Trip to DC

Yesterday I went to Washington, D.C. For the inauguration. Before you judge me (as many have done), let me tell you about my trip. I feel like I've gotten really concise about talking about it, as I told lots of people about the day at work today, but I think there was more than just the story of our trip.

The basic highlights: we arrived (via MARC train from Brunswick, MD) in Union Station at about 8:45. We were greeted in the station by officers with automatic weapons- something I have never seen before... We ventured into the day light, and after several attempts, headed around to the south side of the mall to get to our places (between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial) just about in time for the ceremony to start. After watching it on the big screen, we started back, going northwest around the White House (to avoid the parade route b/c you could not cross it), and got back to the station to wait an hour to get our train (which left at 4). And it was cold- I had on 4 layers and I bought a new down coat just for the day. But- I wasn't uncomfortable all day. We felt good. And it was crowded, but tolerable. Here is a photo of a street we started to walk up- but quickly turned around.

BUT- It was worth it. There was something about the day- the energy there- that I cannot really describe. Despite the madness- for the most part people were kind to one another. They were just so excited. And people were excited for different reasons- some despised our former president, some just want change, some were marveling in the historic moment of the day. But, I can honestly say that it was special to watch the ceremony- even from the distance that we were (we were very close to a jumbotron though)- with that crowd of people. I could just feel the historicness (is that a word) and the energy. And then walking back- just crowds of us walking through the center of the city streets- it was neat.

I am not certain that I will ever need to go to an inauguration again (but never say never), but I can say that it was worth it. It was a good day, a good adventure, and a great moment in history.

and we saw Dan Rather on the street AND got free Starbucks. that in itself is a successful day....

So what's the deal with.... blogs?

I'm going to take a brief caveat from my (currently short) series of blogs "things I'm not good at, #___" (there will be more) to do some reflecting on the idea of blogging. I was in the shower this evening, thinking about my blog and how I should probably write something in it again soon, and wondering which of the "things I'm not good at...." I should focus on this evening, when I got to thinking about my blog in general. And then i got to thinking that I'm not all together pleased with it. I mean, what is the point....

I started this blog as kind of a challenge from a friend. To prove to the world that there are things that single, non-parent people can write about. But I'm not sure that there are. I think about the blogs I read (some friends, some strangers) and they are parents or grandparents writing about the kids in their lives, people writing about family members with illness, missionaries, political activists, great writers or preachers. But what do I have going on? The ramblings of a single gal with nothing much more going on in her life than (what she feels is) good television. Is there really much more of me that the world needs to know about? I am not sure.

All this to say, I am not abandoning the blog just yet... but I'm just feeling a little more self centered than I'd like to be. I feel like through this blog that I (and maybe this is just the point of blogging) believe that my life is so important that the world must know. And I don't really believe that.

In the mean time, I'm going to keep thinking about those things that I'm not good at to share with the world.... I know you're waiting....

Things I'm not good at #1: Reading

So, in an effort to not make resolutions, but to constantly be improving upon myself, I think I might start compiling a list of things that I'm not good at (but that I want to improve) (and I know ending that phrase with "at" is improper, but it fits my motif). So, tonight i'm thinking specifically how I'm not good at reading, having just returned from a spontaneous trip to Borders. Some friends were going and I tagged along, hoping to pick up some new cds, but they didn't have any of the ones that I am looking for (as no stores in York county do), and so I was drawn to the sale table. It was buy 1 get 1 half off, and so I was suckered into 4. Two are new that i have wanted to read, and two are books that I have read, and that I loved, but thought if I bought them for myself I could gain some reading momentum anytime I wanted (the theory behind "reading momentum" is that you read a few easy-to-read, fun-filled books, and then once you're in the habit of reading easily and quickly- you can tackle some more challenging (ie: non-fiction) and get through those). I think it's a marvelous theory, and one that I desperately need.

As any blog reader of mine might notice, I like to watch TV. And I try to watch it selectively and with judgment, but I still watch more than I should. I never read. I have a hard enough time keeping up with my magazines, let alone books. I currently have a stack of books on my bed side table of 8 books. 3 are borrowed, 2 were gifts, and 3 I bought and just can't get through. 3 I have started and have book marks in them somewhere in the front half. It's pathetic. I want to be a well read person, but it's just so hard for me.

