Bamboo

You shouldn't need to look too closely at this photo to realize that the bamboo, sadly, is dead. The last smidgeon if green life at the tips of the leaves will soon become yellow as the stalks no longer pass nutrients through their lifeless cells. While lifeless plants are not normally a novelty at my house, this one struck me as interesting. These two stalks of bamboo have been a staple in my kitchen for over 3 years now. I obtained the bamboo, along with the nice vase, from my cousin Curt's wedding in December 2002. Once there were three stalks, but the third one did not live as long as these two. You will notice that the left stalk is significantly more prolonged in death than the right stalk. Just a little over a week ago, I sadly noted that the left stalk was struggling. I added water and hoped that it might be revived. Today, the verdict is apparently out: the left stalk will not be revived but take down the right one with it. My first thought was, "Oh good, one less thing to have to pack and move!" Then I sadly noted to myself that the death of the bamboo has occurred within eerie proximity to my departure from Augusta. I cannot ignore that a part of me is dying as I leave this place. I know it is necessary that some part of myself die in order to move forward and embrace a new city, new home, and new career - but I haven't yet reached the state of embracing that little death inside of me. I would be happy to pack the bamboo now and take it with me if I could avoid the inevitable pain it represents.

Official Unemployment

I am happy to report that the day has finally come: today is my first official weekday of unemployment. I have searched through old journals (which I use quite sparingly) to determine when I first started praying about leaving Plant Vogtle, but I cannot find the appropriate reference. I can say with a fair amount of confidence that I first thought of leaving after I had been at the plant for 18-24 months (I started there in September 2000). Before making a whimsical and rash move, I decided to buy a house in Augusta, forcing myself to stick it out at Vogtle for at least 2 more years. I bought the house in the summer of 2002, but my desire to leave never really went away completely. Sometime in 2003, I received some helpful advice from a friend (thank you, Emily) that God does not call us from something but to something. Granted, God would call us away from sin, but I could not claim any such relationship with my work. I still, however, felt that the job left much to be desired in life, so I began to pray that God would call me to something else. Thus began the waiting and praying. Specifically, I desired very much to be drawn to a career that would meet the following goals:

(1) Require less of a commute. I spent roughly 8-10 hours a week in the car driving to and from Vogtle.
(2) Offer flexibility in working hours that could accommodate family life. I do not have a family of my own but would like to, and I did not foresee a positive experience in balancing my future career at Vogtle with a family.
(3) Give me the opportunity to work with and serve people directly.
(4) Provide a skill that I could utilize anywhere in the world for humanitarian and/or mission work.
(5) Spark my passions in a way that would allow me to give myself fully to work and not regret the use of that time for the results produced.

I think this is the first time I have written all those goals out together, but they are really what have driven my desires and prayers through this process. I began during that year (2003) to determine what opportunities were out there in the world that might meet all the goals. I had taken the GRE, as I was considering graduate school in some capacity, so I began to consider entirely new careers in addition to other options within the Chemical Engineering field. With the urging of my best friend (thank you, Julie) I started looking at some programs at Georgia Tech in the rehabilitation engineering realm. While none of those programs particularly struck me as the right one, they did lead me directly to the GT graduate program for Prosthetics and Orthotics. I first came across this option in December of 2003, and the last 2 ½ years have been ultimately leading to today, my first day of unemployment.

While I feel that this move, this career change, is absolutely the right thing for me, I have to believe that staying at Vogtle could just as easily have been the right thing. I prayed that if God desired me to stay here that I would develop a greater passion for Vogtle in order to be willing to sacrifice some of the desires listed above. I would have been happy to stay. But, alas, the doors have opened for me to go, and so I am leaving. I am thankful that the last several weeks have been more confirming for me than confusing. One amazing blessing has been the response of my co-workers, who almost unanimously have been supportive and encouraging as I said my goodbyes. Many of their comments have been extremely touching and have given me a sense that my leaving has been a greater testimony in that place than my time there has been. I regret only that as I left I began to see a few potential relationships, which I did not see before, in which I could have mentored those people in work and life. At this point, I have to trust that I will only have more opportunity for such relationships in my future career.

To wrap up this blog which is about to exceed the blog word limit (I know there is no such thing), I would like to thank God for the fact that I will never again be caught sporting this gear, in this pose, at this place, ever again:

Me as a B.E. (Baby Engineer) - Fall 2000

My Favorite Easter Bunnies

Exciting Start to the Day

Yesterday morning, I was rudely awakened at approximately 4am by dogs barking. I looked at the clock, rolled my eyes, and tried to go back to sleep for the 30 remaining minutes of my night. But the barking got worse, much worse, and it wasn't letting up at all. It sounded kind like a dog in another yard, but as the minutes went by I began to realize that this may in fact be my dog. Well, sure enough, it was the beloved Kelsey. She was barking as though our lives were in danger and looking very worrisomely behind a bush at the back fence (along the ditch). I very cautiously stepped out into the back yard to see what was on the other side of the fence bothering her. I couldn't see anything, but it was obvious by her insanity that something was there. She wouldn't even come inside when I called. So I went back in and grabbed a flashlight. I walked about halfway across the yard an shined it at the bush, and there it was, a wicked little scared-out-of-its-mind opossum. It's eyes were glaring out at me and it was making some sort of hissing sound at Kelsey. I finally got Kelsey inside, and I guess the opossum wisely found a way back out of the yard. I'm certain that particular rodent will not return. It looked about like the photo here, except under a bush instead of under a table. Gross!

The Exodus

Yesterday was the annual mass exodus from Augusta. This exodus has no biblical connotation whatsoever, unless you count the fact that many people worship the ground at the Augusta National. No, this exodus is the swift and powerful exit at the end of the Masters tournament. Never has there been a more audible sigh of relief from an entire community as our seams are relaxed and we can once again resume normal life. The fans, the rental cars, the limosines, the RVs, the news trucks, the white vans, the golf advertisements, the traffic, the golfers themselves.... they have all left. Here we are the next day, just plain old Augusta again. All the fanfare and excitement is gone, but we are happy. Next year the excitement will build again, "they" will come again, and another exodus will occur, and so on. I lived in Augusta for a few years before I really saw the full force of all the Masters hoopla. Then I moved into this neighborhood (right across the street from the Augusta National), and I finally realized just how much happens during the famous Masters week. I also experienced for the first time the longing for it to go away. I wanted the normal streets back, restuarants without the wait, life as we know it here, boring as it sometimes is. So that year I decided to sit out on Washington Road, right outside the gate, and wave goodbye to the fans as the exodus took place. My friend Sarah Mizelle joined me, and we had a blast. It was so much fun that we decided to make it an annual affair, but unfortunately one thing or another has prevented it for the last two years. This year, however, the tradition continued. Sarah, Jennifer, and I can be seen below wishing all the fans well. Our signs read, "Have a Safe Trip Home", "See Ya Next Year", and "Y'all Come Back!" As happy as we are to see the fans leave, we have tried to be as nice as possible to them. It's funny because most people don't really know what to think of us. Some try to walk by without making eye contact. Others laugh. Others stop and chat. For the most part, they are just surprised that we are actually sitting there on the side of the road and not trying to sell them anything. And we're just glad they are on their way out.

Uncreated Joys

I never cease to be amazed at the ability of Dr. Ortlund (Dr. Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr. to be exact) can convey truth in a profound way. Below is an excerpt from the sermon he preached last Sunday at his church in Nashville.

The goodness of God, better than every other desire, is the truth being advertised through the church. If God were to deed over to you his whole creation as your personal possession and you became unimaginably rich forever, with all the world at your command, your wealth would be real because everything God makes has worth. But you would also go on forever wondering why you felt so empty and frustrated and angry. God created us for uncreated joys. He created us for himself. The Bible says about a wealthy man, “Jesus looked on him and loved him” (Mark 10:21). His love is better than wealth, and that is the most underrated truth in America today. Moses prayed, “Show me your glory.” God answered, “I will make all my goodness pass before you” (Exodus 33:18-19). The Bible says, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness” (Psalm 31:19). “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good” (Psalm 106:1; 107:1). “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). “He gives good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11). His will is good (Romans 12:2). In all things he works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). “Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6).

