-COFFEEEEEEEE.
-Watching North and South. (I tried to start watching this several months ago, but never got past the first few minutes for some reason. But it's wonderful! And it's set in 19th century England. It's not about the Civil War or anything like that. I think there's another movie, or book, or something with the same title that's about the Civil War. But this isn't that.)
-Yours, Mine, and Ours. (I watched this a few days ago. Bought it for $5 at a Borders in Chicago, and it's just such a fabulous movie. Highly recommended. Very entertaining. Oh, and I mean the old version, not the new one with Dennis Quaid or whoever's in it. I haven't seen that one and thus can't comment on its quality.)
-Country music. Obviously.
-People I love, who love me.
-Getting my knitting in the mail! (I didn't manage to finish the blanket I was working on for a friend's wedding in time, and I didn't manage to finish it between coming back from Chicago and leaving for here, and then there was a room/weight crunch regarding things to take with me on the plane, so Mom was kind enough to ship it and a few other things - including the all-important travel coffee mug - to me where I'm staying this week. So, yay.)
-Seeing a bit more of Silver Spring this afternoon, and finding out that there is both a Qdoba and a Chipotle downtown, as well as other shops and such. So, that's exciting. Not so much the Chipotle. But anyway.
-Getting my pre-class assigned reading done! And being both excited that I'm actually studying this stuff, and overwhelmed because du-uuude some of it is like...whoosh. Way over my head. But...that's why I'm here, right? I mean, I'm not expected to understand it all right away...right?
-Did I mention coffee? Because I love coffee. I'm a hopeless addict, I realize, but I'm really really ok with that. Might be a problem later in life, but for now, I'm just going to indulge the addiction.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I think this makes some people question my judgment
...but I really like listening to country music. I used to be pretty ambivalent about it, at best, and then a few summers ago - I think 2006 or thereabouts - I just randomly started listening to it in the car. And then I programmed two country stations into my car radio. And bought a few country CDs. It's been on and off for awhile (at ND, especially, I didn't listen to it much, mostly because at school when I listened to music it tended to be just my own music library which wasn't much on the country music), but since graduating I've been listening to it more. Anyway. Last night I made myself a country music station on Pandora, and I've been listening to it a lot today. It's quite an enjoyable mix I've created, too. Mostly softer stuff, nothing twangy, pretty much exclusively male singers (I don't know why, but I rarely like listening to women, in any genre). A lot of it is Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, and the like. Anyway. Just good stuff, that's all I'm sayin'.
I'm pretty sure my siblings are all anti-country. As are pretty much all of my friends from ND. Well, one group of friends, anyway. (The two friends who got married last weekend had their first dance to "Then" by Brad Paisley, so obviously country is a-ok in their book.) A number of friends back home, though, are either casual listeners to country or really enjoy it. And I enjoy them. :-) (I miss my friends back home, in case you couldn't tell. But it's all good - that's what going home is for, right? And I'll be home and see at least some of them in just over a month. And I'm sure I'll have plenty to keep me busy in that month.)
(I do also miss my family, but that's hopefully a given. Plus, I talk to my family more. Plus, my family is my family, and it's hard to manage not seeing them when I go home. Not exactly the case with friends who don't happen to live in my house and might not have free time when I go home, you know? But anyway. Family, I love you.)
And I love country music. Judge me if you want, but don't try to change me.
I'm pretty sure my siblings are all anti-country. As are pretty much all of my friends from ND. Well, one group of friends, anyway. (The two friends who got married last weekend had their first dance to "Then" by Brad Paisley, so obviously country is a-ok in their book.) A number of friends back home, though, are either casual listeners to country or really enjoy it. And I enjoy them. :-) (I miss my friends back home, in case you couldn't tell. But it's all good - that's what going home is for, right? And I'll be home and see at least some of them in just over a month. And I'm sure I'll have plenty to keep me busy in that month.)
(I do also miss my family, but that's hopefully a given. Plus, I talk to my family more. Plus, my family is my family, and it's hard to manage not seeing them when I go home. Not exactly the case with friends who don't happen to live in my house and might not have free time when I go home, you know? But anyway. Family, I love you.)
And I love country music. Judge me if you want, but don't try to change me.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Orientated. (Sort of.)
Last night, I spent a good almost two hours doing homework (reading).
On a Friday night.
Before classes have even started.
Weird.
Also, I think I figured out why I've felt off the past couple of days: oxygen overdose. My lungs just aren't used to all this easily accessible air! Haha. Kidding, obviously (well, about the oxygen overdose), but it's nice not to be out of breath walking around. Not that I've done a lot of exerting walking, but at the zoo yesterday, there were some spots that I know I would have been out of breath had it been the same slope in Colorado, but I was perfectly fine. It's nice; every time I take a deep breath here, I can actually get a fulfilling deep breath, whereas a lot of the time in CO it's harder. If that makes any sense. Anyway. Different. (But I'll always take the dry, clean, oxygen-deprived CO air over humid, muggy, oxygen-filled city air any day.)
Anyway.
I had orientation today. Practically the entire school - students, faculty and staff - were there, and all fit easily into a relatively small auditorium room. It's a small program. But super-awesome. During the lecture on the nature and mission of the Institute, given by the dean, Dr. Schindler, I felt simultaneously overwhelmed and overwhelmedly excited. It's going to be good for me, I know. Yes, intimidating (DOO-OOOD, every class has a HUGE compendium of readings - pretty much the same thing as course packets we had at ND - in addition to books, for most classes, and I think two classes have a compendium that's two volumes! Goodness! And they're expensive, too. I think the compendia cost more than double what the books cost. But oh well.), but maybe I'll finally form good study habits, and maybe I'll finally be forced to participate more and have things to say and not be afraid to say them. It's going to be tough, but great.
It's a pretty sweet deal, this JPII Institute thing. Well, first, we had Mass to start orientation this morning (and, by the way, YAY for such a wonderfully Catholic program that starts with a beautiful Mass!). It was in a chapel in a building different from the one where the Institute actually is, but very nearby (I think it's the Religious Studies building or something). Anyway. Gorgeous chapel. Small, but easily prettier than any church in Colorado Springs. Not that that's hard. And I guess the Institute manages to have a handful of students in a lovely choir, with beautiful harmonies, which I got to hear today. And, oh yeah, traditional, beautiful, Latin-filled songs! Anyway. And then, this really got me all twitterpated, after Mass, practically the entire congregation (again, fairly small, but still) stayed to kneel and pray a bit more. This is something I've been doing for awhile, but usually I'm one of a very small handful of people who do it. And rare is it that I'm going to Mass with someone who does it, in which case, I usually don't. Anyway. That just made me all kinds of happy. Oh, and they have Mass at that chapel once a week, so that might be nice to go to.
The actual Institute is housed in one building, apparently a newer building, and it's pretty nice. There's a reading room, with books, and some study areas, and then across the hall from it is a lounge for JPII students (including a microwave and fridge and - THE BEST PART - coffee!!! Oh man, I got so excited when I heard someone mention that they had upgraded the coffee this year, and that it's nice just to leave tips once in awhile to help out with the cost for that. Dude. Awesome). And there's the library right next to that building, which we can use, and there's lots of computers in there, and free printers. And good study areas, too. Good stuff.
And then, of course, one of the best parts is that I'll be right next to the Shrine. That means very easy access to a beautiful church, and daily Mass multiple times during the day, plus access to their five hours of confession each day. Pretty awesome. I've so missed having a daily Mass nearby, and I've so missed having Mass in a beautiful setting. And good music. And people for whom Mass isn't just another thing to cross of their list of Sunday to-dos.
In short: Yay.
On a Friday night.
Before classes have even started.
Weird.
Also, I think I figured out why I've felt off the past couple of days: oxygen overdose. My lungs just aren't used to all this easily accessible air! Haha. Kidding, obviously (well, about the oxygen overdose), but it's nice not to be out of breath walking around. Not that I've done a lot of exerting walking, but at the zoo yesterday, there were some spots that I know I would have been out of breath had it been the same slope in Colorado, but I was perfectly fine. It's nice; every time I take a deep breath here, I can actually get a fulfilling deep breath, whereas a lot of the time in CO it's harder. If that makes any sense. Anyway. Different. (But I'll always take the dry, clean, oxygen-deprived CO air over humid, muggy, oxygen-filled city air any day.)
Anyway.
I had orientation today. Practically the entire school - students, faculty and staff - were there, and all fit easily into a relatively small auditorium room. It's a small program. But super-awesome. During the lecture on the nature and mission of the Institute, given by the dean, Dr. Schindler, I felt simultaneously overwhelmed and overwhelmedly excited. It's going to be good for me, I know. Yes, intimidating (DOO-OOOD, every class has a HUGE compendium of readings - pretty much the same thing as course packets we had at ND - in addition to books, for most classes, and I think two classes have a compendium that's two volumes! Goodness! And they're expensive, too. I think the compendia cost more than double what the books cost. But oh well.), but maybe I'll finally form good study habits, and maybe I'll finally be forced to participate more and have things to say and not be afraid to say them. It's going to be tough, but great.
It's a pretty sweet deal, this JPII Institute thing. Well, first, we had Mass to start orientation this morning (and, by the way, YAY for such a wonderfully Catholic program that starts with a beautiful Mass!). It was in a chapel in a building different from the one where the Institute actually is, but very nearby (I think it's the Religious Studies building or something). Anyway. Gorgeous chapel. Small, but easily prettier than any church in Colorado Springs. Not that that's hard. And I guess the Institute manages to have a handful of students in a lovely choir, with beautiful harmonies, which I got to hear today. And, oh yeah, traditional, beautiful, Latin-filled songs! Anyway. And then, this really got me all twitterpated, after Mass, practically the entire congregation (again, fairly small, but still) stayed to kneel and pray a bit more. This is something I've been doing for awhile, but usually I'm one of a very small handful of people who do it. And rare is it that I'm going to Mass with someone who does it, in which case, I usually don't. Anyway. That just made me all kinds of happy. Oh, and they have Mass at that chapel once a week, so that might be nice to go to.
The actual Institute is housed in one building, apparently a newer building, and it's pretty nice. There's a reading room, with books, and some study areas, and then across the hall from it is a lounge for JPII students (including a microwave and fridge and - THE BEST PART - coffee!!! Oh man, I got so excited when I heard someone mention that they had upgraded the coffee this year, and that it's nice just to leave tips once in awhile to help out with the cost for that. Dude. Awesome). And there's the library right next to that building, which we can use, and there's lots of computers in there, and free printers. And good study areas, too. Good stuff.
And then, of course, one of the best parts is that I'll be right next to the Shrine. That means very easy access to a beautiful church, and daily Mass multiple times during the day, plus access to their five hours of confession each day. Pretty awesome. I've so missed having a daily Mass nearby, and I've so missed having Mass in a beautiful setting. And good music. And people for whom Mass isn't just another thing to cross of their list of Sunday to-dos.
In short: Yay.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Alive and well, and living like a king in Patagonia
Well, here I am, in lovely Silver Spring. Been here less than 24 hours, and already I got to go to the zoo and see the pandas! So excited that it's free, which means I could theoretically go frequently just to say hi to my favorite animals and then leave without feeling bad about wasting money. I'm sure I won't have time for that, but it's nice to have the option, I guess.
The place I'm staying for the week is lovely, with some great girls (one of whom will be in my classes, so that's very nice). I actually have a room to myself because their fifth roommate isn't moving in until later in September or something. I'm quite thankful.
Orientation is tomorrow, at which point I'll meet all my professors, classmates, etc. Should be interesting... I'm starting to feel pretty intimidated by it all, and very much out of my element, and thoughts of "what the heck am I doing here?" keep running through my head. In short, I'm very nervous, but I'm pretty sure this is where God wants me, so I just have to hope and pray it all turns out all right. The beginning is always tough, right? I mean, absolutely everything about being here is foreign and new to me. I've met some people already, and it's overwhelming being new when people know each other, but also nice in a way too. Just a lot different than, say, starting freshman year at college when most people are on a pretty even level of knowledge. I've been in DC really barely at all, I've not been on the CUA campus except for the Shrine, and obviously I've never done grad school, so...yeah. I have no idea what I'm doing. But there is no growth without a little bit of uncomfortable stretching, right? It's good. (I'm very nervous about using the metro by myself, whenever that time comes around. But I know I'll get the hang of it. And our new house is so wonderfully close to the station, and there's a stop right across the street from campus, both fantastic things. Plus a lot of people here have cars and seem gracious in driving me where I need to go, such as the grocery store, and the bookstore on Monday, hopefully, because I need to get my books!)
In other news, I've been feeling a bit off today. Maybe it's all the traveling I've done recently, and the resultant lack of sleep I've had, and I'm thinking driving around the DC area tends to make me carsick, but I seriously came this close to throwing up when we got out of the car today after driving to the zoo. I really thought I was going to, and had found a trashcan on the street corner that would have to do if it came to that. Luckily I mastered it and started feeling a lot better once we were out of the car and walking to the zoo, but I still feel a little odd. I think I'm just tired, though, and possibly dehydrated. No worries, I'll be fine. I've just never come that close to being sick from a car ride before. Took me by surprise.
Oh. And I'm freaking out about money, but then, who isn't? I'm afraid I'm going to have to lean on my parents again for the first couple of weeks I'm here, until my loan check comes in, and until I (hopefully) find a job. I don't want to do that, though. Sigh. Life, huh?
The place I'm staying for the week is lovely, with some great girls (one of whom will be in my classes, so that's very nice). I actually have a room to myself because their fifth roommate isn't moving in until later in September or something. I'm quite thankful.
