Trek AM~Erica

So anyway...

This weekend is a busy weekend in our house: my older son left with his church choir, the Music Makers, this morning with several other 4th & 5th graders to visit the Heifer International ranch in Arkansas. This is to see where the money they raised goes to. Their choir put on an amazing musical called "Technicolor Promise". It's a fresh & fun retelling of Noah's ark while set to music. Fifty-three (or so) 4th & 5th graders created a 60 ft. ark in the sanctuary & became animals upon the ark. Truly amazing. In the process, they were trying to raise money for Heifer International & wanted to raise $5,000 to fill an ark. The kids were shocked & excited to find out that they raised enough to fill THREE arks! That's $15,000, folks! Heifer International was so amazed by this feat, they invited the choir to the ranch for a chance to see what their efforts helped go toward. Unbelievable experience.

Then, my daughter is set to be confirmed at church tomorrow afternoon! YEA!! This is a really big deal to her & us. This is the point where she decides that she fully accepts her responsibility in her part of the relationship into this marriage with the church she attends. A very big deal, indeed!

Oh, yeah...and Mother's Day comes in there somewhere, too...

But...I would like to talk about another event this weekend: the release of "Star Trek".

I want to preface this by saying that I am not necessarily a fan, but more or less grew up in a Trekkie home, so therefore having Star Trek knowledge & trivia ingrained into my brain. My father owns blueprints to all of the Enterprise ships, a Technical Manual, toy phasers from 1970-something, and the infamous Klingon dictionary. Ah, the dictionary - the book my father purchased for the "sole purpose" of the family learning the language in case we ever needed to have a private family conversation in public. Seriously. Ummm...we never learned the language, it's officially a piece in a Trekkie/Trekker's collection. Does it count that I apparently peed on Leonard Nimoy's leg when I was very young at an appearance? I don't remember that at all, but it apparently happened...

It's because of this stuff & being taken on opening weekends to almost everyone of those movies, that it did have an award-winning impact on my life.

1. During a computer conversion we were going through at a bank I was working at, the management thought it would be fun, for anyone who wanted to participate, to have employees write either a poem or short story about the conversion & then let the people of the conversion company pick the winner. I, of course, had join in...but what style would I write; what take would I have? Then, it hit me - Star Trek. And knowing how some fans would probe whatever is being said, I had to do some research. It was called "Receptionist Log" (since I was the receptionist at the main branch), and gave it a stardate. I said that our bank (which was really a starship, of course) was going to be signing a treaty with the new aliens & considered the previous "aliens" a threat & we were working to defeat them since they tried to corrupt our systems.

Between 4 branches, mine won & got me a paid day off of work. WOO HOO!

2. At a separate place of business that I was employed at, some of the other employees were raising suspicion as to what I would try to pull off for Halloween. I thought they were crazy & trying to convince me to go over the top with something when no one else would dress up, or something (like a hazing). Well, I did research & found that Halloween was a HUGE deal at this place - they gave prizes & all! Oh, man...what would I possibly do that would, or could I do, that would be different than any of the costumes anyone there had done before? A Vulcan was a logical choice.

Of course I did research for the crazy trek fans in case they bombarded this Vulcan with questions for authenticity sake. A back story had to be done & an appropriate name...so T'Rek was born (name was thanks to the Vulcan Naming System). I still have a pic of the infamous T'Rek...who, btw, took 1st place that year (2001) in the costume contest. I would, also, like to note that my father was furious that he didn't know about the Vulcan Naming System...ah-ha! I had him on one. he he he...

OK, does this qualify me to attempt to cover some of the things I've heard about in the new movie even if I have not yet seen it, but would really like to? Good! Here goes:

I have heard that some Trek fans have major issues with the new movie - why wouldn't they? JJ Abrams is a self-proclaimed Star Wars guy. He would rather have the force be with him than go warp speed or be beamed up. But he took this on...a prequel of all things "Trek".

1. I have heard complaints about the ages of some of the cast members in comparison to what they should be at the Academy. Seriously? I think that's mostly relative & should see the performances in action before making these leaps...they may actually work.

2. That James T. Kirk would NEVER be that rebellious. WHAT?? Chris Pine had already stated that there was no way he would touch the Shat's Kirk - dialect & otherwise. Maybe Jim was that rebellious & calmed down when he settled in as a captain...

* Just a note here that my daughter overheard this conversation between my hubby & me, and announced that she didn't know that William Shatner (aka - the Priceline guy) was in Star Trek...yes from the mouth of grandchild of a Trekkie...and that only Star Trek fans would know that. Imagine our shock at this point*

3. Spock was never that soft-spoken. YIKES...seriously? Zachary Quinto is in the same position as Chris Pine. Deal with it.

4. The Enterprise was built in San Francisco, not Iowa. OK - this is one thing you HAVE to get right. This would be that basic Star Trek fan knowledge - which is deeper, MUCH deeper, than basic pop culture knowledge (refer to note on #2.)

