To my knowledge, I have nothing meaningful to say in this post. I only seek to vent my rage.
The windows in our not-so-new apartment leak bugs. Mainly fruit flies. They mostly mingle in and around the garbage can. When you open the lid to dispose of some foul thing, it's like spontaneous generation was never disproved. But on Saturday, after a moist encounter with emptying the trash -- the details are not worth going into -- I discovered that fruit flies don't stay in the garbage if there is no waste in there.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Friday, August 12, 2011
West Virginia trip
This is just the e-mail I sent out to those who asked for a daily update throughout the week, and I thought I'd share for those who just wanted to know how things went :)
Dear Friends,
First, an apology is in order, both for my West Virginia team, and for myself. We fully expected to send out daily e-mails about how our trip was going, but once we got there, our team leader was a little overwhelmed and found out that there was not enough time in the days to report to our church secretary every day to share our news. So, as you well know, we got in contact with church once the whole week. A sad excuse for e-mail updates! Sorry from my team!
Also, a sorry from myself, because I kept meaning to write a follow-up e-mail and thank you to all those who supported me with money and showered me with prayers about this trip. It has sadly taken me almost two weeks of being home to sit down and write to share with you all the wonderful things that went on during our trip to West Virginia.
I’ll give a basic overview of the week, some fun stories and a few little tidbits that I learned, all while trying to be brief… We’ll see how this goes!
We arrived Saturday after about 11 hours of driving. Apparently there were awful floods in Chicago, which we were graced with safe travel through. I was asleep, so didn’t see any of the wreckage, but from what I heard, we just missed the really bad rains by about an hour! Praise God!
Sunday we went to meet with Etta and the other home owners. All 19 of us squeezed into Etta’s living room. It was a beautiful reunion for those of us who knew her before, and those who hadn’t were so excited to share in meeting our wonderful friend! Her daughter and granddaughter, Tammi and Taya, were there as well! Taya had been to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House, and she showed us the commemorative egg she got there. I was SO jealous. My idol, Dolly Madison, was the one who started the Egg Roll, and I have always wanted to be a part of the tradition. So, the closest I got was holding the fake egg.
Monday, we started working. I learned a little about plumbing. I helped install a new sink vanity set in Thelma Brown’s house. We took the box it came in and made “Spaceship Cheese” with Octavian, Thelma’s great-grandson, one of many! He’s five, and he is quite a hoot!
Tuesday, more work. I painted in one of the bedrooms in Thelma’s house.
Wednesday, we had the afternoon off. In the morning, I finished up painting in the bedroom. Marie, whose roof we repaired, made us the most beautiful meal of all time! Fried chicken and ribs, with hand-made rolls that could put Texas Road House to shame! Then we spent the afternoon at Valley Worlds of Fun, which is where Tammi works. It’s like a small Chuck E. Cheese’s or Fun World with outdoor rides and activities as well. They had bumper boats – the best thing for relief from the heat! They also had a really cool mini-golf course where each hole was another country. We golfed – or sort of golfed, since I don’t really play by golf rules – with Taya. She spends a lot of time there since her mom works there, and so she’d say, “I know which country comes next. It’s got a BIG population!” She is just too precious!
Thursday, we rented a carpet shampooer for the bedroom I had painted, because the granddaughter who had lived in it had spilled and carelessly left everything to stain. We would have felt awful leaving it as dirty as she had, so we did our best to clean it up a bit. Many of the big stains came out!
Friday, there was not much work left to do, so after we finished up the few remaining loose ends, we spent the day with Etta, watching soap operas. A few of us ladies went with her to look for a couch. She had been wanting a new one for some time. It was fun to go looking with her. Then, we all went to this cute little restaurant called the Poky Dot. It’s a 50’s style diner. Their ice cream is pretty cheap and comes in colossal proportions! That night there was a dinner for all the hosts whose houses we had worked at. It was nice to eat a meal with Etta, Tammi, Taya, Marie, Nicki (her granddaughter), and Cedric (Nicki’s son).
All week, Pastor Adam Powers spoke to us about Jonah back at the camp. It was very refreshing to have God’s Word spoken each day. We also met some teens from a church in Sparta, Illinois. It was really great to bond with God’s people from all over. But one of my favorite parts of the trip, both this time and last, was growing in relationship with those from Cornerstone itself. I have found it so valuable to know the people you attend church with every Sunday. I even got to know people from church who I had only met in passing.
Thank you again for all your prayers throughout the weeks surrounding my trip. Thank you for your patience with not receiving updates. I would love to talk more in depth about the trip if any of you have questions!
In Christ’s Love,
Audrey Moore
Dear Friends,
First, an apology is in order, both for my West Virginia team, and for myself. We fully expected to send out daily e-mails about how our trip was going, but once we got there, our team leader was a little overwhelmed and found out that there was not enough time in the days to report to our church secretary every day to share our news. So, as you well know, we got in contact with church once the whole week. A sad excuse for e-mail updates! Sorry from my team!
Also, a sorry from myself, because I kept meaning to write a follow-up e-mail and thank you to all those who supported me with money and showered me with prayers about this trip. It has sadly taken me almost two weeks of being home to sit down and write to share with you all the wonderful things that went on during our trip to West Virginia.
