I rocked the box

Last weekend, I spent every waking moment with my Bible study girl friends.

Friday night was dinner at a Mexican cafe, followed by late night bowling on the nearby Army base.

Saturday was Disney Day, beginning at 11am and lasting through the afternoon. Cars, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, all watched in our pajamas. And plenty of snacks, of course. That night, Bruin Girl got a few of us tickets to the Kennedy Center . . seated in the President's box! Champagne bottles with the Presidential seal. Red, white, and blue M&Ms specially boxed with the seal as well. And the best part?? That feeling I felt when I sat there, like a queen on her throne - there, in the very place many Presidents have sat before . . the toilet. The girls and I finished the night with yet another movie, The Guardian, and burgers and fries from Five Guys - yum!!

Sunday, after church, we began another Disney Day. Cinderella, Oliver & Company, Rescuers Down Under. We grabbed sandwiches from our favorite sandwich place and just laid low. Feeling incredibly lazy, we headed to the pool and swam laps for awhile only to come back and watch yet another movie.

Pretty much a weekend of perfection.














In Georgetown, taking a movie break and walking the dog that The President gave my friend.

Thief!

MISSING!:

an ENTIRE load of laundry!

including:

t-shirts
[expensive] jeans
underwear

Please call XXX-XXX-XXXX if you have seen my clothing.

Thank you!


That's the note I left hanging in the 8th floor laundry room. So I sit here waiting and praying that whoever stole my laundry will be kind enough to return it! Who does that?!

West Coast slang?

“You ate your biscuit because he was getting stale,” Em said. Em is a new co-worker and friend from Southern California. And I reference her home state, because it seems to be the birthplace of her random West Coast vocabulary.

She’s taught me several slang words already, including the use of the word “biscuit” in reference to any guy you’re involved with. If you’re admiring him from afar, you’re “checking out the ingredients”. If he’s a great boyfriend, he’s “golden brown”. If he’s done something to upset you, he’s a “wet biscuit” and “Nobody wants a wet biscuit”. And let’s be honest, sometimes the “batter tastes better than the biscuit”. (And I promise, no sexual innuendos here - yikes.:)

So as you all know, this biscuit I've gone out with just didn’t have the right ingredients. I need to wait for a fresh biscuit with the finest ingredients. I need a biscuit that is golden brown.

coach

“I have some very exciting news to share with you,” she said over the phone. “God is so good.”

Fear gripped my heart. She was leaving me. That’s what it was. My teacher, my mentor, my friend. Not just my co-worker. My encourager, my challenger, and the one who believed in me. She was brilliant. With people, with strategies, with tactics – just brilliant.

“I’ve been given a position in a different division of the company . . where I can train those coming into the company, where I can invest in them.” And that’s what she does. She invests in people and cares about people. She appreciates their value. She sees them. So it’s perfect. Less stressful, too. And tailored to the person that she is.

“I’m not leaving you,” she said. “My door will still be open.” My throat was tight, and the tears wanted to come. “Stop being so selfish. Stop being so scared,” I told myself. But what would I do without the one who gets me? Who sees my strengths and weaknesses. Who hates that I don’t micro-manage, but likes me anyway. Who trusts me with things and builds my confidence. What would I do?

I will find out.

One thing I know. God will take care of me just as he is taking care of her. My company is already great, but with her in this new position, it will only get better.

Ok, I know I missed National De-lurking Week, but so what?

There are loads of you that read my blog consistently, but you never post anything. You must have something to say. At least say hello. Come out and post something. It can be anonymous; I don't care. Just leave a comment! Please! :)

636

As the elevator reached the sixth floor, I stepped off and flipped up my turtleneck to cover my nose and mouth. I didn't care if she said she wasn't contagious, I wasn't taking any chances by breathing freely in her apartment. The poor thing had been sick enough to warrant a trip to the ER and no way did I want to catch that virus. But she needed her laptop, so there I was.

