Deep and Often Not-So-Deep Thoughts

Hey Mom! Look What I Did!

2011-07-10T13:27:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have been to my apartment, either here in Jeff City or in NOLA, you have probably seen my wall o' frames. It's actually a funny story of how it happened. When I first got my apartment I was excited because it was my first place on my own that I could paint and decorate however I wanted. I bought a bunch of decorator's magazines and started looking for ideas. Of course, I couldn't do most of the ideas because they were WAY out of my price range. But I flipped to one page and there was a wall of frames with no pictures in them. I thought it looked like a cool idea and more importantly, one I could afford. Later, when I went back to show my brother, it turned out it was an advertisement for a framing company. But I decided I still liked the idea and was going to do it anyway. So I bought frames at various places (TJ Maxx, Target, etc.) and made my wall o' frames (see below). I added the clock as a focal point for the wall. And the super cool bowl in the picture was an antique store find that my mom bought for me.

So I have had the wall up since I moved in and I was starting to get bored with it. So I decided to make some changes. I began with some scrapbook paper that matches my living room colors and a lighted paper cutter (also courtesy of my mom. Thanks Alice!) I cut the different papers to fit the frames.

Next, all you need is some spray adhesive (available at Wal-Mart or any craft store).

You can also tape or glue the scrapbook paper directly to the frame, but I prefer it being on the wall. This is just whatever you prefer. Once you spray the paper (on the back, duh), you will place it on the wall around the nail for the frame. The best part of spray adhesive is that you can pull the paper on and off the wall until you have it placed right. Also, it won't leave marks on the wall like tape or other glues.

Place the frame over the paper and ta da!

Here is the finished product:

Hope you enjoyed reading this. I enjoyed doing it. Later!

Validation is a Beautiful Thing

2011-06-22T16:28:00.000-04:00

I do not have many followers on this blog. It's ok, I'm not upset by this, it's just a fact of life. I had more followers, but I slacked off on my writing, so some of my friends (Beau) stopped following me. For awhile I only had my mom. I love you mom, but it doesn't validate much to have your mom follow your blog. She is obligated as my mom. But a few weeks(?) ago, Kate started following my blog. I put the question mark because it could have been longer than a few weeks, I just didn't pay attention to when she joined.

Then today I logged out to my account and went to my main page. At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but no! I have THREE followers! Jaime started following my blog! I am not a vain person, so a little validation goes a long way with me.

So thank you so very much to both Kate Stewart and Jaime Fitzgerald who have officially given me three followers. (And thanks to my mom too. I guess she doesn't HAVE to follow my blog.) I feel like I am reaching readers through your willingness to create a google account (or sign in to your current one) and list yourself as a follower of my blog. I will attempt to not disappoint and I will also attempt to post more than every 6 months. Thank you for your loyalty. That is all for today. Except my listening listings:

What I'm listening to:

We Were Promised Jetpacks

These Four Walls

Eddie Vedder

Ukulele Songs

Betcha Didn't Know

2011-06-21T00:34:00.000-04:00

Late night sleeplessness = random info about me:

- I think I may be right and left brained. I really enjoy reading, especially classic literature, and even writing some of my own stuff. But I also love numbers. I get excited when numbers balance out. I can do math pretty well in my head.

- I have some slight OCD tendencies. I am not self-diagnosing or anything, but I do have some weird tendencies. Like if the television has numbers on its volume control I need it to be set on a number divisible by 5. If it's not, I can't concentrate on what I am watching. Also, my clothes hanger has to match the clothing that's on it, i.e. green shirt, green hanger. There's more, but I think that's enough for now.

- I suffer from serious buyer's remorse. Whenever I purchase something, I always doubt my need for it and often return it. Ridiculous, I know. I should just not buy it, right?

- I have weird/eclectic taste in music. My brother makes fun of my music all the time. But I like that most of my friends have never heard of half the artists on my iPod. Except Kate. I think she is my music soul mate.