I’ll give a basic overview of the week, some fun stories and a few little tidbits that I learned, all while trying to be brief… We’ll see how this goes!
We arrived Saturday after about 11 hours of driving. Apparently there were awful floods in Chicago, which we were graced with safe travel through. I was asleep, so didn’t see any of the wreckage, but from what I heard, we just missed the really bad rains by about an hour! Praise God!
Sunday we went to meet with Etta and the other home owners. All 19 of us squeezed into Etta’s living room. It was a beautiful reunion for those of us who knew her before, and those who hadn’t were so excited to share in meeting our wonderful friend! Her daughter and granddaughter, Tammi and Taya, were there as well! Taya had been to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House, and she showed us the commemorative egg she got there. I was SO jealous. My idol, Dolly Madison, was the one who started the Egg Roll, and I have always wanted to be a part of the tradition. So, the closest I got was holding the fake egg.
Monday, we started working. I learned a little about plumbing. I helped install a new sink vanity set in Thelma Brown’s house. We took the box it came in and made “Spaceship Cheese” with Octavian, Thelma’s great-grandson, one of many! He’s five, and he is quite a hoot!
Tuesday, more work. I painted in one of the bedrooms in Thelma’s house.
Wednesday, we had the afternoon off. In the morning, I finished up painting in the bedroom. Marie, whose roof we repaired, made us the most beautiful meal of all time! Fried chicken and ribs, with hand-made rolls that could put Texas Road House to shame! Then we spent the afternoon at Valley Worlds of Fun, which is where Tammi works. It’s like a small Chuck E. Cheese’s or Fun World with outdoor rides and activities as well. They had bumper boats – the best thing for relief from the heat! They also had a really cool mini-golf course where each hole was another country. We golfed – or sort of golfed, since I don’t really play by golf rules – with Taya. She spends a lot of time there since her mom works there, and so she’d say, “I know which country comes next. It’s got a BIG population!” She is just too precious!
Thursday, we rented a carpet shampooer for the bedroom I had painted, because the granddaughter who had lived in it had spilled and carelessly left everything to stain. We would have felt awful leaving it as dirty as she had, so we did our best to clean it up a bit. Many of the big stains came out!
Friday, there was not much work left to do, so after we finished up the few remaining loose ends, we spent the day with Etta, watching soap operas. A few of us ladies went with her to look for a couch. She had been wanting a new one for some time. It was fun to go looking with her. Then, we all went to this cute little restaurant called the Poky Dot. It’s a 50’s style diner. Their ice cream is pretty cheap and comes in colossal proportions! That night there was a dinner for all the hosts whose houses we had worked at. It was nice to eat a meal with Etta, Tammi, Taya, Marie, Nicki (her granddaughter), and Cedric (Nicki’s son).
All week, Pastor Adam Powers spoke to us about Jonah back at the camp. It was very refreshing to have God’s Word spoken each day. We also met some teens from a church in Sparta, Illinois. It was really great to bond with God’s people from all over. But one of my favorite parts of the trip, both this time and last, was growing in relationship with those from Cornerstone itself. I have found it so valuable to know the people you attend church with every Sunday. I even got to know people from church who I had only met in passing.
Thank you again for all your prayers throughout the weeks surrounding my trip. Thank you for your patience with not receiving updates. I would love to talk more in depth about the trip if any of you have questions!
In Christ’s Love,
Audrey Moore
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Lithuania
Next semester, I am going to Lithuania to study abroad! I started a new blog to write about it:
http://2touchthestars.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
http://2touchthestars.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Almost Home!
SO...
I have one more week of classes, a week of exams, then there's no place like home! Before I go, I'd like to take some time to make a final comparison between home and school -- this is for you, Kaia!
At school, I have the mentality that I have to take care of myself, so I'm good at it.
At home, I become rather dependent on my mom ... it's almost embarrasing.
At school, I have to call home if I want to talk to my family.
At home, they're there!
At school, I miss Kaia.
At home, I miss Kaia.
At school, I feel the need to set aside time to clean my room.
At home, I just don't.
At school, I recognize that I am learning and absorbing at every moment.
At home, I hope to remember that.
At school, I have no car.
At home, I have to wait for someone to get home with a car or for it to be finished at the shop.
At school, I have no place that will deliver pizza at one in the morning! What?!
At home, I have my toppers.
At school, I have a tiny fridge with hardly enough space to fit a half-gallon of milk.
At home, I can sneak down in the middle of the night for a glass of chocolate milk which is in a gallon jug which is next to a gallon of skim and two-percent.
At school, I miss home.
At home, I miss school.
At school, I eat easy mac late at night.
At home, I do not miss easly mac.
At school, I learned a lot of things that I pray I remember to incorporate
at home.
I learned that family is more important than friends. I learned I didn't believe that before I went to school. I learned that it's ok to take some time to make your living space look nice. I learned that I HATE dorms. I learned that I CAN knit a hat. I learned that I CAN be self-sufficient. I learned that my brothers are not conversational on the phone. Maybe I already knew that.
