I'm missing people like crazy today. I dont know exactly what happened, but I woke up this morning homesick for so many friends it took a while to pray for them all ( that's what I do when I'm homesick for someone).
*sigh*
Anyway, I love you, and even if I havent talked to you in a long time-I miss you.
~
And just so I dont start blubbering or something, Brett and I are loving Heroes. I think so far my favorite part is how excited Brett is about it. He's just so nerdy and cute. Of course, yesterday was record-awful because Brett didnt get home till 4 ( which I didnt know was going to happen- you know, me and PLANS) and all I wanted to do while I was waiting for him was watch Heroes. My self-control was incredible.
I should also mention that I'm probably going to need double the amount of prayers once Brett's work schedule goes back to normal-it is almost as if I forgot all about 6am-6pm...these last two weeks have been so terrific.
August 30, 2007
August 29, 2007
slow day.
There is now an edit at the bottom of this postI bet you never thought I'd come to this, or rather, I never thought I'd come to this.
Writing my blog on a paper bag more commonly used to put scones and other baked goods in 'to go'.
However, the last few days I've found that no matter how tired I am, at night as I am trying to fall asleep I compose blog posts in my head instead of sleeping. Annoying.
This just proves the therapeutic value of writing.
Not that it needs proving.
It proves we need internet, internet that isnt being scammed from neighbors and therefore is available in more than just the corner of the bedroom. The corner that Brett sleeps in, therefore making late-night blogging impossible.
Yesterday I bought the first season of Heroes. I've been super excited about this day ( the day it came out on DVD) since I saw the first episode on the internet many months ago. Then followed months of avoiding plotlines and waiting for the creators to finally put the season on little round disks, cleverly packaged, so I could see it all, from the beginning without interruptions. Needless to say, yesterday had been highly anticipated.
And after watching two episodes, Brett had to admit my excitement had been justified.
We had to stop watching after two episodes because we had "D" -a fellow literary enthusiast -over for dinner. It was great fun talking to him over homemade Thai food and snickerdoodles ( they turned out just like the picture! WOO!).
D is the most interesting comination of fascinating classical education, a lifetime of reading book after book as well as the experience of now being an enlisted Army Ranger. With his unassuming, extremely quiet voice-you'd never guess this as a guy who talked about Dante AND wanted to one day take advantage of the lucrative practice of smuggling precious gems out of the middle east.
As we talked to him, I couldnt help trying to imagine him in the middle of a battle somewhere....so often the Army surprises me. Or, at least, the people in the army surprise me. There is definitely a lot more to it than what is on CNN. Or Fox news. These are real live people. All sorts of people.
So there's that.
I've also been meaning to bring up the book I just finished reading on Friday, "Jane Austen: Life and Letters". The book is fascinatingly uneventful-as was Jane's life ( this brings me to a side point of recommending you NOT go see the movie out in theaters called "Becoming Jane", even though I haven't seen it-It is obvious that it grossly ignores the truth and instead scams off all of her novels for its plot line. Disgusting. ) Instead this book gives you the bare facts as well as letters between Jane and, mostly her sister, along with a few other people to give you a pretty in depth look at her life. I was delighted that her letters ( as well as, interestingly enough those of her correspondence) were so incredibly close to the way all the characters in her books talked that I realized I should not hope for grandeur. If I ever end up being published, you better believe its going to sound JUST like this blog!!!
Anyway, the book was fascinating, if not incredibly dry and probably only to be enjoyed by the nerdy. Yet, I loved the relationship between Jane and her sister Cassandra. It made me miss my sister so much!! And at the end of the book, as I read the final letters of Cassandra's accounting Jane's death to another well loved family member-I cried.
It was SO beautiful and touching! And I felt like I had just lost a friend too.
Oh, and I cried in the coffee shop during my break. So yeah, there's that too.
Edit: I am basically just telling you WHEN and WHERE I cried over the death of Jane Austen, not that I cried on my break at work on TOP of cry over Jane Austen....yeah, I know, my writing skills pretty much need editing, maybe THAT will be the difference between the blog and my future book. editing.
Writing my blog on a paper bag more commonly used to put scones and other baked goods in 'to go'.
However, the last few days I've found that no matter how tired I am, at night as I am trying to fall asleep I compose blog posts in my head instead of sleeping. Annoying.
This just proves the therapeutic value of writing.
Not that it needs proving.
It proves we need internet, internet that isnt being scammed from neighbors and therefore is available in more than just the corner of the bedroom. The corner that Brett sleeps in, therefore making late-night blogging impossible.
Yesterday I bought the first season of Heroes. I've been super excited about this day ( the day it came out on DVD) since I saw the first episode on the internet many months ago. Then followed months of avoiding plotlines and waiting for the creators to finally put the season on little round disks, cleverly packaged, so I could see it all, from the beginning without interruptions. Needless to say, yesterday had been highly anticipated.
And after watching two episodes, Brett had to admit my excitement had been justified.
We had to stop watching after two episodes because we had "D" -a fellow literary enthusiast -over for dinner. It was great fun talking to him over homemade Thai food and snickerdoodles ( they turned out just like the picture! WOO!).
D is the most interesting comination of fascinating classical education, a lifetime of reading book after book as well as the experience of now being an enlisted Army Ranger. With his unassuming, extremely quiet voice-you'd never guess this as a guy who talked about Dante AND wanted to one day take advantage of the lucrative practice of smuggling precious gems out of the middle east.
As we talked to him, I couldnt help trying to imagine him in the middle of a battle somewhere....so often the Army surprises me. Or, at least, the people in the army surprise me. There is definitely a lot more to it than what is on CNN. Or Fox news. These are real live people. All sorts of people.
So there's that.
