The "Long Time Coming" Post

Okay, so since the last time I posted (besides my special post to Travis), it has been crazily vacant on this blog. I'm sure that you have noticed if you have been following my blog at all. Anywho! Never fear! There is a good reason... well, a relatively good reason. When gimongous (ginormous + humongous... oh yeah... it's that big) life changes occur, there is rarely enough time to blog about them. Fortunately, I am the type that usually goes back and recaps important events so that no one misses out on all of the excitement- I guess this is only "fortunate" if you CARE about importantly huge events in my life! Haha! If not... why are you here? Mmmm... that's deep, I know.

Ready. Set. Go!

Travis and I officially moved into our condo in New York in mid-August! That's right, the Big Apple! We live in Westchester, which (if you are not familiar) is not a borough of New York. It is absolutely, 100% NOT city life. I am grateful for this; I like a peaceful atmosphere and reasonable prices (well, as reasonable as you can get in New York!). The condo is a "big little" space.

Let me explain. The actual square footage is small for sure; however, the way the place is renovated makes it seem a whole lot bigger than it actually is. The owner renovated the bathroom so that it opens up to the foyer and all the way through to the bedroom- this was an excellent improvement that added a major feel of openness. There is also tons of storage space- more than I realized when we signed the lease! The kitchen has an especially nice amount of storage, which is great for me considering I love to cook and bake. Therefore, it is our "big little" condo.

In order to prep for living, we did some serious cleaning of the condo when we first moved into it. Thanks to my mom and dad, we accomplished SO much. From fixing and caulking to cleaning gunk and polishing floors, they busted their butts (as did we) to make the condo a stunner. When the POD came with our stuff, we had our work cut out for us. We had a lot of stuff for a condo. Fortunately, as I mentioned, the condo had a lot of storage in addition to the storage unit under our condo- booyah!

Needless to say, after tons of hard work, too much money spent on cleaning supplies, plenty of "yucks", and loads of laughter, we made the place look fabulous. Then came the tears when my parents left. It is one thing to live 6 hours away from family in the same state. It is also one thing to still be "in school", thus still feeling like a kid. It is another thing when your parents leave you in a state where there is no family to be found and you are officially an adult who needs to make money to sustain life. There is an emptier feeling when that happens. My parents are far enough away that I can convince myself it is easier to just fly- that stinks. Travis's parents are even further away. Lindsey used to be in Maryland, but now she is the furthest- Texas- a different time zone for goodness's sake! Erik is further south than Trav's parents. Am I nervous? Yes. Am I nostalgic? Yes. Am I disappointed? No. This is a good thing for Travis and me to truly get out on our own.

Luckily, we have been "weened" into our just-the-two-of-us, lack-of-parents lifestyle by having Travis's parents and siblings arrive for Labor Day weekend. Fun fun! We had a great time with them! I made chicken parmigiana, and we went to the Bronx Zoo. We had an overall fun time with them. We then took off to South Florida to visit with Travis's parents and grandparents (specifically Grandma Wilson who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease). We visited Grandma Wilson and Grandpa Wilson, went on a boat ride with Trav's parents, and spent time with Grandmother and Grandfather Engebretsen. It was then time to truly head back into real life by hopping on a flight home to New York- just the two of us.

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Okay, now I know that you are probably thinking... what is with the random line thingy? My response to that is, it's my stinkin' blog, I'll do what I want, foo! Just kidding. But for real, the line is due to the fact that I started writing this post so long ago that some of these feelings have changed, and I felt I should alert you to my new feelings. I know. Riveting.

I read back over this post and stopped at the area that said I was scared and nostalgic, etc. I thought, wow... I don't feel that way now. It is astounding to me how God makes us so very adaptable. I thought this would be harder, but as I sit on my couch holding my Sugar Bear (we'll get to that in uno momento), I realize that I am so very content with life right now. Not that I don't want anything to ever change; it is just that I am... happy. =] No... joyful- overall, filled with a feeling of contentment even if something superficial and/or small is off-kilter for the moment.

