Ok, so if you haven't been on facebook reading my status updates every singe day, you probably don't know that I'm taking a trip to Hawaii on Saturday! I am, of course, totally stoked for this! I am also extremely nervous (and more so everyday) about the flight. I love flying except for the whole sardines things. I get so freaking claustrophobic on airplanes! Last time I flew I was with my sister and I actually started crying because I couldn't handle the crampedness! Major panic issues in that area. I think I'm going to take 1/2 a unisom before getting on the plane so that I can just go to sleep and bypass the entire flight. Rachael and I are going to be split up so I won't even have my friend sitting next to me to calm me down! I couldn't get to sleep last night thinking about it.

Bur anyway, that isn't the most important thing. I'm going to HAWAII!!!

8/16/08

So, I finally did something I've been wanting to do since I got my license; I went camping by myself for 2 nights! I scheduled myself for 2 days off in a row (doesn't sound that amazing, but believe me, it is) on Tues. and Wed. and took off for Camano Island where I went camping a few weeks ago w/ Abby and Becki.

Anyway, it was so just what I needed! The weather was absolutely perfect and I slept the first night w/o the rain fly, which, when you live in WA is practically unheard of! (The second night I had to put it on cause it barely sprinkled for about 2 minutes) There was a meteor shower that night around 2am, but I couldn't stay awake for it. I woke up sometime in the middle of the night and tried to see some, but there were too many trees and my eyes don't focus that well when I'm tired. Oh well.

Tuesday I actually slept in till 9, which really surprised me since lately I've been waking up at the break of dawn everyday even though my room is fairly dark! And I was in a bright tent with people up and about and stupid crows cawing. Oh, the crows. Don't get me started, don't even get me started! Too late. That was the only downfall of the whole trip was the crows. I think it's the only animal that could really make me go insane with frustration and anger! I wish I had a gun. Seriously.

But that aside, I had an incredible time with just me and God. After it got dark was the best times for me. I would light a fire and read my Bible and pray. Awesome.

I want to make this an annual thing cause it was seriously what I needed. It was kind of funny cause I wasn't sure if I was going to freak out when it got dark and come home early. But I think there were enough other campers around I felt pretty safe. The weirdest thing was only talking a couple times in 3 days! And that was to my sister on the phone and the guy who sold firewood.

Good times.

8/7/08

This week has been pretty good so far! We had a family gathering at my parents saturday and sunday since my cousin, Cody was in town and my dad's b-day was on monday. The weather was perfect and we spent some time on the beach and since my parent's house is so small, most people ended up sleeping in tents out in the yard. I would prefer that anyway! Nice, fresh air! So that was fun, but way too short of a time.

I also had yesterday off. Cody and I had planned a Seattle day complete with kayaking. Well, I had gone to bed feeling fine the night before, but woke up with my upper back totally messed up and I knew I wouldn't be able to kayak at all. So I went and picked up Ben and Cody from the ferry and my rommate ended up tkaing them all kayaking while I went to the chiropractor. After that, I drove down to meet them and we went to REI for about an hour and a half and then we were all starving so we went to Salumi, a famous sandwich place downtown that Cody heard about and wanted to go to. It was very good! We got it to go and ate in this cool little park that was enclosed next to a building complete with trees and a waterfall. The cool things you find when you get out of the tourist zone! I didn't even know that existed! I was kind of glad Cody didn't want to do our usual touristy things. I get kind of sick of that and it's fun exploring parts of the city you've never seen before! I took Ben, Tori and Rachael back to their car and then Cody and I ran around the city for a couple more hours. Unfortunately he had to get out of town early to meet another cousin of his (on the other side) so we had to get back and buy him a bus ticket to LA! All in all, I ended up driving 115 miles yesterday! Crazy! But it was a lot of fun despite the pain in my back all day. I was really blessed to be able to spend the time with my cousing whom I rarely get to see! I probably got the most time with him out of my whole fam. Ha!

7/23/08

I'm really grateful that God has provided me with a really good job that pays well, but man, I'm getting really sick of it! This week is the Anniversary sale at Nordstrom and though this is my 3rd year working the sale, I have never had to manage one! It's enough to make me want to quit. I know I won't, but it's definitely something that's been going thorugh my head a lot the past 6 days! I'm getting burned out not having an assistant and there is no end in sight. I have nothing to look forward to, no vacation, no respite, only week after week of the same stress and being miserable!

