I Heart Chuck

What do you think makes Chuck such a wonderful spy, however awkward and initially ill-equipped he was?

I cannot tell you just how glad I am that someone asked this question. Many an evening has been spent analyzing this beloved TV show with my family. Sometimes I've considered simply dedicating my blog to Chuck so I can flesh out my theories and observations after every episode. But now since someone has asked, I can discuss Chuck without looking like an obsessed nerd with no life. Thank you, Amy!

The most obvious thing to me is the second edition of the computer in Chuck Bartowski's head that has helped tremendously. With the first intersect he had tons of knowledge at every flash, but not much in the way of courage and confidence. He was starting to gain some of that even before downloading the intersect 2.0 as he more frequently risked his life at his own choosing. But at the end of the second season, he got the upgraded computer in his noggin and followed an awesome fight scene with one my favorite Chuck lines: "Guys... I know Kung Fu." This new ability to defend himself with mad skills really boosted his confidence thus allowing him to become a better spy.

Another thing that makes Chuck such a great spy is the support of his friends. The former-assassin-ish and now-fiance Sarah keeps him emotionally stable which is super important considering effects of the unstable intersect as seen in season 3. Military machine Casey helped train him and continues to offer advice in both professional and (gasp!) romantic areas. And his little bearded friend Morgan gives him chances to relax and be his adorable nerdy self.

Speaking of which, his nerdiness is a huge help. He has disabled bombs with viciously malicious porn in the pilot episode and with apple juice three shows ago, so he's full of very unconventional knowledge that ends up helping more than Sarah and Casey would have ever expected. But more important than his nerdiness is his heart. Even when things are in turmoil around him, he perfectly balances government intelligence protocols with compassion. He gives almost everyone the benefit of the doubt and honestly wants to see others happy even if it means it's at his expense. *Sigh*

Yes, my friends. I am in love with Chuck Bartowski. And he'll never know it because he's a dang fictional character. Probably written by a bunch of women. Break out the ice cream, it's time to drown my sorrows in chocolatey goodness once again.

Now, I am one comment away from beating my comments record for an entry. Someone ask me a question under my post Ask Mandy so I can celebrate and break out the ice cream for something good rather than heart-wrenching!

Cuteness?

Fair Maiden, Why art thou so cute?

Although the question was submitted "anonymously" the writer gives it away in the first two words. It took me a while to come up with a satisfactory and not-too-egotistical answer, so you better appreciate it Sir Luther!

My first response is a question - When exactly did you last get your eyes checked? LOL and thank you for the compliment. I'll be sending your check in the mail within the week.

I guess my "cuteness" begins with my genes. My dad is ok, but luckily my mommy's adorableness completely eclipsed daddy's mediocrity. Unfortunately I do have my father's crooked teeth which I like to think adds to my charm. If anything, it just makes me undeniably my father's daughter which can be either a good or a bad thing depending on how he is behaving in public. (I love you, Daddy!) The only thing I'm really upset about concerning my genes is that my grandfather was selfish and refused to pass down the I-eat-all-the-time-and-still-don't-gain-an-ounce genes.

My still-developing fashion sense however comes from neither parent. Dad is hilariously color blind and mom is very simple when it comes to clothes. So I relied on my addiction to Disney Channel to give me some pointers on fashion. Don't laugh, it's a great resource! I was so giddy one day when the most fashion-conscious character on the channel had the same shirt I had, it made my week. I generally stick to jeans and wear Rainbow flip-flops ten months out of the year, but try to dress up the native beachcomber look with a cute top and some layering if I feel like it.

I'd also like to think it has something to do with my personality. Though I am so very far from perfect, I'm steadily working towards this type of beauty described in the Bible. 1 Peter 3:3-4 reads "Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." Wow, I've got a looooooong way to go!

So there's my answer. If anyone wants to know my oh-so-awesome opinion on something, post your question as a comment on my Ask Mandy entry! To be honest, half the reason I wrote that request was to beat my record of comments which currently sits at six and two of which were my own. As of right now, I have three more to get! Now somebody ask me a question, dangit! Kthanxbai!

Most Profound

I am always looking for new Bible study books. I've got a couple shelves in my room, and a huge one in my closet, filled with books I've completed. There's a great one on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and an excellent Beth Moore study entitled "Believing God", oh and several notebooks filled with handwritten copies of Psalms and my personal reflections. And I've got even more books that I'm dying to go through when I can find some time.

Along with countless other Christians, I am always on the search for some new profound discovery about God. Hungry to know Him more, we dig into the Bible and get help from some pretty brilliant scholars. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I fear that in the process we forget already know the most profound thing...

"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." - Romans 5:6-11

This Easter weekend isn't about egg hunts, bunnies, new dress shopping, and awesomely delicious dinners with family. It's for remembering the most profound Biblical truth - that God loves us and sent Jesus to die for us, and then defeated sin and death itself by resurrecting Him.

Thank you Abba Father for loving me so much!

Release the Kraken!

In the event of the zombie apocalypse, what would be your battle plan? Who would you bring? What would you use as a weapon? Would you last past the first few hours?

I hate giving away my strategy for the zombie apocalypse, but since you asked...

The most important part of my plan is the prep work to be done well before they're actually walking the streets. Using my radio connections, I'll install giant speakers underground that will rise above ground when the apocalypse happens. Barricaded in my station studio and knowing zombies' love for pop music, I'll air some "Thriller" first, just to see them dance. And then I'll suddenly switch from pop to the opposite of pop - country. Upon hearing the horribleness in their picky and decaying ears, they'll simply disintegrate.

