purple squares and kitties

BAD BEAR

2006-07-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love kitties. Whoever may stumble upon this blog probably realizes this. However I have met a kitten that I may actually despise. His name is Bear and he is Nathans (my sisters boyfriend) cat. Both Tasha and Nathan are out of town so I have been looking after the apartment and the kitten. I spent the night there which turned out to be a big mistake. Bear attacks everything in sight whether it is moving or not. I have bit marks and scratches all over my body. His most spectacular wound would definitely have to be the foot long cut in my right leg. I found a solution to the issue though, a spray bottle. Every time the vicious guy comes near me he gets a face full of water.

Myspace

2006-06-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

I caved and got a myspace. You should check it out!
http://myspace.com/audreyjenise

Lights Out

2006-06-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Most people don't like going to the dentist, I am the same way. But I have learned that going to the dentist isn't nearly as bad as getting STUCK at the dentist. I went yesterday to get some work done. It looked like it was going to storm and the lights flickered a couple times. They gave me 2 shots and drilled a hole in my tooth. Right when the dentist finished drilling the electricity went out. This time it didn't turn back on. The clouds were dark, the wind was horrible, and the tornado sirens were blaring. So there I was...Numb...With a whole in my tooth...Waiting for the lights to come back on. I ended up waiting 40 minutes when the dentist stopped waiting. They decided to put in a temp and send me home. This in itself was quite amusing. All of the nurses were gathered around watching me get a temp put in using only a flashlight. Needless to say I have to go back on Monday.

Chirping Chipmunk

2006-06-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I heard my cats scurrying around the house. I ran into the kitchen just in time to see a blur run under our drawer. I shewed the kitties away and went back to cleaning my room. Of course curiosity go the best of me and I had to go check out what the cats were chasing. So I grabbed a flashlight and pulled out our bottom drawer. I didn't see anything except a for bags that had been pushed to the back of the open space. I started pulling them out to throw them away. As I pulled away the second bag I saw it, a little chipmunk staring back at me. I made a few attemps to catch the little guy before he ran into a hole in our wall. There was nothing I could do at that point so I let it be. Of course the kitties kept staling the drawer. About four hours later I saw lighting staring up at the curtain rod in our living room. I found the chirping chirping like a bird and clinging on for dear life. I grabbed a bowl and tried to shew it into it. He decided he wanted to jump onto the drum set instead. To lightnings amusement I chased the little guy into the kitchen. He slid spinning around a couple times and made his way back to his hole. My mother tells me that later that evening lightning ended up chasing him out the window.

May 31, 2006

2006-06-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

All of us know the pain we have experienced over the past five weeks since that tragic evening during which we lost five members of our community – four students and one staff member – in an accident on I-69. As deeply as we have grieved these respective losses, the feelings of pain and sorrow we have experienced pale in comparison to the pain experienced by their respective families and loved ones.
This morning, we learned from the Grant County Coroner's Office that there has been a case of mistaken identity involving two of the young women involved in the accident. We had believed that Laura VanRyn was airlifted to Parkview Hospital and has recently begun to emerge from the coma she was in since the night of the accident. The Coroner's office has notified us that Laura was instead one of the five people who died that evening and that it was Whitney Cerak who was airlifted to Parkview and is today convalescing at a hospital in Grand Rapids, MI.
One can only imagine what impact this new development has had upon the VanRyn and Cerak families as they process this information. Taylor University is cooperating fully with the Coroner's Office.
We ask that prayers be offered for the VanRyn and Cerak families, and also for the families of Laurel Erb, Monica Felver, Brad Larson, Betsy Smith, as well as the Taylor Community including students, faculty, staff and administrators deeply affected by this development.
Taylor University President
Dr. Eugene B. Habecker

My Birthday (May 14th)

2006-05-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting birthday to say the least. First of all it was on mothers day. That was special but wired, everything someone said happy mothers day, I kept thinking they were going to say happy birthday. Not to mention every resteraunt we went to was packed out with moms who don't like to cook on their special day. Once things settled down I realized that I have to study for my finals which are all this week. My hardest final just happened to be 8 am the day after my birthday. So yes, I was studying on my birthday. Then we had a birthday celebration/ finals balloon making party, which was a nice study break. Even though I was up until 2 am studying for my finals, I did have a good birthday. The two cakes I had were amazing, all my friends hugged me, I received wonderful gifts, I got to share the day with my mom, I had a surprise bouquet of beautiful Peruvian lilies waiting for me at our front desk, and I made it through another year! Oh by the way I don't really want to be nineteen, so I like to refer to myself as 18 plus.