There are a lot of changes that I'd like to make in my life in 2009 (most I wanted to make in 2008, but we're just going to have to adjust), and reading more is one of them. So, tonight, in an effort to do that... I'm not going to turn on my tv, I will turn on my reading lamp, and see if I can get through a few more pages of the 8 on my stack. Make that 12, because I just bought 4...

We'll see how this goes.

fun like a kid

Sometimes I have a hard time thinking about what to write in my blog. I enjoy reading other people's blogs, but it seems like they all either have more fascinating lives than I do, or the things I think of to write about will likely incriminate or offend someone I am close to, or my friends have kids- and I don't. It seems that the world wants to read about (or at least write about) babies- and I just don't have them right now (which is okay by me).

However, this afternoon I was trolling around on some blogs I read (and read so much more regularly- who loves google reader?!?!), and i found a picture of a friend's child in a large box on Christmas. And as I looked at it I thought, "oh kids- how they love sitting in large boxes, so entertained" and then I laughed to myself because I did just that with a package I got just a week ago.

I had asked for a jewelry armoire for Christmas (which is more or less an un-necessary piece of furniture, but one I wanted anyway AND btw, i filled it), and my mom told me that she'd get me one, but that I should probably just pick it out myself. So, she scoped out the fliers and gave me some tips, and 2 Wednesdays ago I took myself to the mall and bought one (and got it loaded into my car by a woman who had to have played for the wnba). That night Dallas carried it up the 2 flights of stairs to my room and I unpacked it- leaving me with a very large cardboard box in my bedroom. And I did what any other 28 year old would do.... I yelled to my sister to come in and sit in it with me, and Dallas took our picture.

We may not be as cute as a 1 year old (thanks Rachel, for the inspiration), but it was pretty fun.

I carried the box down to the garage within a day or two, and just last night broke it down and put it out for the recycling... it was sad to see it go...

Christmas time is here (and passed)

I have been quite the delinquent blogger. Chalk it up to lack of motivation combined with lack of time. It's not that nothing has been happening in my life, just nothing that I feel the need to spread to the world. I need some more excitement, maybe....

One thing that has been fun though, is the Christmas season and all the fun that comes with it. This year my sister and I put up 3 trees. Now, I realize that that may seem a bit excessive- and it probably is- but it was fun! We wanted to get a live tree, but were having a difficult time deciding where to put it because our house has such wonderful locations. But then in November at my church's rummage sale there were numerous artificial trees brought in for the sale- and I snagged 2 of them- for $5 a piece!!! Couldn't resist. I think our house is looking quite festive these days.... I will be sad to take them all down.

artificial tree #1- theme: Colored Ornaments

artificial tree #2- theme: ornaments from our childhood

the live tree: theme: white and silver
(I couldn't get it to take a very in-focus picture, so the close up is a little better)

Snow!

Well folks, it's snowing. And I don't mean a random flurry. It is snowing like CRAZY out there right now. I love snow! It just makes me feel all warm and cozy inside and feel like it's really winter (even though it is not). I mean, if it's going to be 30 degrees, it might as well be snowing. I HATE the cold- but I LOVE the snow!!

I took a few pictures from my window to show you what it's like. I think it's pretty unusual to get this kind of snow this early. We rarely have snow even in December here, and I don't remember a time that it snowed before Thanksgiving (though I'm sure that there is one). This is in stark contrast to when I lived in State College. My first year there we got snow in October (the poor kids had to trick-or-treat in it) and we really didn't see the grass until mid March. That was rough. It snowed (even if only a flurry) EVERY day there that year. I self-diagnosed myself with Seasonal Affective Disorder. It was depressing to see gray snow and gray skies every day.

But, then I moved back to York and I remembered how little snow we actually get here. I really grew to miss the snowy life that State College had given me. There's just something fun about being in on the couch with a blanket (or fireplace, if you have one, which I do not) looking out the window at a winter wonderland. Like I said before, it makes the cold worthwhile. I still don't really like snow sports or playing in the snow- I just like to look at it... and hope for a snow day from work.

I'm sure this won't last, it's supposed to be sunny again tomorrow, but I will enjoy it while it lasts!

more sports

I feel that I have spent most of the last 2 weeks watching sports. I last mentioned that I was spending my time cheering for the Red Sox. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. BUT- That just means that now I can focus all my baseball energy onto the Phillies. I've never really been a Phillies fan- but I live in PA- and lived in Phila for a brief stint (though it was more during Eagles season), so, I will cheer for them. Besides- though I considered it, there is just something that doesn't sit right with me about cheering for Tampa Bay. I think it's what I mentioned earlier- that for the last 10 years I counted on TB to be worse than the Orioles- and now the Orioles are the worst. Oh well.

