Monday Sucks

Or Blows... chunks.

My head hurts so bad I think I might throw up. I came to work two hours late because I have to stay until 8 tonight.

7 Advil liqui-gels.

Not getting much better.

Tomorrow? I'm on a panel due to my new jobby job. Which makes for a very early morning and about three hours in the car.

Sorry folks, I've been experiencing a lull in the blogging inspiration.
Have a lovely weekend. Hopefully, I'll have something to say soon.

Done

Got home and started reading. Took a small break to make dinner. Thought maybe I'd watch CSI Miami (Eric had been shot last week) but by the time I realized it was 9:30 and time to turn on the television, I'd missed too much and was too engrossed in the book to really pay attention. So I turned it off and kept reading. I was done by 1:30.

I was right about RAB. I was right about Snape and why he left Voldemort initially. I didn't really have too many more theories and I'm not sure I understood everything about the end why things worked the way they did but I'll go back and read it a time or two more.

It's good.

Then? At 5:30? This morning? My cat tried to kill me.

He hoarked on the powerstrip by my bed.

So not only do I hear him puking but then see him run across the room and then stare at something very close to my bed. And then I started to hear the crackling.

Because he had hoarked on the powerstrip by my bed. (I know I already said this, but honestly? What are the chances?)

And now there were sparks coming from said powerstrip. So I turned it off and unplugged everything and wiped it off and moved my alarm clock to another room and went to try and sleep for another hour or so on my couch.

I'm a little tired.

Beaches

Hi. I'm back to work after a weekend spent largely at the beach. I miss the waves already.

We had some weather last week, stormy and windy, so Friday after work I parked right by the beach and spent three or four hours down there. Most of the time I spent looking for sea glass. I also spent some time watching the waves and the people. It was quiet and peaceful. And lookie!










I found lots of glass. That was just from Friday.

I went back on Saturday afternoon. I tried hard to resist the urge to wander aimlessly from corner of the beach to corner of the beach looking for glass. I did manage to sit for thirty or forty minutes, read, a little light napping, just getting some sun.

Also a very productive day as far as beach glass goes...










I found a Flickr group for sea glass. I know, there are groups dedicated to everything. So I'm excited to find the sea glass folks.

Yesterday I spent time with my friends the Allens. They came up and we chatted and played and lounged about for a few hours.
It was their youngest daughter's first time at the beach in the water. She'd been to the beach and loves eating the sand but she crawled straight for the water and stopped when it was about at high as her thighs when she was sitting. And she loved the water.

Today, this came in the mail. I'm rather excited but am resisting the urge to read because, well, I'm at work. But I can't wait to get home and read like the wind...

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

is a pretty great project with a fantastic message.

Tonight my friend Rejoice gets to participate. His U goes up in an installation with all the other letters. I wonder which U it is...

Tell someone they are beautiful today - perhaps even yourself.

I wish I could do more

I wish I could do more.

But for now, I'll sit here and I'll listen.

I'll give you a place to be that's safe.

I wish I could do more...

Rain Rain, Go Away...

It's raining here. I think. I mean, I can't actually see outside from where I'm at. But it was gearing up to rain when I came in this morning. Which is a shame; I expect the weather to match my mood today.

Today should be sunny and 77 with a soft breeze. For some reason today is a pretty day. The hair, it makes me happy, for the first time since I got it cut. I picked a flower for it on the way to my car this morning as a reward for behaving.
I did henna on my left hand and both feet last night. I'm pleased with how they turned out.
I'm wearing a fun shirt and a skirt and a fabulous (huge and gaudy) beaded ring that my mom bought me when were out antiquing one day.

If only the weather would cooperate...

* Update! Weather is mostly pretty. Probably seventy-something and sunny! Grossly humid though.

Man oh man

My friend Ben has an MP3 blog and he's posted some great songs and I blame him for my most recent cd purchase. I also found my theme song for the past few months, Mountain Goat's "This Year", after he posted it.

He recently posted a song called "Sympathy for Jesus". I was listening to it again today and was struck by this line (Jesus talking as he pours himself a drink) "I got my fiance; she's supposed to speak my mind. Sometimes she's just chicken and then she messes it up other times." Previously when I had listened to the song I kept thinking "Who is this fiance? What's this all about? Is this influenced by Dan Brown's fiction?" Hi. Seminary student here who took way to long realizing to whom the singer was referring in that portion of the song. The fiance is me and the rest of the Church. I was struck by how the Church (I) is supposed to speak for Jesus and yet screws it up All. The. Time. We are not the prophetic voice we were meant to be. (I am not the prophetic voice I am meant to be) While I have had this realization many, many times, this struck me particularly hard this afternoon.

Wooot!

I have my first advisee!!!
(Very exciting work development!)