The Roof

2006-04-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone is getting tan, I suppose it is that time of year. I am terrified of tanning beds so I refuse to tan that way. So today my sister and I decided to tan the natural way. It was a cooler day compared to the past few days, so we climed up onto our roof so that the shingles would keep us warm. My towel fell off the roof so we had to lay on the roof with no sort of cusion. Needless to say when we climbed off the roof we were covered in little bumps and peices of shingle grits stuck to us. I think next time we will have to be more careful.

Spring Is Here

2006-04-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

YAY! It is sunny and warm!

Flying...Or Not

2006-03-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

I have a wonderful boyfriend! As one of my christmas gifts he collected 64 wendy's cups with AirTran coupons so that I could take a trip to Colorado. I decided to use my free flight over my spring break. I ebded up having to fly out of Dayton Ohio because I booked my flight so close to spring break season. I had a rough night before I left and ended up waking up at 5:00 am. I got to the airport early, which wasnt really needed because the airport is tiny and it didnt take long to get through security. Everything seemed fined as they started boarding the plane, untill all the paaengers stated filing off. They anounced that a part on the plane was broken. They had to fly the part from baltimore and a mechanic from atlanta. Needless to say I was stuck in that airport for seven and a half hours! I had a connecting flight in Atlanta that I missed so I had to get another one at 9:15 pm. So I was waiting in that airport for three or so hours. I ended up getting to the Denver airport at 1:20 am my time. I had no sleep for over 24 hours and was in an airport or airplane for 17 of those hours. What an experience.

Frozen Fish

2006-03-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

So I have only had my beta (adelle) for about a week and I have already almost killed her. Now dont freak out to much, she is living very happly now. So the other morning I woke up to find Adelle laying at the bottom of her tank not moving. I knew she wasn't dead because then she would have been floating at the top of the tank. But I was still scared, so put my hand in the water to grab her and put her in another bowl of water. It turns out the water was ice cold, which I guess I should have known since we keep our window open at night and its winter. I almost froze my poor baby to death.! So I cleaned out her tank, put new (not so cold) water in her tank and put her back. After about a minute she was active agian. Needless to say I now put her out in the suite at night so she can stay warm.

Holiday Soda

2006-02-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

You all know how much I love Jones Soda, so I had to take a quiz to find out what holiday soda I was! It turns out I am... Cranberry. I like those results for two reasons
1 I love cranberry
2 Thats probably the least revolting flavor of them all so people would like to drink me!

Adelle

2006-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today I bought a Betta fish. She is very beautiful, so I decided to give her the beautiful name Adelle. Wesley and Maria had bought me a betta fish a couple years ago for my birthday, but my cat at her. Luckly there are no cats to eat Adelle here. We will have to see how it works out in the summer!

Doctors or Devils?

2006-02-17T19:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe my title is a little extreme, but after last week I think I have a little room to complain. So here is the story. I was not feeling so well my head hurt, my throat hurt, my muscles ached, and I was tired. On Tuesday I skipped my morning class and attempted to venture out to go to my public relations class. About half way through the class my teacher let me leave cause I was feeling pretty bad, I went straight to the health center. They took a look and me and told me it was probably the flu, but they wanted me to go to the emergency room to get checked for meningitis. Seriously, I should have just gone back to bed at that point to avoid the next 11 hours or so. My mom picked me up and we tried to get in to see my family doctor, but they said to go straight to the ER. I spent a few hours in the Hartford city ER with an IV getting hydrated again (for some reason I dehydrate easily, especially when I am sick). The doctor looked at me and was a little concerned, so they transferred me to the Ball State ER...In an ambulance. There I had to experience a spinal tap. Yes, it is as horrible as it sounds, after all they are draining fluid out of my spine! It was surprising have something taken out of me considering all that they put in me ( IV fluid, antibiotics, morphine, ect). The doctor told me that a spinal tap is almost the same as an epideral, and after experiencing the spinal tap I had decided to give birth with out drugs! I spent the rest of the day there until about 11 pm. It turns out I was fine and probably only had some sort of flu. Oh but the worst part was yet to come. My flu disappeared quickly but my head aches got worse. It turns out that air started leaking into my spine causing spinal head aches. I couldn't stand up or sit up with out hurting so bad I wanted to die for the rest of the week! So in turn, I had the flu, had a spinal tap, and ended up worse than when I started! I don't really want to see another doctor for a while if you know what I mean!

$

2006-02-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

I just got a check in the mail for $5.56! What does that tell you about how many hours I get. I need to find another way to make moola!

