that was the date. I suppose it sounds less amazing when I recount it that way, but it was lovely and romantic and I had the best time. I've never felt like such a lady. (Not to mention such a kid. I know the waitress must have been laughing at herself at two kids coming in, playing grownups.)


Let's see... another story...
I saw Bright Eyes and Rosie Thomas in Glasgow and Connor is a total douchbag.

And so I guess really I don't have a whole lot more to say. I need to do a lot of stuff this week, I need to see a lot of people, I need to spend some good time in prayer. I need to pick up my pictures today from Wal-Mart. Yay! Pictures come in today! High five for Jesus!

Chris L and Dustin, I want to see you guys. Soon. Joshua, Kristen, Taylor, Judah, I want to see you guys- some day. I'm planning on going to Dallas in October to see Built to Spill. I will grace your homes then. Taylor, come visit in Fayetteville.

Well, I'm back in the States now. I came in on Thursday night, got to Fayetteville Friday. There isn't much to say- or perhaps there is too much to say. I'm home safely, back at work, already stressed out... bliss, huh.

I have many stories to tell but they will come in time. For now, I am on my lunch break and I am tired of this computer. I am tired of my headache. And I am tired of griping.

I'll post more when I feel like a happier camper again.

The countdown has begun. I have only a measley 3 days left here in the wonderful world of Scotland. Yesterday I had to speak in front of the church in Port Glasgow where all my friends go about what I did in Wales. I was so nervous all through the praise and worship time. Then when Alec got up to ask me to come forward I thought I'd pass out. But it was okay. I spoke for a decent amount of time and I don't think I said anything too stupid. I did however accidentally flip off the entire church while I talked. I have a habit of talking with two fingers and thats the equivalent of the finger over here. No one noticed, I don't think.

So this morning Pete and Scott and I went for a "pub lunch." Vodka at 2 in the afternoon! Classy. It was nice, I had spaghetti and a Smirnoff Ice, then Scott and I shared the most exquisite chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream in the entire west of Scotland. Niiice.

Tomorrow I am going for my second castle of my stay in the UK. I went to Cardiff Castle while in Wales, tomorrow I'm going to Stirling Castle. Then... dum da da dum! I'm going to see Bright Eyes! I know what you're thinking. "Sure Lori, just like you were going to Arab Strap and Yo La Tengo." But no really, the tickets are booked and paid for (Thanks Scott) and we are GOING. Postal Service was originally booked to play with Bright Eyes which had me all excited but now its gonna be Rosie Thomas or someone, I've heard of her, I think, maybe she'll be good. Either way, its a show. Finally.

And other than that, not much else is gonna happen. Wednesday night we're all going over to Rob and Lewi's for a sort of self-proclaimed going away party, it'll be nice to see everyone one last time.

And then, Thursday, HOME!

And then, Monday, WORK!

Damn.

Hiya! Today was a good day. Oh yes, quite nice. I went to Edinburgh for the day and did some very fun touristy things. For starters, I took a picture of a guy in a kilt playing bagpipes in Glasgow. Then in Edinburgh I did some shopping, looked at lots of tartans, and drank an Irn Bru. There is a festival going on down there right now called the Fringe so there were lots of street performers. I got some nice touristy pics. I bought a few souvenirs for a few of my lovely friends and I bought myself some things as well. We went to a Ben Folds Five musical called "Steven's Last Night in Town." It was entertaining. Then we went to the Edinburgh Dungeon and got splattered by a dummy with leprosy... Hehe. It was a fun fun day.

And well I guess there's not much more going on. I have to talk in their church tomorrow in Port Glasgow about my trip to Wales, I'm mega nervous about it but I guess I'll just deal with it. Jesus loves me, this I know, so he will help me speak.

See my Arkansan loved ones in less than a week!