March: The hair HAS to go! - St. Baldrick's

This may seem a bit strange, and may come as a shock to most/all of you, however, I ask that you read my story to better, maybe not fully, but to maybe see more clearly why I will be shaving my head come March.

This is something I've wanted to do since....well, I think my freshman year in high school. But, one "requirement" I've set was that if I shave my head, I would want to donate my hair.

Last summer (summer 2011,) two of my dearest friends shaved their heads together. I was kind of...jealous, and it REALLY motivated me to want to do it. One of the gals said that her hair was shorter than mine and her hair was 'donatable.' Thus, I thought about it and prayed over it, and I am more sure than ever that I want to do it.

I am doing this for [now] three reasons, though it started out as one. Here are the reasons - in order:

Life-long family friend:
Back in April 2011 - last year - I lost a very important person in my life, someone I've known all my life and has played a HUGE role in my growing up and upbringing. My whole family knew him. He lost his near three-year battle to lung cancer when the doctors only thought he had six months to live. I am doing it primarily in memory of him, for, it will be [roughly] one month shy of the one-year mark since he passed away.

Second:
Another dear person in my life, not super close, but still someone I care very dearly about, was diagnosed with breast cancer during the Christmas holiday season. Though she is okay, and though there is now no sign of a tumor or anything - thanks to the modern medical advancement of surgery and radiation - she has overcome, but I still feel it would almost be a dishonour to not recognize her and be able to proudly say that I am doing it in support of her. I am PROUD to say that I am doing it in support for her and the battle she has fought thus far in hopes that she will never have to have yet another battle.

Thirdly:
I did not know her, really at all, but a good friend of mine here at uni told me about this gal who was struggling with some form of cancer - what it is I cannot remember, but it is not important to me "what" it was, simply that it was that nasty, life-sucking, energy-draining, cell-killing disease that takes so many forms. In any case, my friend first approached me (around March 2011) and asked for prayer for this gal, whose name was Faith - a bit ironic, or so we both thought. I 'followed' and journeyed some together with Faith and her family, alongside my friend who was seemingly really close with the family. Sadly, around August time, I got the text (and I still think I have it somewhere):
"Little Faith got her angel wings this morning at 5:10. I only now just could see the keyboard to tell you." - It was, if memory serves me correct, in the afternoon.
So....I am doing it, some, in memory of her.

Lastly:
I am doing this purely for the cause itself. I'm having my head shaved to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer, but more importantly, to raise money to find cures.

Please support me with a donation to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. This volunteer-driven charity funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U. S. government. Your gift will give hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers. So when I ask for your support, I'm really asking you to support these kids. Thank you! Click "Make a donation" to give online, or donate by phone or mail.
(link): http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/508550

By the way: my goal is $1,000.00
While that seems like a lot, this is my approach.
If I ask "everyone" I know to donate but $1 (minimum,) and then EACH person ask "everyone" they know to donate $1 (minimum), my goal is but a breeze to achieve. Please help me by meeting and exceeding this goal to bless, help, and support others!
Thank you!


*Note: The event will take place on the 15 March (dead week for me) and the time is TBA. Got a call about confirming the event, and they said they aren't sure if it will be at 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. Will try to remember to post as I more information is made known. But...yeah. This is a new and exciting endeavour. I am excited to see what God will do in me through this experience and how He will use me because of it. :)

Heaven's Halley's Comet

I'm so terribly sorry for not having written in over a year. Since my last blog, I've had two Thanksgivings, two Christmas', two ________, and about a year of schooling under my belt, too. I've served as an SSP (Support Service Provider) for Deaf-Blind individuals on various occassions, I worked on the W.O.U. paint crew last summer (summer 2011,) have lived in the Harriet House for not quite a year and a half, have completely been transformed and am a TOTALLY different person than what I was when I moved in September 2010.

I will honestly try to blog a bit more regularly, time permitting, but I really want to try what my dear friend Ashley Wells (check out her blog: http://ashleybriannewells.xanga.com/weblogs ) and write about what is on my heart and mind, things that matter most, things that I feel are worth saying that I feel the need to share with those who are/may be reading this.

