Chrissy's Ramblings

Video Blog - Amy's Birthday

2007-09-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Chrissy Learns How To Drive

2007-07-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Story of My Life

2007-05-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Okay so I've been scolded for no longer using blogger to give not so recent updates on my life, so here's an update, for the lack of people who actually read this blog anymore. I'm pretty sure nobody checks these blogs anymore, but hey, what can you do?

Well, for starters, I'm a wreck. I've been told by a therapist I've been seeing for about a month (after using diagnostic tools to make sure) that I have anxiety. About 3 clinical cutoff points away from having panic disorder. I'm pretty much over the denial stage of this, but it's amazing how hard it is to accept something, when you've always had it, and never realized there was something wrong with you. I mean, this is the way I've been since childhood, how could I know any differently? But I have been able to step away from myself and see it. I don't like what I see, and I'm working on changing it. My therapist seems to think it's genetic, and may not be able to be fixed without medication. I personally don't believe that. With God's help, I can and will overcome this. I will not become that person.

Anyway, there you go. I have issues - is anybody really surprised, lol? That's my blog update that will last for another few months. I'll try to stay loyal to those few fans still out there, but my life just isn't all that interesting.

God bless

Chrissy

I'm Not Dead Either

2007-03-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, just thought I'd let you all know a) I'm alive, just busy and nothing special to blog about and b) I now have a new blog which is called the Video Princess (don't ask). Kari was telling me I should post the videos I make on a blog so people can see them, so I did. Don't worry, if you are in any of the videos, I made sure the blog was private (e.g nobody can search for it, or see it except for those I give the link to). If you want me to take any of the videos off, let me know.

Anyway, enjoy (link on the right).

Oh, I'm also getting my top wisdom teeth out on Wednesday, so if you feel like praying, that'd be great.

Love you all

My Faint-Day

2007-03-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

Okay so yesterday, I had to get blood work done, and luckily for me, I can have it done in the comfort of my own home, because Michelle is a "vampire" (she takes blood). So I get up early yesterday morning so I can get it done. Michelle tells me I should lay down for this, but me being stupid thinks I'll be fine sitting instead. Big mistake. Of course, the kids were watching for the great spectacle. The funny thing is I was fine up until we were finished. She was cotton-balling my wound when I started to feel funny. The funniest thing about all of this is that I hardly remember anything, so most of what I'm writing is from Michelle's account. I said I felt funny and apparently collapsed. I remember hearing Michelle calling my name and calling for Brad and they brought me over to the couch, where I fell down once Brad let go and when I actually finally gained consciousness again, I was kneeling on the ground, head on couch (though I seem to remember it being on the table, but perceptions are wacky when you're semi-unconscious to unconscious). Michelle started calling my name again and Brad smacked the table to wake me up and they put me on the couch. I remember Michelle moving my hair out of my face as she commented "She's got so much hair." Funny the things you actually remember. Then there was an icepack, a juice box and a banana, I think in that order, but needless to say, I didn't catch my bus to school, by the time I felt stable enough to even sit up, it was too late, plus all my energy was gone, I felt sick to my stomach, so I stayed home.

It's horrible that I fainted, and I hope I never faint again, because it was not a pleasant experience, but the best part about the whole thing was how greatly cared for I felt. I remember passing out when I was younger and mostly just getting a lot of panic and worry from my mom and then I felt guilty, and scared myself. Something must be wrong. But yesterday, I felt okay, because Michelle and Brad were incredibly calm through it, they took care of me and helped me. When I thanked Michelle later, she was humble about it. "Don't say thank you, what were we going to do, leave you on the floor and walk over you?" We joke about it, but seriously, having them there and calm, made me not feel scared, a feeling I've always had when I've passed out in the past (even though that's been years ago). So thank you Brad and Michelle, my 'heroes.' Oh and Brad, sorry you had to get out of bed for that.

That was my experience yesterday. Note to self: Next time Michelle, who is a nurse who knows her stuff, and knows me, I will listen to her when she tells me to lie down. She has every right to look me in the face and say "I told you so."

CHRISSY

Avalanche 2007

2007-01-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Wow! I am never surprised at how well God works in our lives. This weekend was no exception.

For those of you who don't know, I am a youth leader at my church for a group of wonderful junior highers. I love them dearly, and had the opportunity to take them on a youth retreat this weekend. God had His hand on the whole weekend. From healing a sickness, to getting us there through a wickedly bad snow storm, to touching the lives of these kids in ways that are still causing me to jump with joy.

Even though I realized physically, I am no longer 13 (when seven junior highers are running after you, tackling you in the snow, and convincing you to slide down ice hills in sleeping bags, you realize your muscles aren't as kind to you as you'd hope), I still had an amazing time. Playing 'mom' for the weekend was a big job, but amazing! I found myself worrying about them so much, but also loving them. Hoping they would be warm enough, or happy, or having a good time. There was no shortage there, thank goodness. They all had a terrific time.

Spiritually, my prayers were answered, tenfold. My hope was to see somebody give their life to Christ this weekend. God is good - four of my kids accepted Christ this weekend!! It was amazing to hear their responses after the fact, and realizing they were truly sincere about this decision. Awesome! Today one of those girls who accepted Christ sent me an email that sent shivers down my spine. It brought tears to my eyes:

"I did it 'cause lately I've been thinking about it and I did want to give my life to Him but I didn't know how to. Soo I'm really happy I went and did what I did. Also thanks for helping me through it."

Funny how sometimes you don't realize God's using you, and meanwhile, BOOM, the best things happen. I can't wait now to watch them all to continue down the path to their new Homes in Heaven with their Father. Praise God.

Chrissy

Carcasonning

2007-01-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

Okay so I hung out with Darren and Larissa last Thursday night and they introduced me to a new board game called Carcassonne. (Larissa models it here).

So, it's a game full of strategy and stuff, and even though Darren was skeptical of me learning everything there was to know, I did learn. I definitely didn't win, not by a long shot, but that was my practice game, and I'm certain that the next game will be mine!

So, nearing the end of the game, Larissa starts building this gigantic city, and Darren begins to get skeptical that she won't be able to finish it. So I join her city to help her build on it, and she finished the city and racked in all the points, leaving me in the dust. Darren was in complete shock, as Larissa basqued in her victory.

But then the plot thickens.

Despite her many points acquired from that one city, Darren still managed to win the game BY ONE POINT! So Larissa was quite angry, but Darren, on the other hand, performed one of the greatest victory dances I think I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I grabbed my camera too late, and begged him to reenact. This is what I got instead:

So needless to say, it was quite disappointing, compared to it's original. But Larissa was a sore loser:

But it was still a fun game. Can't wait to play again.

CHRISSY

An Earth Angel

2006-12-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

I doubt anybody even reads this blog anymore, but I really needed to blog today.

I am feeling an array of new emotions and foreign feelings. I feel the phenomenon people who have been down this route have referred to as a feeling of "numbness." I never understood these feelings before, feelings of what must be grief. It still hasn't sunk in, it doesn't even feel real. It feels like a story, like a bad dream, it really does. That's the best, and only way I can even begin to describe how this feels. I can't even put it into real words.

I wasn't even close to her, it's not like we ever talked on the phone, or wrote to each other. I saw her every now and then at camp events mostly, but she was one of my youth leaders once upon a time. My memories of her are fond, always laughing. She introduced me to the cult classic Iron Chef, and gave me an admiration for her because she could burp louder than any of the boys in my youth group.

Shelly gave everywhere she went. She volunteered at camp for years, which is where she met her future husband. She volunteered as a nurse, as a leader, as a director at many camps, as well as events hosted by the BCOQ. I believe I have seen her at every Blizzard I have gone to, every Encounter I have gone to, as well as sharing many awesome weekend retreats with her and SPEW throughout my adolescence. She always brought light, laughter, and fun everywhere she went. As I said before, I wasn't close to her, but it still hurts. I can't fathom that she's gone; no matter how many times I replay the words over and over in my mind, I can't make any sense of them. She was so young, so beautiful, so full of life. Now gone.

My memories, though few and far between are, are still fond, and I will cherish them now, and hang on to them with what little thread I have, and carry them with me.

Goodbye Shelly Patterson Emmott

(Photo courtesy of www.geoffhunt.com)

CHRISSY

Snowflakes

2006-12-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so embarrassing as it may seem, I do not know how to make a paper snowflake.

Go ahead, laugh, what do I care?

Seriously though, I was given instructions, and a piece of paper, and it made no sense to me, it was jibberish. But I love the look of paper snowflakes, because no matter how you cut them, they still work out to look so nice.

So my good friend Larissa sent me this link:

http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/

Let me tell you, it's so nice to have someone do the hard work for you. I can just be creative and see how they turn out.

So here is my snowflake, that I created:

Try it out.

Chrissy

90's Flashback

2006-11-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

You've Had Too Much of the 90's When...

You try to enter your password on the microwave.

You now think of three espressos as "getting wasted."

You haven't played solitaire with a real deck of cards in years.

You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

You e-mail your son in his room to tell him that dinner is ready, and he emails you back "What's for dinner?"

Your daughter sells Girl Scout Cookies via her web site.

You chat several times a day with a stranger from South Africa, but you haven't spoken to your next door neighbor yet this year.

You didn't give your valentine a card this year, but you posted one for your email buddies via a Web page.

Your daughter just bought on CD all the records your college roommate used to play that you most despised.

You check the ingredients on a can of chicken noodle soup to see if it contains Echinacea

Thought you guys would like this.

A Day To Remember

2006-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

Mark this day on your calenders. Call Guinness for the newest candidate for longest time ever being single, but those days are now over for now.

Chrissy Dennis is no longer single.

Read those words over carefully, because I know they are difficult to believe. Heck, I don't even believe them yet. It took a lot of praying, getting insight from friends and reviewing my feelings, but it happened. Chrissy Dennis is no longer single.

I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that if God is in the mix, and if this is part of His divine plan, then I'm not worried. (Well that's not true, of course I'm worried, but I trust Him).

Just thought you'd like an update. Please pray for me as I begin this journey that I've never taken. I'm scared to death; I won't lie, but I know who Jesus Christ is, and He'll take care of me.

CHRISSY

Is Fear a Factor for You?

2006-11-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hey all

Okay so silly question: does anybody have eany great ideas for gross and/or physical challenges for kids in the age range of 11-13 year-olds?

Tuesday night will hold our 2nd Annual Fear Factor Challenge, and I'm trying to come up with something to top our Sardines/Oyster one from last year, but I'm also trying to avoid seafood, just in case.

I also need some in-between challenges. If you can think of anything - the food doesn't actually have to be gross, it just has to look gross, and I can make something up. For example, I'm doing a challenge where they have to dig out cow eyeballs from a bowl of Pig Mucus. Where actually, they are going to be digging out something like gumballs out of tinted green cool whip. So just something like that. If you can think of anything, please comment or email me. Before tomorrow if possible, since Tuesday I have to do all my shopping and should have a game plan by that point.

I'll post a blog after Fear Factor, letting you know how it all went. LOL. It should be exciting...

Especially because I only have to host. Muah ha ha

CHRISSY

God is Amazing

2006-11-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share how God's been working in my life. He's so amazing, did you know that? If you didn't know that, or you don't know Him, you don't know what you're missing!

I've been dealing with random crap for about 3 months (Kari estimates) and I've been convincing myself and others that I've been fine. I haven't even been writing anything down in my journal, that's how convinced I was, and yet stuff was just building up, and over the last few weeks, things have gotten worse and I've basically had more mental breakdowns than...I don't know, something that has an outbreak of mental breakdowns. It's been daily, anyway.

Long story short, throughout all of this, I kept hearing that voice telling me to open up, to stop faking it, to stop wearing a mask and be real; to myself, to others, and to God. I had the feeling that I had to deal with everything, so that was when I got the idea to make a list. So God was leading me to do the list last weekend, and I ended up side-stepping that, but felt guilty and this weekend, was forced to. God wanted me to do it before communion Sunday so I could go to the Lord's table clean and relieved. The biggest thing I heard God say to me, when I asked Him where He was, and why couldn't I feel Him, was "Let people in; that's how you'll see My love."

So Saturday night, 2 1/2 hours and 13 typed single space pages later, I had my feelings. It's amazing how exhausting that can be! I fell asleep so fast, and even napped on Sunday! (I know, weird eh?) I'm still tired, but I got it out of me, and I prayed about it, so it was God's.

Well yesterday, I was more honest about not being fine, and I opened up a little bit to Michelle when she asked me if my ear was bothering me, and I said yes, and proceeded to tell her what was wrong with it, and I'm not kidding, INSTANTLY, the pain was gone! I just smiled and thought, wow God, You're awesome. But that wasn't the end of it. At Bible study last night, I shared about how I gave stuff to God and need help in dealing with stuff, and I COULD NOT GET OVER HOW LIGHT I FELT, AND HOW I FELT GOD'S LOVE through Michelle, and through Lyla, and through Christ Himself coming on me with His Spirit. I felt His love sweeping through me and gave me a genuine love for the people in the room for me, and...you know what, I won't be able to do it justice by explaining how uplifted it felt, to feel God's love upon me like a dove.

WOW! I'm just so motivated to go out there now. God told me if I stopped faking it and stopped wearing a mask, I would see His love.

And I did.

CHRISSY

Freaky Frenzy

2006-11-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Okay so just when I was starting to think addiction to computer games wasn't actually feasable, I found I was wrong.

So today, while I was patiently awaiting for my professor to show up for my class, I ventured toward a website with an interesting challenge. To guide the red dot through the maze of moving objects to the finish circle.

Looks easy? Think again. I must have spent a good hour at this game, and, though getting within a centemeter from the finish circle, would have to start again, because here's the catch: You cannot let the red dot touch the walls under any circumstance.

Care to try the challenge? www.mazefrenzy.com . Good luck, and if you manage to finish, scroll down to the bottom of that page to try part 2 of Maze Frenzy (follow the link).

Yeah, so good luck. I'm now addicted to it, and am EXTREMELY DETERMINED TO GET IT EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!!!!

CHRISSY

I need a "Staycation"

2006-10-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

Without having to go into too much detail, I will only say that I am in a rut of stress. Huge stress, unhandlable stress (I don't think that's a word), but you get the idea.