I have one more week of classes, a week of exams, then there's no place like home! Before I go, I'd like to take some time to make a final comparison between home and school -- this is for you, Kaia!
At school, I have the mentality that I have to take care of myself, so I'm good at it.
At home, I become rather dependent on my mom ... it's almost embarrasing.
At school, I have to call home if I want to talk to my family.
At home, they're there!
At school, I miss Kaia.
At home, I miss Kaia.
At school, I feel the need to set aside time to clean my room.
At home, I just don't.
At school, I recognize that I am learning and absorbing at every moment.
At home, I hope to remember that.
At school, I have no car.
At home, I have to wait for someone to get home with a car or for it to be finished at the shop.
At school, I have no place that will deliver pizza at one in the morning! What?!
At home, I have my toppers.
At school, I have a tiny fridge with hardly enough space to fit a half-gallon of milk.
At home, I can sneak down in the middle of the night for a glass of chocolate milk which is in a gallon jug which is next to a gallon of skim and two-percent.
At school, I miss home.
At home, I miss school.
At school, I eat easy mac late at night.
At home, I do not miss easly mac.
At school, I learned a lot of things that I pray I remember to incorporate
at home.
I learned that family is more important than friends. I learned I didn't believe that before I went to school. I learned that it's ok to take some time to make your living space look nice. I learned that I HATE dorms. I learned that I CAN knit a hat. I learned that I CAN be self-sufficient. I learned that my brothers are not conversational on the phone. Maybe I already knew that.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Bird watching
One really stupid thing about my school is the library windows. I don't know why we don't fix them. There is nothing wrong with them, per se, except that birds always run into them. It's a rather distracting phenomenon. We have this nice little cove with couches and chairs and tables surrounding a very realistic looking tree. Some other fake greenery finishes off the circle. The cove is surrounded on two sides by periodicles and our music selection -- including albums, which resound with the memories of my childhood. Then the other two sides are these windows. It's very aesthetically pleasing, until you heark chclunk!
chclunk!
chclunk!
And you look up from your book or your blog and realize that a bird has been ramming its little beak into the reflective window.
This is not a seasonal phenomenon. This does not depend on the time of day -- some of our windows on campus change tint from day to night (you can see out during the day and in during the night). But not our library windows.
I've gotten used to the blackbirds and the robins attacking the windows while I'm studying, but recently something disturbing has happened --
With the event of spring sortof coming (One day it is 60 degrees, the next it snows -- literally), cardinals have begun to show up. Growing up, my mom always told me that seeing cardinals meant it was spring. This enigma they presented gave me the feeling that cardinals are important. They have this elegance that other birds don't. Their unique color sets them apart from other birds. They always look alert and beautiful.
But cardinals will also smash into the library windows.
I get annoyed and a little sad at seeing a robin or a blackbird run into a window, but there is something truly despairing about seeing a cardinal run into a window continuously. These beautiful beacons of spring just prove their hidden stupidity and it kindof discredits them as beautiful creatures. I used to that that because they were so much more lovely than the other birds, they had some elevated state of mind -- I guess this disproves gnosticism!
chclunk!
chclunk!
And you look up from your book or your blog and realize that a bird has been ramming its little beak into the reflective window.
This is not a seasonal phenomenon. This does not depend on the time of day -- some of our windows on campus change tint from day to night (you can see out during the day and in during the night). But not our library windows.
I've gotten used to the blackbirds and the robins attacking the windows while I'm studying, but recently something disturbing has happened --
With the event of spring sortof coming (One day it is 60 degrees, the next it snows -- literally), cardinals have begun to show up. Growing up, my mom always told me that seeing cardinals meant it was spring. This enigma they presented gave me the feeling that cardinals are important. They have this elegance that other birds don't. Their unique color sets them apart from other birds. They always look alert and beautiful.
But cardinals will also smash into the library windows.
I get annoyed and a little sad at seeing a robin or a blackbird run into a window, but there is something truly despairing about seeing a cardinal run into a window continuously. These beautiful beacons of spring just prove their hidden stupidity and it kindof discredits them as beautiful creatures. I used to that that because they were so much more lovely than the other birds, they had some elevated state of mind -- I guess this disproves gnosticism!
Friday, February 25, 2011
death to life.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
From the get-go, something had to die in order to maintain life. You might say -- wait! Not true! Nothing died until after the fall when God killed the lamb to set the example of a perfect sacrifice and to clothe adam and eve in order to hide their shame. Not so! In Genesis one, God gives man all "seed-bearing plants" for food. haven't we discovered that plants have life too? So adam and eve required something to die in order for them to maintain health.
This has a lot of implications which, in my life, have been discussed over family dinners as well as my philosophy class. Does that mean that death is not inherently or directly a result of sin? If plants could die, could humans die in the "perfect" earth, but pass straight to heaven?
Here's what's great -- it doesn't matter! That wasn't the plan. When i connected the dots of this semi-obvious revelation, at first my worldview was temporarily and utterly shattered! There was death before the fall! Even if it was a much smaller scale than human death, it was death nonetheless. But after a moment or two's thought, I said to myself -- God knew all along that man would reject him, but before he could, God called him at his own game. Even before we could reject God, he reclaimed us. He prematurely gave us food as a symbol that death sustains life. Something has to be sacrificed in order for us to live.