So, since last week I've been staying up late to watch these baseball games. It's been really exciting. Last night I was all into the game- but just kind of waiting for them to call it off, and when they did, I hadn't even realized it was after 11:00! I guess it's a good thing they called it when they did- who knows how long I would have been up. And, I am paying for it now.

While I'm mentioning sports- I can hardly neglect Penn State. What a season!! It's been really fun to watch- but I can't help but miss living up there... this would be a fun time in that town. When they're winning it just changes the whole culture up there. Now, we could have a long discussion about what that means about our culture, but I'll let that go. We'll just say for now: Go State!

baseball time!!

As Fox says, "there's only one October," and they are right. I've always been a baseball fan. I wasn't exposed to much sports watching as a child (growing up in a house with just a mom and a sister, our tv time was spent with Nickelodeon, Anne of green gables, and musicals). But, when I was with my dad, or my uncle, we'd sometimes watch baseball. Now, I live in Orioles territory, and I can say that in my high school days I was a pretty well-informed O's fan. I watched as many games as I could, and even in college I would print the season schedule up each March, watch opening day diligently, and go to as many games as I could (which translated into about 1 a year- but still- it was a tradition!).

But when I moved to State College just after college, it became harder to keep up. I no longer lived in a 60 mi radius of Baltimore, and was relegated to watching mostly Pittsburgh sports. I never got into the Pirates, but in my time in SC I became a fan of another time- the Boston Red Sox. Now- I realize that it seems a stretch to go from O's to Sox- but let's be honest- the O's were becoming hard to follow. Each year seemed to bring a new manager and an entirely new roster- and considering I'd never see a game on TV- it became a challenge. But the Sox have a nation-wide fan base and were always on TV. Plus, I was dating a long time Sox fan- and so a new one was born.

I watched most of the aired games during the 2004 season and fell in love with those boys and their story. What a year to be a fan!! I was hooked! And have remained invested in them ever since.

I stayed up late last night to watch the game. More out of pity than anything else. This wasn't the team from 2004- there was no way they could stage a comeback. But last night's game was thrilling! Now- I respect Tampa Bay and if they make it, I can appreciate the incredible run that the team has gone on... but I had always felt that the one thing I could count on in baseball was that "at least the O's weren't in last place- b/c TB was..." So it's hard for me to cheer them to the end.

I barely watched any baseball this whole year- and I haven't made it to a game in 2 years now- but there's just something about October....

TV Update

As I've mentioned before, I like to watch TV. Now, I used to be the kind of person that would just plop down and watch whatever I could find. I'm trying to be better about that. I think that it's important for us to be intentional with our time- all the time. For example, the other night I came home and was doing some stuff in my room. It was quiet. I turned on the tv and was just flipping around (which I have to do literally on the tv b/c the channel up/down button doesn't work on my remote). But then I thought to myself- this is stupid- there isn't anything I want to watch, and I don't need the TV on just for the sake of having it on. So I turned it off. But- that doesn't mean I don't watch TV- I'm just trying not to watch random TV. But I do have my shows. And- now I have DVR- which makes my shows even more enjoyable.
I love having my shows- but I hate having to revolve my life around them. There's nothing that says "i'm a big loser" more than being out with friends for something social and saying "I gotta go- there's a TV show coming on..." So, I just tell my DVR to record the whole series, and there it is- ready for me at any moment. It's grand!!
I've also found- the more that I've been enjoying TV shows- the less that I'm enjoying movies. Sure- movies have their time and place for me- but there are just a few things about television that I've been enjoying even more. For example- most of the shows I watch are an hour- which is only 40 minutes of actual show time- which means they're over more quickly than a movie. and- movies seem to always leave me wanting more. I love the long story arcs that TV can do. Now, granted some of these story arcs get drug out more than they need to (can we say Derek and Meredith), but some of them (like "the pattern" on fringe) just leave you ready for the next installment. I love it.
But sometimes it is time to say goodbye. This year marks the final season for Boston Legal. Which is a great show. That David E Kelly- he writes some funny stuff... But I think that I am ready for it. First of all- to have one less show on my dvr plate- but also, the show has served us well during its tenure- and it's best to go out while you're still doing good stuff- rather than to run slowly into the ground. I look forward to the next 10 episodes to see what happens to ol' Denny Crane, Alan Shore, and co.