Now, I think what I need is some of Brent's awesome wisdom from one of my favourite TV shows, Corner Gas. He's got a great strategy when it comes to stress, or just wanting to go away for a while. He goes on a Staycation.

Now, this is not like a vacation, where you actually pack up and go to another country. No, this is a staycation, where you mentally pack up, mentally board a plane and mentally fly away to your dream destination of rest and relaxation.

Granted, this sounds crazy, but Brent was totally at peace at his "home away from home", and with the way my mind's been lately, I think it might just be insane enough to conjure up such a fantasy. If only I had the time to sit and create one.

CHRISSY

Cure For Hiccups

2006-10-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, this is my friend Kristie. We've been going to school together for almost three years now, but have really only been friends for a little over a year. We get along because we both have strange senses of humor, and for other wacky reasons, but one of them is that she always manages to make me laugh.

Example: Yesterday, righth before our midterm, Kristie had the hiccups. So I tried to scare her (she's unscarable), and nothing was working, until I managed to say something to get her mad enough to try and smack me. Now, if you know anything about psychology, when you are threatened, your mind will react in one of three ways. It will either tell you to fight (fight against the threat - hit back), flight (run away, or flinch away) or freeze (sit there like an idiot in the face of danger). So what did I do? I guess my prefrontal cortex ordered me to flight, because I moved away, and her hand hit the wall. So she yelps out and her knuckles begin to turn red and purple, and we're laughing like crazy. She blamed me but I blame my prefrontal cortex (just kidding).

But in truth, she should be thanking me, because her hiccups were gone after that. So if you're ever in dire need of a cure for hiccups, you should consider smacking your knuckles against a cement wall, and see if it works.

CHRISSY

If you're happy and you know it....

2006-10-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

I had a really great weekend! It was so nice to just step away from life as it has been and just be myself again, with nothing to worry about.

Brad and Michelle's former pastor and his wife (Devon and Joan) came down to visit during their layover here before they had to go to Turkey on a mission's trip. So they came on Friday night and stayed until Sunday afternoon. It was so great getting to know them and them being interested in getting to know me. I had so much fun just hanging out with everybody, with Brad, Michelle, Ceilidh, Noah, Devon and Joan. I didn't do any homework this weekend, because I was just needing that extra time to just step away from all of that (so now I have a lot to catch up on) but to me, it was worth it.

Even after a bad day at work on Saturday, I was cheered up very fast when I was picked up and the seven of us went to the Mandarin for dinner. It was just so nice.

What a God-focused weekend as well. There was prayer, and even at church on Sunday, I felt totally touched by the Spirit, and things that Devon said to me really hit home, and made me reconnect with God in many ways. I feel rejuvinated and refreshed, and feel really blessed to have been able to step away for a little while, and enjoy life. I think I caught a glimpse of Heaven this weekend. Christians fellowshipping together and the focus being on God completely.

I hope to see Devon and Joan again some day, even if it is in Heaven. I'm so glad I get to keep Brad and Michelle and the kids though. That's a pretty cool bonus from the weekend.

CHRISSY

Lost has been lost

2006-10-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

So, I'm still addicted to the ever-famous ABC show, Lost, but I'm noticing among some loyal fans from the first and second seasons are becoming "lost" among the Lost tv show. No, they're still understanding the show, but they've "lost" interest. A couple of people have lost interest in the show, which I can't understand. I'm still so addicted to the show, and am enjoying the new characters,

Especially Juliet (see girl in pink shirt). It makes me angry how they've made her character so kind, and so calm. Her voice is always so sweet and quiet and calm, she's always smiling, and yet, she's one of the Others (the bad guys, for those of you who are lost, lol). It's providing me with a heck of a lot of cognitive dissonance, (two conflicting patterns of thought). On the one hand, I like her, because she's nice, and on the other hand, I know she doesn't care about any of the prisoners, like she lets on, because she's one of the Others, unless she really is a good guy and wants out of the Others life.

Which is also weird. Okay, so I'm rambling, but this whole Lost thing has got me hooked. But Brad has lost interest. (I'm really enjoying this pun). I don't understand, but I think he's given up on it now. (Though if you want my opinion, he said that last week, and yet he still watched it last night....)

Maybe he's not lost after all
HA

CHRISSY

Herding Goats

2006-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Okay so it seems the longer I live with the Peters, the more I discover I saw or believe stupid things and dig myself deeper into the pit of being teased. And who's to blame? Myself, and possible naivety/gullibleness.

So this morning, it was pouring rain and Brad was home so when Michelle called him on his cellphone, he said something along the lines of "Yeah, this morning was like herding goats." I automatically laughed to myself, thinking what a funny line that was. I thought he was referring to the rain. Like the famous line, "It's raining like cats and dogs", I for some reason thought the animal reference was to the rain. So I thought, this is great, I'm totally going to use that line today.

Until I talked to Brad later, who I was trying to convince it was pouring outside. He said it wasn't pouring. To which I replied, "Well you were the one who said it was herding goats! What was that about then?" Ha, chalk one up for Chrissy.

No.

He starts laughing. He explained he meant getting the kids to stay close to him, under the umbrella was like herding goats, because they kept going astray.

(This is where Chrissy begins to blush).

So what? I'm gullible. I'm naive. So of course now Brad won't let me live that down. Add this to a list of many. To quote one of my favourite shows Corner Gas, "That's not even in the top one hundred weird things that kid has done."

Well, look at the bright side. My friend Kristie says with me around, one can never be bored.

CHRISSY

Heeeeeeeeeeere's "Puffy"

2006-10-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have acquired a new nickname, it seems. A new nickname from my wonderful family, aside from the typical "Noggin" or "Crash." Yes, now you may call me "Puffy."

Care to hear the origin of this strange name?

Yes, Viva Puffs. You know those chocolate marshmallow-y treats you can apparently buy in the cookie section? Yes, that's where my new nickname came from.

We were having Bible study when we randomly started asking random questions. (Funny how easily you can get off topic). Michelle asked what kind of cookie we would be if we could be a cookie. So none of us could really come up with a good answer, so Michelle proceeded to pick cookies for us, based on our personalities. Yeah, so I'm apparently a Viva Puff. (Which I argued isn't really a cookie, but they seem to think it is, since you can buy them in the cookies section). How does this relate to my personality? Here are the reasons:

I am thin-skinned - you know how the Viva Puffs have that chocolate shell? Well it's not very strong, and it's easily broken. Michelle said that I'm sensitive and it doesn't take much to break through that barrier.
Layers - okay so I've never had a Viva Puff, but apparently they have layers, which I've been told I have as well. There's different levels to Chrissy.
Messy - Viva Puffs are messy. Apparently, this is an important part of my personality, because I have baggage.
Raspberry filling - Viva Puffs have that fruit filling on the inside. Michelle said there's that sweet part underneath it all, sweet and a little tarty.

So needless to say, Brad started calling me "Puffy" and that's where the nickname came from. I don't think it will stick, but I also didn't think "Noggin" would stick, and I've been Noggin for two years now, so...

Oh, and just a side note, Lyla was a S'More (which definitely isn't a cookie), Brad was a Peak Freme, and Michelle was a Gingersnap.

CHRISSY

Mulder, Scully and Dennis???

2006-10-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Okay so I had this really cool dream last night. But first, just so you all know, Brad is the one responsible for getting me hooked on the show the X-Files. I never watched it when I was younger - never interested me or maybe I was just too young for it, who knows? But either way, I had a really wicked dream last night.

So I'm an FBI agent's assistant or something, because I get to tag along with Agents Mulder and Scully from the X-files. Our investigation is on something to do with a teenage girl, and at one point, I'm drawing blood, (as though I know what I'm doing).

So Mulder is still trying to figure some things out when Scully and I are standing by the door and this alien head or something pops up in the window, and makes a noise. I jump and Scully comes up behind me, saying she saw it, and did I see it. I say yes. We see it again, and I run down this hallway to try to follow it. It's pitch black, but I don't seem to be that afraid (which as most of you know, is most unlike me), until Scully comes up behind me and puts her hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump. She asks if I've found anything. I say no.

Then Mulder comes and he doesn't believe us. He thinks it's just our imagination or something.

I don't know why, but it was really cool. It was fun being an FBI agent's assistant or whatever I was. I think I may write a fan fiction about being part of the X-files. Who knows?

CHRISSY

Movie Confusion

2006-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if this is due to my inexperience as a youth leader, or my lack of culture when it comes to the film world.

Either way, I'm confused. Tomorrow night is movie night at the JAYS, and so far, none of my kids have given me acceptable movies that I can show in a church without fear of being sued. So far the suggestions have ranged from BASEketball to the Longest Yard and anything else that is higher than PG-13. Our original movie was going to be Benchwarmers, but the further I looked into it, by way of website and popular demand (talking with those who have seen it), I decised against it. Sometimes it's tough to be a youth leader and tear down the hopes and dreams of preadolescents who want nothing more than to watch their choice of movie.

Needless to say, I fear I will be stuck picking the movie. My biggest fear is mostly that I cannot relate to these kids, and I have no idea what they will enjoy. I've emailed them twice, begging for some kind of suggestion, and so far have gotten nothing.

So there might be a lot of moping faces tomorrow night when I show them a movie they hate. I've already been told I should show a romance, so that'll "learn 'em" not to let me pick the movie.

I guess I could always go with Narnia. You can't go wrong with Narnia for a Christian youth event movie night.

CHRISSY

Country Girl

2006-09-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

So I had a interesting experience this weekend. I was a country girl. I went to visit my friend Vanessa who lives in a small town. Actually, she told me it's not a town at all. Where her house is actually is not part of any town, because it's out in the country. I still don't grasp the concept of not being part of any city or "town" or even "village." Very strange.

But I had a great time! I got to go on this art tour, where all these people had art in their homes around the county, so I got to see some interesting pottery work, photography, soaps, glass art, etc. It was a very artisitic experience.

For those of you who read my last blog, you'll also know I took a salsa class this weekend. Well that was sure interesting. I think I would do it again, MAYBE, but it was a lot of foot work and as complicated as it was, I'm sure it would get even more complicated.

I also went to a chinese buffet, which I call the "Mini-Mandarin" because it's the same idea as the Mandarin, even the same food almost, but much smaller. Vanessa was saying it's almost better because you're limited to your choices and don't have to decide what to eat, like you do at the Mandarin.

I tried Bruchetti bread, banana protein shake and chicken this weekend. The chicken was awesome! I don't know how Vanessa's mom did it, but it was amazing, and I would definitely have it again.

So it was a good weekend, and now I'm back in full force at school, realizing I have a heck of a lot of work to do, with reading textbooks, planning Bible study, reading articles, starting homework, finishing assignments due this week. Gah! Oh well, a weekend away has it's downfall I guess. You get to come back to a pile of work you should have done earlier.

C'est la vie! I still had fun!

CHRISSY

Finding Chrissy

2006-09-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

The fish on the left illustrates an important point. Sometimes life gets too stressful and too overwhelming you just want to cover your eyes and swim away.

Okay so maybe I'm overreacting, but this week seems to be going nuts and it hasn't even started yet. I have to pick up my OSAP, pick up my prescription, oh yeah and if I haven't told you about that yet, I went to the clinic to see if I had an ear infection because I've been having trouble with my ear, only to find out I have a throat infection, which is causing ear pain. GREAT! On top of that, I emailed my boss to make sure she knew I had this weekend off because I was supposed to go to Connect (a college/career weekend retreat at Camp Oneida) but hey that got cancelled because not enough people signed up, but luckily enough, I had a plan B. Vanessa from camp invited me up to her place for the weekend, where she has already convinced me to take a one-shot Salsa dance class. I've told her I can't dance, but this was insufficient. Michelle showed me pictures of the ever famous salsa, and needless to say, I am scared.

So now I have to find out bus scheduling to get to Vanessa's on Friday, as well as call Drew to ask if he's going to the reunion BBQ NEXT Saturday to find out times of departure so I can tell work when I'm leaving. AND, I have homework to be done before the weekend so I can enjoy a nice weekend away without having to worry about what needs to be done when I get home Sunday night. AND I have to teach JAYS tomorrow night. AND I have personal stuff to be dealing with now too.

Such is the life of Chrissy. These little bubbles of stress come into my life and then they're gone. The good part about the whole thing is I'm not alone. Thank goodness I have God. I'd be going nuts without Him. "For I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Anyway, done my rant

CHRISSY

Here I am!

2006-09-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family - yes I updated my blog, I have not died, despite popular belief. I now have (almost) daily access to internet, so my blogging should become a little more consistent.

Well, I am officially a third year student who developed a cold her first day of school, and has been feeling a little bit of "blah" ever since. I am taking five courses, which are Behavioural Research, Computer Data Analysis, Fluency in Technology, Adolescent Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. (Which Brad says I will ace no problem). So it's going to be busy but I am very excited to delve right in.

My summer ended with a friend coming down from Simcoe. Vanessa and I did the more naturalistic part of Niagara Falls, walking through the gardens, going on the White Water Walk, Butterfly Conservatory, Bird Aviary, etc. It was a lot of fun, and just a nice way to end the summer.

I've also REALLY enjoyed Brad and Michelle being on holidays. Having them home all the time was great. We watched movies, we played games (we played Trivial Pursuit normal edition, and I actually did okay!), and I also made them an anniversary DVD in which Darren and Larissa were the stars. Brad and Michelle seemed to really enjoy it and that made me happy. I like to make people smile. Thanks Darren and Larissa for all your help. I have a copy for you as well.

I'm very excited about starting up my youth group again. Tonight is our first get together in three weeks, and I have a lot of great ideas. I'm very excited and can't wait to start.

