Retrieving the Arrow

( Karen's Ever Punctual Letter- Latest Volume )

Lots of stuff is going on... Almost too much. I'm feeling a little stretched right now and in a way I'm doing better at time management now than I ever did at BSC. Sometimes you just have to say no. It's hard, too, if people act like you're letting them down.

I started the new job today. It's pretty fantastic. All it is is data entry for some of the literature our church puts out. I was sitting there a few times, thinking, "Wow, you have a strange name," or, "Wow, what a weird address." Mostly I was thinking, "Wow, this is so fantastic! I am so, so glad I am able to send out this stuff to people. They have been waiting a long time. Some of them two or three months at this point. The church has been getting backed up with all of the requests for literature, so it's really exciting to be able to help get caught up. I only did about 100 requests today. It's going to take a while to get used to the new system, but they are thousands and thousands behind at this point.

We got to watch The Privileged Planet last week in our Foundations of Faith class and one of the sections of the DVD was "a journey to the edge of the universe," which showed the hypothetical views of our galaxy and the countless other galaxies we would encounter along the way (in a side note, it would only take about 4 minutes to get to Mars!) Then this Sabbath I think Psalms 147:4 was quoted about how God numbers the stars, and how He knows them all by name. It was amazing to think of how much and how wonderfully God has created all things. Lately a lot of friends and I have been watching documentaries of this nature and just marveling at all of it.

In other news I've calmed down considerably about things that I normally get excited about in new situations. I'm really glad because now I can focus a bit more on personal growth and outward service instead of inward gratification. Not that inward gratification isn't nice but I've been focused SO much on me, me, me as of late that I'm having to teach myself all over again how to reach out to other people and put them before myself. I can't do it on my own at all. Human nature just falters constantly and I'm also learning to rely on God more. It's working, and it's SO humbling. I'm really glad to be here right now. I feel like I am genuinely becoming the person I should be, which is amazing and fantastic.

Hope all of you are well

I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Things must cycle back and forth, really. Even when I think I am happy and well, if I expose myself to it for too long, too much, then I slide closer and closer to burn out. All of the traveling lately, all of the visiting, the lack of sleep. I haven't really slept-in in a while. I should have today, but I feel bad, literally quite guilty if I stay up late and then sleep in. Even if I can, it's like I am wasting part of the day, and in the long run I know that I am just hurting myself because I won't be able to sleep in in the coming days and weeks and months.

Anyway, a summation of my feelings, as written to a friend this evening:

( As Written to a Friend )

And it's not all bad. I don't mean to give that impression. I did get to hang out with some good friends this evening. Matt Beech is here, and I am so glad. I don't mean to turn this into a cultural thing at all, but sometimes it's just good to have people who know where you're coming from. Who know you. I guess Matt is proving himself to be the closest person to me in that respect. Weird.

That's where I am, only I am better now. I talked to Rudy on the phone for a while this evening and just had an escape out of things. We talked about Boston and visiting and this upcoming Dallas weekend that many, many people (only not this person) are going to. A costume party, his class work, feeling tired, mutual friends. He said I was pretty much obligated to go to Boston [and NYC] for Spring Break now, and I find myself not minding at all :)

earenwe, we seriously need to talk about dates soon so that I can find sometime accomodating to come visit. I don't want to do all of the touristy stuff. Only hang out at the places you like to go. If that happens to be a museum every now and then, that's fine, but mostly I want to spend time with you. Then go to Boston. Crazy! I will send you dates soon.

Now I am just going to go stalk Post Secret and then finish off Black Like Me. Yay for reading! I think all of my 回転外人 would really like the book, just for future reference.

from earenwe
Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Strike through the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game, do it! :)

( 13x2-1 )

It did take a while, didn't it? Also, all of mine are ridiculously easy, so let's have some participation :P

More dreams!
( Britain and Bras )

( Wedding Pictures )

( Mr. Darcy, Chapstick, and... Beard? )

Doing laundry. When I hang it up to dry (our drier is broken,) I will be heading back to O'Ho's for more grad school apps. I went to the gym today for the first time in weeks. It was awesome! I would like to drop about ten pounds before heading to Cinci, just to tone up a bit and drop some of the fat that I gained since working at Gap. Urgh, part of the reason I dropped that job was so that I could start going back to the gym. I'm trying to get back into the habit of eating breakfast before work, even if that means getting up at 3:30 to give myself time to do it.