I will eventually post all sorts of pictures of our place (before and after) as well as many pictures/videos of the Sugar Bears. Until then, I thought I would just provide you with this written report of all that has been happening. Now, I have gotten a lot of questions regarding Travis and my new pets, Jasmine and Aladdin. Well, let me give you some answers. =]

1. Why the names Jasmine and Aladdin?
When Travis and I were kids, independently of one another we chose Aladdin as our favorite classic Disney films. He thought Aladdin was such a cool, slick guy, and I thought Princess Jasmine was beautiful! Thus... Jasmine and Aladdin are our new babies' names.

2. What are they?
They are marsupials (same family as Kangaroos and Koalas) from Australia. This means that Jasmine has a pouch- yes, that's right- a POUCH! They are absolutely NOT rodents. Rodents have a destructive nature due to the fact that their teeth never stop growing. Therefore, they must chew and gnaw on things to "grind" them down. Sugar Bears' teeth do not continue growing, thus, they do not need to grind them down by destroying stuff. This is a obviously a majorly good quality!!!

3. What do they eat?
Glide-R-Chow: a specially formulated pellet food. Many people think they need exotic diets because they are rather unusual pets for people in the United States (they were introduced to the states around 15 years ago), but this is simply not true. Just as you would not feed your cat or dog something it would eat in the "wild" (A.K.A. mice, birds, etc.), you do not need to feed a sugar glider something it would eat in the wild (A.K.A. small birds, insects, fruit, eggs, etc.). The exception to this is that Sugar Gliders do need fruit- particularly apples. Their feeding schedule is quite simple actually. They should always have plenty of Glide-R-Chow (protein-filled "pellets" of dry food- think of like dog food but for gliders!). They will not overeat their Glide-R-Chow. Then, each night, they get 1/8 of an apple each (obviously with NO seeds). Every other night, we sprinkle a pinch of their vitamin powder on each slice. Finally, the last food item needed is a quarter slice of bread twice a week to take care of the particular sugars found in bread that they cannot get through fruit. Obviously, they need their water bottle to be full at all times because they can easily get dehydrated. That's it!

4. Do they smell?
If you follow the aforementioned diet, no. If you fall into believing what forums and random websites tell you about their diet, yes. If you don't follow the aforementioned diet, they will definitely develop a musky scent similar to a ferret. Now, their scent would definitely not be as strong as that of a ferret, but I prefer a pet that doesn't stink at all!

5. Are they Sugar GLIDERS or Sugar BEARS? Is there a difference?
They can be called either name; there is no difference! Tomato, tomato! ...Oh... guess that doesn't work through writing...

6. How big do they get?
About a foot in length. This sounds big until you hear this part: their tail will be around 6 inches, so technically their BODIES only get to be 6 inches in length. Therefore, they are tiny and will remain tiny. =]

Well, this post has been quite lengthy as it is, so I will bid you adieu! If you have any questions about Sugar Gliders/Bears, please post a comment with your question(s), and I will get back to you with an answer ASAP. Obviously, you are more than welcome to ask any questions about our life in New York and/or our new condo. Same thing applies, I will get back to ya! ;]

-Adieu!-

Confession

I like when I "have" to cook dinner for you.

I like when, like clockwork, each day I must go around picking up socks that cannot seem to make their way into the laundry basket- they may make it to the EDGE of the basket, but somehow they simply CANNOT fall into the actual basket.

I like the fact that every single morning when you are done gelling your hair, you leave the gel out and I have to put it away...every. single. day.

I like that I have to make the bed all by myself when you go because you are rushing out to catch the train. I do it just to make sure that it looks nice, tidy, and inviting for when you get home.

I like that each morning I iron your shirt even though you claim that it looks fine. You are SUCH a man; those shirts are NOT fine without being ironed! :)

I like that after a weekend of having you home, I suddenly notice how messy the condo has gotten because neither of us have taken our eyes and arms off of each other long enough to see how messy it became in two days.

