Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Spiritually Beat Up

I feel spiritually beat up right now. I cannot go into detail because it's personal stuff, but I feel as if the Enemy is attacking me at this moment. The Lord is telling me to do something in my life and I'm doing it. I think Satan is ticked off about it. Brock is being a wonderful encouragement. Just pray that I have faith that the Lord can get me through.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

The Invitation in Missouri

During the message of our show in Missouri, the crowd was very antsy. Many were leaving to go to the restroom. Some were text messaging on their phones. Brock called them on it from the stage. Then, I went to grab something off of the stage. As I walked back to the sound booth, I prayed as I passed by each row that the Holy Spirit would extend off of the stage and into the crowd. As I walked down that center aisle, I felt the ripples of the Holy Spirit extending into the audience. I tell you this because this sort of thing does not happen every time. I FELT IT.

Then, when I reached the back, there was STILLNESS. I've seen a "holy hush" before, but this was different. It was as if the Holy Spirit had taken over the room. Brock invited people to become a follower of Jesus. Many accepted the invitation.

Then, Brock did something that he normally doesn't do...he singled out the high school guys. He didn't know why, but he felt like the Lord wanted him to spur them into action...to pursuade them to be the spiritual leaders that they needed to be. He said that if something doesn't change now in the state of Missouri, it's going to be bad. The churches will be no more. He had a special prayer time for the guys of the group. After the show, we remembered that one of our friends told us that the stats for the churches in MO were not too good. Churches were dying out and hardly any churches are baptizing anyone. I hope something changes for this state. You can pray with us that the high school guys will stand up and be leaders for Jesus Christ.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Backstage

I'm sitting backstage in the green room waiting to go onstage. I just went out and watched the band perform a little from sidestage. It is just so surreal. I wonder what people think goes on backstage. Do they think that it's a big, exciting party or pep rally until you're up onstage? It's not. I love my job, but it's not exactly glamorous.

The green room is never really green (except one time when the walls were actually painted green). Sometimes you have great snacks. Other times you just have water. I hate the wait. I try to read until it's time for us, but I'm usually too jittery. I actually have a great time during the show. It is a fun career. However, it's not as glamorous as you would think. Maybe the big stars have a glamorous time backstage, but it's rather boring for me. I'll say it again...I hate wait.

Pray for our shows this weekend. We perform twice today in Missouri and once tomorrow night in Arkansas. Pray that many will come to know the Lord.

The Circus

My great friends, Rod and Susan, took us to the circus for my birthday. It was fun! I saw horses, zebras, elephants, camels, tigers, and dogs. There were so many people involved in the production. The tight rope walkers were not just walking across the tight rope. They were running and riding a unicycle. Have you ever tried to ride a unicycle on the ground? It's tougher than it looks. The night was filled with sensory overload. There was always several things going on at once. It was rather exciting!

Friday, January 27, 2006

Stranded for 45 Minutes

Late last night, we were driving home with my friend, Kara. She spent the night with me because her husband is out of town. We were all talking when we heard a loud noise. Brock pulled over at the next exit into a gas station. Yes...it was another flat tire. However, this time, the flat was on our personal vehicle and not the big rig we drive to shows. The tire had completely blown and by the time we stopped, we were riding on the rim.

Brock began working out in the cold. Since this was the first flat we've had on our pick-up truck, he was having a terrible time getting out the spare. I went into the gas station to buy a flashlight. In the meantime, Brock called everyone he knew that lived around there and nobody answered. We were all praying.

Kara said that just as she was praying for the Lord to send someone to help us, a guy drove up to get gas. He was the only other person at the gas station at the time and he had the same exact truck as we do. Brock ran over to him and the guy helped him remove the spare tire. After that, it moved rather quickly. The Lord never leaves us stranded!

We apologized to Kara about the 45 minute stall with the flat. She said that she almost expected it when she was with us!

