still some hours yet in the final day of 2008 for us here in california.
a gnarly amount of sinus/all around head pressure has kept me from doing too much (at least from doing too much with any enthusiasm or excitement). i did make it to the super market with jenny though, and then there was a quick trip to manhattan beach. it's been a while since i was there, so it was a nice visit. i'll be going back on saturday too.... because there is a USED GEAR SALE! exciting.
there's a little get together with some friends from high school tonight, so i'll head to that for a bit... but honestly, i'll be very surprised if i make it to midnight. i made it to japan's midnight... isn't that enough?
oy ve. so long til midnight.
i'll do the traditional new years/2008 in review tomorrow.
but til then, i hope you have had a most wonderful christmas and i hope your new years celebration is one of much joy.
quick note: i truly apologize for being a slacker this year and not producing my annual christmas movie. consequently, no xmas cards went out either. the holiday season kind of snuck up on me rather fast, so i didn't manage to pull anything together at the last second (something i am usually all to good at).
it's a been quite the year, 2008... and i hope it finishes out just peachy for y'all.
that's all from this year... tootles.
Wednesday, December 31
Wednesday, December 24
halfway around the world
14 hours ahead of the midwest and 17 hours ahead of the west coast... that's where i currently find myself. after a super long flight, i was welcomed to japan by being held back at customs. my passport doesn't show any evidence of me leaving japan on my last trip. why is that a major problem? i have no idea. but it was. nearly an hour of over-emphasised hand motions,
a few days have passed now... the wedding is done, we've ventured here and there, and i'm sure i've already violated multiple cultural customs. for instance: wearing "toilet slippers" to the lobby for breakfast. i was denied access to breakfast until i went up and put real shoes on.
my bad.
the wedding was a blast... i understood more than i ate, but nonetheless, it was a sweet thing to be able to be there for my brother's wedding... especially one as cultural and unique as this. there were three receptions, and for someone like me (very nap-dependent and very jet-lagged), that is a very tiring ordeal. i got to meet a lot of steven's co-workers and friends--most of whom just couldn't stop raving about how cool of a person steven is. and it was hilarious to see steven speaking so much japanese, cracking jokes left and right in japanese... very impressive.
no crazy adventures have gone down yet... mostly hanging around nagoya and making a trip to the local courthouse with steven and naomi for them to sign their marriage license. no matter the trip, though, picture opportunities galore... hence more than 200 pictures in less than two days. these pictures are available in my photo gallery under "japan trip 2008"... so just click on the left and it should take you there.
i find it fascinating that being in a foreign country has left me thinking more visually than orally... meaning, certian images catch my eye and come to mind more than certain thoughts are provoked and nourished. this leaves me with tons of pictures and few words. in a place where i can only comprehend things visually, i guess it makes sense. for one, i don't over hear conversations (at least over hear AND comprehend) that spark a line of thought... for another, it's the essence, the sights, of the culture that i experience. i would compare it to the difference between a novel and a picture book. the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" isn't a cliche for a reason... it gets used a ton... and it do so because it works. i'm just dieing to put a couple of those words down on paper... so hopefully i'll gather up a couple of words to share soon... but for now, enjoy the pictures.
one more thing... i love the fact that despite thousands of miles and multiple hours of time difference, communication is just as easy as it would be withing earshot of eachother. i've skyped and chatted on-line with friends back in the states. it still amazes me that i can have a face to face conversation on-line for free any time i want from any place that has internet access. impressive.
well, it is nap time for me. i don't know what time zone my body is stuck in...but it has left me perpetually exhausted.
more to come soon. i promise.
a few days have passed now... the wedding is done, we've ventured here and there, and i'm sure i've already violated multiple cultural customs. for instance: wearing "toilet slippers" to the lobby for breakfast. i was denied access to breakfast until i went up and put real shoes on.
my bad.
the wedding was a blast... i understood more than i ate, but nonetheless, it was a sweet thing to be able to be there for my brother's wedding... especially one as cultural and unique as this. there were three receptions, and for someone like me (very nap-dependent and very jet-lagged), that is a very tiring ordeal. i got to meet a lot of steven's co-workers and friends--most of whom just couldn't stop raving about how cool of a person steven is. and it was hilarious to see steven speaking so much japanese, cracking jokes left and right in japanese... very impressive.
no crazy adventures have gone down yet... mostly hanging around nagoya and making a trip to the local courthouse with steven and naomi for them to sign their marriage license. no matter the trip, though, picture opportunities galore... hence more than 200 pictures in less than two days. these pictures are available in my photo gallery under "japan trip 2008"... so just click on the left and it should take you there.
i find it fascinating that being in a foreign country has left me thinking more visually than orally... meaning, certian images catch my eye and come to mind more than certain thoughts are provoked and nourished. this leaves me with tons of pictures and few words. in a place where i can only comprehend things visually, i guess it makes sense. for one, i don't over hear conversations (at least over hear AND comprehend) that spark a line of thought... for another, it's the essence, the sights, of the culture that i experience. i would compare it to the difference between a novel and a picture book. the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" isn't a cliche for a reason... it gets used a ton... and it do so because it works. i'm just dieing to put a couple of those words down on paper... so hopefully i'll gather up a couple of words to share soon... but for now, enjoy the pictures.
one more thing... i love the fact that despite thousands of miles and multiple hours of time difference, communication is just as easy as it would be withing earshot of eachother. i've skyped and chatted on-line with friends back in the states. it still amazes me that i can have a face to face conversation on-line for free any time i want from any place that has internet access. impressive.
well, it is nap time for me. i don't know what time zone my body is stuck in...but it has left me perpetually exhausted.
more to come soon. i promise.
Wednesday, December 17
guest post
i've been busy with exams... studying at panera, iHop (which contrary to what the name suggests, isn't owned by Apple), my room, the basement, johnny's, and everywhere in between.
but because i've been so busy, i've gained my roommates permission to post something that she wrote. this is a paper she wrote for her history final and got to be a little creative with it. i must say, i am pretty proud of my roomie. quality entertainment. the "jolly music" is my favorite part.
enjoy.
As much as I wanted the classroom clock to be visible during class, when the day came, the change was absolutely unbearable. My peers and I could not peel our eyes off the simple machine that dictates our everyday lives. Words about the Protestant Reformation and the colonization of America seemed meaningless because I was focused on the here and now. The only thing that registered within my mind was the gradual clockwise movement of the minute hand—time seemed oddly slower than usual. When only ten minutes had passed in the last half an hour, I discredited the clock’s ability to tell time correctly and went back to scribbling down my notes.
To my surprise, my next glance at the clock proved to be the reality of every student’s nightmare—the clock was indeed moving backwards! It began by taking a few steps back; a minute here and there, but the hand soon gained speed and at a constant pace began to rewind time. The clock must have had a boost of adrenaline because the hand was moving backward so fast that I could not longer see the hand circling the blurry numbers that were the only evidence I still had that the circle attached to the cinder-block wall was indeed still a clock. Wow! I need to start getting more sleep. I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation—why else would the classroom have begun to spin around my stationary chair?
Much like the spinning teacups in Disney World, I spun quite some time to jolly music that was supposed to take my mind off the current state of my stomach. Luckily, the spinning came to a gradual stop before my breakfast had covered my history notes spread across my desk. Once I regained my sense of balance, I assessed the damage. My history notes were everywhere—floating through the air, crumpled on the floor, sprawled across my lap. It was going to take such a long time to collect the pages and pages of notes I had taken during class, and putting them in order was going to be a difficult task.
When I noticed my surroundings, I realized my notes were the least of my problems. Time had literally reversed. In front of what should have been the projector screen was an elaborate pulpit and a table with several candles lit. The light in the room flickered as if the electricity connection was failing, but either the sconces were actual candles or designed to look exactly like them. By the burn on my finger, I came to the conclusion that they were indeed real candles. I took a candle off the wall to light the corridor I planned to venture into, and as the shadows danced across the cold marble walls, I followed the slight noises coming from the opposite side of what looked like an ancient castle.
A murmur of a whisper drew me into a large sitting room with the rows and rows of shelves filled with leather-bound books. My attempt to walk across the room was brought to an abrupt stop when a young lady quickly stood up from her seat facing the roaring fire. Not only did the mere presence of another individual frighten me, but I jumped even higher when I looked more closely at the girl—it was like looking into a crystal-clear mirror. The shock caused our eyes to expand to the same maximum diameter, and our mouths seemed to drop at the exact same time. How could we look so similar while she was clearly from a different time period than I?
From the terrified look I wore on my face, she could tell that I was not from a neighboring kingdom. I felt underdressed in my jeans and sweatshirt so I continued to try to reach the exit, but the girl called out and asked me to wait. I slowed my pace down and cautiously turned to her. The young lady introduced herself as Adalheidis Jetter.
The feeling of shock resurfaced as I realized there must be a reason that we look so similar—somehow we were related; having the same last name was not just a coincidence. After I regained my ability to speak, I introduced myself and asked where I was. I was in one of the many German states during the seventeenth century. My history class had transformed into actual history.
Trying to explain my life to Adalheidis proved to be almost impossible. I did not even know where to start, but I began with trying to describe the United States. Of course, she did not know that there was a new world yet to be discovered and colonized. I then thought we had found some common ground with the topic of education, but when Adalheidis expressed her interest in learning, it mostly consisted of traditional tasks an upper middle class female would learn in the 1600s. After she showed me her needlepoint and drawings, I told her about the equal opportunities that females now have in education. The idea of colleges and universities was foreign yet exciting, and she begged me to tell her more about my pursuit of higher education.
Adalheidis lit up as she drank in information about the future. I described my major, my friends and things we do for fun, and my family as she listened intently. The difference in time was especially apparent in her reaction when I mentioned what college I was attending. She immediately recognized the connection between Calvin College and the reformer, John Calvin. She herself had heard many of the reformed ideas that were reshaping the concept of religion and the church for the past century. As excited she was about the changes, she also feared that the Catholic Church would use their power to eliminate the Protestant ideas that were taking hold in many communities. We continued discussing the spread of the Protestant Reformation, and I assured her that many of her descendants will be following the same teachings hundreds of years later.
Out of habit, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time, which was irrelevant in my situation but led to a string of questions from Adalheidis. Amazed by the everyday modern conveniences, she wanted to know every detail about the so-called “technology.” I found myself unable to answer many of her questions because in today’s society, technology is taken for granted. I soon realized that I could not describe the Internet without explaining the computer, cell phones without clarifying the concept of a landline, lights without the explanation of electricity, and cars without the understanding of engines and gasoline.
Although our societies were completely different, Adalheidis was fascinated with technology, and she wished she could experience the society I was describing. I must have talked too highly of technology because Adalheidis was led to believe that all technological advancements had positive effects on society. I knew I could not mislead her, and I began to tell her of the unfortunate events that were results of technology. I explained to her that although technology has saved lives and made them quite easier, it has also caused terror and chaos within society. Wars are fought with machines that have been perfected to kill. Privacy is a rarity, and much of the uniqueness that was once present in every culture has been lost in the complex process of globalization.
Even though Adalheidis and I saw each other’s lives as living in completely different worlds, we bonded over the commonality found within the shared desire to improve our respective worlds. Adalheidis was already brainstorming ideas to make advancements that would eventually transform her society into my society. Right as she picked up my cell phone to examine it closer, the digital clock on the screen began blinking rapidly, and I knew that my time with Adalheidis was up.
but because i've been so busy, i've gained my roommates permission to post something that she wrote. this is a paper she wrote for her history final and got to be a little creative with it. i must say, i am pretty proud of my roomie. quality entertainment. the "jolly music" is my favorite part.
enjoy.
As much as I wanted the classroom clock to be visible during class, when the day came, the change was absolutely unbearable. My peers and I could not peel our eyes off the simple machine that dictates our everyday lives. Words about the Protestant Reformation and the colonization of America seemed meaningless because I was focused on the here and now. The only thing that registered within my mind was the gradual clockwise movement of the minute hand—time seemed oddly slower than usual. When only ten minutes had passed in the last half an hour, I discredited the clock’s ability to tell time correctly and went back to scribbling down my notes.
To my surprise, my next glance at the clock proved to be the reality of every student’s nightmare—the clock was indeed moving backwards! It began by taking a few steps back; a minute here and there, but the hand soon gained speed and at a constant pace began to rewind time. The clock must have had a boost of adrenaline because the hand was moving backward so fast that I could not longer see the hand circling the blurry numbers that were the only evidence I still had that the circle attached to the cinder-block wall was indeed still a clock. Wow! I need to start getting more sleep. I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation—why else would the classroom have begun to spin around my stationary chair?
Much like the spinning teacups in Disney World, I spun quite some time to jolly music that was supposed to take my mind off the current state of my stomach. Luckily, the spinning came to a gradual stop before my breakfast had covered my history notes spread across my desk. Once I regained my sense of balance, I assessed the damage. My history notes were everywhere—floating through the air, crumpled on the floor, sprawled across my lap. It was going to take such a long time to collect the pages and pages of notes I had taken during class, and putting them in order was going to be a difficult task.
When I noticed my surroundings, I realized my notes were the least of my problems. Time had literally reversed. In front of what should have been the projector screen was an elaborate pulpit and a table with several candles lit. The light in the room flickered as if the electricity connection was failing, but either the sconces were actual candles or designed to look exactly like them. By the burn on my finger, I came to the conclusion that they were indeed real candles. I took a candle off the wall to light the corridor I planned to venture into, and as the shadows danced across the cold marble walls, I followed the slight noises coming from the opposite side of what looked like an ancient castle.
