sad day...

I have no idea how to post pictures so too bad for all of you. I promise I will try to figure it out. In the mean-time, don't forget to keep up with tink and ariel on their personal blogs. I think we have both posted and plan to go back to them. use the links on the right - where it says Jenn's blog" and "Michelle's blog".

My pictures are posted online...

Home and getting settled. Ended up not working today, but still getting paid for it! So I had a day to recover and re-adjust to Pasadena pace. I went to bed early and actually woke up REALLY early (like 5:15am!!). So, I'm still not quite on the right schedule, but I'm getting there.

I've posted most of my pictures from the trip on my webshots page:
http://community.webshots.com/user/arielpsu

Please, check 'em out and let me know what you think! (=

Wait!!!! It's not over yet!

Ok folks - the "during-trip" blog was just the beginning. We now have time to show more photos and reminisce on days gone by . SOOOOOO - here are some pics of our time with Rachel in Concord, MA - home of Walden Pond and the dearly departed author Henry T.
we love this guy!
and climbing on him is fun too!

before heading to MUT's (Michelle's Uncle Tom). I look tired!!!!! Whew!!! And where the heck is all jenn's energy coming from?????


Boston: we love you, we need you, we miss you already. :(

Heading back to LA

Well, its Tuesday - the final day of our trip. We board a plane home in about 2 hours and we are, surprisingly, not ready to come home quite yet. We both leave Florida with a sense of sadness - Jenn is leaving her second home and family, and I am leaving my new second family. I highly encourage all of you to make good friends with Jenn because aside from her extreme good looks, she has a wonderful, welcoming family that are SOOOOO similar to my parents (ha! big surprise!) it is scary.
We know that LA is home - that it has the things that we have seen on our trip and the activities we have done on our trip. We also know that LA holds some of our most prized possessions - our loved ones, our friends.
For me, this trip has been one of altars. Many choices and decisions lie ahead for me. One of the many things that this trip has taught me is that people are worth spending all your money to be with. Relationships are worth stretching a dollar, or a minute, to behold. Time spent, time seen, time to just be in the presence of those you love, and those you have yet to love is worth far more than the fear of being broke.
We have met so many wonderful people on our trip: Anthony, Ed and I-Can't-Say from the Boston Fire Dept., Liz, Adam and Dave from Superkind in New Hope, Jenni and Brian from New York, Laura and Jacob at Disney (I already have a date in Orlando when I come back!- he's cute and an architect and I could go on but I won't here) and, of course, Jenn's parents and brother. I am so thankful that God has brought so many new people into my life - I can't wait to see why and how our lives reconnect.
More when we get home, but for now - we love you, can't wait to see you, and look forward to adventures ahead.

Michelle

Nearing the end of our travels...

Well folks, we have safely arrived in Florida. We had a bit of an adventure getting here yesterday...

We were up and on the road at the time we had planned, so we got to PHL with plenty of time to return the car (finally!) and get checked in. Rental car went smoothly - Michelle, the master, managed to turn the car in with only a smidgen of gas left in it, as planned. She was SMART and signed up for the "turn-the-car-in-empty-and-pay-our-price-for-gas" plan when she picked it up. The awesome part of that is that for once, it's cheaper that way! They were charging something silly like $2.50 or something - and gas in the area is still hovering around $3.

Crazy, talkative man in the airport - drove us both insane, but we lived. The plane was FULL of babies travelling to Disney... that was the Loooooooooooooongest short flight I've ever been on!!!

The adventure began at MCO airport in Orlando. We got our bags (mine was damaged!) and headed out to the parking garage to find the car that mom and dad left for us. But... no car. Can't find it anywhere near where mom said they left it. Wandered around for awhile... still no car. Called mom - we're where she remembers putting it - still no car. A nice woman, Etoi, drove me around for 10 minutes looking... still no car. I left Michelle with the bags and went in search of security peoples. Security said they could pick us up in 20 minutes to drive us around... but he recommended just walking over to garage B to look. There's another garage??? Mom said she didn't think there was.... hmmmmmmmm

I found the car in the other garage (note to anyone travelling through MCO - there are two parking garages!) in the exact place mom thought she left it. Much better...

