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| Spies in a strange landJennifer and are at a Panera in Fort Wayne. It’s too early. We are here in the Hoosier state because my mom and Brad are at a genealogy convention. Mom has been here since Tuesday with her “little friends”. They take “classes” from 8-6 on all sorts of topics. I think she’s been having a good time. I’m really thankful she’s out of the house for a little while. I think she’s been alone for too long during the day and it’s warping her mind. Yikes.
So, due to circumstances beyond our control, Brad, Jenny and I ended up staying in a hotel that is about 6 miles away from where all the tree huggers are meeting (tree huggers, get it? Get it?). So, Brad had to be there between 7:30 and 7:45 (don’t even ask what time we actually arrived) and now Jenny and I don’t have anything to do until the biggest mall I’ve ever seen opens around 10. We’d like to go to the mall and also explore the cool downtown area. I think we may do that after we meet the tree huggers for lunch.
Yesterday was my last day at work. It was a pretty good day as last days go. I few families brought me gifts and cards to wish me well in my next endeavor. One family brought me a basket that they purchased in Rwanda when they went Africa to pick up their daughter Grace from an Ethiopian orphanage. It means a lot to me that they thought about me months ago and got me such a lovely gift. Jenny says that they bought so long ago because they just couldn’t wait for me to leave. She’s really special.
I read one of the books by John Green, “Looking for Alaska”. It was really good and a really easy read. I will warn you that there is quite a bit of swearing. There was also some sexual stuff. I laughed, I cried, it was good. In the book, the main character, Miles aka Pudge, is leaving for boarding school in another state. His parents ask him about why he wants to go and he quotes Rabelias’s dying quote, “I am going to see the Great Perhaps” (le grand Peut-être) The book is full of people’s last words (Miles’ hobby is memorizing them) and I’m overall extremely impressed with humanities ability to be insightful, profound, witty, and straight up sassy whilst dying.
Anyway, I think I’m going to in a lowercase great perhaps.
Omar Infante got sent to Triple-A in Toledo and Craig Monroe is on assignment. They have brought up two new guys. I know the whole Omar thing is probably devastating my friend Teresa. It’s so interesting to have all these new guys that I don’t know join the team.
“It doesn’t need to be huge- just big.” -Jenny C., speaking about plasma screen TVs
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| Looking for AlaskaDid you know that Michael Buble wrote a song about me? It’s true.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SPUJIbXN0WY
So, “boo” and “yay”. Obviously diametrically opposed. But that’s how I’m feeling right now. I’m living in some sort of liminal state. It’s not so bad. What is bad is having your possessions at three different homes. Forget losing socks- I can’t find hardly anything!
After work today, I took the good ol No. 1 to the mall where I met with Ally to get my haircut. I didn’t have full confidence in her, but so far so good. After slice and dice with Ally, I went to Schuler’s to pick up hopefully two books and a magazine (I am a literary whore, I don’t even know how to describe my ugly addiction to books and words). As I was looking for my books in the YA section, this guy I know Brent comes up to me (Brent refers to me as, “the lovely Sara-Marie” but he doesn’t know that I know that. :) ) and asked me if I was here for the meeting. Meeting? What meeting?? Well, apparently one of the bands I played for (aww past tense (boo)) here in EL was having a board meeting and he came to tell me where they were sitting in the café. So we talked and then went over there and a whole bunch of my friends were there! And I was so excited to see them all so randomly. Not only because I’m so fond of all of them but also because I have friends to run into! It was very exciting. When I moved up here to East Lansing last year, I went almost the whole summer and plus some not seeing anyone I knew. I mean, their college has 40,000+ people in it and then big town all around it. But, now.. I’m leaving (which is a yay, really.). I’m going to another huuuggeee city with a lot of people I don’t know (yet).
Also while I was at the mall, apparently it was some sort of MSU football team promo day. Why do I think this? Because the ENTIRE team, all the coaches etc. were in the mall in their uniforms. With all them being there, all gussied up it also meant that half the state of Michigan was there in line to get pictures, autographs, dates..Whatever. ?
Anyone been watching the Brotherhood? http://www.brotherhood2.com
My sister, her husband, my friends Dominick and Jason, and Dom’s friend Whitney, and I all went and saw The Rocky Horror Picture show on Saturday. Once every 4 years is enough for me.
On Friday, Brad, Jenny, Mom (ha), and I moved all my furniture etc. into the new apartment. Of course I’m on the 4th floor with no elevator and it was 90 degrees out. Oh well, I don’t have to move it again for at least a year. Perspective.
I can think of 13 people that I know that have gotten married in the past two months. How cool is that? God bless all of you. Jenny and Brad are coming up on their 2 year anniversary. Wow.
I’ve been really reading a lot lately about “being green” and how to “green up your _____”. I really like it. I started kinda being nagged about it mentally awhile ago but I just ignored the environment and figured that being vegan was enough. As I’m sure Jenny well tell you, the nagging has over taken my brain and has started coming out my mouth. For good and bad.
Something that I like to do now and feel guilty when I don’t (this guilt curbs my spending) is using my own shopping bags. I have a trusty old canvas bag that says “Tree Hugger” on it along with a couple other canvas ones. But! I also have a couple of these: http://www.1bagatatime.com Watch the intro. Seriously. It’s good stuff.
