Christian Mingle

You know you've hit rock bottom in the single world when you try online dating - at least that was the case for me. I figured why not give this a shot? Thing is, it was a joke when I joined (for the heck of it).  Once on there, I felt like it was pickahusband.com. You could select race, age range, if they have photos (love is blind, therefore I wanted to see a picture), religious upbringings, relationship history, etc. And while this is great, a few red flags stuck out to me.
While my membership lasted just over 24 hours, numerous men my dad's age looked at my profile. I got a wink from a guy who was 38. Note: I'm 23. Therefore, he could be my father. At 11:00 last night, a guy wanted to IM. I don't know about you, but if a random guy is wanting to chat after 9:00, something isn't right with the picture. In my opinion, there should be an option where people within a certain age range can look at my profile. When your picture comes up, so does your age. Then why are old freaks looking at my page? My other thing is this - would Jesus approve of old creeps checking out a young woman? Certainly not.
Back to my story. I was flattered to receive smiles from a very attractive guy in Boston. Thing is, I don't live there yet. Another reason why it wasn't for is is simply this: I want to be pursued in person. I shouldn't have to rely on the internet and some guy to IM me for it to be counted as a romantic gesture of "picking me up." These people are dead serious on here as well. Thing is, it freaks me out to think about dating someone and getting engaged a few months later. Maybe it's because I've never been one to date around the block - or that I'm afraid of screwing up in a relationship. I felt it wasn't right to lead a guy on in this situation - and heck, what's the point in wanting a Boston man if I'm not up there yet? What - are we going to talk and talk, and with my luck, him be a 40-year-old creep?
Hear me out - I'm not bashing online dating. I know people who met online. That's falalalalala fine. And while some may have time for and adore online dating, it's just not for me. At least not now

Getting Burned Milk Out of a Keurig

As a graduate student, coffee is my staple form of receiving 64 ounces of fluids daily.  Although I drink a cup in the morning, the final two weeks of the quarter have created an increase in my consumption.  However, last night, I learned a valuable lesson: never, EVER put milk in your Keurig. Ever.  One of my grad school friends was over, and we were working on a paper. Considering it was roughly 1 a.m., he wanted some hot chocolate.  I always put milk in mine, but we agreed that we should try to brew the milk. Again, BAD IDEA.  This terrible smell came from the Keurig, it brewed a funky, burned chocolate odor, and the metal part was SCORCHED. Like when you burn milk and cheese at the bottom of a pan while making the cheese sauce to compliment your macaroni.  Disgusting.  And the smell...we burned candles and hoped for the best.  I used some Dawn soaking power detergent and vinegar. In addition, I used a spoon to scrape the residue out of the bottom.  It still stank. Bad. I Googled, searched Pinterest, everything for answers.  I soaked it overnight with Dawn, some baking soda and vinegar.  This morning, I rinsed it out, but there were still some spots at the bottom.  I went to Super1, bought some goods, and it was fixed. Beautiful. Now it's odor-free, shiny, the cleanest it has ever been and works like a charm. You may not have the same results as me, but best of luck! Note: I have the Keurig B30, which is the mini one.  I purchased it two years ago from Dirt Cheap (salvage) for $40.  I have never had problems with it and seriously though I was going to have to call customer service or fork out cash for a new one.  Also, I'm a grad kid...which means I'm broke...so it wouldn't be pretty. 

The supplies:

-White vinegar

-Dawn detergent (overnight kind is what I used)

-Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

-Coffee-Maker Cleaner (by Whink - comes in a white bottle)

-Dip-It (blue cardboard box with a spout on the side)

-Baking soda

Note: With the exception of filtering the water through in a brewing cycle, my machine was UNPLUGGED. Don't forget to do so...otherwise your Keurig might outlive you.

After soaking overnight in the vinegar, detergent and baking soda, I rinsed it out really well and ran some cycles through to try to get all that I could.  I cut about an inch vertically and horizontally off the Mr. Clean eraser and maneuvered it in the water reservoir with two fingers, intensely scrubbing out the stuff. What was once a white eraser is now a disgusting color, but it works.  From then, I filtered out the water about five times (I'm really anal about getting the smell out).  I then used about a teaspoon of Dip-It in addition to the Coffee Maker Cleaner, some water and some white vinegar.  It soaked for about 20 minutes, and then I once again used the Magic Eraser.  Holding the machine upside down over the sink, I used the extension hose and rinsed out all of the excess particles from the Dip-It.  Once all of it was out, I put a dab more of the Coffee Maker Cleaner and filtered it through with water.  I then checked a final time to make sure I got all of the scorched milk out and even used a spoon to get the final pieces.  It helped the most however when I scraped it off with a spoon while the Dip-It was in there.  That stuff is also designed to get odors out of dishes and pots, as well as to clean out residue...so it's definitely a keeper. Also, the Coffee Maker Cleaner is supposed to be used once a week. Good to know.  Considering my Keurig is a single-server, I'll only need to use about a tablespoon with it.  It was also amazing to see how disgusting my machine had gotten.  