- I have a serious fear of clowns. I do not know where it came from, but it is not just a "I get creeped out by clowns" fear. It is a paralyzing, total freak-out fear.

- I have a great love and appreciation for the military. My friend Lauren jokes that it's because of my dating history, but I really do appreciate their service. Some very special people in my life (and not just ones I've dated) have served in the military and I love them even more for it.

- My family are some of my favorite people in the entire world.

- Starbucks is one of my favorite places ever. You know in the movies when people walk into a place and there's a bright light and what is supposedly angels singing? Yeah, that's how I feel when I walk in to a Starbucks. Does anyone else hear the singing? No? Me neither...

- I am an excellent bargain shopper. Just ask my mom. This is partially the reason I suffer from buyer's remorse. I find a great deal and I buy it, even if it is something I don't need. But if I do need something, I shop around and try to save as much money as possible.

- I love movies and if I really like a particular movie, I can watch it over and over without getting tired of it. It came out of my lack of cable TV in college.

If you knew some of those things, congratulations. You are lucky enough to know me well. If you didn't, you are now lucky enough to know more than you did before.

I think I reached my full awkwardness potential.

2011-06-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

My friends Jeremy and Nicci had a baby today. I am very excited for them, although I will be more excited when she turns about 18 months old. I am not a baby person and never really have been. Even at 17 I said I didn't want to have babies, just adopt a 2-year-old that needed a loving home. I'm not sure why I am this way. Maybe because I am the youngest, so I was never around babies as a child. But all I can say is that if I get married, I do not want to HAVE babies. I want kids, just don't want babies.

Anyway...fast forward to the awkwardness story. Nicci went into labor yesterday morning around 5am. At least that's when they went to the hospital, so it could have been earlier. Carson was born today around 11:00-11:30. Nicci was in labor for THIRTY HOURS before they decided to do a C-section. Yikes. She is my hero right now just for that. Last night my friend Elaine called them and offered to take them food. They happily accepted due to the typical cliche' of hospital food. Elaine called me to ask if I wanted to go with her. Here is that conversation (at least as I remember it):

Elaine: I'm going to take Jeremy and Nicci some dinner. Do you want to come with me?
Me: Oh, did she have the baby?
Elaine: No, she's still in labor.
Me: ...(long pause)...oh.
Elaine: They said the hospital food is really bad, so I want to do something nice for them.
Me: Oh, well I just put my dinner in the oven. (I'm continuing to think, "she's still in labor...that would be really weird to be in the room" throughout the rest of this conversation) Yeah, I'm gonna stay here and eat. But tell them I am thinking about them and give them both a hug from me (those of you who know me, know I am not a hugger)
Elaine: I'm not gonna do that.
Me: OK.
Elaine: YOU wouldn't do that if you were there.
Me: You're right. I don't really know what to say or do in these type of situations.
Elaine: Clearly.

Elaine told me later that she told them how awkward I was and it gave them all a good laugh. Even Nicci. So at least I gave her some laughter in between her moments of pain.

Side note - all of this occurred while I was washing dishes/cooking dinner in an apron and pearls. I aspire to be a 1950s housewife apparently.

So please welcome to the world Carson Loralei Elmore, 8lbs, 14 oz.

Why Are You Even Reading This?

2011-05-31T00:37:00.000-04:00

I have been struggling with this blog post. This is the fourth draft I have written tonight. I have been reading my friends blogs as I am sitting here with nothing coming to my mind.

My friends have awesome blogs. John Ball's blog manages to intertwine his family with his crazy-awesome tech knowledge. It's pretty fun to read actually. Joe Fontenot is one of the most interesting people I have ever known, therefore his blog is one of the most interesting blogs I have ever read. Not to mention he is an amazing photographer so he regularly post pictures. Kate Stewart is so incredibly random and kooky that her blog is HIGH-larious (say it like it's spelled out - it gives it a stronger emphasis). Finally, Beau Bredow writes about stuff that matters and makes you think. Even though I tease him about his poor spelling and grammar, he is hands down one of the smartest people I know. I follow all of these people, so you can find their blog links in my "What I Read" column.

