Hey! I know, I know, it's been awhile. Stop pressuring me, people! It seems like a lot's been going on lately, mostly in the form of nitpicky Christmas prep and driving and stuff...but today I was inspired by an event from work...and since I love lists, here it is:
Top Ten Favourite SAI Memories:
10: Dealing with a cop who responded to a call that a mentally-challenged man had (allegedly) touched a woman's breast in the park.
9: Having my autistic friend become quite upset at the aroma of his own repetitious farting in my car.
8: Trying to protect my roommate from the flirtatious and, occasionally, half-naked men that sometimes grace our house.
7: Seeing my cousin's face light up when I talk to her about our family.
6: Trying hard to make a Smurf puppet out of red corduroy and three black buttons, failing miserably, then being told that I can't sew.
5: Singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" to a sweet little lady the day after a heartbreak in my personal life.
4: Running away from an apartment building with my friend, after learning that one of the renters was calling the cops on us for trying to "break in". (Okay, yeah, so my friend was kind of trying to force his way inside...does that make us criminals?)
3: Dancing with my normally-withdrawn friend for over an hour at the Spring Fling. (Rocking back and forth with a little bit of head-bobbing, and LOTS of smiley eye contact!)
2: Watching my friend ask Bryan, two seconds after they'd met at the Christmas banquet, if he could take him to the bathroom later.
1: Finding out that a home had been found, at the last minute, for a friend who would otherwise have been forced to live in an institution in another city. I cried that day.

Another inspiration for this list is that I celebrated a full year at this incredible job on December 12th...wow! No other job has simultaneously stretched, challenged, and encouraged me so much. Many days I find myself frustrated beyond my own ability to cope, but there is more than enough blessing in each individual to lift me up by the end of each week. It's cliche, but true: these people teach me things about themselves, me, life, love, and God that I could never learn anywhere else, and I'm eternally grateful to each of them.
Okay, I have to stop...I get a lump in my throat every time I think too much about it!

Today I just learned about another deep dark family secret...Dad and Mom used to spray Pledge on the floor and watch us kids come running down the hallway in our sock feet, then secretly laugh as we wiped out all over the place.

The Lava is Fun

Hi. A few days ago my sister reminded me of a childhood game in which we piled blankets and pillows together on the floor, then jumped off of a bed into that pile. We called it The Lava is Fun. Another favorite game of ours was convincing Courtney that if she hit her head hard enough, she'd become a princess. Even Mom and Dad would get into this one at the supper table, laughing along as Courtney wound up her little hand and smacked her little skull, repeatedly, with an expectant smile on her innocent face. Then there were the times we babysat Courtney while Mom and Dad were out...we'd bang on the bottom keys of the piano in Jaws theme song style, then run after her, roaring, as she screamed bloody murder and tried to escape us.
But before you go thinking we're monsters, let me show you the inescapable heredity which compelled us to behave this way: when Mom was a little girl, her brothers would put her dolls in car accidents and draw cuts and bruises all over them with markers that didn't wash off. These same brothers convinced my aunt that every time she peed, a little bit of her brains came out. Even Grandma went along with this one for awhile! And on the Friggstad side of things, there was a Christmas Day several decades ago that involved my grandparents gift-wrapping a literal pile of baloney for my youngest uncle (then about five years old). After eagerly opening his present, he started bawling in disappointment. So funny!

Soundtrack of my Life

Soundtrack of my Life

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
How it works:
1. Open your music library
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press Play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press Next
6. Don't lie and try to pretend all your music is cool.
_______________________________________________________

I liked Challis's and Amy's idea, so here's me copying them.

Opening Credits: "Celtic Rain" by Enya
Waking Up: "Peter" from Finding Neverland soundtrack
First Day At School: "Finding Who We Are" by Kutless...sounds pretty appropriate
Falling In Love: "Sanctuary" by Jaci Velasquez...kind of cool
Fight Song: "Mary" by Sarah Sleane. Not exactly an adrenaline-evoking song, but maybe I'll be fighting for love
Grad: "Good Behavior" by Plumb
Life: "Bandolera", a ballroom dance song by the Arthur Murray Orchestra. Sweet!
Mental Breakdown: "Kommst du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel Herunter, BWV 650" by Yo-Yo Ma
Driving: "Down" by Minnie Driver (at least her name works for this)
Flashback: "So This is Love" from Cinderella. Awwww!!!
Getting Back Together: "Sing Hallelujah" by Bob Fitts
Birth of a Child: "Stumptown" by Nickel Creek. Weird.
Final Battle: "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts. This makes me sad.
Funeral Song: "Endless Night" from the Lion King. This makes me sadder.
End Credits: "Runnin' With the Wind" by the Rawling Brothers.