Financial Aid Madness

I went to the financial aid office again today. Now, my money hasn't all come through yet -- but I'm still short $5,500. So I had to take out an extra student loan. Why didn't they know this a month ago, when I asked them if I had enough finaid to cover it all? And I have to take another stupid sheet of paper around to my teachers to assure the financial aid office that I have been GOING to my classes all this time. What do they think I've been doing? Standing around waiting for them to get their act together? There's not enough time in the world!

So, tune in next week for "ADVENTURES IN HOOP JUMPING"

BOING

Boing

boing....

Another evening of crafts for Rachel! I finally got around to finishing off the cushion for the new chair I bought for my porch -- and just in the nick of time too -- I can read again tomorrow (or rather at midnight tonight -- may be worth staying up for). It turned out far better than I'd hoped -- after some rather stupid technical difficulties. Since I know that no-one in my audience can sew, I'll just say that fabric stretches the more you mess with it, so one piece had become considerably longer than the other -- and trying to match the pattern was a mess. But I did it! It looks so nice too. When I bought it it has obviously been bought in the 70's, as the orange and brown paisley leaf pattern proved. So it is now pink and green quilt square material. So country cute - - normally I hate country cute (my mother loves it, I'm rather a purist when it comes to Victorian decor). But what Victorian apartment would be complete without wicker on the patio? (For the record, I've been claiming to hate wicker forever....but it's really...*stand back for the lightening bolt*...adorable) Anyway -- enough rhapsodising...I can hear Aaron rolling his eyes -- but now there will be a place to sit in my house that doesn't have wheels!

Ok, what is wrong with this picture? I just had my first midterm. I'm still not registered for classes. Odd?

And why is everything in bold all of a sudden?

Weekend with the Grandparents

So for those of you that didn't know, in the interest in healing the numerous and massive tears in my familial tapestry, I went to Oklahoma this weekend to visit my Dad's parents. It went very well. I still have yet to see Grandma smile, but she did laugh at my humor (she'd better like it -- it came straight down the genepool from her!). Grandpa was a sweetheart as ever!

We went antiquing saturday morning, to the fair in the afternoon, and then to Hobby Lobby and out to Wagoner (prounounce Wag-ner) to visit Mary's childhood home. Sunday morning we went to their Lutheran church. It was a church. Lots of church functions, and small groups, and emphasis on becoming a holistic body -- not much doctrine. Going by the fill-in-the-blank sermon outline, the St. Albans Youth Group Staff has all four marks of a healthy small body! Their Choir was terrible. 8 people. Then we went to Luby's for lunch, Grandpa left from there to go golfing, and we went to one more antique store before we had to leave town. It was nice. I got an antique folding rocking chair out of the deal (Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas, Rachel!)

Favorite Quotes From the Weekend

Grandpa: "Well, after 52 years I can't kick her out."

Grandma: "Well if they'd sank the Titanic in port, less people would have died!"

Illegal Curry

I would just like to know what illegal narcotic goes into Bangkok Royale's yellow curry that makes it so addictive. I'm eating it for breakfast. I ate it for dinner last night. I took some to go and ate on it all last weekend. I think they've put something in it -- because usually one gets bored of eating the same dish over and over....but not this one. Marjorie in Houston has to binge every time she comes back into town, and they know us so well at the shop they don't even bother to give us menus anymore, and taking our order is more of a formality than anything, since Pom just lists off our orders, asks if anyone wants anything different, and brings our food out. It's comforting really, having an "our place." And they have us all connected...if I walk in alone they want to know if Matt is coming, and if I'm ordering for Jen they always remember whether she has soup or salad, and does she want Iced Tea too? And yesterday I was cold, so I told them I'd sit in my car and come back in when my order was ready, and Pom brought it out to my car. Isn't he nice? Anyway -- since one can't eat and type and the same time, I'm going back to my curry. yummmmyy. cuuuuuuurrrrrryyyyy.

I really stink at praying out loud. I can trace it back to those horrible prayers we had before Melody Lane concerts, "Dear God, make us do well, and please let the people like us, and please help us remember our parts. Amen." And I got nominated to pray -- I can't even remember what I said -- and they laughed at me. Anyway -- we were praying at our youth meeting tonight, and since I'm much better writing than speaking, I thought I'd put my praises down here.