I like that you insist we play tennis on a nice, sunny day- thanks for dragging me out. I always enjoy it once we are playing.

I love that you ask me EVERY morning if your hair looks good enough. Thanks for trusting my opinion so much.

I love that yesterday you almost wore the most wrinkly pants of all time, and I had to stop you. Once again, you are SUCH a guy.

I love that you sing constantly when you are home and that I can bust into harmony with you at any time. You and I make beautiful music together. ;)

I love that I am constantly putting your dishes in the dishwasher (even though I nag you to clean up after yourself). ;)

I love your obsession with Fig Newtons.

I love that you secretly love cartoons as much as I do.

I love that I know that as much as I am missing you right now, you are missing me just as much.

Love you, Trav. Can't wait to see you on Friday. <3

G'night Y'all!

This is my last post as a person who does not officially live in the state of New York. Tomorrow we make a painfully long drive to a new adventure. The Lord has blessed Travis and me so much by landing us in the perfect state to promote Travis's career. I know He will use us in great ways for His will. I am excited to see what He has in store for us in the Big Apple! Watch out, New York, we Engebretsen's will be making our entrance tomorrow (and with both of us having deep roots in theatre, I can say... we KNOW how to make an entrance)! Goodnight and goodbye, Tennessee. We will greatly miss your conservative, Bible-believing people and atmosphere. Might as well say it in honor of Tennessee- g'night y'all!

IN the World, Not OF it

What do you think about commercials these days? If I had to use one word to describe the majority of them, I would use immoral.

Now, the first thing I think of when I think of the word "immoral" is sexual immorality. A LOT of commercials, as you well know, involve sexual immorality. From commercials 100% based on sexuality (for condoms, lubricant, hookup numbers to call to have a more "interesting" night by talking to "hot singles", lingerie ads, enhancement medications, etc.) to commercials with implied sexual themes (for male deodorant/body washes, alcohol, food, clothing, razors, and shaving cream), sexuality infests and poisons even our simplest commercials.

How is this speaking to our youth? It is saying that to attract men, girls need to dress in sexually explicit ways and act in sexual ways. It says, "Sexual=beautiful". It also says to boys that it is okay to treat women like slabs of meat and use them for your visual lusts. It also disillusions young men into thinking that the kind of woman for which they are seeking is and should be the overly revealing, trashy girls portrayed in commercials. It also makes young men think that they can find an abundance of women who actually look like the ones portrayed in Photoshopped commercials. The commercials don't give any regard to personal values held by women, they only pay attention to their looks. Young boys and girls then both believe that looks are all that matter. This isn't just found with women, however. I highlight women because they are usually the ones made into candy shops for the eyes. Men are also exploited sexually in commercials. Commercials many times depict buff, chiseled men for shaving commercials, body wash commercials, and, really, any other commercials that involve men that are successful in some way or another.

Other than sexuality, though, there are may other immoral elements to our commercials in this day and age. Here's one example.

Recently, there has been a commercial for a clothing detergent where a middle-aged woman is approached by her daughter who asks her if she has seen her (the daughter's) shirt. The mom suddenly has a flashback where she is seen wearing her daughter's shirt out partying at a club with her girlfriends and eating something that she spills on the shirt by accident. The mom then replies to her daughter, "It really isn't my style." The mom is then seen tearing through her personal hamper where she eventually finds the shirt, washes it (with the wonderful detergent- that, of course, is better than aaaaany of the other detergents), and is finally seen sitting at the kitchen table. Her daughter walks by with the shirt on, and the mom says, "Oh, you found it." The daughter replies, "Yeah, it must have just been hiding in my closet." wow. That was a completely moral commercial. You know, it is bad enough when the daughter is stealing her mother's clothes to go out and party with friends, but it is horrible when the mother steals her daughter's clothes to go out, sets a terrible example, and then lies about the whole situation! grand.

