Happy 2007!

As I'm writing this, it is in fact 2007. And I think there's a lot to be celebrated about this past year. Yes, this is the night when we look ahead to fresh beginnings and new excitement in a new year. But this should also be a day to look back and thank God for everything he's given us in this last year.

This last year has held many milestones for me.

-I graduated from highschool.
-I started college. (and completed my first semester)
-I quit my first job.
-I drove across the country for the first time.
-I started my first website with actual people who actually visit it. (this blog)
-I visited Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Washinton DC, Virginia, and Maryland for the first time I can remember. (I visited somewhere back East when I was about 3)
-I turned 19!
-I lived away from home for the first time ever.
-I made a bunch of new friends and had some great experiences.

Life is good. God is amazing. I am so blessed.
I look forward to another great year in 2008!

God bless you all and your new year ahead.
-Rebekah

"New" Website

Some of my older and dearer friends may remember my old website, The BookClub. It was basically a list for my friends and me to share and recommend our favorite books and movies. This was 4-5 years ago, when I was first learning HTML. To make a long story short, the site flopped, about three times. But I'm stubborn.

Well, this was before the advent of the wiki, which I realized is exactly the type of site I really need. For one thing, it makes editing the site a lot easier. wetpaint.com has a make-your-own-wiki service, which has allowed for the rebirth of this old dream of mine.

This is all to say, Come visit my site! Sign up! Contribute! Help to make this a great and useful resource for readers of all ages!

the-book-club.wetpaint.com

Thanks!
-Rebekah

Admission

I'll admit what I was previously unwilling to: Steubenville has stolen my innocence.

When I came back to San Diego for Christmas, I swore that a semester in a state with weather hadn't made me any less of a weather-wimp. That I still firmly held to the principle of the relativity of temperature.

But this morning on the way out of the church, just as I was thinking what a nice day it was, (it's about 55) I overheard a girl telling her mom that it was "sooo cold!"

I'll admit what I was previously unwilling to: Steubenville has stolen my innocence.

And all of my readers not in California now have permission to hate me. :)

Might as well just get a national language already

I was asked to dust the wood divider at work today and given this can of Pledge:
"Anaranjado" is the color, not the fruit. Apparently, the company that makes Pledge hires no one who ever either took a single semester of Spanish or learned how to do a proper web translation. What a shame that so many Americans are monolingual and lazy...

But it makes for an amusing cleaning experience, «Sí, este color es anaranjado. Muy bien. ¿Y eres licenciado en negocios? Que bueno.»

EDIT: I was informed that the photo wasn't working. Hopefully it is now, and I apologize for the mishap.

Okay, so I'll post.

Uncle Mike was giving me a hard time about my online silence since I got back home, so I thought I'd give you a quick run-down of what's been going on in my life.

To be honest, I haven't been posting because I haven't been online nearly as much as I was during the school semester. What with all the blogs and podcasts and facebook to keep up with, I barely have any time for any posting of my own.

So I got home. That much you knew. Grandma came the following Saturday from Phoenix for a quick visit. I didn't go to her house for Thanksgiving with my family, so she wanted to see me while I was on her side of the country.

On that Tuesday, she, Emily, and I went down to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Natural History Museum. It was really neat to see these little scraps of parchment and to realize that they are over 2,000 years old! So cool! And Emily was able to pick out the "YHWH" (for God) in one document.

I started work again the next day at Pick Up Stix (Chinese food). It's good to be back, I guess, especially considering the complete lack of edible Asian food in the caf. I was surprised to realize how much I still remember. And how much has changed in only three months.

Christmas came much to quickly. As always, we attended 2-4 Masses each (5 different ones) and opened gifts at home. Then we drove up to Orange Co. where my mom's whole family (she has a sister and 6 brothers, though the oldest wasn't there) gathers for dinner, gifts, and lots of CRAZY fun. We do a "white elephant" exchange where we give away something we don't want. If you've ever met my mom's family, you'll know that some of those gifts are hilarious!

Anyway, now that things have quieted down a little, (after all the Christmas bustle) it's time to get down to some serious scrapbooking. I want to finally finish the album from our trip to World Youth Day 2005, and then put together some of my pictures from this last semester. If I finish that, I have an extensive crochet project I want to get started on. More about that at is progresses.

Oh! And Mary Joy's back home! She's been at boarding school in RI this year. She just came back last night, and she gets to visit for three days. It's great to see her again!

Well, hope that makes you happy, Uncle Mike.

God bless you all. Maybe I'll post again soon.
-Rebekah