Jill the Thrill

HARRY POTTER TONIGHT!!!!

2009-07-14T20:33:00.002-05:00

Celebrity Go Getter Alert!

2009-07-14T20:15:00.002-05:00

The Experiment is filming this week next door to the DTC downtown. The street in front of High Life Lounge and some of 2nd Street will be closed all day tomorrow. So no cheeseburger baskets alas.

Be respectful while they are actually shooting scenes. Mainly being quiet when they yell “ACTION!” Anyone planning activities on the east side of our building should keep this in mind.

Forest Whittaker, Adrian Brody, and Elijah Wood are all in the film (The Experiment), but we’re not totally sure who will be around this week. And please remember, no Frodo jokes for the duration of the production (It’s in his contract).

Celebrity Go Getter Alert!

2009-07-13T20:40:00.000-05:00

A few well known celebrities are in the area shooting a new movie called "The Experiment." I don't know much about the movie except for what I've ready on imdb.com but I'm highly intrigued. Des Moines doesn't get too many celebrities swinging through this part of the US so when one does happen to stop in town, its major. That’s why my coworkers and I have made it a point to keep up on the local celebrity news. We want to build connections, paparazzi these people when the opportunity arises, and maybe… if we're lucky, get to be an extra in one of the movies that shoots here…. Or even just meet them. Des Moines is quickly becoming the hotspot for filmmakers to shoot movies due to the tax incentives. All I can say is I'm not mad about it. Its exciting for the city of Des Moines and I'm looking forward to being a celebrity go getter! (my new term for finding out details and finding celebs shooting in DM)

Last months Celebrity Go Getter:
Luke Perry: in town shooting "Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency". No sightings but a few friends came very very close!

This months Celebrity Go Getters:
Adrien Brody
Cam Gigandet
Forest Whitaker
Clifton Collins Jr.

This just in...... The Experiment is shooting at Mars Cafe on Wednesday morning!

Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

2009-07-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity (i found this very humorous for some reason)

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Smuggling Diamonds'

7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'

8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, wi th a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!'

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

20. Be a Cubs fan! (I love em but they make me go insane!!)

HyVee Triathlon

2009-07-10T10:24:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago was the HyVee Triathlon. I've never been to a triathlon but was excited to watch my first one and cheer on my brother. My friend Dan was also participating so there were a few of us that went to cheer. I woke up bright and early Sunday morning to get to Racoon River before Jason's start time of 6:15 am. As I was walking down the beach, I couldn't believe the amount of people that were out and about already. It seemed like the entire world was at the triathlon there was so many people! It actually made me forget that I was up so early because of the excitement in the air and the amount of people that were already out and about. Thankfully, right where I decided to stand, Jason's group was just walking up to enter the water. I quickly grabbed my camera and started snapping away. Before I knew it they were off in the water. I'll admit, I had a few tears. I get so emotional at things like this (basically anything really), I'm just so proud of everyone who's participating.

After he was a ways off in the water, I decided to go find a spot along the bike exchange so I could see him jump on his bike. About that time, I caught up with some other DTC people and we all found a spot along the fence. It was at about that time that my camera battery decided to die! Thankfully, my friend Melissa and I have the same camera so we just shared.
We stood along the fence waiting and waiting for Jason to come on his bike. Eventually, the group behind him started to come and I was getting a little worried. Turns out, we weren't paying attention when he went by so we missed him. We did see Dan and Scott though and cheered loudly for them.

We had the perfect spot on the fence so that we could not only see them enter on their bikes but get off their bikes right in front of us to transition to running. We made sure to pay close attention and saw everyone come in. After they were off on the last leg running, we found a spot along the finish line down the home stretch to cheer everyone on!

It was such a beautiful day! We all had so much fun cheering and watching everyone race. I can't wait to go watch next years (notice I say watch. I don't ever see myself doing a tri). Jason has another one coming up in a couple of weeks at Big Creek that my parents are coming down to watch so that will be exciting. If you get a chance next year, I highly recommend going and watching! It was a great day.

