This is the first time ever that I've lived by myself for any sort of extended period of time. Both roommates will be back within the next couple weeks, which will be nice. When you live by yourself, there's just no one to talk to and there are no built in playmates! Plus, there's no one with whom to split the bills. And somehow you don't seem quite as lazy if you're lying around with other people watching 3 hours of TV as it does when you're alone. However, there are some perks to solitary confinement...
I can keep the place as clean (or messy) as I want! For me though, it's mainly just clean.
I can walk around in my underwear. Which, even if you have roommates, is fine if you're running from the dryer to your room with the pants you plan to wear. But it's usually frowned upon when you're just hanging out. Although Alanis Morrisette does advocate walking around naked in your living rooooom.
The temperature is always exactly right.
There's always space in the cabinets and in the fridge, and you don't have to constantly navigate around your roommate's 3-week old casserole that's growing moldy.
I can watch 4 episodes of Gilmore Girls without feeling like a sloth. Oh wait. Both my roommates and my good friends will watch 4 episodes with me...ok, so that's a moot point.
Even though there are some upsides to having a place all your own, I still like having people there. It's nice to say "good night" to someone and grunt "good morning." Plus, it's easier to talk someone into going for a reaaaally late night Frosty if they're already in the house, lying on the couch watching the same show as you. Just sayin'.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
I'd lose my mind if it wasn't decidely stuck inside my head
I seem to be losing things a lot lately. Well, only two things, but that's a lot for me! I lost my Runner ID tag (somewhere in Nashville? in the car? I brought it for the 1/2 marathon, but didn't wear it, and it didn't come home with me). And I lost my phone somewhere in Kampala. Agghh!!
I'm not absent-minded. I don't usually lose things. I mean, there is that one pair of sunglasses that lose themselves repeatedly, but they usually show up a few months later. They're currently missing (have been for about 4 months), but I have faith in the system.
I'm not absent-minded. I don't usually lose things. I mean, there is that one pair of sunglasses that lose themselves repeatedly, but they usually show up a few months later. They're currently missing (have been for about 4 months), but I have faith in the system.
Monday, June 29, 2009
"I'm not a bloody swimming pool, Harvey!"
When forced to, an individual can watch an alarming number of movies and television show episodes. I think I watched two movies and at least one television show per plane ride, which at 4 planes rides total equals 8 movies and four shows. Wow. I really do understand the warning that television will rot your brain. Or vacuum it; I don't remember the exact words at the moment.
Random moments from the trip:
Our first team bonding experience was in the Amsterdam airport on the way to Uganda. We had filled our Nalgene water bottles in the bathroom sink to take them on the plane. Who knew when we would get water again, right? then we get in line and see it: another set of security scanners. Which means we can't take water through. There were no plants, no sinks, no trash cans...so...we chugged 32 ounces of metallic bathroom sink water in about two minutes. I've never felt ill from drinking water until then. I almost threw up. Instead, we all had to pee like racehorses about twenty minutes into the flight.
We were in Kaberamaido at the end of a very long 11 days in the bush and just wanted to watch Sister Act. We settled in around 8, got comfortable, turned the movie on. We watched the first two lines of the first song and then...blackness. Lino said maybe the pumpkins (his term for children) were playing with it, so he and Haryet went out and turned it back on. And it goes back off. Come to find out, the lady who runs the place turned off the electricity because it was running out. We turned the lights on and it lasted until at least 11pm. I think part of us may have died a little that day.
Random moments from the trip:
Our first team bonding experience was in the Amsterdam airport on the way to Uganda. We had filled our Nalgene water bottles in the bathroom sink to take them on the plane. Who knew when we would get water again, right? then we get in line and see it: another set of security scanners. Which means we can't take water through. There were no plants, no sinks, no trash cans...so...we chugged 32 ounces of metallic bathroom sink water in about two minutes. I've never felt ill from drinking water until then. I almost threw up. Instead, we all had to pee like racehorses about twenty minutes into the flight.
We were in Kaberamaido at the end of a very long 11 days in the bush and just wanted to watch Sister Act. We settled in around 8, got comfortable, turned the movie on. We watched the first two lines of the first song and then...blackness. Lino said maybe the pumpkins (his term for children) were playing with it, so he and Haryet went out and turned it back on. And it goes back off. Come to find out, the lady who runs the place turned off the electricity because it was running out. We turned the lights on and it lasted until at least 11pm. I think part of us may have died a little that day.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Ten Things I Know About You
(or in this case, me :)
1. I secretly like Miracle Whip. It's disgusting and gross and I don't think I've had any in 8 years, but yes. I like it.
