FQF: The Federal Government, Fires, and…Eminem?

1.  Would you ever consider working for the government?

Sure.  I mean, I do want to be a teacher in a public school.  But I also wouldn’t mind working in a bureaucratic position, though I’m sure some things would drive me batty.

2.  You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You get enough time to make ONE phone call. Who would you call?

At least I got to see Hawaii before I die, right?  Without question, I’d call my parents.  And not only because their number is one of the few that I actually have memorized, but also because they’re the obvious choice.  So please pick up, okay?

3.  If you had to wear one color every day for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why?

Blue, because I look good in it and enjoy all the shades.  If I had to pick a particular shade, I’d say periwinkle because it’s what I look best in and it’s my favorite.

4.  What is your dream for America’s future?

I dream that we’ll recognize that we’ve allowed our federal government to grow unconstitutionally large, and have it start pulling out of things such as education.  I dream that we’ll elect representives that recognize that like our own personal budgets, we have to cut spending in order to pay down debt.  But I’m afraid this is all a dream.

5.  What’s your favorite song of the moment?

I know this will be strange unless you’re familiar with my music tastes, but I’d have to say Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie.”  I can’t relate to it (I promise I’m not nor have ever been in a violent co-dependent relationship), but for some reason it resonates.  Looking back at my favorite songs from the past, it’s clear I like the darker, from-the-soul type of songs.  Plus I’ve always been a fan of Eminem (or at least the cleaned-up versions of his songs).  Hope I don’t lose any favor in your eyes!

FQF: The Late Edition

1. Why is this Five Question Friday “late?”

This week has gotten away from me. I’m glad that it’s Friday, but just a little surprised.

2.  What bands/artists do your parents listen to that you hate? Like?

I think my mom does/has listened to Barry Manilow (sorry if I’m slandering your name, Mom!) which I can’t stand. I can’t think of any of my Dad’s favorites that I don’t like (though all of the 70s/80s stuff is a bit cheesy…side note, that’s one reason why I like Glee so much: they take cheesy yet good old songs and make them cheeseless…well, relatively). My Dad likes Journey and Queen and I really do, too. My Mom likes the Beach Boys, which are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine.

3.  If you could only see black and white except for one color, what color would you choose to see?

Blue. There are so many different shades, and all pretty.

4.  Can you do any voices or impressions and if yes, what ones?

I really hate when people do voices/impressions. So no, I’ve never tried.

5.  Does true altruism exist?

If true altruism exists, it is in what God does and has done for us. I don’t think that anything a sinful human being can be completely altruistic, as everything is tainted by our sinful desires and motives.

Regrets, Music and Friends

Do you like rainy days or snowy winter days more?

Snowy days if I get to stay indoors.  If I have to be out in it, I like the rain.  Actually, being out in the rain often makes me laugh-out-loud happy; I don’t know why.

Tell me about something you really regret?

Joining the masses in being mean to classmates in middle school.  I don’t even think it occurred to me that the rumors I heard and spread probably weren’t true.

Tell me about your favorite music?

My favorite singer is Collin Raye as I love his voice.  My favorite band is Maroon 5 (I’m surprised my copy of “Songs about Jane” still works), though I wish their lyrics on their latest CD were cleaner.  I love the goofy play-on-words lyrics to Barenaked Ladies’ songs.  I tend to like pop-y stuff and have a recent obsession with the music of Disney stars Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.  My favorite worship music is Sovereign Grace’s “Sons and Daughters” CD.

What is something or someone you miss the most from childhood?

Being a part of a close family…doing things together and having people around to talk to.  Not that I don’t love my independence now, but I miss that.

Are you the kind of person that you would want to have as a friend?

Absolutely not.  I tend not to like people like myself (and they tend not to like me).  We can be acquaintances, but will likely never be good friends.

The Danger of the Adjective “Christian”

I hinted at this post in the comments section a couple of weeks ago, but now I’m diving in.

I don’t like the adjective “Christian.”

[Take a deep breath.]

No, I’m not one of those who wants to throw out the term “Christian” altogether.  It’s in the Bible, and I think it’s a great term.  Sure it’s been misused, and that’s why I often identify myself as a “follower of Christ,” but I don’t think we should give it up.  After all who wouldn’t want to be called after the name of their Lord and Savior?