These four people are only four examples of the awesomeness God has decided to bless me with in the form of friends. I have many more. I would like to add my brother, Andy Wiggins to this list, but he is a worse slacker than I am in the blogging world. He hasn't posted anything in over two years. But if you read some of his old stuff, you can see how great his inner mind-workings are.

So thanks for reading my blog even though it pales in comparison to the superb contributions my friends make to the blogging world. And if you get the chance, ask Kate what a nervous coon rat baby is. I am still baffled.

In a side closing note I want to remind everyone of the importance of Memorial Day. I have always had a great love and appreciation for our military because some very special people in my life have served. So I would like to extend my thanks and love to all of those who have served, are currently serving, or will serve one day. It is because of your sacrifice that I can write pointless blogs that no one reads. So thank you for being you.

Five Months & Four Days

2011-04-20T22:25:00.000-04:00

So I know my last post was in November, but that's actually better than I thought. I couldn't remember if I had posted anything post-Tennessee move. Fortunately I had posted twice. So yay for me. I got motivated to post because my friend Kate just started a blog. You can find it here: The Incoherent Thoughts of a Random Kid

It's really great too. You should go read it. Seriously...don't even finish mine, go read hers. OK, OK...I really want you to finish mine first. I am selfish that way. But when you're done, go read hers.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of happenings, so I am going to give a run-down, bullet-point list style:

I am still loving my job, although there are definitely great days and some not-so-great days.
One of my co-workers left in mid-February. During the search for a new person, I recommended my friend, Brent (who happens to be married to the earlier mentioned blogger).
Brent got the job (yay!). He and Kate are moving here to Jeff City in just a few weeks (double yay!)
I have taken up a hobby. Never had one before. I was too busy being a student. I have started being crafty/artsy/knit-y (?)
I bought a macbook pro. This is a pretty big deal, as I was once anti-mac, just on principle. I have decided the iPhone is a gateway drug to all things mac.
Seasons are AWESOME although we had a few too many snow days in my opinion. I have loved the changes in leaves, trees, and flowers.
Two of my best friends recently had babies. Beau and Andrea Bredow had Barrett Anderson Bredow on January 26 and John and Lauren Ball had Trindon Lars Ball on March 10. I have not met either of my two new nephews yet, but I get to meet Barrett this weekend. I'm hoping to meet Trindon soon.
I am having a reading renaissance. I am currently reading several John Steinbeck novels (not all at the same time, but I have a stack I am working my way through).
I am probably getting a dog soon. I'm excited about that. It will be my first pet that is just mine.

This is where I will leave you. I may post some more bullets at a later date. Keep an eye out. I will sign off with some recommended reading/listening for you:

Tortilla Flat
John Steinbeck

21
Adele

Hunger and Thirst
Typhoon

I don't mind the leaves that are leaving, it's the leaves that are coming...

2010-11-16T12:09:00.002-05:00

Piglet was a surprisingly profound character. If you look up Winnie the Pooh quotes, Piglet has some very insightful sayings. I know what you're thinking...she has finally lost her mind, but I really mean it. I looked up Winnie the Pooh quotes yesterday because I was trying to remember the blustery day saying (we definitely had one here). And I found this quote from Piglet: "I don't mind the leaves that are leaving, it's the leaves that are coming." I thought it was rather deep.

As a Florida girl who was transplanted to New Orleans, seasons are a foreign thing to me. So I LOVED the leaves changing here. I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted, but here are a few from around the campus. I think the ground looks pretty awesome in a couple of them too.

Are We Singing the Same Old Song or Something New?