Drove here in the rain... got some groceries... Michelle cooked dinner... watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail and drank a bottle of really sweet red wine (kinda tasted like grape juice with a kick!)...

Bed and now puttering around this morning. We're headed to Disney World soon, but we'll be there until 1am (it's Night of Joy night!) so we are in no hurry....

Love to everyone... look for pictures eventually. (=

OK folks...are you out there???

From the lack of comment-age, we believe you are not paying attention. To get more boys to write us, we now give you this:



Two hot women in front of the Baseball Hall of Fame - on purpose. Eat your hearts out men.

A long way to Cooperstown

Well, not really a long way in the distance sense of the word, but in the difficulty sense for sure. We arrived safe and sound, but the trip was insane. First of all, the break light in the car is busted, then I got a speeding ticket that was actually not fair (NO REALLY!!!) and then the car ate our IDL CD. Now, you may be wondering why that might be a big deal. Well, we decided not to mention it before, but this car we are driving now is NOT the sea-foam focus we had a t the beginning of the trip - we are in a new rental car because that one had a broken trunk. This is the second car - gold Malibu (HATE IT!) and it looks like we are going to be getting a third car once we are out of Cooperstown. Poop.
Well, it could be worse. Jenn and I are both pretty tired and looking forward to sleep. I went for a nice run today along Route 33 in Cooperstown. It is so weird that you can run on the highway and not die too bad.

Two days ago brought along Walden Pond and the home of Loiusa May Allcott (Jenn is a big fan, I know nothing and have never read Little Women, which, apparently, in Concord MA is a sin. We also saw the place the Hamptons lived at. Again, I am clueless. However, I do know who Thoraeu is and have actually read Civil Disobedience. Loved seeing his old stomping grounds and took a great hike around the pond. I swam to the middle of the pond and laid there, eyes to the sky, closed, with the sloshing of green water in my ears. A moment to not be forgotten and to be alive in my mind as an altar moment.
We saw Rachel's friend play the blues harmonica and sing that night. He was really good and we became fast friends. I also had this random conversation about the nature of God with this totally wacked out guy that I was to later find out was the TOMMY FLANDERS the man the started the band Blues Project in '69. Completely surreal.

I really like Rachel's church Mosaic Boston. Nice peeps, love God, 'nuff said.

Michelle's Uncle Tom (you guessed it - Jenn has an Uncle Tom too - actually she has 2) and Aunt Barb were welcoming and warm - I got to see two of my three cousins too. I love those chickens! Jeff and I are going to attempt to keep in touch and I am trying to get Kris to move to LA, much to the shegrinn of the parental figures. Tom and Barb - thank you thank you thank you - I love you all so much.

Tomorrow holds the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Farming Museum. We look forward to both whole-heartedly.

My My My My My...

Well, it has been two days since we actually told you anything of value. Guess what? You have to wait some more! HA

just kidding. I suck.

Two days ago we arrived in Boston after a long but beautiful and rainy drive through the likes of New Jersey and Connecticut with a last minute "it's our vacation and we'll do whatever we feel like" jaunt into NYC.

Boston greeted us through the lovely and talented Rachel - I'm telling you, she is a genious - check her out at www.b109.com and you'll see why. Or you could try her business blog www.decenturbanlifestyle.com too.

I think all together Jenn and I have taken like five hundred pictures, so we need to be very picky about what we show you.

Eventually, Jenn is promising over my shoulder, that we will post them on her groovy website-share-a-picture thingamabob.