A murmur of a whisper drew me into a large sitting room with the rows and rows of shelves filled with leather-bound books. My attempt to walk across the room was brought to an abrupt stop when a young lady quickly stood up from her seat facing the roaring fire. Not only did the mere presence of another individual frighten me, but I jumped even higher when I looked more closely at the girl—it was like looking into a crystal-clear mirror. The shock caused our eyes to expand to the same maximum diameter, and our mouths seemed to drop at the exact same time. How could we look so similar while she was clearly from a different time period than I?
From the terrified look I wore on my face, she could tell that I was not from a neighboring kingdom. I felt underdressed in my jeans and sweatshirt so I continued to try to reach the exit, but the girl called out and asked me to wait. I slowed my pace down and cautiously turned to her. The young lady introduced herself as Adalheidis Jetter.
The feeling of shock resurfaced as I realized there must be a reason that we look so similar—somehow we were related; having the same last name was not just a coincidence. After I regained my ability to speak, I introduced myself and asked where I was. I was in one of the many German states during the seventeenth century. My history class had transformed into actual history.
Trying to explain my life to Adalheidis proved to be almost impossible. I did not even know where to start, but I began with trying to describe the United States. Of course, she did not know that there was a new world yet to be discovered and colonized. I then thought we had found some common ground with the topic of education, but when Adalheidis expressed her interest in learning, it mostly consisted of traditional tasks an upper middle class female would learn in the 1600s. After she showed me her needlepoint and drawings, I told her about the equal opportunities that females now have in education. The idea of colleges and universities was foreign yet exciting, and she begged me to tell her more about my pursuit of higher education.
Adalheidis lit up as she drank in information about the future. I described my major, my friends and things we do for fun, and my family as she listened intently. The difference in time was especially apparent in her reaction when I mentioned what college I was attending. She immediately recognized the connection between Calvin College and the reformer, John Calvin. She herself had heard many of the reformed ideas that were reshaping the concept of religion and the church for the past century. As excited she was about the changes, she also feared that the Catholic Church would use their power to eliminate the Protestant ideas that were taking hold in many communities. We continued discussing the spread of the Protestant Reformation, and I assured her that many of her descendants will be following the same teachings hundreds of years later.
Out of habit, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time, which was irrelevant in my situation but led to a string of questions from Adalheidis. Amazed by the everyday modern conveniences, she wanted to know every detail about the so-called “technology.” I found myself unable to answer many of her questions because in today’s society, technology is taken for granted. I soon realized that I could not describe the Internet without explaining the computer, cell phones without clarifying the concept of a landline, lights without the explanation of electricity, and cars without the understanding of engines and gasoline.
Although our societies were completely different, Adalheidis was fascinated with technology, and she wished she could experience the society I was describing. I must have talked too highly of technology because Adalheidis was led to believe that all technological advancements had positive effects on society. I knew I could not mislead her, and I began to tell her of the unfortunate events that were results of technology. I explained to her that although technology has saved lives and made them quite easier, it has also caused terror and chaos within society. Wars are fought with machines that have been perfected to kill. Privacy is a rarity, and much of the uniqueness that was once present in every culture has been lost in the complex process of globalization.
Even though Adalheidis and I saw each other’s lives as living in completely different worlds, we bonded over the commonality found within the shared desire to improve our respective worlds. Adalheidis was already brainstorming ideas to make advancements that would eventually transform her society into my society. Right as she picked up my cell phone to examine it closer, the digital clock on the screen began blinking rapidly, and I knew that my time with Adalheidis was up.
Saturday, December 13
exams and moon rings
it is easiest to win an argument at 2am.
for example:
it's 2 in the morning, and my roommate vocalizes her craving for a milk shake.
i say, alright, lets go to steak and shake and get one.
she points to her shorts, saying no because she is improperly dressed.
i tell her to just put pants on then.
she didn't need much more convincing.
at that, we were off and on our way to steak and shake... the 24-hour place to get your burger, fries, or milkshake. it is a wonderful place.
it also helped that exams started today... a milkshake at 2am is something you can't pass up when you know you've got an exam the next day.
something really cool. we were walking back from my car after steak and shake, and i looked up to see this wicked awesome perfectly circular ring around the moon, looking like this:
isn't that amazing? we couldn't stop looking at it... just walking in the icy snow with our heads tilted straight up at the brilliantly bright moon, completely amazing by this luminous ring around the moon. fascinating stuff.
the temperature has gone up a degree or two... making the precipitation that falls not fluffy flakes of snow but sharp shards of ice that bite into your face. it hurts.
well, i best be back to my studies... but be sure to check out the music i added to the player thing... ray lamontagne... awesome music... great kick-back and study music. highly highly highly recommend any of his albums!
have a good night.
for example:
it's 2 in the morning, and my roommate vocalizes her craving for a milk shake.
i say, alright, lets go to steak and shake and get one.
she points to her shorts, saying no because she is improperly dressed.
i tell her to just put pants on then.
she didn't need much more convincing.
at that, we were off and on our way to steak and shake... the 24-hour place to get your burger, fries, or milkshake. it is a wonderful place.
it also helped that exams started today... a milkshake at 2am is something you can't pass up when you know you've got an exam the next day.
something really cool. we were walking back from my car after steak and shake, and i looked up to see this wicked awesome perfectly circular ring around the moon, looking like this:
isn't that amazing? we couldn't stop looking at it... just walking in the icy snow with our heads tilted straight up at the brilliantly bright moon, completely amazing by this luminous ring around the moon. fascinating stuff.
the temperature has gone up a degree or two... making the precipitation that falls not fluffy flakes of snow but sharp shards of ice that bite into your face. it hurts.
well, i best be back to my studies... but be sure to check out the music i added to the player thing... ray lamontagne... awesome music... great kick-back and study music. highly highly highly recommend any of his albums!
have a good night.
Tuesday, December 9
just keep swimming
Sorry about that. Exams are coming up, and life has been downright busy.
The snow keeps piling up and the temperature keeps going down.
Classes are ending, exams are beginning.
I cannot believe that this first semester is practically done. Crazy!
With the end of the semester comes Christmas break… which means I am headed back to japan in less than two weeks to see my brother get married.
It’s a long flight… I know. So if you have any movie recommendations or book recommendations for the flight, PLEASE… do tell. Otherwise, I am just bringing a couple of seasons of shows with me… and am going to watch all of them. I feel like this trip will be a lot different than my first trip out there. Yes, my brother getting married will be quite the difference from last time, but I feel like I’ll be looking through a different set of lenses than when I did my sophomore year of high school.
I hope that the break brings some relaxation… it’s going to be go-go-go in Japan… it’s just the culture out there (and, in my opinion, in most places in this country). Then after a few days back in the states upon our return from Japan, I am off to my Interim trip. The trip includes 5 days of climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, 10 days doing a Wilderness First Responder curse in Flagstaff, then 6 days backpacking in the Grand Canyon. This is an outdoor educator interim trip through Calvin… so instead of being in Michigan for the month of January, I will be climbing and hiking around the deserts of the country.
After that, it is back to Calvin and the start of second semester… which holds spring break! And hopefully this year we’ll be in California for spring break. Since when do I get excited about going to California? Since I get to bring my friends with me and show them my home. Keep your fingers crossed for good airfares.
Speaking of cheap airfares…
There was a roundtrip flight from Detroit to LAX for $18. Yes, eighteen. Unfortunately the fare was only good through January… but $18??? I just don’t get it… that’s insanity.
Boy. I am tired.
I saw this quote on someone’s site. I liked it… a good reminder to keep going through life with a raised chin and hoping heart.
Someday everything will all make perfect sense. so for now laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
The snow keeps piling up and the temperature keeps going down.
Classes are ending, exams are beginning.
I cannot believe that this first semester is practically done. Crazy!
With the end of the semester comes Christmas break… which means I am headed back to japan in less than two weeks to see my brother get married.
It’s a long flight… I know. So if you have any movie recommendations or book recommendations for the flight, PLEASE… do tell. Otherwise, I am just bringing a couple of seasons of shows with me… and am going to watch all of them. I feel like this trip will be a lot different than my first trip out there. Yes, my brother getting married will be quite the difference from last time, but I feel like I’ll be looking through a different set of lenses than when I did my sophomore year of high school.
I hope that the break brings some relaxation… it’s going to be go-go-go in Japan… it’s just the culture out there (and, in my opinion, in most places in this country). Then after a few days back in the states upon our return from Japan, I am off to my Interim trip. The trip includes 5 days of climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, 10 days doing a Wilderness First Responder curse in Flagstaff, then 6 days backpacking in the Grand Canyon. This is an outdoor educator interim trip through Calvin… so instead of being in Michigan for the month of January, I will be climbing and hiking around the deserts of the country.
After that, it is back to Calvin and the start of second semester… which holds spring break! And hopefully this year we’ll be in California for spring break. Since when do I get excited about going to California? Since I get to bring my friends with me and show them my home. Keep your fingers crossed for good airfares.
Speaking of cheap airfares…
There was a roundtrip flight from Detroit to LAX for $18. Yes, eighteen. Unfortunately the fare was only good through January… but $18??? I just don’t get it… that’s insanity.
Boy. I am tired.
I saw this quote on someone’s site. I liked it… a good reminder to keep going through life with a raised chin and hoping heart.
Someday everything will all make perfect sense. so for now laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
Wednesday, December 3
rock and ice
snow snow snow... here are some pics of the campus covered in snow. my favorite is the headless snow man. then the last two pics are pictures of our new climbing wall!!!!!! the rec staff got to go inside the fieldhouse (which isn't open yet... still a lot of construction to go yet) and learn how to set routes. it is awesome!!! 40 feet high and enough room to set 16 ropes. that's massive. more on that to come.
Monday, December 1
fall on me
i woke up to a bright white morning... a thick layer of snow was sticking to nearly everything (or not sticking in the case of the clumps of snow that grew too heavy for its resting place on high tree branches, falling on unsuspecting pedestrians below--an occurrence i have experienced 4 times in the last 24 hours.
the snow on the ground is just as big a threat as the snow in the trees.
my first class of the day got canceled... always a bonus, especially on mondays. on the way to my second (and last) class of the day, i was admiring the enormous amounts of fresh snow when i heard the scuffling of panicking feet struggling to find some traction on the icy ground. that's when i felt a hand grab my hood and yank down out of the desperate need for stabilization. luckily, i was fairly balanced and didn't go down with this individual that was a complete stranger to me.
you know the song "lean on me?" great song... i love it.
but looking at the song for a loose metaphor to describe a true and strong friendship--i think it falls short. i think "falling" is a more appropriate term.
i mean, "leaning" works, but i'd argue that only a true friend would say, "go ahead, fall on me." and honestly, think about it...
where does leaning occur in our lives?
we lean on walls casually to look cool, lean on trees when answering natures call in the woods, lean on invisible tables (well, mimes do), and lean back in our chair in 5th grade while the teacher isn't looking.
leaning only surrenders to partial dependency. "un-leaning" is fairly easy. yes, like i said, it's a good metaphor... i just think there is more to it.
think about those leaning examples again.
what if, while in the act of leaning, all of your muscles just suddenly stopped working and you lost all capability to hold yourself up (which is, in essence, what falling is considered)? where would you be? you'd be on the ground at the foot of the wall, sitting in your own "stuff" at the base of the tree in the woods, sprawled out on the floor in the middle of an open space looking like an idiot for falling for no apparent (to the non-mime eye) reason, or on the classroom floor with your head split open and your teacher giving you detention.
leaning can only do so much for us. what is supposed to support us when our muscles stop working, when we just can't manage to support ourselves? what about when we can't grab hold of anything and start to fall? who are you willing to completely depend on? fall on?
i think there is a two-fold answer to that.
the first is the obvious one, the sunday school answer: God. in fact, i'd say that God asks us to fall in his arms. Using God as a balance-keeping crutch rather than a personal piggy-back transport reveals a life that isn't completely dependent on Him.
But what about when, for one reason or another, we don't see God as an option?
That's where your true friends, your community, come in to the picture. they are the ones with the hoods that we can grab when we slip and start to fall. they are the stable ice skaters in your group that will skate next to you as you give ice skating a try... they will stay by you, knowing full well that you will begin to fall and grab hold of their arm... you know that you can reach out for their arm when you start to fall... and you know that they'll keep you up because they are so solid. sure, sometimes both fall, but even so... if they do go down with you, they'll help you up.
like i said--God is ready and willing to be that support. i think that the support sometimes comes in the form of the friends and community that He puts in our lives because He knows that we'll need that.