I've also been meaning to bring up the book I just finished reading on Friday, "Jane Austen: Life and Letters". The book is fascinatingly uneventful-as was Jane's life ( this brings me to a side point of recommending you NOT go see the movie out in theaters called "Becoming Jane", even though I haven't seen it-It is obvious that it grossly ignores the truth and instead scams off all of her novels for its plot line. Disgusting. ) Instead this book gives you the bare facts as well as letters between Jane and, mostly her sister, along with a few other people to give you a pretty in depth look at her life. I was delighted that her letters ( as well as, interestingly enough those of her correspondence) were so incredibly close to the way all the characters in her books talked that I realized I should not hope for grandeur. If I ever end up being published, you better believe its going to sound JUST like this blog!!!
Anyway, the book was fascinating, if not incredibly dry and probably only to be enjoyed by the nerdy. Yet, I loved the relationship between Jane and her sister Cassandra. It made me miss my sister so much!! And at the end of the book, as I read the final letters of Cassandra's accounting Jane's death to another well loved family member-I cried.
It was SO beautiful and touching! And I felt like I had just lost a friend too.
Oh, and I cried in the coffee shop during my break. So yeah, there's that too.
Edit: I am basically just telling you WHEN and WHERE I cried over the death of Jane Austen, not that I cried on my break at work on TOP of cry over Jane Austen....yeah, I know, my writing skills pretty much need editing, maybe THAT will be the difference between the blog and my future book. editing.
August 27, 2007
Hands Down ( written last night, late)
So, this past week won "Bet Week Thus Far" in a unanimous vote among me, myself and I. I can't ask Brett because he's asleep right now. Apparently the fact that I will have to wake up at 4:30 ( only a few short hours away) makes no difference to my silly body, which refuses to stop thinking and sleep. Anyway, I can't ask Brett to agree/disagree with my statement but I'd hazard a guess that he'd agree. Afterall, working half days and then getting Friday off really helps the weeks overall outlook.
It meant I got a better rested, not as stressed not as consumed with work Brett. This equals goood.
So, let's back track. Thursday night I watched Transformers the Movie with Brett. I know you're thinking, "But, Abigail ! Wait a minute, didnt you go see this movie just a few days before! Isnt that just repeating yourself?!"
We'll you'd be wrong my friend. Thurday I had the pleasure of watching the Cartoon transformers movie. A movie that, according to my sources, is far far superior to the movie currently in the theaters. Unfortunately, I was not able to vouch for this opinion, because as I was watching said movie, I was developing a headache beyond all headaches. By the time the movie was over my head had grown to the size of a large prize-winning watermelon and its weight was something along the lines of a cannon ball. Suffice to ay, I have not have a migraine that bad in a long long time. In fact, it was sooo bad that, while I thought I was going to die, I did not have the energy to say so....which was a good indicator to Brett that things were in fact serious ( Usually, I am beyond vocal about my current state of wellbeing or lack thereof). The headache had subsided some by friday-but let me tell you, it has been such a whopper that its reared its ugly head several times this weekend. Nasty. I must not be use to some sort of pressure system or allergy action up here...
In other news, not relating to my health. Another reason this eek was so levely in my eyes was that we were actually social. We had people over on Thursday. Friday. And Saturday!
*sigh* I couldn't have been happier.
Of course, today as I was washing a hug mound of dishes for the fourth time in a row I decided that my new ministry was turning out to be dish washing. Which was kind of a shock. But, I think the most shocking thing was that I didnt really even mind!
I am still finding odd satisfaction in feeding people and then washing their dishes while they play video games afterwards. This is odd, because it goes against all my feminist wiles. I mean, ME be some sort of "girl in the kitchen"!? Shocking!!
I've decided the main reason it's ok, is that it was my choice. And every time I've done the dishes I've had at least one person offer to help, or take over entirely. ( such well behaved boys!)
Another cool thing about this weekend, was that I got to get a teensy tiny taste of the coolness that is Seattle. Of course, the taste was ruined by bad weather, horrible traffice, and a whole hoard of evil tourists, but even with all that, I could still tell that I really like Seattle and that it had a lot of potential for cool atmosphere in the future ( preferably a weekday, with good weather, and therefore less tourists and much better traffic).
I am now praying for someone cool to go back to Seattle with, someone who wont mind stopping every few seconds to take pictures or just browse in some shop or other. *sigh*
It meant I got a better rested, not as stressed not as consumed with work Brett. This equals goood.
So, let's back track. Thursday night I watched Transformers the Movie with Brett. I know you're thinking, "But, Abigail ! Wait a minute, didnt you go see this movie just a few days before! Isnt that just repeating yourself?!"
We'll you'd be wrong my friend. Thurday I had the pleasure of watching the Cartoon transformers movie. A movie that, according to my sources, is far far superior to the movie currently in the theaters. Unfortunately, I was not able to vouch for this opinion, because as I was watching said movie, I was developing a headache beyond all headaches. By the time the movie was over my head had grown to the size of a large prize-winning watermelon and its weight was something along the lines of a cannon ball. Suffice to ay, I have not have a migraine that bad in a long long time. In fact, it was sooo bad that, while I thought I was going to die, I did not have the energy to say so....which was a good indicator to Brett that things were in fact serious ( Usually, I am beyond vocal about my current state of wellbeing or lack thereof). The headache had subsided some by friday-but let me tell you, it has been such a whopper that its reared its ugly head several times this weekend. Nasty. I must not be use to some sort of pressure system or allergy action up here...
In other news, not relating to my health. Another reason this eek was so levely in my eyes was that we were actually social. We had people over on Thursday. Friday. And Saturday!
*sigh* I couldn't have been happier.
Of course, today as I was washing a hug mound of dishes for the fourth time in a row I decided that my new ministry was turning out to be dish washing. Which was kind of a shock. But, I think the most shocking thing was that I didnt really even mind!
I am still finding odd satisfaction in feeding people and then washing their dishes while they play video games afterwards. This is odd, because it goes against all my feminist wiles. I mean, ME be some sort of "girl in the kitchen"!? Shocking!!
I've decided the main reason it's ok, is that it was my choice. And every time I've done the dishes I've had at least one person offer to help, or take over entirely. ( such well behaved boys!)
