Monday, April 11, 2011

Awesome Sauce McGee

Well, jeez.  What has it been now?  Months?

I'm sorry guys.  I'll give you a collage for the days I missed.

Anyway, meet Awesome Sauce McGee.  I put this down the conveyor belt at the caf to hopefully make some dishwashers smile.  Lord knows I've done my fair share of dishwashing in my day, and it can be hard work.  Hope they enjoyed it.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Make a stranger smile.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

It's feeling a little bit more real each day...

Adoration: praising God with everything you have

Confession: recognizing that you are not perfect and ask for God's forgiveness

Thanksgiving: thanking God for everything He has giving us

Supplication: praying for others


I talked at all three services today about my trip to Haiti last year and this coming summer.

Good Parts:

  1. getting to talk about Haiti
  2. sharing my passion with my church family

Not-So-Good Parts:

  1. having to wake up way too early
  2. watching my mom cry... again

Reckless tip of the Day: Share your passions with others!

"Worship: to focus all your energy on God." -elementary school camper

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Quirks

This, my blog-reading friends, is no normal morning.

Today, my lovely Mommy took a very big step.  Notice the two different jugs of milk?  In making Cream of Wheat this morning, my very brave mother used both kinds of milk.  Yes, you read that correctly.  She mixed milk.

Now this may seem perfectly natural to some of you.  If you run out of one jug of milk, you finish up with another.  However this is something my mom never does.

Kind of like how when I listen to the radio, the volume has to be on a multiple of five or an even number, but not an even number next to a multiple of five.  (i.e. 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, etc.)

That's not weird, right?

...

Right?

Anyway, my Mommy faced her fears today and mixed milk.  I was very proud of her.

(Not proud enough to put the radio volume on 7, but proud all the same.)

However, this was just the beginning of our mother/daughter bonding day.  The Mixed-Milk Cream of Wheat was followed by a shopping trip--including a very important stop at a soon-to-be-closed Borders.  You know what that means?  Cheap.  Books.

Good stuff.

Reckless Tips of the Day:

  1. Mix milk.
  2. Turn the volume to a weird number.
  3. Enter a closing bookstore.
  4. Hang out with your Mommy.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Be Jealous, Muggles.

So the Three Stooges Musketeers head to Harry Potter World.

Why?

Because we're awesome.

Magical Things We Did:

  • fly on brooms through the castle
  • visit Ollivander's
  • ride a dragon
Magical Things We Ate/Drank:

  • Butterbeer
  • Cauldron Cakes
  • Pumpkin Juice

Magical Things We Said

  • "Floo Powder Powder!  Floo Powder Powder!"
  • "Ten Points to Dumbledore!"
  • "Dang it!  I left my wand in the car."

Reckless Tip of the Day: Ride a rollar coaster, even if it seems scary.
                                      (Or just ride the dinosaur ride.  Because let's face it: that's way scarier than a rollar
                                       coaster... I mean, not for me... but for some people...)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The Art of Recklessness

In honor of my return to recklessness, a very special artist has recreated my faux-tat.  (See above.)

In other news, I got to spend an entire day hanging out with said artist.  If you don't have your own personal artist, I highly recommend them.  Good ones aren't easy to find, but they're well worth the search.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Write a song.  (If you need help, find yourself and artist.  See above.)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Boring Blog 5: The Day of Errands

Si yo pudiera...

I would be done with my Week of Boringness.

And alas!  I am.

Today: library, bank, homework
Tomorrow: FUN!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Boring Blog 4: The Day of the Official Deposit

This is where I will be spending my summer.

The beautiful country of Haiti.

And today it's official because I paid my deposit.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Boring Blog 2: The Day of a Thousand Letters

You'll be glad to know I was slightly less boring today.  Mostly because I didn't do much homework.

Today was The Day of a Thousand Letters.

After effectively using up lots of pen ink, many of our envelopes, and the house's entire supply of stamps, I managed to finally get those letters in the mail.

Basically, I wanted all my friends and family to know where I'm going to be spending my summer, what I'm going to be doing, and how they can help.

I can't believe I'm actually going.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Boring Blog 1: The Day of the Technical Difficulties

Spent an hour taking an online midterm.
Submitted my answers.
Website decided that "Submit" actually meant "Erase All Of My Answers So I Have To Start Over."
Spent an hour taking an online midterm.  Again.
Experienced deja vu.