Thursday, January 26, 2006

In Daddy's Lap

I had to get my driver's license renewed last week. Nobody is happy in that place. The workers are bored. The people in the waiting room are annoyed at the waste of time it takes to get this sort of thing taken care of. There was even a kid there who was getting his first license, and he was too nervous to be excited. There was only one person in that whole place that was having a good time. It was a boy who was 2 or 3 years old. As he sat in his dad's lap, he just giggled and wiggled around. He didn't care where he was as long as he was in his daddy's arms.

If only I could be that way with the Lord. I wish that circumstances around me didn't determine my happiness. I would love it if I never had a bad day again as long as I was in my Daddy's arms. If only I would learn that this could actually happen if I would allow it.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Star Sightings

Yesterday, I was walking around the square of the quaint downtown area of Franklin, TN. A girl and what appeared to be her father walked around the corner and asked me where to get their car registered. As I wracked my brain to see if I knew how to help them, I studied the girl...it was Carrie Underwood! When I realized I had no clue where to tell them to go, I just made a funny face and said "No, I'm sorry." Carrie gave a small laugh and they began to walk again. I continued to walk the opposite way. She was so cute and looked exactly like she does on TV or in the magazines.

Later, Brock said that I should've invited her to our church or something. Whenever I see even major Christian celebrities, I freeze up. I don't want to aggravate them by being such a fan. I also don't want to pepper them with the same questions they get all the time. So, I don't say much. Brock, on the other hand, knows exactly what to say. If he's with me, I let him do all of the talking. Read Brock's post for yesterday to find out who (an even bigger star) he saw at the grocery store the other day (brockgill.com/blog).

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Brockwalking

Last Sunday, Brock did a short, fun piece in our church service. He did something like "Jaywalking" in the lobby of the church. Many of our members tend to linger out in the lobby even after church has already begun. Brock went out there and interviewed people while they showed it live in the worship center. It was funny and a cool way to introduce our pastor's new teaching series. Brock did an excellant job. He is so quick not only with his wit but with his filtering process as well. He is able to speak on the spot and interact with people even when their responses are unpredictable. If you want to watch it, go to pclive.org and click on the video.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Birthday Celebration

Yesterday was really fun. I had lots of phone calls and e-mails and comments. After reading my blog about the cake the other day, one of my friends, Rachel, even made me a red velvet cake. There were 30 of us at lunch and 10 at dinner. Thanks to any of you who participated in wishing me a happy birthday. I really felt loved.

I did cry once yesterday. A lady named Dimple from my parents' church called to wish me a happy birthday. She began talking about my Grandma who died 10 years ago. She talked about how great a lady she was and how when she lived with us that one summer, she sat by Dimple in church.

When I was a freshman in college, I interviewed to work at a camp for the summer. When I received the call that they wanted to employ me, the Lord told me right there while I was on the phone that He didn't want me to go. So, I said no, but I didn't really know why. A few weeks later, I found out that my Grandma who lived in Florida was diagnosed with pacreatic cancer and had only a couple of months to live. The hospital in Houston specialized in that sort of illness, so she lived with us for that summer.

I went home and found a secretarial job. I'm so glad the Lord allowed me to spend that last summer with my Grandma. She was a wonderful godly example of a woman. I'm also glad that I thought about her yesterday.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

The Big 3-0

I am 30 years old today. I agree with Gin when it comes to how I feel. I'm excited about being 30. I don't feel like that's an old age. Last night, a girl told me that the 30's are much better than the 20's. She said that you know who you are and feel secure in that.

Our plans for today are to go to church where Brock is doing a Jaywalking type thing in the lobby. They will show it on the screens in the service. After church, we'll go to lunch with our church friends. This afternoon, Brock is going to take me to a movie. This evening, we are going out with about 8 of our other friends. So, I'm going to have 2 parties!

