August, 1998

Dear Journal,
Last night mom sewed on the ribbon and elastic for my shoe. She was so busy she has to do the other one tonight. We also rented Blues Brothers 2000 last night. Oh, and dad went to Dallas until this Friday for Business. I miss him a lot. I also miss Magen. She is in Dallas with her cousins. I don't know when she gets back. I have to go...wait I forgot to say I won both rounds of the sword drill at Sunday School. Bye!

August, 1998

Dear Journal,
Wow! I just got back from getting my new pointe shoes! I also got a new leotard. It is beautiful. It has velvet at the top. I love it. Oh, I have decided to take tap again this year, it would be a waste of several years if I did not. I gotta go.

August, 1998

Dear Journal,
I got back from camp a couple days ago, and I want to go back. It was so much fun. Anne Denny was the activity director and she is funny. John made up a game called Titanic. You have to find three pieces of candy and get out into the life boat in time. The hard part is that you don't know where the candy is and there are barricades that means there is only one way into a room. Oh, and outside stairs you have to go down and inside stairs you go up. We also played the cookie game three times! That was fun, too. We had a sword drill and a chapel quiz time and I did really good. Not to brag, but it's the truth. People could tell you I was good except you're a diary! Ha! Ha! I have to go now. I will talk about camp more later. There is a lot to tell!

July, 1998

Dear Journal,
Tomorrow is Rex and Shawna's wedding. I don't really want to go...because it will be a long, hot drive to Tulsa. My mom said five hours! I have to wear my old dress, I only have one, and I can't get a new one, even for a "special" occasion like this. Ok, I'm going to admit that it's not going to be a as bad as I make it out to be. But I still think that it's going to be a long drive. With Beth getting motion sickness, Rose crying, and Joel just being a pain in the butt, I don't think I'll like it much. But there is one car ride I am looking forward to, camp. Yes, I don't mind going on a long ride, as long as we are going somewhere I like. Speaking of that, my uncle in Texas bought us 3 oldest kids and dad football tickets to the Baylor vs. KSU game!

[note: ok, I feel like there are SO many things I need to apologize for in this post. Shawna, sorry I put "special" in quotation marks. I was 12...and we didn't have A/C in our van in the summer...that's my excuse. Joel, I really don't think you're a pain in the butt anymore. ;)]

July, 1998

Dear Journal,
My uncle Larry and aunt Maxine visited for the last time. I'm going to miss them. They are so cool! I wish they could stay longer. Well, that's all!

[note: I'm not sure why I said "the last time" as it's definitely not the last we saw of them]

Reprieve

So, as it turns out, I'm not really sure where I put my Diary. Really. Everything so far was written and then schedules were set to post a couple every day. That was on Friday. Now it's Wednesday, and time to add more...except I really don't remember where I put that darned book.

Oh my gosh, I hope nobody, like, FINDS it, and like, READS it! Oh my gosh. How totally EMBARRASSING would it be for people I don't even know to READ MY DIARY?! And I'm usually SO good at hiding it.

Actually, it can only be in one of the following places:
1) My messy car
2) My messy house

So, I'll try really hard to remember to look for it so that I can continue on with this not-at-all-overly-dramatic theme.

In other, totally non-related news:
Someone told me today that CHER might be playing catwoman in the next movie. Kill me now. However, they have some really sweet actors lined up for the other villains. Maybe this Cher business is just to scare me so senseless that I'm numbed for the third installment. Maybe?

July, 1998

Dear Journal,
Today has been exciting. Right after breakfast, Grace and I started cleaning our room. We cleaned until really late in the afternoon, and then, when it was all done, Grace and I took down the bunk beds. Then, Matt helped us get our new beds into our room. (They aren't really new, they're the boys old ones). Then, Matt helped us get our new dresser into our room. (The dresser is not really new either, my grandma gave it to us. It is new to us though.) My mom is painting Beth, Joel and Rose's room blue, with puffy white clouds and a tree that says "SANDERS" on it. You know, like in Winnie the Pooh. I have to go, but not before I tell you the most horrible news, the McDonalds are coming to spend the 4th with us. These are my dad's friends, the nightmare friends, the friends that kill! No, I am not exaggerating. And I might have to give up my beautiful bedroom for the parents!

June, 1998

Dear Journal,
I just went with dad and mom to Godzilla! It was fun! I have to go.

April 25, 1998

Today we cleaned and the rest of our time was spent being bored. But tonight Robyn is coming over. It would be exciting except for my brothers and sisters.

-LATER-

It's late, I'm tired and I'm afraid to get up tomorrow. Because for Sunday School Mr. Jones is making us do a play! I hate his plays! They suck! And he always gives me a male role! Plus, he writes them himself! As if he knew anything about play-writing. I don't know what to do. I guess I have to be in it. But I promise you one thing, no matter what I am not going to SMILE!