I thank God for Aaron, our youth leader, who brought us all together into a Christian Community, which I so desperately needed at that time of my life. I thank God for Mary, who irritated me by implying that I should be going to church (when I was falling away). Who invited me to go to her church, and who welcomed me when I finally did...and who has stood by me not allowing me to go back into my shell when youth group forces me out of my comfort zone. I thank God for Dr. Claybrook -- who invited me to sing at his church, even though I put it off for a whole semester...he didn't give up. I thank God for putting me at St. Albans...and for sending Janne to nurture and minister to us. I thank God for Mary Beth -- even though I don't know her well, for being a comforter and an encourager. I thank God for all of them, that they put up with my shortcomings, and overlook how lacking I am in spiritual disciplines, and accept me even though I'm just taking baby steps back into faith. And I thank Him for overlooking my breaking into giggles at the wrong moment of every prayer, service, and worship....

Another $2! Yay! I'm rich! Well, not yet....but its a start! Once I get a feel for things maybe I can make this worth its while!

Celebrate! I have just sold my first item on ebay! Only $5, but its a start! I say that's not bad...plus -- maybe I'll sell enough this weekend to make up for my furniture binge shopping spree! Laverties has everything half off -- so I had to go look. I only bought a doily guys, but the sale goes on all week! Plenty of time to go back and find pieces of architectural gingerbread! Plenty of time to decide that I really DO need a 19th century sideboard! Plenty of time to decide that I really could sell that on ebay and be set for life! I just got paid -- wouldn't that be an investment? HAHAHAH! Anyway -- see what $5.00 can do? Makes on greedy!

Teri has just informed me that I misspelled Jane Austen in my bidding world. How embarrassing. I vaguely remember wondering if she and Steven F. Austin were related....

Bad day for the poor eyes. Matt was driving with the windows down, and I got something in my eye. Hurt like crazy. And I coudln't do my usual in-emergencies-only trick of popping my contact out, sucking on it for a second, and popping it back in, because I'd just had Curry and a Peppermint, neither of which my eye approved. So I finally pulled the visor down and looked in the mirror -- and its one of those darn long fuzzies. I don't know where they come from -- but they're finer than hair, and somewhat curly, and they stick to your mascara and then wag about in your eye wreaking all sorts of havoc. So there mine was, floating peacefully. Usually in a case like this, you find something absorbant (like a napkin) and try to get the hair to stick to it. I take my contact out and look for a napkin. No such luck. So I have an epiphany -- I can just reach my fingers in and pull it out (those with contacts can't be squemish about stuff like that). So I make an exploratory dab, and the car hits a bumb. Now I have a tiny gouge on my eyeball that is bleeding, AND a happy little floater. So I start tugging on my eyelash trying to dislodge the thing, and i finally manage to catch a bit and pull it out, but my poor eye looks like it's been through a war zone. And it has. And then I had to put a peppermint and curry soaked contact back onto it. My eye may never forgive me. If I'm blind tomorrow, you'll know they've gone on strike.

I'm so excited! People are bidding on my stuff! I may make a living off of this after all! In other news, my apartment is finally clean. I kept promising to do that -- and its been a week since the opera ended, so I have no excuse. It's so pretty! I even vaccuumed! Let's see how long I can keep it clean this time! Speaking of which, I have bathmats in the dryer. I shall go retrieve them now!

TWO! TWO people bidding on my Moriage Teaset! Ah! Ah! Ahhhhhh! (sound of thunder)

Alright, so, very excited here! Three of my items on ebay are being bid on!!!! And 70 people have looked at my fantastic little moriage teaset! Now if they'll just buy it -- that would be grocery money. I figure I have to make at least 35 cents an item to cover the cost to me to post it online. But regardless. My books are selling, some lace is selling. I have one lady who would like to buy the whole lot of my eyelet stuff -- good for her I say! And I have a few more yards of one lace, and I've said that I'll post it online where she can "buy it now." I know other buyers sell directly after an auction -- but I'd prefer to play by the rules (rather than have ebay kick me off).