I was talking to my sister yesterday and I am thinking about just taking 2 weeks off the next chance I get and just going somehwere, anywhere! I would love to just get a little traveling under my belt and just go! I could just point at a world map right now and leave. I don't care where. My escapism is getting the better of me. When things get tough, run. It's an instinct I've always had. Pretty cowardly, but hey.

Today is my only day off in a 10 day stretch. I keep meeting people who work a lot more than I do and I just wonder how they keep sane? I don't get it! I need my sabbath and I don't feel guilty for it. It's biblical. I think I was born on the wrong continent. I was made for European life where everyone takes the middle of the day off to rest, they only work 4 days and they eat dinner at 10 or 11pm! That's so for me!

Anyway, I'm very complainy, I'm trying to be content, even trying to be thankful cause I know I have it good! So praise God for the trials and for his provision and gifts!

7/15/08

So, I just bought my latest time waster. Actually, it's a productive thing, but anyway, I got a bead loom! So now I can make really cool bracelets and anklets! I've always liked making jewelry and now it can look really good! So, I will be going and buying yet MORE beads today. I know I have thousands of them somewhere, but I have no idea where they are and I'm not willing to go up into our spider infested crawl space to find them.

So, some bad news. We had an instpector come to our cabin today because the campus is starting some plans for new buildings and such. Anyway, we asked the guy if they were planning on tearing down our cabin and he obvioulsy wasn't supposed to say anything, but basically said that usually when he does inspections it's because they are going to tear something down. So we kind of took that as a "you better start looking for places to live". So that's something to be in prayer about because we are getting a killer of a deal at this place besides the fact that it's an awesome place to live AND it's historical! I mean, it's not a definite thing that they'll be tearing it down and we have no idea what the time frame is on that. I knew I wasn't going to be living here forever though!

Time to go buy some beads (and some coffee)

07/09/08

Last night I got to have my first beach BBQ of the year! 2 summers ago we did it just about every week and this summer, since my parents don't live on this side anymore, we just haven't done it! So I decided to take matters into my own hands and organize it. I got to see my nieces, who, though they live just a couple miles from me, I don't get to se as often as I would like. Gabby is getting really cute! And I say that because I think most newborns are pretty weird looking. (No offense to those who think they're all adorable. They're not.) Tiranna was crawling around in the dirty sand and was absolutely filthy by the end. (There were a lot of coals from the barbecue in the sand)I gave her her secret Indian name: Blackfoot.

Anyway, it was just really nice to be able to hang out and relax at one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people!

07/05/08

Yesterday was a great 4th of July. We did things a little differently this year as we ususally go to the Millers for their Independence Day extrodonaire. Anyway, Abby got free tickets to a Mariners game through work and we got to sit in a suite!!! It was sweet! Ha ha ha. We got free parking up close, the staff there treated you like you were special (aka, RICH). So we hung out there until the 7th inning (Mariners were winning at that point. Still don't know what the final score was)

Next we headed down to our church where there was a block party with bands, food, inflatable stuff for kids, etc. The band that kicked the whole thing off was called, Grunge and they were seriously good! Sounded exactly like Nirvanna, Sound Garden, etc. We left there after about 2 hours (not very many people there that we knew).

Last on our 4th of July tour, we headed north for the family BBQ at my brother's house. I got to see 3 of my precious chiblings and a bunch of people I don't get to see too often. Anyway, the food was great, fellowship even better and we stayed till about midnight gathered around the fire pit watching neighborhood fireworks (There were some narrow misses). Seems that every year I get more and more leary of fireworks. But it definitely keeps you on your toes!

7/02/08

I'm always surprised at the biginning of a new month! What the heck happened to (fill in the month)? Anyway, I feel like summer just jumped out of no-where and before I know it, it's going to be fall again!

This week is going SO much better than last week. Thank the good Lord Jesus! My crew seems happier, things are goings swimmingly at work, I get Thursday AND Friday off, I get to spend time with my family. Now, hopefully it doesn't rain on my days off like MSN weather keeps telling me. Guess I can't have everything.

Last night we got to watch my sis-in-law graduate from massage therapy school. It was a small number of graduates which made it a much more entertaining and personable graduation. We went to Rory's afterward to have a drink and a lb of love. (I just learned after seeing that on the menu for a couple years now that that means fries!! Who knew? Not me!) After Rorys I went to Jon and Saras to watch Man of the Year. That was Sara's mom's choice as I tend to shy away from anything with the creepy Robin Williams. But it was surprisingly good! Not at all what I thought.

Tomorrow is community group. I'm really looking forward to it as we have split into several groups and are smaller now. MUCH more personable! Plus, we're having patriotic food. LOVE it!