What really caught my attention the most was the statement that "God created us for uncreated joys." I don't think I realize how easily I am swayed to equate joy with something - anything - in this world. What a great reminder that while things in this world can and do bring joy, our ultimate joy can only be found in God himself. Even in some of the verses that Ortlund uses, it is my tendency to equate "good" with something I can see or touch, something created. If only I could remember every day that I am created for uncreated joys, life would be more simple.

Cooper River Memorial Workout

First of all, I would like to congratulate all my friends who took on the Cooper River Bridge Run yesterday and conquered it once again. Julie especially, after recovering from a vicious bout with mono a few months ago, completed without walking! Great job Jules!

Today, in loving memory of the race I did not run yesterday, I took to the streets to push myself in a similar way. Instead of running 6.2 miles, though, I threw in a kink to start early in preparing for the Mistletoe Triathlon, which I hope to race in June. I started by pulling my bike out of the shed, dusting it off, pumping up the tires, and locating all my gear, which has been stashed away for almost 2 years. I rode downtown, around, and back, about 16 miles. It wasn't an intense ride by any means, but not a bad workout at all. I then took about a 30 minute break, stretched, changed shoes, and set out for a 3.1 mile run. I have to say, I was struggling big time, probably in part due to the pre-run bikeride and in part due to the fact that the temp is about 80-85 today. Nonetheless, I finished with a few short walks in 30min45sec. (That included a short stop to give someone directions also.) All in all, I was happy with the workout and feel that I have now somewhat redeemed the lost challenge of the Cooper yesterday.

Oh, and I was also breaking in new running shoes. I had been waiting until after the race buy new shoes and start breaking them in, though I desperately needed some, so I bought some yesterday. So far, two thumbs up. As a woman, I have to admit that sadly it is more fun for me to have new running shoes than new sandals or boots or any other footwear. My family used to call me "Happy Feet" for a few weeks after I got new running shoes, because I walked as though on the tops of clouds. So if you see me sporting my new footwear, you may note the happy spring in my step... I just can't help it.

Unbelievable

I left work this morning at about 6:15 fully elated at the idea that I would not return until Monday morning. On the way home, I pleasanty planned out my day and how I would manage to sleep a little but still be able to sleep tonight in preps for the big race tomorrow morning in Charleston. All these hopes and plans were dashed at 7:30 when I begrudgingly answered the phone to find my boss on the other end, "We're gonna need you to work tonight." He didn't even say it with remorse. Warning to all other employees at the plant tonight: I will not be in a good mood!

What are they thinking?

These are actual opening words to house listings in my area. No phrases have been changed to protect anyone. Italic comments are obviously mine. I have been checking the realty site to see what comments will be chosen for my house. If any of these are used, I will call my realtor and request a re-do.

“Looking for Investors!!”
Looking for suckers!

“Enjoy life in the country…”
This place is secluded from all familiar life forms.

“Move in today!”
We are desperate.

“Owner is doing some painting…”
???

“Best price in neighborhood. Sold "AS IS" "AS SEEN" condition”
Worst house in neighborhood, and we aren’t going to fix anything up for you.

My Sentiments Exactly

This quote communicates something I have felt and yet struggled to put into words for a long time:

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
-Edward Everett Hale, The Man Without a Country

I would also add that I am often disheartened at just how much there is to do compared with how little I can do and, furthermore, how much less I actually do. In the spirit of simple faith, I have desired lately to fight my urge to read every book worth reading, see every movie worth seeing, go every place worth going, and so on. I think without intentionally doing so, I place a lot of value in gathering up little accomplishments like this, checking little things off my list, and adding one more token to my list of been there and done that. The question that has inspired me to fight the urge to do it all is this: If I read, see, and visit so much, what will I have actually DONE with my life?

Vogtle Sunrise and Masters is Coming

Vogtle Sunrise

Wow! This is what I was fortunate enough to not only see but capture this morning as I left the parking lot at work. I guess that was worth the previous 12 hours spent in the darkness of the night inside plant. That little glimmer of light is actually just a parking lot light, but it adds a nice effect to the budding sunrise in the background.

And now for a few photos I took yesterday on my way home from work. Note that these are just a few things that I happened to notice on my way home. I did not go out of my way, and in a few did not even stop the car. This is how prevalent all around us the onset of the Masters is.

1. It may be hard to see around my car frame, but there is a little trailer in that open lot, and there is yellow rope strung up all around as well. This particular lot, which is really just a field in front of an apartment complex, becomes one of the primo parking locations each day during the Masters tournament.

2. This structure is somewhat of a mystery, but it is erected without fail every year the week before the Masters. It seems to be some sort of contraption for transmitting video images, but you might note the lack of television or radio insignia. I have a strong inclination that this particular device is used for feeding live video of the tournament to alien life forms.

3. The structure pictured here (where last week there was only a concrete slab) will soon be transformed into a temporary party headquarters. There will be very flashy and expensive SUVs out front every day and night, caterers will scurry to and fro, and only those with the right VIP credentials will be allowed to enter and enjoy the insta-building exculsive events.

4. And finally, it would not be Masters week in my neighborhood without mass advertisement to any tourist who will please fork over handfuls of cash to stay in our literally humble abodes. I have rented mine two separate years, but alas, this year I have conflicts (see photo #5).

5. Let the games begin!

We Have a Winner

Winner: Clever Article Title of the Week (if there were such an award)

"Who gives a @#$% about profanity?"
from CNN.com

Tunes, Training, Lawnmower, Etc.

I am stealing this list method from my friend Amy for tonight. Several random unrelated things to report:

1. Music

Today I have had several interesting encounters with music. Fist, early in the wee hours this morning, I was watching the movie The Weather Man (which is a pretty useless movie) and I noticed much to my delight that some of the background music sounded an awful lot like the Beastie Boys. I am a fairly big fan of the Beasties, so I was pretty certain of what my ears were hearing, the unique instrumental hip-hop sound of the Beasties jamming away. At the end of the movie, my suspicions were confirmed in the credits! I think it sounded like some of their tracks from either the "Hello Nasty" album or maybe "Ill Communication". Way to go Beastie Boys for the random musical appearance in this unfortunately stupid movie!

While I was running this afternoon (see report below) I was just at the beginning of mile 3 when a particular song on my MP3 player really kept me going. I seriously may have stopped otherwise due to some slight stomach cramping. The song was from the Big Daddy soundtrack, entitled "Ooh La La". I can't remember the artist, but it's a great song if you ever need something to keep you going OR get you going.

And finally, I must report that I heard the Fresh Prince's "Summertime" TWICE today. That's right, two times the inspriration of summer fun graced my tympanic membranes and my heart. I love summer. The weather was quite nice this afternoon, however, it has been entirely too cold lately. I think hearing "Summertime" twice today was a sign from the Lord that summer will be here very soon. I can't wait. I hate the cold.

2. Training

Thankfully the injuries have finally been resolved, and I had a record-breaking run today. If you saw my extensive post one day a few weeks back about running my 5-mile route in 45min37sec, you will appreciate that today I ran it in 45min07sec!!! I couldn't believe it. I was expecting that I may not even make it the full 5 miles, due to the recent training setbacks and the fact that I have been on nightshift so I'm all out of whack. But thanks to "Ooh La La" and other songs of inspiration, I was able to finish in record time!

3. Lawnmower

It strikes again. I finally got this beast started up after the long winter, and now it won't start again. It seems that the motor or the blade (or both) is bound. I spent some time yesterday and today taking the thing apart far enough to realize that the rope is fine but the rotor is locked for some reason. So now I need some advice on how to proceed. If the advice includes paying someone else to look at it, please do not offer your opinion.

4. Real Estate

Tomorrow I will be meeting with my realtor to officially finish up details for putting my house on the market. A sign should be in the yard before week's end!

5. Work/Race

I'm back at work tonight and planning to work through Thursday night. If all goes well, I will leave out of here Friday morning and have Friday and Saturday nights off. I'm not sure how well I will fare in the race with this schedule leading into it, but being there is the only real thing I am worried about at this point. I would rather be there and at least get to try to run, whatever weird half-awake state I am in, than have to miss it entirely.