Another cool thing about this weekend, was that I got to get a teensy tiny taste of the coolness that is Seattle. Of course, the taste was ruined by bad weather, horrible traffice, and a whole hoard of evil tourists, but even with all that, I could still tell that I really like Seattle and that it had a lot of potential for cool atmosphere in the future ( preferably a weekday, with good weather, and therefore less tourists and much better traffic).
I am now praying for someone cool to go back to Seattle with, someone who wont mind stopping every few seconds to take pictures or just browse in some shop or other. *sigh*
August 22, 2007
irony. and other such stuff.
So, before you start thinking I'm, like, an awesome barista and have affectively managed to run into zero problems working in a coffee shop for a whole week. Think again.
Because, first of all, where would you get off thinking something like that of me anyway? We all know I'm a dropper.
Case in point:
Today, I was happily making a smoothie. Simple, right? I mean, all you do is pour the concentrated smoothie juice into the blender, fill the appropriate sized cup with ice, add that to blender. Turn blender on...
And this is where the "simple" ended for me today. There I was blending with the best of them, and ALL OF A SUDDEN the blender ATE the little stick thing you stick inside the blender to move the liquid around ( whatever that's called) and the top FLEW off hitting the wall and bouncing back to hit me square the chest, in the process smoothie parts are being FLUNG all over me, the wall and the floor.
I would also like to add that the apron I was wearing failed me BIG TIME, because some how all the smoothie managed to allude the front of the apron and instead sneak down the small opening between said apron and my shirt....leaving a LOT on my shirt and NOTHING on the apron.
Oh, and it got on my face, and my hair.
Of course, I blew the whole thing off, and I'm sure the person who I was making the smoothie for thought it was all part of my artistic process.....
That's all for today...I must return to the living room where I left Brett writing thank you notes. It turns out Brett takes quite a lot of pride in writing his thank you notes, because he is so proud of them he continually reads them out loud to me when he finishes, laughing to himself at his clever banter about china and sliverware. Bless him. One of the many reasons I married him. He takes writing so seriously ;-)
Because, first of all, where would you get off thinking something like that of me anyway? We all know I'm a dropper.
Case in point:
Today, I was happily making a smoothie. Simple, right? I mean, all you do is pour the concentrated smoothie juice into the blender, fill the appropriate sized cup with ice, add that to blender. Turn blender on...
And this is where the "simple" ended for me today. There I was blending with the best of them, and ALL OF A SUDDEN the blender ATE the little stick thing you stick inside the blender to move the liquid around ( whatever that's called) and the top FLEW off hitting the wall and bouncing back to hit me square the chest, in the process smoothie parts are being FLUNG all over me, the wall and the floor.
I would also like to add that the apron I was wearing failed me BIG TIME, because some how all the smoothie managed to allude the front of the apron and instead sneak down the small opening between said apron and my shirt....leaving a LOT on my shirt and NOTHING on the apron.
Oh, and it got on my face, and my hair.
Of course, I blew the whole thing off, and I'm sure the person who I was making the smoothie for thought it was all part of my artistic process.....
That's all for today...I must return to the living room where I left Brett writing thank you notes. It turns out Brett takes quite a lot of pride in writing his thank you notes, because he is so proud of them he continually reads them out loud to me when he finishes, laughing to himself at his clever banter about china and sliverware. Bless him. One of the many reasons I married him. He takes writing so seriously ;-)
August 21, 2007
August 20, 2007
A few days ago...
Today was rainy and down right cold ( ok, so it was in the 60s but for AUGUST it might as well be cold)...but, it reminded me that I'd taken these pictures last week when I went to pick Brett up from work. So you can visualize what we see when Brett drives to and from work...You can also see how bored I got while waiting for him outside the gate ( this was before I got the tags for the car...)
reaping my reward
So, today was my first FULL shift of work. It was relatively painless, of course, I still have a constant babysitter to get me out of trouble if I get too overloaded, or I have a mind blank and somehow can't remember for the life of me how to do anything. But, never the less, I was still very proud when I sat down for my 15 minute break with a latte I'd made with my own two hands, and it wasnt half bad!!! SHOCKING!!!
I was so excited I texted Christa :-) This afternoon was extra nice because Brett got off work early. In fact, he tells me that he'll get off early for the next two weeks because his Unit is on mass leave or something of that nature ( I'm sure it has a technical name that alludes me at the moment). Of course, I will believe it when I see it ( Brett getting off early).
In fact, we bet on it.
I lost 500 dollars today since he did, infact, get off early.
I feel like its 500 dollars I'm happy to loose if it means I get to hang out with Brett.
Incidentally, in case you are wondering, Brett and I will often find ourselves differing in opinion on various things ( shocking, I know) but at times like that we will often bet on who is right. We always bet $500 because its a nice number. I am sure one day I'll call in my debts and Brett will owe me thousands but till then I'm happy to rest in the fact that I am right (sometimes). ;-)
Soooo, this afternoon was good. We went and saw Transformers. Brett had already seen it with his brothers, but I felt like I needed to experience the movie too. I am really glad I did. It gave me such a clear picture of what Brett was like as a little boy ;-)
We also got mail today. Really good mail ( not just circulars for Target and RiteAid). I got a REAL letter from Esther. Which, of course, made me miss her terribly. And we got two books from my parents!!! Yay!!!
Of course, two new books puts me in quite the moral quandary (ummm...not really). Since, just yesterday I realized I was currently reading four books at once-something I NEVER do!!!! I decided then and there I would focus on one until it was through and then move on to the next and so on...
but now, now I am EVER so tempted to start yet another one. Just a taste...
I was so excited I texted Christa :-) This afternoon was extra nice because Brett got off work early. In fact, he tells me that he'll get off early for the next two weeks because his Unit is on mass leave or something of that nature ( I'm sure it has a technical name that alludes me at the moment). Of course, I will believe it when I see it ( Brett getting off early).