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Running

Yesterday, Brock was stressed. As we were pulling up to a restaurant for dinner, I told him how I learned that running is very therapeutic when it comes to stress. It's an immediate stress reliever. In fact, I've heard that if you get out of a stressful meeting, you should go and run even if it's just a jog around the parking lot. (I wouldn't advise doing it in front of the other people attending the meeting for obvious reasons.)

So, Brock parked across the parking lot from the restaurant and told me if I beat him there, I could get dessert. Since he's so strict about that sort of thing (dessert), I ran with all of my might. Brock still beat me, but it was funny. We were giggling all the way there and we received some rather strange looks. It worked...we both felt alot of tensions from the day ease. Next time you're having a stressful day, just break out in a sprint!

Friday, January 20, 2006

Cake

I bought this funfetti cake (remember that one with the sprinkles?), because I was craving it. I made it back in September for Stephy's birthday. I had one piece, and I've been craving it ever since.

Usually, I have red velvet cake for my birthday. Since my mom is several miles away and shipping a cake is almost impossible, and hardly worth it, no red velvet cake anymore. I made it once myself and realized how difficult it is to make. Mom was really showing me how much she appreciated me by slaving away in the kitchen for 3 hours!

My birthday is not until Sunday. Brock is usually very strict on our diet (he keeps me in line when it comes to treats). However, he decided we should make the cake last night while we had some friends over. Brock said, "Let's make it now and eat on it all weekend." This is a huge sacrifice for Brock. He cringes if I sneak even one m and m. So, I'll be eating cake ALL weekend!

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Meaningful Hang Out Time

When we come home, we hang out with friends as much as we can. After being on the road surrounded by people who may be nice but don't really know us, we enjoy being around people with which we can let our hair down.

Lately, while we are hanging out, I've tried something different. I used to think about ME, ME, and more ME the whole time. After some good advice from my friend, Gin, I decided to think about them. I began praying for whomever we were going to be spending time with on our way to get together. (We live about 20 minutes out of town, so I've got a little time on the ride there.) It's been crazy and exciting! About 80% of the time, they share something with us in which we are able to help them somehow. Also, the Lord has given me specifics to pray for about our friends.

We are definately NOT serious all the time. We get our fun in. However, so many people have stressful lives. We all need encouragement and advice from good friends. Now, I have deeper relationships with my friends which makes it easier to share life together...the good and the bad.

It might be easier for me because I don't have small children or a hectic schedule at home demanding my every minute. However, I bet all of you could find time to sneak in a prayer for your friends before or as you're spending time with them. Try it! You might be surprised at what happens.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Travelling on a Budget

Here are some of the ways we save money while travelling:

-Actually use your frequent flyer miles.

-Go to natural places that are inexpensive or free such as a state park...waterfalls or the springs in Florida. You could even go camping.

-When eating out, split larger meals such as a combo instead of getting two different meals. Order water to drink.

-While in a big city, use the subway. Some cities such as Portland have a free train within the city.

-Catch matinees of movies or shows.

-Go to timeshare presentations. They usually give you one free trip whether or not you buy the timeshare. Once, Brock and I listened to a timeshare presentation and got a free trip to Las Vegas. Once we got to Vegas, we didn't really have any money to see the shows. As we were walking down the strip the night we arrived, someone asked us if we wanted free show tickets. We listened to another timeshare presentation in Vegas and got to see several shows for free! That whole trip cost us less than $100 out of our own pocket.

-Bring some snacks and drinks with you especially for breakfast.

-Go in off peak times.

-Don't buy the overpriced souveneirs. Take alot of pictures instead.

-For NYC, check out the Holiday Inn Express Midtown. Also, go to craigslist.com for hotel deals.

-The tv shows filmed in NYC and LA are free to the public. You either need to get online and sign up or wait in line.

-While in Destin (I think everyone goes to Destin at least once in their life) eat at Marina Cafe between 5 and 6 in the evening. The local special is buy one entree, get one free at that time.