However, I have seen where people did get to catch the early screening, yes trekkies/trekkers, and loved it...some even going back to watch again. So glad to hear it! Now I wonder if I'll get my turn to see it at theaters, or just wait 'til Netflix will send it to us...

Plus, maybe this resurgence of Trek will encourage our young people to research big-time pop culture...like maybe my daughter will see who really was in Star Trek TOS...

AM~Erica, out.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Dear Friends of AM~Erica (the hard post)

So anyway...

Many of you know that March was a very difficult month for our family. It still hurts from time-to-time. But, below, I am posting a version of what I posted on my FaceBook & MySpace pages recently about it:

"Hello to all of my friends.

I want to thank everyone who has shown concern for our family situation the last couple of weeks, as well as the prayers.In a tragic string of events that have come to light, Chris' 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, has made the decision to move back to Las Vegas with her mother. It has been a gut-wrenching time & a lot frantic moments have been spent, a lot of tears have been shed.

I want to make a couple of pleas to those reading this:

1. to all of the teenagers who read this, your family loves you no matter what. They want to help you through any hurts & problems you may have or encounter. You are not alone. You are trying to show your independence by making adult decisions, but you must realize you still need guidance in doing so sometimes. We all make mistakes; no one is perfect except for Jesus Christ. Even if you don't want to admit it, your family is there to help you through no matter what it is. Pray through your decisions. If it feels wrong, or you know it's wrong...then...it's wrong. If you stumble, ask your family to help you back up. You are or will be a role model to at least one person or more whether you like it or not. Be the role model that you would like to have. This is my plea to you.

2. to all of the parents & adult mentors - it is a difficult job, but we love our children no matter what. Remind them ALWAYS! Never assume they are doing just fine - check, often. Get to know the friends & parents of your kid's friends. It may prove to be an important asset to posess. If your child gets into trouble, hopefully the other parents will have your back if they know the situation to let you know; and if you believe one of your kid's friends are in trouble, make sure their parents know. It is NOT ok to cover up the situation in ANY circumstance! Be as involved in your kid's life, even if they are teenagers, as possible. It won't prevent heartache, but it should help prevent a heart from breaking. This is my plea to you.

Continued prayers are appriceated for all involved: Chelsea, family & her friends. She will realize one day what she has done, and will have to face up to the hurts & wrongs of her (not-so)"adult" decisions.

Hugs & Blessings to everyone. It is now in God's hands."

We are so grateful for the support our friends have shown our family as we continue to get through this & heal.

Some of you may know that I love doing some of the random quizzes on FaceBook. I came across one about "What God wants you to know"....so, whatever - some random thing to read. I did it, and I would like to share here what was on my screen:

"Erica got a message that on this day, God wants Her to Know...
... that it is time to finally forgive yourself.You've carried the guilt, the shame for long enough. You've kept your wounds open for long enough. The time has to come to let go, to heal. Keep the lessons and let the pain heal. Yes, you know what we are talking about it."

Wow...that one hit hard. I have been talking about this still being a "wound". So, here is part of my attempt of "healing" as I continue to loosen my grip & let God just take it. Why is it so hard to let go??

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

What's Goin on with AM~Erica?

So, anyway...

I have a few things to put into this post. So, just bear with me.

Let me jump back a few nights ago to our church's annual auction (formerly MUMC Youth Auction, now Missions Auction which still helps the youth PLUS missions). This is an insane, fancy event! My hubby & I went to our first one last year, and we couldn't believe the amount of $$$ being put out there for items. There was a silent auction for a TON of stuff, then there's a oral auction with an auctioneer - a REAL one! We were so out of our league last year, we mostly went for the food & hoped we could participate in the silent auction. We did win a pair of tickets to see High School Musical at the Muny for my daughter's b-day...that was it. We spent the rest of the time eating and smiling & nodding (plus we enjoyed the company of the people at our table).

This year was different...very different. First, it was VERY scaled down & low-key. We are in a recession, so I know that had to hurt this fabulous even quite a bit. Plus there was a lot of other things going on during the weekend, so even the attendance was much less than in the past. No silent auction this year (WHAT...that's how we got to participate last year!), but still an oral auction with the same auctioneer - who, btw, has done the MUMC auction all 16 years it's been in existance. But there was a great change! People actually got to BUY for missions! The 4 major organizations our church supports had booths set up with displays of what they needed - then people could buy one of those things, or give toward it. Wow - it was so much more meaningful to actually see what you were doing for the organizations first hand. In return, you could get tickets, depending on what you spent, to go toward a donation RAFFLE. There was a few neat things we were deciding what to put our tickets toward - including the unbelievable safari package that contained jungle games, books, toys, stuffed animals, A YEAR'S MEMBERSHIP TO THE ST. LOUIS ZOO & BEHIND THE SCENES PASSES TO GO WITH IT. Amazing. We definately wanted to try for that one...especially with the kids. We put in a couple of tix for the "Girls Night Out" package that included 2 tickets to Hairspray at the Fox Theatre. I would take Liz, of course. Then, God Bless Betsy. Betsy is a wonderful woman of God with a GIANT heart. She & her hubby bought several items for the organizations & had more tickets than they knew what to do with...they were GIVING THE TICKETS AWAY!! She gave us about 12 more. So...we put a BUNCH more into the zoo bucket, another in the Hairspray bucket, and then a couple more into one called "All About Me" - a spa package. Why not...