80/35

2009-07-09T17:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was the 80/35 music festival. I'm all about live music, especially when its in your hometown and you can come and go as you please. Saturday (the 4th of July) Kelli, Jenni, and I went to the festival (amidst the rain) to volunteer for a little bit and watch the bands. Poison Control was the first band on the main stage and boy were they catchy. They had us singing "Love.... is the answer.... until you get cancer!" all day long. As more bands followed throughout the afternoon, the crowd continued to grow. By the evening, the streets were filled and each stage had a giant crowd. We left in the late afternoon for church and would come back for Ben Harper. By the time we got back for Ben, I'd estimate that 94% of the crowd had consumed a little too much alcohol and weren't exactly smoking cigarettes. We watch a couple songs, had a few good laughs, saw some people that we knew, and decided to call it a night while we could still breathe! :) We watched some fireworks and then headed over to a friends house. All in all, the festival was a good time and I'm curious to find out next years lineup.

Kelli and I lovin Ben Harper!

Shaly, Darrin, and Anthony with their best concert face!

Phenomenon

2009-07-08T22:06:00.002-05:00

Today, something magnificent happened. At the 12th hour, 34 minutes, 56 seconds on July 8, 2009, the numbers on my computer read

12:34:56 7/8/9

Kelli.... will this ever happen again??!!! NOPE!!

Busy much?!

2009-07-08T11:22:00.000-05:00

Can I state something for one second? (I can because I can type whatever I want). I'm tired of people saying they're too busy! I've often used the excuse but it seems that more recently, that's all I've been hearing. Can I just list what a typical week looks like for me right now.
5:00 AM : wake up and read
5:30: breakfast
615: out the door for work
630-530: work.
545: hopefully I'm home by then but its usually 6.
6 - ?? Monday nights: dinner with a new or old friend
Tuesday nights: ultimate frisbee or softball game
Wednesday nights: Epicenter at 630
Thursday nights: Sand Volleyball at 830
Friday nights: BS hangout
Saturday: softball game and church
Sunday: church, outreach, Sunday funday with kelli
1045 pm: read
1130 pm: it’s a good night if I get to sleep by 1130

That’s a pretty typical week for me (and I know some of my friends are worse than this). So when someone says they're too busy to do something, I just smile. :)

Where's Karen?

2009-07-06T22:25:00.005-05:00

Sunday night, as the 4th of july festivities were winding down, we decided to make our own fun and create a "Where's Waldo" picture series… only its Where's Karen?! We had so much fun coming up with different "scenes" to set up and even created a little mischief. Enjoy…

Can you spot her? I'll give you a hint, she's behind the tree.

Oh there she is playing with the baby toy at the bottom of the stairs.

This ones tricky.... she's wiping down the counter.

She didn't quite make it into the cab of Anthony's truck...

She almost got ran over.

Did somebody hear something coming from the shower?

Good night, sleep tight.... I think something is in the corner.

Sarah you're so funny. No Sara, you're too funny. Who's that funny person behind us?

ITALY... you're so close!

2009-07-05T10:33:00.002-05:00

I love visiting new places and when given the opportunity, I will not pass it up. LIke my friend Rachel, I'm a sucker for traveling (though she does it WAY more often than I do). I love vacations. I love everything about them! I'm thankful to have parents who also love them and also encourage me to travel when I can. I have a couple of friends who are also enablers... and I'm not mad about it.
SO, when the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance and just two months from now I'm headed to Italy for a couple of weeks. I couldn't be more excited! Actually, I should add the point that ever since I was a wee little girl, I've wanted to travel to Austria (because of the Sound of Music), so we're making a pit stop in Austria for a few days before traveling on to Italy where we'll spend the majority of the time sight seeing, experiencing the night life with the locals, and taking LOTS of pictures. Some of our stops include Salzburg, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Vernazza, Sienna, and Rome. I've been practicing my Italian every night (though I still sound like a 4 year old). I've kind of kept this trip on the DL. It started out as one of those things where you just talk about it like its going to happen but in your head you're thinking that it might not happen so you don't want to get your hopes up. Thankfully, this trip has come through and 3 of my friends and I are headed out for an amazing journey.

ps. someday rach, we're going to travel together! Shall I say Africa?

Watch out. Pro Golfer coming through!