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Definition of Boring

So it's official: Spring Break Twenty Eleven has begun.

For those of you who don't know, I have a motto that I'm sort of known for:
"There's no such thing as boring places, only boring people."

My theory is basically that you can create fun anywhere you go, no matter how seemingly boring the place might be.  One of my many pet peeves is when someone says, "This place/situation is boring."  I always look them staright in the eye (well, mostly only if I know them personally...) and say, "No, it's not.  You're boring."

Puts things into perspective, right?

Anyway, I'm telling you all of this as a warning: This week, I am going to be a VERY boring person.

Spring break is not boring.
Homework is not boring.
Melissa is boring.

Yes, folks, it's true.  I have made the decision to be a boring person this week and spend all of my extra time catching up/getting ahead on homework and projects.

"What does this mean, Melissa?!" -Nonboring Blog Reader

Well, it means that my blog entries will probably also be boring this week.  Not even a bit reckless.  Bummer.

But, hark!  Don't despair!  I have some exciting plans that will come a little later this week!
Stay tuned for the return of Reckless Girl!

(Sounds kind of like the name of a cheesy superhero movie...)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Let's get some shoes.

Coffee House 3.0 is a go!

This month, the Fair Trade Cafe at my school sponsored an organization started by a high school girl from my home church: A Walk in My Shoes.  About three years ago, she realized that there was a need for shoes in Haiti, so she started collecting them.  In those three years, she has collected over 9,000 pairs of shoes and AWIMS became an official nonprofit organization.  Not many people can honestly say they've made that much of an impact on the world before they even got to college!

My school raised about 62 pairs of shoes to send her way.  Not bad.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Give some of your excess to someone who needs it.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A dangerous place for my wallet...

Books and ice cream?  Yes, please.

I usually consider myself pretty frugal.  However, there are two things in this world I will splurge on:
books and ice cream.

Which is why it's a flippin' miracle I made it through today without spending a cent.
*bows* Yes, thank you.  Hold the applause.

Either way, it was super fun.  Hanging out in a bookstore with a friend I don't see very often--talking about books we've read or haven't read yet.  And then: Yogurt Mountain.  Okay, technically it's frozen yogurt, but hey, I'm not picky.

Long story short, I spent an ideal night out with a friend, and my wallet doesn't even hate me now!

Project Get Melissa Out Of Her Room And Have Some Fun was a complete success.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Eat ice cream.  You won't regret it.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

It's so awkward, it flies!

These are the results of the Libby and Melissa date:

  • ice cream
  • gLee
  • flying awkward turtles


Reckless Tip of the Day: Be awkward.  It's fun.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Memory Lane Monday

It's Memory Lane Monday!

Caution: Do not look at this picture too long.  You may die of cuteness overload.

Yes, yes, Ladies and Gents.  That is Little Me with my Memere.

For some reason, everything today kept reminding me of Memere.  Family kept posting pictures or comments or I would see or hear something very Memere-ish.  Whatever it was, I thought a lot about her today, so she earned the honor of being the subject of my blog post.

Memere is what I always called a "Storybook Grandma."  One of those grandmas that is so perfectly grandma-ish that they only exist in stories.  Except that Memere was for real.  She baked cookies and muffins and crepes and cake.  She made us Cream of Wheat in the mornings and had about a gazillion different flavors of jam or jelly to be mixed in.  She took us to the zoo.  She read us stories so vividly that sometimes I forgot they weren't real.  She taught us how to make fun crafts and how to plant in her garden.  She gave gifts from the heart no matter what day of the year it was.

She loved God and loved people.
And God and people loved her.

Hope you're having fun in Heaven, Memere.  I love you.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Take time off and spend time with your grandma/grandkids.  :)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

TGFH

It's true.

I admit it.

I'm a gLeek.

Confessions aside, I have been very behind in gLee lately.  So tonight, I put aside the time to catch up: three-episode marathon!

TGFH, everyone!
(Thank God for Hulu!)

Reckless Tip f the Day: Embrace your inner geek.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

I miss marching band.