Crawfish Time!

Baton Rouge - May 2002

Ahhh, I wish I could say the smell is in the air, but unfortunately here in Augusta the smell is strictly pollen right now. However, in a few short weeks, the Louisiana swamp delicacy (is that an oxymoron?) will once again make an appearance in Augusta. Announcing, to all my blog readers here in town, you are cordially invited to:

The 4th Annual Louisiana Crawfish Boil

Saturday, April 22

4pm until

$10 eat and drink

$3 keg only

Laissez les Bon Temps Roullez!!!

It's a Yes!

That's right... not a boy, or a girl, a yes! I received the news yesterday afternoon from Georgia Tech that they will in fact let me into the next class for the prosthetics and orthotics masters program. I'm still a little shell-shocked, not having been as confident as everyone else seemed to be that this would actually happen. I don't know why, I just had this underlying feeling that God was not going to open the door. But alas, it is open! So here I am with this newly born "yes", the ok to move forward, and I am not so sure what to think. I trust that it will come naturally with each consecutive step, but I'm also scared that I will somehow screw up, somehow thwart this opportunity for which I have prayed for over two years now. Nonetheless, I am about to jump into it with both feet forward. Thus begins a new (and no doubt exciting) adventure in this life. I pray that it will be one which is glorifying to God each step of the way.
Top photo from: http://www.opcareers.org/op_programs/

Countdown Update

Quarters: 29

Miles: 2,360

This, of course, assumes a positive outcome this week from Georgia Tech. Today is the big day that the program admissions committee will be meeting to make decisions.

In other news, I am still experiencing difficulties from the muscle soreness of last week. The pulled left hamstring is now reverberating to my knee as well as the groin muscle area. After my tennis match yesterday, the left gluteus has decided to join in the fun. If things continue to spread at this rate, by race day I will probably be having a stroke due to complications in the left cerebral hemisphere.

Great with Child

No, I'm not pregnant. Anyone in their right mind would know this, but just in case I threw you off, trust me I am not. Not physically at least. I am, however, pregnant with an idea, a dream, a plan, and a desire. And as the last week ticks away before I will know the fate of this creature, I am feeling very great with child. I am kind of stealing from Romans 8 here, but it's a very different scenario than all of creation experiencing the pains of childbirth. Despite this difference, the emotions remain the same. I have been thinking back over the last several years and how this child has been formed within my mind and my heart. I have come to God with the desires of my heart and begged Him for resolution, and this is the path that He has revealed before me. I prayed very much as Moses did in Exodus that God would not let me go from this place if He did not go before me to prepare the way. Over the last few years, God has been preparing this way, and I have been ever-so-cautiously following a dimly lit path towards a career change. The great news (as I realize that this entire journey can be obliterated by a committee of people on Monday) is that the path is not about a career change. It is not about moving from Augusta to Atlanta. It is not about whether I am an engineer or a baker or a candlestick maker. The great news is that the path is about knowing God more and about becoming more like Him, about living a life (wherever you are and whatever you do) that will glorify Him. I am great with child as I anticipate the next step on this path that I have been traversing. I know that there is a fork in the road, but I do not know which way it will lead me. I know that as this child has developed over the last few years, everything has seemed positive. Setbacks arose, but those have been overcome. Everything seems healthy and normal now as I wait for the delivery of the child. God may choose to do what He wishes at this point. All could go as expected, or the path could crumble before me. I wish I could say that I didn't care either way, but I do care. I have invested in this child. I have labored for it with my mind, with my body, with my finances, with my time, and with my heart. I have prepared myself for everything to come to fruition. If it all slips through my fingers, I will be crushed in many ways, yet I will have no choice but to remain confident in one thing. I have prayed for God's will (and many others have prayed for it alongside me), so I have no choice but to believe that whatever I find out next week will in fact be His will. Will that mean that my idea, my dream, my plan, and my desire could all be wasted? I have to believe not. God is bigger than where I am and what I do. His fulfillment of my desires is a promise, but I can't know how He will do it. Just as God showed Abraham how He could fulfill his promise to bless the nations through him, I trust that God can do the same in my life. I literally do not see another viable option right now to move towards what I believe God is calling me to, but I am only human! On the flip side, if this path that I feel confident in continues to unfold, it will not be in itself the ultimate destination. It will simply be a place to go and a thing to do as I continue on the same path of faith that I am on right here and now. Pray with me that I will believe these truths as I open the letter next week and experience the culmination of my pains of childbirth.

How am I Counting the Days?

Well, I am now down to a count of 35 workdays remaining (if I get into Tech).

So, how - you might ask - am I counting down the days?

(1) Quarters. I have stashed in my desk exactly enough quarters for one cup of coffee per day (I pay 25 cents a cup to mooch off another department). So after today, I have 34 quarters left in the stash. Actually, I only have 32 because I will not be here at the plant tomorrow or the next day, but you get the idea. Today I was asked if I wanted to join the coffee club for $10 and not have to pay a quarter a cup. I did the quick math and declined.

(2) Miles. If I include the drive home today, I should have 2,760 more miles of driving between my house and the plant. Due to previously mentioned trip that will prevent my driving here for the next two days, that brings it down to 2,600 miles. Over the years, I have come to utilize the 160 miles per day for praying, making cell phone calls, and thinking up solutions to such quagmires as world peace. Despite the usefulness of this time, I will NOT miss it!

Beautiful Weather!

Wow! The weather has been so ridiculously nice this weekend, I don't know where to begin in describing my joy. I will start by explaining that the photo above is not new. I took it in Toronto in May 2004 when I was there for a work conference. As you can see I got a lot of work done. I realized the other day that the "Photo of the Week" has basically disappeared, so I want to start at least posting a few here and there. Weekly may not happen. Anyway, the weather this weekend reminded me of this photo.

Yesterday started out kind of cloudy. I went on a planned 5-mile run and was not too optimistic about the rest of the day. I had planned to do yardwork which really needed to get done, but I was halfway hoping for rain because I don't like yardwork. So, it turned out to be a gorgeous day. I was able to rake out the bed in my front yard and replace the muck and mire with fresh pine straw. Somewhere in the middle of this job, I took a break, took my lawnmower apart to remove the gas tank and empty it, and refilled the tank with fresh gas. I read online that this was a fix for lawnmowers that had been sitting idle and would not start. Well, it still wouldn't start. I finished up with the pine straw (minus the beds under the bushes), and I was REALLY tired and ready to quit. Before getting in the shower, I thought I should put the lawnmower up, and before putting it up I decided to give it one last crank. Well wouldn't you know that blasted thing finally decided to start. So I went ahead and mowed the front yard, after which I was beyond really tired (not to mention sore). So I took a really quick cold shower and then started a very hot bubble bath. I enjoyed this very hot bubble bath immensely with the additional help of a very cold beer and some delightful music. Ahhh, the simple but refreshing rewards for hard work. The rest of the day was fairly boring, and I was so tired I didn't do much except for a few hours of studying. I woke up this morning to muscle soreness from the back of my neck down to the back of my knees. I rotated the heating pad to four different locations before I was ready to crawl out of bed. Thankfully, though, this was all muscle soreness and does not feel like any inflammation due to my neck problems.

Today I went to Waffle House for breakfast, then to early service at church and sunday school. I have a lot to share about that, but I will save it for another day - I'm still thinking through some of the verses that hit me this morning. I spent the afternoon outside in my backyard spending time looking over and praying through some of the aforementioned verses. I also threw in a little studying and a little light napping for good measure. All of this was outside so that I could enjoy the ridiculous nice weather. I even pulled out my beach lounge chair for some of the napping and reading. It was great.

I see that the weather report predicts cold weather starting again this week.
:-(

"Strong" Passwords

Holy freak of nature! These people are getting out of control! I found the following message this morning from our company IT department:

"Beginning April 5, strong passwords will be required by the network. If your existing password doesn’t expire until April 20, for example, you can continue to use that password until a new password is required.

Users should remember that strong passwords:
-Must be between six and eight characters long;
-Must contain a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters and numbers;
-Must begin with an alphabetic character;
-Cannot contain a username;
-Cannot mimic a user’s past 13 passwords; and
-Must be changed every 45 days. You will automatically be prompted for this."