While I am on the topic of lying, let's discuss those pockets that come in hot and lean forms. The wife always asks her husband, "Hey, have you seen my Lean Pockets?" The husband (in a different part of the house) is seen biting into the missing Lean Pocket where he asks himself, "This is a Lean Pocket?" He then ends the commercial by sheepishly replying, "No dear, I haven't seen your Lean Pocket anywhere..." (The wife usually catches him shortly afterward.) Once again, a lie.

Now, I don't want to seem overly legalistic; I know that these commercials are simply meant to be humorous- no harm intended whatsoever. However, as a Christian, I felt it necessary to ask that although these commercials use lying as a humorous element, what kind of message is being sent to our youth? The message is that lying is okay in certain cases (well, nowadays, it is more like "lying is okay in MOST situations"). I don't know about you, but I don't believe that lying is okay in certain cases... I believe lying is inappropriate in all situations- yes, even white lying. What is the point of white lying? Lying cannot help; it can only hurt. You may disagree, but let me lay down a situation for you to think over. If your friend asks you, "Do these jeans look good on me?" and you know in your heart that they make her look like a sumo wrestling hippo, why tell her that they do look good? All you are going to do is allow her to go out looking horrendous. Sure, being honest may hurt her at first, but the white lie will encourage her to spend money on the horrific jeans of doom and wear them out in public! Which is worse? Plus, if you are a Bible believing Christian like I am, you will know that in the Bible, the Lord does not say that lying is bad... except for white lies which "won't hurt anyone". He simply says that LYING is a sin. period.

These are the two main elements that I am going to expound upon, but they are by NO means the only immoral, sinful elements to commercials. Another one that is notable is vanity- lotions, creams, clothing, hair care, makeup, exercise programs and equipment, etc., etc., etc.! Vanity is prevalent in an undeniably immense amount of commercials. One of the worst thing about vanity is that it is something that even seeps into commercials specifically targeting our very young children. I cannot even tell you how many kid commercials I have seen where many beautiful and skinny, racially diverse boys and girls are shown dancing around, hanging with friends, or playing games or sports while other children stare at them, oohing and ahhing at their incredible fashion senses. The other children look at them with jealousy and amazement; it is so clear that they want to be like the beautiful, interestingly dressed children. Those kids are the popular ones, after all. Other commercials show little girls doing glittery, colorful things to their hair, face, or nails in order to look like beautiful movie stars. They aren't beautiful until they do something. Another element included in commercials is disrespect toward peers or parents with no real repercussion. Many commercials include payback as a laugh-inducing theme.

These are just a few of the immoral elements one can plainly see in commercials currently being shown. Furthermore, I will add that these elements can also be found in most if not all other advertising mediums. Well, I am done with my rant; I know many people may disagree or think I am being too strict. However, I won't back down from my convictions; as a Christian, I cannot back down. The Bible is too clear. The sad part about all of this is that MY children have to be raised in a more corrupt world than the one in which I was raised (which was already pretty corrupt in all honesty!). There are so few places in which children can be safe spiritually and morally. The beautiful part of this is that our children will be raised in a Christian household that encourages Godly values despite immorality that can be found anywhere and everywhere. We cannot censor our future children's lives; we cannot hide our children under a rock. How tempting it is to overprotect... The good news is that we are in the world, not of it. God is always in control... no matter what is being shown on T.V. God is the one inside of each of us that helps us decide to turn the T.V. off, flip to another channel, or simply force ourselves to not absorb what has been seen or heard. That is the hope I can hold on to when I think of what my future children will be exposed to during their young lives. I am not in control. The only thing I can do is share the gospel with my kids someday so that they will have the Holy Spirit to guide them in purity and morality. Either way, it makes one worry... ya know?

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19 (KJV)

Agree or disagree? I would like to know your opinion and support for your opinion. Just want to say hi? Well, you can do that, too. Haha! Pip pip cheerio!

The Scary. The Interesting. The Gross.

The Scary.