In fact, we bet on it.
I lost 500 dollars today since he did, infact, get off early.
I feel like its 500 dollars I'm happy to loose if it means I get to hang out with Brett.
Incidentally, in case you are wondering, Brett and I will often find ourselves differing in opinion on various things ( shocking, I know) but at times like that we will often bet on who is right. We always bet $500 because its a nice number. I am sure one day I'll call in my debts and Brett will owe me thousands but till then I'm happy to rest in the fact that I am right (sometimes). ;-)
Soooo, this afternoon was good. We went and saw Transformers. Brett had already seen it with his brothers, but I felt like I needed to experience the movie too. I am really glad I did. It gave me such a clear picture of what Brett was like as a little boy ;-)
We also got mail today. Really good mail ( not just circulars for Target and RiteAid). I got a REAL letter from Esther. Which, of course, made me miss her terribly. And we got two books from my parents!!! Yay!!!
Of course, two new books puts me in quite the moral quandary (ummm...not really). Since, just yesterday I realized I was currently reading four books at once-something I NEVER do!!!! I decided then and there I would focus on one until it was through and then move on to the next and so on...
but now, now I am EVER so tempted to start yet another one. Just a taste...
August 19, 2007
gah!!
I KNOW! I said I was going to post every day! And then I didn't.
Horrible.
But, I have excuses:
Brett finally returned to me ( in all his stinky-I-havent-showered-in-three-days glory) on Thursday night...and so I got to see him for a few hours before Friday happened and I spent ALLLLL DAAAAAAAY in the apartment by myself watching Lonely Girl 15 on Youtube-yes I am that lame. ( weather wasnt the best and brett took the car to work. boo.)
Once again, this whole being couped up with no life did wonders for my personality and I was an absolute DE-light when Brett got home from work ( sarcasm included). poor guy.
But, I had to pray hard because almost immediately after getting home from work we had to head to a work-FUNCTION. Meaning, *i* had to go and meet all sorts of people, people Brett works with, Brett's bosses....it wasnt a DREADFUL time by any means, but combine my already negative attitude + freezing weather+ forced to be outdoors at a "picnic" +food being an hour and a half late+ meeting new people and well....it was hard.
I am, however, glad that I got to put some faces with some names...and it was kind of interesting to be able to make some first impressions for myself about these people that Brett spends MOST of his time with.
Oh. And the Brigade gave me flowers to welcome me. awwwwwww.
In other news, yesterday Brett and I were absolute grown ups. We bought a car.
Yup, we sure did. And now, for better or for worse we are the proud owners of a 2007 Toyota Prius Hybrid. We got a pretty good deal since the car had already had one owner who had driven the car for a grand total of 2,000 miles. hehehe. So, that worked out. Of course, I always said I would NEVER EVER buy a white car ( since that is pretty much the only thing my parents drive and you know what they say about kids rebelling....) buuuut....you'd be surprised what the enticements of a good deal will do to change your opinion.
Ok! So now you're officially caught up on my ultra exciting life and times. I think Brett and I are going to see Transformers this afternoon ( I STILL havent seen it!) as part of a winding down process in preparation for next week. Tomorrow. First day of official work.
Horrible.
But, I have excuses:
Brett finally returned to me ( in all his stinky-I-havent-showered-in-three-days glory) on Thursday night...and so I got to see him for a few hours before Friday happened and I spent ALLLLL DAAAAAAAY in the apartment by myself watching Lonely Girl 15 on Youtube-yes I am that lame. ( weather wasnt the best and brett took the car to work. boo.)
Once again, this whole being couped up with no life did wonders for my personality and I was an absolute DE-light when Brett got home from work ( sarcasm included). poor guy.
But, I had to pray hard because almost immediately after getting home from work we had to head to a work-FUNCTION. Meaning, *i* had to go and meet all sorts of people, people Brett works with, Brett's bosses....it wasnt a DREADFUL time by any means, but combine my already negative attitude + freezing weather+ forced to be outdoors at a "picnic" +food being an hour and a half late+ meeting new people and well....it was hard.
I am, however, glad that I got to put some faces with some names...and it was kind of interesting to be able to make some first impressions for myself about these people that Brett spends MOST of his time with.
Oh. And the Brigade gave me flowers to welcome me. awwwwwww.
In other news, yesterday Brett and I were absolute grown ups. We bought a car.
Yup, we sure did. And now, for better or for worse we are the proud owners of a 2007 Toyota Prius Hybrid. We got a pretty good deal since the car had already had one owner who had driven the car for a grand total of 2,000 miles. hehehe. So, that worked out. Of course, I always said I would NEVER EVER buy a white car ( since that is pretty much the only thing my parents drive and you know what they say about kids rebelling....) buuuut....you'd be surprised what the enticements of a good deal will do to change your opinion.
Ok! So now you're officially caught up on my ultra exciting life and times. I think Brett and I are going to see Transformers this afternoon ( I STILL havent seen it!) as part of a winding down process in preparation for next week. Tomorrow. First day of official work.
August 15, 2007
another day, another post
So, I PROMISED I would post more, so here I am with nothing interesting to tell you, except that I successfully got vehicle registration from the Department of Defense....the ol' taurus can now frequent any military base it wants to. so there.
The other exciting things I did today include:
I bought a Brita filter....for the faucet. How UPSCALE is that!?! I know, I was shocked at the luxury too. But, I thought, what the heck it was 5 dollars off...
Ironically, I told a possible-friend-candidate ( as in, I like her...but will SHE like ME?! ) that I would help her sort out her budget.
I'm going with the mantra "what you can't do. teach."
Other than that, I am trying desparately to find season 5 of ER. I mean, I could buy it on Amazon but that would take a while to get. I need instant gratification. My husband is still gone.
I can't even talk to him. Apparently "the field" is in some sort of cell phone void. I'm not complaining. I promise. I realize that sometime very soon Brett will be gone for a LOT longer than 3 days...and I plan to really save up my crying time for then. So, yeah.
