I keep getting tagged...

First it was Ronnica.
Then it was Adrienne.
Next, the Raffertys.

The tag? A "7 Random/Weird things" meme. (here's the definition of that word, by the way... A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another... so basically, i blog about it and ask you to blog about it - and so on)

Rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share seven random or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My Oddities:
~1~ I don't really mind if my food isn't hot. I mean, I want everything to be cooked, but as long as the "chill is knocked off of it" I'm good... even with soup.

~2~ I always always always catch people around me driving who are picking their noses. It's strange (I guess that's the point of telling you)... but seriously, almost a day doesn't go by without me seeing someone going for it.

~3~ I remember really random things from the past... i.e. - once when I was really young (like 7-8) we were playing Trivial Pursuit (my family, by the way, has always loved to play Trivial Pursuit) and there was some question about a type of paper that someone developed... and no one could think of a good answer. I said "let's just say toilet paper." I was right. I also remember what I wore my first day of 2nd grade. It was a bright hot pink tank top. We had to draw pictures of ourselves and I remember searching the room for the perfect color crayon to color the tank. It had to match perfectly.

~4~ I love real mail. I love to get it. I love to send it. There's something about getting an envelope in the mailbox with handwritten addresses... it means someone took a moment for you. I always have... I had penpals really early on in life... some I still talk to (or have in the recent past).

~5~ I really love novelty snacks. i.e. - Capri Sun (the juice isn't THAT great, but the pouch is!), Snack Crackers (with the little cup of cheese and red spreading stick), Big League Chew, etc.

~6~ I could watch things like this every day:


~7~ I love my birthday. I don't know why. I always have. And I get super jealous if the focus isn't on me. I guess this one is more of a confession because it really can be a problem! :o( Don't feed it, please... just be patient as I get over it the morning after each year.

I'm not sure that these were the oddest things about me, but they were what came to mind at the time. If you know me, feel free to point out any of my other idiosyncracies in a comment, as long as it is with love! You can also go read here about some other oddities... I was tagged back in January, too!

I'll be tagging:
The Shef's (all three please) - :o)
Molly and her family
Roslyn
Casey
Mischia
Tyler
Zack and Stephanie

Can't wait to read!

reasons to pray...

my roommate is right. we need to be praying for our neighborhood on a more consisten and regular basis. its only because of Christ that we are different from the people we live around.

it's been an eventful month for me and i'm asking you to pray for wisdom. not just for me, but for my roommates as we seek to serve those around us, wisdom for the police in dealing with crime and injustices, etc etc... there's much to pray for.

November events (so far... i mean, we still have this week to get thru, right?)
My friend Donna moved.
Kristin and I got to share some overseas experiences with a church out in Burlington
My Della died. (the dell laptop)
I bought a MacBook.
Someone rear-ended me when I had to stop at a green light for some college students who were playing around in the road.
My friend Jenn got married!
My pawpaw turned 96 years old.
Our house got robbed. (and yes, they took the Mac - as well as a few of Kristin's things (one of her cameras, some cash, her bike,) and a few of my other things (radio, ipod))
Thanksgiving with family
Happy Thanksgiving Saturday - which was a booming success!

Alright. That's all for now. Just pray.

back that thang up...

hi all.

it's time for an update... just about me.  not that i don't enjoy the random posts, funny videos or political commentary, but for now... just a story about my week.

Tuesday afternoon, I came home from work as normal and began working on a project I've been working on FOR MONTHS for my church ... our pictoral directory.

I've been doing it in Publisher and have had some trouble over the last few weeks with some editing, finalizing, cost shopping, etc... all those things... but finally, we were getting to the end, hoping to get it printed and ready to pass out at our member's meeting this coming Sunday.

Anyway, so I'm in the middle of working and suddenly, the screen is filled with blue...  that annoying "error blue."  There were tons of words on the page ... and I did read it, but all I remember is seeing "If you've never seen this screen before, restart your computer."  

I was a little freaked, and maybe should have been a little patient, but I restarted.

nothing.

it turned on, but it wouldn't boot. hmm.  let me try again.

nothing.

so, i confess, i spanked her.  Della.  that's my laptop's name.

yes, it was out of anger, but still... she was disobedient!

nothing.

I call Martin Graham.  I am still calm at this point.  We talk and decide that I will come on over.  Martin looks at it, does some fancy things, runs a diagnostics and says, "Hmm.  Nicole, how big is your hard drive?"

"I think it's about 70 or 80," I say.

his face doesn't make me happy.  

i was on the phone with Kristin C. at the time and I tell her that Martin looks like he has some news for me.  he does.

"Nicole, there's no partition."

I have no idea what that means... so he explains a little and then tells me that basically, he says that the diagnostics says that the computer has about 75 GB of free space.  

Yeah.

I know.

So, we talk a quick minute and I leave.  I was basically in shock and went on in to work at TCC. I talked to Julie W. about it and got a little quiver in my voice... then Travis W. comes in the room and I tell him what happened.  At this point, I'm seriously holding back tears.

Then Casey calls me... and  I lost it!

You see, three days prior, she and I were discussing what I should do about my hard drive... because it was within a GB or 2 of being full... and none of my pictures or files were anywhere else.  

I decided that I would take Della to the Geek Squad at Best Buy.  I paid 60 bucks, and almost 4 full days later, they tell me everything that Martin did... and that it appears nothing is on the hard drive anymore.  

Including Windows.

humph!

Then, 15 minutes later, I get an automated call that I need to come pick up my equipment because it's taking up space and it's a worthless piece of junk.

well, they didn't say that exactly, but still.  i felt like i was late picking up my kid from daycare, so i got ready and left.

I decided that for now, its not best for me to reload the hard drive with programs and special files of mine when we still don't know why it happened.  If it happened again, I just don't know what I would do!  Besides, what if the information is still in there somewhere?

They told me that the next thing I could do was ship it off to Data Recovery and pay anywhere from $200-$1000 (with no guarantee) for them to try and get the info.

humph.

no way.

meet Millie.  Millie the black mac.

I mean... WOW

seriously?

look at this.

don't get it?

read here.

now THAT is funny!

laughing is so fun

ahahahahaha

hilarious.