Liger Bred

uuhhh...what?

2005-01-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

I had a moment yesterday where I thought to myself...I wonder why this happened. At first I came to the tentative conclusion that it was a gliche in the system. Then I figured that maybe I was in the right place at the right time. Or maybe I just knew the appropriate people. It's possible I'm just the person for the job. Well, it was at that moment when I realized, no idiot, it has nothing to do with you; but everything to do with God. Wow. Did you follow that pattern? Inevitably, we turn to ourself and think about how wonderful we must be that we deserve whatever it was that came into our path. What a complete joke.

So, should I tell you what caused this stupor? Let me see if I can reader's digest it. I have a friend, her name's Jenny, and she's the best "reader's digest editor" ever. Seriously. The girl can tell you what happened to someone in two minutes or less with all the important details footnoted too.

Okay, I think I will tell you. You. As if anyone is actually reading this blog. In December I met with someone about a job opportunity at a junior college. Basically, she knows a lot about how the system works and I knew...a little. I just wanted to figure out what I should do to apply to teach just one class. By the end of our starbucks binge, we had caught up on our lives and she'd managed to get me to promise her, in the parking lot, that I'd at least send her a couple letters of recommendation I had on file. As it turns out, I had a peer letter and one other letter. Not quite the "chair of the dept." and "tenured-in-two-departments" letters I'd promised in front of baskin-robbins. (Go rent Super Size Me). I even whipped up a little cover letter explaining my desire to teach next semester so she could see it and make some notes.

What happened next is a mystery. I didn't think much of teaching because I know how university bureaucracies work. I called her a month later to see if she got the papers. No word. But again, not worried about it because I figured, if I was supposed to teach next semester, God would let me know. Boy did He ever. My mind wasn't on teaching really when I got the call. In fact, I was bumping along in a yellow school bus trying to take a nap in freakishly warm weather. So, the scheduler called and I figure, wow, I'm so fortunate. I got a job with the junior colleges teaching developmental writing!! So wrong.

Turns out they were full. Instead, the scheduler from the university wanted me to teach. Not just one, or two...but five classes. That is something I was told when I graduated would not happen. I should bank on the fact that if I want to keep teaching college-age students, I'd be farming myself out to 3 and 4 different schools. What gives? Turns out my name was "dropped" and I discovered later (too late, much to my embarrassment because I made a fool of myself to someone) that only the chair of the department has the authority to get someone hired by name-dropping. Long story short...it can't be a coincidence that I just happened to be the tutor for my friend for a year last year and that the other teachers I tutored for are all equally talented and educated and willing to write letters for me during my academic stint. God knew this was all going to happen and I was completely clueless from day one.

I was supposed to be on a plane right now, throwing up.

E-eeeee-mail

2005-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Ever have those days when you look at your inbox and because as much as you appreciate all the love that has recently found its way into your life, it has also created a dilemma? Hmmm...to sit down and respond with my whole heart or just give the quick and easy response to the over 100 emails sitting in my account?

Sometimes you get inspired and crank out a ton of emails but then the cycle begins itself again. Personally, I love my friends (hopefully, that's a given otherwise why the heck are you writing them in the first place?) so I love hearing from them. It's just that occasionally, I feel like when I read their email, I responded to it at the same time, but really, that's just in my head. Hah ha. I have a friend who's done that with her phone calls. I've called her in the past and as she's listening she's answering all my questions and talking to the message I've left her, but then she forgets to call me back. Wait, I'm not psychic so I didn't hear you respond! And no, she's not crazy.

Recently, for a week I was in bed sick, which I recommend for anyone who's looking to catch up on any movies (or the LOTR extended version trilogy) they missed out on recently, and I thought of all the emails I could be responding to but then realized, wait, I can't lift myself up, what makes me think I can sit at the computer and think? I'm a glutton for punishment I suppose.

Right now, I could be writing emails but I chose to procrastinate further since it seems so overwhelming a task. I recommend Strongbad's emails on http://www.homestarrunner.com for entertainment and procrastination. There was a new one published Monday.