The other exciting things I did today include:
I bought a Brita filter....for the faucet. How UPSCALE is that!?! I know, I was shocked at the luxury too. But, I thought, what the heck it was 5 dollars off...
Ironically, I told a possible-friend-candidate ( as in, I like her...but will SHE like ME?! ) that I would help her sort out her budget.
I'm going with the mantra "what you can't do. teach."
Other than that, I am trying desparately to find season 5 of ER. I mean, I could buy it on Amazon but that would take a while to get. I need instant gratification. My husband is still gone.
I can't even talk to him. Apparently "the field" is in some sort of cell phone void. I'm not complaining. I promise. I realize that sometime very soon Brett will be gone for a LOT longer than 3 days...and I plan to really save up my crying time for then. So, yeah.
August 14, 2007
happy one month anniversary, love the army
So, today Brett and I have been married for one whole month. WOO.
The army gave us the special gift of taking away my husband for three whole days. Boo.
I think it hits me in weird waves that life is so incredibly different, and that my only real friend is my husband and he's not around very often at all...at times I get overwhelmed at the enormity of all the changes.
I want to make friends, I want to find a place in a church or something of that nature, I want to find where I fit with Brett's friends, with Brett's work, with my own work....there is so much that I feel completely at a loss about.
Last night I couldnt sleep so I was reading "Gold Cord" by Amy Carmichael and I was reminded ( strangely, because it was not in context) of a verse that God gave me when I first returned to the US from New Zealand and was faced with many of these same issues ( homesickness, friendlessness, a loss of where you fit...)
Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
For some reason, I thought that just because I had done this homesickness/total newness/let's start life over business TWICE before that it would be easier this time. And maybe in some ways it is...yet, it still is incredibly real pain to miss you best friends, to want someone to watch movies with and eat pizza with, someone who knows all your back story, people who have seen you cry...
and I feel JUST as lost and directionless now as I ever did when I first arrived in New Zealand...or when I got back to Texas.
Oh, but it is easier, isnt it? It is because of verses like "He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."
How true that is...
In other news, I had my second day of coffee shop training today. It was actually way more fun than yesterday- I learned how to make drinks!!! I start my first REAL shift on monday...6:45 till 1pm. Whew! Talk about baptism by fire, huh?!
The army gave us the special gift of taking away my husband for three whole days. Boo.
I think it hits me in weird waves that life is so incredibly different, and that my only real friend is my husband and he's not around very often at all...at times I get overwhelmed at the enormity of all the changes.
I want to make friends, I want to find a place in a church or something of that nature, I want to find where I fit with Brett's friends, with Brett's work, with my own work....there is so much that I feel completely at a loss about.
Last night I couldnt sleep so I was reading "Gold Cord" by Amy Carmichael and I was reminded ( strangely, because it was not in context) of a verse that God gave me when I first returned to the US from New Zealand and was faced with many of these same issues ( homesickness, friendlessness, a loss of where you fit...)
Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
For some reason, I thought that just because I had done this homesickness/total newness/let's start life over business TWICE before that it would be easier this time. And maybe in some ways it is...yet, it still is incredibly real pain to miss you best friends, to want someone to watch movies with and eat pizza with, someone who knows all your back story, people who have seen you cry...
and I feel JUST as lost and directionless now as I ever did when I first arrived in New Zealand...or when I got back to Texas.
Oh, but it is easier, isnt it? It is because of verses like "He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."
How true that is...
In other news, I had my second day of coffee shop training today. It was actually way more fun than yesterday- I learned how to make drinks!!! I start my first REAL shift on monday...6:45 till 1pm. Whew! Talk about baptism by fire, huh?!
August 13, 2007
morning start
So, this morning as I was driving back from dropping Brett off at the gate ( we havent gotten my car registered yet because you cant just have the registration sticker on the car, you have to have some sort of paper too! Thanks for being difficult, Army, thanks.) at 5:45am I decided to become a morning person.
In fact, I was pretty sure I was 90% there as it was.
Criteria to being a morning person:
1. Be awake in early morning hours. ( check)
2. Speak in sentences during early morning hours, not including grunts or snarls ( check, check)
3. Actually get out of bed and do something worthwhile (check, I got up, had a quiet time and drove )
4. Be cheerful.
Yes. It was the last one that got me. I was definitely not cheerful. But, I DO think that 3 out of four isnt bad!!!
And I think I was mostly not cheerful because my stomach is upset. BOO!!! I'm blaming the chinese food, cupcakes and wine that I had last night
( dont judge, when pretty much the only person you know has been doing Arabic lessons for EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT and you've watched TEN episodes of ER and written FIVE thank you notes...YOU'D make extra huge cupcakes and drink the last two glasses of wine while doing so, too!)
*ahem*
Today, I start my job at the coffee shop. I've been mildly surprised by some of the responses I've gotten from people about taking this job. Mostly, the ones that urge me not to take it unless I can move up to middle management really soon, and own the company by the end of the year.
HEEELLLOOOOO! Do you know me at all?! I dont WANT to own a coffee shop ( or even RUN one!!) . I want to work in one, I want to talk to the people without having to worry if the staff is getting their paychecks, or if someone paid the rent....its just like Carrie Weaver on ER. She got the head management job that she always wanted and then she hardly got to practice medicine anymore....
I cant believe I just used ER as my example...
In fact, I was pretty sure I was 90% there as it was.
Criteria to being a morning person:
1. Be awake in early morning hours. ( check)
2. Speak in sentences during early morning hours, not including grunts or snarls ( check, check)
3. Actually get out of bed and do something worthwhile (check, I got up, had a quiet time and drove )
4. Be cheerful.
Yes. It was the last one that got me. I was definitely not cheerful. But, I DO think that 3 out of four isnt bad!!!