So...now that ya'll know that I've not dropped off the face of the earth, here is something I want to share.
Story goes:

Yesterday, I was reading to Meghan [one of my roommates, one of the "newer" ones who moved in after about half of the house moved out from my first year here,] - we read one "thought" a day, roughly, from a book that I have, which I have read before and loved - and after I read the thought of the day, I felt lead to share it with a dear friend, and after I shared it with her (via email no more than 10 minutes ago) I felt the need to post it for others, but not on facebook or twitter or myspace or _______, but to post it in a place where it would matter most; so here it is:

Heaven's Halley's Comet

You are the only you God made.

   In their book Behavioral Genetics, Robert Plomin, J.C. DeFries, and G.E. McClaren declare: 

Each of us has the capacity to generate 10³⁰⁰⁰ eggs or sperm with unique sets of genes. If we consider 10³⁰⁰⁰

possible eggs being generated by an individual woman and the same number  of sperm being generated by an 

individual man, the likelihood of anyone else with your set of genes in the past or in the future becomes infinitesimal.

     If numbers numb you, let me simplify. God made you and broke the mold....Every single baby is a brand-new idea from the mind of God.

     No one can duplicate your life. Scan history for your replica; you won't find it. God "personally formed and made each one" (Isa. 43;7 MSG).

No box of "backup yous" sits in God's workshop. You aren't one of many bricks in the mason's pile or one of a dozen bolts in the mechanic's drawer. 

You are it! And if you aren't you, we don't get you. The world misses out.

You are heaven's Halley's comet; we have one soot at seeing you shine. You offer a gift to society that no one else brings. If you don't bring it, 

it won't be brought.

- from Cure for the Common Life 

found in: You: God's Brand-New Idea: Made to Be Amazing

by Max Lucado

Quick Blurb

So, last week I fasted for three days, starting Sunday. I broke the fast on Wednesday. Since then, I've struggled to eat. But I think it is slowly getting better...in some ways. Still hard, but I'll make it through.

Tomorrow, Monday, is WAAAAAAY too busy to think about now. Tuesday will prove to be a challenge, and then Tuesday will (hopefully) end my misery. Tuesday I take my linguistics midterm. We - the class - are taking it early 'cause that is the day our professor flies out to Nepal for her conference. The following week, we will go back to class Tuesday to watch a video and are still expected to read one more chapter. (Ick!) But, once that is over, I only have one more final: ASL. Luckily, that is a morning final (10 am) on Tuesday morning, which means it won't interfere with work, though I am a bit nervous about that one, since it is a 3-part exam: receptive, expressive, and written.

Soon, I am going to go to a concert for a short bit, then I'll be back studying for Linguistics and practicing for ASL. I will record my VLOG for ASL tomorrow, just doing my best. I don't have time nor the energy to worry TOO much about it. I can only do what I can and hope for the best - i.e. passing marks.

Well, that is it about me in a nutshell for now. Take care all!

Time Slips By So Fast Sometimes

Disney Classics on VHS

I actually miss the VHS tape. There is something nostalgic about watching classic Disney movies with friends on the couch. We made fun of the movie, we found faults, we laughed and reminisced about our childhoods and what parts scared us or not, and we commented about various aspects/parts of the movie, etc. It was a fun night to just hang out and spend time with my gals. I wouldn’t have traded it for two more hours of sleep. It was a bit sad for me, for I feel I have lost that child-like wonder and simple pleasure of enjoying a movie and not knowing all of these things that we now bring up/out as adults. But alas, we all grow up and grow out of that. Didn’t ruin the evening for me, but I still appreciated the time I had with them.

What movie did we watch?’ you might ask. Well, we watched “Beauty and the Beast” in all it’s NON-digitally enhanced/remastered colorfulness.

Nights at Stephanie’s

So, I have some really cool roommates. Stephanie is probably one of my favorites, mainly ‘cause I feel I have connected with her and that I can share anything with her. The past several nights, or, I guess, throughout this past week, I have visited her to distress, for encouragement, and to just be in a quiet, calming and positive environment.