I'm really have too much fun doing this. Tonight I think I'll post all of the rest of the stuff I bought -- especially since I won't be garage sale-ing next weekend. I'll be in Oklahoma. Why am I going to oklahoma you ask? To visit my grandparents. I'm long overdue. And I'm taking Mary along. IF she's there maybe Grandma will be on her best behavior -- I hope. We're going to go to the tulsa fair. And maybe Grandma and I can go antiquing on sunday...she and I both like that.

Well, I have to go flunk a Polisci test now. Oh please let me know enough to pass! That's all I'm asking -- I just want a C. Well, I actually want a B. And A would be nice -- but there's wishful thinking -- especially since we have to memorize dates....blech!!!! Hylton v. US should have just thrown himself in a lake prior to 1796 (ha).

Not much time to blog. I have two tests to study for, neither of which I really want to take. I hate Polisci. I took 2 classes of it in Junior College, and liked them for my teacher's sake, and passed with A's/B. But is that good enough for Baylor? No. Because some horrible rich guy decided that he would only give money to our school if we used the badly written book of his choice. So now I have to take Polisci again -- and you know what else. They wouldn't transfer in my other American Government class because then it would look on my transcript like I'd already taken it. So they also jacked me of my junior class standing upon entering. Now I'm a senior. I've put off this darn class as long as I possibly can, and I can't any longer. And it's dumb. Not the topic itself. I like history. But the court cases and dates. WHO CARES. Why couldn't the fractious people just go and have a freaking DUEL and get it over! Marbury should have shot Madison. That's all there is to it. Same for Martin and his "Lessee." All of them should have duked it out and buried the loser in the swamp for all I care. And that's only two of them....and we have to memorise all current supreme court justices. And the year they came in, and the president who nominated them. BLECH!!!! Anyway. I am now five minutes past my "-you-must-get-off-the-computer-now-and-go-study" time, so I'm going to go do just that!

Garage Sale-ing was an adventure this morning. Since Aaron seems insistant that we have youth group on Saturday mornings at un-godly hours, I've had to plan my shopping around being at the church at 8:30. Which means I have to be out by at least 5:45 in the morning, which allows me to hit five before I have to be at St. Albans. (To make things even more fun, I got done watching a movie with Aaron, Carlton, and Marybeth at about 2am, so rather than dragging myself out of bed after 3 hours of sleep, I cleaned my house and did laundry instead.) Today was not an amazing day -- no notions, no sewing stuff, but a whole batch of toys with their tags still on them. I'll list them in a few days. That's the cool thing about garage sales. You can't ever go into it saying "this is what I intend to buy today." Otherwise you can get very discouraged very quickly. The toys for instance I found at the first garage sale of the day. (sidenote: it's horribly hard to see anything at 6am. Very dark, even with a full moon.) I was looking for home decor, or maybe some collectibles or antiques....not today -- but I did also find a handmade vase, a couple of grapevine wreaths, and some childrens' clothing -- always a good seller. My mother buys allison things off ebay all the time.

I did meet an interesting guy at the second to last one. He picked up a Genii doll (from Aladdin) and started talking about how much he loves the movie, then he started singing. And heck, it was early and we were the only ones there, so I joined in on the refrain. And after some Pocahantas, and I think Little Mermaid too, we took our show on the road. Not really. But we did sing for the lady running the sale. She seemed to enjoy it. It turns out that the man is the pastor at a little non-denominational evangelical church downtown. They meet Thursdays and Saturdays so that they don't interfere with other church services that their members want to go to. I got a flyer. Maybe I'll go one of these days. They have a biblestudy and then worship services. I'm not sure how well I'll fit into that church, especially after being episcopal for a while. I'll have to practice my hearty "Amen!"

I have eaten FAR too much Thai food this evening. My favorite restaurant in Waco is Bangkok Royale -- right off campus. We go there for lunch if we have time. Which we did today --and ate our hearts out.

Then Marjorie came back into town...and it just so happens that this is her favorite place too. So we ate more.

Then I ordered Yellow Curry to go...

Thanks to Daryl and Teri for their suggestions on how to put my ebay page on my website! I'm so happy! Thanks a lot! And teri, I didn't have to call you and make you put it on my site for me this time. Aren't you proud?