[note: ironically enough, it turns out that Mr. Jones knew quite a bit about writing]

June, 1998

[note: the diary I was using had a specific amount of pages for each month. It also had a plastic clasp that connected to the lock, which is what I was reffering to when I said I "cut the side of the book"]

Dear Diary,
The reason I crossed of "April" and put in "June" is because I have not written in a long time, and did not want to waste paper. The reason I did not write for a long time is because I lost the key. That is why I had to cut the side of the book. People can read you now, but they had better not! I would strangle people for reading my private stuff...
Well, I can still hide you, Diary. I am awesome at hiding stuff, a little too good! that's how I lost your key! Oh! By the way, we never ended up doing Mr. Jones' stupid play, ya, that's right, first the day we were going to do it, two boys could not make it. Then we went to camp. Speaking of camp, I'm going to 2nd Jr. High camp with Magen Rodgers. I'm really sad, though, this year was my last chance to go to a camp my dad is directing. I want to cry. I mean, I know I'll have fun at the other camp, but I will miss SO much!

March, 1998

Dear Journal,
2 days ago was Magen's party. It was great! First, Magen picked me up to go to the bowling alley to watch her bowl in her league. Then, everybody went to pizza hut. (Magen, Jenna, Audrey, Chelsie, Elizabeth and me.) After eating a lot of pizza, we all went to "As Good As It Gets." It was supposed to be funny, but it wasn't. Then, we dropped everyone off. And Magen, Jenna and I went to Jenna's house so she could get her clothes. (She didn't know about the sleepover, she might hagve told someone.) After that we went to walgreens and bought facial stuff. Then we went back to her house and did facials on everyone! It was so much fun! I have to go now.

March, 1998

Dear Journal,
I am feeling very depressed. But with me that happens a lot. Well, my problem -one of them- is that I am in girl scouts. That may not sound bad, but that's not all. I'm also in ballet. They don't mix. I barely get to do any fun stuff in girl scouts because of my family's busy schedule. This is my first year and my first time to do "carousel week." It all started fine and dandy. Me and my mom were sitting together figuring out which activities I could be in. At first I only had to miss two days for ballet plus, my dad didn't want me to go to "Beverly Bernardi's Dance." That left "bowling", "skating" and "gymnastics." Then Magen invited me to her birthday party which meant, no skating. Then, I could not bowl because it snowed too much. That meant all that was left was gymnastics. And I HATE gymnastics, I wouldn't go except my mom and dad are making me. I also missed a photography class earlier in the year that I really wanted to go to. Everything is so bad I kinda want to quit next year. Oh, well. So what if everything sucks. I have to go.

[note: as far as my so-called depression went, this was about as bad as things got] ;)

February, 1998

Dear Journal,
Not much has been going on. Oh, the Johnsons are moving to Europe in a couple monthe, or one month. They are moving for several years! I will miss them but not very much! That is because they're (I mean their boys) not very nice. They are moving for Missionary reasons. That sounds exciting, but I don't see how he can afford it. But that is none of my business. I really have to go.

February 1, 1998

It is the first day of February and I can't wait for "Midnight at the Mall." It is when our girl-scout troop and lots of other troops go to the mall and stay the night shopping and doing other things, too! Me, my sister, Grace, and my mom are going on Feb. 7th! And my brothers birthday party is the day before. Feb 6! I can't wait! But I have to go.

[note: now the every "i" is dotted with a big circle]

January 12, 1998

Not much has been going on. It is Monday, around two o'clock and we have not started school yet! Yesterday, I went to Magic Forest. At Dawn's party. Dawn Smith. Sometimes she can be nice other times, well, you get the picture. I have to go.

January 1, 1998

Dear Journal,
I guess I will kick of the year with a few secrets only one other person knows about. That secret is that D.P. likes me a little, okay more than a little, but the bad part is, his friend, A.R. likes me a lot! He is so weird, he convinces me that girls mature faster than boys, much faster. He is older than me and I'm still more mature. I do not like him.

[note: every "i" was dotted with a heart]

Letters from 1998

When I moved I found lots of things that I forgot I had. One of those things was my diary from 1998.

The other night I pulled it out and read it straight through. Wow. Twelve year-old Rachel was probably not the most fun to be around. It did jog quite a few memories, though, and sharing some of those with Jono let him in on what a little terror I was. Poor man, stuck with me anyway. ;)

So, anyway. I thought I should share this marvelous work of writing with you, my friends and strangers. I have to make a couple statements first, though.

1) Almost every negative opinion I wrote about in 1998 are things that I completely do NOT agree with any more.

2) Some names and places will be changed to protect the innocent.