That's about it. Nothing too excited in the realm of Chrissy-ness, but hey, you never know what's around the corner, though in my case, it's probably a wall. (Michelle can back me on that)

CHRISSY

Tourism, 101

2006-08-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

So I've apparently become a very good tourguide. You all know about my wanderings around Clifton Hill with friend from camp (see previous blog about temporary insanity), well the following day, ANOTHER friend from camp (Vanessa) came down to visit me and we also did the Clifton Hill thing. I find it amazing how I feel as though I have now done everything there is to do on Clifton Hill.
I think we did 7 moving theatres, 3 museums, the ferris wheel, visited Hershey's Store, saw the Falls and ate at some point. Speaking of which, I had my very first COMBO MEAL! Usually vegetarians don't know what that is, because most combo meals include meat. Well, I had a combo meal which was a hotdog, french fries and a drink. Now, being that my stomach is not used to such combo-like meals, I was unable to eat all the fries, but the hotdog was to die for. I want to go back, just for the hot dog.
Well, for your enjoyment, here are some pictures of our little journey to the Falls.

I've been told we look like sisters in these two shots!

CHRISSY

Temporary Insanity

2006-08-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Whether it's a midlife crisis, temporary insanity, a fluke of nature or perhaps me just becoming more of a risktaker, I overcame a fear and went on Niagara Fall's Pile Driver.

(That's what this is).

Oh my goodness, it was the biggest adrenaline rush I think I've ever experienced. I think I opened my eyes for about ten seconds at the top because my friend Greg, who came with me, convinced me the view was magnificent. Oh yeah, it was great alright, and it would have been even better if I didn't know I was going to drop any second. Those moments are the most frightening moments I think anybody can ever experience. Though we didn't really drop, persay, I think the people running the ride knew I was afraid, so they let us down easier than usual. I was grateful.

So the goal of going on Pile Driver was to prepare me for Dropzone at Canada's Wonderland. After Pile Driver, I can honestly say I am not sure Dropzone lays in the near future for a Chrissy Dennis, who's feet are still shaking, and who's pulse is probably still off the charts.

Movieland Wax Museum

2006-07-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

So last night, I went to Clifton Hill with my friends from school and part of what we did was explore the Movieland Wax Museum. I did't quite know what to expect, considering whenever one hears the term "museum" in today's culture, most people affiliate that with boredom and a very passive experience. This museum, however, did not fit into today's stereotype.

If you find you have the extra money, I totally recommend this interactive experience. The museum is split up into different sections, there are sound effects and movement and things you can do, for example, walking through a haunted tunnel or sharing a couch with the Simpsons. I enjoyed it immensely and would definitely go again.

Here are some pictures from our experience there.

At the end of the haunted tunnel, there is an electric chair that shakes and shoots off smoke and everything.

Get out of the phonebooth! It's dangerous!

And of course, what experience wouldn't be complete without Harry Potter?

Now Bart, you should know better!

Life is like a box of chocolates

Until next time,

CHRISSY

Back From Camp

2006-07-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

I am back from camp and I have survived. It was a difficult week, where I felt leaders, and students alike were being tested on patience, faith and endurance. The week was sure a roller coaster of emotions, accusations and tears, but we survived, and I have made lifetime friends, once again.

I have lots of memories, and way too many pictures, despite the fact my camera is now broken. Thanks to Camp Oneida for feeding into my picture taking addiction by letting me borrow the camp camera for most of the week.

I was able to see a glimpse of God this week, and feel His awesome strength, knowing that no matter what happens in my life, He is stronger than any of it.

I'm sure the leaders were being attacked this week, but God's strength is also stronger than that. He made sure the leaders all prayed together, worked together and showed love to one another so we could weather the storm together as a team, and it worked.

I miss it very much, even the hardships, because I never doubted for a second we wouldn't be able to overcome - I knew we would because I know my God is a strong God. I miss my friends, especially Vanessa, who became a very important figure that week, especially when I was going through a rough time, she was there to lean back on when I felt alone and scared.

I can't wait to continue to meet with these wonderful people, whom we already have plans to see Pirates of the Caribbean, a trip to Marineland and in a few weeks, Vanessa is coming down to visit me, so I couldn't be happier. (Well, I probably could be, but that's a whole 'nother story).

Glad to be home.

Thanks for your prayers.

CHRISSY

Return to Camp

2006-07-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday, I am leaving for camp. I will be a counselor to a group of 11-13 year old girls. I am very excited to have some time to spend in nature, and in a position of mentorship. I really feel the need to reconnect with God lately. My relationship is still fine - nothing has changed about the way I feel about Him, I just need to get away from some things and put some things into perspective. I do not see this week coming up as a vacation, but a kind of "step off the planet" for a week. I will be around new people, and I will have to step away from myself for a bit to be a "mom" to these kids. But there will be times where I have breaks, in which I plan to spend that time with God, trying to figure out some stuff. I really messed some things up, and I need to be with God.

So I leave on Saturday, and I will not be back until the Sunday after (the 23rd). Pray for safe travels and no ear troubles. (Don't worry, I won't be swimming in Lake Erie). God bless to everyone, and I will blog about my adventures when I return.

CHRISSY

Surgery Complete

2006-07-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

So I had my surgery today!

It was everything I could remember from my childhood. All 8 times as a child I survived the very same surgery I survived today. Today, I have successfully completed my 9th tube surgery. (Woot - do you think there's a world record?)

Bad news is they had to cut my ear off. (Just kidding). Actually Michelle tried to pull that on me when I first arrived back to the room after surgery. I said my ear felt muffled and she asked if she could have a look. Trusting her, because she's a nurse and all, I let her. Then she said my ear had been removed. Don't worry, I wasn't that gullible. I didn't buy it.

The surgery went well. My ear is still relatively sore and muffled, and I have to work tomorrow, but I am going to be staying away from the balloons for the next couple of days to avoid any kind of pain. Also, I feel extremely run down and depressed. Michelle said it's probably the anesthetic and just my body feeling rundown after everything it's been through today.

Here are things I remember from the operating room. Weirdness. I started to feel really dizzy in the operating room, where they had me sit up so they could put sticky things on my back, and I lied back down, still feeling really dizzy, like I would faint...

And the next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery, having a nurse pull a tube out of my throat. (She was really surprised I remembered that, because most people don't. Did you know your body doesn't breath when you're under anesthetic? I didn't. They had to breath for me. Eek).

Other than that, that's about it. I was really grateful Michelle was there. I am so loved - I knew that today. Michelle never left me, unless she had to (kicked out by nurses). She made me laugh, she gave me a hug before I left, she bought me a balloon and a card. When we were coming home, Brad and Michelle bought me lunch, and Michelle made me sit down while she got my lunch ready. She brought me juice and lunch, and kept asking if I was okay. She kept telling me to drink my juice. She said I should take an advil and go to bed. She was so concerned, and I'm glad she was, because I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I was so out of it, and doped up, I'm glad she was there to take care of me. Then both the kids made me cards, and they kept telling me they hoped I'd feel better. And God bless Brad, who didn't tease me once after the surgery. (That I can remember). Though he did make a crack before the surgery about how my new favourite show on TV would be Toopy and Binoo, though he pronounced Toopy, as Tubey. (Get it? Because I got tubes?)

Anyway, off to bed. I'm still half asleep and very much depressed, but luckily I know that's only anesthetic. It happened to me under local anesthetic as well. Thanks for your prayers. God bless

CHRISSY

It's been a while

2006-06-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hey all, it's been a while. Not a whole lot going on my way. I've been feeling actually depressed for a couple of days, and I can't really pinpoint why, but it sucks. Oh, good news though, I have a new blog, it's a Dream Blog, where I post my dreams. (You can make fun if you wish). I have it in my links, so you can go check it out.

I'm still alive, I just don't blog very often anymore, and I'm sorry. There's not much to blog about these days; all I really do is work. Though I was invited to go to dinner with Brad, Michelle and the kids on Saturday and that was a lot of fun. Just being able to relax and get my mind off of things. I really needed it.

Anyway, I think that's all for now. Surgery on Wednesday, I'll keep you posted on the happenings of that.

God bless

2006-06-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hello, so I haven't blogged in a while yet again. I have only a few updates so I won't bore you.

First of all, I would appreciate any prayers you are willing to offer up. On July 5, I am having surgery. It's minor, just getting a tube in my right ear to (hopefully) alleviate any future problems. And maybe I won't be in so much pain anymore. But even though it's a minor procedure, I am still going under general anesthetic, and have to be asleep. Since the last surgery I had was when I was 11, I only faintly remember the sensation of being put under, so I'm more nervous about. I am just so happy that Michelle is coming with me so I'll have someone familiar there when I wake up. So we'll see what happens.

I am still working on proofreading my book Trapped Minds, and I have a couple of people editing it along with me, but hey, if any of you have free time and want me to send you a chapter here and there to look over, I would be happy for your constructive critism. Just let me know, okay?

Oh and I have recently acquired a new version of my video editor so I am making new movies, which are turning out great. Right now, I am currently working on a final JAYS video for the kids and for the church to see what we did this year. I'm really excited about it. I LOVE making these movies; it's my most favourite thing to do in my spare time. So if any of you are ever wanting to make a movie for a loved one or a friend and need some help, I am seriously more than happy to put it together for you. Trust me, I enjoy it, and it's a great gift to make. Just pictures to music, or a plotted script, or a tribute to one's life. My sister Amy just made me the most tear-jerking, memorable, amazing video for my birthday. I cried so much and it's probably the best gift I've ever recieved. It was so special and so much thought went into it. So let me know, okay? I am seriously really excited to help you do that, anytime. Don't be afraid to ask.

Love you all, am going to read all of your "recent" blogs to see what's new. (BLOG PEOPLE!)

CHRISSY

Here Comes The Bride

2006-05-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Here comes the Bride! Finally, Larissa Joy Morris has become Larissa Joy CONLEY! The two crazy lovebirds tied the knot on the 19th of May, and I have never been more proud to be part of it. I was so blessed to watch a good friend of mine move forward into the next chapter of her life with the man she has grown to love. As I look back over the years, I see a lot of growth on both of our parts. When I first met Larissa, I wanted a big sister, or so that's what I thought. Really what I was craving was for somebody to be the emotional support I so desperately needed, because it was lacking in other areas, but as I look back, it was unfair to rely solely upon Larissa, but she took it, and, as I regret muchly, it exhausted her. But there's a happy ending to our story. We became friends once I grew up and realized a whole lot of stuff. She's now one of my dearest friends, who I know I can talk to, and I hope she knows she can talk to me as well.
I have never been more proud of her, as I watched her walk down the aisle to her new life. She looked so happy and I knew she was. For the last year or so, all she talked about was Darren, and I knew that was a huge deal. He's a great guy, who likes Home Star Runner and Harry Potter, so he's an A+ in my book. He's really a great person though who loves God and dotes on Larissa, and I know he'll take care of her.
I'm just so happy that they are together and my prayer is that God Almighty will bless the lives of Darren and Larissa Conley, as well as any little Conleys that are somewhere down the road...
God bless you guys
Chrissy

My School Marks

2006-05-12T20:03:00.001-07:00

Hello to the blogging world. I am back!
I've been amazingly not busy, so I really have no excuse as to why I'm not blogging lately. I cannot use the excuse that I have no internet, because praise God, my own internet is up and running. So, I guess it's just been a lack of motivation on my part, but hopefully this is a push in the right direction.
Well, I have successfully completed my second year of my psych degree and I am very pleased with my final grades. They are as follows:
Personality: 80%
Lifespan: 82%
Learning: 75%
English: 70%
Statistics: 88%!!
So needless to say, with a 79% average overall (couldn't they bump it up to an 80%?), I'm happy, especially considering I didn't expect that mark in the dreaded English course. So yay!
I am very much looking forward to my third year of school already, when I will be taking such exciting courses such as the psychology of adolescence, introduction to forensic psychology, and possibly a human sexuality course (which some friends are trying to convince me to take, only to watch me blush). But, we shall see.
A quick update: I'm working full time now, I'm getting my hair drastically changed on Tuesday (cut and colored), Larissa is GETTING MARRIED ON FRIDAY, and I apparently look like Leonardo DiCaprio. (It's a funny story, I'll tell you sometimes). Other than that, not a whole lot is going on.
Oh, but if you're a Harry Potter fan, you should join my new trivia challenge, at
http://my.funtrivia.com/tournament/The-Harry-Potter-Challenge-52902.html
It's a daily quiz you take and your stats get recorded and it's a constant competition, but if you want to win, you have to play daily (you don't have to, but you get more points that way).
Hope to blog soon.
CHRISSY

High On Life? Nope, just friends

2006-04-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

I find it incredibly amazing how I actually have a social life now. Friday night I had a girl's night with my friends from school where we had a terrific time just being ourselves and goofing off. But also sharing things with each other and growing closer as friends. I found myself out until 3 in the morning, which is probably a record for me, but man I had so much fun. So, my friends are Kristie, Crystal and Sandeep (who we have renamed Krisdeep, because all of our names start with some derivative of "Kris"). We are all so much alike it scares me, but I think that's why we all get along so well. None of us had anything to drink, and yet we were so hyper just having fun with each other that you'd think we were on something, but nope. Just a whole lot of ice cream, chips, dip, pop, Narnia, and a whole lot of girly fun. I feel so blessed to have these girls in my life. It's nice to have friends from school who are my age (well almost). There's Kristie, who chased me down the hall with whipped cream in her hand, ready to attack. (She did attack). There's Crystal who runs away from the camera and scares just as easily as I do. There's Sandeep who is obsessed with chocolate and graciously offered her home for our crazy wackoness of fun night. (Weird sentence). Anyway, can't wait for the next one, ladies. Thanks for being some of the greatest friends I have ever had.
God bless
CHRISSY

Untitled

2006-04-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what I'm blogging about, so I guess that means this is a freewriting blog, just one large run on sentence that doesn't have anything particularly interesting to say because I don't blog enough and maybe that means that my life is one big bore, but it really isn't and anyone who knows me will know that well I guess I am really excited about Friday night because I am officially having a social life with some friends from school who mean the world to me and we will finally be able to hang out outside of school for the first time since we have always been so busy and confined inside of school and now that this is the last week of classes, we find the time to get together and get girly so here come the chick flicks, woo hoo, but I'll put up with it as long as they are fairly decent and then Saturday night I'm going to my co-workers house to watch movies as well so I'm a social butterfly this weekend that makes me feel really great since I don't always feel like I get out a lot and so that's really great and I guess that's all that's new and exciting about me except my ear infection went away so that' s a relief, everybody at my house is dealign with something, whether it's a cold, or upset tummies, or a broken knee or no sleep, it's a lot of fun, but that was a total sarcastic remark, anyways, I guess that's my ramble, if you were frustrated with the lack of punctuation (cough, Kari) I apologize but school is nearly officially over and I have finished writing essays, SO I DON'T CARE that's not true, I do care, but anyways, I'm obviously too bored right now, but ha, there is not one period in this entire blog. <--oops
God bless
CHRISSY

Happy Birthday

2006-03-27T12:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MICHELLE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

In case you haven't guessed, it was Michelle's birthday on Friday. I won't tell you how old she is; you'll have to ask her. I was so happy to be able to share that day with her, and laugh with her and have fun celebrating with her.