And I think I was mostly not cheerful because my stomach is upset. BOO!!! I'm blaming the chinese food, cupcakes and wine that I had last night
( dont judge, when pretty much the only person you know has been doing Arabic lessons for EIGHT HOURS STRAIGHT and you've watched TEN episodes of ER and written FIVE thank you notes...YOU'D make extra huge cupcakes and drink the last two glasses of wine while doing so, too!)
*ahem*
Today, I start my job at the coffee shop. I've been mildly surprised by some of the responses I've gotten from people about taking this job. Mostly, the ones that urge me not to take it unless I can move up to middle management really soon, and own the company by the end of the year.
HEEELLLOOOOO! Do you know me at all?! I dont WANT to own a coffee shop ( or even RUN one!!) . I want to work in one, I want to talk to the people without having to worry if the staff is getting their paychecks, or if someone paid the rent....its just like Carrie Weaver on ER. She got the head management job that she always wanted and then she hardly got to practice medicine anymore....
I cant believe I just used ER as my example...
August 12, 2007
next week=devotion to blogging.
On Friday afternoon God took very good care of my mental health by sending me two phone calls from Carmi and Thida...both a surprise. It a miracle they called when they did because Brett didnt get home until 8:30 on Friday night...and...well....that's sad.
So, anyway, this weekend has been busy and difficult at times-Brett will be gone for three days next week, out on the field ( I'm actually not even sure what this means, except that I suspect its like glorified camping and I dont get to see Brett....but who knows, my perception might be off a tad. ;-) And Brett had to spend most of yesterday working on his Arabic lessons that he needed to catch up on.
Yes, the army is taking a lot of getting use to...I mean, I guess I KNEW that it would be pretty all consuming, but I didnt really GRASP that fact fully until now.
SooOOooo...I decided to take the job at the coffee shop. I prayed about it, Brett prayed about it...and finally I just decided that the only negatives were very much on the "what if" side of things, and therefore if things DO end up not working out, I'll just quit. After all, its not like me quiting would hurt my career options. ;-)
So, I'm starting my training on Monday. I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully, I wont be a TOTAL dork on my first day and drop too many things. ;-)
Last night, I made waffles for four boys. I even made HOMEMADE BLACKBERRY SYRUP.
It was fun to have people over, and I realized I get extreme satisfaction from feeding people. Its odd.
So, next week I've decided to make it a point to blog every day...I mean, sure, its not the same when you dont have constant internet access and therefore can blog when the mood strikes you, but I feel a great need to keep in contact with my blog readers. I've neglected you, but I will try my best to change my ways.
So, anyway, this weekend has been busy and difficult at times-Brett will be gone for three days next week, out on the field ( I'm actually not even sure what this means, except that I suspect its like glorified camping and I dont get to see Brett....but who knows, my perception might be off a tad. ;-) And Brett had to spend most of yesterday working on his Arabic lessons that he needed to catch up on.
Yes, the army is taking a lot of getting use to...I mean, I guess I KNEW that it would be pretty all consuming, but I didnt really GRASP that fact fully until now.
SooOOooo...I decided to take the job at the coffee shop. I prayed about it, Brett prayed about it...and finally I just decided that the only negatives were very much on the "what if" side of things, and therefore if things DO end up not working out, I'll just quit. After all, its not like me quiting would hurt my career options. ;-)
So, I'm starting my training on Monday. I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully, I wont be a TOTAL dork on my first day and drop too many things. ;-)
Last night, I made waffles for four boys. I even made HOMEMADE BLACKBERRY SYRUP.
It was fun to have people over, and I realized I get extreme satisfaction from feeding people. Its odd.
So, next week I've decided to make it a point to blog every day...I mean, sure, its not the same when you dont have constant internet access and therefore can blog when the mood strikes you, but I feel a great need to keep in contact with my blog readers. I've neglected you, but I will try my best to change my ways.
August 08, 2007
the gift ( card).
My parents left early this morning. I was definitely sad to see them go! I really had so much fun hanging out with them, and I better not say any more about how much I will miss getting to do that on a weekly basis, or I will definitely cry.
But, it was good to show them around my "small sphere" of my life thus far...and I look forward to a "proper" visit in the future where we'll actually DO stuff! Instead I spent a goodly part of the past two days sorting out all the wedding presents that brought in my car! whew!
After the parents left, I went to Target and Pier1 to drown my homesick sorrows in some good old fashion shopping. And boy did I buy stuff! But, you know how much it ALL cost me?! $5.25
That's right. Gift Cards are my new favorite thing.
Anywho. I've saved the juiciest piece of news till now...
An hour or so ago I got a call from the coffee house owner offering me a job ( after a short painless interview over the phone where I waxed eloquent about myself).
I'm kinda in shock about it, to be honest. Like I said in my previous post, in a lot of ways I had not "started" my life in earnest here in Washington...but I felt that after my parents left, with nothing else to look forward to from my "comfortable old life", I might as well put my head down and get at it.
But so soon!?!
The only problem with the coffee house job ( it seems pretty sweet so far. did you know that minimum wage in Washington is $7.92?! hahaha. and i get free coffee. And learn how to MAKE good coffee.) is that I would probably have to work at least one shift during the weekend ( about four hours). Brett will not like this. Neither will I. So, continue to pray that I have wisdom about what to do. Ultimately, I have said that whatever job i get shouldnt get in the way of my time with Brett...
*sigh* decisions, decisions.
In other, less complicated news... I think I'm going to bake bread this week ( with the help of my totally awesome bread maker that i got from my Aunt Janis and Uncle Mike. Woo Woo!
I also hope to FINALLY get the last touches done to the apartment ( aka. put things on the walls) so I can take my "after" pictures and blow all of you blog readers out of the water with my before and after shots. Oh the magic I have worked on this place. ;-)
But, it was good to show them around my "small sphere" of my life thus far...and I look forward to a "proper" visit in the future where we'll actually DO stuff! Instead I spent a goodly part of the past two days sorting out all the wedding presents that brought in my car! whew!
