Interrupting My Solo

Facing the Giants

2010-05-20T11:29:00.003-05:00

Maybe it's time for a new blog post. It's been a while, and, I know, I know, the last posts have been... well, uninteresting, to say the least. (There were a few that I was pretty much embarrassed for anyone to read. I deleted them.)

Today is day 4 of being in the "Real World." I have a "real job" now. 9 to 5. Er, 9 to 4:30, actually. And yes, I am writing this from work. (C'mon! It's my lunch break!)

Work has been good. Not much different, so far, from the things I've been doing for the last 3 years. Mostly I do a lot of the same things, just all day. I've been reorganizing/relabeling things in the music library, making slides for the Sunday church services, making [really awesomely fun] calendars of the youth group's summer activities, and other fun things like that. Pretty much I just love being able to go to work and go home, and not have to do homework or write papers or attend events. I'm free.

However, this week I've been dealing with some not-so-fun real grown-up stuff. Monday night I got in my car at Lilly's house to come home, and when I closed my door, it bounced back open. The latch was stuck closed. I (very carefully) drove home, where Brooks (who lives downstairs) and Kyle (who was visiting my house) tried everything they could think of to get it un-stuck. It didn't work. So I had to clean out my car (and by clean out, I mean I threw away trash, took a few things in the house, and put everything else in the trunk) and leave the door OPEN all night long. Tuesday morning I took it to Ronnie's, and it's STILL THERE. I called them about 4 times yesterday to check on the progress, and they finally assured me that they'd let me know as soon as the part came in and they could fix my door. It's Thursday. I want my car.

For another thing, when I graduated, I lost my health insurance. For some reason, insurance companies assume that everyone has a full-time benefits-included job the instant they graduate, or that everyone is insanely rich and can afford health insurance on their own. I fit into neither one of those categories. Dad found out from the insurance co. that under Obama's new plan, I can stay on Mom and Dad's insurance until I'm 26. But it wouldn't go into effect until January 1. I was blessed, though, and I was referred to Mr. David Kees, who goes to my church and deals with insurance for a living. I talked to him on the phone yesterday, and he called the Blue Cross Blue Shield guy, who informed us that BCBS realized that "Hey, there are gonna be a lot of college grads stuck in limbo from May to January," and I get my insurance back starting on June 1! Which is a huge relief. One bone scan, coming right up!

I've also been getting ready for my journey to KENYA! I am oh-so super excited about going. It's just FOUR WEEKS AWAY!! There's a lot to get ready for, though. I need 5 immunizations that I didn't have to get when I went to Romania. The health unit can give me some of them, but then I'll have to find out where I can get the rest of them. Somehow, I managed to make it all the way through college without ever getting the meningitis vaccine! That could be the most expensive one. I also have to get a prescription for some malaria prevention medication. There's one kind that you take once a day while you're in Kenya, and there's another that you take once a week. I'll have to see which is the cheaper route.

On Tuesday, Tara R, Morgan B, and I went to Alexandria's Hancock Fabrics and picked out fabrics to make my skirts for Kenya! I'm getting four long, flowy godet skirts in really fun patterns. I'm supposed to go to their house today for a fitting, and I'm super excited.

I've been spending a lot of time with my good friend Mariann and her family. She has an almost-3-year-old little girl named Ellie and 14-month-old twin boys named Jack and Woody. They're the coolest kids, and I very much enjoy hanging out with them. I've really appreciated Mariann's friendship, especially over the last year. She's very quickly become one of my dearest friends and one of the very few people in my life who I can talk to about anything at all without feeling stupid or judged. I only hope that I'm as good a friend to her as she is to me.

Welp, it's back to work for me! Later gator!

Typing is overrated.

2010-02-11T00:49:00.006-06:00

I have discovered my passion.

PENS.