We went to the Mandarin for dinner, and all together, there were ten of us. Yes, it was indeed a party. Some highlights from my end, I tried lemon chicken and liked it, I almost swallowed half of my fortune from my fortune cookie, and Michelle freaked out when I gave her a weather alarm clock. (Her new toy, and best friend). I also gave her a video I made based on Southpark, where I created characters (Michelle, Brad, the kids, etc) and paradied her weather addiction in a full length episode. Some highlights from that are the running around Ralph, the unirish Irish accent, Brad Pitt, an injury on my part (bandaid and all) and THE IRISH COB TWISTER! If you don't understand, you'll have to watch it, but Michelle seemed to like it, so I didn't have to worry about offending her. (She taped the puppets to our wall).

So happy birthday my dear, I love you like crazy and I really hope you had a good day.
Unfortunately, my birthday is the next one. (Gulps) Turning 22! NO!
Anyways, there, I updated my blog! WOOO!
Rock on!
CHRISSY

Don't worry...

2006-03-16T09:38:00.001-08:00

I'm not dead. I've just been really busy and kind of in a slight rut again. I have 3 essays due in two weeks, plus a test, and youth group, and work, and on top of everything else, I have an ear infection that's made me deaf in one ear, so I'm on medication for that and it really sucks, not to mention I have people mad at me, and it seems like I never go out and...

Okay enough with the rambling. There are good things too. Like I finally talked to the "person" I was supposed to talk to and it went really well. I think we got things cleared up. I had some cool people (Larissa and Darren) come over last weekend, and we had a terrific time. I finished my first essay, and I bought a new computer game called Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, AND I've got this really great idea for Michelle's birthday which is next Friday, and I'm very excited about it. (Laughs)

See you all soon, I promise to start blogging more
CHRISSY

Don't worry...

2006-03-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not dead. I've just been really busy and kind of in a slight rut again.

Slowly Dying

2006-03-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

Okay so I've been sick for5 days now, and each day that goes by, you'd think I would progressively get better but instead, I have gotten progressively worse! I think I might be dying. This is seriously the worst bout of a cold I've ever had. I've been sick before, loads of times, but not to the point where I had significant trouble breathing. I actually just ran from the computer lab moments ago because I was coughing so hard I almost lost everything. (Threw up). My chest hurts, and I just hope it isn't something like a chest infection or bronchitis or pnemonia. I already missed one day of school and even coming to school today was probably a mistake. At least the fever part of it is gone, but this cough is killing me. Every time I take a deep breath, it hurts. I should go to a clinic or something but I don't know when or where or how. There's no way I can walk to a clinic, and the worst part about this whole thing is that I have a presentation on Thursday! If I'm hacking up a lung, I don't quite understand how I'm going to manage a presentation. I am going to buy some darn effective cough medicine tonight at the mall so that I can take some before my presentation on Thursday (and for the next few days so I can at least cope) but man I can't believe how brutal it's been. The worst part for me is that I'm the kind of "sick" who is really sucky. I guess that little girl is still in me somewhere, wanting to be taken care of when she's sick.
CHRISSY

So Lent Begins

2006-02-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

So today I said goodbye.

That's right, I have decided to once again give up french fries for lent.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

I realize it's going to be really hard, but what about what Jesus did? That's what I came to realize as I've been trying to figure out what to give up. At first I thought about computer games, but that wouldn't be too hard, since lately I haven't been playing them all that much. French fries, however, well, at least that way, I would be thinking about how hard it was. I mean, Jesus went 40 days without food or water, I should be able to give up french fries for 40 days. It will be difficult, but I think it will teach me discipline and also that I don't need them, or anything else if I have Christ on my side. So yeah, it should be interesting. So good luck to all of you who are doing lent. Sorry Michelle, I won't take your suggestion. I really don't think I can give up sex for 40 days.

CHRISSY - officially french-fry-free

In A Rut

2006-02-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Okay so I've been in a depressed rut for the last week and it's not cool. I break down at the drop of a hat. The one time I broke down crying was when I was drinking pop and I had a little gas bubble go up my nose and I broke down crying for like 20 minutes. I'm up and down like a roller coaster and it's driving me insane. I don't really know what's wrong, but I have a few ideas, but I'd really appreciate it if anyone who reads this blog would keep me in their prayers. I know this will pass, but you know, it still sucks to be in the moment.
CHRISSY

Trapped Minds

2006-02-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

I think I've already mentioned so many posts ago that I finished writing my second major novel, "Trapped Minds." I'm actually working on editing it now so I can have it finished before I finish school. That's my goal - hey I accomplished the last goal I had. (Finished writing it before I started school). Anyways, now I am having two dilemmas. First, I can't decide which book cover to use. Here are the options. Please give me your opinions:

I don't quite know if I'm fond of the idea of having my picture on the book cover, as well as some actress I know nothing about, but I like the Panther (there's a character who goes by the codename "Panther" in my book)

You can't really see it, but when this is enlarged, there is a very faded Panther behind all the black. It's to symbolize the fact that you never see him and the mystery his character holds.

Again, you see a panther against the backdrop of the laboratory where the girls are being held.

So I don't know yet.
My other dilemma is that because I am biasedly opinionated, I would love to have some people read my story as I edit it so that they can tell me if it needs to be more descriptive, or if it's too tacky at points, or if there isn't enough dialogue, or if something is inconsistent. Anyway, if you're interested, let me know and I'll email you chapter by chapter as I go along. For a taste, here is my Prologue:

An old man’s eyes bore deeply into a faded brown photograph that was nearly as aged as he was. The picture was torn around the edges, and folded down the middle, a result of being kept in his wallet over the years. It was the only connection to his past. The last photo he had to remember them by. The brave young girls who had lost their lives; the worn out old man had spent infinite sleepless nights blaming himself for this. The beautiful eyes haunted him day by day, pleading for an answer, a solution, a second chance.

A single tear rolled down his scarred cheek and he could feel his throat closing up. The overwhelming flow of emotions had erupted once again. He could not contain himself, not for anything. The girls in the photograph had been his whole life, once upon a time. The link to those days was gone now.

Yet there was something deep inside the old man’s heart that would never accept their deaths.

******************
I realize it's not all that informative, but that's the point. You don't really come back to that chapter until near the end of the story where you're (supposed to) go "aaaaaaaaaaaaah, I get it!"
Anyway, bye
CHRISSY

Noticing Some Changes

2006-02-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Okay so as I've been going through the last week, trying to get my busy workload worked out (I had 2 tests this week, plus an essay due), I noticed I have changed a lot since last year, or even last semester. First off, for my first test, I noticed I was slightly nervous, but when I read a verse from the Bible, it helped. It was along the lines of "He is my light and my saviour, why should I be afraid?" So that calmed be down greatly.

My test on Tuesday, I was freaking out, because the material was brutally hard and I left that test, knowing I didn't do too well. My reaction though? "Oh well, it's only a test. In the long run, one test won't make a difference. I'll do better next time." I WAS COMPLETELY CALM ABOUT IT! That's not really like me; weird. I figure a test isn't going to matter in eternity, so why should I worry about it?

Then for my essay, I asked Brad and Kari to proofread it and when Brad was proofreading it, he said to me "I'm editing this in the same way I edit everybody else's at work." I realized in that moment that previous times he had edited my work, I was bitter and angry, because I wasn't a huge fan of criticism, even constructive criticism. So anyway, I told him to hack it apart, because I wanted to find the mistakes. When I checked it later, I was happy to see all the markings on the paper, and I learned from my mistakes and found myself saying "Oh yeah, he's right. I guess I could have supported that better." Same with Kari's editing. (Sorry Brad for in the past getting upset about the editing. You have a real talent).

So that was my revelation for the week. I'm growing up. Yay. Let's see how much more I continue to grow.

CHRISSY

The Naivity of the Social Isolate

2006-02-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Who am I referring to in the title? Me, of course. The one who has no social life whatsoever and is so blinded by life that she's naive to what is happening. I'm not bitter, really I'm not, I just find that the things that normal people catch, I find breezing by over my head.

This is what happened: And you have my permission to laugh, because it is a funny story. Embarrassing, but definitely funny.

So on Saturday, I had my friend Lindsey come over and we went to get dinner at a sub store. On our way back to my house, we stopped at a convinient store to get some snacks for later. The cashier was a young male, and a very smooth talker. He had been talking to us the whole time, about the dinner we just bought, about the snacks I just bought, everything.

As he cashed me out, the total came up.

$9.05.

"$9.05 eh? What's the rest of the number?" He asked. I looked at him confused and shrugged.

"I don't know." I replied, and paid him. I was surprised he was quiet for the rest of the time. I didn't know why.

As Lindsey and I left, she turned to me and asked, "You really don't get out much, do you?" I wondered what she was talking about and she finally had to explain to me that the young man was asking for my phone number, and I shot him down. I tried to argue that wasn't what he was doing - I mean I thought he was just pointing out that 905 happens to be the first 3 digits of any phone number and heck, what a coincidence that my total happened to be that.

So then I felt bad (not like I would have given him my number) but still, I could have been nicer about it, and would have been, had I known what he was talking about.

I think from this we can conclude that Chrissy really needs to go on a date and resocialize herself with the male species before something like this happens again, only worse and possibly more embarrassing. I will never live down the "905" story.

CHRISSY

Loony Luna

2006-02-06T06:01:00.000-08:00

Hey good news to all you Harry Potter fans. They have released the names and photos of the actors who are playing the roles in the 5th Harry Potter film to be released in 2007. First is Luna Lovegood, a 4th year Ravenclaw student who is a little loopy. She befriends Harry (somewhat) and this is her:

Evanna Lynch - 14 year old Irish actress.

Then there's Professor Umbridge, the close-to-evil professor who wants nothing more than to get rid of Dumbledore and change Hogwarts. She is known for her annoying clearing of her throat.

Imelda Staunton
(personally, I don't think she looks quite like I imagined Umbridge, but who knows, she may surprise me).

The lovely Tonks, known for her changing hairstyle. She is one of my favourite characters who later falls in love with a well-loved character.

Natalia Tena

Also joining the cast are George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Robbie Jarvis as the young James Potter (seen through Snape's memory in the pensieve).
Anyway, I've probably bored most of you who aren't Harry Potter fans, but I'm thrilled.
Update on my life so you aren't completely bored: I have two tests this week (just finished one an hour ago, did very well I think) and I have one tomorrow, plus youth group. I have a doctor's appointment for my ear on Wednesday and my essay is due on Thursday. Luckily, this is my last week at school, and next week I have a week off for Reading Week.
See you all soon,
God bless
CHRISSY

Just Some Pictures

2006-01-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

I like to spend my free time experimenting with photos. There have been a few times where I've stepped back and been proud of the "masterpieces" I've created. I'd like to share some of those with you.

This was one of my favourites, an older version of me holding the young version of me. The brightness of the two is kind of obvious, but I liked it anyway. Just the whole idea of an "inner child."

Amy used to have a crush on this guy (he was on Days of our Lives), so this is the cute couple together. (this was a long time ago, Amy was like 10)

This is actually a frightening picture of me, so let's just move on...

Okay the first one I didn't make (the one with Hermione) but the second one I did, but changed it slightly to make it with my picture. I also changed the teacher in the background.

I don't know how well you can see it, but it's a frame and the border is pictures of me with friends and family and people. I kind of like this, but I wouldn't know what to put in the middle.

Too many Chrissy's maybe

Like to pout much?

And the last one, my very favourite one I'll leave you with. I write short stories about a girl named Leslie Perks who goes to Hogwarts with Harry Potter and stuff. Her character is based on me, so I found this wallpaper of Hermione and I liked it a lot so I used the format to make a wallpaper of my character, Leslie. It's my favourite created picture up to date.

CHRISSY

My Update

2006-01-30T07:02:00.000-08:00

So I've been told that I need to update my blog. My reasoning for not updating is a) I've been so upset about stuff that I haven't had any spurts of creative ideas for my blog and b) Nobody seems to read my blog anymore, because nobody comments but apparently I've been told my blogs are being read, but just not commented. So here's an update on my life:
First off: I had my ear specialist appointment on Wednesday and well that went horribly wrong. He's only been practicing for 2 years apparently and his answer to all my questions were "I don't know." Also, he said there was nothing wrong with my ears, which was ludacrous (spelling?) because they've been hurting me constantly, so finally, the doctor said there was a very little bit of fluid on my right ear and he could drain it for me. So there I was, alone on the examining table, as he dropped a bit of liquid on my eardrum which burned a hole through it and then he drained the liquid. So now my ear is killing me and he told me that if it didn't work, I would pretty much have to live with the pain and take Advil for it, whenever it was necessary. I was so upset in the room, as I was alone and I'm a wuss when it comes to doctors and stuff, and I just kept wishing I had someone there to talk me through it, hold my hand and stuff. It hurt a lot. So now, my ear is not only still hurting, but I have lost even more hearing as a result! I really hope that's just the eardrum healing from the hole being burned through it. I don't know. So that's my ear experience.
On a happier note: I tried a Pogo last night. You know those little hotdogs wrapped in bread on a stick? Oh man, it was so delicious!!!!!!! I devoured it and rekindled my youth. So I am no longer a vegetarian because I eat hotdogs. My friend Kristie told me that now that I can eat "all the leftovers" (in hotdogs), I can pretty much eat any kind of meat now. (Though I still am not fond of chicken, which I tried not too long ago.) I also went to the Mandarin on Saturday night and tried Saki (hot wine). Ew. That was gross.
And if any of you are interested, I am throwing a Karaoke Night on Saturday, February 25, 2006 from 7-10p.m. The theme is going to be "Are you stuck in the February Blahs? Come and get cheered up at our Karaoke Night." So it will be bright and colorful and fun, to get away from the blahs of winter. So come. It's at church.
I guess that's pretty much it. I'm excited about being the door person at Larissa's wedding and I have 2 tests and an essay next week so I'm swamped. And woot, there's a general meeting at the church tomorrow night. *Cough cough* I think I'm getting sick.