2. I'm a neat and clean freak. I like things put away and counters wiped down at the end of the day.
3. There are four episodes of Gilmore Girls per DVD and I definitely watch all four of them in one sitting. It's just not enough if you don't!
4. I always have my teddy bear (Lola) with me with I read or watch TV or a movie.
5. The first thing I do when I get home is change clothes, usually into something oversized and soft.
6. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite flavor, but Fudge Royal is a-mazing and quite underrated.
7. My current guilty pleasure TV shows are Millionaire Matchmaker, Real Housewives of Orange County (I've only seen a couple episodes but the level of shallow is astounding), and The Girls Next Door (I know! It's awful, and I actually don't really watch it because I don't agree with it on principle...but from the episodes I've seen, those gals are hysterical!). Ha.
8. I like things burnt, like grilled vegetables or those random burnt pretzels in the bag or an overly-toasted bagels or something. Mmmm :)
9. Winter is nice for a change of pace (as long as it doesn't last long), and Spring is beautiful and joyful, but Fall is my favorite season - the holidays, the weather, the way the air smells. But I think it's because I am Summer.
10. Brownies. Enough said.
1. I secretly like Miracle Whip. It's disgusting and gross and I don't think I've had any in 8 years, but yes. I like it.
2. I'm a neat and clean freak. I like things put away and counters wiped down at the end of the day.
3. There are four episodes of Gilmore Girls per DVD and I definitely watch all four of them in one sitting. It's just not enough if you don't!
4. I always have my teddy bear (Lola) with me with I read or watch TV or a movie.
5. The first thing I do when I get home is change clothes, usually into something oversized and soft.
6. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite flavor, but Fudge Royal is a-mazing and quite underrated.
7. My current guilty pleasure TV shows are Millionaire Matchmaker, Real Housewives of Orange County (I've only seen a couple episodes but the level of shallow is astounding), and The Girls Next Door (I know! It's awful, and I actually don't really watch it because I don't agree with it on principle...but from the episodes I've seen, those gals are hysterical!). Ha.
8. I like things burnt, like grilled vegetables or those random burnt pretzels in the bag or an overly-toasted bagels or something. Mmmm :)
9. Winter is nice for a change of pace (as long as it doesn't last long), and Spring is beautiful and joyful, but Fall is my favorite season - the holidays, the weather, the way the air smells. But I think it's because I am Summer.
10. Brownies. Enough said.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Where in the world...
am I?!
I fell asleep on the couch last night while watching Gilmore Girls, only to wake up about an hour later with NO CLUE where I was! I literally walked around the apartment trying to figure it out. I wound up in my room, and stared at the unpacking mess on the floor for a few minutes before I figured it out.
I woke up about 230 this morning and again couldn't figure out where I was! I put my feet down and thought, what is that? I haven't stood on carpet in a month! I got up to use the bathroom, and it wasn't until I was headed back to my bed that I remembered where I was. Oh word.
It is really strange being back here! Things smell differently and having A/C is weird. I don't have a phone and haven't talked to anyone stateside yet, so it's like I'm in some strange limbo between Africa and Atlanta. I'm going to get a phone today so hopefully it will help my brain connect to the real world! (keep praying that my phone shows up somewhere!)
Oh, and I forgot to mention in my post yesterday - when I was at the airport, I got my bags off and the drug dog started sniffing them! The guy was really nice, and I just opened up everything and of course there was nothing. Oh law. And then we went through the second security point and the guy there looked back and forth between my customs card and me like 3 or 4 times. I was thinking, oh my goodness, really? I have it stamped from the first guy! And then the second guy smiles, winks, and says, Just kidding. Have a nice day :)
I fell asleep on the couch last night while watching Gilmore Girls, only to wake up about an hour later with NO CLUE where I was! I literally walked around the apartment trying to figure it out. I wound up in my room, and stared at the unpacking mess on the floor for a few minutes before I figured it out.
I woke up about 230 this morning and again couldn't figure out where I was! I put my feet down and thought, what is that? I haven't stood on carpet in a month! I got up to use the bathroom, and it wasn't until I was headed back to my bed that I remembered where I was. Oh word.