How many of you love and loathe your email account simultaneously? Say "aye". How many of you took a mental note of how many emails you have yet to respond to as you read this boring blog? Say "aye". Forget it. Go home, learn to play the guitar and sing me a song about it.

On to more positive things...the convenience of email is quite astounding if you think about how many people you can communicate with quickly as a result of having it. Hmm...I'm bored with this blog and you should be too by now. Ick. I'm sorry to have wasted thirty seconds of your day. I'm going to check my emails.

Car drama (part 2)

2005-01-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

Ahh, the car. Yes, she is a beauty and she does handle well, overall, as Dave R., my friendly service representative at Toyota Carlsbad would say. However, this is all after he told me how many problems Charlies has and what it will cost to get her fixed. Out the door....with only fixing emergency-car-problems...take a guess. If you guessed $100, you're WAY off. Obviously, you have never met my car and her high maintenance issues.

It started with the friendly phone call telling me he estimates it'll cost me $200. I was stoked, needless to say. But as you are all surely aware, estimates are just that. ESTIMATES. Before I got too excited I waited for the second phone call that would tell me a) what was wrong with my car b) what had to be fixed immediately and c) how much of my hard-earned dough would they request to get the job done.

Prognosis:
I needed new brakes, my 110,000 mile check up, a new timing belt, and an idle-control-valve-flux-capacitor...and a new car. No, not really. I couldn't afford half that stuff so I just got the necessities done and that cost me $560. OUCH. Do I have that kind of cash in my penny jug? I think not. Sometimes you just have to thank God for credit cards, you know? I can do the rest in a couple months for the same price, although maybe it's $550. A ten dollar deduction is noteworthy. I can budget for that! Seriously? No.

Pray for me, Argentina. I need to pay for the car and come up with rent money soon. Hmm, thank the Lord I have Him in my life and I just have to work hard and spend responsibly and He'll work the rest out.

Car drama

2004-12-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

My car has decided that it's time for a revolt. In full force.

I knew it was time to take in for an oil change when I got back from France, or at the very least, its 100,000 mile checkup. Well, apparently, Charlie thought so too. She started getting very tempermental with me, which I did not appreciate. Every time I needed to get somewhere in a hurry, or it was late at night and who knows who was lurking in the bushes, she decided she'd tease me a little and then take a nap. Argh. I resorted to not driving her on different trips, in case she decided to get moody with me in front of other people. Too late. She's done it and the secret's out. Everyone knows that she's mad at me now.

The final straw for me was last weekend when I took a risk and invited a guest out. Well, she couldn't HAVE IT. Each time I tried to slow her down...what happened? A thunderstorm errupted from her bowels. I was mortified. Not really, it just adds to the drama. Ha ha. So, with the oil change, idle problems, check up, and brakes......I finally broke down and made an appointment to get Charlie serviced.

When the service department asks what the car needs service for and I start to rattle off all the problems, she interrupts and ask if Icould possibly bring the car in the NIGHT BEFORE in case they can't get it all taken care of in one day. AHHHHH!!!

I know the kicker of this whole story will be the massive bill waiting for my credit card at the end of the day on Saturday. Yay. I can't wait.

At least she gets some time to herself and away from me. We need a break from each other.

Rapturos

2004-12-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

As I sat in my "office" (AKA guest room #2) looking at the trees and their lack of movement, it struck me that there have been numerous times when I, or others, have jokingly referred to the Rapture as having taken place. You know, looking through a giant house for people and finding not a mere soul...well, we can be sure they weren't raptured otherwise we wouldn't be there looking for them. Other, more doomsday-types, joke about the fact that the pastor really didn't go to Hawaii with his family, but rather they were raptured and we were left behind.

Okay, while it is humorous at times to joke about these things...would you really laugh? Has your heart ever stopped for that split second while the joke is happening to think, "what if?" Don't misunderstand, I don't sit around looking up at the sky thinking, "NOW?" or "now?" It just hits right to my soul...I don't want to be stuck here looking at the sky wondering, where is everyone? Or, why are YOU, someone I love, still here. Better yet, why am I still here? Did I miss the boat entirely?? Was I never on board? Or did I contract scurvy sometime along the way while I was trying to dump my albatross?