Anyways, she’s just an AMAZING friend, so say the least. One night, a while back, she came to my room and we just took some time to chat and “bond” as we were resting on my bed, and she was trying to encourage me and some of the funniest things came out of her mouth that got us both laughing. I jokingly told her we should have a “quote wall,” to which she objected and said that it would be filled with the many things she says…they are funny to me, and they often happen most at night….late at night. She told me one night when we were in her room that “We need to have one of these talks when it’s not late at night, that way I don’t say silly things to you.” We will be having a “date” in my room – my surprise to her – and we hope to also get together again so I can give her [another] massage. = ]
*** Note: I am SO thrilled I live in a house where several girls are open/accepting to the idea that I enjoy giving massages and actually want them. Not many have asked/received so far, but that is fine by me. Not only that, but I’m not looked [down] upon for my strange ways and love for natural remedies, etc. ***
In any case, tonight (Monday night,) I went to her room to just curl up on the end of her bed, like I did last night, and we ended up talking some. I saw a book on her bed (my guess for her human sexuality class,) that was entitled, “If we are what we eat, then I’m Fast, Cheap & Easy.” That reminded me of a similar quote I read in another book (“If we are what we eat, then I’m fast, easy, and cheap.) So I asked her, “So, you know the title of that book? (I indicated the book, and she nodded.) What would I be?” She looked at me puzzled. “I mean, how would you describe me? Based off of what I eat.”
“Oh….you’re healthy, colourful, and…..well….crunchy.”
“Crunchy?”
“Yeah. Well…..sweet. That’s what I mean.”
“Um…no. Crunchy (holds up right hand,)……sweet (holds up left hand.) They don’t quite say the same thing to me. They are not the same thing.”
We had a good laugh.

Work

Work is work is work. I don’t feel I’m getting any better, and my job/duty seems to be consistent, yet not so much. : / Not sure what to think. Actually, I’m feeling less competent as the weeks go by. Though….I did work a LOT for the paper this past month, having published near six articles and three photos – all of which I’ll be getting paid (yea income of some kind,) – and I enjoyed it along the way, growing and learning in the process of figuring things out. I’ll only have one for this next week (10 November – 16 November.) Not sure about the week following. Will meet with my editor on Tuesday about that.
The work that I do not, I just feel...awkward. I feel like I’m not doing anything productive. : / But I do get to see a good handful of people I know from around campus. I dunno, really, what to think at this point. My brain is so fried from linguistics and is reeling with ASL stuff….not to mention life, social life, spiritual well being, and so on and so forth.

Visiting Crystal

I found out way back in October that – through the kindness and generosity of my friends Stephanie and Kate – I get to go see one of my dear friends who live up in Hillsboro! I have not seen her in about two and a half months, and to get to see her brings me great joy. We tried in October to get together, but plans conflicted and it didn’t work out. However, God is good and He just arranged the WHOLE thing so beautifully so that we could meet up and hang out for a day. We will be seeing each other not this weekend (13^th) but the NEXT weekend (20^th.) I am SUPER excited and can’t wait to spend the day with her…just BEING there. That in and of itself is more than good enough for me and quite satisfactory. I get to give her my small little gifties and I get to just be there with her. = ) *that’s my warm smile* But…yeah. I can hardly wait and am already anxiously counting down the days……I actually also have a HUGE surprise for her that I can’t wait to show….I only hope and pray that she doesn’t figure it out either before or during me showing her. That, and I just want her to be surprised. Oh! As a plus: I get to meet her parents! : D

Linguistics

I’m so sick of linguistics. Too much terminology. Too many words to remember the meaning and concepts and other "fun" rules/forms of whathaveyou to remember. Thus: I am NOT a linguist, nor do I wish to become one. Too many rules and symbols to know and too many structures and phrasing and other formatting things to know. : /
Three words to describe that class (LING 210, WOU): too much terminology. Or [to] [mʌtʃ] [tʊrmɪnɑlɪgi]

Wednesday’s Blood Drive

I’ll try to keep this short since I could go into GREAT detail, but will try to give just the gist. I have told this story too many times, and I guess I’m just a bit tired of telling it again and again and again……I haven’t changed the story, but I have either added/dropped details or descriptions based on how I was feeling or the person, etc. It was not “fun” to tell, but kind of “fun” to tell of my experience and what went wrong and what theories were as to why it went wrong, then comparing that to past experiences.