I have to admit... there are a lot of things I hate about basketball.  I'm really much more of a football girl, myself.  But three things drew me to the game tonight:
1) I hadn't been to a game in forever.
2) My friend invited me, and I wanted some social interaction.
3) Procrastination, of course.

Either way, I enjoyed it.  We won.  It was a good night.

PS Those of you condemning me for procrastinated, I'll have you know that I had just finished a project due on Thursday.  So there.

M-O-C-S!
Go, Mocs, Go!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Just in Time

So I'm reading the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy.

And I had just read a part that made me cry.

When a friend walked in and handed me a plate of cookies.

Can you say comfort food?

Reckless Tip of the Day: Cry.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

I really do love kids. Honestly.

IlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekidsIlovekids.

^This is what I was repeating to reminding myself during our lovely field trip today.^

NEVER. AGAIN.

Well, I guess I can't always get paid for coloring...

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

"And that's how I knew he loved me and we would get married and have a house and a picket fence and a dog and two kids and live happily ever after."

A long time ago, when I wrote my List-Of-Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die List, I added on "Give a speech."  I wasn't sure when that would actually ever happen.  But, lo and behold, I gave two speeches today, and one of them won a contest.  *insert canned applause here*

1) I gave my first chapel lesson at work today!  We talked about Jesus walking on water and courage to "get out of the boat."  AKA It was basically a watered down kiddie version of my famous "be reckless" mantra.

I'm creating the reckless generation of tomorrow!

2) I entered a club Table Topics contest in Toastmasters.  Basically, three of us were given the same topic one at a time, and we had to speak for 1-2 minutes on it.

"Talk about a Valentine's gift that made you feel loved."

So, of course, I talked about my 4th grade love and how he gave me a card and Sweethearts.  None of the other girls got Sweethearts.  That's how I knew that we were meant for each other.  That he loved me.

Long story short, I won!  And now I'm going to an area contest.  My first speech contest.  Cool.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Speak in front of people.  Chances are you have something of worth to say, even if you don't know it.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

"Common sense is not so common anymore." -Patrick

^This is called teaching without a textbook.^

There was a sub in field studies, so I basically taught all day long.  Cool.  The math lesson was on measuring inches with rulars.  They were supposed to use their rulars to measure the pictures in their workbooks...

Why measure a picture of a pencil when you can just measure a REAL pencil?  Hello!

Yeah.  Not gonna happen.  So while they were at PE, I gathered up a bunch of random stuff around the classroom and put it on a table.  They had to pick four small things and one big thing to measure.  It sounds like it'd be chaotic, but they actually did very well.  I have never been so proud of a class that wasn't mine.  :)

Reckless Tip of the Day: Break away from the norm!  Make something your own.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

I Spy... a nerd.

So after a wonderfully wasted Saturday--one which I don't regret in the slightest--it was time to get some work done.  Fortunately for me, I love my major so much that projects are actually quite enjoyable.

That being said, I worked all day on a lesson on story elements for my field study class.  It was fun.

It's going to be mystery themed!  The kids are goign to use magnifying glasses to search for the story elements and pictures around the room and then we're going to read a story from their books.  I made a story chart with magnifying glasses for the pictures and shoeprints for the progression.  I'm very proud of it.  :)

Now all I have to do is change out the phrase "rising action" for "climax" (ka-duh, Melissa) and pre-cut clue books for them to make.  Hurray!  I needed a productive day after yesterday...

Anyway... I'm an ed major nerd.  Or a major ed nerd.  Whatevs.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Pursue something you're passionate about.  No matter what others say or think.  Don't hold back.  God gave us passions for a reason.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Super Awesome Date of Epicness

per-fect date [pur-fikt deyt]
noun

1. walking around the lake
2. holding hands
3. climbing trees
4. naming ducks
5. piggy-back rides
6. picnics on the lake
7. feeding bread to ducks and swans
8. ice skating
9. laser tag
10. dinner at Applebees
11. dancing to jazz music
12. all of the above


Reckless Tip of the Day: Fall in love.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Double Date Night

Yes, you did read that correctly.  Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical.  People dancing around singing about murder.

Absolutely epic.

Even though I had to close my eyes during most of the violent parts...  I have a weak stomach, what can I say?

Anyway... it was a fun way to start my date weekend.  :)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Photographers in training

My little photo group.