*side note* i was looking at how the things in life i like a lot are communicating and community... so i was about to say, i think i am just very fond of anything that has the root "communi" in it... but then i realized that there was this one word: communism. ya, not so supportive of that one. communion is pretty cool though.
anyway.
so, ya. just some stuff i feel pretty strongly about. i am so thankful for those people in my life that i can "fall on," and i can only hope that i can be someone that they can "fall on." life would be ridiculously tough if that kind of support didn't exist.
the snow on the ground is just as big a threat as the snow in the trees.
my first class of the day got canceled... always a bonus, especially on mondays. on the way to my second (and last) class of the day, i was admiring the enormous amounts of fresh snow when i heard the scuffling of panicking feet struggling to find some traction on the icy ground. that's when i felt a hand grab my hood and yank down out of the desperate need for stabilization. luckily, i was fairly balanced and didn't go down with this individual that was a complete stranger to me.
you know the song "lean on me?" great song... i love it.
but looking at the song for a loose metaphor to describe a true and strong friendship--i think it falls short. i think "falling" is a more appropriate term.
i mean, "leaning" works, but i'd argue that only a true friend would say, "go ahead, fall on me." and honestly, think about it...
where does leaning occur in our lives?
we lean on walls casually to look cool, lean on trees when answering natures call in the woods, lean on invisible tables (well, mimes do), and lean back in our chair in 5th grade while the teacher isn't looking.
leaning only surrenders to partial dependency. "un-leaning" is fairly easy. yes, like i said, it's a good metaphor... i just think there is more to it.
think about those leaning examples again.
what if, while in the act of leaning, all of your muscles just suddenly stopped working and you lost all capability to hold yourself up (which is, in essence, what falling is considered)? where would you be? you'd be on the ground at the foot of the wall, sitting in your own "stuff" at the base of the tree in the woods, sprawled out on the floor in the middle of an open space looking like an idiot for falling for no apparent (to the non-mime eye) reason, or on the classroom floor with your head split open and your teacher giving you detention.
leaning can only do so much for us. what is supposed to support us when our muscles stop working, when we just can't manage to support ourselves? what about when we can't grab hold of anything and start to fall? who are you willing to completely depend on? fall on?
i think there is a two-fold answer to that.
the first is the obvious one, the sunday school answer: God. in fact, i'd say that God asks us to fall in his arms. Using God as a balance-keeping crutch rather than a personal piggy-back transport reveals a life that isn't completely dependent on Him.
But what about when, for one reason or another, we don't see God as an option?
That's where your true friends, your community, come in to the picture. they are the ones with the hoods that we can grab when we slip and start to fall. they are the stable ice skaters in your group that will skate next to you as you give ice skating a try... they will stay by you, knowing full well that you will begin to fall and grab hold of their arm... you know that you can reach out for their arm when you start to fall... and you know that they'll keep you up because they are so solid. sure, sometimes both fall, but even so... if they do go down with you, they'll help you up.
like i said--God is ready and willing to be that support. i think that the support sometimes comes in the form of the friends and community that He puts in our lives because He knows that we'll need that.
*side note* i was looking at how the things in life i like a lot are communicating and community... so i was about to say, i think i am just very fond of anything that has the root "communi" in it... but then i realized that there was this one word: communism. ya, not so supportive of that one. communion is pretty cool though.
anyway.
so, ya. just some stuff i feel pretty strongly about. i am so thankful for those people in my life that i can "fall on," and i can only hope that i can be someone that they can "fall on." life would be ridiculously tough if that kind of support didn't exist.
Sunday, November 30
dessert, state-lines, and snow
well well well. i must say--i had a fantastic thanksgiving. i have never eaten so much dessert in my life. pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin roll... it was all amazing.the jetter fam adopted me for the weekend, allowing me to join them for thanksgiving and some other fun stuff--cutting down a christmas tree, for example.
my roomie and i left calvin wednesday afternoon and got to ohio later that day, stayed around for a bit, and then jumped in a different car with the rest of the fam (including their two dogs, molly (bigger dog) and mia (littler dog).) that night we made it to west virginia. i have never been to west virginia before... so another state marked off for me.
i didn't get a picture of the "welcome to west virginia" sign though, so i'll just have to go back sometime. but i like the state-line between ohio and west virginia... it's over the river, and it's a sweet bridge. cool stuff.after two nights in west virginia, we made our way back to ohio on black friday. did any of y'all go shopping? i didn't... i slept... maybe the fact that my roommate and i stayed up 'til 4am had something to do with the lack of desire for an early morning shopping spree.... maybe.
saturday was christmas tree day... and i was excited. you see, in california, we go to ralphs or something and "get a christmas tree." in ohio with the jetter fam, we went "hunting for a christmas tree." we basically walked through a farm of christmas trees, found "the one", grabbed a saw, and cut it down. soooooo cool. and this tree was massive. i got to take a few tries at the saw, but i tired quickly.
then, after my roommate and i made our traditional trip to wal*mart, i made pasta for dinner. i made the family sauce recipe... it was the least i could do for their generosity in having me over.
sunday--today--woke up early for church, packed up, and went to birt's... a general store that sells candy in bulk. 
this place is sweet (no pun intended). you walk in, grab a few white paper bags, a metal scooper, and start scooping up the candy you want. good times. this is also a tradition for them, so i was glad to be able to get to do that.we were finally on our way back up to calvin... where there was a ton of snow going on. there was so much snow on the road!!! but it was so BEAUTIFUL. the trees, covered in snow... the snow had the same effect on trees as white chocolate does on those prezels we got at birt's. down-right amazing scenary.
we had driven lindsey's car, so when we got back, i saw my car all by its lonesome self, covered in and surrounded by snow... lots of snow. it was snowing so hard tonight that flights in and out of grand rapids were cancelled... hard core. i will put some more snow pics up soon.
Wednesday, November 26
music playlist
i am so stoked...
you know how i am always trying to get y'all to listen to some music that i just can't get enought of? well, now you can listen to it here!
i made a playlist on this site (showed to me by my mother) and i have got my current favorites on the playlist right now...
so, go ahead, listen to some music... you can even make a pop-out player so that you don't actually have to be on my site to listen to all this super awesome music.
enjoy!!!!!!!
you know how i am always trying to get y'all to listen to some music that i just can't get enought of? well, now you can listen to it here!
i made a playlist on this site (showed to me by my mother) and i have got my current favorites on the playlist right now...
so, go ahead, listen to some music... you can even make a pop-out player so that you don't actually have to be on my site to listen to all this super awesome music.
enjoy!!!!!!!
Monday, November 24
housing update
we have a house!
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/apa/929981542.html
this house is on lake drive, right where the lake drive entrance to calvin is (for those of you who know GR)... we could literally throw a rock from the front yard to calvin's property.
it is a duplex... 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, a family room, and 1.5 bath on each side. with 8 girl total, that means each side will have 4 girls... 2 with their own room and a pair sharing a room (my roommate and i being one of the pairs).
we went and visited the house tonight, and tomorrow morning we are sealing the deal. we will have the place starting on june 1, meaning i have a place to stay this summer! there are a few of us that will be staying here in GR for the summer.
things are finally falling in to place. now that we have all this housing stuff figured out, we don't have to worry about it for the rest of the year. now that's a good feeling.
two more days of class and then it is off to ohio/west virginia with my roommate for thanksgiving.
so you know how i mentioned last night that it hasn't snowed/stuck?
well, i woke up this morning to 5 inches of snow.
it is so pretty! plus, i spent about 75% of my day in johnny's doing homework, so it is easier to enjoy the snow when you don't have to be outside in it for an extended period of time.
i will put some pics up of the house in the next day or so, and a couple of random pics from the past couple of weeks.
i hope all is well wherever you may be.
speaking of that...
i have this thing called google analytics, and one of the things it keeps stats on is where i get viewers from...
i currently have 9 countries: the US, Canada, Honduras, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, United Kingdom, and Turkey. and in the US, i have 20 states... with California and Michigan coming in my top two states with the most readers.
it's so much fun to see this stuff.
and i get quite a number of hits from people who search stuff on google and then get directed to my site... and i even get to see what they searched in order to get to my site.
i also see who's sites give me the best references... for instance, both jillian and the fieldhouses are responsible for each referring 4% of my viewers from a link on their site.
isn't crazy how i can find out all this stuff!?!
so i guess working on circulation of my blog is something i have become more fascinated with.
if you feel the need to pass my site link along, by all means, go for it... i feel as if i am collecting states and countries :)
i need to get back to some homework.
tootles.
http://grandrapids.craigslist.
this house is on lake drive, right where the lake drive entrance to calvin is (for those of you who know GR)... we could literally throw a rock from the front yard to calvin's property.
it is a duplex... 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, a family room, and 1.5 bath on each side. with 8 girl total, that means each side will have 4 girls... 2 with their own room and a pair sharing a room (my roommate and i being one of the pairs).
we went and visited the house tonight, and tomorrow morning we are sealing the deal. we will have the place starting on june 1, meaning i have a place to stay this summer! there are a few of us that will be staying here in GR for the summer.
things are finally falling in to place. now that we have all this housing stuff figured out, we don't have to worry about it for the rest of the year. now that's a good feeling.
two more days of class and then it is off to ohio/west virginia with my roommate for thanksgiving.
so you know how i mentioned last night that it hasn't snowed/stuck?
well, i woke up this morning to 5 inches of snow.
it is so pretty! plus, i spent about 75% of my day in johnny's doing homework, so it is easier to enjoy the snow when you don't have to be outside in it for an extended period of time.
i will put some pics up of the house in the next day or so, and a couple of random pics from the past couple of weeks.
i hope all is well wherever you may be.
speaking of that...
i have this thing called google analytics, and one of the things it keeps stats on is where i get viewers from...
i currently have 9 countries: the US, Canada, Honduras, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, United Kingdom, and Turkey. and in the US, i have 20 states... with California and Michigan coming in my top two states with the most readers.
it's so much fun to see this stuff.
and i get quite a number of hits from people who search stuff on google and then get directed to my site... and i even get to see what they searched in order to get to my site.
i also see who's sites give me the best references... for instance, both jillian and the fieldhouses are responsible for each referring 4% of my viewers from a link on their site.
isn't crazy how i can find out all this stuff!?!
so i guess working on circulation of my blog is something i have become more fascinated with.
if you feel the need to pass my site link along, by all means, go for it... i feel as if i am collecting states and countries :)
i need to get back to some homework.
tootles.
when footy pajamas aren't sufficient.
not only is it getting really cold outside, but it is freezing in our room as well.
for some reason, our heater is currently on the fritz... we walk around our room with layers and blankets on in order to stay warm. and mornings are the worst... the cold wakes me up. i even tried to wear my fleece footy pajamas last night, but i still managed to get cold!
my roommate has flannel sheets--something i ditched when my mother sent out a new set of sheets for me at the beginning of the year. let me just say that i am going to dig those flannel sheets up and get me some warmth!
even worse than having a cold room is having a cold room after getting out of the shower. the first 2 minutes after getting out of the shower are the most miserable two minutes of my day. but then everything is generally fine after that.
the cold outside is not a problem at all... as long as i've got a couple of layers, my scarf, and mittens, i am fine. i also have a pair of warm and fuzzy moccasins... these things are amazing! they were originally just slippers, but they are totally made for the outside too, so i have been wearing them to class lately. i highly recommend these--they are at target and are cheaper than buying a couple of boxes of hot cocoa, marshmallows, and a cute mug to contain it all. really. it is.
with the temperatures floating around the 20s and 30s, no snow has really come down and stuck lately. but there is definitely snow in the forecast leading up to thanksgiving.
speaking of thanksgiving... it's a three day week due to having thursday and friday off.
i am even more fortunate than that both of my monday professors are out of town tomorrow... meaning, no class!!! i know, pretty sweet. i get a three day weekend, and i don't have to deal with a case of the mondays.
nevertheless, i will still be doing large amounts of homework.
something i should do a little bit of now as well.
tootles
for some reason, our heater is currently on the fritz... we walk around our room with layers and blankets on in order to stay warm. and mornings are the worst... the cold wakes me up. i even tried to wear my fleece footy pajamas last night, but i still managed to get cold!
my roommate has flannel sheets--something i ditched when my mother sent out a new set of sheets for me at the beginning of the year. let me just say that i am going to dig those flannel sheets up and get me some warmth!
even worse than having a cold room is having a cold room after getting out of the shower. the first 2 minutes after getting out of the shower are the most miserable two minutes of my day. but then everything is generally fine after that.
the cold outside is not a problem at all... as long as i've got a couple of layers, my scarf, and mittens, i am fine. i also have a pair of warm and fuzzy moccasins... these things are amazing! they were originally just slippers, but they are totally made for the outside too, so i have been wearing them to class lately. i highly recommend these--they are at target and are cheaper than buying a couple of boxes of hot cocoa, marshmallows, and a cute mug to contain it all. really. it is.
with the temperatures floating around the 20s and 30s, no snow has really come down and stuck lately. but there is definitely snow in the forecast leading up to thanksgiving.
speaking of thanksgiving... it's a three day week due to having thursday and friday off.
i am even more fortunate than that both of my monday professors are out of town tomorrow... meaning, no class!!! i know, pretty sweet. i get a three day weekend, and i don't have to deal with a case of the mondays.
nevertheless, i will still be doing large amounts of homework.
something i should do a little bit of now as well.
tootles
Thursday, November 20
one more plug
since i listed a couple of really cool and ridiculously old (relatively speaking) writers, i want to also put a plug for a couple of singers/bands that i've been enjoying lately.
coconut records (amazing! my favorite)
jason mraz
eric hutchinson
matt costa
check 'em out online or something... pandora is always good too.
enjoy.
coconut records (amazing! my favorite)
jason mraz
eric hutchinson
matt costa
check 'em out online or something... pandora is always good too.
enjoy.
it's official
i'm a nerd.
maybe that's not news to you, but i can't fight it any longer.
what lead to this realization?
british literature is my favorite class right now (although, i am loving all my classes... and interestingly enough, the one i was most excited about, journalism, has been the biggest let down. i don't feel like there is any room for creativity in news journalism... we are required to use a news voice... and, well, if we all use news voice, then there is no uniqueness whatsoever)
anyway. let me emphasize that. british. literature. english. poetry.