Although, considering how few people actually read my blog (relatively speaking -- compared to say, Annawho has whole hoards of people who not only read, but are active participants. Well, I'll admit, she is much funnier than me! So perhaps instead of Night all, I should say: Goodnight you(plural) -- as we learned in italian today. Why is English the only language not to have a word for you (guys/all/whatever)? That means you have to say, most conveniently, "y'all" which I still only use in moments of extreme carelessness -- or exhaustion, when my nonexistant drawl comes leaping from nowhere. Anyway -- A domani

I now have 9 items on ebay...several people are looking at them, but unfortunatly none are buying any. There was a beautiful sunset tonight -- absolutely fabulous in the part of the world! I got a picture on my new camera....very excited about it!

I wish I could write more, but I'm too dog tired from staying up half the night playing on the computer! Night all!

It's 3am. Do you know where your Rachel is? She's sitting at a computer immensely pleased with herself for not only putting three more items on eBay all by herself, but after accidentally deleting the icon from her desktop that takes you to the photo editing process, figured out how to fix it.

On an interesting sidenote -- why is it that my pictures will not transfer from my camera unless I'm doing something else -- like checking my hotmail account. All evening I'd plug in all of the cords to connect the two .. and the computer would sit there going <> And I found that if I calmly opened another file, it was the technical equivalent of Mom walking in the room and saying "now, what is it that you are doing exactly." And suddenly my pictures would transfer like crazy. No telling with this computer. It really has a mind of its own.

Still no one bidding on anything. My mother told me to calm down -- it hasn't even been two days yet. Well yes, but I'm hoping that of the four items, at least one of them will sell the first time around. One can always relist of course, but it costs each time. The object here is to make money, not pour it endlessly down the hole as an excuse to play with my new camera. Anyway -- I think having listed my items for the evening, I will go to bed. Tomorrow I must buy a paper and plan my garage saling strategy! (Oh, another thing -- Rachel also found herself tearing through her apartment looking for things to sell....perhaps one should notify the proper authorities and have her shipped off before her exitement gets the better of her)

No one has yet bid on my item on eBay. I'm going to be obsessing now. Not really -- there are still 6 days left. Surely someone will want to make me rich...

And in the same day I figured out how to enter paragraphs into my blog!!!

watch out world

now

I'm going

to start putting paragraph

breaks in every other

word. Just to prove that I

can!

I have just listed my first item on ebay. I am feeling very proud of myself.

Like the first caveman who rubbed two sticks together and invented fire.

ugh!

Its a Kodak "easy share" zoom digital camera --um...cx4230. If Anyone actually cares about that kind of stuff...I certainly don't -- but I didn't want 47 "what kind of camera is it" comments :-D

I got a new toy today --- that's right...I finally bought my digital camera -- let the EBAY selling begin!!! I'm so excited. Now If I can just figure out how the darn thing works...

My friend is composing a new song for piano...it is called "Sonata with a dead soprano." It calls for a singer to walk onstage, crawl under the grand piano and lay there playing dead for the entire piece. Towards the end, she starts making ghost noises. Sounds like a blast, huh? I volunteered to sing the premier...