While in Navy Pier in Chicago, Dad, Mom, Travis, and I walked past a churro stand where I saw a black man (yes... not African American- I find that term more offensive because I don't know where he was originally born... I cannot assume Africa) tense up, grunt loudly, and fall to the pavement. He then proceeded to convulse while his family/friends surrounded him. Travis said that he saw blood coming out of his ear... but we don't know if that could have come from his mouth or head and just poured in a way that made it look like it was from his ear. I know, this is a gorier post than, well, all of my other posts... actually... it isn't only gorier... it is the ONLY gory post I've written! But I felt... I realize I began that with a conjunction, and I really don't give a flying Fig Newton... but I felt that it was scary and unforgettable enough to share. Well, to ease your mind, I will finish the story. Immediately I pulled out my cellphone and dialed 911 (as did others around). It felt like forever until someone showed up, and in my opinion, they took WAY too long- he could have died if the issue had been more severe. By the time the paramedics showed up, he was sitting up. They wheeled him away on a sort of sitting stretcher (basically he wasn't lying down) as I yelled, "We'll pray for you!" What was weird was that the family didn't go with him; they were still at the churro stand. My parents questioned this fact, and I simply replied, "They are getting their churros." I know... I am a horrible person.

The Interesting.

Today we (Mom, Dad, Travis, and I) went blueberry picking- hooray! As we were pluckety pluck plucking delicious berries of blueness, I discovered something very... interesting (imagine that)! A bigbutt, hugetastically immense hornet's nest! It was crazy! It was nearly the size of a head- no joke! Next to it was a can of wasp killer, so clearly the nest had been sprayed and, hopefully, killed. We called the parents over to see it because it was incredible. That is when Mom and I moved on to more blueberry picking. We then heard, "There are larvae inside this thing!" Yes, my father did what any mature, intelligent adult would do... he ripped the nest open. Mom and I had to see, so we trotted over to the nest to find Travis and Dad hovering over an open nest with LIVING, moving, disgustingly plump and juicy larvae wriggling around inside. Yum. Dad then picked up the can and sprayed the inside of the nest, including the larva- don't worry, they were probably on their way to hornet heaven anyway considering the nest was already sprayed. Anyway, it was a very interesting event.

The Gross.

Speaking of larvae... our blueberries ended up being their personal condos. Oh yes, as mom and I were separating the "mushy" blueberries from the firm, better berries, when I mushed the guts out of one of the duds revealing Larry the Larva: a joyous little larva enjoying the mushy inside of the blueberry, content as could be. Bye Larry. I then proceeded to mush some of the other duds revealing Larry's buddies (I think Linda was his wife or something because she was sobbing rather profusely over his demise). We discovered that the larvae nested in the mushy, older blueberries, so we were careful to throw those berries (or berries even semi-close to being mushy) out. I still don't know if I am going to be comfortable eating ANY of the blueberries (no matter how firm!). However, we froze the "good" blueberries, which will kill anything that might potentially be... living in our blueberries. But the main conclusion we all came to was that even if we did happen to consume one of those... erm... luscious... larvae, we probably consumed a ton of those little buggers last year when we picked blueberries (especially since we didn't go through them picking out mushy ones). A frightening, but true thought. Therefore, it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Wellllll now... ya see... this is one of those situations where it is better to be in "ignorant bliss" because now I don't know if I will ever... E V E R... consume another blueberry. Now that I have seen the... *gulp*... wriggling...!!!! N.a.a.a.a.s.t.y. times 20! Well, to make a long story short, we tossed out most of the second batch because it was taking up our entire lives to examine each, tiny blueberry. We finally gave up and tossed 'em.

So now you understand why I named each of these mini-stories the way I named them. I hope you enjoyed reading them (except for the first one... if you enjoyed reading that, then no offense, but you are kind of morbid). If you have any similar stories to share, please do so! If you have a comment to share, you know I would love to read it/respond to it. If you want to give quick feedback, simply press "Like" or "Dislike". It's that simple! Feedback or no feedback, I hope you enjoyed the post! :)