John Donne, William Shakespeare, Philip Sidney, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Andrew Marvell... and so on.
what in the world? i, the one who dry heaved at the thought of reading Grapes of Wrath and the Great Gatsby am now enthralled by sonnets and metaphysical conceits... stuff written 500 years ago is making sense to me, capturing my attention, and making me think.
I've been finding that the poetry section we are in appeals to me a lot because i am a sucker for clever, thoughtful, profound, persuasive, and relevant prose--me, a rhetoric major? nah, really? i know. shocking.
similarly, i am particularly fond of certain songs these days. you know how much i like lyrics; i often post lyrics to songs that have really caught my eye.
i guess poetry of the 1500s is the equivalent to those songs i love.
and this is even nerdier... because it is that time of year (thought i disagree... it is way too soon to be that time of year), people are curious as to what you fancy in regards to a certain holiday and the tradition of wrapped up items under trees. when all i've managed to even consider suggesting so far is purely books, mainly of the fine literature and poetry variety, i've pounded the gavel, case closed--sentenced to a life sentence, guilty of being a nerd.
that's okay. i've come to accept it.
the particular group of poets we are studying right now (metaphysical and cavalier) are from a time period that really emphasized carpe diem. yes, anyone who has seen Dead Poet's Society (which, i currently really really want to see) knows that the Latin translates into "seize the day." i always thought it was cliche, but reading the works of poets like Herbert and Donne and Herrick bring the concept into a whole new light.
i read this particular poem last night, and i am going to post it.
and i have a feeling there will be quite a bit more. but i promise i will post them fairly spread out--i don't want this blog to turn into english homework... i just want to put up some stuff i've grown to appreciate.
so, my first selection comes from Robert Herrick.
(and keep in mind, "virgins" is translated in that time as "unmarried women")
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
oh. and an explanation of last night's title: I shall smell of the lamp.
"To smell of the lamp" is a proverbial expression for a laborious literary production. it can be good and bad... i'm not so sure where i was going with it, but i felt like it worked.
well, tis all for now.
go read some poetry or something.
maybe that's not news to you, but i can't fight it any longer.
what lead to this realization?
british literature is my favorite class right now (although, i am loving all my classes... and interestingly enough, the one i was most excited about, journalism, has been the biggest let down. i don't feel like there is any room for creativity in news journalism... we are required to use a news voice... and, well, if we all use news voice, then there is no uniqueness whatsoever)
anyway. let me emphasize that. british. literature. english. poetry.
John Donne, William Shakespeare, Philip Sidney, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, Andrew Marvell... and so on.
what in the world? i, the one who dry heaved at the thought of reading Grapes of Wrath and the Great Gatsby am now enthralled by sonnets and metaphysical conceits... stuff written 500 years ago is making sense to me, capturing my attention, and making me think.
I've been finding that the poetry section we are in appeals to me a lot because i am a sucker for clever, thoughtful, profound, persuasive, and relevant prose--me, a rhetoric major? nah, really? i know. shocking.
similarly, i am particularly fond of certain songs these days. you know how much i like lyrics; i often post lyrics to songs that have really caught my eye.
i guess poetry of the 1500s is the equivalent to those songs i love.
and this is even nerdier... because it is that time of year (thought i disagree... it is way too soon to be that time of year), people are curious as to what you fancy in regards to a certain holiday and the tradition of wrapped up items under trees. when all i've managed to even consider suggesting so far is purely books, mainly of the fine literature and poetry variety, i've pounded the gavel, case closed--sentenced to a life sentence, guilty of being a nerd.
that's okay. i've come to accept it.
the particular group of poets we are studying right now (metaphysical and cavalier) are from a time period that really emphasized carpe diem. yes, anyone who has seen Dead Poet's Society (which, i currently really really want to see) knows that the Latin translates into "seize the day." i always thought it was cliche, but reading the works of poets like Herbert and Donne and Herrick bring the concept into a whole new light.
i read this particular poem last night, and i am going to post it.
and i have a feeling there will be quite a bit more. but i promise i will post them fairly spread out--i don't want this blog to turn into english homework... i just want to put up some stuff i've grown to appreciate.
so, my first selection comes from Robert Herrick.
(and keep in mind, "virgins" is translated in that time as "unmarried women")
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
Gather ye Rose-buds while ye may,Well, whaddya think?
Old Time is still a flying:
And this same flower that smiles to day,
Tomorrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the Sun,
The higher he’s a getting;
The sooner will his Race be run,
And nearer he’s to Setting.
That age is best, which is the first,
When Youth and Blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.
oh. and an explanation of last night's title: I shall smell of the lamp.
"To smell of the lamp" is a proverbial expression for a laborious literary production. it can be good and bad... i'm not so sure where i was going with it, but i felt like it worked.
well, tis all for now.
go read some poetry or something.
i shall smell of the lamp
disclaimer: it's very long. i mean it. but, please, don't let that deter you. and a second part to the disclaimer. i'm giving you yet another look at the work in progress i am. i'm telling ya, even when i'm not too happy about it, i'm learning what this thing called life is all about. and i'm going to be honest. so with that in mind...
Crazy how taking a drive, walking through a foot of snow to the edge of Lake Michigan, and freeing your mouth and lungs from the restraints of common decency can really be a sort of therapy.
Although it wasn't humorous to me at the time, I can't help but shake my head and smirk as I picture what the lone seagull 50 yards away witnessed on the snow covered shore of Lake Michigan monday afternoon.
Really quick. There is this thing here called "lake effect." The lake effect leaves the lakeshore cities with significantly more snow than GR. When I left, GR had no snow on the ground nor in the air. But on my drive down to Holland, the amount of snow in both spheres gradually increased until I was in a foot of snow and the snow flakes fell thickly... looking more like a block of styrofoam was sent through that thing in the fridge that changes your cubed ice to crushed.
The very sight of me should have sent the seagull off to round up his buddies for a quality comedy hour.
Only my eyes were visible, for my head was hidden beneath two hoods cinched tightly. My gloveless hands wouldn't dare leave my coat pockets and face the icy wind any more than a child would dare to leave his room and face his mom after breaking the neighbor's window. The pant legs of my jeans were bunched up to the middle of my shins. And those Napolean Dynamite-esque boots I intended to part with and donate to the salvation army came in handy one last time. I threw them on in haste and out of fear of frozen toes.
I didn't even bother to tuck my jeans into my boots. I had an appointment with God, and I wasn't about to fuss over proper looking pant legs.
The seagull likely saw the lone set of footprints in the snow originating from the single car in the parking lot, traversing through the wooden fences, and ending at the feet of the individual standing at the lake's edge.
I had trudged through the deep snow with eyes fixed on the lake. God knew I was coming, He knew I was angry.
You know how, on TV, one of the characters gets really angry and storms into the office where the unsuspecting soon-to-be-accused individual is sitting, reading the newspaper? And the cinematography of the scene works in a very specific way:
The camera tracks the anger-driven approach of the accuser and then cuts away to the defendant looking up from the day's headlines with a look of "what the hell is going on/I don't know what happened, but she is convinced I did it."
And of course, not a word is spoken until the fuming accuser arrives at the desk of the clueless individual who is bracing himself for something major.
That's when the accuser throws a file on the desk and the audience gasps because they know the secret is out. The defendant looks at the file and then up at the scowling woman, who at that point has tears pushing the maximum holding capacity of her eyes. He is speechless because he can't figure out how in the world she managed to get her hands on the file that exposed his true identity as an alien-born professional ice cream man involved in a major drug scandal.
This is where we cut away to a commercial break... naturally.
And when we return, they are still staring at each other in silence, and before he can utter the words, "I can explain," she bursts into undecipherable yells and threats, thinking their relationship could never recover from such a breach of trust...
...even though she is prego with his brother's child. gasp!
Now that I've gotten carried away (and exposed the plot of every single soap opera ever written), I will continue.
That angry girl.. that was me (minus the prego part). I marched up to the edge of the lake, a file of grievances against God in hand, ready to just give it to Him. But I knew that God wasn't unsuspecting of my arrival... after all, I had told him during my first class of the day that I was going to be coming and that I was going to give him a piece of my mind. It wouldn't be fair to just spring something like that on Him.
That brought me to the lake's edge, staring out at the choppy waters. It was the first time I had ever seen waves, actual surfable waves, on Lake Michigan. And I was glad to hear the waves... it was good background noise for what I was about to do.
It also added to the dramatic atmosphere. Essential.
Standing there, just staring, I wondered where to begin. That's when the seagull would have seen the individual in black meijer snowboots begin to pace back and forth in the snow, blazing a 15-foot long of path from the repeated treading on and packing of the fresh snow.
You have to understand something about me. When it comes to confrontation, I'd much rather write out my beefs with people--if I was angry at someone, I'd prefer to write it down, hand it to them, and stand there as they read it rather than just think and talk off the top of my head.
And that is why I wished there was a massive dry-erase board or magna-doodle on the beach that I could write in really large print on (really large print signifying yelling, of course). But my lungs were tired of not being involved in my methods of venting, and so I stopped for a moment and uttered the first word: "Why?"
I know... way to come out swinging, Cristina.
But really.
I was surprised at how good it felt to say it--not think it--say it. So I said it a bit louder... and again, louder, and then again, with my Italian tendency to involve my hands in a dramatic manner. The seagull probably thought I was just a crazy human trying to fly away or something.
As the pacing resumed, eerily and worriedly familiar thought started flowing.
This is a good point to stop and say what exactly spurred the spontaneous trip to Holland.
To be frank and sum it up in a few words: fear, suffering, and frustration.
Fear that some things might never come. Fear of not being accepted, of not being significant. Fear of losing friends, and that my family and friends didn't understand just how much they meant to me, how much I loved them.
Suffering in the form of stress, in the form of heartache. Suffering as the result of empathizing the pains both past and present of those I loved, and feeling like I couldn't help.
And frustration--oh the frustration. Frustrated with my inability to handle all this normally. Frustrated with my insecure and jealous tendencies that lead me to thrive off the equation of attention equaling acceptance... equaling happiness.
Well now.
I seem to have created some awkward tension tantamount to the awkward tension found in an advanced drawing class that is having its first day of nude models as the subject of the assignment. Think about it--for the first time models and the freshman who was only in this class because of a scheduling mis-hap, that's gotta have some awkward tension.
But.
Moving on.
With all that stuff flying through my mind, leading my argument with the word "why" seemed to be just fine.
If it didn't make me sound crazy, I'd tell you that the seagull shouted an "amen" in agreement with and support of the profundity that my thesis provided.
But that would make me sound crazy.
The pacing resumed, as did a stream of words and tears that turned into mini salt-slushies because of the freezing temps. I didn't want to pace anymore--I was tired. The waves captured my attention, and I just stood there. Numb. Both from the extreme cold and from pouring out all that was bottled up. The painful grievances were momentarily laying out in the snow, being caught up in the waves, on God's desk, waiting for an explanation.
God! You know how much my heart aches for this. You know how hard I try to be patient, how hard it is to convince myself that I am not defective. You know how hard it is to not feel left out, to try and trust your "wonderful" plan for me.
You know how much I want to believe that.
But right now... I don't.
Ya, people say you know what you're doing, that you don't want me to get hurt.
Well, hate to break it to ya, but I'm hurting right now. Can you just give me a break here?
I'm begging you. Please.
You know my heart. You know how much the word "hurt" is an understatement. You know how I feel when I am aware of what I lack. You know that I'm not seeing a bright side to all this.
Some of this stuff I'm getting all worked up over--I know, it's petty, it's lame. Other people are angry at you for the loss of a loved one, for the cancer they've been diagnosed with, for shattered dreams. I understand how selflish I probably sound. But. It still hurts.
God. Please. Can't you just help me out here? Am I wrong in all this?
In a way, yelling at God was one of the most satisfying things, one of the best things to do at that very moment.
Arguing with, yelling at, and questioning God all seem to be taboos. Yes, we are told that it is okay to do those things, but I've rarely heard of someone encouraging it, saying it's healthy, it helps.
It helps, yes... but it doesn't fix.
I was still angry. But I was no longer just angry. It felt like I had actually gotten somewhere, made progress, ready for the next step of sorting out this mess.
And that dang cliche knocked on my heart again:
"It's all a part of God's plan. You can't see it right now, but He knows what He's doing."
I absolutely hate it.... can't stand it... because it's so true... and not only is it true, but it puts me in my place, and then it reminds me of God's place.
Think of when kids get assigned to do a chore... like the dishes. They are not happy about it, and they'll make sure you know it. They'll do the dishes, for you are higher up in household rank. But as they "obey" they clink the dishes super loud, shove the utensils loudly into the dish washer, slam the cupboard, all while wearing an angry look of disgust on their face.
That's like me when I am reminded of my place in life that God has planned. I'll admit that God is indeed in control, but then I'll casually mention to Him that I currently think that this part of the plan sucks and needs revising.
I think God handles bluntness rather well.
And while I hate not knowing "why," I can't help but be reminded that God has the bird's eye view in this whole thing.
And He has proven that to me in the past... many times.
