happy thoughts of the day

the old man who, when he first saw me dressed up for my new job said, 'oh! is that what's been hiding underneath all that all this time?!' once again told me how nice i looked. and another male resident told me i could take care of him, with a cute wink (and a 'i'm just kidding' sheepishness).
and ukrainian maintenance guy saw me for the first time since i got the new job. he was waiting for the elevator and i came up behind him, and he didn't really turn around (he's so shy and he probably thought i was a stranger), so i said hello. i got a little glance, then eyes-bugging-out-of-his-head in a non-creepy, 'wow!' way. it made me feel very good. :)

and here i thought things were all calm and good

i thought i was at a place where i was just going to have to learn my job. that would be my only worry. now, i know i should never worry, because GOD is in control, but, you know.
our nursing home was just sold. supposedly we'll all be keeping our jobs and pay rate, but we all have to reapply. however, i already know of one woman (my officemate) who will be losing her job. thankfully she works three days a week at our sister facility, but she makes too much and the new owner won't pay it for the two days she works at our place. mostly, though, i do think people are safe. it's the first place he's ever owned (he's seriously like 25 or 26 - he graduated college in '09), and he really wants the transition to go smoothly.
however, i'm brand new to my position with no experience or schooling.
there are a bazillion other things to take into consideration (my big concern being my vacation [if i keep my job] (also, the fact that i'll never seen good-looking maintenance guy again cuz he actually works for our sister facility), my mom's being her retirement, everyone's being benefits), but the other specific prayer request i'm going to mention right now is for our social worker. for one thing, people in management aren't necessarily safe, and she'd be considered management. but mostly, we have no idea what our health insurance situation is going to be, and she's dying of lung cancer. in february she was given 3-9 months to live. tomorrow she goes in for chemo, and they'll be checking to see if the chemo and radiation have actually been doing anything. with due cause, she's a wreck. she's single, with no siblings or parents or cousins or anything. thankfully, though, she does have a great network of friends. i don't know what her spiritual status is. i believe her background is lutheran, but she has said she can't pray outside of church. so please, if you could pray for her, it would be much appreciated.

"you want a piece of me?"

"why yes, yes i do, actually."

"ok."

update on mirabelle

she seems to be doing well. she's on meds now, and while they're still adjusting the dosage and whatnot, they seem to be working. we spoke almost normally the other day, so i'm hoping there's hope that i'll still get my old friend back. i mean, she has to have had this her whole life, right? this is just an episode, and it will be under control and things will be back to normal. i hope.
she did ask me to keep praying for her, though. and to keep talking to her about GOD stuff. she said she's had to turn to faith in GOD in all this, so please pray that she'll see the full truth of JESUS CHRIST, and not just think of GOD as something behind her getting better. because while HE is, HE's so much more than that.

why one shouldn't go shopping when one has the munchies

four bags of goldfish, two bags of chips, one salsa, two things of pudding, three bags of jelly beans, two string cheeses, two boxes of tea, and, just to be healthy, two apples.

Book Review: "Dismantling America," by Thomas Sowell

I've started and deleted this review several times because I don't feel like I'm getting it right. So I'll just say that it's a book about the downward spiral that America is in because of various political, economic, and cultural issues. It shows sides of the issues that the Left doesn't want us to think about, because frankly, they just don't want us to think.
Now we all know that I'm not political. So if I'm saying a book on politics is good, it must be worth reading. And I'm saying this book is good. You should read it. Because it's worth reading.

Food Review: Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips

When I was out at Cocoa and the Dairy Princess's, they had a bag of chips on the table. I took one look at them and thought, 'Oh. That can't be good. Multigrain. Brand I've never heard of. And I'm going to have to try it to be polite. Sad.' And then the Dairy Princess came along and told me I had to try one because they're so good. And so I did. To be polite.

And ohmigoodness they're the yummiest chips ever. They sound horrible - they're multigrain, certified vegan, gluten free, cholesterol free, a good source of fiber, excellent source of whole grains, low sodium, all natural, and all that, made with brown rice flour, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, quinoa, and safflower oil among other things. And they're crazy expensive (about $3.50 for a 5.5 oz bag), and they never go on sale. But last week they did, and there's a coupon on their website for $1 off a bag, so it came to $1.50. And while it's one coupon per person, I have more than one email address.

