A snowy winter
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Saturday Afternoon
So the major snowstorm started Friday. And with the exception of going to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, I’ve been within a mile of my apartment since then. As much as I love having an excuse to watch movies and sleep in and bake … this is getting old. I was looking forward to work today to interact with people, but honestly, I think my Subaru is just fine interacting with the parking lot out front, because the trips to the grocery store are enough for it to handle. Even if it does handle snow beautifully, it does not like packed down ice and potholes.
Sunday Afternoon
I have yet to actually “play” in the snow … even if I do have grown up (awesome) snow pants. I’ve been too busy shoveling, doing dishes and doing a whole lot of nothing. Since Sunday though, I’ve met neighbors I had never spoken to. I’ve now interacted with everyone but the guy who lives right next door. Which is more than I can say for before there was two feet of snow in our parking lot.
Tuesday Morning
My goal for tomorrow is to catch up on the reading I’ve neglected since my schedule is thrown off. I always thought I hated routine, but I’ve realized this week that they’re nice to have.
Currently, the Mid-Atlantic region is getting hit again — for the second time this week, with another 8-10 or 10-20 inches, depending on the most recent report. The guy who was plowing the lot Sunday mentioned another storm this weekend, but I’m just waiting for this one to pass over. The state road has been up and down my street numerous times this evening keeping it scraped down and I can only hope that it stops sooner or later.
Lunch!
I decided to make the pork chops that were thawed and made some roasted veggies today for lunch. My body was craving something other than soup, warmed up pasta or banana bread and brownies. At this rate, I’m having the same thing for lunch tomorrow.
Weekly Web Round-up
I love, love, love this bedroom on Making it Lovely. This collection of colors and furniture are some of my current favorites. I love the grays, greens and all the clean white. I love the side tables, the textured rug, the lamp, everything. I still need to get a barometer lamp. I’ve been seeing them everywhere lately.
From Design*Sponge, here’s another Banana Bread Recipe I want to try. Although I just noticed it doesn’t call for cinnamon!
And from Blurbomat, it’s Jon Armstrong’s ever insightful perspective on all things Apple. Will I buy one? Probably not. My main goal this year is to get my iPhone (again). If anything, I’ll be investing in a new MacBook or iMac because I fear my MacBook is on it’s last legs.
Last but not least, possibly one of the best before and after’s I’ve seen lately on the Interweb, from Young House Love. This backsplash is actually peel and stick tiles.
Table top
(via Apartment Therapy)
This table reminds me of my desk that I recently purchased. A desk that should I ever really be in a pinch or want extra space to play board games or host company, I could easily convert for that purpose.
The price was right too — less than $100 for the legs and table top. It’s a great solution as something permanent too, and something I could easily (and affordably) do in a future home.
I want to take a road trip.
I want to stop at a diner and have a big breakfast.
Or a burger.
I want more twinkle lights.
I want curtains in my bedroom.
I want to go to Boston. And explore. And take photos.
I want to go tubing (in the summer).
And eat cheese fries and laugh with friends.
That’s all.
Resolutions
I recently read about someone who said she wasn’t starting her New Year’s resolutions until Jan. 29. I got to thinking about it, and realized that in doing that, I’ve given myself 29 days to get used to the resolution.
Maybe that’s why I waited so long before publicly telling people that I’m taking a photo a day (trying to at least) and read the Bible in 90 95 days.
I had originally planned on joining the Wellness Center at work, and I may still, but for right now, I’m going to attempt to do Pilates regularly and start running. I already have the bag in my car so after work I can just lace up my running shoes and run around campus as a starting point. In the summer, I’ll be biking again (yay!).
So I popped in my Amy Brown Pilates DVD, but as per usual, about half way through, I got tired or distracted or couldn’t figure out the moves, and I’d watch her do it instead of trying. I guess that kinda defeats the purpose, eh?