I walked back to the car and looked back at the lake. What was once a single lonely set of footprints as I had stood by the lake shore was now accompanied by the returning set of foot prints.
And of course, another cliche knocked me upside the head: that whole "Footprints in the Sand" poem thing.
I looked up to where the snow was still falling from and immaturely pointed out to God...
"Ok, I get it. But this is different. it's snow... not sand... and I'm still not happy with you."
I got in the car, started the engine, and couldn't help but say one last thing.
"I guess I'm just going to have to trust you on this one.
but remember... I'm still not happy."
What better cliche verse to end a cliche lesson than Prov 3:5?
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding."
I wanted to share this because 1) it means a lot to me 2) i hope some of you can find some sort of comfort in knowing that this happens to more people than just you 3) it really is funny sometimes how we fuss over these things. that's why i try to keep the tone light... life is funny... even in the dark.
Crazy how taking a drive, walking through a foot of snow to the edge of Lake Michigan, and freeing your mouth and lungs from the restraints of common decency can really be a sort of therapy.
Although it wasn't humorous to me at the time, I can't help but shake my head and smirk as I picture what the lone seagull 50 yards away witnessed on the snow covered shore of Lake Michigan monday afternoon.
Really quick. There is this thing here called "lake effect." The lake effect leaves the lakeshore cities with significantly more snow than GR. When I left, GR had no snow on the ground nor in the air. But on my drive down to Holland, the amount of snow in both spheres gradually increased until I was in a foot of snow and the snow flakes fell thickly... looking more like a block of styrofoam was sent through that thing in the fridge that changes your cubed ice to crushed.
The very sight of me should have sent the seagull off to round up his buddies for a quality comedy hour.
Only my eyes were visible, for my head was hidden beneath two hoods cinched tightly. My gloveless hands wouldn't dare leave my coat pockets and face the icy wind any more than a child would dare to leave his room and face his mom after breaking the neighbor's window. The pant legs of my jeans were bunched up to the middle of my shins. And those Napolean Dynamite-esque boots I intended to part with and donate to the salvation army came in handy one last time. I threw them on in haste and out of fear of frozen toes.
I didn't even bother to tuck my jeans into my boots. I had an appointment with God, and I wasn't about to fuss over proper looking pant legs.
The seagull likely saw the lone set of footprints in the snow originating from the single car in the parking lot, traversing through the wooden fences, and ending at the feet of the individual standing at the lake's edge.
I had trudged through the deep snow with eyes fixed on the lake. God knew I was coming, He knew I was angry.
You know how, on TV, one of the characters gets really angry and storms into the office where the unsuspecting soon-to-be-accused individual is sitting, reading the newspaper? And the cinematography of the scene works in a very specific way:
The camera tracks the anger-driven approach of the accuser and then cuts away to the defendant looking up from the day's headlines with a look of "what the hell is going on/I don't know what happened, but she is convinced I did it."
And of course, not a word is spoken until the fuming accuser arrives at the desk of the clueless individual who is bracing himself for something major.
That's when the accuser throws a file on the desk and the audience gasps because they know the secret is out. The defendant looks at the file and then up at the scowling woman, who at that point has tears pushing the maximum holding capacity of her eyes. He is speechless because he can't figure out how in the world she managed to get her hands on the file that exposed his true identity as an alien-born professional ice cream man involved in a major drug scandal.
This is where we cut away to a commercial break... naturally.
And when we return, they are still staring at each other in silence, and before he can utter the words, "I can explain," she bursts into undecipherable yells and threats, thinking their relationship could never recover from such a breach of trust...
...even though she is prego with his brother's child. gasp!
Now that I've gotten carried away (and exposed the plot of every single soap opera ever written), I will continue.
That angry girl.. that was me (minus the prego part). I marched up to the edge of the lake, a file of grievances against God in hand, ready to just give it to Him. But I knew that God wasn't unsuspecting of my arrival... after all, I had told him during my first class of the day that I was going to be coming and that I was going to give him a piece of my mind. It wouldn't be fair to just spring something like that on Him.
That brought me to the lake's edge, staring out at the choppy waters. It was the first time I had ever seen waves, actual surfable waves, on Lake Michigan. And I was glad to hear the waves... it was good background noise for what I was about to do.
It also added to the dramatic atmosphere. Essential.
Standing there, just staring, I wondered where to begin. That's when the seagull would have seen the individual in black meijer snowboots begin to pace back and forth in the snow, blazing a 15-foot long of path from the repeated treading on and packing of the fresh snow.
You have to understand something about me. When it comes to confrontation, I'd much rather write out my beefs with people--if I was angry at someone, I'd prefer to write it down, hand it to them, and stand there as they read it rather than just think and talk off the top of my head.
And that is why I wished there was a massive dry-erase board or magna-doodle on the beach that I could write in really large print on (really large print signifying yelling, of course). But my lungs were tired of not being involved in my methods of venting, and so I stopped for a moment and uttered the first word: "Why?"
I know... way to come out swinging, Cristina.
But really.
I was surprised at how good it felt to say it--not think it--say it. So I said it a bit louder... and again, louder, and then again, with my Italian tendency to involve my hands in a dramatic manner. The seagull probably thought I was just a crazy human trying to fly away or something.
As the pacing resumed, eerily and worriedly familiar thought started flowing.
This is a good point to stop and say what exactly spurred the spontaneous trip to Holland.
To be frank and sum it up in a few words: fear, suffering, and frustration.
Fear that some things might never come. Fear of not being accepted, of not being significant. Fear of losing friends, and that my family and friends didn't understand just how much they meant to me, how much I loved them.
Suffering in the form of stress, in the form of heartache. Suffering as the result of empathizing the pains both past and present of those I loved, and feeling like I couldn't help.
And frustration--oh the frustration. Frustrated with my inability to handle all this normally. Frustrated with my insecure and jealous tendencies that lead me to thrive off the equation of attention equaling acceptance... equaling happiness.
Well now.
I seem to have created some awkward tension tantamount to the awkward tension found in an advanced drawing class that is having its first day of nude models as the subject of the assignment. Think about it--for the first time models and the freshman who was only in this class because of a scheduling mis-hap, that's gotta have some awkward tension.
But.
Moving on.
With all that stuff flying through my mind, leading my argument with the word "why" seemed to be just fine.
If it didn't make me sound crazy, I'd tell you that the seagull shouted an "amen" in agreement with and support of the profundity that my thesis provided.
But that would make me sound crazy.
The pacing resumed, as did a stream of words and tears that turned into mini salt-slushies because of the freezing temps. I didn't want to pace anymore--I was tired. The waves captured my attention, and I just stood there. Numb. Both from the extreme cold and from pouring out all that was bottled up. The painful grievances were momentarily laying out in the snow, being caught up in the waves, on God's desk, waiting for an explanation.
God! You know how much my heart aches for this. You know how hard I try to be patient, how hard it is to convince myself that I am not defective. You know how hard it is to not feel left out, to try and trust your "wonderful" plan for me.
You know how much I want to believe that.
But right now... I don't.
Ya, people say you know what you're doing, that you don't want me to get hurt.
Well, hate to break it to ya, but I'm hurting right now. Can you just give me a break here?
I'm begging you. Please.
You know my heart. You know how much the word "hurt" is an understatement. You know how I feel when I am aware of what I lack. You know that I'm not seeing a bright side to all this.
Some of this stuff I'm getting all worked up over--I know, it's petty, it's lame. Other people are angry at you for the loss of a loved one, for the cancer they've been diagnosed with, for shattered dreams. I understand how selflish I probably sound. But. It still hurts.
God. Please. Can't you just help me out here? Am I wrong in all this?
In a way, yelling at God was one of the most satisfying things, one of the best things to do at that very moment.
Arguing with, yelling at, and questioning God all seem to be taboos. Yes, we are told that it is okay to do those things, but I've rarely heard of someone encouraging it, saying it's healthy, it helps.
It helps, yes... but it doesn't fix.
I was still angry. But I was no longer just angry. It felt like I had actually gotten somewhere, made progress, ready for the next step of sorting out this mess.
And that dang cliche knocked on my heart again:
"It's all a part of God's plan. You can't see it right now, but He knows what He's doing."
I absolutely hate it.... can't stand it... because it's so true... and not only is it true, but it puts me in my place, and then it reminds me of God's place.
Think of when kids get assigned to do a chore... like the dishes. They are not happy about it, and they'll make sure you know it. They'll do the dishes, for you are higher up in household rank. But as they "obey" they clink the dishes super loud, shove the utensils loudly into the dish washer, slam the cupboard, all while wearing an angry look of disgust on their face.
That's like me when I am reminded of my place in life that God has planned. I'll admit that God is indeed in control, but then I'll casually mention to Him that I currently think that this part of the plan sucks and needs revising.
I think God handles bluntness rather well.
And while I hate not knowing "why," I can't help but be reminded that God has the bird's eye view in this whole thing.
And He has proven that to me in the past... many times.
I walked back to the car and looked back at the lake. What was once a single lonely set of footprints as I had stood by the lake shore was now accompanied by the returning set of foot prints.
And of course, another cliche knocked me upside the head: that whole "Footprints in the Sand" poem thing.
I looked up to where the snow was still falling from and immaturely pointed out to God...
"Ok, I get it. But this is different. it's snow... not sand... and I'm still not happy with you."
I got in the car, started the engine, and couldn't help but say one last thing.
"I guess I'm just going to have to trust you on this one.
but remember... I'm still not happy."
What better cliche verse to end a cliche lesson than Prov 3:5?
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding."
I wanted to share this because 1) it means a lot to me 2) i hope some of you can find some sort of comfort in knowing that this happens to more people than just you 3) it really is funny sometimes how we fuss over these things. that's why i try to keep the tone light... life is funny... even in the dark.
Friday, November 14
poet tree
so we are in the poetry unit in my Brit Lit class...
and normally i hate poetry units.
surprisingly enough, i am actually enjoying it. writers like philip sidney and, of course shakespeare. actually, it's shakespeare's sonnets that i really like... i will have to post one or two of my favorites up sometime.
so that's why there is a poem in yesterday's post... i've been coming across poetry as i have been looking at stuff online, and i like that one (particularly because of the heavy sarcasm).
it has been raining so much here, but i have been lovin it. like i said before, anything that makes me have to dress warm and cozy makes me smile.
off i go... two classes and then it is the weekend!
and normally i hate poetry units.
surprisingly enough, i am actually enjoying it. writers like philip sidney and, of course shakespeare. actually, it's shakespeare's sonnets that i really like... i will have to post one or two of my favorites up sometime.
so that's why there is a poem in yesterday's post... i've been coming across poetry as i have been looking at stuff online, and i like that one (particularly because of the heavy sarcasm).
it has been raining so much here, but i have been lovin it. like i said before, anything that makes me have to dress warm and cozy makes me smile.
off i go... two classes and then it is the weekend!
Thursday, November 13
sympathetic hunger
one says to the other:
eaten I've not in days equaling a month and two.
the other says to one:
eaten I've never... I think I might be just as unfortunate as you.
the one complains:
you understand not a bit
for food has already before graced my lips.
I sit in agony
deprived of food at my fingertips.
the other bows down out of reverence untrue:
Do pardon,
I am mistaken.
The torment your fleeting fast inflicts is far more than I could begin to imagine.
Better suited am I to have starved my whole life...
I dare not eat, then live two days and a month drowning in strife.
Foreign is the pain in your gut now hollow;
you pang for delicacies of which you've already swallowed.
you've gone on and on about meals and the bliss that followed.
Indeed, my mouth does not water at details of how you once dined.
At this I will kick up my feet, relax, recline--
for my life of complete starvation surely surpasses the hell that is thine.
-unkown
eaten I've not in days equaling a month and two.
the other says to one:
eaten I've never... I think I might be just as unfortunate as you.
the one complains:
you understand not a bit
for food has already before graced my lips.
I sit in agony
deprived of food at my fingertips.
the other bows down out of reverence untrue:
Do pardon,
I am mistaken.
The torment your fleeting fast inflicts is far more than I could begin to imagine.
Better suited am I to have starved my whole life...
I dare not eat, then live two days and a month drowning in strife.
Foreign is the pain in your gut now hollow;
you pang for delicacies of which you've already swallowed.
you've gone on and on about meals and the bliss that followed.
Indeed, my mouth does not water at details of how you once dined.
At this I will kick up my feet, relax, recline--
for my life of complete starvation surely surpasses the hell that is thine.
-unkown
Wednesday, November 12
days like this
wake up, shower, head to class.
take notes, space out, next class.
take notes, doodle, back to the dorms.
pretty much a typical day for me.
but i particularly loved today because i got to wear mittens and a scarf. i even got to put my hood up on the way back from class... kind of like how convertible drivers love when the day is nice enough to put the roof down, i love days that are perfect for putting my hood up.
things like that put grins on my face.
...
for the most part, the floor disease has passed. however, we are kind of unsure about how true that is. a few girls have been getting sick again after being well for a day... and after being sick for a few days, last night i finally started feeling better. i am doing my best to ignore the fact that whatever this is may be sneaking up on me again.
...
other exciting news: i made a craigslist purchase the other day... a sweet old schwinn twinn tandem bike. this thing is pretty awesome. i used my newfound negotiation skills to talk him down to a very good price, and i just have to clean this puppy up a bit before it is ready for a ride.
that, and i need a semi-clear day where it isn't rainy.
i know, i couldn't have gotten this at a worse time. but hey, come springtime, this is going to be a blast.