Officially Completed

 Yesterday when I arrived home I checked my mail and had a special treat waiting inside my mailbox.... It was my diploma for my masters degree! It arrived! I was so excited! It means that I am ALL DONE with school. I had completed my work a few months ago, but there is always the process of making sure everything gets filed correctly, and processed correctly, so I wasn't going to assume that anything was done until I had the diploma in my hands. And now I do!! Hooray!! So, the picture of my nicely hung diploma is here (thanks Billy- we hung the frames almost a month ago and it's been hanging up there empty next to my Messiah degree since then). Thanks for all your help and encouragement in this process. It feels good to be done!! (sitting below the diplomas are the plethera of birthday cards that I received this year- thanks friends!)

Also- I have finally uploaded a few pictures from my new place. It's pretty much completed to where it's going to be... just a few minor touches here and there. You can look at the album here. Enjoy!!

Whirlwind update

I'm starting to feel like a delinquent blogger. I mean, I have friends who have kids and all this other stuff going on, and they are posting every day!! I guess my life just isn't that exciting. I'm starting to realize that it seems as though my life is mostly work, and my work is not worth writing about most days. But, there are a few things that I could describe none the less.

Last week was my birthday. It was a long busy day at work, but ended with my friend Becky Wainwright coming to town. We walked downtown to an Irish restaurant (through "bike week" festivities here in York), and enjoyed about half of our authentic Irish meals. Then we walked the whole way back with 3 boxes of carry out. But it was fun to have her here and have a little girl time.

Saturday we had another wedding at the church, which is where I spent the better part of my day (after breakfast @ Cracker Barrel- yum!)

When I got home from work my friends had planned a little party for me. We had a good time celebrating my birthday, playing some games, and watching Penn State win! Good times!!

What's on TV?

I think early on in the life of this blog (you know, 4 months ago), I thought I might spend some of my blogging time focusing on TV and how it affects my life. Of course, that was in April or May, when all shows were winding down. But now, shows are firing up again! So far, only one of my returning shows is back: Prison Break. And that show continues to be smart, well written, and captivating. LOVE IT!!

Now, each year I swear that I won't pick up any new shows- but I have already been defeated.... After watching Prison Break the last two weeks, I'd been seeing lots of ads for the new show "Fringe," which is written and produced by J.J. Abrams. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I am a sucker for anything that that man does. He is a genius. First Felicity (a totally different genre, but still an awesome show), which he followed up with Alias, and then LOST (which it took me til this year to get into- but I've now seen every episode- thanks writers' strike), and now "Fringe."

The premise is an ongoing investigation on "fringe science" which is stuff that is WAY WAY out there that only a few people and scientists even know about. I don't want to say anymore, except to say that if you like suspense, (not scary suspense though- I don't like the scary stuff), then this is definitely a show to give your attention to. It was smart, captivating, and just enough out there to leave me extremely curious to see where the story line will go. The premiere is running again Sunday night, and then the show airs on Tuesdays. I am serious- check it out!!! Plus- it has Joshua Jackson (aka Pacey from Dawson's Creek, which I didn't watch, so to me he is Charlie from the Mighty Duck Movies). Now, I have always loved Joshua Jackson, though have sometimes felt he always plays the same characters. This is a similar character to some things he's done before (arrogant, cocky, overly intellectual language), but he pulls it off. I like it.

Maybe I will give a report on each of my shows as they premiere. So, sit tight, more to come. (Next week: Smallville returns for season 8! and i KNOW you want to hear me talk about that)

Gently entering the waters of politics...

So, I'm not sure what is causing it- whether it's the fact that this is the first year that I'm really paying attention to things, or that now that I am more than 6 years out of college I have a better grasp on what I value as important, or if there is just THAT much more information out there- but I have been paying a lot more attention to political things and media surrounding the upcoming elections than ever before. This is the third presidential election that I am old enough to participate in, and each time I think I'm pretty informed, and then I get to the next one and think "did I even have a CLUE last time?" And then I think- do I even have a clue now?



