Podcast appearances and mentions of sierra smith

Chris is LIVE from Zoo Day at the 2025 ABMA Annual Conference in Galveston, Texas! Whilst wandering the grounds of our host facility, Moody Gardens, we chat with Chase Alsup from the Colorado State University Zoo, Aquarium, and Animal Shelter Management Graduate Program, Rae Simmons and Aubrey Wilson from the Moorpark College Animal Care and Training Program, Kelli Carroll and Mikayla Coble from Lake Superior Zoo, and Sierra Smith, Kiana Lucero, and Omar Luna from Tanganyika Wildlife Park about their conference highlights, the people they've met, and the talks that have impacted them. Thanks for chatting with us, Future Zoo Leaders of America (and Beyond)!If you have a shout-out you'd like us to share, a question or a topic you'd like us to discuss, or a suggestion for a guest we should have on the show, let us know at podcast@naturalencounters.com!

Born in Fairbanks, Alaska. Raised in Washington state where Sierra met her husband of 9.5 years. Spent the majority of her life trying to find her value in the opinions and approval of others until she decided to finally start writing her own story. Sierra began her business 2 years ago and has spent that time developing her own self worth and learning to walk in her power. Building an agency and a team that she is extremely proud of and excited to see what the future brings.

Ayesha Alexander reads Sierra Smith's poem, "All I Ever Wanted Was To Know What To Do"

Get an inside look into strategies and pitfalls of the high-risk, high-reward world of day trading. Hosts Sean Pyles and Andy Rosen discuss the high-stakes world of day trading and shed some light on your statistical chances of finding success. Then, Andy welcomes seasoned traders Sierra Smith and Michael Sincere to the podcast to share their perspectives. They pull back the curtain on Sierra's typical trading morning, break down concepts like options trading, and highlight the rollercoaster ride of market highs and lows. They also discuss the profound role of social media in day trading, the importance of discipline and emotional control, and the potential pitfalls and real challenges in day trading. Drawing from their personal experiences, they shed light on how they've learned to take profits quickly, prevent losses from spiraling, and maintain a realistic perspective on potential returns.  In this conversation, you'll hear about: day trading; options trading; market highs and lows; social media influencers; emotional control; cashing out; taking profits and alleviating losses; researching the stock market; and understanding and making money. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

Listen, rate and share this podcast to those who need to find more balance in their lives! Episode Summary Kara and Maggie sit down and talk with their social media manager, Sierra Smith, about the importance of social media and how to tackle that side of being an entrepreneur. Episode NoteSierra and Maggie met last year when Maggie helped Sierra move across the country to Middle Tennessee. Since then, Sierra has become a part of the team and has taken the marketing by storm. Being a realtor, being a presence online is so important, and Sierra has really helped Kara and Maggie with their presence and consistency on social media! Email Sierra for more information and help with all of your social media and marketing needs! Get in touch The Bogetti Partners thebogettipartners@gmail.comSierra SmithSun Peak Merch sunpeakmerch@gmail.com

With all the activist and conservation challenges confronting the zoological world, it's important to just stop and appreciate good news when it happens. Recently, the Tanganika Wildlife Park announced its first successful birth of an Indian rhinoceros, also called the greater one-horned rhino. This large species of rhino once numbered as few as 100 individuals in the wild. Today, while still considered vulnerable, it has made a remarkable comeback to approximately 4000 animals according to sources like the International Rhino Foundation. Even more remarkable is this young calf was born to a mother who was conceived through artificial insemination--proving that reproductive assistance techniques developed for humans has a role to play in species conservation. The park's curator of research and welfare, Dr. Samantha Russak and primary rhino keeper, Sierra Smith discuss the new arrival and all the adjustments needed as a result of this significant birth. Animal Care Software KONG Zoo Zoo Logic 

The month of November is a special month for First Generation because we celebrate National First Generation Week from November 7-11. This episode is a casual conversation with Sierra Smith, a graduate student at Arkansas Tech.

Sierra Smith from @highsierrapoints is an aerospace engineer, points/miles enthusiast, dog mom, wife, and avid traveler. She loves creating friendly, digestible content around credit cards and their lesser-known benefits to help make travel more accessible to those who may not otherwise have the means. Her goal is to create an understanding that responsible credit card usage can help you travel the world just by using the right card on your regular expenses. In this episode, Sierra and I dive into her honeymoon trip to Morocco – we are talking about what she flew, where she stayed, what she ate, and of course, how you can do all of this while leveraging the wonderful world of points and miles. As you'll hear in this episode, Morocco was also my first points redemption, and it was kind of by accident. If you're just getting started with points and miles, I would recommend checking out the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which is the most popular credit card for those looking to get started with points and miles. Remember, if you decide to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred or any other card, never apply directly through Google – always use a friend or creator's referral link. If you are interested in supporting this show when you apply for your next card, check out geobreezetravel.com/cards Chase Sapphire Preferred:https://milevalue.com/creditcards/chase-sapphire-preferred/?aff=gbt You can find Sierra at: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highsierrapoints You can find Julia at: Start here: https://www.geobreezetravel.com/starthere Website: https://www.geobreezetravel.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geobreezetravel Credit card links: https://www.geobreezetravel.com/cards Masterclasses: https://www.geobreezetravel.com/hangouts Patreon to access recordings of masterclasses: https://www.patreon.com/geobreezetravel Award travel coaching call: https://www.geobreezetravel.com/calendly Sign up for the newsletter and get exclusive access to sign up for free coaching calls: https://www.geobreezetravel.com/free-coaching Geobreeze Travel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as milevalue .com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress .com to learn more.