I just wish that we wouldn’t use it as an adjective, or at least not use it so indiscriminately.  For those who hate grammar, I’m saying that I’m fine with sentences like “He is a Christian” but don’t like phrases that begin with “Christian”: Christian music, Christian fiction, Christian bookstores, etc.

There’s two major problems I’ve seen with using “Christian” this way.  First of all–and most seriously–we risk labeling something Christian that is not godly, or at least that we haven’t taken the time to determine if it is godly.  Here are a couple quotes that I think bring this point home:

“The danger of labeling things ‘Christian’ is that it can lead to our blindly consuming things we have been told are safe and acceptable.  When we turn off this discernment radar, dangerous things can happen.” – Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, p. 86

“In short, we are easily deceived by cultural values painted in Christian veneers (or clothed in Isaiah 40:31 T-shirts).” – “The Gospel and the Gosselins” by Julie Vermeer Elliott in Christianity Today

Just because something is labeled “Christian,” does not mean it is in line with the teachings of that term’s namesake.  I’ve read many a Christian book, heard many a Christian song, watched many a Christian video (okay, only a few, because I haven’t seen that many) that has made me cringe because of the poor teaching it was presenting, everything from the misguided to the blasphemous.

As a Christian, I’m called to be discerning in every choice I make, from the type of entertainment I imbibe to the type of thoughts I intake and make my own.  In a way, God’s asking that we never turn off our brains.  Every moment requires active attention.  We should be asking questions like,

What is this author really saying?

How do these lyrics affect my view of myself, others, and God?

What view of the Word of God does this video present?

While many Christians are quick to point out that which clearly is not biblical (e.g. Playboy or Phillip Pullman’s novels), we forget that the most dangerous untruths often present themselves as half-truths.  Things that present themselves in Christian clothing often demand the most scrutiny.

So that’s the first danger, passively taking in as good that which we haven’t determined that is good.  Secondly, we risk labeling something Christian that  is simply of poor quality. 

This is clearly the less substantial danger of the two, but it’s something to consider.  Let’s face it, your average piece of “Christian fiction” is of lower quality than your average piece of fiction.  There’s a big market for things with the word “Christian” on them, and publishers and companies are more than willing to cater to the demand if it’ll gain them an extra buck or two.  Sure, there’s some good stuff out there with the “Christian” label, but it’s not all good.  By allowing this stuff to masquerade around as “Christian” we’re allowing the world to continue to view us stereotypically as uneducated simpletons.

I’m not seeking to throw out the baby with the bath water, but I am urging my fellow Christians to be discerning.  If you’d like a great resource on where to get started, I couldn’t recommend something better than Tim Challies’s The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment.  It’s not a book of rules, but rather a look at what the Bible has to say about discernment.

School Day Memory: Pink Jackets and Saxophones

This weekend I have the weird feeling that I’m writing into the air, where no where will ever read this. I’ll be busy celebrating Thanksgiving, and no doubt you’re busy shopping, decorating, eating, hanging out, relaxing, etc. Oh, and we’ll ALL be rooting for the OU against OSU tonight, right?

Anyway, on to today’s less than exciting school day memory. Boy, if I had any readers at this point, I’ve given them permission to jump ship, haven’t I? Good thing I’m only talking to myself!

I remember going to a jazz festival my 8th grade year. It was a place for us to perform and learn how to be better jazz musicians, something I desperately needed. I played the tenor sax, but I only played it for jazz band.

We were in a clinic where we were supposed to be learning how to improvise. It had probably 100 students in it, and the guy who was running the clinic picked someone from the audience to be the guinea pig.

If you’ve figured out he picked me, you’re right. I’m not the type of person to want to stand out, but he called me out, me and my hot pink jacket (ick! yes, I had a hot pink jacket in middle school) to come to the center of the room to practice improv, something I never had done before and never planned on doing.

It couldn’t have been that bad, because I don’t really remember much about it. I only remember him commenting on my nervous look to the ceiling.

Man, there’s a good reason to post this on a holiday weekend. It’s like a blog version of a rerun of an obscure sitcom.