By no means would I condone Hinduism, but some aspects of it can teach us more about Christianity. They have this system where they theoretically could eat anything (but mostly Hindus are vegitarian), but everything you eat has some life-valule (karma) and when you eat, you rack up karma. a food's karma is dependant on "how alive" it was before you ate it. For example, a carrot has less karma, or guilt, than a pig because it was less alive. and a pig has less karma than a horse, and a horse than a human.
But despite the engaging tangent, the idea to take away (at least for the purpose of this post) is that when we eat we are taking a life to keep our own. this is not to make us feel guilty the way the Hindus do, but rather to make us grateful. granted, the food didn't have much say in the matter, but it gives its life still.
So, ever since this discussion arose at my dinner table, i've kinda been thinking about death and its relationship to life.
I got bamboo this summer, and it's pretty easy to care for. I just keep mine in a vase with water and it grows slowly and stays healthy. I switch the water often enough. But, when I got back from break, I found one of my three bamboo stalks dead. utterly killed. Not thinking about it on any sort of philosophical level, i thought to myself -- well, i guess i'll throw that one out and let the other two live the natural courses of their lives. but luckily, my dear and lovely friend Lydia was near and she said -- it's kinda poetic...
And i thought -- yea it is! so now i have a daily reminder of a number of poetic images and implications and philosophies of death dragging down full encompasing of life; or death allowing life to continue; or whatever else it is my bamboo tells me on any given day!
THEN! today, exciting story.
For valentine's day, my favorite person in the world thoughtfully gave me 2 daffodils (to reference one of our fav movies -- big fish) in a cute little pot. Made my day. Just like everyday. I was very diligent about watering them twice a day, but they started to look sad. I repotted them into more soil that I had in a bigger pot, but i think there just isn't enough light in my room. I had also had to carry them all the way across campus in the cold, and maybe they just never recovered. who knows. but they were looking dreary. I kinda gave up on watering them. I was unbelievably bummed.
But tonight, I got home, and even though I had lost hope in their life, a new blossom had sprouted between them! this was perhaps the most exciting thing that had happened to me all week, and I've had a pretty eventful week. Something about it was just moving.
What is it that moves me so? I don't know specifically. I have a lot of ideas of why it's so great, and they're all good and true, but the best is just beauty and joy inexplicable.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Homecoming.
Returning Home from College for Christmas Break my Freshman Year:
a comparisson of family vs. friends
When I first got home, I was constantly aware of the fact that I was not at school. I kept thinking, ok, don't talk too much about your new friends that no one here knows, they'll just get sick of you. I probably failed at that, but I did better than I could have. My mom kept reminding my sister and I of the normal sleep patterns that people have. Ironically enough, I ate worse at home than at school. I think at school I feel the responsibility to take care of myself, whereas at home I think, eh, mom will take care of how I eat.
So I was always thinking, at school, i eat like this, or, at school, i sleep with noise, or, at school this and at school that.
also, at school i don't have a little brother to fight with all the time.
As the weeks past, I got used to being at home. I ate without thinking about a cafeteria. I slept without thinking of the obscene songs that my roomies play while I try to sleep. I got used to asking for permission to go out and use the car.
But just today, I looked at a picture on facebook of a day my friends and I dressed up like our teacher (yes, our Bib Herm prof) and I remembered other things about that day, and other things my friends liked to do and 2am Mr. Pizza. Now I'm starting to resort back into the, at school I... mentality. I'm so excited to go back! I can't wait!
a comparisson of family vs. friends
When I first got home, I was constantly aware of the fact that I was not at school. I kept thinking, ok, don't talk too much about your new friends that no one here knows, they'll just get sick of you. I probably failed at that, but I did better than I could have. My mom kept reminding my sister and I of the normal sleep patterns that people have. Ironically enough, I ate worse at home than at school. I think at school I feel the responsibility to take care of myself, whereas at home I think, eh, mom will take care of how I eat.
So I was always thinking, at school, i eat like this, or, at school, i sleep with noise, or, at school this and at school that.
also, at school i don't have a little brother to fight with all the time.
As the weeks past, I got used to being at home. I ate without thinking about a cafeteria. I slept without thinking of the obscene songs that my roomies play while I try to sleep. I got used to asking for permission to go out and use the car.
But just today, I looked at a picture on facebook of a day my friends and I dressed up like our teacher (yes, our Bib Herm prof) and I remembered other things about that day, and other things my friends liked to do and 2am Mr. Pizza. Now I'm starting to resort back into the, at school I... mentality. I'm so excited to go back! I can't wait!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
thoughts: on water
Shivers! step, step, into the cold, cold lake.
After swimming, swimming, stroke after stroke we each tip a toe into the hot tub.
swirling, swirling, drop follows drop.
ripple follows rock
breath follows air.
every inch covered and wet
seeping into my pores
into my thoughts
and into my dreams i wish to fall.
but only water catches me.
