Tuesday, November 30, 2010

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree...

… you may just be the death of me.

Very shortly after I started with my company, I was approached to take on the Christmas party. Apparently, no one else wants to do the Christmas party, so delegating this to the new girl seemed like a great idea.

And over the last five years (save for last year’s DRAMA), I’ve enjoyed doing it.

Along those lines, the putting-up, decorating, and tearing-down of the Christmas tree on our floor has also fallen into my hands. While putting up and taking the tree down are a bit of a chore, I don’t mind. There are a thousand reasons to not celebrate Christmas at work, mostly because people are discouraged about the economy. Since I fall on the glass-half-full line of thinking, I put the tree up for no reason other than dispelling those negative thoughts.

Fast forward to three-and-a-half weeks ago: A small division of one of the departments on our floor has recently moved back to our building. These ladies are creative and I was excited about having them back. One of them approached me about decorating the tree with new stuff this year. I was THRILLED. I asked her to keep her receipts and we’d split the cost but that the tree would be fun. I specifically said that the tree needed to go up last week because it’s considered a “down week” and no one would be here. She agreed 100%. Over the next few weeks, we looked at ornaments and picked up (and brought in) what we were going to decorate the tree with, except for just a few things.

So last Monday, I came to work with all the stuff I signed up to bring – lights, extra ornaments, MY ENTHUSIASM – and approached this coworker about putting the tree up. She tried to fluff me off, but I persisted and she told me to go ahead and put the tree up and that it would be decorated that afternoon.

Well, at 4:00 that Monday, last Monday, she came to my office, and told me that she didn’t have everything she needed and that she would decorate the tree over the weekend.

At this point I’m confused. It’s MONDAY. Doesn’t the weekend imply Saturday or Sunday???

Lo and behold, she was taking off the rest of the week. So there was a 6 foot tree in the middle of a fairly busy hallway with nothing on it but lights.

ARGH.

Yesterday (a week later), I took off. I needed a Sabbath. I didn’t get out of my pajamas or put on a bra. (IT WAS MARVELOUS.)

I got to work today, and you know what?

THE TREE IS STILL NOT DECORATED.

Heaven help me. I generally believe that losing one’s sanctification on the basis of a fake spruce is not a good reason, but I think I’m waning.






xoxo,
Me.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

i am thankful...

This time last year, I sat in a lobby of a hotel in New York City and watched a homeless man take off all his clothes, bathe himself, put on fresh clothes, and dispose of the old ones on a street corner.

I wish I could say that that image is long gone from my mind, but it's not. And I kind of pray that it never leaves.

This morning, I've been reading my facebook newsfeed. It seems that every person I'm friends with has posted some "Happy Thanksgiving" message of their own, most complete with what they're thankful for. This makes my heart so full.

But I can' t help but think about that man. Where is he this year? Is he getting a good meal? Where did he sleep last night? Does anyone miss him? Where is his family?

I can't help but think that the only thing separating him from me is a set of circumstances. This year, I've seen how quickly circumstances can snowball and life can change so quickly that you don't have time to catch your breathe, much less figure out what's going on.

So, this year, I'm thankful for THOUSANDS of things. I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful for God, and His mercy and love that I don't deserve... and yet, He pours out so generously, so new each day. I'm thankful for my crazy, loud, they-drive-me-crazy-sometimes, wonderful family. I'm thankful for my parents, all four of them. I'm thankful for my brother. I'm thankful for my step-sister and step-brothers, even though we are not close. I'm thankful for my friends who became my family. I'm thankful for my job, for food on the table, for clothes on my back, a warm place to sleep, an outlet for my emotions, and for freedom.

"I am thankful, that I'm incapable, of doing any good on my own" -- Caedmon's Call

"And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Eph 5:20

xoxo,
Me.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Dear Lord,


I'm trying not to lust, but this photo is making it VERY HARD.

xoxo,
Me.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I...

am an over sharer.

OI!!