2010-11-02T14:58:00.000-04:00

The long absense on my blog can be easily explained, though potentially not excused. In the last four months, my world was completely changed. I was contacted the first week of July by Carson-Newman College. They were hiring in their Residence Life Department and after a couple of interviews, they offered me the job. Despite my initial doubts, I began to realize that this was the job for me and the plan God had for me. I accepted the position and then was told I needed to be there by August 1. It was July 15!! I realized that I was going to have to make a mad scramble. So I booked the moving truck, resigned my position at the Seminary, and began to pack.

I moved to Jefferson City, Tennessee (yes, it is as small as it sounds) on July 30 and started working August 2. Since then it has been a whirlwind of learning a new job, settling into my new apartment and trying to make this my new home. I love my job and have met a ton of awesome people here in Tennessee. So now that the explanation is complete...time for my blogging to resume. I am going to restart by honoring a request from my friend, Nikki. Here goes:

At my new job, part of my pay includes a meal plan at the campus cafeteria. One of my favorite things about this is that they have straws for the cups. I love straws, especially if I have to use a cup/glass that is used over and over by different people. I understand that they wash them in between uses, but I just can't get past it. So I get to use a straw everyday when I eat in the cafeteria. It's the little things that please me. Tune in next time for my opinion on pens vs. pencils.

What I am reading:

Persuasion by Jane Austen (yes, I am reading it AGAIN)

What I watched most recently:

Adam - A REALLY great movie. I highly recommend it.

When Words And Emotions No Longer Meet

2010-06-22T14:53:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you cannot seem to articulate your emotions? Despite what I often exhibit on the outside, I am actually a very emotional person. I regularly experience a plethora of emotions all at once. But do not worry, I am not suffering from a mental illness, just a lot of emotions. Today is one of those days for me. So if you see me, please don't expect me to use words very well today. I am pretty sure I am not capable.

Due to this fact, I am kind of at a loss on a blog subject. So I am going to turn it over to my friends. Please make suggestions for blog topics and maybe your idea will pop up soon. Thanks for reading, despite my inability to write anything interesting.

Who Do I Think That I Am?

2010-06-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

It is amazing how quickly I give up on God and think he has forgotten me. This time it only took me 18 months. I know most of you are thinking, "Eighteen months is a long time. What is she talking about?" But in God's time, 18 months is nothing. I am reminded of the Israelites who wandered the desert for 40 years in the book of Exodus. Or in the book of Judges, they continually gave up on God, often after long periods of time. It is an incredibly cyclical book:

"And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD...And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt...So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel and He gave them over to plunderers..."
"And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD..."
"Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of those who plundered them."

Go look. Almost EVERY chapter of Judges reads exactly like that. All of those instances, God came back and swooped them up, reminding them that they were always in His hands. Then, once again, they quickly forgot what He had done. God came back and rescued them, even after decades. And I am so blinded as to think God has forgotten about me in a mere 18 months. Pathetic, right?

All that to say that in the last few months I have become very discontent and restless. I began to convince myself that God had forgotten about me. But on Monday I realized I had lost my focus. It was no longer on God or His plan for my life. It was all on me and how unhappy I had allowed myself to become. Needless to say, I cried out to the LORD in a very similar fashion as the people of Israel. Then yesterday I was once again reminded how much He loves me and that He does have a plan. I don't know if this is the exact plan, but I feel like He threw me a bone. As if to say, "Hey! Remember ME?!? I AM the one who has a great plan that you cannot even fathom."

All that to say that we need to remember that we are always in God's hands. He has an awesome plan for our lives and if you remember that, you will always feel blessed and content in whatever situation you might be in.

But it is possible I will forget all of this soon, because that is our human nature, so just remind me to go read my own blog.