After swimming, swimming, stroke after stroke we each tip a toe into the hot tub.
swirling, swirling, drop follows drop.
ripple follows rock
breath follows air.
every inch covered and wet
seeping into my pores
into my thoughts
and into my dreams i wish to fall.
but only water catches me.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
What if Rob Bowman....
drove a ferrari?
had a powerpuff backpack?
cut class short?
stuck a jumbo marshamllow in his mouth?
didn't wear a sweatervest?
couldn't stop giggling in class?
was an old bag lady?
or a cat lady?
wore his hair differently?
was afraid of spiders?
fell asleep in class?
and snored?
encoureaged his students?
was a ginger?
did something about the fact that no one listens?
ran over a moose?
was a heartbreaker?
read my blog?
brought cupcakes to class for his birthday?
had a bedazzled sweatervest?
wore bling?
had a high squeaky voice?
wore jeans?
went surfing?
wore a christmas sweatervest with candy canes and bells and rudolph with a blinking red nose!?
was mute?
walked out of class?
starred in a music video for ke$ha?
dressed up in lady gaga's meat costume for halloween?
walked around all day holding his hands up?
had pit stains?
invented sponge technology to absorb pit leakage?
was abducted by batman through the vent?
had a powerpuff backpack?
cut class short?
stuck a jumbo marshamllow in his mouth?
didn't wear a sweatervest?
couldn't stop giggling in class?
was an old bag lady?
or a cat lady?
wore his hair differently?
was afraid of spiders?
fell asleep in class?
and snored?
encoureaged his students?
was a ginger?
did something about the fact that no one listens?
ran over a moose?
was a heartbreaker?
read my blog?
brought cupcakes to class for his birthday?
had a bedazzled sweatervest?
wore bling?
had a high squeaky voice?
wore jeans?
went surfing?
wore a christmas sweatervest with candy canes and bells and rudolph with a blinking red nose!?
was mute?
walked out of class?
starred in a music video for ke$ha?
dressed up in lady gaga's meat costume for halloween?
walked around all day holding his hands up?
had pit stains?
invented sponge technology to absorb pit leakage?
was abducted by batman through the vent?
Monday, November 1, 2010
dear fear.
Dear Fear,
Please go away. I know that's not the nicest way to start a letter, but scaring someone out of their pants is not the nicest way to start a relationship. You always make me jump or be really tense. i don't like it.
I wouldn't mind you so much if you could just tame down your personality! I think you have some great qualities! You are great at helping me sense danger and be prepared to defend myself. But you just need to be sensitive to my jumpiness. Please don't give off false alarms. That is not very nice.
In all honesty, I want to have a healthy friendship with you, but we can't do that if you are always lying to me and if we don't agree to work together!
Sincerely,
Audrey
Please go away. I know that's not the nicest way to start a letter, but scaring someone out of their pants is not the nicest way to start a relationship. You always make me jump or be really tense. i don't like it.
I wouldn't mind you so much if you could just tame down your personality! I think you have some great qualities! You are great at helping me sense danger and be prepared to defend myself. But you just need to be sensitive to my jumpiness. Please don't give off false alarms. That is not very nice.
In all honesty, I want to have a healthy friendship with you, but we can't do that if you are always lying to me and if we don't agree to work together!
Sincerely,
Audrey
Saturday, October 23, 2010
..Wasting Time..
Yesterday, I had two hours set aside to go into the student union before class to study for my World Civilization exam. I ended up having to spend one of those hours tryinig to print an outline for a whole other class. so I had one hour to fill out a study guide for the biggest exam I have this semester. I spent the duration of my writing class studying, so that was helpful. and the quiz went well.
But then, last night, I sat in my bed with my computer (which is not a routine), because i wanted to start watching modern family. i had heard wonderful things about it, and it was the perfect time. I figured to best place to start would be the pilot. then i spent an hour surfing the net to try to find the pilot. it was nowhere. two hours of my day wasted.
How disappointing when something that should have taken five minutes takes an hour. How dissappointing when that hour could have been spent doing something productive or enjoyable. sometimes, "wasted" is a word overused, but not here. Those two hours were wasted. perhaps I learned patience or that I should give up after fifteen minutes instead of an hour, but it was wasted.
But then, last night, I sat in my bed with my computer (which is not a routine), because i wanted to start watching modern family. i had heard wonderful things about it, and it was the perfect time. I figured to best place to start would be the pilot. then i spent an hour surfing the net to try to find the pilot. it was nowhere. two hours of my day wasted.
How disappointing when something that should have taken five minutes takes an hour. How dissappointing when that hour could have been spent doing something productive or enjoyable. sometimes, "wasted" is a word overused, but not here. Those two hours were wasted. perhaps I learned patience or that I should give up after fifteen minutes instead of an hour, but it was wasted.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Jay-Walking
Yes, about bib herm again. sorry.
my prof said, "if we were to go out and ask people on the street, jay leno style."
an effort to be hip and relevant.
i love jay leno, but i almost took a vow never to watch his show again.
my prof said, "if we were to go out and ask people on the street, jay leno style."
an effort to be hip and relevant.
i love jay leno, but i almost took a vow never to watch his show again.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
we've got to save ginny weasley from the basilisk!
i've just discovered a band called harry and the potters. they are the greatest ever. they make me smile. please listen to them.