Orientation is tomorrow, at which point I'll meet all my professors, classmates, etc. Should be interesting... I'm starting to feel pretty intimidated by it all, and very much out of my element, and thoughts of "what the heck am I doing here?" keep running through my head. In short, I'm very nervous, but I'm pretty sure this is where God wants me, so I just have to hope and pray it all turns out all right. The beginning is always tough, right? I mean, absolutely everything about being here is foreign and new to me. I've met some people already, and it's overwhelming being new when people know each other, but also nice in a way too. Just a lot different than, say, starting freshman year at college when most people are on a pretty even level of knowledge. I've been in DC really barely at all, I've not been on the CUA campus except for the Shrine, and obviously I've never done grad school, so...yeah. I have no idea what I'm doing. But there is no growth without a little bit of uncomfortable stretching, right? It's good. (I'm very nervous about using the metro by myself, whenever that time comes around. But I know I'll get the hang of it. And our new house is so wonderfully close to the station, and there's a stop right across the street from campus, both fantastic things. Plus a lot of people here have cars and seem gracious in driving me where I need to go, such as the grocery store, and the bookstore on Monday, hopefully, because I need to get my books!)
In other news, I've been feeling a bit off today. Maybe it's all the traveling I've done recently, and the resultant lack of sleep I've had, and I'm thinking driving around the DC area tends to make me carsick, but I seriously came this close to throwing up when we got out of the car today after driving to the zoo. I really thought I was going to, and had found a trashcan on the street corner that would have to do if it came to that. Luckily I mastered it and started feeling a lot better once we were out of the car and walking to the zoo, but I still feel a little odd. I think I'm just tired, though, and possibly dehydrated. No worries, I'll be fine. I've just never come that close to being sick from a car ride before. Took me by surprise.
Oh. And I'm freaking out about money, but then, who isn't? I'm afraid I'm going to have to lean on my parents again for the first couple of weeks I'm here, until my loan check comes in, and until I (hopefully) find a job. I don't want to do that, though. Sigh. Life, huh?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Soooo...Much...STUFFFFFF
The hardest part so far has been limiting myself to one smallish box of books. It's pretty heavy as it is, but...I like books. I want to have my books with me. But alas, it costs money, etc, room, yeah.
Really thinking about it, I feel a bit better to realize that the stuff I'll be shipping really is probably around what I'd take if I were driving. Hopefully less, but definitely not more. (Just...in two huge boxes, and a couple of smaller ones.)
Argh. It's just...argh.
I dislike this muy mucho. Beaucoup.
But, on the bright side, it's not even noon yet and I'm already close to all packed. Just gotta figure out the clothes thing (that's the other difficult thing to figure out what to bring and what to leave). In any case, looks like it won't be another staying-up-all-night-to-finish-packing extravaganza like I'm used to doing. So that's good.
Really thinking about it, I feel a bit better to realize that the stuff I'll be shipping really is probably around what I'd take if I were driving. Hopefully less, but definitely not more. (Just...in two huge boxes, and a couple of smaller ones.)
Argh. It's just...argh.
I dislike this muy mucho. Beaucoup.
But, on the bright side, it's not even noon yet and I'm already close to all packed. Just gotta figure out the clothes thing (that's the other difficult thing to figure out what to bring and what to leave). In any case, looks like it won't be another staying-up-all-night-to-finish-packing extravaganza like I'm used to doing. So that's good.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A few things making me shake my head this morning
First, now I guess those "Then why don't you marry it?" comments aren't as much a joke as unfortunate and laughable reality. I mean...wow. Some people. I just don't get it, and never will.
Second, why is birth control the end-all-be-all of "women's rights" and "important issues"? Why do people insist on making it such a blanket fix for the ills of society? Oh, if only there were greater access to birth control worldwide, so many problems would be fixed. Women would no longer be used as objects. Women would be empowered. AIDS rates would plummet. We'd all live happily ever after, dontchaknow. BIRTH CONTROL IS THE ANSWER TO NOTHING, PEOPLE. (Well, except maybe, what is one huge factor that has led to our society's upside-down moral views.)
The ridiculosity of it all just astounds me. I guess it shouldn't, though, since this is where we are in our culture.
Oh, and last week, when walking around downtown Chicago, Katherine and I passed a few workers/volunteers for Planned Parenthood who were, I'm assuming, surveying people (they asked if we had a few minutes for Planned Parenthood. I wanted to give them more than a few minutes, let me tell you). We ended up going back the same way, so we passed them twice. I really, really wanted to stop, but I figured it probably wasn't the right time/place/avenue. But then, when is? I don't know. I am curious as to what they were asking people. I guess I'll never know. Maybe next time I come across that (unlikely in the Springs, perhaps more likely in DC?), I'll be able to go up to them and engage them in a discussion. Who knows.
Second, why is birth control the end-all-be-all of "women's rights" and "important issues"? Why do people insist on making it such a blanket fix for the ills of society? Oh, if only there were greater access to birth control worldwide, so many problems would be fixed. Women would no longer be used as objects. Women would be empowered. AIDS rates would plummet. We'd all live happily ever after, dontchaknow. BIRTH CONTROL IS THE ANSWER TO NOTHING, PEOPLE. (Well, except maybe, what is one huge factor that has led to our society's upside-down moral views.)
The ridiculosity of it all just astounds me. I guess it shouldn't, though, since this is where we are in our culture.
Oh, and last week, when walking around downtown Chicago, Katherine and I passed a few workers/volunteers for Planned Parenthood who were, I'm assuming, surveying people (they asked if we had a few minutes for Planned Parenthood. I wanted to give them more than a few minutes, let me tell you). We ended up going back the same way, so we passed them twice. I really, really wanted to stop, but I figured it probably wasn't the right time/place/avenue. But then, when is? I don't know. I am curious as to what they were asking people. I guess I'll never know. Maybe next time I come across that (unlikely in the Springs, perhaps more likely in DC?), I'll be able to go up to them and engage them in a discussion. Who knows.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Back (temporarily)
Well, I made it back from Chicago in one piece. The wedding was a blast. I had an awesome time at the reception, thanks in small part to the open bar (very small part, really), and in large part because of the fantastic people there, and the great music the DJ played, and the excitement from catching the bouquet (unexpected), and the beauty and joy of the wedding I was blessed to be a part of yesterday.
And now, the name of the game is STRESSED OUT. I hate, with every fiber of my being, packing. And moving. And figuring out what needs to go where, what I'm going to need right away, what can wait, what I don't need at all, what I'll need that I don't have (namely, school supplies, which I guess I'll just buy out there). And then there's the fact that I have no money, which is really increasing my stress level by leaps and bounds. It's expensive to move. And to start school again. And then there's rent, plus the security deposit. I got loans from school, but I have yet to hear back from them how and when that's going to be disbursed to me. I'm going to have to call them tomorrow, I think. It's annoying because I asked them about it a week ago, before I left. It'd be nice to have had an answer sooner, you know?
I'm also stressing because I'm going to have to live with strangers for the first week I'm in DC. Which means, most likely, sleeping on a couch, having to live out of a suitcase, changing in the bathroom, and I have no idea what I'm going to do about food. I'm obviously very grateful that I have a place to stay, and that these girls are willing to let a complete stranger live in their house for a week, but it's still all very stressful.
I. Am. Freaking. Out. And. Over. Whelmed.
And now, the name of the game is STRESSED OUT. I hate, with every fiber of my being, packing. And moving. And figuring out what needs to go where, what I'm going to need right away, what can wait, what I don't need at all, what I'll need that I don't have (namely, school supplies, which I guess I'll just buy out there). And then there's the fact that I have no money, which is really increasing my stress level by leaps and bounds. It's expensive to move. And to start school again. And then there's rent, plus the security deposit. I got loans from school, but I have yet to hear back from them how and when that's going to be disbursed to me. I'm going to have to call them tomorrow, I think. It's annoying because I asked them about it a week ago, before I left. It'd be nice to have had an answer sooner, you know?
I'm also stressing because I'm going to have to live with strangers for the first week I'm in DC. Which means, most likely, sleeping on a couch, having to live out of a suitcase, changing in the bathroom, and I have no idea what I'm going to do about food. I'm obviously very grateful that I have a place to stay, and that these girls are willing to let a complete stranger live in their house for a week, but it's still all very stressful.
I. Am. Freaking. Out. And. Over. Whelmed.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Chi-town
So, I'm in Chicago.
Here's how today has gone:
-Go to bed with enough time to get in ... amount of sleep.
-Wake up at 3am (ugh).
-Leave for DIA at 3:45.
-Get to DIA at 5:00.
-Get my bag checked in immediately (had already checked in online last night).
-Get through security with zero wait (plane left from concourse A which has its own security section, which didn't have any line. Yay!).
-Get to the gate by 5:15, including a trip to the bathroom (because I know you wanted to know that).
-Board the plane at like 5:40.
-Plane leaves (scheduled to leave at 6, but it really seemed like it left a lot earlier than that, because I wasn't on the plane that long before it left). Got really happy when they closed the doors and there was still no one in my side of the row. Sweet.
-Spread out. Utilize the space in front of the middle row for more leg room, and lean against the window. Ahhh. Knit several rows of the afghan that was supposed to be done by now. Get some coffee and water. Finish those, and decide I'm a little tired. Sleep for the remainder of the trip, listening to my MP3 player (waking up when the Star Wars theme came on - it does not start out gently, folks! haha), until they tell us we're starting to descend and have to turn off electronic devices and whatnot. (Realize, once they turn on the seatbelt sign, that the mug of coffee I had on the drive to DC, plus the cup in the plane and the water, have made their way through me, and I really really have to pee. Sorry, but that's what happened.)
-We finally land. Plane empties pretty quickly because it's only 20 rows and it's not full at all (hence three seats to myself). Take care of business (ahhh - there's something about peeing after having held it to the point where it's starting to get painful that just feels sooooo wonderful, and everything seems so much better afterward. Sorry if that's TMI again, but really, you all know what I'm talking about. We've all experienced it), head to the baggage claim. Oh how I missed Midway. (I've spent a lot of time there...)
-Spot my bag coming toward me as soon as I get to the baggage claim area, so didn't even have to wait for that at all. Head outside and wait for my ride, my awesome friend Katherine. Run some errands with her for awhile (including my first-ever trip to Ikea, which was...interesting, I guess?). OH! And we went to Panera when we were waiting for Ikea to open, and I got a chocolate chip bagel, and they have hazelnut cream cheese! It was practically the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Dude.
-Came back to my friends' place, had a sandwich, knit a bit more, then slept for like three hours. Mmm.
Yay.
I forgot what humidity really feels like. Bleh. Haha. It's really not that bad (and yes, I am still wearing a sweatshirt, because that's what I do, and I'm even drinking hot tea right now courtesy of my awesome friend). Just...more humid than Colorado. And that's why I love Colorado.
But it's nice to see new things once in awhile, right?
Here's how today has gone:
-Go to bed with enough time to get in ... amount of sleep.
-Wake up at 3am (ugh).
-Leave for DIA at 3:45.
-Get to DIA at 5:00.
-Get my bag checked in immediately (had already checked in online last night).
-Get through security with zero wait (plane left from concourse A which has its own security section, which didn't have any line. Yay!).
-Get to the gate by 5:15, including a trip to the bathroom (because I know you wanted to know that).
-Board the plane at like 5:40.
-Plane leaves (scheduled to leave at 6, but it really seemed like it left a lot earlier than that, because I wasn't on the plane that long before it left). Got really happy when they closed the doors and there was still no one in my side of the row. Sweet.
-Spread out. Utilize the space in front of the middle row for more leg room, and lean against the window. Ahhh. Knit several rows of the afghan that was supposed to be done by now. Get some coffee and water. Finish those, and decide I'm a little tired. Sleep for the remainder of the trip, listening to my MP3 player (waking up when the Star Wars theme came on - it does not start out gently, folks! haha), until they tell us we're starting to descend and have to turn off electronic devices and whatnot. (Realize, once they turn on the seatbelt sign, that the mug of coffee I had on the drive to DC, plus the cup in the plane and the water, have made their way through me, and I really really have to pee. Sorry, but that's what happened.)
-We finally land. Plane empties pretty quickly because it's only 20 rows and it's not full at all (hence three seats to myself). Take care of business (ahhh - there's something about peeing after having held it to the point where it's starting to get painful that just feels sooooo wonderful, and everything seems so much better afterward. Sorry if that's TMI again, but really, you all know what I'm talking about. We've all experienced it), head to the baggage claim. Oh how I missed Midway. (I've spent a lot of time there...)
-Spot my bag coming toward me as soon as I get to the baggage claim area, so didn't even have to wait for that at all. Head outside and wait for my ride, my awesome friend Katherine. Run some errands with her for awhile (including my first-ever trip to Ikea, which was...interesting, I guess?). OH! And we went to Panera when we were waiting for Ikea to open, and I got a chocolate chip bagel, and they have hazelnut cream cheese! It was practically the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Dude.
-Came back to my friends' place, had a sandwich, knit a bit more, then slept for like three hours. Mmm.
Yay.
I forgot what humidity really feels like. Bleh. Haha. It's really not that bad (and yes, I am still wearing a sweatshirt, because that's what I do, and I'm even drinking hot tea right now courtesy of my awesome friend). Just...more humid than Colorado. And that's why I love Colorado.
But it's nice to see new things once in awhile, right?
Monday, August 17, 2009
I do work better under pressure
I went crazy on my room today. I've slightly altered the goal from getting it all cleaned and organized and whatnot to getting it in semi-decent shape, getting rid of stuff I absolutely don't need or want, de-bagging it, etc. Not perfect, but it's an improvement.