Listen as we talk with about the journey of living life more authentically! Sierra's social media: IG: @sierratamirin Business Page: @sacredbodybeads Share, Follow, and Subscribe! @Visibilitythepodcast

Hello everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

In this episode Nicole and Sarah chat with Jillian (Jilly) Woody and Kristina Toscano about their blend of being an Army Officer in the National Guard and a leader in their civilian jobs. We enjoy sweet and giggly conversations and Nicole accidentally calls Kristina the wrong name; so enjoy the fun start before we dive into the nitty gritty about seeking mentorship and being a female leader in the Army. We talk about: Army and civilian experience Experience with mentorship Obtaining / asking for a mentor Personal desire to find a mentor of the same gender or ethnicity Desired attributes to develop through mentorship Advice for new leadersSarah was busy after-hours in her current role of being a Platoon Leader so you'll hear her pop on and off as much as she could while we were recording. Mad respect to her for juggling so much all in one day! This episode was sparked as a follow-up to a focus group that we hosted during the Basic Officer Leadership Course where 10 female junior Army Officers discussed their perceptions of mentorship; how to obtain/ask for a mentor; and qualities to strive for as a leader. HUGE thank you to all of the women who participated in the original focus group: Lauren Brunner, Lauren Shappell, Anna Tayas, Jamie Wise, Alisha Anderson, and Sierra Smith. Biographies:Jillian (Jilly) Woody is a wife, friend, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete and Los Angeles resident. She is currently serving as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the California National Guard and has been a “Ground Medical Evacuation Platoon Leader” for 18 months. She holds a B.S. degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Health Professions, and also has a Minor in Leadership Studies. She has a passion for people, justice and the need for quality leadership in every organization. Kristina Toscano was born and raised in Rockland County, NY with her parents and two siblings. She comes from a close knit Italian family who for the most part are all still located in the greater New York area. She received her undergraduate education in Athletic Training from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and her graduate education in Physician Assistant Studies from South University in Savannah, GA. She's currently living in Savannah, GA. She direct commissioned into the Georgia Army National Guard in December of 2018 about 6 months after graduating PA school. She's been lucky to be in several leadership positions from my undergraduate career and extending into her professional career. She was a resident assistant while at Northeastern University for 2 years; she was co-president of South University’s interviewing and mentorship club; she's been PL and class leader during both her DCC course and BOLC course respectively; and presently she's PL for her medical section in her National Guard unit. Eventually, she would like to take on a leadership role in her civilian position with a student, but perhaps that might be another 2-3 years down the road. You can reach us at:Website: https://earfulofleadership.buzzsprout.com/ Email: earful.of.leadership@gmail.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/earful.of.leadership/This podcast was inspired by: Military Mentors, Militarymentors.orgSpecial thank you to your first sponsor: LTC Eskelund Disclaimer: Earful of Leadership is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Defense or any Military component. The views expressed are those of the host and the content of this podcast is not meant to provide any legal or medical advice.

What up fired gang! Today kicks off the first episode of SIGF’s month-long series titled, THE PEOPLE, and we’ll be comin’ at ya with 2 episodes each week! Today we welcome back SIGF alum, Sierra Smith! We talk Tommy the Clown, knowing your black history, growing up with Tyler Perry, Stormé Delarverie, and celebrating the joy of blackness. Guest: @airysmith Get Active: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fpdRY5fwoyt04Il6y9bToWjv4wUaIoMAQERoE2A140U/edit?usp=sharing ******* Have a question? Wanna share your fired stories? Wanna just say hi? Email us or give us a call! Email: soigotfiredpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @soigotfired IG: @soigotfired Twitter: @_soigotfired Phone: (424) 256-6189 Web: https://www.soigotfired.com/ Gang: @marriahbob @joshyxboi @1k3muzik @__angelfacee Original music by @1k3muzik

Alcohol is EVERYWHERE – there is nowhere to hide. But drinking is legal-so what’s the big deal? The issue is when you drink and drive. The question at the beginning of the day should be – how will I get home after I drink? Today, Margot discusses 5 cases where a military member made one idiotic decision to get behind the wheel of a 3k pound death mobile while intoxicated that resulted in someone’s death. The prison sentences were reasonably lengthy and for good reason. Dig in with Margot as she discusses the cases against Marine Elijah Ferguson, Airman Lane Wyatt, Airman Anjelika Faul, Soldier Jesse Evans Jr., and Monty Janes (military branch unknown). In these cases, Margot will also discuss the resulting tragic deaths of Dr. Michael Sein, 20-year old Citari Townes-Sweatt, Retired-MSgt Michael David Brown, college students Kimberly Brin and Sierra Smith, and Soldier Michael Tungate. If you or anyone you know needs help finding local helping agencies for mental health or substance abuse, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. The call is FREE and confidential and they can be reached 24/7, 365 days a year. -----Read about Military Murder Podcast as featured in Task & Purpose: https://taskandpurpose.com/military-murder-podcast-margot-crime Claim your FREE podcast STICKER*! -(1) Subscribe, rate and leave a written review -(2) Sign up for our Newsletter by emailing militarymurderpodcast@gmail.com and giving us your review name (so we can confirm your entry) and providing us with a good mailing address for the sticker! *while supplies lastAll sources for this episode can be found at https://militarymurderpodcast.com/episode-10-murder-x6-dui-murdersAlso, visit https://militarymurderpodcast.com/submit-case-recommendation if you have case recommendations.Follow on social:Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/militarymurderpodcast Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@militarymurder Facebook: https://facebook.com/militarytruecrime Email: militarymurderpodcast@gmail.com Support the show (https://www.militarymurderpodcast.com/donate-2)

Small business owners know running your own business takes a lot of work. After all, you’re the CEO, CMO, and the chief of…well, anything that comes up that day. That means the behind-the-scenes work can sometimes overtake the time you get to spend serving clients.We sat down with Sierra Smith, founder of Hair By Sierra, to hear how she uses technology to reclaim her time. According to her, the software helped her regain valuable time outside of work with her family and allows her to focus on serving hundreds of clients.Hair By Sierra in Fresno, California focuses on coloring and color correction. Specializing in balayage, Sierra says her business attracts clients in dire need of fixing less-skilled dye jobs.

This episode of the Good Neighbear discusses diversity, leadership, redemption, and advocacy work around sexual assault with Baylor student, Sierra Smith.

