Forgive us as we forgive our DEB-tors

I stole this off sweet Allison Wallin's blog--and it IS the best version of the Lord's Prayer I have ever heard. I love it love it love it. Can I just go ahead and adopt a little girl from somewhere in Asia? Angelina did it by herself...



For those wondering, I survived New York with little to no bruises.

Also good news: Due to Jefferson County's obscene sewer debt, our local government is asking that on a specified day in late April, the residents of Birmingham do the following:

1. Those with even street addresses flush only during even hours of the day, and those with odd street addresses flush only at odd hours of the day. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, our local government is regulating toilet flushing. Saturday Night Live would eat this for dinner. Wait, STEPHEN COLBERT would eat this for dinner. And dessert.

2. Put stoppers over every drain in the house for a day, as the sewer pipes will be blasted and thus releasing intense bursts of sewage bacteria into our homes and nostrils. They even suggested we place a plastic bag securely over our toilets and fasten it down.

Would anyone else be a smite concerned about this?

3 things.

1. I guess I'm not an official achoolmarm yet...ironically, while I was blogging about the clogs, the pair I was going to bid on on ebay sold.

2. WHO is voting for Kristy Lee Cook? WHO?! I knew Chikeze wouldn't win the whole thing, but PLEASE. This is bordering on another Sanjaya scam. I'll miss Chikeze. More so, though, I'll miss watching his precious mother cheer him on.

3. I'm flying out to New York in the a.m. for a conference and I have a few concerns. A) my layover in Cinncinatti. I've got an incredibly narrow time window to make the connecting flight. This will require record speed, and for someone who doesn't fly often, has absolutely no sense of direction, and is what some might call a smight flighty (no pun intended), this is a scary task. B) Hailing a cab. The only time I have done this was in London in the summer of '02, and it was an incredible failure. Picture a lost looking girl flailing her arms on the side of the road and jumping up and down, only to see cab after cab pass her by. This'll be an interesting few days.

Hope ya'll have a good one!

I'm officially a school marm

When would you say one becomes a "real" teacher? When you start wearing jumpers with pencils, apples, and rulers embroidered on them? When you start wearing t-shirts that say "Teachers have class?" (That one's for you, Mrs. Sassafras) or when you go to bed at 9:00 at night?

I think for me it's the teacher shoes. Many of you in the medical community will recognize the Dansko clogs. I had never heard of them until my nurse roommate mentioned them one night when I was complaining about how bad my feet hurt after school everyday. I mean, I do wear heels at least 3 days a week. I know, I must be on crack. Heels at school? But seriously--I have only so many pairs of comfortable shoes that are appropriate for work, and those only go with so many pants/skirts. And so I have a bit of a quandary.

And really, I've been ok with heels. Low heels, mind you. UNTIL. I tried on the Danskos belonging to my other roommate, dietician Katie. They felt pretty good. So, I wore them to school today. They made no fashion statement, but let me tell you--I felt like I was walking on clouds alllllllllllll day. Amazing--I didn't feel my feet. I will never wear heels to school again. It made the day so much better. I don't care if I ever match another day in my life.

I'm sure you could riverdance in them. They're big. They're bulky. They're clogs. They're ugly. And I will proudly wear them everyday of the rest of my working life. Yes. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a real teacher.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

He is not here, but has risen.

Luke 24:1-6

Welcome, spring break!

What a way to spend a Monday morning. It's 7:30 a.m., and I'm on the couch with a cup of coffee and The Sound of Music. Absolutely wonderful. "How do you solve a problem like Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??............................"

Here's a bit of humor to start your week, courtesy of Meredith "Murry" Horn. Hilarious.

Welcome to Graham Country!!

Thank you, Lamar Advertising, for doing what so many wanted to do but couldn't! Ladies and gentlemen, introducing a new I-65 digital billboard in Birmingham, Alabama.

As most of you well know, my dear friend Kate tied the knot last month. Here is what you see adorning the interstate coming into the city:

If that doesn't make you want to stop by for a visit, I don't know what will!

Everyday Miracles

It's the everyday miracles
that keep my hope alive
It's the way You move in little things
that help me survive
And I know You move in greater ways
But this is great enough for me
What You do with my everyday is amazing

The things that seem impossible, I lay down at Your feet
And just when I am needing most
You are there for me
And I know you've made the lame to walk
And caused the blind to see
But what You do with my everyday is amazing

When I'm down on my knees
And I can't make it through
When it's up to me
It's really up to You

-Sara Groves