6/30/08

Wow, so it's officially hot out! I'm actually wearing shorts today, which if you know me, I don't do very often unless I really feel the need.

This last week has definitely had it's ups and downs (see blog from Tuesday). I got to go to Michelle Miller's wedding on friday. Her family is like my family and it was really good to see all of them again.

Saturday was just work again. But after work Abby, Becki, Rachael and I went over to our friends Carley's moms house to welcome Carley home from being at sea for the last year. No, she's not in the Navy, she has been teaching on a boat that has crossed the Atlantic 4 times and just went EVERYWHERE! Such an incredible experience that I'm sure she will never regret! Anyway, it was SO fun all being back together again! We had decorated the house and surprized her when she got home. It was a blast.

Sunday was church in a very dark and hot building. There is no air conditioning and the building has just been baking for the last few days it's been hot. Plus technology sucks and the live feed for the sermon didn't work so Pastor Tim pretty much got up there and winged it! Totally amazes me when God does that through people! After church I had to go straight to work (I had thought I brought my work clothes with me, but hadn't and had to go back home to get them) and was about 15 minutes late. It was absolutely INSANE yesterday! Seattlites are real wimps when it comes to heat and everyone was escaping it by coming to the mall and ordering smoothies and blended drinks. Just craziness.

Today was supposed to be a day off (I did get to sleep in) but I had to go into work for a conference call. Then I learned that I could've called from home! But I had other stuff I needed to do too so it wasn't a total waste. After that I had to drive to the Alderwood location to pick up ice storm mix and I decided to do some shopping at Old Navy. Bought a couple things. Why is it that when there is a store having a sale that you can only find stuff that isn't on sale???? I must have tried on a million things (like $6 shirts) and came out of there with 3 non-sale items!

So, now I am at the library checking email and writing this blog and most importantly picking up the first season of Lost. Now I can finally figure out what the heck is going on in that show!!! My hour is almost up, so I gotta go.

It's a short one today. Basically, I just want to bitch about the fact that I just can't seems to catch a break at work. Things will be going fine for a while and then, BOOM! something happens(or 3 or 4 somethings)and I just feel like quitting.

So today it was these things:
#1 I got to work at 7:30am to find a HUGE order from sysco stacked to the ceiling in my backroom. Basically they doubled what I had ordered (and threw in a couple random things that I NEVER order) So I couldn't even get to the things I needed in the back in order to open without moving about 20 boxes out of my way. Plus, the dude came earlier than usual, so I wasn't there to catch the mistake and send it back with him.

#2. I get a call from my regional asking me where the new girl I hired was (she was supposed to go downtown for a training class. SO I called her and she said she missed the bus. So I had to call my regional back and apologize because they had been waiting for her. (plus this chick has been late for several shifts already. Hmmmm.)

#3 I get a call from one of my closers saying she got a vaccene yesterday and now her arm is sore and she can't move and she's feeling sick. What a load of crap. I had a girl work for 2 months on an appendex that was about to burst! So anyway, after telling her she needed to find a replacement and me calling around to every store in the region, I have to close tonight. AND I'm salary and not getting paid for the 7 hours of overtime I'm putting in. OK. So anyone have a worse day?

I just got finished listening to last week's sermon online (had to miss cause of work) on worship. I don't think I really considered how many things I worship other than God!

Basically, I was convicted of the fact that the things I want most in life have become my idols. The persuit of marriage and a family is probably the foremost of these for me. Pastor Mark asked what it is that we plan and pray for and that God does not like to give us things that will become idols. Perhaps the fact that I hold the idea of getting married and having a family so high in my life is the reason that God has not given it to me. I know that wanting those things is not evil and that God loves to give us the desires of our hearts when they match up with his will for us, but if those things are idols in our lives he is jealous and he wants to be the one we worship.

Anyway, there is much much more on this topic I can go into, but I don't really have the time right now!

I'm going to stop titling my blogs. It's really annoying to have to think them up.

Got to sleep in today, woke up just when french toast was ready, yum! Seriously, going to mom and dad's is the bomb! I never eat breakfast! We walked to the beach and sat and read (while Ben occupied himself by throwing rocks into the air and then throwing other rocks to hit the rock in midair. That kid is amazing! He later got out Cinder's leash and used it as a sling to throw rocks farther out. Weirdo.)

I'll be going back on the ferry with Ben who has worship practice this afternoon. Tonight is a CD release by a guy who used to lead worship at my old church. It's at my favorite venue in Seattle, Neumos. Don't know what his new band is like, but I liked his old stuff. Called Izabelle. I think it's still on myspace. . .?