Speaking of 3:30... I went to bed at 18:00 last night! That or 18:30. I was in bed before 7:00PM. And I slept the night through until 1:30 when I had to pee. I went back to sleep pretty easily, though, and slept until 4:00. It was actually really nice, and I wasn't tired at all this morning. I guess it's back to 7:00PM and 8:00PM bedtimes. For some reason, this whole time, my internal clock has not reset. It still wants to sleep until 7:00 or 8:00AM. This is definitely problematic. X(

Note to self, call Mary and remind her that if they need extra help at the Roaster to call me!

I managed to check the timing of my posts one day randomly, and apparently the past few weeks I have been unable to post on Wednesday or Thursday. I guess the actual tendency is that nothing happens on Monday or Tuesday so I post about the weekend then, and the come and post on Friday about what's happened on Wednesday and Thursday. Perhaps the same is true now.

It's been a busy past few days/weeks.

First let me start by saying that I am actually at the Home Office in Cincinnati, OH right now, hanging out with Church friends and on the whole having a good time. Forgive any spelling mistakes you might see because I'm on a different keyboard and it's a little confounded.

What has happened in the past few weeks? Well... here goes:

approved for eye surgery- August 6th, I will be having non-essential, cosmetic eye surgery for my right eyelid. It's gonna get lifted about 2.5 mm so that my eyes will match, and hopefully I will see a little better. In all honesty the difference between the strength of my eyes is so small that it's negligible but something about the eyelid itself... if I wake in the morning and am still very tired, I seem to look like I've been punched in the face. It gets really swollen. I had someone ask me once if I'd been stung by a bee. I think I handled my reaction really well at the time, but now I have the opportunity and the insurance is going to pay for it- so why not? I mean, yes, it's cosmetic, but it's not a boob-job so why not go for it? (and that will be the only time that you should ever hear me refer to that part of a woman's anatomy as such.)

catdoo's bro returned home- The police found him about eight miles from the house on a main road, pretty much collapsed from exhaustion and brought him home. The next day (Wednesday) was, understandably, tense but by the evening everyone seemed to be fine. I am sure that his parents are going to use the opportunity of me not being around to speak with him. He's fine physically, but there seems to be a lot of emotional duress. The good thing is that he is surrounded by people who love and care about him, and have the resources to help him. For having to be in this situation he is in the best possible manner of it.

ahappygoluckyme and I see Dr. Zhivago- Wow, what an incredible movie. It's definitely not going on my favorite's list anytime soon, but the experience of seeing it in such an amazing theatre (www.alabamatheatre.com) was very powerful. The movie itself was incredibly depressing; the scene with Lara and her sugar daddy where he very nearly rapes her, only then she enjoys (?!) it?! What on earth?! And the entire thing was so long. All of the adultery and depression. Bah, I can't believe it. It was fun seeing it with Eric though. We had too-salty popcorn, and intermission, and chased some pigeons around. They are showing Mary Poppins on Sunday if anyone is interested.

Harry Potter- I saw the 5th movie and read the 7th book. No spoilers on either, just in case you haven't read them, but I think I would go as far as to say that they are both my favorite in either series now. Hurrah! I will say that JK Rowling knows how to please her fans. When I stop to consider the things that I would have liked to see happen, everything that she did was on that list. I was so happy and pleased. I think the only thing that I didn't like was how slow it was for a while after they left Grimmauld Place. And that's all I'll say. (finished Friday afternoon)

(resumed Sunday)
Louisville- The ABC chorale was performing a song service for the Louisville congregation and I tagged along. It was really really wonderful- one of the best days I've had in a while. Mr. Johnson, who I look forward to meeting next year, gave a very fantastic sermon on spiritual maturity compared with physical maturity and how age is based on personal characteristics rather than years on your life. The music performed was fantastic. I really, really enjoyed it all. I also got to see Karen Sutherland for a few hours and Ginger and Doug as well. But mostly Karen. Vince and Melissa, for those of you unawares, are engaged now. Seriously- something in the water is causing all of these people to get married. Oh well, Becca's marriage takes priority!! :P

HBHaus- We went again last night after going to Louisville for services with the chorale. I had an enjoyable time when I was just dancing around, "Ziggy zaggy ziggy zaggy! Oy oy oy!!" and listening to "Sweet Caroline" and stuff... But I guess I was hoping for too much. Some of the people were getting crazy- some of the people in our group were getting crazy and looking back, I am pretty disappointed by them. I just decided to leave, though, when Amber P. was heading out. Poor dear wasn't feeling well to begin with, but she was a trooper.

Brazil- I'm going to Brazil!! And by that I mean that I am moving into a townhouse that is referred to as Brazil by all of the inhabitants. It's going to be great, guys! I am looking forward to it!