Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from all the Decadox girls!

We hope your holidays were full of family, good food, great memories and joyful remembrance of the birth of our Messiah.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Our first grad

Melissa graduated last week! Congrats, girl! Some of the Decadox girls were able to be there to celebrate with you, but on behalf of those who couldn't, "YAY MELISSA!"

Ok, actually, Amanda graduated, too, but she is walking in May with most of the house, so there will be a ton of pictures and celebrating for her comin' later.

No worries on the home front, though. Even though she's graduated, Melissa will be here this semester.

Ode to the Decadox, the friendliest house on the block

This poem was submitted by the venerable bard, James Browning, this morning when he came over to cook us breakfast.

There is a house in Buena Park,

Or is it La Mirada?

Wher the welcome light is never dark

And they're quick with a "de nada"

They call their home the Decadox

Full of the loveliest ladies in town

And their doors are never locked

Unless you're some dude whose car has broke down

One of the friendliest places in the world,

Some might say that 10 is too many

But when you get to know these girls

You just couldn't subtract any

Hot tubs, lattes and parties galore

So much food I feel like a hog

Who could ask for anything more

You might even wind up on the blog

So regardless of who the judges choose

This coming February 7

I don't see how anyone could lose

Out of this house so close to heaven.

Michelle, Jessica Oh and Amanda Zook are official contestants for the 2009 Miss Fullerton Pageant!
Take a look at the Miss Fullerton website to see our girls pictures, platforms and talents.

http://www.missfullerton.com/contestants09.php?y=2009

The pageant is on February 7 or 8 (sorry, we're not really sure yet) so please come show your support for our girls. We're planning to have a pizza/in-n-out party afterwards while watching Miss Congeniality, so yea. We'll update you with that event later.

Airing Our Ugly Furniture

As much as we love our house, we would be dishonest if we didn't disclose its one flaw: some ugly furniture. We all showed up in August to take stock of what we had collectively--it wasn't much. As we are all operating on minimal college budgets, we had to be creative with the decorating. We stalked neighborhood yard sales, kept a constant eye on free furniture listings and begged all the boys we knew to use their trucks for transportation. The results turned out OK, but we had some adventures along the way. For example, Amanda and Gail found a beautiful mustard yellow pleather couch in a dumpster and managed to get it out before anyone else did. It was missing a leg, but they implemented a few bricks from the back yard and you can hardly tell!

Despite all our efforts at cheap ingenuity, we still have a few "oh well" pieces haunting the house. Here are just a few of the "winners. " Please help us decide which one is the least deserving of our house.


Amanda and Gail picked this oak baby up at a garage sale and managed to wrestle it into Amanda's little Corolla. They planned to add a few more shelves, but alas, this lonesome shelf remains happily single like most of the girls in the house.

This is the homemade stenciled step-stool that graces our kitchen for the shorter residents that can't reach their food cupboards. There's no doubt whose it is with Amanda's name scrawled four times in pink paint on the top.

This white wicker table has seen better days with its previous owner, but unfortunately that person is dead now. Gail and Michelle happened to hear about a man who didn't want to see his late wife's belongings around the house, so they offered to take them off his hands. It was a little awkward when they arrived to go through her stuff and they're still not sure if it was worth it.

This five-headed lamp (with only two functioning heads) has been a joke since day one. Our brazen Medusa has made a grand tour of the house, moving from one room to another as different people have tried to find a less conspicuous place for it. This beaut was Melissa's prized possession as a freshman.

This baby screams mod 80s, and while the color goes with our couch covers, it just can't do our entertainment nook the credit it's due. I'm sure the "one-piece simplicity" was one of its greatest assets at one point, but now it just makes the house look like a dentist's waiting room.

Gail says she feels dejected when she sits in this butterfly chair. Whoever settles there ends up involuntarily slouching and feeling half as big as they are as their body kinda gets folded in two. Additionally, it's necessary to launch out of it in one quick movement when rising, otherwise a series of hesitating jerks result. House note: Keep away from obese guests. Besides its impracticality and strong church picnic chair vibe, c'mon now--it's just ugly.