Now, I am going to try my best here to not write any of my opinions, specifically I will not tell you who you should vote for, because I am certain that this is not the forum in which to do that, but I'm just going to share some of the frustrations that I am experiencing in this journey.



I have been a part of a number of conversations in the last few weeks that have really gotten me a little worked up. One of the things that I try to say when I talk about politics (which I generally don't like to do) is to be clear that I am still working on forming my opinion, and that I think there are a lot of aspects of things that it is okay for people to think differently on. I am growing increasingly frustrated with people who either come to me directly to say, or send me an email that basially says "if you don't think exactly like I do, you are not a real American." I'm no history buff, but I think that our country is based largely on the idea that people of differing opinions and backgrounds have a right to different opinions.



Something else that I am wrestling with is the way that my faith should factor in to all of these decisions. I think it should. I believe that my faith in Christ and God's sovereignty over my life should be a part of all decisions and opinions that I make. And so I am really wrestling with issues that I think God cares deeply about, vs the ones that we as people have made bigger than they need to be. I want to believe in justice for the poor and grace for those around us. I don't see that in a lot of politics, or in the ways that people are talking about politics.

The bottom line is, the waters are murky and the lines are grey. And I'm not sure that either party really has it figured out. I believe that there are strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the lines, and it is through study, thought, and prayer that we might begin to determine which side of the line we should each fall on.

Last night Donald (or Don, aparently) Miller prayed at the Democratic National Convention. I think his words were honest and touching, and, though again, he doesn't have everything figured out either, I kind of liked what he had to say. Here is a (not great version) of the prayer from youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJFOCCZ4bio I think it's cool that there can be Christians who identify with both parties, and that both parties can acknowledge Christians in their parties.

Redecorating and Packing

As I mentioned, I will share a few pictures of the redecorating that I did, with the help of my great friend Billy (shout out!), on my new bathroom. First- a few pictures and a brief description. As you see here, the walls AND ceiling were a peach color (I know, the colors didn't turn out too great in these pics). I do not know why someone would paint the walls and ceiling the same color in a room as small as a bathroom, but it felt as though the peach was coming in at you from all directions. Then, you will want to note the border. now, I am not against borders, but I am not a fan of cherubs, and as you can see, there were a lot of them. Now, I was originally trying to determine exactly what color the walls were, and then my friend pointed out that they exactly matched the naked babies. I don't know if "naked cherub baby" is a paint color, but if it is, we might have been looking at it.

the next photo is a picture of billy painting over the peach with primer. You can see the difference in the white vs. the peach. It should be noted that this photo was taken around 1:00 am on Saturday morning. I've learned that you take what help you can get- no matter what time of day!!

The final photo is the finished product. Unfortunately, the picture didn't turn out too well, but the ceiling is white and the walls are a cream color called "cream in my coffee." I particularly liked the name. In my mind it was to be a little bit more of a tan, but it looks a bagillion times better, so it will do just fine.

I'll have some pictures of the whole place when I move in this weekend. As far as moving progress goes: last night I went to the new place and did a final clean of my room so that it's ready for me this weekend, and I cleaned the baseboards and windows in the downstairs. The ground floor needs to be steam-cleaned (esp. after my Papa johns garlic butter spill last night), and then it is LIVING ready!!! I also started packing last night. I did cds, movies, and books, and filled like 10 boxes. I'm realizing that this is going to take longer than I thought. Plus- with the Olympics on it's hard to concentrate on much else. But the Olympics is another topic for another day....

Remedial Blogger

I was doing so well there for awhile, posting new things as they were happening. But I have been delinquent and have not posted in a month! What few readers I had are probably gone by now. I have not not posted for a lack of things in my life, but for the abundance I have not had time to write or even think about writing. A brief recap of my month since the 11th when I last posted: Laird Reunion, Smith family vacation, back to work with VBS every night that first week (pretty much negating all rest I got on vacation), finding a new townhouse to rent, signing the lease, searching for a 3rd roommate, traveling to Greene Hills camp for IMPACT, traveling to state college for a wedding (and eating and drinking, as is required in state college), cleaning the new house, thinking about packing the apartment. It has been full, but good. Good times with good friends and family- if I have to be crazy busy, I'm glad it's with those that it has been with. Check out my facebook for some updated photos!