(Part of these thoughts, I'm sure, are a direct result of my daily employment. I work for a wills, trusts and estates attorney. Awesome job, but it does make you think.)

What do you want to be doing when it happens? I'd like to think that I would be having the time of my life serving God. Let me not be wallowing in self-pity, struggling with loving others, thinking high and mighty thoughts about myself, or any other thing that makes me the unattractive being I am so successful at being on a daily basis.

As someone put it to me last night...Eve was someone I would've wanted to talk with soon after I was granted access, but as more time goes by, I can't help but wonder if I would've taken even less time than she to mess things up with that stupid piece of fruit.

Maybe there will be some sweet Hawaiian music playing...

Stereotypes exist for a reason

2004-12-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid it's too late. I've turned into one of those people I always got annoyed with; but this time I really think it's justified (which is always what those people say). Hard to tell. My brother had a baby last month (click on link below to see pics) and I have been telling anyone who will listen that he's really cute. I mean, usually babies who are one month old look like the alien baby on Enemy Mine, but this one, his name is Aidan, is really cute. Seriously. Take a look and tell me what you think. The funny part about the little guy is he's supposed to be my brother's kid but he looks like me when I was that age. Well, I guess he looks more like my dad right now.

I've also turned freakishly annoying and excited whenever I hear other babies around me because I can't believe how many there are on this planet right now. It's like when you get a new car that you thought was really unique and cool until you start to see it everywhere. I haven't experienced this since I drive America's number one seller, thereby making it hard for me to find mine in a holiday-packed parking lot. I suggest adding a bit of personality to your number one seller. I added a personalized license plate (Fittings out there, I know you want it). But that didn't quite do it for me so I stuck a parking sticker from SDSU on my bumper. Well, I was still missing something so I added a couple hawaiian flowers. Charlie's taken it well, although lately she's taken to teasing me when it's time to go...sputter sputter sputter.

http://photos.yahoo.com/elizabethfitting

Feast of the fowl

2004-11-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

Ahh the aftermath of another festival of overeating. I did my fair share but just wasn't feelin' it with the food. I don't mean to complain but the food was not up to par. Potatoes a little dry...turkey overcooked as a result of Dad cooking it on convection for four hours! The stories that were relinquished after years of being kept secret were HILarious. Someone got stuck in a laundry chute on my watch...we locked the little brothers in the kitchen pantry...I never fell victim to the cruel "motorcycle" or "harley", depending on your level of force, praise God. The best was the all-night jam session. Sweetness to my ears. Singing and playing with Pops and five other guitars is a night never to forget. Of course, what is a Thanksgiving weekend without Phase 10 or Uno?? At least we shut down at 2 this time and not 3, I'm too old for this. Okay, the shower calls. Time to clean up and out of this post-partum-no-more-pumpkin-pie-feeding-frenzy. Ciao.

artificial intelligence outsmarts me AGAIN

2004-11-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Sooo, I was just trying to post a response on Sue's blog and look what happened to me. I've been BLOGGED. It's a stretch somedays, if I haven't washed my hair or have been wearing hats or haven't spent much time outside because I've been hibernating for the upcoming summer...yes, I realize it's quite some time off but one must consider their future at times---i digress. AT TIMES, people would say I'm a blonde and, all jokes aside, I wasn't really thinking when I went to post a reply. Ahh, my secret's out. I should really be working right now. Ciao. Yes, I spoke Italian. It's been known to happen at times. Which is why I was so amused by the tour around Italy story. If you REALLY go to Italy, it's quite nice. I wouldn't recommend any of its knock-offs, such as restaurants that are a pain or the more boring but less annoying tour...my finger likes to take trips around Italy in this GINORMOUS atlas I have. I have to sit on my bed to look at it. Satellite photos and all. I thought I saw someone I know in the picture of Bulgaria, but that's just RIDICULOUS.