But you decide. Which piece is worse? Oh, and boys, we want to solve our furniture problem, so if you don't need your truck for a few hours over interterm ... we might just have a few extra man points to give away.

Cottage cheese and Christmas traditions

Our readers have spoken -- and apparently the most disgusting thing to find in the Decadox fridge would be Michelle's cottage cheese. Wait till they see the same cottage cheese after Christmas break ...

New on the Decablogue is a fresh poll. Although we've already decked the halls with evergreen and thrown a Christmas party, there's always more Christmas traditions on tap. Help us decide which one to incorporate.

Pageant Practice, Session #1

Hi, this is Cheryl and I LOVE THIS BLOG!!!!

That's exactly why I created a video especially for the blog.  Some of my housemates are participating in a pageant and know I'm an expert at such things, having witnessed a Mr. Downey competition and being best friends with a former Mr. Downey himself.  Also to my credit, I have seen and studied Miss Congeniality on more than one occasion.

So I decided to coach my housemates on their pageant walking skills.  I also doubled as a DJ and videographer.  What can I say?  I'm multitalented.

International Traipsing

Goodness gracious. We've been all over the place! Michelle and Gail went up to Grass Valley for Thanksgiving, while Cheryl traipsed all over London town. If you know Cheryl, you know it definitely wasn't a boring trip. She came back with tons of stories, photos, and a video she is especially proud of. View it here. Now that she's back, she's been rockin' British styles and leggings.

So today, I called Janelle to see if she wanted to go to lunch at the cafeteria with me. I didn't think much of it when the call went straight to her voicemail. Stupid me. I forgot she was going to NYC!Why? Just because she' s awesome like that. Yep. She got a sweet airline deal and decided to go with her attr.., er, amiable cousin Brett, who currently has 2 man points. Unfortunately, this means neither of them will be able to come to the party we're having on Saturday. That doesn't mean you can't come, though. Have fun, J! We'll miss you.

Meanwhile, Julie is preparing to go to KOSOVO on a missions trip with Biola over Christmas break. She is quite the world traveler and this trip will just add one more album on her facebook of which to be jealous.

Julie is co-leading the team of four and is just wrapping up

fundraising right now. It sounds like her group is fantastic and everything is falling into place--no surprises there. Go in peace, Julie!

This spate of traveling isn't really new, I guess. We're all splitting up across the country over Christmas. Amanda is visiting Gail to milk cows in good ol' Pennsylvania and Melissa is dropping in on Claire in New Hampshire. Cheryl heads up to Seattle and Kate east to Arizona. James Browning, our good Ohio friend, may even tag along with some Decadox members on an NYC trip.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We still have to plod through the last 2 weeks of the semester. Lord, grant us mercy.

The Piano Man

The guest pianist competition has officially ended, and Scott Munekawa has been officially declared the winner! Congratulations, Scott. And thank you to all who voted for Scott's rendition of Viva La Vida on our out-of-tune piano.

The next step will be for Scott to pit his piano-playing skills against the numerous pianists in our house.

Keep your eyes peeled for round two -- coming soon!

Wifelike: In a manner befitting a wife

The ladies of the house have decided to kick off a little competition. The goal of this competition is to see who is the most wifelike. This competition was created after some girls were doing many domestic activities and wearing cute aprons. We figured that it would be fun to spur on one another to care better for the house and each other through this competition.

As we have had some men be very chivalrous and kind to the women of the house, we also have decided to include a "Man" competition. Eligible men are those who creatively find ways to serve the women of the house. Their names will be written on the white board, and as they continue to do chivalrous activities, they may gain points in a similar way that the women of the house earn "Wife points".

The contest will commence today (11/22/08) and end with the announcing of our winner at our Christmas party on December 6th.

In order to win wife points, the person who acted in a wifely manner, must inform another lady of the house, and the lady who is informed MUST post the activity that was completed in the comments section of this post. For man points, the lady who had a man treat them in a gentlemanly manner must post the action within the comments section of the post.

On December 6th, we will count up the points and the winner of the wife and man points will receive a special prize.

In order to earn wife or man points, you must follow the rules. Negative points may be applied for bad behavior.
Rules:
Rules on wife points:

1. Must do something altruistic, not just your own chores (i.e. cooking for A GROUP, doing a chore that’s not your own, decorating the house, etc.)
   