CHEESE

2006-01-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

ANyone who knows me well enough has discovered my addiction to cheese. I love cheese slices, string cheese, mozzarella sticks, cheese ball, cheese dip, little figurines made of cheese, the list goes on and on. At the beginning of the school year I bought a mini crock-pot. I have not used it yet, so today I broke it out and crissoned it with nothing else but cheese. I am now sitting here eating nachos…YUMMY!

Purdue

2006-01-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

HEY! I made to Purdue all on my own with out having to look at a map! YAY for me.

ps
Sorry I havnt written in forever...uh hum..RACHEL!

Gods Beauty In Colorado

2005-12-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

I have started to read Captivating by John & Stasi Elderedge. I am only on page 35, but it is good so far. The authors are from colorado. In one passage they are talking about beauty and seeing some of that beauty in Gods creation. To diescribe just a glimpse of this, a discription of Clorado in the spring is given. For all of you who do not know why I love Colorado so much, here is a small taste for you.

" We had a wet spring here in Colorado, and the wildflowers are coming up everywhere-luine and wild iris and shasta daisy and a dozen others. The aspens have thier heart shaped leaves again, trmbling in the slightest breeze. Massive thundercouds are rolling in, bringing with them the glorious sunsets they magnify. The earth in summer is brimming with beauty, beauty of such magnificence and variety and unembarrassed lavishness, ripe beauty, lush beauty, beauty given to us with such generosity and abundanceit is almost scandalous." Page 34

Handicap Buttons

2005-12-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

THIS IS A CALL OUT TO ALL TAYLOR GUYS: Opening the door for a woman by pushing the handicap button is not polite, gentlemanly, or impressive. So next time you consider opening the door for a woman... take the tiny extra bit of energy it takes and use the two hands God created you with to actually open the door! For the few guys who already have this knowledge, thank you!

Dead Week?

2005-12-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

It is 3:38 am on Monday December 5th. I am only half way done with my research paper rough draft that is due today. I thought we were suppose to have something that at least resembled "dead week" right before finals...I was greatly mistaken! I suppose that the insane work load and the many activities of these couple weeks will simply make Christmas break seem that much better!

Penthouse

2005-11-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

Who knew...Penthouse Pick-A-Dates can be fun!

Rice and Beans

2005-11-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

Taylor campus is huge on world needs and aids awareness. Tonight as a part of that we all sat on the floor and ate rice and beans with our hands. Each person who attended got different children who need support and we prayed for them. I got Vongai from Zimbabwe. Then we went through one of those 'choose your own ending' stories about a women trying to feed and support her family. This was such a small... little... tiny... winy... taste of what is going on in so many countries. Here we were inside, warm, well fed, and well loved. Yes we were eating a small portion of rice and beans for dinner, but later tonight we are going to have a birthday celebration with lots of yummy treats. I dont really know what I am trying to say! Perhaps it is the question 'how can we even know what pain these children feel as they go to sleep each night hungry?' We are so blessed yet we complain...why?

Tap Dance

2005-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have discovered another small joy of the fall season. I went to work tonight and finished set up for the event about a half an hour before it started. I had some time to sit in the lounge and relax a little bit. After a moment in silence I heard a strange noise, I was almost positive that someone was tap dancing down the hallway. When I looked there was no one to be found. Then I realized what the noise truly was... Brittle leaves blowing and brushing across the cement sidewalk. How pleasant!

CHUZZLE

2005-11-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Chuzzle may be the most addicting game I have ever encountered! You should check it out, but I must attach a warning to it...You may become addicted!

http://popcap.com/launchpage.php?theGame=chuzzle&src=big8

Pictures

2005-11-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

You can chack some of my pictures (mainly form college) if you click on the following link!
http://flickr.com/photos/14774798@N00/

Hair Cut

2005-11-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

SO.....I cut my hair today...shorter than I have ever had it (at least since I can remember)! I like it, but it is definantly different. For those of you who dont live near me I shall explain it to you so that you can visualize me. It is just a tad bit longer than my shoulders and is layered. My shortest layer is a little past my chin and the rest trickle down to the length of my hair. It feels wierd when I run my fingers through it because I run out of hair so quickly, yet it feels good to have a little change.

Squirrels

2005-11-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

I love squirrels, therefore my favorite part of fall would have to be that it is prime nut searching seasons for these fun creatures. I love to sit and watch them scurry through the fallen leaves finding the best nut and then scurrying to find the best hiding place. I decided that I want a pet squirrel, it will be cute and it will love me. I shall name him NUTRAGEOUS, I would call him nutra for short of course. The again lightning might get jealous....so I have devised a plan to prevent this, lightning will become nutras mom and she will raise him from a babe!