2009-07-02T23:07:00.003-05:00

So, my father is a legit golfer. He's a coach for my old high school, gives private lessons for kiddos in town, and is an avid fan, and will play any chance he can get. (He is even patient enough to play with me when I'm home… though he just shakes his head when I whiff or scream or drive the cart WAY to fast!!) This year seems to be the ultimate golf year for him. It started out with me winning tickets to the Masters this year and (obviously) I gave them to my father. He's always dreamed of going and I was happy to help out with that little dream. He had the best time and it'll be something that he'll always remember. Then comes last week during Mens Night at the Club. My dad got his first HOLE IN ONE! He's been golfing since before I was even born and never has he accomplished this. I was so excited for him. What a great year golf has been to him - 2 majors in 1 year. But I spoke to soon. Last night at Men's Night, he again hit another HOLE IN ONE! Going how many years without ever hitting one and then to have two in the same year… a week a part! Incredible. His Wednesday night hole in one streak will have to end as he's off to the John Deere Golf Classic this weekend in the Quad Cities for a week. With the way his golf luck has turned out this year, who knows what could happen there! I'm liking his odds! :)

A blast from the past... i love these things!

2009-07-01T05:28:00.000-05:00

U Know You Grew Up In the 80's If:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE. ( I probably did this once or twice)

2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton (who can't?!)

3. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom

4. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"

5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons. (David the Gnome!)

6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head. (the side pony is totally back!)

7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school. ( I still love Oregon Trail)

8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

9. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

11. You know the profound meaning of " WAX ON , WAX OFF" (Danielson!)

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.

13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (I even had fluorescent spandex)

14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted... and then he died. tear

15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.

17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets. (I wish they would bring these back)

18. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence. (Kelli and I are bringing this back!!!!) NOT

19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (A pair? I had like 10 pairs)

22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"

23. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"

24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

25. You have ever played with a Skip-It. (I once invited a girl to my birthday party because she told me she would get me a Skip-It for my present. She didn't and I never talked to her again.) ... thats sort of true.

26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.

28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB" (What? They're still cool)

31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.

32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

33. You just sang those words to yourself.

34. You still sing "We are the World"

35. You tight rolled your jeans.

36. You owned a bannana clip.

37. You remember "Where's the Beef?"

38. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

My BUSY Weekend

2009-06-29T22:30:00.007-05:00

This past weekend was a busy one for me, but busy in the way that I like. It was filled with so many fun events that you actually feel like you spent your weekend the right way.
Friday Night: A bunch of us went downtown to the Arts Festival for the free concerts that were going on. Collective Soul was performing and the crowd that came out to watch them was quite hilarious. They sure have a devoted following. We somehow ended up standing by a drunk beligerant guy who was spouting out spiritual nonsense. It was quite entertaining but also sad in the same right. Shawn Johnson, Des Moines' local celebrity, also made an appearance so that was a fun surprise. Following her was the main event: GAVIN DEGRAW. I'm a huge Gavin fan and the concert was great. Something was wrong with the sound quality but he still put on a fun summer show and it was all FREE. You can't really beat that. Afterwords, a few of us went to Old Chicago to chat.

Saturday I woke up early and went to work to get a few hours in. I had a bunch of errands to run so I didn't stick around work too long and was on my way. Finished my errands, did a couple loads of laundry, got a quick run in, and got ready for the evening's event: The Taylor Swift and Keith Urban concert. It was sold out and my friend Jenni had 2 extra tickets so she asked me if I wanted to go along with her and her friend. Melissa also joined in the fun and we had a great time! We had more fun watching a crazy "man dancer" (who I ended up actually knowing!!!) than anything else. Keith and Taylor put on a great show. Taylor did a JT cover and Keith had a little MJ medley which I greatly appreciated. "Man in the Mirror" should always make an appearance at concerts! Keith Urban even filmed his next single's music video during the concert so that was a fun surprise. I doubt I made any of the shots but it was still fun to be there!

Sunday I was up bright and early for the Hy-Vee Triathalon. Brother Jason's start time was 6:15 am so I hustled to get there in time to see him enter the water and begin the race. It was very exciting and I found myself with a few tears. I just get so proud and emotional at things like this, I don’t know why, but I just do. :) After he was off in the water I found a few others who were there cheering on some DTC folks and we positioned ourselves along the exit from the water onto the bike and the exit from the bike to the running. We had a great spot for cheering and picture taking… though we missed jason on his first transition. We also found a prime spot at the end of the running/race to take pictures and cheer them to the finish. The entire triathalon was such a neat thing to watch. Organized chaos was my discription. The rest of Sunday was spent having breakfast with some friends, my outreach team got together at noon, I went to a wedding shower for my good friend Allison, and then had Sunday Funday with Kelli (to which multiple people joined in). The night ended with a bonfire and us attempting to make up a new song. Ahnice. :) …. I think I got some sleep in there somewhere.

