Barely. Strangely, it doesn't take much for life to go from normal, comfortable, and settled to frantic, crazy, and unexpected.
Here's an update...more to keep myself up to date that you. I'm trying my hand at dating. That's exciting (right, Peter?). I'm working my last week of work at UWP. I haven't had any time to think about that yet, but I would imagine some time on Friday, my last day, it will catch up to me. So, ask me on Saturday how that went. I'm starting a brand new job on Tuesday. I have no idea what I'll be doing, wearing, or learning, but I'm sure it'll be fantastic. I'm looking for a new place to live in coordination with my new job. I have lots of numbers to call and not a lot of time to call them. My apartment was dirty, now it is clean. My shoes were worn, but not I have a new pair. And my life was nuts...and now it's more nuts.
So there it is. Call me sometime next year. Maybe I'll be sane and calm and settled, or maybe not. Got to love this crazy life! Is it possible to be exhausted and excited at the same time?
*Sigh*
*Snore*
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Dear Mom
Dear Mom,
Remember back to when I was in high school, and Mitch, and I were home together for some reason, and we found that spider in the closet? You know, that spider that was so big and gross it had made a web that covered the whole darn closet in an hour? That whiteish colored nasty spider that could have straddled a dollar bill and probably could have outrun me?
Now, I know I have a tendency to over exaggerate stories and blow things out of proportion. But I feel like I've got a pretty good grip on reality here. Remember how Mitch and I called you home from work in the middle of the afternoon to kill it because we were too chicken?
Well, I just wanted to tell you that Saturday I met that spider's cousin....in my bathroom. A giant light brownish long-legged thing was just hanging out above my shower. I wanted so badly to call you over to my bathroom to kill it for me, but that didn't seem logical. I thought about calling someone else, but it was 6:00 in the morning. So I went about the task of deciding how I should kill it, knowing no one would come to my rescue. I quickly grabbed the fly swatter, but it didn't seem to have quite enough distance between my hand and the animal hanging from my ceiling. I decided upon the vacuum. Not the little dust buster that charges in my windowsill. (I was told once that bugs can and do crawl back out of those.) No, no. I grabbed the big ol' vacuum and all its attachments. After a quick assembly of the long narrow tube, I stood at the bathroom door staring down my opponent for a good five minutes. I probably would have stood there for the whole day, but that darn thing started "running" toward me through its web like a man on a mission, and I got scared. Kill or be killed was my mentality, so I sucked the beast up.
So, Mom, the moral of this story is, I still need you and Dad. Not just to be my spider killers. I just like to have you around. So, don't stay away too long.
Love you!
Remember back to when I was in high school, and Mitch, and I were home together for some reason, and we found that spider in the closet? You know, that spider that was so big and gross it had made a web that covered the whole darn closet in an hour? That whiteish colored nasty spider that could have straddled a dollar bill and probably could have outrun me?
Now, I know I have a tendency to over exaggerate stories and blow things out of proportion. But I feel like I've got a pretty good grip on reality here. Remember how Mitch and I called you home from work in the middle of the afternoon to kill it because we were too chicken?
Well, I just wanted to tell you that Saturday I met that spider's cousin....in my bathroom. A giant light brownish long-legged thing was just hanging out above my shower. I wanted so badly to call you over to my bathroom to kill it for me, but that didn't seem logical. I thought about calling someone else, but it was 6:00 in the morning. So I went about the task of deciding how I should kill it, knowing no one would come to my rescue. I quickly grabbed the fly swatter, but it didn't seem to have quite enough distance between my hand and the animal hanging from my ceiling. I decided upon the vacuum. Not the little dust buster that charges in my windowsill. (I was told once that bugs can and do crawl back out of those.) No, no. I grabbed the big ol' vacuum and all its attachments. After a quick assembly of the long narrow tube, I stood at the bathroom door staring down my opponent for a good five minutes. I probably would have stood there for the whole day, but that darn thing started "running" toward me through its web like a man on a mission, and I got scared. Kill or be killed was my mentality, so I sucked the beast up.
So, Mom, the moral of this story is, I still need you and Dad. Not just to be my spider killers. I just like to have you around. So, don't stay away too long.
Love you!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Enough is Enough
At what point do we say, "Enough is enough!"? Well, I have a feeling that we've all already far surpassed that point. Think over this past six months. 2008 started out with massive amounts of snow, fog, and other strange and random weather events. The spring was short and fairly uneventful, but now summer is coming in like a raging lion that just got stung by a bee...and stepped on a thistle...and ate rotten meat....you get the idea.