In any case, to make a long story short, here is my blood donation story:
I went to go give blood for the fall blood drive at my school, and checked in just fine. I had already made an appointment online the week before, so it wasn’t too much of an issue for me to “get in.” I skimmed through the materials and got my number – 43.
Once I was called in to do the pre-test-thing, which went smoothly. That was nice and quick. My vitals were taken. My main concern was that my iron would be too low, since about a month or so ago I was “diagnosed” to be anemic. The required count/number for iron is 12.5 (I asked, hence, I know) and mine was what? 14.7. I was good. My blood pressure was 122/75 I think it was…still in the clear. Once this whole thing was done, I was lead to a table. The man was about to go on break, so he wasn’t going to be my phlebotomist, but he prepped me some. He complimented me and my veins and how good they are.
Once my phlebotomist arrived, she wiped/cleaned my arm with iodine and then taped on the tube She warned me of a short prick, and it wasn’t that bad, actually; short, sweet and not really that painful. It lasted but a moment, which was nice. I then squeezed a little football every four to five counts. Looking back, at times I think I squeezed it too fast for “too long” too many times. Towards the end, a DIFFERENT phlebotomist was watching me. She told me I was almost done. I felt great. Then, BAM! I got dizzy, and so I told her, and I don’t remember what she said, but I remember feeling fine, then (now knowing what happened) ended up seeing people/place(s) that shouldn’t have been there, but it was so relaxing and it seemed like a few minutes, though it was only for a short bit.
Next thing I remember I saw white with dark figures over me speaking. Wet, cold towels then were laid over my neck and forehead. I heard a ‘Did you have a nice dream?’ but I couldn’t respond. It took all mental effort to cognitively “come to,” as I was trying to remember where I was and what was going on. Yeah: I passed out. But it is more than likely due to the fact that I didn’t eat far enough before I came to the drive. Part of the trouble was that I had worked all that morning until “shortly” before the drive. I didn’t have much time to eat much at all.
I had a hard time recovering from my passing out and eventually had to call a friend to come and pick me up. They wouldn’t let me leave, though, without eating a package of Grandma’s cookies (oatmeal raisin,) I didn’t want the chocolate chip nor the Oreo. : ( I also had to drink a few little cans of orange juice. My friend was good and helped me out all the way and even sat with me a while, making sure I ate my cookies, though I wasn’t hungry and didn’t want to eat them. She even sang me a song she made up right then and there. It made me laugh, and I still [sort of] remember it, and it still makes me laugh. I am so blessed to have a friend like her.

Thursday

I was so off today. I didn’t know how my body would react, but with an easy ten hours of sleep from the night before, since I was SO exhausted and tired from everything that I went to bed at 7:20 ish (could have gone to bed earlier, but I had to do a BUNCH of email correspondence for my articles and classes and so on.)
Overall, aside from the fact that I wasn’t ever too hungry, felt sick when I ate, had little energy, had trouble focusing, my day wasn’t too bad. I didn’t feel super good overall, but it wasn’t a bad day. Just a challenge, though I felt my linguistics class (of all things) went the best of everything that day. : ) Got to get out of ASL really early, too! : D

Friday

I don’t want to talk about Friday. NOT a good day. Wish not to remember it. Too many stressful and icky things that happened. : (

Local Service Project

Today (Saturday,) as part of a requirement for Alternative Break, I had to go volunteer at a pre-set destination. This weekend it was the Boys & Girls Club in Salem. It was a lot of busy work, and with thirty students showing up, we were able to accomplish a LOT. It was fun, enjoyable, and often times relaxing to just work with my hands and work with other teams/students. MOST of my team was not there. I don’t have to do the other service project set for next weekend which is “required,” ‘cause I served this weekend AND I already have plans that I’m NOT, by any means, am about to change.

Sadly, as I was working, I ended up talking with one of the other trip leaders who is taking their group to California to a horse ranch/place. I kind of regret not signing up for that one, but for whatever reason, I chose Montana. Part of it was the location and part was the working with animals, but I was SOOOO torn between that one and the horse one. I told the leader, Shannon, which I had many years of horse experience and rode for at least eleven years. She was ‘ooo-ing’ and ‘awww-ing’ that I had so much horse knowledge and experience, yet didn’t sign up. I am sad now that I didn’t. : ( Not to mention that my group leaders have not been doing a great job at communicating nor being very responsible, seeing as they make last-minute changes/SHORT notice changes and expect people to move everything around that….not too happy with that. >: ( Not that happy, too, that I was already “forced” into a meeting that made me have an even MORE stressful day and not fun time. Grrrr…
Hoping things work out better. My team seems like a great group of people with good intentions and a great spirit; I just wish we had some better leadership. (No apologies, either, with informing changes with short notice…aaaaaannnd, they are very impatient. No more than 12 hrs passed between receiving an email and them calling following up to make sure that I reply, when, in fact, I hadn’t had a good chance to sit down and respond.)