Have you ever lived with someone who has terrible shoe odor? Living in close quarters with shoe odor can be a really unbearable situation, so what is the solution? Taylor Wiegele joins the podcast to talk about his shoe odor solution, Zorpads. Taylor received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He’s spent time in retail at Target Corporation, consumer goods at The Clorox Company, and aerospace at SpaceX. Bringing all of this experience to the table, Taylor and his business partner, Sierra Smith, founded Zorpads. In our conversation, Taylor talks about his experience on Shark Tank, tips he has for fellow inventors, challenges they’ve faced along the way, what it takes to get press coverage, and much more. Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Taylor and Zorpads. How Zorpads fights shoe odor. Is shoe odor really that big of an issue? Can you build a whole business and brand around solving shoe odor? If you think about it, your shoes turn into a Dutch Oven over time as smell builds up. Most of the odor is caused by sweat that has nowhere to go! That’s where Zorpads come in; these pads have an insane amount of odor-absorbing surface area for sucking up bad smells. Zorpads are long lasting too; they can be used over the course of sixty wears. If you’d like to know more about the impressive technology that goes into each Zorpads product, make sure to check out their website located in the resources section. Appearing on Shark Tank. Most entrepreneurs and innovators dream of getting the chance to pitch their product on Shark Tank. Is the opportunity really all it’s hyped up to be? Are there any tips for getting a shot to appear on Shark Tank or making the most of that opportunity? Taylor Wiegele was kind enough to take the time to open up about his Shark Tank experience. Taylor and his business partner, Sierra leveraged their network and contacts with anyone who had ever connected with Shark Tank in any way to send in a recommendation for them to appear on the show. Fortunately, their efforts paid off, and by the time they were able to sit down with producers, they had already heard about Zorpads from multiple sources. Get the full story from Taylor on this episode! Raise more money than you think you’ll need. There are so many challenges to get a startup off the ground and functioning. Many entrepreneurs don’t have the margin in their budget to pay themselves for years. Looking back on his journey with Zorpads, Taylor Wiegele encourages innovators to aim for raising more money than they think they’ll need. The truth is, costs grow and variables arise that you can’t foresee when you first start your journey. If you go in with the knowledge that you’ll need even more funds than you think, you’ll be better prepared for whatever comes your way. Learn more helpful insights like this one from Taylor’s story by listening to this informative episode! Key Takeaways [1:05] Taylor Wiegele joins the podcast to talk about his product, Zorpads. [4:45] What were the challenges of developing Zorpads? [6:30] Why it’s important to delay manufacturing as long as possible. [8:30] Taylor talks about why they didn’t launch their product via crowdfunding. [10:00] Tips for getting press attention and how to pitch your product. [12:30] Taylor opens up about the Shark Tank experience. [15:20] What would Taylor change about his product launch? [16:30] Taylor enters the Launch Round; rapid-fire questions. [18:00] Why you should check out Zorpads. Links Mark Cuban Help A Reporter Out (HARO) Blake Mycoskie The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth Shark Tank Connect With Zorpads Zorpads Zorpads on Shark Tank Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save,

This week I sit down with Sierra Smith and we chat about what it means to be vulnrable.

Sierra Smith shares a student’s perspective on episode 199 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.  

In today's show the hosts will first discuss some juicy gossip about Mary J Blige, the final four results, the ATL bridge collapsing and much more! Then we will finish with an exclusive "In The Mix" interview with Sierra Smith, a dope entreprenur painter who is well know across the country. Her artwork has been purchased by a few celebrity rappers! Tune in as the hosts will put you in the mix! Like us on Facebook @inthemixonlineradio Twitter @InTheMix__ and IG @inthemix_onlineradio  

On this weeks episode we finally got some girl power in the Lounge as we were joined by Richmond artist Sierra Smith. She shared her artistic influences, dealing with crazy dudes, we all shared our corniest dates ever, and Sierra blessed us with some of her favorite accomplishments. Be sure to Listen, Like, Repost, Comment, and Share! Follow Beastly's Lounge on Twitter/IG: @BeastlysLounge

Host Ben Rice returns for the grand opening of Crooked Lane Brewing in Auburn, CA, to catch up with his episode 3 guests, founders Paul Schilling, Kirt Braun, Adrian Psuty, and Teresa Psuty, along with Nu Boonkham of Auburn Thai Garden. When we first spoke with this crew, the building had recently been determined and they were, hopefully, a year away from opening. We sipped on some of their soon-to-be mainstays, made on a small garage kit, and talked of hopes and dreams. And now we're back to discuss the overwhelming reality of that vision, three years in the making. We discuss the trials and tribulations faced in the last year, gathering a local following, forming a work unit, the feeling of selling out a beer on opening night, plus women in the brewing industry (featuring a special guest appearance by bar manager Sierra Smith) and what the future holds after this strong open. Enjoy! Also, don't forget to go to Crooked Lane's Beer Dump Party, featuring food, beer, and dunk tanks, as they dump an English brown not fit for human consumption. That will be Sunday, Sept. 11. This episode is brought to you by the California Craft Beer Summit, taking place in Sacramento September 8 through 10. Find more information at califoriacraftbeer.com and buy tickets at eventbrite.com. Follow Crooked Lane Brewing @crookedlanebrew Enjoy Auburn Thai Garden's delicious Instagram @AuburnTG For beer, podcast updates, and more, follow Barley & Me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @barleyandmepod For those interested, host Ben Rice's personal Twitter is @comedianbenrice Intro: "JamRoc" by Breez (@4proaudio) Logo by Jessica DiMesio @a_living_cliche)