I know this idea had to come from some conglomerate of meetings where people sat around and actually discussed the pros and cons of enforcing uppercase/lowercase requirements in addition to alpha-numeric requirements. If any member of a non-IT department had been present, they would have loudly protested this horrific act of torture. Don't these people have any mercy??!?!?!

Friday Already?

Wow, the week is almost over again. I'll try to keep this synopsis short though the week has been a full one...

Mom and Ben were here Saturday to Monday, and we had a full two days of chasing my favorite two-year old and enjoying the nice weather. Mom was kind of sick and didn't sleep too well, but she was a trooper anyway and put together a nice birthday party for me Sunday night. About 10 of my friends came over and we had dinner and cake. It's been a while since I've had a party with cake, even though Ben thought it was his cake, so it was fun.

Tuesday night has been blogged already.

My birthday was Wednesday, and it started off pretty well with a beautiful sunrise on the way to work. I may not have gotten any flowers from a man, but God brought me pink and purple clouds :-) For the most part, the rest of the day was pretty run-of-the-mill, except for all the nice phone calls and e-mails that I received. Then, that night at Bible study Erin surprised me with a cookie cake (thanks Erin!) and Julie surprised me at my house by being there when I got home to personally deliver her wonderful gifts (thanks Julie!).

Yesterday was run day for Julie and I, and we ran for about 50 minutes or so, probably about 4 miles or a little more. While we were running on the canal, we dodged a train (which was going VERY slow, but it still gave me a rush) and we saw a few people we knew out exercising as well. After the run, we started our little book study of The Journey of Desire, which I am very excited about.

I have a few more things to say, but I also have to do something about this wet hair in the next 15 minutes. More to come this weekend...

Missing the Mark

I had the best intentions as I drove home from work today... I was going to run 6.3 miles (3 times around Lake Olmstead) and then go to my favorite little coffee shop to study the material from last night's lecture AND look over tomorrow night's Bible study material. I was only about about two-thirds successful on all counts. The run was prematurely ended due to slight pains in my left hip and right knee - nothing to be alarmed about, but I didn't NEED to run 6.3 miles and decided to settle for 4.2. Then at the coffee shop I was diligently working on my studies when a co-worker walked in. Thankfully this is one of the few co-workers who already knows I am trying to leave, so he wasn't alarmed at the Anatomy/Physiology book. BUT he proceeded to chit-chat for about 15-20 minutes right then and ANOTHER 20 minutes before he left. I think the time he sat there and studied (ie. fooled around on the internet) was less than the total time he wasted talking to me. Due to these interruptions, I had to cut my studying down and only finished a little more than half the schoolwork. I finished the rest of the Bible study but only because I was almost done.

To add to the futility of the evening, I had the bright idea of saving some money on my coffee purchase, which is normally a small cafe au lait for $2.62 with tax ($2.45 without tax). I noticed on the menu a small machiatto for $2.00 and thought that might be a better deal. Was I ever mistaken! The cafe au lait comes in a "normal" sized coffee mug. The machiatto came in a miniature espresso cup, which - despite it's cuteness - could not have been more than about 2 ounces of drink! And to make matters worse, I tried to microwave the last half ounce (which got cold when previously mentioned co-worker walked in) and it bubbled over. So I probably only got to drink about two-thirds of my 2-ounce, $2.00 machiatto. I think I better go to bed before attempting anything else tonight. I will pat myself on the back as I fall asleep realizing that I did manage to write a whole blog entry, however useless it may be.

School Update

Ok, so after several "encouragements" to call and check on things at Georgia Tech, I finally called today to get the scoop. I had originally been told they would begin reviewing applications in February, so I expected either acceptance or rejection by now (my application has been collecting dust since October 28). As it turns out, the committee who reviews applications is slack, and they have been putting it off. The very nice administrative assistant assured me that they have everything needed for my file and that the applications were now scheduled to be reviewed Monday, March 20. I sort of prodded, reminding her that as the summer gets closer I need to know what to plan for with living situation, etc. She assured me that the letters would be mailed out either on March 20 in the afternoon or the next day. So beginning on March 21 I will again start checking the mail with anticipation. Until then, we can all be assured there will be no letter :-(

Run, Forrest, Run!

I don't really know what happened today, but lets just say the Lord has blessed my legs... After years of trying to break the perpetual 10 minute mile, I broke it by a longshot today. I hope this was not just a fluke, but in all likelihood it was. The stars must be aligned just right or something. It was so beautiful outside today, I thought about running all day. I pictured myself running as I was walking around the plant in slacks and loafers. So, despite a long and busy day at work and staying late and having to study for a test tomorrow night, I changed and hit the streets as soon as I got home. I decided to run my 5-mile out and back route, and I seriously wasn't sure if I could run the whole thing. My goal was to get home in 50 minutes, partly because I wanted to stay under or at the 10-minute mile and partly because I was pressed for time. Well, I think I ran the first mile in about 8 minutes. Wow! I thought I better slow down so I wouldn't keel over after the second mile, but I kept a pretty decent pace. I could actually tell that I was running faster than normal, but it felt good, so I just kept running. I got to my turnaround point at 22:18. Ok, stop here and notice that this is LESS than a 9-minute mile pace (which would have been 22:30 for the 2.5 miles). So I turned around and just kept running, thinking if I could run a 10-minute pace on the way back I would be very pleased with the run. I got back to my house at 45:37! I have been looking at my watch all night just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. I drove out the route beforehand, so I know it was 5 miles. So I know this is a long story, but please forgive me because I am beside myself over this run. With the total time, it comes out to 9 minutes, 7.39 seconds per mile. I know that isn't fast in running world standards, but compared to the unbreakable 10-minute mile this is unbelievable. I decided a few weeks ago that my goal for the upcoming Cooper River Bridge Run 10K would be to finish in under 1 hour. My past performances were 1:09:56 (2003) and 1:17:53 (2004). At today's pace, I will have no problem meeting that goal. Like I said, I hope this wasn't a fluke. Barring unforeseen injuries, I think I will make it under the goal time. And now, if you are still reading, let me remind you of what my blog said on November 8, 2005: "I was just happy to run, even just a few blocks, and get some fresh air." So just a little under 4 months ago, running a few blocks was a major milestone. I could continue to drone on about this and add in lots of spiritual encouragement, but I will leave it at that.

Continue to bless these legs, O Lord, for they art thine, not mine.

Deep Thought

"Work: it's as interesting as you find it to be."

This little nugget of wisdom just came to me like a vision, and I sensed that the world should be privy to such probing depth of thought.

Weekend

Well, my birthday got off to an early start on Friday as three of my friends treated me to a weekend away in St. Augustine at the beach. We stayed at Holly's parents' condo right on the beach, which offered a great view of the very rough waters. Tucked away inside the comforts of the condo, we enjoyed a leisurely Saturday morning complete with breakfast and time to sit around, read, and enjoy the view. This was followed by more relaxation as we experienced good old-fashioned pampering in the form of facials (yes, including cucumbers) and parrafin wax for hands and feet. I topped all this off with a hot bath and afternoon nap. We then proceeded to trouble ourselves with getting showered and dressed to go out to dinner. The girls treated me to dinner at Holly's favorite beach restaurant, Creekside Dinery, and I thoroughly enjoyed the broiled shrimp and live entertainment. The weather was pretty nasty, so rather than run around town getting wet and cold, we went back to the condo and shared a bottle of wine and some ice cream. I think there were some margaritas mixed up after that, but I had drifted off to sleep after the long hard day of relaxing. Sunday morning we relaxed a little more for good measure, then packed up to head home. They were nice enough to humor me by eating at Waffle House on the way home, which was a great finale to the weekend.

Thanks to Holly, Julie, and Emily for a great time! Also, thank you to Julia for the sweet birthday wish by video. We missed you!

And this is just the beginning... next weekend my mom and nephew are coming to visit and celebrate my birthday as well!