One would think they would be calmer since we didn't go on the lake this week... yeah.  One would think...


Oh, how I love them.  :)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Dare ya!

This picture was originally taken by my good friend Phantom in black and white.  I LOVED it, but having much more of a colorful personality, I asked her to add the color back in for me.

So here it is:  An early Valentine's reminder to be reckless.  I dare ya!

Reckless Tip of the Day: Tell someone that you love them.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Micah 6:8

Tzedek: Hebrew for justice

So it's a work in progress, but this is what I worked on tonight.

AWIM Shoes is an organization started by a high schooler at my church.  They collect shoes and ship them to Haiti where many children don't have shoes.  This also ways means they can't go to school.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

Monday, February 7, 2011

¡Me gusta you guys!

I need to work on my super awesome Valentine cards.  But instead I'm doing homework.  Boo.

Sorry I'm boring today.  :(

Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't be boring.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Super Bowl XLV: Woody v. Stinky Pete



Okay.  So don't get me wrong.  I'm a HUGE football fan.  But I just wasn't feeling the Super Bowl this year.  No friends to watch with.  Other stuff to do.  Not super interested in either team.  (Although because of a long-time grudge--long story--I was definitely going for the Steelers.  Dang it.)

Long story short, I spent my Super Bowl Sunday chilling out in my three-sizes-to-big Tampa Bay Bucs T-shirt, working on the homework I neglected Friday and Saturday, and, of course, watching a Toy Story marathon on ABC Family.

Not a bad trade, I'd say.  Especiailly since the dumb Packers won.

RTD: Support an NFL team on Super Bowl Sunday that's not even playing.  Haha.  JK

Disclaimer: Today's photo is a cop-out.  I tried to take a picture of the screen, but my memory card wasn't in, and I don't have my camera cord.  So once again, Google Images saves my life.  Epic fail.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

One of those GDBABTANGNDTOS Weekends

This stack of books = the most productive thing I did all day.

It must just be one of those weekends.

You know, one of those Get-Distracted-Be-A-Bum-Take-A-Nap-Get-Nothing-Done-Talk-On-Skype kind of weekends.

Not complaining.  Besides, I'm excited about all my new kid's books to read.  :)

Friday, February 4, 2011

Looks can be deceiving ...

I would love to say that the focal point of this picture is the mounds of homework piled everywhere.  And how I was so productive and got a bunch of stuff done!  And how I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing!

But actually, they're are two important parts of today's picture and they don't have to do with productivity:
1) This is not my room.  This is my friend's room.  While fish-sitting Disco for her, I'm going to spend the weekend here.  Moral of the story: my own room for a whole weekend.  Bliss.

2) Computer = Skype.  'Nuff said.

RTD: Put off homework for people you love.  Every once and awhile.

Disclaimer: I have noticed that many of my Reckless Tips of the Day seem irresponsible.  That's the point. : D

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Queen

"Miss Melissa!  I made you a crown!  You have to wear it all day, and I'll tell everyone to call you Queen!"

This is why I work with kids.  They make you feel like royalty.

RTD: Look silly if it will make a child happy.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

In the words of my best friend Max, "Oh, my God!"


I got the internship.


I. Got. The. Internship.

Internship.  Me. Got.

This morning I got the call I had been waiting to get for about six months.  I got the call from Northwest Haiti Christian Missions saying that I got accepted for a ten-week summer internship in Haiti.

Ten weeks.  Me.  Haiti.

Imma be straight up with y'all: I cried like a baby.

RTD: Apply for something you'd never think you'd get.  Hey, you never know.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

But soft!

Today was the day!  I was finally going to check "Go to a drive-in movie theater" off my List.

I was ready: I had my cute hat on.
                   I had directions written down on my piggy notepad.
                   I had My Boy.

We were on our way!  Down Florida.  Down Main.  Down George Jenkins.  Should be coming up soon... Passing... George Jenkins?  Why do these streets look familiar?

Ugh.  Why is my sense of direction non-existant?  No worries.  We weren't lost.  Just couldn't find the theater.  *sigh*  Date ruined.

But soft!  What light through yonder window breaks?  It is the silver lining.  I don't even usually get to see My  Boy on an average Tuesday night.  Long story short, I eventually stopped being grumpy and enjoyed my night.