Would giving those as Christmas presents be a bad idea? I have some other gift ideas as well, but I feel like they convey, “Hey, you’re messing up” or “Hey, you’re spoiled so I gave someone somewhere else your Christmas present and you get a commemorative bookmark” . Feeeddbaaackk needed.
Anyway.
For the record, when I typed this whole thing up in word, I figured out how to make links and all sorts of snazzy things and they didn't copy and paste over. :| Sorry I'm not snazzy.
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| Nectarine-y!Hello!
I am currently packing. Well, not right now right now, but I am working on it. It is so hot that I keep taking mini-breaks and typing, drinking water, and eating fruit.
Quick fruit side note, my dad isn't great about buying fruit that is ripe or almost ripe. He tends to buy like fruit that will be extinct by the time the fruit in your home is ripe. WELL, I learned the other day from a book, that if you put unripe fruits (like nectarines and peaches) in a paper bag with an apple or two, the apples release some gas naturally (begins with an xano I think) and ripens the fruit within days! WELL, it works and I am enjoying a lot of fruit.
I'm pretty excited about moving. Not excited about moving for the 2nd time in 3 months or the fact that I'm technically moving twice to get to one new location (I'm taking most things home and then to my new apt.). But I'm excited about moving.
I'm also feeling very eager. I am eager to go back to school and start learning more! I know, I know, HS and college students globally (ha!) are cringing at that sentence. I think that I'm more excited about my master's degree than any other degree. I feel like higher education is like a pyramid. K-12 is the big flat bottom, all encompassing. College is the middle part where it's a little more "pointed" (in many ways) and directed, master's is the slab above that and then PhD is the tip. It's more and more concentrated and aimed at what you want to be doing.
Something great about moving and starting over is that you get to decide to make changes with yourself (if you want). Usually when I move, I like to do small things that I feel improve myself or give me more character. For my next move, I've decided I want to be a person who wears necklaces. I know it seems small, but teaching early learning for the past year+ I haven't been wearing anything but earrings and I really miss my bracelets etc. I don't own a lot of necklaces, so I went to World Market on Wednesday and purchased two! I'm excited. I think there are only going to be two things that might hinder my necklace adventure. 1. I'll forget. :) 2. I will be less apt to wear them because my earrings don't match (them). So, I guess wats to help myself to success would be to have the necklaces somewhere I can see them and buy necklace and earring sets. I am accepting any necklaces and earrings you are not wanting any more (recycle!).
So, I'm in love. Yes. Love. I'm in love with... a vlog. :) It's seriously one of the best things on the internet. It can be found on www.youtube.com or on (I prefer this address) www.brotherhood2.com . It is put out by two brothers who decided that they communicate way too much through emails and text messages so they have vowed to go a year using only textless communication. Please, go and watch a couple weeks worth. Start in January at the bottom of the archives page so you know what's going on. I laugh out loud a lot. It's funny and smart! I had seen the ecogeek webpage before I knew about the brotherhood (ecogeek is great, totally check it out!) but I think the brotherhood might be better than eg. I implore you to check it out!! (Esp. Aaron M.)
One of the reasons I was excited about the move is that the emerging church that I attend, West Winds, was getting ready to start a church plant ("One church two locations") shortly after I got there. They aren't doing that anymore (Randy, one of the pastors is currently battling cancer and they are wanting to wait till he is back in action) and I'm not sure where I'm going to be going.
When I was working at camp a few weeks ago, the daughter of the pastor of the First Cong. Church of AA was in my cabin. Of COURSE someone told him that I was moving to AA and he was all like, "Oh, I'll see you Sunday." And yes, I'll probably go there sometimes or there AND somewhere else, but he just assumed I was going to blindly go there. It'd be like buying pants on Ebay that have no picture or specifications. Sure, they're a brand you like but that doesn't mean that they'll fit! He seemed a little offended when I told him that I had been listening to podcasts from other churches and reading about them online. I wasn't saying anything bad about his congregation and church, I just wasn't ready to buy his pants. So, if you could pray for me to find a church in AA, hopefully with great ministry opportunities, strong small and prayer groups, and friends to be made, that'd be nice.
Speaking of pastors.. my pastor and mentor of 14 years has left me for a church in Iowa. My heart mourns and misses him. Oh, PJ.
A Hiaku for my dearest Jason, who I have not been a good friend to, but intend to be in the present future. :)
JASON
THIN IN THE BRANCHES,
I GLIMPSE TALL TREE IN THE NIGHT.
LOOK, MY FRIEND HAS GONE.
Love to all, Useless Facts NerdFighter
(Guess you'll have to watch brotherhood2.com to find out what that means!) | | |
| Hi. A lot of people have been asking so (people talk.. you know?), I thought I would let you all know that, yes on Friday my sister suffered a miscarriage. She's doing pretty well physically. We are all pretty much devastated and stunned. I'm pretty sure no unborn baby has ever been loved as much as we loved this one. :) I think in a couple of years they are going to try again. So yes. That's all. Jenny and the rest of the family would welcome and appreciate your prayers. | | |
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