New Girl and I have developed a pretty close friendship. Constantly visiting each other's desks at work. Daily eating lunch together. Spending time together outside of work. The level of comfort allows us to frequently (as in every other sentence) tease each other and be blatantly honest when the truth needs to be told. When sharing a hotel room in New York last month, New Girl had no problem making herself at home in my presence by sleeping pantless. "When you come out of the bathroom, I'm not gonna have any pants on. Just so you're not surprised." This would explain how the following occurred:

I firmly knocked at 636 and waited for New Girl to walk from the bed in her studio apartment to the front door at which I stood. "It's meee," I announced. I heard movement and bare footsteps and then, what was that? It sounded like someone was putting on pants. Yes, first one leg, then the other. (Nice solid doors, huh?)

"What are you putting on pants for????" I asked through the door. "You always take them off when I'm around."

No comment.

The door slowly opened and there stood a 60-year old man . . just smiling, expecting the very look that he found on my face. He looked almost satisfied, knowing that I was humiliated and he had absolutely nothing to be embarrassed of. He was merely answering the knock at his front door.

"Ohmygosh! I could've sworn my friend lived on the sixth floor!"

"It's a big floor. She probably does."

"No . . this is her apartment."

"I'm sorry, but I live here."

Immediately I turned, walked back to the elevators, and found New Girl in the same place she's always been . . 736.

Congratulations!

Once, my youth leader and 'big sister'; often my personal advisor and voice of reason; always my close friend. I've known her for eleven years as all of these things, and now I will know her as a mother. Congratulations to my wonderful friend and her great husband! After an awful day and a half of labor, Chloe Anne finally made her way out to meet the world. I can't wait to meet her myself. Isn't she adorable?

Like coming home

"It typically takes about seven to eight months of church-hopping to find a church you're happy with". The pastor was right. I've been here eight months and although I've liked things about each church I've visited, none have felt like home. Like a place to settle, to plug in, to embrace the people around me as my church family. Sunday, I found that place.

I had already decided to consistently attend a mega-church about 20 minutes away. It reminded me the most of home . . yet not completely. I was comfortable getting lost amongst the hundreds of people in each service. I knew most of the songs they sang, and loved learning the new ones. The messages were good . . often wimpy, but good . . like drinking milk - delicious milk, when I was craving steak or at least some chicken, something to chew on. Every person I'd met there so far loved God . . as long as He didn't ask them to give up too much, as long as He didn't interfere with how they lived their life. I'm not saying that every member of that church felt that way, because I'm completely certain that's not the case - only my experience. I could've made an effort to meet more people and get involved, but something was holding me back.

Then, I heard about another church. Solid pastor. Challenging messages. I learned it met right next door to my apartment. "Please let this be it," I prayed. I listened to the sermons online and my hope that this would be home only grew. I met a friendly face at the door, filled out a nametag, and walked into an auditorium filled with music played not as a performance, but an invitation to the Lord. I didn't have to shake any hands or make any small talk to sense that the people in the room knew Him and wanted to know Him more. And I knew this was it. The search was over. This was where I belonged.

writing

Sometimes I just want to write. Not crappy writing. Good writing. Writing about memories. Going deep, digging it all up, and serving it real. Unedited.

Always I wish I was a better writer. I want a teacher to make me write again and grade me on it. Bring on the red marks. Challenge me.

It's always at work that I want to write. I feel the creativity surging through my veins. It feels bottled up. But I have work to do. And if I decided to write a paragraph, it would turn into ten. Then I go home at night . . and food sounds good. Exercise is important. Running errands must be done. And before I know it, I'm in bed again at the end of the day, and the urgency to write has subsided like hunger pangs that eventually go away.

