It's pretty funny to be reading all the blogs about the guys being in San Diego and the ladies not. Thanks Deb for your daily updates (Karli, where you at?). I really like them. And thanks Dustin, Bob, Chris, and Chip for yours. I think between the four of you I get a good idea of what's going on down there. All I ask is for more pictures Bob!!

My second day without hubby has been full and satisfying. I had an interview this morning which went amazingly well, a great day at work where I got a lot done, a good conversation with my boss, a well balanced dinner (rice and veggies), a look at an apartment that's remodeled and cheap and in a great location, a 1.5 hour workout, and time to catch up on blogs. A great day indeed!

Something that's always bothered me about the gym is the locker rooms. I've never been a big locker room person, so upon joining said gym I was VERY surprised to find women standing around completely naked, talking, laughing, and changing. What? It's taken me a while to get use to this type of...shall we say...freedom, but I'm getting there. However, what has always baffled me is the showers at the gym. Why do people shower there? Why not just go home and shower? For example, tonight as I was getting ready to go to the pool and a girl walked in to the locker room. She looked like she had just got done with soccer practice or something. She goes upstairs to the gym at the same time that I go to the pool. Thirty minutes later I came back from the pool and she comes back from the gym, she grabs her towel and goes to the shower. Why didn't she just go home and shower? I don't understand. Can someone explain it to me?

On a different note, Dustin and I are still apartment hunting. We didn't get the one bedroom that Dustin applied for on Saturday and we have no idea why. He was the first one there to put in an application, we have good credit (atleast as far as we know, maybe we should look at our scores to make sure everything is accurate???), so what gives people??? What an injustice, right? I looked at a place tonight and I'm excited to apply there too. In fact, I need to stop blogging so I can start filling out the applications because we already gave our 30 days so we gots to get movin' or we's be homeless. (I don't know what kind of accent that is, but it's fun to right poorly sometimes.) Outtie.

Dustin is in San Diego for the week so I've got our small space to myself. I miss Dustin a lot, but I'm very thankful for the alone time. My soul is in need of something and I hope to find it this week. My goals this week:
1. No TV!!
2. Work out daily for 1.5-2 hours. (yikes!)
3. Write and blog daily.
4. Read something inspiring.

This past weekend I attended the Convergence event for women. It was perfect timing to say the least. Not only was it what my heart needed, but it was a great introduction to the time of solice that I will have over the next few days. Five women from Evergreen attended the event which proved to have not a stranger in the place. I immediately felt connected to every woman in there and completely comfortable sharing myself, blemishes and all with them. At the very least, these women's lives inspired me to make the most of mine. However, the greatest aspect of all was seeing how God is working all over this world, how hope that is deep can sustain us through even the most horrible circumstances, how the love of Christ actually changes the world, and no matter how small and insignificant I might feel God will use me if I let Him.

I came home Saturday night after 12 hours of true community completely exhausted. Sunday morning ended the weekend perfectly with beautiful worship music and stories of women who are changing the world by just being themselves. My favorite part of the weekend was the Native American dance that one woman performed for us. It was...full of grace and beauty and longing for God. I had tears watching as she moved across the floor. Afterward, she taught us a bit of a dance and we snaked around the room in a line, 50 women dancing in step together. I will never forget it.

I don't feel like my descriptions are really doing the weekend justice, so you'll just have to attend the event next year (women only, sorry guys)!! To all my Portland Convergence women, let's get together!!

Ok, so I have a confession. One of my guilty pleasures is the show "The Pussycat Dolls presents: Girlicious". I know, I know, so dumb and extremely trashy. But I think it's entertaining, so there. But my favorite part about watching shows like this is watching them with Dustin. He pretends not to watch, but I'll catch him looking up from his computer or book enthralled in the drama. My absolute favorite is hearing his comments and tonight I received an even greater treat...Dustin imitating the trashy dancing!!! Oh yes, it's true. I wish I had a picture to show the world, but I don't. I'm sure you can use your imagination for "The Pussycat Dolls presents: Girlicious Dusty." Fortunately, he's all mine!!

Wow, I can't believe my last blog was about New Year's Resolutions and one of them was blogging more!! I'm failing in that area to say the least!! But, I press on.

I have lost 5 pounds though!!! And I keep keepin' on.

I went to the dentist a few weeks ago, the first time in 8 years. Surprisingly I didn't have any cavities and the dentist was amazed at how great my teeth looked. I say, "Who needs to see the dentist regularly?" He says I got lucky...to each his own. They did, however, use this strange machine in order to break up some of the plague built up on my teeth and, let me just say, it was the most awful, horrifying, painful, evil machine EVER!! The dental hygienist said it would send sound waves into my mouth in order to break up the plague. What it actually did was feel like nails scraping on a chalkboard IN MY MOUTH!! Or biting down on a copper coin. Not fun, not fun at all!! I was assured that if I flossed every day I would never have to see or hear the machine again and so I am now an avid flosser. And so I plead with all of humanity, do whatever it takes to never encounter this machine, not even once. Floss people, floss!! It's the only way to save yourselves, and you must...save..yourself...from...this...machine. Floss!

On a lighter note...the weather has been AMAZINGLY beautiful in the northwest and at just the right time. I have been feeling extremely down lately. I think it's a combination of job hunting and dreary weather and not knowing what I want to do with my life that has kept me in a perpetual funk for a month. But with the emerging sun and bright blue skies, my spirits have lifted. I've been my lighthearted and silly self again to which Dustin is very thankful, and so am I.