I have an overflowing bag of clothes to give away, plus a few dresses, but that's not nearly enough. I have a lot of clothes, and I just like them and I don't want to give them away. Like, t-shirts, it's crazy how many I have. And even if I don't get rid of them all I certainly shouldn't be planning on taking as many as I currently am, because I have a feeling I won't be wearing t-shirts that often. I mean, most times I wear t-shirts now are when I'm working out or don't really feel like looking all that good. I've pared down some of them, now when I go through my clothes again next week for the final packing, I'll leave more behind.
So let's see. What do I have to do next week in the four days I'll have to do stuff...I need to return something at Dick's. (I really wish it were still called Galyan's. Such a better name.) I need to buy a new CD holder. And an address book. I need to go to Petsmart and get Nutmeg another bag of food, as we're getting close to the end of what we have, and I need to get her a new name tag with my dad's cell phone instead of mine (it wouldn't do much good if she runs off and someone finds her and calls me, all the way in DC, when my dad is probably the one looking for her...). I need to pack pack pack, figure out what I need right away, what I can do without for a few weeks. And...I guess that's it. But that's a lot. Well, the packing part, anyway. (Where's a good place to get a good address book, by the way?)
Sigh. It'll all work out. I know that. It'll all get done, too. I'm impressed by my productivity today. A little disappointed that I know my room won't really be in the best shape it could be by the time I leave, but happy that it'll be in better shape than it's been in awhile.
And things are looking better on the DC end, too. It'll all be great, I'm sure. Just gotta keep chugging along...l
I have an overflowing bag of clothes to give away, plus a few dresses, but that's not nearly enough. I have a lot of clothes, and I just like them and I don't want to give them away. Like, t-shirts, it's crazy how many I have. And even if I don't get rid of them all I certainly shouldn't be planning on taking as many as I currently am, because I have a feeling I won't be wearing t-shirts that often. I mean, most times I wear t-shirts now are when I'm working out or don't really feel like looking all that good. I've pared down some of them, now when I go through my clothes again next week for the final packing, I'll leave more behind.
So let's see. What do I have to do next week in the four days I'll have to do stuff...I need to return something at Dick's. (I really wish it were still called Galyan's. Such a better name.) I need to buy a new CD holder. And an address book. I need to go to Petsmart and get Nutmeg another bag of food, as we're getting close to the end of what we have, and I need to get her a new name tag with my dad's cell phone instead of mine (it wouldn't do much good if she runs off and someone finds her and calls me, all the way in DC, when my dad is probably the one looking for her...). I need to pack pack pack, figure out what I need right away, what I can do without for a few weeks. And...I guess that's it. But that's a lot. Well, the packing part, anyway. (Where's a good place to get a good address book, by the way?)
Sigh. It'll all work out. I know that. It'll all get done, too. I'm impressed by my productivity today. A little disappointed that I know my room won't really be in the best shape it could be by the time I leave, but happy that it'll be in better shape than it's been in awhile.
And things are looking better on the DC end, too. It'll all be great, I'm sure. Just gotta keep chugging along...l
Today, I
- got a sunburn while simultaneously freezing during an outdoor Mass for my church's summer picnic.
- cried in public, but managed to keep it hidden behind my sunglasses.
- finally got hit with the realization that, holy goodness, I'm leaving. Very, very soon. And I have less than five whole days left to spend in my house, with my family and friends.
- bought my plane ticket that will take me away from my house, family, and friends.
- freaked out a lot about the leaving, especially in regard to all the packing and figuring out things that needs to happen first.
- wondered why every single bridal dress I've seen lately (and there have been many - I have a lot of acquaintances who've gotten married recently) has been strapless. And the friends I have who are getting married have had this same problem. Non-strapless bridal dresses seem to be next to impossible to find. Bridesmaids dresses, too, I think. But seriously, it's ridiculous.
- got very worried about my money situation. I'm really hoping I get that job I applied for, but I seriously doubt that'll happen. I think I'll be ok with loans, though, for rent and stuff, but I got an updated financial aid offer from school today and couldn't open it because the password they gave me wouldn't work, so I'm concerned that maybe now they're giving me less for some reason, and that wouldn't be good. I know, God's got it all covered, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be concerned, right? Or maybe I shouldn't. I don't know. I'm stressed about it, is all I know.
- realized that I have to pack for my trip to Chicago. I leave at an ungodly hour Tuesday morning (my flight leaves from Denver at 6am, which means I have to leave here at like, I don't know, 3:30 or something ridiculous), and I think I picked that flight because the other options got into Chicago kinda late and I wanted more time to spend with my friends there. But now I'm sort of wishing I had picked a later one. Plus, I'm also thinking about everything I have to do before I leave for DC, which now I'll have to do between Sunday and Wednesday night after I get back from Chicago, and I'm wondering if an extended trip to Chicago (meaning, more than just like the weekend) was really the best idea right now. But, tickets have been bought, so that's what's going to happen, good idea or not. Anyway. I have to do all that packing tomorrow. For Chicago. Not yet DC. Ugh.
- can't wait until it's something like mid-September. I'll probably be up to my neck in schoolwork, but I'll be settled. Settled. I love being settled. And my parents (and little bro) are coming to DC mid September to go my cousin's wedding, so they'll be able to see my new place, I'll be able to see them, and yeah. That'll be fun. But ugh, the next few weeks are just going to be full of here and there and then there and moving and turmoil and nothing familiar and everything new and uncomfortable and scary and exciting and completely exhausting. Oh, and expensive.
Anyway, don't worry, I'm not suddenly regretting my decision to go to DC. I know it's the right thing. And even with all this turmoil, there is peace there. I know God has some plan for me, some reason for me to go to DC. And I know that it'll be great. It'll be very good for me. And who knows where it might lead me? I mean, hopefully ultimately back here, because I really can't imagine living anywhere else (and I don't want to imagine living anywhere but Colorado), but by what route will I (God willing) come back? It's going to be an exciting two years, I know. Really. It'll be great. But that doesn't mean I can't feel sad about everything and everyone I'm leaving behind. All the great experiences here that I'll miss out on - the parties with my awesome friends, the family dinners, my nephews growing (Jason will be starting preschool this year). But at the same time, I'll be having new great experiences out there (hopefully). Meeting lots of new people. Learning new things. Going WAAAAAAY out of my box, which apparently people thing I need to do more of.
Well. That's enough for tonight.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Way wrong conclusion
I know, I know, it's CNN, but I just read this article about cohabitation. The author completely misses the point. She says that lots of people in her age range (I'm assuming maybe mid to late 20s to somewhere in the 30s) are wary about marriage as a reaction to the fact that so many people in that age range come from divorced parents. And thus, in order to be completely sure before getting married, she wants to make sure she lives with the person she might marry before making that next step. (Because, logically, it goes dating, living together, engagement, marriage, right?)
She also mostly dismisses the notion that those who cohabitate have a higher chance of divorce (even though there are studies to back up that truth). More and more people are living together now, but it seems that maybe, if we really want to learn from the generation before us that's so rife with divorce, shouldn't we consider the alternative of not living together, instead of concluding that we should cohabitate as a rule? I'm sure more people cohabitate now than did in the earlier generation, but instead of further encouraging that we should be rejecting it outright. Along with premarital sex, but good luck with that, right?
Of course, this trend is going to continue, because people don't really like accepting the truth of the dangers of cohabitation (and premarital sex). We're very much slaves to our bodies (whether or not we realize it), and we don't like people telling us that what might feel good or be easier is not the right thing to do.
She also mostly dismisses the notion that those who cohabitate have a higher chance of divorce (even though there are studies to back up that truth). More and more people are living together now, but it seems that maybe, if we really want to learn from the generation before us that's so rife with divorce, shouldn't we consider the alternative of not living together, instead of concluding that we should cohabitate as a rule? I'm sure more people cohabitate now than did in the earlier generation, but instead of further encouraging that we should be rejecting it outright. Along with premarital sex, but good luck with that, right?
Of course, this trend is going to continue, because people don't really like accepting the truth of the dangers of cohabitation (and premarital sex). We're very much slaves to our bodies (whether or not we realize it), and we don't like people telling us that what might feel good or be easier is not the right thing to do.
They rarely lead me astray
So, some things happened today.
First, I went hiking in an area I didn't really feel comfortable (because it wasn't quite...legit). As mentioned already.
Then, much later today, just as I was about to settle in to watch a movie or listen to music and work on the afghan I'm knitting, I get a call from a dear friend asking if I was coming along to sushi and a movie with some of our other friends, to celebrate one's birthday. I waffled between going and not (I obviously wasn't going to be eating sushi, plus I had already eaten dinner), but in the end decided to go because I'm leaving soon and won't get to see these wonderful people anymore, and one of them is leaving herself on Sunday for nursing school a couple hours away. I wasn't planning on eating anything at the restaurant (I've never had sushi and would prefer it to stay that way), but they kept goading me into trying a California roll, and finally I consented when one said he'd give me two dollars if I ate it. And then another said he'd double it. So I ate it. I got $4 for eating one California roll. But goodness it was disgusting. Sure, it may all just be in my head, but ugh. I had to fight my overactive gag reflex quite a bit just to get that thing chewed and swallowed. Gross. So, that wasn't too cool, and I knew I wasn't going to like it, but at least now I can say I tried sushi and will never try again. (Never say never, but it'll take a lot for me to try it again.)
So then, the movie. I had decided to come before I found out what movie they were all going to see, but wasn't too thrilled upon hearing that they (they being the boys in the group, one in particular) wanted to see District 9. And the only other girl, Sarah, had already been persuaded to go. So I was like, ok, fine, how bad can it be, even though I had no idea what it was about. Except whenever I would ask I would get the answer, "Aliens." And then I found out it was rated R, which I wasn't thrilled about - I'm not big on R-rated movies, and can't remember the last time I saw one in the theater. Or in general. Except I did finally see Gladiator for the first time last week, but that's about it. So, I wasn't very excited at the prospect of seeing this movie. But I did, anyway. Because, again, I have great friends, and I like spending time with them.
Well. Worst. Movie. Ever. I mean, seriously. It was unanimous in our group that it was supremely awful, and the guy who had particularly wanted to see it apologized to us afterward. Haha. But yeah. Just terrible movie. And disgusting, too. Lots of people blowing up, and gross things happening. There was a lot of cursing, including that favorite word of mine, but it surprisingly didn't bother me as much as it might have, I think because everyone in it had an accent so it didn't come out sounding the same as it would if an American said it. Or even British, or something. Yeah. Anyway. But, disgusting movie, horrible plot, and just...ridiculous. Waste of $8.50 if ever there was one. But at least I had made $4 at dinner, so that made up for it a bit.
Anyway, this day just goes to show me that I should always trust my instincts. They're usually right. I mean, I did want to see my friends tonight, and go hiking with my other friend this morning (I hadn't seen her in awhile, and that's sad because she's just awesome), but...ugh.
Well, tomorrow is another day, and I'm sure it'll be a better day. Today has felt like the longest day ever for some reason, and I'm glad it's just about over. Not that it's been a bad day, necessarily, but...yeah. Of course, every day that ends is one less day I have left here. And one thing I keep thinking about is the number of days I have left, that means I only have that many days left with the Miss Meg. I haven't really thought much about leaving her because there's something that sucks about leaving a dog more than leaving family and friends. It's so much harder, probably because the relationships with animals is entirely present-based. Touch and sight based. You can't pick up the phone and call your dog, or write letters and emails back and forth. Doesn't work that way. That's always been the worst part about leaving whenever I would go back to school after breaks. And, lucky me, I get to do it again for the next two years. Or year, at least. And now I'm crying. See, I can think about leaving any person here and not immediately burst into tears. But let myself think about leaving my dog? Bring on the waterworks. Anyway. I feel so guilty because tonight after I ate I was going to take her for a walk, and then Sarah called and I picked friends over Nutmeg. I have to make sure I do something with her tomorrow. And every day I'm here until I leave.
Anyway. Yeah.
First, I went hiking in an area I didn't really feel comfortable (because it wasn't quite...legit). As mentioned already.
Then, much later today, just as I was about to settle in to watch a movie or listen to music and work on the afghan I'm knitting, I get a call from a dear friend asking if I was coming along to sushi and a movie with some of our other friends, to celebrate one's birthday. I waffled between going and not (I obviously wasn't going to be eating sushi, plus I had already eaten dinner), but in the end decided to go because I'm leaving soon and won't get to see these wonderful people anymore, and one of them is leaving herself on Sunday for nursing school a couple hours away. I wasn't planning on eating anything at the restaurant (I've never had sushi and would prefer it to stay that way), but they kept goading me into trying a California roll, and finally I consented when one said he'd give me two dollars if I ate it. And then another said he'd double it. So I ate it. I got $4 for eating one California roll. But goodness it was disgusting. Sure, it may all just be in my head, but ugh. I had to fight my overactive gag reflex quite a bit just to get that thing chewed and swallowed. Gross. So, that wasn't too cool, and I knew I wasn't going to like it, but at least now I can say I tried sushi and will never try again. (Never say never, but it'll take a lot for me to try it again.)
So then, the movie. I had decided to come before I found out what movie they were all going to see, but wasn't too thrilled upon hearing that they (they being the boys in the group, one in particular) wanted to see District 9. And the only other girl, Sarah, had already been persuaded to go. So I was like, ok, fine, how bad can it be, even though I had no idea what it was about. Except whenever I would ask I would get the answer, "Aliens." And then I found out it was rated R, which I wasn't thrilled about - I'm not big on R-rated movies, and can't remember the last time I saw one in the theater. Or in general. Except I did finally see Gladiator for the first time last week, but that's about it. So, I wasn't very excited at the prospect of seeing this movie. But I did, anyway. Because, again, I have great friends, and I like spending time with them.