Hear the story read by the author.In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm. A few months ago, the church served as the location for a short film shoot. The film, “Old, New, Undead, Blue,” was the story of zombies attacking a wedding. It was written and directed by fifteen-year-old Tabitha Dunkleman. Her best friend, Katie O'Donnell, starred as the bride. Katie's father, Henry O'Donnell, happened to be senior pastor of the church, which was how they'd gotten permission to film there. Several other congregants were also involved the production, so Pastor O'Donnell offered to hold the movie's premiere at the church as well. In truth, he was terribly proud of Katie. Though he might not have been so enthusiastic if he'd actually seen the film. Tabitha had gotten more than just footage out of the shoot. Ben, a boy from school who made the props and did the zombie make-up, had kissed her after they'd wrapped. Tabitha had never had a boyfriend before, and she wasn't actually sure if that's what Ben was. She invited him to help her with the editing, hoping to find out. Katie came over to help as well, but quickly became bored and spent most of the time texting her boyfriend, Alex. When she wasn't texting Alex she was talking about how great their relationship was. That made Tabitha a little uncomfortable since she was so unsure of her own relationship status with Ben. The three of them met every night that first week, Tabitha and Ben editing while Katie fiddled with her phone and talked about her boyfriend. But when Katie found out Tabitha intended to create the film's score on Friday evening, she moaned and said, “I'm supposed to go bowling with Alex.” “I'm free,” Ben said. “You're always free,” Katie snapped. She didn't particularly like Ben. “Friday night is date night. You know what they say about all work and no play.” “Go on your date,” Tabitha said. “Ben and I can do the score by ourselves.” Frankly, she was a little relieved not to have Katie around as a distraction. Katie called Tabitha Saturday afternoon. Tabitha was in the middle of color timing a shot to make the zombies look more bloodless and was only half listening as Katie told her about her date. Then Katie said, “You know Alex is on the school newspaper. He suggested he could write an article about the film and the premiere.” That got Tabitha's attention. “That would be awesome! Tell him I'll email him some thoughts to make his job easier.” Tabitha was not impressed with Alex's writing skills and didn't want to leave the content of the article to chance. “Cool,” Katie said. “Hey, do you need me tonight?” “Not at all,” Tabitha replied. “You go out and have fun with Alex.” Despite not having Katie as a distraction, the pace of the postproduction work did not pick up appreciably. Now that Tabitha and Ben were alone every night, the editing sessions often devolved into make-out sessions. Fortunately, Ben had an 11 p.m. curfew, so Tabitha was able to work uninterrupted after that. When 10:45 came on the Thursday two nights before the premiere, Tabitha gently suggested maybe Ben should stay home the following night. “I've still got a ton of things to do before the premiere and I think I'll work faster alone.” Ben smiled as he rubbed lip balm on his chapped lips. “Okay. See you Saturday.” Tabitha turned her attention to mocking up a poster for the movie that featured Katie screaming as mottled grey arms reached out toward her. A little before midnight Tabitha's phone buzzed. The caller ID indicated it was Katie. Tabitha let it go to voicemail. She just had too much work to do. The school newspaper came out every Friday morning, and Tabitha rushed to get a copy as soon as she arrived on campus. She went through it three times looking for Alex's article but couldn't find it. Tabitha found Katie at her locker. “Where's the article?” Tabitha asked. “I guess Alex decided not to run it,” Katie said. “What?!” Tabitha exploded. Her lack of sleep had made her more emotional than normal. “The premiere is tomorrow! This was the last chance to get the word out!” “Oh who cares,” Katie cried. “It's just a stupid movie.” She slammed the locker door and stormed off. Tabitha watched her go, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. A stupid movie? Did Katie not understand what this meant to Tabitha? Perhaps it had started as just a fun hobby, but the more Tabitha worked on it, the more she became convinced that she had found her calling. She was going to be a filmmaker. And this was her big debut. If it went badly, her career might be over before it started. Tabitha spent the rest of the day fuming over Katie's betrayal. Except for the fifty minutes of social studies class. She slept through that. Tabitha was still fuming that night. She had intended to spend the evening redoing the sound effect of a zombie bridesmaid munching on a groomsmen's leg. It didn't have the level crunchiness that she wanted. But if Katie thought this was only a “stupid movie,” she didn't deserve to be the center of the poster. So Tabitha mocked up a new one that featured a four-year-old zombie, played by Sierra Smith, grinning happily in a pew. Pastor O'Donnell spent Saturday afternoon preparing the social hall for the premiere. He'd rented a digital projector and screen and set out a hundred folding chairs. He'd even created a red carpet out of butcher paper. If Tabitha had feared nobody would show up for the premiere, she had worried