getting to know me. one letter at a time.

i don't typically do things like this, but i've seen it around the blogosphere and it looked kind of fun.

a. area code: well, we have three in houston actually. (713), (281), and (832).  my cell starts with (281).  you can guess the rest.

b. bed size: queen.  my california king-sized bed is still at my parents' house.

c. chore you hate: hmm, well i actually enjoy cleaning.  i'm kind of an organized clean freak.  but i guess i have to say, i hate scrubbing pots and pans.

d. dog's name: bailey!  but she will also respond to: bailey boo, little nugget, nugget head, bat girl, boo bear, coo coo, sugar bear, love bug, ratdog,  bug catcher.

e. essential "start of the day" item: this isn't really an "item," per se, but prayer.  i have to begin my day in prayer.  after that, homemade banana bread!

f. favorite color: hmm, it depends on what it is.  i'm always drawn toward the color turquoise, though i have nothing turquoise in my house other than clothes.

g. gold or silver: i like both, but i primarily wear silver.

h. height: 5'4" but i wear heels a lot, so i look taller.  at least i think i look taller?

i. instruments you play: umm, does tapping my pen on my desk count?

j. job: i'm a lobbyist.  my official title is "deputy director of government affairs."  still confused about what a lobbyist is or does?  read this article written by a mentor friend of mine.  i recommend reading the article even if you do already know.  it's good stuff.

k. kids: just one little fur baby.  i plan on having kids one day, though.

l. living arrangements: in a condo, with my little fur nugget.

m. mom's name: it starts with an "S."

n. nickname: oh, geez i have a ton, and i can't really tell you all of them, but here's some...  mer, mer bear, m, moody, moody padoody, merry mulberry, princess, doll, cheerleader cheerleader, sissy.

o. overnight hospital stay: quite a few times, actually.  once for knee surgery and twice for getting this weird virus and had to be quarantined for six days.  hospitals are no stranger to my family with as many health issues as my mom and little sister have.  a lot of nights have been spent sleeping at the hospital while my mom was there.  never fun.

p. pet peeve: where do i begin??  being lied to, lateness, rude drivers, bad table manners. 

q. quote from movie: i don't necessarily have a favorite, but i always find myself saying, "you're killing me smalls."  (name that movie.)

r. righty or lefty: righty.

s. siblings: two - a brother (18 years old) and a sister (11 years old).  (i actually grew up with five older brothers.  long story.  maybe for another day, but probably not.)

t. time you wake up: 6:45 a.m.  then i hit snooze a few times.

u. underwear: underwear?  isn't that a little too personal??

v. vegetables you dislike: i have to be in the mood for veggies, but i like most of them.  well, i hate onions (is that a vegetable?) and black-eyed peas.

w. ways or reasons you are late: i'm typically on time, surprisingly.  i'm a very punctual person.  but if i am late, it's usually because i overslept or traffic. 

x. x-rays: umm, tons.  too many to count.  i've had a lot of broken bones, and i played sports my entire life.  college athletics lead to lots of x-rays.

y. yummy food you make: banana bread!!

z. zoo animals you like: penguins.  i love watching the wittle penguins swim all around.  i would love to steal one, as a matter of fact. 

     

what does (flash) pasteurized even really mean????

my real life friend (and favorite jewish girl ever), stacy over at "stacy says..." recently asked me why i call my blog "(flash) pasteurized."  and that's a very good question.  i've been wondering how long it would take before someone would ask me how the hell i came up with a name like that.

to be honest, when i was first thinking about beginning a blog last october, i was throwing a couple of name ideas around.  i knew i wanted something unique that would represent me in a way that would make people want to know, what does that blog name even mean??  i narrowed it down between "check engine light" and "(flash) pasteurized."  the first was taken, so that made my decision easy.

when most people think of flash pasteurized, they think of vegetable and fruit juice beverages and not my blog.  in fact, my favorite juices like odwalla, naked, bolthouse farms, and sir real all undergo the process of flash pasteurization.  per my best friend wiki (better known to the masses as wikipedia), flash pasteurization "is a method of heat pasteurization of perishable beverages like fruit and vegetable juices, beer, and some wine.  compared to other pasteurization processes, it maintains color and flavor better. [...]  it is done prior to filling into containers in order to kill spoilage microorganisms to make the products safer and extend their shelf life.  flash pasteurization must be used in conjunction with sterile fill technology and therefore has the risk of post-pasteurization contamination if hygiene standards are not rigorously enforced." 

the parts i put in bold in the definition above are the most important.  for me, in some weird way, these words represent my faith in a non-overt, non-in-your-face kind of way.  as weird as it may seem (because i'm weird), these words describe me.  being (flash) pasteurized is all about being made new and whole, free from any blemish or crap.  flash pasteurization is a process i must go through daily in committing my life to God and renewing my faith.  for me, my faith is incredibly important.  it is the most important.  it defines who i am and my direction in life.  i would not say i am a "religious" person; to me "religion" is a set of man-made rules that came about as a way of trying to explain God in a way for our feeble human minds to understand and grasp.  for me, God can't be explained or taught; He cannot be put in a box; and He cannot fully be understood or comprehended.  He can only be experienced and felt.  i know a lot of people don't like "Jesus-y" blogs.   (i'm still not sure what that entirely means other than to say my life itself is full of Jesus.) and that's fine.  we're all very much entitled to our opinion and you have the choice in which blogs you choose to read or not read.  i will not make apologies more my faith or beliefs, just as i hope you would not make for yours.

if anyone else has any questions about anything, shoot me an email.  there's one specific question, i'm wondering why none of my readers have asked... we'll see if anyone's secretly dying to know that one.  in the meantime, can someone please tell me what possesses someone to get this tattoo?!?!