Festival: It's Sunday, and our community festival is over. It was a good day and the event went really well, but by the time it was over, I was so tired. I think I slept for 11 hours last night, and today I'm taking it easy and spending all day at home.
Political Ads: I am so sick of political ads, that I really don't want to vote for any of the candidates. Right now, I'm watching the second commercial break with at least three ads. I can't wait for November 7 to be over.
T-3 days: The festival is in just three short days, less if you consider the time I'm writing this (no wonder I have such a hard time getting to work on time in the morning). Nick and I met to go over the last minute details - what's left to be done, what things we need to communicate to the group tomorrow night, etc. I'm amazed at how little there really is - I expected to be overwhelmed and absolutely frantic by now. But, we've covered everything we can think of. I'm sure there are things that will crop up, but there's not much point worrying about what I don't know. I've been over all the parts to the festival in my head several times, walking through each piece and trying to capture the little things - trash bags for the food tent, posts to actually hang the signs being created, the benefits of handing out bags at the registration table vs. the Bridge Church table.
One thing I will say - I knew this type of thing would involve a ton of little details, and I wonder sometimes if others know just how many it includes. But I've really enjoyed the process - I could see myself doing event planning someday, as a side business. Though it might need to be something that I was personally invested in, in order to be interesting.
Another thing - thank goodness Nick has the amount of available time during the week that he does. He's busy, I know that, but trying to remember to make the phone calls that I need to while I'm in the middle of the workday is just a general pain.
Cooking: I've been on this cooking kick lately, which means that most people in my life are guinea pigs. I've even been trying new stuff on my own, which is not a common thing. No real flops yet, though there are couple things that I haven't enjoyed so much myself. I think its more of an issue of personal taste than anything else.
I made these Lasagna Rolls tonight, and they were so good! I think I would use it more for entertaining than just for me, because it's a lot of hands-on prep time and a lot of dishes just for me. I'd love to make it for Mom and my sisters sometime, if there's ever an opportunity for that when Dad isn't eating with us (he wouldn't eat it, because he doesn't like spinach).
One thing I will say - I knew this type of thing would involve a ton of little details, and I wonder sometimes if others know just how many it includes. But I've really enjoyed the process - I could see myself doing event planning someday, as a side business. Though it might need to be something that I was personally invested in, in order to be interesting.
Another thing - thank goodness Nick has the amount of available time during the week that he does. He's busy, I know that, but trying to remember to make the phone calls that I need to while I'm in the middle of the workday is just a general pain.
Cooking: I've been on this cooking kick lately, which means that most people in my life are guinea pigs. I've even been trying new stuff on my own, which is not a common thing. No real flops yet, though there are couple things that I haven't enjoyed so much myself. I think its more of an issue of personal taste than anything else.
I made these Lasagna Rolls tonight, and they were so good! I think I would use it more for entertaining than just for me, because it's a lot of hands-on prep time and a lot of dishes just for me. I'd love to make it for Mom and my sisters sometime, if there's ever an opportunity for that when Dad isn't eating with us (he wouldn't eat it, because he doesn't like spinach).
Friends: My friend Kate is visiting this weekend from Delaware (Dela-where?). It's fun to have her visit, because I don't need to plan anything ahead of time. We just slept in yesterday, and did whatever we wanted when we woke up. This morning we're checking out a church service I've been wanting to go to, then I'm not really sure what we're doing after that.
Festival: Our first annual Bridge Community Festival is less than a week away, and I think we're probably moving through the things to do pretty well. I need to spend some time this week brainstorming and making sure that we've got all of the small details covered. The biggest thing we need at this point is help - there's enough to do that we'll be going nuts if we're all doing it ourselves.
I'm excited about it, but also a little nervous. It's a huge undertaking.
Festival: Our first annual Bridge Community Festival is less than a week away, and I think we're probably moving through the things to do pretty well. I need to spend some time this week brainstorming and making sure that we've got all of the small details covered. The biggest thing we need at this point is help - there's enough to do that we'll be going nuts if we're all doing it ourselves.
I'm excited about it, but also a little nervous. It's a huge undertaking.
Hockey: I went to a hockey game tonight. The very first game I ever went to was while I was in college, and the only thing I really remember about it is the disappointment that there were no fights. Well, there were some good ones tonight!
Work: Work has been absolutely ridiculous, not because it's been busy - just the opposite. Because of contract and security issues, I've been virtually unable to work for the past two weeks. I could read and send email, and I could access most websites - except the one I needed to do all of my work. We finally got things straightened out at the end of the day Friday, so Monday should be much better.
Work: Work has been absolutely ridiculous, not because it's been busy - just the opposite. Because of contract and security issues, I've been virtually unable to work for the past two weeks. I could read and send email, and I could access most websites - except the one I needed to do all of my work. We finally got things straightened out at the end of the day Friday, so Monday should be much better.
General Update: Sometimes, I don't post for a while because there's nothing going on. Sometimes, there's just too much going on.