Last year sometime, I ordered some pens from jstationery.com, and one of them was a brown, fine point gel pen. I was writing with it last week, and a friend of mine told me that she liked my pen, and that she wanted one. So I returned to jstationery.com to order one for her. Well, if you spend a certain amount on the site, your shipping is free. And of course, it's a better deal to get more stuff and free shipping, right? So I ordered a few pens.

Then I discovered JetPens.com, and spent a large part of an evening scouring the site, and choosing exactly what to get (free shipping with a certain amount, of course). Among other things, I ordered a couple of fountain pens and a glass pen that you have to dip in ink to write with. Let me just tell you, I have a newfound love for writing instruments. I think I will write with fountain pens forever, especially ones with brown ink, like the one seen at the top. The writing is so smooth, it's like the nib isn't even touching the paper. The color is rich, too. And the pen only cost a couple of dollars.

Then there's my glass pen. It's the red one seen in this photo. (The purple one is Megan's.) When I write with it, it makes me feel so elegant! I have to dip it in the ink, write a few lines, and dip it again. I feel as if I should be in past centuries, writing beautiful verses or emotion-filled letters. But, alas, I don't have many fancy things I need to write. So I suppose I'll be saving the pen and ink for special occasions.

There are others I could tell you about, but I still have homework to do. My advice to you is this: order some pens. Try them out. Find what you like, and we just might be able to bring back the art of writing.

What's Your "Stay-tus"?

2009-08-24T20:30:00.003-05:00

[I use the "stay-tus" pronunciation because I always think about the Idiots of Ants' Facebook in Real Life YouTube video. And they say, "stay-tus."]

Anyway, I just got on Facebook, and a "friend" of mine's status said, and I quote,

"I hate it when chicken-fil-a doesn't center my chicken patty on the bun.....WTF!!!"

and I just want to scream, "Really?? REALLY!!??! Are you THAT self-centered?? Is it really that big of a deal?? You're probably going to open it up anyway to take off the pickle, add mayo, or any one of a number of reasons. And you're FREAKING OUT about your chicken patty not being centered at 'chicken-fil-a??' People are human! They're going to make mistakes! It's not a life-changer! GET OVER YOURSELF!"

Honestly.

Y'know, I've been thinking. Everyone I'm "friends" with on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or WHATEVER can read my status anytime. What am I showing them? What is the picture of me they're getting from the 140-characters-or-less blurb I put out there? Do I seem self-centered? Am I a worrier? Am I a happy person? Do I care about other people? Am I a hard worker? What am I? Or, rather, what do people PERCEIVE me to be?

Just think about that before you write something that makes you sound like an IDIOT.

Alone in the world...

2009-08-22T03:11:00.001-05:00

So here I am. It's 3:01am CST, and I'm still awake. I've been trying to sleep for 2 hours now. I'm not completely sure what's keeping me awake. It could be the loud humming of my window unit, where I'm used to having central air. It could be the fact that I'm in a "new" bed, i.e., I haven't slept in this bed since May. Maybe it's the lights outside. Or the fact that I can't get comfortable, which goes along with being in a new bed. Maybe I'm thinking about what all I have to do tomorrow too much, or maybe it's too hot in here. I miss my dog being in my bed, that's for sure. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's that I'm not used to sleeping with these particular sheets and blankets. Whatever it is, I'm sleepy, and I have to be up in the morning for a repairman and my landlord to come. Yippee. Here goes...

P.S. If you're out there reading, just let me know by leaving a comment! It'd be nice to have a reader!!

-S.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

2009-08-15T00:39:00.005-05:00

I know. I have a blog, and I never write anything on it.

And for now, the background is just plain white. I have a friend whose page is white, and I don't want her to think I'm copying her. I just spent probably 45 minutes trying out this background and that background, and nothing was working for me. Finally I said, "Forget it," and now I have a plain white blog.