Not only have I cleaned at the new house, but I have also redone my bathroom (or, I partially redid it, and watched while Billy did the painting...). My next post will have pictures of said bathroom. I'll not ruin the joyous surprise of the changes that I made.... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Registry follow up

Dear 13 people who read my blog- Thanks for voting on my little survey. As you may recall, back in April I posted a blog called "Singles Registry." You can find it here. It was around the idea of me registering for my graduate school graduation. Since that time I have graduated, and many have asked, "so, did you register?" I did not. While I certainly appreciate the 12-1 vote that was pro-registry as a single gal, I could not muster the inner strength to do it. I wish that I could have, but I could not. But it wasn't because I think that it is inherently wrong. I still believe that just because someone is unmarried it doesn't want or deserve (I know, I am always hesitant to use the word 'deserve') to have nice things, however, the fear of criticism was greater than the desire for belongings.

I attended a wedding shower this weekend for a dear friend of mine. It was a beautiful and moving day, and I haven't been this excited for someones wedding in some time. How happy my friend is was just radiating from her, and you could feel in the room how loved she is by the women in her life. It was an emotional day, more so than I realized it would be, and I became quite upset with myself when I felt a bit of jealousy creep in as I watched her open her gifts. As I thought about it, it's not even the stuff- I have plenty of stuff and it all works just fine- but I think it is what the "stuff" represents. A fresh start. A new beginning. A new place filled with new things and a lifetime ahead to grow. I think that is what it represents.

And I am well acquainted with this wedding and registry process. I did some remembering and research, and since my graduation from college (just over 6 years ago), I have attended at least 35 weddings for friends, coworkers, and family. They are all joyous celebrations and I love sharing that day with people that I love. But I have bought a lot of gifts for a lot of people. It just starts to feel unbalanced after a while.

But to quote my mother (nearly everyday of my childhood) "Becki, life isn't fair."

So, no, I didn't register. And I still have plenty of things. More than enough. And I was blessed with gifts that still I did not deserve for my graduation. But that doesn't change that I am still a little uneasy with the whole system.

Apartment Living

There are always highs and lows to each situation, but I have realized that it is sometimes difficult to remember the pros of living in an apartment complex. I had a conversation today with someone from work that "moving and living situations are temporary, even if they feel permanent" and that was a helpful reminder to me as even though I likely will not be... .I feel like I might be here forever. I don't want to be in my 50s and still hanging out at the complex pool with my girlfriends (as I encountered this weekend).

I know that there are benefits to living in such a location. It's fairly cheap- especially for the sq footage we have, there's a pool, and I don't ever have to do yardwork or personally fix things when they break. That is about where the pros end.

The cons, sometimes, seem a little more apparent on a day to day basis. There are the ants- which supposedly the complex took care of, but we still have. There was the day that we blew a fuse by 2 of us drying our hair and we had to call the maintenance department to come fix it b/c we can't access the breaker box ourselves. (I'm no electrician, but that is work I am certainly able to do on my own). And then there is the washer/dryer. It's a mini-stackable unit- and it sucks. It holds about 2 days worth of laundry at one time, and I run everything through the dryer twice and then still hang most of my stuff. Last week I went out and bought a second drying rack because one just wasn't cutting in anymore. Here is a photo of what my bedroom looks like on laundry day. Which takes up several hours a week because of the # of loads you have to do.

There are also the neighbors. Now, we have really not gotten to know any of our neighbors. My roommate met one, who rather indignantly accused her of being a college student (which she is not), I think in her mind that living across from a college student would be the greatest tragedy of her life. Next to that lady (and her sister) are a couple who we can't quite figure out. They are either generous foster parents, or they are running a meth lab. The husband is on oxygen and rarely comes out of the apt, but when he does, he is inevitably pulling his oxygen cart behind him while smoking, and yelling at someone in the complex for something (we first encountered him on move in day when we were using one of the excess handicap spots). There are people of all ages and of all ethnicities coming in and out of their apartment at literally all hours of the day and night. It is suspicious. but maybe they are just very hospitable people (who have never spoken to us).

One final (though this is certainly not an exclusive list) downside to the apartment is the smells. If my neighbors are smoking (which they do often), or cooking something spicy (or sauerkraut, which they also do often), it doesn't just smell out in the common area- it wafts right in through my bathroom vent. GROSS!!