Well. Worst. Movie. Ever. I mean, seriously. It was unanimous in our group that it was supremely awful, and the guy who had particularly wanted to see it apologized to us afterward. Haha. But yeah. Just terrible movie. And disgusting, too. Lots of people blowing up, and gross things happening. There was a lot of cursing, including that favorite word of mine, but it surprisingly didn't bother me as much as it might have, I think because everyone in it had an accent so it didn't come out sounding the same as it would if an American said it. Or even British, or something. Yeah. Anyway. But, disgusting movie, horrible plot, and just...ridiculous. Waste of $8.50 if ever there was one. But at least I had made $4 at dinner, so that made up for it a bit.
Anyway, this day just goes to show me that I should always trust my instincts. They're usually right. I mean, I did want to see my friends tonight, and go hiking with my other friend this morning (I hadn't seen her in awhile, and that's sad because she's just awesome), but...ugh.
Well, tomorrow is another day, and I'm sure it'll be a better day. Today has felt like the longest day ever for some reason, and I'm glad it's just about over. Not that it's been a bad day, necessarily, but...yeah. Of course, every day that ends is one less day I have left here. And one thing I keep thinking about is the number of days I have left, that means I only have that many days left with the Miss Meg. I haven't really thought much about leaving her because there's something that sucks about leaving a dog more than leaving family and friends. It's so much harder, probably because the relationships with animals is entirely present-based. Touch and sight based. You can't pick up the phone and call your dog, or write letters and emails back and forth. Doesn't work that way. That's always been the worst part about leaving whenever I would go back to school after breaks. And, lucky me, I get to do it again for the next two years. Or year, at least. And now I'm crying. See, I can think about leaving any person here and not immediately burst into tears. But let myself think about leaving my dog? Bring on the waterworks. Anyway. I feel so guilty because tonight after I ate I was going to take her for a walk, and then Sarah called and I picked friends over Nutmeg. I have to make sure I do something with her tomorrow. And every day I'm here until I leave.
Anyway. Yeah.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Volume III
I should have saved some of yesterday's posts for today...
1. I leave for DC two weeks from yesterday. In case you haven't noticed, that's not a very long time. Today is my last Friday in Colorado. Wow. I did, however, as mentioned, manage to get a portion of my room de-cluttered. Basically all that's left of the major decluttering work is, unfortunately, the worst part. Well, I think it looks worse than it is, but still. It'll take some doing, and some clothes giving-away. But get done it will. And somehow I'll manage to figure out how to fit my life for the next two years into a couple of suitcases and a few boxes. I have a feeling it's going to be mostly clothes and books. But there's a lot of other stuff that has to come along as well, and I'm trying not to think about that, because I don't know how I'm going to manage to get it all there.
2. I don't know if I've mentioned before, but those Meth: Not Even Once commercials are really rather disturbing. I guess that's the point, and it's supposed to get people not to try meth and all that, but seriously? Disturbing. And I wonder if it even works, really.
3. My prayer life has been practically nonexistent lately. I really, really, really need to fix that, because without a good prayer life everything is just chaotic. Bleh. I suck at praying, did you know that?
4. I realized yesterday that I haven't listened to my John Williams music in awhile. Maybe tonight I'll sit and knit and listen to the awesomeness that is a John Williams composition.
5. Speaking of knitting, I'm getting down to the wire, here. I need to finish this afghan. Soon. In like...four days. I have it more than halfway done, I think, so I'm not too worried. I do have a bit of a buffer if I don't get it done quite as soon as I'd like, but yeah.
6. I'm going to be very glad when it's next semester and I don't have to try to figure out and plan how to go to eighteen weddings. First there's the Chicago wedding, next weekend. I have that mostly figured out - chances are I'll be sleeping in the airport Saturday night, but that's ok. I'm spending the first couple of days with a few friends, then meeting up with Gail (the one getting married) on Thursday sometime, probably, and staying with her after that. But I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get my suitcase and such on Saturday, because I'm in the wedding...hm. That's going to be interesting. Sigh. I hate figuring out travel plans and arrangements and getting it all to work out. And then I get to go through it again the first weekend of October when two of my friends out here are getting married (I'm also in that wedding). That one shouldn't be as bad, at least on this end, because I can just get someone here to pick me up and drop me off again. But then I'll have to figure out transportation on the other end. Not as worried about that, though. And then there'll be another wedding at some point this semester, if I can, maybe two. Oh, and then the one in September, but that's in DC so no biggie there. But...sigh. It's stressful. I hate traveling. Have I ever mentioned that? But so far, no new engagements, and no weddings next semester! Yay!
7. Today I was convinced even further that every time I go against the rules, I get caught. As an example of one of the last times I really went against the rules, in 8th grade my orchestra teacher was gone one day, and we had a sub. The whole class was supposed to go to some classroom (because we, obviously, met in the auditorium for orchestra class) and I think they watched some random movie or something. Well, a few friends of mine who I hung out with a lot especially in 8th grade, who were also in orchestra and who were decidedly bad influences on me, decided it would be more fun to go into the choir room and goof off in there. Oh, no, I think the cellos got to go in there to practice, for some reason, and one of said friends played cello. So the other few of us in that group at the time went in there too, where we did goof off. The cellos might have practiced some, but I don't think anyone was really doing what they should have been. The choir director was in there "supervising" or whatever, and so I'm sure he must have been annoyed or something. Anyway, the next day my friends and I (the non-cello ones) got chewed out in front of everyone for going into the choir room instead of going to watch whatever movie it was that everyone else watched for 50 minutes. We had to write a paper on some composer, I think. Really not a harsh punishment, but it stung, and stuck with me. I've always avoided going against the rules ever since.
Anyway, today, I went hiking with a friend of mine and her brother. There's a hike near Garden of the Gods that I've really wanted to do, but access to the hike is restricted because it's on private property (the end point is in a national park, I think, but there's only one way to get there), and you can only hike it Monday-Thursday (because groups and stuff stay on the property on weekends, and they don't want their guests to be "bothered"), and only if you call ahead and make reservations. Of course, when one of my friends called a few weeks ago when we were planning on doing that hike, she found out that they're booked through the end of August at least. So, boo on them. Anyway, this other friend said her brother knew a different way to go in, so we were going to do it today. Well, I was wary as soon as we had to go under a barbed wire fence with a "No trespassing" sign. But I figured he knew what he was doing, and what was I going to do at that point anyway? Of course, we ended up running into someone who worked there, and had to go back - I was almost relieved when we did. I just don't like doing things I'm not supposed to do. Maybe because I always get caught... (I mean, I'm sure I've done things I shouldn't, and didn't get caught...I probably skipped class in college once or twice, but that's not quite the same thing...and I have speeded a time or two...) Anyway. I guess I probably shouldn't not do things because I always get caught, but because it's not right. Although, in this case, man these people are sort of jerks about letting people hike. It's annoying. But whatever.
Sorry, that last one wasn't much with the "quick".
1. I leave for DC two weeks from yesterday. In case you haven't noticed, that's not a very long time. Today is my last Friday in Colorado. Wow. I did, however, as mentioned, manage to get a portion of my room de-cluttered. Basically all that's left of the major decluttering work is, unfortunately, the worst part. Well, I think it looks worse than it is, but still. It'll take some doing, and some clothes giving-away. But get done it will. And somehow I'll manage to figure out how to fit my life for the next two years into a couple of suitcases and a few boxes. I have a feeling it's going to be mostly clothes and books. But there's a lot of other stuff that has to come along as well, and I'm trying not to think about that, because I don't know how I'm going to manage to get it all there.
2. I don't know if I've mentioned before, but those Meth: Not Even Once commercials are really rather disturbing. I guess that's the point, and it's supposed to get people not to try meth and all that, but seriously? Disturbing. And I wonder if it even works, really.
3. My prayer life has been practically nonexistent lately. I really, really, really need to fix that, because without a good prayer life everything is just chaotic. Bleh. I suck at praying, did you know that?
4. I realized yesterday that I haven't listened to my John Williams music in awhile. Maybe tonight I'll sit and knit and listen to the awesomeness that is a John Williams composition.
5. Speaking of knitting, I'm getting down to the wire, here. I need to finish this afghan. Soon. In like...four days. I have it more than halfway done, I think, so I'm not too worried. I do have a bit of a buffer if I don't get it done quite as soon as I'd like, but yeah.
6. I'm going to be very glad when it's next semester and I don't have to try to figure out and plan how to go to eighteen weddings. First there's the Chicago wedding, next weekend. I have that mostly figured out - chances are I'll be sleeping in the airport Saturday night, but that's ok. I'm spending the first couple of days with a few friends, then meeting up with Gail (the one getting married) on Thursday sometime, probably, and staying with her after that. But I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get my suitcase and such on Saturday, because I'm in the wedding...hm. That's going to be interesting. Sigh. I hate figuring out travel plans and arrangements and getting it all to work out. And then I get to go through it again the first weekend of October when two of my friends out here are getting married (I'm also in that wedding). That one shouldn't be as bad, at least on this end, because I can just get someone here to pick me up and drop me off again. But then I'll have to figure out transportation on the other end. Not as worried about that, though. And then there'll be another wedding at some point this semester, if I can, maybe two. Oh, and then the one in September, but that's in DC so no biggie there. But...sigh. It's stressful. I hate traveling. Have I ever mentioned that? But so far, no new engagements, and no weddings next semester! Yay!
7. Today I was convinced even further that every time I go against the rules, I get caught. As an example of one of the last times I really went against the rules, in 8th grade my orchestra teacher was gone one day, and we had a sub. The whole class was supposed to go to some classroom (because we, obviously, met in the auditorium for orchestra class) and I think they watched some random movie or something. Well, a few friends of mine who I hung out with a lot especially in 8th grade, who were also in orchestra and who were decidedly bad influences on me, decided it would be more fun to go into the choir room and goof off in there. Oh, no, I think the cellos got to go in there to practice, for some reason, and one of said friends played cello. So the other few of us in that group at the time went in there too, where we did goof off. The cellos might have practiced some, but I don't think anyone was really doing what they should have been. The choir director was in there "supervising" or whatever, and so I'm sure he must have been annoyed or something. Anyway, the next day my friends and I (the non-cello ones) got chewed out in front of everyone for going into the choir room instead of going to watch whatever movie it was that everyone else watched for 50 minutes. We had to write a paper on some composer, I think. Really not a harsh punishment, but it stung, and stuck with me. I've always avoided going against the rules ever since.
Anyway, today, I went hiking with a friend of mine and her brother. There's a hike near Garden of the Gods that I've really wanted to do, but access to the hike is restricted because it's on private property (the end point is in a national park, I think, but there's only one way to get there), and you can only hike it Monday-Thursday (because groups and stuff stay on the property on weekends, and they don't want their guests to be "bothered"), and only if you call ahead and make reservations. Of course, when one of my friends called a few weeks ago when we were planning on doing that hike, she found out that they're booked through the end of August at least. So, boo on them. Anyway, this other friend said her brother knew a different way to go in, so we were going to do it today. Well, I was wary as soon as we had to go under a barbed wire fence with a "No trespassing" sign. But I figured he knew what he was doing, and what was I going to do at that point anyway? Of course, we ended up running into someone who worked there, and had to go back - I was almost relieved when we did. I just don't like doing things I'm not supposed to do. Maybe because I always get caught... (I mean, I'm sure I've done things I shouldn't, and didn't get caught...I probably skipped class in college once or twice, but that's not quite the same thing...and I have speeded a time or two...) Anyway. I guess I probably shouldn't not do things because I always get caught, but because it's not right. Although, in this case, man these people are sort of jerks about letting people hike. It's annoying. But whatever.
Sorry, that last one wasn't much with the "quick".
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Updating. AGAIN.
Isn't it weird how I go days with nary a post, then update like eighteen times in a 24 hour period? (That may be an exaggeration.)
I'm just taking a break, and I feel like sharing my success of the past few hours. Well, first, earlier today I went for a run at Palmer Park, and while I was running I realized that I was doing it for no other reason than it's just a good thing to do. I didn't particularly want to go for a run (I think people who thoroughly enjoy runs are sorta weird), and I don't sit there and count the hours/minutes/whatever until I can go for a run. But I still go running. I guess I just know that it's good for me, and I like feeling (and looking) good. Not that I look particularly fit, but at least I can maintain some semblance of a body that is exercised on a regular basis. Anyway.
(I must mention that my "run" is an approximately 2.5 mile loop. And I don't run the whole way, either. Just in the interest of journalistic integrity, or something like that.)
So. After that, I made myself a delicious sandwich, also a success. And then I decided I really needed to clean out my car, as I've been meaning to do for months now. So I did that. It is now emptied of trash, empty water bottles, and more. It still really needs to be vacuumed, but at least I got all the junk out of there. That felt good. So I kept with this cleaning mode, and cleaned out stuff that's needed to be thrown away from our bathroom upstairs. Including, and how embarrassing to admit this, ALLLLLLL of my Invisaligns. Which, yes, I finished with at least five years ago, if not more. I had kept each of the liners (with Invisalign, you change the thing every two weeks, or something like that - I forget - and each one is just a little different until your teeth are moved to where they're supposed to be). I had 18 liners for my bottom teeth, and 50 for my uppers. So, that was a lot of space in our mirror cabinet. And they had just been sitting there. I started that in my junior year (I think...unless it was senior, which it might have been). Of high school, of course. Either way, a long time ago. But now they're in the trash, which was picked up this afternoon, and taken away. Along with some old bottles of shampoo (old, like, from when my sister lived here, which makes them at least six or seven years old), and old contact solution, even an old thing of Noxema (which I haven't used in years, so who knows how old that was). Hm...in hindsight I probably should have tried to empty them out and then recycled the bottles...sigh. I suck at being an environmentalist.