Mothers

2005-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Chicken noodle soup, cherry apple sauce, cheese-its, cranberry juice,grape juice...Thank God for mothers(especially mine)!

Where are they?

2005-09-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

I FOUND MY KEYS! MAybe I should stop loosing them. Any ideas of how?

An Unexpected Gift

2005-09-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

I received a strange package in the mail this Friday. I was leaving for my wing retreat so I didn't have enough time to see what it really was. I came back today and look through it. I found a huge stack of letters...All the letters I have ever written to Rachel. That is a lot, a whole text book worth. My first reaction was confusion, why would I want these. But I was really glad I got them once I skimmed through them. I cant believe I thought or wrote some of those things! It really made me think. I wish that every person could look back on certain parts of their lives like I have gotten the chance to do. Sure, I wanted to tear up some of the letters, but all of them were bits and pieces of events and emotions, and people that shaped who I am today. What a blessing disguised as a gift.

In the World

2005-09-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

So one thing I have learned about being in college is that you read...all the time...! Here is a quote from todays reading from "In the World"

"Since humanity is created in the image of God, it is not far-fetched that the ability to "do" language is part of what it means to be created in Gods image."

"Camp Taylor"

2005-08-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well I have officially made it through "Welcome Weekend", or what I like to call "Camp Taylor". This weekend has been good, but very exhausting! I met hundreds of people, and probably remember about a total of 20 names. The same few questions have been repeated over and over...Where are you from?... Where are living on campus?... What is your major?...why did you choose Taylor? Even though it has been crazy it was good. I really enjoy my orientation group and my floor wing (3rd north) is awesome!I have a good roommate and my P.A. and D.A. are super sweet.Monday I had time to unpack ,organize, and get my "Resnet" working on since it was a bit slower. Today I started class, so the camp feel is fading. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM A COLLEGE GIRL NOW! WAHOO!

I AM BACK!

2005-08-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so I haven't written in months! Give a girl a break. I have been super busy graduating from high school, working over the summer, being a bridesmaid in my brothers wedding, college shopping and packing! Hopefully I will have more time once I settle into college life. I am moving onto Taylors campus on Friday, so soon I will be able to write all about my new experiences as a college girl. So I apologize for not being a very faithful writer, but keep your eyes open because... I AM BACK!

Just By Chance?

2005-05-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Being a Christian senior I attended our schools Bachelorette. It was pretty good and my dad even played in the praise band. This year they had a drawing for some sweet prizes that local businesses donated. They had items ranging from DVD players to saving bonds to book shelves. Four mini refrigerators happened to be donated by Taylor University. Ironically I won one of the refrigerators along with my friend Gretchen, and we are both attending Taylor next fall. How cool is that. Maybe God play a part in this drawing.

Senior skip day

2005-05-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

It is senior skip day today. I stayed up late last night and slept in a bit today. After a crazy morning of forgetfulness Jessica and I came to tree of life. Tree of life is a great place to relax on a day like this. The sad part is that we have both been WORKING this whole time. Then again working on a comfy couch sipping on frappes is much better than school. Besides we are seniors, we can do whatever we want....right?

Ruled Paper

2005-05-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Spanish poet Juan Raman Jimanez once siad "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way."
I thought this was an interesting quote. For those who read my blog I tend to put quotes that I have come across and like on here.

The Writting Life

2005-05-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

In my advanced composition class we have begun to read a book about writting itself. It is called "The Writting Life" by Annie Dillard. It is full of little pieces, almost completely random thoughts, yet all intertwining together to make comlete sence. She uses many comparisons, in fact of what I have read so far that is all it has been...comparisions to everyd day life or little stories. Here is an interesting quote I picked up from it today.
"There is no shortage of good days.It is good lives that are hard to come by."
Just a thought.

Spring Animals

2005-04-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

We have 2 new member of the English house hold. Ok, actually we just have 2 birds that biult thier nest above our front steps. Five blue eggs are crammed in the woven nest. Last year we had the same scenario, but we think our cats ate the birds bacause they dissapeared not long after. This spring however our cats are not allowed out side deu to flees. I love just watching the birds interact. Not surprisingly so do my cats. They sit in our windows, tails violently shaking and ears allert. I suppose I dont know which is more fun, watching the birds, or my cats salivate over them!

From my Bed

2005-04-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in my bed typeing this! Its amazing....I am getting a wireless connection from Taylor Unuversity! I know it doesnt sound like that big of a deal, but for me who rarely gets even dial up internet, Its like im being spoiled!