I can never remember a year like this one. And I can honestly say that I've had enough. Today I sat on the floor in an interior hallway for forty minutes or so hiding from the threat of yet another tornado.
And I had to miss my first American Players Theater (check it out: www.playinthewoods.org) with Peter. We were both pretty bummed about that.
Summer is crabby, and so am I.
(Not even joking, as I was writing the last line, my power went--and stayed--out. Not funny.)
I can never remember a year like this one. And I can honestly say that I've had enough. Today I sat on the floor in an interior hallway for forty minutes or so hiding from the threat of yet another tornado.
And I had to miss my first American Players Theater (check it out: www.playinthewoods.org) with Peter. We were both pretty bummed about that.
Summer is crabby, and so am I.
(Not even joking, as I was writing the last line, my power went--and stayed--out. Not funny.)
Monday, June 09, 2008
What's the word to use here.....
Sunday was quite the eventful day for me. I went to church and was asked to sing lead for a set in the worship team. I can't say I'm all that big of a fan of singing lead. It's just a mental thing, I guess. Something about hearing only your voice reverberating back to you through an echoey sanctuary is unsettling. But I sucked it up and did it. And it was fine.
After church, I drove through the rain to Madison to spend time with Peter. We watched his brother play in an amazing band, Harmonious Wail, which I absolutely loved. Then we walked State Street, in one direction dry, in the other, in some sweet rain. We ate a snack at a Vietnamese restaurant, which was also great.
I met Peter's dad for the first time back at the house. And Peter was right, his parents are pretty cool. After re-meeting his mom (we had met in New Orleans once upon a time), we all went to church. This in itself was an experience.
Blackhawk church in Madison is like, as Peter described, an airport terminal. There is a big information desk in the middle, computer kiosks, coffee bars, a whole children's ministry wing, and more than one sanctuary. For a kid who grew up in a church of about 50 regular attenders, it was a lot to take in. After getting my barrings, the service started, a recording of the morning service. The topic of the sermon? Awkwardly enough, marriage. As Peter and I, extremely new to each other, sat between both his parents, neither of us looked at each other or either parent. It was just a strange moment full of good advice, but I don't think either of us knew how to take it. We laughed later about it just being...well....yeah.
After that, it was pouring like the dickens out of extremely ominous looking cloud formations. We decided to head back home and eat a pizza where it continued to rain and rain and rain. The radar was red and yellow everywhere, which is never a good sign. Just before 10:00, I decided that I should make a break for Belmont. And although I made it home safe and sound, I can't say that I exactly loved every minute of it. The blinding lightning and car shaking thunder with the occasional white-out-ish condition, made it just uncomfortable enough for white knuckles and a slight amount of perspiration.
Needless to say, this weekend was, well....yeah. It was....wonderful, strange, fun, scary, awkward, comfortable...what exactly is the word I'm looking for here....
After church, I drove through the rain to Madison to spend time with Peter. We watched his brother play in an amazing band, Harmonious Wail, which I absolutely loved. Then we walked State Street, in one direction dry, in the other, in some sweet rain. We ate a snack at a Vietnamese restaurant, which was also great.
I met Peter's dad for the first time back at the house. And Peter was right, his parents are pretty cool. After re-meeting his mom (we had met in New Orleans once upon a time), we all went to church. This in itself was an experience.
Blackhawk church in Madison is like, as Peter described, an airport terminal. There is a big information desk in the middle, computer kiosks, coffee bars, a whole children's ministry wing, and more than one sanctuary. For a kid who grew up in a church of about 50 regular attenders, it was a lot to take in. After getting my barrings, the service started, a recording of the morning service. The topic of the sermon? Awkwardly enough, marriage. As Peter and I, extremely new to each other, sat between both his parents, neither of us looked at each other or either parent. It was just a strange moment full of good advice, but I don't think either of us knew how to take it. We laughed later about it just being...well....yeah.
After that, it was pouring like the dickens out of extremely ominous looking cloud formations. We decided to head back home and eat a pizza where it continued to rain and rain and rain. The radar was red and yellow everywhere, which is never a good sign. Just before 10:00, I decided that I should make a break for Belmont. And although I made it home safe and sound, I can't say that I exactly loved every minute of it. The blinding lightning and car shaking thunder with the occasional white-out-ish condition, made it just uncomfortable enough for white knuckles and a slight amount of perspiration.
Needless to say, this weekend was, well....yeah. It was....wonderful, strange, fun, scary, awkward, comfortable...what exactly is the word I'm looking for here....
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Stink Eye
Do you know what the Stink Eye is? I'm sure you do, if not by name.