Those are just some highlights into life at my [unnamed] apartment complex. What is it like where you live? I hope better....

achievements and disappointments

Today was a day of highs and lows. The low- my gym closed. Not "at the end of the day" closed, but closed- closed. As in, yesterday it was open, today it was not. Now, this is disappointing to me on several levels. The first of which is the fact that I paid for the month of June just a week ago, and that is money that I am not going to get back (really, i'm not. They said). That makes me angry.

But I am also disappointed because I genuinely liked my gym. I have grown emotionally attached to it in the last year and a half that I have been a member. They had good staff, good service, good equipment, GREAT classes with wonderful instructors- I loved it there. When I moved last summer I stayed at my gym- sure it's a 15-20 minute drive and costs more the twice the amount of the gym that is basically on my street, but I just LOVED my gym. I knew the people there and how it worked. I was planning to go last night- I had my yoga mat in my car for my favorite class, but couldn't bring myself to go in the heat (my car told me it was 103), and as it turns out, that would have been my last opportunity.

Adding insult to injury are the facts that I just finished the latest issue of SELF which always gets me more motivated, I've been planning to buy new running shoes this weekend, and it's summer- when I need the gym the most. I'm seriously in mourning. It's sad when a business that you've come to know and love disappears- and even more upsetting when you feel like they've gone out of their way to screw over their patrons and employees. Now, I realize that in the great scheme of life this is not great tragedy, but still, it's upsetting. jerks. To read more about this: http://www.inyork.com/local/ci_9535393

In happier news, I want to take a moment to celebrate my car, Lola the Corolla. She has served me loyally and well for the last 6 1/2 years (don't worry, she's not going anywhere), but today she hit a mileage that I feel is worth celebrating. I felt that it was worth taking a picture of, and yes, I stopped my car on the way to work this morning to take this picture (I am a nerd). Now, hopefully this will not jinx me, but in the years I have owned Lola, she has never failed me or left me stranded, she is a hard worker, and I love her. Sure, there is not a THING automatic about her.. .but she keeps me from being lazy. Lola, thanks for all you do!

GRADUATE!

Well folks, it is official, I am done with graduate school!! I had my graduation ceremony 3 weeks ago, last week I presented my final project, and this morning I put the FINAL product in the mail. It is done!! Last night after I finished all my edits and I emailed it off, I put all my notebooks and notes and books back on the bookshelf- it was a major accomplishment!

It feels good to have completed something that I have worked on for so long... The project itself I have been working on for almost a year, and the degree- I took my first 9 credits 6 years ago this summer! I can't believe it! I also can't believe that I actually finished. I distinctly remember a conversation that I had in my last year of Messiah when some of my friends were talking about getting further degrees and I said "When I graduate from here- I AM DONE. No more school for me!" And then 3 months later Geneva sucked me in. But I have loved the program, the classes, the work, the professors, the classmates, and the things that I have learned. It has truly been a wonderful experience- and now I have a Masters Degree!

The next part is the scary part... trying to put this degree to work! I'm going to be looking for jobs in higher education. The looking part is scary, but I am excited to work in this field. Hopefully there will be updates of that nature sooner than later, but for now, the church will do just fine.

more ants

So, after 3 days of traps everywhere, we seemed to have gotten the ant control at my desk and in the church lobby under control. There were a few entertaining mishaps, including one security guard picking up the traps not knowing what they were and not understanding why her hands were all sticky. (It was because she was covered in poison). But, as if the insect world is out to get me- we now have what appears to be the making of an ant problem in our apartment.

Now, before you accusing me of transporting them home, let me assure you that these are very different types of ants. At the church we have the itty bitty brown ones that you can barely see, while at the apartment we have the big black ones that are about a quarter inch long.

It all started early last week when I was sitting on my couch watching my tv when a big black ant dropped from the heating vent in the ceiling on to the floor right in front of me. It creeped me out a little, but I hoped it was an isolated incident. However, yesterday we found 4 in the kitchen throughout the day. And, I JUST got off the phone with Lindsey, there are 3 more. What am I doing wrong? I am a clean person. I don't leave food out, we vacuum at least once a week, I scrubbed the kitchen floor on Sunday on my hands and knees.... are we too clean? Are they facinated by this environment?

Don't get me wrong- we had mice in the office this winter and I certainly prefer ants to mice. But you know what I prefer even more to ants?... NOTHING. CLEAN. NO BUGS OR CRITTERS.

Is this too much to ask?