Major Step

2005-04-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Im not sure why, but one of the major steps if moving on in life would be signified by the purchase of my own computer. Perhaps it is the first time making a large buy, or the fact that something so important belongs to me and me alone that makes me feel that way. Now I can officailly say i have taken that step! Less than a week ago I bought a Dell laptop over the internet. The ship date wasnt suppose to be untill the 15th of april and it would arrive 3 days later. To my surprise it ended up shiping on the 12th and arrived today the 13th. Now thats service! My laptop is awesome, though im just now getting familar with it. I also recieved my printer/copier/scanner today. I got a specail cartrage and paper for printing pictures (Tasha will be jealous!). In addition I recieved a USB flash memory key! The only thing missing is my case which is from another company and hasnt even been shipped yet. Even though I wiped out my savings account which consisted of two summers working at Taylor,I at least have made a major step in independence.

...and everything haley...

2005-04-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

If you have not checked out "...and everything haley..." you need to! I'm not just saying that because the collection of personal poetry is written by my brother, but because it is a must read. One of my favorites is called Calluses

calluses
the more she plays the strings
of this world the harder
her finger tips get
till she can't feel the silk
or the prick
of her dreams

You can check out the rest of the 19 poems in the collection click HERE! I know you will love it.

TASHA

2005-04-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is a call out to my older sister Tasha:
HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY!
(dont forget the LTC, not that you would break it anyway right...)

The Couch

2005-04-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

Girls tend to talk out the issues in thier life with close friends. I know that there are exceptions, I for one use to always keep serious things to myself, and on occasion still do. And yes I realize that some guys talk out issues, just not as often. For me a phone call to a friend, a long note,or a girls shopping day is suffiecient for what ever needs to be talked out. However, when Jessica and I have something that needs specail attention or extra thought our favorite spot is the big comfy couch at Tree of Life(a christian bookstore/coffee shop). This is where you would find us laughing, crying, or most likely freaking out! I like it though, the impotance it has to us now. The other girl always knows something is up when the couch is needed...

The Frustration of a Girl

2005-03-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of my biggest sruggles as a Christian girl is dressing modestly. In today's culture it is extremely acceptable and even a little expected for girls to show a little(or a lot) of skin. When I shop for clothes I find that I am showing to much or looking like a grandma! I know dwelling on looks is unimportant and can be dangerous, but there is nothing wrong with having a little fun with style is there? I just wish it was easier to find find cute clothes. Girls, do you get what I'm saying?If I had a real sense of style and a little money I would create a clothing line for Christian girls in today's culture!

Sorry

2005-03-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have been a horrible blogger. It has been weeks since I have written! I know that my blog is more for myself than for others but I still feel bad. Oh it even gets worse, I am going to be gone for a week. This year I have decided to go to florida for spring break. I will have no Internet access so my blogging will once again be put on hold. But untill then I will leave you with a quote

"I never did give anyboby hell. I just told them the truth and made them feel like they were in hell." Harry Truman

Ok so today the civic theater came to our school today and we watched a momologue called "Give'em Hell Harry" so it was all I could come up with.

The Gym

2005-03-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to the Taylor gym (or the Kesler Center) to shoot some hoops with my dad and little brother. I had never been inside of the gym though I had seen it since it was finished and been to the WELL quit often. I have to admit my view of what it would be like was a little skewed. I figured there would be a bunch of Taylor teams taking up the courts and college guys screwing around. It turns out to be very different. Indeed there were Taylor teams practicing and some college guys playing a little B-ball, but there was so much more. Teachers were walking the track along side mothers from the community. Kids came to shoot hoops and whole families were there to let there kids let off some steam in a productive way. Both high school and college students alike were running the track or practicing pole volt. The whole place had a sense of community. I really enjoyed it, and that makes all the difference in trying to get a little exercise!

God and Things

2005-03-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

We need to stop using God and loving things, then start loving God and using things!

A Child Perception

2005-03-05T04:40:00.000-08:00

Last night I found a little creation from my older Brother Wesley. It was fun to see his perception of me when he was a child. There is a picture drawn in crayon of me saying "Hi, I fell down" and wesley five times bigger tham me saying "Oh". The above caption reads "I would like you to meet my baby sister. My baby sister's name is Audrey. When Audrey is at someone's house she talks alot. She even makes hogs sound. Some times she's funny." Well Wesley Im glad that you think I'm funny, well at least sometimes I am.