He was the King of Pop

2009-06-25T20:38:00.000-05:00

There were a lot of imitators.....

But there was no one like him!

My Birthday Week - Monday

2009-06-25T06:25:00.000-05:00

Monday (May 18.... this is SOOOOO late but I've been busy)
The morning started off by me walking in to work and exclaiming OMG outloud. At my desk was a giant cardboard cutout of Edward Cullen just waiting for me. Amongst other things at my desk were mutiple posted of Robert Pattinson, Twilight quotes were posted everywhere, I had flowers from my coworkers, and a Twilight themed cake. It was pretty hilarious. One of my coworkers also brought in breakfast so that was delightful. Basically, I found it hard to concentrate at work the entire day. I'm not sure if it was from all the robert pattinson posters that kept distracting me…. Or the fact that he was standing right behind me constantly looking over my shoulder. He even scared me a couple of times causing me to jump and laugh out loud. The workday went fast and I was headed out the door to enjoy the rest of my 26th birthday.

Melissa and Emily met me and we went to pick up Julie (the adventure crew) to head off to Ledges State Park. We hiked a bunch of trails, sweat a lot, and laughed even more. Some highlights from this adventure included:

I had such a fun birthday. I couldn't have asked for better weather or better friends.

Visiting the floods of 1993 memorial pole

Discovering that Melissa is never short of breathe

Relearning how to try to do the splits

One Poc

Julie "almost" falling down the cliff

Melissa running up the hill and me, completely out of breath, feeling defeated yet optimistic that I could make it to the top

The window grease story

Julie having to only eat bread when she was low on cash

Country music is BACK

Darrin me-dime-a??!!?? Is that how you say his last name?

Shovelling pizza into one's mouth so fast you basically are breathing in pizza

Rock climbing - in forbidden areas.

Having the best birthday ever!!

New Workout: Dodge the Bodyguard

2009-06-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

The following video is the type of scenario that my coworkers and I like to image. What would happen if Robert Pattinson were talking down the street in Des Moines? How would we handle it? More importantly, how would we dodge the bodyguard? Thanks to my coworker Christie, we've developed a new workout to not only get you in shape, but also help you effectively elude those pesky bodyguards who don't let you get near your favorite celebrity. Feel free to ask for a demonstration sometime of some of the moves we've created. They're quite useful and effective. Now if Rob would just come to Iowa so we could test them out....

JONAS JONAS JONAS

2009-06-16T10:25:00.000-05:00

So, today may seem like a typical Tuesday.... but alas, it is not! The newest Jonas Brothers cd has hit the airwaves and I'm a proud owner! I love music of all kinds and I'm happy to call myself a proud Jonas Brothers fan. Though there's only a few of us in the Des Moines area (right Meg!) we're proud fans. Maybe we just haven't found those other fans yet... or maybe most people haven't discovered the awesomeness that is Jonas! Either way, I'm happy to be a fan. YEAH.

My Birthday Week - Sunday

2009-06-15T06:23:00.001-05:00

Sunday:

My dear friends Kelli and Sarah threw me a bbq birthday party, inviting some of my great great friends to partake in the festivities. The weather wasn't exactly favorable but it didn’t stop us from having a great time. We grilled some hamburgers and hotdogs - disaster averted (the grill decided to shoot flames about a foot high? Who knows why?) Then we sat around laughing about stories, reminiscing about the old days and what our lives were like when we were younger. If you know me, you know my camera is always within arms reach so we decided to take some awesomely great pictures! We had a few good laughs at our different attempts to take cool pictures. The night ended with some gift opening, an appearance by the Weeks, and farewell hugs. Thanks for such a great night ladies. I love you all.

Btw: I must also add that for the night, I was wearing a dunce style birthday hat, a ribbon that said Dancing Star, Twilight Pins, and Jonas Brother pins.

Things I'm Thankful for Right Now

2009-06-08T17:31:00.002-05:00

Just some things I was thankful for this morning amidst my busy hectic day:

My Toes: INJURY!!! Don't worry, it was nothing major… but it could have been. Yesterday I was just putting the dishes away from the dishwasher and I picked up a handful of silverware. Before I knew it, a knife had slipped from my hands and was plummeting toward my exposed toes. I didn’t even have time to react before the knife punctured my foot. It hit so perfectly that it just stuck there for about 2 seconds before it finally fell over. It all happened so fast I didn’t even know what to feel until about 5 seconds later when shooting pain ran up my leg! I screamed a little, did a little dance hopping around, and wondered how that just happened. Thankfully, I only had a puncture wound and not a sliced off toe. Moral of the story: don’t wear flip flops to empty the dishwasher!