   
2. One other house member must know about the deed and verify it. That other house member gives the actual point and writes it in a comment on the Wife Points blog entry.
   
   
3. The deed must have some relation to the house: must be made in the house, done for the house or done for a house member.
   
   
4. You can lose wife points for
1. Domestic violence (pushing, hitting or kicking a house member)
   
2. Leaving messes for other people to clean up
   
3. Rude acts: hogging the driveway, putting too many to go boxes in the main fridge
   
4. Leaving on too many lights/wasting energy


5. You may not award yourself points.

Rules on Man Points

1. Must do something altruistic toward a girl in the house or the house itself. Must be a sweet, out of the ordinary or “above and beyond.”
   
   
2. A house member may give the man a point. They must write this deed in the comments section of the Wife Points blog entry.
   
   
3. The deed must have some relation to the house or house member, but doesn’t need to be performed in the house.
   
   
4. You can lose man points for
1. Coming over uninvited
   
2. Harassing a member of the house or pulling a mean prank
   
3. Rude acts: sexual innuendos, excessive boy humor, dominating a conversation
   


5. You may not award yourself points, add or erase any points.

Feel free to read through the comments section to gain clever ideas of ways to be a servant in either wifelike or gentlemanly activities.

This is all just fun and games, however we do realize that the Lord calls us to serve and encourage one another:

Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the the more as you see the day [of the Christmas party] drawing near." (Brackets added by Amanda)


Love,
The Decadox

Turkey and [Biola] Celebrities: A Decadox Thanksgiving

The Caf was subtle about its advertisements for the annual Thanksgiving meal -- a little poster near the Grain Gallery, a scant mention in The Chimes.

But that didn´t stop the entire building from being packed just 15 minutes after it opened.

The girls of the Decadox scoured the Caf for an open seat and finally found a cramped little table in the back. Then we loaded up on all things wonderful -- artisan breads and spreads, a mixed green salad with berries and cantaloupe, summer squash stuffing, mashed potatoes and of course, turkey, carved by Biola semi-celebrity Rick Bee, director of alumni relations.

While we ate, we named things we were thankful for -- being able to live together, God´s patience in our lives, etc. We also named a few things we were NOT thankful for -- sin in the world and AIDS topped that list.

Before we left, however, the biggest celebrity of them all had arrived -- a particular, distinguished gentleman by the name of Barry Hugh Corey, who had donned a chef´s hat and posted himself in the turkey carving station. We seized upon this, pushing a few hungry students aside and asking for a picture with our university president. I think he was caught a bit off guard as six girls crouched in front of the serving station and began taking pictures in the middle of the school cafeteria. But it was just an opportunity too good to pass up.

When we headed out of the building, Claire spotted the man behind all the magic -- the usually-discreet Chef Peter. We called him out from behind a serving station and he posed for a picture with us.

We were stuffed, but it was the perfect way to welcome in Thanksgiving and the holiday season!

For Your Own Safety

In case you haven't noticed, we changed our blog name. We've been getting so many outside hits, we thought it would be wise to NOT have our addresses in our name. So we're using the house name you all voted for: Decadox. Hence the blog name: Decablogue.

As far as safety goes, we aren't too worried as we have several girls who have taken the R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) class. Claire is a green belt in karate and I... really like pepper spray and darts. I'd feel sorry for anyone who tried to mess with our house -- really.

Check out these fierce fighters. Kate doesn't need numchucks.

This is what happened to the last person who tried something. That's my foot. Thanks for the shoes, Janelle!

So yeah, but anyway, that's why we changed our blog name.

Cheers!

Love,

Decadox

Bump in the Night (A Charmin Story)

Decadox Got TP'd!

Several masters of sabotage assailed Decadox before 1:00 a.m. last night. The nefarious hooligans? We don't know, but we're going to find out. Whoever they are used 20+ rolls of toilet paper.


As you can see from our beautiful home, it doesn't need decorating, but apparently the saboteurs thought otherwise. Kate, Janelle and Gail discovered the toiletry mess in the wee hours of the morning--fortunately before the sprinklers went off. Janelle completed her unfulfilled wish of being an Indian for Halloween and Kate--not sure, folks.