Other School Day Memories:
Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Kisses and Skunks
2nd and 3rd grade: Spitwads
3rd grade: Laundry Chutes and Floppy Disks
4th grade: Watching Whales
5th grade: Bad Grammar
7th Grade: Teacher Review
8th Grade: 100 Marble Pick Up
9th Grade: Science Nerd
10th Grade: Playing in the Rain
11th Grade: Pink
12th Grade: Sleepovers on a School Night
College Freshman Year: My First Day of College, My Second Day of College
College Junior Year: Kidnapping and Frozen Custard
College Senior Year: Why Procrastination Might Not Be My Thing

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I’m thankful for getting to spend time with my family today. That’s the whole reason why I travelled halfway across the country, right?

School Day Memory: Pink

Junior year of high school was my favorite year of high school. I had thought at the time that my senior year would be better, but senior year nothing went as I had planned.

A few things made junior year so special. First of all, our marching show theme that year was “Pink.” We performed songs such as “Pink Panther,” “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White,” and “Pink Elephants on Parade” (why did Disney have a juvenile elephant get drunk?). No, I’m not kidding. It was actual an idea we thought of the year before on the bus to a drumline competition, and our band director went for it.

Part of the reason was that we didn’t have enough uniforms for all the students and weren’t going to get new uniforms for another year, so we improvised. The original idea was for all 200 hundred of us to wear pink panther costumes, but that had to be revised because our band director and his wife were receiving threats about it. Strangely, it became a subject of interest to the local top 40 station and that’s when it got out of hand with the threats.

Instead, we dressed in black pants, black tuxedo shirts, and hot pink cumberbunds. Not as original as the pink panther costumes, but I’m sure it was much lighter.

That year we got to go and perform at a band competition in Orlando. It was my first trip to Disneyworld which was a lot of fun. We chartered a plane out there, and spent all 4 days in the parks. The lines were great, too, because it was early November.

Other School Day Memories:

Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Kisses and Skunks
2nd and 3rd grade: Spitwads
3rd grade: Laundry Chutes and Floppy Disks
4th grade: Watching Whales
5th grade: Bad Grammar
7th Grade: Teacher Review
8th Grade: 100 Marble Pick Up
9th Grade: Science Nerd
10th Grade: Playing in the Rain
12th Grade: Sleepovers on a School Night
College Junior Year: Kidnapping and Frozen Custard
College Senior Year: Why Procrastination Might Not Be My Thing

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I’m thankful that it is the weekend and I get to rest, rejuvenate, do some school work, and spend time with my church family.

School Day Memory: Playing in the Rain

The title of this SDM isn’t quite what you think. I’m not talking about playing around in puddles as a kid. No, I’m talking about playing in the marching band in a storm. It seems like the perfect fit in honor of today’s huge matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and that other team. Not surprisingly, I never played football, but I was a big band nerd and proud of it.

Though I played the clarinet in concert band, I played in the pit (the percussion instruments that are stationary at the front of the field) during marching band. I did so because I wanted to get out of marching, and I think I’m glad I did it. I certainly had a different experience than I would have had if I had been marching and playing the clarinet, and I absolutely loved the sound of the marimba.

Sophomore year our show theme was the Classics. We performed classical music which is somewhat odd for marching band, but it worked well. I wish I could tell you specifically what we did, but the only thing I remember was “Ode to Joy,” though I know we performed a Bach piece and a Dvorak piece as well.

The day of one of our competitions was rather rainy. When it was time for us to take the field, it had started to rain even harder. Being a part of the pit, we could hear a walkie-talkie telling one of the volunteers to get us off the field as we were under a severe thunderstorm warning. The dude holding the walkie-talkie refused, he just couldn’t do it. So we continued our piece.

As we go from song to song, the rain keeps getting heavier. It starts to lightning, and it seemed like the thunder got in line with the beats, making the already grand music sound even grander. By the time we got to our final piece, only the pit could see the conductor as the rain was just that heavy. As I striked the chimes, I had to look up and could see the lightning and feel the rain roll down my face.

The moment we played the last beat, we all rushed off the field. There was no waiting and marching off in an orderly fashion as had been rehearsed so many times. We knew we had to get off, and had to get off then.

