tweetybirdy07's Xanga

Resolutions Revisited

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:26:13 GMT

Ah, I believe I was a bit too enthusiastic about my resolutions last year. As we approach the end of 2009, I'm 0 for 3 with meeting my goals.

Read 52 books in 2009. This resolution was made because, after years of undergrad and graduate studies, I'd lost the habit of reading for fun. I didn't make it to 52 books this year (I realize that was highly ambitious), but I did manage to read 35. I'd say that is a definite improvement, so I'm happy with the results of this resolution. Of those 35 books, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Mad Church Disease, and To Kill a Mockingbird were my favorites.

Read the entire One Year Bible. I don't know why this task is always so difficult for me, but again this year I didn't manage to read the entire Bible. I'm considering looking into some shorter, more concentrated Bible reading plans instead. Perhaps, if the plan isn't tied to the calendar, I'll be more likely to complete it. There's just something that feels wrong about reading January 25 when it's indeed February 1, and I always seem to fall behind by a couple of days within the first month.

Memorize 24 Bible verses. I ended up memorizing 1 verse, and this was really a year when having memorized verses would have helped in the difficult circumstances. I may not follow such a strict plan, but I already have some verses that I want to memorize in the coming year.

I'm debating whether to make resolutions for 2010. I'm hoping to devote some time tomorrow to review the past year and decide if there's anything specific I want to work on in the next 12 months.

How did you do on your 2009 resolutions?

GPS: Yea or Nay?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:11:37 GMT

From the time I was a small child tall enough to see the world outside the car window, I have enjoyed taking in my surroundings on car rides. I was the child who could direct my friends' parents where to go, should they ever get lost. On the occasions when I do lose my way, I take the opportunity to discover a new place as I find my way to my destination. I'm the girl who cruised down Michigan Avenue one night because I'd decided to take a different route home from my class in Lincoln Park and just ended up on the Magnificent Mile. Let me tell you--it was truly a highlight of my life. I take pride in finding new shortcuts or discovering a new part of town.

Now that we're in the age of Google maps and Mapquest, I can easily spend hours studying maps of places I've been or places I'm planning to be. I am clearly a map nerd, but I proudly claim my nerdiness. I love directing Dave down a new road I discovered during my "studies" and exploring new places with him. And the times when we do get lost simply add to the fun.

Imagine, then, the internal tug-of-war I've endured since Dave received a GPS for his birthday. Sure, it comes in handy for him when he's driving to class or a new destination by himself. But, boy, do I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I happen to be in the car and "Samantha" is directing us where to go instead, especially when she takes too long to announce a turn I knew we had to take and we end up farther off course. It's been a bit of a hate (or at least strongly dislike) relationship that I've had with Samantha since we started relying on her instead of consulting Google maps. I never even took the time to figure out how she worked. This GPS nonsense was a foreign world for me, and not one I wanted to learn more about.

On Monday, when my husband was out for the evening, I took the GPS out to see how it worked. I suppose I was bored, because I would never willingly pick this device up to learn how it could assist me, the all-important navigator. As I checked out the different programs, I found one that may change my opinion about Samantha: the demo mode. Once you select your destination, Samantha takes you through your route, announcing each turn, and showing you exactly where you need to go. It's a little like an automated Google map, and it also gives you the chance to see side roads that may be better alternatives for an adventure.

Still, I'm not sure I'm completely sold on the idea of the GPS. I love the idea of learning a route myself and trusting my knowledge and instincts to get to the destination.

What do you think? Are you a GPS lover or a hater?

Snow Day?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:31:39 GMT

I have many memories of potential snow days from the years I spent in grade school. On one particular snow day's eve, I said to my friend, "They said we're supposed to get 6 inches of snow! We definitely won't have school tomorrow!" I can't remember the final snowfall totals, but I'm pretty sure we were at school the next day. Isn't that usually the way it goes? We catch the meteorologist's enthusiasm for the coming storm and become convinced this will be the storm that beats all storms, the one that guarantees a day off from school or work.

Tonight, as skeptical as I've become about weather forecasts and storm predictions, I have fallen into a snow day mind-set. My current mood is similar to the one I enter the night before a vacation day, void of worries of work or preparations for the next day. I have to remind myself that I must go to bed on time so I can actually get up to go to work tomorrow like I always do on a Wednesday morning. Still, that childhood anticipation of a snow day sneaks back in, and I fully expect a phone call from Dave's school early in the morning, declaring a day off for him. If that's the case, I'll probably work on the manuscript I brought home with me in our warm and cozy apartment instead of braving the roads.

Monday, Monday

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:38:16 GMT

I'm listening to BBC Radio Scotland as I type my latest update. It's a "Behind the Music" style show about "Auld Lang Syne," and it's actually quite interesting. Either that, or I'm just desperate for anything related to Scotland. I've been missing that country a lot lately. It's been almost two years since my last visit, and I'm feeling the itch to return. Dave's been missing it, too. We've talked about how, once we do get to go back, we're heading out for fish 'n chips. (And it will definitely be washed down with Irn Bru.) I hope to get back there soon.