Feeling Good

I am sitting at my desk, actually working (except for this few minutes), and I must say that I just feel good this morning. I have a delightful cup of coffee and am enjoying it thoroughly. My body feels good after a good 4-mile run last night, even though it was treadmill versus road running. My heart feels good after a full evening of good conversation. Actually, I talked so much last night, my throat is on the verge of being sore this morning. I had dinner with a friend, and we talked for about two hours. Then I talked for about an hour with my best friend from high school. That hour was actually all catching up on the here and now of life, so we are a little behind on reminiscing the old days, but our 10-yr reunion is in a few months. I have no doubt we will reminisce plenty at that time. We are both a little shocked at how long it's been since high school, and even more shocked at how "grown up" some of our old friends are. One guy in particular we remember as the hot soccer player, dreamy kind of guy, and now he's married with a baby and has some really important sounding financial job in the energy sector. I guess we are grown up too. Well, I digress. I basically just wanted to share that I'm feeling good this morning and appreciating it.

Dilbert

I feel like Dilbert every time I walk down the hall, around the corner, then around another corner, only to find that the "Restroom Closed" sign has been posted due to cleaning. As soon as I round the second corner and it is in sight, I stop, sigh, utter various non-expletives, then turn around to walk back down the hall, around the corner, and back to my office. What a waste of time. I wish I had a video surveillance camera on that door so I would not have to waste my valuable time walking down the hall when I could be doing things like this, or even something useful.

Tozer on Simplicity

In keeping with the theme of this blog (and of my life), I try to post anything I find related to living a simple faith. This is from The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer:

"Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations, and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.
If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now, as always, God discovers Himself to "babes" and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to the essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without a doubt God will quickly respond.
When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectivey prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the and lies our great woe. If we omit the and we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.
We need not fear that in seeking God only we may narrow our lives or restrict the motions of our expanding hearts. The opposite is true. We can well afford to make God our All, to concentrate, to sacrifice the many for the One."

The bold is mine, the italics are Tozer's. At the risk of adding anything to dilute the strength of Tozer's words, I must at least say that I agree. I love the church that I attend, the preaching, the hearts that people have for sharing their lives, the worship that we experience... but I also have to stop sometimes and realize that all the excess is exactly that - excess. No activity that we partake of is essential to the work that has been completed by Christ. I am not an opponent of the church by any means. It is essential to our unity as a body of Christ, but it is not a substitute for our pursuit of God in Christ.

Too Short

That's right. It's not that I am too short (though I am kind of short), but my PANTS are too short. My sweet friend Veronica, who has made a habit of giving me all her clothes when she tires of them or they don't fit, recently gave me a new installment. One of the items is a pair of jeans from Ann Taylor Loft, size 6 petite. Normally a size 6 is way too big, so I almost didn't try these on, but I liked the look of them. So I tried them on a few days ago and was pleased to find that they fit great. They seemed to be just barely long enough, but I didn't have shoes on, so I voted them into my wardrobe (I am the only voting member of my wardrobe board, so they passed). Well, this morning I pulled the new used jeans out and put them on, walked out the door, and headed to work. One of the many bad things about leaving the house at 5:30 in the morning is that there is no time for clothing deliberations. If I make a bad decision, I must live with it all day. Well, on my walk into the plant from the parking lot, I had the upsetting realization that my light-colored socks were way too visible. That's right, I'm ready for a flood. The jeans are irrefutably cute, but they are about two inches shy of being cute AND long enough. Thankfully I will spend all day at the nuclear power plant, where on even my worst fashion days still rank in the upper echelon of fashionable dress.

For All the Inquiring Minds...

NO NEWS FROM GEORGIA TECH!

Mom, you will be the first to know - I promise :-)

Who Said There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?

Believe it or not, I'm eating one right now. Our cafeteria vendors got pretty excited about Valentine's Day today (definitely more excited than I am), and they are giving out free appetizers during lunch. The lunching hour around here is officially from 11am-12:30pm. Some people take that to mean those are the cafeteria hours, while others actually spend that entire time pretending to eat lunch. Anyway, on my first trip down to the cafeteria today at 11:15 I found the line running all the way around the room, out the door, and almost out of the building. I went back at about 12:10 and had much better luck. The goodies included chicken wings, two varieties of meatballs, fried chicken bites (normal or sweet&sour), nachos and cheese or mexican dip, fruit, cheese, and a few other items. All this for free and a drink to boot. Well, I put $1 in the tip jar, but still basically free. The real test now is to see whether this free lunch will feel like such a great gift when I try to run this afternoon. I'm already doubting the outcome of that one!

Joy

I have been realizing this weekend just how quickly things change, how the ebb and flow of life can take sharp turns without the slightest warning. My life has not changed drastically of late, but the flow of it seems to have changed much. The relaxed mundane pace with which this year started as I returned to a normal work schedule has evolved into a more stressed, stretched, and spontaneously changing pace in the past few weeks. Some circumstances have played a role in this, such as my class becoming more time consuming, Bible study getting into full swing, and work taking more time than the 8 hours a day I was spending there in January. I went for a run this afternoon along the canal, and I was thinking about this change. In addition to the change of physical pace, my heart's pace has been affected. I am being reminded of the battle that must be fought to maintain a focus on what is important before getting dragged into the "urgent" distractions all around. Just one month ago, as life's pace was slower and refreshingly normal, I really sensed a true joy in my heart. In my Bible study we are learning about the fruits of the spirit, of which one is joy, and it is defined as "delight in God for the beauty and worth of who he is." In addition to this definition of what joy IS, the study points out that it is NOT something that can be lost based on circumstances. In light of that truth, I took a little extra time today to stop and think, to look ahead at my week and anticipate the crazy long days, and to realize that my battle this week will be a real one. I know I've quoted the wise Ferris Bueller on this before, but I will state it again, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I don't want to miss it. As for some inspiration from a more established author, 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." The devil would just love for me and you to get lost in the shuffle, be overcome by the urgent, and to hold loosely to a joy based on circumstances. May we be self-controlled and alert this week - alert to the coming onslaught of busyness or even loneliness that will attempt to suck the life and joy out of us, and self-controlled in remembering to seek and savor the true joy that is all around us.

Observation

Men are so proud of themselves when they realize they're working...

Serenity Now!

12 weeks and counting until April 28.
12 weeks.
12 weeks.
12 weeks.

I feel a little better now.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

This afternoon's rain seemed somehow appropriate for the day. I really don't know why, because I'm not a big fan of rain in general. I went to a safety committee walkdown at work, and I mistakenly volunteered to cover the outside areas. The pending rain had started before I made it down the stairs and outside to start the "walkdown". Nonetheless, we found a few things that could be improved upon on our outside ladders (the weekly focus). After work I was supposed to meet with a friend to run and pray (not at the same time). We stayed inside and prayed but never made it to the running. To her credit, she walked in with running clothes in hand, asking if I was up for it. I declined. I'm a fair-weather runner. While I don't mind the rain so much, the 53 degree temp made the decision for me. So maybe I'll make up for it tomorrow after work.

Speaking of running, I am training for the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K (April 1) and so far up to 3 miles for my long runs. I've been really excited about this after all the neck issues of last year. In fact, I think the running helps!

I'm finishing up a few hours of stuyding at my favorite coffee spot, and I must say this was a fine evening to sit and drink coffee and study. Dark, cold, rainy. The only improvement would be lack of studying, but I'll take what I get.

School update: On this day, the 2nd day of February, I have not yet received anything from GT. I'll keep everyone posted as the days go by.

Reason to be Thankful

As I have been getting settled into my new office, I unpacked a few boxes this morning. Two of those boxes were left basically unopened for the last year and a half. Some items of interest that I found include:

Prevacid
Tums
Gas-X
Pepto

These were just a few of my near-daily requirements back when I had bad stomach problems several years ago. I am so thankful today as I realize that I rarely use any of these anymore, much less all of them every day.

Quick Update

Second day on the new job... I am getting settled into my office and trying to get used to the idea of having an office. It is almost as big as my bedroom, probably about 2-3 feet shy on width, but about the same in length. Outside my window I can see basically a big water storage tank, which is not terribly exciting, but the important point is that I can actually see outside. My responsibilities are still not all laid out, but I am enjoying the freedom so far to spend time researching some of the chemistry issues we have right now. Other than those technical challenges, I will be spearheading a new program for our department called "Coach the Coach" to increase our effectiveness in coaching employees to improved performance, and I will be involved with behavioral safety observations.