In the midst of the action, Janelle caught a prime suspect: Jono Lippman, 21, from Moraga, Calif. As you can see, he didn't try very hard to escape. Until we started beating him up.



Lippman didn't deny or confirm anything, however these are our prime suspects:
Jono Lippman and house
Chris Masi and house
Jay Soch
James Browning and house

As we are an environmentally aware house, we decided to put the 3 trashbags of toilet paper to good use. Jono obliged by helping us roll it up. Thanks, Jono!

Piano Challenge Continued

Featuring the accomplished Matthew Jones, yet another skilled competitor in the continuing piano challenge at 71 Frances.

The Onion (Goggles)

On a typical Sunday afternoon at Decadox, you'll find at least three girls making a nice lunch--usually involving onions, tortillas, chicken or eggs.

Today was no different, however the onions were particularly strong and had everyone in tears. Michelle decided to commandeer the smarting situation and came up with a brilliant solution as seen left. Her resourceful technique was seemingly effective as she proceeded to cut up two onions--one of which Gail ate entirely.


We retreated from the fumes to the dining room for a nice lunch with our guests, Matthew Jones and Eric Weaver. Michelle and I aren't in the picture, but you get the idea.

Powerhouse

Great news -- a Decadox member has ascended to the royal seat of power.

We are pleased to announce that Jessica Oh has accepted the position of Eaglevision executive producer for next semester. See our broadcast journalist in action:


Prop 8 Protestors from Chimes Online on Vimeo.

Ebony and Ivory - The Great Piano Challenge

The Decadox proudly stores an old, beautiful, out-of-tune, damper-pedal-less piano in our living room. It thus behooves us to hold a piano playing challenge when our musical guests arrive. Our first two contestants are below, but soon to come are actual Decadox members showing their skills. Take a moment to vote for your favorite performance.

Rob Stevenson, with the classic romantic ballad "Just the Way You Look Tonight." Backed up by a skeptical Eric Weaver.

Scott Munekawa, with the rousing "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay, backed up by a supportive Katie Trent.

Frances girls on the move, step aside we're coming through

The girls at 71 Frances knew the 2008 Midnight Madness was going to be one to remember when Michelle walked into the kitchen with her entire face plastered with shiny, fire engine red acrylic paint – at 5:00 p.m. – when the event only started at 11:00 p.m.

The resolve to make our last pep rally a spirited one was underscored by the fact that we’re seniors. So we all pitched in with the preparations for a red hot night: Claire and Gail fetched the paint, teasing comb and of course, the all-important glitter,



Jessica expertly applied make-up before passing the rowdies off to Claire, who wielded her curling iron skillfully for the two hours before we left. Unfortunately for Kate, Claire didn’t have time to do her hair and she had to go with an au natural look. Dude, check out the fro! (Actually, Kate obliged when I begged her to show me how rockin’ her curly hair could be.)

Clarita’s bumper sticker buggy hauled most of us over to school where we quickly positioned ourselves in the middle of the mob in front of Chase Gymnasium. If college has taught us anything, it’s never miss out on free stuff. That said, we took advantage of the free red and white pom-poms and entered to win a Corolla before we practiced our cheesy, homemade chants (which we actually didn’t use) before the doors opened.

Once we charged inside, we screamed until our (Gail’s) voices were hoarse. The Biola basketball teams were great, Xopoc, as always, flashed their superb dance moves and the Biola cheerleading team surprised us again by being good. One of the most notable highlights, however, was the Biola Eagle. More specifically, our Biola Eagle, CHERYL! As part of AS Social Board, Cheryl gets to, among other things, dance with anonymous abandon in front of the whole school in a big fluffy eagle costume.

After all that preparation, the event only lasted for 45 minutes. Oh well-- it was definitely fun just being together. Afterward, some of us went over to Molcasalsa, a hole in the wall, 24-hour Mexican restaurant, a traditional place to go after a big school event. We split some greasy carne asada nachos (so worth it) and just chatted in the glow of the red neon lights. I didn't think anything could make Michelle's face look redder, but apparently I was wrong.