Today was the first "significant" snowfall of the season. I laughed when I heard the meteorologists getting excited about it, because we had only about an inch. Now they're all hyped up about a major snowstorm that's headed our way in the next couple of days. No one really knows what's going to happen. You can tell by the different predictions. I've heard everything from 1" to 12" of the fluffy stuff. (I'm hoping for the inch.)

Oh, dear. I can tell this post is quickly going downhill if I'm discussing the weather! Goodness! Well, there's really not that much to write about these days. Life is still gloriously simple. I go to work, come home and make dinner, and send Dave off to class three evenings a week. Our weekends are full of sleeping in, lounging on the couch while catching up on the week's TV shows, attending church together, and eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I had no idea how well this lifestyle suits me until I became so busy that I was practically running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Unlike how I felt life was just a blur last spring, I now feel like I am able to experience life, fully aware of what is going on instead of running here, there, and everywhere. I'm so grateful that we bravely said no to a life that wasn't the best for us, even if it left us utterly dependent on God for where we'd be headed next. That's both the scariest and best place to be, but we've found He hasn't let go of our hands yet.

Welcome, Christmas!

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:34:18 GMT

When you go through premarital counseling, you are often given a list of subjects to talk about and work through so you're not surprised by your spouse's different beliefs/opinions/habits after the wedding and wonder who exactly this person is who you married. Popular topics include finances, family relationships/expectations, and other "easy" subjects. What was never mentioned in our premarital sessions was the topic of

decorating for Christmas.

Imagine my surprise last year when Dave was shocked that I wanted to decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Because of our busy schedule at the time, I wasn't able to decorate until the next week. This year, however, with our simplified life and schedule, I was all set to unpack those boxes and set up that tree on November 27. Again, Dave was surprised I wanted to rush into the Christmas season. After all, it was still November, a month we associate with pumpkin spice lattes, cornucopias, and fall leaves.

I realized he had a good point, especially since fall is my absolute favorite season. Why would I want to rush into the next, chilly season? We decided on a date of December 1 to decorate. Little by little, I sneaked in various Christmas decorations, like our stockings, the nativity set, our door wreath. But the tree box remained in storage until tonight.

We worked together to assemble the tree, fluffing the branches as we listened to Christmas music on the radio. Then it was my turn to put the finishing touches on the tree while Dave got a start on his homework. I put up the white lights, unpacked and placed the ornaments, then finished it up with red and silver garland. I had a little scare when a rebel group of my brand new lights decided to turn off after I'd finished the decorating. I found the problem, replaced the bulb, and smiled when the shimmering lights returned. Yay! Our Christmas 2009 decorating was complete.

Dave asked me if I was going to turn off all the living room lights to enjoy the tree (he knows me so well!), and I did, until we needed the light to finish our tasks. I made a cup of Cadbury's hot chocolate, settled in on the couch to watch BBC World News America, and found myself drifting away from the TV to admire our lovely tree.

It's a Family Affair

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:48:02 GMT

Last night, I laughed when I checked status updates on Facebook. Both my mom and brother had mentioned they were going to be watching the CMA Awards, and for the first time in years, I was planning to catch the show. Although my brother and I are grown up and moved out, there are still events that draw our family together while we are geographically miles apart, and that was the case last night.

About 20 minutes into the program, my phone rang. Without even glancing at the caller ID, I knew it was my mom calling to discuss the CMA Awards. We chatted about the hosts, the jokes, and my favorite group winning an award. (Go Lady Antebellum!) Of course, our entire conversation spanned the length of a commercial break before we hung up to watch more. We shared two more phone calls during the evening.

I love that country music is a common interest in my family. We've been to the Grand Ole Opry together. We've spent hours on vacation enjoying the many country radio stations we can choose from down south. I grew up listening to Southern gospel as my family rode home from church on Sunday nights. As much as you can joke about the stereotypes of country music and those who listen to it, I still proudly proclaim my allegiance to it. I'm glad I can share that appreciation with the rest of my family.

Christmas in November

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:17:54 GMT

Fall decorations are still on display in my home, but I've already begun thinking about Christmas. Most years, I am the one who waits until the week before Christmas to do my shopping. Considering I have relatives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, this means that they receive their gifts sometime after we've welcomed the new year. (Seriously, the first year I sent presents over--you know, when I was trying to impress my new boyfriend and his parents--the package got lost in the mail, arrived at my in-laws' house after Dave had left, and wasn't opened until sometime mid-January.)

I've spent the last few days brainstorming gift ideas, and with the exception of two people, I'm all set to get some serious shopping done. My goal is to have everything bought and the presents shipped by Thanksgiving. Of course, I didn't realize until today that I have just over two weeks to meet my goal. Oops!