After the storm passed, we filed onto our buses, still partially dressed in our now soaked uniforms which now released all the sweat and grime packed in them over 15 years of use. I’ll never forget how it felt to perform with the rain beating down and that putrid smell.

Other School Day Memories:

Kindergarten and First Grade: Kisses and Skunks
3rd grade: Laundry Chutes and Floppy Disks
4th grade: Watching Whales
7th Grade: Teacher Review
8th Grade: 100 Marble Pick Up
9th Grade: Science Nerd
12th Grade: Sleepovers on a School Night
College Senior Year: Why Procrastination Might Not Be My Thing

Dear Tongue

Back by popular request…a letter! Okay, only Michelle requested it. How do you like that…she only has been reading my for a week and I’m already caving in to her request?

Dear Tongue,

I just don’t know what to do with you. I tried holding you, thinking that you’d follow my advice to keep quiet when what you were saying was unwise or unkind, but you just go ahead and say it anyway. What am I talking about? You know what I’m talking about. Specifically, I’m talking about:

Grumbling. Why do you complain so much? You have a pretty good life, if I do say so myself. I feed you all your favorite treats, and you really enjoy all the work you do. Why not be still in the less pleasant times and choose to pray rather than speak of our circumstances negatively?

Bragging. Come on, enough with yourself already! No one wants to hear it, and it’s just plain annoying to be around when you do. Drawing attention to yourself isn’t cool, and besides, even the good things you do are only because of God.

Gossiping. You might think you have this licked, but I hear some slip out from time to time. I need to have a talk with your friends Left Ear and Right Ear as well, as they shouldn’t be putting up with it from other tongues.

And while we’re on the subject of your work, I should let you know that there are other things that you simply don’t say enough. It wouldn’t hurt to be more ready to speak of our Savior or give an encouraging word to someone.

To show that you’re ready to grow, I would like you to print out these lyrics, because I think that they can speak better than I can. Can’t read? Maybe have your other buddies Left Eye and Right Eye help you out with that one.

Lovingly,

Ronnica

“Bite My Tongue”
by Relient K

I was gonna spell it out
In detail but
I dropped the call
Before I spilled my guts
The floor stayed clean
Like my conscience will be
‘Cause if you heard anything
You didn’t hear it from me

I’m sweeping up the seconds
That tick off the clock
Savin’ them all for later
When I’m too ticked to talk
And I need some time
To search my mind
To locate the words
That seem so hard to find

And sometimes I say things that
I wish that I could take back
The most crucial thing I lack is the thing called “tact”
And if you’re always so intently listening
Then the smartest thing to say
Is to tell myself not to say a thing

Yeah I gotta keep quiet quiet
Don’t let it all come undone
‘Cause if I dare open my mouth
It’ll just be to bite my tongue
To bite my tongue

I said I’m always close-minded
With an open mouth
And the worst of me
Seems to come right out
I’ve never broken bones
With a stone or a stick
But I’ve conjured up a phrase
That can cut to the quick

And sometimes I say things that
I wish that I could take back
And the smartest thing to say
Is to tell myself to keep

Quiet quiet
Don’t let it all come undone
‘Cause if I dare open my mouth
It’ll just be to bite my tongue
Yeah I gotta keep quiet quiet
Listen to Your voice
Because the power of Your words
Can repair all that I destroyed

And when I finally do
Let it come from You
The peace of understanding grips my soul
You’re the reason I
Have meaning in this life
Is so I swallow all my pride
And give You control
I give it all to You

The Soundtrack of My Mind

I just got back from the dentist. I have 4 cavities…boo! I don’t which is worse: having them, or being a grown up and having to pay to have them filled?

I gave you a glimpse into my mind yesterday as I sat in class. Today I’ll list the songs that have come to mind in the 5 hours I’ve been awake. I think it will be revealing of the comparitive mental level I operate with in the morning compared to at night, as well as the diet of music I’ve lived on.

“I Don’t Even Know Your Name” by Alan Jackson
“…I’m in love with you, baby, and I don’t even know your name…”
This is the song that was in my head when I woke up this morning. Weird. Though it shouldn’t be that surprising considering my propensity to weird dreams.