It is really strange being back here! Things smell differently and having A/C is weird. I don't have a phone and haven't talked to anyone stateside yet, so it's like I'm in some strange limbo between Africa and Atlanta. I'm going to get a phone today so hopefully it will help my brain connect to the real world! (keep praying that my phone shows up somewhere!)
Oh, and I forgot to mention in my post yesterday - when I was at the airport, I got my bags off and the drug dog started sniffing them! The guy was really nice, and I just opened up everything and of course there was nothing. Oh law. And then we went through the second security point and the guy there looked back and forth between my customs card and me like 3 or 4 times. I was thinking, oh my goodness, really? I have it stamped from the first guy! And then the second guy smiles, winks, and says, Just kidding. Have a nice day :)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Some Days Just Aren't Your Days
And today is NOT my day.
Leaving for the airport, I reached for my phone so I could put it in my carry-on bag. I couldn't find my phone. It wasn't in the pocket in which I last remember putting it, and it wasn't anywhere in any of my bags. We called back to the house, but they couldn't find it. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and I unpacked everything - clothes, shoes, toilettries, souveiners (I have no idea how to spell that word) - into the dirty grass on the roadside. Nothing. My only comforting thought was that perhaps it had fallen into my big pack and I just overlooked it. I hadn't. I used Carson's phone to call Megan to have her pick me up from the airport and to call Mama to tell her I was home. I was in the custom's line and the lady yelled at me, so it was basically "Hi, I'm home. Call you later if I have a phone." Which I don't. Mama emailed and said to wait until Saturday to get a new one, in case the old one is found. I've been praying. I might not make it till Saturday.
Getting into Atlanta took forever. My customs agent took forever, while the other guys took about two minutes. Then we waited in baggage claim forever for our luggage. My flight got in at 145pm. I got home at 5pm.
And then. I get home and our internet doesn't work. I'm currently jacking someone elses. And then. I turned on the TV and nothing. It says something about the channels becoming available soon, but they aren't coming available. So I'm paying for cable and internet that I'm not getting, and I can't call about because I don't have a phone! And I'm alone in a quiet apartment with no access to the world.
All that, and then I get online to check emails and bank accounts and such and I learn that I overdrafted for the first time in my life. I left with money in the bank and came back with an overdraft. Yep.
And the reason why any of this is so bad is that I'm all alone here! My roomies are in different states doing summer things. I'm fine being alone in the apartment (it's kind of nice), but I can't call anyone to talk or coordinate hanging out. I can't communicate with anyone unless I'm online and they're online. Otherwise, it's just me. Alone :(
This day sucks. At least I don't have mango worm, I guess.
Leaving for the airport, I reached for my phone so I could put it in my carry-on bag. I couldn't find my phone. It wasn't in the pocket in which I last remember putting it, and it wasn't anywhere in any of my bags. We called back to the house, but they couldn't find it. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and I unpacked everything - clothes, shoes, toilettries, souveiners (I have no idea how to spell that word) - into the dirty grass on the roadside. Nothing. My only comforting thought was that perhaps it had fallen into my big pack and I just overlooked it. I hadn't. I used Carson's phone to call Megan to have her pick me up from the airport and to call Mama to tell her I was home. I was in the custom's line and the lady yelled at me, so it was basically "Hi, I'm home. Call you later if I have a phone." Which I don't. Mama emailed and said to wait until Saturday to get a new one, in case the old one is found. I've been praying. I might not make it till Saturday.
Getting into Atlanta took forever. My customs agent took forever, while the other guys took about two minutes. Then we waited in baggage claim forever for our luggage. My flight got in at 145pm. I got home at 5pm.
And then. I get home and our internet doesn't work. I'm currently jacking someone elses. And then. I turned on the TV and nothing. It says something about the channels becoming available soon, but they aren't coming available. So I'm paying for cable and internet that I'm not getting, and I can't call about because I don't have a phone! And I'm alone in a quiet apartment with no access to the world.
All that, and then I get online to check emails and bank accounts and such and I learn that I overdrafted for the first time in my life. I left with money in the bank and came back with an overdraft. Yep.
And the reason why any of this is so bad is that I'm all alone here! My roomies are in different states doing summer things. I'm fine being alone in the apartment (it's kind of nice), but I can't call anyone to talk or coordinate hanging out. I can't communicate with anyone unless I'm online and they're online. Otherwise, it's just me. Alone :(
This day sucks. At least I don't have mango worm, I guess.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Hi Ho! Hi Ho! To Africa we go!
Ok, so I wanted to write "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, we're going to Uganda, b****!" but thought that would be inappropriate considering the nature and purpose of the trip.