needlessly. Movie premieres were a rare event in Normal, even premieres of short films made by teenagers. And Pastor O'Donnell had encouraged the church's entire congregation to attend. A huge crowd filled the social hall. Meanwhile, the cast and crew gathered in the church office. Tabitha sat with Ben on one side of the room, while Katie sat on the other side, focused intently on her phone. When Sierra came in, she immediately ran to Tabitha. “My mommy got a reporter from the newspaper to come,” the four-year-old said excitedly. “The real newspaper?” Tabitha asked. “The Normal Chronicle,” Sierra's father replied. “We're friends with the movie reviewer.” “Wow, thanks so much!” Tabitha said. Then added loudly, “It's nice to have such great support from the cast.” She glanced toward Katie who was texting and gave no sign of having heard. Pastor O'Donnell stuck his head in. “It's time.” The cast and crew walked the makeshift red carpet one at a time to revel in the applause and camera flashes from friends and family. Sierra sent the photographers into a frenzy of delight when she did her zombie face. Finally only Katie and Tabitha were left in the office. They eyed each other with malevolent expectation. “Go ahead,” Tabitha snapped. “People are waiting.” “I'm the star,” Katie said. “I should go last.” “It's my film,” Tabitha replied. “I'm going last.” “Fine.” Katie stomped out. Tabitha was startled to see Katie swipe a tear from her eye as she left. Suddenly Tabitha regretted giving Katie such a hard time. After all, her father had done a magnificent job with the premiere. A huge cheer went up when Tabitha made her entrance. She tried to look dignified and serious, but her mouth insisted on curling into a silly grin. She'd never had a crowd cheer for her before. The pastor had reserved the front row for the cast and crew. Ben was saving Tabitha a seat in the center. Katie sat on the end by herself. And that was when it occurred to Tabitha that Alex wasn't present. “Did Alex sit in back?” Tabitha whispered to Ben as she took her seat. “Katie didn't tell you?” Ben asked. “It's been all over school. He dumped her.” Tabitha was so stunned she simply stared at Ben, speechless. And then the lights went down. The audience's mood was boisterous. There were cheers for every name in the opening credits. Laughter of recognition broke out at the sight of the church. And when the first zombie lurched out of a doorway to bite an unsuspecting bridesmaid in the neck, the audience screamed. Tabitha's grin returned. As more victims met their fate, however, the audience grew quiet, though the sight of Sierra as the zombie ring bearer chewing on a severed arm did elicit a loud gasp. When the end credits rolled, the audience sat in silence. “They hated it,” Tabitha whispered to Ben as the lights came up. “They couldn't have,” Ben said. “It was awesome.” Pastor O'Donnell stepped to the front of the social hall. He looked pale and nervous. “I'd like to introduce you to the filmmaker behind this, um, film. Tabitha Dunkleman.” Tabitha swallowed hard, forced herself to smile, and went to the front of the room. As she took the microphone from the pastor, Katie let out a whoop and began clapping enthusiastically. After a moment's pause, the other cast and crew joined in, and soon the whole room was applauding. “Thank you,” Tabitha said. “And thanks to Pastor O'Donnell for letting us shoot in the church and for organizing this awesome premiere. I need to thank my cast and crew who worked very hard and did an awesome job. But most of all, I have to thank my star and best friend, Katie. I would not be up here if it weren't for her. Come up here, Katie.” Katie stepped shyly forward. Tabitha pulled her to the front of the room and gave her a big hug. “I'm sorry I was such a bitch,” Tabitha whispered as Pastor O'Donnell snapped photos. “That's okay,” Katie replied. “You were just being a director.” The next day Tabitha was up before dawn, waiting anxiously for the paperboy. When the Normal Chronicle finally landed in their driveway, she quickly found the article on page twelve titled, “Local Teen Makes Zombie Film.” Her worst fears were realized. The reviewer clearly hadn't liked the film, calling it, “disturbing in its heartlessness.” She did say Tabitha showed amazing technical skill for a teenager, but expressed hope that she would apply that skill to more human stories as she got older. Katie called Tabitha a short time later. “I saw the article,” Katie said. “I'm sorry.” “That's all right,” Tabitha replied. “I guess I'm not cut out to be a filmmaker after all.” “Ah, what do they know? It's just some cheesy small town paper.” “Hey, do you want to get some brunch?” Tabitha asked. An hour later, Katie and Tabitha were devouring eggs and sausage at the diner, and Katie was telling Tabitha all about her breakup with Alex. The film didn't come up once. But when Tabitha got home, she found an email from a horror film festival in Pittsburgh. They had seen the article and thought “Old, New, Undead, Blue” sounded like just the kind of edgy material they were looking for. They invited her to submit and even waived the entry fee. Tabitha quickly made a DVD to send, using the original poster of Katie for the box cover. Ultimately the film got accepted and was runner up for “Best Short Featuring Undead Characters.” But by then Tabitha had already started planning her next film: the story of cannibals who invade a newspaper office.