Godly marriages - I went to a long time family friends wedding this weekend. Its really great to see 2 people who are following the Lord with their lives come together all in the Lord's timing. Plus, I got to spend a little time with my parents and see some old friends from back in the day so that was a blessing.

Friends: today Kelli and Sarah stopped by my place of business to bring me a wonderful treat. They knew that I've been working a lot lately and this morning I came in to work around 6 am (and would be working until about 5). They surprised me with a Starbucks vanilla steamer and banana nut chocolate chip bread. I'm so thankful for them and their friendship. They're SO great and I was SO surprised. It was the best part of my day.

Baseball: a bunch of us are going to the Iowa Cubs game this evening to see Rich Harden play. I could watch baseball all day every day!!

The weather on Sunday: So it poured all Saturday night and into Sunday morning. Every day I pray that there would be no rain on Sunday from 1-4 since my outreach meets outside. The Lord came through once again! We had beautiful weather and we were able to serve a lot of appreciative people! It was such a great afternoon!

Service Team!

2009-06-01T17:24:00.001-05:00

Every summer, the DTC bible studies take a break and we start Epicenter. Epicenter is held Wednesday nights starting at 6:30 pm with a bbq followed by a speaker around 7 pm. Then during the week, there are different outreach groups that meet to serve different parts/areas/people of Des Moines. This summer I am part of the Service Team for the Drake neighborhood. Every Sunday we meet around noon and head out to the neighborhoods to help out. We do everything from mowing lawns, cleaning gutters, washing windows and cars, digging up plants, shovel rocks, chopping down trees…. You get the idea. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon serving and loving others as we're called to. I love my group and we have so much fun together. Sunday afternoons have always been my favorite part of the week (thanks to Sunday funday with kelli) and I'm glad they can continue!
This past Sunday we were fortunate enough to help out quite a few families. We were outside for quite a while and I'm feeling it, namely: my head is sunburned where my hair was parted… ouch. Jenni and I washed a car using Tony Stewart Car Care tips; McKenna, Darrin, and Liz shoveled gravel and dug a path; Trent broke the weed eatter; and some of the others laid a brick patio and planted some flowers. It's a great way to meet some neighbors, love them, and show them what a servant of Christ is all about. We ended our day with a bbq at Haley's house (thanks haley's parents!). It was a great Sunday afternoon!

If you want to know more about Epicenter, check out the DTC website at www.thedtc.org. It'll change your life!

Man Weekend

2009-05-27T17:06:00.001-05:00

Man Weekend: That’s what Katie Allen and I have termed this past weekend. Let me explain. It all started out with a bonfire on Friday night. There was grilling, of course this was handled by a man, while the girls sat around chatting like we usually do. Some of the guys started to build a fire but McKenna was quick to help. Before we knew it, she was dragging a giant tree limb down the street to be used for the fire (and when I say giant, I mean giant). Basically for the rest of the night, she "manned the fire." Saturday night after church, a bunch of us really didn't know what to do. A lot of the guys from our bible studies were going to watch some UFC match. Not exactly my idea of fun but what are you going to do when options are limited. Basically, 7 girls crowded around a card table to play Nerts while the boys all hollered at the tv. Throughout the night there were many jokes about guys … I guess being immersed in manliness brings out a lot of humor.
Sunday afternoon was filled with manual labor. McKenna and I took a drive to Ames and we jammed to Classic Rock the entire trip. Sunday evening, it was decided that we would all go see the new Terminator movie. Again, man choice. The night capped off with a stop at Perkins and then to Saylorville where we threw rocks, climbed on rocks, talked about rocks, and laughed some more. All in all, the man weekend turned out to be pretty fun. There were some new friendships formed, lots of hilarious jokes told, and fun memories made.