CHRISSY

Home Safe and Sound

2006-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

Yay! We've returned home from Avalanche safe and sound and full of God's grace. God was truly at work this weekend in the lives of the kids as well as the leaders. I'm surprised at how much I got out of it spiritually, especially when it was designed for kids. I learned how to better myself as a leader, I learned I need to trust God more and I learned that I can be a very caring individual when I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me. I feel like I can do anything now, with God's help.
Saturday night was the most amazing part. I need to tell you. One of my girls accepted Christ for the first time, another recommited, one said they "sort of" gave their life over to God, one still wasn't sure and the other one I haven't even had a chance to talk to yet, but he was kneeling down saying the same prayer. Our speaker said if you wanted to make God the boss of your life, kneel down in front of you, bow your head and don't care what others think because a) their eyes are closed and b) It's God, and you don't have to be "cool" around God. It was incredible. But I was scared, because our speaker said to the kids who knelt to talk to your leader and ask what they should do. I was terrified. It would probably be one of the most important questions I would ever answer. Kari and I prayed together before we went to small group. And it went amazingly. Kari and I worked well together. When I was stuck, and didn't know what to say, she'd say something amazing, and vice versa. It's amazing how God is working.
Now we need to pray for these newly born Christians to work really hard to stay on track and not come down too hard off the God-high, but instead to keep worshipping God, even in a dark world.
Thank you for your prayers

CHRISSY

Lost Wins For Best Drama

2006-01-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

My favourite TV show as of now is ABC's "Lost." It is into its second season already and I am still very much addicted to the famous cliffhanger show. I have watched it since it's debut last year, and last year, it became a Wednesday night ritual for Michelle and I, sitting on the edge of our seats, mouth wide open, eyes wide open, screaming at the commercials to hurry up and be over. Those days are over, as Lost was pushed back an hour, and being that Thursdays are very early days for Michelle, she usually hits the hay. So I find myself going back to old habits, yelling at commercials, and realizing how silly I must look, since nobody can hear or see me.

Oh well, point of the matter is, I was very proud when Lost won best TV drama at the Golden Globes (YAY!) I must admit though, it is driving me nuts that I have to wait a whole week to find out what happens. The cliffhangers drive me mad. Right now, I have so many theories as to what is really going on, and I have heard certain rumors about the show, so I don't even know. (Don't worry, I won't spoil them). Except I heard they are casting a new character, a 16-year-old girl named Jessica. I have a feeling she'll be with the Others, since we haven't heard anything about her on the "good" side of the island yet. My theory is that she will be the daughter of the French woman, with a different name. That she will be with the Others, but is really Danielle's daughter. (OOOOH).

My favourite character on the show is Kate, because she's so misunderstood. Everyone sees her as this criminal, and yes that's wrong, but I think there's more to her than just a criminal mind. I think she did what she did out of some kind of motivational love, and it drove her to a sense of protection for her mother. (If you haven't seen the show, you'll be clueless as to what I'm even talking about.)

So yay Lost for winning Best Drama. They totally deserved it.

CHRISSY

Here Comes The Avalanche

2006-01-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

The weekend is upon us! I have been waiting for this weekend for quite a while. It is Avalanche 2006! For those of you who don't know, Avalanche is a junior high retreat at a nice resort up north. I have had the privilage to take some junior highs up last year, where they had a really great time, and now I get to take some more up this weekend! I'm very excited, as I have been able to come to this retreat when I was in high school (Blizzard) and now I get to be a leader. It's very fun.
It's very exciting to watch these kids experience God in a way they've never known. Through worship and through prayer. The questions they come up with and the way they can realize that God can be really fun! It's a very fun-packed weekend with rock climbing and tubing and lots of other fun stuff. This year, they added karaoke, I'm so there. It's cool. My kids are very excited about basketball and dodgeball. I can't wait to go tubing, but most of all, I'm excited for the session. Our speaker is very good with this age group; the kids actually listen to him.
We get the opportunity to be Team Blast this year, which is great, because I have always been Team Blast (with the exception of one year when I was Storm). This is great because I have already got the Blast Spirit!
It should be a great weekend. I'm looking forward to getting to know the kids better, and having a nice, spiritual weekend away, with Kari. I can't wait.
We're leaving Friday, so please pray for good weather and a safe trip there and back.
CHRISSY

Young or Uncultured?

2006-01-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have lived with Brad and Michelle for almost two years now and during this time, I have been subjected to many different kinds of movies and music. Yet as I continue to learn about the popular culture before my time, I am still at a loss as to what is going on half of the time. Though I now know who the Beatles are and U2, etc, there is still a lot I am uneducated about. There are still times when Brad and Michelle will be talking about somebody (let's say the name is Kate Bush) and I will prompty turn my head and comment "Who?" My response is usually either a shudder, a cringe or something getting hucked at me, before hearing "Go to your room!" In my defense, I must confess my era of music was different than theirs. Anybody born in the eighties can sympathethize with me that our bands included the Backstreet Boys, Hanson, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and of course, the much loved Spice Girls. This was my repertoire of music, the pop era, and I enjoyed it very much. It's gone now, especially in my house where it wasn't even considered "real music", where the Spice Girls are compared to something along the lines of a cat in a microwave oven. (Okay so I add libbed a bit, but I'm not that far off).
Yes, most of this has to do with the age difference (although on the lifespan development chart, Brad, Michelle and I are in the same stage in life - early adulthood). Most of the music and movies they enjoy are either from before I was born, or shortly thereafter, when I was just a toddler, probably not even knowing what pop culture was. This gap is always evident when the three of us play games such as Scene It or Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture where I practically don't exist in the game, as I barely move or have long enough turns. But it is my way of learning as well.
This occurs with movies too. I have a long list of movies that I am "expected" to watch because "oh Chrissy you have to watch that movie." Of course, once again, far from my movie repertoire of Stepmom, Harry Potter and Left Behind movies. However, I am willing to expand my repertoire, as I am interested, yet I don't think I will ever be up to par with my "family." Maybe they're the weird ones, knowing way too much about popular culture. I think I may do a study on this very phenomenon. Perhaps I am among the norm (erm, somewhat). Who knows? I guess I will continue to be sentenced to a life of pillows being hucked at me because of my lack of knowledge about Queen.
"GO TO YOUR ROOM!"
CHRISSY

My Sister

2006-01-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

Okay so this is my sister Amy, for those who don't know. (The bottom of the totem pole). She's 18, and she is my pride and joy! It's amazing to see how our relationship has grown over the last 18 years. When she was born, I was one of those odd kids who wasn't jealous of a new baby in the house; I was actually excited and as she grew, I couldn't help but fall in love with her. She had such a fun personality, and I kind of began to feel responsible for her, I had to take care of her.
Well as we got older, and started getting out of home school and into the real world, we drifted apart. She had her friends, and I had mine. We were no longer each other's best friends, like we had been for ten years. It stayed this way for quite a while. We didn't get along well at all through school. We fought all the time, we had different attitudes and beliefs, we had different friends and were always at each other's throats. There were lots of tears and lots of hurt and lots of mean and nasty words said to each other. It makes me laugh how much we seemed to "hate" each other, but whenever stuff happened at home, emotional stuff with our parents, we always had each other, which was ironic, because that was the only time we got along. It was the one thing we had in common.
Finally, we "grew up." Now, I think we get along better than we ever had. We talk, we laugh, we have pillow fights and beat each other up (in a fun sort of way) and hang out a lot. It's amazing to watch her grow, but I still feel responsible for her and I feel the need to take care of her, but she is an adult now, who can take care of herself, but in my heart, she will always be my baby sister.
We're still so different, but we can still have fun together and talk about things and hang out and watch movies, and have sleepovers. Last night, we went to my mom's for her birthday, and Amy and I chased each other, and pushed each other off mom's bed with my mom in the background yelling about how we're going to hurt each other. (After she grabbed my camera and shot some pictures - thanks for the help mom :D). Meanwhile my sister is creaming me. She's a lot stronger than she used to be, but even as a child, a foot shorter than me, she managed to pin me down all the time with her secret weapon involving my pinky finger. (Don't ask - we were weird children).
Anyway, my sister is still my best friend, and she will continue to be my baby sister as she grows and as I grow.

CHRISSY

Feeling Stressed

2006-01-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, I think I'm starting to feel that things are catching up to me. I mean if you think about everything I've got going on right now. I go to school four days a week, I work 2 days a week, and I plan for youth group once a week, which now does not only include a Bible study, but an opening worship time, which is a little more stressful than I anticipated. (Don't worry Kari, I just need to get used to it). That doesn't seem like a lot, but this semester, I have 4 essays, 6 tests, 4 exams, and a presentation, most of which are due in the same clustered time periods. I'm not kidding, why is it that Universities have to insist on making sure that everything has to be due at the exact same time????? Not only that, but I have personal issues that are kind of gnawing on the back of my ankles, but I'm trying so hard not to let them bother me, because I know worrying isn't going to make anything better, but it's just annoying that everything is happening so quickly. I have no doubt that I'll get through it; God got me through last year, and last semester, I know I'll survive, but I'm just starting to feel it. On Saturday, I left work early because I felt sick but I was fine after a bit of sleep and down time. I'm thinking it was either stress or exhaustion. It felt good, nonetheless. But I've had an ongoing headache for a few days now. I have Avalanche coming up in two weeks, so trying to get that ready and set up is hard, as well as wondering what the diagnosis for my ears will be in two weeks when I go see the specialist. I'm just at the point where I need a good scream.
But the good news is that a year ago, there's no way I would be handling the mass amounts of stress under my belt as calmly as I am now. I'm not saying it's easy now, but I think I've learned better how to handle my emotions and look at the truth. The truth is, I will survive, I'll get by, and I'll be okay.
But please pray for me, that I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed, because it makes it really hard to focus on certain things (like worshiping God) sometimes, especially when I can't seem to stop having nightmares!

CHRISSY

Out By The Lake

2006-01-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

On yesterday's date (January 8), a year ago, Kari took me down to this lake where I wanted to symbolically give cutting over to God forever. It was in this spot where I prayed for freedom and threw my razor blade into the lake. The weight was lifted from my shoulders.
So yesterday, Kari once again took me to the same place, just for closure, I guess. I'm not exactly sure why I wanted to go back to that place. (I call it Cutter's End). The place represents more to me than just giving up cutting. It represents friendship (with Kari), finding God more strongly in my life, trusting Him. It is a place that kind of reminds me of how much my life has changed since last year. Throwing the razor blade in the sea began for me a journey of self-discovery, and trusting more in God. Kari and I prayed together yesterday, as the freezing cold wind blew against us, but it was great. It gave me a lot of closure, feeling very strongly that I knew I never wanted to walk down that road again.
I know it's just a place, and I know I can experience God everywhere I go. As a writer, I guess I see Cutter's End as more than just a place. It's a special place to me, and everytime I drive past it, I'm reminded of how much God has helped me through the past year and how it wouldn't have been possible without Him. I know this all the time, no matter where I am, but Cutter's End was the place where it started to happen. Praise God for helping me through all of this and being the Savior of my soul.
CHRISSY

Hospital Fears

2006-01-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

Okay so yesterday, Ceilidh got her tonsils out, and for me, this experience has been very strange. A couple of days before the surgery, Brad and Michelle were discussing the procedure that would take place through brochures and stuff they were given. They were talking about the gas mask and the anesthesia and how there was a possibility it could make her sick. They talked about what they would tell Ceilidh. That she would be a fighter pilot and it would smell like strawberries.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks! The weirdest thing ever! Memories began to rush over me, so many at once. The smell of the gas masks, the needles, the IV, the colors of the walls, the guy in the corner of the room getting the needles ready, the clip on my toe, the strange stuffed animals that weren't mine, the lady carrying me into the room, with something sharp sticking into my back, blood coming from my ears, spilling Tylenol all over the bed, the elevators, the playroom with the weird blocks and cupboard in the corner that you weren't supposed to touch, the food I never ate, except for the Jell-O, the car track, the coloring, the girl I thought was a boy until she wore her normal clothes. Seriously, it was so vivid, and from being in the hospital 8 times, I guess there were a lot of memories. I froze and Michelle wondered what was wrong, and I told her. Like I was shaking, and later, I almost cried. I couldn't believe how sudden and how vivid the memories came. It wasn't like I had forgotten all about those 8 times in the hospital, but it's not something I think about very often I guess.
And now I'm getting worried because my ear specialist appointment is on the 25th of January, and there's a chance I may have to have that surgery again. I'm a little nervous just because I've had enough hospital visits.