Lunch

2005-03-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

Embarrassing moments are un avoidable, especially in high school. Tripping over a back pack in the isle, accidental letting out a bodily function, being depants in the hall way, or dropping your lunch tray in front of the whole lunchroom are just a few of the ongoing list. I found that not only awkward students are bound to these moment, but teachers as well. Today during lunch the sound of a tray hitting the floor resonated through the lunchroom. Looking up to see what poor student had done it this time, I found that it was Mr. Kerlin a math teacher at Eastbrook. Not only had he dropped his tray, but he actually broke it in half. Im sure he got teased in all the remaining classes of the day.

Missing Days

2005-02-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day in February, the 28th. In my advanced ceramics class one of the students was celebrating his birthday. Mrs. Russell, our teacher, always makes goodies for birthdays. Today we got brownies with chocolate frosting. The interesting thing was that it wasn't actually his birthday. You see his birthday is on a nonexistent day, the 29th of February. How cool is that? Someone later commented to me how they would love to get married on the 29th of February because then she wouldn't have to get mad about her husband forgetting about their anniversary, the calendar would do it for him.

Daylight Saving

2005-02-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

A while ago the rest of the country had to change there clocks due to daylight saving. Most of Indiana, however, has not even noticed, except for the companies, which have to adjust to the time of every other business in the country, because they shifted their business hours with daylight-savings time. Why is it that Indiana hasn’t changed to keep up with the rest of the country? And why is this topic so controversial?

The newly elected Governor Mitch Daniels wasted no time jumping into this controversial issue, promising to fight to bring daylight-saving time into affect. Just as quickly as he announced his push for it, the uproar against it rose. Polls show that about half of Indiana’s residents want to keep our the traditional way. But do the people fighting against this issue really know the reasons for daylight-saving?

The fact is that we have daylight-saving time in order to shift one hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, when more people are awake and able to make use of the light. There are other benefits aside from the obvious advantage of utilizing our time better. One is energy conservation. By observing daylight-savings it shortens the highest time period when electricity is needed to power lights, televisions, and other appliances before bedtime. Even though the amounts of energy saved per household are small, added up this number can be very large. Another advantage is for the business world. Indiana can make it confusing for other companies trying to do business with us Our state needs to hop on-board with the majority of country in the way we run our time .

The main reason for Indiana’s unique way of handling daylight-savings is based on the fact that Indiana was once dominated by a farming economy. The farmers liked early daylight to dry their fields and an early sunset to end their work at a good time in the evening. However, in more recent years many Indiana residents believe that other companies become “turned off “ by the confusion of our daylight-savings. Indiana could quite honestly be missing out on a high-tech advantage. One of the major hopes with changing the state to a daylight-savings system is that it will bring in new businesses, and benefit our economy.

A whopping 77 of Indiana’s 92 counties are in the Eastern Time Zone, yet they do not ever change their clocks. These counties remain on standard time all year. There are only two counties that use daylight saving. The others are located in the northwest corner of the state (near Chicago) and the southwestern tip (near Evansville) are in the Central Time Zone and use both standard and daylight time. Is a slipping economy really worth the hassle of changing our clocks twice a year? Especially when it’s already a hassle to not change them (or at least is for businesses)? You decide.

Sad

2005-02-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

"Not sad because you lost me
But sad because you thought it was cool to be sad
You think misery will make you stand apart from the crowd
well if you had walked past me today
I wouldn't have picked you out"
~Dido

Who is Knocking?

2005-02-18T04:42:00.000-08:00

A family friend of ours, who lives out in the country, always asks my sister to house sit for them while they are gone on vacation. Since they have an indoor dog who needs to be let out often we just stay in the house every night that they are gone. Last night my sister went to sleep and I had to do my laundry, so I stayed up watching a movie while I waited. Now im sitting in the dark out in an unfamiliar place and I start hearing strange noises. I know that their house has an alarm system, but I don't know if that makes me feel better or freaks me out more. Anyway Im completely scared. It could be anything. I slowly creep around the corners looking out each window and door carefully trying to find the source of the knocking. I about jumped out of my socks when I found the culprit. It was a cute calico cat actually knocking on the back door to get in. Who says that cats are not smart?

Pictures can be Deceiving

2005-02-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

The other day all of the english kids, plus maria my soon to be sister, went to walmart to get a picture taken for my mom. Maria and Wesley also decided to get a sort of engagement picture as well. I found it funny to see the way that photographer was setting everyone up and arranging them. However, I think the best part has to be when the vertically challenged people, also known as Tasha and Maria are placed on a stool. So dont be fooled, Tahsa isnt really my height, and Maria doesnt come close to standing that high next to Wesley. Isnt funny how pictures can be deceiving. Oh and Maria and Tasha I hope you dont take offence, you know I love you both.