-In D.C., a reasonable hotel is the Crowne Plaza Hamilton. It's near the White House. Also, the monuments and museaums are all free.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

The Nation's Best Kept Secrets

This is in no particular order:
-Navarre Beach, FL (if it's still there after all of the hurricanes)
-Burgess Falls in Cookeville, TN
-Annapolis, MD
-Wyndam Butte Resort in Pheonix
-Wolf Creek Ski Resort in Pagosa Springs, CO
-The Magic Castle in Los Angeles
-Crazy Horse in SD
-The Gorge and Multnomah Falls near Portland, OR
-The only rainforest in the U.S. that is in WA
-Mac King show in Las Vegas
-Driving along I-70 going west from Denver
-The FL springs
-The Frio River near the Garner State Park in TX
-Wolf Pin Gap in AR (great ATV trails)
-Chimney Rock in NC (where they filmed THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS)
-Chinatown in D.C.
-Sunset Festival in Key West

Monday, January 16, 2006

Auny's Top 10

These are the top 10 in the Continental U.S. according to me:

TOP 10 MUST SEE
1. The Grand Canyon
2. New York City
3. Mt. Rushmore
4. Niagra Falls
5. Las Vegas
6. Crazy Horse
7. Rainforest in the northwest peninsula of WA
8. Alexander Springs
9. Washington D.C.
10.I-70 Drive from Denver to I-15 to NV

TOP 10 RESTAURANTS
1. Barbara Jean's-St.Simon's Island, GA
2. Marina Cafe-Destin, FL
3. Serendipity-NYC
4. Maryland crabcakes-anywhere in the MD area
5. Steamboat Bill's-Lake Charles, LA
6. The Country Tavern-Kilgore, TX
7. Gino's East-Chicago, IL
8. McCormick and Schmicks-Portland, OR
9. Pappacito's-TX
10.Marlowe's-Denver, CO

TOP 10 MUST DO
1. Snow ski in CO
2. Snorkel the FL springs
3. Hike Fall Creek Falls
4. Ride the Dragon on a motorcycle
5. Go to bike week in Daytona
6. See Blue Man Group
7. Go para sailing
8. See David Copperfield live
9. Go snowmobile riding
10.See a broadway show

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Gatlinburg Show and Flying DVD's

The show last night went really well. The crowd was fun and Brock was on with his message. Many came to know Jesus.

On our way home today, a truck driver pulled up beside us and was trying to get our attention. I thought that we had another flat tire on our trailer. I really didn't want to deal with that today. After travelling all over the northeast, I was ready to get home.

It wasn't a flat tire. We had a box of DVD's in the nose of our trailer. Apparently the door had come open and our DVD's were flying out one by one all over I-40. We lost 7 DVD's. Oh well, at least it wasn't a flat.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

SNOW

We're staying with Alathea at their cabin because we have a show tonight in Gatlinburg, TN. They live really close to Gatlinburg. Yesterday, it was in the upper 50's. The weather called for snow, but we didn't know if the temperature would actually drop that much.

I woke up a couple of times and tried to listen. I guess in my groggy state of sleep I forgot that you cannot hear snow falling. The first chance I got when I was awake and realized it was light, I glanced out the window. To my surprise, everything was white.

I'm looking out the window right now and it's simply beautiful. There is something magical about snow. It's still coming down hard. I wonder if we'll be able to make it to our show.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Vermont and NYC

We drove thru Vermont, and it was beautiful. It was in the upper 40's, but there was still snow on the ground. I took some cool pictures of an old church, a barn in the snow, a covered bridge, and a diner sign. We ate lunch in an old diner train car. The restaurant used it as one of its rooms. The chairs in the booths looked as if they were the actual used in the train. They reminded me of church pews. We passed by a school in Vermont, and they were sledding during their recess.