The people I would bring? Well that's easy! Much like former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's policy on illegal immigration, I'll just place Chuck Norris between me and the baddies. But to make it a little easier for his 70-year-old self, I'll also enlist the help of Bruce Campbell (totally loved Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, by the way) and Bruce Willis. These two would be affectionately known as the Backup Bruces while Chuck's code name would be The Kraken. Mostly because I want to go all Liam Neeson and epically scream "Release the Kraken!" My command would confuse the zombies as they would be looking for a giant monster, when what they should be fearing is the possibility that the combined awesomeness of Chuck and the Bruces may cause the world to explode. Having those three is a big risk, but I think it's worth it.

Based on the two previous steps, there wouldn't be much need for a personal weapon. Not many, if any at all, will survive both the music treatment and my team of defenders. But like all my fellow ninjas, I'll use whatever is within arm's reach to my advantage. I can blind them with post-its over their eyes, staple their noggins, and tape their legs together. Then I can beat them with mic stands and office chairs while making Star Wars light saber sounds, you know, to make it fun!

And would I last the first few hours? Two words: Duh! Winning!

Anyone else have good questions? Leave a comment on my Ask Mandy post. I'll be writing up the next answers soon!

I Totally Rock

Does that sound a little conceited? Oh well. :P

So graduation from Carteret Community College was almost a year ago. And as of two months ago, my work life had been exactly the same as it was when I was in school. Minus sneaking in some homework every now and then, of course. It kinda bummed me I had this pretty piece of paper but nothing really to show for it.

Feeling like I was ready for something new, I applied for a producer job at a Christian music station in South Carolina. I had listened to this station when I was younger, so I was all excited about the possibility. But a couple weeks after sending in my resume and clips of my on air experience, I got a letter informing me that the position had been given to someone else. Bummed times two. At least they told me though, right?

I then applied for a receptionist job in town, but never heard anything back on that. Bummed times three.

In February there was a significant turn of events. I was asked to fill in for my coworker Ken while he was to be out for an operation and the recovery to follow. Our operations manager/my immediate boss/personal entertainment Shane cited my degree in computers as one of the reasons they wanted me to start to learn and take over these responsibilities. Ken showed me the very basics of entering simple commercial orders and creating logs. I was a newbie, but I felt confident in the few things I needed to do in his expected absence.

But that expected absence suddenly grew longer as Ken experienced some complications. Before I knew it, there were things that needed to get done that he had not shown me how to do. After overcoming the initial shock that I'm sure each deer who's ever been caught in headlights feels, I dived into the system and spent several hours reviewing the way he put in some old complicated orders and was able to figure it out and enter the new ones.

While papers were flying all over the place and fingers were typing at break-knuckle speeds, the excitement of finally knowing how to do the task made me giddy. Or maybe that was just the multiple caffeinated sodas and strong dose of Excedrin running through my system?

Anyways, Shane told me he was impressed that I was able to figure it out. Giddy times two.

But here's the kicker. He said that in the presence of my paycheck-signing boss Lockwood. Giddy times three, baby!

For the last two months, I've continued to figure out more tasks and I have rocked them all. I'm learning so very much and enjoying the perks that go with this exhausting full-time schedule. Mainly in the paycheck area. But also in a real sense of accomplishment.

Just recently, I had an eye-opening "Aha!" moment. Neither the SC producer job, nor the not-really-what-I-wanted receptionist job worked out. And while it made me sad for a moment, God had something better in mind. I had this great opportunity to learn so much more in the comfort of my own workplace. All without having to leave my family or take a step down in my employment situation. He is so good to me!

While things have been cool for me, Ken is still experiencing some problems. Please keep him in your prayers. He would appreciate them.

And don't forget to leave me a comment on my Ask Mandy post! Working on answers soon!

Ask Mandy

I was talking to my friend Katrina today and she gave me a fun idea. She suggested making an advice blog where I answer reader's questions. I can't make a brand new blog right now (because it takes me an eternity to design one that looks decent to me... darn my pickyness), but if you leave me a comment on this post, I'll make up a response in an entry to be posted later.

This is a great chance for you to ask me whatever you want, silly or serious, and I'll answer it to the best of my ability.

But I do have some restrictions:

• No politics. I want to keep it at least somewhat light-hearted, and I tend to get slightly angry and a leetle rabid when I talk politics.
• Keep it interesting. Ask me something that requires more than a simple Yes or No answer. Because one word posts would annoy the heckins outta me.
• Don't ask for my Social Security Number or my mommy's maiden name. I'm lots smarter than I look, thank you very much.
• And keep it clean. I don't want to have to delete your comment/question. And then send my mommy to your house to wash your mouth out with soap. Although that may be fun...

Now ask away!

Stupid Things

Quite often, I have some super stupid moments. Right now you're thinking "Well duh!" and I would be the first to agree with you. I've had more than my fair share of saying stupid things that I regretted immediately and buying useless items instead of putting the money toward my Chick-fil-a addiction. But I did something particularly stupid last night and didn't realize it until I walked out to the car this morning. This is what I saw...

Terrifying, right? When trying to fix my sticking gas cap cover thingy last night, I unlocked my car using the spare key. And then I forgot to take it out.

In light of recent car break-ins in the area, this was dangerous. If even a fully rehabilitated thief had seen this tempting scene over night or early this morning, he would not have been able to resist it. My car, complete with my bunny buckled in the backseat would have been gone. Instead of kicking myself like with other stupid things, I would have been crying and calling all my police connections to help me.

After the initial shock of realizing my stupidity, I couldn't help but thank God. He protected my beloved car and my cute purple bunny even before I knew they were in danger. Even in huge moments of epic fails, God still proves that He cares for me. I musta thanked Him a hundred times this morning while driving my safe car to work.

And then all day I proceeded to check outside the windows at work to make sure it was still there.