Why I currently hate my car

Above: Me standing beside my "car" (the little blue thing in the corner)

Let me explain my newest adventure. I was presented with my '03 PT Cruiser my sophomore year in highschool. I thought the Cruisers were sweet when they first came out. Since mom did too, my parents decided I could get my car early. I was totally psyched. This meant that I didn't have to drive mom's Crown Vic. To be fair, this car has taken me everywhere since then. To school, work, and other fun places. But now, my car has decided to play dead. It all started when occassionally my car wouldn't start. I'd have to turn the key once or twice before it starter. Keep in mind I'm completely motor-retarded. So my auto terms are limited. Then one night at work, it took 5 minutes for it to start. Alarmed, I talked to Matt and Dad and decided to bring it in. We assumed it was the starter. So, three weeks ago, we had the starter replaced. Should be no problems right? WRONG! The next week, it started "not-starting" again. So we take it in again. This time it's some pipe-thingy and the belt. Ok. Fine. I'm completely out of money but it should be okay now. It's not. Today, I start out for school. I lug my stuff out of the house and into the car. And...it refuses to start. By now I'm pretty tired of my car. To make matters worse, I now have to drive mom's truck to school. Mom's truck is this giant red monster with brakes that don't like me and Palin stickers adorning the back of the cabin. To say the least, no college student wants to drive this thing. So, my car emergency crew (dad) makes some calls. Apparently we may have a problem with the fuel pump. We know this because the ONLY way my car will start is if I turn the ignition while my dad crawls under the car to whack my fuel tank with a 2x4. I kid you not. So, now, for the 3rd week in a row, I have to scrounge up money for my miserable excuse of a motor vehicle. Yipee. I cannot contain the excitement.

Books I've recently read or re-read

So, inspired by April's blog on regency romances, I decided to share some books I've been reading. (mainly to save april from herself). So here goes:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I'm a huge Austen fan. I'm re-reading this one because I haven't read it all the way through since highschool. This book is great not only because of the great sappy ending, but because Austen does something no one else had done before: introspective character. Her characters think. And the reader knows what they're thinking. Austen was awesome. End of story.


2. The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose - A look at evangelical Christianity by a non-evangelical. There's no great conversion at the end, but it's an interesting look at this brand of Christianity. It really paints the picture of Christians who are just people with shortcomings and failures. I like that. Christians aren't perfect, though many Christians and non-Christians think they are or should be.

3. My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay - About a group of teenagers on a mission trip who end up being attacked by local people. Again, faces the issue of Christians with doubt or anger. Too many churches don't admit that Christians can have these feelings. It's not right but it happens. More people need to discuss it.


4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo - Just to see how accurate Disney's portrayal was, I picked up The Hunchback a few years ago, right after graduating from highschool. This book is amazing. Want a good story with a great twist at the end? Try this. And it's fairly easy to read as far as the classics go.

5. Sophie Scholl and the White Rose by Jud Newborn - my favorite history book. Well written and informative. I really love this book. The movie isn't bad either. For those of you looking to make the leap to non-fiction, I really suggest this book. It's how history should be written. It helps too, if you like history.

There you go. Five books I strongly recommend. Even if you don't like it, you will definitely learn a few things. They all make you think. Thinking is healthy. And have I mention how much I LOVE Journey?

Being Sick

I am rarely sick. I don't remember ever getting the flu or pneumonia or anything related to the crazy weather around here. Allergies cause my eyes to dry out occassionally but overall, I am a healthy person. So yesterday when I woke up feeling light-headed and a little nauseous, I didn't think anything of it. I told Matt I felt kind of funny but honestly, thought it would go away in an hour or so. Mom and I took the car to Sour Lake because it's not working again and on the way back I got steadily worse. Anyone who knows me understands that cars in motion do not agree with my stomach, so I'm still thinking it's the heat and mom's driving. Little do I know that it's not hot. My body has decided to boil my own blood as I sit fighting off nausea anytime I move my head too fast. Matt calls and asks how I'm doing, (apparently he had a premonition of how bad this was going to get) and informs me that he'll be home in an hour to take care of me. By the time I get home, I can barely change into some cotton cut-off pjs and crawl into bed. Sasha, my loyal puppy climbs into bed next to me and I pretty much passed out. When Matt gets home, I'm sure he loved getting to see me too scared to move and griping about how hot it was when the temperature was 70 degrees at the highest. So, needless to say, yesterday was a long day. I pretty much lay in bed all day, waiting for my head or stomach to explode. Today, luckily I was able to move without wanting to puke even though I'm still exhausted and having some bad stomach cramps. It's official - I hate being sick. But a big thanks go to Sasha and Matt for putting up with me.

Sasha, my brave guardian, who decided nap time with me was better than treats.

My caretakers!