That's one of the hard parts about this Great Purge of '09 currently in progress. I feel bad for throwing out so much stuff, and contributing to all that stuff I hear about that makes us humans terrible, wasteful people. Oh! ESPECIALLY the bags. I have so many plastic bags all over my room. Instead of throwing them all out, I'm putting them all in one bag, and maybe they can be used again for something. The bags are overwhelming. And I feel bad about using more trash bags to throw out stuff. But I think I need to get that out of my head, because it makes me not want to do this at all, and it needs to be done. I have too much stuff accumulated to add the stress of figuring out what can be recycled, what should be given away, what can just be trashed. So, sue me, I guess. Once this is done hopefully I can start being a better person again. (I am giving away some things, just so you know - clothes that are still in pretty good shape, and stuff like that.)
So once I had finished with the bathroom (took all of like five minutes), I decided to go with my cleaning mode self and tackle another corner of my room. And it went pretty well. I'm throwing out stuff, and that's good. Getting rid of stuff. Organizing. My room won't be empty when I leave, but it'll be easier to empty it when I do eventually move out for good. And hopefully that'll be good enough for now.
I'm just taking a break, and I feel like sharing my success of the past few hours. Well, first, earlier today I went for a run at Palmer Park, and while I was running I realized that I was doing it for no other reason than it's just a good thing to do. I didn't particularly want to go for a run (I think people who thoroughly enjoy runs are sorta weird), and I don't sit there and count the hours/minutes/whatever until I can go for a run. But I still go running. I guess I just know that it's good for me, and I like feeling (and looking) good. Not that I look particularly fit, but at least I can maintain some semblance of a body that is exercised on a regular basis. Anyway.
(I must mention that my "run" is an approximately 2.5 mile loop. And I don't run the whole way, either. Just in the interest of journalistic integrity, or something like that.)
So. After that, I made myself a delicious sandwich, also a success. And then I decided I really needed to clean out my car, as I've been meaning to do for months now. So I did that. It is now emptied of trash, empty water bottles, and more. It still really needs to be vacuumed, but at least I got all the junk out of there. That felt good. So I kept with this cleaning mode, and cleaned out stuff that's needed to be thrown away from our bathroom upstairs. Including, and how embarrassing to admit this, ALLLLLLL of my Invisaligns. Which, yes, I finished with at least five years ago, if not more. I had kept each of the liners (with Invisalign, you change the thing every two weeks, or something like that - I forget - and each one is just a little different until your teeth are moved to where they're supposed to be). I had 18 liners for my bottom teeth, and 50 for my uppers. So, that was a lot of space in our mirror cabinet. And they had just been sitting there. I started that in my junior year (I think...unless it was senior, which it might have been). Of high school, of course. Either way, a long time ago. But now they're in the trash, which was picked up this afternoon, and taken away. Along with some old bottles of shampoo (old, like, from when my sister lived here, which makes them at least six or seven years old), and old contact solution, even an old thing of Noxema (which I haven't used in years, so who knows how old that was). Hm...in hindsight I probably should have tried to empty them out and then recycled the bottles...sigh. I suck at being an environmentalist.
That's one of the hard parts about this Great Purge of '09 currently in progress. I feel bad for throwing out so much stuff, and contributing to all that stuff I hear about that makes us humans terrible, wasteful people. Oh! ESPECIALLY the bags. I have so many plastic bags all over my room. Instead of throwing them all out, I'm putting them all in one bag, and maybe they can be used again for something. The bags are overwhelming. And I feel bad about using more trash bags to throw out stuff. But I think I need to get that out of my head, because it makes me not want to do this at all, and it needs to be done. I have too much stuff accumulated to add the stress of figuring out what can be recycled, what should be given away, what can just be trashed. So, sue me, I guess. Once this is done hopefully I can start being a better person again. (I am giving away some things, just so you know - clothes that are still in pretty good shape, and stuff like that.)
So once I had finished with the bathroom (took all of like five minutes), I decided to go with my cleaning mode self and tackle another corner of my room. And it went pretty well. I'm throwing out stuff, and that's good. Getting rid of stuff. Organizing. My room won't be empty when I leave, but it'll be easier to empty it when I do eventually move out for good. And hopefully that'll be good enough for now.
Better said than I could.
So, there's a blog I read on occasion called The Catholic Young Woman. It's a lovely little place, with a few different contributors, all of whom (I think) were homeschooled. I'm sort of a fan of homeschoolers, in case you didn't know. Especially Catholic ones. Especially well-adjusted, not-socially-awkward ones. I have a number of good friends here who fall into that category.
Anyway, a lot of the blog is dedicated to things like modesty, femininity, and the vocation to marriage/motherhood, and the religious life as well. So, basically, right up my alley, and I was really excited when I came across it a few months ago.
I read this post today, which hits exactly on something that I feel all the time (or, often enough), but have never really put into words like this.
I have a feeling, and have for awhile now, that this is somehow part of the reason I'm such a packrat. I'm trying to hold onto memories of things that have been important to me in the past, in the hopes that someday I'll be able to try to share them with that person, even though it's not exactly possible if both parties didn't experience whatever the memory is.
Anyway. On that note, I'm going to go try to let go of some of those trinkets (ie, junk) from past experiences. My room, my life both need it.
Anyway, a lot of the blog is dedicated to things like modesty, femininity, and the vocation to marriage/motherhood, and the religious life as well. So, basically, right up my alley, and I was really excited when I came across it a few months ago.
I read this post today, which hits exactly on something that I feel all the time (or, often enough), but have never really put into words like this.
I have a feeling, and have for awhile now, that this is somehow part of the reason I'm such a packrat. I'm trying to hold onto memories of things that have been important to me in the past, in the hopes that someday I'll be able to try to share them with that person, even though it's not exactly possible if both parties didn't experience whatever the memory is.
Anyway. On that note, I'm going to go try to let go of some of those trinkets (ie, junk) from past experiences. My room, my life both need it.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
And then I found $20
First, I have to share a recipe with you all - Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies.
Delicious.
I've been baking a lot this summer (well, relative to before, which was like twice a year), and I always look for different stuff to bake, not the same thing, and not something boring like chocolate chip cookies. But for the most part, whenever I bake something, I end up feeling pretty "eh" about the end result. Other people seem to like stuff I bake, and it doesn't taste bad, but I'm just never moved by it. Or, rarely. But these cookies? Oh man. They are so good. But then, how could they not be, considering the ingredients? Mmm.
Yeah. And then I found $20.
(Seriously. Going through old cards in my room, in my attempt to purge, which is of course not going as well as I would hope, I was opening them all and seeing what was in there to determine if I might want to keep it for a nice note or something - most I did throw away - and then, in a card I got for my 18th birthday - 6 years ago! - I found a crisp, new $20. I couldn't believe it. But yay!)
Delicious.
I've been baking a lot this summer (well, relative to before, which was like twice a year), and I always look for different stuff to bake, not the same thing, and not something boring like chocolate chip cookies. But for the most part, whenever I bake something, I end up feeling pretty "eh" about the end result. Other people seem to like stuff I bake, and it doesn't taste bad, but I'm just never moved by it. Or, rarely. But these cookies? Oh man. They are so good. But then, how could they not be, considering the ingredients? Mmm.
Yeah. And then I found $20.
(Seriously. Going through old cards in my room, in my attempt to purge, which is of course not going as well as I would hope, I was opening them all and seeing what was in there to determine if I might want to keep it for a nice note or something - most I did throw away - and then, in a card I got for my 18th birthday - 6 years ago! - I found a crisp, new $20. I couldn't believe it. But yay!)
Here and There
First, a prayer that I should memorize and/or have tattooed on the inside of my eyelids:
Lord, teach me to be patient - with life, with people,and with myself. I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right. Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan. Help me let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud whose petals unravel bit by bit, and remind me that in hurrying the bloom along, I destroy the bud and much of the beauty therein. Instead, let me wait for all to unfold in its own time. Each moment and state of growth contains a loveliness. Teach me to slow down enough to appreciate life and all it holds. Amen.
Seriously.
Also, I realized last night that I have close to two weeks left here in this lovely state of Colorado. Two weeks. For some reason, I guess because on Sunday and Monday it was closer to three weeks, I was in the "three weeks left" mode. But I'm leaving the 27th, last night was the 11th, which is 16 days. Today's the 12th, the 27th doesn't count as a day I'm here, and I'll be gone next Tuesday through Sunday, which leaves me nine days left here. Including today. Nine. Nine days. What the heck, how did that happen? Enter panic mode. Sort of. I guess there's not a whole lot to do besides pack and all that jazz. Which is a bit overwhelming, but I'm not too worried. I do have to buy my books, but I haven't decided how I'll purchase them - just from the bookstore when I get there would be easiest, probably, but more expensive. For some reason though it's stressful for me to get books online, especially when I have a lot to look for as is the case this semester. I always feel like I have to hunt around for the absolute cheapest book, and then I have to take into consideration shipping and seeing if one seller has more than one of the books I need, and I worry about it being a wrong edition, and then I have to figure out if I have enough time to have it shipped here, and blah blah blah I think I'll just get them out there. Plus, oh, I'm flying, so I don't want to be carting five classes' worth of books with me on the plane (and shipping them isn't an option because no one will be at our house to get them until the 4th or so, so the stuff I am shipping will just chill here at home for the first week or so of school, and then my mom will ship it late enough that we'll be moved in there by the time they come).
Ok, not panicking. I'll just make it easier on myself and buy them there, probably. I think. Yeah.
So, nine days. All of a sudden it's practically here. Just gotta go with it, and not worry about it, and not think of the potential negatives of moving away, living in DC, going back to school with its homework and stress and whatnot.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
Anyway, on a lighter note, last night was fantastic. First, my young adult group had a little going away shindig for me and a few other people leaving for other places (two to college at Benedictine, one to nursing school in La Junta, and one to a convent in Illinois), and it was a blast. A lot of the people I've grown to love over the last year were there (not all, but that's ok, hopefully I'll see them at least once more before I leave), and there was karaoke (which I was awful at), and lots of fun. Dear, dear people. Gonna miss them.
A few hours later, Tom and I and a few of his friends drove out east a bit (not far enough) to watch the meteor shower, which was supposedly strongest last night/early this morning. We watched for about an hour, until almost 1:30am, and we definitely saw some good ones. It was pretty cool. We weren't that far away from the city, though, so there was still a lot of light pollution around which was annoying. I hate light pollution. (But I hate most things associated with cities, don't I?) Maybe someday I'll be living in the mountains and I'll be able to see the stars clearly, like when we go camping. It's amazing how many stars are viewable when there's not much light around, and how little of the sky we were able to see last night because there was lots of light around. Anyway. It was still fun, and I still got to see lots of shooting stars, so I was pretty happy. Plus, apparently there were mosquitoes (at 1 in the morning?), but I had put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt before we left, so I was pretty well covered, and the mosquitoes seemed to enjoy my brother who was next to me. Poor him, but yay me. (Sorry, Tom.) I heard from a few people (and by that I mean, their facebook statuses told me) that it was a disappointing shower, at least during the time that was supposedly the best viewing time (somewhere around 2-3am mountain), but I was pretty happy with it. Maybe I had low expectations because I've never really seen a good meteor shower, or something like that, and maybe other people have. I was just happy to see some, including some fantastic ones that left long streaks. Sometimes it pays to have low expectations.
Still waiting to hear on that potential job opportunity. I would be very, very surprised if I got it. Weirder things have happened, but I'm not holding my breath. I just hope I can find something once I get out there. It's nice to have a bit of money, you know, to pay bills and things. But, you know, it's in God's hands. If this doesn't work out I just have to pray that there's something else available for me to try to get. At the very least, I've heard a lot of people in my program do a lot of babysitting. So, there's that. (Although, to be honest, babysitting kind of freaks me out. Always has. I've never enjoyed it, with the possible exception of my nephews, but that's a bit different. Maybe it has something to do with a lack of confidence on my part.)
So. My goodness. Nine days. Two weeks. And then before I know it my life will be completely and totally different from anything it's ever been. Well, maybe not quite that drastic, but it will be different. New place. New faces. New school. New experiences. (Also, it's obvious that I've never chosen my formal education choices on their locations. South Bend, Indiana? Washington, DC? Not that there's anything wrong with DC - can't exactly say the same thing about South Bend - but it's certainly not a location I would choose if I could live anywhere in the world. I hear a lot about how football players tend to gravitate toward warm-weather locations, near beaches and such, choosing the location over the specific school sometimes (well, to an extent, at least). Some people claim that's why ND can't get the good players. I guess non-athletes do that too, choosing a location where they want to spend four years, and then figuring it out from there. The only location I want to be is Colorado, but there's nothing in Colorado that's been a viable option for me, for undergrad or graduate school. So. To DC, with its amazing Marriage and Family studies program. Yay.
(And I hear the monuments are pretty cool, too.)
Because this post is long, as usual, here's a picture.
...oooooor not. Blogger's being dumb and won't let me upload pictures. Sorry. All that work of reading this post without any reward at the end.
Lord, teach me to be patient - with life, with people,and with myself. I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right. Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan. Help me let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud whose petals unravel bit by bit, and remind me that in hurrying the bloom along, I destroy the bud and much of the beauty therein. Instead, let me wait for all to unfold in its own time. Each moment and state of growth contains a loveliness. Teach me to slow down enough to appreciate life and all it holds. Amen.
Seriously.