After the parents left, I went to Target and Pier1 to drown my homesick sorrows in some good old fashion shopping. And boy did I buy stuff! But, you know how much it ALL cost me?! $5.25
That's right. Gift Cards are my new favorite thing.
Anywho. I've saved the juiciest piece of news till now...
An hour or so ago I got a call from the coffee house owner offering me a job ( after a short painless interview over the phone where I waxed eloquent about myself).
I'm kinda in shock about it, to be honest. Like I said in my previous post, in a lot of ways I had not "started" my life in earnest here in Washington...but I felt that after my parents left, with nothing else to look forward to from my "comfortable old life", I might as well put my head down and get at it.
But so soon!?!
The only problem with the coffee house job ( it seems pretty sweet so far. did you know that minimum wage in Washington is $7.92?! hahaha. and i get free coffee. And learn how to MAKE good coffee.) is that I would probably have to work at least one shift during the weekend ( about four hours). Brett will not like this. Neither will I. So, continue to pray that I have wisdom about what to do. Ultimately, I have said that whatever job i get shouldnt get in the way of my time with Brett...
*sigh* decisions, decisions.
In other, less complicated news... I think I'm going to bake bread this week ( with the help of my totally awesome bread maker that i got from my Aunt Janis and Uncle Mike. Woo Woo!
I also hope to FINALLY get the last touches done to the apartment ( aka. put things on the walls) so I can take my "after" pictures and blow all of you blog readers out of the water with my before and after shots. Oh the magic I have worked on this place. ;-)
August 06, 2007
no particular order.
Brett had Friday off ( which makes up a teensy bit for him working from 6 to 6 practically every day). So we were able to get me an Army ID card. I feel so powerful now. We also got me sorta/kinda signed up for health care....lots of red tape. But, I'm praying really hard right now that as my paper work goes through and I get assigned to a doctor that I get a really really good one!
We also bought dining room chairs this weekend, Brett finished the sixth Harry Potter book-so a good portion of the weekend I spent saying ( 1am) "Brett turn out the light...its late!" and reading out loud to him while he put the dining room chairs together.
We watched the Bourne Ultimatum, which I recommend because how can you NOT like Jason Bourne who is good at EVERYTHING and also doesnt like that he's a killer?! ;-)
I went blackberry picking with Katie at the park across from where we live ( I TOLD you it was a great park, but I had no idea the depths of its greatness!! we saw two baby bunnies while we walked to the blackberry patch!) and then I made a Blackberry buckle. From scratch.
*pause*
I dont want my amazing talents of going out and picking my own berries and then making something out of them to get lost in the rest of this post-so just take a moment to let that sink in....
Today I'm getting the guest room ready for my parents who should apparently be arriving from their long trek across the country to bring me my car late this afternoon!!! How exciting.
I did realize yesterday that I have been subconsciously putting off doing a lot of things until "after my parents leave" just because it seemed like thats really when things get all nitty gritty. So here's hoping that I dont flip out when I realize I've got two million thank you letter's to write and a whole life to start up once they leave. :-)
We also bought dining room chairs this weekend, Brett finished the sixth Harry Potter book-so a good portion of the weekend I spent saying ( 1am) "Brett turn out the light...its late!" and reading out loud to him while he put the dining room chairs together.
We watched the Bourne Ultimatum, which I recommend because how can you NOT like Jason Bourne who is good at EVERYTHING and also doesnt like that he's a killer?! ;-)
I went blackberry picking with Katie at the park across from where we live ( I TOLD you it was a great park, but I had no idea the depths of its greatness!! we saw two baby bunnies while we walked to the blackberry patch!) and then I made a Blackberry buckle. From scratch.
*pause*
I dont want my amazing talents of going out and picking my own berries and then making something out of them to get lost in the rest of this post-so just take a moment to let that sink in....
Today I'm getting the guest room ready for my parents who should apparently be arriving from their long trek across the country to bring me my car late this afternoon!!! How exciting.
I did realize yesterday that I have been subconsciously putting off doing a lot of things until "after my parents leave" just because it seemed like thats really when things get all nitty gritty. So here's hoping that I dont flip out when I realize I've got two million thank you letter's to write and a whole life to start up once they leave. :-)
August 02, 2007
ten minute drive, all the difference
So, last night my sweet husband took me to see "No Reservations". And I got to drive.
Those seem like simple things, a movie, driving...but they really made all the difference to my sanity.
Plus all your wonderful prayers and supportive comments and emails :-)
Yes, I'm feeling a lot better today, a lot less crazy.
So, I recommend No Reservations...of course, I recommend the original "Mostly Martha" (the german movie that came out several years ago.) almost more so....and you can probably rent it for cheaper ( if you're trying to save money by not going to the movies or something)...and its in german so there's that.
But, for me, going to the movies....getting out of the apartment. made me feel like a person.
Today, I talked to Billie and Steve on the phone ( at the same time! yay!). My mother. and Amy on the phone.
So, its been a good day for the talking. Thank goodness, I was forgetting how to have conversations.
Those seem like simple things, a movie, driving...but they really made all the difference to my sanity.
Plus all your wonderful prayers and supportive comments and emails :-)
Yes, I'm feeling a lot better today, a lot less crazy.
So, I recommend No Reservations...of course, I recommend the original "Mostly Martha" (the german movie that came out several years ago.) almost more so....and you can probably rent it for cheaper ( if you're trying to save money by not going to the movies or something)...and its in german so there's that.
But, for me, going to the movies....getting out of the apartment. made me feel like a person.
Today, I talked to Billie and Steve on the phone ( at the same time! yay!). My mother. and Amy on the phone.
So, its been a good day for the talking. Thank goodness, I was forgetting how to have conversations.
August 01, 2007
the hard part
So, its definitely starting to sink in that I dont have a life.
I think the worst part is that I have become incredibly boring.
I always felt that the one consolation, if I ever became really boring, is that I probably wouldnt know I was boring.