...
this is fun:
these guys on our brother floor started a wednesday night tradition back at the beginning of school. We have a VanderWerp Community Tea Time. Everyone brings a mug and gathers in their room.
Their room: tea-esque music, soft lighting, and a shelf full of a multitude of teas... way more variety than you see at starbucks. it's very similar to the choices we see in the dining halls... but maybe that's because most of the boxes came from the dining halls... but we won't mention that to anyone now, will we? There is usually some delightful conversation as well.
I arrived a bit late today, but I had a great time. It's a perfect time for a study break (8pm on wednesdays). It always surprises me to see how many turn up to steep some tea and chit chat. I'll have to give a little detailed story about it soon, cause some interesting things do come up.
...
i must be off to practice my speech. in my oral rhetoric class tomorrow i am giving an informative speech on unicycles.
fun stuff!
take notes, space out, next class.
take notes, doodle, back to the dorms.
pretty much a typical day for me.
but i particularly loved today because i got to wear mittens and a scarf. i even got to put my hood up on the way back from class... kind of like how convertible drivers love when the day is nice enough to put the roof down, i love days that are perfect for putting my hood up.
things like that put grins on my face.
...
for the most part, the floor disease has passed. however, we are kind of unsure about how true that is. a few girls have been getting sick again after being well for a day... and after being sick for a few days, last night i finally started feeling better. i am doing my best to ignore the fact that whatever this is may be sneaking up on me again.
...
other exciting news: i made a craigslist purchase the other day... a sweet old schwinn twinn tandem bike. this thing is pretty awesome. i used my newfound negotiation skills to talk him down to a very good price, and i just have to clean this puppy up a bit before it is ready for a ride.
that, and i need a semi-clear day where it isn't rainy.
i know, i couldn't have gotten this at a worse time. but hey, come springtime, this is going to be a blast.
...
this is fun:
these guys on our brother floor started a wednesday night tradition back at the beginning of school. We have a VanderWerp Community Tea Time. Everyone brings a mug and gathers in their room.
Their room: tea-esque music, soft lighting, and a shelf full of a multitude of teas... way more variety than you see at starbucks. it's very similar to the choices we see in the dining halls... but maybe that's because most of the boxes came from the dining halls... but we won't mention that to anyone now, will we? There is usually some delightful conversation as well.
I arrived a bit late today, but I had a great time. It's a perfect time for a study break (8pm on wednesdays). It always surprises me to see how many turn up to steep some tea and chit chat. I'll have to give a little detailed story about it soon, cause some interesting things do come up.
...
i must be off to practice my speech. in my oral rhetoric class tomorrow i am giving an informative speech on unicycles.
fun stuff!
Tuesday, November 11
mere minutes
My attention span sucks.
Take my Brit Lit class for example. Well, I've actually been enjoying Brit Lit a lot more than I expected. It helps that my prof is actually fairly hilarious and interesting. Aside from the occasional spacing out, I find myself actually paying attention and focusing in that class.
At least, I find myself focusing well for 59 seconds at a time. And that is because every 60th second produces a loud click.
Two clicks, actually.
In Brit Lit, the clock is on the wall directly to my left. This clock is prime example of strategic choice and location of time keeping devices in classrooms.
When it comes to classroom clocks, the variety is almost non-existent. I find that the clocks in most of my classrooms lack a second hand.
A wise choice.
Students like me would see the constant movement of the second hand out of the corner of their eye and quickly be pulled into being hypnotized by the monotonous and steady journey the second hand takes around the face of the clock.
It's easier to be distracted by something that moves every second than it is to have your attention held captive by something that moves only once a minute.
Don't believe me?
What is more fascinating... a spider monkey after a venti mocha or a sloth after a swig of nyquil?
That's what I thought.
Once the clock has been picked out with students like me in mind, it is now time to find the best location.
FIRST. Never put the clock on the wall in the front of the class. If you choose to do so, you are asking for an anxious and unresponsive class of students. Instead of focusing intently on the prof and lecture, the students will be riveted by the oh so fascinating passing of time.
Trust me. Profs don't want to feel that a minute hand is more interesting than their lecture that took 8 years of college to be able to do.
The best location for a clock in a classroom is on the back wall. That way, if students try to look at the clock, they have to turn around and check the time. And trust me, there is no discreet way to turn around and check the time.
The very idea of having to turn around in an attention-catching manner discourages many-a-students. They rarely work up the courage to turn around; if and when they do, they know that they are sending a message to the prof that isn't far from the age-old road-trip question, "Are we there yet?"
Even if the clock is out of sight and lacking a second hand, it still can make its presence known.
Well, the one in my Brit Lit class does, and it does so by announcing the passing of each minute. It does so by marking the expiration of each minute not with one click but two.
In fact, I've closely observed the minute hand passing the threshold of each minute.
The minute hand actually falls back ever so slightly and momentarily before jumping forward, all the way to the appropriate minute.
It's almost as if the minute hand itself is tired of the monotonous task it performs day in and day out. It is so tired and unmotivated that it needs to step back and get a running start before leading us into the next minute of our life.
And at 10:58 in every Brit Lit class, the sluggish minute hand gets stuck for two minutes.
10:59 does not exist. It stays at 10:58 and then jumps all the way to 11:00 after a two-minute breather.
Fascinating.
more on this to come.
Take my Brit Lit class for example. Well, I've actually been enjoying Brit Lit a lot more than I expected. It helps that my prof is actually fairly hilarious and interesting. Aside from the occasional spacing out, I find myself actually paying attention and focusing in that class.
At least, I find myself focusing well for 59 seconds at a time. And that is because every 60th second produces a loud click.
Two clicks, actually.
In Brit Lit, the clock is on the wall directly to my left. This clock is prime example of strategic choice and location of time keeping devices in classrooms.
When it comes to classroom clocks, the variety is almost non-existent. I find that the clocks in most of my classrooms lack a second hand.
A wise choice.
Students like me would see the constant movement of the second hand out of the corner of their eye and quickly be pulled into being hypnotized by the monotonous and steady journey the second hand takes around the face of the clock.
It's easier to be distracted by something that moves every second than it is to have your attention held captive by something that moves only once a minute.
Don't believe me?
What is more fascinating... a spider monkey after a venti mocha or a sloth after a swig of nyquil?
That's what I thought.
Once the clock has been picked out with students like me in mind, it is now time to find the best location.
FIRST. Never put the clock on the wall in the front of the class. If you choose to do so, you are asking for an anxious and unresponsive class of students. Instead of focusing intently on the prof and lecture, the students will be riveted by the oh so fascinating passing of time.
Trust me. Profs don't want to feel that a minute hand is more interesting than their lecture that took 8 years of college to be able to do.
The best location for a clock in a classroom is on the back wall. That way, if students try to look at the clock, they have to turn around and check the time. And trust me, there is no discreet way to turn around and check the time.
The very idea of having to turn around in an attention-catching manner discourages many-a-students. They rarely work up the courage to turn around; if and when they do, they know that they are sending a message to the prof that isn't far from the age-old road-trip question, "Are we there yet?"
Even if the clock is out of sight and lacking a second hand, it still can make its presence known.
Well, the one in my Brit Lit class does, and it does so by announcing the passing of each minute. It does so by marking the expiration of each minute not with one click but two.
In fact, I've closely observed the minute hand passing the threshold of each minute.
The minute hand actually falls back ever so slightly and momentarily before jumping forward, all the way to the appropriate minute.
It's almost as if the minute hand itself is tired of the monotonous task it performs day in and day out. It is so tired and unmotivated that it needs to step back and get a running start before leading us into the next minute of our life.
And at 10:58 in every Brit Lit class, the sluggish minute hand gets stuck for two minutes.
10:59 does not exist. It stays at 10:58 and then jumps all the way to 11:00 after a two-minute breather.
Fascinating.
more on this to come.
Monday, November 10
no noro?
hope college is amidst a norovirus breakout.
for those of you who don't know, the norovirus is basically the flu on steroids and lasts for 24-48 hours... and it is extremely contagious.
there was actually a norovirus breakout at snow mountain ranch this summer. it was contained rather well.
but move into the dormitory setting, and you get what hope college is dealing with right now...
over 400 infected students, and classes and all sporting events canceled through at least wednesday.
third noordy (my floor) has been rumored to have the virus. as of yesterday, about 6 or so girls were sick. the panic for most set in and that's where the idea of norovirus came to mind. only the symptoms don't match... not as instantaneous and extreme as norovirus.
speaking as one who got sick this morning, i have theory:
stomach flu, something in the food, and the mentalality all rolled into one creates a psuedonorovirus.
after this morning, i actually started to feel better... in fact, i felt great. as of about a half hour ago, i'm getting that funky feeling again, but i am trying to keep a positive mentality... and wash my hands a lot.
crazy how fast things spread in a dorm.
i guess that's the downside of close-knit communities.
but hey, we can bond in our pathetic puking fests.
sorry. that was gross.
i'll keep y'all updated...
and not in so much detail next time :)
for those of you who don't know, the norovirus is basically the flu on steroids and lasts for 24-48 hours... and it is extremely contagious.
there was actually a norovirus breakout at snow mountain ranch this summer. it was contained rather well.
but move into the dormitory setting, and you get what hope college is dealing with right now...
over 400 infected students, and classes and all sporting events canceled through at least wednesday.
third noordy (my floor) has been rumored to have the virus. as of yesterday, about 6 or so girls were sick. the panic for most set in and that's where the idea of norovirus came to mind. only the symptoms don't match... not as instantaneous and extreme as norovirus.
speaking as one who got sick this morning, i have theory:
stomach flu, something in the food, and the mentalality all rolled into one creates a psuedonorovirus.
after this morning, i actually started to feel better... in fact, i felt great. as of about a half hour ago, i'm getting that funky feeling again, but i am trying to keep a positive mentality... and wash my hands a lot.
crazy how fast things spread in a dorm.
i guess that's the downside of close-knit communities.
but hey, we can bond in our pathetic puking fests.
sorry. that was gross.
i'll keep y'all updated...
and not in so much detail next time :)
Sunday, November 9
here comes the snow, here goes the sun
it snowed today.
and by that, i mean, IT SNOWED A TON TODAY!
so incredibly awesome.
first snow of the year.
AND it stuck!
craziness.
quick update on the life and times of cristina:
went to downtown chicago for the first time. pretty cool place. our little group of 5 missed the first metra train.
the metra is quite the experience.
as said by the boy sitting two seats away from me: "i LOVE TRAINS! trains are SO COOL!"
i am quite possibly going to be the owner of a tandem bicycle soon. thanks to craigslist and my new found persuasion/negotiating skills, a sweet retro tandem bike will be roaming the streets of GR.
of course, the timing couldn't be any worse, what with it being snow season and all.
nonetheless, i can't wait.
and my first article made it in last week's Chimes. it was pretty exciting. i've started my next article... i hope to submit it in not this week's but next week's paper.
well, 'tis all for now.
and by that, i mean, IT SNOWED A TON TODAY!
so incredibly awesome.
first snow of the year.
AND it stuck!
craziness.
quick update on the life and times of cristina:
went to downtown chicago for the first time. pretty cool place. our little group of 5 missed the first metra train.
the metra is quite the experience.
as said by the boy sitting two seats away from me: "i LOVE TRAINS! trains are SO COOL!"
i am quite possibly going to be the owner of a tandem bicycle soon. thanks to craigslist and my new found persuasion/negotiating skills, a sweet retro tandem bike will be roaming the streets of GR.
of course, the timing couldn't be any worse, what with it being snow season and all.
nonetheless, i can't wait.
and my first article made it in last week's Chimes. it was pretty exciting. i've started my next article... i hope to submit it in not this week's but next week's paper.
well, 'tis all for now.
Thursday, November 6
A Life of Moments
The concept of life is fascinating.
Nothing is certain until it happens; and even then, we can sometimes find ourselves confused as to what exactly happened.
When life happens, I like to think of why it happens. Why is my life unfolding the way it is? Why do I have this life and not that life?
Then there are the little details of life--the seemingly superficial things that can stir up the deepest and most moving emotions. They are the moments that move you to laugh out loud, bring you to tears, make your heart stop, get your pulse racing. They are even the moments where you feel void of anything at all. Unpleasant and empty, those are the moments that lead us to question our ability to ever feel alive again.
Am I emotionally paralyzed? Or has the weight of the world merely sat on me too long, causing my soul to fall asleep like my butt does during a particularly long lecture?
Just like silence can be deafening, the absence of feeling can be painful.
A loss of feeling leads to a loss of self.
A loss of self leads to a loss of faith.
And a loss of faith ultimately leads to a loss of hope.
I'm not saying that this chain of events is immanent--if you find yourself starting to panic, don't throw your hands up in surrender just yet.
Remember, life is defined by moments, short or long, that we find ourselves in.
And there's no easy way to solve the problems of the tough moments life dishes out. There isn't a one word answer or spark notes on making it through the trying times.
I know. That sucks. And I thought not having sparknotes on The Canterbury Tales was disappointing.
But the best I've got to share isn't exactly something I cam up with. These words come from Brandon Heath:
"There is hope for me yet,
Because God won't forget
All the plans he has for me.
I'll just have to wait and see.
He's not finished with me yet."