Something to ponder this week. Why is it that we know that God is in control, and knows all, and sees all, and heck, created all, and yet we still allow ourselves to get dragged down in fear. Personal confession time. I had a huge faith crisis upon coming to Baylor. Here I was at a Christian University, and all of a sudden I was put into a position where I was surrounded by people who lived lives that were totally foreign, yet they still professed to believe the same things I did. Then I went through a relatively traumatizing relationship (dated a gay man...sort of, its a long story), at which point I decided that my beliefs were going to cost me my friends...so I stopped standing up for them. I didn't want to be the little ignorant naive girl, so I covered up my beliefs. I joined in on conversations that I shouldn't have, began joking around about things I had no business joking about (laughing about somehting somehow makes it acceptable), hoping that somehow if I became worldly enough, I wouldn't ever have to go through another relationship like the one I'd just been through. Thankfully, God was looking out for me. He brought me back to church--involved,not just present, surrounded me with amazing Christian mentors and friends, and is slowly putting my priorities back where they should be. But I still have to live with the consequences of my decision to act like I was "cool" with it all. In my mind all relationships and motives became sullied. Even God couldn't possibly change anyone. And so I was afraid. Afraid of being rediculed for my beliefs, and conversely afraid that I woudln't live up to them. And I believed in God, but doubted that he could really do anything to fix the mess. And worse, maybe everyone else is right...or at least right in the sense that this is all there is, so we may as well enjoy it. So life has been bleak. And then tonight, we were discussing hope. And I've had none. I knew what I believed, but I'd sold out more often than I care to remember. Not in big ways -- more by what I didn't say than what I did...laughing at bad jokes, and not standing up for the truth when people were discussing their views of god (with a small g), but saying nothing when you know you should is the same as denying that you know Him. So I was despairing, because I've been feeling like I knew the truth, but couldn't grasp it in my own life. My beliefs are based on doctrine, but not a relationship -- and doctrine without relationship is a hopelessly bleak prospect. But we were discussing hope, and read the passage in Titus where Paul is speaking of "a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time." (Titus 1:2) That phrase, "who does not lie" struck me. His words are true. There is no other view of the world...because he created it. He knows everything, and sees everything and he does not lie. What he tells us is true, and if he promises that we won't be given more than we can bear without being shown a way out, then He means it. If He promises he will be with us, and that he is THE TRUTH, then He is. And if we can believe that, then there isn't any room for fear of being wrong, or overcome anymore. And so, I guess this elementary rambling is old hash twice warmed...but it brings together lots of loose ends I've been fritzing over. Now if I can take the theoretical and apply it.......

The opera is over. Thank goodness. That means I'll have a whole evening free this week -- monday! Yay! Tomorrow night I'm going to veg out, get out my cross stitch, and finish yet one more project so I can start a new one! I have to do something quickly because silk floral stems are on Sale at Michaels this week -- and I have two lampshades that are begging for flowers. And I have another verse to turn into a pillow...and walls to paint -- that alone is a big enough project for a weekend or two. I'm thinking about moss green....or perhaps a nice sage (for the color challenged, moss has slightly more yellow in it, but they're both pale). And on top of that there's so much bread to bake, so little time! I'm going to have some free time again!!!! I'm so excited! I've got it all spent up already...

I saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding this evening. Very funny. I highly recommend it to everyone (although, in the past tense, since I'm the last of my set to see it). The opera went well tonight, at least from a costuming angle. The man who hired me is trying to back out of paying me...weasil. Last year I got $500 flat, and that was with an additional $100 split between my four costume crew members. This year I have no crew, was still making $500. Now he wants to pay me by the hour. Fine. I've worked....um...50 hours. At 10 dollars an hour. Pretty good estimate, don't you think? Plus all the gas I bought going back and forth between rehearsals. And the $400 I've spent out of pocket buying things for this show. Not too shabby. I should get an extra hundred dollars for doing everything myself...but I think that might be pushing my luck. We'll see. Oh, and the official word -- I'm not auditioning for the opera.

Still tired. That's going to become the theme this year. I don't think I'm going to audition for the mainstage opera this year. (Don't quote me though -- as auditions get closer, my competative streak my burst out and kill random passersby) For one thing, my parents can only come to one performance this year -- my senior recital (The week of april 7th -- mark your collective calenders), so they woudln't even get to see it. For another thing, the only role I could get is a bit part that is only on 2 scenes or so. That's a lot of time for 2 scenes(I'd have to be here most of Christmas break). For a third thing, I'm in Little Red Riding Hood in November, Opera Scenes in December, and a heavy load of academic classes. Do I really need to have less freetime than I do now? Added to that, working all summer prevented any sort of R&R. I'm burned out already in the 3rd week of school. Not a good sign. Anyway, feedback would be welcome from anyone who cares to give it. Maybe I should start a poll. And on top of that, my devotional life is finally starting to become a regular part of my life -- not hit and miss as formerly. When I'm that exhausted, thats the first thing that falls by the wayside (and the very last that should). We'll see in a couple of weeks....

Everyone check out the new link! Blogtree.com. The place to register your blog, and who inspired it "ie-your parent blog" to start a blogger family tree! Go for it!

