:. Rachael's New Look

Rachael just got her hair cut yesterday afternoon. She came home and announced that she wanted a haircut. Then she went and found her sister. She came back a few minutes later with 14 inches of her hair gone.

It was surprising how long her hair had gotten. We both really like her new haircut. It'll be cooler for when we get to Tucson. She hasn't had her hair cut this short since before our wedding. It's really cute.

This morning we went to the early showing of Nacho Libre, with Rachael's sister Sarah and Sarah's husband Patrick.

We all enjoyed it quite a bit, but the preview choice really bothered me. All the previews were for kids’ flicks (How to Eat Fried Worms, a cartoon where a pet rat gets flushed down the toilet, a cartoon where the animals on the farm act like humans when no one is looking) except for the very first one. In a theatre full of parents and their young children, we cringed through a preview of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the beginning.

It was a completely inappropriate choice for the movie and other previews it was paired with. As we looked around us at parents covering their children's eyes and ears, we were horrified that it was part of this movie experience.

We sat on the front row of the upper section and right before the movie Rachael put her feet up on the wall in front of us and noticed that she was wearing shoes from two different pairs.

After the movie, we went to Panera for lunch, where we also bought a loaf of sourdough bread. Last night we watched an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown describes how to make the perfect French toast (his secret: stale bread and half & half). We'll be leaving our loaf of sourdough out overnight for a breakfast treat tomorrow.

:. Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my birthday and I had a great time (other than that whole teaching thing - but elementary kids are way better then middle school, so I guess it was a happy birthday to me after all).

When I arrived home, Rachael had chased the rest of the family out of the Kitchen and we had the place to ourselves for a while. She made dinner - an awesome white lasagne with chicken &crab, fresh vegetables, and garlic bread.

She couldn't wait to give me my present so she gave it to me yesterday. She bought me an acoustic/electric Ibanez guitar - and she picked it out herself! She did a great job. It's got a built in tumer and both 1/4" and XLR outputs. It even takes 2 AA instead of a 9volt , so I can use the rechargable battery packs we bought earlier this summer.

I love it. Rachael did a great job picking it out. It sounds beautiful and it is fun to play. I've been practicing more lately anyway, but now I really will be up to the level I want to be by the time we move.

:. Last Chance

We hope you all will be able to make it. This is the same place whrere we had our wedding. Please call for directions if needed. 816.805.3268.

If you can't make it this weekend, we hope to see you at either of our other activities before we leave (Bomb Night or Send-off Lunch).

:. Government Offices

I had to get a copy of my birth certificate this morning because I realized that my driver's license was going to expire Wednesday. Yes, my timing's perfect - I have to renew my Missouri license just one month before I become an Arizona resident and have to get and Arizona license.

Getting the birth certificate from the Health Department took all morning. (Driving + construction + drivers talking on cell phones + long lines + long waits = all morning) Getting my license renewed was a breeze in comparison. (Closer to the house and a more comfortable waiting room)

I'm preparing for a large mailing to churches to raise support for our moving expenses. I need and head home soon to get ready for a support presentation tonight.

A few more envelopes to stuff and I’m off.

:. Almost There

Everything went fine this morning playing bass (I even had the courage to throw a few fillss in there). I'm playing again next Sunday.
I didn't realize how much I miss playing. I definately want to get a group going in Tucson. Either get Ryan and Dave together again as UT or start something new.
We've got a support presentation for another small group tomorrow night. I need to have $10,000 in committed yearly support before we leave. We're at just more than $6000 right now. Please toss up a prayer that we'll be able to find supporters over these last few weeks in Missouri.

:. Shopping

Today is about shopping. We spent the afternoon at a used car dealer in Independence. We both got sunburnt and then came home to browse their cars stock online. We found a couple of possibilities.
Tonight we're going shopping for clothes and then it's our week to buy groceries.
We also just discovered the USA show "The 4400". It's very interesting. The third season premeres tomorrow night.