High School Games

2005-02-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

A few months ago one of my friends and another FFA member got in a little high school "war". All in good fun of course. The "war" ended with a brilliant move from my friend. You see she happened to stumble across a kindergarten picture of this boy, and believe it or not he looked EXACTLY like Froggy from little rascals. This picture circulated among many students of EHS (specifically the FFA kids). After this the hostility ended quickly. I love the picture and actually keep it in one of my notebooks to make me smile on a rough day. However this week the tables turned on me. A girl that had no real involvement in the previous situation happened to come across a picture of me from my freshman year. Take note that back then I was quite the nerd with the big bangs and all. The picture was copied multiple times and passed out to many of my friends, some who didn't know me back then. Thankfully I wasn't to mad. In fact it made me laugh more than anything. At least Im not still like that, at least I hope not. Besides, I have a great picture to retaliate with. High school may have dumb little games like this, but I only have less than a semester left of it, so why not?

Valentines Day

2005-02-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

So the month of February has come! My mothers Birthday, which was the fourth, has past so Valentines day is the next holiday. This holiday drives me crazy. All the hearts, chocolate kisses, and love puppies are just so sappy! Anyone that knows me knows that Im not to keen on sappiness (all though I do have my occasional moments).I do however Love the candy conversation hearts, I could eat those all day. O.K. So to the point. What do you get a boy on such a girly, sappy, and even sometimes cheesy holiday? This is my call out and I need suggestions. Josh you would be the best to give me a suggestion!

Jealousy

2005-02-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

I just can't look its killing me
And taking control
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Swimming through sick lullabies
Choking on your alibis
But it's just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me
~The Killers

Well I Heard...

2005-02-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Our school newspaper recently had a section with quotes heard in the halls of eastbrook. I thought this was quite a concept, so today I kept my ears open to catch anything interesting. Here are a few of the bits I picked up.

Want to buy a heart?
You took the ring out?
I got it for free.
Ill just take it out of your wallet.
He hid the underwear in the bottom drawer
Doctors must hate these.
I have had blood on my geometry homework.
I wish it was smaller.
You look like you have been dragged through a rat hole backwards!

Next time your out in public you might have fun picking up little pieces of the passing conversations.

Toilet Water

2005-02-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

Where should the line be drawn? I know that at any school there are bound to be rumors, and at a small school like eastbrook they seem even more bound to happen. Ever since I started at eastbrook there had been talk of the water. Some say they will never drink from the water fountains because the toilet water is cleaner. In any science class you will discover the foggy water that streams from our faucets. Just last week our fountains were taped up and the colegan man set up jugs of water with those cute little cups because our water had been full of bacteria. So is our water really that bad. Some teachers claim that our water is the cleanest in grant county. Well just today I heard another story, weither its true or not Ill leave up to you. My math teacher informed me that one of the science classes took swabs of water from around the school and discovered that the t iolet water is indeed the cleanest water at Eastbrook. I dont know what toilet they took it out of but maybe the dog has the right idea.

Napoleon Dynamite Sound Board

2005-02-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

This is for all you napoleon fans out there. It is so much fun! Thanks Josh for giving me the link!
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/napoleondynamite.html

My Future Sister

2005-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

So today maria came back to taylor to do her student teaching. I know that wesley misses her a whole bunch, but I love having her back. Wesley definantly picked the right girl to marry. I even went on a date with her tongiht. She came to visit our family during dinner. Me and her ended up at tree of life for coffe and a walmart run. Sorry wesley I know that probably makes you jealous, but im going to use the time I do get with my future sisiter when I get the chance.

Change

2005-01-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

Dont you love it when you do something or go somewhere expecting it to be one way, and then little unexected things happen that completley change how you previously would have precieved them?

Meat Locker!!

2005-01-27T17:42:00.000-08:00

For those who know me, I am in FFA. I know its very out of character for me, but it has become a major part in my life. I am vice president this year on the officer team and I do almost every activity. Some of my favorites are the ag sales demonstration. Crops judging, the conventions(state and national) and the camps. I started off only for the leadership aspect, but as time has past I have learned to appreciate and enjoy many of the agriculture parts. This year I ventures out of my comfort zone and decided to join the meats team. Wow what an experience it has been. Im not the best at it but it is my first year. The equations are not bad, but the ID is so hard. Today I had quite the experience. For the first time in my life I went to a meat locker to evaluate skinned and gutted cow carcasses hanging from the ceiling. Now I realize that many people/ farmers find this typical or in the norm, but it was a shock to me. I surprised myself and did quite well. I didn't even feel sick at the sight of blood. Tasha and wesley know how I normally am with that. I guess my only point is... Go and try something new even if it isn't your norm. Who thought I would enjoy meats? But I do and we are going to the state contest this weekend.