This past weekend was very busy but also very good. The first half of the weekend I spent with a group at a state park, where we were evaluating and planning for a movement called Intersect that's been going on for about a year at our church. The basic vision is to present the gospel in a way that is relevant to our culture and reach as many of the 40,000 singles in the Augusta area as possible. Yes, that was not a typo, there are approximately 40,000 single people living right under our noses. We have a worship service on the first Sunday of each month for Intersect. It was a nice refresher for me as I have not been as involved as I would have liked while on shift for the last year.

Saturday night after returning from that mini-retreat, I went to an oyster roast at a co-workers house in Screven County (aka - the country). He steamed 500 pounds of oysters and not one went left uneaten at the end of the night. Quite an accomplishment for a group of 40-50 people.

Sunday I went to Waffle House in the morning, then sunday school and church, then studied in the afternoon at PJs Coffee. That night I went with some friends to see the Morehouse College Glee club sing at Tabernacle Baptist Church in downtown Augusta. This is an annual concert which I have been to once before, and it was just as good this time around. The group is all men (all black men to be exact) and they sang a lot of spirituals and also some other varieties of music.

Ok, that's the basic update on life for now. I will have some more coming soon on the latest topic in our sunday school, "The Will of God". Good stuff, and highly relevant for me as I am hoping to discern (or confirm) the will of God for my career in the next month or so.

New Postmodernism?

There's a new book featured on the NPR website called "Cosmopolitanism: Finding a Moral Middle Ground". The first chapter is accessible here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5168294&ft=1&f=1032

The last paragraph of the the first chapter really sums up the author's thesis:
"The temptation is to look for a rule book that could tell you how to arbitrate conflicts like that -- but then you' d have to agree on the rule book. And even if you did, for reasons I' ll be exploring later, there' s no reason to think you' d be able to agree on its application. So there has long been a seductive alternative. Perhaps, even if we agree on all the facts, what' s morally appropriate for me to do from my point of view is different from what' s morally appropriate for you to do from your point of view. Burton, with his mastery of thirty-nine languages, was something of a freak of nature in his ability to penetrate different cultures -- to "go native," as we say, and do so time and time again. But most of us have that ability to some lesser degree: we can often experience the appeal of values that aren' t, exactly, our own. So perhaps, when it comes to morality, there is no singular truth. In that case, there' s no one shattered mirror; there are lots of mirrors, lots of moral truths, and we can at best agree to differ. Recall the words of Burton' s Haji Abdu:
There is no Good, there is no Bad;
these be the whims of mortal will.
Was he right?"

Sounds like this guy is simply proposing a new version of postmodernism. Nothing is true, everything is true, whatever you want to believe just as long as you don't offend anyone.

New Job

My boss paged me today at work with the following message: "I need to talk to you ASAP." That was it, and of course his name and number followed. I called him immediately, and he asked if I could see him in his office right away. Ok.

It was a long walk up from the plant to his office, wondering what in the world was going on. I seriously thought for a minute that I was about to be fired. Then I realized that I really hadn't done anything wrong, so I felt a little better. But I still thought I was going to be in trouble, however unjustified it may have been.

Well, I got up there and there was another guy in the office. The first thing my boss said, probably due to the estranged look on my face, was "you're not in trouble." Whew! The other guy left, and then my boss asked me to close the door. I sit down, and he says he wants to make me the Plant Chemist. Just like that, effective this Saturday. He proceeded to explain that I will be taking the guy's place who had just walked out, that guy is basically being promoted, and the other guy (who's place he is taking) will be moved to my position. Basically, the explanation for all this is that I have gotten entangled in a job swap designed to take away responsibility from someone else who is doing a poor job. Personally, I don't think I am qualified to be the Plant Chemist, who is the technical expert for all things Chemistry at the plant. Secondly, I don't think the guy who is being "moved" to my current position will handle it well at all. He just doesn't play well with others, and that's all I do all day. So I'm not really sure how all this is going to go. I don't know what I would do if I were put in my boss's position, because he is absolutely right that some people aren't doing their jobs well. I really hope it doesn't screw our department up even more, because as much as I can't wait to leave, I want to see them improve and work well together and be successful in the long run.

For those who have lost track, my job titles have changed as follows so far:
System Engineer --> Chemistry Engineer --> Chemistry Foreman (aka Lab Supervisor) --> Plant Chemist --> ???

Oh, I almost forgot the best part about this... I will have my own office - that's right office, not cubicle - AND it has a window!

The Week

Wow, what a full week it has been... one week ago today I was in Columbus with my family, and we were celebrating my niece's 1st birthday. It was a sweet celebration because she has had a rough first year, and so we were truly CELEBRATING the life that God has given us in little Liza. If you have never seen her smile, you are really missing out on a precious joy. I was back in Augusta this week, back in the swing of things at work, and enjoying the simple pleasure of my return to 8-hr workdays. Days! I've never appreciated so much the normalcy of a routine, because in the past I have become utterly bored with the routine of life and work. But let me be the first to say, I was wrong - DEAD WRONG - and I hope that I will never again be so ignorant as to complain of such mundane beauty. I sleep the same hours every night, eat at the same times every day, pray at the same times, exercise (when I do) at the same time, work the same hours, and the list goes on. Even my dog can appreciate this return to normal.

On Wednesday night I went to a Bible study, yet another thing that I missed out on while working shift. It was great to sit around with a few like-minded people and talk and pray and encourage each other.

I've been running on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and theoretically Saturdays, but not yesterday) after work, starting to train for the Cooper River Bridge Run (10k) which is in April. The weather has been uncharacteristically warm, which I have enjoyed thoroughly.

Friday night I went out with 5 friends to celebrate my best friend's 30th birthday. It was a low-key night that we couldn't have improved upon if we tried to plan it. We went to a downtown restaurant, not for dinner, but just to sit in the bar. It's one of those very nice restaurants in an old house, and the bar area is cozy with a fire place and sofas. The chef was very gracious to welcome us and even gave us all white roses. We drank, talked, laughed, and doted over the birthday girl. A fine evening.

Saturday I worked with a few friends to repaint another friend's room, who also had a birthday this week. [Wow, I'm about birthdayed out!] My arms held up pretty well, but I had to stop after a few hours. I was supposed to stop back by last night, but I got tied up in something else...
My company had a table at an awards dinner downtown, and one of the managers asked me to go. It started at 7pm, and I figured it might last 2 hours tops. I also had no idea what it was for. Well, it turns out the banquet was put on by a group called Antioch Ministries, which is a product of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Augusta. The evening was well-orchestrated and lasted exactly 3 hours, but I was not disappointed at all. Everything from the entertainment to the food to the guest speaker to the awards presentation was absolutely wonderful. I really felt honored to be a part of the event. The purpose of Antioch Ministries is to build and develop homes in inner city Augusta and also to help people get into those homes and get their feet on the ground financially. For the last 11 years, one man's vision (the pastor at Antioch Missionary Baptist) has grown from a crazy idea to a reality and a joint effort by builders, suppliers, loan officers, realtors, and private companies as well. The best part about the evening was that everyone there was engaged in the celebration. You couldn't help but enjoy the singing, which was as close to gospel singing as I've ever heard at a banquet; you couldn't help but appreciate the award recipients as their efforts and accomplishments were proclaimed; and you couldn't help but recognize that God is working amongst these people, because they made Him the center of the evening. Even the keynote speaker, the Commissioner of Labor for the state of Georgia, was basically preaching from the book of Matthew in his address. I was honored to be a part of the evening. I was so encouraged by the spirit of these people, that I woke up this morning and went to worship with them at their church. They could not have been more welcoming to me, the only white girl in the house, and I was again honored to participate in their fellowship and worship. No, I don't think I will transfer my church membership, but I hope to stay in contact with them and encourage them in their work while finding inspiration for the downtown ministry that our church is striving to enlarge.

So that's been my week. If you're still reading at this point, your name is probably Mom or Dad, but whoever you are thanks sticking it out. And now the beginning of another week!