I think there is great comfort to be found in knowing that God is going somewhere with my life. These moments aren't random and useless. One moment leads to another.
Yes, there are dark moments, but there are also many beautiful and bright moments...
And the wonderful thing is that both the dark and bright moments are what shape us.
In essence, we are a life of moments.
Nothing is certain until it happens; and even then, we can sometimes find ourselves confused as to what exactly happened.
When life happens, I like to think of why it happens. Why is my life unfolding the way it is? Why do I have this life and not that life?
Then there are the little details of life--the seemingly superficial things that can stir up the deepest and most moving emotions. They are the moments that move you to laugh out loud, bring you to tears, make your heart stop, get your pulse racing. They are even the moments where you feel void of anything at all. Unpleasant and empty, those are the moments that lead us to question our ability to ever feel alive again.
Am I emotionally paralyzed? Or has the weight of the world merely sat on me too long, causing my soul to fall asleep like my butt does during a particularly long lecture?
Just like silence can be deafening, the absence of feeling can be painful.
A loss of feeling leads to a loss of self.
A loss of self leads to a loss of faith.
And a loss of faith ultimately leads to a loss of hope.
I'm not saying that this chain of events is immanent--if you find yourself starting to panic, don't throw your hands up in surrender just yet.
Remember, life is defined by moments, short or long, that we find ourselves in.
And there's no easy way to solve the problems of the tough moments life dishes out. There isn't a one word answer or spark notes on making it through the trying times.
I know. That sucks. And I thought not having sparknotes on The Canterbury Tales was disappointing.
But the best I've got to share isn't exactly something I cam up with. These words come from Brandon Heath:
"There is hope for me yet,
Because God won't forget
All the plans he has for me.
I'll just have to wait and see.
He's not finished with me yet."
I think there is great comfort to be found in knowing that God is going somewhere with my life. These moments aren't random and useless. One moment leads to another.
Yes, there are dark moments, but there are also many beautiful and bright moments...
And the wonderful thing is that both the dark and bright moments are what shape us.
In essence, we are a life of moments.
Monday, November 3
pictures
here are some pics from halloween weekend...
as you can see, a group of us got together and dressed up as mighty morphing power rangers...
only my favoritest show when i was a kid.
we made our costumes with thrifty clothing, felt, and a couple of safety pins. not bad if you ask me.
here are some of the pics, but do go to the gallery to see all of them... the latest albums added are "hayride of death" and "halloween" something or other.
enjoy.
as you can see, a group of us got together and dressed up as mighty morphing power rangers...
only my favoritest show when i was a kid.
we made our costumes with thrifty clothing, felt, and a couple of safety pins. not bad if you ask me.
here are some of the pics, but do go to the gallery to see all of them... the latest albums added are "hayride of death" and "halloween" something or other.
enjoy.
Friday, October 31
hay dive
I love how such crappy situations bring forth some of the most beautiful memories... if you think about it, it's all the crap that helps us grow in ourselves, with God, and with each other.
Kind of how pretty flowers spring up from manure--horse crap--crap.
Looking at "the good and the bad" as mutually exclusive events is one way to see life... things are either good or bad... the low lows make the high highs higher.
I think that we can all agree that nothing in life is black and white like this way of thinking. I don't think the either/or perspective suffices when it comes to the beautiful and the ugly times we face in life.
There are times where the situation may be crappy, but in spite of that, there are glimpses of beauty to be discovered. They are those times that bring hope and make all the pain worth it, even if for just a brief moment.
Think back to the flower for a second.
It's a pretty flower--all big and pink... kind of like a gerber daisy.
The flower is indeed beautiful, but it is still essentially surrounded and stuck in manure... aka, crap. It's not like the flower's presence magically turns the manure into that chocolate pudding-and-crushed oreos mix that you used to get for dessert as a kid. No, it's still just a bunch of smelly dirt.
The dirt doesn't change. Instead, we just might begin to see something that we didn't see before. There is a little flower sprouting up, distinguishing itself as something beautiful.
Life is all about growing flowers amidst all the crap life throws at you.
It's about finding those flowers and appreciating their beauty because of what they are and where they are coming from. And while one flower is all we need to get started and give us something to hold on to in the tough times, it would be wrong to stop there. Keep growing flowers, keep finding all the beauty there is in life, and grow a beautiful garden filled with the blessings gained in spite of the tough times--all those good memories, good feelings, and good people that could easily be looked past if not deliberately searched for.
I love it when people find beauty in the midst of despair.
And I've discovered that a particular characteristic has developed and become more prominent in me over the past year or so:
Empathy.
When someone near and dear to me hurts, I hurt.
When they rejoice, I rejoice.
I want nothing more than for them to see the bit of light among the thick darkness, the beautiful in spite of the ugly, the break in the chaos lasting just long enough to take a breath.
And to me, empathy isn't just experiencing this with them--it is also helping them find that light, the beautiful, a moment to breathe.
From the perspective of the one inside all this mess, the one thing that can bring hope in a seemingly hopeless situation seems non-existent. Finding hope can feel like finding a needle in a hay stack--frustrating, disheartening, overwhelming, down right torture; all to the point of near surrender.
But you know what?
That needle is in the haystack, is it not?
The needle does exist... the hope does exist.
And sometimes we just need someone to dive into the haystack with us, someone to dive into the chaos with us.
Not only can they help to find the hope and beauty, but they can also share in the pain, keep you company, cheer you on...
So to me, empathy is jumping into a haystack for someone. It's joining in the chaos and helping them find the beauty when times seem like nothing but crap. And even better, it's rejoicing when they have seen a bit of that light.
and while i'm already talking about hay, i should let y'all in on a recent event... this past monday was our dorm hay ride/sqaure dance mixer at post family farms. i'm too sleepy to write it all out, so i will just copy and paste the article i wrote on it for Chimes:
A hayride gone haywire left nearly 30 Noordewier VanderWerp residents soaked and on the verge of hypothermia when their trailer tipped and dumped them into a pond on Monday night.
Cameras, cell phones, shoes, purses, ipods, and clothes were on the list of lost or damaged items resulting from the unexpected plunge into the pond, but luckily no one suffered any serious injury, according to NVW’s dorm president, Savannah Gruesbeck.
The hayride took place at Post Family Farms on a night that Noordewier resident Carolyn Affholter described as “cold—freezing!” In fact, a student had noted the temperature displayed on a bank sign to be 34 degrees Fahrenheit when driving to the farm.
A tractor pulled two trailers filled with hay and passengers around the property; Lindsey Jetter, a Noordewier resident, recalled that “it wasn’t smooth, but that’s what you expect in a hayride—a couple of bumps here and there.”
While many of the students in the rear trailer—the one that tipped—described the event as happening in “slow motion” and “surreal,” VanderWerp resident Alex Verseput described what happened from his perspective in the front trailer.
As the driver drove too close to the edge of the pond, the rear trailer began to tip to the right and kept tipping until it was standing on its side, dumping all of its passengers, according to Verseput. He had yelled to the driver to stop because the driver was unaware of what had happened.
“I was shocked, and the screams scared me,” said Verseput. Affholter was among the few passengers who were completely submerged in the freezing, murky water; not only did she get soaked, but she also found her cell phone broken due to water damage.
The students showed a mixed reaction when commenting on the handling of the situation by the farm staff. While most students, preferring not to be named, were disappointed with the slow response of the driver, others gave credit to the rest of the staff in this unexpected crisis.
Affholter explained that, once the trailer was finally flipped back over and returned to the farm, the students were directed to the farm kitchen where staff brought blankets and hot cocoa to the students as they exchanged clothes and told their version of the story.
A common opinion voiced was that of the gratitude toward fellow residents on the ride. Jetter said she was impressed by the initiative of fellow residents reacting quickly and with concern for the well-being of those cold and drenched, offering up any dry clothes they had.
Calvin College, NVW Resident Director Aaron Einfeld, and dorm president Gruesbeck are working on getting a list of lost and damaged items. While they can’t promise anything, they are working with the staff of Post Family Farms to possibly provide reimbursement for lost and damaged property, according to Gruesbeck. She also commented on the great cooperation that the farm is showing in this situation.
Kind of how pretty flowers spring up from manure--horse crap--crap.
Looking at "the good and the bad" as mutually exclusive events is one way to see life... things are either good or bad... the low lows make the high highs higher.
I think that we can all agree that nothing in life is black and white like this way of thinking. I don't think the either/or perspective suffices when it comes to the beautiful and the ugly times we face in life.
There are times where the situation may be crappy, but in spite of that, there are glimpses of beauty to be discovered. They are those times that bring hope and make all the pain worth it, even if for just a brief moment.
Think back to the flower for a second.
It's a pretty flower--all big and pink... kind of like a gerber daisy.
The flower is indeed beautiful, but it is still essentially surrounded and stuck in manure... aka, crap. It's not like the flower's presence magically turns the manure into that chocolate pudding-and-crushed oreos mix that you used to get for dessert as a kid. No, it's still just a bunch of smelly dirt.
The dirt doesn't change. Instead, we just might begin to see something that we didn't see before. There is a little flower sprouting up, distinguishing itself as something beautiful.
Life is all about growing flowers amidst all the crap life throws at you.
It's about finding those flowers and appreciating their beauty because of what they are and where they are coming from. And while one flower is all we need to get started and give us something to hold on to in the tough times, it would be wrong to stop there. Keep growing flowers, keep finding all the beauty there is in life, and grow a beautiful garden filled with the blessings gained in spite of the tough times--all those good memories, good feelings, and good people that could easily be looked past if not deliberately searched for.
I love it when people find beauty in the midst of despair.
And I've discovered that a particular characteristic has developed and become more prominent in me over the past year or so:
Empathy.
When someone near and dear to me hurts, I hurt.
When they rejoice, I rejoice.
I want nothing more than for them to see the bit of light among the thick darkness, the beautiful in spite of the ugly, the break in the chaos lasting just long enough to take a breath.
And to me, empathy isn't just experiencing this with them--it is also helping them find that light, the beautiful, a moment to breathe.
From the perspective of the one inside all this mess, the one thing that can bring hope in a seemingly hopeless situation seems non-existent. Finding hope can feel like finding a needle in a hay stack--frustrating, disheartening, overwhelming, down right torture; all to the point of near surrender.
But you know what?
That needle is in the haystack, is it not?
The needle does exist... the hope does exist.
And sometimes we just need someone to dive into the haystack with us, someone to dive into the chaos with us.
Not only can they help to find the hope and beauty, but they can also share in the pain, keep you company, cheer you on...
So to me, empathy is jumping into a haystack for someone. It's joining in the chaos and helping them find the beauty when times seem like nothing but crap. And even better, it's rejoicing when they have seen a bit of that light.
and while i'm already talking about hay, i should let y'all in on a recent event... this past monday was our dorm hay ride/sqaure dance mixer at post family farms. i'm too sleepy to write it all out, so i will just copy and paste the article i wrote on it for Chimes:
A hayride gone haywire left nearly 30 Noordewier VanderWerp residents soaked and on the verge of hypothermia when their trailer tipped and dumped them into a pond on Monday night.
Cameras, cell phones, shoes, purses, ipods, and clothes were on the list of lost or damaged items resulting from the unexpected plunge into the pond, but luckily no one suffered any serious injury, according to NVW’s dorm president, Savannah Gruesbeck.
The hayride took place at Post Family Farms on a night that Noordewier resident Carolyn Affholter described as “cold—freezing!” In fact, a student had noted the temperature displayed on a bank sign to be 34 degrees Fahrenheit when driving to the farm.
A tractor pulled two trailers filled with hay and passengers around the property; Lindsey Jetter, a Noordewier resident, recalled that “it wasn’t smooth, but that’s what you expect in a hayride—a couple of bumps here and there.”
While many of the students in the rear trailer—the one that tipped—described the event as happening in “slow motion” and “surreal,” VanderWerp resident Alex Verseput described what happened from his perspective in the front trailer.
As the driver drove too close to the edge of the pond, the rear trailer began to tip to the right and kept tipping until it was standing on its side, dumping all of its passengers, according to Verseput. He had yelled to the driver to stop because the driver was unaware of what had happened.
“I was shocked, and the screams scared me,” said Verseput. Affholter was among the few passengers who were completely submerged in the freezing, murky water; not only did she get soaked, but she also found her cell phone broken due to water damage.
The students showed a mixed reaction when commenting on the handling of the situation by the farm staff. While most students, preferring not to be named, were disappointed with the slow response of the driver, others gave credit to the rest of the staff in this unexpected crisis.
Affholter explained that, once the trailer was finally flipped back over and returned to the farm, the students were directed to the farm kitchen where staff brought blankets and hot cocoa to the students as they exchanged clothes and told their version of the story.
A common opinion voiced was that of the gratitude toward fellow residents on the ride. Jetter said she was impressed by the initiative of fellow residents reacting quickly and with concern for the well-being of those cold and drenched, offering up any dry clothes they had.
Calvin College, NVW Resident Director Aaron Einfeld, and dorm president Gruesbeck are working on getting a list of lost and damaged items. While they can’t promise anything, they are working with the staff of Post Family Farms to possibly provide reimbursement for lost and damaged property, according to Gruesbeck. She also commented on the great cooperation that the farm is showing in this situation.
Sunday, October 26
And I thought gravitational pull made the world go round...
Every single one of our computers shut off. I was in journalism, and ten minutes after class started, I found myself watching every single computer, one after the other, succumb to the black-screen plague.
