Master Cleanse, here I come

If any of you have read about the Master Cleanse, you will recall with me that it is probably the most vile suggestion you've ever heard. This cleanse is one that suggests drinking 2 liters of a lemon juice-maple syrup-cayenne pepper "lemonaid" per day, as well as downing a liter of salt water (per day) in order to completely clear out one's insides. This liter of salt water results in numerous tummy-rumblings and consequential trips to the restroom.

I did this said cleanse (minus salt water) for approximately 2 days back when I lived in New Orleans. The suggested duration is anywhere from 3 days to two weeks. My taste buds weren't convinced that I needed the third day.

Yesterday, Christopher casually informed me that our friends are planning to do the cleanse for 10 days beginning this weekend. He also made the mistake of saying that if I wanted to do it, he'd be game. Well of COURSE I want to do the cleanse. I live for this stuff. I'm a believer in giving our bodies a break and cleaning out all the gunk; I also believe that giving up food for a while gives us opportunity to focus on other things.

So on Monday morning, we will begin The Master Cleanse. I will juice lemons, measure maple syrup and add the cayenne pepper to only a small "shot" of this mixture so I don't have to sip it throughout the day (it's so gross). I will drink the salt water. I will drink the salt water. I will drink the salt water. I will drink....

Oh, sorry. I forgot you were reading. Where was I? Oh, yea...I'll drink the salt water and enjoy the cleanliness of my insides.

And I will be forced to find something to make me happy besides what is passing over my taste buds.

Master Cleanse, here I come. And be warned...this time, I will master you.

My affair with the Daily Show

Since Christopher's out of town and my house is clean and Bella's sleeping, I am becoming reacquainted with an old friend, Jon Stewart. Most of you know that I'm not a big fan of politics. However, I do love the Daily Show. If my political news could come in the form of humor and sarcasm (non-biased...at least that's how it is today), I would be a much more politically minded person.

Sarah Vowell was the guest on today's show and in her discussion of Sarah Palin's visit to New York, this is what she said (well, it's not all she said, but this is what made me laugh):

"The East Coast was American enough for Al Qaeda and it should be American enough for them."

I hope you can enjoy the irony, even out of context.

Remembering

This morning, I couldn't find my Bible, so I went into our new "library" Christopher made from all the books we just got back from Missouri and pulled one from there. As I was flipping through it, I came across a book mark. I don't usually use book marks, so I pulled it out to see what it was. On the back of this large purple laminated book mark was the obituary for my friend, Eryn Wright.

Eryn was younger than me. I met her when she was a freshman at my college. I think I was a junior at the time. She was a beautiful young woman. She had glossy blond hair, a brilliant smile and a beauty that could melt the coolest of hearts. She and I laughed a lot. Our group of friends laughed a lot. She had given up a career as a (probably very successful) hairstylist to see what God might have planned for her in Ministry, but her life was lost before that plan was actualized. She was 18 years old and in the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of college when she was involved in a car crash that killed her.

For my friends and I, this was a time that united us. It drew us from wherever we'd gone for the summer and brought us back to our campus, then to Eryn's family's home for many nights. We experienced the stages of grief together. We cried together. We laughed hysterically (and probably inappropriately) together. To those friends--you know who you are--know that I think of you this morning with fondness in my heart. I love each of you and what you've meant to me through the years.

To Eryn, I so look forward to seeing you again. I can only imagine the exquisite beauty you are as you worship at the feet of Jesus right now.

Check it out

I thought this was interesting.

You choose.

My Mom was at our place on Monday night watching Dancing With the Stars. Since I'm less than interested in the show, I was doing something completely unrelated. That is until I hear the song "Bleeding Love". My neck snaps, and the first thing I say is, "What in the world are they thinking using this song?" Just so we're on the same page, this is the performance I was watching.



Okay, so if you took the time to watch that, you can see that it wasn't awful. They did okay. However, being the So You Think You Can Dance fan that I am, nothing could compare with THIS performance, also done to "Bleeding Love":



Maybe I'm biased, but you tell me. Which performance do YOU think is better?

Score one for Leanne Teacher

On Thursdays, I teach Writing/English to three Middle-schoolers.  Two of the three are new to the school, and one of those two is somewhat challenging.  He's the "cool guy".  By his own admission, his parents are extremely strict, therefore school has become his outlet for "bad" behavior.  

And he's all mine for one hour a week.  Actually two since I have him for Speech on Fridays as well.  Regardless, it is the Thursday hour that I'll be telling you about now.

So today, their writing topic was their best friend and the qualities they appreciate in that person.  They needed an example of how to do an intro, so off the top of my head, I give them something I might write...

"Tara Books (shout out!) is the best type of friend a person could have...(more great things about Tara)...Her loyalty was evident after Hurricane Katrina, when I wanted nothing to do with anyone, yet she never stopped calling me (or something to that effect)."

Pause

"Wait.  You were in Hurricane Katrina???" 

"Yes, I was."

And that's all it took.  "Cool guy" now has a reason to respect someone he thought was "just another teacher" because--can you imagine--I actually have a story that begins before I taught him writing.

Leanne Teacher--1

           Cool Guy--0