On our way back to Baltimore, we decided to stop in NYC to eat dinner. We've been to the City a few times. However, we've never been to the upper east side. It was a cool area...less touristy and more residencial. Everyone in the little Italian restaurant where we ate were locals. We went into Bloomingdales. It's 11 stories tall! They had a visitor's center just for the store. We ate dessert at Serendipity. We waited 30 minutes for a table, and the host said it was the least busiest night of the week. When we began eating our chocolate cake (which was the best chocolate cake I'd ever had), cheesecake, and sipped on our frozen hot chocolate (what they are known for), we realized what the fuss was all about. It was fabulous!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Clam Chowder

We always make sure we eat whatever that area is known for. You won't catch us eating at Chili's on the road if we have a choice. Therefore, we had lots of Maryland crabcakes, lobster in Maine, and seafood, clam, and even lobster chowder. This was the first time I've eaten a whole lobster. It was messy but yummy! The chowders were so much different than the creamy stuff I've had before. I realized why I'm not usually a fan of clam chowder...because I'm not in New England. The stuff here is so much better. It was all good, but the crabcakes were by far the best. If you are in Florida or somewhere like that and a restaurant says they serve "Maryland" crabcakes, don't kid yourself. It's nothing like the broiled jumbo lump crabmeat that you can only get in the Maryland area.

There was snow on the beach in Maine. It was cool. There also were alot of stones on the beach. The weather was excellant. It was sunny the entire time and warm (according to their standards at this time of year). It was in the mid to upper 40's.

I'm at a hotel in Vermont right now. We are going to drive south thru this state and head back to Baltimore where we pick up our truck and return our rental car. We plan to go to the cabin in East Tennessee and spend a couple of days with Alathea before our show in Gatlinburg on Saturday.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

A Goal for 20 Years

When I was around 9 or 10 years old, I remember making my parents stop at every welcome center for every state when we went on vacation. There, I would collect brochures and other literature about the state. I was facinated by states. I loved to see what each state was known for and how different it could be when you cross some invisible line into another state. At that age, I told people that I wanted to visit all 50 states someday.

If all goes well, by this evening, I will have driven to every state in the continental U.S. We are taking time now to go up into New England. I never imagined that I would reach this goal by the time I was 30. After today, I will only have Alaska and Hawaii left. We are performing in Alaska this March, and I'm sure we will vacation in Hawaii someday in the near future.

This just goes to show that the Lord can give you the desires of your heart. Twenty years ago, when I had this dream as a little girl back in Florida, I had no idea the plan the Lord had in store for me!

Monday, January 09, 2006

Protesting

We decided that you need to experience protesting at the White House while in D.C. However, we didn't quite know what to protest. So, we protested against protesting. Stephy made us signs that said "Protesting should be illegal," "Protestors=Time Wasters," and "Protesting" with the no symbol thru it.

When we got to the White House, there were many tourists all standing in the way trying to take pictures and such. We went right up to the gate and held up our signs while a lady took our picture. Everyone stopped and looked at us. They all thought it was funny! Brock said to look angry, but Stephy kept laughing.

Brock told people that we passed in the street that we were protesting today. Some would take the time to ask what we were protesting. We'd reply "Protesting." Brock would say, "We're not going to stand it anymore!" On occasion throughout the day, Stephy and I would chant "1,2,3,4...no protesting anymore...5,6,7,8...protesting makes me irate." It was hilarious!!! If you want to see the pictures, go to xanga.com/stephydepp.

The show went well last night. I had some friends in the audience and that's always fun.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

D.C.

We had a blast yesterday! We drove to Baltimore and dropped our truck off at a parking area because D.C. is not very "truck friendly" for security reasons. My friend, Rhonda, graciously drove us to the subway which we took into town. By the time we reached D.C. it was 1pm.