3) Some names won't be changed...but that probably just means we are either good friends or I didn't say anything mean about you.

4) This may only be interesting to me...so feel free to stop reading my blog for the next few days as I chronicle everything in my Little Women Diary.

Ok! Are you ready? The first entry will be posted later today.

Unabashed

I have an intense, unabashed love for a few artists/groups. I can't help it. Don't make me stop.

Caedmon's Call, I will always love you. I think you may be the only Christian band that has been around for FOREVER and never once put out an album that sucked. Remember how the Newsboys came out with that terrifying album that made us wince and writhe? Well, I don't think you'd ever do that to us. You love us.

Derek Webb, I'm sorry for Caedmon's that you left them. But I'm happy for me. I like an artist that will just go and slap you in the face with some hardcore facts. Plus, you're my facebook friend. That rocks.

Andrew Peterson, I love that you are so real. I love that you write such amazing lyrics, and I love that you also write kids' songs and books. And, I absolutely love this blog post.

AP has a pre-order special for his newest album. Thank goodness. I gotta get me some of that!

It's A Great Big Universe

I like to sing very loudly to Jono all the time. He's getting used to it. Once I was singing something from Annie in the shower and I said, "hey, honey, don't you think I could have been on Broadway?" to which he replied with a raised eyebrow "you're loud enough."

Here's one I like to sing to him whenever I can't come up with my own, special, "original" material.

Musicals Are My Exception

Remember a while back when I whined an itsy, bitsy, tiny bit about how most movies suck (at least a little)?

Well, there is an exception. When a musical is involved, I can blind myself to any possible annoyances. Let me give you examples of musicals I love, and then reasons why I normally wouldn't actually like them (not completely, anyway).

Oklahoma - I'm sorry, but Ado Annie has the voice and personality to turn anyone away. Unless it's in a musical. Then it's funny.

My Fair Lady - I wish she married Freddy, I really do. I usually stop watching the movie right as she walks out on him in his mother's house. Oh, what a wonderful moment.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella - There is seriously so much cheese and bad acting (mostly by Brandy) in this movie. I don't care, though, because the step sisters are absolutely hilarious, and I will always love the song they sing about old Cindy at the ball.
(P.S. I have always wanted this soundtrack and can never find it for this version. Sad day!)

Singing In The Rain - Remember that weird part on the stairs with the wind and that huge, long piece of flowing fabric? So weird. Everything else about this movie is wonderful, though.

Meet Me In St. Louis - It's based on a true story, only they completely change the ending to make it happy. That's ok, though, because this has to be one of my favorite musicals of all time.

The Music Man - Generally, when there is a terrible man at the center of a story (who doesn't seem to have any consequences for his actions), I can't stand it. But Professor Harold Hill doesn't bother me as long as he's in a hilarious musical.

I could probably keep going, but you probably stopped reading about halfway down the page. I'll cut myself short(er).

Seriously, though. I think the thing that makes a musical so wonderful, is that everyone knows the songs and the steps. Everyone is in tune (except Ado Annie), and they all know when to start and when to stop. Wouldn't life be exceedingly more interesting and fun if the one thing you had in common with everyone else (even total strangers) was that you knew all the words and all the steps? I think it's the only way to find World Peace, personally. :)

P.S. High School Musical doesn't count.

How To Catch A Man (or How To Use Up Those Pictures You Don't Know What To Do With)

First, it helps if you are a parsnip-nosed witch.

Then, you must use one of your jack-o-lanterns to brew up some love poison (definitely not to be confused with love potion). Luckily, you'll have most of the ingredients just lying about.

First, add sausage.

You will also need green, slimy, kiwano melon (as a side, of course).

Your brew will magically turn into the largest sausage and egg pancake that the object of your desire has ever seen (most of you will need to go no further than this).

For those hard-to-get fellas, though, you may want to continue down the list.

You just bought yourself some time while he remains in his love poison-induced stupor.

Remember, it's important to just be yourself.

(but only as long as he remains in the stupor)

Transport him to the middle of nowhere (in a tree, preferably) so that he has no sense of direction.

Allow him to wander about until he finds that you have been "mysteriously" captured.

He will feel so sorry for you that he will buy you flowers. And a house in which to put them.

Feel free to live happily ever after.

Just Like Old Times

Friday night we hung out with some friends to watch some sweet Olympics, and then play Nintendo 64 games.

I think one of the most enjoyable things for me was watching two brothers interact. Several years ago Matt and Shelsey moved to Chicagoland. And a year ago most of the rest of my family left for the east coast. That seems like a crazy-long time for Kansas to be (mostly) free of the Wassos. And I have to admit it, I've missed the crazy sibling dynamics that used to be so abundant.