CHRISSY

Back to Blogging

2006-01-03T07:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It's so good to be able to blog again. I really have to get my internet at home up and running.
I had the most amazing Christmas, spending time with Brad, Michelle and the kids, as well as my sister, and my extended family. I met some new people and learned some new things and got some great gifts. The only downfall is that right after Christmas, I was thrown into what we at my job call "The week from he**." This is because it is the busiest time for us. We had 3500 balloons to inflate in the span of 4 1/2 days. Divide that by 7 employees, that rounds out to be about 111 balloons that I'm inflating each day, give or take mind you, considering the customers coming in off the street, as well as other jobs that need to be done, like decorating. Above is a picture of me at a hotel, decorating for New Years. I'm setting up balloons clusters, and I did about 35 of them all together. Yes, by this point in the picture, my neck is sore, my back is sore from getting down on the ground like that and straining my neck to look up to make sure the cluster is the right height.
It was good though. I got closer to a lot of people this holiday. I got closer with some people at work. New Years Eve, me and two of my friends from work went to see a movie, and then we went to a bar and had some drinks and now two certain people won't leave me alone, convinved that I was "hungover." (I had 2 glasses of Sex On The Beach and a small glass of champagne. Yes, you can laugh. I had Sex on the Beach.)
I also got closer to my "family." At first I thought the uplifted spirits would only last for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but the good mood has carried through and everybody just seems so happy and I'm really glad to see Michelle feeling better about things. I'm really glad I'm feeling better too. Man, life really changes when you just trust God to help you through, rather than dwell on things that make you upset. I'm the happiest I've ever been.
Oh, and for anyone who knows me, I need some help. My New Years resolution is to try new things. This includes, especially, foods, but also things like rollar coasters, or things that usually scare me. You only live life once, right?
CHRISSY

Growing With Christ

2005-12-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

I have been reflecting lately on how much I am growing and I can see that I've definitely come a long way since even a few months ago. I am trusting God in everything and giving things over to Him has proved to be nothing but amazing and effective. I am still waiting to be disappointed, but I know the wait will be long because no matter what I do, God will always deliver me, even if it doesn't feel like it's good right away, one day I will look back and see the good that came from it. I can't count the number of times God has helped me through; even though it felt like He wasn't there at the time, I can look back now and see where He was all along, and let me tell you, that's really one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. It makes me know right now that He is with me because I know I'll be able to look back one day and see Him, so I know He's here. He's never hurt me or forsaken me. I just wanted to share that, especially now when I'm dealing with distance from a truly great friend, but I have given it over to God, and it has helped me to pray for her a lot more, and know in my heart that God will help us fix the problem. I have absolutely no doubts. I was upset at first, but once I gave it over to God, the trust I feel is overwhelming and the peace is great. I feel fine about it, and I know it will all work out according to God's plan.
Thank You Jesus.

CHRISSY

It's Christmas!

2005-12-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

So it's Christmas in 6 days and I don't know what's come over me but I am absolutely excited! I'm excited to give people my gifts, I'm excited to visit with family and friends and I'm most excited that I get to celebrate the birth of Jesus. And, I am happy to say I have grown a lot since last year. Last year, and the many many years before that, Christmas was a sad time for me, not understanding Christmas was about love and happiness, because life wasn't very happy. Last year changed all that when Christmas was fun and happy and full of love and now I am so excited to celebrate Christmas. I'm singing Christmas songs everywhere I go, I'm enjoying the lights and the sounds. Wow, sad isn't it? What happened to me? Now I get sad when I see people sad at Christmas. I'm turning into Michelle, I guess.

CHRISSY

Ear Annoyances

2005-12-14T05:50:00.000-08:00

I have been having ear problems on and off for the last year now. Whether it gets infected and I have to go on antibiotics, or it just hurts for no reason at all, my ears have definitely been the cause of many annoying times. It's bad enough I have lost some hearing in my right ear, and those who know me will understand that standing on my right side may make it appear as though I am ignoring you, but the truth is, I may not even be hearing you.
Loud noises irritate them, cold irritates them, water irritates them, sitting in a silent room irritates them. I can't win, so I finally gave up and went to the doctor yesterday who said they were completely clear so now I have to go to an ear specialist to find out what the real problem is because chances are, it's got something to do with the inner ear. There is a chance I will have to get tubes inserted again, which will result in my ninth surgery. Sigh. My sister told me a couple of months ago that when she prays at night, she still remembers to pray for my ears to feel better out of habit, because of all the times I was in the hospital for my ears as a child. But Amy, keep those prayers coming, because it seems as though my ears are prone to problems.

CHRISSY

My Hideous Haircut

2005-12-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Okay this is my new haircut. Ugly isn't it? Everybody keeps telling me they love it and it makes me look older and prettier and it's so much better than the old haircut. I'm not sure; maybe I just don't feel right because I don't feel pretty enough to have this kind of stylistic hair. The picture really does it no justice. It's the kind of thing you have to see in person.
I've always been afraid of getting my hair cut; I don't do well with change. When I asked the hairdresser for the haircut, she cut it much shorter than I wanted. I like the thinness because my head feels ten pounds lighter. I guess it will take some getting used to. If I straighten it, it looks okay I guess, but if not, I despite it with a passion. Now my sister is trying to get me to color my hair. I will, once I get used to the haircut but too much change at once for me might become overwhelming and stressful but we'll see what the future holds for the fate of Chrissy's hair.

CHRISSY

Narnia: True To Fans

2005-12-10T17:07:00.000-08:00

Ha! I'm the first to blog about the Chronicles of Narnia movie! (Warning: if you have not seen the movie, I wouldn't proceed further into the blog).
WOW!
This movie was amazing! It stayed true to the novels and Narnia fans everywhere can surely agree that the movie was touching, and gave you the same spine-tingling shivers you experience when reading C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. The same magical feeling you get is there when you watch the movie as well. The actors and actresses picked were absolutely perfect and their characters were well developed. This was definitely not a low-grade film like the original Narnia movie. The special effects in the new one was amazing and realistic looking. Not one part of the movie disappointed me in the least.
Aslan was brilliant! So powerful and kind. It was amazing. Mr. Tumnus was a sad looking fellow who made me feel sad a lot, but his character was perfect. I LOVED Lucy, who depicted well all the qualities of a child, the imagination and the innocence that led her to be the first to experience a land that nobody else believed in. Yet she still had the qualities of a queen; bravery, nobility, and a sense of leadership. In some senses, she acted in a more mature fashion than her brothers and sister.
My favourite part, (or one of them) was when Edmund was having his chat with Aslan. You see the sky behind them and from a distance, all you see is Aslan on a rock, facing Edmund, talking to him and Edmund's face is down, and his hands are shoved in his pockets. But it's so perfect, because it is the start to Edmund's transformation. Similar to how Christ can change us.
The end of the movie was one that only readers of the Chronicles would understand. Anyone who hasn't read the book would have no understanding what the apple represented or how it's in any way connected.
Brilliant movie!
CHRISSY

Reflections: One Year!

2005-12-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Last night I was in my room praying, and during which, I reflected over the past year. For those of you who don't know, I have dealt with the addiction of cutting for three years. Today, however, December 8th, 2005 marks my one year point of giving up cutting to God. I have not cut in one year exactly, and I give all the glory to God for it. Never would I have been able to make it this far on my own will. Last night, as I thanked God over and over again for helping me get this far, I realized that a year ago, on that night (December 7), I had cut myself for the very last time. That night, I didn't know I would never cut again. It was a long process getting to where I am, but as I look back and remember how I got to this point, I am amazed at how God was in control of EVERY part of it. Let me take you back, if you have the time:
I'm pretty sure it all started when I started cutting, obviously marking the beginning of my journey to where I am today. Not long after I had started cutting, during prayer, I heard a voice inside my head, and the exact words were "Chrissy, don't hurt yourself, only I can heal you." I knew at that point that only God was able to heal me from anything, and cutting myself would never help me. If only I had listened to that voice, I could have saved myself a lot of pain and suffering. Instead, I walked away from God, not completely, because I still loved and believed in Him, but I failed to trust Him completely. So began the addiction.
Never did I walk away from God in the sense that I stopped believing in Him. I prayed every night, desperate for forgiveness, but still only trusting in myself and any sharp object, not trusting God enough. A few years passed, but what brought me to the point of quitting for good? Let me move back to about a year ago.
I think thing started with my trip to Montreal. I originally wanted to go to Australia for a six-month missions trip but God knew better and I wasn't accepted into the program. Then I considered a 10-day trip to Bolivia, but that failed to happen as well. Finally, as I was adament about doing missions, I felt called to go to Montreal. Then the problem arose; who would I go with? I asked so many of my friends but they had other things that week. So I ended up having to hook up with a church in Grimsby, but then I had to figure out how to get to the church on the Saturday of departure. Chris and Kari said they would take me so it seemed all set, until they found out they had prior arrangement so I was stuck. We brought it to the congregation and the next thing I knew, Brad and Michelle Peters offered to drive me. So bright and early on a Saturday morning, Michelle picked me up and drove me to the church in Grimsby. God planned it this way completely. I immediately felt a bond with Michelle, which was odd for me, who had trust issues. I knew something was weird when the whole week in Montreal, the person I missed the most was Michelle, the person I barely knew. What was that all about? God obviously. Meanwhile, Michelle knew I was a cutter the second she met me; how did she know? She doesn't know; she says she just "knew." I think that was God too. She picked me up at the end of the week and as she drove me home, she watched as the energy drained from me, dreading going home. She tells me how she cried and cried as she drove home and told Brad that she had to come back and get me and take me home; she couldn't leave me there.
As Michelle and I got closer, God began to tug on their hearts, leading them to have me move in with them. I was clueless the whole time but on my end, things were getting worse. Home life was falling apart and at just the right time, Brad and Michelle asked me to move in with them. After careful consideration and prayer, I felt led to go with them and so I moved in, scared, but excited.
As I became a part of their family, I learned a lot about life and God and soon, December 8, 2004 came when Michelle told me that if I really wanted to stop cutting, I could only do it if I gave it over to God completely. It was then that I realized that I had not trusted God to take care of me and so I prayed long and hard and asked God to take the cutting from me forever. A month later, I took my razor blade down to the beach with my best friend and threw it in the lake, symbolizing giving it over to God. I immediately felt a weight lifted from my shoulders and since then, I have not cut. I am free. It has been a year today and I owe it all to God. He has used my experiences though. At camp, I was able to share my story with two girls who had trouble with bottling their emotions. I believe I helped them in some way. I have also been placed as leader to a youth group where I'm already suspecting three girls as cutters. My friend Kristie just told me that maybe I was put there for a purpose, because everything has a purpose. She's right, God will continue to use my experiences, no matter how bad they were, to help people.
Praise be to God for a year of freedom and a closer relationship with my Father. I would never have gotten to this point without His love and support and all the special people He has placed in my life along the way.
Here's to another year.
CHRISSY

2005-12-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

Okay so I was bored this afternoon so I decided to take a bunch of Harry Potter quizzes. Here are the results:
MY BEST SUBJECT AT HOGWARTS

Transfiguration is being able to transform things into something else. A common example used in the movies is being able to transform pets into water goblets with the spell "Vera Verto." Seems weird, I thought I'd be best at something a little less strange, but then again, I'm strange, so maybe it fits.

THE HOUSE I WAS SORTED IN

"These belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal. Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil."

I guess it fits that I was in Hufflepuff.

MY WAND IS

12 and a quarter inches, ash, pleasantly springy, containing unicorn hair.
This wand reflects my personality because I'm talented and a good friend and that I'm good at mostly anything and people can't help but love me. ???

IF I WERE A HOGWARTS TEACHER, I WOULD BE

SNAPE? Are you joking? This is scary. Okay note to self: do not become a teacher.

IF I WERE A HOGWARTS STUDENT, I WOULD BE

I'm apparently most like Hermione Granger, smart and witty. I'm against breaking rules but I apparently let your friends talk you into breaking rules. (It would be Amy, lol) And not only am I good at school work but I have lots of common sense and I'm very good at solving problems. (Which isn't true at all.

Well that's my blog for today.
CHRISSY

Clouds Part 2

2005-12-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Okay I know that a) I already blogged once today, but remember, I don't have access to blogging on the weekends, so I have to make up for lost time and b) I've become so sentimental about clouds that there's just too much to say.
So today, I looked up at the sky as I've gotten into the habit of doing since that first day on the roof of my school and I saw the most beautiful sight. (Unfortunatly I was unable to find a picture that depicted exactly what I saw, so I'll do my best to describe it). In every direction, whether I turned left or right or behind me or in front of me, the sky seemed as though it were split in two. On the "top" was straight blue sky (although it wasn't quite bright blue yet because it was 7:00a.m. and it was still a little dark) and on the "bottom" was dark gray clouds. A faint pink line of clouds separated the two. I'll never be able to describe it like I saw it, it's too hard. I smiled because no matter where I looked, it was the same, a continous pattern all the way around me. The gray bit of it looked like a wall and the first thing it made me think about was God's protection. I was reminded about how much I'm protected by my Father in everything that I do. And as I was walking to my class, I thanked God for His protection and as I prayed, my words were exactly as follows "Thank You for protecting me from the evil one, thank You for protecting me from the pains of this world, and thank You for protecting me from myself." It was then that I realized that I can do nothing without God, who protects me from harm. He protects me from things He knows I cannot handle and the things I do deal with, He knows I'm strong enough to deal with. I'm noticing every day that God speaks to me through the clouds, even as a simple reminder that He is there, and affecting the world everyday.
CHRISSY

The Wedding Day Is Set

2005-12-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, this is Larissa and her boyfriend Darren.
However, I can no longer call Darren her boyfriend, because he now has the official label of FIANCEE! (Which I know I spelled wrong, so sue me). Yes, the good news finally came out on Wednesday, and I couldn't be happier. I was almost in tears as they retold the story of Darren's so-romantic-proposal involving a hundred candles (which were really only fifty, but the mirrors made it look like m0re) and Chuck pictures all over the room. (Chuck is the photographer). The ring is gorgeous and the wedding is set for June 3rd. I am more extatic than ever that the two are finally getting hitched, we've all been asking forever if it was ever gonna happen. You can just see in their eyes that they were totally made for each other. It's really cool and inspiring too. I can't wait. I'm so proud of the two of them and I can't wait to see what Mr. and Mrs. Darren and Larissa Conley will make of being married.
AHHHHH.
CHRISSY

Something Amazing Happened

2005-12-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

Okay now I know most of you will find this dumb, but yesterday I was at the mall and I saw a computer game I wanted: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. However, it was $39.99 and I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend that much first of all, second of all, I wasn't even sure if I would like it because I've never played a Harry Potter game and there is like no information on it online at all, trust me, I checked. So, I was at the mall again today to do some Christmas shopping and I was in the same store, debating once again. I finally decided to wait until after Christmas when the price went down or when I could find out more about it, when I looked up and there on the top shelf was this:

This package comes with the first three Harry Potter games for your computer, plus the Quidditch game. I thought wow, that's pretty cool until I saw the price, when I almost had a heart attack. $24.99!!!!!! For four games! I asked the guy like six times if they were the real games and not just demos and he assured me they were the full games, and how he's been planning to buy this as well, because it's such a good deal! So of course, I smiled and thought, how cool is it that I looked up? Otherwise I may have bought a game I've never played before for about $40 and instead, I got four games for almost half the price! Amazing things happen sometimes, I don't necessarily know if it was God, but it was the minute I decided I wasn't going to get it that I saw this. So I of course bought it and now, I get the opportunity to beat four games and get to know them before the Goblet of Fire goes down in price.
So yesterday I complained about my school, today I am happy. My blog is like a rollar coaster.
CHRISSY

Time to Complain

2005-11-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

Okay I love my school, I really do, but there is one thing that I absolutely hate: East Academic. It's this building nowhere near the original building. It is the building across the street from the campus. It is mostly used for seminars and I have had the misfortune of having two classes over there. Now comparitive to last year, I'm not going to complain too much when I had a class over there at 8:00a.m. when it is always the coldest and I had no more than 5 minutes to walk there from where the bus drops off.
But this year, on Tuesdays I have two hours to get there, but on Wednesdays, I have 10 minutes, because I have a class right before it. Now that it's starting to snow more and get really cold, I'm starting to hate the walk over to East Academic, as do most Brock students. So today, we were late getting out of class so cut the time in half from 10 minutes to get there, to 5! So I briskly made my way over only to find out my seminar had been cancelled! There I stared into the empty classroom and sighed in despair. I zipped up my jacket and hurried all the back to campus, to find an empty computer to blog about the annoyance of East Academic.

