Busy Busy

This Weekend

I like to be busy. When I don’t have anything going on I go crazy. I feel alive when I’m busy. However, I don’t like the type of busy that involves homework and studying and boring stuff like that. I like creative busy and traveling busy. Times when I feel like I am out in the world living it the way we are meant to. Enjoying companionship with others and trying not to worry about the little things. I tend to over worry, over analyze and over think when I’m not busy.

I went from having a very non-busy weekend to a really busy one within a matter of hours. First, I was going to a friend’s birthday party, the highlight of my weekend. Then I couldn’t go. Which changed to I ended up not being able to go and then also going to Nebraska. Here I thought my highlight went from bar with friends to helping my dad with a project, but now the weekend added being suckered in to going to Nebraska. So yet again I shall be traveling 12 hours and across 3 states in about 36 hours; so much for my non-busy over analyzing weekend.

That is good though. A day of shopping and pedicures is in order. I can’t wait! Next weekend, off to Chicago and the travel starts all over again…

Next Weekend

I did realize one thing I’m not a fan of when it comes to days like this, my body never moves. Actually, let’s map it out. In one 24hour period on the days I travel I do the following…sleep from Midnight to about 6am (6 hours of laying there), I sit in the car and drive to work (30min) then I sit at work for 8 hours, I drive back (another 30 minutes of sit time), then I sit in the car for 6-7 hours, which usually leads to me sleeping the remainder 1-2 hours of my day. So in essence I only move my body in any reasonable fashion when I get ready for work in the morning. Approximately, 1 hour. That explains a lot of things….

Lisa's Gift

My college friend Lisa sent me this collage when I was in Spain. It has traveled with me through four countries, across two states, to six different places I lived and now hangs on my cube wall at work. It’s a small piece of art that connects me to happy memories. It reminds me of the good things that have been and the adventures yet to come. I wonder if she knows that.

Red Hammers

“I just got hit in the butt by a big red hammer.” My friends laughed at me when I said this, but it seems to be the type of thing that happens to be. My life is a complex set of bizarre events. Remember when I fell up the stairs? Oh wait, that’s a different story. Anyway, most of those moments are better left to myself. Yet somehow I openly share them making myself appear weirder by the minute to others. Maybe those moments are weird or interesting things I observe and where only I get a kick out of them. Whatever the case, I spent my Saturday wandering around the MOA, getting hit in the butt by red hammers and watching the world knitting championships.

Did you know the fastest knitter broke a world record by stitching 119 stitches in a minute? You don’t care? Well, neither do I, but it’s a true fact. Its also true that I saw a full sized knitted ball gown with sock monkey heads all over it. The MOA is a scary, scary place.

After wandering aimlessly, watching the movie, Definitely, Maybe (a sugary sappy film that gave me the hopelessly false hope that true love is still possible) I was ready to go home and crash. Although a perfectly normal day, I still feel like it was a little bit bizarre. Maybe it was the short, plump woman who shouldn’t have been dressed in all white or all the slow people who don’t know how to walk, but I life thinking, “Phew, now THAT was an experience.”

LOST

I love laughing. My favorite people are those I can joke around with and where we spend the majority of our time laughing. I miss college for that reason. We used to laugh so much we’d be crying and unable to breathe. At one point I thought it was better to have that serious, professional mindset, but its boring. I can’t go through life like that. At our weekly LOST parties we laugh. I always leave feeling refreshed and wanting more. Thanks friends for the fun!

Friends

This morning I want to rejoice in the power and beauty of friends; friends near and far in both distance and emotional connectivity. There are some friends we would give our lives for, drop everything to help. We have day-to-day friends and we have the lifers.

I have seven great friends I grew up with and have stayed in contact with for over 19 years. We stood by each other as we worked to figure out this world together. I can still remember the first time I shyly said hi to a few of them and our friendships bloomed from there. Now they are getting married and having babies. It is amazing.

I have eight very close friends from college. I also think it is amazing how I still talk to and keep in contact with a ton of college buddies two years out. However, nothing compares to the eight ladies that I shared almost every college moment with over four years. Not a day goes by without some sort of contact with one of them-even though distance separates all of us. Now they are getting married. We have our girl time as a group and couple time as a group and each moment brings with it an incredible richness of love, laughter, and care.

I can tell them anything and they to me as well. I think our openness grew substantially after we left college. As we embarked on life in our separate directions never before have we needed so much love and guidance. It has made the road easier to walk knowing they are by my side. Not keeping thoughts or questions bottled up inside, I can resolve them quicker and move on to the next thing faster.

Now, as I left college behind me, I love walking around the seminary’s campus saying hi to people, stopping to chat, and being late to things because my social agenda keeps me busy. I love going out for coffee, for a little snack, for a walk or a drive with spur of the moment randomness that is incomparable. It is a wonderful world.

Last night I reflected on this as I listened and tried to sing along with Aaron in his room. It was a song that was belted out between him and another friend on a drive through the South African countryside. My friends and I always burst out in song, random songs. It’s those simple moments that bring me so much joy.

Contentment is what I have found so far in 2007. Things have been tough, but in the big picture life can only been seen as positive. Through God’s amazing blessing so much has happened in two short months.

Companionship means so much. As I cuddled up with another warm soul, while we both did homework, I felt safe, happy and ready to take on the world. God, I thank you for all that you have given me, all that you have provided me, and the encouragement to make it through the tough times in life.

2007 in Full Swing

I had an amazing start to 2007. I brought in the New Year with college friends on a road trip out to Denver. Forced to stay a few extra days due to a snow storm was just detrimental…ok, so maybe not! I wasn’t about to complain! We were the power of Thrice. In other words, out of our closest college friends we were the only three without significant others. We embraced our Thriceness and laughed in the face of adversity in a world that didn’t seem to want us to date. Well, ok, there is someone who wants to date me; a great guy, perfect for someone in many ways, but I just don't feel it. So I guess I shouldn't complain about being a part of the Thrice. I could chose to do otherwise.

Yet, 2007 is full of promise. On Saturday I am leaving for South Africa. Three weeks of summer in the dead of winter. It is supposed to be 91° in Cape Town on Sunday. I can’t complain. It is a New Year of close friends, and an international trip. January is only the first month! What other wonderful things are in store?