Dumb and Dumber

Ok, so last week I thought I was pretty dumb when I drove clear across town (about a 20 min drive) only to find that I did not have my purse with me in order to go shopping as planned.

This morning I topped that one. My routine when leaving for work in the morning (since it is dark) is to put my house key in the outside of the deadbolt, then cut off the carport light, then shut and lock the door. Well, today I was leaving at 4:50, and instead of putting my house key on the outside of the deadbolt I put it on the inside. I proceeded to turn out the carport light and then pull the door shut. Of course the bottom lock was locked, and now my keys were on the inside of the door. Now that was exceedingly more dumb than last week's mishap! Anyway, I spent a solid hour trying to break into my house before finally getting in through the kitchen window. The actual climbing in the window was sort of fun, but the hour of frustration and bending all of my window screens was NOT FUN. I was an hour late for work, but not too late to miss any boring meetings, the first of which I am headed to now. I'm just thankful I didn't have to call the cops or a locksmith or anyone else.

The sad thing here is that this is not the first time I have locked myself out, though it is the first time I've done it before work. I have one friend with a spare key, and she's conveniently in New York this morning, but the real question is: "Why haven't I put a key outside somewhere yet????"

The Countdown Begins

This morning I was inspired to determine the last day which I will work here at Plant Vogtle. I decided on April 21. That leaves 69 working days (including today). I will of course inform my supervision on April 7.

Photo of the Week

Bucharest, Romania - July 2002

Strong Tree - New Beginning

Some of you may have read one of my first posts in November regarding my favorite tree. If not, you can find it here:
http://seekingsimple.blogspot.com/2005/11/strong-tree.html

Basically, the tree in her glory days looked like this:

March 25, 2005

The summer of 2005 took a toll on the tree, and she began to weep:

August 17, 2005

I took a week of vacation and returned to find that someone has taken a vested interest in The Strong Tree. Today I got a new shot of her in her state of new beginning:

January 11, 2006

I love the fact that this tree's owner finally decided to give her a helping hand. She has always been so strong before, with branches held high and in a posture of hope and strength. God promises the same for us, to nourish us when there is no nourishment to be found. "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will stregthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." -Isaiah 58:11

Mental Cases

Well, here's some disturbing news:
"BOULDER, Colo. -- A Boulder County man found shot to death with his wife over the weekend was due in court Monday to be sentenced for soliciting sex with young girls.
The two bodies were found just outside a home off Sugarloaf Road on Sunday by a friend who identified them as Paul James Stewart Scott, 54, and his wife Patricia Birosik, 49. The home is owned by Birosik, according to property records.
Guns were found next to the bodies, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said, and a single, joint suicide note was found in the home. Deputies say that both committed suicide and it was not a case of murder-suicide."

And if that in itself is not disturbing enough:
"According to the Boulder Daily Camera, before the couple died, they created a trust fund for their parrot so they could leave their estate to the bird. "

Last time I checked, there exist PEOPLE in our country who could probably use a nice house, or even a not-so-nice house. The bird? I guess it could stay, but does it seriously need the whole "estate"?

Sleep? No, Not Really

Today is my first day back to work and my first day of class (one night class on Mon-Wed) after a week of vacation and a few weeks' break from class. Let's just say I hope I make it to/from work, and if I go to class I will pat myself on the back. I had everything all set for a good start this morning and was in bed in time to get about 7 hours of sleep, but I tossed and turned ALL NIGHT! I don't think an hour went by that I wasn't awake for some period of time. And in between periods of waking up I was having this bizarre string of dreams, so I never really felt like I was resting. The good news is I had no trouble waking up at 4:15 because I was already awake!

I am heading out the door now... we'll see how it goes.

Photo of the Week

Central Park, NYC - April 2005

The Lord's Prayer, Personalized

I'm in the middle of some major spring cleaning here on January 5, 2006. I'm finding that most of the "stuff" to sort through is paper, more paper, tons of paper, and yet more paper. Mail, notes, cards, packets, etc. from years past. Some are now ready to be thrown away and some are still worth saving. I just came across this extended version of the Lord's Prayer that I wrote down a few years ago in September 2002 while on a retreat. I remember it being a very worthwhile practice to say the Lord's Prayer while expanding on it to make it more personal. I would recommend it. Here is what I recorded that day:

"My Father, who is in heaven and reigns over the earth, who created all things and knows all things, who was and is and is to come, who loves me and gave his son for me, who is slow to anger and abounding in love, and whose mercies are new every morning of every day.

Hallowed be your name, glory to you and praise to your kingdom, you are worthy of praise and of trust, you are holy and righteous, you are the beginning and the end, you are the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, you are almighty God.

May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, may you shower the earth with your glory and establish your kingdom here among us and within us.

Give me today my daily bread, fill me with your goodness, with the bread of life, sustain my body and my spirit by your grace and power.

Forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors. Fill my heart Lord with the reality and understanding of your forgiveness that I might extend it through your grace to those around me. Change my heart, God, that I might accept your forgiveness as a free gift and therefore offer freely my understanding and compassion and love to those who need it in your timing and by your design.

Lead me not into temptation Lord, and protect me from evil. Father, show me the way to be focused on eternal things, to look past the enticing world around me. Change my mind, Lord, that it would be transformed from a self-serving, self-focused, self-feeding perspective into a God-fearing, God-serving, obedient and thankful perspective.

For your kingdom reigns forever, for all eternity, and your kingdom will reign in the hearts of your people over the power of Satan and all evil. Thank you Father for the victory over sin that you have granted through your son Christ and that I will spend eternity in heaven with you both."

Time

Yesterday I came across this statement in a book I am reading: "The eternal problem of the human being is how to structure his waking hours."

As I am faced with a full week ahead of being off from work, I find this to be all too true. I am also realizing that I am not as good at this without someone (like my employer, for instance) to create some structure for me.

I am also reminded that I need to get a new calendar. I have already gone 2 days this year with absolutely no means to plan!

Happy New Year!

I have to say, I am excited about 2006. I do not look back regretfully on 2005, on the contrary, I am amazed at what a great year it was. Despite ups and downs, failures, illnesses, and rejections, I can honestly say it was a great year. The simple things of Romans 12:12, while I have not been always consistent in them (will we ever?), are the reason each year can ultimately be viewed as good. Patience in affliction, faithfulness in prayer, and joy in hope really do go a long way. So moving on to 2006, why am I so excited? I don't know if I can quite put my finger on it, but I just woke up this morning and had a great feeling of expectation. I don't know what to expect, but I know it will be part of life's adventure, and I can't wait to see how it will unfold. In the trailing wake of Christmas, the good news is that every day is Christmas with God. Every day we are forgiven, redeemed, and offered a savior. We just have to keep our eyes open and focused on this truth. I was reminded this afternoon of the invitation in Isaiah 55:

"Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

I hope that we will all take advantage of this offer in 2006. I hope that I will ask myself often what I am spending myself on and honestly be able to say that I am delighting in the richest of fare. Have a great year!

Goodbye Nightshift

Ahhhh, I am breathing a sigh of relief and am a bit overwhelmed with joy as my final nightshift draws to a close. To make this joy even more complete, I am on vacation next week, so I will be off for 9 days! It has been an interesting year, to say the least, working a rotating shift. I have learned much, experienced much, and overall decided that shift work is entirely unnatural and I prefer not to partake of it. The bitter counterpart to that sweet is that shift work brings with it a cameraderie of sorts that is not found in the dayshift world. We deal with issues and problems with very few people on site during night and weekend shifts, so we really have to work as a team. The other aspect of shift work to be missed is the off time. Although I have worked a lot of overtime this year, I have had 3 separate stretches with two weeks off, which is unprecedented in my 5 previous years here.

I may have some more thoughts later, but right now I am headed to give turnover to the dayshift foremen and wish them well for the next few weeks.

I will try to remember the photo of the week later on today. And before I forget, GEAUX TIGERS!!!! I am going to the Peach Bowl tonight and hope to see the LSU Tigers take the Miami Hurricanes by storm.