Novio

Editor's Note: 71 Frances has obtained an exclusive submission from the only girl in the house with a boyfriend. Read on for her experiences as the only attached Decadox member!

Hello – it's Claire here! Thanks for reading our house blog.

Living in this house has been a huge blessing. These nine girls each bring something unique to our 71 Frances community. I am special in the sense of being the only mujer with a boyfriend, David.

I feel very lucky to have a man to bring over and share this great house with. Some of our activities include watching funny YouTube videos, walking to Berry Cool and eating together. Recently I have cooked two amazing meals for my bf. They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. And boy do I ever accomplish this. Ok all horn tootin' aside I really learned to cook from my mother and I even sometimes use frozen food. The highlights of my two dinners are sautéed veggies and jambalaya (David's fav). I completely enjoy cooking for more than just me. Cooking makes me feel like I am caring and loving on the people I prepare food for.

Another fun activity David and I do is go to Disneyland. Melissa says we are obsessed with the resort but it is where we met so how could we not want to back to place where our friendship began? Our last visit to Disneyland we ate in New Orleans Square for jambalaya, of course, and mint juleps (my fav). The Haunted Mansion is transformed into the Nightmare Before Christmas each year. This year the attraction has something very tempting for your olfaction. In the ballroom scene, guests smell gingerbread waft through the ride. For sure go check this out!

Being the only one in the house with a boyfriend has many benefits. I can have girl talk at anytime of the day because at least one housemate is here during the day. Having Cheryl and Jessica in the house is great because they do hair and makeup respectively. They keep us looking great! I love it when the girls ask me how my time was with David. I get all flustered and excited to tell them my story and any funny jokes David said.

I love this house and everything that comes with it. I am so happy when David comes over and Melissa tells him to use a microphone when he sings…..haha.

Love, Clarita

Vote in this week´s poll!

Our house needs a theme song -- and you, dear reader, are going to help us pick one.

Please vote in the column to your right after previewing the following options.

1. Disturbia by Rihanna. This song is almost constantly played in our house thanks to Claire Scholl.


2. Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston. Favorite lyrics: "Dang, all these beautiful girls, they only wanna do ya dirt."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64meUVyq7jk

3. Untouched by The Veronicas. "Somehow I can't forget you / Going crazy from the moment I met you."


4. Big House by Audio Adrenaline. Favorite lyrics: "It's a big big house / with lots and lots of room. There's a big, big table / with lots and lots of food."

The Reader´s Choice Name Nominee is ...

... the Decadox! Our house will (tentatively) be named this.

Thanks to Christie Lam for submitting this sweet name to our contest!

Please say a big welcome to...

New addition to house: gorgeous black piano that's pretty out of tune. Pictures to come as soon as I can get my hands on a camera.

When you live next to a pumpkin patch, expect good things

Our party was awesome -- even if the pumpkin patch charged $3 to go down a tiger slide.

Special thanks to

- Christie Lam, who provided the chicken that made the evening possible

- Andrew Webb, who barbecued for us

- James Browning, who provided the pumpkins for our carving contest

Congratulations to the winning pumpkin, an albino formed into a snowman. Anthony Parisi, Chris Hartwell and Kyle Kubler (with the involuntary donation of a pumpkin by Chris Masi) get kudos for the win.

71 Frances Does Fall Right

So we´re in the process of planning a stupendous event at 71 Frances. The evening shall include somewhere in the ballpark of 100 pieces of chicken, Michelle´s famous potato salad and some other specialties from our prolific kitchen.

A pumpkin patch has also curiously parked itself behind our neighborhood and we are inviting guests to indulge in some pumpkin-gutting and our carving contest.

Come tomorrow. 630 p.m.

On the Blog and Bloggers Pt. 2

Amanda Zook:
1.) Eyes light up when talking about servers, networks and Excel spreadsheets.

2.) Laughs (she's got a cute one) in her sleep and can go two months without doing laundry.

3.) Has a passion for peanut butter and nutella on English muffins. Culinary specialty: salSA!

4.) Reads BusinessWeek while doing her makeup and daily ab exercises.

5.) "Zookie": our free sample magnet, is the all around "go-to" person for advice, shopping deals and tech support.