Oh yeah, back to the trip:
The pedometer I wore yesterday logged 12.9 miles on it (ask our feet - they know!!!) and we would have it no other way. If you ever get to Boston, suck it up and WALK - don't take the T the first day - you'll miss way too much. We saw, well, everything. Harvard - lots of brick and a big mean black wrought iron gate ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. Really, all the way. Several people were nice enough, even though way too many mamsy men were wearing pink Polos. (Jorge, you are the only person we know who has enough testosterone to actually make that look good.)
We also toured MIT, had a moment in a really old (16...?) church, heard faint music from Copley Square, saw Harvard Medical school, walked all over Cambridge, ate the world famous "Chocolate #3 (Dark)" ice cream at Toscanini's, ate dinner at the Cambridge Brew Pub, found my parents old apartment on Beacon Hill, walked Boston Common, tried to get tickets to a Sox game, took pics at the bar that inspired the Cheers series, refused to do a Duck tour (don't ask) and believe it or not MUCH MUCH MORE. (remember, that was only yesterday!)
Today we went to Salem to see witches and we didn't so that kinda sucked. It is a really neat town that hasn't decided if it wants to exploit the witch thing or be all historic-cool. This makes for a boring day unless you have an extra $50 bucks to spend on all the museums that you could walk through. There was, however, a REALLY hot garbage man, and that somehow makes up for a lot of it.
Tonight we had the wonderful experience of the North End, which is Boston's Little Italy. I love it here, I am moving here next month. Not really, but hey, it never hurts to dream. We saw the US Coast Guard base that my Dad was stationed at when he met my Mom. COOL STORY ALERT! COOL STORY ALERT!
I was walking down by the pier and this guy yelled at me through the fence, and it was this firefighter lieutenant who was kickin' it on the pier because that is where his station got plopped when their house is being renovated. I told him what I was doing and he invited Jenn, Rachel and I inside the "firehouse" to get a better view of the pier next door- which is the USCG. He asked me not to tell his name, so I won't, but not only was he super friendly and helpful, he was photographer extradanaire and took loads of shots for us. My personal favorite is the one where I am sitting on Anthony's Harley with him. Anthony- you are my hero, and I want you to know that you are hotter than my roomate Dan even though he looks like you. You definatly win. Ed is the super rad guy in the photo with us in front of the Boston Firetruck - Ed is cool because he can drive a firetruck in his sleep - LITERALLY! Ed, you are a precious gem of a man - we loved your personality and your stories!
Last but not least, Mr. YouKnowWhoYouAre, thanks for everything you did for us. As for me - you made my night. It was so special to me that you would care enough and be nice enough to help me out. Your charm and grace are still warming my heart.
Thanks men for protecting the streets of Boston.

Mike's Pastries topped off the night - that put me over the fat edge - I am so full I might pu..... well - nevermind.

Walden Pond awaits us tomorrow and so does seeing a friend of Rachel's play Blues Harmionica (groovy baby!) We will write again soon, probably when we get to Cooperstown on Monday. We love you but honestly don't really miss you. (I got Jenn's permission to say that.)

A leet-el tees-el por tu

ok - there are some things that make a move to Boston an absolute necessity. Anthony may just be one of them.
















A little blurry, but here we are with Ed. Drive Ed Drive! but watch out for those back tires!

We're in Boston!

We have many stories to tell - but not enough time at the moment. I just wanted to put up a quick post that we are alive and well in Boston and will hopefully post our exploits from yesterday tonight!!

I'm finally on vacation!!

Jenn here - sitting at the aforementioned AM's 'puter (Thanks, AM!)

The trip was long and exhausting - I didn't sleep well, mostly for fear that I would oversleep and miss my flight. I NEVER sleep well before a trip, and last night was no exception.

Reagan was ontime to pick me up - thanks a ton, my friend! I owe you one! It takes someone pretty special to agree to take a friend to the airport at 5am on a Tuesday!!!

The flight was interesting - people watching was very amusing. The most amusing... well, the most obnoxious... was the couple that stood behind me in line and proceeded to break up while waiting to board!! No joke... she had just accused him of cheating (right before they got on line) and then stood behind me for 20 minutes arguing about it!! They actually ended up sitting apart on the flight - intentionally! They started out together and then separated during the flight. Very odd situation - and I pray that God would be with them and their friends and family as they work through this. It was nasty.