Also, I realized last night that I have close to two weeks left here in this lovely state of Colorado. Two weeks. For some reason, I guess because on Sunday and Monday it was closer to three weeks, I was in the "three weeks left" mode. But I'm leaving the 27th, last night was the 11th, which is 16 days. Today's the 12th, the 27th doesn't count as a day I'm here, and I'll be gone next Tuesday through Sunday, which leaves me nine days left here. Including today. Nine. Nine days. What the heck, how did that happen? Enter panic mode. Sort of. I guess there's not a whole lot to do besides pack and all that jazz. Which is a bit overwhelming, but I'm not too worried. I do have to buy my books, but I haven't decided how I'll purchase them - just from the bookstore when I get there would be easiest, probably, but more expensive. For some reason though it's stressful for me to get books online, especially when I have a lot to look for as is the case this semester. I always feel like I have to hunt around for the absolute cheapest book, and then I have to take into consideration shipping and seeing if one seller has more than one of the books I need, and I worry about it being a wrong edition, and then I have to figure out if I have enough time to have it shipped here, and blah blah blah I think I'll just get them out there. Plus, oh, I'm flying, so I don't want to be carting five classes' worth of books with me on the plane (and shipping them isn't an option because no one will be at our house to get them until the 4th or so, so the stuff I am shipping will just chill here at home for the first week or so of school, and then my mom will ship it late enough that we'll be moved in there by the time they come).
Ok, not panicking. I'll just make it easier on myself and buy them there, probably. I think. Yeah.
So, nine days. All of a sudden it's practically here. Just gotta go with it, and not worry about it, and not think of the potential negatives of moving away, living in DC, going back to school with its homework and stress and whatnot.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
Anyway, on a lighter note, last night was fantastic. First, my young adult group had a little going away shindig for me and a few other people leaving for other places (two to college at Benedictine, one to nursing school in La Junta, and one to a convent in Illinois), and it was a blast. A lot of the people I've grown to love over the last year were there (not all, but that's ok, hopefully I'll see them at least once more before I leave), and there was karaoke (which I was awful at), and lots of fun. Dear, dear people. Gonna miss them.
A few hours later, Tom and I and a few of his friends drove out east a bit (not far enough) to watch the meteor shower, which was supposedly strongest last night/early this morning. We watched for about an hour, until almost 1:30am, and we definitely saw some good ones. It was pretty cool. We weren't that far away from the city, though, so there was still a lot of light pollution around which was annoying. I hate light pollution. (But I hate most things associated with cities, don't I?) Maybe someday I'll be living in the mountains and I'll be able to see the stars clearly, like when we go camping. It's amazing how many stars are viewable when there's not much light around, and how little of the sky we were able to see last night because there was lots of light around. Anyway. It was still fun, and I still got to see lots of shooting stars, so I was pretty happy. Plus, apparently there were mosquitoes (at 1 in the morning?), but I had put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt before we left, so I was pretty well covered, and the mosquitoes seemed to enjoy my brother who was next to me. Poor him, but yay me. (Sorry, Tom.) I heard from a few people (and by that I mean, their facebook statuses told me) that it was a disappointing shower, at least during the time that was supposedly the best viewing time (somewhere around 2-3am mountain), but I was pretty happy with it. Maybe I had low expectations because I've never really seen a good meteor shower, or something like that, and maybe other people have. I was just happy to see some, including some fantastic ones that left long streaks. Sometimes it pays to have low expectations.
Still waiting to hear on that potential job opportunity. I would be very, very surprised if I got it. Weirder things have happened, but I'm not holding my breath. I just hope I can find something once I get out there. It's nice to have a bit of money, you know, to pay bills and things. But, you know, it's in God's hands. If this doesn't work out I just have to pray that there's something else available for me to try to get. At the very least, I've heard a lot of people in my program do a lot of babysitting. So, there's that. (Although, to be honest, babysitting kind of freaks me out. Always has. I've never enjoyed it, with the possible exception of my nephews, but that's a bit different. Maybe it has something to do with a lack of confidence on my part.)
So. My goodness. Nine days. Two weeks. And then before I know it my life will be completely and totally different from anything it's ever been. Well, maybe not quite that drastic, but it will be different. New place. New faces. New school. New experiences. (Also, it's obvious that I've never chosen my formal education choices on their locations. South Bend, Indiana? Washington, DC? Not that there's anything wrong with DC - can't exactly say the same thing about South Bend - but it's certainly not a location I would choose if I could live anywhere in the world. I hear a lot about how football players tend to gravitate toward warm-weather locations, near beaches and such, choosing the location over the specific school sometimes (well, to an extent, at least). Some people claim that's why ND can't get the good players. I guess non-athletes do that too, choosing a location where they want to spend four years, and then figuring it out from there. The only location I want to be is Colorado, but there's nothing in Colorado that's been a viable option for me, for undergrad or graduate school. So. To DC, with its amazing Marriage and Family studies program. Yay.
(And I hear the monuments are pretty cool, too.)
Because this post is long, as usual, here's a picture.
...oooooor not. Blogger's being dumb and won't let me upload pictures. Sorry. All that work of reading this post without any reward at the end.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Seven Quick Takes Volume II
1. I went to see Julie and Julia tonight. I definitely recommend it. One of the best things about the movie was the celebration of marriage, and showing strong marriages. I found that aspect very, very refreshing. And I love Stanley Tucci a little bit more now as a result. (I was already rather fond of Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.)
2. Before the movie, this was one of the trailers we saw:
3. All of a sudden, today, everything that's so backwards and wrong and sad about our culture is really getting to me. Divorce. Abortion. Premarital sex. Selfishness. Violence. The pervasiveness of it all, and the feeling like nothing I or anyone else ever does will make it better. (Of course not; only God can truly heal our incredible ills.) I can barely stand to watch TV and a lot of movies lately because I'm so sick of all the dumb, rude, offensive, raunchy jokes that are absolutely everywhere, or the assumption that all this stuff is just a given. And that so much of it is played for laughs and/or entertainment. No one even questions it. They expect it. I can't take it. Maybe it's a good thing I won't have a TV at school. And maybe I'll get to surround myself with enough like-minded people that I'll be able to convince myself all that other stuff isn't really out there. Just like I almost can when I spend time with my fantastic friends here (all of whom will be missed tremendously).
4. I know I joke around a lot and am sarcastic all the time, but sometimes people just need to know when to stop. It's really not necessary to share out loud every. single. joke that comes into your head. Really.
5. On a happier note, I love Colorado. I love being at a high altitude. I love going into the mountains and looking around and feeling so small, but part of something so incredibly huge and beautiful beyond comprehension. (And that doesn't include Colorado Springs. Of which I am becoming less and less a fan every day.) I really hope that God's plans for me, post-graduate school, don't include me being anywhere but in the mountains. The quiet, lovely, peaceful, beautiful mountains.
6. Cranberry-pomegranate juice, mixed with coconut rum, is pretty good. But a slightly odd combination when paired with snacking on french onion crackers...
7. I'm feeling overwhelmed tonight. And negative, if you can't tell.
2. Before the movie, this was one of the trailers we saw:
3. All of a sudden, today, everything that's so backwards and wrong and sad about our culture is really getting to me. Divorce. Abortion. Premarital sex. Selfishness. Violence. The pervasiveness of it all, and the feeling like nothing I or anyone else ever does will make it better. (Of course not; only God can truly heal our incredible ills.) I can barely stand to watch TV and a lot of movies lately because I'm so sick of all the dumb, rude, offensive, raunchy jokes that are absolutely everywhere, or the assumption that all this stuff is just a given. And that so much of it is played for laughs and/or entertainment. No one even questions it. They expect it. I can't take it. Maybe it's a good thing I won't have a TV at school. And maybe I'll get to surround myself with enough like-minded people that I'll be able to convince myself all that other stuff isn't really out there. Just like I almost can when I spend time with my fantastic friends here (all of whom will be missed tremendously).
4. I know I joke around a lot and am sarcastic all the time, but sometimes people just need to know when to stop. It's really not necessary to share out loud every. single. joke that comes into your head. Really.
5. On a happier note, I love Colorado. I love being at a high altitude. I love going into the mountains and looking around and feeling so small, but part of something so incredibly huge and beautiful beyond comprehension. (And that doesn't include Colorado Springs. Of which I am becoming less and less a fan every day.) I really hope that God's plans for me, post-graduate school, don't include me being anywhere but in the mountains. The quiet, lovely, peaceful, beautiful mountains.
6. Cranberry-pomegranate juice, mixed with coconut rum, is pretty good. But a slightly odd combination when paired with snacking on french onion crackers...
7. I'm feeling overwhelmed tonight. And negative, if you can't tell.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Creation
Know what I love about knitting? I love how, at first, it seems like the pattern just isn't looking like anything. It often takes awhile before you can actually see the pattern, see how it's all coming together to create something beautiful. Sometimes, at first, it actually seems kind of ugly. And then you hit a point, sometimes 20 or more rows in, when the pattern starts to emerge and you start to get a glimpse of what the finished product will look like. But it takes patience to get to that point, and trust in the pattern that it'll actually turn out looking like the picture. (Assuming I follow the pattern correctly, of course.) And then eventually it's finished, and it's hard to remember when it looked like just a bunch of stitches, without a discernible pattern, without much seeming rhyme or reason.
Also: Kinda like a Bob Ross painting. At first, he's painting it, and you're like "Eh that's never gonna turn out well. I'm not really sure about this." And then by the time the show is over, the picture is like, whoa, and it's amazing, and I'm in love with Bob Ross.
(Sorry, I'm watching him on TV right now and he's just so unbelievably entertaining. I love him.)
Anyway. So, my knitting thing. It's cool, because that's kind of how life is. Sometimes it just seems like a mishmash of craziness that doesn't fit together, and you're like "God, what the heck are you doing to me?" And then you keep going, because you have to trust it'll turn out, and have to have patience to get to the point when it starts to make sense. And then, suddenly, one day you pull back and see how it's all been fitting together the whole time. God's been in charge of the pattern, and I just have to follow along as best I can even when it doesn't seem like it's working out too well. But of course eventually it does. Because God's cool like that. Well. Maybe that doesn't make much sense to some people, but I think about that a lot when I'm working on a project.
(And if you can't tell, I just got to the point in my current project where I'm finally seeing the pattern, and it's finally starting to come together. Plus: it's a beautiful color yarn, which makes me happy. And big needles, which makes it quicker, and a bit lighter, but with two strands of yarn together which makes it thicker. It's pretty super awesome. I bought this book of patterns the other day, I think my first pattern book purchase, because the title just jumped out at me: Quick Knit Afghans. 24 patterns, or something like that, all using a very large needle (which, unfortunately, the only one that the store had that size of circular needles was a metal needle. I'm much more partial to bamboo needles, and I think I'm going to buy a pair of this particular circular size in bamboo off of ebay because the metal ones are sorta loud...and I intend to make a lot of those afghans. Because, so far, it's quicker than the other afghan I have going, which is currently on hold). I was looking through the book and it took me forever to figure out which one I wanted to make this first time around. They all look good! The annoying thing about it, though, is that the pictures of each finished pattern are not in order (what the heck is the point of that? Why do pattern books do that?) and they're not even near the pattern directions. If I were making a book of patterns, I'd have the picture right next to the pattern. I had to flip around a lot because I wanted a pretty pattern, but also one that wasn't too involved (even though I did end up picking one that has a 40-some row repeating pattern...). And when I saw a pattern that looked fairly easy, I had to flip around forever trying to find the picture to see what it looked like, and bleh. But anyway. Totally worth it, still.)
Aaaaaaanyway...I love knitting. Oh man.
Also: Kinda like a Bob Ross painting. At first, he's painting it, and you're like "Eh that's never gonna turn out well. I'm not really sure about this." And then by the time the show is over, the picture is like, whoa, and it's amazing, and I'm in love with Bob Ross.
(Sorry, I'm watching him on TV right now and he's just so unbelievably entertaining. I love him.)
Anyway. So, my knitting thing. It's cool, because that's kind of how life is. Sometimes it just seems like a mishmash of craziness that doesn't fit together, and you're like "God, what the heck are you doing to me?" And then you keep going, because you have to trust it'll turn out, and have to have patience to get to the point when it starts to make sense. And then, suddenly, one day you pull back and see how it's all been fitting together the whole time. God's been in charge of the pattern, and I just have to follow along as best I can even when it doesn't seem like it's working out too well. But of course eventually it does. Because God's cool like that. Well. Maybe that doesn't make much sense to some people, but I think about that a lot when I'm working on a project.
(And if you can't tell, I just got to the point in my current project where I'm finally seeing the pattern, and it's finally starting to come together. Plus: it's a beautiful color yarn, which makes me happy. And big needles, which makes it quicker, and a bit lighter, but with two strands of yarn together which makes it thicker. It's pretty super awesome. I bought this book of patterns the other day, I think my first pattern book purchase, because the title just jumped out at me: Quick Knit Afghans. 24 patterns, or something like that, all using a very large needle (which, unfortunately, the only one that the store had that size of circular needles was a metal needle. I'm much more partial to bamboo needles, and I think I'm going to buy a pair of this particular circular size in bamboo off of ebay because the metal ones are sorta loud...and I intend to make a lot of those afghans. Because, so far, it's quicker than the other afghan I have going, which is currently on hold). I was looking through the book and it took me forever to figure out which one I wanted to make this first time around. They all look good! The annoying thing about it, though, is that the pictures of each finished pattern are not in order (what the heck is the point of that? Why do pattern books do that?) and they're not even near the pattern directions. If I were making a book of patterns, I'd have the picture right next to the pattern. I had to flip around a lot because I wanted a pretty pattern, but also one that wasn't too involved (even though I did end up picking one that has a 40-some row repeating pattern...). And when I saw a pattern that looked fairly easy, I had to flip around forever trying to find the picture to see what it looked like, and bleh. But anyway. Totally worth it, still.)