I bought six bags.

my darling dom

Dominic Monaghan ‏ @DomsWildThings
Gullible sounds like "oranges" if you say it fast enough.

still more from "Blue Like Jazz"

[after talking about how society places more importance on 'being cool' than on what a person believes and stands for:]
"Satan, who I believe exists as much as I believe Jesus exists, wants us to believe meaningless things for meaningless reasons. Can you imagine if Christians actually believed that God was trying to rescue us from the pit of our own self-addiction? Can you imagine? Can you imagine what Americans would do if they understood over half the world was living in poverty? Do you think they would change the way they live, the products they purchase, and the politicians they elect? If we believed the right things, the true things, there wouldn't be very many problems on earth.
"But the trouble with deep belief is that is costs something. And there is something inside me, some selfish beast of a subtle thing that doesn't like the truth at all because it carries responsibility, and if I actually believe these things I have to do something about them."

again - i am horrible

i get very bored and lonely alone all day in my office. hopefully soon i'll get into a routine which will keep me busy, so i don't have to keep emailing my sister and chelley telling them that i'm bored.
but anyway, so yeah, i miss the people. i miss the residents and i miss my co-workers. and ukrainian maintenance guy was there today, and i was sad i was stuck in my office, because i like the special smile he gives me, and now that i get to dress cute instead of in a polo shirt and hairnet, he could see that i'm even cuter and then his smile that he only gives to me would be even more smiley. i'm so horrible.

i think i'm supposed to write something

i don't really know what yet, but i think i am. i don't know why i'm bothering telling you girls that, since i don't know any more than that. but it's what's on my heart right now, so i just thought i'd share it.

yeah, i had totally forgotten that when my belly dance work-out video said it's for the hips, buns, and thighs, it meant it's a work-out for the hips, buns, and thighs. holy cow, it did me in.

aaahhh!!!

what did they do to blogger?

tweet of the day, or, i love dominic monaghan

Dominic Monaghan ‏ @DomsWildThings
Putting a tiara on my head immediately turns me into a tosspot.

more from "Blue Like Jazz"

"I know a little of why there is blood in my body, pumping life into my limbs and thought into my brain. I am wanted by God. He is wanting to preserve me, to guide me through the darkness of the shadow of death, up into the highlands of His presence and afterlife. I understand that I am temporary, in this shell of a thing on this dirt of an earth. I am being tempted by Satan, we are all being tempted by Satan, but I am preserved to tell those who do not know about our Savior and our Redeemer..."

Movie Review: The Island

I was pleasantly surprised. Somehow I'm reading or watching a lot of post-apocalyptic stuff lately, which normally is not my thing, but there have been reasons. This time the reason is that I was put on the waiting list months ago when I was on either a Ewan McGregor or a Sean Bean kick. (Djimon Huntsu was an added bonus. :) )

The basic premise is that these people have been told that there's been a huge disaster and they have to be kept in this safe place, living by these certain rules, to avoid contamination. There is one place left in the world, though, that isn't contaminated, and there's a lottery to determine who will get to go to the Island to get the taste of fresh air and an experience of an untainted world. Of course, all is not as it seems, and Ewan McGregor's character starts questioning it, sees that something's wrong, and breaks out, bringing his best friend with him. And then, of course, there's a huge chase to bring them back, while they try to figure out what is going on, and yada yada yada action action action.
The plot, while post-apocalyptic, isn't that far out there really, and raises some interesting questions. Sorry I have to be so vague, but I don't want to give stuff away. It was intriguing and kept my interest. And actually, even Scarlett Johansson gave a good performance.
So I would say, if you're looking for something different to watch, go for it. It was good.

i was gonna post a few things

but i got busy doing nothing. so now i guess i won't, cuz i should probably go to bed cuz there's church tomorrow.

my friend's status

Jake: " Mom, you are a nice mom"
Me: "Really? Sometimes I don't feel all that nice."
Jake: "oh mom, don't listen to that! You are a good mommy! That is the enemy telling you lies."
....... oh the truth that comes out of the mouths of our babes....... I love you Jacob!

i love it

i just got an email from ebay wishing me a happy ebay anniversary. i can print off an anniversary certificate and display it proudly! yay!

okay, but one other thing, because crap! i got reeled in

i enjoy looking through adam baldwin's tweets to a) see what a thinker he is, and 2) find the Bible verses he shares.

real quick

so far i think i'll like the job. i'm not blogging more right now, though, cuz i'm home alone and want to enjoy my home alone time (now that i don't get that after work, it's going to be even more important to savor it!).

alright girls

here goes!

observation at the concert

the lead singer of the band was a white chick. for two of the songs there were girl back-up singers - black chicks. one of the back-up singers had pants on, so she doesn't factor into this story. but the other was in a skirt, and the lead singer had booty shorts on (but a long-sleeved, loose, not cut low top - she didn't look skanky, she just looked like she could've used longer shorts. she also, though she was short, had legs to die for - not fair).
i found it interesting that the white chick had black nylons on and the black chick had white nylons on. just goes to show you that no one is comfortable in their own skin.