Monday, October 11, 2010
you know you haven't had enough sleep when... you run your hand against the wall to keep from falling, then when you take it away, your arm tingles
True story. my nerve endings are going bonkers.
Yesterday was the last performance of Tuck Everlasting at school. It went well. It is good to be done. Auditions for Proof, the next show, are tommorrow. Yesterday evening, we had a group reading session. It was actuallly reallly cool because all of us who are sortof competing against eachother were reading, sharing ideas, helping eachother out. It was really nice.
It was exhausting. Reading for so many different characters... (ok there were 2, but they're radically different, and it's an emotionally charged play.) was exhilerating, but it takes something out of you. It takes alot of things out of you!
After reading, some friends went to Arby's. Jamocha. Shake. Yum.
When we got back to the dorm around 11, it was coffee time. homework time. I'm usually really good about not doing homework at night and just getting work done during the day so i don't have to worry about it after 5/6. But with Tuck, everything kindof got put on the back-burner. So, heremeneutics, White Christmas work, Terra Firma, plus getting constantly distracted by Paige and Lydia's conversation about acting. Ok, it was Paige, Lydia and Audrey's conversation. It wasn't a distraction, it was a backstreet. or the highway.
So now i've made myself another pot of coffee. I got up to go to chapel, actually, but i have not been told where today's chapel is -- it's a smaller, broken-up chapel today. and now i'm blogging.
Three classes for today. Then, research for my writing assignment, more White Christmas, then White Christmas rehearsal. And more Proof. Paige and Lydia wanted to give it a day off. I will not.
I plan to do everything that I need to between the end of class -- 4 -- and White Christmas -- 7 -- so that after White Christmas -- 10 -- I can crash.
Yesterday was the last performance of Tuck Everlasting at school. It went well. It is good to be done. Auditions for Proof, the next show, are tommorrow. Yesterday evening, we had a group reading session. It was actuallly reallly cool because all of us who are sortof competing against eachother were reading, sharing ideas, helping eachother out. It was really nice.
It was exhausting. Reading for so many different characters... (ok there were 2, but they're radically different, and it's an emotionally charged play.) was exhilerating, but it takes something out of you. It takes alot of things out of you!
After reading, some friends went to Arby's. Jamocha. Shake. Yum.
When we got back to the dorm around 11, it was coffee time. homework time. I'm usually really good about not doing homework at night and just getting work done during the day so i don't have to worry about it after 5/6. But with Tuck, everything kindof got put on the back-burner. So, heremeneutics, White Christmas work, Terra Firma, plus getting constantly distracted by Paige and Lydia's conversation about acting. Ok, it was Paige, Lydia and Audrey's conversation. It wasn't a distraction, it was a backstreet. or the highway.
So now i've made myself another pot of coffee. I got up to go to chapel, actually, but i have not been told where today's chapel is -- it's a smaller, broken-up chapel today. and now i'm blogging.
Three classes for today. Then, research for my writing assignment, more White Christmas, then White Christmas rehearsal. And more Proof. Paige and Lydia wanted to give it a day off. I will not.
I plan to do everything that I need to between the end of class -- 4 -- and White Christmas -- 7 -- so that after White Christmas -- 10 -- I can crash.
Friday, October 8, 2010
NOT biblical hermeneutics!
I might just start another blog just about bib herm because i have so many complaints!! so i've decided to dedicate this blog post specifically to topics other than biblical hermeneutics considering that the past ... many posts have been on that loathsome topic.
I wrote a paper called "Social Justice and Consumerism." the thesis was that non-profits feed off of American consumerism, which only deepens the problem. by manipulating it and stroking it, it becomes more engrained into our heads AND into our hearts. by making us believe that our money is the end-all, we want to spend more! and the product that they are selling is not someone else's health or meal or clothes or cow. it's your own sense of self-satisfaction.
I am a victim. I would give all my money to non-profits if someone didn't stop me. i think that some of the work of non-profits is fantastic, and it changes and saves lives. many even change the courses of spiritual lives, which is even better.
my college will be putting on a play called PROOF. it's marvelous. it's about a girl, Catherine who has helped care for her infirm father for years instead of going to school or having relationships or anything. her sister, Claire finished school and helped pay off bills on the house since their father needed someone with him at all times, so Catherine couldn't get a job. i'd like to share an excerpt:
Claire: It was my house too.
Catherine: You haven't lived here for years.
CL: I know that. You were on your own. I really regret that, Katie.
CA: Don't.
CL: I know i let you down. I fell awful about it. Now i'm trying to help.
CA: You want to help now?
CL: yes.
CA: Dad is dead.
CL: I know.
CA: He's dead. How that he's dead you fly in for the weekend and decide you want to help? YOU'RE LATE. Where have you been?
CL: I --
CA: Where were you five years ago? You weren't helping then.
CL: I was working.
CA: I was HERE. I lived with him ALONE.
CL: I was working fourteen-hour days. I paid every bill here. I paid off the mortgage on this three-bedroom house while I was living in a studio in Brooklyn.
CA: You had your life. You got to finish school.
CL: You could have stayed in school!
CA: How?
CL I would have done anything -- i told you that. I told you a million times to do anything you wanted.
