Ten on Tuesday (Take Seven)

Thanks to the usual folks.

1. What television character do you identify with?
On my best days, I am CJ Cragg from The West Wing. On my not-so-on-the-ball days I am Donna Moss from The West Wing. On my really-off-the-wall days I am Phoebe, from Friends.

2. Describe your morning routine.
I wake up to my alarm and lay in bed for a few minutes, praying. If I'm extra tired (this is most morning), I'll hit the snooze once or twice. I eat breakfast (cereal, 98% of the time it's cereal... I love the stuff) while I surf the Internet. Because 9/11 happened during my first few weeks at college, I can't really start my day without checking the news. On September 11, 2001, I just got up and went to class right away, before learning about what had happened from a classmate. It really formed part of my morning psyche to want to know if the world is okay.

Then shower, brush teeth, dress, blow-dry, and bolt out the door. Sometimes I have time for makeup, sometimes not. The day goes distinctly better when I do.


3. How do you do lunch? Bring from home or dine out? Same thing every day or mix it up?
Since I live only 3 miles from campus, the easiest and cheapest (and most restful) thing is usually to run home and cook something quick. I've become a huge fan of guacamole and chips, chocolate-chip pancakes, or baked potatoes and veggies for lunch this year (not together, natch).

4. What is one moment that, although seemingly trivial at the time, changed your life?
During the first day of my freshman year I went to Wheaton chapel for the service and quickly realized I didn't know how to get to my class afterward. After the service ended tall guy with a shaved head stood up a couple rows in front of me and yelled, "Does anyone know how to get to Breyer Hall?" Someone in the row immediately in front of me (a sophomore) kindly offered to show him the way. I tagged along.

We all sat together during that first class and ended up forming a study group of four (with one other girl from that class) and met several times a week (enjoyable group studying is the key to learning Greek). We all became fast friends. Four years later, that tall guy and I were dating. Two years after that, we got married. I'm so glad I scheduled Greek at 11:30 on Mondays!

5. Name your top three beauty products.

Mascara, colored lip gloss, and mousse. Without them I look disheveled and undone. With them, I look slightly less so. Also, as my loving sister Caitlyn used to say, my eyes are my "one beauty" so I have to play them up. She was kidding... I think.

6. What do you do when you’re alone in the car?
I fluctuate between the Christian music station and NPR. Lately the Christian station has been playing the same 10 songs over and over and over again, so I've taken to supplementing it with Oldies. A doo ron ron ron a doo ron ron.

7. What is the ideal city for you to live in? If you can, take this test (< that’s a link) and tell us the results. Do you agree with them?

My ideal city is west of Jersey. It might be Nashville, Madison, Los Angeles, Duluth, Jackson Hole, Missoula, Idaho Falls, Glenwood Springs, Seattle, Minneapolis, Portland, or Tuscon. I'm pretty open, just not to the far east coast. Too far from home, too crowded, too East Coast-y. I'm going to miss the accents, though.

Wooter? Seriously? It's WAH-ter, people.

8. Are you waiting for something?

I am indeed. With a few job applications sent off (one to my dream, dream job!), I'm waiting to see what the future holds. I'm waiting (we're almost at 30 days!!!) to live with my husband again. I'm waiting to leave New Jersey and my flooded basement. Right now, most presently, I'm waiting for Easter. It is the very best day.

9. What was the last shocking news you heard?
I heard that a very gifted friend of mine didn't pass an ordination exam. Now he's going to be held up in the process for at least seven more months. I couldn't believe it - he's really bright and gifted, and I felt terrible for him.

This is a hard season  for folks applying  to upper graduate degree programs, too. With the recession, more people are looking at graduate school as a viable alternative, and programs are incredibly competitive. For every dear friend who has gotten an acceptance lately (yay, Peter and Cambria!!!), others have been turned down. My heart aches for them.

Four years ago Daryl was turned down to Princeton's  PhD program. Many advisors and friends had assured him that he would get in, and while we weren't certain, we were very optimistic. When the "no" letter came (Someone at Princeton once corrected Daryl that it isn't a "no," it's that they have "declined to offer you admission." Right. Same difference, friend.) he went straight to the bathroom and threw up. It was a bad, bad day.

We got through it, and so will those who didn't get into the program of their dreams this year, but it's hard. Still, as we look back we're grateful for that bump in the road. It led us to M.Div's at Princeton together. It led us to a deeper understanding of ministry and grace. And now it has led Daryl to Vanderbilt and us out of New Jersey.

10. What are three things you wouldn’t do for a million dollars?
Leave Jesus, cheat on Daryl, and eat a bratwurst. In that order. I'd think about eating that bratwurst, but in the end, I don't think I could do it.