Well, I think that is it for now. I’ll close and let you get back to whatever it is that you are doing that is far more important that reading this blog. : /

I don't know what to say quite often...

It's funny. When things happen, I think they are bad or funny or whatever, yet, when I think about writing it down later, it doesn't seem that funny or seem that surprising or whatever adjective I thought it was before. I think "Oh: this would be fun to share," but then I tend to forget, or I think that people wouldn't enjoy it. I guess, I have so many stories and things that happen, I don't know what to share, how much to share, or anything really. But, I've decided to try and start a blog, add to it once a day, or whenever something "happens" that I find remotely worthy of writing about, and then just adding that on to my blog. By the end of the week (or two) I'll have a little something to share, versus just random tid bits of not always clear info or events that are "old." I dunno how to explain it otherwise, but that is my goal to best keep people up to date most accurately on what I'm doing and what is going on in my world....the world I care to share.

I really do have too much to share and too little time often, so, theoretically, if I just share a little everyday, and then share all those little things at the end of a time frame, that would allow for "more."

Notes

So, since so much has happened, but yet not much has happened, I figured I'd write a couple comments/notes on life and life occurrences.

Work

Well, I'm "officially" at the grill and have fulfilled a few orders, though I am still not confident in what I'm doing, nor am I sure of how many fries go in a basket/large order of fries, or exactly how to make 'this' or 'such and the like.' But, it's a learning experience. I'm also learning, slowly, how to make sandwiches...those scare me the most, especially when there is a HUGE line of people. : / Not quite sure what to think. But.....I did learn - through another experience - that we use RICE oil to fry our food. I thought that was interesting.

Oh! And, this last Monday, with all the craziness, the person who hired me, she was there, and she and I were moving like mad to try and get all orders filled. I was SUPER nervous, as I wasn't sure what she would think of me and my "ability" to work and the like. But, that was a new experience...to say the least.

Volunteering

So, I find myself volunteering here and there for v

arious things. It's nice, but at the same time, it's one more thing. I wouldn't trade my experience thus far for anything. Recently, this last Wednesday, I helped out at the "Out of Sight" dinner for Disability Awareness Month, and though many attendees had bad attitudes at first, I

think MANY were changed, and many left with a different perspective. I was in charge of the vision imparment - no irony there - 'cause I was the only one who knows how to use a cane properly and effectively, AND can teach how to use it with students. The dinner, I felt, didn't go as well as last year, but it could have gone worse.

Alternative Break

So, speaking of volunteering, I was accepted into the Alternative Break program. Alternative Break (AB for short,) is an opportunity for students to spend a week of their holiday break doing a service project(s) with a designated organization - picked by the trip leaders. So, I applied again this year, and I was accepted for one of the spring trips; I am going to Montana to (I think this is what it is) work both with a homeless shelter-place and at a animal care place....something like that. All I know is that it is kind of like a "dual" service trip in that we aren't JUST going to work at a food bank, or JUST work at an after school program...

8 Surface Rule

So, a shout out to my aunt Carrie for teachingme the 8 surface rule when it comes to cleaning/dusting/etc. I have found that EXTREMELY helpful as I work....especially when I am (usually) the one stuck cleaning tables at the end of the day/shift. If ALL are dirty, and quite frequently it happens - since the deli people aren't really that responsible and hardly do it, except when Gary asks them - and there are [roughly] 48 tables to wash. To wash/clean: spray with degreaser and rub that on. THEN, get a different towel wet with bleach/sanitizer water and wipe down the table. Lots of work to do. Not complaining, just don't like being the "only" one to "always" have to do it. Oh well; such is life, I suppose.