Back on track now....

The final thing I did was brew water through it about five times.  Yes, stuff still came out the first two times, but the final three, the water smelled fine, and my machine was beyond clean. 

So lesson learned: NEVER use anything but water in that Keurig. 

A Sudden Call

It's amazing how things can change in an instant.

My grandma was diagnosed with lymphoma about a year and a half ago. Since then, she has been in a nursing home, unable to walk. She had a feeding tube, gained weight without knowing, had a loving family bring her milkshakes and goodies and always, ALWAYS smiled. She loved her family more than anyone could imagine. Yet God had better plans. Around 8:00 tonight, she went to be with Jesus.

Meemaw was one of the most precious people in my life. She lived in San Antonio for a few decades, always wore velvet pants (even in the summer) and had red acrylic nails. They were always red. Her name, Vivian, was a clear understatement to how she lived. When she wasn't drinking coffee (alone or with friends), spending time at church/studying the Bible or planning her next trip (she loved to travel), she would talk about her family. She would call our house frequently and catch up on life. I remember growing up thinking she never had grey hair. It was always dark brown. Even in the nursing home, someone darkened it for her. Her lips were always a pink shade, and she had a special way of saying the word "sweetheart." It was her nickname for most of the grandkids. Meemaw would nod a lot and say yes for confirmations. She worked for a Christian Jew foundation and always shared Christ's love to everyone. Meemaw would go to Israel and study the Old Testament, then she would come home with tons of stories. She always made it a point to get us something and had a story with it.

When I revealed my dream to move to Boston several years ago, she told me to go on with it. Even in her final months, she told me to never give up that dream, and that she'd hope to come visit me someday up there.

That's why my face dropped when I the call from my mom. I was in the middle of watching Beauty and the Beast (Meemaw gave me the VHS recording when I was three) and having a pow-wow with my friend Natalie. As soon as the movie ended and Natalie left, I curled up and cried. I mean, what else was there to do? I got in bed, cuddled with a pillow and buried my head in it. Unable to move, I held my fetal position and thanked God that she is no longer in pain, no longer struggling with hospital stays and doctors and no longer cancerous.

I eventually got up and listened to some Coldplay while I started packing. It's impossible to put your finger on where to even begin under these circumstances. I emailed my professors saying I'd have to miss class, texted my friends to give them a head's up and tried to organize things. I hate that I didn't go home this weekend and spend some time with her. The last time I saw her was a few days after my birthday. She was all smiles, talked a lot and gave me an LSU lamp. It did not fit with the moving stuff, but it will definitely be in my apartment upon return.

After packing some things (I'm still not done), I began to listen to some of my Christian music, praying that the next song would be a comfort. It absolutely was. Any song that came on discussed giving our sorrows to Jesus or keeping the faith in the fire and harvests. It was exactly what I needed. Granted, there are still times I just find myself sitting on the floor staring at the wall, or I catch myself laying in bed crying uncontrollably, but knowing my grandma is with Jesus, reunited with her husband (who passed away when my dad was 16) and recalling the last time I saw her was absolutely wonderful were constant reassurances to me.

Two years ago, I lost my grandpa to stomach cancer. Now that this happened, I was reminded of Job - how he lost it all, yet he still trusted God. To have faith like Job and know that God will always be there is the main thing that's helping me pack. I know the drive is going to be long tomorrow, but seeing my family and feeling my mother's embrace and father's smile are the things I'm looking forward to the most.

Tim Tebow says, "I don't what the future holds, but I know who holds my future." Those words absolutely speak truth.

Surgery

Due to the fact that I am scheduled to have a breast reduction Aug. 1, I have decided to create a blog that is fully dedicated to the surgery. It tells the story of my life before the surgery and will be updated as appointments come and go. To say I am ready for this is a total understatement. I would go under the knife at the very moment if I was allowed. Prayers and support are greatly appreciated, as I am terrified of the pain and swelling that lies ahead. I know this is God's will for me, and the countdown is officially on! Words cannot express the gratitude I have for my friends' constant support to undergo this life-changing surgery. I am so blessed to have them go through this with me. I'm also grateful to my parents for seeing to it that my pain ceases before I go into the real world. This blog is dedicated to the millions of women out there who suffer like I do on a daily basis from having oversized breasts. My heart goes out to each of you, and I know exactly what you're going through. The blog is brutally honest and tells of my fears, concerns and reliefs associated with this surgery, as well as the ugly truth of having a large rack. It's my story, and I'm willing to share it.

To view or follow that blog, click here.