So now that Matt and Shelsey came back (and brought the most adorable baby with them), Jono and I are having a great time. The best thing about family is that no matter how long they're away, and no matter how much happens while they're gone, as soon as they're back it's just like it always was. You don't have to spend a lot of time catching up. They're just...family.

Seriously, how cute IS this baby? And how did such a cutie come from Matt? We'll never know.

Anyway, Uncle Jono and Aunt Rachel now need to focus on how they can completely spoil this kid. I happen to think that if Jono builds a tree house in our yard we will officially be the favorites.

I'm never above bribery. Ever.

My Kinda Lover/Car Scam

I need to take a moment to brag about the most wonderful guy out there.

My husband is absolutely great. Maybe even TOO great. You know...one of those great people that, by comparison (or not), make you look like Peter Pettigrew.

But that's ok. I don't mind being the rat as long as I can sleep next to this guy for the rest of forever. (Don't worry, that's as PG-13 as this post is going to get)

Let me tell you about something that makes me realize more and more how sweet this fella is.

Jono happens to know that I have a weakness for classic VW Beetles. Every time I see one drive by my heart just leaps and I say, "ooooh, they're just so CUTE." Yes. I, Rachel, say that. So you know I like them.

Anyway, Jono does not forget these little facts. He, being the thoughtful guy that he is, stores them away until such a time as he can make use of them. So once we were married and settled into our home, he began researching these cars (without even telling me). He would spend hours figuring out exactly what he was looking for, and then began asking me what I was looking for. That's when I started to realize that he was just way too nice for me.

Ok, I realized that before we got married, but I had to pretend he wasn't too nice for me (to trick him into marrying me, you see).

Anyway, several weeks ago, via ebay, we found a simply glorious bug. It was just what we were looking for, and only a 3.5 hour drive from our house. We watched it carefully, planning our bid, but to no avail. Someone snatched it from us.

Oh, did I mention that this husband of mine is a super-responsible planner/provider? Not only did he work years and years to save for the down payment on our house, but he socked away a safety net of money should there be an emergency. And did I mention that he was willing to use up this safety net in order to give me this car? Just because he wanted me to be happy? For someone who plans so carefully, this was a big deal.

Earlier this week, via craigslist, I stumbled upon THE perfect bug. It would have been the bug of my dreams if I had known something so beautiful existed. But now I know. It was a fabulous price, too. I thought, "I'm so glad the other car didn't work out, because this one is perfect."

I'll spare the details, but today, through emails and research, I found that this seller had set up their own fake escrow website, and that I would not be getting my bug. I'm glad that we didn't lose our money to the scam, but disappointed that the beautiful bug can't be mine.

Maybe it's not the right time to buy a bug. Maybe it never will be. But one thing I have learned is that my husband would do a heckofalot just to make me happy.

Babe, you're the best.

Why Can't I Just Be Happy?

I love going to cheap movies. Thank goodness for the (2)dollar theater. At $4 + smuggled snacks, it makes for a very cheap and fun date. What more could I want?

There's just one thing though...

Movies make me crazy.

Call me cynical, but most movies suck in at least some way. Maybe the suck factor is very minimal, and I can basically enjoy the movie, but the suck factor IS there. Somewhere. Waiting. And then Rachel has to discuss (in extreme detail) all the reasons she didn't like the movie (even if, overall, she DID like the movie). And then Jono has to listen to all the reasons she didn't like the movie. And after exhausting all possible angles of the suck factor (hereafter referred to as "SF") you have to stop and realize that date night was just tainted by a team of relentlessly untalented movie makers (or Rachel...one of the two).

Whoa. I just read what I wrote up there. Can you say "dramatic"? Yeesh.

Moving on.

My opinions on movies can be so intense sometimes, that I forget that I'm an incredibly jerky person. You see, a surprising amount of people actually DON'T want you to continuously mock a movie that they really like. Isn't that weird? I guess if you start rolling your eyes and vomiting verbal abuses toward said movie they get kind of...kind of...I don't know...defensive and angry. Mostly I just enjoy dissecting the movie, and there's nothing more fun to dissect than something with a LOT of pungent examples.

Did I just say "pungent"?

Anyway, if you are reading this and remember a specific time when I have offended you in some uncommonly intense way, I officially apologize. I wasn't mocking YOU, I was mocking the movie. And if you like a movie so much that when I mock it, it's LIKE I'm mocking you...then that creates even more incidents that will need to be apologized for.

To sum up, I will probably try really, really hard not to offend you personally by being overly expressive about movies.

The End.

P.S.
These movies suck:
The Notebook
Star Dust
The Happening

P.P.S.
If you take the intensity of this post and reduce it by 75% you will have something that resembles the much less dramatic truth. Except for the movies that suck part. That's applicable at 100%.