That's okay, I guess. It's simple, stream-lined...
It reminds me of an Apple product. Everything comes in pristine white packaging, so that the opening of your new "toy" is part of the enjoyment of it all. Everything I needed for my iPhone came in one pretty little aesthetically-pleasing white box. I learned from my AT&T salesguy that my box is white because my iPhone is white. Makes sense, right? Every other company feels the need to describe every aspect of the item inside the box on the outside of the box. But Apple, they do it right.

Anyway. I didn't expect that tangent to go on like it did.

I'll be looking out for some inspiration. Keep your eyes peeled for more [better] blogs, coming soon to a computer near you.

I'm no good at blog-writing

2009-06-24T21:24:00.002-05:00

Things that are good:

-Louisiana Baptist All-State Youth Choir
-Reading the Bible in 90 Days
-Reese's Pieces
-Granny coming to visit soon!
-RAIN
-Vera Bradley
-B&BW Semi-Annual Sale
-Youth Camp, esp. Student Life
-Brett Younker
-The Mountains

Things that are not good:

-Not getting to go with the Louisiana Baptist All-State Youth Choir
-Being 2 weeks behind in reading the Bible in 90 days
-Not being able to afford Vera Bradley
-B&BW being out of what I went into the store to buy
-HUMIDITY

2008-10-10T22:50:00.005-05:00

see more puppies

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

see more pwn and owned pictures

Slooowly I turn, step by step...

2008-10-10T00:03:00.000-05:00

So, I think I have senioritis. Not the kind some high school seniors (and some college seniors) get where they feel like they're better than everyone else because they're seniors. No, I just have the kind that makes me ready for a CHANGE.

"But you just changed your major," you might say, "and moved into a new house." Yes. And I really and truly love Natchitoches and NSU very dearly. My church is WONDERFUL (probably will be the hardest place to leave), and CAPA is the best place to hang out in the history of the universe. But I need something different. I need to move, clean out all my stuff, meet new people, see new places, learn new things. And you might say, "Well it's a good thing you're a senior, then," but the truth is, I still have over a year and a half here. And I'll be around the same people, the same places....

Lord, give me patience and endurance. Help me to work hard and make these the 2 best years of my time at NSU. Help me to focus and not procrastinate my days away. Help me to build lasting friendships with people who will really, truly be there for me. People who aren't just my friends when it's convenient. Give me godly mentors to learn from, as well as a personal desire to grow in my relationship with You. I love you, Lord, and I know that You have a plan and a purpose. Help me to empty me of me and be filled with you. Remind me that it's not about me. Go on, interrupt my solo.
Amen.

2008-10-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me,
'Neath the healing, cleansing flood.

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with Strings

2008-10-06T23:22:00.000-05:00

These are a few of my favorite things:

-I Can Has Cheezburger

-Amazon Wish List-ing (hint, hint)

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

brown paper packages tied up with strings

these are a few of my favorite things

girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

silver white winters that melt into springs

these are a few of my favorite things....

Love this.

2008-10-01T01:32:00.001-05:00

Eden

Something Witty

2008-09-15T00:32:00.000-05:00

I keep wanting to come and write on my blog, and while I'm around town, doing this or that, I have all of these things that I want to say, and I think of just the right way to say them where they all sound smart and witty. Then I sit down at my computer, and it's all gone. Nothing funny or intelligent. Not even a hint of what I was thinking earlier shows up in my brain. So I haven't written anything. But I'll try harder, I promise.

So, Class.

2008-08-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

Social Sciences Seminar. Sociology 1010. Social Problems (online). Psychology 1010. Physical Science II. Digital Photography I (online). Concert Choir. Women's Chorus.

Woo.

And So It Begins.

2008-08-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

School starts tomorrow.

I've been in Natchitoches since Thursday, and I've really enjoyed just being here, living in our new house and being independent.

It's been okay that school is COMING, but tonight when I looked at the clock and realized that in less than 11 hours I'll be sitting in a classroom, it was devastating.

I'm not so ready for school to start.

So long, sweet summer.