Maybe I'm OK with being single... (-;
(just kidding - I still think marriage is beautiful and I hope and pray that God will bless me in that way!)

Michelle's Gram is wonderful! I am so happy that I got the chance to meet her!! And I'm glad I got to see AM again (I met her when she brought CM out to LA awhile ago). It was really cool to meet CM and MUP - great people!! I just wish we had more time - I think we could spend a lot more time here!!

Tomorrow we head to Boston!!!! I expect to be greeted by name by everyone there - "Where everybody knows your name..." (=

It will be great to get to know Rachael better, since we have so many mutual friends. I've heard great things about this amazing woman, and I got a tease when she came to visit Pasadena a few weeks ago. Now, she'll get to be MY friend too - not just a friend of a friend. (=

OK - I'll wrap it up for tonight. I'm ridiculously happy to be back in this area. I clapped when I could see the city. I think I had surpressed how much I love and miss this place in order to remain happy in LA. I've learned to love LA for what it is.... but this is home, and I miss it and the people here.

Untill the 'morrow.

Picture of emotion

This is my mom fishing at the shore when she was, I dunno, 13?

These are the books my mom made when my bro and I were little - she is amazing - simply amazing

Hey - that kid is cute!!!! (yeah - you guessed it - it's me)

And this little guy is Ben! Baseball, obviously, is NOTHING new. I love you

So many emotions, not enough time...

This is Grammy at 18. This is my Grampa in the service and the plane he flew in WW2.

















This is so cool - my Gram on the left in the famous Hi-Hat Club in Daytona Beach Florida when on leave (her date was NOT Grampa!!!!!)





Jenn has arrived! We jsut had dinner with Gram and I now sit at AM's computer blogging and waiting for the first load of trip laundry to finish. Lots of things happened over the last couple nights that brought many emotions.
Emotion 1: gratefulness - found out the awesome trail that I found that was my little secret that I loved and couldn't wait to run on again was the site of three rapes in the last two weeks. Thank God I am safe.
E2: fear - got lost on the way home last night and wound up at the base of the huge ass smoke stacks that belong to the nuclear power plant in Limerick. Pitch black, eerie fog, spewign God only knows what into the air. I honestly thought I had stumbled upon Mordor.
E3: grief - looking at pictures last night made me miss my Grampa a lot. HE could be kind of a punk, but I miss the way he would call me ask me easy questions like, "Hey Micki - is the Old Testament true?" and "What is the sin that you commit against the Holy Spirit." Kept me on my toes for sure.
E4: amazement - my mother made all these actual storybooks about my brother's and my life (grammer??!!!) out of pictures and sent them to my Gram and Grandpa. She is probably the most creative woman I know. She enjoyed doing those things and my prayer for her is to have space for those things again - emotionally, financially and chronologically. I hope that creative fire never dies.
E5: competeness - being here and spending time alone with Mom's side of the fam - I really feel like I know my whole family. It brings great comfort and security.

There are more, but I want to share some pictures instead. Have to make a different post for it though so heads up.

Greek is complete!

I just got out of my Greek final - yes, it's 9:45am. I was actually finished by 9:15!! God is good... and Edmond was sweet - only 13 short translations!!

Anyway - the beauty of this is that I am now, almost, on vacation!!!! I'll leave for LAX @ 5am tomorrow - and most of the rest of today is devoted to packing and home stuff!!