You know that look someone gives you when they're annoyed by you? That look that tells you, "What the junk do you think you're doing?" That look that makes you want to roll your eyes because the person giving it to you is usually full of crap?
That's the Stink Eye.
I've been getting it all morning. And to that, I roll my eyes. It really is time to go.
Seriously.
You know that look someone gives you when they're annoyed by you? That look that tells you, "What the junk do you think you're doing?" That look that makes you want to roll your eyes because the person giving it to you is usually full of crap?
That's the Stink Eye.
I've been getting it all morning. And to that, I roll my eyes. It really is time to go.
Seriously.
Monday, June 02, 2008
The Big Winner
Today, I have to admit that I'm pretty tired and even a little grumpy after a long tough weekend of working hard and playing hard. Work didn't start (or continue) with the greatest, most joyful demeanor, so I got a little short with people and headed outside for some alone time. It was very nice. But somehow, no matter how grumpy I got, it was still my day.
This morning, I get a phone call at work rather unexpectedly. "Hi, this is Jessica from Subway, and you're our weekly winner. You can come pick up your free meal whenever you'd like." How fun! All those weeks of putting my business card into their little box finally paid off. I admit that I gloated a little bit to Tara, who almost always has a scoff for me when I drop my cards in.
Then, even more ironically, this afternoon, Quiznos calls me to let me know that I have won a free meal from them and I'd be entered into a $500 cash drawing tomorrow. Nobody wins this stuff...and certainly nobody wins this sort of stuff twice...in one day. How sweet would the $5oo be? Hopefully tomorrow will be my day too.
This morning, I get a phone call at work rather unexpectedly. "Hi, this is Jessica from Subway, and you're our weekly winner. You can come pick up your free meal whenever you'd like." How fun! All those weeks of putting my business card into their little box finally paid off. I admit that I gloated a little bit to Tara, who almost always has a scoff for me when I drop my cards in.
Then, even more ironically, this afternoon, Quiznos calls me to let me know that I have won a free meal from them and I'd be entered into a $500 cash drawing tomorrow. Nobody wins this stuff...and certainly nobody wins this sort of stuff twice...in one day. How sweet would the $5oo be? Hopefully tomorrow will be my day too.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Hard Work
This weekend I spend most of my time in Parkersburg helping where I could. I was assigned kitchen duty on Friday, which honestly, I was initially a little bummed about. I really wanted to be out in the field, picking up debris, sweating and sun burned. But what I didn't realize was that God had plans to have me help where I was needed most.
The first hour or so, I wasn't sure how exactly to jump in, but after that, I had someone show me around so I could see where all the supplies where stored. After that, I hit the ground running. I filled coolers, stacked plates and napkins, cleaned tables, unloaded shipments, climbed around in semi trailers. By the end of Saturday, I was still working (with only about a seven or eight hour break), but I knew the lay of the land and tried to be as helpful as I could. And I was beyond honored when the woman in charge asked me to relieve her for the next few days. I choked up when I told her that I couldn't.
My heart is still in Parkersburg tonight. My heart is still climbing in semi trailers and unloading a full truck of bottled water. And my heart is with Sandy, Deb, Mary, Judy, Heidi, Neil, and all those that I coordinating meals for hundreds of people who really really need it.
And you know what? Working hard feels really good. Tonight I'm stiff and sore beyond belief, but I know that my little bit of suffering made the lives of the people of Parkersburg and all the volunteers hopefully just a little bit more comfortable. Thank you, Lord, for giving me strength and gifts to serve where you lead me. May I never take my many blessing for granted.
The first hour or so, I wasn't sure how exactly to jump in, but after that, I had someone show me around so I could see where all the supplies where stored. After that, I hit the ground running. I filled coolers, stacked plates and napkins, cleaned tables, unloaded shipments, climbed around in semi trailers. By the end of Saturday, I was still working (with only about a seven or eight hour break), but I knew the lay of the land and tried to be as helpful as I could. And I was beyond honored when the woman in charge asked me to relieve her for the next few days. I choked up when I told her that I couldn't.
My heart is still in Parkersburg tonight. My heart is still climbing in semi trailers and unloading a full truck of bottled water. And my heart is with Sandy, Deb, Mary, Judy, Heidi, Neil, and all those that I coordinating meals for hundreds of people who really really need it.
And you know what? Working hard feels really good. Tonight I'm stiff and sore beyond belief, but I know that my little bit of suffering made the lives of the people of Parkersburg and all the volunteers hopefully just a little bit more comfortable. Thank you, Lord, for giving me strength and gifts to serve where you lead me. May I never take my many blessing for granted.
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