Today was a very full day. Today was day two of waking up at 6 a.m. for quiet time and so far it’s going really well. I’m reading Hebrews for the first time and it’s going along with my Old Testament that I’m reading for the 90 95 day project. I met some friends for coffee, was asked to serve on a committee for United Way and received the H1N1 vaccine.
This evening I met my journalism professor and fellow former-Picket editor for dinner and caught up on jobs, campus events and happenings at the Picket.
A few (extremely sad) things in the news that have caught my attention:
Currently listening
Last night I had this playlist playing while I had friends over for a game night. I love the Genius feature in iTunes, because I had a 50 track playlist for a party in about 45 seconds. At some point in the course of the evening, my friend Jason said I had weird taste in music. I listed a few of the artists off this playlist and no one had heard of them except Vampire Weekend. I was a little surprised, but pleased at the same time.
I guess we didn’t bond over our taste in music. Which could be a good thing.
The bully effect
I don’t cry very often. Growing up, I had a soft heart – at least that’s what my mother said growing up. I think over the years it got harder. Actually, I think after the divorce and feeling like I had to quickly grow up, that is when I started caring more about myself because I had to in order to survive emotionally and mentally.
Lately, I haven’t had room mates or family to interact with regularly. I go to work, I come home. I go to two Bible studies through the week, occasionally hang out with friends through the week and go to church. I see my parents about every other weekend. When I do see friends (one of the Bible studies has 20-30 participants), I sometimes feel overwhelmed, even though I shouldn’t. It’s people I know and love and know I can trust.
I’ve started calling it the “bully effect.” In elementary school, I was bullied profusely. I would leave school at least three days a week crying my eyes out because the girls were brutal. Mainly picking on me for my wardrobe choices, my lack of physical coordination in PE, and my crooked teeth. I eventually grew into all of these wonderful conundrums that kids deal with when they’re little. I’m still a little uncoordinated, but it’s part of my quirkiness, I think.
What these girls did achieve was a serious blow to my confidence. Yeah, I teased them about being short when they called me “Buck teeth” and “beaver.” (My dad told me to tell them I was fixing my problem (braces) but they couldn’t fix their’s. Way to go, dad!)
I’ve grown into a lot of this. I went through a phase where I feel I tried way too hard to be liked. I eventually learned to not try so hard, to be myself and things would just happen. Ironically, to this day, when I’m hanging out with people, I am paranoid that they’re going to leave me. It’s an irrational fear, but it still happens — it’s happened with people I’ve dated (going to stores and getting separated was always fun) and happened as recent as this morning after church when I slipped into the women’s restroom while my friends were outside talking. I even recognize it as it’s happening. I had to tell myself as I was getting my things together “It’s the bully effect … they’re still out there.” Honestly, now that I write this, I realized that maybe it’s the devil trying to distract me from spiritual growth.
This morning though, in church, we watched a video with photos and clips from Haiti. Half way through, they showed an interview with a man holding a small child. The guy interviewing said “So, you’ve lost your wife, your children, your church, and your home … tell me, why are you still smiling?” His answer, paraphrased, was about finding joy from God. He had a huge smile on his face, but at the same time you could tell he was broken. As I sat there, in the theater where we have church, I felt tears in my eyes.
It’s times like these that I wish I didn’t have all this “crap” that I’ve accumulated that makes a house a home. I wish I didn’t have the credit card debt. I hope that if a team goes that I can put things on hold and jump in and participate. I wish, almost more than anything, that I could pour funds into relief efforts, or that I could adopt a child.
My father has done missionary work in Haiti and my step-mom went last year. I know about the devastation and can’t fathom what it must be like down there now. It gives me hope though, to see that Haitian Christians still have faith. They’re still praising God despite the situation. Then I think about myself where I’m at now. I try to be grateful for what I have. To not be “woe is me” when the slightest thing happens (although I can be dramatic for effect at times). But these people have nothing and they’re praising God despite what’s happened to them. I hope that if I was ever in a similar situation, I would maintain the same attitude.
