What I learned from the office tonight...

- Watch where you're driving in the parking lot
- Creed is the token creeper of the show
- Angela actually does have emotions
- When you park on top of old Indian burial ground you will be cursed
- If you trap a bat in a bag and put it over your head... you may get rabies
- Dundler Mifflin supports the rabid
- Squirrels are happy because they’re “insane”
- The key to running a successful marathon is drafting.
- You can ditch a 5K as long as your boss doesn’t see you
- Carbo-loading by eating Fettuccini Alfredo before you go for a run is not a good idea
- An $8 turquoise lamp makes a great trophy
- Sharing your sucker is a good way to make friends/ get rabies

Dear Jason Wahler,

You are not a baller.
You can't rap, you don't have flow...
You don't have rythm, so you need to go.
You are embarrassing to watch, it's painful for my eyes...
It's like watching a trainwreck, it makes me want to die.
You're not even trying, you look like a fool,
Please, go back to rap school.

Just tryin' to keep it real,
Annie

p.s. I give lessons, but don't call me.

I can't teach rythym
I can't teach flow
It's something you're born with...
so get over it yo.

Guilty Pleasure #8256

Guitar Hero.

I just played for the first time, and I was horrible. But, it's the coolest game ever... and I'm getting better every time I play! My highest score was 89%, and that was to the tune of Message in a bottle by the one and only Police.

Thank you Police for providing such an amazing song on guitar hero for me to stum my heart out too. I love you.

What I should be doing right now...

... is getting ready for bed. But, I just don't want to. I have an early morning tomorrow, but right now I'd rather be up watching TV with my roommate Becky. We're watching Ace of Cakes, and the guys on that show are seriously amazing with what they are capable of doing with some cake mix and frosting. Some of the cakes don't even look like cakes... like this guitar.

I think that would be a fun job...

Making cakes like this is totally on my list of awesome things I would love to do... but never will. I do not have the patience, nor the steady hands.

Cheers to you though, Duff... you're the man.

I'm definitely an Autumn Girl

I was talking to my friends Randy and Kim today about how I have really liked the weather lately because it's been cooler than the weeks before. It's not cold, but definitely cooler.

For some reason, every year, I get surprised that it's never cold enough in September to be wearing sweatshirts, jackets and fun scarves. Every year I trick myself into thinking that once September rolls around it's going to be cold enough for that... but nope.

I can't wait for it to get colder and be able to wear scarves... they are one of my favorite things about autumn and winter!

I got tagged... twice.

Brent and John tagged me... at the same time. So instead of doing two (since that would be ridiculous and repetitive) this is my response to both tags. I thought that maybe I would cheat the system and respond with 6 words instead of just 3, but when I tried that it was a lot harder to come up with 6 words, rather than only 3. I also figured that would be inconsiderate considering not everyone is as popular as me and gets tagged by two people at the same time like I do... I'm totally kidding.

Thanks for tagging me Brent and John! Here are my responses!

I have to use 3 words to answer each question. No more, no less. It's harder than you think!

Christine and Alyssa tag you're it!

1. Where is your cell phone? on my lap
2. Who is your boyfriend/girlfriend (or husband/wife)? Don't have one
3. Where is one of your parents? Probably teaching math
4. Cheesecake? Oh, Yes Please!
5. Your favorite thing to do? See my friends
6. Your dream last night? I can't remember
7. Your favorite drink? Lemon Ice Water
8. The room you're in? My living room
9. George Bush? This is funny
10. What you're good at? All things shopping
11. One of your wish list items? Some new Sevens
12. Where did you grow up? South Orange County
13. The last thing you did? Talked to Becky
14. What are you wearing? Jeans and T-shirt
15. Who stole your sunglasses? They're not stollen
16. Ketchup? Not for fries
17. Your computer? a MAC laptop
18. Your life? full of fun
19. Your mood? getting kinda sleepy
20. Your next blog? coming very soon!
21. Your car is? getting kinda old
22. Your summer? Always a blast
23. Your relationship status? Not in one
24. Your favorite color(s)? i LOVE pink!
25. When is the last time you laughed? 2 seconds ago

I got to be a princess for 5 minutes today...

This afternoon while I was getting ready for my very first church service at San Clemente (which, was awesome by the way) I had to go out to my car and grab my make-up. I was in my pajamas and I was jogging out to my car. For some reason I don't feel awkward at all going to the store in my pajamas, but if my neighbors see me in them... it always makes me feel uncomfortable.

Anyways...