So happy for the weekend

It feels as though it has been a rather... unproductive week. Not much getting done at work. Those things that are getting done were half-way done before I took my mini-vacation. I offered up my apartment and beach this weekend for a get together for my old house group and only one person seemed to be up for it. Which is sad. (Like how I call the beach my beach? I think that's funny.)

But today is Friday and payday and I can stop feeling like a horrible sister who didn't get her brother anything for his 32nd birthday. I sent him a gift certificate for Threadless. I love so many of their t-shirts but I'm sure he has an opinion and it differs from mine. I still think the "nice boobies" shirt I gave him for Christmas is genius.

Friday means I can wear my new jeans and I have a little faux-hawk (I tried to download a picture but to no avail) which makes me happy but incited giggles from a co-worker this morning when he saw me. Friday also meant having lunch with Minty and then looking at shoes and fun hair-dye with her. I'm probably not supposed to tell you that Minty and I go clothes shopping together - at the MALL!!! I have seen her flat butt in so many pairs of jeans and her feet in so many pairs of tennis shoes and her torso in quite a few shirts (she doesn't ever buy the things I pick out - they're too girly or mildly show-offy of her figure). Really, she picks out her own clothes, ignores my opinion, and I her's, but it's nice to hang out some. I usually end up saying something really loud and embarrassing or flirting with the cute Korean Gap-dressing-room-attendant-boy (only happened once actually) and she's ready to leave me stranded in Forever 21 or something like that.

I'm also having dinner with a friend tonight at Heartland Cafe which I have wanted to do for about three months since I moved up here. It's steps away from my apartment. Church twice this weekend involving one of my favorite activities ever on this entire planet. Also a belated birthday party for a friend tomorrow night. Hopefully I will get to see one of the twenty bazillion movies that I am dying to see.

Half an hour to go...

Movement

The Parental Units are in their new place. Good-bye DFW Metroplex with all your culture and art and big sculptures of longhorns.

They sounded exhausted last night when I called them. And none too happy with their movers. Apparently there was no order to the where they dropped things. My dad had to help to make sure it was all out of the truck. This angers me. He's old(ish) and they've hired these men to move them. They're paying good money. Yet their piano gets damaged and their boxes are sitting out under the carport. Grrr.

But hopefully I will stop hearing about everything they are trying to get rid of. Except I'm pretty sure that's not that case.

Also? A proposal my dad wrote got funded. So, now he has to oversee the implementation for that. Because he needs something else to do right now I guess.

In a few weeks he's heading to Iowa to sell his car that he and my cousin have completely redone. It's pretty. And pretty incredible where it's come from to where it is now. I took a few pictures from when I was in Texas last ... Christmas?Clearly that was before the interior had been redone. I think it's getting upholstered right now. I wish I could see the final product before they sell it. I think that's pretty sweet.

Hmm...

Something is a little wonky with my site. Darn it all...
So, hey, sorry that it's not all pretty like is has been.

Trying to figure this all out

So...

I gave up on the housegroup that I visited for a couple weeks. I just couldn't deal with another group of people falling apart like my my old housegroup did. And getting attached to more folks and then having them move away. Can't do it right now.

My question to all y'all is what does one do about Kingdom centered community? And, I'm wondering, is it different if one is single? Because, let's be honest, you people out there that I've read your thoughts about community (Darla, Candace, Brian), and you people that I know and have talked to about community (Mel, Eric and Heidi) well, you're married and you've got your significant other and children and sometimes extended family in close proximity. You have made me think quite a bit about whether a congregation is where I'll find community or even if I should look for community in this organized fashion.

Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz author) is a great proponent of living in community. Which is a fantastic idea. Except, well, I've just moved out of a house because I was living in, perhaps, a bit too much community. While I miss some of that, I quite enjoy having my own space. But I do feel like I'm difting a bit after moving and leaving my old church and my old housegroup ending.

Any thoughts out there?

In which I put on my judgemental glasses

So, this wedding this weekend. It was lovely and I'm so excited for the couple and the kids and I'm really praying for them because it's a lot and he's taking on a lot and she's going to married again with a not so great first time around. That's a lot for a couple to handle, and it's a ton for a family to handle. My friend has five kids at home. Five. Ranging in age from 12 to 2. They are all fantastic kids, but kids still. She has several siblings as does he. It's a riot to see both of their families all together. Gorgeous (seriously, the most gorgeous) little children all over the place. Some more well-behaved than others. But anyways, back to this whole wedding thing.

I got to her house a little early and went upstairs (passed up 15 other people) to find her, the bride, and yes, mom, fixing her oldest daughter's hair. She was not dressed, although her hair and makeup were already done. But I'm sitting there thinking "why can't other people help out with the little girls' hair and get them dressed?" There's a bazillion other folks around that could be doing this and Mom could be less frazzled. And I guess this is why a person has friends, to help out with things. I got the little girls dressed and got the tags cut off the boys' coats. Our friend Steve did ties up for the bigger boys. I held the youngest girl but the boys went outside to run around. I didn't realize where they were until they came in with the knees of their new suits all scuffed up! Honestly! And I'm not really mad at them - it's a big day, very exciting, boys like to run and play especially with all their cousins, etc. But I'm mad at all the grown-ups who were around who didn't reign the kids in and say, "Hey! Let's not run around in our new suits until after the wedding!"