When we arrived at the subway, I needed to use the bathroom but could not find any restrooms. The subway ride took around 30 minutes, so I was really ready to go when we got to D.C. I ran into the CVS and asked one of the pharmacists where the restroom was. She replied, "We don't have public restrooms" very curtly. I went to about five places where I received that answer in about the same tone. This couldn't be very good for my bladder. At about the fifth store, I said "Look, I'm about to have an accident right here in your store. Do you know of a place I could go?" She directed me to a place that I had already tried. It was like the Twilight Zone or something. Finally, I found a restaurant that let me use their restroom. Brock and Stephanie were laughing at me as I frantically came out of each store without any relief. ***WARNING***Public restrooms are scarce in D.C.

We went to the American History Smithsonian. It was really interesting. We saw the puffy shirt that Seinfeld wore in the show. We also saw some 9-11 stuff. It all made me feel very patriotic.

On our way somewhere, Brock actually heard someone saying "The lady with the white coat? Okay, I got her in my sight..." When he saw that Brock noticed him, he quickly darted another direction and took off. I wonder who he works for?

We went into the National Archives building. That's where they display the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. My great, great...great uncle was in one of the pictures on the wall of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He didn't actually sign it because he had to go home due to an illness in the family. His last name was Davie and that was my grandmother's maiden name. It was cool to see his picture up there knowing somewhere down the line, we're related!

Brock asked one of the security guards what the "Decoration" of Independence was. One of the onlookers busted out laughing at Brock's question that he had asked with a straight face. The funniest thing was the reply from the security guard...she didn't know what the Declaration of Independence was. She didn't know what she was guarding.

More on D.C. tomorrow...

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Brock's Birthday!

Brock's birthday was yesterday. Unfortunately, we had a show in Maryland. It was a tough show too. We had 30 minutes to do illusions and speak. Brock was the speaker for the night, so we had to make a decision. Pride made me want to do a ton of impressive illusions, but the Spirit was telling me to cut more of the illusions and focus on the message. We did the latter and I think the Lord totally honored it.

Since we really didn't get to celebrate Brock's birthday yesterday except stopping in Annapolis, MD and eating crabcakes for lunch, we're going to celebrate today by hanging out in D.C. We've been four or five times before, but Stephanie has never been. Also, it's the coolest place close to our next event in Baltimore. I hope it's not too cold!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Some Results from our Show in NC

We are headed to another student conference in Ocean City, MD today. Sometimes I wonder how much good we really do at these conferences. Usually, there is a speaker and a worship leader. We are just "extra." Therefore, this e-mail from someone who came to our last show in NC was encouraging:


Hi Brock, My name is ________ and I'm 18 years old, i was with my youth group this weekend @ Caswell, NC. you were there at the worship services showing us the wonderful and incredible talent that you have...all i can say is WOW! ha ha. you were awesome. Not only were the magic tricks awesome, but your message about Jesus Christ. The way you spoke the truth about it just touched me in so many ways. I actually had turned away from God for the past 2 or 3 years-not really sure why... i guess influences of the wrong friends. but listening to you preach got me really thinking hard and realizing that i need to put God first in my life - not friends or anyone else but him. I just wanted to say thank you. I think God has soooo much wonderful things in store for you and i really appriciate the way you go about doing what you love and putting the word of Christ into it. Thank you again...you're awesome Brock.

p.s. i loved the trick when you put the blind fold on and then the black bag over your head and then got on a dirt bike and drove it without the ability to see...that was outstanding!! God Bless you and your wife!

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Pocket Full of Rocks

The student conference "Passion" is in town. There are over 12,000 college students taking over the downtown area. We knew several people involved, so we went down there last night. We ate dinner with some guys that we know from California at one of my favorite restaurants in Nashville, Rusan's. The vibe is really hip and the food is great and sometimes odd looking. The cooks get creative in how they display the entrees.