CHRISSY

My Spiritual Gift

2005-11-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

So last night I was watching Chris's sermon on Spiritual Gifts (Michelle had it because she missed that day) and I realized, I don't have a clue as to what my spiritual gift is. So I took this test, and it gave me the following results. This is on a scale, the high numbers being the strongest gift, and the low numbers being the weakest gift.
Evangelism : 13
Prophecy: 1
Teaching: 8
Exhortation: 12
Pastor/Shepherd: 20
Showing Mercy: 20
Serving: 9
Giving: 6
Administration: 7

So Pastor/Shepherd and Showing Mercy are my gifts. Does this sound like me at all?
http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
CHRISSY

A Dancing Dilemma

2005-11-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Okay for those of you who don't know, I cannot dance. Many people laugh at me when I say this and usually the response is "Everybody can dance." Well if you've ever seen me dance, you will know this is not true. And I'm not just saying this to be low on myself, because I know I'm a good singer and a good writer, but dancing is definitely not one of my strong points. Which is extremely sad to me, because I have always wanted to be able to dance. I watch ballet movies or hip hop movies and begin to envision myself dancing with the stars. Problem is, I'd take everybody out. So anyway, so you get the idea of how bad a dancer I am, see the following pictures. My sister convinced me to do a dance for the last coffee house at our church with her. I stunk up the stage.
As you can see here, my sister, the dancer, is casually doing the moves, meanwhile I somehow insist on flailing my arms all over the place, which I was apparently not supposed to do. Clue #1

Here my sister and I aren't even on the same wavelength. I'm in a totally opposite direction than she is. And I look completely confused, which I was. My sister dances so naturally that she can shift her concentration to give the attitude required to dance well. Me however, I have to put all of my concentration into what I'm doing that I don't look up or smile or anything.

Luckily, I can sing, at least I have talent somewhere. I guess I can kiss my dream of ever performing on broadway goodbye. Well, maybe I can go on to be the next big singer.
Yeah right.
Maybe I'll just stick to psychology.

CHRISSY

Freud is a Pervert...

2005-11-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

Okay so I know I already blogged once today but I felt this topic so enticing as to blog twice in one day rather than wait until tomorrow.
This man is Sigmund Freud, looks okay doesn't he? Well let me be the first to tell you (or perhaps you've already been privy to his theories and thoughts) Freud is a giant pervert. Have you ever heard his ideas? Well if you haven't, let me tell you about the disgusting ideals of the Oedipus Complex. How disgusting is it to have the idea that a 3-year-old boy begins to have sexual fantasies about his mother? And how he hates his father because he's a rival and the toddler becomes fearful of his father finding out about his sexual desires and is afraid of castration. WHAT THE HECK? Can any parent actually give evidence that a child of that age even KNOWS what a sexual fantasy is? I'm sorry but I'm firm in my belief that children are innocent and I'm pretty sure that sexual fantasies is not an inborn trait. This is similar to the Electra complex where girls have sexual fantasies toward their fathers. And how they have what's known as "penis envy", which is absolutely ridiculous. (Yes I did just type the "P" word Kari). But the humorous part about the whole thing is when my personality professor gave this lecture. She mumbled a lot, laughed nervously and kind of lowered her voice when talking about certain aspects of this topic. I guess some people feel uncomfortable about it. Me? I think it's disgusting but also humourous how people can actually believe this stuff. If you follow more on the topic of Freud, you'll find that everything has to do with sex (yes I just said sex) and if it doesn't seem like it's there, trust me, it'll come up somehow. As a last note, I must say that my friend Kristie and I left that lecture feeling repulsed and somewhat disgusted. I will conclude this blog with a quote from Kristie:

"Freud in a nutshell: Sex on the brain, lust on the mind"

CHRISSY

Harry Potter Dream

2005-11-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

I think this is my first blog about a dream I had, so last night, I had this really trippy dream. Yes, it was about Harry Potter, so what?
Anyway, in my dream, I am an actor in the Harry Potter movies. My character is Leslie Perks, and if you know anything about the fan fiction stories I write, Leslie Perks is a main character who is best friends with Harry, Hermione and Ron. So anyway, we are filming for the Goblet of Fire and I guess in the movie (this doesn't really happen in the movie), the Durmstrang boys (from Russia) are supposed to compete in some sort of gymnastics tournament. So before shooting, the guy who plays "Viktor Krum" starts doing the rings, and he's practicing. Me, and the other three actors (the ones who play Hermione, Ron and Harry) are watching. Then filming starts and it's all completely fake, like he's only doing it on the ground, never going in the air once, and it's all going to be computer edited later to make it look like he's really doing it. So they yell "cut" and then another Durmstrang actor comes on and Viktor Krum begins to show him how to do pushups, because he has to do them in the next scene. As this is happening, Emma (the girl who plays Hermione) walks up to the Russian guy doing pushups, and he begins to flirt with her. I start to get annoyed, thinking "typical Emma" (which is funny because I don't even know her), and I go to this bathroom to take a shower, because our scenes are coming up. So I go into this room which is almost pitch black and start taking a shower. It's really bizarre because then I realize I'm forgetting something, so I come out of the room, (and now suddenly nobody is around) and I walk around. Mind you, I'm not wearing any clothes, and as I walk down the hall, two doors open and out walks Emma (Hermione) and Dan (Harry). They were both in other bathrooms taking showers, and now we are all standing in each other's presence with no clothes on! We all start screaming and run back to our rooms, mortified. The only thing I can think about is "How will this affect our relationship now?"
Weird

CHRISSY

Obsession with Book Covers

2005-11-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Okay so this may seem like a bit of an obsession, but whenever I write a book, I make a cover for it, even if I don't print it. Seriously, in my picture folder on my computer, I have a folder all to itself on "book covers." Why? I guess I just like to make it look like a real book, whether I can afford to have it printed or not. I have even made book covers for my short stories that I only post on www.fanfiction.net. It's just something I've always done. Now, here's my predicament. I am beginning to complete what will probably be the most important piece of work I ever do. It is a biography on the three years I spent as a cutter. It will be called "The Cutter Diaries" with an unknown release date. Writing it is very emotional and also difficult at this time, but it is gradually nearing completion. I want the cover to be really good, so I have made five different cover pages, and am trying to decide which will be the most effective and the most interesting. These are the choices:

1. This one was the first one I made. This is significant because this is the first drawing I ever did symbolizing what was going on.

2. This is the same idea as the above, except this one actually has a picture of me on it, and a different title pattern, as well as a torn border.

3. This is a picture I drew probably halfway through the three years of cutting. Along with the picture, I had written about how I feel separated from myself, as if looking into a mirror at a complete stranger.

4. If I use this one, I'll have to change it to portrait size. This is my least favourite, because I look like a doof.

You can see from the above that I do have a bit of a book cover obsession. I've done this with almost every one of my books or stories I've written. I just want your opinions on it, since this will be the most important book I ever write. I'm actually planning to try to get it published, even if I have to do it all myself.
That's my blog for today.
CHRISSY

The Truth About Punch Buggies

2005-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

So I was walking with my friend Kristie to her car the other day to get our presentation bristol boards. We were walking back to the school and I spotted a lime green punch buggy, so I of course gave Kristie a small bunch and said "Punch buggy, no punch backs." She started to explain that it does not count, because it was not an older model of punch buggy, and technically, she is allowed to punch me back. She didn't, but proceeded to explain certain rules about what used to be simply known as the Punch buggy game. Apparently, color is now important. For example, because I didn't saw "Green punch buggy, no punchbacks", she had the right to punch me back. I asked if there was some sort of rule book that I had been sheltered from or something, because these rules seemed ridiculous. It used to be a simple punch whenever one saw a punch buggy of any color, of any make. Next thing I knew, Kristie was explaining about another similar take on the punch buggy punch, the "Cadalac Whack." I thought for sure at this point she was making it up, but she swears by it. Has anyone else ever heard of such strange rules? Whatever happened to making things simple? Somebody needs to write a rule book.
CHRISSY

Michelle

2005-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd take an opportunity to blog about someone who means so much to me, Michelle Peters. She and her husband Brad willingly adopted me into their family more than a year ago and made me their second daughter and gave me second parents and second siblings. It has been the most amazing experience I have ever had, living with a family that loves me and cares about me for who I am, not for the way they want me to be. I am accepted just the way I am.
It's amazing how after living there for more than a year, I still feel so close to them, and I realized last night after I approached Michelle and asked if I could "borrow her ear for a little while" that I can still be listened to, and cared about just as greatly as when I first moved in. I had been worried when I first moved in that this would all change six months down the line, as we would begin to get sick of each other, but just the opposite happened. Every day that passed, I feel closer and closer to this family, and I feel like I belong more and more. I tell Michelle everything, sometimes it takes me some time to come out with it, but she stands aside and is patient in knowing that I will come to her eventually. She is such a great listener and I know she's going to hate this blog because she hates compliments, but I don't care. She's just too good a person to not be blogged about.
She inspires me with her faith and her commitment to her family, and how good a mom she is. It makes me want to have kids of my own one day and watch them grow. I love watching her faith in God grow and it helps me grow.
Thanks Michelle for being so great to me and for "adopting" me as your own, when I didn't even expect or deserve it. I love you.
CHRISSY

2005-11-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

Okay warning! If you have not seen the movie and plan to do so, you may want to skip this blog, for I have seen the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and this is my blog about it!
WOW! Brilliant! 3 hours of amazing, accurate Harry Potter fun. True, there were many things that were left out of the movie that would have been really great to see. In my fantasy world, the whole book would have become the movie, but that movie would have been like sixteen hours.
My absolute favourite part of the movie was at the Yule Ball when Hermione peeks her head around the corner and looks downstairs shyly and comes down with the most adorable smile on her face, and the most beautiful dress and Harry is shocked to see that Hermione is actually a girl. Ron denies it's even her. The actors and actresses are doing much better jobs of acting now, as Hermione had a lot more tears. She showed amazing emotion when Mad-Eye Moody used the Killing Curse on a spider right in front of her, when she yelled at Ron for making her feel like a last resort (being invited to the Yule Ball out of desperation) and also when Ron and Harry were fighting. She's beginning to show the struggles that 14-year-old girls go through.
Ron and Harry are showing this as well. The whole awkwardness with girls was so funny to watch, as they tried so hard to ask girls to the Yule Ball. Harry did a great job acting in this film, especially at the end when he returned with Cedric's body and he cried and cried, gripping onto the body.
VOLDEMORT WAS TERRIFYING! Seriously, they did such a great job with his return to his body. It was frightening. The special effects were amazing, with the dragon, and the end scene when Voldemort and Harry's wand interconnect and the forms of the last killed people appear, including Harry's parents.
Some things that they changed: Well, Padma and Parvati aren't even in the same house, but in the movie, they were both Gryffindors. In the book, Parvati is Gryffindor and Padma is Ravenclaw. I also found the movie seemed to go through scenes quite quickly, but I guess they would have to because it was a long book but only a three-hour movie.
The part that irritated me the most was Dumbledore. In the book, he's always seen as a kind man, who is accepting and forgiving, but in the movie, he was portrayed as old and grumpy. When he found out Harry's name was in the Goblet of Fire, he practically attacked poor Harry, grabbing him and shaking him. THAT IS NOT IN DUMBLEDORE'S CHARACTER! I miss the old Dumbledore from movies 1 and 2. He would have done a better job. This Dumbledore scares me; completely out of character.
You can definitely see the romance budding in Ron and Hermione, as Ron is obviously jealous with Hermione's fancy with Viktor Krum.
Can't wait for movie #5, which I have no clue when that will come out. But hopefully soon. Don't get mad if you read this and now you're angry because you haven't seen the movie; I did give you ample warning at the beginning of my blog.
Ta
CHRISSY

The Psychoticism of my Sister's Creativity

2005-11-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity this weekend to have a bit of a slumber party with my little sister Amy. As we watched a movie, and talked until practically 2 in the morning (which to my amazement, is early for her), we laughed a lot as we remembered the last sleepover we had where we played the game Scattergories and I swear, Amy was extremely giddy that evening. Under the category "bird" and the letter "J", I had cleverly come up with "Jbird" which I later found out from the Peters is not sufficient enough for points, but as if Amy's was any better. She had come up with "J-Cardinal." Pronounced just as it looks, no need for phonetics here. But that's not the end. I cannot remember the category that came up, but she had placed the word "Lemgraf" as an answer, laughing until she nearly wet herself. Watching her laugh over a created word that made no sense obviously was having me in hysterics as well. She is one of the most creative people I will ever meet, as I remember my childhood and made up words such as "hyuk" or "batosh-bush" or "sarcalargalarg." (None of which have any significant meaning.) These words remain fresh in my memory because it is a direct link to our childhood and also to a sister who inspires me to stretch my imagination every day.
Oh, and yes, "lemgraf" does have a definition, but as if I'm going to say what it is. There are some secret languages that must stay between siblings.
Ta
CHRISSY

Leslie Perks and the Dungeon of Dreknon

2005-11-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

I am very excited this morning because I have finally finished my fan fiction (story based on a show or movie) called Leslie Perks and the Dungeon of Dreknon. It is about an 11-year-old girl who meets up with Harry Potter and the others and becomes good friends with them and goes to Hogwarts. I created Leslie not too long ago and decided I was going to follow along with J.K. Rowling's pattern and have 7 short stories based on Leslie's experiences at Hogwarts. Harry Potter is a side character, which was interesting to do. So I was quite happy when I finished the story, which is like 50 pages long. (So it's really short). It is posted on http://www.fanfiction.net and also the whole story is on my website, http://www.angelfire.com/me5/readinggirl/home.html, if you go through "books I've written", it is under "fan fiction." The most exciting part about finishing the story was making the cover for the book. I wanted to follow the same basic format as J.K. Rowling did for her amazing novels, so here it is: the first seen photograph of the short story "Leslie Perks and the Dungeon of Dreknon." (I know, I'm a geek).

