Monday, August 29, 2011

i survived hurricane irene!


Hurricane Irene has finally come & gone! I think it hit just about every major city on the east coast as it blew through this weekend. Lucky for us, we really had no damage other than the power still being out as per usual. Oh yeah, and just a little personal property damage, like a broken foot. Yes, a broken foot. Brie, Matt and I thought it would be really fun to go out in the middle of the storm and dance. It was really fun until I bit it on the driveway. (see video below) I will never live this down. I went to bed that night with a throbbing foot and the next day Brie and Matt thought I was faking a hobble to get out of work. Sunday I cried enough to make my parents concerned and they took me to the ER where we found out I had, indeed, broken my swollen foot. The whole ER visit was actually rather comical. When the x-ray tech took me back and x-rayed my foot she went to leave the room and said, "I'll be right back, I'm going to grab a wheelchair." and I said, "IS IT THAT BAD??!?" to which she quickly replied, "Let's just say you walked in here and you're being wheeled out." Worst. They splinted me up and today I went to the ortho to receive my hot pink cast which I will be wearing for 6 weeks (over my dead body). This has got to be the worst case scenario. Six weeks at home. No work. No driving. I keep going through a roller coaster of emotions where I find myself hysterically laughing (this WOULD happen to me) to hysterically crying (WHY did this happen to me?) And even though it is pretty funny, I'm super bummed. I have worked so hard these past few months, working 2-3 jobs alllll the time only to arrive right back at square one. The goal was to save up and move out ASAP and now I am confined to my house. I don't get it. I just don't get it. My parents already act like I am a huge inconvenience and now I can't work, drive, or bear weight on my foot yet I am expected to keep up with all of my bills, including this new medical one. When I asked God for a break this isn't exactly what I meant. I'm not quite sure how I am going to juggle everything these next few months but I'm trying to take comfort in knowing that this happened for some reason. And now...for what you have all been waiting for...my broken bone caught on camera!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

forces of nature


Maybe this is God's way of telling me to get out of VA...

EARTH
5.9 Earthquake

WIND
Hurricane Irene

FIRE
Dismal Swamp Fire


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Thursday, August 11, 2011

now is good

One of my friends just recently finished reading Priscilla Shrier's book "One in a Million" and posted a blog entry about some of the most relevant takeaways she had learned from reading it. Reading her blog triggered a flood of memories of my own experience reading that life changing book. After all, it was about this time last year that I finished it. Remember?

There was one particular little excerpt my friend pointed out that really struck a chord with me this time around and I couldn't help but re-post it here:

"So when the time for weeping came to an end, it meant they (the Israelites) chose to stop participating in the act of mourning. And at some point, like the children of Israel, we too must choose not to participate in mournful acts anymore. This doesn't mean our hearts are no longer saddened or that tears no longer fall from our eyes. It just means we've stopped acting in a way that keeps us focused on what we've lost or left behind. This isn't easy for me to suggest to you because it isn't easy for me to do. To stop acting sad when I feel sad is difficult. I still enjoy talking about the details of my hurt feelings on the phone with my girlfriends and rehearsing the issues in my mind, dwelling on the sacrifices I've made (or have been forced to make). But at some point mourning is no longer appropriate. We must move on. A new day is dawning. It always does when God is drawing us toward the Promised Land."

For a long time I was pretty hurt and kind of sad. It felt like everyday wasn't necessarily getting worse, but it definitely wasn't getting any better. And I don't know that there was ever actually an "Aha!" moment where things started to click and 180 themselves into something better, but little by little, day by day, things really are getting there. I find myself goofing off more, laughing, and genuinely getting back to my old self. What a whirlwind this year has been! I almost feel a little like Alice in Wonderland when she fell through the rabbit hole and did so much changing she hardly knew who she was...

"Who are YOU?" said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for conversation.
Alice replied, rather shyly, "I -- I hardly know, sir, just a the present -- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."

Some days I didn't feel like myself at all. I've been through a lot of changes this year and I know its only so that the Lord can make me better. I have to remind myself of that when challenges are placed in front of me - only so that I can get better, so that I can be better.

My only regret now is (also in the words of Alice herself) ...
"I wish I hadn't cried so much."

Friday, August 5, 2011

Thursday, August 4, 2011

trumpet, the trumpet

Sometimes I really wish I had some secret musical talent. Truth is, my musical talent doesn't go much further than guitar hero (which counts, right?) For the record I know 3 songs on the piano and oh yeah, there was that entire year/semester in middle school when I played the trumpet. Yes, the trumpet. I still can't help but laugh looking back on it, esp. the fact that I was even in band to begin with. Can you imagine? I think it must have been a requirement in middle school because everyone I know took at least 1 year or semester of band. So why in the world did I choose the trumpet? Well, I like to think that the instrument chose me but there are three good reasons why we were united. 1) Drums were too heavy. 2) For some reason I could not play woodwind instruments so my dreams of playing saxophone were quickly crushed. But mostly I blame numero 3) Mambo #5. Trumpet, the trumpet!