RTD: Not all plans work out.  Deal with it, fellow over-planners!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Because I burn water.

Break n' Bake!

There's nothing better than munching cookies, gulping milk, and making fun of The Bachelor with my CBF* Libby.  All in all it was a great way to start the week.  I even got leftover cookies all week long!  Life is good.

RTD: Eat unhealthy food.  It's yummy.

*college best friend!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Michael Jordan can't swim.

Super Nintendo + Michael Jordan + flaming basketballs + zombies + robot spiders =

the best video game ever

I got to test out this fantastic new game I'm borrowing with some friends after church today.  And that's about all I can say about that.  Fantastic.

RTD: Kill zombies.  With basketballs.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Jimmy's boa + Miss Peachtree's poodle = ??

While some of you are writing papers and solving page-long calculus problems for homework, I get to make a book box.  Basically, it's elements from a story that you put in a box so you have concrete visuals when you tell the story:

Jimmy's Boa ate Miss Ivy's rare Yellow-Spotted Bongo plant
so Miss Ivy fainted
and hit Miss Peachtree
who dropped her poodle into the punch bowl
cauing the poodle to sneeze punch on Miss Greenleaf
whose alligator purse caught Mrs. Rosebud's wig.

Elementary education = the best major ever.

RTD: Put down your Stephen King and Nichloas Sparks and pick up a kid's book.  You'd be surprised how much good children's literature is out there.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The calm before the storm

After getting paid to color with kids, I came back to school to enjoy the campus ministries block party!

AKA Tie dye, baby.

I have the best life ever.

Anyway, it was nice to finally be able to hang out with some friends after a busy week at school.  :)

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Hypothetical Situations

This is what your leg might look like if you were to hypothetically fall off your bike on your way home from work at an after-school program.


Sure, it doesn't look too bad... it's just a little cut under the right knee and some scrapes.  But hypothetically, let's say the fall was right in front of two of the kids you work with at the program.  This would probablly and hypothetically result in a pretty hurt ego.


Not that any of this actually happened or anything.  Just a hypothetical situation.


Hypothetically, what would you do in a situation like that?


Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this picture are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.


Reckless Tip of the Day: Make a fool out of yourself.


"Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century."
—Dame Edna Everage

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

This is what love is.

To Write Love on Her Arms is not some name for a Dashboard Confessional song.
It's not a passing fad.
It's not a catchy phrase for T-shirts.


To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.


Today, I got to meet the man who started it the program, Jamie Tworkowski.  He and some friends met a girl who was struggling with addiction.  She tried to get help, but the rehab center wouldn't accept her unless she could stay sober for five days.  So Jamie and his friends took her in for those five days.  Later, Jamie wrote down her story and titled it "To Write Love on Her Arms."


If you don't know much about it, I encourage you to check it out.


Reckless Tip of the Day: Go out of your way to help someone.  Anyone.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

10 points for the over-planner

Well, readers, you will be happy to know that I was a lot more reckless today than I was yesterday during my 10-hour coma.  Here's what happened:

I walk into the classroom where I'm interning and find out that the classroom teacher will be out for the rest of the semester.  Awesome.  I'm going to be learning how to teach from a sub.

Well, this sub, poor thing, just started today and was a little bit frazzled, as you could guess.  So I offered to teach the reading lesson for her.  That afternoon, I asked her what they were going to learn in math.  She showed me the pages and asked me if I wanted to teach again.

Thus, this SMART Board minilesson was born!  (See above.)  Basically, I made a quick math lesson up in five minutes, and taught it to the class--complete with line segment song and motions.

It was really fun.  I could get used to this whole teaching thing...

Reckless Tip of the Day: If you're an over-planner, like myself, don't be afriad to be spontaneous every once and while.

Monday, January 24, 2011

I love sleep, but this is redikalus!

8:30.

8:30?

Eight-thirty!?

What college kid goes to bed at 8:30?

This one does.

Nothing too reckless to report today... sick + tired = going to bed at a time only 8 and 80-year-olds would.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

You can't rush art.