Kate Trent (left):
1.) Radio DJ star turned tattoo artist master.

2.) Owns a reflective purple and pink spandex suit...we don't know why.

3.) Is our very own molten lava cake authority.

4.) Has a penchant for Christian bumper stickers and T-shirts.

5.) Has the spunkiest hello on this side of the Mississippi.


Janelle Jenison (right):
1.) Famous last words: "Interesting..."

2.) Has a thing for international food...and music...and her imaginary boyfriend, Harrison.

3.) Top activities: bike riding, boba drinking, conversation partnering, latte making, flip-flop wearing, spa-ing. Oh and trying to speak Spanish. Te gusta?

4.) LOVES Photobooth sessions.

Help Us Name the House

We invite you, our readers, to vote on a name for our lovely abode.

The choices are as follows:

1. The Shelter -- a play on the fact that the house has sheltered at least 2 stray dogs during the past 3 months. Also rife with spiritual overtones.

2. The Decadox -- a play on the fact that 10 girls live here (deca) and it's full of ... paradoxes?

3. The Naughty Fox -- inspired by names of British pubs, this name expresses the spunk of the house. But it has also been criticized for possible risque shades of meaning.

4. The Abyss -- if you really don't like the house, if you feel trapped or possibly smothered by the house, and/or if you like undertones of spiritual warfare, this would be a good pick.

PS -- If all the names seem lame, write us a comment and suggest a better one!

The Angel of Death, or, How Patrol One Singled out the Firstborn

Living in what is essentially a gated community without the gate, the inhabitants of 71 Frances are subject to some horribly predatory parking rules enforced by a service known as Patrol One.

Patrol One is analogous to the angel of death. When all the neigborhood is asleep, the bored and underpaid staff of Patrol One trolls around in a Toyota Corolla and checks all parking stalls.

For cars equipped with a $60 holographic parking pass, Patrol One will pass over. For others not marked with the signal, Patrol One will execute a cruel punishment. Typically, it is in the form of a parking ticket that reads "subject to tow."

But the keyword thus far has been "subject." No car had actually been towed. Until Monday.

Monday was the infamous day in which Patrol One ratted out one of 71 Frances' vehicles as it was securely parked in the open spot directly in front of the house.

It was that day when Michelle surveyed the lovely neighborhood and saw an empty spot in front of the house. Her Ford Taurus has fallen prey to the dark forces of the angel of death.

The price was hefty -- a two hour round trip to reclaim the vehicle from Tows R Us, a $138 fine -- all for parking in front of our house.

Needless to say, said tragedy has brought us to our knees in a profound, righteous fear of Patrol One.

On the Blog and the Bloggers

71 Frances is a group of 10 awesome Biola women living in one awesome house. This blog will document our adventures, mishaps, and triumphs while learning to live together. Allow us to introduce the lovely ladies of 71 Frances:

Melissa Hartwig:
1. Often praised for the breadth of her knowledge of hip-hop
2. Future headmistress of "Little Korea Academy," an English tutoring business. With two students, she's already getting a head start.
3. Her secret talent is computer programming 0111100100110101110101
4. Has a fetish for old books and anything reminiscent of Britain
5. Makes some killer chocolate chip-banana muffins

Gail Patches:
1. Hidden talent: water aerobics instruction
2. Works odd jobs, including digging holes, dragging branches and making bricks out of adobe
3. Will work for Molcasalsa carne asada burrito
4. Hands-down the best boot-wearer in the house; also particularly apt at walking in heels
5. Culinary specialty: sausages and peppers


Michelle Rindels:
1. Wishes she were more Latina than she already is
2. As editor, she's borderline obsessed with The Chimes
3. Keeps receipts from every purchase she makes
4. Walks around house on tiptoes (probably a result of background in ballet)
5. Operates as the house's coffee maker operator. Resident expert at cooking eggs in the microwave

Claire Scholl:
1. Wishes she were a Latina but fulfills this with a Latino bf
2. Spreads "the magic" while operating rides at Disney's California Adventure
3. Loves to talk up Biola to any prospective students within a 20-mile radius
4. Two words -- dance machine
5. Aspires to be the next food network star. Her oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies are her best breakthrough yet