Summer Reading

2010-06-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

We had our discussion of Sense and Sensibility Sunday night and here are a few conclusions we came to:

1. This is possibly my least favorite Austen novel.
2. Everyone in this book is either selfish, snobby or whiny.
3. Colonel Brandon should have been made into a more interesting character. Austen left him very two-dimensional. Although Nikki and Kate disagreed with me, I though he was the only character I probably could have tolerated.
4. Elinor is WAY too reserved. There is maintaining a degree of propriety and then there is just being uptight and rigid. She falls into the latter category.
5. Marianne, though she tended to whine a great deal, was a character we admired because she followed her heart, though often to her detriment. Kate felt Marianne was the character to which she could relate the best.
6. Mr. and Mrs. John Dashwood were complete tools. At first you think John is just easily manipulated by his wife, but as the book progresses you realize he is just as evil and unfeeling as her.
7. Willoughby was not only an idiot, but a spoiled brat. Many people defend him, saying that he really did love Marianne, but had to marry for money because that was the way it worked in those days. I disagree. I think he loved the attention from Marianne and nothing else.

That is all I will share for now. We are reading Northanger Abbey next. Although I have never read the book in its entirety, I am excited about this one. I think it has a very interesting plot and is the closest Austen creeps into suspense. And I discovered I have it on my iPhone book app, so I don't have to wait until I can make it to the book store to start reading.

In discussing the other books to come, Nikki asked if she could watch Clueless in lieu of reading Emma. We told her no, but that did start a quoting of Clueless. Kate didn't participate much, because she is not a movie freak like Nikki and I, but it was a lot of fun. And so I leave you today with a quote from the always great, Clueless:

"Searching for a boy in high school is as useless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie."

How many songs do you sleep through?

2010-06-10T10:32:00.007-04:00

My friends and I are reading all of Jane Austen's novels in an attempt to expand my friend Nikki's exposure to literature (she has read all the Twilight books and no Jane Austen). We are starting with Sense and Sensibility and are supposed to be finished this Sunday. I am on Chapter 9. Nikki and Kate are schooling me. I am pretty sure Nikki is finished and Kate is somewhere around Chapter 23. Obviously, I have a lot of reading to do this weekend.

I set my alarm clock to play my iPod for my wake-up every morning. I prefer to wake up to music rather than an obnoxious beeping or an even more obnoxious DJ. This morning my alarm went off and it was playing INXS' Listen Like Thieves. LOVE INXS and I love that song. However, I rolled over and hit snooze once, as I always do every morning. I woke up an hour later to Brandon Heath's I'm Not Who I Was. My snooze went through it's full nine minutes and went off again. I then proceeded to sleep through thirteen songs. Who sleeps through thirteen songs? Apparently I do. And these weren't "lull you into a calm sleep" songs. Nay, Nay my friends. We are talking about All-American Rejects, Third Day, Wakey!Wakey!, and Anberlin. Songs that should wake you up out of a dead sleep, much less the doze you usually fall into after hitting snooze. So I jumped out of bed, took the fastest shower known to man and was only 7 minutes late to work. AND my hair is not in a ponytail. I thought that was pretty impressive.

I am going to leave you today with a verse of encouragement for you:

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand." Psalm 37:23-24

This has been such an encouraging verse for me, particularly in the last year. It is always comforting to know that God has laid my path for me and even if I stumble, He will catch me.

Sometimes I wonder....

2010-06-09T12:06:00.006-04:00

Have you ever tried to write down your random thoughts? I have. It has brought me to the realization that I am incredibly strange. Don't get me wrong, I have been aware of this for quite awhile. But when you see it in writing, it just leaves you with no doubt. I would like to blame my parents, or my siblings, but I have been on my own long enough to overcome any insanity to which they might have subjected me, so I feel they must be let off the hook (for the most part).

I thought about blaming my closest group of friends. If you know these people you should be right there with me. But again, I think (thanks to my mom) I have a strong enough personality all on my own. I am only influenced to a degree by these people. I also think we are drawn to friends that suffer from similar absurdities as we do, which means I already possessed these abnormalities.