“I’d Do Anything for Love” by Meatloaf
“…I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, no I won’t do that…”
As this came to head I thought, “What is this song talking about?” I’ve never consciously listened to it so I don’t really know.

“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by CCR
“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?”
Okay, this is NOT a song I thought I knew. They joke about CCR on Gilmore Girls, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what any of their songs are. Well, that doesn’t make me immune to having them pop into my head!

“I Want You to Want Me” by Letters to Cleo
“I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I’d love you to love me…”
This gets in my head a lot. Blame it on watching 10 Things I Hate about You too many times.

“Jingle My Bells” by The Tractors
RANDOM. But my professor said something about something “ringing a bell” and this came to mind.

“There is No Other Name”
“There is No other name by which men can be saved, there is no other name under heaven…”
Not a bad song to have stuck in your head!

What do you have stuck in your head? What song comes to your mind a lot?

100 Things for the 200th Post

I never wrote a 100 things post for my 100th post so I thought that I’d do so now as a part of my 200th post! It also goes conveniently with NaBloPoMo Lists.

1. I was born in good ole Wichita, Kansas.

2. Recently I was asked what there is to see in Kansas. I couldn’t think of even one thing.

3. Regardless, I think there is nothing prettier than a Kansas wheat field at harvest time as the sun is setting.

4. I went to college at the University of Oklahoma (Boomer! Sooner!).

5. My brother’s dog is named Boomer. It was the name that he had when he picked him up from the Humane Society. I attribute the fact that he didn’t change his name to his love of his sister and her school.

6. I got a degree in history with a minor in Spanish.

7. I would have been fluent in Spanish if only I opened my mouth and used it more.

8. I still know a lot of Spanish, but it is sadly fading. Something to work on, to be sure.

9. While at OU, I lived in the dorms all 4 years. This is where many of my favorite memories happened.

10. I also have many memories related to the Baptist Student Union, which was a big part of my life.

11. My college roommate, Dana, and I still meet up about 3 times a year though I live in NC and she lives in Texas.

12. I’ve lived in North Carolina for over 2 1/2 years.

13. The hardest things to get used to were the hills and the trees. North Carolina makes up for what Kansas lacks in these areas.

14. My relationship with Jesus Christ is the main focus of my life, or at least I work at making it that.

15. I started following Christ when I was 10.

16. I had a renewed interest in pursuing the things of the Lord and really grew in my walk with the Lord in college.

17. When I was a junior in college, I started considering pursuing further Christian training by going to seminary.

18. What sealed the deal for me was hearing someone say at a conference that if you are single and able, you should consider a seminary education.

19. I work at a company that does financial education and credit counseling.

20. I started out as a secretary, but now am a “development associate.”

21. I basically do whatever no one else wants to do.

22. Right now that means doing a lot of tax returns

23. I attend seminary, where I’m getting a masters in Christian Ministry.

24. I will not be a preacher.

25. I graduate in December.

26. I’m taking a hard load of classes this semester: Old Testament, New Testament, Baptist history, and philosophy.

27. I enjoy philosophy the most, because it makes me think.

28. I don’t know what I’ll be doing when I graduate, but right now I plan on staying in the Raleigh area, working to pay off school debt.

29. I attend an awesome church which is the main reason I’m not in a hurry to leave this area.

30. Working with the older girls in Awana is the highlight of my week.

31. Each week is exciting and different, but I enjoy the challenges and the triumphs.

32. I also love the adults at church and have enjoyed getting to know many of the ladies.

33. I want to be like several of them when I grow up.

34. My parents were very young when they had me (22), so they are still young.

35. My brother is only a year and a half younger than me, so of course he’s young too.

36. He got his first job before me (by only a few weeks) and has gotten his first real job before me, too.

37. My favorite colors are blue and brown, though I also like purple and green.

38. My room is decorated in hot pink, but not for much longer.

39. I love to read.

40. Nineteenth century Russian literature is my favorite sub-genre.

41. I also like British works such as Tom Jones and anything by Charles Dickens or Jane Austen.

42. I’ve yet to find an American author I can enjoy in the same way, though Edith Wharton comes close.

43. I’m also not as much a fan of more recent writing.

44. I also enjoy a good movie.

45. I love romantic comedies (especially those with Hugh Grant).

46. My favorite movies are the Pirates trilogy, the Ocean’s trilogy, and Mansfield Park.

47. Thanks to my new schedule, my best hours for getting work/studying done are between 7 and 10 in the morning and 7 and 10 in the evening.