Hear the story read by the author.In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm. Recently, fifteen-year-old Tabitha Dunkleman found herself sitting in Pastor O'Donnell's office anxiously awaiting a decision on a request she had made. She was with her best friend Katie who also happened to be the pastor's daughter. Tabitha hoped that would make a difference. If the pastor didn't let her shoot in the church, there was no way she could make her short film. Tabitha had only recently decided she wanted to be a movie director. And the kinds of movies she wanted to make were horror movies. She'd written a short script about zombies attacking a wedding called “Old, New, Undead, Blue.” She'd asked Katie to star in it because Katie was her best friend. The fact that her father also happened to have access to a church was a bonus. Now they just needed him to say yes. “When did you want to do this?” O'Donnell asked. “A week from Friday,” Tabitha said. The pastor checked the church calendar. “Well, there's nothing scheduled for that Friday, but the Humpleman wedding is in the sanctuary on Saturday, so you'll have to make sure you leave everything the way you found it.” Tabitha grinned and swore they'd be extra careful. With their location secured, Tabitha spent the next ten days meticulously planning her shoot. On the designated Friday, the cast and crew gathered at the church after school. Tabitha had recruited a quiet boy named Ben from her art class to do the zombie make-up and effects. Tabitha knew that Katie thought Ben was creepy – he always wore black and drew bizarre pictures all over his notebooks. But creepy was just what Tabitha needed for her movie. Ben had been at work all week creating a crucial prop for the film – a severed arm. When he unveiled it to Katie and Tabitha they both took an involuntary step back in disgust. “That's not real, is it?” Katie asked. Ben laughed. “Of course not. It's made of latex and gel. I found a video online that showed how to create realistic body part props.” Tabitha smiled. “This movie is going to be awesome.” Ben began doing make-up on the actors who were to play zombies while the crew set up the camera and equipment. The crew consisted of two people – Tabitha and cinematographer Becky Goodhart, a twelve-year-old member of the church whose primary qualification was that her parents owned a top-of-the-line digital video camera. It took longer than Tabitha anticipated to set up the gear, but they still finished before the make-up was done. Tabitha checked her watch nervously. She called Ben aside to ask what was taking so long. “It's the little girl you got to play the ring bearer,” he told her. “Her dad's made me redo her make-up three times.” Tabitha had cast Sierra Smith, a five-year-old girl from the church, to play the part of a zombie ring bearer. Her father, Arthur, was certain Sierra would be a movie star some day. Either that or President. At first, Ben had just dusted Sierra with powder to make her pale and smeared dark eye shadow under her eyes. But Arthur noticed how much gorier the other zombies were, and insisted Ben make Sierra similarly gruesome. So Ben added gaping wounds on her cheeks and forehead. But when Arthur saw this, he worried that when Hollywood agents saw the film, as he was sure they would, they wouldn't be able to tell how cute Sierra was. So Ben tried to split the difference, but the result was neither horrific enough nor cute enough to satisfy Arthur. “None of my books explain how to do make-up that's both horrifying and cute,” Ben confided to Tabitha. While Ben reworked Sierra's make-up for a fourth time, Tabitha decided to shoot some of the scenes with the non-zombie characters. Katie was starring as the bride. She had convinced her boyfriend, Alex, to play the groom. The idea of dressing up in a wedding dress and marrying Alex in the church thrilled Katie, even if it was just pretend. They began with a scene where the groom professes his love for the bride as the zombies close in. Katie was terrific, but Alex couldn't seem to remember his lines. Or rather he remembered them, but never in the proper order. After fourteen takes, Tabitha suggested the two take a break so Alex could study his script some more. They were now two and a half hours behind schedule and hadn't gotten a single shot. Tabitha was starting to worry that she wouldn't even finish the film. Tabitha went to check on the status of Sierra's make-up. She was pleased to discover that Arthur had finally approved a look – basically the same pale, hollow eyed effect Ben had started with. They set up for the shot of the zombie ring bearer chowing down on the fake arm. Unfortunately, when Sierra saw the arm, she began to cry. It took half an hour to convince her it wasn't real, and another half-hour to get her to pretend to bite it. When they finally did get Sierra to chew on the arm, it was delightfully disturbing. Tabitha's confidence returned in a flood – only to abandon her just as quickly when they tried a shot of Sierra shuffling up the aisle. Sierra did a very convincing undead shuffle, but could only go two steps before breaking into a giggle. Tabitha did her best to demonstrate a proper zombie moan, but it only made Sierra laugh more. Tabitha decided to give Sierra a break and return to the bride and groom scene. She found Alex running lines with Ben. “How's it going?” she asked. “Great,” Alex replied. “Ben's going to be the groom. He's a much better actor than I am.” Tabitha looked at her watch. She was almost four hours behind schedule. “Fine,” she said. “So you'll tell Katie, right?” Alex said. “Why me?” Tabitha asked. “You're the director.” Tabitha went to break the news to Katie. Her star was not pleased. “Ben's a nerd!” Katie hissed. “Nobody will believe I'd marry someone like that.” “They will because you're such a great actress,” Tabitha replied. She was a natural at dealing with actors. It took quite a bit more buttering up, but finally Katie agreed to do the scene with Ben. They got into position and Tabitha called, “Action.” At first it didn't go very well. Ben was indeed a fine actor, but when he took Katie's hand, she wrinkled her nose as though he were already undead. And when he went to kiss her, the rest of Katie's face scrunched up just like her nose. But then something happened. As the kiss lingered, Katie relaxed into it. When she and Ben separated, Katie stared at him slack jawed. “Cut!” Tabitha yelled. “Katie, that's your line.” “Sorry,” Katie mumbled. “From the top,” Tabitha ordered. “Action.” This time, the romantic tension was electric. Tabitha got so caught up in the scene, she forgot to call cut until Becky nudged her. “That was amazing!” Tabitha shouted. “I bet we win awards for this film.” When Ben went to put on zombie make-up for his next scene, Katie pulled Tabitha aside. “It wasn't as bad as I thought,” she whispered. “Don't tell Alex, but Ben is an excellent kisser. Alex is kind of… slobbery.” Tabitha went to see if Sierra had gotten over her giggles. She found the little girl curled up on one of the pews asleep, using the fake severed arm as a pillow. “It's an hour past her bedtime,” Arthur said apologetically. “I guess we can cut that shot out of the movie,” Tabitha said with a sigh. Just when things were going so well. Arthur apologized again and gently shook Sierra. “Time to go home, honey.” Sierra climbed to her feet and staggered out into the aisle, her eyes glassy and half-closed and her mouth hanging open loosely. She looked just like the walking dead. “Start rolling,” Tabitha hissed to Becky. They got the shot. It was now 11:00 p.m. and there were still several scenes left to shoot. Becky's mom had come to pick her up, but Tabitha convinced her to let Becky stay a while longer by offering her the hastily added part of the bride's mother. They were setting up for the last scene, the tragic revelation that the groom had become a zombie, when Becky's mom finally ran out of patience. She insisted Becky come home, but did agree to let the camera stay behind. Alex took over as cinematographer. At 3:00 a.m. Tabitha finally sighed, “That's a wrap.” Only she, Katie, Alex, and Ben were left to clean up. Tabitha was so exhausted she no longer cared whether the film was any good, she was just happy to be finished. Ben, however, was still full of energy. As Tabitha was making a final sweep of the sanctuary picking up props, he jumped out at her from between the pews, still in his zombie make-up, growling. Tabitha was too tired to be startled, so she just chuckled. “Is that how you react when the undead tries to bite you,” Ben said, pretending to pout. “Better be careful,” Tabitha replied. “I might just bite back.” And then she kissed him. A second later she pulled away, her face flushing. “I don't know why I did that,” she stammered. “I guess… Katie told me you were a good kisser.” “Do you agree?” Ben asked. Tabitha felt herself blush even deeper but couldn't muster an answer. “Well, I think you're a pretty good kisser,” Ben said with a smile and kissed her again. “A-hem!” It was Katie. She was looking at them in utter shock. Tabitha wiped Ben's monster make-up from around her mouth. “We were just—” “I saw what you were just,” Katie said. “Come on, I have to lock up and I'm tired.” The filmmakers headed home for some well-earned sleep. The next day Pastor O'Donnell was presiding over the Humpleman wedding when in the middle of his musings about the nature of commitment, someone let out a blood-curdling scream. It seemed the bride's aunt had discovered the fake severed arm that had been forgotten under one of the pews.Happy Halloween!--Don't forget to order your copy of L.O.L: Little Old Ladies!