Thoughts on Reuniting

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:30:04 GMT

This past Saturday was my five-year college reunion. I’ll admit that I spent most of the week figuring out what I could wear that would best show I was successful and happy with the way my life has turned out post-graduation. (Isn’t it funny how we as women put so much stock into our wardrobes? As if a certain outfit can fulfill all those goals I attached to it.)

So, dressed in my “perfect” outfit, I headed down to my alma mater with Dave to attend the breakfast reunion. We met up with my reunion buddy Kara before walking into the smallest room they could have chosen for a class reunion. Only a few tables were crammed into the tiny room, and when we got there, only a few seats were already occupied. We chose a spot perfect for people watching, and we observed the cliques of five years ago re-forming as people entered the room and headed straight to a table of old friends. Our table was a hodgepodge of my classmates, most of whom I’d been acquainted with in college but none who were close friends. Still, we were a friendly group, filling each other in on our lives after ONU.

Less than two hours after we first gathered in The Fishbowl (really, that’s the name of the room), we walked out of that room and made our way back to our present lives. It no longer mattered which side of the cafeteria we had sat on. Whether we’d held a student government office was no longer important. We were making our way back to our jobs, our spouses, our children, our hometowns far away from the place where we’d spent four years for college.

As I thought more about life after college, I realized just how far away that stage of my life really is and how significantly my life has changed. Five years ago, I was defined by my studies in the English department. I worked as a teacher’s assistant, grading papers for 10-15 hours a week. I’d spend my evenings eating dinner in the Red Room with my friends, then going to the newspaper office to work on the Features section or heading to a club meeting or hanging out with my roommates. I worried about graduating without an Mrs. Degree and wondered what my first job as a college graduate would be. I cried on the drive to my parents’ house after we’d packed up my apartment and I said good-bye to the place I’d called home for four years. Life outside of ONU was a scary unknown.

But today, with ONU as my foundation, I’ve climbed many, many steps and have a life completely different from the life I lived over five years ago. I’ve since earned a master’s degree from another university. I’m working my dream job. (Ironically, I’m still grading papers on the side). My husband has absolutely no connection to my alma mater, except that he married me. My church isn’t Nazarene. Most of my current friends attended different colleges and graduated in different years. Life is very different now, but I’d dare to say, as much fun as I had at ONU, my life is even better than those four years I spent there.

On the Mend

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:46:18 GMT

When I visited the doctor during my "week of the flu," she told me that the flu season usually doesn't begin until the end of October. However, with the introduction of the ever-popular swine flu, the season began much earlier than anticipated. I don't know about you, but it seems like everyone around me is catching some bug, whether it's the flu, a cold, bronchitis--whatever.

Such has been the case in our household. The first day I was fever free, Dave came down with what we assumed was the flu. His "flu" lasted only 24 hours, though, so that assumption was quickly thrown out the window. After a couple of days, he came down with what we guessed was a cold--but it stuck around for longer than the usual seven days.

So tonight, it was Dave's turn to visit the nurse practitioner at the Walgreens clinic. After a two-hour wait (I told you it seems everyone is ill), he got checked out. Diagnosis? Sinus infection. With a prescription for antibiotics in hand and some Nyquil to ease the symptoms, he's all set to nip this ol' sinus infection in the bud.

I honestly can't remember what it was like to have a healthy family. One of us has been ill for the better part of a month. Isn't that crazy? I'm really hoping this was just our way of getting illness out of the way for the rest of our cold and flu season. In the meantime, I'm reviewing all the natural ways of boosting your immune system. Other than the obvious (get sleep, exercise, wash your hands regularly), do you have any tips for keeping illness away this year?

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:56:28 GMT

I met one of our neighbors tonight as I unloaded our clothes from the washing machine. She had walked down to the basement to check out our new washers and dryers, just as I had done as soon as I'd gotten home from work. Our conversation started with the obvious topic--how the new machines worked and wondering why we only got two of each instead of three to replace the three old washers and three old dryers. Then, as I put my laundry basket on the table, we started talking about my neighbor's unemployment. She hasn't been able to find a job since she lost hers in January. She told me of her daily routine of heading to the library to look on the Internet for anything that's available. She shared her worries of running out of money and having to leave the place she's called home for ten years. It became quite a revealing conversation, considering I still hadn't learned her name.

I made sure to ask what her name was before heading back upstairs, and as we parted ways, I told her it was nice to finally meet her and talk to her for a bit. It was not simply a polite remark to make to a new acquaintance. I could hear the sadness in her voice, even as she ended most sentences with a laugh. I could sense her loneliness as she shared with me, a stranger, about some of her fears. No, I wasn't saying it was nice to talk with her just to be polite. I was privileged to be her friend, a listening ear, if only for ten minutes.