Ten more days...

Joy and I are meeting in Los Angeles next Friday for our long-awaited girls' getaway. Hopefully, there will be something left of California by the time we get there! Geez.

I'm looking forward to seeing the west coast for the first time, but honestly I'm much more excited about spending three days in the company of my best friend. Since we graduated from college, our visits have been limited to one long weekend in Texas, a few hours here and there when she's passing through Knoxville, and a zillion extremely long phone calls. I'm thrilled to get one last chance to kick back for a few days and be our girly selves without our husbands and before the babies come along, which will hopefully be within the next year or two for both of us.

I already know that next weekend will result in some of the best memories of my life... I'm so ready to get started!

From Philippians

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies to the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.

Do you think I think too much?

Is it just me, or does anyone else try to pick apart the mind games in advertising?

I especially enjoy watching TV commercials and examining those to figure out the show's target audience. "The Price Is Right" is full of ads for Metamucil and Wilford Brimley hawking diabetic supplies. The evening news is loaded with prescription commercials for its own anxiety-ridden, migraine-prone, sleep-deprived, overmedicated viewers. (At least, if you weren't depressed before watching the news, you WILL need the drugs afterward!)

And this is a bit embarrassing, but the show "Blind Date" recently began airing again and of course, I'm hooked. Making the viewing experience even more entertaining are the commercials. So much, in fact, that I actually wrote them down during the show last night...

Commercial break #1:
- Lipozene (mini-infomercial about a fat-burning drug)
- Lavalife (singles line - meet hot chicks in Knoxville!)

Commercial break #2:
- Consolidated Credit Counseling
- Cell phone ringtones
- A cheap local car lot - bankruptcy ok!!
- Tennessee Bonding Company - for all of your bail bond needs
- Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo

Commerical break #3:
- Enzyte natural male enhancement
- Genesis Financial Management (debt counseling)
- a PSA about switching to digital TV's
- Nutra-Nail
- Progressive auto insurance
- ACT mouthwash

Commerical immediately following the credits:
- Enzyte natural male enhancement (again)

I swear, I am NOT making this up!

So I guess "Blind Date" appeals to fat, desperately lonely, dandruff-prone bankrupt criminals with halitosis, no ride, and a miniscule... ummmmm... yeah.

Yikes... am I supposed to fit into this picture?!??

Georgia's down!

Busy day at the UT game. I had several heat exhaustion cases, and one kid was so plastered, he threw up pretty much everything he ate over the past week. He was rolling around on the ground and everything... how dignified. One lady just finished chemo and thought she could handle the game... she got so sick that she almost couldn't walk and she just barely made it into the clinic with me holding her up. She kept crying and apologizing to her family... totally broke my heart.

I will say that I have gotten to be very skilled at yelling at people and knocking them out of my way when I'm rushing to a call or helping a patient out of the stands. The aggressive authoritarian act is quite a stretch for me as my usual nature is to try too hard to be considerate of others. It's nice to just let that go and to have a valid reason for doing so.

I found joy in...

The Donald and I drove to Chattanooga on Friday evening to spend time with Brian, Heather, and their baby, Jacob. What a cute kid! He's 3 months old now and quite the charmer. Brian and Heather seem to be doing great and settling into parenthood quite well. I'm so proud of them! And Brian even treated us to some of his good home cookin'!

Saturday, I had to exhibit for UT's "Greatest Show on Birth", and was actually in the middle of teaching a class when who should come running up but my favorite bubbly homecoming queen, Colleen! Talk about a wonderful surprise! She and Josh live in south Alabama now (she was in Knox visiting her parents). I think Josh is still piloting helicopters or something, and she's working part-time as well as raising their two adorable blonde daughters. She's pregnant with their third kid and she's STILL a knockout... good for her! Seeing Colleen truly made my day... every memory I have of her is a good one. Hopefully we'll do better about keeping in touch... it's tough with these military wives!

Eric and Brittany were on tap for Saturday night. Can I just say that these are two of my favorite people on the planet?!? I have never known such pleasant, kind, generous, and fun people, and I'm so glad we've become friends. Brittany is the kind of gal who will bring me a frappucino from Starbucks "just because", and Eric is a total gentleman who never lets me do the unpleasant tasks at work. Even better, they bring out my silly side! We dined al fresco at the Tomato Head in Maryville before driving to the foothills of Greenback for some redneck fun. Enjoyed a long hayride, picked pumpkins from a patch, got seriously lost in the dark in the corn maze, danced a bit to the Chillbillies, and enjoyed hot chocolate before heading home. We laughed ALL night long... Eric and I feed off each other and I don't think five minutes went by when one of us wasn't in hysterics! The night ended with Eric and me entertaining the other two by singing 70's funk duets the entire drive back. Eric e-mailed me later and said that he honestly can't remember the last time he had so much fun. That's one of the best compliments anyone could ever give me. :)

Nancy and Joel came over on Sunday afternoon... Joel and Don commandeered the backyard trying to build a drum; Nancy and I took off for dessert and to talk. She is another new friend... a single mom, very individualistic, down-to-earth, and smart as a whip. Joel's 14, plays the drums, has long dark hair and wears all black, and is easily the most intelligent and interesting teenager I know. I love people who do their own thing and to heck with what other people may think, and that fits Nancy and Joel. Very, very cool.