But we are going to Africa! Tomorrow I (and all other Student.Go folk) head to Birmingham, AL for some organized forced bonding - think trust falls and human knots - and then my team and I fly out on Saturday! We go through Atlanta and Amsterdam before ending in Entebbe, Uganda. Sweet.
I was thinking about what I wrote in my journal last night (I've been journaling about this trip since I found out I was going...I don't want to miss or not remember something! Also, since I want to work in the mission field, I figure the more documentation of the life process, the better!), and thought I'd share. I wrote about what I was afraid of (sorry, bad grammer). I started with things like, forgetting something really really important and being miserable the whole trip because of it. Or packing all the wrong things (clothes and accessories).
And then I got honest. The thought of peeing (or worse!) over a hole freaks me out. Not because it's a hole, but because (I said I was going to be honest) my leg muscles are really tight and sore all the time from running and so squatting is NOT a comfortable position for me!! Plus, what if (rather, when) I get sick to my stomach...yuck.
I'm anxious about the return transition - coming back to the US after a trip abroad usually sucks! Plus, I love being in close proximity with other people for most of the day. Even on shorter trips with friends, the first night I have to sleep by myself is miserable! And I know that I'm going to have to process a lot of stuff, and especially on a trip like this where I'll be seeing real poverty and disease...I won't want to live in comfy U.S. anymore. I already don't most times. And I know it's going to make me frustrated with people who don't see, or don't want to see, the rest of the world they live in.
I'm afraid I'll get there and insult or offend someone horribly. I'm afraid I'll be asked to speak and I won't have a thing to say. I'm afraid I'll be asked to give my testimony (or , oh law, PREACH) and I'm going to forget everything that's ever happened to me or everything that God has ever done in my life. I don't even know what my testimony is anymore - maybe I should write it out...
Anyhow, there are a lot of unknowns and uncertainties, but I am overwhelmingly ready to get this thing started!! I'm excited to meet more of God's people and see more of God's creation. I'm looking forward to having paradigms shifted and shattered, and I'm anticipating long days and short nights. I'm praying for strength and energy and health. I want to love and be used and be loved and be filled. I want to see big blue skies and green green grass.
I kind of just want to run and hug the world.
But we are going to Africa! Tomorrow I (and all other Student.Go folk) head to Birmingham, AL for some organized forced bonding - think trust falls and human knots - and then my team and I fly out on Saturday! We go through Atlanta and Amsterdam before ending in Entebbe, Uganda. Sweet.
I was thinking about what I wrote in my journal last night (I've been journaling about this trip since I found out I was going...I don't want to miss or not remember something! Also, since I want to work in the mission field, I figure the more documentation of the life process, the better!), and thought I'd share. I wrote about what I was afraid of (sorry, bad grammer). I started with things like, forgetting something really really important and being miserable the whole trip because of it. Or packing all the wrong things (clothes and accessories).
And then I got honest. The thought of peeing (or worse!) over a hole freaks me out. Not because it's a hole, but because (I said I was going to be honest) my leg muscles are really tight and sore all the time from running and so squatting is NOT a comfortable position for me!! Plus, what if (rather, when) I get sick to my stomach...yuck.
I'm anxious about the return transition - coming back to the US after a trip abroad usually sucks! Plus, I love being in close proximity with other people for most of the day. Even on shorter trips with friends, the first night I have to sleep by myself is miserable! And I know that I'm going to have to process a lot of stuff, and especially on a trip like this where I'll be seeing real poverty and disease...I won't want to live in comfy U.S. anymore. I already don't most times. And I know it's going to make me frustrated with people who don't see, or don't want to see, the rest of the world they live in.
I'm afraid I'll get there and insult or offend someone horribly. I'm afraid I'll be asked to speak and I won't have a thing to say. I'm afraid I'll be asked to give my testimony (or , oh law, PREACH) and I'm going to forget everything that's ever happened to me or everything that God has ever done in my life. I don't even know what my testimony is anymore - maybe I should write it out...
Anyhow, there are a lot of unknowns and uncertainties, but I am overwhelmingly ready to get this thing started!! I'm excited to meet more of God's people and see more of God's creation. I'm looking forward to having paradigms shifted and shattered, and I'm anticipating long days and short nights. I'm praying for strength and energy and health. I want to love and be used and be loved and be filled. I want to see big blue skies and green green grass.
I kind of just want to run and hug the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)