I drove three of the boys to the wedding (and got royally lost like five times - nightmare!) and then waited until my friend got down the aisle to grab a seat. But noticed that the youngest girl (again!) was wandering about but I thought someone might grab her thinking "Oh, Mom getting married. Maybe I can help!" After a few moments I realized I could hear her at the back of the church drumming on the glass door to get out and saying "Mama" so I hustled back there and had her join me in a pew where she proceeded to go through my purse and make phone calls to Argentina. She tried to escape a few times and the people in my row? Just moved out of the way. Didn't put a leg out to keep her from running away or do a body block, but actually moved out of the way. Are you kidding me?

I just don't know if I'm being a little harsh here. But I can't help but feel, for someone who sees these kids two or three times a year, sees Mom two or three times a year, that I'm a little more invested in these children than the extended family is. This troubles me. Because I do love these kids and Mom and I want their lives to be wonderful and I know that kids need more than just a mom, they need other people who care, care enough to give them direction and boundaries as well as hugs and snuggles, and Mom needs more than just people to bring food for the reception or make the flowers for the bridesmaids, she needs people who will pitch in.

I guess that's my exhortation to you all. Pitch in when you see coverage gaps. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to love on people by being there to help out.

Monday already?

I took off Thursday and Friday and was off on Wednesday. So a total of five days away from work, which was quite nice, I must admit. There is plenty to catch up on but it's not terribly overwhelming, also quite nice.

What has not been quite nice, not nice at all, is the heat. Dear God it has been sweltering in Chicago. The heat index was well above 100 yesterday. My air conditioner, which worked well enough in my old apartments, doesn't seem to be cooling like it did. My apartment is hot. I drink tons of water when I'm at home. I don't know how my cats are surviving. Finally last night I shut the doors to the bedroom and the bathroom, moved my alarm clock and slept on the couch. I have a feeling that I'll be hanging out there for a few days.

But hey! I'm back at work where air conditioning is adequate most of the time.

I put up pictures on Flickr of 4th of July and, like the rest of the country, I was at a wedding on Saturday (with an outside reception - ridiculously sweltering). So, hey, pictures for you to enjoy.

Now I should work. And perhaps take some Advil. My head hurts.

There goes the neighborhood...

This opened up over the weekend across from the school campus where I work. I feel utterly conflicted about the new addition to the neighborhood.

Firstly, they took over the space from a lovely Thai and sushi restaurant. I love my Thai food and now I can't just walk across the street for it. There was this awesome green tea calamari that I loved and their pad khee mao was quite nice.

Secondly, there's this whole corporitization of America thing that creeps me out a lot. An independent coffee shop has already closed down, probably because it could not have kept up with the whole Starbucks thing. That and their service left quite a bit to be desired. But it was nice to have a place to go to get hummus on your bagel and see art up from local artists. I will miss that opportunity because Starbucks doesn't let that happen. Corporate art up everywhere.

Thirdly, their coffee is strong enough to strip paint from furniture.

Fourthly, they don't sell fair trade coffee as far as I know, which the cafe here on campus does.

Still, I can't help but think it will be good for the students. A nice place to hang out for all concerned, in spite of the silly prices.

I'm working in the looming shadow of the enormous Starbucks coffee cup and their coffee empire.

Sigh.

sea glass

I have a slight addiction. It alters what would be normal behavior. It gets the best of me even when I try to not pay attention to it. I have easy access to my particular addiction two blocks away from my front door. I didn't even know it was a problem until I realized that I couldn't stop.

I collect sea glass when I go to the beach. And I. Cannot. Stop.

Yesterday some of my friends came up to visit and for a little beach time. I managed to enlisted them in my sick ground scouring.

I have people to blame for my addiction. They did it when I went to hang out with them on the other side of the lake almost a year ago. And we read an article on sea glass and how it's formed and where it usually comes from. One of the things it mentioned was red sea glass and how rare it is, usually a product of a house with stained glass windows that somehow made it into the sea, or in my case, lake. Also, that red glass is produced by adding gold to the glass. Did you know that?

Several months ago Heidi found a piece of the red. And every once in a while she mentions it to me. And I'm all "I know! I know! No need to rub it in my face!" (Really, I'm very happy that she found it) and I'm ever so slightly miffed that I hadn't found a piece yet. Because I have tons of this stuff at this point.

But Yesterday. People! Yesterday I Found A Piece of Red Sea Glass!!

I'm probably way too excited about this. But I needed to share my quirky weirdness with you.