Human Clue

Most recent "attraction." So, our house just recently did a live, HUMAN clue. It was fun, and we used several rooms in the house as the rooms in the actual game. We had ten suspects. There was a poster board with everyone's picture and info on it, and then the clues around gave a hint as to WHO done it, WHERE they done it, and HOW it was done. It was fun and there was food ranging form sushi (tasted good,) artichoke dip on...bread (of some kind,) candy corn, pistchio cookies (made by yours truly) and other hourdeurvs. We had a handful of trick or treat-ers and just had a relaxing evening overall hanging out, taking pics, etc. Some gals ended up playing the board game "Clue" and at 8pm (I think was the time) we all gathered to sit down and watch the Extreme Makeover Home edition, which was the airing of the OSD (Oregon School for the Deaf.) It was cool to see that actually come live after reading an article in the Statesman Journal and hearing stories and seeing pictures of those who could go.....It was a VERY relaxing and enjoyable evening. I am glad I had the opportunity to spend time with my gals! = )

Too much more is happening to go into too much detail and list everything - like I haven't even touched on the "Out of Sight Dinner," but know that I am SUPER busy and staying out of trouble. I am struggling with many things, as do many college students, but I am getting through them day by day and trying not to stress too much. Until I find some time, or enough short bits of time to accumulate enough of a message to post, take care and God bless!

50¢ Burgers

Yikes!

Yesterday at work, there was a special deal in which the first 300 people could purchase a burger, small fry, and a drink (12 oz.) for 50¢. Yikes! The line at times just seemed ENDLESS. What was worse was that the little ticket/stubs/etc. that the people had were supposed to be stapled to a copy of the receipt. Well.....the way that the machine works is that it prints the order, then one is supposed to print the receipt. When that is done, I can't just print another, but I have to manually go in and say "Re-print Receipt," then enter the order number, THEN press "clear" which then reprints another copy of the receipt. Ug. So...I had to do that for around 2o0+ orders. - We didn't actually serve the full 300 people, which was kind of nice. - But boy were we busy! The people at the grill were amazing! In fact, they were "faster" than us, i.e. they ended up making several "birthday specials" at once. Oh: sorry. "Birthday specials" was the 50¢ deal. The university center is covering the rest of the normal cost of what it would be; but since this week is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the building, it is a special they are doing. Back in the 1960s that combo of food cost 50¢. I personally don't know this 'cause I wasn't alive back then. How then do I know? Well, I wrote the article in the paper the previous week about the 50th Anniversary/Birthday celebration and all the festivities.

Needless to say, work was crazy busy. This last Saturday was like a full day of work for me as I finished my two articles and then tried to send them in with pictures to my editor. Grrrrr. Internet is STILL not working. : ( My house mum knows, and she keeps encouraging me to keep telling her every once in a while, but the guy/technician KNOWS things are wrong and he is working on it, but I guess as of late, he doesn't know WHAT is wrong, per se. Rather, he just knows something is wrong. For whatever reason, the newer part of the house is having trouble receiving the signal or something. I don't know. But now my computer can't pick up the signal and keep it. It used to not be an issue; I was always able to pick up some network, but now: (just about) nothing! : /

So.....fighting with the sparatic internet was interesting to try and send in my articles that were due Fri. night/Sat. afternoon-ish. Goodness. That took ALL day. Plus, I still had to get one more interview in from one of my girls, since one of the articles was based on the pumpkin patch experience we had last week Wed. But....I got it done.

Sadly, Sat. took up so much time, that I didn't get the chance to really work on my linguistics homework. So, I did most of it Sunday. Sadly, I got stuck, so I asked a roommie who took it last year and she was able to help on one or two pretty easily, but the last "task" was HARD. Anyone who might be reading this good at linguistics? Phones, phonemes, allophones, allomorphs, morphemes, morphs, complimentary distribution, free variation......any of that ring a bell? I knew linguistics would be hard, but I didn't realize how hard. I thought it might be a bit easier since I've already taken a class in linguistics (back when I was taking Spanish and....yeah, had that "interesting" experience) and the first two weeks were good. I felt confident and things felt fine, as if it wasn't so bad. Then it took a turn for the worse and became super challenging. Hmmmm....anywho. Will review more a little later this morning and hopefully something will click; if not, I'm just going to have to give it the "ol' college try." - Quite literally.