But, I definitely know it.
I realize that the fact that this morning I did the following:
Watched Arrested Development. Ate raspberry slice for breakfast. took off PJs, put on clothes, put on deodorant, brushed teeth, walked to mailbox...oh and the worst part is-that was from 8am till 11:30am....hours of boring behavior.
that's not even remotely interesting. I also realized that I had really reached the end of the line when I described to Brett the four articles I'd read in Vanity Fair as the most interesting thing that happened to me yesterday...
Yes, being stuck in this apartment for another week is definitely not good for my mental health. I've cried twice today. And I think the worst thing is that Brett mentioned maybe I should talk to...a girl. I feel bad for him. I can't be the most enjoyable person to be around at the moment. But, unfortunately, I dont KNOW any girls. And for some reason it seems like cheating to call up someone who's not here. I moved, didn't I? I CHOSE to not have my girlfriends around...
Incidently, I found some card stock at Albertsons ( I hate this store with a loathing passion now, because its the only place I can really walk to. every single freakin day.) so I was able to print up my resume. Maybe if I get a job I'll have something more interesting to talk about. Maybe if I get a job I'll feel like a productive member of society. Right now I feel so incredibly lame.
I think the thing I'm most tired of is me.
Even I am tired of the complaining that seems to be on a constant cycle inside my head...
Oh, hey, here's something interesting ( of course, it happened while I was on my honeymoon and during a time in my life when I was still a tiny bit of a nonbore..but whatever, I havent told the blog yet so we'll count it).
So, Brett and I were being delayed in the Bahamas airport, trying to get back to the United States and I was starting to feel odd ( which would turn into one of the most awful stomach viruses ever known to mankind) but I was ignoring it because there was nothing else to do but sit and watch Brett eat what looked like a disgusting piece of chicken in the airlounge...and as we sat I saw two incredibly skinny models sitting at a table next to us and it seemed that almost as soon as they registered on my "people I loathe" radar they hopped up and proclaimed that their flight was finally leaving. Now, it sounded like they were on our flight so I excused myself from the table to go look and see if there were any updates on our flight.
I made it to the ticket counter ( was reeeeally starting to not feel well at this point) and since there was no change in the flight information that was flashing above the counter I turned around to walk back to where Brett was...I turned around to run almost smack dab into some dude wearing a baseball cap at an odd angle who was being accosted by some women who was saying "are you an actor!?!"
And oh, yes it was...I had just so happened to have seen the movie Step Up, where Tatum Channing played the male lead much to my chagrin, and there he was in the flesh...
However, I didnt much care. Since I wasnt feeling particularly good. And besides, that movie was awful.
...
About two minutes later when Brett and I were having to run for our lives to get to our plane ( since, yes, it WAS our plane boarding, and they just hadnt changed the board) I pushed between Tatum and his female admirer without even an "excuse me"...I think that may make Tatum and I even for me spending $7.50 on his lame movie.
I think the worst part is that I have become incredibly boring.
I always felt that the one consolation, if I ever became really boring, is that I probably wouldnt know I was boring.
But, I definitely know it.
I realize that the fact that this morning I did the following:
Watched Arrested Development. Ate raspberry slice for breakfast. took off PJs, put on clothes, put on deodorant, brushed teeth, walked to mailbox...oh and the worst part is-that was from 8am till 11:30am....hours of boring behavior.
that's not even remotely interesting. I also realized that I had really reached the end of the line when I described to Brett the four articles I'd read in Vanity Fair as the most interesting thing that happened to me yesterday...
Yes, being stuck in this apartment for another week is definitely not good for my mental health. I've cried twice today. And I think the worst thing is that Brett mentioned maybe I should talk to...a girl. I feel bad for him. I can't be the most enjoyable person to be around at the moment. But, unfortunately, I dont KNOW any girls. And for some reason it seems like cheating to call up someone who's not here. I moved, didn't I? I CHOSE to not have my girlfriends around...
Incidently, I found some card stock at Albertsons ( I hate this store with a loathing passion now, because its the only place I can really walk to. every single freakin day.) so I was able to print up my resume. Maybe if I get a job I'll have something more interesting to talk about. Maybe if I get a job I'll feel like a productive member of society. Right now I feel so incredibly lame.
I think the thing I'm most tired of is me.
Even I am tired of the complaining that seems to be on a constant cycle inside my head...
Oh, hey, here's something interesting ( of course, it happened while I was on my honeymoon and during a time in my life when I was still a tiny bit of a nonbore..but whatever, I havent told the blog yet so we'll count it).
So, Brett and I were being delayed in the Bahamas airport, trying to get back to the United States and I was starting to feel odd ( which would turn into one of the most awful stomach viruses ever known to mankind) but I was ignoring it because there was nothing else to do but sit and watch Brett eat what looked like a disgusting piece of chicken in the airlounge...and as we sat I saw two incredibly skinny models sitting at a table next to us and it seemed that almost as soon as they registered on my "people I loathe" radar they hopped up and proclaimed that their flight was finally leaving. Now, it sounded like they were on our flight so I excused myself from the table to go look and see if there were any updates on our flight.
I made it to the ticket counter ( was reeeeally starting to not feel well at this point) and since there was no change in the flight information that was flashing above the counter I turned around to walk back to where Brett was...I turned around to run almost smack dab into some dude wearing a baseball cap at an odd angle who was being accosted by some women who was saying "are you an actor!?!"
And oh, yes it was...I had just so happened to have seen the movie Step Up, where Tatum Channing played the male lead much to my chagrin, and there he was in the flesh...
However, I didnt much care. Since I wasnt feeling particularly good. And besides, that movie was awful.
...
About two minutes later when Brett and I were having to run for our lives to get to our plane ( since, yes, it WAS our plane boarding, and they just hadnt changed the board) I pushed between Tatum and his female admirer without even an "excuse me"...I think that may make Tatum and I even for me spending $7.50 on his lame movie.
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