Listen to the story read by the author.In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm.  Like most churches, this one has coffee hour every Sunday after service.  The various church groups rotate responsibility for hosting.  Some, like the women's group, bring elaborate homemade treats.  Others, like the young parents, put out a more humble spread of store bought snacks.  Most of the congregation barely notices as long as the coffee is hot and strong.  But when the men's group hosted recently, their refreshments had unintended consequences.Ralph Billings got blamed for the trouble.  Ralph considered himself a health food advocate.  Many in the congregation preferred the term “health nut.”  Whenever a group he was part of was scheduled to host coffee hour, Ralph would loudly lobby everyone to bring nutritional snacks.  Usually he was ignored.  Ralph would bring a heaping platter of fruits and vegetables, most of which would remain uneaten while the cookies, donuts and coffee cake others brought were reduced to plates of crumbs.  This bothered Ralph.  So when the men's group came up in the host rotation a few weeks ago, he hatched a plan to change things.Choir director Shane Reed, also an active member of the men's group, had his own agenda for coffee hours. Most of the men in the group brought store bought items if they brought anything.  Shane liked to bring something special that would surprise and delight people.This time he decided to bring something themed toward St. Patrick's Day, which was a few days earlier.  He found a recipe for chocolate mint cheesecake online.  It even had instructions for creating a green shamrock decoration on the top.  Shane was an excellent cook.  He wasn't stingy either – he made two cheesecakes so nobody would be left out.When Shane unveiled his creation to the other men while they were setting up before service, everyone oohed and ahhed jealously.  Ralph seemed to be most interested, questioning Shane at length about the recipe.  Then Ralph went away briefly and returned with an index card on which he'd written, “Chocolate Mint Cheesecake – 650 calories and 25g saturated fat per slice.”  He stuck it next to the cheesecakes.“What's this?” Shane asked.“The nutritional information for your lovely desert,” Ralph said.  “I think it's helpful that people know what they're eating, don't you?”Shane couldn't really think of a good objection, though he tried hard.  As other people put out their snacks, Ralph noted the nutritional content of each on an index card.  He got the information either from the packaging of store bought items or by consulting a big book of food statistics.  Of course Ralph's plate of carrot sticks, celery and grapes fared best.When the congregation poured into the social hall after the service, Missy Moore was one of the first in line.  “Your cheesecake looks gorgeous,” she told Shane.“You'll have to let me know how it tastes,” he said.“Oh, I can't,” Missy replied.  “Have to watch my waistline, you know.”  She then piled a plate high with carrot sticks and crackers.Jill Boyer herded her daughters Mary, age four, and Susie, age two, into the refreshment line.  When Mary saw the cheesecake, her eyes got big and she reached out to swipe a finger through the shamrock decoration.  Jill grabbed her hand and said, “Mary, don't.  I'll get you some.”Four year-old Sierra Smith and her father Arthur were in line behind them.  “May I have some cake?” Sierra asked.  Arthur looked at the index card.  “I'm sorry, honey.  It's not good for you.  Have some grapes.”Jill's face reddened.  Arthur had this strange ability to continually make her feel like a bad parent.  But she had already cut a piece and couldn't very well deny her girls at this point without inducing a nuclear level tantrum.  So she cut the slice in half and split it between two plates.  She then piled carrots onto the plates and instructed the girls to eat the vegetables before the cheesecake.  They did not follow her instructions, but by then Arthur and Sierra had moved on so it didn't really matter.One person who didn't care about the nutritional content of the cheesecake was Pastor Henry O'Donnell.  Unfortunately his wife Jennifer was not so blasé.  Henry was positioning the knife to cut a nice big slice when she cleared her throat behind him.  “Remember your diet,” she said.  Henry sighed and moved the knife over an inch.  Jennifer cleared her throat again.  Henry slid the knife over even further.  The wafer of cheesecake was so thin it fell apart as he lifted it onto a plate.“Whose brilliant idea was it to set out those index cards?” Henry grumbled.“Mine,” Ralph said proudly.  He happened to be standing near the end of the table.  “Isn't it great?  I'm going to do the same thing with the women's group bake sale next week.”As word of this pronouncement spread, it was not well received.  The women's group bake sale was among the church's biggest mission fundraisers of the year.  With coffee hour winding down, everyone took note of how Shane's cheesecakes remained mostly uneaten while Ralph's vegetables were completely gone.  Obviously Ralph had succeeded in his goal.  Knowledge was power.An informal huddle of the women's group convened in a corner of the social hall.  There was some question as to whether Ralph had the authority to stick his nose into the bake sale.  This was countered, however, by the concern that if they tried to stop him it would look like they were hiding something.“I guess we'd better make healthy items this year,” Missy said.  “People don't want fattening deserts anymore.  Just look at the refreshment table.”Seventy-year-old Henrietta Miggins, president of the women's group, harrumphed. “We'll see,” she growled.  She had nothing against nutrition but she was not about to let Ralph Billings control her.  She went to get a nice big slice of cheesecake to prove her point.The next week Henrietta was not present when the women were setting up for the bake sale.  This caused considerable concern.  It was unlike Henrietta to shirk her responsibilities.  Someone was even dispatched to her house to make sure she was all right, but there was no sign of her.After service, the congregation perused the selection of bran muffins, sugarless oatmeal cookies and low fat brownies the women had made.  Ralph was true to his word, calculating the calories and fat in each item based on the ingredients.  The results indicated that everything was indeed quite healthy, though it's possible a few of the bakers may have fudged the amounts of butter or sugar used – inadvertently, of course.Sales, however, were slow.  Jill's whole wheat pineapple cake just didn't draw the enthusiasm of the double chocolate peanut butter brownies she'd brought last year.Missy, who was manning the cash register, muttered, “This is a disaster.”“Must be the economy,” Ralph observed.“Looks like Henrietta was right,” Jill sighed.  “People do prefer the unhealthy baked goods.”Ralph decided he better do something if he wanted the nutritional information to become a regular feature of church events.  He wandered along the table loudly admiring all the items.  He stopped at Missy's vegan pumpkin cookies.“Only seventy-five calories each and no fat!” he exclaimed.  “And they look so good.  I'll take ‘em.”  As soon as he'd paid, he pulled back the plastic wrap and popped a cookie in his mouth.“Mmmmm…” he said as he chewed.  “Delicious.”  He smiled, but there were suspicious tears forming in the corners of his eyes.  He swallowed.  “So good I'm going to save the rest for later.”Then Henrietta arrived carrying a large box.“Where were you?” Missy asked.  “We were worried.”Henrietta didn't answer.  Instead, she opened the box and took out six apple tarts, twice the number she usually brought for the bake sale.“What's in those,” Ralph asked.  “I need to calculate the nutritional information.”“This is a secret family recipe,” Henrietta huffed. “But all the items for sale have their nutritional information listed,” Ralph protested.“These won't,” Henrietta said.There was a murmur of excitement among the gathered crowd.  Missy asked, “How much are we charging for them?”“That depends,” Henrietta replied.  “This year I think I'll auction them to the highest bidder.”That proved a brilliant move.  All the tarts went for many times their usual price.  Pastor O'Donnell paid the most – $105.00 for a single tart.  It was for a good cause, he reasoned.  In the end, the women's group raised more total money with this year's bake sale than ever before.The following Sunday the young adult bible study hosted coffee hour.  There was no nutritional information provided.  Ralph was not part of the bible study and besides, after the bake sale he had been unable to find his nutrition book.Shane Reed was part of the bible study and he brought homemade fudge.  It was gone in twenty minutes.  Pastor O'Donnell had twelve pieces.  Shane was glad there were no leftovers.  He still had an entire cheesecake in his freezer.A note to my readers:  I have traditionally published a Little Church Story on this blog every two weeks.  From this point forward I am reducing my blog publication schedule to once a month.  This is in order for me to spend more time on other Little Church projects like The Christmas Tree Lot book.  Thank you for your support for The Little Church Stories!