What it comes down to is this: I think that I am truly a reflection of God's sense of humor. If you doubt that He has a sense of humor, let me know. I would LOVE to sit down with you and discuss all the points in scripture that exhibit God's sense of humor. But I think the thing we have to remember most is that we are made in God's image. If we are funny and find things in life funny, why wouldn't He? I feel so lucky to not only be created, but to know that He loves me enough to give me attributes that can be found in Him. It is humbling and exciting all at the same time. Now if I can just learn to reflect Him in everything I do and not screw it up, which I do often. Screw up, I mean.

I will leave you with one of the random thoughts that I jotted down:
"I wonder if they will eventually come out with an iPhone that can drive your car on long trips. I would definitely upgrade if they did that."

What am I doing here?

2009-11-04T17:30:00.007-05:00

Lately I have been questioning what I am doing with my life. I say lately, but it is really for the last 9 months or so. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psych and Counseling and a Master's in Christian Education and I am the manager of a glorified mailroom. Does this is person sound like a winner to you? I don't think so.

But as I continue to grow frustrated with my current situation, I try to remain optimistic. I know in these tumultuous economic times, having a job is a great blessing, as well as a place to live, a great group of friends and a church that I love. So what am I whining about, right?

The problem is, I feel that God sent me to seminary for a purpose and I often feel like I am not fulfilling that purpose. When I think these thoughts, God always brings me back to Jeremiah 29. Many people know verse 11, "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." However, if you continue, God gives us guidance on the best way to see these plans come to fruition. “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.” (12-14)

These verses continue God's promise, but also remind us that we can't just sit back and wait for God to fulfill His promises to us. We have a responsibility to seek the Lord with our whole heart. Only then can we see God's promises fulfilled.

I have often felt like I am in exile here in New Orleans. I feel like I am supposed to be doing something somewhere else, but I just cannot get out of New Orleans. These verses remind me that if I seek God and pray, He will bring me out of this time to restore me.

I hope this is a bit of encouragement for someone. I know these verses often comfort me.

The Office!!!!

2009-09-16T09:33:00.002-04:00

I am so excited because The Office returns with new episodes this week. It is one of my favorite shows of all time. To honor the return, my friends and I have been watching Season 5 before Season 6 starts on Thursday. We are on Day Three of this marathon and we have made it through 3 1/2 discs (there are five total). I have concerns about our completion because we have eight more episodes and we all have church tonight, then the new season starts tomorrow. We shall see if we make it. If you do not watch this show, you should start. My friend, Lauren claims she does not like it, but every time she watches it with us, we catch her laughing. So even if you think you will not like it, give it a try. My favorite character is Jim (cliche, I know, but I can't help it. I love him!)

On another note, I am currently dealing with church politics. For those of you who do not know what that is, think about regular politics and then put it in a church. Pretty simple, but oh so complicated. I have been praying that God will give me some guidance and allow me to find the right words to say if it becomes necessary for me to speak. I am also praying that it does not become necessary for me to speak ;)

A Good Day

2009-09-06T00:18:00.007-04:00

Have you ever had that group of friends that you can just be yourself with all the time? Even if you are having the crappiest day and act like a total jerk, they are still your friends. Better yet, they tell you that you are acting like a total jerk and to knock it off. I have those friends. I actually spent the day with several of those friends. It made me happy.

We had a girls' + Joe lunch. We went to Surrey's, a restaurant on Magazine Street here in NOLA. It has an unusual menu and I ordered a ham and mushroom frittata, which I said over and over after I ordered it. It is a fun word to say. Say it with me, "Frittata" "Frit-ta-ta". It really is fun. Anyway...

We had a really great time, laughed, took pictures and made fun of one another (that is what we do. It is a love language). After lunch, we went to Lucky You, which is one of the coolest candy shops ever. I bought gummy gators, in honor of College Game Day and the Gators first game of the season. I also bought a miniature twisted lollipop. I ate the lollipop right away.

