New Amsterdams! Woo!

Sounds jam packed and fun with you all in California! You go Justin too! EXCELLENT residence find! Sidebar: Mike good to catch up on you too.

Looks like S.D. is the pursuit of the Christmas break bball trip. I really did want it to be Hawaii but it was just so dang expensive to do! We're talking like $2000 each girl when it was all said and done! Other options were Arizona (indifferent) and Florida (puke) which might be warmer than S.D. but I'm counter acting that with 2 things:

1. 50 degrees in San Diego is like 80 degrees to the freak of nature Alaskan degrees we feel 10 months of the year!

2. Nothing else will matter once that rich, chocolatey Hodad's shake is consumed!

So it's only 4 days till the regular season is complete! WHAT JOY! WHAT CLOSURE! WHAT FINISH..to such slop..... enjoyable slop in many ways....but more enjoyable committment when I'm in charge, hahahahhahahhahaha!!!!!!!!! of course

Keep the good times rolling all though secretly b/c I have "girl coach" chaperoning to do at the regional games next week! At least we have a hotel this time (not a floor and sleeping bag :) Enjoy your mid-week!

WOW then!

It's been a long while since this blog wordage placement! Apologies to yous and to my life record keeping - it's almost been a month!

Needless to say it has been very busy with bball; let me recap the road trips.

One weekend: Fly one hour out of Anchorage airport to Bethel, a village high school. Fly home Sunday. Interesting, fun, quick, and travel inspiring.

The very next week/end: Wednesday after school bus drive 7-8 hours to Valdez High School for 5 days of a varsity only tournament. Lots of sitting and staring, eating, napping, sitting, card playing, and sitting. One day we got up at 8 a.m. had 3 meals throughout the day, sat around forever, and didn't play till 9 p.m.! WHOA! It was fun and all but own house and bed is better after the flight and games the previous weekend. Hmm....

Then this weekend we played 3 games in a row starting Thursday at home, and then back to back Anchorage travel Friday night and all day Saturday. Thank God Casey came Saturday to rescue me from another late night bus ride, as I got home at 1 a.m. Friday and had to get up at 6:30 Sat. I must record that our bus was 2 hours late picking us up yesterday morning, so we sat at our high school for that time just waiting to go to Anchorage...argh!

All nit picking aside it has been a fun and interesting roller coaster that I'm glad has landed well restedly onto this day of sun. Sunday too, ha! It's -19 degrees with the sun shining....we get a streak of that really cold, clear sky towards the end of winter fyi.

And side so, my classroom is a mess of papers from substitute teachers, but alas we have a regular week of school for once this week, and our last 2 regular season games. Due to a family emergency for the head coach, tomorrow I run practice as if I were the head coach! As if I am going to be it from here on out! Well from March on out! I'm officially taking over next year! WOOO!

Casey and I are about to go investigate some acreage down the road. Looking to buy some parcel(s) by the end of summer! Glad to be home! Excited to hear more about Pepper, Fresno, George, and Mike's lives. I've missed Casey, home, family, and down time.

Great Fiction tunes, laundry, and packing going! Ahh, the pre-trip anticipation. It's not to BG, Cinque Terre, Greece, a beach, San Diego, or with family....but....I'll take it!

Tomorrow skip school and bball time for 3 days. Novelty wear off by Sat. afternoon?.....will go hide and watch Lady in the Water on the iPod and read and write - escape to my thoughts then. Hopeful on that one, b/c it always gets so distracting and busy and tiring on these little trips.


Pan's Labyrinth Thoughts: it impresses, it disturbs, it lingers in my head. I would like to see it again.

Dad I found your following comments to be intriguing and relevant to my thoughts on religion (enlightened by the movie) - where is the creativity in exploring Him besides once in a while movies? While we're on earth why not let it, allow it, accept it (Him, the Truth) to be powerful, interesting, and impacting in all things!?!

From Bruce thoughts: "Our models tend to be preachers whose only mode is retelling the Biblical story over and over in the same genres but with no added value, no cultural awareness, no verbal or visual style. This is to say they are not like Jesus, who took the OT themes and reimagined them, reenergized them, and then extended them into new images and perceptions about God's kingdom."

And: "..is the current status (being persecuted b/c of Him) something we have earned by righteous living or have defaulted to because of our easy reliance on a watered down message that keeps us content, but the world hungry."

complacency is disturbing to me, in me, in the religious culture...


Other Thoughts:
Dogs are well and good and fluffy. What would you name your dog Matt and Tracey?

Got some fun pictures of our nephew Brady today via snail mail.

It's bad that I, and so many, think putting premade cookie dough on a pan and cooking them is "baking" :( Gone are the days of "from scratch" with Joan. So sad :( I do consider myself baking literate though, and yet so admittedly opposite in real food literacy. Did Justin see Mary prepare any such food delve while here? I think not!

I must go! My eyes are screamingly fried from submitting the Houston Times high school newspaper online after 4 straight hours of school and after school perfections! Have a great weekend!

"..obedience...." is a good word in Great Fiction's "Sweet Obedience".

I organized an indoor soccer league that started tonight. I don't have to be there persay, but I do get to play if I want.

If it's not obvious (besides love for sport), I am fitting in as much coaching/sport as possible for the next two/few years then I'll take a break. And by break I mean I'll play more leagues myself etc. as opposed to coaching etc. Just some thoughts tonight as I try to unwind before bed.

Friday the bball teams fly to an Alaskan village, Bethel, about 1 hour (by flight) west of Anchorage. WHOA! Flying there is interesting to me, are we in the NBA? It should be fun, but I shall be away from Case and home....

Life is enjoyable regardless!

I've been thinking and planning and dreaming about travel today.

Travelling to Mom and Dad's house, S.D. Colorado, and just plain old summer. It's been so sunny and beautiful lately people are literally wearing shorts and tshirts, at least from the hours of 2-4 p.m. before the cold spurts back upon us. A range of 8 - 40 degrees at different times, days, and locations.

Best of pump up to J as you pursue Pepper! Have a great rest of the week and weekend all! Bethel bball report when I return late Sunday or early next week. :)