We went to one of the late night events in order to watch Pocket Full of Rocks. Michael Farrin who leads the band and writes the wonderful songs is simply annointed. Even at 11pm, the whole crowd was worshipping the Lord. Brock met Michael a long time ago when he lived in Texarkana, TX working for a church there. Since then, we've all been connected thru prayer. The Lord has given me specifics to pray for Michael as well as Brock.

Michael and Brock both sorta began their ministries back in Texarkana and now they are both out here. A couple of months ago, Pocket Full of Rocks and Brock were on the same page of a magazine. It's cool to see where the Lord is taking both of them!

Brock's blogs have been really good the last few days. The title of today's blog will definately get your attention.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Dreams

Dreams are so strange. Last night, I remember three dreams that I had. They all involved people from different states or in different countries. They were silly dreams but it made me think about the people and pray for them anyway.

My dreams are usually about people that live here, but the dreams always take place where I grew up in Daytona. They are either at the church I attended or the house I lived in. I haven't lived there in 14 years. I don't know why it seems to be the setting for my dreams. Maybe because I've lived there the longest. After leaving Florida when I was sixteen, the longest I've lived in one house is a little over a year. That could be the reason.

Most of my dreams consist of me running. I'm running from somebody or running to get a prop on the stage. Does anyone know how to annalyze dreams? Why am I always running and why is the setting Daytona?

Sometimes, I think I dream things for a reason. The other day, I had a very visual dream about me helping my friend adopt a child. I told her that the Lord wanted her to adopt a particular boy. She began crying and said this was the boy that she was in the process of adopting. It was cool confirmation. We both cried in the dream and it was a wonderful feeling. The next day, I was still feeling the warmth that the dream brought when one of my other friends told me that she was getting a new job working at an adoption agency. I told her about the dream, and we both felt like it was confirmation that she is doing the right thing by getting this job.

Monday, January 02, 2006

New Year's Resolution

I used to make a big, long list of New Year resolutions. Since the list was the size of a legal page, I gave up by about the second day. Most of the things on the list were about diet and exercise. Anyway, I think it's better if you just make one resolution.

I have a suggestion concerning health and weightloss. I never lose weight. Brock and I will eat healthy and work out at the gym. He'll lose 20 pounds and I'll lose NOTHING! However, in August, I lost 5 or 6 pounds in a week. Plus, it was all in my stomach area. I went down a whole pants' size. I've kept it off too. This is what I did:

I stopped drinking sodas. I know what you're thinking...you are too addicted to sodas. I was too. I remember trying to keep it down to one diet coke a day. I also would reward myself with a diet soda after a show. Therefore, I was extremely surprised when after about a week of being soda-free, I didn't really crave it or even miss it.

In February of last year, I started drinking alot of water everyday. I felt better, but I didn't lose any weight. When I quit the sodas, I immediately lossed that stomach pouch. Caffeine dehydrates you. Therefore, it was couteracting my water intake. Now, I have more energy, look better, and feel better. My mood is better. Brock has since learned that artificial sweeteners such as aspertame and splenda that are used in diet sodas among other diet foods can cause depression. They also make you more hungry and more fat.

So, I challenge you to drink alot of water and no sodas. Just give it a try. You may be surprised by the results!

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I was bummed last night because we had to work on New Year's Eve...we always have to work on New Year's. Then I began thinking about how I would spend my night if we weren't doing a show. It would not have been near as exciting. There is not a better way to get the adrenaline going than to do a show especially last night's show. Brock was ON and the students were hyped. We all laughed and had a good time together. Brock did the blindfolded motorcycle ride and jumped off of the stage.

As we were counting down to the new year, I looked around as all 800 of us excitedly sent off our poppers and realized this was a fun New Year's Eve. Brock came bounding off of the stage to give me a kiss (I guess there is some tradition in him). After we hung out with everyone for a little while, some of the staff went with us to set bottle rockets off of the roof. Brock lit one inside the building...it was LOUD.

If you want to read Brock's take on the New Year, go to www.brockgill.com/blog. He has his own blog now.