Tomorrow is church. I'm serving, which means getting there at 9, praying with the team and then I'm usually the one to go pick up the coffee from Starbucks. I cannot wait until we get our own coffee equipment! It took months just to get a sink in the kitchen (a small handwashing sick) but at least we don't have to wash dishes in the bathroom anymore! It's really been quite the experience having church in downtown Seattle. So different from any church I've been to! It's a bit of a commute, and people think we're weird to go all that way for church when the Shoreline campus is literally in our backyard! But our hearts are there in Seattle and we've been invloved in the campus launch from the start.

Well, my mini vacation is over. Need to go get ready to go!

First Day of Summer

So I just got finished watching King Arthur, which I had never seen before, but had heard that it was dissapointing. It was perfectly fine except for Kiera Knightly. Seriously stupid character that ruined the movie! Why is it always neccessary to put a love interest in every singe movie? Especially when that love interest is played by an overacting, doe-eyed, 12-year-old-boy looking chic with an underbite? She seriously aggrivates me! And what the heck was with her ace-bandage outfit? Only Milla Jovovich is allowed to wear that (5th Element). Jerry Bruckheimer, you suck.

On to more cheerful things. Today was totally gorgeous out. First day of summer and all. I think it got in the mid 70s (HOT man!) Great day for a ferry ride! I came over to my parents and we hung out on the deck for a couple hours eating dinner, reading and bird watching. Yes, I said bird watching! I have arrived. Going to mom and dad's is the best.

Well, I'm kinda tired. Think I'll go to bed. And read.






p.s. I heard the new coldplay is really good. From sources I trust. Anyone heard it?

Arrest my Brain Development

Today I got to sleep in LATE! I think I slept about 12 hours last night,which I really needed. I've watched the entire first season of Arrested Development in 2 nights. I think it was like 22 episodes or something like that. Pretty addictive if you ask me. Now I need to request season 2 from the library. That is the way to go my friends. You have to wait like a month, but it's free and you can keep it longer than the rental place (not that I need to since I watch it in 2 days).

Speaking of free, I really need to get going on getting my budget in place. I'm seriously a bad steward of my money. I just have to take the time to sit down and actually use my brain for once! Ha ha.

That reminds me. I had to take this class for work on serving food safely last week. It was really wierd being in the classroom after 4 years of not. We took a test at the end and this flood of memories came rushing back. It's been a while since I've actually had to use my brain in that way! Sad, but true. Not that it was a difficult test, but it's just different than your everyday brain usage. Anyway, I'm making myself sound pretty stupid.

I have this weekend off from work, which is pretty much a miracle. We were going to go camping at Mt Rainier, but I guess the campground is under like 6 feet of snow! So that's cancelled and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. I'm thinking of going back over to my parents since it's just so relaxing over there and I really don't get over as much as I would like to. I want to do SOMETHING besides sit around at home and waste time since I don't know when the next time I'll get an actual weekend off will be let alone 2 days in a row!

My First Bloggity Blog

So, I've done this blogging thing on myspace for several years, but for some reason I decided I needed just one more website to inhabit. I don't know what possessed me to do it. I don't even own a computer let alone internet. I will not have time for it. What the heck am I doing? I'm sure when I come back to this blog 2 months from now after not blogging once, I'll know.

But anyway, I feel like my life consists of one thing right now: work. Even though I know people work this much all the time, 50 hours a week is a heck of a lot to me. I'm a baby. I was not created to work like this. I'm trying not to talk or complain about it too much (too late) so I am stopping here.

On to other things. This was Father's Day weekend and my family got together to celebrate it Saturday. I couldn't make it because I had to w---. Bummer. So today I decided that after w--- I would catch a ferry and surprise my dad. It was a nice ferry ride all by myself. Gorgeous weather today!

After I got to mom and dads, Ben, Dad and I went to the beach to watch the sunset. It was very pretty and I realized I hadn't watched one for a long time! (I'm loving that the sun doesn't set until after 9pm!!!!) Totally what I needed after a really long week.

So, I'm spending the night and then going back over to the East Side tomorrow at some point. Just a really quick trip, but I haven't been over here for a while and I felt like I missed out on family time. Tomorrow is my first day off in 7 days, so I'm thinking some well needed rest is in order.

I have Arrested Development on hold at the library, so I'll go check that out and probably sip some coffee and read The Order Of the Phoenix. Totally on a Harry Potter kick right now.