Then we came home and began to watch college football. I love football and I can watch it all day. My friend Nikki, however, is quite the opposite. But because she is such a good friend, she stayed and watched with me. She even let me teach her a little about football. I was so proud.

We ended the night with a few clips from Grease 2. We watched Reproduction (a favorite of mine and Nikki's). Hilarious!

The pictures are courtesy of Joe Fontenot, my awesome friend who is also an awesome photographer. You can find his blog link on my "what I read" list.

Oh, and the Gators won. Thought you'd like to know.

iPod Freak Out and other news

2009-07-14T09:58:00.003-04:00

Last night I got home and realized I did not have my iPod. Complete freak out, right? I was panicked and worried that I had lost my lifeline. I was trying to figure out how tomorrow's work day would be with only the stupid radio to listen to music. Then it hit me. I left it playing at work. Which meant it would be dead in the morning. But thankfully, my super cool friend Brent gave me a plug so that I can charge my iPod while playing it. Yay! I was saved!!!

On a lighter note, Vacation Bible School is this week at my church. I am the director which means a lot of responsibility before and after the actual week, but not too much during. It has been going really well. I am praising God for all the volunteers I have. Last year I struggled to find them and only had about 30-35 each night. This year I have averaged 60 the first two nights. So a big shout out to all my workers and their servant's hearts (and yes, I just used the term shout out).

On a sadder note (for me), my brother and his family are moving away. I have always lived near them for the last decade, but it looks like they are heading off to Tennessee, which is about 6 hours away. Although I will miss my brother and sister-in-law, I was quite upset when I found out he was taking my 5 nieces and nephews with him. I think they should stay here. And to top it off, my very good friends, Beau and Andrea are leaving right around the same time. And they are taking their wonderful son with them. All my favorite kids are now living a minimum of 6 hours away. I am not happy with this arrangement...

IQ Test Please...

2009-07-10T09:41:00.003-04:00

So my friend Kate and I run to Winn Dixie last night to purchase much needed ice cream (yes it was needed, Andrea was making brownies). We quickly make our selections, mostly because we have strict instructions on what type to buy from Brent (Kate's husband). We head up to the front to check out and, as usual, there is a long line for every check-out. But the self check-out is not too long and there are four registers so I figure, "This won't take too long." HA! I watch as a Korean man struggles with which buttons to push to purchase his beer and pay. Then there is an older lady who moves as slow as molasses. Then her friend keeps bringing more items up to the register. They also keep making errors that require the register attendant to come over. The poor woman keeps walking back and forth between them and the Korean guy. A father and son look like they are moving pretty quickly until the son sees our ice cream and decides he wants his own. So he leaves the register to go pick up some ice cream. Finally, the fourth register is being used by a lady who is in one of those motorized carts. She is moving surprisingly fast until we realize she is making more than one transaction. This is due to her beer and cigarettes not being food stamp eligible.

For those that have been to the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans, I know you can picture this entire scene. And for those that know me, you can also imagine my frustration growing by the minute. At last! The Korean man purchases his alcohol and we finally get to check out! It takes us a whole three minutes. You could see the relief on the attendant's face when we moved so fast, although it was mixed in with frustration with the old ladies who were still trying to figure out how to scan produce.

With this story, I offer a humble suggestion to Winn Dixie: a computer proficiency test. If you have customers that wish to use the self check-out, require a computer proficiency test. Once you pass it, you get a card that allows you permanent passage into the self check-out line. From that point forward, you just show your little card, move quickly through the line, and make your fellow shoppers very happy people. As I said, it is just my humble suggestion.

Also, enforcing the 15 item rule wouldn't hurt either...