Our entire campus and part of Grand Rapids had lost power.
Why?
A squirrel thought the main electricity/power source would be the prime spot for storing his acorns for the winter--after all, it didn't look like any other squirrels seemed to be using it.
High voltage + squirrel = well, in the words of Quiznos, mmm, toasty.
Events like this are so fun for me. I love things that mix it up a bit... and this power outage mixed the day up better than martha stewart could mix up a batch of cookie batter.
Even more fun than the actual event is seeing how people react to it.
Do you realize that all it takes to mak the US shutdown is a squirrel in a power box? well, figuratively speaking, of course, cause that would be one big squirrel and one big power box if all of america were plugged into it... and naturally, Hawai'i would have to be connected wirelessly.
So the power went out... causing the internet to go out... leaving thousands of college students sitting on the floor of their dark dorm room, rocking back and forth in the fetal position because their entire life has been suspended in the amount of time it takes a squirrel to short out a power box--which i hear isn't much time at all.
Classes got cancelled because teachers couldn't remember how to teach like they did, say, oh, seven years ago, before they used power point to flash information in front of our eyes at high speeds. No electricity? No power point, and no class.
Students flocked back to their rooms excited for classes to be cancelled. And just as they were about to jump on the computer and check their email or facebook...
oh ya, internet is out.
well, i can just pass some time watching a bit of TV... wait, TVs need electricity. and by the time you've already thought of five other electronically dependent activities that you can't do, it dawns on you the crisis you are in.
That brings us to the college students in the fetal position rocking back and forth on the floor of their lightless dorm room.
And that's where I found myself... minus the fetal position and floor. Instead, i sat on the futon with absolutely no idea of what to do with my time.
There was this time, you know, like a hundred years ago... ya, it reminded me of that.
With cell phones being the only working technology, I found myself calling people and leaving messages for entertainment.
On my way to speech class i walked over the Belt Line on Calvin Crossing... the traffic light on the belt line was out... not blinking like it was out of order... completely out, lacking any luminary properties... leaving cars parked bumper to bumper further than i could see.
Yes, I still had class because all we had to do was speak, and last time i checked, we don't really require electricity to do that.
The power did eventually turn back on after about three hours.
But I must say that I got a kick out of watching all of Calvin College stop dead in its tracks because of a squirrels capability to conduct electricity.
Our entire campus and part of Grand Rapids had lost power.
Why?
A squirrel thought the main electricity/power source would be the prime spot for storing his acorns for the winter--after all, it didn't look like any other squirrels seemed to be using it.
High voltage + squirrel = well, in the words of Quiznos, mmm, toasty.
Events like this are so fun for me. I love things that mix it up a bit... and this power outage mixed the day up better than martha stewart could mix up a batch of cookie batter.
Even more fun than the actual event is seeing how people react to it.
Do you realize that all it takes to mak the US shutdown is a squirrel in a power box? well, figuratively speaking, of course, cause that would be one big squirrel and one big power box if all of america were plugged into it... and naturally, Hawai'i would have to be connected wirelessly.
So the power went out... causing the internet to go out... leaving thousands of college students sitting on the floor of their dark dorm room, rocking back and forth in the fetal position because their entire life has been suspended in the amount of time it takes a squirrel to short out a power box--which i hear isn't much time at all.
Classes got cancelled because teachers couldn't remember how to teach like they did, say, oh, seven years ago, before they used power point to flash information in front of our eyes at high speeds. No electricity? No power point, and no class.
Students flocked back to their rooms excited for classes to be cancelled. And just as they were about to jump on the computer and check their email or facebook...
oh ya, internet is out.
well, i can just pass some time watching a bit of TV... wait, TVs need electricity. and by the time you've already thought of five other electronically dependent activities that you can't do, it dawns on you the crisis you are in.
That brings us to the college students in the fetal position rocking back and forth on the floor of their lightless dorm room.
And that's where I found myself... minus the fetal position and floor. Instead, i sat on the futon with absolutely no idea of what to do with my time.
There was this time, you know, like a hundred years ago... ya, it reminded me of that.
With cell phones being the only working technology, I found myself calling people and leaving messages for entertainment.
On my way to speech class i walked over the Belt Line on Calvin Crossing... the traffic light on the belt line was out... not blinking like it was out of order... completely out, lacking any luminary properties... leaving cars parked bumper to bumper further than i could see.
Yes, I still had class because all we had to do was speak, and last time i checked, we don't really require electricity to do that.
The power did eventually turn back on after about three hours.
But I must say that I got a kick out of watching all of Calvin College stop dead in its tracks because of a squirrels capability to conduct electricity.
Thursday, October 23
FOR RENT: part two in the "search for a dwelling place" series
I was standing outside the office door at the Lakewood Hills Apartments with my roommate when i heard the disheartening news.
With the door closed and no eyepatched senior citizen there to answer the door, i had to call the phone number scrawled on the chalkboard attached to the door. That's when I learned of the crushing figures.
After I got off the phone with the manager, I pouted, on the verge of a temper tantrum, and gave my roomie the pricey news.
$1875. A month. For a 2 bedroom apartment.
AKA. no college students allowed.
Resisting the urge to kick the building or draw a pirate saying "come back on monday" on the chalkboard, we sulked back to my car. The pit-stop at Lakewood Hills was our 3rd stop of the day... the first being at Perkins (where my roomie's car had spent the night due to a busted clutch). we went in and ate some delicious pumpking pie as we waited for the tow truck.
The next stop was the dealership, and then we were on our way to Lakewood Hills--however, we took a scenic route. We took Reeds Lake Drive all the way around the lake... the trees (and houses) were absolutely amazing. To label these leaves just green, orange, yellow, and red would be like calling Half Dome just a big rock--that is quite the understatement.
Fall is clearly here. The leaves have begun their gravity-induced adventure from tree branch to the ground, joining the other leaves that have already completed their pilgrimage. This is definitely my favorite time of the year.
Just the other day I was walking back from class when i saw a little girl, about four years old, playing in the leaves. She'd grab an armful of leaves and then run around, leaving a trail of leaves falling behind her. She finally resolved to do what is practically instinctive in a child at this time of the year: she scooped up as many leaves as her little arms could hold and then threw them in the air. This joyous act had required so much effort and enthusiasm that, as the leaves went up, she fell down on her butt. The airborn leaves made their trip to the ground for a second time, this time covering the girl.
I love it.
Ok, back to the main story.
With the numbers $1875 still haunting us, we ended up on a neighborhood tour, scanning lawns for the very signs our mission called for: "FOR RENT." The going was slow at first... we saw a lot of lawns decorated with "for sale" signs and the politically charged "McCain Palin" and "Obama" signs.
For the record, when I have a front lawn, it will have a pink flamingo and a gnome on it. And around election time, I will stick a sign that says... well, i don't know what it will say, but i've got four years to think of something clever.
After a bit of meandering, we finally found one... actually, three, all on the same street. This was exciting. We took down all three phone numbers so that we could call for some more information. My roommate made the first call. Oddly enough, the owner happened to be at the house working on it and said that we could stop by and check it out.
This cute little house (with a porch on the front of it) was empty but smelled of fresh paint. The wooden floors sent the echoes of hour steps throughout the room, but i did take note that these floors were perfect for sock-skating.
My favorite part was the kitchen... black and white checkered floors and red walls. So much fun.
Since our need for a place to rent isn't until May, there wasn't much we could do, but the owner was very nice and encouraged us to keep checking in with him.
Since then, more ideas have come up and we are starting to go back more in the direction of apartments again.
But those details will come in part 3.
Soon. I promise.
With the door closed and no eyepatched senior citizen there to answer the door, i had to call the phone number scrawled on the chalkboard attached to the door. That's when I learned of the crushing figures.
After I got off the phone with the manager, I pouted, on the verge of a temper tantrum, and gave my roomie the pricey news.
$1875. A month. For a 2 bedroom apartment.
AKA. no college students allowed.
Resisting the urge to kick the building or draw a pirate saying "come back on monday" on the chalkboard, we sulked back to my car. The pit-stop at Lakewood Hills was our 3rd stop of the day... the first being at Perkins (where my roomie's car had spent the night due to a busted clutch). we went in and ate some delicious pumpking pie as we waited for the tow truck.
The next stop was the dealership, and then we were on our way to Lakewood Hills--however, we took a scenic route. We took Reeds Lake Drive all the way around the lake... the trees (and houses) were absolutely amazing. To label these leaves just green, orange, yellow, and red would be like calling Half Dome just a big rock--that is quite the understatement.
Fall is clearly here. The leaves have begun their gravity-induced adventure from tree branch to the ground, joining the other leaves that have already completed their pilgrimage. This is definitely my favorite time of the year.
Just the other day I was walking back from class when i saw a little girl, about four years old, playing in the leaves. She'd grab an armful of leaves and then run around, leaving a trail of leaves falling behind her. She finally resolved to do what is practically instinctive in a child at this time of the year: she scooped up as many leaves as her little arms could hold and then threw them in the air. This joyous act had required so much effort and enthusiasm that, as the leaves went up, she fell down on her butt. The airborn leaves made their trip to the ground for a second time, this time covering the girl.
I love it.
Ok, back to the main story.
With the numbers $1875 still haunting us, we ended up on a neighborhood tour, scanning lawns for the very signs our mission called for: "FOR RENT." The going was slow at first... we saw a lot of lawns decorated with "for sale" signs and the politically charged "McCain Palin" and "Obama" signs.
For the record, when I have a front lawn, it will have a pink flamingo and a gnome on it. And around election time, I will stick a sign that says... well, i don't know what it will say, but i've got four years to think of something clever.
After a bit of meandering, we finally found one... actually, three, all on the same street. This was exciting. We took down all three phone numbers so that we could call for some more information. My roommate made the first call. Oddly enough, the owner happened to be at the house working on it and said that we could stop by and check it out.
This cute little house (with a porch on the front of it) was empty but smelled of fresh paint. The wooden floors sent the echoes of hour steps throughout the room, but i did take note that these floors were perfect for sock-skating.
My favorite part was the kitchen... black and white checkered floors and red walls. So much fun.
Since our need for a place to rent isn't until May, there wasn't much we could do, but the owner was very nice and encouraged us to keep checking in with him.
Since then, more ideas have come up and we are starting to go back more in the direction of apartments again.
But those details will come in part 3.
Soon. I promise.
Wednesday, October 22
welcome back
well, we're back here... and to be honest, i've kind of missed it.
so i am glad to be back, and this time with a few new features.
since i really liked having a photo gallery to mass upload pictures to, i have created a website through smugmug that will have all my pictures. i will still put pictures up on here in posts, but i always feel so limited in how many i put up (because i can only do three at a time). so, a complete collection of photos will be available at that site.
the link to my photo gallery is:
http://stav.smugmug.com/web%20posts
you don't need a username or anything to view it, and it is a site i share with my dad... so you can always browse through his pics too.
ok.
so, yes.
and i hope moving back here will increase the number of comments y'all leave... i kind of miss them, and i think livejournal decreased them exponentially.
we'll see.
enjoy, and please tell me what y'all think.
so i am glad to be back, and this time with a few new features.
since i really liked having a photo gallery to mass upload pictures to, i have created a website through smugmug that will have all my pictures. i will still put pictures up on here in posts, but i always feel so limited in how many i put up (because i can only do three at a time). so, a complete collection of photos will be available at that site.
the link to my photo gallery is:
http://stav.smugmug.com/web%20posts
you don't need a username or anything to view it, and it is a site i share with my dad... so you can always browse through his pics too.
ok.
so, yes.
and i hope moving back here will increase the number of comments y'all leave... i kind of miss them, and i think livejournal decreased them exponentially.
we'll see.
enjoy, and please tell me what y'all think.
Thursday, August 21
input
after three or so years, i may or may not be switching from blogger to a new blogging host called livejournal.
it's simpler, but at the same time it has a few features that blogger lacks that i think would come in handy.
now, i won't be deleting this blog or anything (of course--i have years worth of stuff on here!). but, i would like your input on whether or not y'all like livejournal. anyone can comment (you don't need an account) and, ya. so tell me what y'all think.
stina44.livejournal.com
thanks!
and sorry about the wierdness, i will fix it soon.
it's simpler, but at the same time it has a few features that blogger lacks that i think would come in handy.
now, i won't be deleting this blog or anything (of course--i have years worth of stuff on here!). but, i would like your input on whether or not y'all like livejournal. anyone can comment (you don't need an account) and, ya. so tell me what y'all think.
stina44.livejournal.com
thanks!
and sorry about the wierdness, i will fix it soon.
Tuesday, August 12
all 6 at once
the fun thing about being older and all of us living in different places? family get-togethers are a lot more fun. so, i haven't posted this yet because it was a surprise for steven, but i am back in CA til the end of august. i came back early so i could see my brother steven, who flew in from japan for a week with his (recently announced) fiance. fun stuff.
so i got to see all three of my brothers at once this weekend, and probably will get to a few more times this week. i don't think the 4 of us have been together in a long time... i definitely can't think of the last time... it has to have been 2 or 3 years. so it's been a blast seeing them.
anyhow, enjoy the pics, and i'll make sure to update soon.
this pic of the four of us... i looked at it, and i just thought... wow, we look old. i mean, compared to 15 years ago (like this pic i found), we're big! it didn't really hit me until i saw that pic of us we took this weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)