I'm tired. Really tired. La Boheme came way sooner than I was expecting...and the rest of the semester does not appear to be slowing down any. I'm costume coordinator. That really means that I don't make the costumes, I just run around trying to keep the chorus IN them(why do they always feel like they don't really need to put anything on until 5 seconds before they walk onstage. It drives us CRAZY), and keep the real costumer happy. Which is hard to do. This man is very knowledgable, and very nice, but he could talk the hind leg off a donkey. And since somehow they're under the impression that I'M the one making the decisions around here, they have no qualms about complaining about them in front of him. He takes that very badly -- so I get to run around trying to field all questions and concerns before they get to him. For example. CHORUSTER: This hat doesn't fit. I think they got the names mixed up, so... HIM: Every hat has a name. Go in there and find the one with yours in it. CHORUSTER: But you see, this is my name, but... HIM: Well I get everything off a list, so if yours doesn't fit it's not my problem... CHORUSTER: Never mind. Forget it. (at this point he leaves the room, so it's my turn) ME: What's the problem? HIM: They gave me the drum major hat. I'm not the drum major. ME: Well here, trade hats WITH the drum major, and then everything's fine. So, see, another catastrophe averted. Unfortunatly, I'm left with almost no ability to speak in coherent sentences after doing that all evening. After tomorrow night's dress rehearsal, I should be a be a blithering idiot. Wish me well...

Things that stink about living alone: 1) coming home to an empty apartment after dark. 2) Endless meals for one. 3) No one to say goodnight to.

Things that are great about living alone. 1)Knowing exactly where all the food is going. 2)No roommate to wake you up at all hours. 3)Decorating however you want. 4) Being able to pay all bills ahead of time. 5) Your clothes are only worn by you.

I thought I was losing my mind today. I have this pair of hot pink beaded flip-flops that I've been putting in my car recently. I love wearing rediculous shoes to school, but got tired of killing myself trying to walk across campus in them. Hence the flip-flops. Last night I thought I remembered leaving them deliberatly in my car so they'd be there in the morning. This morning I was digging through my closet looking for a good pair of scuffy shoes to wear with my ratty jeans, and underneath my vacuum cleaner I came across a pair of hot pink beaded flip-flops. ??? So, naturally I assumed that I'd forgotten bringing them into the house. So I walked out to my car, got in, and sat down next to a pair of hot pink flip-flops..identical to the pair I had on my feet. So I wracked my brain trying to decide who most likely wants me in the nuthouse (I knew some sopranos had their knives out over auditions, but I had planned for a direct assalt). Then I called my sister. Turns out mother had bought her a pair of identical flip-flops to wear as dorm shower shoes. Somehow they ended up with my stuff when I came back to Texas. But really now, what's the chance that my mother and I would buy identical shoes from halfway across the country? (Twilight zone music)

I just saw Signs this evening. Right now I'm rummaging about my apartment looking for pieces of scrap lumber to nail over my doors and windows. Not that it will help apparently. I'd considered a guard dog -- but they didn't seem to do much in the movie. Why oh why don't I learn. Never go to scary movies when one has to go home to an empty house. I had a scary moment when I walked in, flipped the switch and my lights didn't come on. (And another as I was writing the last sentence because someone across way slammed their door with a loud crashing sound. Followed immediatly by my air conditioning coming on -- with air filtering through the vents. I want my daddy). That's ok. Since Aaron recommended it...he can just deal with it when I call him at 3am. So there. Very good movie by the way. I highly recommend it for the main plot line. Awesome ending! Just, don't watch it alone. And then spend the night at someone else's house afterwards. Goodnight! I'm going to go find a large kitchen knife....

anthropophuism
the ascription of human nature to God or to the gods.

I did it. I gave up reading for pleasure until October 1st. The very thought makes me stomach turn and my skin itch. I did manage to get 16 chapters into Genesis during lunch. I always read when I eat (unless I have company of course). In fact, I had just finished saying "ok, I'll do it." when the timer for lunch rang, and I went and got my pot pie, a big glass of milk, and reached for my favorite...oh I can't do that can I. So I decided to treat the bible like "pleasure reading" and start it at "In the beginning." We'll see how far I can get in a month......