My lack of blogging these last four months or so have led to my blurting out random things in social settings.

SO... AWKWARD...

:)

I cannot wait for Christmas to get here.  I, have never owned a laptop.  Archaic... I know, but still true.  I haven't really ever needed one per se, but always wanted one and yet had other wants/needs that outweighed laptop ownership.  But this Christmas, I'm joining the new millennium with a portable computer.  Praise the Lord.

I'm also going to make sure my wifi is up and running (it should be, but does not register on my phone ;(  ), so that I can blog from my downstairs.

Basically, I just confessed that location is the reason I don't blog.  Or laziness to walk up the stairs.  Truthfully, I just don't spend THAT much time upstairs. 

But I do miss the bloggy community.  I miss the cathartic-ness of it all in getting out feelings.  I miss checking my facebook on more than a iphone screen. 

So... I'm challenging myself to blog semi-regularly for the next few weeks to re acclimate back to the blogging culture.  I've missed y'all!

And Lord knows I'm going to be disowned by my local friends if I don't stop with all the blurting and such.

all my xoxo,
me.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

bloggy mojo.

Dear life, how 'bout we slow this ride down, mkay?

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for me!  Work has been Cuh-ray-zee lately as have my other obligations!  More than a few people have decided to nominate me for things as church, so I have been quite busy with that too!

I decided to take a few days off and visit my parents (first visit home since the middle of September).

So, i can only leave you with a bunch of randoms.

  • I try to laugh at myself once a day.  I tend to take myself WAY TOO serious. 
  • I did not laugh last Friday when, at 2:30 in the morning, I decided to hurl myself down my stairs.  Although I am positive that my neighbors thought I had taken out a wall. 
  • Okay, now I'm laughing about that!
  • I'm pretty sure the lady who did my pedicure today told her friend (in perfect English) "I'm good dude", then proceeded to finish her conversation in vietnamese.  So funny!
  • It occurred to me that Chinese babies must not think their parents are speaking chinese when they first hear them.  Maybe greek?  Or Arabic? 
  • I really want Alabama to beat the HELL out of Auburn. 
  • As an early birthday/Christmas present combo.
  • I know, it's bad but I can't help it.
  • I love that it's finally getting cool/cold!!
  • 2010 has flown by!  Where did September go????
  • I have gotten so many compliments on my "Flo" costume.  It was so much fun!
  • All my former rules for SEC football have gone out the window this year.
  • My biological clock is ticking... SO LOUD.
  • I'm observing No Shave November in honor of a friend with prostate cancer, by not shaving my legs.  I'm pretty sure I scared my aforementioned pedicurist.  So sorry girl!
That's all!  Hope you all are having a wonderful November so far!

xoxo,
Me.

Monday, November 1, 2010

halloween feliz.

I really like Halloween.  I grew up in the 80's which, if you were in the same religious circles I was in, meant that the latter half of the decade (and early 90's) were characterized with different evangelists coming around telling you how Halloween was going to send you to Hell.

So basically it was a fun time in pentacostal circles, no?

So... there were a great deal of costumes that were off limits!  Also, I am creative AFTER the fact (sometimes), so I could always come up with a great costume after halloween.  Sadness!

Well, for the last four years, my friends and I have thrown a halloween party.  We've had presidential hopefuls, Scooby-licious characters, rednecks, football players, an oompa-loompa, and Dog the Bounty Hunter.

As you can imagine, each year a proverbial gauntlet is thrown down to be better (and funnier) with your costume! 

Basically, I've been a disappointment in years past.

However...

this year, I brought my A game!

My original intention was to be Sue Sylvester.  Sadly, Adidas decided not to manufacture enough red track suits (FAIL!), so I started back at square one.  Fortunately, my Mom is the sharpest tack in the drawer.  She mentioned Flo, from the Progressive commercials, and I decided to run with it.

best. costume. to. date.

Yay!  Success!!  Here are a few pics... enjoy!

xoxo,
me.