{ smorgasbord }

{ My sweet husband   I don’t know if you know this, but since the end of October, I’ve been working as a front desk receptionist.  Do you remember the episode of “The Office” where it’s Valentine’s Day, and all these wonderful flowers and plants and teddy bears keep coming in for everybody but Pam Beasley, the receptionist?  And Pam has to sign for all of them? Poor Pam.  Funnel made sure that was not me this year… on Friday he had a wonderful suprise delivered to me at work: the softest, sweetest teddy bear with a little bouquet of roses, a box of chocolates and a wonderful note that may or may not have made me tear up a little. What a sweet guy. 

{ The Olympics }  Funnel & I have been glued to the TV.  I am generally not a big tv-watcher, but I think the olympics are one of the only times it is acceptable (and should be encouraged) to be a couch potato.  I’m not even going to watch LOST tonight. 

{ Europe }  We are less than three months away from our trip and judging from how my life has been lately, I think it’s going to come up really quickly.   So far, we’ve sent away for our passports (mine’s already been rejected once due to the crappy washed-out picture I got taken at Walgreens), we’ve booked a really great photographer to do a shoot of us in Paris, and found a travel agent to help us book hotels and our rail passes.   Someone asked in an earlier post where we are going… our tentative itinerary is: Paris, Nice / Monaco, Venice, somewhere in Tuscany (trying to work that one out with the travel agent) and Rome.  

{ Lifetime To-Do List }  When I was younger, I decided to make a lifetime to-do list.  When I started it, I decided it would have 100 things on it, and it did.    But the problem was that I was too concerned with coming up with 100 things, and not concerned enough with making goals that were meaningful to me.   In fact, I can’t even tell you anything that was on that list.  So I am starting over, and only adding things when something really strikes me.  So far, I have two things on my list.  The first is to go to the olympics.  Every olympics that I can remember, I’ve always thought, one day I want to go and see this live.  I remember knowing people who went to the Salt Lake City olympics and I was so jealous.   This is an expensive goal, but I think we can swing it someday.  Especially the next time the games are held in the states.  My second goal is to win a food challenge.  I know that sounds rediculous and not serious enough to be on a lifetime-to-do list, but I don’t care.  Funnel & I have started watching this show called “Man vs. Food” and the host, Adam, goes all over the country visiting the best restaurants in each city, and each show ends with some kind of food challenge.  The food challenge he does for the Columbus episode is at a little place called The Ohio Deli.  There’s a sandwich there called “The Dagwood” and it is the size of my head.  Funnel and I have split it a couple of times.  For my birthday, I think, I am going to attempt to eat the whole thing myself.  If I do, I get my picture on their wall of fame.  

{ Sad & Happy } I have felt so conflicted this week.  One of my best friends from college got engaged to a guy who is absolutely perfect for her.  Happy.  A good friend of the Frederick family passed away after a fight with breast cancer, leaving her husband and son.  Sad.  Our friends from church met their precious three-year-old son for the first time yesterday in Ethipoia and will be bringing him home soon.  Happy.  This family, that I’ve been following through my mother-in-law, are having so many roadblocks to their being re-united, on top of their child dying of cancer.  Sad.  And so much more that I can’t write about on here.  What a crazy world we live in, where one person can be having the best day of their life and at the exact same time, another’s world has been torn apart. 

{ This } “We’ll never be as young as we are tonight.”

3 Responses to “{ smorgasbord }”

  1. Amanda Says:

    I have been watching the Olympics for the first time ever this year and its been great!

  2. lisa Says:

    jeff (my boyfriend) and i have been making a type of bucket list as well. it must be this time of season that gets us thinking. jeff has tried the dagwood challenge too, and it beat him! it is a lot of food….good luck! i read what debbie wrote about that family…it is an incredible story and i’m sure all we can do is hope and pray that their son gets better. it is always amazing to hear about people in situations like that who never complain, and who truly do put all their hopes in God. it is incredible. and the last thing you wrote, “we’ll never be as young as we are tonight”….that is interesting. i am wondering what you were thinking when you wrote it or if you found it somewhere? it makes me think about what i’m doing with my life…ha! always an interesting thought. thanks for sharing all this jen. i really do enjoy reading your blog, and i think i will have to add debbie’s to my favorites too!

  3. Debbie Frederick Says:

    Nice post Jen. I think Dan and I better get cracking on our “Lifetime to-do list”! Thanks for including the Ayivor’s story link too…I am touched that you would do that. (Lisa – glad you were inspired by their story. I am so convicted by their steadfastness. Write and catch me up on your life sometime!)
    Just remember, without the valleys, there would be no mountain-tops. love you. keep writing. ; )

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