I've had several pretty busy weekends over the last month - friends and family visiting two weekends in a row, and then back in Frederick last weekend. Don't get me wrong, it's been great, but as I tend to use weekends to unwind a bit, it's been a little crazy.
Last weekend in Frederick was pretty insane - Jacob's 3rd birthday party was Saturday morning, and then Brenda's funeral in the afternoon. I ended up staying way too late on Sunday, but I got to chill a little and go shopping with Mom, so it was worth it.
Also - somebody decided to vandalize my parents' neighborhood and others early Saturday morning, and shot a BB gun through the window of Kelli's car. See? Crazy stuff.
I've had several pretty busy weekends over the last month - friends and family visiting two weekends in a row, and then back in Frederick last weekend. Don't get me wrong, it's been great, but as I tend to use weekends to unwind a bit, it's been a little crazy.
Last weekend in Frederick was pretty insane - Jacob's 3rd birthday party was Saturday morning, and then Brenda's funeral in the afternoon. I ended up staying way too late on Sunday, but I got to chill a little and go shopping with Mom, so it was worth it.
Also - somebody decided to vandalize my parents' neighborhood and others early Saturday morning, and shot a BB gun through the window of Kelli's car. See? Crazy stuff.
About me: I couldn't tell you why, but I've been feeling introspective lately, and have been doing a lot of self-analyzing. It might have something to do with being a part of the Bridge Church, with the studies we've been doing at Life group, and the way that being part of something new and big makes me consider my gifts and my best fit. It may also be the move to a new place and having the time to think about things now that life has settled down a bit. Regardless, here's what I've figured out so far.
I'm creative. I used to think that creativity equaled artistry. I'm not artistic, but I am creative.
I'm analytical. I can analyze anything to death. This is not always a good thing, but sometimes it is.
I don't follow through. I actually really stink at following through. Come to my house and I'll tell you all about my plans for it. But if it involves anything more than buying the supplies and hiring someone else to do it, it takes me forever to get around to finishing.
That's it for now.
New design: Oh, and the new design? I made it. I took a basic design from Blogger and changed the colors and some of the other details, and I added the photos and the rotating quotes in the header (refresh your browser to see different quote). Yep, I'm creative. I figured, I do this kind of thing often enough in my job, I ought to do it for me every now and then.
I'm creative. I used to think that creativity equaled artistry. I'm not artistic, but I am creative.
I'm analytical. I can analyze anything to death. This is not always a good thing, but sometimes it is.
I don't follow through. I actually really stink at following through. Come to my house and I'll tell you all about my plans for it. But if it involves anything more than buying the supplies and hiring someone else to do it, it takes me forever to get around to finishing.
That's it for now.
New design: Oh, and the new design? I made it. I took a basic design from Blogger and changed the colors and some of the other details, and I added the photos and the rotating quotes in the header (refresh your browser to see different quote). Yep, I'm creative. I figured, I do this kind of thing often enough in my job, I ought to do it for me every now and then.
Goodbye: I found out a couple days that a dear friend had died recently, after a long battle with lung cancer.
Brenda was a member of the church I grew up in for as long as I can remember. She was a youth leader my senior year, and I was in youth group with her son and daughter for years. She was an incredible woman - I loved talking to her. She loved Christ, and she was one of the most genuine people I knew.
While I'm saddened that she is gone, and my heart breaks for her family, I'm grateful that she is no longer hurting, and that she is in the presence of God.
Brenda was a member of the church I grew up in for as long as I can remember. She was a youth leader my senior year, and I was in youth group with her son and daughter for years. She was an incredible woman - I loved talking to her. She loved Christ, and she was one of the most genuine people I knew.
While I'm saddened that she is gone, and my heart breaks for her family, I'm grateful that she is no longer hurting, and that she is in the presence of God.
Remembering: With the 5-year anniversary of 9/11 earlier this week, I've been doing some thinking.
I was working on a project in downtown Chicago when the attacks occurred, and was driving to the train station when I heard the news on the radio. I still remember the song that was playing - Eve 6's "Here's To The Night." I heard about the New York attacks in the car, and the Pentagon attacks while I was on the train. By the time I got to work, I ended up turning around right away. I think there's something about wanting to be at home, with friends and family, during a time like this, but there was also the real uncertainty about whether Chicago was also going to be target. The train schedule was completely abandoned, as they pulled a train into the station, loaded everyone on it that could fit, and pulled out, just to pull another train in. I spent the commute standing up, trying to get in touch with my parents on my cell phone. I finally got through near the end of the trip, and Dad assured me that as far as he knew, our family in New York and around DC were all safe. I spent the rest of that day and the next in front of the TV watching the news, occaisionally doing something else, but with the news always as a background.
I remember thinking that day that the world as I knew it had changed, that the idea of war and battle would be a part of our lives and not just the words of history. And, for a while, that was true.
The problem is, I forget that we're at war. I always had this impression of the World War II era, that everyone had a good friend or family member fighting, that they scoured newspaper reports of those who had died, praying they didn't recognize any names on the list. That might be an overly-dramatized impression, but nonetheless, that's what I expected. But here I am, working for the Navy on the largest naval base in the world, and I can actually forget we're at war.