CA: What about Dad? SOmeone had to take care of him.
CL: He was ill. He should have been in a full-time professional care situation.
CA: He didn't belong in the nuthouse.
It's an issue of individual vs. community. probably my favorite discussion. when the individual is placed first, it almost always places money on a pedestal over human life and value. when rights are claimed verses received, money is more powerful than compassion.I don't know what i would have done. I love school. what if one of my parents died, and the other went crazy? i realized it's a unique situation, but think about it. what would you do? pay to have them well cared for? they would be well cared for, but is that what we OUGHT to do? or should we take care of them ourselves? yes, i'm only 18. taking care of a mentally unstable parent, and in my case two little brothers who would be seriously emotionally damaged, and having to cope with my own emotions as well. If i went to care for them, and my older sister stayed in school and funneled us money, what would i think? i would not be ungrateful for the money. i would not be able to work. but what is right? what is good? is one better than the other? are both necessary? just some thoughts.
I wrote a paper called "Social Justice and Consumerism." the thesis was that non-profits feed off of American consumerism, which only deepens the problem. by manipulating it and stroking it, it becomes more engrained into our heads AND into our hearts. by making us believe that our money is the end-all, we want to spend more! and the product that they are selling is not someone else's health or meal or clothes or cow. it's your own sense of self-satisfaction.
I am a victim. I would give all my money to non-profits if someone didn't stop me. i think that some of the work of non-profits is fantastic, and it changes and saves lives. many even change the courses of spiritual lives, which is even better.
my college will be putting on a play called PROOF. it's marvelous. it's about a girl, Catherine who has helped care for her infirm father for years instead of going to school or having relationships or anything. her sister, Claire finished school and helped pay off bills on the house since their father needed someone with him at all times, so Catherine couldn't get a job. i'd like to share an excerpt:
Claire: It was my house too.
Catherine: You haven't lived here for years.
CL: I know that. You were on your own. I really regret that, Katie.
CA: Don't.
CL: I know i let you down. I fell awful about it. Now i'm trying to help.
CA: You want to help now?
CL: yes.
CA: Dad is dead.
CL: I know.
CA: He's dead. How that he's dead you fly in for the weekend and decide you want to help? YOU'RE LATE. Where have you been?
CL: I --
CA: Where were you five years ago? You weren't helping then.
CL: I was working.
CA: I was HERE. I lived with him ALONE.
CL: I was working fourteen-hour days. I paid every bill here. I paid off the mortgage on this three-bedroom house while I was living in a studio in Brooklyn.
CA: You had your life. You got to finish school.
CL: You could have stayed in school!
CA: How?
CL I would have done anything -- i told you that. I told you a million times to do anything you wanted.
CA: What about Dad? SOmeone had to take care of him.
CL: He was ill. He should have been in a full-time professional care situation.
CA: He didn't belong in the nuthouse.
It's an issue of individual vs. community. probably my favorite discussion. when the individual is placed first, it almost always places money on a pedestal over human life and value. when rights are claimed verses received, money is more powerful than compassion.I don't know what i would have done. I love school. what if one of my parents died, and the other went crazy? i realized it's a unique situation, but think about it. what would you do? pay to have them well cared for? they would be well cared for, but is that what we OUGHT to do? or should we take care of them ourselves? yes, i'm only 18. taking care of a mentally unstable parent, and in my case two little brothers who would be seriously emotionally damaged, and having to cope with my own emotions as well. If i went to care for them, and my older sister stayed in school and funneled us money, what would i think? i would not be ungrateful for the money. i would not be able to work. but what is right? what is good? is one better than the other? are both necessary? just some thoughts.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Do, a Deer
Do, the stuff they put in twinkies
Re, the guy who buys me twinkies
Me, the guy ray buys them for
Fa, a long, long way to the twinkie store!
So, i think i'll have a twinkie
La, la la la la la TWINKIE!
Ti, um, no thanks. i'd rather have a twinkie
that will bring us back to DO!
"It's not about singing. It's about twinkies."
-Emily Steadman
Re, the guy who buys me twinkies
Me, the guy ray buys them for
Fa, a long, long way to the twinkie store!
So, i think i'll have a twinkie
La, la la la la la TWINKIE!
Ti, um, no thanks. i'd rather have a twinkie
that will bring us back to DO!
"It's not about singing. It's about twinkies."
-Emily Steadman
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Ego-booster
I think my bib-herm adjuct professor uses our class to make him feel better about himself. He does all the same work as us, which is cool that he's working with us, excpet he just says things that are self-glorifying. he hands out his work for us to look at, which theoretically could be helpful, but he pointed out, "i have 44 observations, and that's not even exhaustive. Although I was exhausted by the end of it." and then, he chuckled at his own little joke.
when someone teaches, it ought to be directed at the student and towards their learning. not about impressing anyone with knowledge. when someone has the courage to stick their hand up and their neck out to answer a question to try to contribute to a discussion in class, and especially if their answer is close, their answer ought not be shut down. it is dehumanizing to be told, "not exactly. what i would say...." it turns us students into weak, incabable sponges that have not way to output, but only to soak in the prof's wisdom.