and the guy

we went to a concert last night. way too loud to talk (he apologized for that). the first two bands weren't great (just loud), but the group we actually went to see (which i had never heard of) was good. i felt bad, though, because he paid again. he wouldn't even let me pay for parking. (i keep telling myself that since he's in the military, it's okay, because that means i'm getting a little of my tax money back.) he opened my car door, too, which was nice, but again made me feel bad. i really don't see this going anywhere, so i feel like i'm taking advantage of the poor boy. and with the car door thing i definitely feel like he's thinking there may be more.
we ran into my diana at the concert, though, and all i could think was, 'oh my gosh - you two! i want to hook you up!'

alright, the job

k, so by now you all know that i got the job. the director of nursing offered it to me on thursday, and told me i'd start tuesday. while i had been thinking about this for 2 1/2 weeks, it suddenly seemed really fast. especially because that meant i only had two kitchen shifts left, boom, just like that. 14 years of working in the kitchen, and with no real countdown i'm done. and then there's not even a weekend in between jobs. i work in dietary monday, and medical records tuesday. but i did know that they wanted someone in there right away because the current person is so overwhelmed, and dietary does have people who can pick up shifts for now.
it's also hitting me that i'll have no clue what i'm doing and i'll be the only one in the department. the nice thing is that they know that they hired someone with no schooling and no experience, so they can't expect too much from me at first. and the current woman will be available for me to call if the DON or ADON can't figure out the answer to a question i may have. i'm hoping to get as much training as possible with the current woman, but i know that the whole reason they're hiring me so fast is because she's overwhelmed working the two facilities. hopefully i get as much training as i need.
i'm getting nervous, but at the same time everyone at the home thinks i can do it, so that's encouraging. also, i really don't think GOD would've let me get the job if i couldn't do it. i heard there were no applicants that seemed as capable as i would be, and i'm sure that if HE wanted someone else in the role, there would've been. there have to be qualified people out there praying for a job. and so that gives me a little confidence, too. i'm just praying that i'll catch on quickly.

i hate it when i go to my blog and there's nothing new there

i have things to say, just not the time or energy right now. and so, there's still nothing new. it's so boring.

from "Blue Like Jazz"

Don Miller is talking about other gods, and how he can sympathize with the Israelites when they build the golden calf. Not because he would build a golden calf ("to each his own"), but because Moses was gone, and they had seen nothing of God for 40 days. And so he had a make believe conversation with Moses, trying to explain. It ended with Moses saying, "...God led us out of Egypt because you people cried out to Him. He was answering your prayers because He is a God of compassion. He could have left you to Satan. Don't complain about the way God answers your prayers. You are still living on an earth that is run by the devil. God has promised us a new land, and we will get there. Your problem is not that God is not fulfilling, your problem is that you are spoiled."

reaching the end of my rope

i'm exhausted in every way possible. please pray.

job update

the director of nursing called me into her office today and told me that they're seriously considering me for the job. she wants to see my transcripts to see what with the speech therapy training can transfer, and what kind of schooling they would need to have available for me. so that's a very good thing.
also, i told my boss that i applied, and she said, 'oh! you'd be so good at that! i hope you get it! i'll put in a good word for you.' and i think she meant that nicely, in a not i'd-be-glad-to-get-rid-of-you way. so we'll see!

from "Blue Like Jazz," by Donald Miller

I'm loving this book. It's I guess a memoir, but kind of more just thoughts on Miller's spiritual walk. Look for more quotes to come. (They will not all be this long. I promise.)

He and his friend Andrew the Protester had gone downtown to protest a visit by President Bush with a bunch of people who were protesting things like the war in Iraq and "corporations  who were making slaves of Third World labor; and the Republican Party, who gives those corporations so much power and freedom," and all that. The president came, gave his speech, and left, "before we could shake hands and explain our concerns. When we were done I started wondering if we had accomplished anything. I started wondering whether we could actually change the world. I mean, of course we could - we could change our buying habits, elect socially conscious representatives and that sort of thing, but I honestly don't believe we will be solving the greater human conflict with our efforts. The problem is not a certain type of legislation or even a certain politician; the problem is the same that it has always been.
"I am the problem.
"...This is the hardest principle within Christian spirituality for me to deal with.The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest.
"...I talk about love, forgiveness, social justice; I rage against American materialism in the name of altruism, but have I even controlled my own heart? The overwhelming majority of the time I spend thinking about myself, pleasing myself, reassuring myself, and when I am done there's nothing to spare for the needy. Six billion people live in this world, and I can only muster thoughts for one. Me.
"...I didn't like being reminded about how self-absorbed I was. I wanted to be over this, done with this. I didn't want to live in a broken world or a broken me. I wasn't trying to weasel out of anything, I just wasn't in the mood to be on earth that night. I get like that sometimes...
"...I know now, from experience, that the path to joy winds through this dark valley...I think Jesus feels strongly about communicating the idea of our brokenness, and I think it is worth reflection. Nothing is going to change in the Congo until you and I figure out what is wrong with the person in the mirror."