I guess growing up with brothers, I can easily fit in when its man time but I'm pretty thankful I'm a girl. We're just cuter! :)

AI Recap

2009-05-26T16:34:00.003-05:00

When I think all hope is lost with America, the AI winner is announced and America totally redeems themselves!! Yeah for Kris Allen. It's funny how you can become so committed to a TV show that you develop such strong opinions and emotions to the people participating in American Idol. This year a group of us decided to start watching American Idol after bible study. As the weeks went by, the group grew larger and more people started to show up. The AI train was getting crowded but we didn't care, we welcomed anyone who wanted to join in the fun of watching AI. Though some came to watch just for the social aspect, most were there to root on their favorites. I usually pick a favorite AI contestant pretty quickly into the season and this year it was Matt Giraud (5th place… I'm still proud of you Matt). A few people jumped on the Kris bandwagon but most were voting for Danny. Week after week people would show up at my house to watch, cheer, give their advice, laugh at Paula, and enjoy the show. Who would have ever thought that AI could be an outreach opportunity!
It become clear who were the front runners as the season neared an end. As we reached the final 4… it was cause to look back at the fun journey we'd been on. I mean, we'd seen a lot this year from Norman Gentle, to bikini girl, and even Tatiana. (Thankfully, the judges still had some control at that point and they weren't allowed to advance in the competition). Once Matt was gone, I had to pick a new person to cheer for. I will always go for the piano guy (who doesn't love the piano!) so Kris was my choice.

The night Danny was voted out and the final 2 were decided, silence pretty much overtook the room. I think Darrin almost cried. (j/k) What was going to happen?! Adam was clearly the judges favorite (as they so obviously made that known) so I have to admit, I was worried. It's not that Adam is a bad singer, he's just not my style. There's something about him that doesn't seem real to me and I have a problem with voting for someone who I don't feel like I know. What kind of album would he put out? What kind of artist is he? I never know… nor will I b/c I'm not buying his cd! :) Anwyays, Kris was the clear favorite amongst the AI crew at my house. The night of the finale, about 50 people crowded in my house to watch the results. It was so much fun but the night would only be complete with a Kris Allen win. How terrible would it have been to invest that much time to be disappointed at the end. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and Mr. Smiley (kris) won. What a great guy he seems to be (I won't act like I know him). He just seems humble, real, genuine, and an all around good guy…. And I'll always vote for the good guy. Yeah for Kris Allen and his American Idol win! Until next season…

A picture of some of the masses that assembled last wednesday night:

Btw, this entry is dedicated to Meg Rude's upcoming baby: Kris Allen Miley Cyrus Jonas Rude. :)

SPRING is Here!

2009-05-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

You know that Spring and fun are on the way when you start planning all outdoor activities in hopes that the weather cooperates. Even if its mildly warm outside, you don't care and still play outside. Last Sunday night Sarah hosted a BBQ at her house with Robin. It was such a fun time. We all sat around on the deck chatting and laughing at Anthony mastering the grill. A few people played bocce ball and a game volleyball broke out. There were even some amazing hairdos that were created, namely one on the top of my head created by Smangela. The inspiration behind my hairdo - Barbie and the Rockers! Nice huh.

Monday night a bunch of friends got together to celebrate Adam V's birthday. We all met at a park in WDM and Jenni provided a smorgasbord of snack food for everyone. (She was also the party planner!) A bunch of us played sand volleyball - which btw, was hilarious. Some people played an intense game of Bocce ball, and when I say intense, I mean the longest game ever (longest as in distance.. they went around the entire park). There were also a few side games of corn bag (which I LOVE). A few of us broke off from the volleyball game to play some football. (Haley, Luke, Ean, and myself vs. MoJay, Lauren, Jake, and Darrin). I only had flip flops and the ground was absolutely freezing. I was convinced I had frost bite and not to mention the sketchy stuff I stepped in while running out for a pass. The evening ended with a game of spoons on the picnic table! Shaly, Kelli, and I opted out of playing spoons and instead decided to hit the volleyball back and forth. That soon turned in to trying to hit Luke and Ean with the volleyball. Unfortunately, we were never successful but it was still fun to try. It was a great night of celebrating Adam's birth and having a fun time with friends. I love Spring!

Its MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

2009-05-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

My little bro is gettin hitched!

2009-05-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

My little brother Jon and his girlfriend Krista got engaged. How exciting! August 7, 2010 is the official wedding date in Appleton, Wisconsin (that Green Bay Packer country in case you didn't know). So, Jon's the first of the Trost kids to walk down the aisle... unless one of us beats him to it before then (but it's not looking promising :)!