This week will prove to be oober busy as it not only is midterms - which I'm scared for my linguistics midterm Thur. morning - but I also have something going on every night. Tonight I work and then might possibly call someone in regards to a possible article topic, Wed. is the "Out of Sight" dinner as part of the Disability Awareness Month activities, Thurs. I have a "party" I'll hang out at for a bit and then go to ASL Club - I missed it last week due to a commitment I had made about two weeks ago, but forgot at the time that I had ASL Club, but what I did - which I can't really say directly [I'm sworn to secrecy...unwritten] - I don't regret and I enjoyed myself. But, it'll be nice to get back into the swing of things and get back to signing again. In any case, then Fri. (I think it is,) there is a Clue party/Halloween celebration at my house, Sat. brings the cider press activity with the youth and college aged groups through my church, and then Sun. night yields the harvest party in which the youth of the church can enjoy games, activities, etc. which includes the cider we press the night before! It'll be a crazy-insane week, but it is filled with so many fun activities and really cool things, I just don't want to miss them all, especially with all of the fellowship and support.....I'm starting to kind of see why I am here in Monmouth. As much as I may not like how I am limited, everyone seems to be behind me 100% and supportive. Everyone listens to me, believes me, sympathize/empathizes with me, and it is a TON more supportive than I think I could find elsewhere right now. Everything seems to be "right" - as much of a struggle life may seem - and I am so much happier here around the people that care most about me, and being around the positive environment that will best help me get where I need to go. Where that is? I dunno. But I'll try my best to enjoy my journey there. In the meantime, I'll do what I can and enjoy what opportunities come my way.

Well, off to another day. Class, break, work, girl's night "Bible study"/girl's night of support/encouragement/break from life/etc. Can't wait for tonight. Hopefully in class today I'll be able to ask questions and get things cleared up to where I feel comfortable enough and ready for the test.

Time Slips On By Sometimes Leaving Me Behind

So, I need to make this quick so I can get some sleep before volunteering tomorrow.

Wow! What a time I've had recently. Already the end of week four; midterms are next week and I don't feel ready for my linguistics class, but I'll study and do my best. My ASL class I'm not too worried about; I've already done all of the VLOGS (Video Blogs) for class so far. And, our teacher hasn't said anything really about a "midterm" (i.e. hasn't made a big deal about it. We namely do discussions and take weekly quizzes to make sure we are attending and understanding.) I feel more comfortable with signing now, but know that I'm still not that skilled.

Yesterday, six of us girls made a trip on down to the pumpkin patch...which one? We didn't know. We all crammed into one car - which we didn't know there was only one car - and started driving to....nowhere really, since we didn't have a plan, I guess. But we found one and spent about an hour there...or so. We all got pumpkins and plan to carve them as a group. Those who couldn't make it this week are planning on going next week; I'll probably go again. I have kind of become the photographer for house events like this. : S Well, if everyone enjoys it, might as well, right? (At the end, I've attached some pictures.)

Work this week was HORRIBLE. Monday I was batting a thousand, doing everything wrong. Not to mention that they put me AT/on the grill, and I had NO idea how to make it, and they were trying to teach me (verbally) how to do things, and I wasn't that successful. : (

THEN....Tuesday, when I went to go close, NOBODY was there. So, I tried my best to do the compost, recycling, wiping the counters, doing as many of the dishes as I could and so on and so forth. I hadn't been shown how to do the salad bar, so I couldn't have done that - not to mention I found out the next morning that the produce hadn't come in. Speaking of the next morning, I got chewed out by a supervisor-personnel. She said that she wasn't chewing me out, but everything she was saying, how she said it, and so on and so forth was telling me opposite. She was accusing me of things I had no idea happened/didn't happen, was saying I didn't do anything (in less direct words,) and was just negative, negative, negative. : ( I almost cried, but I was able to hold it in. I felt AWFUL and it was so HARD to shake it off and do work for the next hour or so. But, yeah, I knew she was upset with me and blaming me. But there are people who come in after me and are supposed to clean up and "truly" close the kitchen. I just help. And, as I'm being chewed out, praise God there was another gal there who was trying to defend me - I tried, but this supervisor wasn't listening nor believing me - and was so supportive of me and my cause. Then, after I am blamed and condemned (I'm sure she wanted to fire me then and there,) THEN I'm told these little "secrets"/"helpful hints" about how they want me to run/do things when I close. Oh! AAAAAAANNNNNDDD I was condemned for being "slow." - I was hardly ever still for the whole time I was there; granted, I wasn't running around, but I was always moving, looking for something to do and clean, etc. So my batting average sank lower. I just hope tomorrow isn't bad. I've had a bad week already, I don't want to end it poorly.