Morning Diversion

I should be fast asleep by now, but this morning I saw one of those rare glimpses of sunrise that captured my attention. Unfortunately my attention was captured for about 30 minutes. In fact, I gave up after a few unsuccessful tries at capturing it in a photo, but before I made it home I was turning around to give it another shot. The good news is that I didn't miss the greatest part of the sunrise. The bad news is I am realizing that it is near impossible to actually portray what I saw in a photo. This was the best I got, overlooking the Augusta canal, but it's a far cry from the real thing:

My favorite part of this shot is the hazy fog you can see hovering over the water.

Waffle House Wisdom

Waffle House is hands down my favorite restaurant. This is a place that offers familiarity, good food, warm smiles, cheesy music, and hot coffee 24 hours a day. What more could one ask for? There are also added bonuses for regular customers, such as receiving your "regular" without having to order, getting advice on any and everything from the staff, and discussing the local and national news with those of (extremely) varied opinions.

This afternoon I was having a pleasant breakfast at WH when a "regular" walked in and sat down at the WH bar. The waitress asked him how his Christmas was, and he replied that it was pretty good, could have been better, etc. Then he said, "I don't have everything I want, but I've got more than I need." It warmed my heart. Only at WH can one overhear such simple but profound everyday wisdom, because everyone at WH is there to dine together.

Merry Christmas (a day or two after)

To all who I have not spoken with this week... Merry Christmas a little late. I arrived back in Augusta last night from Columbus, GA where I spent Christmas with my family. It was a different Christmas for us, now that we have two young kids (my brother's) in the family, but different in a good way. My nephew was old enough this year to understand that we were celebrating Jesus's birthday and also to understand the idea of gifts. As of now, he can grasp the idea of receiving gifts but not giving them. One day he will discover the joy of giving, but that's a bit much to expect of a two year old. I think the fact that we all got to sing happy birthday to Jesus with little Ben leading the moment was a good enough gift for us.

Oh, the Places I Go

On my way to work last night, I passed a favorite Augusta landmark:

Then, on my way home this morning, I saw this:

Deep Thoughts from Deep in the Night

It's amazing how our brains work...

For instance, I can look at Chinese characters or some foreign alphabet and be utterly unable to make sense of them. However, I can look at words in English and be utterly unable to make nonsense out of them. Try it. Look at this page, or a page in a book, or a box of cereal, and try to trick your brain into not reading the words but just seeing gibberish shapes. So I guess that means we are trainable but not untrainable? I don't know what it means, but I just thought I'd share.

On another unrelated note, I have become aware recently of a band that I think I love. They're called O.A.R. Very well-done website also, at which you can listen to any and all of their albums all the way through. It is when I make discoveries like this that I really have to thank Sirius satellite radio for being infinitely more hip than the old-school radio. I would be lost in a world of bad music without it.

movies:::movies:::movies:::movies:::movies:::movies

I've seen the following movies in the past two weeks:

March of the Penguins
Elizabethtown
Pay it Forward (I had totally forgotten how this ended!)
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
Cinderella Man
Upside of Anger
Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I think my favorite of these was Cinderella Man, though I really enjoy most movies. You might say I should cut back on the movie-watching, to which I would reply, "I don't think so." Unfortunately, movies always come in spurts for me. Usually those spurts are just prior to a round of nightshifts when I am trying to stay up late (or right after the nightshifts when I just can't sleep). Trust me, there is really nothing else more worthwhile to do at 2am.

I still want to see Walk the Line, and I'm sure there are other good ones I can't think of right now.

Ramble On

Ahh, another beautiful Saturday night at the plant. I would give details about the happenings out here, but that's all top secret squirrel stuff. I am happy to say this is my last weekend of shift work, as I will be starting a normal 8-hr day schedule in January. It is a somewhat bittersweet transition, but more sweet than bitter.

This afternoon when I woke up, I went for a nice run/walk in the neighborhood. It had just rained but was not raining while I was out, so it was kind of nice. I like that damp post-rain feeling for some reason. I ran about 2 miles or so, not including the segments of walking. That's the most I have run in many months, so I was very pleased. I'm really thinking about trying another sprint triathlon next summer. The first and only one I did was in the summer of 2003 I think, and I haven't even thought about it since. But I really think a regular exercise schedule will be good for my neck, and the best way for me to exercise is to have a goal in mind. It got me out for a run today, so that's a start. I've been swimming here and there for the last several months, so the bike will be my next trial. Slowly but surely...

In other exciting news, I will be going to Waffle House after work tomorrow morning. I have been thinking about the hashbrowns (scattered, double-covered, and chunked) all evening. It will be a nice treat.

I can't believe Christmas is only 8 days away... wow, that crept up on me pretty fast. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, and relaxing!

Photo of the Week

Georgetown, Wash DC - August 2004

Baby it's Cold Outside!

I'm sitting in my house right now, with the thermostat set at 67 degrees. It's cold. I know it's colder outside, but it really doesn't feel very cold in the sun. With gas prices climbing every month, I'm trying to keep a tight reign on the heat use this winter. I normally keep the thermostat on 78 degrees between October and April, so I'm doing well to stay around 67-68.

My realtor just left, and we decided to try to put my house on the market in mid-January. Unfortunately, that's not a great time to sell, but hopefully by late spring we can find a buyer. Now I just need to spend the next few weeks cleaning up and getting the house ready to show. Shouldn't be too much work as I have been taking small steps in that direction for a few months.

I spent the weekend (12 hours Sat and Sun) at work. Not a particularly bad weekend - pretty boring actually. I don't go back until Friday night, so my nice long weekend started last night. I went to a Wigalia (sp?) party last night, which is a traditional Polish Christmas dinner. It was really fun, and the food was good for the most part. The only thing I didn't try was pickled herring - can you blame me? They were also making mojitos, and I had a very good homemade mojito. For some reason I can't get them to mix up right when I try.

Today I will be studying for my Psych final, which is Wednesday. After that, I will have no school or class or tests for a good three weeks, and I am VERY excited! When I start back up in January, I will have only one class instead of two, which will be nice. AND I will be working dayshift, 8-hr days, so I will be almost normal. The other department that wanted to talk to me at work stood me up with the first meeting, and I haven't heard back. I'm still hearing rumors that I'll be going over there, but I still haven't been asked (or told) officially.

For today's simple thoughts, I was looking up the word "simple" where it is used in the Bible. It's interesting, because it seems that "simple" is used to describe idiots, but it is also used to indicate those who the Lord will show himself to and who will understand his word. So I'm still working on understanding that a little better, but I think there is some redemption to be found in simplicity as long as it is the right kind.

Photo of the Week

My Nephew as Santa - Christmas 2003

Photo of the Week

Bucharest, Romania - July 2002

These are children at an orphanage in Romania. Words cannot do justice to the experience of seeing and playing with them. The fallenness of our world really hit home.

Busy Week

Wow, no post since Monday, and tomorrow is already Friday! I know there are many of you out there (ok, maybe one or two of you) highly anticipating the Photo of the Week. If you are lucky, I will remember to do that before I leave for work at the pre-crack of dawn.

My only thought for today that seems interesting to me is that I find it hard to think of much when I have been so busy. On off days and down times, the thoughts are flowing like milk and honey. When I'm running around like a chicken, the thoughts become second fiddle to production, to-do lists, and planning for the next busy day or hour.

Most of the busyness this week has been school-related. Finishing up my on-line psychology course, studying for the anatomy/phys lab that I bombed last night, thinking about studying for next week's anatomy/phys test but not having time. Oh, and work for 12 hours a day. I actually took yesterday as vacation, but it didn't really seem like it due to the studying. Today at work was an eternity of meetings and various other nuclear fun. I found out that tomorrow I'll be having an interview with another department, potentially to start with them at the first of the year. I'm a little torn on whether to accept (assuming they offer me a spot) knowing that my desire is to leave in May. On the other hand, I am wanting to justify the move on two counts: (1) I think I will be utterly miserable in the position I am supposed to have this year if I stay in my department, and (2) I really don't know if I'll get into school, so I may stay at this job longer than I hope to.

Any thoughts/advice regarding this conflict would be appreciated, especially if you help me to justify making the move to the new department.