Flash Mind Reader

2005-01-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

Although I do not believe in fortune telling and mysterious glass balls, this is pretty cool. Try it out. Thanks Rachel for sending it to me. I miss you!
<www.dslextreme.com/users/exstatica/psychic.swf>

Memories

2005-01-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in wesleys old room in which my mother is transforming into what she calls her "snowman room". It is quite a drastic change, and honestly I liked it better when it was wesleys. I can remember Wesley working on some creative project on his computer while a laid on his bed reading or listening to his music. I remember the walls being formed and the poetry that they hold inside. The wall still holds a hundred "love"s for Maria, poetry, and mice comments. So through the snowman Wesley still remains inn a sense. Beside me are a collection of random family pictures.My sister and I are holding a baby bear, my dad is smirking at me from the steps of our house in Colorado, and a young Andrew is peering over his shoulder with his thumb in his mouth. Wesley and I are chilling in a KOA cabin, my parents are posing for a "couples" shot, and Maria and Wesley are opening a card. Even Stormy and clancey are staring at me as I type. All though these pictures are meaningless to many, to me they fill me up with memories. I suppose this whole room is filled with memories.

Bonus for what?

2005-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

Today my mother and I were shopping in K-mart when my mom made an interesting discovery! Sitting on the shelf was a whole row of hand sanitizer, I know what's the big deal right? Well many times you will get a bonus hand-lotion, or cleansing wipes, however, this time there was a bonus bottle of glue! How does that connect, if anyone knows I am open to responses.

Threads

2005-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

"There have been many rough edges and loose threads in my past, but pulling on them only unravels the tapestry of my life."
~Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Alpha Kitty?

2005-01-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

Our family has had the infamous three cats named Thunder, Lightning, and Stormy for quite some time now. However, Wesley recently took Thunder to keep him company in his apartment. I know that Thunder belongs with Wesley, but Lightning and Stormy are causing quite the unexpected stir. Naturally I thought that lightning would miss her brother since they have never been separated until now. However there has been no sight of sadness with our now two cats. Since Thunder, the "Alpha Cat", is gone that position is up for grabs. There are now endless stare downs, restling matches, and sabotages amongst these kitties just to see who will be the next "Alpha Kitty". I use to think that stormy would definantly win, but Lightning has been exhibiting a new aggressive and open side. But since I don't bet, none will be placed here.

Even Trees

2005-01-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

This morning I was walking to the bus stop and I had the privilege of seeing quite the interesting sight. Recently we had a bad ice storm which covered everything with a half an inch of ice. The trees took it especially rough. The big "strong trees" lost whole branches and were bending greatly. However after all the ice melted away there was one little tree that didn't break, its tip tops were however reaching all the way down to the ground. My immediate thought was how interesting it was that the little tree looked as though it was bowing down to the almighty creator of all because of its hardships, yet the Bigger, "stronger" trees were broken and to proud to still be bowing down. All to often people (and yes even sometimes I) blame God and are to proud, when we should all be bowing down to Him for all he is and helping us endure life's hardships. Even nature bows down, maybe we should take a hint!

Beginning of the End

2005-01-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

Today was the beginning of the end for my high school career! Yes Today was the first day of my last semester. I am getting that little disease most seniors get, if you could not already tell! But I have also come to realize there will be a million more beggings of the ends, so bring it on.

So It Begins

2005-01-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

Here I am beging my first Blog ever and I am at a loss for words. So I will just start off explaing a little bit of the purpose and inspiration of this blog.

First off it was my older brother, Welsey, who has made this all possible. Ever since he moved to Chicago my main way of seeing what is going on in his life is his blog. I decided that it would be fun to do one of my own since I have friends and family in multiple states. Perhaps they will be encouraged to see whats going on in my life, make comments, and maybe even start a blog of their own.

I wanted to start one, but I was a little to busy and wasn't to sure how to start it. So Wesley and Maria stepped in to help. Maria came up with the creatrive name which fits me well. My room has foot by foot purple squares painted on the walls, and as most that know me have come to realize, I love kitties (especailly Lightning my kitty who is featured in the design). Wesley, who is an amazing template designer, came up with my blogs design which as you can see is amazing.

So here it begins, Audrey as a blogger!