Aaaaaaanyway...I love knitting. Oh man.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
What about football???
So, last night I realized that I won't be able to take my lovely little 13" tube TV/VCR with me to DC. I mean, my options would be to ship it or to take it with me on the plane. ("Yes, I swear, this is my child! He can sit in my lap.") Neither are very viable options. And then, once I got it there, I wouldn't be able to watch it anyway, not having a converter box or anything. How am I supposed to watch football? How am I supposed to watch my Irish? Most of what I use my TV for these days is watching DVDs, which I suppose I can do on my laptop. But what about watching The Office when it starts up again? And Conan? I guess I just have to let it go. Who knows if I'll even have time to be watching TV or movies anyway. I probably shouldn't have time, at least. Eh, oh well. I just hate the thought that I won't be able to watch football. (I can always watch TV shows online after they come on TV.) At the very least, a lot of the time it's good background noise when I'm doing something else, and I can just look up and check it once in awhile. Sigh. I miss football. I guess I'll just have to make friends with some guy who watches football too. Although, in my experience, I enjoy football a lot more than a lot of males...which is weird.
So anyway, thinking about the TV made me start wondering what else I won't be able to take that I was planning on taking when we were going to be driving. Laundry basket. Storage bins. Laundry rack. I guess I can buy that stuff out there once I get there, assuming I can impose on someone to drive me somewhere or let me borrow a car. As if I'm not going to be imposing enough when I first get there, staying in a house with complete strangers who have awesomely agreed to let me stay until we can move into our house. (I hate imposing on people. I hate asking favors of people. But in this case, there's not a whole lot I can do about it, unfortunately.) So yeah. Not sure how that's all going to work out. Not only will there be that big-ish, but relatively small stuff to get, Ill also have to worry about getting furniture, unless I want to go Japanese for awhile. (I think I'll at least have a closet, though, so that's helpful if I can't get a dresser right away.)
So, while trying to simplify (and that is my goal for being in DC, living more simply with fewer things), I still do need some of those bigger items. Maybe not the TV, but everyone needs to veg once in awhile, right? Maybe I can find something cheap out there. Well, except, that still brings up the problem of no converter box...eh. Whatever. Anyway, I know it'll work out. It'll be a stressful first couple of weeks, and I'll just have to hope and pray that people who don't even really know me yet don't get sick of carting me around places and helping me find where to buy things, resulting in them thinking it was a horrible idea ever to ask me to live with them and now they're stuck with me for the whole year and what were they thinking. But, God's will be done, and it'll all work out. It's sort of weird - I still have stuff up in the air, and I kinda hate that, but at the same time, I'm a lot more at peace with it than I normally ever am with this sort of stuff. Maybe I'm just ignoring it, or making it less than it actually is and maybe I really should be freaking out about it. But it'll work out. Maybe I'll just sleep on a mattress, and not worry about getting a bed frame. Maybe I'll just use a box for my laundry basket for awhile. And I'll pretend to have a desk or something. Just set up things on the floor like they would be on a desk. Although, that will make it difficult to use if I'm sitting on my ball like I do at a desk...because then I'll be several feet above said "desk." Hm.
This will all need some careful consideration. And planning. And money. Because moving costs money. It costs money to ship stuff, and it costs money to buy new stuff that can't be shipped. So, that's lovely.
I'll be glad once I'm there, and settled, and yeah. Of course, I won't be settled until a week after I actually get there, because we won't be moving into our house until Labor Day weekend, which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned. Hence the living with complete strangers (one of whom I'm sure I'll get to know very well over the next two years, since she's a first year just like me, yay).
Anyway. Now I want to write about knitting, so I'm going to post this (which I should have done hours ago, since I had most of it written this afternoon, and then did what I always do and went to a different page to check something and completely forgot about it). So, the knitting post probably will either be really short, or it won't get posted until tomorrow because I'll half-write it, then forget about it and turn off my computer and go to sleep. It's just what happens.
So anyway, thinking about the TV made me start wondering what else I won't be able to take that I was planning on taking when we were going to be driving. Laundry basket. Storage bins. Laundry rack. I guess I can buy that stuff out there once I get there, assuming I can impose on someone to drive me somewhere or let me borrow a car. As if I'm not going to be imposing enough when I first get there, staying in a house with complete strangers who have awesomely agreed to let me stay until we can move into our house. (I hate imposing on people. I hate asking favors of people. But in this case, there's not a whole lot I can do about it, unfortunately.) So yeah. Not sure how that's all going to work out. Not only will there be that big-ish, but relatively small stuff to get, Ill also have to worry about getting furniture, unless I want to go Japanese for awhile. (I think I'll at least have a closet, though, so that's helpful if I can't get a dresser right away.)
So, while trying to simplify (and that is my goal for being in DC, living more simply with fewer things), I still do need some of those bigger items. Maybe not the TV, but everyone needs to veg once in awhile, right? Maybe I can find something cheap out there. Well, except, that still brings up the problem of no converter box...eh. Whatever. Anyway, I know it'll work out. It'll be a stressful first couple of weeks, and I'll just have to hope and pray that people who don't even really know me yet don't get sick of carting me around places and helping me find where to buy things, resulting in them thinking it was a horrible idea ever to ask me to live with them and now they're stuck with me for the whole year and what were they thinking. But, God's will be done, and it'll all work out. It's sort of weird - I still have stuff up in the air, and I kinda hate that, but at the same time, I'm a lot more at peace with it than I normally ever am with this sort of stuff. Maybe I'm just ignoring it, or making it less than it actually is and maybe I really should be freaking out about it. But it'll work out. Maybe I'll just sleep on a mattress, and not worry about getting a bed frame. Maybe I'll just use a box for my laundry basket for awhile. And I'll pretend to have a desk or something. Just set up things on the floor like they would be on a desk. Although, that will make it difficult to use if I'm sitting on my ball like I do at a desk...because then I'll be several feet above said "desk." Hm.
This will all need some careful consideration. And planning. And money. Because moving costs money. It costs money to ship stuff, and it costs money to buy new stuff that can't be shipped. So, that's lovely.
I'll be glad once I'm there, and settled, and yeah. Of course, I won't be settled until a week after I actually get there, because we won't be moving into our house until Labor Day weekend, which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned. Hence the living with complete strangers (one of whom I'm sure I'll get to know very well over the next two years, since she's a first year just like me, yay).
Anyway. Now I want to write about knitting, so I'm going to post this (which I should have done hours ago, since I had most of it written this afternoon, and then did what I always do and went to a different page to check something and completely forgot about it). So, the knitting post probably will either be really short, or it won't get posted until tomorrow because I'll half-write it, then forget about it and turn off my computer and go to sleep. It's just what happens.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Torn
The past few days, suddenly, I've been feeling very at peace and excited about the changes about to take place. I mean, guys, a month from now, I'll already be halfway done my first week of grad school. In a month. That's not a very long time. A month ago was 4th of July, and that doesn't seem like too long ago. Because it wasn't. Man. I'll be back in school in less than a month. Weird. I'll be living in DC. (Well, near enough. I'm gonna be one of those people now, who I've never understood, who say "I'm from Chicago/New York/Pittsburgh/wherever" when they live 30, 50 miles away. It'd be almost like me saying I'm from Denver. I would never do that. But I guess Colorado Springs is big enough that I'd never need to. But it feels like a lie to say I'm living in DC. But it's easier, because how many people have heard of Silver Spring, MD? I do like that I'm going from the Springs to another Spring. Hehe.)
Anyway. I'm excited. It's weird, but I'm finally back to excited. (I was very excited initially, and for awhile. And then melancholia replaced it for awhile. And that's still there, but the excitement is back, and yippee for that.) It'll be cool. I'll meet lots of great people. I'll get to see family more often than, like, ever. I'll be coming back for at least a few weddings here, which is exciting. I'll get to visit monuments and history, which I love. I'll be doing a lot of homework. I'm a little worried about that, because I have no idea what to expect. I've heard it's tough, but is it tough compared to, say, UCCS, or compared to ND, or even more than that? I'm sure I'll need to do a lot more work than I did at college. I don't know. We'll see. I just hope it's not so terrible that going to these weddings will completely mess up the entire semester. And I hope I'm able to take advantage of being in DC while I'm there.
Oh, and the church I'll probably be attending on Sundays? I'm excited about that too. I asked one of my housemates, who's been going there for awhile, about the liturgies and such, and it seems that they're pretty traditional there. (I think she said the priests even sing the Mass, which is awesome. And sooooo not Colorado Springs.) And from the pictures on the website, it looks like a pretty church, which is always just nice. (I mean, it's no ND Basilica, but then, what is?) So, yay.
Trouble with all of this is I've only just recently discovered just how fantastic it is to hike around here. Pathetic: I've lived here 20 years, and I've hiked so very very very little. Yes, I've hiked my mountain twice now, and would do it again in a heartbeat, but there are I don't even know how many other 14ers too. And I want to do those. Not all of them, of course, and I do have my limits, and I'm not in shape to do a lot of them. But there's one, the Triple Crown of Fourteeners, that's like 8 miles and you hit three different fourteeners. Obviously it's not hiking up each one, but that's not the point, is it? And dude, I really want to do it. It's like two hours to drive to it, though. But there are so many hikes. Here's a good list of them. It's not fair that I'm only just figuring out all this now, when I'm leaving so soon. (But at the same time, I wouldn't have the time to hike like I do now if I weren't currently jobless, which I am because I'm leaving. Catch-22, or whatever.) I decided something, though. I'm going to marry someone who loves to hike, and then for our honeymoon we'll take a couple of weeks and just hike a bunch of fourteeners, and stay in fun little cabins in between. And that's how it's gonna happen. No tropical locations or cruises or European trips for this girl. My favorite word these days is "alpine." I hear that and get all happy. I read the words "alpine meadow" or "alpine lake" and I want to go visit. I'm in love with all things alpine.
Aaaaaaanyway.
I guess the only thing to do is enjoy CO while I can (I'm planning on hiking up a storm this week, if at all possible), and then go to DC and enjoy that while I'm there, and then come back here and become a mountain woman. Yeah, that'll work.
As you can see, I'm pretty excited about this plan.(And I'm not sure why the pictures look so bad...not cool.)
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Any pointers?
So, it's recently come to my attention (yet again) that I'm a terrible conversationalist. Normally I can get by well enough in groups, because I tend to take the "listener" role, throwing in the occasional random and/or sarcastic comment to punctuate whatever someone is talking about. Occasionally I'll say more than a sentence or two together, but really, that's pretty rare if I'm in a group. If I'm by myself with a friend, usually the conversation can keep going, but it depends on the friend - if we have a long history, I don't even know what we talk about but we talk and talk. Or sometimes I'll say one or two things, and the friend will continue the conversation and I'll fall back into listening. Or she'll talk about something, and I'll add my two cents here and there.
Talking on the phone? Forget it. Even with good friends, I find it difficult to keep up a conversation. A few of my friends are talkers, so I end up listening a lot while she talks. Normally, that's fine, because I rarely feel like I have that much to say anyway. I consider myself a pretty boring person, and if I have something I need to rant about, I tend to keep it to things like my blog. Or a few select people. I guess I don't like feeling like I'm bothering my friends with things that really have nothing to do with them and which I'm sure they don't really care about anyway. Plus, I'm a people-pleaser, so I don't like to say things that might offend someone I'm talking to (although sometimes I do this on accident), and I don't like rocking the boat (like, if I'm in a group, I guess).
I like to blame this conversation problem on my perceived "middle-child syndrome." No, I'm not a middle child, but in my family, we have my older brother (oldest child), my older sister (first girl in the family), younger brother (youngest), and me. Neither oldest, nor youngest, nor first daughter. Not that I think my parents love me any less, but I like to pretend that I was sort of forgotten about, just because once I hit 9 or 10 or something, I was pretty easy (boring) and was the quiet one of the family. I have a fairly loud family, and I'm a fairly not loud person. So I just learned to listen, I guess. (Don't get me wrong, I love my family and all. I've just never been pushy enough to be very...noticed.) I mean, not everyone can have equal talk time in a family, right? It's all good. I just think that maybe I suck at talking now because I never really did.
And then there's the fact that I think people talk too much in general. People just can't keep quiet sometimes. There's always talk talk talk. I mean, some talking is good, needed, important. But it doesn't have to be this constant hum of conversation all. the. time. I enjoy being quiet. I enjoy just sitting with someone, or just walking with someone, without feeling the pressure of finding something to talk about. Sometimes I just want to be, you know? But it's hard to form good relationships without talking, and therein lies the problem. Sometimes I think a lot of my relationships are just sort of surface, for me. I don't share that much. I don't tend to give my opinion, if I have one, very often. I mean, it depends on the person or group, of course, but in general.
Eh, oh well. Maybe I should just become friends with a bunch of deaf people. Then I won't feel the pressure to talk the whole time. I know a little sign language. That'd be good enough, right?
(Am I a terrible person for saying that?)
Ok. I'm done now. I apologize if this makes no sense. Also: my family is great. And probably think I'm crazy for thinking any of this (regarding blaming them for my lack of communication skills. haha). But whatever. They can contest me in the comments, if they so choose.
Talking on the phone? Forget it. Even with good friends, I find it difficult to keep up a conversation. A few of my friends are talkers, so I end up listening a lot while she talks. Normally, that's fine, because I rarely feel like I have that much to say anyway. I consider myself a pretty boring person, and if I have something I need to rant about, I tend to keep it to things like my blog. Or a few select people. I guess I don't like feeling like I'm bothering my friends with things that really have nothing to do with them and which I'm sure they don't really care about anyway. Plus, I'm a people-pleaser, so I don't like to say things that might offend someone I'm talking to (although sometimes I do this on accident), and I don't like rocking the boat (like, if I'm in a group, I guess).