Rejection and encouragement

2009-06-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

Got my first rejection letter from one of the twenty churches to which I have sent my resume. That always feels good. It made me wonder what the heck I am even doing. I keep turning in resumes for Children's Ministry positions, but I am not even sure that is what I feel called to do. I feel like I might be settling. But then I turned it over to God and He reminded me that things will happen in His time, not mine. He has a plan and it may be children's ministry or it may not. For those that know me, you know that patience is NOT my strong suit and I believe God is constantly trying to show me how to be more patient. So I guess the lesson has begun again. I am working toward trusting God completely with my future.

On a happier note, my oldest nephew turns 16 today. It is hard to believe that I was only 14 when he was born. He is an amazingly cool kid who I am proud to know and especially be related.

Already slacking...

2009-06-17T11:00:00.003-04:00

So I realize I am already falling into the forgetting to blog trap, but I promise I have good reasons. OK, not really, but I have been pretty busy. My friends Brent and Kate finally got an apartment. They have been living in a hotel room for six months and they now have a lovely, inexpensive one-bedroom. I am really excited for them.

Some of my friends have taken note of my blog. The above-mentioned Kate said she could totally picture me typing away in Doogie Howser fashion on my computer. I did love Doogie Howser. I was going to marry him and it made me very sad when I discovered Neil Patrick Harris is gay. When Kate said that it gave us all a good laugh, but now all I hear when I type this is the Doogie Howser theme song. Ah, if only I had an apple computer with a black screen and green type. That would make the world complete.

Oh look, here you go:

Dear Diary,

Today has been a great day. I came to work and have done nothing but write this blog. See you tomorrow diary.

Love,

Patricia

So now that is done. All joking aside, I do need prayers right now. I am becoming discontent in my situation and I am trying to rely on God and His plan, but as I am sure most of you know, that can be easier said than done. I know He has a plan for me because He told me He does (Jeremiah 29). I just tend to get impatient and want things to happen RIGHT NOW. Please pray that I will be patient and that God will reveal His plan to me in His time.

Thanks for reading!

The Phenomenon that is Wipe Out

2009-06-11T09:55:00.003-04:00

So last night I had friends over to watch Wipe Out after church. As I laughed hysterically at others humiliation, it made me wonder. Why do we find others pain and humiliation so funny? Now you can say that not everyone does, but the crowd in my living room and the ratings of this show prove that there are enough that do to necessitate this question.

I guess I am just wondering where this came from. Why is it that whenever someone falls down, I laugh at them. I try not to, but I cannot help it. Often I have laughed as I checked to make sure they were alright. Just ask my friend Lauren.

I sometimes think something is wrong with me (insert clever joke here). But then I look around at my friends. We are all mockers, with the exception of one or two who, for some reason, enjoy being mocked (again, ask my friend, Lauren). Beau says we are all attention hogs so we surround ourselves with mockers because even that is attention in some way. I think that is probably a valid observation.

After all this pondering, I just have one more thing to say...ABC, please continue my joy of summer into the fall, winter and spring. The rest of my year feels empty without the laughter Wipe Out brings. Also, please hire me to commentate. I envy Jill's job more than anything.

The Start of Something Good

2009-06-09T10:13:00.000-04:00

As I have recently graduated, I am beginning to see many of my friends begin to scatter across the country, or at least across the Southeast. It made me realize that facebook may not be enough to keep in touch because I do not do very much on facebook other than stalk my friends and family. So this is my attempt to not only share what is going on in my life, but also let my friends get a taste of the insane thinking that is Patricia.

If we are friends, I hope this lives up to the standards of seeing me everyday. I know it will be hard. If we do not know each other, I hope it is not too boring and you will decide to follow my blog. And I am really not full of myself.

I am going to start off by letting all you LOST fans, and especially Charlie fans that ABC is messing with us. Check out this commercial...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix_bhPq4IQk

It looks like they are hinting at a return of Charlie to LOST. Unfortunately, after much research it looks like Charlie will not be coming back. But Dominic Monaghan is supposed to be on a new show.

Oh, and I am a huge LOST fan, so if you ever have any LOST scoops, let me know!

More to come...