when someone teaches, it ought to be directed at the student and towards their learning. not about impressing anyone with knowledge. when someone has the courage to stick their hand up and their neck out to answer a question to try to contribute to a discussion in class, and especially if their answer is close, their answer ought not be shut down. it is dehumanizing to be told, "not exactly. what i would say...." it turns us students into weak, incabable sponges that have not way to output, but only to soak in the prof's wisdom.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
a poem of biblical hermeneutics
my brain
a pulse
a throb
an orange
when you talk i struggle to hear
outside may be lovely
outside may be cold
outside may be stormy
i wouldn't know.
without the color
my life becomes more meaningless.
i think on him
then on him
but no thanks to you.
my sources are now
exhausted
i cannot take it further
a pulse
a throb
an orange
when you talk i struggle to hear
outside may be lovely
outside may be cold
outside may be stormy
i wouldn't know.
without the color
my life becomes more meaningless.
i think on him
then on him
but no thanks to you.
my sources are now
exhausted
i cannot take it further
Friday, September 24, 2010
purpose.
i am trying to remind myself why i am sitting up at 1:48 am typing on a laptop with warm sweatpands and blankets and so many possessions around me as well as photos and cards on the wall reminding me that i am loved. there are those who have not and who are not told that they are loved. there are those who are deceived into thinking that they are loved. i am not upset that i am loved. i am humbled and grateful to be loved. but i wish i could go NOW and change that some are not loved. i want to love the unloveable. but that means i need to begin now.
who do i think it's hard to love?
i think it is hard to love people who don't give back. i don't mean like gifts. i could do without. i love to share mutually, though i like to give more than i like to receive from sharing. but i find it hard to love people who don't return in conversation. i ask questions. they answer. that's it. there is just what they say and nothing more. they ask no questions and they don't add to their answers. conversation must consist of adding to your answers to show the person inside, and then giving others opportunity to show their person. there is one such girl i know who simply isn't very good at converstaion. she is shy. i have known her for a month, and she is still shy. i have asked her so many questions. she has maybe asked 2. i try to just interject with my answers to my own questions because she doesn't even end in "what about you?" not that i just like to talk about myself. i don't mind it, but i like to feel engaging. when there is minimal response, i fell the need to entertain, which i hate in conversation.
but the point of all this is that i want to love those who don't feel loved. and often times that means the people who i don't naturally feel an inclination towards. i don't know that love is ALL actions, but it is so much a deliberate choice. one says to themself, "i am going to love this girl. i am going to serve her in practical ways. i am going to talk to her even though i never really want to." i'm very bad at this. i don't really like to talk to this girl who doesn't talk back. but she will come and sit by me sometimes. i don't really know how to include her in a group conversation because she doesn't talk unless it's one on one.
i think that the reason i am so hung up on this girl is because it's a struggle for me to love her, least of all like her. but i know that i need to love where i am. i cannot bottle up all my love for the rest of the world. all my charity for those starving in Africa is useless unless i have charity for the people i don't like. world-focused charity can too easily be an excuse to ignore need -- both physical and emotional -- right in front of you. "no, i can't be nice to you because i care too much about the indian girls who are slaves in prostitution." no good.
i know that i want to be God's fingers out in the world, but fingers don't just come into being. they are always fingers. God, let me be your finger in Grand Rapids. keep me content here.
who do i think it's hard to love?
i think it is hard to love people who don't give back. i don't mean like gifts. i could do without. i love to share mutually, though i like to give more than i like to receive from sharing. but i find it hard to love people who don't return in conversation. i ask questions. they answer. that's it. there is just what they say and nothing more. they ask no questions and they don't add to their answers. conversation must consist of adding to your answers to show the person inside, and then giving others opportunity to show their person. there is one such girl i know who simply isn't very good at converstaion. she is shy. i have known her for a month, and she is still shy. i have asked her so many questions. she has maybe asked 2. i try to just interject with my answers to my own questions because she doesn't even end in "what about you?" not that i just like to talk about myself. i don't mind it, but i like to feel engaging. when there is minimal response, i fell the need to entertain, which i hate in conversation.
but the point of all this is that i want to love those who don't feel loved. and often times that means the people who i don't naturally feel an inclination towards. i don't know that love is ALL actions, but it is so much a deliberate choice. one says to themself, "i am going to love this girl. i am going to serve her in practical ways. i am going to talk to her even though i never really want to." i'm very bad at this. i don't really like to talk to this girl who doesn't talk back. but she will come and sit by me sometimes. i don't really know how to include her in a group conversation because she doesn't talk unless it's one on one.
i think that the reason i am so hung up on this girl is because it's a struggle for me to love her, least of all like her. but i know that i need to love where i am. i cannot bottle up all my love for the rest of the world. all my charity for those starving in Africa is useless unless i have charity for the people i don't like. world-focused charity can too easily be an excuse to ignore need -- both physical and emotional -- right in front of you. "no, i can't be nice to you because i care too much about the indian girls who are slaves in prostitution." no good.
i know that i want to be God's fingers out in the world, but fingers don't just come into being. they are always fingers. God, let me be your finger in Grand Rapids. keep me content here.
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