I like to blame this conversation problem on my perceived "middle-child syndrome." No, I'm not a middle child, but in my family, we have my older brother (oldest child), my older sister (first girl in the family), younger brother (youngest), and me. Neither oldest, nor youngest, nor first daughter. Not that I think my parents love me any less, but I like to pretend that I was sort of forgotten about, just because once I hit 9 or 10 or something, I was pretty easy (boring) and was the quiet one of the family. I have a fairly loud family, and I'm a fairly not loud person. So I just learned to listen, I guess. (Don't get me wrong, I love my family and all. I've just never been pushy enough to be very...noticed.) I mean, not everyone can have equal talk time in a family, right? It's all good. I just think that maybe I suck at talking now because I never really did.
And then there's the fact that I think people talk too much in general. People just can't keep quiet sometimes. There's always talk talk talk. I mean, some talking is good, needed, important. But it doesn't have to be this constant hum of conversation all. the. time. I enjoy being quiet. I enjoy just sitting with someone, or just walking with someone, without feeling the pressure of finding something to talk about. Sometimes I just want to be, you know? But it's hard to form good relationships without talking, and therein lies the problem. Sometimes I think a lot of my relationships are just sort of surface, for me. I don't share that much. I don't tend to give my opinion, if I have one, very often. I mean, it depends on the person or group, of course, but in general.
Eh, oh well. Maybe I should just become friends with a bunch of deaf people. Then I won't feel the pressure to talk the whole time. I know a little sign language. That'd be good enough, right?
(Am I a terrible person for saying that?)
Ok. I'm done now. I apologize if this makes no sense. Also: my family is great. And probably think I'm crazy for thinking any of this (regarding blaming them for my lack of communication skills. haha). But whatever. They can contest me in the comments, if they so choose.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Seven Quick Takes - First Edition!
Since many blogs I read have started doing this Seven Quick Takes thing, I finally decided to join in on the fun.
1. Wednesday evening, Dad and I were driving home from the chiropractor, during a rainstorm, but right at a point when it was raining above us and to the east, but the sun was shining right to the west. Perfect rainbow weather. So we look up, and lo and behold there's a rainbow. Very faint. A few seconds later, we were back on a street that was going directly east, and the rainbow was much much stronger. Pretty cool. Then we turned, sort of a...not fully 90 degree turn, I guess, so we were going northeast. And - it was the weirdest/coolest thing - the rainbow went from in the sky and continued down onto our windshield, it looked like. I mean, we were the end of the rainbow! It's hard to describe, but it was super-awesome, and I've never seen anything like it. Bizarre.
2. I'm applying for a job, an internship at the USCCB, in the pro-life office. Not sure how likely I am to get it, but my goodness it would be AMAZING to get. Good pay, probably more hours than I'd really want (but that's ok, I need to learn time management anyway since I missed that my first time around in college), and, come on, the pro-life office. Dude. Yeah. So, I guess prayers on that front would be nice. (I'm already getting very nervous about my financial situation. And I haven't even started yet. But, hey, I'll all paid up at the school for the whole semester! Thank you, McGiveny Scholarship, for paying all but my fees!)
3. I'm in general getting more excited about DC. Weird. But, I mean, I'm going to be surrounded by such great people. Those who I've talked to from the Institute so far (including my three housemates) seem just so fantastic, and I'm sure we'll have a lot in common especially with regard to our values and such. And that's just plain exciting. I've been quite spoiled the last year working in a place with a bunch of thoroughly Catholic people, wonderful people. And it seems that I might continue to be spoiled when I'm at the Institute. And, you know what, I'm pretty ok with that.
4. I started knitting a blanket back in March. A present intended for an event which is now well past. So now I'm aiming it for a different event. Problem is, I don't know if it'll be done in time for the event I would like it for. See, I figured I would make an extra-big blanket (because both the past event and the now-intended event, as well as any other event I might make it for if this one doesn't work out, involve couples), plenty long and extra-wide. This means a looooooot of stitches per row, which means each row takes easily 20 minutes to complete. It takes a lot of motivation to work on it, because the type of person I am, I dislike having to work on the same row for a long period of time. I'm a big fan of things that are like 20 stitches per row, or so. (But I'm also not a fan of knitting strips and sewing them together to make a blanket, for whatever reason.) Plus, do you know how annoying it is to get to the end of the row, and realize you're one stitch off on the pattern, and you go back to try to see how far into the row the mistake was, and get closer and closer to the beginning - the other end - and realize that it's just not worth it to undo all that work that you messed up so early in the row. (Especially with a pattern and yarn that's thankfully pretty forgiving. Hopefully...) And that is why I have, after four-ish months, only completed approximately maybe 2 feet done. 2 feet. I'm aiming for at least 6 feet. Of course, luckily for me, I'm a bum for the next month, and even have a few plane rides to "look forward" to. So maybe I'll get it done for the intended event. (Trouble is, because I'm a loser and don't feel like getting people - specifically good friends - place settings, or salad bowls, I sort of wanted to knit blankets for all the upcoming weddings I'll have to go to. But maybe I should settle on, say, a nice throw, or something like that. Also: bigger needles. Yes.)
5. I haven't gotten a haircut since last September. I've never been one of those "trim every 8 weeks" kinda gals, but this is a little long between cuts even for me. Except I like having longer hair, oddly. I do think I should get a trim one of these days because maybe it'll help it grow faster, and get longer more quickly. My problem is, I don't have a regular hair cut place (since I go so infrequently). And I don't want to pay that much for it. ($25 just to trim off an inch? I don't think so.) So I'll probably just do nothing and let it keep growing untrimmed. Ah, well.
6. So, I officially can't take Nutmeg with me when I go to DC. This sucks, but it's not unexpected, and I had been leaning towards maybe leaving her here anyway. (I feel pathetic because when I got her, in the haze of doglessness and mourning Hazel, I was adament that if I went to DC I would find a place where I could have her with me, no question, regardless of anything. Of course, at the time, I couldn't stand the thought of not having a dog, and I wasn't really thinking I'd actually go to DC if I were accepted.) At least for the first semester, things will be so crazy and I have no idea what to expect (I've heard you actually have to do work in grad school. Plus, you know, I'm hoping to have a job). Plus there are at least two or three weekends that I'll be not in DC, and, well, now I'll be staying elsewhere for the first week I'm there anyway (elsewhere = not in our house). Anyway. Point is, no Nutmeg, no dog. That sucks. Hopefully I'll be busy enough not to notice too much, but I know I'll still miss her. I'm a dog girl. Pets make me happy. Ah, well. This is God's will. And luckily for me, Nutmeg's a pretty popular dog among pretty much everyone, especially including my family. And my dad. I think he kinda likes her.
7. If I ever have money again, I am going to get: a new MP3 player, probably a Sandisk Sansa, probably at least 8gb. An external hard drive, maybe 320gb. A new camera, maybe one that actually takes real landscape pictures (mine has this function, but it doesn't seem to work when I take a picture with this function. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, quite possible). Oh, and also, a new memory card for my camera. And then of course I'll want to buy season 5 of The Office when it comes out (September 8), and I hate to admit this, but I really want to buy Star Trek when it cames out. I didn't even want to see it, and it's easily been my favorite movie so far this summer, I think. Except, aw, that doesn't come out on DVD until November 17. Oh well. (Also, since more than likely I'll be a broke, poor grad student without money to buy myself even these DVDs, there are two great ideas for birthday and Christmas presents, since one comes out conveniently close to my birthday, and the other fairly close to Christmas!)
Anyway. There's my first attempt at 7 quick takes. Not very quick, and this is basically how my blog posts normally go anyway, but whatever. And I'm not putting it on the official list since I pretty much missed the whole Friday anyway. Oh well. Maybe next week I'll plan ahead better.
1. Wednesday evening, Dad and I were driving home from the chiropractor, during a rainstorm, but right at a point when it was raining above us and to the east, but the sun was shining right to the west. Perfect rainbow weather. So we look up, and lo and behold there's a rainbow. Very faint. A few seconds later, we were back on a street that was going directly east, and the rainbow was much much stronger. Pretty cool. Then we turned, sort of a...not fully 90 degree turn, I guess, so we were going northeast. And - it was the weirdest/coolest thing - the rainbow went from in the sky and continued down onto our windshield, it looked like. I mean, we were the end of the rainbow! It's hard to describe, but it was super-awesome, and I've never seen anything like it. Bizarre.
2. I'm applying for a job, an internship at the USCCB, in the pro-life office. Not sure how likely I am to get it, but my goodness it would be AMAZING to get. Good pay, probably more hours than I'd really want (but that's ok, I need to learn time management anyway since I missed that my first time around in college), and, come on, the pro-life office. Dude. Yeah. So, I guess prayers on that front would be nice. (I'm already getting very nervous about my financial situation. And I haven't even started yet. But, hey, I'll all paid up at the school for the whole semester! Thank you, McGiveny Scholarship, for paying all but my fees!)
3. I'm in general getting more excited about DC. Weird. But, I mean, I'm going to be surrounded by such great people. Those who I've talked to from the Institute so far (including my three housemates) seem just so fantastic, and I'm sure we'll have a lot in common especially with regard to our values and such. And that's just plain exciting. I've been quite spoiled the last year working in a place with a bunch of thoroughly Catholic people, wonderful people. And it seems that I might continue to be spoiled when I'm at the Institute. And, you know what, I'm pretty ok with that.
4. I started knitting a blanket back in March. A present intended for an event which is now well past. So now I'm aiming it for a different event. Problem is, I don't know if it'll be done in time for the event I would like it for. See, I figured I would make an extra-big blanket (because both the past event and the now-intended event, as well as any other event I might make it for if this one doesn't work out, involve couples), plenty long and extra-wide. This means a looooooot of stitches per row, which means each row takes easily 20 minutes to complete. It takes a lot of motivation to work on it, because the type of person I am, I dislike having to work on the same row for a long period of time. I'm a big fan of things that are like 20 stitches per row, or so. (But I'm also not a fan of knitting strips and sewing them together to make a blanket, for whatever reason.) Plus, do you know how annoying it is to get to the end of the row, and realize you're one stitch off on the pattern, and you go back to try to see how far into the row the mistake was, and get closer and closer to the beginning - the other end - and realize that it's just not worth it to undo all that work that you messed up so early in the row. (Especially with a pattern and yarn that's thankfully pretty forgiving. Hopefully...) And that is why I have, after four-ish months, only completed approximately maybe 2 feet done. 2 feet. I'm aiming for at least 6 feet. Of course, luckily for me, I'm a bum for the next month, and even have a few plane rides to "look forward" to. So maybe I'll get it done for the intended event. (Trouble is, because I'm a loser and don't feel like getting people - specifically good friends - place settings, or salad bowls, I sort of wanted to knit blankets for all the upcoming weddings I'll have to go to. But maybe I should settle on, say, a nice throw, or something like that. Also: bigger needles. Yes.)
5. I haven't gotten a haircut since last September. I've never been one of those "trim every 8 weeks" kinda gals, but this is a little long between cuts even for me. Except I like having longer hair, oddly. I do think I should get a trim one of these days because maybe it'll help it grow faster, and get longer more quickly. My problem is, I don't have a regular hair cut place (since I go so infrequently). And I don't want to pay that much for it. ($25 just to trim off an inch? I don't think so.) So I'll probably just do nothing and let it keep growing untrimmed. Ah, well.
6. So, I officially can't take Nutmeg with me when I go to DC. This sucks, but it's not unexpected, and I had been leaning towards maybe leaving her here anyway. (I feel pathetic because when I got her, in the haze of doglessness and mourning Hazel, I was adament that if I went to DC I would find a place where I could have her with me, no question, regardless of anything. Of course, at the time, I couldn't stand the thought of not having a dog, and I wasn't really thinking I'd actually go to DC if I were accepted.) At least for the first semester, things will be so crazy and I have no idea what to expect (I've heard you actually have to do work in grad school. Plus, you know, I'm hoping to have a job). Plus there are at least two or three weekends that I'll be not in DC, and, well, now I'll be staying elsewhere for the first week I'm there anyway (elsewhere = not in our house). Anyway. Point is, no Nutmeg, no dog. That sucks. Hopefully I'll be busy enough not to notice too much, but I know I'll still miss her. I'm a dog girl. Pets make me happy. Ah, well. This is God's will. And luckily for me, Nutmeg's a pretty popular dog among pretty much everyone, especially including my family. And my dad. I think he kinda likes her.
7. If I ever have money again, I am going to get: a new MP3 player, probably a Sandisk Sansa, probably at least 8gb. An external hard drive, maybe 320gb. A new camera, maybe one that actually takes real landscape pictures (mine has this function, but it doesn't seem to work when I take a picture with this function. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, quite possible). Oh, and also, a new memory card for my camera. And then of course I'll want to buy season 5 of The Office when it comes out (September 8), and I hate to admit this, but I really want to buy Star Trek when it cames out. I didn't even want to see it, and it's easily been my favorite movie so far this summer, I think. Except, aw, that doesn't come out on DVD until November 17. Oh well. (Also, since more than likely I'll be a broke, poor grad student without money to buy myself even these DVDs, there are two great ideas for birthday and Christmas presents, since one comes out conveniently close to my birthday, and the other fairly close to Christmas!)
Anyway. There's my first attempt at 7 quick takes. Not very quick, and this is basically how my blog posts normally go anyway, but whatever. And I'm not putting it on the official list since I pretty much missed the whole Friday anyway. Oh well. Maybe next week I'll plan ahead better.
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