Michelle - Wait for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (=

-j

More Pics

Gram loves trinketts, and if any of you have been in Michelle's room, you know she must have inherited it.Gram also is the passer-oner of Family Hot Fudge. All those who have tried it yell "Aye!" This traditional dessert staple has been the yummyness of many a Fuller party and is the only thing that points go to hell in a hand-basket for! May the pot on the stove live on forever!As I said before, Mass was beautiful. If you have time, please click on the pictures to see them larger. They will bless you. The altar:Reconciliation:CM's dinner (and MUP peeking!)
My new philosophy is, when someone wants a sip of your drink and there is only a bit left, "Sure! Nothing but spit left!" Thank you MUP. My venacular has once again been enriched.Gram and AMCM and methe whole kit n' caboodle

Pictures!

Cultural comentary: the line at Starbucks at 5:30am in LAX:










Is Grammy dead?













NO! Just laughing our fool heads off!
Here she is alive and awake and not so dead :)

And here she is at a younger time. Gram was in the Navy during WWII - she worked in the Air Traffic Control tower and was one of the original Navy W.A.V.E.S. To learn more about Navy W.A.V.E.S visit http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-tpic/females/wave-ww2.htm

By the way, that super duper cute little girl on the left is Michelle's mom. Now I know where I get it from ;)

I suppose tired is good...

But when you are so tired that you head out of Grammy's house to use the internet at Aunt's house and forget the USB cord that allows you to download all the pictures you've been taking for the past two days - that is bad. SOOO - I will give verbal highlights and ya'll will just have to wait for such amusing moments as "Is Grammy dead?" and "Nothing but spit left!"

Arrived safe and sound as Jenn mentioned and arrived in Douglasville at around 6pm - a whole 30 minutes before I was scheduled. This, I think, made Grammy a bit nervous that I was driving too fast. Aunt Michelle (here on out known as AM) confirmed that if I was, as I stated, "going along with traffic", then, yes, I was driving too fast.

Last night hit the sack at 8:30pm and slept till the same hour in the morning today. By the way, it's pouring if you haven't had the mind to check out the weather ticker.

This morning was a beautiful and simple mass at St. Thomas More church on the outskirts of Pottstown. This is the Catholic church where AM, Cousin Matt (CM), and my Uncle Pete (MUP - for Michelle's Uncle Pete - needless to say, Jenn's Uncle Pete is JUP. That's funny.)
Actually MUP and I are Protestants. This means that we think the Eucharistic elements have the presence of Christ instead of being the actual blood and body - a term known as transubstantiation for those of you not at Fuller. I'm pretty sure it also means that we think pot-lucks are a good way to get a free lunch.

My lunch was NOT free, and AM- VERY GRACIOUSLY- bought me a delicious baked potato and steamed veggies (one of my favorite meals ever) at Red Lobster with CM, MUP and Gram in for the fun. Our waitperson, Sue, was the best waitperson I have ever had at a Red Lobster. We decided that the SoCal Red Lobster's don't have good service because there is little to no understanding of what it actually takes to catch lobsters, or any other type of sea life for that matter, and they make use of the ocean for surfing, not fishing. Not to mention the fact that, you know, the Maine wind carries the essence of lobster-catching all the way down to northern Deleware, where they have their own essence to feed off of. (What does "Derrigo" mean anyway? Fifty points to the person who posts the answer.)

After a great afternoon of Bergey-rules card games (these people are tricky I tell you!) and laugher and snacking (no- I did not go over points) I went for a run in beautiful Amity Park Township and came back to kind of a scary thing: Hurricane Katrina all over the news.

Friends, lets pray for the people that are being affected by this:
Lord, please be heavily present in the affected areas of the Hurricane. We know that your creation is strong and powerful, but we ask that you would calm this storm, keep people safe, and use the devestation to show your glory. In this time of uncertainty, we confirm your ability to turn what started out bad into something good - and if not good, then at least you can turn it into an opportunity for grace and peace. Amen.

Well, I am super tired and am looking forward to bed and looking at A LOT of pictures tommorow. I still have to drive back to Gram's. Pics to come!
'Till later loved ones! Tally ho!

Jenn's newly painted toes-ies!!

Like Michelle, Jenn still has many things to do - but the priorities are taken care off! Hair cut... check! Nails painted... check! Packing done... ummmm... yeah, about that... (=

She made it!