Hear the story read by the author.(This is part two of two.  To read part I click here or scroll down)In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm.  This year the church decided to have a Valentine's Day dance – but not everyone present was excited to be there. Senior Pastor Henry O'Donnell's daughter Katie had agreed to do childcare, but only because her boyfriend, Alex, had dumped her a couple days earlier, killing her Valentine's Day plans.  And Associate Pastor Michelle Tellum's boyfriend, Ian, was performing at the dance with his jazz band.  This meant that Michelle and Ian had had to eat their Valentine's Day dinner early and skip desert.  Not Michelle's idea of a romantic holiday.Michelle sat at a table with the girls who were dating the other members of Ian's band.  They complained about the lack of alcohol at the church event while Michelle sulked and watched the couples dancing.  She was surprised to discover choir director Shane Reed was an excellent swing dancer.  He and his girlfriend Audra Park spun around the floor making everyone else look bad.  Michelle thought Ian was pretty sexy when he performed, but at the moment she was feeling a little jealous of Audra.Meanwhile, down in the Sunday school room, Katie listened to sad songs on her MP3 player while the kids built a makeshift city out of blocks.  The Boyer sisters, Mary, age four, and Susie, age two, were there, as was Sierra Smith, another four-year-old from Mary's Sunday school class.  Audra's son Tyler was the only boy present if you didn't count the baby, Scott Lopez, who was asleep in a crib.  After a while, Mary looked up from the tower she was building and noticed tears running down Katie's cheeks.  Mary nudged Sierra.  They weren't used to seeing someone Katie's age cry.  The two girls went over to investigate.“Why are you sad?” Mary asked.“Because boys are all big, lying jerks,” Katie said.“I don't like boys either,” Mary agreed.“Good,” Katie replied.  “All they ever do is make you cry.”  Then she put her head down on the desk, turned up her music, and moaned miserably.Mary and Sierra were not quite sure how to react.  Tyler came over to see what was going on.“Go away, Tyler,” Sierra said.  “You're a boy and all boys are lying jerks.”“Take that back!” Tyler replied angrily.“Get out of here,” Mary said.  “You'll make Katie cry even worse.”Tyler was not sure how he'd gotten blamed for Katie's weeping, but he wasn't about to let two younger girls tell him what to do.  “Make me,” he said.Mary and Sierra immediately pounced on him.  Two-year-old Susie didn't know what was going on, but joined in the beating out of an innate sense of feminist sisterhood and a love of hitting things.  Tyler decided maybe letting the girls tell him what to do was better than having to admit they'd beaten him up.  He dashed out of the room with the three females chasing behind.Katie looked up just in time to see her charges escaping.  “Come back,” she shouted, but to no avail.  She quickly scooped the baby out of the crib and took off in pursuit.  Scott was not pleased to have his slumber disturbed.  He expressed his displeasure in loud wails.Up in the social hall, Shane and Audra were taking a break from their energetic dancing.  They got some refreshments and sat at the table next to Michelle's.  The band switched to a slow, romantic ballad.  Michelle watched all the couples dancing close and whispering to each other and felt her jealously like a knife in her heart.  It was Valentine's Day.  She should be dancing cheek to cheek with Ian, not sitting at a table with a bunch of whiny groupies.  She heard Shane ask Audra if she was ready to dance again.  “I need a few more minutes,” Audra laughed.  “You wore me out!”Michelle leaned over and asked, “If you need a break, do you think I could borrow Shane for a song?”Audra shrugged and nodded.  Michelle took Shane's hand and led him out to a spot directly in front of the band.  Shane put his hands on Michelle's waist.  She put her arms around his neck and pulled him close.  Shane's eyes widened in surprise as she pressed herself against him.Michelle snuck a peek at Ian.  He was staring at them with a troubled frown on his face.  Michelle leaned her head on Shane's shoulder to hide her satisfied smile.  She had finally gotten his attention.Shane had noticed Ian's troubled look as well.  And he'd noticed an equally troubled look on Audra's face.  But he didn't quite know what to do.  So he made sure to keep his hands nice and high on Michelle's back and tried not to look like he was enjoying himself.When the song ended, Ian grabbed the microphone and said, “Let's pick up the pace a bit.”  He instructed the band to play an upbeat Dixieland number.“Well, thanks for the dance,” Shane said to Michelle.“Aw, come on, one more,” Michelle replied.  As the band launched into their jaunty tune, she began bumping and grinding around him.  Shane tried to dance in a casual, disinterested way, but he had to admit Michelle had some pretty hot moves.Now more than just Ian and Audra were watching them.  Most of the congregation were not used to seeing one of their pastors behaving in such a manner.  Pastor O'Donnell knew Michelle was courting trouble and was about to intervene when the gaggle of kids burst through the door like a tornado.Tyler ducked under the refreshment table and out the other side.  Mary, Sierra and Susie followed in hot pursuit.  But somehow Mary caught the edge of the tablecloth on her barrette.  This upset the punch bowl, and punch sloshed across the floor.  Michelle had just completed a little spin.  She stepped back and slipped in the liquid, falling hard on her rear.The sight was so unexpected everyone burst out laughing in spite of themselves. Everyone, that is, except Ian.  He leapt down from the stage and ran to Michelle.“Are you okay?” he asked.Michelle looked down at her white dress now stained red with punch and cried “No!”  She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the room.“Go after her,” Shane said, giving Ian a nudge.  Ian took the advice.Baby Scott's wail announced Katie's arrival.  She looked at the aftermath of the disaster and her heart sank.  But everyone turned out to be quite sympathetic, especially the parents of the kids in question, who generally expected them to cause trouble.  They assisted Katie in rounding up the children while Shane found a mop to clean up the spill.Out in the hall Ian was trying to understand Michelle through her sobs.  He finally made out that she was disappointed they hadn't spent more time together that evening.  There was also something in there about chocolate cake.  Ian thought he understood.“Do you know why I didn't want to order desert at the restaurant?” he asked.“Because (sob) you needed to (sniff) set up your gear.”“No,” Ian said, “that was just an excuse.  I spent all day making a chocolate raspberry cheesecake.  I was going to take you back to my place after the dance and surprise you with it.”Michelle stopped crying.  “You cooked for me?”“Yeah.  It's probably not as good as that cake at the restaurant, but since I spent…” Ian had to table his thought as Michelle planted a big kiss on his mouth. When Katie marched her charges back down to the Sunday school room, she got a surprise of her own.  Alex was waiting for her.  “Can we talk?” he asked.Katie put the baby in the crib and told the other kids, “Do not leave this room under any circumstances.  Do you understand?”Mary, Sierra, Tyler and Susie returned to their toys while Alex and Katie spoke in urgent whispers in the hall.  After a while, Mary noticed the whispers had stopped.  She remembered that Katie had ordered her not to leave the room, but surely poking her head out the door wouldn't count.What she saw in the hall shocked her.  Katie was kissing Alex!  “I thought you said boys were lying jerks,” Mary blurted.Katie laughed.  “Maybe, but they're also pretty nice to kiss.”Mary returned to the classroom pondering this new piece of information.  She looked at Tyler who was racing some cars down the streets of the block city they'd built.  He didn't look like he would be all that great to kiss.  But Katie was older.  Maybe she knew what she was talking about.Thirty seconds later Tyler came barreling out of the room again, pursued by the three little girls.  He darted past Katie and Alex, up the stairs, and nearly knocked over Michelle and Ian who were making out in the hall.“Girls are crazy!” Tyler yelled.“Sure are,” Ian agreed.