2006 Survey

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?
The better question is: What did I do in 2006 that I HAD done before. My life totally changed. I’d never lived out of state, and I lived in San Diego temporarily and Washington D.C. permanently. I flew 11 times. I visited 26 states, twelve that I’d never been to before. Much of this was due to my cross-country trip.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year, although I wanted to find a better job and I certainly did that. I will set goals this year, too. I want (no I NEED) to get in shape for BF's wedding in June. I'd like to create a budget, save, be smart financially, and worthy of God entrusting me with more. I need to set goals for work, become more organized, etc. And most importantly, I want to know the Lord more intimately than ever before (this year I certainly did nothing to make that happen).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? yes, two friends had boys

4. Did anyone close to you die? no

5. What countries did you visit? mexico

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
more money-ha! no seriously, it’s expensive to live out here. I’d also like to make more friends who are like-minded. I love my girl friends here, but at times we are not quite on the same page.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? There are so many things I will remember about 2006. It was one of the best years of my life in many respects. Specific dates? My birthday was great. Fourth of July was fun.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? My job.

9. What was your biggest failure? Some compromises regarding moral convictions; being a hypocrite more times than I'd like to remember

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? no, I don’t remember ever being sick

11. What was the best thing you bought? my digital camera, furniture, my Citizen jeans (new fave pair)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Rochester for taking care of me/looking out for me

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Some of my Bible study friends who don’t seem to want to practice what they say they believe. Sometimes my own behavior left me appalled as well.

14. Where did most of your money go? moving and starting new in D.C.; plane tickets

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? my new job, all my trips

16. What song will always remind you of 2006? sexy back

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? a little fatter
c) richer or poorer? I feel poorer now that I live out here

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? exercising! and spending time with the Lord

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? drinking for sure and hanging out with boys that I clearly had no future with

20. How did you spend Christmas? with my family

21. Did you fall in love in 2006? no i did not

22. How many one-night stands? ew, zero

23. What was your favorite TV program? greys anatomy

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? no

25. What was the best book you read? drawing near by john bevere

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? hmm, I like Corinne bailey rae

27. What did you want and get? My job

28. What did you want and not get? a higher salary

29. What was your favorite film of this year? not sure; I liked the Break-up

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i turned 25 and went to an upscale restaurant, ate and drank wine to my heart’s content with 4 of my friends, one of which picked up the entire tab!

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
pursuing the Lord more, definitely

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? i call my style "contemporary classic" :) . . this year my tastes continued to get more expensive

33. What kept you sane? my co-workers who are great to work with; new friends; getting to see BF so much

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? no one in particular

35. What political issue stirred you the most? i don't want to get into it

36. Who did you miss? family and friends at home

37. Who was the best new person you met?
BF's boyfriend turned fiance and his family

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. I now know why drinking and nonChristian boys (not even necessarily at the same time) are a bad idea. I now know that those things certainly don't satisfy. I always knew those things, but now I (unfortunately) know from personal experience.

New Year's Day!

I returned to D.C. yesterday (New Year's Eve). Reluctantly. I had such a great time at home for 8 days. Yet it wasn't long enough. Well . . long enough to make me not want to return to work tomorrow.

Wishing I was spending New Year's Eve with friends in Omaha, I headed out with 13 girls to try to have $35 worth of fun (as that was the cost of my ticket). I didn't have a drop of alcohol, but instead watched every one of the girls get drunk. I was so happy with my decision to ring in the New Year without vodka and cranberry - (in fact, I am so sick of the bar scene that I don't care if I ever have a drink again). The crazy thing is that not drinking doesn't keep the boys away at all. In fact, they seem to be quite fascinated by it. For instance, last night I met a cute boy who decided to spend the entire night with me and quit drinking at 11:00 upon learning that I was going drink-free. We had a blast dancing . . proving everyone in the bar wrong as we 'loosened up' while staying completely sober.

Today I began the New Year with a workout, a full day of watching bowl games and the movie "Step Up" with my friends, and an entire Burrito Ultimo from Baja Fresh (the "entire" part was a mistake).

Tomorrow it's back to work after nearly two weeks off. I'm anxious-nervous about starting 2007. I'll write more later.

Happy New Year Everyone!