But......though I can't say what exactly it was I did, I have had two positive nighttime experiences (last night and tonight) that have lifted my spirit and have encouraged me. Tomorrow will be the third and final night for some time, but that's okay. It'll help me get through this week. All I can say is that this week is homecoming here at WOU, and I've helped out some with that.

Oh! I am also back on with the Western Journal, the school paper, and am writing (on average) two articles a week! Whooo! I'm excited about this next week's articles. Both are based on personal experience and one is purely...opinon/my choice topic based. The other is specific, but because of the topic, I can write it based off of what I have experienced, although I need to interview some of my girls here before the weekend. Eeeek! I forgot about that. : S So, I'll try to do that after work. I'll need to do a bit of research - if I can find the info I'm looking for - and then just sit down and write both articles. I've started one and have an idea of how I wish to start the other. But we'll see. The most o

opinionated one I'm struggling with to find the words I want to say/express myself. I'm hoping it will turn out right. Every time I want to say it - like when I'm showering and thinking out loud - the BEST ideas come to me, but I never remember them long enough to write them down or I can't remember everything; thus, each consecutive try thereafter is worse. : ( *sigh* Oh well.

I think that is it for now. I think that is enough to catch up on me - more or less. Hope I didn't bore you too much. ; ) Hope all is well with whomever is reading this. May life bring you many blessings and good health. Take care & God bless!

Time Keeps On Moving On

Well, since a few people are actually reading this - and yes I am truly surprised - I will try to pop up a blog or two once in a while, though I am thinking about starting a blog about my work. (Ha ha ha ha ha.) Some REALLY interesting things have already started happening, so...we'll see how things play out. : )

Life has been SUPER busy-crazy since camp has finished. Camp ending was much harder for me than I anticipated. I never really expected to connect with anyone, since last summer I didn't really have a great & enjoyable one...it ended rather roughly, leaving me hurt and with many scars. Though I am not super close with anyone, and I never expected to be nor do I ever expect it to happen - the staff their have a bond that I could never join or be a part of, but I am okay with that - but I did come out with a few GOOD friends; some really sweet, genuine people. I miss them tons but know that they are in good hands...the BEST hands. : )

Almost as soon as summer "ended," I was on the go to get ready, try to purge, pack up boxes, bags, beds, and whatever else and head to Mo-town - Monmouth, actually; we college students just sometimes say. So I began the long, stressful process of moving out west, and then slowly unpacking. As of this last weekend, I was (more or less) completely unpacked. Yeah I still have about five archive boxes of stuff in boxes, but I'm pretty much out here to stay until God leads me elsewhere to my new adventure, although I have a feeling I'll be out here two years - enough time to give me to take my GRE, find a grad school/program I want to study, and just get a better feel for where I want to find myself.

Needless to say, I've been one busy chica. I also spent most of one day walking around to Monmouth & Independence places to submit resumes & applications in hopes to find part-time work. Well, I happened to be home one weekend - for something I forget - and I received a call from campus dining requesting an interview. That following Monday, I go in for an interview and lo & behold: I am hired! Though it isn't HEAPS of money, it still is better than nothing. Because it is an on-campus job - which is a HUGE blessing - I cannot work more than 20 hrs/wk. Which, I'll probably end up getting close to with all of what has happened thus far, and what will probably continue. Training last week (New Student Week) was hard and challenging, but I made it through and then hit the ground running this week. It's pretty much sink or swim from here on out, and so far...I'd say I've been treading water to keep my head afloat. But God is good and things will become easier the more I do things and become familiar with menus and what goes with what. I'm going to try and start a blog with all my adventures based on how Monday (this week) happened for me. Now I can laugh about it, but back then in the heat of the fire, it was NOT funny. : (

Anyways...I think that is the best overview, quick 10 min blurb-ish on me & my life and what is relatively new. Now knowing that there are a few people reading, I'll try to post a little more frequently, even if it is a "Hey! Funny story: ............."

Take care and God bless to those who are reading. It's a late night due to many things - some of which include a prolonged nap, unplanned, a house meeting, and other things I needed to finish up online. Rest well when you get there.