I was jogging out to my car to grab my make up, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a little huddle of little boys dressed up. Their ages ranged probably from about 3 to 6, and they were easily the cutest little guys I have ever seen. One little guy was wearing a batman mask, one a super man cape, and the other a little denim hat. All of the boys were wearing rain boots (my favorite part of their ensemble). And, there were also some wooden swards, a pool noodle, and a big water gun involved. They were standing huddled around a tree and the littlest boy in the denim hat was standing up against it pretending like his arms were tied around it. He looked reluctant like he didn't want to be the bad guy. I think that he was probably just playing along so that the other boys would let him play with them.

I couldn't help myself, I had to go play with them for five minutes. So I walked up and we had this conversation:

Me: Hi... you guys aren't looking for bad guys... are you?
Batman with sword: Yes... have you seen some?
Superman with pool noodle: No no, we found him, he's there! (pointing to the boy "tied" to the tree)
Me: Well are you sure that he's the bad guy? You wouldn't want to kill the wrong person...
Batman: Oh, yeah... you're right...
Me: Well... I just saw some pirates run around the corner.
Little Guy against tree with a water gun bigger than he was: YOU DID!?
Me: Yeah, and I know they are bad guys. You should probably go get them...
Superman: OK! Guys, lets go! Come with us! Show us where the pirates are...
Me: OK, but you have to walk really quiet and be sneaky. Pirates have really good ears and they can hear people trying to sneak up on them.
Batman: OK. we'll whisper. We're just going to follow you
Me: Alright... see that car? The blue one? (I pointed to a truck that was parked close to us). The pirates are hiding behind that truck, I think they heard us coming...
Superman: Oh no... I need my sword!
Me: Now, I'm the princess because I'm the only girl. So you have to protect me from the bad guys.

The littlest guy of the bunch, walking right in front of me was ADORABLE. He turned around, gave me the biggest smile ever, and says "YEAH OK! I'll protect you!"

My heart melted a little.

After they fought off the bad guys (which was only about 2 seconds later after yelling "ATTACK!", and then sword fighting with each other) I told them that the princess had to go back to her castle. They said OK, so I went back to my house and finished getting ready.

Dang they were cute.

One more thing before I head off to bed...

Tonight while Becky and I were on our way to Wahoo's for dinner, we saw something that made me want my camera more badly than the day that I caught the 100 pound fish at the harbor.

Picture this: An old man (probably in his late 70's) with a big white beard. He really looked like Santa Clause... driving a teeny-tiny red vespa. For all I know it could have really been Santa Clause... who knows what he does on his off season? The best part of this blessed scene playing out in front of my eyes, was not that I think I saw Santa Clause on a red vespa... but the fact that he was wearing ridiculous goggles and had a HUGE American flag waving from the tail of his "bike". Not the kind of flag that some people put on their car windows... it was a flag that people would hang up in front of their house, or put on a flag pole. It was that big.

Amazing.

My first day!

So today was my first day down at the Saddleback San Clemente campus... and I loved it! I can't wait for this weekend to meet all the students, volunteers and see what the next year of my life is going to look like.

Highlights of my day were...
- Walking into the office and seeing that my desk had been decorated (Thank you Jake!)
- Getting Pizza with the whole team and getting to see Luke and Erin too!
- Watching Pastor Rick talk about Purpose Driven Churches on a DVD... from the 90's. The whole San Clemente team and I watched it together, not only was it super entertaining to see everyone in the audience with big hair, crazy make-up, funny mustaches, and big floral patterns on their clothes... it was also super helpful to be reminded of certain things that I so easily forget.

I love the team and working with Jake is going to be so awesome.

There's really not a whole lot else to say, other than I am so excited for this new chapter in my life!

Thank you to all my friends who texted me, called me, and e-mailed me letting me know that you were thinking of me and praying for me! I love you!

Dear Wildside,

I have SO loved being a part of everything that you have done. From the Wildside bowl to Mobile Missions, from weekend services to Strive. It was all a blast, and I will miss you very much.

To all the students still in Wildside... I LOVE YOU! I'm so glad that I got to know you! This is not a goodbye, but an "I'll see you later", there is no way that I could just walk away from all of you. I love you way too much to just pack up, leave, and never come back. You are all the reason I do what I do. Seeing your faces on the weekend made my week... every time. You are so great, and I can't wait to see where you will be in a couple years. Let's keep in touch! And, I'm sure I will see you around.

To all the students that graduated and are not in Wildside anymore... I LOVE YOU! I am also so glad that I got to know you! I am so excited for you to have your first year of High School! I hope you love it, and if you go through a rough patch, I am just a phone call or e-mail away. I cannot wait to see where you will be in a couple years.

You all mean that world to me and have touched my life immensely! I love you SO much! Don't ever forget that. I'm here for you always, and I can't wait to see you the next time that we meet!

Love,
Annie

p.s. If you come visit me down at the San Clemente campus... I would be beyond excited!