48. I’m not overly creative, but I like to think that I have an “eye” for things.

49. I’m actually not a horrible drawer like I used to think I was, but I do have to look at a picture/drawing of something in order to draw it.

50. Unless it’s a person, and then you can forget it.

51. Growing up, I played piano for 4 years, clarinet for 8 years, marimba for 4 years, and tenor sax for 2.

52. I haven’t forgotten how to read music, but when I’m working with the boys I babysit, I forget the names for the various things. I just remember what they mean.

53. Though I’ve focused my studies on history and theology, I actually have more natural talent for math and science.

54. I quit pursuing math when I was taking linear algebra and realized that I would totally be okay without taking another math class again.

55. As much as I loved math, I never thought I’d reach that point.

56. Then I realized that I could be just as passionate about history as I was about math.

57. But not just as good.

58. I tended to get B’s in history in college, and that trend has continued in seminary.

59. My favorite history classes were South American colonial history, colonial (U.S.) America, and the Civil War.

60. I especially loved the fact that we never studied the goings-on of the battles in Civil War history. That would have been boring.

61. My favorite seminary classes were my church history classes (makes sense, doesn’t it?) and biblical counseling.

62. The biblical counseling has totally changed my walk with God as well as how I approach problems in my life and the lives of those around me.

63. I have a melancholy choleric temperament, if you know what that means.

64. I’m an INTJ on the Myers-Briggs.

65. I like to say that I could live as a hermit, just me, my books, and a pen and paper, but after about a day like that I get kinda lonely.

66. One of my greatest desires right now is to have a reading chair with ottoman in my room.

67. This will require me to have a larger room, which I’m working on.

68. Via apartment hunting, not construction.

69. I also have a strong aversion to overhead lights.

70. Especially florescent lights.

71. I’ve been called a vampire because of my preference for low light.

72. To me, it’s just more homey.

73. I’m a compolsive email checker.

74. I also am very faithful to checking the snail mail (though only once a day).

75. I cry easily and at any emotion.

76. Most often I cry from laughing too hard.

77. When I’m upset, I have a hard time expressing myself because of the tears.

78. Occassionally I cry for no reason at all.

79. Other times, I want to cry but can’t.

80. I struggle with pride in my own accomplishments and abilities, as if I somehow earned them.
81. “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” – Galatians 6:4, NASU

82. I love to laugh and play games, especially Mafia, Apples to Apples, ImagineIff, and this Pictionary/telephone game that I learned in Turkey.

83. I don’t like games like King Elephant, Calling All Vegtables, and Hide ‘n’ Seek.

84. I love to write and receive letters, but tend to not make time for it as much as I should.

85. I don’t like surprises and prefer to open a gift when the giver isn’t watching…I don’t do a good job of expressing my appreciation on my face.

86. I don’t like cut flowers, but do enjoy them in the garden.

87. Fresh cut grass makes me sneeze.

88. I was crazy afraid of all non-human faces as a child: toys that moved, animals, and people in costumes or masks.

89. I still don’t like any of those much.

90. Because I was so scared of animals as a child, I never realized until about a year ago that I’m allergic to cats.

91. Which is sad, because cats are about the only animals I can tolerate.

92. I prefer summer to winter.

93. I prefer Diet Dr. Pepper to any other drink.

94. I love Coldstone, particularly cake batter ice cream with chocolate chips.

95. I used to be militant in calling soft drinks “pop,” but anymore you’ll more likely hear “soda” come out of my mouth.

96. I’m trying to learn that my way is not always the best one.

97. I have more interests than I have time.

98. I prefer my room to be neat and orderly, but don’t care much if it’s clean.

99. I’m not sure I’ve dusted more than once since moving in in September.

100. I make my bed everyday as the first thing I do.

Whoa, that was way harder than it looked! I hope that gave you some insight into who I am!