An Estimated Timeline of Procrastination and Excuses

December 8: I need to get Friend a Christmas present!
December 15: Hey, look at this cool newspaper frame I found at the Hippy Store at the mall!  Friend likes newspapers and photography.  I bet I could make her one!
December 16: Huh... we don't get the newspaper at our house...
December 17: Really?  There's not a newspaper in this entire house?
December 28: Okay, I give.  Maybe I can wait until school gets back in and use a school paper!
January 3: Alright.  I've got a frame and some glue... now for a newspaper.
January 22: Ack!  A newspaper!  The Holy Grail!  The Fountain of Youth!  The Light at the End of the Tunnel!
January 23: Yay!  I'm finished.  Better late than never!

Merry Belated Christmas, Friend.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Make someone a gift.  Even if you're not artsy.  Even if it ends up looking like crap.  It will be crap from the heart.  <3

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Call me irresponsible

Jazz music,
dancing,
and the guy I love.

Being reckless is pretty dang great.


"But it's undeniably true... that I'm irresponsibly mad for you."


Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't dance like nobody's watching.
                                      Dance like everybody's watching, but you don't care.

Friday, January 21, 2011

You're tacky, and I hate you.

             Dear Tylenol Extra Strength Adult Rapid Blast Liquid,

             You are supposed to make me feel better, not replace my headache with a tummy ache so bad I go to bed at 8:30.

                                                                                     Love always,
                                                                                     amoutoujou

PS You don't even taste like cherry.

Reckless Top of the Day: Sacrifice sleep for someone you love.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Changing the world one cup of coffee at a time...


Picture this:
Couches around the room, tables covered in white paper and crayons, people mingling and chatting holding their coffee cups, live acoustic music playing, and...

pictures of human trafficking victims scrolling across the TV.

Strange atmosphere for a coffee house?

The social justice club at my school did our first Fair Trade Cafe last semester to raise awareness about slavery in the coffee industry.  We sold fair trade coffee and rose $200 for a coffee bike to send to coffee farmers in Rwanda.

It was such a hit that we decided to make it a monthly event!  Tonight we rose money for an organization called Not For Sale.  It's goal is to re-abolish slavery all over the world.

Check out their website... it's sobering.
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Reckless Tip of Day: See a problem in the world?  Do something about it.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Happy Birthday, Toastmasters!

There are two things about me that make this post seem very out-of-character:
1) I hate dressing up.  With a passion.
2) I never joined a single club in high school.  Hated them.

That being said, this post is about a club I joined for which I must dress up every meeting.

But Toastmasters helped me check an item off my List-Of-Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die List:
"Give a speech."

Anyway, it was nice to be back for the first meeting of the year:
friends
laughs
speeches
and a birthday cookie cake

Reckless Tip of the Day: speak in front of a group of people about something you're passionate about.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

A Love Story: Part 1

"Love patiently accepts all things.  It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong."
1 Corinthians 13:7

A Love Story
by amoutoujou

Once upon a time, a young woman fell in love.  No, not with a boy.  With a little country named Haiti.  She didn't really know why.  She had never been there.  She didn't know anyone from there.  It just kind of happened.

Sometimes, people just fall in love.

After about a year, she finally got the opportunity to visit Haiti.  She stayed for a week learning about their culture, their language, their people.  From the moment she returned home, she wished to go back.  So she applied for a summer internship at the mission site she had stayed at.  If she was accepted, she would be in the country she loved for three months.

The young woman waited for months and months to find out if she would be able to go that summer.  She checked her email twenty times a day.  Until finally the day she was supposed to find out came and went.  Still no email.

So she waited.

To be continued...

Reckless Tip of the Day: Love someone you don't know.

Monday, January 17, 2011

The day Disney stole my heart again.

Sometimes, when you have a really boring Saturday, it takes two whole days of social interaction for you to survivie.

This was the second day.

A group of new and old friends spent our night off to go to the theaters and see a kid's movie!  (Best movie genre, if I do say so myself... And I do.)

PS Tangled = highly recommended.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Go on a play date with a mixture of people you know and don't know.  It's a fun way to get to know new people!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

My social saviors

Sometimes, after having a really boring day, you need social interaction to survivie.

This was one of those days.

Special thanks to these special friends for stealing me and taking me out for Italian and Cold Stone.

Reckless Tip of the Day: Try a weird ice cream flavor you've never had before!  If you want to be really reckless, don't try a sample first.  Just order a scoop!