Michelle is safely in the rental car in Philly!! WooHoo!! Seafoam green Ford Focus...hmmm....
Freezing cold airplane and then 75 and rainy in Philly. Michelle is chilly...

Jenn is at home trying to pack and study - and not having much luck with either... blah.

Coming soon - Jenn's toes! (=

The Good News.... and the not-so-good news...

The good news is that we managed to wake up on-time this morning (well... Michelle managed to wake up on-time and got Jenn up)!!! Michelle is safely at LAX awaiting a 7:45am take-off. She should get to PHL by 4 this afternoon.

On a side note - who knew that you could actually drive the speed limit and a little more on the LA Freeways?!?! You just have to get up at 5am on a Saturday to do it! (=

The not-so-good news is that, although the vacation has begun for Michelle, Jenn still needs to finish her class before she can leave. So, although Jenn wants her vacation to have already begun, she must wait until - gasp! - Tuesday!!

Preparations are in order...

Less than 24 hours till Michelle heads out. Lots of things are not finished, but at least the toes look good.

Still Packing??? Oh mercy yes...

After several attempts to pack, and several re-packs, this is all the space I have left in my case! I still need to fit all my toliet-trees and two presents in there!!! Not to mention that I haven't even thought about what is going on the plane. I am so not good at this.

How am I going to fit this stuff???

I thought your room

was supposed to be CLEANER from packing all your stuff!!!!

Packing is not fun

OK: here is what it looked like two or so days ago:

All that stuff you see in the "back" of the picture is supposed to go in the suitcase you see in the "front" of the picture.

Yea, right.

The List...

(always pack too many unmentionables, you never know what might happen)










But wait...

there's more!!!!

YES!!!!!!

So its 3 days until Michelle is on a plane to visit her Gram, Aunts & Uncles, and friend Rachel. Only 6 days until Jenn is on a plane to join Michelle and they visit Jenn's Aunt and Uncle, friends & parents. YESSSS!

Here is the ever-able-to-change itinerary:

8/27:
Michelle LAX to PHL
8/28-30:
Michelle in Douglassville and Pottstown visiting Gram and Aunt Michelle, Uncle Pete & Cuz Matt
8/30:
Pick up Jenn at PHL (from LAX), spend the night with Michelle's Aunt Michelle (confused? Good!) Happy Birthday to Jenn's brother Matt, Michelle's Cousin Matt and Michelle's MOM!!! (yes, two Matts)
8/31:
Off to Boston to visit Rachel, see the Sox, see the BMOMA and MIT, amongst other things
9/4:
Head about 45 min east to Marlborough, Mass to stay with Michelle's Uncle Tom & Aunt Barb
9/5:
Leave for Cooperstown, NY and stay with Jenn's Aunt Cathy and Uncle Pete (no, that is not a mistake either- we both have Uncle Petes - don't worry - it gets SO much weirder).
Best part: Baseball Hall of Fame and horse back riding! YESSSSSSSSSS!
9/7:
Go back to Philly and kick-it with some of Jenn's peeps or Michelle's Aunt Michelle again - we'll see.
9/9:
On a plane PHL to MCO (Orlando!!) to visit Jenn's momma & pappa and DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!
9/10:
Go to Night of Joy, a Xtian music festival where we will see such greats as CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurklen, Newsboys and Superchick.
check it out at: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/specialEventsDetail?id=NightofJoySpecialEventPage
9/13:
head on home MCO to LAX, where Chris will hopefully remember to pick us up (hint, hint)


We are SOOOOOO excited!!!

Who the H$%* are Jenn & Michelle?

Ok, so here are Jenn and Michelle. Jenn is the one who is not Michelle, and Michelle is the one who is not Jenn. We're guessing that if you are reading this blog that you must know one of us, so figuring out who we are not shouldn't be too difficult. Besides, we choose to know people that are witty, intelligent and attractive, like you. We are so blessed!