CHRISSY

Age and Romanticism

2005-11-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

Okay so I don't know if any of you participated in my little study but if you didn't, here is the skinny:
I decided I was bored and wanted to practice statistics OUTSIDE of school. (I know, I'm pathetic). So I conducted my own study. My hypothesis was the older females get, the less romantic they become. My theory on this was behind the fact that as we get older, we tend to become slightly bitter to the opposite sex. (I know I do, anyway). So I decided to test this out. So I sent romance questionnaires to 13 subjects (n=13) and the mean age was 22, with a range from 16-37 years of age. The scores on the romance scale were calculated in percentages, and the mean score for the sample was 50.62%. (Low huh? What's wrong with everyone?) Anyway, so I calculated Pearson r, which calculates correlation. If you guys don't know what correlation is, it's a score that lets us know how closely two variables are related. This does not mean that one causes the other. So I was looking for a relationship between romanticism and age. I wanted to see a straight line on a graph to prove that the older you get, the lower your romance score. Well that's not quite what I found. See, to have a good correlation, you have to have a score close to 1.00, well, Pearson r ended up being equal to 0.12, which in statistical terms, pretty much means you've got nothing. There is practically no relationship between age and romanticism. You can kind of see this for yourself in the graph.

You'll notice it's seriously ALL OVER the place! I failed, meh, I guess I should have seen it coming. This sample is completely biased! I mean, the majority were Christian, some were married, some had boyfriends, I guess in order to do better, I'd have to do something like "in single women" or something. Maybe the score would become higher.

Hey, but as a great side note, at least the graph is cute! (it's pink!)

CHRISSY

My Reactions To Fevers

2005-11-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Okay this is a really random blog, it just came into my head. I realized that when I get sick, I get really weird. I noticed it today (not like I've never noticed it before) when I was extremeley hot, which was hard not to be, considering I aptly chose to wear long sleeves with a sweater today, considering that all I've been doing is shivering lately from being sick. So I get to school and suddenly, I'm practically sweating bullets! Weird! So my friends told me maybe I would feel better if I ate something so we had lunch. (Side note: It was a classic veggie lite sub with no cheese...mmm). When we went to my class, I was suddenly freezing, and have been ever since! Honestly, being sick is the most random thing, I can't even believe it! Ugh.
Some friends of mine can tell you that I do get weird when I'm under a fever. (Though I'm not sure if I have a fever yet, I have to check when I get home). Brooke, Kim and Tiffany will all tell you that I hallicinate under the authority of a fever. I'm serious. Both camps I went to, I ended up with a fever. First at co-ed 2 when I swear I saw Brooke get out of bed. I proceeded to get out of bed myself and try to find her all around the camp, until I finally went back to bed to see her sleeping soundly in her own bed. When I comfronted her the next morning about getting out of bed, she swears she didn't! Yes, needless to say, there were a lot of people worried about me. (Kim.) At Connect in September, the same thing happened. I hallucinated a whole conversation with Tiffany that never happened. (I asked her).
So I'm thinking I'm losing my mind, or at least under the influence of feverish properties. I can't help it, I guess, but it's scary to think about. A simple little fever distorts everything.
Like I said, random blog
CHRISSY

The Greatest Job!

2005-11-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to blog about how great my job is, and especially the people I work with. I've always known this, but their generosity was proven even more on Saturday when I was walking to work and dirt flew into my eye thanks to a stupid transport truck (figures it had to be a transport truck). I was half blind as I walked the rest of the way to work. I spent the first half hour at work trying to flush my eye out with water, which didn't help. Eventually, I could at least get it open, but not get anything out. I stretched my eye more than eyes should be just to see if I could see anything. Nothing. So my supervisor Marlene went to the $ store to see if they had saline solution; they didn't! Just my luck. She called my boss, Joe and asked him to pick some up on the way in. He did, and we flushed my eye 3 times, and it only made it worse. It was awful! So finally, at 11:00a.m. (I started at 9:30a.m.), Joe (my boss) took me the walk-in clinic. Here's just a little insight into how great my boss is. I wondered how I was going to get back, and I didn't have to worry at all; he stayed with me! How many bosses will sit with you in a walk-in clinic and wait for over an hour? Not many. Anyway, my eye ended up being fine, except I was decieved when the doctor put drops in my eye and the pain was gone and I thought I was all better, and he informed me it was only anesthetic. Grrrr. Oh well, when it wore off, I was fine too. The culprit that invaded my eye ended up being the smallest spec of dust, hardly visible to the human eye. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be better and get back to work. On another note, my other boss Lis is still paying me for the morning, even though I didn't work. They were all so caring. Even my co-workers Ashley and Marisa who gave me departing words such as "We love you Chrissy" and "You're the glue that binds us together, come back quick." As I went to the clinic. I love my job, I wouldn't trade it for anything!
And yay, my eye is better
But now my fear of transport trucks has just become irrational and on its way to a full-blown phobia.
CHRISSY

The Painted Sky

2005-11-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

Have you ever just stopped in your tracks to look up at the sky? I did on Tuesday and as I felt the cool breeze against my skin, I couldn't help but smile and feel like laughing. God is incredible. We often wonder why God is so silent and we often think Where is He as we walk through life. I came to the conclusion the other day that you can experience God's amazing love just by looking at the sky. I stood on the roof of my school (yes I'm allowed to be up there) and just looked up at the sky. It was painted so beautifully, almost like God dipped his fingers in white paint and just dabbed all along his blue paper. The sky seriously looked like fingerpainting, and the sky was just the prettiest shade of blue. I couldn't help but thank God for the sky.
Everyday you can look at the sky and see a new creation, a new painting God created, a new beginning. And it makes me think about how much work He puts into it, just to make each new sky unique. It makes me think about how he makes each of us unique. Even sets of twins, who may look identical, God still took the time to arrange their fingerprints differently, to give them their own uniqueness. When I think about how creative the sky is, I think about God's creativity when creating us. God is the ultimate Painter, the ultimate Novelist, or Poet. He spoke life into being, and it's just so incredible to hear His whisper through the breeze that blows by me, as I stare up at the created sky and the painted clouds.
Anyway, something to think about
CHRISSY

A Big Day

2005-11-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

For me, today is a milestone in my journey. For those of you who know, on December 8, 2004, I officially gave up self-injury. Only with the help of God and nothing else. Only when I was able to hand it over fully to Him was I able to overcome the addiction. Well, today (November 8) is my 11-month anniversary! I know it seems like a strange number, but that's one month away from a year! I plan on celebrating hard when I reach a year, because this has been the hardest road I have ever trod. But I'm here today with a smile on my face, blogging about the joy I feel because God is amazing! Thanks everybody who have prayed for me and helped me come to this point in life.
I don't know how many of you know about the poem I recently got published in an anthology entitled "The Best Poets of 2005." With a publication date of Summer 2006. The poem I wrote is about the battle and the overcoming of my addiction with cutting, and I thought I would include it for you:

Forever Gone

By Chrissy M. Dennis

The sins of my past cling tight to me
Memories of scars forever near
Always taunting, haunting me
Will I live forever in darkness and fear?

Visions of razors, sharp objects and blood
Swimming around in my head
Hard to let go of that way of life
To forget all the tears that I’ve shed

Only until I gave it to God
Could I truly and wholly be free
So there I stood on the shore of a beach
Threw my last razor blade into the sea

Almost a year since I cut my last cut
The scars slowly continue to fade
It was only because I trusted in God
That I could finally let go of the blade

Forgiven by God for the sins of my past
Pulled out from the pits of despair
I know I can get through anything

Because my Father is always there

Until next time:

CHRISSY

Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind

2005-11-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

Woah! I just saw the above mentioned movie last night and let me tell you, it was one of the most weird, but beautiful movies I have ever seen. It was one of those ones where you feel confused, but it was just so lovely and the filmmaking was amazing! I couldn't believe how much work had been put into this film. The movie is based on a procedure that erases the memories of a certain individual from your mind, so you can move on with your life. The story is based around Joel, played by Jim Carrey, who did an outstanding job. He stepped out of his usual eccentric role and did a beautiful job as a man who doesn't know what to do with his life. Joel falls in love with Clementine (played by Kate Winslet), and their characters clash. They are in love, but they are so different. Clementine eventually erases Joel's memory from her mind and when he finds out, he decided to fight back and have his own memories of Clementine erased. That's when the movie gets interesting, because we are sucked into the world of Joel's mind, following him around his subconscious. Most of the movie is set inside his head, as he decides against the procedure but is stuck inside his mind, unable to escape and call it off. He is forced to live through the memories once more. The ending is extremely dramatic and well-done and thought-provoking. A must-see for romantic buffs, but also for people who just enjoy beautiful films. It was one of those movies for me that I call "Oh-my-goodness-that-movie-was-so-thought-provoking-I-have-to-write-in-my-journal-now" movies. Go see it.

Bye for now

CHRISSY

The Irony of Statistics

2005-11-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Ironic, I find it, how I was more worried about statistics than any other course I'd be taking. In high school, math was my weakest area. I dreaded it with a passion and had very difficult times understanding the concepts. So the manditory statistics course was a nightmare to imagine.
The irony of it all is that it is, up to date, my best course. My highest mark. I recieved my first test mark back yesterday. The mean (average) was 60% and I walked out of there with an 83.5%!!! HOW??????? No idea! I really am proud though, I mean who would have seen me understanding and ENJOYING mathematical formulas, such as:

I am in the middle of a heart attack as I type this blog! Am I the same person I was in high school? How weird is it that in high school, it was like reading another language, and yet now, it is my favourite class!? I love doing the formulas, and it is the most anticipated homework I recieve. (Not to say I anticipate homework...)
Ta for now
CHRISSY

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2005-11-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

16 days! I am counting down the days until the most recent movie of the Harry Potter series finally comes to the big screen! Anybody who follows Harry Potter, books or movies is greatly antipating this next film. I have already seen countless images on Mugglenet as well as theatrical trailers and teasers. I plan on reading the fourth book once again in great antipation. I am looking forward to the growth of character development and potential romances (or mini-romances) as well as the rise of lord Voldemort. (I'm not looking forward to it in the sense of yay the bad guy is coming! But the special effects are going to be phenominal. If you've read the book, you'll understand what I mean).
Harry Potter is my all-time favourite book and movie, and I have even been writing a fan fiction based on a character I have created who befriends Harry and his friends. (Fan fiction, if you don't know, is stories written based on movies, tv or books).
I am still counting down the days and excited; so excited that my friend Lindsay and I are actually getting into costume and seeing the movie on opening day. Yes, I have finally become a full-fledged geek.
TTFN

CHRISSY

My newest book

2005-10-31T11:13:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a moment to lavish in my own pride for a moment. I've never been one to keep my goals in mind so readily but this summer, I had made it my summer's mission to finally finish a novel I had been working on for two years! So as any young woman enjoying their summer holidays, I left it, and continued to procrastinate and left it on the shelf.
Well that backfired as it was two days until my first day of school and I was still nowhere near finishing. I hadn't even reached the climactic height! I hadn't even introduced the new character who would play a key role in solving the mystery! Yes, it's true, I had a lot of work to do.
So I buckled down and did it. I seriously sat at my computer with no human contact for two days, doing nothing but enter the world I had created, trying to resolve my poor character's problems. (in other words, I was trying to finish the stupid thing). I can recall going to youth group one night and my friend Kari saying "You look like you just ran a marathon!" Meanwhile, I had just been writing my book for 3 hours straight. That's how it felt though.
There was much rejoicing the day before school started when I finally wrote the finishing touch on the last page of my new novel: The End! However, it is just the beginning for me. The editing phase is always the most fun (sarcasm insinuated here) and I think it will take me until the end of the school year to fully complete. But, the novel is called Trapped Minds and here is the cover of it. Though I think it will be subject to change. I don't like my picture on the cover of the book, it implies I am the main character. (The main character is based on me). The story is set in a laboratory where young girls are kept against their will by a man who has twisted ideas and psychologically disturbing problems. The story revolves around the life of a girl named Tara Pickett. For more information about my new novel (which I'm so excited about), go to my website and read about Trapped Minds .

Ta
CHRISSY

Halloween

2005-10-31T06:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Halloween and I have found myself feeling like an idiot once again. Funny how much you think Halloween is much too overdone and then you find yourself the only one in a whole University with Halloween spirit. I decided to semi-dress up today and so I put on a baseball hat and drew a little spider on my cheek. Do you think anybody else had the same idea? No! Nobody likes to have fun. So I feel like an outcast. But that's okay because I don't care what others think of me, I'm having fun!

My plans for Halloween night are as follows:
1. Hand out candy
2. Be brutally bored for the rest of the night.

I have this great costume but I can't go out. There is a Halloween party at the restaurant near me and I want to go, but I have no one who would go with me. If I had known about it earlier, I would have been able to make better plans, but leave it to me, the procrastinator. Just for the fun of it, here is a picture of me in my costume.

I'm Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, but in this picture, my hair is in pigtails and I'm not wearing my robe. But that's okay, you get the basic idea. Here is one with my robe on.

So that's my costume. Anyway, I guess that's my blog for today. This is really addicting and fun, I think I may post another one today to make up for lost time.
Yours truly

CHRISSY