I know a few people who have had tours in Iraq, more if I count less-than-direct connections (a friend from home, the son of someone at my parents' church, my friend's cousin, another friend's fiance). Still it doesn't feel real, and it doesn't feel like my life is different because we're at war. Shouldn't it, though?
I was working on a project in downtown Chicago when the attacks occurred, and was driving to the train station when I heard the news on the radio. I still remember the song that was playing - Eve 6's "Here's To The Night." I heard about the New York attacks in the car, and the Pentagon attacks while I was on the train. By the time I got to work, I ended up turning around right away. I think there's something about wanting to be at home, with friends and family, during a time like this, but there was also the real uncertainty about whether Chicago was also going to be target. The train schedule was completely abandoned, as they pulled a train into the station, loaded everyone on it that could fit, and pulled out, just to pull another train in. I spent the commute standing up, trying to get in touch with my parents on my cell phone. I finally got through near the end of the trip, and Dad assured me that as far as he knew, our family in New York and around DC were all safe. I spent the rest of that day and the next in front of the TV watching the news, occaisionally doing something else, but with the news always as a background.
I remember thinking that day that the world as I knew it had changed, that the idea of war and battle would be a part of our lives and not just the words of history. And, for a while, that was true.
The problem is, I forget that we're at war. I always had this impression of the World War II era, that everyone had a good friend or family member fighting, that they scoured newspaper reports of those who had died, praying they didn't recognize any names on the list. That might be an overly-dramatized impression, but nonetheless, that's what I expected. But here I am, working for the Navy on the largest naval base in the world, and I can actually forget we're at war.
I know a few people who have had tours in Iraq, more if I count less-than-direct connections (a friend from home, the son of someone at my parents' church, my friend's cousin, another friend's fiance). Still it doesn't feel real, and it doesn't feel like my life is different because we're at war. Shouldn't it, though?
Painting: Finally done. For now, at least. Until I do the kitchen, which will probably not be for a couple weeks.
Visitors: Friends are coming for a visit this weekend, and my sisters and nephew are coming next weekend. The weekend after that, I'll be in Frederick for Jake's birthday party, then two weeks later my parents and grandmother are coming for the weekend. It sounds a little overwhelming to read it like that, and with the big push I'm under to get the house back in order, it is, a little. But I love it. Hopefully I'll still say that after another month.
Motivation: I always seem to need external motivation to get things done, which is why I'm actually getting a lot done this week, trying to put my house back in order after the floors were refinished and I finished painting the living and dining rooms and hallway. It's an insane way to get things done, because it's so stressful, but I have to fight for motivation any other way.
Visitors: Friends are coming for a visit this weekend, and my sisters and nephew are coming next weekend. The weekend after that, I'll be in Frederick for Jake's birthday party, then two weeks later my parents and grandmother are coming for the weekend. It sounds a little overwhelming to read it like that, and with the big push I'm under to get the house back in order, it is, a little. But I love it. Hopefully I'll still say that after another month.
Motivation: I always seem to need external motivation to get things done, which is why I'm actually getting a lot done this week, trying to put my house back in order after the floors were refinished and I finished painting the living and dining rooms and hallway. It's an insane way to get things done, because it's so stressful, but I have to fight for motivation any other way.
Painting: Yep, still painting. Deadline to finish is the end of the day tomorrow, because I need Monday and the rest of the week to set everything back up again.
Ernesto: Welcome to my first hurricane season living near the coast. Not too big a deal all in all - it took forever to get to work, only to turn around almost right away because the base was closed to non-essential personnel (this is when it feels very good to be non-essential). That was weird - I'm used to unexpected holidays from work in the winter (because of snow), not the summer. Norfolk floods like crazy, especially the main road I travel on my way to work, so that was an interesting adventure. I've seen enough cars stranded in standing water that I'm not taking any chances.
There are several houses a few blocks from mine with docks on the Elizabeth River, and many of those were either underwater, or hovering just above it. Oh, and I lost power for several hours (along with many others) - I can't say exactly how long because I wasn't home when it went off or came back on, but it was several hours. I painted while I had enough daylight, then played around on the computer until the battery died, then called friends and invited myself over for a couple hours.
Ernesto: Welcome to my first hurricane season living near the coast. Not too big a deal all in all - it took forever to get to work, only to turn around almost right away because the base was closed to non-essential personnel (this is when it feels very good to be non-essential). That was weird - I'm used to unexpected holidays from work in the winter (because of snow), not the summer. Norfolk floods like crazy, especially the main road I travel on my way to work, so that was an interesting adventure. I've seen enough cars stranded in standing water that I'm not taking any chances.
There are several houses a few blocks from mine with docks on the Elizabeth River, and many of those were either underwater, or hovering just above it. Oh, and I lost power for several hours (along with many others) - I can't say exactly how long because I wasn't home when it went off or came back on, but it was several hours. I painted while I had enough daylight, then played around on the computer until the battery died, then called friends and invited myself over for a couple hours.
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