We had a pretty good meal, the oral auction didn't have the money flowing as abundantly (it was all still too much for us), but we still had a fun table & glad we got to participate & get all dressed up. You will love to know that I wore a gorgeous dress that is bright turquoise with a touch of sequin & beading detail - an $8 find at Goodwill. I got more compliments in that crowd than I would have imagined. Glad I wore it! OH...and I, of course, had a scarf for my hair that happened to match.

As for the raffles, I won the "All About Me" package...you know - the "afterthought" one! YEA! Oh, darn - now I have to find sometime to USE it! OK - I have a year. There's bound to be a little time in there somewhere to get a pedicure & a spa treatment of sorts, right? We didn't get the others we were really pulling for, though. Oh well. It was a fun night! And, don't worry, I did thank Betsy for the spa package since it was her ticket that got it for me.

Today is Earth Day & also Administrative Professionals Day. Since I'm an "administrative professional", the guys at work got me flowers (which happend to match my outfit today - FUNNY) & they are taking me to lunch at the Brickhouse. YUM! I love my job!

And, I have caught a bug...the Twitter-bug! Seriously...you can follow @ http://twitter.com/iTweetAM_Erica. And it's connected to my FaceBook status updates.

This is what I have for now. I am trying to work up the courage for a much harder post. Pray for God to give me strength for that post to help with my healing. You will understand once I can get it posted...next time...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

PS ~ you can follow me on my blog & on Twitter! Just hit the "Follow" button on either if you have an account or after you set one up. It's easy to do on BOTH! See you there!

AM~Erica is GOOD!!!

So anyway...

Today is a great day! My hubby & I have been married for 13 years strong!! Actually, the story of how we met is part of my testimony. You should ask me sometime!

What a busy day today, too. Church, of course, and we made sure to grab dinner (without the kids) & then a show ("Celebrate Life" musical from 1972 put on by the MUMC Chancel Choir). Wasn't that nice of the choir to celebrate our anniversary?

My gift FROM my hubby was, well, time: it started with 1 cute butterfly cuff watch, then since my hubby knows I like to accessorize, he brought out 5 more just like it...but in different colors. I was laughing hysterically! I loved them! Then he wanted me to have one more thing...a GORGEOUS Fossil watch that is brown & looks like a chocolate sunburst! I know - it sounds strange, but it is BEAUTIFUL!! So sweet!

Then, my turn to give my gift to him...

Let me first preface that it is a difficult thing to get my hubby ANYTHING. Either he already has it, doesn't want it, or (no matter how obsure it is) just plain figures it out. It so frustrating! This time, I had the most stellar gift! It is out of this world - just ask him!

I got my hubby an acre of land on the moon (seriously - the deed & all), had a star named for him, and gave him a small piece of moon rock! Needless to say (but I will anyway), I got him. He never figured it out & was enjoying studying the maps of where the plot of land was on the moon AND where to find the star in the sky. I am GOOD!

OH, after the concert...we are going to enjoy some yummy Starbuck's...without the kids!

I LOVE YOU, HONEY!! SHMILY!!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's Backseat Driver...

So anyway...

I went to KC with the family over the weekend to see...family. On the way back home, we brought back two vehicles, so I obviously had to drive one. I had Lizzie & Christian with me.

My hubby was leading the way, but it was hard to keep up from time-to-time due to obstacles slowing me down...like other drivers cutting me off. It happened often. Grrr...

I think I must have sighed really big at one point, when from the back seat, I heard a "little" voice yell, "STUPID CARS!" What??

Yes, the little one was developing road rage as the trip was going. Everytime I'd sigh, grunt, growl, etc. everytime I was frustrated with yet another car cutting me off as I was ready to reset the cruise control, I'd hear a voice..."STUPID CARS!"

Then, when he realized that my hubby was in the other lane, he was yelling at me to get over into the other lane!

So I thought you might be entertained to know that, yes, I have a 4-year-old backseat driver with road rage. Awesome.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica: Point Taken

So anyway...

I know it's been a long time, but here I am!

I also know how much everyone seems to love the kid stories...so...here you go...

The other day, my 4 year-old son was dying to tell me something. He was tattling on the dog (as usual), but this is what I got:


"Hey, Mommy? I have to tell you something:
Number 1, (Comet) jumped on me.
Number 2, (Comet) jumped on me.
Number 3, (Comet) jumped on me.
Number 4, (Comet) jumped on me.
Number 5, (Comet) jumped on me."

Umm, by # 3, I had to put my head down on the table so the poor little guy wouldn't see mommy cracking up at his very serious conversation. I am still unsure if he was just making a very strong point, or if it was 5 different times, but either way - this was too cute & too funny not to share...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica